2 VAR models 4 2.1 Analytical results for VAR models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2.1.1 The Diffuse Prior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1.2 The Natural Conjugate Prior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1.3 The Minnesota Prior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.2 Estimation of VARs using the Gibbs sampler . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6...

Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) is a major pathogenicity factor in falciparum malaria that mediates cytoadherence. PfEMP1 is encoded by approximately 60 var genes per haploid genome. Most var genes are grouped into 3 subgroups: A, B, and C. Evidence is emerging that the specific expression of these subgroups has clinical significance. Using field samples from child...

Value-at-Risk (VaR) is one of the most widely accepted risk measures in the financial and insurance industries, yet efficient optimization of VaR remains a very difficult problem. We propose a computationally tractable approximation method for minimizing the VaR of a portfolio based on robust optimization techniques. The method results in the optimization of a modified VaR measure, Asymmetry-Ro...

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY The exploitation of Labisia pumila for commercial demand is gradually increasing. It is therefore important that conservation is prioritized to ensure sustainable utilization. We developed microsatellites for L. pumila var. alata and evaluated their polymorphism across var. alata, var. pumila, and var. lanceolata. • METHODS AND RESULTS Ten polymorphic micros...

Bromus tectorum L. (cheatgrass or downy brome) is an important exotic weed in natural ecosystems as well as in winter cereal cropland in semiarid western North America. The systemic, seedling-infecting head smut pathogen Ustilago bullata Berk. commonly infects cheatgrass stands, often at epidemic levels. We examined factors controlling U. bullata infection levels in greenhouse studies with pare...