Regulating Non-territorial Commercial Environments in Territorial-based Legal Systems

The purpose of the following work is the identification and analysis of the legal and technological challenges that transnational electronic commerce carried out over open computermediated networks presents to legal systems based on territorial principles in order to delineate global and systematic solutions to this new non-territorial commercial environment. A possible global, systematic and technologically oriented legal solution will create a new commercial environment safer for consumers, more predictable for businesses and with equal opportunities of access and growth for all countries

1 H -Imidazole-4-carbo­nitrile

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75107/1/S1600536805014509.pd

The middle to late Eocene evolution of nummulitid foraminifer Heterostegina in the Western Tethys

Megalospheric forms of Western Tethyan late Bartonian to late Priabonian involute Heterostegina from numerous localities, marking different ecological conditions, were morphometrically investigated. They belong to three species, H. armenica, H. reticulata, and H. gracilis based on the presence/absence of granulation, on the chamberlet characteristics and on the relative size of proloculus. Within these species a very rapid evolution could be observed in the reduction of the number of operculinid chambers, in the increase of the number of chamberlets and partially in the increase of the proloculus size. This evolution is demonstrated by stratigraphic superpositions in several localities (especially in the Mossano section), and is supported also by the change of co−occurring fossils, starting with the disappearance of large−sized Nummulites, then followed by the appearance of the genus Spiroclypeus and then by the disappearance of orthophragmines of middle Eocene acme. Based on the reduction of operculinid chambers, two chronosubspecies of Heterostegina armenica and seven of H. reticulata are defined biometrically (four of them: H. armenica tigrisensis, H. reticulata tronensis, H. r. hungarica, and H. r. mossanensis are introduced here). This allows to subdivide the Shallow Benthic Zone (SBZ) 18 into three and SBZ 19 into two subzones. The extremely rapid evolution of H. reticulata allows to calibrate larger foraminiferal events around the middle/late Eocene boundary. The extinction of large−sized Nummulites seems to be heterochronous in the late Bartonian in having migrated eastward, while the first appearance of Spiroclypeus is shown to be synchronous at the base of the Priabonian. The middle/upper Eocene (=Bartonian/Priabonian) boundary is to be placed at the base of the Priabona marls in the Mossano section corresponding to the SBZ 18/19 limit, to the first appearance of genus Spiroclypeus, to that of Nummulites fabianii and of Heterostegina reticulata mossanensis. It falls into the upper part of both the P15 and NP18 planktic zones. The Western Tethyan Eocene involute Heterostegina became extinct, apparently with no Oligocene successors

Coordinations between gene modules control the operation of plant amino acid metabolic networks

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Being sessile organisms, plants should adjust their metabolism to dynamic changes in their environment. Such adjustments need particular coordination in branched metabolic networks in which a given metabolite can be converted into multiple other metabolites via different enzymatic chains. In the present report, we developed a novel "Gene Coordination" bioinformatics approach and use it to elucidate adjustable transcriptional interactions of two branched amino acid metabolic networks in plants in response to environmental stresses, using publicly available microarray results.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using our "Gene Coordination" approach, we have identified in Arabidopsis plants two oppositely regulated groups of "highly coordinated" genes within the branched Asp-family network of Arabidopsis plants, which metabolizes the amino acids Lys, Met, Thr, Ile and Gly, as well as a single group of "highly coordinated" genes within the branched aromatic amino acid metabolic network, which metabolizes the amino acids Trp, Phe and Tyr. These genes possess highly coordinated adjustable negative and positive expression responses to various stress cues, which apparently regulate adjustable metabolic shifts between competing branches of these networks. We also provide evidence implying that these highly coordinated genes are central to impose intra- and inter-network interactions between the Asp-family and aromatic amino acid metabolic networks as well as differential system interactions with other growth promoting and stress-associated genome-wide genes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our novel Gene Coordination elucidates that branched amino acid metabolic networks in plants are regulated by specific groups of highly coordinated genes that possess adjustable intra-network, inter-network and genome-wide transcriptional interactions. We also hypothesize that such transcriptional interactions enable regulatory metabolic adjustments needed for adaptation to the stresses.</p

Integrated stratigraphy of the Priabonian (upper Eocene) Urtsadzor section, Armenia

The transition from the Bartonian to the Priabonian, as traditionally understood, has long been associated with a series of extinctions and originations in several microfossil groups. The planktonic foraminifer genus Morozovelloides and large species of Acarinina suffered a rapid global extinction, as did many radiolarians. Calcareous nannofossils show several assemblage changes including the acme beginning of Cribrocentrum erbae and the lowest and highest occurrences of Chiasmolithus oamaruensis and C. grandis respectively. In shallow water environments, larger foraminifera also show an extinction among large species of Nummulites, as well as the first occurrences of the stratigraphically important genus Spiroclypeus. However, the correlation between shallow and deep water records remains uncertain, as do the mechanisms driving these biotic events. Here we present the results of a new integrated stratigraphical study (calcareous nannofossils, planktonic foraminifera, larger benthic foraminifera, and low-resolution magnetostratigraphy) of the Urtsadzor section in south-western Armenia which appears to be continuous through this interval. The Urtsadzor section consists of calcareous siltstones rich in micro- and nannofossils, with interbedded limestones containing abundant larger benthic foraminifera. Our new data enable us to correlate larger foraminiferal events with global plankton biostratigraphy, in a section outside of southwest Europe where most previous correlations have been based. At Urtsadzor, the large Nummulites species of N. millecaput-group are present throughout the whole section but decrease in abundance toward the top. The first occurrence of Spiroclypeus, also occurs in the upper part of the section, marking the SBZ 18/19 boundary. These events are associated with the phylogenetic development of the Nummulites fabianii and Heterostegina reticulata lineages. However, the calcareous plankton biostratigraphy indicates the section is well within the Priabonian; within planktonic foraminiferal Zones E14 and E15 and calcareous nannoplankton Zones CNE 18 and CNE 19. These results indicate larger foraminiferal events occur well above the planktonic foraminiferal extinction level and nannofossil assemblage changes indicating the events are not synchronous across groups, with implications for biostratigraphy and recognition of the basal Priabonian in different depositional settings and regions

Comparison of Land Cover/Land Use and Habitat Classification Systems for Habitat Mapping from Space: Strengths and Weaknesses Evidenced in Mediterranean Sites of Natura 2000 Network

At a global level, protected sites have been established for the primary purpose of conserving biodiversity, with survey and monitoring of habitats undertaken largely within their boundaries. However, because of increasing human populations with greater access to resources, there is a need to now consider monitoring anthropic activities in the surrounding landscapes as pressures and disturbances are impacting on the functioning and biodiversity values of many protected sites. Earth Observation (EO) data acquired across a range of spatial and temporal scales offer new opportunities for monitoring biodiversity over varying time-scales, either through direct or indirect mapping of species or habitats. However, Land Cover (LC) and/or Land Use (LU), rather than habitat maps are generated in many national and international programs and, whilst the translation from one classification to the other is desirable, differences in definitions and criteria have so far limited the establishment of a unified approach. Focusing on both natural and non-natural environments associated with Natura 2000 sites in the Mediterranean, this paper considers the extent to which three common LC/LU taxonomies (CORINE, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (FAO-LCCS) and the IGBP) can be translated to habitat taxonomies with minimum use of additional environmental attributes and/or in situ data. A qualitative and quantitative analysis based on the Jaccard's index established the FAO-LCCS as being the most useful taxonomy for harmonizing LC/LU maps with different legends and dealing with the complexity of habitat description and as a framework for translating EO-derived LC/LU to habitat categories. As demonstration, a habitat map of a wetland site is obtained through translation of the LCCS taxonomy

High Interstitial Fluid Pressure Is Associated with Tumor-Line Specific Vascular Abnormalities in Human Melanoma Xenografts

PURPOSE: Interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) is highly elevated in many solid tumors. High IFP has been associated with low radiocurability and high metastatic frequency in human melanoma xenografts and with poor survival after radiation therapy in cervical cancer patients. Abnormalities in tumor vascular networks have been identified as an important cause of elevated tumor IFP. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between tumor IFP and the functional and morphological properties of tumor vascular networks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A-07-GFP and R-18-GFP human melanomas growing in dorsal window chambers in BALB/c nu/nu mice were used as preclinical tumor models. Functional and morphological parameters of the vascular network were assessed from first-pass imaging movies and vascular maps recorded after intravenous bolus injection of 155-kDa tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate-labeled dextran. IFP was measured in the center of the tumors using a Millar catheter. Angiogenic profiles of A-07-GFP and R-18-GFP cells were obtained with a quantitative PCR array. RESULTS: High IFP was associated with low growth rate and low vascular density in A-07-GFP tumors, and with high growth rate and high vascular density in R-18-GFP tumors. A-07-GFP tumors showed chaotic and highly disorganized vascular networks, while R-18-GFP tumors showed more organized vascular networks with supplying arterioles in the tumor center and draining venules in the tumor periphery. Furthermore, A-07-GFP and R-18-GFP cells differed substantially in angiogenic profiles. A-07-GFP tumors with high IFP showed high geometric resistance to blood flow due to high vessel tortuosity. R-18-GFP tumors with high IFP showed high geometric resistance to blood flow due to a large number of narrow tumor capillaries. CONCLUSIONS: High IFP in A-07-GFP and R-18-GFP human melanoma xenografts was primarily a consequence of high blood flow resistance caused by tumor-line specific vascular abnormalities

Spin density studies on p-O2NC6F4CNSSN: A heavy p-block organic ferromagnet

A complete picture of the spin density distribution in the organic radical p-O2NC6F4CNSSN has been obtained by a combination of polarized neutron diffraction, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopies, and ab initio density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. Polarized neutron diffraction revealed that the spin distribution is predominantly localized on the N and S atoms (+0.25μB and +0.28μB, respectively) of the heterocyclic ring with a small negative spin density on the heterocyclic C atom (−0.06μB). These spin populations are in excellent agreement with both ab initio DFT calculations (spin populations on the C, N, and S sites of −0.07, 0.22 and 0.31, respectively) and cw-EPR studies which estimated the spin population on the N site as 0.24. The DFT calculated spin density revealed less than 1% spin delocalization onto the perfluoroaryl ring, several orders of magnitude lower than the density on the heterocyclic ring. cw-ENDOR studies at both X-band (9 GHz) and Q-band (34 GHz) frequencies probed the spin populations on the two chemically distinct F atoms. These spin populations on the F atoms ortho and meta to the dithiadiazolyl ring are of magnitude 10−3 and 10−4, respectively