Length-weight relationships of 28 fish species caught from demersal trawl survey in the Middle Black Sea, Turkey

This study provides updated the length-weight relationships and Fulton's condition factor of 28 fish species belonging to 23 families from the Black Sea. Samples were collected along the depths between 0-100 meters by demersal trawl surveys conducted seasonally from May 2017 to September 2019. A total of 83,885 specimens were collected. The length-weight relationships and Fulton's condition factor, minimum, maximum and mean lengths, total weights, descriptive statistics, and growth type were provided for all the species. The results indicate that LWR parameters of b varied from 2.2039 to 3.737 and Fulton's condition factor varied between 0.004 and 1.18. These findings could be useful for monitoring and management of sustainable fisheries and habitat health

Concentration and financial stability in the property-liability insurance sector: global evidence

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the effect of concentration in the insurance sector on insurer stability for a large set of developed and developing countries. In particular, the authors test whether concentration reduces financial fragility in the insurance sector (concentration-stability view) or decreases stability in the insurance sector (concentration-fragility view). Design/methodology/approach - The authors use a data set of 14,402 firm-year observations of property-liability insurers who appear in A.M. Best's Statement File Global database during the period 2004-2012. They use regression analyses to examine the effect of concentration on the stability of insurance firms and apply different measures of concentration. Findings - The results provide empirical support for the concentration-fragility view; that is, higher levels of concentration are associated with decreases in the insurance sector's financial stability. Research limitations/implications - The results have important policy implications, given that a primary purpose of insurance regulation is to protect policyholders against insurance firm defaults. Originality/value - No previous research analyzes how recent trends in competition and consolidation, which have led to changes in insurance market concentration, affect the stability of insurance firms around the world. This research is the first paper that provides evidence on the relation between concentration and stability in the insurance sector

Does one size fit all? Determinants of insurer capital structure around the globe

As financial markets become more global, the question arises whether any country specific considerations are still relevant for insurance companies' capital structure. This research examines this question with firm-level data across a broad range of countries including those in developing markets. What we find is that the optimal capital structure of insurance companies is not homogeneous across countries. We find that country-level factors explain a substantial fraction of the cross-sectional variation in insurance companies' capitalization levels. Our results add to the current policy discussion on global regulatory capital requirements. If insurer capital structure is not homogeneous across countries, a global capital standard if desired should take differences in the institutional environments across countries into account to avoid market distortions. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

An old approach to a novel problem: effect of combined balance therapy on virtual reality induced motion sickness: a randomized, placebo controlled, double-blinded study

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of a rehabilitation program aimed at addressing vestibular and proprioceptive deficits, which are believed to underlie the pathophysiology of motion sickness. Methods A total of 121 medical students with motion sickness participated in this study and were randomly divided into intervention (n = 60) and placebo control (n = 61) groups. The intervention group underwent combined balance, proprioception, and vestibular training three times a week for 4 weeks, while the control group received placebo training. The study assessed various measurements, including the Virtual reality sickness questionnaire (VRSQ), tolerance duration, enjoyment level measured by VAS, stability levels using Biodex, and balance with the Flamingo balance test (FBT). All measurements were conducted both at baseline and 4 weeks later. Results There was no significant difference in pre-test scores between the intervention and control groups, suggesting a similar baseline in both groups (p > 0.05). The results showed a significant improvement in VRSQ, tolerance duration, VAS, Biodex, and FBT scores in the intervention group (p < 0.05). While, the control group showed a significant increase only in VAS scores after 4 weeks of training (p < 0.05). A statistically significant improvement was found between the groups for VRSQ (p < 0.001), tolerance duration (p < 0.001), VAS (p < 0.001), Biodex (p = 0.015), and FBT scores (p < 0.05), in favor of the intervention group. Conclusions A combined balance training program for motion sickness proves to be effective in reducing motion sickness symptoms, enhancing user enjoyment, and extending the usage duration of virtual reality devices while improving balance and stability. In contrast, placebo training did not alter motion sickness levels. These findings offer valuable insights for expanding the usage of virtual reality, making it accessible to a broader population

Enterprise Risk Management Adoption and Managerial Incentives

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is the approach of managing all risks faced by a firm in an integrated, holistic fashion. This research analyzes factors that influence a firm's decision to start an ERM program. Our comprehensive survey data of German property-liability insurance companies allows us to construct direct measures of ERM program adoption and ERM quality. We find that negative changes in past firm performance increase a firm's probability to adopt ERM and are accompanied by significant improvements in the quality of a firm's risk management process. Furthermore, these effects are stronger for firms that would be expected to have relatively high forced CEO turnover rates after periods of bad performance, supporting the prediction of the career concerns view and consistent with managerial incentives generally. Skilled managers concerned about keeping their jobs should reduce the volatility of a firm's earnings after a period of poor performance, and ERM adoption can help achieve that goal