Globalization is a key challenge facing health policy-makers. A significant aspect of this is direct trade in health services, a result of the rise of transnational corporations, challenges in health care financing, porous borders and improved technology creating the scope for increased 'foreign direct investment' (FDI) in health care. This has gathered momentum with the General Agreement on Tr...

BACKGROUND The liberalisation of trade in services which began in 1995 under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has generated arguments for and against its potential health effects. Our goal was to explore the relationship between the liberalisation of services under the GATS and three health indicators--life expectancy (LE), under-5 mortalit...

The Court of Justice the European Union (CJEU) in Commission v Hungary Higher Education ruled that legal conditions introduced to enable foreign higher education institutions carry out their activities are incompatible with EU law. referred CJEU, claiming amendments Act 2011 Hungary's commitments as a member within following frameworks: General Agreement on Trade Services (GATS); freedom establ...

The effect of GABA on membrane potential and ionic currents of X-organ neurons isolated from the crayfish eyestalk was investigated. Under voltage-clamp conditions, GABA elicited an inward Na+ current followed by a sustained outward chloride current. Sodium current was partially blocked in a dose-dependent manner by antagonists of GABA plasma membrane transporters such as beta-alanine, nipecoti...

BACKGROUND Cigarette per day (CPD) use is a key smoking behaviour indicator. It reflects smoking intensity which is directly proportional to the occurrence of tobacco induced cancers. Self reported CPD assessment in surveys may suffer from digit bias and under reporting. Estimates from such surveys could influence the policy decision for tobacco control efforts. In this context, this study aime...