Structure-function relations in phosphorylcholine-binding mouse myeloma proteins

The binding site interactions between the phosphorylcholine (phosphocholine)-binding mouse myeloma proteins TEPC 15, W3207, McPC 603, MOPC 167, and MOPC 511 and the isotopically substituted hapten phosphoryl-[methyl-13C]choline have been investigated using 13C and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Each protein exhibits a unique NMR pattern, but extensive similarities in chemical shift parameters upon binding of hapten to immunoglobulin suggest a significant degree of conservation of important hapten-binding site interactions. Moreover, independent binding studies, in conjunction with the NMR data, allow construction of a simple model of the binding sites of these antibodies, analyzed in terms of the relative strength of interaction between hapten and two main subsites. The NMR evidence supports the view that the heavy chains of these proteins dominate in interacting with bound phosphorylcholine; the various subspecificities of these proteins for phosphorylcholine analogues can be accounted for by amino acid changes in the hypervariable regions of the heavy chains

The Market Value and Dynamic Interest Rate Risk of Swaps

At the time of initiation, interest rate swaps are of zero market value to the counterparties involved. However, as time passes, the market value of the swap position of each counterpart may become positive or negative. These value changes are stochastic in nature and are primarily driven by stochastic variations of the term structure of interest rates. In this paper, we develop models for determining the market values and dynamic interest rate risks of existing swap positions using the one-factor general equilibrium term structure model of Cox, Ingersoll, and Ross (1985). The valuation and risk measurement framework of this paper should be useful in developing a value turn risk accounting method advocated by Merton and Bodie (1995) for better internal management and reporting purposes and for more effective regulation. This paper was presented at the Financial Institutions Center's October 1996 conference on "

Habitable Zone Lifetime of Exoplanets around Main Sequence Stars

Funding: Dean's Scholarship at the University of East Anglia.The potential habitability of newly discovered exoplanets is initially assessed by determining whether their orbits fall within the circumstellar habitable zone of their star. However, the habitable zone (HZ) is not static in time or space, and its boundaries migrate outward at a rate proportional to the increase in luminosity of a star undergoing stellar evolution, possibly including or excluding planets over the course of the star’s main sequence lifetime. We describe the time that a planet spends within the HZ as its ‘‘habitable zone lifetime.’’ The HZ lifetime of a planet has strong astrobiological implications and is especially important when considering the evolution of complex life, which is likely to require a longer residence time within the HZ. Here, we present results from a simple model built to investigate the evolution of the ‘‘classic’’ HZ over time, while also providing estimates for the evolution of stellar luminosity over time in order to develop a ‘‘hybrid’’ HZ model. These models return estimates for the HZ lifetimes of Earth and 7 confirmed HZ exoplanets and 27 unconfirmed Kepler candidates. The HZ lifetime for Earth ranges between 6.29 and 7.79 · 109 years (Gyr). The 7 exoplanets fall in a range between ∼1 and 54.72 Gyr, while the 27 Kepler candidate planets’ HZ lifetimes range between 0.43 and 18.8 Gyr. Our results show that exoplanet HD 85512b is no longer within the HZ, assuming it has an Earth analog atmosphere. The HZ lifetime should be considered in future models of planetary habitability as setting an upper limit on the lifetime of any potential exoplanetary biosphere, and also for identifying planets of high astrobiological potential for continued observational or modeling campaigns.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Feeding Records of Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) From Wisconsin, Supplement

Basic to our understanding of any animal and its habitat requirements is knowing what it eats. Reported here are observations of feeding by 24 species of aphids encountered in Wisconsin over 2002-2010

Noise Pollution? What\u27s the solution?: Understanding Traffic Noise Pollution in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Noise pollution can be damaging to a community by impacting its atmosphere as well as the health of its residents, local quality of life, and local economy. Our study sought to gain insight into the level of noise pollution in Gettysburg, both in-town and on the Gettysburg College campus, and how noise pollution may be affecting the local residents and students. We selected 9 sampling sites, 6 in-town and 3 on the college campus, and measured the noise pollution in dBA with portable sound meters three days a week and three times a day over a three week period. Our data showed no major trends in terms of time of day or day of the week, but there were clear differences in noise pollution levels between the different sites in that town sites were generally louder than on campus sites. Noise pollution in town was often louder than 70 dBA, the noise threshold that indicates possible hearing damage overtime set by the World Health Organization. Gettysburg has recently enacted a noise ordinance; our study suggests the Borough possibly could do more to mitigate traffic noise by repairing roads and manipulating road design

Why Do Leaders Matter? The Role of Expert Knowledge

Why do some leaders succeed while others fail? This question is important, but its complexity makes it hard to study systematically. We draw on a setting where there are well-defined objectives, small teams of workers, and exact measures of leaders’ characteristics and organizational performance. We show that a strong predictor of a leader’s success in year T is that person’s own level of attainment, in the underlying activity, in approximately year T-20. Our data come from 15,000 professional basketball games and reveal that former star players make the best coaches. This ‘expert knowledge’ effect is large