International Comparison Research Articles

Countering violent extremism through internet intermediaries: A typology for cross-country comparison

This paper examines the counter-violent extremism and anti-terrorism measures in Australia, China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States by investigating how governments leveraged internet intermediaries as their surrogate censors. Particular attention is paid to how political rhetoric led to legislation passed or proposed in each of the countries studied, and their respective restrictive measures are compared against the recommendations specified by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression. A typology for international comparison is proposed, which provides further insights into a country’s policy focus.

The Role of an Alternative Approach Educated Mind along with A Systematic Formal Quality Education in Economic, & Peaceful Sustainable Growth of Better World for All

Alternative Forms of Education have developed since the late 20th century, such as distance learning, homeschooling, and many parallel or supplementary systems of education often designated as “conformal” and “popular” religious institutions also instruct the young and old alike in sacred knowledge as well. In that case in my assessment of education to educate the mind also be like this to achieve growth and to gain and add value to every individual by keeping it globally excess-able for all to acquire International standard Education to unleash the highest potential of every unique talents and exercise them to put it into great values. Our core focus is to solve the problems from the bottom and look for much clearer sustainable brilliant resources to obtain the finest results. Alternative education methods and approaches refer and to enhance an educational process that facilitates teaching and learning with a golden ratio. Evaluating different strategies begins by defining traditional methods of education with characteristics such as formalization, authoritarianism, memorization, and repetition. A differentiated learning approach is also mandatory to excel the individual learning patterns or styles. All institutions provide and follow the same rules for teaching and it’s a barrier for learners to flourish with their mind power. Rules always shrink the mind of a thinker to explore, therefore having principles is much more appropriate for knowledge to unfold all the layers and dynamics of the intellect Department of the human brain. Education writing, singing, dancing, music, painting, poetry, leadership, doctor, engineering, science, etc all are knowledge & Education. Which is derived from the intellect department of our brain Memory is a crucial machine system to harnesses and harvests knowledge for anything and everything. Age, color, language, different faiths, etc should not be an agenda or set it in the rule book to stop someone from acquiring true knowledge to educate themselves. Once we are capable of re-shaping the education process and all are aware of it; it will lead us towards growth and greater development in human history. In the economic field, a peaceful and sustainable world. It requires spiritual enlightenment and emotional intelligence to navigate and curve them to build something for all. As a Social creature, we are part of each other and we are related to each other–therefore we all must take and understand the responsibility for collective development. The range comes from global unity to walk the talk in actionable performance. The role of improved schooling a central part of most development strategies, has become controversial because expansion of school attainment has not guaranteed improved economic conditions. This paper reviews the role of education in promoting economic well-being, and peaceful and sustainable growth for a better world, with a particular focus on the role of Education and an educated peaceful mind of quality results. It concludes that there is strong evidence that the cognitive skills of the population — rather than mere school attainment– are powerfully related to individuals’ unique earnings, the distribution of income, and economic growth. New empirical results show the importance of both minimal and high-level skills, the complementarity of skills and the quality of economic institutions, and the robustness of the relationship between skills and growth. International comparisons incorporating expanded data on cognitive skills reveal much larger skill deficits in developing countries than generally derived from just school enrolment and attainment. The magnitude of change needed makes clear that closing the economic gap with developed countries will require major structural changes in schooling institutions. Keywords: Economic growth, Education, Social creature, institutions

Towards the Study of Professional Corporate Education in Terms of Its Thematic Focus and Outcomes

Aim: The aim of the paper is to characterize how the time for training employees in individual thematic areas is related to the outcomes and changes, facilitated by individual educational activities. Methods: The questionnaire method and interviewing methods were applied for obtaining data from respondents. The starting-point of empirical research was the knowledge and needs of the company, which perceives education as an investment. The respondent sample included 370 lectors/instructors and managers from three countries. The research was conducted in selected companies of section C − Manufacturing, Statistical Classification of Economic Activities. Basic variables include the number of training hours and results of the changes after training activities. Three groups of employee education are analysed: general training, performance-oriented training and digital training. Findings: Our division of educational activities into three groups enables the fulfilment of the basic European Commission targets for the 2021−2027 programme. Recommendations: Invest in developing new skills through future corporate training in the context of innovative transformation of the economy for a smarter Europe. Create conditions for better utilisation of human potential by eliminating the discrepancy between offered and required skills. Novelty of the paper:international comparison of educational activities, focus on the smart Europe and transformation to Industry 4.0. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-SIED1-04 Full Text: PDF

Incidence of Invasive and Noninvasive Pneumococcal Pneumonia Hospitalizations in People Aged ≥50 Years: Assessing Variability Across Denmark and Spain.

Determining pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) burden in the elderly population is challenging due to limited data on invasive PP (IPP) and, in particular, noninvasive PP (NIPP) incidence. Using retrospective cohorts of adults aged ≥50 years in Denmark (2 782 303) and the Valencia region, Spain (2 283 344), we found higher IPP hospitalization rates in Denmark than Valencia (18.3 vs 9/100 000 person-years [PY], respectively). Conversely, NIPP hospitalization rates were higher in Valencia (48.2 vs 7.2/100 000 PY). IPP and NIPP rates increased with age and comorbidities in both regions, with variations by sex and case characteristics (eg, complications, mortality). The burden of PP in adults is substantial, yet its true magnitude remains elusive. Discrepancies in clinical practices impede international comparisons; for instance, Valencia employed a higher frequency of urinary antigen tests compared to Denmark. Additionally, coding practices and prehospital antibiotic utilization may further influence these variations. These findings could guide policymakers and enhance the understanding of international disparities in disease burden assessments.

Enabling the examination of long-term mortality trends by educational level for England and Wales in a time-consistent and internationally comparable manner

BackgroundStudying long-term trends in educational inequalities in health is important for monitoring and policy evaluation. Data issues regarding the allocation of people to educational groups hamper the study and international comparison of educational inequalities in mortality. For the UK, this has been acknowledged, but no satisfactory solution has been proposed.ObjectiveTo enable the examination of long-term mortality trends by educational level for England and Wales (E&W) in a time-consistent and internationally comparable manner, we propose and implement an approach to deal with the data issues regarding mortality data by educational level.MethodsWe employed 10-year follow-ups of individuals aged 20+ from the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study (ONS-LS), which include education information from each decennial census (1971–2011) linked to individual death records, for a 1% representative sample of the E&W population. We assigned the individual cohort data to single ages and calendar years, and subsequently obtained aggregate all-cause mortality data by education, sex, age (30+), and year (1972–2017). Our data adjustment approach optimised the available education information at the individual level, and adjusts—at the aggregate level—for trend discontinuities related to the identified data issues, and for differences with country-level mortality data for the total population.ResultsThe approach resulted in (1) a time-consistent and internationally comparable categorisation of educational attainment into the low, middle, and high educated; (2) the adjustment of identified data-quality related discontinuities in the trends over time in the share of personyears and deaths by educational level, and in the crude and the age-standardised death rate by and across educational levels; (3) complete mortality data by education for ONS-LS members aged 30+ in 1972–2017 which aligns with country-level mortality data for the total population; and (4) the estimation of inequality measures using established methods. For those aged 30+ , both absolute and relative educational inequalities in mortality first increased and subsequently decreased.ConclusionWe obtained additional insights into long-term trends in educational inequalities in mortality in E&W, and illustrated the potential effects of different data issues. We recommend the use of (part of) the proposed approach in other contexts.

Ensuring metrological traceability of reference materials of gas mixtures composition

The modern concept of metrological assurance for gas analytical measuring instruments with the use of reference materials of gas mixtures composition in cylinders under pressure is presented. The reference materials of gas mixtures composition of approved type in cylinders under pressure, which are the most often means of mole fraction and mass concentration units transfer in gas analytical measurements, are considered. The certified value in these reference materials is the content of the target component (or components) in the gas medium (analytical matrix). All the produced reference materials of gas mixtures composition, which are used for ensuring the uniformity of measurements are traceable to the State primary standard of units of mole fraction, mass fraction and mass concentration of components in gas and gas condensate media GET 154-2019, which characteristics are confirmed on the international level by the results of about 90 international comparisons. The paper presents a methodology for ensuring metrological traceability of reference materials of gas mixtures composition using GET 154-2019, taking into account the constantly increasing park of gas analytical instruments and the emergence of new measuring tasks in various fields of industry and environmental control. Currently, a park of secondary and working standards has been created at enterprises producing reference materials of gas mixtures composition, and their traceability to GET 154-2019 has been implemented according to the state verification scheme. The paper presents the results of international comparisons with participation of GET 154-2019, confirming the comparability of the obtained and reference value of the target component content in reference gas mixtures at the international level. The variety and large number of relevant gas analytical measurement tasks in various industries and the social sphere determines the need to choose priority areas for improving the existing reference base, including the structure of the GET 154 Standard and the nomenclature of reference gas mixtures. The strategic program of the Gas Analysis working group of the Consultative Committee of the Amount of Substance of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures developed for the period up to 2030 has been analysed and a review of the long-term tasks of gas analytical measurements is given. The currently existing GET 154-2019 Standard of the latest generation provides reproduction, storage and transfer of the components’ mole fraction units in gas and gas condensate media in the range from 1.5·10 –8 to 99.99999 %, and mass concentration units in the range from 1.0·10–6 to 2.0·105 mg/m3, what is confirmed by the results of participation in international comparisons and published CMC positions in the International database of calibration and measurement capabilities (about 400 CMCs positions).

Protecting vulnerability. An international comparison of social workers as street-level bureaucrats during the COVID-19 lockdown

Protecting vulnerability. An international comparison of social workers as street-level bureaucrats during the COVID-19 lockdown

Kants »Über Pädagogik« in englisch- und deutschsprachigen Editionen. Ein Beitrag zur erziehungswissenschaftlichen Komparatistik

Abstract Kant’s »Lectures On Pedagogy« in English- and German-language Editions. A Contribution to Comparative Educational Studies By means of a content analysis, the article examines the introductions to Kant’s »Lectures on Pedagogy« in a comparison of English- and German-language editions. The objects of investigation are the editors’ prefaces, which, as paratexts, provide a specific framing for the main text and are thus particularly suitable for closer inspection. The aim is to open up perspectives with which the pedagogical significance of Kant’s writing can be dealt with in an international comparison.

Applications of data envelopment analysis in acute care hospitals: a systematic literature review, 1984-2022.

This study reviews scholarly publications on data envelopment analysis (DEA) studies on acute care hospital (ACH) efficiency published between 1984 and 2022 in scholarly peer-reviewed journals.We employ systematic literature review (SLR) method to identify and analyze pertinent past research using predetermined steps. The SLR offers a comprehensive resource that meticulously analyzes DEA methodology for practitioners and researchers focusing on ACH efficiency measurement. The articles reviewed in the SLR are analyzed and synthesized based on the nature of the DEA modelling process and the key findings from the DEA models. The key findings from the DEA models are presented under the following sections: effects of different ownership structures; impacts of specific healthcare reforms or other policy interventions; international and multi-state comparisons; effects of changes in competitive environment; impacts of new technology implementations; effects of hospital location; impacts of quality management interventions; impact of COVID-19 on hospital performance; impact of teaching status, and impact of merger. Furthermore, the nature of DEA modelling process focuses on use of sensitivity analysis; choice of inputs and outputs; comparison with Stochastic Frontier Analysis; use of congestion analysis; use of bootstrapping; imposition of weight restrictions; use of DEA window analysis; and exogenous factors. The findings demonstrate that, despite several innovative DEA extensions and hospital applications, over half of the research used the conventional DEA models. The findings also show that the most often used inputs in the DEA models were labor-oriented inputs and hospital beds, whereas the most frequently used outputs were outpatient visits, followed by surgeries, admissions, and inpatient days. Further research on the impact of healthcare reforms and health information technology (HIT) on hospital performance is required, given the number of reforms being implemented in many countries and the role HIT plays in enhancing care quality and lowering costs. We conclude by offering several new research directions for future studies.

Freebie Seekers or Desperate Buyers? An Analysis of Willingness to Pay for COVID-19 Vaccine in Türkiye

ABSTRACT The aim of the study is to determine the level of price that individuals living in Türkiye are willing to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, the study also aims to identify the socioeconomic factors affecting that level of WTP. The data is collected via a virtually applied questionnaire. Probit estimations are employed to determine the level of price that is willing to be paid. Further, the socioeconomic factors affecting the revealed WTP level are identified with an ordered-probit estimation strategy. The average price level that the participants are willing to pay for two doses of a hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine which immunes for 12 months is ₺316.93 ($42.66). Higher education groups, public employees, married people, and urban individuals are more likely to pay at higher price levels of hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine. Interestingly, the individuals living with a pregnant woman or a baby, the ones who experienced severe COVID-19 disease and the ones who already decided to be vaccinated are more likely to pay at relatively low-price levels. This study may contribute to broader literature as it will provide evidence from Türkiye for international comparisons.

The COVID-19 quandemic

BackgroundThe terms syndemic and infodemic have both been applied to the COVID-19 pandemic, and emphasize concurrent socio-cultural dynamics that are distinct from the epidemiological outbreak itself. We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed yet another important socio-political dynamic that can best be captured by the concept of a quandemic – a portmanteau of “quantification” and “pandemic”.Main textThe use of quantifiable metrics in policymaking and evaluation has increased throughout the last decades, and is driven by a synergetic relationship between increases in supply and advances in demand for data. In most regards this is a welcome development. However, a quandemic, refers to a situation where a small subset of quantifiable metrics dominate policymaking and the public debate, at the expense of more nuanced and multi-disciplinary discourse. We therefore pose that a quandemic reduces a complex pandemic to a few metrics that present an overly simplified picture. During COVID-19, these metrics were different iterations of case numbers, deaths, hospitalizations, diagnostic tests, bed occupancy rates, the R-number and vaccination coverage. These limited metrics came to constitute the internationally recognized benchmarks for effective pandemic management.Based on experience from the Nordic region, we propose four distinct dynamics that characterize a quandemic: 1) A limited number of metrics tend to dominate both political, expert, and public spheres and exhibit a great deal of rigidity over time. 2) These few metrics crowd-out other forms of evidence relevant to pandemic response. 3) The metrics tend to favour certain outcomes of pandemic management, such as reducing hospitalization rates, while not capturing potential adverse effects such as social isolation and loneliness. 4) Finally, the metrics are easily standardized across countries, and give rise to competitive dynamics based on international comparisons and benchmarking.ConclusionA quandemic is not inevitable. While metrics are an indispensable part of evidence-informed policymaking, being attentive to quandemic dynamics also means identifying relevant evidence that might not be captured by these few but dominant metrics. Pandemic responses need to account for and consider multilayered vulnerabilities and risks, including socioeconomic inequities and comorbidities.

Comparison of some kinematic variables of the triple jump between the two world championships (IAAF) (2017) and (2018)

The study aimed to compare some of the kinematic variables and achievement between the competitions (2017) and (2018) in triple jump to find the percentages of the teams, which may indicate the reasons for the different level of the two championships. Statistical difference, although we may not find these differences in all variables, especially achievement, but at such global levels the differences of the few numerical parts make a difference in global achievements, numbers and medals. The researcher adopted the descriptive approach using the method of comparisons to extract the results of the study, and the research community consisted of (27) jumpers (12) competitors in the (2017) championship and (15) competitors in the (2018) championship, and the statistical bag (SPSS) was used to extract: (Mean ), (Std.Divition), (Independent-Sample.T.Test). This study found that the Hop angle and Length of speed Jump is the most influential interval in the best achievement. The researcher recommends following up on such international reports and comparisons because they may give solutions and orientation in training for the most influential factors at different levels of achievement.

CILS4NEPS – Unlocking Research Potential Through More Participants, More Schools and International Comparison: Harmonized Data for Research on Education, School-to-work Transition and Integration Processes for Adolescents in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and England

Abstract The CILS4NEPS project combined and harmonized panel data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (CILS4EU) and Starting Cohort 4 of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS SC4). This unlocks additional research potential beyond the scope of both individual datasets by increasing sample sizes and enabling international comparisons of the NEPS data. Both, the combined dataset as well as additional material to reproduce and expand the harmonization are available to users. In this article, we will first introduce the individual datasets and their comparability and describe the steps of the harmonization process. Furthermore, we will present the comparable content between both surveys, the structure of the harmonized dataset, and weighting issues. Subsequently, we provide descriptive statistics, the analytical potential, and information on data access. Lastly, we will finish with an outlook on the continuing harmonization of CILS4EU and NEPS SC4.

Assessing the Practice of Earnings Management in COVID-19 Era. Landscape of European Companies: An International Comparison

Beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 crisis holds for firms all over the world. Under these circumstances, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the landscape of the European countries in terms of the earnings manipulation in COVID-19 era. Therefore, we compared companies from 15 European countries. The results show that the deteriorating economic conditions caused by COVID-19 are reflected in the managers’ activity for earnings management in the context of European companies. Moreover, the panorama of earnings management activities in Europe is quite heterogeneous and inconsistent as we observe significant differences between European countries in the practice of earnings management. Additionally, rather than a single incentive or factor, we find a wide range of variables that affected managers’ decisions to engage in earnings manipulation in COVID-19 times. Indeed, the results show that lack of growth opportunity caused by the pandemic, increased amount of debt, volatility of cash flow or sales, even size, age, or book value, were variables that influenced managers’ decisions to manipulate earnings in pandemic. In addition, the industry effect cannot be separated from the impact of COVID-19.  Surprisingly, institutional mechanisms of control, including audit quality or board monitoring, which are widely documented in the literature as limiting earnings management, were ineffective in the COVID-19 period. The presence of mechanisms of control is considered essential variables that limit the practices of earnings management, but even these can occasionally fail, as confirmed our study.

Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal IgG mass fraction by isotope dilution mass spectrometry.

The availability of serology assays to measure antibodies against the SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) expanded rapidly during the Covid-19 pandemic. The interchangeable use of such assays to monitor disease progression and immune protection requires their standardization, for which suitably characterized monoclonal antibody materials can be useful. The methods, based on isotope dilution mass spectrometry, to value assign the mass fraction of such a material in solution within the context of an international interlaboratory comparison study (CCQM-P216) are described. The mass fraction in solution of a humanized IgG monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein in the study sample has been value assigned through a combination of liquid chromatography, isotope dilution mass spectrometry (LC-ID-MS) methods and size exclusion chromatography with UV detection (SEC-UV). The former were developed for the quantification of amino acids and proteotypic peptides as surrogate analytes of the mAb while the latter was applied for the determination of the relative monomeric mass fraction. High-resolution mass spectrometry (hrMS) allowed the molecular weight evaluation and ruled out the presence of significant impurities. Method trueness was assessed using a subclass homologous IgG1 material value assigned by amino acid analysis. The assigned mass fraction of monomeric SARS-CoV-2 IgG in solution was 390 ± 16mg/g. The associated expanded uncertainty originated mainly from acid hydrolysis variability and Trypsin/Lys-C digestion variability and efficiency.

2022 CEOS International Thermal Infrared Radiometer Comparison. Part I: Laboratory Comparison of Radiometers and Blackbodies

Abstract An international comparison of field deployed radiometers for sea surface skin temperature (SSTskin) retrieval was conducted in June 2022. The campaign comprised a laboratory comparison and a field comparison. In the laboratory part, the radiometers were compared with reference standard blackbodies, while the same was done with the blackbodies used for the calibration of the radiometers against a transfer standard radiometer. Reference values were provided by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), traceable to the primary standard on the International Temperature Scale of 1990. This was followed by the field comparison at a seaside pier on the south coast of England, where the radiometers were compared against each other while viewing the closely adjacent surface of the sea. This paper reports the results of the laboratory comparison of radiometers and blackbodies. For the blackbody comparison, the brightness temperature of the blackbody reported by the participants agreed with the reference value measured by the NPL transfer standard radiometer within the uncertainties for all temperatures and for all blackbodies. For the radiometer comparison, the temperature range of most interest from the SSTskin retrieval point of view is 10°–30°C, and in this temperature range, and up to the maximum comparison temperature of 50°C, all participants’ reported results were in agreement with the reference. On the other hand, below 0°C the reported values showed divergence from the reference and the differences exceeded the uncertainties. The divergence shows there is room for improvement in uncertainty estimation at lower temperatures, although it will have limited implication in the SSTskin retrieval.

2022 CEOS International Thermal Infrared Radiometer Comparison. Part II: Field Comparison of Radiometers

Abstract An international comparison of field-deployed radiometers for sea surface skin temperature (SSTskin) retrieval was conducted during two weeks in June 2022. The comparison comprised a laboratory comparison and a field comparison. The field comparison of the radiometers took place on the second week at a seaside pier on the south coast of England. Six thermal infrared radiometers were compared with each other while continuously viewing the closely adjacent surface of the sea from the end of the pier. This paper reports the results of this field comparison. All participants’ radiometers agreed with the reference value, evaluated as the simple mean of the participant-reported values, within the claimed uncertainties. The SSTskin variation during the 5-day period was within 3°C around 18.3°C, which is 2 times as large in range as in the previous comparison in 2016, while the mean of the difference from the reference value over the period evaluated for each participant was found to be within 0.07°C, which is a 2-times improvement on the previous results. During the comparison an insignificant but noticeable abrupt shift in measured value occurred in one of the radiometers, which could not have been detected without comparison with other instruments. This demonstrated the effectiveness of having long-term stable internal reference sources in the instrument, a feature this particular radiometer did not have. The combined results from the laboratory comparison and the field comparison contribute to improve confidence in the retrieved SSTskin.

Exploring the contribution of Japan's experience in addressing rapid aging in Asia: Focus on dementia care.

This review article explores the potential contribution of Japan's experience in addressing rapid aging in Asia with a specific focus on dementia care. As Japan is a frontrunner in terms of aging society, we consider valuable insights and lessons from Japanese policy history and reflect on its contribution. The World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Western Pacific Regional Action Plan on Healthy Ageing for the Western Pacific was compared with the Japanese "Outline for Promotion of Dementia Policies". The following five issues were discussed: i) improving awareness of dementia and community engagement in Japan from a mutual aid perspective; ii) social activities for prevention of dementia at the local level; iii) human resources for medical and long-term care; iv) local coordinators for old people care at home to evaluate the needs for care and tailor the care-plan on an individual basis; v) research and development of long-term care products. Given these factors, it is important to address the aging society through a combined cross-sectoral approach, including policy, research, development of care products, community, and education of care workers. Aging population measures in Japan do not provide a definitive answer, which prompts the consideration of better solutions derived from Japan's trial and error. The aging rate of 7%, 14%, and 21% are commonly used in international comparisons as indicators of the speed of the aging process, but before this 7% is reached, policies tailored to each country should be considered.

The changing psychiatry workforce in Australia: Still lacking in rural and remote regions.

There is a long standing and worsening shortage of psychiatrists in Australia particularly in rural areas. The majority of psychiatrists work in major cities. To identify recent trends in the Australian rural psychiatrist workforce compared with the metropolitan workforce. We descriptively analysed population-level data from the National Health Workforce Data Set (NHWDS), the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). A descriptive analysis of the numbers (count) and gender of psychiatrists from 1995 to 2022 working in Australia was conducted. For the period 2013 to 2022, we analysed for rurality, gender, years' experience, hours worked, Medicare-subsidised services provided and proportions of Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMG) by sex, with a focus on the rural workforce. For international comparison, psychiatrist numbers were obtained for other OECD countries. The number of psychiatrists working in Australia, as per NHWDS and AIHW, was quantified. We analysed trends in demographics, hours worked and rurality of psychiatrists working in Australia in a serial cross-sectional design. Most psychiatrists are maldistributed to major cities, while outer regional and remote areas have few resident psychiatrists. Outer regional New South Wales (NSW) and South Australia (SA) have the lowest numbers of psychiatrists per capita. The full-time equivalent (FTE) of psychiatrists per 100 000 has increased from 12.6 in 2000 to 15.2 in 2022. However, the average hours worked by psychiatrists has declined. In total, available psychiatrist hours worked per 100 000 population has increased by 6.1% since the beginning of the millennium. Rural areas in NSW and SA have the greatest shortage of psychiatrists. Specialist International Medical Graduates and females (43% of the overall workforce) are the predominant workforce in rural areas. Although Medicare-subsidised services per 1000 people have increased in rural areas, they remain lower than for those living in major cities. There remains an acute shortage of psychiatrists in many regional and remote areas of Australia, with an increasing proportion of SIMGs and females working in these areas, in the context of future increased demand.

The Evidence-practice Gap in Minimal Intervention Dentistry: An International Comparison Between Dentists in Japan and Brazil.

This study was designed to: 1) evaluate and compare the evidence-practice gap (EPG) in minimal intervention dentistry (MID) in Japan and Brazil by measuring concordance between dentists' clinical practice and published evidence; and 2) identify dentists' factors associated with the EPG in both countries. We performed a cross-sectional study using a web-delivered questionnaire among 136 Japanese and 110 Brazilian dentists. The questionnaire consisted of three questions concerning "restoration diagnosis and treatment," "deep caries diagnosis and treatment," and "caries risk assessment" regarding MID. A chi-square test was used to analyze differences in concordance among clinical practice and evidence from the literature between Japanese and Brazilian dentists. Logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze dentists' factors associated with overall concordance for all three questions. Overall concordance was significantly higher in Brazil (55%) than in Japan (38%) (p<0.01). Concerning how evidence was obtained, textbooks, nonacademic journals, and seminars and workshops were used as information sources more frequently by Japanese than Brazilian dentists (p<0.001), whereas scientific journal articles in English were used more frequently by Brazilian dentists (p<0.001). On logistic regression analysis, overall concordance was higher for Japanese dentists who frequently obtained evidence from scientific journal articles in English (p<0.05), whereas Brazilian dentists who frequently obtained evidence from the Internet were associated with lower overall concordance (p<0.05). Because overall concordance was significantly higher in Brazil than in Japan, Japan may have a greater EPG in MID practice. Specific characteristics of Japanese and Brazilian dentists showed significant associations with overall concordance.