Oil and food prices co-integration nexus for Indonesia: a non-linear autoregressive distributed lag analysis

This paper examines the relationship between the prices of oil and food price for Indonesia using non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) method. The bound test for co-integration for the NARDL model shows the evidence of co-integration between food price, growth rate of gross domestic product and oil price. The estimated NARDL for the oil price in domestic currency provides strong evidence of long- and short-run co-integration between food and oil price when the latter increases while the relations for oil price reduction is not present and insignificant. The estimators of positive change in oil price model measured in US Dollar are significant in our study

Compliance with Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) Evincing Financial Reporting Quality Impact on Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria

This study is on the compliance with regulatory framework by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria evincing financial reporting quality impact on firm performance. The design is an exploratory survey employing structural equation modelling in model specification. The empirical analysis of this study went through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and then confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). This study examined the impact of compliance with companies and allied Matters Act through financial reporting quality on performance of SMEs in Nigeria. The outcome revealed that the Financial Reporting Quality (exogenous variables) accounted for 39% while the Firm Performance (endogenous variables) accounted for 61% of the total variance. Thus, the Squared Multiple Correlations (SMC) fraction result confirmed that financial reporting quality has direct relationship with SMEs performance. Thus, Financial Reporting Quality (FRQ) impact on firm performance at (β=0.875) is significant. The study recommends that since FRQ is having a direct and significant relationship with SMEs performance the need for enforcing compliance to statutory and regulatory framework on SMEs by SMEDAN, CBN and all other stakeholders is necessary. Keywords: compliance, reporting quality, performance, SMEs, Nigeria. DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/10-6-08 Publication date:March 31st 201

Assessing the efficiency of health-care expenditure among low- and middle- income African countries: Sfa approach

This study used stochastic frontier analysis to determine the level of efficiency of health-care expenditure using three health outputs among low- and middle-income countries in Africa, from 2002–2011. The technical efficiency result shows that; among the health outcomes estimated, life expectancy at birth recorded higher efficiency among both low and middle-income African countries, while Anti-retrieval was the least efficient outputs. The study also calculated the expenditure savings when maximum efficiency is attained, where the average was 0.21 % and 0.29% of GDP for low and middle income countries respectively. The study recommends that governments improve not only health care expenditure but also factors affecting health other than health care to reduce the burden on health-care facilities and reduce the burden of disease in the region

Noise and spectral stability of deep-UV gas-filled fiber-based supercontinuum sources driven by ultrafast mid-IR pulses

Deep-UV (DUV) supercontinuum (SC) sources based on gas-filled hollow-core fibers constitute perhaps the most viable solution towards ultrafast, compact, and tunable lasers in the UV spectral region. Noise and spectral stability of such broadband sources are key parameters that define their true potential and suitability towards real-world applications. In order to investigate the spectral stability and noise levels in these fiber-based DUV sources, we generate an SC spectrum that extends from 180 nm (through phase-matched dispersive waves - DWs) to 4 {\mu}m by pumping an argon-filled hollow-core anti-resonant fiber at a wavelength of 2.45 {\mu}m. We characterize the long-term stability of the source over several days and the pulse-to-pulse relative intensity (RIN) noise of the strongest DW at 275 nm. The results indicate no sign of spectral degradation over 110 hours, but the RIN of the DW pulses at 275 nm is found to be as high as 33.3%. Numerical simulations were carried out to investigate the spectral distribution of the RIN and the results confirm the experimental measurements and that the poor noise performance is due to the RIN of the pump laser, which was hitherto not considered in numerical modelling of these sources. The results presented herein provide an important step towards an understanding of the noise mechanism underlying such complex light-gas nonlinear interactions and demonstrate the need for pump laser stabilization

Impact of globalization on unemployment in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries

This study examined the impact of globalization on unemployment in 35 countries in Sub-Saharan African for the period 2007-2014. The study period and number of countries used are based on data availability. The system generalized method of moments estimation technique was applied because unemployment is considered a dynamic phenomenon. The empirical findings shows that aggregated globalization measures (economic, social and political) significantly impact unemployment rate in SSA while among the components of globalization, only political globalization reduces unemployment. Economic growth rate and labour market regulations are significant and negatively related to unemployment while wage rate and inflation increases the rate of unemployment. Maintaining a low level of inflation is key to address the unemployment problems because the results suggest that stagflation exist in the case of SSA at the moment. Therefore, policies aimed at reducing the rate of unemployment should focus on low inflation rate, political globalization, labour market regulation and economic growth. Policies should also ensure that the regulations of the labour market are more flexible so as to benefit from globalization which can impact significantly on unemployment rate

The Ethiopian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program: strengthening public health systems and building human resource capacity

The Ethiopian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (EFELTP) is a comprehensive two-year competency-based training and service program designed to build sustainable public health expertise and capacity. Established in 2009, the program is a partnership between the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa University School of Public Health, the Ethiopian Public Health Association and the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Residents of the program spend about 25% of their time undergoing didactic training and the 75% in the field working at program field bases established with the MOH and Regional Health Bureaus investigating disease outbreaks, improving disease surveillance, responding to public health emergencies, using health data to make recommendations and undertaking other field Epidemiology related activities on setting health policy. Residents from the first 2 cohorts of the program have conducted more than 42 outbreaks investigations, 27analyses of surveillance data, evaluations of 11 surveillance systems, had28oral and poster presentation abstracts accepted at 10 scientific conferences and submitted 8 manuscripts of which 2are already published. The EFELTP has provided valuable opportunities to improve epidemiology and laboratory capacity building in Ethiopia. While the program is relatively young, positive and significant impacts are assisting the country better detect and respond to epidemics and address diseases of major public health significance

Can well-being between Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries converge?

This study investigates the convergence of well-being between Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries during the period 1980–2014. The gap in living standard was examined from a steady state represented by the average income of OECD countries. Applying the unit root estimation technique to test for convergence with and without structural breaks, the result shows that; among a total of 43 countries studied, about 14 % are converging towards the average of OECD average. When the shock caused by the economic crisis of 2008 was factored into the analysis, the gains of about five countries out of the six converging disappeared. These results are disturbing owing to the fact that countries in the Asian region that started almost at the same level with SSA have converged to form a convergence club. Therefore, a lot more effort is needed from the government and stake holders in most countries in SSA to improve on the determinants of growth like good health care, quality institutions, better education and commitments to pursue developmental programmes which will boost the income of an average African to acquire better life

Prevalence of Virulence Genes and Associated Risk Factors of Helicobacter pylori Infection Among Adults in Gastric Cancer Risk Region of North Central, Nigeria

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the causative agent of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer diseases with associated risk factor of developing gastric cancer and mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma if left untreated. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of virulence genes and associated risk factors of H. pylori among adults in a gastric cancer risk region of Nasarawa State, North central Nigeria. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study to determine H. Pylori status of 434 adults in gastric cancer high risk region of Nasarawa State from January to August, 2021. Associated risk factors and virulence genes (positive/β-(1, 3) galT of jhp0562, cagA, vacA, and hrgA) was evaluated from gastric biopsy specimens of dyspepsia patients. Results: The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was 45.6% (198/434). The rate of infection was higher in male subjects (40.6%) than in female (23.8%); P<0.001) and higher significantly among adults with the following associated risk factors: unboil water, consumption of alcohol, low income, and Urban residency. Un-boiled water consumption and alcohol consumption were independent risk factors for H. pylori infection (odds ratio=7.48 vs OR=9.78 respectively). Of the 198 strains cultured, 76.9% carried Western-type cagA, with a higher proportion in Male (86.4%) than in Female (50.0%), P=0.05). Patients infected with East Asian-type cagA strains (P=0.027) have lesser inflammation scores in the antrum than those infected with the Western-type cagA strains. Conclusion: Our study revealed a high prevalence of H. pylori infection in Nasarawa State, with unclean water source, and alcohol consumption as significant risk factors for H. pylori infection. The incidence of gastric cancer in Nasarawa State is associated with circulating virulence genes of cagA, vacA, hrgA and jhp0562-positive/β-(1, 3) galT

Effects of four extenders on the quality of frozen semen in Arabian stallions

Aim: Different types of extenders have a variety of components which show the tolerance effect on sperm protection during freezing procedures. In the present study, we have examined the impact of the extenders HF-20 and Tris, which were locally manufactured, and they are competing with commercial extenders INRA Freeze® (IMV Technologies, France) and EquiPlus Freeze® (Minitube, Germany) on the quality of horses frozen semen. Materials and Methods: A total of 15 ejaculates from three healthy stallions were collected and cryopreserved in the same environment. Each semen sample collected was divided into four equal parts and processed. All samples were analyzed before and after freezing for motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity, and morphology. Furthermore, twenty mares were inseminated using post-thawed semen. Results: There were no differences observed among all extenders in all the parameters before freezing. Sperm cryopreserved using HF-20 showed better motility, viability, and plasma membrane integrity than Tris extender. The Tris extender showed the most inferior quality of post-thawed semen between all the extenders. HF-20, INRA Freeze®, and EquiPlus Freeze® extenders revealed the same capacity of semen preservation in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: HF-20 extender has the same quality as INRA Freeze® and EquiPlus Freeze® that can be considered as one of the best extenders for the semen cryopreservation in horses. In contrast, Tris extender needs some degree of improvement

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: Strategies for Meeting the Human Resource Needs of Scale-Up in Southern and Eastern Africa

Kelly Curran and colleagues conducted a program review to identify human resource approaches that are being used to improve voluntary medical male circumcision volume and efficiency, identifying several innovative responses to human resource challenges