bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
What drives microfinance institution lending behavior? Empirical evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Tehulu Tilahun Aemiro 
Published: July 2021

PurposeWhile poverty alleviation is the first core goal of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and microfinance institutions (MFIs) are considered important instruments for poverty alleviation in developing countries as they provide credit access to the poor, there is surprisingly little evidence of the drivers of the lending behavior of microfinance institutions. Hence, the purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence the credit growth of MFIs in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).Design/methodology/approachThe study relies on unbalanced panel dataset of 130 MFIs operating across 31 countries in SSA during the period 2004–2014 constituting 546 useable observations. The study uses the Arellano-Bover/Blundell-Bond two-step generalized method of moments (GMM) Windmeijer bias-corrected standard errors to estimate the models.FindingsThe results confirm that while capitalization, liquidity and size are positively associated with credit growth, profitability negatively impacts credit growth; whereas, other MFI specific factors namely portfolio quality, deposit growth and nondeposit borrowing growth have little direct effects on MFI credit growth. The results also show that MFI credit growth is pro-cyclical but negatively related to GDP per capita consistent with the theory of convergence. On the other hand, inflation and employment are not important covariates in the credit growth of MFIs.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that if MFIs improve their liquidity and size by attracting more deposits and nondeposit borrowings, among others, they can increase credit access to the poor. Moreover, since the lending behavior of MFIs is not resilient to GDP shocks, different measures are needed to increase the financial stability of the microfinance industry. In this respect, since MFI capitalization is positively associated with credit growth and MFI credit growth is pro-cyclical, the findings provide useful insights to central banks/regulatory authorities and the Basel Committee as to the need for a counter-cyclical capital buffer requirement in the microfinance industry.Originality/valueThe study is the first comprehensive study to examine the drivers of MFI lending behavior as an extension to lending behavior models from the banking industry.
Big 4 auditors, bank earnings management and financial crisis in Africa
Authors: Ozili Peterson K. 
Published: July 2021

Purpose
This paper aims to examine whether African banks audited by a Big 4 auditor use loan loss provisions (LLPs) for earnings management purposes before, during and after the global financial crisis. It focuses on income smoothing as a type of earnings management.

Design/methodology/approach
The study analyzed banks in 21 African countries from 2002 to 2014. The estimation techniques used are the fixed effect regression technique, descriptive statistic and Pearson correlation statistic. The model used in the study expresses LLPs as a function of its discretionary and non-discretionary determinants.

Findings
African banks audited by Big 4 auditors use LLPs to smooth income and the incentive to smooth income is greater during an economic downturn or recession. Also, African banks audited by a Big 4 auditor use income smoothing to lower high earnings during the financial crisis and in the pre-financial crisis period but not in the post-financial crisis period.

Originality/value
The literature shows that the presence of Big 4 auditors improves earnings quality. The direct impact of Big 4 auditors on earnings management in African banks has received little attention in the literature, and the impact of audit quality on bank earnings smoothing particularly in Africa is yet to be known.
Decision-making regarding the best maintenance strategy for electrical equipment of buildings based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process; case study: elevator
Authors: Gholami Javad , Razavi Ahmad , Ghaffarpour Reza 
Published: July 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose the best method of maintenance for electrical equipment of a building and especially elevators in order to achieve various benefits.Design/methodology/approachLiterature review shows that there are various methods such as corrective maintenance, condition-based maintenance, time-based maintenance and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) for the maintenance of electrical equipment of a building. Selecting the most appropriate maintenance method, especially in large buildings such as commercial ones, is a multiple-criteria decision-making problem. To solve this problem, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is used in the present study. It considers the uncertainties of the experts' judgments to provide an optimized maintenance method.FindingsTheoretically, the RCM method will take a lot of time and cost. But in prioritizing the methods, RCM gained more points with regard to safety criteria and value added. The main finding of this study suggests that RCM can be used in the case of elevators and would improve the safety and reliability of buildings.Originality/valueThe authors believe that this study will be valuable because one of the problems in building maintenance complexes is the lack of knowledge about the best method to prevent the risks of elevators. The proposed method has compared with other methods in various sub-criteria, and the results have been fully analyzed.
An automatic air inflated tubeless safety jacket for motorbike riders
Authors: Bulathsinghala Rameesh Lakshan , Fernando Sandun , Jayawardana Thantirige Sanath Siroshana , Heenkenda Nilanthi , Jeyakumar Sajeeva , Packiyarasa Prathees , Hemamala Gamage , Wijesena Dhananatha 
Published: July 2021

Purpose
Motorcycle is one of the popular modes of transport in developing countries. However, the statistics related to accidents show that motorcycles are the most vulnerable vehicles. Research studies have revealed that half of all the possible types of motorcycle injuries could be reduced or prevented using effective protective clothing. Facts and figures emphasize that this is high time to develop a safety jacket for motorbike riders. This paper aims to develop an innovative, integrated automatic air-inflated tubeless jacket to prevent major injuries in fatal accidents.

Design/methodology/approach
Two accelerometers integrated near the front axle, an angle sensor and the electronic control unit (ECU) were used to detect the collision or accident. The sensors were fixed on the bike and connected with the ECU via a bluetooth device that was always at the activated stage. The fused sensors were emulated with the ECU under laboratory conditions. The trigger signal generated by the crash discriminant algorithm triggered the chemical reaction to generate N2 gas and inflate the tubeless safety jacket.

Findings
Under laboratory conditions, it was found that the signal generated by the ECU unit ejected approximately 15 litres of N2 gas in volume to fill the jacket within 100 milliseconds, which was less than the approximate estimated falling time of the rider 120 milliseconds.

Originality/value
The existing developments of airbag systems in motorbikes are mounted on the motorbikes' frame, following the airbag systems in automobiles. These developments cannot fully protect the rider due to differentiation in crash dynamics and respective positions of the rider at the point of impact. Though few safety jackets and airbag vests are developed, the airbag deployment is activated when rider and motorbike separated during a collision using a tether-triggering mechanism. The authors designed the jacket so that inflation is activated not only by crash sensors but also on the fusion of multiple sensors based on a crash discriminative algorithm. The airbag deployment mechanism is incorporated with the jacket and acts as a safety jacket during a collision.
Reflecting on culturally responsive goal achievement with indigenous clients using the Australian Therapy Outcome Measure for Indigenous Clients (ATOMIC)
Authors: Copley Jodie A. , Nelson Alison , Hill Anne E. , Castan Catherine , McLaren Chrisdell F. , Brodrick Julie , Quinlan Teresa , White Rebekah 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIntroductionAppropriate evaluation of health services for First Australians demands culturally responsive goal setting tools that can be used by inter‐professional teams. The Australian Therapy Outcome Measure for Indigenous Clients (ATOMIC) is a purpose‐designed tool for measuring therapy outcomes for First Australians. The aim of this study was to establish the clinical utility of the ATOMIC by investigating its alignment with the practice perspectives of an inter‐professional First Australian health service.MethodsUsing action research cycles, 12 occupational therapists and 8 speech pathologists applied two successive versions of the ATOMIC in practice. Focus group feedback after use of the first version (ATOMICv1) prompted adaptations to the tool (ATOMICv2). Therapists participated in four focus groups, two after using ATOMICv1 and two after using ATOMICv2. Focus group transcripts were analysed inductively using a qualitative description approach.ResultsChallenges in setting SMART goals early in therapy and defining specific measurement increments in ATOMICv1 led to therapists favouring skill‐based goals that were easier to measure rather than broader daily life goals, thereby impacting on occupation‐ and client‐centred practice. ATOMICv2 allowed goal setting at any point in therapy, evaluated goals using visual analogue scales, and gathered evidence for rating goal achievement throughout the therapy process. Therapists found the ATOMICv2 to be a culturally responsive tool that aligned with practice perspectives by foregrounding relationship building, facilitating clinical reasoning, documenting daily life changes, and providing integrated inter‐professional care.ConclusionThe ATOMIC demonstrated good clinical utility in an inter‐professional service for First Australian children. It aligned with a culturally responsive practice perspective and captured goal achievement in daily life contexts. Further research is needed to gain client perspectives across the lifespan and to investigate its application by other health professions.
Staring Death in the Face: The Financial Impact of Corporate Exposure to Prior Disasters
Authors: Tosun Onur Kemal , Eshraghi Arman , Muradoglu Gulnur 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWe examine how firms’ exposure to prior disastrous events can influence their stock market footprint during the coronavirus crisis. While others have drawn comparisons between past pandemics and Covid‐19, we argue that such comparisons are skewed due to the unprecedented reach and consequences of the latter. To better model the structural shock caused by Covid‐19 in the USA, we look at the 9/11 terrorist attacks and specifically examine how firms based in New York City back then reacted to the associated financial turmoil. While 9/11 and Covid‐19 are categorically different events, their short‐term impacts on the stock market, and on New York exchanges in particular, are surprisingly similar. We find firms that financially ‘survived’ 9/11 also managed to do better – or suffer less – by about 7% in terms of stock returns during Covid‐19, compared to control firms that were not exposed to 9/11. In a sense, we show that companies’ prior exposure to 9/11 partly ‘immunized’ them against the consequences of a similarly destabilizing event, albeit two decades later. Interestingly, the trading volume of exposed firms increased due to market buying pressures. Our analysis is robust to various financial proxies, alternative definitions of control firms and varying estimation windows.
Birds of a feather flock together: Comparing controlled pre–post designs
Authors: Fry Carrie E. , Hatfield Laura A. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo formalize comparative interrupted time series (CITS) using the potential outcomes framework; compare two version of CITS—a standard linear version and one that adds postperiod group‐by‐time parameters—to two versions of difference‐in‐differences (DID)—a standard version with time fixed effects and one that adds group‐specific pretrends; and reanalyze three previously published papers using these models.Data SourcesOutcome data for reanalyses come from two counties' jail booking and release data, Medicaid prescription drug rebate data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and acute hepatitis C incidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Study DesignDID and CITS were compared using potential outcomes, and reanalyses were conducted using the four described pre–post study designs.Data Collection/Extraction MethodsData from county jails were provided by sheriffs. Data from CMS are publicly available. Data for the third reanalysis were provided by the authors of the original study.Principal FindingsThough written differently and preferred by different research communities, the general version of CITS and DID with group‐specific pretrends are the same: they yield the same counterfactuals and identify the same treatment effects. In a reanalysis with evidence of divergent preperiod trends, failing to account for this in standard DID led to an 84% smaller effect estimate than the more flexible models. In a second reanalysis with evidence of nonlinear outcome trends, failing to account for this in linear CITS led to a 28% smaller effect estimate than the more flexible models.ConclusionWe recommend detailing a causal model for treatment selection and outcome generation and the required counterfactuals before choosing an analytical approach. The more flexible versions of DID and CITS can accommodate features often found in real data, namely, nonlinearities and divergent preperiod outcome trends.
Long‐term changes in anemia‐related parameters among Japanese dialyzed patients assessed by newly developed web‐based system
Authors: Maruyama Yukio , Niikura Takahito , Nakashima Akio , Yamamoto Hiroyasu , Yokoo Takashi 
Published: July 2021

AbstractAnemia treatment is crucial in the management of dialyzed patients. Although Hb and serum ferritin levels are commonly used as indicators for treatment, these values change over time due to changes in policy, drugs for treating anemia, and target levels suggested by clinical guidelines. To clarify long‐term changes in anemia‐related parameters in Japan, we extracted annual patient data from a newly developed web‐based system by the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy, the Web‐based Analysis of Dialysis Data Archives system. Hb levels gradually increased from 2008 to 2019. Serum ferritin levels and transferrin saturation tended to increase between 2012 and 2019. Although these changes were found in all dialyzed patients, these were more pronounced in patients on peritoneal dialysis. We believe that our results can contribute to a better understanding of the results of clinical studies assessing the effects of treatment for anemia on clinical outcomes among dialyzed patients.
Emigration from the United Kingdom to the United States, Canada and Australia/New Zealand, 1870–1913: Quantity and quality
Authors: Hatton Timothy J. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThis paper revisits the determinants of emigration from the United Kingdom to the United States, Canada and Australia/New Zealand from 1870 to 1913. In the absence of restrictive immigration policies, the flow of emigration to these destinations responded to economic shocks and trends. Emigrants to Australia and New Zealand were more skilled on average than those heading across the Atlantic, a feature that does not correspond well with skill differentials in the manner predicted by the Roy model. While assisted passages (subsidised fares) increased the volume of emigration to Australia and New Zealand they cannot account for its higher skill content.
Dry bulk shipping and the evolution of maritime transport costs, 1850–2020
Authors: Jacks David S. , Stuermer Martin 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWe provide evidence on the dynamic effects of fuel price shocks, shipping demand shocks and shipping supply shocks on real dry bulk freight rates in the long run. We first analyse a new dataset on dry bulk freight rates for the period from 1850 to 2020, finding that they followed a downward but undulating path with a cumulative decline of 79%. Next, we turn to understanding the drivers of booms and busts in the dry bulk shipping industry, finding that shipping demand shocks strongly dominate all others as drivers of real dry bulk freight rates in the long run. Furthermore, while shipping demand shocks have increased in importance over time, shipping supply shocks in particular have become less relevant.
Detecting the footprint of selection on the genomes of Murciano‐Granadina goats
Authors: Guan D. , Martínez A. , Luigi‐Sierra M. G. , Delgado J. V. , Landi V. , Castelló A. , Fernández Álvarez J. , Such X. , Jordana J. , Amills M. 
Published: July 2021

SummaryArtificial selection is one of the major forces modifying the genetic composition of livestock populations. Identifying genes under selection could be useful to elucidate their impact on phenotypic variation. We aimed to identify genomic regions targeted by selection for dairy and pigmentation traits in Murciano‐Granadina goats. Performance of a selection scan based on the integrated haplotype score test in a population of 1183 Murciano‐Granadina goats resulted in the identification of 77 candidate genomic regions/SNPs. The most significant selective sweeps mapped to chromosomes 1 (69.86 Mb), 4 (41.80–49.95 Mb), 11 (65.74 Mb), 12 (31.24 and 52.51 Mb), 17 (34.76–37.67 Mb), 22 (31.75 Mb), and 26 (26.69–31.05 Mb). By using previously generated RNA‐Seq data, we built a catalogue of 6414 genes that are differentially expressed across goat lactation (i.e. 78 days post‐partum, early lactation; 216 days post‐partum, late lactation; 285 days post‐partum, dry period). Interestingly, 183 of these genes mapped to selective sweeps and several of them display functions related with lipid, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism, insulin signaling, cell proliferation, as well as mammary development and involution. Of particular interest are the CSN3 and CSN1S2 genes, which encode two major milk proteins. Additionally, we found three pigmentation genes (GLI3, MC1R, and MITF) co‐localizing with selective sweeps. Performance of a genome‐wide association study and Sanger sequencing and TaqMan genotyping experiments revealed that the c.801C>G (p.Cys267Trp) polymorphism in the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene is the main determinant of the black (GG or GC genotypes) and brown (CC genotypes) colorations of Murciano‐Granadina goats.
Association of night‐time sleep and day napping with the prevalence of MOSH in young obese men
Authors: Chen Yufei , Zhang Ling , Zhao Shaoqian , Yuan Lihui , Shi Juan , Zhang Yifei , Wang Jiqiu , Gu Weiqiong , Wang Weiqing , Hong Jie 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundObesity in men is also shown to be associated with reduced reproductive potential, and this particular subtype was described as male obesity‐associated secondary hypogonadism (MOSH). Recent studies showing the influence of sleep disorders on testosterone levels suggested a potential role of sleep disorders in determining the development of MOSH.ObjectivesTo assess the association between night‐time sleep duration and day napping and the prevalence of MOSH.Materials and methodsIn this cross‐sectional study, 226 obese male participants aged 18–30 years were enrolled. Daytime napping and night‐time sleep duration data were collected using a standardized self‐reported Chinese‐language questionnaire. MOSH was defined as obese men (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) with hypogonadal symptoms and decreased total testosterone level and/or free testosterone level, excluding other causes of hypogonadism.ResultsThe overall prevalence of MOSH was 48.2% in this study. An inverse association was observed between night sleep duration and the risk of prevalent MOSH. Men who reported fewer than 6 h of night‐time sleep had reduced total testosterone and free testosterone levels and an increased risk of MOSH. Further regression analysis revealed that after adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio of MOSH for the short night‐time sleep group (<6 h vs. 6–8 h) was 6.17 (p = 0.040). No significant association was observed between day napping status and prevalence of MOSH.Discussion and conclusionShort night sleep duration was associated with an increased risk of MOSH in the young obese Chinese population. Chronic sleep curtailment has a negative effect on obese men's health in terms of hypogonadism.
Chronic iron deficiency and anaemia were highly prevalent in a population‐based longitudinal study among adolescent girls
Authors: Stabell Niklas , Averina Maria , Flægstad Trond 
Published: July 2021

AbstractAimThe combination of iron deficiency and anaemia is a major health problem, and adolescents are an at‐risk group. The main aim of this study was to explore the magnitude of these conditions among adolescents aged 15–19 and identify possible associated risk factors.MethodsThis population‐based longitudinal study of adolescents in North Norway was conducted in 2010–2011, with a follow‐up two years later. Repeated measurements of iron deficiency and anaemia and its possible risk factors were studied in 309 girls and 273 boys.ResultsIron deficiency and anaemia were found in 18.1% and 19.9% of girls and 1.6% and 2.9% of boys in the first study and about half of the cases were chronic two years later. Most girls had moderate iron deficiency (14.5%) and mild anaemia (16.0%). Daily milk consumption was associated with increased iron deficiency in girls (odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.1–4.9), and the most physically active girls had the lowest levels of iron deficiency (odds ratio 0.4, 95% confidence intervaI 0.2–0.9). Iron deficiency was the most important risk factor for chronic anaemia in girls.ConclusionThe results of this study highlight the importance of iron deficiency screening and treatment for adolescent girls.
Optimal emission taxation and the Porter hypothesis under Bertrand competition
Authors: Delbono Flavio , Lambertini Luca 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTIs socially efficient taxation conducive to the win‐win solution associated with the strong version of the Porter Hypothesis? Using a Bertrand duopoly yielding a continuum of Nash equilibria, we show that this is true for almost any level of environmental damage and equilibrium pricing strategy. We also prove that the only case in which no conflict arises between private and public incentives is where firms price at marginal cost. This finding suggests that coordination between environmental and competition authorities would be highly desirable.