Ethnic networks and U.S. exports

This paper provides new estimates of the effects of ethnic networks on U.S. exports. In line with recent research, our dataset is a panel of exports from U.S. states to 29 foreign countries. Our analysis departs from the literature in two ways, both of which show that previous estimates of the ethnic-network elasticity of trade are sensitive to the restrictions imposed on the estimated models. Our first departure is to control for unobserved heterogeneity with properly specified fixed effects, which we can do because our dataset contains a time dimension absent from previous studies. Our second departure is to remove the restriction that the network effect is the same for all ethnicities. We find that ethnic-network effects are much larger than has been estimated previously, although they are important only for a subset of countries.Exports ; Regional economics

NAFTA and the changing pattern of state exports

The trade liberalization associated with NAFTA has affected the pattern of state exports by altering the origin as well as the destination of merchandise exports. We find that NAFTA has increased US merchandise exports to Mexico and Canada by just over 15 percent, and has increased total US merchandise exports by nearly 8 percent. We also find that although many states have seen large increases in exports to both Mexico and Canada, others have seen large decreases. NAFTA has also affected states’ exports to non-NAFTA regions of the world, tending to decrease exports to Europe and Latin America and increase exports to Asia. States in the northeast regions of the United States have seen the smallest increases in exports in the wake of NAFTA.North American Free Trade Agreement ; International trade

Ethnic networks and trade: intensive vs. extensive margins

Ethnic networks?as proxies for information networks?have been associated with higher levels of international trade. Previous research has not differentiated between the roles of these networks on the extensive and intensive margins. The present paper does so using a model with fixed effects, finding that ethnic networks increase trade on the intensive margin but not on the extensive margin.International trade ; Exports

Impact of pharmaceutical care interventions on the CD4+ lymphocytes counts (therapeutic outcome) of patients on antiretroviral drugs

CD4 count and viral load determine the progression of HIV infection. HIV actively infects and destroys CD4 cells. High viral load results in higher transmission risk and is also a sign of more severe disease. Measurements of CD4 counts can be used as an indirect means of estimating HIV viral load and as such determine disease progression and/or therapeutic outcome of antiretroviral therapy. Pharmaceutical care (PC) has been shown to improve the outcome of drug therapy in many disease conditions. HIV/AIDS is one of the disease conditions that are fraught with many problems that can benefit from this new emphasis of pharmacy practice also known as ‘pharmacists care’. This study is designed to evaluate the impact of pharmaceutical care activities on the CD4 cell counts of HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiretroviral drugs. The components of the American society of health-system pharmacists (ASHP) guidelines on ‘standardized method for pharmaceutical care’ was used as a data collection instrument to evaluate, document and intervene and re-evaluate the antiretroviral therapy of about one thousand four hundred and seventy three (1,473) patients. The results showed that that 55.2% of the patients recorded significant increases in their CD4 cells count, 14.1% of them maintained their pre - intervention CD4 cells count while 10.3% of them recorded decreases in their CD4 cell count. However, in 20.4% of the patients the CD4 cell counts could not be determined. The study showed that pharmacists’ interventions in antiretroviral drug therapy through Pharmaceutical care can significantly improve the CD4 cells counts of patients receiving antiretroviral drugs hence therapeutic outcome of antiretroviral drug therapy

Production of oxygen free radicals by Ehrlich ascites tumour cells: effect of lipids

Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), calcium ionophore A23187 and platelet activating factor (PAF) stimulated the generation of oxygen free radicals (nitro-blue tetrazolium reduction) in Ehrlich ascites tumour (EAT) cells. PAF was effective at an optimal concentration of 4 μM, but was inhibited by BN 52021, a specific PAF antagonist. Lyso-PAF was ineffective. Inclusion of different lipids during incubation prior to the addition of PAF, resulted in the activation/inhibition of free radical generation. Among the phospholipids at a concentration of 50 μg/ml, the order of activation was phosphatidylserine > phosphatidylglycerol > phosphoinositides > phosphatidylinositol > phosphatidylethanolamine. Phosphatidylcholine was not effective, while sphingolipids were inhibitory. In addition, Ehrlich ascites tumour cells grown in mice under marginal vitamin A deficiency, showed an augmented production of free radicals compared to control cells. This was suppressed by exogenous addition of vitamin A or superoxide dismutase. These results suggest that membrane lipids and dietary factors like vitamin A probably function as physiological modulators in regulating the free radical generation

Insecticidal Activities of Azadirachta indica A.J (Meliaceae) leaf and Seed on Stored Grain Weevils and Toxicological Studies of Pesticide-protected Stored Grains in Nigeria

Introduction: Azadirachta indica has been used in Nigeria for decades in traditional medicine for managing various diseases notably are fever, aches, common cold, as well as  urinary tract infections.Methods: A. indica  leaves and seeds were prepared after air drying into powder forms(PF), aqueous extract(AE) and ethanol extract(EE). Two kilograms of dried leaves and seeds were each prepared by grinding with electronic blender into fine powder, fresh leaves and seeds were  each macerated in 1000mL of water in a basin while 2000g of the other powdered parts were extracted using cold maceration techniques in 1.5 litres of absolute ethanol and concentrated using rotary evaporator. The grains tested were maize, bean, millet and guinea corn; each bagged in 25Kg storage bags and arranged in randomized block design in the laboratory for 8 weeks. Various preparations of A. indica PF, AE, and EE were used to store the grains for the period. % Mortality of weevils, as well as oviposition deterrence were determined in each bag and for each preparation. Results: The result showed that AE of leaf and seed exhibited 100% insecticidal and oviposition deterrence on Acanthoscelides obtestus (bean weevil) than maize and guinea corn weevil(Sitophilus spp.). Insecticidal activities increases with increased storage time. These results were comparable to the standard pesticide DD force at p≤0.05 (ANOVA).  Acute toxicity determination showed that  LD50 value were  363.10 mg/Kg and 977.10 mg/Kg for beans and maize respectively

ENHANCING MEMBERS LIVELIHOOD THROUGH COOPERATIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES IN AWKA SOUTH LGA OF ANAMBRA STATE

This study examined the enhancement of members livelihood through cooperative entrepreneurial activities in Awka South LGA of Anambra state. It was observed that lack of innovation has placed members of cooperatives in the same economic status quo and has resulted to the inability of the cooperative enterprise to add more value to members individual enterprise which would therefore lead to the enhancement of members livelihood. The objective of the study are to evaluate the various entrepreneurial activities carried out by cooperatives; to determine the effects of the entrepreneurial services on members livelihood enhancement and to identify the challenges that limits Cooperatives in enhancing members livelihood. The survey research design was adopted and the purposive sampling technique was employed to select 8 cooperative societies. The Taro Yamane formula to obtain a sample of 142 members. Data was obtained through the administration of a structured questionnaire and data obtained were analyzed using the simple percentage, mean and frequency table. The research findings by the researchers revealed that there is a positive effect of the entrepreneurial activities on members livelihood enhancement through increase in dividend and patronage rebate for members, expansion of members business etc. It was also observed that inadequate finance as well as bad management by cooperative leaders are some of the constraints in enhancing members livelihood. Based on the findings, the study recommends that Cooperatives should organize seminars and workshops for both members and non-members in order to attract new members and increase equity. The management committee should be well educated on cooperative principles as well as entrepreneurship to ensure effectiveness in carrying out entrepreneurial activities

Modelling nasal high flow therapy effects on upper airway resistance and resistive work of breathing

Aim The goal of this paper is to quantify upper airway resistance with and without nasal high flow (NHF) therapy. For adults, NHF therapy feeds 30–60 L/min of warm humidified air into the nose through short cannulas which do not seal the nostril. NHF therapy has been reported to increase airway pressure, increase tidal volume (Vt) and decrease respiratory rate (RR), but it is unclear how these findings affect the work done to overcome airway resistance to air flow during expiration. Also, there is little information on how the choice of nasal cannula size may affect work of breathing. In this paper, estimates of airway resistance without and with different NHF flow (applied via different cannula sizes) were made. The breathing efforts required to overcome airway resistance under these conditions were quantified. Method NHF was applied via three different cannula sizes to a 3-D printed human upper airway. Pressure drop and flow rate were measured and used to estimate inspiratory and expiratory upper airway resistances. The resistance information was used to compute the muscular work required to overcome the resistance of the upper airway to flow. Results NHF raises expiratory resistance relative to spontaneous breathing if the breathing pattern does not change but reduces work of breathing if peak expiratory flow falls. Of the cannula sizes used, the large cannula produced the greatest resistance and the small cannula produced the least. The work required to cause tracheal flow through the upper airway was reduced if the RR and minute volume are reduced by NHF. NHF has been observed to do so in COPD patients (Bräunlich et al., 2013). A reduction in I:E ratio due to therapy was found to reduce work of breathing if the peak inspiratory flow is less than the flow below which no inspiratory effort is required to overcome upper airway resistance. Conclusion NHF raises expiratory resistance but it can reduce the work required to overcome upper airway resistance via a fall in inspiratory work of breathing, RR and minute volume

CREDIT MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COOPERATIVE THRIFT AND CREDIT SOCIETIES (CTCS) IN NJIKOKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ANAMBRA STATE

This study focused on credit management and financial performance of cooperative thrift and credit societies (CTCS) in Njikoka Local Government Area, Anambra State. The study was carried out to; identify the nature of credit management practices in CTCS in the study area, assess the influence of credit standards (collateral) on member loan repayment of CTCS under study and to explore the extent to which debt recovery techniques have on numbers of loan application of CTCS in Njikoka Local Government Area. Descriptive survey research design was used. The population of the study consists of 120 cooperative members of CTCS. 92 members were sampled using Taro Yamene’s formula. The data used was a primary data collected through structured questionnaire. The data collected was analysed arithmetic mean and the hypothesis was tested using Z-test with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings revealed that Credit management and financial performance of cooperative thrift and credit societies are effective in Njikoka Local Government Area, Anambra and that Low credit standards (collateral) have significant influence on member loan repayment of CTCS in the study area. The researcher recommends among others that Cooperative thrift and credit societies should enhance their payment reminder process to more advance form so as to help them in their loan recovery