Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease and Critical Illness Insurance

Abstract

Adult polycystic kidney disease (APKD) is a single-gene autosomal dominant genetic disorder leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD, meaning kidney failure). It is associated with mutations in at least two genes, APKD1 and APKD2, but diagnosis is mostly by ultrasonography. We propose a model for critical illness (CI) insurance and estimate rates of onset of ESRD from APKD using two studies. Other events leading to claims under CI policies are included in the model, which we use to study (a) extra premiums under CI policies if the presence of an APKD mutation is known, and (b) the possible costs arising from adverse selection if this information is unavailable to insurers. The extra premiums are typically very high, but because APKD is rare, the possible cost of adverse selection is low. However, APKD is just one of a significant number of single-gene disorders, and this benign conclusion cannot be assumed to apply to all genetic disorders taken together. Moreover, ignoring known genetic risks in underwriting sets a precedent that could have unintended consequences for the underwriting of nongenetic risks of similar magnitude.     

Enriching Urban Policy Mobilities Research

Attending to the recent and growing debates on urban policy mobilities, this commentary offers a view towards an intellectual and methodological reflexiveness for urban policy mobilities researchers. We consider connections between the various approaches and considerations that researchers have argued for in regards to doing policy mobilities research. In doing so, we argue that new pathways for research can be usefully carved out through attention to embodiment, or a peopling of the geographies of policy mobilities.     

Block trades and the benefits of control in Slovenia1

Ownership and control have been concentrating in most transition countries. The consolidation of control introduces changes in the power distribution within privatized firms and, most importantly, redirects the corporate governance problem to a conflict between large and small shareholders. In this study, we evaluate the ownership changes in Slovenian privatized firms through an analysis of stock price reactions to the entrance of a new blockholder (the shared benefits of control) and through an estimation of the premiums paid for large blocks (the private benefits of control). We provide evidence of and discuss the reasons for the failures of the privatization investment funds in implementing control over firm managers and in promoting the restructuring of firms in the first post‐privatization years.     

AN EXPERIMENT ON CORRUPTION AND GENDER

A number of papers with field data have found differences in the corrupt activities of males and females; nonetheless they have drawbacks that may be overcome in a laboratory experiment. The aim of this paper is to see experimentally whether women and men, facing the same situation behave in a different way, as suggested in the field‐data studies or, on the contrary, whether they behave in the same way. The results found in the experiment show that women are indeed less corrupt than men.     

A look for low season tourist profile: Antalya Region of Turkey example

This paper investigates the profile of low season tourists who visit Antalya Region of Turkey. The research findings belong to their opinions regarding destination and quality of services. At the same time additional information on demographic aspects of sampled tourists can be followed from the research. In order to satisfy tourists, providing information about their likes and dislikes is always important. Primary goal of this paper is to be a potential part of future marketing strategy for Antalya Region. Ana Cristina N. Silva was an “Erasmus Student”.     

Travellers’ profiles definition using statistical multivariate analysis of attitudinal variables

This paper aims at presenting a set of travellers’ typologies using attributes characterizing people’s attitude, through an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and a subsequent cluster analysis (CA), based on the obtained latent constructs. The final goal is to contribute to deepen the knowledge on market segmentation in order to define more people-oriented transport policies, focusing on a medium size Italian city, Alessandria. Six factors have been defined on which the k-means cluster analysis has been applied finding four travellers’ profiles.Results confirm certain hypothesis from behavioural psychological theories. Attitude–behaviour relationships loosen when habits, consolidated in time, do intervene; moreover in small-medium urban context, as opposed to large and dense cities, insufficient transport supply does not favour the use of alternative modes to the motor vehicle, if not to the cost of a great loss in efficiency. In fact, the study shows how significant constraints such as necessity, time saving, and low transport supply (mainly designed around students going to school) are in determining a behavioural change, so that the “right general attitudes” are not sufficient to obtain a real modal shift. This leads to expect opportunistic behaviours, even within a overall positive attitude towards the environment. Actually, that overall positive attitude is not enough to prompt consistent behaviour unless a marked self-control and strong motivation are present. These two features seem to be missing in the interviewed sample of population, unlike what emerges from other studies undertaken in Northern Europe. The geographic location most likely plays a significant role in such a difference. Indeed, cultural background and the prevailing habits of the population may well explain the “slackening” of the bond between moral norms and behaviour, and the subsequent search for surrogates (e.g. the high willingness to pay for environmental protection) to justify the unwillingness to forgo the private vehicle on behalf of more sustainable modes.Finally, our study seems to prove that education could play a key role in transport policy formulation but, moreover, in social policy, as individuals more akin to modal shift are those showing higher levels of instruction.     

Firm heterogeneity in productivity across Europe: evidence from multilevel models

This paper analyses the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) heterogeneity of a sample of manufacturing firms operating in seven EU countries (Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and the UK). TFP data refer to 2008. The empirical setting is based on the multilevel modeling which provides two main results. Firstly, we show that TFP heterogeneity is largely due to firm-specific features (85% of TFP variability in the empty model). Interestingly, we find that some key-drivers of firm performance (size, family management, group membership, innovations and human capital) are significantly related to TFP, but do not, on the whole, absorb much of firm TFP variance, implying that differences in productivity are due to notable yet unobservable firm characteristics. Secondly, as far the role of localization is concerned, we demonstrate that the country effect is more influential than region effect in explaining individual productivity. Net of the country effect, the localization in different European regions explains about 5% of TFP firm heterogeneity. When considering the case of three individual countries, France, Italy and Spain, location in different regions explains 5.3% of TFP heterogeneity in Italy, while this proportion is lower (3.6%) in France and higher (9.9%) in Spain.     

Controversies over fair value accounting： The case of SMEs

This study analyses IASB＇s stipulations on fair value usage in its standard designed for SMEs and the reactions of national standard setters, preparers and users of financial reporting in this respect. It tries to clarify fair value applications such as market value and value in use and the appropriateness of their usage for the case on hand. This research determines the inconsistencies within IASB ED IFRSfor SMEs （2007） related to the usage of fair value, underlined by the respondents＇ comment letters. The content analysis of all the above, conducted according to the type of economy and nature of respondent, along with the statistical techniques applied, indicates a partial approval of fair value usage under the following conditions： clarification of the concept, details on its usage in relation to market liquidity and the nature of the asset, additional guidance regarding the measurement methods. We advocate for the value in use, an application of the fair value based on internal valuations, which offers an adequate cost-benefit rate. The final version ofIFRSfor SMEs highlights both the preference of market information over the internal valuations and the insufficient information regarding solutions suited for non-liquid markets. It may be appropriate for the IASB, maybe in collaboration with the IVSC, to provide guidance and details regarding the implementation and disclosure of the valuation techniques applicable to this type of entities.     

The Role of Education vis-a-vis Job Experience in Explaining the Transitions to Employment in the Spanish Youth Labour Market

It is well known that young cohorts experience higher unemployment rates than their adult counterparts. However, it is less well known that more educated young cohorts may face higher unemployment rates than less educated ones. This seems to be the evidence in some OECD countries such as Spain and Italy. We use data on the Spanish labour market and estimate a duration model for young unemployed people. University graduates’ lack of job experience may explain this puzzling observation.