Poverty Reduction Through Microfinance

Microfinance is believed by many people in Africa to allow poor people to protect, diversify, and increase their sources of income, which is known to be the essential path out of poverty and hunger. This chapter examines whether microfinance can really help to reduce poverty. The enduring question is: Can microfinance be the game changer that will lift the many poor rural women and men in Africa out of the misery of extreme poverty? Is this strategy bliss or myth? First, the author provides a context and rationale for microfinance in African countries. Second, the chapter follows a brief overview of the literature on the impact of microfinance on women's empowerment and whether credit lending transactions benefit the intended recipients. Finally, the chapter reviews the arguments of both sides of the debate and draws out future research trends.

Mechanisms underlying microglial colonization of developing neural retina in zebrafish

Microglia are brain-resident macrophages that function as the first line of defense in brain. Embryonic microglial precursors originate in peripheral mesoderm and migrate into the brain during development. However, the mechanism by which they colonize the brain is incompletely understood. The retina is one of the first brain regions to accommodate microglia. In zebrafish, embryonic microglial precursors use intraocular hyaloid blood vessels as a pathway to migrate into the optic cup via the choroid fissure. Once retinal progenitor cells exit the cell cycle, microglial precursors associated with hyaloid blood vessels start to infiltrate the retina preferentially through neurogenic regions, suggesting that colonization of retinal tissue depends upon the neurogenic state. Along with blood vessels and retinal neurogenesis, IL34 also participates in microglial precursor colonization of the retina. Altogether, CSF receptor signaling, blood vessels, and neuronal differentiation function as cues to create an essential path for microglial migration into developing retina.

Towards the Internet of Behaviors in Smart Cities through a Fog-To-Cloud Approach

Recent advances in Internet of Things (IoT) and the rising of the Internet of Behavior (IoB) have made it possible to develop real-time improved traveler assistance tools for mobile phones, assisted by cloud-based machine learning, and using fog computing in between IoT and the Cloud. Within the Horizon2020-funded mF2C project an Android app has been developed exploiting the proximity marketing concept and covers the essential path through the airport onto the flight, from the least busy security queue through to the time to walk to gate, gate changes, and other obstacles that airports tend to entertain travelers with. It gives chance to travelers to discover the facilities of the airport, aided by a recommender system using machine learning, that can make recommendations and offer voucher according with the traveler’s preferences or on similarities to other travelers. The system provides obvious benefits to the airport planners, not only people tracking in the shops area, but also aggregated and anonymized view, like heat maps that can highlight bottlenecks in the infrastructure, or suggest situations that require intervention, such as emergencies. With the emerging of the COVID pandemic the tool could be adapted to help in the social distancing to guarantee safety. The use of the fog-to-cloud platform and the fulfilling of all centricity and privacy requirements of the IoB give evidence of the impact of the solution. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2021-02-04-01 Full Text: PDF

Perfecting Good Character Through the Approach of Prophet Muhammed in American Islamic Schools

Islamic theory of moral is in congruent with the Universal theory of moral. Noble characters and morals are the most essential path of Prophet Muhammed as he said “I was not sent except to perfect moral characters”. This work will examine the effects of Islamic morals in propagating Islam in America to the level of winning the souls of American leaders including their presidents, that are canvassing for Islam as an acceptable peaceful religion in the West. The article will be supported through the research methodology of qualitative and the review of series of literatures that secured the credibility and the integrities that benefited Islam in the West. Moreover, moral character encourages the appreciation that is consider as a motivation for better performance, which American Muslims enjoy.

Mechanisms underlying microglial colonization of developing neural retina in zebrafish

Microglia are brain-resident macrophages that function as the first line of defense in brain. Embryonic microglial precursors originate in peripheral mesoderm and migrate into brain during development. However, the mechanism by which they colonize the brain is incompletely understood. The retina is one of the first brain regions to accommodate microglia. In zebrafish, embryonic microglial precursors use intraocular hyaloid blood vessels as a pathway to migrate into the optic cup via the choroid fissure. Once retinal progenitor cells exit from the cell cycle, microglial precursors associated with hyaloid blood vessels start to infiltrate the retina preferentially through neurogenic regions, suggesting that colonization of retinal tissue depends upon the neurogenic state. Upstream of blood vessels and retinal neurogenesis, IL34 also promotes microglial precursor colonization of the retina. Altogether, CSF receptor signaling, blood vessels, and neuronal differentiation, function as guidance cues, and create an essential path for microglial migration into developing retina.

The Design and Practice of Library Maker Service in Shenyang Normal University

Library maker services are a current focus of the industry's theoretical research and practice. With the popularization of the maker movement and the development of “mass entrepreneurship and innovation” in China, the library has been forced to re-examine itself and seek new development opportunities and spaces. Based on the experience of library maker service activities both at home and abroad, this paper explores the design of the library space transformation and the practice of the maker services in Shenyang Normal University. In the face of “mass entrepreneurship and innovation” and the background of education, library maker services have become the main melody, and the construction of makerspaces is the panacea to boost the development of library services. Every qualified library needs to be transformed, insufficient ones need to be reformed, and maker services are not only a development drive of the era, but also the essential path to the future.

Agricultural Commercialization and Food Security Nexus among Maize Farmers in Akure South Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria

Aims: An essential path to economic growth and expansion is commercialization of smallholder agriculture for the greatest number of emerging countries that depend on agriculture. Hence, the need to examine agricultural commercialization and food security nexus among maize farmers in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. This is due to the fact that maize is the most important staple food in Nigeria. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Ondo State, Nigeria between March and July 2019. Methodology: The sampling procedure used in the selection of a sample of 120 respondents was a two-stage random sampling procedure. Data for this study were drawn from the sampled respondents with the help of a structured questionnaire and interview schedule. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and probit regression model. Results: The results show that majority (35.8% and 65%) of the respondents were between 31 and 40 years of age and males, respectively. Also, majority (52.5%) of the respondents had between 81 and 100% level of commercialization, while 54.2% of the respondents were food insecure. Furthermore, household size, year of schooling, level of commercialization, farming experience, non-farm activities, and market information had significant influence on food security status of the respondents in the study area. Conclusion: In conclusion, agricultural commercialization is capable of swelling the likelihood of being food secure. Therefore, policies and necessary supports that can enhance agricultural commercialization among maize farmers should be put in place by individuals, government and non-governmental organizations in order to alleviate the menace of food insecurity.

Antecedents of Knowledge Acquisition in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Knowledge acquisition has gained several research areas, such as human resources, marketing, finance, performance, and so forth. It has been acknowledged as an essential path for business success. While firms recognize the importance of knowledge acquisition to enhance business performance, previous literature indicates that SME’s are limited in knowledge acquisition efforts corroborated by the limited research in knowledge sources. For SMEs, knowledge acquisition can be identified as a vital variable as its absence may often hamper the leverage of attaining firm objectives. The frugality of research in discussing the antecedent factors in knowledge acquisition unequivocally, in the Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises is the motivation for the present study. Based on previous studies the study develops a conceptual framework to suggest a relationship between knowledge acquisition and four antecedent factors (domestic knowledge, market knowledge, technological knowledge, and environmental knowledge). A Questionnaire is proposed to collect data and Smart PLS would be used to analyze the data. Conclusion/Recommendations: This study attempts to discuss some of the precursor variables that can affect knowledge acquisition.

Estimation of Rate and Time Delay for underground Mumbai Metro Corridor by using Monte Carlo Simulation

Globally the utilization of metros is incredibly common for transportation for convey individuals at one place to a different for convey individuals at one place to a different with ease. Infrastructure os Asian nation project ill-framed for time delay and rate value flooded. Globally there many analysis for estimating cost and time delay with analytical, case study and downside that are the factors inflicting time delay and rate value flooded which are found by using Rankin’s constant techniques, Risk performance technique, Time delay and cost overrun index, CPM & PERTS, Monte’s Carlo Simulation Techniques, Budget dominant and change and Milestone chart etc are such type of methodologies applies to seek out project’s time delay and cost overrun in Infrastructure project. This paper the methodology accustomed ascertain expected time and cost in Mumbai underground metro rail passageway (MUMRP) by victimization application of Monte’s Carlo Simulation Techniques (MCST), during this we have a tendency to use network flow chart for locating out trial and error based mostly to create activities as essential path technique (EPT) by given downside statement and also outcome in terms of results and conclusion.