Can microfinance regulation encourage mission drift? The Italian case

Achieving both financial and social objectives has proved challenging for microfinance institutions (MFIs) operating in Europe. The European Union has traditionally played a role in supporting the social mission of many MFIs through favourable policies and financial support. However, differences in the microfinance regulatory environments in each of the European countries have contributed to cross-country variations in the sector’s evolution. However, the academic literature on this topic is scarce. Frequently, European MFIs have overcome regulation constraints by establishing partnerships with commercial banks. These partnerships are mostly intended to improve double bottom line management and achieve both financial and social objectives; however, these alliances can be hindered by regulatory changes. This paper aims to explore whether the introduction of microfinance regulation might affect the way in which MFIs manage their double bottom line. Given the recent passage of a microfinance law in Italy, we qualitatively explore the perceptions of a group of Italian microfinance stakeholders on the new regulatory framework and its effect on MFIs’ double bottom line management through establishing interinstitutional partnerships. Focusing on one of the regions with more microcredit programmes in Italy (Emilia Romagna), we generated data through qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews with five senior managers in MFIs, two members of the Italian government who voted for the new microfinance law and one expert in the field of microcredit. Additionally, secondary data were collected for triangulation. The perceived effects of the new regulation on MFIs’ strategical partnerships and mission drift are relevant for microfinance practitioners, regulators and policymakers. Despite emerging as an attempt of market correction, regulation is perceived to undermine the ways in which MFIs can reach financially excluded individuals. These conclusions need to be taken into account to prevent unintended effects on the microfinance sector and its outreach. Although non-generalisable, the emergent saturated findings also lead to questions for academics and lay the groundwork for further longitudinal research

Determination of the components of the gyration tensor of quartz by oblique incidence transmission two-modulator generalized ellipsometry

The two independent components of the gyration tensor of quartz, g11 and g33, have been spectroscopically measured using a transmission two-modulator generalized ellipsometer. The method is used to determine the optical activity in crystals in directions other than the optic axis, where the linear birefringence is much larger than the optical activity

Plant-associated microbiota as a source of antagonistic bacteria against the phytopathogen Erwinia amylovora

Control of bacterial plant diseases is a major concern, as they affect economically important species and spread easily, such as the case of fire blight of rosaceous caused by Erwinia amylovora. In the search for alternatives to the use of agrochemicals and antibiotics, this work presents a screening of natural bacterial antagonists of this relevant and devastating phytopathogen. We recovered bacterial isolates from different plant tissues and geographical origins and then selected those with the strongest ability to reduce fire blight symptoms ex vivo and remarkable in vitro antagonistic activity against E. amylovora. None of them elicited a hypersensitivity reaction in tobacco leaves, most produced several hydrolytic enzymes and presented other biocontrol and/or plant growth-promoting activities, such as siderophore production and phosphate solubilization. These isolates, considered as biocontrol candidates, were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing as Pseudomonas rhizosphaerae, Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens, Enterobacter cancerogenus, Pseudomonas azotoformans, Rosenbergiella epipactidis and Serratia plymuthica. This is the first time that the last five bacterial species are reported to have biocontrol potential against E. amylovora

Recurs multimedia del treball de camp en geologia

El portal Geocamp s'ha creat per aplicar-lo al procés d'aprenentatge de la Geologia al camp, enllaçant conceptes teòrics amb metodologia de treball fora de l'aula o el laboratori. S'adreça a docents i estudiants d'universitat, secundària, batxillerat, formació de professorat o públic en general. Aquest portal conté materials didàctics propis i enllaços amb tot tipus d'informacions relatives al treball de camp en Ciències de la Terra. L'element més innovador rau en la seva utilitat a l'hora de plantejar les activitats de preparació de les excursions. També hi trobem pautes metodològiques per a treballar en els afloraments, idees sobre les activitats de síntesi etc. Geocamp consta de 4 blocs: "Preparem la sortida" (elecció del lloc, transport, predicció meteorològica, material necessari, materials didàctics, enllaços d'interès etc.), "El treball de camp" (pautes d'observació, descripció i interpretació de les roques, recomanacions de seguretat etc.), "Itineraris" (exemples regionals propis o disponibles a la xarxa) i "Després de la sortida" (propostes de realització d'un informe final etc.)

Medfly Ceratitis capitata as Potential Vector for Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora: Survival and Transmission

Monitoring the ability of bacterial plant pathogens to survive in insects is required for elucidating unknown aspects of their epidemiology and for designing appropriate control strategies. Erwinia amylovora is a plant pathogenic bacterium that causes fire blight, a devastating disease in apple and pear commercial orchards. Studies on fire blight spread by insects have mainly focused on pollinating agents, such as honeybees. However, the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), one of the most damaging fruit pests worldwide, is also common in pome fruit orchards. The main objective of the study was to investigate whether E. amylovora can survive and be transmitted by the medfly. Our experimental results show: i) E. amylovora can survive for at least 8 days inside the digestive tract of the medfly and until 28 days on its external surface, and ii) medflies are able to transmit the bacteria from inoculated apples to both detached shoots and pear plants, being the pathogen recovered from lesions in both cases. This is the first report on E. amylovora internalization and survival in/on C. capitata, as well as the experimental transmission of the fire blight pathogen by this insect. Our results suggest that medfly can act as a potential vector for E. amylovora, and expand our knowledge on the possible role of these and other insects in its life cycle

Polyamidoamine Nanoparticles for the Oral Administration of Antimalarial Drugs

Current strategies for the mass administration of antimalarial drugs demand oral formulations to target the asexual Plasmodium stages in the peripheral bloodstream, whereas recommendations for future interventions stress the importance of also targeting the transmission stages of the parasite as it passes between humans and mosquitoes. Orally administered polyamidoamine (PAA) nanoparticles conjugated to chloroquine reached the blood circulation and cured Plasmodium yoelii-infected mice, slightly improving the activity of the free drug and inducing in the animals immunity against malaria. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis of affinity chromatography-purified PAA ligands suggested a high adhesiveness of PAAs to Plasmodium falciparum proteins, which might be the mechanism responsible for the preferential binding of PAAs to Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes vs. non-infected red blood cells. The weak antimalarial activity of some PAAs was found to operate through inhibition of parasite invasion, whereas the observed polymer intake by macrophages indicated a potential of PAAs for the treatment of certain coinfections such as Plasmodium and Leishmania. When fluorescein-labeled PAAs were fed to females of the malaria mosquito vectors Anopheles atroparvus and Anopheles gambiae, persistent fluorescence was observed in the midgut and in other insect's tissues. These results present PAAs as a versatile platform for the encapsulation of orally administered antimalarial drugs and for direct administration of antimalarials to mosquitoes, targeting mosquito stages of Plasmodiu

Predicting serious complications in patients with cancer and pulmonary embolism using decision tree modelling: the EPIPHANY Index

Background: Our objective was to develop a prognostic stratification tool that enables patients with cancer and pulmonary embolism (PE), whether incidental or symptomatic, to be classified according to the risk of serious complications within 15 days. Methods: The sample comprised cases from a national registry of pulmonary thromboembolism in patients with cancer (1075 patients from 14 Spanish centres). Diagnosis was incidental in 53.5% of the events in this registry. The Exhaustive CHAID analysis was applied with 10-fold crossvalidation to predict development of serious complications following PE diagnosis. Results: About 208 patients (19.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI), 17.1-21.8%) developed a serious complication after PE diagnosis. The 15-day mortality rate was 10.1%, (95% CI, 8.4-12.1%). The decision tree detected six explanatory covariates: Hestia-like clinical decision rule (any risk criterion present vs none), Eastern Cooperative Group performance scale (ECOG-PS; = 2), O-2 saturation (= 90%), presence of PE-specific symptoms, tumour response (progression, unknown, or not evaluated vs others), and primary tumour resection. Three risk classes were created (low, intermediate, and high risk). The risk of serious complications within 15 days increases according to the group: 1.6, 9.4, 30.6%; P<0.0001. Fifteen-day mortality rates also rise progressively in low-, intermediate-, and high-risk patients: 0.3, 6.1, and 17.1%; P<0.0001. The cross-validated risk estimate is 0.191 (s.e. = 0.012). The optimism-corrected area under the receiver operating characteristic curve is 0.779 (95% CI, 0.717-0.840). Conclusions: We have developed and internally validated a prognostic index to predict serious complications with the potential to impact decision-making in patients with cancer and PE