Financial literacy

The global financial crisis has intensified the problems of over-indebtedness, especially for the poor. In this context, the microfinance industry is giving more attention to building their customers’ financial capabilities, designing products that respond to their needs and preferences, and ensuring their protection as consumers. In a world where financial products and institutions are expanding rapidly, deciding which services to choose and how to use them is an increasing challenge. That challenge is especially great for customers who are poor and have limited experience in the formal financial sector. While money-management strategies can be innovative, the financial choices they make are defined by environments where informal financial practices are dominant and the consumer is often uncertain about commercial products and services. In increasingly complex and competitive financial markets, consumers with low levels of financial literacy lack the information and tools necessary to make informed decisions. Building financial capabilities can help people move from being overwhelmed by their financial options to being empowered by them.Education, Financial literacy, global financial crisis, Microfinance,

Approche de l’œuvre de Henri Meschonnic : « signifiance » et « infinitisation du sens »

In her last article for the Revue CMC Review, Monique Lise Cohen describes Henri Meschonnic’s immense work, which teaches us that the dualism of the signifiant/ signifié, which echoes the metaphysical dualism of the senses and intelligence, is at the heart of all dictatorial power. The Bible, on the other hand, in its original Hebrew, is not written according to this dualism. Its reading may lead to an “infinitisation du sens.” These questions open Meschonnic’s constant interrogation, on literature, on linguistics and philosophy, on translation, and on his own poetic writings

"Gray" BCS condensate of excitons and internal Josephson effect

It has been recently suggested that the Bose-Einstein condensate formed by excitons in the dilute limit must be dark, i.e., not coupled to photons. Here, we show that, under a density increase, the dark exciton condensate must acquire a bright component due to carrier exchange in which dark excitons turn bright. This however requires a density larger than a threshold which seems to fall in the forbidden region of the phase separation between a dilute exciton gas and a dense electron-hole plasma. The BCS-like condensation which is likely to take place on the dense side, must then have a dark and a bright component - which makes it "gray". It should be possible to induce an internal Josephson effect between these two coherent components, with oscillations of the photoluminescence as a strong proof of the existence for this "gray" BCS-like exciton condensate.Comment: 4 pages, typo correcte

Socioeconomic and demographic factors modify the association between informal caregiving and health in the Sandwich Generation

BACKGROUND: Nearly 50 million Americans provide informal care to an older relative or friend. Many are members of the “sandwich generation”, providing care for elderly parents and children simultaneously. Although evidence suggests that the negative health consequences of caregiving are more severe for sandwiched caregivers, little is known about how these associations vary by sociodemographic factors. METHODS: We abstracted data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to determine how the association between caregiving and health varies by sociodemographic factors, using ordinal logistic regression with interaction terms and stratification by number of children, income, and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: The association between informal caregiving and health varied by membership in the “sandwich generation,” income, and race/ethnicity. This association was significant among subjects with one (OR = 1.13, 95% CI [1.04, 1.24]) and two or more children (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.09, 1.26]), but not in those without children (OR = 1.01, 95% CI [0.97, 1.05]). Associations were strongest in those earning $50,000-$75,000 annually, but these income-dependent associations varied by race/ethnicity. In Whites with two or more children, the strongest associations between caregiving and health occurred in lower income individuals. These trends were not observed for Whites without children. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the added burden of caregiving for both children and elderly relatives may be impacted by income and race/ethnicity. These differences should be considered when developing culturally appropriate interventions to improve caregiver health and maintain this vital component of the US health care system

The effect of race on rehabilitation utilization among stroke patients in North Carolina

Stroke is one of the foremost public health problems in the United States and is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Rehabilitation helps stroke patients reduce the likelihood of recurrent stroke and sustained functional disability. Rehabilitation should begin once life-threatening problems have been controlled during acute hospitalization for stroke and continue thereafter based on the needs of the patient. This dissertation investigated the relationship between race and stroke rehabilitation utilization using two outcome measures. Study 1 used logit models to examine the relationship between race, hospital characteristics, and whether patients were assessed for disability while hospitalized for stroke. Study 2 used multinomial logit models to examine the relationship between race and whether patients were discharged to home, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, or skilled nursing facilities. Study 3 used interviews with discharge planners to identify factors that influence whether patients are assessed and where patients are discharged and that could contribute to racial differences in these two areas of rehabilitation utilization. Results from Study 1 showed that Whites were less likely than African Americans to be assessed. Patients were more likely to be assessed at not-for-profit, non-teaching, or large hospitals. African Americans at for-profit hospitals had the lowest probability of being assessed. Study 2 showed that Whites were more likely to be discharged home, and African Americans were more likely to be discharged to a facility. Study 3 showed that numerous factors influence patient assessments and discharge destinations. The factors that influence whether patients are assessed include standard orders for stroke care, the need to navigate facility admissions criteria to ensure patients can access postacute rehabilitation services, and patient clinical conditions. The factors that influence discharge destination include patient clinical indicators, patient preferences, patient support systems, financial considerations, availability of services, and whether hospitals are affiliated with postacute rehabilitation facilities. The discharge planners did not identify factors that contribute to racial differences in assessment and discharge destination. Findings from this dissertation can be used by health care providers, hospitals, policymakers, and researchers to improve the quality of stroke care, increase access to stroke rehabilitation services, and reduce health care disparities

Étonnement philosophique : Émerveillement biblique

Le mot « merveille » que l’on trouve dans la Bible est issu de la racine pèlè/pè-lamed-alef et a été traduit généralement par le mot grec thauma qui signifie « étonnement ». C’est ici, à la faveur de ces significations engendrées par les traductions, qu’une rupture et un malentendu se nouent entre la pensée biblique et la philosophie. Depuis Platon et Aristote, l’étonnement est le commencement de la philosophie. Étonnement devant ceci que le monde est. Or la Bible rapporte les merveilles à Dieu et nomme l’émerveillement devant la justice de Dieu et la loi à laquelle nous nous conformons. Cette divergence entre Bible et Philosophie ne relève pas des concepts de foi et de savoir élaborés dans l’histoire occidentale, mais de pensées différentes sur le monde et l’expérience. Est-il possible cependant, dans nos langues travaillées par les concepts  philosophiques, d’entendre l’enseignement qui provient de la Bible