The mediating role of stakeholders on green banking practices and bank's performance: The case of a developing nation.

The banking sector serves as a nudge between increased financial investments and reduced environmental impacts in the modern era of sustainability thus, integrating the social, environmental, and economic dimensions. This paper aims to explore the practices and ongoing activities on account of sustainable banking which is being practised in the Pakistani Banking Sector. A mixed methods approach using a survey with a sample size of (n = 250) and in-depth interviews of (n = 25) provides significant evidence for the research. SmartPLS4.0 was used for hypotheses testing and to ascertain the path coefficient association within the constructs. This research fills the gap in existing literature by testing and implying the mediating role of Stakeholders' Influence on the relationship between Green Banking Practices and the Bank's Performance. The results of the quantitative analysis show a positive association between variables, highlighting the role of stakeholders and their need to partake efficiently, in the countrywide execution of green banking. The qualitative analysis portrays that; green banking is currently the partial focus of the banking sector in the developing economy of Pakistan whereas, approaches like financing green projects, investments in renewable energy, in-house greening of the banking sector, and provision of easy lending facilities to encourage and support environmental initiatives are some commonly practised accomplishments of the banking sector.

Financial Resource Management Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes for Entry-level Physical Therapist Practice: A Survey of Physical Therapists in Ohio.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of physical therapists (PTs) regarding the importance of financial resource management (FRM) knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) for entry-level practice and investigate the roles of PT education programs (PTEPs), clinical education experiences (CEEs), and employers in addressing these KSAs. REVIEW OF LITERATURE: FRM KSAs have been identified as components of professionalism and leadership and, as such, are a required element in student PTs (SPTs) educational preparation. SUBJECTS: A purposive sampling of convenience strategy was employed by requesting a free mailing list for Ohio-licensed PTs. METHODS: An online survey was developed based on PT Clinical Performance Instrument Criterion #17, "Patient Management: Financial Resources," as this tool is frequently used to endorse entry-level status of SPTs. Potential participants were solicited through email. Mixed methodology was used to analyze survey results. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 266 PTs. FRM KSAs in legal and regulatory compliance were perceived as most important, followed by coding and billing. Forty-eight percent of participants indicated that FRM KSAs were "less important" (n = 111) or "considerably less important" (n = 17) than clinical care skills, whereas 39.8% (n = 106) believed that these skills are of the same level of importance. Ten themes were derived from qualitative responses regarding the FRM content that should be provided by PTEPs. Participants indicated that the role of PTEPs was to provide an introduction and foundation to FRM, whereas CEEs should facilitate intentional exposure and opportunities to apply FRM KSAs with supervision. Employers were expected to provide education regarding clinic-specific operations and reimbursement considerations, as well as mentorship that included reviewing complex billing for accuracy, offering guidance for improving time management skills, and discussing fiscal responsibilities to both the employer and patient. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This information may guide PTEPs and clinical personnel in providing focused meaningful instruction regarding FRM aspects of PT practice to SPTs and entry-level clinicians.

Does corporate governance and balance sheet feature influence the financial policy of cooperatives? PLS-SEM approach.

Effective financial policy minimizes business risk, increases the net present value of the Company's investment programs and increases value for shareholders. However, the impact hasn't yet been examined in the research area. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate, how corporate governance and balance sheet aspects affect the financial policy of cooperatives in south-western Ethiopia using the PLS-SEM model. Information covering three years from 2020 to 2022 was gathered from 145 cooperatives. The study used corporate governance and balance sheet features as the latent factors that affect the dependent variable cooperative financial policy measured by both short-term debt and long-term debt. Managerial characteristics were used as the control variables. The study discovered that corporate governance has negative and significant effect on the financial policy of cooperatives in southwest Ethiopia. The study also revealed that balance sheet features have significant and positive effect the financial policy of cooperatives in southwest Ethiopia. Additionally, managerial characteristics' have a significant impact on the financial policy and balance sheet features but have no impact on the corporate governance of cooperatives. The study concludes that the financial policy of cooperatives in southwest Ethiopia is significantly influenced by all aspects of corporate governance, balance sheet features, and management characteristics'. The study advises cooperatives to consider managerial characteristics', corporate governance, and balance sheet characteristics while establishing their financial policy.

What factors affecting investment decision? The moderating role of fintech self-efficacy.

This study aims to determine, from the perspective of investors, the factors that predict Islamic unit trust (IUT) investment intentions. Additionally, this paper examines the moderating effect of fintech self-efficacy (FSE) on the relationship between attitude and investment intention. A total of 392 data were collected from IUT investors in Malaysia and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that subjective norms have the highest impact on investment intention, followed by attitude and FSE, while religiosity is not significantly associated with investment intention in Islamic unit trust funds. Attitude significantly mediates religiosity-intention and Islamic financial literacy-intention relationships. FSE significantly moderates the attitude-intention relationship. The results shed light on the key factors that increase investing behavior and have direct managerial implications with regard to marketing strategies and target markets. These findings suggest that IUT service providers should take the lead in attracting customers through effective and targeted marketing initiatives, particularly by enhancing customers' FSE and capabilities. This study provides empirical evidence on the interrelationships between Islamic financial literacy, religiosity, and FSE in examining investors' behavior using the Theory of Planned Behavior framework. The study explores the moderating role of FSE on the relationship between attitude and investment intention.

[The financial activity of district hospitals of the Irkutsk general-governorship in the end of XIX century].

The article presents results of the study of archive sources and reference publications. The unknown facts of subsidization of district hospitals of the Irkutsk general-governorship, items and amount of current and supernumerary expenses and sources of financial allocations are revealed. The scope of financial accountability made up by directors and hospital supervisors, office and council of hospitals as well care of charge of patients is impressive. The concrete data concerning food allowance of employees and servants of civilian hospitals and provision of clothing and salaries is presented. The prices of bread, forage and goods permit to evaluate income level of physicians working in the Eastern Siberia. The role of the Department of Public Charity in financing of civil hospitals of the Irkutsk general-governorship in last third of the XIX century is revealed. The article uses terminology corresponding to analyzed time period.

Analyzing the impact of an MDG-Fund program on childhood malnutrition in Timor-Leste.

BACKGROUND: Timor-Leste's food insecurity, propelled by political conflicts, a fragile economy and biophysical limitations that characterize mountainous Small Island Developing States (SIDS), is expressed in a high incidence (50%) of stunted children. Hence, the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund's Joint Program's (MDG-F JP) in 2009 was a timely intervention to reduce prevalence of underweight among under-fives. Since the impact of the program remains largely unclear, the current study investigates the contributions of the MDG-F JP on improving children's nutritional status in Timor-Leste, in order to inform policymakers on how to make future programs more effective. METHODS: Using bivariate analyses and multiple linear regression models we analyzed Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from under-fives in 2009-2010 and 2016, combined with spatially explicit data from geographic information systems (GIS). The analyses generated trends and factors associated with undernutrition, which were used in a quasi-experimental setting to compare districts that received the MDG-F JP with similar districts that did not receive MDG-F JP interventions. RESULTS: A comprehensive set of factors dependent on seasons, locations, and individuals determine undernutrition in Timor-Leste. A positive impact of the MDG-F JP was found for the average severity of wasting, but not for stunting and underweight. CONCLUSIONS: The findings reinforce the pressing need for integrated and cross-sectoral programs, aimed especially at agricultural workers, mothers, and children. The agricultural challenge is to sustainably select, produce and conserve higher-yield and nutrient-rich crops, and educational enhancement should be aligned with local practices and research.

Examining inequalities in spatial access to national health insurance fund contracted facilities in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Kenya aims to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030 and has selected the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) as the 'vehicle' to drive the UHC agenda. While there is some progress in moving the country towards UHC, the availability and accessibility to NHIF-contracted facilities may be a barrier to equitable access to care. We estimated the spatial access to NHIF-contracted facilities in Kenya to provide information to advance the UHC agenda in Kenya. METHODS: We merged NHIF-contracted facility data to the geocoded inventory of health facilities in Kenya to assign facility geospatial locations. We combined this database with covariates data including road network, elevation, land use, and travel barriers. We estimated the proportion of the population living within 60- and 120-minute travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility at a 1-x1-kilometer spatial resolution nationally and at county levels using the WHO AccessMod tool. RESULTS: We included a total of 3,858 NHIF-contracted facilities. Nationally, 81.4% and 89.6% of the population lived within 60- and 120-minute travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility respectively. At the county level, the proportion of the population living within 1-hour of travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility ranged from as low as 28.1% in Wajir county to 100% in Nyamira and Kisii counties. Overall, only four counties (Kiambu, Kisii, Nairobi and Nyamira) had met the target of having 100% of their population living within 1-hour (60 min) travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility. On average, it takes 209, 210 and 216 min to travel to an NHIF-contracted facility, outpatient and inpatient facilities respectively. At the county level, travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility ranged from 10 min in Vihiga County to 333 min in Garissa. CONCLUSION: Our study offers evidence of the spatial access estimates to NHIF-contracted facilities in Kenya that can inform contracting decisions by the social health insurer, especially focussing on marginalised counties where more facilities need to be contracted. Besides, this evidence will be crucial as the country gears towards accelerating progress towards achieving UHC using social health insurance as the strategy to drive the UHC agenda in Kenya.

Are NHS cleft services in England ready for delegation to integrated care systems?

Cleft care services in the UK have been nationally funded since centralisation 25 years ago and during this time have been able to demonstrate improved clinical outcomes. Integrated care systems have been introduced into legislature as part of the Health Care Act of 2022 and will be responsible for the paradigm shift of allocating funds on a regional basis for cleft care services in England from 2024. The proposed population-based funding formulas present an opportunity to improve current inequities in cleft care, including access to speech therapy and adult services. However, the regional footprint of integrated care systems does not align with that of the centralised cleft service system and represents a threat to the standardised patient-centred care that has taken two decades to build. Awareness needs to be raised so that cleft care providers can proactively adapt to this mandatory change to service funding to ensure that clinical standards are maintained and continue to improve.

Understanding the role of the Tanzania national health insurance fund in improving service coverage and quality of care.

Health insurance is one of the main financing mechanisms currently being used in low and middle-income countries to improve access to quality services. Tanzania has been running its National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) since 2001 and has recently undergone significant reforms. However, there is limited attention to the causal mechanisms through which NHIF improves service coverage and quality of care. This paper aims to use a system dynamics (qualitative) approach to understand NHIF causal pathways and feedback loops for improving service coverage and quality of care at the primary healthcare level in Tanzania. We used qualitative interviews with 32 stakeholders from national, regional, district, and health facility levels conducted between May to July 2021. Based on the main findings and themes generated from the interviews, causal mechanisms, and feedback loops were created. The majority of feedback loops in the CLDs were reinforcing cycles for improving service coverage among beneficiaries and the quality of care by providers, with different external factors affecting these two actions. Our main feedback loop shows that the NHIF plays a crucial role in providing additional financial resources to facilities to purchase essential medical commodities to deliver care. However, this cycle is often interrupted by reimbursement delays. Additionally, beneficiaries' perception that lower-level facilities have poorer quality of care has reinforced care seeking at higher-levels. This has decreased lower level facilities' ability to benefit from the insurance and improve their capacity to deliver quality care. Another key finding was that the NHIF funding has resulted in better services for insured populations compared to the uninsured. To increase quality of care, the NHIF may benefit from improving its reimbursement administrative processes, increasing the capacity of lower levels of care to benefit from the insurance and appropriately incentivizing providers for continuity of care.

Does the South African government have a duty to fund influenza vaccination of adults 65 years and older?

In this paper, we draw on the thinking about solidarity, reciprocity and distributive justice grounded in Afro-communitarian ethics from the Global South to argue for institutions, particularly the South African (SA) government, have a prima facie duty to foster influenza vaccine uptake for adults 65 years and older. Although we focus specifically on the South African government to defend our position, we believe that our argument extends to all governments. Notably, these duties are that the SA government ought to make influenza vaccines freely available for the older adult in both the public and private health facilities, provided financial allocation and their extant relationships allow for this. Further, the SA government has a duty to improve influenza vaccine procurement and availability in the country, preferably through increasing manufacturing capabilities. This paper is intrinsically valuable to promote epistemic justice, thereby contributing toward the decolonization of the global healthcare system. Moreover, this project has social significance in contributing to mitigation efforts against future public health challenges associated with population aging in resource-limited developing African nations, wherein the impact of population transition will be felt most.

Efectividad de una aplicación de telerrehabilitación para tableta en pacientes con fractura de extremo distal del radio / Effectiveness of a tablet telerehabilitation application in patients with distal radius fracture

Introducción: Evaluar si, en pacientes con fractura de extremo distal del radio, los ejercicios domiciliarios realizados en una pantalla táctil de dispositivos tableta reducen el consumo de recursos presenciales y mejoran la recuperación clínica, comparado con el programa convencional de ejercicios domiciliarios prescrito en papel. Material y métodos: Ensayo clínico pragmático, multicéntrico, paralelo, de dos grupos y controlado, con evaluador cegado y análisis por intención de tratar. Reclutados cuarenta y seis pacientes con fractura de extremo distal del radio en dos hospitales del Sistema Sanitario Público de Andalucía (SSPA). Los participantes de los grupos experimental y control recibieron el mismo tratamiento de sesiones presenciales de fisioterapia. El grupo experimental recibió un programa de ejercicios domiciliario utilizando la aplicación para tableta ReHand y el grupo control recibió un programa de ejercicios domiciliario en papel. Variable principal: número de sesiones de fisioterapia registradas en la base de datos electrónica del SSPA. Variables secundarias: número de consultas de rehabilitación presenciales con un médico rehabilitador y variables clínicas como la funcionalidad, la fuerza de prensión, la destreza manual, el dolor y la amplitud de movimiento. Resultados: El grupo experimental necesitó menos sesiones de fisioterapia (DM: −16,94; IC del 95%: −32,5 a −1,38) y consultas de rehabilitación (DM: −1,7; IC del 95%: −3,39 a −0,02) en comparación con el grupo control. Conclusión: En pacientes con fractura de extremo distal del radio, la prescripción de ejercicios realizados en una pantalla táctil de dispositivos tipo tableta a través de ReHand redujo el número de sesiones de fisioterapia y de consultas de rehabilitación.(AU)

Introduction: To assess whether, in patients with distal radius fracture feedback-guided exercises performed on a tablet touchscreen reduce healthcare usage and improve clinical recovery, more than the conventional home exercise program prescribed on paper. Material and methods: A multicentre, parallel, two-group, pragmatic, controlled trial with assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis. Forty-six patients with distal radius fracture were recruited in Andalusian Public Health System. Participants in the experimental and control groups received the same in-patient physiotherapy sessions. Experimental group received a home exercise program using the ReHand tablet application and control group received an evidence-based home exercise program on paper. The primary outcome was the number of physiotherapy sessions tallied from hospitals data management system. Secondary outcomes included: the face-to-face rehabilitation consultations with a physiatrist, and clinical outcomes such as functional ability, grip strength, dexterity, pain intensity and range of motion. Results: The experimental group required fewer physiotherapy sessions (MD: −16.94; 95%CI: −32.5 to −1.38) and rehabilitation consultations (MD: −1.7; 95%CI: −3.39 to −0.02) compared to the control group. Conclusions: In patients with distal radius fracture, prescribing feedback-guided exercises performed on a tablet touchscreen provided by ReHand reduced number of physiotherapy sessions and rehabilitation consultations.(AU)

Statistical modelling of determinants of child stunting using secondary data and Bayesian networks: a UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Action Against Stunting Hub protocol paper.

INTRODUCTION: Several factors have been implicated in child stunting, but the precise determinants, mechanisms of action and causal pathways remain poorly understood. The objective of this study is to explore causal relationships between the various determinants of child stunting. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study will use data compiled from national health surveys in India, Indonesia and Senegal, and reviews of published evidence on determinants of child stunting. The data will be analysed using a causal Bayesian network (BN)-an approach suitable for modelling interdependent networks of causal relationships. The model's structure will be defined in a directed acyclic graph and illustrate causal relationship between the variables (determinants) and outcome (child stunting). Conditional probability distributions will be generated to show the strength of direct causality between variables and outcome. BN will provide evidence of the causal role of the various determinants of child stunning, identify evidence gaps and support in-depth interrogation of the evidence base. Furthermore, the method will support integration of expert opinion/assumptions, allowing for inclusion of the many factors implicated in child stunting. The development of the BN model and its outputs will represent an ideal opportunity for transdisciplinary research on the determinants of stunting. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Not applicable/no human participants included.

Cross-asset momentum and the hybrid fund transmission mechanism in China's stock and bond markets.

The allocation of assets across different markets is a crucial element of investment strategy. In this regard, stocks and bonds are two significant assets that form the backbone of multi-asset allocation. Among publicly offered funds (The publicly offered funds in China correspond to the mutual funds in the United States, with different names and details in terms of legal form and sales channels), the stock-bond hybrid fund gives investors a return while minimizing the risk through capital flow between the stock and bond markets. Our research on China's financial market data from 2006 to 2022 reveals a cross-asset momentum between the stock and bond markets. We find that the momentum in the stock market negatively influences the bond market's return, while the momentum in the bond market positively influences the stock market's return. Portfolios that exploit cross-asset momentum have excess returns that other asset pricing factors cannot explain. Our analysis reveals that hybrid funds play an intermediary role in the transmission mechanism of cross-asset momentum. We observe that the more flexible the asset allocation ratio of the fund, the more crucial the intermediary role played by the fund. Hence, encouraging the development of hybrid funds and relaxing restrictions on asset allocation ratios could improve liquidity and pricing efficiency. These findings have significant implications for investors seeking to optimize their asset allocation across different markets and for policymakers seeking to enhance the efficiency of China's financial market.

The impact of austerity on children: Uncovering effect heterogeneity by political, economic, and family factors in low- and middle-income countries.

Which children are most vulnerable when their government imposes austerity? Research tends to focus on either the political-economic level or the family level. Using a sample of nearly two million children in 67 countries, this study synthesizes theories from family sociology and political science to examine the heterogeneous effects on child poverty of economic shocks following the implementation of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. To discover effect heterogeneity, we apply machine learning to policy evaluation. We find that children's average probability of falling into poverty increases by 14 percentage points. We find substantial effect heterogeneity, with family wealth and governments' education spending as the two most important moderators. In contrast to studies that emphasize the vulnerability of low-income families, we find that middle-class children face an equally high risk of poverty. Our results show that synthesizing family and political factors yield deeper knowledge of how economic shocks affect children.

Green banking practices and environmental performance: navigating sustainability in banks.

The growing concerns about global climate change have thrust green banking and green finance into the forefront of discussions. The research suggests that green banking plays a pivotal role in advancing environmental sustainability. This study focuses on examining the profound impact of green banking practices on the environmental performance of banks, with a specific focus on both private and public sector banks operating in India through a survey involving 500 bank employees the study employed partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings highlight various aspects of green banking, encompassing employee-related practices, operational procedures, customer engagement, and policy adherence, and significantly contribute to the promotion of green finance, resulting in substantial positive effects. Moreover, the study underscores the substantial and positive influence of banks' green financing on their environmental performance. Interestingly, the operational features of green banking practices emerged as having a notable impact on banks' environmental performance, whereas aspects related to employees, policies, and customers did not directly and significantly influence environmental performance. The results of the study carry significant policy implications, especially for India's banking sector, in the pursuit of environmental sustainability.

Analysis of the health economics portfolio funded by the National Institutes of Health in response to published guidance.

Health services, economics, and outcomes research (referred to as health economics research hereinafter) is one of the interdisciplinary sciences that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports in order to pursue its overall mission to improve health. In 2015, NIH guidance was published to clarify the type of health economics research that NIH would continue to fund. This analysis aimed to determine if there were changes in the number of health economics applications received and funded by NIH after the release of the guidance. Health economics applications submitted to NIH both before and after publication of the guidance were identified using a machine learning approach with input from subject matter experts. Application and funding trends were examined by fiscal year, method of application (solicited vs. unsolicited), and activity code. This study found that application and funding rates of health economics research were decreasing prior to guidance. Following publication of this guidance, the application and funding rate of health economics applications increased.

Association of mobile device proficiency and subjective cognitive complaints with financial management ability among community-dwelling older adults: a population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Mobile devices have been used by many older adults and have the potential to assist individuals with subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) in daily living tasks. Financial management is one of the most complex daily activity for older adults, as it is easily impaired in the prodromal stage of dementia and cognitive impairment. AIM: To investigate financial management ability among older adults from SCCs and mobile device proficiency. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was sent to 529 participants who were ≥ 65 years and regularly use mobile devices. Participants were divided into four groups based on SCC prevalence and scores of the Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire (MDPQ-16). Financial management abilities were compared between groups using the Process Analysis of Daily Activities for Dementia subscale. Regression model and crosstabulation table were used to investigate associations in detail. RESULTS: A significant difference in financial management ability was observed among the four groups (p < 0.001), with the dual impairment group showed significantly lower than the robust and SCC groups (p < 0.001). Educational history, sex, and MDPQ-16 score were significantly associated with participants' financial management ability (p ≤ 0.01). The proportion of participants who could use ATMs and electronic money independently was significantly lower among those with low proficiency in mobile devices (LPM), regardless of SCC (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The LPM group showed an impaired ability to manage their finances, particularly in situations where they would use information devices. Therefore, healthcare professionals should assess not only the SCC but also their proficiency with mobile devices to predict their impairment in activities of daily living.