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An analysis of the determinants affecting the performance of microfinance institutions in Ghana
Full text linkMicrofinance Institutions (MFIs) are crucial in providing services to the underprivileged, particularly those with limited incomes and the unorganized sector in a sustainable manner. In the Ghanaian business industry, these firms are primarily seen as vital institutions for progress against poverty and an excessive dependence on national and local governments. Thus, the goal of this study is to identify the factors affecting the performance of Microfinance institutions in Ghana. Multiple regression and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the secondary data gathered from the 133 MFIs in Ghana with SPSS. The study's conclusions showed that efficiency and liquidity have significantly positively impact on the firms' return on equity (ROE). Capital adequacy ratio (CAR) and non-performing loans (NPL) had no statistically significant effect on the Microfinance institutions' performance (ROE). Additionally, the study discovered a significant positive effect of CAR on the performance of the return on assets (ROA) on the MFIs. However, liquidity, efficiency and NPL had no statistical significant impact on the performance (ROA) of the companies. The research contributes to literature on the studies conducted on MFIs in Ghana and practically assists in improving and enhancing their performance. This study also promotes ways on how the government and stakeholders can support MFIs for a long-term sustainability and the economic growth in the country
A comparative analysis of analytic approaches for predicting performance on a putative behavioural marker for Alzheimer's disease
Full text linkBackground: Remote neurocognitive assessment tools, such as the Visual Short‐Term Memory Binding Task (VSTMBT), offer promising opportunities for assessing Alzheimer's Disease (AD) risk and identifying new population‐level risk factors. State‐of‐the‐art machine learning methods can enhance these tools, providing insights into mechanisms driving risk. This study evaluates three models to examine the impact of self‐reported variables on VSTMBT performance Method: We categorised participants as strong‐binders (SB – indicative of no pathology; 85.9% of sample) or weak‐binders (WB – indicative of pathology; 14.1%) based on binding‐cost (Parra et al., 2024). Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to identify variables with 5% significance and 95% confidence intervals. Continuous variables were summarised using means and standard deviations, while categorical variables were presented as proportions with p‐values. Machine Learning models (SVM, RF, DT) were also developed as an alternative analytical approach for validation. Models were trained with an 80/20% split between training and testing. Result: Both groups shared similar demographics (mean BMI = 24.1kg/m2; WB mean age = 28.1, range = 24.8 ‐ 31; SB mean age = 28.6, range = 27.3 ‐ 30.0). Regression models showed significant positive associations of PDQ5 score with higher odds of WB effect (AOR = 1.143; 95% CI: 1.012 – 1.291; p = 0.031). Significant positive associations with higher odds of WB effect were observed for multi‐morbidity (AOR = 1.863; 95% CI: 1.082 – 3.208; p = 0.025); MHC (AOR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.082 – 3.208; p = 0.049) and SART (AOR = 1.863; 95% CI: 1.000 – 1.020; p = 0.075). Consistent sleep quality was marginally associated with lower odds of WB. There were slightly significant lower odds (AOR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.247 ‐ 1.011; p = 0.054) See Table 1. Further attribute importance analysis revealed overlapping risk factors identified by our regression models to have high significant odds ratio also being ranked among the top five attributes by the best RF model (Accuracy=81.0, Precision = 86.0; Recall = 93.0; F1 score=90.0; AUROC = 60.0) in Table 3. Conclusion: Our analysis highlights the value of integrating machine learning with regression approaches to identify VSTMBT predictors and their role in risk stratification. Machine learning complements regression in population‐based AD assessments. Future research should apply these models for individual prediction and early detection
Attitude of Healthcare Professionals towards the Victims of FGM and BI in Healthcare Settings
Full text linkThe study investigated that Attitude of Healthcare Professionals towards the Victims of FGM and BI in Healthcare Settings in Nigeria. To achieve this aim, four objectives and research questions were raised to guide the study and the cultural competence theory by Dr Joseph Betancourt was utilized to access the theoretical significance of the study. The research adopted a mixed method of quantitative surveys and qualitative semi-structured interviews. A stratified sample of 250 healthcare professionals were selected for the study. Data were collected through the use of questionnaire and interview response from healthcare professionals in Nigeria. Data from the structured questionnaire were analysed using mean and standard deviation through the application of SPSS while the interview responses were analysed thematically. From the analysis, the study found amongst others that majority (76%) acknowledged the need for trauma-informed care and showed empathy, almost 42% acknowledged that they felt unprepared or uneasy when caring for FGM or BI victims. A sizable portion of respondents (33%) disclosed implicit moral judgments, viewing the victims as either complicit or culturally “other”, cultural competency, intervention confidence, and empathy for survivors were shown by professionals who had received specialized training on FGM and BI and inadequate time for culturally sensitive communication, a lack of mental health support services, unclear institutional procedures were all were problems that hindered the delivering of high-quality care. It was therefore recommended that stakeholders should include BI and FGM awareness in nursing and medical programs and hold ongoing workshops for professional development that emphasize cultural competency and trauma-informed care and assist the patient and the healthcare provider, form interdisciplinary teams comprising social workers, psychologists, and cultural mediators.
KEYWORDS
Health Care, Attitude, Professionals, Female Genital Mutilation, Breast Ironin
Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2025
No full textHeld every year without interruption since 1769, the Summer Exhibition showcases a diverse array of contemporary works, including prints, paintings, films, photography, sculpture, and architectural works. Spend the day exploring over 1,700 fabulous pieces by famous artists and members of the public, which have been selected by architect Farshid Moussavi RA and her Summer Exhibition committee.
Most are available to buy, and sales directly support the exhibiting artists and the future of the RA – a charity which receives no government funding. With a number available for less than £250, it’s the perfect opportunity to start your own art collection.
Highlights this year include a playful, large-scale installation by Ryan Gander in the courtyard, featuring five 3-metre inflatable balls, new paintings by Tracey Emin, and an array of sculptural installations hanging from the gallery’s ceiling.
This exhibition contains sensitive content covering political and societal issues
Corporate Governance and Profitability in British Commercial Banks: Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda
Full text linkGlobal corporate misgovernance, irresponsibility, and bankruptcy, over the last two decades continue to stimulate empirical research on how corporate social responsibility (CSR) mediates the cause-and-effect relationship between corporate governance (CG) and corporate profitability (CP). In the context of British Commercial Banks, the exact nature of the mediating effects of CSR on governance-profitability relationship remains ambivalent and under researched. This paper, therefore, aims to clarify the relationship between CG, CSR, and CP, by conducting a systematic review of Agency, Stewardship, Shareholders, Resource-dependency, Institutional, and Stakeholders theories, and critically evaluating the results and findings of 29 prior studies on CG, CSR and CP. We identify 15 common measures for future research: five for CG (board leadership, responsibilities, composition, internal controls, remuneration), five for CP (ROA, ROE, Tobin’s Q, share price, market share), and five for CSR (collaboration, institutions, education, climate action, responsible production) across British Commercial Banks. We make significant contribution to knowledge by embedding the 15 measures in the development of a holistic and integrated conceptual framework to underpin a future research agenda. The continuing relevance and implications for commercial bank-specific CG development, Board leadership in the pursuit of profitability, and social responsibility simultaneously are also discussed
Ethical and Methodological Considerations in Research with Asylum-Seeking and Refugee Youth in European Cities
Full text linkResearch about the lived experiences of asylum-seeking and refugee youth can evoke powerful emotions for those involved. Young people who escaped perilous situations often bear strong emotions linked to their experiences of migration and displacement, as well as their encounters with disorientation, insecurity, isolation, discrimination and racism in unfamiliar contexts in the host society. Such emotions and emotionally charged places can be challenging to work with as researchers and require reflexive and situated methodological and ethical judgements. This paper investigates the emotional complexities of fieldwork with vulnerable young people by reflecting on (dis)comfort and discusses how to negotiate these issues with care and consideration. It draws from qualitative participatory and creative fieldwork experiences using story mapping, photovoice, walk-along and community theatre approaches in Amsterdam, Brussels, Leipzig and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. It reports on a range of critical ethical and methodological issues that arose in our work that address meaningful relationships, reciprocity and trust, understanding the field, positionality and reflexivity, and challenges around the co-production of knowledge and leaving the field. Throughout, the paper flags various complex and, at times, ambiguous ethical and methodological issues that emerged throughout the research process and argues for research approaches that are sensitive to the contextual and multi-faceted nature of investigating young refugees and asylum seekers in European cities
EP2.18 Validating MCID and SCB thresholds in the Hip Arthroscopy Outcomes: A Study using the UK Non-Arthroplasty Hip Registry iHOT-12 Outcomes Scores in Femoroacetabular Impingement Patients
Full text linkIntroduction: The concept of the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) and Substantial Clinical Benefit (SCB) are thresholds in the assessment of clinical outcomes. Defined as the smallest change in a treatment outcome that a patient would identify as important, MCID establishes a threshold for clinical significance, beyond the mere statistical difference while SCB is considers as threshold for substantial improvement. Using the British Hip Society Non-Arthroplasty Hip Registry, this study aimed to validate the MCID for the international Hip Outcome Tool 12 (iHOT12), a tool designed to measure changes in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) following arthroscopic intervention for Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Method: The study analysed the data of 5590 patients recorded in the NAHR who underwent primary hip arthroscopic treatment for FAI between November 2013 and July 2023. Using the change in score between baseline and follow up a MCID threshold of 13 point gain, and a SCB score of 28 as defined previously (Holleyman et al), the change in score in NAHR records was evaluated to establish the viability of these thresholds Results: Of the eligible patients, 43.8%% (2450) had completed both the baseline iHOT12 survey and follow-up survey at 1 year. The average iHOT12 score at baseline and 1 year 32.69 (17.79 SD) and 58.54 (27.79) respectively. The number of patients who achieved the threshold for MCID were 1587 (64.7%), and for SCB were 1128 (46%). Conclusion: The results of our study affirm the MCID and SCB values reinforce the relevance of distribution-based methods in defining clinically significant changes in iHOT12 score. Based on our findings, we advocate for the adoption of a MCID values of 13.6 and a SCB of 28 when utilising the iHOT12 score in determining acceptable outcomes. This recommendation is grounded in the need for a practical and clinically meaningful threshold that resonates with patient perception of change
Cure3 2025 at Bonhams, London
No full textOver 100 international artists have been commissioned for Cure3 2025 to make a unique work, either within the Perspex CUBE or a bespoke SQUARE panel of the same core dimensions (20cm). For this 5th edition of Cure3 we are also delighted to again include a specially commissioned selection of NFT works that, along with the CUBES and SQUARES, will be exhibited and for sale to raise money and help find a cure for Parkinson’s.
Do you know anyone with Parkinson's? Most people do, and it is not surprising when you look at the statistics: there are an estimated 8.5 million people living with the progressive neurological condition worldwide, and in the UK two people are told they have Parkinson’s every hour. Currently there is no cure.
As a call to action, art and science unite with Cure3 (Cure Cubed) the acclaimed contemporary art fundraising exhibition, established in 2017 and now in its fifth edition, devised and curated by Artwise in partnership with Bonhams to raise awareness and funds for Cure Parkinson's.
The unique concept for Cure3 centres around each artist being given a bespoke Perspex cube measuring just 20cm3 as a compact space to interact with in any way to create original artworks on or within. The resultant highly sought-after and collectable artworks are exhibited at Bonhams and sold online.
Cure Parkinson's is an inspirational and dynamic charity with a major goal to find a cure for Parkinson's. To date, thanks to the generosity of all the contributing artists, Cure3 has raised almost £2million for Cure Parkinson's to help fund research to slow, stop and ultimately reverse Parkinson's.
Parkinson's is a debilitating condition affecting over 153,000 people in the UK and 8.5 million people worldwide. It is a neurological disorder characterised by tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement and balance problems. Other symptoms can include mood changes, loss of sense of smell, chronic pain and sleep disruption. It is predicted that 1 person in 37 will receive a diagnosis of Parkinson's in their lifetime.
Cure3 Committee
Charles Kirwan-Taylor (Chair), Susie Allen, Helen Matthews, Harvey Cammell, Laura Culpan, Lyndsey Isaacs
Cure Parkinson’s
Andy Simons, Director or Fundraising and Marketing
Caroline Morrow, Head of Marketing
Artwise
Susie Allen, Cure3 Curator
Laura Culpan, Cure3 Curator
Serena Starr, Cure3 Project Coordinator
Nelson Huxley, Technician
Celia Bailey, Press and PR
Bonhams
Harvey Cammell, Deputy Chairman Bonhams UK
Catherine Mackenzie, Valuations Manager
Brand Design
Tentsen/Mentse
Reverse mentoring as a catalyst for social justice.
No full textHigher education has long been considered a transformative space, yet significant barriers remain for students from marginalised and minoritised backgrounds. These barriers can range from socioeconomic limitations to institutional biases that prevent students from achieving equitable outcomes.
As educational institutions move toward increased inclusivity and support for diverse student bodies, innovative practices are required to address systemic inequalities effectively. A reverse mentoring project, implemented at the University of Sunderland, was designed to foster dialogue between students and staff and address the unique challenges faced by marginalised students. The project’s outcomes have implications not only for educational settings but also for broader applications in social justice work within various social support systems