Apparent Stagnation Research Articles

CONSTRAINED POTENTIAL: A CHARACTERIZATION OF MEXICAN MICROENTERPRISES

Firm-level data spanning from 1994 to 2012 is used to investigate the apparent stagnation of Mexican microenterprises. The existence and nature of constraints are studied by estimating the empirical probability of a business’s success. A performance index is defined based on firm levels of capital stock and monthly profits. The predicted values are used to classify all microenterprises into one of three categories: upper, middle, or lower segment. Overall, the study identifies evidence of constrained productivity and capital misallocation, as well as the plausibility of cost-effective interventions. Specifically, microenterprises from the middle segment face substantial external constraints and their total share increased from 16 to 22 percent over time. The monthly marginal returns average 30 percent across lower-segment firms and 1 percent across those in the upper segment. Finally, the differences in monthly profits among segments are explored using the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method.

Chitosan-curcumin complexation to develop functionalized nanosystems with enhanced antimicrobial activity against hetero-resistant gastric pathogen

With the apparent stagnation in the antibiotic discovery and the propagation of multidrug resistance, Helicobacter pylori associated gastric infections are hard to eradicate. In pursuance of alternative medicines, in this study, covalent modification of chitosan (CS) polymer with curcumin (Cur) was accomplished. Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy elucidated the covalent interaction between Cur and CS with characteristic peak of imine functional group (C=N). Scanning Electron Microscopy provided visual proof for surface topology, while size and zeta potential values further affirmed the development of curcumin functionalized chitosan nanosystems (Cur-FCNS). The complexation efficiency of CS with Cur was found as 70 ± 3% at an optimal ratio of 5:1 for CS and Cur, respectively. Cur-FCNS developed with ionic gelation and ultrasonication method demonstrated synergistic anti-H. pylori activity in growth-kinetics and anti-biofilm assays, which was superior to free Cur and even chitosan nanosystems. Under simulated gastric conditions, Cur-FCNS revealed cumulative-release of only 16 ± 0.8% till 40 h, which indicated its improved stability to interact with H. pylori. In silico findings affirmed high binding affinity of Cur-FCNS with multiple bacterial virulence factors. Thus, our results affirmed the exceptional potential of Cur-FCNS as next-generation alternative-medicine to treat resistant H. pylori.

Deep learning and multilingual sentiment analysis on social media data: An overview

Twenty-four studies on twenty-three distinct languages and eleven social media illustrate the steady interest in deep learning approaches for multilingual sentiment analysis of social media. We improve over previous reviews with wider coverage from 2017 to 2020 as well as a study focused on the underlying ideas and commonalities behind the different solutions to achieve multilingual sentiment analysis. Interesting findings of our research are (i) the shift of research interest to cross-lingual and code-switching approaches, (ii) the apparent stagnation of the less complex architectures derived from a backbone featuring an embedding layer, a feature extractor based on a single CNN or LSTM and a classifier, (iii) the lack of approaches tackling multilingual aspect-based sentiment analysis through deep learning, and, surprisingly, (iv) the lack of more complex architectures such as the transformers-based, despite results suggest the more difficult tasks requires more elaborated architectures.

Nutrient content of on-farm formulated NIle tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) feeds: implications for the aquaculture industry in Kenya

Due to the high costs and the unavailability of good quality fish feeds in Kenya, farmers have opted to use cheaper, locally available on-farm formulated feeds. In spite of this, farmers continue to incur losses probably due to poor nutritive quality of these on-farm feeds. Furthermore, literature on the proximate composition and appropriateness of on farm formulated feeds for raising farmed fish in Kenya is scanty. Motivated by these reasons, this study sought to investigate the proximate composition of on-farm formulated Nile tilapia feeds and selected commercial fish feeds used in Bomet, Kericho and Nakuru Counties of the Rift Valley Region of Kenya and compared the proximate composition with the official nutrient composition of fish feeds. The method of feed formulation used was also investigated using semi-structured questionnaires. The study also estimated the weight of fish harvested at the end of a production cycle. The results revealed a significant difference between the sampled feeds’ moisture, crude protein and mineral contents and the legislated nutrient levels of the commercial feeds commonly used in the counties. There was also a significant difference between the crude protein content of feeds in the three counties (P < 0.05). More than 50% of respondent farmers in the three counties used Pearson Square Method for fish feed formulation, while the rest used the trial and error method. The mean weight of fish during harvest was 311.5±155.8 g with fish from Kericho County weighing significantly lower than those from Nakuru and Bomet Counties (P < 0.05). Most of the on-farm formulated feeds from the three counties do not meet the recommended nutrient requirements for raising Nile Tilapia. This may be contributing to the observed low weights of the fish harvested, the low fish production and the apparent stagnation of the aquaculture sub-sector in Kenya. The study recommends the formulation of good quality fish feeds through the use of proper methods and appropriate ingredients. This could be achieved through monthly farmers’ trainings on best aquaculture practices. Key words: On- farm formulated feeds, fish feed quality, Nutrients, Nile tilapia, Kenya

Micro and macro drivers affecting adult literacy proficiency profiles across countries

This article analyses comparative data from the 1994–1998 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and the 2012 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). At the micro level, the author considers factors involved in the development of an individual person’s literacy from a lifecycle perspective. At the macro level, he investigates trends in literacy proficiency profiles for countries that participated in both the IALS and PIAAC studies. In a number of countries, small average declines in literacy were recorded. This apparent stagnation in overall literacy at the population level in so many member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) merits a closer look at the trend data made available from IALS and PIAAC. The aim of this research is to understand the determinants of literacy proficiency in terms of (1) how they may be affecting the development of literacy from an individual lifecycle perspective, and (2) how they may be affecting the development of national profiles of literacy proficiency as countries’ sociodemographic compositions, sociocultural practices and economies change over time. There are few other comparative data like these that can help to improve insights on what drives the development and maintenance of literacy in adult populations. The data suggest that macro trends in literacy practices in work-related contexts may be on the decline, an impression the author discusses in relation to the observed stagnation in literacy profiles across many of the countries for which trend data are available. He considers the implications of his findings in relation to the upskilling and deskilling of occupations, changes in the distribution of work tasks, and the continued measurement of practices in PIAAC.

Technological progress and sectoral shares in GDP: An analysis with reference to the Indian economy

•Distribution of much of the benefits from productivity gains across sectors through adjustment of relative prices causes value added per unit of output to fall in the progressive and rise in the relatively stagnant sectors. Under such circumstances, if total factor productivity is sought to be measured by taking value added as a proxy for output the result will inevitably be underestimate for the progressive and an overestimate for the relatively stagnant sectors.•Transformation of a low-growth inward looking economy into a substantially liberalized, globalized, high-growth economy had implications for the technical (intermediate input) structure of production as well as adjustment (erosion and buildup) of value added across sectors through changes in relative prices. The study observes that the relative price for the manufacturing sector (vis-a-vis the GDP deflator) declined steadily while that for the service subsector EHPAD (education, health, public administration and defence) increased fast, causing significant adjustment of sectoral value added.•The most interesting finding is the drag on the share of the manufacturing sector caused by adjustment of relative prices; this paring of sectoral share is an important explanation for the stagnation of relative share of manufacturing in GDP of India.•Admitting that the precise measures of sectoral gains or losses are inevitably subject to limitations of quality of data, the very consistent behaviour of the manufacturing and the EHPAD sectors over all the phases of our study lends strong support to the basic hypothesis of Baumol’s disease for the Indian economy and throws light on the apparent stagnation of manufacturing’s GVA share.

Changes in the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension in 2007 versus 2017 in the “Prof. Dr. Panait Sîrbu” Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bucharest

Pregnancy-induced hypertension is a common disease with important effects in maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The continuous study of its evolution in the population can help us to highlight new risk factors, the possible natural growth trend of the disease in pregnant women and the curative measures that can be taken. The purpose of this study is to observe the changes in the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension and its complications at a distance of 10 years. In order to achieve this goal, two study groups were compiled, including the births from 2007 and those from 2017 at the “Prof. Dr. Panait Sîrbu” Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The main findings of the study revealed an increasing trend of the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension, an apparent stagnation of the HELLP incidence, and a decrease in eclampsia.

Measuring Gender Equality in Education: Lessons from Trends in 43 Countries

Measuring Gender Equality in Education: Lessons from Trends in 43 Countries

Defeating ISIS on the Battle Ground as well as in the Online Battle Space: Considerations of the “New Normal” and Available Online Weapons in the Struggle Ahead

The United States and its allies continue to achieve significant military victories against ISIS (otherwise known as ISIL or the “Islamic State”). The loss of territories resulting from military victories is especially important given that ISIS relies in part on recruits from the territories it controls. Efforts have also been directed at killing the group’s core leadership; stemming the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria through tightening up border security and surveillance; and targeting militant jihadi narratives and propaganda that is pushed out by ISIS on a twenty-four/seven basis via the Internet and social media platforms. In such a complicated security landscape, a new discourse on ISIS is born—its allure, threat, grandeur, lawlessness, and violence have emerged as the “new normal” in Syria and Iraq, and recently have spilled out to Western Europe and beyond in home grown and ISIS directed attacks. While cognizant of the progress achieved in the fight against ISIS, this article, in particular, highlights the dangers emanating from the group’s continuing online, as well as face-to-face, recruiting success in the West and the apparent stagnation in the fight for dominance in the digital battlefield where ISIS is currently winning.

Does rail freight market liberalisation lead to market entry? A case study of the British privatisation experience

This paper considers developments since privatisation in the British rail freight market from both general and production supply side perspectives. It also reviews the literature relating to the US railroad partial deregulation in order to identify the main effects and drivers that result from major industry reform. What it finds is that privatisation of the railways in Great Britain has not been followed by the expected dramatic rise in rail freight carriage and more specifically in the provision of intermodal services. Overall tonne kilometres and domestic intermodal have risen considerably, however in both cases for (different) reasons that do not suggest real industry progress. New entrants to the industry have been few, and the sector has now reached a point of apparent stagnation. The research finds little evidence of prohibitive production characteristics in terms of scale and productivity effects, and therefore these cannot be viewed as being responsible for the lack of new entry and general industry progress. Such ‘barriers’ to progress therefore can only be related to demand, i.e. the economics of consumption. The over-riding conclusion is that key to future growth in the sector is continued productivity improvements and a more pro-active policy stance.

The stagnation of the Mexican male life expectancy in the first decade of the 21st century: the impact of homicides and diabetes mellitus

ObjectivesIn the first decade of the 21st century, the Mexican life expectancy changed from a long trend of increase to stagnation. These changes concur with an increase in deaths by...

Rural:urban inequalities in post 2015 targets and indicators for drinking-water

Disparities in access to drinking water between rural and urban areas are pronounced. Although use of improved sources has increased more rapidly in rural areas, rising from 62% in 1990 to 81% in 2011, the proportion of the rural population using an improved water source remains substantially lower than in urban areas. Inequalities in coverage are compounded by disparities in other aspects of water service. Not all improved sources are safe and evidence from a systematic review demonstrates that water is more likely to contain detectable fecal indicator bacteria in rural areas. Piped water on premises is a service enjoyed primarily by those living in urban areas so differentiating amongst improved sources would exacerbate rural:urban disparities yet further. We argue that an urban bias may have resulted due to apparent stagnation in urban coverage and the inequity observed between urban and peri-urban areas. The apparent stagnation at around 95% coverage in urban areas stems in part from relative population growth – over the last two decades more people gained access to improved water in urban areas. There are calls for setting higher standards in urban areas which would exacerbate the already extreme rural disadvantage. Instead of setting different targets, health, economic, and human rights perspectives, We suggest that the focus should be kept on achieving universal access to safe water (primarily in rural areas) while monitoring progress towards higher service levels, including greater water safety (both in rural and urban areas and among different economic strata).

The trajectory of dispersal research in conservation biology. Systematic review.

Dispersal knowledge is essential for conservation management, and demand is growing. But are we accumulating dispersal knowledge at a pace that can meet the demand? To answer this question we tested for changes in dispersal data collection and use over time. Our systematic review of 655 conservation-related publications compared five topics: climate change, habitat restoration, population viability analysis, land planning (systematic conservation planning) and invasive species. We analysed temporal changes in the: (i) questions asked by dispersal-related research; (ii) methods used to study dispersal; (iii) the quality of dispersal data; (iv) extent that dispersal knowledge is lacking, and; (v) likely consequences of limited dispersal knowledge. Research questions have changed little over time; the same problems examined in the 1990s are still being addressed. The most common methods used to study dispersal were occupancy data, expert opinion and modelling, which often provided indirect, low quality information about dispersal. Although use of genetics for estimating dispersal has increased, new ecological and genetic methods for measuring dispersal are not yet widely adopted. Almost half of the papers identified knowledge gaps related to dispersal. Limited dispersal knowledge often made it impossible to discover ecological processes or compromised conservation outcomes. The quality of dispersal data used in climate change research has increased since the 1990s. In comparison, restoration ecology inadequately addresses large-scale process, whilst the gap between knowledge accumulation and growth in applications may be increasing in land planning. To overcome apparent stagnation in collection and use of dispersal knowledge, researchers need to: (i) improve the quality of available data using new approaches; (ii) understand the complementarities of different methods and; (iii) define the value of different kinds of dispersal information for supporting management decisions. Ambitious, multi-disciplinary research programs studying many species are critical for advancing dispersal research.

Theories of economic growth and stagnation, with particular reference to China, 1840-1940

The paper provides a brief survey of certain significant contributions to the theory of economic growth and stagnation the further the study of a century of apparent stagnation in China. Two alternative approaches are suggested, the first of which emphasizes new theories in order to direct historical research to hitherto neglected horizons. On the other hand, the second approach emphasizes those theories that are judged especially relevant to the Chinese case. The author contends that the nature of theoretical development in economics, as well as the state of the historical data, require a compromise between these two alternatives in order to best serve the ultimate goal of aiding the development of new theories of growth in general and a theory of Chinese stagnation in particular.

Particle trajectories in extreme Stokes waves

We give a qualitative description of the particle paths in extreme Stokes waves, showing that all particle paths are looping curves with a positive drift. We also prove that the wave crest is only an apparent stagnation point: although in the frame moving at the wave speed, the velocity field is zero at this point, a particle can never rest at this location.

La cartera de servicios en atención primaria: un rey sin camisa. Informe SESPAS 2012

Despite the apparent stagnation, the development of primary care in response to social changes in recent decades is undeniable, both in figures and in the perception of those providing or using primary care. The traditional difficulties of defining roles and allocating resources among levels of care should be reassessed. A model is required that adjusts the health basket in primary care to today's society, to citizen's new needs and demands, and to the legitimate progress of health professionals, while maintaining the comprehensiveness of this level of care. A model with new resource allocation would increase decision-making in primary health care, thereby improving efficiency in this setting. With a view to equity, because of economies of scale, these changes should be agreed on by the Interregional Council, as the representative of the autonomous communities. The support of the Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment, the Institute for Health Information, the GuíaSalud Project and the participation of civil society in its many forms, can offer knowledge and experience for the design, implementation and evaluation of actions designed both to improve clinical practice and enhance the organizational and economic infrastructure necessary to support it.

Rare tumors research in emerging countries

Rare tumors, when considered as a group, represent a significant burden to society as they may account for up to 25% of the mortality by cancer in nations like the United States. In contrast with the current scenario in highly incident cancer types, little progress has been achieved in the treatment of the most rare cancers. The reasons for this apparent stagnation are mostly intrinsic to logistical difficulties in performing large clinical trials in rare diseases and will be addressed further in this article. Because both cancer incidence and clinical research are booming in emerging nations, we also aim to address the current and future role of these countries in research and the drug development process in rare tumor types.

Coming to Terms with Mass Higher Education: Lessons from the United States and Beyond

Mass higher education, a characteristic recently unique to the United States of America, is now almost universal in scope in developed countries. This article contrasts the relative ease with which American higher education accommodated the rapid expansion of its student base with the difficulties that the United Kingdom, more particularly England, have experienced in following the same route. Are there lessons to be learnt; and, if so, can they be incorporated in the context of a different tradition of higher education, with values built upon different historical foundations? The article also seeks to address whether, in view of the apparent stagnation of higher education in the United States, it continues to offer a model that it is appropriate for others to emulate.

Crop transformation and the challenge to increase yield potential

Molecular transformation is commonly offered as a hope to overcome the apparent stagnation in crop yield potential. A basic understanding of the resource limits imposed on crops and the yield hierarchy going from gene expression to harvestable yield leads to a rather negative view that transformations of a few, or even of a complex of genes will result directly in major yield increases. Forty years of biochemical and physiological research illustrate the great difficulty in translating research at the basic level into improvements in crop yield. However, there are a few cases where physiological research has led to improved crop cultivars with increased yield. These successes are instructive in highlighting key elements required to achieve success in developing crop cultivars for increased yield.

Conflicting processes in the extinction of conditioned taste aversion: behavioral and molecular aspects of latency, apparent stagnation, and spontaneous recovery.

The study of experimental extinction and of the spontaneous recovery of the extinguished memory could cast light on neurobiological mechanisms by which internal representations compete to control behavior. In this work, we use a combination of behavioral and molecular methods to dissect subprocesses of experimental extinction of conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Extinction of CTA becomes apparent only 90 min after the extinction trial. This latency is insensitive to muscarinic and beta-adrenergic modulation and to protein synthesis inhibition in the insular cortex (IC). Immediately afterwards, however, the extinguishing trace becomes sensitive to beta-adrenergic blockade and protein synthesis inhibition. The subsequent kinetics and magnitude of extinction depend on whether a spaced or massed extinction protocol is used. A massed protocol is highly effective in the short run, but results in apparent stagnation of extinction in the long-run, which conceals fast spontaneous recovery of the preextinguished trace. This recovery can be truncated by a beta-adrenergic agonist or a cAMP analog in the insular cortex, suggesting that spontaneous overtaking of the behavioral control by the original association is regulated at least in part by beta-adrenergic input, probably operating via the cAMP cascade, long after the offset of the conditioned stimulus. Hence, the performance of the subject in experimental extinction is the sum total of multiple, sometimes conflicting, time-dependent processes.