Who consumes the credit union subsidies?

Credit unions in the United States (US) are exempt (benefit from subsidies) from federal corporate income taxes, which are traditionally justified by their non-profit cooperative status and mission of meeting the financial needs of individuals of modest means. In recent years, the efficacy and fairness of these subsidies has been debated extensively as the traditional demarcation between banks and credit unions and their respective customer bases have blurred. To investigate how credit unions allocate subsidies to various stakeholders, we estimate a structural profit model for matched pairs of credit unions and commercial banks. We find that credit unions use most (approximately 90%) of their tax exemption for the benefit of their membership via above-market deposit interest rates.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The concept of objection under the DOLS regime

In England and Wales, there are now two regimes under which an adult can be deprived of liberty when receiving mental health treatment: the regime established by the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA), and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) authorisation regime established by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Where both regimes might apply to a mentally disordered person in hospital for mental health treatment, a major dividing line between them is the ability of the patient to “object” to being a mental health patient or to being given mental health treatment. If such an objection occurs, a hospitalised patient is ineligible for the DOLS regime and only the MHA regime may be used to authorise the deprivation of their liberty

Development of mental health quality indicators (MHQIs) for inpatient psychiatry based on the interRAI mental health assessment

Abstract Background Outcome quality indicators are rarely used to evaluate mental health services because most jurisdictions lack clinical data systems to construct indicators in a meaningful way across mental health providers. As a result, important information about the effectiveness of health services remains unknown. This study examined the feasibility of developing mental health quality indicators (MHQIs) using the Resident Assessment Instrument - Mental Health (RAI-MH), a clinical assessment system mandated for use in Ontario, Canada as well as many other jurisdictions internationally. Methods Retrospective analyses were performed on two datasets containing RAI-MH assessments for 1,056 patients from 7 facilities and 34,788 patients from 70 facilities in Ontario, Canada. The RAI-MH was completed by clinical staff of each facility at admission and follow-up, typically at discharge. The RAI-MH includes a breadth of information on symptoms, functioning, socio-demographics, and service utilization. Potential MHQIs were derived by examining the empirical patterns of improvement and incidence in depressive symptoms and cognitive performance across facilities in both sets of data. A prevalence indicator was also constructed to compare restraint use. Logistic regression was used to evaluate risk adjustment of MHQIs using patient case-mix index scores derived from the RAI-MH System for Classification of Inpatient Psychiatry. Results Subscales from the RAI-MH, the Depression Severity Index (DSI) and Cognitive Performance Scale (CPS), were found to have good reliability and strong convergent validity. Unadjusted rates of five MHQIs based on the DSI, CPS, and restraints showed substantial variation among facilities in both sets of data. For instance, there was a 29.3% difference between the first and third quartile facility rates of improvement in cognitive performance. The case-mix index score was significantly related to MHQIs for cognitive performance and restraints but had a relatively small impact on adjusted rates/prevalence. Conclusions The RAI-MH is a feasible assessment system for deriving MHQIs. Given the breadth of clinical content on the RAI-MH there is an opportunity to expand the number of MHQIs beyond indicators of depression, cognitive performance, and restraints. Further research is needed to improve risk adjustment of the MHQIs for their use in mental health services report card and benchmarking activities.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112590/1/12913_2012_Article_2419.pd

D 3.1 Analysis and investigations of existing studies and research-based data on skills gaps in aquaculture industry and VET supply

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is an important component of any national educational system and supports workforce development in many fish producing European countries. The role VET plays in the education system is sometimes understated, and qualifications achieved through VET are perceived by some to be of a low quality or second rate. However, VET can offer an important and accessible education pathway that can prepare an individual for a specific job, thereby helping them to find initial employment, or improve their practical skills and knowledge for their current role. The low perception of VET in some countries as a credible educational pathway does not always apply in every sector. For example, VET is central to certain trades such as construction and engineering which are generally held in higher regard. Conversely, there appears to be some negative association with employment in aquaculture which is seen as a last resort in some countries. This can make it difficult to promote aquaculture VET as a career path due to the negative social association in countries where higher education in university is the aspiration of many. A Cedefop public opinion survey carried out in 2017 (2) found that VET may not be viewed with high regard as an educational pathway by those surveyed, but the general perception was that VET can prepare people well for the world of work and is a positive pathway towards finding employment. Web based research for specific VET in each of the 12 BlueEDU countries included in the project confirmed that each country does have a formal VET system, but frequently, an aquaculture or aquaculture related curriculum is missing. There is evidence to suggest that most countries do have some form of aquaculture education and training activity, but this is commonly fragmented, informal and lacking structure, or aimed at higher education. Identifying aquaculture VET currently available is an essential first step in establishing who is delivering what, where and how. The research for BlueEDU revealed that there is an existing VET system in each of the BlueEDU countries, but a very limited number of aquaculture VET programmes. This was an expected result but still something that had to be confirmed. Norway and Scotland both have long established VET systems that are respected and well structured. Both systems have benefits that could bring positive results if they were replicated in other countries. The system in Norway is well supported across the country by the Norwegian aquaculture industry, whereas the system in Scotland appears to be confined to delivery from two centres, NAFC in the Northern Isles and Inverness College, both of which are part of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). The systems used in both Norway and Scotland are currently being evaluated by other countries aiming to setup an aquaculture VET system to support their growing industries, namely, Iceland and Faroe Islands. There are aquaculture VET systems ongoing in Spain, France, Italy and Greece although the options available in Italy and Greece are very limited. France has a well-established VET and aquaculture full time course provision distributed across the country. There is however a general lack of aquaculture VET provision in southern European countries where tertiary education at university is held in high esteem. Information on countries in southern Europe was difficult to obtain as online searches would reveal very limited information. Requests for information sent to contacts generally received little or no response. There have been several EU supported projects in southern Europe that have developed a wide range of learning tools aimed at: • fish health monitoring and disease control, • improving fish welfare, • improving skills and general aquaculture knowledge, • creation of an aquaculture glossary, • improve research knowledge and infrastructure and • creation of a Europe wide networking system. These initiatives have led to the creation of a number of online courses and training tools that could be utilised by any aquaculture VET system to help address knowledge gaps. It appears that most of the resources created are no longer in use or are rarely used. This may be down to the lack of effective promotion and they may be put to good use if updated and promoted to a wider audience

WP3 Analysis and Investigation

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is an important component of any national educational system and supports workforce development in many fish producing European countries. The role VET plays in the education system is sometimes understated, and qualifications achieved through VET are perceived by some to be of a low quality or second rate. However, VET can offer an important and accessible education pathway that can prepare an individual for a specific job, thereby helping them to find initial employment, or improve their practical skills and knowledge for their current role. The low perception of VET in some countries as a credible educational pathway does not always apply in every sector. For example, VET is central to certain trades such as construction and engineering which are generally held in higher regard. Conversely, there appears to be some negative association with employment in aquaculture which is seen as a last resort in some countries. This can make it difficult to promote aquaculture VET as a career path due to the negative social association in countries where higher education in university is the aspiration of many. A Cedefop public opinion survey carried out in 2017 (2) found that VET may not be viewed with high regard as an educational pathway by those surveyed, but the general perception was that VET can prepare people well for the world of work and is a positive pathway towards finding employment. Web based research for specific VET in each of the 12 BlueEDU countries included in the project confirmed that each country does have a formal VET system, but frequently, an aquaculture or aquaculture related curriculum is missing. There is evidence to suggest that most countries do have some form of aquaculture education and training activity, but this is commonly fragmented, informal and lacking structure, or aimed at higher education. Identifying aquaculture VET currently available is an essential first step in establishing who is delivering what, where and how. The research for BlueEDU revealed that there is an existing VET system in each of the BlueEDU countries, but a very limited number of aquaculture VET programmes. This was an expected result but still something that had to be confirmed. Norway and Scotland both have long established VET systems that are respected and well structured. Both systems have benefits that could bring positive results if they were replicated in other countries. The system in Norway is well supported across the country by the Norwegian aquaculture industry, whereas the system in Scotland appears to be confined to delivery from two centres, NAFC in the Northern Isles and Inverness College, both of which are part of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). The systems used in both Norway and Scotland are currently being evaluated by other countries aiming to setup an aquaculture VET system to support their growing industries, namely, Iceland and Faroe Islands. There are aquaculture VET systems ongoing in Spain, France, Italy and Greece although the options available in Italy and Greece are very limited. France has a well-established VET and aquaculture full time course provision distributed across the country. There is however a general lack of aquaculture VET provision in southern European countries where tertiary education at university is held in high esteem. Information on countries in southern Europe was difficult to obtain as online searches would reveal very limited information. Requests for information sent to contacts generally received little or no response. There have been several EU supported projects in southern Europe that have developed a wide range of learning tools aimed at: • fish health monitoring and disease control, • improving fish welfare, • improving skills and general aquaculture knowledge, • creation of an aquaculture glossary, • improve research knowledge and infrastructure and • creation of a Europe wide networking system. These initiatives have led to the creation of a number of online courses and training tools that could be utilised by any aquaculture VET system to help address knowledge gaps. It appears that most of the resources created are no longer in use or are rarely used. This may be down to the lack of effective promotion and they may be put to good use if updated and promoted to a wider audience

Factors influencing dairy farmers’ adoption of best management grazing practices

Understanding of farmers’ influences relating to the adoption of innovations is imperative for the Irish dairy sector to improve efficiencies and productivity. There is a particular need for a better appreciation of how farmers’ grassland management practices are shaped. The Spring Rotation Planner (SRP) is a management tool that divides the area of a farm into weekly portions and takes the estimation out of planning the first grazing rotation. It offers a cost-saving alternative on many dairy farms, which could contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the sector. Adoption rates of the SRP amongst farmers have been low despite extensive promotion of its advantages. This study therefore aims to use psychological constructs to analyse factors that affect the adoption of the SRP by commercial dairy farmers in Ireland. Dairy farmers (n = 256) were surveyed from different regions within the country. Principal Component Analysis was used to empirically confirm the hypothesised Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) beliefs. Cluster analysis was thereafter employed as classification criteria to cluster respondents into types. The TPB was subsequently applied to explain intention to implement the SRP. Two clusters of farmers were elicited; low and high adopters of the SRP. Low-Adopters of the SRP were characterised by their high sense of resource constraint. It is recommended that carefully planned communication, targeted at the different farmer types, can help encourage uptake of the SRP

Factors underlying farmers' intentions to adopt best practices: The case of paddock based grazing systems

The Irish beef sector is expected to increase output as part of the most recent national agriculture strategy. General improvements in pasture production efficiency can be achieved by increasing grass utilisation. However, Irish beef production is primarily based on extensive pastoral grazing with low uptake of best management practices among farmers. An important step in facilitating innovation in the sector is to gain improved understanding of the innovative behaviour of farmers. Hence, this study uses psychological constructs to analyse factors that affect the adoption of paddock based grazing systems by Irish beef farmers (n = 382). Farmers were surveyed from different regions within Ireland and Principal Component Analysis used to empirically confirm the hypothesised Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) constructs. Cluster analysis was thereafter employed as classification criteria to cluster respondents into types. The TPB was subsequently applied to explain intention to implement the grazing practice. Three clusters of farmers were elicited based on their beliefs of paddock based grazing systems and labelled The Engaged, The Restricted, and The Partially Engaged. The Restricted cluster was particularly unlikely to uptake the grazing practice as they perceived they lacked the required resources to implement the innovation. This was of particular relevance as the practice can be implemented with relatively few resources and therefore signals a knowledge gap. The findings are relevant to policy as they provide insights on the factors influencing the process of targeting knowledge transfer through appropriate channels which can help build potential drivers for behavioural change

Evaluation of Composite Mesh for Ventral Hernia Repair

Composite mesh was associated with minimal intraabdominal adhesions, progressive in-growth of host tissue, and complete degradation of an internal polydioxanone ring that was of assistance in mesh positioning

Exposure to revised drinking guidelines and 'COM-B' determinants of behaviour change: descriptive analysis of a monthly cross-sectional survey in England

BACKGROUND: January 2016 saw the publication of proposed revisions to the UK's lower risk drinking guidelines but no sustained promotional activity. This paper aims to explore the impact of publishing guidelines without sustained promotional activity on reported guideline exposure and determinants of behaviour (capability, opportunity and motivation) proposed by the COM-B model. METHODS: Data were collected by a monthly repeat cross-sectional survey of adults (18+) resident in England over 15 months between November 2015 and January 2017 from a total of 16,779 drinkers, as part of the Alcohol Toolkit Study. Trends and associated 95% confidence intervals were described in the proportion of reported exposure to guidelines in the past month and measures of the capability, opportunity and motivation to consume alcohol within drinking guidelines. RESULTS: There was a rise in reported exposure to drinking guidelines in January 2016 (57.6-80.6%) which did not reoccur in January 2017. Following the increase in January 2016, reported exposure reduced slowly but remained significantly higher than in December 2015. In February 2016, there was an increase in measures of capability (31.1% reported tracking units of alcohol consumption and 87.8% considered it easier to drink safely) and opportunity (84.0% perceived their lifestyle as conducive to drinking within guidelines). This change was not maintained in subsequent months. Other measures showed marginal changes between January and February 2016 with no evidence of change in subsequent months. CONCLUSIONS: Following the publication of revised drinking guideline in January 2016, there was a transient increase in exposure to guidelines, and capability and opportunity to drink within the guidelines that diminished over time. The transience and size of the changes indicate that behaviour change is unlikely. Well-designed, theory-based promotional campaigns may be required for drinking guidelines to be an effective public health intervention