It has been suggested that modification and co-option of existing gene regulatory networks (GRNs) play an important role in the morphological diversity. In plants, leaf development is one of active research areas, and the basic GRN for leaf development is beginning to be understood. Moreover, leaves show wide variation in their form, and some of this variation is thought to be the result of ada...

Increasingly, investigators rely on multicenter or multigroup studies to demonstrate effectiveness and generalizability. Authors too often overlook the analytic challenges in these study designs: the correlation of outcomes and exposures among patients within centers, confounding of associations by center, and effect modification of treatment or exposure across center. Correlation or clustering...

Recently, a number of clinical and animal studies have been published suggesting the advantages of using immediate post-extraction implants under a flapless protocol, followed by the simultaneous placement of an implant-supported provisional restoration (Trimodal Approach [TA]). Indications and risk of complications of this therapeutic option have also been thoroughly discussed in the literatur...

We present two approximation methods for pricing of CMS spread options in Libor market models. Both approaches are based on approximating the underlying swap rates with lognormal processes under suitable measures. The rst method is derived straightforwardly from the Libor market model. The second one uses a convexity adjustment technique under a linear swap model assumption. A numerical study d...

The relation between the climate regulation and the multilateral trade regime is a rising issue in the field of international governance. This article presents the options available to OPEC economies related to this. It analyses the option of introducing a carbon tax or border adjustment measures in the core of the WTO regime. It demonstrates that this option is not sustainable for both institu...

Management compensation packages typically include some form of bonus payment; these payments shall provide incentives for effort, but recently they were heavily criticized for their perceived excessive risk-taking incentives. This paper presents a continuous-time model in which the manager decides on the risk and effort level of the bank. A single-period model is nested into continuous-time; f...

The Clinton proposal recognizes the need for successful risk adjustment and calls for the National Health Board to promulgate a risk adjustment formula by 1 April 1995. Unfortunately, risk adjustment technology is primitive; using observable characteristics such as age only slightly ameliorates the flawed incentives of not adjusting at all. Without major improvements in risk adjustment technolo...

A COMPARATIVE SIMULATION STUDY OF ROBUST ESTIMATORS OF STANDARD ERRORS Natalie Johnson Department of Statistics Statistics Master of Science The estimation of standard errors is essential to statistical inference. Statistical variability is inherent within data, but is usually of secondary interest; still, some options exist to deal with this variability. One approach is to carefully model the ...

We propose implied spreads (IS) and normalized (NIS) as simple measures to characterize option prices. IS is the credit spread of an option’s bond, portfolio long a risk-free bond short put option. NIS normalizes by risk-neutral default probability reflects tail risk. are countercyclical predict returns, while neither, like volatility, predicts returns. These opposite predictability results con...