Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utilizing Monte Carlo Simulation for Valuation: the Case of Barrier Options under Stochastic Interest Rates

In this chapter we propose aMonte Carlo approach for pricing barrier options when analytical pricing formulas are unavailable. Barrier options are among the most commonly used options in the financial market and our approach should therefore be of interest. Based on numerical examples presented in the chapter, it seems likely that our approach reduces the computation time by a factor between 236,000 and 94,000,000.1 To put this in perspective, assume we have a computer that uses one second to estimate the price using our proposed pricing algorithm. To obtain comparable price estimates using standard Monte Carlo simulations would require a computation time between three days and three years! Plain vanilla put and call options give the owner the right to sell or buy an asset at a pre specified price at some future point in time. Barrier options are either of knock-out or knock-in type. If the price of the underlying asset crosses some barrier H, a knock-out option becomes worthless, i.e., the option contract is canceled. For a knock-in option the option is invoked when the underlying asset crosses the barrier. Thus, a knock-in option expires worthless if the price of the underlying asset never crosses the barrier during the option’s life. Analytical pricing formulas for barrier options are readily available when the value of the underlying asset follows a geometric Brownian motion and interest rates are deterministic. Here we have in mind a situation where the underlying asset follows a process that precludes the derivation of an analytical pricing formula for the option. In particular we focus on the situation where interest rates are stochastic. Other situations could be where the underlying asset follows more complicated price processes. We propose a Monte Carlo approach to value the barrier option. Estimating the market value of barrier options by Monte Carlo simulations is know to be rather time consuming (see e.g., Broadie et al. (1997)). First, a relatively high number of simulations is needed in order to reduce the standard error of the price estimates. Second, since the barrier option is path-dependent, the whole price path for the underlying asset is needed to determine whether the barrier H has been crossed or not. Approximating the price path with few monitoring points, results in biased estimates. In fact, somewhat surprisingly many monitoring points is needed to get unbiased price estimates. Both these facts make estimation of barrier option
Sensing the wind profile

max. 2000 char. ): This thesis consists of two parts. The first is a synopsis of the theoretical progress of the study that is based on a number of journal papers. The papers, which constitute the second part of the report, aim to analyze, measure, and model the wind prole in and beyond the surface layer by combining observations from cup anemometers with lidars. The lidar is necessary to extend the measurements on masts at the Horns Rev offshore wind farm and over at land at Høvsøre, Denmark. Both sensing techniques show a high degree of agreement for wind speed measurements performed at either sites. The wind speed measurements are averaged for several stability conditions and compare well with the surface-layer wind profile. At Høvsøre, it is sufficient to scale the wind speed with the surface friction velocity, whereas at Horns Rev a new scaling is added, due to the variant roughness length. This new scaling is coupled to wind prole models derived for flow over the sea and tested against the wind proles up to 160 m at Horns Rev. The models, which account for the boundary-layer height in stable conditions, show better agreement with the measurements than compared to the traditional theory. Mixing-length parameterizations for the neutral wind prole compare well with length-scale measurements up to 300 m at Høvsøre and 950 m at Leipzig. The mixing-length-derived wind proles strongly deviate from the logarithmic wind prole, but agree better with the wind speed measurements. The length-scale measurements are compared to the length scale derived from a spectral analysis performed up to 160 m at Høvsøre showing high agreement. Mixing-length parameterizations are corrected to account for stability and used to derive wind prole models. These compared better to wind speed measurements up to 300 m at Høvsøre than the surface-layer wind prole. The boundary-layer height is derived in nearneutral and stable conditions based on turbulent momentum uxes only and in unstable conditions based on profiles of aerosol backscatter from ceilometer measurements. The lidar measuring technique is used to estimate momentum flux, showing high agreement compared to measurements at Høvsøre and Horns Rev when the filtering effects of the lidar are taken into account. ISBN 978-87-550-3709-0
New secondary ionization mass spectrometry U-Pb and O iso- tope analyses of detrital zircons from the Sa’al schist in Sinai coupled with whole-rock Nd isotopic analyses provide new evidence of pre- Neoproterozoic crust in the northernmost Arabian-Nubian Shield

899 ABSTRACT New secondary ionization mass spectrometry U-Pb and O isotope analyses of detrital zircons from the Sa’al schist in Sinai coupled with whole-rock Nd isotopic analyses provide new evidence of preNeoproterozoic crust in the northernmost Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS). The detrital zircon age population is bimodal, with concordia ages of 1029 ± 7 Ma and 1110 ± 8 Ma. The whole-rock εNd(t = 1.0 Ga) value of +2 is signifi cantly lower than found for juvenile Neoproterozoic rocks in the region. Thus, the Sa’al schist is interpreted to represent Kibaran (Grenville) age crust incorporated into the northernmost ANS. The δ18O (zircon) values (6.1‰–9.4‰) imply that supracrustal recycling was involved in the formation of this ca. 1.0–1.1 Ga crust. A compilation of reported xenocrystic and detrital pre-ANS zircons and the variability of Nd, Sr, Pb, and O isotopic compositions within the shield suggests that its northernmost and eastern margins were more strongly contaminated by older crust ca. 0.9–3.0 Ga old. The distribution of 0.9–1.1 Ga xenocrystic and detrital zircons mainly in the east and north of the ANS suggests that such crust characterized parts of the northeastern margin of western Gondwana prior to ANS formation, and that 0.9–1.1 Ga old zircons detected in lower Paleozoic sandstone cover may have a proximal provenance.
Placental toxicity in rats after administration of broncholytic drug (Mucophylline). A morphological, histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical studies.

Mycophylline is a mucolytic and broncholytic drug can be used in women during pregnancy for the treatment of bronchospasm symptoms, the potential effects induced by this drug in the placenta are not reported. Our study has been designed to evaluate the safety of Mucophylline in different doses (Therapeutic dose), on the rat placenta. The pregnant rats orally administered from 5th until 19th day of gestation with doses 30.83 mg/Kg and 66.61 mg/Kg of Mycophylline (human equivalent dose) daily. On the twentieth day of gestation, the pregnant rats were sacrificed and the placental weights of different groups were recorded. Histological, histochemical, immunohistochemical investigations of placenta, were assessed. Additionally, the oxidative stress markers were assessed. Our results revealed that mucophylline caused the reduction in placental weight was statistically significant in the pregnant rats treated with high dose of mucophylline. histopathologically mucophylline caused an increase number of giant cells, Pycnotic cells, Cystic degeneration in glycogen cells, deposition of fibrin and degeneration of the fetal blood vessels in the labyrinth zone. histochemically, both treated groups showed decrease in amount of carbohydrates in basal and labyrinth layers of the placental tissue. Immunohistochemically, mucophylline caused caspase-3 expression (this is an apoptotic marker) in the placenta. Moreover, Mucophylline elevated malondialdehyde content, reduced the activity of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and the level of non-enzymatic antioxidant reduced glutathione. Our results concluded that Mucophylline medication during pregnancy could possibly cause placental toxicity. Finally, the present work recommended that the pregnant women must avoid the up taking of this bronchodilator drug.
A Flexible Decision Tool for Implementing Post-editing Guidelines

This paper presents a flexible tool which supports the decision making process involved in defining post-editing guidelines. It is inspired by the work of O’Brien (2012) towards a translation quality assessment model, briefly reviewed here with a view to adapting it to post-editing specifications. The paper first presents a review of the relevant literature on post-editing, followed by an account of the challenges involved in defining post-editing rules. The different components of the decision tool are then presented and illustrated with examples. Finally, a discussion of its effectiveness is advanced together with some indications for further work.
Assessment of the Capacity of TVET and University Hospitality Schools in offering Food Safety and Hygiene Training in Kenya

The purpose of this study was to assess the capacity of TIVET and University hospital schools in offering food safety and hygiene training in Kenya. The major areas of focus were the general availability of basic equipment, whether the available equipment were modern, extent of use of available equipment and workshop organization including drainage. A total of 671 respondents participated in the study (Comprising 249 from universities, 250 from Institutes of Technology, 64 from Polytechnics and 128 from Technical Institutions). Primary data sources included using structured questionnaires, taking photographs, oral interviews, observation check list and focus group discussions. Secondary sources, on the other hand, involved retrieving information from desk research where journals, books and other relevant literature were obtained. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. The analyzed data were presented in terms of graphs and tables. The findings revealed that in the two categories of institutions, equipment/tools in universities were relatively higher in number compared to the other categories. In addition, not all the available tools were modern. It was observed that only 78% of the available tools were modern while 19% were not. This finding revealed that there was underutilization of available facilities in the institutions. A summary of various aspects of capacity of institutions in providing training on food safety and hygienic practices and adopting proper hygienic practices revealed that universities had a high capacity (63.5 %) relative to the other categories. On the other hand, the lowest capacity level was observed in institutes of science and technology, which had 46.4%. The findings further revealed that some institutions were well-prepared in terms of equipment and facilities, while the majority were not. Observation revealed that most of the workshops used, particularly in TVET institutions, were originally used for other purposes such as classrooms, home economics laboratory or were stores converted to production workshops. As a result, such institutions lacked basic equipment. The study concluded that TIVET and Universities had inadequate facilities and resources required to offer food safety and hygiene training courses. It was recommended that ministry of education should to identify a monitoring team to visit hospitality training workshops to assess the capacity in terms of infrastructure, facilities and equipment to determine the level of requirement in every institution. This would pave way for the upgrading of the facilities to a level that they would offer adequate training to the enrolled students.
The host galaxies and explosion sites of long-duration gamma-ray bursts: Hubble Space Telescope near-infrared imaging

We present the results of a Hubble Space Telescope WFC3/F160W Snapshot survey of the host galaxies of 39 long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) at z < 3. We have non-detections of hosts at the locations of four bursts. Sufficient accuracy to astrometrically align optical afterglow images and determine the location of the LGRB within its host was possible for 31/35 detected hosts. In agreement with other work, we find the luminosity distribution of LGRB hosts is significantly fainter than that of a star formation rate-weighted field galaxy sample over the same redshift range, indicating LGRBs are not unbiasedly tracing the star formation rate. Morphologically, the sample of LGRB hosts is dominated by spiral-like or irregular galaxies. We find evidence for evolution of the population of LGRB hosts towards lower luminosity, higher concentrated hosts at lower redshifts. Their half-light radii are consistent with other LGRB host samples where measurements were made on rest-frame UV observations. In agreement with recent work, we find their 80 per cent enclosed flux radii distribution to be more extended than previously thought, making them intermediate between core-collapse supernova (CCSN) and superluminous supernova (SLSN) hosts. The galactocentric projected-offset distribution confirms LGRBs as centrally concentrated, much more so than CCSNe and similar to SLSNe. LGRBs are strongly biased towards the brighter regions in their host light distributions, regardless of their offset. We find a correlation between the luminosity of the LGRB explosion site and the intrinsic column density, NH, towards the burst.
Using an Attapulgite-Activated Carbon Composite Ceramisite Biofilter to Remove Dibutyl Phthalate from Source Water

This study developed an attapulgite-activated carbon composite ceramisite (AACCC) biofilter for removing trace-level dibutyl phthalate (DBP) from micro-polluted drinking source water. Total pore area and average pore diameter of AACCC were estimated to be 112.2 m2/g and 19.8 nm, respectively, while the AACCC showed considerable adsorptive capacity due to its mesoporous structure, i.e., it would be used as an ideal filtration media. Although AACCC could adsorb DBP, biological AACCC covered by different types of microorganisms appeared to be more effective in removing DBP from source water. At a filtration velocity of 2 m/h during two influent concentrations (20 μg/L and 50 μg/L), the DBP removals in AACCC biofilter were higher than the AACCC filter, being 1.2 μg/L and 1.9 μg/L. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model can serve as a good method for estimating removal performance of DBP using an AACCC biofilter. This clearly demonstrated the potential of the AACCC biofilter as a cost-effective and high-efficiency process for removing trace-level DBP from drinking source water.
Role of environmental seasonality in the turnover of a cetacean community in the southwestern Gulf of California

La Paz Bay is a distinct region within the Gulf of California whose rich cetacean community exhibits an intense annual overturn. We studied the environmental conditions that could drive this change over the course of a year. Cetacean biomass was estimated from monthly surveys, with concurrent collection of water-column measurements of temperature, salinity, nutrients, chlorophyll a (chl a), and biogenic matter fluxes. The water-column structure showed 3 major conditions: deep mixing during winter, stratified isopycnal shoaling in spring and early summer, and deep stratification during late summer and autumn. Chl a and relative fluxes of biogenic silica and calcium carbonate indicated a seasonal succession of primary producers in response to the observed evolution of hydrography. During the periods of mixing and isopycnal shoaling, the bay provided suitable habitat for blue whales, bottlenose dolphins, and common dolphins, while fin whales, Bryde’s whales, and short-finned pilot whales were numerically dominant during the period of stratification. To provide a regional context to the observed seasonality, we fitted temporal least-squares to an 11 yr monthly time series of satellite-derived wind, sea surface temperature (SST), and chlorophyll concentration (CHL). Within the bay, the SST followed the annual monsoonal shift in the wind, whereas CHL showed a bi-modal pattern, with a main peak occurring under mixing conditions in winter and a second peak under isopycnal shoaling in spring/early summer. The regional fitting suggested that the latter period was driven by a localized intraseasonal phenomenon that could be responsible for the higher biological richness of the bay compared to the surrounding gulf.
Occurrence of Gastrointestinal Parasitism of Cows and Therapeutic Efficacy of Albendazole in Tehsil Tandlianwala, Faisalabad

Parasitism is a relationship between the organisms in which one lives as a parasite on another and is the main health problem of cattle and all other domesticated ruminants all over the world. The major problems in cattle confronted are; Fascioliasis , Paramphistomiasis etc because of presence of various helminthes parasites in the GIT (gastrointestinal tract) of the cattle resulting in huge economic losses to livestock industry. The present study was designed to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitism of cattle and therapeutic efficacy of albendazole with the dose rate of 5mg/kg body weight in tehsil Tandlianwala, Faisalabad, in the months of January to April, 2017. For this purpose, a total of 384 cattle were selected and fecal samples were directly collected per rectum with sterilized gloves for every animal in plastic containers. The collected fecal samples were managed and inspected using qualitative practices (floatation and sedimentation) and measurable parasitological practices using McMaster egg counting approaches. Those fecal samples positive for Strongyles , Trichuris, Toxocara , and Monezia were subjected to egg yield (eggs per gram, EPG) of feces count using McMaster egg counting practice and the degree of infestation was branded. It was deduced from the results that out of 384 animals; 146 animals were infested with mentioned worms showing 38.02% prevalence of the gastrointestinal parasites in cattle in the months of January, February, March and April in Tehsil Tandlianwala, Faisalabad. Furthermore, the infested animals were treated using albendazole and 103 animals were recovered with it revealing 70.54% therapeutic efficacy of the drug.
Identification of RAPD primers specific for wheat homoeologous group 1 and 3 chromosomes.

Mapping of homoeologous chromosomes of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has always been a top priority for wheat breeders. During present work, easier, cheaper and q uicker RA PD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) primers were mapped on homoeologous group 1 and 3 chromosomes of common wheat. Wheat genetic stocks viz; Nullisomic-tetrasomic lines were used for mapping of RAPD primers. A total of 43 RAPD primers were tested, out of which, five primers viz; GLA-10, GLA-11, GLA-14, GLA-20 and GLB-15 were found useful and these primers amplified DNA fragments specific for chromosomes 1D, 3D, 1B, 3B and 1D, respectively. These five RAPD primers can reliably be used as marker s for the wheat homoeologous chromosomes 1B, 3B, 1D and 3D.
Toxicity of heavy metals to brine shrimp Artemia

Bioassay were carried out on 48h cultured nauplii of brine shrimp Artemia by exposing them to seven trace elements viz. copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn). Synergistic effects of all these elements and additive effects of Cu and Zn, Cd and Pb, and Ni and Fe were also investigated. Comparatively, the degree of toxicity for compound bioassays was higher than individual simple tests. The values were averaged and the expected median lethal concentration [LC sub(50)] of tested heavy metals was obtained by probit analysis on the basis of cumulative numbers of dead organisms after 24 and 48h. The order of toxicity of the metals to Artemia was Pb>Cd>Cu>Ni>Zn>Fe>Mn. Potency ratios of the seven metals were also calculated. The 24 and 48h variations obtained in LC sub(50) values were significantly different and relative implications of these are discussed.
Severity vs. Leniency Bias in Performance Appraisal: Experimental evidence

Performance appraisal can be biased in two main ways: lenient supervisors assign pre- dominantly high evaluations (thus rewarding also undeserving agents who have exerted no effort) while severe supervisors assign predominantly low evaluations (thus failing to reward deserving agents who have exerted effort). The principal-agent model with moral hazard predicts that both biases will be equally detrimental to effort provision. We test this prediction with a laboratory experiment and we show that failing to reward deserving agents is significantly more detrimental than rewarding undeserving agents. This finding is compatible with empirical evidence on real world supervisors being preponderantly biased towards lenient appraisals. We discuss our result in the light of alternative economic the- ories of behavior. Our result brings interesting implications for strategic human resource management and personnel economics and contributes to the debate about incentives and organizational performance.
Structuring the Flexible and Feminized Labor Market: GlobalGAP Standards for Agricultural Labor in Chile

The expansion of global value chains, together with an export‐oriented development strategy by countries in the global South, has been accompanied by the growth of labor markets that are both flexible and feminized. However, the marginalization of sections of the working class, and women in particular, is not an inexorable ingredient of globalization. How, then, are social relations within the labor market constructed? Markets and their institutional arrangements, such as labor standards, are neither passive nor benign processes that simply reflect preexisting social relations. Instead, I argue, markets are socially constructed, and actors use institutions strategically to advance certain interests and preferences. Institutions are powerful because they enable and constrain opportunities, privileges, and responsibilities by defining a person’s rights and that person’s exposure to the rights of others within the marketplace. To understand this process, I conducted field research in 2005 within the Chilean fresh fruit export sector to examine a set of influential British and European retailer‐led standards known as the Global Partnership for Good Agricultural Practices (GlobalGAP). In this article, I show how GlobalGAP’s standards for worker health, safety, and welfare act to (re)shape and (re)structure the flexible and feminized labor market in Chile. First, GlobalGAP standards reinforce and extend flexible labor practices by disregarding the issue of subcontracted labor. Second, GlobalGAP’s most extensive standards—those that deal with safety issues related to agrichemicals—are applicable only to the relatively small segment of workers who are hired on a permanent, full‐time basis, thereby excluding temporary workers, the majority of whom are women. I conclude that major food retailers are constrained in their ability to advance the health and well‐being of all workers because their global business strategies benefit from such inequities within the labor market.