130 research outputs found
Case Title: 45 year-old male with recurrent angioedema: WAO international case-based discussions
No full textPrivacy by Design by Regulation: The Case Study of Ontario
No full textThis article presents the findings of a case study examining the role of the regulator in
facilitating Privacy by Design (“PbD”) solutions. With the introduction of PbD into
the new European Union General Data Protection Regulation, it is important to
understand the conditions under which PbD can succeed and the role which regulators
can play (if at all) in promoting such success. Two initiatives with similar technology
are examined: first, a PbD success, the introduction of facial recognition technology
into existing cameras in casinos in Ontario, and second, a PbD failure, the expanded
deployment of cameras within the public transit system of Toronto. The findings are
organized into three overarching themes: PbD-focused findings, leadership and
organizational findings, and regulator-focused findings. The article argues that privacy
continues to persist as an engineering problem despite PbD, that (related to that) there is
growing recognition of privacy as an issue of organizational change and leadership, and
consequently, that the role of the regulator must evolve if PbD is to become a meaningful
regulatory tool, an evolution that carries with it both risks and opportunities for privacy.Not peer reviewe
Job search by employed workers : the effects of restrictions
No full textWithin the framework of a general equilibrium search model, the authors study the effect of institutional restrictions on workers'job mobility. The model generates endogenuous job searches on the job and off the job with two forms of labor contracts emerging and coexisting in equilibrium. One form of contract involves the workers'long-term commitment to the firm ("reversed tenure"): some firms offer high wages in return for their workers'commitment not to search for better jobs. The other is a short-term contract requiring no such commitment: some firms that cannot afford to pay wages that guarantee lifetime attachment pay lower wages, have lower turn-over costs, but impose no restrictions on searches for better jobs. The authors study the effects on employment of exogenous restrictions on mobility - in the form of a transfer from the quitting worker, made either to the employer or to a third party. These transfers, the separation bonds, are typically the benefits lost by the quitting worker, such as vested pension. Restrictions of this type, by crowding out the firms that allow on-the-job searches for employment directly increase unemployment. When restrictions on workers'mobility take the form of a zero-sum transfer, there is no real effect so long as the transfer is below some bound - the worker loses nothing. When the separation bond is prohibitively large, or when it is forfeited to a third party, employment among all types of workers falls.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Health Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Labor Markets
Privacy by design by regulation: The case study of Ontario
No full textThis article presents the findings of a case study examining the role of the regulator in facilitating Privacy by Design (“PbD”) solutions. With the introduction of PbD into the new European Union General Data Protection Regulation, it is important to understand the conditions under which PbD can succeed and the role which regulators can play (if at all) in promoting such success. Two initiatives with similar technology are examined: first, a PbD success, the introduction of facial recognition technology into existing cameras in casinos in Ontario, and second, a PbD failure, the expanded deployment of cameras within the public transit system of Toronto. The findings are organized into three overarching themes: PbD-focused findings, leadership and organizational findings, and regulator-focused findings. The article argues that privacy continues to persist as an engineering problem despite PbD, that (related to that) there is growing recognition of privacy as an issue of organizational change and leadership, and consequently, that the role of the regulator must evolve if PbD is to become a meaningful regulatory tool, an evolution that carries with it both risks and opportunities for privacy.Not peer reviewe
Trade and harmonization : if your institutions are good, does it matter if they are different ?
No full textGood institutional quality (function) and similar institutional design (form) can promote international trade by reducing transactions costs. The authors evaluate the relative importance of function versus form in a gravity model, using an indicator of different legal systems as a proxy for differences in form, together with indicators of overall institutional quality. They find that good institutions promote trade much more than similar legal systems and have much more explanatory power. This effect is economically large-up to 10 times the effect of different legal systems. Moreover, better infrastructure matters as much as good institutions.Legal Products,Trade Law,Economic Theory&Research,Transport and Trade Logistics,Common Carriers Industry
A biomarker is a defined characteristic measured as an indicator of normal, biologic, pathogenic processes, or biological responses to an exposure or intervention. Diagnostic biomarkers are used to detect a disease or a subtype of a disease; monitoring biomarkers are measured serially to assess a medical condition; response biomarkers are used to check biologic response following a medical intervention; predictive biomarkers are used to identify patients who are more likely to respond to a medical intervention; and prognostic biomarkers are used to assess the future likelihood of a clinical event. Although biomarkers have been extensively investigated and validated in many diseases and pathologies, very few are currently useful for the diagnosis, evaluation of disease activity, and treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE). Pathophysiologic pathways involved in HAE reveal a plethora of molecules from the complement, coagulation, and fibrinolysis systems or from the vascular endothelium, which may serve as biomarkers. The most promising candidates, together with their laboratory readout systems, should be evaluated with regard to their analytical and clinical validity and utility. To be highly specific, such biomarkers should be linked to the pathomechanisms of HAE, particularly the bradykinin-generating cascade. Additionally, major advances in high-throughput omics-based technologies may facilitate the discovery of new candidate biomarkers in the future. This review will cover the existing as well as future potential biomarkers that will support the diagnosis, monitor disease activity, and can be used to assess the efficacy of new avenues of therapy of HAE and other forms of angioedema
A cuspidality criterion for the functorial product on GL(2) × GL(3) with a cohomological application
No full textA strong impetus for this paper came, at least for the first author, from a question of Avner Ash, asking whether one can construct non-selfdual, nonmonomial cuspidal cohomology classes for suitable congruence subgroups Γ of SL(n, Z), say for n = 6. Such a construction, in special examples, ha
Costs and benefits of debt and debt service reduction
No full textThe author evaluates the costs and benefits of debt and debt service reduction (DDSR) from the point of view of five countries that have concluded Brady deals: Costa Rica, Mexico, the Philippines, Uruguay, and Venezuela. He concludes that, contrary to widely held views, commercial banks have probably benefited from the operations. Commercial bank participation in DDSR is voluntary, so direct financial savings to the country are probably negative at present values. The benefit from DDSR is not that debt is bought at"bargain prices"at the expense of commercial banks. It appears difficult to justify a DDSR operation on purely financial grounds. A more realistic way to look at a DDSR operation is to view it as a"project"that involves a certain financial cost. The return on such a project is how the DDSR operation improves the macroeconomy, or contributes to development. The main purpose of DDSR is to establish a more efficient arrangement between debtor countries and commercial banks, leading to improved conditions for development. A DDSR operation that does not help development is costly and should not be undertaken. The impact of DDSR on development is usually measured by the increase in the growth rate of GDP, but it is too soon to measure that for these five countries. A suitable alternative is to look at the change in investment patterns. A strong policy framework is needed if debt and debt service reduction are to significantly improve development. In Mexico and, to a lesser extent, Venezuela, improved and sustained strong adjustment policies have generated the greatest development benefits. Gains have been less in smaller countries where policies were not as supportive. The author concludes that for a country to benefit from DDSR, it needs significant indirect benefits (such as increased domestic and foreign savings). Direct benefits are likely to be negative because of the commercial banks'financial gains and because DDSR operations are frontloaded. DDSR operations cannot be justified solely by direct benefits and savings in cash flow.Strategic Debt Management,Banks&Banking Reform,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Financial Intermediation
Mitigating Disparity in Health-care Resources Between Countries for Management of Hereditary Angioedema
No full textHereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of skin and mucosal edema. The main treatment goal is to enable a "normal life" for all patients. However, due to high costs, there are limited options for the management of HAE in most developing and low-income countries. As a result, most of the recommended first-line treatments are not available. In this review, we attempt to highlight the disparities in health-care resources for the management of patients with HAE amongst different countries. Data was collected from HAE experts in countries who provide tabulated information regarding management and availability of HAE treatments in their countries. We reviewed the two most recent international HAE guidelines. Using India, the world's second most populous country, as a paradigm for HAE management in lower-income countries, we reviewed the evidence for second-line and non-recommended practices reported by HAE experts. Results suggest significant inequities in provision of HAE services and treatments. HAE patients in low-income countries do not have access to life-saving acute drugs or recently developed highly effective prophylactic medications. Most low-income countries do not have specialized HAE services or diagnostic facilities, resulting in consequent long delays in diagnosis. Suggestions for optimizing the use of limited resources as a basis for future discussion and reaching a global consensus are provided. There is an urgent need to improve HAE services, diagnostics and treatments currently available to lower-income countries. We recommend that all HAE stakeholders support the need for global equity and access to these essential measures.</p
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