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Mobile Financial Services (MFS) has gained significant popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among marginalized and low-income, low-literate communities around the world. Such communities have not been traditionally considered while designing MFS services via smartphone apps or USSD services in featurephones. Financial constraints limit such end-users towards basic featurephones, where recent appstore support has made it possible to deploy app-based MFS solutions beyond USSD. This new featurephone platform is a relatively underexplored area in terms of addressing design issues related to aforementioned end-users while developing MFS solutions. Our work addresses this gap by presenting qualitative findings on barriers to technology access focused on MFS solutions in marginal communities. We present a prototype non-USSD, app-based solution on an appstore-supported featurephone platform designed via a human-centered approach. This work has the potential to increase the financial inclusivity of marginalized communities in cashless MFS transactions via low-cost, appstore-enabled featurephones. © 2023 ACM.
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Introduction: With two cycles of virtual residency interviews, we evaluated applicants' perceptions and behavior. Method(s): All 2021 and 2022 general surgery interviewees at our institution were surveyed. Analyses were conducted using chi-square and t-tests. Result(s): Cumulatively, 134 of 238 interviewees responded (56.3%). Respondents were 50.3% male, 83% white, and 27.2 years old (SD 2.9). Candidates applied to more programs due to interviews being virtual (61%), but this effect decreased in 2022 (38%, p=0.2). Similarly, they endorsed accepting more interviews (54% in 2021 and 45% in 2022, p=0.6) with a median of 17 interviews in 2021 and 15 in 2022 (p=0.18). 27.6% reported expanding their geographic reach. The advantages were consistently saving money (96%), saving time (50%), and avoiding COVID-19 (44%). Top limitations were the inability to observe interpersonal interactions (61.2%), increased difficulty comparing programs (58.2%) and less exposure to current residents and faculty (57.4%). In the 2022 cycle, 84.7% of candidates felt the common supplemental application was not worth their time because it did not improve their application. 95% of respondents 'signaled' their top five programs, from which 20% received no interview offers and only 3% received offers from all. Conclusion(s): Virtual interviews led applicants to expand their geographic range and increase the number of programs to which they applied;however, 2022 saw a dampening of this effect. Perceived limitations did not improve in 2022, and the supplemental application was not valued by applicants. The benefits of virtual interviews must be balanced against the intangible ability to observe program culture.
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Bitcoin has become quite known after the 2008 economic crisis and the COVID-19 health crisis. For some, these cryptocurrencies constitute rebellion against the existing system as governments encourage uncontrolled expansions in the money supply;for some others, it is a quick source of income. Undeniably, the volume of the crypto money market has grown considerably in recent years, regardless of the reasoning of the people who invest and trade in this field. At this point, one of the most important questions to be investigated is "what variables have caused the tremendous growth in the crypto money quantities in recent years?" This study tests the assumption that changes in cryptocurrencies are affected by changes in national currencies. Thus, the Bitcoin price is the dependent variable, and M1 monetary supply changes in the USA, European Union and Japanese economies are considered independent variables. The variables in this study were tested using the time-varying Granger causality method. The results obtained from this study confirm the philosophy of Bitcoin's emergence and the possibility that it can be a hedge against the inflationary effects of money, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
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PurposeThis study aims to discuss the consequences of trade-based money laundering (TBML) and informal remittance services on the sustainability of the position of balance of payments and net foreign assets of a small open economy.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a case study design using facts related to TBML and informal remittance services on the balance of payment and net foreign assets of Sri Lanka.FindingsThe contextual analysis reveals that the growth of the informal economy promotes informal remittance services in Sri Lanka. The policy decision to peg local currency to US dollars as a result of a shortage of foreign exchange had forced people to use informal channels for different purposes. The unclear and vague customer due diligence process of the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime also has forced people to use informal remittance services. Criminals especially drug traffickers have grabbed the promoted informal remittance services to transfer proceeds from Sri Lanka to overseas drug suppliers. On the other hand, systematic deficiencies in monitoring and regulation of movement of fund transfers and merchandise across borders provide opportunities for criminals to use different TBML techniques to transfer funds. These limitations force policymakers and regulators to think of developing a comprehensive payment ecosystem to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. Therefore, the global initiative is required to move towards a payment ecosystem from a recommendation-based AML/CFT regime to reduce global crimes.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was designed to discuss the implications of TBML and informal remittance services on the balance of payments and net foreign assets in a small open economy. The structure and size of the economy, the strength of the overall economy and the AML/CFT regime will play an important role in controlling criminal activities and combating money laundering of an economy;hence, the impact of TBML and informal remittance services will vary accordingly across the countriesOriginality/valueThis paper is an original work done by the authors, which discusses the implications of TBML and informal remittance services on the balance of payments and net foreign assets of an emerging market context.
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Aims: This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mothers or childbearing parents using ongoing, systematic screening of a representative Ontario sample. Method(s): An interrupted time series analysis was conducted on data captured in the Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) screening tool to determine effects of the pandemic on relationships, support, mental health, and related clinical outcomes at the time of postpartum discharge from hospital. The ability to parent or care for the baby/child and other psychosocial and behavioural outcomes were assessed. Result(s): The co-primary outcomes of inability to parent or care for the baby/child were infrequently observed in both the pre -pandemic (March 9, 2019-March 15, 2020) and initial pandemic periods (March 16, 2020-March 23, 2021) ((parent 209/63,006 (0.33%) to 177/56,117 (0.32%), care 537/62,955 (0.85%) to 324/56,086 (0.58%)). Changes following pandemic onset were not observed for either outcome although a significant (beta = 1.013, 95% CI 1.002-1.025, p = 0.02) increase in slope was observed for inability to parent (with questionable clinical significance). For secondary outcomes, worsening was only seen for complications during labour/delivery. Significant improvements were observed in the likelihood of being unable to identify a support person to assist with care, need of newcomer support, and concerns about money over time. Conclusion(s): Despite more complications during labour/delivery, there were no substantive changes in concerns about ability to parent or care for children. Adverse impacts of the pandemic may have been mitigated by accommodations for remote work and social safety net policies.Copyright © 2023
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Two major economic crises in the early twenty-first century have had a serious impact on monetary policy and CB independence. Disruption in financial intermediation and associated deflationary pressures caused by the global financial crisis of 2007–2009 and European financial crisis of 2010–2015 pushed central banks (CBs) in major currency areas towards adoption of unconventional monetary policy measures, including large-scale purchase of government bonds (quantitative easing). The same approach has been taken by CBs in response to the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 even if the characteristics of this crisis differ from the previous one. As a result of both crises, CBs have become major holders of government bonds and de facto – main creditors of governments. Against rapidly deteriorating fiscal balances, CBs have become hostages of fiscal policies, which compromises their independence. Risks to the CB independence also come from their additional mandates (beyond price stability) and populist political pressures.
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We estimate money demand functions for the UK, the Euro area and the US using Divisia monetary aggregates and investigate the extent to which the uncertainty caused by Brexit and Covid have affected these relationships. Our cointegrated VAR analysis shows that for all three economies Brexit and/or Covid have had some impact on the stability of money demand functions. We find that including a measure of stock market volatility in the money demand specifications helps re-establish stability of the models, particularly for the UK and the Euro area. We also explore the uncertainty and money demand relationship in the context of a Markov-switching model. We find that the effect of uncertainty on the demand for money is more pronounced during periods of heightened uncertainty. The findings of this study lend support to studies calling for Divisia aggregates to be given a more prominent role in policymaking, especially when interest rates are in the zero lower bound environment and are less informative about the stance of monetary policy.
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We examine shocks experienced by rural Nepali households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Households primarily experienced income and price shocks during a government-imposed lockdown. During this time, households managed to effectively protect consumption, and mostly relied on credit (26%), asset sales (10%) and savings (8%). Debt levels nearly doubled, with limited changes to savings. We then leverage a long-term randomized control trial (RCT) to assess whether beneficiaries of a livestock livelihood program are more resilient. Program beneficiaries are 6 percentage points less likely to take out new loans.
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Existing literature on spillovers and connectedness between Islamic and conventional financial markets overlooked the fundamental role played by money markets in volatility spillovers and risk transmission across markets. That being so, this paper aims at investigating the dynamic co-movements and volatility spillovers across Islamic and conventional financial markets in a dual financial system over the period from January 3, 2007 to June 30, 2021. To this end, the DECO-GJR-GARCH model and the volatility spillover approach were applied. Furthermore, the ARDL model was utilised to explore the key determinants of co-movements and risk transmission across Islamic and conventional financial markets. This not only allowed us to study the interconnectedness and volatility spillovers between financial sectors under different market conditions but also enabled us to highlight the key role played by the money markets. Empirical results show that markets have significant responses to any new relevant information. While both conventional stock and money market are the main transmitters of shocks to other markets, the Islamic money market is a net recipient. Furthermore, the volatility spillovers across conventional and Islamic financial markets became stronger during the COVID-19 epidemic. The study also finds that global uncertainties have a significant and negative impact on the dynamic co-movements, but not on volatility connectedness among the underlying markets. These findings have important implications for many stakeholders including portfolio managers, investors, and policymakers in terms of diversifying their portfolios and enhancement of financial stability during times of black swan events and negative shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to offer a conceptual model that bridges gaps in the current research by combining constructs from the health belief model (HBM) and theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Furthermore, the researchers applied the constructed model to analyse the determinants of workers' intentions to use e-wallet payment options for business transactions rather than physical currency during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the paper examines whether there are any significant variations in the usage intentions of Ghanaian workers in the formal and informal sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The non-probability convenience sampling technique was used to compile the primary respondents among Ghanaian users of e-wallets. Based on constructs derived from the HBM and TPB, an online survey involving the use of a questionnaire was administered to collect quantitative data from 285 formal and informal sector workers in Ghana. Data collected was analysed using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling approach involving the measurement, structural model tests, hypothesis tests and multi-group analysis (MGA) tests. Findings: This study reveals that workers' attitudes, subjective norms and perceived susceptibility as the main determinants of intentions to use e-wallets, as the analysis of data lends support to hypotheses involving these constructs. Perceived behavioural control was however not supported by the data analysis as a determinant of workers' intention. Finally, there were no significant differences between e-wallet usage intentions of formal and informal sector workers in Ghana. Research limitations/implications: Given the ongoing pandemic, the study recommends that governments of emerging economies should formulate policies that promote the use of e-wallets, to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and at the same time contribute to the quest for a cashless economy. However, the results of the study are only based on data collected from workers in Ghana. Therefore, practitioners should apply the recommendations with discretion and make modifications where necessary. The results of the study also provide evidence from the context of a developing country that can support future academic pursuits. Practical implications: This study provides evidence that influences practitioners' decisions and practices regarding the design and implementation of e-wallet services and innovations among workers in the formal and informal sectors of the economy. Originality/value: This study provides useful business insights to user acquisition managers, marketing managers and business development managers during the formulation of policies, strategies and approaches for their mobile wallet subscriber base. Moreover, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is one of the first to apply the constructs of the HBM (mainly applied in health research) to the study of workers' intentions to use e-wallets. It, therefore, makes a significant contribution to the existing literature by examining the combined effects of the constructs of the HBM and the TPB on workers' intention to use e-wallets. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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In January, a federal audit found that EcoHealth had misreported nearly $90,000 in expenses for several grants dating to 2014 and that NIH had erred by not justifying its termination (later changed to a suspension) of the 2019 grant. Three years after then-President Donald Trump pressured the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to shut down a research grant to a group studying how bat coronaviruses jump to people, the agency has restarted the award. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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COVID-19 pandemic has caused havoc worldwide. India is also facing challenging circumstances as the figure of infected/positive cases is rising day by day. This study deals with the development of education: Post COVID-19. This paper will help to understand "Digital Education: Opportunities and Threats". The Corona virus has exposed emerging vulnerabilities in learning systems all over the world. A lot of relevant literature was explored to confine the essence of continued learning during these exceptional times. Educational organizations all over the world are moving towards online/Digital learning. This paper also proposes digital education as an urgent need in this lock downs times and social distancing due to COVID-19 pandemic. It also provides a powerful stage for further research. The use of digital technology in education is experiencing a tremendous boom in education sector with cost effectiveness. Although it is unclear whether technology will plug all of the holes in the Indian Education system but it seems that technology is playing a major role in education interventions. Due to advancements in technology, accessibility of low-priced laptops/mobiles, wireless equipments, and related communications setups signs both opportunities and challenges for learning organizations and their faculty and students. Digital Education has potential that can produce knowledge workers. The government has analyzed that ICT sector has important role in education due to that many programmes such as NEOR, NMEICT, NKN, Eklavya, NPTEL, and NROER has been launched. Digital Education has bring success in the field of education but still there area number of challenges in most of Indian institutes like shortage of quality teachers, deprived quality of research, and deprived quality of training etc. Digital Education is overall very beneficial for the students of country like India.Copyright © 2020 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.
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Despite the challenges, remittances frequently remain a primary source of economic support for those left behind, as well as for national development of post-conflict countries. [...]situations in the wake of recent conflicts are known for heightened remittance flows.3 As a large share of the remittance flows in conflict settings occurs through informal channels, the importance of remittances in these economies has often been underestimated. A focus on broader settings that can provide security, justice, and economic sustenance to individuals and communities affected by the crisis has been reflected in the human security approach6 to post-conflict7 development.8 Remittances can be central to fighting poverty—by diversifying household income sources, providing capital for productive investment and facilitating local markets, and funding education, health, and other social expenses.9 Remittances can contribute to post-conflict recovery in the long term. "20 Horst has shown that among the Somali diaspora in Norway, most political engagements do not occur through state institutions but take place on sub-national levels, including individual and group money transfers and certain humanitarian initiatives.21 Somali diaspora members mediate with clan leaders and elders who can contribute to reconciliation processes through customary mechanisms such as compensatory payments, but as noted above, such involvement can also sustain continued warfare.22 While the role of diaspora in post-conflict reconstruction efforts can be significant, diaspora can also remain an "under-utilized resource" whose strong emotional connection to their home country is offset by unstable institutional environments.23 Weak formal institutions and regulatory frameworks may offer little systematic support for entrepreneurship development, which is constrained by high transaction and compliance costs. Informal institutions and cultural attitudes remain important in the post-conflict assimilation of returning migrants who bring with them beliefs and understandings from their countries of settlement, resulting in hybrid norms and institutions.24 Many forcibly displaced and returning migrants may also lack properly transferable professional skills.25 The transfer of social and political remittances does not always signify "diffusion of democracy"—the effects of returning migrants to democratization depend on their experience of political mobilization as migrant workers, as well as on the status of democratic values in the political order of the host country, among other factors.26 Changing perspectives on conflict-affected remittances Remittances became central in the migration scholarship only in the 1990s, when the analytical focus shifted from migration as a result of [End Page 44] decision-making of rational individuals towards a more nuanced view of the role of households, social networks, and community in migration processes.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented in many ways, but perhaps no more so than in the sudden expansion of—and increase in—unemployment assistance benefits. We ask how precarious workers, many of whom were "hustling” for money or engaged in creative fields, feel about making more on unemployment. How are they using the funds? We draw on remote interviews and online surveys with 199 gig and precarious workers in New York City during the first wave of the pandemic. We find that workers are ambivalent about unemployment assistance and concerned that a financial influx today portends a shortage tomorrow. This "specter of the unknown” affected workers' use of their benefits. As a result, even though the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act was intended to mitigate the social and economic impact of the pandemic, these programs—despite being helpful—may have also contributed to precarious workers becoming even more certain of their insecurity.
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PurposeMobile-based payment is increasing exponentially but in the developing country like India, consumers' perception is highly positive in daily cash transaction. The purpose of this research is to identify and examine the important challenges for mobile wallet (m-wallet) implementation in India. In the wake of COVID-19, one of the transmission mechanisms of this virus has been the coins and paper money passed between a buyer and a seller. As such m-wallet considered as a convenience of payment has become a necessity in light of the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe authors explored 19 unique sets of challenges selected from the literature and collected data from 14 experts from private sector, multinational corporations and mixed private and public partnership who have significant knowledge and experience of mobile payment implementation and use in their respective organisations. Also, the authors have used Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology in developing a hierarchal model for the identified challenges. The authors implemented Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis to classify the identified challenges.FindingsThe ISM-based framework is divided into nine different hierarchical levels. "Lack of strong regulatory compliance (Ch6)” has been recognised as the most important challenge, which inhibited the mobile wallet implementation, whereas "Perception of customers about the value of using mobile wallets (Ch11)” is the most dependent critical challenge. There are seven hierarchical layers in between the top and the bottom level with the varied number of challenges based on their driving and dependence power.Originality/valueThis is the first research to the best of our knowledge that has not only comprehensively reviewed the m-wallet literature but also employed a unique ISM-MICMAC-based approach to develop a framework of challenges for the m-wallet implementation.
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Hypertension (HTN) is the strongest modifiable risk factor for CVD that is disproportionately higher in racial/ethnic groups, e.g., Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians have over a 50% prevalence of HTN (i.e., systolic blood pressure (SBP) of =130mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of =80mmHg), placing them at higher risk for CVD. Behavioral/biological risk factors (e.g., BMI, diet, physical activity) are often the focus of epidemiological and intervention research;yet, socioeconomic factors, such as food insecurity, also affect blood pressure.The purpose of this study is to examine the association between food insecurity and SBP and DBP in Native Hawaiians communities, controlling for demographics and behavioral/biological risk factors.Participants in this 2020, cross-sectional study (N = 125) were from six, predominantly Native Hawaiian communities across Hawai'i. Demographic variables included age, sex, education, and race/ethnicity. Potential confounding variables were leisure-time physical activity, daily servings of processed meat, daily servings of red meat, daily servings of fruit and vegetables, resilience, BMI, use of HTN medication, and COVID-19 related mental health. To assess food insecurity participants were asked to indicate how often money for food runs out by the end of the month on a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater frequency. SBP and DBP were measured according to a standardized protocol. All confounding variables with a significant bivariate correlation with SBP or DBP were entered into the respective multiple regression model.Participants were predominantly female (73, 58.4%), had some college or were college graduates (73, 58.4%), a mean age of 39.2yrs (SD=9.9) and mean BMI of 31.6 (SD=8.7). Mean SBP and DBP were in the normotensive range, 122.9+/-17.5 and 79.5+/-11.9, respectively. Female sex (beta=-9.9, SE=2.6, p<0.001), daily servings of fruit and vegetables (beta=-2.35, SE=1.04, p=0.026), BMI (beta=0.76, SE=0.16, p<0.001), use of HTN medication (beta=14.01, SE=4.90, p=0.005), and food insecurity (beta=2.09, SE=0.95, p=0.030) were associated with SBP (R2=0.40, SE=14.05, p<0.001). Male sex, fewer daily servings of fruit and vegetables, greater BMI, use of HTN medication, and more food insecurity were significantly associated with higher DBP. Female sex (beta=-5.03, SE=1.90, p=0.009), BMI (beta=0.51, SE=0.12, p<0.001), and food insecurity (beta=1.36, SE=0.69, p=0.05) were associated with DBP (R2=0.31, SE=10.18, p<0.001). Male sex, greater BMI, and more food insecurity were significantly associated with higher DBP.After controlling for potential confounders, food insecurity retains a significant, independent association with both SBP and DBP such that a greater frequency of food insecurity was related to higher SBP and DBP. This provides additional evidence for the idea that food insecurity may directly impact CVD risk.
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INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic initiated rapid widespread utilization of telemedicine affecting all health care providers, including those in pediatric urology. Understanding the factors of patient and parent satisfaction can aid in health care delivery. The aim of this study was to identify key indicators of patient and parent satisfaction with pediatric urology telemedicine visits. METHOD(S): We conducted a prospective cross-sectional survey of all patients evaluated with a telehealth visit from October 2021 - April 2022. We included all consecutive patients aged 0-18 years who received an outpatient pediatric urology telehealth visit. All patients received an 8-question patient/parent reported outcome (PRO) survey via email within 30 days of the visit, including 5 satisfaction questions regarding various aspects of telemedicine rated on a scale of 1-5. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson correlation, Mann- Whitney U, and Chi Squared tests, with p<0.05 considered significant. RESULT(S): A total of 1213 patients completed a telehealth visit, of which 83 (7%) completed the PRO survey. Visit type included 40 (48%) post-operative, 29 (35%) follow-up, and 14 (17%) new consults. From the survey responses, 84% reported time savings, 31% reported money savings, 30% avoided time away from work, and 27% of children avoided missing school. No technical issues were experienced in 86% of the visits. Satisfaction with telehealth was highest for the post-operative patient, 4.8/5 after orchiopexy and 4.4/5 after circumcision. Patients saved a median travel distance of 22 miles [IQR: 15-41]. Patients living farther than 22 miles had higher satisfaction scores in terms of simplicity and preference to in-person visits compared to those who lived closer (p=0.019). Patients living in zip codes below the median household income had significantly higher satisfaction scores (p =0.032). Patients with public health insurance had significantly higher overall satisfaction scores compared to those with private health insurance (p=0.022). There was no difference in satisfaction based on parent age or whether the patient was evaluated for a new, follow-up, or post-operative video visit. CONCLUSION(S): Children and their caregivers were satisfied with pediatric urology telehealth visits when seen as a new, follow-up, or post-operative patient. Indicators for satisfaction may include long travel distance to the clinic, lower than median household income zip codes, and public health insurance. Appropriate use of telehealth may provide better access to care and optimize healthcare delivery.
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Purpose of Study: We hypothesize that patient and parent satisfaction of telemedicine is influenced by patient key indicators. By delineating these key indicators, we can strategically utilize video visits in a way that maximizes patient satisfaction, while maintaining high quality care. The aim of this study is to reveal which key indicators are predictive of patient and parent satisfaction with video visits. Methods Used: We performed a retrospective review of all patients and parents who were evaluated via video visit for Loma Linda University Pediatric Urology from October 2021 - April 2022. All patients received an 8-question validated satisfaction survey via email within 30 days of the visit. Patient demographics, clinical data, and survey responses were collected. We analyzed all patients who completed a telemedicine visit and the post-visit survey. Exclusion criteria included incomplete survey responses. Primary outcomes include high satisfaction scores on survey questions. Univariate analysis was conducted for indicators of patient and parent satisfaction using Pearson correlation, Mann-Whitney U, and Chi Squared, with clinical significance defined as p value < 0.05 using SPSS. Summary of Results: A total of 1213 patients had video visits from October 2021 - April 2022. Of those who completed a video visit, 83 patients (7%) completed the satisfaction survey. Of those who completed the survey, 40 (48%) were post-operative visits, 29 (35%) were follow-up visits, and 14 (17%) were new visits. Families said telemedicine saved them time (84%), saved them money (31%), allowed them to avoid time away from work (30%), allowed their child to avoid missing school (27%), and that they did not experience any technical issues (86%). Mean overall satisfaction score (1-5) was 4.36 for post-op circumcision patients and 4.80 for post-op orchiopexy patients. Median travel distance saved by performing a video visit was 22 miles (IQR 15 - 41 miles). Compared to those who lived closer, patients who lived farther than 22 miles from the clinic had significantly higher satisfaction scores for Q3 (p < 0.019) and Q4 (p < 0.049) [reference Table]. Compared to higher household incomes based on zip code, patients with lower than median household income of $64,384 had significantly higher satisfaction scores for Q1 (p < 0.032), Q3 (p < 0.039), and Q4 (p < 0.040). Patients with public insurance had significantly higher satisfaction scores compared to those with private insurance for Q1 (4.68 vs 4.15, p < 0.022), Q2 (4.90 vs 4.64, p < 0.018), and Q3 (4.82 vs 4.58, p < 0.050). Median parent age was 40 (IQR 32.4 - 42.2 years). There was no difference in satisfaction based on visit type or parent age. Conclusion(s): Overall, patients and parents in pediatric urology are satisfied with video visits across visit type and diagnosis. Patients who live farther away from the office, live in zip codes with lower median household incomes, or have public insurance seem to be more satisfied with video visits. (Table Presented).
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Women, the rural poor, young people, and other vulnerable groups should not have to bear the brunt of the pandemic's socio-economic implications.6 First introduced in Kenya in 2007, the digital payment service "M-Pesa" has grown rapidly, becoming the most common mode of payment for goods and services in the East African region.7 Basking in the service's success facilitating payment transactions, Kenya has risen to the top of regional rankings in both the supply of mobile money services and bank account ownership (Figure 1). According to the 2017 Findex Report, the global trend of bank account ownership in middle to low-income countries stood at 63 percent in 2017. [End Page 79] smartphones and digital literacy are associated with poverty and are the main barriers to getting online.14 According to Research ICT Africa's Retail Africa Mobile Pricing (RAMP) Index, price is another barrier, since data is still quite expensive in many African countries.15 Financial inclusion during COVID-19 According to an International Finance Institution (IFC) study of thirteen countries in sub-Saharan Africa, women-owned micro, small, and medium-sized firms (MSMEs) were most adversely affected by COVID-19, due to their smaller size and high concentration of ownership.16 Many of these female owners indicated that their companies had lost more than half of their revenues and that they had experienced an increase in the cost of their operations due to the pandemic. According to the Research ICT Africa's phone survey,19 58 percent of those who received the facility were individuals and women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (WOSME).20 This demonstrates that women, particularly those working in the
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The cryptocurrency market has been growing rapidly in recent years. The volume of transactions and the number of participants in the cryptocurrency market makes it huge enough that we cannot ignore it. At the same time, the global stock market has also reached a new height in the past two years. However, due to the COVID epidemic and other political and economic-related factors in the last two years, the uncertainty in the capital market remains high, and short-term large fluctuations occur frequently;thus, many investors have suffered substantial losses. Pairs trading, an advanced statistical arbitrage method, is believed to hedge the risk and profit off the market regardless of market condition. Amongst the vast literature on pairs trading, there have been investors trading a pair of cryptocurrencies or a pair of stocks using machine learning or empirical methods. This research probes the boundary of utilizing machine learning methods to do pairs trading with one stock asset and another cryptocurrency. Briefly, we built an assets pool with both stocks and cryptocurrencies to find the best trading pair. In addition, we applied mainstream machine learning models to the trading strategy. We finally evaluated the accuracy of the proposed method in prediction and compared their returns based on the actual U.S. Stock and Cryptocurrency Market data. The test results show that our method outperforms other state-of-the-art methods. © 2022 IEEE.