Public Policy on Microfinance in South America

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of public policies in various countries of South America on the development of microfinance (MF). A broad definition of public policy has been used in this work, as it covers specific legislation seeking to develop more inclusive financial systems; government participation in official bank programs; second-tier bank funds; the use of targeted funds and guarantee and intelligent subsidy schemes, etc. Particular attention is focused on financial system regulatory frameworks, as they tend to play a fundamental role in the success of such programs. An analysis is made of best practices recommended by international agencies, matching them against the existing framework for microfinance activities in the countries analyzed. The main conclusion that can be drawn is that despite the very varied nature of the initiatives pursued, one common element observed in all the countries surveyed is the role played by commercial banks in MF development. Nevertheless, note should be taken of the direct and indirect role played by the state in encouraging the involvement of the financial sector as the leading provider of MF, a role that is in general based on criteria of selfsustainability and commercial practices.Microfinance, Public policies

Commercial Banks and Microfinance

The term “microfinance” (MF) refers to the provision of banking services to lower-income people, especially the poor. In the history of MF, microfinance institutions (MFIs)1 have been the first to identify the large unserved demand for microcredit in developing countries, develop methodologies for delivering and recovering small loans, and begin credit programs for the poor. Given their nature, though, MFIs can normally meet only a fraction of the demand for microloans in their service areas. Commercial banks have begun to see MF as a potentially profitable business and are starting to venture into this field. This approach to MF (known as “downscaling") is different from that of “upgrading” or transforming MFIs into regulated institutions. Evidence is currently showing that financial institutions can profitably attend MF needs on a massive scale. This paper aims at exploring the main aspects and future outlook in connection with commercial banks provision of MF services. A review is made of the incentives and disincentives for financial institutions to venture into the MF sector, and their specific advantages and disadvantages when competing in this market. A classification of the main operating models currently adopted by banks for entering the MF market is established as well as an analysis of the local regulations that could potentially apply to each of these models

Commercial Banks and Microfinance

The term “microfinance” (MF) refers to the provision of banking services to lower-income people, especially the poor. In the history of MF, microfinance institutions (MFIs)1 have been the first to identify the large unserved demand for microcredit in developing countries, develop methodologies for delivering and recovering small loans, and begin credit programs for the poor. Given their nature, though, MFIs can normally meet only a fraction of the demand for microloans in their service areas. Commercial banks have begun to see MF as a potentially profitable business and are starting to venture into this field. This approach to MF (known as “downscaling") is different from that of “upgrading” or transforming MFIs into regulated institutions. Evidence is currently showing that financial institutions can profitably attend MF needs on a massive scale. This paper aims at exploring the main aspects and future outlook in connection with commercial banks provision of MF services. A review is made of the incentives and disincentives for financial institutions to venture into the MF sector, and their specific advantages and disadvantages when competing in this market. A classification of the main operating models currently adopted by banks for entering the MF market is established as well as an analysis of the local regulations that could potentially apply to each of these models

Public Policy on Microfinance in South America

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of public policies in various countries of South America on the development of microfinance (MF). A broad definition of public policy has been used in this work, as it covers specific legislation seeking to develop more inclusive financial systems; government participation in official bank programs; second-tier bank funds; the use of targeted funds and guarantee and intelligent subsidy schemes, etc. Particular attention is focused on financial system regulatory frameworks, as they tend to play a fundamental role in the success of such programs. An analysis is made of best practices recommended by international agencies, matching them against the existing framework for microfinance activities in the countries analyzed. The main conclusion that can be drawn is that despite the very varied nature of the initiatives pursued, one common element observed in all the countries surveyed is the role played by commercial banks in MF development. Nevertheless, note should be taken of the direct and indirect role played by the state in encouraging the involvement of the financial sector as the leading provider of MF, a role that is in general based on criteria of selfsustainability and commercial practices

Public Policy on Microfinance in South America

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of public policies in various countries of South America on the development of microfinance (MF). A broad definition of public policy has been used in this work, as it covers specific legislation seeking to develop more inclusive financial systems; government participation in official bank programs; second-tier bank funds; the use of targeted funds and guarantee and intelligent subsidy schemes, etc. Particular attention is focused on financial system regulatory frameworks, as they tend to play a fundamental role in the success of such programs. An analysis is made of best practices recommended by international agencies, matching them against the existing framework for microfinance activities in the countries analyzed. The main conclusion that can be drawn is that despite the very varied nature of the initiatives pursued, one common element observed in all the countries surveyed is the role played by commercial banks in MF development. Nevertheless, note should be taken of the direct and indirect role played by the state in encouraging the involvement of the financial sector as the leading provider of MF, a role that is in general based on criteria of selfsustainability and commercial practices

L’esperienza recente del Ceris nell’organizzazione di convegni scientifici nazionali e/o internazionali

RT 21; This Technical Report presents a detailed description of the combined efforts made by the organisational staff in order to deal with recent Ceris-Cnr’s conventions. The purpose is to create a list of useful guidelines for the organisation of forthcoming national and international meetings and conferences

L’esperienza recente del Ceris nell’organizzazione di convegni scientifici nazionali e/o internazionali

RT 021; This Technical Report presents a detailed description of the combined efforts made by the organisational staff in order to deal with recent Ceris-Cnr’s conventions. The purpose is to create a list of useful guidelines for the organisation of forthcoming national and international meetings and conferences

8p23.2-pter Microdeletions: Seven New Cases Narrowing the Candidate Region and Review of the Literature

To date only five patients with 8p23.2-pter microdeletions manifesting a mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment and/or developmental delay, dysmorphisms and neurobehavioral issues were reported. The smallest microdeletion described by Wu in 2010 suggested a critical region (CR) of 2.1 Mb including several genes, out of which FBXO25, DLGAP2, CLN8, ARHGEF10 and MYOM2 are the main candidates. Here we present seven additional patients with 8p23.2-pter microdeletions, ranging from 71.79 kb to 4.55 Mb. The review of five previously reported and nine Decipher patients confirmed the association of the CR with a variable clinical phenotype characterized by intellectual disability/developmental delay, including language and speech delay and/or motor impairment, behavioral anomalies, autism spectrum disorder, dysmorphisms, microcephaly, fingers/toes anomalies and epilepsy. Genotype analysis allowed to narrow down the 8p23.3 candidate region which includes only DLGAP2, CLN8 and ARHGEF10 genes, accounting for the main signs of the broad clinical phenotype associated to 8p23.2-pter microdeletions. This region is more restricted compared to the previously proposed CR. Overall, our data favor the hypothesis that DLGAP2 is the actual strongest candidate for neurodevelopmental/behavioral phenotypes. Additional patients will be necessary to validate the pathogenic role of DLGAP2 and better define how the two contiguous genes, ARHGEF10 and CLN8, might contribute to the clinical phenotype

Areca catechu - from farm to food and biomedical applications

The family Arecaceae includes 181 genera and 2,600 species with a high diversity in physical characteristics. Areca plants, commonly palms, which are able to grow in nearly every type of habitat, prefer tropical and subtropical climates. The most studied species Areca catechu L. contains phytochemicals as phenolics and alkaloids with biological properties. The phenolics are mainly distributed in roots followed by fresh unripe fruits, leaves, spikes, and veins, while the contents of alkaloids are in the order of roots, fresh unripe fruits, spikes, leaves, and veins. This species has been reputed to provide health effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, metabolic, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. However, in many developing countries, quid from this species has been associated with side effects, which include the destruction of the teeth, impairment of oral hygiene, bronchial asthma, or oral cancer. Despite these side effects, which are also mentioned in this work, the present review collects the main results of biological properties of the phytochemicals in A. catechu. This study emphasizes the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and clinical effectiveness in humans. In this sense, A. catechu have demonstrated effectiveness in several reports through in vitro and in vivo experiments on disorders such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, or anticancer. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that this species presents clinical effectiveness on neurological disorders. Hence, A. catechu extracts could be used as a bioactive ingredient for functional food, nutraceuticals, or cosmeceuticals. However, further studies, especially extensive and comprehensive clinical trials, are recommended for the use of Areca in the treatment of diseases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data