Measurement and Inference in International Reserve Diversification

This paper analyzes international reserve diversification by examining changes in quantity shares of currencies held in foreign exchange reserves. It discusses alternative methodologies for constructing quantity shares and applies the preferred methodology to three sets of data on the currency composition of foreign exchange reserves: quarterly aggregate International Monetary Fund’s Composition of Foreign Exchange Reserves (IMF COFER) data, quarterly IMF COFER data for industrial- and developing-country groups, and annual data for 23 individual countries that disclose the currency composition of their foreign exchange reserve holdings. What can one infer from available data about the diversification of foreign exchange reserves since 1999? The analysis suggests four conclusions: (1) The behavior of the quantity shares of the US dollar and the euro in total reserves is consistent with net stabilizing intervention; their quantity shares tend to rise when these currencies are declining and vice versa. (2) The principal driver of this stabilizing diversification over the period 1999Q1–2005Q4 is Japan. (3) The industrial countries as a group but excluding Japan do not indicate stabilizing diversification. (4) The nonindustrial countries as a group display stabilizing diversification over short periods of only a few quarters. In summary, the aggregate data conceal much diversity in the practices of individual countries.Foreign Exchange Reserves, Central Banks, Methodology, Index Numbers, Aggregation

Does a Leapfrogging Growth Strategy Raise Growth Rate? Some International Evidence

While openness to trade is a well-recognized hallmark of the Asian growth model, another component of the model is a leapfrogging strategy—the use of policies to guide industrial structural transformation ahead of a country's factor endowment. Does the leapfrogging strategy work? Opinions vary but the evidence is scarce in part because it is more difficult to measure the degree of leapfrogging than the extent of trade openness. We undertake a systematic look at the evidence both across countries and subregions within a large regional Asian economy to assess the efficacy of such a strategy. We conclude that there is no strong and robust evidence that this strategy works reliably.growth; trade openness; leapfrogging

Inpatient Stroke rehabilitation: Ethnic and Psychosocial Predictors of Recovery Outcome

As the new focus on preventative medicine has emerged, research continues to expand on diseases that impact physical and cognitive functioning, lead to long-term disability, and increase the risk of mortality. Stroke or cerebral vascular accident (CVA) has been identified as one of such diseases by the Centers for Disease Control (2007). Past literature has identified disparities between ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other diseases in the recovery of stroke. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of ethnicity and psychosocial factors on stroke recovery during inpatient rehabilitation. The study included 446 patients who had suffered an ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke and were admitted into inpatient rehabilitation for stroke recovery at Loma Linda Rehabilitation Institute from January 1005 through August 2009. Functional Independence Measurement (FIM) scores were used to measure change in overall functioning and cognitive functioning between the ethnic groups, type of insurance, marital status, and socioeconomic status. Supporting past stroke literature, ethnic differences between Caucasians, African Americans, and Hispanics were predicted to emerge in cognitive and overall improvement, time delay from onset of stroke to admission into inpatient rehabilitation, and length of stay. It was further predicted that overall improvement would be associated with the patient\u27s type of insurance, marital status, and socioeconomic status. In contrary to the predictions, significant differences in overall and cognitive functioning, time delay and length of stay did not emerge between the Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic ethnic groups. Overall improvement was not associated with marital status or socioeconomic status. However, significant differences in overall improvement did emerge between the group of patients who had private insurance and those who had Medicare plus medical insurance. The patients with private insurance had better overall improvement. No significant differences were found between private insurance patients and those with Medicare or MediCal alone. The results suggest that the margin on ethnic and socioeconomic status disparities may be closing in at one facility, as every patient regardless of the socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, type of insurance, or marital status is treated with the same highest quality of care

Development of the Log out zone concept for Radisson Blu Espoo

Successful hotel management includes such important tool as noticing current trends of the industry, and making them part of the business. The main trends of current years are well-being and experience management. Radisson Blu Espoo hotel has used those trends to create a theme for the hotel, which has been named as Log Out Zone. It includes different services spaces and activities, with help of which customers can relax and re-energize. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the perception of the hotel's customers of the log out zone theme and based on the findings make suggestions for development for the current and future projects. The theoretical framework of the thesis covers such concepts as importance of experiential management in the hospitality industry, current trends, loyalty programs and etc. All the theory themes were selected to explain, why it is important to create a certain theme or a concept in the hotel. The empirical part of the thesis and the questionnaire were created to cover all the part of current and future projects of the Log out Zone, in order to analyse which project are the most popular and how LOZ is beneficial for hotel’s services. Based on the research, it can be said, that Log out Zone is very attractive concept for clients, which has potential to make a memorable stay and some of the project were very popular or could be very popular. It has also shown the weak parts of the theme, based on which the suggestions for development has been made. The conclusions made regarding the research are only valid for the Radisson Blu Espoo hotel and cannot be generalized for further organizations

THE MOTIVATION OF WORKING PRACTITIONERS SEEKING A DOCTORAL EDUCATION: FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF CONFUCIAN LEARNING PHILOSOPHY

This doctoral study explores the motivational orientations of working practitioners pursuing a professional doctoral program who are former and current DPS-IM program students at Syracuse University, School of Information Studies. The found motivational orientations are compared to Confucian philosophy principles of self-cultivation illustrated in The Great Learning (DaXues`å\u3e{t) which is considered the first of a set of Four Books (Sishusl`t). The manuscript\u27s structure consists of a brief of three principles, followed by eight steps that promote individual self-cultivation. Researchers frequently utilize these steps as a connection between civil conduct applied to social and political order (e.g. Keenan, 2011, p. 37). This study uses this Confucian philosophical framework to reveal self-cultivation components related to the motives and aspirations of this select group; Western older adult learners. This study also aims to bridge Eastern motivation theory with Western approaches, making a contribution to both motivational theory and adult education fields of study. This research utilized semi-structured interviews of twenty one DPS-IM students (80.77% participation). Collected data revealed that the majority of the participants were working professionals who have been in their field for at least 10 years. The interview data revealed that self-cultivation was found to be the greatest motivational factor for this study group followed by self-improvement, self-transformation, and sense of responsibility; which are all supported by Confucian learning philosophy found in The Great Learning. This study suggests that even though in modern times, a 2000 year-old Eastern philosophy of learning is synonymous with the motives of adults seeking further education regardless of their cultural background

Panel 1: The Framework Shaping the Law: Whose interests are reflected in existing treaties, practice and norms?

A focus on treaties, customary norms, soft law, arbital and judicial decisions to illustrate how an emergent international law of property has come to influence property rights held by private actors. This panel will focus on a) the human right to property; and b) international expropriation law

AGN and their host galaxies in the local Universe: two mass independent Eddington ratio distribution functions characterize black hole growth

We use a phenomenological model to show that black hole growth in the local Universe (z < 0.1) can be described by two separate, mass independent Eddington ratio distribution functions (ERDFs). We assume that black holes can be divided into two independent groups: those with radiatively efficient accretion, primarily hosted by optically blue and green galaxies, and those with radiatively inefficient accretion, which are mainly found in red galaxies. With observed galaxy stellar mass functions as input, we show that the observed AGN luminosity functions can be reproduced by using mass independent, broken power law shaped ERDFs. We use the observed hard X-ray and 1.4 GHz radio luminosity functions to constrain the ERDF for radiatively efficient and inefficient AGN, respectively. We also test alternative ERDF shapes and mass dependent models. Our results are consistent with a mass independent AGN fraction and AGN hosts being randomly drawn from the galaxy population. We argue that the ERDF is not shaped by galaxy-scale effects, but by how efficiently material can be transported from the inner few parsecs to the accretion disc. Our results are incompatible with the simplest form of mass quenching where massive galaxies host higher accretion rate AGN. Furthermore, if reaching a certain Eddington ratio is a sufficient condition for maintenance mode, it can occur in all red galaxies, not just the most massive ones.Comment: 33 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ, Fig. 6 shows the main resul

Decreasing Perioperative Medication Errors with Standardized Labeling Education

BACKGROUND: Medication errors are prevalent within the perioperative setting (Wahr et al., 2017). The anesthesia provider is the sole professional in charge of the medication process in the operating room, which results in fewer safety checks than in other healthcare settings (Nanji et al., 2016). LOCAL PROBLEM: The proposed scholarly project aimed to reduce medication errors at an academic medical center in the Southeast using an educational module focused on standardized narcotic syringe labeling. The participants were anesthesia providers in the operating room at the project site. METHODS: The Evidence-Based Practice Improvement model was used to guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of the scholarly project. INTERVENTIONS: The project team used an education module created by the Phase I team and disseminated the module to the project participants in three Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. The outcomes of the project were assessed by counting properly labeled fentanyl and hydromorphone syringes pre-and post-intervention. RESULTS: Data was analyzed and evaluated through the International Business Machines Corporation’s Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 29 software application using Chi-Square tests to evaluate for statistical significance. Statistically significant improvements in standardized narcotic syringe labeling were found after implementation. Results showed statistically significant increases in patient and fentanyl concentration labeling compliance. Statistically significant increases in hydromorphone patient labeling compliance also occurred. There was no change in hydromorphone concentration labeling because the syringes were prefilled. CONCLUSION: Improving standardized narcotic syringe labeling led to a reduction in medication errors. Recommendations for sustainability include continued surveillance of syringe labeling compliance by the pharmacy department, including the educational module as a yearly education requirement, and continued communication of compliance rates with anesthesia providers

Quantitative study: assessing technological problem solving and thinking skills among primary school children

This program was conducted to analyze the effect of a robotic program in assessing technological problem-solving among primary school children. The content of learning module, which consist of technological problem-solving as well as visible thinking activities, had gone through expert validation before the analytical calculation commenced. Technological Problem Solving Inventory (PSI-TECH) was utilised to measure the technological problem solving. Quasi-experiments were implemented in this study, involving experimental and control group which were equal and homogeneous in selected characteristics. The robotic and basic visual coding program was conducted for five months, with an hour of lesson each week, consistent with the school syllabus and activities. Results were obtained by collecting the data before and after the program following a quantitative analysis of t-test and MANOVA. Result had shown a significance positive value for the experimental group after the program. This study contributes in the field of education, in investigating the technological problem-solving skills among students. In addition, help to diversify the studies in the field of robotics

Why Are Cross-Device Interactions Important When It Comes To Digital Wellbeing?

Under the overwhelming amount of distractions in our multi-device environment, we have come to realise that more work could be put into evaluating cross-device ecosystems to enhance digital wellbeing. In the workshop, we would like to address and exchange ideas about the topic of digital wellbeing in the following areas of cross-device interactions: 1) the tracking of cross-device activities (how to better track users’ interactions on multiple devices, and how to deliver cross-device actionable insights), and 2) cross-device notifications (how to better fit cross-device notifications into users’ lives)