WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF GANG CULTURE IN SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES REGARDING THEIR ECONOMY AND ITS PROGRESSION? LUKE CONNOR This piece looks into the effects of the gang culture in Latin American countries and, specifically, at the economy and progression of El Salvador over the last 30 to 40 years. It explores the history behind the gangs and the impact of this growth in recent years on the individuals and the economy as a whole. As my grandfather was the Ambassador for Great Britain in El Salvador during the Civil War, he was a very valuable source of information. I also used the World Bank report for information on the finances of the country and the companies operating in El Salvador. I believe that, in the long run, the gangs’ effect on the economy has been as negative as positive, as the revenue brought in from illegal dealings that fed into the economy via the multiplier effect has aided in equalling out the negative effects of this process. making portable ultrasound services available to a wider population. Small-scale studies have shown that the introduction of ultrasound in the developing world will have a significant impact on morbidity and mortality rates by improving diagnostics and therefore patient management. However, long-term studies have not yet been performed and will be needed in the future to see how this service can be sustained and developed. HOW BENEFICIAL WILL PORTABLE ULTRASOUND BECOME IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD? MATTHEW BEESE Ultrasound has revolutionised modern medicine in the Western world. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that in rural and resource-limited areas of middle and low-income countries that diagnostic imaging is almost always insufficient and in some cases completely lacking. However, due to increased affordability, portability and availability of ultrasound units, portable ultrasound is helping to improve the diagnostic capacity of hospitals in the developing world. Moreover, a more user- friendly design has allowed non-radiologists to be trained by taking a short and intensive course,
HOW ARE BRIDGES PROTECTED FROM EARTHQUAKES AND CAN THERE EVER BE AN EARTHQUAKE-PROOF BRIDGE? TEDDY CUNNINGHAM As the world’s population continues to increase and the need for nations and regions to be physically connected grows ever more important, bridges are being built in some of the most extreme and, arguably, unwise locations. Some of these bridges need to be built to withstand Nature’s greatest force – the earthquake. Many questions arise from this requirement: what earthquake protection measures are already in place in bridges built within the last 30 years? What additional measures are being explored so that bridges of the future are protected more from the dangers of an earthquake? Finally, can there ever be an ‘earthquake-proof ’ bridge? Through the examination of bridges, both those under construction and those fully operational, looking across three continents and at the ways bridges of the future are being engineered, I look to address those three questions. need for nations and regions to be physically connected grows ever more important, bridges are being built in some of the most extreme and, arguably, unwise locations.” “As the world’s population continues to increase and the
14
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker