This report reviews the important role of medicines in health sytems, describes recent trends in pharmaceutical expenditure and financing, and summarises the approaches used by OECD countries to determine coverage and pricing.

Phosphorus in Environmental Technology: Principles and Applications, provides a definitive and detailed presentation of state-of-the-art knowledge on the environmental behaviour of phosphorus and its applications to the treatment of waters and soils. Special attention is given to phosphorus removal for recovery technologies, a concept that has emerged over the past 5-6 years. The book features an all-encompassing approach: the fundamental science of phosphorus (chemistry, geochemistry, mineralogy, biology), key aspects of its environmental behaviour and mobility, industrial applications (treatment, removal, recovery) and the principles behind such applications, novel biotechnologies and, importantly, it also addresses socio-economic issues which often influence implementation and the ultimate success of any new technology. A detailed subject index helps the reader to find their way through the different scientific and technological aspects covered, making it an invaluable reference work for students, professionals and consultants dealing with phosphorus-related environmental technologies. State-of-the-art knowledge on the behaviour of phosphorus and its applications to environmental science and technology. Covers all aspects of phosphorus in the environment, engineered and biological systems; an interdisciplinary text.

Thanks to remarkable advances in modern health care attributable to science, engineering, and medicine, it is now possible to cure or manage illnesses that were long deemed untreatable. At the same time, however, the United States is facing the vexing challenge of a seemingly uncontrolled rise in the cost of health care. Total medical expenditures are rapidly approaching 20 percent of the gross domestic product and are crowding out other priorities of national importance. The use of increasingly expensive prescription drugs is a significant part of this problem, making the cost of biopharmaceuticals a serious national concern with broad political implications. Especially with the highly visible and very large price increases for prescription drugs that have occurred in recent years, finding a way to make prescription medicinesâ€"and health care at largeâ€"more affordable for everyone has become a socioeconomic imperative. Affordability is a complex function of factors, including not just the prices of the drugs themselves, but also the details of an individual's insurance coverage and the number of medical conditions that an individual or family confronts. Therefore, any solution to the affordability issue will require considering all of these factors together. The current high and increasing costs of prescription drugsâ€"coupled with the broader trends in overall health care costsâ€"is unsustainable to society as a whole. Making Medicines Affordable examines patient access to affordable and effective therapies, with emphasis on drug pricing, inflation in the cost of drugs, and insurance design. This report explores structural and policy factors influencing drug pricing, drug access programs, the emerging role of comparative effectiveness assessments in payment policies, changing finances of medical practice with regard to drug costs and reimbursement, and measures to prevent drug shortages and foster continued innovation in drug development. It makes recommendations for policy actions that could address drug price trends, improve patient access to affordable and effective treatments, and encourage innovations that address significant needs in health care.

"What, exactly, is 'National Cyber Security'? The rise of cyberspace as a field of human endeavour is probably nothing less than one of the most significant developments in world history. Cyberspace already directly impacts every facet of human existence including economic, social, cultural and political developments, and the rate of change is not likely to stop anytime soon. However, the socio-political answers to the questions posed by the rise of cyberspace often significantly lag behind the rate of technological change. One of the fields most challenged by this development is that of 'national security'. The National Cyber Security Framework Manual provides detailed background information and in-depth theoretical frameworks to help the reader understand the various facets of National Cyber Security, according to different levels of public policy formulation. The four levels of government--political, strategic, operational and tactical/technical--each have their own perspectives on National Cyber Security, and each is addressed in individual sections within the Manual. Additionally, the Manual gives examples of relevant institutions in National Cyber Security, from top-level policy coordination bodies down to cyber crisis management structures and similar institutions."--Page 4 of cover.

This insightful volume opens new horizons for exploring modern therapeutic entities and emerging targets for combating the deadly disease of cancer. The authors provide a review of cancer along with descriptions of its molecular level mechanisms and emphasize the role of promising new therapies, including herbal therapies, that can be utilized for the treatment of metastatic diseases. The chapters look at specific approaches that have been researched and developed and that have almost reached the standardization stage, such as intracellular mechanisms, particularly phosphoprotein-enriched astrocytes and transthyretin proteins; CXCR4; autophagy-inhibiting drugs; spatiotemporal genetic analysis; tyrosine kinase inhibitors; and more. Also considered are advances in diagnostic systems like intra vital microscopy and molecular imaging.

This book represents a significant contribution to the debates surrounding globalization and local systems of innovation. The diverse perspectives on global and local processes combined with original insights on developing countries should be of value to scholars and students of economics, social science, political science and business administration. The book should also be of interest to policymakers in governmental and non-governmental bodies, particularly international development agencies.

This expanded and updated edition of the 2007 version introduces readers from various backgrounds to the rapidly growing interface between biology and nanotechnology. It intellectually integrates concepts, applications, and outlooks from these major scientific fields and presents them to readers from diverse backgrounds in a comprehensive and didactic manner.Written by two leading nanobiologists actively involved at the forefront of the field both as researchers and educators, this book takes the reader from the fundamentals of nanobiology to the most advanced applications.The book fulfils a unique niche: to address not only students, but also scientists who are eager (and nowadays obliged) to learn about other state-of-the-art disciplines. The book is written in such a way as to be accessible to biologists, chemists, and physicists with no background in nanotechnology (for example biologists who are interested in inorganic nanostructures or physicists who would like to learn about biological assemblies and applications thereof). It is reader-friendly and will appeal to a wide audience not only in academia but also in the industry and anyone interested in learning more about nanobiotechnology.