The loss of Y-linked genes during sex chromosome evolution creates a potentially deleterious low gene dosage in males. Recent studies have reported different strategies of dosage compensation. Unfortunately, most of these studies investigated taxa with comparatively old sex chromosome systems, which may limit insights into the evolution of dosage compensation and thus into the causes of differe…

Post debt relief, the number of African countries considering accessing international capital markets, often to fund large infrastructure projects, is increasing. Potential risks of capital inflows are well known but the literature offers little help to estimate the cost of borrowing internationally for the first time. This article proposes a twostep approach to estimate the sovereign credit…

This paper examines the determinants of net interest margins (NIMs) in four regional blocks in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using bank-level data,we find that countries with a high level of operating costs, a lowlevel of non-interest income, a high ratio of equity to total assets and high treasury-bill interest rates have higher NIMs. Moreover, high operating costs are associated with low measur…

We employ both the Panzar and Rosse (1987) and the Bresnahan (1982) models to test for competition in the South African banking sector.We find evidence consistent with monopolistic competition in the South African banking sector. While this may be considered relatively good news for consumers that South African banks are not acting as a cartel, there is need for policies and other intervention…

In this article, we examine the relationship between primary school fees and education quality and access over the past forty years in seven sub-Saharan African countries. School fees were introduced as a means for revenue-constrained governments to fund the improvement and expansion of primary education. Recently there has been a move towards their abolition. We find that the introduction of f…

In this series, we explore technology-related themes and topics. The series aims to discuss and demystify what may be new areas for some readers and to consider their relevance to English language teachers.

Phytophagous pentatomid insects can negatively impact agricultural productivity and the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is an emerging invasive pest responsible for damage to many fruit crops and ornamental plants in North America. Many phytophagous stink bugs, including H. halys, harbor gammaproteobacterial symbionts that likely contribute to host development, and characterizati…

The objective of this article is to explore the effects of crises and openness on a large sample of African countries. Focusing on sudden stops, currency, twin and sovereign debt crises, the article shows that crises are associated with growth collapses in Africa. In contrast, openness is found to be beneficial to growth. More specifically, consistent with standard Mundell�Fleming type mod…

Two tax a studied to date, the therian mammals and Caen or habd it is elegans, display under representations of mito nuclear genes (mtN genes, nuclear genes who seproducts are imported to and act within the mitochondria) on their X chromosomes. This pattern has been interpreted as the result of sexual conflict driving mt-N genes off of the X chromosome. However, studies inseveral other sp…

The provision of food has been a central preoccupation of policy-makers throughout history. Today we are witnessing a period of food security pessimism triggered by increases in food prices, and their higher volatility, that began in 2008. However, previous episodes of food pessimism were ended by the Industrial and Green Revolutions, and policy-makers legitimately ask whether human ingenuity a…