Capital trading, stock trading, and the inflation tax on equity: a note

The authors show that there is more responsiveness of consumption and output to changes in the money supply than exists in the standard neoclassical growth models.Capital investments

Impact of Cultural Heritage Site Attributes to the Tourist Satisfaction in Zanzibar Stone Town, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tanzania.

The paper focuses on the assessment of the impact of cultural heritage site attributes to the satisfaction of tourists in cultural heritage destinations using the case study of Zanzibar’s Stone Town, UNESCO’s World Heritage site in Tanzania. It involved giving credits to each of the attributes found in the site and tourists had to select the most impressive attributes they encountered. The need for this study is based on the fact that many studies on cultural heritage resources in Tanzania have until recently concentrated on the archaeology, management and conservation of the heritage, thus leaving out issues of tourist satisfaction in general. Data was collected through questionnaires and the sample size included 105 tourists who visited Zanzibar’s Stone Town. The findings show that tourists can be satisfied more by one site attribute than the others due to some issues including inter alia, site maintenance, hygiene and sanitation. The article recommends that the hygiene and sanitation of the town should be improved. It is also argues that there should be a rapid maintenance for example, of some attributes in the House of Wonders Museum, in order to increase satisfaction levels of the tourists visiting this unique UNESCO World Heritage site

The division of labour between community medicine distributors influences the reach of mass drug administration: A cross-sectional study in rural Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Despite decades of community-based mass drug administration (MDA) for neglected tropical diseases, it remains an open question as to what constitutes the best combination of community medicine distributors (CMDs) for achieving high (>65%/75%) treatment rates within a village. METHODS: Routine community-based MDA was evaluated in Mayuge District, Uganda. For one month, we tracked 6,148 individuals aged 1+ years in 1,118 households from 28 villages. Praziquantel, albendazole, and ivermectin were distributed to treat Schistosoma mansoni, lymphatic filariasis, and soil-transmitted helminths. The similarity/diversity between CMDs was observed and used to predict the division of labour and overall village treatment rates. The division of labour was calculated by dividing the lowest treatment rate by the highest treatment rate achieved by two CMDs within a village. CMD similarity was measured for 16 characteristics including friendship network overlap, demographic and socioeconomic factors, methods of CMD selection, and years as CMD. Relevant variables for MDA outcomes were selected through least absolute shrinkage and selection operators with leave-one-out cross validation. Final models were run with ordinary least squares regression and robust standard errors. RESULTS: The percentage of individuals treated with at least one drug varied across villages from 2.79-89.74%. The only significant predictor (p-value<0.05) of village treatment rates was the division of labour. The estimated difference between a perfectly equal (a 50-50 split of individuals treated) and unequal (one CMD treating no one) division of labour was 39.69%. A direct tie (close friendship) between CMDs was associated with a nearly twofold more equitable distribution of labour when compared to CMDs without a direct tie. CONCLUSIONS: An equitable distribution of labour between CMDs may be essential for achieving treatment targets of 65%/75% within community-based MDA. To improve the effectiveness of CMDs, national programmes should explore interventions that seek to facilitate communication, friendship, and equal partnership between CMDs.Financial support from the Wellcome Trust grants 083931/Z/07/Z and 100891/Z/13/Z (https://wellcome.ac.uk), the Vice Chancellor’s Fund of the University of Cambridge, the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (https://www.schistosomiasiscontrolinitiative.org), the Isaac Newton Trust grant 15.40v (https://www.newtontrust.cam.ac.uk), and King’s College, Cambridge (http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Diarrhoeal outcomes in young children depend on diarrhoeal cases of other household members: a cross-sectional study of 16,025 people in rural Uganda

Background: There is a limited understanding of how diarrhoeal cases across other household members influence the likelihood of diarrhoea in young children (aged 1–4 years). Methods: We surveyed 16,025 individuals from 3421 households in 17 villages in Uganda. Using logistic regressions with standard errors clustered by household, diarrhoeal cases within households were used to predict diarrhoeal outcomes in young children. Regressions were adjusted for socio-demographic, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and ecological covariates. Selection bias for households with (1632/3421) and without (1789/3421) young children was examined. Results: Diarrhoeal prevalence was 13.7% (2118/16,025) across all study participants and 18.5% (439/2368) in young children. Young children in households with any other diarrhoeal cases were 5.71 times more likely to have diarrhoea than young children in households without any other diarrhoeal cases (95% CI: 4.48–7.26), increasing to over 29 times more likely when the other diarrhoeal case was in another young child (95% CI: 16.29–54.80). Diarrhoeal cases in older household members (aged ≥ 5 years) and their influence on the likelihood of diarrhoea in young children attenuated with age. School-aged children (5–14 years) had a greater influence on diarrhoeal cases in young children (Odds Ratio 2.70, 95% CI: 2.03–3.56) than adults of reproductive age (15–49 years; Odds Ratio 1.96, 95% CI: 1.47–2.59). Diarrhoeal cases in individuals aged ≥ 50 years were not significantly associated with diarrhoeal outcomes in young children (P > 0.05). These age-related differences in diarrhoeal exposures were not driven by sex. The magnitude and significance of the odds ratios remained similar when odds ratios were compared by sex within each age group. WASH factors did not influence the likelihood of diarrhoea in young children, despite influencing the likelihood of diarrhoea in school-aged children and adults. Households with young children differed from households without young children by diarrhoeal prevalence, household size, and village WASH infrastructure and ecology. Conclusions: Other diarrhoeal cases within households strongly influence the likelihood of diarrhoea in young children, and when controlled, removed the influence of WASH factors. Future research on childhood diarrhoea should consider effects of diarrhoeal cases within households and explore pathogen transmission between household members

Community Involvement and Sustainable Tourism Development in Heritage Management: Amboni Limestone Caves, Tanzania.

Community involvement in heritage management is not only important for the sustainability of any heritage site, but also for the development of tourism activities within an area. The objectives of the study were to examine the current state of heritage management in Amboni Limestone Caves in the Tanga Region of Tanzania, and to outline the potential of tourism development of the area. The aim of this study was thus to propose different ways in which the Amboni Limestone Caves could be utilized so as to ensure sustainable tourism development. This article adopted the theoretical constructs of collaboration to offer insight into tourism planning and community involvement in Heritage management. Data were collected through interviews, observation and focus group discussions. The sample size included twenty people who were part of a local community at Kiomoni village, as well as tour guides and tour operators in the Tanga Region. The results have shown that local communities and other stakeholders around the Amboni Limestone Caves in Tanzania have not been involved in management, conservation and tourism development of the site. However, the community has a positive opinion when it comes to tourism and shows interest when it comes to management and tourism development on the site, but their role is sidelined in the process by the authorities. The study recommends urgent collaboration should be used in order to ensure sustainable development of tourism activities and the site in general

Social network analysis predicts health behaviours and self-reported health in African villages.

The provision of healthcare in rural African communities is a highly complex and largely unsolved problem. Two main difficulties are the identification of individuals that are most likely affected by disease and the prediction of responses to health interventions. Social networks have been shown to capture health outcomes in a variety of contexts. Yet, it is an open question as to what extent social network analysis can identify and distinguish among households that are most likely to report poor health and those most likely to respond to positive behavioural influences. We use data from seven highly remote, post-conflict villages in Liberia and compare two prominent network measures: in-degree and betweenness. We define in-degree as the frequency in which members from one household are named by another household as a friends. Betweenness is defined as the proportion of shortest friendship paths between any two households in a network that traverses a particular household. We find that in-degree explains the number of ill family members, whereas betweenness explains engagement in preventative health. In-degree and betweenness independently explained self-reported health and behaviour, respectively. Further, we find that betweenness predicts susceptibility to, instead of influence over, good health behaviours. The results suggest that targeting households based on network measures rather than health status may be effective for promoting the uptake of health interventions in rural poor villages.This work was supported by N.W.O. grant #W07.68.116 to Professor Erwin Bulte.This is the final version, originally published by PLOS at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0103500

A combined EPR and MD simulation study of a nitroxyl spin label with restricted internal mobility sensitive to protein dynamics

EPR studies combined with fully atomistic Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and an MD-EPR simulation method provide evidence for intrinsic low rotameric mobility of a nitroxyl spin label, Rn, compared to the more widely employed label MTSL (R1). Both experimental and modelling results using two structurally different sites of attachment to Myoglobin show that the EPR spectra of Rn are more sensitive to the local protein environment than that of MTSL. This study reveals the potential of using the Rn spin label as a reporter of protein motions

The role of point-of-care ultrasound in the assessment of schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis: a systematic scoping review

Background Abdominal ultrasound imaging is an important method for hepatic schistosomiasis diagnosis and staging. Several ultrasound staging systems have been proposed, each attempting to standardise schistosomal periportal fibrosis (PPF) diagnosis. This review aims to establish the role of ultrasound in the diagnosis and staging of schistosomal PPF, and to map the evolution of ultrasound staging systems over time, focusing on internal validation and external reproducibility. Methods A systematic search was undertaken on 21st December 2022 considering the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE (1946-present), Embase (1974-present), Global Health (1973-present), Global Index Medicus (1901-present), and Web of Science Core Collection–Science Citation Index Expanded (1900-present) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1996-present). Case reports, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and studies exclusively using transient or shear-wave elastography were excluded. Variables extracted included study design, study population, schistosomal PPF characteristics, and diagnostic methods. The PRISMA-ScR (2018) guidelines were followed to inform the structure of the scoping analysis. Results The initial search yielded 573 unique articles, of which 168 were removed after screening titles and abstracts, 43 were not retrieved due to full texts not being available online or through inter-library loans, and 170 were excluded during full text review. There were 192 remaining studies eligible for extraction. Of the extracted studies, 61.8% (76/123) of studies that reported study year were conducted after the year 2000. Over half of all extracted studies (59.4%; 114/192) were conducted in Brazil (26.0%; 50/192), China (18.8%; 36/192) or Egypt (14.6%; 28/192). For the species of schistosome considered, 77.6% (149/192) of studies considered S. mansoni and 21.4% (41/192) of studies considered S. japonicum. The ultrasound staging systems used took on three forms: measurement-based, feature-based and image pattern-based. The Niamey protocol, a measurement and image pattern-based system, was the most used among the staging systems (32.8%; 63/192), despite being the most recently proposed in 1996. The second most used was the Cairo protocol (20.8%; 40/192). Of the studies using the Niamey protocol, 77.8% (49/63) only used the image patterns element. Where ultrasound technology was specified, studies after 2000 were more likely to use convex transducers (43.4%; 33/76) than studies conducted before 2000 (32.7%; 16/49). Reporting on ultrasound-based hepatic diagnoses and their association with clinical severity was poor. Just over half of studies (56.2%; 108/192) reported the personnel acquiring the ultrasound images. A small number (9.4%; 18/192) of studies detailed their methods of image quality assurance, and 13.0% (25/192) referenced, discussed or quantified the inter- or intra-observer variation of the staging system that was used. Conclusions The exclusive use of the image patterns in many studies despite lack of specific acquisition guidance, the increasing number of studies over time that conduct ultrasound staging of schistosomal PPF, and the advances in ultrasound technology used since 2000 all indicate a need to consider an update to the Niamey protocol. The protocol update should simplify and prioritise what is to be assessed, advise on who is to conduct the ultrasound examination, and procedures for improved standardisation and external reproducibility

Relative contribution of biomedical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors to COVID-19 vaccine receipt in rural India

Background: In the first year of roll-out, vaccination for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) prevented almost 20 million deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Yet, little is known about the factors influencing access to vaccination at the individual level within rural poor settings of low-income countries. The aim of this study was to examine determinants of vaccine receipt in rural India. Methods: A census of a rural village in Tamil Nadu was undertaken from June 2021 to September 2022. We surveyed 775 participants from 262 households. Household-level data on socioeconomic status (SES), water, sanitation, and hygiene practices, and individual-level demographic information, travel history, and biomedical data, including anthropometry, vital signs, and comorbidities, were collected. Logistic regression models with 5-fold cross-validation were used to identify the biomedical, demographic, and socioeconomic determinants of vaccine receipt and the timing of receipt within the first 30 days of eligibility. Vaccine ineligible participants were excluded leaving 659 eligible participants. There were 650 eligible participants with complete biomedical, demographic, and socioeconomic data. Results: There were 68.0% and 34.0% of individuals (N = 650) who had received one and two vaccine doses, respectively. Participants with household ownership of a permanent account number (PAN) or ration card were 2.15 (95% CI:1.32–3.52) or 3.02 (95% CI:1.72–5.29) times more likely to receive at least one vaccine dose compared to households with no ownership of such cards. Participants employed as housewives or self-employed non-agricultural workers were 65% (95% CI:0.19–0.67) or 59% (95% CI:0.22–0.76) less likely to receive at least one vaccine dose compared to salaried workers. Household PAN card ownership, occupation and age were linked to the timing of vaccine receipt. Participants aged ≤18 and 45–60 years were 17.74 (95% CI:5.07–62.03) and 5.51 (95% CI:2.74–11.10) times more likely to receive a vaccine within 30 days of eligibility compared to 19-44-year-olds. Biomedical factors including BMI, vital signs, comorbidities, and COVID-19 specific symptoms were not consistently associated with vaccine receipt or timing of receipt. No support was found that travel history, contact with COVID-19 cases, and hospital admissions influenced vaccine receipt or timing of receipt. Conclusion: Factors linked to SES were linked to vaccine receipt, more so than biomedical factors which were targeted by vaccine policies. Future research should explore if government interventions including vaccine mandates, barriers to vaccine access, or peer influence linked to workplace or targeted vaccine promotion campaigns underpin these findings