The effect of marketing programmes on buying behaviours of Libyan consumers

It has been suggested that marketers must understand cultural differences in order to develop their marketing programmes across borders. Conversely, it is also argued that defined groups, in different countries, can be targeted in a similar way. These two perspectives raised the question that ‘to which extent should marketing programmes be standardised across the world’. The issues of Standardisation versus Adaptation in global marketing have received substantial attention from researchers over the past three decades. Opinions have varied, and the debate continues, lively, today. This has stressed the importance of cross-countries marketing programme research for practical and academic alike. This research sets out to investigate how suppliers of global companies presently interpret the need for adaptation in an emergent and increasingly relevant market (Libya) and how Libyan consumers react to their decisions through identify the influence of foreign marketing programmes on their buying behaviour. Also, to determine how Libyan consumers are influenced by marketing programmes according to individual characteristics to build a model for their buying behaviour

Calculation of solvency capital requirements for non-life underwriting risk using generalized linear models

The paper presents various GLM models using individual rating factors to calculate the solvency capital requirements for non-life underwriting risk in insurance. First, we consider the potential heterogeneity of claim frequency and the occurrence of large claims in the models. Second, we analyse how the distribution of frequency and severity varies depending on the modelling approach and examine how they are projected into SCR estimates according to the Solvency II Directive. In addition, we show that neglecting of large claims is as consequential as neglecting the heterogeneity of claim frequency. The claim frequency and severity are managed using generalized linear models, that is, negative-binomial and gamma regression. However, the different individual probabilities of large claims are represented by the binomial model and the large claim severity is managed using generalized Pareto distribution. The results are obtained and compared using the simulation of frequency-severity of an actual insurance portfolio.Web of Science26446645

Multiple ART Programs Create a Dilemma for Providers to Monitor ARV Adherence in Uganda

Background: Increased availability and accessibility of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved the length and quality of life amongst people living with HIV/AIDS. This has changed the landscape for care from episodic to longterm care that requires more monitoring of adherence. This has led to increased demand on human resources, a major problem for most ART programs. This paper presents experiences and perspectives of providersin ART facilities, exploring the organizational factors affecting their capacity to monitor adherence to ARVs. Methods: From an earlier survey to test adherence indicators and rank facilities as good, medium or poor adherence performances, six facilities were randomly selected, two from each rank. Observations on facility set-up, provider-patient interactions and key informant interviews were carried out. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats identified by health workers as facilitators or barriers to their capacity to monitor adherence to ARVs were explored during group discussions. Results: Findings show that the performance levels of the facilities were characterized by four different organizational ARTprograms operating in Uganda, with apparent lack of integration and coordination at the facilities. Of the six facilities studied, the two highadherence performing facilities were Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) programs, while facilities with dual organizational programs(Governmental/NGO) performed poorly. Working conditions, record keeping and the duality of programs underscored the providers' capacity tomonitor adherence. Overall 70% of the observed provider-patient interactions were conducted in environments that ensured privacy of the patient. The mean performance for record keeping was 79% and 50% in the high and low performing facilities respectively. Providers often found it difficult to monitor adherence due to the conflicting demands from the different organizational ART programs. Conclusion: Organizational duality at facilities is a major factor in poor adherence monitoring. The different ART programs in Uganda need to be coordinated and integrated into a single well resourced program to improve ART services and adherence monitoring. The focus on long-term care of patients on ART requires that the limitations to providers' capacity for monitoring adherence become central during the planning and implementation of ART programs

A bridge too far; the strive to establish a financial service regulatory authority (OJK) in Indonesia

The Government of Indonesia (GOI) has been proposing a draft act on financial service regulatory authority, called Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK hereafter). In the aftermath of 1998 Asian crisis, the establishment of the institution was mandated through Bank Indonesia Act (Indonesia’s central bank bill) in 1999, which was later updated in 2004. According to the draft act, the OJK has been designed using an integrated approach, which is similar to the arrangement of FSA in the UK. This paper aims to examine the feasibility of establishing OJK. The existing financial supervision suffers from several problems: a) the quality of supervisions tend to be heterogeneous among the financial supervision bodies, b) there is a gap in supervision, whereby thousand of non-banking financial institutions have not been supervised properly, and c) financial offences have been flourishing in inter market transactions. We found that the establishment of OJK, however, would not minimize, let alone, resolve the problems above. The draft act has not proposed a mechanism on how to address these very issues. We estimated the minimum irreducible costs of establishing and operating OJK and found that the costs are paramount. According to the draft act, the costs would burden all financial institutions and obviously this creates complexity in financing OJK. Finally, two alternative approaches have been proposed in order to improve the feasibility and the effectiveness of the OJK by considering the structure of financial sector supervision in Indonesia

Dose-response relationship between arsenic exposure and the serum enzymes for liver function tests in the individuals exposed to arsenic: a cross sectional study in Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chronic arsenic exposure has been shown to cause liver damage. However, serum hepatic enzyme activity as recognized on liver function tests (LFTs) showing a dose-response relationship with arsenic exposure has not yet been clearly documented. The aim of our study was to investigate the dose-response relationship between arsenic exposure and major serum enzyme marker activity associated with LFTs in the population living in arsenic-endemic areas in Bangladesh.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 200 residents living in arsenic-endemic areas in Bangladesh were selected as study subjects. Arsenic concentrations in the drinking water, hair and nails were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The study subjects were stratified into quartile groups as follows, based on concentrations of arsenic in the drinking water, as well as in subjects' hair and nails: lowest, low, medium and high. The serum hepatic enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were then assayed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Arsenic concentrations in the subjects' hair and nails were positively correlated with arsenic levels in the drinking water. As regards the exposure-response relationship with arsenic in the drinking water, the respective activities of ALP, AST and ALT were found to be significantly increased in the high-exposure groups compared to the lowest-exposure groups before and after adjustments were made for different covariates. With internal exposure markers (arsenic in hair and nails), the ALP, AST and ALT activity profiles assumed a similar shape of dose-response relationship, with very few differences seen in the higher groups compared to the lowest group, most likely due to the temporalities of exposure metrics.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrated that arsenic concentrations in the drinking water were strongly correlated with arsenic concentrations in the subjects' hair and nails. Further, this study revealed a novel exposure- and dose- response relationship between arsenic exposure metrics and serum hepatic enzyme activity. Elevated serum hepatic enzyme activities in the higher exposure gradients provided new insights into arsenic-induced liver toxicity that might be helpful for the early prognosis of arsenic-induced liver diseases.</p

The neurogenic effects of exogenous neuropeptide Y: early molecular events and long-lasting effects in the hippocampus of trimethyltin-treated rats.

Modulation of endogenous neurogenesis is regarded as a promising challenge in neuroprotection. In the rat model of hippocampal neurodegeneration obtained by Trimethyltin (TMT) administration (8 mg/kg), characterised by selective pyramidal cell loss, enhanced neurogenesis, seizures and cognitive impairment, we previously demonstrated a proliferative role of exogenous neuropeptide Y (NPY), on dentate progenitors in the early phases of neurodegeneration. To investigate the functional integration of newly-born neurons, here we studied in adult rats the long-term effects of intracerebroventricular administration of NPY (2 \ub5g/2 \ub5l, 4 days after TMT-treatment), which plays an adjuvant role in neurodegeneration and epilepsy. Our results indicate that 30 days after NPY administration the number of new neurons was still higher in TMT+NPY-treated rats than in control+saline group. As a functional correlate of the integration of new neurons into the hippocampal network, long-term potentiation recorded in Dentate Gyrus (DG) in the absence of GABAA receptor blockade was higher in the TMT+NPY-treated group than in all other groups. Furthermore, qPCR analysis of Kruppel-like factor 9, a transcription factor essential for late-phase maturation of neurons in the DG, and of the cyclin-dependent kinase 5, critically involved in the maturation and dendrite extension of newly-born neurons, revealed a significant up-regulation of both genes in TMT+NPY-treated rats compared with all other groups. To explore the early molecular events activated by NPY administration, the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signalling pathway, which participates in the maintenance of the neurogenic hippocampal niche, was evaluated by qPCR 1, 3 and 5 days after NPY-treatment. An early significant up-regulation of Shh expression was detected in TMT+NPY-treated rats compared with all other groups, associated with a modulation of downstream genes. Our data indicate that the neurogenic effect of NPY administration during TMT-induced neurodegeneration involves early Shh pathway activation and results in a functional integration of newly-generated neurons into the local circuit