Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Valuation of Mortality Risk via the Instantaneous Sharpe Ratio: Applications to Life Annuities

We develop a theory for valuing non-diversifiable mortality risk in an incomplete market. We do this by assuming that the company issuing a mortality-contingent claim requires compensation for this risk in the form of a pre-specified instantaneous Sharpe ratio. We apply our method to value life annuities. One result of our paper is that the value of the life annuity is {\it identical} to the upper good deal bound of Cochrane and Sa\'{a}-Requejo (2000) and of Bj\"{o}rk and Slinko (2006) applied to our setting. A second result of our paper is that the value per contract solves a {\it linear} partial differential equation as the number of contracts approaches infinity. One can represent the limiting value as an expectation with respect to an equivalent martingale measure (as in Blanchet-Scalliet, El Karoui, and Martellini (2005)), and from this representation, one can interpret the instantaneous Sharpe ratio as an annuity market's price of mortality risk.
CpG island methylator phenotype is an independent predictor of survival benefit from 5-fluorouracil in stage III colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE The CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) is observed in approximately 30% of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases and is characterized by the concurrent methylation of multiple CpG islands in tumor DNA. This phenotype (CIMP+) is more frequently observed in tumors with proximal location, microsatellite instability, and normal p53. Because it has previously been observed that each of these features is associated with a good survival benefit from 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based adjuvant chemotherapy, we investigated in the present study whether CIMP+ has independent predictive value. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN CIMP+ status was evaluated in 103 stage III CRCs from patients treated with surgery alone and for an additional 103 cases from patients treated with surgery and adjuvant 5-FU-based chemotherapy. The two cohorts were randomly pair-matched for age, sex, and tumor site, and the median length of follow-up time was 39 months. RESULTS CIMP+ status predicted survival benefit from 5-FU treatment independently of microsatellite instability and p53 mutation status (relative risk = 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.06-0.84; P = 0.027). Unmeasured, high-risk confounding factors could only account for this association if they were unequally distributed between the two patient cohorts by a factor of at least 2-fold. CONCLUSIONS CIMP+ has independent predictive significance for the survival benefit from 5-FU chemotherapy in CRC. This molecular marker should be incorporated into prospective clinical trials of fluorouracil-based therapies to confirm its clinical value.
Analysis of glycero-lysophospholipids in gastric cancerous ascites[S]

Lysophosphatidic acid (LysoPA) has been proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of various cancers. Moreover, glycero-lysophospholipids (glycero-LysoPLs) other than LysoPA are now emerging as novel lipid mediators. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the possible involvement of glycero-LysoPLs in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer by measuring glycero-LysoPLs, autotaxin (ATX), and phosphatidylserine-specific phospholipase A1 (PS-PLA1) in ascites obtained from patients with gastric cancer and those with cirrhosis (as a control). We observed that after adjustments according to the albumin levels, the lysophosphatidylserine (LysoPS) and lysophosphatidylglycerol (LysoPG) levels were significantly higher, while the LysoPA and ATX levels were lower, in the ascites from patients with gastric cancer. We also found that multiple regression analyses revealed that ATX was selected as a significant explanatory factor for all the detectable LysoPA species only in the cirrhosis group and that a significant positive correlation was observed between LysoPS and PS-PLA1 only in the gastric cancer group. In conclusion, the LysoPA levels might be determined largely by LysoPC and LysoPI (possible precursors) and the PS-PLA1-mediated pathway might be involved in the production of LysoPS in gastric cancer. Glycero-LysoPLs other than LysoPA might also be involved in the pathogenesis of cancer directly or through being converted into LysoPA.
UBV stellar photometry of bright stars in GC M5 — I. UV colour-magnitude and colour-colour diagrams and some peculiarities in the HB stellar distribution

We present stellar photometry in the UBV passbands for the globular cluster M5 ≡ NGC 5904. The observations, taken from short-exposure photographic plates and CCD frames, were obtained in the Ritchey-Cretien (RC) focus of the 2-m telescope of the National Astronomy Observatory ‘Rozhen’. All stars in an annulus with radius 1r5.5 arcmin were measured. We show that the ultraviolet (UV) colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) describe different evolutionary stages in a better manner than the ‘classical’V, B−V diagram. We use HB stars, with known spectroscopic Teff to check the validity of the colour zero-point. A review of all known UV-bright star candidates in M5 is made and some of their parameters are catalogued. Six new stars of this kind are suspected on the basis of their position on the CMD. New assessment of the cluster reddening and metallicity is done using the U−B, B−V diagram. We find that [Fe/H]=−1.38, which confirms the Zinn & West value, contrasting with recent spectroscopic estimates. In an effort to clarify the question of the gap in the blue horizontal branch (BHB) stellar distribution and to investigate some other peculiarities, we use the relatively long-base colour index U−V. A comparison of the observed V, (U−V)0 distribution of horizontal branch (HB) stars with a canonical zero-age horizontal branch (ZAHB) model reveals that the hottest stars rise above the model line. This is similar to the ‘u-jump’ found in the Stromgren photometry. 18 BHB stars with (B−V)0∈[−0.02/0.18] are used to estimate their ultraviolet deficiency. It is shown that low-gravity (log g2) Kurucz's atmospheric models fit the observed distribution of these stars along the two-colour diagram well.
Brief report: disordered eating and psychosocial factors in adolescent females with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether insulin pump therapy [continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII)] is associated with a lower frequency of disordered eating, better glycemic control, and improved quality of life and self-efficacy compared to multiple daily injections (MDI) in adolescent females with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). METHODS This cross-sectional study included 22 adolescent females using CSII and 47 adolescent females using MDI who completed standardized questionnaires measuring disordered eating, quality of life, and self-efficacy. Most recent glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1(c)) and measures of personal characteristics were drawn from medical records. RESULTS The CSII group exhibited better glycemic control and reported higher quality of life and more self-efficacy. However, the groups did not differ significantly on disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. CONCLUSION Insulin pump therapy may provide a means for improving glycemic control, quality of life, and self-efficacy in adolescent females with type 1 diabetes.
Well Behaved Transition Systems

The well-quasi-ordering (i.e., a well-founded quasi-ordering such that all antichains are finite) that defines well-structured transition systems (WSTS) is shown not to be the weakest hypothesis that implies decidability of the coverability problem. We show coverability decidable for monotone transition systems that only require the absence of infinite antichains and call well behaved transitions systems (WBTS) the new strict superclass of the class of WSTS that arises. By contrast, we confirm that boundedness and termination are undecidable for WBTS under the usual hypotheses, and show that stronger monotonicity conditions can enforce decidability. Proofs are similar or even identical to existing proofs but the surprising message is that a hypothesis implicitely assumed minimal for twenty years in the theory of WSTS can meaningfully be relaxed, allowing more orderings to be handled in an abstract way.
CD44 and CD24 cannot act as cancer stem cell markers in human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are subpopulations of tumor cells that are responsible for tumor initiation, maintenance and metastasis. Recent studies suggested that lung cancer arises from CSCs. In this study, the expression of potential CSC markers in cell line A549 was evaluated. We applied flow cytometry to assess the expression of putative stem cell markers, including aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), CD24, CD44, CD133 and ABCG2. Cells were then sorted according to the expression of CD44 and CD24 markers by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) Aria II and characterized using their clonogenic and sphere-forming capacity. A549 cells expressed the CSC markers CD44 and CD24 at 68.16% and 54.46%, respectively. The expression of the putative CSC marker ALDH1 was 4.20%, whereas the expression of ABCG2 and CD133 was 0.93%. Double-positive CD44/133 populations were rare. CD44+/24+ and CD44+/CD24−/low subpopulations respectively exhibited 64% and 27.92% expression. The colony-forming potentials in the CD44+/CD24+ and CD44+/CD24−/low subpopulations were 84.37 ± 2.86% and 90 ± 3.06%, respectively, while the parental A549 cells yielded 56.65 ± 2.33% using the colony-formation assay. Both isolated subpopulations formed spheres in serumfree medium supplemented with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). CD44 and CD24 cannot be considered potential markers for isolating lung CSCs in cell line A549, but further investigation using in vivo assays is required.
Alcohol consumption, antisocial behavior and impulsivity in Spanish adolescents

The relationship between alcohol use and antisocial behaviour in teenagers has been widely reported in previous research. Our main aim was to evaluate this relationship, and also to study how impulsivity influences it. The instruments used were the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI), to evaluate alcohol consumption; the Scale of Antisocial and Criminal Behaviour in Teenagers, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, to assess these behaviors in the youth. The sampling method was non probabilistic and intentional, and the sample consisted of 212 teenagers aged between 12 and 18 years (Average=14.1, SD=1.48). The results showed that the variables which better predict anti-social behaviour in teenagers are alcohol consumption and cognitive impulsiveness. On the other hand, it was found that there are significant differences in antisocial behavior according to gender, but not in terms of alcohol consumption. Regarding age level, significant differences were found in alcohol consumption between all age levels, and in antisocial behavior are concentrated between early and medium adolescence, and between early and late adolescence. The possible implications of the link between alcohol consumption and crime by virtue of the results obtained are discussed.
Laboratory studies in comminution : Part VI The specific rate of breakage for rod and ball milling of quartz

The influence of feed size and pulp density on the specific rate of breakage of quartz was investigated. Plots of log fraction of feed remaining within the feed size interval against grinding time allowed the application of the first order grinding model to be examined. Substantial non-linearities were observed for all feed sizes due to environmental and material factors. For feed sizes above 1.3 mm, the specific rate of quartz breakage was higher with rod milling than ball milling, but below this size the reverse was true. Material that remained in the feed size interval after the initial grinding broke more slowly in subsequent grinding than the original feed material. Grinding media and time as well as feed size influenced the effects of pulp density on grinding. More dilute pulps (eg 50 per cent solids density by weight) were favoured for higher rates of breakage in rod milling but for ball milling, the optimum pulp density appeared to be 60 to 70 per cent solids by weight.
A faster algorithm for matching planar maps under the weak Fréchet distance

We consider the problem of matching a polygonal curve of complexity p with an arbitrary curve on an embedded planar graph of complexity q. With the large amount of GPS and location trace data that have become available in recent years, algorithms for such problems have become increasingly important. Direct applications include matching a GPS trace to a given roadmap and indirect applications including building and querying databases of polygonal curves. As problem sizes increase, improvements in asymptotic runtime may prove to be useful and we present an algorithm which solves the problem with respect to the weak Fréchet distance in O(pq) time, which is an asymptotic improvement. In the process of doing so, we also provide a more intuitive and practical approach for the recursive division procedure used in Henzinger et al.’s shortest path algorithm for planar graphs. Unlike previous approaches to minimize the asymptotic complexity of calculating the Fréchet distance, our method does not involve parametric search, and hence is also more practical to implement. ∗Computer Science Department, Stanford University, Palo Alto CA 94305.
The implicit cognitive perspective in acculturation

In this chapter, the conceptual basis for the use of the implicit cognition paradigm in the acculturation domain is discussed. In particular, it is argued that the process of acculturation occurs in conscious (explicit) modes, but also in non-conscious (implicit) modes. In addition, implicit cognitions derived from such non-conscious processes may play an important role in determining the acculturation and well-being outcomes. First, we note that most research in the acculturation domain has been conducted using survey-type measures, which may only reflect explicit processes in acculturation. We also note a developing trend in applying the implicit cognitive perspective in the study of acculturation, by specifically defining implicit psychological acculturation (Kim, Sarason, & Sarason, 2006), by showing how it may complement existing conceptual frameworks of acculturation (e.g. Berry, 2003), and demonstrating how it may provide data about the fundamental processes of acculturation which are not available to introspection. Furthermore, we speculate about changes in the pattern of explicit and implicit cognitions in reaction to contact with another culture by providing a working model of explicit and implicit culture acquisition. Second, we examine the burgeoning literature on acculturation using implicit measures on three key topics, namely, identity, parental relations, and intergroup relations. Through a brief review of extant research, we show support for our arguments, highlighting the necessity for the implicit cognitive perspective in acculturation research. In addition, we provide evidence that implicit measures have implications for both psychological and social acculturation, namely implicit psychological acculturation. Finally, the potential for future research in acculturation issues using the implicit cognition paradigm, and implications for organizations are discussed.
Internet Addiction Impacts on Time Management That Results in Poor Academic Performance

Internet addiction also called as "internet dependency" is a disorder related to excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations regarding computer use and internet access. Although the advantages of internet are undeniable, however, from the pathological perspective its excessive usage is creating disturbances not only in family and relationships but also in health, academics and memory recall in users. Nowadays, the adults between the ages of 18-29 are considered as the most preoccupied population with internet. To explore the relationship among internet addiction with time management, and its impact on students' academic performance, this article presents the results of the study that was conducted with the students of Sukkur IBA. The article aims to analyze the relationship among internet addiction and time management. It also analyses the impact of time management on students' academic performance when considering internet addiction as a covariant. At the end, the article analyze the gender differences among level of internet addiction, time management and academic performance. Chi square independency test, t test and one way ANOVA tests were performed to analyses the data. The results seems to prove that internet addiction and time management are depend and variance in one can cause variance in other. The results also reveal that students' ability of time management has a significant impact on their academic performance. Lastly, the results provide evidences that students' gender has no impact on overall study.
Subjective assessment of H.264-AVC video for low-bitrate multimedia messaging services

In this work we investigate the performance of the H.264/AVC video coding standard for low bit rate mobile multimedia messaging services (MMS). We focus on the appropriate selection of the quantization parameter and the temporal resolution. For this purpose, a psychovisual experiment has been designed. It is revealed that only limited set of parameter values is necessary to span almost the entire range of quality levels. In general quantization parameters of 34 frame rates of 10 fps and bit rates below 64 kbit/s are sufficient to provide good quality. Sports sequences ask for slightly higher frame rate, 15 fps is sufficient. To provide sufficient quality, quantization parameters below 40 and frame rates below 5 fps should definitely not be used.
Modeling of Causes of Sina Weibo Continuance Intention with Mediation of Gender Effects

Sina Weibo is a Twitter-like social networking site and one of the most popular microblogging services in China. This study aims to examine the factors that influence the intentions of users to continue using this site. This paper synthesizes the expectation confirmation model, constructs of habit and perceived critical mass, and the gender effect to construct a theoretical model to explain and predict these user intentions. The model is then tested via an online survey of 498 Sina Weibo users and partial least squares (PLS) modeling. The results indicate that the continuance intention of users is directly predicted by their perceived usefulness of the service (β = 0.299), their satisfaction (β = 0.208), and their habits (β = 0.389), which jointly explain 65.9% of the variance in intention. In addition to the effects of these predictors on the continuance intentions of Sina Weibo users, an assessment of the moderating effect of gender suggests that habit plays a more important role for females than for males in continuance intention, but perceived usefulness seems to be more important for males than for females. The implications of these findings are then discussed.
A Characterization of the Uniform Rule with Several Goods and Agents

We consider the problem of allocating infinitely divisible goods among agents. Especially, we focus on the case where there are several goods to be allocated, and agents have continuous, strictly convex and separable preferences. In this paper, we establish that the uniform rule is the only rule satisfying strategy-proofness, unanimity, symmetry, and nonbossiness.
LANDSAT 7 SCAN LINE CORRECTOR-OFF GAP-FILLED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

The Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) scan line corrector (SLC) failed on May 31, 2003, causing the scanning pattern to exhibit wedge-shaped scan-to-scan gaps. The ETM+ has continued to acquire data with the SLC powered off, leading to images that are missing approximately 22 percent of the normal scene area. To improve the utility of the SLC-off data, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed new products that use the data from multiple ETM+ scenes to provide complete ground coverage. These gap-filled products were developed and deployed in two phases. The gaps in the Phase I products are filled with data from imagery collected previously with a functional SLC (SLC-on). A single SLC-on scene provides complete coverage of the scan gaps, making the gapfilling procedure straightforward. Several radiometric adjustment techniques for matching the SLC-on fill scene to the SLC-off primary scene were evaluated for performance, processing speed, and ease of implementation. A simple local histogram matching method was adopted as a result of this evaluation. The Phase II products use data from multiple SLC-off scenes to fill the scan gaps with more recent data. Because the locations of the scan gaps are different for each SLC-off scene, the gap-filling process must account for scan gap interactions. The Phase II product development included a more comprehensive study of candidate radiometric adjustment techniques. This study showed that the histogram matching method used in Phase I, with minor refinements, provided the best overall performance and was adopted for Phase II as well.
THE ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE MASTERY AND SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS TO INCREASE THE SCIENTIFIC CREATIVITY

The purpose of this research is to know how big the role of mastery of knowledge and science process skills to improve scientific creativity, using C3PDR teaching model, that is teaching model that encourage and utilize knowledge mastery, science process skill, creative thinking technique and motivation to improve student's scientific creativity. The data used are the results of pre-test and post-test of: the mastery of knowledge, scientific process skills and scientific creativity, as a result of the implementation of the model conducted in the 2015/2016 learning year. The sample of this research is 160 students of 8th grade divided into 5 classes in two schools in Samarinda city. The magnitude of the role is expressed by the coefficient of determination (r2) and the probability value (p). Scores of the mastery of knowledge, scientific process skills and scientific creativity are grouped into 5 levels. Data were analyzed using Kendall Tau test b. The results showed: 1) mastery of knowledge plays a significant role to increase of scientific creativity by 30% indicated by the mode r2> 0.3 and p mode <0.0001, in the weak category, 2) the science process skills play a significant role of 20% indicated by the mode r2> 0.20 and p mode <0.0001, in the weak category. Mastery of knowledge that plays a role in scientific creativity is the mastery of knowledge more broadly and in more detail. The science process skills that plays a role in scientific creativity is of determining the variables. How the role of mastery of knowledge and skills of scientific processes in enhancing scientific creativity is discussed in this article.
Theories of Commitment, Altruism and Reciprocity: Evidence from Linear Public Goods Games

"Theories of commitment, altruism, and reciprocity have been invoked to explain and describe behavior in public goods and social dilemma situations. Commitment has been used to explain behaviors like water conservation and voting. Altruism has been applied to explain contributions to charities and intergenerational transfers and bequests. Reciprocity has been invoked to explain gift exchange and labor market decisions. This paper describes a set of experiments, which distinguish between these competing theories by testing their comparative statics predictions in a linear public goods setting. Results provide strong support for reciprocity theories over either theories of commitment or of altruism. " ("JEL" C9, D64, H41, C72) Copyright 2006 Western Economic Association International.