A 1,408 km bicycle tour with prostate cancer patients—results of a pilot study

Negative psychological and physical effects of prostate cancer and its medical treatment may persist many years after diagnosis. The influence of a long cycling tour on rehabilitative or health-related effects with prostate cancer patients has not yet been studied. In practice, physicians and therapists rarely recommend cycling to prostate cancer. In May 2010, eight prostate cancer patients rode their bikes for over 1,408 km from Cologne to Marseille within 5 weeks. Endurance test, blood examinations (prostate-specific antigen (PSA), total testosterone, interleukin-6, oxidative stress, and antioxidant capacity) and quality of life questionnaires were completed before and after the tour. All eight subjects reached Marseille. Significant improvements could be observed in physical performance and certain quality of life scores (p?=?0.008), as well as a reduction of total testosterone (p?=?0.19). PSA levels did not change. This pilot study suggests that long bicycle tours with prostate cancer patients are feasible. Due to the missing control group and the small sample size, the results of this pilot study are limited.     

Some linear and nonlinear rank tests for competing risks models

Using the methods of asymptotic decision theory asymptotically optimal for translation and scale families as well as for certian nonparmetric families. Moreover, two new classes of nonlinear rank tests are introduced. These tests are designed for detecting either “ omnibus alternatives ” or “ one sided alternatives of trend ”. Under the null hypothesis of randomness all tests are distribution - free. The asymptotic distributions of the test statistics are derived under contiguous alternatives.     

Adaptation to unemployment: Effects of a mine closure on husbands and wives

The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of how individuals/couples respond to the unemployment of the primary breadwinner. Data were collected from 66 individuals (33 couples) shortly after becoming unemployed and again one year later. Results determined that the significant predictor variables of economic satisfaction, marital adjustment, and depression were primarily economic, marital, and emotional variables, respectively. Findings also showed that interaction existed among economic, marital, and emotional variables in predicting the three well-being outcomes. Additionally, differences were found in the pattern of results for husbands and for wives. Based on these findings, areas and hypotheses for future study are proposed.Carl A. Ridley received his Ph.D. from Florida State University. He is a Professor in the Division of Child Development and Family Relations, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. His research interests include relationships and conflict management.Mari S. Wilhelm received her Ph.D. from Michigan State University. She is an Assistant Professor in the School of Family and Consumer Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. Her research interests include financial management, socio-economic stress, financial stress and problems.     

Therapy with male pathological gamblers: Between self help group and group therapy—Report of a developmental process

A therapy project was developed for pathological gambling patients and, within a three year period, more than 60 gamblers were studied and treated. Diagnostic evaluation was made according to DSM-III. In addition to individual and family therapy, we designed a voluntary group setting. In this report, we concentrate first on the development of group work, then on some psychodynamic hypotheses about the personality of the gambler. We also try to show the correspondence between these hypotheses and the group process. Pathological gambling is seen as an attempt at self-healing and a strategy of conflict-solving; the slot machine, as an inanimate object, offers a temporary symbiosis with clear limitations; the gambling will come to a guaranteed end, either when all of the money is lost, or when gaming ends at night. Finally, we list some recommendations for the treatment of gamblers in group therapy.This research was supported by the Ärztliche Psychologische Beratungsstelle für Studierende der Universität Göttingen, Chairman: Prof. E. Sperling, M.D.Since one author (J.H.) worked alone in the first period of the project, passages referring to this period are written in the first person singular.This article is an extension of the special issue on Gambling in Europe edited by Iver Hand, M.D.     

Generalized spatial regression with differential regularization

ABSTRACT

We aim at analysing geostatistical and areal data observed over irregularly shaped spatial domains and having a distribution within the exponential family. We propose a generalized additive model that allows to account for spatially varying covariate information. The model is fitted by maximizing a penalized log-likelihood function, with a roughness penalty term that involves a differential quantity of the spatial field, computed over the domain of interest. Efficient estimation of the spatial field is achieved resorting to the finite element method, which provides a basis for piecewise polynomial surfaces. The proposed model is illustrated by an application to the study of criminality in the city of Portland, OR, USA.     

A Framework for Monte Carlo based Multiple Testing

We are concerned with a situation in which we would like to test multiple hypotheses with tests whose p‐values cannot be computed explicitly but can be approximated using Monte Carlo simulation. This scenario occurs widely in practice. We are interested in obtaining the same rejections and non‐rejections as the ones obtained if the p‐values for all hypotheses had been available. The present article introduces a framework for this scenario by providing a generic algorithm for a general multiple testing procedure. We establish conditions that guarantee that the rejections and non‐rejections obtained through Monte Carlo simulations are identical to the ones obtained with the p‐values. Our framework is applicable to a general class of step‐up and step‐down procedures, which includes many established multiple testing corrections such as the ones of Bonferroni, Holm, Sidak, Hochberg or Benjamini–Hochberg. Moreover, we show how to use our framework to improve algorithms available in the literature in such a way as to yield theoretical guarantees on their results. These modifications can easily be implemented in practice and lead to a particular way of reporting multiple testing results as three sets together with an error bound on their correctness, demonstrated exemplarily using a real biological dataset.     

Risk aversion over finite domains

We investigate risk attitudes when the underlying domain of payoffs is finite and the payoffs are, in general, not numerical. In such cases, the traditional notions of absolute risk attitudes, that are designed for convex domains of numerical payoffs, are not applicable. We introduce comparative notions of weak and strong risk attitudes that remain applicable. We examine how they are characterized within the rank-dependent utility model, thus including expected utility as a special case. In particular, we characterize strong comparative risk aversion under rank-dependent utility. This is our main result. From this and other findings, we draw two novel conclusions. First, under expected utility, weak and strong comparative risk aversion are characterized by the same condition over finite domains. By contrast, such is not the case under non-expected utility. Second, under expected utility, weak (respectively: strong) comparative risk aversion is characterized by the same condition when the utility functions have finite range and when they have convex range (alternatively, when the payoffs are numerical and their domain is finite or convex, respectively). By contrast, such is not the case under non-expected utility. Thus, considering comparative risk aversion over finite domains leads to a better understanding of the divide between expected and non-expected utility, more generally, the structural properties of the main models of decision-making under risk.

     

Schlägt Wissen Funken? Zu den Effekten des politischen Steuerungsinstruments Sparkling Science

Although knowledge is attributed a high societal value, its traditional ‘production’ in academia as well as its traditional ‘consumption’ in education have increasingly become problematic. Austrian politics have launched a rather unconventional political steering instrument to solve this problem: Sparkling Science. Based on the equal involvement of pupils and scientists in research projects, this program aims to create ‘sparks of enthusiasm’ as well as ‘sparks of innovation’ between academia and education. We inquire into the effects of this political steering instrument on the level of individual actors. Drawing on qualitative data from a case study, our analyses identify a structural composition that alters the two explicit objectives, which are: To increase pupil’s enthusiasm for science and to stimulate innovative research based on multiple perspectives.     

Digital publishing: tools and products

Summary Electronic publications are not accessible without technical aids and need constant, time consuming attention; a look back at the data media and data formats utilized in the past 25 years illustrates this. Recently, an increasing number of conferences and studies address the problem. Use of standard data formats, media and platform independence of data, as well as data centering instead of process centering are requirements for long-term availability. For the humanities, texts are not only the sources of information but also objects of scholarly investigation. Therefore publication in a presentation format only is not sufficient. In addition to more sophisticated tools for analysis, search and navigation, a form of publication is required which does not focus on layout but gives easy access to the content and structure of the published document. Both for the creation and the scholarly evaluation of such documents, tools are required which offer additional functions compared to those provided by commercial publication and access tools. The necessary flexibility is guaranteed by the provision of basic functions of text data processing which do not anticipate or preclude any particular questions. This is illustrated by examples for the evaluation and preparation of digital texts.

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Zusammenfassung Elektronische Publikationen sind nicht ohne technische Hilfsmittel zug?nglich und bedürfen st?ndiger aufw?ndiger Pflege; ein Rückblick auf in den letzten 25 Jahren verbreitete Datentr?ger und Datenformate veranschaulicht dies. In jüngster Zeit ist das Problem vermehrt Gegenstand von Kongressen und Studien. Verwendung von Standard-Datenformaten, Medienneutralit?t und Plattformunabh?ngigkeit der Daten sowie Daten-Zentrierung statt Prozess-Zentrierung sind Voraussetzungen für l?ngerfristige Verfügbarkeit. Für die Geisteswissenschaften sind Texte nicht nur Informationsquellen, sondern selbst Gegenstand wissenschaftlicher Untersuchungen. Deshalb reicht die Publikation in einem Pr?sentationsformat nicht aus. Neben ausgefeilteren Erschlie?ungs-, Such- und Navigationsinstrumenten wird eine Form der Publikation gefordert, bei der nicht das Layout in Vordergrund steht, sondern auch Inhalt und Struktur der publizierten Dokumente zug?nglich sind. Sowohl für die Erstellung als auch für die wissenschaftliche Auswertung solcher Dokumente werden Werkzeuge ben?tigt, deren Funktionsumfang über den kommerzieller Publikations- und Zugriffswerkzeuge hinausgeht. Die notwendige Flexibilit?t wird durch die Bereitstellung von Grundfunktionen der Textdatenverarbeitung gew?hrleistet, die keine bestimmte Fragestellung vorwegnimmt oder ausschlie?t. Dies wird an zwei Beispielen zur Auswertung und zur Vorbereitung elektronisch verfügbarer Texte aufgezeigt.

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Résumé Les publications électroniques ne sont pas accessibles sans auxiliaires techniques et nécessitent un entretien minutieux et constant ; un regard sur les supports et formats de données des 25 dernières années en témoigne. Plus récemment, le problème est l’objet de congrès et d’études. L’utilisation de formats de données standard, la neutralité des médias et des données indépendantes de plates-formes, de même que le centrage sur les données au lieu du centrage sur les processus sont les conditions d’une disponibilité à long terme. Pour les sciences humaines, les textes ne sont pas seulement source d’information, mais font eux-mêmes l’objet d’études scientifiques. C’est pourquoi leur publication dans un seul format de présentation ne suffit pas. Outre les instruments d’étude, de recherche et de navigation, il est nécessaire de disposer d’une forme de publication qui ne mette pas la présentation au premier plan, mais qui donne également accès au contenu et à la structure des documents publiés. Tant l’élaboration que l’analyse scientifique de tels documents requièrent des outils dont l’étendue excède ce que proposent les outils de publication et d’accès commerciaux. La flexibilité indispensable doit être garantie par la présence de fonctions de base dans le traitement de texte qui n’impliquent ni n’excluent aucun questionnement donné. Ceci est démontré par deux exemples d’analyse et de préparation de textes disponibles sous forme électronique.

     

Capitalized investments with entry and exit options and paradoxical tax effects

Investment decisions are often characterized by uncertainty, irreversibility, and timing flexibility. We use a binomial model to investigate the interdependencies of effects from profit taxation and both an option to delay and an option to abandon on investment decisions. We show that increasing the tax rate can lead to paradoxical tax effects, i.e. it may foster an investor’s willingness to invest. By contrast, if we abstract from the abandonment option, such paradoxical effects cannot be identified. Hence, we show that paradoxical tax effects can be caused by an abandonment option. Our results are helpful for investors facing risky investment opportunities and for improving typical valuation approaches.