Bootstrapping motives in nonfinancially constrained firms: A case study

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons or motives for firms with enough capital investment, thus not financially incapacitated, but still utilizing some form of financial bootstrapping in their daily operations. This paper uses the empirical findings on techniques and motives for bootstrapping according to Winborg and Landström (2001) and Winborg (2009) as a basis for analysis to evaluate the various bootstrapping methods and motives. Two case studies in southern Sweden were carefully selected, a manufacturing company in operation for four years and an IT company with three years in operation. Each company has adequate financial support internally and externally, but still bootstrapping in various ways. The results indicate that bootstrapping in not a form of cheap finance for firms lacking financial capital since even financially fit companies bootstrap to lower their day to day operating costs. Results also show that companies will not use customer-oriented bootstrapping techniques for fear of being too strict to make customers pay on time while risking losing them to their competitors. Joint utilization bootstrapping techniques are widely used and save a lot of time and money in the long run. The findings do not support the use of customer-oriented bootstrapping techniques as observed in previous research as the customer is the means for the firm’s survival, if threatened can move to obtain an alternative product or service from competitors. As far as bootstrapping is said to save money, this study’s findings show that it wastes time in return especially in projects that are short-lived or need to be launched within a limited period. Meaning that bootstrapping will take a lot of time to develop a product or service although may lower the overall cost. Practical implications for this study could assist business owners to understand why they bootstrap, and to carefully evaluate a project before bootstrapping since it is important to decide whether it is worth it to save time or save money. This study is among the few studies which have gone further to explore the empirical findings of bootstrapping in a case study approach, hence obtaining in-depth information of bootstrapping in specific companies operating in capital-intensive industries

Klientelisme dalam Pemilihan Kepala Desa di Desa Sidamulih Kecamatan Rawalo Tahun 2019

Penelitian ini berusaha untuk menunjukan mengenai strategi pemenangan kandidat SL dalam kontestasi pemilihan kepala desa tahun 2019 yang dilaksanakan di Desa Sidamulih. Pemilihan kepala desa dilaksanakan pada tanggal 23 Juli 2019 yang terbagi atas tujuh TPS di Desa Sidamulih. Penelitian ini melihat bagaimana metode kampanye berbeda yang dilakukan oleh kepala desa terpilih bersama tim sukses untuk mendapatkan kemenangan. Serta strategi yang digunakan dalam memenangkan pemilihan kepala desa yang ada di Desa Sidamulih. Kemudian dengan melihat proses klientalisme yang dibangun berdasarkan polarisasi yang ada hadir secara kultural maupun material. Pemilihan kepala desa atau kepala daerarh khususnya di Jawa Tengah memiliki istilah khusus yang digunakan dalam pemilihan yaitu wuwur atau wuwuran. Istilah tersebut sama diartikannya seperti money politics dengan memberikan sejumlah material kepada masyarakat sebagai usaha dukungannya dalam pemilihan. Metode yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah metode kualitatif studi kasus yang berusaha untuk menjelaskan dan mendeskripsikan sebuah fenomena yang terjadi melalui wawancara, observasi, dan dokumentasi. Temuan dari penelitian ini adalah penggunaan metode kampanye yang berbeda dari kandidat yang berhasil memenangkan kontestasi walaupun tidak memaksimalkan waktu kampanye dari panitia. Strategi yang dilakukan adalah dengan melakukan sosialisasi lebih awal kepada masyarakat berdasarkan dusun yang sudah di klasifikasi. Suara yang masuk kepada kandidat terpilih juga memiliki dasar dari adanya kegiatan wuwur yang memang terjadi. Fenomena wuwur tersebut dibenarkan oleh ketua panitia penyelenggara tetapi tidak dapat memberikan sanksi karena berada diluar proses menjadi kepala desa. Hubungan yang dibangun secara material dan kultural juga terlihat ketika kandidat yang berhasil memenangkan kontestasi menaikan ketua tim suksesnya sebagai ketua dari BPD di Desa Sidamulih

The Assessment of Community-Based Approach in Implementing Mother and Child Health Project of Immunization in Tanzania: The Case of Arusha Municipality

The study sought to assess the community involvement in Community-Based Approach used by local Non-Governmental Organizations in implementing Maternal/Mother and Child Health Project of immunization in Arusha Region. The study was conducted in four places in Arusha Municipality. The study had three main specific objectives namely; to examine the involvement of men and women in Community-Based Approach used by local Non Government Organizations in implementing Maternal/Mother and Child Health Project of immunization, to assess the involvement of men and women in Community-Based Approach across gender lines in implementing Maternal/Mother and Child Health Project of immunization, and to propose sustainable approaches to men and women involvement in Community-Based Approach in implementing Maternal/Mother and Child Health Project of immunization. The study employed descriptive survey design with sampling size of 100 respondents involving 50 women and 50 men of different ages. Data collection was done using questionnaires instrument, oral interview, observation, and desk review. The quantitative data was subjected to monovariate analysis by the aid of SPSS software while the qualitative were analysed by narration. The findings revealed that lack of proper education, availability low income, and prevalence of patriarchy system of life among the majority were the major threatening challenges on implementing of Maternal/Mother and Child Health project of immunization. The study concluded that public awareness should be provided to the community so as to raise awareness on matters pertaining to MCH, improvement of income to the community, and implementation of sustainable approaches towards MCH projects including immunization

Towards democratic decision-making In environmental law: An investigation of the implementation of public Participation and access to administrative justice

Magister Legum - LLMAn environment, which is not dangerous to the health or well-being of individuals, is every South African's basic Human right.1 In addition.it is every South African's basic human right to have the environment protected for the · "benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures".2 These measures must aim at preventing pollution and ecological degradation. The measures must further advance. conservation, and guarantee ecologically sustainable development and use of natural .· resources. 3 Stakeholders, such as, non-governmental, organizations (henceforth NGOs), and the community as a whole have important roles to play.

Single voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy in distinguishing focal neoplastic from non-neoplatic brain lesions

Objective: Assess diagnostic utility of combined magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRI, MRS) in differentiating focal neoplastic lesions from focal non- neoplastic (infective or degenerative) brain lesions.Design: Descriptive, analytical - prospective study.Setting: The Aga Khan University MRI department.Subject: Seventy four consecutive patients.Main outcome measures: Kappa measurement of agreement was used to determine the agreement between MRI and MRI, MRS with the final diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of the two tests were calculated. The difference between the number of indeterminate lesions in the twotests was determined. Logistic regression demonstrated the role of confounding factors in the diagnostic use of MRS.Results: MRI, MRS had a higher agreement with the final diagnosis than MRI in isolation. The sensitivity of MRI, MRS was 4.82 times greater than that of MRI. MRI, MRS had a 1.7% increase in accuracy. MRI, MRS reduced the indeterminate MRI lesions by 5.4%. Logistic regression showed that for lesions which were enhancing, MRS yield was more helpful if the voxel position included the enhancing part.Conclusion: MRI,MRS is better than MRI alone in characterisation of neoplastic from non- neoplastic focal brain lesions

Deterioration of traditional dietary custom increases the risk of lifestyle-related diseases in young male Africans

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) is rapidly increasing worldwide. To investigate the spread of MS risks and its relationship with eating habits including fish intake, we carried out a health examination for young and middle-aged men. The subjects were 97 healthy men (20 to 50 years) living in Mwanza, located on the shore of Lake Victoria in Tanzania. The health examination was conducted according to the basic protocol of WHO-CARDIAC (Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Comparison) Study. This survey included anthropometric measurements, a dietary questionnaire, blood pressure measurement, and blood and 24-hour urine (24U) collection. Excretions of sodium, potassium and taurine (Tau) in 24U were estimated as the biomarkers of salt, vegetable and fish product intakes respectively. In this survey, 62.5 % of the young and 63.3% of the middle-aged adults had MS risks. The most prevalent MS risk factor was increased blood pressure (50.0% of young adults and 53.1% of the middle-aged). Tau excretions in 24U and n-3 fatty acid levels in plasma were significantly lower in young adults than those in the middle-aged (both P < 0.05). The eating frequencies of non-traditional foods such as donuts and ice cream showed negative correlations with age (r = -0.282, P < 0.01 and r = -0.246, P < 0.05), while salt intake positively correlated with age (r = 0.236, P < 0.05). Tau excretion in 24U was inversely correlated with atherosclerosis index (r = -0.306, P < 0.01) and fasting blood glucose (r = -0.284, P < 0.05). Young adults in Mwanza had a decreased frequency of eating habit of fish products compared with the middle-aged as indicated by Tau excretion in 24U and n-3 fatty acid level in the plasma, and over half of young adults had one or more MS risks just as the middle-aged. The change in food habit of lowered fish intake and raised exotic food intake might be concluded to increase MS risks in young men

Physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk factors among young and middleaged men in urban Mwanza, Tanzania

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factors are increasing at an unprecedented rate in developing countries. However, fewer studies have evaluated the role of physical activity in preventing CVD in these countries. We assessed level physical activity and its relationship with CVD risk factors among young and middle aged men in a fast growing city of Mwanza in Tanzania. Methods: Physical activity was assessed among 97 healthy men aged 20-50years using Sub-Saharan Africa Activity Questionnaire. An updated compendium of physical activity was used to code the metabolic equivalent. Energy expenditure was calculated using Harris Benedict equation. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure,&nbsp; fasting blood glucose and serum lipids were also measured. Results: The mean energy expenditure in this population was 6,466 &plusmn; 252 kcal/week. More than half (53.6%) of the participants had energy expenditure of H4,000 kcal/week. Only three (3.1%) had energy expenditure below the recommended 1,000 kcal/week. Except for hypertension, prevalence of CVD risk factors was low in this population; hypertension 23.7%, low HDLcholesterol 10.3%, high LDL-cholesterol 9.3% and obesity 4.1%. Physical activity energy expenditure had an inversely relationship with waist to hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and fasting blood glucose. Conclusion: Physical activity energy expenditure was high in this population and was inversely correlated with CVD risk factors. Physical activity may play an important role in the prevention of CVD in this urban population of young and middle aged men

Risk factors for service use and trends in coverage of different HIV testing and counselling models in northwest Tanzania between 2003 and 2010.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relative effectiveness of different HIV testing and counselling (HTC) services in improving HIV diagnosis rates and increasing HTC coverage in African settings. METHODS: Patient records from three HTC services [community outreach HTC during cohort study rounds (CO-HTC), walk-in HTC at the local health centre (WI-HTC) and antenatal HIV testing (ANC-HTC)] were linked to records from a community cohort study using a probabilistic record linkage algorithm. Characteristics of linked users of each HTC service were compared to those of cohort participants who did not use the HTC service using logistic regression. Data from three cohort study rounds between 2003 and 2010 were used to assess trends in the proportion of persons testing at different service types. RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratios for HTC use among men with increasing numbers of sexual partners in the past year, and among HIV-positive men and women compared to HIV-negative men and women, were higher at WI-HTC than at CO-HTC and ANC-HTC. Among sero-survey participants, the largest numbers of HIV-positive men and women learned their status via CO-HTC. However, we are likely to have underestimated the numbers diagnosed at WI-HTC and ANC-HTC, due to low sensitivity of the probabilistic record linkage algorithm. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to CO-HTC or ANC-HTC, WI-HTC was most likely to attract HIV-positive men and women, and to attract men with greater numbers of sexual partners. Further research should aim to optimise probabilistic record linkage techniques, and to investigate which types of HTC services most effectively link HIV-positive people to treatment services relative to the total cost per diagnosis made

Uptake of services for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in a community cohort in rural Tanzania from 2005 to 2012.

BACKGROUND: Estimates of population-level coverage with prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services are vital for monitoring programmes but are rarely undertaken. This study describes uptake of PMTCT services among HIV-positive pregnant women in a community cohort in rural Tanzania. METHODS: Kisesa cohort incorporates demographic and HIV sero-surveillance rounds since 1994. Cohort data were linked retrospectively to records from four Kisesa clinics with PMTCT services from 2009 (HIV care and treatment clinic (CTC) available in one facility from 2008; referrals to city hospitals for PMTCT and antiretroviral treatment (ART) from 2005). The proportion of HIV-positive pregnant women residing in Kisesa in 2005-2012 who accessed PMTCT service components (based on linkage to facility records) was calculated per HIV-positive pregnancy and by year, with adjustments made to account for the sensitivity of the linkage algorithm. RESULTS: Out of 1497 HIV-positive pregnancies overall (to 849 women), 26% (n = 387/1497) were not linked to any facility records, 35% (n = 519/1497) registered for ANC but not HIV services (29% (n = 434/1497) were not tested at ANC or diagnosed previously), 8% (n = 119/1497) enrolled in PMTCT but not CTC services (6 % (n = 95/1497) received antiretroviral prophylaxis), and 32% (n = 472/1497) registered for CTC (14% (n = 204/1497) received ART or prophylaxis) (raw estimates). Adjusted estimates for coverage with ANC were 92%, 57% with HIV care, and 29 % with antiretroviral drugs in 2005-2012, trending upwards over time. CONCLUSIONS: Population-level coverage with PMTCT services was low overall, with weaknesses throughout the service continuum, but increased over time. Option B+ should improve coverage with antiretrovirals for PMTCT through simplified decisions for initiating ART, but will rely on strengthening access to CTC services