Low-risk Environment Research Articles

Supply chain finance risk management

Based on mechanism design theory on asymmetric information, this study devises a selectable menu of contracts with price discounts and trade credit rates and proposes strategies for mitigating the risk of payment default when a tourism service provider trades with unfamiliar tour operators. Tourism service providers are suggested to remain conservative under a positive economic condition and progressive under a moderate economic condition when engaging in a new business opportunity. However, a fringe level of progressivism may be maintained under a moderate economy and a low-risk environment. The net benefit of tourism service providers increases when the bank rate is high, and the profit of the entire tourism channel increases when the percentage or ability to pay reliable agents is high.

Predictive modelling for startup and investor relationship based on crowdfunding platform data

Crowdfunding platform is a place where startup shows off publicly their idea for the purpose to get their project funded. Crowdfunding platform such as Kickstarter are becoming popular today, it provides the efficient way for startup to get funded without liabilities, it also provides variety project category that can be participated. There is an available safety procedure to ensure achievable low-risk environment. The startup promoted project must accomplish their funded goal target. If they fail to reach the target, then there is no investment activity take place. It motivates startup to be more active to promote or disseminate their project idea and it also protect investor from losing money. The study objective is to predict the successfulness of proposed project and mapping investor trend using data mining framework. To achieve the objective, we proposed 3 models. First model is to predict whether a project is going to be successful or failed using K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN). Second model is to predict the number of successful project using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Third model is to map the trend of investor in investing the project using K-Means clustering algorithm. KNN gives 99.04% model accuracy, while ANN best configuration gives 16-14-1 neuron layers and 0.2 learning rate, and K-Means gives 6 best separation clusters. The results of those models can help startup or investor to make decision regarding startup investment.

International guidelines for groin hernia management

International guidelines for groin hernia management

The effects of genetic predisposition to criminal behaviour

In the field of genetic research on criminal behaviour is the fact that the magnitude of genetic effects depends on social circumstances and other environmental factors. All major adoption studies of criminal behaviour have shown that genetic risk is amplified in the presence of adverse environmental factors viewed differently; the substantial genetic risk for criminal offending may be ameliorated in low risk environments. The nature of these environmentally based protective factors need greater attention in future genetic research on crime and aggression. The fact that genetic predispositions exist for criminal offending does in no way imply that environmental factors are unimportant, nor that effective treatment and prevention programs cannot be developed and implemented to reduce the chances that an individual will engage in law-breaking or other antisocial behaviours.

Antipredator behaviour of a native marsupial is relaxed when mammalian predators are excluded

Context Predator-controlled environments can lead to prey species losing costly antipredator behaviours as they exploit their low-risk environment, creating a ‘predator-naïve’ population. If individuals lacking suitable antipredator behaviours are used as source populations for reintroductions to environments where predators are present, their behaviour could result in high post-release predation. In contrast, animals sourced from environments with predators (‘predator-exposed’) may show effective antipredator behaviours and thus higher survival post-release. Aims The aim was to compare the antipredator behaviour of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) at predator-exposed and predator-naïve source populations, and then compare post-release survival after their reintroduction to a low predator environment. Methods Data were collected from possums at two sites, one with and one without mammalian predators. The behavioural responses of possums to a spotlighter, their willingness to use supplementary feeders at ‘safe’ and ‘risky’ heights, whether they avoided predator odour at traps and their general willingness to enter traps were recorded. Key results Predator-naïve possums showed weaker antipredator responses, were often found at ground level, engaged with novel objects, did not avoid predator scents and utilised different habitats regardless of associated predation risk. In contrast, predator-exposed possums had higher antipredator responses, chose connected trees, were rarely found at ground level and were generally difficult to capture. Post-translocation survival was high for both source populations. Predator-naïve-sourced female possums began to avoid predator urine (feral cat; Felis catus) 12 months after translocation. Conclusions Our research demonstrates that environmental predation risk can predict prey naïvety in brushtail possums. Some aspects of prey naïvety behaviour appear to be able to change in response to altered predation risk. Implications With many threatened species now existing only in feral predator-free areas, these results have implications for future reintroductions into unbounded areas where feral predators are present, and for the management of fenced reserves. The addition of a small number of predators to fenced reserves may aid in retaining antipredator behaviours in fenced prey populations.

Risk breeds risk aversion

We examine whether exposure to a more or less risky environment affects people’s subsequent risk-taking behavior. In a laboratory setting, all subjects went through twelve rounds of multiple-price-list decisions between a risky alternative and a safe alternative. In the first six rounds, subjects were randomly assigned to a high-, moderate-, or low-risk environment, which differed in the variances of the lotteries they were exposed to. In the last six rounds, subjects in all treatments made decisions on an identical set of lotteries. We found that subjects who had experienced a riskier environment exhibited a higher degree of risk aversion. Our experimental design allows us to conclude that this effect is driven by the risk environment per se, rather than the realized outcomes of the risk. This finding has important theoretical and policy implications.

The importance of project finance for renewable energy projects

Given the magnitude of investment needs into low-carbon power generation, the availability and cost of capital is crucial for successful energy transitions. Recently, a strong increase of non-recourse project finance (as compared to corporate finance on a project sponsor's balance sheets) could be observed for power generation projects. Classical economic motivations for project finance are the prevention of contamination risk, and agency conflicts – however, these reasons do not apply for comparably small projects in low-risk environments, such as many renewable energy projects being realized today. This paper therefore assesses the importance of project finance for renewable energy projects in investment-grade countries, and the underlying drivers to use this kind of finance. Eight potential reasons for using project finance are distilled from economic and finance theory, and then empirically evaluated using a novel dataset for new power plant investments in Germany 2010–2015. Results show that in this extreme case with particularly low investment risks, project finance has much larger importance for renewables than for fossil fuel-based power plants. It is not used to reduce contamination risk or agency conflicts, but, instead driven by the “debt overhang” of non-utility sponsors such as independent project developers. We discuss implications for policy makers, the financial sector, as well as energy scholars concerned with power generation investment decisions.

Trust thy neighbour in times of trouble: background risk alters how tadpoles release and respond to disturbance cues.

In aquatic environments, uninjured prey escaping a predator release chemical disturbance cues into the water. However, it is unknown whether these cues are a simple physiological by-product of increased activity or whether they represent a social signal that is under some control by the sender. Here, we exposed wood frog tadpoles (Lithobates sylvaticus) to either a high or low background risk environment and tested their responses to disturbance cues (or control cues) produced by tadpoles from high-risk or low-risk backgrounds. We found an interaction between risk levels associated with the cue donor and cue recipient. While disturbance cues from low-risk donors did not elicit an antipredator response in low-risk receivers, they did in high-risk receivers. In addition, disturbance cues from high-risk donors elicited a marked antipredator response in both low- and high-risk receivers. The response of high-risk receivers to disturbance cues from high-risk donors was commensurate with other treatments, indicating an all-or-nothing response. Our study provides evidence of differential production and perception of social cues and provides insights into their function and evolution in aquatic vertebrates. Given the widespread nature of disturbance cues in aquatic prey, there may exist a social signalling system that remains virtually unexplored by ecologists.

Microgeographic Adaptation of Wood Frog Tadpoles to an Apex Predator

Rapid adaptation of defenses can alter ecological dynamics following introduction of a new predator. We tested for local adaptation in Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) populations that face varying selection from an apex predator, the Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum), which is expanding its distribution in the study region. We performed a reciprocal transplant experiment with Wood Frog eggs and tadpoles and tested survival of tadpoles when exposed to Marbled Salamander larvae in experimental predation trials. We also evaluated life history, behavioral, and morphological trait variation with respect to origin and transplant environments. We found that tadpoles from populations exposed to high risk from Marbled Salamanders survived better when raised in high-risk environments than tadpoles from low-risk populations. However, tadpoles from high-risk environments experienced lower survival than those from low-risk environments when raised in low-risk environments. Development rate, activity, and morphology dif...

Characterizing environmental risk factors for West Nile virus in Quebec, Canada, using clinical data in humans and serology in pet dogs.

The identification of specific environments sustaining emerging arbovirus amplification and transmission to humans is a key component of public health intervention planning. This study aimed at identifying environmental factors associated with West Nile virus (WNV) infections in southern Quebec, Canada, by modelling and jointly interpreting aggregated clinical data in humans and serological data in pet dogs. Environmental risk factors were estimated in humans by negative binomial regression based on a dataset of 191 human WNV clinical cases reported in the study area between 2011 and 2014. Risk factors for infection in dogs were evaluated by logistic and negative binomial models based on a dataset including WNV serological results from 1442 dogs sampled from the same geographical area in 2013. Forested lands were identified as low-risk environments in humans. Agricultural lands represented higher risk environments for dogs. Environments identified as impacting risk in the current study were somewhat different from those identified in other studies conducted in north-eastern USA, which reported higher risk in suburban environments. In the context of the current study, combining human and animal data allowed a more comprehensive and possibly a more accurate view of environmental WNV risk factors to be obtained than by studying aggregated human data alone.

Developing physiotherapy student safety skills in readiness for clinical placement using standardised patients compared with peer-role play: a pilot non-randomised controlled trial

BackgroundUsing simulated learning environments with standardised patients (SPs) provides a way to scaffold the development of skills for patient safety in a low risk environment. There are no data regarding whether adding SP interactions in early years of physiotherapy training improves safe performance on clinical placement. We assessed the feasibility of recruiting and collecting data from junior physiotherapy students during an SP workshop with a pilot non-randomised trial, also assessing time, cost and scheduling information.MethodsSecond year physiotherapy students were invited to participate and allocated to either the SP workshop in a simulated hospital environment (with and without video feedback) or usual teaching comprising peer role play. The main outcome measures were participant recruitment, retention and survey response rates, whether the training and workshops were delivered as scheduled and costs for SPs and staff training and workshop attendance. Students self-reported confidence, communication, preparedness for clinic and satisfaction was measured using pre-post surveys.ResultsThe pilot trial proved feasible, with 108 students recruited (100%) and high retention (95%) and survey response rates (85%). The training sessions and SP workshops were delivered as scheduled, costing $4700AUD. Students rated their confidence and preparedness for clinical placement higher post intervention (p < 0.001) with high levels of satisfaction with the SP interactions (mean score 9.3/10).ConclusionsIn this setting the SP workshop was feasible. Further research incorporating a randomised trial investigating the integration of SPs for the development and assessment of patient safety skills in physiotherapy education is recommended.Trial registrationANZCTR no: 12,615,000,686,505.

An innovative test bed for verification of attitude control system

Experimental validation of the attitude determination and control subsystem performance is an essential requirement for new satellites. It can provide a very low cost and low risk environment for evaluating the proposed design before launch. One of the greatest difficulties in developing an Attitude Determination and Control Subsystem (ADCS) test bed is to perform the ground-based experiments in different environments to provide the orbital conditions experienced by a real spacecraft. Simulating the space environment is not an easy task and also testing of the attitude determination and control is very complicated. The essential requirements of functional tests in ADCS hardware are 1) rotational frictionless free motions, 2) simulating orbital environment for sensors and actuators, 3) software implementation of algorithms, and 4) finally integrating of these parts. Three degree of freedom (DOF) air bearing based simulators are the most common method for simulation of a frictionless media. Air bearing offers a nearly torque-free condition, perhaps as close as possible to that of space and hence it is a preferred technology for ground-based research in space attitude dynamics and control, although it certainly cannot provide the full experience of microgravity. There are several simulators around the world that are developed for many different education and research purposes. One of these simulators is developed for testing the bifocal relay mirror spacecraft system.

An Innovative Otolaryngology Resident Boot Camp

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Simulation provides the opportunity for residency programs to introduce core skills and principles to residents in a low risk environment. We designed a four-week "boot camp" for junior otolaryngology residents aimed at providing the foundation necessary for effective management of commonly encountered clinical scenarios. Sessions emphasized learning through adult and pediatric simulation exercises, technical skills training and didactics. Feedback on resident performance was provided at the completion of simulation exercises.

ON THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC DEBT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH: DOES COUNTRY RISK MATTER?

This study examines the nonlinear impacts of four country risk indices on the debt‐growth nexus for 61 countries in a panel data framework. Our results show evidence of the different debt‐growth nexus under the different degrees of country risk. Under a high‐risk environment, a country's economic growth is harmed by raising its public debt. The negative effects public debt has on economic growth become weak under low political and financial‐risk environments, while an increase in public debt could help to stimulate economic growth under low composite and economic risk environments. In addition, the differences of countries' income and debt levels also lead country risks to have different effects on the debt‐growth nexus, suggesting that a country should borrow appropriately based on its current risk environments while improving economic performance. (JEL C33, E02, H63, O43)

A Hybrid Simulation-Based Pre-Professional Physical Therapist Intensive Care Unit Course

Background and Purpose: There is demand for physical therapists to practice in intensive care units (ICUs); however, many physical therapists lack the specialized knowledge and skills to provide these services. Immersive simulation is an ideal instructional design strategy for learning ICU rehabilitation skills because simulation provides safe, low-risk environments to master high-risk interventions. This case report describes an elective hybrid pre-professional physical therapist course that incorporates simulation-based learning experiences (SBLEs) with clinical mentoring to prepare students for formal ICU internships. Case Description: Eight final-year physical therapist students participated in this course. The goal of this course was to facilitate the development of students interested in specializing in ICU practice. Course objectives included acquiring the knowledge, communication skills, and clinical skills essential for participating in mentored clinical ICU internships. Educational strategies included lectures, SBLEs, and clinical ICU experiences. Outcomes: All students successfully completed the course, earned the American Heart Association Advance Cardiac Life Support certification, and were identified by ICU physical therapist clinical instructors as ready for formal ICU internships. Stakeholders positively reviewed the course. One year following the course, 4 of 8 students were employed in acute care and/or ICU settings. Discussion: This elective course used a combination of lectures, SBLEs, and clinical experiences to successfully prepare physical therapist students for mentored ICU internships and employment in acute and critical care practice settings. More research is required to evaluate the simulation pedagogy (structure, types of cases, and time in simulation) and criteria for determining student competence level for ICU practice.

Risk Assessment and Practice of Occupational Safety among Food Handlers in Lamingo, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Background: Food handlers are people who work in a food facility and perform duties that involve the preparation, storage or serving the food. Due to the activities involved in cooking, they are exposed to various hazards. Little is known about knowledge and practice of occupational safety among food handlers in Jos, Plateau state&#x0D; Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in February 2017 among 73 food handlers. Quantitative data was collected on knowledge, risk assessment and occupational safety practices among the food handlers. Data was analysed using Epi Info 3.5.4. &#x0D; Results: Only 13.7% of the respondents were found to have good level of knowledge of occupational safety and health, while more than half (60.3%) of the respondents were found to work in high risk environment, with 16.4% in low risk environment. There was a poor level of practice of occupational safety among 60.3% of the respondents. Respondents agreed that efforts towards occupational safety such as resource commitment, continuous safety training, availability of safety materials in different languages, comfortable work environment and facilities with regular maintenance as well as safety policy enforcement would improve occupational safety practices&#x0D; Conclusion: This study revealed that majority of food handlers in Lamingo, Jos worked in high risk environment and in spite of this; there was a low level of knowledge and practice of occupational safety among them. Therefore, there is the need to improve work place safety and knowledge of occupational safety among food handlers. This can be achieved by conducting regular educational programmes and workshops about the importance of safety at work, and teaching the food handlers that occupational safety is also their responsibility, not just their employers alone.

Violations of uncovered interest rate parity and international exchange rate dependences

The uncovered interest rate parity puzzle questions the economic relation existing between short term interest rate differentials and exchange rates. One would indeed expect that the differential of interest rates between two countries should be offset by an opposite evolution of the exchange rate between them, hence ruling out any limited risk profit opportunities. However, it has been shown empirically that this relation is not holding and accordingly has led, over the past two decades, to the reinforcement of a well-known trading strategy in financial markets, namely the currency carry trade. This paper investigates how highly leveraged, mass speculator behaviour affects the dependence structure of currency returns. We propose a rigorous statistical modelling approach using two complementary techniques in order to demonstrate that speculative carry trade volumes are informative in both the covariance and tail dependence of high and low interest rate currency returns, whereas the price based factors previously suggested in the literature hold little explanatory power. We add a new feature to the understanding of the link between the UIP condition and the carry trade strategy, specifically attributed to the large joint exchange rate movements in high and low risk environments.

Evidence of genotypic adaptation to the exposure to volcanic risk at the dopamine receptor DRD4 locus.

Humans have colonized and adapted to extremely diverse environments, and the genetic basis of some such adaptations, for example to high altitude, is understood. In some cases, local or regional variation in selection pressure could also cause behavioural adaptations. Numerous genes influence behaviour, such as alleles at the dopamine receptor locus D4 (DRD4), which are associated with attitude toward risk in experimental settings. We demonstrate genetic differentiation for this gene, but not for five unlinked microsatellite loci, between high- and low risk environments around Mount Merapi, an active volcano in Java, Indonesia. Using a behavioural experiment, we further show that people inhabiting the high risk environment are significantly more risk averse. We provide evidence of a genetic basis for this difference, showing that heterozygotes at the DRD4 locus are more risk averse than either homozygotes. In the high risk environment, allele frequencies are equilibrated, generating a high frequency of heterozygotes. Thus it appears that overdominance (i.e. selective advantage of heterozygotes) generates negative frequency dependent selection, favouring the rarer allele at this locus. Our results therefore provide evidence for adaptation to a marginal habitat through the selection of a neurocognitive trait with a genetic basis.

Learning from History: Volatility and Financial Crises

We study the effects of volatility on the probability of financial crises by constructing a cross-country database spanning 211 years. We find that volatility is not a significant predictor of crises whereas unexpected high and low volatilities are. Low volatility leads to banking crises and both high and low volatilities make stock market crises more likely, while volatility in any form has little impact on currency crises. The volatility-crisis relationship becomes stronger when financial markets are more prominent and less regulated. Finally, low-risk environments are conducive to greater buildup of risk-taking, providing empirical support for the Minsky hypothesis.

Development of an interprofessional student teaching simulation in team communication skills

Interprofessional education (IPE) has become increasingly the object of focus in undergraduate medical education. Evidence supports the promotion of teamwork and effective communication to improve patient safety and outcomes. Educators are challenged to find meaningful ways to teach these skills to students and there are several barriers that must be addressed to meet this challenge. Educators must work outside of well-established silos within the medical education community to bring learners from various disciplines together. In addition, they must create curriculum that engages all participants and is relevant to the modern learner. Simulation creates a safe, low stress environment in which participants may practice communication and teamwork without risk to themselves or, more importantly, patients. By practicing a high stress, high stakes scenario in the low risk environment of the simulator, learners from various disciplines are able practice these skills in a meaningful way. Cardiac arrest is an example of a common, high impact occurrence that is particularly amenable to interprofessional team based simulation training exercises. We describe the development of an interprofessional student course teaching communication and teamwork culminating in a team run cardiac arrest simulation exercise. This course was designed to use a blended learning model utilizing both pre-course online materials available to participants, a team training exercise utilizing high-fidelity simulation and team debrief with formative assessment. This blended model addressed the challenge of coordinating multiple learners from multiple colleges and schedules.