Financial Liberalization: Commercial Bank's Blessing or Curse?

The purpose of the paper is to evaluate and measure the effect of financial liberalization (FL) on bank risk exposure. We pursue these questions by assessing the changes in market-based asset values and risk exposure measures for commercial banks (CB) before and during a FL program. We do this for a sample of three countries: Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand. We use a model based on the options pricing theory. We obtain estimates of the first and second moment of bank returns using an asset pricing model in which these two moments are a linear projection of a set of conditioning variables. This model was estimated using a GMM statistical procedure. Then we perform regressions explaining the evolution of bank risk measure around the FL event. The analysis and statistical test indicate that risk exposure of banks increases following a FL program, and this as a result of macroeconomic policy as well as changes in management controlled variables. This is so even for banks operating in countries that have undertaken very cautious FL processes such as Thailand and Malaysia. The results tend to support the proposition that moral hazard and bank risk taking may increase following FL. The results also suggest that banking crisis that often have followed FL may be more due to the behavior of banks managers than previously reported in the FL literature.

Leib und Seele

Leib - Zwetschgenauflauf Seele - Kokoschkins Reise / Vorbe

Scholarly Information Seeking Habits and Behaviors of Missouri State University (MSU) Faculty

A group of faculty and staff of the MSU Libraries (J. Johnson, coordinator, L. Cline, W. Edgar, S. Fischer, G. Jackson-Brown, A. Miller), assisted by W. Meadows of the MSU Department of Anthropology, conducted an ethnographic study using direct observation and semi-structured interviews of a sample of MSU faculty members to gain knowledge about faculty scholarly information seeking habits and behaviors to provide insight into the following research questions: ● What information sources and technologies are used by MSU faculty members in their scholarship?● Where do faculty members conduct their research?● Whom do faculty members consult for research, writing, and information seeking assistance?https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/reports-lib/1000/thumbnail.jp

Prevalence of and risk factors for wheezing in the first year of life

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of and the risk factors for wheezing in infants under one year of age and residing in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study and is part of a multicenter, multinational project. The parents or legal guardians of the infants were interviewed at primary health care clinics or during home visits. We used a standardized questionnaire, validated for use in Brazil. Potential risk factors were assessed by means of a Poisson regression model with robust variance estimation, using the Wald test to determine the significance of each variable in the model. RESULTS: The sample comprised 1,013 infants. The majority of those were male (53%), and the mean age was 13.5 ± 1.2 months. In 61% of the infants, there had been at least one episode of wheezing, which had recurred at least three times in one third of those infants. The mean age at the first episode of wheezing was 5.16 months (median, 5 months). Over 40% of the infants with wheezing visited emergency rooms due to wheezing, and 17% of those were hospitalized at least once in the first year of life because of this symptom. In the multivariate analysis, the risk factors for wheezing were as follows: male gender; history of pneumonia; maternal smoking during pregnancy; day care center attendance; low maternal level of education; early weaning; multiple episodes of cold; first viral infection prior to 3 months of age; existence of siblings; and history of asthma in the nuclear family. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of wheezing is high among infants in the city of Porto Alegre. We identified various risk factors for wheezing in infants.OBJETIVO: Determinar a prevalência e os fatores de risco para sibilância em lactentes com até um ano de idade e residentes na cidade de Porto Alegre (RS). MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, parte de um projeto multicêntrico e multinacional. Os pais ou responsáveis dos lactentes foram entrevistados em unidades básicas de saúde ou durante visitas domiciliares. Utilizamos um questionário padronizado e validado para uso no Brasil. Potenciais fatores de risco foram avaliados mediante um modelo de regressão de Poisson com estimativa robusta de variância, utilizando-se o teste de Wald para determinar a significância de cada variável no modelo. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 1.013 lactentes. A maioria era do sexo masculino (53%), e a média de idade foi de 13,5 ± 1,2 meses. Houve pelo menos um episódio de sibilância em 61% dos lactentes, e houve recorrência do sintoma em pelo menos três ocasiões em um terço daqueles lactentes. A média de idade no início dos episódios de sibilância foi de 5,16 meses (mediana, 5 meses). Mais de 40% dos lactentes com sibilância visitaram serviços de urgência em função desse sintoma, e 17% tiveram pelo menos uma hospitalização por essa causa no primeiro ano de vida. Na análise multivariada, os fatores de risco para sibilância foram os seguintes: sexo masculino, história de pneumonia, tabagismo na gravidez, frequência a creches, baixo nível de escolaridade da mãe, desmame precoce, número elevado de resfriados, primeiro quadro viral antes dos 3 meses, presença de irmãos e história familiar de asma. CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência de sibilância em lactentes no município de Porto Alegre é elevada. Vários fatores de risco para sibilância em lactentes foram identificados.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto AlegreIndiana UniversityUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Faculdade de MedicinaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

Dual wavelength heterodyne interferometry for rough surface measurements

For interferometric topography measurements of optically rough surfaces dual wavelength heterodyne Interferometry (DWHI) is a powerful tool. A DWHI system based on a two-wavelength HeNe laser and a matched grating technique is described. This set-up improves system stability and simple heterodyne frequency generation

Double heterodyne interferometry for high precision distance measurements

We present a double-heterodyne interferometer for absolute distance measurements at rough surfaces up to 100 metres. The two wavelengths are generated by frequency shifting the light of a monomode laser diode using a 500 MHz acoustooptic modulator. The synthetic wavelength obtained is λ = 60 cm. In order to yield unambiguity up to 100 meter distance two measurements have to be taken using slightly different frequency shifts of 500 resp. 501.5 MHz. Measurements showing a resolution of 0.1 mm are presented

Interferometry for high resolution absolute distance measuring by larger distances

Among the incoherent techniques the phase measurement of modulated light seem to have reached some limitation with an resolution of less than 1 mm. This limitation is set by the bandwidth of the photodetector. The coherent techniques operate with two wavelengths to extend the unambiguity range of the classical interferometry. The unambiguity range is then half the synthetic wavelength and can be adjusted quite arbitrarily from some ten micrometers on. Among the incoherent techniques the phase measurement of modulated light seem to have reached some limitation with an resolution of less than 1 mm. This limitation is set by the bandwidth of the photodetector. The coherent techniques operate with two wavelengths to extend the unambiguity range of the classical interferometry. The unambiguity range is then half the synthetic wavelength and can be adjusted quite arbitrarily from some ten micrometers on

Two-wavelength double heterodyne interferometry using a matched grating technique

Two-wavelength double heterodyne interferometry is applied for topographic measurements on optically rough target surfaces. A two-wavelength He-Ne laser and a matched grating technique are used to improve system stability and to simplify heterodyne frequency generation

Storytelling increases oxytocin and positive emotions and decreases cortisol and pain in hospitalized children

Storytelling is a distinctive human characteristic that may have played a fundamental role in humans' ability to bond and navigate challenging social settings throughout our evolution. However, the potential impact of storytelling on regulating physiological and psychological functions has received little attention. We investigated whether listening to narratives from a storyteller can provide beneficial effects for children admitted to intensive care units. Biomarkers (oxytocin and cortisol), pain scores, and psycholinguistic associations were collected immediately before and after storytelling and an active control intervention (solving riddles that also involved social interaction but lacked the immersive narrative aspect). Compared with the control group, children in the storytelling group showed a marked increase in oxytocin combined with a decrease in cortisol in saliva after the 30-min intervention. They also reported less pain and used more positive lexical markers when describing their time in hospital. Our findings provide a psychophysiological basis for the short-term benefits of storytelling and suggest that a simple and inexpensive intervention may help alleviate the physical and psychological pain of hospitalized children on the day of the intervention.Fil: Brockington, Guilherme. Universidad Federal do Abc; BrasilFil: Gomes Moreira Ana Paula. Universidade de Mogi Das Cruzes; BrasilFil: Buso, Maria Stephani. Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Gomes da Silva, Sérgio. Universidade de Mogi Das Cruzes; BrasilFil: Altszyler Lemcovich, Edgar Jaim. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Computación; ArgentinaFil: Fischer, Ronald. Victoria University Of Wellington; Nueva ZelandaFil: Moll, Jorge. No especifíca