Institutional Framework of the Social Security System in Tanzania: Challenges, Reforms and Elderly Copping Strategies

This paper examines the institutional framework of the social security system in Tanzania with special focus on the critical challenges facing the system and some reforms that have been undertaken. Coping strategies of old people with inadequate support from the social security system are also highlighted. Primary data were collected from 160 elderly in Morogoro Urban and Mvomero districts. The respondents were stratified into pensioners and non-pensioners and across gender. Primary data were complemented by interview of key informants and documentary reviews. The approach was basically qualitative analysis. It was found that the formal social security system in Tanzania comprises of five social security pension institutions; each of these traditionally covering a defined category of beneficiaries as per establishment piece of legislature. The system suffers fragmented legal and regulatory framework where schemes report to different ministries. To resolve this problem and enhance efficiency, a coordinating body, the Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA) has been established. Most of the products offered by the schemes are similar, albeit there are some variations. Complaints revolved around the inadequacy of benefits and delays in payments. The different strategies adopted by the elderly to cope with poor social security support are outlined. It is recommended that a special pension fund for all elderly (the Elderly Pension Fund- EPF) be established; monthly pension be transferred electronically via mobile phones in order to reduce transaction costs to the elderly; and in order to maintain the purchasing power of the pension beneficiaries an element of pension indexing be considered to accommodate inflationary pressure in the economy like in the case of pension benefits for senior government officials. Keywords: Pension schemes, Elder vulnerability, Social security reform, Coping strategies

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Through Microcredit: Assessing the Role of Sarhad Rural Support Program in Pakistan

Microcredit has been recognized as an effective tool to foster entrepreneurship among the rural women. Traditionally, women entrepreneurs in Pakistan are handicapped in the matter of organizing and running their businesses due to absence of capital and fear of failure. With the efforts of state-owned and private microcredit instructions, many Pakistani women are now establishing new businesses with ideas to start micro and small enterprises. This paper intends to examine the role of Sarhad Rural Support Program (SRSP) in empowering women entrepreneurs through microcredit in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The study was undertaken in six villages from three selected districts to examine the effect of microcredit on social and economic empowerment of the rural women entrepreneurs. The field data was collected by applying multistage sampling techniques from the sample size of 300 women entrepreneurs. However, social and economic empowerment index was developed for the assessment of socioeconomic empowerment of the women entrepreneurs. The study found significant improvement in the social and economic status of the women entrepreneurs and concludes that the overall effect of SRSP’s microcredit was positive in empowering women entrepreneurs and promoting entrepreneurship in the study area. However, to effectively address the gender-related constraints and cultural sensitivity that limit equitable access of women entrepreneurs to the local markets, support services are required by the SRSP to create linkages between the women entrepreneurs and local markets.Mikrokredyt jest uważany za skuteczne narzędzie wspierania przedsiębiorczości wśród kobiet wiejskich. Tradycyjnie, pakistańskie kobiety byłyby niechętne do uruchomienia nowej działalności gospodarczej z powodu braku kapitału i strachu przed porażką. Wspólnie z agencjami państwowymi i prywatnymi firmami wprowadzającymi programy kredytowe dla kobiet o niskich dochodach i przy niskich stopach procentowych, wiele pakistańskich kobiet zakłada obecnie nowe firmy. Niniejszy artykuł ma na celu zbadanie roli Programu Wsparcia Obszarów Wiejskich (SRSP) we wzmocnieniu pozycji kobiet-przedsiębiorców poprzez mikrokredyty w prowincji Khyber Pakhtunkhwa w Pakistanie. Badanie zostało przeprowadzone w sześciu wsiach z trzech wybranych regionów w celu zbadania wpływu mikrokredytów na wzmocnienie pozycji społecznej i ekonomicznej z obszarów wiejskich kobiet-przedsiębiorców. Dane zebrano poprzez zastosowanie techniki wielostopniowego doboru z próby liczącej 300 kobiet-przedsiębiorców. Zostały opracowane indeksy społecznego i ekonomicznego upodmiotowienia dla oceny społeczno-gospodarczego upodmiotowienia kobiet. Badania wykazały znaczną poprawę statusu społecznego i gospodarczego kobiet przedsiębiorców. Ogólny efekt mikrokredytów SRSP był dodatni we wzmocnieniu pozycji i przedsiębiorczości kobiet w badanym obszarze

A Methodical Approach to Scrutinize the Role of Body Mass Index in Heart Rate Increment and Recovery

OBJECTIVES Heart rate (HR) is a crucial health indicator and is also one of the health factors we need to pay explicit attention to. Body Mass Index (BMI) is considered a cofactor in heart-related issues like heart rate increment and recovery. Thus a study was conducted to determine the relationship between BMI and the rate of heart rate increment and recovery. METHODOLOGY 24 participants aged 17-20 were examined during elliptical machine training once a week continuously for three months. Their regular resting heart rate and change in heart rate during and after the elliptical workout were recorded and compared with BMI. RESULTS The HR increments were noted alongside BMI for male participants below BMI 21.13, and female participants below BMI 20.16. The heart rate increment tempo decreases alongside the increased BMI for both sexes afterwards. The heart rate recovery (HRrecovery) for male participants falls with the BMI increase to ~25 and increases thereafter. The female participants show a differing trend: HRrecovery rates increase following BMI growth till BMI ~ 20 and then decrease parabolically till the maximum BMI among female participants. The findings suggest no linear and non-significant correlation between BMI and heart rate increment or HRrecovery. The coefficient of determination is too tiny (R2 = 0.1395 for males and R2 = 0.003 for females) to indicate the causation between BMIs and HRrecovry. CONCLUSION This is the first study scrutinizing the role of body mass index on heart rate increment and heart rate recovery. Thus BMI should not be used as the cofactor or risk for heart activity or impaired functions

Factors Influencing Rice Productivity by Different Ecosystems: A Case Study on Prefecture of Faranah, Republic of Guinea

Rice growing regions in Guinea are mainly located in three types of land zones (lowlands, plains, and Hillsides). Rice cultivation is concentrated in Kankan, Kouroussa, Siguiri and Faranah in upper Guinea, where the rice field is poorly cultivated due to insufficient labor input causes by the migration to fluvial-marine industry. The research area has a diversified natural ecological endowment, such as inland flood plains and lowlands with a great diversity of water resources. The aims of the study are to analyze net income and profitability of rice production on households by different ecosystem features in the prefecture of Faranah. Data were collected with 270 respondents selected in eight rural communes and the Faranah center randomly; first hand data were obtained using structured questionnaires. The linear regression analysis showed that lowland farmers ‘capital inputs, net income, and fertilizer were highly significant (P<0.01); however, gender, labor cost and household size were significant (P<0.05). For the farmers in the plain area, it was indicated that, rice production profit was not highly significant due to the higher production input costs, but training, capital inputs, gender and age of farmers were significant (P<0.05); In the hillsides, the result shows that the net income and capital inputs were highly significant related (P<0.01) whilst farm size and labor cost are significant at 5%, where the input of fertilizer is less significant. The gross margin analysis shows that net incomes of each land types are 3773 to 8993 US$/ha in the lowland areas compared to the plains areas (3892 to 11348 US$/ha) and the hillsides with (3863 to 9708 US$/ha) respectively. Based on these findings, the authors recommend to the government and private organizations to help rice producers improve the inputs and influencing factors based on the various ecosystems in different land zones. Keywords: Ecosystem rice production, lowlands, plains, hillsides, arable land, revenue.

Sclerotherapy plus octreotide versus sclerotherapy alone in the management of gastro-oesophageal variceal hemorrhage

Background: There are different ways for controlling oesophageal variceal bleed which include pharmacological and endoscopic methods. In this study we compare efficacy of octreotide (50 g/hr for 48 hours) combined with sclerotherapy versus sclerotherapy alone in patients with acute bleeding from gastro-oesophageal varices (GOV).Methods: It was a randomized clinical controlled trial conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 1997 to December 1998. We evaluated the role of octreotide (50 g/hr for 48 hours) combined with sclerotherapy versus sclerotherapy alone in a total of 105 adult cirrhotic patients who had acute bleeding from GOV. Patients were assigned to receive octreotide plus sclerotherapy or sclerotherapy alone. Primary outcome measure was 5-day survival without rebleeding. The hospital stay in days and blood transfusion requirements were also compared in the combined treatment group versus sclerotherapy alone group.Results: Initial control of bleeding was achieved in 46/51 (90.2%) patients who received combined treatment compared to 41/54 (75.9%) patients (p = 0.05) in sclerotherapy alone group. Rebleeding after the first 48 hours was less in the octreotide treated patients 2/46 vs. 8/41 patients (p = 0.003). The octreotide treated patients had a better short term (5 days) survival without rebleeding 44/51 vs. 33/54 (p = 0.003) and shorter hospital stay, 5.31 +/- 3.87 days vs. 6.63 +/- 3.86 (p = 0.008) as compared to sclerotherapy alone group. The blood transfusion requirement was also less in the combined treatment group 3.88 +/- 2.80 vs. 5.37 +/- 3.15 units (p = 0.002).CONCLUSION: 1) The combination of sclerotherapy, and octreotide infusion over 48 hours is more effective than sclerotherapy alone in the treatment of acute variceal bleeding and prevention of early rebleed in cirrhotic patients. 2) It leads to shorter hospital stay and 3) less blood transfusion requirements. 4) Although early survival without rebleeding is improved, the overall mortality at the end of hospitalization period is similar in the two groups of treated patients

Microfinance Institutions of Bangladesh: The Effects of Credit Risk Management on Credit Performance

The main aim of this study is to investigate the effects of credit risk management on the credit performance of microfinance institutions in Bangladesh. For this purpose, an econometric model with a cross-sectional dataset has been taken into account. The primary data is collected from125 officers of 35 microfinance institutions in Bangladesh. Multiple variables namely, credit policy, credit terms, credit appraisals process, credit risk control, credit collection procedures and Institutional factor have been adopted as the components of credit risk management. The data has been collected using a structured questionnaire completed by microfinance institutions officers of different levels in Bangladesh. The study reveals that credit policy, credit risk control, credit collection procedures and Institutional factor have positive effects on credit performance, and they are statistically significant at 5%, 10%, 1% and 1% levels respectively; while credit terms and credit appraisals process have positive but insignificant effects on the credit performance of microfinance institutions. The empirical findings will support the policymakers in restructuring their overall credit risk management strategies to improve and sustainable credit performance. Keywords: Competition, Overlapping credit, Institutional factor, Effects, Insolvenc

Determination and Extraction of Acetamiprid Residues in Fruits and Vegetables

<p align="center"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">  <span style="font-size: medium;">Vegetables (chilies, tomato, cauliflower and cucumber) and fruits (mango and apple) samples were spiked with known quantity (0.50 mg kg-1) of acetamiprid reference standard for testing the retrieval percentage of acetamiprid residue in those vegetables and fruits. The efficiency of different extracting (ethyl acetate and dichloromethane + acetone 8:2) and eluting (ethyl acetate and dichloromethane + acetone 8:2) solvents and adsorbents (activated charcoal and florisil) for clean up purpose was calculated using HPLC. Amongst the extracting solvents ethyl-acetate was observed an effective extracting solvent alone which produced maximum 90-96%  </span><span style="font-size: medium;">recovery for acetamiprid residues while among the eluting solvents a combination of dichloromethane and acetone ( ratio 8:2) produced superior recoveries i.e. 87-95%. Similarly, between the adsorbents used for clean up purpose activated charcoal and florisil in tandem (first from charcoal and then through florisil) yielded recoveries 82-90 % whereas adsorbents used alone in form of activated florisil and charcoal recovered only 70 to 78 % and 71 to 73% acetamiprid residues, respectively in all vegetables and fruits.</span></span></p

Determination and Extraction of Acetamiprid Residues in Fruits and Vegetables

  Vegetables (chilies, tomato, cauliflower and cucumber) and fruits (mango and apple) samples were spiked with known quantity (0.50 mg kg-1) of acetamiprid reference standard for testing the retrieval percentage of acetamiprid residue in those vegetables and fruits. The efficiency of different extracting (ethyl acetate and dichloromethane + acetone 8:2) and eluting (ethyl acetate and dichloromethane + acetone 8:2) solvents and adsorbents (activated charcoal and florisil) for clean up purpose was calculated using HPLC. Amongst the extracting solvents ethyl-acetate was observed an effective extracting solvent alone which produced maximum 90-96%  recovery for acetamiprid residues while among the eluting solvents a combination of dichloromethane and acetone ( ratio 8:2) produced superior recoveries i.e. 87-95%. Similarly, between the adsorbents used for clean up purpose activated charcoal and florisil in tandem (first from charcoal and then through florisil) yielded recoveries 82-90 % whereas adsorbents used alone in form of activated florisil and charcoal recovered only 70 to 78 % and 71 to 73% acetamiprid residues, respectively in all vegetables and fruits

Effect of combined siRNA of HCV E2 gene and HCV receptors against HCV

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background/Aim</p> <p>Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major threat as almost 3% of the world's population (350 million individual) and 10% of the Pakistani population is chronically infected with this virus. RNA interference (RNAi), a sequence-specific degradation process of RNA, has potential to be used as a powerful alternative molecular therapeutic approach in spite of the current therapy of interferon-α and ribavirin against HCV which has limited efficiency. HCV structural gene E2 is mainly involved in viral cell entry via attachment with the host cell surface receptors i.e., CD81 tetraspanin, low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1), and Claudin1 (CLDN1). Considering the importance of HCV E2 gene and cellular receptors in virus infection and silencing effects of RNAi, the current study was designed to target the cellular and viral factors as new therapeutic options in limiting HCV infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study the potential of siRNAs to inhibit HCV-3a replication in serum-infected Huh-7 cells was investigated by combined treatment of siRNAs against the HCV E2 gene and HCV cellular receptors (CD81 and LDLR), which resulted in a significant decrease in HCV viral copy number.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>From the current study it is concluded that the combined RNAi-mediated silencing of HCV E2 and HCV receptors is important for the development of effective siRNA-based therapeutic option against HCV-3a.</p

The Meagerness of Simple Likert Scale in Assessing Risk: How Appropriate the Fuzzy Likert is?

Social scientists around the world commonly use the Likert scale. The scale has some limitations; in many cases, researchers are ignoring those limitations. Many social scientists have been trying to find out an alternative, but all initiatives do not correctly solve the problems. Among all limitations, the most critical issue is that Likert scale adopts a similar variance between two successive scale points. Fuzzy-Likert scale is a useful alternative for solving the existing limitation of the traditional Likert scale. Therefore, the current article describes the limitations of existing Likert scale and application of Fuzzy-Likert scale in perceived risk assessment. Naturally, risks are interrelated with different factors. Assessing risks with simple existing Likert scale is not entirely appropriate. A well-structured Fuzzy-Likert scale can be used to mitigate the existing problems. This article clarifies how efficiently researchers can use a Fuzzy-Likert scale for assessing the perceived risk in agriculture using a simple structured questionnaire with the help of an example. To reach the conclusions and recommendations, the researchers used different published articles, online repositories, report etc. through content analysis