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Numerous past studies investigating the performance of hedge funds suffer from two distinct problems: unreliable and biased return data inherent in virtually all databases and the use of static asset-pricing models. Using “indexes of indexes” for our hedge fund returns, both free of biases and highly representative, we investigate which risk factors investors are exposed to and whether hedge fund
The goal of this paper is to examine various representations of the third tone in Standard Chinese, both in academic literature and textbooks for beginners, and then evaluate what consequences the choice of representation has for tone instruction. It was found that linguists primarily prefer two models, even though slight deviations were found: either a traditional approach describing the third to
A numerical algorithm is presented for the problem of a crack along the interface of an elastic inclusion embedded in an elastic plane subjected to uniform stress at infinity. The algorithm is based on a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind and allows for fast and accurate solutions to geometries of great complexity. In an example crack opening displacement and stress intensity factors ar
Determining how electrode structure governs the performance of an electrocatalyst requires techniques capable of probing structure at the atomic scale, often in situ and operando. In recent years, there have been numerous advances in the main experimental techniques for determining the structure of the electrochemical interface. In situ/operando synchrotron surface x-ray diffraction measurements a
A species-wide phylogeographical study of the root vole (Microtus oeconomus ) was performed using the whole 1140 base pair mitochondrial (mt) cytochrome b gene. We examined 83 specimens from 52 localities resulting in 65 unique haplotypes. Our results demonstrate that the root vole is divided into four main mtDNA phylogenetic lineages that seem to have largely allopatric distributions. Net diverge
Collagen induced arthritis (CIA) is a common mouse model for rheumatoid arthritis. Two sets of truncated peptides derived from type II collagen have been prepared and tested for binding to A(q), a MHC-II molecule associated with development of CIA. Binding to A(q) correlated well with predictions from a computer-based model. T-cell hybridomas, obtained in CIA, were also used to study the ability o
Speckle is an unwanted noise in ultrasound images, and appears as returning echoes are coherently summed over the transducer surface. In Doppler applications, the total power of the received spectrum varies in a manner similar to speckle. This paper investigates the correlation of continuous-wave (CW) Doppler signals obtained from simultaneously transmitted carrier frequencies, when a slowly flowi
Study Type - Diagnostic (case series) Level of Evidence 4 What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? It is well known that CIS is a major risk factor for muscle-invasive bladder cancer and that this entity can be difficult to diagnose. Taking cold-cup mapping biopsies from different areas of the bladder (BMAP) is commonly used in patients at risk of harbouring CIS. The diagnostic ac
Abstract is not available
Most nuclear medicine clinicians use only visual assessment when interpreting regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images in clinical practice. The aims of this study were to develop a new, easy to use, automated method for quantification of rCBF-SPECT and to create normal values by using the method on a normal population. We developed a 3-dim
The function of the immune system requires coordinated expression and action of many genes and proteins. With the emergence of high throughput technologies it has become possible to target human immunity from a systems biology point of view. To perform systems biology studies with comparable results we need not just a reference gene and protein set but also useful and descriptive reference categor
Image Processing is rapidly expanding as a technique for object and defect analysis because of the high ease of its coupling to automation and IT solutions. Yet, issues with transferability of the measurement approaches and metrics currently used in mechanical systems often remain unsolved. Study reports on the developed approach for shape and defectiveness characterization by combining Delaunay t
Accurate accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurements rely on standards with well-known isotopic ratios. For radiocarbon measurements, a number of standards with different properties are commercially available, of which the IAEA-C6 sucrose standard with a 14C value of 150.61 pMC is the most active. When analyzing biological samples resulting from studies using 14C-labeled substances, the activ
New metastable massive particles with electric and colour charge are features of many theories beyond the Standard Model. A search is performed for long-lived gluino-based R-hadrons with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 31 pb(-1). We search for evidence of particles that have come to rest in the ATLAS detector and decay at some later ti
BACKGROUND: Family members of persons with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease may experience feelings of vulnerability and insecurity as the disease follows its course. Against this background, the aim of the present study was to explore empowerment in outpatient care as experienced by these family members. METHODS: An inductive approach for qualitative data analysis was chosen. The study sampl
The capacity of communities to reduce negative impacts of climate change on their lives and livelihoods is a function of socio-economic conditions, infrastructure, government accountability and institutional responsiveness and not the least social capital. Africa’s most densely populated region, the Lake Victoria basin (LVB), home to over 30 million people, is one example of a likely future climat
