World Friendship Center, Hiroshima, Japan

Poster created by students in the 2018 IWU Freeman Asia Internship Program

Hedge Fund Performance: The Canadian Market Case

With the growth of hedge fund industry, investors are interested in the possibility of replicating hedge funds returns by using market indexes. Most papers on the hedge fund performance are based on data prior the 2007-2008 financial crisis. This study uses monthly returns data for 59 Canadian hedge funds in Bloomberg database from January 2009 to September 2016 to investigate the hedge funds performance and possibility of replication in the post-crisis period. We follow Hzsanhodzic’s (2006) linear factor model to determine the significance of expected returns can be explained by six common risk exposures. We find that “clone” hedge funds returns would be hard to realize under Canadian market conditions by using current post-crisis data

A non-oscillatory multi-moment finite volume scheme with boundary gradient switching

In this work we propose a new formulation for high-order multi-moment constrained finite volume (MCV) method. In the one-dimensional building-block scheme, three local degrees of freedom (DOFs) are equidistantly defined within a grid cell. Two candidate polynomials for spatial reconstruction of third-order are built by adopting one additional constraint condition from the adjacent cells, i.e. the DOF at middle point of left or right neighbour. A boundary gradient switching (BGS) algorithm based on the variation-minimization principle is devised to determine the spatial reconstruction from the two candidates, so as to remove the spurious oscillations around the discontinuities. The resulted non-oscillatory MCV3-BGS scheme is of fourth-order accuracy and completely free of case-dependent ad hoc parameters. The widely used benchmark tests of one- and two-dimensional scalar and Euler hyperbolic conservation laws are solved to verify the performance of the proposed scheme in this paper. The MCV3-BGS scheme is very promising for the practical applications due to its accuracy, non-oscillatory feature and algorithmic simplicity

MacFormer: Map-Agent Coupled Transformer for Real-time and Robust Trajectory Prediction

Predicting the future behavior of agents is a fundamental task in autonomous vehicle domains. Accurate prediction relies on comprehending the surrounding map, which significantly regularizes agent behaviors. However, existing methods have limitations in exploiting the map and exhibit a strong dependence on historical trajectories, which yield unsatisfactory prediction performance and robustness. Additionally, their heavy network architectures impede real-time applications. To tackle these problems, we propose Map-Agent Coupled Transformer (MacFormer) for real-time and robust trajectory prediction. Our framework explicitly incorporates map constraints into the network via two carefully designed modules named coupled map and reference extractor. A novel multi-task optimization strategy (MTOS) is presented to enhance learning of topology and rule constraints. We also devise bilateral query scheme in context fusion for a more efficient and lightweight network. We evaluated our approach on Argoverse 1, Argoverse 2, and nuScenes real-world benchmarks, where it all achieved state-of-the-art performance with the lowest inference latency and smallest model size. Experiments also demonstrate that our framework is resilient to imperfect tracklet inputs. Furthermore, we show that by combining with our proposed strategies, classical models outperform their baselines, further validating the versatility of our framework.Comment: Accepted by IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. 8 Pages, 9 Figures, 9 Tables. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY388iI6sP

Carbapenem-resistant Citrobacter freundii harboring blaKPC−2 and blaNDM−1: a study on their transferability and potential dissemination via generating a transferrable hybrid plasmid mediated by IS6100

IntroductionThe increase in clinical Enterobacteriaceae with dual carbapenemase has become a serious healthcare concern. It is essential to characterize the transferability and potential dissemination of blaKPC−2- and blaNDM−1-coharboring carbapenem-resistant Citrobacter freundii (CRCF).MethodsFour blaKPC−2- and blaNDM−1-coharboring CRCF strains were collected from our surveillance of the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. The isolates were assessed using species identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, conjugation assays, whole-genome sequencing, plasmid stability, and fitness costs. Clonality, genome, plasmidome, and phylogeny were analyzed to reveal potential dissemination.ResultsThree ST523 blaKPC−2- and blaNDM−1-coharboring CRCF strains, collected from the same hospital within 1 month, exhibited high homology (both identity and coverage >99%), implying clonal dissemination and a small-scale outbreak. Moreover, the blaKPC−2 and blaNDM−1 genes were coharbored on an IncR plasmid, probably generated by a blaKPC−2-harboring plasmid acquiring blaNDM−1, in these three strains. Importantly, the IncR plasmid may form a transferable hybrid plasmid, mediated by IS6100 via transposition, with another IncFII plasmid included in the same C. freundii strain. Furthermore, the blaKPC−2 and blaNDM−1 of the fourth CRCF strain are located on two different non-transferable plasmids lacking complete transfer elements. Additionally, throughout the course of the 10-day continuous passage, the genetic surroundings of blaNDM−1 in four CRCF strains were gradually excised from their plasmids after the 8th day, whereas they maintained 100% retention for blaKPC−2. Genome and plasmidome analyses revealed that blaKPC−2- or blaNDM−1-harboring C. freundii were divergent, and these plasmids have high homology to plasmids of other Enterobacteriaceae.ConclusionClonal dissemination of ST523 blaKPC−2- and blaNDM−1-coharboring CRCF strains was detected, and we first reported blaKPC−2 and blaNDM−1 concomitantly located on one plasmid, which could be transferred with mediation by IS6100 via transposition. Continued surveillance should urgently be implemented

The relationship between major life events and non-suicidal self-injury among college students: the effect of rumination and body image

BackgroundNon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) poses a growing risk to public health worldwide. While numerous studies have identified major life events as key risk factors for NSSI, the mechanisms by which emotional and cognitive problems mediate or moderate this relationship remain unclear. To enhance the understanding of this field, we will draw upon the cascade theory of self-injury and the benefits and barriers model, to examine the relationship between major life events and NSSI, as well as the effect of rumination and body image.MethodsA sample of 2,717 college students (Mage = 19.81 years; SD = 1.09) participated in this study and anonymously completed the questionnaires. The moderated mediation model were conducted using Model 4 and Model 15 of the Process macro program in SPSS.ResultsThe results showed that rumination mediated the positive relationship between major life events and NSSI. Furthermore, body image was found to moderate both the relationship between major life events and NSSI, as well as the relationship between rumination and NSSI.ConclusionThe current findings suggest that rumination is an important mediator in the relationship between major life events and NSSI among college students. Teachers, parents, and researchers should recognize the important role of body image self-perceptions of college students and actively promote a healthy and accurate body image