Applications of stochastic analysis in finance and statistical inference

First: A continuous-time version of Kyle's model (Kyle 1985), known as the Back's model (Back 1992), of asset pricing with asymmetric information, is studied. A larger class of price processes and of noise traders' processes are studied. The price process, as in Kyle's model, is allowed to depend on the path of the market order. The process of the noise traders' is an inhomogeneous Lévy process. Solutions are found by the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations. With the insider being risk-neutral, the price pressure is constant, and there is no equilibirium in the presence of jumps. If the insider is risk-averse, there is no equilibirium in the presence of either jumps or drifts. Also, it is analised when the release time is unknown. A general relation is established between the problem of finding an equilibrium and of enlargement of filtrations. Random announcement time is random is also considered. In such a case the market is not fully efficient and there exists equilibrium if the sensitivity of prices with respect to the global demand is time decreasing according with the distribution of the random time. Second: Power variations. it is considered, the asymptotic behavior of the power variation of processes of the form _integral_0^t u(s-)dS(s), where S_ is an alpha-stable process with index of stability 0&alpha&2 and the integral is an Itô integral. Stable convergence of corresponding fluctuations is established. These results provide statistical tools to infer the process u from discrete observations. Third: A bond market is studied where short rates r(t) evolve as an integral of g(t-s)sigma(s) with respect to W(ds), where g and sigma are deterministic and W is the stochastic Wiener measure. Processes of this type are particular cases of ambit processes. These processes are in general not of the semimartingale kind.

Analysis of the process of inspection in recreational craft in Spain. Suggestions for safety improvement

Inspections of pleasure boats in Spain can be carried out by collaborating entities of inspection, entities that must be authorized by the Maritime Administration. This authorization allows to perform effective inspections and technical controls of recreational crafts. Recreational crafts are subjected to surveys that are based on the registration list and on the material used in the hull. In addition, required safety equipment of the recreational boat depends on the distance that the recreational boat is authorized to navigate. Following data obtained from inspections of recreational craft, this paper aims to analyze information about hulls within dry and afloat conditions, about the equipment for rescue and safety, and about other nautical equipment; as well as to perform and improve different verifications during the inspections. All this information points to several aspects relevant for the optimization of the inspection process, the ultimate target being increasing efficiency and effectiveness, and ensuring more safety in recreational craft.

Food security, food safety and small farmers

Some of the elements that characterize the globalization of food and agriculture are industrialization and intensification of agriculture and liberalization of agricultural markets, that favours elongation of the food chain and homogenization of food habits (nutrition transition), among other impacts. As a result, the probability of food contamination has increased with the distance and the number of “hands" that may contact the food (critical points); the nutritional quality of food has been reduced because of increased transport and longer periods of time from collection to consumption; and the number of food-related diseases due to changes in eating patterns has increased. In this context, there exist different agencies and regulations intended to ensure food safety at different levels, e.g. at the international level, Codex Alimentarius develops standards and regulations for the marketing of food in a global market. Although governments determine the legal framework, the food industry manages the safety of their products, and thus, develops its own standards for their marketing, such as the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) programs. The participation of the private sector in the creation of regulatory standards strengthens the free trade of food products, favouring mostly large agribusiness companies. These standards are in most cases unattainable for small producers and food safety regulations are favouring removal of the peasantry and increase concentration and control in the food system by industrial actors. Particularly women, who traditionally have been in charge of the artisanal transformation process, can be more affected by these norms than men. In this project I am analysing the impcact of food safety norms over small farms, based on the case of artisanal production made by women in Spain.

Development process and initial validation of the ethical conflict in nursing questionnaire-critical care version

Background: Ethical conflicts are arising as a result of the growing complexity of clinical care, coupled with technological advances. Most studies that have developed instruments for measuring ethical conflict base their measures on the variables"frequency" and"degree of conflict". In our view, however, these variables are insufficient for explaining the root of ethical conflicts. Consequently, the present study formulates a conceptual model that also includes the variable"exposure to conflict", as well as considering six"types of ethical conflict". An instrument was then designed to measure the ethical conflicts experienced by nurses who work with critical care patients. The paper describes the development process and validation of this instrument, the Ethical Conflict in Nursing Questionnaire Critical Care Version (ECNQ-CCV). Methods: The sample comprised 205 nursing professionals from the critical care units of two hospitals in Barcelona (Spain). The ECNQ-CCV presents 19 nursing scenarios with the potential to produce ethical conflict in the critical care setting. Exposure to ethical conflict was assessed by means of the Index of Exposure to Ethical Conflict (IEEC), a specific index developed to provide a reference value for each respondent by combining the intensity and frequency of occurrence of each scenario featured in the ECNQ-CCV. Following content validity, construct validity was assessed by means of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), while Cronbach"s alpha was used to evaluate the instrument"s reliability. All analyses were performed using the statistical software PASW v19. Results: Cronbach"s alpha for the ECNQ-CCV as a whole was 0.882, which is higher than the values reported for certain other related instruments. The EFA suggested a unidimensional structure, with one component accounting for 33.41% of the explained variance. Conclusions: The ECNQ-CCV is shown to a valid and reliable instrument for use in critical care units. Its structure is such that the four variables on which our model of ethical conflict is based may be studied separately or in combination. The critical care nurses in this sample present moderate levels of exposure to ethical conflict. This study represents the first evaluation of the ECNQ-CCV.

Development process and initial validation of the ethical conflict in nursing questionnaire-critical care version

Background: Ethical conflicts are arising as a result of the growing complexity of clinical care, coupled with technological advances. Most studies that have developed instruments for measuring ethical conflict base their measures on the variables"frequency" and"degree of conflict". In our view, however, these variables are insufficient for explaining the root of ethical conflicts. Consequently, the present study formulates a conceptual model that also includes the variable"exposure to conflict", as well as considering six"types of ethical conflict". An instrument was then designed to measure the ethical conflicts experienced by nurses who work with critical care patients. The paper describes the development process and validation of this instrument, the Ethical Conflict in Nursing Questionnaire Critical Care Version (ECNQ-CCV). Methods: The sample comprised 205 nursing professionals from the critical care units of two hospitals in Barcelona (Spain). The ECNQ-CCV presents 19 nursing scenarios with the potential to produce ethical conflict in the critical care setting. Exposure to ethical conflict was assessed by means of the Index of Exposure to Ethical Conflict (IEEC), a specific index developed to provide a reference value for each respondent by combining the intensity and frequency of occurrence of each scenario featured in the ECNQ-CCV. Following content validity, construct validity was assessed by means of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), while Cronbach"s alpha was used to evaluate the instrument"s reliability. All analyses were performed using the statistical software PASW v19. Results: Cronbach"s alpha for the ECNQ-CCV as a whole was 0.882, which is higher than the values reported for certain other related instruments. The EFA suggested a unidimensional structure, with one component accounting for 33.41% of the explained variance. Conclusions: The ECNQ-CCV is shown to a valid and reliable instrument for use in critical care units. Its structure is such that the four variables on which our model of ethical conflict is based may be studied separately or in combination. The critical care nurses in this sample present moderate levels of exposure to ethical conflict. This study represents the first evaluation of the ECNQ-CCV.

Efficacy and safety of tigecycline versus levofloxacin for community-acquired pneumonia.

Abstract Background: Tigecycline, an expanded broad-spectrum glycylcycline, exhibits in vitro activity against many common pathogens associated with community-acqui red pneumonia (CAP), as well as penetration into lung tissues that suggests effectiveness in ho spitalized CAP patients. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) tigecycline with IV levofloxacin in hospitalized adults with CAP. Methods: In this prospective, double-blin d, non-inferiority phase 3 trial, eligible patients with a clinical diagnosis of CAP supported by radiographic evidence were stratified by Fine Pneumonia Severity Index and randomized to tigecycline or levofloxacin for 7-14 days of therapy. Co-primary efficacy endpoints were clinical response in the clinically evaluable (CE) and clinical modified intent- to-treat (c-mITT) populations at te st-of-cure (Day 10-21 post-therapy). Results: Of the 428 patients who received at least on e dose of study drug, 79% had CAP of mild-moderate severity according to their Fine score. Clinical cure rates for the CE population were 88.9% for tigecycline and 85.3% for levofloxac in. Corresponding c-mITT population rates were 83.7% and 81.5%, respectively. Eradication rates for Streptococcus pneumoniae were 92% for tigecycline and 89% for levofloxac in. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea were the most frequently reported adverse events. Rates of premature disc continuation of study drug or study withdrawal because of any adverse event were similar for both study drugs. Conclusion: These findings suggest that IV tigecycline is non-inferior to IV levofloxacin and is generally well-tolerated in the treatment of hospitalized adults with CAP.

Translation as a Process and Translation as a Product in Teaching Translation

L'ensenyament de la traducció s'ha utilitzat tradicionalment en algunes titulacions de filologia com a eina d'aprenentatge d'habilitats de la llengua. Aquesta circumstància, però, no ha d'estar renyida amb la producció d'una traducció acceptable. En aquest article es pretén analitzar si pot aconseguir-se aquest objectiu mitjançant la incorporació d'informació extratextual en l'enunciat de l'exercici de traducció. Els resultats obtinguts amb un grup d'estudiants de filologia mostren que en les seves decisions lingüístiques va tenir un pes important el tipus d'informació extratextual adjunta als textes originals anglesos. Si bé caldria fer un esforç investigador més sistemàtic per poder afirmar-ho categòricament, aquest estudi intenta esbossar la qüestió tan discutida de fins on l'aprenentatge d'una llengua s'ha de realitzar junt amb l'aprenentatge de la traducció. Aquest estudi, també, planteja la necessitat d'incorporar informació extratextual en l'aprenentatge de la traducció, independentment de la titulació que en aquests estudis s'insereixen.

Development process and initial validation of the ethical conflict in nursing questionnaire-critical care version

Background: Ethical conflicts are arising as a result of the growing complexity of clinical care, coupled with technological advances. Most studies that have developed instruments for measuring ethical conflict base their measures on the variables"frequency" and"degree of conflict". In our view, however, these variables are insufficient for explaining the root of ethical conflicts. Consequently, the present study formulates a conceptual model that also includes the variable"exposure to conflict", as well as considering six"types of ethical conflict". An instrument was then designed to measure the ethical conflicts experienced by nurses who work with critical care patients. The paper describes the development process and validation of this instrument, the Ethical Conflict in Nursing Questionnaire Critical Care Version (ECNQ-CCV). Methods: The sample comprised 205 nursing professionals from the critical care units of two hospitals in Barcelona (Spain). The ECNQ-CCV presents 19 nursing scenarios with the potential to produce ethical conflict in the critical care setting. Exposure to ethical conflict was assessed by means of the Index of Exposure to Ethical Conflict (IEEC), a specific index developed to provide a reference value for each respondent by combining the intensity and frequency of occurrence of each scenario featured in the ECNQ-CCV. Following content validity, construct validity was assessed by means of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), while Cronbach"s alpha was used to evaluate the instrument"s reliability. All analyses were performed using the statistical software PASW v19. Results: Cronbach"s alpha for the ECNQ-CCV as a whole was 0.882, which is higher than the values reported for certain other related instruments. The EFA suggested a unidimensional structure, with one component accounting for 33.41% of the explained variance. Conclusions: The ECNQ-CCV is shown to a valid and reliable instrument for use in critical care units. Its structure is such that the four variables on which our model of ethical conflict is based may be studied separately or in combination. The critical care nurses in this sample present moderate levels of exposure to ethical conflict. This study represents the first evaluation of the ECNQ-CCV.

Development process and initial validation of the ethical conflict in nursing questionnaire-critical care version

Background: Ethical conflicts are arising as a result of the growing complexity of clinical care, coupled with technological advances. Most studies that have developed instruments for measuring ethical conflict base their measures on the variables"frequency" and"degree of conflict". In our view, however, these variables are insufficient for explaining the root of ethical conflicts. Consequently, the present study formulates a conceptual model that also includes the variable"exposure to conflict", as well as considering six"types of ethical conflict". An instrument was then designed to measure the ethical conflicts experienced by nurses who work with critical care patients. The paper describes the development process and validation of this instrument, the Ethical Conflict in Nursing Questionnaire Critical Care Version (ECNQ-CCV). Methods: The sample comprised 205 nursing professionals from the critical care units of two hospitals in Barcelona (Spain). The ECNQ-CCV presents 19 nursing scenarios with the potential to produce ethical conflict in the critical care setting. Exposure to ethical conflict was assessed by means of the Index of Exposure to Ethical Conflict (IEEC), a specific index developed to provide a reference value for each respondent by combining the intensity and frequency of occurrence of each scenario featured in the ECNQ-CCV. Following content validity, construct validity was assessed by means of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), while Cronbach"s alpha was used to evaluate the instrument"s reliability. All analyses were performed using the statistical software PASW v19. Results: Cronbach"s alpha for the ECNQ-CCV as a whole was 0.882, which is higher than the values reported for certain other related instruments. The EFA suggested a unidimensional structure, with one component accounting for 33.41% of the explained variance. Conclusions: The ECNQ-CCV is shown to a valid and reliable instrument for use in critical care units. Its structure is such that the four variables on which our model of ethical conflict is based may be studied separately or in combination. The critical care nurses in this sample present moderate levels of exposure to ethical conflict. This study represents the first evaluation of the ECNQ-CCV.

Fostering Collaborative Knowledge Building by the Effective Provision of Knowledge about the Discussion Process

Peer-reviewed

The process of basic training, applied training, maintaining the performance of an observer

In the field of observational methodology the observer is obviously a central figure, and close attention should be paid to the process through which he or she acquires, applies, and maintains the skills required. Basic training in how to apply the operational definitions of categories and the rules for coding, coupled with the opportunity to use the observation instrument in real-life situations, can have a positive effect in terms of the degree of agreement achieved when one evaluates intra- and inter-observer reliability. Several authors, including Arias, Argudo, & Alonso (2009) and Medina and Delgado (1999), have put forward proposals for the process of basic and applied training in this context. Reid y De Master (1982) focuses on the observer's performance and how to maintain the acquired skills, it being argued that periodic checks are needed after initial training because an observer may, over time, become less reliable due to the inherent complexity of category systems. The purpose of this subsequent training is to maintain acceptable levels of observer reliability. Various strategies can be used to this end, including providing feedback about those categories associated with a good reliability index, or offering re-training in how to apply those that yield lower indices. The aim of this study is to develop a performance-based index that is capable of assessing an observer's ability to produce reliable observations in conjunction with other observers.