The evaluation and management of the boy with DSD

Atypical genitalia in a boy may have a very wide and diverse aetiology and a definitive diagnosis is often challenging to reach. Detailed clinical evaluation integrated with extensive biochemical and genetic studies play an important role in this process. Such care should be undertaken in highly specialized centres that can also provide access to a multidisciplinary team for optimal long-term care

Public Policy Lessons from the Covid-19 Outbreak: How to Deal with it in the Post-Pandemic World?

Using cumulative confirmed cases of Covid-19 covering 163 countries, this paper tests several hypotheses that have received extensive attention in the popular media and academic research during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Our goal is to identify lessons for designing better public health policies in the post-pandemic era based on the past 6 months’ experiences of these 163 countries. Based on 2SLS regression, we derive the following lessons. First, providing universal health care is a significant public health strategy for countries to help deal with similar outbreaks in the future. Second, tackling air pollution is a win–win solution, not only for better preparedness against Covid-19 or other airborne diseases, but also for the environment and climate change. Third, lockdowns may help to reduce community spread but its impact on reducing Covid-19 incidence is not statistically significant. Similarly, antimalarial drugs have no significant effect on reducing the spread of the disease. Fourth, countries should encourage home-based work as much as possible until some treatment or cure is found for the virus. Fifth, the lessons of past SARS experience helped contain the spread of the infection in East Asian countries; other countries must adjust their social and cultural life to the new normal: wearing masks, washing hands, and keeping a distance from others in public places

Public Policy Lessons from the Covid-19 Outbreak: How to Deal with it in the Post-Pandemic World?

Using cumulative confirmed cases of Covid-19 covering 163 countries, this paper tests several hypotheses that have received extensive attention in the popular media and academic research during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Our goal is to identify lessons for designing better public health policies in the post-pandemic era based on the past 6 months’ experiences of these 163 countries. Based on 2SLS regression, we derive the following lessons. First, providing universal health care is a significant public health strategy for countries to help deal with similar outbreaks in the future. Second, tackling air pollution is a win–win solution, not only for better preparedness against Covid-19 or other airborne diseases, but also for the environment and climate change. Third, lockdowns may help to reduce community spread but its impact on reducing Covid-19 incidence is not statistically significant. Similarly, antimalarial drugs have no significant effect on reducing the spread of the disease. Fourth, countries should encourage home-based work as much as possible until some treatment or cure is found for the virus. Fifth, the lessons of past SARS experience helped contain the spread of the infection in East Asian countries; other countries must adjust their social and cultural life to the new normal: wearing masks, washing hands, and keeping a distance from others in public places

Do Students Perform Better in Online Delivery of Education? Evidence from Bangladesh

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced educational institutions in Bangladesh to adopt online technology for higher education in just a couple of months that, otherwise, would have taken years. This change creates a unique opportunity to examine student performance in online education. In this study, in addition to examining the effect of online education on student performance, we investigate if there is a systematic difference in grading. We use transcript-level academic records of Business and Economics students from one of the leading private universities in Bangladesh for pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. We use two-way fixed effects regression models to eliminate entity- and time-specific fixed effects that may bias our estimates. Student level grade points in online format are higher by about 0.208 (on a scale of 0 to 4). This increase in grade points in online format is driven by the poorly performing student. Course level estimates show that the average grade points increase by about 0.086 which comes from a narrower distribution. The reduction in variance in grade points may be the result of online collaboration among students, more lenient grading by the instructors due to the pandemic situation or because of using increased group activities for assessment. We also find the effect of online format on course level average grade points (AGP) decreases and the coefficient of variation (CV) increases as instructors gain experience indicating some learning effects

Improvement of dissolution properties of albendazole fromdifferent methods of solid dispersion

Poor aqueous solubility of drugs results in poor absorption and bioavailability. The objective of solid dispersion technology is to increase the dissolution properties of highly lipophilic drugs, by using different hydrophilic carriers thereby improving their bioavailability. This technology is useful for enhancing the dissolution, absorption and therapeutic efficacy of drugs in dosage forms. Albendazole is a broad-spectrum antihelmintic agent used for the treatment of a variety of parasitic worm infestations. It is practically insoluble in water but slightly soluble in solvents like chloroform, methanol, ethyl acetate, and acetonitrile. The aim of our study was to improve the dissolution profile of albendazole using HPMC K 100 LV, Kollidon VA64 and Mannitol as carriers by solid dispersion techniques. From the prepared solid dispersion, formulation code CSF5 showed better result where carrier was HMPC K 100 LV at 1:10 ratio in solvent evaporation method. The HPMC K 100 LV showed better result for both kneading and solvent evaporation methods. Moreover, among the method employed, solvent evaporation method showed better solubility of drug at 60 min also at 1:10 ratio which was 78.86%. Results indicated that current formulation of solid dispersion is a promising approach for enhancing drug solubility and dissolution

Quantifying the impact of Ramadan on global raw sugar prices

Each year during the month of Ramadan (Muslim fasting month) consumption of sugar increased dramatically across the globe as Muslims traditionally break their fast with some sweet drinks or products. Since Muslims use lunar calendar, the months are not fully aligned with the Gregorian calendar or with the seasonal calendar for agricultural crops. In this paper, we quantify the impact of Ramadan on both the price and its growth of global raw sugar price. To set the stage for the empirical work that follows, we employ a dummy and a fractional variable to capture Ramadan in order to overcome the asynchronicity of time between Ramadan fasting (which is based on Islamic lunar calendar) and movement in prices (which follows the Gregorian solar calendar). In order to capture seasonality of production in sugar production, data on sugar price spans over thirty-four years so that the Islamic calendar makes a complete cycle of the Gregorian calendar. Using ARIMA and UCM models, we find strong evidence that monthly raw sugar prices in the global market increases by roughly 6.06% (or $17.78 per metric ton) every year ahead of Ramadan

The Impact of Mobile Money on Long-Term Poverty: Evidence from Bangladesh

Mobile money has become a lifeline for millions of poor people who have limited access to a formal banking system. It encompasses a wide range of benefits such as women’s empowerment, risk sharing, improved labor market outcomes and reductions in poverty. In this paper, we ask whether mobile money can help lift people out of poverty. Previous studies have addressed this question by using microanalyses of field experiments or longitudinal data on rural households, whereas we use district-level data to reevaluate the mobile money–poverty nexus. In particular, we study the impact of mobile money on district-level poverty in Bangladesh over the period 2010–2016. Our study finds that every 1 billion Taka (approximately US$ 11.76 million) increase in mobile money transactions via the bKash system leads to a 0.48% reduction in the poverty rate in Bangladesh. The marginal impact ranges from 0.27 to 0.48 percentage points across five poverty quintiles, implying a reduction of poverty rates between 0.9 and 1.5 percentage points compared with the base poverty rate of 31.5% in 2010. The findings suggest that mobile money has been successful in fostering various poverty reduction initiatives and that targeted policy prescriptions can be devised to lift up poorer societies that are still outside the purview of mobile financial services. To further increase mobile money use, the government could use its own infrastructure to enhance mobile agent density in the poorest sectors of society

The Impact of Mobile Money on Long-Term Poverty: Evidence from Bangladesh

Mobile money has become a lifeline for millions of poor people who have limited access to a formal banking system. It encompasses a wide range of benefits such as women’s empowerment, risk sharing, improved labor market outcomes and reductions in poverty. In this paper, we ask whether mobile money can help lift people out of poverty. Previous studies have addressed this question by using microanalyses of field experiments or longitudinal data on rural households, whereas we use district-level data to reevaluate the mobile money–poverty nexus. In particular, we study the impact of mobile money on district-level poverty in Bangladesh over the period 2010–2016. Our study finds that every 1 billion Taka (approximately US$ 11.76 million) increase in mobile money transactions via the bKash system leads to a 0.48% reduction in the poverty rate in Bangladesh. The marginal impact ranges from 0.27 to 0.48 percentage points across five poverty quintiles, implying a reduction of poverty rates between 0.9 and 1.5 percentage points compared with the base poverty rate of 31.5% in 2010. The findings suggest that mobile money has been successful in fostering various poverty reduction initiatives and that targeted policy prescriptions can be devised to lift up poorer societies that are still outside the purview of mobile financial services. To further increase mobile money use, the government could use its own infrastructure to enhance mobile agent density in the poorest sectors of society

Quantifying the impact of Ramadan on global raw sugar prices

Each year during the month of Ramadan (Muslim fasting month) consumption of sugar increased dramatically across the globe as Muslims traditionally break their fast with some sweet drinks or products. Since Muslims use lunar calendar, the months are not fully aligned with the Gregorian calendar or with the seasonal calendar for agricultural crops. In this paper, we quantify the impact of Ramadan on both the price and its growth of global raw sugar price. To set the stage for the empirical work that follows, we employ a dummy and a fractional variable to capture Ramadan in order to overcome the asynchronicity of time between Ramadan fasting (which is based on Islamic lunar calendar) and movement in prices (which follows the Gregorian solar calendar). In order to capture seasonality of production in sugar production, data on sugar price spans over thirty-four years so that the Islamic calendar makes a complete cycle of the Gregorian calendar. Using ARIMA and UCM models, we find strong evidence that monthly raw sugar prices in the global market increases by roughly 6.06% (or $17.78 per metric ton) every year ahead of Ramadan