Life Assurance Profitability, Performance and Prospects

1979 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 158-207
Author(s):  
J. Plymen ◽  
D. L. Woodward
Keyword(s):  
Poor Quality ◽  
Investment Analysis ◽  
Investment Performance ◽  
Life Assurance ◽  
New Methods ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Considerable Success ◽  
New Business ◽  
Made In

SynopsisThe Authors apply their experience, as former life assurance managers, to develop new methods of investment analysis of life assurance shares.Monitoring the profitability, per unit of with profit premiums, shows how improving investment performance mitigates the adverse effect on bonuses and shareholders' earnings of the heavy new business needed to maintain the business in times of inflation. Studies of likely investment performance are made, in an attempt to forecast bonuses and dividends over the next 3 years. These methods are demonstrated practically, using the figures from the published accounts of five U.K. life offices from 1976 to 1978.If more time and space had been available, the Authors would have liked to apply these methods to the analysis of Accounts and D.O.T. Returns of all significant U.K. life offices, proprietary, mutual and composite, that publish annual valuations. Life office managers would then be able to compare their own profitability, investment performance and bonus prospects with those of their principal competitors. In addition insurance brokers would be enabled to assess likely future results for prospective policyholders from competing life offices in a more reliable and rigorous way than is done at present, using merely historical bonus records.The Authors have to admit that application of their techniques, although achieving considerable success with these varied objectives, is handicapped by the poor quality of life assurance Accounts and Returns. At present offices with a large group pensions component cannot be analysed, because the format of the D.O.T. Returns for this class of business is out of date and inadequate. They would like to see life office accounting methods improved, and they make some specific suggestions to this effect. In addition, detailed comments on the standard of presentation of the D.O.T. Returns are given in the Appendix, together with suggestions for improving these Returns.

Quality of data on intra-EU trade in goods

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 5-15
Author(s):  
Iwona Markowicz ◽  
Paweł Baran
Keyword(s):  
Poor Quality ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Made In

Official statistics on trade in goods between EU member states are collect-ed on country-level and then aggregated by Eurostat. Methodology of data collecting differs slightly between member states(e.g. various statistical thresholds and coverage), including differences in exchange rates as well as undeclared or late-declared transac-tions, errors in classification of goods and other mistakes. It often involves incomparability of mirror data (nominally concerning the same transactions recorded in statistics of both dispatcher and receiver countries). A huge part of these differences can be explained with the variable quality of data resources in the Eurostat database. In the study data quality on intra-EU trade in goods for 2017 was compared between Poland and neigh-bouring EU countries, i.e.:Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania,and other Baltic states–Latvia and Estonia. The additional aim was to indicate the directions hav-ing the greatestinfluence on the observed differences in mirror data. The results of the study indicate that the declarations made in Estonia affect the poor quality of data on trade in goods between the countries mentioned above to the greatest extent.

Collaborative Study of Speaker Identification by the Voiceprint Method

1975 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-456
Author(s):  
Lonnie L Smrkovski
Keyword(s):  
Speaker Identification ◽  
Collaborative Study ◽  
The United States ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Visual Methods ◽  
Positive Identification ◽  
Unknown Sample ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Made In

Abstract In the voiceprint method known and unknown voices are compared to determine if they are the same speaker. An unknown voice is recorded over the telephone onto a quality recorder. The known voice is similarly recorded, repeating the questioned message verbatim. An examiner determines, by means of acoustic spectrography and aural analysis, the similarities or differences existing between the known and unknown speakers. A positive conclusion is based on at least 10 pairs of like sounds. Five decisions are available for the examiner to make: positive identification, positive elimination, probable identification, probable elimination, and unable to make a decision with the sample submitted. Seven collaborators, chosen from various parts of the United States, were given recordings of 4 unknown speakers, 2 male and 2 female, to compare with similar recordings of 6 known speakers, 3 male and 3 female. A total of 21 positive identifications and 63 positive eliminations was possible. Twenty correct identifications and 47 correct positive eliminations were made. In 16 tasks, all involving the same unknown sample, collaborators reported they could not make a determination due to the poor quality of the sample. No false identifications were made; however, a trainee examiner, with less than 2 years experience, eliminated a known speaker when in fact a match did exist, thereby falsely eliminating the speaker. Examiners with more than 2 years of experience correctly identified all existing matches. This study indicates that a trained examiner can make very reliable decisions, using the aural and visual methods of comparing known and unknown voices. The voiceprint method has been adopted as official first action.

An experience of performing spirometry by trained general practitioners

2020 ◽  
pp. 34-36
Author(s):  
M. A. Pokhaznikova ◽  
E. A. Andreeva ◽  
O. Yu. Kuznetsova
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioners ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Male Gender ◽  
Study Research ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Quality Of Research ◽  
Forced Expiratory Maneuver ◽  
Maximal Effort

The article discusses the experience of teaching and conducting spirometry of general practitioners as part of the RESPECT study (RESearch on the PrEvalence and the diagnosis of COPD and its Tobacco-related aetiology). A total of 33 trained in spirometry general practitioners performed a study of 3119 patients. Quality criteria met 84.1% of spirometric studies. The analysis of the most common mistakes made by doctors during the forced expiratory maneuver is included. The most frequent errors were expiration exhalation of less than 6s (54%), non-maximal effort throughout the test and lack of reproducibility (11.3%). Independent predictors of poor spirogram quality were male gender, obstruction (FEV1 /FVC<0.7), and the center where the study was performed. The number of good-quality spirograms ranged from 96.1% (95% CI 83.2–110.4) to 59.8% (95% CI 49.6–71.4) depending on the center. Subsequently, an analysis of the reasons behind the poor quality of research in individual centers was conducted and the identified shortcomings were eliminated. The poor quality of the spirograms was associated either with the errors of the doctors who undertook the study or with the technical malfunctions of the spirometer.

Supply Chain Integration: Establish the Appropriate Challenges in Improving Integrated SC in an Innovative Approach of IBS

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ani Saifuza Abd Shukor ◽  
Muhammad Fadhil Muhammad ◽  
Shamsida Saidan Khaderi ◽  
Faridah Muhammad Halil
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
System Integration ◽  
Publishing House ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Project Environment ◽  
The Poor ◽  
International Publishing

The shift to an integrated IBS construction approach requires enhanced supply chain integration to improve the productivity as well as the poor quality of human behavioual aspect in IBS project. This paper is to identify the challenges at each tier between players to facilitate supply chain integration among the IBS players. Findings adopted from semi-structured interview revealed the critical attitude issues of human factors, lack of interaction and sharing knowledge between interdisciplinary people. The findings of this study is useful to improve integration of supply chain and enhance innovation and sharing interaction between players in the IBS Malaysian construction project environment.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Construction Environment; Industrialised Building System; Integration and Supply Chain 

Usability of India’s government statistics1

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Vikas Kumar
Keyword(s):  
National Sample ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Sample Surveys ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Jammu And Kashmir ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Government Statistics

The quality of metadata is a crucial determinant of usability/interpretability of data. This paper draws attention to the poor quality of India’s government statistics and the paucity of metadata necessary to understand the problems. The paper suggests that there has been a decline in India both in terms of the availability and quality of metadata for key government sources of information including maps, decennial population censuses and National Sample Surveys amidst growing sophistication in the understanding of metadata. The poor quality of metadata impairs cross-sectional as well as inter-temporal comparisons and policymaking apart from concealing biases and lapses of government statisticians. The paper draws on the experience of three states – erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland – where government statistics have been affected by serious errors that are not well-understood due to the lack of adequate metadata.

Numerical Analysis of Masonry under Compression via Micro-Model

2011 ◽  
Vol 243-249 ◽  
pp. 1360-1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Rong Lü ◽  
Meng Wang ◽  
Xi Jun Liu
Keyword(s):  
Joint Strength ◽  
Ultimate Load ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Micro Model ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Mortar Joint ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Finite Element Analysis ◽  
Brick And Mortar

The micro-model, which the brick and the mortar model are separated, is used to analyze masonry. Meanwhile, the mortar is divided into three layers along the thickness direction to obtain the internal mechanical behavior of mortar, and the vertical mortar joint strength is taken as 50% strength of the horizontal mortar joint for considering the poor quality of vertical mortar joint. The compressive ultimate load and failure mode of masonry taken from the finite element analysis result, especially the vertical cracks throughout all bricks and mortar and change of brick and mortar strain, are in agreement with the experimental results. It shows that the micro-model and method adopted in paper are able to effectively apply in nonlinear structural analysis for masonry.

A ‘Galilean’ science of language

2014 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 671-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTINA BEHME
Keyword(s):  
Language Evolution ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Child Psychology ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Basic Understanding ◽  
Sixth Decade

The Science of Language, published in the sixth decade of Noam Chomsky's linguistic career, defends views that are visibly out of touch with recent research in formal linguistics, developmental child psychology, computational modeling of language acquisition, and language evolution. I argue that the poor quality of this volume is representative of the serious shortcomings of Chomsky's recent scholarship, especially of his criticism of and contribution to debates about language evolution. Chomsky creates the impression that he is quoting titbits of a massive body of scientific work he has conducted or is intimately familiar with. Yet his speculations reveal a lack of even basic understanding of biology, and an unwillingness to engage seriously with the relevant literature. At the same time, he ridicules the work of virtually all other theorists, without spelling out the views he disagrees with. A critical analysis of the ‘Galilean method’ demonstrates that Chomsky uses appeal to authority to insulate his own proposals against falsification by empirical counter-evidence. This form of discourse bears no serious relation to the way science proceeds.

scholarly journals Quality Assessment of Some Essential Children’s Medicines Sold in Licensed Outlets in Ashanti Region, Ghana

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Frimpong ◽  
Kwabena Ofori-Kwakye ◽  
Noble Kuntworbe ◽  
Kwame Ohene Buabeng ◽  
Yaa Asantewaa Osei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Evaluation ◽  
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Ashanti Region ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Medicine Outlets ◽  
Children’S Medicines

The quality of 68 samples of 15 different essential children’s medicines sold in licensed medicine outlets in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, was evaluated. Thirty-two (47.1%) of the medicines were imported, mainly from India (65.6%) and the United Kingdom (28.1%), while 36 (52.9%) were locally manufactured. The quality of the medicines was assessed using content of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), pH, and microbial limit tests, and the results were compared with pharmacopoeial standards. Twenty-six (38.2%) of the samples studied passed the official content of API test while 42 (61.8%) failed. Forty-nine (72.1%) of the samples were compliant with official specifications for pH while 19 (27.9%) were noncompliant. Sixty-six (97.1%) samples passed the microbial load and content test while 2 (2.9%) failed. Eighteen (26.5%) samples passed all the three quality evaluation tests, while one (1.5%) sample (CFX1) failed all the tests. All the amoxicillin suspensions tested passed the three evaluation tests. All the ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, flucloxacillin, artemether-lumefantrine, multivitamin, and folic acid samples failed the content of API test and are substandard. The overall API failure rate for imported products (59.4%) was comparable to locally manufactured (63.9%) samples. The results highlight the poor quality of the children’s medicines studied and underscore the need for regular pharmacovigilance and surveillance systems to fight this menace.

scholarly journals The Madrasa in Indonesia (Authority, Knowledge and Discourse Surrounding its Development)

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 231
Author(s):  
Syamsul Kurniawan ◽  
Muhammad Miftah
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
West Kalimantan ◽  
National Education ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
The Poor ◽  
National Education System

<p class="06IsiAbstrak"> </p><p class="06IsiAbstrak">The focus of this paper is the madrasa in Indonesia and its development which is examined from the perspective of Michel Foucault regarding their authority, knowledge and discourse.<strong> </strong>The madrasa’s performance, which is still relatively low and unable to compete with public schools or pesantrens (Islamic Boarding Schools), will be examined from this perspective. This paper departs from the study of literature with a historical-sociological approach. The sources of the data come from the literature related to the history and development of madrasas. From Foucoult's perspective, the performance of the madrasa--which in its development shows a decline trend and is of relatively low quality and less competitive compared with general schools or pesantrens-- is closely related to power, knowledge and discourse factors. My argument is supported by the evidence that there is no an established “blueprint” for the supervision and development of madrasas in Indonesia, in contrast to schools or pesantrens. Likewise, the problem of interplay of madrasa policies in the integration of the national education system has put the madrasa in the midst of domination of schools and pesantrens, especially in the midst of society since the appreciation and level of community participation in the madrasa are not very encouraging. In addition, there is an opinion among the public which perceives the madrasa as the second educational institution after schools or pesantrens. This opinion is, of course, supported by empirical data, such as research from Nur Hamzah (2017) and Sukino (2017) which examined the madrasas in West Kalimantan Province, and revealed the poor quality of some madrasas in this area, which in my opinion is the "top of the iceberg" of the madrasa, especially in the outermost, interior and underdeveloped areas of Indonesia.</p>

THE FLUORESCENT ANTITOXIN TEST FOR THE IMMEDIATE DIAGNOSIS OF DIPHTHERIA

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1961 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-218
Author(s):  
Jo Anne Whitaker ◽  
John D. Nelson ◽  
Chester W. Fink
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Laboratory Test ◽  
Clinical Judgment ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Fluorescent Staining ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Diphtheria Antitoxin ◽  
Early Case ◽  
The One

The recent increase in the incidence of diphtheria in our area stimulated the search for a reliable laboratory test for the immediate differential diagnosis of diphtheritic and non-diphtheritic membranous tonsillitis. Fluorescein-conjugated diphtheria antitoxin proved to be highly specific for staining toxigenic C. diphtheriae. Eight of nine patients with proved diphtheria had fluorescent organisms on a smear of exudate. The failure in the one case is attributed to the poor quality of the specimen obtained. An early case of diphtheria was detected by examination of family contacts of one of the patients in this series. The conjugated antitoxin does not result in fluorescent staining of nontoxigenic diphtheria bacilli on of other bacteria commonly found in the nasopharyngeal tract. Fluorescent staining of cultures suggests that only a small proportion of the potentially toxigenic diphtheria organisms are actually producing toxin at a given moment. The fluorescent antitoxin test can be performed within 1 hour. A positive result of the test is an absolute indication for antitoxin therapy. With a negative result the physician must still rely on his clinical judgment and cultural and virulence tests.

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