Challenges to Accessing Credit Financing from Financial Institutions by the Urban Based Street Vendors: Experience from Dar Es Salaam – Tanzania

This study assessed challenges to accessing credit financing from Financial Institutions by the urban based street vendors in Dar es Salaam - Tanzania and recommends strategies for ensuring effective access to this crucial service. The study utilised mixed methods approach design and data were collected through interview, questionnaire, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), review of secondary data, and observation techniques based on the purposive and random sample size of 104 respondents. The quantitative data were analysed descriptively by using Statistical Packages of Social Science (SPSS) while the Qualitative data were analysed content-wise by using MAXQDA software. Findings show that generally vendors were incapable of sufficiently accessing financial support from the financial institutions due to a number of reasons. These reasons include the vendors’ inability to comply with the established procedures for accessing financial support, lack of financial information relating to when, how and where to acquire the financial service, vendors’ inability to afford collaterals against the credit financing as well as too high loans interest rates. Another one is lack of relevant documents by the vendors required for accessing credit financing. In order to resolve the challenges, the researchers recommended equipping vendors with relevant credit financing information, prioritising provision of group loans to vendors as well as organizing the street vendors into groups. Other strategies to consider would be reduction of loan interest rates by the institutions, eliminating bureaucracy in accessing credit as well as engaging in business policy advocacy in favour of the vendors to access financial support.

Risk factors of adult Dengue Fever in urban community of Nepal

With the objectives of determining the association between risk factors and Dengue Fever (DF), a case-control study with a random sample size of 102:102 in each was conducted at Hetauda and Kamalamai Municipalities, Nepal. The hypothesis of risk factors for DF like low level of knowledge about DF, discarded receptacles, old tires, containers, etc. nearby house, and use of stagnant AC/Coolers was used to conduct the study. Traveling to DF affected areas nearly 2 weeks before the onset of disease was significantly associated with dengue fever (OR= 6.10, 95% cl: 1.31-28.34, p<0.021). Waste disposal of old containers, receptacles, tires during the rainy season were significantly associated with the incidence of DF (AOR= 6.308, 96% cl: 2-751-14.462, p<0.000). The frequency of DF was associated with the middle social class level (p<0.05, d. f. 2). Uncovered water tanks of the household were significantly associated with DF (AOR= 3.78, 95% cl: 1.51-9.45, p<0.0043). As the number of families increases in the household, the number of cases increases with a positive correlation (r = +0.62). Crowded households with more than 2 occupants in one room were at risk of dengue infection. The study concluded that DF was associated with the risk factors of traveling to endemic areas, discarded waste containers, receptacles, tires, and uncovered water tanks, middle social class, and crowded households. Public health managers should prioritize these risk factors while planning for DF control and prevention.

Statistical evaluation of a Color Managed Digital Printing Workflow (CMDPW) consistency [4th C of CMW]

The purpose of this applied research was to determine the Color Managed Digital Printing Workflow (CMDPW) consistency (4th C of the color management) over a period of time [100 days, (N = 100)]. The quality of digital color printing is determined by these influential factors: screening method applied, type of printing process, calibration method, device profile, ink (dry-toner or liquid-toner), printer resolution and the substrate (paper). For this research, only the color printing attributes such as the overall average color deviation [ACD, ΔE (2000)] and the solid ink density (SID) were analyzed to examine the CMDPW process consistency in a day-to- day digital printing operation. These are the color attributes which are monitored and managed for quality accuracy during the printing. Printed colors of the random sample size (n = 80) were measured against the GRACoL2013 standards to derive the colorimetric/densitometric values. Reference colorimetric values used in the analysis were the threshold deviations (acceptable color deviations) as outlined in the ISO12647-7 standards (GRACoL2013). A control charts analysis was applied for further determining the process (CMDPW) SID and ACD variation. The data collected were run through multiple software applications (MS-Excel/SPSS/Minitab) to apply various statistical methods. Analyzed data from the experiment revealed that the printed colorimetric values were in match (aligned) with the GRACoL 2013 (reference/target). Since the SID values of CMYK colors were in control throughout the process, this enabled the CMDPW to produce consistent acceptable color deviation (Average Printed ΔE (2000) = 2.978; SD = 0.437; Acceptable Threshold color deviation is ΔE (2000) ≤ 3.00).

Menopause and Hyperuricemia in Women in the Russian Population (Results of the ESSE-RF Study)

Aims. To evaluate the relationship of menopause and its features with hyperuricemia in Russian women. Methods. In this study, we used data from the cross-sectional phase of the epidemiological study Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases in the Regions of the Russian Federation (ESSE-RF) conducted in 20132014, in 13 regions of Russia. The final random sample size was 12 781 women. According to the interviews, the fact of menopause and the features of climacteric were identified. Hyperuricemia was defined as a serum uric acid concentration greater than 360 mol/L. Age, behavioral risk factors and indicators of health status were assessed as covariates. Logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate assessment of associations. Apart from the assessment of the general sample, the analysis of the groups stratified by obesity, diabetes mellitus and the characteristics of climacteric was carried out. The results of logistic regression analysis are presented as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results. In the general sample, after adjusting for covariates, menopause was directly associated with hyperuricemia (OR = 1.17; 95% CI 1.061.28), the association of hyperuricemia with age was not statistically significant. Menopause was more consistently associated with hyperuricemia in obese compared to non-obese women. In diabetic women, menopause is directly and significantly associated with hyperuricemia, whereas in non-diabetic women there was not the association between menopause and hyperuricemia. Taking into account the features of climacteric, menopause was directly associated with hyperuricemia only in the 410 years after the onset of menopause (OR = 1.13; 95% CI 1.021.26), in natural menopausal women (OR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.071.30) and who were taking hormone replacement therapy (OR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.061.43). Conclusions. The results of the study indicate the direct association of hyperuricemia with menopause, but not with the age of women. The stratified analysis has made it possible to identify some features of the association between hyperuricemia and menopause in women with metabolic disorders, as well as to assess the influence of the features of climacteric.

An Analysis of the Unpredictable Factors Influencing Loan Default in Small Scale Enterprises in the Port Loko Municipality in Sierra Leone using the Fish Bone Diagram

The study shows that there are unpredictable factors influencing loan default in small-scale enterprises in Port Loko Municipality. A fishbone diagram which is a cause an effect tool was used to determine these factors. A brainstorming activity was used to get the views of participants with regard to the Research Question. The research question was to respond to a research objective which was “Are there unpredicted factors influencing loan default in small scale enterprises in Port Loko Municipality in Sierra Leone?”. Reviews of necessary literature were done to aid the study. In the review, matters relating to loan default and possible causes were addressed. It is unfolded that there are some loan defaults that are as a result of the borrowers’ lapses and others that are lender-oriented causes. The population size of one hundred and a random sample size of sixty people were used as participants to carry out the brainstorming activity. The population is comprised of small-scale enterprise owners and workers of credit or Microfinance institutions in the Municipality. Brainstorming participants proved that the death of clients or borrowers, internal insecurity, outbreak of diseases (Pandemic), Natural Disasters, and accident all significantly influence loan default of small-scale enterprises.

Entrepreneurial Intention among Rural Youth in Moroccan Agricultural Cooperatives: The Future of Rural Entrepreneurship

Rural entrepreneurship in the developing world has long been hailed as a powerful tool for promoting the socioeconomic integration of young people and the key to avoiding rural depopulation as well as ensuring these areas remain attractive places for rural youth. However, there have been no efforts to investigate the role of collective entrepreneurship in the creation and management of new businesses in Morocco. Furthermore, we build on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate and explain entrepreneurial intention among the rural youth members of agricultural cooperatives, and identify the vulnerabilities and factors that influence the choice or decision-making between permanent membership at the cooperative and an entrepreneurial career. In this case, we apply the cognitive approach to survey rural youth in the Drâa-Tafilalet region of Morocco in 2020. The binary logistic regression analysis technique has been used and applied to build the best model to explain why some rural youth members of the cooperative, but not others, choose to become entrepreneurs. We model how agricultural cooperatives may favor or inhibit the translation of entrepreneurial intention into new venture creation. A random sample size of 130 young people has been selected, from which 54 are intending to start a business and 76 have a negative intention of self-employment. The results of the analysis showed that socio-demographic variables, individual perceptions, previous experience, and the activities of the cooperative were statistically significant and reliable in building the binary logistic regression model. Findings also suggest that the risks of agribusiness and financing constraints have a negative influence on entrepreneurial intentions of the youth and women in agricultural cooperatives.

INFLUENCE OF PATIENT-RELATED FACTORS ASSOCIATED ON TB OUTCOMES AMONG TB PATIENTS IN MOMBASA COUNTY

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine patient-related factors associated with TB outcomes among TB patients in Mombasa County. Methodology: Study was conducted in Mombasa County which is one of the 47 counties in Kenya with an urban population of 1,063,854. The study used a cross-sectional research design. The study population was the total number of notified patients with tuberculosis in one quarter in the study area (Mombasa’s health care units) and this was found to be 1207 in the year 2017. It was from this population that a systematic random sample size of 292 patients were interviewed. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 Descriptive statistics frequency (%), mean, and standard deviation were used to express quantitative data. In bivariate analyses, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between TB treatment outcome and health related factors, institutional factors and patient related factors was done using logistic regression. Results: The results revealed that patients who are educated about health are more likely to cure of TB than patients who are not (OR 1.716, 95% CI, 0.35 to 1.48). More so, patients who receive psychosocial support are more likely to get cured than those who don’t receive psychosocial support (OR 4.08, 95% CI, 2.00 to 8.32). The results of the study give evidence to, therefore, conclude patient related factors are critical to TB treatment outcome. Unique contribution to theory, policy and practice: Strengthening TB adherence counselling for patients treated for the first time to improve treatment completion. Counselling service should also be enhanced for patients taking alcohol and those smoking cigarettes as both are associated with less likelihood of completing TB treatment. Implementation of TB work place program through sensitization of company managers on the importance of TB treatment support to reduce chances of loss to follow as sighted by focused group discussions. Patients centred TB services should be provided by all facilities by focusing on the needs of the patients by agreeing on the best time to pick drugs to reduce the risk of loss to follow ups.

Cavalier Use of Inferential Statistics Is a Major Source of False and Irreproducible Scientific Findings

I uncover previously underappreciated systematic sources of false and irreproducible results in natural, biomedical and social sciences that are rooted in statistical methodology. They include the inevitably occurring deviations from basic assumptions behind statistical analyses and the use of various approximations. I show through a number of examples that (a) arbitrarily small deviations from distributional homogeneity can lead to arbitrarily large deviations in the outcomes of statistical analyses; (b) samples of random size may violate the Law of Large Numbers and thus are generally unsuitable for conventional statistical inference; (c) the same is true, in particular, when random sample size and observations are stochastically dependent; and (d) the use of the Gaussian approximation based on the Central Limit Theorem has dramatic implications for p-values and statistical significance essentially making pursuit of small significance levels and p-values for a fixed sample size meaningless. The latter is proven rigorously in the case of one-sided Z test. This article could serve as a cautionary guidance to scientists and practitioners employing statistical methods in their work.