Beyond the Digital Dividends: Fintect and Extreme Poverty in the Middle East and Africa

This study analyzes the impact of the proliferation of Financial Technology (FinTech) on the achievability of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with respect to extreme poverty by 2030. The study uses system General Method of Moments (GMM) dynamic panel estimation methodology on annual data for 12 MENA and 45 SSA countries in addition to 70 emerging markets and developing economies from outside the two regions over the period from 2004 until the latest available data in 2018. Three different measures characterize FinTech adoption: the number of mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people, the number of fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, the percentage of people in the population who use the internet. The preliminary results of the study indicate that FinTech measures have a positive statistically significant impact on reducing extreme poverty for the full sample as well as the MENA and the SSA regions. The second part of the study employs a gap analysis against four poverty targets — United Nations’ 0%, World Bank’s 5%, and two intermediaries of 1.5% and 3% to capture all possibilities. The results of the gap analysis suggest that the situation in the MENA region is more promising than the SSA region where improvements in FinTech along will bring extreme poverty below 5% in all MENA countries with the exception of Yemen and Djibouti. For the SSA region, only 4 out of the 45 countries; Gabon, Cabo Verde, Seychelles, and Mauritius are able to close the extreme poverty target of 5%. The paper concludes that poverty alleviation goes beyond digital dividends and identifies human capital accumulation and improvement in governance as the prerequisites for realizing the potential of FinTech and its contribution to the efforts of eradicating extreme poverty within a policy framework to achieve the SDGs in both the MENA and SSA regions

Financial Inclusion and Extreme Poverty in the MENA Region: A Gap Analysis Approach

Eradicating extreme poverty remains one of the most significant and challenging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. The latest World Bank statistics from 2018 show that extreme poverty in MENA increased from 2.6% to 5% between 2013 and 2015. MENA ranks third among developing regions for extreme poverty, and fell short of halving extreme poverty by 2015 – the target established by the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, the precursor to the SDGs. Using system General Method of Moments dynamic panel estimation methodology on annual data for 11 MENA countries and 23 emerging markets (EMs) over the period 1990 – 2017, this study begins by estimating the impact of financial inclusion – using measures of access and usage – on the eradication of extreme poverty by 2030, the first goal of the SDGs. The results of the study indicate that, on one hand, financial access measures have a positive, statistically significant impact on reducing extreme poverty for the full sample as well as the MENA region. On the other hand, financial usage measures are only statistically significant in reducing extreme poverty for the full sample, but not for the MENA region. The second part of the study employs a gap analysis against four poverty targets—0%, 1.5%, 3%, and 5%—and shows that no MENA country and few EM countries will be able to close the extreme poverty gap and reach the target of 0% by 2030 by depending solely on improvements in financial access. These targets are based on the two benchmarks set by the World Bank and the UN, with intermediaries to capture error and give a fuller picture of what is possible. However, if improvements in financial inclusion alone can bring every EM and MENA country except Djibouti and Romania to bring the most accessible target of reducing global extreme poverty to no more than 5% by 2030. Policy considerations can be directed towards developing and promoting the infrastructure needed for the widespread delivery and usage of financial services, especially for the MENA and EM countries lagging behind the extreme poverty target. Special attention should be paid to the support of digital financial inclusion for its ability to help individuals cope with shocks without reducing consumption. Delivery and usage of financial technology is predicted to magnify the impact of financial inclusion on poverty reduction both directly – as shown in this paper – and indirectly – through channels related to other SDGs. Additionally, governments in the MENA region must take data quality and availability more seriously if they expect to reverse the acceleration of extreme poverty in the digital age

Financial Inclusion and Extreme Poverty in the MENA Region: A Gap Analysis Approach

Eradicating extreme poverty remains one of the most significant and challenging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. The latest World Bank statistics from 2018 show that extreme poverty in MENA increased from 2.6% to 5% between 2013 and 2015. MENA ranks third among developing regions for extreme poverty, and fell short of halving extreme poverty by 2015 – the target established by the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, the precursor to the SDGs. Using system General Method of Moments dynamic panel estimation methodology on annual data for 11 MENA countries and 23 emerging markets (EMs) over the period 1990 – 2017, this study begins by estimating the impact of financial inclusion – using measures of access and usage – on the eradication of extreme poverty by 2030, the first goal of the SDGs. The results of the study indicate that, on one hand, financial access measures have a positive, statistically significant impact on reducing extreme poverty for the full sample as well as the MENA region. On the other hand, financial usage measures are only statistically significant in reducing extreme poverty for the full sample, but not for the MENA region. The second part of the study employs a gap analysis against four poverty targets—0%, 1.5%, 3%, and 5%—and shows that no MENA country and few EM countries will be able to close the extreme poverty gap and reach the target of 0% by 2030 by depending solely on improvements in financial access. These targets are based on the two benchmarks set by the World Bank and the UN, with intermediaries to capture error and give a fuller picture of what is possible. However, if improvements in financial inclusion alone can bring every EM and MENA country except Djibouti and Romania to bring the most accessible target of reducing global extreme poverty to no more than 5% by 2030. Policy considerations can be directed towards developing and promoting the infrastructure needed for the widespread delivery and usage of financial services, especially for the MENA and EM countries lagging behind the extreme poverty target. Special attention should be paid to the support of digital financial inclusion for its ability to help individuals cope with shocks without reducing consumption. Delivery and usage of financial technology is predicted to magnify the impact of financial inclusion on poverty reduction both directly – as shown in this paper – and indirectly – through channels related to other SDGs. Additionally, governments in the MENA region must take data quality and availability more seriously if they expect to reverse the acceleration of extreme poverty in the digital age

Enhancement of circular RC columns using steel mesh as internal or external confinement under the influence of axial compression loading

Reinforced concrete (RC) columns cannot get supreme confinement by using the customary steel stirrups reinforcement because of the requirements for the spacing distances between the stirrups in addition to concrete continuance trouble. For this, Steel Mesh (SM) externally wrapped around the outer perimeter of the column as contributory confinement are being widely used due to its features. Limited tests focused on using SM for the internal confinement around the reinforcing cage of RC columns. Moreover, no experimental comparison was presented between RC columns internally and externally confined using SM. This paper investigates experimentally the behavior of circular RC columns confined internally or externally by SM. Six short RC columns have been subjected to axial loading until failure. The main studied parameters were SM schemes, number of SM wraps, SM position (internally or externally), and the steel stirrups existence. Results demonstrated that SM could decrease the crack opening, diminish the concrete spalling, increase the maximum failure load, and enhance the ductility, energy absorption, and column stiffness. Furthermore, the partially internal confinement using two wraps of SM around the steel ties presented the maximum capacity with reasonable ductility. In general, internally confined columns showed better behavior than the externally confined one

Financial Inclusion and Extreme Poverty in the MENA Region: A Gap Analysis Approach

Eradicating extreme poverty remains one of the most significant and challenging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. The latest World Bank statistics from 2018 show that extreme poverty in MENA increased from 2.6% to 5% between 2013 and 2015. MENA ranks third among developing regions for extreme poverty, and fell short of halving extreme poverty by 2015 – the target established by the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, the precursor to the SDGs. Using system General Method of Moments dynamic panel estimation methodology on annual data for 11 MENA countries and 23 emerging markets (EMs) over the period 1990 – 2017, this study begins by estimating the impact of financial inclusion – using measures of access and usage – on the eradication of extreme poverty by 2030, the first goal of the SDGs. The results of the study indicate that, on one hand, financial access measures have a positive, statistically significant impact on reducing extreme poverty for the full sample as well as the MENA region. On the other hand, financial usage measures are only statistically significant in reducing extreme poverty for the full sample, but not for the MENA region. The second part of the study employs a gap analysis against four poverty targets—0%, 1.5%, 3%, and 5%—and shows that no MENA country and few EM countries will be able to close the extreme poverty gap and reach the target of 0% by 2030 by depending solely on improvements in financial access. These targets are based on the two benchmarks set by the World Bank and the UN, with intermediaries to capture error and give a fuller picture of what is possible. However, if improvements in financial inclusion alone can bring every EM and MENA country except Djibouti and Romania to bring the most accessible target of reducing global extreme poverty to no more than 5% by 2030. Policy considerations can be directed towards developing and promoting the infrastructure needed for the widespread delivery and usage of financial services, especially for the MENA and EM countries lagging behind the extreme poverty target. Special attention should be paid to the support of digital financial inclusion for its ability to help individuals cope with shocks without reducing consumption. Delivery and usage of financial technology is predicted to magnify the impact of financial inclusion on poverty reduction both directly – as shown in this paper – and indirectly – through channels related to other SDGs. Additionally, governments in the MENA region must take data quality and availability more seriously if they expect to reverse the acceleration of extreme poverty in the digital age

The Shigella ProU system is required for osmotic tolerance and virulence : Shigella ProU in osmotic tolerance and virulence

To cope with hyperosmotic stress encountered in the environments and in the host, the pathogenic as well as non-pathogenic microbes use diverse transport systems to obtain osmoprotectants. To study the role of Shigella sonnei ProU system in response to hyperosmotic stress and virulence, we constructed deletion and complementation strains of proV and used an RNAi approach to silence the whole ProU operon. We compared the response between wild type and the mutants to the hyperosmotic pressure in vitro, and assessed virulence properties of the mutants using gentamicin protection assay as well as Galleria mellonella moth larvae model. In response to osmotic stress by either NaCl or KCl, S. sonnei highly up-regulates transcription of proVWX genes. Supplementation of betaine greatly elevates the growth of the wild type S. sonnei but not the proV mutants in M9 medium containing 0.2 M NaCl or 0.2 M KCl. The proV mutants are also defective in intracellular growth compared with the wild type. The moth larvae model of G. mellonella shows that either deletion of proV gene or knockdown of proVWX transcripts by RNAi significantly attenuates virulence. ProU system in S. sonnei is required to cope with osmotic stress for survival and multiplication in vitro and ex vivo, and for infection

A Clinical Score to Predict Acute Renal Failure after Cardiac Surgery in Egypt

Background: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery is a serious complication. AKI could occur in 30% of patients, and 1-5% develop severe kidney injury. The present study aimed to evaluate the use of the Cleveland Clinic Score (CCS) to identify patients at higher risk of AKI after cardiac surgery. Methods: This study included 100 patients, 83 were males, and the mean age was 52.47±11.3 years. All patients had elective operations; 30% had isolated valve surgery, 64% had isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and 6% had combined CABG and valve operation. Results: Creatinine serum level ranged between 0.5-2 mg/dL with a mean of 0.98±0.32 mg/dL. Seventy-four patients had good renal function postoperatively, and their CCS was 1.45±0.36, while 26 patients had renal impairment, and their CCS was 12.5±0.44 (P= 0.001). Patients who had AKI were older (62.87±8.7 vs. 49.9±13.9; P<0.001) and had higher preoperative creatinine (1.1±0.32 vs. 0.94±0.31; P= 0.03). AKI was more common in diabetics (23 (88.5%) vs. 28 (37.85, P<0.001) and patients with COPD (6 (23.1%) vs. 3 (4.1%); P= 0.004). CCS score was significantly higher among the different degrees of severity of AKI. Conclusion: Cleveland Clinic Score could be good for predicting acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery

The outcomes of Skeletonized and Pedicled Internal Thoracic Artery in Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: a randomized clinical study

Background: Internal thoracic artery became the cornerstone graft in coronary artery bypass grafting. This study aimed to investigate sternal healing and wound infection in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery using skeletonized versus pedicled internal thoracic artery. Methods: 100 patients who underwent isolated CABG were divided into two groups; skeletonized internal thoracic artery (ITA) (50 patients) and pedicled internal thoracic artery (50 patients). The postoperative assessment was performed three months after surgery. Physical and radiological examinations were performed after surgery to assess sternal healing. Results: There was no significant difference in patients’ demographics between groups. Skeletonized group had more diabetic patients (65% vs 44%; p= 0.016). There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the number of grafts (2.72 ± 0.89 vs. 2.68 ± 0.90; skeletonized vs pedicled group; p= 0.84). Harvesting time was longer in the skeletonized group (55.69 ± 8.80 vs. 44.28 ± 6.95 minutes; p=0.09). Superficial wound infection occurred more frequently in the pedicled group (24% vs. 8%; p=0.03). Conclusion: Skeletonization of the internal thoracic artery conduits lowers the risk of superficial and deep sternal wound infection in patients undergoing CABG compared to the pedicled technique. However, skeletonization of internal thoracic artery conduits prolongs the operation time and requires more surgical skills

Synthesis, spectroscopic, thermal and anti-microbial studies of transition metal complexes of hydrazone derived from 4,6-diacetylresorcinol and S-methyldithiocarbazate

New series of copper(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II), zinc(II), cadmium(II), iron(III) and oxovanadium(IV) complexes of hydrazone, H3L, ligand derived from the condensation of S-methyldithiocarbazate and 4,6-diacetylresorcinol, in the molar ratio 1:1, has been synthesized. All the metal complexes are dimmers. The structures of the ligand and its transition metal complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, spectral (Infrared, electronic, Mass, 1H NMR and ESR) data and magnetic susceptibility, molar conductivity measurements and thermal gravimetric analysis. The structure of the ligand is dibasic tridentate with ONS sites. The bonding sites, in all cases, are the azomethine nitrogen, phenolic oxygen and thiol sulfur atoms, as illustrated from the spectral data. The metal complexes exhibit different geometrical arrangements such as square planar, tetrahedral, square pyramidal and octahedral arrangements. Kinetic parameters (DG, DH, DS and DE) of the metal complexes were calculated from the thermal behaviour of the metal complexes using Coats-Redfern method. The ligand and its metal complexes were screened for its antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pyogenes as Gram-positive bacteria, Pseudomonas phaseolicola and Pseudomonas fluorescens as Gram-negative bacteria and the fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus fumigatus

Spectroscopic properties, anti-colon cancer, antimicrobial and molecular docking studies of silver(I), manganese(II), cobalt(II) and nickel(II) complexes for 2-amino-4-phenylthiazole derivative

Thiazole Schiff base (H2L) ligand was synthesized from condensation of 2-amino-4-phenylthiazole with 4,6-diacetylresorcinol in the molar ratio 2:1. A series of Ag(I), Mn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes of H2L ligand was prepared and investigated by elemental analysis, IR, UV, 1H NMR, TGA and mass spectral data. Thiazol Schiff base ligand has two bidentate sets of N-O units which can coordinate with two metal ions to afford novel binuclear metal complexes. The directions of the coordinate bonds are from nitrogen atoms of the azomethine groups and oxygen atoms of the phenolic groups. All of the newly synthesized complexes were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities. The results showed the Ag(I) complex exhibited better activities than the commercial antimicrobial reference drugs. The metal complexes were also evaluated for their in-vitro anti-colon human cancer (HCT-116) and mammalian cells of the African green monkey kidney (VERO). The Ag(I) and Co(II) complexes with selectivity index value 17.00 and 15.63, respectively, exhibited better activity than methotrexate as a reference drug with selectivity index value 13.30, while complexes Ni(II) and Mn(II) with selectivity index values 9.30 and 8.59, respectively, were found to be nearly as active as methotrexate. Molecular docking studies further helped in understanding the mode of action of the compounds through their various interactions with the active sites of the dihydrofolate reductase enzyme. The observed activity of the Ag(I), Mn(II) and Ni(II) complexes gave rise to the conclusion that they might exert their action through inhibition of the dihydrofolate reductase enzyme