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Alternative System (alternative + system)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	63%

Selected Abstracts

The Financial Accountability of Australia's Medicare System: A Generational Accounting Analysis

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY & MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2001
Paul J. M. Klumpes
The financial sustainability of publicly funded health care systems is sensitive to the demographics of ageing populations, which have a significant bearing on their financial management, accountability and reporting of their financial performance. This paper examines historical and current trends in demographic structure of Australia's population that are likely to impact on the financial management and accountability practices affecting Australia'suniversal public health care system (,Medicare'). The pay-as-you-go financed funding status of Medicare as represented under both currently required, cash-based accounting principles and proposed accrual-based accounting principles are criticised for not recognising the obligations of the Australian government under Medicare. An alternative system of generational accounting is proposed that projects the financial management costs of Medicare. Data are taken from both historical trends in expenditure and ageing as well as projected demographics. The analysis implies that there is significant intergenerational-inequity in the funding of Medicare, which is not recognised under accrual-based accounting principles that are now being used to evaluate the financial accountability and performance of government entities. [source]

Community-based Security and Justice: Arbakai in Afghanistan

IDS BULLETIN, Issue 2 2009
Mohammad Osman Tariq
This article discusses the successful bottom-up justice and security institutions in south-east Afghanistan that are delivering justice and security to the people in a complex atmosphere characterised by a weak and contested state, high levels of corruption, massive international and regional intervention, internal conflict based on ideology and ethnicity, and exclusion of one ethnic group and overrepresentation of others in the political arena. These local-level institutions are called Jirga and Arbakai. They have their own conceptual and contextual principles, which differentiate the Arbakai from private security companies, militias, or warlord-related armed groups. In effect, the Arbakai serves as an alternative system to the state security sector, delivering physical security to individual members of a tribe and community. [source]

Evaluation of antibacterial activity of Indian spices against common foodborne pathogens

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 8 2007
Papachan Karur Sofia
Summary The present study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of six Indian spice extracts, namely clove, cinnamon, mustard, garlic, ginger and mint. All of these have been traditionally used in folk medicine, and are still used in the alternative system of health care. The antimicrobial activity of these commonly used Indian spices was tested against three potent foodborne pathogens, namely Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, which are responsible for many health-related problems. These were tested using paper disc diffusion method, cup method and dilution method (qualitative). The results showed that the extracts of clove, cinnamon and mustard had good inhibitory action at 1% concentration, while garlic showed medium activity. At 3% concentration, complete bactericidal effect was achieved. Ginger and mint showed negligible antibacterial activity against these pathogens at the same concentration. [source]

The feasibility of developing a standards rating system for all Australian government aged care homes

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OLDER PEOPLE NURSING, Issue 2 2008
FRCNA, Susan Koch BA (Ed Studies)
Aims and objectives., The main objective of this project was to investigate the likelihood of creating an easily understood rating system for all aged care homes. A secondary objective was to canvas the feasibility of alternative systems that could better inform aged care consumers. Background., Standards rating systems are used internationally to enable comparisons in healthcare. In Australia, the performance of numerous services and products are measured according to the star system of ratings, yet despite their widespread use, star ratings remain absent from the healthcare industry. Methods., A National Consultative Group (NCG) consisting of key stakeholder representatives was consulted, and a literature review performed on existing standards (or ,star') rating systems. Telephone interviews were conducted with representatives from aged care homes, as well as consumers. Results., A standards rating system for aged care homes was not found to be feasible in the current climate. However, an alternative system that emphasises empowering aged care consumers, such as one that allows consumers to search for an aged care home using their own criteria of preference, was considered more feasible. Conclusion., The need for information to assist consumer choice , limited as it may be , is real. Ways of providing more consumer friendly, useful information need to be further explored and developed. Recommendations are made for future work in this area. [source]

Diagnosis of occlusal caries in primary teeth

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 2 2000
Ashley
Much research has been published over the last few years looking at alternative diagnostic systems for the diagnosis of occlusal caries in permanent teeth, but there has been little research on primary teeth. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of one alternative system (the Electronic Caries Monitor [ECM]) against visual diagnosis for the detection of occlusal dentine caries in primary teeth. Fifty-eight apparently noncavitated extracted first and second primary molars were selected. They were examined visually and with the ECM for dentine caries. Presence or absence of caries was validated by hemisecting the teeth and examining them under a stereo-microscope , 37 teeth had occlusal dentine caries, 21 were sound or had enamel caries. Sensitivities and specificities of the ECM diagnoses were 0·81 and 0·90, respectively, and for the visual diagnosis were 0·73 and 1. In conclusion, the ECM did not provide increased accuracy over visual diagnosis when detecting occlusal caries in primary teeth. [source]

"Health Courts" and Accountability for Patient Safety

THE MILBANK QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2006
MICHELLE M. MELLO
Proposals that medical malpractice claims be removed from the tort system and processed in an alternative system, known as administrative compensation or ,health courts,' attract considerable policy interest during malpractice ,crises,' including the current one. This article describes current proposals for the design of a health court system and the system's advantages for improving patient safety. Among these advantages are the cultivation of a culture of transparency regarding medical errors and the creation of mechanisms to gather and analyze data on medical injuries. The article discusses the experiences of foreign countries with administrative compensation systems for medical injury, including their use of claims data for research on patient safety; choices regarding the compensation system's relationship to physician disciplinary processes; and the proposed system's possible limitations. [source]

Report of the ILAE Classification Core Group

EPILEPSIA, Issue 9 2006
Jerome Engel Jr Chair
Summary:, A Core Group of the Task Force on Classification and Terminology has evaluated the lists of epileptic seizure types and epilepsy syndromes approved by the General Assembly in Buenos Aires in 2001, and considered possible alternative systems of classification. No new classification has as yet been proposed. Because the 1981 classification of epileptic seizure types, and the 1989 classification of epilepsy syndromes and epilepsies are generally accepted and workable, they will not be discarded unless, and until, clearly better classifications have been devised, although periodic modifications to the current classifications may be suggested. At this time, however, the Core Group has focused on establishing scientifically rigorous criteria for identification of specific epileptic seizure types and specific epilepsy syndromes as unique diagnostic entities, and is considering an evidence-based approach. The short-term goal is to present a list of seizure types and syndromes to the ILAE Executive Committee for approval as testable working hypotheses, subject to verification, falsification, and revision. This report represents completion of this work. If sufficient evidence subsequently becomes available to disprove any hypothesis, the seizure type or syndrome will be reevaluated and revised or discarded, with Executive Committee approval. The recognition of specific seizure types and syndromes, as well as any change in classification of seizure types and syndromes, therefore, will continue to be an ongoing dynamic process. A major purpose of this approach is to identify research necessary to clarify remaining issues of uncertainty, and to pave the way for new classifications. [source]

The feasibility of developing a standards rating system for all Australian government aged care homes

The Kidney Allocation Score: Methodological Problems, Moral Concerns and Unintended Consequences

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 7 2009
B. Hippen
The growing disparity between the demand for and supply of kidneys for transplantation has generated interest in alternative systems of allocating kidneys from deceased donors. This personal viewpoint focuses attention on the Kidney Allocation Score (KAS) proposal promulgated by the UNOS/OPTN Kidney Committee. I identify several methodological and moral flaws in the proposed system, concluding that any iteration of the KAS proposal should be met with more skepticism than sanguinity. [source]

Variability of interactions between barrel medic (Medicago truncatula) genotypes and Orobanche species

ANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
M. Fernández-Aparicio
Abstract A number of broomrapes (Orobanche spp.) are major threats for grain legumes in the Mediterranean area. Previous studies have shown very high levels of resistance to Orobanche crenata in Medicago truncatula with little variation among accessions hampering, therefore, its use for genetic analysis. In order to identify alternative systems for ulterior genetic and genomic analysis, we studied early stages of the interaction between M. truncatula accessions and a range of Orobanche species. We found significant differences in the induction of germination on Orobanche aegyptiaca, Orobanche foetida var. broteri, Orobanche minor, Orobanche nana and Orobanche ramosa seeds. Accessions also varied in the number of O. aegyptiaca, O. crenata, O. foetida var. broteri, O. nana and O. ramosa attachments supported. Applications of the synthetic germination stimulant GR24 increased the germination level of Orobanche cumana and O. minor. No attachments were observed for any of these species because of physical barriers typical of host resistance. On the contrary, increase of O. nana germination by GR24 led to an increase in number of attachments albeit the normal development of the nodules was stopped in a later stage. The genetic variation observed for induction of germination and subsequent attachment will be useful for isolating and characterising genes involved in early stages of Orobanche,host plant interaction and for the study of the biosynthetic pathways of production of germination stimulants. [source]

Technical Mistakes during the Acquisition of the Electrocardiogram

ANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 4 2009
Javier García-Niebla R.N.
In addition to knowledge of normal and pathological patterns, the correct interpretation of electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings requires the use of acquisition procedures according to approved standards. Most manuals on standard electrocardiography devote little attention to inadequate ECG recordings. In this article, we present the most frequent ECG patterns resulting from errors in limb and precordial lead placement, artifacts in 12-lead ECG as well as inadequate filter application; we also review alternative systems to the standard ECG, which may help minimize errors. [source]