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The study was conducted in Gidan Amamata Eucalyptus globulus plantation to estimate the soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content of the plantation. Five (5) transects of 150 m were laid within the plantation, thereafter, 30 x 30 m plots were established along both sides of the transects. Using simple random sampling, two (2) plots were selected from each transect making a total of 10 plots for the study. Eighty (80) composite soil samples were randomly collected using soil auger from a total of ten (10) plots. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data and summarized in tabular presentation. Soil organic carbon content was determined using Walkley and black method which gave the average value of 0.64% and soil total nitrogen was determined using Micro-Kjeldahl method which gave the average value of 0.059%. It can, therefore, be concluded that the plantation is very low in soil organic carbon and total nitrogen due to sparse vegetative cover and presence of low organic matter. Hence, the fertility level is considered to be very low. It is therefore recommended that further studies should be carried out to estimate other aspects of macro and micro nutrient contents of Gidan Amamata Eucalyptus Plantation.

This paper examines the effect of credit rating announcements on ten-year sovereign bond yields for a selected sample of “traditional” and “new” global emerging countries as well as for developed countries that were hit mostly by the global financial crisis. By performing a panel regression analysis and several robustness tests, we highlight heterogeneous effects across different types of credit events, country groups, and rating agencies. The downgrades and negative outlooks by all agencies are more informative, increasing the bond yields of the group of all countries not only during the week of the announcement, but also one week after. On the contrary, the markets seem to discount imminent upgrade announcements one week earlier. On a credit rating agency level, an asymmetric pattern is observed since the informative role of each agency depends on the type and the horizon of the announcement. Only the positive outlooks by all agencies do not offer any effect across all markets and country groups. Finally, only the bond markets of BRICS and GIIPS react strongly to downgrades and negative outlooks. © 2020 CEPII (Centre d'Etudes Prospectives et d'Informations Internationales), a center for research and expertise on the world economy

Purpose: This study analyzes the inflation hedging of Islamic and conventional equities by employing 26 indices for the period ranging from January 1996 till August 2018. The authors investigate the decoupling hypothesis for Islamic versus conventional equities across various investment horizons. Design/methodology/approach: The authors employ a vector autoregressive framework coupled with bootstrapping procedure to compute inflation hedging measures. The hedging measures employed account for the inflation hedging capacity in terms of hedging effectiveness as well as the cost of hedging (efficiency). The authors account for various investment horizons ranging from one month to ten years. Findings: Although, the authors do not find consistent evidence for the decoupling hypothesis of Islamic and conventional equities in terms of their inflation hedging capacity. However, the authors document that certain Islamic equity indices can be employed to effectively hedge against the risk of inflation. Originality/value: The main contribution of this study is that the existing literature on the comparative performance of Islamic versus conventional equities against inflation risk is sparse. The purpose of this study is to analyze the inflation hedging attributes of Islamic versus conventional equities, that is, whether Islamic equities render better real returns than their conventional counterparts. It will contribute to the growing literature on the comparison between Islamic and conventional equities by documenting the real return attributes of these two, apparently different, assets. A further contribution is that in order to account for the different investment horizons for different types of investors, this study will quantify the real return attributes of Islamic and conventional equities for short-, medium- and long-term investors. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.

We investigate the connectedness of the most significant global equity indices that comprise companies with the highest environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Motivated by the rapid growth of socially responsible investing during the last two decades, we examine whether these investments are prone to similar exogenous economic and financial shocks as their conventional counterparts. Employing a variety of influential macroeconomic and financial variables over the period 10/1/2007–4/15/2020, we document statistically significant and consistent transmissions between the employed equity indices throughout the sample period. In particular, the connectedness exhibits dynamic patterns during three periods: the European sovereign debt crisis, the systemic Greek problems, and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. We also find that developed equity markets are the shock transmitters to Asian and other emerging markets. Our results highlight the risk of contagion and the diminishing portfolio diversification benefits of these equity indices during turbulent periods. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.

Introduction To understand smoking behaviors among ethnic minority groups, studies have largely focused on societal factors, with little attention to family influences. Yet studies among majority groups have identified parental smoking as an important risk factor. It is unknown whether this applies to ethnic minority groups. We investigated the association between parental smoking and adult offspring's smoking behaviors among ethnic minority groups with an immigrant background. Methods We used data from the Healthy Life in an Urban Setting study from Amsterdam (the Netherlands) from January 2011 to December 2015. The sample consisted of 2184 parent-offspring pairs from South-Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Turkish, Moroccan, and Ghanaian origin. We collected self-reported smoking data: current status, duration of exposure to parental smoking, number of daily cigarettes, heavy smoking ( > 10 cigarettes/day), and nicotine dependency (using the Fagerstrom Test). Analyses were stratified by offspring's age, cohabitation with parent, education (parent/offspring), offspring's cultural orientation, and gender concordance within pairs. Logistic regression was used. Results Overall, parental smoking was associated with offspring's smoking behaviors (eg, current smoking: odds ratio 2.33; 95% confidence interval 1.79-3.03), with little ethnic variation. We found dose-response associations between exposure to parental smoking and offspring's smoking. The associations were similar across different strata but stronger in gender-concordant pairs (3.16; 2.12-4.51 vs. 1.73; 1.15-2.59 in gender-discordant pairs; p-value for interaction .017). Conclusions Parental smoking is associated with offspring's smoking behaviors in ethnic minority groups across different strata but particularly in gender-concordant pairs. Similar to majority groups, family influences matter to smoking behaviors in ethnic minority groups. Implications Our findings have deepened our understanding of smoking behaviors among ethnic minority groups. Future studies should simultaneously consider societal factors and parental influences, to comprehensively understand their impact on smoking among ethnic minority groups. Also, smoking patterns among family members should be addressed in individual counselling, irrespective of ethnicity.

BACKGROUND: Data on dementia prognosis among ethnic minority groups are limited in Europe. OBJECTIVE: We assessed differences in short-term (1-year) and long-term (3-year) mortality and readmission risk after a first hospitalization or first ever referral to a day clinic for dementia between ethnic minority groups and the ethnic Dutch population in the Netherlands METHODS: Nationwide prospective cohorts of first hospitalized dementia patients (N = 55,827) from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2010 were constructed. Differences in short-term and long-term mortality and readmission risk following hospitalization or referral to the day clinic between ethnic minority groups (Surinamese, Turkish, Antilleans, Indonesians) and the ethnic Dutch population were investigated using Cox proportional hazard regression models with adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities. RESULTS: Age-sex-adjusted short-term and long-term risks of death following a first hospitalization with dementia were comparable between the ethnic minority groups and the ethnic Dutch. Age- and sex-adjusted risk of admission was higher only in Turkish compared with ethnic Dutch (HR 1.57, 95% CI,1.08–2.29). The difference between Turkish and the Dutch attenuated and was no longer statistically significant after further adjustment for comorbidities. There were no ethnic differences in short-term and long-term risk of death, and risk of readmission among day clinic patients. CONCLUSION: Compared with Dutch patients with a comparable comorbidity rate, ethnic minority patients with dementia did not have a worse prognosis. Given the poor prognosis of dementia, timely and targeted advance care planning is essential, particularly in ethnic minority groups who are mired by cultural barriers and where uptake of advance care planning is known to be low.

Background Discrimination is associated with obesity, but this may differ according to the type of obesity and ethnic group. This study examines the association of perceived ethnic discrimination (PED) with general and abdominal obesity in 5 ethnic minority groups. Methods We used cross-sectional data from the HELIUS study, collected from 2011 to 2015. The study sample included 2297 Ghanaians, 4110 African Surinamese, 3021 South-Asian Surinamese, 3562 Turks and 3868 Moroccans aged 18–70 years residing in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Body mass index (BMI) was used as a measure for general obesity, and waist circumference (WC) for abdominal obesity. PED was measured using the Everyday Discrimination Scale. We used linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographics, psychosocial stressors and health behaviours. In additional analysis, we used standardised variables to compare the strength of the associations. Results In adjusted models, PED was significantly, positively associated with BMI in the South-Asian Surinamese (β coefficient 0.338; 95% CI 0.106 to 0.570), African Surinamese (0.394; 0.171 to 0.618) and Turks (0.269; 0.027 to 0.510). For WC, a similar pattern was seen: positive associations in the South-Asian Surinamese (0.759; 0.166 to 1.353), African Surinamese (0.833; 0.278 to 1.388) and Turks (0.870; 0.299 to 1.440). When stratified by sex, we found positive associations in Surinamese women, Turkish men and Moroccan men. The strength of the associations with BMI and WC was comparable in the groups. Among the Ghanaians, no significant associations were observed. Conclusions Ethnic and sex variations are observed in the association of PED with both general and abdominal obesity. Further research on psychosocial buffers and underlying biological mechanisms might help in understanding these variations.

This study examines the conditional correlation and the resulting optimal hedge ratios between the Credit Default Swap (CDS) spreads of the U.S. metal and mining industries, and the prices of copper, platinum, silver and gold using the daily date from December 14, 2007 to August 18, 2018. It compares volatility and conditional correlation of the CDSs and the metal prices by employing multivariate GARCH family models which capture distinct characteristics of financial time series. It utilizes rolling window estimation techniques and constructs the one-step-ahead out-of-sample forecasts for the dynamic conditional correlations and thereafter the optimal hedge ratios. In general, our results show that copper provides the best possible hedge for dealing with the U.S. metals and mining industries’ credit risks. Our results are robust under alternate model specifications, choice of model refits and distributional assumptions. © 2019

This study examined the potentials of Bacillus cereus N27 to decolourize textile effluents. The determined physicochemical parameters of the effluents were temperature, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) using standard techniques. The Bacillus cereus N27 was isolated from textile effluent contaminated soil samples in Challawa, Kano state, Nigeria and were characterized and identified based on cultural, biochemical and molecular techniques. The Bacillus cereus N27 was used for the biodecolourization study. The 3 ml broth culture of Bacillus cereus N27 was inoculated into medium comprising 2 g of yeast extract, 2 g of glucose, 2.8 g of lactose broth in 50 ml of different concentrations of the effluent (0%, 5%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90% and 100 %) and were incubated for 30 days at 37oC. The growth of the Bacillus cereus N27 was compared with corresponding McFarland standards. The rate of biodecolourization was determined using spectrophotometer at 600 nm. The effects of temperature (30oC, 35oC, 40oC, 45oC) and pH (4, 6, 8, and 10) on the decolourisation potential of the isolates was also determined. The results obtained for the physicochemical study were temperature (33.5oC), pH (6.10), BOD (0.13 mg/L), COD (123.5 mg/L). DO (0.162 mg/L), TSS (310 mg/L), TDS (465.5 mg/L). The optimum biodecolourization temperature was 35oC with 72.2% rate of biodecolourization after 30 days while pH 6 was optimum for the biodecolourization. The results obtained in the study suggest that Bacillus cereus can be used to develop an effective biological treatment system for the wastewaters contaminated with textile effluent.Keywords: Textile effluent, dye, biodecolourization,Bacillus cereus.

Objectives We examined the associations of perceived ethnic discrimination (PED) with smoking and alcohol consumption in ethnic minority groups residing in a middle-sized European city. Methods Data were derived from the HELIUS study in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. We included 23,126 participants aged 18–70 years of Dutch, South-Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Ghanaian, Turkish, and Moroccan origin. We collected self-reported data on PED, current smoking, heavy smoking, nicotine dependence, current drinking, excessive drinking, and alcohol dependence. Logistic regression was used. Results In general, we observed positive associations in participants of African Surinamese and Ghanaian origin, but no associations in those of South-Asian Surinamese, Turkish, or Moroccan origin. In African Surinamese, the associations were positive for current smoking, nicotine, and alcohol dependence (odds ratios of 1.16; 95% confidence interval: 1.06–1.27, 1.34; 1.15–1.57 and 1.40; 1.20–1.64, respectively). In Ghanaians, positive association was observed for current drinking (1.21; 1.08–1.36). Conclusions The associations of PED with smoking and alcohol consumption considerably varied by ethnicity and outcome measure. This suggests that ethnic minority groups in Europe might use different behavioural strategies to cope with PED. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00038-017-0977-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

We aimed to study whether country integration policy models were related to inequalities by immigrant status in depressive symptoms in Europe. This is a cross-sectional study using data from 17 countries in the sixth wave of the European Social Survey (2012), comparing subjects born either in the country of residence (non-immigrants, N = 28,333) or in a country not classified as "advanced economy" by the IMF (immigrants, N = 2041). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the eight-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Countries were grouped into three integration policy regimes (inclusive, assimilationist, and exclusionist). Linear regressions were fitted adjusting first by age, sex, and education level, then sequentially by citizenship, perceived discrimination, and socio-economic variables. In all integration regimes, immigrants report significantly more depressive symptoms than non-immigrants. The gap is the largest in exclusionist countries (immigrants score 1.16, 95% CI 0.65-1.68, points higher than non-immigrants in the depression scale), followed by assimilationist countries (0.85 and 0.57-1.13) and inclusive countries (0.60 and 0.36-0.84). Financial strain explains all the associations in inclusive countries, most of it in assimilationist countries, but only a small part in exclusionist countries. Across most European countries, immigrants seem to experience more depressive symptoms than the population born in the country, mostly reflecting their poorer socio-economic situation. Inequalities are larger in countries with more restrictive policies. Despite some limitations, this study adds new evidence to suggest that immigrants' health is shaped by integration policies in their host country.

BackgroundPrevious studies from the US and UK suggest that neighbourhood ethnic composition is associated with health, positive or negative, depending on the health outcome and ethnic group. We examined the association between neighbourhood ethnic composition and self-reported health in these groups in Amsterdam, and we aimed to explore whether there is spatial variation in this association.MethodsWe used micro-scale data to describe the ethnic composition in buffers around the home location of 2701 Turks and 2661 Moroccans. Multilevel regression analysis was used to assess the association between three measures of ethnic composition (% co-ethnics, % other ethnic group, Herfindahl index) and three measures of self-reported health: self-rated health, Physical and Mental Component Score (PCS, MCS). We adjusted for socioeconomic position at individual and area level. We used geographically weighted regression and spatially stratified regression analyses to explore whether associations differed within Amsterdam.ResultsEthnic heterogeneity and own ethnic density were not related to self-rated health for both ethnic groups. Higher density of Turks was associated with better self-rated health among Moroccans at all buffer sizes, with the most significant relations for small buffers. Higher heterogeneity was associated with lower scores on PCS and MCS among Turks (suggesting worse health). We found spatial variation in the association of the density of the other ethnic group with self-rated health of Moroccans and Turks. We found a positive association for both groups, spatially concentrated in the sub-district Geuzenveld.ConclusionsOur study showed that the association of ethnic composition with self-reported health among Turks and Moroccans in Amsterdam differed between the groups and reveals mainly at small spatial scales. Among both groups, an association of higher density of the other group with better self-rated health was found in a particular part of Amsterdam, which might be explained by the presence of a relatively strong sense of community between the two groups in that area. The study suggests that it is important to pay attention to other-group density, to use area measurements at small spatial scales and to examine the spatial variation in these associations. This may help to identify neighbourhood characteristics contributing to these type of area effects on urban minority health.

Contains fulltext : 154156.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: European research on the association between perceived ethnic discrimination (PED) and health is importantly lacking. It is also unknown how much PED contributes to disease prevalence. In this study, we quantified the contribution of PED to depression in five ethnic groups in a middle-size European city. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from the HELIUS study (Healthy Life in an Urban Setting), collected from January 2011 to June 2013 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. We included a random sample of 1753 ethnic Dutch, 1143 South-Asian Surinamese, 1794 African Surinamese, 1098 Ghanaians and 850 Turks, aged 18-70 years. PED was assessed using the Everyday Discrimination Scale. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used for assessing depressive symptoms and major depressive disorder (MDD). We used logistic regression and calculated the contribution of PED to depressive symptoms and MDD using the population attributable fractions. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms and MDD were most common in Turks and South-Asian Surinamese, and lowest in ethnic Dutch. PED had a positive association with depressive symptoms and MDD in only the ethnic minority groups. The contributions of PED to depressive symptoms and MDD were around 25% in both the Surinamese groups, and Turks, and approximately 15% in Ghanaians. CONCLUSION: We conclude that PED contributes considerably to depression in ethnic minority groups in a European context. As such, ethnic inequalities in depression could be reduced substantially if ethnic minority groups would not perceive any ethnic discrimination. We encourage more European research on the health impact of PED.

Language barriers may lead to poorer healthcare services for patients who do not speak the same language as their care provider. Despite the benefits of professional interpreters, care providers tend to underuse professional interpretation. Evidence suggests that students who received training on language barriers and interpreter use are more likely to utilize interpretation services. We developed an e-learning module for medical students on using professional interpreters during the medical interview, and evaluated its effects on students' knowledge and self-efficacy. In the e-learning module, three patient-physician-interpreter video vignettes were presented, with three different types of interpreters: a family member, an untrained bilingual staff member, and a professional interpreter. The students answered two questions about each vignette, followed by feedback which compared their responses with expert information. In total, 281 fourth-year medical students took the e-learning module during the academic year 2012-2013. We assessed their knowledge and self-efficacy in interpreter use pre- and post-test on 1 (lowest)-10 (highest) scale, and analysed the differences in mean scores using paired t-tests. Upon completing the e-learning module, students reported higher self-efficacy in using professional interpretation. The mean knowledge score on the pre-test was 5.5 (95% confidence interval 5.3-5.8), but on the post-test this increased to 8.4 (95% CI 8.2-8.6). The difference was highly significant (p