The attractive female body weight and female body dissatisfaction in 26 countries across 10 world regions: results of the International Body Project I

This study reports results from the first International Body Project (IBP-I), which surveyed 7,434 individuals in 10 major world regions about body weight ideals and body dissatisfaction. Participants completed the female Contour Drawing Figure Rating Scale (CDFRS) and self-reported their exposure to Western and local media. Results indicated there were significant cross-regional differences in the ideal female figure and body dissatisfaction, but effect sizes were small across high-socioeconomic-status (SES) sites. Within cultures, heavier bodies were preferred in low-SES sites compared to high-SES sites in Malaysia and South Africa (ds = 1.94-2.49) but not in Austria. Participant age, body mass index (BMI), and Western media exposure predicted body weight ideals. BMI and Western media exposure predicted body dissatisfaction among women. Our results show that body dissatisfaction and desire for thinness is commonplace in high-SES settings across world regions, highlighting the need for international attention to this problem.

Winston Churchill as Chancellor of the Exchequer (1924-9) and the Return to the Gold Standard

This revisits Churchill's decision, as Chancellor of the Exchequer 1924-29, to restore the Gold Standard in 1925. This is considered within the wider context of the overall aims of Churchill's policies, including his efforts to: tackle Anglo-American economic and financial relations in the aftermath of the Great War; address budgetary pressures; widen the tax base through innovations such as the Betting Duty; spread the social burden of taxes; and revive the economy, not least through his de-rating scheme.

Técnicas de rating em contexto de crise no setor bancário português

Dissertação para a obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Contabilidade e Finanças Orientador: Mestre Adalmiro Álvaro Malheiro de Castro Andrade Pereira

Modelo de avaliação de risco de crédito - rating - uma abordagem

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Auditoria, sob a orientação de Mestre Adalmiro Álvaro Malheiro de Castro Andrade Pereira

O papel das agências de rating e a dívida pública portuguesa

Durante as últimas décadas observou-se o crescimento da importância das avaliações fornecidas pelas agências de rating, sendo este um fator decisivo na tomada de decisão dos investidores. Também os emitentes de dívida são largamente afetados pelas alterações das classificações atribuídas por estas agências. Esta investigação pretende, por um lado, compreender se estas agências têm poder para conseguirem influenciar a evolução da dívida pública e qual o seu papel no mercado financeiro. Por outro, pretende compreender quais os fatores determinantes da dívida pública portuguesa, bem como a realização de uma análise por percentis com o objetivo de lhe atribuir um rating. Para a análise dos fatores que poderão influenciar a dívida pública, a metodologia utilizada é uma regressão linear múltipla estimada através do Método dos Mínimos Quadrados (Ordinary Least Squares – OLS), em que num cenário inicial era composta por onze variáveis independentes, sendo a dívida pública a variável dependente, para um período compreendido entre 1996 e 2013. Foram realizados vários testes ao modelo inicial, com o objetivo de encontrar um modelo que fosse o mais explicativo possível. Conseguimos ainda identificar uma relação inversa entre o rating atribuído por estas agências e a evolução da dívida pública, no sentido em que para períodos em que o rating desce, o crescimento da dívida é mais acentuado. Não nos foi, no entanto, possível atribuir um rating à dívida pública através de uma análise de percentis.

Immediate effects of hip mobilization with movement in patients with hip osteoarthritis: A randomised controlled trial

Background Mobilization with movement (MWM) has been shown to reduce pain, increase range of motion (ROM) and physical function in a range of different musculoskeletal disorders. Despite this evidence, there is a lack of studies evaluating the effects of MWM for hip osteoarthritis (OA). Objectives To determine the immediate effects of MWM on pain, ROM and functional performance in patients with hip OA. Design Randomized controlled trial with immediate follow-up. Method Forty consenting patients (mean age 78 ± 6 years; 54% female) satisfied the eligibility criteria. All participants completed the study. Two forms of MWM techniques (n = 20) or a simulated MWM (sham) (n = 20) were applied. Primary outcomes: pain recorded by numerical rating scale (NRS). Secondary outcomes: hip flexion and internal rotation ROM, and physical performance (timed up and go, sit to stand, and 40 m self placed walk test) were assessed before and after the intervention. Results For the MWM group, pain decreased by 2 points on the NRS, hip flexion increased by 12.2°, internal rotation by 4.4°, and functional tests were also improved with clinically relevant effects following the MWM. There were no significant changes in the sham group for any outcome variable. Conclusions Pain, hip flexion ROM and physical performance immediately improved after the application of MWM in elderly patients suffering hip OA. The observed immediate changes were of clinical relevance. Future studies are required to determine the long-term effects of this intervention.

Elaboração e estruturação de um modelo de rating interno

Temos vindo a assistir nos últimos anos a uma evolução no que respeita à avaliação do risco de crédito. As constantes alterações de regulamentação bancária, que resultam dos Acordos de Basileia, têm vindo a impor novas normas que condicionam a quantidade e a qualidade do risco de crédito que as Instituições de Crédito podem assumir nos seus balanços. É de grande importância as Instituições de Crédito avaliarem o risco de crédito, as garantias e o custo de capital, pois têm um impacto direto na sua gestão nomeadamente quanto à afetação de recursos e proteção contra perdas. Desta forma, pretende-se com o presente trabalho elaborar e estruturar um modelo de rating interno através de técnicas estatísticas, assim como identificar as variáveis estatisticamente relevantes no modelo considerado. Foi delineada uma metodologia de investigação mista, considerando na primeira parte do trabalho uma pesquisa qualitativa e na segunda parte uma abordagem quantitativa. Através da análise documental, fez-se uma abordagem dos conceitos teóricos e da regulamentação que serve de base ao presente trabalho. No estudo de caso, o modelo de rating interno foi desenvolvido utilizando a técnica estatística designada de regressão linear múltipla. A amostra considerada foi obtida através da base de dados SABI e é constituída por cem empresas solventes, situadas na zona de Paredes, num horizonte temporal de 2011-2013. A nossa análise baseou-se em três cenários, correspondendo cada cenário aos dados de cada ano (2011, 2012 e 2013). Para validar os pressupostos do modelo foram efetuados testes estatísticos de Durbin Watson e o teste de significância - F (ANOVA). Por fim, para obtermos a classificação de rating de cada variável foi aplicada a técnica dos percentis. Pela análise dos três cenários considerados, verificou-se que o cenário dois foi o que obteve maior coeficiente de determinação. Verificou-se ainda que as variáveis independentes, rácio de liquidez geral, grau de cobertura do ativo total pelo fundo de maneio e rácio de endividamento global são estatisticamente relevantes.

Effect of European Sovereign debt crisis on banks’ stock market performances: application to Portuguese data

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Needs assessment of people with severe mental illnesses and their families in Azerbaijan

RESUMO: Os indivíduos com doença mental grave, assim como os seus familiares, podem ser caracterizados como uma população em que ocorre uma combinação complexa de necessidades médicas e psicossociais, nomeadamente a nível do diagnóstico e do acesso aos serviços de saúde mental. A avaliação de necessidades pode fornecer informações importantes para o desenvolvimento de intervenções eficazes, tanto a nível da população como a nível individual. Este estudo teve como objetivo determinar as diferentes necessidades reportadas pelos pacientes com doença mental grave e seus familiares , assim como investigar as possíveis relações entre o estado de necessidades e as variáveis sócio-demográficas e clínicas. Simultaneamente, o estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a sobrecarga familiar e a satisfação dos utentes com os serviços de saúde mental. Foi elaborado um estudo transversal, realizado numa amostra de conveniência de cinquenta díades de paciente/membro da família, seguidos em regime de ambulatório no Centro Nacional de Saúde Mental. Foram utilizados como instrumentos de avaliação um questionário sociodemográfico, a Escala Breve de Avaliação Psiquiátrica (BPRS), o questionário de Avaliação de Necessidades de Camberwell (CAN), o Questionário de Avaliação do Envolvimento (IEQ) e a Escala de Verona de Satisfação com os Serviços (VSSS). As mais frequentes necessidades não-satisfeitas foram o ‘sofrimento psicológico’, as ‘atividades sociais’ e os ‘benefícios sociais’. O estudo mostrou uma sobrecarga significativa nas famílias que cuidam de pessoas com doença mental grave, que se correlacionou com as suas opiniões sobre as necessidades dos pacientes e teve um impacto negativo sobre o bem-estar psicológico. Os três mais importantes predictores de sofrimento psíquico em familiares foram o sexo, a situação laboral e a relação com o paciente. A avaliação da satisfação com os serviços revelou a existência de um hiato significativo entre os serviços prestados e os serviços desejados, reportados pelos pacientes e seus familiares. A maioria dos participantes do estudo desejavam ter um trabalho protegido, ou receber ajuda para encontrar emprego. Os resultados deste estudo poderão ser usados para fins de planeamento desenvolvimento e avaliação de serviços de saúde mental no Azerbeijão. Algumas recomendações sobre a melhoria dos serviços de saúde mental para pacientes com doença mental grave e suas famílias são feitas na secção final do trabalho.----------ABSTRACT: Patients suffering from severe mental illness, in addition to their family members, may be characterized as a population with a complex combination of medical and psychosocial needs, which are under-recognized and under-addressed by mental health services. At the same time, needs assessment provides important information necessary for developing effective interventions at both population and individual level. The study was aimed to determine various needs perceived by patients with SMI and their family members, as well as to find out possible relations between the needs and socio-demographic and clinical variables. Similarly the study was intended to evaluate family burden and users’ satisfaction with services. This was a cross-sectional study conducted on a convenience sample. Fifty dyads of a patient and family member applying for out-patient services to the National Mental Health Centre participated in the study. Sociodemographic questionnaire, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Camberwell Assessment of Need, Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire, and Verona Service Satisfaction Scale were used as assessment tools. The most prominent unmet needs reported by people with SMI and their relatives were psychological distress, social activities and welfare benefits. The study showed significant burden in families caring for people with SMI, which correlated with their views about patients’ needs and had a negative impact on the psychological well-being. The three most important predictors of psychological distress in family members were gender, employment status and relationship to patient. Evaluation of satisfaction with services pointed out the gap between provided and desired services reported by patients and their relatives. Most of study participants wished to have sheltered work, or receive help in finding employment. The results of this study may be used for the purposes of mental health service planning, development and evaluation in our country. Some recommendations on improvement of mental health services for patients with SMI and their families have been made in the conclusion.

Stops and bonanzas in the EU: Does being part of the Euro Area make a difference?

In this paper, we investigate whether being part of the euro area influences the conditional probability of going through a sudden stop or a bonanza of capital flows. Our sample period is from 1995 until 2014. We identify these two phenomena and we evaluate which push and pull factors help predict the conditional probability of experiencing one of them. We find that most countries had significant capital inflows until 2008 and that there were more sudden stops during the recent financial crisis than in any other moment in our sample. The factors that better help forecast the conditional probability of a sudden stop are global uncertainty (represented by the push factor “Volatility Index”), and the domestic economic activity (pull factors “GDP growth” and “consumer confidence”). An indicator of country risk (pull factor “change in credit rating”) is the most significant one for predicting bonanzas. Ultimately, we find no evidence that being part of the euro area influences the conditional probability of going through a sudden stop or a bonanza.

Comparative analysis of Spanish Banks’ Standalone credit profile

The paper studies the relationship between four differently rated bank’s financial profile and their standalone credit rating issued by Moody’s. The comparative analysis shows an example that despite their pricing power and geographical coverage, larger banks do not necessarily have better credit ratings. Instead, business model and risk appetite seem to be the defining factors of banks’ vulnerability to shocks, such as the Spanish real estate crisis. The risk-return relationship is also identified in the banks’ fundamentals meaning that while expansionary strategy in riskier asset classes enhances margins, it also potentially distorts the credit risk profile.

Outpatient treatment of acute psychotic episode with neuroleptic infusions: a retrospective study.

In this retrospective pragmatic study, we define the necessary conditions that allow outpatient low dose intravenous neuroleptization, when hospitalization should otherwise be required. Intravenous neuroleptization is infrequently used in the outpatient treatment of acute psychotic decompensation. Rapid tranquilization with high dosage neuroleptics is controversial, and has a high risk of side effects. The indications for and potential advantages of this method in the perspective of a long-term ambulatory treatment are discussed by comparing a group of outpatients treated with infusions to a group of hospitalized patients. The method offers a satisfactory alternative to hospitalization for subjects who are not in imminent danger (current GAF rating between 20 and 40) and whose normal functioning is good (past year GAF rating = 70). Previous repeated hospitalizations favor the choice of hospitalization over infusion. Its potential advantages are the rapid evolution of the condition, with controlled regression but without psychosocial withdrawal, and an improvement in the patient's attitude towards treatment.

Identifying the neural correlates of executive functions in early cerebral microangiopathy: a combined VBM and DTI study.

Cerebral microangiopathy (CMA) has been associated with executive dysfunction and fronto-parietal neural network disruption. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging allow more detailed analyses of gray (e.g., voxel-based morphometry-VBM) and white matter (e.g., diffusion tensor imaging-DTI) than traditional visual rating scales. The current study investigated patients with early CMA and healthy control subjects with all three approaches. Neuropsychological assessment focused on executive functions, the cognitive domain most discussed in CMA. The DTI and age-related white matter changes rating scales revealed convergent results showing widespread white matter changes in early CMA. Correlations were found in frontal and parietal areas exclusively with speeded, but not with speed-corrected executive measures. The VBM analyses showed reduced gray matter in frontal areas. All three approaches confirmed the hypothesized fronto-parietal network disruption in early CMA. Innovative methods (DTI) converged with results from conventional methods (visual rating) while allowing greater spatial and tissue accuracy. They are thus valid additions to the analysis of neural correlates of cognitive dysfunction. We found a clear distinction between speeded and nonspeeded executive measures in relationship to imaging parameters. Cognitive slowing is related to disease severity in early CMA and therefore important for early diagnostics.

Controlled study of 50-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of 50-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of motor symptoms in Parkinson disease (PD). BACKGROUND: Progression of PD is characterized by the emergence of motor deficits that gradually respond less to dopaminergic therapy. rTMS has shown promising results in improving gait, a major cause of disability, and may provide a therapeutic alternative. Prior controlled studies suggest that an increase in stimulation frequency might enhance therapeutic efficacy. METHODS: In this randomized, double blind, sham-controlled study, the authors investigated the safety and efficacy of 50-Hz rTMS of the motor cortices in 8 sessions over 2 weeks. Assessment of safety and clinical efficacy over a 1-month period included timed tests of gait and bradykinesia, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), and additional clinical, neurophysiological, and neuropsychological parameters. In addition, the safety of 50-Hz rTMS was tested with electromyography-electroencephalogram (EMG-EEG) monitoring during and after stimulation. RESULTS: The authors investigated 26 patients with mild to moderate PD: 13 received 50-Hz rTMS and 13 sham stimulation. The 50-Hz rTMS did not improve gait, bradykinesia, and global and motor UPDRS, but there appeared a short-lived "on"-state improvement in activities of daily living (UPDRS II). The 50-Hz rTMS lengthened the cortical silent period, but other neurophysiological and neuropsychological measures remained unchanged. EMG/EEG recorded no pathological increase of cortical excitability or epileptic activity. There were no adverse effects. CONCLUSION: It appears that 50-Hz rTMS of the motor cortices is safe, but it fails to improve motor performance and functional status in PD. Prolonged stimulation or other techniques with rTMS might be more efficacious but need to be established in future research.

Parent-child agreement and prevalence estimates of diagnoses in childhood: direct interview versus family history method.

Diagnostic information on children is typically elicited from both children and their parents. The aims of the present paper were to: (1) compare prevalence estimates according to maternal reports, paternal reports and direct interviews of children [major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety and attention-deficit and disruptive behavioural disorders]; (2) assess mother-child, father-child and inter-parental agreement for these disorders; (3) determine the association between several child, parent and familial characteristics and the degree of diagnostic agreement or the likelihood of parental reporting; (4) determine the predictive validity of diagnostic information provided by parents and children. Analyses were based on 235 mother-offspring, 189 father-offspring and 128 mother-father pairs. Diagnostic assessment included the Kiddie-schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) (offspring) and the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS) (parents and offspring at follow-up) interviews. Parental reports were collected using the Family History - Research Diagnostic Criteria (FH-RDC). Analyses revealed: (1) prevalence estimates for internalizing disorders were generally lower according to parental information than according to the K-SADS; (2) mother-child and father-child agreement was poor and within similar ranges; (3) parents with a history of MDD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) reported these disorders in their children more frequently; (4) in a sub-sample followed-up into adulthood, diagnoses of MDD, separation anxiety and conduct disorder at baseline concurred with the corresponding lifetime diagnosis at age 19 according to the child rather than according to the parents. In conclusion, our findings support large discrepancies of diagnostic information provided by parents and children with generally lower reporting of internalizing disorders by parents, and differential reporting of depression and ADHD by parental disease status. Follow-up data also supports the validity of information provided by adolescent offspring.