2,283 research outputs found
International Banking Secrecy: Developments in Europe Prompt New Approaches
The frequent connection between banking secrecy and various corrupt political and business practices has drawn considerable attention from non-secrecy states. In Europe, the issue presently is ripe because of the European Community\u27s plans for a unified economy in 1992. This Note begins with a moral and historical examination of banking secrecy. Then, the author reveals the banking practices and legal structures through which banking secrecy is exploited. The author next sets forth the substantive banking secrecy laws of four European states and attempts to surmise the direction of their policies regarding banking secrecy. Next, the author describes past attempts, both unilateral and bilateral, to resolve the issue. Finally, the author proposes that, although a worldwide solution hardly is imminent, the increasing economic interdependence of small groups of states, such as the European Community, mandates serious consideration of multilateral approaches to resolve the international banking secrecy issue
EtniÄki sukob kao unutar-grupna pojava: preliminarni okvir
The literature on "ethnic conflict" tends to focus solely on external sources of such conflict. But this unquestioning focus on ethnic conflict as due to factors in the relationship between "ethnic groups" or their elites may at times be misleading. Drawing on a critique of conflict theory as developed in the field of international relations, I point out the conceptual and methodological problems associated with the analysis of inter-group conflict, and point to the importance of within-group conflict, especially conflict between elites, as sources of external conflict. I apply this critique to the concept of ethnic conflict and point out the consequences of such questioning for understanding the causes of violent conflict along ethnic lines.U literaturi posveÄenoj etniÄkim sukobima postoji tendencija da se u obzir uzmu samo izvanjski izvori sukoba. Takvo stajaliÅ”te - da su glavni uzroci etniÄkih sukoba u karakteru odnosa meÄu etniÄkim skupinama, odnosno njihovim elitama - može, meÄutim, biti pogreÅ”no. U radu se izlaže kritika konfliktne teorije razraÄene unutar znanstvenog (politologijskoga) podruÄja meÄunarodnih odnosa. Kritika obuhvaÄa koncepcijske i metodoloÅ”ke probleme analize meÄu-grupnih sukoba i ukazuje na važnost unutar-grupnih sukoba (sukoba meÄu "domaÄim" elitama) kao izvora onih prvih. U zakljuÄku, autor istiÄe važnost izložene kritike za razumijevanje uzroka i izvora nasilnih sukoba koji slijede etniÄke markere
Evaluation of exposure-specific risks from two independent samples: A simulation study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies have proposed a simple product-based estimator for calculating exposure-specific risks (ESR), but the methodology has not been rigorously evaluated. The goal of our study was to evaluate the existing methodology for calculating the ESR, propose an improved point estimator, and propose variance estimates that will allow the calculation of confidence intervals (CIs).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a simulation study to test the performance of two estimators and their associated confidence intervals: 1) current (simple product-based estimator) and 2) proposed revision (revised product-based estimator). The first method for ESR estimation was based on multiplying a relative risk (RR) of disease given a certain exposure by an overall risk of disease. The second method, which is proposed in this paper, was based on estimates of the risk of disease in the unexposed. We then multiply the updated risk by the RR to get the revised product-based estimator. A log-based variance was calculated for both estimators. Also, a binomial-based variance was calculated for the revised product-based estimator. 95% CIs were calculated based on these variance estimates. Accuracy of point estimators was evaluated by comparing observed relative bias (percent deviation from the true estimate). Interval estimators were evaluated by coverage probabilities and expected length of the 95% CI, given coverage. We evaluated these estimators across a wide range of exposure probabilities, disease probabilities, relative risks, and sample sizes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed more bias and lower coverage probability when using the existing methodology. The revised product-based point estimator exhibited little observed relative bias (max: 4.0%) compared to the simple product-based estimator (max: 93.9%). Because the simple product-based estimator was biased, 95% CIs around this estimate exhibited small coverage probabilities. The 95% CI around the revised product-based estimator from the log-based variance provided better coverage in most situations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The currently accepted simple product-based method was only a reasonable approach when the exposure probability is small (< 0.05) and the RR is ā¤ 3.0. The revised product-based estimator provides much improved accuracy.</p
Recommended from our members
Champions, converts, doubters, and defectors: the impact of shifting perceptions on momentum for change
Maintaining momentum is a key influence on the ultimate success of large-scale change. In this paper, we develop theory to explain how stable vs. shifting change-supportive perceptions over time differentially influence the perceived momentum associated with goal-directed change (i.e., change-based momentum). We use cross-level polynomial regression and data obtained early and one year later within an organization implementing a lean manufacturing transformation to model changes in individual perceptions. Results suggest that momentum perceptions are higher for āChampionsā (stable and high perceptions over time) as compared to āConvertsā (increasing perceptions over time), but momentum perceptions are lower for āDefectorsā (decreasing perceptions over time) as compared to āDoubtersā (stable and low perceptions over time). We find that even if participants converge upon change-supportive perceptions later in the change process, early divergent perceptions influence subsequent momentum for the change. These findings highlight the important role of temporal shifts in perceptions for organizational change processes
Mandatory Disclosure of Pharmaceutical Industry-Funded Events for Health Professionals
David Henry and colleagues examine compliance with new disclosure requirements of Medicines Australia, the pharmaceutical industry representative body, and argue that they fall short and instead more comprehensive reporting standards are needed
Bianchi Type V Viscous Fluid Cosmological Models in Presence of Decaying Vacuum Energy
Bianchi type V viscous fluid cosmological model for barotropic fluid
distribution with varying cosmological term is investigated. We have
examined a cosmological scenario proposing a variation law for Hubble parameter
in the background of homogeneous, anisotropic Bianchi type V space-time.
The model isotropizes asymptotically and the presence of shear viscosity
accelerates the isotropization. The model describes a unified expansion history
of the universe indicating initial decelerating expansion and late time
accelerating phase. Cosmological consequences of the model are also discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
A survey approach for finding cases of epilepsy.
Identify persons with epilepsy by first looking for
prescriptions for particular antiseizure drugs. Follow these prescriptions from the pharmacies to the
physicians who wrote them for patients. Ask the
physicians whether the patients have epilepsy. Finally, contact the patients who do have epilepsy to
elicit information about the impact of that condition
on their lives.
With these steps, it may be possible to carry out
successfully a probability survey of epilepsy in the
United States population. To learn more about this
approach, a field test was funded by the National
Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke (NINCDS) of the Public Health
Service. From 1978 through 1982, the work was
planned, carried out, and evaluated by Research
Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC.
Epilepsy is a sensitive topic to ask about in a
survey. Also, the condition is sufficiently rare to
render ordinary survey approaches inefficient. Even
if rarity were not an issue, there would be the problem of response error because a person with
epilepsy does not, as a rule, have much clinical
information on his or her condition. Better information lies with the physician who provides the care,
but many physicians are busy with their practices.
Furthermore, their record systems are usually not
designed for easy retrieval of information, unless
the names of patients are available. In the survey
approach considered here, the names of patients
are obtained through a random sampling of prescriptions for antiseizure drugs.
The field test was divided into three phases with
special activities reserved for each. The most important problem confronted was how to safeguard
the confidentiality of relationships between pharmacist and patient and between physician and patient. Special guidelines on confidentiality were put
into effect for the data collection. These guidelines,
however, contributed to serious problems of nonresponse-especiallyfor physicians. This article provides a brief account of the field test, including a
rationale for the survey strategy of finding cases
of epilepsy through prescriptions for antiseizure
drugs
Recommended from our members
Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
Neutrons produced in nuclear interactions initiated by cosmic-ray muons present an irreducible background to many rare-event searches, even in detectors located deep underground. Models for the production of these neutrons have been tested against previous experimental data, but the extrapolation to deeper sites is not well understood. Here we report results from an analysis of cosmogenically produced neutrons at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. A specific set of observables are presented, which can be used to benchmark the validity of geant4 physics models. In addition, the cosmogenic neutron yield, in units of 10-4 cm2/(gĀ·Ī¼), is measured to be 7.28Ā±0.09(stat)-1.12+1.59(syst) in pure heavy water and 7.30Ā±0.07(stat)-1.02+1.40(syst) in NaCl-loaded heavy water. These results provide unique insights into this potential background source for experiments at SNOLAB
KELT-20b: A Giant Planet With A Period Of P ~ 3.5 Days Transiting The V ~ 7.6 Early A Star HD 185603
We report the discovery of KELT-20b, a hot Jupiter transiting a early A star, HD 185603, with an orbital period of days. Archival and follow-up photometry, Gaia parallax, radial velocities, Doppler tomography, and AO imaging were used to confirm the planetary nature of KELT-20b and characterize the system. From global modeling we infer that KELT-20 is a rapidly rotating ( ) A2V star with an effective temperature of K, mass of , radius of , surface gravity of , and age of . The planetary companion has a radius of , a semimajor axis of au, and a linear ephemeris of . We place a upper limit of on the mass of the planet. Doppler tomographic measurements indicate that the planetary orbit normal is well aligned with the projected spin axis of the star ( ). The inclination of the star is constrained to , implying a three-dimensional spināorbit alignment of . KELT-20b receives an insolation flux of , implying an equilibrium temperature of of ā¼2250 K, assuming zero albedo and complete heat redistribution. Due to the high stellar , KELT-20b also receives an ultraviolet (wavelength nm) insolation flux of , possibly indicating significant atmospheric ablation. Together with WASP-33, Kepler-13 A, HAT-P-57, KELT-17, and KELT-9, KELT-20 is the sixth A star host of a transiting giant planet, and the third-brightest host (in V ) of a transiting planet
Constraints on Nucleon Decay via "Invisible" Modes from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
Data from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory have been used to constrain the
lifetime for nucleon decay to ``invisible'' modes, such as n -> 3 nu. The
analysis was based on a search for gamma-rays from the de-excitation of the
residual nucleus that would result from the disappearance of either a proton or
neutron from O16. A limit of tau_inv > 2 x 10^{29} years is obtained at 90%
confidence for either neutron or proton decay modes. This is about an order of
magnitude more stringent than previous constraints on invisible proton decay
modes and 400 times more stringent than similar neutron modes.Comment: Update includes missing efficiency factor (limits change by factor of
2) Submitted to Physical Review Letter
- ā¦