Bias‐corrected bootstrap prediction regions for vector autoregression

This paper examines small sample properties of alternative bias‐corrected bootstrap prediction regions for the vector autoregressive (VAR) model. Bias‐corrected bootstrap prediction regions are constructed by combining bias‐correction of VAR parameter estimators with the bootstrap procedure. The backward VAR model is used to bootstrap VAR forecasts conditionally on past observations. Bootstrap prediction regions based on asymptotic bias‐correction are compared with those based on bootstrap bias‐correction. Monte Carlo simulation results indicate that bootstrap prediction regions based on asymptotic bias‐correction show better small sample properties than those based on bootstrap bias‐correction for nearly all cases considered. The former provide accurate coverage properties in most cases, while the latter over‐estimate the future uncertainty. Overall, the percentile‐t bootstrap prediction region based on asymptotic bias‐correction is found to provide highly desirable small sample properties, outperforming its alternatives in nearly all cases. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimization of a High Speed Spinning Disk Spindle System for Minimum RRO , NRRO, and Lightweight by Using G.A.

Law level of RRO(Repeatable Run Out), NRRO(Non Repe at able Run Out), and lightweight construction are a major trend in the high-speed HDD(Hard Disk Drive) sytem to reduce track misregestration and to achieve high track density, which lead to succeed in the market. However, it is not easy to r educe RRO, NRRO, and the weight of the spinning disk spindle system efficiently because lightweight construction and or bearing stiffness changes often yields a decrease in the static and dynamic stiffness of the ...     

中温烧结Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3), Ti]O3-δ 微波介质陶瓷

研究了B2O3对Ca（Li1/3Nb2/3）O3-δ的烧结性能、物相和微波介电性能的影响.实验结果发现,添加0.5％～4％B2O3可使该陶瓷的烧结温度从1150℃降低到1000℃而不降低微波介电性能,X射线表明材料是正交相结构,但是非化学计量Ca（Li1/3Nb2/3）O3-δ随着B2O3含量的增大向化学计量Ca（Li1/4Nb3/4）O3过渡;在 Ca[（Li1/3Nb2/3）1-x,Tix]O3-δ（0≤ x≤0.5）系统中,Ti含量增大时介电常数K增大,Q·f值减小,而谐振频率温度系数（τf）从负变正,对于x=0.2的试样,得到 K=40,Q·f=20500GHz,τf=0的一类新型中温烧结微波介质材料.     

Design of a 3 tier smart middleware system for ubiquitous sensor networks

The multiagent negotiation testbed proposed by Collins was modified. It utilizes publish/subscribe system, timerelease cryptography and anonymous communication. The proposed protocol reduces DOS attack and avoids replay data attack by providing ticket token and deal sequence number to the supplier. And it is proved that generating random number to the supplier by market is better than the supplier doing it by him in guaranteeing anonymity. Market publishes an interpolating polynomial for sharing the determination process data. It avoids collusion between a customer and a certain supplier. According to the comparison and analysis with other protocols, the proposed protocol shows good security and better efficiency.     

从陈述语气看主谓短语与句子的联系和区别

不少学者认为短语与句子之间是“实现关系”,结构规则具有很强的一致性。但是各类短语成句能力存在一定的差异,有的短语可以自主成句,还有的短语根本不能单独成句,短语能否成句与不同的语气有关。     

Prevention of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity by the inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication in auditory cells

Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (cisplatin) is an effective chemotherapeutic drug for cancer therapy. However, most patients treated with cisplatin are at a high risk of ototoxicity, which causes severe hearing loss. Inspired by the “Good Samaritan effect” or “bystander effect” from gap junction coupling, we investigated the role of gap junctions in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity as a potential therapeutic method. We showed that connexin 43 (Cx43) was highly expressed in House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 (HEI-OC1) cells, mediating cell–cell communication. The viability of HEI-OC1 cells was greatly decreased by cisplatin treatment, and cisplatin-treated HEI-OC1 cells showed lower Cx43 expression compared to that of untreated HEI-OC1 cells. In particular, high accumulation of Cx43 was observed around the nucleus of cisplatin-treated cells, whereas scattered punctuate expression of Cx43 was observed in the cytoplasm and membrane in normal cells, suggesting that cisplatin may interrupt the normal gap junction communication by inhibiting the trafficking of Cx43 to cell membranes in HEI-OC1 cells. Interestingly, we found that the inhibition of gap junction activity reduced cisplatin-induced apoptosis of auditory hair cells. Cx43 siRNA- or 18α-GA-treated HEI-OC1 cells showed higher cell viability compared to control HEI-OC1 cells during cisplatin treatment; this was also supported by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching studies. Inhibition of gap junction activity reduced recovery of calcein acetoxymethyl ester fluorescence compared to control cells. Additionally, analysis of the mechanisms involved demonstrated that highly activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase and protein kinase B, combined with inhibition of gap junctions may promote cell viability during cisplatin treatment.     

Cell density-induced changes in lipid composition and intracellular trafficking

Cell density is one of the extrinsic factors to which cells adapt their physiology when grown in culture. However, little is known about the molecular changes which occur during cell growth and how cellular responses are then modulated. In many cases, inhibitors, drugs or growth factors used for in vitro studies change the rate of cell proliferation, resulting in different cell densities in control and treated samples. Therefore, for a comprehensive data analysis, it is essential to understand the implications of cell density on the molecular level. In this study, we have investigated how lipid composition changes during cell growth, and the consequences it has for transport of Shiga toxin. By quantifying 308 individual lipid species from 17 different lipid classes, we have found that the levels and species distribution of several lipids change during cell growth, with the major changes observed for diacylglycerols, phosphatidic acids, cholesterol esters, and lysophosphatidylethanolamines. In addition, there is a reduced binding and retrograde transport of Shiga toxin in high density cells which lead to reduced intoxication by the toxin. In conclusion, our data provide novel information on how lipid composition changes during cell growth in culture, and how these changes can modulate intracellular trafficking.     

Swiprosin-1 modulates actin dynamics by regulating the F-actin accessibility to cofilin

Membrane protrusions, like lamellipodia, and cell movement are dependent on actin dynamics, which are regulated by a variety of actin-binding proteins acting cooperatively to reorganize actin filaments. Here, we provide evidence that Swiprosin-1, a newly identified actin-binding protein, modulates lamellipodial dynamics by regulating the accessibility of F-actin to cofilin. Overexpression of Swiprosin-1 increased lamellipodia formation in B16F10 melanoma cells, whereas knockdown of Swiprosin-1 inhibited EGF-induced lamellipodia formation, and led to a loss of actin stress fibers at the leading edges of cells but not in the cell cortex. Swiprosin-1 strongly facilitated the formation of entangled or clustered F-actin, which remodeled the structural organization of actin filaments making them inaccessible to cofilin. EGF-induced phosphorylation of Swiprosin-1 at Ser183, a phosphorylation site newly identified using mass spectrometry, effectively inhibited clustering of actin filaments and permitted cofilin access to F-actin, resulting in actin depolymerization. Cells overexpressing a Swiprosin-1 phosphorylation-mimicking mutant or a phosphorylation-deficient mutant exhibited irregular membrane dynamics during the protrusion and retraction cycles of lamellipodia. Taken together, these findings suggest that dynamic exchange of Swiprosin-1 phosphorylation and dephosphorylation is a novel mechanism that regulates actin dynamics by modulating the pattern of cofilin activity at the leading edges of cells.     

Comparative analysis of chimpanzee and human Y chromosomes unveils complex evolutionary pathway

The mammalian Y chromosome has unique characteristics compared with the autosomes or X chromosomes. Here we report the finished sequence of the chimpanzee Y chromosome (PTRY), including 271 kb of the Y-specific pseudoautosomal region 1 and 12.7 Mb of the male-specific region of the Y chromosome. Greater sequence divergence between the human Y chromosome (HSAY) and PTRY (1.78%) than between their respective whole genomes (1.23%) confirmed the accelerated evolutionary rate of the Y chromosome. Each of the 19 PTRY protein-coding genes analyzed had at least one nonsynonymous substitution, and 11 genes had higher nonsynonymous substitution rates than synonymous ones, suggesting relaxation of selective constraint, positive selection or both. We also identified lineage-specific changes, including deletion of a 200-kb fragment from the pericentromeric region of HSAY, expansion of young Alu families in HSAY and accumulation of young L1 elements and long terminal repeat retrotransposons in PTRY. Reconstruction of the common ancestral Y chromosome reflects the dynamic changes in our genomes in the 5-6 million years since speciation.