2,590 research outputs found
Structural basis for dual roles of Aar2p in U5 snRNP assembly
Yeast U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) is assembled via a cytoplasmic precursor that contains the U5-specific Prp8 protein but lacks the U5-specific Brr2 helicase. Instead, pre-U5 snRNP includes the Aar2 protein not found in mature U5 snRNP or spliceosomes. Aar2p and Brr2p bind competitively to a C-terminal region of Prp8p that comprises consecutive RNase H-like and Jab1/MPN-like domains. To elucidate the molecular basis for this competition, we determined the crystal structure of Aar2p in complex with the Prp8p RNase H and Jab1/MPN domains. Aar2p binds on one side of the RNase H domain and extends its C terminus to the other side, where the Jab1/MPN domain is docked onto a composite Aar2p–RNase H platform. Known Brr2p interaction sites of the Jab1/MPN domain remain available, suggesting that Aar2p-mediated compaction of the Prp8p domains sterically interferes with Brr2p binding. Moreover, Aar2p occupies known RNA-binding sites of the RNase H domain, and Aar2p interferes with binding of U4/U6 di-snRNA to the Prp8p C-terminal region. Structural and functional analyses of phospho-mimetic mutations reveal how phosphorylation reduces affinity of Aar2p for Prp8p and allows Brr2p and U4/U6 binding. Our results show how Aar2p regulates both protein and RNA binding to Prp8p during U5 snRNP assembly
A Multi Agent Model for the Limit Order Book Dynamics
In the present work we introduce a novel multi-agent model with the aim to
reproduce the dynamics of a double auction market at microscopic time scale
through a faithful simulation of the matching mechanics in the limit order
book. The agents follow a noise decision making process where their actions are
related to a stochastic variable, "the market sentiment", which we define as a
mixture of public and private information. The model, despite making just few
basic assumptions over the trading strategies of the agents, is able to
reproduce several empirical features of the high-frequency dynamics of the
market microstructure not only related to the price movements but also to the
deposition of the orders in the book.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, in press European Physical Journal B (EPJB
Time-Symmetrization and Isotropization of Stiff-Fluid Kantowski-Sachs Universes
It is shown that growing-entropy stiff-fluid Kantowski-Sachs universes become
time-symmetric (if they start with time-asymmetric phase) and isotropize.
Isotropization happens without any inflationary era during the evolution since
there is no cosmological term here. It seems that this approach is an
alternative to inflation since the universe gets bigger and bigger approaching
'flatness'.Comment: 9 pages, no figure
Disorder Induced Effects on the Critical Current Density of Iron Pnictide BaFe_1.8 Co_0.2 As_2 single crystals
Investigating the role of disorder in superconductors is an essential part of
characterizing the fundamental superconducting properties as well as assessing
potential applications of the material. In most cases, the information
available on the defect matrix is poor, making such studies difficult, but the
situation can be improved by introducing defects in a controlled way, as
provided by neutron irradiation. In this work, we analyze the effects of
neutron irradiation on a Ba(FeCo)As single crystal. We
mainly concentrate on the magnetic properties which were determined by
magnetometry. Introducing disorder by neutron irradiation leads to significant
effects on both the reversible and the irreversible magnetic properties, such
as the transition temperature, the upper critical field, the anisotropy, and
the critical current density. The results are discussed in detail by comparing
them with the properties in the unirradiated state.Comment: accepted for Ph
Synthesis of satellite (MODIS), aircraft (ICARTT), and surface (IMPROVE, EPA-AQS, AERONET) aerosol observations over eastern North America to improve MODIS aerosol retrievals and constrain surface aerosol concentrations and sources
We use an ensemble of satellite (MODIS), aircraft, and ground-based aerosol observations during the ICARTT field campaign over eastern North America in summer 2004 to (1) examine the consistency between different aerosol measurements, (2) evaluate a new retrieval of aerosol optical depths (AODs) and inferred surface aerosol concentrations (PM2.5) from the MODIS satellite instrument, and (3) apply this collective information to improve our understanding of aerosol sources. The GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model (CTM) provides a transfer platform between the different data sets, allowing us to evaluate the consistency between different aerosol parameters observed at different times and locations. We use an improved MODIS AOD retrieval based on locally derived visible surface reflectances and aerosol properties calculated from GEOS-Chem. Use of GEOS-Chem aerosol optical properties in the MODIS retrieval not only results in an improved AOD product but also allows quantitative evaluation of model aerosol mass from the comparison of simulated and observed AODs. The aircraft measurements show narrower aerosol size distributions than those usually assumed in models, and this has important implications for AOD retrievals. Our MODIS AOD retrieval compares well to the ground-based AERONET data (R = 0.84, slope = 1.02), significantly improving on the MODIS c005 operational product. Inference of surface PM2.5 from our MODIS AOD retrieval shows good correlation to the EPA-AQS data (R = 0.78) but a high regression slope (slope = 1.48). The high slope is seen in all AOD-inferred PM2.5 concentrations (AERONET: slope = 2.04; MODIS c005: slope = 1.51) and could reflect a clear-sky bias in the AOD observations. The ensemble of MODIS, aircraft, and surface data are consistent in pointing to a model overestimate of sulfate in the mid-Atlantic and an underestimate of organic and dust aerosol in the southeastern United States. The sulfate overestimate could reflect an excessive contribution from aqueous-phase production in clouds, while the organic carbon underestimate could possibly be resolved by a new secondary pathway involving dicarbonyls
Ariel - Volume 4 Number 4
Editors
David A. Jacoby
Eugenia Miller
Tom Williams
Associate Editors
Paul Bialas
Terry Burt
Michael Leo
Gail Tenikat
Editor Emeritus and Business Manager
Richard J. Bonnano
Movie Editor
Robert Breckenridge
Staff
Richard Blutstein
Mary F. Buechler
Meg Brunt
Steve Glinks
Len Grasman
Alice M. Johnson
J.D. Kanofsky
Tom Lehman
Dave Mayer
Bernie Odd
Studies of the limit order book around large price changes
We study the dynamics of the limit order book of liquid stocks after
experiencing large intra-day price changes. In the data we find large
variations in several microscopical measures, e.g., the volatility the bid-ask
spread, the bid-ask imbalance, the number of queuing limit orders, the activity
(number and volume) of limit orders placed and canceled, etc. The relaxation of
the quantities is generally very slow that can be described by a power law of
exponent . We introduce a numerical model in order to understand
the empirical results better. We find that with a zero intelligence deposition
model of the order flow the empirical results can be reproduced qualitatively.
This suggests that the slow relaxations might not be results of agents'
strategic behaviour. Studying the difference between the exponents found
empirically and numerically helps us to better identify the role of strategic
behaviour in the phenomena.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure
Lattice effects on the current-voltage characteristics of superconducting arrays
The lattice effects on the current-voltage characteristics of two-dimensional
arrays of resistively shunted Josephson junctions are investigated. The lattice
potential energies due to the discrete lattice structure are calculated for
several geometries and directions of current injection. We compare the energy
barrier for vortex-pair unbinding with the lattice pinning potential, which
shows that lattice effects are negligible in the low-current limit as well as
in the high-current limit. At intermediate currents, on the other hand, the
lattice potential becomes comparable to the barrier height and the lattice
effects may be observed in the current-voltage characteristics.Comment: 5 pages including 5 figures in two columns, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Liquidity Crisis, Granularity of the Order Book and Price Fluctuations
We introduce a microscopic model for the dynamics of the order book to study
how the lack of liquidity influences price fluctuations. We use the average
density of the stored orders (granularity ) as a proxy for liquidity. This
leads to a Price Impact Surface which depends on both volume and .
The dependence on the volume (averaged over the granularity) of the Price
Impact Surface is found to be a concave power law function
with . Instead the
dependence on the granularity is with
, showing a divergence of price fluctuations in the limit
. Moreover, even in intermediate situations of finite liquidity, this
effect can be very large and it is a natural candidate for understanding the
origin of large price fluctuations.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figure
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