Structural Change in Time Series of the Exchange Rates between Yen-Dollar and Yen-Euro in 2001-2004

The economic structural change in the data of the yen exchange rates to US dollar and to euro is investigated. We analyse the distribution of the residuals which are the differences between the smoothed and original data. The probability density function is well approximated by the Gram-Charlier expansion. The existence of the fact that the distribution of the residuals parts from the normal distribution indicates the occurrence of the structural change. Introducing a new index, composed by the skewness and the kurtosis, we can easily find a sign of the structural change. It is shown that both data of the yen-dollar rate and the yen-euro rate from January 2, 2001 to May 18, 2004 undergo the structural changes three times together on May 23, 2001, March 11, 2002, and December 27, 2002.structural change, Gram-Charlier expansion, exchange rates, skewness and kurtosis

Intervention of Japanese Monetary Authority in the Foreign Exchange Market

The Japanese monetary authority intervenes into the foreign exchange market on and off. The influence of the operations on the fluctuation of the yen exchange rate to U.S. dollar is examined in the period of September 17 through 28, 2001. A cyclic behavior is found in correlation functions of the series. It is shown that the cycle of the fluctuation is elongated after the intervention. A model that represents these properties of correlation functions is proposed. The Fokker-Planck equation of this model is solved. The expectation value derived from the solution is cyclical and the variance is constant. Those results are different from what the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process has.Intervention, Fokker-Planck equation, Langevin equation, exchange rate fluctuation

Identification of an N-terminal glycogen synthase kinase 3 phosphorylation site which regulates the functional localisation of polycystin-2 in vivo and in vitro

PKD2 is mutated in 15% of patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Polycystin-2 (PC2), the PKD2 protein, is a nonselective Ca2 + -permeable cation channel which may function at the cell surface and ER. Nevertheless, the factors that regulate the dynamic translocation of PC2 between the ER and other compartments are not well understood. Constitutive phosphorylation of PC2 at a single C-terminal site (Ser812) has been previously reported. Since we were unable to abolish phospholabelling of PC2 in HEK293 cells by site-directed mutagenesis of Ser812 or all 5 predicted phosphorylation sites in the C-terminus, we hypothesised that PC2 could also be phosphorylated at the N-terminus. In this paper, we report the identification of a new phosphorylation site for PC2 within its N-terminal domain (Ser76) and demonstrate that this residue is phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3). The consensus recognition sequence for GSK-3 (Ser76/Ser80) is evolutionarily conserved down to lower vertebrates. In the presence of specific GSK-3 inhibitors, the lateral plasma membrane pool of endogenous PC2 redistributes into an intracellular compartment in MDCK cells without a change in primary cilia localization. Finally, co-injection of wild-type but not a S76A/S80A mutant PKD2 capped mRNA could rescue the cystic phenotype induced by an antisense morpholino oligonucleotide to pkd2 in zebrafish pronephric kidney. We conclude that surface localization of PC2 is regulated by phosphorylation at a unique GSK-3 site in its N-terminal domain in vivo and in vitro. This site is functionally significant for the maintenance of normal glomerular and tubular morphology

Measurement by FIB on the ISS: Two Emissions of Solar Neutrons Detected?

A new type of solar neutron detector (FIB) was launched onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on July 16, 2009, and it began collecting data at the International Space Station (ISS) on August 25, 2009. This paper summarizes the three years of observations obtained by the solar neutron detector FIB until the end of July 2012. The solar neutron detector FIB can determine both the energy and arrival direction of neutrons. We measured the energy spectra of background neutrons over the SAA region and elsewhere, and found the typical trigger rates to be 20 counts/sec and 0.22 counts/sec, respectively. It is possible to identify solar neutrons to within a level of 0.028 counts/sec, provided that directional information is applied. Solar neutrons were observed in association with the M-class solar flares that occurred on March 7 (M3.7) and June 7 (M2.5) of 2011. This marked the first time that neutrons were observed in M-class solar flares. A possible interpretaion of the prodcution process is provided.Comment: 36 pages, 16 figures, and 3 Tables; Advanced in Astronmy, 2012, Special issue on Cosmic Ray Variablity:Century of Its Obseravtion

Twinning Deformation in Magnesium Compressed along the C-Axis(Physics)

Deformation twinnings in magnesium activated on the c-axis compression were investigated by light and electron transmission microscopies. Well-known twin forms of {1013} and {3034} habit planes were confirmed again, but {1013} twins were frequently observed to occur in groups along {3034} or grow from {1013} habit to {3034} habit. Transmission electron microscopic observations revealed that the well-developed {3034} habit twin has the same orientation relationship with the parent crystal as the {1013} twin. From these observations, it is concluded that the well-developed {3034} habit twins are the {1013} twins developed along {3034} planes. A possible mechanism of the habit plane change is described and the relation between the twin and the compression band is discussed