Fitting Generalized Hyperbolic processes - New insights for generating initial values

The fitting of Lévy processes is an important field of interest in both option pricing and risk management. In literature, a large number of fitting methods requiring adequate initial values at the start of the optimization procedure exists. A so-called simplified method of moments (SMoM) generates by assuming a symmetric distribution these initial values for the Variance Gamma process, whereby the idea behind can be easily transferred to the Normal Inverse Gaussian process. However, the characteristics of the Generalized Hyperbolic process prevent such an easy adaption. Therefore, we provide by applying a Taylor series approximation for the modified Bessel function of the third kind, a Tschirnhaus transformation and a symmetric distribution assumption, a SMOM for the Generalized Hyperbolic distribution. Our simulation study compares the results of our SMoM with the results of the maximum likelihood estimation. The results show that our proposed approach is an appropriate and useful way for estimating Generalized Hyperbolic process parameters and significantly reduces estimation time.     

Sad and Lonely? Sad Mood Suppresses Facial Mimicry

The aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of happy and sad mood on facial muscular reactions to emotional facial expressions. Following film clips intended to induce happy and sad mood states, participants observed faces with happy, sad, angry, and neutral expressions while their facial muscular reactions were recorded electromyografically. Results revealed that after watching the happy clip participants showed congruent facial reactions to all emotional expressions, whereas watching the sad clip led to a general reduction of facial muscular reactions. Results are discussed with respect to the information processing style underlying the lack of mimicry in a sad mood state and also with respect to the consequences for social interactions and for embodiment theories.     

Effects of human-related disturbance on breeding success of urban and non-urban blue tits (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyanistes caeruleus</Emphasis>)

There is a need to study the effects of urbanization on wildlife in order to understand the ecological implications of increasing urbanization and find out how to reduce its threats to biodiversity. The blue tit evolved as a forest species and prefers deciduous and mixed forests, whereas its nesting in urban habitats is a more recent phenomenon. Our long-term study of blue tit populations has been conducted in two habitats: an urban parkland (frequently visited by people) and a deciduous forest outside of the city. Using linear mixed modeling, we revealed that a relationship of blue tit breeding success (and the number of fledglings) with thermal conditions in May differed between the urban parkland and the forest. While the relationship was positive in the forest, it was negative in the parkland. In addition, breeding success in the parkland increased with increasing number of rainy days in May. We argue that the main possible reason for such patterns is human activity in the parkland, which interferes with tit parental care, especially the regular feeding of nestlings, whereas it is evidently associated with weather conditions. Human disturbance in the forest is likely to be negligible.     

Is aspiration and sclerotherapy treatment for hydroceles in the aging male an evidence-based treatment?

Symptomatic hydroceles are commonly treated with surgical repair. They are associated with sexual dysfunction in the aging male. Patients who are not fit for surgery often undergo aspiration and sclerotherapy of the hydrocele. There is a range of sclerosing agents used in the literature. I performed a literature search to assess whether one sclerosant was better than the others. STDS is the sclerosing agent with the best cure rate after a single injection and low side effect rates. The cure rates of sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STDS) after a single aspiration and injection were 76%. After multiple treatments 94% achieved a cure. Patient satisfaction rates at mean 40 months were 95%. Complication rates were generally low and much lower than surgical repair. Aspiration and sclerotherapy have a role in treating symptomatic hydroceles. This literature review shows that this is over and above its current use in the UK, where it is used for patients unfit for general anaesthetic. If the patients are carefully selected for this procedure, they can have a good outcome and avoid the higher complication rate and longer recovery rates of surgical repair. Patients should be counselled about aspiration and sclerotherapy as part of the informed consent process.     

Advanced Placement Statistics: Expanding the Scope of Statistics Education

A list of consequential developments in the field of statistics for the past quarter-century must include the creation and implementation of the Advanced Placement (AP) program in Statistics. This program has introduced millions of high school students to our discipline over the past 18 years, contributing to the large increase in the number of undergraduate students pursuing statistics as their major in college. ASA members and leaders have played a substantial role in shaping this program and furthering its success.     

The stigma of AIDS: fear of disease and prejudice toward gay men

Three hundred college students were presented with vignettes describing an ill person; the vignettes were identical except the illness was identified as either AIDS or leukemia and the individual was described as either homosexual or heterosexual. After reading one vignette, each subject completed a set of measures sensitive to interpersonal evaluation, prejudicial attitudes, and willingness to interact casually with the portrayed individual. The findings indicate the presence of highly stigmatizing attitudes towards AIDS patients and suggest that the public views AIDS patients and gay persons with similar attitudinal prejudice. The need for greater attention to AIDS by social and behavioral researchers is discussed.     

Victim of and witness to violence: an interactional perspective on mothers' perceptions of children exposed to intimate partner violence

This article reports a study of how mothers perceive the effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy and children's exposure to IPV: (a) Do interactional aspects of IPV have a negative impact on the fetus during pregnancy or on the newborn baby? and (b) Is there a relationship between interactional aspects of IPV and (a) children's risk of being exposed to IPV and (b) the age of the child when at risk for exposure to IPV? A representative sample of 137 IPV help-seeking mothers in Norway was interviewed. Severity of physical IPV and injury from sexual IPV increased the risk of consequences to the fetus. Frequency of physical and psychological IPV increased the likelihood of children's exposure. Duration of the partnership increased the risk of children's exposure to physical and sexual IPV. Finally, there was a negative linear association between children's age when exposed for the first time and frequency of physical and psychological IPV.