Organization For Economic Cooperation Research Articles

Effect of migraine on suicide mortality in young adults: a nationwide cohort study in South Korea

BackgroundMigraine is linked to increased suicidal behaviour, but its relationship with suicide mortality remains underexplored. In South Korea, suicide rates are among the highest in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and...

Bridging the digital divide with gender equity in the digital world: empirical insights from OECD countries

PurposeThis paper highlights an important question of equal access for women, particularly those in rural and economically weaker sections, to digital infrastructure. It flags how high internet connectivity costs and expensive digital devices act as major bottlenecks that impede the participation of women in the digital economy and deny them new frontiers of e-commerce and remote employment opportunities.Design/methodology/approachA woman-centred analytical framework is adopted by this study for the relationship investigation between digitalization and participation by women in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries' employment force between the years 2010 and 2023. It uses proxies measurable in mobile cellular subscriptions and using the internet that can show either the short- or long-run technological progress effect on women’s employment.FindingsThe findings underline the continuing risks associated with digital inequality, especially among women in marginalized communities. While digital technologies provide immense opportunities in the form of remote work and flexible employment arrangements, digital exclusion remains a barrier that prevents women from accessing these tools and thus being able to participate economically.Originality/valueThis research is singularly contributing to offering a gendered perspective on how digitalization impacts labour market dynamics, deviating from existing literature that mainly narrows down to broader economic effects. It provides actionable policy recommendations to enhance digital inclusion and gender equity in labour markets, including the promotion of flexible work arrangements, strengthening legal protections against digital discrimination and increasing inclusive digital literacy initiatives.

Does artificial intelligence harm labour? Investigating the limitations of incident trackers as evidence for policymaking

Introduction. From the point of view of public policy, artificial intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology with as-yet-unknown risks. AI incident trackers collect harms and risks to inform policymaking. We investigate how labour is represented in two popular AI incident trackers. Our goal is to understand how well the knowledge organization of these incident trackers reveals labour-related risks for AI in the workplace, with a focus on how AI is impacting and expected to impact workers within the United States. Data and Analysis. We search for and analyse labour-related incidents in two AI incident trackers, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's AI incidents monitor (OECD AIM) and the AI incident database (AIID) from the responsible AI collaborative. Results. The OECD AIM database categorised workers as stakeholders for 600 incidents with 6,744 associated news reports. From the AIID, we constructed a set of 57 labour-related incidents. Discussion and Conclusions. The AI incident trackers do not facilitate ready retrieval of labour-related incidents: they used limited existing labour-related terminology. AI incident trackers' reliance on news reports risks overrepresenting some sectors and depends on the news reports' framing of the evidence.

Evaluation of in vivo fish and amphibian endocrine test guideline assays: current status and future needs

Abstract Endocrine pathways are crucial in regulating physiological functions in organisms, including growth and development, metabolism, tissue function, and reproduction. Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can interfere with normal hormonal function and lead to adverse effects in organisms and/or their offspring. As a result, regulatory testing and assessment requirements have been implemented to identify and regulate EDCs—defined by the World Health Organization as chemicals that alter the function of an endocrine system and cause “subsequent adverse effects in an intact organism, its progeny, or (sub)populations” - although the approaches taken for assessment vary worldwide. As such, the current typical ecotoxicological assessment paradigm for EDCs involves initial testing for endocrine activity using in vitro and lower-tier in vivo assays, followed by higher-tier in vivo testing which can provide additional endocrine mechanistic data and establishes any consequent adversity. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, among other entities, have validated and adopted standardized in vivo test guidelines for mammals, fish, and amphibians. These tests can be challenging and take months to perform, and many require the use of large numbers of laboratory animals. This paper summarizes the current state of the science for evaluating the endocrine disrupting potential of chemicals in fish and amphibians using in vivo test guideline assays across the estrogen, androgen, thyroid, and steroidogenesis modalities. Current challenges associated with conducting and interpreting the in vivo assays are discussed. Opportunities and potential next steps to strengthen this growing area of testing are explored, including potential to inform development and application of new approach methodologies and thereby reduce reliance on using laboratory animals.

Discussing the nexus between tourism competitiveness and tourism investment and revenues

ABSTRACT This study considers capital investment and internal consumption spending as a vehicle to establish sustainability when competing in the tourism market. Tourism destinations compete to enhance tourism demand, increase visitation rates, and make more profits. This issue becomes more appealing and challenging to research if we view the concept of tourism spending beyond its strict monetary value. To that effect, a cross-section analysis is processed for countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Despite their significance, relevant research efforts have not tested the predictive power of capital investment spending and internal travel and tourism consumption as tourism competitiveness proxies. Key research findings indicate that an increase in energy proxies drives changes (increases) in capital investment spending and internal travel and tourism consumption spending. The travel and tourism competitiveness index positively and significantly impacts our targeted variables. These findings have practical implications that call for reevaluating tourism management's role in strengthening eco-friendly practices in investment plans and visitors’ spending patterns, thereby informing and enlightening the industry.

Potential role of ochratoxin A in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review of current evidence.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium species that contaminates various food and feed products, presenting potential risks to human health. While OTA is well-known for its nephrotoxic effects, emerging evidence highlights its neurotoxic potential. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with both genetic and environmental aetiologies. Emerging lines of investigation have focused their research on the role of environmental toxins, including mycotoxins, in PD pathogenesis. However, the specific involvement of OTA in PD-related pathways still needs to be unravelled. This systematic review compiles and evaluates OTA neurotoxicity studies according to the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) for PD, established by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The AOP framework outlines a series of key event (KEs) beginning with mitochondrial Complex I (CI) inhibition and progressing through mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired proteostasis, dopaminergic neuron degeneration, neuroinflammation, and resulting in parkinsonian motor deficits. In this systematic review, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, to identify studies evaluating OTA neurotoxic effects. Using a search strategy of 19 terms and following a two-phased study selection, 30 relevant studies were retrieved, of which 16 dealt with in vitro adult neurotoxicity (ANT), 13 focused on in vivo ANT, and 1 gave both in vitro and in vivo approaches. Authors agree that in vitro and in vivo exposure to OTA causes mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired proteostasis, degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons, and neuroinflammation. However, a notable absence of researchremains on the molecular initiating event (MIE), binding to CI, and onKE1, inhibition of CI. This review identifies critical research gaps and highlights the need for further mechanistic studies on the impact of OTA on neurodegenerative pathways, particularly its binding and inhibition of CI, as well as mechanisms related to KE3: impaired proteostasis. Addressing these gaps may provide valuable insights into OTA neurotoxic potential and its relevance in PD-like neurodegeneration.

Organization of plant Biological Resource Centers for research in France: History, evolution and current status

Since their inception, the French academic organizations dedicated to agricultural research have developed plant collections in genebanks, often within a public–private framework, to support the study of plant traits and the development of new improved varieties. In addition, since the 2000s, a centre for genomic resources has also been established in France. Over the last 20 years, this decentralized system, consisting of the academic genebanks and the centre for genomic resources, has been supported by a national coordination structure. The objectives were to align the network activities with the framework proposed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for Biological Resource Centres and to foster collaboration with other national stakeholders involved in the conservation and characterization of plant genetic resources (PGR). In 2015, the network was named BRC4Plants and become part of the French National Research Infrastructure RARe (www.agrobrc-rare.org), supported by the French Ministry of Research. This paper describes BRC4Plants, its users, services and cross-cutting activities. We also highlight its relations with its national and international stakeholders involved in the conservation and characterization of PGRs. BRC4Plants aims to be a key player in addressing societal and research challenges regarding agroecology, climate change mitigation and healthy food systems.

Analysis of nationwide adverse event reports on Isoniazid and Rifampin in tuberculosis prevention and treatment in South Korea

Individuals with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are at risk of progressing to active tuberculosis (TB), which remains a significant cause of death globally. Although various antiTB medications—rifampin and isoniazid—exist for treating for both LTBI and active TB, pharmacovigilance studies evaluating their adverse effects are especially scare for LTBI. Given the continued status of South Korea as having the highest TB incidence among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, this study examines drug-related adverse events (AEs) and identifies novel signals associated with rifampin or isoniazid in TB prevention and treatment in South Korea using the national AE reporting system. Analyzing data from the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management-Korea Adverse Event Reporting System Database (KIDS-KAERS DB, 2301A0006) between 2017 and 2021, we observed that rifampin was frequently listed as a suspected drug in AE reports. Serious adverse events (SAEs), including life-threatening events and hospitalizations, were observed in LTBI as well as active TB cases when rifampin was the suspected drug. Novel signals, including QT prolongation and acne, were also identified, underscoring the importance of AE monitoring in LTBI or active TB treatment.

The Effectiveness of Official Development Assistance to Indonesia Climate Mitigation

This research investigates the effectiveness of climate-related development aid in Indonesia’s climate mitigation. Specific objectives include assessing the contribution of official development assistance (ODA) to reduce CO2 emissions and evaluating the implementation of the Busan Principles of aid effectiveness to achieve Indonesia’s mitigation priorities and targets. We utilise a new primary dataset based on interviews with the most knowledgeable stakeholders of ODA on climate change mitigation. Additionally, we use secondary data from the annual Rio Marker and the Common Reporting Standard data of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The results show a significant correlation between climate-related development aid and CO2 emission reduction in Indonesia. Additionally, the implementation of the Busan Principles enhances aid management by fostering project ownership and increasing the involvement of the civil society and private sector. The study has implications in devising an effective climate change mitigation strategy for Indonesia. It is suggested that the government of Indonesia exercise greater flexibility and dynamism in engaging with development partners.

INTEREST INCOME AND INTERNATIONAL TAXATION: PERSPECTIVES FROM INDIA'S JUDICIAL SYSTEM

Taxation of interest income by a resident of one country from investments in India requires the application of Article 11 of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Model Convention (OECD MC) 2017 as well as the United Nations Model Convention (UN MC) 2021 and the domestic provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961, India. This article looks at the Indian judicial system's view of Article 11 of the OECD MC and the UN MC. It concludes that the Indian judicial system has sided with the assessees by giving them the benefit under sub-section (2) of Section 90 of the Income-tax Act, 1961. This section says that taxpayers and assessees can use either the provisions of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) or the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961, India, whichever is better for them. Peoplewho were resident in a country other than India and earned interest from the source in India were taxed at the rate set out in their DTAAs instead of the rate required by the Income-tax Act, 1961, India. This article looks at some cases where this happened

Assessment of developmental neurotoxicity of pharmaceuticals using zebrafish behavior

Pharmaceuticals used for pregnant women must be safe for the babies while therapeutic to the mothers. To ensure the safety of drugs, developmental neurotoxicity should be evaluated although it is currently not a mandatory requirement in the US and Europe at the regulatory level. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has constituted the test guideline (TG426) to assess developmental neurotoxicity. TG426 requires various assessments using animals (assuming rats), including the brain weight, neuropathology, locomotion, sensorimotor function, and learning ability of dams from the mother treated with the chemical during pregnancy. Due to the huge burden of the cost, time, and labor, the number of chemicals evaluated for developmental neurotoxicity by TG426 remains around 200. To boost the pace of the assessment, OCED has constituted a novel guideline (No. 377) adopting in vitro test batteries. OCED has also evaluated the utility of the neurobehavior of zebrafish larvae in the assessment of developmental neurotoxicity. In this review, I focus on valproic acid, a therapeutic drug to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder and a well-known developmental neurotoxicant, and summarize the studies using zebrafish neurobehavior to assess the developmental neurotoxicity of valproic acid. The utility and validity of zebrafish neurobehavior for developmental neurotoxicity testing are discussed by comparing the findings from rodents and humans.

Improvement of Flow Properties of Waxy Crude Oil through Pipeline Using Biodegradable Pour-Point Depressants Synthesized from Plant-Based Fatty Acid: Modeling and Application Studies

Summary Production and transportation of waxy crude oil pose significant flow assurance problems due to wax or paraffin deposition in pipelines, especially at lower temperatures, which lead to complex rheological properties of crude oil. Pour Point Depressants (PPDs) improve crude oil flow and modify the wax crystallization process are essential processing aids in resolving these problems. In the present research, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based fatty esters as environmentally friendly PPDs are synthesized using stearic acid [polyethylene glycol stearate (PEGS)] and lauric acid [polyethylene glycol laurate (PEGL)] to address the limitations of nonbiodegradable, toxic, and conventional PPDs. The synthesized PPDs are characterized through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies. The efficiency of PEGS and PEGL having short and long alkyl groups is evaluated by determining pour point, rheology, differential scanning calorimetry, and wax deposition studies of Indian crude oil. PEGS shows a significant drop of 15°C at a minimum dosage of 600 ppm, while PEGL produces a reduction of 12°C. Both PEGL and PEGS significantly decrease viscosity, with reductions of 57–76% at 30°C. Yield stress drops by more than 30% at 30°C after treatment by both PPDs. PEGS is more efficient than PEGL because its longer alkyl chains can more closely mimic wax particles. The Casson model, representing shear-thinning behavior, better explains the behavior after doping with PEGS and PEGL, while untreated crude oil is found to follow the Bingham plastic model. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations show that the wax crystals are more likely to interact with PEGS or PEGL than to combine with other wax molecules. Additionally, studies conducted under the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) standard reveal that PEGS and PEGL are biodegradable. This research work presents a promising, environment-friendly approach toward the flow assurance of waxy crude oil.

Public health in Germany: structures, dynamics, and ways forward.

Public health in Germany: structures, dynamics, and ways forward.

Biodegradability of Dietary Supplements: Advanced Analytical Methods to Study the Environmental Fate of Artificial Sweeteners and Dyes

Biodegradability of Dietary Supplements: Advanced Analytical Methods to Study the Environmental Fate of Artificial Sweeteners and Dyes

The Impact of Feeling Safe on Marketable Education Activities: The Case of Palestine

Feeling secure is one of the most fundamental needs for individuals to carry out their daily activities. From a marketing perspective, the sense of security is essential not only for businesses that conduct marketing activities but also for the consumers to whom these products are marketed. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of how the phenomenon of feeling secure may impact educational activities and their marketing in the Palestinian region. The study examines the correlation between the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) science performance scores and the Global Peace Index (GPI) data, both provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). To achieve this, countries with very high and very low PISA science performance scores, as well as those ranking at the top and bottom of the Global Peace Index, were included in the analysis. Utilizing the Bivariate Correlation procedure in SPSS, this study seeks to observe the interaction between global peace index scores and educational performance. The datasets used in this study are derived from data published by the OECD in their official reports. As a result of the analyses, the study reveals how educational activities are influenced by the sense of security, illustrating the implications of the current situation for marketable educational activities in the region.

Acute and sub-acute toxicity of ethanol extracts of Hagenia abyssinica and Rumex abyssinicus flowers in Swiss albino mice.

Hagenia abyssinica (Bruce) J.F. Gmel (Family: Rosaceae) and Rumex abyssinicus Jacq (Family: Polygonaceae) are valuable medicinal plants traditionally used in Ethiopia to treat various diseases. Recent studies have also demonstrated that solvent extracts of these plants exhibit molluscicidal activities under laboratory conditions, highlighting their potential for snail control. However, limited information is available regarding their safety profiles. This study aimed to evaluate acute, and sub-acute toxicity of 70% ethanol extracts of H. abyssinica and R. abyssinicus flowers in Swiss albino mice, following the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines 423 and 407. In the acute toxicity study, both extracts were administered orally to experimental groups at varying concentrations (mg/kg bodyweight): 5, 50, 300, and 2000. For the sub-acute toxicity study, both extracts were given to the experimental groups at doses (mg/kg) of 125, 250, and 500 daily for 28 days. Blood samples were collected from each mouse and analyzed for hematological and biochemical parameters. Additionally, the heart, liver, and kidneys were excised, stained, and examined for potential histopathological effects. The acute toxicity study revealed no noticeable changes in behavior at the highest oral dosage of 2000 mg/kg. In the sub-acute toxicity study, no statistically significant changes were observed in hematological and biochemical parameters compared to the control group. Similarly, no abnormal histological findings were noted in the examined organs in comparison to the control group. These findings indicate that flower extracts of both plants did not show significant toxicity to laboratory mammals at an oral dosage of 2000 mg/kg.

Policy options for the drug pricing conundrum

Current proposals aimed at reducing U.S. pharmaceutical prices would have immediate benefits (particularly for low-income and elderly populations), but could dramatically reduce firms' investment in potentially highly welfare-improving Research and Development (R&D). The United States subsidizes the worldwide pharmaceutical market: U.S. drug prices are more than 250% of those in other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. If each drug had a single international price across the highest-income OECD countries and total pharmaceutical firm profits were held fixed: U.S. prices would fall by half; every other country's prices would increase (by 28 to over 300%); and R&D incentives would be maintained. We propose a potential lever for the U.S. government to influence worldwide drug pricing: access to the Medicare market.

A hidden artefact: how surfactants can distort the results of springtail reproduction tests.

Soils are exposed to multiple substance groups, including surfactants, which directly enter soils when they are used as additives in fire-fighting liquids or pesticide mixtures due to their surface tension-lowering properties. The impact of chemicals on soil health is often tested with the springtail reproduction test. We tested the effects of the trisiloxane Break-Thru® S 301 on the reproduction of Folsomia candida in three soils according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guideline 232. Juveniles were extracted either by heat or flotation. In the latter method, recommended by OECD 232, test soil is flooded with water and stirred so that springtails float and swim on the water surface. Additionally, we tested the impact of Break-Thru® S 301 on other life-history endpoints linked with reproduction, namely reproduction investment and hatching success. We found a significant decline of recovered springtails at soil concentrations of Break-Thru® S 301 down to 2 mg/kg in sandy soils when using flotation. However, using heat extraction no effects were found at the same concentrations. Also, reproduction investment and hatching success did not indicate any toxicity of Break-Thru® S 301 to springtails at all. In conclusion, Break-Thru® S 301 reduced the water surface tension in the flotation process so that springtail juveniles just sank and disappeared from the water surface. This artefact potentially can occur for all surfactants tested this way. We propose testing surfactant's impact on springtail flotation by adding a few drops of surfactant and observing springtails' sinking behaviour, before testing toxicity. Alternatively, heat extraction or surfactant controls can be applied. Most importantly, these options should be mentioned in the respective guidelines, which are highly relevant for chemical risk assessment.

Use of technologies in healthcare: Advances and challenges

The advent of digital health has introduced a new paradigm in healthcare, characterized by the integration of advanced technologies into medical practice, research, and administration. Following recent reports from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), four critical themes have emerged in the discourse on digital health: (1) the relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the health workforce (Almyranti et al., 2024); (2) the real value and cost of digitalization; (3) the implementation and use of electronic health records (Slawomirski et al., 2023); and (4) the collective ethical responsibility in the use of AI in healthcare (Anderson & Sutherland, 2024).

Model of Education System in Indonesia Vocational High Schools Based on the Aspects School Cooperation with Industry Through Work-Based Learning to Improve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Objective: Producing a model system of school cooperation with industry through work-based learning to support quality education in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Theoretical Framework: This research is based on the learning design theory of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which is a method or model to help schools manage cooperation with industry, considering that the role of school cooperation with industry can be a bridge to produce graduates according to the needs of the labor market in improving sustainable development goals (SDGs). Method: This study uses a qualitative approach that will examine and describe the vocational education model in Indonesia in meeting the needs of the labor market. This study is a type of multi-case research with data collection techniques using observation, interviews, questionnaires, and reviewing relevant theories and research. The sample used as the object of the study was vocational high school students in East Java Province, Indonesia. Results and Discussion: The work-based learning model in Indonesia is divided into three main components, namely: (1) Planning; (2) Guidance and (3) Assessment. In its implementation, each component has several indicators, namely: (1) Competency Selection, Industry Determination, Program Preparation, Provision, Supervisor Determination; (2) Journal Preparation, Monitoring, Portfolio documentation and; (3) Supervisor Assessment, Certificate, Value Reporting. Research Implications: The results of this study are an alternative for Vocational High Schools in choosing a learning model. Based on the planning, guidance and assessment procedures with their respective indicators, it can provide recommendations for schools that work-based learning is not only the responsibility of the school, but work-based learning will be optimal if there is structural collaboration with industry. Originality/Value: The work-based learning model is revealed based on one of the strategies that is considered significant in creating attitudes, knowledge and skills in improving the quality of graduates. This condition is in accordance with the demands of student competence in the 21st century learning system and the era of the industrial revolution 4.0.