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The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of energy poverty on health in the EU-27 countries for the period from 2003–2020 using Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag models and generalized ridge regressions. Arrears on utility bills exerts positive long-run effects on capacity to keep the home adequately warm, current health expenditures, and self-perceived health as bad or very bad, but a negative long-run influence on energy import dependency. In the long-term, the population being unable to keep their home adequately warm positively affects self-perceived health as bad and very bad and negatively influences number of cooling days. Current health expenditure has a long-run influence on self-perceived health as bad and very bad and the number of heating days. Positive short-run impacts were observed for energy import dependency, arrears on utility bills, and number of heating days on current health expenditure and the population unable to keep their home adequately warm. People at risk of poverty or social exclusion in different zones had a significant impact on energy poverty indicators. A separate analysis is made for those EU states with the highest energy import dependency and the implications of the results are discussed.

'The Jevons Paradox', which was first expressed in 1865 by William Stanley Jevons in relation to use of coal, states that an increase in efficiency in using a resource leads to increased use of that resource rather than to a reduction. This has subsequently been proved to apply not just to fossil fuels, but other resource use scenarios. For example, doubling the efficiency of food production per hectare over the last 50 years (due to the Green Revolution) did not solve the problem of hunger. The increase in efficiency increased production and worsened hunger because of the resulting increase in population. The implications of this in today's world are substantial. Many scientists and policymakers argue that future technological innovations will reduce consumption of resources; the Jevons Paradox explains why this may be a false hope. This is the first book to provide a historical overview of the Jevons Paradox, provide evidence for its existence and apply it to complex systems. Written and edited by world experts in the fields of economics, ecological economics, technology and the environment, it explains the myth of efficiency and explores its implications for resource usage (particularly oil). It is a must-read for policymakers, natural resource managers, academics and students concerned with the effects of efficiency on resource use.

Among many complications of sickle cell disease, renal failure is the main contributor to early mortality. It is present in up to 21% of patients with sickle cell disease. Although screening for microalbuminuria and proteinuria is the current acceptable practice to detect and follow renal damage in patients with sickle cell disease, there is a crucial need for other, more sensitive biomarkers. This becomes especially true knowing that those biomarkers start to appear only after more than 60% of the kidney function is lost. The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) correlates with other, direct and indirect bio-markers of renal insufficiency in patients with sickle cell disease and, therefore, could be used as a biomarker for early renal damage in patients with sickle cell disease. Fifty-five patients with an established diagnosis of sickle cell disease were recruited to in the study. Blood samples were taken and 24-h urine collection samples were collected. Using Statcrunch, a data analysis tool available on the web, we studied the correlation between LDH and other biomarkers of kidney function as well as the distribution and relationship between the variables. Regression analysis showed a significant negative correlation between serum LDH and creatinine clearance, R (correlation coefficient) = -0.44, P = 0.0008. This correlation was more significant at younger age. This study shows that in sickle cell patients LDH correlates with creatinine clearance and, therefore, LDH could serve as a biomarker to predict renal insufficiency in those patients.

Farmers’ markets are vital income sources for many farmers. Farmers’ markets are a direct-to-consumer marketing approach that has existed for centuries, enabling urban dwellers to interact with farmers while shopping for produce and products. In Romania, the piaţa is their version of a farmers’ market. The focus on environmental sustainability within the European Union provides an opportunity for Romanian farmers using sustainable approaches to sell their products. Therefore, understanding the attitudes of farmers selling at farmers’ markets is important to the development of the agricultural sector and the bioeconomy. Furthermore, having knowledge of farmer attitudes enables policy to be developed to encourage the development of sustainable agricultural techniques. The results of this paper indicate that there is a disconnect between the beliefs and attitudes farmers have about the environment and their agricultural practices under various scenarios. Additionally, agricultural training that includes sustainable agricultural techniques and education on the economic benefits of using them would be beneficial. Lastly, the results suggest that a farmer that feels part of the community is more likely to be a steward of the environment.

Anti-CCP (cyclic citrullinated peptide) is considered the most useful laboratory tool in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Some authors have also found this autoantibody in patients with scleroderma (SSc). The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anti-CCP antibodies in SSc patients from Southern Brazil and their association with clinical and serological profile of the disease. We studied 76 patients with SSc and 100 healthy volunteers for presence of anti-CCP. SSc patients charts were reviewed for clinical and laboratory data. In the SSc group, the diffuse form was present in 20.5%; 62.8% had the limited form; 14.1% had overlap with systemic lupus or polymyositis and 2.5% had SSc sine scleroderma. Anti-CCP was found in nine of 78 (11.5%) SSc patients and in one of 100 healthy volunteers ( p  = 0.0054). No relationship was found with arthritis, skin Rodnan m score, esophageal dysmotility, myocarditis, pulmonary hypertension and lung fibrosis. Positive association was observed with arthralgias ( p  = 0.02). Also, no relationship was noted with the presence of anti-centromere antibodies, anti-Scl-70, anti-RNP or rheumatoid factor. Anti-CCP are more common in SSc patients than in controls. Arthralgias but not arthritis or rheumatoid factor are more frequent in anti-CCP positive patients.

Background The primary purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative binge status on long-term weight loss outcomes. Methods IRB approval was obtained. This prospective study was initiated in 1997 at a large teaching hospital. Adult patients who participated in the study and attended post-surgery clinic visits for at least 12 months were included. Patients completed the gormally binge eating scale (BES), the beck depression inventory (BDI), and the SF-36 at baseline prior to surgery. All data are expressed as mean ± SD. Data were analyzed using a Student’s t test, pairwise correlation and regression analysis as appropriate. Results A total of 157 patients (135 women) aged 45 ± 10  years were recruited. Their preoperative BMI was 50.7 ± 8.0  kg/m 2 . Thirty-seven patients were classified as severe binge eaters (BES ≥ 27) prior to surgery. There was no significant difference in their weight loss compared to the rest of the group at any time point up to 6 years after surgery. Patients with significant depressive symptoms (BDI >13) had no significant difference in their weight loss outcomes compared to the rest of the group. Pre-surgery SF-36 scores did not predict differences in weight loss outcome. Conclusion Pre-surgical binge status, incidence of depressive symptoms and health related quality of life were not predictive of poor weight loss outcomes in patients up to 6 years after gastric bypass surgery, who were able to make lifestyle changes in preparation for surgery and who adhered to scheduled post surgery clinic visits.

Background All patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery at this institution are recommended to achieve a goal of 10% total body weight (TBW) loss prior to surgery. The objective of this study was to determine whether preoperative TBW correlated with 3- and 4-year weight loss outcome. Methods This study was conducted prospectively at a large teaching hospital. All adult patients with 3- and 4-year follow-up data since the start of the study in 1998 to September 2007 were included. All data are expressed as mean ± SD. Pairwise correlation and ordinary least squares regression analysis was used to determine the strength of association between preoperative TBW loss and weight loss at 3 and 4 years. Results One hundred fifty patients (120 females), age 45.3 ± 8.9 years, were included. Their body mass indexes (BMIs), preoperatively and after 3 years, were 52.2 ± 9.8 and 35.4 ± 8.2 kg/m 2 , respectively. There was a significant correlation between preoperative and 3-year TBW lost (9.5 ± 6.8% vs 31.9 ± 11.7%, r  = 0.302, p  = 0.0002) and between excess body weight (EBW) lost preoperatively and after 3 years (16.1 ± 11.3% vs 55.1 ± 20.2%, r  = 0.225, p  = 0.006). Ninety five patients had follow-up data available at 4 years. Their mean preoperative BMI was 52.6 ± 9.7 kg/m 2 and decreased to 37.5 ± 9.0 kg/m 2 . The TBW loss prior to and after surgery (10.0 ± 6.5% vs 29.4 ± 11.5%) was significantly correlated ( r  = 0.247, p  = 0.015). The EBW loss preoperatively and after 4 years correlated positively (17.1 ± 11.1% vs 50.8 ± 19.8%, r  = 0.205, p  = 0.046). Conclusion There is a significant correlation between weight loss attained preoperatively and sustained weight loss at 3 and 4 years.

Land use changes threaten agricultural land. If agricultural land is going to be preserved, the social and economic causes of conversion must be understood. However, analyzing the causes of agricultural conversion is complex because trends need to be documented before analyzing the causes. One of the leading uses of agricultural land is for residential purposes. This paper projects residential development in a Hudson River Valley watershed within Dutchess County in New York State using an integrated modeling framework consisting of an econometric model, a geographic information system (GIS), and Monte Carlo simulation. The econometric model is used to project residential development, providing parcel-specific probabilities of residential development. The GIS is employed to extract socio-economic and county-level tax parcel data to be used in conjunction with bio-geophysical attributes, such as slope, soil, and location, to calculate and project growth trends on a residential level for undeveloped land parcels. Monte Carlo simulation is used to distribute these projections into the GIS to display outcomes of scenario analyses to provide policy-makers a demonstration of how policies would likely affect the agricultural landscape of the watershed. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is an example of a country that suffers from high water scarcity. Additionally, due to the economic drivers in the country, such as phosphate and potash extraction and pharmaceutical production, the little fresh water that remains is generally polluted. The infrastructure, often antiquated in urban areas and non-existent in rural areas, also contributes to poor water conditions and to the spread of waterborne diseases. This paper examines the socioeconomic factors that contribute to diarrhea and hepatitis A on a macro level in Jordan and discusses the public-policies that government officials could use to abate those problems. Ordinary least squares time series models are used to understand the macro-level variables that impact the incidence of these diseases in Jordan. Public health expenditure has a significant impact on reducing their incidence. Furthermore, investment in sanitation facilities in rural regions is likely to reduce the number of cases of hepatitis A. Perhaps the most surprising outcome is that importation of goods and services likely results in a decrease in cases of hepatitis A. However, income has little impact on the incidence of diarrhea and hepatitis A.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is an example of a country that suffers from high water scarcity. Additionally, due to the economic drivers in the country, such as phosphate and potash extraction and pharmaceutical production, the little fresh water that remains is generally polluted. The infrastructure, often antiquated in urban areas and non-existent in rural areas, also contributes to poor water conditions and to the spread of waterborne diseases. This paper examines the socioeconomic factors that contribute to diarrhea and hepatitis A on a macro level in Jordan and discusses the public-policies that government officials could use to abate those problems. Ordinary least squares time series models are used to understand the macro-level variables that impact the incidence of these diseases in Jordan. Public health expenditure has a significant impact on reducing their incidence. Furthermore, investment in sanitation facilities in rural regions is likely to reduce the number of cases of hepatitis A. Perhaps the most surprising outcome is that importation of goods and services likely results in a decrease in cases of hepatitis A. However, income has little impact on the incidence of diarrhea and hepatitis A.