The "Test of Financial Literacy": Development and Measurement Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walstad, William B.; Rebeck, Ken

2017-01-01

The "Test of Financial Literacy" (TFL) was created to measure the financial knowledge of high school students. Its content is based on the standards and benchmarks stated in the "National Standards for Financial Literacy" (Council for Economic Education 2013). The test development process involved extensive item writing and…

Measuring Financial Capability and Its Determinants Using Survey Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Mark

2011-01-01

Financial capability, or people's ability to manage and take control of their finances, is receiving increasing interest among policy makers as more people find themselves in difficult financial situations during the current economic downturn. We tackle the problem of how to measure financial capability--with a specific focus on making ends meet…

Piloting the older adult financial exploitation measure in adult safeguarding services.

PubMed

Phelan, A; Fealy, G; Downes, C

Financial abuse is arguably the most complex form of elder abuse as it may occur remote to the older person and it is impacted by issues such as cultural values, perpetrator intent and family expectations. Financial abuse may not be recognised by either the older person or the perpetrator, thus, its prevention, early identification and amelioration are important. The (Irish) National Centre for the Protection of Older People undertook a study to determine the appropriateness of the Older Adult Financial Exploitation Measure for use by the national safeguarding older person services. Findings from a small pilot study involving 16 safeguarding staff's use of the Older Adult Financial Exploitation Measure with 52 community dwelling older people referred to their service demonstrate a higher suspicion of financial abuse as well as identifying multiple instances of possible financial exploitation in a single individual. Thus, the Older Adult Financial Exploitation Measure is considered appropriate to assist safeguarding personnel's assessment of older people related to a suspicion of financial abuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Finite-key analysis for measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution.

PubMed

Curty, Marcos; Xu, Feihu; Cui, Wei; Lim, Charles Ci Wen; Tamaki, Kiyoshi; Lo, Hoi-Kwong

2014-04-29

Quantum key distribution promises unconditionally secure communications. However, as practical devices tend to deviate from their specifications, the security of some practical systems is no longer valid. In particular, an adversary can exploit imperfect detectors to learn a large part of the secret key, even though the security proof claims otherwise. Recently, a practical approach--measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution--has been proposed to solve this problem. However, so far its security has only been fully proven under the assumption that the legitimate users of the system have unlimited resources. Here we fill this gap and provide a rigorous security proof against general attacks in the finite-key regime. This is obtained by applying large deviation theory, specifically the Chernoff bound, to perform parameter estimation. For the first time we demonstrate the feasibility of long-distance implementations of measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution within a reasonable time frame of signal transmission.

Measuring financial toxicity as a clinically relevant patient-reported outcome: The validation of the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST).

PubMed

de Souza, Jonas A; Yap, Bonnie J; Wroblewski, Kristen; Blinder, Victoria; Araújo, Fabiana S; Hlubocky, Fay J; Nicholas, Lauren H; O'Connor, Jeremy M; Brockstein, Bruce; Ratain, Mark J; Daugherty, Christopher K; Cella, David

2017-02-01

Cancer and its treatment lead to increased financial distress for patients. To the authors' knowledge, to date, no standardized patient-reported outcome measure has been validated to assess this distress. Patients with AJCC Stage IV solid tumors receiving chemotherapy for at least 2 months were recruited. Financial toxicity was measured by the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) measure. The authors collected data regarding patient characteristics, clinical trial participation, health care use, willingness to discuss costs, psychological distress (Brief Profile of Mood States [POMS]), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy: General (FACT-G) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QOL questionnaires. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and validity of the COST measure were assessed using standard-scale construction techniques. Associations between the resulting factors and other variables were assessed using multivariable analyses. A total of 375 patients with advanced cancer were approached, 233 of whom (62.1%) agreed to participate. The COST measure demonstrated high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Factor analyses revealed a coherent, single, latent variable (financial toxicity). COST values were found to be correlated with income (correlation coefficient [r] = 0.28; P<.001), psychosocial distress (r = -0.26; P<.001), and HRQOL, as measured by the FACT-G (r = 0.42; P<.001) and by the EORTC QOL instruments (r = 0.33; P<.001). Independent factors found to be associated with financial toxicity were race (P = .04), employment status (P<.001), income (P = .003), number of inpatient admissions (P = .01), and psychological distress (P = .003). Willingness to discuss costs was not found to be associated with the degree of financial distress (P = .49). The COST measure demonstrated reliability and

Measuring awareness of financial skills: reliability and validity of a new measure.

PubMed

Cramer, K; Tuokko, H A; Mateer, C A; Hultsch, D F

2004-03-01

This paper examines the psychometric properties of a three-part (participant, informant, and performance) Measure for assessing Awareness of Financial Skills (MAFS). The MAFS was administered to 10 seniors with dementia and 25 well-functioning seniors, and their informants. Measures of cognitive functioning, social desirability, neuroticism, and perceived control were administered to each participant to allow for an assessment of validity. Internal consistency estimates for the participant and informant questionnaires were found to be 0.92 and 0.97, respectively. Convergent validity analysis indicated that performance on this measure was related to level of cognitive functioning, with higher level of unawareness associated with decreased cognitive ability. Discriminant validity analysis showed that performance on this measure was not related to social desirability or neuroticism. This study provides evidence that the MAFS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing awareness of financial skills in older adults.

DebtRank a centrality measure for financial systems and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caldarelli, Guido; Battiston, Stefano; Puliga, Michelangelo; Kaushik, Rahul; Tasca, Paolo; Chair of System Design Collaboration; IMT Alti Studi Lucca Collaboration

2013-03-01

Use of network theory made possible to measure quantitatively many features of social and technological systems. In this spirit, inspired by traditional measures of centrality we introduce DebtRank a novel measure of systemic impact. We that we intend the risk of default of a large portion of the financial system, depends on the network of financial exposures among institutions. As an application, we analyse a new and unique dataset on the USD 1.2 trillion FED emergency loans program to global financial institutions during 2008-2010. We find that a group of 22 institutions, which received most of the funds, form a strongly connected graph where each of the nodes becomes systemically important at the peak of the crisis. Moreover, a systemic default could have been triggered even by small dispersed shocks. Other application to different systems are also presented.

Key financial ratios can foretell hospital closures.

PubMed

Lynn, M L; Wertheim, P

1993-11-01

An analysis of various financial ratios sampled from open and closed hospitals shows that certain leverage, liquidity, capital efficiency, and resource availability ratios can predict hospital closure up to two years in advance of the closure with an accuracy of nearly 75 percent.

Measuring Financial Literacy: Developing and Testing a Measurement Instrument with a Selected Group of South African Military Officers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwella, E.; van Nieuwenhuyzen, Bernard J.

2014-01-01

Are South Africans financially literate, and how can this be measured? Until 2009 there was no South African financial literacy measure and, therefore, the aim was to develop a South African measurement instrument that is scientific, socially acceptable, valid and reliable. To achieve this aim a contextual and conceptual analysis of financial…

Climate change challenges for central banks and financial regulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campiglio, Emanuele; Dafermos, Yannis; Monnin, Pierre; Ryan-Collins, Josh; Schotten, Guido; Tanaka, Misa

2018-06-01

The academic and policy debate regarding the role of central banks and financial regulators in addressing climate-related financial risks has rapidly expanded in recent years. This Perspective presents the key controversies and discusses potential research and policy avenues for the future. Developing a comprehensive analytical framework to assess the potential impact of climate change and the low-carbon transition on financial stability seems to be the first crucial challenge. These enhanced risk measures could then be incorporated in setting financial regulations and implementing the policies of central banks.

Network centrality measures and systemic risk: An application to the Turkish financial crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzubaş, Tolga Umut; Ömercikoğlu, Inci; Saltoğlu, Burak

2014-07-01

In this paper, we analyze the performance of several network centrality measures in detecting systemically important financial institutions (SIFI) using data from the Turkish Interbank market during the financial crisis in 2000. We employ various network investigation tools such as volume, transactions, links, connectivity and reciprocity to gain a clearer picture of the network topology of the interbank market. We study the main borrower role of Demirbank in the crash of the banking system with network centrality measures which are extensively used in the network theory. This ex-post analysis of the crisis shows that centrality measures perform well in identifying and monitoring systemically important financial institutions which provide useful insights for financial regulations.

An absolute measure for a key currency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oya, Shunsuke; Aihara, Kazuyuki; Hirata, Yoshito

It is generally considered that the US dollar and the euro are the key currencies in the world and in Europe, respectively. However, there is no absolute general measure for a key currency. Here, we investigate the 24-hour periodicity of foreign exchange markets using a recurrence plot, and define an absolute measure for a key currency based on the strength of the periodicity. Moreover, we analyze the time evolution of this measure. The results show that the credibility of the US dollar has not decreased significantly since the Lehman shock, when the Lehman Brothers bankrupted and influenced the economic markets, and has increased even relatively better than that of the euro and that of the Japanese yen.

A Financial Ratio Analysis of For-Profit and Non-Profit Rural Referral Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCue, Michael J.; Nayar, Preethy

2009-01-01

Context: National financial data show that rural referral center (RRC) hospitals have performed well financially. RRC hospitals' median cash flow margin ratio was 10.04% in 2002 and grew to 11.04% in 2004. Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare the ratio analysis of key operational and financial performance measures of for-profit RRCs to…

Financial Literacy, Financial Education, and Economic Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hastings, Justine S.; Madrian, Brigitte C.; Skimmyhorn, William L.

2013-01-01

In this article, we review the literature on financial literacy, financial education, and consumer financial outcomes. We consider how financial literacy is measured in the current literature and examine how well the existing literature addresses whether financial education improves financial literacy or personal financial outcomes. We discuss the…

Using FTE and RVU performance measures to assess financial viability of academic nurse-managed centers.

PubMed

Vonderheid, Susan; Pohl, Joanne; Schafer, Patricia; Forrest, Kathy; Poole, Michele; Barkauskas, Violet; Mackey, Thomas A

2004-01-01

Financial performance measures are essential to improve the fiscal management of academic nurse-managed centers (ANMCs). Measures are compared among six ANMCs in a consortium and against an external, self-sustainable, profitable ANMC and national data for family practice physicians. Performance measures help identify a center's strengths and weaknesses facilitating the development of strategies aimed at a variety of targets (business practices related to revenue and costs) to improve financial viability. Using a variety of financial performance measures to inform decision making will aid ANMCs in keeping their doors open for business.

Financial satisfaction and financial stressors in marital satisfaction.

PubMed

Archuleta, Kristy L; Britt, Sonya L; Tonn, Teresa J; Grable, John E

2011-04-01

Using a sample of 310 married respondents from one U.S. Midwestern state, a test was conducted to examine the association of financial satisfaction and financial stressors in a spouse's decision to stay married to the same person or leave the relationship. The role of demographic and socioeconomic variables, religiosity, psychological constructs, financial satisfaction, and financial stressors as factors influencing marital satisfaction was tested. Financial stressors were measured using a list of financial stressors adapted from the literature. Financial satisfaction was measured with a one-item scale. The Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale was used as a validation tool to assess whether individuals would marry or not marry again. Religiosity and financial satisfaction were positively associated with marital satisfaction. A negative interaction between financial satisfaction and financial stressors was also noted. Findings suggest that respondents who are financially satisfied tend to be more stable in their marriages.

Self-report measure of financial exploitation of older adults.

PubMed

Conrad, Kendon J; Iris, Madelyn; Ridings, John W; Langley, Kate; Wilber, Kathleen H

2010-12-01

this study was designed to improve the measurement of financial exploitation (FE) by testing psychometric properties of the older adult financial exploitation measure (OAFEM), a client self-report instrument. rasch item response theory and traditional validation approaches were used. Questionnaires were administered by 22 adult protective services investigators from 7 agencies in Illinois to 227 substantiated abuse clients. Analyses included tests for dimensionality, model fit, and additional construct validation. Results from the OAFEM were also compared with the substantiation decision of abuse and with investigators' assessments of FE using a staff report version. Hypotheses were generated to test hypothesized relationships. the OAFEM, including the original 79-, 54-, and 30-item measures, met stringent Rasch analysis fit and unidimensionality criteria and had high internal consistency and item reliability. The validation results were supportive, while leading to reconsideration of aspects of the hypothesized theoretical hierarchy. Thresholds were suggested to demonstrate levels of severity. the measure is now available to aid in the assessment of FE of older adults by both clinicians and researchers. Theoretical refinements developed using the empirically generated item hierarchy may help to improve assessment and intervention.

Measurement errors in voice-key naming latency for Hiragana.

PubMed

Yamada, Jun; Tamaoka, Katsuo

2003-12-01

This study makes explicit the limitations and possibilities of voice-key naming latency research on single hiragana symbols (a Japanese syllabic script) by examining three sets of voice-key naming data against Sakuma, Fushimi, and Tatsumi's 1997 speech-analyzer voice-waveform data. Analysis showed that voice-key measurement errors can be substantial in standard procedures as they may conceal the true effects of significant variables involved in hiragana-naming behavior. While one can avoid voice-key measurement errors to some extent by applying Sakuma, et al.'s deltas and by excluding initial phonemes which induce measurement errors, such errors may be ignored when test items are words and other higher-level linguistic materials.

FINANCIAL LITERACY, FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES

PubMed Central

Hastings, Justine S.; Madrian, Brigitte C.; Skimmyhorn, William L.

2013-01-01

In this article we review the literature on financial literacy, financial education, and consumer financial outcomes. We consider how financial literacy is measured in the current literature, and examine how well the existing literature addresses whether financial education improves financial literacy or personal financial outcomes. We discuss the extent to which a competitive market provides incentives for firms to educate consumers or offer products that facilitate informed choice. We review the literature on alternative policies to improve financial outcomes, and compare the evidence to evidence on the efficacy and cost of financial education. Finally, we discuss directions for future research. PMID:23991248

FINANCIAL LITERACY, FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES.

PubMed

Hastings, Justine S; Madrian, Brigitte C; Skimmyhorn, William L

2013-05-01

In this article we review the literature on financial literacy, financial education, and consumer financial outcomes. We consider how financial literacy is measured in the current literature, and examine how well the existing literature addresses whether financial education improves financial literacy or personal financial outcomes. We discuss the extent to which a competitive market provides incentives for firms to educate consumers or offer products that facilitate informed choice. We review the literature on alternative policies to improve financial outcomes, and compare the evidence to evidence on the efficacy and cost of financial education. Finally, we discuss directions for future research.

Financial Crisis: A New Measure for Risk of Pension Fund Portfolios

PubMed Central

Cadoni, Marinella; Melis, Roberta; Trudda, Alessandro

2015-01-01

It has been argued that pension funds should have limitations on their asset allocation, based on the risk profile of the different financial instruments available on the financial markets. This issue proves to be highly relevant at times of market crisis, when a regulation establishing limits to risk taking for pension funds could prevent defaults. In this paper we present a framework for evaluating the risk level of a single financial instrument or a portfolio. By assuming that the log asset returns can be described by a multifractional Brownian motion, we evaluate the risk using the time dependent Hurst parameter H(t) which models volatility. To provide a measure of the risk, we model the Hurst parameter with a random variable with mixture of beta distribution. We prove the efficacy of the methodology by implementing it on different risk level financial instruments and portfolios. PMID:26086529

Financial Crisis: A New Measure for Risk of Pension Fund Portfolios.

PubMed

Cadoni, Marinella; Melis, Roberta; Trudda, Alessandro

2015-01-01

It has been argued that pension funds should have limitations on their asset allocation, based on the risk profile of the different financial instruments available on the financial markets. This issue proves to be highly relevant at times of market crisis, when a regulation establishing limits to risk taking for pension funds could prevent defaults. In this paper we present a framework for evaluating the risk level of a single financial instrument or a portfolio. By assuming that the log asset returns can be described by a multifractional Brownian motion, we evaluate the risk using the time dependent Hurst parameter H(t) which models volatility. To provide a measure of the risk, we model the Hurst parameter with a random variable with mixture of beta distribution. We prove the efficacy of the methodology by implementing it on different risk level financial instruments and portfolios.

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution.

PubMed

Lo, Hoi-Kwong; Curty, Marcos; Qi, Bing

2012-03-30

How to remove detector side channel attacks has been a notoriously hard problem in quantum cryptography. Here, we propose a simple solution to this problem--measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (QKD). It not only removes all detector side channels, but also doubles the secure distance with conventional lasers. Our proposal can be implemented with standard optical components with low detection efficiency and highly lossy channels. In contrast to the previous solution of full device independent QKD, the realization of our idea does not require detectors of near unity detection efficiency in combination with a qubit amplifier (based on teleportation) or a quantum nondemolition measurement of the number of photons in a pulse. Furthermore, its key generation rate is many orders of magnitude higher than that based on full device independent QKD. The results show that long-distance quantum cryptography over say 200 km will remain secure even with seriously flawed detectors.

Quantum key distribution with prepare-and-measure Bell test

PubMed Central

Tan, Yong-gang

2016-01-01

The prepare-and-measure quantum key distribution (QKD) has the merits of fast speed, high key generation rate, and easy implementation. However, the detector side channel attacks greatly undermine the security of the key bits. The eavesdropper, Eve, exploits the flaws of the detectors to obtain illegal information without violating quantum principles. It means that she can intervene in the communication without being detected. A prepare-and-measure Bell test protocol will be proposed. By randomly carrying out Bell test at the side of the information receiver, Bob, Eve’s illegal information gain within the detector side channel attack can be well bounded. This protocol does not require any improvement on the detectors used in available prepare-and-measure QKD. Though we only illustrate its application in the BB84 protocol, it is applicable for any prepare-and-measure QKD. PMID:27733771

Measurement-device-independent entanglement-based quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiuqing; Wei, Kejin; Ma, Haiqiang; Sun, Shihai; Liu, Hongwei; Yin, Zhenqiang; Li, Zuohan; Lian, Shibin; Du, Yungang; Wu, Lingan

2016-05-01

We present a quantum key distribution protocol in a model in which the legitimate users gather statistics as in the measurement-device-independent entanglement witness to certify the sources and the measurement devices. We show that the task of measurement-device-independent quantum communication can be accomplished based on monogamy of entanglement, and it is fairly loss tolerate including source and detector flaws. We derive a tight bound for collective attacks on the Holevo information between the authorized parties and the eavesdropper. Then with this bound, the final secret key rate with the source flaws can be obtained. The results show that long-distance quantum cryptography over 144 km can be made secure using only standard threshold detectors.

Experimental Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yang; Chen, Teng-Yun; Wang, Liu-Jun; Liang, Hao; Shentu, Guo-Liang; Wang, Jian; Cui, Ke; Yin, Hua-Lei; Liu, Nai-Le; Li, Li; Ma, Xiongfeng; Pelc, Jason S.; Fejer, M. M.; Peng, Cheng-Zhi; Zhang, Qiang; Pan, Jian-Wei

2013-09-01

Quantum key distribution is proven to offer unconditional security in communication between two remote users with ideal source and detection. Unfortunately, ideal devices never exist in practice and device imperfections have become the targets of various attacks. By developing up-conversion single-photon detectors with high efficiency and low noise, we faithfully demonstrate the measurement-device-independent quantum-key-distribution protocol, which is immune to all hacking strategies on detection. Meanwhile, we employ the decoy-state method to defend attacks on a nonideal source. By assuming a trusted source scenario, our practical system, which generates more than a 25 kbit secure key over a 50 km fiber link, serves as a stepping stone in the quest for unconditionally secure communications with realistic devices.

Experimental measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Chen, Teng-Yun; Wang, Liu-Jun; Liang, Hao; Shentu, Guo-Liang; Wang, Jian; Cui, Ke; Yin, Hua-Lei; Liu, Nai-Le; Li, Li; Ma, Xiongfeng; Pelc, Jason S; Fejer, M M; Peng, Cheng-Zhi; Zhang, Qiang; Pan, Jian-Wei

2013-09-27

Quantum key distribution is proven to offer unconditional security in communication between two remote users with ideal source and detection. Unfortunately, ideal devices never exist in practice and device imperfections have become the targets of various attacks. By developing up-conversion single-photon detectors with high efficiency and low noise, we faithfully demonstrate the measurement-device-independent quantum-key-distribution protocol, which is immune to all hacking strategies on detection. Meanwhile, we employ the decoy-state method to defend attacks on a nonideal source. By assuming a trusted source scenario, our practical system, which generates more than a 25 kbit secure key over a 50 km fiber link, serves as a stepping stone in the quest for unconditionally secure communications with realistic devices.

77 FR 2510 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Quarterly Financial Report

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-18

... scope of collection. The current collection includes the Manufacturing, Mining, Wholesale Trade, Retail... economic indicator that also provides financial data essential to the estimation of key Government measures of national economic performance. The importance of this data collection is reflected by the granting...

Financial Literacy, Financial Education and Economic Outcomes. NBER Working Paper No. 18412

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hastings, Justine S.; Madrian, Brigitte C.; Skimmyhorn, William L.

2012-01-01

In this article we review the literature on financial literacy, financial education, and consumer financial outcomes. We consider how financial literacy is measured in the current literature, and examine how well the existing literature addresses whether financial education improves financial literacy or personal financial outcomes. We discuss the…

Filling the Gap: The Use of Intentional and Incidental Need-Meeting Financial Aid

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheslock, John J.; Hughes, Rodney P.; Cardelle, Rachel Frick; Heller, Donald E.

2018-01-01

When measuring institutional aid awards that address financial need, some researchers count all awards distributed based upon need-based criteria while other researchers count any awards that meet need. The sole use of either measure will omit key information, so we present two new measures--intentional and incidental need-meeting aid--that can be…

Financial Measures Conference: Uses of College and University Financial Assessment in Institutional Management and Public Policy Analysis. Proceedings of the 1980 Working Conference (Annapolis, Maryland, October 23-24, 1980).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stich, Judith, Ed.

Proceedings of the 1980 Financial Measures Conference are presented. Papers and authors are as follows: "Ratio Analysis in Higher Education" (John Minter); "Computerized Application of Financial Assessment Technology" (Daniel Updegrove and Stephen D. Campbell); "The Uses and Utility of HEGIS Financial Data" (Loyd…

Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution over 200 km

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Yan-Lin; Yin, Hua-Lei; Chen, Si-Jing; Liu, Yang; Zhang, Wei-Jun; Jiang, Xiao; Zhang, Lu; Wang, Jian; You, Li-Xing; Guan, Jian-Yu; Yang, Dong-Xu; Wang, Zhen; Liang, Hao; Zhang, Zhen; Zhou, Nan; Ma, Xiongfeng; Chen, Teng-Yun; Zhang, Qiang; Pan, Jian-Wei

2014-11-01

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDIQKD) protocol is immune to all attacks on detection and guarantees the information-theoretical security even with imperfect single-photon detectors. Recently, several proof-of-principle demonstrations of MDIQKD have been achieved. Those experiments, although novel, are implemented through limited distance with a key rate less than 0.1 bit /s . Here, by developing a 75 MHz clock rate fully automatic and highly stable system and superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with detection efficiencies of more than 40%, we extend the secure transmission distance of MDIQKD to 200 km and achieve a secure key rate 3 orders of magnitude higher. These results pave the way towards a quantum network with measurement-device-independent security.

Radiology applications of financial accounting.

PubMed

Leibenhaut, Mark H

2005-03-01

A basic knowledge of financial accounting can help radiologists analyze business opportunities and examine the potential impacts of new technology or predict the adverse consequences of new competitors entering their service area. The income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement are the three basic financial statements that document the current financial position of the radiology practice and allow managers to monitor the ongoing financial operations of the enterprise. Pro forma, or hypothetical, financial statements can be generated to predict the financial impact of specific business decisions or investments on the profitability of the practice. Sensitivity analysis, or what-if scenarios, can be performed to determine the potential impact of changing key revenue, investment, operating cost or financial assumptions. By viewing radiology as both a profession and a business, radiologists can optimize their use of scarce economic resources and maximize the return on their financial investments.

Workplace Financial Education Facilitates Improvement in Personal Financial Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prawitz, Aimee D.; Cohart, Judith

2014-01-01

Based on the life-cycle theory of consumption, this quasi-experimental study of 995 employees examined changes in financial behaviors following employee-needs-driven workplace financial education. Repeated-measures ANOVA compared participants and non-participants on perceived financial wellness and savings ratios; main effects indicated that both…

Alternate entropy measure for assessing volatility in financial markets.

PubMed

Bose, Ranjan; Hamacher, Kay

2012-11-01

We propose two alternate information theoretical approaches to assess non-Gaussian fluctuations in the return dynamics of financial markets. Specifically, we use superinformation, which is a measure of the disorder of the entropy of time series. We argue on theoretical grounds on its usefulness and show that it can be applied effectively for analyzing returns. A study of stock market data for over five years has been carried out using this approach. We show how superinformation helps to identify and classify important signals in the time series. The financial crisis of 2008 comes out very clearly in the superinformation plots. In addition, we introduce the super mutual information. Distinct super mutual information signatures are observed that might be used to mitigate idiosyncratic risk. The universality of our approach has been tested by carrying out the analysis for the 100 stocks listed in S&P100 index. The average superinformation values for the S&P100 stocks correlates very well with the VIX.

Alternate entropy measure for assessing volatility in financial markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bose, Ranjan; Hamacher, Kay

2012-11-01

We propose two alternate information theoretical approaches to assess non-Gaussian fluctuations in the return dynamics of financial markets. Specifically, we use superinformation, which is a measure of the disorder of the entropy of time series. We argue on theoretical grounds on its usefulness and show that it can be applied effectively for analyzing returns. A study of stock market data for over five years has been carried out using this approach. We show how superinformation helps to identify and classify important signals in the time series. The financial crisis of 2008 comes out very clearly in the superinformation plots. In addition, we introduce the super mutual information. Distinct super mutual information signatures are observed that might be used to mitigate idiosyncratic risk. The universality of our approach has been tested by carrying out the analysis for the 100 stocks listed in S&P100 index. The average superinformation values for the S&P100 stocks correlates very well with the VIX.

Teaching Financial Literacy with Max and Ruby

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Natalya; Ferguson, Kristen

2017-01-01

Teaching financial literacy is important at all stages of life, but is often neglected with elementary students. In this article, the authors describe a strategy for teaching financial literacy using the books about Max and Ruby by Rosemary Wells. These books can help introduce the five key concepts of financial literacy: scarcity, exchange,…

Measurement-device-independent semiquantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Jinjun; Li, Qin; Wu, Chunhui; Chan, Wai Hong; Zhang, Shengyu

Semiquantum key distribution (SQKD) allows two parties to share a common string when one of them is quantum and the other has rather limited quantum capability. Almost all existing SQKD protocols have been proved to be robust in theory, namely that if an eavesdropper tries to gain information, he will inevitably induce some detectable errors. However, ideal devices do not exist in reality and their imperfection may result in side-channel attacks, which can be used by an adversary to get some information on the secret key string. In this paper, we design a measurement-device-independent SQKD protocol for the first time, which can remove the threat of all detector side-channel attacks and show that it is also robust. In addition, we discuss the possible use of the proposed protocol in real-world applications and in QKD networks.

The measurement of maintenance function efficiency through financial KPIs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galar, D.; Parida, A.; Kumar, U.; Baglee, D.; Morant, A.

2012-05-01

The measurement of the performance in the maintenance function has produced large sets of indicators that due to their nature and disparity in criteria and objectives have been grouped in different subsets lately, emphasizing the set of financial indicators. The generation of these indicators demands data collection of high reliability that is only made possible through a model of costs adapted to the special casuistry of the maintenance function, characterized by the occultism of these costs.

Financial Literacy and Long- and Short-Term Financial Behavior in Different Age Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henager, Robin; Cude, Brenda J.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between financial literacy and financial behaviors among various age groups. Financial literacy was measured in three ways: objective financial knowledge, subjective financial knowledge or confidence, and subjective financial management ability. The age groups were 18-24, 25-34, 35-44,…

A financial ratio analysis of for-profit and non-profit rural referral centers.

PubMed

McCue, Michael J; Nayar, Preethy

2009-01-01

National financial data show that rural referral center (RRC) hospitals have performed well financially. RRC hospitals' median cash flow margin ratio was 10.04% in 2002 and grew to 11.04% in 2004. The aim of this study is to compare the ratio analysis of key operational and financial performance measures of for-profit RRCs to those of private, non-profit RRCs. To control for accounting aberrations within a given year, we selected RRCs that reported 3 consecutive fiscal years of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) cost report data, starting with fiscal year 2004 and ending with fiscal year 2006. Given a limited sample size of 28 for-profit RRCs and 127 non-profits, we used the non-parametric median test to assess median differences in operational and key financial measures between the 2 groups. For-profit RRCs treated less complex cases and reported fewer discharges per bed and fewer occupied beds than did non-profits. However, for-profit RRCs staffed their beds with fewer full-time-equivalent (FTE) personnel and served a higher proportion of Medicaid patients. For-profit RRCs generated operating cash flow margins in excess of 19%, compared to only 8.1% for non-profits, and maintained newer plant and equipment. For-profit RRCs generated a substantially higher cash flow margin by controlling their operating costs.

Optimal Financial Knowledge and Wealth Inequality*

PubMed Central

Lusardi, Annamaria; Michaud, Pierre-Carl; Mitchell, Olivia S.

2017-01-01

We show that financial knowledge is a key determinant of wealth inequality in a stochastic lifecycle model with endogenous financial knowledge accumulation, where financial knowledge enables individuals to better allocate lifetime resources in a world of uncertainty and imperfect insurance. Moreover, because of how the U.S. social insurance system works, better-educated individuals have most to gain from investing in financial knowledge. Our parsimonious specification generates substantial wealth inequality relative to a one-asset saving model and one where returns on wealth depend on portfolio composition alone. We estimate that 30–40 percent of retirement wealth inequality is accounted for by financial knowledge. PMID:28555088

Measuring and managing risk improves strategic financial planning.

PubMed

Kleinmuntz, D N; Kleinmuntz, C E; Stephen, R G; Nordlund, D S

1999-06-01

Strategic financial risk assessment is a practical technique that can enable healthcare strategic decision makers to perform quantitative analyses of the financial risks associated with a given strategic initiative. The technique comprises six steps: (1) list risk factors that might significantly influence the outcomes, (2) establish best-guess estimates for assumptions regarding how each risk factor will affect its financial outcomes, (3) identify risk factors that are likely to have the greatest impact, (4) assign probabilities to assumptions, (5) determine potential scenarios associated with combined assumptions, and (6) determine the probability-weighted average of the potential scenarios.

Getting something out of nothing in the measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Yong-Gang; Cai, Qing-Yu; Yang, Hai-Feng; Hu, Yao-Hua

2015-11-01

Because of the monogamy of entanglement, the measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution is immune to the side-information leaking of the measurement devices. When the correlated measurement outcomes are generated from the dark counts, no entanglement is actually obtained. However, secure key bits can still be proven to be generated from these measurement outcomes. Especially, we will give numerical studies on the contributions of dark counts to the key generation rate in practical decoy state MDI-QKD where a signal source, a weaker decoy source and a vacuum decoy source are used by either legitimate key distributer.

What is Good University Financial Management?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Mark P.

2013-01-01

In the current and foreseeable harsh UK higher education environment, aspiring to best-practice financial management will be key to ensuring the prosperity--and indeed the survival--of any university. In this article I argue that good university financial management should provide stability to the institution, allow for investment as well as…

A Measurement of Financial Viability Among Private Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolda, Phillip J.; Mack, Bruce A.

The financial viability of private colleges was assessed by examining the relationship of expenditures to endowment to voluntary support (nongovernment gifts and grants). A sample of 284 private coeducational colleges was drawn from the Council for Financial Aid to Education's (CFAE) annual survey of voluntary support (1976-1977 to 1980-1981). The…

Impact of medical loss regulation on the financial performance of health insurers.

PubMed

McCue, Michael; Hall, Mark; Liu, Xinliang

2013-09-01

The Affordable Care Act's regulation of medical loss ratios requires health insurers to use at least 80-85 percent of the premiums they collect for direct medical expenses (care delivery) or for efforts to improve the quality of care. To gauge this rule's effect on insurers' financial performance, we measured changes between 2010 and 2011 in key financial ratios reflecting insurers' operating profits, administrative costs, and medical claims. We found that the largest changes occurred in the individual market, where for-profit insurers reduced their median administrative cost ratio and operating margin by more than two percentage points each, resulting in a seven-percentage-point increase in their median medical loss ratio. Financial ratios changed much less for insurers in the small- and large-group markets.

Introduction to Financial Projection Models. Business Management Instructional Software.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pomeroy, Robert W., III

This guidebook and teacher's guide accompany a personal computer software program and introduce the key elements of financial projection modeling to project the financial statements of an industrial enterprise. The student will then build a model on an electronic spreadsheet. The guidebook teaches the purpose of a financial model and the steps…

Financial Education for Children: The Israeli Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bendavid-Hadar, Iris; Hadad, Yaniv

2013-01-01

This article focuses on the financial education of children. Education is a key factor in achieving economic development and socio-economic equality. Financial education can provide children with some of the additional knowledge and skills required to this end. Second and third grade Israeli students (n = 121), enrolled in three differently…

Assessing the Financial Viability of Academic Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swift, Lynette

2012-01-01

This paper reviews and examines approaches to determining the financial viability of academic programmes as a critical component of assessing a programme's overall sustainability. Key to assessing the financial viability of a programme is understanding the teaching activities required to deliver the programme and the cost of those activities. A…

Measuring financial protection against catastrophic health expenditures: methodological challenges for global monitoring.

PubMed

Hsu, Justine; Flores, Gabriela; Evans, David; Mills, Anne; Hanson, Kara

2018-05-31

Monitoring financial protection against catastrophic health expenditures is important to understand how health financing arrangements in a country protect its population against high costs associated with accessing health services. While catastrophic health expenditures are generally defined to be when household expenditures for health exceed a given threshold of household resources, there is no gold standard with several methods applied to define the threshold and household resources. These different approaches to constructing the indicator might give different pictures of a country's progress towards financial protection. In order for monitoring to effectively provide policy insight, it is critical to understand the sensitivity of measurement to these choices. This paper examines the impact of varying two methodological choices by analysing household expenditure data from a sample of 47 countries. We assess sensitivity of cross-country comparisons to a range of thresholds by testing for restricted dominance. We further assess sensitivity of comparisons to different methods for defining household resources (i.e. total expenditure, non-food expenditure and non-subsistence expenditure) by conducting correlation tests of country rankings. We found country rankings are robust to the choice of threshold in a tenth to a quarter of comparisons within the 5-85% threshold range and this increases to half of comparisons if the threshold is restricted to 5-40%, following those commonly used in the literature. Furthermore, correlations of country rankings using different methods to define household resources were moderate to high; thus, this choice makes less difference from a measurement perspective than from an ethical perspective as different definitions of available household resources reflect varying concerns for equity. Interpreting comparisons from global monitoring based on a single threshold should be done with caution as these may not provide reliable insight into

Measuring social inclusion--a key outcome in global mental health.

PubMed

Baumgartner, Joy Noel; Burns, Jonathan K

2014-04-01

Social inclusion is increasingly recognized as a key outcome for evaluating global mental health programmes and interventions. Whereas social inclusion as an outcome is not a new concept in the field of mental health, its measurement has been hampered by varying definitions, concepts and instruments. To move the field forward, this paper reviews the currently available instruments which measure social inclusion and are reported in the literature, realizing that no single measure will be appropriate for all studies or contexts. A systematic literature search of English language peer-reviewed articles published through February 2013 was undertaken to identify scales specifically developed to measure social inclusion or social/community integration among populations with mental disorders. Five instruments were identified through the search criteria. The scales are discussed in terms of their theoretical underpinnings, domains and/or key items and their potential for use in global settings. Whereas numerous reviewed abstracts discussed mental health and social inclusion or social integration, very few were concerned with direct measurement of the construct. All identified scales were developed in high-income countries with limited attention paid to how the scale could be adapted for cross-cultural use. Social inclusion is increasingly highlighted as a key outcome for global mental health policies and programmes, yet its measurement is underdeveloped. There is need for a global cross-cultural measure that has been developed and tested in diverse settings. However, until that need is met, some of the scales presented here may be amenable to adaptation.

Keys to career success in managed care.

PubMed

Sandrick, K

1996-04-01

Given the prominence that managed care will have in the future U.S. healthcare system, financial managers who want to advance their careers must take steps to hone their managed care knowledge and skills, become accomplished managed care strategists, and identify opportunities to gain expertise in the managed care field. Healthcare Financial Management interviewed a number of managed care experts to obtain their views on how healthcare financial managers can prepare for a career in managed care organizations. The experts agree that one of the keys to future success lies in financial managers' willingness to assume more and different types of responsibility than before as the shift to managed care continues.

Organizational characteristics, financial performance measures, and funding sources of faith based organizations.

PubMed

Lampkin, Lynne; Raghavan, Kamala

2008-01-01

This study examined the impact of organizational characteristics and financial performance measures of faith based organizations (FBOS) in Pennsylvania and Ohio on the decisions of the funding sources. Organizational characteristics of size, age, and type of service, and financial performance measures such as expense, liquidity, and solvency ratios were gathered from the data on IRS form 990 for 97 FBOS for the period of 1995 to 2004. The study found that the 1996 Charitable Choice provisions and the 2001 Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives have led to increased government funding for FBOS. The results showed that government funding of FBOS is affected positively by age of the FBO, and negatively by its size. For smaller FBOS, savings ratio had a negative relationship to government funding and a positive relationship to direct public support. For social service FBOS government funding was positively affected by age and negatively affected by size and debt ratio, while days-cash-on-hand had a negative impact on direct public support. All of the above relationships were statistically significant.

77 FR 31794 - Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; Imposition of Special Measure Against JSC CredexBank as a...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-30

...; Imposition of Special Measure Against JSC CredexBank as a Financial Institution of Primary Money Laundering... for concluding that JSC CredexBank is a financial institution of primary money laundering concern...- money laundering provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), codified at 12 U.S.C. 1829b, 12 U.S.C. 1951...

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution for Scarani-Acin-Ribordy-Gisin 04 protocol

PubMed Central

Mizutani, Akihiro; Tamaki, Kiyoshi; Ikuta, Rikizo; Yamamoto, Takashi; Imoto, Nobuyuki

2014-01-01

The measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI QKD) was proposed to make BB84 completely free from any side-channel in detectors. Like in prepare & measure QKD, the use of other protocols in MDI setting would be advantageous in some practical situations. In this paper, we consider SARG04 protocol in MDI setting. The prepare & measure SARG04 is proven to be able to generate a key up to two-photon emission events. In MDI setting we show that the key generation is possible from the event with single or two-photon emission by a party and single-photon emission by the other party, but the two-photon emission event by both parties cannot contribute to the key generation. On the contrary to prepare & measure SARG04 protocol where the experimental setup is exactly the same as BB84, the measurement setup for SARG04 in MDI setting cannot be the same as that for BB84 since the measurement setup for BB84 in MDI setting induces too many bit errors. To overcome this problem, we propose two alternative experimental setups, and we simulate the resulting key rate. Our study highlights the requirements that MDI QKD poses on us regarding with the implementation of a variety of QKD protocols. PMID:24913431

A financial network perspective of financial institutions' systemic risk contributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wei-Qiang; Zhuang, Xin-Tian; Yao, Shuang; Uryasev, Stan

2016-08-01

This study considers the effects of the financial institutions' local topology structure in the financial network on their systemic risk contribution using data from the Chinese stock market. We first measure the systemic risk contribution with the Conditional Value-at-Risk (CoVaR) which is estimated by applying dynamic conditional correlation multivariate GARCH model (DCC-MVGARCH). Financial networks are constructed from dynamic conditional correlations (DCC) with graph filtering method of minimum spanning trees (MSTs). Then we investigate dynamics of systemic risk contributions of financial institution. Also we study dynamics of financial institution's local topology structure in the financial network. Finally, we analyze the quantitative relationships between the local topology structure and systemic risk contribution with panel data regression analysis. We find that financial institutions with greater node strength, larger node betweenness centrality, larger node closeness centrality and larger node clustering coefficient tend to be associated with larger systemic risk contributions.

Development of a Novel, Objective Measure of Health Care–Related Financial Burden for U.S. Families with Children

PubMed Central

Wisk, Lauren E; Gangnon, Ronald; Vanness, David J; Galbraith, Alison A; Mullahy, John; Witt, Whitney P

2014-01-01

Objective To develop and validate a theoretically based and empirically driven objective measure of financial burden for U.S. families with children. Data Sources The measure was developed using 149,021 families with children from the National Health Interview Survey, and it was validated using 18,488 families with children from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Study Design We estimated the marginal probability of unmet health care need due to cost using a bivariate tensor product spline for family income and out-of-pocket health care costs (OOPC; e.g., deductibles, copayments), while adjusting for confounders. Recursive partitioning was performed on these probabilities, as a function of income and OOPC, to establish thresholds demarcating levels of predicted risk. Principal Findings We successfully generated a novel measure of financial burden with four categories that were associated with unmet need (vs. low burden: midlow OR: 1.93, 95 percent CI: 1.78–2.09; midhigh OR: 2.78, 95 percent CI: 2.49–3.10; high OR: 4.38, 95 percent CI: 3.99–4.80). The novel burden measure demonstrated significantly better model fit and less underestimation of financial burden compared to an existing measure (OOPC/income ≥10 percent). Conclusion The newly developed measure of financial burden establishes thresholds based on different combinations of family income and OOPC that can be applied in future studies of health care utilization and expenditures and in policy development and evaluation. PMID:25328073

24 CFR 902.30 - Financial condition assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC HOUSING ASSESSMENT SYSTEM Financial Condition Indicator § 902.30 Financial condition assessment. (a) Objective. The objective of the financial condition indicator is to measure the financial... this indicator by measuring the combined performance of all public housing projects in each of the...

Knowing (and understanding) the key numbers for your practice.

PubMed

Schumann, Ted

2013-12-01

Most dentists see accounting and bookkeeping as a necessary evil instead of a helpful tool. Yet the most financially successful and happy dentists understand the need for good financial management. Here's an overview that will help you better-understand the key numbers in your practice.

Measuring changes in lipid and blood glucose values in the health and wellness program of Prudential Financial, Inc.

PubMed

Short, Meghan E; Goetzel, Ron Z; Young, Jared S; Kowlessar, Niranjana M; Liss-Levinson, Rivka C; Tabrizi, Maryam J; Roemer, Enid Chung; Sabatelli, Adriano A; Winick, Keith; Montes, Myrtho; Crighton, K Andrew

2010-08-01

To determine the effect of health promotion programs of Prudential Financial, Inc on biometric measures of blood lipids and glucose. Using actual biometric and self-reported measures of blood lipids and glucose values for the employees of Prudential Financial, Inc, we examined 1) the extent to which self-reported lipid and blood glucose values correlate to laboratory data, 2) whether self-reported and measured lipid values differ for physically active and sedentary employees, and 3) whether participation in a disease management program affects employees' lipid measures. We found significant differences in self-reported and measured total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein values, although these differences and those for all lipid and blood glucose values were not clinically meaningful. Supporting previous clinical studies, high-density lipoprotein values were significantly higher for fitness center users compared with sedentary employees. Finally, disease management participants showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein during a 3-year period compared with nonparticipants. On average, the employees of Prudential Financial, Inc were aware of and accurately reported their lipid and blood glucose levels. Results from this study support the value of evaluating corporate health promotion programs, using measured biometric outcomes.

A Review of Financial-Literacy Education Programs for Children and Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amagir, Aisa; Groot, Wim; Maassen van den Brink, Henriëtte; Wilschut, Arie

2018-01-01

In this systematic literature review, we evaluate the effectiveness of financial-literacy education programs and interventions for children and adolescents. Furthermore, the key characteristics of the design of a successful financial-education curriculum are described. The evidence shows that school-based financial-education programs can improve…

Climate Information Needs for Financial Decision Making

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Higgins, Paul

Climate Information Needs for Financial Decision Making (Final Report) This Department of Energy workshop award (grant #DE-SC0008480) provided primary support for the American Meteorological Society’s study on climate information needs for financial decision making. The goal of this study was to help advance societal decision making by examining the implications of climate variability and change on near-term financial investments. We explored four key topics: 1) the conditions and criteria that influence returns on investment of major financial decisions, 2) the climate sensitivity of financial decisions, 3) climate information needs of financial decision makers, and 4) potential new mechanisms to promotemore » collaboration between scientists and financial decision makers. Better understanding of these four topics will help scientists provide the most useful information and enable financial decision makers to use scientific information most effectively. As a result, this study will enable leaders in business and government to make well-informed choices that help maximize long-term economic success and social wellbeing in the United States The outcomes of the study include a workshop, which brought together leaders from the scientific and financial decision making communities, a publication of the study report, and a public briefing of the results to the policy community. In addition, we will present the results to the scientific community at the AMS Annual Meeting in February, 2014. The study results were covered well by the media including Bloomberg News and E&E News. Upon request, we also briefed the Office of Science Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on the outcomes. We presented the results to the policy community through a public briefing in December on Capitol Hill. The full report is publicly available at www.ametsoc.org/cin. Summary of Key Findings The United States invests roughly $1.5 trillion U.S. dollars (USD

Multi-party Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution Based on Cluster States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chuanqi; Zhu, Changhua; Ma, Shuquan; Pei, Changxing

2018-03-01

We propose a novel multi-party measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) protocol based on cluster states. A four-photon analyzer which can distinguish all the 16 cluster states serves as the measurement device for four-party MDI-QKD. Any two out of four participants can build secure keys after the analyzers obtains successful outputs and the two participants perform post-processing. We derive a security analysis for the protocol, and analyze the key rates under different values of polarization misalignment. The results show that four-party MDI-QKD is feasible over 280 km in the optical fiber channel when the key rate is about 10- 6 with the polarization misalignment parameter 0.015. Moreover, our work takes an important step toward a quantum communication network.

Measuring Financial Gains from Genetically Superior Trees

Treesearch

George Dutrow; Clark Row

1976-01-01

Planting genetically superior loblolly pines will probably yield high profits.Forest economists have made computer simulations that predict financial gains expected from a tree improvement program under actual field conditions.

Emergency medical services key performance measurement in Asian cities.

PubMed

Rahman, Nik Hisamuddin; Tanaka, Hideharu; Shin, Sang Do; Ng, Yih Yng; Piyasuwankul, Thammapad; Lin, Chih-Hao; Ong, Marcus Eng Hock

2015-01-01

One of the key principles in the recommended standards is that emergency medical service (EMS) providers should continuously monitor the quality and safety of their services. This requires service providers to implement performance monitoring using appropriate and relevant measures including key performance indicators. In Asia, EMS systems are at different developmental phases and maturity. This will create difficultly in benchmarking or assessing the quality of EMS performance across the region. An attempt was made to compare the EMS performance index based on the structure, process, and outcome analysis. The data was collected from the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcome Study (PAROS) data among few Asian cities, namely, Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and Seoul. The parameters of inclusions were broadly divided into structure, process, and outcome measurements. The data was collected by the site investigators from each city and keyed into the electronic web-based data form which is secured strictly by username and passwords. Generally, there seems to be a more uniformity for EMS performance parameters among the more developed EMS systems. The major problem with the EMS agencies in the cities of developing countries like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur is inadequate or unavailable data pertaining to EMS performance. There is non-uniformity in the EMS performance measurement across the Asian cities. This creates difficulty for EMS performance index comparison and benchmarking. Hopefully, in the future, collaborative efforts such as the PAROS networking group will further enhance the standardization in EMS performance reporting across the region.

Reading and understanding financial statements.

PubMed

White, Joseph P

2005-01-01

Feeling comfortable reading and understanding financial statements is critical to the success of healthcare executives and physicians involved in management. Businesses use three primary financial statements: a balance sheet represents the equation, Assets = Liabilities + Equity; an income statement represents the equation, Revenues - Expenses = Net Income; a statement of cash flows reports all sources and uses of cash during the represented period. The balance sheet expresses financial indicators at one particular moment in time, whereas the income statement and the statement of cash flows show activity that occurred over a stretch of time. Additional information is disclosed in attached footnotes and other supplementary materials. There are two ways to prepare financial statements. Cash-basis accounting recognizes revenue when it is received and expenses when they are paid. Accrual-basis accounting recognizes revenue when it is earned and expenses when they are incurred. Although cash-basis is acceptable, periodically using the accrual method reveals important information about receivables and liabilities that could otherwise remain hidden. Become more engaged with your financial statements by spending time reading them, tracking key performance indicators, and asking accountants and financial advisors questions. This will help you better understand your business and build a successful future.

Financial Decision-making Abilities and Financial Exploitation in Older African Americans: Preliminary Validity Evidence for the Lichtenberg Financial Decision Rating Scale (LFDRS)

PubMed Central

Ficker, Lisa J.; Rahman-Filipiak, Annalise

2015-01-01

This study examines preliminary evidence for the Lichtenberg Financial Decision Rating Scale (LFDRS), a new person-centered approach to assessing capacity to make financial decisions, and its relationship to self-reported cases of financial exploitation in 69 older African Americans. More than one third of individuals reporting financial exploitation also had questionable decisional abilities. Overall, decisional ability score and current decision total were significantly associated with cognitive screening test and financial ability scores, demonstrating good criterion validity. Financially exploited individuals, and non-exploited individuals, showed mean group differences on the Mini Mental State Exam, Financial Situational Awareness, Psychological Vulnerability, Current Decisional Ability, and Susceptibility to undue influence subscales, and Total Lichtenberg Financial Decision Rating Scale Score. Study findings suggest that impaired decisional abilities may render older adults more vulnerable to financial exploitation, and that the LFDRS is a valid tool for measuring both decisional abilities and financial exploitation. PMID:26285038

Nursing home safety: does financial performance matter?

PubMed

Oetjen, Reid M; Zhao, Mei; Liu, Darren; Carretta, Henry J

2011-01-01

This study examines the relationship between financial performance and selected safety measures of nursing homes in the State of Florida. We used descriptive analysis on a total sample of 1,197. Safety information was from the Online Survey, Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data of 2003 to 2005, while the financial performance measures were from the Medicare cost reports of 2002 to 2004. Finally, we examined the most frequently cited deficiencies as well as the relationship between financial performance and quality indicators. Nursing homes in the bottom quartile of financial performance perform poorly on most resident-safety measures of care; however, nursing homes in the top two financial categories also experienced a higher number of deficiencies. Nursing homes in the next to lowest quartile of financial performance category best perform on most of these safety measures. The results reinforce the need to monitor nursing home quality and resident safety in US nursing homes, especially among facilities with poor overall financial performance.

Modelling and measuring the irrational behaviour of agents in financial markets: Discovering the psychological soliton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhesi, Gurjeet; Ausloos, Marcel

2016-07-01

Following a Geometrical Brownian Motion extension into an Irrational Fractional Brownian Motion model, we re-examine agent behaviour reacting to time dependent news on the log-returns thereby modifying a financial market evolution. We specifically discuss the role of financial news or economic information positive or negative feedback of such irrational (or contrarian) agents upon the price evolution. We observe a kink-like effect reminiscent of soliton behaviour, suggesting how analysts' forecasts errors induce stock prices to adjust accordingly, thereby proposing a measure of the irrational force in a market.

76 FR 24024 - Request for Information Relating to Studies Regarding the Resolution of Financial Companies Under...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-29

... such adverse impacts without creating such moral hazard; (D) The key factors and considerations that... financial companies; (A) The key factors and considerations that should be taken into account in assessing... of systemic financial companies; (B) The key factors and considerations that should be taken into...

Quality, Satisfaction, and Financial Efficiency Associated With Elements of Primary Care Practice Transformation: Preliminary Findings

PubMed Central

Day, Julie; Scammon, Debra L.; Kim, Jaewhan; Sheets-Mervis, Annie; Day, Rachel; Tomoaia-Cotisel, Andrada; Waitzman, Norman J.; Magill, Michael K.

2013-01-01

PURPOSE We examined quality, satisfaction, financial, and productivity outcomes associated with implementation of Care by Design (CBD), the University of Utah’s version of the patient-centered medical home. METHODS We measured the implementation of individual elements of CBD using a combination of observation, chart audit, and collection of data from operational reports. We assessed correlations between level of implementation of each element and measures of quality, patient and clinician satisfaction, financial performance, and efficiency. RESULTS Team function elements had positive correlations (P ≤.05) with 6 quality measures, 4 patient satisfaction measure, and 3 clinician satisfaction measures. Continuity elements had positive correlations with 2 satisfaction measures and 1 quality measure. Clinician continuity was the key driver in the composite element of appropriate access. Unexpected findings included the negative correlation of use of templated questionnaires with 3 patient satisfaction measures. Trade-offs were observed for performance of blood draws in the examination room and the efficiency of visits, with some positive and some negative correlations depending on the outcome. CONCLUSIONS Elements related to care teams and continuity appear to be key elements of CBD as they influence all 3 CBD organizing principles: appropriate access, care teams, and planned care. These relationships, as well as unexpected, unfavorable ones, require further study and refined analyses to identify causal associations. PMID:23690386

Comparing Health Care Financial Burden With an Alternative Measure of Unaffordability.

PubMed

Kielb, Edward S; Rhyan, Corwin N; Lee, James A

2017-01-01

Health insurance plans with high deductibles increase exposure to health care costs, raising concerns about how the growth in these plans may be impacting both the financial burden of health care expenditures on families and their access to health care. We find that foregoing medical care is common among low-income, privately insured families, occurring at a greater rate than those with higher incomes or Medicare coverage. To better understand the relationship between out-of-pocket (OOP) spending and access, we used the 2011-2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data and a logistic model to analyze the likelihood of avoiding or delaying needed medical care based on health insurance design and other individual and family characteristics. We find that avoiding or delaying medical care is strongly correlated with coverage under a high-deductible health plan, and with depression, poor perceived health, or poverty. However, it is relatively independent of the percent of income spent on OOP costs, making the percent of income spent on OOP costs by itself a poor measure of health care unaffordability. Individuals who spend a small percentage of their income on health care costs may still be extremely burdened by their health plan when financial concerns prevent access to health care. This work emphasizes the importance of insurance design as a predictor of access and the need to expand the definition of financial barriers to care beyond expenditures, particularly for the low-income, privately insured population.

Making the decoy-state measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution practically useful

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yi-Heng; Yu, Zong-Wen; Wang, Xiang-Bin

2016-04-01

The relatively low key rate seems to be the major barrier to its practical use for the decoy-state measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD). We present a four-intensity protocol for the decoy-state MDI-QKD that hugely raises the key rate, especially in the case in which the total data size is not large. Also, calculations show that our method makes it possible for secure private communication with fresh keys generated from MDI-QKD with a delay time of only a few seconds.

Performing well in financial management and quality of care: evidence from hospital process measures for treatment of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Dong, Gang Nathan

2015-02-01

Fiscal constraints faced by U.S. hospitals as a result of the recent economic downturn are leading to business practices that reduce costs and improve financial and operational efficiency in hospitals. There naturally arises the question of how this finance-driven management culture could affect the quality of care. This paper attempts to determine whether the process measures of treatment quality are correlated with hospital financial performance. Panel study of hospital care quality and financial condition between 2005 and 2010 for cardiovascular disease treatment at acute care hospitals in the United States. Process measures for condition-specific treatment of heart attack and heart failure and hospital-level financial condition ratios were collected from the CMS databases of Hospital Compare and Cost Reports. There is a statistically significant relationship between hospital financial performance and quality of care. Hospital profitability, financial leverage, asset liquidity, operating efficiency, and costs appear to be important factors of health care quality. In general, public hospitals provide lower quality care than their nonprofit counterparts, and urban hospitals report better quality score than those located in rural areas. Specifically, the first-difference regression results indicate that the quality of treatment for cardiovascular patients rises in the year following an increase in hospital profitability, financial leverage, and labor costs. The results suggest that, when a hospital made more profit, had the capacity to finance investment using debt, paid higher wages presumably to attract more skilled nurses, its quality of care would generally improve. While the pursuit of profit induces hospitals to enhance both quantity and quality of services they offer, the lack of financial strength may result in a lower standard of health care services, implying the importance of monitoring the quality of care among those hospitals with poor financial health.

Financial Viability of Institutions. Issues in Post-Secondary Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenny, Hans H.

Financial viability in postsecondary education is considered as part of the Postsecondary Education Core Design Project sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics. Financial viability is defined within the scope of postsecondary education, and key policy issues at the national, state, and institutional levels are identified.…

Relationships between authorship contributions and authors' industry financial ties among oncology clinical trials.

PubMed

Rose, Susannah L; Krzyzanowska, Monika K; Joffe, Steven

2010-03-10

PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that authors who play key scientific roles in oncology clinical trials, and who therefore have increased influence over the design, analysis, interpretation or reporting of trials, are more likely than those who do not play such roles to have financial ties to industry. METHODS Data were abstracted from all trials (n = 235) of drugs or biologic agents published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology between January 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007. Article-level data included sponsorship, age group (adult v pediatric), phase, single versus multicenter, country (United States v other), and number of authors. Author-level data (n = 2,927) included financial ties (eg, employment, consulting) and performance of key scientific roles (ie, conception/design, analysis/interpretation, or manuscript writing). Associations between performance of key roles and financial ties, adjusting for article-level covariates, were examined using generalized linear mixed models. Results One thousand eight hundred eighty-one authors (64%) reported performing at least one key role, and 842 authors (29%) reported at least one financial tie. Authors who reported performing a key role were more likely than other authors to report financial ties to industry (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.3; 99% CI, 3.0 to 6.0; P < .0001). The association was stronger among trials with, compared with those without, industry funding (OR, 5.0 [99% CI, 3.4 to 7.5] v OR, 2.5 [99% CI, 1.3 to 4.8]), but was present regardless of sponsorship. CONCLUSION Authors who perform key roles in the conception and design, analysis, and interpretation, or reporting of oncology clinical trials are more likely than authors who do not perform such roles to have financial ties to industry.

Relationships Between Authorship Contributions and Authors' Industry Financial Ties Among Oncology Clinical Trials

PubMed Central

Rose, Susannah L.; Krzyzanowska, Monika K.; Joffe, Steven

2010-01-01

Purpose To test the hypothesis that authors who play key scientific roles in oncology clinical trials, and who therefore have increased influence over the design, analysis, interpretation or reporting of trials, are more likely than those who do not play such roles to have financial ties to industry. Methods Data were abstracted from all trials (n = 235) of drugs or biologic agents published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology between January 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007. Article-level data included sponsorship, age group (adult v pediatric), phase, single versus multicenter, country (United States v other), and number of authors. Author-level data (n = 2,927) included financial ties (eg, employment, consulting) and performance of key scientific roles (ie, conception/design, analysis/interpretation, or manuscript writing). Associations between performance of key roles and financial ties, adjusting for article-level covariates, were examined using generalized linear mixed models. Results One thousand eight hundred eighty-one authors (64%) reported performing at least one key role, and 842 authors (29%) reported at least one financial tie. Authors who reported performing a key role were more likely than other authors to report financial ties to industry (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.3; 99% CI, 3.0 to 6.0; P < .0001). The association was stronger among trials with, compared with those without, industry funding (OR, 5.0 [99% CI, 3.4 to 7.5] v OR, 2.5 [99% CI, 1.3 to 4.8]), but was present regardless of sponsorship. Conclusion Authors who perform key roles in the conception and design, analysis, and interpretation, or reporting of oncology clinical trials are more likely than authors who do not perform such roles to have financial ties to industry. PMID:20065190

Market value: an underused financial planning tool.

PubMed

Harris, J P; Schimmel, V E

1987-04-01

Two issues facing CFOs are capital formation and the long-range financial impact of strategic planning decisions. For not-for-profit organizations, debt capacity is the main determining factor of capital formation while investment analysis is the key to the financial evaluation of strategic planning options. And, the market, or sale, value of the organization can serve as an effective tool to manage current debt capacity and future investment decisions.

Academic Economics: The Academic Dean and Financial Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBride, Susan A.

2000-01-01

Discusses deans' responsibilities in financial management, including budget development, budget management, broker of resources, program review, and fundraising. Describes what deans need to know: categories of income, local tax assessment, financing new construction, and key accounting terminology. Looks at key challenges for deans and offers a…

Evaluation of a Continuing Education Training on Client Financial Capability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frey, Jodi Jacobson; Svoboda, Deborah; Sander, Rebecca L.; Osteen, Philip J.; Callahan, Christine; Elkinson, Audrey

2015-01-01

The researchers conducted an evaluation study assessing outcomes among 37 social workers who completed a continuing education course on financial capability and working with clients. Key constructs assessed included participants' attitudes about financial capability, self-efficacy to provide services, organizational barriers, and basic financial…

Personal finance: there are no shortcuts to financial security.

PubMed

Yarkony, Kathryn

2009-12-01

Perioperative nurses have skills that lend themselves to sound financial decision-making, and during these difficult economic times, it is important to know how to secure earnings for the future. Key strategies include saving for retirement, consulting a financial advisor, investing in reliable vehicles, holding investments until the market stabilizes, and controlling credit card debt. Nurses can use the nursing process of assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation to help them make sound financial decisions. (c) AORN, Inc, 2009.

Experimental measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with uncharacterized encoding.

PubMed

Wang, Chao; Wang, Shuang; Yin, Zhen-Qiang; Chen, Wei; Li, Hong-Wei; Zhang, Chun-Mei; Ding, Yu-Yang; Guo, Guang-Can; Han, Zheng-Fu

2016-12-01

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI QKD) is an efficient way to share secrets using untrusted measurement devices. However, the assumption on the characterizations of encoding states is still necessary in this promising protocol, which may lead to unnecessary complexity and potential loopholes in realistic implementations. Here, by using the mismatched-basis statistics, we present the first proof-of-principle experiment of MDI QKD with uncharacterized encoding sources. In this demonstration, the encoded states are only required to be constrained in a two-dimensional Hilbert space, and two distant parties (Alice and Bob) are resistant to state preparation flaws even if they have no idea about the detailed information of their encoding states. The positive final secure key rates of our system exhibit the feasibility of this novel protocol, and demonstrate its value for the application of secure communication with uncharacterized devices.

Framework for Financial Ratio Analysis of Audited Federal Financial Reports

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

franchising operations, allowing them to lower costs and share administrative support services with other agencies. [Ref. 60:sec. 402-403] The GMRA also...96 Federal Financial Reporting Statement of Net Cost Report Format 97 Federal Financial Reporting Statement of Changes in Net Position Report Format...analysis for sales, profitability, efficiency, marketing, investment, debt and capital analysis. Monitor growth Monitor costs Measure profitability and

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with correlated source-light-intensity errors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Cong; Yu, Zong-Wen; Wang, Xiang-Bin

2018-04-01

We present an analysis for measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with correlated source-light-intensity errors. Numerical results show that the results here can greatly improve the key rate especially with large intensity fluctuations and channel attenuation compared with prior results if the intensity fluctuations of different sources are correlated.

Phase-Reference-Free Experiment of Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chao; Song, Xiao-Tian; Yin, Zhen-Qiang; Wang, Shuang; Chen, Wei; Zhang, Chun-Mei; Guo, Guang-Can; Han, Zheng-Fu

2015-10-01

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI QKD) is a substantial step toward practical information-theoretic security for key sharing between remote legitimate users (Alice and Bob). As with other standard device-dependent quantum key distribution protocols, such as BB84, MDI QKD assumes that the reference frames have been shared between Alice and Bob. In practice, a nontrivial alignment procedure is often necessary, which requires system resources and may significantly reduce the secure key generation rate. Here, we propose a phase-coding reference-frame-independent MDI QKD scheme that requires no phase alignment between the interferometers of two distant legitimate parties. As a demonstration, a proof-of-principle experiment using Faraday-Michelson interferometers is presented. The experimental system worked at 1 MHz, and an average secure key rate of 8.309 bps was obtained at a fiber length of 20 km between Alice and Bob. The system can maintain a positive key generation rate without phase compensation under normal conditions. The results exhibit the feasibility of our system for use in mature MDI QKD devices and its value for network scenarios.

The predictive power of local properties of financial networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caraiani, Petre

2017-01-01

The literature on analyzing the dynamics of financial networks has focused so far on the predictive power of global measures of networks like entropy or index cohesive force. In this paper, I show that the local network properties have similar predictive power. I focus on key network measures like average path length, average degree or cluster coefficient, and also consider the diameter and the s-metric. Using Granger causality tests, I show that some of these measures have statistically significant prediction power with respect to the dynamics of aggregate stock market. Average path length is most robust relative to the frequency of data used or specification (index or growth rate). Most measures are found to have predictive power only for monthly frequency. Further evidences that support this view are provided through a simple regression model.

Club convergence of house prices: Evidence from China’s ten key cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Hao; Xie, Wen-Jie; Zhou, Wei-Xing

2015-09-01

The latest global financial tsunami and its follow-up global economic recession has uncovered the crucial impact of housing markets on financial and economic systems. The Chinese stock market experienced a marked fall during the global financial tsunami and China’s economy has also slowed down by about 2%-3% when measured in GDP. Nevertheless, the housing markets in diverse Chinese cities seemed to continue the almost nonstop mania for more than 10 years. However, the structure and dynamics of the Chinese housing market are less studied. Here, we perform an extensive study of the Chinese housing market by analyzing 10 representative key cities based on both linear and nonlinear econophysical and econometric methods. We identify a common collective driving force which accounts for 96.5% of the house price growth, indicating very high systemic risk in the Chinese housing market. The 10 key cities can be categorized into clubs and the house prices of the cities in the same club exhibit an evident convergence. These findings from different methods are basically consistent with each other. The identified city clubs are also consistent with the conventional classification of city tiers. The house prices of the first-tier cities grow the fastest and those of the third- and fourth-tier cities rise the slowest, which illustrates the possible presence of a ripple effect in the diffusion of house prices among different cities.

Financial trends of leading US oil companies: 1968-1985: Discussion paper No. 017R

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sowell, E.

1986-10-01

This study presents a compilation of principal categories of financial data for a sample of leading US based oil companies for the years 1968 through 1985. The categories contained in the compilation are annual financial inflows and outflows, profitability measures and financial position. The period selected exhibits trends prior to and since the Arab oil embargo of 1973/1974. The study is organized into two sections. The first contains a discussion of: (1) the major components of the companies' aggregate primary financial statements; (2) period and subperiod trends of selected items (e.g., revenues, net income, cash flow, capital expenditures); and (3)more » analytical relationships among financial items, as well as their trends (e.g., various measures of profitability, proportion of cash flow allocated to capital expenditures, liquidity ratios, dividend payout ratios). Because of the interrelationship of the primary financial statements, discussion of some items may be subsumed under more than one content heading; thus, net income is covered not only under that heading, but also in connection with profitability, sources of funds and capital expenditures. Where appropriate, data for the sample of companies under study are compared to oil company aggregates developed by other organizations. Similarly, selected comparisons are made in financial data between oil and non-oil companies. The second section of the paper contains comprehensive tables setting forth the data and ratios on which the discussion is based. The purposes of this paper are: (1) to serve as a financial reference source for the API sample of companies (see Appendix A); (2) to present this material for a meaningful historical period; and (3) to elucidate key aspects of oil company financial performance. 6 figs., 6 tabs.« less

The global financial crisis and health equity: early experiences from Canada.

PubMed

Ruckert, Arne; Labonté, Ronald

2014-01-06

It is widely acknowledged that austerity measures in the wake of the global financial crisis are starting to undermine population health results. Yet, few research studies have focused on the ways in which the financial crisis and the ensuing 'Great Recession' have affected health equity, especially through their impact on social determinants of health; neither has much attention been given to the health consequences of the fiscal austerity regime that quickly followed a brief period of counter-cyclical government spending for bank bailouts and economic stimulus. Canada has not remained insulated from these developments, despite its relative success in maneuvering the global financial crisis. The study draws on three sources of evidence: A series of semi-structured interviews in Ottawa and Toronto, with key informants selected on the basis of their expertise (n = 12); an analysis of recent (2012) Canadian and Ontario budgetary impacts on social determinants of health; and documentation of trend data on key social health determinants pre- and post the financial crisis. The findings suggest that health equity is primarily impacted through two main pathways related to the global financial crisis: austerity budgets and associated program cutbacks in areas crucial to addressing the inequitable distribution of social determinants of health, including social assistance, housing, and education; and the qualitative transformation of labor markets, with precarious forms of employment expanding rapidly in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Preliminary evidence suggests that these tendencies will lead to a further deepening of existing health inequities, unless counter-acted through a change in policy direction. This article documents some of the effects of financial crisis and severe economic decline on health equity in Canada. However, more research is necessary to study policy choices that could mitigate this effect. Since the policy response to a similar set of

The global financial crisis and health equity: Early experiences from Canada

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background It is widely acknowledged that austerity measures in the wake of the global financial crisis are starting to undermine population health results. Yet, few research studies have focused on the ways in which the financial crisis and the ensuing ‘Great Recession’ have affected health equity, especially through their impact on social determinants of health; neither has much attention been given to the health consequences of the fiscal austerity regime that quickly followed a brief period of counter-cyclical government spending for bank bailouts and economic stimulus. Canada has not remained insulated from these developments, despite its relative success in maneuvering the global financial crisis. Methods The study draws on three sources of evidence: A series of semi-structured interviews in Ottawa and Toronto, with key informants selected on the basis of their expertise (n = 12); an analysis of recent (2012) Canadian and Ontario budgetary impacts on social determinants of health; and documentation of trend data on key social health determinants pre- and post the financial crisis. Results The findings suggest that health equity is primarily impacted through two main pathways related to the global financial crisis: austerity budgets and associated program cutbacks in areas crucial to addressing the inequitable distribution of social determinants of health, including social assistance, housing, and education; and the qualitative transformation of labor markets, with precarious forms of employment expanding rapidly in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Preliminary evidence suggests that these tendencies will lead to a further deepening of existing health inequities, unless counter-acted through a change in policy direction. Conclusions This article documents some of the effects of financial crisis and severe economic decline on health equity in Canada. However, more research is necessary to study policy choices that could mitigate this effect

The impact of the 2008 financial crisis on psychological work stress among financial workers and lawyers.

PubMed

Tsai, Feng-Jen; Chan, Chang-Chuan

2011-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the financial crisis on psychological work stress among financial workers and lawyers. The Chinese versions of Karasek's job content questionnaire (C-JCQ) and Siegrist's ERI questionnaire (C-ERI) were used to measure work stress, and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (C-CBI) questionnaire was used to measure personal and work-related burnout for 38 financial workers and 97 lawyers before and after the financial crisis in 2008. A paired t test was used to compare changes in work stress and burnout. A logistic regression was performed to determine the association between psychosocial work stress and burnout. After the financial crisis, financial workers reported significantly higher stress from fear of layoffs, increased experiences of undesirable changes and more fear of making mistakes during work. On the contrary, lawyers reported significantly higher scores of reward, fewer psychological demands and less exhaustion. In addition to high psychological demand and a high effort-reward ratio, high effort, over-commitment and stress of layoffs also contributed to personal and work-related burnout after the financial crisis. After the financial crisis, lawyers' personal burnout decreased with the increase of reward, and their work-related burnout decreased with the decrease in psychological demand. The financial crisis has an unequal psychological impact on financial workers and lawyers. Financial workers' psychosocial work stress and burnout were aggravated, while lawyers' psychosocial work stress and burnout were alleviated.

New approaches in agent-based modeling of complex financial systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ting-Ting; Zheng, Bo; Li, Yan; Jiang, Xiong-Fei

2017-12-01

Agent-based modeling is a powerful simulation technique to understand the collective behavior and microscopic interaction in complex financial systems. Recently, the concept for determining the key parameters of agent-based models from empirical data instead of setting them artificially was suggested. We first review several agent-based models and the new approaches to determine the key model parameters from historical market data. Based on the agents' behaviors with heterogeneous personal preferences and interactions, these models are successful in explaining the microscopic origination of the temporal and spatial correlations of financial markets. We then present a novel paradigm combining big-data analysis with agent-based modeling. Specifically, from internet query and stock market data, we extract the information driving forces and develop an agent-based model to simulate the dynamic behaviors of complex financial systems.

Ohio Financial Services and Risk Management. Technical Competency Profile (TCP).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray, Gayl M.; Wilson, Nick; Mangini, Rick

This document describes the essential competencies from secondary through post-secondary associate degree programs for a career in financial services and risk management. Ohio College Tech Prep Program standards are described, and a key to profile codes is provided. Sample occupations in this career area, such as financial accountant, loan…

Revisiting the returns-volume relationship: Time variation, alternative measures and the financial crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Steve; Watson, Duncan

2017-03-01

Following its introduction in the seminal study of Osborne (1959), a voluminous literature has emerged examining the returns-volume relationship for financial assets. The present paper revisits this relationship in an examination of the FTSE100 which extends the existing literature in two ways. First, alternative daily measures of the FTSE100 index are used to create differing returns and absolute returns series to employ in an examination of returns-volume causality. Second, rolling regression analysis is utilised to explore potential time variation in the returns-volume relationship. The findings obtained depict a hitherto unconsidered complexity in this relationship with the type of returns series considered and financial crisis found to be significant underlying factors. The implications of the newly derived results for both the understanding of the nature of the returns-volume relationship and the development of theories in connection to it are discussed.

Understanding Financial Statements. A Strategic Guide for Independent College & University Boards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, John H.; Turner, Robert M.; Johnson, Sandra L., Ed.

1997-01-01

This guide for members of the governing boards of independent colleges and universities is intended to provide information necessary to an understanding of college and university financial statements, especially annual financial statements. Following an introductory chapter, chapter 2 identifies key questions and strategic issues facing…

24 CFR 902.30 - Financial condition assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Financial condition assessment. 902... DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC HOUSING ASSESSMENT SYSTEM PHAS Indicator #2: Financial Condition § 902.30 Financial condition assessment. (a) Objective. The objective of the Financial Condition Indicator is to measure the...

Need depriving effects of financial insecurity: Implications for well-being and financial behaviors.

PubMed

Weinstein, Netta; Stone, Dan N

2018-06-28

Evidence suggests that experiencing financial insecurity lowers well-being and increases problematic financial behaviors. The present article employs a self-determination theory (SDT; R. M. Ryan & Deci, 2000a) perspective to understand the mechanisms by which experiencing financial insecurity contributes to these detrimental outcomes. Informed by SDT, we expected that the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness would drive these effects. Studies were concerned with individuals' general experiences of financial insecurity (using community samples; Studies 1 and 2), and employed manipulations involving self-reflection (Study 3) and hypothetical scenarios (Study 4). Findings demonstrated that financially insecure conditions undermined basic psychological needs and lowered well-being (measured in terms of self-esteem, depression, and anxiety). In addition, lower satisfaction of basic psychological needs linked financial insecurity to a greater likelihood of engaging in financial cheating (Studies 2 and 3) and risky financial decisions (Study 4). Importantly, this pattern of effects remained in evidence across socioeconomically diverse samples and income levels. We discuss implications for future interventions to improve the wellness of individuals in financially insecure circumstances. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Integrating physical and financial approaches to manage environmental financial risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Characklis, Gregory; Meyer, Eliot; Foster, Benjamin

2017-04-01

Physical and/or engineered solutions have long been used to manage risks associated with adverse environmental events. Examples include reservoirs as a tool for mitigating drought-related supply risk, levees for managing flood risk and dredging of inland waterways to ensure navigability during low flow periods. These measures can reduce many types of risk (e.g., loss of life), but are often employed as a means of protecting against financial losses. When the focus is on managing environmental financial risk, physical solutions can be effective, but also costly. In many cases, non-physical tools can provide a less expensive means of managing financial risk, with these often taking the form of financial instruments such as hedging contracts, contingency funds or insurance. Some of these instruments, such as flood insurance, are widely available, but historically many environmental financial risks have been managed primarily (or solely) via physical solutions without much consideration of alternatives, thereby opening opportunities for innovation in developing financial solutions. Recent research has demonstrated that financial instruments can play a significant role in managing drought-related financial risk in sectors as diverse as water utilities, energy generation and inland navigation. Nonetheless, this work has largely considered the use of these instruments within systems in which physical solutions are already in place (but failing to achieve desired performance). The next step in the evolution of managing environmental financial risk involves developing methods for designing risk management strategies that do not assume an established physical system. Here the goal is to identify the relative role that physical solutions and financial instruments should play as they are integrated into a comprehensive risk management strategy. This is not a straightforward challenge as one approach reduces the risk of financial losses and the other redistributes those losses

Robust shot-noise measurement for continuous-variable quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunz-Jacques, Sébastien; Jouguet, Paul

2015-02-01

We study a practical method to measure the shot noise in real time in continuous-variable quantum key distribution systems. The amount of secret key that can be extracted from the raw statistics depends strongly on this quantity since it affects in particular the computation of the excess noise (i.e., noise in excess of the shot noise) added by an eavesdropper on the quantum channel. Some powerful quantum hacking attacks relying on faking the estimated value of the shot noise to hide an intercept and resend strategy were proposed. Here, we provide experimental evidence that our method can defeat the saturation attack and the wavelength attack.

Gaussian-modulated coherent-state measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiang-Chun; Sun, Shi-Hai; Jiang, Mu-Sheng; Gui, Ming; Liang, Lin-Mei

2014-04-01

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD), leaving the detection procedure to the third partner and thus being immune to all detector side-channel attacks, is very promising for the construction of high-security quantum information networks. We propose a scheme to implement MDI-QKD, but with continuous variables instead of discrete ones, i.e., with the source of Gaussian-modulated coherent states, based on the principle of continuous-variable entanglement swapping. This protocol not only can be implemented with current telecom components but also has high key rates compared to its discrete counterpart; thus it will be highly compatible with quantum networks.

The Lichtenberg Financial Decision Screening Scale (LFDSS): A new tool for assessing financial decision making and preventing financial exploitation.

PubMed

Lichtenberg, Peter A; Ficker, Lisa; Rahman-Filipiak, Analise; Tatro, Ron; Farrell, Cynthia; Speir, James J; Mall, Sanford J; Simasko, Patrick; Collens, Howard H; Jackman, John Daniel

2016-01-01

One of the challenges in preventing the financial exploitation of older adults is that neither criminal justice nor noncriminal justice professionals are equipped to detect capacity deficits. Because decision-making capacity is a cornerstone assessment in cases of financial exploitation, effective instruments for measuring this capacity are essential. We introduce a new screening scale for financial decision making that can be administered to older adults. To explore the scale's implementation and assess construct validity, we conducted a pilot study of 29 older adults seen by APS (Adult Protective Services) workers and 79 seen by other professionals. Case examples are included.

The Lichtenberg Financial Decision Screening Scale (LFDSS): A new tool for assessing financial decision making and preventing financial exploitation

PubMed Central

Lichtenberg, P.A.; Howard, H; Simaskp, P.; Mall, S.; Speir, J.; Farrell, C.; Tatro, R; Rahman-Filipiak, A.; Ficker, L.J.

2016-01-01

One of the challenges in preventing the financial exploitation of older adults is that neither criminal justice nor noncriminal justice professionals are equipped to detect capacity deficits. Because decision-making capacity is a cornerstone assessment in cases of financial exploitation, effective instruments for measuring this capacity are essential. We introduce a new screening scale for financial decision making that can be administered to older adults. To explore the scale’s implementation and assess construct validity, we conducted a pilot study of 29 older adults seen by APS workers and 79 seen by other professionals. Case examples are included. PMID:27010780

Identifying instruments to quantify financial management skills in adults with acquired cognitive impairments.

PubMed

Engel, Lisa; Bar, Yael; Beaton, Dorcas E; Green, Robin E; Dawson, Deirdre R

2016-01-01

Financial management skills-that is, the skills needed to handle personal finances such as banking and paying bills-are essential to a person's autonomy, independence, and community living. To date, no comprehensive review of financial management skills instruments exists, making it difficult for clinicians and researchers to choose relevant instruments. The objectives of this review are to: (a) identify all available instruments containing financial management skill items that have been used with adults with acquired cognitive impairments; (b) categorize the instruments by source (i.e., observation based, self-report, proxy report); and (c) describe observation-based performance instruments by populations, overarching concepts measured, and comprehensiveness of financial management items. Objective (c) focuses on observation-based performance instruments as these measures can aid in situations where the person with cognitive impairment has poor self-awareness or where the proxy has poor knowledge of the person's current abilities. Two reviewers completed two systematic searches of five databases. Instruments were categorized by reviewing published literature, copies of the instruments, and/or communication with instrument authors. Comprehensiveness of items was based on nine key domains of financial management skills developed by the authors. A total of 88 discrete instruments were identified. Of these, 44 were categorized as observation-based performance and 44 as self- and/or proxy-reports. Of the 44 observation-based performance instruments, 8 had been developed for acquired brain injury populations and 24 for aging and dementia populations. Only 7 of the observation-based performance instruments had items spanning 6 or more of the 9 financial management skills domains. The majority of instruments were developed for aging and dementia populations, and few were comprehensive. This review provides foundation for future instrument psychometric and clinimetric

Making Professional Decisions in Research: Measurement and Key Predictors

PubMed Central

Antes, Alison L.; Chibnall, John T.; Baldwin, Kari A.; Tait, Raymond C.; Vander Wal, Jillon S.; DuBois, James M.

2016-01-01

The professional decision-making in research (PDR) measure was administered to 400 NIH-funded and industry-funded investigators, along with measures of cynicism, moral disengagement, compliance disengagement, impulsivity, work stressors, knowledge of responsible conduct of research (RCR), and socially desirable response tendencies. Negative associations were found for the PDR and measures of cynicism, moral disengagement, and compliance disengagement, while positive associations were found for the PDR and RCR knowledge and positive urgency, an impulsivity subscale. PDR scores were not related to socially desirable responding, or to measures of work stressors and the remaining impulsivity subscales. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, lower moral disengagement scores, higher RCR knowledge, and identifying the United States as one’s nation of origin emerged as key predictors of stronger performance on the PDR. The implications of these findings for understanding the measurement of decision-making in research and future directions for research and RCR education are discussed. PMID:27093003

Analysis of cross-correlations between financial markets after the 2008 crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sensoy, A.; Yuksel, S.; Erturk, M.

2013-10-01

We analyze the cross-correlation matrix C of the index returns of the main financial markets after the 2008 crisis using methods of random matrix theory. We test the eigenvalues of C for universal properties of random matrices and find that the majority of the cross-correlation coefficients arise from randomness. We show that the eigenvector of the largest deviating eigenvalue of C represents a global market itself. We reveal that high volatility of financial markets is observed at the same times with high correlations between them which lowers the risk diversification potential even if one constructs a widely internationally diversified portfolio of stocks. We identify and compare the connection and cluster structure of markets before and after the crisis using minimal spanning and ultrametric hierarchical trees. We find that after the crisis, the co-movement degree of the markets increases. We also highlight the key financial markets of pre and post crisis using main centrality measures and analyze the changes. We repeat the study using rank correlation and compare the differences. Further implications are discussed.

An Overview of Fiduciary Standards and Suitability for Financial Planning Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chong, James T.; Jennings, Penelope R.; Phillips, G. Michael

2015-01-01

Financial planning is an interdisciplinary field including finance and business law topics. Consequently, standard pedagogical resources often omit topics that fall between these fields. To address a key gap in educational materials for financial planning students and faculty, this article reviews recent regulatory developments for financial…

Continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with virtual photon subtraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yijia; Zhang, Yichen; Xu, Bingjie; Yu, Song; Guo, Hong

2018-04-01

The method of improving the performance of continuous-variable quantum key distribution protocols by postselection has been recently proposed and verified. In continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (CV-MDI QKD) protocols, the measurement results are obtained from untrusted third party Charlie. There is still not an effective method of improving CV-MDI QKD by the postselection with untrusted measurement. We propose a method to improve the performance of coherent-state CV-MDI QKD protocol by virtual photon subtraction via non-Gaussian postselection. The non-Gaussian postselection of transmitted data is equivalent to an ideal photon subtraction on the two-mode squeezed vacuum state, which is favorable to enhance the performance of CV-MDI QKD. In CV-MDI QKD protocol with non-Gaussian postselection, two users select their own data independently. We demonstrate that the optimal performance of the renovated CV-MDI QKD protocol is obtained with the transmitted data only selected by Alice. By setting appropriate parameters of the virtual photon subtraction, the secret key rate and tolerable excess noise are both improved at long transmission distance. The method provides an effective optimization scheme for the application of CV-MDI QKD protocols.

Experimental Demonstration of Polarization Encoding Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Zhiyuan; Liao, Zhongfa; Xu, Feihu; Qi, Bing; Qian, Li; Lo, Hoi-Kwong

2014-05-01

We demonstrate the first implementation of polarization encoding measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD), which is immune to all detector side-channel attacks. Active phase randomization of each individual pulse is implemented to protect against attacks on imperfect sources. By optimizing the parameters in the decoy state protocol, we show that it is feasible to implement polarization encoding MDI-QKD with commercial off-the-shelf devices. A rigorous finite key analysis is applied to estimate the secure key rate. Our work paves the way for the realization of a MDI-QKD network, in which the users only need compact and low-cost state-preparation devices and can share complicated and expensive detectors provided by an untrusted network server.

Experimental demonstration of polarization encoding measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution.

PubMed

Tang, Zhiyuan; Liao, Zhongfa; Xu, Feihu; Qi, Bing; Qian, Li; Lo, Hoi-Kwong

2014-05-16

We demonstrate the first implementation of polarization encoding measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD), which is immune to all detector side-channel attacks. Active phase randomization of each individual pulse is implemented to protect against attacks on imperfect sources. By optimizing the parameters in the decoy state protocol, we show that it is feasible to implement polarization encoding MDI-QKD with commercial off-the-shelf devices. A rigorous finite key analysis is applied to estimate the secure key rate. Our work paves the way for the realization of a MDI-QKD network, in which the users only need compact and low-cost state-preparation devices and can share complicated and expensive detectors provided by an untrusted network server.

Measuring Sexual Behavior Stigma to Inform Effective HIV Prevention and Treatment Programs for Key Populations

PubMed Central

Hargreaves, James R; Sprague, Laurel; Stangl, Anne L; Baral, Stefan D

2017-01-01

Background The levels of coverage of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment and prevention services needed to change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic among key populations, including gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and sex workers, have consistently been shown to be limited by stigma. Objective The aim of this study was to propose an agenda for the goals and approaches of a sexual behavior stigma surveillance effort for key populations, with a focus on collecting surveillance data from 4 groups: (1) members of key population groups themselves (regardless of HIV status), (2) people living with HIV (PLHIV) who are also members of key populations, (3) members of nonkey populations, and (4) health workers. Methods We discuss strengths and weaknesses of measuring multiple different types of stigma including perceived, anticipated, experienced, perpetrated, internalized, and intersecting stigma as measured among key populations themselves, as well as attitudes or beliefs about key populations as measured among other groups. Results With the increasing recognition of the importance of stigma, consistent and validated stigma metrics for key populations are needed to monitor trends and guide immediate action. Evidence-based stigma interventions may ultimately be the key to overcoming the barriers to coverage and retention in life-saving antiretroviral-based HIV prevention and treatment programs for key populations. Conclusions Moving forward necessitates the integration of validated stigma scales in routine HIV surveillance efforts, as well as HIV epidemiologic and intervention studies focused on key populations, as a means of tracking progress toward a more efficient and impactful HIV response. PMID:28446420

Plug-and-play measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Yujun; Kwon, Osung; Woo, Minki; Oh, Kyunghwan; Han, Sang-Wook; Kim, Yong-Su; Moon, Sung

2016-03-01

Quantum key distribution (QKD) guarantees unconditional communication security based on the laws of quantum physics. However, practical QKD suffers from a number of quantum hackings due to the device imperfections. From the security standpoint, measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) is in the limelight since it eliminates all the possible loopholes in detection. Due to active control units for mode matching between the photons from remote parties, however, the implementation of MDI-QKD is highly impractical. In this paper, we propose a method to resolve the mode matching problem while minimizing the use of active control units. By introducing the plug-and-play (P&P) concept into MDI-QKD, the indistinguishability in spectral and polarization modes between photons can naturally be guaranteed. We show the feasibility of P&P MDI-QKD with a proof-of-principle experiment.

Establishing the effectiveness of patient decision aids: key constructs and measurement instruments.

PubMed

Sepucha, Karen R; Borkhoff, Cornelia M; Lally, Joanne; Levin, Carrie A; Matlock, Daniel D; Ng, Chirk Jenn; Ropka, Mary E; Stacey, Dawn; Joseph-Williams, Natalie; Wills, Celia E; Thomson, Richard

2013-01-01

Establishing the effectiveness of patient decision aids (PtDA) requires evidence that PtDAs improve the quality of the decision-making process and the quality of the choice made, or decision quality. The aim of this paper is to review the theoretical and empirical evidence for PtDA effectiveness and discuss emerging practical and research issues in the measurement of effectiveness. This updated overview incorporates: a) an examination of the instruments used to measure five key decision-making process constructs (i.e., recognize decision, feel informed about options and outcomes, feel clear about goals and preferences, discuss goals and preferences with health care provider, and be involved in decisions) and decision quality constructs (i.e., knowledge, realistic expectations, values-choice agreement) within the 86 trials in the Cochrane review; and b) a summary of the 2011 Cochrane Collaboration's review of PtDAs for these key constructs. Data on the constructs and instruments used were extracted independently by two authors from the 86 trials and any disagreements were resolved by discussion, with adjudication by a third party where required. The 86 studies provide considerable evidence that PtDAs improve the decision-making process and decision quality. A majority of the studies (76/86; 88%) measured at least one of the key decision-making process or decision quality constructs. Seventeen different measurement instruments were used to measure decision-making process constructs, but no single instrument covered all five constructs. The Decisional Conflict Scale was most commonly used (n = 47), followed by the Control Preference Scale (n = 9). Many studies reported one or more constructs of decision quality, including knowledge (n = 59), realistic expectation of risks and benefits (n = 21), and values-choice agreement (n = 13). There was considerable variability in how values-choice agreement was defined and determined. No study reported on all key decision

Comparative study on DuPont analysis and DEA models for measuring stock performance using financial ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsad, Roslah; Shaari, Siti Nabilah Mohd; Isa, Zaidi

2017-11-01

Determining stock performance using financial ratio is challenging for many investors and researchers. Financial ratio can indicate the strengths and weaknesses of a company's stock performance. There are five categories of financial ratios namely liquidity, efficiency, leverage, profitability and market ratios. It is important to interpret the ratio correctly for proper financial decision making. The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of listed companies in Bursa Malaysia using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and DuPont analysis Models. The study is conducted in 2015 involving 116 consumer products companies listed in Bursa Malaysia. The estimation method of Data Envelopment Analysis computes the efficiency scores and ranks the companies accordingly. The Alirezaee and Afsharian's method of analysis based Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes (CCR) where Constant Return to Scale (CRS) is employed. The DuPont analysis is a traditional tool for measuring the operating performance of companies. In this study, DuPont analysis is used to evaluate three different aspects such as profitability, efficiency of assets utilization and financial leverage. Return on Equity (ROE) is also calculated in DuPont analysis. This study finds that both analysis models provide different rankings of the selected samples. Hypothesis testing based on Pearson's correlation, indicates that there is no correlation between rankings produced by DEA and DuPont analysis. The DEA ranking model proposed by Alirezaee and Asharian is unstable. The method cannot provide complete ranking because the values of Balance Index is equal and zero.

Fiscal Reality After the 2008 Financial Crisis

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-24

mortgages, the CDOs were one step removed from these cash flows . 9 Other financial instruments followed that were two or more steps removed from the...original source of the cash flows . Sophisticated math is also a key to creating credit default swaps (CDSs), a form of financial derivative. These...LIEUTENANT COLONEL STEVEN P. MARCH United States Army Reserve Se ni or S er vi ce C ol le ge F el lo w sh ip Ci vi lia n Re se ar ch P ro je

Measuring resilience to financial instability: A new dataset.

PubMed

Lombardi, Domenico; Siklos, Pierre

2016-12-01

In recognition of the severe consequences of the recent international financial crisis, the topic of macroprudential policy has elicited considerable research effort. The data set reports, for 46 economies around the globe, an index of the capacity to deploy macroprudential policies. The index aims to represent the essence of what constitutes a macroprudential regime is developed and used in http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfs.2016.08.007 (D. Lombardi, P.L. Siklos, 2016) [1]. Specifically, the index quantifies: (1) how existing macroprudential frameworks are organized; and (2) how far a particular jurisdiction is from reaching the goals established by the Group of Twenty (G20) and the Financial Stability Board (FSB). The latter is a benchmark that has not been considered in the burgeoning literature that seeks to quantify the role of macroprudential policies.

Financial Statements: Disclosures and Presentations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-01

may be rendered when the financial statements are p;eaed in full compliance with GAAP , consistently applied. Inadequate disclosures as well as other...after the end of the current year, respectively. (Delaney et al., GAAP Interpretation and Application, pp. 52-53. ) Beginning Measurement Disposal End...Of Changing Prices In Financial Reports GAAP for reporting changing prices in financial reports is promulgated in FASB Statements 33, 39, 40, 41, 46

Long distance measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with entangled photon sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Feihu; Qi, Bing; Liao, Zhongfa

2013-08-05

We present a feasible method that can make quantum key distribution (QKD), both ultra-long-distance and immune, to all attacks in the detection system. This method is called measurement-device-independent QKD (MDI-QKD) with entangled photon sources in the middle. By proposing a model and simulating a QKD experiment, we find that MDI-QKD with one entangled photon source can tolerate 77 dB loss (367 km standard fiber) in the asymptotic limit and 60 dB loss (286 km standard fiber) in the finite-key case with state-of-the-art detectors. Our general model can also be applied to other non-QKD experiments involving entanglement and Bell state measurements.

Managing risk in a challenging financial environment.

PubMed

Kaufman, Kenneth

2008-08-01

Five strategies can help hospital financial leaders balance their organizations' financial and risk positions: Understand the hospital's financial condition; Determine the desired level of risk; Consider total risk; Use a portfolio approach; Explore best-case/worst-case scenarios to measure risk.

Financial arrangement selection for energy management projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodroof, Eric Aubrey

Scope and method of study. The purpose of this study was to develop a model (E-FUND) to help facility managers select financial arrangements for energy management projects (EMPs). The model was developed with the help of a panel of expert financiers. The panel also helped develop a list of key objectives critical to the decision process. The E-FUND model was tested by a population of facility managers in four case studies. Findings and conclusions. The results may indicate that having a high economic benefit (from an EMP) is not overwhelmingly important, when compared to other qualitative objectives. The results may also indicate that the true lease and performance contract may be the most applicable financial arrangements for EMPs.

Ten financial management principles for survival.

PubMed

Cleverley, W O

1988-03-01

Financial insolvency is the primary cause of hospital failure. Managers may analyze a hospital's financial statements to anticipate and prevent fiscal problems. Ten measures of fiscal status may be used to evaluate the following: operating profitability nonoperating income equity growth liquidity debt capacity age of facilities revenue generation replacement funds receivables survivability Based on data from the Financial Analysis Service, Catholic hospitals are doing better than other U.S. hospitals in some areas of financial preparedness. In most areas, however, all hospitals suffer by comparison with manufacturers. The 10 principles of solvent and successful operations can help hospitals improve financial resiliency.

Establishing the effectiveness of patient decision aids: key constructs and measurement instruments

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Establishing the effectiveness of patient decision aids (PtDA) requires evidence that PtDAs improve the quality of the decision-making process and the quality of the choice made, or decision quality. The aim of this paper is to review the theoretical and empirical evidence for PtDA effectiveness and discuss emerging practical and research issues in the measurement of effectiveness. Methods This updated overview incorporates: a) an examination of the instruments used to measure five key decision-making process constructs (i.e., recognize decision, feel informed about options and outcomes, feel clear about goals and preferences, discuss goals and preferences with health care provider, and be involved in decisions) and decision quality constructs (i.e., knowledge, realistic expectations, values-choice agreement) within the 86 trials in the Cochrane review; and b) a summary of the 2011 Cochrane Collaboration’s review of PtDAs for these key constructs. Data on the constructs and instruments used were extracted independently by two authors from the 86 trials and any disagreements were resolved by discussion, with adjudication by a third party where required. Results The 86 studies provide considerable evidence that PtDAs improve the decision-making process and decision quality. A majority of the studies (76/86; 88%) measured at least one of the key decision-making process or decision quality constructs. Seventeen different measurement instruments were used to measure decision-making process constructs, but no single instrument covered all five constructs. The Decisional Conflict Scale was most commonly used (n = 47), followed by the Control Preference Scale (n = 9). Many studies reported one or more constructs of decision quality, including knowledge (n = 59), realistic expectation of risks and benefits (n = 21), and values-choice agreement (n = 13). There was considerable variability in how values-choice agreement was defined and determined. No study

Financial and operational ratios for bond-insured hospitals.

PubMed

McCue, Michael J; McCluer, R Forrest

2008-01-01

Few, if any, researchers have analyzed the performance indicators of companies that offer bond insurance to hospitals and healthcare systems. The authors of this study analyzed the key financial and operational indicators of independent hospitals and hospitals within large multihospital systems that are insured by the 5 major bond insurance companies. The authors examined 87 insured bond issues; the results of this study show that some insurers cover healthcare facilities that have strong operational traits and others focus on financial factors.

Awareness of financial skills in dementia.

PubMed

Van Wielingen, L E; Tuokko, H A; Cramer, K; Mateer, C A; Hultsch, D F

2004-07-01

The present study examined the relations among levels of cognitive functioning, executive dysfunction, and awareness of financial management capabilities among a sample of 42 community-dwelling persons with dementia. Financial tasks on the Measure of Awareness of Financial Skills (MAFS) were dichotomized as simple or complex based on Piaget's operational levels of childhood cognitive development. Severity of global cognitive impairment and executive dysfunction were significantly related to awareness of financial abilities as measured by informant-participant discrepancy scores on the MAFS. For persons with mild and moderate/severe dementia, and persons with and without executive dysfunction, proportions of awareness within simple and complex financial task categories were tabulated. Significantly less awareness of financial abilities occurred on complex compared with simple tasks. Individuals with mild dementia were significantly less aware of abilities on complex items, whereas persons with moderate/severe dementia were less aware of abilities, regardless of task complexity. Similar patterns of awareness were observed for individuals with and without executive dysfunction. These findings support literature suggesting that deficits associated with dementia first occur for complex cognitive tasks involving inductive reasoning or decision-making in novel situations, and identify where loss of function in the financial domain may first be expected. Copyright Taylor & Francis Ltd

Financial and employment impacts of serious injury: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Gabbe, Belinda J; Sleney, Jude S; Gosling, Cameron M; Wilson, Krystle; Sutherland, Ann; Hart, Melissa; Watterson, Dina; Christie, Nicola

2014-09-01

To explore the financial and employment impacts following serious injury. Semi-structured telephone administered qualitative interviews with purposive sampling and thematic qualitative analysis. 118 patients (18-81 years) registered by the Victorian State Trauma Registry or Victorian Orthopaedic Trauma Outcomes Registry 12-24 months post-injury. Key findings of the study were that although out-of-pocket treatment costs were generally low, financial hardship was prevalent after hospitalisation for serious injury, and was predominantly experienced by working age patients due to prolonged absences from paid employment. Where participants were financially pressured prior to injury, injury further exacerbated these financial concerns. Reliance on savings and loans and the need to budget carefully to limit financial burden were discussed. Financial implications of loss of income were generally less for those covered by compensation schemes, with non-compensable participants requiring welfare payments due to an inability to earn an income. Most participants reported that the injury had a negative impact on work. Loss of earnings payments from injury compensation schemes and income protection policies, supportive employers, and return to work programs were perceived as key factors in reducing the financial burden of injured participants. Employer-related barriers to return to work included the employer not listening to the needs of the injured participant, not understanding their physical limitations, and placing unrealistic expectations on the injured person. While the financial benefits of compensation schemes were acknowledged, issues accessing entitlements and delays in receiving benefits were commonly reported by participants, suggesting that improvements in scheme processes could have substantial benefits for injured patients. Seriously injured patients commonly experienced substantial financial and work-related impacts of injury. Participants of working age who were

How Biobanks Are Assessing and Measuring Their Financial Sustainability.

PubMed

Brown, Tony; Kelly, Devon D; Vercauteren, Suzanne M; Wilson, William H; Werner, Alexander

2017-02-01

As guest editors of this sustainability issue of Biopreservation and Biobanking focused on business planning, utilization, and marketing, we invited a number of experts from different sectors of the biobanking arena to provide their views on business planning issues. Each expert was asked to provide a brief background statement on their biobanks, to build a context to understand their answers to the sustainability questions. We hope that these insights and experiences can provide valuable considerations and ideas for other biobanks who wish to develop or refine their own business plans, measure their utilization rates, and work toward financial sustainability. In addition, after the expert input was gathered, the guest editors invited an additional expert to provide summary comments and observations on cost and operational optimization strategies. The broad experiences from all of the experts included and scope of the biobanks they represent should provide a level of relevant representation for all interested parties.

Financial Incentives to Enable Clean Energy Deployment: Policy Overview and Good Practices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cox, Sadie

Financial incentives have been widely implemented by governments around the world to support scaled up deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices. As of 2015, at least 48 countries have adopted financial incentives to support renewable energy and energy efficiency deployment. Broader clean energy strategies and plans provide a crucial foundation for financial incentives that often complement regulatory policies such as renewable energy targets, standards, and other mandates. This policy brief provides a primer on key financial incentive design elements, lessons from different country experiences, and curated support resources for more detailed and country-specific financial incentive designmore » information.« less

Financial incentives and measurement improved physicians' quality of care in the Philippines.

PubMed

Peabody, John; Shimkhada, Riti; Quimbo, Stella; Florentino, Jhiedon; Bacate, Marife; McCulloch, Charles E; Solon, Orville

2011-04-01

The merits of using financial incentives to improve clinical quality have much appeal, yet few studies have rigorously assessed the potential benefits. The uncertainty surrounding assessments of quality can lead to poor policy decisions, possibly resulting in increased cost with little or no quality improvement, or missed opportunities to improve care. We conducted an experiment involving physicians in thirty Philippine hospitals that overcomes many of the limitations of previous studies. We measured clinical performance and then examined whether modest bonuses equal to about 5 percent of a physician's salary, as well as system-level incentives that increased compensation to hospitals and across groups of physicians, led to improvements in the quality of care. We found that both the bonus and system-level incentives improved scores in a quality measurement system used in our study by ten percentage points. Our findings suggest that when careful measurement is combined with the types of incentives we studied, there may be a larger impact on quality than previously recognized.

Forecasting Financial Extremes: A Network Degree Measure of Super-Exponential Growth.

PubMed

Yan, Wanfeng; van Tuyll van Serooskerken, Edgar

2015-01-01

Investors in stock market are usually greedy during bull markets and scared during bear markets. The greed or fear spreads across investors quickly. This is known as the herding effect, and often leads to a fast movement of stock prices. During such market regimes, stock prices change at a super-exponential rate and are normally followed by a trend reversal that corrects the previous overreaction. In this paper, we construct an indicator to measure the magnitude of the super-exponential growth of stock prices, by measuring the degree of the price network, generated from the price time series. Twelve major international stock indices have been investigated. Error diagram tests show that this new indicator has strong predictive power for financial extremes, both peaks and troughs. By varying the parameters used to construct the error diagram, we show the predictive power is very robust. The new indicator has a better performance than the LPPL pattern recognition indicator.

Phase-encoded measurement device independent quantum key distribution without a shared reference frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuo-Dan, Zhu; Shang-Hong, Zhao; Chen, Dong; Ying, Sun

2018-07-01

In this paper, a phase-encoded measurement device independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) protocol without a shared reference frame is presented, which can generate secure keys between two parties while the quantum channel or interferometer introduces an unknown and slowly time-varying phase. The corresponding secret key rate and single photons bit error rate is analysed, respectively, with single photons source (SPS) and weak coherent source (WCS), taking finite-key analysis into account. The numerical simulations show that the modified phase-encoded MDI-QKD protocol has apparent superiority both in maximal secure transmission distance and key generation rate while possessing the improved robustness and practical security in the high-speed case. Moreover, the rejection of the frame-calibrating part will intrinsically reduce the consumption of resources as well as the potential security flaws of practical MDI-QKD systems.

Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution over Untrustful Metropolitan Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Yan-Lin; Yin, Hua-Lei; Zhao, Qi; Liu, Hui; Sun, Xiang-Xiang; Huang, Ming-Qi; Zhang, Wei-Jun; Chen, Si-Jing; Zhang, Lu; You, Li-Xing; Wang, Zhen; Liu, Yang; Lu, Chao-Yang; Jiang, Xiao; Ma, Xiongfeng; Zhang, Qiang; Chen, Teng-Yun; Pan, Jian-Wei

2016-01-01

Quantum cryptography holds the promise to establish an information-theoretically secure global network. All field tests of metropolitan-scale quantum networks to date are based on trusted relays. The security critically relies on the accountability of the trusted relays, which will break down if the relay is dishonest or compromised. Here, we construct a measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDIQKD) network in a star topology over a 200-square-kilometer metropolitan area, which is secure against untrustful relays and against all detection attacks. In the field test, our system continuously runs through one week with a secure key rate 10 times larger than previous results. Our results demonstrate that the MDIQKD network, combining the best of both worlds—security and practicality, constitutes an appealing solution to secure metropolitan communications.

Financial Incentives and Physician Practice Participation in Medicare's Value-Based Reforms.

PubMed

Markovitz, Adam A; Ramsay, Patricia P; Shortell, Stephen M; Ryan, Andrew M

2017-07-26

To evaluate whether greater experience and success with performance incentives among physician practices are related to increased participation in Medicare's voluntary value-based payment reforms. Publicly available data from Medicare's Physician Compare (n = 1,278; January 2012 to November 2013) and nationally representative physician practice data from the National Survey of Physician Organizations 3 (NSPO3; n = 907,538; 2013). We used regression analysis to examine practice-level relationships between prior exposure to performance incentives and participation in key Medicare value-based payment reforms: accountable care organization (ACO) programs, the Physician Quality Reporting System ("Physician Compare"), and the Meaningful Use of Health Information Technology program ("Meaningful Use"). Prior experience and success with financial incentives were measured as (1) the percentage of practices' revenue from financial incentives for quality or efficiency; and (2) practices' exposure to public reporting of quality measures. We linked physician participation data from Medicare's Physician Compare to the NSPO3 survey. There was wide variation in practices' exposure to performance incentives, with 64 percent exposed to financial incentives, 45 percent exposed to public reporting, and 2.2 percent of practice revenue coming from financial incentives. For each percentage-point increase in financial incentives, there was a 0.9 percentage-point increase in the probability of participating in ACOs (standard error [SE], 0.1, p < .001) and a 0.8 percentage-point increase in the probability of participating in Meaningful Use (SE, 0.1, p < .001), controlling for practice characteristics. Financial incentives were not associated with participation in Physician Compare. Among ACO participants, a 1 percentage-point increase in incentives was associated with a 0.7 percentage-point increase in the probability of being "very well" prepared to utilize cost and quality data

Earnings Quality Measures and Excess Returns

PubMed Central

Perotti, Pietro; Wagenhofer, Alfred

2014-01-01

This paper examines how commonly used earnings quality measures fulfill a key objective of financial reporting, i.e., improving decision usefulness for investors. We propose a stock-price-based measure for assessing the quality of earnings quality measures. We predict that firms with higher earnings quality will be less mispriced than other firms. Mispricing is measured by the difference of the mean absolute excess returns of portfolios formed on high and low values of a measure. We examine persistence, predictability, two measures of smoothness, abnormal accruals, accruals quality, earnings response coefficient and value relevance. For a large sample of US non-financial firms over the period 1988–2007, we show that all measures except for smoothness are negatively associated with absolute excess returns, suggesting that smoothness is generally a favorable attribute of earnings. Accruals measures generate the largest spread in absolute excess returns, followed by smoothness and market-based measures. These results lend support to the widespread use of accruals measures as overall measures of earnings quality in the literature. PMID:26300582

Earnings Quality Measures and Excess Returns.

PubMed

Perotti, Pietro; Wagenhofer, Alfred

2014-06-01

This paper examines how commonly used earnings quality measures fulfill a key objective of financial reporting, i.e., improving decision usefulness for investors. We propose a stock-price-based measure for assessing the quality of earnings quality measures. We predict that firms with higher earnings quality will be less mispriced than other firms. Mispricing is measured by the difference of the mean absolute excess returns of portfolios formed on high and low values of a measure. We examine persistence, predictability, two measures of smoothness, abnormal accruals, accruals quality, earnings response coefficient and value relevance. For a large sample of US non-financial firms over the period 1988-2007, we show that all measures except for smoothness are negatively associated with absolute excess returns, suggesting that smoothness is generally a favorable attribute of earnings. Accruals measures generate the largest spread in absolute excess returns, followed by smoothness and market-based measures. These results lend support to the widespread use of accruals measures as overall measures of earnings quality in the literature.

A descriptive analysis of the 2008 credit crisis on multistate healthcare systems: what impact did it have on their financial performance?

PubMed

McCue, Michael J

2010-01-01

Due to the recent credit crisis and recession of 2008, hospitals experienced substantial losses in their investment portfolios. The author analyzed key financial accounts of 15 large, multistate healthcare systems that measured their changes in value of their investments, changes in net assets, liquidity ratios, and other performance ratios. Overall, he found that the majority of these systems did incur financial losses in their investment portfolios; however, for the majority of these systems, their liquidity and cash flow margin ratios declined slightly whereas their capital expenditure and community benefits increased.

An agent-based approach to financial stylized facts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimokawa, Tetsuya; Suzuki, Kyoko; Misawa, Tadanobu

2007-06-01

An important challenge of the financial theory in recent years is to construct more sophisticated models which have consistencies with as many financial stylized facts that cannot be explained by traditional models. Recently, psychological studies on decision making under uncertainty which originate in Kahneman and Tversky's research attract a lot of interest as key factors which figure out the financial stylized facts. These psychological results have been applied to the theory of investor's decision making and financial equilibrium modeling. This paper, following these behavioral financial studies, would like to propose an agent-based equilibrium model with prospect theoretical features of investors. Our goal is to point out a possibility that loss-averse feature of investors explains vast number of financial stylized facts and plays a crucial role in price formations of financial markets. Price process which is endogenously generated through our model has consistencies with, not only the equity premium puzzle and the volatility puzzle, but great kurtosis, asymmetry of return distribution, auto-correlation of return volatility, cross-correlation between return volatility and trading volume. Moreover, by using agent-based simulations, the paper also provides a rigorous explanation from the viewpoint of a lack of market liquidity to the size effect, which means that small-sized stocks enjoy excess returns compared to large-sized stocks.

Measuring the Impact of Financial Intermediation: Linking Contract Theory to Econometric Policy Evaluation *

PubMed Central

Townsend, Robert M.; Urzua, Sergio S.

2010-01-01

We study the impact that financial intermediation can have on productivity through the alleviation of credit constraints in occupation choice and/or an improved allocation of risk, using both static and dynamic structural models as well as reduced form OLS and IV regressions. Our goal in this paper is to bring these two strands of the literature together. Even though, under certain assumptions, IV regressions can recover accurately the true model-generated local average treatment effect, these are quantitatively different, in order of magnitude and even sign, from other policy impact parameters (e.g., ATE and TT). We also show that laying out clearly alternative models can guide the search for instruments. On the other hand adding more margins of decision, i.e., occupation choice and intermediation jointly, or adding more periods with promised utilities as key state variables, as in optimal multi-period contracts, can cause the misinterpretation of IV as the causal effect of interest. PMID:20436953

Nurses' Educational Needs Assessment for Financial Management Education Using the Nominal Group Technique.

PubMed

Noh, Wonjung; Lim, Ji Young

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the financial management educational needs of nurses in order to development an educational program to strengthen their financial management competencies. Data were collected from two focus groups using the nominal group technique. The study consisted of three steps: a literature review, focus group discussion using the nominal group technique, and data synthesis. After analyzing the results, nine key components were selected: corporate management and accounting, introduction to financial management in hospitals, basic structure of accounting, basics of hospital accounting, basics of financial statements, understanding the accounts of financial statements, advanced analysis of financial statements, application of financial management, and capital financing of hospitals. The present findings can be used to develop a financial management education program to strengthen the financial management competencies of nurses. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Financial incentives for reducing proliferation risks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weise, Rachel A.; Hund, Gretchen

This article submitted for publication to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists explains the possible financial incentives for financial institutions and large integrators to reduce nuclear proliferation risks by including anti-proliferation measures in their due diligence and requiring their suppliers to meet heightened compliance standards. Because manufacturers of dual-use nuclear goods are diverse and numerous outreach is difficult. However, financial institutions and large integrators work with nearly all dual-use manufacturers, making financial institutions and integrators well-positioned to increase awareness of proliferation and trafficking risks throughout the nuclear supply chain

Financial risks from ill health in Myanmar: evidence and policy implications.

PubMed

Htet, Soe; Fan, Victoria; Alam, Khurshid; Mahal, Ajay

2015-05-01

The government of Myanmar, with support from international donors, plans to address household financial risks from ill health and expand coverage. But evidence to design policy is limited. WHS (World Health Survey) data for 6045 households were used to investigate the association of out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending, catastrophic expenditures, and household borrowing and asset sales associated with illness with key socioeconomic and demographic correlates in Myanmar. Households with elderly and young children and chronically ill individuals, poor households, and ethnic minorities face higher financial stress from illness. Rural households use less care, suggesting their lower OOP health spending may be at the cost of health. Poorer groups rely more on public sector health services than richer groups. Better targeting, increased budgetary allocations, and more effective use of resources via designing cost-effective benefits packages appear key to sustainably addressing financial risks from ill health in Myanmar. © 2014 APJPH.

Financial Risks From Ill Health in Myanmar: Evidence and Policy Implications

PubMed Central

Htet, Soe; Fan, Victoria; Alam, Khurshid; Mahal, Ajay

2017-01-01

The government of Myanmar, with support from international donors, plans to address household financial risks from ill health and expand coverage. But evidence to design policy is limited. WHS (World Health Survey) data for 6045 households were used to investigate the association of out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending, catastrophic expenditures, and household borrowing and asset sales associated with illness with key socioeconomic and demographic correlates in Myanmar. Households with elderly and young children and chronically ill individuals, poor households, and ethnic minorities face higher financial stress from illness. Rural households use less care, suggesting their lower OOP health spending may be at the cost of health. Poorer groups rely more on public sector health services than richer groups. Better targeting, increased budgetary allocations, and more effective use of resources via designing cost-effective benefits packages appear key to sustainably addressing financial risks from ill health in Myanmar. PMID:25424245

KEY COMPARISON Final report on international comparison CCQM-K71: Measurement of stack gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieuwenkamp, G.; van der Veen, A. M. H.; Wessel, R. M.; Qiao, Han; Oh, Sang-Hyub; Kim, Byung-Moon; Kim, Kwang-Sub; Pérez Castorena, Alejandro; Ramírez Nambo, Carlos; Koelliker Delgado, Jorge; Serrano Caballero, Victor M.; Rangel Murillo, Francisco; Avila Salas, Manuel de Jesus; Dias, Florbela; Baptista, Gonçalo; Konopelko, L. A.; Kustikov, Y. A.; Pankratov, V. V.; Selyukov, D. N.; Balandovich, V. S.; Vishnyakov, I. M.; Pavlov, M. V.; Maltsev, M. A.; Botha, Angelique; Valkova, Miroslava; Stovcik, Viliam; Musil, Stanislav; Milton, M. J. T.; Uprichard, I. J.; Vargha, G. M.; Guenther, F.; Gameson, L.; da Cunha, V.

2010-01-01

Industrial stack gas emission measurements are important for process control, control of air pollution, and for implementing legislation regarding carbon dioxide emission rights. Measurements are typically performed using a range of process analysers for carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and miscellaneous hydrocarbons. The calibration of these analysers is often performed using a series of binary mixtures of each component in nitrogen. For reasons of efficiency as well as a better match with true stack gas, the use of multi-component mixtures for this purpose would be preferred. The aim of this key comparison is to evaluate the measurement capabilities of national metrology institutes for carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen monoxide, sulphur dioxide and propane in nitrogen. Ten laboratories participated in the key comparison and one in the associated study. The key comparison reference value is based on the gravimetric preparation data. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).

Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease in the Prediagnosis Period on Financial Outcomes

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

merged data; derived key dependent and independent variables and calculated descriptive statistics; and performed initial analyses of the effect of AD on...during the period before it is diagnosable on financial outcomes differ depending on whether the financial head of household is afflicted or the spouse

Relationship between Community Collectivization and Financial Vulnerability of Female Sex Workers in Southern India.

PubMed

Patel, Sangram Kishor; Prabhakar, Parimi; Jain, Anrudh Kumar; Saggurti, Niranjan; Adhikary, Rajatashuvra

2016-01-01

Studies exploring the linkages between financial vulnerabilities and community collectivization of female sex workers (FSWs) are scarce in India despite having potential policy implications. To fill this gap in the literature, this study attempts to understand the financial vulnerabilities among FSWs and assess the relationship between community collectivization and financial vulnerabilities in southern India. Data were drawn from a cross-sectional, behavioral tracking survey (BTS)-2014, conducted among FSWs (N = 2400) in Andhra Pradesh, a southern state of India under the Avahan-India AIDS initiative program. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated through multivariate logistic regression, to assess the independent relationships of the degree of community collectivization indicators with financial vulnerability indicators, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics. Most FSWs (87%) reported having either one or more financial vulnerability and nearly one-fifth had a high financial vulnerability. The risk of facing financial vulnerability was significantly lower among FSWs with a high degree of perceived collective efficacy (15% vs 31%; AOR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.3-0.5) and collective agency (4% vs 21%; AOR: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.3) as compared to their respective counterparts, after controlling for their individual socio-demographic characteristics. FSWs with a high degree of collective efficacy are also less likely to report different components of financial vulnerability (e.g. income, saving, expenditure, and debt). This study finding suggests that community-led interventions such as improving collectivization are promising strategies to address financial vulnerabilities and a path to a sustainable reduction of HIV risk. This study calls for further evidence-based research and measurement of the effects of community-led approaches in addressing the financial vulnerabilities of the key population at risk for HIV.

Relationship between Community Collectivization and Financial Vulnerability of Female Sex Workers in Southern India

PubMed Central

Patel, Sangram Kishor; Prabhakar, Parimi; Jain, Anrudh Kumar; Saggurti, Niranjan; Adhikary, Rajatashuvra

2016-01-01

Introduction Studies exploring the linkages between financial vulnerabilities and community collectivization of female sex workers (FSWs) are scarce in India despite having potential policy implications. To fill this gap in the literature, this study attempts to understand the financial vulnerabilities among FSWs and assess the relationship between community collectivization and financial vulnerabilities in southern India. Data and Methods Data were drawn from a cross-sectional, behavioral tracking survey (BTS)—2014, conducted among FSWs (N = 2400) in Andhra Pradesh, a southern state of India under the Avahan-India AIDS initiative program. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated through multivariate logistic regression, to assess the independent relationships of the degree of community collectivization indicators with financial vulnerability indicators, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics. Results Most FSWs (87%) reported having either one or more financial vulnerability and nearly one-fifth had a high financial vulnerability. The risk of facing financial vulnerability was significantly lower among FSWs with a high degree of perceived collective efficacy (15% vs 31%; AOR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.3–0.5) and collective agency (4% vs 21%; AOR: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1–0.3) as compared to their respective counterparts, after controlling for their individual socio-demographic characteristics. FSWs with a high degree of collective efficacy are also less likely to report different components of financial vulnerability (e.g. income, saving, expenditure, and debt). Conclusion This study finding suggests that community-led interventions such as improving collectivization are promising strategies to address financial vulnerabilities and a path to a sustainable reduction of HIV risk. This study calls for further evidence-based research and measurement of the effects of community-led approaches in addressing the financial

Applications of polynomial optimization in financial risk investment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Meilan; Fu, Hongwei

2017-09-01

Recently, polynomial optimization has many important applications in optimization, financial economics and eigenvalues of tensor, etc. This paper studies the applications of polynomial optimization in financial risk investment. We consider the standard mean-variance risk measurement model and the mean-variance risk measurement model with transaction costs. We use Lasserre's hierarchy of semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxations to solve the specific cases. The results show that polynomial optimization is effective for some financial optimization problems.

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with source state errors and statistical fluctuation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Cong; Yu, Zong-Wen; Wang, Xiang-Bin

2017-03-01

We show how to calculate the secure final key rate in the four-intensity decoy-state measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution protocol with both source errors and statistical fluctuations with a certain failure probability. Our results rely only on the range of only a few parameters in the source state. All imperfections in this protocol have been taken into consideration without assuming any specific error patterns of the source.

Secure Communication via Key Generation with Quantum Measurement Advantage in the Telecom Band

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-30

II: Summary of Project In this basic research program we proposed to investigate the use of keyed communication in quantum noise as a key generation...implement quantum limited detection in our running-code OCDMA experiment to demonstrate (a) quantum measurement advantage creation between two users, (b...neither is adequate against known-plaintext attacks. This is a serious security problem facing the whole field of quantum cryptography in regard to both

Novel image compression-encryption hybrid algorithm based on key-controlled measurement matrix in compressive sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Nanrun; Zhang, Aidi; Zheng, Fen; Gong, Lihua

2014-10-01

The existing ways to encrypt images based on compressive sensing usually treat the whole measurement matrix as the key, which renders the key too large to distribute and memorize or store. To solve this problem, a new image compression-encryption hybrid algorithm is proposed to realize compression and encryption simultaneously, where the key is easily distributed, stored or memorized. The input image is divided into 4 blocks to compress and encrypt, then the pixels of the two adjacent blocks are exchanged randomly by random matrices. The measurement matrices in compressive sensing are constructed by utilizing the circulant matrices and controlling the original row vectors of the circulant matrices with logistic map. And the random matrices used in random pixel exchanging are bound with the measurement matrices. Simulation results verify the effectiveness, security of the proposed algorithm and the acceptable compression performance.

Metrological challenges for measurements of key climatological observables Part 2: oceanic salinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawlowicz, R.; Feistel, R.; McDougall, T. J.; Ridout, P.; Seitz, S.; Wolf, H.

2016-02-01

Salinity is a key variable in the modelling and observation of ocean circulation and ocean-atmosphere fluxes of heat and water. In this paper, we examine the climatological relevance of ocean salinity, noting fundamental deficiencies in the definition of this key observable, and its lack of a secure foundation in the International System of Units, the SI. The metrological history of salinity is reviewed, problems with its current definitions and measurement practices are analysed, and options for future improvements are discussed in conjunction with the recent seawater standard TEOS-10.

Measuring financial strain in the lives of survivors of intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Hetling, Andrea; Stylianou, Amanda Mathisen; Postmus, Judy L

2015-03-01

Agencies serving survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) often include economic empowerment programs and approaches as a way to assist survivors struggling with avoiding poverty and gaining financial independence. Understanding and addressing the economic needs of IPV survivors are more complex than just knowing their income. Indeed, survivors' ability to manage their finances and any financial stress or strain should also be assessed to fully understand their needs. The Financial Strain Survey (FSS) provides a useful tool for screening and understanding survivors' complex financial needs. Using data from 457 IPV survivors from seven U.S. states and Puerto Rico, the current study evaluates the factor structure, reliability, and validity of using the FSS with IPV survivors. Findings indicate that the FSS is a reliable instrument for use with IPV survivors. The conclusion discusses the FSS as a practical tool for both practice and research with this population. © The Author(s) 2014.

A comment on measuring the Hurst exponent of financial time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Couillard, Michel; Davison, Matt

2005-03-01

A fundamental hypothesis of quantitative finance is that stock price variations are independent and can be modeled using Brownian motion. In recent years, it was proposed to use rescaled range analysis and its characteristic value, the Hurst exponent, to test for independence in financial time series. Theoretically, independent time series should be characterized by a Hurst exponent of 1/2. However, finite Brownian motion data sets will always give a value of the Hurst exponent larger than 1/2 and without an appropriate statistical test such a value can mistakenly be interpreted as evidence of long term memory. We obtain a more precise statistical significance test for the Hurst exponent and apply it to real financial data sets. Our empirical analysis shows no long-term memory in some financial returns, suggesting that Brownian motion cannot be rejected as a model for price dynamics.

Institutional Research: The Key to Successful Enrollment Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clagett, Craig A.

Enrollment management includes the processes and activities that influence the size, shape, and characteristics of a student body by directing institutional efforts in marketing, recruitment, admissions, pricing, and financial aid. Institutional research plays an essential, if not the key, role in enrollment management. This report discusses the…

Diffusion of Defaults Among Financial Institutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demange, Gabrielle

The paper proposes a simple unified model for the diffusion of defaults across financial institutions and presents some measures for evaluating the risk imposed by a bank on the system. So far the standard contagion processes might not incorporate some important features of financial contagion.

Quantifying Risk of Financial Incapacity and Financial Exploitation in Community-dwelling Older Adults: Utility of a Scoring System for the Lichtenberg Financial Decision-making Rating Scale.

PubMed

Lichtenberg, Peter A; Gross, Evan; Ficker, Lisa J

2018-06-08

This work examines the clinical utility of the scoring system for the Lichtenberg Financial Decision-making Rating Scale (LFDRS) and its usefulness for decision making capacity and financial exploitation. Objective 1 was to examine the clinical utility of a person centered, empirically supported, financial decision making scale. Objective 2 was to determine whether the risk-scoring system created for this rating scale is sufficiently accurate for the use of cutoff scores in cases of decisional capacity and cases of suspected financial exploitation. Objective 3 was to examine whether cognitive decline and decisional impairment predicted suspected financial exploitation. Two hundred independently living, non-demented community-dwelling older adults comprised the sample. Participants completed the rating scale and other cognitive measures. Receiver operating characteristic curves were in the good to excellent range for decisional capacity scoring, and in the fair to good range for financial exploitation. Analyses supported the conceptual link between decision making deficits and risk for exploitation, and supported the use of the risk-scoring system in a community-based population. This study adds to the empirical evidence supporting the use of the rating scale as a clinical tool assessing risk for financial decisional impairment and/or financial exploitation.

One-sided measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Wen-Fei; Zhen, Yi-Zheng; Zheng, Yu-Lin; Li, Li; Chen, Zeng-Bing; Liu, Nai-Le; Chen, Kai

2018-01-01

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) protocol was proposed to remove all the detector side channel attacks, while its security relies on the trusted encoding systems. Here we propose a one-sided MDI-QKD (1SMDI-QKD) protocol, which enjoys detection loophole-free advantage, and at the same time weakens the state preparation assumption in MDI-QKD. The 1SMDI-QKD can be regarded as a modified MDI-QKD, in which Bob's encoding system is trusted, while Alice's is uncharacterized. For the practical implementation, we also provide a scheme by utilizing coherent light source with an analytical two decoy state estimation method. Simulation with realistic experimental parameters shows that the protocol has a promising performance, and thus can be applied to practical QKD applications.

76 FR 66339 - Inaugural Roundtable of the Financial Reporting Series Entitled “Uncertainty in Financial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-26

... uncertainty in an accounting measurement is less useful to investors and why a more certain measurement would be preferable. Likewise, provide feedback on those topics where a measurement with uncertainty gives... discussion to consider financial statement measurements (and associated disclosures) that incorporate...

Numerical Activities of Daily Living - Financial (NADL-F): A tool for the assessment of financial capacities.

PubMed

Arcara, Giorgio; Burgio, Francesca; Benavides-Varela, Silvia; Toffano, Roberta; Gindri, Patrizia; Tonini, Elisabetta; Meneghello, Francesca; Semenza, Carlo

2017-09-07

Financial capacity is the ability to manage one's own finances according to self-interests. Failure in financial decisions and lack of independence when dealing with money can affect people's quality of life and are associated with neuropsychological deficits or clinical conditions such as mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. Despite the importance of evaluating financial capacity in the assessment of patients with neuropsychological and psychiatric disorders, only a few tools have been developed. In the present article, the authors introduce the Numerical Activities of Daily Living - Financial (NADL-F) test, a new test to assess financial capacity in clinical populations. The NADL-F is relatively short, yet it encompasses the most common activities involving financial capacities. The NADL-F proved to have satisfactory psychometric properties and overall good validity for measuring financial abilities. Associations with performance on basic neuropsychological tests were investigated, in particular focusing on mathematical abilities as cognitive correlates of financial capacity. Results indicate that the NADL-F could be a useful tool to guide treatments for the enhancement of financial capacities. By sharing all materials and procedures, the authors hope to promote the development of further versions of the NADL-F in different languages, taking into account the necessary adjustments related to different socio-cultural contexts.

Demonstrating the financial impact of clinical libraries: a systematic review.

PubMed

Madden, Anne; Collins, Pamela; McGowan, Sondhaya; Stevenson, Paul; Castelli, David; Hyde, Loree; DeSanto, Kristen; O'Brien, Nancy; Purdon, Michelle; Delgado, Diana

2016-09-01

The purpose of this review is to evaluate the tools used to measure the financial value of libraries in a clinical setting. Searches were carried out on ten databases for the years 2003-2013, with a final search before completion to identify any recent papers. Eleven papers met the final inclusion criteria. There was no evidence of a single 'best practice', and many metrics used to measure financial impact of clinical libraries were developed on an ad hoc basis locally. The most common measures of financial impact were value of time saved, value of resource collection against cost of alternative sources, cost avoidance and revenue generated through assistance on grant submissions. Few papers provided an insight into the longer term impact on the library service resulting from submitting return on investment (ROI) or other financial impact statements. There are limited examples of metrics which clinical libraries can use to measure explicit financial impact. The methods highlighted in this literature review are generally implicit in the measures used and lack robustness. There is a need for future research to develop standardised, validated tools that clinical libraries can use to demonstrate their financial impact. © 2016 Health Libraries Group.

Practical performance of real-time shot-noise measurement in continuous-variable quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tao; Huang, Peng; Zhou, Yingming; Liu, Weiqi; Zeng, Guihua

2018-01-01

In a practical continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) system, real-time shot-noise measurement (RTSNM) is an essential procedure for preventing the eavesdropper exploiting the practical security loopholes. However, the performance of this procedure itself is not analyzed under the real-world condition. Therefore, we indicate the RTSNM practical performance and investigate its effects on the CVQKD system. In particular, due to the finite-size effect, the shot-noise measurement at the receiver's side may decrease the precision of parameter estimation and consequently result in a tight security bound. To mitigate that, we optimize the block size for RTSNM under the ensemble size limitation to maximize the secure key rate. Moreover, the effect of finite dynamics of amplitude modulator in this scheme is studied and its mitigation method is also proposed. Our work indicates the practical performance of RTSNM and provides the real secret key rate under it.

Relationship between hospital financial performance and publicly reported outcomes.

PubMed

Nguyen, Oanh Kieu; Halm, Ethan A; Makam, Anil N

2016-07-01

Hospitals that have robust financial performance may have improved publicly reported outcomes. To assess the relationship between hospital financial performance and publicly reported outcomes of care, and to assess whether improved outcome metrics affect subsequent hospital financial performance. Observational cohort study. Hospital financial data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development in California in 2008 and 2012 were linked to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare website. Hospital financial performance was measured by net revenue by operations, operating margin, and total margin. Outcomes were 30-day risk-standardized mortality and readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), and pneumonia (PNA). Among 279 hospitals, there was no consistent relationship between measures of financial performance in 2008 and publicly reported outcomes from 2008 to 2011 for AMI and PNA. However, improved hospital financial performance (by any of the 3 measures) was associated with a modest increase in CHF mortality rates (ie, 0.26% increase in CHF mortality rate for every 10% increase in operating margin [95% confidence interval: 0.07%-0.45%]). Conversely, there were no significant associations between outcomes from 2008 to 2011 and subsequent financial performance in 2012 (P > 0.05 for all). Robust financial performance is not associated with improved publicly reported outcomes for AMI, CHF, and PNA. Financial incentives in addition to public reporting, such as readmissions penalties, may help motivate hospitals with robust financial performance to further improve publicly reported outcomes. Reassuringly, improved mortality and readmission rates do not necessarily lead to loss of revenue. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:481-488. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Health care financing in Asia: key issues and challenges.

PubMed

Kwon, Soonman

2011-09-01

This article examines the major elements of health care financing such as financial risk protection, resource generation, resource pooling, and purchasing and payment; provides key lessons; and discusses the challenges for health care financing systems of Asian countries. With the exception of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, most health care systems of Asia provide very limited financial risk protection. The role of public prepaid schemes such as tax and social health insurance is minimal, and out-of-pocket payment is a major source of financing. The large informal sector is a major challenge to the extension of population coverage in many low-income countries of Asia, which must seek the optimal mix of tax subsidy and health insurance for universal coverage. Implementation of effective payment systems to control the behavior of health care providers is also a key factor in the success of health care financing reform in Asia.

A method for analyzing the financial viability of a rural provider-based geriatric clinic.

PubMed

McAtee, Robin E; Beverly, Claudia J

2005-01-01

Little is known about the financial impact of rural provider-based geriatric outpatient clinics on their parent hospitals since the implementation of the outpatient prospective payment system. In this study, systems theory was used to develop a methodology for determining the financial viability of one such clinic in a rural hospital using data commonly found in rural hospital financial systems. Formulas were developed to identify the overall financial viability and a case-study model was utilized to test the formulas; however, this hospital did not track a key data element, resulting in an incomplete analysis.

A Review of Howard University's Financial Literacy Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsey-Taliefero, Debby; Kelly, Lynne; Brent, William; Price, Russell

2011-01-01

This article evaluates a financial literacy curriculum at the Howard University (HU) School of Business, by measuring the financial knowledge acquired after participating in a variety of programs. To evaluate the HU curriculum, the National Jump$tart Coalition (NJC) survey was administered to collect data on financial knowledge and demographic…

Systematic Review of Measurement Property Evidence for 8 Financial Management Instruments in Populations With Acquired Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Engel, Lisa; Chui, Adora; Beaton, Dorcas E; Green, Robin E; Dawson, Deirdre R

2018-03-07

To critically appraise the measurement property evidence (ie, psychometric) for 8 observation-based financial management assessment instruments. Seven databases were searched in May 2015. Two reviewers used an independent decision-agreement process to select studies of measurement property evidence relevant to populations with adulthood acquired cognitive impairment, appraise the quality of the evidence, and extract data. Twenty-one articles were selected. This review used the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments review guidelines and 4-point tool to appraise evidence. After appraising the methodologic quality, the adequacy of results and volume of evidence per instrument were synthesized. Measurement property evidence with high risk of bias was excluded from the synthesis. The volume of measurement property evidence per instrument is low; most instruments had 1 to 3 included studies. Many included studies had poor methodologic quality per measurement property evidence area examined. Six of the 8 instruments reviewed had supporting construct validity/hypothesis-testing evidence of fair methodologic quality. There is a dearth of acceptable quality content validity, reliability, and responsiveness evidence for all 8 instruments. Rehabilitation practitioners assess financial management functions in adults with acquired cognitive impairments. However, there is limited published evidence to support using any of the reviewed instruments. Practitioners should exercise caution when interpreting the results of these instruments. This review highlights the importance of appraising the quality of measurement property evidence before examining the adequacy of the results and synthesizing the evidence. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utilizing the Composite Financial Index as Strategic Financial Analysis for Measuring Financial Health and Student Success Rates among Iowa Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humburg, Dawn Ann

2012-01-01

The phrase "survival of the fittest" is coming to fruition in higher education today. Less than strategic financial moves have no place in post-secondary education. Facing the realities of our current economy is dictating major changes in how colleges are "doing business." These changes present enormous challenges to community…

Understanding Financial Statements. Financial Matters. Board Basics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, John H.; Turner, Robert M.

1998-01-01

This booklet for trustees of higher education institutions offers guidelines to help trustees understand the institution's financial statements. Individual sections describe the three major financial statements and cover topics such as: (1) standards of the Financial Accounting Standards Board; (2) the "statement of financial position,"…

Long-distance measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with coherent-state superpositions.

PubMed

Yin, H-L; Cao, W-F; Fu, Y; Tang, Y-L; Liu, Y; Chen, T-Y; Chen, Z-B

2014-09-15

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) with decoy-state method is believed to be securely applied to defeat various hacking attacks in practical quantum key distribution systems. Recently, the coherent-state superpositions (CSS) have emerged as an alternative to single-photon qubits for quantum information processing and metrology. Here, in this Letter, CSS are exploited as the source in MDI-QKD. We present an analytical method that gives two tight formulas to estimate the lower bound of yield and the upper bound of bit error rate. We exploit the standard statistical analysis and Chernoff bound to perform the parameter estimation. Chernoff bound can provide good bounds in the long-distance MDI-QKD. Our results show that with CSS, both the security transmission distance and secure key rate are significantly improved compared with those of the weak coherent states in the finite-data case.

78 FR 24575 - Imposition of Special Measures Against Kassem Rmeiti & Co. for Exchange as a Financial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-25

... and Halawi Exchange Co. as a Financial Institution of Primary Money Laundering Concern, Notice of Finding that Kassem Rmeiti & Co. For Exchange is a Financial Institution of Primary Money Laundering... Exchange as a Financial Institution of Primary Money Laundering Concern AGENCY: Financial Crimes...

What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Guiding principles for the use of financial incentives in health behaviour change.

PubMed

Lynagh, Marita C; Sanson-Fisher, Rob W; Bonevski, Billie

2013-03-01

The use of financial incentives or pay-for-performance programs for health care providers has triggered emerging interest in the use of financial incentives for encouraging health behaviour change. This paper aims to identify key conditions under which the use of financial incentives for improvements in public health outcomes is most likely to be effective and appropriate. We review recent systematic reviews on their effectiveness in changing health behaviour and identify existing moral concerns concerning personal financial incentives. Current evidence indicates that incentives can be effective in driving health behaviour change under certain provisos, while a number of misgivings continue to be deliberated on. We outline a number of key principles for consideration in decisions about the potential use of incentives in leading to public health improvements. These key principles can assist policy makers in making decisions on the use of financial incentives directed at achieving improvements in public health.

Starting a hospital-based home health agency: Part II--Key success factors.

PubMed

Montgomery, P

1993-09-01

In Part II of a three-part series, the financial, technological and legislative issues of a hospital-based home health-agency are discussed. Beginning a home healthcare service requires intensive research to answer key environmental and operational questions--need, competition, financial projections, initial start-up costs and the impact of delayed depreciation. Assessments involving technology, staffing, legislative and regulatory issues can help project service volume, productivity and cost-control.

Accumulated financial strain and women's health over three decades.

PubMed

Shippee, Tetyana Pylypiv; Wilkinson, Lindsay R; Ferraro, Kenneth F

2012-09-01

Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, this research examines how accumulated financial strain affects women's self-rated health in middle and later life. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women (1967-2003), we employ random-coefficient growth curve models to examine whether recurring financial strain influences women's health, above and beyond several measures of objective social status. Predicted probabilities of poor health were estimated by the frequency of financial strain. Financial strain is associated with rapid declines in women's health during middle and later life, especially for those women who reported recurrent strain. Changes in household income and household wealth were also associated with women's health but did not eliminate the effects due to accumulated financial strain. Accumulated financial strain has long-term effects on women's health during middle and later life. The findings demonstrate the importance of measuring life course exposure to stressors in studies of health trajectories.

What are GPs' preferences for financial and non-financial incentives in cancer screening? Evidence for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers.

PubMed

Sicsic, Jonathan; Krucien, Nicolas; Franc, Carine

2016-10-01

General practitioners (GPs) play a key role in the delivery of preventive and screening services for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. In practice, GPs' involvement varies considerably across types of cancer and among GPs, raising important questions about the determinants of GPs' implication in screening activities: what is the relative impact of financial and non-financial incentives? Are GPs' preferences for financial and non-financial incentives cancer-specific? Is there preference heterogeneity and how much does it differ according to the screening context? This study investigates the determinants of GPs' involvement in cancer screening activities using the discrete choice experiment (DCE) methodology. A representative sample of 402 GPs' was recruited in France between March and April 2014. Marginal rates of substitution were used to compare GPs' preferences for being involved in screening activities across three types of cancers: breast, cervical, and colorectal. Variability of preferences was investigated using Hierarchical Bayes mixed logit models. The results indicate that GPs are sensitive to both financial and non-financial incentives, such as a compensated training and systematic transmission of information about screened patients, aimed to facilitate communication between doctors and patients. There is also evidence that the level and variability of preferences differ across screening contexts, although the variations are not statistically significant on average. GPs appear to be relatively more sensitive to financial incentives for being involved in colorectal cancer screening, whereas they have higher and more heterogeneous preferences for non-financial incentives in breast and cervical cancers. Our study provides new findings for policymakers interested in prioritizing levers to increase the supply of cancer screening services in general practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factor analysis of financial and operational performance measures of non-profit hospitals.

PubMed

Das, Dhiman

2009-01-01

To understand the important dimensions of the financial and operational performance of non-profit hospitals. Secondary data for non-profit US hospitals between 1996 and 2004. I use iterative principal factor analysis of hospitals' financial and operational ratios for each year of the study. For factor interpretation, I use oblique rotation. Financial ratios were created using cost report data from HCRIS 2552-96 available from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS). I identify five factors--capital structure, profitability, activity, liquidity, and an operational factor--that explain most of the variation in the performance of non-profit hospitals. I also find that capital structure is more important than profitability in determining the performance of these hospitals. The importance of capital structure highlights a significant shift in the organization of the non-profit hospitals' finances.

Fluctuation behaviors of financial return volatility duration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Hongli; Wang, Jun; Lu, Yunfan

2016-04-01

It is of significantly crucial to understand the return volatility of financial markets because it helps to quantify the investment risk, optimize the portfolio, and provide a key input of option pricing models. The characteristics of isolated high volatility events above certain threshold in price fluctuations and the distributions of return intervals between these events arouse great interest in financial research. In the present work, we introduce a new concept of daily return volatility duration, which is defined as the shortest passage time when the future volatility intensity is above or below the current volatility intensity (without predefining a threshold). The statistical properties of the daily return volatility durations for seven representative stock indices from the world financial markets are investigated. Some useful and interesting empirical results of these volatility duration series about the probability distributions, memory effects and multifractal properties are obtained. These results also show that the proposed stock volatility series analysis is a meaningful and beneficial trial.

Examining alternative measures of social disadvantage among Asian Americans: the relevance of economic opportunity, subjective social status, and financial strain for health.

PubMed

de Castro, A B; Gee, Gilbert C; Takeuchi, David T

2010-10-01

Socioeconomic position is often operationalized as education, occupation, and income. However, these measures may not fully capture the process of socioeconomic disadvantage that may be related to morbidity. Economic opportunity, subjective social status, and financial strain may also place individuals at risk for poor health outcomes. Data come from the Asian subsample of the 2003 National Latino and Asian American Study (n = 2095). Regression models were used to examine the associations between economic opportunity, subjective social status, and financial strain and the outcomes of self-rated health, body mass index, and smoking status. Education, occupation, and income were also investigated as correlates of these outcomes. Low correlations were observed between all measures of socioeconomic status. Economic opportunity was robustly negatively associated with poor self-rated health, higher body mass index, and smoking, followed by financial strain, then subjective social status. Findings show that markers of socioeconomic position beyond education, occupation, and income are related to morbidity among Asian Americans. This suggests that potential contributions of social disadvantage to poor health may be understated if only conventional measures are considered among immigrant and minority populations.

Adolescents' financial literacy: the role of financial socialization agents, financial experiences, and money attitudes in shaping financial literacy among South Korean youth.

PubMed

Sohn, Sang-Hee; Joo, So-Hyun; Grable, John E; Lee, Seonglim; Kim, Minjeung

2012-08-01

The purpose of this study was to test the relationships between financial socialization agents, financial experiences, money attitudes, demographic characteristics, and the financial literacy of Korean adolescents. Using the 2006 Korean National Financial Literacy Test Survey for Adolescents (N = 1185), a series of regression analyses were performed to determine the factors related to financial literacy. It was found that those who chose media as their primary financial socialization agent, and those who had a bank account, exhibited higher levels of financial literacy. Among the sample, those who saw money as good or as a reward for efforts tended to report higher levels of financial literacy, while those perceiving money in terms of avoidance or achievement had lower levels of financial literacy. Students with mid-range monthly allowances showed higher levels of financial literacy compared to the highest allowance group. Implications for financial educators, policy makers, and researchers are provided. Copyright © 2012 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Financial Capability and Sociodemographic Factors among Survivors of Human Trafficking.

PubMed

Okech, David; McGarity, Stephen Vandiver; Hansen, Nathan; Burns, Abigail C; Howard, Waylon

2018-01-01

Improving the economic well-being of the girls and women is a key to reducing re-trafficking and in providing stability that survivors can use to rebuild their lives. The study looks at how various sociodemographic traits affected the financial capability of n = 144 women and girls who received intervention at a residential care facility in Ghana, West Africa. Three domain of financial capability are assessed in this, i.e., financial risk, financial planning, and financial saving. A scaled likelihood ratio test (chi-square difference test) was used to evaluate the significance of each direct covariate effect(%). Each of the overall goodness-of-fit indices suggested that the initial CFA model fit the data well, χ 2 (19, N = 144)  = 31.45, p = 0.04, RMSEA = 0.067 (90% CI: 0.017-0.108), TLI = 0.923, CFI = 0.948. Older women reported lower levels of financial savings than younger women. We found that women with secondary school education or higher reported significantly higher financial risk than women with less education. Women with children reported lower levels of financial saving than women without children. Married women indicated significantly more financial saving than single women. There was a significant negative effect of time spent in trafficking conditions on financial saving, indicating the highest average level of financial savings at intervention and decreased thereafter. Programs and policies in resource-scarce contexts that aim to assist trafficking survivors must go beyond providing psychosocial counseling and focus also on economic development opportunities.

A new perspective on hospital financial ratio analysis.

PubMed

Zeller, T L; Stanko, B B; Cleverley, W O

1997-11-01

Using audit financial data in a study of 2,189 not-for-profit hospitals for the period 1989-1992, six financial characteristics of performance were defined. These characteristics are profitability factor, fixed-asset efficiency, capital structure, fixed-asset age, working capital efficiency, and liquidity. The statistical output also shows the specific sets of financial ratios that can be used to measure the six characteristics of hospital performance. The results of this study can be beneficial to healthcare financial managers, hospital boards, policy groups, and other relevant entities because it affords them a clear understanding of an institution's financial performance.

Realizing the measure-device-independent quantum-key-distribution with passive heralded-single photon sources

PubMed Central

Wang, Qin; Zhou, Xing-Yu; Guo, Guang-Can

2016-01-01

In this paper, we put forward a new approach towards realizing measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with passive heralded single-photon sources. In this approach, both Alice and Bob prepare the parametric down-conversion source, where the heralding photons are labeled according to different types of clicks from the local detectors, and the heralded ones can correspondingly be marked with different tags at the receiver’s side. Then one can obtain four sets of data through using only one-intensity of pump light by observing different kinds of clicks of local detectors. By employing the newest formulae to do parameter estimation, we could achieve very precise prediction for the two-single-photon pulse contribution. Furthermore, by carrying out corresponding numerical simulations, we compare the new method with other practical schemes of measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution. We demonstrate that our new proposed passive scheme can exhibit remarkable improvement over the conventional three-intensity decoy-state measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with either heralded single-photon sources or weak coherent sources. Besides, it does not need intensity modulation and can thus diminish source-error defects existing in several other active decoy-state methods. Therefore, if taking intensity modulating errors into account, our new method will show even more brilliant performance. PMID:27759085

Simulating of the measurement-device independent quantum key distribution with phase randomized general sources

PubMed Central

Wang, Qin; Wang, Xiang-Bin

2014-01-01

We present a model on the simulation of the measurement-device independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) with phase randomized general sources. It can be used to predict experimental observations of a MDI-QKD with linear channel loss, simulating corresponding values for the gains, the error rates in different basis, and also the final key rates. Our model can be applicable to the MDI-QKDs with arbitrary probabilistic mixture of different photon states or using any coding schemes. Therefore, it is useful in characterizing and evaluating the performance of the MDI-QKD protocol, making it a valuable tool in studying the quantum key distributions. PMID:24728000

Hospital financial condition and the quality of patient care.

PubMed

Bazzoli, Gloria J; Chen, Hsueh-Fen; Zhao, Mei; Lindrooth, Richard C

2008-08-01

Concerns about deficiencies in the quality of care delivered in US hospitals grew during a time period when an increasing number of hospitals were experiencing financial problems. Our study examines a six-year longitudinal database of general acute care hospitals in 11 states to assess the relationship between hospital financial condition and quality of care. We evaluate two measures of financial performance: operating margin and a broader profitability measure that encompasses both operating and non-operating sources of income. Our model specification allows for gradual adjustments in quality-enhancing activities and recognizes that current realizations of patient quality may affect future financial performance. Empirical results suggest that there is a relationship between financial performance and quality of care, but not as strong as suggested in earlier research. Overall, our results suggest that deep financial problems that go beyond the patient care side of business may be important to prompting quality problems. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Brazilian exchange rate complexity: Financial crisis effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piqueira, José Roberto C.; Mortoza, Letícia Pelluci D.

2012-04-01

With the financial market globalization, foreign investments became vital for the economies, mainly in emerging countries. In the last decades, Brazilian exchange rates appeared as a good indicator to measure either investors' confidence or risk aversion. Here, some events of global or national financial crisis are analyzed, trying to understand how they influenced the "dollar-real" rate evolution. The theoretical tool to be used is the López-Mancini-Calbet (LMC) complexity measure that, applied to real exchange rate data, has shown good fitness between critical events and measured patterns.

Legal, ethical, and financial dilemmas in electronic health record adoption and use.

PubMed

Sittig, Dean F; Singh, Hardeep

2011-04-01

Electronic health records (EHRs) facilitate several innovations capable of reforming health care. Despite their promise, many currently unanswered legal, ethical, and financial questions threaten the widespread adoption and use of EHRs. Key legal dilemmas that must be addressed in the near-term pertain to the extent of clinicians' responsibilities for reviewing the entire computer-accessible clinical synopsis from multiple clinicians and institutions, the liabilities posed by overriding clinical decision support warnings and alerts, and mechanisms for clinicians to publically report potential EHR safety issues. Ethical dilemmas that need additional discussion relate to opt-out provisions that exclude patients from electronic record storage, sale of deidentified patient data by EHR vendors, adolescent control of access to their data, and use of electronic data repositories to redesign the nation's health care delivery and payment mechanisms on the basis of statistical analyses. Finally, one overwhelming financial question is who should pay for EHR implementation because most users and current owners of these systems will not receive the majority of benefits. The authors recommend that key stakeholders begin discussing these issues in a national forum. These actions can help identify and prioritize solutions to the key legal, ethical, and financial dilemmas discussed, so that widespread, safe, effective, interoperable EHRs can help transform health care.

Creating financial transparency in public health: examining best practices of system partners.

PubMed

Honoré, Peggy A; Clarke, Richard L; Mead, Dean Michael; Menditto, Susan M

2007-01-01

Financial transparency is based on concepts for valid, standardized information that is readily accessible and routinely disseminated to stakeholders. While Congress and others continuously ask for an accounting of public health investments, transparency remains an ignored concept. The objective of this study was to examine financial transparency practices in other industries considered as part of the public health system. Key informants, regarded as financial experts on the operations of hospitals, school systems, and higher education, were a primary source of information. Principal findings were that system partners have espoused some concepts for financial transparency beginning in the early 20th century--signifying an 80-year implementation gap for public health. Critical features that promote accountability included standardized data collection methods and infrastructures, uniform practices for quantitative analysis of financial performance, and credentialing of the financial management workforce. Recommendations are offered on the basis of these findings to aid public health to close this gap by framing a movement toward transparency.

An analysis of the agreement between financial data between the Medicare Cost Report and the audited hospital financial statement.

PubMed

Chen, Li-Wu; Stoner, Julie; Makhanu, Catherine; Minikus, Kathy; Mueller, Keith J

2004-05-01

Very few studies have thoroughly examined the discrepancies between the financial information in the Medicare Cost Report (MCR) and that in the audited hospital financial statement (FS). Furthermore, this type of study has never been conducted for rural hospitals. In this policy brief, we present the findings from our study, which used statistical methods to examine the agreement between the MCR and the FS of a series of financial measures in rural hospitals. The results are expected to inform policy makers of the limitation inherent in using MCR data as the single source of data to examine the financial performance of rural hospitals.

A Security Proof of Measurement Device Independent Quantum Key Distribution: From the View of Information Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fang-Yi; Yin, Zhen-Qiang; Li, Hong-Wei; Chen, Wei; Wang, Shuang; Wen, Hao; Zhao, Yi-Bo; Han, Zheng-Fu

2014-07-01

Although some ideal quantum key distribution protocols have been proved to be secure, there have been some demonstrations that practical quantum key distribution implementations were hacked due to some real-life imperfections. Among these attacks, detector side channel attacks may be the most serious. Recently, a measurement device independent quantum key distribution protocol [Phys. Rev. Lett. 108 (2012) 130503] was proposed and all detector side channel attacks are removed in this scheme. Here a new security proof based on quantum information theory is given. The eavesdropper's information of the sifted key bits is bounded. Then with this bound, the final secure key bit rate can be obtained.

Cross-border Portfolio Investment Networks and Indicators for Financial Crises

PubMed Central

Joseph, Andreas C.; Joseph, Stephan E.; Chen, Guanrong

2014-01-01

Cross-border equity and long-term debt securities portfolio investment networks are analysed from 2002 to 2012, covering the 2008 global financial crisis. They serve as network-proxies for measuring the robustness of the global financial system and the interdependence of financial markets, respectively. Two early-warning indicators for financial crises are identified: First, the algebraic connectivity of the equity securities network, as a measure for structural robustness, drops close to zero already in 2005, while there is an over-representation of high-degree off-shore financial centres among the countries most-related to this observation, suggesting an investigation of such nodes with respect to the structural stability of the global financial system. Second, using a phenomenological model, the edge density of the debt securities network is found to describe, and even forecast, the proliferation of several over-the-counter-traded financial derivatives, most prominently credit default swaps, enabling one to detect potentially dangerous levels of market interdependence and systemic risk. PMID:24510060

Cross-border Portfolio Investment Networks and Indicators for Financial Crises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joseph, Andreas C.; Joseph, Stephan E.; Chen, Guanrong

2014-02-01

Cross-border equity and long-term debt securities portfolio investment networks are analysed from 2002 to 2012, covering the 2008 global financial crisis. They serve as network-proxies for measuring the robustness of the global financial system and the interdependence of financial markets, respectively. Two early-warning indicators for financial crises are identified: First, the algebraic connectivity of the equity securities network, as a measure for structural robustness, drops close to zero already in 2005, while there is an over-representation of high-degree off-shore financial centres among the countries most-related to this observation, suggesting an investigation of such nodes with respect to the structural stability of the global financial system. Second, using a phenomenological model, the edge density of the debt securities network is found to describe, and even forecast, the proliferation of several over-the-counter-traded financial derivatives, most prominently credit default swaps, enabling one to detect potentially dangerous levels of market interdependence and systemic risk.

Cross-border portfolio investment networks and indicators for financial crises.

PubMed

Joseph, Andreas C; Joseph, Stephan E; Chen, Guanrong

2014-02-10

Cross-border equity and long-term debt securities portfolio investment networks are analysed from 2002 to 2012, covering the 2008 global financial crisis. They serve as network-proxies for measuring the robustness of the global financial system and the interdependence of financial markets, respectively. Two early-warning indicators for financial crises are identified: First, the algebraic connectivity of the equity securities network, as a measure for structural robustness, drops close to zero already in 2005, while there is an over-representation of high-degree off-shore financial centres among the countries most-related to this observation, suggesting an investigation of such nodes with respect to the structural stability of the global financial system. Second, using a phenomenological model, the edge density of the debt securities network is found to describe, and even forecast, the proliferation of several over-the-counter-traded financial derivatives, most prominently credit default swaps, enabling one to detect potentially dangerous levels of market interdependence and systemic risk.

Serotonergic Genotypes, Neuroticism, and Financial Choices

PubMed Central

Kuhnen, Camelia M.; Samanez-Larkin, Gregory R.; Knutson, Brian

2013-01-01

Life financial outcomes carry a significant heritable component, but the mechanisms by which genes influence financial choices remain unclear. Focusing on a polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR), we found that individuals possessing the short allele of this gene invested less in equities, were less engaged in actively making investment decisions, and had fewer credit lines. Short allele carriers also showed higher levels of the personality trait neuroticism, despite not differing from others with respect to cognitive skills, education, or wealth. Mediation analysis suggested that the presence of the 5-HTTLPR short allele decreased real life measures of financial risk taking through its influence on neuroticism. These findings show that 5-HTTLPR short allele carriers avoid risky and complex financial choices due to negative emotional reactions, and have implications for understanding and managing individual differences in financial choice. PMID:23382929

Serotonergic genotypes, neuroticism, and financial choices.

PubMed

Kuhnen, Camelia M; Samanez-Larkin, Gregory R; Knutson, Brian

2013-01-01

Life financial outcomes carry a significant heritable component, but the mechanisms by which genes influence financial choices remain unclear. Focusing on a polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR), we found that individuals possessing the short allele of this gene invested less in equities, were less engaged in actively making investment decisions, and had fewer credit lines. Short allele carriers also showed higher levels of the personality trait neuroticism, despite not differing from others with respect to cognitive skills, education, or wealth. Mediation analysis suggested that the presence of the 5-HTTLPR short allele decreased real life measures of financial risk taking through its influence on neuroticism. These findings show that 5-HTTLPR short allele carriers avoid risky and complex financial choices due to negative emotional reactions, and have implications for understanding and managing individual differences in financial choice.

Financial comparisons of fishing gear used in Kenya's coral reef lagoons.

PubMed

Mangi, Stephen C; Roberts, Callum M; Rodwell, Lynda D

2007-12-01

The cost of fishing and the income earned by fishers using small and large traps, gill nets, beach seines, hand lines, and spearguns were assessed in the multigear fishery of southern Kenya to establish a financial rationale for fishing gear use. Direct observations and key-informant interviews with fish leaders and boat captains were used to gather data on fish catch, cost of fishing gear, boats, and the price of fish. Among the fishing gear used, spearguns had the lowest monthly cost (USD 1 mo(-1)) while big traps had the highest (USD 13 mo(-1)). Income was highest among capital cost beach seine fishers (USD 183 mo(-1)) and lowest among noncapital cost beach seine fishers (USD 20 mo(-1)). There was a direct positive correlation between income earned and profitability of gear. Correlation of the financial measure for each gear to four categories of damage to fish and habitats showed that low cost fishing gear were associated with the highest environmental damage indicating a trade-off between cost of gear and environmental health.

Impact of HMO mergers and acquisitions on financial performance.

PubMed

Weech-Maldonado, Robert

2002-01-01

This study examines the effect of health maintenance organization (HMO) mergers and acquisitions on financial performance, as indicated by cash flow returns, profitability ratios, and efficiency indicators. Pooled, cross-sectional files of financial performance data were created for HMO mergers occurring in the period of 1988 to 1994. The study uses a time-series design involving the analysis of pre- and post-acquisition financial performance measured over a period of four years. Change scores for the industry-adjusted financial performance measures were calculated and then evaluated using t-tests. The study showed that HMO mergers had a positive effect on financial performance and efficiency. This effect disappeared, however, after adjusting for HMO industry returns. Potential synergies arising from HMO mergers have been largely illusory. Mergers may have been a result of non-value enhancing motives or management overconfidence.

Financial Performance of Health Insurers: State-Run Versus Federal-Run Exchanges.

PubMed

Hall, Mark A; McCue, Michael J; Palazzolo, Jennifer R

2018-06-01

Many insurers incurred financial losses in individual markets for health insurance during 2014, the first year of Affordable Care Act mandated changes. This analysis looks at key financial ratios of insurers to compare profitability in 2014 and 2013, identify factors driving financial performance, and contrast the financial performance of health insurers operating in state-run exchanges versus the federal exchange. Overall, the median loss of sampled insurers was -3.9%, no greater than their loss in 2013. Reduced administrative costs offset increases in medical losses. Insurers performed better in states with state-run exchanges than insurers in states using the federal exchange in 2014. Medical loss ratios are the underlying driver more than administrative costs in the difference in performance between states with federal versus state-run exchanges. Policy makers looking to improve the financial performance of the individual market should focus on features that differentiate the markets associated with state-run versus federal exchanges.

Financial Indicators in Strategic Decision Making: Recommended Practices for Financial Officers at Small Private Colleges and Universities in the Midwestern United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reissenweber, Beth

2012-01-01

This study explored whether financial leaders and institutional governing boards use financial indicators as a tool to inform decision making, solely as a compliance measurement tool, or not at all. The purpose of this qualitative study was two-fold to: (a) identify the use of financial indicators in strategic decision making, and (b) investigate…

Predicting Financial Distress and Closure in Rural Hospitals.

PubMed

Holmes, George M; Kaufman, Brystana G; Pink, George H

2017-06-01

Annual rates of rural hospital closure have been increasing since 2010, and hospitals that close have poor financial performance relative to those that remain open. This study develops and validates a latent index of financial distress to forecast the probability of financial distress and closure within 2 years for rural hospitals. Hospital and community characteristics are used to predict the risk of financial distress 2 years in the future. Financial and community data were drawn for 2,466 rural hospitals from 2000 through 2013. We tested and validated a model predicting a latent index of financial distress (FDI), measured by unprofitability, equity decline, insolvency, and closure. Using the predicted FDI score, hospitals are assigned to high, medium-high, medium-low, and low risk of financial distress for use by practitioners. The FDI forecasts 8.01% of rural hospitals to be at high risk of financial distress in 2015, 16.3% as mid-high, 46.8% as mid-low, and 28.9% as low risk. The rate of closure for hospitals in the high-risk category is 4 times the rate in the mid-high category and 28 times that in the mid-low category. The ability of the FDI to discriminate hospitals experiencing financial distress is supported by a c-statistic of .74 in a validation sample. This methodology offers improved specificity and predictive power relative to existing measures of financial distress applied to rural hospitals. This risk assessment tool may inform programs at the federal, state, and local levels that provide funding or support to rural hospitals. © 2016 National Rural Health Association.

A Financial Condition Indicator System for School Districts: A Case Study of New York

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ammar, Salwa; Duncombe, William; Jump, Bernard; Wright, Ronald

2005-01-01

State governments are in the midst of one of the most severe fiscal crises of the last half century. The magnitude of the fiscal challenges facing state and local governments highlights the importance of sound fiscal planning and access to key financial indicators. The objective of this article is to develop a financial condition indicator system…

College Students and Financial Distress: Exploring Debt, Financial Satisfaction, and Financial Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archuleta, Kristy L.; Dale, Anita; Spann, Scott M.

2013-01-01

The impact of financial concerns on overall mental health has become a popular topic among researchers and practitioners. In this exploratory study, possible associations of financial anxiety were explored using a sample of 180 college students who sought services at a university peer financial counseling center in a Midwestern state. Of…

Unbiased roughness measurements: the key to better etch performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Andrew; Mack, Chris; Sirard, Stephen; Liang, Chen-wei; Yang, Liu; Jiang, Justin; Shamma, Nader; Wise, Rich; Yu, Jengyi; Hymes, Diane

2018-03-01

Edge placement error (EPE) has become an increasingly critical metric to enable Moore's Law scaling. Stochastic variations, as characterized for lines by line width roughness (LWR) and line edge roughness (LER), are dominant factors in EPE and known to increase with the introduction of EUV lithography. However, despite recommendations from ITRS, NIST, and SEMI standards, the industry has not agreed upon a methodology to quantify these properties. Thus, differing methodologies applied to the same image often result in different roughness measurements and conclusions. To standardize LWR and LER measurements, Fractilia has developed an unbiased measurement that uses a raw unfiltered line scan to subtract out image noise and distortions. By using Fractilia's inverse linescan model (FILM) to guide development, we will highlight the key influences of roughness metrology on plasma-based resist smoothing processes. Test wafers were deposited to represent a 5 nm node EUV logic stack. The patterning stack consists of a core Si target layer with spin-on carbon (SOC) as the hardmask and spin-on glass (SOG) as the cap. Next, these wafers were exposed through an ASML NXE 3350B EUV scanner with an advanced chemically amplified resist (CAR). Afterwards, these wafers were etched through a variety of plasma-based resist smoothing techniques using a Lam Kiyo conductor etch system. Dense line and space patterns on the etched samples were imaged through advanced Hitachi CDSEMs and the LER and LWR were measured through both Fractilia and an industry standard roughness measurement software. By employing Fractilia to guide plasma-based etch development, we demonstrate that Fractilia produces accurate roughness measurements on resist in contrast to an industry standard measurement software. These results highlight the importance of subtracting out SEM image noise to obtain quicker developmental cycle times and lower target layer roughness.

Quantifying complexity of financial short-term time series by composite multiscale entropy measure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Hongli; Wang, Jun

2015-05-01

It is significant to study the complexity of financial time series since the financial market is a complex evolved dynamic system. Multiscale entropy is a prevailing method used to quantify the complexity of a time series. Due to its less reliability of entropy estimation for short-term time series at large time scales, a modification method, the composite multiscale entropy, is applied to the financial market. To qualify its effectiveness, its applications in the synthetic white noise and 1 / f noise with different data lengths are reproduced first in the present paper. Then it is introduced for the first time to make a reliability test with two Chinese stock indices. After conducting on short-time return series, the CMSE method shows the advantages in reducing deviations of entropy estimation and demonstrates more stable and reliable results when compared with the conventional MSE algorithm. Finally, the composite multiscale entropy of six important stock indices from the world financial markets is investigated, and some useful and interesting empirical results are obtained.

Continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution: Composable security against coherent attacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lupo, Cosmo; Ottaviani, Carlo; Papanastasiou, Panagiotis; Pirandola, Stefano

2018-05-01

We present a rigorous security analysis of continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (CV MDI QKD) in a finite-size scenario. The security proof is obtained in two steps: by first assessing the security against collective Gaussian attacks, and then extending to the most general class of coherent attacks via the Gaussian de Finetti reduction. Our result combines recent state-of-the-art security proofs for CV QKD with findings about min-entropy calculus and parameter estimation. In doing so, we improve the finite-size estimate of the secret key rate. Our conclusions confirm that CV MDI protocols allow for high rates on the metropolitan scale, and may achieve a nonzero secret key rate against the most general class of coherent attacks after 107-109 quantum signal transmissions, depending on loss and noise, and on the required level of security.

Learning Context When Studying Financial Planning in High Schools: Nesting of Student, Teacher, and Classroom Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danes, Sharon M.; Rodriguez, Michael C.; Brewton, Katherine E.

2013-01-01

Grounded in social construction theory, the current study investigates the learning context when studying financial planning in high school by analyzing the nesting of student, teacher and classroom characteristics. Key findings were that three student characteristics (initial financial knowledge, gender, senior grade level), one teacher variable…

Financial Coaching's Potential for Enhancing Family Financial Security

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, J. Michael; Olive, Peggy; O'Rourke, Collin M.

2013-01-01

Financial coaching is an emerging complement to financial education and counseling. As defined in this article, financial coaching is a process whereby participants set goals, commit to taking certain actions by specific dates, and are then held accountable by the coach. In this way, financial coaching is designed to help participants bridge the…

Cohesiveness in Financial News and its Relation to Market Volatility

PubMed Central

Piškorec, Matija; Antulov-Fantulin, Nino; Novak, Petra Kralj; Mozetič, Igor; Grčar, Miha; Vodenska, Irena; Šmuc, Tomislav

2014-01-01

Motivated by recent financial crises, significant research efforts have been put into studying contagion effects and herding behaviour in financial markets. Much less has been said regarding the influence of financial news on financial markets. We propose a novel measure of collective behaviour based on financial news on the Web, the News Cohesiveness Index (NCI), and we demonstrate that the index can be used as a financial market volatility indicator. We evaluate the NCI using financial documents from large Web news sources on a daily basis from October 2011 to July 2013 and analyse the interplay between financial markets and finance-related news. We hypothesise that strong cohesion in financial news reflects movements in the financial markets. Our results indicate that cohesiveness in financial news is highly correlated with and driven by volatility in financial markets. PMID:24849598

Financial preconditions for successful community initiatives for the uninsured.

PubMed

Song, Paula H; Smith, Dean G

2007-01-01

Community-based initiatives are increasingly being implemented as a strategy to address the health needs of the community, with a growing body of evidence on successes of various initiatives. This study addresses financial status indicators (preconditions) that might predict where community-based initiatives might have a better chance for success. We evaluated five community-based initiatives funded by the Communities in Charge (CIC) program sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These initiatives focus on increasing access by easing financial barriers to care for the uninsured. At each site, we collected information on financial status indicators and interviewed key personnel from health services delivery and financing organizations. With full acknowledgment of the caveats associated with generalizations based on a small number of observations, we suggest four financial preconditions associated with successful initiation of CIC programs: (1) uncompensated care levels that negatively affect profitability, (2) reasonable financial stability of providers, (3) stable health insurance market, and (4) the potential to create new sources of funding. In general, sites that demonstrate successful program initiation are financially stressed enough by uncompensated care to gain the attention of local healthcare providers. However, they are not so strained and so concerned about revenue sources that they cannot afford to participate in the initiative. In addition to political and managerial indicators, we suggest that planning for community-based initiatives should include financial indicators of current health services delivery and financing organizations and consideration of whether they meet preconditions for success.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 2016 Annual Financial Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, Kim, P.; Williams, Kim, P.

and remain cost-competitive. Through a comprehensive approach to prioritize competing needs, the Lab ended the year in a favorable financial position. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) played a key role in providing analysis and decision support to Executive Leadership, enabling the Lab to enhance its financial management strategies. In FY2016, the OCFO updated its analytic approaches and models to enhance long term financial projections under various funding and investment scenarios, and to assess total cost of ownership for major proposed investments. These improvements provided the new Lab Director and Senior Leadership with more comprehensive information and analytic support for planning and prioritization efforts. Within the OCFO, we focused on core operations and key initiatives defined in our OCFO Strategic Roadmap. The Lab’s Financial System transitioned from stabilization to optimization, with a focus on expanding the financial reporting capabilities considerably. We completed implementation of the eCommerce platform, achieving a notable outcome for the Lab in close partnership with DOE’s Office of Science. In other accomplishments, we launched a financial literacy program to enable Lab managers and staff to understand and execute their financial management and stewardship responsibilities more effectively; made substantial progress in enhancing our Field Finance model that provides financial support to client divisions and areas; developed a business process governance model to define OCFO business processes, clarify roles, and strengthen service delivery; and implemented a Partners in Leadership training program to build leadership capacity among our staff. We completed a ‘refresh’ of our Strategic Roadmap, which now defines our priorities for FY2017-FY2019. As a part of this effort, we made a subtle but important change to the OCFO mission statement to call out the Lab’s research and stewardship mission to sustain the Lab�

Financial Preparation for Retirement in Brazil: a Cross-Cultural Test of the Interdisciplinary Financial Planning Model.

PubMed

França, Lucia H F; Hershey, Douglas A

2018-03-01

In this investigation, we attempt to replicate the Interdisciplinary Financial Planning Model advanced by Hershey et al. (International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 70, 1-38, 2010) using a sample of Brazilian adults. This model, which was originally tested on individuals from The Netherlands and the United States, posits that psychological, social, and economic forces are key determinants of retirement planning practices and perceptions of saving adequacy. Taken together, fifteen hypotheses were subject to evaluation. Participants were 167 Brazilian working adults, 21-69 years of age, who were married or cohabitating at the time of testing. A path analysis model showed substantial support for the theoretical framework, with all variables found to contribute directly or indirectly to the prediction of financial planning and saving adequacy. Furthermore, two new paths were found to emerge in the Brazilian model that were not observed in the original investigation. This cross-national replication of the Interdisciplinary Financial Planning Model extends research on the topic to a developing country in which relatively few empirical studies of retirement planning have been carried out. Other analyses in the article focus on direct comparisons between the Brazilian model and the models developed based on American and Dutch respondents, with an eye toward better understanding how cultural forces shape the retirement planning process. The discussion focuses on how models of financial planning, such as the Hershey et al. (2010) model, can inform the development of savings-oriented education and intervention programs.

Characteristics of people dying by suicide after job loss, financial difficulties and other economic stressors during a period of recession (2010-2011): A review of coroners׳ records.

PubMed

Coope, Caroline; Donovan, Jenny; Wilson, Caroline; Barnes, Maria; Metcalfe, Chris; Hollingworth, William; Kapur, Nav; Hawton, Keith; Gunnell, David

2015-09-01

Suicide rates increase during periods of economic recession, but little is known about the characteristics of people whose deaths are related to recession, the timing of risk in relation to job loss, the nature of financial stresses and the sources of help individuals used. We extracted information on social and economic circumstances, mental health and help-seeking from the coroners׳ records of 286 people who died by suicide in 2010 and 2011 in four areas of England. We graded each death on a 5-point scale of 'recession-relatedness', measuring the extent to which recession, employment and financial problems contributed to the death. Financial and employment-related issues contributed substantially to 38 (13%) of the deaths and were thought to be the key contributing factor in 11 (4%). Individuals whose deaths were thought to be related to the recession were less likely to have previously self-harmed but were more likely to be employed (61% vs. 43%), have financial difficulties (76% vs. 23%) and financial dependents (55% vs. 23%). Amongst the subset of 11 people where financial/employment issues were the key contributory factor, only two (18%) had ever had contact with psychiatric services. Details on finances and employment were not systematically recorded by coroners. We found richer information was usually available for people who were living with other people. Financial difficulties, little past psychiatric history, low levels of service contact and having financial dependents were more common in 'recession-related' deaths. This suggests that interventions to prevent recession-related rises in suicide should be focused on non-clinical agencies and initiatives. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Financial Management: A Growing Concern for Child Nutrition Program Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cater, Jerry B.; Mann, Nadine; Conklin, Martha

1999-01-01

A study of revenue-generation and cost-control measures currently employed at four school districts operating financially successful child-nutrition programs disclosed the importance of student participation to each program's financial integrity. Financial reports, productivity monitoring, and procurement plans to curb food costs were also…

Complexity multiscale asynchrony measure and behavior for interacting financial dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Ge; Wang, Jun; Niu, Hongli

2016-08-01

A stochastic financial price process is proposed and investigated by the finite-range multitype contact dynamical system, in an attempt to study the nonlinear behaviors of real asset markets. The viruses spreading process in a finite-range multitype system is used to imitate the interacting behaviors of diverse investment attitudes in a financial market, and the empirical research on descriptive statistics and autocorrelation behaviors of return time series is performed for different values of propagation rates. Then the multiscale entropy analysis is adopted to study several different shuffled return series, including the original return series, the corresponding reversal series, the random shuffled series, the volatility shuffled series and the Zipf-type shuffled series. Furthermore, we propose and compare the multiscale cross-sample entropy and its modification algorithm called composite multiscale cross-sample entropy. We apply them to study the asynchrony of pairs of time series under different time scales.

Adolescents' Financial Literacy: The Role of Financial Socialization Agents, Financial Experiences, and Money Attitudes in Shaping Financial Literacy among South Korean Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sohn, Sang-Hee; Joo, So-Hyun; Grable, John E.; Lee, Seonglim; Kim, Minjeung

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test the relationships between financial socialization agents, financial experiences, money attitudes, demographic characteristics, and the financial literacy of Korean adolescents. Using the 2006 Korean National Financial Literacy Test Survey for Adolescents (N = 1185), a series of regression analyses were…

Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution Over a 404 km Optical Fiber.

PubMed

Yin, Hua-Lei; Chen, Teng-Yun; Yu, Zong-Wen; Liu, Hui; You, Li-Xing; Zhou, Yi-Heng; Chen, Si-Jing; Mao, Yingqiu; Huang, Ming-Qi; Zhang, Wei-Jun; Chen, Hao; Li, Ming Jun; Nolan, Daniel; Zhou, Fei; Jiang, Xiao; Wang, Zhen; Zhang, Qiang; Wang, Xiang-Bin; Pan, Jian-Wei

2016-11-04

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDIQKD) with the decoy-state method negates security threats of both the imperfect single-photon source and detection losses. Lengthening the distance and improving the key rate of quantum key distribution (QKD) are vital issues in practical applications of QKD. Herein, we report the results of MDIQKD over 404 km of ultralow-loss optical fiber and 311 km of a standard optical fiber while employing an optimized four-intensity decoy-state method. This record-breaking implementation of the MDIQKD method not only provides a new distance record for both MDIQKD and all types of QKD systems but also, more significantly, achieves a distance that the traditional Bennett-Brassard 1984 QKD would not be able to achieve with the same detection devices even with ideal single-photon sources. This work represents a significant step toward proving and developing feasible long-distance QKD.

Measuring Patients' Experience of Rehabilitation Services Across the Care Continuum. Part II: Key Dimensions.

PubMed

McMurray, Josephine; McNeil, Heather; Lafortune, Claire; Black, Samantha; Prorok, Jeanette; Stolee, Paul

2016-01-01

To identify key dimensions of patients' experience across the rehabilitative care system and to recommend a framework to develop survey items that measure the rehabilitative care experience. Data were sourced from a literature review that searched MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL (Ebsco), and PsycINFO (APA PsycNET) databases from 2004 to 2014, the reference lists of the final accepted articles, and hand searches of relevant journals. Four reviewers performed the screening process on 2472 articles; 33 were included for analysis. Interrater reliability was confirmed through 2 rounds of title review and 1 round of abstract review, with an average κ score of .69. The final sample of 33 accepted articles was imported into a qualitative data analysis software application. Multiple levels of coding and a constant comparative methodology generated 6 themes. There were 502 discreet survey questions measuring patient experience that were categorized using the following dimensions: rehabilitative care ecosystem, client and informal caregiver engagement, patient and health care provider relation, pain and functional status, group and individual identity, and open ended. The most common survey questions examine the care delivery ecosystem (37%), the engagement of clients and their informal caregivers (24.9%), and the quality of relations between providers and patients (21.7%). Examination of patient's functional status and management of pain yielded (15.3%) of the instruments' questions. Currently available instruments and questions that measure patients' experience in rehabilitative care are unable to assess the performance of rehabilitative delivery systems that aspire to integrate care across the continuum. However, question panels derived from our 6 key themes may measure the key concepts that define rehabilitative care and facilitate measurement of patient experience at the system level. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc

A financial planning model for estimating hospital debt capacity.

PubMed Central

Hopkins, D S; Heath, D; Levin, P J

1982-01-01

A computer-based financial planning model was formulated to measure the impact of a major capital improvement project on the fiscal health of Stanford University Hospital. The model had to be responsive to many variables and easy to use, so as to allow for the testing of numerous alternatives. Special efforts were made to identify the key variables that needed to be presented in the model and to include all known links between capital investment, debt, and hospital operating expenses. Growth in the number of patient days of care was singled out as a major source of uncertainty that would have profound effects on the hospital's finances. Therefore this variable was subjected to special scrutiny in terms of efforts to gauge expected demographic trends and market forces. In addition, alternative base runs of the model were made under three distinct patient-demand assumptions. Use of the model enabled planners at the Stanford University Hospital (a) to determine that a proposed modernization plan was financially feasible under a reasonable (that is, not unduly optimistic) set of assumptions and (b) to examine the major sources of risk. Other than patient demand, these sources were found to be gross revenues per patient, operating costs, and future limitations on government reimbursement programs. When the likely financial consequences of these risks were estimated, both separately and in combination, it was determined that even if two or more assumptions took a somewhat more negative turn than was expected, the hospital would be able to offset adverse consequences by a relatively minor reduction in operating costs. PMID:7111658

Computational methods in the pricing and risk management of modern financial derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deutsch, Hans-Peter

1999-09-01

In the last 20 years modern finance has developed into a complex mathematically challenging field. Very complicated risks exist in financial markets which need very advanced methods to measure and/or model them. The financial instruments invented by the market participants to trade these risk, the so called derivatives are usually even more complicated than the risks themselves and also sometimes generate new riks. Topics like random walks, stochastic differential equations, martingale measures, time series analysis, implied correlations, etc. are of common use in the field. This is why more and more people with a science background, such as physicists, mathematicians, or computer scientists, are entering the field of finance. The measurement and management of all theses risks is the key to the continuing success of banks. This talk gives insight into today's common methods of modern market risk management such as variance-covariance, historical simulation, Monte Carlo, “Greek” ratios, etc., including the statistical concepts on which they are based. Derivatives are at the same time the main reason for and the most effective means of conducting risk management. As such, they stand at the beginning and end of risk management. The valuation of derivatives and structured financial instruments is therefore the prerequisite, the condition sine qua non, for all risk management. This talk introduces some of the important valuation methods used in modern derivatives pricing such as present value, Black-Scholes, binomial trees, Monte Carlo, etc. In summary this talk highlights an area outside physics where there is a lot of interesting work to do, especially for physicists. Or as one of our consultants said: The fascinating thing about this job is that Arthur Andersen hired me not ALTHOUGH I am a physicist but BECAUSE I am a physicist.

The Convergence between Self-reports and Observer Ratings of Financial Skills and Direct Assessment of Financial Capabilities in Patients with Schizophrenia: More Detail is Not Always Better

PubMed Central

Harvey, Philip D.; Stone, Laura; Lowenstein, David; Czaja, Sara J.; Heaton, Robert K.; Patterson, Thomas L

2013-01-01

Despite multiple lines of evidence suggesting that people with schizophrenia tend to overestimate their ability to perform everyday tasks such as money management, self-report methods are still widely used to assess functioning. In today’s technology driven financial world patients are faced with increasingly complex financial management tasks. To meet these challenges adequate financial skills are required. Thus, accurate assessments of these abilities are critical to decisions regarding a patient’s need for support such as a financial trustee. As part of the larger VALERO study, 195 patients with schizophrenia were asked to self-report their everyday financial skills (five common financial tasks) with the Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS). They were also assessed with performance-based measures of neuro-cognition and functional capacity with a focus on financial skills. In addition, a friend, relative, or clinician informant was interviewed with the ILSS and a best estimate rating of functioning was generated. Scores on the performance-based measures of financial skills and neuropsychological tests were uncorrelated with self-reported financial activities. Interviewer and all informant judgments of financial abilities were also minimally correlated with performance on functional skills tests. Discrete financial skills appear to be challenging for clinicians to rate with accuracy without the use of direct assessments. Direct assessment of financial skills seems prudent when making determinations about the need for guardianship or other financial supervision. PMID:23537475

Pilot Feasibility Study of an Oncology Financial Navigation Program.

PubMed

Shankaran, Veena; Leahy, Tony; Steelquist, Jordan; Watabayashi, Kate; Linden, Hannah; Ramsey, Scott; Schwartz, Naomi; Kreizenbeck, Karma; Nelson, Judy; Balch, Alan; Singleton, Erin; Gallagher, Kathleen; Overstreet, Karen

2018-02-01

Few studies have reported on interventions to alleviate financial toxicity in patients with cancer. We developed a financial navigation program in collaboration with our partners, Consumer Education and Training Services (CENTS) and Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), to improve patient knowledge about treatment costs, provide financial counseling, and to help manage out-of-pocket expenses. We conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility and impact of this program. Patients with cancer received a financial education course followed by monthly contact with a CENTS financial counselor and a PAF case manager for 6 months. We measured program adherence, self-reported financial burden and anxiety, program satisfaction, and type of assistance provided. Thirty-four patients (median age, 60.5 years) were consented (85% white and 50% commercially insured). Debt, income declines, and loans were reported by 55%, 55%, and 30% of patients, respectively. CENTS counselors assisted most often with budgeting, retirement planning, and medical bill questions. PAF case managers assisted with applications for appropriate insurance coverage, cost of living issues (eg, housing, transportation), and disability applications. High financial burden and anxiety about costs (4 or 5 on a Likert scale) were reported at baseline by 37% and 47% of patients, respectively. Anxiety about costs decreased over time in 33% of patients, whereas self-reported financial burden did not substantially change. Implementing an oncology financial navigation program is feasible, provides concrete assistance in navigating the cost of care, and mitigates anxiety about costs in a subset of patients. Future work will focus on measuring the program's impact on financial and clinical outcomes.

Financial risk of the biotech industry versus the pharmaceutical industry.

PubMed

Golec, Joseph; Vernon, John A

2009-01-01

The biotech industry now accounts for a substantial and growing proportion of total R&D spending on new medicines. However, compared with the pharmaceutical industry, the biotech industry is financially fragile. This article illustrates the financial fragility of the biotech and pharmaceutical industries in the US and the implications of this fragility for the effects that government regulation could have on biotech firms. Graphical analysis and statistical tests were used to show how the biotech industry differs from the pharmaceutical industry. The two industries' characteristics were measured and compared, along with various measures of firms' financial risk and sensitivity to government regulation. Data from firms' financial statements provided accounting-based measures and firms' stock returns applied to a multifactor asset pricing model provided financial market measures. The biotech industry was by far the most research-intensive industry in the US, averaging 38% R&D intensity (ratio of R&D spending to total firm assets) over the past 25 years, compared with an average of 25% for the pharmaceutical industry and 3% for all other industries. Biotech firms exhibited lower and more volatile profits and higher market-related and size-related risk, and they suffered more negative stock returns in response to threatened government price regulation. Biotech firms' financial risks increase their costs of capital and make them more sensitive to government regulations that affect their financial prospects. As biotech products grow to represent a larger share of new medicines, general stock market conditions and government regulations could have a greater impact on the level of innovation of new medicines.

Free-space measurement-device-independent quantum-key-distribution protocol using decoy states with orbital angular momentum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Le; Zhao, Sheng-Mei; Gong, Long-Yan; Cheng, Wei-Wen

2015-12-01

In this paper, we propose a measurement-device-independent quantum-key-distribution (MDI-QKD) protocol using orbital angular momentum (OAM) in free space links, named the OAM-MDI-QKD protocol. In the proposed protocol, the OAM states of photons, instead of polarization states, are used as the information carriers to avoid the reference frame alignment, the decoy-state is adopted to overcome the security loophole caused by the weak coherent pulse source, and the high efficient OAM-sorter is adopted as the measurement tool for Charlie to obtain the output OAM state. Here, Charlie may be an untrusted third party. The results show that the authorized users, Alice and Bob, could distill a secret key with Charlie’s successful measurements, and the key generation performance is slightly better than that of the polarization-based MDI-QKD protocol in the two-dimensional OAM cases. Simultaneously, Alice and Bob can reduce the number of flipping the bits in the secure key distillation. It is indicated that a higher key generation rate performance could be obtained by a high dimensional OAM-MDI-QKD protocol because of the unlimited degree of freedom on OAM states. Moreover, the results show that the key generation rate and the transmission distance will decrease as the growth of the strength of atmospheric turbulence (AT) and the link attenuation. In addition, the decoy states used in the proposed protocol can get a considerable good performance without the need for an ideal source. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61271238 and 61475075), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20123223110003), the Natural Science Research Foundation for Universities of Jiangsu Province of China (Grant No. 11KJA510002), the Open Research Fund of Key Laboratory of Broadband Wireless Communication and Sensor Network Technology, Ministry of Education, China (Grant No. NYKL2015011), and the

Renewable Energy Project Financing: Impacts of the Financial Crisis and Federal Legislation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schwabe, P.; Cory, K.; Newcomb, J.

2009-07-01

Extraordinary financial market conditions have disrupted the flows of equity and debt investment into U.S. renewable energy (RE) projects since the fourth quarter of 2008. The pace and structure of renewable energy project finance has been reshaped by a combination of forces, including the financial crisis, global economic recession, and major changes in federal legislation affecting renewable energy finance. This report explores the impacts of these key market events on renewable energy project financing and development.

Financial Aid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graves, Mary A.

This workbook assists college and vocational school bound American Indian students in determining their financial needs and in locating sources of financial aid. A checklist helps students assess the state of their knowledge of financial programs; a glossary defines terms pertinent to the realm of financial aid (i.e., graduate study programs,…

The Development, Evaluation, and Validation of a Financial Stress Scale for Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northern, Jebediah J.; O'Brien, William H.; Goetz, Paul W.

2010-01-01

Financial stress is commonly experienced among college students and is associated with adverse academic, mental health, and physical health outcomes. Surprisingly, no validated measures of financial stress have been developed for undergraduate populations. The present study was conducted to generate and evaluate a measure of financial stress for…

Danish Universities in the Financial Crisis: Change and Trust

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milthers, Pernille Meyn

2011-01-01

Universities have always been important to national economies, but since the financial crisis of 2007-08 they have become key economic actors. Because they supply highly skilled labour and undertake basic research that enable nations to engage in global competition, they are capable of boosting production and innovation. This article explores the…

Measuring financial well-being in cancer prevention research: Results from the Money-Health Connection Study

Cancer.gov

Dr. Reginald Tucker-Seeley joined the faculty at the University of Southern California (USC) Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in June 2017. Prior to joining USC, Dr. Tucker-Seeley was an Assistant Professor at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH). He completed master and doctoral degrees at HSPH and a postdoctoral fellowship in cancer prevention and control at HSPH and DFCI. Dr. Tucker-Seeley’s research focuses primarily on social determinants of health, such as the association between the neighborhood environment and health behavior; and on individual-level socioeconomic determinants of multi-morbidity, mortality, self-rated health, and health self-efficacy. His current work focuses on financial well-being across the cancer continuum, from prevention to end-of-life care. He has received R21 and K01 grants from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop measures of financial well-being at two points along the cancer continuum: prevention and following diagnosis. He was also funded by the Academy Health/Aetna Foundation Scholars in Residence Fellowship Program to develop measures of neighborhood economic well-being. Dr. Tucker-Seeley’s research has been published in journals such as the American Journal of Public Health, Preventive Medicine, Journal of National Cancer Institute, Cancer Causes and Control, and the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Tucker-Seeley is also committed to community service that targets the elimination of health disparities. He served for three years on the Rhode Island Commission for Health Advocacy and Equity. Based on his experience on this Commission, Dr. Tucker-Seeley developed a new course at HSPH called “Measuring and Reporting Health Disparities;” and in 2016, he received the HSPH teaching award for this course.

Examining Financial Literacy among Transfer and Nontransfer Students: Predicting Financial Well-Being and Academic Success at a Four-Year University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starobin, Soko S.; Hagedorn, Linda Serra; Purnamasari, Agustina; Chen, Yu

2013-01-01

This study analyzes the data collected through the Financial Literacy project conducted in the fall semester of 2010 at a land grant research university in the Midwest. A survey instrument, which includes 43 items that measure constructs such as parental influence, financial knowledge and behaviors, and working experience of students while…

The convergence between self-reports and observer ratings of financial skills and direct assessment of financial capabilities in patients with schizophrenia: more detail is not always better.

PubMed

Harvey, Philip D; Stone, Laura; Lowenstein, David; Czaja, Sara J; Heaton, Robert K; Twamley, Elizabeth W; Patterson, Thomas L

2013-06-01

Despite multiple lines of evidence suggesting that people with schizophrenia tend to overestimate their ability to perform everyday tasks such as money management, self-report methods are still widely used to assess functioning. In today's technology driven financial world patients are faced with increasingly complex financial management tasks. To meet these challenges adequate financial skills are required. Thus, accurate assessments of these abilities are critical to decisions regarding a patient's need for support such as a financial trustee. As part of the larger VALERO study, 195 patients with schizophrenia were asked to self-report their everyday financial skills (five common financial tasks) with the Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS). They were also assessed with performance-based measures of neuro-cognition and functional capacity with a focus on financial skills. In addition, a friend, relative, or clinician informant was interviewed with the ILSS and a best estimate rating of functioning was generated. Scores on the performance-based measures of financial skills and neuropsychological tests were uncorrelated with self-reported financial activities. Interviewer and all informant judgments of financial abilities were also minimally correlated with performance on functional skill tests. Discrete financial skills appear to be challenging for clinicians to rate with accuracy without the use of direct assessments. Direct assessment of financial skills seems prudent when making determinations about the need for guardianship or other financial supervision. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Financial Health Indicators: An Analysis Of Financial Statement Information To Determine The Financial Health Of DOD Contractors

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

STATEMENT INFORMATION TO DETERMINE THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF DOD CONTRACTORS December 2016 By: Timothy J. Grant Tony L. Ingram Darnell D...AND SUBTITLE FINANCIAL HEALTH INDICATORS: AN ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENT INFORMATION TO DETERMINE THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF DOD CONTRACTORS 5...government contracting officers must be able to determine the financial health of prospective contractors . In fact, according to the Federal Acquisition

The Intersection of Financial Exploitation and Financial Capacity

PubMed Central

Lichtenberg, P.A.

2016-01-01

Research in the past decade has documented that financial exploitation of older adults has become a major problem and Psychology is only recently increasing its presence in efforts to reduce exploitation. During the same time period, Psychology has been a leader in setting best practices for the assessment of diminished capacity in older adults culminating in the 2008 ABA/APA joint publication on a handbook for psychologists. Assessment of financial decision making capacity is often the cornerstone assessment needed in cases of financial exploitation. This paper will examine the intersection of financial exploitation and decision making capacity; introduce a new conceptual model and new tools for both the investigation and prevention of financial exploitation. PMID:27159438

Finite-size analysis of continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xueying; Zhang, Yichen; Zhao, Yijia; Wang, Xiangyu; Yu, Song; Guo, Hong

2017-10-01

We study the impact of the finite-size effect on the continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (CV-MDI QKD) protocol, mainly considering the finite-size effect on the parameter estimation procedure. The central-limit theorem and maximum likelihood estimation theorem are used to estimate the parameters. We also analyze the relationship between the number of exchanged signals and the optimal modulation variance in the protocol. It is proved that when Charlie's position is close to Bob, the CV-MDI QKD protocol has the farthest transmission distance in the finite-size scenario. Finally, we discuss the impact of finite-size effects related to the practical detection in the CV-MDI QKD protocol. The overall results indicate that the finite-size effect has a great influence on the secret-key rate of the CV-MDI QKD protocol and should not be ignored.

Factors associated with variation in financial condition among voluntary hospitals.

PubMed Central

Brecher, C; Nesbitt, S

1985-01-01

This article uses multiple regression analysis to identify factors which affect variations in the financial condition of voluntary hospitals in New York State. Six separate ratios are used to measure financial condition and 18 independent variables are considered. The factors affecting financial conditions were found to vary among dimensions of financial health, and different causal relationships were evident among hospitals in New York City than among those in the rest of the state. PMID:4019212

Conceptual and Empirical Approaches to Financial Decision-making by Older Adults: Results from a Financial Decision-making Rating Scale.

PubMed

Lichtenberg, Peter A; Ocepek-Welikson, Katja; Ficker, Lisa J; Gross, Evan; Rahman-Filipiak, Analise; Teresi, Jeanne A

2018-01-01

The objectives of this study were threefold: (1) to empirically test the conceptual model proposed by the Lichtenberg Financial Decision-making Rating Scale (LFDRS); (2) to examine the psychometric properties of the LFDRS contextual factors in financial decision-making by investigating both the reliability and convergent validity of the subscales and total scale, and (3) extending previous work on the scale through the collection of normative data on financial decision-making. A convenience sample of 200 independent function and community dwelling older adults underwent cognitive and financial management testing and were interviewed using the LFDRS. Confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency measures, and hierarchical regression were used in a sample of 200 community-dwelling older adults, all of whom were making or had recently made a significant financial decision. Results confirmed the scale's reliability and supported the conceptual model. Convergent validity analyses indicate that as hypothesized, cognition is a significant predictor of risk scores. Financial management scores, however, were not predictive of decision-making risk scores. The psychometric properties of the LFDRS support the scale's use as it was proposed. The LFDRS instructions and scale are provided for clinicians to use in financial capacity assessments.

Preemptive financial strategies help IPAs avoid insolvency.

PubMed

Karling, J; Silberman, L

2000-11-01

The 1999 collapse in California of practice management giants FPA Medical Management, Inc. and MedPartners, Inc. has caused healthcare provider organizations, particularly independent practice associations (IPAs), to examine critical issues related to financial solvency. Problems such as declining membership, ineffective management, weak contracting, and lack of strategic vision frequently are encountered by troubled provider organizations. The common thread that runs through IPA failures is a combination of unreliable accounting data and inadequate reporting systems. This lack of satisfactory financial and reporting information impairs the ability of the provider group to maintain sufficient funds to cover expenses and pay physicians. Successful, financially stable provider networks use well-defined reporting procedures based on fundamental accounting and financial concepts, as well as a sound methodology for measuring and calculating claims liability estimates. In California, new regulations aimed at encouraging provider organizations to assume preemptive financial strategies are in the process of being adopted. IPAs in every state should consider reviewing these regulations as benchmarks by which to assess their financial procedures.

Identifying States of a Financial Market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Münnix, Michael C.; Shimada, Takashi; Schäfer, Rudi; Leyvraz, Francois; Seligman, Thomas H.; Guhr, Thomas; Stanley, H. Eugene

2012-09-01

The understanding of complex systems has become a central issue because such systems exist in a wide range of scientific disciplines. We here focus on financial markets as an example of a complex system. In particular we analyze financial data from the S&P 500 stocks in the 19-year period 1992-2010. We propose a definition of state for a financial market and use it to identify points of drastic change in the correlation structure. These points are mapped to occurrences of financial crises. We find that a wide variety of characteristic correlation structure patterns exist in the observation time window, and that these characteristic correlation structure patterns can be classified into several typical ``market states''. Using this classification we recognize transitions between different market states. A similarity measure we develop thus affords means of understanding changes in states and of recognizing developments not previously seen.

Identifying states of a financial market.

PubMed

Münnix, Michael C; Shimada, Takashi; Schäfer, Rudi; Leyvraz, Francois; Seligman, Thomas H; Guhr, Thomas; Stanley, H Eugene

2012-01-01

The understanding of complex systems has become a central issue because such systems exist in a wide range of scientific disciplines. We here focus on financial markets as an example of a complex system. In particular we analyze financial data from the S&P 500 stocks in the 19-year period 1992-2010. We propose a definition of state for a financial market and use it to identify points of drastic change in the correlation structure. These points are mapped to occurrences of financial crises. We find that a wide variety of characteristic correlation structure patterns exist in the observation time window, and that these characteristic correlation structure patterns can be classified into several typical "market states". Using this classification we recognize transitions between different market states. A similarity measure we develop thus affords means of understanding changes in states and of recognizing developments not previously seen.

Practical passive decoy state measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with unstable sources.

PubMed

Liu, Li; Guo, Fen-Zhuo; Wen, Qiao-Yan

2017-09-12

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) with the active decoy state method can remove all detector loopholes, and resist the imperfections of sources. But it may lead to side channel attacks and break the security of QKD system. In this paper, we apply the passive decoy state method to the MDI-QKD based on polarization encoding mode. Not only all attacks on detectors can be removed, but also the side channel attacks on sources can be overcome. We get that the MDI-QKD with our passive decoy state method can have a performance comparable to the protocol with the active decoy state method. To fit for the demand of practical application, we discuss intensity fluctuation in the security analysis of MDI-QKD protocol using passive decoy state method, and derive the key generation rate for our protocol with intensity fluctuation. It shows that intensity fluctuation has an adverse effect on the key generation rate which is non-negligible, especially in the case of small data size of total transmitting signals and long distance transmission. We give specific simulations on the relationship between intensity fluctuation and the key generation rate. Furthermore, the statistical fluctuation due to the finite length of data is also taken into account.

From molecule to market: steroid hormones and financial risk-taking.

PubMed

Coates, John M; Gurnell, Mark; Sarnyai, Zoltan

2010-01-27

Little is known about the role of the endocrine system in financial decision-making. Here, we survey research on steroid hormones and their cognitive effects, and examine potential links to trader performance in the financial markets. Preliminary findings suggest that cortisol codes for risk and testosterone for reward. A key finding of this endocrine research is the different cognitive effects of acute versus chronic exposure to hormones: acutely elevated steroids may optimize performance on a range of tasks; but chronically elevated steroids may promote irrational risk-reward choices. We present a hypothesis suggesting that the irrational exuberance and pessimism observed during market bubbles and crashes may be mediated by steroid hormones. If hormones can exaggerate market moves, then perhaps the age and sex composition among traders and asset managers may affect the level of instability witnessed in the financial markets.

From molecule to market: steroid hormones and financial risk-taking

PubMed Central

Coates, John M.; Gurnell, Mark; Sarnyai, Zoltan

2010-01-01

Little is known about the role of the endocrine system in financial decision-making. Here, we survey research on steroid hormones and their cognitive effects, and examine potential links to trader performance in the financial markets. Preliminary findings suggest that cortisol codes for risk and testosterone for reward. A key finding of this endocrine research is the different cognitive effects of acute versus chronic exposure to hormones: acutely elevated steroids may optimize performance on a range of tasks; but chronically elevated steroids may promote irrational risk-reward choices. We present a hypothesis suggesting that the irrational exuberance and pessimism observed during market bubbles and crashes may be mediated by steroid hormones. If hormones can exaggerate market moves, then perhaps the age and sex composition among traders and asset managers may affect the level of instability witnessed in the financial markets. PMID:20026470

The self employed occupational and environmental health nurse: maximizing business success by managing financial resources.

PubMed

Rainer, S R; Papp, E

2000-04-01

The occupational and environmental health nurse entrepreneur can avoid business failure by engaging in a planning process that maximizes financial resources. Successful financial management involves understanding key financial reports and using those reports as management tools to "keep score" on the business. The prices the occupational and environmental health nurse entrepreneur charges for services will have a direct effect on the success of the business. Payroll, earnings, and expense records are useful management tools to help the occupational and environmental health nurse entrepreneur track the business and meet legal requirements.

Financial Literacy as the Foundation for Individual Financial Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dwiastanti, Anis

2015-01-01

Research that is dealing with financial literacy turns to be such an important thing to be conducted. It is due to the fact that financial literacy level of Indonesian society is still very low. A good financial literacy is necessary for every individual to manage his/her finances to achieve prosperity. To have a good level of financial literacy,…

Financial incentives and maternal health: where do we go from here?

PubMed

Morgan, Lindsay; Stanton, Mary Ellen; Higgs, Elizabeth S; Balster, Robert L; Bellows, Ben W; Brandes, Neal; Comfort, Alison B; Eichler, Rena; Glassman, Amanda; Hatt, Laurel E; Conlon, Claudia M; Koblinsky, Marge

2013-12-01

Health financing strategies that incorporate financial incentives are being applied in many low- and middle-income countries, and improving maternal and neonatal health is often a central goal. As yet, there have been few reviews of such programmes and their impact on maternal health. The US Government Evidence Summit on Enhancing Provision and use of Maternal Health Services through Financial Incentives was convened on 24-25 April 2012 to address this gap. This article, the final in a series assessing the effects of financial incentives--performance-based incentives (PBIs), insurance, user fee exemption programmes, conditional cash transfers, and vouchers--summarizes the evidence and discusses issues of context, programme design and implementation, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. We suggest key areas to consider when designing and implementing financial incentive programmes for enhancing maternal health and highlight gaps in evidence that could benefit from additional research. Although the methodological rigor of studies varies, the evidence, overall, suggests that financial incentives can enhance demand for and improve the supply of maternal health services. Definitive evidence demonstrating a link between incentives and improved health outcomes is lacking; however, the evidence suggests that financial incentives can increase the quantity and quality of maternal health services and address health systems and financial barriers that prevent women from accessing and providers from delivering quality, lifesaving maternal healthcare.

Financial Incentives and Maternal Health: Where Do We Go from Here?

PubMed Central

Stanton, Mary Ellen; Higgs, Elizabeth S.; Balster, Robert L.; Bellows, Ben W.; Brandes, Neal; Comfort, Alison B.; Eichler, Rena; Glassman, Amanda; Hatt, Laurel E.; Conlon, Claudia M.; Koblinsky, Marge

2013-01-01

Health financing strategies that incorporate financial incentives are being applied in many low- and middle-income countries, and improving maternal and neonatal health is often a central goal. As yet, there have been few reviews of such programmes and their impact on maternal health. The US Government Evidence Summit on Enhancing Provision and use of Maternal Health Services through Financial Incentives was convened on 24-25 April 2012 to address this gap. This article, the final in a series assessing the effects of financial incentives—performance-based incentives (PBIs), insurance, user fee exemption programmes, conditional cash transfers, and vouchers—summarizes the evidence and discusses issues of context, programme design and implementation, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. We suggest key areas to consider when designing and implementing financial incentive programmes for enhancing maternal health and highlight gaps in evidence that could benefit from additional research. Although the methodological rigor of studies varies, the evidence, overall, suggests that financial incentives can enhance demand for and improve the supply of maternal health services. Definitive evidence demonstrating a link between incentives and improved health outcomes is lacking; however, the evidence suggests that financial incentives can increase the quantity and quality of maternal health services and address health systems and financial barriers that prevent women from accessing and providers from delivering quality, lifesaving maternal healthcare.

Partnerships in medical business: a framework for choosing the right key players.

PubMed

Dhawan, Naveen

2013-01-01

At a time when more and more physicians are opting for shared practices and embarking on business ventures, partnerships play a key role. The fate of a medical business is largely contingent upon the success of the partnership. In this article, the author introduces a practical framework for deciding whether to take on a partnership. The model considers six critical factors: financial compensation, special skill set, goal alignment, personality assessment, overall strengths and weaknesses, and trustworthiness. It also provides an evaluation of financial incentives. The paper also provides several action items for physicians.

Exploring the impact of financial barriers on secondary prevention of heart disease.

PubMed

Dhaliwal, Kirnvir K; King-Shier, Kathryn; Manns, Braden J; Hemmelgarn, Brenda R; Stone, James A; Campbell, David J T

2017-02-14

Patients with coronary artery disease experience various barriers which impact their ability to optimally manage their condition. Financial barriers may result in cost related non-adherence to medical therapies and recommendations, impacting patient health outcomes. Patient experiences regarding financial barriers remain poorly understood. Therefore, we used qualitative methods to explore the experience of financial barriers to care among patients with heart disease. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study of participants in Alberta, Canada with heart disease (n = 13) who perceived financial barriers to care. We collected data using semi-structured face-to-face or telephone interviews inquiring about patients experience of financial barriers and the strategies used to cope with such barriers. Multiple analysts performed inductive thematic analysis and findings were bolstered by member checking. The aspects of care to which participants perceived financial barriers included access to: medications, cardiac rehabilitation and exercise, psychological support, transportation and parking. Some participants demonstrated the ability to successfully self-advocate in order to effectively navigate within the healthcare and social service systems. Financial barriers impacted patients' ability to self-manage their cardiovascular disease. Financial barriers contributed to non-adherence to essential medical therapies and health recommendations, which may lead to adverse patient outcomes. Given that it is such a key skill, enhancing patients' self-advocacy and navigation skills may assist in improving patient health outcomes.

Financial Stress and Financial Counseling: Helping College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Britt, Sonya L.; Canale, Anthony; Fernatt, Fred; Stutz, Kristen; Tibbetts, Racquel

2015-01-01

This study had two distinct purposes. First, to determine the predictors of financial stress among college students who sought free peer-based financial counseling from a large Midwestern university (N = 675). Secondly, to determine the effectiveness of the particular financial counseling center from a subsample of those who sought help (N = 97).…

Life-course Financial Strain and Health in African-Americans

PubMed Central

Thorpe, Roland J; Whitfield, Keith E

2010-01-01

Differential exposure to financial strain may explain some differences in population health. However, few studies have examined the cumulative health effect of financial strain across the life-course. Studies that have are limited to self-reported health measures. Our objective was to examine the associations between childhood, adulthood, and life-course, or cumulative, financial strain with disability, lung function, cognition, and depression. In a population-based cross-sectional cohort study of adult African-American twins enrolled in the US Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging (CAATSA), we found that participants who reported financial strain as children and as adults are more likely to be physically disabled, and report more depressive symptoms than their unstrained counterparts. Participants who reported childhood financial strain had lower cognitive functioning than those with no childhood financial strain. We were unable to detect a difference in lung function beyond the effect of actual income and education in those who reported financial strain compared to those who did not. Financial strain in adulthood was more consistently associated with poor health than was childhood financial strain, a finding that suggests targeting adult financial strain could help prevent disability and depression among African-American adults. PMID:20452712

Historical overiew of John M. Norman's involvement in the development of several key instruments for biophysical measurement

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Professor John M. Norman has played a key role in the development of many measurement devices currently used in the field of Environmental Biophysics, including the LAI-2000 for measuring leaf area index and plant canopy architecture and the LI-6000 Portable Photosynthesis System for measuring plant...

Making the End as Good as the Beginning: Financial Planning and Retirement for Women Plastic Surgeons.

PubMed

Johnson, Debra J; Shenaq, Deana; Thakor, Manisha

2016-10-01

Financial planning is critically important to ensure financial security both during a plastic surgical career and in retirement. Unfortunately, plastic surgery training includes very little in the way of financial planning. The information that is available in the literature is mostly geared toward men. Women, with longer lifespans and more family care responsibilities, have unique needs when it comes to financial planning. Adequate attention must also be paid to life after retirement. A plastic surgical career can be all-encompassing, and thus women need to carefully plan volunteer activities, new hobbies, and even a second career to make their retirement years fulfilling and enjoyable. Key points regarding financial planning during the various phases of a woman plastic surgeon's career are discussed. Options for retirement are presented.

Interactions between Financial and Environmental Networks in OECD Countries.

PubMed

Ruzzenenti, Franco; Joseph, Andreas; Ticci, Elisa; Vozzella, Pietro; Gabbi, Giampaolo

2015-01-01

We analysed a multiplex of financial and environmental networks between OECD countries from 2002 to 2010. Foreign direct investments and portfolio investment showing the flows in equity securities, short-term, long-term and total debt, these securities represent the financial layers; emissions of NOx, PM10, SO2, CO2 equivalent and the water footprint associated with international trade represent the environmental layers. We present a new measure of cross-layer correlations between flows in different layers based on reciprocity. For the assessment of results, we implement a null model for this measure based on the exponential random graph theory. We find that short-term financial flows are more correlated with environmental flows than long-term investments. Moreover, the correlations between reverse financial and environmental flows (i.e. the flows of different layers going in opposite directions) are generally stronger than correlations between synergic flows (flows going in the same direction). This suggests a trade-off between financial and environmental layers, where, more financialised countries display higher correlations between outgoing financial flows and incoming environmental flows than from lower financialised countries. Five countries are identified as hubs in this finance-environment multiplex: The United States, France, Germany, Belgium-Luxembourg and United Kingdom.

Interactions between Financial and Environmental Networks in OECD Countries

PubMed Central

Ruzzenenti, Franco; Joseph, Andreas; Ticci, Elisa; Vozzella, Pietro; Gabbi, Giampaolo

2015-01-01

We analysed a multiplex of financial and environmental networks between OECD countries from 2002 to 2010. Foreign direct investments and portfolio investment showing the flows in equity securities, short-term, long-term and total debt, these securities represent the financial layers; emissions of NO x, PM10, SO 2, CO 2 equivalent and the water footprint associated with international trade represent the environmental layers. We present a new measure of cross-layer correlations between flows in different layers based on reciprocity. For the assessment of results, we implement a null model for this measure based on the exponential random graph theory. We find that short-term financial flows are more correlated with environmental flows than long-term investments. Moreover, the correlations between reverse financial and environmental flows (i.e. the flows of different layers going in opposite directions) are generally stronger than correlations between synergic flows (flows going in the same direction). This suggests a trade-off between financial and environmental layers, where, more financialised countries display higher correlations between outgoing financial flows and incoming environmental flows than from lower financialised countries. Five countries are identified as hubs in this finance-environment multiplex: The United States, France, Germany, Belgium-Luxembourg and United Kingdom. PMID:26375393

Cognitive correlates of financial abilities in mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Okonkwo, Ozioma C; Wadley, Virginia G; Griffith, H Randall; Ball, Karlene; Marson, Daniel C

2006-11-01

To investigate the cognitive correlates of financial abilities in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Controlled, matched-sample, cross-sectional analysis regressing five cognitive composites on financial performance measures. University medical and research centers. Forty-three persons with MCI and 43 normal controls. The Financial Capacity Instrument (FCI) and a comprehensive neurocognitive battery. Patients with MCI performed significantly worse than controls on cognitive domains of executive function, memory, and language and on FCI domains of financial conceptual knowledge, bank statement management, and bill payment. Patients with MCI also needed significantly more time to complete a multistep financial task and were significantly more likely than controls to make errors on this task. Stepwise regression models revealed that, within the MCI group, attention and executive function were significant correlates of FCI performance. Although impaired memory is the cardinal deficit in MCI, the neurocognitive basis of lower functional performance in MCI appears to be emergent declines in abilities to selectively attend, self-monitor, and temporally integrate information. Compromised performance on cognitive measures of attention and executive function may constitute clinical markers of lower financial abilities and should be evaluated for its relationship to functional ability in general. These cognitive domains may be appropriate targets of future intervention studies aimed at preservation of functional independence in people with MCI.

Financial Planners: Educating Widows in Personal Financial Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korb, Brian R.

2010-01-01

Widows constitute a growing segment of the U.S. population; however, very little has been done to educate them on the basics of personal financial planning. The creation and implementation of financial planning education programs for widows can help them become more financially literate and free them from anxiety and fear. Interviews with eight…

Towards a Framework for Financial Literacy in the Context of Democracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Peter

2015-01-01

This paper contrasts the prevailing individualistic approach of financial literacy measurement and financial education with an educational framework that seeks to equip young people to play an active democratic role and to develop a broader understanding of the financial world. In particular, the framework suggests how important dimensions of…

CEO Compensation and Hospital Financial Performance

PubMed Central

Reiter, Kristin L.; Sandoval, Guillermo A.; Brown, Adalsteinn D.; Pink, George H.

2010-01-01

Growing interest in pay-for-performance and the level of CEO pay raises questions about the link between performance and compensation in the health sector. This study compares the compensation of non-profit hospital Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in Ontario, Canada to the three longest reported and most used measures of hospital financial performance. Our sample consisted of 132 CEOs from 92 hospitals between 1999 and 2006. Unbalanced panel data were analyzed using fixed effects regression. Results suggest that CEO compensation was largely unrelated to hospital financial performance. Inflation-adjusted salaries appeared to increase over time independent of hospital performance, and hospital size was positively correlated with CEO compensation. The apparent upward trend in salary despite some declines in financial performance challenges the fundamental assumption underlying this paper, that is, financial performance is likely linked to CEO compensation in Ontario. Further research is needed to understand long-term performance related to compensation incentives. PMID:19605619

CEO compensation and hospital financial performance.

PubMed

Reiter, Kristin L; Sandoval, Guillermo A; Brown, Adalsteinn D; Pink, George H

2009-12-01

Growing interest in pay-for-performance and the level of chief executive officers' (CEOs') pay raises questions about the link between performance and compensation in the health sector. This study compares the compensation of nonprofit hospital CEOs in Ontario, Canada to the three longest reported and most used measures of hospital financial performance. Our sample consisted of 132 CEOs from 92 hospitals between 1999 and 2006. Unbalanced panel data were analyzed using fixed effects regression. Results suggest that CEO compensation was largely unrelated to hospital financial performance. Inflation-adjusted salaries appeared to increase over time independent of hospital performance, and hospital size was positively correlated with CEO compensation. The apparent upward trend in salary despite some declines in financial performance challenges the fundamental assumption underlying this article, that is, financial performance is likely linked to CEO compensation in Ontario. Further research is needed to understand long-term performance related to compensation incentives.

Assessing the financial characteristics of multi-institutional organizations.

PubMed Central

Coyne, J S

1985-01-01

The prospective pricing of health services is precipitating greater attention to financial characteristics and greater development of multi-institutional organizations (MIOs). This study compares the financial characteristics of 1,590 MIO hospitals with 2,819 freestanding hospitals by ownership type: church-operated, other not-for-profit, and investor-owned. Using 1981 data from the American Hospital Association, the hospitals' capital structure and profitability are measured using three financial ratios: total assets-to-equity, return on equity, and operating margin. The results indicate both greater leverage and greater profitability among MIO hospitals, particularly in the investor-owned sector. The implications of these findings are discussed relative to financial performance by hospital ownership type in the future. PMID:4038697

Assessing the financial characteristics of multi-institutional organizations.

PubMed

Coyne, J S

1985-02-01

The prospective pricing of health services is precipitating greater attention to financial characteristics and greater development of multi-institutional organizations (MIOs). This study compares the financial characteristics of 1,590 MIO hospitals with 2,819 freestanding hospitals by ownership type: church-operated, other not-for-profit, and investor-owned. Using 1981 data from the American Hospital Association, the hospitals' capital structure and profitability are measured using three financial ratios: total assets-to-equity, return on equity, and operating margin. The results indicate both greater leverage and greater profitability among MIO hospitals, particularly in the investor-owned sector. The implications of these findings are discussed relative to financial performance by hospital ownership type in the future.

The structure and resilience of financial market networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauê Dal'Maso Peron, Thomas; da Fontoura Costa, Luciano; Rodrigues, Francisco A.

2012-03-01

Financial markets can be viewed as a highly complex evolving system that is very sensitive to economic instabilities. The complex organization of the market can be represented in a suitable fashion in terms of complex networks, which can be constructed from stock prices such that each pair of stocks is connected by a weighted edge that encodes the distance between them. In this work, we propose an approach to analyze the topological and dynamic evolution of financial networks based on the stock correlation matrices. An entropy-related measurement is adopted to quantify the robustness of the evolving financial market organization. It is verified that the network topological organization suffers strong variation during financial instabilities and the networks in such periods become less robust. A statistical robust regression model is proposed to quantity the relationship between the network structure and resilience. The obtained coefficients of such model indicate that the average shortest path length is the measurement most related to network resilience coefficient. This result indicates that a collective behavior is observed between stocks during financial crisis. More specifically, stocks tend to synchronize their price evolution, leading to a high correlation between pair of stock prices, which contributes to the increase in distance between them and, consequently, decrease the network resilience.

Financial Performance of Rural Medicare ACOs.

PubMed

Nattinger, Matthew C; Mueller, Keith; Ullrich, Fred; Zhu, Xi

2018-12-01

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has facilitated the development of Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs), mostly through the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). To inform the operation of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation's (CMMI) ACO programs, we assess the financial performance of rural ACOs based on different levels of rural presence. We used the 2014 performance data for Medicare ACOs to examine the financial performance of rural ACOs with different levels of rural presence: exclusively rural, mostly rural, and mixed rural/metropolitan. Of the ACOs reporting performance data, we identified 97 ACOs with a measurable rural presence. We found that successful rural ACO financial performance is associated with the ACO's organizational type (eg, physician-based) and that 8 of the 11 rural ACOs participating in the Advanced Payment Program (APP) garnered savings for Medicare. Unlike previous work, we did not find an association between ACO size or experience and rural ACO financial performance. Our findings suggest that rural ACO financial success is likely associated with factors unique to rural environments. Given the emphasis CMS has placed on rural ACO development, further research to identify these factors is warranted. © 2016 National Rural Health Association.

Credit market Jitters in the course of the financial crisis: A permutation entropy approach in measuring informational efficiency in financial assets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siokis, Fotios M.

2018-06-01

We explore the evolution of the informational efficiency for specific instruments of the U.S. money, bond and stock exchange markets, prior and after the outbreak of the Great Recession. We utilize the permutation entropy and the complexity-entropy causality plane to rank the time series and measure the degree of informational efficiency. We find that after the credit crunch and the collapse of Lehman Brothers the efficiency level of specific money market instruments' yield falls considerably. This is an evidence of less uncertainty included in predicting the related yields throughout the financial disarray. Similar trend is depicted in the indices of the stock exchange markets but efficiency remains in much higher levels. On the other hand, bond market instruments maintained their efficiency levels even after the outbreak of the crisis, which could be interpreted into greater randomness and less predictability of their yields.

Conceptual and Empirical Approaches to Financial Decision-making by Older Adults: Results from a Financial Decision-Making Rating Scale

PubMed Central

Lichtenberg, Peter A.; Ocepek-Welikson, Katja; Ficker, Lisa J.; Gross, Evan; Rahman-Filipiak, Analise; Teresi, Jeanne A.

2017-01-01

Objectives The objectives of this study were threefold: (1) to empirically test the conceptual model proposed by the Lichtenberg Financial Decision Rating Scale (LFDRS); (2) to examine the psychometric properties of the LFDRS contextual factors in financial decision-making by investigating both the reliability and convergent validity of the subscales and total scale, and (3) extending previous work on the scale through the collection of normative data on financial decision-making. Methods A convenience sample of 200 independent function and community dwelling older adults underwent cognitive and financial management testing and were interviewed using the LFDRS. Confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency measures, and hierarchical regression were used in a sample of 200 community-dwelling older adults, all of whom were making or had recently made a significant financial decision. Results Results confirmed the scale’s reliability and supported the conceptual model. Convergent validity analyses indicate that as hypothesized, cognition is a significant predictor of risk scores. Financial management scores, however, were not predictive of decision-making risk scores. Conclusions The psychometric properties of the LFDRS support the scale’s use as it was proposed in Lichtenberg et al., 2015. Clinical Implications The LFDRS instructions and scale are provided for clinicians to use in financial capacity assessments. PMID:29077531

KEY COMPARISON: Final report of International Comparison EUROMET.QM-K1c: Comparison of measurements of nitrogen monoxide in nitrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Veen, A. M. H.; Nieuwenkamp, G.; Oudwater, R.; Wessel, R. M.; Novak, J.; Perrochet, J.-F.; Ackermann, A.; Rakowska, A.; Cortez, L.; Dias, F.; Konopelko, L.; Kustikov, Y.; Sutour, C.; Masé, T.; Milton, M. J. T.; Uprichard, I. J.; Woods, P. T.; Walden, J.; Lopez Esteban, M. T.

2005-01-01

Following-up the key comparison CCQM-K1c, EUROMET organized a regional key comparison involving ten laboratories. The objectives of this EUROMET key comparison were essentially the same as for the CCQM-K1c comparison: to compare the measurement capabilities of national metrological institutes (NMIs) in measuring amount of substance fractions of nitrogen monoxide in nitrogen. The nominal amount of substance fraction of the standards used for the comparison was 100 µmol/mol. The pilot laboratory in this key comparison also piloted the CCQM key comparison and has long-term experience in the behaviour of these mixtures and the technical challenges in preparing batches of very similar mixtures. Most participants used chemiluminescence as the measurement method; two participants used UV techniques and one ND-IR. The degrees of equivalence between this comparison and CCQM-K1c were calculated; four laboratories participated in both key comparisons, thus providing sufficient data for demonstrating the comparability. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).

Is Traditional Financial Aid Too Little, Too Late to Help Youth Succeed in College? An Introduction to "The Degree Project" Promise Scholarship Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Douglas N.

2013-01-01

One of the key barriers in accessing postsecondary opportunities for many students is financial aid. This chapter begins by providing a review of prior evidence on the relationship between financial aid and postsecondary outcomes. One type of financial aid intervention that challenges traditional aid and scholarship options are "promise…

Financial Literacy, Schooling, and Wealth Accumulation. NBER Working Paper No. 16452

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behrman, Jere R.; Mitchell, Olivia S.; Soo, Cindy; Bravo, David

2010-01-01

Financial literacy and schooling attainment have been linked to household wealth accumulation. Yet prior findings may be biased due to noisy measures of financial literacy and schooling, as well as unobserved factors such as ability, intelligence, and motivation that could enhance financial literacy and schooling but also directly affect wealth…

Financial crisis and austerity measures in Greece: their impact on health promotion policies and public health care.

PubMed

Ifanti, Amalia A; Argyriou, Andreas A; Kalofonou, Foteini H; Kalofonos, Haralabos P

2013-11-01

This review study explores the available data relating to the impact of financial crisis and subsequently applied austerity measures on the health care, social services and health promotion policies in Greece. It is evident that Greece is affected more than any other European country by the financial crisis. Unemployment, job insecurity, income reduction, poverty and increase of mental disorders are among the most serious consequences of crisis in the socioeconomic life. The health system is particularly affected by the severe austerity measures. The drastic curtailing of government spending has significantly affected the structure and functioning of public hospitals that cope with understaffing, deficits, drug shortage and basic medical supplies. Moreover, health promotion policies are constrained, inhibiting thus the relevant initiatives toward disease prevention and health promotion education practices. Overall, the current economic situation in Greece and its impact on real life and health care is quite concerning. Policy makers should not disregard the implications that austerity and fiscal policies have on the health sector. Greater attention is needed in order to ensure that individuals would continue getting public health care and having access to preventive and social support services. To face the economic hardship, policy makers are expected to implement human-centered approaches, safeguarding the human dignity and the moral values. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Work instability and financial loss in early inflammatory arthritis.

PubMed

Looper, Karl J; Mustafa, Sally S; Zelkowitz, Phyllis; Purden, Margaret; Baron, Murray

2012-12-01

Inflammatory arthritis is associated with a high degree of work instability and financial burden. In this study, we examine the extent of work instability and financial loss as well as their association with disease characteristics during the first 18 months of inflammatory arthritis. One hundred and four patients in the early phase (more than 6 weeks, < 18 months) of inflammatory arthritis were recruited from a larger early inflammatory arthritis registry. Questionnaires recorded sociodemographic data and disease characteristics, including pain assessed using the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and physical functioning measured with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) physical functioning score. The Rheumatoid Arthritis Work Instability Scale (RA-WIS) was used to measure patient-perceived functioning in the workplace and the Financial Loss Questionnaire (FLQ) measured the impact on family finances. Participants' mean age was 56 years, 70.2% were female and 49.0% were working. Average yearly household income was < 60 000 Canadian dollars (CAD) for 38.5% of the sample. Of our working patients, 43% had a medium or high risk of work loss as measured by the RA-WIS and 35% reported a financial loss. On multivariate analysis, MPQ and SF-36 contributed to the dependent variable work instability, while age and SF-36 contributed to financial loss. This study identifies pain and physical dysfunction as potential modifiable risk factors for negative socioeconomic repercussions of illness in early inflammatory arthritis. © 2012 The Authors International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases © 2012 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Irreversibility of financial time series: A graph-theoretical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flanagan, Ryan; Lacasa, Lucas

2016-04-01

The relation between time series irreversibility and entropy production has been recently investigated in thermodynamic systems operating away from equilibrium. In this work we explore this concept in the context of financial time series. We make use of visibility algorithms to quantify, in graph-theoretical terms, time irreversibility of 35 financial indices evolving over the period 1998-2012. We show that this metric is complementary to standard measures based on volatility and exploit it to both classify periods of financial stress and to rank companies accordingly. We then validate this approach by finding that a projection in principal components space of financial years, based on time irreversibility features, clusters together periods of financial stress from stable periods. Relations between irreversibility, efficiency and predictability are briefly discussed.

Financial Toxicity (Financial Distress) and Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)—Patient Version

Cancer.gov

Financial Toxicity and Cancer Treatment discusses the increased financial burdens and pressures that cancer patients and survivors often experience. Learn more about financial toxicity, risk factors, and ways to reduce financial distress in this expert-reviewed summary.

Measuring financial protection for health in families with chronic conditions in Rural China.

PubMed

Jiang, Chunhong; Ma, Jingdong; Zhang, Xiang; Luo, Wujin

2012-11-16

As the world's largest developing country, China has entered into the epidemiological phase characterized by high life expectancy and high morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases. Cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and malignant tumors have become the leading causes of death since the 1990s. Constant payments for maintaining the health status of a family member who has chronic diseases could exhaust household resources, undermining fiscal support for other necessities and eventually resulting in poverty. The purpose of this study is to probe to what degree health expenditure for chronic diseases can impoverish rural families and whether the New Cooperative Medical Scheme can effectively protect families with chronic patients against catastrophic health expenditures. We used data from the 4th National Health Services Survey conducted in July 2008 in China. The rural sample we included in the analysis comprised 39,054 households. We used both households suffering from medical impoverishment and households with catastrophic health expenditures to compare the financial protection for families having a chronic patient with different insurance coverage statuses. We used a logistic regression model to estimate the impact of different benefit packages on health financial protection for families having a chronic patient. An additional 10.53% of the families with a chronic patient were impoverished because of healthcare expenditure, which is more than twice the proportion in families without a chronic patient. There is a higher catastrophic health expenditure incidence in the families with a chronic patient. The results of logistic regression show that simply adding extra benefits did not reduce the financial risks. There is a lack of effective financial protection for healthcare expenditures for families with a chronic patient in rural China, even though there is a high coverage rate with the New Cooperative Medical Schemes. Given the

Measuring financial protection for health in families with chronic conditions in Rural China

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background As the world’s largest developing country, China has entered into the epidemiological phase characterized by high life expectancy and high morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases. Cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and malignant tumors have become the leading causes of death since the 1990s. Constant payments for maintaining the health status of a family member who has chronic diseases could exhaust household resources, undermining fiscal support for other necessities and eventually resulting in poverty. The purpose of this study is to probe to what degree health expenditure for chronic diseases can impoverish rural families and whether the New Cooperative Medical Scheme can effectively protect families with chronic patients against catastrophic health expenditures. Methods We used data from the 4th National Health Services Survey conducted in July 2008 in China. The rural sample we included in the analysis comprised 39,054 households. We used both households suffering from medical impoverishment and households with catastrophic health expenditures to compare the financial protection for families having a chronic patient with different insurance coverage statuses. We used a logistic regression model to estimate the impact of different benefit packages on health financial protection for families having a chronic patient. Results An additional 10.53% of the families with a chronic patient were impoverished because of healthcare expenditure, which is more than twice the proportion in families without a chronic patient. There is a higher catastrophic health expenditure incidence in the families with a chronic patient. The results of logistic regression show that simply adding extra benefits did not reduce the financial risks. Conclusions There is a lack of effective financial protection for healthcare expenditures for families with a chronic patient in rural China, even though there is a high coverage rate with the New

Life-course financial strain and health in African-Americans.

PubMed

Szanton, Sarah L; Thorpe, Roland J; Whitfield, Keith

2010-07-01

Differential exposure to financial strain may explain some differences in population health. However, few studies have examined the cumulative health effect of financial strain across the life-course. Studies that have are limited to self-reported health measures. Our objective was to examine the associations between childhood, adulthood, and life-course, or cumulative, financial strain with disability, lung function, cognition, and depression. In a population-based cross-sectional cohort study of adult African-American twins enrolled in the US Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging (CAATSA), we found that participants who reported financial strain as children and as adults are more likely to be physically disabled, and report more depressive symptoms than their unstrained counterparts. Participants who reported childhood financial strain had lower cognitive functioning than those with no childhood financial strain. We were unable to detect a difference in lung function beyond the effect of actual income and education in those who reported financial strain compared to those who did not. Financial strain in adulthood was more consistently associated with poor health than was childhood financial strain, a finding that suggests targeting adult financial strain could help prevent disability and depression among African-American adults. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Financial Audit: 1997 Consolidates Financial Statements of the United States Government

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-01

For the first time in the nation’s history, the federal government has prepared consolidated financial statements that have been subjected to an...independent audit. In accordance with the Chief Financial Officers Act, consolidated financial statements for fiscal year 1997 were prepared by the...affect the reliability of the consolidated financial statements and much of the underlying financial information. They also affect the government’s

Systemic risk and hierarchical transitions of financial networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nobi, Ashadun; Lee, Jae Woo

2017-06-01

In this paper, the change in topological hierarchy, which is measured by the minimum spanning tree constructed from the cross-correlations between the stock indices from the S & P 500 for 1998-2012 in a one year moving time window, was used to analyze a financial crisis. The hierarchy increased in all minor crises in the observation time window except for the sharp crisis of 2007-2008 when the global financial crisis occurred. The sudden increase in hierarchy just before the global financial crisis can be used for the early detection of an upcoming crisis. Clearly, the higher the hierarchy, the higher the threats to financial stability. The scaling relations were developed to observe the changes in hierarchy with the network topology. These scaling relations can also identify and quantify the financial crisis periods, and appear to contain the predictive power of an upcoming crisis.

Systemic risk and hierarchical transitions of financial networks.

PubMed

Nobi, Ashadun; Lee, Jae Woo

2017-06-01

In this paper, the change in topological hierarchy, which is measured by the minimum spanning tree constructed from the cross-correlations between the stock indices from the S & P 500 for 1998-2012 in a one year moving time window, was used to analyze a financial crisis. The hierarchy increased in all minor crises in the observation time window except for the sharp crisis of 2007-2008 when the global financial crisis occurred. The sudden increase in hierarchy just before the global financial crisis can be used for the early detection of an upcoming crisis. Clearly, the higher the hierarchy, the higher the threats to financial stability. The scaling relations were developed to observe the changes in hierarchy with the network topology. These scaling relations can also identify and quantify the financial crisis periods, and appear to contain the predictive power of an upcoming crisis.

Making the Case for Using Financial Indicators in Local Public Health Agencies

PubMed Central

Suarez, Virginia; Denison, Dwight

2011-01-01

The strength of the public health infrastructure determines the ability of local public health agencies to respond to emergencies and provide essential services. Organizational and systems capacity measures and assessments are important components of the public health infrastructure. Hospitals and governments have a long tradition of using financial indicators to assess fiscal and operational activities. We reviewed the literature on how hospitals use financial indicators to monitor financial risk, promote organizational sustainability, and improve organizational capacity. Given that financial indicators have not generally been employed by public health practitioners, we discuss how these measures can be applied to local public health agencies to improve their organizational capacity. PMID:21233438

Cashing In or Cashing Out: Tools for Measuring the Effectiveness & Outcomes of Financial Aid Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Brianna; Oliverez, Paz M.; Tierney, William G.

2007-01-01

Financial aid-related information and services are provided to students and families in a variety of ways. The timing of when information is shared with these groups also varies. Financial aid information is typically provided through events sponsored by high schools, colleges and universities, and multiple community and government-sponsored…

76 FR 9268 - Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; Imposition of Special Measure Against the Lebanese Canadian...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-17

... Money Laundering Concern AGENCY: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Treasury (``FinCEN''), Treasury... financial institution of primary money laundering concern pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 5318A. FinCEN is issuing... Law 107-56. Title III of the USA PATRIOT Act amended the anti- money laundering provisions of the Bank...

Rethinking the International Financial System: Views from the South.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Yiping, Ed.

1999-01-01

Considerable resources have been spent to rescue a few countries from crises caused by dramatic shifts in financial inflows and outflows. Measures should be sought to render the institutions and mechanisms of international financial transactions more transparent, accountable, and supportive of the delicate balance between short-term stability and…

Fundamentals of financial statement analysis for academic physician managers.

PubMed

Danzi, J T; Boom, M L

1998-04-01

Academic medical centers (i.e., teaching hospitals) and academic medical practices are under pressure to control costs to compete with for-profit health care institutions. The authors explain how academic physician managers who want to control costs wisely must first understand the cost structure of the medical center or practice and compare that structure with those of for-profit institutions. Doing this requires a firm understanding of how to use a valuable tool, financial statement analysis, to assess an institution's health and performance. Such analysis consists of calculating a variety of financial ratios (e.g., operating income divided by revenues; net income divided by total assets) and then comparing them with the corresponding ratios that are considered industry norms. Three types of financial statements (defined in detail) lend themselves to this approach: the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. The authors define standard financial ratios, point out their uses and limitations, and emphasize that a ratio's meaning derives from comparing it with the corresponding benchmark ratio in the industry as a whole. Ratios should be used not as the end point of assessing financial status, but as ways to identify possible problems that require further investigation. Analysis of trends of ratios over time within an institution is a complementary approach. The authors then discuss the use of ratios in three standard types of institutional evaluation: of performance, of liquidity and leverage, and of strategic planning. In addition, they present the financial statement of a fictitious academic medical center as an example of how to use ratios for financial statement analysis. The authors emphasize that the key to using the ratios they discuss and hundreds of others is first to decide what question needs answering and then to choose the relevant ratios to provide a basis for finding the answer.

Financial Literacy and Financial Sophistication in the Older Population

PubMed Central

Lusardi, Annamaria; Mitchell, Olivia S.; Curto, Vilsa

2017-01-01

Using a special-purpose module implemented in the Health and Retirement Study, we evaluate financial sophistication in the American population over the age of 50. We combine several financial literacy questions into an overall index to highlight which questions best capture financial sophistication and examine the sensitivity of financial literacy responses to framing effects. Results show that many older respondents are not financially sophisticated: they fail to grasp essential aspects of risk diversification, asset valuation, portfolio choice, and investment fees. Subgroups with notable deficits include women, the least educated, non-Whites, and those over age 75. In view of the fact that retirees increasingly must take on responsibility for their own retirement security, such meager levels of knowledge have potentially serious and negative implications. PMID:28553191

Financial Literacy and Financial Sophistication in the Older Population.

PubMed

Lusardi, Annamaria; Mitchell, Olivia S; Curto, Vilsa

2014-10-01

Using a special-purpose module implemented in the Health and Retirement Study, we evaluate financial sophistication in the American population over the age of 50. We combine several financial literacy questions into an overall index to highlight which questions best capture financial sophistication and examine the sensitivity of financial literacy responses to framing effects. Results show that many older respondents are not financially sophisticated: they fail to grasp essential aspects of risk diversification, asset valuation, portfolio choice, and investment fees. Subgroups with notable deficits include women, the least educated, non-Whites, and those over age 75. In view of the fact that retirees increasingly must take on responsibility for their own retirement security, such meager levels of knowledge have potentially serious and negative implications.

Show me the money: incorporating financial motives into the gambling motives questionnaire.

PubMed

Dechant, Kristianne

2014-12-01

Although research has only recently begun to measure what motivates all levels of gambling involvement, motives could offer a theoretically interesting and practical way to subtype gamblers in research and for responsible gambling initiatives. The Gambling Motives Questionnaire (GMQ) is one measure that weaves together much of the gambling motives literature, but it has been criticized for neglecting financial reasons for gambling. This study uses a series of factor analyses to explore the effect of adding nine financial motives to the GMQ in a heterogeneous sample of 1,014 adult past-year gamblers. After trimming trivial financial motives, the penultimate factor analysis of the 15 GMQ items and four financial motives led to a four-factor solution, with factors tapping enhancement, social, coping and financial motives, as predicted. A final factor analysis performed on a modified GMQ-F (i.e., 16 items, including a financial subscale) revealed the same four factors, and hierarchical regression showed that the financial motives improve the GMQ-F's prediction of gambling frequency. This study provides evidence that omitting financial motives is a clear gap in the GMQ, yet suggests that the GMQ is a promising tool that can be conceptually and empirically strengthened with the simple addition of financial items.

Sound credit scores and financial decisions despite cognitive aging

PubMed Central

Li, Ye; Gao, Jie; Enkavi, A. Zeynep; Zaval, Lisa; Weber, Elke U.; Johnson, Eric J.

2015-01-01

Age-related deterioration in cognitive ability may compromise the ability of older adults to make major financial decisions. We explore whether knowledge and expertise accumulated from past decisions can offset cognitive decline to maintain decision quality over the life span. Using a unique dataset that combines measures of cognitive ability (fluid intelligence) and of general and domain-specific knowledge (crystallized intelligence), credit report data, and other measures of decision quality, we show that domain-specific knowledge and expertise provide an alternative route for sound financial decisions. That is, cognitive aging does not spell doom for financial decision-making in domains where the decision maker has developed expertise. These results have important implications for public policy and for the design of effective interventions and decision aids. PMID:25535381

Sound credit scores and financial decisions despite cognitive aging.

PubMed

Li, Ye; Gao, Jie; Enkavi, A Zeynep; Zaval, Lisa; Weber, Elke U; Johnson, Eric J

2015-01-06

Age-related deterioration in cognitive ability may compromise the ability of older adults to make major financial decisions. We explore whether knowledge and expertise accumulated from past decisions can offset cognitive decline to maintain decision quality over the life span. Using a unique dataset that combines measures of cognitive ability (fluid intelligence) and of general and domain-specific knowledge (crystallized intelligence), credit report data, and other measures of decision quality, we show that domain-specific knowledge and expertise provide an alternative route for sound financial decisions. That is, cognitive aging does not spell doom for financial decision-making in domains where the decision maker has developed expertise. These results have important implications for public policy and for the design of effective interventions and decision aids.

Cancer megafunds with in silico and in vitro validation: accelerating cancer drug discovery via financial engineering without financial crisis

PubMed Central

Yang, Xianjin; Debonneuil, Edouard; Zhavoronkov, Alex; Mishra, Bud

2016-01-01

Advances in financial engineering are radically reshaping the biomedical marketplace. For instance, new methods of pooling diversified drug development programs by placing them in a special purpose vehicle (SPV) have been proposed to create a securitized cancer megafund allowing for debt and equity participation. In this study, we perform theoretical and numerical simulations that highlight the role of empirical validation of the projects comprising a cancer megafund. We quantify the degree to which the deliberately designed structure of derivatives and investments is key to its liquidity. Research megafunds with comprehensive in silico and laboratory validation protocols and ability to issue both debt, and equity as well as hybrid financial products may enable conservative investors including pension funds and sovereign government funds to profit from unique securitization opportunities. Thus, while hedging investor's longevity risk, such well-validated megafunds will contribute to health, wellbeing and longevity of the global population. PMID:27275544

Cancer megafunds with in silico and in vitro validation: accelerating cancer drug discovery via financial engineering without financial crisis.

PubMed

Yang, Xianjin; Debonneuil, Edouard; Zhavoronkov, Alex; Mishra, Bud

2016-09-06

Advances in financial engineering are radically reshaping the biomedical marketplace. For instance, new methods of pooling diversified drug development programs by placing them in a special purpose vehicle (SPV) have been proposed to create a securitized cancer megafund allowing for debt and equity participation. In this study, we perform theoretical and numerical simulations that highlight the role of empirical validation of the projects comprising a cancer megafund. We quantify the degree to which the deliberately designed structure of derivatives and investments is key to its liquidity. Research megafunds with comprehensive in silico and laboratory validation protocols and ability to issue both debt, and equity as well as hybrid financial products may enable conservative investors including pension funds and sovereign government funds to profit from unique securitization opportunities. Thus, while hedging investor's longevity risk, such well-validated megafunds will contribute to health, well being and longevity of the global population.

Financial performance of health plans in Medicaid managed care.

PubMed

McCue, Mike

2012-01-01

This study assesses the financial performance of health plans that enroll Medicaid members across the key plan traits, specifically Medicaid dominant, publicly traded, and provider-sponsored. National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) financial data, coupled with selected state financial data, were analyzed for 170 Medicaid health plans for 2009. A mean test compared the mean values for medical loss, administrative cost, and operating margin ratios across these plan traits. Medicaid dominant plans are plans with 75 percent of their total enrollment in the Medicaid line of business. Plans that are Medicaid dominant and publicly traded incurred a lower medical loss ratio and higher administrative cost ratio than multi-product and non-publicly traded plans. Medicaid dominant plans also earned a higher operating profit margin. Plans offering commercial and Medicare products are operating at a loss for their Medicaid line of business. Health plans that do not specialize in Medicaid are losing money. Higher medical cost rather than administrative cost is the underlying reason for this financial loss. Since Medicaid enrollees do not account for their primary book of business, these plans may not have invested in the medical management programs to reduce inappropriate emergency room use and avoid costly hospitalization.

Perception of Cervical Cancer Patients on their Financial Challenges in Western Kenya.

PubMed

Owenga, Jane A; Nyambedha, Erick Otieno

2018-04-10

The number of cervical cancer cases is reported to increase among women of reproductive age in the recent past with patients facing challenges with care and management of the illness. However, little is known about the financial challenges these patients undergo in contexts such as western Kenya. This study assessed financial challenges and sources of financial assistance for cervical cancer patients in western Kenya. A cross-sectional study involving 334 cervical cancer patients was conducted in Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu from September 2014 to February 2015. Structured questionnaire, in-depth interview guide and key informant interview guide were used to collect data. Quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) Version 20 at a statistical significance of P ≤ 0.05, descriptive statistics and crosstabulations were performed. For qualitative data, the responses were transcribed verbatim and the content was then analyzed by searching for emerging themes on the financial challenges faced by cervical cancer patients. Qualitative data was presented in textual form with verbatim reports for illustrations. The key financial challenges from the study were costs of medication 291 (87%), cost of travel 281 (84%) and cost of diagnostic tests 250 (75%). Other costs incurred by the patients were cost of cloths and wigs 91 (27%), and cost of home and child care 80 (24%). Most 304 (91%) of the cervical cancer patients admitted and referred to JOOTRH did not have insurance cover and only 30 (9%) had National Hospital Insurance Fund cover which catered for only bed component of inpatient costs. Results showed that no patient received any assistance from well-wishers. Only a few received assistance from charity organizations 43 (13%), friends 91 (27%) and colleagues 31 (9%). Some patients received some assistance from relatives 32 (10%) and church 32 (10%). Cervical cancer patients

Asymmetric Lévy flight in financial ratios.

PubMed

Podobnik, Boris; Valentinčič, Aljoša; Horvatić, Davor; Stanley, H Eugene

2011-11-01

Because financial crises are characterized by dangerous rare events that occur more frequently than those predicted by models with finite variances, we investigate the underlying stochastic process generating these events. In the 1960s Mandelbrot [Mandelbrot B (1963) J Bus 36:394-419] and Fama [Fama EF (1965) J Bus 38:34-105] proposed a symmetric Lévy probability distribution function (PDF) to describe the stochastic properties of commodity changes and price changes. We find that an asymmetric Lévy PDF, L, characterized by infinite variance, models several multiple credit ratios used in financial accounting to quantify a firm's financial health, such as the Altman [Altman EI (1968) J Financ 23:589-609] Z score and the Zmijewski [Zmijewski ME (1984) J Accounting Res 22:59-82] score, and models changes of individual financial ratios, ΔX(i). We thus find that Lévy PDFs describe both the static and dynamics of credit ratings. We find that for the majority of ratios, ΔX(i) scales with the Lévy parameter α ≈ 1, even though only a few of the individual ratios are characterized by a PDF with power-law tails X(i)(-1-α) with infinite variance. We also find that α exhibits a striking stability over time. A key element in estimating credit losses is the distribution of credit rating changes, the functional form of which is unknown for alphabetical ratings. For continuous credit ratings, the Altman Z score, we find that P(ΔZ) follows a Lévy PDF with power-law exponent α ≈ 1, consistent with changes of individual financial ratios. Estimating the conditional P(ΔZ|Z) versus Z, we demonstrate how this continuous credit rating approach and its dynamics can be used to evaluate credit risk.

Asymmetric Lévy flight in financial ratios

PubMed Central

Valentinčič, Aljoša; Horvatić, Davor; Stanley, H. Eugene

2011-01-01

Because financial crises are characterized by dangerous rare events that occur more frequently than those predicted by models with finite variances, we investigate the underlying stochastic process generating these events. In the 1960s Mandelbrot [Mandelbrot B (1963) J Bus 36:394–419] and Fama [Fama EF (1965) J Bus 38:34–105] proposed a symmetric Lévy probability distribution function (PDF) to describe the stochastic properties of commodity changes and price changes. We find that an asymmetric Lévy PDF, , characterized by infinite variance, models several multiple credit ratios used in financial accounting to quantify a firm’s financial health, such as the Altman [Altman EI (1968) J Financ 23:589–609] Z score and the Zmijewski [Zmijewski ME (1984) J Accounting Res 22:59–82] score, and models changes of individual financial ratios, ΔXi. We thus find that Lévy PDFs describe both the static and dynamics of credit ratings. We find that for the majority of ratios, ΔXi scales with the Lévy parameter α ≈ 1, even though only a few of the individual ratios are characterized by a PDF with power-law tails with infinite variance. We also find that α exhibits a striking stability over time. A key element in estimating credit losses is the distribution of credit rating changes, the functional form of which is unknown for alphabetical ratings. For continuous credit ratings, the Altman Z score, we find that P(ΔZ) follows a Lévy PDF with power-law exponent α ≈ 1, consistent with changes of individual financial ratios. Estimating the conditional P(ΔZ|Z) versus Z, we demonstrate how this continuous credit rating approach and its dynamics can be used to evaluate credit risk. PMID:22006296

39 CFR 233.5 - Requesting financial records from a financial institution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... address, and business phone number; (ii) The identity of the customer or customers to whom the records... 39 Postal Service 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Requesting financial records from a financial... INSPECTION SERVICE AUTHORITY § 233.5 Requesting financial records from a financial institution. (a...

39 CFR 233.5 - Requesting financial records from a financial institution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... address, and business phone number; (ii) The identity of the customer or customers to whom the records... 39 Postal Service 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Requesting financial records from a financial... INSPECTION SERVICE AUTHORITY § 233.5 Requesting financial records from a financial institution. (a...

39 CFR 233.5 - Requesting financial records from a financial institution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... address, and business phone number; (ii) The identity of the customer or customers to whom the records... 39 Postal Service 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Requesting financial records from a financial... INSPECTION SERVICE AUTHORITY § 233.5 Requesting financial records from a financial institution. (a...

39 CFR 233.5 - Requesting financial records from a financial institution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... address, and business phone number; (ii) The identity of the customer or customers to whom the records... 39 Postal Service 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Requesting financial records from a financial... INSPECTION SERVICE AUTHORITY § 233.5 Requesting financial records from a financial institution. (a...

Financial Stress, Self-Efficacy, and Financial Help-Seeking Behavior of College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, HanNa; Heckman, Stuart J.; Letkiewicz, Jodi C.; Montalto, Catherine P.

2014-01-01

Financial stress and self-efficacy are examined in relationship to college students' financial help-seeking behavior utilizing Grable and Joo's (1999) framework. A cognitive approach is taken by focusing on the moderating role of financial self-efficacy on the relationship between financial stress and financial help-seeking. Data from the 2010…

Money Matters: Recommendations for Financial Stress Research in Occupational Health Psychology.

PubMed

Sinclair, Robert R; Cheung, Janelle H

2016-08-01

Money is arguably the most important resource derived from work and the most important source of stress for contemporary employees. A substantial body of research supports the relationship between access to financial resources and health and well-being, both at individual and aggregated (e.g. national) levels of analysis. Yet, surprisingly little occupational health psychology research has paid attention to financial issues experienced specifically by those in the labour force. With these issues in mind, the overarching goal of the present paper was to address conceptual and measurement issues in the study of objective and subjective aspects of financial stress and review several assessment options available to occupational health psychology researchers for both aspects of financial stress. Where appropriate, we offer guidance to researchers about choices among various financial stress measures and identify issues that require further research attention. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The big, the rich, and the powerful: physical, financial, and social dimensions of dominance in mating and attraction.

PubMed

Bryan, Angela D; Webster, Gregory D; Mahaffey, Amanda L

2011-03-01

Dominance is a key feature on which romantic partners are evaluated, yet there is no clear consensus on its definition. In Study 1 (N=305), the authors developed scales to measure three putatively distinct dimensions of dominance: social, financial, and physical. In Study 2 (N=308), the authors used their scales in a mate-selection paradigm and found that women perceived physical dominance to be related to both attractiveness and social dominance. For both sexes, attractiveness predicted desirability for a one-night stand, whereas attractiveness and agreeableness were predictors of desirability for a serious relationship. In Study 3 (N=124), the authors surveyed romantic partners in monogamous relationships and found that although aspects of a partner's dominance-financial for women and social for men-played a bivariate role in relationship satisfaction, agreeableness was the strongest predictor of current and future relationship satisfaction and the only significant predictor of relationship dissolution.

W-state Analyzer and Multi-party Measurement-device-independent Quantum Key Distribution

PubMed Central

Zhu, Changhua; Xu, Feihu; Pei, Changxing

2015-01-01

W-state is an important resource for many quantum information processing tasks. In this paper, we for the first time propose a multi-party measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) protocol based on W-state. With linear optics, we design a W-state analyzer in order to distinguish the four-qubit W-state. This analyzer constructs the measurement device for four-party MDI-QKD. Moreover, we derived a complete security proof of the four-party MDI-QKD, and performed a numerical simulation to study its performance. The results show that four-party MDI-QKD is feasible over 150 km standard telecom fiber with off-the-shelf single photon detectors. This work takes an important step towards multi-party quantum communication and a quantum network. PMID:26644289

Hospital financial performance: does IT governance make a difference?

PubMed

Burke, Darrell; Randeree, Ebrahim; Menachemi, Nir; Brooks, Robert G

2008-01-01

This study examined whether information technology (IT) governance, a term describing the decision authority and reporting structures of the chief information officer (CIO), is related to the financial performance of hospitals. The study was conducted using a combination of primary survey data regarding health care IT adoption and reporting structures of Florida acute care hospitals, with secondary data on hospital financial performance. Multiple regression models were used to evaluate the relationship of the 3 most commonly identified reporting structures. Outcome variables included measures of operating revenue and operating expense. All models controlled for overall IT adoption, ownership, membership in a hospital system, case mix, and hospital bed size. The results suggest that IT governance matters when it comes to hospital financial performance. Reporting to the chief financial officer brings positive outcomes; reporting to the chief executive officer has a mixed financial result; and reporting to the chief operating officer was not associated with discernible financial impact.

Analyzing Crisis in Global Financial Indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Sunil; Deo, Nivedita

We apply the Random Matrix Theory and complex network techniques to 20 global financial indices and study the correlation and network properties before and during the financial crisis of 2008 respectively. We find that the largest eigenvalue deviate significantly from the upper bound which shows a strong correlation between financial indices. By using a sliding window of 25 days we find that largest eigenvalue represent the collective information about the correlation between global financial indices and its trend indicate the market conditions. It is confirmed that eigenvectors corresponding to second largest eigenvalue gives useful information about the sector formation in the global financial indices. We find that these clusters are formed on the basis of the geographical location. The correlation network is constructed using threshold method for different values of threshold θ in the range 0 to 0.9, at θ=0.2 the network is fully connected. At θ=0.6, the Americas, Europe and Asia/Pacific form different clusters before the crisis but during the crisis Americas and Europe are strongly linked. If we further increase the threshold to 0.9 we find that European countries France, Germany and UK consistently constitute the most tightly linked markets before and during the crisis. We find that the structure of Minimum Spanning Tree before the crisis is more star like whereas during the crisis it changes to be more chain like. Using the multifractal analysis, we find that Hurst exponents of financial indices increases during the period of crisis as compared to the period before the crisis. The empirical results verify the validity of measures, and this has led to a better understanding of complex financial markets.

Financial networks based on Granger causality: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papana, Angeliki; Kyrtsou, Catherine; Kugiumtzis, Dimitris; Diks, Cees

2017-09-01

Connectivity analysis is performed on a long financial record of 21 international stock indices employing a linear and a nonlinear causality measure, the conditional Granger causality index (CGCI) and the partial mutual information on mixed embedding (PMIME), respectively. Both measures aim to specify the direction of the interrelationships among the international stock indexes and portray the links of the resulting networks, by the presence of direct couplings between variables exploiting all available information. However, their differences are assessed due to the presence of nonlinearity. The weighted networks formed with respect to the causality measures are transformed to binary ones using a significance test. The financial networks are formed on sliding windows in order to examine the network characteristics and trace changes in the connectivity structure. Subsequently, two statistical network quantities are calculated; the average degree and the average shortest path length. The empirical findings reveal interesting time-varying properties of the constructed network, which are clearly dependent on the nature of the financial cycle.

Med-psych units. Financial viability and quality assurance.

PubMed

Fogel, B S

1989-01-01

Although medical-psychiatric units may have unique advantages for treating patients with combined medical and psychiatric illness, they may be costly to run, and their success requires a sound financial basis. This begins with filling beds and instituting a waiting list, and then setting admission priorities to regulate case mix deliberately to address financial as well as ethical and clinical considerations. Development of short-stay geropsychiatric evaluation services may offset financial problems associated with long stays of elderly patients requiring definitive treatment for complex conditions. Data are presented to show the effectiveness of deliberate regulation of case mix. Regarding quality assurance, key issues include maintaining documentation to meet HCFA standards for DRG exemption, and effectively integrating physical and psychiatric care, with a special focus on drug interactions and psychiatric toxicities of medical drugs. Effective multidisciplinary treatment planning meeting help in this effort, as do periodic walking rounds focusing specifically on pharmacologic issues. Denials of payment by third parties are most likely to be a problem when both the medical and the psychiatric illness are subacute but their interaction requires conjoint inpatient treatment. Prospective work with PROs can minimize retrospective denials.

Inpatient cancer treatment: an analysis of financial and nonfinancial performance measures by hospital-ownership type.

PubMed

Newton, Ashley N; Ewer, Sid R

2010-01-01

This study uses longitudinal data of inpatient treatment from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ's) Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) to examine the differences in historical trends and build future projections of charges, costs, and lengths of stay (LOS) for inpatient treatment of four of the most prevalent cancer types: breast, colon, lung, and prostate. We stratify our data by hospital ownership type and for the aforementioned four major cancer types. We use the Kruskal Wallis (nonparametric ANOVA) Test and time series models to analyze variance and build projections, respectively, for mean charges per discharge, mean costs per discharge, mean LOS per discharge, mean charges per day, and mean costs per day. We find that significant differences exist in both the mean charges per discharge and mean charges per day for breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancers and in the mean LOS per discharge for breast cancer. Additionally, we find that both mean charges and mean costs are forecast to continue increasing while mean LOS are forecast to continue decreasing over the forecast period 2008 to 2012. The methodologies we employ may be used by individual hospital systems, and by health care policy-makers, for various financial planning purposes. Future studies could examine additional financial and nonfinancial variables for these and other cancer types, test for geographic disparities, or focus on procedural-level hospital measures.

Financial Adaptation among College Students: Helping Students Cope with Financial Strain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serido, Joyce; Shim, Soyeon; Xiao, Jing Jian; Tang, Chuanyi; Card, Noel A.

2014-01-01

This study examines the impact of the recent financial crisis on co-occurring patterns of change in financial strain and financial coping behaviors of college students (N = 748) using two-timed, longitudinal data collected prior to the 2008 financial crisis and again one year later. Using a stress and coping framework, we found that different…

Financial Services Industry

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

www.investopedia.com/features/industryhandbook/banking.asp Mishkin , F. & Eakins, S. (2003). Financial Markets + Institutions (4th ed.). Boston...purposes, participants interact in financial markets for securities, bonds, futures and options, utilizing financial intermediaries such as retail and...nations. U.S. participants, likewise, may also choose to participate in foreign financial institutions in order to gain access to or operate in

Financial well-being of older Australians with multiple health conditions.

PubMed

Temple, Jeromey B; Williams, Ruth

2018-06-01

Given recent rises in out-of-pocket health expenses, we examined the financial well-being of older Australians with multiple health conditions and disabilities. The 2014 General Social Survey was used to measure the: (i) current financial position; (ii) propensity to experience financial difficulties; and (iii) types of behaviours older people with multiple health conditions engage in to improve financial resilience. Compared to older Australians with no health conditions, respondents with multiple health conditions had lower incomes and assets and a higher propensity to hold consumer debt (once controls were included). They were at a higher risk of cash flow difficulties, dissaving to meet day-to-day living expenses and exclusion from financial providers. However, the majority of people with multiple health conditions engaged in financially resilient behaviours. Many older Australians with multiple health conditions were in a financially precarious situation with implications for the ability to afford ongoing increases in out-of-pocket health-care costs. © 2018 AJA Inc.

Financial Statement: Major Deficiencies in Financial Reporting for Other Defense Organizations-General Funds

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-05-31

Financial Statement May 31, 2002 Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense Major Deficiencies in Financial Reporting for Other...Subtitle Financial Statement: Major Deficiencies in Financial Reporting for Other Defense Organizations-General Funds Contract Number Grant Number...use the financial reports of the Other Defense Organizations-General Funds to make management decisions. It explains major financial reporting deficiencies

Using financial incentives to improve value in orthopaedics.

PubMed

Lansky, David; Nwachukwu, Benedict U; Bozic, Kevin J

2012-04-01

A variety of reforms to traditional approaches to provider payment and benefit design are being implemented in the United States. There is increasing interest in applying these financial incentives to orthopaedics, although it is unclear whether and to what extent they have been implemented and whether they increase quality or reduce costs. We reviewed and discussed physician- and patient-oriented financial incentives being implemented in orthopaedics, key challenges, and prerequisites to payment reform and value-driven payment policy in orthopaedics. We searched the MEDLINE database using as search terms various provider payment and consumer incentive models. We retrieved a total of 169 articles; none of these studies met the inclusion criteria. For incentive models known to the authors to be in use in orthopaedics but for which no peer-reviewed literature was found, we searched Google for further information. Provider financial incentives reviewed include payments for reporting, performance, and patient safety and episode payment. Patient incentives include tiered networks, value-based benefit design, reference pricing, and value-based purchasing. Reform of financial incentives for orthopaedic surgery is challenged by (1) lack of a payment/incentive model that has demonstrated reductions in cost trends and (2) the complex interrelation of current pay schemes in today's fragmented environment. Prerequisites to reform include (1) a reliable and complete data infrastructure; (2) new business structures to support cost sharing; and (3) a retooling of patient expectations. There is insufficient literature reporting the effects of various financial incentive models under implementation in orthopaedics to know whether they increase quality or reduce costs. National concerns about cost will continue to drive experimentation, and all anticipated innovations will require improved collaboration and data collection and reporting.

An alternative method to measure the likelihood of a financial crisis in an emerging market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özlale, Ümit; Metin-Özcan, Kıvılcım

2007-07-01

This paper utilizes an early warning system in order to measure the likelihood of a financial crisis in an emerging market economy. We introduce a methodology, where we can both obtain a likelihood series and analyze the time-varying effects of several macroeconomic variables on this likelihood. Since the issue is analyzed in a non-linear state space framework, the extended Kalman filter emerges as the optimal estimation algorithm. Taking the Turkish economy as our laboratory, the results indicate that both the derived likelihood measure and the estimated time-varying parameters are meaningful and can successfully explain the path that the Turkish economy had followed between 2000 and 2006. The estimated parameters also suggest that overvalued domestic currency, current account deficit and the increase in the default risk increase the likelihood of having an economic crisis in the economy. Overall, the findings in this paper suggest that the estimation methodology introduced in this paper can also be applied to other emerging market economies as well.

Implications of the global financial crisis for the response to diseases of poverty within overall health sector development: the case of tuberculosis.

PubMed

Maher, Dermot

2010-01-01

The global financial crisis poses a threat to global health, and may exacerbate diseases of poverty, e.g. HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. Exploring the implications of the global financial crisis for the health sector response to tuberculosis is useful to illustrate the practical problems and propose possible solutions. The response to tuberculosis is considered in the context of health sector development. Problems and solutions are considered in five key areas: financing, prioritization, government regulation, integration and decentralization. Securing health gains in global tuberculosis control depends on protecting expenditure by governments of countries badly affected by tuberculosis and by donors, taking measures to increase efficiencies, prioritizing health expenditures and strengthening government regulation. Lessons learned will be valuable for stakeholders involved in the health sector response to tuberculosis and other diseases of poverty.

Inmate Perceptions of Financial Education Needs: Suggestions for Financial Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Call, Lindsay Larson; Dyer, W. Justin; Wiley, Angela R.; Day, Randal D.

2013-01-01

Recently, national attention has turned to the need for increased financial education, particularly for low-income populations. Incarcerated individuals represent a growing low-income group with unique needs that could likely benefit from financial education. However, few studies have examined the specific financial education needs of inmates,…

Patient financial responsibility for observation care.

PubMed

Kangovi, Shreya; Cafardi, Susannah G; Smith, Robyn A; Kulkarni, Raina; Grande, David

2015-11-01

As observation care grows, Medicare beneficiaries are increasingly likely to revisit observation care instead of being readmitted. This trend has potential financial implications for Medicare beneficiaries because observation care-although typically hospital based-is classified as an outpatient service. Beneficiaries who are readmitted pay the inpatient deductible only once per benefit period. In contrast, beneficiaries who have multiple care episodes under observations status are subject to coinsurance at every stay and could accrue higher cumulative costs. We were interested in answering the question: Do Medicare beneficiaries who revisit observation care pay more than they would have had they been readmitted? We used a 20% sample of the Medicare Outpatient Standard Analytic File (2010-2012) to determine the total cumulative financial liability for Medicare beneficiaries who revisit observation care multiple times within a 60-day period. Participants were fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who had Part A and Part B coverage for a full calendar year (or until death) during the study period. Our primary measure was beneficiary financial responsibility for facilities fees. On average, beneficiaries with multiple observation stays in a 60-day period had a cumulative financial liability of $947.40 (803.62), which is significantly lower than the $1100 inpatient deductible (P < 0.01). However, 26.6% of these beneficiaries had a cumulative financial liability that exceeded the inpatient deductible. More than a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries with multiple observation stays in a 60-day time period have a higher financial liability than they would have had under Part A benefits. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Economic values and corporate financial statements.

PubMed

Magness, Vanessa

2003-07-01

Corporate financial statements do not include environmental values. This deficiency has contributed to the criticism that company managers do not include environmental impacts in the internal decision-making process. The accounting profession has not developed effective environmental reporting guidelines. This situation contributes to a second problem: the apparent inability of corporate reports to provide useful information to external parties. It has been suggested that by using nonmarket valuation methodologies, financial statements can be used to measure progress toward sustainable development. Nonmarket valuations are not generally accepted by the accounting profession. They are too subjective to support effective decisions, and too costly to obtain. Furthermore, demand for this sort of information appears small. Some of these issues may be resolved over time. The most serious challenge, however, concerns how enhanced financial reports would be used. Financial statements are supposed to help investors assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of future cash flows. A substantial portion of environmental value is based on nonuse benefits, much of which will never be realized in company cash flows. In other words, the role of financial statements would have to change. Furthermore, since there is no general agreement as to the meaning of "sustainable development," efforts to operationalize the term have been fraught with difficulty. Moreover, monetization of environmental values could jeopardize their preservation, leaving some to question the overall objective of this form of reporting. For these reasons, while it is to be hoped that better reporting of environmental impacts will be forthcoming, the greatest advances will likely be outside the financial statements themselves.

Key Exchange Trust Evaluation in Peer-to-Peer Sensor Networks With Unconditionally Secure Key Exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, Elias; Kish, Laszlo B.

2016-03-01

As the utilization of sensor networks continue to increase, the importance of security becomes more profound. Many industries depend on sensor networks for critical tasks, and a malicious entity can potentially cause catastrophic damage. We propose a new key exchange trust evaluation for peer-to-peer sensor networks, where part of the network has unconditionally secure key exchange. For a given sensor, the higher the portion of channels with unconditionally secure key exchange the higher the trust value. We give a brief introduction to unconditionally secured key exchange concepts and mention current trust measures in sensor networks. We demonstrate the new key exchange trust measure on a hypothetical sensor network using both wired and wireless communication channels.

Understanding the source of multifractality in financial markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barunik, Jozef; Aste, Tomaso; Di Matteo, T.; Liu, Ruipeng

2012-09-01

In this paper, we use the generalized Hurst exponent approach to study the multi-scaling behavior of different financial time series. We show that this approach is robust and powerful in detecting different types of multi-scaling. We observe a puzzling phenomenon where an apparent increase in multifractality is measured in time series generated from shuffled returns, where all time-correlations are destroyed, while the return distributions are conserved. This effect is robust and it is reproduced in several real financial data including stock market indices, exchange rates and interest rates. In order to understand the origin of this effect we investigate different simulated time series by means of the Markov switching multifractal model, autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average processes with stable innovations, fractional Brownian motion and Levy flights. Overall we conclude that the multifractality observed in financial time series is mainly a consequence of the characteristic fat-tailed distribution of the returns and time-correlations have the effect to decrease the measured multifractality.

Managing the Financial Risks of Water Scarcity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Characklis, Greg; Foster, Ben; Kern, Jordan; Meyer, Eliot; Zeff, Harrison

2015-04-01

Environmental uncertainty poses a growing number of financial risks to society, with droughts, floods, extreme temperatures and violent storms imposing costs that approach 500 billion per year. While structural forms of mitigation (i.e. levees, dams) will certainly play a role in limiting financial impacts, these are large investments whose full value is only rarely realized. Furthermore, the value of such long-lived measures becomes increasingly uncertain in a changing climate, raising the issue of whether they will be effective 20-30 years hence. Financial instruments, such as index insurance, can provide increased flexibility by providing compensation for losses only when they occur, and limited contract periods allow terms to be periodically rewritten in response to changing conditions. Financial instruments can also be effectively combined with other economic tools and infrastructure to create integrated solutions in which infrastructure mitigates losses from moderate events, while financial products compensate for more rare, but extreme, events. There is a long history of environmentally-related insurance and hedging instruments, but to date the actuarial analyses that underlie contract structure and pricing have been based on straightforward observations, such as cumulative rainfall. More recently, simple correlations between two time series have been used to develop index-based contracts. Links between temperature and electricity demand, for example, provide a basis for contracts that are used to limit the financial exposure of power generators to low revenues during unseasonably warm winters or cool summers. Unfortunately, few environmental risks can be so quickly and easily linked to a financial impact. However, with a more advanced understanding of the environmental systems that give rise to financial losses, opportunities exist to develop innovative contracts for a range of new applications. Recent research describes the characterization and mitigation

Financial Reporting: Framework for Analyzing Federal Agency Financial Statements

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-01

the only source that would be used to pay current liabilities. 6;Loyd C. Heath, Financial Reporting and the Evaluation of Solvency (New York: AICPA...when assessing department programs and deter- mining public policy. With improved financial reporting as an objective, we plan to continue working...Golembiewski, Robert T. and Jack Rabin, ed. Public Budgeting and Finance. New York- Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1983. Heath, Loyd C., Financial Reporting and the

Key Personnel and “Long Distance” Settings: Determining Who Must Report Financial Conflict of Interest

PubMed Central

Lynch, John; Lindsell, Chris J.

2010-01-01

Conflicts of interest can impact the integrity of scientific research. While public imagination has focused on scientists, regulatory discourse recognizes a broader range of individuals who might have financial COIs. This essay asks, for personnel who enroll subjects at a physical and organizational remove from the primary research team, whether reporting COI to an institutional review board or COI committee protects research integrity. After examining definitions of COI, regulations on COI, and rubrics for evaluating COI policies, we argue that requiring recruitment personnel working at a distance from the primary research team to report potential COI protects neither research integrity nor human subjects. PMID:20597019

Conceptual model and map of financial exploitation of older adults.

PubMed

Conrad, Kendon J; Iris, Madelyn; Ridings, John W; Fairman, Kimberly P; Rosen, Abby; Wilber, Kathleen H

2011-10-01

This article describes the processes and outcomes of three-dimensional concept mapping to conceptualize financial exploitation of older adults. Statements were generated from a literature review and by local and national panels consisting of 16 experts in the field of financial exploitation. These statements were sorted and rated using Concept Systems software, which grouped the statements into clusters and depicted them as a map. Statements were grouped into six clusters, and ranked by the experts as follows in descending severity: (a) theft and scams, (b) financial victimization, (c) financial entitlement, (d) coercion, (e) signs of possible financial exploitation, and (f) money management difficulties. The hierarchical model can be used to identify elder financial exploitation and differentiate it from related but distinct areas of victimization. The severity hierarchy may be used to develop measures that will enable more precise screening for triage of clients into appropriate interventions.

Identifying financial crises in real time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Fonseca, Eder Lucio; Ferreira, Fernando F.; Muruganandam, Paulsamy; Cerdeira, Hilda A.

2013-03-01

Following the thermodynamic formulation of a multifractal measure that was shown to enable the detection of large fluctuations at an early stage, here we propose a new index which permits us to distinguish events like financial crises in real time. We calculate the partition function from which we can obtain thermodynamic quantities analogous to the free energy and specific heat. The index is defined as the normalized energy variation and it can be used to study the behavior of stochastic time series, such as financial market daily data. Famous financial market crashes-Black Thursday (1929), Black Monday (1987) and the subprime crisis (2008)-are identified with clear and robust results. The method is also applied to the market fluctuations of 2011. From these results it appears as if the apparent crisis of 2011 is of a different nature to the other three. We also show that the analysis has forecasting capabilities.

Financial derivative pricing under probability operator via Esscher transfomation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Achi, Godswill U., E-mail: achigods@yahoo.com

2014-10-24

The problem of pricing contingent claims has been extensively studied for non-Gaussian models, and in particular, Black- Scholes formula has been derived for the NIG asset pricing model. This approach was first developed in insurance pricing{sup 9} where the original distortion function was defined in terms of the normal distribution. This approach was later studied6 where they compared the standard Black-Scholes contingent pricing and distortion based contingent pricing. So, in this paper, we aim at using distortion operators by Cauchy distribution under a simple transformation to price contingent claim. We also show that we can recuperate the Black-Sholes formula usingmore » the distribution. Similarly, in a financial market in which the asset price represented by a stochastic differential equation with respect to Brownian Motion, the price mechanism based on characteristic Esscher measure can generate approximate arbitrage free financial derivative prices. The price representation derived involves probability Esscher measure and Esscher Martingale measure and under a new complex valued measure φ (u) evaluated at the characteristic exponents φ{sub x}(u) of X{sub t} we recuperate the Black-Scholes formula for financial derivative prices.« less

Financial derivative pricing under probability operator via Esscher transfomation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achi, Godswill U.

2014-10-01

The problem of pricing contingent claims has been extensively studied for non-Gaussian models, and in particular, Black- Scholes formula has been derived for the NIG asset pricing model. This approach was first developed in insurance pricing9 where the original distortion function was defined in terms of the normal distribution. This approach was later studied6 where they compared the standard Black-Scholes contingent pricing and distortion based contingent pricing. So, in this paper, we aim at using distortion operators by Cauchy distribution under a simple transformation to price contingent claim. We also show that we can recuperate the Black-Sholes formula using the distribution. Similarly, in a financial market in which the asset price represented by a stochastic differential equation with respect to Brownian Motion, the price mechanism based on characteristic Esscher measure can generate approximate arbitrage free financial derivative prices. The price representation derived involves probability Esscher measure and Esscher Martingale measure and under a new complex valued measure φ (u) evaluated at the characteristic exponents φx(u) of Xt we recuperate the Black-Scholes formula for financial derivative prices.

The Effects of Financial Education and Networks on Business Students' Financial Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Yunhyung; Park, Youngkyun

2014-01-01

This study investigates the joint effects of financial education and educational networks on students' financial literacy. With a sample (N = 105) of senior students in a business college, the study finds that not only financial education, but also strong networks with professors, are positively related to the financial literacy of business…

Passive measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with orbital angular momentum and pulse position modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lian; Zhou, Yuan-yuan; Zhou, Xue-jun; Chen, Xiao

2018-03-01

Based on the orbital angular momentum and pulse position modulation, we present a novel passive measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) scheme with the two-mode source. Combining with the tight bounds of the yield and error rate of single-photon pairs given in our paper, we conduct performance analysis on the scheme with heralded single-photon source. The numerical simulations show that the performance of our scheme is significantly superior to the traditional MDI-QKD in the error rate, key generation rate and secure transmission distance, since the application of orbital angular momentum and pulse position modulation can exclude the basis-dependent flaw and increase the information content for each single photon. Moreover, the performance is improved with the rise of the frame length. Therefore, our scheme, without intensity modulation, avoids the source side channels and enhances the key generation rate. It has greatly utility value in the MDI-QKD setups.

Financial incentives enhance adaptation to a sensorimotor transformation.

PubMed

Gajda, Kathrin; Sülzenbrück, Sandra; Heuer, Herbert

2016-10-01

Adaptation to sensorimotor transformations has received much attention in recent years. However, the role of motivation and its relation to the implicit and explicit processes underlying adaptation has been neglected thus far. Here, we examine the influence of extrinsic motivation on adaptation to a visuomotor rotation by way of providing financial incentives for accurate movements. Participants in the experimental group "bonus" received a defined amount of money for high end-point accuracy in a visuomotor rotation task; participants in the control group "no bonus" did not receive a financial incentive. Results showed better overall adaptation to the visuomotor transformation in participants who were extrinsically motivated. However, there was no beneficial effect of financial incentives on the implicit component, as assessed by the after-effects, and on separately assessed explicit knowledge. These findings suggest that the positive influence of financial incentives on adaptation is due to a component which cannot be measured by after-effects or by our test of explicit knowledge. A likely candidate is model-free learning based on reward-prediction errors, which could be enhanced by the financial bonuses.

The impact of the financial crisis on human resources for health policies in three southern-Europe countries.

PubMed

Correia, Tiago; Dussault, Gilles; Pontes, Carla

2015-12-01

The public health sector has been the target of austerity measures since the global financial crisis started in 2008, while health workforce costs have been a source of rapid savings in most European Union countries. This article aims to explore how health workforce policies have evolved in three southern European countries under external constraints imposed by emergency financial programmes agreed with the International Monetary Fund, Central European Bank and European Commission. The selected countries, Greece, Portugal and Cyprus, show similarities with regard to corporatist systems of social protection and comprehensive welfare mechanisms only recently institutionalized. Based on document analysis of the Memoranda of Understanding agreed with the Troika, our results reveal broadly similar policy responses to the crisis but also important differences. In Cyprus, General Practitioners have a key position in reducing public expenditure through gatekeeping and control of users' access, while Portugal and Greece seeks to achieve cost containment by constraining the decision-making powers of professionals. All three countries lack innovation as well as monitoring and assessment of the effects of the financial crisis in relation to the health workforce. Consequently, there is a need for health policy development to use human resources more efficiently in healthcare. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring Two Key Parameters of H3 Color Centers in Diamond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, W. Thomas

2005-01-01

A method of measuring two key parameters of H3 color centers in diamond has been created as part of a continuing effort to develop tunable, continuous-wave, visible lasers that would utilize diamond as the lasing medium. (An H3 color center in a diamond crystal lattice comprises two nitrogen atoms substituted for two carbon atoms bonded to a third carbon atom. H3 color centers can be induced artificially; they also occur naturally. If present in sufficient density, they impart a yellow hue.) The method may also be applicable to the corresponding parameters of other candidate lasing media. One of the parameters is the number density of color centers, which is needed for designing an efficient laser. The other parameter is an optical-absorption cross section, which, as explained below, is needed for determining the number density. The present method represents an improvement over prior methods in which optical-absorption measurements have been used to determine absorption cross sections or number densities. Heretofore, in order to determine a number density from such measurements, it has been necessary to know the applicable absorption cross section; alternatively, to determine the absorption cross section from such measurements, it has been necessary to know the number density. If, as in this case, both the number density and the absorption cross section are initially unknown, then it is impossible to determine either parameter in the absence of additional information.

Key rate for calibration robust entanglement based BB84 quantum key distribution protocol

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gittsovich, O.; Moroder, T.

2014-12-04

We apply the approach of verifying entanglement, which is based on the sole knowledge of the dimension of the underlying physical system to the entanglement based version of the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol. We show that the familiar one-way key rate formula holds already if one assumes the assumption that one of the parties is measuring a qubit and no further assumptions about the measurement are needed.

Self-referenced continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yijun; Wang, Xudong; Li, Jiawei; Huang, Duan; Zhang, Ling; Guo, Ying

2018-05-01

We propose a scheme to remove the demand of transmitting a high-brightness local oscillator (LO) in continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (CV-MDI QKD) protocol, which we call as the self-referenced (SR) CV-MDI QKD. We show that our scheme is immune to the side-channel attacks, such as the calibration attacks, the wavelength attacks and the LO fluctuation attacks, which are all exploiting the security loopholes introduced by transmitting the LO. Besides, the proposed scheme waives the necessity of complex multiplexer and demultiplexer, which can greatly simplify the QKD processes and improve the transmission efficiency. The numerical simulations under collective attacks show that all the improvements brought about by our scheme are only at the expense of slight transmission distance shortening. This scheme shows an available method to mend the security loopholes incurred by transmitting LO in CV-MDI QKD.

Continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with photon subtraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Hong-Xin; Huang, Peng; Bai, Dong-Yun; Wang, Shi-Yu; Bao, Wan-Su; Zeng, Gui-Hua

2018-04-01

It has been found that non-Gaussian operations can be applied to increase and distill entanglement between Gaussian entangled states. We show the successful use of the non-Gaussian operation, in particular, photon subtraction operation, on the continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (CV-MDI-QKD) protocol. The proposed method can be implemented based on existing technologies. Security analysis shows that the photon subtraction operation can remarkably increase the maximal transmission distance of the CV-MDI-QKD protocol, which precisely make up for the shortcoming of the original CV-MDI-QKD protocol, and one-photon subtraction operation has the best performance. Moreover, the proposed protocol provides a feasible method for the experimental implementation of the CV-MDI-QKD protocol.

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with multiple crystal heralded source with post-selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dong; Shang-Hong, Zhao; MengYi, Deng

2018-03-01

The multiple crystal heralded source with post-selection (MHPS), originally introduced to improve the single-photon character of the heralded source, has specific applications for quantum information protocols. In this paper, by combining decoy-state measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) with spontaneous parametric downconversion process, we present a modified MDI-QKD scheme with MHPS where two architectures are proposed corresponding to symmetric scheme and asymmetric scheme. The symmetric scheme, which linked by photon switches in a log-tree structure, is adopted to overcome the limitation of the current low efficiency of m-to-1 optical switches. The asymmetric scheme, which shows a chained structure, is used to cope with the scalability issue with increase in the number of crystals suffered in symmetric scheme. The numerical simulations show that our modified scheme has apparent advances both in transmission distance and key generation rate compared to the original MDI-QKD with weak coherent source and traditional heralded source with post-selection. Furthermore, the recent advances in integrated photonics suggest that if built into a single chip, the MHPS might be a practical alternative source in quantum key distribution tasks requiring single photons to work.

Financial Literacy of 15-Year-Olds: Results from PISA 2015. Data Point. NCES 2017-086

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzales, Patrick; Sen, Anindita

2017-01-01

On May 24, the National Center for Education Statistics released Financial Literacy of 15-year-olds: Results from PISA 2015. The PISA assessment of financial literacy measured students' knowledge and understanding of fundamental elements of the financial world, including financial concepts, products, and risks, and their ability to apply what they…

Integrating Physical Actions and Financial Instruments to Manage Environmental Financial Risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, B.

2016-12-01

Exposure to extreme weather events can be reduced through physical actions (e.g., dams/reservoirs) or mitigated financially (e.g., insurance). Often physical actions involve investments in expensive infrastructure that reduce exposure, but whose benefits are only occasionally realized. Financial risk management does not reduce the impacts of an event, but rather redistributes them temporally, albeit at a cost. Nonetheless, these costs are typically much smaller, at least in the short run, than those incurred for physical actions. Financial strategies are also more flexible than physical ones in the face of an uncertain future. Financial contracts specifically designed to manage extreme environmental risks are becoming more common and can either replace or complement infrastructural investments as part of a risk management portfolio. In order to make optimal decisions as to the relative levels of physical and financial risk mitigation to employ, it is necessary to understand the relative merits of each strategy. This research develops a method for analyzing tradeoffs between physical and financial risk management strategies. We identify the unique cost and benefit properties of each strategy and integrate them into a single model that details the tradeoffs involved in various portfolios of physical and financial strategies. These methods are then applied to evaluate decisions to pursue emergency dredging during drought on the Mississippi River, which is used to mitigate the increased costs and/or reduced revenues barge operators face when water levels are low. Currently the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funds most emergency dredging operations during major droughts and they are considering more intensive strategies for future droughts. Barge carriers and shippers though could manage at least some portion of their financial risks through a series of existing and experimental financial contracts. This work involves the formulation of these experimental contracts and

Foreign exchange rate entropy evolution during financial crises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stosic, Darko; Stosic, Dusan; Ludermir, Teresa; de Oliveira, Wilson; Stosic, Tatijana

2016-05-01

This paper examines the effects of financial crises on foreign exchange (FX) markets, where entropy evolution is measured for different exchange rates, using the time-dependent block entropy method. Empirical results suggest that financial crises are associated with significant increase of exchange rate entropy, reflecting instability in FX market dynamics. In accordance with phenomenological expectations, it is found that FX markets with large liquidity and large trading volume are more inert - they recover quicker from a crisis than markets with small liquidity and small trading volume. Moreover, our numerical analysis shows that periods of economic uncertainty are preceded by periods of low entropy values, which may serve as a tool for anticipating the onset of financial crises.

The Effects of Financial Education on Impulsive Decision Making

PubMed Central

DeHart, William B.; Friedel, Jonathan E.; Lown, Jean M.; Odum, Amy L.

2016-01-01

Delay discounting, as a behavioral measure of impulsive choice, is strongly related to substance abuse and other risky behaviors. Therefore, effective techniques that alter delay discounting are of great interest. We explored the ability of a semester long financial education course to change delay discounting. Participants were recruited from a financial education course (n = 237) and an abnormal psychology course (n = 80). Both groups completed a delay-discounting task for $100 during the first two weeks (Time 1) of the semester as well as during the last two weeks (Time 2) of the semester. Participants also completed a personality inventory and financial risk tolerance scale both times and a delay-discounting task for $1,000 during Time 2. Delay discounting decreased in the financial education group at the end of the semester whereas there was no change in delay discounting in the abnormal psychology group. Financial education may be an effective method for reducing delay discounting. PMID:27442237

The Effects of Financial Education on Impulsive Decision Making.

PubMed

DeHart, William B; Friedel, Jonathan E; Lown, Jean M; Odum, Amy L

2016-01-01

Delay discounting, as a behavioral measure of impulsive choice, is strongly related to substance abuse and other risky behaviors. Therefore, effective techniques that alter delay discounting are of great interest. We explored the ability of a semester long financial education course to change delay discounting. Participants were recruited from a financial education course (n = 237) and an abnormal psychology course (n = 80). Both groups completed a delay-discounting task for $100 during the first two weeks (Time 1) of the semester as well as during the last two weeks (Time 2) of the semester. Participants also completed a personality inventory and financial risk tolerance scale both times and a delay-discounting task for $1,000 during Time 2. Delay discounting decreased in the financial education group at the end of the semester whereas there was no change in delay discounting in the abnormal psychology group. Financial education may be an effective method for reducing delay discounting.

Financial Audit: EPA’s Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 1988 and 1987

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-16

consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 1988 and 1987, and our reports on internal accounting controls and compliance...Cognizant Officials 20 Report on Compliance 21 With Laws and Regulations Financial Statements 22 Consolidated Statement of Financial Position 22 Consolidated ...Statement of Operations 23 Consolidated Statement of Changes in Financial Position 24 and Reconciliation to Budget Notes to Financial Statements 25

Deficiencies in FY 1998 DOD Financial Statements and Progress Toward Improved Financial Reporting

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-11-26

DEFICIENCIES IN FY 1998 DOD FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND PROGRESS TOWARD IMPROVED FINANCIAL REPORTING Report No. D-2000-041 November 26, 1999 Office... Financial Reporting (Report No. D-2000-041) We are providing this audit report for information and use. It identifies and summarizes the major...8FI-2025.02) Deficiencies in FY 1998 DoD Financial Statements and Progress Toward Improved Financial Reporting Executive Summary Introduction

Succession Planning and Financial Performance: Does Competition Matter?

PubMed

Patidar, Nitish; Gupta, Shivani; Azbik, Ginger; Weech-Maldonado, Robert

2016-01-01

Succession planning has been defined as the process by which one or more successors are identified for key positions, development activities are planned for identified successors, or both. Limited research exists pertaining to the relationship between hospital succession planning and financial performance, particularly in the context of market competition. We used the resource-based view framework to analyze the differential effect of succession planning on hospitals' financial performance based on market competition. According to RBV, organizations can achieve higher performance by using their superior resources and capabilities. We used a panel design consisting of a national sample of hospitals in the United States for 2006-2010. We analyzed data using multivariate linear regression with facility random effects and year and state fixed effects. The sample included 22,717 hospital-year observations; more than one half of the hospitals (55.4%) had a succession planning program. The study found a positive relationship between the presence of succession planning and financial performance (β = 1.41, p < .01), which was stronger in competitive markets (β = 2.31, p = .03) than in monopolistic markets (β = 1.06, p = .01). Hospitals can use these results to make informed decisions about investing in succession planning programs on the basis of competition in their market.

Dynamic Modeling of Systemic Risk in Financial Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avakian, Adam

Modern financial networks are complicated structures that can contain multiple types of nodes and connections between those nodes. Banks, governments and even individual people weave into an intricate network of debt, risk correlations and many other forms of interconnectedness. We explore multiple types of financial network models with a focus on understanding the dynamics and causes of cascading failures in such systems. In particular, we apply real-world data from multiple sources to these models to better understand real-world financial networks. We use the results of the Federal Reserve "Banking Organization Systemic Risk Report" (FR Y-15), which surveys the largest US banks on their level of interconnectedness, to find relationships between various measures of network connectivity and systemic risk in the US financial sector. This network model is then stress-tested under a number of scenarios to determine systemic risks inherent in the various network structures. We also use detailed historical balance sheet data from the Venezuelan banking system to build a bipartite network model and find relationships between the changing network structure over time and the response of the system to various shocks. We find that the relationship between interconnectedness and systemic risk is highly dependent on the system and model but that it is always a significant one. These models are useful tools that add value to regulators in creating new measurements of systemic risk in financial networks. These models could be used as macroprudential tools for monitoring the health of the entire banking system as a whole rather than only of individual banks.

77 FR 27381 - Financial Crimes Enforcement Network: Customer Due Diligence Requirements for Financial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-10

...-AB15 Financial Crimes Enforcement Network: Customer Due Diligence Requirements for Financial... concerning customer due diligence requirements for financial institutions. DATES: Written comments on the... customer due diligence requirements for financial institutions.\\1\\ FinCEN received several comments on the...

Financial Management: Major Deficiencies in Financial Reporting for Other Defense Organizations-General Funds

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-05-31

explains major financial reporting deficiencies that diminish the quality and utility of the Other Defense Organizations-General Funds financial reports...Accounting Service have taken steps to improve the financial reporting process of the Other Defense Organizations, deficiencies related to financial

More for less: best patient outcomes in a time of financial restraint.

PubMed

Merry, Alan F; Hamblin, Richard

2012-12-01

In many countries, expenditure on health care has increased dramatically over recent years. There have been parallel improvements in many indicators of population health, but too many patients continue to be harmed by health care or receive care that is supply-sensitive, ineffective, or poorly aligned with their needs and values. In addition to human costs, this translates into substantial waste of resource. The world has recently faced economic challenges unseen since the great depression of the 1930s. The financial situation of a country can, like a business, be expressed in three sets of accounts: statements of financial position, financial performance, and cash flow. A key test of solvency is the ability to pay debts as they become due (whether from current account or further borrowing). In general, this is a function of public debt, which for many countries has become very high. However, private debt and net financial position are also relevant to a country's financial prospects. Ultimately, borrowing is not sustainable indefinitely and given limited prospects for growth in income in the coming years, most countries will likely need to reduce or at least constrain expenditure on health care. This implies obtaining better value from the resources that are available, and we suggest that the key to this lies in improving the quality of care and, in particular, reducing variation in health care. In the United States, new legislation promoting accountable care organizations may help to do this. Cardiac surgery can be particularly effective in extending patients' lives and in improving the quality of their lives. Our ability to continue to provide cardiac surgery in the face of constrained economic times will depend on engaging more actively in ensuring that what we do is the right thing: that our operations are effective and that they truly meet the needs and values of our patients. It will also depend on doing these operations right the first time.

More for Less: Best Patient Outcomes in a Time of Financial Restraint

PubMed Central

Merry, Alan F.; Hamblin, Richard

2012-01-01

Abstract: In many countries, expenditure on health care has increased dramatically over recent years. There have been parallel improvements in many indicators of population health, but too many patients continue to be harmed by health care or receive care that is supply-sensitive, ineffective, or poorly aligned with their needs and values. In addition to human costs, this translates into substantial waste of resource. The world has recently faced economic challenges unseen since the great depression of the 1930s. The financial situation of a country can, like a business, be expressed in three sets of accounts: statements of financial position, financial performance, and cash flow. A key test of solvency is the ability to pay debts as they become due (whether from current account or further borrowing). In general, this is a function of public debt, which for many countries has become very high. However, private debt and net financial position are also relevant to a country’s financial prospects. Ultimately, borrowing is not sustainable indefinitely and given limited prospects for growth in income in the coming years, most countries will likely need to reduce or at least constrain expenditure on health care. This implies obtaining better value from the resources that are available, and we suggest that the key to this lies in improving the quality of care and, in particular, reducing variation in health care. In the United States, new legislation promoting accountable care organizations may help to do this. Cardiac surgery can be particularly effective in extending patients’ lives and in improving the quality of their lives. Our ability to continue to provide cardiac surgery in the face of constrained economic times will depend on engaging more actively in ensuring that what we do is the right thing: that our operations are effective and that they truly meet the needs and values of our patients. It will also depend on doing these operations right the first time

Financial attitudes, knowledge, and habits of chiropractic students: A descriptive survey

PubMed Central

Lorence, Julie; Lawrence, Dana J.; Salsbury, Stacie A.; Goertz, Christine M.

2014-01-01

Objective: Our purpose was to describe the financial knowledge, habits and attitudes of chiropractic students. Methods: We designed a cross-sectional survey to measure basic financial knowledge, current financial habits, risk tolerance, and beliefs about future income among 250 students enrolled in business courses at one US chiropractic college. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed. Results: We received 57 questionnaires (23% response rate). Most respondents would accumulate over $125,000 in student loan debt by graduation. Financial knowledge was low (mean 77%). Most respondents (72%) scored as average financial risk takers. Chiropractic students reported recommended short-term habits such as having checking accounts (90%) and health insurance (63%) or paying monthly bills (88%) and credit cards (60%). Few saved money for unplanned expenses (39%) or long-term goals (26%), kept written budgets (32%), or had retirement accounts (19%). Conclusion: These chiropractic students demonstrated inadequate financial literacy and did not engage in many recommended financial habits. PMID:24587498

Marketing Financial Aid

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huddleston, Thomas, Jr.; Batty, Burt F.

1978-01-01

Student financial assistance services are becoming a major part of the institutional marketing plan as traditional college-age students decline in numbers and price competition among institutions increases. The effect of financial aid on enrollment and admissions processes is discussed along with the role of the financial aid officer. (Author/LBH)

The early indicators of financial failure: a study of bankrupt and solvent health systems.

PubMed

Coyne, Joseph S; Singh, Sher G

2008-01-01

This article presents a series of pertinent predictors of financial failure based on analysis of solvent and bankrupt health systems to identify which financial measures show the clearest distinction between success and failure. Early warning signals are evident from the longitudinal analysis as early as five years before bankruptcy. The data source includes seven years of annual statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by 13 health systems before they filed bankruptcy. Comparative data were compiled from five solvent health systems for the same seven-year period. Seven financial solvency ratios are included in this study, including four cash liquidity measures, two leverage measures, and one efficiency measure. The results show distinct financial trends between solvent and bankrupt health systems, in particular for the operating-cash-flow-related measures, namely Ratio 1: Operating Cash Flow Percentage Change, from prior to current period; Ratio 2: Operating Cash Flow to Net Revenues; and Ratio 4: Cash Flow to Total Liabilities, indicating sensitivity in the hospital industry to cash flow management. The high dependence on credit from third-party payers is cited as a reason for this; thus, there is a great need for cash to fund operations. Five managerial policy implications are provided to help health system managers avoid financial solvency problems in the future.

Financial Knowledge and Aptitudes: Impacts on College Students' Financial Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, S. Fiona; Chau, Albert Wai-Lap; Chan, Kim Yin-Kwan

2012-01-01

The study examines relationship between college students' money-related aptitudes, financial management practices and financial well-being. By integrating Kidwell, Brinberg and Turrisi's model of money management (2003) and other research on financial well-being, we surveyed 802 university students in Hong Kong. Our findings confirm the hypothesis…

KEY COMPARISON: Final report on CCQM-K9.2: Subsequent key comparison on pH determination of phosphate buffer by Harned cell measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spitzer, Petra; Giera, Janine; Fraga, Isabel C.; Tønnes Jakobsen, Pia; Jensen, Hans D.; Hyllested, Peter; Karpov, Oleg; Kutovoy, Viatcheslav; Nakamura, Susumu; Vospelova, Alena; Zvezdina, Valentina

2008-01-01

CCQM-K9.2 was performed supplementary to the key comparison CCQM-K9 on the pH determination of a phosphate buffer with nominal pH ~ 6.9 (at 25 °C). The sample composition was very similar in both comparisons. Only the source of the starting material used for sample preparation was different. The comparison was restricted to the use of the primary method for pH (Harned cell measurement) as defined in the IUPAC Recommendations [2]. The measurement temperatures were 15 °C, 25 °C, 37 °C. CCQM-K9.2, CCQM-K.9 and the first supplementary comparison CCQM-K9.1 [5] are activities of the Electrochemical Working Group (EAWG) of the CCQM. All three comparisons were coordinated by the PTB, Germany. The Danish Primary Laboratory (DPL) successfully took part in the CCQM-K9. Meanwhile the primary set-up for pH in Denmark moved from DPL affiliated to Radiometer Medical to DFM, Denmark. The subsequent comparison allows assessing the degree of equivalence for the measurement of pH at DFM after the move. Due to the interest of other laboratories in demonstrating their progress in pH measurements on the primary level the CCQM-K9.2 supplementary comparison was extended to other participants than DFM, namely NMIJ, VNIIFTRI, INMETRO and CMI. The reported quantity for CCQM-K9.2 was not the pH of the sample but the acidity function at zero chloride molality (see chapter 12). To calculate the pH value from the acidity function it is necessary to know the ionic strength of the sample buffer solution, which was undisclosed by the coordinator. With the exception of the Czech Metrology Institute, CMI, good agreement in the determined acidity function is found between the participants. The results reported by DFM and by PTB agree within their measurement uncertainty at all measurement temperatures. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report

Financial decision-making abilities and financial exploitation in older African Americans: Preliminary validity evidence for the Lichtenberg Financial Decision Rating Scale (LFDRS).

PubMed

Lichtenberg, Peter A; Ficker, Lisa J; Rahman-Filipiak, Annalise

2016-01-01

This study examines preliminary evidence for the Lichtenberg Financial Decision Rating Scale (LFDRS), a new person-centered approach to assessing capacity to make financial decisions, and its relationship to self-reported cases of financial exploitation in 69 older African Americans. More than one third of individuals reporting financial exploitation also had questionable decisional abilities. Overall, decisional ability score and current decision total were significantly associated with cognitive screening test and financial ability scores, demonstrating good criterion validity. Study findings suggest that impaired decisional abilities may render older adults more vulnerable to financial exploitation, and that the LFDRS is a valid tool.

Presenting practice financial information.

PubMed

Webster, Lee Ann H

2007-01-01

Medical practice leadership teams, often consisting primarily of physicians with limited financial backgrounds, must make important business decisions and continuously monitor practice operations. In order to competently perform this duty, they need financial reports that are relevant and easy to understand. This article explores financial reporting and decision-making in a physician practice. It discusses reports and tools, such as ratios, graphs, and comparisons, that practices typically include in their reports. Because profitability and cash flow are often the most important financial considerations for physician practices, reports should generally focus on the impact of various activities and potential decisions upon these concerns. This article also provides communication tips for both those presenting practice financial information and those making the decisions. By communicating effectively, these leaders can best use financial information to improve decision-making and maximize financial performance.

Return Intervals Approach to Financial Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fengzhong; Yamasaki, Kazuko; Havlin, Shlomo; Stanley, H. Eugene

Financial fluctuations play a key role for financial markets studies. A new approach focusing on properties of return intervals can help to get better understanding of the fluctuations. A return interval is defined as the time between two successive volatilities above a given threshold. We review recent studies and analyze the 1000 most traded stocks in the US stock markets. We find that the distribution of the return intervals has a well approximated scaling over a wide range of thresholds. The scaling is also valid for various time windows from one minute up to one trading day. Moreover, these results are universal for stocks of different countries, commodities, interest rates as well as currencies. Further analysis shows some systematic deviations from a scaling law, which are due to the nonlinear correlations in the volatility sequence. We also examine the memory in return intervals for different time scales, which are related to the long-term correlations in the volatility. Furthermore, we test two popular models, FIGARCH and fractional Brownian motion (fBm). Both models can catch the memory effect but only fBm shows a good scaling in the return interval distribution.

Financial heat machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khrennikov, Andrei

2005-05-01

We consider dynamics of financial markets as dynamics of expectations and discuss such a dynamics from the point of view of phenomenological thermodynamics. We describe a financial Carnot cycle and the financial analog of a heat machine. We see, that while in physics a perpetuum mobile is absolutely impossible, in economics such mobile may exist under some conditions.

Financial physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feigenbaum, James

2003-10-01

In this introduction to the burgeoning field of econophysics, we review the application of self-organized criticality to economics, the Cont-Bouchaud percolation model, multiple-strategy agent-based models of financial markets, the minority game, and log-periodic precursors to financial crashes.

Family rituals, financial burden, and mothers' adjustment in pediatric cancer.

PubMed

Santos, Susana; Crespo, Carla; Canavarro, M Cristina; Alderfer, Melissa A; Kazak, Anne E

2016-12-01

The financial burden of childhood cancer may contribute to the distress that parents experience during and after treatment. Inconsistent relationships between financial burden and parental psychological distress highlight the need to identify psychosocial factors that may moderate this relationship. In this study, we aimed to determine if family ritual meaning moderates the relationship between financial burden and anxiety and depression symptoms among mothers of children with cancer. Portuguese mothers of children with cancer on-treatment and off-treatment (N = 244) completed measures of financial burden, anxiety and depression symptoms, and family ritual meaning. Moderating effects were tested using hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Family ritual meaning buffered the effect of financial burden on anxiety, but not on depression symptoms. The relationship between financial burden and anxiety symptoms was not significant when mothers endorsed higher levels of family ritual meaning. Although preliminary, the current findings suggest that high levels of perceived family ritual meaning may constitute a protective factor against the effect of financial burden on mothers' anxiety symptoms. Promoting family ritual meaning might be an effective approach to reducing anxiety symptoms of mothers of children with cancer in the context of financial burden. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Everyday Functioning in Huntington's Disease: A Laboratory-Based Study of Financial Management Capacity.

PubMed

Sheppard, David P; Pirogovsky-Turk, Eva; Woods, Steven Paul; Holden, Heather M; Nicoll, Diane R; Filoteo, J Vincent; Corey-Bloom, Jody; Gilbert, Paul E

2017-01-01

One important limitation of prior studies examining functional decline in Huntington's disease (HD) has been the reliance on self-reported measures of ability. Since report-based methods can be biased by lack of insight, depression, and cognitive impairment, contrasting self-reported ability with measures that assess capacity may lead to a more comprehensive estimation of real-world functioning. The present study examined self-reported ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs) and performance-based financial management capacity in 20 patients diagnosed with mild-moderate Huntington's disease (HD) and 20 demographically similar healthy adults. HD patients reported significantly greater declines in their ability to manage finances. On the capacity measure of financial management, HD patients performed significantly below healthy adults. Additionally, in the HD group there were no significant correlations between self-reported ability and capacity measures of financial management. HD patients endorsed declines in global iADL ability and exhibited deficits in functional capacity when performing a financial management task. Capacity measures may aid in assessing the extent to which HD patients accurately estimate real-world iADL performance, and the present findings suggest that such measures of capacity may be related to the cognitive, but not motor or affective, symptoms of HD.

Oncology navigators' perceptions of cancer-related financial burden and financial assistance resources.

PubMed

Spencer, Jennifer C; Samuel, Cleo A; Rosenstein, Donald L; Reeder-Hayes, Katherine E; Manning, Michelle L; Sellers, Jean B; Wheeler, Stephanie B

2018-04-01

As the cost of cancer treatment continues to rise, many patients are faced with significant emotional and financial burden. Oncology navigators guide patients through many aspects of care and therefore may be especially aware of patients' financial distress. Our objective was to explore navigators' perception of their patients' financial burden and their role in addressing financial needs. We conducted a real-time online survey of attendees at an oncology navigators' association conference. Participants included lay navigators, oncology nurse navigators, community health workers, and social workers. Questions assessed perceived burden in their patient population and their role in helping navigate patients through financial resources. Answers to open-ended questions are reported using identified themes. Seventy-eight respondents participated in the survey, reporting that on average 75% of their patients experienced some degree of financial toxicity related to their cancer. Only 45% of navigators felt the majority of these patients were able to get some financial assistance, most often through assistance with medical costs (73%), subsidized insurance (36%), or non-medical expenses (31%). Commonly identified barriers for patients obtaining assistance included lack of resources (50%), lack of knowledge about resources (46%), and complex/duplicative paperwork (20%). Oncology navigators reported a high burden of financial toxicity among their patients but insufficient knowledge or resources to address this need. This study underscores the importance of improved training and coordination for addressing financial burden, and the need to address community and system-level barriers.

Eroding market stability by proliferation of financial instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caccioli, F.; Marsili, M.; Vivo, P.

2009-10-01

We contrast Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT), the theoretical basis for the development of financial instruments, with a dynamical picture of an interacting market, in a simple setting. The proliferation of financial instruments apparently provides more means for risk diversification, making the market more efficient and complete. In the simple market of interacting traders discussed here, the proliferation of financial instruments erodes systemic stability and it drives the market to a critical state characterized by large susceptibility, strong fluctuations and enhanced correlations among risks. This suggests that the hypothesis of APT may not be compatible with a stable market dynamics. In this perspective, market stability acquires the properties of a common good, which suggests that appropriate measures should be introduced in derivative markets, to preserve stability. in here

After the Fall: Educational Contracting in the USA and the Global Financial Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burch, Patricia

2010-01-01

Key legislative objectives for the US Federal educational policy over the past several decades relied heavily on quasi-market strategies (such as school rating, school closure, the contracting out of schools) as central levers in "reforming" public schools. Using financial data on 11 national for-profit firms contracting with schools and…

Defining teaching hospitals' GME strategy in response to new financial and market challenges.

PubMed

Wray, J L; Sadowski, S M

1998-04-01

The authors present an overview of current graduate medical education (GME) issues, particularly the financial challenges to teaching hospitals resulting from the Balanced Budget and Tax Payer Relief Acts of 1997 and other recent market-driven factors. They describe in detail the nature of Medicare GME payments before and after the 1997 legislation, with specific examples, and explain the negative financial impact of the legislation and aspects of the legislation that are designed to alleviate that impact. Other factors influencing GME program size and composition are also discussed, including oversupplies or shortages of physicians, the concern that teaching hospitals are using public funds to train international medical graduates, changing training requirements, etc. The authors also describe a recent consulting assignment during which they assisted a major teaching hospital to develop a GME strategy that was responsive to the organization's mission and patients and that took into account future GME financing challenges. Detailed explanations are given of how the consultants analyzed the hospital's GME programs and finances, developed and ranked key institution-specific program criteria (strategic, organizational and operational, and financial), and, in consultation with all key stakeholders, formulated a GME strategy specific to the institution's needs. The authors conclude by cautioning that each institution's GME strategy will be different, but that it is important for institutions to develop such strategies to better face future challenges.

Financial effects of health information technology: a systematic review.

PubMed

Low, Alexander F H; Phillips, Andrew B; Ancker, Jessica S; Patel, Ashwin R; Kern, Lisa M; Kaushal, Rainu

2013-11-01

Health information technology (HIT) is widely viewed as an important lever with which to improve the quality and efficiency of the healthcare system. However, there has long been debate about its financial effects. To characterize the existing data on the financial effects of HIT and to consider the implications for the effect of HIT on healthcare spending. Systematic literature review. We identified articles by (1) searching PubMed using the intersection of terms related to HIT applications and terms related to financial or economic effect; and (2) reviewing the reference lists of the included articles as well as additional policy articles and literature reviews. A total of 57 articles met our inclusion criteria, including 43 articles (75%) reporting financial benefits to a stakeholder associated with HIT. These included 26 articles (46%) reporting cost savings, 6 articles (11%) reporting revenue gains, and 11 articles (19%) reporting a mixture of cost savings and revenue gains. Among articles with experimental study designs, 22 of 34 (65%) reported financial benefits; and among articles explicitly measuring costs and benefits, 19 of 21 (90%) reported financial benefits. The most prevalent mechanisms were savings on administrative goods and/or personnel, savings on pharmaceuticals, and revenue gains through improved billing. Overall there is a dearth of articles on this topic, especially ones with strong study designs and financial analyses. HIT can have financial benefits, but more research is required, especially on HIT's effects under emerging delivery and payment reform efforts.

Synthesizing qualitative and quantitative evidence on non-financial access barriers: implications for assessment at the district level.

PubMed

O'Connell, Thomas S; Bedford, K Juliet A; Thiede, Michael; McIntyre, Di

2015-06-09

A key element of the global drive to universal health coverage is ensuring access to needed health services for everyone, and to pursue this goal in an equitable way. This requires concerted efforts to reduce disparities in access through understanding and acting on barriers facing communities with the lowest utilisation levels. Financial barriers dominate the empirical literature on health service access. Unless the full range of access barriers are investigated, efforts to promote equitable access to health care are unlikely to succeed. This paper therefore focuses on exploring the nature and extent of non-financial access barriers. We draw upon two structured literature reviews on barriers to access and utilization of maternal, newborn and child health services in Ghana, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Rwanda. One review analyses access barriers identified in published literature using qualitative research methods; the other in published literature using quantitative analysis of household survey data. We then synthesised the key qualitative and quantitative findings through a conjoint iterative analysis. Five dominant themes on non-financial access barriers were identified: ethnicity; religion; physical accessibility; decision-making, gender and autonomy; and knowledge, information and education. The analysis highlighted that non-financial factors pose considerable barriers to access, many of which relate to the acceptability dimension of access and are challenging to address. Another key finding is that quantitative research methods, while yielding important findings, are inadequate for understanding non-financial access barriers in sufficient detail to develop effective responses. Qualitative research is critical in filling this gap. The analysis also indicates that the nature of non-financial access barriers vary considerably, not only between countries but also between different communities within individual countries. To adequately understand access barriers as a

Financial incentives for quality in breast cancer care.

PubMed

Tisnado, Diana M; Rose-Ash, Danielle E; Malin, Jennifer L; Adams, John L; Ganz, Patricia A; Kahn, Katherine L

2008-07-01

To examine the use of financial incentives related to performance on quality measures reported by oncologists and surgeons associated with a population-based cohort of patients with breast cancer in Los Angeles County, California, and to explore the physician and practice characteristics associated with the use of these incentives among breast cancer care providers. Cross-sectional observational study. Physician self-reported financial arrangements from a survey of 348 medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and surgeons caring for patients with breast cancer in Los Angeles County (response rate, 76%). Physicians were asked whether they were subject to financial incentives for quality (ie, patient satisfaction surveys and adherence to practice guidelines). We examined the prevalence and correlates of incentives and performed multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess predictors of incentives, controlling for other covariates. Twenty percent of respondents reported incentives based on patient satisfaction, and 15% reported incentives based on guideline adherence. The use of incentives for quality in this cohort of oncologists and surgeons was modest and was primarily associated with staff- or group-model health maintenance organization (HMO) settings. In other settings, important predictors were partial physician ownership interest, large practice size, and capitation. Most cancer care providers in Los Angeles County outside of staff- or group-model HMOs are not subject to explicit financial incentives based on quality-of-care measures. Those who are, seem more likely to be associated with large practice settings. New approaches are needed to direct financial incentives for quality toward specialists outside of staff- or group-model HMOs if pay-for-performance programs are to succeed in influencing care.

Coming of Age on a Shoestring Budget: Financial Capability and Financial Behaviors of Lower-Income Millennials.

PubMed

West, Stacia; Friedline, Terri

2016-10-01

Lower-income millennials make important financial decisions that may affect their future financial well-being. With limited resources, this population is at risk for acquiring too much debt or being unprepared for a financial emergency that can send them further into poverty and constrain their ability to leverage resources for future economic mobility. A financial capability approach, an intervention that combines financial education with financial inclusion through the use of a savings account, may correlate with millennials’ healthy financial behaviors. This study used data from the 2012 National Financial Capability Study to examine the relationship between financial capability and the financial behaviors of lower-income millennials between the ages of 18 and 34 years (N = 2,578). Compared with those lower-income millennials who were financially excluded, those who were financially capable were also 171 percent more likely to afford an unexpected expense, 182 percent more likely to save for emergencies, and 34 percent less likely to carry too much debt, relating to their greater overall financial satisfaction. The findings of this study indicate that interventions that develop lower-income millennials’ financial capability may be effective for promoting healthy financial behaviors.

75 FR 22680 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Annual Financial Statement of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-29

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Annual Financial Statement of Surety Companies--Schedule F AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and Request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management...

An observational study of emergency department utilization among enrollees of Minnesota Health Care Programs: financial and non-financial barriers have different associations.

PubMed

Shippee, Nathan D; Shippee, Tetyana P; Hess, Erik P; Beebe, Timothy J

2014-02-08

Emergency department (ED) use is costly, and especially frequent among publicly insured populations in the US, who also disproportionately encounter financial (cost/coverage-related) and non-financial/practical barriers to care. The present study examines the distinct associations financial and non-financial barriers to care have with patterns of ED use among a publicly insured population. This observational study uses linked administrative-survey data for enrollees of Minnesota Health Care Programs to examine patterns in ED use-specifically, enrollee self-report of the ED as usual source of care, and past-year count of 0, 1, or 2+ ED visits from administrative data. Main independent variables included a count of seven enrollee-reported financial concerns about healthcare costs and coverage, and a count of seven enrollee-reported non-financial, practical barriers to access (e.g., limited office hours, problems with childcare). Covariates included health, health care, and demographic measures. In multivariate regression models, only financial concerns were positively associated with reporting ED as usual source of care, but only non-financial barriers were significantly associated with greater ED visits. Regression-adjusted values indicated notable differences in ED visits by number of non-financial barriers: zero non-financial barriers meant an adjusted 78% chance of having zero ED visits (95% C.I.: 70.5%-85.5%), 15.9% chance of 1(95% C.I.: 10.4%-21.3%), and 6.2% chance (95% C.I.: 3.5%-8.8%) of 2+ visits, whereas having all seven non-financial barriers meant a 48.2% adjusted chance of zero visits (95% C.I.: 30.9%-65.6%), 31.8% chance of 1 visit (95% C.I.: 24.2%-39.5%), and 20% chance (95% C.I.: 8.4%-31.6%) of 2+ visits. Financial barriers were associated with identifying the ED as one's usual source of care but non-financial barriers were associated with actual ED visits. Outreach/literacy efforts may help reduce reliance on/perception of ED as usual source of care

An observational study of emergency department utilization among enrollees of Minnesota Health Care Programs: financial and non-financial barriers have different associations

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Emergency department (ED) use is costly, and especially frequent among publicly insured populations in the US, who also disproportionately encounter financial (cost/coverage-related) and non-financial/practical barriers to care. The present study examines the distinct associations financial and non-financial barriers to care have with patterns of ED use among a publicly insured population. Methods This observational study uses linked administrative-survey data for enrollees of Minnesota Health Care Programs to examine patterns in ED use—specifically, enrollee self-report of the ED as usual source of care, and past-year count of 0, 1, or 2+ ED visits from administrative data. Main independent variables included a count of seven enrollee-reported financial concerns about healthcare costs and coverage, and a count of seven enrollee-reported non-financial, practical barriers to access (e.g., limited office hours, problems with childcare). Covariates included health, health care, and demographic measures. Results In multivariate regression models, only financial concerns were positively associated with reporting ED as usual source of care, but only non-financial barriers were significantly associated with greater ED visits. Regression-adjusted values indicated notable differences in ED visits by number of non-financial barriers: zero non-financial barriers meant an adjusted 78% chance of having zero ED visits (95% C.I.: 70.5%-85.5%), 15.9% chance of 1(95% C.I.: 10.4%-21.3%), and 6.2% chance (95% C.I.: 3.5%-8.8%) of 2+ visits, whereas having all seven non-financial barriers meant a 48.2% adjusted chance of zero visits (95% C.I.: 30.9%-65.6%), 31.8% chance of 1 visit (95% C.I.: 24.2%-39.5%), and 20% chance (95% C.I.: 8.4%-31.6%) of 2+ visits. Conclusions Financial barriers were associated with identifying the ED as one’s usual source of care but non-financial barriers were associated with actual ED visits. Outreach/literacy efforts may help reduce reliance

The financial hazard of personalized medicine and supportive care.

PubMed

Carrera, Pricivel M; Olver, Ian

2015-12-01

Personalized medicine is revolutionizing the delivery of oncological care, promising benefits both at the patient and health system levels. The cost of targeted therapies, unfortunately, is becoming more expensive and unaffordable. Where supportive care in cancer concerns the prevention and management of the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment and is the thrust of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, financing of and value in personalized medicine is an important area of research and engagement for the association. Discussing patients' concerns with and identifying those at most risk for the financial hazard of cancer treatment and offering financial counseling and assistance and/or referral to support networks are potential key areas for (exploring and providing) better supportive care. The time is now to turn the concern of patients and their carers, providers, and other advocates regarding the affordability of cancer treatment into a collective cause towards coordinated action.

Report of the key comparison APMP.QM-K19. APMP comparison on pH measurement of borate buffer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hioki, Akiharu; Asakai, Toshiaki; Maksimov, Igor; Suzuki, Toshihiro; Miura, Tsutomu; Obromsook, Krairerk; Tangpaisarnkul, Nongluck; Rodruangthum, Patumporn; Wong, Siu-Kay; Lam, Wai-Hing; Zakaria, Osman; Anuar Mohd. Amin, Khirul; Thanh, Ngo Huy; Máriássy, Michal; Vyskocil, Leos; Hankova, Zuzana; Fisicaro, Paola; Stoica, Daniela; Singh, Nahar; Soni, Daya; Ticona Canaza, Galia; Kutovoy, Viatcheslav; Barbieri Gonzaga, Fabiano; Dias, Júlio Cesar; Vospelova, Alena; Bakovets, Nickolay; Zhanasbayeva, Bibinur

2015-01-01

The APMP.QM-K19 was organised by TCQM of APMP to test the abilities of the national metrology institutes in the APMP region to measure a pH value of a borate buffer. This APMP comparison on pH measurement was proposed by the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) and the National Institute of Metrology (Thailand) (NIMT) at the APMP-TCQM meeting held 26-27 November 2012. After approval by TCQM, the comparison has been conducted by NMIJ and NIMT. The comparison is a key comparison following CCQM-K19 and CCQM-K19.1. The comparison material was a borate buffer of pH around 9.2 and the measurement temperatures were 15 °C, 25 °C and 37 °C. This is the second APMP key comparison on pH measurement and the fourth APMP comparison on pH measurement following APMP.QM-P06 (two phosphate buffers) in 2004, APMP.QM-P09 (a phthalate buffer) in 2006 and APMP.QM-K9/APMP.QM-P16 (a phosphate buffer) in 2010-2011. The results can be used further by any participant to support its CMC claim at least for a borate buffer. That claim will concern the pH method employed by the participant during this comparison and will cover the used temperature(s) or the full temperature range between 15°C and 37 °C for the participant which measured pH values at the three temperatures. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

Large-Scale Simulation of Multi-Asset Ising Financial Markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takaishi, Tetsuya

2017-03-01

We perform a large-scale simulation of an Ising-based financial market model that includes 300 asset time series. The financial system simulated by the model shows a fat-tailed return distribution and volatility clustering and exhibits unstable periods indicated by the volatility index measured as the average of absolute-returns. Moreover, we determine that the cumulative risk fraction, which measures the system risk, changes at high volatility periods. We also calculate the inverse participation ratio (IPR) and its higher-power version, IPR6, from the absolute-return cross-correlation matrix. Finally, we show that the IPR and IPR6 also change at high volatility periods.

Declining Financial Capacity in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Six-Year Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Martin, Roy C; Gerstenecker, Adam; Triebel, Kristen L; Falola, Michael; McPherson, Tarrant; Cutter, Gary; Marson, Daniel C

2018-03-31

To investigate financial skill decline over a 6-year period in persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) presumed due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Study participants were cognitively normal (CN) older adults (n = 82) and adults with MCI (n = 91) based on consensus conference diagnosis. Participants completed baseline and up to six annual follow-up assessments that included standardized financial skills measurement (Financial Capacity Instrument; FCI; nine FCI domain and two global scores). We examined FCI change over time using mixed-model repeated measures analysis adjusted for baseline age and follow-up duration. At baseline, the CN group performed better than the MCI group across both global and seven domain scores. Group × Time interaction effects (all p's <.02) were found for all global and domain scores. The largest interaction effects were observed for complex domains of Financial Conceptual Knowledge, Checkbook Management, Bank Statement Management, and Bill Payment (all p's <.0001). Annualized decline in the MCI group's global scores, calculated in relation to CN group performance, was 10-17% over the initial 3-year time span and 22-24% at 6 years. Decline in FCI domain scores ranged from 6% (Knowledge of Assets/Estate) to 22% (Investment Decision-Making) at 3 year follow-up, and from 15% (Basic Monetary Skills) to 37% (Financial Judgment) at 6 year follow-up. Over a 6-year period, persons with MCI demonstrated significant declines in multiple financial skills and in particular financial judgment. The findings highlight the importance of ongoing oversight by family members and clinicians of financial skills and activities in persons with MCI.

The Economic Efficiency of Financial Markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yougui

In this paper, we investigate the economic efficiency of markets and specify its applicability to financial markets. The statistical expressions of supply and demand of a market are formulated in terms of willingness prices. By introducing probability of realized exchange, we also formulate the realized market surplus. It can be proved that only when the market is in equilibrium the realized surplus can reach its maximum value. The market efficiency can be measured by the ratio of realized surplus to its maximum value. For a financial market, the market participants are composed of two groups: producers and speculators. The former brings the surplus into the market and the latter provides liquidity to make them realized.

FRAN: financial ratio analysis and more (Version 2.0 for Windows)

Treesearch

Bruce G. Hansen; Arnold J., Jr. Palmer

1999-01-01

FRAN is a computer-based, stand-alone program designed to generate important financial and operating ratios from tax and wage forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service. FRAN generates standard profitability, financial/leverage, liquidity/solvency, and activity ratios, as well as unique measures of workforce and capital cost and acquisition. Information produced by...

Environmental quality indicators and financial development in Malaysia: unity in diversity.

PubMed

Alam, Arif; Azam, Muhammad; Abdullah, Alias Bin; Malik, Ihtisham Abdul; Khan, Anwar; Hamzah, Tengku Adeline Adura Tengku; Faridullah; Khan, Muhammad Mushtaq; Zahoor, Hina; Zaman, Khalid

2015-06-01

Environmental quality indicators are crucial for responsive and cost-effective policies. The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between environmental quality indicators and financial development in Malaysia. For this purpose, the number of environmental quality indicators has been used, i.e., air pollution measured by carbon dioxide emissions, population density per square kilometer of land area, agricultural production measured by cereal production and livestock production, and energy resources considered by energy use and fossil fuel energy consumption, which placed an impact on the financial development of the country. The study used four main financial indicators, i.e., broad money supply (M2), domestic credit provided by the financial sector (DCFS), domestic credit to the private sector (DCPC), and inflation (CPI), which each financial indicator separately estimated with the environmental quality indicators, over a period of 1975-2013. The study used the generalized method of moments (GMM) technique to minimize the simultaneity from the model. The results show that carbon dioxide emissions exert the positive correlation with the M2, DCFC, and DCPC, while there is a negative correlation with the CPI. However, these results have been evaporated from the GMM estimates, where carbon emissions have no significant relationship with any of the four financial indicators in Malaysia. The GMM results show that population density has a negative relationship with the all four financial indicators; however, in case of M2, this relationship is insignificant to explain their result. Cereal production has a positive relationship with the DCPC, while there is a negative relationship with the CPI. Livestock production exerts the positive relationship with the all four financial indicators; however, this relationship with the CPI has a more elastic relationship, while the remaining relationship is less elastic with the three financial indicators in a country

Variability in nucleus accumbens activity mediates age-related suboptimal financial risk taking

PubMed Central

Samanez-Larkin, Gregory R.; Kuhnen, Camelia M.; Yoo, Daniel J.; Knutson, Brian

2010-01-01

As human life expectancy continues to rise, financial decisions of aging investors may have an increasing impact on the global economy. In this study, we examined age differences in financial decisions across the adult life span by combining functional neuroimaging with a dynamic financial investment task. During the task, older adults made more suboptimal choices than younger adults when choosing risky assets. This age-related effect was mediated by a neural measure of temporal variability in nucleus accumbens activity. These findings reveal a novel neural mechanism by which aging may disrupt rational financial choice. PMID:20107069

42 CFR 422.356 - Determining substantial financial risk and majority financial interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) Determining substantial financial risk. The PSO must demonstrate to CMS's satisfaction that it apportions a significant part of the financial risk of the PSO enterprise under the MA contract to each affiliated provider. The PSO must demonstrate that the financial arrangements among its affiliated providers constitute...

42 CFR 422.356 - Determining substantial financial risk and majority financial interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) Determining substantial financial risk. The PSO must demonstrate to CMS's satisfaction that it apportions a significant part of the financial risk of the PSO enterprise under the MA contract to each affiliated provider. The PSO must demonstrate that the financial arrangements among its affiliated providers constitute...

Understanding Financial Innovation: An Introduction to Derivative Financial Products.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, J. N.

1992-01-01

Explains the use of forwards, futures, swaps, and options in international currency trading. Argues that pricing options are based on the same basic principles as pricing other financial instruments. Concludes that, although financial markets have developed several new products, hedging and speculation involve similar processes. (CFR)

A global country-level comparison of the financial burden of surgery.

PubMed

Shrime, M G; Dare, A; Alkire, B C; Meara, J G

2016-10-01

Approximately 30 per cent of the global burden of disease is surgical, and nearly one-quarter of individuals who undergo surgery each year face financial hardship because of its cost. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery has proposed the elimination of impoverishment due to surgery by 2030, but no country-level estimates exist of the financial burden of surgical access. Using publicly available data, the incidence and risk of financial hardship owing to surgery was estimated for each country. Four measures of financial catastrophe were examined: catastrophic expenditure, and impoverishment at the national poverty line, at 2 international dollars (I$) per day and at I$1·25 per day. Stochastic models of income and surgical costs were built for each country. Results were validated against available primary data. Direct medical costs of surgery put 43·9 (95 per cent posterior credible interval 2·2 to 87·1) per cent of the examined population at risk of catastrophic expenditure, and 57·0 (21·8 to 85·1) per cent at risk of being pushed below I$2 per day. The risk of financial hardship from surgery was highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Correlations were found between the risk of financial catastrophe and external financing of healthcare (positive correlation), national measures of well-being (negative correlation) and the percentage of a country's gross domestic product spent on healthcare (negative correlation). The model performed well against primary data on the costs of surgery. Country-specific estimates of financial catastrophe owing to surgical care are presented. The economic benefits projected to occur with the scale-up of surgery are placed at risk if the financial burden of accessing surgery is not addressed in national policies. © 2016 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Financial Capacity Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Six-Month Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Dreer, Laura E.; DeVivo, Michael J.; Novack, Thomas A.; Marson, Daniel C.

2015-01-01

Objective To longitudinally investigate financial capacity (FC) following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design Longitudinal study comparing FC in cognitively healthy adults and persons with moderate to severe TBI at time of acute hospitalization (Time 1) and at six months post injury (Time 2). Setting Inpatient brain injury rehabilitation unit. Participants Twenty healthy adult controls and 24 adult persons with moderate to severe TBI. Main Outcome Measures Participants were administered the Financial Capacity Instrument (FCI-9), a standardized instrument that measures performance on eighteen financial tasks, nine domains, and two global scores. Between and within group differences were examined for each FCI-9 domain and global scores. Using control group referenced cut scores, participants with TBI were also assigned an impairment rating (intact, marginal, or impaired) on each domain and global score. Results At Time 1, participants with TBI performed significantly below controls on the majority of financial variables tested. At Time 2, participants with TBI demonstrated within group improvement on both simple and complex financial skills, but continued to perform below adult controls on complex financial skills and both global scores. Group by time interactions were significant for five domains and both global scores. At Time 1, high percentages of participants with TBI were assigned either ‘marginal’ or ‘impaired’ ratings on the domains and global scores, with significant percentage increases of ‘intact’ ratings at Time 2. Conclusions Immediately following acute injury, persons with moderate to severe TBI show global impairment of FC. Findings indicate improvement of both simple and complex financial skills over a six month period, but continued impairment on more complex financial skills. Future studies should examine loss and recovery of FC following TBI over longer time periods and a wider range of injury severity. PMID:22369113

Plan, Save, Succeed! Financial Literacy Poster/Teaching Guide. Expect the Unexpected with Math[R

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Actuarial Foundation, 2013

2013-01-01

"Plan, Save, Succeed!" is a new program aligned with Jumpstart Coalition National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards, and Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice. "Plan, Save, Succeed!" is designed to help students understand key financial literacy topics including…

FINANCIAL CAPACITY OF OLDER AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH AMNESTIC MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

PubMed Central

Triebel, Kristen L.; Okonkwo, Ozioma C.; Martin, Roy; Griffith, H. Randall; Crowther, Martha; Marson, Daniel C.

2010-01-01

This study investigated financial abilities of 154 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (116 Caucasian, 38 African American) using the Financial Capacity Instrument (FCI). In a series of linear regression models, we examined the effect of race on FCI performance and identified preliminary predictor variables that mediated observed racial differences on the FCI. Prior/premorbid abilities were identified. Predictor variables examined in the models included race and other demographic factors (age, education, gender), performance on global cognitive measures (MMSE, DRS-2 Total Score), history of cardiovascular disease (hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia), and a measure of educational achievement (WRAT-3 Arithmetic). African American patients with MCI performed below Caucasian patients with MCI on six of the seven FCI domains examined and on the FCI total score. WRAT-3 Arithmetic emerged as a partial mediator of group differences on the FCI, accounting for 54% of variance. In contrast, performance on global cognitive measures and history of cardiovascular disease only accounted for 14% and 2%, respectively, of the variance. Racial disparities in financial capacity appear to exist among patients with amnestic MCI. Basic academic math skills related to educational opportunity and quality of education account for a substantial proportion of the group difference in financial performance. PMID:20625268

Financial capacity of older African Americans with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Triebel, Kristen L; Okonkwo, Ozioma C; Martin, Roy; Griffith, Henry Randall; Crowther, Martha; Marson, Daniel C

2010-01-01

This study investigated financial abilities of 154 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (116 white, 38 African American) using the Financial Capacity Instrument (FCI). In a series of linear regression models, we examined the effect of race on FCI performance and identified preliminary predictor variables that mediated observed racial differences on the FCI. Prior/premorbid abilities were identified. Predictor variables examined in the models included race and other demographic factors (age, education, sex), performance on global cognitive measures (MMSE, DRS-2 Total Score), history of cardiovascular disease (hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia), and a measure of educational achievement (WRAT-3 Arithmetic). African American patients with MCI performed below white patients with MCI on 6 of the 7 FCI domains examined and on the FCI total score. WRAT-3 Arithmetic emerged as a partial mediator of group differences on the FCI, accounting for 54% of variance. In contrast, performance on global cognitive measures and history of cardiovascular disease only accounted for 14% and 2%, respectively, of the variance. Racial disparities in financial capacity seem to exist among patients with amnestic MCI. Basic academic math skills related to educational opportunity and quality of education account for a substantial proportion of the group difference in financial performance.

Country Review of Energy-Efficiency Financial Incentives in the Residential Sector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Can, Stephane de la Rue du; Shah, Nihar; Phadke, Amol

A large variety of energy-efficiency policy measures exist. Some are mandatory, some are informative, and some use financial incentives to promote diffusion of efficient equipment. From country to country, financial incentives vary considerably in scope and form, the type of framework used to implement them, and the actors that administer them. They range from rebate programs administered by utilities under an Energy-Efficiency Resource Standards (EERS) regulatory framework (California, USA) to the distribution of Eco-points rewarding customers for buying highly efficient appliances (Japan). All have the primary objective of transforming the current market to accelerate the diffusion of efficient technologies bymore » addressing up-front cost barriers faced by consumers; in most instances, efficient technologies require a greater initial investment than conventional technologies. In this paper, we review the different market transformation measures involving the use of financial incentives in the countries belonging to the Major Economies Forum. We characterize the main types of measures, discuss their mechanisms, and provide information on program impacts to the extent that ex-ante or ex-post evaluations have been conducted. Finally, we identify best practices in financial incentive programs and opportunities for coordination between Major Economies Forum countries as envisioned under the Super Efficient Appliance Deployment (SEAD) initiative.« less

The Study on Financial Supervision for Chinese Financial Industry under Mixed Operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Song

Financial mixed operation refers to that financial institution can offer all financial services (banking, securities, insurance, and trust) and engage in industrial businesses by holding the share ownership. Because of self interests, risk diversification, the change of competition condition, and clients' needs of the diversity of financial products and services, commercial banks make it possible for the mixed operation to be the optimal choice of the banking businesses under dynamic conditions in globalized competition, which results in the diversity and integration of banking businesses.

Program Description: Financial Master File Processor-SWRL Financial System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ideda, Masumi

Computer routines designed to produce various management and accounting reports required by the Southwest Regional Laboratory's (SWRL) Financial System are described. Input data requirements and output report formats are presented together with a discussion of the Financial Master File updating capabilities of the system. This document should be…

Maintaining financial independence in advanced age.

PubMed

Barber, Ann

2007-01-01

In an attempt to personalize Nobel Prize-winning financial literature, this article seeks to show how individuals can take responsibility for their own finances. For instance, before Markowitz's work, pension funds shied away from risky investments. Then, Markowitz proved that the safest portfolios are those that are diversified over many asset classes, including risky investments. More recently, Kahneman's psychological experiments proved that during uncertainty, people tend to generalize from a small number of representatives to the larger group. He warns us to collect data before drawing conclusions. Using such insights, this article shows how persons in advanced age can develop Investment Policy Statements (IPS) that tailor their financial resources to serve their life goals. This is accomplished safely and successfully by following some guidelines, based on lessons from the financial literature. These guidelines are as follows: (a) update IPS annually, (b) diversify annually by rebalancing, (c) match new liabilities to specific assets, (d) be aware of common errors, such as loss aversion, and (e) measure success by whether one's goals have been met.

A cost-effective measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution system for quantum networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valivarthi, Raju; Zhou, Qiang; John, Caleb; Marsili, Francesco; Verma, Varun B.; Shaw, Matthew D.; Nam, Sae Woo; Oblak, Daniel; Tittel, Wolfgang

2017-12-01

We experimentally realize a measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) system. It is based on cost-effective and commercially available hardware such as distributed feedback lasers and field-programmable gate arrays that enable time-bin qubit preparation and time-tagging, and active feedback systems that allow for compensation of time-varying properties of photons after transmission through deployed fiber. We examine the performance of our system, and conclude that its design does not compromise performance. Our demonstration paves the way for MDI-QKD-based quantum networks in star-type topology that extend over more than 100 km distance.

Financial Structure and Economic Welfare: Applied General Equilibrium Development Economics.

PubMed

Townsend, Robert

2010-09-01

This review provides a common framework for researchers thinking about the next generation of micro-founded macro models of growth, inequality, and financial deepening, as well as direction for policy makers targeting microfinance programs to alleviate poverty. Topics include treatment of financial structure general equilibrium models: testing for as-if-complete markets or other financial underpinnings; examining dual-sector models with both a perfectly intermediated sector and a sector in financial autarky, as well as a second generation of these models that embeds information problems and other obstacles to trade; designing surveys to capture measures of income, investment/savings, and flow of funds; and aggregating individuals and households to the level of network, village, or national economy. The review concludes with new directions that overcome conceptual and computational limitations.

Financial Structure and Economic Welfare: Applied General Equilibrium Development Economics

PubMed Central

Townsend, Robert

2010-01-01

This review provides a common framework for researchers thinking about the next generation of micro-founded macro models of growth, inequality, and financial deepening, as well as direction for policy makers targeting microfinance programs to alleviate poverty. Topics include treatment of financial structure general equilibrium models: testing for as-if-complete markets or other financial underpinnings; examining dual-sector models with both a perfectly intermediated sector and a sector in financial autarky, as well as a second generation of these models that embeds information problems and other obstacles to trade; designing surveys to capture measures of income, investment/savings, and flow of funds; and aggregating individuals and households to the level of network, village, or national economy. The review concludes with new directions that overcome conceptual and computational limitations. PMID:21037939

Development of balanced key performance indicators for emergency departments strategic dashboards following analytic hierarchical process.

PubMed

Safdari, Reza; Ghazisaeedi, Marjan; Mirzaee, Mahboobeh; Farzi, Jebrail; Goodini, Azadeh

2014-01-01

Dynamic reporting tools, such as dashboards, should be developed to measure emergency department (ED) performance. However, choosing an effective balanced set of performance measures and key performance indicators (KPIs) is a main challenge to accomplish this. The aim of this study was to develop a balanced set of KPIs for use in ED strategic dashboards following an analytic hierarchical process. The study was carried out in 2 phases: constructing ED performance measures based on balanced scorecard perspectives and incorporating them into analytic hierarchical process framework to select the final KPIs. The respondents placed most importance on ED internal processes perspective especially on measures related to timeliness and accessibility of care in ED. Some measures from financial, customer, and learning and growth perspectives were also selected as other top KPIs. Measures of care effectiveness and care safety were placed as the next priorities too. The respondents placed least importance on disease-/condition-specific "time to" measures. The methodology can be presented as a reference model for development of KPIs in various performance related areas based on a consistent and fair approach. Dashboards that are designed based on such a balanced set of KPIs will help to establish comprehensive performance measurements and fair benchmarks and comparisons.

Financial Hardship, Unmet Medical Need, and Health Self-Efficacy among African American Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker-Seeley, Reginald D.; Mitchell, Jamie A.; Shires, Deirdre A.; Modlin, Charles S., Jr.

2015-01-01

Background: Health self-efficacy (the confidence to take care of one's health) is a key component in ensuring that individuals are active partners in their health and health care. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between financial hardship and health self-efficacy among African American men and to determine if unmet…

Financial hardship, unmet medical need, and health self-efficacy among African American men.

PubMed

Tucker-Seeley, Reginald D; Mitchell, Jamie A; Shires, Deirdre A; Modlin, Charles S

2015-06-01

Health self-efficacy (the confidence to take care of one's health) is a key component in ensuring that individuals are active partners in their health and health care. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between financial hardship and health self-efficacy among African American men and to determine if unmet medical need due to cost potentially mediates this association. Cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from a convenience sample of African American men who attended a 1-day annual community health fair in Northeast Ohio (N = 279). Modified Poisson regression models were estimated to obtain the relative risk of reporting low health self-efficacy. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, those reporting financial hardship were 2.91 times, RR = 2.91 (confidence interval [1.24, 6.83]; p < .05), more likely to report low health self-efficacy. When unmet medical need due to cost was added to the model, the association between financial hardship and low health self-efficacy was no longer statistically significant. Our results suggest that the association between financial hardship and health self-efficacy can be explained by unmet medical need due to cost. Possible intervention efforts among African American men with low financial resources should consider expanding clinical and community-based health assessments to capture financial hardship and unmet medical need due to cost as potential contributors to low health self-efficacy. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

The Relationship of Revenue Dispersion to Several Indicators of Institutional Financial Conditions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Barbara A.

The relationship between revenue dispersion and several indicators of financial condition in four-year colleges and universities was studied. Revenue dispersion is a measure of the diversity of institutional income sources. It was hypothesized that revenue dispersion would be positively related to financial condition, since variants on…

Gender, academic achievement, and ownership of ATM as predictors of accounting students’ financial literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susanti; Hardini, H. T.

2018-01-01

This study examined the relationships between GPA, gender, and ownership of ATM on accounting students’ financial literacy (n = 184). Financial literacy was assessed using a paper-and-pencil objective (multiple choice) test measuring general knowledge of finance, income, money management savings, loans, and investment. Gender and GPA data were obtained from the university records. Regression analysis found that GPA and ownership of ATM were associated with financial literacy, but gender was not. Female students with an ownership of ATM and those with a high GPA were found to be superior to males. The implication of this research is that students are expected to increase their GPA and utilize financial facilities in the form of ownership ATM and other financial instruments so as to increase financial literacy. In addition, the need for financial literacy training from related parties to improve financial literacy for students who have low financial literacy.

Improved statistical fluctuation analysis for measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with four-intensity decoy-state method.

PubMed

Mao, Chen-Chen; Zhou, Xing-Yu; Zhu, Jian-Rong; Zhang, Chun-Hui; Zhang, Chun-Mei; Wang, Qin

2018-05-14

Recently Zhang et al [ Phys. Rev. A95, 012333 (2017)] developed a new approach to estimate the failure probability for the decoy-state BB84 QKD system when taking finite-size key effect into account, which offers security comparable to Chernoff bound, while results in an improved key rate and transmission distance. Based on Zhang et al's work, now we extend this approach to the case of the measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD), and for the first time implement it onto the four-intensity decoy-state MDI-QKD system. Moreover, through utilizing joint constraints and collective error-estimation techniques, we can obviously increase the performance of practical MDI-QKD systems compared with either three- or four-intensity decoy-state MDI-QKD using Chernoff bound analysis, and achieve much higher level security compared with those applying Gaussian approximation analysis.

Hospital financial management: what is the link between revenue cycle management, profitability, and not-for-profit hospitals' ability to grow equity?

PubMed

Singh, Simone Rauscher; Wheeler, John

2012-01-01

Effective revenue cycle management--from appointment scheduling and patient registration at the front end of the revenue cycle to billing and cash collections at the back end--plays a crucial role in hospitals' efforts to improve their financial performance. Using data for 1,397 bond-issuing, not-for-profit US hospitals for 2000 to 2007, this study analyzed the relationship between hospitals' performance at managing the revenue cycle and their profitability and ability to build equity capital. Hospital-level fixed effects regression analysis was used to model four different measures of profitability and equity capital as functions of two key financial indicators of revenue cycle management--amount of patient revenue and speed of revenue collection. The results indicated that higher amounts of patient revenue in relation to a hospital's assets were associated with statistically significant increases in operating and total profit margins, free cash flow, and equity capital (p < 0.01 for all four models); that is, hospitals that generated more patient revenue per dollar of assets invested reported improved financial performance. Likewise, a statistically significant link existed between lower revenue collection periods and all four indicators of hospital financial performance (p < 0.01 for three models; p < 0.05 for one model). Hospitals that collected faster on their patient revenue reported higher profit margins and larger equity values. For revenue cycle managers, these findings represent good news: Streamlining a hospital's management of the patient revenue cycle can advance the organization's financial viability by improving profitability and enabling equity growth.

Effects of the financial crisis and Troika austerity measures on health and health care access in Portugal.

PubMed

Legido-Quigley, Helena; Karanikolos, Marina; Hernandez-Plaza, Sonia; de Freitas, Cláudia; Bernardo, Luís; Padilla, Beatriz; Sá Machado, Rita; Diaz-Ordaz, Karla; Stuckler, David; McKee, Martin

2016-07-01

Although Portugal has been deeply affected by the global financial crisis, the impact of the recession and subsequent austerity on health and to health care has attracted relatively little attention. We used several sources of data including the European Union Statistics for Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) which tracks unmet medical need during the recession and before and after the Troika's austerity package. Our results show that the odds of respondents reporting having an unmet medical need more than doubled between 2010 and 2012 (OR=2.41, 95% CI 2.01-2.89), with the greatest impact on those in employment, followed by the unemployed, retired, and other economically inactive groups. The reasons for not seeking care involved a combination of factors, with a 68% higher odds of citing financial barriers (OR=1.68, 95% CI 1.32-2.12), more than twice the odds of citing waiting times and inability to take time off work or family responsibilities (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.20-3.98), and a large increase of reporting delaying care in the hope that the problem would resolve on its own (OR=13.98, 95% CI 6.51-30.02). Individual-level studies from Portugal also suggest that co-payments at primary and hospital level are having a negative effect on the most vulnerable living in disadvantaged areas, and that health care professionals have concerns about the impact of recession and subsequent austerity measures on the quality of care provided. The Portuguese government no longer needs external assistance, but these findings suggest that measures are now needed to mitigate the damage incurred by the crisis and austerity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stabilizing effect of volatility in financial markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valenti, Davide; Fazio, Giorgio; Spagnolo, Bernardo

2018-06-01

In financial markets, greater volatility is usually considered to be synonymous with greater risk and instability. However, large market downturns and upturns are often preceded by long periods where price returns exhibit only small fluctuations. To investigate this surprising feature, here we propose using the mean first hitting time, i.e., the average time a stock return takes to undergo for the first time a large negative (crashes) or positive variation (rallies), as an indicator of price stability, and relate this to a standard measure of volatility. In an empirical analysis of daily returns for 1071 stocks traded in the New York Stock Exchange, we find that this measure of stability displays nonmonotonic behavior, with a maximum, as a function of volatility. Also, we show that the statistical properties of the empirical data can be reproduced by a nonlinear Heston model. This analysis implies that, contrary to conventional wisdom, not only high, but also low volatility values can be associated with higher instability in financial markets. This proposed measure of stability can be extremely useful in risk control.

Financial Management: Financial Reporting of Deferred Maintenance Information on Navy Weapon Systems for FY 2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-06

Financial Management March 6, 2003 Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense Financial Reporting of Deferred Maintenance...N/A Dates Covered (from... to) - Title and Subtitle Financial Management: Financial Reporting of Deferred Maintenance Information on Navy Weapon...Project No. D2001FJ-0156.000) Financial Reporting of Deferred Maintenance Information on Navy Weapon Systems for FY 2002 Executive Summary Who

Financial Management: Corps of Engineers Equipment Reporting on Financial Statements for FY 2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-08-20

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil service and uniformed officers responsible for financial reporting of equipment should read this report. It...discusses the management controls that are necessary to support the financial reporting of equipment on financial statements.

UST Financial Assurance Information

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Subtitle I of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended by the Hazardous Waste Disposal Act of 1984, brought underground storage tanks (USTs) under federal regulation. As part of that regulation, Congress directed EPA to develop financial responsibility regulations for UST owners and operators. Congress wanted owners and operators of underground storage tanks (USTs) to show that they have the financial resources to clean up a site if a release occurs, correct environmental damage, and compensate third parties for injury to their property or themselves.Owners and operators have several options: obtain insurance coverage from an insurer or a risk retention group; demonstrate self-insurance using a financial test; obtain corporate guarantees, surety bonds, or letters of credit; place the required amount into a trust fund administered by a third party; or rely on coverage provided by a state financial assurance fund.Information in this data asset includes state documentation to support this requirement. Many states have developed financial assurance funds to help owners and operators meet financial responsibility requirements and to help cover the costs of cleanups. State financial assurance fund programs, which supplement or are a substitute for private insurance, have been especially useful for small-to-medium sized petroleum marketers.EPA requires its Regional Offices to conduct annual reviews of state financial assurance funds. Data is provided by s

Econometrics as evidence? Examining the 'causal' connections between financial speculation and commodities prices.

PubMed

Williams, James W; Cook, Nikolai M

2016-10-01

One of the lasting legacies of the financial crisis of 2008, and the legislative energies that followed from it, is the growing reliance on econometrics as part of the rulemaking process. Financial regulators are increasingly expected to rationalize proposed rules using available econometric techniques, and the courts have vacated several key rules emanating from Dodd-Frank on the grounds of alleged deficiencies in this evidentiary effort. The turn toward such econometric tools is seen as a significant constraint on and challenge to regulators as they endeavor to engage with such essential policy questions as the impact of financial speculation on food security. Yet, outside of the specialized practitioner community, very little is known about these techniques. This article examines one such econometric test, Granger causality, and its role in a pivotal Dodd-Frank rulemaking. Through an examination of the test for Granger causality and its attempts to distill the causal connections between financial speculation and commodities prices, the article argues that econometrics is a blunt but useful tool, limited in its ability to provide decisive insights into commodities markets and yet yielding useful returns for those who are able to wield it.

Defining a staged-based process for economic and financial evaluations of mHealth programs.

PubMed

LeFevre, Amnesty E; Shillcutt, Samuel D; Broomhead, Sean; Labrique, Alain B; Jones, Tom

2017-01-01

Mobile and wireless technology for health (mHealth) has the potential to improve health outcomes by addressing critical health systems constraints that impede coverage, utilization, and effectiveness of health services. To date, few mHealth programs have been implemented at scale and there remains a paucity of evidence on their effectiveness and value for money. This paper aims to improve understanding among mHealth program managers and key stakeholders of how to select methods for economic evaluation (comparative analysis for determining value for money) and financial evaluation (determination of the cost of implementing an intervention, estimation of costs for sustaining or expanding an intervention, and assessment of its affordability). We outline a 6 stage-based process for selecting and integrating economic and financial evaluation methods into the monitoring and evaluation of mHealth solutions including (1) defining the program strategy and linkages with key outcomes, (2) assessment of effectiveness, (3) full economic evaluation or partial evaluation, (4) sub-group analyses, (5) estimating resource requirements for expansion, (6) affordability assessment and identification of models for financial sustainability. While application of these stages optimally occurs linearly, finite resources, limited technical expertise, and the timing of evaluation initiation may impede this. We recommend that analysts prioritize economic and financial evaluation methods based on programmatic linkages with health outcomes; alignment with an mHealth solution's broader stage of maturity and stage of evaluation; overarching monitoring and evaluation activities; stakeholder evidence needs; time point of initiation; and available resources for evaluations.

Proof-of-principle experiment of measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with vector vortex beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Chen; Zhao, Shang-Hong; Li, Wei; Yang, Jian

2018-03-01

In this paper, by combining measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) scheme with entangled photon sources, we present a modified MDI-QKD scheme with pairs of vector vortex(VV) beams, which shows a structure of hybrid entangled entanglement corresponding to intrasystem entanglement and intersystem entanglement. The former entanglement, which is entangled between polarization and orbit angular momentum within each VV beam, is adopted to overcome the polarization misalignment associated with random rotations in quantum key distribution. The latter entanglement, which is entangled between the two VV beams, is used to perform entangled-based MDI-QKD protocol with pair of VV beams to inherit the merit of long distance. The numerical simulations show that our modified scheme can tolerate 97dB with practical detectors. Furthermore, our modified protocol only needs to insert q-plates in practical experiment.

The new caring: financial asset management and older people.

PubMed

Tilse, Cheryl; Wilson, Jill; Setterlund, Deborah; Rosenman, Linda

2007-10-01

Increasing longevity and the growing proportion of the aged in the population in most countries have served to focus on the question of how governments and older people can finance living, health, and care options in retirement. Prudent management of income and assets is an increasingly complex and important aspect of aging as assets and expectations of self-financing increase. Although many informal caregivers act as asset managers and/or substitute decision-makers for older people, little attention has been paid to this increasingly important aspect of care. This paper summaries key findings of a broad research program exploring family involvement in the management of older people's assets and the practices that constitute good practice as well as financial mismanagement and abuse. It identifies multi-level and multi-strategy responses needed to address the issues raised by the research and outlines an innovative community demonstration project aimed at improving financial management practices in relation to older people's assets.

Financial Management: Financial Reporting of Deferred Maintenance Information on Army Weapons Systems for FY 2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-02-03

Financial Management February 3, 2003 Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense Financial Reporting of Deferred Maintenance...Type N/A Dates Covered (from... to) - Title and Subtitle Financial Management: Financial Reporting of Deferred Maintenance Information on Army...the Department of Defense Report No. D-2003-054 February 3, 2003 (Project No. D2001FJ-0156.002) Financial Reporting of Deferred Maintenance

76 FR 23859 - Financial Management Service Proposed Collection of Information; Financial Institution Agreement...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-28

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service Proposed Collection of... Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial... collection. By this notice, the Financial Management Service solicits comments concerning the FMS 458 and FMS...

Which components of health information technology will drive financial value?

PubMed

Kern, Lisa M; Wilcox, Adam; Shapiro, Jason; Dhopeshwarkar, Rina V; Kaushal, Rainu

2012-08-01

The financial effects of electronic health records (EHRs) and health information exchange (HIE) are largely unknown, despite unprecedented federal incentives for their use. We sought to understand which components of EHRs and HIE are most likely to drive financial savings in the ambulatory, inpatient, and emergency department settings. Framework development and a national expert panel. We searched the literature to identify functionalities enabled by EHRs and HIE across the 3 healthcare settings. We rated each of 233 functionality-setting combinations on their likelihood of having a positive financial effect. We validated the top-scoring functionalities with a panel of 28 national experts, and we compared the high-scoring functionalities with Stage 1 meaningful use criteria. We identified 54 high-scoring functionality- setting combinations, 27 for EHRs and 27 for HIE. Examples of high-scoring functionalities included providing alerts for expensive medications, providing alerts for redundant lab orders, sending and receiving imaging reports, and enabling structured medication reconciliation. Of the 54 high-scoring functionalities, 25 (46%) are represented in Stage 1 meaningful use. Many of the functionalities not yet represented in meaningful use correspond with functionalities that focus directly on healthcare utilization and costs rather than on healthcare quality per se. This work can inform the development and selection of future meaningful use measures; inform implementation efforts, as clinicians and hospitals choose from among a "menu" of measures for meaningful use; and inform evaluation efforts, as investigators seek to measure the actual financial impact of EHRs and HIE.

12 CFR 563.172 - Financial derivatives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Financial derivatives. 563.172 Section 563.172...-OPERATIONS Financial Management Policies § 563.172 Financial derivatives. (a) What is a financial derivative? A financial derivative is a financial contract whose value depends on the value of one or more...

[Reliability and validity of the Chinese version on Comprehensive Scores for Financial Toxicity based on the patient-reported outcome measures].

PubMed

Yu, H H; Bi, X; Liu, Y Y

2017-08-10

Objective: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version on comprehensive scores for financial toxicity (COST), based on the patient-reported outcome measures. Methods: A total of 118 cancer patients were face-to-face interviewed by well-trained investigators. Cronbach's α and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to evaluate reliability. Content validity index (CVI) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were used to evaluate the content validity and construct validity, respectively. Results: The Cronbach's α coefficient appeared as 0.889 for the whole questionnaire, with the results of test-retest were between 0.77 and 0.98. Scale-content validity index (S-CVI) appeared as 0.82, with item-content validity index (I-CVI) between 0.83 and 1.00. Two components were extracted from the Exploratory factor analysis, with cumulative rate as 68.04% and loading>0.60 on every item. Conclusion: The Chinese version of COST scale showed high reliability and good validity, thus can be applied to assess the financial situation in cancer patients.

Time averaging, ageing and delay analysis of financial time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherstvy, Andrey G.; Vinod, Deepak; Aghion, Erez; Chechkin, Aleksei V.; Metzler, Ralf

2017-06-01

We introduce three strategies for the analysis of financial time series based on time averaged observables. These comprise the time averaged mean squared displacement (MSD) as well as the ageing and delay time methods for varying fractions of the financial time series. We explore these concepts via statistical analysis of historic time series for several Dow Jones Industrial indices for the period from the 1960s to 2015. Remarkably, we discover a simple universal law for the delay time averaged MSD. The observed features of the financial time series dynamics agree well with our analytical results for the time averaged measurables for geometric Brownian motion, underlying the famed Black-Scholes-Merton model. The concepts we promote here are shown to be useful for financial data analysis and enable one to unveil new universal features of stock market dynamics.

[Mechanisms for allocating financial resources after decentralization in the state of Jalisco].

PubMed

Pérez-Núñez, Ricardo; Arredondo-López, Armando; Pelcastre, Blanca

2006-01-01

To analyze, from the decision maker's perspective, the financial resource allocation process of the health services of the state of Jalisco (SSJ, per its abbreviation in spanish), within the context of decentralization. Through a qualitative approximation using semi-structured individual interviews of key personnel in managerial positions as the method for compiling information, the experience of the SSJ in financial resource allocation was documented. From September to November 2003, the perception of managers and administrators regarding their level of autonomy in decision-making was explored as well as the process they follow for the allocation of financial resources, in order to identify the criteria they use and their justifications. From the point of view of decision-makers, autonomy of the SSJ has increased considerably since decentralization was implemented, although the degree of decision-making freedom remains limited due mainly to high adminstrative costs associated with salaries. In this sense, the implications attributable to labor situations that are still centralized are evident. Some innovative systems for financial resource allocation have been established in the SSJ for the sanitary regions and hospitals based upon administrative-managerial and productivity incentives. Adjustments were also made for degree of marginalization and population lag, under the equity criterion. General work conditions and decision-making autonomy of the sanitary regions constitute outstanding aspects pending decentralization. Although decentralization has granted more autonomy to the SSJ, the level of decision-making freedom for allocating financial resources has been held within the highest hierarchical levels.

31 CFR 561.404 - Significant transaction or transactions; significant financial services; significant financial...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Central Bank of Iran, or a designated Iranian financial institution in a direct customer relationship..., or financial transaction is performed with the involvement or approval of management or only by... Iran, or a designated Iranian financial institution indirectly or in a tertiary relationship. (e...