Improved error bounds for approximations to the stop loss transform of compound distributions.

In the present note we deduce a class of bounds for the difference between the stop loss transforms of two compound distributions with the same severity distribution. The class contains bounds of any degree of accuracy in the sense that the bounds can be chosen as close to the exact value as desired; the time required to compute the bounds increases with the accuracy.Distribution;

Recursions for distribution functions and stop-loss transforms.

For any functions on the non-negative integers, we can evaluate the cumulative function given by (s) = sx=o(x) from the values of by the recursion (s) = (s - 1) + (s). Analogously we can use this procedure t times to evaluate the t-th order cumulative function t when itself satisfies a certain sort of recursion. We shall also derive recursions for the tth order tails t where (s) = x=s+1(x). The recursions can be applied for exact and approximate evaluation of distribution functions and stop-loss transforms of probability distributions. The class of recursions for includes the classes discussed by Sundt (1992), incorporating the class studied by Panjer (1981). We discuss in particular convolutions and compound functions.Distribution; Functions;

Inequalities for the De Pril approximation to the distribution of the number of policies with claims.

In the present paper, we give su¢ cient conditions for an ordering of De Pril approximations of the distribution of the number of claims in an insurance portfolio of independent policies. Possible extensions are discussed, both for the De Pril approximation and the Kornya approximation. A numerical example is given.

Asymptotic Behaviour of Compound Distributions and Stop-loss Premiums

The paper gives some asymptotic results for the compound distribution of aggregate claims when the claim number distribution is negative binomial. The case when the claim numbers are geometrically distributed, is treated separatel

Advances in the Management and Surgical Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms

Patients who have sustained a spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage are victims of a very serious illness. Not only are they subject at all times to the potentially catastrophic results of a recurrent bleed, but they are faced with the manifestations of the irritative effects of blood in the subarachnoid space where the blood may function as a poison to the vessel wall. These acutely ill individuals may suffer a composite of secondary effects from a bleed which may include a communicating hydrocephalus, cerebral edema (ischemic or chemically induced), sterile meningitis, inappropriate ADH syndrome (osmotic effects of blood in the cerebrospinal fluid), spasm, and the likelihood of a recurrent bleed

Some results on moments and cumulants.

In the present paper we discuss various results related to moments and cumulants of probability distributions and approximations to probability distributions. As the approximations are not necessarily probability distributions themselves, we shall apply the concept of moments and cumulants to more general functions. Recursions are deduced for the moments and cumulants of functions in the form Rka,b as defined by Dhaene & Sundt (1994). We deduce a simple relation between the DePril transform and the cumulants of a function. This relation is appplied to some classes of approximations to probability distributions, in particular the approximations of Hipp and DePril.

Mapping the Implementation Landscape: Assessing the Systemic Capacity of Statewide Community Corrections Agencies to Deliver Evidence-Based Practices

Treatment quality is recognized as a critical moderator for programs to successfully reduce recidivism. Yet, the implementation of any new initiative takes place within a context—a system comprised of varying structures, norms, policies, and relationships to external stakeholders. Surprisingly little evidence exists about how to build organizational capacity to successfully achieve program fidelity and sustain innovations over time. This study provides results from a process evaluation measuring implementation capacity to deliver evidence-based practices (EBPs) in the state of Oregon. Using the ImpleMap interview procedure created by the National Implementation Research Network, findings from ten county-level community corrections agencies demonstrated how systemic, actionable implementation can be facilitated. Aggregate statewide patterns of organizational capacity emerged, as well as individual variation in the strengths and gaps of implementation among each county. By understanding county-level variation, we reveal that sustainable implementation requires purposeful attention to systemic capacities that go beyond training and coaching. To advance the science and practice of offender rehabilitation, we need to broaden our focus to rediscover the importance of process, structure, and context. Responsibility for change needs to shift from individuals to implementation systems.This research was supported by Award Number 2012-SM-BX-0004, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice

Reported progress under the student right-to-know act: how reliable is it?

The Student Right-to-Know Act requires colleges to provide institution-specific information on graduation rates for students initially enrolling full-time in the fall term. Not all students, however, initially enroll full-time or in the fall term. We use longitudinal data on academic, degree-seeking students from the 1996/2001 Beginning Post-Secondary Survey to identify those students for whom statistics are and are not reported under the Act and to track their relative progress at two- and four-year institutions. We also examine the intra-institution correlation between reported and unreported students' progress to determine if the published statistics will at least allow relative comparisons. Our results indicate that the published progress rates are substantially higher than the progress rates for the unreported populations. Furthermore, while these rates are relatively comprehensive for and comparable across four-year institutions, they are neither for two-year institutions. Policy makers and prospective students will not make efficient decisions using such unreliable information

Energy efficient engine sector combustor rig test program

Under the NASA-sponsored Energy Efficient Engine program, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft has successfully completed a comprehensive combustor rig test using a 90-degree sector of an advanced two-stage combustor with a segmented liner. Initial testing utilized a combustor with a conventional louvered liner and demonstrated that the Energy Efficient Engine two-stage combustor configuration is a viable system for controlling exhaust emissions, with the capability to meet all aerothermal performance goals. Goals for both carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons were surpassed and the goal for oxides of nitrogen was closely approached. In another series of tests, an advanced segmented liner configuration with a unique counter-parallel FINWALL cooling system was evaluated at engine sea level takeoff pressure and temperature levels. These tests verified the structural integrity of this liner design. Overall, the results from the program have provided a high level of confidence to proceed with the scheduled Combustor Component Rig Test Program

The male marital wage differential: race, training, and fixed effects

Married white men have higher wages and faster wage growth than unmarried white men. Using the NLSY, we examine whether racial differences in intrahousehold specialization and formal training explain married men's faster wage growth, and individual-specific data on cognitive skills, family background, and self-esteem contribute to married men's higher wages. African American households engage in less intrahousehold specialization and experience no differential wage growth - a finding consistent with an intrahousehold specialization argument. However, while married men have more training, cognitive ability, and self-esteem than unmarried men, controlling for these differences does not explain any component of the marital wage differential