Group-based financial institutions for the rural poor in Bangladesh: an institutional- and household-level analysis

Table of Contents: Tables, Figures, Foreword, Acknowledgments, and Summary; 1. Introduction; 2. Determinants of the Placement and Outreach of Group-Based Financial Institutions:A County-Level Analysis; 3. Group-Based Financial Institutions:Structure, Conduct, and Performance; 4. Household Participation in Financial Markets; 5. Analysis of the Household-Level Impact of Group-Based Credit Institutions in Bangladesh; 6. Conclusions and Implications for Policy; Appendix A: Survey Modules, Sampling Frame, and Location of Survey Sites; Appendix B: Adult Equivalent Consumption Units Differentiated by Age and Gender; ReferencesRural poor, Financial institutions, Microenterprises, Household surveys,

Simultaneous measurement of the phase noise on all optical modes of a mode-locked laser

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a method to simultaneously measure the relative phase noise of all modes of two mode-locked lasers. The method is based on the numerical analysis of a beat note of two lasers with slightly different pulse repetition rates. We carefully analyze and experimentally demonstrate the potential of this method. Compared to other methods, it has the unique advantage that it provides access to correlations of the phases of different mode

Rural finance policies for food security of the poor

The objective of IFPRI's multicountry research program on rural financial policies for food security of the poor is to identify policies and institutional arrangements that help the poor integrate themselves into sustainable savings and credit systems such that they have an increased capacity to invest, bear risk, and smooth consumption. The focus of the research on policy and program design and their effects on household investment and consumption requires field data collection at the institutional and household level. This paper presents the underlying conceptual framework and various methodological approaches that have been reviewed and tested by the team at IFPRI and at collaborating institutions. Methodologies are presented for analysis at the institutional level, mainly focusing on the determinants of the formation of financial institutions and the analysis of effects of program design on institutional conduct and performance, and at the household level, thereby addressing determinants of access to and participation in financial markets and related effects on household welfare.Food security Developing countries. ,Financial institutions. ,Households Economic aspects. ,

Ionization signals from electrons and alpha-particles in mixtures of liquid Argon and Nitrogen - perspectives on protons for Gamma Resonant Nuclear Absorption applications

In this paper we report on a detailed study of ionization signals produced by Compton electrons and alpha-particles in a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) flled with different mixtures of liquid Argon and Nitrogen. The measurements were carried out with Nitrogen concentrations up to 15% and a drift electric feld in the range 0-50 kV/cm. A prediction for proton ionization signals is made by means of interpolation. This study has been conducted in view of the possible use of liquid Ar-N2 TPCs for the detection of gamma-rays in the resonant band of the Nitrogen absorption spectrum, a promising technology for security and medical applications

30 kV coaxial vacuum-tight feedthrough for operation at cryogenic temperatures

In this paper we describe the technology of building a vacuum-tight high voltage feedthrough which is able to operate at voltages up to 30 kV. The feedthrough has a coaxial structure with a grounded sheath which makes it capable to lead high voltage potentials into cryogenic liquids, without risk of surface discharges in the gas phase above the liquid level. The feedthrough is designed to be used in ionization detectors, based on liquefied noble gases, such as Argon or Xenon

Optical phase noise and carrier-envelope offset noise of mode-locked lasers

The timing jitter, optical phase noise, and carrier-envelope offset (CEO) noise of passively mode-locked lasers are closely related. New key results concern analytical calculations of the quantum noise limits for optical phase noise and CEO noise. Earlier results for the optical phase noise of actively mode-locked lasers are generalized, particularly for application to passively mode-locked lasers. It is found, for example, that mode locking with slow absorbers can lead to optical linewidths far above the Schawlow-Townes limit. Furthermore, mode-locked lasers can at the same time have nearly quantum-limited timing jitter and a strong optical excess phase noise. A feedback timing stabilization via cavity length control can, depending on the situation, reduce or greatly increase the optical phase noise, while not affecting the CEO noise. Besides presenting such findings, the paper also tries to clarify some basic aspects of phase noise in mode-locked laser

Passively mode-locked 40-GHz Er:Yb:glass laser

A diode-pumped Er:Yb:glass miniature laser has been passively mode-locked to generate transform-limited 4.3-ps pulses with a 40-GHz repetition rate and 18-mW average powe

Electroweak radiative corrections to deep-inelastic neutrino scattering - implications for NuTeV ?

We calculate the O(alpha) electroweak corrections to charged- and neutral-current deep-inelastic neutrino scattering off an isoscalar target. The full one-loop-corrected cross sections, including hard photonic corrections, are evaluated and compared to an earlier result which was used in the NuTeV analysis. In particular, we compare results that differ in input-parameter scheme, treatment of real photon radiation and factorization scheme. The associated shifts in the theoretical prediction for the ratio of neutral- and charged-current cross sections can be larger than the experimental accuracy of the NuTeV result.Comment: 19 pages late