Pension systems and reform conceptual framework

The WorldBank's conceptual framework to assess pension systems and reform options evaluates initial conditions and the capacity to improve the enabling environment, and then focuses on how best to work within these to achieve the core objectives of pension systems - protection against the risk of poverty in old age and smoothing consumption from one's work life into retirement. The Bank applies a multi-pillared approach towards pension system modalities to address the needs of target populations including: (i) a non-contributory'zero pillar'extending some level of old-age income security to all of the elderly; (ii) an appropriately sized mandatory'first pillar'with the objective of replacing some portion of lifetime pre-retirement income through contributions linked to earnings; (iii) a funded mandatory defined-contribution'second pillar'that typically provides privately-managed individual savings accounts; (iv) a funded voluntary'third-pillar;'and (v) a non-financial'fourth pillar.'The primary evaluation criteria are the ability of the system to maintain adequacy, affordability, sustainability, equity, predictability, and robustness. The secondary evaluation criteria are the system's capacity to: minimize labor market distortions; contribute to savings mobilization; and contribute to financial market development. Because pension benefits are claims against future economic output, it is essential that over time pension systems contribute to growth and output to support the promised benefits. Going forward, the Bank is focusing on strengthening its support in: (a) establishing a clearer results framework to assess pension systems and reforms; (b) enhancing knowledge management, including research and learning; and (c) improving implementation capacity.Emerging Markets,Debt Markets,Environmental Economics&Policies,Pensions&Retirement Systems,Banks&Banking Reform

From Franco-American to American: The Case of Sainte-Famille, an Assimilating Parish of Lewiston, Maine

While many studies have focused on the migration, settlement, and community formation of French-Canadian immigrants in the United States, we know little about the history of their Franco-American descendants in the twentieth century. Through the vehicle of the parish study, we can explore the continuing struggle between survivance and assimilation. An examination of the Sainte-Famille parish in Lewiston, Maine, sheds light on the assimilation of Franco-Americans into U.S. society over the course of the twentieth century. In particular, it highlights the role of the parish in promoting assimilation.Si de nombreuses études ont mis l’accent sur la migration, le peuplement et le regroupement communautaire des immigrants Canadiens français aux États-Unis, nous connaissons peu l’histoire de leurs descendants franco-américains au XXe siècle. L’étude des paroisses nous permet d’explorer la lutte constante entre la survie et l’assimilation. Un examen de la paroisse Sainte-Famille de Lewiston, dans le Maine, nous éclaire sur l’assimilation des Franco-Américains par la société américaine au cours du XXe siècle. Il met particulièrement en lumière le rôle de la paroisse dans la promotion d’assimilation

Designing mobile augmented reality art applications:addressing the views of the galleries and the artists

The utilization of mobile augmented reality to display gallery artworks or museum content in novel ways is a well-established concept in the augmented reality research community. However, the focus of these systems is generally technologically driven or only addresses the end user and not the views of the gallery or the original artist. In this paper we discuss the design and development of the mobile application ?Taking the Artwork Home?, which allows people to digitally curate their own augmented reality art exhibitions in their own homes by digitally ?replacing? the pictures they have on their walls with content from the Peter Scott Gallery in Lancaster. In particular, we present the insights gained from a research through design methodology that allowed us to consider how the views of the gallery and artists impacted on the system design and therefore the user experience. Thus the final artifact is the result of an iterative evaluation process with over 100 users representing a broad range of demographics and continues to be evaluated/enhanced by observing its operation ?in the wild?. Further, we consider the effect the project has had on gallery practices to enable both augmented reality designers, and galleries and museums to maximize the potential application of the technology when working together on such project

Design of an optically controlled Ka-band GaAs MMIC phased-array antenna

Phased array antennas long were investigated to support the agile, multibeam radiating apertures with rapid reconfigurability needs of radar and communications. With the development of the Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC), phased array antennas having the stated characteristics are becoming realizable. However, at K-band frequencies (20 to 40 GHz) and higher, the problem of controlling the MMICs using conventional techniques either severely limits the array size or becomes insurmountable due to the close spacing of the radiating elements necessary to achieve the desired antenna performance. Investigations were made that indicate using fiber optics as a transmission line for control information for the MMICs provides a potential solution. By adding an optical interface circuit to pre-existing MMIC designs, it is possible to take advantage of the small size, lightweight, mechanical flexibility and RFI/EMI resistant characteristics of fiber optics to distribute MMIC control signals. The architecture, circuit development, testing and integration of optically controlled K-band MMIC phased array antennas are described

User curated augmented reality art exhibitions

Creating mobile augmented reality applications to display gallery artworks or museum content is a well-established concept within the research community. However, the focus of these systems is generally technologically driven and primarily addresses the end user and not the views of the gallery or the original artist. In this paper we present the design and development of the mobile application ?Taking the Artwork Home?, which allows people to digitally curate augmented reality art exhibitions in their own homes. A research through design methodology was adopted so that we could more fully understand how the views of the gallery and artists impacted on the artifact design and therefore the user experience

Presence of a pre-hospital enhanced care team reduces on scene time and improves triage compliance for stab trauma

© The Author(s). 2019 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background: A reduction in pre-hospital scene time for patients with penetrating trauma is associated with reduced mortality, when combined with appropriate hospital triage. This study investigated the relationship between presence of pre-hospital enhanced care teams (ECT) (Critical Care Paramedics (CCPS) or Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS)), on the scene time and triage compliance, of penetrating trauma patients in a UK ambulance service. The primary outcome was whether scene time reduces when an ECT is present. A secondary outcome was whether the presence of an ECT improved compliance with the trust's Major Trauma Decision Tree (MTDT). Methods: All suspected penetrating trauma incidents involving a patient's torso were identified from the Trust's computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system between 31st March 2017 and 1st April 2018. Only patients who sustained central penetrating trauma were included. Any incidents involving firearms were excluded due to the prolonged times that can be involved when waiting for specialist police units. Data relevant to scene time for each eligible incident were retrieved, along with the presence or absence of an ECT. The results were analysed to identify trends in the scene times and compliance with the MTDT. Results: One hundred seventy-one patients met the inclusion criteria, with 165 having complete data. The presence of an ECT improved the median on-scene time in central stabbing by 38% (29m50s vs. 19m0s, p = 0.03). The compliance with the trust's MTDT increased dramatically when an ECT is present (81% vs. 37%, odds ratio 7.59, 95% CI, 3.70-15.37, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The presence of an ECT at a central stabbing incident significantly improved the scene time and triage compliance with a MTDT. Ambulance services should consider routine activation of ECTs to such incidents, with subsequent service evaluation to monitor patient outcomes. Ambulance services should continue to strive to reduce scene times in the context of central penetrating trauma.Peer reviewe

Theoretical modelling and meteorological analysis for the AASE mission

Providing real time constituent data analysis and potential vorticity computations in support of the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Experiment (AASE) is discussed. National Meteorological Center (NMC) meteorological data and potential vorticity computations derived from NMC data are projected onto aircraft coordinates and provided to the investigators in real time. Balloon and satellite constituent data are composited into modified Lagrangian mean coordinates. Various measurements are intercompared, trends deduced and reconstructions of constituent fields performed

The QBO and interannual variation in total ozone

Garcia and Soloman (1987) have noted that the October monthly mean minimum total ozone amounts south of 30 S were modulated by a quasibiennial oscillation (QBO) signal. The precise mechanism behind this effect, however, is unclear. Is the modulation brought about by the circulation-produced QBO signal in the ozone concentration itself, or does the temperature QBO modulate the formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), leading to changes in the chemically induced Antarctic spring ozone decline rate. Or is some other phenomenon involved. To investigate the means through which the QBO effect occurs, a series of correlation studies has been made between polar ozone and QBO signal in ozone and temperature

A multilevel analysis of the use of individual pay-for-performance systems

Compensation systems such as individualized pay for performance (I-PFP) schemes for employees represent an important approach to aligning employer-employee interests. However, the adoption of I-PFP is much less common in many countries than in the USA. Employing a multi-level analysis of over 4,000 firms in 26 countries, we explore determinants of its adoption. At the country level we distinguish between cultural and institutional (labor regulation institutions) influences. At the firm level, we distinguish firms that view HR as strategically important and firms that are foreign-owned. On the one hand, our findings indicate that both cultural and institutional effects at country level significantly influence the adoption of I-PFP. On the other hand, senior managers’ agency counts. We find the effect of labor regulation on I-PFP to be mediated by its effects on labor union influence and we find the effects of culture on I-PFP to be entirely mediated by labor regulation and (country level) union influence