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Introduction: The International Federation for Surgery for Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) Global Registry aims to provide descriptive data about the caseload and penetrance of surgery for metabolic disease and obesity in member countries. The data presented in this report represent the key findings of the eighth report of the IFSO Global Registry. Methods: All existing Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS) registries known to IFSO were invited to contribute to the eighth report. Aggregated data was provided by each MBS registry to the team at the Australia and New Zealand Bariatric Surgery Registry (ANZBSR) and was securely stored on a Redcap™ database housed at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Data was checked for completeness and analyzed by the IFSO Global Registry Committee. Prior to the finalization of the report, all graphs were circulated to contributors and to the global registry committee of IFSO to ensure data accuracy. Results: Data was received from 24 national and 2 regional registries, providing information on 502,150 procedures. The most performed primary MBS procedure was sleeve gastrectomy, whereas the most performed revisional MBS procedure was Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Asian countries reported people with lower BMI undergoing MBS along with higher rates of diabetes. Mortality was a rare event. Conclusion: Registries enable meaningful comparisons between countries on the demographics, characteristics, operation types and approaches, and trends in MBS procedures. Reported outcomes can be seen as flags of potential issues or relationships that could be studied in more detail in specific research studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: International variation exists in the types of shoulder replacement used for treatment of specific diseases. Implant choice continues to evolve without high-quality evidence. Our aim was to evaluate trends in incidence rates of shoulder replacement and assess any recent changes in practice between countries by using registry data. Methods: Patient characteristics, indication and year of surgery, type of replacement, and collection methods of patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) was extracted from 11 public joint registries. Meta-analyses examined use of reverse total shoulder replacement (RTSR) for osteoarthritis, cuff tear arthropathy, and acute fracture; use of anatomical total shoulder replacement (TSR) for osteoarthritis; and use of humeral hemiarthroplasty for fracture. Results: The annual growth rate of shoulder replacements performed is 6–15% (2011–2019). The use of RTSR has almost doubled (93%). RTSR is now universally performed for cuff tear arthropathy (97.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 96.0–98.1). Its use for avascular necrosis, trauma, and inflammatory arthropathy is increasing. The use of RTSR was similar (43.1%, CI 30.0–57.2) versus TSR (44.7%, CI 31.1–59.1) for osteoarthritis. The types of PROMs used, collection time points, and response rates lack standardization. COVID-19 had a varying inter-registry impact on incidence rates. Conclusion: The incidence of shoulder replacements has grown. Use of RTSR has increased for all disease indications despite limited high-quality evidence driving this change in indications outside of cuff arthropathy. Consequently, less variation is observed in international practice. Existing differences now relate to use of newer implant types and methodology of PROMs collection, which prevents international comparison and outcome analysis.

India has the credit of running the second largest higher education system in terms of institutions worldwide, despite having only 26.3% Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER), including vocational education. It aspires to achieve a target of 50% GER by 2035. It means it would require a larger number of higher education institutions (HEIs), public and private, in addition to huge fiscal resources. At present about 75% of the HEIs are privately managed with about 66% of student enrolment. Though there is no provision of for-profit higher education institutions in India, many non-profit private HEIs are actually working as for-profit. They are growing fast and are visible too. Therefore, it is high time now to think seriously about the pros and cons, causes and consequences of for-profit and non-profit private HEIs in India. India provides a big market for non-profit and for-profit higher education to domestic and foreign stakeholders.  Already 160 foreign universities are working in collaboration with public or private limited companies in India. This essay provides an analysis of issues related to for-profit and non-profit HEIs, including desirability, size, funding, transparency, accountability, quality, feasibility and sustainability, government policies, regulation, foreign collaborations, private investments, and incentives. The methodology adopted is analytical, comparative, and empirical.

We endeavoured to collect the international literature of terrestrial and freshwater animal reintroductions as fully as possible and we examined more closely the Hungarian programmes. We gathered into a database bibliographic data of 8 508 sources produced between 1891 and 2015. The amount of literature showed exponential growth and then fluctuation after saturation. We are aware of 27 implemented Hungarian reintroduction programmes. We showed that following the recommendations of the IUCN guidelines increases significantly the potential of a programme to be successful. In an international perspective, the annual costs of the projects span from a negligible amount to 2 million USD. We found a significant taxonomic bias: in the international literature and also amongst the Hungarian programmes invertebrates are present in a lower, birds and mammals in a higher weight compared to their proportion in biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas of our lives. Among other outcomes, the academic literature and popular media both discuss the potential effects of the pandemic on fertility. As fertility is an important determinant of population development and population forecasts are important for policy decisions and planning, we need to address to which extent fertility forecasts performed before the pandemic still apply. Using Monte Carlo forecasting based on principal components of fertility rates, we quantify the effects of the pandemic on fertility for 22 countries and discuss whether forecasts made prior to the pandemic need adjustment based on more recent data. Among the studied countries, 14 countries show no significant effect of the pandemic at all, while six countries have significantly lowered numbers of births in comparison to counterfactual trajectories that assume that past trends will hold. These countries are primarily in the Mediterranean and East Asia. For Finland and South Korea, there is statistical evidence for increased fertility in the early phases of the pandemic. In all cases with statistically significant fertility differentials caused by the pandemic, reproductive behavior normalized quickly. Therefore, we find no evidence for long-term effects of the pandemic on fertility, leading to the conclusion that pre-pandemic fertility forecasts still apply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Strategic Universe Journal / Univers Strategic is the property of Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University, Institute for Security Studies 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.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas of our lives. Among other outcomes, the academic literature and popular media both discuss the potential effects of the pandemic on fertility. As fertility is an important determinant of population development and population forecasts are important for policy decisions and planning, we need to address to which extent fertility forecasts performed before the pandemic still apply. Using Monte Carlo forecasting based on principal components of fertility rates, we quantify the effects of the pandemic on fertility for 22 countries and discuss whether forecasts made prior to the pandemic need adjustment based on more recent data. Among the studied countries, 14 countries show no significant effect of the pandemic at all, while six countries have significantly lowered numbers of births in comparison to counterfactual trajectories that assume that past trends will hold. These countries are primarily in the Mediterranean and East Asia. For Finland and South Korea, there is statistical evidence for increased fertility in the early phases of the pandemic. In all cases with statistically significant fertility differentials caused by the pandemic, reproductive behavior normalized quickly. Therefore, we find no evidence for long-term effects of the pandemic on fertility, leading to the conclusion that pre-pandemic fertility forecasts still apply.

Copyright of Strategic Universe Journal / Univers Strategic is the property of Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University, Institute for Security Studies 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.)

Copyright of Journal of Education Research (1680-6360) is the property of Angle Publishing Co., Ltd. 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.)

Background: International rates of patellar resurfacing in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are highly variable. This study sought to determine how trends in patellar resurfacing rates have changed between 2004 and 2022. In addition, we investigated how modern rates of revision have varied between resurfaced and unresurfaced patellae in primary TKA among national joint registries., Methods: Data between 2004 and 2022 was obtained either from the publicly available joint registry annual reports, a literature review, or via direct correspondence with registry personnel in Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and India. Only English language national joint registries or data via direct correspondence with registry administrators were utilized. Additionally, the 10-year cumulative risk of revision TKA with and without patellar resurfacing was pulled from those registries that had this data available., Results: There were persistent differences in the rates of patellar resurfacing among countries. Australia documented a 40% increase in patellar resurfacing rates, while other countries demonstrated modest or little change in resurfacing rates. This may indicate that surgeons are making the decision to resurface based on national TKA revision rates. The average rates of patellar resurfacing in primary TKA ranged from 4% in Sweden to 94% in the United States. Canada, the United States, Australia, and Switzerland documented a lower risk of revision when the patella was resurfaced, while Sweden, conversely, showed a higher risk of revision with resurfacing., Conclusions: Rates of patellar resurfacing in primary TKA were highly variable among countries, as were rates of change over time. It appears that the optimal patellar resurfacing strategy may depend mostly on unique patient factors and surgeon expertise. Future studies should attempt to elucidate the individual patient characteristics that contribute to increased risks of revision or anterior knee pain to determine who will most benefit from patellar resurfacing in primary TKA., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Over the last decades, the environmental situation of the planet has worsened. Much of the pollution and energy consumption is attributed to cities, which are expected to increase in size and population in the coming years. It is therefore necessary to develop systems to make them more sustainable and resilient. In this regard, different agendas, strategies, and regulations have been published, such as the 2030 Agenda. The current research carried out a surveillance and foresight process at the European level in the field of the sustainable city, analyzing actions accomplished, ongoing, or forthcoming from 2014 to the present (2020) and coming years. The objective is to identify the potential niches and opportunities for decision making to develop successful projects in this sector. The study concludes that one of the most promoted themes is related to the environment, highlighting nature and biodiversity in cities to improve environmental quality and achieve the decarbonization necessary to fight climate change. Furthermore, society plays an important role, emphasizing the need to promote the population's inclusion and empowerment. It also underlines the promotion of urban regeneration, which should include energy transition and digitalization to create smart cities, with local circular economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the outbreak of COVID-19, such global and public health events have a potential impact on the structure of international relations. Such impacts cover many areas of international relations, such as the stagnation of international economic development, the challenges of international security, and the obvious differences in the level of global health and epidemic prevention. When a real "post-epidemic era" is approaching, we need to conduct effective research and judgment on the international changes in the "post-epidemic era", which has both theoretical academic value and practical needs. The academic community should strengthen in-depth research on the changes in the international situation of peace and development in the "post-epidemic era". Combined with the new world changes, this article attempts to analyze the changes in international relations brought about by the "post-epidemic era" and the challenges faced by maintaining world peace from multiple perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, the research and development ecosystem in Slovakia has undergone an extensive material and ideological transformation inspired by international trends regarding the position and use of research infrastructures that were a driving force for innovation and socio-economic progress. Innovation is an important part of life since it is an engine for the development of society and can improve the quality of life. In growing competition, it is the very innovation that is an essential factor in the success, and also it is regarded as a key element of the economic model of developed countries. Unfortunately, in the international comparison, Slovakia is one of the less innovative countries. Space and support for innovation and technology transfer in Slovakia is offered through science parks (SP) – well-established universities and the Slovak Academy of Sciences. This contribution is devoted to the establishment of science parks in Slovakia.

Purpose: Ovarian cancer is the 7th leading cancer diagnosis and the 8th leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. We conducted this study to investigate the incidence of ovarian cancer internationally.Methods: The trends in ovarian cancer incidence were analyzed through the latest data of CI5 over the 40-year period from 21 populations in 4 continents using Joinpoint analysis, ASRs and proportions of different histological subtypes in those populations were also analyzed using volume XI of CI5.Results: ASRs of ovarian cancer were from 7.0 to 11.6 per 100,000 in non-Asia populations during 2008-2012. In Asia, the ASR in Israel (Jews) were the highest, up to 8.1 per 100,000 in the same period. The international trends from 1973 to 2012 showed that ASRs of ovarian cancer were decreasing in 8 of 21 selected populations, whereas ASRs in Slovakia, Spain (Navarra) and China (Shanghai) were increasing. Meanwhile, there are certain differences in the main pathological classification patterns within different regions. In Asia, China (Hong Kong) and Japan both have a higher ASRs and proportions for clear cell and endometrioid carcinomas, while Japan has the highest ASRs and proportions for mucinous carcinomas.Conclusion: Although the reasons for those trends were not entirely clear, environmental, reproductive and genetic factors were likely to have led to these patterns. Meanwhile, more attention and further study should be given to the etiological factors of histology-specific ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on the research communities that have been working on various aspects of the access to drinking water in Mexico City. We analyze their academic production published in mainstream journals during the 2004–2018 period. We implemented a bibliometric analysis of the co-authorship network on this subject in order to identify these research communities. We found that only 33% of the scholars researching this problem are affiliated to the National System of Researchers. The research production of these scholars is more visible and has a higher impact in international journals than in local journals. Our results indicate that the research production on the access to drinking water in Mexico City is just a small fraction (8%) of the whole Mexican production on this subject. Most of the respective research networks involve scholars from local institutions, mainly the National University of Mexico (UNAM). There are very few international collaborations and the most frequent collaboration involves scholars from UNAM and France. Our analysis also shows a positive trend in the production and impact of the research groups involved in this area of knowledge. However, we found that they have a minimum impact in advancing possible solutions to the problem associated with the access to drinking water in Mexico City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Lung cancer is the commonly diagnosed cancer and one of the most important avoidable causes of death around the world. We conducted the study to investigate the pattern of lung cancer incidence worldwide. Joinpoint analysis was used to extend international lung cancer incidence rates by the latest data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents over the 35‐year period 1973–2007 from 24 populations from Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Age‐standardized incidence rates (ASRs) of lung cancer were from 33.3 to 66.8 per 100,000 among males and 10.5 to 37.4 per 100,000 among females in most of Americas, Europe, and Oceania populations during the period 2003–2007. In Asia, ASRs in China (Hong Kong) were the highest, up to 53.3 per 100,000 in males and 21.9 per 100,000 in females during the period 2003–2007. The international trends between 1973 and 2007 showed that ASRs of lung cancer among males were declining in 13 of 18 selected Americas, Oceania, and Europe populations, with AAPC from −0.7% to −2.9%, whereas the rates among females in 18 selected populations were increasing, with AAPC from 1.3% to 5.0%. The increasing and decreasing trends of ASRs of lung cancer in Asia have a geographic variation but no gender differences. Although the decreasing trends in ASRs of lung cancer for males were observed, the ASRs were higher than females. The declining trends in males were mainly attributed to tobacco control, whereas the increasing trends in females should be given more concern and need to be further studied in etiology factors.

This paper deals with prevention and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in tax matters, particularly in the light of the specific nature of administrative relations, which also include tax procedures. Given the involvement of stakeholders, ADR benefits both the taxpayers and the tax authority, enabling greater legal certainty and speedier finalisation of procedures. Yet, ADR also poses an open threat to the public interest and equality as international and constitutional administrative principles, and must therefore be limited in tax procedures. This also derives from the legal acts of the EU and the Council of Europe. In addition to theoretical frameworks and types of dispute prevention and resolution mechanisms studied by means of scientific literature review, legal sources analysis and comparative insights, the paper presents the Slovenian regulation and practice of the Financial Administration (FURS) over the past years. The aim of this research is to examine the de iure and de facto situation at the national level. The analysis shows that, in tax matters, ADR is noticeably more intensive at the international level than within national tax systems. On the other hand, individual countries prefer to establish regulatory mechanisms for prevention, which should result in even more desired avoidance of disputes. It can be concluded that efficient tax procedures require an integrated approach, including both dispute prevention and ADR, in order to ensure the principles of tax justice and systemic inclusion of all stakeholders in its governance.

Copyright of Conjuntura Austral is the property of Conjuntura Austral 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.)

The last two decades have seen fast-moving and wholescale changes in the ways that education is now provided in French schools, in the nature of learner assessment, and in the form and scale of system evaluation. Innovation and reform have in part followed international trends, themselves triggered by the global impact of the international attainment surveys, and are in part a response to growing economic pressures, EU initiatives and increasingly burdensome examination logistics. One of the most recent reforms, and arguably the most dramatic, concerns the iconic 'academic' baccalauréat, which sees a reduced subject profile for formal examination and the new addition of teacher assessment to complement examination achievements. The most ambitious innovations are arguably those introduced into the newest form of accountability-focused system monitoring. The article overviews these innovations and reforms, along with the motivations that led up to them, and briefly reflects on potential future consequences, both expected and unintended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Educational & Psychological Sciences is the property of Arab Journal of Sciences & Research Publishing (AJSRP) 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.)

Copyright of Collected Papers of the Law Faculty of the University of Rijeka / Zbornik Pravnog Fakulteta Sveučilišta u Rijeci is the property of Pravni fakultet Sveucilista u Rijeci 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.)

Purpose: Over the past several decades, there has been a reported increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer in many countries. We previously reported an increase in thyroid cancer incidence across continents between 1973 and 2002. Here, we provide an update on the international trends in thyroid cancer between 2003 and 2007.Methods: We examined thyroid cancer incidence data from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) database for the period between 1973 and 2007 from 24 populations in the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania, and report on the time trends as well as the distribution by histologic type and gender worldwide.Results: The incidence of thyroid cancer increased during the period from 1998-2002 to 2003-2007 in the majority of populations examined, with the highest rates observed among women, most notably in Israel and the United States SEER registry, at over 14 per 100,000 people. This update suggests that incidence is rising in a similar fashion across all regions of the world. The histologic and gender distributions in the updated CI5 are consistent with the previous report.Conclusions: Our analysis of the published CI5 data illustrates that the incidence of thyroid cancer increased between 1998-2002 and 2003-2007 in most populations worldwide, and rising rates continue in all regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lung cancer is the commonly diagnosed cancer and one of the most important avoidable causes of death around the world. We conducted the study to investigate the pattern of lung cancer incidence worldwide. Joinpoint analysis was used to extend international lung cancer incidence rates by the latest data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents over the 35‐year period 1973–2007 from 24 populations from Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Age‐standardized incidence rates (ASRs) of lung cancer were from 33.3 to 66.8 per 100,000 among males and 10.5 to 37.4 per 100,000 among females in most of Americas, Europe, and Oceania populations during the period 2003–2007. In Asia, ASRs in China (Hong Kong) were the highest, up to 53.3 per 100,000 in males and 21.9 per 100,000 in females during the period 2003–2007. The international trends between 1973 and 2007 showed that ASRs of lung cancer among males were declining in 13 of 18 selected Americas, Oceania, and Europe populations, with AAPC from −0.7% to −2.9%, whereas the rates among females in 18 selected populations were increasing, with AAPC from 1.3% to 5.0%. The increasing and decreasing trends of ASRs of lung cancer in Asia have a geographic variation but no gender differences. Although the decreasing trends in ASRs of lung cancer for males were observed, the ASRs were higher than females. The declining trends in males were mainly attributed to tobacco control, whereas the increasing trends in females should be given more concern and need to be further studied in etiology factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Th e innovative use of the general doctrines and the nature of the European Convention on Human Rights as a living instrument have enabled the progressive protection of immigrants. Th is research illustrates how the immigration case law of the European Court of Human Rights has been evolving in the past years. Th e development of the immigration jurisprudence of the ECtHR has connection to EU law and general concepts of international law, such as the best interest of child. In addition, the recent case law on positive obligations is contributing to discussion over the reception conditions of asylum seekers. Th e Strasbourg jurisprudence sets a minimum standard for the European immigration policy that should be taken into account even in exceptional circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tripartite collaboration (World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, and the World Organisation for Animal Health) produced two documents for consultation with Member Countries in 2017 ‐ Monitoring and Evaluation of the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance: Proposed approach and the Global Framework for Development & Stewardship to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance: Draft Roadmap. These documents intend to support a strategic whole‐of‐system approach towards the World Health Organization's Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. This paper outlines the recent thinking in antimicrobial stewardship being developed by the major international organisations involved with mitigating global antimicrobial resistance. The directions being set in key frameworks will need to be considered by Australian stakeholders as their own antimicrobial stewardship approaches and activities are formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article the substantive distinction between social and technical innovations are found in their immaterial intangible structure. While the changed and intensified social and economic problems identified in public discourse are increasingly prompting a call for extensive social inn ovation, the topic continues to remain a largely under - explored area in the social sciences as well as government innovation policies.

The innovative use of the general doctrines and the nature of the European Convention on Human Rights as a living instrument have enabled the progressive protection of immigrants. This research illustrates how the immigration case law of the European Court of Human Rights has been evolving in the past years. The development of the immigration jurisprudence of the ECtHR has connection to EU law and general concepts of international law, such as the best interest of child. In addition, the recent case law on positive obligations is contributing to discussion over the reception conditions of asylum seekers. The Strasbourg jurisprudence sets a minimum standard for the European immigration policy that should be taken into account even in exceptional circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debates about higher education’s purpose have long been polarized between specialized preparation for specific vocations and a broad, general knowledge foundation known as liberal education. Excluding the United States, specialized curricula have been the dominant global norm. Yet, quite surprisingly given this enduring trend, liberal education has new salience in higher education worldwide. This discussion presents liberal education’s non-Western, Western, and U.S. historical roots as a backdrop for discussing its contemporary global resurgence. Analysis from the Global Liberal Education Inventory provides an overview of liberal education’s renewed presence in each of the regions and speculation about its future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze how international trends and changing structural limitations intersect with political, institutional, and technical aspects of education policy. Our purpose is to better understand how these issues variously combine to encourage or impede policy implementation. The research for this study focused on three cases of education policy from El Salvador during the period 1990–2005. These policies related to the Education with Community Participation (EDUCO) program, gender equality in education, and the teaching of values. Our findings show that it is not only actors, ideas, and constraints from the international realm that impact national-level political and institutional dynamics, but rather also that national-level political preferences and other local-level constraints can facilitate or impede the selection and implementation of a policy’s technical elements. Our case studies provide multiple examples of how these elements combine, and with various consequences for implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introduction establishes the context for a series of articles exploring the outcomes for work, employment, worker orientation and service quality from the emerging context of austerity in public services in three countries – Canada, the UK and Australia. The paper outlines the development of outsourcing in care under new public management and identifies broad trends in work and employment pre-austerity. It reveals contracting-out and new public management-diminished public provision, radically altering the non-profit sector. The financial crisis is the latest in successive rounds of market-based reform that are deepening these tendencies. Despite some national variations, new public management led to the pay of the predominantly female front line workforce across the three countries failing to keep pace with public sector counterparts, as well as cuts in pensions, sick pay, and travel and subsistence allowances. Finally, it outlines how the accompanying papers explore new facets and themes in care work during austerity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary liver cancer (PLC) is a common cancer worldwide, especially in developing countries. Several previous studies using different datasets have summarized PLC incidence rates and trends in different populations. However, with changes in exposure to risk factors and the implementation of preventive measures, the epidemiology of PLC worldwide may have changed. Methods: We extended the analyses using the latest data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents over the 35-year period 1973-2007 from 24 populations in Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania using Joinpoint regression analysis. We examined age-standardized rates (ASRs) of PLC by histologic subtypes for both males and females in 24 populations during the period 2003-2007. Results: We found that during the period 2003-2007, the highest ASRs for PLC were observed in some Asian populations, ranging from 19.0 to 26.7 per 100,000 in males and 4.8 to 8.7 per 100,000 in females. The international trends between 1973 and 2007 showed that ASRs for PLC were declining in several Asian populations. In contrast, ASRs for PLC were increasing in some European, American and Oceanian populations. Conclusions: Although the reasons were not fully clear for these trends, public health measures in Asian populations and HCV transmission in European, American and Oceanian populations were likely to have contributed to these patterns. Meanwhile, other possible risk factors such as the consumption of alcohol, obesity, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease should also be concerned for the burden of PLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidence rates of testicular cancer in Northern European and North American countries have been widely reported, whereas rates in other populations, such as Eastern Europe, Central/South America, Asia, and Africa, have been less frequently evaluated. We examined testicular cancer incidence rates overall and by histologic type by calendar time and birth cohort for selected global populations 1973-2007. Age-standardized incidence rates over succeeding 5-year periods were calculated from volumes 4-9 of Cancer Incidence in Five Continents electronic database ( CI5 plus) and the newly released CI5X (volume 10) database. Annual percent change over the 35-year period was calculated using weighted least squares regression. Age-period-cohort analyses were performed and observed rates and fitted rate ratios presented by birth cohort. Incidence rates of testicular cancer increased between 1973-1977 and 2003-2007 in most populations evaluated worldwide. Of note, incidence rates in Eastern European countries rose rapidly and approached rates in Northern European countries. Rates in Central and South America also increased and are now intermediate to the high rates among men of European ancestry and low rates among men of Asian or African descent. Some heterogeneity in the trends in seminoma and nonseminoma were observed in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and among US whites, particularly in recent generations, with rapid and uniform increases in the incidence of both histologic types in Slovakia. Reasons for the rising incidence rates among European and American populations remain unexplained; however, changing distributions in the prevalence of risk factors for testicular cancer cannot be ruled out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]