Cost-effectiveness analysis in Chagas' disease vectors control interventions

After a large scale field trial performed in central Brazil envisaging the control of Chagas' disease vectors in an endemic area colonized by Triatoma infestans and T. sordida the cost-effectiveness analysis for each insecticide/formulation was performed. It considered the operational costs and the prices of insecticides and formulations, related to the activity and persistence of each one. The end point was considered to be less than 90% of domicilliary unitis (house + annexes) free of infestation. The results showed good cost-effectiveness for a slow-release emulsifiable suspension (SRES) based on PVA and containing malathion as active ingredient, as well as for the pyrethroids tested in this assay-cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin and permethrin.

Separating Myth from Probability: the Origins and Evolution of QWERTY

We use basic probability theory and simple replicable electronic search experiments to evaluate some reported “myths” surrounding the origins and evolution of the QWERTY standard. The resulting evidence is strongly supportive of arguments put forward by Paul A. David (1985) and W. Brian Arthur (1989) that QWERTY was path dependent with its course of development strongly influenced by specific historical circumstances. The results also include the unexpected finding that QWERTY was as close to an optimal solution to a serious but transient problem as could be expected with the resources at the disposal of its designers in 1873.

Innovació tecnològica a la construcció subterrània

Report for the scientific sojourn carried out in the International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) –state agency – from February until November 2007. The work within the project Technology innovation in underground construction can be grouped into the following tasks: development of the software for modelling underground excavation based on the discrete element method - the numerical algorithms have been implemented in the computer programs and applied to simulation of excavation using roadheaders and TBM-s -; coupling of the discrete element method with the finite element method; development of the numerical model of rock cutting taking into account of wear of rock cutting tools -this work considers a very important factor influencing effectiveness of underground works -.

The Technological Specialization of Countries: An Analysis of Patent Data

New methods of analysis of patent statistics allow assessing country profiles of technological specialization for the period 1990-2006. We witness a modest decrease in levels of specialization, which we show to be negatively influenced by country size and degree of internationalization of inventive activities.

The Inventor Balance and the Functional Specialization in Global Inventive Activities

We study the functional specialization whereby some countries contribute relatively more inventors vs. organizations in the production of inventions at a global scale. We propose a conceptual framework to explain this type of functional specialization, which posits the presence of feedbacks between two distinct sub-systems, each one providing inventors and organizations. We quantify the phenomenon by means of a new metric, the “inventor balance”, which we compute using patent data. We show that the observed imbalances, which are often conspicuous, are determined by several factors: the innovativeness of a country relative to its level of economic development, relative factor endowments, the degree of technological specialization and, last, cultural traits. We argue that the “inventor balance” is a useful indicator for policy makers, and its routine analysis could lead to better informed innovation policies.

The effectiveness of tipi in the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis: a preliminary report

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common painful inflammatory condition occurring mainly in the later half of life. Hipe and knee are the joints mostly affected. Petiveria alliacea (tipi) popularly known as an anti-rheumatic medicine, has been used by OA patients to relief pain. This one-week cross-over double-blind trial has preliminary evaluated the analgesic effect of tipi tea in 14 patients with hip and knee OA. Imperata exaltata (sape) was used as the Placebo tea. The pain assessments that were made at baseline and before the start of the second treatment period by treatment groups were comparable. While taking tipi or placebo tea patients experienced a statistically significant improvement in pain on motion and pain at night. The comparison between the improvements reported while on tipi and placebo tea, however, did not disclose any statistically significant difference. At the conclusion of the study 7 patients preferred tipi tea and 6 preferred placebo tea (NS). Two patients reported insomnia, one durign placebo treatment and the other during tipi treatment. In this preliminary report both teas succeeded in the aim of relieving pain.