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Keywords = equalized claim amounts

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16 pages, 4237 KiB  
Article
Development of Healthy Snacks Incorporating Meal from Tenebrio molitor and Alphitobius diaperinus Using 3D Printing Technology
by Francisco Madail Herdeiro, Maria Otília Carvalho, Maria Cristiana Nunes and Anabela Raymundo
Foods 2024, 13(2), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13020179 - 5 Jan 2024
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4151
Abstract
This study analyzes the nutritional properties of edible insects, specifically Tenebrio molitor and Alphitobius diaperinus, and explores the potential of 3D printing technology to introduce a nutritious and tasty alternative to essential nutrients for Western consumers. An original formulation for the printing [...] Read more.
This study analyzes the nutritional properties of edible insects, specifically Tenebrio molitor and Alphitobius diaperinus, and explores the potential of 3D printing technology to introduce a nutritious and tasty alternative to essential nutrients for Western consumers. An original formulation for the printing of snacks with microalgae was adapted to incorporate edible insects. Concentrations of 10% of edible insects, both isolated and mixed, were incorporated into the developed ink-doughs. Stress and frequency sweeps were performed on the doughs to understand the rheology and the impact on the internal structure to better adapt these materials to the 3D printing process. The nutritional profile of the developed snacks was assessed, revealing a significant amount of protein, enough to claim the snacks as a “source of protein”, as well as an increased mineral profile, when compared to the control snack. The antioxidant profile and total phenolic content were equally assessed. Finally, a sensory analysis test was performed, comparing the control snack to three other samples containing 10% T. molitor, 10% A. diaperinus and 5% + 5% of T. molitor and A. diaperinus, respectively, resulting in a preference for the A. diaperinus and for the combination of the two insects. Considered as a “novel food”, foods incorporating edible insects represent, in fact, the reintroduction of foods used in the West before the Middle Ages, when the Judeo-Christian tradition began to consider insects as not kosher. Educating consumers about the transition to novel foods can be helped by 3D printing food, as an innovative process that can be used to design creative rich animal protein snacks that make final products more appealing and acceptable to consumers. Full article
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25 pages, 1491 KiB  
Review
The Bilingual Is Not Two Monolinguals of Same Age: Normative Testing Implications for Multilinguals
by Samuel O. Ortiz and Sarah K. Cehelyk
J. Intell. 2024, 12(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12010003 - 31 Dec 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3342
Abstract
A fundamental concept in psychological and intelligence testing involves the assumption of comparability in which performance on a test is compared to a normative standard derived from prior testing on individuals who are comparable to the examinee. When evaluating cognitive abilities, the primary [...] Read more.
A fundamental concept in psychological and intelligence testing involves the assumption of comparability in which performance on a test is compared to a normative standard derived from prior testing on individuals who are comparable to the examinee. When evaluating cognitive abilities, the primary variable used for establishing comparability and, in turn, validity is age, given that intellectual abilities develop largely as a function of general physical growth and neuromaturation. When an individual has been raised only in the language of the test, language development is effectively controlled by age. For example, when measuring vocabulary, a 12-year-old will be compared only to other 12-year-olds, all of whom have been learning the language of the test for approximately 12 years—hence, they remain comparable. The same cannot be said when measuring the same or other abilities in a 12-year-old who has been raised only in a different language or raised partly with a different language and partly with the language of the test. In such cases, a 12-year-old may have been learning the language of the test at some point shortly after birth, or they might have just begun learning the language a week ago. Their respective development in the language of the test thus varies considerably, and it can no longer be assumed that they are comparable in this respect to others simply because they are of the same age. Psychologists noted early on that language differences could affect test performance, but it was viewed mostly as an issue regarding basic comprehension. Early efforts were made to address this issue, which typically involved simplification of the instructions or reliance on mostly nonverbal methods of administration and measurement. Other procedures that followed included working around language via test modifications or alterations (e.g., use of an interpreter), testing in the dominant language, or use of tests translated into other languages. None of these approaches, however, have succeeded in establishing validity and fairness in the testing of multilinguals, primarily because they fail to recognize that language difference is not the same as language development, much like cultural difference is not the same as acquisition of acculturative knowledge. Current research demonstrates that the test performance of multilinguals is moderated primarily by the amount of exposure to and development in the language of the test. Moreover, language development, specifically receptive vocabulary, accounts for more variance in test performance than age or any other variable. There is further evidence that when the influence of differential language development is examined and controlled, historical attributions to race-based performance disappear. Advances in fairness in the testing of multilinguals rest on true peer comparisons that control for differences in language development within and among multilinguals. The BESA and the Ortiz PVAT are the only two examples where norms have been created that control for both age and degree of development in the language(s) of the test. Together, they provide a blueprint for future tests and test construction wherein the creation of true peer norms is possible and, when done correctly, exhibits significant influence in equalizing test performance across diverse groups, irrespective of racial/ethnic background or language development. Current research demonstrates convincingly that with deliberate and careful attention to differences that exist, not only between monolinguals and multilinguals of the same age but also among multilinguals themselves, tests can be developed to support claims of validity and fairness for use with individuals who were in fact not raised exclusively in the language or the culture of the test. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Human Intelligence—State of the Art in the 2020s)
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10 pages, 253 KiB  
Article
On the Devylder–Goovaerts Conjecture in Ruin Theory
by Stéphane Loisel and Charles Minier
Mathematics 2023, 11(6), 1501; https://doi.org/10.3390/math11061501 - 20 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1550
Abstract
The Devylder–Goovaerts conjecture is probably the oldest conjecture in actuarial mathematics and has received a lot of attention in recent years. It claims that ruin with equalized claim amounts is always less likely than in the classical model. Investigating the validity of this [...] Read more.
The Devylder–Goovaerts conjecture is probably the oldest conjecture in actuarial mathematics and has received a lot of attention in recent years. It claims that ruin with equalized claim amounts is always less likely than in the classical model. Investigating the validity of this conjecture is important both from a theoretical aspect and a practical point of view, as it suggests that one always underestimates the risk of insolvency by replacing claim amounts with the average claim amount a posteriori. We first state a simplified version of the conjecture in the discrete-time risk model when one equalizes aggregate claim amounts and prove that it holds. We then use properties of the Pareto distribution in risk theory and other ideas to target candidate counterexamples and provide several counterexamples to the original Devylder–Goovaerts conjecture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mathematics: 10th Anniversary)
15 pages, 495 KiB  
Article
Estimation of the Confidence Interval for the Ratio of the Coefficients of Variation of Two Weibull Distributions and Its Application to Wind Speed Data
by Manussaya La-ongkaew, Sa-Aat Niwitpong and Suparat Niwitpong
Symmetry 2023, 15(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym15010046 - 24 Dec 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1964
Abstract
The Weibull distribution, one of the most significant distributions with applications in numerous fields, is associated with numerous distributions such as generalized gamma distribution, exponential distribution, and Rayleigh distribution, which are asymmetric. Nevertheless, it shares a close relationship with a normal distribution where [...] Read more.
The Weibull distribution, one of the most significant distributions with applications in numerous fields, is associated with numerous distributions such as generalized gamma distribution, exponential distribution, and Rayleigh distribution, which are asymmetric. Nevertheless, it shares a close relationship with a normal distribution where a process of transformation allows them to become symmetric. The Weibull distribution is commonly used to study the failure of components and phenomena. It has been applied to a variety of scenarios, including failure time, claims amount, unemployment duration, survival time, and especially wind speed data. A suitable area for installing a wind turbine requires a wind speed that is both sufficiently high and consistent, and so comparing the variation in wind speed in two areas is eminently desirable. In this paper, methods to estimate the confidence interval for the ratio of the coefficients of variation of two Weibull distributions are proposed and applied to compare the variation in wind speed in two areas. The methods are the generalized confidence interval (GCI), the method of variance estimates recovery (MOVER), and Bayesian methods based on the gamma and uniform priors. The Bayesian methods comprise the equal-tailed confidence interval and the highest posterior density (HPD) interval. The effectiveness of the methods was evaluated in terms of their coverage probabilities and expected lengths and also empirically applied to wind speed datasets from two different areas in Thailand. The results indicate that the HPD interval based on the uniform prior outperformed the others in most of the scenarios tested and so it is suggested for estimating the confidence interval for the ratio of the coefficients of variation of two Weibull distributions. Full article
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16 pages, 3044 KiB  
Article
Colour Variation in the Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) and Its Relationship to Individual Quality
by Xia Qiu, Martin J. Whiting, Weiguo Du, Zhengjun Wu, Shuyi Luo, Bisong Yue, Jinzhong Fu and Yin Qi
Biology 2022, 11(9), 1314; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11091314 - 4 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 11745
Abstract
Colour plays a key role in animal social communication including as an indicator of individual quality. Using spectrophotometry, we examined colour variation in the throat and venter of the crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus), an endangered species native to southern China and [...] Read more.
Colour plays a key role in animal social communication including as an indicator of individual quality. Using spectrophotometry, we examined colour variation in the throat and venter of the crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus), an endangered species native to southern China and northern Vietnam. We detected two broad colour variants, individuals with and without red, for each body region and each sex. A cluster analysis of spectral colour measurements (hue, chroma, luminance) revealed discrete throat and ventral morphs when measured in a single snapshot in time. However, photographic evidence revealed that the amount of red relative to body size increased as they got older. Individuals with red were equally likely to be male or female and throat colour was unrelated to ventral colour. Therefore, it is premature to claim that crocodile lizards have discrete colour morphs. We used visual modelling to show that the throat and venter were easily discriminable to a lizard visual system, suggesting they function in social communication. We also asked whether colour variation signalled individual quality. Females with red throats had greater bite force while males with red throats were older. In addition, females with red venters had larger heads. We also detected differences in morphology linked to colour. Females with red throats had slender bodies and longer tails, while individuals lacking red on their throats were stouter and had shorter tails. Finally, throat and ventral colour were unrelated to reproductive output (litter size and mass) in females. Males with greater ventral luminance contrast sired offspring from litters with greater litter mass (including stillborns), while males with greater ventral chromatic contrast sired offspring whose collective live mass (excluding stillborns) was greater. Males with greater luminance contrast also sired more live offspring (excluding stillborns). Collectively, these results suggest that male ventral colour signals individual quality in males. Conservation initiatives should take colour variation into account when planning future captive breeding and release programs for this endangered species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Animal Social Behavior and Social Evolution)
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10 pages, 2284 KiB  
Article
Identification Elements Symmetry in Teaching Informatics in Czech Secondary School during the Covid-19 Outbreak from the Perspective of Students
by R. Nemec, A. Jahodova Berkova and S. Hubalovsky
Symmetry 2020, 12(11), 1768; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12111768 - 26 Oct 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3422
Abstract
This article describes the research results aimed at distance education during the Covid-19 pandemic and closing schools and its symmetry with the classical state in terms of time, difficulty, and the mental and physical condition of students. An important aspect is therefore to [...] Read more.
This article describes the research results aimed at distance education during the Covid-19 pandemic and closing schools and its symmetry with the classical state in terms of time, difficulty, and the mental and physical condition of students. An important aspect is therefore to maintain the symmetry of attitudes to teaching in face-to-face form and distance form. In terms of the eight-year gymnasium in the Czech Republic, students’ attitudes to the teaching subject informatics were investigated. The main research questions in our study dealt with whether students felt equally balanced regarding the amount of tasks and time taken for home preparation during the Covid-19 outbreak compared with the time before the quarantine and their condition (both mental and physical) during the Covid-19 outbreak. The research was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire, which was answered by 110 out of 180 students. According to the results, it is evident that students felt that during the distance education, there are more tasks compared to face-to-face ones. Students also claimed to spend more time learning at distance education than at school. On the other hand, they agreed that the self-education schedule is suitable for them. In terms of the questionnaire, their condition (both mental and physical) was also evaluated, which was slightly above the average. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Simulation of Natural Phenomena of Current Interest)
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11 pages, 260 KiB  
Article
Analyzing Large Workers’ Compensation Claims Using Generalized Linear Models and Monte Carlo Simulation
by Fatemeh Davoudi Kakhki, Steven A. Freeman and Gretchen A. Mosher
Safety 2018, 4(4), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/safety4040057 - 1 Dec 2018
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6737
Abstract
Insurance practitioners rely on statistical models to predict future claims in order to provide financial protection. Proper predictive statistical modeling is more challenging when analyzing claims with lower frequency, but high costs. The paper investigated the use of predictive generalized linear models (GLMs) [...] Read more.
Insurance practitioners rely on statistical models to predict future claims in order to provide financial protection. Proper predictive statistical modeling is more challenging when analyzing claims with lower frequency, but high costs. The paper investigated the use of predictive generalized linear models (GLMs) to address this challenge. Workers’ compensation claims with costs equal to or more than US$100,000 were analyzed in agribusiness industries in the Midwest of the USA from 2008 to 2016. Predictive GLMs were built with gamma, Weibull, and lognormal distributions using the lasso penalization method. Monte Carlo simulation models were developed to check the performance of predictive models in cost estimation. The results show that the GLM with gamma distribution has the highest predictivity power (R2 = 0.79). Injury characteristics and worker’s occupation were predictive of large claims’ occurrence and costs. The conclusions of this study are useful in modifying and estimating insurance pricing within high-risk agribusiness industries. The approach of this study can be used as a framework to forecast workers’ compensation claims amounts with rare, high-cost events in other industries. This work is useful for insurance practitioners concerned with statistical and predictive modeling in financial risk analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Safety and Health)
15 pages, 638 KiB  
Article
We Need to Recreate Natural Philosophy
by Nicholas Maxwell
Philosophies 2018, 3(4), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies3040028 - 27 Sep 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5141
Abstract
Modern science began as natural philosophy, an admixture of philosophy and science. It was then killed off by Newton, as a result of his claim to have derived his law of gravitation from the phenomena by induction. But this post-Newtonian conception of science, [...] Read more.
Modern science began as natural philosophy, an admixture of philosophy and science. It was then killed off by Newton, as a result of his claim to have derived his law of gravitation from the phenomena by induction. But this post-Newtonian conception of science, which holds that theories are accepted on the basis of evidence, is untenable, as the long-standing insolubility of the problem of induction indicates. Persistent acceptance of unified theories only in physics, when endless equally empirically successful disunified rivals are available, means that physics makes a persistent, problematic metaphysical assumption about the universe: that all disunified theories are false. This assumption, precisely because it is problematic, needs to be explicitly articulated within physics, so that it can be critically assessed and, we may hope, improved. The outcome is a new conception of science—aim-oriented empiricism—that puts science and philosophy together again, and amounts to a modern version of natural philosophy. Furthermore, aim-oriented empiricism leads to the solution to the problem of induction. Natural philosophy pursued within the methodological framework of aim-oriented empiricism is shown to meet standards of intellectual rigour that science without metaphysics cannot meet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Natural Philosophy and Philosophies - part 1)
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24 pages, 2100 KiB  
Article
An EM Algorithm for Double-Pareto-Lognormal Generalized Linear Model Applied to Heavy-Tailed Insurance Claims
by Enrique Calderín-Ojeda, Kevin Fergusson and Xueyuan Wu
Risks 2017, 5(4), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/risks5040060 - 7 Nov 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5520
Abstract
Generalized linear models might not be appropriate when the probability of extreme events is higher than that implied by the normal distribution. Extending the method for estimating the parameters of a double Pareto lognormal distribution (DPLN) in Reed and Jorgensen (2004), we develop [...] Read more.
Generalized linear models might not be appropriate when the probability of extreme events is higher than that implied by the normal distribution. Extending the method for estimating the parameters of a double Pareto lognormal distribution (DPLN) in Reed and Jorgensen (2004), we develop an EM algorithm for the heavy-tailed Double-Pareto-lognormal generalized linear model. The DPLN distribution is obtained as a mixture of a lognormal distribution with a double Pareto distribution. In this paper the associated generalized linear model has the location parameter equal to a linear predictor which is used to model insurance claim amounts for various data sets. The performance is compared with those of the generalized beta (of the second kind) and lognorma distributions. Full article
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18 pages, 2288 KiB  
Article
Understanding Measurement Reporting and Verification Systems for REDD+ as an Investment for Generating Carbon Benefits
by Giulio Di Lallo, Philip Mundhenk, Marco Marchetti and Michael Köhl
Forests 2017, 8(8), 271; https://doi.org/10.3390/f8080271 - 29 Jul 2017
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4945
Abstract
Reducing emissions from forests—generating carbon credits—in return for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) payments represents a primary objective of forestry and development projects worldwide. Setting reference levels (RLs), establishing a target for emission reductions from avoided deforestation and degradation, and [...] Read more.
Reducing emissions from forests—generating carbon credits—in return for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) payments represents a primary objective of forestry and development projects worldwide. Setting reference levels (RLs), establishing a target for emission reductions from avoided deforestation and degradation, and implementing an efficient monitoring system underlie effective REDD+ projects, as they are key factors that affect the generation of carbon credits. We analyzed the interdependencies among these factors and their respective weights in generating carbon credits. Our findings show that the amounts of avoided emissions under a REDD+ scheme mainly vary according to the monitoring technique adopted; nevertheless, RLs have a nearly equal influence. The target for reduction of emissions showed a relatively minor impact on the generation of carbon credits, particularly when coupled with low RLs. Uncertainties in forest monitoring can severely undermine the derived allocation of benefits, such as the REDD+ results-based payments to developing countries. Combining statistically-sound sampling designs with Lidar data provides a means to reduce uncertainties and likewise increases the amount of accountable carbon credits that can be claimed. This combined approach requires large financial resources; we found that results-based payments can potentially pay-off the necessary investment in technologies that would enable accurate and precise estimates of activity data and emission factors. Conceiving of measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems as investments is an opportunity for tropical countries in particular to implement well-defined, long-term forest monitoring strategies. Full article
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11 pages, 844 KiB  
Article
Asymptotic Estimates for the One-Year Ruin Probability under Risky Investments
by Jing Liu and Huan Zhang
Risks 2017, 5(2), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/risks5020028 - 6 May 2017
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3956
Abstract
Motivated by the EU Solvency II Directive, we study the one-year ruin probability of an insurer who makes investments and hence faces both insurance and financial risks. Over a time horizon of one year, the insurance risk is quantified as a nonnegative random [...] Read more.
Motivated by the EU Solvency II Directive, we study the one-year ruin probability of an insurer who makes investments and hence faces both insurance and financial risks. Over a time horizon of one year, the insurance risk is quantified as a nonnegative random variable X equal to the aggregate amount of claims, and the financial risk as a d-dimensional random vector Y consisting of stochastic discount factors of the d financial assets invested. To capture both heavy tails and asymptotic dependence of Y in an integrated manner, we assume that Y follows a standard multivariate regular variation (MRV) structure. As main results, we derive exact asymptotic estimates for the one-year ruin probability for the following cases: (i) X and Y are independent with X of Fréchet type; (ii) X and Y are independent with X of Gumbel type; (iii) X and Y jointly possess a standard MRV structure; (iv) X and Y jointly possess a nonstandard MRV structure. Full article
9 pages, 193 KiB  
Article
Recasting the Significant: The Transcultural Memory of Alexander von Humboldt’s Visit to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
by James F. Howell
Humanities 2016, 5(3), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/h5030049 - 1 Jul 2016
Viewed by 4131
Abstract
Alexander von Humboldt was internationally known as a world traveler, having collected data and analyzed samples from five of the world’s seven continents. He spoke several languages fluently, and split most of his adult life between the cosmopolitan centers of Berlin and Paris. [...] Read more.
Alexander von Humboldt was internationally known as a world traveler, having collected data and analyzed samples from five of the world’s seven continents. He spoke several languages fluently, and split most of his adult life between the cosmopolitan centers of Berlin and Paris. The great deal of time Humboldt spent in Latin America, along with his staunch belief in human equality, led to his reverence in those countries. Indeed, Humboldt was a world citizen in the truest sense of the word. But what of the United States? What claim can this nation make to the heritage and legacy of the world-exploring baron? A brief stop in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. at the end of Humboldt’s expedition to the equatorial regions of the Americas seems to suffice. This short stay, along with the Humboldt-Jefferson correspondence, constitutes the great American link in Humboldt studies, a link whose nature and importance has, over the years, received an exaggerated amount of attention from authors writing for an American audience. The following analysis, using the tools of transcultural memory studies, investigates why this relatively insignificant event in a long and storied life assumes an inflated role in current accounts of the life and work of Alexander von Humboldt. Full article
7 pages, 280 KiB  
Article
From Bargaining Solutions to Claims Rules: A Proportional Approach
by José-Manuel Giménez-Gómez, António Osório and Josep E. Peris
Games 2015, 6(1), 32-38; https://doi.org/10.3390/g6010032 - 5 Mar 2015
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5744
Abstract
Agents involved in a conflicting claims problem may be concerned with the proportion of their claims that is satisfied, or with the total amount they get. In order to relate both perspectives, we associate to each conflicting claims problem a bargaining-in-proportions set. Then, [...] Read more.
Agents involved in a conflicting claims problem may be concerned with the proportion of their claims that is satisfied, or with the total amount they get. In order to relate both perspectives, we associate to each conflicting claims problem a bargaining-in-proportions set. Then, we obtain a correspondence between classical bargaining solutions and usual claims rules. In particular, we show that the constrained equal losses, the truncated constrained equal losses and the contested garment (Babylonian Talmud) rules can be obtained throughout the Nash bargaining solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bargaining Games)
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