Funding Levels Research Articles

Creating and Evolution Centralized Scientific Journals Remote Access System for Information Support of Russian Scientific Research

The article considers the system of information support of Russian scientific research in the field of natural sciences process. It’s gradual creating and development based on the creation of hybrid scientific library, using both the local (located directly in the library) traditional collection, and collections of electronic full-text media available remotely to the library patron and being a virtual part of the whole library collection.The article deals with the use of scientific journals (mainly foreign) as the most important part of the scientific resources required by Russian scientists’ access. The analysis is based on the Library for Natural Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (one of the leading scientific libraries in Russia) example.The mentioned process started in the last centuries 1990s, and, as shown in the article, passes through several stages. From the very beginning, the process required for the libraries to unite into associations for the electronic resources joint use. These associations took, in accordance with international experience, the form of library consortia. At the first stage, consortia were created to bring together several libraries to access the electronic resources of a single foreign library.This system turned out to be viable, but rather cumbersome for a library (for effective work a library has to be a member of several consortia, which turned out to be non-technological). At the next stage, a single consortium was created with the support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research — Scientific Electronic Library RFBR. Further development required the direct state on the one of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science projects basis support. This process went through several development stages (using as a project operator consortium NEICON, the RNPLS&T and again RFBR — at another level of organization and funding).As a result, by 2020 the providing mainly information support for the work of the main mass of scientific and educational institutions in the specified field system was created and debugged on the practical level. By the early 2020s, the work had entered a more or less stable working mode.The issues requiring an urgent solution are the lack of an insurance copy of resources purchased abroad, which creates an uncertain situation in the event of the relationship with the resource owner termination, and the absence, in full, of a similar access to Russian scientific resources system, if their publication rights, in part, have been transferred to foreign publishers.

Calculating the Cost and Financing Needs of the Basic Package of Health Services in Afghanistan: Methods, Experiences, and Results

The Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) is the basis for primary health care in Afghanistan and should be accessible to all citizens. Most of these health services have been provided by nongovernmental organizations with support from donors. Studies before 2018 found that utilization and quality of services were lower than they should be, partly due to insufficient resources, leading the Ministry of Public Health to conduct a costing study to determine the level of funding required for the BPHS.We expanded and refined that data analysis in this article. The main findings show that the total recurrent expenditure on BPHS interventions in 2018 was US$281 million (US$8.93 per capita)-only 62% of the US$452 million (US$14.34 per capita) required for good quality of care. It also showed that the need for services was probably not fully met by public facilities, with actual utilization less than 50% of the need in some cases. Furthermore, scaling up to entirely meet the need could require 2 to 3 times the resources used in 2018.Following the change of government in 2021, economic problems, food shortages, reductions in donor funding, and other factors have increased the need for public health services while the capacity and quality of those services have deteriorated. Nongovernmental organizations continue to provide the BPHS, which remains the main platform for primary health care services in Afghanistan, and international organizations are working to rebuild and support these health services. But additional donor support is needed. The results of this study provide important information on the cost and financing needs of the BPHS that can be used for advocacy and for financing and planning services. We also describe the methodology, challenges, and solutions that can be helpful to other countries interested in conducting similar analyses.

U.S. Federal Investment in Religiousness/Spirituality and Health Research: A Systematic Review

Objectives: Although robust associations between aspects of religiousness/spirituality (R/S) and physical health have been established, little systematic information is available about federal funding support for this area of research. To address this question, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review and analysis. Study Design: Systematic review. Methods: We used the information provided by the Federal RePORTER and searched from earliest date through the end of 2018. Abstracts were included if they were an empirical study and included both a religion/spirituality variable and a health variable. Results: Our search yielded 194 grants reflecting over USD 214 million in research expenditures, with the vast majority (85%) funded by the NIH. Most common were community-based observational studies with healthy populations (70%). Nearly three-quarters (73%) of studies specifying age focused on adults, but children and adolescents were also well represented in these projects. The proportion of studies focused on racial/ethnic minorities (47%) was disproportionate to their representation in the U.S. population, which could reflect either heightened efforts to address health disparities or a view that R/S is primarily or mostly relevant to minority groups. Less than half of funded studies (41%) considered religion a central focus and publications for R/S-focused studies were less common than for non-R/S-focused studies (M = 7.0 to M = 13.3, respectively, p = 0.06). Overall funding levels appear to be declining in more recent years, although this trend was not statistically significant (p = 0.52). Many abstracts did not provide adequate details for coding. Conclusions: Overall, the present review suggests that U.S. federal funding for research on R/S and health is substantial, but most of this has only peripherally considered R/S and has yielded modest return on investment. Promising future directions include a continued focus on racial and ethnic minority populations as well as in emerging areas such as religious gratitude and compassion along with well-designed intervention trials.

Socioeconomic factors and the evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs: A psychometric analysis of an instrument

Introduction: Research has documented the prevalence of different HIV/AIDS prevention programs launched to reduce the spread of the virus. However, the extent to which the success or otherwise of these programs are achieved is rarely discussed. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the impact of three socioeconomic parameters on the evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria. Methods: A sample of 239 health care employees selected using the proportional stratified random sampling technique participated in the study. A priori power analysis (using G*power) indicated that the sample size was large enough to achieve a 96.7% statistical power. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis assessed the dimensionality of the instrument. Acceptable construct and discriminant validity and composite reliability coefficients were obtained. At the .05 alpha level, the null hypotheses were tested using a one-way analysis of variance. Findings: Findings indicated that the evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs significantly varied with the level of funding provided (F[2, 236]=81.11, p<.001), human capacity available (F[2, 236]=40.91, p<.001), and stigmatization to people living with AIDS (F[2, 236]=40.79, p<.001). Health facilities with higher funding and human capacity successfully evaluated HIV/AIDS prevention programs. However, the evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs was lower in areas with a high level of stigmatization. Conclusion and implication: This study’s findings provided evidence that funding, human capacity, and stigmatization affect how HIV/AIDS pandemic can be effectively evaluated. This study implies that additional responsibility is required for public health workers to promote quality service delivery across different health facilities.

Impact of school sealant programs on oral health among youth and identification of potential barriers to implementation

BackgroundSchool sealant programs (SSPs) increase sealant prevalence among children lacking access to oral health care. SSPs, however, are substantially underused. From 2013 through 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded 18 states for SSP activities in high-need schools (≥ 50% free and reduced-price meal program participation). From 2019 through 2020, the authors assessed SSPs' impact in reducing caries and how states expanded SSPs. The authors also discuss potential barriers to expansion. MethodsFor Aim 1, the authors used a published methodology and SSP baseline screening and 1-year retention data to estimate averted caries over 9 years attributable to SSPs. For Aim 2, the authors used state responses to an online survey, phone interviews, and annual administrative reports. ResultsUsing data for 62,750 children attending 18.6% of high-need schools in 16 states, the authors estimated that 7.5% of sound, unsealed molars would develop caries annually without sealants and placing 4 sealants would prevent caries in 1 molar. Fourteen states reported SSP expansion in high-need schools. The 2 most frequently reported barriers to SSP expansion were levels of funding and policies requiring dentists to be present at assessment or sealant placement. ConclusionsThe authors found that SSPs typically served children at elevated caries risk and reduced caries. In addition, the authors identified funding levels and policies governing supervision of dental hygienists as possible barriers to SSP expansion. Practical ImplicationsIncreasing SSP prevalence could reduce caries. Further research on potential barriers to SSP implementation identified in this study could provide critical information for long-term SSP sustainability.

U.S. Leading Causes of Death and Years of Potential Life Lost, 1981-2019: Implications for Surgical Research

IntroductionExamining burden of diseases could shed light on priorities of public health interventions and research funding. This study examined trends of the U.S. top leading causes of death from 1981 to 2019 using the total number of deaths, age-adjusted death rate, and years of potential life lost (YPLLs). MethodsData were from the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. This study gathered total number of deaths, age-adjusted death rates per 100,000 people, and YPLLs under 70 y of age (YPLL-70) from 1981 to 2019 for the top 10 leading causes of death and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) for each year. The 39 y from 1981 to 2019 were evenly divided into three study periods: 1981-1993, 1994-2006, and 2007-2019. The percent change of YPLL-70 over three time periods for the top ten leading causes of death and AIDS was calculated. Trends of age-adjusted death rates and YPLL-70 of the top five leading causes of death based on the 2018-2019 death data were also reported by graphing them against time from 1981 to 2019 to highlight major mortality causes. Age-adjusted death rates for the top five leading causes of deaths and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) annual funding level in 2019 were graphed together to illustrate funding discrepancy in injury research and prevention. ResultsThe total number of deaths caused by malignant neoplasms in 2019 was 244,994, followed by 183,442 deaths of heart diseases, 121,476 deaths of unintentional injuries, and 41,051 suicide deaths. Despite an initial -22.20% drop of YPPL-70 during 1981-1993, unintentional injuries experienced significant increases of 19.38% and 18.59% of YPLL-70 in 1994-2006 and 2007-2019, respectively. The age-adjusted death rate for unintentional injuries was 1182 per 100,000 people in 2019, and the NIH funding in the same year was $897 million. In comparison, the age-adjusted death rate for cancer, heart disease, and human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS was 786, 649, and 30 per 100,000 people while the NIH funding was $2,560, $2,394, and $3037 million, respectively. ConclusionsUnintentional injuries, suicide, and homicide were consistently among the top leading causes of death and YPLL-70, so they should be prioritized in public health planning, research, and federal funding allocation. Injury and trauma research is severely underfunded by the U.S. premier funding agency.

The Downside of Ranking Systems: Qualified Contenders May Quit

Ranking systems may deter qualified but lower ranked contenders from persisting or re-entering competitions (“ranking effect”). Using archival data from the U.S. Primary elections to the House of Representatives, we find that ranking one position lower is associated with a 22% decrease in the likelihood of the candidate running again in the next electoral cycle, even after controlling for differences in the percentage of votes, the level of funding and other potential confounders. Experimental evidence confirms that lower rankings, even when performance is similar to that of higher ranked contenders, undermines confidence in future success, discouraging lower ranked individuals from re-entering competitions. We extend the prior research that has focused on the positive consequences of ranking systems and show that rankings can have detrimental consequences for retaining talent. If ranking systems discourage competent and talented individuals from re-entering competitions, this could lead to significant losses for both individuals and organizations.

Advances in Integrated Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Control Strategies in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economies: Assessment of a Multiyear Building Capacity Project.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health concern for both animal and public health, and collaborative strategies are needed to combat the threat. The level of awareness and funding for policies focused on reducing AMR varies between countries. The aim of this study was to compare the integrated surveillance systems for AMR in high and low–middle economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and determine whether there was any improvement from 2015 to 2018. We conducted a survey with a group of 21 countries at different development levels. Associations between the economic development level and the questions of AMR awareness and funding were established using Fisher’s exact test. Improvements were identified where countries established public policies for integrated surveillance of AMR. High economies showed greater advancement in several topics related to AMR than low–middle economies. The survey revealed that there is a better understanding surrounding the implications of the emergence of AMR in human medicine than in veterinary medicine, agriculture, and food production. Our results show that countries enhanced overall AMR surveillance over the 4-year-period; however, more research is needed concerning these advances, especially in low–middle economies and the food production sector.

Improving the efficiency of the medicine provision system for patients with malignant neoplasms

Background. One of the priorities of health care is the balance between the financial resources and the availability of effective medical care. The current approach of access to cancer medicines limits the timeliness and availability of treatment. At the same time, financial support from the government provides great costs on cancer drugs. However, these great costs are not rational.Objective: to assess the financing needs of the complete transfer of financial support of medical care in the field of oncology to the Compulsory Health Insurance (CHI) system by means of optimizing the functions of the day hospital.Material and methods. The achievement of the goal is planned to be reached by eliminating the unusual functions of oncological day hospital. We analyzed the regulatory legal documents regulating drug care and drug provision in the Russian Federation, data from depersonalized (anonymized) registers of the structure of hospitalizations in a day hospital for 2021. The methods of expert assessments, mathematical modeling, as well as literature data analysis were used. The study developed a model for assessing the need to finance the full transfer of medicine provision to the CHI system, including taking into account the hidden deficit.Results. The total amount of funds released from the reduction of irrational hospitalizations in day hospital conditions amounted to 2.08% of the funding level of the analyzed schemes. Taking into account the data of hospitalizations in oncological day hospital for 2021, the number of irrational hospitalizations in case of transfer of selected schemes to the outpatient stage will decrease by 16.1%. The transfer of all the medicine therapy to financing from the CHI funds will require significant additional budget expenditures in the amount of 62.5 billion rubles or 2.65% of the total costs of the State Guarantees Program for Provision of Free Medical Care to Citizens.Conclusion. Despite the rationality of the proposed changes in the field of improving access to medicine provision concerning cancer drugs and the identified justifications for changing the distribution of financial resources within the State Guarantees Program, there are difficulties. In order to solve this problem, a coordinated consideration of potential strategies to address the access to cancer medicines is needed.

Which Public Attraction Gets (and Gets More) Government Funding? The Effects of Internal and External Factors

Public attractions’ financial viability heavily depends upon sufficient government funding. However, research on government allocations has historically been rare. Drawn on the public administration and finance literature, this study addresses this gap by using a panel dataset of 262 public attractions in China from 2015 to 2018. Double-hurdle models, Heckman two-stage approach, multiple-hurdle approach, and quantile regressions are employed to examine the relationship between government funding, attraction characteristics, and local economic conditions. The findings suggest that attraction characteristics are associated with the amount of government appropriations, but they are less impactful on the attractions’ likelihood of receiving funding. The effects of attraction characteristics on government funding are asymmetric—as attractions’ government funding level increases, attraction type and quality exert stronger impacts while other characteristics influence less. The local economic condition is a significant factor in the amount of government funding. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Funding and All-Cause In-Hospital Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Mortality.

IntroductionHigher federal research funding levels may improve patient outcomes. We examined this relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) funding and all-cause in-hospital TBI-related mortality.MethodsUsing an ecological series analysis, we examined the linear trend in both clinical TBI research funding in year 2000 United States dollars ($) (National Institutes of Health [NIH] RePORTER) and in-hospital isolated TBI mortality among patients aged 15 and older (National Trauma Data Bank [NTDB], TBI-related ICD-9 or ICD-10 code, abbreviated head injury score >2 and body region score <2 with ICU admission) between 2007-2015 with data from centers contributing all years of data for the study period. Linear regression was used to assess the relationship between mortality rate and total funding, lagged one to three years, both overall and within ten-year age groups.ResultsThe mean annual NIH-TBI research funding was $64.36 million (lowest: 2008; $48.79 million, highest: 2015; $71.42 million). 192,597 encounters of patients 15 years and older, predominantly male (67.5%) and with polytrauma (59.9%), were included. There was no statistically significant reduction in in-hospital TBI-related mortality (14.15% in 2007 to 13.36% in 2015) for the cohort overall, but the mortality rate decreased for patients over 55 years. The greatest mortality reduction occurred in patients 85 years and older (-62.35, 95% CI -92.45-32.25), followed by patients 75-84 years (-44.41, 95% CI -61.72, -27.09), patients 65-74 years (-47.60, 95% CI -67.39, -27.81), and patients 55-64 years of age (-15.15, 95% CI -27.59, -2.72). During the study period, annual NIH funding for TBI varied from the lowest level of $48.79 million (in 2007) to the highest level of $77.34.43 million (in 2005). There was no association between funding in the previous three years and the in-hospital TBI-related mortality rate.ConclusionThis study found a variable pattern in NIH funding for clinical TBI research and a contemporaneous reduction in moderate-severe TBI-related deaths only for those aged 55 years and older, but no association between funding and mortality.

Experiences and Challenges of Implementing Universal Health Coverage With China's National Basic Public Health Service Program: Literature Review, Regression Analysis, and Insider Interviews.

BackgroundPublic health service is an important component and pathway to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), a major direction goal of many countries. China’s National Basic Public Health Service Program (the Program) is highly consistent with this direction.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze the key experience and challenges of the Program so as to present China’s approach to UHC, help other countries understand and learn from China’s experience, and promote UHC across the world.MethodsA literature review was performed across five main electronic databases and other sources. Some data were obtained from the Department of Primary Health, National Health Commission, China. Data obtained included the financing share of the national/provincial/prefectural government among the total investment of the program in 32 provinces in 2016, their respective per capita funding levels, and some indicators related to program implementation from 2009 to 2016. The Joinpoint regression model was adopted to test the time trend of changes in program implementation indicators. Face-to-face individual interviews and group discussions were conducted with 48 key insiders.ResultsThe program provided full life cycle service to the whole population with an equitable and affordable financing system, enhanced the capability and quality of the health workforce, and facilitated integration of the public health service delivery system. Meanwhile, there were also some shortcomings, including lack of selection and an exit mechanism of service items, inadequate system integration, shortage of qualified professionals, limited role played by actors outside the health sector, and a large gap between the subsidy standard and the actual service cost. The Joinpoint regression analysis demonstrated that 13 indicators related to program implementation showed a significant upward trend (P<.05) from 2009 to 2016, with average annual percent change values above 10% for 6 indicators and below 6% for 7 indicators. Three indicators (coverage of health records, electronic health records, and health management among the elderly) rose rapidly with annual percent change values above 30% between 2009 and 2011, but rose slowly or remained stable between 2011 and 2016. In 2016, the subsidy standard per capita in the eastern, central, and western regions was equivalent to US $7.43, $7.15, and $6.57, respectively, of which the national-level subsidy accounted for 25.50%, 60.57%, and 79.52%, respectively.ConclusionsThe Program has made a significant contribution to China’s efforts in achieving UHC. The Program focuses on a key population and provides full life cycle services for the whole population. The financing system completely supported by the government makes the services more equitable and affordable. However, there are a few challenges to implementing the Program in China, especially to increase the public investment, optimize service items, enhance quality of the services, and evaluate the health outcomes.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The study is devoted to the impact of the crisis on changing the priorities of sustainable development. To neutralize the effects of the crisis, an approach to the formation of the structure of sustainable development of universities in crisis conditions is proposed and the procedure for coordinating tactics and development strategies during the crisis is established. The difference in the formation of sustainable development priorities in the face of threats is established. It is proved that sustainability is achieved through the introduction of flexible approaches, stabilization of the level of danger, re-profiling of all resources and ensuring a stable level of funding. Stratification of threat mitigation methods and tools is proposed. It is established that adaptive coordination of urgent tactical tasks and only secondarily of the strategic goal is required. The change in the significance of influencing factors in ensuring the appropriate level of training during the pandemic in universities in developed and developing countries has been studied. A systematic approach to the formation of the structure of the implementation of sustainable development of universities in a crisis has been proposed. The peculiarities of the formation of factors influencing the effectiveness of training and the importance of the qualities of leaders in crisis conditions in Ukraine have been pointed out.

Modern archaeological education in Russia: solving the problems of humanitarians with the involvement of experience in the training of higher technical personnel

Introduction. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the crisis state of Russian archaeological education and the need to find a way out of the current situation. The research objective: proposing ways out of the crisis of archaeological education based on the experience of training technical specialists. Materials and methods. Comparative-historical, classification and descriptive methods were used as a methodological basis that made it possible to compare the training systems of humanities and technical specialists, to classify the features of both systems and describe the current situation and ways out of it. The paper analyzes the researchers’ works of this problem, including the staff of the Moscow Polytechnic University, and uses the observations of the authors of the article. Results. An analysis of the experience of the Russian Empire showed that in the pre-Soviet period there was no unified system for the formation of archaeological personnel. The training history of the archaeologists in the Soviet Union was ambiguous, but as a result, a system of training highly qualified specialists was created that is now in a state of crisis. The training of archaeologists abroad is carried out according to two models, which is of concern to the foreign scientific community. Russian education needs to look for its own ways to change the situation in the formation of archaeological personnel. Conclusion. The crisis of archaeological education in Russia has administrative (formation of the higher education system), financial (low level of university science funding), scientific (spread of “black archaeology”), psychological (perception peculiarities of the current situation by Russian students) and a number of other reasons disclosed by us. This can be overcome considering the experience of creating professionals in technical specialties accumulated, in particular, at the Moscow Polytechnic University that we reveal on specific examples. This conclusion does not seem paradoxical in the context of the multidisciplinary nature of modern science and the growing economic demand for highly professional archaeological research.

Мировые рейтинги как инструмент оценки эффективности инвестиций в инновации и выбора стратегии развития

The article discusses the methods of compiling world rankings related to innovation activity and doing business, in particular, the Global Innovation Index, the Bloomberg Innovation Index Rating of Innovative Economies, the Ranking of countries in the world by the level of global competitiveness according to the World Economic Forum and the Institute of Management, the Doing Business Rating. A factor-by-factor analysis of the position of the Russian Federation in these ratings for a certain time period has been carried out, the strengths and weaknesses of the innovation system in Russia have been investigated. Data from almost all ratings indicate that Russia's position in the innovation activity ratings has been improving since 2010, and there is potential for further growth. It is concluded that Russia produces fewer innovative products compared to the level of investment in innovation. The comparison of individual statistical indicators in the field of innovative development of Russia with similar indicators of foreign countries is carried out. Russia demonstrates high positions in terms of the number and quality of personnel engaged in research and development, but the level of wages, social benefits and comfort of the living environment of scientists and developers is inferior to developed countries. The level of funding for science, research, innovation activity of organizations, as well as the development of innovative entrepreneurship is lower than in the leading countries of innovation ratings. In Russia, there is a negative balance of payments for technology. The introduction of unprecedented sanctions affecting various aspects of the social, economic, and technological spheres aggravates the impact of negative factors on Russia’s innovation system. In the current situation, the issues of import substitution, ensuring the country’s independence from foreign technologies, developments, as well as providing support to innovative companies, talented youth and qualified specialists, overcoming the negative trend of the outflow of scientific personnel are becoming even more urgent. There is provided an up-to-date list of short- and long-term measures to support and stimulate the development of economic sectors, innovative business, scientific human resources and highly qualified specialists.

The Need for Reform of Financial Markets in Times of Crisis in Emerging Economies: The Case of Lebanon

While many countries were confronting immense financial crises, Lebanon was one of the few countries that were able to withstand the dramatic consequences of the crises despite suffering from decades of geopolitical and financial instability. However, the burdened capital structure of Lebanon was overstrained by the incrementing cost of borrowing. The actual beneficiary from the latter financial model was the domestic banking sector. This sponsored the process of attracting customer deposits to be reinvested in the government debt issued by different Lebanese governments for securing the funds needed in financing the process of the development and reconstruction following decades of continuous war and destruction. The Lebanese financial system was abridged by redirecting the investors in the financial sector towards placing their capitals in customer deposit schemes with the domestic banks rather than channeling the capitals towards other economic sectors. In fact, the incentive for the investors was designated in the high yields secured by the reinvestment opportunity in the government debt that has been rising every day to reach historic records while the incentive for the domestic banks remained the conventional scheme of premiums charged for intermediation between the lender and the borrower. The latter process led to increase the concentration risk of customer deposits as liabilities on the balance sheets of the local banks. This research study aims at demonstrating the feasibility of the implementation of a scientific reform by interpreting the recognition of modern investment alternatives for the investors in the Lebanese financial sector while securing the same funding level for the Lebanese government and governing the roles of the sponsoring banks. The study will adopt referenced fundamental and technical interpretation and arguments to emphasize the necessity of launching a new era of investment derived from stimulating the domestic financial market by activating and incentivizing the role of country’s stock exchange.

The role of integral assessment of ecosystem level of non-State pension funds in achieving competitiveness when implementing the ecosystem approach

Subject. The article addresses the ecosystem of non-State pension fund (NPF), as a tool to ensure competitiveness, and criteria of its assessment. Objectives. The aim is to determine trends in the pension industry, review ecosystems that are emerging on the basis of banks and existing approaches to the analysis of competitiveness of credit financial institutions, define the place and role of the ecosystem indicator in assessing the NPF competitiveness, formulate recommendations for competitiveness criteria. Methods. We employ the systems and structural-functional methods to examine the main approaches, used in assessing the competitiveness, evaluation of the findings of theoretical and applied research in the field of analysis of enterprise competitiveness given the high variability of external environment. Results. We defined and systematized factors affecting the competitiveness of non-State pension funds in modern market conditions. It is necessary to expand assessment criteria and add those reflecting the ecosystem indicator. The paper offers an approach to ranking this indicator, which can be applied regardless of the chosen method for assessing the competitiveness of non-State pension funds. Conclusions. Ecosystems will act as a driver of growth and competitiveness of non-State pension funds. Accordingly, there is an acute question of methodology for calculating the quantitative characteristic of the index of NPF competitiveness in the ecosystem approach implementation. Some aspects of this article were reflected in the development strategy for AO NPF Surgutneftegas for 2022–2026.

The challenges of teaching maths in Irish in Irish-medium education

ABSTRACT Despite the growth and popularity of Irish-medium Education (IME) in Northern Ireland, the sector has not received the same levels of state support and funding as has heritage language education in the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Educating children in an immersive language setting, particularly in a minority or endangered language, is still regarded as disadvantageous to the learner, and that bilingual language education will hinder academic attainment, including maths. We present findings from thematic interviews with 11 primary teachers’ perceptions on the challenges of teaching maths in Irish, and how to help the sector develop language skills in, and resources for, teaching maths in the primary curriculum in Northern Ireland. The challenges that emerged from the thematic interviews, include finding teachers with the requisite language skills to teach maths, training and support for Irish-speaking maths teachers, and how children can acquire the right kind of fluency to engage in maths learning.

Impact of Orthopaedic Surgeons on National Institutes of Health Funding for Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Research.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) remains one of the predominant sources of biomedical research funding in the United States, yet its impact on total hip and knee arthroplasty research is poorly understood. This study defines the portfolio of NIH funding for total joint arthroplasty (TJA) and the impact of orthopaedic surgeons on this portfolio. The Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools Expenditures and Results (RePORTER) database was queried for NIH grants that had been awarded for total hip and knee arthroplasty and total NIH funding from 2010 to 2020. Compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) were calculated. Funding totals were compared with those from 20 other clinical areas. The principal investigators (PIs) and grants were characterized, and comparisons were made with use of the Student t test. A total of 489 grants were awarded, totaling $181 million (CAGR of 10.3%). This was >3 times the growth rate for the total NIH budget (CAGR of 2.9%), which increased from $31.2 to $41.7 billion over the 11-year period. When compared with 20 other clinical areas, TJA received the least amount of NIH funding over that period. Alzheimer disease received the most funding ($12.1 billion, CAGR of 19.5%), and cerebral palsy received the penultimate amount of funding ($284 million, CAGR of 6.3%). The R01 grant mechanism was the predominant source (63.1%), and the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) received the most funding (9.7%). Departments of orthopaedic surgery were awarded the most funding (23.5%), yet only 20 orthopaedic surgeons were identified as PIs (16.0%). There were no significant differences in NIH funding totals by PI demographic and academic characteristics (p > 0.05), yet orthopaedic surgeons had among the highest Hirsch indices (h-indices) (p < 0.001). Funding supported clinical (63.5%), translational (19.3%), basic science (7.1%), and other types (10.1%) of research. The top areas with funding were postoperative complications (44.4%), postoperative pain management (17.6%), rehabilitation (15.1%), and implant design (12.4%). There is a paucity of orthopaedic surgeon representation among NIH grants awarded for TJA. Opportunities may exist for orthopaedic surgeons to collaborate in identified areas of clinical interest. Additional research is needed to understand the obstacles to obtaining NIH grant funding for orthopaedic surgeon PIs. Increasing the levels of funding from the NIH is a strategic priority for departments of orthopaedic surgery. Understanding levels of funding for clinical areas in total joint arthroplasty is critical to foster research and discovery support from the NIH.

A winning combination in the war against deadly cancers: exploring new opportunities for combining antibody–drug conjugates and cancer immunotherapies

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), also known as magic bullets, have revolutionized cancer treatment. Due to their unprecedented growth and the approval of 12 ADCs – including seven new approvals by the US FDA in the last 2&#160;years alone – this treatment modality has received a high level of funding from investors in the space. By combining the targeting power of antibodies with highly potent payloads, including cancer-destroying cytotoxic warheads or other immune modalities, ADCs represent an invaluable tool for cancer treatment. But after the significant challenges faced by previous generations, will next-generation ADCs become authentic magic bullets? And given their current safety profiles, how can they best be combined with immuno-oncology therapeutics? Rationale and innovative approaches for combination of ADCs and immunotherapy will be explored.