Foundations: Organization and Operation

As lawyers we can anticipate much activity in new litigation challenging foundations for misuse and abuse of their privileged existence.Foundations themselves must demonstrate their sense of responsibility to the public. The problem of accountability is of prime all philanthropic foundations.To accomplish these objectives we must, as Professor Sacks presented the question, search for the ideal methods for maintaining (calls) the delicate balance of public ends and private means that ismbodied in the charitable foundation

A Group Recommender for Investment in Microgrid Renewable Energy Sources

Integration of renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic arrays and wind turbines into electric power microgrids can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, deciding on investment in microgrid renewable energy sources is a complex problem due to (1) the space of alternatives which is exponential in a number of components; (2) the complex interactions between old and new equipment in every time interval over an investment time horizon; (3) the multiple criteria that should be considered such as net present value, GHG emissions, and system reliability; and (4) dealing with a group of decision makers with diverse priorities. In this paper, we propose and report on the development of a Power Microgrid Operation and Investment Recommender (PMOIR) to guide a group of decision makers toward investment decisions on microgrid renewable energy sources. This is done under the assumption of optimal operational control over the investment time horizon. PMOIR uses a framework of extracting user preferences, estimating the group utility, optimizing and diversifying a small number of recommended alternatives, and voting. To support optimization, we mathematically model different power components and formalize the overall optimization problem, which is implemented using a mixed integer linear programming model. We also conduct an experimental study to demonstrating PMOIR feasibility, in terms of computational time, to be applied on microgrids involving 200 power components, over a five-year time horizon, with around 8 million binary variables

Diversity of long terminal repeat retrotransposon genome distribution in natural populations of the wild diploid wheat Aegilops speltoides

Background: The environment can have a decisive influence on the structure of the genome, changing it in a certain direction. Therefore, the genomic distribution of environmentally sensitive transposable elements may vary measurably across a species area. In the present research, we aimed to detect and evaluate the level of LTR retrotransposon intraspecific variability in Aegilops speltoides (2n=2x=14), a wild cross-pollinated relative of cultivated wheat. Results: The inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism (IRAP) protocol was applied to detect and evaluate the level of LTR retrotransposon intraspecific variability in Ae. speltoides and closely related species of sect. Sitopsis. IRAP analysis revealed significant diversity in TE distribution. Various genotypes from the same population significantly differ with respect to the patterns of the four explored LTR retrotransposons (WIS2, Wilma, Daniela, and Fatima). This diversity points to a constant ongoing process of LTR retrotransposon fraction restructuring in populations of Ae. speltoides throughout the species’ range and within single populations in time. Maximum changes were recorded in genotypes from small stressed populations. Principal component analysis showed that the dynamics of the Fatima element in populations of Ae. speltoides significantly differ from those of WIS2, Wilma, and Daniela. In terms of relationships between Sitopsis species, IRAP analysis of WIS2, Wilma, and Daniela elements revealed a grouping similar to groupings determined by other methods, with Ae. sharonensis and Ae. longissima forming a separate unit, Ae. speltoides appearing as a dispersed group, and Ae. bicornis being in an intermediate position. Conclusions: IRAP display data revealed dynamic changes in LTR retrotransposon fractions in the genome of Ae. speltoides. The process is permanent and population-specific, ultimately leading to the separation of small stressed populations from the main bunch.Peer reviewe

Structure and dynamics of the HIV-2 TAR RNA-argininamide complex by NMR spectroscopy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemistry, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 248-269).by Alexander S. Brodsky.Ph.D

Probing for the Charm Content of BB and Υ\Upsilon Mesons

A slow $J/\psi$ bump exists in the inclusive $B\to J/\psi + X$ spectrum, while the softness of $J/\psi$ spectrum in $\Upsilon(1S) \to J/\psi + X$ decay is in strong contrast with expectations from color octet mechanism. We propose {\it intrinsic} charm as the explanation:the former is due to $\bar B\to J/\psi D \pi$,with three charm quarks in the final state; the latter is just a small fraction of $\Upsilon(1S) \to (c\bar c)_{\rm slow} + 2$"jet" events, where the slow moving $c\bar c$ system evolves into $D^{(*)}$ pairs. Experimental search for these phenomena at B Factories and the Tevatron is strongly urged, as the implications go beyond QCD.Comment: 4 pages, REVTEX, 10 eps figures included. Major revision with more discussions on the rescattering background, and a reappraisal of the Upsilon(1S) decay in the presence of intrinsic charm, leading to a change in Titl