Temporal structure and gain/loss asymmetry for real and artificial stock indices

We demonstrate that the gain/loss asymmetry observed for stock indices vanishes if the temporal dependence structure is destroyed by scrambling the time series. We also show that an artificial index constructed by a simple average of a number of individual stocks display gain/loss asymmetry - this allows us to explicitly analyze the dependence between the index constituents. We consider mutual information and correlation based measures and show that the stock returns indeed have a higher degree of dependence in times of market downturns than upturns

Brigitte Schwaiger, Wie kommt das Salz ins Meer : eine kritische Betrachtung : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in German at Massey University

Text in GermanIndem zunächst aufpezeigt wird, wie sich das literarische Schaffen in den beiden letzten Jahrzehnten entwickelt hat, das heisst, wie die Thematik der Schrift steller dieser Zeit ihre Erzählformen bestimmt und wie sich eine neue Ausdrucksform aus den historisch bedingten Perspektiven herausgebildet hat, kann das Verständnis von Brigitte Schwaigers Erzählung Wie kommt das Salz ins Meer 1 B. Schwaigeri: Wie kommt das Salz ins Meer.- Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt (1979). Alle Zitate sind dieser Ausgabe entnommen und werden in den Anmerkungen lediglich mit Seitenzahl nachgewiesen, (Erstausgabe bei Zsolnay, Wien, Hamburg 1977). vorbereitet werden. In der deutschen Literatur der sechziger Jahre bis zur Gegenwart gibt es eine Entwicklung (...) von objektbezogener, in der Regel politisch aufklärender, meist dokumentarischer Literatur zu ichbezogener, gegenüber politischen Ideologien kritischer, meist fiktionaler Literatur (...)2 H-G. Winter: Von der Dokumentarliteratur zur 'neuen Subjektivität': Anmerkungen zur westdeutschen Literatur der siebziger Jahre.- In: Seminar. Vol. XVII,2. (1981) S.95 (Unterstreichungen von mir)

Conformity to the surviving sepsis campaign international guidelines among physicians in a general intensive care unit in Nairobi

Background: There are emerging therapies for managing septic critically-ill patients. There is little data from the developing world on their usage. Objectives: To determine the conformity rate for resuscitation and management bundles for septic patients amongst physicians in a general intensive care unit. Design: Cross sectional observational study. Setting: The general intensive care unit, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. Subjects: Admitting physicians from all specialties in the general intensive care unit. Results: The physicians had high conformity rates of 92% and 96% for the fluid resuscitation and use of va so pressors respectively for the initial resuscitation bundle. They had moderate conformity rates for blood cultures prior to administering antibiotics (57%) and administration of antibiotics within first hour of recognition of septic shock (54%). There was high conformity rate to the glucose control policy (81%), use of protective lung strategy in acute lung injury/Acute respiratory distress syndrome, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis (100%) and stress ulcer prophylaxis (100%) in the management bundle. Conformity was moderate for use of sedation, analgesia and muscle relaxant policy (69%), continuous renal replacement therapies (54%) and low for steroid policy (35%), administration ofdrotrecogin alfa (0%) and selective digestive decontamination (15%). Conclusion: There is varying conformity to the international sepsis guidelines among physicians caring for patients in our general ICU. Since increased conformity would improve survival and reduce morbidity, there is need for sustained education and guideline based performance improvement