Risk Classification and Automobile Insurance Premiums – A study on the Perceptions of Cypriot Policyholders on the Fairness of Automobile Risk Classification Variables

The intention of this study is to investigate the opinions of Cypriot insured drivers regarding the fairness of particular risk classification variables. Classification variables include, amongst others, age, gender, years of driving experience and driver record. The aim of this research paper is also to establish whether significant associations exist between the opinions of Cypriot insured drivers and a number of demographic and other policyholder characteristics which are used to set premiums in automobile insurance. A hundred and sixteen usable questionnaires were collected from respondents of different ages across the country of Cyprus. The research revealed that the majority of the respondents considered as fair the practice of charging higher premiums to very young drivers, whilst 80.2% and 88.8% of the respondents considered to some degree unfair charging higher premiums to male drivers and charging higher premiums to unmarried drivers respectively. Almost half of the respondents chose age as the classification variable they considered that should be of highest importance and 31.9% of the respondents chose marital status as the one that they believed should be of least importance in setting automobile insurance premiums. Moreover, even if respondents supported the elimination of specific rating factors, the majority opposed the elimination of all rating factors. Significant associations were found to exist between charging higher premiums to young drivers and the age of the respondent, and the above practice and the years of driving experience of the respondent. Significant associations were also found to exist between charging higher premiums to male drivers and the gender of the respondent since more male drivers were more likely to oppose the above practice than female drivers. Contrary to the above, no association was found to exist between opinions regarding the elimination of age as a rating factor and the years of driving experience of the respondent

Risk Classification and Automobile Insurance Premiums – A study on the Perceptions of Cypriot Policyholders on the Fairness of Automobile Risk Classification Variables

The intention of this study is to investigate the opinions of Cypriot insured drivers regarding the fairness of particular risk classification variables. Classification variables include, amongst others, age, gender, years of driving experience and driver record. The aim of this research paper is also to establish whether significant associations exist between the opinions of Cypriot insured drivers and a number of demographic and other policyholder characteristics which are used to set premiums in automobile insurance. A hundred and sixteen usable questionnaires were collected from respondents of different ages across the country of Cyprus. The research revealed that the majority of the respondents considered as fair the practice of charging higher premiums to very young drivers, whilst 80.2% and 88.8% of the respondents considered to some degree unfair charging higher premiums to male drivers and charging higher premiums to unmarried drivers respectively. Almost half of the respondents chose age as the classification variable they considered that should be of highest importance and 31.9% of the respondents chose marital status as the one that they believed should be of least importance in setting automobile insurance premiums. Moreover, even if respondents supported the elimination of specific rating factors, the majority opposed the elimination of all rating factors. Significant associations were found to exist between charging higher premiums to young drivers and the age of the respondent, and the above practice and the years of driving experience of the respondent. Significant associations were also found to exist between charging higher premiums to male drivers and the gender of the respondent since more male drivers were more likely to oppose the above practice than female drivers. Contrary to the above, no association was found to exist between opinions regarding the elimination of age as a rating factor and the years of driving experience of the respondent

The neomartyr's message

Τά αγιολογικά κείμενα, τις περισσότερες φορές έργα μοναχών ή κληρικών,τα όποια διαβάζονταν μέσα στα μοναστήρια καί στις έκκλησίες, περιέ-κλειναν πάντα ένα δίδαγμα προς τό χριστιανικό ποίμνιο. Συνήθως ή ζωή καίτά έργα τοϋ αγίου, πού έξιστοροϋνται μέσα σ’ ένα κείμενο, άποτελοϋν έναπαράδειγμα πού ή Εκκλησία παρουσιάζει προς τούς πιστούς. Κατά τήνπερίοδο τής τουρκικής έξάπλωσης (13ος-15ος αί.) καί, αργότερα, κατά τήντουρκοκρατία παρουσιάζεται στήν αγιολογία ό τύπος τού Χριστιανού, όόποιος, γιά διάφορους λόγους, άσπάσθηκε τόν Μωαμεθανισμό άλλά άργότε-ρα μετανόησε καί θέλησε νά ξαναγυρίσει στήν παλαιά του θρησκεία. Επειδήόμως ή ίσλαμική νομοθεσία άπαγορεύει μέ θάνατο τήν άποστασία άπότόν Μωαμεθανισμό, ό έξισλαμισμένος Χριστιανός ύποχρεώθηκε νά πάρειτόν δρόμο τού μαρτυρίου καί νά αγιάσει (π.χ. ό "Αγιος Μιχαήλ ό Νέος, ό"Αγιος Θεόδωρος ό Νέος, ό "Αγιος Μάρκος ό Νέος).Ή ’Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία, προέβαλλε τήν περίπτωση αύτών τών αγίων,έπειδή προσπαθούσε νά προφυλάξει τό ποίμνιο άπό τόν έξισλαμισμό τονίζονταςπώς μέσα στήν ’Οθωμανική Αύτοκρατορία ή έπιστροφή στον Χριστιανισμόσήμαινε μαρτυρικό θάνατο

The M (Maqam/Makam - Mode) App

 Byzantine modes, Turkish makams, Arabic maqams and Greek folk modes are four modal music systems having a very similar build and expression. These music traditions interacted, in various ways, with each other's history and musical heritage, development and essence.The M app is a glossary which guides you through basic characteristics, similarities and differences of these four official music theory systems, as they are taught today. One can use this app for didactic purposes, in order to have a clear image of each maqam/makam – mode, its characteristics and the way they sound, based on each tradition’s unique character. M app is not meant to replace a tuner but can be a great tool that will help you decode your listening and/or performance.It contains many of the most popular maqams/makams, the Byzantine modes and the Greek folk modes individually but also in juxtaposition, based on the nomenclature or intervallic structure. Even though it does not include any historical background on how these traditions ended up using these systems, it cites all the bibliographical references used for further research

Evaluation of Compton scattering sequence reconstruction algorithms for a portable position sensitive radioactivity detector based on pixelated Cd(Zn)Te crystals

We present extensive simulation studies on the performance of algorithms for the Compton sequence reconstruction used for the development of a portable spectroscopic instrument (COCAE), with the capability to localize and identify radioactive sources, by exploiting the Compton scattering imaging. Various Compton Sequence reconstruction algorithms have been compared using a large number of simulated events. These algorithms are based on Compton kinematics, as well as on statistical test criteria that exploit the redundant information of events having two or more photon interactions in the active detector's volume. The efficiency of the best performing technique is estimated for a wide range of incident gamma-ray photons emitted from point-like gamma sources.Comment: 16 pages, 17 figure

The economic burden of tuberculosis in Cyprus. A probabilistic cost of illness study.

Background: Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem with considerable economic burden worldwide. The aim of this study was to estimate the economic burden of tuberculosis in Cyprus during 2009.  Methods: A retrospective probabilistic incidence-based cost of illness model was developed to calculate, from the societal perspective, the economic burden of the disease including direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs and indirect costs. The bottom-up approach (person-based data) was used for the calculation of direct costs while for the calculation of indirect costs the approach of human capital was employed. In addition, probabilistic sensitivity analysis with 1000 Monte Carlo simulations was performed in order to calculate a 95% Confidence Interval (CI). Results: Mean per patient cost of tuberculosis in Cyprus in 2009 was estimated at €12,882 (95% CI: €12,747.35 – €12,964.32). Direct medical costs accounted for 83.07% of the overall expenses, €10,675 per patient (95% CI: €10,462.07 – €10,780.59). Total direct non-medical costs of €355 (95% CI: €353.04 – 364.29) accounted for 2.77% of the overall expenses whereas 14.16% of the overall expenses were associated with the indirect cost of €1,820 (95% CI: €1,815.20 – €1,873.65). Conclusion: For the first time in Cyprus, the cost of tuberculosis was estimated using a probabilistic incidence-based cost of illness model.  Our study confirms that tuberculosis is an expensive disease for the society. In addition, it provides important information to policy makers for the comprehension of the economic consequences of tuberculosis so as they can draft the national health policy accordingly and strengthen surveillance of the disease

Performance of the Micromegas detector in the CAST experiment

The gaseous Micromegas detector designed for the CERN Axion search experiment CAST, operated smoothly during Phase-I, which included the 2003 and 2004 running periods. It exhibited linear response in the energy range of interest (1-10keV), good spatial sensitivity and energy resolution (15-19% FWHM at 5.9keV)as well as remarkable stability. The detector's upgrade for the 2004 run, supported by the development of advanced offline analysis tools, improved the background rejection capability, leading to an average rate 5x10^-5 counts/sec/cm^2/keV with 94% cut efficiency. Also, the origin of the detected background was studied with a Monte Carlo simulation, using the GEANT4 package.Comment: Prepared for PSD7: The Seventh International Conference on Position Sensitive Detectors, Liverpool, United Kingdom, 12-16 Sep. 200