Economic Fallouts Research Articles

Risk score stratification of cutaneous melanomas based on whole slide images using deep learning.

e21573 Background: Predictive and prognostic biomarkers represent the cornerstone of clinical oncology. Improving the prognostication of melanoma is needed to select patients for effective adjuvant therapies. Taking into account that tumor tissue contains a large amount of clinically relevant hidden information that is not fully exploited, we applied a weakly-supervised deep-learning approach on H&E-stained whole-slide image (WSI) to directly predict 5-year survival outcomes in melanoma patients. Methods: We designed a deep neural (DL) network that extracts features from no-padding patches of WSI (tiles of size 512x512 pixels) using a self-supervised learning framework as well as from the tumor region. These features are then fed along with survival information into the deep learning fusion network assigning a survival risk score to each WSI. The model was trained and validated on 195 cases of primary melanoma diagnosed between 2015 and 2017 originating from the IHP Group and the French RICMel melanoma database. Performance was evaluated using a cross-validation and cross-testing framework as well as on an external set of 238 cases from the TCGA database. Concordance index (c-index) was used as a metric to assess the performance of the proposed algorithm. Results: For the prediction of survival, the proposed pipeline yielded c-index of 0.76 and 0.66 for the IHP Group cohort and TCGA dataset respectively. Furthermore, the model is able to significantly discriminate between the 2 groups of patients, with a good and a poor prognosis in terms of overall survival (p-value < 0.001 for IHP and p-value = 0.01 for TCGA). Also, the proposed score is statistically significant when added to a multivariate cox model incorporating the classic prognosis factors (p-value < 0.005) and allows to reach a c-index of 0.81 over the discovery cohort. Conclusions: This infrequent weakly-supervised deep-learning approach to HE images analysis has the advantage of leaving the feature selection entirely to the deep network, and so discover new morphological biomarkers. By this way, it could have in the near future the potential to accelerate and improve the clinical decision-making process in the field of melanoma. Also, these findings will undoubtedly open room for substantial applications with economic and treatment delay fallouts.

Participation and Perception of Project Affected People in SIA Process under RFCTLARR Act 2013

Undoubtedly, growing urbanisation, increasing of infrastructure requirement and rapid economic development has imposed high pressure on land in India. Private land is regularly acquired for both State-sponsored development and private projects, which is increasingly become contentious. Compulsory acquisition of land till the end of December 2013 is primarily governed by the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, which is century-old legislation enacted in the very different social, economic and political milieu. Post-independence period Indian Government has not fundamentally changed the acquisition policy to reflect the values and needs of our times, which has resulted in legal, social, cultural, economic and political fallouts. Land Acquisition Act, 1894 is needed for public purpose and economic development, but it is deficient in many respects. In this background the colonial Land Acquisition Act, 1894 was repealed and replaced by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act.2013. It is now settled that whatever State or Government acquires land from its citizens for public purpose, it has power to do so. The jurisprudence that has developed around colonial Land Acquisition Ac, 1894 over the years on this subject has made the citizen, a subject. The colonial mind-set is that all pervasive under the Act was reflected in practice and even the judiciary in some cases has inadvertently furthered this notion. Thus, it becomes imperative to scrutinize the law and test it, against the contemporary democratic values. However, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 made an attempt to balance within the larger political context of land acquisition in India. Through the land acquisition how people be affected to be estimated by SIA study suggested in The RFCTLARR Act 2013. But the entire SIA process can be succeed when all the stakeholders in general and the project affected people or families in particular to be participated fully during the implementation of the project. The current paper have studied the participation and perception of project affected families in different projects implemented by Government of Odisha.

Silica aerogel composite with inherent superparamagnetic property: a pragmatic and ecofriendly approach for oil spill clean-up under harsh conditions

Mineral oil spills over aquatic bodies have very serious and adverse impacts on the environment and ecological wellbeing, in addition to causing enormous economic and social fallouts. Current technologies for remediation of oil spills are far from adequate in terms of cost, efficiency, ease of operation, and environmental safeguards. Towards obviating the current shortcomings, a silica aerogel-melamine-formaldehyde foam composite with inherent magnetic characteristics [magnetic foam aerogel composite (MFAC)] was developed through a cost-effective and scalable ambient pressure drying (APD) method. The composite is equipped with enhanced porosity, oleophilicity, and remarkable hydrophobicity (contact angle of 142°). The pore characteristics of the MFAC composite introduced by the silica aerogel network facilitate very swift oil sorption and good retention, which prevent oil spreading and minimize harm to the environment. MFAC is found to be very effective with both low- and high-viscosity oils as well as common organic solvents. A maximum sorption capacity for petroleum oil and chloroform was found to be 32 g/g and 42 g/g, respectively. The material displays satisfactory performance under various adverse environmental conditions (acidic, alkaline, saline, low/high temperature) with no signs of abatement in its performance. Easy maneuvering of the composite over a wide area on the waterfront and retrieval were accomplished by the application of an external magnetic field. The sorbed oil can be recovered through simple mechanical squeezing. MFAC has good structural integrity and sorption stability and can be used for several cycles without diminution in the oil absorption capability. MFAC is swift, scalable, reliable, and easily deployable, which is expected to address most of the practical difficulties encountered with the current oil spill remediation methods.

The volatility spillover effect of macroeconomic indicators on inbound tourism in India

Diseño/metodología/enfoqueLos modelos GARCH bivariantes se aplican para estimar el efecto indirecto de la volatilidad (VSE) de un mercado a otro. En comparación con otros métodos, el GARCH bivariante goza de gran aceptación para estimar el VSE. Para el análisis empírico se recopilan los MI mensuales y los datos de demanda turística (2012–2021).ObjetivoEl estudio se centra en medir la relación mutua entre la volatilidad de los indicadores macroeconómicos (MI) y la demanda turística de la India.ConclusionesSe observan indicios de GLT (demanda turística impulsada por el crecimiento). A corto plazo, se evidencia el TLG (crecimiento impulsado por el turismo). Sin embargo, este TLG no se mantiene a largo plazo. Existen pruebas significativas a favor del VSE de los MI a la demanda turística que garantizan el GLT en India.Implicaciones prácticasLa principal implicación del presente estudio es desestimar la influencia a corto plazo de la demanda turística en la economía porque no se sostiene a largo plazo. Sin embargo, la influencia a largo plazo de los indicadores macroeconómicos en la demanda turística debe considerarse con cautela. Por ello, la cobertura de riesgos puede plantearse para proteger los intereses del sector turístico de las repercusiones económicas adversas.Originalidad/valorExiste una carencia de estudios sobre la volatilidad (especialmente en el VSE) entre los MI y la demanda turística. En consecuencia, este estudio realiza una aportación investigadora mediante una contribución novedosa y única en la ampliación del conocimiento sobre el tema de análisis.

Precarious employment and workplace health outcomes in Britain

RationaleThe world of work is changing rapidly, and precarious employment is becoming more prevalent in Britain and elsewhere, particularly since the 2008 financial crisis. This is despite the evidence linking employment precarity to adverse health outcomes, and the policy discourses advocating for high-quality jobs. ObjectiveI seek to establish empirically the extent and nature of the potential link between employment precarity and health outcomes, which is done chiefly at the workplace level. The research can be vital from the perspective of informing policy, given that the workplace represents the level where key policy levers operate. MethodsI use nationally representative data from the British Workplace Employment Relations Survey. Four workplace health outcomes (WHOs; viz., injuries, illnesses, job satisfaction, and job anxiety) have been used to examine if organizations with precarious employment arrangements are likely to experience adverse health outcomes. I use alternative econometric approaches to compare organizations that reported to have three types of precarious employment arrangements, viz., shift working, annualised hours, and zero-hours contracts (ZHCs), vis-à-vis their counterparts without such arrangements. ResultsThe results obtained reveal that workplaces with precarious employment arrangements are significantly unhealthier, and those with the most insecure form of precarious employment perform particularly worst in this respect. ConclusionsPrecarious employment may become ever more prevalent as organizations contend with economic fallouts from shocks such as Brexit or Covid-19. This may lead to sub-standard health outcomes. The positive influence of trade unions on working conditions has largely been decimated and the workforce in Britain is ageing. These combinations may pose significant challenges to public health including mental health crises. Public policy ought to help minimise adverse health outcomes linked to employment precarity.

Influx of Backyard Farming with Limited Biosecurity Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Carries an Increased Risk of Zoonotic Spillover in Cambodia.

Backyard farming with limited biosecurity creates a massive potential for zoonotic spillover. Cambodia, a developing nation in Southeast Asia, is a hub for emerging and endemic infectious diseases. Due to pandemic-induced job losses in the tourism sector, rumors suggest that many former Cambodian tour guides have turned to backyard farming as a source of income and food security. A cross-sectional study including 331 tour guides and 69 poultry farmers in Cambodia before and during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was conducted. Participants were administered a survey to assess food security, income, and general farming practices. Survey data were collected to evaluate the risk perceptions for avian influenza virus (AIV), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and general biosecurity management implemented on these poultry farms. Overall, food security decreased for 80.1% of the tour guides during the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 21% of the tour guides interviewed used backyard poultry farming to supplement losses of income and food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a significantly higher risk than for traditional poultry farmers. Agricultural intensification in Cambodia due to the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an influx of makeshift farms with limited biosecurity. Inadequate biosecurity measures in animal farms can facilitate spillover and contribute to future pandemics. Improved biosecurity and robust viral surveillance systems are critical for reducing the risk of spillover from backyard farms. IMPORTANCE While this study highlights COVID-19-associated changes in poultry production at a small scale in Cambodia, poultry production is expected to expand due to an increase in the global demand for poultry protein during the pandemic, changes in urbanization, and the reduction of the global pork supply caused by African swine fever (ASF). The global demand and surge in poultry products, combined with inadequate biosecurity methods, can lead to an increased risk of domestic animal and human spillovers of zoonotic pathogens such as avian influenza. Countries in regions of endemicity are often plagued by complex emergency situations (i.e., food insecurity and economic fallouts) that hinder efforts to effectively address the emergence (or reemergence) of zoonotic diseases. Thus, novel surveillance strategies for endemic and emerging infectious diseases require robust surveillance systems and biosecurity training programs to prevent future global pandemics.

On the Quest to Study Abroad; Cultural, Linguistic and Economic Fallouts- matters Arising In Nigeria

Nigerian language and culture are endangered because of a strong craving to study abroad. The upsurge in the number of Nigerian youths fleeingthe country still grows for many reasons: while some go in pursuit of university education, others simply go in search of greener pastures. Yet, the cultural cum linguistic and economic implications of this mass exodus of the supposedly best brains of the country have received little or no scholarly attention. This paper therefore presents a discourse cum psycholinguistic analysis of some online newspaper publications on the presence and activities of Nigerians in oversea countries vis-à-vis, the aftermath on the Nigerian nation. The methodology involves a critical reading of selected online newspaper publications on educational issues in Nigeria and abroad. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Linguistic Theory (1929), and Anchimbe and Janney (2017) Postcolonial Pragmatic Theory are used to account for the hybridic discourses resulting from the mixture of different sociocultural and linguistic elements as a corollary of colonization. The results show that the alarming taste for oversea education in Nigeria has not only corrupted our communication system and cultural demeanor, it has also impacted negatively on the value of our currency, contributed to the general weakness of the Nigerian local universities and ultimately led to brain drain in Nigeria. It is therefore concluded that this trend has taken from us far more than whatever good it has brought and should immediately be discontinued as a necessary route to our cultural and economic emancipation.

Impact of Elimination of Dividend Distribution Tax on Indian Corporate Firms Amid COVID Disruptions

Economic fallouts from COVID-19 have been unprecedented across all industries, with a handful of exceptions. The present study attempts to capture the impact of dividend distribution tax elimination, introduced through the Indian Finance Act 2020, on corporate dividend behavior in India. It explores the determinants of dividend payouts, changing payout decisions, dividend behavior of regular payers, and the prevalence of factors associated with changing payouts. Out of the top 1000 firms, based on their market capitalization at the Bombay Stock Exchange, 509 non-financial firms pursuing consistent dividend payments from 2015 to 2019 are analyzed. The study also examines the dividend behavior of regular payers exhibiting a stable or step-up payout from 2015 to 2019. COVID’s impact on the firm’s financial performance and sentiments seems to dominate, suppressing investors’ expectations of enhanced payouts associated with dividend distribution tax advantages, with considerable reductions in payouts and omissions shown by regular and irregular payers in 2020 and 2021 vis-à-vis the preceding years. The findings signify that the dividend payouts of sample firms are positively associated with the firms’ size, MBV ratio, and past dividends, and negatively allied with free cash flows and the EBITDA margin. Regular payers are observed to be more sensitive to past dividends. The study lends credence to the conservatism and prevalence of signaling and catering theories in the dividend behavior of Indian corporate firms.

A review of resource management and self-reliance for sustainable development of India under COVID-19 scenario.

The rapid spread of COVID‐19 pandemic has caused a severe disorder in the global economy. The sudden imposition of lockdown is expected to largely impact the global as well as Indian economy. To overcome serious economic fallouts, the honorable Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi in his address to the nation called for “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” or “Self‐reliant India” as self‐reliance would help in making pragmatic developments of the economy. According to WHO, COVID‐19 is a new strain found among humans that are caused by SARS‐CoV‐2, mainly a respiratory tract infection. As a consequence, the COVID‐19 pandemic gives India a unique situation to face this period of crisis boldly for optimum utilization of the available resources, and shift towards a more resilient and sustainable economy. Attainment of self‐reliance and sustainable resource management will also help the nation to overcome various global challenges. The present study mainly focuses on two objectives: Firstly, to understand the different possibilities which will secure India to become self‐reliant; and secondly, to know the prospects of self‐reliant of India in the post‐COVID‐19 scenario. It has to be kept in mind that Covid‐19 may not be the last viral infection that the world might see. Therefore, Novel Coronavirus sets a distinctive chance for India and the countries alike to utilize the available resources strategically and transform its dreams of “local” India into “Glocal” India for a better and brighter future of her people.

Chaos at the Gates: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and energy price shocks on South Korea’s gas industry amid energy transition

Abstract South Korea was one of the first countries to be hit by the coronavirus infections. Having rapidly contained the health emergency in the immediate period, Seoul arguably mitigated the economic fallouts more successfully than the majority of advanced economies but could not avoid substantial losses. The far-reaching fallout of COVID-19 has been testing the country’s energy transition pathway, as actors involved are facing difficult decisions amid more stringent financial constraints to deliver their ambitious targets, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Amid the combined effects of the pandemic and the global energy prices shocks, addressing the nexus between energy security on the supply side, affordability, and the safety of people’s lives and property, has become even more pressing. Against this backdrop, natural gas has tailored a special role to bridge the low carbon re-alignment of the entire Korean energy system, also in the face of the current and future challenges to Korea’s energy security. But long-drawn hurdles stemming from rather unsuccessful efforts to reform the gas system risk weakening its ability to cope with present uncertainties and heightened volatilities.

China's 'COVID-19 Diplomacy' and Geopolitics in Oceania

China's 'COVID-19 Diplomacy' and Geopolitics in Oceania Tarcisius Kabutaulaka (bio) The COVID-19 pandemic started at a time of intense geopolitical competition; consequently, global powers have used pandemic-related assistances to enhance their influence. This has been dubbed "COVID-19 diplomacy," a variant of global health diplomacy that involves the provision of assistance to address a health crisis while simultaneously enhancing and strengthening a country's geopolitical alliances and influence. The countries at the center of this ongoing geopolitical contest are the People's Republic of China (hereafter referred to as China) and the United States (U.S.) and its allies. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oceania1 has become an arena where global powers have jostled to assert their influence. This paper discusses how China has used the pandemic to assert its influence in Oceania and the responses from traditional powers in the region, led by the U.S. and Australia. In the past decade-and-a-half, China has become increasingly influential in Oceania. Most Pacific Island governments welcome this, as demonstrated by the fact that ten of the fourteen Pacific Island countries now recognize the one-China policy. This threatens the dominance that the US and its allies have had in the region since World War II, hence triggering the aforementioned geopolitical competition. Since the beginning of the pandemic, metropolitan powers have used COVID-19-related assistance to increase and affirm their influence. But while the US and its allies portray China as a threat, island governments view a relationship with China as an opportunity. Although China's COVID-19-related assistance has so far been smaller in monetary value compared to aid from Australia and the U.S., it has been more visible because of Beijing's concerted efforts in public relations. It is, however, uncertain if this will result in long-term geopolitical gains for Beijing, especially given the fact that Western countries are strengthening their influence. Furthermore, while Pacific Island governments each value their respective relationship with Beijing because they see it as an additional source of assistance to address the economic, social, and health-related impacts of the pandemic, their citizens are more cautious, if not skeptical, about their government's relationship with China. The paper is divided into three parts. First, it provides a broad overview of Beijing's global response to the pandemic, focusing especially on its attempts to create alternative narratives about its handling of the virus and to use its assistance to craft an image of China as a responsible and benevolent country and global leader. Second, it discusses China's response to the pandemic in Oceania and the reactions of traditional development partners and Pacific Islanders. Third, it provides concluding remarks, highlighting the geopolitical implications of China's COVID-19 diplomacy. China's COVID-19 diplomacy The SARS-CoV-2 virus or novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in late 2019. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic. By the end of March 2021, over 2.8 million people world-wide [End Page 254] had died from the virus, with over 128 million infections and rising. The U.S. became the epicenter with 550,000 deaths and over 30 million cases.2 By the beginning of May 2021, the epicenter of the pandemic had shifted to India, which had more than 4,000 daily fatalities and 400,000 daily infections.3 By mid-July 2021, there were over 186 million confirmed cases and over 4 million deaths worldwide.4 The economic, political, and social fallouts were also devastating. China found itself in a negative spotlight as the origin of the virus and for its lack of transparency in sharing information that could have helped contain it. The COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse social and economic impacts tarnished China's image as a global economic power with an increasing geopolitical influence, threatened President Xi Jinping's and the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) domestic reputation, and raised questions about the brand of economic development that Beijing exports globally, especially through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).5 Internationally, the U.S...

Covid-19 Pandemic: Concerns, Impact and Continuity Strategies for Small Businesses in India

History is a testament that small businesses are most affected by the global economic fallouts, be it the great depression (2008) or Covid-19. The paper aimed to address the concerns and impact of the prevailing Covid-19 Pandemic on small businesses, globally and nationally. Secondary data from repositories of international repute along with causal chain analysis was used for the purpose. Findings showed that new-found challenges occurred on the demand and supply fronts in India. It was curbing the various immediate and peripheral consequences that required long-term planning and holistic support mechanisms. Suggestive strategies using the stakeholder approach arepresented at the firm, industry, and environmental level to ensure small business continuity and future preparedness.

Dynamic and causality interrelationships from municipal solid waste recycling to economic growth, carbon emissions and energy efficiency using a novel bootstrapping autoregressive distributed lag

This study contributes to estimate the municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling effect on environmental quality and economic growth in the United States. Few studies have been given to macro-level aggregate analysis through national scale MSW recycling, environmental, and economic indicators. This study employs bootstrapping autoregressive distributed lag modeling for investigating the cointegration relationship among MSW recycling, economic growth, carbon emissions, and energy efficiency utilized quarterly data from 1990 to 2017. The result implies that a one percent increase in MSW recycling contributes to economic growth and reduce carbon emissions by 0.317% (0.157%) and 0.209% (0.087%) in the long-run (short-run). Similarly, a one percent improvement in energy efficiency stimulates economic growth by 0.489% (0.281%) and mitigates carbon emissions by 0.285% (0.197%) in the long-run (short-run). A higher per capita income and population growth caused higher emissions by 0.197% and 0.401% in the long-run. The overall results reveal stronger impacts in the long-run than the short-run with significant convergence towards long-run equilibrium, suggesting a prominent long-run transmission of economic and environmental fallouts. This study confirms a uni-directional causality from MSW recycling to economic growth, carbon emissions, and energy efficiency. These outcomes signify that any policy intervention related to MSW recycling produces significant changes in the level of economic growth and carbon emissions. The finding provides valuable insight for policymakers to counteract carbon emissions through recyclable waste management that simultaneously create significant economic value.

Cancer and COVID-19: economic impact on households in Southeast Asia.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may worsen the existing financial vulnerabilities of cancer survivors who may be experiencing a double financial hit, both from cancer-induced financial toxicity as well as economic strains arising from loss of income and prolonged unemployment following the pandemic. The impact of the pandemic is likely to be more pronounced on cancer survivors living in resource-limited settings, such as in Southeast Asia. As health care systems in the region try to streamline resources and accommodate the influx of patients from COVID-19, many in the cancer community have experienced severe disruptions in their care. The delays and disruption of timely access to cancer care could lead to patients presenting with worsened conditions and at more advanced cancer stages in which treatment options tended to be costlier. Similar to countries around the world, the various forms of movement restrictions that were enforced have aggravated the rates of unemployment, loss of wages and the limited access to support from family or friends around Southeast Asia. The economic impact of COVID-19 hits even harder on the large proportion of the population in the region that works in the informal sector, who are often one paycheque or one episode of illness away from financial catastrophe. More worryingly, the lack of a robust social security system in many Southeast Asian countries, especially in terms of income protection, could ultimately force many cancer survivors to choose between paying for their treatments, or to forego treatments, and feed their families. Early identification of cancer patients experiencing financial toxicity following the pandemic will enable timely and appropriate interventions to be undertaken by various stakeholders, potentially averting a cascade of other economic fallouts that may last for years after cancer treatment.

Sustainability of basket peg choices in the post-COVID-19 era: new evidence from Morocco & Tunisia

ABSTRACT This article aims to study the impact of peg structure on volatility behaviour and crisis vulnerability, considering the COVID-19 economic context. We adopt a comparative analysis of volatility behaviour using GARCH family models and the ICSS Algorithm for the cases of Morocco and Tunisia. Our main finding is that peg characteristics aren’t the unique parameters impacting volatility behaviour and the exposition to the crisis. Furthermore, we detect different variations in volatility parameters as a result of the contrasting economic contexts and COVID-19 economic fallouts. Finally, we present some interesting policy implications, and we suggest some leads for future research.

Economic Impact Of Covid-19 And Change In Value System

Mankind has observed various pandemics throughout history where some of were more disastrous than the others to the humans. We are observing a very tough time once again fighting an invisible enemy; the novel COVID-19 coronavirus. Initially identified in the Wuhan province of China, and then rapidly spread across the world. The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has created a shock, putting all global population under lockdown. The worldwide spread of the pandemic resulted in unfathomable economic fallouts; zero economic activity, disruption of supply chain networks, falling global demands. The COVID-19 global crisis continues to disrupt social chains. Although there is no vaccine available and in order to prevent and avoid COVID-19, World Health Organization recommended avoiding large events and mass gatherings. The effects of COVID-19 on education, businesses, laborers’ and families have been adverse. The main objective of the study is to assess the disruptions caused by Covid-19 on supply chain both in rural and urban areas and further analyze the effect of Covid-19 on inter and intra district mobility movement of labour and consequent human psychology and value system.

A Research Agenda on the Sexual and Reproductive Health Dimensions of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, was first reported in Wuhan in Hubei province of China in December 2019. It has since spread across the world, and as of 30th March 2020 reached over 150 countries, with a total of 693,224 confirmed cases and 33,106 deaths1. Of these totals, 42 countries in Africa had reported 3,486 confirmed cases and 60 deaths. The epicenter of the epidemic has shifted several times since mid-February 2020 from China to Iran, and then to Western Europe (Italy and Spain in particular), and is presently in the United States of America. The expectation is that the next big waves of infections will be in Africa and South America2. In the absence of an effective therapy or vaccine and without pre-existing immunity there are several reasons to anticipate more severe adverse consequences of large outbreaks of COVID-19 in Africa including for the sexual and reproductive health of vulnerable women and young people. The high burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases like malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, Lassa fever and diabetes as well as weak and under-resourced health systems, high levels of poverty, poor housing, limited access to clean water and sanitation, inadequate transport and energy infrastructure, and high population mobility would inevitably result in far more devastating economic, social and health fall-outs from the pandemic in Africa3. This near-inevitability of disproportionate COVID-associated social, health and economic adversities even if some African countries end up with relatively small total numbers of confirmed cases is because the huge health system deficits, weak national economies, and lower standards of living far outweigh all of the hypothesized advantages from having younger populations and hotter climatic conditions4.

Government Measures and Economic Activity during the COVID-19 Outbreak: Some Preliminary Short-Term Evidence from Europe

The coronavIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a major worldwide economic depression. Governmental reactions to face the COVID-19 pandemic threat are varied and characterised by diverse intensity. Restrictive measure have been taken to control the pandemic, although the same actions have determined economic fallouts that need to be faced by additional measures of social welfare support. The question concerning the type and the intensity of the governmental actions is still an open issue in the public debate. The present contribution is aimed at offering evidence on the impact of anti-COVID government actions on the volume of trade. Using monthly Eurostat data on 29 European countries, it investigates the relationship between the turnover of volume of sales (the percentage change on previous period) and the adoption of governmental measures. Explanatory variables employed encompass the government response to COVID-19 pandemic as measured by the Oxford University team led by the Blavatnik School of Government, namely, a government response index, a stringency index, a containment and health index and an economic support index. Among control variables used, there is an indicator of consumer confidence. It has been estimated a generalised least squares model, controlling for heteroskedasticity across panels and autocorrelation. The results outlined a positive relationship between consumer confidence and the percentage change of the index of deflated turnover of retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco; a negative relation between restrictive governmental measures; a negative relation between consumer confidence and the percentage change of the index of deflated turnover of retail sale via mail order houses or Internet. Instead, it emerged a positive relation between governmental measures aimed at stringency and the percentage change on previous period of the index of deflated turnover of retail sale via internet. The positive impact on internet retail outlines the growing importance of this channel for trade.

Evaluation of visual deficits in different types of amblyopia at rural tertiary setup

Introduction: Amblyopia is defined as unilateral or bilateral dimness of vision caused by form vision deprivation and/or abnormal binocular interaction, is the most common cause of preventable monocular blindness and nearly all-amblyopic visual loss is reversible with timely detection and appropriate intervention. The conditions leading to functional amblyopia are well known and include strabismus, anisometropia, astigmatism, hypermetropia, cataract, and other forms of stimulus deprivation. Material &Method: The present hospital based cross sectional study has been carried out in Department of Ophthalmology at Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital attached to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha, a constituent of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed University), Nagpur during the period from September 2012 to August 2014. 100 eyes of 91 patients having Amblyopia or amblyogenic factor (strabismus or anisometropia) in outdoor and indoor patients were selected for the study.All patients were enrolled in the study after due consideration of various exclusion criteria for selection. Results: The mean age of the study population was 15.00 ± 5.74 years, range 6-30 year. The present study found amblyopia to be more common in males than females. All the patients included in this study had one of the diagnoses from strabismic amblyopia, anisometropic amblyopia, isometropic amblyopia and stimulus deprivation amblyopia. Out of these maximum number of eyes was found to have anisometropic amblyopia (37%) and strabismic amblyopia (36%). Maximum numbers of eyes were seen with0.9-1.0 visual acuity (in LogMAR units).It was found to be highly significant in almost all except between strabismic and stimulus deprivation amblyopia; and between anisometropic and isometropic amblyopia.The present study found colour vision to be normal in all the various types of amblyopia. Most eyes were found to have hyperopic astigmatism/hyperopia (56%) followed by myopic astigmatism/myopia (31%) while mixed astigmatism was least common (13%). Maximum numbers of eyes were seen with 0.00 – 0.15 contrast sensitivity. 43% had normal while 57% had abnormal stereopsis. Conclusion: Amblyopia and associated strabismus can have devastating psychosocial and economic fallouts. Knowledge about the sub-types of amblyopia is important because the clinical presentations, management and outcomes of these different types are different. The data in the present study could be used to enhance screening efforts in an organized manner in those health-care groups which come in regular contact with infants and young children.

The coming fallout following China’s “condensed development model” of economic growth and the transformation of China’s mode of economic growth

Starting from the comparisons of international industrialization history, we suggested that the successful successor economic entities have experienced significant economic fallouts when GDP per capita reached US$11,000 after rapid economic growth resulting from the condensed development. By learning from the international empirical evidence and by analyzing China’s potential for growth, we suggested that China will enter slow growth stage around year 2015. Therefore, the current development mode has to change in terms of growth structure and economic system.