The world needs BRICS countries to build capacity in invasion science.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Measey J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6772094 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundThe global cancer burden is disproportionately greater in low- and middle-income countries, including those affected by conflict in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Contributing factors include inadequate control of risk factors plus limited surveillance and treatment options. Weak healthcare infrastructure may be further compounded by the conflict prevalent in multiple MENA countries. Improved cancer surveillance, research, and capacity strengthening are essential for implementing cancer control plans in the MENA region, requisite for reducing the disproportionate cancer burden.AimsThis article aims to understand the barriers to cancer research and training in conflict-affected MENA countries, and to identify opportunities for developing capacities for reliable cancer research strategies.MethodsThis study employs a mixed-method approach utilizing an online questionnaire with open and close ended questions targeting oncologists and cancer researchers in conflict-affected MENA countries. For open-ended questions, we performed a qualitative content analysis to identify thematic barriers.ResultsForty-eight respondents, mostly Medical and Radiation Oncologists, completed the questionnaire. The most significant training needs were conducting clinical, basic, and qualitative cancer research. The most prominent barriers identified were insufficient training in data analysis and research design (77% and 75% of respondents, respectively) and insufficient institutional and government funding (94% and 85%, respectively). For the qualitative data, we organized the barriers into six themes, the most common was the lack of research infrastructure (28%).ConclusionsDespite an escalating cancer burden, conflict-affected MENA countries are lagging in knowledge production and implementation of evidence-based cancer research. Novel modes of knowledge transmission and collaboration across geographical and political boundaries are sorely needed. Based on our study, we recommend developing innovative and accessible training opportunities focusing on developing basic, clinical, and qualitative research skills. Research capacity-strengthening initiatives should encourage the investigation of context-specific research questions with the potential to make a meaningful impact on cancer control in the region.
| S-EPMC7646279 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This paper investigates the dynamics of bond and stock market capital flows to BRICS countries under uncertainties such as global economic policy uncertainty and the US trade policy uncertainty. We use a time-varying Granger causality framework over the January 2008-November 2019 period to analyze the predictive power of uncertainties on capital flows in the form of bond and equity. The results show that the effects are heterogeneous across countries and stronger during the Global Financial Crisis period and post-2018 period while it lost its significance in the subsequent period. The negative influence of uncertainties on capital flows directed to BRICS countries is also evident in the results of non-parametric time-varying panel models. Overall, it is thought that the heterogeneous structure of the causality between uncertainty and portfolio flows into BRICS may present portfolio diversification benefits for global investors.
| S-EPMC7332463 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundKidney transplantation (KT) is the optimal treatment for kidney failure and is associated with better quality of life and survival relative to dialysis. However, knowledge of the current capacity of countries to deliver KT is limited. This study reports on findings from the 2018 International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas survey, specifically addressing the availability, accessibility, and quality of KT across countries and regions.MethodsData were collected from published online sources, and a survey was administered online to key stakeholders. All country-level data were analyzed by International Society of Nephrology region and World Bank income classification.ResultsData were collected via a survey in 182 countries, of which 155 answered questions pertaining to KT. Of these, 74% stated that KT was available, with a median incidence of 14 per million population (range: 0.04-70) and median prevalence of 255 per million population (range: 3-693). Accessibility of KT varied widely; even within high-income countries, it was disproportionately lower for ethnic minorities. Universal health coverage of all KT treatment costs was available in 31%, and 57% had a KT registry.ConclusionsThere are substantial variations in KT incidence, prevalence, availability, accessibility, and quality worldwide, with the lowest rates evident in low- and lower-middle income countries. Understanding these disparities will inform efforts to increase awareness and the adoption of practices that will ensure high-quality KT care is provided around the world.
| S-EPMC9128615 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Genomic medicine applications have the potential to considerably improve health care in developing countries in the coming years. However, if developing countries do not improve their capacity for research and development (R&D) in the field, they might be left out of the genomics revolution. Large-scale and widely accessible databases for storing and analyzing genomic data are crucial tools for the advancement of genomic medicine. Building developing countries' capacity in genomics is accordingly closely linked to their involvement in international human genomics research initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a pilot study on the impact of international open science genomics projects on capacity building in R&D in developing countries. Using indicators we developed in previous work to measure the performance of international open science genomics projects, we analyse the policies and practices of four key projects in the field: the International HapMap Project, the Human Heredity and Health in Africa Initiative, the Malaria Genomic Epidemiology Network and the Structural Genomics Consortium. The results show that these projects play an important role in genomics capacity building in developing countries, but play a more limited role with regard to the potential redistribution of the benefits of research to the populations of these countries. We further suggest concrete initiatives that could facilitate the involvement of researchers from developing countries in the international genomics research community and accelerate capacity building in the developing world.
| S-EPMC6384230 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Research in population genetics and evolutionary biology has always provided a computational backbone for life sciences as a whole. Today evolutionary and population biology reasoning are essential for interpretation of large complex datasets that are characteristic of all domains of today's life sciences ranging from cancer biology to microbial ecology. This situation makes algorithms and software tools developed by our community more important than ever before. This means that we, developers of software tool for molecular evolutionary analyses, now have a shared responsibility to make these tools accessible using modern technological developments as well as provide adequate documentation and training.
| S-EPMC5967460 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The registered report (RR) format is rapidly being adopted by scientific researchers and journals. RRs flip the peer review process, with reviewers evaluating proposed methods, rather than the data and findings. Editors then accept or reject articles largely based on the pre-data collection review. Accordingly, RRs reduce the incentive for researchers to exaggerate their findings, and they make any data-driven changes to the methods and analysis more conspicuous. They also reduce publication bias, ensuring studies with null or otherwise unfavorable results are published. RRs are being used in many fields to improve research practices and increase confidence in study findings. The authors suggest RRs ought to be the default way in which validation studies are conducted and reported in the forensic sciences. They produce more reliable findings, advance criminal justice values, and will lead to several efficiencies in the research process.
| S-EPMC7219172 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study estimates the impact of green technology innovation and its interaction terms on CO2 emission, by using the random and fixed effect estimate method, employs panel data of the G7 and BRICS countries from 1990 to 2019. The regression results show that a single type of green technological innovation has not a significant inhibitory effect on CO2 emissions. The interaction of the two types of green technological innovations has a significant effect on the decrease of CO2. Moreover, the study test the difference effect of green technological innovations on CO2 emission among the G7 and BRICS countries. Furthermore, we also choose appropriate instrument variables to deal with the endogenesis of the model and examine model robustness. The findings demonstrate that the empirical conclusions can hold true in the test. Based on the findings above, we puts forward a few policy recommendations for G7 countries and BRICS countries to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
| S-EPMC10256825 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The aim of the article is to compare health system outcomes in the BRICS countries, assess the trends of their changes in 2000-2017, and verify whether they are in any way correlated with the economic context. The indicators considered were: nominal and per capita current health expenditure, government health expenditure, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, GDP growth, unemployment, inflation, and composition of GDP. The study covered five countries of the BRICS group over a period of 18 years. We decided to characterize countries covered with a dataset of selected indicators describing population health status, namely: life expectancy at birth, level of immunization, infant mortality rate, maternal mortality ratio, and tuberculosis case detection rate. We constructed a unified synthetic measure depicting the performance of individual health systems in terms of their outcomes with a single numerical value. Descriptive statistical analysis of quantitative traits consisted of the arithmetic mean (xsr), standard deviation (SD), and, where needed, the median. The normality of the distribution of variables was tested with the Shapiro-Wilk test. Spearman's rho and Kendall tau rank coefficients were used for correlation analysis between measures. The correlation analyses have been supplemented with factor analysis. We found that the best results in terms of health care system performance were recorded in Russia, China, and Brazil. India and South Africa are noticeably worse. However, the entire group performs visibly worse than the developed countries. The health system outcomes appeared to correlate on a statistically significant scale with health expenditures per capita, governments involvement in health expenditures, GDP per capita, and industry share in GDP; however, these correlations are relatively weak, with the highest strength in the case of government's involvement in health expenditures and GDP per capita. Due to weak correlation with economic background, other factors may play a role in determining health system outcomes in BRICS countries. More research should be recommended to find them and determine to what extent and how exactly they affect health system outcomes.
| S-EPMC7136407 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This scoping review aimed to map the main evidence in the existing literature regarding consumer perceptions and beliefs regarding food safety in the context of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries. Articles were searched in the Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases. The last search was performed on November 2021. Only the studies conducted within BRICS countries were included. The synthesis aimed to group similarities in consumer beliefs and perceptions of food safety. After screening, 74 eligible articles were included in the study. Of the 74 studies analyzed, 49 (66.2%) were carried out in China, 14 (18.9%) in Brazil, 5 (6.8%) in India,4 (5.4%) in South Africa, and 2 (2.7%) in Russia. Thirty-three motivators of perceptions and beliefs regarding food safety were identified. Food safety motivators were grouped into three categories: (1) sociodemographic characteristics, (2) cognitive aspects, and (3) other. In the "sociodemographic characteristics" category, the motivator with the highest number of corresponding results was education level (results = 22), followed by income (results = 22), both positive drivers for food safety perceptions. The "cognitive aspects" category comprised the majority of the identified motivators. Concern for food safety (results = 32) and risk perception (results = 30) were the motivators with the highest number of results among all categories and motivators. Finally, the main motivator in the "other" category was place of consumption/purchase (results = 8), focusing on consumers underestimating the risk of having a foodborne disease when eating away from home. China and Brazil are leading the way in studies on this topic. Consumers' perceptions are influenced by socioeconomic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education level, income), cognitive aspects (e.g., knowledge, risk perception, food concerns, previous experience with food safety incidents) and other situational factors (e.g., price, place of purchase, traceability).
| S-EPMC8833883 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: The aim of the study was to identify, interpret, and compare the current perspectives of regulatory agencies in six member countries of BRICS-TM (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Turkey, and Mexico) on the different criteria used for biosimilar development and marketing authorisation process. Methods: A semi-quantitative questionnaire was developed covering the organisation of agency, biosimilar development criteria and marketing authorisation process and sent to seven regulatory agencies covering the BRICS-TM countries. All data was kept anonymous and confidential. Data processing and analysis was carried out; descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data and content analysis was employed to generate themes for qualitative data. Results: Out of the seven regulatory agencies included in the study, six representatives provided the responses. The perspectives of these six regulatory agencies varied on a number of aspects relating to the review criteria for biosimilar development and licencing process. The most prevalent model for data assessment is the "full review" of a marketing authorisation application. There is lack of a standard approach across the agencies on sourcing of the reference biological product, in vivo toxicity studies and confirmatory clinical studies. Most agencies restrict interaction with biosimilar developers and any scientific advice is non-binding. The marketing authorisation approval depends on scientific assessment of the dossier, sample analysis and GMP certification. The agencies do not issue any public assessment report specifying the summary basis of biosimilar approval. Conclusion: Regulatory agencies across the six emerging economies are steadily improving the regulatory mechanism in the area of biosimilars. However, there remains scope for increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the processes by encouraging open and transparent interaction with developers, adopting a flexible approach toward accepting advanced analytical data in lieu of clinical studies and enhancing regulatory reliance amongst agencies. This will help to simplify the new biosimilar development programmes and make them more cost-effective.
| S-EPMC8458962 | biostudies-literature