Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-94). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-94). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, August, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-85)

Orientador: Wagner Luiz Lourenzani / Co-orientador: Ana Elisa Bressan Smith Lourenzani / Co-orientador: Izabel Castanha Gil / Banca: Gessuir Pigatto / Banca: Ferenc Istvan Bankuti / Resumo: O urucum é considerado um dos mais importantes corantes naturais, atuando não só como colorífico, mas também agregando propriedades nutricionais aos produtos que o utilizam. Apesar da importância, poucos estudos são desenvolvidos acerca da sua cadeia produtiva. Visando a preencher essa lacuna, este trabalho teve o objetivo de compreender a estrutura e o funcionamento do Sistema Agroindustrial (SAG) do urucum na Microrregião de Dracena, no estado de São Paulo. A seleção desse SAG, nessa região, deveu-se pela falta de trabalhos científicos acerca desse produto, nessa abordagem, e pela sua representatividade geográfica na produção nacional e estadual. Para a realização desse trabalho, foi utilizado um estudo exploratório de caráter qualitativo. A metodologia envolveu uma pesquisa bibliográfica e uma pesquisa de campo. Esta última contou com a realização de entrevistas junto aos agentes chaves do SAG do urucum na região estudada. Em um contexto socioeconômico, identificouse que o cultivo do urucum é uma alternativa de produção agrícola para a região estudada. Trata-se de uma atividade característica da pequena produção e adotada, em sua maioria, por produtores caracterizados pela agricultura familiar. Os resultados mostraram alguns desafios associados ao SAG do urucum, tais como: a falta de produtos defensivos aprovados para o urucum, a incipiência no desenvolvimento de máquinas e implementos específicos para a cultura, a escassez de mão de obra para o manejo e a colheita, bem c... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Annatto is considered one of the most important natural dyes, acting not only as colorific, but also adding nutritional properties to the products that use it. Although it is an important crop, few studies are developed regarding the chain organization. In order to fulfill this gap, this work aimed at understanding the structure and functioning of the Agroindustrial System (SAG) of annatto in the Microregion of Dracena, in the state of Sao Paulo. The selection of this SAG in this particular region was due to the lack of academic work regarding this product under supply chain approach and due to its geographical representativeness in national and state production. For the accomplishment of this work, an exploratory study of qualitative character was used. The methodology involved a bibliographical research and a field research. This last one counted on the accomplishment of interviews with the key agents of the SAG of annatto in the studied region. In a socioeconomic context, it was identified that the cultivation of annatto is an alternative of agricultural production for the region studied. This activity is characteristic of small-scale production and it is mostly cultivated by family farmers. The results reveled some challenges associated with SAG of annatto, such as: the lack of approved agrochemical products for annatto cultivation; the incipience in the development of specific machines and implements for the culture; the scarcity of hand labor for handling and harvesting; and the concern with the continuity of the agricultural activity by the next generations of the rural farmers. The low organization and cooperation among farmers for the commercializing annatto reduces bargaining power and weakens the production sector. When analyzing the relations between farmers and its dealers three types of transactions involving the relationship between buyers and buyers of annatto have been identified and [...]. / Mestre

No description available.

Class of 2014 Abstract / Specific Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the appropriateness of antibiotic use in the first 48 hours of being admitted to the emergency department in a tertiary care medical center. The purpose was to identify inappropriate usage patterns of antibiotics to limit future misuse and prevent the unintended consequences of overuse of antibiotics. Methods: Patients 18 years and older who were admitted to the emergency department at University of Arizona Medical Center – University Campus who were administered imipenem within 48 hours of admission were included. All antibiotics received by included patient were recorded and assessed for appropriateness by two pharmacists with specialized infectious disease training. Inappropriate use of carbapenems or other antibiotics in conjunction with carbapenems was identified and the acquisition cost of the misused antibiotics was calculated. Main Results: Imipenem use was considered inappropriate in 35/52 (71.1%) of patients included in this study. The direct cost of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing was $914.77. Multiple β-lactam antibiotics were used in 24/52 (46.1%) patients while 18/52 (34.6%) of patients received four or more antibiotics within the first 48 hours of admission. Conclusion: Imipenem was frequently used empirically for in cases did not fit the predetermined criteria of use within 48 hours of admission emergency department of the University of Arizona Medical Center – University Campus, resulting in unnecessary direct costs to the medical center.

Magister Economicae - MEcon / The paper is a microeconomic analysis of household saving that specifically looks at whether informal saving should be formalised, the costs and benefits to formalising, what has been done and how this may be improved. A microeconomic study in respect of a developing country like South Africa is crucial, rather than blindly adopting the studies of developed countries. This is necessary for a developing country’s households as they have vastly different demographic structures, where most households are likely to be large and poor (Deaton, 1989: 61) and where money is earned from the sale of agricultural produce or low wages and income generated from informal enterprises and services.The Income and Expenditure Survey data of South African households is used in this paper to analyse the behaviour of poor households. The households are divided into 10 quintiles; each quintile represents 10 percent of all households in terms of per capita income. The poorest household is represented in the first quintile and the richest in the tenth quintile.The results of the Income and Expenditure Survey indicate that the poor are concentrated amongst blacks, females, and those living in rural areas. They also have the lowest educational level whereas the larger households are found here. Furthermore, the poor tend to spend more of their income on health, food, education and cultural activities. However, the savings of the poor is lower than the savings of the higher income categories. What is of concern is that the poor do actually save but their saving methods are less likely to be recorded formally. They often prefer the easy access and convenience of informal savings as compared to deposit and credit facilities of formal financial institutions which are difficult to access (Sukhdeve, 2008: 34). However,informal savings carry significant risk for the poor households and barely contribute to GDP. The paper then looks at initiatives to improve the savings of the poor. Enhanced methods to save,accessibility of savings facilities, the reliability of these facilities and convenience will be investigated. These seem to be essential for the accumulation of cash in the long run.

No description available.

Introduction: During the last decade, our institution saw a 260% increase in bilateral breast reconstruction cases, consistent with national trends. We reported a drop in average age of prophylactic mastectomy from 57 to 51 years. There is limited data on the likelihood of histological abnormalities in this population. This study measures the prevalence of occult histological findings in prophylactic mastectomy patients. Given the current healthcare reform climate, we estimate the lifetime cost implications of prophylactic mastectomy with immediate reconstruction vs. surveillance. Methods: A retrospective database of breast reconstructions at the Massachusetts General Hospital was searched from 2004 to 2011 for prophylactic mastectomy patients. Breasts with prior biopsy-proven LCIS, DCIS, or cancer were excluded. Patient demographics, risk factors, and pathology reports were collected. Lifetime treatment reimbursements were estimated with 2013 rates from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services using Medicare billing codes. Reimbursements were estimated for 45-year-old patients undergoing contralateral prophylactic mastectomy and 40-year-old patients undergoing bilateral prophylactic mastectomies, and then were compared to women opting for surveillance. Conversion rates to cancer in these patients were used to estimate the percentage patients in the surveillance groups that would need therapeutic mastectomy. Sensitivity analyses were done to test the robustness of the models. Results: 495 prophylactic mastectomy specimens were identified, of which 2.0% had invasive cancer, 4.4% had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and 10.9% had lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) as the highest-risk lesion. Only age group was predictive of finding DCIS or cancer (P=0.02). The likelihood of finding LCIS, DCIS, or cancer increased with age group (P<0.001) and decreased with prior bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO)(P=0.02). In almost all scenarios, lifetime reimbursements were lower for pursuing either contralateral or bilateral prophylactic mastectomy, with immediate single-stage implant, expander, or abdominal perforator free flap (DIEP) reconstruction, as compared to surveillance. Conclusions: Prophylactic mastectomy patients have a significant rate of occult histological findings, increasing with age group and decreasing with prior BSO. Lifetime cost estimates suggest a cost-saving role in bilateral and contralateral prophylactic mastectomies. Ultimately, such a critical decision needs to be made individually, but should not be hindered by cost concerns. This study addresses a gap in knowledge with broad interest, contributing evidence of oncologic risk and cost to help guide decision-making in prophylactic mastectomy.

South African electricity tariffs were relatively low compared to the rest of the world. The average South African business has for long taken this advantage for granted and is now surprised to realise that electricity is becoming an expensive and scarce commodity. The South African electricity supply industry is far more complex than the average person may think. The infrastructure supporting this industry is extremely costly; takes long to develop and build and requires careful planning and management. There are many sources of energy and many technologies for generating electricity. However, many of these do not appear quite ready to serve the needs of the industry. The manufacturing industry depends heavily on electricity. The recent power outages and tariff increases have served as a cruel reminder of this fact. The automotive sector has lost many days of production and the increasing electricity costs erode the profitability of the affected companies. The automotive suppliers and vehicle manufacturers have expressed their concerns. Indications are that some have reduced the number of employees and may even face bankruptcy. This research aims to gain the perspective of senior managers in the automotive industry regarding the impact of the increased electricity tariffs on their manufacturing costs. Naturally, all electricity consumers will be affected by this. However, this research aims to investigate the significance of the effect on the automotive industry as well as obtain some indication of which factors determine the level of dependency. Each company has to react strategically to the situation and apply those measures which are available to them. This research determines how strongly the industry feels about reacting and which strategic measures they will apply. The outcome is descriptive of the circumstances in the industry and indisputably serves as an indication of the financial impact of electricity tariff increases.