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Background: Racial disparities in pain management have been observed in the USA since the 1990s in settings such as the emergency department and oncology. However, the palliative care context is not well described, and little research has focused outside of the USA or on advanced disease. This review takes a cross-national approach to exploring pain management in advanced disease for people of different racial and ethnic groups. Methods: Mixed methods systematic review. The primary outcome measure was differences in receiving pain medication between people from different racial and ethnic groups. Five electronic databases were searched. Two researchers independently assessed quality using JBI checklists, weighted evidence, and extracted data. The quantitative findings on the primary outcome measure were cross-tabulated, and a thematic analysis was undertaken on the mixed methods studies. Themes were formulated into a conceptual/thematic matrix. Patient representatives from UK ethnically diverse groups were consulted. PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed. Results: Eighteen papers were included in the primary outcome analysis. Three papers were rated 'High' weight of evidence, and 17/18 (94%) were based in the USA. Ten of the eighteen (56%) found no significant difference in the pain medication received between people of different ethnic groups. Forty-six papers were included in the mixed methods synthesis; 41/46 (89%) were based in the USA. Key themes: Patients from different ethnically diverse groups had concerns about tolerance, addiction and side effects. The evidence also showed: cultural and social doctor-patient communication issues; many patients with unmet pain management needs; differences in pain assessment by racial group, and two studies found racial and ethnic stereotyping. Conclusions: There was not enough high quality evidence to draw a conclusion on differences in receiving pain medication for people with advanced disease from different racial and ethnic groups. The mixed methods findings showed commonalities in fears about pain medication side effects, tolerance and addiction across diverse ethnic groups. However, these fears may have different foundations and are differently prioritised according to culture, faith, educational and social factors. There is a need to develop culturally competent pain management to address doctor-patient communication issues and patients' pain management concerns. Trial registration: PROSPERO-CRD42020167890. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although medication abortion has become more common in high-income countries, the procedure has not yet met early expectations for widening access to abortion. High-quality evidence can serve as a catalyst for changes in policy and practice. To direct research priorities, it is important to understand where quality evidence is concentrated and where gaps remain. High-income countries have developed a body of evidence that may have implications for the future of medication abortion. This literature review assesses the characteristics and quality of published studies on medication abortion conducted in the last 10 years in high-income countries and indicates future areas for research to advance policy and practice, and broaden access. Study design: A structured search for literature resulted in 207 included studies. A framework based upon the World Health Organization definition of sub-tasks for medication abortion was developed to categorize research by recognized stages of the medication abortion process. Using an iterative and inductive approach, additional sub-themes were created under each of these categories. Established quality assessment frameworks were drawn upon to gauge the internal and external validity of the included research. Results: Studies in the US and the UK have dominated research on MA in high-income countries. The political and social contexts of these countries will have shaped of this body of research. The past decade of research has focused largely on clinical aspects of medication abortion. Conclusion: Researchers should consider refocusing energies toward testing service delivery approaches demonstrating promise and prioritizing research that has broader generalizability and relevance outside of narrow clinical contexts. Plain English summary: Although medication abortion is more commonly available worldwide, it is not being used as often as people thought it would be, particularly in high income countries. In order to encourage changes in policy and practice that would allow greater use, we need good quality evidence. If we can understand where we do not have enough research and where we have good amounts of research, we can determine where to invest energies in further studies. Many high-income countries have produced research on medication abortion that could influence policy and practice in similarly resourced contexts. I conducted a literature review to be able to understand the type and quality of research on medication abortion conducted in high-income countries in the past 10 years. I conducted the review in an organized way to make sure that the papers reviewed discussed studies that I thought would be important for answering this question. The literature review found 207 papers. Each of these papers were reviewed and organized them by theme. I also used existing methods to determinine the quality of each study. Most of the research came from the US and the UK. Furthermore, most of the research conducted in the past 10 years was focused on clinical studies of medication abortion. In future studies, researchers should focus more on new ways of providing medication abortion to women that offers greater access. Also, the studies should be designed so that the results have meaning for a broader group of people or situations beyond where the study was done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether financial derivatives usage impacts firm value in seven developed countries from 2007 to 2016. We rely on textual analysis to identify derivatives users and address the potential reverse causality problem through propensity score matching and the difference‐in‐differences approach. Empirical findings suggest that the use of derivatives has a negative effect on firm value. Interestingly, we observe asymmetric valuation effects for specific countries when comparing firms that adopt derivatives with those that abandon them. US, UK, and Australian firms adopting derivatives experience a significant decrease in their valuation. Contrary to expectations, this adverse effect diminishes and may become insignificant at best when firms choose to abandon derivatives. Furthermore, most of the significant value effects disappear when using the industry relative valuation measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to outline the general features of legal regulation in advanced countries of artificial intelligence in the field of intellectual property law, namely in the context of legal regulation of intellectual property rights created by such artificial intelligence. [Methodology/Approach/Design] During the conducted research, the leading method is the comparative legal method. However, apart from it, an array of philosophical, general scientific, and special scientific methods has been used. [Findings] The main results obtained are the analysis of the provisions of regulations governing the specific features of intellectual property rights created by artificial intelligence in advanced countries of the world, such as the United States of America, Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland), the countries of the European Union, etc. [Practical Implications] Practical recommendations are provided for improving the national (Kazakh) legislation in the context of legal regulation of this issue. [Originality/Value] The materials can be used for further scientific research of the statutory regulation of intellectual property objects created by artificial intelligence and constitute a practical value for improving the quality of the available regulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ekonomika is the property of Society of Economists 'Ekonomika' and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Healthcare accounts for approximately 5% of emissions in developed nations, and the public healthcare provider in the United Kingdom (UK), the National Health Service (NHS), has set a target to reach net-zero emissions by 2040 without detriment to its quality of patient care. With Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs; a.k.a. drones, UAS, or RPAS) starting to be used in healthcare systems outside the UK, there is interest in how they could be integrated into NHS operations to transport diagnostic specimens. Reflecting on a business-as-usual analysis of current NHS diagnostic specimen logistics across the Solent region (southern UK), this paper critically evaluates the practical reality of integrating UAV deliveries of this commodity, identifying the benefits and challenges that must be addressed to realise commercial services, including dangerous goods legislation, cargo stability, routing, and weather. In the analysis, 14 out of 79 surgeries could be realistically served by a 5m wingspan vertical take-off/landing (VTOL) UAV: seven directly, and seven via ground-based transfers. The results suggested that an average of 1,628 samples could be served by UAV each week, resulting in 42 flights/week with 10 taxi services to cover periods where weather limited flying. This equated to an approximate total service cost of £2,964/week if regulations develop to relax UAV personnel constraints. The introduction of UAVs reduced the marginal external costs (greenhouse gas emissions, congestion, and air pollution) by £196 per week and cut travel times to UAV served sites by 72% (weather permitting). Tailpipe emissions (excl. taxis), vehicle-kilometres travelled, and van costs were reduced by 20%, 20%, and 23% (respectively), but the overall system cost increased by 56%. Whilst this increase is likely to make the introduction of UAV services financially challenging, the benefits in terms of emissions and journey time savings may offset some of the additional cost and warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many developed countries, the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has become important in paving the future path in how data is managed and secured in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector. SMEs in these developed countries have created their own cyber regimes around AI and ML. This knowledge is tested daily in how these countries' SMEs run their businesses and identify threats and attacks, based on the support structure of the individual country. Based on recent changes to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Brexit, and ISO standards requirements, machine learning cybersecurity (MLCS) adoption in the UK SME market has become prevalent and a good example to lean on, amongst other developed nations. Whilst MLCS has been successfully applied in many applications, including network intrusion detection systems (NIDs) worldwide, there is still a gap in the rate of adoption of MLCS techniques for UK SMEs. Other developed countries such as Spain and Australia also fall into this category, and similarities and differences to MLCS adoptions are discussed. Applications of how MLCS is applied within these SME industries are also explored. The paper investigates, using quantitative and qualitative methods, the challenges to adopting MLCS in the SME ecosystem, and how operations are managed to promote business growth. Much like security guards and policing in the real world, the virtual world is now calling on MLCS techniques to be embedded like secret service covert operations to protect data being distributed by the millions into cyberspace. This paper will use existing global research from multiple disciplines to identify gaps and opportunities for UK SME small business cyber security. This paper will also highlight barriers and reasons for low adoption rates of MLCS in SMEs and compare success stories of larger companies implementing MLCS. The methodology uses structured quantitative and qualitative survey questionnaires, distributed across an extensive participation pool directed to the SMEs' management and technical and non-technical professionals using stratify methods. Based on the analysis and findings, this study reveals that from the primary data obtained, SMEs have the appropriate cybersecurity packages in place but are not fully aware of their potential. Secondary data collection was run in parallel to better understand how these barriers and challenges emerged, and why the rate of adoption of MLCS was very low. The paper draws the conclusion that help through government policies and processes coupled together with collaboration could minimize cyber threats in combatting hackers and malicious actors in trying to stay ahead of the game. These aspirations can be reached by ensuring that those involved have been well trained and understand the importance of communication when applying appropriate safety processes and procedures. This paper also highlights important funding gaps that could help raise cyber security awareness in the form of grants, subsidies, and financial assistance through various public sector policies and training. Lastly, SMEs' lack of understanding of risks and impacts of cybercrime could lead to conflicting messages between cross-company IT and cybersecurity rules. Trying to find the right balance between this risk and impact, versus productivity impact and costs, could lead to UK SMES getting over these hurdles in this cyberspace in the quest for promoting the usage of MLCS. UK and Wales governments can use the research conducted in this paper to inform and adapt their policies to help UK SMEs become more secure from cyber-attacks and compare them to other developed countries also on the same future path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing for the needs of the vulnerable is a critical component of social and health policy-making. In particular, caring for children and for vulnerable older people is vital to the wellbeing of millions of families throughout the world. In most developed countries, this care is provided through both formal and informal means, and is therefore governed by complex policies that interact in non-obvious ways with other areas of policy-making. In this paper we present an agent-based model of social and child care provision in the UK, in which agents can provide informal care or pay for private care for their relatives. Agents make care decisions based on numerous factors including their health status, employment, financial situation, and social and physical distance to those in need. Simulation results show that the model can produce plausible patterns of care need and availability, and therefore can provide an important aid to this complex area of policy-making. We conclude that the model's use of kinship networks for distributing care and the explicit modelling of interactions between social care and child care will enable policy-makers to develop more informed policy interventions in these critical areas. "The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped." — Hubert Humphrey Jr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the regressive nature of tax exemptions for children compared to child allowances and estimates the decline in child poverty in several developed countries due to child allowances. The paper then estimates the decline in child poverty in the United States due to tax exemptions for children and simulates the impact of various possible child allowance programs on child poverty in the United States. It finds that a $3000 to $4000 child allowance would reduce child poverty in the United States to the level of other developed nations and, due to the costs associated with child poverty, be a cost effective policy change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to devise a new index of wellbeing that includes social and political in addition to economic factors. The new index seeks to assess a country's underlying "enabling environment" — the extent to which individuals are able to live as each chooses. Country rankings using this new measure (the HENX) are compared with the ranking of countries using the UN's popular indicators of development, the human development index and the HPI-2. Design/methodology/approach — The paper describes the necessity of a new index, the subcomponents used in its construction, and the method of construction. Findings — Country rankings are sensitive to which measure is used for the ranking. In particular, the USA and UK fare poorly when ranked by the HPI-2 but their rankings improve dramatically when the HENX is used. Originality/value — If a measure of the enabling environment of a country is deemed to be important as a measure of the wellbeing of citizens, and if political and social dimensions are deemed to be important to this environment, rankings of the most developed economies by the UN fail to adequately capture the countries' relative positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Physical inactivity rates have remained high worldwide since 2001. Public policies are an essential upstream lever to target individual physical activity (PA) behaviour. However, implementers have different strategies and face implementation challenges that are poorly understood. The present study analyzes the implementation processes of public policies to promote PA in terms of: (i) the policies covered and their legal quality, (ii) the actors and stakeholders involved in the implementation process and (iii) the used implementation strategies (vertical, horizontal or a mix). Methods A scoping review was systematically conducted (registered Open Science Framework: osf.io/7w84q/), searching 10 databases and grey literature until March 2022. Of the 7741 titles and abstracts identified initially, 10 studies were included. Results The current evidence includes high-income countries (USA, n  = 7; UK, New Zealand and Oman, n  = 1 each). Policy areas covered are education (school sector) and PA promotion in general (national PA plans or city-wide approaches). The legal classification ranges from laws (school sector) to coordination and budgeting to non-legally binding recommendations. The jurisdictions covered were federal (n  = 4), state (n  = 1), county (n  = 1), school district (n  = 1) and city (n  = 3). Implementation strategies for city-wide approaches are characterized by a coordinated approach with vertical and horizontal integration; federal PA policies by a mix of implementation strategies; and the school sector by a strict horizontal top-down integration without the involvement of other actors. Conclusion Implementation strategies differ by policy field. Therefore, continuous evaluation of the implementation process is necessary to align policy implementation with policy goals to promote individual PA behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Midlife, beginning at 40 years and extending to 65 years, a range that encompasses the late reproductive to late menopausal stages, is a unique time in women's lives, when hormonal and physical changes are often accompanied by psychological and social evolution. Access to sexual health and sexual well-being (SHSW) services, which include the prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, contraception and the support of sexual function, pleasure and safety, is important for the health of midlife women, their relationships and community cohesion. The objective was to use the socio-ecological model to synthesise the barriers and enablers to SHSW services for midlife women in high-income countries. A systematic review of the enablers and barriers to women (including trans-gender and non-binary people) aged 40–65 years accessing SHSW services in high-income countries was undertaken. Four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Google Scholar) were searched for peer-reviewed publications. Findings were thematically extracted and reported in a narrative synthesis. Eighty-one studies were included; a minority specifically set out to study SHSW care for midlife women. The key barriers that emerged were the intersecting disadvantage of under-served groups, poor knowledge, about SHSW, and SHSW services, among women and their healthcare professionals (HCPs), and the over-arching effect of stigma, social connections and psychological factors on access to care. Enablers included intergenerational learning, interdisciplinary and one-stop women-only services, integration of SHSW into other services, peer support programmes, representation of minoritised midlife women working in SHSW, local and free facilities and financial incentives to access services for under-served groups. Efforts are needed to enhance education about SHSW and related services among midlife women and their healthcare providers. This increased education should be leveraged to improve research, public health messaging, interventions, policy development and access to comprehensive services, especially for midlife women from underserved groups. Plain language summary: Sexual health and sexual wellbeing services for midlife women in high income countries Midlife, beginning at 40 years and extending to 65 years, a range that encompasses the late reproductive to late menopausal stages, is a unique time in women's lives. Access to Sexual Health and Sexual Wellbeing (SHSW) services, which include the prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, contraception and the support of sexual function, pleasure and safety, is important for the health of midlife women, their relationships and community cohesion. The objective of this systematic review was to use the socio-ecological model to synthesise the barriers and enablers to SHSW services for midlife women in high income countries. Eighty-one studies were included; a minority specifically set out to study SHSW care for midlife women. The key barriers that emerged were the intersecting disadvantage of under-served groups, poor knowledge, about SHSW, and SHSW services, among women and their HealthCare Professionals (HCPs), and the over-arching effect of stigma, social connections, and psychological factors on access to care. Enablers included intergenerational learning, interdisciplinary and one-stop women-only services, integration of SHSW into other services, peer support programmes, representation of minoritised midlife women working in SHSW, local and free facilities, and financial incentives for under-served groups to access services. The appetite for education about SHSW and SHSW services among midlife women and their HCPs should be capitalised upon, and utilised to improve research, public health messaging, interventions and access to holistic services, particularly for midlife women from under-served groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the complex landscape of climate finance, assessing the adequacy, predictability, and implications for sustainable development in least developed countries (LDCs). This study is motivated by the pressing need to assess the adequacy, predictability, and implications of climate finance for sustainable development in least developed countries (LDCs). Employing an econometric framework, this study utilizes ARIMA models to analyze time series data (from 2000 to 2021) on climate finance. The analysis revealed a notable gap between the needed and actual climate funding received by LDCs. Despite an annual requirement of $93.7 billion according to the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), LDCs have only received an average of $14.8 billion annually since 2015. The study suggests that climate funding for LDCs lacks predictability and falls short in meeting their needs, potentially facing an 80% decrease by 2030 under certain scenarios. It advocates for a strategic revamp in climate finance mechanisms to ensure adequacy and predictability, urging policymakers and international funding bodies to adopt more robust, fair, and needs-based approaches to climate financing. This research emphasizes the responsibility of developed nations and global agencies in bridging the considerable funding gap faced by LDCs. By integrating advanced forecasting techniques with a comprehensive analysis of global economic and political factors, this study sheds light on the challenges LDCs encounter in securing stable and sufficient climate finance, stressing the urgency for systemic reforms in global climate finance policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In common with other developed nations, the UK population is ageing. This has impacts on all areas of economic and social activity, including transport and air travel. This paper aims to provide an initial assessment of the ground access journeys to UK airports made by ageing (65+ years) air travellers, a topic hitherto unexplored by the academic research community. Using data from two online surveys (each with 600 respondents) undertaken in 2020 of 1200 different ageing UK residents, this exploratory research reveals that the ease of undertaking the journey and comfort are key factors in determining ground access choice whilst environmental issues play a minimal role. Whilst this paper offers new insights into the ground access journeys of ageing air passengers, it also makes recommendations for future research that needs to be undertaken to further academic understandings of the needs and attitudes of this important, and growing, passenger segment. • The ground access journey is viewed more favourably than other air journey stages. • Ease of undertaking the journey and comfort are key factors in ground access choice. • Environmental issues play a minimal role in determining ground access choice. • COVID-19 may encourage ageing passengers to use more cars and taxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Racism in the healthcare system has become a burgeoning focus in health policy-making and research. Existing research has shown both interpersonal and structural forms of racism limiting access to quality healthcare for racialised healthcare users. Nevertheless, little is known about the specifics of racism in the inpatient sector, specifically hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. The aim of this scoping review is therefore to map the evidence on racial discrimination experienced by people receiving treatment in inpatient settings (hospitals and rehabilitation facilities) or their caregivers in high-income countries, focusing specifically on whether intersectional axes of discrimination have been taken into account when describing these experiences. Methods: Based on the conceptual framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley, this scoping review surveyed existing research on racism and racial discrimination in inpatient care in high-income countries published between 2013 and 2023. The software Rayyan was used to support the screening process while MAXQDA was used for thematic coding. Results: Forty-seven articles were included in this review. Specifics of the inpatient sector included different hospitalisation, admission and referral rates within and across hospitals; the threat of racial discrimination from other healthcare users; and the spatial segregation of healthcare users according to ethnic, religious or racialised criteria. While most articles described some interactions between race and other social categories in the sample composition, the framework of intersectionality was rarely considered explicitly during analysis. Discussion: While the USA continue to predominate in discussions, other high-income countries including Canada, Australia and the UK also examine racism in their own healthcare systems. Absent from the literature are studies from a wider range of European countries as well as of racialised and disadvantaged groups other than refugees or recent immigrants. Research in this area would also benefit from an engagement with approaches to intersectionality in public health to produce a more nuanced understanding of the interactions of racism with other axes of discrimination. As inpatient care exhibits a range of specific structures, future research and policy-making ought to consider these specifics to develop targeted interventions, including training for non-clinical staff and robust, transparent and accessible complaint procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Universidad & Empresa is the property of Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rates of Multimorbidity (also called Multiple Long Term Conditions, MLTC) are increasing in many developed nations. People with multimorbidity experience poorer outcomes and require more healthcare intervention. Grouping of conditions by health service utilisation is poorly researched. The study population consisted of a cohort of people living in Wales, UK aged 20 years or older in 2000 who were followed up until the end of 2017. Multimorbidity clusters by prevalence and healthcare resource use (HRU) were modelled using hypergraphs, mathematical objects relating diseases via links which can connect any number of diseases, thus capturing information about sets of diseases of any size. The cohort included 2,178,938 people. The most prevalent diseases were hypertension (13.3%), diabetes (6.9%), depression (6.7%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (5.9%). The most important sets of diseases when considering prevalence generally contained a small number of diseases, while the most important sets of diseases when considering HRU were sets containing many diseases. The most important set of diseases taking prevalence and HRU into account was diabetes & hypertension and this combined measure of importance featured hypertension most often in the most important sets of diseases. We have used a single approach to find the most important sets of diseases based on co-occurrence and HRU measures, demonstrating the flexibility of the hypergraph approach. Hypertension, the most important single disease, is silent, underdiagnosed and increases the risk of life threatening co-morbidities. Co-occurrence of endocrine and cardiovascular diseases was common in the most important sets. Combining measures of prevalence with HRU provides insights which would be helpful for those planning and delivering services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though the issue of product country of origin has been researched by numerous researchers, due to globalization, currently consumers have more problems perceiving the country of origin than ever before. This brings marketing specialists back to the discussion of the topic once again, with emphasis on a distinction between the country of manufacturing origin and the country of brand origin. The impact of country of manufacturing and country of brand image varies from country to country under the influence of numerous impact factors, often summarized within a culture or subcultures. One type of such subcultures could be formed by immigrants, whose perceptions might include aspects of their home country combined with those of the host country. The main purpose of this paper was to evaluate the attitudes of Lithuanians who live in Lithuania (as a country of an emerging economy) and those of emigrants living in selected countries (Ireland, the United Kingdom and Finland) with regard to the importance of country of origin. Three brands were selected for the research - Panasonic, LG and BEKO, and three different cases were presented to the respondents. First, both the brand name (Panasonic) and the manufacturing country (the United Kingdom) were associated with a developed country. In the second case, country of brand origin (LG) was identified as a developed country while country of manufacture represented an emerging economy (Poland). Finally, an emerging economy of the country of brand origin (BEKO) and an emerging economy of the country of manufacturing (Turkey) were dealt with. Findings provide evidence that, in general, more developed countries had a better image as countries - manufacturers of TV sets than less developed countries (emerging economies). Analysis of opinions about country of brand origin revealed that brands from developed countries were evaluated better than those from emerging economies. In addition, analysis showed that respondents who live in an emerging economy have more positive attitude towards the surveyed brands compared with Lithuanian emigrants to developed countries. Finally, strong correlation was found between the evaluation of a brand and evaluation of the country of brand origin, while there was no correlation between evaluation of a brand and evaluation of country of manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless charging modules for electric vehicles are being increasingly studied. Previous research has focused on developing more effective wireless-charging modules for electric vehicles in order to pave the way for a more sustainable urban transportation. The objectives of the study were to identify the social structure of the field by mapping of research collaborations among authors and countries, measure the influence of authors and sources, identify the interactions between different researchers and the most influential authors, sources, documents and organizations. To achieve these objectives, a bibliometric search in the SCOPUS database was conducted using a combination of keywords and Boolean operators. The initial keyword search returned 2163 documents. The documents retrieved were manually filtered for further analysis. A scientometric analysis was carried out on the remaining 1367 documents using co-authorship, co-citation, and citation analyses for a number of measurement units. The results showed that "object detection" and "shielding effectiveness" were the most current research topics. Authors who were widely cited did not generally produce a large number of papers or collaborate with other authors. Authors from China, the United States, and the United Kingdom have all co-authored published works on the topic, indicating that they have all contributed considerably to the field's achievements. This strongly highlighted the amount of funding localized in developed countries towards such technologies. The number of international co-authored studies conducted was low. This is most significant with no research conducted in this field in the less developed world. The most cited and influential scholars were G. A. Covic, J. T. Boys, and C. C. Mi. The most influential sources were IEEE Trans. on Power Electronics and IEEE Trans. on Induction Electronics, while the most productive sources were Energies and IEEE Access. The most influential documents were those by Covic G.A. (2013a) and Covic G.A. (2013b). Finally, emerging trends in charging and energy storage in electric vehicles were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do some countries industrialize later than others? Recent literature suggests that the prime reason is low agricultural productivity. This paper argues that the initial level of human capital could also be a contributing factor. We construct a neoclassical growth model, which predicts that countries with a greater initial knowledge gap industrialize later. We use this model as a baseline and calibrate it to historical data for the United Kingdom. We find that our baseline model performs well in replicating actual historical U.K. gross domestic product series during the postindustrialization era. The same model also explains a significant fraction of past and recent cross-country variations in per capita income levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of regular steamship services between Europe-particularly the Great Britain and the British territories in West Africa was of fundamental significance to the growth of trade and thus to economic development. A further, subsequent, consequence was that the interest and investment engendered by the activities of the shipping companies played a vital part in ensuring that these areas on the Coast were ultimately retained as viable colonies within the British Empire. It is the aim of this paper to describe the organization and history of these lines from 1852 when the African Steam Ship Co. was founded until 1914 when the West African Lines shipping conference was ended by the outbreak of the first World War. It is then intended to analyze the economic impact of these regular services on the development of British West Africa. Europe first came into contact with West Africa as a result of the voyages of Portugal in the middle of the fifteenth century. The prime objective of these explorations was to find a new route to India and the East but a small trade gradually evolved along the West African coastline. This activity assumed a new vitality with the discovery of what became known as the "Gold Coast," and in 1482 a fort was established on the site of what is now Elmina, Ghana.

In this article, we investigate the market efficiency of global stock markets using the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis methodology and analyze the results by dividing them into developed, emerging, and frontier groups. The static analysis results reveal that financially advanced countries, such as Switzerland, the UK, and the US, have more efficient stock markets than other countries. Rolling window analysis shows that global issues dominate the developed country group, while emerging markets are vulnerable to foreign capital movements and political risks. In the frontier group, intensive domestic market issues vary, making it difficult to distinguish similar dynamics. Our findings have important implications for international investors and policymakers. International investors can establish investment strategies based on the degree of market efficiency of individual stock markets. Policymakers in countries with significant fluctuations in market efficiency should consider implementing new regulations to enhance market efficiency. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the market efficiency of global stock markets and highlights the need for careful consideration by international investors and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of work has become a prominent topic for research and policy debate. However, the debate has focused entirely on paid work, even though people in industrialized countries on average spend comparable amounts of time on unpaid work. The objectives of this study are therefore (1) to expand the future of work debate to unpaid domestic work and (2) to critique the main methodology used in previous studies. To these ends, we conducted a forecasting exercise in which 65 AI experts from the UK and Japan estimated how automatable are 17 housework and care work tasks. Unlike previous studies, we applied a sociological approach that considers how experts' diverse backgrounds might shape their estimates. On average our experts predicted that 39 percent of the time spent on a domestic task will be automatable within ten years. Japanese male experts were notably pessimistic about the potentials of domestic automation, a result we interpret through gender disparities in the Japanese household. Our contributions are providing the first quantitative estimates concerning the future of unpaid work and demonstrating how such predictions are socially contingent, with implications to forecasting methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Open Data' is collection of easily accessible data that is to be available for general use without any restrictions. 'Open Data' is gaining momentum in literature and language for the purpose of research. Therefore, many developed countries are planning to start getting involved with 'Open Data'. Moreover, the focus is shifting from opening as much data as possible towards realizing the benefits of 'Open Data'.'Open Data' analysis has been taken up contemporary as a new trend in the world of information and communication technology. With technological advancements many countries are showing interest in opening their governmental approved data to the public. Moreover, many benefits and positive impacts have been identified playing a role in the eagerness of countries to implement 'Open Data' programs. Some of the discovered benefits of 'Open Data' include transparency and credibility of the information, participation and self-empowerment to the citizens, reliability in news growth, and stimula tion of innovation through re-use of data.The research explained how the fact that when News Media (Media which covered political news) had opened their data both internally and externally improved their capacity to innovate. Lastly, this paper described how some of the tasks mentioned previously could be outsourced by the newsroom researchers, bringing a new actor in the ecosystem. There are plenty of data sources that might provide a different angle on the perspective and large public datasets from various authors, countries and literary agencies. With the access to 'Open Data' the impact in Urdu News media is largely observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electricity infrastructure in many developed countries requires significant investment to meet ambitious carbon emissions reduction targets, and to bridge the gap between future supply and demand. Perennial energy crops have the potential to deliver electricity generation capacity while reducing carbon emissions, leading to polices supporting the adoption of these crops. In the UK, for example, support has been in place over the past decade, although uptake and the market development have so far been relatively modest. This paper combines biophysical and socio-economic process representations within an agent-based model (ABM), to offer insights into the dynamics of the development of the perennial energy crop market. Against a changing policy landscape, several potential policy scenarios are developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the market in providing a source of low carbon renewable electricity, and to achieve carbon emissions abatement. The results demonstrate the key role of both energy and agricultural policies in stimulating the rate and level of uptake; consequently influencing the cost-effectiveness of these measures. The UK example shows that energy crops have the potential to deliver significant emissions abatement (up to 24 Mt carbon dioxide equivalent year −1 , 4% of 2013 UK total emissions), and renewable electricity (up to 29 TWh year −1 , 8% of UK electricity or 3% of primary energy demand), but a holistic assessment of related policies is needed to ensure that support is cost-effective. However, recent policy developments suggest that domestically grown perennial energy crops will only play a niche role (<0.2%) of the UK energy balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatment is not regulated in Ireland although it has been practiced since 1987. Thus, Ireland is one of the only European countries without any form of AHR specific regulation. This literature review research aimed to provide a comprehensive and comparative overview of AHR regulation and any associated literature to compare Ireland and other developed countries. Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in several databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, MEDLINE, SCOPUS and official government websites) utilising search strings in relation to AHR legislation for each country under review. A final review of 155 research articles were eligible after screening related to legislation in each country for inclusion. The findings were synthesised and summarised by legislation in each country. Results: Different countries offer different levels of ART and IVF provision and services in terms of the type of services allowed, financial support, age, sex and eligibility of recipients. The UK's oversight legislation combined with the Netherlands financial legislation section provides as being most effective hybrid model of best practice for adoption in Ireland. Conclusions: This research concluded that there is no AHR legislation in any country that can be described as all-encompassing in terms of the services allowed, financial support and age of recipients. It was concluded that significant changes need to be made to the Irish draft legislation which is in limbo with the government for the last 3 years in order to meet Irish patient needs. Plain language summary: Ireland is one of the only European countries without any form of assisted human reproduction specific regulation. This research aimed to review of assisted human reproduction regulations to compare Ireland with other developed countries. There is no assisted reproduction legislation in any country that can be described as perfect. The UK's legislation combined with the Netherlands financial legislation section is concluded as being most effective hybrid model of best practice for adoption in Ireland. It was concluded that significant changes need to be made to the Irish draft legislation which is in limbo with the government for the last 3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced massive procedural backlogs in many parts of the developed world, with a disproportionate impact on the elderly. Whereas it is well-known that such a backlog would cause undue morbidity and mortality in thousands of patients, it is still unclear how jurisdictions plan on catching up on their missed surgeries and screening tests. In this comparative review therefore, we examine existing literature to quantify the backlog and thereafter summarize the solutions that have been proposed to clear it. Searches were performed on Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE®, and Ovid Embase® to identify literature from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. We report our findings with a focus on three representative types of procedures including cataract surgery, colorectal screening, and hip and knee replacement surgery. Common themes of potential solutions included leveraging more advanced technology, ensuring preventative care, training an appropriate allied health workforce, and innovating in the operating room to improve efficiency and surgical capacity. Although no single solution emerges to be universally applicable, a combination of proposed solutions can be considered after an individualized assessment of the hospital or clinic context, the type of surgery required, and the availability of equipment, facility, and staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the United Kingdom's society's long-term intervention into the energy flows of domestic terrestrial ecosystems through the human appropriation of aboveground net primary production (aHANPP) covering the period 1800–2000. The depicted aHANPP trajectory and the historical development of its components are discussed in view of a continuously increasing population and the transition process from an agrarian to an industrial socioecological regime. During the 19th century, aHANPP shows a steady decline from its level of 71% in 1800. While even higher levels were reached during the mid 20th century, the trend during the last forty years of the period under investigation again shows a reduction of aHANPP, which lies at 68% in the year 2000. The high values of aHANPP in the United Kingdom are primarily attributable to the limited amount of forest in comparison to large agricultural areas. At the beginning of the studied period, the relative stabilisation or even decrease in aHANPP in comparison to population development was made possible through the area expansion of and productivity increases on cropland and permanent pastures. Later this was made possible through the outsourcing of biomass harvest, by satisfying local nutritional demands by means of overseas imports, and as from the mid 20th century through huge amounts of fossil fuel based inputs into agriculture (e.g. increased amounts of fertilizers and motorized traction) which allowed increases in biomass harvest to be decoupled from HANPP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In all developed countries, once it emerged from the amateur era, Space (and especially rocketry) moved on the public agenda because of its potential significance for both the civil and military policies of governments (coupled with its appetite for new money). In the UK the policy treatment of Space broadly paralleled that in other countries until the post-Empire trauma, the burn-out of the White-Hot Technological revolution of Harold Wilson, and the financial crises of the 1970s exhausted the public appetite for large scale publicly funded projects in high technology. The culmination for Space of these pressures came in 1986–1987 when the UK rejected the emerging international consensus and, almost alone, stayed outside the manned space commitments which developed into the International Space Station. In this paper, Colin Hicks will review the UK political developments which led up to the 1986–1987 decision and how the politics and organisation of UK space activity have developed since then to the point where in 2008 a major government review of the UK involvement in manned space was commissioned. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: A woman and girl centred, rights-based approach to health care is critical to achieving sexual and reproductive health. However, women with female genital mutilation in high-income countries have been found to receive sub-optimal care. This study examined documents guiding clinicians in health and community service settings in English-speaking high-income countries to identify approaches to ensure quality women and girl-centred care for those with or at risk of female genital mutilation. Method: We undertook a scoping review using the integrative model of patient-centredness to identify principles, enablers, and activities to facilitate woman and girl-centred care interactions. We developed an inclusion criterion to identify documents such as guidance statements and tools and technical guidelines, procedural documents and clinical practice guidelines. We searched the databases and websites of health professional associations, ministries of health, hospitals, national, state and local government and non-government organisations working in female genital mutilation in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, The United States, New Zealand, and Australia. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation tool was used to appraise screened documents. Findings: One-hundred and twenty-four documents were included in this scoping review; 88 were developed in the United Kingdom, 20 in Australia, nine in the United States, three in Canada, two in New Zealand and two in Ireland. The focus of documents from the United Kingdom on multi-professional safeguarding (62), while those retrieved from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the US focused on clinical practice. Twelve percent of the included documents contained references to all principles of patient-centred care, and only one document spoke to all principles, enablers and activities. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the need to improve the female genital mutilation-related guidance provided to professionals to care for and protect women and girls. Professionals need to involve women and girls with or at risk of female genital mutilation in the co-design of guidelines and tools and evaluation of them and the co-production of health care. Plain Language Summary: High-quality health care for women and girls should be provided by health workers who are respectful and caring. Health workers should also work with others as a team and help women and girls make their own decisions about their health care. This approach is called patient-centred care. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a cultural practice associated with poor health outcomes. Women who have experienced FGM have not always received quality health care. We studied the guidance and tools to help health workers provide care to women and girls with or at risk of FGM. This study aimed to understand how health workers are supported to provide woman and girl-centred health care in these documents. We searched for these documents on the websites of health professional associations, government health departments and organisations working in FGM in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, The United States, New Zealand, and Australia. The documents were analysed using a tool that described all the important areas needed to provide patient-centred health care. Of the 124 documents, we found that only 12% contained information about all aspects of patient-centred care. Only one document had details about all the areas that are part of patient-centred care. This study shows that we need to improve the FGM-related guidance provided to health workers to care for and protect women and girls. There is a need for health workers to involve women and girls with or at risk of FGM in designing guidelines and tools and evaluating them to these documents best fit their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We question why child poverty still prevails even in high-income countries, such as Japan, Sweden and the United Kingdom. We address the intersection between social relations and individual experiences that should be considered when optimising children's capability. The study is therefore aimed at exploring compensatory societal actions taken to optimise children's capability among these affluent countries. In order to do so, we operationalised children's capability by including key societal domains along with statistical indicators and variables from relevant sources. A secondary quantitative method was adopted by drawing upon data sources from 2000 up to almost 2020 from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank and the United Nations Children's Fund, with these being complemented by governmental data. Given a lack of currently available and comparable data for those three countries, four key societal domains were explored in an absolute descriptive analysis. It is obvious that child poverty prevailed over the focal 20 years in these three high-income countries. Also, the exploratory data analysis revealed a lack of sufficient supporting social services in each societal domain. This demonstrates that optimising children's capability should not just be about subsidising economic resources, but also supporting all initiatives aimed at addressing the lack of interactions between each domain of children's capability. The study shows how essential it is to consider societal compensatory measures along with supporting the financial circumstances. We therefore argue that optimising children's capability should not only be about subsidising economic resources, but also ensuring adequate social resources and relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent female cancers in developing countries. It seems that breast cancer affects Iranian women a decade earlier than women from developed countries, however, there is not enough evidence for this hypothesis. Methods: This repeated cross-sectional study was carried out on 6057 Iranian women, living in Isfahan province, using historical data from 2001 to 2013 and 506,095 British women in the same period. The UK breast cancer data came from the ONS website (www.ons.gov.uk) on request for the period of 2001 to 2013. The weighted mean age of women with breast cancer was compared between Iran and the UK by the independent t-test using STATA 14 at a 5% significance level. Results: The age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) in Iran (Isfahan) increased from 22.0 to 68.0 per 100,000 populations from 2001 to 2013. The corresponding ASR in the UK increased from 152.4 to 169.8 per 100,000 population. The standardized mean age of breast cancer was 50.5 years (SD=12.6) and 63.6 years (SD=14.0) in Iranian and British women, respectively. Conclusion: These findings imply that Iranian women were, on average, diagnosed with breast cancer a decade earlier than English women. Therefore, screening for breast cancer should begin at lower ages for Iranian women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the policy context of the rise in the international mobility and migration of nurses. It describes the profile of the migration of nurses and the policy context governing the international recruitment of nurses to five countries: Australia, Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We also examine the policy challenges for workforce planning and the design of health systems infrastructure. Data are derived from registries of professional nurses, censuses, interviews with key informants, case studies in source and destination countries, focus groups, and empirical modelling to examine the patterns and implications of the movement of nurses across borders. The flow of nurses to these destination countries has risen, in some cases quite substantially. Recruitment from lower-middle income countries and low-income countries, as defined by The World Bank, dominate trends in nurse migration to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States, while Norway and Australia, primarily register nurses from other high-income countries. Inadequate data systems in many countries prevent effective monitoring of these workforce flows. Policy options to manage nurse migration include: improving working conditions in both source and destination countries, instituting multilateral agreements to manage the flow more effectively, and developing compensation arrangements between source and destination countries. Recommendations for enhancements to workforce data systems are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers relationships between subjective measures of alliance performance and a set of variables which may act as predictors of success at the time of alliance formation (ex ante variables), and a set of variables which emerge during the operation of the alliance (ex post variables). The empirical study investigates a sample of UK partner firms in 51 equity joint ventures and 22 nonequity joint ventures with partners from developed market economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adds to the limited evidence on regional variations in technical structures by comparing the structures of the Scottish and UK economies, using comparable input--output tables for the two areas (Fraser of Allander Institute et al., 1978; CSO, 1978). Since most regional input--output tables constructed by non-survey methods assume that regional technical structures are at least approximately identical to national technical structures (Richardson, 1972, pp. 111-38) the results of the present comparison are of particular interest as a test of this assumption.[1] Moreover, in addition to its implications for constructing regional input--output tables, a detailed comparison of Scottish and UK technologies may offer insights into the structural characteristics of the Scottish economy which are not apparent from the established time series data of industrial output, employment and regional product. In Section I it was established that Scotland and the United Kingdom conform to a general block triangular pattern of technical interdependence. The economic significance of this finding is that it means the two areas employ production processes which are drawn from the same broad set of technically feasible input/output transformations used by most industrialised countries (Simpson and Tsukui, 1965). In contrast, the comparisons of Section ii revealed significant differences in individual coefficients and sums of coefficients, which suggests that the particular techniques chosen from the available technical menu in the two economies are distinct. Whilst differences in coefficients can, in principle, arise for a large number of reasons (Vaccara, 1970), the finding, also reported in Section II, that differences are systematic and economy wide encourages the belief that the underlying factors conditioning technical processes in the two economies may be operating at a general, rather than sector specific, level. Some broad comments as to what these influences... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences between underdeveloped and industrialized countries in labor productivity usually are so marked that one can take their existence for granted. When, however, the contrast is between two industrialized countries, such differences are less obvious and for any particular industry, often uncertain as to direction. International productivity comparisons sometimes are regarded as indicators of the relative effectiveness with which countries allocate and utilize their resources. Output per man or man-hour measurements ignore capital inputs which are equally with labor a real cost, albeit less easily measured. They ignore the fact that differing demand structures might require somewhat different types and qualities of product. They neglect the fact that differing resource conditions sometimes require different techniques of material handling and fabrication. It is conceivable, in some instances certain, that conditions in two countries so diverge as to call for quite different methods and organization of work. Where therefore one's concern is with the effectiveness with which resources are being used, what is needed are not man-hour output figures or even data covering direct and indirect expenses reduced to some unit of real cost. Ideally, what is needed is some notion of optimum resource use and the degree to which practice falls short of attaining it.

Background: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing in developing countries, yet limited research on the CRC- associated microbiota has been conducted in these areas, in part due to scarce resources, facilities, and the difficulty of fresh or frozen stool storage/transport. Here, we aimed (1) to establish a broad representation of diverse developing countries (Argentina, Chile, India, and Vietnam); (2) to validate a 'resource-light' sample-collection protocol translatable in these settings using guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) cards stored and, importantly, shipped internationally at room temperature; (3) to perform initial profiling of the collective CRC-associated microbiome of these developing countries; and (4) to compare this quantitatively with established CRC biomarkers from developed countries. Methods: We assessed the effect of international storage and transport at room temperature by replicating gFOBT from five UK volunteers, storing two in the UK, and sending replicates to institutes in the four countries. Next, to determine the effect of prolonged UK storage, DNA extraction replicates for a subset of samples were performed up to 252 days apart. To profile the CRC-associated microbiome of developing countries, gFOBT were collected from 41 treatment-naïve CRC patients and 40 non-CRC controls from across the four institutes, and V4 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed. Finally, we constructed a random forest (RF) model that was trained and tested against existing datasets from developed countries. Results: The microbiome was stably assayed when samples were stored/transported at room temperature and after prolonged UK storage. Large-scale microbiome structure was separated by country and continent, with a smaller effect from CRC. Importantly, the RF model performed similarly to models trained using external datasets and identified similar taxa of importance (Parvimonas, Peptostreptococcus, Fusobacterium, Alistipes, and Escherichia). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that gFOBT, stored and transported at room temperature, represents a suitable method of faecal sample collection for amplicon-based microbiome biomarkers in developing countries and suggests a CRC-faecal microbiome association that is consistent between developed and developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the balance of payments adjustment process. The author notes that policy problems generated by unsatisfactory developments in world economic activity have increased due to a number of countries which are in considerable external disequilibrium. The account balance of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is looked at, having stabilized at approximately $35 billion. Imbalances within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), however, are considerable in spite of the progress made towards better balance achieved by Great Britain and Italy. A table is presented which demonstrates the changes in account balance, liabilities to foreign official agencies, and balances financed by transactions in reserve assets of several industrial countries from 1973 to 1977.

Background: Healthcare systems around the world have been responding to the demand for better integrated models of service delivery. However, there is a need for further clarity regarding the effects of these new models of integration, and exploration regarding whether models introduced in other care systems may achieve similar outcomes in a UK national health service context.Methods: The study aimed to carry out a systematic review of the effects of integration or co-ordination between healthcare services, or between health and social care on service delivery outcomes including effectiveness, efficiency and quality of care. Electronic databases including MEDLINE; Embase; PsycINFO; CINAHL; Science and Social Science Citation Indices; and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant literature published between 2006 to March 2017. Online sources were searched for UK grey literature, and citation searching, and manual reference list screening were also carried out. Quantitative primary studies and systematic reviews, reporting actual or perceived effects on service delivery following the introduction of models of integration or co-ordination, in healthcare or health and social care settings in developed countries were eligible for inclusion. Strength of evidence for each outcome reported was analysed and synthesised using a four point comparative rating system of stronger, weaker, inconsistent or limited evidence.Results: One hundred sixty seven studies were eligible for inclusion. Analysis indicated evidence of perceived improved quality of care, evidence of increased patient satisfaction, and evidence of improved access to care. Evidence was rated as either inconsistent or limited regarding all other outcomes reported, including system-wide impacts on primary care, secondary care, and health care costs. There were limited differences between outcomes reported by UK and international studies, and overall the literature had a limited consideration of effects on service users.Conclusions: Models of integrated care may enhance patient satisfaction, increase perceived quality of care, and enable access to services, although the evidence for other outcomes including service costs remains unclear. Indications of improved access may have important implications for services struggling to cope with increasing demand.Trial Registration: Prospero registration number: 42016037725 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household food insecurity is a serious public health concern in high-income countries. Canada and the USA regularly monitor household food insecurity, while in other countries, such as the UK, it has been the rapid rise of food bank usage that has drawn increased attention to this longstanding, but largely overlooked, problem. This review evaluates evidence on interventions intended to reduce household food insecurity in high-income countries. Research on social protection interventions suggests both cash transfers and food subsidies (e.g. the US Supplement Nutrition and Assistance Programme) reduce household food insecurity. In contrast, research on community-level interventions, such as food banks and other food programmes, suggests limited impacts. Although food banks have become a common intervention for food insecurity in high-income countries, evidence suggests their reliance on donations of volunteer time and food make them inevitably limited in the assistance they are able to provide. The stigma people feel using food banks may also make them untenable. Alternatives to, or enhanced, food banks such as community shops or community kitchens, have become common, but evidence also suggests they may be limited in effectiveness if they do not reach people experiencing food insecurity. This review highlights the difficulty of trying to address household food insecurity with community-based food interventions when solutions likely lie upstream in social protection policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escalating demands for formal long-term care (LTC) result in the reliance on migrant workers in many developed countries. Within Europe, this is currently framed by progressive European immigration policies favouring inter-European mobility. Using the UK and Norway as case studies, this article has two main aims: (1) to document changes in the contribution of European Union (EU) migrants to the LTC sectors in Western Europe, and (2) to gain further understanding of migrants' decision-processes relating to destination and work choices. The UK and Norway provide examples of two European countries with different immigration histories, welfare regimes, labour market characteristics and cultural values, offering a rich comparison platform. The analysis utilizes national workforce datasets and data obtained from migrants working in the LTC sector in the UK and Norway ( n = 248) and other stakeholders ( n = 136). The analysis establishes a significant increase in the contribution of EU migrants (particularly from Eastern Europe) to the LTC sector in both the UK and Norway despite their different welfare regimes. The findings also highlight how migrant care workers develop rational decision-processes influenced by subjective perspectives of investments and returns within a context of wider structural migration barriers. The latter includes welfare and social care policies framing the conditions for migrants' individual actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Strong primary care systems are believed to have an important role in dealing with healthcare challenges. Strengthening primary care systems is therefore a common policy goal for many countries. This study aims to investigate whether the Netherlands, the UK and Germany have strengthened their primary care systems in 2006-2012. Method: For this cross-sectional study, data from the International Health Policy surveys of the Commonwealth Fund in 2006, 2009 and 2012 were used. The surveys represent the experiences and perspectives of primary care physicians with their primary care system. The changes over time were researched in three areas: organization of primary care processes, use of IT in primary care and use of benchmarking and financial incentives for performance improvement. Results: Regarding organization of primary care processes, in all countries the use of supporting personnel in general practice increased, but at the same time practice accessibility decreased. IT services were most advanced in the UK. The UK and the Netherlands showed increased use of performance feedback information. German GPs were least satisfied with how their system works across the 2006-2012 timeframe. Conclusion: All three countries show trends towards stronger primary care systems, although in different areas. Coordination and comprehensive care through the assignment of assisting personnel and use of disease management programs improved in all countries. In the Netherlands and the UK, informational continuity is in part ensured through better IT services. All countries showed increasing difficulties upholding primary care accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study focusing on teledermatology research publication between 1975 and 2017 and its bibliometric evaluation. Topics discussed include the use of data from Thomson Reuters Web of Science in this study; the use of teledermatology keyword in the research; and the publication of teledermatology research in the U.S. and Great Britain.

Technology has been long understood to play a central role in limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Evolving nuclear technology, increased access to information, and systematic improvements in design and manufacturing tools, however, should in time ease the proliferation challenge. Eventually, even developing countries could possess a sufficient technical ability. There is evidence that this transition has already occurred. The basic uranium-enrichment gas centrifuge, developed in the 1960s, has technical characteristics that are within reach of nearly all states, without foreign assistance or access to exportcontrollable materials. The history of centrifuge development in twenty countries supports this perspective, as do previously secret studies carried out by the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom. Complicating matters, centrifuges also have properties that make the detection of a clandestine program enormously difficult. If conditions for the clandestine and indigenous production of weapons have emerged, then nonproliferation institutions focused on technology will be inadequate. Although it would represent a near-foundational shift in nuclear security policy, the changed technology landscape may now necessitate a return to institutions focused instead on motivations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a noticeable shift in the relative composition of the industry in the developed countries in recent years; manufacturing is decreasing while the service sector is becoming more important. However, currently most simulation models for investigating service systems are still built in the same way as manufacturing simulation models, using a process-oriented world view, i.e. they model the flow of passive entities through a system. These kinds of models allow studying aspects of operational management but are not well suited for studying the dynamics that appear in service systems due to human behaviour. For these kinds of studies we require tools that allow modelling the system and entities using an object-oriented world view, where intelligent objects serve as abstract 'actors' that are goal directed and can behave proactively. In our work we combine process-oriented discrete event simulation modelling and object-oriented agent based simulation modelling to investigate the impact of people management practices on retail productivity. In this paper, we reveal in a series of experiments what impact considering proactivity can have on the output accuracy of simulation models of human centric systems. The model and data we use for this investigation are based on a case study in a UK department store. We show that considering proactivity positively influences the validity of these kinds of models and therefore allows analysts to make better recommendations regarding strategies to apply people management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anthropogenic climate change will affect global food production, with uncertain consequences for human health in developed countries. Objectives: We investigated the potential impact of climate change on food security (nutrition and food safety) and the implications for human health in developed countries. Methods: Expert input and structured literature searches were conducted and synthesized to produce overall assessments of the likely impacts of climate change on global food production and recommendations for future research and policy changes. Results: Increasing food prices may lower the nutritional quality of dietary intakes, exacerbate obesity, and amplify health inequalities. Altered conditions for food production may result in emerging pathogens, new crop and livestock species, and altered use of pesticides and veterinary medicines, and affect the main transfer mechanisms through which contaminants move from the environment into food. All these have implications for food safety and the nutritional content of food. Climate change mitigation may increase consumption of foods whose production reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Impacts may include reduced red meat consumption (with positive effects on saturated fat, but negative impacts on zinc and iron intake) and reduced winter fruit and vegetable consumption. Developed countries have complex structures in place that may be used to adapt to the food safety consequences of climate change, although their effectiveness will vary between countries, and the ability to respond to nutritional challenges is less certain. Conclusions: Climate change will have notable impacts upon nutrition and food safety in developed countries, but further research is necessary to accurately quantify these impacts. Uncertainty about future impacts, coupled with evidence that climate change may lead to more variable food quality, emphasizes the need to maintain and strengthen existing structures and policies to regulate food production, monitor food quality and safety, and respond to nutritional and safety issues that arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use an age-period-cohort (APC) model to estimate the contribution of smoking-related mortality to cohort changes in adult mortality in Britain since 1950. We show that lung cancer and overall mortality can be satisfactorily modelled using cohort relative risk and a fixed age pattern. The results of the model suggest that smoking by itself can account for a substantial fraction of change in cohort mortality for those born around the first half of the twentieth century. In particular, smoking provides an explanation for the higher-than-average improvement in the mortality of both males and females born around 1930. Our confidence in the correctness of the results of the models is strengthened by the fact that they are very similar to those of the Peto–Lopez and Preston–Glei–Wilmoth models that estimate the contribution of smoking-related to overall mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Women constitute a large percentage of the workforce in industrialized countries. As a result, addressing pregnancy-related health issues in the workplace is important in order to formulate appropriate strategies to promote and protect maternal and infant health.Aims To explore issues affecting pregnant women in the workplace.Methods A systematic literature review was conducted using Boolean combinations of the terms ‘pregnant women’, ‘workplace’ and ‘employment’ for publications from January 1990 to November 2010. Studies that explicitly explored pregnancy in the workplace within the UK, USA, Canada or the European Union were included.Results Pregnancy discrimination was found to be prevalent and represented a large portion of claims brought against employers by women. The relationship between environmental risks and exposures at work with foetal outcomes was inconclusive. In general, standard working conditions presented little hazard to infant health; however, pregnancy could significantly impact a mother’s psychosocial well-being in the workplace.Conclusions Core recommendations to improve maternal and infant health outcomes and improve workplace conditions for women include: (i) shifting organizational culture to support women in pregnancy; (ii) conducting early screening of occupational risk during the preconception period and (iii) monitoring manual labour conditions, including workplace environment and job duties. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Property asset management is a discipline of growing significance for local government across the world. The perceived wisdom of transition countries lagging behind developed countries in the maturity of asset managent has not been tested with empirical data. An analytical framework was developed comprising models to measure why councils do asset management (rationale); how they do it (practice) and what they achieve (outcomes) and applied through a comparative study of municipalities in the UK and Russia. A weak but discernable link was found between rationale and practice but the link between practice and outcomes was unproven. Russia appeared to lag UK in its development of asset management and case studies in both countries had a consistent view of the critical success factors for effective asset management. These were strategic focus, organisation will, portfolio intelligence and an entrepreneurial culture. The research used the strength of these factors with the analysis of rational, practice and outcomes to position cases in a typology which provided a simple metric to position organisations in terms of both their maturity and development path in asset management. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]