Mechanism of the Enzymic Reduction of N_2: The Binding of Adenosine 5'-Triphosphate and Cyanide to the N_2-reducing System

The in vitro reduction of N_2 is a complex process involving at least six different reactants: two proteins [1,2] for which the names azoferredoxin (AzoFd) and molybdoferredoxin (MoFd) have been proposed[3], an electron source, the electron acceptor, ATP[4], and Mg2+[5-7]. One of the goals of research in this area is to define the orderly and quantitative participation of these reactants leading to the reduction of the electron acceptor with concomitant breakdown of ATP to ADP and inorganic phosphate[7]. The work described in this paper shows that (1) AzoFd reversibly binds both ATP, a reactant in N2 reduction, and ADP, a specific inhibitor of N2 reduction, and (2) MoFd reversibly binds cyanide, which is also reduced by the N_2-reducing system. It is suggested that the binding of ATP and of cyanide are partial reactions of the N_2-reducing system

On the mean values of L-functions in orthogonal and symplectic families

Hybrid Euler-Hadamard products have previously been studied for the Riemann zeta function on its critical line and for Dirichlet L-functions in the context of the calculation of moments and connections with Random Matrix Theory. According to the Katz-Sarnak classification, these are believed to represent families of L-function with unitary symmetry. We here extend the formalism to families with orthogonal & symplectic symmetry. Specifically, we establish formulae for real quadratic Dirichlet L-functions and for the L-functions associated with primitive Hecke eigenforms of weight 2 in terms of partial Euler and Hadamard products. We then prove asymptotic formulae for some moments of these partial products and make general conjectures based on results for the moments of characteristic polynomials of random matrices

Seismic Earth Pressure Development in Sheet Pile Retaining Walls: A Numerical Study

The design of retaining walls requires the complete knowledge of the earth pressure distribution behind the wall. Due to the complex soil-structure effect, the estimation of earth pressure is not an easy task; even in the static case. The problem becomes even more complex for the dynamic (i.e., seismic) analysis and design of retaining walls. Several earth pressure models have been developed over the years to integrate the dynamic earth pressure with the static earth pressure and to improve the design of retaining wall in seismic regions. Among all the models, MononobeOkabe (M-O) method is commonly used to estimate the magnitude of seismic earth pressures in retaining walls and is adopted in design practices around the world (e.g., EuroCode and Australian Standards). However, the M-O method has several drawbacks and does not provide reliable estimate of the earth pressure in many instances. This study investigates the accuracy of the M-O method to predict the dynamic earth pressure in sheet pile wall. A 2D plane strain finite element model of the wall-soil system was developed in DIANA. The backfill soil was modelled with Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion while the wall was assumed behave elastically. The numerically predicted dynamic earth pressure was compared with the M-O model prediction. Further, the point of application of total dynamic force was determined and compared with the static case. Finally, the applicability of M-O methods to compute the seismic earth pressure was discussed

Thermal issues at the SSC

A variety of heat transfer problems arise in the design of the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC). One class of problems is to minimize heat leak from the ambient to the SSC rings, since the rings contain superconducting magnets maintained at a temperature of 4 K. Another arises from the need to dump the beam of protrons (traveling around the SSC rings) on to absorbers during an abort of the collider. Yet another category of problems is the cooling of equipment to dissipate the heat generated during operation. An overview of these problems and sample heat transfer results are given in this paper

On the variance of sums of arithmetic functions over primes in short intervals and pair correlation for L-functions in the Selberg class

We establish the equivalence of conjectures concerning the pair correlation of zeros of $L$-functions in the Selberg class and the variances of sums of a related class of arithmetic functions over primes in short intervals. This extends the results of Goldston & Montgomery [7] and Montgomery & Soundararajan [11] for the Riemann zeta-function to other $L$-functions in the Selberg class. Our approach is based on the statistics of the zeros because the analogue of the Hardy-Littlewood conjecture for the auto-correlation of the arithmetic functions we consider is not available in general. One of our main findings is that the variances of sums of these arithmetic functions over primes in short intervals have a different form when the degree of the associated $L$-functions is 2 or higher to that which holds when the degree is 1 (e.g. the Riemann zeta-function). Specifically, when the degree is 2 or higher there are two regimes in which the variances take qualitatively different forms, whilst in the degree-1 case there is a single regime

Lean internationalisation of high-tech startups:a business model perspective

Abstract. Globalisation is becoming indispensable in terms of profitability and growth for international businesses. Today, internationalisation has become one of the most important components of the company’s operation. Especially for startups, a key rule in starting new businesses today is to think global. Although many startups know that it is important to think global and expand internationally, the underlying actions required may not be always clear. Furthermore, although internationalisation is a key factor for business enterprises, it is relatively unknown how such companies as Born Globals are developing a successful process of entering the foreign market in a fast and lean way. This study examines the factors influencing the speed of internationalisation from the perspective of business models, comparing fast and lean internationalisation with progressive and gradual internationalisation, such as the Uppsala model in the existing research. Thanks to the detailed case studies and thematic data analysis, the study compares three high-tech Finnish startups at various stages of the startup lifecycle. The study shows the importance of the business model perspective to explain the phenomenon of rapid internationalisation and lean internationalisation. One of the main results and contributions of the study is to develop a new framework to explain rapid and lean internationalisation. At the broader level of the new framework, the study suggests virtual presence, business model learning, and the ability to replicate business models are key aspects that can accelerate the internationalisation speed for high-tech startups. At the level of the specific components, four aspects of the business model (customer-centric value creation, market, internal capacity and strategic aspects) are identified to accelerate the internationalisation of the case companies