Financial Contributions Research Articles

The Patronage and Changing Roles of the Water-Land Paintings from Baoningsi: Focus on their endowment by Ming Emperors and repairs in the Qing Dynasty

The 136 Water-Land paintings from Baoningsi, now at the Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan, China, are a set of hanging scrolls of the Ming dynasty that have been preserved almost completely. In addition, three documents related to the paintings survive: two records on the repairs to the paintings made in the Jianshen Year of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign (1704) and the twentieth year of the Jiaqing Emperor’s reign (1815), and a list of patrons who contributed to the repair. Although previous studies only mention them as supplementary documents, they offer new insights in the understanding of the paintings.</br>The earliest record on the Baoningsi Water-Land paintings is about their bestowment by the emperor. As the Youyu area in Shanxi, where Baonignsi is located, was being threatened by the nomadic Mongol tribes and the chaos of the Crisis of Tumu at the time, the paintings were likely gifted to make a display of the Ming imperial power.</br>In 1704, the Eight Banners garrisons stationed in Youweicheng led the patronage for the paintings’ repair, with the local gentry and merchants also participating. In the eighteenth century, this was a way to bring people together and for local groups to demonstrate their power and exercise social influences. In the nineteenth century, the paintings’ social function changed once again. They were displayed every year on Buddha’s Birthday and was instrumental in bringing in financial contributions to the temple.</br>This study has focused on the changing roles of the Water-Land paintings. The records of their repairs enables the understanding of different functions a set of paintings can have according to political and social circumstances from Ming to late Qing.

The Student-As-Consumer (SAC) Approach in Higher Education in Kazakhstan: Theory and Practice

After joining the Bologna process in 2010 the Kazakhstani system of education has transformed into 3 cycle training: Bachelor – Master – PhD. The process of integration of Kazakhstani universities into the international educational space has also begun. One of the main points of transformation was the attitude towards a student, which is declared by the student-based approach of the Bologna process, humanistic bases of modern theories of education and «student-as-consumer» approach (SAC). The article is aimed at detailing the features of a modern trend of promoting the concept of SAC (student-as-consumer) in the Kazakhstan, and the existing contradictions, or pressure, to grip the students' view in a time frame of 30 years of a new system of higher education, to propose recommendations for overcoming them in line with global trends and experience. Research methods: literature analysis and a survey of teachers and students. The article offers an overview of the «student-as-consumer» approach, which is associated with the emergence of market relations and the increase in personal financial contribution of students to their higher education. The focus of the study is to identify how students perceive current higher education and whether universities are in line with the «student-as-consumer» approach. The survey indicates that the attitude of a student as a consumer of educational services is still at the stage of formation. It also discusses the consequences of the «student-as-consumer» approach for both universities and students.

Financial contributions to stepchildren: The role of gender and postdivorce family structure

AbstractObjectiveThis study describes patterns in stepparents' financial contributions and investigates their correlates in diverse stepfamily types.BackgroundMost research has studied contributions at the household level, rarely focusing on stepparents' direct contributions. Including various stepfamily structures (e.g., stepfamilies with joint physical custody), we examine the role of gender and postdivorce family structure for stepparents' contributions.MethodOrdinal logistic regression analyses were conducted using the New Families in the Netherlands (NFN) survey, large‐scale data collected among divorced and separated parents with minor children (2015/2016). Reports of respondents with a new partner about this stepparent's financial contributions to a specific focal child were analyzed (N = 1,439).ResultsStepparents' contributions were infrequent, but a sizable minority contributed very often. Stepparents contributed more often when married, when the focal child was coresident, and when the other biological parent of the focal child was repartnered with new biological children, but less often when stepparents had children from a prior relationship.ConclusionContributions depend on the strength of ties within stepfamilies—as with coresidence and marriage—and to what extent existing biological ties compete with stepparent–child relationships.ImplicationsTo better understand the dynamics of contributions, we should also consider the composition of biological ties surrounding stepparent–child relationships.

Factors Influencing Sustainability of Community Based Project in Rwanda: A Case of Imali Project

The main objective of this research study was to determine out the factors influencing sustainability of community-based project in Rwanda with Imali case project implemented by Imbuto Foundation in Gasabo, Kayonza, Huye, Musanze and Rubavu districts. The specific goals of the study are: to find out how community participation affects the sustainability of the Imali project; to find out how resource capacity affects the sustainability of the Imali project; and to find out how project management expertise affects the sustainability of the Imali project. Descriptive research used for this study, and it used both quantitative and qualitative methods. There were 359 persons in all included in the research, representing 9 different cooperatives. The simple size of 196 people was determined by using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) formula and the stratified random sampling used to allocate and deploy the calculated sample size in nine cooperatives proportionally to the size of each one. These showed that the human (age, education, management skills, population participation), economic (resource, purchase capacity), environment (market, calamity disaster) and greenhouse technology usage.  The results presented in tables, figures and cross tables among others and be analyzed by using the literature reviews and proceed by a conclusion and recommendation to the results obtained assuring that the intended beneficiaries and other relevant parties are set up for success once donor funding wanes. The regression analysis on model summary results that indicate the influence of community participation, community resource capacity and project management skills on sustainability of the Imali project. The results indicated R of .798, R square of 0.636 and adjusted R square 0.630 based on R square it shows that 63.60% of total variation on sustainability of Imali project explained by those factors. ANOVA shows that F=108.441 and p 0.000<0.05 which is set as the standard significance level. This means that the researcher can confirm there is an influence of community participation, community resource capacity and project management skills on sustainability of the Imali project. The management of agricultural cooperatives recommended to establish good and sustainable management that ensure sustainability, autonomy, and independency rather than always waiting the external support. Keywords: Sustainability, Community Based Project, Rwanda.

Lessons from the ANZ-Phnom Penh Sugar Case for the OECD National Contact Point System of Corporate Accountability

In February 2020, following a decade-long struggle for justice, a determined group of displaced Cambodian farmers and two advocacy organizations (Inclusive Development International and Equitable Cambodia) reached a landmark agreement with the Australia New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) to provide a financial pay-out to the farmers for their suffering. The agreement set an important human rights precedent for the global banking industry. It was the first time known that a commercial bank made a financial contribution to remediate harms caused by one of its corporate customers, after acknowledging that its human rights due diligence had been inadequate.1 The case was also a rare example of a community receiving financial compensation through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s voluntary system of corporate accountability (the OECD’s National Contact Points or NCPs). While the final outcome was positive, its singularity and the immense effort, tenacity and resources required in obtaining it, demonstrate both what is wrong with this corporate accountability system and what reforms are needed to reach its potential to advance greater business respect for human rights.

Lived experiences of young adults facing a recent diagnosis of cancer: A phenomenological study.

Young adulthood is a period of prosperity and freshness characterized by developmental achievement, which can be inhibited by various diseases such as cancer. Typically considered a terminal disease, if diagnosed in young adulthood, cancer may trigger a tremendous psychosomatic shock. The nature of facing a recent cancer diagnosis affects the whole coping process. Addressing young adults' experiences at the confirmation point of cancer diagnosis will facilitate supporting them through the early recognition of probable problems in the future. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyse the lived experiences of young adults facing a recent cancer diagnosis. This qualitative study adopted an interpretive phenomenology design. In this study, 12 patients (with an age range of 20-40) were selected using the purposive sampling method. Data collection was done through in-depth, semistructured interviews. The data were analysed following the method proposed by Diekelmann et al. FINDINGS: Three main themes and nine subthemes were extracted from the data: (1) spiritual detachment and then acceptance through spirituality in the form of denial and then forced acceptance, sense of guilt and spiritual help-seeking, and anger towards God and then humbleness, (2) the shock of facing an extraordinary life shaped by disturbed role-play and unusual lifestyle, (3) anticipatory anxiety concerning the sense of rejection, negative perspective towards future, inability to afford the costs and worries about the future of the family members. This was the first study providing significant insights into the experiences of young adults facing a recent cancer diagnosis. The diagnosis of cancer can shadow all aspects of young adults' lives. The findings of the present study empower healthcare professionals to provide newly diagnosed young adults with appropriate health services. To identify and recruit the participants, we explained the objectives of the present study to the unit managers either by phone or in person. The participants were approached and interviewed by three authors. Participation was voluntary and the participants received no financial contribution for their time.

Various Ex-Post Financial Contributions to a Return and the Different Questions They Address

The author presents a framework for specifying and comparing different versions of the calculation of the ex-post “contribution to a return” financial performance measure for each of three levels of application. Employing this framework, the author analyzes a conceptually complete set of versions within each level in order to determine which version best coherently captures the intuitive intent in applying the measure at that level. Specifically, the three levels that the author will explicate are the ex-post contribution of 1) the return of a component of a portfolio on a day to the portfolio’s total return for that day, 2) the total return of a portfolio on a day to a portfolio’s total return for a multi-day period, and 3) the return of a component of a portfolio on a day to a portfolio’s total return for a multi-day period.

Qualitative evaluation of the health insurance program in Nepal: Expectations beyond limitations

AbstractThe government of Nepal introduced a national health insurance program in 2016 to comply with the constitution and international commitments to ensure universal health coverage by 2030. This qualitative study explores public perceptions and satisfaction concerning the new health insurance program. The study is guided by an interpretive worldview using both in‐depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Altogether, 34 (28 IDIs and 6 FGDs) events were conducted covering both self‐ and government‐sponsored health insurance enrollees in the new health insurance program. The study found that insurees had larger expectations as well as both favorable and negative perceptions of the program. Positive perceptions included that the program helped to lower the gap between the wealthy and the poor, increase coverage with fewer financial contributions, and make it easier to receive health services financially. Negative perceptions included long waiting times for registration, consultations, laboratory test results, and pharmacy visits, as well as the lack of drugs, inadequate coverage (a low ceiling), low‐quality services, and strict procedures, which combined to make insurees dissatisfied. We noticed that insurees had expectations that went beyond the program's guidelines, such as the expectation that services would be provided without queues and long waits, that additional services and coverage would be provided, and that preference would be shown for patients who lived far from hospitals. Adequate information, education, and communication‐ and process‐related interventions that address these issues may help minimize the insurees' unrealistic expectations and areas of dissatisfaction.

Rights of beneficiaries: building foundations and trusts, a Czech perspective

Abstract The aim of this article is first to briefly outline the current Czech legal regulation of the position of beneficiaries of trust funds and private foundations and the breadth of knowledge in this area. The authors point out crucial questions and also suggest possible directions for further consideration, many of which are well known in other jurisdictions where the possibility to create trusts/trust-like and foundation structures for private purposes has been introduced. Hopefully, the Czech perspective (and experience so far) can also be of use to other legal systems which are dealing with similar issues.

The trust signaling hypothesis of humility: how humble leaders elicit greater monetary contributions

ABSTRACT We advance prior work on humility by proposing the trust signaling hypothesis of humility. Five preregistered experiments (N = 3,302), examined whether humble leaders humility would elicit more favorable ratings, greater trust, and generate behavioral intentions toward making financial contributions. Experiment 1 (n = 864) revealed that humble leaders elicited more favorable ratings and intentions to make financial contributions, even when leader competence was low. These interactive effects were mediated by perceived trustworthiness. Experiment 2 (n = 807) replicated these effects and compared for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Experiment 3 (n = 823) clarified these effects and compared domestic and international organizations. Experiment 4 (n = 375), replicated these effects using a more direct leader description. Experiment 5 (n = 433) revealed a boundary condition, wherein likable leaders were viewed as or more favorably than humble leaders. We discuss the central role of trust and the financial appeal of humble leaders.

Financial contribution as reason to opt out of non-invasive prenatal testing

ObjectiveFirst trimester non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) provides pregnant women with a reliable, non-invasive method to screen for fetal aneuploidies. In the Netherlands, there is a nationwide prenatal screening program in which pregnant women and their partners are counseled about their options around 10 weeks of pregnancy. The first trimester and second trimester scan are fully reimbursed but the NIPT has an own financial contribution of €175 per participant, irrespective of type of insurance. The arguments for this own contribution are fear of uncritical use of NIPT or routinization. NIPT has a relatively stable uptake of 51%, against over 95% for second trimester anomaly scan. We aimed to explore the effect of this financial contribution on the decision to opt out of NIPT. Study designWe performed a survey among 350 pregnant women undergoing a second trimester anomaly scan in our center, Amsterdam UMC, between January 2021 and April 2022. All pregnant women who declined NIPT in the first trimester, were asked to participate and answered 11–13 questions about the decision-making process, the reasons to opt out and the financial contribution. ResultsInformation about NIPT was desired in 92% of women and 96% felt sufficiently informed. Most women took the decision not to perform NIPT with their partner and did not experience difficulties in taking this decision. The most important reason to decline NIPT was: “Every child is welcome” (69%). “The test was too expensive” was answered in 12% and was significantly correlated with lower maternal age. Additionally, one in five women (19%) said they would have done NIPT if it had been for free, which was significantly higher in younger women. ConclusionsThe own financial contribution plays a role in the decision-making to decline NIPT and partly explains the low uptake in the Netherlands. This suggests that there is no equal access to fetal aneuploidy screening. To overcome this inequality, this own contribution should be abandoned. We speculate that this will have a positive effect on the uptake, which will increase to at least 70% and potentially 94%.

Community Infrastructure Development and Performance of Nunga Neighbourhood Development Project

The study aimed to assess the community infrastructure development and performance of the Nunga Neighborhood Development Project. Specific objectives of the study were; to assess the effect of mobilization on the performance of the Nunga Neighborhood Development Project, to identify the effect of planning on the performance of the Nunga Neighborhood Development Project, and to evaluate the effect of implementation on the performance of the Nunga Neighborhood Development Project. A descriptive research design was adopted to get results related to the study; the target population and the sample size were 105. Census sampling was applied, and the data sources were primary and secondary. The questionnaire was used to collect primary data, and a documentary review for secondary data. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, and inferential statistics using Pearson correlation (r) and multiple linear regression analysis. The presentation of findings was done using tables; the pilot test was performed to ensure the validity and reliability of the instrument used in data collection. After collecting data, the following results were obtained; the findings revealed that mobilizing the community influenced the project's performance at a strong positive correlation of 0.892, while participation of the community in planning influenced the project's performance at a strong positive correlation of 0.950. In addition, the results showed that there is a strong positive correlation between community engagement in implementation and the performance of the project at 0.913 (r=91.3%), which affirmed that the ability of a community to participate in implementation led to the performance of the Nunga Neighborhood Development project. The study concluded that mobilizing the community and engaging the community in planning and implementation highly influence the project's performance. The study recommended project developers and managers sensitize the community to participate in infrastructure development projects, and project managers need to encourage community members to participate in financial contributions as well as in controlling the use of project resources. Keywords: Community Infrastructure, Development, Performance, Nunga Neighbourhood, Development Project &nbsp

BV6, AN ANTAGONIST OF INHIBITOR OF APOPTOSIS PROTEINS, SENSITIZES RESISTANT MANTLE CELL LYMPHOMA CELLS TO VENETOCLAX

Introduction: Although Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) and CAR T-cell therapy have achieved remarkable efficacy in the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), it remains incurable due to the inevitable development of therapeutic resistance. The BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax is effective in many relapsed MCL patients, including those who progressed on BTKi, but subsequent relapse to venetoclax yields poor clinical outcomes. Hence, novel therapeutics and combination therapies are required to tackle the clinical challenges. Here, we investigated BV6, an antagonist of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), alone and in combination with venetoclax in multiple therapy-resistant MCL models. Methods: We performed single-cell RNA-seq to assess gene expression in ibrutinib-sensitive, ibrutinib-resistant, and dual ibrutinib-/CAR T-resistant MCL patients. Cell lines with acquired resistance to ibrutinib or venetoclax, as well as primary tumor cells from patients who relapsed after multiple therapies, were used as models of MCL resistance. CellTiter-Glo® luminescent assay was used to measure cell viability; annexin V/PI staining was used to measure the induction of apoptosis; and western blotting was used to assess IAP and apoptosis signaling protein expression across MCL cell lines after drug treatment. Results: The single-cell RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that IAP gene expression was not influenced by patient response to ibrutinib and CAR T-cell therapy, and western blotting showed that IAP proteins were broadly expressed across all MCL cell lines. To determine the on-target effects of BV6, we treated JeKo-1, JeKo-IBN-R, Mino, and Mino-VEN-R cells with BV6 and examined the expression of IAPs. BV6 treatment for 4h markedly reduced c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 expression, and moderately reduced XIAP expression. BV6 inhibited cell viability in both ibrutinib- and venetoclax-resistant cell lines, and BV6 treatment for 24 h dose-dependently induced apoptosis in MCL cells, including not only cell lines with acquired resistance but also patient primary cells, independent of their resistance to ibrutinib, venetoclax, and CAR T-cell therapy. We observed a striking and significant synergy in the cell viability assay when ibrutinib- or venetoclax-resistant cells were treated with BV6 combined with venetoclax (combination index < 1), and a dramatic enhancement of apoptosis (p < 0.001). The combination eradicated c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 expression, while XIAP was synergistically diminished. This was accompanied by strong caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage. This combination therapy is currently under evaluation in venetoclax-resistant mouse model in vivo. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that a combination of IAP antagonists with apoptosis inducers can be exploited as a rational strategy to overcome therapeutic resistance in MCL. This study was supported by philanthropic funds from the Kimmel Research fund and various donor funds. Keywords: Aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Combination Therapies, Molecular Targeted Therapies No conflicts of interests pertinent to the abstract.

Abstract 72: Socioeconomic Disparities Across the Cancer Care Continuum in Saint Lucia: A Community-Based Study

Abstract Purpose: Low socioeconomic status could contribute to insufficient access to care and the high cancer mortality in small developing island states (SIDS). However, disparities in care among cancer survivors are rarely studied in SIDS. We investigated for the first time the socioeconomic disparities across the cancer care continuum in Saint Lucia. Methods: We used purposive and snowball sampling to recruit adult cancer survivors residing in Saint Lucia. Trained field investigators interviewed survivors face-to-face with a structured questionnaire ascertaining their care experience and health services accessed. We used univariate logistic regressions to estimate odds-ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) measuring the association between socioeconomic status and cancer care. Socioeconomic status was modelled as binary outcome variables: educational level, private medical insurance and hot water at home (a proxy for income in Saint Lucia). Results: We included 50 survivors (13 men, 37 women). The majority of survivors were black, and diagnosed with breast and prostate cancer. Survivors who were satisfied with the information provided during their diagnosis announcement were more likely to have hot water (OR=5.0, 95% CI=1.3-19.0). Concerning, sources of funds for treatment, private medical insurance and hot water were associated respectively with less financial contributions from family/friends (OR=0.2, 95% CI=0.1-0.9) and greater use of their own funds (OR=3.3, 95% CI=0.9-15.0). Patients who were provided with doctor’s contact information in case of concerns were more likely to have more than primary education (OR=6.3, 95% CI=1.3-31.1) and private medical insurance (OR=12.3, 95% CI=1.4-111.6). Overseas travel for cancer treatment was significantly associated with having private health insurance (OR=3.4, 95% CI=0.9-12.7) and hot water (OR=4.5, 95% CI=1.2-16.8). Having more than primary school education was associated with better perceived care experience (OR=13.5, 95% CI=2.2-84.0). Having private medical insurance was associated with greater access to supportive care services such as psychologists and physiotherapists (OR=3.6, 95% CI=0.9-14.5). Conclusion: Despite our small sample size and potential confounding, we showed some evidence of socioeconomic disparities across the cancer care continuum in Saint Lucia. Low socioeconomic status should be taken into account when considering interventions to reduce of cancer mortality in SIDS. Citation Format: Aviane Auguste, Dorothy Phillip, Owen Gabriel, James St. Catherine, Carlene Radix. Socioeconomic Disparities Across the Cancer Care Continuum in Saint Lucia: A Community-Based Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 11th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; Closing the Research-to-Implementation Gap; 2023 Apr 4-6. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 72.

National and international programmatic perspective on facilitators and barriers for Sudan’s health sector response on female genital mutilation (2016–2018): a qualitative study

ObjectivesTo explore the facilitators and barriers that affected the design and implementation of the first 3 years of Sudan’s largest health programme on female genital mutilation (FGM).DesignWe used a qualitative...

Interaction between Islamic Financial Development and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Indonesia

Financial development and economic growth have been thoroughly analyzed in the literature extensively. The discussion revolved on whether the financial sector leads the real sector in the process of economic development or whether it is the other way around. There is now no consensus on the causal relationship between financial development and economic growth. So, it is necessary to determine the relationship between financial development and economic growth in order to make accurate economic growth estimations. This paper examines an interaction model between Islamic financial development and economic growth that assumes the consumption of real resources by the financial sector. This research used Hadri Lagrange-Multiplier to investigate association’s path between variables. As a result, the interaction between Islamic financial development and economic growth may be unidirectional. However, the Islamic financial system is unsustainable, the Islamic financial market's contribution remains modest, and this could not eventually contribute to economic growth significantly. In addition, the results of this study reveal that the development of Islamic financial institutions in Indonesia has not yet had a significant effect on the welfare of Indonesian society. Due to rising demand for financial services, it was believed that economic growth drives finance in developing nations. Moreover, Economic growth fosters competition among financial intermediaries, resulting in more efficient financial transactions and, consequently, increased growth.

Strategy Implementation Practices and Performance of Humanitarian and Development Organisations

Purpose: The field of humanitarian and development groups has grown more significant in recent years in tackling crucial socioeconomic concerns in regions afflicted by crises, catastrophes, and conflicts. This study is a systematic literature review of strategy implementation practices and performance of humanitarian and development organizations (HDOs). The general objective of this study is to examine the effect of strategy implementation practices on performance of HDOs, followed by specific objectives, which are to investigate the effect of organizational culture, structure, leadership and resource allocation on performance of HDOs; to evaluate the moderating effect of donor funding conditions on the relationship between strategic implementation practices on performance of HDOs. The stakeholder theory, resource-based theory, and agency theory all serve as foundations for this research.&#x0D; Methodology: A total of 108 articles were identified and systematically reviewed. The research method was customized for three databases: Emerald, google scholar, and EBSCO. The keywords used were: “Strategy implementation practices” AND, “performance “AND “Humanitarian organization” OR “development organization” These researches were conducted between 2017 and 2023. Only scientific journals and research reports published in English and French were admitted. The study was focused on African, Asian and American countries. At this level, 38 records had been excluded, and 70 articles had been extracted. All duplication was extensively scrutinized, the abstracts of the papers were thoroughly verified for deeper analysis in order to ensure the quality and relevance of academic paper. The exclusion criterion was that papers must be publishable in English and must be from the above cited databases and countries. Following the removal of duplicate records, 29 more articles were eliminated. Finally, we chose 41 relevant articles and the below features were extracted: original journal articles, research reports published, articles related to the relevant field in strategy implementation and performance of humanitarian organizations, published within 2017 and 2023.&#x0D; Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends, techniques for collecting and analyzing data, both qualitative and quantitative, should be used. This provides a more detailed and conclusive study finding

Government or Donor: The Budget for HIV/AIDS Control and Financial Commitment in Bandung City, Indonesia

The number of HIV/AIDS cases in Indonesia has steadily increased since 1987. West Java Province, especially Bandung City, had the highest HIV/AIDS cases among other districts/cities in 2016. Some stakeholders' interventions overlap with others, leading to inefficient use of the limited government budget and flattening international donor funding. This study aimed to estimate the HIV/AIDS budget in Bandung City and then segregate the share of the budget by funding source and objectives. This study was a part of the Priority Setting Involving Stakeholder Using Multiple Criteria (PRISMA) project in 2017 to prioritize HIV/AIDS interventions knowing that Bandung City had the highest HIV/AIDS cases. Data from several institutions and relevant budget allocations were obtained before (2016) and after (2018-2019) the PRISMA project. HIV/AIDS control programs in Bandung City largely depend on international funding: 49% in 2016 (~USD208,898), 85% in 2018 (~USD386,132), and 71% in 2019 (~USD389,943) for a total of ~USD1,433,216. The largest budget was allocated to core interventions, with prevention dominating the budget since 2018. The budget allocated for prevention increased significantly from 2016-2019, most likely under the influence of the PRISMA project.

Franchising and the Extraction of Surplus Value: Excavating the Legal Boundary Between Franchisees and Employees

Nearly one in ten Canadians in the private sector works in the franchised sector of the economy. For the most part, franchisors operate as rentiers, extracting value from franchisees for the use of their brand. Research has demonstrated that this arrangement puts additional pressure on franchisees to extract surplus value from their employees that tend toward substandard and unlawful working conditions. In this scenario, franchisors benefit from but are only indirectly involved in the extract of surplus value. In some cases, however, the vertical controls exercised by “franchisors” over “franchisees” are so extensive, and the financial contribution of “franchisees” is so limited, that the franchisor becomes involved in directly extracting surplus value from franchisees. We explore this latter phenomenon through an excavation of the history of the legal distinction in Canadian business-format franchising in Canada and detailed studies of two recent Canadian cases in which “franchisees” successfully claimed employment status.

Expanding the Role of Women in Vector Control: Case Studies From Madagascar, Rwanda, and Zambia.

Historically, vector control, including entomological monitoring, has been a field dominated by men. Each year, the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) VectorLink project hires 50,000 to 70,000 seasonal workers across the countries in which it works to implement vector control activities, creating an economic opportunity for both men and women. Remaining barriers to women's employment in vector control include social and cultural norms regarding acceptability of formal employment for women, perceptions that women are not fit to serve as spray operators, and a historical context of male-dominated fields such as entomology. We use PMI VectorLink project data from Madagascar, Rwanda, and Zambia for 2019-2021 and key informant interviews with project staff in these countries to examine levels of female employment, effectiveness and efficiency of female versus male malaria spray operators, and strategies to expand the role of women in vector control. The percentage of female seasonal employees ranges from 25% in Madagascar to 32% in Rwanda and 45% in Zambia. The percentage of women in leadership positions ranges from 32% in Madagascar and Rwanda to 38% in Zambia. Men and women are equally effective and efficient as spray operators. Best practices for recruiting and retaining women in vector control include engaging community leaders in recruitment, implementing affirmative action hiring policies, mentoring women to progress to leadership positions, and ensuring equitable, safe, and attractive workplaces. As vector control programs transition away from donor funding and are increasingly government led, sustaining gains in female empowerment is critical. Country programs should work closely with national, regional, district, and local leaders to demonstrate the importance of hiring women in vector control-including leadership positions-and the impact on female economic empowerment, community well-being, and success of vector control programs.