The optimal hedging in a semi-Markov modulated market

This paper includes an original self contained proof of well-posedness of an initial-boundary value problem involving a non-local parabolic PDE which naturally arises in the study of derivative pricing in a generalized market model. We call this market model a semi-Markov modulated market. Although a wellposedness result of that problem is available in the literature, but this recent paper has a different proof. Here the existence of solution is established without invoking mild solution technique. We study the well-posedness of the initial-boundary value problem via a Volterra integral equation of second kind. The method of conditioning on stopping times was used only for showing uniqueness. Furthermore, in the present study we find an integral representation of the PDE problem which enables us to find a robust numerical scheme to compute derivative of the solution. This study paves for addressing many other interesting problems involving this new set of PDEs. Some derivations of external cash flow corresponding to an optimal strategy are presented. These quantities are extremely important when dealing with an incomplete market. Apart from these, the risk measures for discrete trading are formulated which may be of interest to the practitioners.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figure

A web-based survey to assess perceptions of managed care organization representatives regarding the use of co-pay subsidy coupons for prescription drugs

textPharmaceutical manufacturers’ use of prescription brand-name drugs coupons and vouchers to subsidize patients’ cost-sharing obligations such as co-pays has increased. The co-pays are used by managed care organizations (MCOs) to give their plan members an appreciation of drug costs as well as to offer incentives to use available equivalent generic alternatives due to lower co-pays. With higher tiered co-pays for brand-name drugs being offset by coupons, little is known about MCO representatives’ perceptions about use of co-pay subsidy coupons for brand-name prescription drugs. The objective of this study was to assess health plan managers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) perceptions on the use of prescription drug co-pay subsidy coupons. An online survey instrument was used to collect data. A convenience sample of 834 MCO representatives was selected from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) membership directory. A total of 122 surveys were returned of which 105 were usable surveys, giving a response rate of 13.7%. A five-point, 11-item Likert scale ranging from 1 through 5, (1 = ‘Strong Disagree’ and 5 = ‘Strongly Agree’) was used to measure respondents’perceptions. Some items referred to coupons used to get co-pay discounts repeatedly over a year (i.e., long-term use coupons) while some items referred to coupons distributed for trial purposes (i.e., short-term use coupons). Of the 105 respondents, 42 (40%) “agreed,” while 58 (55.2%) “strongly agreed” that co-pay subsidy coupons encouraged non-preferred brand-name drugs over preferred brand-name drugs. A total of 78 respondents (74.3%) reported that brand-name drug coupons undermined tiered formulary structure. Sixty respondents (57.1%) “strongly agreed” that short-term use coupons increased plan sponsor’s costs and 72 respondents (68.6%) “agreed” that sponsor cost increased with long-term use coupons. A total of 42 (40%) reported to “strongly agree” that short-term use coupons should be eliminated whereas 49 (46.7%) respondents reported “strongly agreed” that long-term use coupons should be eliminated. In summary, MCO representatives believe that brand-name drug utilization is increasing due to prescription drug incentives such as coupons which undermines their formulary controls and in turn, increases health care costs.Pharmac

A Role for the Potassium Channel Seizure in Regulating Intrinsic Neuronal Stress Response in Drosophila melanogaster

From the Washington University Senior Honors Thesis Abstracts (WUSHTA), Spring 2018. Published by the Office of Undergraduate Research. Joy Zalis Kiefer, Director of Undergraduate Research and Associate Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences; Lindsey Paunovich, Editor; Helen Human, Programs Manager and Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences Mentor: Yehuda Ben-Shahar and Alexis Hil

My experiments in the classroom

More often than not, in the school set up, it is the product that gets rewarded instead of the process. The final assessment paper becomes a statement of capability instead of being a statement of progress. What is happening wrongly influences, and sometimes overshadows, what can. If a child is not reading, we say that the child cannot read. Most times, this inaccurate conclusion stems from a belief that a parent or educator might hold about the idea of capability. The belief might be that some children cannot learn, or some children cannot learn a particular subject, or in a particular way or that some children just do not want to learn

Nanosuspension Based Electrolyte Sensitive In Situ Gel for Topical Ocular Delivery of Natamycin

Natamycin (NT) is a commercially available antifungal drug used for the treatment of fungal keratitis, an infection which affects the clear corneal surface and its associated layers. Currently, NT is available commercially as a 5% w/v ophthalmic suspension, to be administered topically. The main objective of the present investigation was to develop and evaluate the natamycin loaded nanosuspension (NT-NS), as well as it’s corresponding in-situ gel (NT-NS-GG), for the treatment of fungal keratitis. NT-NS was prepared using homogenization technique and optimized based on size, PDI, zeta potential (ZP), assay and process stability. Further, optimized NT-NS was modified into an in-situ gel with the addition of 0.2% gellan gum as a gelling agent and evaluated for rheological properties. in vitro release and trans corneal permeation studies were performed. Differential scanning calorimetry studies shono interaction between the drug and other excipients being formulated into a NS. Particle size, PDI, ZP and assay of the optimized NT-NS formulation (formulation LP1) were 586. ± 61.3, 0.447 ± 0.12, -38.97 and 107 ± 0.6%, respectively. LP1 formulation was stable for up to 4 weeks under refrigerated and at room temperature conditions. in-situ gels shosatisfactory rheological properties, prolonged drug release and permeation through rabbit corneas. The results suggest that NT loaded NS could be an alternative topical ocular dosage form

Knowledge, attitude and preventive practice of women concerning osteoporosis above 45 years women

Background: The objective is to determine the knowledge, attitude and preventive practice of women above 45 years old.Methods: It is a cross-sectional analytical study of 100 women above 45 years of upper class women. The interview schedule consisted of 4 parts including questions about knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) and also demographic questions.Results: A significant relationship between the score of preventive practice and all the following parameters was found: level of education, hearing about osteoporosis, knowledge score, perceived barrier to preventive actions and perceived seriousness of osteoporosis.Conclusions: Inaccurate or insufficient knowledge and their negative attitude to the preventive actions and their weak practice in case of prevention, it is the responsibility of health policymakers and medical associations to plan for osteoporosis education and prevention initiatives

Nigeria's trade policies on rice and pharmaceuticals highlight the country's over-reliance on import substitution

Successive Nigerian governments have shown a strong drive to diversify the economy through specific sector policies, particularly import substitution. This has usually been triggered by foreign exchange crises. Poorva Karkare and Michael Odijie argue that Nigeria must move away from a one-size-fits-all protectionist trade policy, also known as backward integration, to increase technical capacity and ramp up the production of goods and services

AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF VATARAKTA- A CASE STUDY

Vatarakta is a disease explained in Ayurveda involving Vata Dosha imbalance affecting Rakta Dhatu, where the Vayu gets aggravated due to long distance rides on animals like elephants, camels, horses, and on the other hand Rakta or blood gets vitiated by the consumption of Lavana, Amla, Katu, Kshara etc The Vata, whose passages are blocked by Rakta further undergoes vitiation and further contaminates the Rakta or blood. The blood vitiated by Vayu later burns the whole blood in the body and later gravitates towards the foot. This vicious amalgamation of vitiated Vata and Rakta is called Vatarakta. Vatarakta can even be correlated to Gout on the basis of etiopathology. A 49 years old male patient approached the OPD with the chief complaints of: Right middle finger swelling along with discoloration. Right feet swelling along with burning sensation of b/l sole. Right shoulder joint pain along with difficulty in movements. General weakness was also seen. All the above complains were since 4 months. The patient was given completely Ayurvedic medicines and Panchkarma therapies for 8 days, and later was shifted on only Ayurvedic medicines on discharge and the results were remarkably seen. Hence this study was taken to prove that Ayurvedic management has remarkable results in Vatarakta (Gout). Observation and results were drawn on the basis of assessment criteria. Discussion was done on the basis of entire observations during research. Conclusion was drawn on the basis of result