Faculty of health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Msc (Med)Research Thesis. / Objective: To assess the relative cost effectiveness of moxifloxacin once-daily empirical monotherapy and ofloxacin/ metronidazole twice daily combination therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated pelvic inflammatory disease in adult female patients. Design: This is a retrospective cost analysis using data from a clinical trial in order to perform the economic anlysis from a funder perspective. The cost analysis is based on the clinical results of the MAIDEN study which is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, multicentre, multinational Phase III study comparing the efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin 400 mg po od for 14 days with ofloxacin 400mg po bid plus metronidazole 400mg po bid for 14 days in patients with uncomplicated pelvic inflammatory disease. Decision analysis is used to characterise the economic outcomes between groups and provide a structure upon which to base the sensitivity analyses. Published 2004 cost values are used throughout. Cost values for moxifloxacin are based on the retail price of Avelon tablets in South Africa as appears on the Orderwise Retail Pharmacy Ordering System (September 2004). Cost values for the comparator, ofloxacin and metronidazole, are based on the cheapest available generics on the South African market i.e. Zanocin 400 and Metazol 400mg respectively. Method: The cost analysis is based on the clinical results obtained from the MAIDEN study. Patients were enrolled in either the moxifloxacin treatment group (Group A) or the ofloxacin / metronidazole comparator group (Group B). Resource utilization included: - cost for study antimicrobials (total number of doses for the study period) - treatment for adverse events occurring up to 7 days after stopping the study medication - treatment for failures (includes patients continued on antimicrobial therapy after the 14 day course of therapy) - cost of additional physician visits to treat adverse events and treatment failures The primary end-point is the overall cost of treatment per patient as determined by: Clinical response 7 to 14 days after the last dose of study medication (Test-of-Cure visit) Since the clinical findings from the MAIDEN study showed that moxifloxacin treatment was at least as efficacious as ofloxacin/metronidazole treatment, a cost-minimization analysis was performed and the results were analysed according to decision analysis. Decision analysis was used to characterise the economic outcomes between the groups and provided a structure upon which to base the sensitivity analyses. The outcomes were depicted on a decision tree which proportionately determined the cost of treatment per patient in the two treatment groups. Results: No significant differences in clinical success rates were detected. Differences were mainly due to the cost of treating adverse events in the two groups. Costs per patient in the monotherapy vs combination therapy comparisons were R10 847.00 for moxifloxacin and R16 630.00 for ofloxacin/metronidazole treatment. Sensitivity analyses revealed that moxifloxacin monotherapy can be cost effective compared with ofloxacin/metronidazole combination therapy in different situations. Conclusion: Per patient, the cost of drug treatment and treatment of adverse events and clinical relapses was R10 847.00 for treatment with moxifloxacin therapy and R16 630.00 for ofloxacin/metronidazole therapy . In comparison to ofloxacin/metronidazole combination therapy, moxifloxacin monotherapy was therefore cost saving.

This Diploma Thesis has been written and defended at the Université Catholique de Lyon in France under the Double Degree Agreement between the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, and the Université Catholique de Lyon. In accordance with the Double Degree Agreement, this Diploma Thesis is fully recognized as part of the MSc programme study at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.

Judicial Corruption has been one the most serious problems in Latin America and particularly, within the Peruvian state for a long period of time. Accordingly, many judicial reforms were attempted by different governments –democratic and non democratic- in order to definitively resolve the problem. However, none of such attempts succeed and judicial corruption is now chronic in the Peruvian society. Taking into account this scenario, the following investigation proposes the application of the Economic Analysis of Law in order to find concrete ways to fight and end judicial corruption. For that purpose we will mainly apply the economic concepts of incentives and human behavior in order to detect the causes of judicial corruption, the obstacles to achieve a real reform, and principally, to propose concrete measures aimed to address the problem.

Judicial Corruption has been one the most serious problems in Latin America and particularly, within the Peruvian state for a long period of time. Accordingly, many judicial reforms were attempted by different governments –democratic and non democratic- in order to definitively resolve the problem. However, none of such attempts succeed and judicial corruption is now chronic in the Peruvian society. Taking into account this scenario, the following investigation proposes the application of the Economic Analysis of Law in order to find concrete ways to fight and end judicial corruption. For that purpose we will mainly apply the economic concepts of incentives and human behavior in order to detect the causes of judicial corruption, the obstacles to achieve a real reform, and principally, to propose concrete measures aimed to address the problem.

No description available.

No description available.

abstract: The global demand and trade for fruits and vegetables is increasing at national and international levels. The fresh fruits and vegetables supply chain are highly vulnerable to contamination and can be easily spoiled due to their perishable nature. Due to increases in fresh fruit and vegetable trade shipment volume between countries, the fresh food supply chain area is the highly susceptible and frequently prone to food contamination. The inability of firms in the fresh food business to have a good supply chain visibility and tracking system is one of the prominent reasons for food safety failure. Therefore, in order to avoid food safety risk and to supply safe food to consumers, the firms need to have an efficient traceability system in their supply chain. Most of the research in the food supply chain area suggests the implementation of a highly efficient tracking system called RFID (Radio frequency identification) technology to firms in the food industry. The medium scale firms in the fresh food supply chain business are skeptical about implementing the RFID technology equipped traceability system due to its high cost of investment and low margins on fresh food sales. This research developed two methods to measure the probability of food safety risk in food supply chain. These methods use the information gain from RFID traceability systems as a tool to measure the amount of risk in the fresh food supply chain. The stochastic optimization model is applied in this study to determine the risk premium by investing in RFID technology over the electronic barcode traceability system. The results show that there is a reduction in buyer (Type II error) and seller risk (Type I error) for RFID technology employed traceability system compared to electronic barcode system. It is found from stochastic optimization results that there is a positive risk premium by investing in RFID traceability system over the current systems and suggests the implementation of RFID traceability system for complex medium scale fresh produce imports to reduce the food safety risks. This research encourages the food industries and government agencies to evaluate alternatives to update supply chain system with RFID technology. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Agribusiness 2011

The basic problem confronting the dairy industry today is one of utilizing its total fluid milk production. During recent years the industry has witnessed a general decrease in per capita consumption of dairy products while per capita production has remained fairly constant and in amounts approximating the average for the past 16 years (Table 2 ). As a result the dairy industry has produced a surplus of fluid milk and manufactured dairy products. The Federal Government, under its price support program, has been the ultimate recipient of these surpluses and now possesses huge warehouse stocks. The cost to the Federal Government and to the taxpayer has been great, resulting in an intense desire by both the Federal Government and the dairy industry to take steps to alleviate this condition. The following study is undertaken with the hope that the findings from it may provide the dairy industry with information which, in some small way, may contribute a partial solution to this problem.

The purpose of this paper was to measure factors that affected the profitability of dairy operations in Gunnison Valley, Utah. Special attention was paid to economies of size, return on dairy capital and benefits accruing to the owners of dairies in the valley . Also, within the scope of this study was the subject of economic development and its accompanying impacts on an economy. A census of the dairy operations in Gunnison Valley was conducted to acquire data on dairy_capital owned, cow numbers and quantities of milk produced and returns to the owners of dairies of both a monetary and non-monetary nature. Comparisons were made of this data and overall profitability of dairy operations was measured in relation to various factors and the configuration of factor mixes. Developmental impacts were measured in an absolute and relative manner.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the economic feasibility of the Akkar Plain Agricultural Development Project. Data were collected at representative villages throughout the Akkar Plain in Syria. The data were used to establish the economic setting at the present time on the Akkar Plain and to establish a basis for determining the economic justification for the future planned developments. Methodology used was a farm budget analysis of a before development and after development situation. Internal rate of return and benefit/cost ratio were the measures used to determine economic feasibility. The paper discusses previous work completed, the development plan, methodology used, and analysis of results in that order.