Impact of sanitary and phytosanitary measures on agri-products quality upgrading and environmental protection.

Protecting human, animal, and plant life or health from additives, toxins, and contaminants in agri-products and promoting green free trade are the main components of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures. However, the SPS measures are heterogeneous. This study examines the impact of SPS measures on the measured export quality and discusses their influence on the environmental protection of the exporting country. International heterogeneous measures do not necessarily promote quality upgrading but greatly increase transaction costs. By contrast, China's agri-product' quality upgrading and environmental pollution are in sharp contrast. Based on a heterogeneous firm-trade model, this study obtains three hypothetical propositions and conducts empirical regressions using the Tobit method. This study finds that heterogeneous SPS measures hinder quality upgrading because firms present a different quality upgrading trend, which in turn impedes the environmental protection of the exporting country; the quality upgrading made by diversified SOEs is higher than that of foreign firms and private firms; the quality upgrading made by general firms is higher than that of processing firms; and protective SPS measures have a stronger negative effect on quality upgrading and environmental protection.

Current progress in international pediatric emergency medicine.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Over the past four decades, pediatric emergency Medicine (PEM) has witnessed significant global development, with a notable increase in training programs and official recognition by regulatory bodies. However, disparities persist in the recognition of PEM as an independent subspecialty, availability of training programs on a global scale, academic recognition, and the ability to provide high-quality care to children worldwide. There is paucity of published literature regarding development of PEM globally. This review explores the current trends and challenges in international pediatric emergency medicine. RECENT FINDINGS: Current trends in international pediatric emergency medicine encompass the provision of training in pediatric-focused emergency and acute care, increased propagation of evidence-based guidelines specific to the care of children, the growth of collaborative research networks and interest groups within national and international societies. Simultaneously, the field continues to face challenges such as the lack of recognition, inequities in access, and a lack of dissemination of global PEM initiatives. SUMMARY: While recent advancements have significantly enhanced the state of international pediatric emergency medicine, including pediatric specific research networks and training programs, barriers still hinder its overall quality. Many of these obstacles are not unique to pediatric emergency medicine but are directly affected by financial disparities and lack of governmental and public recognition of the essential role of pediatric emergency care.

How Effective Was the Global South Knowledge Exchange? The Chinese-Funded Medical Projects in Tanzania, 1968-1990s.

Knowledge circulation scholars have examined the North-South exchange as mainly one-way traffic, where the Global South is perceived as the recipient of knowledge from the Global North. In contrast, this article underscores Southern countries' role in technoscientific development by examining actors in Chinese-funded medical projects in Tanzania. It shows that Chinese sponsorship of Tanzania's health sector was critical not only in breaking the yoke of dependency on medical knowledge from the North but also in debunking the Global North narratives positing Africa as backward and lacking initiative in medical and industrial technologies. Employing qualitative analytical methods on pertinent archival, oral accounts and published sources, this article shows that despite the Sino-Tanzanian cooperation's potential, knowledge exchanges were arguably one-way rather than reciprocal, and the exchanged knowledge remained ineffective and unsustainable owing to ill-thought modus operandi from the onset.

Mapping the landscape of medical research in the Arab world countries: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the productivity, performance, and impact of medical research in the Arab world countries. METHODS: We carried out a bibliometric analysis using Clarivate Analytics databases from January 2017 to March 2023. We reported research productivity, national and international research collaboration patterns, impact of Arab medical research output compared to the global average, top medical journals publishing Arab-affiliated research, and performance of the most productive Arab institutions. RESULTS: The Arab world contributed 2.72% to global medical research publication, with a citation impact of 11.98 compared to the global impact of 12.02. Qatar, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia led medical research publications per million population among Arab countries, ranking 26th, 36th, and 37th globally. Medical research publications increased by 87% annually from 2017-2022, with 70% of research originating from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. National collaborations accounted for 15% of Arab world publications, while international collaborations represented 66%. The median impact factor across the top 20 medical journals with Arab-affiliated authors was 5.14, with 50% being quartile one journals. The top 10 Arab-origin medical journals had a median impact factor of 3.13. Approximately 80% of the top 20 Arab institutions were academic, with a median publication count of 3,162.5 and a median citation impact of 14.5. CONCLUSION: The study provides insights into the state of medical research in the Arab countries, indicating room for improvement in the region's medical research.

Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment Update - U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, 36 Countries, 2016-2023.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among persons with HIV. In 2022, an estimated 167,000 TB-related deaths occurred globally among persons with HIV. TB preventive treatment (TPT) helps prevent TB disease and is recommended for persons at high risk for developing TB, including those with HIV. TPT, when taken with antiretroviral treatment (ART), can reduce TB-attributable deaths among persons with HIV. In 2018, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program committed to offer one course of TPT to all eligible clients receiving ART. This analysis describes trends in TPT initiation and completion among PEPFAR-supported programs in 36 countries in Africa, Central and South America, and Asia during fiscal years (FYs) 2017-2023. Overall, TPT initiation rates peaked in FY19, a possible sign of programmatic saturation. TPT initiation among clients who had been on ART <6 months reached 59%, and overall completion rates up to 87% were reported. Approximately 13 million persons with HIV have completed TPT since FY17, but widespread adoption of shorter regimens, patient-centered approaches, and electronic medical record systems might be needed to ensure full TPT coverage. Through PEPFAR's partnership with national HIV programs, TPT has become the standard of care for persons with HIV.

Evaluating strategies for developing renewable energies considering economic, social, and environmental aspects: a case study.

Due to fast industrial expansion and the increasing population in Vietnam, this country is confronting a mounting lack of energy. While this country has considerable renewable energy (RE) potentials, including wind, solar, biomass, and hydropower sources, it has yet to exploit them entirely because of a lack of proper planning. This research aimed to find and assess solutions for encouraging RE growth in Vietnam. RE development solutions were formulated through SWOT analysis and evaluated in terms of their social, economic, and environmental dimensions. The SWARA approach weighed the strategy evaluation criteria. The most influential sub-criteria were initial investment cost, reduction of adverse environmental impacts, and natural capacity of the region, with weights of 0.155, 0.127, and 0.114, respectively. Strategy evaluation was performed using the Gray ARAS, and the results were validated with the Gray COPRAS, the Gray TOPSIS-G, and the Gray MABAC. In the strategy ranking, the top strategy is to reduce the cost of renewable power generation. This can be achieved by using advanced technologies and promoting cooperation between domestic and foreign industries and companies. Increasing domestic and foreign investment in RE infrastructure by providing financial facilities for investors, developing domestic and international cooperation, and creating a competitive environment between different companies to reduce electricity production costs were the most suitable strategies.

Rifts over equity imperil WHO's pandemic treaty.

As deadline nears, negotiations continue over sharing pathogen sequences and vaccine doses.