Card-Based Remittances: A Closer Look at Supply and Demand

Analyzes the supply and demand for card-based transfers among Latin American and Caribbean immigrants sending remittances. Outlines card features and fee structures, and examines usage by country of origin, legal status, location, and card type

Efficacy of Probiotic Supplementation for Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults

The purpose of this literature review is to assess current studies investigating the efficacy of using probiotic supplementation to promote weight loss in the overweight and obese adult populations. Three databases were used including PubMed, ClinicalKey, and Embase with a time frame of 15 years. A total of 17 studies met the research criteria and were therefore reviewed. Body weight loss and decrease in BMI were used as measurements of efficacy. Studies used were peer reviewed, randomized-control trials, double-blind, and placebo-controlled. Current research shows insufficient evidence to support the use of a specific genus and/or species of probiotic to promote weight loss in the overweight and obese adult populations. L. gasseri, L. acidophilus, L. curvatus in combination with L. plantarum, and several genus combinations have studies supporting their use for weight loss. Additionally, studies evaluating L. amylovorus and L. rhamnosus showed significant weight loss with supplementation; however, their results were gender specific. Significant decrease in BMI was exhibited in groups supplemented with L. amylovorus, L. gasseri, L. plantarum, L. curvatus with plantarum, and several genus combinations when compared to placebo groups. Several studies found that benefits ceased after the probiotic supplementation was discontinued, suggesting that ongoing supplementation may be required. Finally, the side effects associated with probiotic supplementation were minimal, regardless of the strain, gender, or duration. This may suggest that potential benefits could outweigh risks

Linking Tax Refunds and Low-Cost Bank Accounts

This paper was commissioned for Inclusion in Asset Building: Research and Policy Symposium, an event hosted in September 2000 by the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis. A version was subsequently developed for publication in Inclusion in the American Dream: Assets, Poverty, and Public Policy (Oxford University Press, 2005). The papert presents findings from an evaluation of the Extra Credit Savings Program (ECSP). Piloted in Chicago by ShoreBank and the Center for Law and Human Services, the program was designed to connect unbanked households to mainstream financial services and to facilitate ongoing asset accumulation in low-income households by linking tax refunds to low-cost bank accounts. The program targeted households eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, encouraging filers in those households to save the 1999 federal tax refund in a no-fee, no-minimum-balance savings account. A 10% bonus was offered for funds remaining in the account in December 2000. The findings are suggestive for researchers and policymakers engaged in efforts to improve the financial well-being of vulnerable families. The results are also relevant for financial institutions seeking to enhance their Community Reinvestment Act ratings

Linking Tax Refunds and Low-Cost Bank Accounts: A Social Development Strategy for Low-Income Families?

This article describes a pilot program encouraging low-income workers to have their tax refunds directly deposited into low-cost bank accounts. The program did not lead to substantial saving and asset accumulation in the short-term. However, surveys and interviews suggest that the program helped some participants spend money more slowly and more thoughtfully, introduced some to account ownership or direct deposit, and encouraged some to obtain other mainstream financial products. Thus, the program may have helped low-income families “get on track” for future saving and asset accumulation

Experimental investigation of elastic mode control on a model of a transport aircraft

A 4.5 percent DC-10 derivative flexible model with active controls is fabricated, developed, and tested to investigate the ability to suppress flutter and reduce gust loads with active controlled surfaces. The model is analyzed and tested in both semispan and complete model configuration. Analytical methods are refined and control laws are developed and successfully tested on both versions of the model. A 15 to 25 percent increase in flutter speed due to the active system is demonstrated. The capability of an active control system to significantly reduce wing bending moments due to turbulence is demonstrated. Good correlation is obtained between test and analytical prediction

A comparative study of JPEG 2000, AVC/H.264, and HD Photo

In this paper, we report a study evaluating rate-distortion performance between JPEG 2000, AVC/H.264 High 4:4:4 Intra and HD Photo. A set of ten high definition color images with different spatial resolutions has been used. Both the PSNR and the perceptual MSSIM index were considered as distortion metrics. Results show that, for the material used to carry out the experiments, the overall performance, in terms of compression efficiency, are quite comparable for the three coding approaches, within an average range of ±10% in bitrate variations, and outperforming the conventional JPEG

Comparison of a nurse initiated insulin infusion protocol for intensive insulin therapy between adult surgical trauma, medical and coronary care intensive care patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sustained hyperglycemia is a known risk factor for adverse outcomes in critically ill patients. The specific aim was to determine if a nurse initiated insulin infusion protocol (IIP) was effective in maintaining blood glucose values (BG) within a target goal of 100–150 mg/dL across different intensive care units (ICUs) and to describe glycemic control during the 48 hours after protocol discontinuation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A descriptive, retrospective review of 366 patients having 28,192 blood glucose values in three intensive care units, Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit (STICU), Medical (MICU) and Coronary Care Unit (CCU) in a quaternary care hospital was conducted. Patients were > 15 years of age, admitted to STICU (n = 162), MICU (n = 110) or CCU (n = 94) over 8 months; October 2003-June 2004 and who had an initial blood glucose level > 150 mg/dL. We summarized the effectiveness and safety of a nurse initiated IIP, and compared these endpoints among STICU, MICU and CCU patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The median blood glucose values (mg/dL) at initiation of insulin infusion protocol were lower in STICU (188; IQR, 162–217) than in MICU, (201; IQR, 170–268) and CCU (227; IQR, 178–313); <it>p </it>< 0.0001. Mean time to achieving a target glucose level (100–150 mg/dL) was similar between the three units: 4.6 hours in STICU, 4.7 hours in MICU and 4.9 hours in CCU (<it>p </it>= 0.27). Hypoglycemia (BG < 60 mg/dL) occurred in 7% of STICU, 5% of MICU, and 5% of CCU patients (<it>p </it>= 0.85). Protocol violations were uncommon in all three ICUs. Mean blood glucose 48 hours following IIP discontinuation was significantly different for each population: 142 mg/dL in STICU, 167 mg/dL in MICU, and 160 mg/dL in CCU (<it>p </it>< 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The safety and effectiveness of nurse initiated IIP was similar across different ICUs in our hospital. Marked variability in glucose control after the protocol discontinuation suggests the need for further research regarding glucose control in patients transitioning out of the ICU.</p

Canonical 3D object orientation for interactive light-field visualization

Light-field visualization allows the users to freely choose a preferred location for observation within the display’s valid field of view. As such 3D visualization technology offers continuous motion parallax, the users location determines the perceived orientation of the visualized content, if we consider static objects and scenes. In case of interactive light-field visualization, the arbitrary rotation of content enables efficient orientation changes without the need for actual user movement. However, the preference of content orientation is a subjective matter, yet it is possible to be objectively managed and assessed as well. In this paper, we present a series of subjective tests we carried out on a real light-field display that addresses static content orientation preference. The state-of-the-art objective methodologies were used to evaluate the experimental setup and the content. We used the subjective results in order to develop our own objective metric for canonical orientation selection