'The role of Financial Liberalization in Development: Weaknesses and Corrections'

During the 80’s and 90’s, the increase in financial instability shook up the idyllic vision of the financial liberalization in developed nations. The difficulties borne by the banking sectors spread out in some Asian and Latin American countries as systemic crises. The deregulation of the financial sector has really affected their banks. We try to carry out an examination of the the financial liberalization process through a review of the literature. We analyze at first endemic weaknesses, then we study some institutional and conceptual solutions. We try to identify the micro-economic banking dimension as a driving force for the growth. The role of banking system is described in a development process usually facing the apology of the stock market.financial development, banking, credit

'The role of Financial Liberalization in Development: Weaknesses and Corrections'

During the 80’s and 90’s, the increase in financial instability shook up the idyllic vision of the financial liberalization in developed nations. The difficulties borne by the banking sectors spread out in some Asian and Latin American countries as systemic crises. The deregulation of the financial sector has really affected their banks. We try to carry out an examination of the the financial liberalization process through a review of the literature. We analyze at first endemic weaknesses, then we study some institutional and conceptual solutions. We try to identify the micro-economic banking dimension as a driving force for the growth. The role of banking system is described in a development process usually facing the apology of the stock market.financial development, banking, credit

Biological monitoring of occupational exposure to metals in electric steel foundry workers and its contribution to 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine levels

In this study, the urinary concentrations of selected metals in workers from an electric steel foundry in Tunisia were assessed and compared with existing biological limit values and general population reference values. Moreover, the association between oxidative DNA damage, measured as urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2\u2019deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and co-exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was evaluated. Urinary levels of 12 metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in end-shift spot samples from 89 workers. The urinary levels of phenanthrene (U-PHE), as marker of exposure to PAHs, and 8-oxodG were also available. Median levels ranged from 0.4 \ub5g/L (cobalt, Co, and thallium, Tl) to 895 \ub5g/L (zinc, Zn). Only 1% of samples was above the biological limit values for Co, and up to 13.5% of samples were above limit values for Cd. From 3.4% (Co) to 72% (lead, Pb) of samples were above the reference values for the general population. Multiple linear regression models, showed that manganese (Mn), Zn, arsenic (As), barium (Ba), Tl, and Pb were significant predictors of 8-oxodG (0.012 64 p 64 0.048); U-PHE was also a significant predictor (0.003 64 p 64 0.059). The variance explained by models was low (0.11 64 R2 64 0.17, p < 0.005), showing that metals and PAHs were minor contributors to 8-oxodG. Overall, the comparison with biological limit values showed that the study subjects were occupationally exposed to metals, with levels exceeding biological limit values only for Cd

A Graphical Method to Study Electrostatic Potentials of 25 nm Channel Length DG SOI MOSFETs

To determine electrostatic potentials in silicon channel of undoped DG SOI MOSFET devices, a graphical approach is proposed. The method keeps close to experimental reality by taking into account flat band potential at reduced channel lengths up to 25 nm. This graphical method solves a transcendental equation of Poisson’s equation to obtain electrostatic potentials at center and surface of device as a function gate and drain bias voltages

γ-rays irradiation effects on dielectric properties of Ti/Au/GaAsN Schottky diodes with 1.2%N

Dielectric properties of As grown and irradiated Ti /Au/GaAsN Schottky diodes with 1.2%N are investigated using capacitance/conductance-voltage measurements in 90–290 K temperature range and 50–2000 kHz frequency range. Extracted parameters are interface state density, series resistance, dielectric constant, dielectric loss, tangent loss and ac conductivity. It is shown that exposure to γ-rays irradiation leads to reduction in effective trap density believed to result from radiation-induced traps annulations. An increase in series resistance is attributed to a net doping reduction. Dielectric constant (ε’) shows usual step-like transitions with corresponding relaxation peaks in dielectric loss. These peaks shift towards lower temperature as frequency decrease. Temperature dependant ac conductivity followed an Arrhenius relation with activation energy of 153 meV in the 200–290 K temperature range witch correspond to As vacancy. The results indicate that γ-rays irradiation improves the dielectric and electrical properties of the diode due to the defect annealing effect

SiC polytypes and doping nature effects on electrical properties of ZnO-SiC Schottky diodes

Electrical properties of ZnO/SiC Schottky diodes with two SiC polytypes and N and P doping are investigated. Characterization was performed through I–V and C–V–f measurements. Schottky barrier height (Φb), ideality factor (n), and series resistance (Rs) were extracted from forward I–V characteristics. (Φb), carrier’s concentrations (Nd-Na) and (Rs) frequency dependence were extracted from C–V–f characteristics. The extracted n values suggest that current transport is dominated by interface generation-recombination and/or barrier tunneling mechanisms. When changing SiC polytypes, the rectifying ratio of ZnO/n-4HSiC is found to be twice that of ZnO/n-6HSiC. A change in doping nature gave a leakage current ratio of 40 between ZnO/p-4HSiC and ZnO/n- 4HSiC. These results indicate that ZnO/p-4HSiC diodes have a complex current transport compared to diodes on n-type SiC. From I-V measurements, barrier height values are 0.63eV, 0.65eV and 0.71 eV for heterojunction grown on n-6HSiC, n-4HSiC and p-4HSiC, respectively. C-V measurements gave higher values indicating the importance of interface density of states. Nss values at 1MHz frequency are 4.54×1011 eV-1 cm-2, 3×1012 eV-1 cm-2 and 8.13×1010 eV-1 cm-2 for ZnO/n-6HSiC, ZnO/n-4HSiC and ZnO/p-4HSiC, respectively. Results indicate the importance of SiC polytypes and its doping natur

Effect of Co-60 gamma-ray irradiation on electrical properties of Ti/Au/GaAs1-xNx Schottky diodes

Current-voltage (I-V), capacitance-voltage-frequency (C-V-f) and conductance-voltage-frequency (G/ω-V-f) measurements at room temperature are used to study 50 kGy 60Co γ-ray electrical properties irradiation dependence of Ti/Au/GaAs1−xNx Schottky diodes with 0.2%; 0.4%; 0.8% and 1.2% nitrogen dilution. This γ-ray irradiation induces a permanent damage that has increased ideality factor and series resistance for all samples. It was accompanied by a decrease in Schottky barrier height with nitrogen content up to 0.4%N and remained constant thereafter. Radiation was also found to degrade the reverse leakage current. At high frequency (1 MHz), capacitance and conductance decreased after radiation due to a decrease in net doping concentration. Interface state density and series resistance were determined from C-V-f and G/ω-V-f characteristics using Hill-Coleman methods. Interface states density exponentially decreased with increasing frequency confirming the behavior of interface traps response to ac signal. Series resistance increases after irradiation is attributed to carrier's removal effect and mobility degradation. It has two peaks in the accumulation and inversion region for some diodes (0.4%N, 0.8%N). γ-ray irradiation produced traps levels and recombination centers that reduce relaxation time. An increase in %N content can impede irradiation damage with even some compensation when the percent of diluted nitrogen is high (1.2%N)

Efflux in Fungi: La Pièce de Résistance

Pathogens must be able to overcome both host defenses and antimicrobial treatment in order to successfully infect and maintain colonization of the host. One way fungi accomplish this feat and overcome intercellular toxin accumulation is efflux pumps, in particular ATP-binding cassette transporters and transporters of the major facilitator superfamily. Members of these two superfamilies remove many toxic compounds by coupling transport with ATP hydrolysis or a proton gradient, respectively. Fungal genomes encode a plethora of members of these families of transporters compared to other organisms. In this review we discuss the role these two fungal superfamilies of transporters play in virulence and resistance to antifungal agents. These efflux transporters are responsible not only for export of compounds involved in pathogenesis such as secondary metabolites, but also export of host-derived antimicrobial compounds. In addition, we examine the current knowledge of these transporters in resistance of pathogens to clinically relevant antifungal agents

Fermented seeds (“Zgougou”) from aleppo pine as a novel source of potentially probiotic lactic acid bacteria

Microorganisms inhabiting fermented foods represent the main link between the consumption of this food and human health. Although some fermented food is a reservoir of potentially probiotic microorganisms, several foods are still unexplored. This study aimed at characterizing the probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria isolated from zgougou, a fermented matrix consisting of a watery mixture of Aleppo pine′s seeds. In vitro methods were used to characterize the safety, survival ability in typical conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, and adherence capacity to surfaces, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. Strains belonged to the Lactobacillus plantarum group and Enterococcus faecalis showed no DNase, hemolytic, and gelatinase activities. In addition, their susceptibility to most of the tested antibiotics, satisfied some of the safety prerequisites for their potential use as probiotics. All the strains tolerated low pH, gastrointestinal enzymes, and bile salts. They displayed a good antibacterial activity and antibiofilm formation against 10 reference bacterial pathogens, especially when used as a cell-free supernatant. Furthermore, the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains inhibited the growth of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus carbonarius. Finally, they had good antioxidant activity, although depending on the strain. Overall, the results of this work highlight that zgougou represents an important reservoir of potentially probiotic LAB. Obviously, future studies should be addressed to confirm the health benefits of the LAB strains