Number Of Requests For Information Research Articles

The Royal Marsden BRIDgE TRE Transparency Project

BackgroundThe BRIDgE platform is the Royal Marsden’s Trusted Research environment, which aims to transform clinical practice and improve outcomes for patients by enabling data analytics and AI development using real-world cancer data within secure, collaborative, cloud-based workspaces. This project evaluated the BRIDgE website against the new UK Health Data Research UK Transparency Standards, leading to changes to implement the following: Open Access Application form and Guidance (Standard 1), Transparent Access Process and Criteria (Standard 2), Clear website navigation (Standard 3), Consider Target Audience (Standard 4), Regular Review of Website Content (Standard 5), and Transparency of Data Use and Auditing (Standard 6). Our primary aim was to improve the content and sign posting so that patients and researchers would be better informed, resulting in increased website traffic and requests via our Contact Us page. MethodsInformation about the transparency project and the updates to the website were presented to a patient panel for feedback and a leaflet was co-designed with patient representatives. ResultsChanges included a new BRIDgE home page, which was re-designed to make navigation simpler and clearer, improved signposting, so both patients and researchers were aware of the sections meant for their consumption, such as the new Researchers’ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, which contained detailed instructions on how to request data, the governance workflow and costing structure. Finally, we expanded the Research Projects and Publications page, and added a Case Study from one of the Researchers, detailing their personal experience on the platform. ConclusionsWe anticipate that the impact of this project will be that patients will be more informed about Trusted Research Environments in general and what BRIDgE specifically enables in terms of innovative research and data security, leading to greater assurance for patients that their data is being used securely for their benefit. Researchers will get the benefit of the new FAQ page, which includes a great deal more information than was previously available about the platform, the data access methods, and the governance processes. We envisage that this will lead to more traffic on the site and a greater number of requests for information and workspaces via the Contact Us page. Finally, the patient leaflet will be the first time that patients in our waiting areas will be able to read about research informatics at the Royal Marsden and the work of our data scientists, in paper form. The resources developed using the funding from the transparency project are the revamped BRIDgE website https://www.cancerbrc.org/BRIDgE and (soon to be published) patient leaflet.

Experiences and challenges with the new European Clinical Trials Regulation.

The new European Medicines Agency (EMA) Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS), based on the Clinical Trials Regulation (CTR EU 536/2014), came into full effect on 31 January 2022 and was intended to provide an easier, more streamlined approach to the registration of clinical trials taking place in Europe. Using the experience gained on the new regulatory framework from three multi-national European clinical research studies of outbreak-prone infectious diseases, this article describes the advantages and shortcomings of the new clinical trial submission procedure. We report the time to approval, size of the application dossier, and number of requests for information (RFIs) for each study. We also explore the experience of each study within the regulatory framework and its use of CTIS to document the real-world, practical consequences of the system on individual studies. The study assesses the experience of three multi-country studies conducted in Europe working within the EU and non-EU regulatory environments. While the time to regulatory and ethical approval has improved since the implementation of the new regulation, the timelines for approvals are still unacceptably slow, particularly for studies being conducted in the context of an evolving outbreak. Within the new regulatory approval procedure, there is evidence of conflicting application requirements, increased document burden, barriers to submitting important modifications, and debilitating technical hurdles. CTIS promised to lower the administrative bar, but unfortunately this has not been achieved. There are challenges that need to be urgently confronted and addressed for international research collaborators to effectively manage health crises in the future. While the value of multi-national outbreak research is clear, the limitations and delays imposed by the system, which raise challenging ethical questions about the regulation, are prejudicial to all clinical research, especially publicly funded academic studies. This report is relevant to both regulators and clinical researchers. It is hoped that these findings can help improve pan-European clinical trials, especially for the purpose of epidemic preparedness and response. This paper references experiences gained during management of three pan-European trials: EU-SolidAct's Bari-SolidAct (CT No. 2022-500385-99-00 - 15 March 2022) and AXL-SolidAct (CT No. 2022-500363-12-00 - 19 April 2022), and MOSAIC (CT No. 2022-501132-42-00 - 22 June 2022).

Correlation of Construction Performance Indicators and Project Success in a Portfolio of Building Projects

Construction management is a highly competitive project-based field of complex specialized services, creating or altering the built environment for a client. For construction projects to be successful, and in turn, for construction firms to be successful, understanding the relationship of performance statistics as indicators of project outcomes, such as cost, time, and profitability, is essential. There have been a number of efforts made to identify key performance indicators related to construction project success. However, due to lack of available data, many questions remain. There lies an opportunity to analyze project statistics as indicators of project success, similar to the way analytics have been used to predict success in sports. Construction firm project data for a portfolio of building projects were analyzed, and this study identifies correlated factors for completed building construction projects. A highlight of this correlation analysis identified profit differential as demonstrating a strong relationship with the number of requests for information and architects supplemental instructions on a project.

TRENDS IN COMBATING MONEY LAUNDERING IN THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the result of the decisions addressed in preventing and combating money laundering by Romania, together with the other member states of the European Union, following the regulations changes in the field. Against the background of technological developments and new threats, regulators have developed rules and procedures to prevent the exploitation of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering, with clear deadlines for transposition into national law. In order to determine the impact of the joint effort in the fight against money laundering, we analyzed the annual reports of European Financial Intelligence Units for 2018 and 2019 and the reports for the last ten years (2011-2020) of the National Office for Preventing and Combating Money Laundering in Romania. Based on the data from these reports, the study presents trends by using, inter alia, descriptive statistics. The results of our study draw attention to the increase in the number of reports of suspicious transactions, the number of cases sent for investigation to the competent authorities, the number of requests for information or dissemination of information to foreign FIUs, the volume of suspended transactions and amounts seized or confiscated by authorities. Although European Union Member States have responded to the obligation to transpose European directives, further steps are needed to create a common framework for action and reporting, so that the combined efforts have real results in line with the expectations of the European institutions. Through the results presented, the study supports governmental and non-governmental entities, highlighting the areas that need immediate attention.

Динамика информационных поисковых запросов о COVID-19 на этапе самоизоляции

Objective. Studying the dynamics of information search queries in the situation of experiencing an objective global threat-the spread of COVID-19. Background. The pandemic situation is specific because of its universality, uncertain duration and weak predictability of disease manifestations, which suggests the cumulative nature of this stressor. The uniqueness of its socio-psychological consequences is determined by the experience of self-isolation in a virtual space. The dynamics of search queries in large random samples may reflect both the reaction of the population to the statements of power subjects, and the presence of certain mechanisms of emotional self-regulation. Study design. We analyzed search queries thematically related to the spread of COVID-19 and the introduction of self-isolation mode: 5 million search queries were randomly selected from the database, 1 million for each of the analyzed time intervals. Participants. The study was conducted on users of the Yandex search engine. Methods. Quantitative methods of the Data Mining class were used for data collection. Qualitative methods of the Data Mining class and contextual analysis were used for data analysis. Microsoft Excel tools were used for statistical code processing. Results. The number of information requests on the topic of the pandemic increased sharply after V. Putin’s first address, and then steadily decreased, but the overall picture of the content dynamics of search queries, depending on official statements of the authorities, was not observed; requests about the current level of morbidity are constantly presented to the greatest extent, and to the minimum-about the possibilities of psychological assistance and the state of the Russian economy. During the whole time of the study the contents of the Internet search shifted towards positive emotional information. Conclusions. To the maximum extent, the relationship between the experience of a pandemic and self-isolation with the nature of search queries manifests itself at the initial stages and tends to decrease in the future. The dynamics of the content of requests is ambiguously related to official statements of power subjects, influenced by the effect of counter-regulation.

Algorithm of adaptation results tractors tractive tests based on systems OECD and ISO

In this paper authors described the algorithm for matching and harmonization the results of traction tests of domestic and foreign tractors according to the OECD and ISO systems. The results of the calculations are entered into the designed database, which contained 5 information blocks and control block. The control unit allows to implement a number of information requests (in terms of operating mass, maximum traction power, etc.). Information of agricultural tractors tests is contained in this database, test were made in Germany (11 models), France (8 models), Italy (8 models), and Austria, India, South Korea (over 37 models) according to OECD standards, each model tested on 2 type of covering: concrete and stubble.

Requests for post-registration studies (PRS), patients follow-up in actual practice: Changes in the role of databases

Early market access of health products is associated with a larger number of requests for information by the health authorities. Compared with these expectations, the growing expansion of health databases represents an opportunity for responding to questions raised by the authorities. The computerised nature of the health system provides numerous sources of data, and first and foremost medical/administrative databases such as the French National Inter-Scheme Health Insurance Information System (SNIIRAM) database. These databases, although developed for other purposes, have already been used for many years with regard to post-registration studies (PRS). The use thereof will continue to increase with the recent creation of the French National Health Data System (SNDS [2016 health system reform law]). At the same time, other databases are available in France, offering an illustration of "product use under actual practice conditions" by patients and health professionals (cohorts, specific registries, data warehouses, etc.). Based on a preliminary analysis of requests for PRS, approximately two-thirds appeared to have found at least a partial response in existing databases. Using these databases has a number of disadvantages, but also numerous advantages, which are listed. In order to facilitate access and optimise their use, it seemed important to draw up recommendations aiming to facilitate these developments and guarantee the conditions for their technical validity. The recommendations drawn up notably include the need for measures aiming to promote the visibility of research conducted on databases in the field of PRS. Moreover, it seemed worthwhile to promote the interoperability of health data warehouses, to make it possible to match information originating from field studies with information originating from databases, and to develop and share algorithms aiming to identify criteria of interest (proxies). Methodological documents, such as the French National Authority for Health (HAS) recommendations on "Les études post-inscription sur les technologies de santé (médicaments, dispositifs médicaux et actes). Principes et méthodes" [Post-registration studies on health technologies (medicinal products, medical devices and procedures). Principles and methods] should be updated to incorporate these developments.

CONTENT-ANALYSIS OF THE RUSSIAN MARKET OF SELECTIVE α2-ADRENOMIMETIC MEDICINAL DRUGS, APPLIED IN THERAPY OF RHINITIS OF DIFFERENT ETIOLOGY

Rhinitis of different etiology is a timely problem of contemporary otolaryngology. Selective α2-adrenomimetics is one of the drug groups widely used in pharmacotherapy of these diseases. In large part these drugs belong to OTC-drugs, which makes the detailed discussion of pharmaceutic consulting issues very timely. Diversity of these drugs is a circumstance of no small importance, which creates some problems in formation of a rational range in pharmacy organizations. Considering all mentioned above, the marketing analysis of a market for further development of pharmaceutic consulting algorithm, as well as methodic approaches to the formation of a rational range in pharmacy organizations is very timely. The purpose of the study: the analysis of the Russian market of selective α2-adrenomimetic medicinal drugs, applied in therapy of rhinitis of different etiology for detailed consideration of pharmaceutic consultation issues and formation of a rational range. Materials and methods. During the studies we carried out a content analysis base on the data from the State Register of Medicinal Drugs, and Register of Medicinal Drugs as of November 1, 2016. Results and discussion. As the result of the analysis we have established that Xylomethazoline was the leader of the Russian pharmaceutical market by the number of registered trade names. The bigger part of the market is occupied by mono-preparations; nasal sprays and nasal drops are dominant. The Russian market is represented mainly by the Russia produced drugs. Naphthyzin, Nazivin, and Otrivin are the leaders by the number of information requests in RMD 2016 system. Conclusion. Followed by the results of the studies we have obtained the date which can be used while developing the principles and algorithm of pharmaceutical consulting, as well as for formation of rational range of selective α2-adrenomimetic medicinal drugs, applied for therapy of rhinitis of different etiology.

Benchmark Performance Metrics for Integrated Project Delivery

The construction industry is fraught with waste and inefficiencies resulting in projects often failing to meet owners’ expectations. Integrated project delivery (IPD) is the newest project delivery system (PDS) and changes the traditional roles and relationships of key project stakeholders. Through increased early collaboration, IPD attempts to eliminate waste and deliver the highest-value projects to owners. It is seen as a potential solution to many of the challenges impeding successful project performance. However, a transformational move toward IPD has yet to reach a tipping point, and its use is not prevalent throughout the construction industry. Little research has been done to quantitatively analyze IPD compared with the more commonly used delivery methods. Through substantial collection of quantitative project performance data and univariate statistical analysis, this study fills the gap in PDS research by evaluating the effects of IPD on building construction projects across a wide range of performance metrics from the perspective of general contractors and construction managers. This research demonstrates that IPD/near-IPD outperformed non-IPD projects with respect to performance in communication, change management, and business performance areas. Communication was found superior in terms of the number of requests for information (RFIs) per million dollars; change management in terms of change-order processing time; and business performance in terms of a project’s impact on company image and the potential for return business. A new term called project quarterback rating (PQR), which combines key performance metrics, was used to quantitatively evaluate overall performance. Statistically significant evidence of the overall superior performance of IPD/near-IPD compared with non-IPD projects was found. These results should encourage owners to consider the use of IPD, or IPD principles in conjunction with other delivery methods, in future capital facilities endeavors.

The Changing Nature of Scientific Sharing and Withholding in Academic Life Sciences Research: Trends From National Surveys in 2000 and 2013.

Since 2000, federal funders and many journals have established policies requiring more open sharing of data and materials post-publication, primarily through online supplements and third-party repositories. This study examined changes in sharing and withholding practices among academic life scientists, particularly geneticists, between 2000 and 2013. In 2000 and 2013, the authors surveyed separate samples of 3,000 academic life scientists at the 100 U.S. universities receiving the most National Institutes of Health funding. Respondents were asked to estimate the number of requests for information, data, and materials they made to and received from other academic researchers in the past three years. They were also asked about potential consequences of sharing and withholding. Response rates were 63.9% (1,849/2,893) in 2000 and 40.8% (1,165/2,853) in 2013. Proportions of faculty in 2000 and 2013 who received, denied, made, or were denied at least one request were not statistically different. However, the total volume of requests received from or made to other scientists dropped substantially (19.4 received in 2000 versus 10.8 in 2013, P < .001; 8.4 made in 2000 versus 6.6 in 2013, P < .001). Faculty in 2013 also made an average of 8.4 requests to third-party repositories. Researchers in 2013 were less likely to report sharing resulted in new research or collaborations. The results show a dramatic shift in sharing mechanisms, away from a peer-to-peer sharing model toward one based on central repositories. This may increase efficiency, but collaborations may suffer if personal communication among scientists is deemphasized.

Cutting-edge Discussions of Management, Policy, and Program Issues in Emergency Care

Cutting-edge Discussions of Management, Policy, and Program Issues in Emergency Care

Effects of Professional Experience and Group Interaction on Information Requested in Analyzing IT Cases

The authors investigated the effects of professional experience and group interaction on the information that information technology professionals and graduate accounting information system (AIS) students request when analyzing business cases related to information systems design and implementation. Understanding these effects can contribute to the success of the college classroom and corporate training learning environments. The results suggest that as the amount of professional experience increases, the number of information requests that match the information requests determined by a master panel (matched answers) also increase. In addition, higher numbers of matched answers by novices were associated with being in established groups prior to completing the experimental case individually.

Actively Searching for Hazards Information

Much of the hazards literature on information transfer focuses on how individuals passively acquire hazards information by monitoring what comes across their desks and computer screens. This paper highlights a complementary information search strategy in which individuals pull or actively seek out the information they need. This research examines the affiliations of those who have been proactive in contacting the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center over a 20-year span. Until 2000/2001 requests from university-affiliated individuals exceeded those from people with other affiliations. There has been an increase in the number of information requests from unaffiliated individuals and from people outside the United States. A survey of a subset of those who have requested information from the Hazards Center highlights the importance of knowledgeable personal contacts and the World Wide Web for identifying the center as a source for information. It is vital for organizations committed to the distribution of timely, appropriate hazards-related information to effectively service the needs of a proactive, amorphous assemblage of hazards information seekers.

Hermann Von Schrenk and the Rise of Forest Pathology in the United States.

Hermann Von Schrenk and the Rise of Forest Pathology in the United States.

Institutions Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center

Since 1982, the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) has provided a wide variety of information concerning changes in greenhouse gases and climate. Established by the US DOE, its mission has broadened from providing information to researchers to fielding information requests from congressional staffers, industry managers, public school students, and science reporters. Interest in greenhouse warming has expanded the scope from biogeophysical considerations to include the human dimensions. The annual number of information requests handled by CDIAC grew from 1,000 in 1982 to more than 8,000 in 1991. The cornerstone of CDIAC is documenting and assuring the quality of data, which is handled by the data systems group. By late 1992, CDIAC had produced more than 40 numeric data packages (NDPs), which contain statistics concerning global change and documentation necessary to understand the data, such as methodology, data limitations, and graphics or other useful statistics.

Effect of ten specific questions on nationwide drug information center activity.

A survey of drug information centers (DICs) was performed to determine (1) the number of requests received and (2) the amount of manpower used in answering requests for frequently sought information dealing with ten specific topics. A total of 2,968 requests for information on ten topics was received by the 41 DICs, representing 3% of all questions received. The number of requests for information on each topic ranged from 27 to 724, and over half of the DICs received at least one request for information on nine of the ten topics. A total of 1,206 man-hours was used by the DICs to answer requests for information on all topics combined. It is concluded that DICs overlap substantially in the provision of frequently sought information.

Family Planning Hotline

Since last March, a family planning hotline has been putting the caller in touch with the Family Planning Information Service. This is possibly the 1st centralized referral and information service for family planning in any major city in the U.S. Each months this fall 1400 New Yorkers called the hotline number to obtain information about family planning, infertility, abortion, and voluntary sterilization. Several major parallel developments made the creation of the Family Planning Information Service possible and strengthened its changes of success. The service is headed by a registered nurse who is assisted by 2 specially trained nonprofessional staff members. The unit is housed in Planned Parenthood's Manhattan headquarters. The Service has a special telephone number which is listed in all telephone directories. A number of promotional devices have been used to build and maintain the volume of inquiries. The results of the intensive work to develop and maintain the service have been dramatic. From a monthly volume of 300 calls in March, the figure in May had reached 670. In July there were 962 inquiries and in October the figure rose to 1421. About 90% of these calls are from women. By far the largest number of requests for information have concerned contraception and where such services can be obtained. Over 200 calls have been inquires about infertility problems, and 361 calls have concerned abortion. More than 100 calls have been about sterilization, with men outnumbering women 2:1.

Governmental Statistics—An Example of State-Federal Cooperation

Intergovernmental cooperation in the collection of statistics on economic and social conditions presents an interesting problem because of the need for uniformity in the various segments of a statistical survey. This subject has not, however, been discussed, except incidentally, in any of the many studies of the changing roles of state and federal governments. In many programs flexibility, the capacity to adapt to varying local conditions, is presented as a major advantage of federal-state cooperation and particularly of grant-in-aid programs. The very essence of accurate statistics, however, is uniformity of concept, methodology and product in the various parts of a system. Once it is recognized that a number of major statistical programs are carried out through cooperative action, questions about the desirability of cooperation and the reasons for it arise, since it appears that the flexibility which is an advantage in other programs would be a dangerous weakness in these. This article reviews the development of one of the larger cooperative statistical programs and, in the process, attempts to throw some light on the reasons for the success of cooperation in that program and the conditions under which it is likely to be satisfactory in other programs. Economic and social statistics, or interpretations of them, are frequently referred to; they are an important factor in political and economic decisions and programs. but little attention is customarily paid to the way in which they are obtained. The scope and accuracy of the statistics which describe our economy, the majority of which are prepared by government agencies, have grown enormously in the last generation, which has also seen some important changes in the relations between our national and state governments. These changing patterns have impinged and, in consequence, a substantial share of our current economic statistics is collected through some arrangement by which the national and state governments cooperate in order to increase the quantity of comparable statistics and reduce the number of requests for information addressed to putative respondents in statistical surveys. There is a great diversity in the subject matter of these cooperative surveys. The Department of Agriculture uses them in collecting information on the acreage and production of crops and the number of livestock on farms. The Bureau of Mines conducts surveys of mineral production and accidents to miners. The Office of Education helps states to improve their own statistics on education. The National Vital Statistics Division secures data on births and deaths throughout the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics prepares current monthly estimates of employment, hours of work, earnings, and labor turnover for several hundred industries and these are comparable with the estimates for each state and 140 metropolitan areas which are prepared by cooperating states. Each of the sets of statistics mentioned has its own audience of business analysts, legislators, public health services, school systems, economists, and public adininistrators. They are factors in the development of public policy and legislation at all levels of government and frequently contribute to business decisions and to the climate of public opinion on various issues. These statistical systems are of quite different types in a technical sense. In some cases they are based on samples, in others reports are obtained for each unit in the universe of events being studied; some depend almost entirely on mailed questionnaires, others on interviews; some measure changes in a continuum through time, others count discrete events; some are based on voluntary responses to requests for information, others on the tabluation of reports required by law for various purposes. The common thread running through them is cooperation between state and national agencies. This cooperation itself takes various forms, ranging from a simple exchange of the basic data collected to highly integrated systems. It may involve technical or financial assistance by the national government, which may be provided in one of a number of ways.

National Committee on Radiation Protection And Measurements

HomeRadiologyVol. 71, No. 1 PreviousNext EditorialNational Committee on Radiation Protection And MeasurementsPublished Online:Jul 1 1958https://doi.org/10.1148/71.1.108MoreSectionsPDF ToolsImage ViewerAdd to favoritesCiteTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked In AbstractThe increased uses of radiation in both medicine and industry have resulted in a sharp increase in interest in the work of the National Committee on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP). This committee was activated in 1928 with the concurrence of the various radiological societies in an effort to consolidate our national recommendations for presentation on an international basis. The Committee has been in effective operation since then, ever growing and enlarging its terms of reference as the need arose; at present its recommendations are widely recognized and used in the medical, industrial, military, and related applications of radiation, and have become the principal legal support for the enforcement of radiation protection practices in the United States. Many of the recommendations have also been adopted in principle or in toto by the corresponding international groups dealing with radiation protection and measurements.Sponsorship of the Committee encompasses many interests in the field, including the major radiological societies, the American medical and dental associations, industrial and labor groups, and government agencies interested in atomic energy, public health, and military aspects. The Committee is operated by the National Bureau of Standards as a public service, and its recommendations, prepared as National Bureau of Standards Handbooks, are published and sold by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. The list of the Committee's recommendations given herewith indicates the wide range of interests covered by its eighteen working groups.This introduction to the NCRP is primarily for the benefit of those who are not familiar with the current work of the group. However, a great number of its current activities are of immediate interest to those concerned with radiation protection and measurements as evidenced by the number of requests for information on forthcoming recommendations, and an effort will therefore be made to describe these activities in more detail than has been available in the past.NOTE: Addenda to H 59 and 60 embodying the revised (1957) maximum permissible dose levels have been issued and are available on request from the National Bureau of Standards, Publications Section, Washington, D. C. An addendum to H 54 is in the process of publication.Revisions of Handbooks 42, 52, 54, 56, 60, and 61 are in preparation; the revision of H 56 (H 65) is expected to become available within the next few months. Announcements will be made as these and new publications are completed.Article HistoryPublished in print: July 1958 FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsRecommended Articles RSNA Education Exhibits RSNA Case Collection Vol. 71, No. 1 Metrics Altmetric Score PDF download

Caribbean Commision

Meetings of the CommissionThe nineteenth meeting of the Caribbean Commission was held in Trinidad, instead of French Guiana as originally scheduled, from November 29 to December 4, 1954, under the chairmanship of H. R. van Houten (Netherlands). Because of the last minute change in the site, it was agreed to make the meeting a purely working session. The substantive work of the meeting took place in committees which studied the various items on the agenda and prepared reports for the plenary session; the principal items on the agenda concerned the proposed work program and budget for 1955. At the final session the report of the Central Secretariat's activities since the eighteenth meeting was approved by the Commission, which noted with satisfaction the increased number of requests for information received by the Secretariate. The Commission also approved the 1955 work program which included various conferences, meetings, and two cacao cultivation tours in Trinidad. The Secretary-General was directed by the Commission to request the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the following: 1) a fellowship to be given for the training of a Caribbean home economist who would be appointed to work with the Commission after she had finished her training; 2) a forestry expert and a fisheries expert to be assigned to the Caribbean area; and 3) a three-week training course in home economics in the French Caribbean Departments. The latter request was also to be presented to the United States Foreign Operations Administration. The Commission approved in principle the recommendation of the Joint Conference on Education and Small-Scale Farming that the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) assignan educational consultant to the area to beattached to the Central Secretariat. In accordance with a recommendation of the Trade PromotionConference, the Commission agreed that a trade promotion officer should be attached to its staff at the Central Secretariat. The Commission decided to convene in 1956 a Conference on Cooperatives in the Caribbean, jointly sponsored by the Commission and the FAO, and a Conference on Town and Country Development Planning.