Linearized versions of the Nelson-Siegel (1987) and Svensson (1994) models for the cross-sectional estimation of spot yield curves from samples of coupon bonds are developed and analyzed. It is shown how these models can be made linear in the level, slope and curvature parameters and how prior information about these parameters can be incorporated in the estimation procedure. The performance of...

This paper describes the first use of frequency-domain fluorescence lifetime for multiplex detection of DNA restriction fragments in capillary electrophoresis (CE). The fragments were labeled with monomeric intercalating dyes that can be excited by either the 488- or 514-nm line of an argon ion laser and have lifetimes in the range of 0.5-2.5 ns. We were able to achieve multiplex lifetime detec...

In this study, a novel fibrous membrane of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC)/poly(vinyl alcohol) blend was successfully fabricated by electrospinning technique and characterized. The concentration of HEC (5%) with PVA (15%) was optimized, blended in different ratios (30-50%) and electrospun to get smooth nanofibers. Nanofibrous membranes were made water insoluble by chemically cross-linking by gluta...

Plant meristems carry pools of continuously active stem cells, whose activity is controlled by developmental and environmental signals. After stem cell division, daughter cells that exit the stem cell domain acquire transit amplifying cell identity before they are incorporated into organs and differentiate. In this study, we used an integrated approach to elucidate the role of HECATE (HEC) gene...

Fault tolerance measures like the CRC-based Header Error Control (HEC) algorithm in ATM can be used to reduce failure probabilities and by this enhance the performance/Quality of Service (QoS) of a transmission service. However, a detailed analysis of the applied algorithms is crucial for a system design that is well balanced with respect to the trade-off of redundancy cost and benefit. The ana...

Different molecular species of interleukin 1 (IL 1) were examined for the spectrum of responses elicited in human endothelial cells (HEC), including synthesis of prostacyclin (PGI2), tissue-type procoagulant activity (PCA), platelet activating factor (PAF), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PA-I). The IL 1 preparations utilized for the present study included a natural, partially purified IL ...

Iodomethane is a new pre-plant soil fumigant approved in the United States. Human exposure may occur via inhalation due to the high vapor pressure of iodomethane. A quantitative human health risk assessment was conducted for inhalation exposure. The critical effects of acute duration iodomethane exposure are: (1) fetal losses in rabbits, (2) lesions in rat nasal epithelium, and (3) transient ne...

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a common malignancy of the female genital tract with a poor prognosis. It has been reported that miR-34c is significantly reduced in EC, but research concerning its function in EC is rare. In the present study, the expression of miR-34c was upregulated in the EC cell line, HEC-1-B, by transfecting the cells with hsa-miR-34c-5p mimics. Then, after determining the tr...