11,838 research outputs found

    The effectiveness of selected financial inclusion strategies: Evidence a developing country

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    The global, regional and national level policy makers are increasingly embracing financial inclusion as an important priority for fostering economic and social development. Likewise, policy makers in Zimbabwe have identified financial inclusion as a pillar of re-invigorating the struggling economy. This realisation has culminated in the formulation of various strategies aimed at promoting financial inclusion. However, the effectiveness of these strategies is not well known, knowledge about the adopted strategies is needed so that informed policies can be crafted. Against this backdrop, a quantitative study was designed to establish the effectiveness of financial inclusion strategies which include National Micro finance Policy, Post Office Savings Bank loans, mobile financial services, Agency Banking, Shared Infrastructure Network, Insurance policy provisions. Using data from 118 Micro, Small to Medium enterprises owners/managers operating in Mashonaland East, the results show that National Micro finance Policy, Post Office Savings Bank loans, mobile financial services have statistically significant and positive effects on financial inclusion. The other three strategies: Agency Banking, Shared Infrastructure Network, and Insurance provisions showed a negative effect on financial inclusion. &nbsp

    Violes Esgales--Sainte Colombe, Marais, Couperin, Les Voix Humaines. Duo de Violes de Gambe

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    Reviews and critiques Violes Esgales\u27 record of Baroque music for two violes de gambe

    An Experimental Microarchitecture for a Superconducting Quantum Processor

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    Quantum computers promise to solve certain problems that are intractable for classical computers, such as factoring large numbers and simulating quantum systems. To date, research in quantum computer engineering has focused primarily at opposite ends of the required system stack: devising high-level programming languages and compilers to describe and optimize quantum algorithms, and building reliable low-level quantum hardware. Relatively little attention has been given to using the compiler output to fully control the operations on experimental quantum processors. Bridging this gap, we propose and build a prototype of a flexible control microarchitecture supporting quantum-classical mixed code for a superconducting quantum processor. The microarchitecture is based on three core elements: (i) a codeword-based event control scheme, (ii) queue-based precise event timing control, and (iii) a flexible multilevel instruction decoding mechanism for control. We design a set of quantum microinstructions that allows flexible control of quantum operations with precise timing. We demonstrate the microarchitecture and microinstruction set by performing a standard gate-characterization experiment on a transmon qubit.Comment: 13 pages including reference. 9 figure

    Street Multi-functionality and City Order: The Case of Street Vendors in Harare

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    The current invasion of the city center in Harare by street vendors has resulted in a plethora of urban headaches with varying responses from the city authorities. This paper examines the repercussions of street vending to city planning and order in Harare. This study uses mixed methods but is dominantly qualitative. Guided interviews and focused group dimensions (FGDs) were used to solicit rich qualitative data from thirty vendors operating in the city center. In addition, a mini-questionnaire was also utilized to collect quantitative data. Data were analyzed through content analysis and comparative analysis. The study found out that street vending in undesignated sites has caused pandemonium in the city despite being a source of livelihood to the majority of urbanites who have been plunged into poverty by economic doldrums. The vending market dynamics have played a part in the location of vendors in the ‘undesignated areas’ since these seem to give better returns as compared to the city’s designated vending sites. The efforts by city authorities to restore order has being partly hampered by political interference that seems to support street vending. In light of this, it is recommended that addressing the chaos in the city center does not require city planners alone, but the generality of socio-economic practitioners who should create a functional state that provides economic opportunities to the urban poor. Apart from that, licensing of all the vendors operating in Harare will greatly assist the move to make them pay taxes and levies that will help boost the revenue of the city. However, the levies should be kept at minimum level such as ‘a dollar a day’. Keywords: Street vending, urban poverty, urban livelihoods, vending markets, city revenu

    Improving rheological properties of Gambe clay for drilling fluid application using fermentable polymers

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    There are abundant bentonitic clay deposits in Nigeria. However, it does not meet commercial standard for drilling mud formulation, because it is composed of calcium montmorillonite. Therefore, there is need for the clay to be enhanced and polymers have been identified as enhancement agents. The work was aimed at improving the rheological properties of Gambe clay for drilling fluid formulation using the fermentable polymers (xanthan gum, locust bean gum and tamarind seed gum). The clay was obtained from Gambe town in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The clay was beneficiated for quartz removal and chemical beneficiated with 6 wt% of Na2CO3. The mineral composition and the cation exchange capacity of the clay was determined using X-ray diffraction analysis and ammonium acetate saturation method, respectively to find out its quality for drilling mud formulation. Drilling mud was formulated by mixing of 22.5 g of the clay to 350 ml of water with a high speed mixer to obtain a homogenous mixture. The polymer enhancers were also added to the mixture. The effect of the fermentable polymer at different concentration on the rheological properties of the formulated drilling fluid was investigated employing FANN 35SA viscometer. It was found that 0.93 wt% of the tamarind seed gum, locust bean gum and xanthan gum in the formulated drilling fluid enhanced the yield point from 0.72 Pa to 7.2 Pa, 12.48 Pa and 16.36 Pa, and the gel strength from 0 Pa to 8.35 Pa, 10.44 Pa and 68.92 Pa of the formulated mud respectively. The mud enhanced with 0.80 wt% of the enhancers had high rheological properties than imported clay.Keywords: Drilling mud, Gambe clay, tamarind seed gum, locust bean gum, rheological propertie

    ENHANCEMENT OF GAMBE CLAY USING UN-FERMENTABLE POLYMERS FOR DRILLING MUD FORMULATION

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    There is availability and large deposits of bentonite (700 million tons in North Eastern part) in Nigeria but the clays had not been abundantly harnessed and enhanced with polymer for drilling fluid formulation because they are mostly composed of calcium montmorillonite. This work was aimed at enhancing Gambe clay using un-fermentable polymers (three carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) with different average molecular weight). The clay was obtained from Gambe town in Adamawa State, Nigeria, beneficiated for quartz removal, as well as enhancement with Na2CO3 (6 wt.%). The mineral and oxides composition of the clay was determined using X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence analyses respectively, and finally used to formulate the drilling fluid. The effect of the polymer on the rheological and physico-chemical properties of the formulated drilling fluid was investigated employing FANN 35SA viscometer.  It was found that the carboxy methyl cellulose enhanced the plastic viscosity from 1.5 cP to 34 cP and the apparent viscosity from 2.25 cP to 44 cP. The higher the average molecular weight of the sodium carboxy methyl cellulose the higher the apparent and plastic viscosities of the formulated fluid. Similarly, the resultant viscosities compared well with that of commercial standard of 15 cP and 14 cP of apparent and plastic viscosities respectively. The sets of data generated from this work is going to be very useful for water and oil/gas drilling operations. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v36i1.1

    The expulsion of the Jesuits from Malta in 1639

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    In March 1639, an edict by Grand Master Lascaris forbade women to wear masks on the last three days of Carnival, and for the 'commedia' the Italian Knights were to hold on Carnival Saturday. The young knights protested, ended up ransacking the Jesuit College, and eventually asking for the Jesuits' expulsion from Malta. A manuscript account -discovered in Modena -narrates the unfolding of the events in detail. It throws light also on the mental state of the riotous knights who were adamant about the expulsion of the Jesuits whom they blamed for the grand master's edit and bando.peer-reviewe

    Ancora sul problema degli ossi scolpiti del Museo di Alessandria

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    Analisi iconografica e stilistica di ossi scolpiti conservati nel Museo greco- romano di Alessandria in Egitto, provenienti da scavi urbani e dalle necropoli. Produzione di ateliers alessandrini attivi dal II al VI secolo
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