Activation of the B cell receptor leads to increased membrane proximity of the Igα cytoplasmic domain.

Binding of antigen to the B cell receptor (BCR) induces conformational changes in BCR's cytoplasmic domains that are concomitant with phosphorylation of the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs). Recently, reversible folding of the CD3ε and ξ chain ITAMs into the plasma membrane has been suggested to regulate T cell receptor signaling. Here we show that the Igα and Igβ cytoplasmic domains of the BCR do not associate with plasma membrane in resting B cells. However, antigen binding and ITAM phosphorylation specifically increased membrane proximity of Igα, but not Igβ. Thus, BCR activation is accompanied by asymmetric conformational changes, possibly promoting the binding of Igα and Igβ to differently localized signaling complexes

Ownership identity, strategy and performance:business group affiliates versus independent firms in India

We consider whether the impact of entrepreneurial orientation on business performance is moderated by the company affiliation with business groups. Within business groups, we explore the trade-off between inter-firm insurance that enables risk-taking, and inefficient resource allocation. Risk-taking in group affiliated firms leads to higher performance, compared to independent firms, but the impact of proactivity is attenuated. Utilizing Indian data, we show that risk-taking may undermine rather than improve business performance, but this effect is not present in business groups. Proactivity enhances performance, but less so in business groups. Firms can also enhance performance by technological knowledge acquisition, but these effects are not significantly different for various ownership categories

Russia from Bust to Boom and Back: Oil Price, Dutch Disease and Stabilisation Fund

This paper develops and estimates a small macroeconomic model of the Russian economy. The model is tailored to analyse the impact of the oil price, the exchange rate, private sector confidence and fiscal policy on economic performance. Simulations suggest that the Russian economy is vulnerable to downward oil price shocks. We substantiate two mechanisms that mitigate the economic effects of oil price shocks, namely the stabilisation brought by the Oil Stabilisation Fund and the Dutch disease effect. The fiscal policies of the Putin administration temper economic fluctuations caused by oil price shocks. Comparative Economic Studies (2009) 51, 213–241. doi:10.1057/ces.2009.2

Stochastic Modelling of Temperature Variations with a View Towards Weather Derivatives

Daily average temperature variations are modelled with a mean-reverting Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process driven by a generalized hyperbolic Levy process and having seasonal mean and volatility. It is empirically demonstrated that the proposed dynamics fits Norwegian temperature data quite successfully, and in particular explains the seasonality, heavy tails and skewness observed in the data. The stability of mean-reversion and the question of fractionality of the temperature data are discussed. The model is applied to derive explicit prices for some standardized futures contracts based on temperature indices and options on these traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).Temperature modelling, stochastic processes, Levy processes, mean-reversion, seasonality, fractionality, temperature futures and options,

Lightwave valleytronics in a monolayer of tungsten diselenide

As conventional electronics approaches its limits(1), nanoscience has urgently sought methods of fast control of electrons at the fundamental quantum level(2). Lightwave electronics(3)-the foundation of attosecond science(4)-uses the oscillating carrier wave of intense light pulses to control the translational motion of the electron's charge faster than a single cycle of light(5-15). Despite being particularly promising information carriers, the internal quantum attributes of spin(16) and valley pseudospin(17-21) have not been switchable on the subcycle scale. Here we demonstrate lightwave-driven changes of the valley pseudospin and introduce distinct signatures in the optical readout. Photogenerated electron-hole pairs in a monolayer of tungsten diselenide are accelerated and collided by a strong lightwave. The emergence of high-odd-order sidebands and anomalous changes in their polarization direction directly attest to the ultrafast pseudospin dynamics. Quantitative computations combining density functional theory with a non-perturbative quantum many-body approach assign the polarization of the sidebands to a lightwave-induced change of the valley pseudospin and confirm that the process is coherent and adiabatic. Our work opens the door to systematic valleytronic logic at optical clock rates