bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Comparative Amount of Reserves obtained by Valuations on different approved Tables of Mortality and by different Rates of Interest
Authors: Turnbull Aw. H.
Published: April 2013

Gentlemen,—It is usual for your President, at the opening of a session, to address to the younger members of the Society some words of advice and encouragement, indicating the direction their studies should take to qualify them for the important positions which in time they may be called upon to fill. This has been so ably done by some of my distinguished predecessors in this chair, and the number of new entrants and students now bears so much less a proportion to the number of older members of the Society than formerly, that I intend to depart in great measure from this time-honoured practice, and to devote the opportunity with which I am favoured, mainly to an endeavour to add to the information you possess on a subject that I am sure is of interest to you, viz., The comparative amount of reserves obtained by valuations on different approved Tables of Mortality, and by different rates of interest.

It is my intention to place before you some results of valuations made by the Actuaries of The Scottish Widows' Fund to determine these differences on the actual business of that Society to 1873, which I think I may say contains risks of all possible durations in combinations that cannot differ much from those in other prosperous Offices, and I believe that I shall be able to show, that if the combinations did differ considerably, the results on a business of long standing would not be material. With this latter object I shall, so far as is practicable, compare the results of these valuations with the results obtained by Messrs. Manly, King, and Valentine, on valuations of the risks in hypothetical Offices so ingeniously and laboriously compiled by the two first-named gentlemen.
Practical Notes on the Training and Duties of an Actuary
Authors: Marr Thomas
Published: April 2013

Gentlemen,—I have to thank you for the honour you have conferred upon me in electing me to be your Honorary President—an honour which I appreciate all the more when there are so many gentlemen connected with the profession better qualified to adorn the post. Had I consulted your interests, I certainly should have declined the office, but the honour was too great to be refused, even although the acceptance sacrificed your advancement.

Having resolved to accept the position, the difficulty which presented itself to my mind was, on what subject to address you. At first I felt inclined to take as my topic the Education of an Actuary, but on reflection I found that it would be impossible to add anything to what had been said by my predecessors; and however satisfactory this would have, been to me, I felt it might not be so to you; so I at length concluded that, as a scientific paper would be out of place, I could not do better than give you a few practical notes relating to the actuarial profession.
Note on War Mortality in Recent Campaigns, with Special reference to the German experience in the War of 1870–1871
Authors: Mackenzie A. G.
Published: April 2013

The subject of War-Risk does not seem to have been discussed in actuarial circles since Mr. W. B. Hodge's papers on “The Mortality arising from Military Operations” appeared in the seventh volume of The Assurance Magazine. This admirable investigation, published in 1858, ends with the Crimean War; and considering the subsequent revolutionary changes in military science and tactics, a glance at the results of more recent campaigns may not be without interest.

The divergences of mortality characterising these campaigns preclude, as might be expected, the discovery of any general law of war mortality, and consequently the scientific calculation of extra premium to meet the corresponding risk. It seems as if, in the case of war, the Actuary must take a view of the whole surrounding circumstances, somewhat similar to that of a surveyor in fixing a premium for a fire insurance risk. Details of climate, of the season of the year, of the resources of the enemy, of the probable duration of the war, and of many other circumstances, alter the complexion of a military risk most materially, and must be carefully considered. Perhaps the most important question is the probable mortality from disease; a secondary consideration, the probable mortality from battle.
On Money and the Future Rate of Interest
Authors: Smith Adam Gillies
Published: April 2013

Gentlemen,—I thank you very heartily for the honour which you have conferred upon me by electing me your President for this session. It is an honour of which any one might be proud: and one for which, bestowed on me, who have so recently come amongst you, I have reason to be especially grateful.

In following the now time-honoured custom of delivering an Introductory Address to you on assuming this Chair, I had to consider how I could best fulfil the duty imposed npon me. I have not, as you are aware, as some of your former Presidents have done, devoted the whole, or even the greater part, of my life to actuarial study, and I was unwilling therefore to take, as the subject of these remarks, any matter of purely actuarial doubt and difficulty. But I have all my life been engaged in general business, and frequently been occupied with subjects which required some knowledge of finance. In these I have been ever met by the unknown quantities,—the value of money, and the future rate of interest. In everything relating to the success of Insurance Offices a knowledge of these values is likewise of paramount necessity, for, however accurately your facts as to mortality are stated, however skilfully your formulæ are framed, if a mistake is made as to the value of money or rate of interest, error will be the result.
The History and Work of the Actuarial Society of Edinburgh
Authors: Low George M.
Published: April 2013

When this Society elected its first Honorary President, and in so doing paid a fitting compliment to one who had taken the leading part in its formation, his reply to the request that he would undertake the office was, “I have never in my life received any mark of approbation and esteem which has given me greater pleasure.”

I do not know that any words of mine could more fittingly express the feelings with which I received your invitation to take this Chair; but, if I were to add anything to the expression, it would be to say how sensible I am of the honour of holding a position which has been filled by so many eminent members of our profession.

If during the considerable period of my connection with the Society I have been able to show in any useful way my warm interest in its welfare, I am more than repaid by finding that I have gained in some measure your confidence and esteem.

In considering how best to discharge the duty which a time-honoured and excellent custom has associated with the office of President, I was led to think that your time might be profitably occupied in taking a glance at our past history as a Society, and at our present position, and trying to gather from the survey some useful lessons for the future.
On the Official Publications of the Mortality of Assured Lives
Authors: Meikle James
Published: April 2013

Gentlemen,—I thank you for again electing me your President, —it is an honour which I highly esteem. You may rest assured that I will, to the utmost of my power, endeavour to perform the duties of the chair, I trust, to your satisfaction.

It is customary on the opening of a session for your President to say a few words by way of “Address” on some subject, of his own selection, which has more or less relation to the general business of the Society. As I had last winter the pleasure of reading a paper which occupied a good deal of my time, I have chosen a subject for which the materials are almost all at hand, but which when strung together may, in their continuity, possess an interest which will not be unwelcome to the members of an Actuarial Society. I propose to consider one or two incidents in the History and Statistics of Life Assurance.

The History of Life Assurance is exceedingly interesting. Bestowing all our attention upon the engagements of the passing hour, we are very apt to forget the arduous up-hill struggles of the many schemes of the past two centuries. If an account should ever be written, as I believe it will, of the career of those futile efforts, it should teach us to be very careful, and watchful of our position. There is in our time, it sometimes appears to me, rather an excess of that spirit of competition which I fear tends to weaken, and not to strengthen. Life Assurance is not entirely one of the exact sciences. The ordinary trader may easily, by applying one or two principles of accounting, exhibit the solvency or insolvency of his business; but it is almost impossible, except in the mass, to fathom the Liabilities of the business of Life Assurance. An ordinary debt is owing now, or a bill will certainly mature on a given date, but our debts accrue in the future, and are not individually dated. In the maturing of a multitude of them we have the utmost confidence.
Notes on the Theory of Logarithms
Authors: Macdonald William Rae
Published: April 2013

The Theory of Logarithms was first made known to the world by John Nepair, Baron of Marchiston (now Merchiston), in a volume published at Edinburgh in 1614, under the title, “Mirifici Logarithhmorum Canonis descriptio Ejusque usûs in utrâque Trigonometriâ, et etiam in omni Logisticâ Mathematicâ, Amplissimi, Facillimi, et expeditissimi, explicatio.” This work was translated into English by Edward Wright, and published at London in 1618, with the table reduced by one place.
A Comparison of the Rates of Mortality among Insured Lives and Government Annuitants
Authors: Chatham James
Published: April 2013

Although more than half a century has elapsed since attention was first drawn to the effect of selection upon the mortality among insured lives, the subject seems to have received but little consideration, partly on account of the numerous other questions pressing for solution, and partly, I dare say, on account of the scanty materials in existence; and it is only within the last decade that interest in it has been revived, and it has taken the place in the actuarial world which its importance demands. This is, in a great measure, due to the valuable collection of statistics published by the Institute of Actuaries in 1869, which has been the fountain-head of many interesting papers, as it furnished investigators with ample materials for their researches into the mortality among insured lives, and especially in the determination of the vexed question of “selection.” Before selection was understood, or rather, I should say, given effect to, it was thought sufficient to group together all the lives of the same age irrespective of the length of time for which they had been assured, and then to deduce the rate of mortality; but the introduction of select lives at old ages reduced the rate of mortality among those who had entered at young ages, and thus an exaggerated view of the probable longevity of young lives was obtained. Consequently, as the annuity-values for young ages by this method are greater than those obtained when selection is taken into account, it follows that young lives were charged too low a rate of premium, while old lives were charged too high a rate.
On Life Assurance Book-keeping
Authors: M'Lauchlan James John
Published: April 2013

1. Book-keeping by Double Entry is now universally admitted to be the only complete and satisfactory system, and its general principles have been shown to be adapted to all kinds of commercial or public accounts. The work of the accountant in arranging a special system adapted to the purposes of a Life Assurance Office, is therefore principally confined to fixing the number and forms of the subsidiary books which serve either to receive the original entries of transactions, or to relieve the Principal Ledger of the particulars of individual accounts.

In Life Assurance Book-keeping, as in that of Mercantile Houses, Banks, or Government Departments, these subsidiary books must be specially adapted to the various classes of transactions or other financial facts which occur in the business. I have therefore found it convenient to deal with the subject of Life Assurance Book-keeping by considering in succession the various classes of financial facts that fall to be recorded in conducting the business, and in the case of each class, describing the books required for receiving the original entries, and the subsequent progress of these entries through the books.
On the Rate of Mortality among Liquor-Sellers
Authors: Wallace Thomas
Published: April 2013

The Reports of the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, and the writings of the late Mr. F. G. P. Neison and others, abound with statistical information regarding the influence of occupation on health and the duration of life. These statistics, the most of which are derived from observations made upon the general population, or the members of Friendly Societies, are useful in many ways. From them we learn that there are certain occupations which tend to preserve health and prolong life, and that there are other occupations which tend as decidedly to injure health and shorten life. But these statistics are not applicable to the business of Life Assurance, and are not appropriate data for the purpose of determining the amount of premium which persons of different occupations should pay for Life Assurance. We still desiderate reliable data for this purpose, and it can best be obtained from the Life Assurance Companies themselves.
The Mortality among Assured Lives viewed in relation to the Sums at Risk
Authors: Stenhouse George C.
Published: April 2013

What was probably the beginning of knowledge in this country in regard to the subject of Life Annuities and Assurance was the publication, in 1661, by John Graunt, of his Natural and Political Observations on the Bills of Mortality. In that publication we have no doubt the primary data on which the business of Life Assurance is founded. By the gradual development and extension of that business, it soon came to be recognised that in all calculations connected with the subject it was needful to proceed on a sound fundamental basis. For not only was it seen to be necessary that the affairs of an institution conducting such business required to be administered for the immediate benefit of those concerned; but it was also observed that there were many prospective liabilities, and that therefore it required to be built on such a solid and substantial foundation as to be able to meet all obligations in the future. This is appreciated by all who are in any way interested in Assurance.
Life Assurance in Canada
Authors: Sanderson Frank
Published: April 2013

Before proceeding to trace the origin, growth, and present position of Life Assurance in Canada, it will be necessary to give some idea of the size, population, and vital statistics of the Dominion in order to better appreciate the developments of the past and the possibilities of the future.

The Dominion of Canada consists of the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec (formerly Upper and Lower Canada), New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Manitoba, and the North-west Territories. The area of the whole Dominion is about 3,456,383 square miles, including the water surface. From west to east it is about 3500 miles, and from north to south 1400 miles. The Island of Newfoundland, although included in British North America, does not yet form part of the Dominion; while Alaska belongs to the United States, and Labrador is under the control of Newfoundland. The area of Europe is about 3,661,360 square miles, and of Great Britain and Ireland 120,849 square miles, so that Canada is only about 200,000 square miles smaller than all Europe, while it is nearly twenty nine times as large as the whole United Kingdom. It is also 400,000 square miles larger than the United States, omitting Alaska.
Life Office Investments Retrospect and Outlook
Authors: Paulin David
Published: April 2013

On looking over the list of interesting and varied subjects which have been submitted for consideration and discussion in past years to this Society, in the enjoyment of which I have been a constant participant, I find that it is fully sixteen years since I appeared before you in the position which I am glad to occupy again to-night as the reader of a paper.

The subject then selected related to the distribution of population in the United Kingdom, and discussed how each district could most effectively be occupied by branches and agencies, so as to bring the beneficent system of Life Assurance within the reach of every one. Since that paper was read, it has been my good fortune to extend my experience from the superintendence of the outside organisation of a great office to other departments of the business of Life Assurance, and especially to give the closest attention in a variety of connections to that most important but most difficult subject, the investment of moneys at the highest rate of interest consistent with the safety of the principal.
Lecture III. Accident Insurance
Authors: Harvey William
Published: April 2013

Accident Insurance is of comparatively recent growth. In 1880 there were only ten accident insurance offices in the United Kingdom, and the business was chiefly in the hands of one company, the Railway Passengers Assurance Company. Since then the premium income for accident insurance has been trebled, and a large number of new companies, such as the Scottish Employers, and the Northern Accident Company, have been established, in consequence, mainly, of the great impetus given to the business of accident insurance by the passing of the Employers' Liability Act of 1880. Various changes have been introduced into accident policies during this period, in the direction chiefly of increased compensation without additional premium. In 1850, the Accidental Death Insurance Company introduced policies covering temporary disablement in addition to the ordinary fatal risks. The Scottish Life Assurance Company was the first to make the full sum insured payable in the case of permanent total disablement as well as in the case of death, and the half of the sum insured where the disablement was permanent but only partial. Under a system recently introduced by the Scottish Accident Insurance Company, the compensation in the latter case takes the form of a pension for life. When the disablement is not permanent, it is usual to allow so much a week till a cure is effected, the period being restricted in all cases to twenty-six weeks for any one accident.
Lecture IV. Conditions in Fire Policies
Authors: Harvey William
Published: April 2013

The law of fire insurance depends on the two fundamental principles, that a fire policy is a contract of indemnity, and that, in its usual form, it is a personal contract. In the present lecture I propose only to deal with the conditions in fire policies which express or modify these principles.

The first principle, that fire insurance is a contract of indemnity, is founded on considerations of public policy, and is a rule of law which cannot be set aside by consent of parties. An insurance against loss by fire for a fixed sum, irrespective of the actual loss sustained by the insured, would not be valid or enforceable.

Policies of marine insurance, which, like fire insurance, is a contract of indemnity, are sometimes made valued policies, but this does not mean that the policy will be sustained if it is proved that the value stated in the policy exceeds the actual value of the subject insured. The object of the valuation is to supersede the necessity of inquiry into the value of the vessel and cargo after they have been lost, but if it is proved that there has been a fraudulent over-valuation on the part of the insured, or an illegal agreement between the insurer and insured to effect an insurance without interest, the policy will not be sustained for the actual value, but will be treated as altogether void. A valued policy is therefore good for its amount or for nothing.
On an Investigation into the Mortality of the Married Females of the Peerage
Authors: Hart J. R.
Published: April 2013

In July 1880 there appeared in the Journal of the Institute of Actuaries certain “Remarks as to the Influence of Marriage on the Death-Kates of Males and Females, abridged from Dr. James Stark's Letters to the Kegistrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in Scotland” (J.I.A. xxii. 233). In these letters Dr. Stark compares the mortality of the married and unmarried females at different ages in Scotland in the years 1861 and 1862; and calls attention to the fact, that the excessive mortality of the former, as compared with that of the latter class of lives, appears to be confined to the ages under thirty years. He offers, as an explanation of this, the great danger—well known, as he says, to every medical practitioner—which attends the delivery of the first child; and then proceeds to demonstrate its effect by means of two tables, showing (1) “the number and ages of mothers and the number of children which they had on the birth of their last child,” and (2) the “proportion of mothers bearing their first child to every 100 mothers.” The figures given in the former table show that nearly as many women above thirty years as under that age bear children; and yet the marked difference between the mortalityof the married and unmarried is only apparent below that age. From inspection of the second table, which shows the number of mothers bearing their first child to be, after age thirty, very small as compared with those under that age, he concludes that not only is the view that the risk to the mother is far greater at her first confinement, than at any subsequent delivery, rendered almost a certainty, but that the increased mortality of the married females is almost solely due to this cause.
Some Suggestions in regard to Life Office Accounting, including inter alia an arrangement of the American CARD SYSTEM, suitable for the requirements of British Offices
Authors: Turnbull A. D. Lindsay
Published: April 2013

Gentlemen,—It is with feelings of diffidence and trepidation that I venture to address you to-night. I have been informed that it is almost impossible to write a paper on anything new in connection with Actuarial matters, as everything bearing on the theory and practice of Life Assurance has already been written, read, and understood by all those interested in the business. However, although nowadays every Actuarial student can graduate a Mortality Table in about three different ways, and can run off lists of the Securities, in which the funds of an Office should and should not be invested, with reasons as to their choice or rejection, I think that perhaps in the department of Life Office Accounting there are still a few suggestions which can be made. I allow that the subject is not so scientific as, say, the calculation of the probable future profit to be received on a Reversion, which has been bought at an auction, or the valuation of conflicting interests in a Disentail. I am also afraid that Accounting is not thought of much importance by Actuaries, but is regarded rather, may I say, as a prosy, though easily crammed subject, to be read up before examinations.
The Practical Calculation of Office Premiums
Authors: Moir Henry
Published: April 2013

The Actuarial Society of Edinburgh was formed more particularly for the benefit of students, to assist them in their studies of actuarial and mathematical subjects; and it is therefore unnecessary to make any apology for submitting a paper of an elementary character, which makes no pretence at originality of thought, but which is designed simply to bring together some of those practical questions which have been dealt with by Actuaries of ripe experience, and to place them before students in a compact form. Those questions which do not appear to have been discussed by others, are well known to Actuaries who have had any considerable experience in the practical calculation of office premiums; but yet the following notes may be of service to students who, in many cases, have little opportunity for gathering such information.

In order to deal clearly with the subject, it is desirable to state, in the first place, one or two of the fundamental principles which should regulate the calculation of office premiums. The premium payable by the policyholder forms the foundation upon which the whole structure of life assurance is built; and if the premiums be inadequate, as in the case of Assessment Companies, the structure must sooner or later collapse.
Some Aspects of Sickness Insurance
Authors: Brown Henry
Published: April 2013

Although the subject we are about to discuss is frequently referred to as “Health” Insurance, I venture to submit that as a mere question of exactness Sickness Insurance is the correct term. The common method of naming systems of Insurance is not, however, too exact, but that is no sufficient reason for being inexact where exactness is possible. Insurance against fire, insurance against accident, and insurance against sickness are expressions, each of which carries with it a precise meaning; but to speak of “insurance against health” would be a contradiction and an impossibility. In Life work we refer to Life Assurance, while in reality we mean insurance against death, and in respect of this particular business, whoever may have been responsible for the primary use of the term was wise in his generation. To write or speak perpetually upon the subject of death even in its relation to insurance would be a lugubrious vocation to engage in. The subject itself would not only be uninviting but repellent, and therefore as far as possible men would seek to avoid its discussion. For the same reason I imagine “Health” Insurance is preferred by some to Sickness Insurance; but the description cannot be supported by the same reasoning, while, as I have said, it is incorrect and therefore unnecessary.
Life Assurance in France
Authors: Latta Alexander
Published: April 2013

One of the most remarkable features in the history of the nineteenth century has been the rapidity with which some scientific discovery made in one country has been followed, and often eclipsed, by one on similar lines in another country. The reason for this is not far to seek, for he who would excel in any branch of science or learning must keep himself thoroughly acquainted with its latest developments, and with the progress it is making in all parts of the world. Thus, we find that a rivalry has sprung up, which grows keener every day, between this and the Continental countries in Science and Philosophy, as well as in Commerce and Politics. In this country, however, until quite recently, the insurance world in general, and the actuarial student in particular, have not considered it worth while to inquire how and upon what lines insurance business is carried on across the Channel. So far as I have been able to ascertain, the only books in the Faculty Library dealing with the subject of Life Assurance in France are Walford's Insurance Cyclopœdia, published in 1876, and a pamphlet by H. S. Washburn in 1879. The object of this paper is to supplement to some small extent the information contained in these volumes, and to place materials in the hands of the Actuarial Society which will enable its members to form some idea of the progress and nature of life assurance business in France.
On the construction of a Table of Mortality
Authors: Meikle James
Published: April 2013

Gentlemen,—Allow me to thank you very cordially for electing me to preside over your meetings during the ensuing Session It is an honour very greatly appreciated by every one who has been selected to fill this chair. Indeed I feel doubly honoured, seeing that I am the first to address you in the new Hall of the Faculty of Actuaries under the gaze of the stony eyes of our own immortal Napier. Your election reminds me that I had the honour of presiding over your earliest meetings and that I also had the pleasure of reading the earliest papers that were presented for your consideration. These three papers I am proud to believe have been diligently perused by nearly every student of Actuarial Science, forming as they do the wicket opening into wider fields, the earliest lessons of the course. They have, as I have been told, been the guiding rays of light which induced some of our most eminent Actuarial stars, presently shining in our firmament, to follow in the pursuit of higher knowledge, and to join the profession. These simple papers have been printed three times, and are again out of print. Gentlemen, I do wish I were able to repeat that enthusiasm. It seems to me now to be a much more simple matter to find language to describe something which one is striving to understand for oneself, and labouring to make clear to one's own comprehension, than to write an essay upon something which appears so plain and so palpable that the wonder is how any one could fail to interpret the language of the symbols.
On a mode of graduating a Table of Mortality
Authors: Meikle James
Published: April 2013

Graduation of all kinds is most attractive. The highest mathematical minds have apparently lingered upon it with delight, and when I glance down the weighty list, I feel that I, of all persons, should have shrunk from touching it. Most of these men have treated the subject in a highly theoretical manner, and have furnished formulæ that are extremely difficult to apply. A few, however, have followed in their footsteps and elaborated something that is practical. Other enthusiasts have searched for and have thought that they had found a ‘Law of Mortality.’ Some are still searching for it, and more will continue the search in all time coming. A Law of Mortality seems to me to be as illusive as the rainbow. The law found is only the law of some mathemathical process of summation.

The method of graduation indeed should vary with the matter to be graduated. When applied to the probability curve, it is intensely fascinating, and there appears to me to be occasional opportunities in our business of so applying it. I do not profess to put forward any new scheme. I do not propose to electrify the subject. I possess no wizard's wand. All I propose to do is to elaborate a very simple exposition of the most elementary principles on the subject of differences, but I am bold enough to state that, in my opinion, it is all that is necessary in the graduation of a table of mortality.
Now One Is Russian, Now One Is Not: Ethnic Attitudes and Categorization Effects in the Russian Federation
Authors: Stepanova Elena V. , Strube Michael J , Yablonsky Gregory S.
Published: April 2013

We studied implicit and explicit ethnic attitudes and ethnic evaluations in Russia, where ethnic prejudice and violence are on the rise. Undergraduate sociology students ( N = 54) judged 100 faces, varying in facial physiognomy (Eurocentric to Afrocentric) and skin tone (light to dark), and completed implicit and explicit ethnic attitude measures. Participants used skin tone when evaluating faces as Russian or non-Russian, and relied on facial physiognomy for finer distinctions among lighter faces. Implicit ethnic attitudes moderated the effects of skin tone and facial physiognomy on ethnic typicality judgments. Explicit and implicit attitudes were very pro-Russian, with negative explicit attitudes expressed toward some ethnic groups. Implicit and explicit attitudes toward non-Russian groups were largely independent. This research has important implications for contemporary ethnic relationships in Russia, where being categorized as “non-Russian” has serious life-threatening consequences. It also has implications for models of social categorization: It addresses how variability in two dimensions (skin tone and facial physiognomy) and preexisting implicit attitudes affect ethnic categorization judgments.
A Qualitative Examination of Muslim Graduate International Students' Experiences in the United States
Authors: Tummala-Narra Pratyusha , Claudius Milena
Published: April 2013

Although there has been an increase in enrollment of Muslim international students in college campuses in the United States over the past decade, few studies have examined the experiences of cultural adjustment among Muslim graduate international students. In the present qualitative study, we examined graduate students' experiences of acculturation, engagement with religion, and negotiation of social support in a new cultural environment. Semistructured interviews with 15 Muslim international students enrolled in graduate programs in the United States were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Five broad categories emerged from the data including: (1) diverse views of the new cultural environment, (2) social isolation, (3) experiences of discrimination, (4) religious identity, and (5) protective factors in adjusting to the United States. A number of themes within these broad categories provide new knowledge concerning stress and resilience experienced by participants. Implications of the findings for research and intervention are discussed.
What makes a hospital manager competent at the middle and senior levels?
Authors: Liang Zhanming , Leggat Sandra G. , Howard Peter F. , Koh Lee
Published: April 2013

Objective. The purpose of this paper is to confirm the core competencies required for middle to senior level managers in Victorian public hospitals in both metropolitan and regional/rural areas. Methods. This exploratory mixed-methods study used a three-step approach which included position description content analysis, focus group discussions and online competency verification and identification survey. Results. The study validated a number of key tasks required for senior and middle level hospital managers (levels II, III and IV) and identified and confirmed the essential competencies for completing these key tasks effectively. As a result, six core competencies have been confirmed as common to the II, III and IV management levels in both the Melbourne metropolitan and regional/rural areas. Conclusions. Six core competencies are required for middle to senior level managers in public hospitals which provide guidance to the further development of the competency-based educational approach for training the current management workforce and preparing future health service managers. With the detailed descriptions of the six core competencies, healthcare organisations and training institutions will be able to assess the competency gaps and managerial training needs of current health service managers and develop training programs accordingly. What is known about the topic? A competent health service management workforce is critical to the effective functioning of the healthcare system. Consequently, a competency-based educational approach has been proposed to prepare current and future health professionals including health service managers. Although the literature has suggested that core competencies exist for different management levels in different healthcare settings, there has been no study which has provided valuable data to indicate what the core competencies are for hospitals managers in Australian public hospitals. What does this paper add? This paper identified and confirmed that six core competencies are common to middle to senior level managers (levels II-IV) in Victorian public hospitals in both Melbourne metropolitan and regional/rural areas. What are the implications for practitioners? The findings of the study is the first step towards supporting the competency-based educational approach for training and preparing current and future health service managers for their roles. The six identified core competencies provide a very useful guide to the identification of competency gaps and managerial training needs, and the further development of the health service management training curriculum.
Innovations in primary mental healthcare
Authors: Reifels Lennart , Bassilios Bridget , King Kylie E. , Fletcher Justine R. , Blashki Grant , Pirkis Jane E.
Published: April 2013

Objective.
We review the evidence on innovations in Tier 2 of the Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program, which is designed to facilitate the provision of primary mental healthcare to hard-to-reach and at-risk population groups (including women with perinatal depression, people at risk of self-harm or suicide, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, people affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires, people in remote locations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and children with mental disorders) and the trialling of new modalities of service delivery (e.g. telephone-based or web-based CBT). The primary focus is on the uptake, outcomes and issues associated with the provision of ATAPS Tier 2.

Methods.
Drawing on data from an ongoing national ATAPS evaluation, including a national minimum dataset, key informant interviews and surveys, the impact of ATAPS innovations is analysed and illustrated through program examples.

Results.
ATAPS Tier 2 facilitates access to, uptake of and positive clinical outcomes from primary mental healthcare for population groups with particular needs, although it requires periods of time to implement locally.

Conclusions.
Relatively simple innovations in mental health program design can have important practical ramifications for service provision, extending program reach and improving mental health outcomes for target populations.

What is known about the topic?
It is recognised that innovative approaches are required to tailor mental health programs for hard-to-reach and at-risk population groups. Divisions of General Practice have implemented innovations in the Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program for several years.

What does this paper add?
Drawing on data from an ongoing national ATAPS evaluation, this paper presents a systematic analysis of the uptake, outcomes and issues associated with provision of the innovative ATAPS program.

What are the implications for practitioners?
The findings highlight the benefits of introducing innovations in primary mental healthcare in terms of increased access to care and positive consumer outcomes. They also identify challenges to and facilitators of the implementation process, which can inform innovation efforts in other primary care contexts.
Scale-dependent correlations between soil properties and environmental factors across the Loess Plateau of China
Authors: Liu Zhi-Peng , Shao Ming-An , Wang Yun-Qiang
Published: April 2013

Traditional statistical analysis of the correlations between spatially distributed variables takes no account of their regionalised nature. Factorial kriging analysis (FKA) was developed and widely used to overcome this problem. In our study, we applied FKA to investigate scale-dependent correlations between selected soil properties and environmental factors across the Loess Plateau of China. Surface soil samples were collected from 382 sampling sites throughout the region, and soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), soil total phosphorus (STP), soil total potassium (STK), soil pH, bulk density (BD), and clay and silt contents were determined. Five environmental factors (elevation, precipitation, temperature, land-use type, and soil type) were also included in the FKA to identify influential processes. A linear model of co-regionalisation, including a nugget effect and two spherical structures (effective ranges of 200 and 400 km), was fitted to the experimental auto- and cross-variograms of the variables. Scale-dependent correlations were calculated for nugget-effect scale (<30–50 km), short-range scale with a range of 200 km, and long-range scale with a range of 400 km. Principal component analysis was conducted to clearly illustrate the correlations at each spatial scale. The scale-dependent correlations were different from the general correlations and varied at different scales. Generally, SOC and STN were strongly correlated at the nugget-effect scale and the long-range scale, but not at the short-range scale. Precipitation and clay content showed close correlations with STP at the nugget-effect scale and long-range scale. The STK was weakly correlated with the other variables at each spatial scale, and closely correlated with soil type at the long-range scale. Soil pH was closely correlated with BD, soil type, and elevation at the nugget-effect, short, and long spatial scales, respectively. Close correlations were found between BD and land-use type at each spatial scale. Land use and soil type were considered to be the important factors controlling spatial variation of soil properties at the short-range scale, while at the long-range scale the likely factors were identified as precipitation, temperature, and elevation. Our study provided an insight into the spatial-dependent correlations between soil properties and environmental factors from a regional perspective.
Responses of runoff, sedimentation, and induced nutrient loss to vegetation change in the Tengger Desert, northern China
Authors: Li Xiaojun , Zheng Jinggang , Li Xinrong , Tan Huijuan , Pan Yanxia , Wei Yongping
Published: April 2013

Runoff and nutrient loss in drylands are closely related to vegetation cover. Simulated rainfall experiments with an intensity of 80 mm/h were conducted in sandy grassland and shrubland in the Tengger Desert, China, to investigate the responses of runoff and associated carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) losses to the replacement of grassland by shrubland. Times to ponding and to generate runoff, and the amount of rainfall for runoff commencement in bare, inter-shrub plots were significantly smaller than in shrub (ST) and grassland (GT) plots; no statistical differences were found for these parameters between ST and GT. Overall, this indicated a higher soil water infiltration rate in grassland than in shrubland. The volume-weighted concentrations of organic C (OC) and total N (TN) in runoff from shrubland (0.083 and 0.011 g/L, respectively) were lower than those from grassland (0.103 and 0.012 g/L, respectively). The cover-weighted runoff coefficients, and sediment, OC, and TN losses from shrubland (34.46%, and 44.95 1.72, and 0.23 g/m2, respectively) were greater than from grassland (15.22%, and 15.91, 0.94, and 0.11 g/m2). Vegetation degradation was accompanied by reduced nutrient retention capacity; both soil OC and TN of grassland (8.97 and 0.62 g/kg, respectively) were greater than those weighted values for shrubland (4.18 and 0.26 g/kg). Understanding of these processes suggests that decline or loss of vegetation cover, with the appearance of biological soil crust patches, inevitably leads to increases in runoff and induced soil loss, further accelerating desertification.
Comparative Value of Fish Meal Alternatives as Protein Sources in Feeds for Hybrid Striped Bass
Authors: Trushenski Jesse , Gause Brian
Published: April 2013

Numerous alternative proteins have been assessed and reported as adequate for fish meal (FM) sparing; however, few studies have directly compared the value of alternative proteins in side-by-side comparisons. Previous research also suggests that changes in dietary protein source may affect fillet quality, but comprehensive data on this subject are lacking. We assessed the production performance and consumer acceptance of hybrid Striped Bass (White Bass Morone chrysops × Striped Bass M. saxatilis; mean weight ± SE = 43.4 ± 0.2 g) reared on a control diet containing menhaden FM (30% FM) as the primary protein source or on experimental feeds containing approximately 10% menhaden FM and one of the following protein sources: soybean meal (10% FM–46% SBM), poultry byproduct meal (10% FM–21% PBM), grain distillers’ dried yeast (10% FM–36% GDDY), corn gluten meal (10% FM–21% CGM), or distillers’ dried grains with solubles (10% FM–33% DDGS). Weight gain (1,055–1,323%), specific growth rate (SGR; 1.29–1.40% of body weight [BW]/d), and feed intake (2.10–2.28% BW/d) were equivalent among groups, except that fish receiving the 10% FM–36% GDDY feed exhibited reduced performance (weight gain = 929%; SGR = 1.23% BW/d; feed intake = 1.95% BW/d) that appeared to be related to feed palatability. Feed conversion ratio was relatively consistent among the dietary treatments, with only the highest (1.39; for 10% FM–33% DDGS) and lowest (1.16; for 10% FM–21% PBM) values being significantly different. Dietary protein source had no effect on fillet color or consumer acceptance; consumers were unable to differentiate between control and experimental portions in 64% of comparisons. Each of the alternatives used in the present study appeared, to various degrees, to be suitable alternatives to FM. The results of this and other trials suggest that the FM content in feeds for hybrid Striped Bass can be significantly reduced beyond the current standard levels without negative effects on production performance or product acceptance.
A Multimodal Intervention to Reduce Urinary Catheter Use and Associated Infection at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Authors: Miller Brady L. , Krein Sarah L. , Fowler Karen E. , Belanger Karen , Zawol Debbie , Bye Crystal , Rickelmann Mary Ann , Smith JoEllyn , Chenoweth Carol , Saint Sanjay
Published: April 2013

We assessed the impact of a quality improvement intervention to reduce urinary catheter use and associated urinary tract infections (UTIs) at a single hospital. After implementation, UTIs were reduced by 39% (P = .04). Additionally, we observed a slight decrease in catheter use and the number of catheters without an appropriate indication.
Honda develops robotized FSW technology to weld steel and aluminum and applied it to a mass‐production vehicle
Authors: Kusuda Yoshihiro
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the fundamental concept of Honda's robotized friction stir welding (FSW) technology, its implementation to mass produced vehicles and the future impact on the automobile industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an interview with engineers who developed the new technology at Honda Automobile R&D Center, the report describes the secret of the new technology.

Findings

The robotized FSW technology is the world's first to weld dissimilar metals for mass produced vehicles, and makes it possible to use standard industrial robots in FSW process.

Originality/value

The report is the first one outside Japan that details the new technology.
Characterization of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolated from dogs and cats
Authors: Bardiau Marjorie , Yamazaki Kazuko , Ote Isabelle , Misawa Naoaki , Mainil Jacques G.
Published: April 2013

The aim of this study was to explore the presence of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) in a collection of S. pseudintermedius strains isolated from dogs and cats with dermatitis in Japan and to compare their genotypic and phenotypic characteristics. Clonal relationships were determined by pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) typing, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Biofilm formation assay was performed using safranin staining in microplates. Three virulence genes coding for S. intermedius exfoliative toxin and Panton‐Valentine leukocidin (siet, lukS‐PV and lukF‐PV) were searched for in a collection of strains. Antimicrobial resistance against 15 antibiotics was studied by a disc diffusion method. Twenty‐seven MRSP were isolated. According to PFGE results the isolates were not closely related except for a few strains. MLST showed that the strains belonged to five groups, ST71 and ST26 being the two most prevalent. Three types of SCCmec (II, II–III and V) were identified. All isolates were siet‐positive but PVL‐negative. Most strains (except for two) produced strong biofilm in tryptic soy broth with glucose. Seventy‐eight percent of the isolates were resistant or intermediate to twelve or more antibiotics. Our study demonstrates that the ST71 lineage is widespread in Japan and that ST26 could represent an emerging lineage. Moreover, most of our strains are capable of forming strong biofilm and possess siet gene, two virulence characteristics that probably help the bacteria to persist and spread. Finally, our MRSP strains show a strong resistance profile to antibiotics commonly used in veterinary medicine.