Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The British Lookback Option with Fixed Strike

Abstract We continue research of the new type of options called ‘British’ that was introduced recently by presenting the British lookback option with fixed strike. This article generalizes the work about the British Russian option and provides financial analysis of lookback options with fixed non-zero strike. The British holder enjoys the early exercise feature of American options whereupon his pay-off (deliverable immediately) is the ‘best prediction’ of the European lookback pay-off under the hypothesis that the true drift of the stock price equals a contract drift. We derive a closed-form expression for the arbitrage-free price in terms of the optimal stopping boundary of two-dimensional optimal stopping problem with a scaling strike and show that the rational exercise boundary of the option can be characterized via the unique solution to a nonlinear integral equation. We also show the remarkable numerical example where the rational exercise boundary exhibits a discontinuity. Using these results, we perform a financial analysis of the British lookback option with fixed strike, which shows that with the contract drift properly selected this instrument not only provides an effective protection mechanism, but becomes a very attractive alternative to the classic European/American lookback option from speculator’s point of view and gives high returns when stock movements are favourable.
The new strategic leadership: Driving change. getting results!

The provocative theme of this year's Planning Forum conference was: “The New Strategic Leadership: Driving Change, Getting Results! ” Leadership may be the only management concept that has received more attention lately — by business writers, as well as practitioners — than strategy. But there's little consensus on what strategic leadership is and how it should best be facilitated.
Neoliberalism and the decline of the developmental state

Abstract Since the 1980s, the Korean state has witnessed significant challenges from big business (chaebol) as well as from organized labor and popular sector. Regime transition has influenced the social and political relations between the state and big business. Thus the central argument is therefore that the developmental state has gradually eroded as the power and capability of the developmental state was increasingly affected by economic liberalization and political democratization. At the same time the state and big business are increasingly connected within more institutionalized networks. The argument will be advanced that the traditional relationship between the state and big business, which was characterized as one of state domination and the subordination of big business, has been changing more radically than the statist analysts presumed.
Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)-associated Degradation of T Cell Receptor Subunits

Degradation of proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum is fundamental to quality control within the secretory pathway, serves as a way of regulating levels of crucial proteins, and is utilized by viruses to enhance pathogenesis. In yeast two ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s), UBC6p and UBC7p are implicated in this process. We now report the characterization of murine homologs of these E2s. MmUBC6 is an integral membrane protein that is anchored via its hydrophobic C-terminal tail to the endoplasmic reticulum. MmUBC7, which is not an integral membrane protein, shows significant endoplasmic reticulum colocalization with MmUBC6. Overexpression of catalytically inactive MmUBC7 significantly delayed degradation from the endoplasmic reticulum of two T cell antigen receptor subunits, α and CD3-δ, and suggests a role for the ubiquitin conjugating system at the initiation of retrograde movement from the endoplasmic reticulum. These findings also implicate, for the first time, a specific E2 in degradation from the endoplasmic reticulum in mammalian cells.
Reduced dimension weighted measurement fusion Kalman filtering algorithm

For the multisensor linear discrete time-invariant systems with correlated measurement noises and with different measurement matrices, based on the linear unbiased minimum variance criterion, a weighted measurement fusion Kalman filtering algorithm is presented. It is identical to that obtained by the Weighted Least Squares(WLS) method, and is numerically identical to the centralized fusion Kalman filtering algorithm, so that it has the global optimality. The optimal weights are given by the Lagrange multiplier method, but its computation burden is large. In order to reduce the computational burden, a reduced dimension weighted measurement fusion Kalman filtering algorithm is derived, which avoids the Lagrange multiplier method, and can significantly reduced the computational burden. The comparison of computational count between two algorithms is given. A simulation example shows effectiveness and correctness of the proposed algorithm.
Development and characterization of a whole-cell bioluminescent sensor for bioavailable middle-chain alkanes in contaminated groundwater samples

A microbial whole-cell biosensor was developed, and its potential to measure water-dissolved concentrations of middle-chain-length alkanes and some related compounds by bioluminescence was characterized. The biosensor strain Escherichia coli DH5 alpha(pGEc74, pJAMA7) carried the regulatory gene alkS from Pseudomonas oleovorans and a transcriptional fusion of PalkB from the same strain with the promoterless luciferase luxAB genes from Vibrio harveyi on two separately introduced plasmids. In standardized assays, the biosensor cells were readily inducible with octane, a typical inducer of the alk system. Light emission after induction periods of more than 15 min correlated well with octane concentration. In well-defined aqueous samples, there was a linear relationship between light output and octane concentrations between 24 and 100 nM. The biosensor responded to middle-chain-length alkanes but not to alicyclic or aromatic compounds. In order to test its applicability for analyzing environmentally relevant samples, the biosensor was used to detect the bioavailable concentration of alkanes in heating oil-contaminated groundwater samples. By the extrapolation of calibrated light output data to low octane concentrations with a hyperbolic function, a total inducer concentration of about 3 nM in octane equivalents was estimated. The whole-cell biosensor tended to underestimate the alkane concentration in the groundwater samples by about 25%, possibly because of the presence of unknown inhibitors. This was corrected for by spiking the samples with a known amount of an octane standard. Biosensor measurements of alkane concentrations were further verified by comparing them with the results of chemical analyses.
Internet Addiction and Mental Health Status of Adolescents in Croatia and Germany.

BACKGROUND The research examines the influence of internet addiction of adolescents in Croatia and Germany and its impact on the subjective feeling of health status. The purpose of this paper is also to give insight into how the Internet addiction which is a risky health behavior affects the health status of adolescents. The excessive use of Internet is linked with the lower health status of Croatian adolescents as well as of the adolescents in Germany. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Respondents are defined as students who attend school regularly ages 11-18. The modified SF-36 questionnaire and IAT for Internet addiction were used. RESULTS The Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated -0.23 with N=459 and p<0.001. Accordingly, the correlation between health quality and Internet addiction is negative but statistically significant (p<0.001). CONCLUSION There is a strong correlation between adolescents' mental health and quality of life and the level of their Internet addiction. Out of the total number of adolescents in ill-health, 39% of them are moderately or severely addicted to the Internet. 20% out of the total number of adolescents in medium health is moderate of severely addicted to the Internet. Finally, out of the total number of adolescents in good health 13% has been moderate of highly addicted to the Internet. Therefore, the better the adolescents' health, the fewer the Internet addicts. And vice versa, the worse the health, the more the Internet addicts.
Retrospective audit of patients treated for MDR-TB in re-treatment category.

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of our modified anti-tuberculosis regimen in adult patients with multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the re-treatment category. METHODS Retrospective chart review of 176 patients in re-treatment category with diagnosis of MDR-TB from 1st Jan 1993 to 31st Dec 2002 managed at the Department of Pulmonology Military Hospital Rawalpindi, Pakistan. All the patients were given four standard first line anti-TB drugs along with any two second line drugs out of Ofloxacin/Ciprofloxacin/Levofloxacin, Amikacin, or Clarithromycin and treatment was modified after availability of drug susceptibility testing (DST). RESULTS Seventy-two percent of the patients were young men with mean age of 32.28 +/- 8.7 yrs, 53.4% had moderately advanced while nearly 30% had extensive disease. One-third cases had contact with a patient of pulmonary tuberculosis out of which one fifth had contact with a MDR-TB patient. Mean duration of diagnosis of tuberculosis before therapy was 41.11 +/- 14.32 months and 70% of the cases had received at least 2 prior anti-TB regimens. They had received a median of four anti-TB drugs in past and were infected with organisms that were resistant to a median of 3 first line anti-TB drugs. Resistance to Ethambutol and PZA was about 18% and 11% respectively. A median of six anti-TB drugs was used while mean duration of therapy was 22.17 +/- 2.17 months. Bacteriological cure was achieved in about 90% cases while radiological response was documented in nearly 78%. CONCLUSION Modified initial management strategy followed by DST guided therapy has yielded excellent results and needs to be assessed in further trials for wider application.
Neurodegeneration-associated TDP-43 Interacts with Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP)/Staufen (STAU1) and Regulates SIRT1 Expression in Neuronal Cells*

Background: TDP-43 is a major pathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases. Results: TDP-43 interacts with FMRP/STAU1 and binds to the 3′-UTR of SIRT1 mRNA to promote its stability. Conclusion: TDP-43, FMRP, and STAU1 form a functionally coordinated complex to regulate the expression of SIRT1. Significance: Adding to our understanding of the mechanistic role of TDP-43 in neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the identification of the 43 kDa transactive response DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) as a major pathological signatory protein in a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases, the mechanistic role of TDP-43 in neurodegenerative disorders is still poorly understood. Here, we report that TDP-43 is physically associated with fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) and Staufen (STAU1) to form a functional complex. Differential microarray analysis revealed that the expression of a collection of functionally important genes including Sirtuin (SIRT1) is regulated by this complex. RNA-immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull-down assays demonstrated that TDP-43/FMRP/STAU1 specifically binds to the 3′-UTR of SIRT1 mRNA, and that knockdown the expression of any one of these three proteins resulted in the reduction of SIRT1 mRNA and protein. SIRT1 is implicated in double-stranded DNA break repair and is required for cell survival. Indeed, depletion of TDP-43/FMRP/STAU1 sensitizes cells to apoptosis and DNA damages. Collectively, our results revealed a molecular mechanism for the cellular function of TDP-43 and might shed new light on the understanding of the mechanistic role of TDP-43 in neurodegenerative diseases.
Spatial economics of biological control: investing in new releases of insects for earlier limitation of Paterson's curse in Australia

Paterson's curse and related weeds (Echiurn spp.) were introduced as garden flowers before 1850 and have spread to over 30 million ha in southern Australia. Four hundred successful releases of crown weevil (M. larvatus) populations specifically targeting Echiurn spp. were made in the 1993-2000 period. Based on the timing, location and performance of these past releases of beneficial insects, spatially and temporally specific trajectories of biocontrol have been simulated. Insect populations established by the past releases are expected to cover expanding areas at densities sufficient to limit host Echiurn infestations only over the next 25-50 years. The present analysis tackles the questions of where and how many additional releases are economically justified to speed up this process. We identify 31 districts in which diminishing niches for further insect releases are projected over time, according to the locations of damaging weed infestations and the timing, location and numbers of past insect releases. Benefits of biocontrol are expressed in terms of the value of recovered pasture productivity, keyed to estimates of loss and to historical district livestock inventories converted to dry sheep equivalent (DSE) feed availability levels to which prices are applied. Expected marginal contributions of increments of new releases were simulated for each of the 31 districts, subject to the space/time limitations of each niche. Our explicit accounting for the spatial and temporal dimensions has made possible the economically optimal targeting of new biocontrol releases. For example, at $12/DSE and a marginal cost of $2000 per release, with a discount rate of 10%, we find there is a case for a program of over 400 new releases targeted to 17 districts, with as few as five releases to each of several and as many as 70 releases in one district. Crown Copyright© 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Comparison of the masked thresholds of a simulated moving and stationary auditory signal.

The masked thresholds of a simulated moving signal produced by a linear stepwise change in interaural time delay and with movement at two different locations in the phenomenal field were compared with the thresholds obtained with a stationary signal. Using a noise band extending from 75 to 850 cps as the signal and presented against a heterophasic background noise, masked thresholds were made under the following conditions: (1) signal moving at a perceptually slow and fast rates, (2) a perceptually fast moving signal with the signal making four excursions across the phenomenal field during each presentation period, (3) with the signal movement controlled by the observer, and (4) during an extended listening period in which the observer was given no cue as to when the signal was to be presented. The results of the threshold comparisons with these different conditions indicate that the masked threshold of a moving signal is a function only of its localization at any given instant in time and that a moving s.
Assessment of Diabetes-Related Distress

OBJECTIVE To describe a new measure of psychosocial adjustment specific to diabetes, the Problem Areas in Diabetes Survey (PAID), and to present initial information on its reliability and validity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Before their routine clinic appointments, 451 female patients with type I and type II diabetes, all of whom required insulin, completed a self-report survey. Included in the survey was the PAID, a 20-item questionnaire in which each item represents a unique area of diabetes-related psychosocial distress. Each item is rated on a six-point Likert scale, reflecting the degree to which the item is perceived as currently problematic. A total scale score, hypothesized to reflect the overall level of diabetes-related emotional distress, is computed by summing the total item responses. To examine the concurrent validity of the PAID, the survey also included a series of standardized questionnaires assessing psychosocial functioning (general emotional distress, fear of hypoglycemia, and disordered eating), attitudes toward diabetes, and self-care behaviors. All subjects were assessed for HbA1, within 30 days of survey completion and again ∼ 1–2 years later. Finally, long-term diabetic complications were determined through chart review. RESULTS Internal reliability of the PAID was high, with good item-to-total correlations. Approximately 60% of the subject sample reported at least one serious diabetes-related concern. As expected, the PAID was positively associated with relevant psychosocial measures of distress, including general emotional distress, disordered eating, and fear of hypoglycemia, short- and long-term diabetic complications, and HbA1, and negatively associated with reported self-care behaviors. The PAID accounted for ∼ 9% of the variance in HbA1. Diabetes-related emotional distress, as measured by the PAID, was found to be a unique contributor to adherence to self-care behaviors after adjustment for age, diabetes duration, and general emotional distress. In addition, the PAID was associated with HbA1 even after adjustment for age, diabetes duration, general emotional distress, and adherence to self-care behaviors. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the PAID, a brief, easy-to-administer instrument, may be valuable in assessing psychosocial adjustment to diabetes. In addition to high internal reliability, the consistent pattern of correlational findings indicates that the PAID is tapping into relevant aspects of emotional distress and that its particular feature, the measurement of diabetes-related emotional distress, is uniquely associated with diabetes-relevant outcomes. These data are also consistent with the hypothesis that diabetes-related emotional distress, separate from general emotional distress, is an independent and major contributor to poor adherence. Given that the study was limited to female patients using insulin, further examination of the clinical usefulness of the PAID will need to focus on more heterogeneous samples.
A Quality of Service aware Spectrum Decision for Cognitive Radio Networks

—Cognitive radio networks have been proposed to solve the problems in wireless networks caused by the limited available spectrum and spectrum inefficiency. However, they impose unique challenges because of the high fluctuation in the available spectrum as well as diverse quality of service requirements of various applications. In this paper, a method for spectrum decision is introduced to determine a set of spectrum bands by considering the channel dynamics in the cognitive radio network as well as the application requirements. First, a novel spectrum capacity model is defined that considers unique features in cognitive radio networks. Based on this capacity model, a minimum variance-based spectrum decision is developed for real-time applications, which minimizes the capacity variance of the decided spectrum bands subject to the capacity constraints. For best effort applications, a maximum capacity-based spectrum decision is proposed where spectrum bands are decided to maximize the total network capacity. Simulation results show the performance of cognitive radio network for real time applications and best-effort applications
An examination of the information content of S&P 500 index changes: Analysis of systematic risk

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the shocks to firm's beta around the event of addition or deletion from the S&P 500 index. Design/methodology/approach - The total derivative of beta and Campbell and Vuolteenaho decomposition of beta methodologies are used, on monthly and daily basis, to examine the behavior of beta around the event. Findings - Results show a significant increase in correlations of the event firms' returns and the market proxy returns and cash-flow betas, and decrease in discount-rate betas for added firms and the opposite effects for deleted firms. Robustness tests indicate that the total derivative changes effects are typical for the event firms industry but that the cash-flow correlation changes are specific to the firm. These findings suggest that addition or deletion from the S&P 500 index is not an information free event. Research limitations/implications - The Campbell and Vuolteenaho methodology has limitations – it is conditional on the selection of state variables. In future research it would be beneficial to use different state variables in the beta decomposition framework. Another relevant question for a future research is: what are the effects of the event on the Fama-French factor model loadings? Originality/value - The paper's findings contribute to the ongoing debate in the literature of the information hypothesis for addition or deletion from the S&P 500 index.
New estimates of direct crowding out (or in) of investment and of a peace dividend for the U.S. economy

This article provides new evidence concerning the effect on private investment of allocating resources to public consumption and investment. An autoregressive distributed lag model developed for cointegration-error correction analysis is estimated using data for the U.S. public sector for 1956Q1-2010Q2. The most important finding is that in the long run, there is no crowding out associated with the net effect of equal percentage changes in government purchases of domestic consumption and investment. Contrary to some previous results, public investment has a significant crowding in effect on private investment while military purchases have a significant crowding out effect, with an elasticity of -0.52. The evidence also indicates that there is an important investment role for profit growth, but not for the real interest rate in the long run. The results are generally consistent with post Keynesian views of fiscal policy and support those who argue that the 2009 stimulus package was not well-suited for generating a sustained recovery in the U.S. economy.
Continuous estimation of finger joint angles using muscle activation inputs from surface EMG signals

Prediction of dynamic hand finger movements has many clinical and engineering applications in the control of human interface devices such as those used in virtual reality control, robot prosthesis and rehabilitation aids. Surface electromyography (sEMG) signals have often been used in the mentioned applications because these reflect the motor intention of users very well. In this study, we present a method to estimate the finger joint angles of a hand from sEMG signals that considers electromechanical delay (EMD), which is inherent when EMG signals are captured alongside motion data. We use the muscle activation obtained from the sEMG signals as input to a neural network. In this muscle activation model, the EMD is parameterized and automatically obtained through optimization. With this method, we can predict the finger joint angles with sEMG signals in both periodic and nonperiodic free movements of the flexion and extension movement of the fingers. Our results show correlation as high as 0.92 between the actual and predicted metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint angles for periodic finger flexion movements, and as high as 0.85 for nonperiodic movements, which are more dynamic and natural.