Unequal Distribution of Innovation Efforts for Neglected Tropical Diseases: The Role of Funding Evaluation Criteria

Background: International research and innovation efforts for neglected tropical diseases have increased in recent decades due to disparities in overall health research funding in relation to global burden of disease. However, within the field of neglected tropical diseases some seem far more neglected than others. In this research the aim is to investigate the distribution of resources and efforts, as well as the mechanisms that underpin funding allocation for neglected tropical diseases. Methodology: A systematic literature review was conducted to establish a comprehensive overview of known indicators for innovation efforts related to a wide range of neglected tropical diseases. Articles were selected based on a subjective evaluation of their relevance, the presence of original data, and the breadth of their scope. This was followed by thirteen in-depth open-ended interviews with representatives of private, public and philanthropic funding organizations, concerning evaluation criteria for funding research proposals. Results: The findings reveal a large difference in the extent to which the individual diseases are neglected with notable differences between absolute and relative efforts. Criteria used in the evaluation of research proposals relate to potential impact, the probability of success and strategic fit. Private organizations prioritize strategic fit and economic impact;philanthropic organizations prioritize short-term societal impact;and public generally prioritize the probability of success by accounting for follow-up funding and involvement of industry. Funding decisions of different types of organizations are highly interrelated. Conclusions: This study shows that the evaluation of funding proposals introduces and retains unequal funding distribution, reinforcing the relative neglect of diseases. Societal impact is the primary rationale for funding but application of it as a funding criterion is associated with significant challenges. Furthermore, current application of evaluation criteria leads to a primary focus on short-term impact. Through current practice, the relatively most neglected diseases will remain so, and a long-term strategy is needed to resolve this.

Research funding and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine, 2019-2020

Purpose:The goal of this study is a comparative analysis of the relation between funding(a main driver for scientific research)and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in physics,chemistry and medicine over 2019-2020 and the same relation in these research fields as a whole.Design/methodology/approach:This study utilizes a power law model to explore the relationship between research funding and citations of related papers.The study here analyzes 3,539 recorded documents by Nobel Laureates in physics,chemistry and medicine and a broader dataset of 183,016 documents related to the fields of physics,medicine,and chemistry recorded in the Web of Science database.Findings:Results reveal that in chemistry and medicine,funded researches published in papers of Nobel Laureates have higher citations than unfunded studies published in articles;vice versa high citations of Nobel Laureates in physics are for unfunded studies published in papers.Instead,when overall data of publications and citations in physics,chemistry and medicine are analyzed,all papers based on funded researches show higher citations than unfunded ones.Originality/value:Results clarify the driving role of research funding for science diffusion that are systematized in general properties:a)articles concerning funded researches receive more citations than(un)funded studies published in papers of physics,chemistry and medicine sciences,generating a high Matthew effect(a higher growth of citations with the increase in the number of papers);b)research funding increases the citations of articles in fields oriented to applied research(e.g.,chemistry and medicine)more than fields oriented towards basic research(e.g.,physics).Practical implications:The results here explain some characteristics of scientific development and diffusion,highlighting the critical role of research funding in fostering citations and the expansion of scientific knowledge.This finding can support decision-making of policymakers and R&D managers to improve the effectiveness in allocating financial resources in science policies to generate a higher positive scientific and societal impact.

The relation between funding by the National Institutes of Health and the burden of disease

Background:The Institute of Medicine has proposed that the amount of disease-specific research funding provided by the National Institutes of Health(NIH)be systematically and consistently compared with the burden of disease for society.Methods:We performed a cross-sectional study comparing estimates of disease-specific funding in 1996 with data on six measures of the burden of disease.

The relation between funding by the National Institutes of Health and the burden of disease

Background:The Institute of Medicine has proposed that the amount of disease-specific research funding provided by the National Institutes of Health(NIH)be systematically and consistently compared with the burden of disease for society.Methods:We performed a cross-sectional study comparing estimates of disease-specific funding in 1996 with data on six measures of the burden of disease.The measures were total mortality,years of life lost,and number of hospital days in 1994 and incidence,prevalence,and disability-adjusted life-years(one disability-adjusted life-year is defined as the loss of one year of healthy life to disease)in 1990.With the use of these measures as explanatory variables in a regression analysis,predicted funding was calculated and compared with actual funding.

Realizing profits immediately:disposition effect of open-end fund investors in China

This paper explores the disposition effect, the tendency of investors to hold losing investments too long and sell winning investments too soon, by analyzing a unique data set that consists of the buying and selling positions of open-end fund investors in China. Results show that investors' buying and selling behaviors are significantly affected by fund performance. The reasons that lie behind such results are mainly related to the non-persistence of fund performance. When fund performance is non-persistent, investors are not clear about the future returns on funds. So, investors, especially individual investors, would have to realize the profits on hand immediately. Meanwhile, fund investors are highly sensitive to fund age and loading fees, but not sensitive to management fees charged by funds when they buy or sell fund shares.

Effect of joints on microwave fracturing of the Bukit Timah granite using an open-ended antenna

Microwave fracturing of rocks before mechanical breakage could improve the performance of mechanical excavators and reduce environmental impacts.Previous research focused on the microwave fracturing of intact rock blocks.By using an open-ended antenna,this paper investigates the effect of pre-existing joints on the microwave fracturing of the Singapore Bukit Timah granite blocks.The results show that the specimens are weakened in the manners of cracking,spalling,melting,or a combination of them.The crack number and the total crack length produced by microwave treatment of jointed rock blocks are slightly smaller than those in the intact rock blocks.The interaction between joints and microwave-induced cracks can be summarized into the following four patterns:(1)microwave-induced cracks become arrested so that the crack propagation is terminated;(2)microwave-induced cracks penetrate the joints and continue to propagate;(3)microwave-induced cracks become deflected along the joints;and(4)microwave-induced cracks propagate forward following the joints.The smaller the approach angle between the microwave-induced crack and the preexisting joint is,the more microwave-induced cracks tend to be arrested at the joint.Increasing the approach angle between the microwave-induced crack and the joint can increase the chance of microwave-induced crack penetrating the joint.The results also show that the smaller the distance is between the microwave radiation point and the joint,the easier it is for microwave-induced cracks to penetrate the joints;otherwise,the microwave-induced crack is more likely to be arrested at the pre-existing joint.

Aortic Dissection Research in China:Analysis of Studies Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China

Objective The National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)has made great progress in promoting the development of aortic dissection research in recent years.This study aimed to examine the development and research status of aortic dissection research in China so as to provide references for future research.Methods The NSFC projects data from 2008 to 2019 were collected from the Internet-based Science Information System and other websites utilized as search engines.The publications and citations were retrieved by Google Scholar,and the impact factors were checked by the InCite Journal Citation Reports database.The investigator’s degree and department were identified from the institutional faculty profiles.Results A total of 250 grant funds totaling 124.3 million Yuan and resulting in 747 publications were analyzed.The funds in economically developed and densely populated areas were more than those in underdeveloped and sparsely populated areas.There was no significant difference in the amount of funding per grant between different departments’investigators.However,the funding output ratios of the grants for cardiologists were higher than those for basic science investigators.The amount of funding for clinical researchers and basic scientific researchers in aortic dissection was also similar.Clinical researchers were better in terms of the funding output ratio.Conclusion These results suggest that the medical and scientific research level of aortic dissection in China has been greatly improved.However,there are still some problems that urgently need to be solved,such as the unreasonable regional allocation of medical and scientific research resources,and the slow transition from basic science to clinical practice.

Study on the squeezing effect of open-ended pipe piles

During the installation of a pipe pile,the soil around the pile will be squeezed out. This paper deals with this squeezing effect of open-ended pipe piles using the cylindrical cavity expansion theory. The characteristics of soil with different tension and compression moduli and dilation are involved by applying the elastic theory with different moduli and logarithmic strain. The closed-form solutions of the radius of the plastic region,the displacement of the boundary between the plastic region and the elastic region and the expansion pressure on the external surface of the pipe piles are obtained. When obtaining these solutions,the soil plug in the open-ended pipe pile is considered by employing an incremental filling ratio to quantify the degree of soil plugging. Moreover,the effects of the ratio of tension and compression moduli,angle of dilation and incremental filling ratio on the radius of the plastic region and the expansion pressure on the external surface of the pipe pile are investigated. The parametric analyses show that it is necessary and important to consider the difference between the tension modulus and compression modulus,dilation angle and incremental filling ratio for studying the squeezing effect of open-ended pipe pile installation. It is concluded that the analytical solutions presented in this paper are suitable for studying the squeezing effect of open-ended pipe piles.

Reform and Practice of an Engineering Postgraduate Training Pattern in an Open-Ended Base:Taking Foshan Base as an Example

The flawed engineering practice is considered the main factor that is affecting to the development quality of engineering postgraduates.Taking Foshan Base as an example,this paper has analyzed the operational pattern,practice teaching model,and internal governance system of the open-ended base as a new system for engineering practice and proposed several suggestions for the reformation of engineering postgraduates based on the construction effect.

Sri Lanka Gets Closer To IMF Funds After China Support

This October,International Monetary Fund(IMF)staff and the Sri Lankan authorities reached a stafflevel agreement on economic policies to conclude the first review of the 48-month Extended Fund Facility(EFF)-supported programme.Sri Lanka will have access to Special Drawing Right(SDR)254 million(about US$330 million)in financing once the review is approved by IMF Management and IMF Executive Board.

Making Sense of Anything thru Analytics: Employees Provident Fund (EPF)

Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has always been a hot topic, from the previous Government permitted “withdrawals” during the pandemic to the present Government disallowing further withdrawals (afraid it would lead to a financial crisis) and allowing emergency loans through an EPF collateral agreement. The latter used median studies to “contribute” MYR 500 to EPF members with less than RM 10,000 in their accounts. Baffled/bewildered by the current Government’s generosity and highlighted in this paper, I used Monte Carlo simulation, a method used by analysts when determining the size of a client’s portfolio to support their desired retirement lifestyle, to establish a reference-type table displaying ideal savings when reaching 50. The Government could use the table mentioned above to give more meaningful contributions to EPF members, apart from EPF active and inactive members, knowing where they stand concerning their current EPF savings.

Strategies for China’s Response to and Improvement of Third-Party Funding in International Investment Arbitration

China should prioritize the establishment and enhancement of a third-party funding system.It should actively refine the existing arbitration rules,addressing any loopholes in the current regulatory framework.Comprehensive measures should be implemented to regulate third-party funding,aligning with international trends.This is crucial not only to safeguard the foreign investment of the Chinese government and enterprises but also to position China as a globally influential arbitration center.

The Impact of Population Aging on the Expenditure of Medical Insurance Fund for Urban Workers in China

Objective To explore the impact of population aging on the expenditures of medical insurance funds against the background that great changes in population structure influences economic development.Methods Through analyzing the impact of the population aging,the income and accumulated balance of the medical insurance fund,and other related factors on the expenditure of the medical insurance fund,development status of the medical insurance fund for urban employees in China since 2003 was obtained.Stata 16.0 was used to perform multiple linear regression analysis on related factors to determine the correlation between population aging and the change in medical insurance expenditures.Results and Conclusion The factors that have a greater impact on the expenditure of the medical insurance fund are the amount of income from the medical insurance,followed by the number of people over the age of 65 in China and the urban retired employees participating in medical insurance.We should focus on the sustainable development of the urban employee medical insurance fund to deal with the threat of aging.

Research on Accounting Issues of the Pension Insurance Fund for Urban Employees

Pension insurance is a vital component of China's social security system,ensuring the welfare of the general publie.This study centers on the revenue and expenses of City S's urban employee basic pension insurance fund.It introduces and analyzes the fund's accounting status from four key perspectives:fund raising.expenditure,financial statement system,and accounting information disclosure.The research identifes existing problems in City S's accounting system and conducts in-depth research on these issues.Furthermore,an empirical analysis is conducted on the management of the pension insurance fund.Through this empirical study,the paper aims to offer insights and recommendations for promoting stable and healthy development measures for City S'8 urban employee basic pension insurance fund.

优化地方政府投资基金运作的路径与思考

政府投资基金是落实宏观经济政策的重要手段、支持产业发展的有力方式、破解企业融资瓶颈的有效渠道。我国政府投资基金从初步探索、快速发展转向高质量发展。但在运营方面仍存在诸多不足,政策导向和盈利导向之间存在矛盾,市场化运作受决策程序、产业发展方向制约,资本逐利影响了产业政策落实,基金投资与市场主体争利问题突出等。本文分析了济宁市政府投资基金运作的困境压力,提出优化政府投资基金运作需要进一步明确支持方向、完善投后管理和赋能机制、强化基金投资运作过程管理等。济宁市政府投资基金优化运营,重点应加大基金注入,完善基金制度体系,围绕项目、突出平台、强化联动,提升基金投放质效。

2023年度国家自然科学基金联合基金项目申请受理、评审与资助情况综述

联合基金作为国家自然科学基金的重要组成部分,在引导和整合社会资源投入基础研究方面发挥了重要作用。2023年国家自然科学基金委员会稳步推进新时期联合基金改革,会同各联合资助方圆满完成了联合基金项目申请受理、评审与资助工作。本文统计分析了2023年度国家自然科学基金联合基金项目申请、受理与资助数据,分别介绍了项目指南发布、项目申请及其特点、项目初审、评审与资助的情况,并对2024年度联合基金工作进行了展望。

关于设立面向全球科学研究基金的思考与建议

气候变化、健康危机和粮食安全等问题通常会超越国家间的地理边界,是典型的全球性挑战。随着不同挑战的日益加剧,设立全球科学研究基金已成为推动科技进步、探索创新解决方案和加强伙伴关系的重要手段。在此背景下,“研究设立面向全球的科学研究基金”是我国“十四五”时期(2021—2025年)完善科技创新体制的重要举措。为推进这一举措落实,本文在分析主要发达国家(美国、加拿大、英国、德国、日本、澳大利亚)和欧盟针对全球挑战的科研基金资助经验和广泛调研研讨的基础上,从人才项目、研究项目和大科学装置项目三个方面提出了我国未来设立面向全球的科学研究基金的建议,并探讨了相应的遴选、评估和管理机制,以期促进我国科研资助体系的创新发展,逐步提升我国在全球挑战研究中的国际影响力。

聚焦临床关键科学问题充实科学基金资助体系

临床科学研究是我国医学界实现“原始创新”与提供“中国证据”“中国数据”“中国方案”的关键抓手。近30年来,我国在临床研究监管体系、基地与平台、队伍建设以及成果产出等方面取得长足进步。但我国临床研究的源头创新和临床转化能力相对薄弱。国家自然科学基金(以下简称“科学基金”)作为推动基础研究源头创新的核心力量,在我国医学科学发展中始终发挥关键引领作用。面向我国临床研究领域亟待解决的重大需求、关键临床科学问题和技术瓶颈,如何引领医学科学领域的研究方向,并以此契合临床重大需求及应用转化、激发临床研究者的创新源动力、鼓励基于临床关键科学问题的自由探索临床研究,是科学基金需要直面和解决的时代命题。本文就我国临床科学研究的现状、科学基金资助临床研究的模式与效能、科学基金支持临床研究实施过程中可能存在的问题与解决方案等做了初步调研并提出相关建议。

中国金融稳定保障基金最优规模度量和配置研究--基于宏观经济部门非预期损失的分析

金融稳定保障基金是建设金融强国战略背景下维护和实现金融稳定的重要工具。通过编制2008—2020年中国31个省(区、市)金融部门、政府部门、非金融企业部门和家庭部门宏观或有权益资产负债表,运用宏观在险价值方法度量各地区、各部门资产和负债市场价值的非预期损失,估算能充分覆盖重大风险敞口的金融稳定保障基金最优规模和配置比例。研究发现,中国金融稳定保障基金的最优相对规模从大到小依次是:政府部门、非金融企业部门、家庭部门和金融部门。其中,非金融企业部门和家庭部门地区间规模差异显著,东部地区相对规模水平较低,西部地区较高。政府部门作为公共部门具有对其他经济主体的隐性担保责任,最终承担其他部门产生但未抵补的金融风险,是金融稳定的“最后一道防线”。为了更好地防范和化解金融风险,维护金融稳定,金融稳定保障基金应当确定风险适配的目标规模,并实现多层级分部门的有效配置,最终形成全方位、多层次的金融稳定保障基金配置体系。

临床试验对医保基金支出的影响研究——基于某肿瘤医院化疗组DRG的实证分析

目的 探讨临床试验对医保支付的客观影响,为DRG支付方式改革的持续推进提供参考。方法 搜集某肿瘤医院2022年3月15日—2023年3月14日出院的RE1化疗组资料,对超支付限额病例的现状进行描述,并对其影响因素进行logistic回归分析。结果 DRG病例10 971例,其中临床试验组病例占5.42%。临床试验组和非临床实验组超DRG支付限额占比分别为7.56%和25.26%,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.001)。logistic回归分析结果显示,患者进入临床试验,其超支付标准的风险程度降低89.2%,是否靶向治疗、是否静脉置管、住院日、是否免疫治疗、是否多学科会诊、性别依次是病例超支的风险因素。结论 临床试验有助于医院维持医保基金的结余平衡。医院要做好主动管理,为支付制度的完善打好基础。区分联合治疗将是化疗组DRG分组细化的方向。