Economic Implications of Extraordinary Movements in Stock Prices

macroeconomics, stock market

A role for a small stable RNA in modulating the activity of DNA-binding proteins

AbstractThe 10Sa RNA, encoded by the E. coli ssrA gene, appears to modulate action of some DNA-binding proteins. When ssrA is inactivated, lacZ expression from the lac operon, as well as galK from a gal operon fused to a phage λ promoter, is reduced from that observed in bacteria wild-type for ssrA. These differences are not observed if the relevant repressor is inactive, suggesting that in the absence of 10Sa RNA binding of Lacl and λ cl repressors is enhanced. Gel mobility shifts show that 10Sa RNA binds these repressors and that an excess of 10Sa RNA competes for binding of λ cl with a DNA fragment containing the OR2 repressor-binding sequence. Similar observations were made in studies of the E. coil LexA repressor and phage P22 C1 transcription activator proteins. These results suggest that direct interaction with 10Sa RNA may explain this modulation of protein-DNA interactions

Transcription antitermination: the Λ paradigm updated

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75002/1/j.1365-2958.1995.mmi_18020191.x.pd

Astronomical random numbers for quantum foundations experiments

Photons from distant astronomical sources can be used as a classical source of randomness to improve fundamental tests of quantum nonlocality, wave-particle duality, and local realism through Bell's inequality and delayed-choice quantum eraser tests inspired by Wheeler's cosmic-scale Mach-Zehnder interferometer gedankenexperiment. Such sources of random numbers may also be useful for information-theoretic applications such as key distribution for quantum cryptography. Building on the design of an "astronomical random-number generator" developed for the recent "cosmic Bell" experiment [Handsteiner et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 060401 (2017)], in this paper we report on the design and characterization of a device that, with 20-nanosecond latency, outputs a bit based on whether the wavelength of an incoming photon is greater than or less than 700 nm. Using the one-meter telescope at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Table Mountain Observatory, we generated random bits from astronomical photons in both color channels from 50 stars of varying color and magnitude, and from 12 quasars with redshifts up to $z = 3.9$. With stars, we achieved bit rates of $\sim 1 \times 10^6$ Hz / m$^2$, limited by saturation for our single-photon detectors, and with quasars of magnitudes between 12.9 and 16, we achieved rates between $\sim 10^2$ and $2 \times 10^3$ Hz /m$^2$. For bright quasars, the resulting bitstreams exhibit sufficiently low amounts of statistical predictability as quantified by the mutual information. In addition, a sufficiently high fraction of bits generated are of true astronomical origin in order to address both the locality and freedom-of-choice loopholes when used to set the measurement settings in a test of the Bell-CHSH inequality.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures. References added and minor edits to match published versio

Use of Most Bothersome Symptom as a Coprimary Endpoint in Migraine Clinical Trials: A Post-Hoc Analysis of the Pivotal ZOTRIP Randomized, Controlled Trial.

ObjectiveTo better understand the utility of using pain freedom and most bothersome headache-associated symptom (MBS) freedom as co-primary endpoints in clinical trials of acute migraine interventions.BackgroundAdhesive dermally applied microarray (ADAM) is an investigational system for intracutaneous drug administration. The recently completed pivotal Phase 2b/3 study (ZOTRIP), evaluating ADAM zolmitriptan for the treatment of acute moderate to severe migraine, was one of the first large studies to incorporate MBS freedom and pain freedom as co-primary endpoints per recently issued guidance by the US Food and Drug Administration. In this trial, the proportion of patients treated with ADAM zolmitriptan 3.8 mg, who were pain-free and MBS-free at 2 hours post-dose, was significantly higher than for placebo.MethodsWe undertook a post-hoc analysis of data from the ZOTRIP trial to examine how the outcomes from this trial compare to what might have been achieved using the conventional co-primary endpoints of pain relief, nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia.ResultsOf the 159 patients treated with ADAM zolmitriptan 3.8 mg or placebo, prospectively designated MBS were photophobia (n = 79), phonophobia (n = 43), and nausea (n = 37). Two-hour pain free rates in those with photophobia as the MBS were 36% for ADAM zolmitriptan 3.8 mg and 14% for placebo (P = .02). Corresponding rates for those with phonophobia as the MBS were 14% and 41% (P = .05). For those whose MBS was nausea, corresponding values were 56% and 16%, respectively (P = .01). Two-hour freedom from the MBS for active drug vs placebo were 67% vs 35% (P < .01) for photophobia, 55% vs 43% (P = .45) for phonophobia, and 89% vs 58% for nausea (P = .04). MBS freedom but not pain freedom was achieved in 28%. Only 1 patient (1%) achieved pain freedom, but not MBS freedom. The proportion with both pain and MBS freedom was highest (56%) among those whose MBS was nausea.ConclusionIn this study, the use of MBS was feasible and seemed to compare favorably to the previously required 4 co-primary endpoints

Path Integrals, Density Matrices, and Information Flow with Closed Timelike Curves

Two formulations of quantum mechanics, inequivalent in the presence of closed timelike curves, are studied in the context of a soluable system. It illustrates how quantum field nonlinearities lead to a breakdown of unitarity, causality, and superposition using a path integral. Deutsch's density matrix approach is causal but typically destroys coherence. For each of these formulations I demonstrate that there are yet further alternatives in prescribing the handling of information flow (inequivalent to previous analyses) that have implications for any system in which unitarity or coherence are not preserved.Comment: 25 pages, phyzzx, CALT-68-188

Genetic characterization of a bacterial locus involved in the activity of the N function of phage [lambda]

We report the genetic mapping of a locus of the Escherichia coli chromosome involved in the expression of the N gene function of phage [lambda]. This phage specified function regulates the subsequent transcription of most of the [lambda] genome. The bacterial locus involved in N expression, called nus for N utilization substance, maps between aspB at minute 62 and argG at minute 61 of the E. coli chromosome.Two different bacterial variants in which [lambda] N function is not active have been used in mapping the nus locus, a mutant of E. coli K12, Nus, and a hybrid bacterium formed by genetic transfer between E. coli and S. typhosa. Although these two bacterial variants exhibit slightly different phenotypes, chromosome transfer studies demonstrate that the same genetic region is involved in the observed N-ineffective phenotype.Dominance studies show that in the case of the Nus mutant, the nus+ allele is dominant. This suggests that the nus+ allele is responsible for the expression of a function necessary for N product activity. In the case of transfer of the nus region from a Nus mutant to an E. coli-S. typhosa hybrid, the resulting hybrid assumes the phenotype of the Nus mutant. Genetic studies using P1 transduction demonstrate that the same genetic region is involved in the N-ineffective phenotype of the two bacterial variants.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/22397/1/0000847.pd