The paper analyses the ability of a non-linear asset pricing model suggested by Dittmar [Dittmar, R.F., 2002. Non-linear pricing kernels, kurtosis preference, and the cross-section of equity returns. Journal of Finance 57, 369–403] to explain the returns on international value and growth portfolios. For comparison we use competing pricing models such as the ICAPM, the exchange rate risk augmented

The aim of the present study was to gain information about adrenergic-, cholinergic- and nonadrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC)- transmitter systems/mediators in the rat vagina, and to characterize its smooth muscles functionally. Tissue sections from vagina of Sprague Dawley rats were immunolabelled with antibodies against protein gene product 9.5 (PGP), synaptophysin (Syn), tyrosine hydroxylase (

In recent years, the innovation process in biotechnology has become a subject of major interest to scholars from different disciplines. Despite an ever growing body of work, the nature of knowledge links and their particular geography remain a highly disputed issue. The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on this topic. We will develop a model of knowledge interactions distinguishing betwe

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) mainly affects renal arteries. Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) and surgery are effective treatments, but longtime follow-up is lacking. Retrospective follow-up for 7.0 +/- 4.7 years of 69 consecutive patients ( age 44 +/- 13 years) treated for hypertension due to FMD, 59 patients underwent PTRA and eight patients surgery. In two patients no PTRA was

Sperm storage in Adalia bipunctata (L.) (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) was examined and compared between diapausing and non-diapausing females. We observed that non-diapausing females store on average 13,688 (+/-722, S.E.) sperm in their spermatheca and that every female examined had sperm in storage (n = 16). In contrast, most diapausing females had empty spermatheca and only two had sperm in storag

1. Using data from a 9-year study of the great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus L. carried out in Sweden, I tested the main assumption of the polygyny threshold model (that there is a cost of polygyny) and the main prediction (that this cost is compensated for). The main question was whether a female that chose a mated male (secondary females) experienced the same fitness as a female that at

We report a case of an intrauterine fetal infection by the varicella-herpes zoster virus following maternal varicella at 17 weeks' amenorrhea. Prenatal diagnosis of fetal infection was confirmed by serology and fetal damage by ultrasonography. Autopsy of the fetus showed multiorgan manifestation with disseminated foci of necrosis and microcalcifications, encephalitis and unilateral segmental skin

Rosiglitazone, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonist, is an insulin sensitizing agent in peripheral tissues. This study investigated islet hormones and hormone-like peptides expression patterns in rosiglitazone treated streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats by using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization methods. Animals were divided into four groups. I. Group: Intact contro

This study describes differences in species richness, diversity and composition of Carabidae in gradients from recently abandoned, non-grazed fields over stages of overgrowth into forest on formerly agricultural land in a large, sandy outwash plain, south Sweden. Totally 80 pitfall traps, (4 succession stages, each represented by 4 sites; 5 traps per site) installed on 29 March 2006 were emptied c

The lanthanide elements (Z=57?71) are characterized by the filling of the 4f electronic subshell, which lies close in energy to the 5d and 6s subshells. As a result, the lanthanide spectra can be quite complicated in terms of the number of optical spectral lines, and in some cases their hyperfine structure and isotopic shifts are extremely large. These characteristics have great implications for a

The transcription factor NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T-cells) plays a central role in mediating Ca(2+)-dependent gene transcription in a variety of cell types. Sustained increases in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) are presumed to be required for NFAT dephosphorylation by the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein calcineurin and its subsequent nuclear translocation. Here, we pr

We introduce and study a class of model prototype hybrid systems comprised of a microscopic stochastic surface process modeling adsorption/desorption and/or surface di.usion of particles coupled to an ordinary di.erential equation (ODE) displaying bifurcations excited by a critical noise parameter. The models proposed here are caricatures of realistic systems arising in diverse applications rangin

Background: Dysfunction and damage of the human central nervous system can be detected with biochemical markers, and protein S-100B is the best-established such marker. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the protein is stable during longterm storage, to establish reference values for the new Elecsys((R)) S100 test and to compare this new method with the Liaison((R)) Sangtec((R)) 100 tes

Metabolically-active fungal biomass determined by fluorescein diacetate (FDA) staining, was studied during a 27-month period in three horizons of a podzolized pine-forest soil. Recurrent biomass peaks were registered in autumn and early spring. Biomass increase was also noted during the winter with soil temperatures below 0 deg C. Only a minor fraction (2.4-4.3%) of the total fungal biomass was ac

DNA compaction can be caused by multivalent ions as condensing agents. Both discontinuous (all-or-none) and continuous (pearl-necklace structure) transitions have been observed in experiments as the concentration of the condensing agent was increased. We have investigated the DNA transition by analytical calculations in the infinite-chain limit. A mechanism for pearl-necklace structures could be a

Based on an original data set of elections in Africa, this article addresses the orthodoxy of theoretical hypotheses regarding the effects of electoral systems. While Africanists assume that context make a significant difference, the empirical analysis points to very similar effects of electoral institutions in Africa as in established democracies; regarding reductive effects, effects on the party

We report here the characteristics of noncollinear sum frequency generation in nonlinear KDP crystals by ultrashort (80 fsec) IR pulses irradiated by the intense Ti:Sapphire laser and their behavior in single shot auto-crosscorrelator (ACC) configuration. In particular we study the case where one of the beams is very weak. Our aim is develop a procedure to provide delay time signal between light p

Background: Improved asthma control by combinations of inhaled glucocorticosteroids (GCs) and long-acting beta(2)-agonists (LABAs) includes a reduced frequency and severity of exacerbations. In view of the association of exacerbations with increased airway inflammation, the question has arisen as to whether LABAs are able to complement the known anti- inflammatory activity of GCs. To address this,

The respiratory tract deposition of particles from two types of biomass combustion was measured for 10 healthy subjects. The aerosol was extensively characterised. Model calculations of the deposition were made based on the particle properties. The results show that particle water absorption has substantial impact on deposition. The particles from biomass combustion obtained a size in the respirat