Does pharmacogenomics provide an ethical challenge to the utilisation of cost-effectiveness analysis by public health systems?

Pharmacogenomics promotes an understanding of the genetic basis for differences in efficacy or toxicity of drugs in different individuals. Implementation of the outcomes of pharmacogenomic research into clinical practice presents a number of difficulties for healthcare. This paper aims to highlight one of the Unique ethical challenges which pharmacogenomics presents for the utilisation of cost-effectiveness analysis by public health systems. This paper contends that pharmacogenomics provides a challenge to fundamental principles which underlie most systems for deciding which drugs should be publicly subsidised. Pharmacogenomics brings into focus the conflict between equality and utility in the context of using cost-effectiveness analysis to aid distribution of a limited national drug budget.

Advanced computing for systems biology

Systems biology is based on computational modelling and simulation of large networks of interacting components. Models may be intended to capture processes, mechanisms, components and interactions at different levels of fidelity. Input data are often large and geographically disperse, and may require the computation to be moved to the data, not vice versa. In addition, complex system-level problems require collaboration across institutions and disciplines. Grid computing can offer robust, scaleable solutions for distributed data, compute and expertise. We illustrate some of the range of computational and data requirements in systems biology with three case studies: one requiring large computation but small data (orthologue mapping in comparative genomics), a second involving complex terabyte data (the Visible Cell project) and a third that is both computationally and data-intensive (simulations at multiple temporal and spatial scales). Authentication, authorisation and audit systems are currently not well scalable and may present bottlenecks for distributed collaboration particularly where outcomes may be commercialised. Challenges remain in providing lightweight standards to facilitate the penetration of robust, scalable grid-type computing into diverse user communities to meet the evolving demands of systems biology.

Advanced Asia's health systems in comparison

There is growing interest in comparing patterns of social and health service development in advanced Asian economies. Most publications concentrate broadly on a range of core social services such as education, housing, social security and health care. In terms of those solely focused on health, most discuss arrangements in specific countries and territories. Some take a comparative approach, but are focused on presentation and discussion of expenditure, resourcing and service utilization data. This article extends the comparative analysis of advanced Asian health systems, considering the cases of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The article provides basic background information, and delves into common concerns among the world's health systems today including primary care organization, rationing and cost containment, service quality, and system integration. Conclusions include that problems exist in 'classifying' the five diverse systems; that the systems face common pressures; and that there are considerable opportunities to enhance primary care, service quality and system integration. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental contamination of arsenic and its toxicological impact on humans

Inorganic arsenic compounds are known carcinogens. The human epidemiologic evidence of arsenic-induced skin, lung, and bladder cancers is strong. However, the evidence of arsenic carcinogenicity in animals is very limited. Lack of a suitable animal model until recent years has inhibited studies of the mechanism of arsenic carcinogenesis. The toxicity and bioavailability of arsenic depend on its solubility and chemical forms. Therefore, it is critical to be able to measure arsenic speciation accurately and reliably. However, speciation of arsenic in more complex matrices remains a real challenge. There are tens of millions of people who are being exposed to excessive levels of arsenic in the drinking water alone. The source of contamination is mainly of natural origin and the mass poisoning is occurring worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Chronic arsenicosis resulting in cancer and non-cancer diseases will impact significantly on the public health systems in their respective countries. Effective watershed management and remediation technologies in addition to medical treatment are urgently needed in order to avoid what has been regarded as the largest calamity of chemical poisoning in the world.

A Reactive Agent-based Neural Network Car Following Model

This paper presented a novel approach to develop car following models using reactive agent techniques for mapping perceptions to actions. The results showed that the model outperformed the Gipps and Psychophysical family of car following models. The standing of this work is highlighted by its acceptance and publication in the proceedings of the International IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), which is now recognised as the premier international conference on ITS. The paper acceptance rate to this conference was 67 percent. The standing of this paper is also evidenced by its listing in international databases like Ei Inspec and IEEE Xplore. The paper is also listed in Google Scholar. Dr Dia co-authored this paper with his PhD student Sakda Panwai.