This paper investigates price uncertainties in weather derivatives contracts through a bootstrap approach. Futures prices are computed under a periodic ARMA model in an actuarial framework for two different locations, Paris and Chicago. We show that statistical errors may lead to substantial uncertainties on futures prices with confidence intervals up to 10% of the assessed prices.

This commentary raises conceptual issues related to recent efforts to develop measures of subjective wellbeing (SWB). Specifically, Hills’ and Argyle’s (2002) article on the development of the 29-item Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), and its predecessor, the 20-item Oxford Happiness Inventory (Argyle, Martin & Crossland, 1989). Instead of assessing the structure of subjective well-being (S...

This paper develops a flexible approach to combine forecasts of future spot rates with forecasts from time-series models or macroeconomic variables. We find empirical evidence that accounting for both regimes in interest rate dynamics and combining forecasts from different models helps improve the out-of-sample forecasting performance for US short-term rates. Imposing restrictions from the expe...

This study empirically investigates the flow experiences of different feeling levels when using SNS and how this has impact on the interpersonal communication. Using a survey of Facebook users, this study examines how the flow factors of intrinsic motivation impacts the self-disclosure of SNS and the post-hoc interpersonal relation change when people use SNS. Also, we study how the self-disclos...

As the startup Low-Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) project is undergoing commissioning aimed at transporting a 35-mA Hbeam, a new LEBT layout has been developed that is designed to transport a beam current of 65 mA, consistent with the revised nominal SNS beampower goal of 2 MW. The SNS LEBT employs two electrostatic einzel lenses and provides static beam st...

Evolutionary game theory classically investigates which behavioral patterns are evolutionarily successful in a single game. More recently, a number of contributions have studied the evolution of preferences instead: which subjective conceptualizations of a game’s payoffs give rise to evolutionarily successful behavior in a single game. Here, we want to extend this existing approach even further...

Non-intrusive signal quality assessment in general, and its application to speech signal processing, in particular, builds extensively upon statistical regression models. Commonly, the raw preference scores used for fitting these models belong to a categorical scale. Averaging the scores over a number of test subjects results in smooth, close-to-continuous ratings, thus justifying the use of re...

This paper is an inquiry into the largely unexamined analysis of arguments by analogy (ABA). By exposing the degree of philosophical complexity, which ultimately renders evaluation of ABA subjective, we shall see that the most appropriate doxastic attitude to adopt, with respect to the conclusions drawn from these arguments, is often suspension of judgment. A critical examination of Copi’s crit...

currently, one of the most important challenges to smes is financing as their managers are faced with many problems in this area. in this study the barriers to smes financing were identified by using q methodology which is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. after literature review and conduct of interviews with 12 executive managers of smes, 64 barriers were identified to th...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a pre-exercise high energy drink on reaction time and anaerobic power in competitive strength/power athletes. In addition, the effect of the pre-exercise drink on subjective feelings of energy, fatigue, alertness and focus was also explored. METHODS Twelve male strength/power athletes (21.1 +/- 1.3 y; 179.8 +/- 7.1 cm; 88.6 +/-...