The Role of Microfinance in Women’s Empowerment in Sierra Leone. A Case of Market Women in Bo City, Southern Province

The development of poor communities is contingent upon the interventions of development partners in the affairs of government and non-governmental organizations worldwide. Since it gained prominence with its declaration in 2005 by the United Nations General Assembly, microfinance has been highly noted as an intervention that could help elevate the socioeconomic status of low-income earners and improve their standard of living by providing financial services to enhance development. This study examines microfinance's role in women’s empowerment in Bo City, southern Sierra Leone, using BRAC Sierra Leone’s microfinance scheme for market women in Bo Big Market Center as a case study. Questionnaire instruments and interviews were used to collect primary data from 290 respondents, some of whom were microfinance beneficiaries and female business table owners. The ensuing data was analyzed using simple statistical tools, and results were presented in charts and figures.The study revealed that although there are challenges for women to access resources, MFIs have provided options for women to explore in addition to the few other options available to them. However, a significant constraint was the need for more funds to transform their businesses meaningfully. Furthermore, although the MFIs give loans to all genders, women are often more preferred. In addition to providing microcredits in cash terms, some MFIs also give agricultural products like seedlings and animals to their clients. To guide the economic activities of their clients, some MFIs offer training programs on basic bookkeeping, savings, and accountability lessons.The study further revealed that although some women seek these loans to start or improve their businesses, they often use many of these monies to handle other affairs, like paying school fees for their wards and buying household items. Thus, the services provided by MFIs have significantly enhanced women's ability to start other income-generating activities, increase their chances of contributing to the development of their children, and improve their decision-making stance in their communities.However, despite the incredible benefits realized from MFIs, these market women face many challenges, including loan diversion and a need for more financial discipline in their businesses. Short repayment schedules and unjustified deductions from the monies expected from MFIs were also significant challenges that were revealed.Based on all of these issues identified, it was recommended that training programs for both clients and MFI staff must be an integral part of their services. Also, Financial discipline must be instilled into the clients to avoid loan diversion, creating a better chance to improve their businesses. Additionally, MFIs are expected to monitor or supervise their clients and businesses by continuously engaging with them on critical elements of their businesses. Finally, the central government must ensure that robust regulations are provided and implemented to govern the operations of MFIs and guide the implementation of interest rates for the clients

Search for the Neutrino Magnetic Moment in the Non-Equilibrium Reactor Antineutrino Energy Spectrum

We study the time evolution of the typical nuclear reactor antineutrino energy spectrum during reactor ON period and the decay of the residual antineutrino spectrum after reactor is stopped. We find that relevant variations of the soft recoil electron spectra produced via weak and magnetic ${\widetilde {\nu}}_{e},e$ scattering process can play a signigicant role in the current and planned searches for the neutrino magnetic moment at reactors.Comment: 4 pages LaTeX 2.09. 4 PS figures. Resume of seminar talks given at Kurchatov Institute, March 1999

Predicting tablet properties using In-Line measurements and evolutionary equation Discovery:A high shear wet granulation study

High shear wet granulation (HSWG) is widely used in tablet manufacturing mainly because of its advantages in improving flowability, powder handling, process run time, size distribution, and preventing segregation. In line process analytical technology measurements are essential in capturing detailed particle dynamics and presenting real-time data to uncover the complexity of the HSWG process and ultimately for process control. This study presents an opportunity to predict the properties of the granules and tablets through torque measurement of the granulation bowl and the force exerted on a novel force probe within the powder bed. Inline force measurements are found to be more sensitive than torque measurements to the granulation process. The characteristic force profiles present the overall fingerprint of the high shear wet granulation, in which the evolution of the granule formation can improve our understanding of the granulation process. This provides rich information relating to the properties of the granules, identification of the even distribution of the binder liquid, and potential granulation end point. Data were obtained from an experimental high shear mixer across a range of key process parameters using a face-centred surface response design of experiment (DoE). A closed-form analytical model was developed from the DOE matrix using the discovery of evolutionary equations. The model is able to provide a strong predictive indication of the expected tablet tensile strength based only on the data in-line. The use of a closed form mathematical equation carries notable advantages over other AI methodologies such as artificial neural networks, notably improved interpretability/interrogability, and minimal inference costs, thus allowing the model to be used for real-time decision making and process control. The capability of accurately predicting, in real time, the required compaction force required to achieve the desired tablet tensile strength from upstream data carries the potential to ensure compression machine settings rapidly reach and are maintained at optimal values, thus maximising efficiency and minimising waste.</p

Electromagnetic properties of neutrinos

A short review on electromagnetic properties of neutrinos is presented. In spite of many efforts in the theoretical and experimental studies of neutrino electromagnetic properties, they still remain one of the main puzzles related to neutrinos.Comment: The talk presented by A.Studenikin at the International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics, Rome (Italy), July 1-5, 200

An evaluation of waste management for energy recovery for the Kingdom of Bahrain

An evaluation of waste management for energy recovery for the Kingdom of Bahrai

Transforming Corn Stover to Useful Transport Fuel Blends in Resource-Limited Settings

Development of local technologies is crucial to the sustainable energy agenda in resource-limited countries and the world. Strengthening local green technologies and promoting local utilization will reduce carbon emissions that could be generated during transportation and delivery of green products from one country to another. In this paper we developed bio-oil/diesel blends using a low-tech pyrolysis system designed for smallholder farmers in developing countries and tested their appropriateness for diesel engines using standard ASTM methods. Corn stover retrieved from smallholder farmers in Gayaza, Uganda were pyrolyzed in a batch rocket stove reactor at 350 °C and liquid bio-oil harvested. Bio-oil chemical composition was analyzed by Gas Chromatography equipped with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID). Bio-oil/diesel emulsions in ternary concentrations 5%, 10% and 20% bio-oil weight were developed with 1% concentration of sorbitan monolaurate as an emulsifier. The bio-oil/diesel emulsions and distillates had property ranges: specific gravities at 15 °C 827.4–830.7 kg m−3, specific gravities at 20 °C 823.9–827.2 kg m−3, kinematic viscosities at 40 °C 3.01–3.22 mm2/s, initial boiling points 140–160 °C, final boiling points 354–368 °C, and calculated cetane indexes 56.80–57.63. These properties of the bio-oil/diesel blends and their distillates compare well with standard transportation diesel fuel. The emulsion distillates meet the standard requirements for automotive diesel in East Africa

Interpretation of heart rate variability via detrended fluctuation analysis and alpha-beta filter

Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), suitable for the analysis of nonstationary time series, has confirmed the existence of persistent long-range correlations in healthy heart rate variability data. In this paper, we present the incorporation of the alpha-beta filter to DFA to determine patterns in the power-law behaviour that can be found in these correlations. Well-known simulated scenarios and real data involving normal and pathological circumstances were used to evaluate this process. The results presented here suggest the existence of evolving patterns, not always following a uniform power-law behaviour, that cannot be described by scaling exponents estimated using a linear procedure over two predefined ranges. Instead, the power law is observed to have a continuous variation with segment length. We also show that the study of these patterns, avoiding initial assumptions about the nature of the data, may confer advantages to DFA by revealing more clearly abnormal physiological conditions detected in congestive heart failure patients related to the existence of dominant characteristic scales.Comment: 18 pages, 14 figure

A liquid xenon ionization chamber in an all-fluoropolymer vessel

A novel technique has been developed to build vessels for liquid xenon ionization detectors entirely out of ultra-clean fluoropolymer. We describe the advantages in terms of low radioactivity contamination, provide some details of the construction techniques, and show the energy resolution achieved with a prototype all-fluoropolymer ionization detector.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure

Precision Medicine and Actionable Alterations in Lung Cancer: A Single Institution Experience

OBJECTIVES: Oncology has become more reliant on new testing methods and a greater use of electronic medical records, which provide a plethora of information available to physicians and researchers. However, to take advantage of vital clinical and research data for precision medicine, we must initially make an effort to create an infrastructure for the collection, storage, and utilization of this information with uniquely designed disease-specific registries that could support the collection of a large number of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we perform an in-depth analysis of a series of lung adenocarcinoma patients (n = 415) with genomic and clinical data in a recently created thoracic patient registry. RESULTS: Of the 415 patients with lung adenocarcinoma, 59% (n = 245) were female; the median age was 64 (range, 22-92) years with a median OS of 33.29 months (95% CI, 29.77-39.48). The most common actionable alterations were identified in EGFR (n = 177/415 [42.7%]), ALK (n = 28/377 [7.4%]), and BRAF V600E (n = 7/288 [2.4%]). There was also a discernible difference in survival for 222 patients, who had an actionable alteration, with a median OS of 39.8 months as compared to 193 wild-type patients with a median OS of 26.0 months (P CONCLUSION: The use of patient registries, focused genomic panels and the appropriate use of clinical guidelines in community and academic settings may influence cohort selection for clinical trials and improve survival outcomes