Development Research Centre Research Articles

Changes in beverage purchases following the announcement and implementation of South Africa's Health Promotion Levy: an observational study

SummaryBackgroundIn 2016, South Africa announced an intention to levy a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). In 2018, the country implemented an SSB tax of approximately 10%, known as the Health Promotion Levy (HPL). We aimed to assess changes in the purchases of beverages before and after the HPL announcement and implementation.MethodsWe used Kantar Europanel data on monthly household purchases between January, 2014, and March, 2019, among a sample of South African households (n=113 653 household-month observations) from all nine provinces to obtain per-capita sugar, calories, and volume from taxable and non-taxable beverages purchased before and after the HPL announcement and implementation. We describe survey-weighted means for each period, and regression-controlled predictions of outcomes and counterfactuals based on pre-HPL announcement trends, with bootstrapped 95% CIs, and stratify results by socioeconomic status.FindingsMean sugar from taxable beverage purchases fell from 16·25 g/capita per day (95% CI 15·80–16·70) to 14·26 (13·85–14·67) from the pre-HPL announcement to post-announcement period, and then to 10·63 g/capita per day (10·22–11·04) in the year after implementation. Mean volumes of taxable beverage purchases fell from 518·99 mL/capita per day (506·90–531·08) to 492·16 (481·28–503·04) from pre-announcement to post announcement, and then to 443·39 mL/capita per day (430·10–456·56) after implementation. Across these time periods, there was a small increase in the purchases of non-taxable beverages, from 283·45 mL/capita per day (273·34–293·56) pre-announcement to 312·94 (296·29–329·29) post implementation. When compared with pre-announcement counterfactual trends, reductions in taxable beverage purchase outcomes were significantly larger than the unadjusted survey-weighted observed reductions. Households with lower socioeconomic status purchased larger amounts of taxable beverages in the pre-announcement period than did households with higher socioeconomic status, but demonstrated bigger reductions after the tax was implemented.InterpretationThe announcement and introduction of South Africa’s HPL were followed by reductions in the sugar, calories, and volume of beverage purchases.FundingBloomberg Philanthropies, International Development Research Centre, South African Medical Research Council, and the US National Institutes of Health.

Technological innovation, industrial upgrading and regional economic development: evidence from China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt

The development strategy of the Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important strategy for China to cope with the new normal of economic development. This paper uses provincial panel data from the Information Network of the National Bureau of Statistics of China and the Development Research Centre of the State Council and conduct a panel data fixed effect regression model to empirically study the impact of technological innovation and industrial upgrading on economic development of 11 provinces in the Yangtze River economic belt. The results of full sample estimation show that technological innovation and industrial upgrading can promote economic growth at a significant level of 1%, but the impact of industrial upgrading is not obvious when they are considered separately. According to the results of sub-regional estimation, there is regional heterogeneity in the degree of effect of technological innovation and industrial upgrading on economy. Therefore, the Yangtze River Economic Belt should increase investment in science and technology, adjust industries according to the development orientation of provinces, pay more attention to the rationalization of industrial structure, rationally allocate resources among industries, and pay attention to the complementary development among regions.

Data Management Application Research and Community Service Development Center (P4M) Web Based on STMIK Dipanegara Makassar

STMIK Dipanegara Makassar as an IT campus should rightly maximize the use of technology in an effort to improve the quality and productivity of lecturers and students. One of them is at the Research and Community Service Development Center (P4M) unit that handles the Field Work Plus lectures as well as the Research and Community Service of Internal Lecturers. Where the administration of data management is still using manual methods which of course can cause problems such as lost files, data collection that takes a long time and constrained information dissemination. Therefore, there needs to be an application that can manage administrative data where the application is built in the form of a web so that it can be used as a medium for disseminating information about activities that are the responsibility of P4M. This study uses observations and interviews in gathering data. With this system, P4M no longer needs to use manual methods in managing its administrative data and can use the system as a medium for spreading information.

Alfred M. Anzalone

Alfred M. “Fred” Anzalone, 93, died March 20, 2020, in Mendham, New Jersey. “Fred worked as a chemist, then as a technical research librarian for Armament Research and Development Center at Picatinny Arsenal for 30 years before retiring in 1983. Fred was a longtime active member of St. Joseph Church in Mendham. He enjoyed the Fellowship of the Feast Committee and the seniors group. Fred’s favorite pastime was working in his yard. It gave him great joy. He loved taking family beach vacations, particularly to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. His family will remember him for passing on his passion for great food, the joy of gathering at the table, and for our Italian heritage.”—Family of Alfred M. Anzalone Most recent title: Technical research librarian, Armament Research and Development Center, Picatinny Arsenal Education: BS, chemistry, Seton Hall University; MLS, Rutgers University Survivors: Daughters, Linda O’Brien and Susan; son, Mark

Application of colour fluorescent oil flow visualization for a high speed cavity

For studying the complex flow structure of a high speed cavity, including shear layer, separation, reattachment and vortex, the single-color fluorescent oil flow visualization system in the 0.6m×0.6m trisonic wind tunnel of China Aerodynamic Research Development Centre was enhanced. Different portions of the cavity such as its bottom wall, left and right side walls, front and rear walls and area outside the cavity utilized different oil films with different fluorescent particles to visualize the flow mixing more effectively in the cavity. Specialized ultraviolet light sources are used to enhance the oil flow image contrast. Additionally, to ensure the oil film follows the surface streamlines and indicates the skin friction lines more accurately, the thickness and viscosity of the oil film are well controlled. A high-speed cavity wind tunnel test was conducted to validate the improved oil flow visualization system at Mach number ranging from 0.6 to 2.0. The experimental result shows that the improved oil flow system can effectively visualize complex flow patterns of the cavity flow at all Mach numbers. Colour fluorescent oil flow visualization system established in the present study provides a capability to visualize the flow mixing phenomenon in cavity flows with a high image contrast.

Hibridación digital en el Cono Sur: Consumo de medios tradicionales, digitales y uso de redes sociales

 This work offers an exploratory approach to the consumption of traditional and digital media and the use of social networks in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. In the first place, a brief theory is offered that contextualizes the advance of new information technologies. Subsequently, with data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and surveys with national probabilistic samples financed by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada, a descriptive analysis is carried out on the consumption of politicak information and the use of digital social networks. These three countries have high Internet penetration rates, broadband subscriptions and mobile Internet compared to other Latin American countries. Despite this, traditional channels such as television continue to predominate in the consumption of political information. Finally, the average age of digital media and network users is lower and there are certain sociodemographic differences by country. For example, Chile and Uruguay show greater concentration in their metropolitan areas, and a socioeconomic gap can be seen in Internet consumption in Argentina and Chile.

The Duration of Unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Study Using Microeconomic Data from the Republic of Congo

The Duration of Unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Study Using Microeconomic Data from the Republic of Congo Ndombi Avouba Fabrice-gilles, Kouika Bouanza Jean Roméo Félix, Ganga Zandzou Ulrich Jeanin Aymar Abstract This article aims to analyze the factors explaining the duration of unemployment in Congo. To do so, we opted for a logit model with a limited dependent variable. Using data from a survey conducted by the Laboratoire de recherches et d'études économiques et sociales du Congo (LARES) in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in 2018), we show that the duration of unemployment in Congo is explained in part by job search intensity.This finding has implications for economic policy. Moreover, this result can be further developed in the future by conducting an analysis of the gender determinants of unemployment duration. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jeds.v9n1a3

The Willingness to Pay for Social Insurance

Many authors agree that extending social security to all working people is essential to ensure the wellbeing and respect of human rights in society. Without denying the importance of previous studies, we believe that without understanding workers’ preferences, and their willingness to participate and to pay for social insurance, it will be difficult for policy makers to launch successful reforms and extend social security to all. This article aims to study these preferences in Algeria, by using a survey conducted by the Applied Economics for Development Research Center (CREAD) and a valuation contingent method. We highlight the socio-economic predictors of the willingness to pay for social insurance with results that have practical meaning for policy framework.

Tan Teng Phee, Behind Barbed Wire: Chinese New Villages During the Malayan Emergency, 1948–1960

华人研究国际学报Vol. 12, No. 02, pp. 145-147 (2020) 书评No AccessTan Teng Phee, Behind Barbed Wire: Chinese New Villages During the Malayan Emergency, 1948–1960游俊豪游俊豪南洋理工大学人文学院, 新加坡 Search for more papers by this author https://doi.org/10.1142/S1793724820000279Cited by:0 Previous AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsRecommend to Library ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2020), xxiv + 318 pp. FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Recommended Vol. 12, No. 02 Metrics History PDF download

Human Diploid Fibroblast Cell Lines - a Model System for Studying Immunodulatory Properties of Modern Immunobiological Drugs and Viruses.

The immunomodulatory properties of immunobiological drugs Glutoxim and Phosprenyl we well as vesicular stomatitis virus and inactivated tick-borne encephalitis vaccine virus were studied using human diploid fibroblast cell line from the collection of M. P. Chumakov Federal Research Center for Research and Development of Immunobiological Products. All tested preparations exhibited immunomodulatory activity in human diploid fibroblast cell line. Glutoxim in doses of 0.1 and 0.25 μg/ml stimulated production of IL-6 and IL-10 during 24-48 h of culturing, but did not stimulate production of IL-1β. Phosprenyl, on the contrary, increased production of IL-1β and the levels of IL-6 and IL-10. Vesicular stomatitis virus stimulated the production of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10, while inactivated tick-borne encephalitis vaccine virus stimulated the production of cytokines IL-8 and IL-18. Immunomodulatory activity of inactivated tick-borne encephalitis vaccine virus was first demonstrated in the in vitro system.

AJRH gets new numbers and a social science editor.

AJRH gets new numbers and a social science editor.

The Kurds of Northern Syria: Governance, Diversity, and Conflicts: Book Review

The purpose of this paper is to present a review of The Kurds of Northern Syria: Governance, Diversity, and Conflicts written by Harriet Allsopp and Wladimir van Wilgenburg, granted by the International Development Research Center, (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada Iraq Studies (IIST), First Published in Great Britain, 2019.

Quinoa value chain, adoption, and market assessment in Morocco.

Agriculture faces many challenges such as climate change, droughts, and salinity, which requires urgent interventions for fast adaptation and diversification of the sector. In this context, introduction of new crops that tolerate stresses and generate high added value such as quinoa would allow simultaneously to address two interlinked challenges: abiotic stresses that limit agricultural production and poverty that impacts negatively the rural people. The quinoa Rehamna project funded by the International Development Research Centre aims to contribute to the development the quinoa value chain toward achieving food and nutritional security of rural poor communities. The obtained results from the farmer's survey show that 14% of surveyed farmers already grow quinoa and 2/3 never heard about quinoa, among them 96% are interested to grow quinoa. The marketing study reveals that the psychological price that satisfies most of consumers is ranging between 2 and 2.6 USD/500 g of processed quinoa seeds. The findings indicate that quinoa has a great potential for both producers and consumers in Morocco and can be a judicious solution toward achieving food and nutritional security.

Reflections from the Think Tank Initiative and their relevance for Canada

ABSTRACT From 2009–2019, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) managed the Think Tank Initiative (TTI) as a contribution to strengthening applied research systems in Latin America, East and West Africa and South Asia. TTI’s experience supporting these organisations yielded interesting insights into how collaborations between researchers and civil society organisations can be made more effective. If we wish to see greater benefits from researcher-civil society collaborations in Canada in support of international development policy and programming, it might be time again to reflect on how to address the gap created after the closure of the North–South Institute.

The problem of designing research centers on the example of the Far Eastern Region

This article discusses the problem of architectural planning, spatial and city-forming factors in the formation of the architecture of research institutes, centers and complexes, which in turn are part of science cities, technology parks, technopolises and academic towns. The world and Russian (including the Far East) examples of the formation and development of research centers are considered. The main features of their development are highlighted, which include: the location near the city and scientific institutes / universities, the construction period is no more than 5 years, the multidisciplinarity of workspaces, the flexibility of the planning structure, the economy and energy efficiency of the adapted architecture, etc. Based on the analysis, recommendations are proposed for the development of innovation and infrastructure in the Far East, using the example of the city of Khabarovsk. The problems and possibilities of design and construction in the city are identified, based on regional aspects inherent in the Far East.

Introduction to a Landscape Analysis of Multisectoral Approaches for Prevention and Control of Infectious and Vector-Borne Diseases.

The Swiss Development Cooperation, Canada’s International Development Research Centre, the Swiss Tropical Public Health Institute, and the UNICEF/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/World Bank/World Health Organization (WHO) Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) collaborated on a project to review, understand and promote the use of multisectoral approaches (MSAs) in the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases (VBDs). The objectives of the project were to support a landscape analysis of how MSAs have been used in the prevention and control of VBDs; to develop a theoretical framework for guiding the implementation of interventions; and to test the recommendations in real-life conditions. To realize these objectives, the project supported several activities, including commissioning a series of scientific reviews on MSAs in 5 thematic areas, sharing the key findings of these reviews in workshops and events, and developing a guidance framework for the implementation of MSAs. These activities have produced the theoretical framework that will be tested in real-life conditions through the support of case studies. The collaboration on implementing multisectoral activities against VBDs will continue among TDR, the Swiss Tropical Public Health Institute, and new partners such as the WHO Water Sanitation and Hygiene Group, UNDP, and UN-Habitat, in order to face the challenges identified and propose solutions tailored to specific contexts. The prevention and control of VBDs require strong and adapted MSAs with the full participation of all relevant sectors.

The health and economic burden of smoking in 12 Latin American countries and the potential effect of increasing tobacco taxes: an economic modelling study

Worldwide, smoking tobacco causes 7 million deaths annually, and this toll is expected to increase, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. In Latin America, smoking is a leading risk factor for death and disability, contributes to poverty, and imposes an economic burden on health systems. Despite being one of the most effective measures to reduce smoking, tobacco taxation is underused and cigarettes are more affordable in Latin America than in other regions. Our aim was to estimate the tobacco-attributable burden on mortality, disease incidence, quality of life lost, and medical costs in 12 Latin American countries, and the expected health and economic effects of increasing tobacco taxes. In this modelling study, we developed a Markov probabilistic microsimulation economic model of the natural history, medical costs, and quality-of-life losses associated with the most common tobacco-related diseases in 12 countries in Latin America. Data inputs were obtained through a literature review, vital statistics, and hospital databases from each country: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. The main outcomes of the model are life-years, quality-adjusted life-years, disease events, hospitalisations, disease incidence, disease cost, and healthy years of life lost. We estimated direct medical costs for each tobacco-related disease included in the model using a common costing methodology for each country. The disease burden was estimated as the difference in disease events, deaths, and associated costs between the results predicted by the model for current smoking prevalence and a hypothetical cohort of people in each country who had never smoked. The model estimates the health and financial effects of a price increase of cigarettes through taxes, in terms of disease and health-care costs averted, and increased tax revenues. In the 12 Latin American countries analysed, we estimated that smoking is responsible for approximately 345 000 (12%) of the total 2 860 921 adult deaths, 2·21 million disease events, 8·77 million healthy years of life lost, and $26·9 billion in direct medical costs annually. Health-care costs attributable to smoking were estimated to represent 6·9% of the health budgets of these countries, equivalent to 0·6% of their gross domestic product. Tax revenues from cigarette sales cover 36·0% of the estimated health expenditures caused by smoking. We estimated that a 50% increase in cigarette price through taxation would avert more than 300 000 deaths, 1·3 million disease events, gain 9 million healthy life-years, and save $26·7 billion in health-care costs in the next 10 years, with a total economic benefit of $43·7 billion. Smoking represents a substantial health and economic burden in these 12 countries of Latin America. Tobacco tax increases could successfully avert deaths and disability, reduce health-care spending, and increase tax revenues, resulting in large net economic benefits. International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada.

First Report of Stem Canker of Tomato Caused by Fusarium striatum in Mexico.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop in Mexico. During 2015 and 2016, symptoms of stem canker were observed on tomato plants in two greenhouses located in the states of Sinaloa and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Symptomatic plants exhibited dark brown cankers on stems and brown discoloration of the pith, as well as chlorosis, senescence of leaves, and wilting. At the base of diseased plants, orange-red perithecia were developed. Disease incidence ranged 1-5% in the two greenhouses. Pieces from symptomatic stems were surface disinfested by immersion in a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution for 2 min, rinsed in sterile distilled water, and placed in Petri plates containing acidified potato dextrose agar (APDA). The plates were incubated at 25 ºC for 6 days under a 12-h photoperiod. Fusarium-like colonies were consistently isolated and 10 monoconidial isolates were obtained. A representative isolate of each site was selected for morphological characterization, phylogenetic analysis, and pathogenicity tests. The two isolates were deposited in the Culture Collection of Phytopathogenic Fungi at the Research Center for Food and Development (accession nos. CCLF11 and CCLF12). Colonies on PDA at 25°C for 7 days exhibited moderate and cream aerial mycelium. Microscopic examination showed falciform, hyaline macroconidia (n= 100), 4- to 5-septate, measuring 40 to 75 × 4 to 6 µm. Microconidia (n= 100) were cylindrical, hyaline, 0- to 1-septate, measuring 7.8 to 9.5 × 3.1 to 4.8 µm. Chlamydospores were absent. To further identify the pathogen, total DNA was extracted, and the RNA polymerase's second largest subunit (RPB2) and a portion of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the primers 5f2 (Liu et al. 1999)/7cr (Reeb et al. 2004) and EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn 1999), respectively. The sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession nos. RPB2: MT263727, MT263728; and TEF1-α: MT249025, MT249026). A phylogenetic analysis was performed by the Maximum Likelihood method with a combined dataset of RPB2 and TEF-1α sequences for Fusarium and Neocosmospora species (Sandoval-Denis and Crous 2018). The phylogenetic tree grouped the two isolates CCLF11 and CCLF12 within the F. striatum clade with 99% of bootstrap support. Pathogenicity of the two isolates was verified by inoculation of colonized PDA plugs (5 mm diameter) on the wounded stem surface of 10 2-month-old tomato plants from cv. Sun 6200. Ten control plants were inoculated with PDA plugs without mycelia. All plants were kept under greenhouse conditions at 25 to 35°C and regularly watered. Symptoms of stem canker were observed on all inoculated plants after 15 days, whereas stems from control plants remained healthy. After 45 days, perithecia were observed on stem cankers. Koch´s postulates were fulfilled when the fungus was re-isolated from the stems of inoculated plants and not from control plants. Fusarium striatum has been previously reported causing stem canker of tomato in greenhouses in Canada and the USA (Moine et al. 2014). To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. striatum causing stem canker of tomato in Mexico. This fungal pathogen represents a severe threat and has the potential to cause significant yield losses in tomato greenhouses, so further research is required to define effective management strategies.

Site classification and probabilistic estimation of Vs30 for the Iranian strong-motion network

Through a probabilistic approach, this study provides estimates of the time-averaged shear-wave velocity in the top 30 m of soil column (Vs30) for the stations of Iranian strong-motion network. For this purpose, we consider the strong-motion dataset of the Road, Housing and Urban Development Research Center for the period 1975–2018 from which 3828 three-component records from 1636 events with moment magnitude of >3, recorded at 892 stations (hypocentral distances of <300 km), are used in this study. The stations with known Vs30 (388 stations) are grouped into the NEHRP site classes; 3 stations in class A, 115 in class B, 213 in class C, 52 in class D, and 5 in class E. We obtain the probability density function and cumulative distribution function of the natural logarithm of horizontal-to-vertical response spectral ratio of ground-motion amplitudes, ln(H/V), at different periods as the basis for site classification and Vs30 estimation. We show that there is a strong dependency between site class and ln(H/V) at periods between 0.5 and 1.4 s. Using two classification criteria, we estimate the site class and Vs30 for 504 stations without this information. Our results show that there are 6 stations in site class A, 191 in class B, 76 in class C, 222 in class D, and 9 in class E. The residuals between observed and estimated Vs30 values (observed − estimated in logarithmic scale) do not show any trends and are consistent across all stations with a mean, standard deviation, and percentage error of 0.09, 0.19, and 15%, respectively. We also test our approach against the values obtained from the topography slope method proposed by Wald and Allen (2007), which results in a larger error with a mean, standard deviation, and percentage error of −0.41, 0.39, and 77%, respectively.

Gyrotron-Based Technological Systems for Material Processing—Current Status and Prospects

Among various applications of the gyrotrons to the fundamental physical research and to the high-power terahertz science and technologies, the material treatment based on the irradiation by millimeter and sub-millimeter waves is both one of the oldest and most advanced (industrial grade) technologies. In this paper, we present the recent advancements and the current status of both the development of gyrotron-based technological systems and their utilization for processing of diverse advanced materials. The current status of the work in this broad field worldwide is illustrated mainly by representative results obtained during the longstanding (more than 20 years since 1999) and fruitful collaboration between the Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IAP-RAS) and Research Center for Development of Far-Infrared Region, University of Fukui (FIR-UF).