Limited Geographical Area Research Articles

Trade Relations between Byzantion and the Black Sea Region in the Hellenistic Period: An Assessment through Recently Found Amphora Stamps

The rescue excavations undertaken on the European and Asian sides of Istanbul in recent years have revealed significant information regarding Byzantion, which had an active and strategic role in Hellenistic trade. A highly important part of the work in question was undoubtedly the excavations carried out within the scope of the Marmaray Project. A large number of artefacts and structures were brought to light throughout the excavations of the project at the Sirkeci station. Among these finds were amphora stamps which had previously been little known. The excavations uncovered finds that shed new light on the commercial relations between Byzantion and
 two important cities in the Black Sea region - Chersonesus and Sinope. This study results from documenting these amphora stamps. Although these amphora stamps provide information regarding a limited geographical area within Byzantion, nevertheless, they provide some idea regarding the larger commercial relationships of the city.

Does Islamic values matter for Indonesian students’ entrepreneurial intention? The mediating role of entrepreneurial inspiration and attitude

PurposeStimulating new business creating has been a decisive issue and the Indonesian Government is responding to this issue by providing entrepreneurship programs for Islamic students. This study aims to examine the impact of Islamic values and entrepreneurship education to predict Islamic students’ intention for business, as well as investigates the mediating role of entrepreneurial inspiration and attitudes.Design/methodology/approachThe study estimates primary data obtained from a sample of 381 Islamic boarding students in a selected area in Indonesia who incorporated entrepreneurial education and practices. In addition, structural equation modeling has been incorporated to answer the hypotheses raised in the research.FindingsThe findings strengthen the study of the influence of Islamic values that affects both directly and through inspiration and motivation on students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Additionally, it found the direct and indirect influences of entrepreneurship education on intentions for entrepreneurship through inspiration and motivation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has been cramped to draw a limited geographical area in Indonesia and the research’s implication is used for relevant themes in Islamic entrepreneurship.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research give insights to promote students’ entrepreneurial intention from Islamic schools.Social implicationsThe findings of this study offer a broader knowledge to enhance entrepreneurs through economic education in Islamic boarding schools.Originality/valueThese results provide insights into the important effects of Islamic values, particularly in the context of Islamic boarding schools. The findings suggest that Islamic values be an important contextual factor for Islamic boarding school students’ entrepreneurial intentions.

Similarities between Arabic dialects: Investigating geographical proximity

The automatic classification of Arabic dialects is an ongoing research challenge, which has been explored in recent work that defines dialects based on increasingly limited geographic areas like cities and provinces. This paper focuses on a related, yet relatively unexplored topic: the effects of the geographical proximity of cities located in Arab countries on their dialectal similarity. Our work is twofold, reliant on: (1) comparing the textual similarities between dialects using cosine similarity and (2) measuring the geographical distance between locations. We study MADAR and NADI, two established datasets with Arabic dialects from many cities and provinces. Our results indicate that cities located in different countries may in fact have more dialectal similarity than cities within the same country, depending on their geographical proximity. The correlation between dialectal similarity and city proximity suggests that cities that are closer together are more likely to share dialectal attributes, regardless of country borders. This nuance provides the potential for important advancements in Arabic dialect research because it indicates that a more granular approach to dialect classification is essential to understanding how to frame the problem of Arabic dialect identification.

O-040 The evolution of WHO Manual. Where are we now?

Abstract text Male factor infertility is associated with impaired overall health, decreased life expectancy, lower quality of life and may affect reproductive outcomes even under assisted reproductive technology (ART) settings. Male factors, alone or combined with female factors, contribute to at least 50% of reported infertility cases. Despite this, the male partner is often overlooked in the evaluation and treatment of infertility. A routine semen analysis is frequently the only test carried out to assess a man’s fertility potential. The state-of-art on how the human semen should be assessed is provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), which periodically releases manuals that include specific protocols and reference standards. These manuals include detailed laboratory methods for semen examination, protocols for sperm preparation and cryopreservation, quality assurance and quality control, results’ interpretation, and reference ranges. Unlike the previous four versions, the latest 2010 WHO reference values relied on clinical chemistry principles to generate 95% intervals for sperm volume, count, motility, vitality, and morphology from recent fathers. The fifth centile was deemed suitable for representing semen characteristics at lower limits. The reference values ultimately obtained were markedly lower than those previously reported, raising concerns about its clinical utility and generalizability. Criticisms included the limited geographical area of patients analyzed, the methods used for semen evaluation, and the potential impact of the new reference range on patient referral, diagnosis, and treatment guidance. An updated new WHO manual (6th edition) is about to be released with much expectation. Although semen analysis remains one of the cornerstones of the infertility evaluation, a male infertility workup primarily based on routine semen analysis does not provide men with an optimal fertility pathway for many reasons. First, reference intervals do not reliably distinguish fertile from subfertile subjects. Second, an individual patient’s results have limited prognostic value for both natural and assisted conception unless at extreme lower limits. Third, there is a wide variation in how laboratories perform a semen analysis. Lastly, routine semen analysis does not detect sperm DNA defects that might adversely impact embryo development, implantation, and offspring’s health. Guidelines issued by professional societies recommend that a full andrological assessment be performed in all men with couple infertility. Well-trained reproductive urologists or clinical andrologists should perform the male evaluation, including a detailed history, physical examination, semen analysis, endocrine assessment, and other tests as needed. Therefore, the importance of WHO manuals remains critical. However, the goals of a comprehensive male infertility workup go beyond the laboratory assessment of human semen. It comprises i. Diagnosis, i.e., detection of any underlying relevant medical or lifestyle conditions potentially impairing the (reproductive) health of the male or his offspring; ii. Counselling, particularly regarding the impact of infertility, genetic factors, age, and lifestyle on pregnancy prospects, reproductive and overall health, and offspring’s well-being; and iii. Management Guidance, i.e., identifying optimal treatment options to improve the likelihood of achieving natural pregnancy or ART success. The prevention and management of male infertility are integral components of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services needed to attain a sustainable development goal.

Validating Acute Myocardial Infarction Diagnoses in National Health Registers for Use as Endpoint in Research: The Tromsø Study.

PurposeTo assess whether acute myocardial infarction (MI) diagnoses in national health registers are sufficiently correct and complete to replace manual collection of endpoint data for a population-based, epidemiological study.Patients and MethodsUsing the Tromsø Study Cardiovascular Disease Register for 2013–2014 as gold standard, we calculated correctness (defined as positive predictive value (PPV)) and completeness (defined as sensitivity) of MI cases in the Norwegian Myocardial Infarction Register and the Norwegian Patient Register separately and in combination. We calculated the sensitivity and PPV with 95% confidence intervals using the Clopper-Pearson Exact test.ResultsWe identified 153 MI cases in the gold standard. In the Norwegian Myocardial Infarction Register, we found a PPV of 97.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 92.8–99.2) and a sensitivity of 88.2% (95% CI 82.0–92.9). In the Norwegian Patient Register, the PPV was 96.3% (95% CI 91.6–98.8) and the sensitivity was 85.6% (95% CI 79.0–90.8). The combined dataset of the Norwegian Myocardial Infarction Register and the Norwegian Patient Register had a PPV of 96.6% (95% CI 92.1–98.9) and a sensitivity of 91.5% (95% CI 85.9–95.4).ConclusionMI diagnoses in both the Norwegian Myocardial Infarction Register and the Norwegian Patient Register were highly correct and complete, and each of the registers could be considered as endpoint sources for the Tromsø Study. A combination of the two national registers seemed, however, to represent the most comprehensive data source overall. The benefits of using data from national registers as endpoints in epidemiological studies include faster, less resource-intensive access to nationwide data and considerably lower loss to follow-up, compared to manual data collection in a limited geographical area.

First record of Macrohomotoma gladiata Kuwayama, 1908 (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Homotomidae), a pest of ornamental Ficus microcarpa L. f., in Morocco

AbstractFicus microcarpa L. f. (Moraceae) is a popular ornamental plant that grows in many urban zones in Morocco. The psyllid Macrohomotoma gladiata (Kuwayama, 1908) was found for the first time from Morocco, in August 2019, on 21 ornamental Ficus microcarpa L. f. trees in the urban area of Kénitra, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The new psyllid caused serious damage on leaves and twigs of this host plant. Rolled leaves at the tip of the twigs, white and woolly waxy secretions were also observed in the infested trees. This first record of M. gladiata in Morocco, although still regarding a limited geographic area, represents a serious threat to Ficus in the country. A morphological description of this new pest is given.

The Impact of Race, Ethnicity and Insurance Status on Surgery Rates for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

ObjectiveTo determine whether patient race/ethnicity are associated with differences in likelihood of undergoing surgical treatment for LUTS/BPH. MethodsQueried hospital network database between 1/2011 and 10/2018. Men over age 40 on medical therapy for LUTS (selective alpha blockade and/or 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor), with 2+ provider visits, and without bladder/prostate malignancy were included. Ethnicity/race determined by self-identification. Insurance status classified as public (Medicare/Medicaid/Tricare), private, self-pay, or other.Multivariable backwards step-wise logistic regression was performed to compare odds of undergoing a surgical procedure by race/ethnicity, controlling for patient age, insurance status, comorbidities, and type of medical therapy. Results30,466 patients included, with White (n=24,443, 80.2%), Hispanic (n=2,715, 8.9%), Black (n=1,245, 4.1%), and other race/ethnicity (2,073, 6.8%) identified within the study population. After adjusting for age, insurance status, major comorbidities, and type of medical therapy, Black patients were less likely to undergo surgery than White patients (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.37 – 0.88, P = .011), as were patients of other race/ethnicity (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49 – 0.92, P = .013). ConclusionsAdjusting for age, insurance status, major comorbidities and type of LUTS medication, men categorized as Black were significantly less likely to undergo surgical treatment for LUTS/BPH than White patients. It is unknown whether this difference results from differences in counseling, access, or other bias in therapy. Efforts to understand and respond to this disparity are necessary. Limitations include lack of IPSS data, additional comorbidity data, limited geographic area, and retrospective nature.

Information-Seeking Patterns During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across the United States: Longitudinal Analysis of Google Trends Data.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people’s lives at unprecedented speed and scale, including how they eat and work, what they are concerned about, how much they move, and how much they can earn. Traditional surveys in the area of public health can be expensive and time-consuming, and they can rapidly become outdated. The analysis of big data sets (such as electronic patient records and surveillance systems) is very complex. Google Trends is an alternative approach that has been used in the past to analyze health behaviors; however, most existing studies on COVID-19 using these data examine a single issue or a limited geographic area. This paper explores Google Trends as a proxy for what people are thinking, needing, and planning in real time across the United States.ObjectiveWe aimed to use Google Trends to provide both insights into and potential indicators of important changes in information-seeking patterns during pandemics such as COVID-19. We asked four questions: (1) How has information seeking changed over time? (2) How does information seeking vary between regions and states? (3) Do states have particular and distinct patterns in information seeking? (4) Do search data correlate with—or precede—real-life events?MethodsWe analyzed searches on 38 terms related to COVID-19, falling into six themes: social and travel; care seeking; government programs; health programs; news and influence; and outlook and concerns. We generated data sets at the national level (covering January 1, 2016, to April 15, 2020) and state level (covering January 1 to April 15, 2020). Methods used include trend analysis of US search data; geographic analyses of the differences in search popularity across US states from March 1 to April 15, 2020; and principal component analysis to extract search patterns across states.ResultsThe data showed high demand for information, corresponding with increasing searches for coronavirus linked to news sources regardless of the ideological leaning of the news source. Changes in information seeking often occurred well in advance of action by the federal government. The popularity of searches for unemployment claims predicted the actual spike in weekly claims. The increase in searches for information on COVID-19 care was paralleled by a decrease in searches related to other health behaviors, such as urgent care, doctor’s appointments, health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. Finally, concerns varied across the country; some search terms were more popular in some regions than in others.ConclusionsCOVID-19 is unlikely to be the last pandemic faced by the United States. Our research holds important lessons for both state and federal governments in a fast-evolving situation that requires a finger on the pulse of public sentiment. We suggest strategic shifts for policy makers to improve the precision and effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions and recommend the development of a real-time dashboard as a decision-making tool.

Considerations on the Function and Provenance of the Glass in the Plato von Ustinow Collection

The Russian émigré Plato von Ustinow – who settled in Palestine in 1862 and lived there until 1913 – was a keen collector of antiquities. In contrast to other collectors, however, von Ustinow did not purchase the objects from art-dealers. Instead, he appears to have worked with professional archaeologists, but also bought objects from local inhabitants in Jaffa and Jerusalem. His collection includes a substantial number of glass vessels: primarily blown vessels dating to the first- to sixth- or seventh century CE, i.e. the Roman and Early Byzantine era. The von Ustinow collection is comparatively homogeneous, and most of the objects are likely to stem from a relatively limited geographical area, as it closely resembles material from funerary contexts found in modern-day Israel. The collection includes a number of perfume bottles, small jars and kohl-flasks, objects most probably utilised in the preparation of the deceased before burial.

Power ramp rates and variability of individual and aggregate photovoltaic systems using measured production data at the municipal scale

Intermittency from photovoltaic systems can negatively impact electricity grid stability due to increased power ramp rates and temporal misalignment between generation and load. Distributed systems, especially rooftop residential systems, present a range of orientations and spatial separation that when aggregated introduce temporal diversity. If these features reduce negative impacts, they should be weighed against increased costs per delivered energy compared to larger commercial/industrial systems. We compare power production data from 60 distributed residential PV systems spread across a large municipality with medium and large commercial rooftop systems located centrally in the municipality. Power ramp rates and power output variability were calculated. The aggregated distributed residential system ramp rates never exceed 13% per 5 min, while the medium/large commercial systems experienced ramp rates up to 61% and 68% per 5 min. In aggregate the residential output variability is 3 times lower than the commercial sites. Consistent with previous literature the output variability decreases as the number of systems grows. There are however diminishing returns due to the limited geographic area, with a relative output variability for the municipality approaching 20% of the variability of a single system. Residential data was scaled up to represent 10% of electrical load and resulted in 10% more electricity grid ramp rates exceeding ±5 MW per 5 min compared to baseline. Finally, a comparison between pyranometer and photovoltaic system ramps rates shows the latter are less severe, likely because pyranometers are single points sources.

Retinal detachment after phacoemulsification in refractive surgery clinics: a large series analysis with variable follow-up during 16 years.

To determine the long-term incidence of pseudophakic retinal detachment (PRD) after phacoemulsification and the weight of the main risk factors in the appearance of such complication in a large sample. To implement a customized formula and a software calculation program able to quantify the risk of suffering PRD applicable to all lens extraction patients. Retrospective cumulative risk analysis conducted on 178,515 eyes operated under similar conditions in a group of refractive surgery clinics (Clínica Baviera SL) located in a relatively limited geographical area (Spain). A survival analysis was performed and the data were modelled using the Weibull regression to determine the risk over a period of 16 years and to estimate the association of different risk factors: sex, age, axial length (AXL) of the eye, intraoperative posterior capsule rents (PCR), and YAG laser capsulotomies. The resulting estimates were translated into a predictive equation for hazard rates and survival probabilities. Later, an application was developed to make prediction available for the clinical community in order to estimate the potential risk of any hypothetical case before lens surgery. Globally, 1521 (0.85%) cases of PRD were diagnosed during the period. The risk for PRD was significantly greater in males (5.48 [2.94-10.2]; p < 0.001), in long eyes (1.24 [1.21-1.26]; p < 0.001), and also after posterior capsule rents (13.97 [11.61-16.82]; p < 0.001). Posterior capsule rupture increased the risk of PRD up to fourteen times. From weaker to stronger impact, age, axial length, sex, and intraoperative posterior capsule rent were significant risk factors for the appearance of PRD after lens extraction.

Discrimination of French wine brandy origin by PTR-MS headspace analysis using ethanol ionization and sensory assessment.

The headspace volatile organic compound (VOC) fingerprints (volatilome) of French wine brandies were investigated by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS). Protonated ethanol chemical ionization was used with dedicated experimental conditions that were previously validated for model wines. These included a reference vial containing a hydro-alcoholic solution with the same ethanol content (20% v/v) as the diluted sample spirits, which was used to establish steady-state ionization conditions. A low electric field strength to number density ratio E/N (85 Td) was used in the drift tube in order to limit the fragmentation of the protonated analytes. The obtained headspace fingerprints were used to investigate the origin of French brandies produced within a limited geographic production area. Brandies of two different vintages (one freshly distilled and one aged for 14years in French oak barrels) were successfully classified according to their growth areas using unsupervised (principal component analysis, PCA) and supervised (partial least squares regression discriminant analysis, PLS-DA) multivariate analyses. The models obtained by PLS-DA allowed the identification of discriminant volatile compounds that were mainly characterised as key aroma compounds of wine brandies. The discrimination was supported by sensory evaluation conducted with free sorting tasks. The results showed that this ethanol ionization method was suitable for direct headspace analysis of brandies. They also demonstrated its ability to distinguish French brandies according to their growth areas, and this effect on brandy VOC composition was confirmed at a perceptive level.

MAC for Machine-Type Communications in Industrial IoT—Part I: Protocol Design and Analysis

In this two-part paper, we propose a novel medium access control (MAC) protocol for machine-type communications in the Industrial Internet of Things. The considered use case features a limited geographical area and a massive number of devices with sporadic data traffic and different priority types. We target supporting the devices while satisfying their Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirements with a single access point and a single channel, which necessitates a customized design that can significantly improve the MAC performance. In Part I of this paper, we present the MAC protocol that comprises a new slot structure, corresponding channel access procedure, and mechanisms for supporting high device density and providing differentiated QoS. A key idea behind this protocol is sensing-based distributed coordination for significantly improving channel utilization. To characterize the proposed protocol, we analyze its delay performance based on the packet arrival rates of devices. The analytical results provide insights and lay the groundwork for the fine-grained scheduling with QoS guarantee as presented in Part II.

Dynamic Game‐Based Computation Offloading and Resource Allocation in LEO‐Multiaccess Edge Computing

The offloading of computing tasks in edge computing has always been a research hotspot and difficulty in recent years. As an effective way to run various applications on mobile devices with limited resources, it has been extensively studied by scholars from all walks of life. However, the traditional ground‐based network‐based edge computing network architecture cannot meet the needs of edge users with limited geographic areas. Therefore, this paper proposes an LEO (low earth orbit) satellite‐based multiaccess edge computing network architecture and establishes a differential game model for this architecture. To obtain the Nash equilibrium solution of the open loop and the Nash equilibrium solution of the feedback for the task offloading amount, the relationship between the user’s income and the QoE level under the optimal task offloading amount is finally analyzed and discussed.

Microclimate drives intraspecific thermal specialization: conservation perspectives in freshwater habitats.

Endemic and relict species are often confined to ecological refugia or over fragmented distributions, representing priority conservation subjects. Within these sites, the individual population may realize distinct niches to a varying degree of specialization. An emblematic example is provided by freshwater species segregated in thermal-mineral springs, where individuals may face highly diverse microclimates in limited geographic areas. Downscaling the characterization of physiological traits to microclimatic niches becomes pivotal to adopt effective conservation measures in these heterogeneous habitats. Melanopsis etrusca (Brot, 1862) is an endangered relict snail endemic to a small number of thermal-mineral streams in central Italy. Here we describe the thermal tolerance of two populations of M. etrusca inhabiting streams with distinctly different thermal regimes, investigating the extent of physiological and behavioural specialization to such diverse microclimatic niches. The comparison of oxygen consumption rates of a population dwelling in temperate streams, characterized by seasonal temperature fluctuations (12-27°C), with a population experiencing constantly hot water (35-38°C) revealed the absence of any seasonal or geographic effect on metabolic compensation. Conversely, mobility performances were maximized in the population inhabiting the hot stream. Interestingly, here, the snails exhibited emersion behaviour outside the water, triggered by temperatures above 37°C. In the field, individuals of this population are observed inactive on stream banks, conceivably to minimize the metabolic cost that otherwise would be induced by remaining in the hot water. Only a few individuals from the temperate stream exhibited the same behaviour when exposed to elevated temperatures, suggesting the exaptation of a pre-existing trait during the evolutionary process of adaptation to hot waters. The present results provide elements for the best practice in future programmes aimed at reintroducing stocks of threatened species across heterogeneous habitats. Our study further underlines the relevance of downscaling data collection for endangered species conservation in order to recognize microclimatic specializations.

Schmidt hammer exposure dating for brick masonry

This research investigates the validity of the Schmidt hammer exposure dating (SHED) technique as a complementary means to date monuments according to the evaluation of the brick decay from masonry exposed to climatic conditions. The degree of surface weathering, I&lt;sub&gt;5&lt;/sub&gt; (%) is calculated as an indicator of the ageing effect and compared to the absolute age of the churches constructed between 1600 and 1795. This paper discusses the results obtained with such a method and the use of the technique within the framework of historical research. Tests were done on exterior church walls built between the 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; and 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; centuries. All the churches were located within the limited geographical area of Hainaut, in the south of Belgium. Results indicate that SHED provides encouraging results for buildings constructed between 1790 and 1895, with a linear correlation (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&gt;0.8) between surface weathering of brick façades and their ages. However, the weathering indices show high variability of values for the period 1750−1790, which may confirm that the variable qualities of bricks were in use during this period of time because of the different production techniques. As such, the results highlight the probable influence of the entire manufacturing and construction process and technical improvements in traditional brick-making.

A systematic approach towards implementing value-based health care in heart failure: Understandings from retrospective analysis methods in South London.

BackgroundValue-Based Health Care (VBHC) is an evolving model of healthcare delivery aimed at achieving better patient outcomes at lower costs to the healthcare provider. The practise of VBHC requires efficient information systems with good reporting capability and subsequent outcome measuring. Information systems within the National Health Service (NHS) are often multiple and not necessarily integrated to one another. We therefore developed a systematic approach to collecting, validating and analysing data from multiple sources and information systems, with the aim of designing and endorsing an automatic system to capture health outcomes data in heart failure to support future VBHC models.MethodsA retrospective cohort of heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction undergoing Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) or Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) procedures within a limited geographical area in South London were evaluated. A purpose built database was created to integrate, transform and validate health care data from multiple information systems.ResultsValidation analysis shows that our implemented methodology has produced a robust dataset. Our limited cohort of 134 patients does not allow for any complex statistical analysis however has identified some important themes related to outcomes and costs.ConclusionWe have created a validated database specific to our Trust that can be upscaled locally with ease and transferred to other health diseases. Due to variations in local procedure from one Trust to another, this methodology now requires implementation across multiple sites to understand differences in transformation of data and outcome measuring.

Cattle husbandry and aurochs hunting in the Neolithic of northern Central Europe and southern Scandinavia. A statistical approach to distinguish between domestic and wild forms

AbstractIt is a well‐known and geographically widespread problem in archaeozoology that the discrimination between remains of domesticated animals and their wild ancestors is not always possible. Due to an overlap in size as well as other features, substantial parts of bone and teeth assemblages sometimes cannot be assigned either to the wild or the domestic form. In this paper, we apply the logarithmic size index (LSI) method as a tool for discrimination between aurochs (Bos primigenius) and domestic cattle (Bos primigenius f. taurus). By comparing LSI data from definite aurochs with data from Neolithic bovids within a limited geographical area, we show that the overlap of both groups is larger than previously thought.Our analysis also shows that the LSI width values are suited for both differentiating domesticated versus wild animals and sexes within the single groups. For future studies but also for correcting known results, we present division lines between LSI values of aurochs and cattle. The analysed data indicate that female and male aurochs had comparable heights, whereas the latter had a generally more sturdy physique in southern Scandinavia. We consequently expect that the investigated Middle Neolithic assemblages contain a significantly higher number of aurochs bones than previously assumed.

Species delimitation in a range‐restricted group of cascudinhos (Loricariidae: Epactionotus) supports morphological and genetic differentiation across coastal rivers of southern Brazil

Epactionotus species are known for inhabiting the rocky-bottom stretches of fast-flowing rivers in a limited geographic area along the Atlantic coast of southern Brazil. These species are endemic to single coastal river drainages (two neighbouring drainages for Epactionotus bilineatus) isolated from each other by the coastal lacustrine environments or the Atlantic Ocean. E. bilineatus is from the Maquiné and Três Forquilhas River basins, both tributaries of the Tramandaí River system, whereas E. itaimbezinho is endemic to the Mampituba River drainage and Epactionotus gracilis to the Araranguá River drainage. Recent fieldwork in the Atlantic coastal drainages of southern Brazil revealed new populations in the Urussanga, Tubarão, d'Una and Biguaçu River drainages. Iterative species delimitation using molecular data (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) and morphology (morphometrics and meristics) was applied to evaluate species recognition of isolated populations. With regard to new data, the genus was re-diagnosed, the status of Epactionotus species/populations was re-evaluated, formerly described species were supported and population structure was recognized. As for the newly discovered populations, both morphological and molecular data strongly support the population from the Biguaçu River drainage, in Santa Catarina State, as a new species. Molecular data revealed strong per-basin population structure, which may be related to species habitat specificity and low or no dispersal among drainages.

Microfinance and Inequality: Case of Indonesia

This study investigates the role of microfinance from small-sized banks, usually with a limited geographical area of operation, in Indonesia, namely Bank Perkreditan Rakyat (BPR) on the income inequality. Using a province level panel data of 2012-2018 the results show that loans from such a bank are associated with income inequality reduction, supporting the arguments that microfinance contributes to income inequality reduction. This study has an important policy implication regarding the existence of BPR in Indonesia.