Risk minimization and portfolio diversification

We consider the problem of minimizing capital at risk in the Black-Scholes setting. The portfolio problem is studied given the possibility that a correlation constraint between the portfolio and a financial index is imposed. The optimal portfolio is obtained in closed form. The effects of the correlation constraint are explored; it turns out that this portfolio constraint leads to a more diversified portfolio

Downhill exercise alters immunoproteasome content in mouse skeletal muscle

Content of the immunoproteasome, the inducible form of the standard proteasome, increases in atrophic muscle suggesting it may be associated with skeletal muscle remodeling. However, it remains unknown if the immunoproteasome responds to stressful situations that do not promote large perturbations in skeletal muscle proteolysis. The purpose of this study was to determine how an acute bout of muscular stress influences immunoproteasome content. To accomplish this, wildtype (WT) and immunoproteasome knockout lmp7-/-/mecl1-/-(L7M1) mice were run downhill on a motorized treadmill. Soleus muscles were excised 1 and 3 days post-exercise and compared to unexercised muscle(control). Ex vivophysiology, histology and biochemical analyses were used to assess the effects of immunoproteasome knockout and unaccustomed exercise. Besides L7M1 muscle being LMP7/MECL1deficient, no other major biochemical, histological or functional differences were observed between the control muscles. In both strains, the downhill run shifted the force-frequency curve to the right and reduced twitch force, however did not alter tetanic force or inflammatory markers. In the days post-exercise, several of the proteasome 's catalytic subunits were upregulated. Specifically, WT muscle increased LMP7 while L7M1 muscle instead increased ≤ 5. These findings indicate that running mice downhill results in subtle contractile characteristics that correspond to skeletal muscle injury, yet does not appear to induce a significant inflammatory response. Interestingly, this minor stress activated the production of specific immunoproteasome subunits; that if knocked out, were replaced by components of the standard proteasome. These data suggest that the immunoproteasome may be involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis.This study was supported by the Elaine and Robert Larson Endowed Vision Research Chair (to DAF), the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Aging (T32-AG29796 to CWB), an anonymous benefactor for Macular Degeneration Research, the Lindsay Family Foundation and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness to the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. (Elaine and Robert Larson Endowed Vision Research Chair; T32-AG29796 - National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Aging; Lindsay Family Foundation; Research to Prevent Blindness)Accepted manuscrip

Promoting Phonological Awareness in Young Children through At-Home Activities: A Video Curriculum

Research relating phonological awareness, beginning reading acquisition, and parental involvement in children\u27s literacy development was read, evaluated, and summarized. A positive relationship between phonological awareness and learning to read was indicated from this review, and a correlation between parental literacy activities and children\u27s language and reading acquisition was found. Studies suggesting the existence of a developmental sequence of phonological skills were examined. The literature review provided a rationale and design for phonological awareness instruction. A research supported curriculum containing a teacher\u27s manual, take-home interactive video activities and activity sheets, and assessments was created

Study of permeability characteristics of membranes Quarterly progress report, 9 Apr. - 9 Aug. 1968

Electrochemical cell constructed to measure membrane transport propertie

Study of permeability characteristics of membranes Quarterly reports, 9 Nov. 1967 - 9 Apr. 1968

Permeability characteristics and transport properties of membranes for salt water conversion, and experiment design

Study of permeability characteristics of membranes Quarterly report, 9 May - 9 Aug. 1969

Demineralizing gear pump system with mixed bed ion exchange columns for salt and volume transport experimen

Study of permeability characteristics of membranes Quarterly report, 9 Feb. - 9 May 1969

Permeability characteristics of membrane

Prosocial Reward Learning in Children and Adolescents

Adolescence is a period of increased sensitivity to social contexts. To evaluate how social context sensitivity changes over development—and influences reward learning—we investigated how children and adolescents perceive and integrate rewards for oneself and others during a dynamic risky decision-making task. Children and adolescents (N = 75, 8–16 years) performed the Social Gambling Task (SGT, Kwak et al., 2014) and completed a set of questionnaires measuring other-regarding behavior. In the SGT, participants choose amongst four card decks that have different payout structures for oneself and for a charity. We examined patterns of choices, overall decision strategies, and how reward outcomes led to trial-by-trial adjustments in behavior, as estimated using a reinforcement-learning model. Performance of children and adolescents was compared to data from a previously collected sample of adults (N = 102) performing the identical task. We found that that children/adolescents were not only more sensitive to rewards directed to the charity than self but also showed greater prosocial tendencies on independent measures of other-regarding behavior. Children and adolescents also showed less use of a strategy that prioritizes rewards for self at the expense of rewards for others. These results support the conclusion that, compared to adults, children and adolescents show greater sensitivity to outcomes for others when making decisions and learning about potential rewards