Taxonomic study of the tribe Neohiraseini Hennemann & Conle, 2008 (Phasmida: Phasmatidae: Lonchodinae) in continental China

Three genera and six species of the tribe Neohiraseini Hennemann & Conle from continental China are recognized and discussed. Key to the genera and species of the tribe is provided. A new genus and species, Cheniphasma serrifemoralis gen. n., sp. n., from Guangdong are described. The female of Neohirasea guangdongensis Chen & He is described for the first time

A new species of Micadina Redtenbacher, 1908 (Phasmida: Necrosciinae) from Guangdong Province, China

Micadina cheni sp. n. is described and illustrated. It differs from other Micadina species by its unique spoon-shape of cerci. Akey is given tomales of all Chinese Micadina species

Cultural variants of fusaria from oil palm habitats

Variation in cultural and morphological characteristics existed in both the parent isolates and subcultures of 8 species of Fusarium isolated from oil palm soils. Based on pigmentation, mycelial characters and conidial measurements, different "morphological types" from parent isolates within a species were distinguished. Constant subculturing of the parent isolates gave rise to various cultural variants. The variants were the slimy-pionnotal, mycelial and ropy types or were in the form ofpatches or sections which differed in pigmentation from the parent colony

Soil fusaria from oil palm habitats in Malaysia

Fusarium species were isolated from 22 sampling sites in 4 oil palm plantations located in different regions of Peninsular Malaysia using Peptone-PCNB medium. Eight species and two varieties of Fusarium viz., F. solani, F. oxysporum, F. oxysporum var. redolens, F. semitectum, F. moniliforme, F. moniliforme var. subglutinans, F. equiseti, F. longipes, F. lateritium and F. heterosporum were isolated. Among these, F. solani and F. oxysporum were the most prevalent species followed by F. semitectum and F. moniliforme. The other 5 species and 2 varieties of Fusarium were of sporadic occurrence. Generally, soils from areas with young palms had larger number and greater variety of Fusarium species when compared to soils from mature and old palm areas. The rhizosp here soil contained a greater variety of Fusarium species than soils in the avenue of palms (non-rhizosphre soil)

Destructive Hostility: The Jeffrey Dahmer Case: A Psychiatric and Forensic Study of a Serial Killer

We were involved as forensic experts in the case of the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. We discuss the scene and victim autopsy findings, with a brief consideration of the basic emotion of hostility. These findings support the thesis that at the basis of this serial killer\u27s behavior were primary unconscious feelings of hate that he had channeled into a sadistic programmed destruction of 17 young men. The interview of the serial killer, the photographic scene documentation, and the autopsy findings stress the ambivalent homosexuality of the killer, his sexual sadism, his obsessive fetishism, and his possible cannibalism and necrophilia

Bear Factor and Hedge Fund Performance

We show that a simple and intuitive variable, the return of a bear spread portfolio orthogonalized with respect to the market (H-Bear factor), can serve as a new benchmark for explaining the cross-section of hedge fund returns. Low H-Bear exposure funds (bear risk insurance sellers) outperform high H-Bear exposure funds (bear risk insurance buyers) by 0.58% per month on average, outperform even during market crashes, but underperform when bear market risk materializes. Overall, we identify a new risk dimension that affects hedge fund performance, and we show that this risk factor is distinct from the already popular realized tail risk

School Selection for Their Children in Canada: What Do Chinese Parent-Students Consider?

In recent years, more and more Chinese students have come to Canada for their education. Some of them are parents, and they bring their children with them. Using a multiple case study design, this study explored these international parent-students in regards to how they select schools for their children. Six participants were recruited. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis reveals that participants viewed school selection for their children as their responsibility and thus they were highly engaged in the process. No significant challenges arose in the process of school selection as parents adopted different strategies. Participants considered five key factors when selecting schools for their children, including peers’ family background, school rank, language of instruction, impression of the teachers, and parents’ religious background. These factors were shaped by the Chinese culture, the participants’ class identity, and their anxiety and expectations towards their children’s future. Key words: International parent-student, parental involvement, school selection, social class identity Ces dernières années, de plus en plus d'étudiants chinois sont venus au Canada pour y faire leurs études. Certains d'entre eux sont des parents, et ils amènent leurs enfants avec eux. À l'aide d'un modèle d'étude de cas multiples, cette étude s'est intéressée à ces parents-étudiants internationaux et à la façon dont ils choisissent les écoles pour leurs enfants. Six participants ont été recrutés. Les données ont été recueillies par le biais d'entretiens semi-structurés. L'analyse des données révèle que les participants considèrent le choix de l'école pour leurs enfants comme leur responsabilité et qu'ils sont donc très engagés dans le processus. Aucun défi significatif ne s’est présenté au cours du processus de sélection des écoles, les parents ayant adopté différentes stratégies. Les participants ont pris en compte cinq facteurs clés lors du choix de l'école de leurs enfants, à savoir le milieu familial des pairs, le classement de l'école, la langue d'enseignement, l'impression des enseignants et l'appartenance religieuse des parents. Ces facteurs ont été façonnés par la culture chinoise, l'identité de classe des participants, ainsi que leur anxiété et leurs attentes quant à l'avenir de leurs enfants. Mots-clés : parent-étudiant international, implication des parents, choix de l'école, identité de classe social

Mixed poisson regression models with varying dispersion arising from non-conjugate mixing distributions

In this article we present a class of mixed Poisson regression models with varying dispersion arising from non-conjugate to the Poisson mixing distributions for modelling overdispersed claim counts in non-life insurance. The proposed family of models combined with the adopted modelling framework can provide sufficient flexibility for dealing with different levels of overdispersion. For illustrative purposes, the Poisson-lognormal regression model with regression structures on both its mean and dispersion parameters is employed for modelling claim count data from a motor insurance portfolio. Maximum likelihood estimation is carried out via an expectation-maximization type algorithm, which is developed for the proposed family of models and is demonstrated to perform satisfactorily