THE COST STRUCTURE OF MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Microfinance institutions are important, particularly in developing countries, because they expand the frontier of financial intermediation by providing loans to those traditionally excluded from formal financial markets. This paper presents the first systematic statistical examination of the performance of MFIs operating in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. A cost function is estimated for MFIs in the region from 1999-2004. First, the presence of subsidies is found to be associated with higher MFI costs. When output is measured as the number of loans made, we find that MFIs become more efficient over time and that MFIs involved in the provision of group loans and loans to women have lower costs. However, when output is measured as volume of loans rather than their number, this last finding is reversed. This may be due to the fact that such loans are smaller in size; thus for a given volume more loans must be made.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40195/3/wp809.pd

Characteristics and outcomes of in-hospital cardiac arrest in COVID-19. A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The purpose herein, was to perform a systematic review of interventional outcome studies in patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic period.Methods: A meta-analysis was performed of publications meeting the following PICOS criteria: (1) participants, patients > 18 years of age with cardiac arrest due to any causes; (2) intervention, cardiac arrest in COVID-19 period; (3) comparison, cardiac arrest in pre-COVID-19 period; (4) outcomes, detailed information for survival; (5) study design, randomized controlled trials, quasi-randomized or observational studies comparing cardiac arrest in COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 period for their effects in patients with cardiac arrest.Results: Survival to hospital discharge for the pre-pandemic and pandemic period was reported in 3 studies (n =1432 patients) and was similar in the pre-pandemic vs. the pandemic period, 35.6% vs. 32.1%, respectively (odds ratio [OR] 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.81–3.65; p = 0.16; I2 = 72%). Return of spontaneous circulation was reported by all 4 studies and were also similar in the pre and during COVID-19 periods, 51.9% vs. 48.7% (OR 1.27; 95% CI 0.78–2.07; p = 0.33; I2 = 71%), respectively. Pooled analysis of cardiac arrest recurrence was also similar, 24.9% and 17.9% (OR 1.60; 95% CI 0.99–2.57; p = 0.06; I2 = 32%) in the pre and during COVID-19 cohorts. Survival with Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2 was higher in pre vs. during pandemic groups (27.3 vs. 9.1%; OR 3.75; 95% CI 1.26–11.20; p = 0.02). Finally, overall mortality was similar in the pre vs. pandemic groups, 65.9% and 67.2%, respectively (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.33–1.34; p = 0.25; I2 = 76%).Conclusions: Compared to the pre-pandemic period, in hospital cardiac arrest in COVID-19 patients was numerically higher but had statistically similar outcomes

Aktywność biologiczna bursztynu bałtyckiego – żywicy kopalnej

This paper constitutes a review concerning studies on bioactivity of Baltic amber. Baltic amber (succinite) – Eocene fossil resin – is a very complicated mixture consisting of polymeric and low molecular mass components. In folk medicine, succinite is thought to be a remedy for all ailments or diseases. However, there are no scientific results confirming the assumption that succinite can positively influence human body. To confirm it indirectly, many articles examining succinite components were analyzed. Basing on them, we realized that many properties attributed to Baltic amber may originate from its components also released from its polymeric structure. Observed properties are: antioxidative activity, antimicrobial activity, antiphlogistic activity, repellent and insecticidal activity – they coincide with folk medicine applications of succinite.Artykuł stanowi przegląd literatury dotyczącej badań bioaktywności bursztynu bałtyckiego. Bursztyn bałtycki (sukcynit) – eoceńska żywica kopalna – jest skomplikowaną mieszaniną polimerów i składników małocząsteczkowych. W medycynie ludowej sukcynit używany jest jako cudowny lek na wiele dolegliwości i chorób. Brak jednak naukowych dowodów potwierdzających pozytywny wpływ sukcynitu na organizm człowieka, które uzasadniałyby stosowanie preparatów z bursztynu np. w kosmetykach. Aby pośrednio sprawdzić zasadność doniesień ludowych, przeanalizowano artykuły dotyczące aktywności biologicznej składników bursztynu bałtyckiego zakładając, że właściwości bursztynu muszą wynikać zarówno z właściwości jego składników, jak również z ich umieszczenia w polimerycznej strukturze sukcynitu. Stwierdzono, że właściwości biologiczne składników bursztynu – antyoksydacyjne, przeciwdrobnoustrojowe, przeciwzapalne, repelencyjne oraz insektobójcze mogą być uzasadnieniem doniesień medycyny ludowej o stosowaniu bursztynu

Should we supplement zinc in COVID-19 patients? Evidence from a meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION Preliminary retrospective reports showed that zinc supplementation may decrease mortality in patients with COVID-19, postulating the potential therapeutic efficacy of zinc in the manage- ment of the disease. OBJECTIVES We sought to summarize the studies published to date regarding the antiviral activity of zinc in patients with COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS A meta-analysis was performed to compare the outcomes of hospitalized patients receiving zinc supplementation and those treated with standard care. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and length of stay in hospital or intensive care unit (ICU). RESULTS Data relating to 1474 patients included in 4 studies were analyzed. Survival to hospital discharge was 56.8% in the zinc group compared with 75.9% in the nonzinc group (P = 0.88). In-hospital mortality was 22.3% in the zinc group compared with 13.6% in the standard care group (P = 0.16). The mean (SD) length of hospital stay was 7.7 (3.7) days in the zinc group and 7.2 (3.9) days in the standard treatment group (P <0.001). The mean (SD) length of ICU stay was 4.9 (1.7) days in the zinc group and 5.8 (1.9) days in the standard care group (P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS Zinc supplementation did not have any beneficial impact on the course of COVID-19 evaluated as survival to hospital discharge and in-hospital mortality. The zinc-supplemented group had longer hospital stay despite shorter ICU stay. At present, there are no evidence-based data to support routine zinc supplementation in patients with COVID-19

From a supply gap to a demand gap? The risk and consequences of over-indebting the underbanked

SCOPUS: ch.binfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe