Price Barriers in the Stock Market and Their Effect on the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model

The predicted price of an American option by the Black-Scholes (B-S) Option Pricing Model is known to differ from the market price of that option systematically with respect to time to expiration, distance in- or out-of-the-money, and liquidity of the option. We examine the possibility of price barriers in the stock market causing further systemic pricing differences between the market price and B-S predicted price. These differences occur when an option’s strike price is near a price barrier and differ in effect and significance depending on the position of the barrier relative to the underlying stocks’ price. We find round number price barriers in the stock market are beginning to be internalized into the option market. Additionally, Bollinger bands and Gann levels appear to receive special attention from investors, but do not act as price barriers

Frequency of higher risk sexual behaviors for men who have sex with men

Safer sexual behaviors have been widely promoted for many years as an effective means of preventing the transmission of HIV. However, creating an initial change in an individual\u27s behavior does not guarantee that an individual will maintain that behavior change. This meta-analysis looked at one population---men who have sex with men---and fit a random effects model to the data for the available studies on the frequency of higher risk sexual behaviors. It is clear the prevention programs need to be developed that focus on maintenance of changes to safer sexual behaviors. By identifying the important predictors of the frequency of higher risk sexual behaviors, this meta-analysis provides suggestions on what may be important to include in targeted prevention programs

IoT and Digitization Will Reconnect System Engineering and Science

The fully connected world is quickly becoming a reality. Architects and developers of this new world must understand both the hardware and software basics of IoT and IIoT systems as well as the proven way to deal with the complexities of the integration of sensors, processors, wireless connectivity, edge to cloud networks, data partitioning and processing, AI, machine language, digital threads and twins, and much more. Such complexity can only be handled with a systems-of-systems (SoS) engineering approach. But while systems engineering may hold many of the solutions to IoT challenges, systems engineering must evolve from its traditional role. Some have even suggested that the data requirements and digitization of the IoT and corresponding digital threads are putting the engineering back into systems engineering via model-based designs. This will also help reconnect system engineering to system science. This presentation will show how the IoT hardware and software technologies are changing the traditional systems engineering approach. Further, professionals that are so prepared with both the basics of IoT and systems engineering will stand a better chance of competing in the IoT space.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/systems_science_seminar_series/1078/thumbnail.jp

The power of experimential learning

Learning through experience is perhaps the most fundamental way in which we learn about the world around us. Learning has been defined as a "relatively permanent change in knowledge, attitudes, or behavior as a result of experiences." But what makes an experience truly educational and positive? How does experiential learning go beyond hands-on learning? Experiential learning is considered a holistic approach to learning and involves a person\u27s thoughts, feelings, and actions. Experiential learning places the learner at the center of the learning experience. The educator\u27s role is to guide or facilitate the learning process. For learning to be meaningful, learners need to have opportunities to reflect on and share their experience with others and apply what they learned to new situations. Thus, how we teach is just as important as what we teach. This paper provides an overview of the ecperiential learning process, its impacts on learning, and possible challenges in using the approach. This paper highlights the use of experiential learning in the 4-H Youth Development Program, the youth outreach component of land grant universities in the United States.Karen Blyler: State 4-H Science Coordinator, 4-H Youth Development Program, University of Florid

Optical splitter/combiner with an adiabatic mixing region

An optical splitter/combiner having an adiabatic mixing region for optically interconnecting a plurality of optical fibers. The change in shape of the adiabatic mixing region is purposely gradual so as to introduce little optical loss. The shape of the adiabatic mixing region is varied so as to minimize the change in the cross-sectional area of the adiabatic mixing region. The optical splitter/combiner is fabricated by the utilizing two subassemblies which when fitted together form the adiabatic mixing region. This formed mixing region is adapted to accepting a linear array of optical fibers in one end and a single optical fiber in the other end. The core area of the optical fibers in one end is not necessarily equivalent to those of the other end but instead are sized to ensure the relatively efficient transfer of optical energy. The adiabatic mixing region is filled with resin, and the numerical apertures of the optical fibers and the resin-filled mixing region are substantially matched. The subassemblies form an optical cladding for the adiabatic mixing region.Published versio

What Have I Done

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A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Blood-Pressure Reduction in Black Barbershops

BACKGROUND Uncontrolled hypertension is a major problem among non-Hispanic black men, who are underrepresented in pharmacist intervention trials in traditional health care settings. METHODS We enrolled a cohort of 319 black male patrons with systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or more from 52 black-owned barbershops (nontraditional health care setting) in a cluster-randomized trial in which barbershops were assigned to a pharmacist-led intervention (in which barbers encouraged meetings in barbershops with specialty-trained pharmacists who prescribed drug therapy under a collaborative practice agreement with the participants’ doctors) or to an active control approach (in which barbers encouraged lifestyle modification and doctor appointments). The primary outcome was reduction in systolic blood pressure at 6 months. RESULTS At baseline, the mean systolic blood pressure was 152.8 mm Hg in the intervention group and 154.6 mm Hg in the control group. At 6 months, the mean systolic blood pressure fell by 27.0 mm Hg (to 125.8 mm Hg) in the intervention group and by 9.3 mm Hg (to 145.4 mm Hg) in the control group; the mean reduction was 21.6 mm Hg greater with the intervention (95% confidence interval, 14.7 to 28.4; P<0.001). A blood-pressure level of less than 130/80 mm Hg was achieved among 63.6% of the participants in the intervention group versus 11.7% of the participants in the control group (P<0.001). In the intervention group, the rate of cohort retention was 95%, and there were few adverse events (three cases of acute kidney injury). CONCLUSIONS Among black male barbershop patrons with uncontrolled hypertension, health promotion by barbers resulted in larger blood-pressure reduction when coupled with medication management in barbershops by specialty-trained pharmacists. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02321618.)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa171725

What Have I Done To Make You Stop Loving Me

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