2-(6-Chloro-1H-indol-3-yl)acetonitrile

In the title compound, C10H7ClN2, the carbonitrile group is twisted away from the plane of the indole ring system [Ccy—Cme—Car—Car = −44.7 (8)°; cy = cyanide, me = methyl­ene and ar = aromatic]. In the crystal, N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into C(7) chains propagating in [010]. Aromatic π–π stacking inter­actions [minimum centroid–centroid separation = 3.663 (3) Å] are also observed

Agency problems in firms with an even number of directors: evidence from China

To avoid a tie in voting, most boards have an odd number of directors. We argue that boards with an even number of directors are more likely to be weak monitors because of inefficient decision making and being captured by controlling shareholders. Consistent with this argument, we find that in China boards with an even number of directors have fewer meetings and are more likely to have board members absent from board meetings. Firms with an even number of directors have more tunnelling through intercorporate loans and related party transactions, lower financial reporting quality and higher incidence of accounting irregularities. This evidence is stronger in firms with weaker external monitoring and for directors with weaker incentives to monitor. Finally, we show that firms with an even number of directors are associated with lower market valuation of equity. Our results suggest that corporate boards with an even number of directors in emerging markets are associated with more agency problems

Ceiling-fan-integrated air conditioning: Airflow and temperature characteristics of a sidewall-supply jet interacting with a ceiling fan

Ceiling-Fan-Integrated Air Conditioning (CFIAC) is a proposed system that can greatly increase buildings’ cooling efficiency. In it, terminal supply ducts and diffusers are replaced by vents/nozzles, jetting supply air toward ceiling fans that serve to mix and distribute it within the room. Because of the fans’ air movement, the system provides comfort at higher room temperatures than in conventional commercial/ institutional/retail HVAC. We have experimentally evaluated CFIAC in a test room. This paper covers the distributions of air-speed, temperature, and calculated comfort level throughout the room. Two subsequent papers report tests of human subject comfort and ventilation effectiveness in the same experimental conditions. The room’s supply air emerged from a high-sidewall vent directed toward a ceiling fan on the jet centerline; we also tested this same jet on a fan located off to the side of the jet. Primary variables are: ceiling fan flow volumes in downward and upward directions, supply air volume, and room-vs-supply temperature difference. Velocity, turbulence, and temperature distributions are presented for vertical and horizontal transects of the room. The occupied zone is then evaluated for velocity and temperature non-uniformity, and for comfort as predicted by the ASHRAE Standard 55 elevated air speed method. We show that temperatures are well-mixed and uniform across the room for all of the fan-on configurations, for fans both within or out of the supply jet centerline. The ceiling fan flow dominates the CFIAC airflow, and even though non-uniform is capable of providing comfortable conditions throughout the occupied area of the room

2,4-Dibromo-6-[(hydroxyimino)methyl]phenol

In the title compound, C7H5Br4NO2, intra­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds are observed. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into dimers

(5-Meth­oxy-1H-indol-3-yl)acetonitrile

In the title compound, C11H10N2O, the O atom and the C atom of the methyl­ene group deviate only slightly [0.029 (3) and 0.055 (3) Å, respectively] from the approximately planar ring system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.013 Å). In the crystal, N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into zigzag chains running along the b axis

The Plant Heat Stress Transcription Factors (HSFs): Structure, Regulation, and Function in Response to Abiotic Stresses

Abiotic stresses such as high temperature, salinity and drought adversely affect the survival, growth and reproduction of plants. Plants respond to such unfavorable changes through developmental, physiological and biochemical ways, and these responses require expression of stress-responsive genes, which are regulated by a network of transcription factors (TFs), including heat stress transcription factors (HSFs). HSFs play a crucial role in plants response to several abiotic stresses by regulating the expression of stress-responsive genes, such as heat shock proteins (Hsps). In this review, we describe the conserved structure of plant HSFs, the identification of HSF gene families from various plant species, their expression profiling under abiotic stress conditions, regulation at different levels and function in abiotic stresses. Despite plant HSFs share highly conserved structure, their remarkable diversification across plants reflects their numerous functions as well as their integration into the complex stress signaling and response networks, which can be employed in crop improvement strategies via biotechnological intervention