The role of the terms of trade in the trade channel of transmission of oil price shocks

This paper highlights the role of the terms of trade in the trade channel of propagation of oil price shocks both empirically and theoretically. Empirically, I show that oil price shocks have a large, persistent and statistically significant impact on the US terms of trade. Theoretically, I add oil in the model by Corsetti and Pesenti (2005) and analyse under what conditions the terms of trade plays a relevant role in the international transmission of oil price shocks. With nominal price rigidities and full exchange rate pass-through positive oil price shocks depreciate the currency of the oil importing country. The subsequent negative wealth effect adds to the recessive effect of the supply channel and may trongly reduce the consumption in the oil importing country economy. Without exchange rate pass-through oil shocks transmit to the economy only through the supply channel. The model suggests that a change in the exchange rate pass-through might contribute to explain the evidence of a weaker impact of oil price shocks on the macroeconomic activity in recent times.

A Note on Wavelet Correlation and Cointegration

In a recent paper Leong-Huang:2010 {Journal of Applied Statistics 37, 215–233} proposed a wavelet-correlation-based approach to test for cointegration between two time series. However, correlation and cointegration are two different concepts even when wavelet analysis is used. It is known that statistics based on nonstationary integrated variables have non-standard asymptotic distributions. However, wavelet analysis offsets the integrating order of nonstationary series so that traditional asymptotics on stationary variables suffices to ascertain the statistical properties of wavelet-based statistics. Based on this, this note shows that wavelet correlations cannot be used as a test of cointegration.

The Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Na(v)1.8 Is Expressed in Human Sperm

The role of Na+ fluxes through voltage-gated sodium channels in the regulation of sperm cell function remains poorly understood. Previously, we reported that several genes encoding voltage-gated Na+ channels were expressed in human testis and mature spermatozoa. In this study, we analyzed the presence and function of the TTX-resistant VGSC a subunit Na(v)1.8 in human capacitated sperm cells. Using an RT-PCR assay, we found that the mRNA of the gene SCN10A, that encode Na-v1.8, was abundantly and specifically expressed in human testis and ejaculated spermatozoa. The Na-v1.8 protein was detected in capacitated sperm cells using three different specific antibodies against this channel. Positive immunoreactivity was mainly located in the neck and the principal piece of the flagellum. The presence of Na-v1.8 in sperm cells was confirmed by Western blot. Functional studies demonstrated that the increases in progressive motility produced by veratridine, a voltage-gated sodium channel activator, were reduced in sperm cells preincubated with TTX (10 mu M), the Na-v1.8 antagonist A-803467, or a specific Na-v1.8 antibody. Veratridine elicited similar percentage increases in progressive motility in sperm cells maintained in Ca2+-containing or Ca2+-free solution and did not induce hyperactivation or the acrosome reaction. Veratridine caused a rise in sperm intracellular Na+, [Na+](i), and the sustained phase of the response was inhibited in the presence of A-803467. These results verify that the Na+ channel Na-v1.8 is present in human sperm cells and demonstrate that this channel participates in the regulation of sperm function.

Analysis of channel quality reporting mechanisms and their impact into 4G and beyond technologies

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Fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy to study hemodynamics

[EN] In the recent years a series of optical correlation techniques have been developed in order to be able to measure flow velocity with high spatial resolution while being non-invasive in order to be employed in-vivo on biological organisms. The technique employed in my thesis work, scanning laser image correlation (SLIC), is a powerful approach for the detection of flow motions because it overcomes some limitations of the classical spectroscopy techniques. SLIC method consists in repeated laser scans over a linear pattern and on the cross correlation of the signal emitted by the excited fluorophores in different positions along the scan line. Therefore, the resulting measurements for flow velocity are really accurate.