The capability dilemma in operational poverty assessment

This paper compares the standard economic welfare approach to poverty measurement to the empirical approaches proposed in the capability literature under the special focus of their suitability for operational poverty assessment, i.e. targeting and outreach evaluation. We question whether the measurement of per capita daily expenditures compared with a monetary poverty line justifiably remains the most widely used approach regarding poverty assessment. Its underlying value judgments and unsatisfactory assumptions differ considerably from those of the capability concept of poverty but the two approaches can be linked and critically compared with respect to the role of income, the conceptualisation of absolute poverty and the development of operational tools. We argue that despite the progress made in operationalizing the capability approach, there remain serious challenges when focussing on targeting and outreach evaluation and propose three alternative solutions for dealing with this capability dilemma in practice.

Proxy Means Tests for Targeting the Poorest Households -- Applications to Uganda

The motivation for this research stems from increasing interest showed for the issue of targeting. The paper explores the use of proxy means tests to identify the poorest households in Uganda. The set of indicators used in our model includes variables usually available in Living Standard Measurement Surveys (LSMS). Previous researches seeking to develop proxy means tests for poverty most often use Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) as regression method. In addition to the OLS, the paper explores the use of Linear Probability Model, Probit, and Quantile regressions for correctly predicting the household poverty status. A further innovation of this research compared to the existing literature is the use of out-of sample validation tests to assess the predictive power and hence the robustness of the identified set of regressors. Moreover, the confidence intervals are approximated out-of sample using the bootstrap algorithm and the percentile method. The main conclusion that emerges from this research is that measures of absolute poverty estimated with Quantile regression can yield fairly accurate in-sample predictions of absolute poverty in a nationally representative sample. On the other hand, the OLS and Probit perform better out-of sample. Besides it complexity, the Quantile regression is less robust. The Probit may be the best alternative for optimizing both accuracy and robustness of a poverty assessment tool. The best regressor sets and their derived weights can be used in a range of applications, including the identification of the poorest households in the country, the assessment of poverty outreach of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), and the measurement of poverty and welfare impacts of agricultural development projects. To confirm or reject the conclusions in this paper, future research using datasets from other countries is needed.Uganda, poverty assessment, targeting, proxy means test, out-of-sample test, bootstrap, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Security and Poverty,

How Best to Target the Poor? An operational targeting of the poor using indicator-based proxy means tests

This paper seeks to answer an operational development question: how best to target the poor? In their endeavor, policy makers, program managers, and development practitioners face the daily challenge of targeting policies, projects, and services at the poorer strata of the population. This is also the case for microfinance institutions that seek to estimate the poverty outreach among their clients. This paper addresses these challenges. Using household survey data from Uganda, we estimate four alternative models for improving the identification of the poor in the country. Furthermore, we analyze the model sensitivity to different poverty lines and test their validity using bootstrapped simulation methods. While there is bound to be some errors, no indicator being perfectly correlated with poverty, the models developed achieve fairly accurate out-of-sample predictions of absolute poverty. Furthermore, findings suggest that the estimation method is not relevant for developing a fairly accurate model for targeting the poor. The models developed are potentially useful tools for the development community in Uganda. This research can also be applied in other developing countries.Uganda, poverty assessment, targeting, proxy means tests, validations, bootstrap, Food Security and Poverty,

Developing Poverty Assessment Tools Based on Principal Component Analysis: Results from Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Uganda, and Peru

Developing accurate, yet operational poverty assessment tools to target the poorest households remains a challenge for applied policy research. This paper aims to develop poverty assessment tools for four countries: Bangladesh, Peru, Uganda, and Kazakhstan. The research applies the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to seek the best set of variables that predict the household poverty status using easily measurable socio-economic indicators. Out of sample validations tests are performed to assess the prediction power of a tool. Finally, the PCA results are compared with those obtained from regressions models. In-sample estimation results suggest that the Quantile regression technique is the first best method in all four countries, except Kazakhstan. The PCA method is the second best technique for two of the countries. In comparison with regression techniques, PCA models accurately predict a large percentage of households. With regard to out-of sample validations, there is no clear trend; neither the PCA method nor the Quantile regression consistently yields the most robust results. The results highlight the need to assess the out-of-sample performance and thereby the robustness of a poverty assessment tool in estimating the poverty status of a new sample. We conclude that measures of relative poverty estimated with PCA method can yield fairly accurate, but not so robust predictions of absolute poverty as compared to more complex regression models.poverty assessment, targeting, principal component analysis, Bangladesh, Peru, Kazakhstan, Uganda, Food Security and Poverty, H5, Q14, I3,

In search of suitable reference genes for gene expression studies of human renal cell carcinoma by real-time PCR

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Housekeeping genes are commonly used as endogenous reference genes for the relative quantification of target genes in gene expression studies. No conclusive systematic study comparing the suitability of different candidate reference genes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma has been published to date. To remedy this situation, 10 housekeeping genes for normalizing purposes of RT-PCR measurements already recommended in various studies were examined with regard to their usefulness as reference genes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The expression of the potential reference genes was examined in matched malignant and non-malignant tissue specimens from 25 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Quality assessment of isolated RNA performed with a 2100 Agilent Bioanalyzer showed a mean RNA integrity number of 8.7 for all samples. The between-run variations related to the crossing points of PCR reactions of a control material ranged from 0.17% to 0.38%. The expression of all genes did not depend on age, sex, and tumour stage. Except the genes TATA box binding protein (<it>TBP</it>) and peptidylprolyl isomerase A (<it>PPIA</it>), all genes showed significant differences in expression between malignant and non-malignant pairs. The expression stability of the candidate reference genes was additionally controlled using the software programs geNorm and NormFinder. <it>TBP </it>and <it>PPIA </it>were validated as suitable reference genes by normalizing the target gene <it>ADAM9 </it>using these two most stably expressed genes in comparison with up- and down-regulated housekeeping genes of the panel.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study demonstrated the suitability of the two housekeeping genes <it>PPIA </it>and <it>TBP </it>as endogenous reference genes when comparing malignant tissue samples with adjacent normal tissue samples from clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Both genes are recommended as reference genes for relative gene quantification in gene profiling studies either as single gene or preferably in combination.</p

Brain-type and liver-type fatty acid-binding proteins: new tumor markers for renal cancer?

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common renal neoplasm. Cancer tissue is often characterized by altered energy regulation. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABP) are involved in the intracellular transport of fatty acids (FA). We examined the level of brain-type (B) and liver-type (L) FABP mRNA and the protein expression profiles of both FABPs in renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: Paired tissue samples of cancerous and noncancerous kidney parts were investigated. Quantitative RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to determine B- and L-FABP in tumor and normal tissues. The tissue microarray (TMA) contained 272 clinico-pathologically characterized renal cell carcinomas of the clear cell, papillary and chromophobe subtype. SPSS 17.0 was used to apply crosstables (chi2-test), correlations and survival analyses. RESULTS: B-FABP mRNA was significantly up-regulated in renal cell carcinoma. In normal tissue B-FABP mRNA was very low or often not detectable. RCC with a high tumor grading (G3 + G4) showed significantly lower B-FABP mRNA compared with those with a low grading (G1 + G2). Western blotting analysis detected B-FABP in 78% of the cases with a very strong band but in the corresponding normal tissue it was weak or not detectable. L-FABP showed an inverse relationship for mRNA quantification and western blotting. A strong B-FABP staining was present in 52% of the tumor tissues contained in the TMA. In normal renal tissue, L-FABP showed a moderate to strong immunoreactivity in proximal tubuli. L-FABP was expressed at lower rates compared with the normal tissues in 30.5% of all tumors. There was no correlation between patient survival times and the staining intensity of both FABPs. CONCLUSION: While B-FABP is over expressed in renal cell carcinoma in comparison to normal renal tissues L-FABP appears to be reduced in tumor tissue. Although the expression behavior was not related to the survival outcome of the RCC patients, it can be assumed that these changes indicate fundamental alterations in the fatty metabolism in the RCC carcinogenesis. Further studies should identify the role of both FABPs in carcinogenesis, progression and with regard to a potential target in RCC

Down-regulation of the pro-apoptotic XIAP associated factor-1 (XAF1) during progression of clear-cell renal cancer

BACKGROUND: Decreased expression of the interferon-stimulated, putative tumour suppressor gene XAF1 has been shown to play a role during the onset, progression and treatment failure in various malignancies. However, little is yet known about its potential implication in the tumour biology of clear-cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC). METHODS: This study assessed the expression of XAF1 protein in tumour tissue obtained from 291 ccRCC patients and 68 normal renal tissue samples, utilizing immunohistochemistry on a tissue-micro-array. XAF1 expression was correlated to clinico-pathological tumour features and prognosis. RESULTS: Nuclear XAF1 expression was commonly detected in normal renal- (94.1%) and ccRCC (91.8%) samples, without significant differences of expression levels. Low XAF1 expression in ccRCC tissue, however, was associated with progression of tumour stage (p = 0.040) and grade (p < 0.001). Low XAF1 tumour levels were also prognostic of significantly shortened overall survival times in univariate analysis (p = 0.018), but did not provide independent prognostic information. CONCLUSION: These data suggest down-regulation of XAF1 expression to be implicated in ccRCC progression and implies that its re-induction may provide a therapeutic approach. Although the prognostic value of XAF1 in ccRCC appears to be limited, its predictive value remains to be determined, especially in patients with metastatic disease undergoing novel combination therapies of targeted agents with Interferon-alpha

Presentation of a new magnetic field therapy system for the treatment of human solid tumors with magnetic fluid hyperthermia

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) selectively heats up tissue by coupling alternating current (AC) magnetic fields to targeted magnetic fluids, so that boundaries of different conductive tissues do not interfere with power absorption. In this paper, a new AC magnetic field therapy system for clinical application of MFH is described. With optimized magnetic nanoparticle preparations it will be used for target-specific glioblastoma and prostate carcinoma therapy

The FUSE binding proteins FBP1 and FBP3 are potential c-myc regulators in renal, but not in prostate and bladder cancer

BACKGROUND: The three far-upstream element (FUSE) binding proteins (FBP1, FBP2, and FBP3) belong to an ancient family of single-stranded DNA binding proteins which are required for proper regulation of the c-myc proto-oncogene. Whereas it is known that c-myc alterations play a completely different role in various carcinomas of the urogenital tract, the relevance of FBPs is unclear. Methods: FBP1, FBP3 and c-myc expression was studied in 105 renal cell, 95 prostate and 112 urinary bladder carcinomas by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays. High rates of FBP1 and FBP3 expression were observed in all cancer types. RESULTS: There was a concomitant up-regulation of FBP1 and FBP3 in renal cell and prostate carcinomas (p<0.001 both). C-myc expression was detectable in 21% of prostate, 30% of renal and 34% of urothelial carcinomas. Interestingly, strong FBP1 and FBP3 expression was associated with c-myc up-regulation in clear cell renal cell carcinomas (p<0.001 and 0.05 resp.), but not in bladder or prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The correlation between FBP1/FBP3, c-myc and high proliferation rate in renal cell carcinoma provides strong in vivo support for the suggested role of FBP1 and FBP3 as activators of c-myc. The frequent up-regulation of FBP1 and FBP3 in urothelial and prostate carcinoma suggests that FBPs also have an important function in gene regulation of these tumors

ADAM9 is highly expressed in renal cell cancer and is associated with tumour progression

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><b>A D</b>isintegrin <b>A</b>nd <b>M</b>etalloprotease (ADAM) 9 has been implicated in tumour progression of various solid tumours, however, little is known about its role in renal cell carcinoma. We evaluated the expression of ADAM9 on protein and transcript level in a clinico-pathologically characterized renal cell cancer cohort.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>108 renal cancer cases were immunostained for ADAM9 on a tissue-micro-array. For 30 additional cases, ADAM9 mRNA of microdissected tumour and normal tissue was analyzed via quantitative RT-PCR. SPSS 14.0 was used to apply crosstables (Fisher's exact test and χ²-test), correlations and univariate as well as multivariate survival analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ADAM9 was significantly up-regulated in renal cancer in comparison to the adjacent normal tissue on mRNA level. On protein level, ADAM9 was significantly associated with higher tumour grade, positive nodal status and distant metastasis. Furthermore, ADAM9 protein expression was significantly associated with shortened patient survival in the univariate analysis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ADAM9 is strongly expressed in a large proportion of renal cell cancers, concordant with findings in other tumour entities. Additionally, ADAM9 expression is significantly associated with markers of unfavourable prognosis. Whether the demonstrated prognostic value of ADAM9 is independent from other tumour parameters will have to be verified in larger study cohorts.</p