Genetic Studies of Induced Mutants in \u3ci\u3eMelilotus alba\u3c/i\u3e. I. Short-Internode Dwarf, Curled Leaf, Multifoliolate Leaf, and Cotyledonary Branching

Information obtained from the F1, F2, and F3 generations of crosses between the normal annual M. alba progenitor line and the four mutants, short-internode dwarf, curled leaf, multifoliolate leaf, and cotyledonary branching, indicates that each character is conditioned by a single pair of alleles. The multifoliolate leaf character is dominant over the normal phenotype; the other three mutant characters are recessive. The symbols dw, cl, Mf, and cb are proposed as designations for the respective mutant genes

The long run relationship between private consumption and wealth : common and idiosyncratic effects

We investigate the long run relationship between private consump- tion, disposable income and wealth approximated by equity and house price indices for a panel of 15 industrialized countries. Consumption, income and wealth are cointegrated in their common components. The impact of house prices exceeds the effect arising from equity wealth. The long run vector is broadly in line with the life cycle permanent income hypothesis, if house prices are allowed to enter the relationship. At the idiosyncratic level, a long run equilibrium is detected between consumption and income, i.e. the wealth variable can be excluded. The income elasticity in the idiosyncratic relationship is significantly less than unity. Hence, the presence of wealth effects in consumption equations arises from the international integration of asset markets and points to the relevance of risk sharing activities of agents. Without sufficient opportunities, an increase in national saving rates would be expected, leading to a lower path of private consumption expenditures.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Further Examination of the Export-Led Growth Hypothesis

This paper challenges the common view that exports generally contribute more to GDP growth than a pure change in export volume, as the export-led growth hypothesis predicts. Applying panel cointegration techniques to a production function with non-export GDP as the dependent variable, we find for a sample of 45 developing countries that: (i) exports have a positive short-run effect on non-export GDP and vice versa (short-run bidirectional causality), (ii) the long-run effect of exports on non-export output, however, is negative on average, but (iii) there are large differences in the longrun effect of exports on non-export GDP across countries. Cross-sectional regressions indicate that these cross-country differences in the long-run effect of exports on nonexport GDP are significantly negatively related to cross-country differences in primary export dependence and business and labor market regulation. In contrast, there is no significant association between the growth effect of exports and the capacity of a country to absorb new knowledge

One step ATRP initiator immobilization on surfaces leading to gradient-grafted polymer brushes

Published: April 30, 2014A method is described that allows potentially any surface to be functionalized covalently with atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiators derived from ethyl-2-bromoisobutyrl bromide in a single step. In addition, the initiator surface density was variable and tunable such that the thickness of polymer chain grafted from the surface varied greatly on the surfaces providing examples, across the surface of a substrate, of increased chain stretching due to the entropic nature of crowded polymer chains leading toward polymer brushes. An initiator gradient of increasing surface density was deposited by plasma copolymerization of an ATRP initiator (ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate) and a non-ATRP reactive diluent molecule (ethanol). The deposited plasma polymer retained its chemical ability to surface-initiate polymerization reactions as exemplified by N,N'-dimethyl acrylamide and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate polymerizations, illustrating linear and bottle-brush-like chains, respectively. A large variation in graft thickness was observed from the low to high chain-density side suggesting that chains were forced to stretch away from the surface interface--a consequence of entropic effects resulting from increased surface crowding. The tert-butyl bromide group of ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate is a commonly used initiator in ATRP, so a method for covalent linkage to any substrate in a single step desirably simplifies the multistep surface activation procedures currently used.Bryan R. Coad, Katie E. Styan, and Laurence Meaghe

Sociocultural and epidemiological aspects of HIV/AIDS in Mozambique

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A legacy of colonial rule coupled with a devastating 16-year civil war through 1992 left Mozambique economically impoverished just as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic swept over southern Africa in the late 1980s. The crumbling Mozambican health care system was wholly inadequate to support the need for new chronic disease services for people with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To review the unique challenges faced by Mozambique as they have attempted to stem the HIV epidemic, we undertook a systematic literature review through multiple search engines (PubMed, Google Scholar™, SSRN, AnthropologyPlus, AnthroSource) using Mozambique as a required keyword. We searched for any articles that included the required keyword as well as the terms 'HIV' and/or 'AIDS', 'prevalence', 'behaviors', 'knowledge', 'attitudes', 'perceptions', 'prevention', 'gender', drugs, alcohol, and/or 'health care infrastructure'.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>UNAIDS 2008 prevalence estimates ranked Mozambique as the 8^thmost HIV-afflicted nation globally. In 2007, measured HIV prevalence in 36 antenatal clinic sites ranged from 3% to 35%; the national estimate of was 16%. Evidence suggests that the Mozambican HIV epidemic is characterized by a preponderance of heterosexual infections, among the world's most severe health worker shortages, relatively poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS in the general population, and lagging access to HIV preventive and therapeutic services compared to counterpart nations in southern Africa. Poor education systems, high levels of poverty and gender inequality further exacerbate HIV incidence.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Recommendations to reduce HIV incidence and AIDS mortality rates in Mozambique include: health system strengthening, rural outreach to increase testing and linkage to care, education about risk reduction and drug adherence, and partnerships with traditional healers and midwives to effect a lessening of stigma.</p