THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE? THE VALUE OF EXPERT ADVICE IN THE PRODUCTION OF EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDANCE: A MIXED METHODS STUDY OF THE NICE INTERVENTIONAL PROCEDURES PROGRAMME.

Science.gov (United States)

Oyebode, Oyinlola; Patrick, Hannah; Walker, Alexander; Campbell, Bruce; Powell, John

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the aspects of expert advice that decision makers find most useful in the development of evidence-based guidance and to identify the characteristics of experts providing the most useful advice. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventeen members of the Interventional Procedures Advisory Committee of the UK's National Institute of Health and Care Excellence. Interviews examined the usefulness of expert advice during guidance development. Transcripts were analyzed inductively to identify themes. Second, data were extracted from 211 experts' questionnaires for forty-one consecutive procedures. Usefulness of advice was scored using an index developed through the qualitative work. Associations between usefulness score and characteristics of the expert advisor were investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Expert opinion was seen as a valued complement to empirical evidence, providing context and tacit knowledge unavailable in published literature, but helpful for interpreting it. Interviewees also valued advice on the training and experience required to perform a procedure, on patient selection criteria and the place of a procedure within a clinical management pathway. Limitations of bias in expert opinion were widely acknowledged and skepticism expressed regarding the anecdotal nature of advice on safety or efficacy outcomes. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that the most useful advice was given by clinical experts with direct personal experience of the procedure, particularly research experience. Evidence-based guidance production is often characterized as a rational, pipeline process. This ignores the valuable role that expert opinion plays in guidance development, complementing and supporting the interpretation of empirical data.

Solar PV power forecasting using extreme machine learning and experts advice fusion

OpenAIRE

Le Cadre, Hélène; Aravena Solís, Ignacio Andrés; Papavasiliou, Anthony; European Symposium on Artificial Neural Networks, Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning

2015-01-01

We provide a learning algorithm combining distributed Extreme Learning Machine and an information fusion rule based on the aggregation of experts advice, to build day ahead probabilistic solar PV power production forecasts. These forecasts use, apart from the current day solar PV power production, local meteorological inputs, the most valuable of which is shown to be precipitation. Experiments are then run in one French region, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, to evaluate the algorithm performance...

Teledermatologist expert skin advice: A unique model of care for managing skin disorders and adverse drug reactions in hepatitis C patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Charlston, Samuel; Siller, Gregory

2018-03-23

To conduct an audit of teledermatologist expert skin advice, a store and forward tele-dermatological service, to determine its effectiveness and user satisfaction in managing cutaneous adverse drug reactions in patients with hepatitis C, and to demonstrate a unique collaborative model of care for patients receiving specialised drug therapy. A retrospective analysis of data on teledermatologist expert skin advice referrals from January 2014 to December 2015 was performed. The primary outcomes assessed included number of referrals, referral locations, diagnoses, response times, quality of clinical information provided and user satisfaction ratings. Altogether 43 consultations from 29 referring sites were received from Australian metropolitan and rural settings. Of the patients, 43 were diagnosed with an adverse drug reaction related to the use of either telaprevir or simeprevir. The average time taken for the dermatologist to reply electronically with a final diagnosis and management plan was 1 h 57 min. As many as 26% of referrals required additional photos to establish a diagnosis due to poor-quality images or insufficient detail. Altogether 18 clinicians completed the customer satisfaction survey, all of whom rated teledermatologist expert skin advice nine or above on a scale of one to 10. Teledermatologist expert skin advice was regarded by clinicians as a valuable patient care service. The platform is a novel modality that supports patients undergoing specialised treatments at risk of cutaneous adverse drug reaction. © 2018 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

Why do older adults avoid seeking financial advice? : Adviser anxiety in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dalen, Harry; Henkens, Kene; Hershey, D.A.

Why is it that many people fail to seek retirement planning advice when doing so is clearly indicated? Distrust of financial intermediaries is often presented as the common answer. But this paper shows that trust issues are only part of the answer; an appreciable proportion of individuals experience

Caution required when relying on a colleague's advice; a comparison between professional advice and evidence from the literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hulshof Carel

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Occupational Physicians rely especially on advice from colleagues when answering their information demands. On the other hand, Evidence-based Medicine (EBM promotes the use of up-to-date research literature instead of experts. To find out if there was a difference between expert-based practice and EBM we compared professional advice on occupational health topics with best evidence from the literature. Methods We asked 14 occupational physicians to consult their usual information sources on 12 pre-conceived occupational health problems. The problems were presented in the form of case vignettes which contained sufficient clinical information to be used by the occupational physicians for the consultation of their experts. We had searched the literature for the best available evidence on the 12 problems, which made it possible to answer the clinical questions with a clear yes or no. Results The cases could be used by the occupational physicians as arising from their own practice. All together the occupational physicians consulted 75 different experts. Almost half of the consulted experts were near colleagues, 10% were industrial hygienists, 8% medical specialists and the rest had a varied background. Fifty three percent (95% confidence interval 42% to 65% of all professional advice was not in line with the research literature. In 18 cases (24% professional advice explicitly referred to up-to-date research literature as their used source. These cases were substantially less incorrect (17% than advice that had not mentioned the literature as a source (65% (difference 48%, 95% Confidence Interval from 27% to 69%. Conclusion Advice that occupational physicians routinely get in their daily practice differs substantially from best evidence from the literature. Occupational physicians who ask professional advice should always ask about the evidence of this advice.

Caution required when relying on a colleague's advice; a comparison between professional advice and evidence from the literature

Science.gov (United States)

Schaafsma, Frederieke; Verbeek, Jos; Hulshof, Carel; van Dijk, Frank

2005-01-01

Background Occupational Physicians rely especially on advice from colleagues when answering their information demands. On the other hand, Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) promotes the use of up-to-date research literature instead of experts. To find out if there was a difference between expert-based practice and EBM we compared professional advice on occupational health topics with best evidence from the literature. Methods We asked 14 occupational physicians to consult their usual information sources on 12 pre-conceived occupational health problems. The problems were presented in the form of case vignettes which contained sufficient clinical information to be used by the occupational physicians for the consultation of their experts. We had searched the literature for the best available evidence on the 12 problems, which made it possible to answer the clinical questions with a clear yes or no. Results The cases could be used by the occupational physicians as arising from their own practice. All together the occupational physicians consulted 75 different experts. Almost half of the consulted experts were near colleagues, 10% were industrial hygienists, 8% medical specialists and the rest had a varied background. Fifty three percent (95% confidence interval 42% to 65%) of all professional advice was not in line with the research literature. In 18 cases (24%) professional advice explicitly referred to up-to-date research literature as their used source. These cases were substantially less incorrect (17%) than advice that had not mentioned the literature as a source (65%) (difference 48%, 95% Confidence Interval from 27% to 69%). Conclusion Advice that occupational physicians routinely get in their daily practice differs substantially from best evidence from the literature. Occupational physicians who ask professional advice should always ask about the evidence of this advice. PMID:16131405

Expert status and performance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark A Burgman

Full Text Available Expert judgements are essential when time and resources are stretched or we face novel dilemmas requiring fast solutions. Good advice can save lives and large sums of money. Typically, experts are defined by their qualifications, track record and experience. The social expectation hypothesis argues that more highly regarded and more experienced experts will give better advice. We asked experts to predict how they will perform, and how their peers will perform, on sets of questions. The results indicate that the way experts regard each other is consistent, but unfortunately, ranks are a poor guide to actual performance. Expert advice will be more accurate if technical decisions routinely use broadly-defined expert groups, structured question protocols and feedback.

Learning from the Pros: Influence of Web-Based Expert Commentary on Vicarious Learning about Financial Markets

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, Matthew W.; Kent, Daniel W.; Devoto, Steven

2007-01-01

Web-based financial commentary, in which experts routinely express market-related thought processes, is proposed as a means for college students to learn vicariously about financial markets. Undergraduate business school students from a regional university were exposed to expert market commentary from a single financial Web site for a 6-week…

Professional advice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottaviani, Marco; Sørensen, Peter Norman

2006-01-01

on the basis of the advice given and the realized state of the world. In equilibrium of this reputational cheap-talk game, no more than two messages are effectively reported. The model is extended to consider sequential communication by experts with conditionally independent signals. In the long run, learning...

Distinctions, Affiliations, and Professional Knowledge in Financial Reform Expert Groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seabrooke, Leonard; Tsingou, Eleni

2014-01-01

to understand the different stresses in reports with and without clear mandates, and the role of important members of the policy community in promoting particular reform ideas. The contribution finds that differences in ideas emerging from the financial reform expert groups reflect nested power relationships...... the reports. Fractal distinctions, such as between ‘behaviour’ or ‘system’ as a reform focus, allow us to locate the object of regulation within expert groups, the experts' professional context and the politics behind the commissioning of work. Analysing fractal distinctions provides a useful way...... in the commissioning of work, constituent audiences and reform priorities among governing institutions, rather than distinct ‘European’ and ‘American’ ideas....

Expert advice provided through telemedicine improves healing of chronic wounds: prospective cluster controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarchi, Kian; Haugaard, Vibeke B; Dufour, Deirdre N; Jemec, Gregor B E

2015-03-01

Telemedicine is widely considered as an efficient approach to manage the growing problem of chronic wounds. However, to date, there is no convincing evidence to support the clinical efficacy of telemedicine in wound management. In this prospective cluster controlled study, we tested the hypothesis that advice on wound management provided by a team of wound-care specialists through telemedicine would significantly improve the likelihood of wound healing compared with the best available conventional practice. A total of 90 chronic wound patients in home care met all study criteria and were included: 50 in the telemedicine group and 40 in the conventional group. Patients with pressure ulcers, surgical wounds, and cancer wounds were excluded. During the 1-year follow-up, complete wound healing was achieved in 35 patients (70%) in the telemedicine group compared with 18 patients (45%) in the conventional group. After adjusting for important covariates, offering advice on wound management through telemedicine was associated with significantly increased healing compared with the best available conventional practice (telemedicine vs. conventional practice: adjusted hazard ratio 2.19; 95% confidence interval: 1.15-4.17; P=0.017). This study strongly supports the use of telemedicine to connect home-care nurses to a team of wound experts in order to improve the management of chronic wounds.

Few Governing Boards Engage in Sophisticated Financial Planning, Experts Say

Science.gov (United States)

Fain, Paul

2009-01-01

Financial stewardship by college governing boards too often stops at balancing the budget. That was the message two finance experts presented last week during the annual meeting of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. Furthermore, the yearly budget exercise can give trustees a misperception of their institutions'…

Caution required when relying on a colleague's advice; a comparison between professional advice and evidence from the literature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaafsma, Frederieke; Verbeek, Jos; Hulshof, Carel; van Dijk, Frank

2005-01-01

Background: Occupational Physicians rely especially on advice from colleagues when answering their information demands. On the other hand, Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) promotes the use of up-to-date research literature instead of experts. To find out if there was a difference between expert-based

Different roles of electromagnetic field experts when giving policy advice : an expert consultation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spruijt, Pita; Knol, Anne B; Petersen, Arthur C; Lebret, Erik

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: The overall evidence for adverse health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) at levels of exposure normally experienced by the public is generally considered weak. However, whether long-term health effects arise remains uncertain and scientific policy advice is therefore given against

Different roles of electromagnetic field experts when giving policy advice: an expert consultation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spruijt, P.; Knol, A.B.; Petersen, A.C.; Lebret, E.

2015-01-01

Background: The overall evidence for adverse health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) at levels of exposure normally experienced by the public is generally considered weak. However, whether long-term health effects arise remains uncertain and scientific policy advice is therefore given against

How well do financial experts perform? A review of empirical research on performance of analysts, day-traders, forecasters, fund managers, investors, and stockbrokers

OpenAIRE

Andersson, Patric

2004-01-01

In this manuscript, empirical research on performance of various types of financial experts is reviewed. Financial experts are used as the umbrella term for financial analysts, stockbrokers, money managers, investors, and day-traders etc. The goal of the review is to find out about the abilities of financial experts to produce accurate forecasts, to issue profitable stock recommendations, as well as to make successful investments and trades. On the whole, the reviewed studies show discouragin...

Computer Based Expert Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Parry, James D.; Ferrara, Joseph M.

1985-01-01

Claims knowledge-based expert computer systems can meet needs of rural schools for affordable expert advice and support and will play an important role in the future of rural education. Describes potential applications in prediction, interpretation, diagnosis, remediation, planning, monitoring, and instruction. (NEC)

Expert system application for prioritizing preventive actions for shift work: shift expert.

Science.gov (United States)

Esen, Hatice; Hatipoğlu, Tuğçen; Cihan, Ahmet; Fiğlali, Nilgün

2017-09-19

Shift patterns, work hours, work arrangements and worker motivations have increasingly become key factors for job performance. The main objective of this article is to design an expert system that identifies the negative effects of shift work and prioritizes mitigation efforts according to their importance in preventing these negative effects. The proposed expert system will be referred to as the shift expert. A thorough literature review is conducted to determine the effects of shift work on workers. Our work indicates that shift work is linked to demographic variables, sleepiness and fatigue, health and well-being, and social and domestic conditions. These parameters constitute the sections of a questionnaire designed to focus on 26 important issues related to shift work. The shift expert is then constructed to provide prevention advice at the individual and organizational levels, and it prioritizes this advice using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process model, which considers comparison matrices provided by users during the prioritization process. An empirical study of 61 workers working on three rotating shifts is performed. After administering the questionnaires, the collected data are analyzed statistically, and then the shift expert produces individual and organizational recommendations for these workers.

Specialized Accounting Expert Evidence on Economic and Financial Crimes: Analysis of the DMG Case

OpenAIRE

Ramírez, Maricela; Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia.; Robayo-Nieto, Natalia; Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia; Parra-Castiblanco, Lina María; Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia.

2016-01-01

Generally, in the cases related to economic and financial fraud crimes defined in the Code of Criminal Procedure the performance of accounting experts is necessary, as to assist the justice system. Thus, the appointed professional creates an expert report of its evidence analysis and research work, and comes before the court in a public oral trial as to be questioned and cross-examined. In this context, this study –derived from formal research activities– will determine the requirements of th...

Energy saving advice on site. A financial incentive of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology; Energiesparberatung vor Ort. Ein Foerderprogramm des Bundesministeriums fuer Wirtschaft und Technologie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-06-15

Energy conservation is useful not only from the perspective of energy policy and climate policy. Energy conservation also means a noticeable cost savings. Here, the program 'on-site consultation' comes in: experts assist owners, renters and tenants of residential buildings in the renovation of real estate. The expert advice is funded by the Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (Frankfurt (Main), Federal Republic of Germany) if it is recognizable that this is not achievable economically.

Credit counseling: a substitute for consumer financial literacy?

OpenAIRE

Disney, Richard; Gathergood, John; Weber, Jörg

2015-01-01

Is financial literacy a substitute or complement for financial advice? In this paper we analyze the decision by consumers to seek financial advice in the form of credit counseling concerning their credit and debt. Credit counseling is an important component of the consumer credit sector for consumers facing debt problems. We combine instrumental variable approaches to account for the endogeneity of an individual’s financial situation to financial literacy, and the endogeneity of financial lit...

ARISTOTLE (All Risk Integrated System TOward The hoListic Early-warning): a multi-hazard expert advice system for the EU disaster response

Science.gov (United States)

Michelini, A.; Wotawa, G.; Arnold-Arias, D.

2017-12-01

ARISTOTLE (http://aristotle.ingv.it/) is a Pilot Project funded by the DG ECHO (EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection) that provides expert scientific advice on natural disasters around the world that may cause a country to seek international help to the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) and, consequently, to the Union Civil Protection Mechanism Participating States. The EU is committed to providing disaster response in a timely and efficient manner and to ensure European assistance meets the real needs in the population affected, whether in Europe or beyond. When a disaster strikes, every minute counts for saving lives and rapid, coordinated and pre-planned response is essential. The ARISTOTLE consortium includes 15 partner institutions (11 from EU Countries; 2 from non-EU countries and 2 European organizations) operating in the Meteorological and Geophysical domains. The project coordination is shared among INGV and ZAMG for the geophysical and meteorological communities, respectively. ARISTOTLE harnesses operational expertise from across Europe to form a multi-hazard perspective on natural disasters related to volcanoes, earthquake (and resulting tsunami), severe weather and flooding. Each Hazard Group brings together experts from the particular hazard domain to deliver a `collective analysis' which is then fed into the partnership multi-hazard discussions. Primary target of the pilot project has been the prototyping and the implementation of a scalable system (in terms of number of partners and hazards) capable of providing to ERCC the sought advice. To this end, the activities of the project have been focusing on the establishment of a "Multi-Hazard Operational Board" that is assigned the 24*7 operational duty regulated by a "Standard Operating Protocol" and the implementation of a dedicated IT platform to assembly the resulting reports. The project has reached the point where the routine and emergency advice services are being provided and

Expert auditors’ services classification

OpenAIRE

Jolanta Wisniewska

2013-01-01

The profession of an expert auditor is a public trust occupation with a distinctive feature of taking responsibility for actions in the public interest. The main responsibility of expert auditors is performing financial auditing; however, expert auditors are prepared to carry out different tasks which encompass a wide plethora of financial and auditing services for different kinds of institutions and companies. The aim of the article is first of all the description of expert auditors’ service...

Regulations and classification advice: transport safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, M.; Owen, K.

1990-01-01

The packaging of radioactive material for transport must conform with the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). These regulations are extensive and complex and require specialist interpretation. Packaging must be designed to contain the material, to limit radiation to safe levels, and to maintain the material in a safe state under both normal and accident conditions. British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. (BNFL) developed the TRANAID expert system to provide automated expert advice on the subject. It is used at BNFL and by other users internationally. The system was produced to meet an internal BNFL emphasis on accurate consistent and reliable interpretation of the complex IAEA regulations; and to provide a commercial product which would meet an external need. TRANAID provides reliable and consistent advice on safe transport procedures which reduce the workload on scarce skilled personnel, and allows them to concentrate on their primary task of packaging design. TRANAID also avoids overclassifying radioactive shipments, which would lead to the use of more expensive packaging than strictly is required. The IAEA regulations are applied internationally, and so there is a large potential worldwide market. The indications from the initial response are that future sales and use are expected to more than cover the investment. Other non-quantifiable benefits include the provision of consistent advice within a uniform approach, the safe-guarding of knowledge of the IAEA regulations, training and improvement in the expertise of users, improved management control, and enhancement of the professional image of BNFL. (author)

The role of financial literacy and advice in fi nancial decision making ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A growing body of research is focused on determining to what extent fi nancial advice can act as a substitute for low levels of fi nancial literacy. To date, studies have found confl icting results. This study used data from a national survey of South Africans to determine whether advice could substitute for low levels of fi nancial ...

Frontal cortex electrophysiology in reward- and punishment-related feedback processing during advice-guided decision making: An interleaved EEG-DC stimulation study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wischnewski, M.; Bekkering, H.; Schutter, D.J.L.G.

2018-01-01

During decision making, individuals are prone to rely on external cues such as expert advice when the outcome is not known. However, the electrophysiological correlates associated with outcome uncertainty and the use of expert advice are not completely understood. The feedback-related negativity

On the use of computerised decision aids : an investigation into the expert system as persuasive communicator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, Jacob Jan

2006-01-01

The results of this study show that an expert system is a persuasive message source and that users tend to follow the advice of an expert system without critically examining it. Accordingly, users will probably not notice when an expert system gives incorrect advice. These facts comprise a serious

Financial regulation and financial system architecture in Central Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scholtens, B

At the beginning of the transition, advice to Central European countries with respect to how to set up their financial systems was based on models used in western economies. This paper analyzes the experiences to set up a financial system in Central Europe. The experience in the first transition

Information systems development of analysis company financial state based on the expert-statistical approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. N. Ivliev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The work is devoted to methods of analysis the company financial condition, including aggregated ratings. It is proposed to use the generalized solvency and liquidity indicator and the capital structure composite index. Mathematically, the generalized index is a sum of variables-characteristics and weighting factors characterizing the relative importance of individual characteristics composition. It is offered to select the significant features from a set of standard financial ratios, calculated according to enterprises balance sheets. To obtain the weighting factors values it is proposed to use one of the expert statistical approaches, the analytic hierarchy process. The method is as follows: we choose the most important characteristic and after the experts determine the degree of preference for the main feature based on the linguistic scale. Further, matrix of pairwise comparisons based on the assigned ranks is compiled, which characterizes the relative importance of attributes. The required coefficients are determined as elements of a vector of priorities, which is the first vector of the matrix of paired comparisons. The paper proposes a mechanism for finding the fields for rating numbers analysis. In addition, the paper proposes a method for the statistical evaluation of the balance sheets of various companies by calculating the mutual correlation matrices. Based on the considered mathematical methods to determine quantitative characteristics of technical objects financial and economic activities, was developed algorithms, information and software allowing to realize of different systems economic analysis.

Good thinking or gut feeling? Decision-making style and rationality in traders, bankers and financial non-experts

OpenAIRE

Thoma, Volker

2013-01-01

Research in cognitive psychology and behavioural finance has suggested that human decision-making is subject to the use of ‘heuristics’ – simple decision rules that produce systematic biases away from normative decision outcomes (Kahneman, 2003), and that even financial experts may be susceptible to heuristic thinking (e.g., Taleb, 2004).\\ud The current study investigated differences in decision-making style and the susceptibility to heuristics between financial traders, non-trading bank empl...

Regulating Robo Advice across the Financial Services Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T. Baker (Tom); B.G.C. Dellaert (Benedict)

2017-01-01

textabstractAutomated financial product advisors – “robo advisors” – are emerging across the financial services industry, helping consumers choose investments, banking products, and insurance policies. Robo advisors have the potential to lower the cost and increase the quality and transparency of

An Expert System for On-Site Instructional Advice.

Science.gov (United States)

Martindale, Elizabeth S.; Hofmeister, Alan M.

1988-01-01

Describes Written Language Consultant, an expert system designed to help teachers teach special education students how to write business letters. Three main components of the system are described, including entry of students' test scores; analysis of teachers' uses of classroom time and management techniques; and suggestions for improving test…

Expert advice and political choice in constructing European banking union

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Donnelly, Shawn

2016-01-01

International actors promoted the transfer of regulatory authority and financial resources from national governments to the European Union (EU) in the context of establishing the prerequisites for financial stability in Europe through banking union. It was supplied, however, by a political process

A survey of Framatome's expert systems activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delaigue, D.; Grundstein, M.

1987-01-01

The French multinational nuclear energy world leader, Framatome, has designed and installed more than 40000 MWe of power in both France and abroad using Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) technology. The French nuclear program ranks as one of the most successful in the world. In 1983, Framatome entered the Applied Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) field by setting up FRAMENTEC S.A., a joint venture with TEKNOWLEDGE Inc. Today, Framentec is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Framatome and is among the leading European companies specializing in Applied Artificial Intelligence. Framatome now has a 7.5% stake in Teknowledge Inc. The main applications in the nuclear industry can be summarized as follows: quality assurance; design of systems subject to extreme operating conditions; maintenance of complex systems; control of complex phenomenon producing high velocity transients; expert advice in multiple fields; compliance with complex regulations; high-skill personnel requirements; heavy financial investments

Strategies for adding adaptive learning mechanisms to rule-based diagnostic expert systems

Science.gov (United States)

Stclair, D. C.; Sabharwal, C. L.; Bond, W. E.; Hacke, Keith

1988-01-01

Rule-based diagnostic expert systems can be used to perform many of the diagnostic chores necessary in today's complex space systems. These expert systems typically take a set of symptoms as input and produce diagnostic advice as output. The primary objective of such expert systems is to provide accurate and comprehensive advice which can be used to help return the space system in question to nominal operation. The development and maintenance of diagnostic expert systems is time and labor intensive since the services of both knowledge engineer(s) and domain expert(s) are required. The use of adaptive learning mechanisms to increment evaluate and refine rules promises to reduce both time and labor costs associated with such systems. This paper describes the basic adaptive learning mechanisms of strengthening, weakening, generalization, discrimination, and discovery. Next basic strategies are discussed for adding these learning mechanisms to rule-based diagnostic expert systems. These strategies support the incremental evaluation and refinement of rules in the knowledge base by comparing the set of advice given by the expert system (A) with the correct diagnosis (C). Techniques are described for selecting those rules in the in the knowledge base which should participate in adaptive learning. The strategies presented may be used with a wide variety of learning algorithms. Further, these strategies are applicable to a large number of rule-based diagnostic expert systems. They may be used to provide either immediate or deferred updating of the knowledge base.

Financial Advice and Individual Investor Portfolio Performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kramer, M.M.

2012-01-01

This paper investigates whether financial advisers add value to individual investors portfolio decisions by comparing portfolios of advised and self-directed (execution-only) Dutch individual investors. The results indicate significant differences in characteristics and portfolios between these

Editorial: AABFJ Volume 8, Issue 4 Special Issue in Financial Markets and Financial Instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciorstan Smark

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Financial planning in Australia is in a time of change and challenge. Educational standards and regulation are in flux. There is a strong need to move financial planning into a more esteemed professional position as financial planners are not always considered the safest source of advice for people in Asia and the pacific rim when it comes to investing their much needed retirement funds. This Special Issue on Financial Planning and Financial Instruments brings together articles from financial planning, banking, financial markets and retirement policy.

Scientific advice and public policy: expert advisers' and policymakers' discourses on boundary work

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoppe, Robertus

2008-01-01

This article reports on considerable variety and diversity among discourses on their own jobs of boundary workers of several major Dutch institutes for science-based policy advice. Except for enlightenment, all types of boundary arrangements/work in the Wittrock-typology (Social knowledge and public

Frontal cortex electrophysiology in reward- and punishment-related feedback processing during advice-guided decision making: An interleaved EEG-DC stimulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wischnewski, Miles; Bekkering, Harold; Schutter, Dennis J L G

2018-04-01

During decision making, individuals are prone to rely on external cues such as expert advice when the outcome is not known. However, the electrophysiological correlates associated with outcome uncertainty and the use of expert advice are not completely understood. The feedback-related negativity (FRN), P3a, and P3b are event-related brain potentials (ERPs) linked to dissociable stages of feedback and attentional processing during decision making. Even though these ERPs are influenced by both reward- and punishment-related feedback, it remains unclear how extrinsic information during uncertainty modulates these brain potentials. In this study, the effects of advice cues on decision making were investigated in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded in healthy volunteers during a decision-making task in which the participants received reward or punishment feedback preceded by novice, amateur, or expert advice. The results showed that the P3a component was significantly influenced by the subjective predictive value of an advice cue, whereas the FRN and P3b were unaffected by the advice cues. In the second, sham-controlled experiment, cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) was administered in conjunction with EEG in order to explore the direct contributions of the frontal cortex to these brain potentials. Results showed no significant change in either advice-following behavior or decision times. However, ctDCS did decrease FRN amplitudes as compared to sham, with no effect on the P3a or P3b. Together, these findings suggest that advice information may act primarily on attention allocation during feedback processing, whereas the electrophysiological correlates of the detection and updating of internal prediction models are not affected.

Advice taking from humans and machines: an fMRI and effective connectivity study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimberly Goodyear

2016-11-01

Full Text Available With new technological advances, advice can come from different sources such as machines or humans, but how individuals respond to such advice and the neural correlates involved need to be better understood. We combined functional MRI and multivariate Granger causality analysis with an X-ray luggage-screening task to investigate the neural basis and corresponding effective connectivity involved with advice utilization from agents framed as experts. Participants were asked to accept or reject good or bad advice from a human or machine agent with low reliability (high false alarm rate. We showed that unreliable advice decreased performance overall and participants interacting with the human agent had a greater depreciation of advice utilization during bad advice compared to the machine agent. These differences in advice utilization can be perceivably due to reevaluation of expectations arising from association of dispositional credibility for each agent. We demonstrated that differences in advice utilization engaged brain regions that may be associated with evaluation of personal characteristics and traits (precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, temporoparietal junction and interoception (posterior insula. We found that the right posterior insula and left precuneus were the drivers of the advice utilization network that were reciprocally connected to each other and also projected to all other regions. Our behavioral and neuroimaging results have significant implications for society because of progressions in technology and increased interactions with machines.

Preserving experience through expert systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jelinek, J.B.; Weidman, S.H.

1989-01-01

Expert systems technology, one of the branches in the field of computerized artificial intelligence, has existed for >30 yr but only recently has been made available on commercially standard hardware and software platforms. An expert system can be defined as any method of encoding knowledge by representing that knowledge as a collection of facts or objects. Decisions are made by the expert program by obtaining data about the problem or situation and correlating encoded facts (knowledge) to the data until a conclusion can be reached. Such conclusions can be relayed to the end user as expert advice. Realizing the potential of this technology, General Electric (GE) Nuclear Energy (GENE) has initiated a development program in expert systems applications; this technology offers the potential for packaging, distributing, and preserving nuclear experience in a software form. The paper discusses application fields, effective applications, and knowledge acquisition and knowledge verification

Consumers and Experts : An Econometric Analysis of the Demand for Water Heaters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bartels, R.; Fiebig, D.G.; van Soest, A.H.O.

2003-01-01

Consumers can accumulate product information on the basis of a combination of searching, product advertising and expert advice.Examples of experts who provide product information include doctors advising patients on treatments, motor mechanics diagnosing car problems and recommending repairs,

Oxytocin facilitation of acceptance of social advice is dependent upon the perceived trustworthiness of individual advisors.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Ruixue; Xu, Lei; Zhao, Weihua; Ma, Xiaole; Xu, Xiaolei; Kou, Juan; Gao, Zhao; Becker, Benjamin; Kendrick, Keith M

2017-09-01

The neuropeptide oxytocin may increase social cohesion by making us more willing to trust others and/or to conform to their opinions. Here we investigated whether intranasal oxytocin can influence acceptance of advice given on solving everyday social problems by either individual expert (psychologist) or non-expert advisors with or without influencing their perceived likeability or trustworthiness. In a double-blind, between-subject, placebo-control design study in 160 male and female subjects, intranasal oxytocin (24IU) only significantly enhanced acceptance of advice given by female psychologists who were rated as the most trustworthy advisors. However, oxytocin itself did not alter either trustworthiness or likeability ratings. The oxytocin effect on acceptance of the female psychologist's advice was not maintained after a week, with subjects mainly reverting to their original solutions. These findings suggest that while oxytocin can transiently increase acceptance of advice from the most trustworthy individuals this is because it makes subjects more likely to conform to their opinions rather than enhancing their perceived trustworthiness or likeability. Thus in every day contexts oxytocin may primarily promote social cohesion by facilitating conformity towards the opinions of the most trusted individuals. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Advice letter on policy instruments renewable electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

In a letter of July 2010 the Energy Council made recommendations for a policy framework with more obligations and fewer subsidies. This included the Energy Council's advice to investigate whether the introduction of a supplier obligation could play a major role in the realisation of the CO2 emission target of the Netherlands and increase the share of renewable energy in line with European agreements. This advice letter deals with one aspect of the broader considerations: the share of renewable electricity and the kind of incentive framework that is needed to achieve the target concerned. In this letter we will examine the possibilities of the SDE+ support (financial incentive for renewable energy) scheme and the supplier obligation, the effects on the market and the consequences for achieving the target. This letter closes with conclusions and recommendations. [nl

Financial Stress, Financial Literacy, Counselling and the Risk of Homelessness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Steen

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Poor financial literacy may lead to poor life choices. These life choices can create or contribute to financial stress with adverse consequences - not the least of which may be homelessness. These issues are relatively well understood, but there is limited research on the link between financial stress, financial literacy and counselling, and homelessness. Specifically, there has been little research on how improved financial literacy and appropriate financial counselling might help to prevent homelessness. This paper synthesises existing literature on this topic and considers these issues using the ABCX family stress model of Hill (1958 using data from an Australian program aimed at alleviating family homelessness, the Home Advice Program. We provide evidence that suggests that case management and support which incorporates financial counselling and financial literacy can assist in moderating the impact of financial stress and help those at risk of homelessness. The findings have implications for public policy in the areas of financial education, consumer finance, and social services provision.

Fuzzy Expert System to Characterize Students

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hecke, T.

2011-01-01

Students wanting to succeed in higher education are required to adopt an adequate learning approach. By analyzing individual learning characteristics, teachers can give personal advice to help students identify their learning success factors. An expert system based on fuzzy logic can provide economically viable solutions to help students identify…

The power of advice: experts in Chinese climate change politics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wuebbeke, Jost

2010-07-01

This study examines the role of experts in Chinas climate change policy. With the beginning of the UNFCCC process, many semi-official institutes and universities emerged, dealing with the scientific, economic and political aspects of climate change. The major argument presented here is that experts are important actors in Chinese climate change politics, and that they have been underestimated in research on China. This analysis has two aims: first, applying a science, policy interface model from regime theory, it examines the political impact of various research organizations during different stages of the policy-making process. In the second step, analysis turns to the causes behind the degree of impact. These include the relevance of administrative links, the quality of knowledge, and personal ties. The results show that, in particular, semi-official institutes and certain universities can have a very high impact on political action.(auth)

Method of immersion of a problem of comparison financial conditions of the enterprises in an expert cover in a class algorithms of artificial intelligence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. V. Bukharin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The financial condition of the enterprise can be estimated by a set of characteristics (solvency and liquidity, structure of the capital, profitability, etc.. The part of financial coefficients is low-informative, and other part contains the interconnected sizes. Therefore for elimination of ambiguity we will pass to the generalized indicators – rating numbers, and as the main means of research it is offered to use the theory of expert systems. As characteristic of the modern theory of expert systems it is necessary to consider application of intellectual ways of data processing of data mining, or simply data mining. The method of immersion of a problem of comparison of a financial condition of economic objects in an expert cover in a class of systems of artificial intelligence is offered (algorithms of a method of the analysis of hierarchies, contiguity leaning of a neural network, algorithm of training with function of activation softmax. The generalized indicator of structure of the capital in the form of rating number is entered and the sign (factorial space for seven concrete enterprises is created. Quantitative signs (financial coefficients of structure of the capital are allocated and their normalization by rules of the theory of expert systems is carried out. To the received set of the generalized indicators the method of the analysis of hierarchies is applied: on the basis of a linguistic scale of T. Saaty the ranks of signs reflecting the relative importance of various financial coefficients are defined and the matrix of pair comparisons is constructed. The vector of priority signs on the basis of the solution of the equation for own numbers and own vectors of the mentioned matrix is calculated. As a result the visualization of the received results which has allowed to eliminate difficulties of interpretation of small and negative values of the generalized indicator is carried out. The neural network with contiguity leaning and

Use of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) in expert systems to advise nuclear plant operators and managers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uhrig, R.E.

1988-01-01

The use of expert systems in nuclear power plants to provide advice to managers, supervisors and/or operators is a concept that is rapidly gaining acceptance. Generally, expert systems rely on the expertise of human experts or knowledge that has been modified in publications, books, or regulations to provide advice under a wide variety of conditions. In this work, a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) 3 of a nuclear power plant performed previously is used to assess the safety status of nuclear power plants and to make recommendations to the plant personnel. 5 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

Expert Witness

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Adele

formal rules of evidence apply) to help it understand the issues of a case and ... statements on medical expert witness by professional representative bodies in .... determining the size of the financial settlement that may have to be made to the.

Expert system characteristics and potential applications in safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, L.D.

1986-01-01

The general growth of expert, knowledge-based (KB) or rule based systems will significantly increase in the next three to five years. Improvements in computer hardware (speed, reduced size, power) and software (rule based, data based, user interfaces) in recent years are providing the foundations for the growth of expert systems. A byproduct of this growth will undoubtedly be the application of expert systems to various safeguards problems. Characteristics of these expert systems will involve 1) multiple rules governing an outcome, 2) confidence factors on individual variables and rule sets, 3) priority, cost, and risk based rule sets, and 4) the reasoning behind the advice or decision given by the expert system. This paper presents characteristics, structures, and examples of simple rule based systems. Potential application areas for these expert systems may include training, operations, management, designs, evaluations, and specific hardware operation

A survey of footwear advice, beliefs and wear habits in people with knee osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Paterson, Kade L; Wrigley, Tim V; Bennell, Kim L; Hinman, Rana S

2014-01-01

Expert opinion recommends cushioned and supportive footwear for people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, little is known about the footwear advice people receive from healthcare professionals, or the beliefs and footwear habits of people with knee OA. This study aimed to determine i) what types of shoes people are advised to wear for their knee OA and by whom; ii) establish which types of shoes people with knee OA believe are best for managing their knee OA symptoms and (iii) which shoes they wear most often. 204 people with symptomatic knee OA completed an online survey. The survey comprised 14 questions asking what footwear advice people had received for their knee OA and who they received it from, individual beliefs about optimal footwear styles for their knee OA symptoms and the types of footwear usually worn. Only one third (n = 69, 34%) of participants reported receiving footwear advice for their knee OA, and this was most frequently received from a podiatrist (n = 47, 68%). The most common advice was to wear sturdy/supportive shoes (n = 96, 47%) or shoes with arch supports (n = 84, 41%). These were also amongst the shoe styles that participants believed were best for their knee OA (n = 157 (77%) and n = 138 (68%) respectively). The type of shoes most frequently worn were athletic (n = 131, 64%) and sturdy/supportive shoes (n = 116, 57%). Most people with knee OA who completed our survey had not received advice about footwear for their knee OA symptoms. Our participants typically believed that sturdy/supportive shoes were best for their knee OA and this shoe style was most frequently worn, which is reflective of expert opinion. Future research is needed to confirm whether sturdy/supportive shoes are indeed optimal for managing symptoms of knee OA.

Evaluation of a telephone advice nurse in a nursing faculty managed pediatric community clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaulieu, Richard; Humphreys, Janice

2008-01-01

Nurse-managed health centers face increasing obstacles to financial viability. Efficient use of clinic resources and timely and appropriate patient care are necessary for sustainability. A registered nurse with adequate education and support can provide high-quality triage and advice in community-based practice sites. The purpose of this program evaluation was to examine the effect of a telephone advice nurse service on parent/caregiver satisfaction and access to care. A quasi-experimental separate pre-post sample design study investigated parent/caregiver satisfaction with a telephone advice nurse in an urban pediatric nurse-managed health center. The clinic medical information system was used to retrieve client visit data prior to the service and in the first year of the program. Statistically significant differences were found on two items from the satisfaction with the advice nurse survey: the reason for calling (P decision making (P nurse may increase both parent/caregiver and provider satisfaction and access to care.

31 CFR 103.33 - Records to be made and retained by financial institutions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... financial institutions. 103.33 Section 103.33 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... Maintained § 103.33 Records to be made and retained by financial institutions. Each financial institution... each advice, request, or instruction given to another financial institution or other person located...

Medical Physics expert and competence in radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vano, E.; Lamn, I. N.; Guerra, A. del; Van Kleffens, H. J.

2003-01-01

The Council Directive 97/43/EURATOM on health protection of individuals against the dangers of ionizing radiation in relation to medical exposure, defines the Medical Physical Expert as an expert in radiation physics or radiation technology applied to exposure, within the scope of the Directive, whose training and competence to act is recognized by the competent authorities; and who, as appropriate, acts or gives advice on patient dosimetry, on the development and use of complex techniques and equipment, on optimization, on quality assurance, including quality control, and on other matters relating to radiation protection, concerning exposure within the scope of this Directive. As a consequence, it might be implied that his competence in radiation protection should also cover the staff and the public. In fact, the training programmes of medical physics experts include all the aspects concerning these topics. Some confusion could arise in the medical area when the Qualified Expert defined in the Council Directive 96/29/Euratom laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionizing radiation is considered. The Qualified Expert is defined as a person having the knowledge and training needed to carry out physical, technical or radiochemical tests enabling doses to be assessed, and to give advice in order to ensure effective protection of individuals and the correct operation of protective equipment, whose capacity to act a qualified expert is recognized by the competent authorities. A qualified expert may be assigned the technical responsibility for the tasks of radiation protection of workers and members of the public. In Europe, the Qualified Expert is acting at present in the Medical Area in countries where there are not enough Medical Physics Experts or in countries where this role was established before the publication of the Council Directive 97/43/EURATOM. Now, the coherent

The International Diversification of Banks and the Value of their Cross-Border M&A Advice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, A.; Ongena, S.; van der Poel, M.

2010-01-01

This paper investigates the effects of international diversification of banks on the value of their M&A advice. We study bidder returns to 1,253 cross-border M&A announcements. We find that acquirers engaging a more internationally diversified financial advisor generate lower excess returns.

Industrial disasters - the expert systems solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sachs, P.

1986-01-01

Six mistakes by the operators led to the accident at the Cherobyl nuclear reactor. These have been studied. It is suggested that an expert systems approach could prevent similar accidents. The expert system is a new approach to software programming where programs are required to perform intelligent analyses of complex situations. It separates the knowledge of a problem from the procedural code that performs the decision. An expert system will evaluate data and indicate a priority on alarms in real time. Now software systems can detect the cause of a problem in a process plant and present their findings to the operators in the control room. This should enable operators to make the correct decisions as they will know which underlying process faults are causing the alarms to operate. The Chernobyl post-mortem meeting made 13 proposals for improving safety. Two in particular are noted as relevant to expert advice systems; international collaboration on man-reactor relationships and a conference to explore the balance of automation and human action to minimise operating errors. (U.K.)

Evidencia Empírica sobre Inductores del Cambio de Auditor: Especial Referencia a la Situación Financiera de la Empresa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emiliano Ruiz Barbadillo

2003-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of our paper is to analyze which are the factors that cause Spanish companies to change auditors. Using the results of previous papers and applying a logistic regression model, we have analyzed four groups of factors that could explain the change of auditors. The growth of the company, agency costs, changes in the financial structure and disagreements between the auditor and the client which may have been caused by the financial imbalance of the company 01' by receiving expert advice. The results obtained highlight that only the financial situation of the company and the expert advice received are important factors in that change. In light of the results concerning the company's financial situation, we have looked into whether companies with financial problems change auditor s more frequently and for different reasons than successful ones. The results confirm a greater need for change of auditors in financially imbalanced companies and could be justified through the hypothesis of deep pockets, cost controls, change in management and the concealment of information. Finally, we point out that for the group of financially imbalanced companies the change of auditors' model is different to the rest This is because company growth, agency costs and the audit advice are significant variables in the company's decision to change auditors or not.

Consumers and experts. An econometric analysis of the demand for water heaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Soest, A.; Bartels, R.; Fiebig, D.G.

2003-01-01

Consumers can accumulate product information on the basis of a combination of searching, product advertising and expert advice. Examples of experts who provide product information include doctors advising patients on treatments, motor mechanics diagnosing car problems and recommending repairs, accountants recommending investment strategies, and plumbers making recommendations on alternative water heaters. In each of these examples, the transactions involve the sale of goods and services where the seller is at the same time an expert providing advice on the amount and type of product or service to be purchased. In the case of water heaters, the plumber advising a consumer on their choice of water heater will most likely also install the appliance. Because of the information asymmetry there is potentially a strategic element in the transmission of information from expert to consumer. This paper reports on an econometric investigation of the factors that determine the choices made by consumers and the recommendations made by plumbers and the extent to which plumbers act in the best interests of their customers. The empirical work is made possible by the availability of stated preference data generated by designed experiments involving separate samples of Australian consumers and plumbers. We find some evidence that plumbers have higher preferences than consumers for heater characteristics that increase their profit margin

Development of nickel hydrogen battery expert system

Science.gov (United States)

Shiva, Sajjan G.

1990-01-01

The Hubble Telescope Battery Testbed employs the nickel-cadmium battery expert system (NICBES-2) which supports the evaluation of performances of Hubble Telescope spacecraft batteries and provides alarm diagnosis and action advice. NICBES-2 also provides a reasoning system along with a battery domain knowledge base to achieve this battery health management function. An effort to modify NICBES-2 to accommodate nickel-hydrogen battery environment in testbed is described.

The UK system of recognising qualified experts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bines, W.

2002-01-01

EURATOM Basic Safety Standards (BSS) Directives have long included requirements for the involvement of qualified experts, the definition of which has scarcely changed since at least 1976. The Directive requirement, in the definition of qualified expert,, for competent authorities to recognise the capacity to act as a qualified expert has been interpreted by Member States in widely differing ways, ranging from the minimalist or case by case to the highly detailed and prescriptive. In the United Kingdom (UK), the qualified expert for occupational radiation protection is the radiation protection adviser and the competent authority is the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985, which largely implemented the 1980 BSS Directive, required an employer to appoint one or more radiation protection advisers for the purpose of advising him as to the observance of these Regulations and other health and safety matters in connection with ionising radiation. The Regulations addressed the question of recognition by forbidding an employer to appoint a person as a radiation protection adviser unless: that person was suitably qualified and experienced; the employer had notified the Health and Safety Executive in writing of the intended appointment at least 28 days in advance, giving the name of the person and particulars of his qualifications and experience and the scope of the advice he would be required to give; and the employer had received from HSE an acknowledgement in writing of the notification. This system allowed HSE to follow up and query any apparently unsuitable potential appointments while applying a light overall administrative touch. The Approved Code of Practice supporting the Regulations included advice on the qualifications, experience and qualities that the employer should look for in a suitable radiation protection adviser

Market Failure, Regulation and Education of Financial Advisors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Steen

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the recent series of financial scandals in the Australian financial advice industry. It examines the causes, consequences and responses to theses scandals by financial institutions, investors and regulators through the lens of relevant finance theory and extant literature. Although the paper focuses on the recent Australian experience the discussion and findings presented are of relevance to financial market regulation worldwide. It is proposed that a combination of compensation, education, training and structural reforms are required to reduce the undesirable effects of information asymmetry, adverse selection and moral hazard in the finance sector.

Implicit normativity in scientific advice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Folker, Anna Paldam; Andersen, Hanne; Sandøe, Peter

2008-01-01

This paper focuses on implicit normative considerations underlying scientific advice-those normative questions, decisions, or issues that scientific advisers and the general public are not fully aware of but that nevertheless have implications for the character of the advice given. Using...... nutritional science as an example, we identify three such implicit normative issues. The first concerns the aim of scientific advice: whether it is about avoiding harm or promoting good. The second concerns the intended beneficiaries of the advice: whether advice should be framed to benefit the society...... as a whole or with special concern for the most vulnerable members of the population. The third consideration involves scientific advisers' attempts to balance the strengths of the scientific evidence with the expected consequences of scientific advice. We hope to promote more explicit discussion...

Instructional Advice, Time Advice and Learning Questions in Computer Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, Gunter Daniel

2010-01-01

Undergraduate students (N = 97) used an introductory text and a computer simulation to learn fundamental concepts about statistical analyses (e.g., analysis of variance, regression analysis and General Linear Model). Each learner was randomly assigned to one cell of a 2 (with or without instructional advice) x 2 (with or without time advice) x 2…

Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems in Medicine and Their Ability to Prediction as Therapy Planning Systems by CADIAG-2 Algorithm

OpenAIRE

Mohammad Madadpour Inallou; Zeinab Ajurlou; Bahman Mehri

2012-01-01

Expert Systems in Medicine is a collection, storage, retrieval, communication and processing of medical data for the purposes of interpretation, inference, decision-support, research and so other purposes in medicine. Expert System is an interactive computer-based decision tool that uses both facts and heuristics to solve difficult decision problems based on knowledge acquired from an expert. Expert systems provide expert advice and guidance in a wide variety of activities, from computer diag...

Standard in Financial Literacy for University Students: Methodology and Empirical Evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JUDrIng Tomas Krizek, CEMS-MIM, LLM

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Financial literacy is very important element of everybody’s life. Papers and studies usually focus on general public or lower-educated group of people but we think that university educated people should not be out of scope of work done in the field of financial literacy. Our hypothesis in this article is that citizens with university education or university students may be a source of finance knowledge for their community in a similar way how medical doctors provide advice in their community. First, we define a standard in financial literacy for university students and then we test our hypothesis that university students provide advice on consumer/personnel finance matters in their community using an online survey. We also compare our results to previous studies and derive interesting findings from the survey which are further discussed in this paper.

A Major Setback for Retirement Savings: Changing how Financial Advisers are Compensated could Hurt Less-than-Wealthy Investors Most

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierre Lortie

2016-04-01

Full Text Available If regulators were to simply outright prohibit Canadians with low and middle incomes from seeking financial advice, it would obviously constitute a massive setback for individual wealth accumulation and, ultimately, for the economy. In Canada, after all, the well-being of a large proportion of retirees relies heavily on their voluntary personal and private wealth accumulation, in part due to the shrinking proportion of Canadian employees covered by a defined-benefit pension plan. As it is, between a quarter and a third of households of all income levels not covered by a defined-benefit plan are not set up to retire comfortably. And yet, currently, regulators are entertaining a change to the financial services industry that will almost certainly have the net effect of keeping the vast majority of Canadians from accessing financial advice. It is not quite a ban, but given the effect it will have, it almost could be. The role of financial advice is pivotal in helping people prepare for retirement. Evidence shows that the average individual’s knowledge of basic financial products and concepts is quite limited. Research indicates that Canadian households using a financial adviser to assist in saving and investment matters and plan their retirement accumulated 1.58 times as much wealth as did non-advised households after four to six years; after 15 years, that had increased to 2.73 times. That has an effect on the rest society, too, since wealthier retirees enjoy a better quality of life, are less burdensome on government income supplements and contribute more to the economy. One thing that could prove immensely counterproductive to helping Canadians access financial advice to better prepare for retirement is the proposal, being considered by regulators, to unbundle adviser fees from financial products. The rationale for the move is compelling: If advisers receive different commissions depending on the financial products they convince their clients

Image-based teleconsultation using smartphones or tablets: qualitative assessment of medical experts

OpenAIRE

Boissin, Constance; Blom, Lisa; Wallis, Lee; Laflamme, Lucie

2016-01-01

Background Mobile health has promising potential in improving healthcare delivery by facilitating access to expert advice. Enabling experts to review images on their smartphone or tablet may save valuable time. This study aims at assessing whether images viewed by medical specialists on handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets are perceived to be of comparable quality as when viewed on a computer screen. Methods This was a prospective study comparing the perceived quality of 18 images...

[The role of science in policy making--EuSANH-ISA project, framework for science advice for health].

Science.gov (United States)

Cianciara, Dorota; Piotrowicz, Maria; Bielska-Lasota, Magdalena; Wysocki, Mirosław J

2012-01-01

Governments and other authorities (including MPs) should be well informed on issues of science and technology. This is particularly important in the era of evidence-based practice. This implies the need to get expert advice. The process by which scientific knowledge is transmitted, along with proposals how to solve the problem, is called science advice. The main aim of the article is to discuss the issue of science advice--definitions, interaction between science and policymaking, and its position in contemporary policies. The second aim is to present European Science Advisory Network for Health (EuSANH), EuSANH-ISA project, and framework for science advice for health which was developed by participants. Furthermore, the role of civil society in decision-making process and science advice is also discussed. Interaction between scientists and policy-makers are described in terms of science-push approach (technocratic model), policy-pull (decisionistic) and simultaneous push-pull approach (pragmatic). The position of science advice is described in historical perspective from the 50s, especially in the last two decades. Description relies to USA, Canada and UK. Principles of scientific advice to government (Government Office for Science, UK) are quoted. Some important documents related to science advice in EU and UN are mentioned. EuSANH network is described as well as EuSANH-ISA project, with its objectives and outcomes. According to findings of this project, the process of science advice for health should follow some steps: framing the issue to be covered; planning entire process leading to the conclusion; drafting the report; reviewing the report and revision; publishing report and assessing the impact on policy.

Management of Clostridium difficile Infection in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Expert Review from the Clinical Practice Updates Committee of the AGA Institute.

Science.gov (United States)

Khanna, Sahil; Shin, Andrea; Kelly, Ciarán P

2017-02-01

The purpose of this expert review is to synthesize the existing evidence on the management of Clostridium difficile infection in patients with underlying inflammatory bowel disease. The evidence reviewed in this article is a summation of relevant scientific publications, expert opinion statements, and current practice guidelines. This review is a summary of expert opinion in the field without a formal systematic review of evidence. Best Practice Advice 1: Clinicians should test patients who present with a flare of underlying inflammatory bowel disease for Clostridium difficile infection. Best Practice Advice 2: Clinicians should screen for recurrent C difficile infection if diarrhea or other symptoms of colitis persist or return after antibiotic treatment for C difficile infection. Best Practice Advice 3: Clinicians should consider treating C difficile infection in inflammatory bowel disease patients with vancomycin instead of metronidazole. Best Practice Advice 4: Clinicians strongly should consider hospitalization for close monitoring and aggressive management for inflammatory bowel disease patients with C difficile infection who have profuse diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, a markedly increased peripheral blood leukocyte count, or other evidence of sepsis. Best Practice Advice 5: Clinicians may postpone escalation of steroids and other immunosuppression agents during acute C difficile infection until therapy for C difficile infection has been initiated. However, the decision to withhold or continue immunosuppression in inflammatory bowel disease patients with C difficile infection should be individualized because there is insufficient existing robust literature on which to develop firm recommendations. Best Practice Advice 6: Clinicians should offer a referral for fecal microbiota transplantation to inflammatory bowel disease patients with recurrent C difficile infection. Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Certification. Tool for quality? Market and client for radiation experts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zwaard, W.

1999-01-01

The role and impact of certification in the advisory work of radiation experts is briefly outlined. Certification is a guarantee for quality of the advice or a product in case there is a client and a market. In cases where there is not a client or a market certification will lead to 'window-dressing and a bureaucratic system

The use of expert scientific advice in regulating risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, R.; Mcquaid, J.

1998-01-01

Today the accidents prevention and environmental protection activity in Bashkortostan Republic is regulated by Governmental Programme including risk management as one of the main parts. The authors of the present paper accumulated some experience in risk management system creation because they took part in the investigation according to the mentioned Programme Their proposal concerns this closed-loop system general structure which is planned to be based on three kinds of feedback: internal feedback (it utilizes the special Russian institutions for the plants state observation and limitation such 'Gosfortechnodzor' 'Gossanepidnadzor', etc.; all the noted institutions must be informed of the current situation and fulfill the actions oriented towards risk indices reduction); intermediate feedback (it is represented by the insurance system functioning with respect to insurance agencies investments into the plants operational security); external feedback (it includes the subsystem of HP security declarations analysis mechanism, special HP regional register and the expert commission whose decisions become the foundations for governmental responses). The authors consider all the feedbacks interaction in order to provide the stability of region development. The resulting strategy for accidents risk level management has been confirmed now by some normative documents in Bashkortostan Republic. (authors)

Nutrition Advice and Recipes

Science.gov (United States)

... Sign-Up Home Patient Information Nutrition Advice & Recipes Nutrition Advice & Recipes This is a very important section ... information on all aspects of daily life, including nutrition, medical treatments, pain management, and practical tips. For ...

Exploring the Role of Peer Advice in Self-Regulated Learning: Metacognitive, Social, and Environmental Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashid, Hanin; Lebeau, Robert; Saks, Norma; Cianciolo, Anna T; Artino, Anthony R; Shea, Judy A; Ten Cate, Olle

2016-01-01

This Conversation Starters article presents a selected research abstract from the 2016 Association of American Medical Colleges Northeast Region Group on Educational Affairs annual spring meeting. The abstract is paired with the integrative commentary of three experts who shared their thoughts stimulated by the pilot study. These thoughts explore the metacognitive, social, and environmental mechanisms whereby advice plays a role in self-regulated learning.

"Done more for me in a fortnight than anybody done in all me life." How welfare rights advice can help people with cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moffatt Suzanne

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the UK many people with cancer and their carers do not have easy access to the welfare benefits to which they are entitled adding further strain to the process of dealing with cancer. It is estimated that nine out of ten cancer patients' households experience loss of income as a direct result of cancer, which, due to its socio-economic patterning disproportionately affects those most likely to be financially disadvantaged. In the UK proactive welfare rights advice services accessed via health care settings significantly increase benefit entitlement among people with health problems and this paper reports on a qualitative study examining the impact of a welfare rights advice service specifically designed for people affected by cancer and their carers in County Durham, North East England (UK. Methods Twenty two men and women with cancer or caring for someone with cancer who were recipients of welfare rights advice aged between 35 and 83 were recruited from a variety of health care and community settings. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken and analysed using the Framework method. Results Most of the participants experienced financial strain following their cancer diagnosis. Participants accessed the welfare rights service in a variety of ways, but mainly through referral by other professionals. The additional income generated by successful benefit claims was used in a number of ways and included offsetting additional costs associated with cancer and lessening the impact of loss of earnings. Overall, receiving welfare rights advice eased feelings of stress over financial issues at a time when participants were concerned about dealing with the impact of cancer. Lack of knowledge about benefit entitlements was the main barrier to accessing benefits, and this outweighed attitudinal factors such as stigma and concerns about benefit fraud. Conclusions Financial strain resulting from a cancer diagnosis is compounded in the

Experts speak: advice from key informants to small, rural hospitals on implementing the electronic health record system.

Science.gov (United States)

Craven, Catherine K; Sievert, MaryEllen C; Hicks, Lanis L; Alexander, Gregory L; Hearne, Leonard B; Holmes, John H

2013-01-01

The US government has allocated $30 billion dollars to implement Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in hospitals and provider practices through a policy called Meaningful Use. Small, rural hospitals, particularly those designated as Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), comprising nearly a quarter of US hospitals, had not implemented EHRs before. Little is known on implementation in this setting. We interviewed a spectrum of 31 experts in the domain. The interviews were then analyzed qualitatively to ascertain the expert recommendations. Nineteen themes emerged. The pool of experts included staff from CAHs that had recently implemented EHRs. We were able to compare their answers with those of other experts and make recommendations for stakeholders. CAH peer experts focused less on issues such as physician buy-in, communication, and the EHR team. None of them indicated concern or focus on clinical decision support systems, leadership, or governance. They were especially concerned with system selection, technology, preparatory work and a need to know more about workflow and optimization. These differences were explained by the size and nature of these small hospitals.

An expert system for ranking companies and investments: wood industry case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hliadis Lazaros

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Wood industry is a very important part of both the Greek Rural and industrial sector. The discovery of the differentiation in the level of growth and in the quality of financial management between the Greek wood companies can provide very important aid in the design of an effective rural development policy. The evaluation and ranking of Greek wood companies based on actual financial data is a very complicated task and it requires expertise knowledge and skills. On the other hand a computer expert system can perform validation and evaluation in an efficient way and can substitute human experts. An expert system was designed and developed towards this direction. It uses multicriteria analysis for each one of the wood companies based on actual financial data and it applies fundamental principles of fuzzy logic in order to calculate the expected intervals of flows for the following years. .

The expert group health research and care after disasters and environmental crises: an analysis of research questions formulated by Dutch health authorities for the expert group between 2006 and 2016.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alting, D.; Dückers, M.L.; Yzermans, J.

2017-01-01

Study/Objective: The aim of this study is (1) to examine developments in the research questions, submitted to the Expert Group Health Research and Care after Disasters and Environmental Crises between 2006 and 2016, and (2) to explore implications of the research questions for the nature of advice

General physical health advice for people with serious mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Tosh, Graeme; Clifton, Andrew V; Xia, Jun; White, Margueritte M

2014-03-28

care visit was significantly higher in the advice group (n = 80, 1 RCT, RR 1.77, CI 1.09 to 2.85). Economic data were equivocal. Attrition was large (> 30%) but similar for both groups (n = 964, 6 RCTs, RR 1.11, CI 0.92 to 1.35). Comparisons of one type of physical healthcare advice with another were grossly underpowered and equivocal. General physical health could lead to people with serious mental illness accessing more health services which, in turn, could mean they see longer-term benefits such as reduced mortality or morbidity. On the other hand, it is possible clinicians are expending much effort, time and financial resources on giving ineffective advice. The main results in this review are based on low or very low quality data. There is some limited and poor quality evidence that the provision of general physical healthcare advice can improve health-related quality of life in the mental component but not the physical component, but this evidence is based on data from one study only. This is an important area for good research reporting outcome of interest to carers and people with serious illnesses as well as researchers and fundholders.

CVFA: Coal vendor financial advisor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goote, W.G.; Andersen, S.

1992-01-01

An expert system for determining coal vendor financial viability in fuel purchasing contracts at an electric utility is described. The system blends rules, data objects, and financial knowledge to provide a rational basis for accepting or rejecting coal contracts given the financial capability of the coal vendor. The discussion concludes with a critique of managerial issues in the development of the system and its use in decision making. 3 refs., 1 fig

Analysis and Lessons Learned from an Online, Consultative Dialogue between Community Leaders and Climate Experts

Science.gov (United States)

Sylak-Glassman, E.; Clavin, C.

2016-12-01

Common approaches to climate resilience planning in the United States rely upon participatory planning approaches and dialogues between decision-makers, science translators, and subject matter experts. In an effort to explore alternative approaches support community climate resilience planning, a pilot of a public-private collaboration called the Resilience Dialogues was held in February and March of 2016. The Resilience Dialogues pilot was an online, asynchronous conversation between community leaders and climate experts, designed to help communities begin the process of climate resilience planning. In order to identify lessons learned from the pilot, we analyzed the discourse of the facilitated dialogues, administered surveys and conducted interviews with participants. Our analysis of the pilot suggests that participating community leaders found value in the consultative dialogue with climate experts, despite limited community-originated requests for climate information. Community leaders most often asked for advice regarding adaptation planning, including specific engineering guidance and advice on how to engage community members around the topic of resilience. Community leaders that had access to downscaled climate data asked experts about how to incorporate the data into their existing planning processes. The guidance sought by community leaders during the pilot shows a large range of hurdles that communities face in using climate information to inform their decision-making processes. Having a forum that connects community leaders with relevant experts and other community leaders who have familiarity with both climate impacts and municipal planning processes would likely help communities accelerate their resilience efforts.

THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dzhamilya F. Ismailova

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article considers the theoretical aspects of internal financial control, summarizes the definition formulated by scientists and experts, analyzed for differences between incompany and intrafarm control. The article discusses the collapse of Enron, notes the general provisions of various types of financial control.

Just ask Siri? A pilot study comparing smartphone digital assistants and laptop Google searches for smoking cessation advice.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, Matt; Wilson, Nick

2018-01-01

To compare voice-activated internet searches by smartphone (two digital assistants) with laptop ones for information and advice related to smoking cessation. Responses to 80 questions on a range of topics related to smoking cessation (including the FAQ from a NHS website), compared for quality. Smartphone and internet searches as performed in New Zealand. Ranked responses to the questions. Google laptop internet searches came first (or first equal) for best quality smoking cessation advice for 83% (66/80) of the responses. Voiced questions to Google Assistant ("OK Google") came first/first equal 76% of the time vs Siri (Apple) at 28%. Google and Google Assistant were statistically significantly better than Siri searches (odds ratio 12.4 and 8.5 respectively, pGoogle internet searches and Google Assistant were found to be significantly superior to the Siri digital assistant for smoking cessation information. While expert content was returned over half the time, there is still substantial room for improvement in how these software systems deliver smoking cessation advice.

System control module diagnostic Expert Assistant

Science.gov (United States)

Flores, Luis M.; Hansen, Roger F.

1990-01-01

The Orbiter EXperiments (OEX) Program was established by NASA's Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST) to accomplish the precise data collection necessary to support a complete and accurate assessment of Space Transportation System (STS) Orbiter performance during all phases of a mission. During a mission, data generated by the various experiments are conveyed to the OEX System Control Module (SCM) which arranges for and monitors storage of the data on the OEX tape recorder. The SCM Diagnostic Expert Assistant (DEA) is an expert system which provides on demand advice to technicians performing repairs of a malfunctioning SCM. The DEA is a self-contained, data-driven knowledge-based system written in the 'C' Language Production System (CLIPS) for a portable micro-computer of the IBM PC/XT class. The DEA reasons about SCM hardware faults at multiple levels; the most detailed layer of encoded knowledge of the SCM is a representation of individual components and layouts of the custom-designed component boards.

Quantitative marketing research on the use of specialised financial advice by the segment of SMEs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolae, C. M.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of a survey conducted among small and medium companies in Braşov County, on the frequency of using specialized financial advisory services. It highlights the typology and content of financial advisory services used by companies in the SME sector in Romania. The study results will underpin the construction of a marketing mix for financial advisory firms who intend to adapt their offer of services according to client profile.

Empowering Physicians with Financial Literacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Or, Yuval

2015-01-01

Most doctors complete their medical training without sufficient knowledge of business and finance. This leads to inefficient financial decisions, avoidable losses, and unnecessary anxiety. A big part of the problem is that the existing options for gaining financial knowledge are flawed. The ideal solution is to provide a simple framework of financial literacy to all students: one that can be adapted to their specific circumstances. That framework must be delivered by an objective expert to young physicians before they complete medical training.

Determinants of Client-Professional Relationship Quality in the Financial Planning Setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine Hunt

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Advice provided by financial planners has the potential to impact the financial and emotional well being ofclients. Despite the outcomes of quality financial planning relationships, there is little direct evidence tosupport the importance of ‘relationship quality’ in financial planning. Previous research has emphasised theimportance of relationship quality in psychology, nursing, and business settings. This research investigatesdeterminants of client-professional relationship quality in financial planning, measured in a survey of clientsand financial planners regarding relationship factors of trust, engagement, empowerment, ownership, clientactivity and commitment. Ratings for relationship dimensions were compared between clients and financialplanners, with financial planners found to overestimate their clients’ levels of trust and commitment andunderestimate their client’s levels of empowerment. The relationship dimension of ‘trust’ was found to becritical for client-professional relationship quality.

Actions and advice in coli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knoche, Hendrik; Jamadagni, HS; Rao, PR Sheshagiri

2015-01-01

To improve their agricultural output, farmers require timely and contextualized information and advice. Relevant information and advice provided by trusted peers represents a promising approach. We present the considerations for the design of coli, an agricultural information network on touch scr...

Unrealistic optimism in advice taking: A computational account.

Science.gov (United States)

Leong, Yuan Chang; Zaki, Jamil

2018-02-01

Expert advisors often make surprisingly inaccurate predictions about the future, yet people heed their suggestions nonetheless. Here we provide a novel, computational account of this unrealistic optimism in advice taking. Across 3 studies, participants observed as advisors predicted the performance of a stock. Advisors varied in their accuracy, performing reliably above, at, or below chance. Despite repeated feedback, participants exhibited inflated perceptions of advisors' accuracy, and reliably "bet" on advisors' predictions more than their performance warranted. Participants' decisions tightly tracked a computational model that makes 2 assumptions: (a) people hold optimistic initial expectations about advisors, and (b) people preferentially incorporate information that adheres to their expectations when learning about advisors. Consistent with model predictions, explicitly manipulating participants' initial expectations altered their optimism bias and subsequent advice-taking. With well-calibrated initial expectations, participants no longer exhibited an optimism bias. We then explored crowdsourced ratings as a strategy to curb unrealistic optimism in advisors. Star ratings for each advisor were collected from an initial group of participants, which were then shown to a second group of participants. Instead of calibrating expectations, these ratings propagated and exaggerated the unrealistic optimism. Our results provide a computational account of the cognitive processes underlying inflated perceptions of expertise, and explore the boundary conditions under which they occur. We discuss the adaptive value of this optimism bias, and how our account can be extended to explain unrealistic optimism in other domains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Advice from working women with retired partners.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooley, Eileen L; Adorno, Gail

2016-01-01

in the 21st century, as more women are employed full-time and couples increasingly share egalitarian values, more women continue employment after their partners have voluntarily retired. However, we know very little about the experiences of this growing population of women. We asked working women with retired partners to share their advice for other women who may face this developmental transition. Open-ended responses from 97 women were analyzed to identify pertinent issues and themes. Four primary content areas were identified: time management, division of household labor, financial planning, and communication. Communication between partners was both a topic of concern as well as the solution suggested to resolve conflicts or differences that may arise when women live with a retired partner. It is expected that future changes in the workforce and improvements in the gender balance within relationships will continue to impact experiences for working women with retired partners.

Expert systems use in present and future CANDU nuclear power supply systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lupton, L.R.; Basso, R.A.J.; Anderson, L.L.; Anderson, J.W.D.

1989-11-01

As CANDU nuclear power plants become more complex, and are operated under tighter constraints for longer periods between outages, plant operations staff will have to absorb more information to correctly and rapidly respond to upsets. A development program is underway at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited to use expert systems and interactive media tools to assist operations staff of existing and future CANDU plants. The complete system for plant information access and display, on-line advice and diagnosis, and interactive operating procedures is called the Operator Companion. A prototype, consisting of operator consoles, expert systems and simulation modules in a distributed architecture, is currently being developed to demonstrate the concepts of the Operator Companion. Specialized advisors are also being developed using expert system technology to meet specific operational and design needs

Diagnostic technology and an expert system for photovoltaic systems using the learning method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yagi, Yasuhiro; Kishi, Hitoshi; Hagihara, Ryuzou; Tanaka, Toshiya; Kozuma, Shinichi; Ishida, Takeo; Waki, Masahiro; Tanaka, Makoto; Kiyama, Seiichi [SANYO Electric Co. Ltd., New Materials Research Center, Moriguchi City, Osaka (Japan)

2003-02-01

Diagnostic technology for photovoltaic (PV) systems was developed, using the learning method to take each site's conditions into account. This technology employs diagnostic criteria databases to analyze data acquired from the PV systems. These criteria are updated monthly for each site using analyzed data. To check the shadows on the PV modules and pyranometer, the sophisticated verification method was also applied to this technology. After the diagnosis, a basket method provides maintenance advice for the PV systems. Based on the results of precise diagnoses, this expert system offers quick and proper maintenance advice within a few minutes. This technology is highly useful, because it greatly simplifies the servicing and maintenance of PV systems. (Author)

Frontiers in Time Series and Financial Econometrics

OpenAIRE

Ling, S.; McAleer, M.J.; Tong, H.

2015-01-01

__Abstract__ Two of the fastest growing frontiers in econometrics and quantitative finance are time series and financial econometrics. Significant theoretical contributions to financial econometrics have been made by experts in statistics, econometrics, mathematics, and time series analysis. The purpose of this special issue of the journal on “Frontiers in Time Series and Financial Econometrics” is to highlight several areas of research by leading academics in which novel methods have contrib...

Frontiers in Time Series and Financial Econometrics : An overview

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S. Ling (Shiqing); M.J. McAleer (Michael); H. Tong (Howell)

2015-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ Two of the fastest growing frontiers in econometrics and quantitative finance are time series and financial econometrics. Significant theoretical contributions to financial econometrics have been made by experts in statistics, econometrics, mathematics, and time

Frontiers in Time Series and Financial Econometrics: An Overview

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S. Ling (Shiqing); M.J. McAleer (Michael); H. Tong (Howell)

2015-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ Two of the fastest growing frontiers in econometrics and quantitative finance are time series and financial econometrics. Significant theoretical contributions to financial econometrics have been made by experts in statistics, econometrics, mathematics, and time

32 CFR 776.10 - Informal ethics advice.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Informal ethics advice. 776.10 Section 776.10... § 776.10 Informal ethics advice. (a) Advisors. Covered attorneys may seek informal ethics advice either... of Director, JA Division, HQMC; and (5) Head, Standards of Conduct/Government Ethics Branch...

Complex Analysis of Financial State and Performance of Construction Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Algirdas Krivka

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses the financial state and performance of large constructions enterprises by applying financial indicators. As there is no one single decisive financial indicator enabling to objectively assess enterprise performance, the multi-criteria decision making (MCDM methods are applied with four groups of financial ratios (profitability, liquidity, solvency and asset turnover acting as evaluation criteria, while the alternatives assessed are two enterprises compared throughout the reference period of three years, also with the average indicator values of the whole construction sector. The weights of the criteria have been estimated by involving competent experts with chi-square test employed to check the degree of agreement of expert estimates. The research methodology contributes to the issue of complex evaluation of enterprise financial state and performance, while the result of the multi-criteria assessment – the ranking of enterprises and sector average with respect to financial state and performance – could be considered worth attention from business owners, potential investors, customers or other possible stakeholders.

Advice dilemmas: Managing advice against the competing public ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Key to resolving this issue is an acknowledgement that, whether as counsellor or health adviser, persuasion and influence are central features of the VCT interaction. Clear practice guidelines and tools are required to assist counsellors to distinguish between advice, suggestion or mere confirmation of an intended client ...

Handbook of Student Financial Aid: Programs, Procedures, and Policies.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenske, Robert H.; And Others

The full range of topics relevant to student financial aid are covered in this book by a variety of experts in financial aid administration and scholarship. The volume details how to organize, implement and assess a financial aid program--including how to determine student need, deal with student bankruptcy and aid termination, and improve…

Development and feasibility of falls prevention advice.

Science.gov (United States)

van Harten-Krouwel, Diny; Schuurmans, Marieke; Emmelot-Vonk, Mariëlle; Pel-Littel, Ruth

2011-10-01

This study examined the feasibility of nursing falls prevention advice and factors influencing feasibility. The frequency and seriousness of falls in hospitalised patients are underestimated, and such falls should be preventable because of the presence of professionals. A best practice-based falls prevention advice was developed to decrease the incidence of secondary falls and the incidence of primary falls in the long term and to increase the knowledge of nurses about falls prevention and the seriousness of falls. A descriptive, explorative study. Feasibility of the advice for 30 patients was assessed 82 times (theoretically, three times per patient) by observation and by interviewing nurses, patients and their families. The falls prevention advice was used in 48% of the assessments. There was a difference in use between interventions. Interventions that required more knowledge, communication and extra activities were implemented the least. The absence of materials and knowledge about falls prevention were important determinants of the non-implementation of certain interventions. Before falls prevention advice is implemented, it is important to educate nurses about falls, communication skills and implementation of the advice. The falls prevention advice might help nurses to prevent falls and increase their knowledge about falls prevention. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Pragmatic dietary advice for diabetes during Navratris

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lovely Gupta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Navratri is one of the most common religious fasts observed among Hindus. A large number of people with diabetes follow Navratris fast irrespective of its health implications, often without proper education and medical advice. The quest for the scientific research on dietary advices for Hindu fasts including Navratris shows paucity of literature comparative to the dietary advices advocated during Ramadan. The eating and physical activity patterns during different fasts vary a lot depending up on social and cultural factors. Even eating pattern is not uniform among all persons following Navratris and is modified as per their region, local culture, and religious beliefs. Dietary advice during Navratris depends upon pattern of fasting, religious beliefs, and local sociocultural factors. In this review, efforts are made to provide pragmatic dietary advice for people with diabetes, modifications in the menus and cooking practices, and timings of the meals for successful blood glucose management during Navratris. This review will also help plan diet and physical activity advice for persons observing other fasts as well.

Expert System Dan Aplikasinya Dalam Auditing: Suatu Metode Mempelajari Pertimbangan Materialitas

OpenAIRE

Suryandari, Erni

2001-01-01

Expert system is an intellegence computer system that uses knowledge and inference procedures to solve quite a difficult problem which in unstructured in its nature. This purpose of this study is to discuss the benefit of expert system as an aid in decision making by auditors in auditing financial statement, especially when auditors are making audit planner. In making audit planner, expert system helps evaluate audit risk and judgment materiality. Judgment materiality planning will effect the...

Expert System dan Aplikasinya dalam Auditing: Suatu Metode Mempelajari Pertimbangan Materialitas

OpenAIRE

Erni Suryandari

2005-01-01

Expert system is an intellegence computer system that uses knowledge and inference procedures to solve quite a difficult problem which in unstructured in its nature. This purpose of this study is to discuss the benefit of expert system as an aid in decision making by auditors in auditing financial statement, especially when auditors are making audit planner. In making audit planner, expert system helps evaluate audit risk and judgment materiality. Judgment materiality planning will effect the...

Quantitative marketing research on behavior of the small and medium companies on financial advisory services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duguleana, L.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of quantitative marketing research conducted among small and medium enterprises in Braşov County. The research identified organizational elements of the consumer behavior in the use of the financial advisory services. The objective is to determine whether there is association between firm size and the number of financial advice services outsourced. Results of the study will be based construction of the price policy for financial advisory firms, tailored to the financial constraints faced by small and medium enterprises in Romania.

Chinese academic experts' assessment for forest bio-energy development in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qu Mei; Ahponen, Pirkkoliisa; Tahvanainen, Liisa; Pelkonen, Paavo

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the current situation of the forest bio-energy development in China. This assessment is based on opinions of Chinese academic experts. Key drivers and uncertainties regarding the implementation, and the strategies for the future practices in the development of forest bio-energy were investigated. In addition, the purpose of this study was also to determine whether there is a consensus among the experts concerning forest bio-energy and if this consensus agrees with policy-makers in China. A thorough assessment was conducted using a two-round Delphi survey of sixty-one bio-energy experts in China. The results revealed the advantages, potential problems, and the experts' recommendations for the future development. Furthermore, the experts agreed that the Chinese government plays a dominant role in the development process of forest bio-energy in the country. The experts recognized that the process of developing forest bio-energy is a challenging task both domestically and globally. At the same time they also highlighted the potential benefits of developing forest bio-energy in China during the next ten years. The outcomes of this study could be used to give advice to policy-makers and to support the implementation of the future forest bio-energy policies in China.

Agent-Based Simulation of Financial Markets: A Modular, Continuous-time Approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

K. Boer-Sorban (Katalin)

2008-01-01

textabstractThe dynamics of financial markets is subject of much debate among researchers and financial experts trying to understand and explain how financial markets work and traders behave. Diversified explanations result from the complexity of markets, and the hardly observable aspects of price

AN EXPERT SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING THE PRODUCTION OF PLEASURE BOATS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomasz GONCIARZ

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Expert systems can be defined as computer programs, whose main task is to simulate a human expert, usually in a narrow field of expertise. Possible applications of modern information technology are very extensive, ranging from medicine, geology and technology to applications in the field of economic and financial decision support. The purpose of this paper is to present the practical application of an expert system that supports the process of managing the production of yachts and has a high suitability for use in this application. Using the expert system described in the paper reduces the time during the design and production preparation process.

Use of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) in expert systems to advise nuclear plant operators and managers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uhrig, R.E.

1988-01-01

The use of expert systems in nuclear power plants to provide advice to managers, supervisors and/or operators is a concept that is rapidly gaining acceptance. Generally, expert systems rely on the expertise of human experts or knowledge that has been codified in publications, books, or regulations to provide advice under a wide variety of conditions. In this work, a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of a nuclear power plant performed previously is used to assess the safety status of nuclear power plants and to make recommendations to the plant personnel. Nuclear power plants have many redundant systems and can continue to operate when one or more of these systems is disabled or removed from service for maintenance or testing. PRAs provide a means of evaluating the risk to the public associated with the operation of nuclear power plants with components or systems out of service. While the choice of the source term and methodology in a PRA may influence the absolute probability and consequences of a core melt, the ratio of the PRA calculations for two configurations of the same plant, carried out on a consistent basis, can readily identify the increase in risk associated with going from one configuration to the other

Detecting Fraudulent Manipulation of Accounting Ratios in Financial ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Based on the findings of the study, forensic experts are expected to consider whether the information presented in the financial statements is relevant, reliable, ... It is also recommended that quality assessment report that would add credibility to financial information for users should therefore be included in the statutory ...

Public health financial management competencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Honoré, Peggy A; Costich, Julia F

2009-01-01

The absence of appropriate financial management competencies has impeded progress in advancing the field of public health finance. It also inhibits the ability to professionalize this sector of the workforce. Financial managers should play a critical role by providing information relevant to decision making. The lack of fundamental financial management knowledge and skills is a barrier to fulfilling this role. A national expert committee was convened to examine this issue. The committee reviewed standards related to financial and business management practices within public health and closely related areas. Alignments were made with national standards such as those established for government chief financial officers. On the basis of this analysis, a comprehensive set of public health financial management competencies was identified and examined further by a review panel. At a minimum, the competencies can be used to define job descriptions, assess job performance, identify critical gaps in financial analysis, create career paths, and design educational programs.

Expert's and proposals report on the legal and financial order relative to polluted sites and soils; Rapport d'expertise et de propositions sur le dispositif juridique et financier relatif aux sites et sols pollues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lubek, P [Ministere de l' Economie, des Finances et de l' Industrie, Direction Generale de L' Energie et des Matieres Premieres75 - Paris (France); Hugon, J P [Conseil general des Mines, 75 - Paris (France)

2000-04-01

An expert's mission has been assigned to the french General Council of the Mines and the Finances General Inspection, concerning the polluted sites and soils. The report includes two main parts: the established fact and the proposals. The established facts show the complexity of the situation where the polluted soils problem is so often carry back at the end of life of the enterprises. The problems and the handicaps are presented in the scope of the administrative procedures. The proposals, in the same scope, give actions and incite to change the legislative concepts, the laws and the government financial intervention. (A.L.B.)

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF PENSION FUNDS WITH FUZZY EXPERT SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SERDAR KORUKOĞLU

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Financial rating and ranking firms often use linguistic instead of numerical values. When input data are mostly qualitative and are based on subjective knowledge of experts, the Fuzzy Set Theory provides a solid mathematical model to represent and handle these data. The aim of this study is developing a fuzzy expert model to evaluate the performance of the pension funds by using their risk and return values. The method is used for evaluating the performance of the randomly selected of twenty seven Turkish pension funds. The obtained results proved that the fuzzy expert system is appropriate and consistent for performance evaluation.

The best advice I ever got.

Science.gov (United States)

Wademan, Daisy

2005-01-01

A young manager faces an impasse in his career. He goes to see his mentor at the company, who closes the office door, offers the young man a chair, recounts a few war stories, and serves up a few specific pointers about the problem at hand. Then, just as the young manager is getting up to leave, the elder executive adds one small kernel of avuncular wisdom--which the junior manager carries with him through the rest of his career. Such is the nature of business advice. Or is it? The six essays in this article suggest otherwise. Few of the leaders who tell their stories here got their best advice in stereotypical form, as an aphorism or a platitude. For Ogilvy & Mather chief Shelly Lazarus, profound insight came from a remark aimed at relieving the tension of the moment. For Novartis CEO Daniel Vasella, it was an apt comment, made on a snowy day, back when he was a medical resident. For publishing magnate Earl Graves and Starwood Hotels' Barry Sternlicht, advice they received about trust from early bosses took on ever deeper and more practical meaning as their careers progressed. For Goldman Sachs chairman Henry Paulson, Jr., it was as much his father's example as it was a specific piece of advice his father handed down to him. And fashion designer Liz Lange rejects the very notion that there's inherent wisdom in accepting other people's advice. As these stories demonstrate, people find wisdom when they least expect to, and they never really know what piece of advice will transcend the moment, profoundly affecting how they later make decisions, evaluate people, and examine--and reexamine--their own actions.

5 CFR 2635.107 - Ethics advice.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ethics advice. 2635.107 Section 2635.107 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS GOVERNMENT ETHICS STANDARDS OF ETHICAL CONDUCT FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH General Provisions § 2635.107 Ethics advice. (a) As required by §§ 2638.201...

Diagnosing battery behavior with an expert system in Prolog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirkwood, N.; Weeks, D.J.

1986-01-01

Power for the Hubble Space Telescope comes from a system of 20 solar panel assemblies (SPAs) and six nickel-cadmium batteries. The HST battery system is simulated by the HST Electrical Power System (EPS) testbed at Marshall Space Flight Center. The Nickel Cadmium Battery Expert System (NICBES) is being used to diagnose faults of the testbed system, evaluate battery status and provide decision support for the engineer. Extensive telemetry of system operating conditions is relayed through a DEC LSI-11, and sent on to an IBM PC-AT. A BASIC program running on the PC monitors the flow of data, figures cell divergence and recharge ratio and stores these values, along with other selected data, for use by the expert system. The expert system is implemented in the logic programming language Prolog. It has three modes of operation: fault diagnosis, status and advice, and decision support. An alert or failure of the system will trigger a diagnosis by the system to assist the operator. The operator can also request battery status information as well as a number of plots and histograms of recent battery behavior. Trends in EOC and EOD voltage, recharge ratio and divergence are used by the expert system in its analysis of battery status. A future enhancement to the system includes the statistical prediction of battery life. Incorporating learning into the expert system is another possible enhancement; This is a difficult task, but one which could promise great rewards in improved battery performance

Stepwise Advice Negotiation in Writing Center Peer Tutoring

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Innhwa

2014-01-01

While the delivery and reception of advice is a practice integral to a wide range of settings, little attention has been given to the detailed practices of advice resistance and how it leads to advice negotiation. Based on 7 hours of videotaped tutoring interactions among 6 tutors and 11 tutees, this conversation analytic study examines the…

The financial crisis and global health: the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) policy response.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruckert, Arne; Labonté, Ronald

2013-09-01

In this article, we interrogate the policy response of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to the global financial crisis, and discuss the likely global health implications, especially in low-income countries. In doing so, we ask if the IMF has meaningfully loosened its fiscal deficit targets in light of the economic challenges posed by the financial crisis and adjusted its macro-economic policy advice to this new reality; or has the rhetoric of counter-cyclical spending failed to translate into additional fiscal space for IMF loan-recipient countries, with negative health consequences? To answer these questions, we assess several post-crisis IMF lending agreements with countries requiring financial assistance, and draw upon recent academic studies and civil society reports examining policy conditionalities still being prescribed by the IMF. We also reference recent studies examining the health impacts of these conditionalities. We demonstrate that while the IMF has been somewhat more flexible in its crisis response than in previous episodes of financial upheaval, there has been no meaningful rethinking in the application of dominant neoliberal macro-economic policies. After showing some flexibility in the initial crisis response, the IMF is pushing for excessive contraction in most low and middle-income countries. We conclude that there remains a wide gap between the rhetoric and the reality of the IMF's policy and programming advice, with negative implications for global health.

Uncertainty: the Curate's egg in financial economics.

Science.gov (United States)

Pixley, Jocelyn

2014-06-01

Economic theories of uncertainty are unpopular with financial experts. As sociologists, we rightly refuse predictions, but the uncertainties of money are constantly sifted and turned into semi-denial by a financial economics set on somehow beating the future. Picking out 'bits' of the future as 'risk' and 'parts' as 'information' is attractive but socially dangerous, I argue, because money's promises are always uncertain. New studies of uncertainty are reversing sociology's neglect of the unavoidable inability to know the forces that will shape the financial future. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2014.

Expert systems development: some problems, motives and issues in an exploratory study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehdi Sagheb-Tehrani.

1993-10-01

Even though expert systems (ES) have been in use since the early eighties, there is a remarkable lack of a strong theoretical base for handling expert systems development problems. There is a requirement in the ES field for theories or explanatory models to formulate propositions, to conduct research and interpret findings in a coherent way. This work presents an exploratory investigation designed to identify some problems, motives and issues associated with developing expert systems. Totally, twenty-five expert systems were developed by various organizations which participated in the study. The study attempts to provide evidence that either supports or refutes the anecdotes, gossips and speculations currently being spread through the academic journals dealing with the expert systems development in organizations. This study provides evidence that knowledge acquisition is indeed the bottleneck of expert systems development. It also points out that most expert systems are still in the prototype stage, and that current expert systems are mostly used for aiding the decision making of less skilled domain personnel and to a lesser extent for advice to experts. The rationale behind these uses seems to be the search by organizations for better decision making in the hope of improving competitiveness. A conceptual model of expert systems development is introduced based upon theoretical studies and the findings of this study from which some hypotheses are drawn. The main objective of the model is to contribute to a larger theoretical framework. Another aim is to create a broader theoretical framework for expert systems development in order to implement such systems more successfully. The results of the study confirm that the linkages of various concepts involved in the expert systems development process are very important for the design of a successful expert system project

The Financial Audit of the Enterprise’s «Balance (Financial Status Report»: Organizational-Methodical Aspects and the Algorithmization Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nazarenko Inna М.

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The publication is aimed to provide scientific substantiation for the organizational-methodical aspects and the algorithmization of the financial audit process of the «Balance (financial status report». It has been proven that financial auditing through transformation has expanded the functional role of auditing. The author emphasizes that the financial audit of the «Balance (financial status report» should be directed to confirming the validity and consistency of showings in this form of financial reporting with the requirements of Ukrainian legislation, the internal regulations of the economic entities, and the expert assessment of the financial state. Financial auditing is also designed to diagnose solvency (financial sustainability, liquidity and business activity; to assess the threats of bankruptcy; to determine the worthiness and value of entrepreneur. An algorithm for financial auditing of the «Balance (financial status report» of enterprise has been developed, with organizational, research, and performance phases as constituent parts.

Communication about colorectal cancer screening in Britain: public preferences for an expert recommendation.

Science.gov (United States)

Waller, J; Macedo, A; von Wagner, C; Simon, A E; Jones, C; Hammersley, V; Weller, D; Wardle, J; Campbell, C

2012-12-04

Informed decision-making approaches to cancer screening emphasise the importance of decisions being determined by individuals' own values and preferences. However, advice from a trusted source may also contribute to autonomous decision-making. This study examined preferences regarding a recommendation from the NHS and information provision in the context of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. In face-to-face interviews, a population-based sample of adults across Britain (n=1964; age 50-80 years) indicated their preference between: (1) a strong recommendation to participate in CRC screening, (2) a recommendation alongside advice to make an individual decision, and (3) no recommendation but advice to make an individual decision. Other measures included trust in the NHS and preferences for information on benefits and risks. Most respondents (84%) preferred a recommendation (47% strong recommendation, 37% recommendation plus individual decision-making advice), but the majority also wanted full information on risks (77%) and benefits (78%). Men were more in favour of a recommendation than women (86% vs 81%). Trust in the NHS was high overall, but the minority who expressed low trust were less likely to want a recommendation. Most British adults want full information on risks and benefits of screening but they also want a recommendation from an authoritative source. An 'expert' view may be an important part of autonomous health decision-making.

Expert System dan Aplikasinya dalam Auditing: Suatu Metode Mempelajari Pertimbangan Materialitas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erni Suryandari

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Expert system is an intellegence computer system that uses knowledge and inference procedures to solve quite a difficult problem which in unstructured in its nature. This purpose of this study is to discuss the benefit of expert system as an aid in decision making by auditors in auditing financial statement, especially when auditors are making audit planner. In making audit planner, expert system helps evaluate audit risk and judgment materiality. Judgment materiality planning will effect the nature, time and the extent of audit procedure. In the future, expert system will be a challenge to the accounting profession in order to get the benefit from the coming technology to improve performance and reduce cost.

A Person-Centered Approach to Financial Capacity Assessment: Preliminary Development of a New Rating Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Lichtenberg, Peter A; Stoltman, Jonathan; Ficker, Lisa J; Iris, Madelyn; Mast, Benjamin

2015-01-01

Financial exploitation and financial capacity issues often overlap when a gerontologist assesses whether an older adult's financial decision is an autonomous, capable choice. Our goal is to describe a new conceptual model for assessing financial decisions using principles of person-centered approaches and to introduce a new instrument, the Lichtenberg Financial Decision Rating Scale (LFDRS). We created a conceptual model, convened meetings of experts from various disciplines to critique the model and provide input on content and structure, and select final items. We then videotaped administration of the LFDRS to five older adults and had 10 experts provide independent ratings. The LFDRS demonstrated good to excellent inter-rater agreement. The LFDRS is a new tool that allows gerontologists to systematically gather information about a specific financial decision and the decisional abilities in question.

Pre-diagnosis employment status and financial circumstances predict cancer-related financial stress and strain among breast and prostate cancer survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharp, Linda; Timmons, Aileen

2016-02-01

Cancer may have a significant financial impact on patients, but the characteristics that predispose patients to cancer-related financial hardship are poorly understood. We investigated factors associated with cancer-related financial stress and strain in breast and prostate cancer survivors in Ireland, which has a complex mixed public-private healthcare system. Postal questionnaires were distributed to 1373 people diagnosed with cancer 3-24 months previously identified from the National Cancer Registry Ireland. Outcomes were cancer-related financial stress (impact of cancer diagnosis on household ability to make ends meet) and financial strain (concerns about household financial situation since cancer diagnosis). Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate relative risks (RR) for factors associated with cancer-related financial stress and strain. Seven hundred forty survivors participated (response rate = 54 %). Of the respondents, 48 % reported cancer-related financial stress and 32 % cancer-related financial strain. Compared to those employed at diagnosis, risk of cancer-related financial stress was significantly lower in those not working (RR = 0.71, 95 % CI 0.58-0.86) or retired (RR = 0.48, 95 % CI 0.34-0.68). It was significantly higher in those who had dependents; experienced financial stress pre-diagnosis; had a mortgage/personal loans; had higher direct medical out-of-pocket costs; and had increased household bills post-diagnosis. For cancer-related financial strain, significant associations were found with dependents, pre-diagnosis employment status and pre-diagnosis financial stress; risk was lower in those with higher direct medical out-of-pocket costs. Cancer-related financial stress and strain are common. Pre-diagnosis employment status and financial circumstances are important predictors of post-diagnosis financial wellbeing. These findings could inform development of tools to identify patients/survivors most in need of financial

Energy economics and financial markets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dorsman, Andre [Vrije Univ. Amsterdam (Netherlands). Dept. of Finance; Simpson, John L. [Curtin Univ., Perth, WA (Australia). School of Economics and Finance; Westerman, Wim (eds.) [Groningen Univ. (Netherlands). Faculty of Economics and Business Economics, Econometrics and Finance

2013-10-01

Deals with the upcoming theme of energy issues. Links energy issues with economics and financial markets. Combines global focus with specific regional and local examples. Unites theoretical insights with timely data and practical insights. Specialized author team from all over the world. Energy issues feature frequently in the economic and financial press. Specific examples of topical energy issues come from around the globe and often concern economics and finance. The importance of energy production, consumption and trade raises fundamental economic issues that impact the global economy and financial markets. This volume presents research on energy economics and financial markets related to the themes of supply and demand, environmental impact and renewables, energy derivatives trading, and finance and energy. The contributions by experts in their fields take a global perspective, as well as presenting cases from various countries and continents.

Management of Information Security in Financial Accounting

OpenAIRE

Aurel Serb; Constantin Baron; Nicoleta Magdalena Iacob; Costinela-Luminita Defta

2014-01-01

Security issues in financial accounting are complex, and the risks are often difficult to stipulate, even for experts. The issues presented in this article try to be formed in a contribution to the consolidation of problems in the field of risk, and former vulnerabilities in cyber security in financial accounting. The use of an information security management system became a requirement for organizations because on the states began adopting mandatory data protection legislation and informatio...

Safety advice sheets

CERN Multimedia

HSE Unit

2013-01-01

You never know when you might be faced with questions such as: when/how should I dispose of a gas canister? Where can I find an inspection report? How should I handle/store/dispose of a chemical substance…?   The SI section of the DGS/SEE Group is primarily responsible for safety inspections, evaluating the safety conditions of equipment items, premises and facilities. On top of this core task, it also regularly issues “Safety Advice Sheets” on various topics, designed to be of assistance to users but also to recall and reinforce safety rules and procedures. These clear and concise sheets, complete with illustrations, are easy to display in the appropriate areas. The following safety advice sheets have been issued so far: Other sheets will be published shortly. Suggestions are welcome and should be sent to the SI section of the DGS/SEE Group. Please send enquiries to general-safety-visits.service@cern.ch.

Content and Style of Advice in Iran and Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Tavakoli, Mahin

2013-01-01

The content and nature of nonprofessional advice in Iran, a hierarchical and collectivist culture, was compared to the same type of advice in Canada, an egalitarian and individualist culture. A researcher developed a questionnaire that consisted of 10 letters, each describing a writer's problem and asking for advice. The responses of participants…

[Implementation of preventive measures recommended by the federal public health office and acceptance of advice by managers of commercial solaria--studies by the public health office of the Ammerland district].

Science.gov (United States)

Dahmen, H G

1990-06-01

Commercial solaria are not always up to the standards that would be desirable from a Public Health point of view in respect of protection of users against health hazards of exposure to UV radiation, and also with regard to supervision, qualified personal advice given to users by the staff, and qualification of the staff members to give such advice. Hygiene is definitely also a problem, as is evident from bacteriological swabs made from tanning beds. However, the talks conducted by a local Public Health board in Lower Saxony (North Germany) revealed considerable open-mindedness on the part of the entrepreneurs who were quite willing to follow expert health advice and to display a poster with recommendations regarding protective measures. This was combined with a questioning procedure that has proved successful with the proprietors.

Distributed Web-Based Expert System for Launch Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Bardina, Jorge E.; Thirumalainambi, Rajkumar

2005-01-01

The simulation and modeling of launch operations is based on a representation of the organization of the operations suitable to experiment of the physical, procedural, software, hardware and psychological aspects of space flight operations. The virtual test bed consists of a weather expert system to advice on the effect of weather to the launch operations. It also simulates toxic gas dispersion model, and the risk impact on human health. Since all modeling and simulation is based on the internet, it could reduce the cost of operations of launch and range safety by conducting extensive research before a particular launch. Each model has an independent decision making module to derive the best decision for launch.

ADVICE--Educational System for Teaching Database Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Cvetanovic, M.; Radivojevic, Z.; Blagojevic, V.; Bojovic, M.

2011-01-01

This paper presents a Web-based educational system, ADVICE, that helps students to bridge the gap between database management system (DBMS) theory and practice. The usage of ADVICE is presented through a set of laboratory exercises developed to teach students conceptual and logical modeling, SQL, formal query languages, and normalization. While…

An abnormal event advisory expert system prototype for reactor operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hance, D.C.

1989-01-01

Nuclear plant operators must respond correctly during abnormal conditions in the presence of dynamic and potentially overwhelming volumes of information. For this reason, considerable effort has been directed toward the development of nuclear plant operator aids using artificial intelligence techniques. The objective of such systems is to diagnose abnormal conditions within the plant, possibly predict consequences, and advise the operators of corrective actions in a timely manner. The objective of the work is the development of a prototype expert system to diagnose abnormal events at a nuclear power plant and advise plant operators of the event and applicable procedures in an on-line mode. The major difference between this effort and previous work is the use of plant operating procedures as a knowledge source and as an integral part of the advice provided by the expert system. The acceptance by utilities of expert systems as operator aids requires that such systems be compatible with the regulatory environment and provide economic benefits. For this reason, commercially viable operator aid systems developed in the near future must complement existing plant procedures rather than reach beyond them in a revolutionary manner. A knowledge source is the resource providing facts and relationships that are coded into the expert system program. In this case, the primary source of knowledge is a set of selected abnormal operating procedures for a modern Westinghouse pressurized water reactor

Expert advice on buying energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henderson, J.

1997-01-01

With the continuing deregulation of the UK utilities market, two regional brewers, Adnams and St Austell Breweries, have, since 1995, used an outsource energy consultant, ECM Partnership, to provide expertise on electricity and gas purchasing. Jon Henderson of ECM outlines the savings that have been made. (Author)

19 CFR 111.39 - Advice to client.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Advice to client. 111.39 Section 111.39 Customs... CUSTOMS BROKERS Duties and Responsibilities of Customs Brokers § 111.39 Advice to client. (a) Withheld or false information. A broker must not withhold information relative to any customs business from a client...

A Knowledge-Based Consultant for Financial Marketing

OpenAIRE

Kastner, John; Apte, Chidanand; Griesmer, James

1986-01-01

This article describes an effort to develop a knowledge-based financial marketing consultant system. Financial marketing is an excellent vehicle for both research and application in artificial intelligence (AI). This domain differs from the great majority of previous expert system domains in that there are no well-defined answers (in traditional sense); the goal here is to obtain satisfactory arguments to support the conclusions made. A large OPS5-based system was implemented as an initial pr...

Advice Complexity of the Online Search Problem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clemente, Jhoirene; Hromkovič, Juraj; Komm, Dennis

2016-01-01

the minimum amount of information needed in order to achieve a certain competitive ratio. We design an algorithm that reads $b$ bits of advice and achieves a competitive ratio of (M/m)^{1/(2^b+1)} where M and m are the maximum and minimum price in the input. We also give a matching lower bound. Furthermore......The online search problem is a fundamental problem in finance. The numerous direct applications include searching for optimal prices for commodity trading and trading foreign currencies. In this paper, we analyze the advice complexity of this problem. In particular, we are interested in identifying......, we compare the power of advice and randomization for this problem....

GYNOTEL: telephone advice to gynaecological surgical patients after discharge.

Science.gov (United States)

Caljouw, Monique A A; Hogendorf-Burgers, Marja E H J

2010-12-01

To investigate in surgical gynaecological patients the types of health problems arising or persisting up to six weeks after discharge and the effectiveness of telephone advice. The decreasing length of hospital stay has increased the need for specific instructions about the postdischarge period. Telephone advice could be a valuable tool to address this problem. To our knowledge, postdischarge health problems and the value of telephone advice have not been investigated among gynaecological patients. Randomised controlled trial. Gynaecological patients expected to stay in the ward longer than 24 hour were invited to participate. A pilot study showed that wound healing, pain, mobility, urination, defecation and vaginal bleeding were the most common health problems postdischarge. Based on that information, guidelines were formulated that were used by trained nurses to give telephone advice to the intervention group (n=235), in addition to the usual care. The control group of gynaecological patients (n=233) received usual care only. Of all 468 participants, about 50% were operated for general gynaecology. At discharge, wound pain (56%), mobility problems (54%) and constipation (27%) were the most frequently mentioned problems in both groups. Participants who completely followed the advice with regard to wound healing (p=0.02), pain (p=0.01), vaginal bleeding (p=0.03) and mobility (p=0.04) experienced greater improvement than participants who did not follow, or only partly followed, the advice. The telephone advice appears to make a significant contribution to help gynaecological surgical patients to solve or reduce their postdischarge health problems. The positive effect of such advice can be interpreted as an improvement in the quality of life of the postoperative gynaecological patient. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Professional Skills in International Financial Surveillance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seabrooke, Leonard; Nilsson, Emelie Rebecca

2015-01-01

In 2006, the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) lauded Iceland's capacity to “withstand extreme, but plausible, shocks,” which was clearly an error in judgment. After the international financial crisis hit, IMF officials bemoaned the lack of professional...... use an Optimal Matching analysis of work roles in career histories to identify differences in policy teams and external experts' attributes. The article also draws on interviews with FSAP team members from 2008 to 2013. We demonstrate that changes in professional skills and team composition...

Expert's and proposals report on the legal and financial order relative to polluted sites and soils; Rapport d'expertise et de propositions sur le dispositif juridique et financier relatif aux sites et sols pollues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lubek, P. [Ministere de l' Economie, des Finances et de l' Industrie, Direction Generale de L' Energie et des Matieres Premieres75 - Paris (France); Hugon, J.P. [Conseil general des Mines, 75 - Paris (France)

2000-04-01

An expert's mission has been assigned to the french General Council of the Mines and the Finances General Inspection, concerning the polluted sites and soils. The report includes two main parts: the established fact and the proposals. The established facts show the complexity of the situation where the polluted soils problem is so often carry back at the end of life of the enterprises. The problems and the handicaps are presented in the scope of the administrative procedures. The proposals, in the same scope, give actions and incite to change the legislative concepts, the laws and the government financial intervention. (A.L.B.)

Achieving Appropriate Gestational Weight Gain: The Role of Healthcare Provider Advice.

Science.gov (United States)

Deputy, Nicholas P; Sharma, Andrea J; Kim, Shin Y; Olson, Christine K

2018-01-10

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) revised gestational weight gain recommendations in 2009. We examined associations between healthcare provider advice about gestational weight gain and inadequate or excessive weight gain, stratified by prepregnancy body mass index category. We analyzed cross-sectional data from women delivering full-term (37-42 weeks of gestation), singleton infants from four states that participated in the 2010-2011 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (unweighted n = 7125). Women reported the weight gain range (start and end values) advised by their healthcare provider; advice was categorized as follows: starting below recommendations, starting and ending within recommendations (IOM consistent), ending above recommendations, not remembered, or not received. We examined associations between healthcare provider advice and inadequate or excessive, compared with appropriate, gestational weight gain using adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Overall, 26.3% of women reported receiving IOM-consistent healthcare provider advice; 26.0% received no advice. Compared with IOM-consistent advice, advice below recommendations was associated with higher likelihood of inadequate weight gain among underweight (aPR 2.22, CI 1.29-3.82) and normal weight women (aPR 1.57, CI 1.23-2.02); advice above recommendations was associated with higher likelihood of excessive weight gain among all but underweight women (aPR range 1.36, CI 1.08-1.72 to aPR 1.42, CI 1.19-1.71). Not remembering or not receiving advice was associated with both inadequate and excessive weight gain. Few women reported receiving IOM-consistent advice; not receiving IOM-consistent advice put women at-risk for weight gain outside recommendations. Strategies that raise awareness of IOM recommendations and address barriers to providing advice are needed.

Determining clinical practice of expert physiotherapy for patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion: a cross-sectional survey study.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Esther R C; Scheijen, Elle E M; van Meeteren, Nico L U; de Bie, Rob A; Lenssen, Anton F; Willems, Paul C; Hoogeboom, Thomas J

2016-05-01

To determine the content of current Dutch expert hospital physiotherapy practice for patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion (LSF), to gain insight into expert-based clinical practice. At each hospital where LSF is performed, one expert physiotherapist received an e-mailed questionnaire, about pre- and postoperative physiotherapy and discharge after LSF. The level of uniformity in goals and interventions was graded on a scale from no uniformity (50-60 %) to very strong uniformity (91-100 %). LSF was performed at 34 of the 67 contacted hospitals. From those 34 hospitals, 28 (82 %) expert physiotherapists completed the survey. Twenty-one percent of the respondents saw patients preoperatively, generally to provide information. Stated postoperative goals and administered interventions focused mainly on performing transfers safely and keeping the patient informed. Outcome measures were scarcely used. There was no uniformity regarding advice on the activities of daily living. Dutch perioperative expert physiotherapy for patients undergoing LSF is variable and lacks structural outcome assessment. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of best-practice physiotherapy are warranted.

Reciprocity as a Foundation of Financial Economics.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Timothy C

This paper argues that the subsistence of the fundamental theorem of contemporary financial mathematics is the ethical concept 'reciprocity'. The argument is based on identifying an equivalence between the contemporary, and ostensibly 'value neutral', Fundamental Theory of Asset Pricing with theories of mathematical probability that emerged in the seventeenth century in the context of the ethical assessment of commercial contracts in a framework of Aristotelian ethics. This observation, the main claim of the paper, is justified on the basis of results from the Ultimatum Game and is analysed within a framework of Pragmatic philosophy. The analysis leads to the explanatory hypothesis that markets are centres of communicative action with reciprocity as a rule of discourse. The purpose of the paper is to reorientate financial economics to emphasise the objectives of cooperation and social cohesion and to this end, we offer specific policy advice.

No Effect of Writing Advice on Reading Comprehension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Balling, Laura Winther

2018-01-01

This article considers text comprehension through the integrated perspectives of language processing research and practical writing advice as expressed in writing guides and language policies. Such guides for instance include advice to use active constructions instead of passives and sentences...

Experts and equipment: The IAEA programme in 1965

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1965-01-01

Nearly 100 projects are being assisted by Agency experts and equipment in 38 countries under the 1965 programme to be financed from Agency funds, which the Board of Governors approved at its meeting in February, together with four other countries where projects previously approved extend into 1965. In addition, further work is being financed under the UN Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance, including several important regional projects. Under the Agency's long-term programme, it is desirable that all types of technical assistance, whether training, research, or expert advice, should be combined as far as possible. Each country will therefore be asked, in respect of its 1966 programme, to make its requests for experts, equipment, fellowships, scientific visits and research grants as a single submission. The Agency then prepares a country programme of technical assistance, in collaboration with the Government. The number of requests for experts and equipment continues to grow year by year, and it has not been possible to finance them all. This increase is largely because a number of Member States have now set up research reactors and established a nucleus of laboratories under bilateral arrangements; they then turn to the Agency for assistance in developing their programmes. The estimated cost of experts and equipment being provided from Agency resources is $874 000 in 1965, of which $596 800 is for experts, and $277 200 is for equipment and supplies. The Agency also assists some Member States in making arrangements to receive technical assistance directly from other Member States. The work covers a wide range, with isotopes predominating; about 30 projects deal with production of isotopes, their applications in medicine, agriculture and hydrology, in food preservation and industry. A number of projects are concerned with various aspects of reactor construction and use; others deal with health and safety, instrumentation, special branches of chemistry and

The risks associated with consumer magazines giving advice on complementary therapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Mantle, Fiona

The increased popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has led to increased demand for information on it, giving rise to the concept of "new experts". However, there is concern about the quality and accuracy of this information, much of which is published in popular magazines and written by contributors with no medical qualifications. To examine the extent of CAM product advice in women's and health magazines, and the potential for adverse drug/herbal interaction. Fifteen women's magazines were examined over one month. A total of 150 articles were identified, of which 131 were written by non-medically qualified contributors, mainly journalists. Out of the 150, 95 discussed ingested herbs which had the potential for adverse interactions and are contraindicated for certain groups. The findings have legal and ethical implications. The re-evaluation of the journalists' code of conduct to reflect this development in journalism should be considered.

No Effect of Writing Advice on Reading Comprehension

Science.gov (United States)

Balling, Laura Winther

2018-01-01

This article considers text comprehension through the integrated perspectives of language processing research and practical writing advice as expressed in writing guides and language policies. Such guides for instance include advice to use active constructions instead of passives and sentences instead of nominalizations. These recommended and…

Uneconomical tops of renewable electricity options. Advice with regard to the determination of the MEP subsidies for the period July up to and including December 2006 and 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Sambeek, E.J.W.; De Vries, H.; Cleijne, J.W.; Pfeiffer, E.A.

2004-11-01

On assignment of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs ECN and KEMA investigated the financial gaps of renewable electricity production technologies. These form the basis for determining the level of the MEP-subsidies (subsidy for the environmental quality of power generation) for different renewable electricity sources and technologies by the Ministry. This report contains an advice on the financial gaps that are to be used for determining the subsidy levels. The calculation of the financial gaps is based on an earlier report on the inputs for the calculations and on the subsequent stakeholder consultation with respect to these inputs. A detailed description is given of the assumptions, calculations and stakeholder inputs underlying the financial gaps for the establishment of the MEP-subsidies for new projects starting from July 2006 till December 2007 [nl

The traditional food of migrants: Meat, water, and other challenges for dietary advice. An ethnography in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith-Morris, Carolyn

2016-10-01

The term "traditional diet" is used variously in public health and nutrition literature to refer to a substantial variety of foodways. Yet it is difficult to draw generalities about dietary tradition for specific ethnic groups. Given the strong association between migration and dietary change, it is particularly important that dietary advice for migrants be both accurate and specific. In this article, I examine the cultural construct of "traditional foods" through mixed method research on diet and foodways among rural farmers in Guanajuato, MX and migrants from this community to other Mexican and U.S. destinations. Findings reveal first, that quantitatively salient terms may contain important variation, and second, that some "traditional" dietary items -like "refresco," "carne," and "agua" - may be used in nutritionally contradictory ways between clinicians and Mexican immigrant patients. Specifically, the term "traditional food" in nutritional advice for Mexican migrants may be intended to promote consumption of fresh produce or less meat; but it may also invoke other foods (e.g., meats or corn), inspire more regular consumption of formerly rare foods (e.g., meats, flavored waters), or set up financially impossible goals (e.g., leaner meats than can be afforded). Salience studies with ethnographic follow up in target populations can promote the most useful and accurate terms for dietary advice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experts' perspective on the performance of Chinese technical guidelines for Plan Environmental Impact Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Jia; Sun Sun; Bao Cunkuan; Chen Fan; Jiang Dahe

2011-01-01

This research was to evaluate the Technical Guideline (HJ/T130-2003) effectiveness based on data resource from a questionnaire survey and interviews on EIA experts. The result demonstrated that the guideline served mainly as a quality control measure for PEIA products, and only a small proportion of experts considered it effective due to its inconsistency with the newly released Chinese PEIA Regulation (2009) and poor practicability. Current status of SEA implementation in China was also studied in terms of application fields, effectiveness evaluation, and major issues to affect SEA, to conclude that SEA implementation in China is premature, and with limited effectiveness. The major problem was the lack of effective methodologies and technical tools. Recommendations for revising the PEIA Guideline and advices to improving SEA implementation in China were accordingly proposed.

THE BOTS EXPERTS BASED ON THE PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE CREATION INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Володимир Олександрович ТІМОФЄЄВ

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Now the world web answers the questions "who?", "what?", "where?" and "when?" fast and completely. But not the question "how?", especially "how to settle emergency situation?” (which refers to procedural knowledge usually, private user’s advice from various forums is employed as the response. And this is despite the real boom of bots - programs that mimic human action through the Internet interfaces and of the so-called chatbots, that are the programs to provide answers within individual sites. The differences in knowledge representation forms make it impossible to use existing chatbot creation information technologies for dissemination the procedural knowledge in the bot-experts form via Internet. For the problem solution, the original information technology is offered. The article is addressed to IT-specialists, experts in various areas and to heads of the enterprises to use for creating the Internet consulting business or to solve organizational problems in an existing business.

Liquidity, banking and financial crises / B. de Waal

OpenAIRE

De Waal, B

2013-01-01

Some financial experts have blamed deficiencies in Basel II capital regulation for the exacerbation of financial crises in 2007 to 2012. In response to this, new proposals in the form of Basel III attempt to raise the quality, consistency and transparency of the regulatory capital base in order to enhance the risk coverage of Basel II via appropriate ratios. In this article, the authors explore how the new Basel liquidity standards, as encapsulated by the liquid coverage ratio ...

Flagging Economy Propels Financial Education

Science.gov (United States)

Manzo, Kathleen Kennedy

2008-01-01

On the same day President Bush signed a $150 billion economic-stimulus package in an attempt to head off a recession and offset a crisis in the home-mortgage market, a group of financial experts and educators met a few blocks from the White House to craft a plan for better preparing Americans, young and old, to manage their money. Financial…

Advice-giving in the English lingua franca classroom

African Journals Online (AJOL)

important pragmatic differences between the ways in which advice is given by native speakers and ... gender differences and that teacher modeling may have an effect on which available form of advice-giving a ... nation wishes to participate in global enterprises such as international finance, multi-national corporations, and ...

A phenomenologic investigation of pediatric residents' experiences being parented and giving parenting advice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bax, A C; Shawler, P M; Blackmon, D L; DeGrace, E W; Wolraich, M L

2016-09-01

Factors surrounding pediatricians' parenting advice and training on parenting during residency have not been well studied. The primary purpose of this study was to examine pediatric residents' self-reported experiences giving parenting advice and explore the relationship between parenting advice given and types of parenting residents received as children. Thirteen OUHSC pediatric residents were individually interviewed to examine experiences being parented and giving parenting advice. Phenomenological methods were used to explicate themes and secondary analyses explored relationships of findings based upon Baumrind's parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive). While childhood experiences were not specifically correlated to the parenting advice style of pediatric residents interviewed, virtually all reported relying upon childhood experiences to generate their advice. Those describing authoritative parents reported giving more authoritative advice while others reported more variable advice. Core interview themes related to residents' parenting advice included anxiety about not being a parent, varying advice based on families' needs, and emphasis of positive interactions and consistency. Themes related to how residents were parented included discipline being a learning process for their parents and recalling that their parents always had expectations, yet always loved them. Pediatric residents interviewed reported giving family centered parenting advice with elements of positive interactions and consistency, but interviews highlighted many areas of apprehension residents have around giving parenting advice. Our study suggests that pediatric residents may benefit from more general educational opportunities to develop the content of their parenting advice, including reflecting on any impact from their own upbringing.

From single-species advice to mixed-species management: taking the next step

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinther, Morten; Reeves, S.A.; Patterson, K.R.

2004-01-01

Fishery management advice has traditionally been given on a stock-by-stock basis. Recent problems in implementing this advice, particularly for the demersal fisheries of the North Sea, have highlighted the limitations of the approach. In the long term, it would be desirable to give advice...... that accounts for mixed-fishery effects, but in the short term there is a need for approaches to resolve the conflicting management advice for different species within the same fishery, and to generate catch or effort advice that accounts for the mixed-species nature of the fishery. This paper documents...... a recent approach used to address these problems. The approach takes the single-species advice for each species in the fishery as a starting point, then attempts to resolve it into consistent catch or effort advice using fleet-disaggregated catch forecasts in combination with explicitly stated management...

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BANKING FINANCIAL EDUCATION COMPONENT IN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucian-Ion MEDAR

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Economy and civil society has gone through an unprecedented financial crisis determined by an acute shortage of financial education among the large community of individuals and legal persons. Thus, the low level of economic and financial knowledge from society contributed to the amplification of economic crisis. In 2008, in the midst of financial crisis in the European Union was created Expert Group on Financial Education (EGFE, aimed at supporting a new financial education order. Breaking the vicious circle of banks debt and sovereign one, improvement of supervision European banking system, solving the financial problems of some banks through the mechanism of bank resolution, without recourse to public resources, strengthening the trust of potential customers in the financial market, in the first process of finalizing the Union European banking, can be achieved and by a new order of financial education

Practitioner Profile: An Interview with Marcee Yager, CFP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcee Yager

2012-12-01

Full Text Available

Marcee Yager is a nationally-recognized expert in and one of the pioneers of integral planning, often called “life planning.” Integral planning combines financial analysis and advice with counseling regarding life decisions. A certified mediator and a practicing spiritual director, Marcee has been an investment advisor since 1984 and a CFP® (Certified Financial Planner licensee since 1988. She was a participant in the initial Financial Therapy Forum and a founding member of the Financial Therapy Association. She has an extensive background in finance, strategic planning, and coaching. Her passion is enabling people to recognize the influences that affect their approach to making decisions.

Deep Time Iterations: Familiarity, Horizons, and Pattern among Finland's Nuclear Waste Safety Experts

Science.gov (United States)

Ialenti, Vincent Francis

This ethnography reconsiders nuclear waste risk's deep time horizons' often-sensationalized aesthetics of horror, sublimity, and awe. It does so by tracking how Finland's nuclear energy and waste experts made visions of distant future Finlands appear more intelligible through mundane corporate, regulatory, financial, and technoscientific practices. Each chapter unpacks how informants iterated and reiterated traces of the very familiar to establish shared grounds of continuity for moving forward in time. Chapter 1 explores how Finland's energy sector's "mankala" cooperative corporate form was iterated and reiterated to give shape to political and financial time horizons. Chapter 2 explores how workplace role distinctions between recruit/retiree and junior/senior were iterated and reiterated to reckon nuclear personnel successions' intergenerational horizons. Chapter 3 explores how input/output and part/whole distinctions were iterated and reiterated to help model distant future worlds in a portfolio of "Safety Case" evidence made to demonstrate the Olkiluoto repository's safety to Finnish nuclear regulator STUK. Chapter 4 explores how Safety Case experts iterated and reiterated memories of a deceased predecessor figure in everyday engagements with deep time. What emerges are three insights about how futures attain discernible features--insights about the "continuity," "thinkability," and "extensibility" of expert thought--that, I argue, can help twenty-first century experts better navigate not only deep time, but also unknown futures of nuclear technologies, planetary environment, and expertise itself.

Usage of Data Mining at Financial Decision Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Levent BORAN

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The knowledge age requires controlling every kind of information. Recognition of patterns in data may provide previously unknown and useful information that can provide competitive advantages. If related techniques are applied on financial statements, it is possible to acquire valuable information about companies’ financial situations. It is considered that data mining could be an alternative of common financial analysis techniques such as vertical analysis, horizontal analysis, trend analysis and ratio analysis. Against existing financial analysis methods, data mining provides some advantages, which are ability of manipulation of huge data and competence of obtaining previously unknown information. There exist two major constraints of data mining implementation that are lack of experts on both data mining and related domains and cost of computer software and hardware used.

The Expert System Application For Inspection Of The Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Josowidagdo, L.

1997-01-01

This paper describes the application of expert system to evaluate and consider the problem encountered in this fields are complex and time consuming. As as example several factors affecting system voltage selections are load magnitude, distance from the main power supply, safety, standards, cost of utilization and service system equipment, and future load growth. The inspection deal with interactions between alternatives, uncertainties, and important non financial parameter. Several complex problems are multiple objective functions, multiple constraints, complex system interactions, the need for accuracy, the need for trade off, optimization, and coordination of the decision making process. ASDEP is one of the expert system for electric power plant design that describe the application of the artificial intelligence to design of a power plan's electrical auxiliary system. In this circumstance this paper will elaborate another aspect for using the expert system in the inspection

Expert Systems: What Is an Expert System?

Science.gov (United States)

Duval, Beverly K.; Main, Linda

1994-01-01

Describes expert systems and discusses their use in libraries. Highlights include parts of an expert system; expert system shells; an example of how to build an expert system; a bibliography of 34 sources of information on expert systems in libraries; and a list of 10 expert system shells used in libraries. (Contains five references.) (LRW)

Analysis and design of advice

CERN Document Server

Jureta, Ivan

2011-01-01

This innovative book offers a rigorous approach to the analysis and design of advice in real-world decision situations, in which the advisor must manage with variously imprecise, unclear, incomplete or conflicting qualitative information.

The design, purpose, and effects of voting advice applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rosema, Martin; Anderson, Joel; Walgrave, Stefaan

2014-01-01

In recent electoral politics, one of the most striking internet-related developments is the increasingly widespread use of Voting Advice Applications (VAAs). In this introduction to the symposium devoted to analysing the design, purpose, and effects of voting advice applications, we briefly discuss

Advice relative to the examination of the 'clay 2005 file'; Avis relatif a l'examen du 'dossier 2005 argile'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-12-15

On request of the general director of the French nuclear safety and radiation protection institute (IRSN), the permanent group of experts for long duration waste disposal facilities has examined the 'clay 2005 file' made by the ANDRA and which aims at demonstrating the feasibility of a disposal facility for high level and long living rad-wastes in the argillite formation of the Bure site. The group of experts has examined in particular the critical safety aspects of such a facility and the identification and consideration of uncertainties by the ANDRA in its safety analysis. It has also identified the main additional research works that may be carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of an industrial implementation of a safe disposal facility in the same Callovo-Oxfordian argilite formation. This document is the favourable advice and the recommendations expressed by the group of experts after examination of the ANDRA's 'clay 2005 file'. (J.S.)

SOME ASPECTS OF METHODOLOGICAL BASIS OF BANK’S FINANCIAL SECURITY MODELING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Vasylchenko

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Developed methodical approaches for assessing financial safety of bank. Proposed by authors theoretical concept of integral bank’s financial security index has in its basis indicators of capital sufficiency, capital growth, liquidity and return on assets. Bringing together all the mentioned values is appropriate to do using the reliability function. As an input data for setting this function serve expert evaluations regarding the stability of the object that is under consideration. It was found out, that typically system of expert evaluations has couple of features (advantages, which don’t exclude and also don’t complement each other. These features authors consider by separating them as compensational, non-compensational and partly compensational advantages. It was proved, that in banking it is extremely important itself the realistic setup of the ratio between partial and integral indicators, which are partly inherent to-compensational advantage. Proved that the developed approaches for assessing strategic decisions on financial safety of bank are based on three-level index system: bank’s primary accounting figures; aggregate of special generalized figures which consolidate information on management decisions made in bank to the most possible extent; integral indices of financial safety of bank.

5 CFR 1304.4607 - Advice to former Government employees.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Advice to former Government employees. 1304.4607 Section 1304.4607 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES POST EMPLOYMENT CONFLICT OF INTEREST § 1304.4607 Advice to former Government employees. The Office...

The IAEA Response and Assistance Network (RANET) and the New Nuclear Installation Assessment and Advice Functional Area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kenny, P.; Chaput, J., E-mail: P.Kenny@iaea.org [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, Wagramer Strasse 5, P.O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna (Austria)

2014-10-15

Full text: The Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the global focal point for international preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological safety or security related incidents, emergencies, threats or events of media interest. The Convention on Assistance in Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (Assistance Convention) and the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (Early Notification Convention) are the prime legal instruments that establish an international framework to facilitate the exchange of information and the prompt provision of assistance in the event of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency. They place specific obligations on the Parties and the IAEA, with the aim of minimizing consequences for health, property and the environment. Parties to the Assistance Convention have agreed to cooperate with each other and with the IAEA to facilitate prompt provision of assistance in case of a nuclear or radiological emergency, in order to mitigate its consequences. As part of the IAEA’s strategy for supporting practical implementation of the Assistance Convention and in order to coordinate a global response, the IEC manages the IAEA’s Response and Assistance Network (RANET). RANET aims to facilitate assistance in case of a nuclear or radiological incident or emergency in a timely and effective manner on a regional basis. States Parties shall, within the limits of their capabilities, identify and notify the Agency of experts, equipment and materials which could be made available for the provision of assistance and register these capabilities in RANET. These capabilities are registered in eight difference Functional Areas which are grouped by the type of assistance that could be provided. Experience gained from past emergencies and based on feedback and direction clearly received from Member States under the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety resulted in the

The implementation of ergonomics advice and the stage of change approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothmore, Paul; Aylward, Paul; Karnon, Jonathan

2015-11-01

This paper investigates the implementation of injury prevention advice tailored according to the Stage of Change (SOC) approach. The managers of 25 workgroups, drawn from medium to large companies across a wide range of occupational sectors were allocated to receive either standard ergonomics advice or ergonomics advice tailored according to the workgroup SOC. Twelve months after the advice was provided, semi-structured interviews were conducted with each manager. In a multivariate model, managers who had received tailored advice were found to have implemented significantly more of the recommended changes (IRR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.07-2.63) and more "additional" changes (IRR = 1.90, 95% CI 1.12-3.20). Qualitative analysis identified that the key barriers and facilitators to the implementation of changes were largely related to worker resistance to change and the attitudes of senior managers towards health and safety. The findings from this study suggest that the implementation of ergonomics recommendations may be improved by the tailoring of advice according to SOC principles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

On Advice Complexity of the k-server Problem under Sparse Metrics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gupta, S.; Kamali, S.; López-Ortiz, A.

2013-01-01

O (n(log μ +log logN)) bits of advice. Among other results, this gives a 3-competitive algorithm for planar graphs, provided with O (n log log N) bits of advice. On the other side, we show that an advice of size Ω (n) is required to obtain a 1-competitive algorithm for sequences of size n even......We consider the k-Server problem under the advice model of computation when the underlying metric space is sparse. On one side, we introduce Θ (1)-competitive algorithms for a wide range of sparse graphs, which require advice of (almost) linear size. Namely, we show that for graphs of size N...... and treewidth α, there is an online algorithm which receives O (n(log α +log log N))1 bits of advice and optimally serves a sequence of length n. With a different argument, we show that if a graph admits a system of μ collective tree (q, r)- spanners, then there is a (q + r)-competitive algorithm which receives...

A fault diagnosis and operation advising cooperative expert system based on multi-agent technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, W.; Bai, X.; Ding, J.; Fang, Z.; Li, Z. [China Electric Power Research Inst., Haidian District, Beijing (China)

2006-07-01

Power systems are becoming more and more complex. In addition, the amount of real-time alarm messages from the supervisory control and data acquisition, energy management systems and wide area measurement systems about switchgear and protection are also increasing to a point far beyond the operator's capacity to digest the information. Research and development of a fault diagnosis system is necessary for the timely identification of fault or malfunctioning devices and for realizing the automation functions of dynamic supervisory control system. The prevailing fault diagnosis approaches in power systems include the expert system, artificial neural network, and fault diagnosis based on optimal theory. This paper discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each of these approaches for diagnosing faults. The paper also proposed a new fault diagnosis and operational processing approach based on a cooperative expert system combined with a multi-agent architecture. For solving complex and correlative faults, the cooperative expert system can overcome the deficiency of a single expert system. It can be used not only for diagnosing complex faults in real time but also in providing timely operational advice. The proposed system has been used successfully in a district power grid in China's Shangdong province for a year. 9 refs., 4 figs.

Financial aspects of decommissioning. Report by an expert group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-11-01

Estimating decommissioning costs and collecting funds for eventual decommissioning of facilities that have used radioactive material is a prerequisite for safe, timely and cost effective decommissioning. A comprehensive overview of decommissioning costs and funding mechanisms was missing in the IAEA literature although the subject had been marginally dealt with in a few IAEA publications. Costing and funding issues were partially addressed by other international organizations, but there is a need to address the subject from the standpoint of the diverse social, economic and cultural environments that constitute IAEA membership. In its role of an international expert committee assisting the IAEA, the Technical Group on Decommissioning (TEGDE) debates and draws conclusions on topics omitted from general guidance. TEGDE members met in Vienna in 2003, 2004 and 2005 to develop the basis for this publication. The views expressed here reflect those of TEGDE and not necessarily those of the IAEA

29 CFR 1400.735-3 - Advice and counseling service.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Advice and counseling service. 1400.735-3 Section 1400.735-3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND DISCIPLINE General § 1400.735-3 Advice and counseling service...

Materiality in Public Sector Financial Audit: International Practice and the Opinion of Brazilian Experts

OpenAIRE

Juliane Madeira Leitão; José Alves Dantas

2016-01-01

Materiality in private sector financial audit is a topic that has been relatively well developed in the literature. Specific research in this regard in public sector auditing, on the other hand, is scarce at the international level and absent in Brazil. In view of this, the purpose of this study was to identify the parameters used to determine materiality in public sector financial audit. To this end, we sent questionnaires to the 192 Supreme Audit Institutions that are members of INTOSAI and...

Global Financial Crisis – Policy Response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dakić Milojica

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Six years after the outbreak of the financial crisis that had shaken the global financial system, experts and analysts all over the world continue discussing the effectiveness, scope and adequacy of mechanisms and measures implemented in the meantime, as well as the adequacy of the underlying theoretical concept. A global consent has been reached on ensuring financial stability through the interaction of monetary, fiscal and prudential policy to ensure the necessary macroprudential dimension of regulatory and supervisory frameworks. The USA crisis spilled over to Europe. Strong support of governments to bail out banks quickly resulted in sovereign debt crises in some peripheral EU Member States. Fiscal insolvency of these countries strongly shook the EU and increased doubts in the monetary union survival. The European Union stood united to defend the euro and responded strongly with a new complex and comprehensive financial stability framework. This supranational framework is a counterpart to the global financial stability framework created by the G20 member countries. Starting from the specific features of the monetary policy whose capacities are determined by euroisation, available instruments and resources for preventive supervisory activities, as well as the role of the government in crisis management, Montenegro created a framework for maintaining financial stability and prescribed fostering and maintaining financial stability as the main objective of the Central Bank of Montenegro.

Patient characteristics associated with receipt of lifestyle behavior advice.

Science.gov (United States)

Corsino, Leonor; Svetkey, Laura P; Ayotte, Brian J; Bosworth, Hayden B

2009-01-01

Lifestyle behaviors such as reducing weight if overweight or obese, reducing salt intake, exercising, reducing alcohol intake, quitting smoking, and eating a healthy diet are related to the prevention and control of chronic diseases. However the amount of lifestyle advice provided by clinicians has been declining over the last decade. In 2002, a telephone survey was conducted to assess the quality of preventive care offered by health care providers. The study was a cross-sectional observational study of a randomly selected sample of 516 diverse individuals in Durham County, North Carolina. Information regarding age, sex, race, education, health conditions, and self-reported receipt of lifestyle advice was examined in the study. The odds of receiving advice to engage in preventive lifestyle behaviors were significantly higher for those with a pre-existing diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension and for participants reporting poor health status. For example, the odds of receiving advice to control or lose weight was 8.32 (95% CI, 2.65, 26.75) among individuals reporting a diagnosis of diabetes. Similarly, the odds of reporting "receiving advice to reduce salt intake" was 6.97 (95% CI, 3.74, 13.00) among subjects reporting a diagnosis of hypertension. The results are from a cross-sectional study of a sample of individuals in only one county. Additionally, the results are based on patient self-reported information, which could be subject to recall and social desirability bias. Patients with identified health problems were more likely than others to report being advised to adopt healthy lifestyle recommendations. Future research should examine methods to encourage health care providers to offer lifestyle advice to those without pre-existing illness.

Protecting Against Influenza (Flu): Advice for Caregivers of Young Children

Science.gov (United States)

... Avian Swine Variant Pandemic Other Protecting Against Influenza (Flu): Advice for Caregivers of Young Children Language: English ( ... from the flu. Advice on How to Prevent Flu for Caregivers of Young Children 1. Take Time ...

Racial disparities in reported prenatal care advice from health care providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kogan, M D; Kotelchuck, M; Alexander, G R; Johnson, W E

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVES. The relationship between certain maternal behaviors and adverse pregnancy outcomes has been well documented. One method to alter these behaviors is through the advice of women's health care providers. Advice from providers may be particularly important in minority populations, who have higher rates of infant mortality and prematurity. This study examines racial disparities according to women's self-report of advice received from health care providers during pregnancy in four areas: tobacco use, alcohol consumption, drug use, and breast-feeding. METHODS. Health care providers' advice to 8310 White non-Hispanic and Black women was obtained from the National Maternal and Infant Health Survey. RESULTS. After controlling for sociodemographic, utilization, and medical factors, Black women were more likely to report not receiving advice from their prenatal care providers about smoking cessation and alcohol use. The difference between Blacks and Whites also approached significance for breast-feeding. No overall difference was noted in advice regarding cessation of drug use, although there was a significant interaction between race and marital status. CONCLUSIONS. These data suggest that Black women may be at greater risk for not receiving information that could reduce their chances of having an adverse pregnancy outcome. PMID:8279618

Discharge against medical advice at a tertiary center in southeastern Nigeria: sociodemographic and clinical dimensions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boniface Eze

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Boniface Eze1, Kenneth Agu2, Jones Nwosu31Department of Ophthalmology, 2Department of Surgery, 3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria Objective: To assess the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients discharged against medical advice (DAMA at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH, Enugu, Nigeria.Methods: The UNTH’s admission and discharge records between 1997 and 2006 were examined. Patients DAMA were identified; relevant sociodemographic and clinical data were extracted from their recalled clinical charts. Data were analyzed to generate rates, percentages, and proportions, and a level of P < 0.05 (one degree of freedom was considered statistically significant.Results: Of the 64,856 admissions (45.2% male, 54.8% female, 113 (0.002%; males: 54%, females: 46% were discharged against medical advice. DAMA rate was highest in Surgery (0.4%, and lowest in Obstetrics and Gynecology (0.1% and Pediatrics (0.1%. Infections (32.7%, trauma (29.2%, and cancer (16.8% were the leading diagnoses in patients DAMA. Financial constraints (37.2%, unsatisfactory response to treatment (17.7%, and dissatisfaction with hospital environment (15.0% were the main reasons for patients choosing to discharge themselves. DAMA was associated with a short admission period (P < 0.05, patients having high levels of formal education (P < 0.05, and those who had not been previously hospitalized (P < 0.05; but not with age (P = 0.398, gender (P = 0.489, or employment (P = 0.091.Conclusion: Comparatively, the rate of DAMA at UNTH is low. The causes of DAMA are preventable; for example, strengthening of the national health insurance scheme, enhancement of doctor-patient communication, and improvement of hospital environment would further reduce DAMA rate. Keywords: discharge against medical advice, tertiary center, sociodemographic characteristics, clinical

The travel advice as an inhibiting factor of tourist movement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mylonopoulos Dimitrios

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Tourism is significantly affected by unpredictable and uncertain factors such as the occurrence of a terrorist attack, an epidemic outbreak or a natural disaster, etc. The impact of these phenomena on the tourist movement of the country or the place where the event occurred is aggravated by the way it is presented by the media both locally and internationally. The adverse climate gets worse by the issuance of travel advice that usually accompanies such phenomena and has the effect of limiting or even halting tourist flows. In order to identify and study the different types of travel advice that have been issued during international tourism crisis incidents, an internet search was carried out using keywords. Moreover, a study on the travel advice issued by major tourists' origin states, as the USA, Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, etc. was carried out. Incidents (terrorist attacks, epidemics, natural disasters which had a great impact on tourism were then selected. In addition, the issuance of travel advice, their different issuing authorities, the classification level and the impact on the tourism of the country or the place in question were examined. An analysis of the reaction and the instructions of major international organizations (World Health Organization, World Tourism Organization concerning the management of such crises, directly or indirectly affecting tourism, were also analyzed. The study of the relevant websites, the international literature and the recorded incidents shows that the issuing of travel advice has negative effects on many sectors of tourism activity and is a bottleneck for tourism development. In fact, in many cases, travel advice is used by countries to exert pressure on other countries in order to achieve a desired result. Due to the enormous economic and social effects when issuing travel advice, the states proper management is necessary in order to minimize the negative consequences and avoid

How Biobanks Are Assessing and Measuring Their Financial Sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Behavior Modification of Studying Through Study Skills Advice and Self-Control Procedures

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, C. Steven

1975-01-01

Investigates the efficacy of two behavioral self-control procedures as additions to the typical treatment for college students' study behavior--study skills advice. Predicted self-monitoring would be an effective treatment addition to study skills advice and study skills advice would be superior to the control groups. Results supported…

Dietary Advice on Prescription: A novel approach to dietary counseling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gunnar Johansson

2011-05-01

Full Text Available This article describes a novel approach to giving dietary advice, which is called “Dietary Advice on Prescription” (DAP; Matordning på Recept [MoR] in Swedish. It is the same principle as prescription on medicine and “Physical Activity on Prescription” (PAP; Fysisk aktivitet på Recept [FaR] in Swedish. The main idea is that a written prescription will strengthen the oral advice and emphasize certain aspects of the dietary recommendation. The DAP is on the brink of being tested in a planned study.

Does Expert Advice Improve Educational Choice?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lex Borghans

Full Text Available This paper reports evidence that an individual meeting with a study counselor at high school significantly improves the quality of choice of tertiary educational field, as self-assessed 18 months after graduation from college. To address endogeneity, we explore the variation in study counseling practices between schools as an instrumental variable (IV. Following careful scrutiny of the validity of the IV, our results indicate a significant and positive influence of study counseling on the quality of educational choice, foremost among males and those with low educated parents. The overall result is stable across a number of robustness checks.

Expert Advice, Control, and Heterogeneous Beliefs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de la Rosa, Leonidas Enrique

2007-01-01

This paper studies the effects of overconfidence in an investment-decision setting. A risk-averse agent privately observes information relevant to an investment decision, that he can report to a principal. In a standard common-priors setting, the optimal contract provides full insurance to the ag...... in exchange for a more liberal investment rule. This can be interpreted as giving more control to the agent. It is somewhat counterintuitive that the principal will surrender more control to an agent with whom she disagrees more sharply....

Multivariate time series analysis with R and financial applications

CERN Document Server

Tsay, Ruey S

2013-01-01

Since the publication of his first book, Analysis of Financial Time Series, Ruey Tsay has become one of the most influential and prominent experts on the topic of time series. Different from the traditional and oftentimes complex approach to multivariate (MV) time series, this sequel book emphasizes structural specification, which results in simplified parsimonious VARMA modeling and, hence, eases comprehension. Through a fundamental balance between theory and applications, the book supplies readers with an accessible approach to financial econometric models and their applications to real-worl

Regulating capital flows in emerging markets: The IMF and the global financial crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin P. Gallagher

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In the wake of the financial crisis the International Monetary Fund (IMF began to publicly express support for what have traditionally been referred to as ‘capital controls’. This paper empirically examines the extent to which the change in IMF discourse on these matters has resulted in significant changes in actual IMF policy advice. By creating and analyzing a database of IMF Article IV reports, we examine whether the financial crisis had an independent impact on IMF support for capital controls. We find that the IMF’s level of support for capital controls has increased as a result of the crisis and as the vulnerabilities associated with capital flows accentuate.

Expert Meeting Report. Energy Savings You Can Bank On

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berman, Mark [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Springer, Jeremy [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Smith, Pepper [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Porse, Erik [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States)

2013-02-01

In October 2011, ARBI organized and conducted an Experts’ Meeting on the topic of performance guarantees and financing vehicles for Energy Efficiency Upgrades. The meeting brought together technical, policy, and financial experts, including researchers, experienced installation contractors, and innovative energy business leaders, in order to discuss the opportunities and challenges for the energy efficiency upgrade industry to increase market uptake of Home Energy Upgrades (HEUs) through innovative offerings, such as performance guarantees.

Let Me Give You a Piece of Advice: Empirical Papers about Advice Taking in Marketing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.C. Tzioti (Stefanie)

2010-01-01

textabstractUsing advice in decision making is widespread for all sorts of important personal and professional decisions. Yet, traditional research on individual decision making has failed to systematically study the impact that social interactions about a decision problem can have on the decision

Nutrigenomics-based personalised nutritional advice: in search of a business model?

Science.gov (United States)

Ronteltap, Amber; van Trijp, Hans; Berezowska, Aleksandra; Goossens, Jo

2013-03-01

Nutritional advice has mainly focused on population-level recommendations. Recent developments in nutrition, communication, and marketing sciences have enabled potential deviations from this dominant business model in the direction of personalisation of nutrition advice. Such personalisation efforts can take on many forms, but these have in common that they can only be effective if they are supported by a viable business model. The present paper takes an inventory of approaches to personalised nutrition currently available in the market place as its starting point to arrive at an identification of their underlying business models. This analysis is presented as a unifying framework against which the potential of nutrigenomics-based personalised advice can be assessed. It has uncovered nine archetypical approaches to personalised nutrition advice in terms of their dominant underlying business models. Differentiating features among such business models are the type of information that is used as a basis for personalisation, the definition of the target group, the communication channels that are being adopted, and the partnerships that are built as a part of the business model. Future research should explore the consumer responses to the diversity of "archetypical" business models for personalised nutrition advice as a source of market information on which the delivery of nutrigenomics-based personalised nutrition advice may further build.

Advising in austerity reflections on challenging times for advice agencies

CERN Document Server

Kirwan, Samuel

2016-01-01

Advising in austerity provides a lively and thought-provoking account of the conditions, consequences and challenges of advice work in the UK. It examines how advisors negotiate the private troubles of those who come to Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) and construct ways forward.

Emotions in advice taking: the roles of agency and valence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Hooge, I.E.; Verlegh, P.W.J.; Tzioti, S.C.

2014-01-01

Recently, advice taking has received attention in decision-making research, and some studies suggest that emotions may play a role in this process. Yet a clear account of how emotions influence advice taking is lacking. The current research introduces a parsimonious explanation by suggesting that

Emotions in Advice Taking: The Roles of Agency and Valence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hooge, de I.E.; Verlegh, P.W.J.; Tzioti, S.C.

2014-01-01

Recently, advice taking has received attention in decision-making research, and some studies suggest that emotions may play a role in this process. Yet a clear account of how emotions influence advice taking is lacking. The current research introduces a parsimonious explanation by suggesting that

The present day relevance of Paul's advice to the family in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Many people and organizations have made several efforts to improve and enhance the survival of the family. An example is the advice of Saint Paul, the Apostle to the Christian family in Ephesians 5:22-25 and 6:1-9. This paper examines this advice and its relevance to the society today. Key Words: Paul, Apostle; Advice; ...

SAP ERP financial accounting and controlling configuration and use management

CERN Document Server

Okungbowa, Andrew

2015-01-01

SAP ERP modules are notoriously hard to configure and use effectively without a lot of practice and experience. But as SAP ERP Financial Accounting and Controlling: Configuration and Use Management shows, it doesn't have to be so difficult. The book takes a systematic approach that leads SAP Financial Accounting and Controlling (FICO) users step by step through configuring and using all the program's facets. This approach makes configuration complexities manageable. The book's author-SAP expert, trainer, and accountant Andrew Okun

A Learning Game for Youth Financial Literacy Education in the Teen Grid of Second Life Three-Dimensional Virtual Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chang; Franklin, Teresa; Shelor, Roger; Ozercan, Sertac; Reuter, Jarrod; Ye, En; Moriarty, Scott

2011-01-01

Game-like three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds have become popular venues for youth to explore and interact with friends. To bring vital financial literacy education to them in places they frequent, a multi-disciplinary team of computer scientists, educators, and financial experts developed a youth-oriented financial literacy education game in…

Experts' discussion on reactor safety research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The experts' discussion on reactor safety research deals with risk analysis, political realization, man and technics, as well as with the international state of affairs. Inspite of a controversy on individual issues and on the proportion of governmental and industrial involvment in reactor safety research, the continuation and intensification of corresponding research work is said to be necessary. Several participants demanded to consider possible 'conventional accidents' as well as a stronger financial commitment by the industry in this sector. The ratio 'man and technics' being an interface decisive for the proper functioning or failure of complex technical systems requires even more research work to be done. (GL) [de

Advice Complexity of the Online Induced Subgraph Problem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Komm, Dennis; Královič, Rastislav; Královič, Richard

2016-01-01

of the input can influence the solution quality. We evaluate the information in a quantitative way by considering the best possible advice of given size that describes the unknown input. Using a result from Boyar et al. we give a tight trade-off relationship stating that, for inputs of length n, roughly n...... subgraph problem, preemption does not significantly help by giving a lower bound of Omega(n/(c^2\\log c)) on the bits of advice that are needed to obtain competitive ratio c, where c is any increasing function bounded from above by \\sqrt{n/\\log n}. We also give a linear lower bound for c close to 1....... these problems by investigating a generalized problem: for an arbitrary but fixed hereditary property, find some maximal induced subgraph having the property. We investigate this problem from the point of view of advice complexity, i.e. we ask how some additional information about the yet unrevealed parts...

DYNAMICS OF FINANCIAL SYSTEM: A SYSTEM DYNAMICS APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Girish K Nair

2013-01-01

Full Text Available There are several ratios which define the financial health of an organization but the importance of Net cash flow, Gross income, Net income, Pending bills, Receivable bills, Debt, and Book value can never be undermined as they give the exact picture of the financial condition. While there are several approaches to study the dynamics of these variables, system dynamics based modelling and simulation is one of the modern techniques. The paper explores this method to simulate the before mentioned parameters during production capacity expansion in an electronic industry. Debt and Book value have shown a non-linear pattern of variation which is discussed. The model can be used by the financial experts as a decision support tool in arriving at conclusions in connection to the expansion plans of the organization.

Diagnostic medical exposures: advice on exposure to ionising radiation during pregnancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

The NRPB offers advice on exposure to ionizing radiation during pregnancy, based on data published since 1985. In providing this advice the Board has considered risks to the developing embryo and fetus of death, malformation, mental impairment, cancer (solid tumours and leukaemias) and genetic damage from irradiation after the first missed menstrual period. The possible risks from irradiation of the early (up to 3-4 weeks) conceptus and from gonodal irradiation of patients is also covered in the present advice. (Author)

Determinants of physical activity frequency and provider advice during pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Santo, Eilann C; Forbes, Peter W; Oken, Emily; Belfort, Mandy B

2017-09-05

Our aims were to (1) describe the frequency of physical activity and prenatal healthcare provider advice about physical activity during pregnancy and (2) examine determinants and correlates of 3rd trimester physical activity and receipt of physical activity advice. We analyzed data from the 2008 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. We studied 2669 women from North Carolina and Colorado with data on physical activity frequency in the 3 months prior to pregnancy and during the 3rd trimester and 1584 women from Oklahoma with data on provider advice regarding physical activity during pregnancy. Respondents reported physical activity, defined as 30 min or more of exercise/physical activity (excluding vocationally related activity), in in these categories: pregnancy was strongly associated with low likelihood of ACOG guideline adherence in the 3rd trimester (aOR 0.10, 95% CU 0.04, 0.30 vs. 1-4 days/week). Underweight women were more likely to adhere to ACOG guidelines than normal weight women (aOR 2.27, 95% CI 1.36, 3.79). Overweight women were more likely to receive physical activity advice (aOR 2.9, 95% CI 1.3, 6.3 vs. normal weight), but obese women were not (aOR 0.65, 95% CI 0.4, 1.2). Few women meet ACOG guideline criteria for physical activity during pregnancy. Improving physical activity and weight status prior to pregnancy may improve activity levels during pregnancy. Nearly one third did not receive advice about physical activity during prenatal care. Obese women were no more likely to receive advice than their normal weight counterparts, indicating the need for targeted physical activity counseling in this population.

Family planning advice and postpartum contraceptive use among low-income women in Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, Sarah L

2007-03-01

In Mexico, family planning advice has been incorporated into the clinical guidelines for prenatal care. However, the relationship between women's receipt of family planning advice during prenatal care and subsequent contraceptive use has not been evaluated. Data were collected in 2003 and 2004 in 17 Mexican states from 2,238 urban low-income women postpartum. Participating women reported on prenatal services received and contraceptive use. Logistic and multinomial logistic regression models evaluated whether receiving family planning advice during prenatal care predicted current contraceptive use, after quality of care in the community, service utilization, delivery characteristics, household socioeconomic characteristics, and maternal and infant characteristics were controlled for. Overall, 47% of women used a modern contraceptive method. Women who received family planning advice during prenatal care were more likely to use a contraceptive than were those who did not receive such advice (odds ratio, 2.2). Women who received family planning advice had a higher probability of using condoms (relative risk ratio, 2.3) and IUDs (5.2), and of undergoing sterilization (1.4), than of using no method. Integrating family planning advice into prenatal care may be an important strategy for reaching women when their demand for contraception is high.

Safety analysis of an expert reactor protection system in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Kafas, A.A.

1997-01-01

The purpose of the dissertation is to develop real time expert reactor protection system (ERPS) for operational safety of pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant. The system is developed to diagnose plant failures and for identification plant transients (with and without scram). For this erps, probabilistic safety analysis techniques are used to check the availability and priority of the recommended safety system in case of plant accidents. The real - time information during transients and accidents can be obtained to assess the operator in his decision - making. Also, the ERPS is able to give advice for the reactor operator to take the appropriate corrective action during abnormal situations. 5-15 figs., 42 refs

21 CFR 312.41 - Comment and advice on an IND.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

.... Examples of such advice may include advice on the adequacy of technical data to support an investigational plan, on the design of a clinical trial, and on whether proposed investigations are likely to produce the data and information that is needed to meet requirements for a marketing application. (c) Unless...

Sociality Mental Modes Modulate the Processing of Advice-Giving: An Event-Related Potentials Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin Li

2018-02-01

Full Text Available People have different motivations to get along with others in different sociality mental modes (i.e., communal mode and market mode, which might affect social decision-making. The present study examined how these two types of sociality mental modes affect the processing of advice-giving using the event-related potentials (ERPs. After primed with the communal mode and market mode, participants were instructed to decide whether or not give an advice (profitable or damnous to a stranger without any feedback. The behavioral results showed that participants preferred to give the profitable advice to the stranger more slowly compared with the damnous advice, but this difference was only observed in the market mode condition. The ERP results indicated that participants demonstrated more negative N1 amplitude for the damnous advice compared with the profitable advice, and larger P300 was elicited in the market mode relative to both the communal mode and the control group. More importantly, participants in the market mode demonstrated larger P300 for the profitable advice than the damnous advice, whereas this difference was not observed at the communal mode and the control group. These findings are consistent with the dual-process system during decision-making and suggest that market mode may lead to deliberate calculation for costs and benefits when giving the profitable advice to others.

The place of the clock in pediatric advice: rationales, cultural themes, and impediments to breastfeeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Millard, A V

1990-01-01

This analysis treats the U.S. medical literature as evidence concerning the formal system of knowledge in allopathic medicine. An examination of pediatric advice on breastfeeding reveals the logic of medical reasoning, the use of scientific rationales, and the intrusion of specific cultural themes. The corpus of data includes works of 18 authors published in 36 volumes from 1897 to 1987, 27 volumes being editions of two major pediatric textbooks. All sources advocate breastfeeding but the detailed advice on how to carry out the process actually tends to undermine it. Moreover, the clock has provided the main frame of reference, creating regimentation reminiscent of factory work, segmenting breastfeeding into a series of steps, and emphasizing efficiency in time and motion. Feeding schedules were advocated in former decades as a matter of discipline for the infant, but nowadays they are viewed as biologically innate to normal infants and to breast milk production. The literature manifests responses over the century to behavioral, biochemical and physiological studies; however, except possibly for one textbook, no thorough rethinking has occurred. Sources of the 1980s continue to focus on the tempo of feeding as a major concern. Cultural themes besides the factory model of breastfeeding include the extension of professional advice to family matters, the subordination of lay women to professional expertise, mistrust of women's bodily signals including the let-down reflex in determining the timing of feedings, mistrust of signals from infants as well, and a professional ideal of flexible advice coupled with rigid limits concerning schedules. The literature interweaves the cultural themes with rationales based on physiological studies in support of specific regimens in breastfeeding, and the relegation of control in breastfeeding to medical experts denies the validity of mutual bodily and emotional responses within the mother-infant dyad. Pediatric authorities thus

Nutrigenomics-based personalised nutritional advice: in search of a business model?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ronteltap, A.; Trijp, van J.C.M.; Berezowska, A.; Goossens, Jo

2013-01-01

Nutritional advice has mainly focused on population-level recommendations. Recent developments in nutrition, communication, and marketing sciences have enabled potential deviations from this dominant business model in the direction of personalisation of nutrition advice. Such personalisation efforts

Price competition between an expert and a non-expert

OpenAIRE

Bouckaert, J.M.C.; Degryse, H.A.

1998-01-01

This paper characterizes price competition between an expert and a non-expert. In contrast with the expert, the non-expert’s repair technology is not always successful. Consumers visit the expert after experiencing an unsuccessful match at the non-expert. This re-entry affects the behaviour of both sellers. For low enough probability of successful repair at the non-expert, all consumers first visit the non-expert, and a ‘timid-pricing’ equilibrium results. If the non-expert’s repair technolog...

The acceptability and impact of a randomised controlled trial of welfare rights advice accessed via primary health care: qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Howel Denise

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Qualitative research is increasingly used alongside randomised controlled trials (RCTs to study a range of factors including participants' experiences of a trial. The need for a sound evidence base within public health will increase the need for RCTs of non-clinical interventions. Welfare rights advice has been proposed as an intervention with potential to reduce health inequalities. This qualitative study, nested within an RCT of the impact of welfare rights advice, examined the acceptability of the intervention, the acceptability of the research process and the perceived impact of the intervention. Methods 25 men and women aged 60 years or over were recruited from four general practices in Newcastle upon Tyne (UK, a sub-sample of those who consented to be contacted (n = 96 during the RCT baseline interview. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken and analysed using the Framework Method. Results Participants viewed the trial positively although, despite agreeing that the information leaflet was clear, some had agreed to participate without being fully aware of what was involved. Some participants were unaware of the implications of randomisation. Most thought it fair, but a few concerns were raised about the control condition. The intervention was acceptable and made participants feel confident about applying for benefit entitlements. 14 out of 25 participants received some financial award; median weekly income gain was £57 (€84, $101. The perceived impact of additional finances was considerable and included: increased affordability of necessities and occasional expenses; increased capacity to deal with emergencies; and a reduction in stress related to financial worries. Overall, perceived independence and ability to participate in society increased. Most participants perceived benefits to their mental well-being, but no-one reported an improvement in physical health. The RCT showed little or no effect on a wide range

Audit Committee Accounting Expert and Earnings Management with “Status” Audit Committee as Moderating Variable

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edy Suprianto

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This research aims to analyze the effect of accounting expert of audit committee on earnings management. This research also assesses the role of audit committee on earnings management with audit committee status as moderating variable. The population is all of firm’s which listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Purposive sampling is used to collect data. Data used financial statements and annual report companies from Indonesia Stock Exchange website. Moderated regression analysis (MRA is used to analyze the hypothesis. The result shows that accounting expert of audit committee has negative effect on earnings management. Yet, variable of audit committee status cannot moderate the relationship between accounting expert of audit committee and earnings management in Indonesia.

A quantitative analysis of the quality and content of the health advice in popular Australian magazines.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Amanda; Smith, David; Peel, Roseanne; Robertson, Jane; Kypri, Kypros

2017-06-01

To examine how health advice is provided in popular magazines and the quality of that advice. A prospective quantitative analysis of the quality of health advice provided in Australian magazines between July and December 2011 was conducted. A rating instrument was adapted from the Media Doctor Australia rating tool used to assess quality of health news reporting. Criteria included: recommends seeing a doctor; advice based on reliable evidence; advice clear and easily applied; benefits presented meaningfully; potential harms mentioned; evidence of disease mongering; availability and cost of treatments; obvious advertising; vested interest, and anecdotal evidence. 163 health advice articles were rated showing a wide variation in the quality of advice presented between magazines. Magazines with 'health' in the title, rated most poorly with only 36% (26/73) of these articles presenting clear and meaningful advice and 52% (38/73) giving advice based on reliable evidence. Australian magazines, especially those with health in the title, generally presented poor quality, unreliable health advice. Teen magazine Dolly provided the highest quality advice. Consumers need to be aware of this when making health choices. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

How Experts' Use of Medical Technical Jargon in Different Types of Online Health Forums Affects Perceived Information Credibility: Randomized Experiment With Laypersons.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmermann, Maria; Jucks, Regina

2018-01-23

Online health forums are widely used, but the quality of advice differs as much as the knowledge backgrounds of the audience members who receive the advice. It is important to understand how people judge the information given online. In line with the communication accommodation theory (CAT), online forums represent specific social contexts of communication which can present either accommodative or nonaccommodative language to an audience. Accordingly, use of accommodative or nonaccommodative language might affect people's perceived trust in the communicator. The objective of this study was to investigate how experts who use accommodative (vs nonaccommodative) language are evaluated by passive users of an online forum. Participants (n=98) took part in an online experiment and read experts' posts about 10 nutrition myths. Following a 2 x 2 mixed design, experts' posts were written using either low or high amounts of medical technical jargon (MTJ) (within factor) and were directed at different audiences (mainly other medical experts [in a professional forum] vs a user group mainly comprising laypersons [in an advisory forum]) (between factor). Accommodation occurred where experts used high amounts of MTJ to address other medical experts in the professional forum; it also occurred when experts used low amounts of MTJ to address laypersons in the advisory forum. Conversely, nonaccommodation occurred when experts used high amounts of MTJ in the advisory forum and low amounts of MTJ in the professional forum. In each condition, participants evaluated the credibility of the information, the trustworthiness of the experts, and the accommodation by the experts. Overall, participants judged the credibility of information to be higher when experts used MTJ that was accommodative to the designated audience, F 1,95 =3.10, P=.04, η p 2 =.031. In addition, participants judged the experts in professional forums to be more trustworthy than experts in advisory forums (all F 1,96 �

Development of expert evaluation system for advanced nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Mengjia; Ren Junsheng; Zhou Zhiwei; Zhang Qi; Zhu Shutang

2005-01-01

The wheels of the nuclear power industry in China are going to roll on the fast rails soon: It is important to establish an expert evaluation system for optimally selecting new types of NPPs in the future based on scientific evaluation. Under such a background, an expert evaluation system is developed to evaluate Various types of NPPs for the following two decades by taking into account the advices of selected top specialists in Chinese nuclear power industry, and by adopting different evaluation methods. The evaluation system is designed to use the database-MS-SQL Server or Oracle for manipulating experts' knowledge and objective data for scaling NPPs by user-selected evaluation methods for evaluating NPPs. The system includes two subsystems: one is called the Data Management Module and the other called the Evaluation Arithmetic Module. The Data Management Module is used to manage expert knowledge in forms of item marks of the NPPs given by experts of nuclear engineering. The Evaluation Arithmetic Module is used to analyze and deal with the evaluation based on the data in the Database by certain designed evaluation method, and to provide the evaluation results. Based on the users' selection, the evaluation of the NPPs is processed, and the results can be dynamically listed in table or displayed in graphics. So it can be used as a consulting tool to help users make optimal selection of prospective NPPs. The system is developed in architecture of the mixture framework C/S(Client/Server) and B/S(Browse/Server), thus is safe, advanced, extensible and user- friendly. The present system is computer network based, so it can be used not only in personal PC and local network, but also in the Web Server which can be browsed by remote users. To develop such an evaluation system is an initiative R and D project in Chinese nuclear R and D activities. Although the evaluation system is far from perfect, however, the preliminary evaluation results produced by the evaluation

International financial institutions and health in Egypt and Tunisia: change or continuity?

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, Sharif

2013-01-01

The revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia appeared to herald a re-casting of International Monetary Fund and World Bank policy across the region. Public pronouncements by the heads of both institutions in the months following February 2011 acknowledged flaws in their approach to macroeconomic advice, against a background of worsening socioeconomic indicators, widespread youth unemployment, and widening health inequalities. Evidence on the ground, however, suggests continuity rather than change in international financial institution policies in Egypt and Tunisia, notwithstanding the emergence of a powerful new player-the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In the long term, new electoral realities and hardening public opposition in both countries seem likely to force a fundamentally different relationship between regional governments and the major international financial institutions than existed before 2011.

Which components of health information technology will drive financial value?

Science.gov (United States)

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.

"Should I Buy the Jerry's Famous Frozen Desserts' Chain?" Case Study [and] Case Study Update: Our Advice on Jerry's Famous Frozen Desserts.

Science.gov (United States)

Finkle, Todd A.; And Others

1996-01-01

Offers a case study of a business plan in which the potential business owner examines the industry and the financial statements of the company he plans to purchase. A variety of experts give their perspectives on the situation and the authors provide a follow-up analysis. (JOW)

For the sake of whom: conversation analysis of advice giving in offender counseling.

Science.gov (United States)

Jing-ying, Guo

2013-08-01

Regarded as beneficial and preferable to the clients, advice delivery has been an integral part of counseling; however, there are controversies over the suitability of giving advice in counseling services, including counseling conducted in the context of prisons. Based on conversation analysis, this article tries to explore when and how police counselors in two Chinese prisons give advice and how inmate clients respond to and seek advice in offender counseling. It is found that advice delivery, supposed to be for the inmate clients' sake, only serves a phatic function in the context of prisons in which security is a priority, and transforming inmates into law-abiding citizen is the overall goal of prison rehabilitation and correction. Hence, offender counselors, intending to alleviate depression and anxiety in inmate clients, are caught in a dilemma.

"It's at a time in your life when you are most vulnerable": a qualitative exploration of the financial impact of a cancer diagnosis and implications for financial protection in health.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aileen Timmons

financial coping strategies and household consumption patterns; and financial distress. In the interim, cancer patients require financial information and advice intermittently post diagnosis.

"It's at a time in your life when you are most vulnerable": a qualitative exploration of the financial impact of a cancer diagnosis and implications for financial protection in health.

Science.gov (United States)

Timmons, Aileen; Gooberman-Hill, Rachael; Sharp, Linda

2013-01-01

strategies and household consumption patterns); and financial distress. In the interim, cancer patients require financial information and advice intermittently post diagnosis.

Unconditional lower bounds against advice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buhrman, H.; Fortnow, L.; Santhanam, R.

2009-01-01

We show several unconditional lower bounds for exponential time classes against polynomial time classes with advice, including: (1) For any constant c, NEXP not in P^{NP[n^c]} (2) For any constant c, MAEXP not in MA/n^c (3) BPEXP not in BPP/n^{o(1)}. It was previously unknown even whether NEXP in

The binding study advice in medical education: a 2-year experience.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eijsvogels, T.M.H.; Goorden, R.; Bosch, W.J.H.M. van den; Hopman, M.T.E.

2015-01-01

To improve the effectiveness of higher education, Dutch universities implemented the binding study advice at medical faculties. Accordingly, medicine students of Radboud University need to gain >/= 42 out of 60 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits to obtain a positive binding study advice

Design based Investigation on Construction of Mathematical Modelling Problems: Example of Financial Content

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melike TURAL SÖNMEZ

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to examine the construction of mathematical modelling problems process in the content of financial literacy. It is also aimed to create design proposals for construction of mathematical modelling problems. A design based research method was used in this study. The participants were three seventh grade students, six finance experts and nine mathematics education experts. Data collection tools were transcription of video and tapes group discussions, presentations and worksheets during mathematical modelling activities, and participant experts’ feedback form about mathematical modelling problems. There were three stages in this study. First stage was application of preliminary study. This stage gave information about convenience of problems to grade level, students’ timing for solution of problems, clarity of problems and students’ background about content. In second stage, finance experts commented on convenience of mathematical modelling problems to financial literacy standards. In third stage, mathematics education experts commented on convenience of problems to students’ grade level, mathematical modelling principles and seventh grade mathematics lesson objectives. They also gave suggestion on progress. The frequency value of theme in feedback forms was calculated and experts’ expressions were given as citation. It was given suggestion about stages and application of the design guide

A qualitative study of English community pharmacists' experiences of providing lifestyle advice to patients with cardiovascular disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Morton, Kirsty; Pattison, Helen; Langley, Chris; Powell, Rachael

2015-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) progression is modifiable through lifestyle behaviors. Community pharmacists are ideally placed to facilitate self-management of cardiovascular health however research shows varied pharmacist engagement in providing lifestyle advice. This study explored community pharmacists' experiences and perceptions of providing lifestyle advice to patients with CVD. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen pharmacists (1 supermarket; 7 multiple; 7 independent) recruited through multiple methods from community pharmacies across the Midlands, England. A thematic analysis was conducted using a Framework approach. Pharmacists categorized patients according to their perceptions of the patients' ability to benefit from advice. Many barriers to providing lifestyle advice were identified. Confidence to provide lifestyle advice varied, with pharmacists most comfortable providing lifestyle advice in conjunction with conversations about medicines. Some pharmacists felt lifestyle advice was an integral part of their role whilst others questioned whether pharmacists should give lifestyle advice at all, particularly when receiving no remuneration for doing so. Pharmacists viewed providing lifestyle advice as important but identified many barriers to doing so. Lifestyle advice provision was influenced by pharmacists' perceptions of patients. Professional identity and associated role conflict appeared to underpin many of the barriers to pharmacists providing lifestyle advice. Pharmacists may benefit from enhanced training to: increase their confidence to provide lifestyle advice; integrate lifestyle advice with regular pharmaceutical practice and challenge their perceptions of some patients' receptiveness to lifestyle advice and behavior change. Changes to the way UK pharmacists are remunerated may increase the provision of lifestyle advice. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Meeting Summary of Kitchen Cabinet on Financial Due Diligence to Reduce Proliferation Risks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hund, Gretchen [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Weise, Rachel A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Carr, Geoffrey A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-08-15

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory convened the Kitchen Cabinet (KC) to facilitate a candid discussion about the role of financial institutions (FIs) in antiproliferation efforts to reduce nuclear proliferation risks by identifying suspicious business transactions and exports when making lending or insurance decisions. The meeting brought together a group of export control specialists, largely representatives from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Participating Governments (PGs) and finance experts representing banks and insurance companies. By assembling a KC of experts, the group could understand what suspicious transactions look like from each other’s perspectives and better inform each of their operations. The goal was to develop red flags FIs could use to identify suspicious proliferation-related transactions and to help governments gain a clearer picture of proliferation using financial information.

Generating personalized advice for schizophrenia patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Emerencia, A.; van der Krieke, Lian; Sytema, S.; Petkov, N.; Aiello, M.

The results of routine patient assessments in psychiatric healthcare in the Northern Netherlands are primarily used to support clinicians. We developed Wegweis, a web-based advice platform, to make this data accessible and understandable for patients. Objective: We show that a fully automated

Watchful Waiting for Cases of Pediatric Otitis Media: Modeling Parental Response to Physician Advice.

Science.gov (United States)

MacGeorge, Erina L; Smith, Rachel A; Caldes, Emily P; Hackman, Nicole M

2016-08-01

Watchful waiting (WW) can reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in the treatment of pediatric otitis media (ear infection), but its utility is impaired by underutilization and noncompliance. Guided by advice response theory, the current study proposes advantage and capacity as factors that predict how caregivers evaluate and respond affectively to WW. Parents (N = 373) of at least 1 child age 5 years or younger completed questionnaires that assessed responses to hypothetical WW advice for their youngest child. Perceptions of advantage from WW and the capacity to monitor and manage symptoms predicted advice quality, physician trust, and future compliance both directly and indirectly through negative affect. The findings suggest the elaboration of advice response theory to include more aspects of advice content evaluation (e.g., advantage) and the influence of negative affect. The study also provides practical guidance for physicians seeking to improve caregiver reception of WW advice.

Weight Management Advice for Clients with Overweight or Obesity: Allied Health Professional Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzanne J. Snodgrass

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of obesity is increasing. The potential for allied health professionals to intervene through the provision of lifestyle advice is unknown. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of health professionals in the provision of dietary and physical activity advice for clients with overweight or obesity. Dietitians, exercise physiologists, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists (n = 296 working in New South Wales were surveyed using paper-based and online methods. The majority of health professionals (71% believed that providing weight management advice was within their scope of practice; 81% provided physical activity advice but only 57% provided dietary advice. Other than dietitians, few had received training in client weight management during their professional qualification (14% or continuing education (16%. Providing dietary advice was associated with: believing it was within their scope of practice (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.9–7.9, p < 0.01, training during their entry-level qualification (OR 7.2, 3.2–16.4, p < 0.01 and having departmental guidelines (OR 4.7, 2.1–10.9, p < 0.01. Most health professionals are willing to provide lifestyle advice to clients with overweight or obesity but few have received required training. Developing guidelines and training for in client weight management may potentially impact on rising obesity levels.

Expert System Application of Forward Chaining and Certainty Factors Method for The Decision of Contraception Tools

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Prambudi, Dwi Arief; Widodo, Catur Edi; Widodo, Aris Puji

2018-02-01

The choice of contraceptive tools is not an easy thing because the risks or effects will give impact on the body that never using it previously. in the other side, there is no contraception always suit for everybody because the circumstances of each body is different, so the extensive knowledge must be needed to know the advantages and disadvantages of each contraceptive tools then adjusted to the user's body.The expert system for contraceptive tools uses Forward Chaining search method combined with Certainty Factors Method. These method value the patient's indication. The Expert system gives the output data which define the kind of tool uses of the patient. the results obtained will be able to help people to find indications that lead to appropriate contraceptive tools and advice or suggestions about these tools. The success rate of the contraceptive tools decision experienced by experienced by the user by using forward chaining combined with the CF computation method is also influenced by the number of indication criteria selected by the user. Based on testing that has been done, expert system contraception tools has accuracy level equal to 75%.

Shari’a Compliant Finance: The Overlooked Element for Developing an Effective Financial System in Afghanistan

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-08

Increasing Role," 1. 13 Hafa Furqani and Ratna Mulyany, "Islamic Banking and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Malaysia ," Journal ofEconomic...oversight, retail banking, small and medium enterprise finance, and microfinance. USAID also provided advice on how to implement on-site examinations of... retail banking and small and medium enterprise finance, USAID assisted in the enactment of financial laws and regulations. To facilitate growth of small

The Mommy and Daddy Guide to Kindergarten: Real-Life Advice and Tips from Parents and Other Experts. A to Z.

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Bernard, Susan

Noting that kindergarten is a time of dramatic change for parents as well as for the kindergarten child, this book presents information on a variety of topics related to kindergarten education. The book is based on interviews with kindergarten teachers, principals, parents, and several experts from higher education involved in kindergarten…

Theory matters for financial advice!

OpenAIRE

Mayer, János; Hens, Thorsten

2013-01-01

We show that the optimal asset allocation for an investor depends crucially on the theory with which the investor is modeled. For the same market data and the same client data different theories lead to different portfolios. The market data we consider is standard asset allocation data. The client data is determined by a standard risk profiling question and the theories we apply are mean-variance analysis, expected utility analysis and cumulative prospect theory.

Magmaris preliminary recommendation upon commercial launch: a consensus from the expert panel on 14 April 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Fajadet, Jean; Haude, Michael; Joner, Michael; Koolen, Jacques; Lee, Michael; Tölg, Ralph; Waksman, Ron

2016-09-18

Bioresorbable scaffolds represent an exciting milestone in the development of coronary stent technology with the potential to substantially improve the management of patients with coronary artery disease. In an attempt to provide first recommendations for the technology, experienced experts involved in the first-in-man studies met in Zurich on the 14 April 2016 in order to reach consensus on a responsible market introduction. This document will be updated regularly as new information from clinical trials becomes available and should be understood as a review of current data, opportunities, expectations, advice, and recommendations for future investigations.

Parents’ professional sources of advice regarding child discipline and their use of corporal punishment

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Catherine A.; Moeller, William; Hamvas, Lauren; Rice, Janet C.

2014-01-01

Parents (n=500) were surveyed about which professional groups they were most likely to seek and follow advice from regarding child discipline as well as their use of corporal punishment (CP). Nearly half of parents reported that they were most likely to seek child discipline advice from pediatricians (48%), followed by religious leaders (21%) and mental health professionals (18%). Parents that sought advice from religious leaders (vs. pediatricians) had nearly 4 times the odds of reporting use of CP. Parents reported they were more likely to follow the advice of pediatricians than any other professional; however, Black parents were as likely to follow the advice of religious leaders as that of pediatricians. Pediatricians play a central role in advising parents about child discipline. Efforts to engage pediatricians in providing violence prevention counseling should continue. Increased efforts are needed to engage other professionals, especially religious leaders, in providing such advice to parents. PMID:23185082

Parents' professional sources of advice regarding child discipline and their use of corporal punishment.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Catherine A; Moeller, William; Hamvas, Lauren; Rice, Janet C

2013-02-01

Parents (n = 500) were surveyed about which professional groups they were most likely to seek and follow advice from regarding child discipline as well as their use of corporal punishment (CP). Nearly half of the parents reported that they were most likely to seek child discipline advice from pediatricians (48%), followed by religious leaders (21%) and mental health professionals (18%). Parents who sought advice from religious leaders (vs pediatricians) had nearly 4 times the odds of reporting use of CP. Parents reported that they were more likely to follow the advice of pediatricians than any other professional; however, black parents were as likely to follow the advice of religious leaders as that of pediatricians. Pediatricians play a central role in advising parents about child discipline. Efforts to engage pediatricians in providing violence prevention counseling should continue. Increased efforts are needed to engage other professionals, especially religious leaders, in providing such advice to parents.

Factors influencing compliance to tactical driver advice: an assessment using a think-aloud protocol

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Risto, Malte; Martens, Marieke Hendrikje

2013-01-01

Connected Cruise Control (CCC) is an in-car driver support systems that aims to improve throughput in dense motorway traffic by advising drivers how to drive. The system is currently under development within a HTAS project. It will integrate lane advice, headway advice and speed advice. CCC will not

Materiality in Public Sector Financial Audit: International Practice and the Opinion of Brazilian Experts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliane Madeira Leitão

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Materiality in private sector financial audit is a topic that has been relatively well developed in the literature. Specific research in this regard in public sector auditing, on the other hand, is scarce at the international level and absent in Brazil. In view of this, the purpose of this study was to identify the parameters used to determine materiality in public sector financial audit. To this end, we sent questionnaires to the 192 Supreme Audit Institutions that are members of INTOSAI and to 36 Brazilian public auditors, specialists in financial audit, who are staff members of the TCU or the CGU seeking information with respect to the Institutions’ guidelines and the auditors’ perceptions about materiality. Results reveal that expenditures, revenues and total assets are the benchmarks most recommended by respondents for defining materiality in the public sector. In addition, they recommended the adoption of percentages of up to 2% for each of these parameters in defining what is material. It was observed, as well, especially with respect to the effectiveness of internal control and to public expectations or interests, that qualitative aspects should be also taken into account in determining materiality, although a lesser degree of importance is attributed to this than to the quantitative aspects,. The study contributes to the accounting literature on the development of audits, particularly with respect to the use of a concept, materiality, that is always emphasized in professional standards, but about which there are few objective guidelines.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Identification of recruitment and retention strategies for rehabilitation professionals in Ontario, Canada: results from expert panels.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Diem; Hall, Linda McGillis; Davis, Aileen; Landry, Michel D; Burnett, Dawn; Berg, Katherine; Jaglal, Susan

2008-12-09

Demand for rehabilitation services is expected to increase due to factors such as an aging population, workforce pressures, rise in chronic and complex multi-system disorders, advances in technology, and changes in interprofessional health service delivery models. However, health human resource (HHR) strategies for Canadian rehabilitation professionals are lagging behind other professional groups such as physicians and nurses. The objectives of this study were: 1) to identify recruitment and retention strategies of rehabilitation professionals including occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech language pathologists from the literature; and 2) to investigate both the importance and feasibility of the identified strategies using expert panels amongst HHR and education experts. A review of the literature was conducted to identify recruitment and retention strategies for rehabilitation professionals. Two expert panels, one on Recruitment and Retention and the other on Education were convened to determine the importance and feasibility of the identified strategies. A modified-delphi process was used to gain consensus and to rate the identified strategies along these two dimensions. A total of 34 strategies were identified by the Recruitment and Retention and Education expert panels as being important and feasible for the development of a HHR plan for recruitment and retention of rehabilitation professionals. Seven were categorized under the Quality of Worklife and Work Environment theme, another seven in Financial Incentives and Marketing, two in Workload and Skill Mix, thirteen in Professional Development and five in Education and Training. Based on the results from the expert panels, the three major areas of focus for HHR planning in the rehabilitation sector should include strategies addressing Quality of Worklife and Work Environment, Financial Incentives and Marketing and Professional Development.

Best practice strategies to safeguard drug prescribing and drug administration: an anthology of expert views and opinions.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidling, Hanna M; Stützle, Marion; Hoppe-Tichy, Torsten; Allenet, Benoît; Bedouch, Pierrick; Bonnabry, Pascal; Coleman, Jamie J; Fernandez-Llimos, Fernando; Lovis, Christian; Rei, Maria Jose; Störzinger, Dominic; Taylor, Lenka A; Pontefract, Sarah K; van den Bemt, Patricia M L A; van der Sijs, Heleen; Haefeli, Walter E

2016-04-01

While evidence on implementation of medication safety strategies is increasing, reasons for selecting and relinquishing distinct strategies and details on implementation are typically not shared in published literature. We aimed to collect and structure expert information resulting from implementing medication safety strategies to provide advice for decision-makers. Medication safety experts with clinical expertise from thirteen hospitals throughout twelve European and North American countries shared their experience in workshop meetings, on-site-visits and remote structured interviews. We performed an expert-based, in-depth assessment of implementation of best-practice strategies to improve drug prescribing and drug administration. Workflow, variability and recommended medication safety strategies in drug prescribing and drug administration processes. According to the experts, institutions chose strategies that targeted process steps known to be particularly error-prone in the respective setting. Often, the selection was channeled by local constraints such as the e-health equipment and critically modulated by national context factors. In our study, the experts favored electronic prescribing with clinical decision support and medication reconciliation as most promising interventions. They agreed that self-assessment and introduction of medication safety boards were crucial to satisfy the setting-specific differences and foster successful implementation. While general evidence for implementation of strategies to improve medication safety exists, successful selection and adaptation of a distinct strategy requires a thorough knowledge of the institute-specific constraints and an ongoing monitoring and adjustment of the implemented measures.

NESSUS/EXPERT - An expert system for probabilistic structural analysis methods

Science.gov (United States)

Millwater, H.; Palmer, K.; Fink, P.

1988-01-01

An expert system (NESSUS/EXPERT) is presented which provides assistance in using probabilistic structural analysis methods. NESSUS/EXPERT is an interactive menu-driven expert system that provides information to assist in the use of the probabilistic finite element code NESSUS/FEM and the fast probability integrator. NESSUS/EXPERT was developed with a combination of FORTRAN and CLIPS, a C language expert system tool, to exploit the strengths of each language.

The Politics of Financial Regulation Expertise

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ban, Cornel; Seabrooke, Leonard; Freitas, Sarah

Who controls global policy debates on shadow banking regulation? By looking at the policy recommendations of the Bank of International Settlements, the International Monetary Fund and the Financial Stability Board, we show how experts tied to these institutions secured control over how shadow...... banking is treated. In so doing, these technocrats reinforced each other’s expertise and excluded some potential competitors (legal scholars), coopted others (select Fed and elite academic economists). The findings have important implications for studying the relationship between IOs technocrats...

Advice for salt, sugar and fat intake habits among adults: a national-based study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suele Manjourany Silva

2013-12-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION : A healthy diet is recognized as an important strategy for promoting health as an essential part of non-pharmacological therapy of various health problems. OBJECTIVE : To analyze the reported advice for the intake of salt, sugar and fat for the Brazilian adults living in urban areas. METHODOLOGY : National-based cross-sectional study with 12,402 adults interviewed in 100 Brazilian cities. RESULTS : The most prevalent advice was to low fat intake (38%, followed by the advice to low salt and sugar intake (36% and sugar (29%. The percentage of receiving different advice was similar and more common among women, older people, those with a partner, higher economic class, former smokers, active and in person with physician diagnoses of hypertension, diabetes and overweight. People with white skin color received more advice to eat healthy food, except for the orientation to low salt intake. CONCLUSION : The results show a low prevalence of advice, which configures a missed opportunity to prevent health problems. Although dietary counseling should not be understood only as the transmission of advice regarding some nutrients, it is important to develop actions in order to qualify services and health professionals, allowing the population to have access to qualified information about the benefits of having healthy lifestyles.

Meeting Summary of Kitchen Cabinet on Financial Due Diligence to Reduce Proliferation Risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hund, Gretchen; Weise, Rachel A.; Carr, Geoffrey A.

2016-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory convened the Kitchen Cabinet (KC) to facilitate a candid discussion about the role of financial institutions (FIs) in antiproliferation efforts to reduce nuclear proliferation risks by identifying suspicious business transactions and exports when making lending or insurance decisions. The meeting brought together a group of export control specialists, largely representatives from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Participating Governments (PGs) and finance experts representing banks and insurance companies. By assembling a KC of experts, the group could understand what suspicious transactions look like from each other's perspectives and better inform each of their operations. The goal was to develop red flags FIs could use to identify suspicious proliferation-related transactions and to help governments gain a clearer picture of proliferation using financial information.

MRSA Prevention Information and Advice for Athletes

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... and Team Healthcare Providers Prevention Information and Advice Posters for the Athletic Community General MRSA Information and ... site? Adobe PDF file Microsoft PowerPoint file Microsoft Word file Microsoft Excel file Audio/Video file Apple ...

Advice on drug safety in pregnancy: are there differences between commonly used sources of information?

Science.gov (United States)

Frost Widnes, Sofia K; Schjøtt, Jan

2008-01-01

Safety regarding use in pregnancy is not established for many drugs. Inconsistencies between sources providing drug information can give rise to confusion with possible therapeutic consequences. Therefore, it is important to measure clinically important differences between drug information sources. The objective of this study was to compare two easily accessible Norwegian sources providing advice on drug safety in pregnancy - the product monographs in the Felleskatalog (FK), published by the pharmaceutical companies, and the five regional Drug Information Centres (DICs) in Norway - in addition to assessing the frequency of questions regarding drug safety in pregnancy made to the DICs according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system. Advice on drug use in pregnancy provided by the DICs in 2003 and 2005 were compared with advice in the product monographs for the respective drugs in the FK. Comparison of advice was based on categorization to one of four categories: can be used, benefit-risk assessment, should not be used, or no available information. A total of 443 drug advice were categorized. Seven out of ten of drugs frequently enquired about, according to the ATC system, were drugs acting on the nervous system (group N). For 208 (47%) of the drugs, advice differed between the DICs and FK. Advice from the FK was significantly (p drugs that were newly introduced and those that had been on the market for a longer time, advice regarding use of drugs in the first trimester and advice regarding use of drugs in the second or third trimester, or between advice provided during 2003 and during 2005. The results of this study show considerable differences between two Norwegian sources providing advice on the use of drugs in pregnancy. Based on the knowledge that healthcare providers choose sources of information in a random manner, our results may be of clinical importance. We believe that the problem with heterogeneous drug information on this

Expert systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haldy, P.A.

1988-01-01

The definitions of the terms 'artificial intelligence' and 'expert systems', the methodology, areas of employment and limits of expert systems are discussed. The operation of an expert system is described, especially the presentation and organization of knowledge as well as interference and control. Methods and tools for expert system development are presented and their application in nuclear energy are briefly addressed. 7 figs., 2 tabs., 6 refs

Why moral philosophers are not and should not be moral experts.

Science.gov (United States)

Archard, David

2011-03-01

Professional philosophers are members of bioethical committees and regulatory bodies in areas of interest to bioethicists. This suggests they possess moral expertise even if they do not exercise it directly and without constraint. Moral expertise is defined, and four arguments given in support of scepticism about their possession of such expertise are considered and rejected: the existence of extreme disagreement between moral philosophers about moral matters; the lack of a means clearly to identify moral experts; that expertise cannot be claimed in that which lacks objectivity; and that ordinary people do not follow the advice of moral experts. I offer a better reason for scepticism grounded in the relation between moral philosophy and common-sense morality: namely that modern moral philosophy views even a developed moral theory as ultimately anchored in common-sense morality, that set of basic moral precepts which ordinary individuals have command of and use to regulate their own lives. Even if moral philosophers do nevertheless have a limited moral expertise, in that they alone can fully develop a set of moral judgments, I sketch reasons - grounded in the values of autonomy and of democracy - why moral philosophers should not wish non-philosophers to defer to their putative expertise. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Expert Meeting Report: Energy Savings You Can Bank On

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beman, M.; Springer, J.; Smith, P.; Porse, E.

2013-02-01

In October 2011, ARBI organized and conducted an Experts' Meeting on the topic of performance guarantees and financing vehicles for Energy Efficiency Upgrades. The meeting brought together technical, policy, and financial experts, including researchers, experienced installation contractors, and innovative energy business leaders, in order to discuss the opportunities and challenges for the energy efficiency upgrade industry to increase market uptake of Home Energy Upgrades (HEUs) through innovative offerings, such as performance guarantees. The meeting had several primary goals. First, it sought to understand how other industries have developed successful models for financing renewable energy installations while providing performance guarantees. This has been most recently demonstrated by the solar leasing industry. Second, the meeting explored the applicability of such business models to the energy efficiency upgrade industry. Third, the meeting sought to identify technical impediments to performance guarantees for energy efficiency retrofits. Fourth, the meeting sought to provide a common framework for these goals within the context of current financing mechanisms for energy efficiency upgrades.

Empowering Girls through Sport? Sports Advice Books for Young Female Readers

Science.gov (United States)

Heinecken, Dawn

2016-01-01

Advice books by female athletes are among the top selling sports books for young readers in the US. Though they have received little attention to date, sports advice books are important to examine because of how they function as a form of conduct manual instructing girls in specific understandings of female identity. Implying that girls face…

Maintaining clinical governance when giving telephone advice.

Science.gov (United States)

Alazawi, William; Agarwal, Kosh; Suddle, Abid; Aluvihare, Varuna; Heneghan, Michael A

2013-10-01

Delivering excellent healthcare depends on accurate communication between professionals who may be in different locations. Frequently, the first point of contact with the liver unit at King's College Hospital (KCH) is through a telephone call to a specialist registrar or liver fellow, for whom no case notes are available in which to record information. The aim of this study was to improve the clinical governance of telephone referrals and to generate contemporaneous records that could be easily retrieved and audited. An electronic database for telephone referrals and advice was designed and made securely available to registrars in our unit. Service development in a tertiary liver centre that receives referrals from across the UK and Europe. Demographic and clinical data were recorded prospectively and analysed retrospectively. Data from 350 calls were entered during 5 months. The information included the nature and origin of the call (200 from 75 different institutions), disease burden and severity of disease among the patients discussed with KCH, and outcome of the call. The majority of cases were discussed with consultants or arrangements were made for formal review at KCH. A telephone referrals and advice database provides clinical governance, serves as a quality indicator and forms a contemporaneous record at the referral centre. Activity data and knowledge of disease burden help to tailor services to the needs of referrers and commissioners. We recommend implementation of similar models in other centres that give extramural verbal advice.

Reinforcement learning agents providing advice in complex video games

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Matthew E.; Carboni, Nicholas; Fachantidis, Anestis; Vlahavas, Ioannis; Torrey, Lisa

2014-01-01

This article introduces a teacher-student framework for reinforcement learning, synthesising and extending material that appeared in conference proceedings [Torrey, L., & Taylor, M. E. (2013)]. Teaching on a budget: Agents advising agents in reinforcement learning. {Proceedings of the international conference on autonomous agents and multiagent systems}] and in a non-archival workshop paper [Carboni, N., &Taylor, M. E. (2013, May)]. Preliminary results for 1 vs. 1 tactics in StarCraft. {Proceedings of the adaptive and learning agents workshop (at AAMAS-13)}]. In this framework, a teacher agent instructs a student agent by suggesting actions the student should take as it learns. However, the teacher may only give such advice a limited number of times. We present several novel algorithms that teachers can use to budget their advice effectively, and we evaluate them in two complex video games: StarCraft and Pac-Man. Our results show that the same amount of advice, given at different moments, can have different effects on student learning, and that teachers can significantly affect student learning even when students use different learning methods and state representations.

A survey of exercise advice and recommendations in United Kingdom paediatric cardiac clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Craig A; Gowing, Lucy; Horn, Richard; Stuart, Alan Graham

2017-07-01

Physical activity and exercise have important health benefits for children and adolescents with CHD. The objective of this study was to survey the provision of advice and recommendations in United Kingdom paediatric CHD clinics. A three-page questionnaire was sent out to paediatric cardiac consultants in the United Kingdom, paediatric consultants with expertise in cardiology, and nursing staff (Paediatricians with Expertise in Cardiology Special Interest Group), as well as all members of the British Congenital Cardiovascular Association. The aim of this questionnaire was to determine the extent and scope of current information provision and to assess the importance that clinicians place on this advice. There were 68 responses in total, and the data showed that, of these, 24 (36%) clinicians had never provided paediatric CHD patients with written advice about exercise. Only 27 (39%) clinicians provided physical activity advice at every appointment. Lack of time during consultation (n=39, 56.9%), lack of training (n=38, 55.2%), and uncertainty about appropriate recommendations (n=38, 55.2%) were identified as the main factors preventing clinicians from providing patients with advice about physical activity. Although healthcare providers consider physical activity to be very important, the provision of clear, specific advice and recommendations is underutilised; therefore, more education and provision of resources to support the promotion of exercise need to be provided to clinicians and their support teams.

Expert Systems

OpenAIRE

Lucas, P.J.F.

2005-01-01

Expert systems mimic the problem-solving activity of human experts in specialized domains by capturing and representing expert knowledge. Expert systems include a knowledge base, an inference engine that derives conclusions from the knowledge, and a user interface. Knowledge may be stored as if-then rules, orusing other formalisms such as frames and predicate logic. Uncertain knowledge may be represented using certainty factors, Bayesian networks, Dempster-Shafer belief functions, or fuzzy se...

Linked analysis for definition of nurse advice line syndrome groups, and comparison to encounters.

Science.gov (United States)

Magruder, Steven F; Henry, J; Snyde, M

2005-08-26

Nurse advice call centers are a potentially important source of data for syndromic surveillance purposes. For this reason, researchers at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS) have been collaborating to develop methods to use this data within the ESSENCE II Syndromic Surveillance System in the National Capital Region. The objective of this report is to present a general method for finding syndrome groups in data sources that can be linked to physician encounters and to determine effective advice call syndrome groups for use with KPMAS advice data. Advice calls are linked to physician encounters and stratified by patient age. They are placed in groups according to a maximum positive predictive value criterion. The groups are evaluated by correlating the resulting syndrome time series against physician encounter data. Potentially useful advice syndrome groups are found for respiratory, lower gastrointestinal (GI), and total GI syndromes for each age stratum. The time series of the advice data for respiratory, lower GI, and upper GI syndromes accurately predict the physician encounter time series for the corresponding syndromes for each age stratum.

Human Factors in Financial Trading

Science.gov (United States)

Leaver, Meghan; Reader, Tom W.

2016-01-01

Objective This study tests the reliability of a system (FINANS) to collect and analyze incident reports in the financial trading domain and is guided by a human factors taxonomy used to describe error in the trading domain. Background Research indicates the utility of applying human factors theory to understand error in finance, yet empirical research is lacking. We report on the development of the first system for capturing and analyzing human factors–related issues in operational trading incidents. Method In the first study, 20 incidents are analyzed by an expert user group against a referent standard to establish the reliability of FINANS. In the second study, 750 incidents are analyzed using distribution, mean, pathway, and associative analysis to describe the data. Results Kappa scores indicate that categories within FINANS can be reliably used to identify and extract data on human factors–related problems underlying trading incidents. Approximately 1% of trades (n = 750) lead to an incident. Slip/lapse (61%), situation awareness (51%), and teamwork (40%) were found to be the most common problems underlying incidents. For the most serious incidents, problems in situation awareness and teamwork were most common. Conclusion We show that (a) experts in the trading domain can reliably and accurately code human factors in incidents, (b) 1% of trades incur error, and (c) poor teamwork skills and situation awareness underpin the most critical incidents. Application This research provides data crucial for ameliorating risk within financial trading organizations, with implications for regulation and policy. PMID:27142394

Maternal perceptions of advice on sleep in young children: How, what, and when?

Science.gov (United States)

Hatton, Rosalind E M; Gardani, Maria

2018-05-01

Parental knowledge on sleep hygiene in children may be a contributing factor for sleep difficulties in preschoolers. As sleep is crucial for healthy development, it is important to understand how parental knowledge can be improved. The aim of this qualitative study was to develop an understanding of advice available in the United Kingdom (UK) on sleep in young children. This study employed constructivist grounded theory methodology. Participants were recruited via social media and a previously constructed participant database. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed. Fourteen mothers were interviewed independently, whilst one mother was interviewed together with her husband. Themes relating to how UK mothers wish advice on sleep to be formulated, what they believe it should include and when they would like to receive it, were identified from the data. Specifically, this study suggests that UK mothers value experience and thus recommends that advice be made through collaboration projects involving both professionals and parents. It also suggests that advice should be readily available and given to expecting parents prior to the arrival of their baby as well as at regular follow-ups. In addition, the participating mothers wanted advice to be balanced and non-judgemental. This study looks at the views of mainly White British mothers currently residing within the United Kingdom. Thus, it may not represent the views of everyone in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, it still makes important recommendations for practice. For example, relationships between health professionals and parents need to be improved and information on different sleeping practices widely dispersed. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Poor sleep is common in young children. Young children's sleep quality can be affected by parental behaviours. Parents lack knowledge of sleep in young children. What does this study add? According to this study: It would

Distinctions, Affiliations, and Professional Knowledge in Financial Reform Commissions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seabrooke, Leonard; Tsingou, Eleni

the different stresses in reports with and without clear mandates, and the role of important members of the policy community in promoting particular reform ideas. The article finds that differences in ideas emerging from the financial reform expert groups reflect nested power relationships in the commissioning...... the reports. Fractal distinctions, such as between ‘behavior’ or ‘system’ as a reform focus, allow us to locate the object of regulation within expert groups, experts’ professional context, and the politics behind the commissioning of work. Analyzing fractal distinctions provides a useful way to understand...... of work, constituent audiences, and reform priorities among governing institutions, rather than distinct ‘European’ and ‘American’ ideas....

Acute asthma severity identification of expert system flow in emergency department

Science.gov (United States)

Sharif, Nurul Atikah Mohd; Ahmad, Norazura; Ahmad, Nazihah; Desa, Wan Laailatul Hanim Mat

2017-11-01

Integration of computerized system in healthcare management help in smoothening the documentation of patient records, highly accesses of knowledge and clinical practices guideline, and advice on decision making. Exploit the advancement of artificial intelligent such as fuzzy logic and rule-based reasoning may improve the management of emergency department in terms of uncertainty condition and medical practices adherence towards clinical guideline. This paper presenting details of the emergency department flow for acute asthma severity identification with the embedding of acute asthma severity identification expert system (AASIES). Currently, AASIES is still in preliminary stage of system validation. However, the implementation of AASIES in asthma bay management is hope can reduce the usage of paper for manual documentation and be a pioneer for the development of a more complex decision support system to smoothen the ED management and more systematic.

Personalized nutrition advice : an everyday-life perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouwman, L.I.

2009-01-01

This thesis presents societal preconditions for Personalized Nutrition Advice (PNA) that result from an everyday-life perspective on this innovative approach. Generally, PNA is regarded as promising, because it provides users with highly specific information on individual health risks and benefits

[Pharmaceutical advice concerning different pharmaceutical dosage forms].

Science.gov (United States)

Szakonyi, Gergely; Zelkó, Romána

2010-01-01

The present paper summarizes the commonly applied types of drug uptake and the pharmacists' advice concerning a certain dosage form. The manuscript also deals with the modified release dosage forms and their abbreviations in the name of the marketing authorized products.

Comparing the use of an online expert health network against common information sources to answer health questions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhebergen, Martijn D F; Lenderink, Annet F; van Dijk, Frank J H; Hulshof, Carel T J

2012-02-02

Many workers have questions about occupational safety and health (OSH). It is unknown whether workers are able to find correct, evidence-based answers to OSH questions when they use common information sources, such as websites, or whether they would benefit from using an easily accessible, free-of-charge online network of OSH experts providing advice. To assess the rate of correct, evidence-based answers to OSH questions in a group of workers who used an online network of OSH experts (intervention group) compared with a group of workers who used common information sources (control group). In a quasi-experimental study, workers in the intervention and control groups were randomly offered 2 questions from a pool of 16 standardized OSH questions. Both questions were sent by mail to all participants, who had 3 weeks to answer them. The intervention group was instructed to use only the online network ArboAntwoord, a network of about 80 OSH experts, to solve the questions. The control group was instructed that they could use all information sources available to them. To assess answer correctness as the main study outcome, 16 standardized correct model answers were constructed with the help of reviewers who performed literature searches. Subsequently, the answers provided by all participants in the intervention (n = 94 answers) and control groups (n = 124 answers) were blinded and compared with the correct model answers on the degree of correctness. Of the 94 answers given by participants in the intervention group, 58 were correct (62%), compared with 24 of the 124 answers (19%) in the control group, who mainly used informational websites found via Google. The difference between the 2 groups was significant (rate difference = 43%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 30%-54%). Additional analysis showed that the rate of correct main conclusions of the answers was 85 of 94 answers (90%) in the intervention group and 75 of 124 answers (61%) in the control group (rate difference

Utilisation of Business Advice in Small Innovative Firms: the Role of Trust and Tacit Knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna Łobacz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this paper is to expand the understanding of the influence of trust relationship, as well as tacit knowledge on the process of business advice utilisation in small innovative firms. Research Design & Methods: The  analysis  is  based  on  empirical  research  conducted with the use of the explorative approach. The multiple case study methodology was used. Findings: Trust relationships as well as tacit knowledge were identified as factors essential to the process of utilisation of business advice in small innovative firms. It was recognised that the significance of both factors is related not only to the process of advice, but also as a purpose of activities happening prior to advice. They are referred to as the initial phase. Implications & Recommendations: The  findings  provide  implications  for  further  research of the structure of the process of business advice utilisation. It is related to the inclusion of the “initial phase”, as well as to the  necessity to include both factors in further research. The paper also provides implicationsrelated to the measurement of business advice output, and recommendations on the construction of public policy instruments. Contribution & Value Added: The originality of this work lies in using the process perspective and qualitative methodology in the field of the utilisation of business advice. It extends our understanding of the processes of business advice with regard to trust, as well as the use of tacit knowledge. The original contribution is to add the “initial phase” to the description of the business advice process.

Identification of recruitment and retention strategies for rehabilitation professionals in Ontario, Canada: results from expert panels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Landry Michel D

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Demand for rehabilitation services is expected to increase due to factors such as an aging population, workforce pressures, rise in chronic and complex multi-system disorders, advances in technology, and changes in interprofessional health service delivery models. However, health human resource (HHR strategies for Canadian rehabilitation professionals are lagging behind other professional groups such as physicians and nurses. The objectives of this study were: 1 to identify recruitment and retention strategies of rehabilitation professionals including occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech language pathologists from the literature; and 2 to investigate both the importance and feasibility of the identified strategies using expert panels amongst HHR and education experts. Methods A review of the literature was conducted to identify recruitment and retention strategies for rehabilitation professionals. Two expert panels, one on Recruitment and Retention and the other on Education were convened to determine the importance and feasibility of the identified strategies. A modified-delphi process was used to gain consensus and to rate the identified strategies along these two dimensions. Results A total of 34 strategies were identified by the Recruitment and Retention and Education expert panels as being important and feasible for the development of a HHR plan for recruitment and retention of rehabilitation professionals. Seven were categorized under the Quality of Worklife and Work Environment theme, another seven in Financial Incentives and Marketing, two in Workload and Skill Mix, thirteen in Professional Development and five in Education and Training. Conclusion Based on the results from the expert panels, the three major areas of focus for HHR planning in the rehabilitation sector should include strategies addressing Quality of Worklife and Work Environment, Financial Incentives and Marketing and Professional

Informing decision making in agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation policy: A Best–Worst Scaling survey of expert and farmer opinion in the sheep industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, A.K.; Jones, D.L.; Edwards-Jones, G.; Cross, P.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Effectiveness and practicality of greenhouse gas mitigation measures are assessed. ► Best–Worst Scaling surveys are used to elicit expert and sheep farmer opinion. ► Effective and practical measures are priority candidates for policy inclusion. ► Support mechanisms may be needed to deliver effective, low practicality measures. ► Variation in farmers’ perceptions of practicality holds implications for policy delivery. -- Abstract: Policy decision making for agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation is hindered by scientific uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of mitigation measures. Successful on-farm adoption of measures is contingent upon farmer perception of the relative practicality of implementing the measure and associated incentives and advice. In the absence of a comprehensive evidence base we utilised Best–Worst Scaling, a discrete choice survey method, to elicit expert and farmer opinion on the relative effectiveness and practicality of mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from sheep production systems. The method enabled individual mitigation measures to be ranked on a ratio scale of effectiveness (expert opinion) and practicality (farmer opinion). Six measures were identified as possessing the combined qualities of effectiveness and practicality and are considered priority candidates for policy promotion. The overall preferred measure was the use of legumes in pasture reseed mixes. Estimation and analysis of the distribution of individual respondent scores revealed heterogeneity in farmers’ perceptions of practicality, suggesting that flexible policies are required to enable farmers to select mitigation measures most suited to their farm type and locality. Practical measures with below average effectiveness may be widely adopted with limited regulation, incentivisation or advice, whilst some highly effective measures with lower practicality are likely to present greater obstacles to adoption

Expert - Non-expert differences in visual behaviour during alpine slalom skiing.

Science.gov (United States)

Decroix, Marjolein; Wazir, Mohd Rozilee Wazir Norjali; Zeuwts, Linus; Deconinck, Frederik F J A; Lenoir, Matthieu; Vansteenkiste, Pieter

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to investigate visual behaviour of expert and non-expert ski athletes during an alpine slalom. Fourteen non-experts and five expert slalom skiers completed an alpine slalom course in an indoor ski slope while wearing a head-mounted eye tracking device. Experts completed the slalom clearly faster than non-experts, but no significant difference was found in timing and position of the turn initiation. Although both groups already looked at future obstacles approximately 0,5s before passing the upcoming pole, the higher speed of experts implied that they shifted gaze spatially earlier in the bend than non-experts. Furthermore, experts focussed more on the second next pole while non-expert slalom skiers looked more to the snow surface immediately in front of their body. No difference was found in the fixation frequency, average fixation duration, and quiet eye duration between both groups. These results suggest that experts focus on the timing of their actions while non-experts still need to pay attention to the execution of these actions. These results also might suggest that ski trainers should instruct non-experts and experts to focus on the next pole and, shift their gaze to the second next pole shortly before reaching it. Based on the current study it seems unadvisable to instruct slalom skiers to look several poles ahead during the actual slalom. However, future research should test if these results still hold on a real outdoor slope, including multiple vertical gates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Smoking cessation advice in consultations with health problems not related to smoking?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guassora, Ann Dorrit Kristiane; Baarts, Charlotte

2010-01-01

and was primarily discussed if it posed a particular risk to a particular patient. Smoking cessation advice also occurred in conversations addressing the patient ’ s well-being. If occurring without any other readable frame, smoking cessation advice was apt to be perceived by patients as part of a public campaign...

The visual advice centre Eindhoven, an experiment in Dutch low vision care

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neve, J.J.; Jorritsma, F.F.; Kinds, G.F.; Kooijman, A.C.; Looijestijn, P.L.; Welling, J.A.; Wildt, van der G.J.

1994-01-01

The Visual Advice Centre Eindhoven (VAC-E) provides the partially sighted with advice and prescriptions for low vision aids and illumination on the basis of an examination of their individual needs and their residual visual abilities. In the Dutch context of low vision care the V AC-E can be

Following celebrities’ medical advice: meta-narrative analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Charlie

2013-01-01

Objective To synthesise what is known about how celebrities influence people’s decisions on health. Design Meta-narrative analysis of economics, marketing, psychology, and sociology literatures. Data sources Systematic searches of electronic databases: BusinessSource Complete (1886-), Communication & Mass Media Complete (1915-), Humanities Abstracts (1984-), ProQuest Political Science (1985-), PsycINFO (1806-), PubMed (1966-), and Sociology Abstracts (1952-). Inclusion criteria Studies discussing mechanisms of celebrities’ influence on people in any context. Results Economics literature shows that celebrity endorsements act as signals of credibility that differentiate products or ideas from competitors and can catalyse herd behaviour. Marketing studies show that celebrities transfer their desirable attributes to products and use their success to boost their perceived credibility. Psychology shows that people are classically conditioned to react positively to the advice of celebrities, experience cognitive dissonance if they do not, and are influenced by congruencies with their self conceptions. Sociology helps explain the spread of celebrity medical advice as a contagion that diffuses through social networks and people’s desire to acquire celebrities’ social capital. Conclusions The influence of celebrity status is a deeply rooted process that can be harnessed for good or abused for harm. A better understanding of celebrity can empower health professionals to take this phenomenon seriously and use patient encounters to educate the public about sources of health information and their trustworthiness. Public health authorities can use these insights to implement regulations and restrictions on celebrity endorsements and design counter marketing initiatives—perhaps even partnering with celebrities—to discredit bogus medical advice while promoting evidence based practices.

Evidence-based first aid advice for paediatric burns in the United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Varley, Alice; Sarginson, Julia; Young, Amber

2016-05-01

Burn and scald injuries are common in children. First aid advice for paediatric burns is offered by a range of health organisations and charities in the UK. Despite this, children still present to emergency departments and burn services having received little or inadequate first aid. A survey was undertaken regarding the content and consistency of the advice given by a cross-section of UK health organisations involved in first aid prevention and education. The advice was subsequently examined to determine if it was evidence-based. Our study has demonstrated inconsistencies in the content of the first aid advice provided by the 21 organisations included in the study. Seventy-one percent of the information was only available online. The temperature, method and duration of cooling varied substantially, as did the advice recommended for the removal of clothing and jewellery and methods for covering the burn immediately after injury. Results from the literature review concluded the following based on available evidence; cool the burn with running tap water for 20min, remove clothing and jewellery and cover the burn with cling film or a clean non-adhesive dressing. This study highlights the lack of consistency between first aid guidance provided by health organisations and charities in the UK. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Board advice following publication of the 1990 Recommendations of ICRP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-11-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has published new Recommendations and the Board has a statutory duty to advise Government and those with responsibilities for radiation protection on the acceptability to and the applicability in the UK of those Recommendations. The Board wishes to consult widely before finalising the advice which is proposed in this document. In general, the Board endorses the conceptual framework for radiological protection recommended by ICRP. In particular, the distinction between practices and intervention is useful and is consistent with the way in which the Board has presented its recent advice. A major new concept is that of a constraint. The Board believes that the introduction of constraints provides a powerful method for improving protection against ionising radiation. The advice in this consultative document is for maximum generic values of dose constraints for both workers and the public. Finally the Board proposes to endorse the use of the radiological quantities recommended by ICRP. (author)

Board advice following publication of the 1990 Recommendations of ICRP

CERN Document Server

United Kingdom. At. Energy Res. Establ. Nat. Radiolog. Protect. Board. Harwell

1991-01-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has published new Recommendations and the board has a statutory duty to advise Government and those with responsibilities for radiation protection on the acceptability to and the applicability in the UK of those Recommendations. The Board wishes to consult widely before finalising the advice which is proposed in this document. In general, the Board endorses the conceptual framework for radiological protection recommended by ICRP. In particular, the distinction between practices and intervention is useful and is consistent with the way in which the Board has presented its recent advice. A major new concept is that of a constraint. The Board believes that the introduction of constraints provides a powerful method for improving protection against ionising radiation. The advice in this consultative document is for maximum generic values of dose constraints for both workers and the public. Finally the Board proposes to endorse the use of the radiologic...

Destination image and crime in Mexico: An analysis of foreign government travel advice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Carlos Monterrubio

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Destination image has been recognised as an influential component of travel decision processes. Although organic sources of information play an important role in shaping destination image, researchers have often ignored the types of sources and the information they deliver. In particular, official websites where government travel advice is given, especially in relation to crime, have been widely excluded from scholarly research. This paper analyses the relationship between crime-related travel advice given by foreign governments and Mexico’s destination image. Qualitative content analysis of official websites from the US, Canada, the UK and Spain reveals that the travel advice given relates largely to the violence and insecurity that Mexico is currently experiencing. “No advisory in effect”, “Exercise caution” and “Defer non-essential travel” are messages commonly found in the governments’ travel advice about Mexico.

A New Paradigm in Mortgage Loan Advice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Otterstedt, Margrét Sesselja; Rasmussen, Kourosh Marjani; Kulahci, Murat

2013-01-01

The Danish mortgage market has undergone considerable changes during the last 15 years. New and more complex variations of loan products have been introduced. Nevertheless, mortgage loan advice has remained, by large, unchanged. This paper addresses a study where a number of new refinancing rules...

Improving energy decisions towards better scientific policy advice for a safe and secure future energy system

CERN Document Server

Droste-Franke, Bert; Kaiser, M; Schreurs, Miranda; Weber, Christoph; Ziesemer, Thomas

2015-01-01

Managing a successful transition of the current energy supply system to less carbon emitting options, ensuring a safe and secure supply during the whole process and in the long term, is one of the largest challenges of our time. Various approaches and first implementations show that it is not only technological issue, but also a matter of societal acceptance and acceptability, considering basic ethic values of the society. The main foci of the book are, thus, to develop an understanding about the specific challenges of the scientific policy advice in the area, to explore typical current approaches for the analysis of future energy systems and to develop criteria for the quality assessment and guidelines for the improvement of such studies. The book provides assistance to the interpretation of existing studies and guidelines for setting up and carrying out new analyses as well as for communicating and applying the results. Thereby, it aims to support the involved actors such as the respective scientific expert...

Inequalities in advice provided by public health workers to women during antenatal sessions in rural India.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Abhishek; Pallikadavath, Saseendran; Ram, Faujdar; Ogollah, Reuben

2012-01-01

Studies have widely documented the socioeconomic inequalities in maternal and child health related outcomes in developing countries including India. However, there is limited research on the inequalities in advice provided by public health workers on maternal and child health during antenatal visits. This paper investigates the inequalities in advice provided by public health workers to women during antenatal visits in rural India. The District Level Household Survey (2007-08) was used to compute rich-poor ratios and concentration indices. Binary logistic regressions were used to investigate inequalities in advice provided by public health workers. The dependent variables comprised the advice provided on seven essential components of maternal and child health care. A significant proportion of pregnant women who attended at least four ANC sessions were not advised on these components during their antenatal sessions. Only 51%-72% of the pregnant women were advised on at least one of the components. Moreover, socioeconomic inequalities in providing advice were significant and the provision of advice concentrated disproportionately among the rich. Inequalities were highest in the case of advice on family planning methods. Advice on breastfeeding was least unequal. Public health workers working in lower level health facilities were significantly less likely than their counterparts in the higher level health facilities to provide specific advice. A significant proportion of women were not advised on recommended components of maternal and child health in rural India. Moreover, there were enormous socioeconomic inequalities. The findings of this study raise questions about the capacity of the public health care system in providing equitable services in India. The Government of India must focus on training and capacity building of the public health workers in communication skills so that they can deliver appropriate and recommended advice to all clients, irrespective of

Inequalities in advice provided by public health workers to women during antenatal sessions in rural India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhishek Singh

Full Text Available Studies have widely documented the socioeconomic inequalities in maternal and child health related outcomes in developing countries including India. However, there is limited research on the inequalities in advice provided by public health workers on maternal and child health during antenatal visits. This paper investigates the inequalities in advice provided by public health workers to women during antenatal visits in rural India.The District Level Household Survey (2007-08 was used to compute rich-poor ratios and concentration indices. Binary logistic regressions were used to investigate inequalities in advice provided by public health workers. The dependent variables comprised the advice provided on seven essential components of maternal and child health care. A significant proportion of pregnant women who attended at least four ANC sessions were not advised on these components during their antenatal sessions. Only 51%-72% of the pregnant women were advised on at least one of the components. Moreover, socioeconomic inequalities in providing advice were significant and the provision of advice concentrated disproportionately among the rich. Inequalities were highest in the case of advice on family planning methods. Advice on breastfeeding was least unequal. Public health workers working in lower level health facilities were significantly less likely than their counterparts in the higher level health facilities to provide specific advice.A significant proportion of women were not advised on recommended components of maternal and child health in rural India. Moreover, there were enormous socioeconomic inequalities. The findings of this study raise questions about the capacity of the public health care system in providing equitable services in India. The Government of India must focus on training and capacity building of the public health workers in communication skills so that they can deliver appropriate and recommended advice to all clients

A Quality, Benefit, Cost, and Financial Framework for Health Information Technology, E-Prescribing: A Delphi Study.

Science.gov (United States)

DeMuro, Paul R; Ash, Joan; Middleton, Blackford; Fletcher, Justin; Madison, Cecelia J

2017-01-01

Little research has been conducted about the quality, benefits, costs, and financial considerations associated with health information technology (HIT), particularly informatics technologies, such as e-prescribing, from the perspective of all its stakeholders. This research effort sought to identify the stakeholders involved in e-prescribing and to identify and rank-order the positives and the negatives from the perspective of the stakeholders to create a framework to assist in the development of incentives and payment mechanisms which result in better managed care. The Delphi method was employed by enlisting a panel of experts. They were presented with the results of initial research in an online survey of questions which sought to prioritize the quality, benefit, cost, and financial effects of e-prescribing from the perspective of each stakeholder. From the results of this study, a framework was presented to framework experts. The experts added stakeholders and positives and negatives to the initial lists and rank-ordered the positives and negatives of e-prescribing from the perspective of each stakeholder. The aggregate results were summarized by category of stakeholder. The framework experts evaluated the framework. Positives and negatives can be rank-ordered from the perspective of each stakeholder. A useful framework was created.

Health behaviour advice from health professionals to Canadian adults with hypertension: results from a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Robin L; Gee, Marianne E; Bancej, Christina; Nolan, Robert P; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Joffres, Michel; Bienek, Asako; Gwadry-Sridhar, Femida; Campbell, Norman R C

2011-01-01

Health professionals play an important role in providing health information to patients. The objectives of this study were to examine the type of advice that Canadians with hypertension recall receiving from health professionals to manage their condition, and to assess if there is an association between health behaviour advice provided by health professionals and self-reported engagement in health behaviour modification. Respondents of the 2009 Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada (N = 6142) were asked about sociodemographic characteristics, health care utilization, and health behaviour modification to control hypertension. Association between receipt of advice from health professional and ever engaging, continuing to engage, and not engaging in health behaviour modification was quantified by prevalence rate ratios. Most participants (90.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 89.6-92.2) reported that the health professional most responsible for treating their high blood pressure was their general practitioner. Approximately 9% reported that they had not received or do not recall receiving any advice for blood pressure control. The most commonly reported advice received from a health professional was to participate in physical activity or exercise (70.0%). Respondents who had received advice on health behaviour change to manage their high blood pressure were more likely to report engaging in the behaviour compared with those who did not receive such advice. Many Canadians with hypertension receive health behaviour change advice from their health professionals. Receiving this advice was associated with a greater likelihood of attempting health behaviour change and attempting to sustain that change. Copyright © 2011 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. All rights reserved.

Financial Resources Allocation of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esmaeil Afiyan

2015-08-01

Full Text Available ​ Background and Objectives : According to complexity of resource allocation, issue about how to allocate health care resources in an accurate and fair manner has become the subject of discussions and decisions of related groups. Therefore, in this research we aim to study the methods of financial resource allocation of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in order to identify its strengths and weaknesses for its promotion. Material and Methods : This study is a descriptive, qualitative sectional research and all comments have been collected by focus group discussions with experts and managers involved in the allocation of financial resources of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. All factors affecting the process of allocation have been reviewd carefully. Results : Results suggested that except the health sector, none of the other sectors use the formulated  and scientific methods for allocating financial resources and despite the emphasize in the 4th development plan for operating funding, the final cost of the services, has no role in allocating financial resources. Conclusion : Regarding to judgmental and subjective method of financial resources allocation of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and lack of documented and formulated methods, there is an essential need for developing an appropriate and formulated model for scientific allocation of financial resources in order to improve the efficiency and fairness of the allocation.

77 FR 48169 - The Information Technology Agreement: Advice and Information on the Proposed Expansion: Part 1...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-13

... Information Technology Agreement: Advice and Information on the Proposed Expansion: Part 1; The Information Technology Agreement: Advice and Information on the Proposed Expansion: Part 2 AGENCY: United States... Technology Agreement: Advice and Information on the Proposed Expansion: Part 1, and investigation No. 332-536...

Researchers and experts faced with legal issues in radon affairs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massuelle, M.; Pirard, P.; Hubert, P.

1998-01-01

In France, radon has emerged as a public health issue mainly at the initiative of scientists. Public authorities are currently considering regulations but for a long time scientists faced the radon issue alone. As a consequence, scientists were involved and are still involved in producing knowledge, in informing about their results, in giving advice to various bodies and individuals, and in participating in the process of technical standardization. These functions are identified in the paper in order to sketch out a typology of different situations, formal and informal, in which researchers transformed into experts are called to collaborate. During their missions related to radon, experts are exposed to 'legal risks', particularly in terms of civil liability or 'professional' responsibility and even criminal responsibility. They face legal difficulties because their roles are not clearly defined. Such difficulties will be also described in this paper, because they are symptomatic of the lack of a legal framework for public scientific expertise. Indeed, there is a growing need to involve scientific experts in decision-making in the field of public health. At the same time, however, there is increased protest against the technocratic nature of public decision-making. We observe an increase in the attribution of blame and penal responsibility in French society, as shown in the 'contaminated blood' case in which not only blood suppliers but also public officials and now politicians have been or are being prosecuted. Radon, which is a domestic risk whose reduction relies entirely on homeowners, is sui generis in many ways. Nevertheless, in an analysis of scientists' roles/actions and of the legal difficulties they meet, radon can be used to illustrate the problems that arise as expertise is developed about new risks. (authors)

factors associated with discharge against medical advice among

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Hospital environmental factors have a significant relationship with discharge against medical advice. A similar study ..... contractors, and by reinforcing the infection control committee this will .... Sources: Field survey, 2015. The results in Table ...

Advice networks in teams: the role of transformational leadership and members' core self-evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhen; Peterson, Suzanne J

2011-09-01

This article examines the team-level factors promoting advice exchange networks in teams. Drawing upon theory and research on transformational leadership, team diversity, and social networks, we hypothesized that transformational leadership positively influences advice network density in teams and that advice network density serves as a mediating mechanism linking transformational leadership to team performance. We further hypothesized a 3-way interaction in which members' mean core self-evaluation (CSE) and diversity in CSE jointly moderate the transformational leadership-advice network density relationship, such that the relationship is positive and stronger for teams with low diversity in CSE and high mean CSE. In addition, we expected that advice network centralization attenuates the positive influence of network density on team performance. Results based on multisource data from 79 business unit management teams showed support for these hypotheses. The results highlight the pivotal role played by transformational leadership and team members' CSEs in enhancing team social networks and, ultimately, team effectiveness. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Why Banning Embedded Sales Commissions Is a Public Policy Issue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henri-Paul Rousseau

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Regulatory authorities have consulted on the option of banning embedded sales commissions for Canadian financial advisors. Such an action would create more problems than it would solve. It would have serious ramifications for Canadians’ access to financial advice and raise issues of choice, industry concentration and price transparency for clients seeking advice on investments and retirement. Financial advisors have much greater knowledge of investments than their clients, who rightly expect value from their advisors’ services. Advisors may also face conflicts of interest when they make recommendations about a financial product whose manufacturer might be paying the advisor for selling its products. Banning sales commissions from the manufacturers and having the client pay the advisor directly instead brings its own problems. This is because financial advice is a good with peculiar characteristics. Firstly, financial advice has three fundamental components – the alpha, beta and gamma factors. Together, they define the roles financial advisors play: (alpha asset or portfolio manager, (beta asset allocator (rebalancing a client’s portfolio, and (gamma coach with regard to savings discipline and financial planning. Financial advice has value thanks to the interplay between the three factors. Studies of the issue which have focused on one factor at a time, usually the alpha, produce results that are skewed; however, when studies measure all three factors, the evidence shows that financial advice has significant value, greater than the usual cost charged to clients. Secondly, financial advice is an “experience good”, meaning that clients don’t know ahead of time how good financial advice is until they see how it works out. Assessing the value of financial advice may take many years. Since they can’t immediately measure what they’re paying for, clients with modest incomes or wealth are usually willing only to pay low fees, or not pay

Antimalarial measures - type, sources of advice and compliance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1994-06-01

Jun 1, 1994 ... pharmacies as well as actual behaviour in this regard and sources of advice accessed ... pharmacies and 53 'care providers' (members of travel parties). Doctors ... TPS Drug Information Services, Johannesburg. L Baker, DIP.

Financial history and financial economics

OpenAIRE

Turner, John D.

2014-01-01

This essay looks at the bidirectional relationship between financial history and financial economics. It begins by giving a brief history of financial economics by outlining the main topics of interest to financial economists. It then documents and explains the increasing influence of financial economics upon financial history, and warns of the dangers of applying financial economics unthinkingly to the study of financial history. The essay proceeds to highlight the many insights that financi...

Advice under uncertainty in the marine system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dankel, Dorothy J.; Aps, Robert; Padda, Gurpreet

2012-01-01

lacking. Fisheries science that gives advice to policy-making is plagued by uncertainties; the stakes of the policies are high and value-laden and need therefore to be treated as an example of “post-normal science” (PNS). To achieve robust governance, understanding of the characteristics and implications...

Advice for acute low back pain: a comparison of what research supports and what guidelines recommend.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Matthew L; Lin, Chung-Wei C; de Carvalho, Flavia A; Phan, Kevin; Koes, Bart; Maher, Chris G

2017-10-01

Advice is widely considered an effective treatment for acute low back pain (LBP); however, details on what and how to deliver this intervention is less clear. We assessed and compared clinical trials that test advice for acute LBP with practice guidelines for their completeness of reporting and concordance on the content, method of delivery, and treatment regimen of advice interventions. Systematic review. Advice randomized controlled trials were identified through a systematic search. Guidelines were taken from recent overviews of guidelines for LBP. Completeness of reporting was assessed using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist. Thematic analysis was used to characterize advice interventions into topics across the aspects of content, method of delivery, and regimen. Concordance between clinical trials and guidelines was assessed by comparing the number of trials that found a statistically significant treatment effect for an intervention that included a specific advice topic with the number of guidelines recommending that topic. The median (interquartile range) completeness of reporting for clinical trials and guidelines was 8 (7-9) and 3 (2-4) out of nine items on the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist, respectively. Guideline recommendations were discordant with clinical trials for 50% of the advice topics identified. Completeness of reporting was less than ideal for randomized controlled trials and extremely poor for guidelines. The recommendations made in guidelines of advice for acute LBP were often not concordant with the results of clinical trials. Taken together, these findings mean that the potential clinical value of advice interventions for patients with acute LBP is probably not being realized. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Construction and Empirical Analysis of Financial Risk Early Warning System in Colleges and Universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dai Jiaxu

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In recent years, China's higher education into the period of rapid development, high growth will inevitably bring high demand for financial support, but the government investment can not keep up with the pace of development of colleges and universities, so many colleges and universities choose bank loans, blind expansion will be out of control Resulting in college financial crisis. This paper proposes a method to construct the financial risk evaluation model of colleges and universities. The model is based on the specific risk index system, and uses the analytic hierarchy process and Delphi expert scoring method as the theoretical basis. The model can calculate the type and level of financial risk in colleges and universities, and provide support for the system decision-making.

Decisions and advice about infant feeding: findings from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Decisions and advice about infant feeding: findings from sociological work in ... element were used to probe women's decision-making concerning infant feeding. ... Scant attention has been paid to the results of studies undertaken in other ...

Communication of Science Advice to Government.

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchings, Jeffrey A; Stenseth, Nils Chr

2016-01-01

There are various ways to construct good processes for soliciting and understanding science. Our critique of advisory models finds that a well-supported chief science advisor (CSA) best ensures the provision of deliberative, informal, and emergency advice to government. Alternatively, bias, increasingly manifest as science-based advocacy, can hinder communication, diminish credibility, and distort scientific evidence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expert ease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-04-01

Expert-ease allows the most inexperienced of computer users to build an expert system in a matter of hours. It is nothing more or less than a computer based problem-solving system. It allows the expert to preserve his or her knowledge in the form of rules, which can be applied to problems put to the system by the non-expert. The crucial piece of software at the heart of Expert-Ease extracts rules from data, and is called the analogue concept learning system. It was developed by Intelligent Terminals Ltd. and supplied to Export Software International to be incorporated into a commercially attractive package for business users. The resulting product runs on the Act Sirius and the IBM PC and compatibles. It is a well conceived and polished product with a popular appeal that should ensure widespread acceptance even at a cost of >1500 plus vat.

Financial sector taxation: Financial activities tax or financial transaction tax?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danuše Nerudová

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The recent financial crises has revealed the need to improve and ensure the stability of the financial sector to reduce negative externalities, to ensure fair and substantial contribution of the financial sector to the public finances and the need to consolidate public finance. All those needs represent substantial arguments for the discussion about the introduction of financial sector taxation. There are discussed in the paper two possible schemes of financial sector taxation – financial transaction tax and financial activities tax. The aim of the paper is to research the possibility of the introduction of financial sector taxation, to discuss the pros and cons of two major candidates on financial sector taxation – financial transaction tax and financial activities tax and to suggest the possible candidate suitable for the implementation on the EU level. Financial transaction tax represents the tool suitable mainly on global level, for only in that case enables generate sufficient financial resources. From EU point of view is considered as less suitable, for it bears the risk of reallocation. Therefore the introduction of financial activities tax on EU level is considered as a better solution for the financial sector taxation in the EU, for financial sector is exempted from value added tax. With respect to the fact, that the implementation would represent the innovative approach to the financial sector taxation, there are no empirical proves and therefore this could be the subject of further research.

Expert System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hildebrandt, Thomas Troels; Cattani, Gian Luca

2016-01-01

An expert system is a computer system for inferring knowledge from a knowledge base, typically by using a set of inference rules. When the concept of expert systems was introduced at Stanford University in the early 1970s, the knowledge base was an unstructured set of facts. Today the knowledge b...... for the application of expert systems, but also raises issues regarding privacy and legal liability....

Leaving the Hospital Against Medical Advice Among People Who Use Illicit Drugs: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Ti, Lianlian

2015-01-01

Background. Leaving the hospital against medical advice is an increasing problem in acute care settings and is associated with an array of negative health consequences that may lead to readmission for a worsened health outcome or mortality. Leaving the hospital against medical advice is particularly common among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD) and has been linked to a number of complex issues; however, few studies have focused specifically on this population beyond identifying them as being at an increased risk of leaving the hospital prematurely. Furthermore, programs and interventions for reducing the rate of leaving the hospital against medical advice among PWUD in acute care settings have not been well studied. Objectives. We systematically assessed the literature examining hospital discharge against medical advice from acute care among this population and identified potential methods to minimize the occurrence of this phenomenon. Search methods. We searched 5 electronic databases (from database inception to August 2014) and article reference lists for articles investigating hospital discharge from acute care against medical advice among PWUD. Search terms consistent across databases included “patient discharge,” “hospital discharge,” “against medical advice,” “drug user,” “substance-related disorders,” and “intravenous substance abuse.” Selection criteria. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were published in a peer-reviewed journal as an original research article in English. We excluded gray literature, case reports, case series, reviews, and editorials. We retained original studies that reported illicit drug use as a predictor of leaving the hospital against medical advice and studies of discharge against medical advice that included PWUD as a population of interest, and we assessed significance through appropriate statistical tests. We excluded studies that reported patients leaving the hospital against medical advice

PERAN COMMUNITY ADVICE SEBAGAI PEMODERASI DALAM KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pristiana Widyastuti

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study aims to analyze the influence of rational motives and emotional motives on purchasing decisions with community advice as a moderating variable. This study was conducted on biker as community adviser in Jakarta. The number of samples is 75 data, obtained from the questionaire filled by the respondents. Data analysis uses Structural Equation Modeling (SEM with Partial Least Square (PLS test equipment. The results of statistical tests revealed that the rational motives and emotional motives have positive effect on purchasing decisions, whereas community advice has no positive effect on purchasing decisions, it is not able to moderate the relationship among variables. Producer and distributors are important to maintain the quality and reliability of products that rationally influence consumers to buy. In addition, efforts to maintain the credibility of the brand are also important to emphasize the consumer’s pride.

Financialization and financial profit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arturo Guillén

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This article starts from the critical review of the concept of financial capital. I consider it is necessary not to confuse this category with of financialization, which has acquired a certificate of naturalization from the rise of neoliberalism. Although financial monopoly-financial capital is the hegemonic segment of the bourgeoisie in the major capitalist countries, their dominance does not imply, a fortiori, financialization of economic activity, since it depends of the conditions of the process reproduction of capital. The emergence of joint stock companies modified the formation of the average rate of profit. The "promoter profit" becomes one of the main forms of income of monopoly-financial capital. It is postulated that financial profit is a kind of "extraordinary surplus-value" which is appropriated by monopoly-financial capital by means of the monopolistic control it exerts on the issue and circulation of fictitious capital.

75 FR 33824 - Pharmaceutical Products and Chemical Intermediates, Fourth Review: Advice Concerning the Addition...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-15

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 332-520] Pharmaceutical Products and Chemical Intermediates, Fourth Review: Advice Concerning the Addition of Certain Products to the Pharmaceutical Appendix..., Pharmaceutical Products and Chemical Intermediates, Fourth Review: Advice Concerning the Addition of Certain...

Experience of dietary advice among Pakistani-born persons with type 2 diabetes in Oslo.

Science.gov (United States)

Fagerli, Rønnaug Aa; Lien, Marianne E; Wandel, Margareta

2005-12-01

Experience and implementation of dietary advice are influenced by various factors including ethnic, cultural and religious background. The aim is to explore how ethnic minority persons with diabetes experience dietary advice given by Norwegian health-workers, which strategies they have in response to the advice and how they explain their actions. In-depth interviews were performed with 15 Pakistani-born persons with type 2 diabetes living in Oslo. The analyses are based on the principles of Giorgi's interpretation of phenomenology. The participants expressed great concern to follow the advice. However, narratives about constraints were numerous. These concerned different life-situational factors, but more importantly they were related to communication problems arising from discontinuities between universalising medical knowledge and lay knowledge, as well as between different types of culturally defined lay knowledge. As a consequence, advice was generally experienced as inadequately based on the participant's food-cultural background, leaving the person with diabetes to do the translation between different levels of knowledge. In general health-workers would benefit from expanding their knowledge of the many positive aspects of their patients' cultural background, and apply their knowledge thereafter, whether it concerns (food)-culture or the impact of religion in everyday life.

Financial Health of a Commercial Insurance Company and its Coherences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svatopluk Nečas

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose of the article: The main purpose of the article is to define the term “financial health of a commercial insurance company” and identify the factors that influence management and its economic results of a commercial insurance company. The above mentioned term will be faced with other similar terms such as financial stability, financial strength, solvency, liquidity or profitability (always with emphasis on the insurance sector. Related to this purpose, this hypothesis is formulated: “Financial health of a commercial insurance company can be identified in the long perspective with the term financial stability and as its synonym the concept of solvency can be stated.” Methodology/methods: The methods of description, analysis, deduction and induction will be used in the article. The research part is based on a qualitative basis. It combines three methods of qualitative research: interviews with experts, a structured interview with open questions, a questionnaire with open questions. Its subject is a managed conversation with leading experts in the field of insurance and related branches, who answered questions related to the topic. Evaluation of interviews was done by method of interview analysis, respectively thematic analysis and subsequent synthesis based on respondents’ answers. The synthesis is used as a method to gain new knowledge. The conclusions are the basis for discussion for the theory completion in the case of the term mentioned above and for statements to other contexts that are defined in the objectives of the article. Synthetic approach is applied in the formulation of conclusions of the research. Significant findings for the theory are obtained by abstraction, as derived from observations of the issues, i.e. financial health of a commercial insurance company. The evaluation also includes a summary of significant matters and it reflects the opinion of the author devised throughout literature and based on interviews

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of US practitioners who provide pre-travel advice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kogelman, Laura; Barnett, Elizabeth D; Chen, Lin H; Quinn, Emily; Yanni, Emad; Wilson, Mary E; Benoit, Christine; Karchmer, Adolf W; Ooi, Winnie W; Jentes, Emily S; Hamer, Davidson H

2014-01-01

As international travel increases, many health care professionals are being asked to provide pre-travel advice. We designed an anonymous web-based survey to assess the extent to which primary care providers (PCPs) provide travel medicine advice and how their understanding and delivery of itinerary-specific advice and management compare with that of travel medicine specialists. We surveyed randomly selected US PCPs registered in the Pri-Med Institute (now pmiCME) database and US travel medicine specialists from the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM), American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yellow fever (YF) vaccine provider mailing lists. SAS software (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA) was used for all analyses. Of 14,932 e-mails sent to valid e-mail addresses, 902 yielded complete or partially completed surveys (6.0% response rate). Eighty percent of respondents personally provided pre-travel advice (95% of travel medicine specialists versus 73% of PCPs). About two thirds of PCPs (68%) providing pre-travel consultations saw travelers per year whereas 30% of travel medicine specialists saw travelers per year. More travel medicine specialists (59%) than PCPs (18%) saw >500 travelers per year. Familiarity with travel-specific vaccines (YF, Japanese encephalitis) and provision of written educational materials increased as volume of travelers increased. Familiarity with antimalarial side effects and malaria resistance patterns, and knowledge scores based on brief pre-travel scenarios were higher in travel medicine specialists, ASTMH or ISTM certificate holders, and respondents who saw more pre-travel patients. Many PCP survey participants provided pre-travel advice, but most saw few travelers. Volume of travelers and holding an ASTMH or ISTM certificate had the greatest influence on knowledge of travel medicine and provision of appropriate advice and recommendations. Creating easily

EXPERT SYSTEMS

OpenAIRE

Georgiana Marin; Mihai Catalin Andrei

2011-01-01

In recent decades IT and computer systems have evolved rapidly in economic informatics field. The goal is to create user friendly information systems that respond promptly and accurately to requests. Informatics systems evolved into decision assisted systems, and such systems are converted, based on gained experience, in expert systems for creative problem solving that an organization is facing. Expert systems are aimed at rebuilding human reasoning on the expertise obtained from experts, sto...

Accepted standards on how to give a Medical Research Presentation: a systematic review of expert opinion papers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blome, Christine

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: This systematic review aimed to extract recommendations from expert opinion articles on how to give a medical research presentation on a scientific conference and to determine whether the experts agree on what makes an effective or poor presentation. Methods: Presentation-related terms were searched within article titles listed in PubMed, restricting the search to English-language articles published from January 1975 to July 2015. Recommendations were extracted from the articles, grouped by content, and analyzed for frequency. Ninety-one articles were included. Among 679 different recommendations, 29 were given in more than 20% of articles each. The five most frequent recommendations were to keep slides simple, adjust the talk to the audience, rehearse, not read the talk from slides or a manuscript, and make eye contact. Results: No article gave advice that was the complete opposite of the 29 most frequent recommendations with the exception of whether a light or dark background should be used for slides. Conclusions: Researchers should comply with these widely accepted standards to be perceived as effective presenters.

Accepted standards on how to give a Medical Research Presentation: a systematic review of expert opinion papers.

Science.gov (United States)

Blome, Christine; Sondermann, Hanno; Augustin, Matthias

2017-01-01

Background: This systematic review aimed to extract recommendations from expert opinion articles on how to give a medical research presentation on a scientific conference and to determine whether the experts agree on what makes an effective or poor presentation. Methods: Presentation-related terms were searched within article titles listed in PubMed, restricting the search to English-language articles published from January 1975 to July 2015. Recommendations were extracted from the articles, grouped by content, and analyzed for frequency. Ninety-one articles were included. Among 679 different recommendations, 29 were given in more than 20% of articles each. The five most frequent recommendations were to keep slides simple, adjust the talk to the audience, rehearse, not read the talk from slides or a manuscript, and make eye contact. Results: No article gave advice that was the complete opposite of the 29 most frequent recommendations with the exception of whether a light or dark background should be used for slides. Conclusions: Researchers should comply with these widely accepted standards to be perceived as effective presenters.

Expert and competent non-expert visual cues during simulated diagnosis in intensive care.

Science.gov (United States)

McCormack, Clare; Wiggins, Mark W; Loveday, Thomas; Festa, Marino

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the information acquisition strategies of expert and competent non-expert intensive care physicians during two simulated diagnostic scenarios involving respiratory distress in an infant. Specifically, the information acquisition performance of six experts and 12 competent non-experts was examined using an eye-tracker during the initial 90 s of the assessment of the patient. The results indicated that, in comparison to competent non-experts, experts recorded longer mean fixations, irrespective of the scenario. When the dwell times were examined against specific areas of interest, the results revealed that competent non-experts recorded greater overall dwell times on the nurse, where experts recorded relatively greater dwell times on the head and face of the manikin. In the context of the scenarios, experts recorded differential dwell times, spending relatively more time on the head and face during the seizure scenario than during the coughing scenario. The differences evident between experts and competent non-experts were interpreted as evidence of the relative availability of task-specific cues or heuristics in memory that might direct the process of information acquisition amongst expert physicians. The implications are discussed for the training and assessment of diagnostic skills.

The pattern of clinical advice sought by general practitioners from a medical consultant in clinical biochemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatnagar, D

1997-01-01

Clinical biochemistry departments can be a valuable source of clinical advice for further investigations and the need for referral to specialist clinics. This paper outlines the pattern of clinical advice sought by general practitioners in a district hospital setting, and addresses some of the issues regarding seeking such advice and the implications for continuing medical education and training. PMID:9196966

Boards of directors, audit committees and financial reporting quality. A systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karolina Skorulska

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Measurement of financial reporting quality is a problematic task because financial reporting is difficult to observe and measure. The aim of the article is to present the methods of financial reporting quality meas-urement and a systematic review of literature on the effects of corporate governance reforms on the qualityof financial reporting. The main research questions are: (1 what are the possibilities of measuring financial reporting for research purposes, (2 which of the methods of measuring the quality of financial reporting are used in research on corporate governance, and (3 which variables used in measuring corporate gov-ernance factors affect financial reporting quality? To answer these questions, a critical analysis of literature and a systematic review of research results using meta-analysis was made. For selecting the best articles a three-step collection strategy was used, which resulted in a database of 38 publications. The review has shown that for measuring the quality of financial reporting researchers most frequently use models based on measurement of risk management, and the most common independent variables describing corporate governance are: the size of the audit committee, presence of independent directors on the supervisory board, dual role of CEO, proportion of independent directors in the audit committee, size of the supervisory board, proportion of accounting experts in the audit committee, and frequency of audit committee meetings

Young Adults' Knowledge and Understanding of Personal Finance in Germany: Interviews with Experts and Test-Takers

Science.gov (United States)

Happ, Roland; Förster, Manuel; Rüspeler, Ann-Katrin; Rothweiler, Jasmin

2018-01-01

In recent years, the financial education of young adults has gained importance in Germany; however, very few valid test instruments to assess the knowledge and understanding of personal finance are suitable for use in Germany. In this article, we describe results of a survey in which experts in Germany in areas related to personal finance judged…

Individual investor behavior and financial advice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kramer, Marc Michel

2012-01-01

Ongeveer de helft van de beleggers in Nederland, groot of klein, maakt gebruik van de adviezen van de bank. In de jaren die Kramer onder de loep nam, hadden ze gemiddeld zo’n 50.000 à 70.000 euro te verspijkeren, met uitschieters naar beneden van een paar duizend euro, en naar boven tot tientallen

Changes in Patient-Reported Alcohol-Related Advice Following Veterans Health Administration Implementation of Brief Alcohol Interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chavez, Laura J; Williams, Emily C; Lapham, Gwen T; Rubinsky, Anna D; Kivlahan, Daniel R; Bradley, Katharine A

2016-05-01

Brief alcohol interventions are recommended for primary care patients who screen positive for alcohol misuse, but implementation is challenging. The U.S. Veterans Health Administration (Veterans Affairs [VA]) implemented brief interventions for patients with alcohol misuse in 2008, and rates of brief interventions documented in the electronic medical record increased from 24% to 78% (2008-2011). This study examined whether an independent measure of brief interventions-patient-reported alcohol-related advice-also increased among VA outpatients who screened positive for alcohol misuse on a mailed survey. This retrospective cross-sectional study included VA outpatient respondents to the VA's Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients (SHEP; 2007-2011) who reported past-year alcohol use and answered a question about alcohol-related advice. Alcohol-related advice was defined as a report of past-year advice from a VA clinician to abstain from or reduce drinking. The adjusted prevalence of alcoholrelated advice among patients who screened positive for alcohol misuse (SHEP AUDIT-C ≥ 5) was estimated for each year. Among patients with alcohol misuse (n = 61,843), the adjusted prevalence of alcohol-related advice increased from 40.4% (95% CI [39.3%, 41.5%]) in 2007 to 55.5% (95% CI [53.3%, 57.8%]) in 2011. Rates of alcoholrelated advice increased significantly each year except the last. The VA's efforts to implement brief interventions were associated with increased patient-reported alcohol-related advice over time, with a majority of patients with alcohol misuse reporting its receipt. Other systems considering similar approaches to implementation may benefit from collecting patient-reported measures of brief interventions for an additional perspective on implementation.

Expert and Competent Non-Expert Visual Cues during Simulated Diagnosis in Intensive Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clare eMcCormack

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to examine the information acquisition strategies of expert and competent non-expert intensive care physicians during two simulated diagnostic scenarios involving respiratory distress in an infant. Specifically, the information acquisition performance of six experts and 12 competent non-experts was examined using an eye tracker during the initial 90 seconds of the assessment of the patient. The results indicated that, in comparison to competent non-experts, experts recorded longer mean fixations, irrespective of the scenario. When the dwell times were examined against specific areas of interest, the results revealed that competent non-experts recorded greater overall dwell times on the nurse, where experts recorded relatively greater dwell times on the head and face of the manikin. In the context of the scenarios, experts recorded differential dwell times, spending relatively more time on the head and face during the seizure scenario than during the coughing scenario. The differences evident between experts and competent non-experts were interpreted as evidence of the relative availability of task-specific cues or heuristics in memory that might direct the process of information acquisition amongst expert physicians. The implications are discussed for the training and assessment of diagnostic skills.

[Scientific advice by the national and European approval authorities concerning advanced therapy medicinal products].

Science.gov (United States)

Jost, Nils; Schüssler-Lenz, Martina; Ziegele, Bettina; Reinhardt, Jens

2015-11-01

The aim of scientific advice is to support pharmaceutical developers in regulatory and scientific questions, thus facilitating the development of safe and efficacious new medicinal products. Recent years have shown that the development of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) in particular needs a high degree of regulatory support. On one hand, this is related to the complexity and heterogeneity of this group of medicinal products and on the other hand due to the fact that mainly academic research institutions and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are developing ATMPs. These often have limited regulatory experience and resources. In 2009 the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) initiated the Innovation Office as a contact point for applicants developing ATMPs. The mandate of the Innovation Office is to provide support on regulatory questions and to coordinate national scientific advice meetings concerning ATMPs for every phase in drug development and especially with view to the preparation of clinical trial applications. On the European level, the Scientific Advice Working Party (SAWP) of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicinal Agency (EMA) offers scientific advice. This article describes the concepts of national and EMA scientific advice concerning ATMPs and summarizes the experience of the last six years.

Selection Input Output by Restriction Using DEA Models Based on a Fuzzy Delphi Approach and Expert Information

Science.gov (United States)

Arsad, Roslah; Nasir Abdullah, Mohammad; Alias, Suriana; Isa, Zaidi

2017-09-01

Stock evaluation has always been an interesting problem for investors. In this paper, a comparison regarding the efficiency stocks of listed companies in Bursa Malaysia were made through the application of estimation method of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). One of the interesting research subjects in DEA is the selection of appropriate input and output parameter. In this study, DEA was used to measure efficiency of stocks of listed companies in Bursa Malaysia in terms of the financial ratio to evaluate performance of stocks. Based on previous studies and Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM), the most important financial ratio was selected. The results indicated that return on equity, return on assets, net profit margin, operating profit margin, earnings per share, price to earnings and debt to equity were the most important ratios. Using expert information, all the parameter were clarified as inputs and outputs. The main objectives were to identify most critical financial ratio, clarify them based on expert information and compute the relative efficiency scores of stocks as well as rank them in the construction industry and material completely. The methods of analysis using Alirezaee and Afsharian’s model were employed in this study, where the originality of Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes (CCR) with the assumption of Constant Return to Scale (CSR) still holds. This method of ranking relative efficiency of decision making units (DMUs) was value-added by the Balance Index. The interested data was made for year 2015 and the population of the research includes accepted companies in stock markets in the construction industry and material (63 companies). According to the ranking, the proposed model can rank completely for 63 companies using selected financial ratio.

Identifying the critical financial ratios for stocks evaluation: A fuzzy delphi approach

Science.gov (United States)

Mokhtar, Mazura; Shuib, Adibah; Mohamad, Daud

2014-12-01

Stocks evaluation has always been an interesting and challenging problem for both researchers and practitioners. Generally, the evaluation can be made based on a set of financial ratios. Nevertheless, there are a variety of financial ratios that can be considered and if all ratios in the set are placed into the evaluation process, data collection would be more difficult and time consuming. Thus, the objective of this paper is to identify the most important financial ratios upon which to focus in order to evaluate the stock's performance. For this purpose, a survey was carried out using an approach which is based on an expert judgement, namely the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM). The results of this study indicated that return on equity, return on assets, net profit margin, operating profit margin, earnings per share and debt to equity are the most important ratios.

Why do women not adhere to advice on maternal referral in rural Tanzania? Narratives of women and their family members.

Science.gov (United States)

Pembe, Andrea B; Mbekenga, Columba K; Olsson, Pia; Darj, Elisabeth

2017-01-01

In most low-income countries, many women with high-risk pregnancies and complications do not reach the referral hospitals despite the provision of referral advice. To explore how antenatal maternal referral advice is understood and handled in a rural Tanzanian community. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with six women who did not go to hospital and 13 people who were involved in the referral advice. Narrative analysis was used to describe and create meanings out of the decision-making process. In all interviews, not following the referral advice was greatly influenced by close family members. Three main traits of how referral advice was understood emerged: convinced referral is not necessary, accepting referral advice but delayed by others, and passive and moving with the wind. The main reasons given for declining the referral advice included discrediting midwives' advice, citing previous successful deliveries despite referral advice; being afraid of undergoing surgery; lack of support for care of siblings at home; and high costs incurred during referral. Declining maternal referral advice centred around the pregnant women's position and their dependence on the family members around them, with a decreased ability to show autonomy. If they were socially and economically empowered, women could positively influence decision making during maternal referrals.

Friends with benefits, but without the sex: straight women and gay men exchange trustworthy mating advice.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Eric M; DelPriore, Danielle J; Butterfield, Max E; Hill, Sarah E

2013-02-09

Although research has made progress in elucidating the benefits exchanged within same- and opposite-sex friendships formed between heterosexual men and women, it is less clear why straight women and gay men form close relationships with one another. The current experiments begin to address this question by exploring a potential benefit hypothesized to be uniquely available to straight women and gay men in the context of these friendships: trustworthy mating advice. Experiment 1 revealed that straight women perceive mating-relevant advice from a gay man to be more trustworthy than similar advice offered by a straight man or woman. Experiment 2 demonstrated that gay men perceive mating advice offered by a straight woman to be more trustworthy than advice offered by a lesbian woman or another gay man. Overall, the results provide initial experimental evidence that relationships between gay men and straight women may be characterized by a mutual exchange of mating-relevant benefits in the absence of sexual interest or competition.

Friends with Benefits, but without the Sex: Straight Women and Gay Men Exchange Trustworthy Mating Advice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric M. Russell

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Although research has made progress in elucidating the benefits exchanged within same- and opposite-sex friendships formed between heterosexual men and women, it is less clear why straight women and gay men form close relationships with one another. The current experiments begin to address this question by exploring a potential benefit hypothesized to be uniquely available to straight women and gay men in the context of these friendships: trustworthy mating advice. Experiment 1 revealed that straight women perceive mating-relevant advice from a gay man to be more trustworthy than similar advice offered by a straight man or woman. Experiment 2 demonstrated that gay men perceive mating advice offered by a straight woman to be more trustworthy than advice offered by a lesbian woman or another gay man. Overall, the results provide initial experimental evidence that relationships between gay men and straight women may be characterized by a mutual exchange of mating-relevant benefits in the absence of sexual interest or competition.

International nuclear safety experts conclude IAEA peer review of China's regulatory system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Full text: An international team of senior experts on nuclear safety regulation today completed a two-week International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review of the governmental and regulatory framework for nuclear safety in the People's Republic of China. The team identified good practices within the system and gave advice on areas for future improvements. The IAEA has conveyed the team's main conclusions to the Government of the People's Republic of China. The final report will be submitted to China by Autumn 2010. At the request of Chinese authorities, the IAEA assembled a team of 22 experts to conduct an Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission. This mission is a peer review based on the IAEA Safety Standards . It is not an inspection, nor an audit. The experts came from 15 different countries: Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Japan, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and the United States. Mike Weightman, the United Kingdom's Head of Nuclear Directorate, HSE and HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations said: ''I was honoured and pleased to lead such a team of senior regulatory experts from around the world, and I was impressed by their commitment, experience and hard work to provide their best advice possible. We had very constructive interactions with the Chinese authority to maximize the beneficial impact of the mission.'' The scope of the mission included the regulation of nuclear and radiation safety of the facilities and activities regulated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA). The mission was conducted from 18 to 30 July, mainly in Beijing. To observe Chinese regulatory activities, the IRRS team visited several nuclear facilities, including a nuclear power plant, a manufacturer of safety components for nuclear power plants, a research reactor, a fuel cycle facility, a waste management facility

77 FR 47880 - U.S.-Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement Including Canada and Mexico: Advice on the...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-10

....S.-Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement Including Malaysia: Advice on Probable Economic... Partnership Free Trade Agreement Including Canada and Mexico: Advice on the Probable Economic Effect of... Mexico: Advice on the Probable Economic Effect of Providing Duty-Free Treatment for Imports. DATES...

Methodical principles of assessment of financial compensation for clinical trial volunteer participants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Ye. Dobrova

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Due to the necessity to obtain the reliable results of a clinical trial and to distribute it to the general population of patients the problem of recruiting the adequate number of individuals to participate in the study as objects of observation in the group receiving the investigational medicinal product or as a member of the control group should to be solved. Aim of study. The aim of our study was to research and to justify practically the methodological approaches to determining financial compensation for participation of volunteers in the clinical trials and the appropriate methods of its calculation. Material and methods. For the purpose of determining the baseline factors for calculating the hourly compensation the survey of healthy volunteers and of expert professionals as well as the analysis of its results have been done. Questioning healthy volunteers regarding their attitudes towards inconvenience and discomfort during participation in clinical trials was held at the Ukrainian clinical research centers. Survey participants number was 99, they were healthy volunteers who took part in the first phase clinical trial or bioequivalence studies. The expert survey included questioning of the 193 professionals from Ukrainian clinical research centers, CRO, pharmaceutical manufacturers – research sponsors and collaborators State Expert Center Ministry of Health of Ukraine, who were involved in the planning, organization, implementation and evaluation of clinical trials as well as their regulatory control. Results of study. Using the method of pairwise comparisons and iterative refinement procedures the collective estimate of experts questionnaire results has been performed, by the results of which the nine indicators have been identified and the importance of each of them as units of discomfort have been established. Motivational factors of voluntary participation in clinical trials have been studied. Motivation system for

Plutonium - the ultrapoison? An expert's opinion about an expert opinion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoll, W.; Becker, K.

1989-01-01

In an expert opinion written by Professor H. Kuni, Marburg, for the North Rhine-Westphalian state government, plutonium is called by far the most dangerous element in the Periodic Table. The Marburg medical expert holds that even improved legal instruments are unable to warrant effective protection of the workers handling this material, in the light of the present standards of industrial safety, because of radiological conditions and measuring problems with plutonium isotopes. In this article by an internationally renowned expert in the field, the ideas expressed in the expert opinion about the toxicity of plutonium, the cause-and-effect relationship in radiation damage by plutonium, and recent findings about the toxicity are subjected to a critical review. On the basis of results of radiation protection and of case studies, the statements in the expert opinion are contrasted with facts which make them appear in a very different light. (orig./RB) [de

The Study of Clients’ Buying And Consumption Behavior Of Financial-Banking Products And Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitran Paula Cornelia

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of every economic activity in general and the financial one in particular is thesatisfaction of clients’ necessities. The specificity of clients’ consumption behavior in the financial – bankingrealm, impose the understanding of the necessities and their occasional process to the banking system. Theclient’s behavior analysis, as an obvious barometer of a bank evolution is the most important component of amarketing research. The relationship between the client, as a natural person or a juridical person and bank, isvery important and requires to be supported in order to assure clients’ loyalty and to develop long termrelations with them. Therefore, banks should give advice to their clients concerning their finance organizationor concerning the preparation of their business plans, fact which is able to reinforce the professional image ofthe bank. This aspect must be completed by the presence of some communication specialists who will assurethe information transfer, creating a feed-back between the employees and the clients.

Medical Expert Systems Survey

OpenAIRE

Abu-Nasser, Bassem S.

2017-01-01

International audience; There is an increased interest in the area of Artificial Intelligence in general and expert systems in particular. Expert systems are rapidly growing technology. Expert systems are a branch of Artificial Intelligence which is having a great impact on many fields of human life. Expert systems use human expert knowledge to solve complex problems in many fields such as Health, science, engineering, business, and weather forecasting. Organizations employing the technology ...

Discharge Against Medical Advice in the Pediatric Wards in Boo-ali Sina Hospital, Sari, Iran 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohseni Saravi, Benyamin; Reza Zadeh, Esmaeil; Siamian, Hasan; Yahghoobian, Mahboobeh

2013-12-01

Since children neither comprehended nor contribute to the decision, discharge against medical advice is a challenge of health care systems in the world. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine the rate and causes of discharge against medical advice. This descriptive cross-sectional study was done by reviewing the medical records by census method. Data was analyzed using SPSS software and x(2) statistics was used to determine the relationship between variables. The value of P<0.05 was considered significant. Rate of discharged against medical advice was 108 (2.2%). Mean of age and length of stay were 2.8±4 (SD).3 years old and 3.7±5.4 (SD) days, respectively. Totally, 95 patients (88.7%) had health insurance and 65 (60.2%) patients lived in urban areas. History of psychiatric disease and addiction in 22 (20.6%) of the parents were negative. In addition, 100 (92.3%) patients admitted for medical treatment and the others for surgery. The relationship of the signatory with patients (72.3%) was father. Of 108 patients discharged against medical advice, 20 (12%) were readmitted. The relationship between the day of discharge and discharge against medical advice was significant (ρ =0/03). Rate of discharge against medical advice in Boo-ali hospital is the same as the other studies in the same range. The form which is used for this purpose did not have suitable data elements about description of consequence of such discharge, and it has not shown the real causes of discharge against medical advice.

Discharge from hospital against medical advice among paediatric ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Twenty eight (87.5%) of the 32 children whose social class were available came from low social class. Conclusions: Discharge against medical advice is not infrequent in the study population. We recommend health education and free medical care for under-five children and comprehensive implementation of National ...

Endangered Mangroves in Segara Anakan, Indonesia: Effective and Failed Problem-Solving Policy Advice

Science.gov (United States)

Dharmawan, Budi; Böcher, Michael; Krott, Max

2017-09-01

The success of scientific knowledge transfer depends on if the decision maker can transform the scientific advice into a policy that can be accepted by all involved actors. We use a science-policy interactions model called research-integration-utilization to observe the process of scientific knowledge transfer in the case of endangered mangroves in Segara Anakan, Indonesia. Scientific knowledge is produced within the scientific system (research), science-based solutions to problems are practically utilized by political actors (utilization), and important links between research and utilization must be made (integration). We looked for empirical evidence to test hypotheses about the research-integration-utilization model based on document analysis and expert interviews. Our study finds that the failures in knowledge transfer are caused by the inappropriate use of scientific findings. The district government is expected by presidential decree to only used scientifically sound recommendations as a prerequisite for designing the regulation. However, the district government prefers to implement their own solutions because they believe that they understand the solutions better than the researcher. In the process of integration, the researcher cannot be involved, since the selection of scientific recommendations here fully depends on the interests of the district government as the powerful ally.

Modeling the Financial Distress of Microenterprise StartUps Using Support Vector Machines: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Blanco-Oliver

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Despite the leading role that micro-entrepreneurship plays in economic development, and the high failure rate of microenterprise start-ups in their early years, very few studies have designed financial distress models to detect the financial problems of micro-entrepreneurs. Moreover, due to a lack of research, nothing is known about whether non-financial information and nonparametric statistical techniques improve the predictive capacity of these models. Therefore, this paper provides an innovative financial distress model specifically designed for microenterprise startups via support vector machines (SVMs that employs financial, non-financial, and macroeconomic variables. Based on a sample of almost 5,500 micro- entrepreneurs from a Peruvian Microfinance Institution (MFI, our findings show that the introduction of non-financial information related to the zone in which the entrepreneurs live and situate their business, the duration of the MFI-entrepreneur relationship, the number of loans granted by the MFI in the last year, the loan destination, and the opinion of experts on the probability that microenterprise start-ups may experience financial problems, significantly increases the accuracy performance of our financial distress model. Furthermore, the results reveal that the models that use SVMs outperform those which employ traditional logistic regression (LR analysis.

Inter-expert and intra-expert reliability in sleep spindle scoring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wendt, Sabrina Lyngbye; Welinder, Peter; Sørensen, Helge Bjarup Dissing

2015-01-01

Objectives To measure the inter-expert and intra-expert agreement in sleep spindle scoring, and to quantify how many experts are needed to build a reliable dataset of sleep spindle scorings. Methods The EEG dataset was comprised of 400 randomly selected 115 s segments of stage 2 sleep from 110...... with higher reliability than the estimation of spindle duration. Reliability of sleep spindle scoring can be improved by using qualitative confidence scores, rather than a dichotomous yes/no scoring system. Conclusions We estimate that 2–3 experts are needed to build a spindle scoring dataset...... with ‘substantial’ reliability (κ: 0.61–0.8), and 4 or more experts are needed to build a dataset with ‘almost perfect’ reliability (κ: 0.81–1). Significance Spindle scoring is a critical part of sleep staging, and spindles are believed to play an important role in development, aging, and diseases of the nervous...

Quality assessment of expert answers to lay questions about cystic fibrosis from various language zones in Europe: the ECORN-CF project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

d'Alquen Daniela

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The European Centres of Reference Network for Cystic Fibrosis (ECORN-CF established an Internet forum which provides the opportunity for CF patients and other interested people to ask experts questions about CF in their mother language. The objectives of this study were to: 1 develop a detailed quality assessment tool to analyze quality of expert answers, 2 evaluate the intra- and inter-rater agreement of this tool, and 3 explore changes in the quality of expert answers over the time frame of the project. Methods The quality assessment tool was developed by an expert panel. Five experts within the ECORN-CF project used the quality assessment tool to analyze the quality of 108 expert answers published on ECORN-CF from six language zones. 25 expert answers were scored at two time points, one year apart. Quality of answers was also assessed at an early and later period of the project. Individual rater scores and group mean scores were analyzed for each expert answer. Results A scoring system and training manual were developed analyzing two quality categories of answers: content and formal quality. For content quality, the grades based on group mean scores for all raters showed substantial agreement between two time points, however this was not the case for the grades based on individual rater scores. For formal quality the grades based on group mean scores showed only slight agreement between two time points and there was also poor agreement between time points for the individual grades. The inter-rater agreement for content quality was fair (mean kappa value 0.232 ± 0.036, p Conclusions The quality assessment tool described in this study was feasible and reliable when content quality was assessed by a group of raters. Within ECORN-CF, the tool will help ensure that CF patients all over Europe have equal possibility of access to high quality expert advice on their illness.

Quality assessment of expert answers to lay questions about cystic fibrosis from various language zones in Europe: the ECORN-CF project.

Science.gov (United States)

d'Alquen, Daniela; De Boeck, Kris; Bradley, Judy; Vávrová, Věra; Dembski, Birgit; Wagner, Thomas O F; Pfalz, Annette; Hebestreit, Helge

2012-02-06

The European Centres of Reference Network for Cystic Fibrosis (ECORN-CF) established an Internet forum which provides the opportunity for CF patients and other interested people to ask experts questions about CF in their mother language. The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop a detailed quality assessment tool to analyze quality of expert answers, 2) evaluate the intra- and inter-rater agreement of this tool, and 3) explore changes in the quality of expert answers over the time frame of the project. The quality assessment tool was developed by an expert panel. Five experts within the ECORN-CF project used the quality assessment tool to analyze the quality of 108 expert answers published on ECORN-CF from six language zones. 25 expert answers were scored at two time points, one year apart. Quality of answers was also assessed at an early and later period of the project. Individual rater scores and group mean scores were analyzed for each expert answer. A scoring system and training manual were developed analyzing two quality categories of answers: content and formal quality. For content quality, the grades based on group mean scores for all raters showed substantial agreement between two time points, however this was not the case for the grades based on individual rater scores. For formal quality the grades based on group mean scores showed only slight agreement between two time points and there was also poor agreement between time points for the individual grades. The inter-rater agreement for content quality was fair (mean kappa value 0.232 ± 0.036, p value 0.105 ± 0.024, p change over time. The quality assessment tool described in this study was feasible and reliable when content quality was assessed by a group of raters. Within ECORN-CF, the tool will help ensure that CF patients all over Europe have equal possibility of access to high quality expert advice on their illness. © 2012 d’Alquen et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Experts' perspectives on SwissDRG: Second class care for vulnerable patient groups?

Science.gov (United States)

Leu, A; Wepf, H; Elger, B; Wangmo, T

2018-03-14

On the 1st of January 2012, Switzerland introduced the diagnosis-related group hospital tariff structure (SwissDRG). It was recognised that healthcare provided to the most vulnerable patient groups would be a challenge for the new SwissDRG. Coincident with the implementation of SwissDRG, we explored hospital experts' perceptions of which patient groups are vulnerable under the SwissDRG system, what has changed for this group, as well as solutions to ensure adequate access to health care for them. We interviewed 43 experts from 40 Swiss hospitals. Participating experts named several vulnerable patient groups who share some common characteristics. These hospital experts were concerned about the patient groups that are not financially profitable and questioned the practicability of the current regulation. At the same time, they highlighted the complexity associated with caring for this group under the new SwissDRG and reported measures at the macro, meso, and micro levels to protect vulnerable patient groups from negative effects. To curb negative outcomes for vulnerable patient groups after the introduction of the SwissDRG, the Swiss legislation has introduced various instruments including the acute and transitional care (ATC) measures. We conclude that ATC measures do not produce the expected effect the legislators had hoped for. More health data is needed to identify situations where vulnerable patient groups are more susceptible to inadequate health care access in Switzerland. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Health Advice in a Web 2.0 Environment: The Impact of Multiple User-Generated Factors on HIV Advice Perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Walther, Joseph B; Jang, Jeong-Woo; Hanna Edwards, Ashley A

2018-01-01

Unlike traditional media, social media systems often present information of different types from different kinds of contributors within a single message pane, a juxtaposition of potential influences that challenges traditional health communication processing. One type of social media system, question-and-answer advice systems, provides peers' answers to health-related questions, which yet other peers read and rate. Responses may appear good or bad, responders may claim expertise, and others' aggregated evaluations of an answer's usefulness may affect readers' judgments. An experiment explored how answer feasibility, expertise claims, and user-generated ratings affected readers' assessments of advice about anonymous HIV testing. Results extend the heuristic-systematic model of persuasion (Chaiken, 1980) and warranting theory (Walther & Parks, 2002). Information that is generally associated with both systematic and heuristic processes influenced readers' evaluations. Moreover, content-level cues affected judgments about message sources unexpectedly. When conflicting cues were present, cues with greater warranting value (consensus user-generated ratings) had greater influence on outcomes than less warranted cues (self-promoted expertise). Findings present a challenge to health professionals' concerns about the reliability of online health information systems.

Financial Literacy, Financial Education, and Economic Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

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…

An expert system to manage dispute resolutions in construction projects in Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.A. Elziny

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This study attempts to shed a great deal of light on the problem of construction disputes in the Egyptian projects. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the available literature on analysis of disputes. The objective of this paper was to provide an expert system can evaluate the overall dispute settlement procedures at company’s projects. A questionnaire has been used to study dispute sources and resolution methods. Four case study applications have been provided to check the validity of the proposed system. Results confirmed that the most important source of disputes was contract management 74.04%, the second was contract documents 71.49%, the third was financial issues 67.80%, the fourth was project related issues 63.92%, and the lowest one was other sources (such as force majeure 61.58%. Finally, the expert program facilitates dispute resolution by using alternative dispute resolution methods instead of going direct to arbitration or litigation.

Image-based teleconsultation using smartphones or tablets: qualitative assessment of medical experts.

Science.gov (United States)

Boissin, Constance; Blom, Lisa; Wallis, Lee; Laflamme, Lucie

2017-02-01

Mobile health has promising potential in improving healthcare delivery by facilitating access to expert advice. Enabling experts to review images on their smartphone or tablet may save valuable time. This study aims at assessing whether images viewed by medical specialists on handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets are perceived to be of comparable quality as when viewed on a computer screen. This was a prospective study comparing the perceived quality of 18 images on three different display devices (smartphone, tablet and computer) by 27 participants (4 burn surgeons and 23 emergency medicine specialists). The images, presented in random order, covered clinical (dermatological conditions, burns, ECGs and X-rays) and non-clinical subjects and their perceived quality was assessed using a 7-point Likert scale. Differences in devices' quality ratings were analysed using linear regression models for clustered data adjusting for image type and participants' characteristics (age, gender and medical specialty). Overall, the images were rated good or very good in most instances and more so for the smartphone (83.1%, mean score 5.7) and tablet (78.2%, mean 5.5) than for a standard computer (70.6%, mean 5.2). Both handheld devices had significantly higher ratings than the computer screen, even after controlling for image type and participants' characteristics. Nearly all experts expressed that they would be comfortable using smartphones (n=25) or tablets (n=26) for image-based teleconsultation. This study suggests that handheld devices could be a substitute for computer screens for teleconsultation by physicians working in emergency settings. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The effect of pre-travel advice on sexual risk behavior abroad: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Croughs, Mieke; Remmen, Roy; Van den Ende, Jef

2014-01-01

Travelers often have casual sex abroad and the risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI) associated with casual travel sex is considered to be threefold higher compared to the risk of casual sex in the home country. Consequently, international guidelines recommend including STI advice in the pre-travel consultation. We performed a systematic review on the effect of a pre-travel STI intervention on sexual risk behavior abroad. In September 2012, a systematic analysis and meta-analysis of peer reviewed literature were performed on the relation between pre-travel STI advice for travelers and sexual risk behavior abroad. Primary outcome measure consisted of the number of travelers with a new sexual partner abroad; secondary outcome measure entailed the proportion of consistent condom use. Six studies were identified for inclusion in the review, of which three clinical trials on the effect of a motivational intervention compared to standard pre-travel STI advice qualified for the meta-analysis. Two of these trials were performed in US marines deployed abroad and one in visitors of a travel clinic. The extensive motivational training program of the marines led to a reduction in sexual risk behavior, while the brief motivational intervention in the travel clinic was not superior to standard advice. The meta-analysis established no overall effect on risk behavior abroad. No clinical trials on the effect of a standard pre-travel STI discussion were found, but a cohort study reported that no relation was found between the recall of a nonstructured pre-travel STI discussion and sexual risk behavior, while the recall of reading the STI information appeared to be related to more consistent condom use. Motivational pre-travel STI intervention was not found to be superior to standard STI advice, while no clinical trials on the effect of standard pre-travel STI advice were found. © 2013 International Society of Travel Medicine.

Effects of yoga, strength training and advice on back pain: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Brämberg, Elisabeth Björk; Bergström, Gunnar; Jensen, Irene; Hagberg, Jan; Kwak, Lydia

2017-03-29

Among the working population, non-specific low-back pain and neck pain are one of the most common reasons for sickness absenteeism. The aim was to evaluate the effects of an early intervention of yoga - compared with strength training or evidence-based advice - on sickness absenteeism, sickness presenteeism, back and neck pain and disability among a working population. A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 159 participants with predominantly (90%) chronic back and neck pain. After screening, the participants were randomized to kundalini yoga, strength training or evidence-based advice. Primary outcome was sickness absenteeism. Secondary outcomes were sickness presenteeism, back and neck pain and disability. Self-reported questionnaires and SMS text messages were completed at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months. The results did not indicate that kundalini yoga and strength training had any statistically significant effects on the primary outcome compared with evidence-based advice. An interaction effect was found between adherence to recommendations and sickness absenteeism, indicating larger significant effects among the adherers to kundalini yoga versus evidence-based advice: RR = 0.47 (CI 0.30; 0.74, p = 0.001), strength training versus evidence-based advice: RR = 0.60 (CI 0.38; 0.96, p = 0.032). Some significant differences were also found for the secondary outcomes to the advantage of kundalini yoga and strength training. Guided exercise in the forms of kundalini yoga or strength training does not reduce sickness absenteeism more than evidence-based advice alone. However, secondary analyses reveal that among those who pursue kundalini yoga or strength training at least two times a week, a significantly reduction in sickness absenteeism was found. Methods to increase adherence to treatment recommendations should be further developed and applied in exercise interventions. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01653782, date of registration: June, 28

Real time expert systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asami, Tohru; Hashimoto, Kazuo; Yamamoto, Seiichi

1992-01-01

Recently, aiming at the application to the plant control for nuclear reactors and traffic and communication control, the research and the practical use of the expert system suitable to real time processing have become conspicuous. In this report, the condition for the required function to control the object that dynamically changes within a limited time is presented, and the technical difference between the real time expert system developed so as to satisfy it and the expert system of conventional type is explained with the actual examples and from theoretical aspect. The expert system of conventional type has the technical base in the problem-solving equipment originating in STRIPS. The real time expert system is applied to the fields accompanied by surveillance and control, to which conventional expert system is hard to be applied. The requirement for the real time expert system, the example of the real time expert system, and as the techniques of realizing real time processing, the realization of interruption processing, dispersion processing, and the mechanism of maintaining the consistency of knowledge are explained. (K.I.)

Parents’ Primary Professional Sources of Parenting Advice Moderate Predictors of Parental Attitudes toward Corporal Punishment

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Catherine A.; McKasson, Sarah; Hoy, Guenevere; DeJong, William

2016-01-01

Despite the risk it poses to children’s mental and physical health, approval and use of corporal punishment (CP) remains high in the United States. Informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, we examined potential predictors of attitudes supportive of CP while assessing the moderating effects of parents’ (N=500) chosen primary professional source of advice regarding child discipline: pediatricians (47.8%), religious leaders (20.8%), mental health professionals (MHPs) (n=18.4%), or other identified professionals (13.0%). We conducted a random-digit-dial telephone survey among parents ages 18 and over within New Orleans, LA. The main outcome measure was derived from the Attitudes Toward Spanking scale (ATS). The main “predictors” were: perceived injunctive norms (i.e., perceived approval of CP by professionals; and by family and friends), perceived descriptive norms of family and friends regarding CP, and expected outcomes of CP use. We used multivariate OLS models to regress ATS scores on the predictor variables for each subset of parents based on their chosen professional source of advice. Perceived approval of CP by professionals was the strongest predictor of parental attitudes supportive of CP, except for those seeking advice from MHPs. Perceived injunctive and descriptive norms of family and friends were important, but only for those seeking advice from pediatricians or religious leaders. Positive expected outcomes of CP mattered, but only for those seeking advice from religious leaders or MHPs. In conclusion, the strength and relevance of variables predicting attitudes toward CP varied according to the professional from which the parent was most likely to seek advice. PMID:28529440

Parents' Primary Professional Sources of Parenting Advice Moderate Predictors of Parental Attitudes toward Corporal Punishment.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Catherine A; McKasson, Sarah; Hoy, Guenevere; DeJong, William

2017-02-01

Despite the risk it poses to children's mental and physical health, approval and use of corporal punishment (CP) remains high in the United States. Informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, we examined potential predictors of attitudes supportive of CP while assessing the moderating effects of parents' (N=500) chosen primary professional source of advice regarding child discipline: pediatricians (47.8%), religious leaders (20.8%), mental health professionals (MHPs) (n=18.4%), or other identified professionals (13.0%). We conducted a random-digit-dial telephone survey among parents ages 18 and over within New Orleans, LA. The main outcome measure was derived from the Attitudes Toward Spanking scale (ATS). The main "predictors" were: perceived injunctive norms (i.e., perceived approval of CP by professionals; and by family and friends), perceived descriptive norms of family and friends regarding CP, and expected outcomes of CP use. We used multivariate OLS models to regress ATS scores on the predictor variables for each subset of parents based on their chosen professional source of advice. Perceived approval of CP by professionals was the strongest predictor of parental attitudes supportive of CP, except for those seeking advice from MHPs. Perceived injunctive and descriptive norms of family and friends were important, but only for those seeking advice from pediatricians or religious leaders. Positive expected outcomes of CP mattered, but only for those seeking advice from religious leaders or MHPs. In conclusion, the strength and relevance of variables predicting attitudes toward CP varied according to the professional from which the parent was most likely to seek advice.

Safety analysis of an expert reactor protection system in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

EL-Kafas, A.E.A.E.

1996-01-01

the purpose of the dissertation is to develop a real time expert reactor protection system (ERPS) for operational safety of pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant. The system is developed to diagnose plant failures and for identification of plant transients (with and without scram). for this ERPS. probabilistic safety analysis techniques are used to check the availability and priority of the recommended safety system in case of plant accidents . the real- time information during transients and accidents can be obtained to asses the operator in his decision - making . Also, the ERPS is able to give advice for the reactor operator to take the appropriate corrective action during abnormal situations. The system model consists of the dynamic differential equations for reactor core, pressurizer, steam generator, turbine and generator, piping and plenums. The system of equations can be solved by appropriate codes also displayed directly from sensors of the plant. All scenarios of transients, accidents and fault tress for plant systems are learned to ERPS

Women and Heart Disease: Sharing Advice from the Heart

Science.gov (United States)

... page please turn JavaScript on. Feature: Women and Heart Disease Sharing Advice From The Heart Past Issues / Spring 2016 Table of Contents This ... inspired you to get involved in the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement and Red ...

Advice to stay active or structured exercise in the management of sciatica

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandez, Matt; Hartvigsen, Jan; Ferreira, Manuela L

2015-01-01

STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the evidence on comparative effectiveness of advice to stay active versus supervised structured exercise in the management of sciatica. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Conservative management of sciatica usually includes...... comparing advice with exercise. Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed methodological quality using the PEDro scale. Pain and disability data were extracted for all time points and converted to a common 0 to 100 scale. Data were pooled with a random effects model for short; intermediate...

An assessment of the quality of advice provided by patent medicine vendors to users of oral contraceptive pills in urban Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ujuju, Chinazo; Adebayo, Samson B; Anyanti, Jennifer; Oluigbo, Obi; Muhammad, Fatima; Ankomah, Augustine

2014-01-01

In Nigeria about 50% of oral contraceptive pill users obtain their products from proprietary patent medicine vendors (PPMVs). This group of service providers are poorly trained and have very limited knowledge about contraception. This paper investigated the nature of the advice offered to simulated current and potential users of oral contraceptive pills. The main objective was to assess the nature and quality of advice provided by PPMVs to pill users. This study is based on findings from a 'mystery client' approach in which three scenarios related to contraceptive pill use were simulated. Each of the 12 mystery clients simulated one of the following three scenarios: new pill users (new to family planning or switching from condom to pills); user seeking a resupply of pills; and dissatisfied pill users intending to discontinue use. Simple random sampling was used to select 410 PPMVs from a total of 1,826 in four states in Nigeria. Qualitative study using in-depth interviews was also conducted. A majority of the PPMVs had pills in stock on the day of the survey and resupplied pills to the clients. PPMVs also understood the reason and importance of referring clients who were new adopters of oral contraceptive methods to a health facility; 30% of the PPMVs referred new adopters to a health facility. However, demand from clients who do not want to go to health care facilities (for various reasons) necessitated the provision of oral contraceptive pills to 41% of the first time users. Some PPMVs prescribed treatment to mystery clients who presented with perceived complications arising from the use of pills, while 49% were referred to a health facility. The advice given by PPMVs often falls short of safety guidelines related to the use of oral contraceptive pills. There is a need to continuously update knowledge among the PPMVs to ensure that they provide quality oral contraceptive services as PPMVs bridge the gap between medical experts and users in rural communities.

Genetic test feedback with weight control advice: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meisel Susanne F

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genetic testing for risk of weight gain is already available over the internet despite uncertain benefits and concerns about adverse emotional or behavioral effects. Few studies have assessed the effect of adding genetic test feedback to weight control advice, even though one of the proposed applications of genetic testing is to stimulate preventive action. This study will investigate the motivational effect of adding genetic test feedback to simple weight control advice in a situation where weight gain is relatively common. Methods/design First-year university students (n = 800 will be randomized to receive either 1 their personal genetic test result for a gene (FTO related to weight gain susceptibility in addition to a leaflet with simple weight control advice (‘Feedback + Advice’ group, FA, or 2 only the leaflet containing simple weight control advice (‘Advice Only’ group, AO. Motivation to avoid weight gain and active use of weight control strategies will be assessed one month after receipt of the leaflet with or without genetic test feedback. Weight and body fat will be measured at baseline and eight months follow-up. We will also assess short-term psychological reactions to the genetic test result. In addition, we will explore interactions between feedback condition and gene test status. Discussion We hope to provide a first indication of the clinical utility of weight-related genetic test feedback in the prevention context. Trial registration Current controlled trials ISRCTN91178663

Discharge against medical advice in a pediatric emergency center in the State of Qatar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hala Abdulateef

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze cases that had left the Pediatric Emergency Center Al Sadd, Doha (PEC against medical advice, with the aim of developing policies to help reduce this occurrence. Methodology: All patients that were admitted to the main PEC observation room for treatment and/or investigation and subsequently left against medical advice from February 18, 2007 to June 18, 2007, were followed by a phone call, and a questionnaire, which was completed by the departmental patient representative. Results: 99,133 patients attended the facility during the study period. Of those, 106 left the facility against medical advice. Ninety-four guardians were successfully contacted. 90% of the cases were in children below 2 years of age. In 87% of the cases the mother was the main decision maker for leaving against medical advice. Domestic obligations were the leading cause of DAMA (discharge against medical advice, reported in 45% of the cases. Respondents reported that the consequences of DAMA were well explained by medical staff before they left the facility however, they had not met with the departmental patient representative during their stay. Conclusion:As the majority of DAMA cases occurred in infants, medical staff should address the concerns of this group early on in the course of treatment. Maintaining communication and providing support, in particular for mothers of higher risk groups may help to reduce the rate of DAMA cases.

A self-help book is better than sleep hygiene advice for insomnia: a randomized controlled comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Fiske, Eldbjørg; Pallesen, Ståle

2011-12-01

The objective was to compare the effects of two types of written material for insomnia in a randomized trial with follow-up after three months. Insomniacs were recruited through newspaper advertisements to a web-based survey with validated questionnaires about sleep, anxiety, depression, and use of sleep medications. A self-help book focusing on cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia was compared to standard sleep hygiene advice; 77 and 78 participants were randomized to self-help book or sleep hygiene advice, respectively. The response rate was 81.9%. The self-help book gave significantly better scores on the sleep questionnaires compared to sleep hygiene advice. The proportion using sleep medications was reduced in the self-help book group, whereas it was increased in the sleep hygiene group. Compared to pre-treatment, the self-help book improved scores on the sleep (effect sizes 0.61-0.62) and depression (effect size 0.18) scales, whereas the sleep hygiene advice improved scores on some sleep scales (effect sizes 0.24-0.28), but worsened another (effect size -0.36). In addition, sleep hygiene advice increased the number of days per week where they took sleep medications (effect size -0.50). To conclude, in this randomized controlled trial, the self-help book improved sleep and reduced the proportion using sleep medications compared to sleep hygiene advice. The self-help book is an efficient low-threshold intervention, which is cheap and easily available for patients suffering from insomnia. Sleep hygiene advice also improved sleep at follow-up, but increased sleep medication use. Thus, caution is warranted when sleep hygiene advice are given as a single treatment. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2011 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Energy Design Advice Scheme (EDAS): operations and achievements 1992-1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-09-01

The Energy Design Advice Scheme (EDAS) was launched in 1992 under the DTI's Passive Solar Programme to help improve the energy performance of the UK's building stock. It aimed to do this through direct advice and guidance on passive solar design and energy efficient technologies and processes given to the designers of real building projects. Furthermore, the scheme aimed to raise the awareness and take-up of definitive guidance produced under government programmes such as the Passive Solar programme and the Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme. A target energy saving worth Pound 19.3m was set to be achieved by the end of the scheme. This energy saving is equivalent to a reduction in carbon dioxide emission of 220,000 tonnes per year. (author)

Ostracism Reduces Reliance on Poor Advice from Others during Decision Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrne, Kaileigh A; Tibbett, Thomas P; Laserna, Lauren N; Carter-Sowell, Adrienne R; Worthy, Darrell A

2016-10-01

Decision-making is rarely context-free, and often both social information and non-social information are weighed into one's decisions. Incorporating information into a decision can be influenced by previous experiences. Ostracism has extensive effects, including taxing cognitive resources and increasing social monitoring. In decision-making situations, individuals are often faced with both objective and social information and must choose which information to include or filter out. How will ostracism affect the reliance on objective and social information during decision-making? Participants ( N =245) in Experiment 1 were randomly assigned to be included or ostracized in a standardized, group task. They then performed a dynamic decision-making task that involved the presentation of either non-social (i.e. biased reward feedback) or social (i.e., poor advice from a previous participant) misleading information. In Experiment 2, participants ( N =105) completed either the ostracism non-social condition or social misleading information condition with explicit instructions stating that the advice given was from an individual who did not partake in the group task. Ostracized individuals relied more on non-social misleading information and performed worse than included individuals. However, ostracized individuals discounted misleading social information and outperformed included individuals. Results of Experiment 2 replicated the findings of Experiment 1. Across two experiments, ostracized individuals were more critical of advice from others, both individuals who may have ostracized them and unrelated individuals. In other words, compared to included individuals, ostracized individuals underweighted advice from another individual, but overweighted non-social information during decision-making. We conclude that when deceptive objective information is present, ostracism results in disadvantageous decision-making.

Financial integration and financial development in transition economies: What happens during financial crises?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor Masten

2011-12-01

Full Text Available

This paper provides an empirical analysis of the role of financial development and financial integration in the growth dynamics of transition countries. We focus on the role of financial integration in determining the impact of financial development on growth, distinguishing “normal times” from periods of financial crises. In addition to confirming the significant positive effect on growth exerted by financial development and financial integration, our estimates show that a higher degree of financial openness tends to reduce the contractionary effect of financial crises, by cushioning the effect on the domestic supply of credit. Consequently, the high reliance on international capital flows by transition countries does not necessarily increase their financial fragility. This implies that financial protectionism is a self-defeating policy, at least for transition countries.

Online-Expert: An Expert System for Online Database Selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahir, Sajjad; Chang, Chew Lik

1992-01-01

Describes the design and development of a prototype expert system called ONLINE-EXPERT that helps users select online databases and vendors that meet users' needs. Search strategies are discussed; knowledge acquisition and knowledge bases are described; and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a decision analysis technique that ranks databases,…

Being an expert

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brechet, Y.; Musseau, O.; Bruna, G.; Sperandio, M.; Roulleaux-Dugage, M.; Andrieux, S.; Metteau, L.

2014-01-01

This series of short articles are dedicated to the role of the expert in the enterprise. There is an important difference between a scientific counsellor and an expert, the expert, recognized by his peers, can speak publicly in his field of expertise but has a duty of transparency while the job of a scientific counsellor requires confidentiality. The making and the use of an expert in an enterprise requires a dedicated organization. The organization of the expertise in 5 enterprises in nuclear industry are considered: CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), IRSN (Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety), AREVA, ANDRA (National Radioactive Waste Management Agency) and EDF (Electricity of France)

The Readability of Electronic Cigarette Health Information and Advice: A Quantitative Analysis of Web-Based Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Albert; Zhu, Shu-Hong; Conway, Mike

2017-01-06

The popularity and use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has increased across all demographic groups in recent years. However, little is currently known about the readability of health information and advice aimed at the general public regarding the use of e-cigarettes. The objective of our study was to examine the readability of publicly available health information as well as advice on e-cigarettes. We compared information and advice available from US government agencies, nongovernment organizations, English speaking government agencies outside the United States, and for-profit entities. A systematic search for health information and advice on e-cigarettes was conducted using search engines. We manually verified search results and converted to plain text for analysis. We then assessed readability of the collected documents using 4 readability metrics followed by pairwise comparisons of groups with adjustment for multiple comparisons. A total of 54 documents were collected for this study. All 4 readability metrics indicate that all information and advice on e-cigarette use is written at a level higher than that recommended for the general public by National Institutes of Health (NIH) communication guidelines. However, health information and advice written by for-profit entities, many of which were promoting e-cigarettes, were significantly easier to read. A substantial proportion of potential and current e-cigarette users are likely to have difficulty in fully comprehending Web-based health information regarding e-cigarettes, potentially hindering effective health-seeking behaviors. To comply with NIH communication guidelines, government entities and nongovernment organizations would benefit from improving the readability of e-cigarettes information and advice. ©Albert Park, Shu-Hong Zhu, Mike Conway. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 06.01.2017.

An Evaluation of an Occupational Health Advice Service

Science.gov (United States)

Shearn, P.; Ford, Norma J.; Murphy, R. G.

2010-01-01

Objective: The objective of this article is to identify the profile of service users of an occupational health (OH) support service and establish areas of need, and to gather client feedback on the experience of participating in the support service and perceived outcomes and the impact of the advice received. Design and Setting: We carried out…

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Opinion by written procedure – Review of scientific advice for 2013- part I – Advice on stocks in the Baltic Sea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The scientific advice on the stocks and fisheries in the Baltic Sea in 2013 evaluated and endorsed by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) by written procedure in June 2012 on a request by the European Commission......The scientific advice on the stocks and fisheries in the Baltic Sea in 2013 evaluated and endorsed by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) by written procedure in June 2012 on a request by the European Commission...

Use and preference of advice on small children's food

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Annemette Ljungdalh; Krasnik, Allan; Vassard, Ditte

2015-01-01

The authors analyzed the influence of acculturation on parental attitudes to, and use of, different sources of health advice about young children's food in Denmark. Using combined ethnic position of the children's parents as a proxy for household acculturation, the authors conducted a postal survey...

RISK-ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES AND ESTABLISHING THE SIZE OF SAMPLES FOR AUDITING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Botez

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In auditing financial statements, the procedures for the assessment of the risks and the calculation of the materiality differ from an auditor to another, by audit cabinet policy or advice professional bodies. All, however, have the reference International Audit Standards ISA 315 “Identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement through understanding the entity and its environment” and ISA 320 “Materiality in planning and performing an audit”. On the basis of specific practices auditors in Romania, the article shows some laborious and examples of these aspects. Such considerations are presented evaluation of the general inherent risk, a specific inherent risk, the risk of control and the calculation of the materiality.

Financial Village Standing in Indonesian Financial System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Herry Purnomo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Financial resources of the village that are sourced from a country or a Regional Finance Financial based Law Number 6 Year 2014 of The Village is the mandate of the law that must be allocated to the village. The interconnectedness of the financial position of the village in the financial system of the country or Region concerned the Financial administrative and territorial relations, and there is no setting directly regarding the finances of the village as part of the financial system of the country or the financial area. In respect of the elements of the crime of corruption deeds against financial irregularities of the village there are still disagreements on the interpretation of the law in trapping the perpetrators of corruption on the village chief that implies not satisfy the principle of legality and legal certainty in the ruling of the matter of financial irregularities. In fact, many of the village chief or Councilor caught the criminal offence of corruption over the use of financial irregularities. This research analyzes How the financial position of the village in the financial system of the country or region, as well as whether the financial resources of the village is derived from the state budget or region budget managed in village budget belongs to the category of village finances and whether tort against the financial management of the village can be categorized as a criminal act corruption. How To Cite: Purnomo, H. (2015. Financial Village Standing in Indonesian Financial System. Rechtsidee, 2(2, 121-140. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.21070/jihr.v2i2.81

System Experts and Decision Making Experts in Transdisciplinary Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Mieg, Harald A.

2006-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims at a better understanding of expert roles in transdisciplinary projects. Thus, the main purpose is the analysis of the roles of experts in transdisciplinary projects. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis of the ETH-UNS case studies from the point of view of the psychology of expertise and the sociology of professions…

Energy Design Advice Scheme (EDAS): operations and achievements 1992-1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-09-01

The Energy Design Advice Scheme (EDAS) was launched in 1992 under the DTI's Passive Solar Programme to help improve the energy performance of the UK's building stock. It aimed to do this through direct advice and guidance on passive solar design and energy efficient technologies and processes given to the designers of real building projects. Furthermore, the scheme aimed to raise the awareness and take-up of definitive guidance produced under government programmes such as the Passive Solar programme and the Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme. A target energy saving worth Pound 19.3m was set to be achieved by the end of the scheme. This energy saving is equivalent to a reduction in carbon dioxide emission of 220,000 tonnes per year. (author)

Corporate Governance And International Financial Reporting Reference (Ifrs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gheorghe Lepadatu

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Between corporate governance and IFRS there is a causal relationship. Financial reporting is basedon managerial accountability. Corporate governance is the economic branch who studies how companies canbecome more efficient through the use of institutional structures such as: incorporation, organization andlegal framework. This branch is limited, in most cases, to studies on how shareholders can motivateexecutives to benefit the company through their efforts, resulting - finally - dividends. Starting from theglobal nature of the current crisis, we have considered as being necessary to point out its effects on thefinancial reporting and, implicitly, on the requirements for the corporate governance consolidation in order toensure the economic and financial stability desired. The macro-economic context favored the start of thecrisis, but the analysis made by experts showed other reasons for this, out of which some of the mostimportant are the corporate governance weaknesses and the insufficient means for protection against risks.We consider that these are reasons which ask for an objective analysis and a correct assessment of theregulatory process but also of the practice in the area corroborated with an invitation for a responsiblebehavior both of the entities management but also of the representatives of the accounting profession so muchinvolved in the correctness of the accounting reporting and therefore in the financial health of the entities.

'How to stop a nosebleed': an assessment of the quality of epistaxis treatment advice on YouTube.

Science.gov (United States)

Haymes, A T; Harries, V

2016-08-01

Video hosting websites are increasingly being used to disseminate health education messages. This study aimed to assess the quality of advice contained within YouTube videos on the conservative management of epistaxis. YouTube.com was searched using the phrase 'how to stop a nosebleed'. The first 50 videos were screened. Objective advice scores and subjective production quality scores were attributed by independent raters. Forty-five videos were analysed. The mean advice score was 2.0 out of 8 and the mean production quality score was 1.6 out of 3. There were no correlations between a video's advice score and its search results rank (ρ = -0.28, p = 0.068), its view count (ρ = 0.20, p = 0.19) or its number of 'likes' (ρ = 0.21, p = 0.18). The quality of information on conservative epistaxis management within YouTube videos is extremely variable. A high search rank is no indication of video quality. Many videos proffer inappropriate and dangerous 'alternative' advice. We do not recommend YouTube as a source for patient information.

Non-financial Results of Performance Indicators of Trade and Industry Chambers in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdana V. Aleksandrova

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The article deals with non-financial results review of Trade and Industry Chamber, the assessment of competitiveness in the Ukrainian market. To achieve the desired goal we should do the following: 1.\tIdentify categories of research 2.\tSystemize available statistics. 3.\tTo evaluate dynamics of main categories 4.\tConduct an assessment of non-financial indicators of Trade and Industry Chamber 5.\tIdentify the level of competitiveness of Trade and Industry Chamber of Ukraine on domestic market. Methods used by author to address these issues: index-linked, method of correlation analysis, method of expert assessment. As a result of the study, non-financial indicators of organization’s activities have been analyzed, the dynamics of membership base and the scope of delivered services have been identified as well as the level of organization’s competitiveness. The most promising services have been highlighted.

Expert system to produce a welding procedure specification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuda, S.; Morita, H.; Yamauchi, Y.; Tsuji, S.

1993-01-01

This paper describes the outline of the expert system for producing a welding procedure specification for a pressure vessel which has been developed in the 5 year project of Nagasaki Prefecture financially supported by MITI (Ministry of International Trade and Industry). The aim of this project is to reduce the burden of welding engineers because requirements are betting more and more severe and products are getting more and more complicated and diversified. In order to reduce the burden of a welding engineer, the Project has shown that the following facts must be taken into account in addition to the usual procedures of developing an expert system. The inference must be processed in accordance with the lines of reasoning of a welding engineer. It must be remembered that these lines differ from engineer to engineer. Thus, a very flexible inference mechanism is called for. The constraints are propagated in any direction. The mechanism to deal with this kind of constraint propagation is called for. The user wishes not only to follow the lines of reasoning but also to get the whole perspective during the reasoning process. The search space must be made visible to the user. Thus, the range must be clearly shown in the spreadsheet and in the graphics. And their correspondence must be established. Hierarchical inference mechanism is preferred

FINANCIAL INSTABILITY, FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ionescu Cristian

2012-12-01

Full Text Available There is a positive relationship between financial development and economic growth in short-run and long-run. Financial development is beneficial to the reduction of poverty. But the financial instability which accompanies financial development is is costly for the poor and reduces the positive effect of financial development on the reduction of poverty. The paper aims to analyze in detail the relationship and the (direct and indirect effects between these variables, taking into account their economic and social importance. It is also highlighted the correlation between the financial economy and the real economy, emphasizing the impact on social welfare involved by the interaction of the above mentioned variables.

A designated centre for people with disabilities operated by Western Care Association, Mayo

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Mc Hugh, Sheena M

2014-09-01

In 2006, the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland established an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) for Diabetes, to act as its main source of operational policy and strategic advice for this chronic condition. The process was heralded as the starting point for the development of formal chronic disease management programmes. Although recommendations were published in 2008, implementation did not proceed as expected. Our aim was to examine the development of recommendations by the EAG as an instrumental case study of the policy formulation process, in the context of a health system undergoing organisational and financial upheaval.

Developing recommendations to improve the quality of diabetes care in Ireland: a policy analysis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Mc Hugh, Sheena M

2014-09-01

In 2006, the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland established an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) for Diabetes, to act as its main source of operational policy and strategic advice for this chronic condition. The process was heralded as the starting point for the development of formal chronic disease management programmes. Although recommendations were published in 2008, implementation did not proceed as expected. Our aim was to examine the development of recommendations by the EAG as an instrumental case study of the policy formulation process, in the context of a health system undergoing organisational and financial upheaval.

Outsmarting the Scam Artists How to Protect Yourself From the Most Clever Cons

CERN Document Server

Shadel, D

2012-01-01

A practical guide to avoiding the most common scams, from a fraud-fighting expert U.S. consumers lose billions of dollars each year to scam artists—and the next victim could be you. While anyone can be targeted, many victims are older. In AARP's Outsmarting the Scam Artists, renowned fraud-fighter Doug Shadel offers practical advice for consumers who want to protect their money as well as the financial assets of their parents and families. Despite the rise of scams, many people are embarrassed to admit they've been victimized. The author helps break the cycle of shame by including accoun

Ultracentrifuge in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

This article contains the complete advice which was compiled by a group of energy experts on behalf of the Dutch political party PPR. In their conclusions, the authors state that the expansion of the Ultracentrifuge plant in Almelo means: Dutch support to the furtherance of the proliferation of nuclear weapons by West-Germany; Dutch financial and technical support to the expansion of the nuclear technology of West-Germany; the decrease of the future possibilities of an effective international treaty against the proliferation of nuclear weapons; a stimulation to use nuclear energy as an energy source which is dangerous and unnecessary

Financial Literacy and Financial Behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sayinzoga, Aussi; Bulte, Erwin H.; Lensink, Robert

2016-01-01

We organise a field experiment with smallholder farmers in Rwanda to measure the impact of financial literacy training on financial knowledge and behaviour. The training increased financial literacy of participants, changed their savings and borrowing behaviour and had a positive effect on the

Advice : virtual sales assistant for the complete customer service process in digital markets

OpenAIRE

García Serrano, Ana María; Rodrigo Aguado, Luis; Hernández Diego, Josefa; Martínez Fernández, Paloma; Calle Gómez, Francisco Javier

2002-01-01

El trabajo presenta las principales características del proyecto ADVICE (IST 1999-11305), un proyecto de investigación cuyo principal objetivo es el desarrollo de un asistente virtual para las tiendas electrónicas que imite el comportamiento de un vendedor humano. This work present the main features of the ADVICE (IST 1999-11305) project, a research project whose main aim is to develop a virtual assistant for e-shops that imitates the behaviour of a human vendor.

How do stroke survivors and their carers use practitioners' advice on secondary prevention medications? Qualitative study of an online forum.

Science.gov (United States)

Izuka, Nkeonye J; Alexander, Matthew A W; Balasooriya-Smeekens, Chantal; Mant, Jonathan; De Simoni, Anna

2017-09-01

Secondary prevention medications reduce risk of stroke recurrence, yet many people do not receive recommended treatment, nor take medications optimally. Exploring how patients report making use of practitioners' advice on secondary prevention medicines on an online forum and what feedback was received from other participants. Thematic analysis of the archive of Talkstroke (2004-2011), UK. Posts including any secondary prevention medication terms, General Practitioner (GP) and their replies were identified. Fifity participants talked about practitioners' advice on secondary prevention medications in 43 discussion threads. Patients consulted practitioners for reassurance and dealing with side effects. Practitioners' advice varied from altering to maintaining current treatment. Three main themes emerged from the use of practitioners' advice: patients following advice (reassured, happy when side effects made tolerable, or still retaining anxiety about treatment); patients not following advice (admitting adherence on-off or stopping medications as side effects still not tolerable); asking other participants for feedback on advice received. Practitioners' advice was disregarded mainly when related to dealing with statin side effects, after one or two consultations. Themes for feedback involved sharing experience, directing back to practitioners, or to external evidence. Side effects of secondary prevention medications and statins in particular, cause anxiety and resentment in some patients, and their concerns are not always addressed by practitioners. Practitioners could consider more proactive strategies to manage such side effects. Forum feedback was appropriate and supportive of the practitioners' advice received. Our findings from peer-to-peer online conversations confirm and widen previous research. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

FINANCIAL DEPTH AND FINANCIAL ACCESS IN INDONESIA

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Sigit Setiawan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This study is intended to analyze the current levels of financial depth and financial access in Indonesia and to analyze the factors affecting them. The analysis method used was a combination of descriptive quantitative, benchmarking, and literature reviews. The conclusion is that the financial depth in Indonesia has not shown a satisfactory level since it was the lowest, or the second lowest ranked country among the sampled countries. Meanwhile, the financial access in Indonesia is relatively better than its financial depth, especially for financial markets, in which Indonesia ranks in the lower average group. From literature reviews, it can be inferred that the main factor driving the poor financial depth in Indonesia is non-competitiveness of the institutions; whereas the driving force of poor financial access in Indonesia are geographical constraints, poverty, a high income gap, and a less than effective national financial development policy.

Lessons learned and advice from Vietnam war nurses: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Scannell-Desch, Elizabeth A

2005-03-01

The aim of this paper is to describe guidance for nurses today from the lessons learned by nurses who served in the Vietnam War. There is little research focusing on nurses' experiences in the Vietnam War. Lessons learned and subsequent advice from nurses who served in Vietnam may be helpful to those serving in current and future wars. A Husserlian phenomenological approach was taken, using interviews with a purposive sample of Registered Nurses who were female, and had served in the United States of America armed forces in Vietnam during the war. Seven theme clusters described the lesson learned and guidance offered by the Vietnam War nurses: advice about journaling, training, caring for yourself, use of support systems, talking about your experiences, understanding the mission, and lack of preparation for war. Much can be learned from the lessons learned and advice given by Vietnam War nurses. These lessons stress that nurses need to take a pro-active role in preparing themselves for deployment to a war zone, and that institutional training for war needs to be intensive and realistic. The environmental, cultural, technological, clinical and psychosocial demands of war nursing need to be comprehensively addressed before nurses deploy to a war.

Nurse provision of healthy lifestyle advice to people who are overweight or obese.

Science.gov (United States)

Kable, Ashley; James, Carole; Snodgrass, Suzanne; Plotnikoff, Ronald; Guest, Maya; Ashby, Samantha; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Collins, Clare

2015-12-01

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a regional area in Australia to measure nurses' perceptions, practices, and knowledge in regard to providing healthy lifestyle advice to people who are overweight or obese. Responses were compared between geographic regions. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. Of the 79 nurse participants, 68% considered that provision of healthy lifestyle advice was within their scope of practice. Only 28% reported frequently estimating body mass index in the practice setting. Nurses often recommended increasing activity levels (44%), but recommended reducing daily caloric intake less often (25%). Nurses' knowledge about weight management was variable and the proportion of correct answers to knowledge items ranged from 33-99%. Nurses have many opportunities to deliver healthy lifestyle advice in a range of practice settings. The variation in practices and knowledge of nurses indicates a need for improved healthy lifestyle education for undergraduate and practicing nurses. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Physiotherapy in the intensive care unit: an evidence-based, expert driven, practical statement and rehabilitation recommendations

Science.gov (United States)

Sommers, Juultje; Engelbert, Raoul HH; Dettling-Ihnenfeldt, Daniela; Gosselink, Rik; Spronk, Peter E; Nollet, Frans; van der Schaaf, Marike

2015-01-01

Objective: To develop evidence-based recommendations for effective and safe diagnostic assessment and intervention strategies for the physiotherapy treatment of patients in intensive care units. Methods: We used the EBRO method, as recommended by the ‘Dutch Evidence Based Guideline Development Platform’ to develop an ‘evidence statement for physiotherapy in the intensive care unit’. This method consists of the identification of clinically relevant questions, followed by a systematic literature search, and summary of the evidence with final recommendations being moderated by feedback from experts. Results: Three relevant clinical domains were identified by experts: criteria to initiate treatment; measures to assess patients; evidence for effectiveness of treatments. In a systematic literature search, 129 relevant studies were identified and assessed for methodological quality and classified according to the level of evidence. The final evidence statement consisted of recommendations on eight absolute and four relative contra-indications to mobilization; a core set of nine specific instruments to assess impairments and activity restrictions; and six passive and four active effective interventions, with advice on (a) physiological measures to observe during treatment (with stopping criteria) and (b) what to record after the treatment. Conclusions: These recommendations form a protocol for treating people in an intensive care unit, based on best available evidence in mid-2014. PMID:25681407

Financial analysis as a financial management instrument

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stehlíková Beáta

2001-12-01

Full Text Available The financial market is one of the elements of the market-oriented economy. The financial analysis is a fundamental element of the financial controlling business. The purpose of this article is to inform briefly about horizontal and vertical financial statements analysis as the source of competitive advantage of the firm. The article is divided into two parts. First describes financial analysis and financial statements generally. Second, it presents a practical contribution of the horizontal and vertical financial statements analysis at the controlled businesses as financial management tools, which identify the financial position, market behaviour, correlations between the net profit and the prohibitively cost and operating profit, the financial activities profit, the income tax etc.Business, which the analysed firm operates in asks a provable claim on the high value of fixed assets. The capital composition of the firm is call to typify for the state-owned enterprise that was transformed to private joint-stock companies. Analysis is specially pleading for the needs considering the price of the borrowed capital in the capital structure rating. Fault factor ø value talks about needs for the cost regulation. Stair-step conception used for counting of the net profit in the accountant period indicates the financial profit, alternatively loss, as the distinguished pre-tax profit element. Picture about firm’s financial results can be completed with the information about the income tax value. Form of financial analyses presented in the article entablature the accents on the necessity to compare several accounting period and on the necessity of complex understanding of statements accounting slide “en bloc”.Financial analyse makes the decision makers possible to screen potential partners before the cooperation starts. On the other side, it makes a possibility to influence the production process, sales and financial management during the accounting

Who Do Hospital Physicians and Nurses Go to for Advice About Medications? A Social Network Analysis and Examination of Prescribing Error Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Creswick, Nerida; Westbrook, Johanna Irene

2015-09-01

To measure the weekly medication advice-seeking networks of hospital staff, to compare patterns across professional groups, and to examine these in the context of prescribing error rates. A social network analysis was conducted. All 101 staff in 2 wards in a large, academic teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, were surveyed (response rate, 90%) using a detailed social network questionnaire. The extent of weekly medication advice seeking was measured by density of connections, proportion of reciprocal relationships by reciprocity, number of colleagues to whom each person provided advice by in-degree, and perceptions of amount and impact of advice seeking between physicians and nurses. Data on prescribing error rates from the 2 wards were compared. Weekly medication advice-seeking networks were sparse (density: 7% ward A and 12% ward B). Information sharing across professional groups was modest, and rates of reciprocation of advice were low (9% ward A, 14% ward B). Pharmacists provided advice to most people, and junior physicians also played central roles. Senior physicians provided medication advice to few people. Many staff perceived that physicians rarely sought advice from nurses when prescribing, but almost all believed that an increase in communication between physicians and nurses about medications would improve patient safety. The medication networks in ward B had higher measures for density, reciprocation, and fewer senior physicians who were isolates. Ward B had a significantly lower rate of both procedural and clinical prescribing errors than ward A (0.63 clinical prescribing errors per admission [95%CI, 0.47-0.79] versus 1.81/ admission [95%CI, 1.49-2.13]). Medication advice-seeking networks among staff on hospital wards are limited. Hubs of advice provision include pharmacists, junior physicians, and senior nurses. Senior physicians are poorly integrated into medication advice networks. Strategies to improve the advice-giving networks between senior

Design and Analysis of Financial Condition Local Government Java and Bali (2013-2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natrini Nur Dewi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This research aims to identify financial condition of local government in Java and Bali year 2013-2014. It is due to government financial condition, according to several researchers, provides an image on the ability of a government in fulfilling their obligations whether in the form of debt or service fulfillment in timely manner. According to assessment upon financial condition, local government is able to identify how to fulfill public needs, how to utilize resources and how to proceed resources so that it can be more productive. As for the measurement method of financial condition itself, the standard method cannot be determined. Therefore, indicator used for measuring local government financial condition is Brown's (1993[2] indicator development adjusted to Indonesian government. In order to develop the indicator, this research employs qualitative method by comparing GASB No.34, SAP Government Regulation (“Peraturan Pemerintah” - PP 71 Year 2010, SAP PP 24 year 2005 and literature studies and expert validation. In order to obtain a balanced comparison, this research also employs clusters developed by Baidori (2015[1] for government in Java and Bali. Results of this research showed that among 7 analyzed clusters, there are variations of results, even though each cluster has similar socioeconomic condition to each other. This variation upon Indonesian local government financial condition is caused by regional autonomy.

Financial satisfaction and financial stressors in marital satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Sense about Sex: Media, Sex Advice, Education and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Attwood, Feona; Barker, Meg John; Boynton, Petra; Hancock, Justin

2015-01-01

The media are widely acknowledged as important in sex and relationship education, but they are usually associated with "bad" effects on young people in contrast to the "good" knowledge represented by more informational and educational formats. In this paper we look at sex advice giving in newspapers, magazines and television in…

18 CFR 388.104 - Informal advice from Commission staff.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Commission staff. 388.104 Section 388.104 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... Commission staff. (a) The Commission staff provides informal advice and assistance to the general public and... expressed by the staff do not represent the official views of the Commission, but are designed to aid the...

Development of Spreadsheet-Based Integrated Transaction Processing Systems and Financial Reporting Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Ariana, I. M.; Bagiada, I. M.

2018-01-01

Development of spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems is intended to optimize the capabilities of spreadsheet in accounting data processing. The purpose of this study are: 1) to describe the spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems; 2) to test its technical and operational feasibility. This study type is research and development. The main steps of study are: 1) needs analysis (need assessment); 2) developing spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems; and 3) testing the feasibility of spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems. The technical feasibility include the ability of hardware and operating systems to respond the application of accounting, simplicity and ease of use. Operational feasibility include the ability of users using accounting applications, the ability of accounting applications to produce information, and control applications of the accounting applications. The instrument used to assess the technical and operational feasibility of the systems is the expert perception questionnaire. The instrument uses 4 Likert scale, from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Data were analyzed using percentage analysis by comparing the number of answers within one (1) item by the number of ideal answer within one (1) item. Spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems integrate sales, purchases, and cash transaction processing systems to produce financial reports (statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity, statement of financial position, and statement of cash flows) and other reports. Spreadsheet-based integrated transaction processing systems and financial reporting systems is feasible from the technical aspects (87.50%) and operational aspects (84.17%).

ATTITUDES OF RURAL POPULATION WITH OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES TO MEDICAL SERVICE: EXPERTS VIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inna Yurievna Yurova

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article presents the analysis of factors that may influence the attitudes of rural population with occupational diseases to medical service. The analysis is based on the results of the survey that has been conducted in Saratov region in 2013-2014. Ten experts, doctors involved in treating rural population with occupational diseases in Saratov region, formed the sample.It was revealed that refusal from pre-arranged treatment and hospitalization as well as execution of documents on disability is often determined by financial factor, i.e. unwillingness of rural population to lose their job, the only source of income. According to the experts the main factors that may influence the incidence of in- and out-patient visits in rural regions are low accessibility to medical institutions due to isolated location of many rural territories, insufficiency of professional staff able to cope with occupational pathologies in central regional hospitals, lack of medical equipment and facilities. The factors preventing health-saving behavior are as follows: life style and educational level.

Millennials at Work: The Advice of Great Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

2015-04-01

Millennials at Work The Advice of Great Leaders Carol Axten Axten has more than 30 years of experience in Defense Department engineering, program...management, and policy development. She has graduate degrees in business , engineering, international relations, and national security resource strategy...million members of the millennial generation will enter the workforce and by 2030 will make up 75 percent of all working professionals. As managers in the

Giving advice to agents with hidden goals

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Rosman, Benjamin S

2014-05-01

Full Text Available than it would have otherwise. Similarly, advice can be a boost to 1Benjamin Rosman is with the Institute of Perception, Action and Behaviour in the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, UK, and Mobile Intelligent Autonomous Systems (MIAS...), CSIR, South Africa benjros@gmail.com 2Subramanian Ramamoorthy is with the Institute of Perception, Action and Behaviour in the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, UK s.ramamoorthy@ed.ac.uk Fig. 1. The envisaged scene: an agent (the human...

Linkages between financial development, financial instability, financial liberalisation and economic growth in Africa

OpenAIRE

Enowbi Batuo, M.; Mlambo, Kupukile; Asongu, Simplice

2017-01-01

In the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, the implications of financial liberalisation for stability and economic growth has come under increased scrutiny. One strand of literature posits a positive relationship between financial liberalisation and economic growth and development. However, others emphasise the link between financial liberalisation is intrinsically associated with financial instability which may be harmful to economic growth and development. This study assesses ...

Sickness certification for common mental disorders and GP return-to-work advice.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabbay, Mark; Shiels, Chris; Hillage, Jim

2016-09-01

Aim To report the types and duration of sickness certification for different common mental disorders (CMDs) and the prevalence of GP advice aimed at returning the patient to work. In the United Kingdom, common mental health problems, such and depression and stress, have become the main reasons for patients requesting a sickness certificate to abstain from usual employment. Increasing attention is being paid to mental health and its impact on employability and work capacity in all parts of the welfare system. However, relatively little is known about the extent to which different mental health diagnoses impact upon sickness certification outcomes, and how the GP has used the new fit note (introduced in 2010) to support a return to work for patients with mental health diagnoses. Sickness certification data was collected from 68 UK-based general practices for a period of 12 months. Findings The study found a large part of all sickness absence certified by GPs was due to CMDs (29% of all sickness absence episodes). Females, younger patients and those living in deprived areas were more likely to receive a fit note for a CMD (compared with one for a physical health problem). The highest proportion of CMD fit notes were issued for 'stress'. However, sickness certification for depression contributed nearly half of all weeks certified for mental health problems. Only 7% of CMD fit notes included any 'may be fit' advice from the GP, with type of advice varying by mental health diagnostic category. Patients living in the most socially deprived neighbourhoods were less likely to receive 'may be fit' advice on their CMD fit notes.

Financial Literacy and Financial Planning in France

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luc Arrondel

2013-07-01

Full Text Available We study financial literacy in France using the PATER survey and following the Lusardi and Mitchell (2011c approach. We find that some subpopulations are less financially literate than others: women, young and old people as well as less-educated people are more likely to face difficulties when dealing with fundamental financial concepts such as risk diversification and inflation and interest compounding. We also find some differences in financial knowledge depending on the political opinion of the respondents. Finally we show that these differences in financial knowledge are correlated with differences in the propensity to plan: people who score higher on the financial literacy questions are more likely to be engaged in the preparation of a clearly defined financial plan.

Specific Features of the Study of Purchasing Behaviour and Consumption by the Customer, Financial and Banking Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitran Paula Cornelia

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of every economic activity in general and the financial one in particular is the satisfaction of clients’ necessities. Thespecificity of clients’ consumption behaviour in the financial – banking realm, impose the understanding of the necessities and their occasionalprocess to the banking system. The client’s behaviour analysis, as an obvious barometer of a bank evolution is the most important component of amarketing research. The relationship between the client, as a natural person or a juridical person and bank, is very important and requires to besupported in order to assure clients’ loyalty and to develop long term relations with them. Therefore, banks should give advice to their clientsconcerning their finance organization or concerning the preparation of their business plans, fact which is able to reinforce the professional image ofthe bank. This aspect must be completed by the presence of some communication specialists who will assure the information transfer, creating a feedbackbetween the employees and the clients.

Corporate Investments in Asian Emerging Markets: Financial Conditions, Financial Development, and Financial Constraints

OpenAIRE

Wang, Jianxin; Gochoco-Bautista, Maria Socorro; Sotocinal, Noli

2013-01-01

Motivated by the literature on the finance–growth nexus, this paper explores the mechanisms through which finance affects corporate investments and capital accumulation. We separate the effects of financial conditions from those of financial development. Based on a sample of firms from five Asian emerging economies, we find that (1) financial conditions and financial development affect corporate investments through different channels. Financial conditions affect firms' growth opportunities an...

Who uses foodbanks and why? Exploring the impact of financial strain and adverse life events on food insecurity.

Science.gov (United States)

Prayogo, E; Chater, A; Chapman, S; Barker, M; Rahmawati, N; Waterfall, T; Grimble, G

2017-11-14

Rising use of foodbanks highlights food insecurity in the UK. Adverse life events (e.g. unemployment, benefit delays or sanctions) and financial strains are thought to be the drivers of foodbank use. This research aimed to explore who uses foodbanks, and factors associated with increased food insecurity. We surveyed those seeking help from front line crisis providers from foodbanks (N = 270) and a comparison group from Advice Centres (ACs) (N = 245) in relation to demographics, adverse life events, financial strain and household food security. About 55.9% of foodbank users were women and the majority were in receipt of benefits (64.8%). Benefit delays (31.9%), changes (11.1%) and low income (19.6%) were the most common reasons given for referral. Compared to AC users, there were more foodbank users who were single men without children, unemployed, currently homeless, experiencing more financial strain and adverse life events (P = 0.001). Food insecurity was high in both populations, and more severe if they also reported financial strain and adverse life events. Benefit-related problems appear to be a key reason for foodbank referral. By comparison with other disadvantaged groups, foodbank users experienced more financial strain, adverse life events, both increased the severity of food insecurity. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Understanding Financial Statements. Financial Matters. Board Basics.

Science.gov (United States)

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,"…

Does financial literacy improve financial inclusion? Cross country evidence

OpenAIRE

Grohmann, Antonia; Klühs, Theres; Menkhoff, Lukas

2017-01-01

While financial inclusion is typically addressed by improving the financial infrastructure we show that financial literacy, representing the demand-side of financial markets, also has a beneficial effect. We study this effect at the cross-country level, which allows to consider institutional variation. Regarding "access to finance", financial infrastructure and financial literacy are mainly substitutes. However, regarding the "use of financial services", the effect of higher financial literac...

41 CFR 105-50.202-7 - Technical information and advice.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Technical information... Property Management Regulations System (Continued) GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 50-PROVISION OF SPECIAL... Services Administration § 105-50.202-7 Technical information and advice. GSA will provide technical...

Delegating Decisions to Experts

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hao; Suen, Wing

2004-01-01

We present a model of delegation with self-interested and privately informed experts. A team of experts with extreme but opposite biases is acceptable to a wide range of decision makers with diverse preferences, but the value of expertise from such a team is low. A decision maker wants to appoint experts who are less partisan than he is in order…

Advice about Work-Related Issues to Peers and Employers from Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Dewa, Carolyn S; Trojanowski, Lucy; Tamminga, Sietske J; Ringash, Jolie; McQuestion, Maurene; Hoch, Jeffrey S

2016-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory and descriptive study is to contribute to the sparse return-to-work literature on head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors. Interview participants were asked to reflect upon their work-related experience with cancer by answering two specific questions: (1) What advice would you give someone who has been newly diagnosed with head and neck cancer? (2) What advice would you give to employers of these people? Data were gathered through 10 individual semi-structured in-depth interviews with HNC clinic patients at a regional cancer center's head and neck clinic in Ontario, Canada. A constant comparative method of theme development was used. Codes identified in and derived from the data were discussed by research team members until consensus was reached. Codes with similar characteristics were grouped together and used to develop overarching themes. Work-related advice for peers focused on personal self-care and interactions within workplaces. Work-related advice to employers focused on demonstrating basic human values as well as the importance of communication. The study results suggest HNC clinic patients should be proactive with employers and help to set reasonable expectations and provide a realistic plan for work to be successfully completed. HNC clinic patients should develop communication skills to effectively disclose their cancer and treatment to employers. In this exploratory study, HNC clinic patients' advice was solution-focused underscoring the importance of self-care and pro-active communication and planning with employers. Employers were advised to demonstrate core human values throughout all phases of the work disability episode beginning at diagnosis.

Advice on malaria and yellow fever prevention provided at travel agencies in Cuzco, Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Villanueva-Meyer, Pablo G; Garcia-Jasso, Carlos A; Springer, Chelsea A; Lane, Jenna K; Su, Bonny S; Hidalgo, Idania S; Goodrich, Mary R; Deichsel, Emily L; White, A C; Cabada, Miguel M

2015-01-01

Travelers receive medical advice from a variety of sources, including travel agencies. The aim of this study is to describe the quality of pre-travel advice provided by travel agencies in Cuzco to travelers interested in visiting malaria and yellow fever endemic areas. Trained medical students posed as tourists and visited travel agencies in Cuzco requesting travel advice for a trip to the southern Amazon of Peru, recording advice regarding risk and prevention of malaria and yellow fever. A total of 163 registered travel agencies were included in the study. The mean proposed tour duration was 6.8 days (±1.4 days) with a median time to departure of 3 days and a median tour cost of 805 US dollars (USD) [interquartile range (IQR) 580-1,095]. Overall, 45% employees failed to mention the risk for any illness. Eighteen percent of the employees acknowledged risk of malaria and 53% risk of yellow fever. However, 36% denied malaria risk and 2% denied risk of yellow fever in the region. The price of tours from travel agencies that did not mention any health risk was significantly lower [1,009.6 ± 500.5 vs 783.9 ± 402 USD, t (152) = 3, p yellow fever (100%) were able to provide at least one recommendation for prevention. However, advice was not always accurate or spontaneously volunteered. Only 7% of the employees provided both correct scheduling and location information for administration of the yellow fever vaccine. The majority of registered travel agencies in Cuzco did not provide sufficient and accurate information regarding risk and prevention of malaria and yellow fever to travelers inquiring about trips to the southern Amazon of Peru. © 2014 International Society of Travel Medicine.

Advice to Stay Active or Structured Exercise in the Management of Sciatica: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Matt; Hartvigsen, Jan; Ferreira, Manuela L; Refshauge, Kathryn M; Machado, Aryane F; Lemes, Ítalo R; Maher, Chris G; Ferreira, Paulo H

2015-09-15

A systematic review and meta-analysis. To evaluate the evidence on comparative effectiveness of advice to stay active versus supervised structured exercise in the management of sciatica. Conservative management of sciatica usually includes interventions to promote physical activity in the form of advice to stay active or exercise, but there has been no systematic review directly comparing the effectiveness of these 2 approaches. Data Sources included MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PEDro databases. Studies were randomized controlled trials comparing advice with exercise. Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed methodological quality using the PEDro scale. Pain and disability data were extracted for all time points and converted to a common 0 to 100 scale. Data were pooled with a random effects model for short, intermediate, and long-term follow-ups. The GRADE approach was used to summarize the strength of evidence. Five trials were included in the meta-analysis, which showed a significant, although small effect favoring exercise over advice for reducing leg pain intensity in the short term (weighted mean difference: 11.43 [95% confidence interval, 0.71-22.16]) but no difference for disability (weighted mean difference: 1.45 [95% confidence interval, -2.86 to 5.76]). Furthermore, there was no difference at intermediate and long-term follow-ups between advice and exercise for patient-relevant outcomes. There is low-quality evidence (GRADE) that exercise provides small, superior effects compared with advice to stay active on leg pain in the short term for patients experiencing sciatica. However, there is moderate-quality evidence showing no difference between advice to stay active and exercise on leg pain and disability status in people with sciatica in the long term. 1.

Expert training on physical protection of nuclear materials at universities of Russia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pogozhin, N.S.; Bondarev, P.V.; Geraskin, N.I.; Kryuchkov, E.F.; Tolstoy, A.I.

2002-01-01

specialty, but also in teaching separate disciplines concerning various components of PPS. Thus the approach of consecutive study of base and special themes is implemented. Besides the long practice on one of the enterprises of nuclear branch, preparation and protection of a degree project of a practical orientation are stipulated. The Ministry of Education of Russia coordinates the expert training on MPCA. It approves the state educational standards determining requirement to a level of the expert training on each specialty or direction and licenses educational activity of separate universities on a certain specialty or direction. At present the most complete practical experience of the expert training on MPCA is accumulated at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (State University) (MEPhl). Thus in development of the curricula and the educational programs and in creation of educational, laboratory and methodical base the US National Laboratories at financial support of US Department of Energy have-accepted the most active participation. The curricula and the educational programs for the expert training on MPCA and results of practical work on the expert training accumulated at MEPhl for the last live years are submitted in the report. (author)

Caught in the middle? How women deal with conflicting pregnancy-advice from health professionals and their social networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Schölmerich, Vera L N; Ghorashi, Halleh; Denktaş, Semiha; Groenewegen, Peter

2016-04-01

to investigate how pregnant women deal with conflicting advice from their social networks and their caregivers and how this influenced their pregnancy-related behaviours. a qualitative study based on face-to-face interviews and focus-groups. We applied an inductive analysis technique closely following the 'Gioia method'. impoverished neighbourhoods in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 40 women who were pregnant, or had given birth within the last 12 months. 12 women were Native Dutch, 16 had a Moroccan background, and 12 had a Turkish background. all women faced a misalignment of advice by health professionals and social networks. For the native Dutch respondents, this misalignment did not seem to present a challenge. They had a strongly articulated preference for the advice of health professionals, and did not fear any social consequences for openly following their advice. For the women with a Turkish/Moroccan background, however, this discrepancy in advice presented a dilemma. Following one piece of advice seemed to exclude also following the other one, which would possibly entail social consequences. These women employed one of the three strategies to deal with this dilemma: a) avoiding the dilemma (secretly not following the advice of one side), b) embracing the dilemma (combining conflicting advice), and c) resolving the dilemma (communicating between both sides). we argue that the currently popular interventions geared towards increasing the health literacy of non-Western ethnic minority pregnant women and improving communication between ethnic minority clients and caregivers are not sufficient, and might even exacerbate the dilemma some pregnant women face. As an alternative, we recommend involving not only caregivers but also women's social network in intervention efforts. Interventions could aim to increase the negotiation capacity of the target group, but also to increase the health literacy of the members of their social network to enable the circulation of

Quality of Financial Policies and Financial System Stress

OpenAIRE

Udaibir S Das; Plamen Yossifov; Richard Podpiera; Dmitriy L Rozhkov

2005-01-01

In this paper, we develop multi-country indices of financial system stress and quality of financial policies and use them in regression analysis of the determinants of financial stress. We find that countries with higher quality of financial policies are better able to contain the effects of macroeconomic pressures on the overall level of stress in the financial system. They are also in a better position to ensure sustainable development of the financial system.

Do not shoot the messenger: ICES advice for an ecosystem approach to fisheries management in the European Union

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ballesteros, Marta; Chapela, Rosa; Monsalve, Maria Paulina Ramirez

2017-01-01

in the ICES’ capacity to produce and evaluate ecosystem knowledge, which is integrated into operational products. However, the results also indicate shortcomings related to content, process, resources and policies coherence. Our findings support the following conclusions: (i) ICES has taken a leading role...... in generating the EAFM framework in which management decisions could operate; (ii) advice suppliers and advice users agree on the capability of using existing knowledge to “do EAFM now”; (iii) some shortcomings can be addressed in-house, but other require concerted action in both the advisory system...... provide. First, we summarize the policy context shaping advisory demands and analyse the advice that is currently being provided. Second, we present the stakeholders’ advice needs for putting the EAFM into practice, elucidated through structured dialogues in 22 events. The results show advances...

Application of expert systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basden, A

1983-11-01

This article seeks to bring together a number of issues relevant to the application of expert systems by discussing their advantages and limitations, their roles and benefits, and the influence that real-life applications might have on the design of expert systems software. Part of the expert systems strategy of one major chemical company is outlined. Because it was in constructing one particular expert system that many of these issues became important this system is described briefly at the start of the paper and used to illustrate much of the later discussion. It is of the plausible-inference type and has application in the field of materials engineering. 22 references.

75 FR 65031 - U.S.-Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement Including Malaysia: Advice on the Probable...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-21

... Partnership Free Trade Agreement Including Malaysia: Advice on the Probable Economic Effect of Providing Duty...-2104-027, U.S.-Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement Including Malaysia: Advice on the Probable Economic Effect of Providing Duty-Free Treatment for Imports. DATES: November 10, 2010: Deadline...

Prevalence of risk factors for tail biting on commercial farms and intervention strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Nina R; Parker, Richard M A; Mendl, Michael; Edwards, Sandra A; Main, David C J

2012-10-01

A husbandry advisory tool (HAT) was devised to help pig producers and their advisors identify and minimise possible risk factors for tail biting in finishing pigs. The prevalence of 83 risk factors identified from the literature and expert opinion was recorded on 65 commercial pig farms in England between May 2007 and July 2009. Those considered most important were associated with atmosphere/environment, environmental enrichment, the provision of food/drink and animal health factors. Forty-six farms received advice on minimising these risks and, of these, 27 also received a financial incentive to encourage the uptake of advice. A reduction in risk factors was observed on 42/57 farms visited at the end of the study, with the greatest reduction occurring on the farms that had been incentivised. However, farms not receiving advice also had reduced risk factors associated with atmosphere/environment and stocking density over the course of the study. In conclusion, while some risk factors are structural and require substantial capital investment to change, a significant reduction in the risk of tail biting can be achieved on many farms through the systematic evaluation and modification of management practices. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advice on Writing a Scientific Paper

Science.gov (United States)

Sterken, C.

2006-04-01

What makes one author a good communicator and another a poor one? What turns out one manuscript a swift editorial task, and another an editorial nightmare? Based on direct experience from the manuscripts of the lectures and papers presented during this school, advice is given on what to do and on what to avoid when writing a scientific paper. Some feedback recommendation is also provided on how to prepare manuscripts, handle copyright and permissions to reproduce, how to anticipate plagiarism, how to deal with editors and referees, and how to avoid common errors. A few illustrations of English grammar and style for the foreign author are given.

Counselor Expert System | Debretsion | Zede Journal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An expert system plays an important role on alleviating primarily shortage of experts in a specific area of interest. With the help of an expert system, personnel with little expertise can solve problems that require expert knowledge. In this paper all major aspects of an expert system development have been presented.

21 CFR 14.174 - Advice and recommendations in writing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... specific drug or a class of drugs are ordinarily in the form of a written report. The report may consist of the approved minutes of the meeting or a separate written report. The report responds to the specific... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Advice and recommendations in writing. 14.174...

Advice presented on behalf of the commission of foreign affairs about the project of 2003 financial law (no. 230), tome 5, ecology and sustainable development; Avis presente au nom de la commission des affaires etrangeres sur le projet de loi de finances pour 2003 (no. 230), tome 5, ecologie et developpement durable

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guillet, J.J.

2002-10-01

The aim of this advice is to make an annual status of the French enforcement of the international commitments for the sustainable development: 1 - from the Rio summit to the Johannesburg one: the worldwide awareness, the progresses made after each international summit, the UN framework of dialogue and action, the diverging interests and opinions, the role and action of France; 2 - the international commitments for the sustainable development: the Johannesburg commitments, the promotion of the good governance, the fight against the emission of greenhouse gases, the access to water and energy; 3 - the French commitment for the sustainable development: the environment charter, the role of the European Union, a plurality of actors, the public-private partnership, the sustainable development stakes for the overseas departments and territories (DOM-TOM); 4 - the instruments and financial supplies of the ministry of ecology and sustainable development. (J.S.)

Financial System of Malaysia: the Concept of Financial Dispute

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgenia E. Frolova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: the article examines the main problems associated the new regulatory acts of Malaysia – the Financial Services Act of 2013 and the Islamic Financial Services Act of 2013; The characteristics of the legal status of the "Ombudsman for financial services" are listed, types of financial disputes subject to settlement under the "financial ombudsman scheme" are listed, parties to the financial dispute are identified. To achieve this goal, the article must solve the following tasks: to determine whether there are institutions in Malaysia that provide services for resolving financial disputes; to investigate the main problems associated with the definition of the concept and types of financial dispute, the conditions for the transfer of a financial dispute to the competent authority. Methods: this article is based on an interdisciplinary concept of research, which allowed to distinguish the distinctive features of the legal regulation of the settlement of financial disputes in Malaysia. Results: according to the provisions of the new laws of Malaysia, namely the Financial Services Act of 2013 and the Islamic Financial Services Act of 2013, a financial dispute should be understood as a dispute, to which the parties are a financial consumer and a financial service provider provider. Financial disputes include disputes in the field of insurance and Islamic insurance, as well as disputes over bank cards, bank accounts, ATMs, Internet banking, mobile banking, and others. The main body for the settlement of financial disputes is the Financial Ombudsman. The competence of the financial ombudsman is limited by the amount of the claim of 250,000 ringgit (about 4.5 million rubles, under insurance claims – 10,000 ringgit, in the field of unauthorized transactions – 25,000 ringgit. The procedure for resolving a financial dispute, which in Malaysia is referred to as the "scheme of a financial ombudsman", is established by the Central Bank of Malaysia

The role of cystovaginoscopy and hygienic advice in girls referred for symptoms of vulvovaginitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ram, Ashok Daya; Hurst, Katherine Victoria; Steinbrecher, Henrik

2012-05-01

Vulvovaginitis is a common presenting symptom referred to a paediatric urology clinic. Some of these patients undergo diagnostic cystovaginoscopy to determine whether there is any underlying anatomical cause for the persistent infection. However, in the majority of the patients, no underlying abnormality is found and they are given hygienic advice and prescribed bio yoghurt postoperatively. This study examines the outcome in these patients after hygienic advice is given: determining whether cystovaginoscopy was really necessary and whether it changed the management of vulvovaginitis.

Caregivers' compliance with referral advice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lal, Sham; Ndyomugenyi, Richard; Paintain, Lucy

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Several malaria endemic countries have implemented community health worker (CHW) programmes to increase access to populations underserved by health care. There is considerable evidence on CHW adherence to case management guidelines, however, there is limited evidence on the compliance...... in the control arm were trained to treat malaria with ACTs based on fever symptoms. Caregivers' referral forms were linked with CHW treatment forms to determine whether caregivers complied with the referral advice. Factors associated with compliance were examined with logistic regression. RESULTS: CHW saw 18......,497 child visits in the moderate-to-high transmission setting and referred 15.2% (2815/18,497) of all visits; in the low-transmission setting, 35.0% (1135/3223) of all visits were referred. Compliance to referral was low, in both settings

Expert Panel Elicitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jensen, M. [Swedish Radiation Protection Authority, Stockholm (Sweden). Dept. of Waste Management and Environmental Protection; Hora, S.C. [Univ. of Hawaii, Hilo, HI (United States)

2005-09-15

Scientists are now frequently in a situation where data cannot be easily assessed, since they may have conflicting or uncertain sources. While expert judgment reflects private choices, it is possible both reduce the personal aspect as well as in crease confidence in the judgments by using formal protocols for choice and elicitation of experts. A full-scale elicitation made on seismicity following glaciation, now in its late phase and presented here in a preliminary form, illustrates the value of the technique and some essential issues in connection with the decision to launch such a project. The results show an unusual low variation between the experts.

Transfer of Knowledge on Agroforestry Management Practices: the Structure of Farmer Advice Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marney E. Isaac

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Access to knowledge on farm management practices is essential for the maintenance of productive agroforestry systems. Farmers who lack the means to acquire farming knowledge from formal sources often rely on information within their informal social networks. However, little research has explored the explicit structure of farmer communication patterns. We examined advice network structures by using farmer attributes, i.e., kin relationships, community involvement, and imitation, to characterize structural positions and investigated the consequences of such structure on farming practices in cocoa agroforestry systems in Ghana, West Africa. Furthermore, we used a multicommunity approach; we constructed networks for four communities to increase replication and enhance the generality of our conclusions. A high density of advice ties occurred among a small group of farmers, indicating a core-periphery structure. Settler farmers composed 73% of core position members, suggesting that social proximity did not control the formation of informal advice structures. Because core farmers were highly participative in community activities, the promotion of community involvement may facilitate the movement of knowledge and social exchange to strengthen informal networks. Farmers in both core and peripheral structural positions indicated that they observed fellow farmers and subsequently adopted their practices. Of highly sought farmers, 84% used external information, predominately from government institutions, thus functioning as bridging links between formal and informal networks. Both external and farmer-derived sources of knowledge of agroforestry practices were transferred through informal advice networks, providing available information throughout the farming community, as well as a foundation for community-based adaptive management.

78 FR 23954 - U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement: Advice on the Probable Economic...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-23

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation Nos. TA-131-037 and TA-2104-029] U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement: Advice on the Probable Economic Effect of Providing.... TA-131-037 and TA-2104-029, U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement: Advice...

The Usefulness of Financial Statements in Making Financial Diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitica Pepi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Our research aims to develop an analysis of the usefulness of financial statements and financial investment in making the diagnosis. Financial analysis is by definition an activity that performance condition is diagnosed entity of the financial year. Financial analysis shall be determined by strengths and weaknesses of financial management based on which will underpin future strategy of the entity to maintain and develop it into a competitive environment. Results of financial analysis depends on the quality, accuracy, relevance and effectiveness of economic information collected and processed. The primary sources of information for financial analysis are the financial statements, which are considered as raw material in the analysis.

Does financial education impact financial literacy and financial behavior, and if so, when?

OpenAIRE

Kaiser, Tim; Menkhoff, Lukas

2017-01-01

A meta-analysis of 126 impact evaluation studies finds that financial education significantly impacts financial behavior and, to an even larger extent, financial literacy. These results also hold for the subsample of randomized experiments (RCTs). However, intervention impacts are highly heterogeneous: financial education is less effective for low-income clients as well as in low- and lowe...

Measuring financial performance: an overview of financial statements.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalsted, N L

1995-07-01

Financial management has emerged as a critical component in the long-term viability of today's ranches and farms. Proper and timely financial reporting and analysis of financial statements are valuable tools that agricultural producers can use to monitor, coordinate, and plan their operational production and marketing schemes and strategies. A side note to preparation of financial statements. With the concerns over lender liability issues associated with statements either assisted with or prepared by a lending officer, agricultural producers will be responsible for preparing their own statements. The lending institutions may prepare their own statements in their assessment of the financial condition of a business and or individual, but, ultimately, the responsibility of financial statements is the borrower's. Some of the material presented in this article provides important input for use in such analytical programs as the National Cattlemen's Association, Integrated Resource Committees, and Standard Performance Analysis (SPA). SPA techniques and associated software have been or currently are under development for cow-calf, stocker, seedstock, and sheep enterprises. Critical to the analysis is having complete and correct financial statements. These analytical programs build on the financial statements. These analytical programs build on the financial statements as recommended by the FFSTF. Proper financial reporting is critical not only to a SPA assessment but also to the overall financial management of today's farms and ranches. Recognizing the importance of financial management in production agriculture is not enough, taking a proactive stance in one's financial plan is paramount to success. Failure to do so will only enhance the exit rates of producers from production agriculture.

Using a Non-Fit Message Helps to De-Intensify Negative Reactions to Tough Advice

Science.gov (United States)

Fridman, Ilona; Scherr, Karen; Glare, Paul; Higgins, E. Tory

2017-01-01

Sometimes physicians need to provide patients with potentially upsetting advice. For example, physicians may recommend hospice for a terminally ill patient because it best meets their needs, but the patient and their family dislike this advised option. We explore whether regulatory non-fit could be used to improve these types of situations. Across five studies in which participants imagined receiving upsetting advice from a physician, we demonstrate that regulatory non-fit between the form of the physician’s advice (emphasizing gains vs. avoiding losses) and the participants’ motivational orientation (promotion vs. prevention) improves participants’ evaluation of an initially disliked option. Regulatory non-fit de-intensifies participants’ initial attitudes by making them less confident in their initial judgments and motivating them to think more thoroughly about the arguments presented. Furthermore, consistent with previous research on regulatory fit, we showed that the mechanism of regulatory non-fit differs as a function of participants’ cognitive involvement in the evaluation of the option. PMID:27341845

Sistem Advice Planing Online Dengan Framework Codeigniter Berbasis Web Bootstrap (Studi Kasus: Kabupaten Probolinggo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moh Ainol Yaqin

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The information system in the form of Integrated Advice Planning by using CodeIgniter Framework and based on  Framework Bootstrap one of system which gives responsive form. The system is a service as one of solution for e-Government. Advice Planning service is the optimization of public services in the licensing sector and the optimization of agency management. The licensing service is in the form of design consultation and the location of the building in accordance with the Spatial and Regional Plan within a Local Government. Licensing process that must be fulfilled by prospective investors either individually or on behalf of the company and supporting infrastructure around the investment location. The services provided by the Information System have provided Advice Planning application submission online. The system is expected to provide convenience for the community in the region and create a friendly, the comfortable, the transparent and cheap of interaction between the government and the community.

Financial Stress Indices and Financial Crises

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeulen, Robert; Hoeberichts, Marco; Vasicek, Borek; Zigraiova, Diana; Smidkova, Katerina; de Haan, Jakob

This paper develops a Financial Stress Index (FSI) for 28 OECD countries and examines its relationship to crises using a novel database for financial crises. A stress index measures the current state of stress in the financial system and summarizes it in a single statistic. Our results suggest that

Factors influencing adherence to referral advice following pre-referral treatment with artesunate suppositories in children in rural Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Simba, Daudi O; Warsame, Marian; Kimbute, Omari; Kakoko, Deodatus; Petzold, Max; Tomson, Goran; Premji, Zul; Gomes, Melba

2009-07-01

WHO recommends artemisinin suppository formulations as pre-referral treatment for children who are unable to take oral medication and cannot rapidly reach a facility for parenteral treatment. We investigated factors influencing caretakers' adherence to referral advice following pre-referral treatment of their children with rectal artesunate suppositories. The study was nested within an intervention study that involved pre-referral treatment of all children who came to a community dispenser for treatment because they were unable to take oral medications because of repeated vomiting, lethargy, convulsions or altered consciousness. All patients who did not comply with referral advice were stratified by actions taken post-referral: taking their children to a drug shop, a traditional healer, or not seeking further treatment, and added to a random selection of patients who complied with referral advice. Caretakers of the children were interviewed about their socio-economic status (SES), knowledge about malaria, referral advice given and actions they took following pre-referral treatment. Interview data for 587 caretakers were matched with symptoms of the children, the time of treatment, arrival at a health facility or other actions taken post-pre-referral treatment. The majority (93.5%) of caretakers reported being given referral advice by the community drug dispenser. The odds of adherence with this advice were three times greater for children with altered consciousness and/or convulsions than for children with other symptoms [odds ratio (OR) 3.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.32-5.17, P < 0.001]. When questioned, caretakers who remembered when (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.48-3.23, P < 0.001) and why (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.07-2.95, P = 0.026) they were advised to proceed to health facility - were more likely to follow referral advice. Cost did not influence adherence except within a catchment area of facilities that charged for services. In these areas, costs deterred adherence by

Sleep-spindle detection: crowdsourcing and evaluating performance of experts, non-experts and automated methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Warby, Simon C.; Wendt, Sabrina Lyngbye; Welinder, Peter

2014-01-01

to crowdsource spindle identification by human experts and non-experts, and we compared their performance with that of automated detection algorithms in data from middle- to older-aged subjects from the general population. We also refined methods for forming group consensus and evaluating the performance...... of event detectors in physiological data such as electroencephalographic recordings from polysomnography. Compared to the expert group consensus gold standard, the highest performance was by individual experts and the non-expert group consensus, followed by automated spindle detectors. This analysis showed...... that crowdsourcing the scoring of sleep data is an efficient method to collect large data sets, even for difficult tasks such as spindle identification. Further refinements to spindle detection algorithms are needed for middle- to older-aged subjects....

Financial Analysis of the Financial Institutions Sector in Kosovo

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Vlora Prenaj

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Paper work “Financial analysis of the financial institutions sector in Kosovo” treats financial sector in Kosovo. Paper work contains the current position of the economy, economic prospects and macroeconomic projections for the financial sector in Kosovo, future potential and possibilities of financial sector in Kosovo. The main goal of this research is financial analysis of Kosovo financial institutions sector - overview of key indicators. This research evaluates the performances of commercial bank’s profitability, which have operated in the market during the period 2006-2012. This research is conducted through financial analysis coefficients: Return on Equity, Return on assets and Cost to Income. Test t-Student is used to analyze the profitability for the period 2006/2007 before the financial crisis and the period 2011/2012 after financial crisis.

Newly qualified doctors' views on the significance and accessibility of career advice during medical training in Saudi Arabia.

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Mehmood, Syed Imran; Norcini, John J; Borleffs, Jan C C

2013-01-01

Career advice is an important instrument to help students with the proper specialty selection. The study aims (1) to explore the views of newly graduated doctors in Saudi Arabia about their experience with the current status of career support system during medical training and (2) to identify cross-cultural similarities and differences. A cross-sectional design study was conducted using a questionnaire to elicit the responses of participants from newly qualified doctors concerning the availability and significance of career advice. SPSS (version 11.0; Chicago, IL) was used to analyze the data and statistical tests, such as chi-square and unpaired t tests, were used to analyze the observations. A response rate of 94.7% was obtained. Among this group, 102 were males and 78 were females. Only 53% did receive career advice. The majority of men felt that career advice during medical studies was inadequate, while women were less negative (69% versus 32%; p = 0.0001). Furthermore, men were more disappointed about the possibilities for career advice after graduating than women (34% versus 13%, p = 0.0001). The results show that only half of newly graduated doctors had received any career advice during medical training. As the health care system cannot afford the potential waste of time and resources for doctors, career guidance should begin in undergraduate training so that the process of thinking about their future career starts longtime before they make their career choice.

Surgical experts: born or made?

Science.gov (United States)

Sadideen, Hazim; Alvand, Abtin; Saadeddin, Munir; Kneebone, Roger

2013-01-01

The concept of surgical expertise and the processes involved in its development are topical, and there is a constant drive to identify reliable measures of expert performance in surgery. This review explores the notion of whether surgical experts are "born" or "made", with reference to educational theory and pertinent literature. Peer-reviewed publications, books, and online resources on surgical education, expertise and training were reviewed. Important themes and aspects of expertise acquisition were identified in order to better understand the concept of a surgical expert. The definition of surgical expertise and several important aspects of its development are highlighted. Innate talent plays an important role, but is insufficient on its own to produce a surgical expert. Multiple theories that explore motor skill acquisition and memory are relevant, and Ericsson's theory of the development of competence followed by deliberate self-practice has been especially influential. Psychomotor and non-technical skills are necessary for progression in the current climate in light of our training curricula; surgical experts are adaptive experts who excel in these. The literature suggests that surgical expertise is reached through practice; surgical experts are made, not born. A deeper understanding of the nature of expert performance and its development will ensure that surgical education training programmes are of the highest possible quality. Surgical educators should aim to develop an expertise-based approach, with expert performance as the benchmark. Copyright © 2013 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Policy Advice to Alberta’s New Premier

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Jack M. Mintz

2014-09-01

Full Text Available On September 6th, 2014, members of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta elected Jim Prentice as leader of their party, and Premier of Alberta. The School of Public Policy assembled its key thinkers in economic, taxation, energy and natural resource policy to provide unsolicited but important advice to Premier Prentice on some areas of policy that matter most to Alberta, and that will demand the Premier’s attention as he takes office. These are opinion pieces, are not peer reviewed, and reflect the views of their authors alone.

Law for nuclear experts only

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagner, H [Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe G.m.b.H. (Germany, F.R.)

1980-02-01

The Federal Ministry of the Interior is preparing an ordinance on expert consultants under the Atomic Energy Act which, among other topics, is to include legal norms for the criteria to be met by experts in terms of non-partisanship, training, capabilities, technical equipment and cooperation in expert organizations of members of various scientific and technical disciplines. A summary of general criteria relating to the qualification, selection and status of experts called in by the legislative and executive branches and by courts of law, which could be organized as a series of guidelines without any original qualities of legal norms, could be recommended in view of the increasing quantitative and qualitative importance of experts. However, passing an ordinance merely fixing and putting into concrete terms the image of an 'expert under the Atomic Energy Act' is intolerable, because the status of scientific and technical experts by far extends beyond the field of nuclear law in our industrial society characterized by a far reaching division of labor. Weak points in the organization of expert services are not confined to technology or nuclear power. Separate rules establishing legal norms are not convincing also for reasons of technology policy and legal policy as well as for those of social psychology and practice.

Joint influence of individual choices, parenting practices, and physician advice on adolescent obesity, Nebraska, 2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongmei; Kim, Jungyoon; Su, Dejun; Xu, Liyan; Chen, Li-Wu; Huang, Terry T-K

2014-10-09

Reducing childhood obesity remains a public health priority given its high prevalence and its association with increased risk of adult obesity and chronic diseases. The objective of this study was to examine the joint influence of multiple risk factors on adolescent overweight status. We conducted a random-digit-dialed telephone survey of adolescents aged 12 to 19 years in fall 2008 in a Midwestern city in Nebraska. On the basis of survey data for 791 youths aged 12 to 18 years, we conducted latent class analysis to group youths by the joint occurrence of dietary behavior, physical activity, parenting practices, and physician advice. We then examined the association between the groups and overweight status by using logistic regression, controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and parent and family information. Youths were clustered into 3 groups. Group I (52%) were youths with healthy dietary behavior and physical activity, less permissive parenting practices, and physician advice; Group II (30%) were youths with moderately healthy dietary behavior and physical activity, less permissive parenting practices, and no physician advice; and Group III (18%) were youths with unhealthy dietary behavior and physical activity, permissive parenting practices, and physician advice. Youths in Groups I and II were less likely to be overweight than youths in Group III. Youths with healthier behavior and less permissive parenting practices were less likely to be overweight. Study findings highlight the need to address obesity risk factors among youths with unhealthy dietary behavior, inadequate exercise, permissive parenting practices, and some physician advice. Tailored interventions should be used to target youths with different obesity risk factors.

Investigating financial incentives for maternal health: an introduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, Mary Ellen; Higgs, Elizabeth S; Koblinsky, Marge

2013-12-01

Projection of current trends in maternal and neonatal mortality reduction shows that many countries will fall short of the UN Millennium Development Goal 4 and 5. Underutilization of maternal health services contributes to this poor progress toward reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Moreover, the quality of services continues to lag in many countries, with a negative effect on the health of women and their babies, including deterring women from seeking care. To enhance the use and provision of quality maternal care, countries and donors are increasingly using financial incentives. This paper introduces the JHPN Supplement, in which each paper reviews the evidence of the effectiveness of a specific financial incentive instrument with the aim of improving the use and quality of maternal healthcare and impact. The US Agency for International Development and the US National Institutes of Health convened a US Government Evidence Summit on Enhancing Provision and Use of Maternal Health Services through Financial Incentives on 24-25 April 2012 in Washington, DC. The Summit brought together leading global experts in finance, maternal health, and health systems from governments, academia, development organizations, and foundations to assess the evidence on whether financial incentives significantly and substantially increase provision, use and quality of maternal health services, and the contextual factors that impact the effectiveness of these incentives. Evidence review teams evaluated the multidisciplinary evidence of various financial mechanisms, including supply-side incentives (e.g. performance-based financing, user fees, and various insurance mechanisms) and demand-side incentives (e.g. conditional cash transfers, vouchers, user fee exemptions, and subsidies for care-seeking). At the Summit, the teams presented a synthesis of evidence and initial recommendations on practice, policy, and research for discussion. The Summit enabled structured

Expert Systems for the Analytical Laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

de Monchy, Allan R.; And Others

1988-01-01

Discusses two computer problem solving programs: rule-based expert systems and decision analysis expert systems. Explores the application of expert systems to automated chemical analyses. Presents six factors to consider before using expert systems. (MVL)

Bounds on the power of proofs and advice in general physical theories.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ciarán M; Hoban, Matty J

2016-06-01

Quantum theory presents us with the tools for computational and communication advantages over classical theory. One approach to uncovering the source of these advantages is to determine how computation and communication power vary as quantum theory is replaced by other operationally defined theories from a broad framework of such theories. Such investigations may reveal some of the key physical features required for powerful computation and communication. In this paper, we investigate how simple physical principles bound the power of two different computational paradigms which combine computation and communication in a non-trivial fashion: computation with advice and interactive proof systems. We show that the existence of non-trivial dynamics in a theory implies a bound on the power of computation with advice. Moreover, we provide an explicit example of a theory with no non-trivial dynamics in which the power of computation with advice is unbounded. Finally, we show that the power of simple interactive proof systems in theories where local measurements suffice for tomography is non-trivially bounded. This result provides a proof that [Formula: see text] is contained in [Formula: see text], which does not make use of any uniquely quantum structure-such as the fact that observables correspond to self-adjoint operators-and thus may be of independent interest.

Evaluation of conflict hazard and financial risk in the E7 economies’ capital markets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ümit Hacıoğlu

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to examine the interaction between financial stress and conflict risk having impacts on fi nancial instruments in capital markets within an interdisciplinary frame. The Fuzzy TOPSIS method is applied in order to analyse effects of conflict hazard on capital markets and fi nancial instruments in the E7 economies and to demonstrate the best possible ranks of the E7 economies based on performance evaluation criteria. In order to obtain the dynamics of data as to develop a suffi cient reference bases for expert opinions, conflict hazard index and fi nancial stress index have been structured. The empirical results confirm that there is strong relation between fi nancial stress index and confl ict hazard index for the E7 economies. The fundamental conclusion demonstrates the effects of the financial and conflict risks for the stock selection in the E7 economies by the criteria derived from the Financial Stress Index and Confl ict Risk Index.

MedMinify: An Advice-giving System for Simplifying the Schedules of Daily Home Medication Regimens Used to Treat Chronic Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, Allen J; Klasnja, Predrag; Friedman, Charles P

2014-01-01

For those with high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, adherence to a home medication regimen is important for health. Reductions in the number of daily medication-taking events or daily pill burden improve adherence. A novel advice-giving computer application was developed using the SMART platform to generate advice on how to potentially simplify home medication regimens. MedMinify generated advice for 41.3% of 1,500 home medication regimens for adults age 60 years and older with chronic medical conditions. If the advice given by MedMinify were implemented, 320 regimen changes would have reduced daily medication-taking events while an additional 295 changes would have decreased the daily pill burden. The application identified four serious drug-drug interactions and so advised against taking two pairs of medications simultaneously. MedMinify can give advice to change home medication regimens that could result in simpler home medication-taking schedules.

Financial Economy and Financial System: Basis of Structural Interconnection

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Khorosheva Olena I.

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The goal of the article lies in identification of grounds of interconnection of the financial economy and financial system. The study was conducted with consideration of main provisions of the theory of finance and concept of financial economy, which is a set of means used in the process of reproduction of finance by their owner for formation and / or maintenance of the own system of values in the viable state. For the first time ever the structure of the financial system is identified as an aggregate of financial economies and financial market. The article justifies a necessity of expansion of boundaries of perception of the state financial economy, which is offered to include public financial economy of the state level and the set of financial economies of the state as a subject of economic activity. Such an approach forms a base for justification of the synthesis of participation of the state in financial relations as the owner and as the basic macro-economic regulator. Prospects of further study in this direction are: development of classification of financial economies; revelation of specific features of impact of shadow finance on development of the national financial economy; and assessment of possibilities of inclusion of structured financial products into the system of values of financial economies in Ukraine.

Justice on the line? A comparison of telephone and face-to-face \\ud advice in social welfare legal aid

OpenAIRE

Burton, Marie

2018-01-01

This paper investigates the impact on legal advice of the major shift to telephone-only services in social welfare legal aid, which took place in April 2013. An empirical study comparing telephone and face-to-face advice reveals that face-to-face contact has considerable advantages in the advice interview. Based on interviews and observations with housing law clients, their lawyers and advisers, the findings of this qualitative study demonstrate that clients and lawyers often find it easier t...

East Asian Financial Cycles: Asian vs. Global Financial Crises

OpenAIRE

Akira Kohsaka; Jun-ichi Shinkai

2014-01-01

We examine the role of financial shocks in business cycles in general and in financial crises in particular in East Asia (Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand) since the 1990s. Estimating a Financial Conditions Index, we found that financial shocks explain most of business downturns in all the economies in the Asian Financial Crisis (AFC) in 1997-98, but that the effects of financial shocks are diverse across economies in the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008-09. In the GFC, the financ...

A Career Advice Helpline: A Case Study from South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Flederman, Patricia

2011-01-01

This case study presents the new career guidance helpline managed by the South African Qualifications Authority in South Africa, a middle-income country. The National Qualifications Framework and Career Advice Helpline represent a national equity-driven initiative using technology to expand access. The model has drawn on contemporary international…

Corporate financial restructuring in Asia: implications for financial stability

OpenAIRE

Michael Pomerleano

2007-01-01

Corporate financial fragility preceding the Asian financial crisis heightened vulnerabilities. Many countries in the region undertook significant corporate financial restructuring after the crisis, with some countries bouncing back much faster than others. These sounder corporate financial practices bode well for financial stability.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION, EFFECTS OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION ON ECONOMIC DECISION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TAK ISA

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Financial information has, indisputably, an important effect in economics. To form an effective capital market, financial information must be reliable and accurate. Misleading financial information always has a negative impact on economic decision taken by users. It is known that financial information as the cornerstone of financial markets, can improve economic performance in several ways. Nowadays we are facing economic crisis due to irregularities of presentation of financial statements to users. Misunderstandings cause economic recession. Detection of fraudulent financial information, is an important issue facing the auditing profession. Currently, bankruptcy of companies around the world, leaves millions of people without jobs, this is caused by financial information which is manipulated by companies. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of errors and manipulation committed in the financial information sector on the real economy. Also one of the purposes of this paper is to analyze error and fraud in financial statements how it effects the real economy and the reasons for committing fraud in financial statements. Also, several suggestions are included in this study about actions that can be taken to prevent errors and manipulation in financial information.

Financial Liberalization and Financial Fragility

OpenAIRE

Enrica Detragiache; Asli Demirgüç-Kunt

1998-01-01

The authors study the empirical relationship between banking crises and financial liberalization using a panel of data for 53 countries for 1980-95. They find that banking crises are more likely to occur in liberalized financial systems. But financial liberalization's impact on a fragile banking sector is weaker where the institutional environment is strong--especially where there is respect for the rule of law, a low level of corruption, and good contract enforcement. They examine evidence o...

Competing infant feeding information in mothers' networks: advice that supports v. undermines clinical recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashida, Sato; Lynn, Freda B; Williams, Natalie A; Schafer, Ellen J

2016-05-01

To identify the social contextual factors, specifically the presence of information that supports v. undermines clinical recommendations, associated with infant feeding behaviours among mothers in low-income areas. Cross-sectional survey evaluating social support networks and social relationships involved in providing care to the infant along with feeding beliefs and practices. Out-patient paediatric and government-funded (Women, Infants, and Children) clinics in an urban, low-income area of the south-eastern USA. Eighty-one low-income mothers of infants between 0 and 12 months old. Most mothers reported receiving both supportive and undermining advice. The presence of breast-feeding advice that supports clinical recommendations was associated with two infant feeding practices that are considered beneficial to infant health: ever breast-feeding (OR=6·7; 95% CI 1·2, 38·1) and not adding cereal in the infant's bottle (OR=15·9; 95% CI 1·1, 227·4). Advice that undermines clinical recommendations to breast-feed and advice about solid foods were not associated with these behaviours. Efforts to facilitate optimal infant feeding practices may focus on increasing information supportive of clinical recommendations while concentrating less on reducing the presence of undermining information within mothers' networks. Cultural norms around breast-feeding may be stronger than the cultural norms around the introduction of solid foods in mothers' social environments; thus, additional efforts to increase information regarding introduction of solid foods earlier in mothers' infant care career may be beneficial.

Optimizing adherence to advice from antimicrobial stewardship audit and feedback rounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Rawlins, Matthew D M; Sanfilippo, Frank M; Ingram, Paul R; McLellan, Duncan G J; Crawford, Colin; D'Orsogna, Luca; Dyer, John

2018-02-01

We examined adherence to antimicrobial stewardship prospective audit and feedback rounds in a rehabilitation service compared with the remainder of the acute hospital, and explored the reasons for this. Between October 2014 and December 2015, we retrospectively assessed the rate of non-adherence to advice from antimicrobial stewardship prospective audit and feedback rounds between the rehabilitation service and the acute hospital, along with the source of the patient referral. Compared with the rehabilitation service, acute hospital medical staff were almost twice as likely to not adhere to advice provided on antimicrobial stewardship prospective audit and feedback rounds (13.8% vs. 7.6%, p risk 1.8 [95% confidence interval 1.3, 2.5]). In the rehabilitation service, referrals were more likely to come from medical staff (61.9% vs. 16.3%, p model potentially applicable to other settings.

Belief revision and delusions: how do patients with schizophrenia take advice?

Science.gov (United States)

Kaliuzhna, Mariia; Chambon, Valérian; Franck, Nicolas; Testud, Bérangère; Van der Henst, Jean-Baptiste

2012-01-01

The dominant cognitive model that accounts for the persistence of delusional beliefs in schizophrenia postulates that patients suffer from a general deficit in belief revision. It is generally assumed that this deficit is a consequence of impaired reasoning skills. However, the possibility that such inflexibility affects the entire system of a patient's beliefs has rarely been empirically tested. Using delusion-neutral material in a well-documented advice-taking task, the present study reports that patients with schizophrenia: 1) revise their beliefs, 2) take into account socially provided information to do so, 3) are not overconfident about their judgments, and 4) show less egocentric advice-discounting than controls. This study thus shows that delusional patients' difficulty in revising beliefs is more selective than had been previously assumed. The specificities of the task and the implications for a theory of delusion formation are discussed.

The Financial Crisis, A Problem Of Economic Ethics And Of Morality?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Napoleon POP

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Many experts interested in explaining and understanding the deepness of latest financial crisis, far away yet to be solved, have gone beyond the appearances capture only by the economic science. It is more than sure that bubble on US prime rate real estate market was a only the detonator of much more complex mechanism built in time behind the scene of the financial system. Two things are more perceivable, the lack of comprehensive, but not overburdened, regulations and the sophisticated financial products less understood even by the managers of the financial institutions using them. A question still remains. Who was actually in charge with the explosion and the changing nature of the derivatives products, as innovation in every field of human activity is not always to be blamed? When the crisis burst, we were talking about toxic financial products with a huge capability to contaminate the entire globe. When the things became a little calmer, we started to call them exotic financial products and now it is a vague feeling of forgetting about the bad impact they produced, focusing ourselves on the new and more needed regulation of the global financial system, leaving aside the human behavior. What we see is that financial world became huge as compared with the real economy and, as a long time and well experienced former banker said, huge money are looking for more huge yields, producing more money out of nothing. That simple thought brings us to the ethic in economics and morality in the financial system, completely reversed from the normality, if just have a look to the anti cycle movement between the bonus policy and the losses or failures of some banks in the latest years. The connection is to be found in the risky management of the risks in very exposed markets to the information asymmetry, moral hazard and herd behavior. We let you know that this article is an inspiring root for an extensive study dedicated to the global money, in search of