Search

Epidemiological studies show an increasing number of patients worldwide suffering from chronic kidney diseases (CKD), which are associated with a risk for progression to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). CKD patients stage 2-5, patients with regular chronic dialysis treatment (hemo- or peritoneal dialysis), and patients suffering from kidney allograft dysfunction are at high risk to develop infections, e.g. urinary tract infections (UTI) and/or sepsis (urosepsis). These groups show metabolic disturbance, chronic inflammation, and impaired immunocompetence. Escherichia coli is still the most common pathogen in UTI. A wide variety of other pathogens may be involved in UTI. Urological interventions, catheterization, as well as repeated courses of antibiotics contribute to an increased challenge of antimicrobial resistance. The diagnosis of UTI in CKD is based on standard clinical and laboratory criteria. Pyuria (>=10 leucocytes/µl) is more often observed in patients with oligoanuria and low bacterial colony counts. The treatment strategies for this population are based on the same principles as in patients with normal renal function. However, drugs cleared by the kidney or by dialysis membranes need dose adjustment. Antimicrobials with potential systemic toxicity and nephrotoxicity should be administered with caution.

Purpose: Adolescents who are admitted to secure residential care have a high risk of delinquency after discharge. However, this risk may differ between subgroups in this heterogeneous population of adolescents with severe psychiatric problems and disruptive problem behaviour. In this study, the predictive validity of four risk profiles was examined for the number of minor, moderate, and severe offences after discharge from secure residential care. Methods: The sample comprised 238 male former patients of a hospital for youth forensic psychiatry and orthopsychiatry in the Netherlands. In three Poisson regression analyses, the relationship between four previously identified risk profiles and the number of minor, moderate, and severe offences after discharge was examined. Results: The results showed that the four risk profiles differed significantly in the number of minor, moderate, and severe offences after discharge. Post hoc analysis revealed no mediating effect of termination of treatment on the relationship between the risk profiles and the number of minor, moderate, and severe offending after discharge. Conclusion: Adolescents with many risk factors in multiple domains and adolescents with mainly family risks have an increased risk of persistent delinquency after discharge. Treatment should be tailored more effectively to the specific risks and needs of these adolescents.

Background: Adolescents with externalising problems in secure residential care differ in age of onset of disruptive behaviour and in cumulative risks in several domains. In order to reduce negative consequences of externalising behaviour for society and the adolescents themselves, it is important to gain more insight into the complexity and heterogeneity of disruptive behaviour in these adolescents. To look beyond the influence of single risk factors, the aim of this study is to investigate the moderator effect of co-occurring risk factors in multiple domains on the relation between age of onset of disruptive behaviour and two types of externalising problems in adolescence. Methods: Retrospectively collected data of 225 adolescents admitted to secure residential care were analysed. The four risk profiles were based on co-occurring pre-admission risk factors in four domains, which were identified in a previous study by latent class analysis. Multiple regression models were used to test whether the independent variable age of onset and dummy-coded moderator variable risk profiles had statistically significant associations with aggressive behaviour and rule-breaking behaviour of the adolescents, as reported by professional caregivers in the first months of admission. Results: Risk profiles moderated the relation between age of onset of disruptive behaviour and rule-breaking behaviour. Adolescents with childhood-onset disruptive behaviour within the risk profile with mainly family risks showed more rule-breaking behaviour in the first months of their admission to secure residential care than adolescents with an onset in adolescence within the same risk profile. Risk profiles, however, did not moderate the relation between age of onset of disruptive behaviour and aggressive behaviour. Conclusion: Heterogeneity of aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour was established in this study by finding differences on these two typ

Este trabajo pretende identificar cómo gestionan los riesgos los individuos de bajos ingresos en el Valle de Aburrá. Los pilares teóricos son la toma de decisiones: origen de las decisiones, sesgos cognitivos, preferencias sociales, finanzas conductuales. Se utiliza la información de clientes del sector asegurador desde la aplicación estadística de árbol de decisiones y análisis clúster, con variables de caracterización y estado de aseguramiento y aplicación de protocolo de entrevistas en las comunas con análisis fenomenológico-hermenéutico y método etnográfico. Se encontró que las preferencias de riesgo de los individuos de ingreso bajo se forman inicialmente con la narrativa familiar y pueden variar con la edad como factor determinante. A su vez, la gestión de riesgo depende de los perfiles de riesgo formados, experiencia propia con la materialización de riesgos, narrativa comunitaria. Y al final, solo en pocas ocasiones, de la búsqueda de información formal y conocimiento de otras instituciones. Como limitación, se debe tener en cuenta que el estudio solo se desarrolló para individuos de bajo ingreso, estratos 1 y 2 en en la zona metropolitana de Medellín. En posteriores investigaciones sería relevante realizarlo para otros segmentos socioeconómicos y otras regiones del país. Adicionalmente, este trabajo puede servir de insumo para manuales de toma de decisiones a través de la experiencia en comunidades., This work aims to identify how low-income individuals in the Aburrá Valley manage risks. The theoretical pillars are decision making: origin of decisions, cognitive biases, social relationships, behavioral finance. Its used information of clients of the insurance sector: from the statistical application of the decision tree and cluster analysis, with variables of characterization and assurance status and application of interview protocol in the communities with phenomenological-hermeneutical analysis and ethnographic method. As findings and conclusions we have that risk preferences of low-income individuals are formed with the family narrative and may vary with age as a determining factor. At the same time, risk management depends on the risk profiles formed, the own experience with the materialization of risks, the community narrative and, and just in few instances, the search for formal information and the knowledge of other institutions. The study is only limited to low-income individuals: stratum 1 and 2 in Medellin metropolitan area. Other subsequent studies should analyze other socio-economic segments and other regions of the country. Additionally, this paper can serve as input for decision-making manuals through experience in communities

Background: Overuse injuries (OI) account for a substantial part of sport injury incidence among athletes of various sports and levels. They lead to serious consequences for athletes’ physical and mental health, as well as athletic performance. Despite the gradual onset of symptoms, athletes often persevere in training and competing. The present study aimed to identify psychological risk profiles suggested to explain maladaptive behaviors prior or in response to first signs of overuse injuries. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: 149 athletes representing 10 individual and team sports responded to a range of questionnaires regarding personal (athletic identity, perfectionistic concerns, grit and negative life stress) and interpersonal (coach-athlete relationship) psychological traits. By using the mobile application Briteback®, participants subsequently answered the OSTRC Overuse Injury Questionnaire on a weekly basis during a 10 weeks period. A latent profile analysis was used in order to identify different psychological profiles. Results: Athletes were classified into 3 latent profiles regarding their psychological characteristics: profile 1 was labelled a “perfectionistic OI risk profile”, profile 2 a “negative stress OI risk profile” whereas profile 3 was called a “low risk profile for OI”. Indeed, athletes in profile 1 and 2 were found to be significantly more often affected by overuse problems than individuals in profile 3 (71% of the time, χ² (2) = 9.62, Hedges’ g = (0.71), p < .01 and 70% of the time χ² (2) = 9.13, Hedges’ g = (0.68), p < .01 vs 45% of the time), with athletes in profile 1 also experiencing more substantial overuse problems than for profile 3 (35% vs 21% of the time; χ² (2) = 4.12, Hedges’ g = (0.50), p < .05). Conclusions: Our findings support the existence of two “risk profiles” in which athletes are characterized either by elevated perfectionistic concerns or by high negative stress. These findings could be explained by th

Three interest rate models are researched: Displaced Exponential-Vasicek, Hull-White one factor and Hull-White two factors with time-dependent volatility parameters. The motivation for this is two-fold: firstly, we would like to understand how the capital calculations would be impacted when yield curves are modelled under the three different models. This is done by looking at both magnitude and stability of the risk profiles and scalar risk-measures for three counterparties, which are highly representative for the bank. Secondly, we investigate the benefits and drawbacks of using one model and its corresponding calibration method over the others, with a special attention to the impact on yields correlations. The first model, calibrated to historical data, is used as a nine-factors model for forward rates and is currently being used within the bank for PFE profiles and CVA regulatory capital. Historical backtest has proven the current model to perform reasonably well on real data and therefore it is used as a benchmark against which the other two models are tested. The two Hull-White models, used as short rate models, are calibrated to the risk-neutral measure (namely, to European swap- tions). Precisely, a two-steps calibration procedure suited for piece-wise constant volatility functions is implemented for both. The stability analysis reveals that the variation of Exposure at Defaults is significant, which might be undesired. On the other side, the two short rate models retain the correlation structure of interest rates better than the current model. This in turn translates into higher capital impact.

Three interest rate models are researched: Displaced Exponential-Vasicek, Hull-White one factor and Hull-White two factors with time-dependent volatility parameters. The motivation for this is two-fold: firstly, we would like to understand how the capital calculations would be impacted when yield curves are modelled under the three different models. This is done by looking at both magnitude and stability of the risk profiles and scalar risk-measures for three counterparties, which are highly representative for the bank. Secondly, we investigate the benefits and drawbacks of using one model and its corresponding calibration method over the others, with a special attention to the impact on yields correlations. The first model, calibrated to historical data, is used as a nine-factors model for forward rates and is currently being used within the bank for PFE profiles and CVA regulatory capital. Historical backtest has proven the current model to perform reasonably well on real data and therefore it is used as a benchmark against which the other two models are tested. The two Hull-White models, used as short rate models, are calibrated to the risk-neutral measure (namely, to European swap- tions). Precisely, a two-steps calibration procedure suited for piece-wise constant volatility functions is implemented for both. The stability analysis reveals that the variation of Exposure at Defaults is significant, which might be undesired. On the other side, the two short rate models retain the correlation structure of interest rates better than the current model. This in turn translates into higher capital impact.

Purpose of the review: This review article synthesizes recent research findings on the psychological context of Type D personality and the mechanisms through which Type D affects disease progression and prognosis among patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).Recent findings: One in four patients with CHD has a Distressed (Type D) personality, which is characterized by two stable traits: social inhibition and negative affectivity. Type D personality predicts increased mortality and morbidity burden, and poorer health-related quality of life. Type D is part of a family of psychosocial risk factors that affect CHD prognosis. The pattern of co-occurrence of these psychosocial factors and intra-individual differences in psychosocial profiles may affect risk prediction accuracy. Multiple biological and behavioral processes have been associated with Type D personality. Summary:Identifying pathways explaining the observed associations between Type D personality and CHD is important to improve etiological and pathophysiological knowledge and to design personalized interventions, and targeting specific risk-associated pathways.

This study aimed to develop a criterion for screening high risk elderly using Demura's fall risk assessment chart (DFRA), compared with the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of gerontology (TMIG) fall risk assessment chart. Participants included 1122 healthy elderly individuals aged 60 years and over (380 males and 742 females) 15.8% of whom had experienced a fall. We assessed fall risk of the elderly by DFRA and TMIG. To develop a criterion for screening high fall risk subjects among community-dwelling elderly, receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted using fall experience (separated into the categories of faller and non-faller) and the following fall risk scale scores: (1) TMIG score, (2) DFRA score, and (3) potential for falling score according to the DFRA (summing the scores of three items). In ROC analyses, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for evaluating the potential for falling gave a value of 0.797 (95% CI = 0.759-0.834) which proved better than the evaluation of the overall TMIG (0.654, 95% CI = 0.600-0.706) and DFRA scores (0.680, 95% CI = 0.633-0.727). Assessment of the potential for falling and fall experience are of benefit in screening for elderly persons deemed to be at a high fall risk. Further examinations based on the prospective data setting will be required. © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

The US DOE-funded National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) has developed an integrated assessment model (NRAP-IAM-CS) that can be used to simulate carbon dioxide (CO2) injection, migration, and associated impacts at a geologic carbon storage site. The model, NRAP-IAM-CS, incorporates a system-modeling-based approach while taking into account the full subsurface system from the storage reservoir to groundwater aquifers and the atmosphere. The approach utilizes reduced order models (ROMs) that allow fast computations of entire system performance even for periods of hundreds to thousands of years. The ROMs are run in Monte Carlo mode allowing estimation of uncertainties of the entire system without requiring long computational times. The NRAP-IAM-CS incorporates ROMs that realistically represent several key processes and properties of storage reservoirs, wells, seals, and groundwater aquifers. Results from the NRAP-IAM-CS model are used to quantify risk profiles for selected parameter distributions of reservoir properties, seal properties, numbers of wells, well properties, thief zones, and groundwater aquifer properties. A series of examples is used to illustrate how the risk under different storage conditions evolves over time, both during injection, in the near-term post injection period, and over the long term. It is also shown how results from NRAP-IAM-CS can be used to investigate the importance of different parameters on risk of leakage and risk of groundwater contamination under different storage conditions.

The US DOE-funded National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) has developed an integrated assessment model (NRAP-IAM-CS) that can be used to simulate carbon dioxide (CO2) injection, migration, and associated impacts at a geologic carbon storage site. The model, NRAP-IAM-CS, incorporates a system-modeling-based approach while taking into account the full subsurface system from the storage reservoir to groundwater aquifers and the atmosphere. The approach utilizes reduced order models (ROMs) that allow fast computations of entire system performance even for periods of hundreds to thousands of years. The ROMs are run in Monte Carlo mode allowing estimation of uncertainties of the entire system without requiring long computational times. The NRAP-IAM-CS incorporates ROMs that realistically represent several key processes and properties of storage reservoirs, wells, seals, and groundwater aquifers. Results from the NRAP-IAM-CS model are used to quantify risk profiles for selected parameter distributions of reservoir properties, seal properties, numbers of wells, well properties, thief zones, and groundwater aquifer properties. A series of examples is used to illustrate how the risk under different storage conditions evolves over time, both during injection, in the near-term post injection period, and over the long term. It is also shown how results from NRAP-IAM-CS can be used to investigate the importance of different parameters on risk of leakage and risk of groundwater contamination under different storage conditions.

En este proyecto se busca determinar perfiles de Riesgos, a partir del análisis de indicadores financieros de distintas empresas determinando la variable que mayor incidencia presenta en el no pago de las obligaciones, se realizó con el fin de clasificar perfiles de Riesgo y así saber si es debido o no otorgar financiación a una empresa, el incumplimiento de las obligaciones financieras se da por no tener capacidad de pago para cubrir estas deudas o si se da por el perfil de Riesgo, esto se realizó por medio de árboles de decisión, los cuales se generan como resultado de la unión de indicadores financieros de Endeudamiento y Liquidez mediante variables sintéticas, se realizó un modelo financiero el cual se estructuro por medio de programación en Excel, permite conocer los perfiles de Riesgo de clientes antiguos y de clientes nuevos para tomar decisiones adecuadas en el momento de otorgar créditos., In this project we want to determine risk profiles, based on an analysis of financial indicators of different companies determining the variable presenting greater incidence in non-payment of its obligations, was carried out in order to classify risk profiles and thus to know if it is due or not to provide funding to a company, failure to comply with the financial obligations is given because they have no ability to pay to cover these debts or if is given by the Risk profile, this was done by means of decision trees, which are generated as a result of the union of financial indicators of debt and liquidity using synthetic variables, was a financial model which structure by means of Excel programming, allows to know profiles of risk of old customers and new customers to take decisions at the time of lending.

A new challenge in the sensor network area is the coordination of heterogeneous sensors (with different sensing, mobility and computing capabilities) in an integrated network. This kind of sensor networks have clearly high relevance in surveillance systems, in which both low-end static ground sensor nodes and more sophisticated sensors carried by mobile platforms, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), cooperate. This paper provides an analysis of two different strategies to guide the collaboration among the sensor nodes mentioned above, applied to area surveillance systems. The first analyzed problem is related to the choice of the UAV instance that will respond to a given alarm issued by a ground sensor node. The second issue is the estimation of the response time until any UAV can be engaged in handling an alarm and effectively handles it. Two strategies are introduced and compared: one based on a pheromone inspired approach and another based on utility functions inspired on risk profiles that models decisions of investors in the stock market. ©2009 IEEE., Article number 5398314; Category number 09CH38151; Code 79858

The awareness of environmental issues has increased among the public the last decades. An environmental movement is occurring and companies are beginning to adapt themselves and their business activities to the changing view of environmental issues. Greater attention are turning to companies around the world due to the view that they have a responsibility concerning environmental and sustainability matters in their business operations. The development of environmental guidelines such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the presenting of separate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports illustrate the emerged demand of an environmental awareness from various stakeholders. Government regulations and inter-continental agreements of carbon taxes, emission trade rights and various environmental targets are influencing the operations and the environmental approach for the companies. An important link in the information chain is the financial analysts and their role as information intermediaries. The characteristics of their profession combined with their expertise knowledge of evaluating companies are reasons behind their function in the investment value chain. Traditionally, the valuation of companies has been based on financial figures and the models derive from typical tangible assets such growth numbers, estimated future earnings and cash flow. Environmental issues have throughout the years been considered of secondary importance due to the specific kind of information it represents. This study examines factors influencing the amount of environmental information presented in financial analyst reports. The amount of environmental information presented in annual reports, CSR reports and an environmental risk profile developed by GES Investment Services have been selected as predictor variables to determine the amount of environmental information in the financial analysts’ reports. 40 companies from the industrial sector have been included in the study and the re

The awareness of environmental issues has increased among the public the last decades. An environmental movement is occurring and companies are beginning to adapt themselves and their business activities to the changing view of environmental issues. Greater attention are turning to companies around the world due to the view that they have a responsibility concerning environmental and sustainability matters in their business operations. The development of environmental guidelines such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the presenting of separate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports illustrate the emerged demand of an environmental awareness from various stakeholders. Government regulations and inter-continental agreements of carbon taxes, emission trade rights and various environmental targets are influencing the operations and the environmental approach for the companies. An important link in the information chain is the financial analysts and their role as information intermediaries. The characteristics of their profession combined with their expertise knowledge of evaluating companies are reasons behind their function in the investment value chain. Traditionally, the valuation of companies has been based on financial figures and the models derive from typical tangible assets such growth numbers, estimated future earnings and cash flow. Environmental issues have throughout the years been considered of secondary importance due to the specific kind of information it represents. This study examines factors influencing the amount of environmental information presented in financial analyst reports. The amount of environmental information presented in annual reports, CSR reports and an environmental risk profile developed by GES Investment Services have been selected as predictor variables to determine the amount of environmental information in the financial analysts’ reports. 40 companies from the industrial sector have been included in the study and the re

Recent research has suggested that individual share investors fall into a number of groups with distinct preferences for particular share characteristics. The majority are relatively risk-averse and seek stable investments. An important source of advice for these investors is their stockbroker. But, how well do stockbrokers understand their clients' attitudes and preferences? The present paper suggests that retail stockbrokers overestimate their clients' willingness to take risk and to invest in more speculative stocks. As on-line stockbroking is providing significant competition to the traditional full-service broker, stockbrokers must understand their clients' needs. If this is not the case, it may be difficult for retail stockbrokers to give appropriate advice or for a fruitful adviser-client relationship to be established.

The awareness of environmental issues has increased among the public the last decades. An environmental movement is occurring and companies are beginning to adapt themselves and their business activities to the changing view of environmental issues. Greater attention are turning to companies around the world due to the view that they have a responsibility concerning environmental and sustainability matters in their business operations. The development of environmental guidelines such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the presenting of separate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports illustrate the emerged demand of an environmental awareness from various stakeholders. Government regulations and inter-continental agreements of carbon taxes, emission trade rights and various environmental targets are influencing the operations and the environmental approach for the companies. An important link in the information chain is the financial analysts and their role as information intermediaries. The characteristics of their profession combined with their expertise knowledge of evaluating companies are reasons behind their function in the investment value chain. Traditionally, the valuation of companies has been based on financial figures and the models derive from typical tangible assets such growth numbers, estimated future earnings and cash flow. Environmental issues have throughout the years been considered of secondary importance due to the specific kind of information it represents. This study examines factors influencing the amount of environmental information presented in financial analyst reports. The amount of environmental information presented in annual reports, CSR reports and an environmental risk profile developed by GES Investment Services have been selected as predictor variables to determine the amount of environmental information in the financial analysts’ reports. 40 companies from the industrial sector have been included in the study and the re

The present research examined the perceptions of Australian employees on dimensions of workplace stress. The sample included 664 male (n = 234) and female (n = 430) workers from the public (n = 559) and private (n = 105) sectors. Participants completed the Health and Safety Executive Indicator Tool as a measure of workplace stress. Results indicated that private sector employees rated their employers as being more effective in managing workplace stress, while employees in both sectors rated their employers as less effective in managing Job Content stressors than Job Context stressors. Compared with normative benchmarks, employees overall also reported risks of stress associated with Relationships and Role. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Overseas studies suggest a correlation between the performance of mutual fund managers and the size of funds under control, with small funds outperforming large funds. This study extends the analysis to Australian superannuation fund managers where industry structure, purpose, asset base and investment strategies are considerably different. It investigates the potential effect of portfolio asset size on quarterly excess and risk adjusted returns and systematic risk profiles from 1977 to 1993. Although overall performance has weakly improved since the 1970's, the results contradict overseas evidence. After allowing for survivorship bias and extreme outliers, variations in asset size are not related to long term return or risk profile differentials between managers Potential reasons include concentration on short term performance, averaging, window dressing.

Overseas studies suggest a correlation between the performance of mutual fund managers and the size of funds under control, with small funds outperforming large funds. This study extends the analysis to Australian superannuation fund managers where industry structure, purpose, asset base and investment strategies are considerably different. It investigates the potential effect of portfolio asset size on quarterly excess and risk adjusted returns and systematic risk profiles from 1977 to 1993. Although overall performance has weakly improved since the 1970's, the results contradict overseas evidence. After allowing for survivorship bias and extreme outliers, variations in asset size are not related to long term return or risk profile differentials between managers Potential reasons include concentration on short term performance, averaging, window dressing.

Overseas studies suggest a correlation between the performance of mutual fund managers and the size of funds under control, with small funds outperforming large funds. This study extends the analysis to Australian superannuation fund managers where industry structure, purpose, asset base and investment strategies are considerably different. It investigates the potential effect of portfolio asset size on quarterly excess and risk adjusted returns and systematic risk profiles from 1977 to 1993. Although overall performance has weakly improved since the 1970's, the results contradict overseas evidence. After allowing for survivorship bias and extreme outliers, variations in asset size are not related to long term return or risk profile differentials between managers Potential reasons include concentration on short term performance, averaging, window dressing.

Overseas studies suggest a correlation between the performance of mutual fund managers and the size of funds under control, with small funds outperforming large funds. This study extends the analysis to Australian superannuation fund managers where industry structure, purpose, asset base and investment strategies are considerably different. It investigates the potential effect of portfolio asset size on quarterly excess and risk adjusted returns and systematic risk profiles from 1977 to 1993. Although overall performance has weakly improved since the 1970's, the results contradict overseas evidence. After allowing for survivorship bias and extreme outliers, variations in asset size are not related to long term return or risk profile differentials between managers Potential reasons include concentration on short term performance, averaging, window dressing.