Private Clients Research Articles

Differentially Private Client Selection and Resource Allocation in Federated Learning for Medical Applications Using Graph Neural Networks.

Federated learning (FL) has emerged as a pivotal paradigm for training machine learning models across decentralized devices while maintaining data privacy. In the healthcare domain, FL enables collaborative training among diverse medical devices and institutions, enhancing model robustness and generalizability without compromising patient privacy. In this paper, we propose DPS-GAT, a novel approach integrating graph attention networks (GATs) with differentially private client selection and resource allocation strategies in FL. Our methodology addresses the challenges of data heterogeneity and limited communication resources inherent in medical applications. By employing graph neural networks (GNNs), we effectively capture the relational structures among clients, optimizing the selection process and ensuring efficient resource distribution. Differential privacy mechanisms are incorporated, to safeguard sensitive information throughout the training process. Our extensive experiments, based on the Regensburg pediatric appendicitis open dataset, demonstrated the superiority of our approach, in terms of model accuracy, privacy preservation, and resource efficiency, compared to traditional FL methods. The ability of DPS-GAT to maintain a high and stable number of client selections across various rounds and differential privacy budgets has significant practical implications, indicating that FL systems can achieve strong privacy guarantees without compromising client engagement and model performance. This balance is essential for real-world applications where both privacy and performance are paramount. This study suggests a promising direction for more secure and efficient FL medical applications, which could improve patient care through enhanced predictive models and collaborative data utilization.

Federated learning implementation based on DDS data distribution service

Federated learning allows multiple local private clients to collaborate on training the same model without sharing each client's private data. It can achieve collaborative training between users while protecting data privacy and security. Therefore, it is advocated for use in the fields of Internet of Things, Internet of Vehicles, etc. There are security issues in the transmission process of federated learning models. How to ensure data privacy during local data collection, local model parameter transmission, model aggregation and performance testing while maximizing the use of private data is a question that people have been exploring. This paper proposes a DDS-based FL framework (FL-DDS) to achieve secure transmission of model parameters. The client and server are used as nodes in the DDS security domain, and the DDS data distribution mechanism is used to transmit model parameters. Through the DDS topic-based publish-subscribe mechanism, the global model and local model are transmitted through the DDS topic. At the same time, the DDS authentication component, access control component and encryption component are used to achieve domain-level security and intra-domain security of model transmission. Experiments show that (FL-DDS) can protect the privacy of model parameters without affecting communication performance.

How employment-focused social procurement tackles health inequities: an investigation of Australia’s construction industry using determinants of health theory

With public and private clients in the construction industry increasingly using social procurement to achieve their social responsibility goals, it is important to develop theory-informed approaches for understanding how and to what extent social procurement creates social value. The research presented in this article uses social determinants of health (SDOH) theory to develop a case study of an employment-focused social procurement initiative in Australia’s construction industry. The case study shows how the employment-focused social procurement initiative used cross-sector intermediation to alleviate structural barriers to employment, including siloing in the employment services sector, unsupported pathways from training into employment in construction, and negative stereotypes of people who face structural barriers to employment. Using SDOH theory, the paper frames these barriers to employment as ‘upstream’ and ‘midstream’ structural determinants of health inequities. The research finds that the initiative’s impacts on determinants of health inequities are enabled and limited by commercial factors including project location and duration, status of the principal contractor, and insider knowledge of timing and requirements of new jobs.

Audit Staff Satisfaction and Audit Quality: Evidence from the Private Client Market Segment

This study investigates the relationship between audit staff satisfaction (measured by crowd-sourced employer reviews) and audit quality in the private client setting. In this setting, extrinsic incentives to provide high quality audits – such as regulatory enforcement, reputational pressure, and litigation costs – are less pronounced than for listed client audits. We find audit staff satisfaction, an important intrinsic motivational factor, is positively and significantly associated with audit quality in the private client setting. Consistent with prior research, we find no significant association between staff satisfaction and audit quality for listed clients. The significant association in the private client setting primarily applies to non-Big 4 firms, for which extrinsic factors play a less influential role than for Big 4 firms. Moreover, we show staff satisfaction moderates possible negative effects of conditions, such as the provision of non-audit services and longer audit tenure, which may pressure auditors to compromise audit quality. Overall, these findings provide new insights about the influence of audit input factors on audit quality.

“…far et intagliar, e scolpir il nuovo Tabernacolo”: Alvise Tagliapietra i mramorni tabernakul za nekadašnju katedralu u Osoru

This paper presents an unknown document about the construction of the marble tabernacle in the Corpus Christi chapel in the former Osor Cathedral, which has been attributed to the Venetian sculptor Alvise Tagliapietra (Venice, 1670–1747) through stylistic analysis. An archival source reveals an agreement concluded in Venice on September 20, 1708, between the representatives of the confraternity of Corpus Christi from Osor and Tagliapietra, whose workshop was located in the parish of San Moisè. The sculptor agreed that he would complete the works within five months. He was also to procure a small, gilded metal door and a statuette of the Risen Christ made of gilded copper. The price of the tabernacle was three hundred ducats, to be paid to Alvise in three instalments. He was to receive the first part upon signing the contract, the second during the work on the tabernacle, and the last upon delivering the tabernacle and installing it in the cathedral. Another contract published here was signed between the confraternity and the Venetian altar maker Zuanne Trognon in Cres on July 20, 1710. The master was to carve a new marble altar for the chapel to place Tagliapietra’s tabernacle on it. Trognon agreed to construct the altar for a total sum of 230 ducats, to be paid in three instalments, the last upon delivering the altar to Osor. Zuanne undertook to complete the entire work by June 1711. Finally, the altar arrived from Venice by boat on June 12, 1711, requiring additional funds from the brethren for its transportation, assembly, and placement in the confraternity chapel. Tagliapietra, like other Venetian sculptors, also received commissions from private clients. These concerned artworks for the sumptuous interiors and exteriors of numerous palaces owned by the Venetian elite. On this occasion, a marble bust of Venus from the Giusti Palace in Verona has been included in his oeuvre. Another hitherto unattributed work by Tagliapietra can be found in the Oratory of St Jacob located within the former Villa D’Arco in Corno Alto near Verona. It is a sculpture of the Immaculate Conception, similar to Tagliapietra’s allegorical depiction of Faith on the Osor tabernacle. The Venetian sculptor and his collaborators often replicated workshop sculptures due to frequent commissions of the same saintly statues for various churches in smaller towns of Friuli and Veneto. This is indicated, among other things, by Alvise’s hitherto unattributed monumental statues of St Nicholas the Bishop and St George from the parish church of the same name in Colloredo di Prato near Udine. In Alvise’s cycle from Rovinj, on which the master was assisted by his sons, the two large marble angels next to the retable of the altar of St Euphemia stand out in quality. The closest stylistic and chronologic analogy are the monumental angels on the main altar of the parish church in Conselve, carved in 1737. Tagliapietra used the same models for the previously unattributed angels on the main altar of the parish church in Pincara near Rovigo. At the end of his career, he also created a marble sculpture of Our Lady of the Rosary for commissioners from Rovinj. On that occasion, he replicated the monumental statue of the same name that he had carved in 1734 for the Venetian church of Santi Biagio e Cataldo, today located in the parish church of Solesino. It should be noted that Alvise Tagliapietra delivered the same sculpture around the 1740s for the oratory of a villa owned by the Venetian Condulmer family in Zerman near Treviso.

Effects of Individual Client’s Competencies on Construction Project Performance: Mediating Participation Attitude and Partnership

Within a construction project, the clients are categorized as private individuals, private companies, public institutions, etc. In this research, the private client is identified as a non-professional individual building owner and is involved in making decisions and solving problems for successful construction project performance. However, irrational decision-making and conflicts frequently occur with project delay and poor performance because the individual clients are normally non-professionals and lack the capacity to lead various stakeholders on the project. This study analyzes the effects of the project managerial competencies of the private individual clients on the construction performance. The client’s competencies were defined as ‘personal’, ‘social’, and ‘professional’ factors, and participation attitude and partnership were used as the mediating factors. The offline survey was conducted with 241 building owners in South Korea. The result indicates that personal and professional competencies had a positive effect on project performance, whereas social competency did not have an effect. Personal competency had the greatest effect on participation attitude and partnership. Social and professional competencies had a positive effect on partnership, not participation attitude. Hence, this shows that the personal competencies of the building owner as the end user of the project related to cognition, planning, and decision-making are important for project success.

Empowering Prosumers in The Energy Sector: Integrating Ai And Blockchain For Enhanced Photovoltaic and Battery Systems

In a world where energy is as precious as the finest diamonds, and the quest for sustainable living is akin to a high-stakes spy game, a new era of energy prosumers emerges from the shadows. This tale unfolds in the quiet corners of ordinary neighborhoods, where unsuspecting homeowners hold the key to a revolution in the energy sector. Our protagonists are private clients, each equipped differently in this energy escapade: some with no photovoltaics (PV) or stationary batteries, others with either PV or batteries, and a few with both, harnessing the sun’s power and the might of modern storage. Like a mastermind plotting in a secret lair, Artificial Intelligence (AI) enters the scene. It’s the unseen hero, working tirelessly to analyze, predict, and optimize. AI, with its intricate web of algorithms, becomes the brain behind the operation, determining the most efficient use of energy, managing storage, and turning every joule of electricity into a strategic asset. But what’s a thriller without a twist? Enter blockchain, the enigmatic and unbreakable technology, ensuring every energy transaction is secure, transparent, and immutable. In this world, blockchain isn’t just a ledger; it’s the trusty sidekick, the keeper of secrets, ensuring that every peer-to-peer energy exchange is a discreet affair, away from prying eyes. Our narrative takes a deeper dive in the ’Implementation’ chapter, a dossier of technical know-how and cunning strategies. Here, the AI and blockchain technologies are not just concepts but active agents in a grander scheme, integrated with PV systems and batteries. They’re not just tools; they’re characters in this play, each with a role, each with a purpose. As the plot thickens, we see the dance of electrons, the exchange of watts and volts, in a marketplace that’s as dynamic as the stock exchange. Homeowners, once mere spectators, are now key players in this game of energy and power. This paper isn’t just a collection of data and theories. It’s a narrative of change, a story of a future where every home is a powerhouse, every homeowner a prosumer. It’s a tale of technology and humanity converging to rewrite the script of energy consumption and production. So, dear reader, brace yourself for a journey into the heart of the energy sector, where AI and blockchain are not just the heroes but the harbingers of a new era. Welcome to the thrilling world of sustainable energy, where every decision, every watt, every battery, tells a story

Spain: Private client tax landscape

Abstract This article provides an analysis of Spain’s current private client tax landscape, explored during the 2023 Vienna Conference by The International Academy of Estate and Trust Law. It offers insights into personal income, wealth, inheritance and gift taxation, as well as aspects of Spanish residence and citizenship. With a strong focus on family and estate planning, it sheds light on the tax opportunities presented by relocating to Spain.

FL-FD: Federated learning-based fall detection with multimodal data fusion

Multimodal data fusion is a critical element of fall detection systems, as it provides more comprehensive information than single-modal data. Yet, data heterogeneity between sources has posed a challenge for the effective fusion of such data. This paper proposes a novel multimodal data fusion method under a federated learning (FL) framework that addresses the privacy concerns of users while exploiting the complementarity of such data. Specifically, we fuse time-series data from wearable sensors and visual data from cameras at the input level, where the data is first transformed into images using the Gramian Angular Field (GAF) method. Moreover, each user is treated as a private client in the FL system whereby the fall detection model is trained without requiring the sharing of user data. The proposed method is evaluated using the UP-Fall dataset, where we perform different fall detection tasks: binary classification for fall and non-fall detection yields a remarkable accuracy of 99.927%, while multi-classification for different fall activity recognition attains an accurate result of 89.769%.

An Analysis of the Benefits of Adopting Modular Construction: A Nigerian Construction Industry Context

On site and off site are the main construction methods used in the construction industry with the former being majorly adopted. Off-site construction offers significant opportunity to improve project performance. However, there is little awareness of its benefits in the Nigerian construction industry. This study aims to assess the benefits of adopting modular integrated construction in Nigeria to improve the level of understanding, usage for stakeholders and enhance productivity. Purposive and snowballing technique were used to select the prefab construction experts. Professionals that were involved in the study are engineers, architects and quantity surveyors in the study area. The most rated benefits are enhanced teamwork and collaboration, improved productivity, simplicity and ease in the construction, enhances sustainable building and improved quality of work. Five variables have significant difference between the respondents while the others do not. The study concludes that modular construction is at its nascent stage and could be developed and be more implemented if the government takes the lead. It is therefore recommended that stakeholders must be ready and willing to use modern method for better collaboration and teamwork. Also, more awareness and training programmes should be conducted to the stakeholders who could implement its usage in the Nigerian construction industry. The government should also provide financial support to encourage private clients and other people who are keen to execute the construction projects with prefabs.

P26 - My Mater Midwife: A Collaborative Private MGP Model

With the aim of increasing access to high quality continuity midwifery, Mater South Brisbane recently launched an innovative new model of collaborative private care called My Mater Midwife. Within this model, private clients of participating obstetricians have their care shared collaboratively between their chosen obstetrician and an endorsed midwife employed by the hospital. The primary midwife is on call for hospital presentations and eventually the birth, supported by a small midwifery team. Clients have their known midwife and known doctor present for their birth, enjoy the comfort of a private postnatal stay in hospital and receive the ongoing support of their primary midwife delivering homecare after discharge. The model will be explained in more detail including how we meet the needs and expectations of the various stakeholders and the challenges we have faced in establishing the model. This presentation has been developed in collaboration with one of the participating obstetricians, Di Poad whose contribution will be pre-recorded. Continuity midwifery models of care have been well established by research to improve client outcomes over a wide range of measurable factors. As a private hospital, Mater wanted to be able to offer this “gold standard” of care to private clients who were accessing their maternity care through private obstetricians. The model is aimed at people seeking the comfort of private maternity care along with the benefits of continuity midwifery. While challenging at times to establish mutually attractive terms of involvement for all stakeholders, the current model honours the professional contribution of both obstetricians and midwives while centring the birthing person and adapting care around their needs. Feedback from clients birthing in the model has been overwhelmingly positive.

Evaluation of Service Quality Gaps in Construction Professional Service Firms in Nigeria

The study aims at evaluating and comparing service quality of consultancy firms who provide professional services in building projects in Nigeria. The article seeks to address the general perceptions of dissatisfaction with the quality of services in order to enhance performance of building projects and ensure competitiveness in the industry. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire as an instrument of data collection. The population of the study consisted of 488 representatives of public and private clients with a sample size of 385. Data were analysed using weighted mean and paired-sample t-test to determine the severity of differences in the expected service quality and perceived service quality. The result shows significant differences between the expected service quality and perceived service quality in structural engineering, mechanical/electrical engineering and quantity surveying services along all the dimensions of service quality. However, "Tangibles" dimension of architectural services had no positive differences in the service quality, but had differences in "Responsiveness", "Empathy", "Reliability" and "Assurance" dimensions. The results imply that professional service providers require fundamental improvement in their services to their clients. This study offers an opportunity for consultancy firms to evolve global best practices by creating and maintaining high service quality as a team.

Клиентоориентированный подход в оценке качества транспортного обслуживания частных клиентов

The article examines the problem of the quality of service for private clients in the transportation of groupage cargo. The research is conducted from the perspective of a private client-oriented approach. The author proposes an assessment technique. It is based on a system of quality criteria. They are formed taking into account the specifics of the work of the transport company with individual consignors. The technique has been tested on the example of the Russian Railways-Express service of the Russian Railways JSC. Based on the results of the study, the strengths and weaknesses of transport services to customers are identified, recommendations are formulated to improve its quality.

The modern use of data in a property risk context

The increased use of aggregated data in property risk processing builds on the rapidly evolving economic benefits of automated ‘big property’ solutions in land and property assessment. This trend shadows the evolution of personal credit files as open banking trends making aggregation of people with property far easier in the 1/10thsecond ranges that drive many of today’s ‘decision in principle’ consumer solutions. The organisation of property with known geolocational parameters, unique property identifiers and associated property data attributes has been an accelerating phenomenon over the last decade. Chartered surveyors have not, however, benefitted substantially from these innovations and emerging trends in data organisation and aggregation. Legacy processes in the corporate environment and ‘cost of change’ in the private client sector have combined to stifle real progress in integrating modern data systems, machine learning (ML) and data capture and retention. Existing and new technologies, data availability, data aggregation, data storage and geospatial referencing should significantly improve reporting and recommendations relating to property condition and risk profiling; however, the nature of legacy systems, the differing requirements of large corporate clients versus private clients and the discontinuities in data are all hampering modernisation of approach. This paper looks at the evolution and convergence of big property data and provides a roadmap for the surveying profession and the sectors instructing clients to benefit from modern data processing and innovation in property risk.

Accounting Firm Association Membership and Small Audit Firm Growth

SUMMARYIn this study, we explore a topic of primary concern to small audit firms—attracting public audit clients. A potential avenue available to small audit firms to enhance their visibility and legitimacy among potential public audit clients is to join an association of accounting firms (ACAP 2008; GAO 2008). We examine whether small audit firms with accounting association membership have greater public clientele growth than their peer audit firms without association membership. We find that member firms experience public clientele growth as measured by number of clients and revenues audited. We find that this growth is impacted by both gaining new entrants to the audit market and winning over clients from competitors. Further, we find that the reputation of associations positively affects the clientele growth seen by member firms. In additional analyses, we also find some evidence of private client growth of association members using LexisNexis® Company Dossier data.

To the question of improving the activities of the investment adviser and the independent financial adviser

The article is devoted to the study of the activities of investment advisors and independent financial advisors. An explanation is given why it is necessary to operate exclusively with the concepts of "investment adviser" and "independent financial adviser". The article deals with two main problems. The first problem is related to the variety of concepts used in the theory and practice of a professional activity in the field of financial (investment) consulting, and the rationale for the need for their unification. As part of the disclosure of the problem, synonymous names of activities in the field of financial consulting on investing funds of private clients - individuals are considered. The second problem is related to the regulation of the activities of investment advisors and independent financial advisors. The legitimacy of an independent financial adviser's activities is being investigated. Proposals have been developed to improve the mechanisms for regulating the activities of investment advisors and independent financial advisors. A growing interest in the activities of independent specialists in the financial market has been revealed. It manifests itself both on the part of consumers - private investors (individuals), and on the part of performers in the form of an increasing number of independent financial advisors and those who aspire to engage in such activities in the future.

Attributes and impact of advance payment system on cash flow, project and organisational performance

PurposeConstruction companies require meticulous and thorough financial planning to ensure business survival in an increasingly competitive global market. Past studies assert that cash flow management is also crucial to meeting project and organisational performance expectations. However, the link between an advance payment system (APS), cash flow and project performance has hitherto received scant academic attention. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the attributes and impact of APS on cash flow, project and organisational performance. This study surveyed all registered contractors listed in Grades 1–9 on the Construction Industry Development Board Register of Contractors in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted an empirical epistemological design and deductive reasoning to analyse primary data collated via a questionnaire data collection instrument. Summary statistical and regression analysis were used to explore data garnered.FindingsThis study found that key significant attributes of APS in South Africa were payment of balance to the contractor upon project delivery; advance payment to contractors before the commencement of the work; and payment to contractors as agreed. This study proffers that project performance in terms of cost, time and quality performance is highly and positively supported by APS. Moreover, APS positively supports the efficiency, competitiveness and profitability of construction organisations. Cumulatively, these findings confirm that APS attributes in South Africa conforms to the global attributes of APS. The research concludes that client use of APS on projects improves the likelihood of attaining improved quality and time performance. This paper concludes with a recommendation that both public and private clients consider the option of an APS as the ideal payment system to support project and organisational performance.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work constitutes the first attempt to explore the linkages between an APS, cash flow and project performance in South Africa and seeks to engender wider polemic debate and further discussion among industry stakeholders.

David versus Goliath: The Relation between Auditor Size and Audit Quality for U.K. Private Firms

We examine the relation between auditor size and audit quality for a sample of U.K. private firms. Private firms prioritize tax considerations over reducing information asymmetry in their financial reporting. We find that Big 4’s private clients exhibit higher levels of discretionary accruals and lower precision of accrual estimates than non-Big 4’s private clients. Although Big 4 auditors are less tolerant of income-increasing earnings management, they leave more room for downward earnings management and their private clients are able to engage in greater tax avoidance. These results are stronger for standalone firms than for business groups as the latter’s greater demand for stakeholder communication motivates Big 4 auditors to increase audit quality. Collectively, our evidence suggests that Big 4 auditors adjust audit quality in a more competitive segment of the audit market where client firms generally perceive the benefit from tax minimization to outweigh the cost of reduced earnings informativeness.

The conflict of interest in tax scholarship

Problems linked to tax injustices have gained worldwide attention recently, as the aggressive tax planning practices of multinational companies have increasingly been exposed. Legislative reforms and enhanced corporate social responsibility practices have been introduced to deter tax avoidance, yet with little enduring success. However, little attention has been paid to the role of tax scholarship or to the statutory interpretation in the problems of tax avoidance. This paper contradicts the commonplace view that tax law scholarship serves the public interest. The paper approaches tax scholarship as a social practice, and argues that conflicting interests emerge when tax scholars conduct doctrinal study of law. As many tax scholars work for the tax advisory industry alongside their scholarly jobs, they have an incentive to propose legal arguments in their scholarly work that advance their private clients’ interests. Since judges use scholarship as an interpretive aid when defining the content of tax law, tax scholarship might bias the development of legal doctrine. It is argued that scholarship may therefore change the distributive effects of tax systems, in favor of the tax advisory firms’ clients. As a result, the democratic legitimacy of tax systems may be undermined. This article illustrates the problematic aspects of tax scholars’ double roles using empirical examples from Finnish legal culture and Finnish law reviews and codes of conduct in universities. This paper develops an argument that if such problems are prevalent in a country with little corruption and strong democratic institutions, they may be widespread in jurisdictions beyond Finland.

Гендерные различия предпринимателей, специализирующихся на торговле и информационных технологиях

The article is devoted to the assessment of the creation of new businesses in trade and information and communication sphere. Gender differences in entrepreneurial activity by country are considered. The study examined the specifics of the activities of entrepreneurs engaged in services in such sectors as trade and information and communication services for institutions and organizations, as well as private clients. At the same time, the principles and concepts of the existing development of the sectoral structure of entrepreneurship were taken into account. The implementation of the study consisted of five stages. The information base included the results of questionnaire surveys of respondents-entrepreneurs in 59 states when monitoring the activities of entrepreneurs in 2018. In the course of economic and mathematical modeling, six models were developed that reflect the distribution of the following indicators across the subjects of Russia: the proportion of women and men who have created businesses in trade, in the total number of women and men who have started entrepreneurial activity; the share of women and men who have created businesses in the information and communication sphere in the total number of women and men who have started entrepreneurial activities. In addition, the ratios of specific weights describing the provision of services by women entrepreneurs and men entrepreneurs in the trade sector and the information and communication sphere are calculated. For each of the 59 countries, it was determined whether there is an excess of the values of indicators that characterize the corresponding specific weights of male entrepreneurs and female entrepreneurs. For most countries, these values differed significantly, which indicates gender gaps. In addition, the States with the maximum and minimum values of the indices under consideration were identified. The analysis was carried out, which made it possible to compare the obtained average values with the data reflecting the indicators of Russian entrepreneurs. The share of female entrepreneurs in trade is higher than the share of male entrepreneurs. The share of male entrepreneurs in the field of information and communication services is twice as high as the share of female entrepreneurs. The results of the work can be applied in the development of forecasts for the development of trade and information and communication services in the future.