A Study on Services Quality of Commercial Banks in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia: A Comparative Study of Public and Private Banks

This study compares the perception of customers’ about service quality of the public and private commercial banks in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. This study is a questionnaire survey based on the combined and modified SERVQUAL by Parasuraman et al. (1988) and Banking Service Quality (BSQ) Scale by Bahia and Nantel (2000). It included nine service quality dimensions, with 35 statements, to measure and compare the wide range of services offered by Ethiopian public and private banks. A total of 500 questionnaires were administered and data was collected by stratified random sampling to customers of the two banking sectors and 488 were used for analysis purpose (243 public and 245 private). Comparison was done by using mean of nine dimensions that were used to measure the customers’ perceptions and independent samples t-test was used to explore the differences in the mean values of services quality dimensions between the two groups of customers (public banks’ customers and private banks’ customers). The mean result reveals that private banks outperform public banks in terms of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, effectiveness and price dimensions. Moreover, the result of hypotheses test shows there are significant differences in perception between customers of the Ethiopian public and private banks regarding the responsiveness, assurance, empathy, effectiveness, and price dimensions as indicators of service quality. Keywords: Public Bank, Private Bank, Services quality, Customers’ Perceptions

Does Knowledge from Home Markets Boost Outward Foreign Direct Investments of Emerging Economy Multinationals? Evidence from Indian Family EMNEs

Despite increasing research on multinationals from emerging economies (EMNEs), our understanding of the antecedents of their international expansion is still limited. In this study, we seek to examine whether knowledge gained from operating in their complex and diverse domestic markets deter or aid the outward foreign direct investments of EMNEs. As family firms are dominant in emerging economies, we further explore how heterogeneity within family firms moderate this relationship. We conduct our investigations using a proprietary longitudinal dataset comprising 213 EMNEs from India featuring in the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 500 index covering a six-year period from 2007-08 to 2012-13, of which 175 were family EMNEs and find supporting evidence for our theoretical predictions

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT OF FISHING COMMUNITIES IN KERALA, TOWARDS THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE- WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CHERAI

The fisheries sector in India and Kerala, though performing well, faces serious challenges such as socio-economic conflicts, low income to the common fishermen, low catch per unit effort, over exploitation of marine resources, unsustainable harvesting and also susceptibility to hazards related to climate change. These affect the production and progress of fisheries sector, which depends on the marine resources. The ill effects of climate change can take many forms including natural hazards, and can affect the livelihood of the farmers economically, socially, environmentally, and even physically. This can be addressed through regulation to over exploitation, diverting the fishermen to other livelihood sectors and by means of active participation of all the stakeholders in increasing the adaptive capacity through sustainable and planned capacity building strategies and development measures. This study deals with the socio economic characteristics of fishermen in Kerala and specifically studies the vulnerability assessment of fishing communities towards the impacts of climate change

A study of variations in the branching pattern of facial nerve in the face

Background: Purpose of current study was to describe the variations in the complex network of terminal branches of facial nerve in the face. The facial nerve passes through the substance of parotid gland in the plane between superficial and deep lobes. The knowledge of variation in the branching pattern of terminal branches is very important for surgeons to prevent the injuries which may lead to facial palsy.Methods: The present study includes fifty foetal parotid glands in 25 foetuses and 8 adult parotid glands of 4 cadavers. The glands exposed in fixed fetuses and adult cadavers, capsules removed. The superficial lobe of the gland reflected laterally and the trunk of facial nerve in the substance was observed. The divisions and terminal branches were traced. The variations in the divisions and terminal branches, loops between branches were observed and noted.Results: In the foetal specimens the facial nerve divides into 2 main divisions in 88% of glands. The remaining 12% foetal specimens the facial nerve divides directly into 5 terminal branches. 56% foetal specimens show straight branching pattern, 12%specimens show looping between zygomatic and buccal branch. In 32% specimens the loop between upper buccal and lower buccal branches present. Multiple communications or complex pattern between two main divisions not found in this study.Conclusion: The variations noted are: In the foetal specimens the facial nerve divides into two main divisions in 88% and in all adult specimens. In 12% of foetal specimens direct five terminal branches are given.

A variation of superficial palmar arch formed alone by ulnar artery: a case report

Superficial palmar arterial arch is an arterial arcade, which is a dominant vascular structure of the palm. It is defined as the anastomoses between the superficial branch of the ulnar artery and the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery. The superficial palmar arch completed by anastomosing with one of the branches of radial artery, i.e. with arteria radialis indicis, arteria princeps pollicis, arteria nervi mediana. The present study reporting a variation of superficial palmar arch which is formed alone by superficial branch of ulnar artery and it is also giving branches to radial side of index finger and to the thumb. Normally the branch to the radial side of index finger receives branch from superficial terminal branch of radial artery and it is known as arteria radiclis indicis. The ARI was given by ulnar artery from the terminal part of radial side along with the princeps pollicis branch. The knowledge of variations of the vascular arches warrants the surgeons while performing surgeries on hands, such as arterial repairs, vascular graft applications

Cor triloculare biventriculare with left superior vena cava

Cor triloculare biventriculare is a rare congenital malformation of the heart in which there is a complete absence of the atrial septum. It is usually associated with other anomalies like complete atrioventricular canal defect, polysplenic syndrome, isolated dextrocardia, Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, or persistent left superior vena cava. We report a case of a stillborn male foetus of 35 weeks gestation with common atrium, complete atrioventricular canal defect, and persistent left superior vena cava. The possible embryological basis and clinical implication of this variation are discussed. (Folia Morphol 2011; 70, 2: 135–138

A study of morphometric variations of fallopian tube in female foetuses

Background: Purpose of current study was to describe the variations found in the development, anatomical functional aspect of fallopian tube in the embryonic life and further development in the adult. This is about fundamental significance in treatment of infertility.Methods: The study is done on 30 embalmed dead female foetuses which were explored by gross dissection. The following data are noted from each specimen- length of tube, relation of tubes on both sides, number of fimbria and anomalies i.e. absence of tube (Agenesis).Results: In the thirty specimens studied the length of the tube is approximately 5-8 cm. The ampulla of 3rd trimester foetuses found to be convoluted. The convolutions are not so much marked in the 1st and 2nd trimester foetuses. In one foetus No 9 there is complete absence of left side tube. Another foetus No 20 tube length is 1 cm with absence of ampulla, infundibulum and fimbria on the right side, that is 6% congenital absence of one sided tube. The number of fimbria are in an average of 4-5 on both sides. Morgangi cysts present in tubes of 3 foetuses i.e. (9%).Conclusion: Majority of the foetuses length of the fallopian tubes vary from 5-8 cm. Single tube absent in two foetuses, one foetus left side complete absence and another foetus  right side absence of ampulla, infundibulum and fimbria i.e. of about 6% congenital absence of tube is important for obstetricians for treating infertility.  

Secure Efficient On-Demand Insider Attacks Multicast Routing Protocol in Wireless Networks

Wireless multicast routing send and receives the data source to destination. High error rates, unfixed and changeable self of the signal power and broadcast change with time and environment regularly result in not effective links. These services more weak to internal attacks coming from compromised nodes that behave randomly to disrupt the network, also referred to as Inside attacks. Our method ensures that as long as a fault-free path exists between two node or multi nodes in multicast group they can communicate reliably even if an destroy majority of the network acts in a complex mode. Multicast Group is the link on different Multicast Group’s Group Leader in multi hops networks

On the adhesion-cohesion balance and oxygen consumption characteristics of liver organoids

Liver organoids (LOs) are of interest in tissue replacement, hepatotoxicity and pathophysiological studies. However, it is still unclear what triggers LO self-Assembly and what the optimal environment is for their culture. Hypothesizing that LO formation occurs as a result of a fine balance between cell-substrate adhesion and cell-cell cohesion, we used 3 cell types (hepatocytes, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and mesenchymal stem cells) to investigate LO self-Assembly on different substrates keeping the culture parameters (e.g. culture media, cell types/number) and substrate stiffness constant. As cellular spheroids may suffer from oxygen depletion in the core, we also sought to identify the optimal culture conditions for LOs in order to guarantee an adequate supply of oxygen during proliferation and differentiation. The oxygen consumption characteristics of LOs were measured using an O2 sensor and used to model the O2 concentration gradient in the organoids. We show that no LO formation occurs on highly adhesive hepatic extra-cellular matrix-based substrates, suggesting that cellular aggregation requires an optimal trade-off between the adhesiveness of a substrate and the cohesive forces between cells and that this balance is modulated by substrate mechanics. Thus, in addition to substrate stiffness, physicochemical properties, which are also critical for cell adhesion, play a role in LO self-Assembly

The Intracellular Domain of Dumbfounded Affects Myoblast Fusion Efficiency and Interacts with Rolling Pebbles and Loner

Drosophila body wall muscles are multinucleated syncytia formed by successive fusions between a founder myoblast and several fusion competent myoblasts. Initial fusion gives rise to a bi/trinucleate precursor followed by more fusion cycles forming a mature muscle. This process requires the functions of various molecules including the transmembrane myoblast attractants Dumbfounded (Duf) and its paralogue Roughest (Rst), a scaffold protein Rolling pebbles (Rols) and a guanine nucleotide exchange factor Loner. Fusion completely fails in a duf, rst mutant, and is blocked at the bi/trinucleate stage in rols and loner single mutants. We analysed the transmembrane and intracellular domains of Duf, by mutating conserved putative signaling sites and serially deleting the intracellular domain. These were tested for their ability to translocate and interact with Rols and Loner and to rescue the fusion defect in duf, rst mutant embryos. Studying combinations of double mutants, further tested the function of Rols, Loner and other fusion molecules. Here we show that serial truncations of the Duf intracellular domain successively compromise its function to translocate and interact with Rols and Loner in addition to affecting myoblast fusion efficiency in embryos. Putative phosphorylation sites function additively while the extreme C terminus including a PDZ binding domain is dispensable for its function. We also show that fusion is completely blocked in a rols, loner double mutant and is compromised in other double mutants. These results suggest an additive function of the intracellular domain of Duf and an early function of Rols and Loner which is independent of Duf