An investigation of the determinants of household demand for bushmeat in the Serengeti using an open-ended choice experiment

Illegal hunting for bushmeat is regarded as an important cause of biodiversity decline in Africa. We use a stated preferences method to obtain information on determinants of demand for bushmeat in villages around the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. We estimate the effects of changes in the own price of bushmeat and in the prices of two substitute protein sources – fish and chicken. Promoting the availability of protein substitutes at lower prices would be effective at reducing pressures on wildlife. Supply-side measures that raise the price of bushmeat would also be effective.

Determinants of public education expenditure: Evidence from Indian states

Public education expenditure varies significantly across Indian states. Using data on sixteen Indian states from 2001-2010, the paper tries to identify the determinants of per capita education expenditure of state governments in India. The econometric findings indicate that richer states spend more on education compared to the poorer states. A lower share of child population (0-14 years) is found to significantly enhance education expenditure at the state level. We do not find any evidence that political factors such as political ideology of the ruling party and level of corruption affect education expenditure of state governments.

Genomic determinants of the efficiency of internal ribosomal entry sites of viral and cellular origin

Summary : Internal ribosome entry sites (IRES) are used by viruses as a strategy to bypass inhibition of cap-dependent translation that commonly results from viral infection. IRES are also used in eukaryotic cells to control mRNA translation under conditions of cellular stress (apoptosis, heat shock) or during the G2 phase of the cell cycle when general protein synthesis is inhibited. Variation in cellular expression levels has been shown to be inherited. Expression is controlled, among others, by transcriptional factors and by the efficiency of cap-mediated translation and ribosome activity. We aimed at identifying genomic determinants of variability in IRES-mediated translation of two representative IRES [Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) and X-linked Inhibitor-of-Apoptosis (XIAP) IRES]. We used bicistronic lentiviral constructions expressing two fluorescent reporter transgenes. Lentiviruses were used to transduce seven different laboratory cell lines and B lymphoblastoid cell lines from the Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH; 15 pedigrees; n=209); representing an in vitro approach to family structure allowing genome scan analyses. The relative expression of the two markers was assessed by FACS. IRES efficiency varies according to cellular background, but also varies, for a same cell type, among individuals. The control of IRES activity presents an inherited component (h2) of 0.47 and 0.36 for EMCV and XIAP IRES, respectively. A genome scan identified a suggestive Quantitative Trait Loci (LOD 2.35) involved in the control of XIAP IRES activity. Résumé : Les sites internes d'entrée des ribosomes (IRES = internal ribosome entry sites) sont utilisés par les virus comme une stratégie afin d'outrepasser l'inhibition de traduction qui résulte communément d'une infection virale. Les IRES sont également utilisés par les cellules eucaryotes pour contrôler la traduction de l'ARN messager dans des conditions de stress cellulaire (apoptose, choc thermique) ou durant la phase G2 du cycle cellulaire, situations durant lesquelles la synthèse générale des protéines est inhibée. La variation des niveaux d'expression cellulaire de transcription est un caractère héréditaire. L'expression des gènes est contrôlée entre autre par les facteurs de transcription et par l'efficacité de la traduction initiée par la coiffe ainsi que par l'activité des ribosomes. Durant cette étude nous avons eu pour but d'identifier les déterminants génomiques responsables de la variabilité de la traduction contrôlée par l'IRES. Ceci a été effectué en étudiant deux IRES représentatifs : l'IRES du virus de l'encéphalomyocardite (EMCV) et l'IRES de l'inhibiteur de l'apoptose XIAP (X-linked Inhibitor-of-Apoptosis). Nous avons utilisés des lentivirus délivrant un transgène bicistronique codant pour deux gènes rapporteurs fluorescents. Ces lentivirus ont été utilisés pour transduire sept différentes lignées cellulaires de laboratoire et des lignées cellulaires lymphoblastoïdes B du Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH; 15 pedigrees; n=209) qui représentent une approche in vitro de la structure familiale et qui permettent des analyses par balayage du génome. L'expression relative des deux marqueurs fluorescents a été analysée par FACS. Nos résultats montrent que l'efficacité des IRES varie en fonction du type de cellules. Il varie aussi, pour le même type de cellules, selon les individus. Le contrôle de l'activité de l'IRES est un caractère héritable (héritabilité h2) de 0.47 et 0.36 pour les IRES de EMCV et XIAP respectivement. Le balayage du génome a permis l'identification d'un locus à effets quantitatifs [QTL Quantitative Trait Loci (LOD 2.35)] impliqué dans le contôle de l'activité de l'IRES de XIAP.

Determinants of renal tissue oxygenation as measured with BOLD-MRI in chronic kidney disease and hypertension in humans.

Experimentally renal tissue hypoxia appears to play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and arterial hypertension (AHT). In this study we measured renal tissue oxygenation and its determinants in humans using blood oxygenation level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI) under standardized hydration conditions. Four coronal slices were selected, and a multi gradient echo sequence was used to acquire T2* weighted images. The mean cortical and medullary R2* values ( = 1/T2*) were calculated before and after administration of IV furosemide, a low R2* indicating a high tissue oxygenation. We studied 195 subjects (95 CKD, 58 treated AHT, and 42 healthy controls). Mean cortical R2 and medullary R2* were not significantly different between the groups at baseline. In stimulated conditions (furosemide injection), the decrease in R2* was significantly blunted in patients with CKD and AHT. In multivariate linear regression analyses, neither cortical nor medullary R2* were associated with eGFR or blood pressure, but cortical R2* correlated positively with male gender, blood glucose and uric acid levels. In conclusion, our data show that kidney oxygenation is tightly regulated in CKD and hypertensive patients at rest. However, the metabolic response to acute changes in sodium transport is altered in CKD and in AHT, despite preserved renal function in the latter group. This suggests the presence of early renal metabolic alterations in hypertension. The correlations between cortical R2* values, male gender, glycemia and uric acid levels suggest that these factors interfere with the regulation of renal tissue oxygenation.

The determinants of university patenting: Do incentives matter?

In recent years various studies have examined the factors that may explain academic patents. Existing analyses have also underlined the substantial differences to be found in European countries in the institutional framework that defines property rights for academic patents. The objective of this study is to contribute to the empirical literature on the factors explaining academic patents and to determine whether the incentives that universities offer researchers contribute towards explaining the differences in academic patenting activity. The results of the econometric analysis for the Spanish universities point towards the conclusion that the principal factor determining the patents is funding of R&D while royalty incentives to researchers do not appear to be significant.

(Optimal) Spatial Aggregation in the Determinants of Industrial Location

Empirical studies on the determinants of industrial location typically use variables measured at the available administrative level (municipalities, counties, etc.). However, this amounts to assuming that the effects these determinants may have on the location process do not extent beyond the geographical limits of the selected site. We address the validity of this assumption by comparing results from standard count data models with those obtained by calculating the geographical scope of the spatially varying explanatory variables using a wide range of distances and alternative spatial autocorrelation measures. Our results reject the usual practice of using administrative records as covariates without making some kind of spatial correction. Keywords: industrial location, count data models, spatial statistics JEL classification: C25, C52, R11, R30

Politicians in the Media: Determinants of Legislators' Presence and Prominence in Swiss Newspapers

In times of increasing "mediatization" of politics, when voters and their elected representatives primarily communicate through the media, the question of who gets into the news and why becomes of the utmost importance. This article examines the determinants of Swiss legislators' presence and prominence in the print media by focusing on three competing approaches drawn from communication studies. The first approach regards the media as a "mirror" of political reality and argues that the media focus on the most active deputies in parliament. Second, news values theory predicts that "authoritative" politicians in leadership positions get the most media coverage. Third, theories of "news bias" hold that the media privilege legislators who are in line with their own editorial interests. Overall, the statistical analyses show an important leadership effect and provide strong support for the second explanation. While deputies in official functions get the most extensive news coverage, media access can also be won by parliamentary activity. The least support is shown for the news bias theory, although some newspapers try to localize parliamentary news coverage by focusing on deputies from their own media market.

Clinical and biological determinants of kidney outcomes in a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Prospective studies on factors associated with adverse kidney outcomes in European general populations are scant. Also, few studies consider the potential confounding effect of baseline kidney function. METHODS: We used baseline (2003-2006) and 5-year follow-up data of adults from the general population to evaluate the effect of baseline kidney function and proteinuria on the association of clinical, biological (e.g. uric acid, homocysteine, cytokines), and socioeconomic factors with change in kidney function, rapid decline in kidney function, and incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary albuminuria-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) were collected. Kidney outcomes were modeled using multivariable regressions. RESULTS: A total of 4,441 subjects were included in the analysis. Among participants without CKD at baseline, 11.4% presented rapid decline in eGFR and/or incident CKD. After adjustment for baseline eGFR and log UACR, only age (Odds Ratio; 1.25 [95%CI 1.18-1.33]), diabetes (OR 1.48 [1.03-2.13]), education (OR middle vs. high 1.51 [1.08-2.11]) and log ultrasensitive CRP (OR 1.16 [1.05-1.22]) were associated with rapid decline in eGFR or incident CKD. Baseline log UACR (OR 1.18 [1.06-1.32]) but not eGFR was associated with rapid decline in eGFR and/or incident CKD. CONCLUSION: In addition to age and diabetes, education and CRP levels are associated with adverse kidney outcomes independently of baseline kidney function.

Contrôle de la qualité des soins: aspects épidémiologiques. [Quality control of health care: epidemiological aspects].

Quality control in health care should be performed by health professionals. To do so they must define indicators, set up studies aimed at measuring and analyzing quality of care, and implement quality assurance programs in health care systems. The elements of a quality improvement program of this kind are described, with special emphasis on the contribution of epidemiology in this field.

Cultural competency of health-care providers in a Swiss University Hospital: self-assessed cross-cultural skillfulness in a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: As the diversity of the European population evolves, measuring providers' skillfulness in cross-cultural care and understanding what contextual factors may influence this is increasingly necessary. Given limited information about differences in cultural competency by provider role, we compared cross-cultural skillfulness between physicians and nurses working at a Swiss university hospital. METHODS: A survey on cross-cultural care was mailed in November 2010 to front-line providers in Lausanne, Switzerland. This questionnaire included some questions from the previously validated Cross-Cultural Care Survey. We compared physicians' and nurses' mean composite scores and proportion of "3-good/4-very good" responses, for nine perceived skillfulness items (4-point Likert-scale) using the validated tool. We used linear regression to examine how provider role (physician vs. nurse) was associated with composite skillfulness scores, adjusting for demographics (gender, non-French dominant language), workplace (time at institution, work-unit "sensitized" to cultural-care), reported cultural-competence training, and cross-cultural care problem-awareness. RESULTS: Of 885 questionnaires, 368 (41.2%) returned the survey: 124 (33.6%) physicians and 244 (66.4%) nurses, reflecting institutional distribution of providers. Physicians had better mean composite scores for perceived skillfulness than nurses (2.7 vs. 2.5, p < 0.005), and significantly higher proportion of "good/very good" responses for 4/9 items. After adjusting for explanatory variables, physicians remained more likely to have higher skillfulness (β = 0.13, p = 0.05). Among all, higher skillfulness was associated with perception/awareness of problems in the following areas: inadequate cross-cultural training (β = 0.14, p = 0.01) and lack of practical experience caring for diverse populations (β = 0.11, p = 0.04). In stratified analyses among physicians alone, having French as a dominant language (β = -0.34, p < 0.005) was negatively correlated with skillfulness. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there is much room for cultural competency improvement among providers. These results support the need for cross-cultural skills training with an inter-professional focus on nurses, education that attunes provider awareness to the local issues in cross-cultural care, and increased diversity efforts in the work force, particularly among physicians.

Why do creative industries cluster? An analysis of the determinants of clustering of creative industries

Creative industries tend to concentrate mainly around large- and medium-sized cities, forming creative local production systems. The text analyses the forces behind clustering of creative industries to provide the first empirical explanation of the determinants of creative employment clustering following a multidisciplinary approach based on cultural and creative economics, evolutionary geography and urban economics. A comparative analysis has been performed for Italy and Spain. The results show different patterns of creative employment clustering in both countries. The small role of historical and cultural endowments, the size of the place, the average size of creative industries, the productive diversity and the concentration of human capital and creative class have been found as common factors of clustering in both countries.

Frailty and use of health and community services by community-dwelling older men: the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project.

BACKGROUND: frailty is a concept used to describe older people at high risk of adverse outcomes, including falls, functional decline, hospital or nursing home admission and death. The associations between frailty and use of specific health and community services have not been investigated. METHODS: the cross-sectional relationship between frailty and use of several health and community services in the last 12 months was investigated in 1,674 community-dwelling men aged 70 or older in the Concord Health and Ageing in Men study, a population-based study conducted in Sydney, Australia. Frailty was assessed using a modified version of the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria. RESULTS: overall, 158 (9.4%) subjects were frail, 679 (40.6%) were intermediate (pre-frail) and 837 (50.0%) were robust. Frailty was associated with use of health and community services in the last 12 months, including consulting a doctor, visiting or being visited by a nurse or a physiotherapist, using help with meals or household duties and spending at least one night in a hospital or nursing home. Frail men without disability in activities of daily living were twice more likely to have seen a doctor in the previous 2 weeks than robust men (adjusted odds ratio 2.04, 95% confidence interval 1.21-3.44), independent of age, comorbidity and socio-economic status. CONCLUSION: frailty is strongly associated with use of health and community services in community-dwelling older men. The high level of use of medical services suggests that doctors and nurses could play a key role in implementation of preventive interventions.

Prevalence and determinants of QT interval prolongation in medical inpatients.

BACKGROUND: QT interval prolongation carries an increased risk of torsade de pointes and death. AIM: We sought to determine the prevalence of QT prolongation in medical inpatients and to identify determinants of this condition. METHODS: We enrolled consecutive patients who were admitted to the internal medicine ward and who had an electrocardiogram performed within 24 h of admission. We collected information on baseline patient characteristics and the use of QT-prolonging drugs. Two blinded readers manually measured the QT intervals. QT intervals were corrected for heart rate using the traditional Bazett formula and the linear regression-based Framingham formula. We used logistic regression to identify patient characteristics and drugs that were independently associated with QTc prolongation. RESULTS: Of 537 inpatients, 22.3% had a prolonged QTc based on the Bazett formula. The adjusted odds for QTc prolongation based on the Bazett correction were significantly higher in patients who had liver disease (OR 2.9, 95% CI: 1.5-5.6), hypokalaemia (OR 3.3, 95% CI: 1.9-5.6) and who were taking ≥1 QT-prolonging drug at admission (OR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.6). Overall, 50.8% of patients with QTc prolongation received additional QT-prolonging drugs during hospitalisation. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of QTc prolongation was high among medical inpatients but depended on the method used to correct for heart rate. The use of QT-prolonging drugs, hypokalaemia and liver disease increased the risk of QTc prolongation. Many patients with QTc prolongation received additional QT-prolonging drugs during hospitalisation, further increasing the risk of torsade de pointes and death.