Bis{4-chloro-2- 1-( 2,4,6-trimethylphenylimino)ethyl phenolato}nickel(II)

The Ni-II atom in the title complex, [ Ni(C17H17ClNO)(2)], is tetracoordinated by two N atoms and two O atoms from two bidentate salicylideneiminate ligands, forming a square-planar environment. The asymmetric unit consists of two half-molecules; in each molecule the Ni atom lies on a centre of symmetry

Incumbent heterogeneity in creative destruction: a study of three Dutch newspaper organisations

With a study of three Dutch newspaper organisations, we identify four dimensions along which incumbent response to discontinuous change may differ: response timing (early or late), size of commitment to the new business (big or small), progression of commitment to the new business (continuous or intermittent), and approaches to bridging the capability gap (internal development, strategic alliance, or acquisition). These response strategies are neither mutually exclusive nor static, and their relative focus differs over time as well as across incumbents. Such inter-temporal and cross-sectional variations in response strategies are influenced by various incumbent-specific characteristics and shaped by interrelated contingencies internal or external to incumbents

Effect of microstructures on the electron-phonon interaction in the disordered metals Pd60_{60}Ag40_{40}

Using the weak-localization method, we have measured the electron-phonon scattering times $\tau_{ep}$ in Pd$_{60}$Ag$_{40}$ thick films prepared by DC- and RF-sputtering deposition techniques. In both series of samples, we find an anomalous $1/\tau_{ep} \propto T^2\ell$ temperature and disorder dependence, where $\ell$ is the electron elastic mean free path. This anomalous behavior cannot be explained in terms of the current concepts for the electron-phonon interaction in impure conductors. Our result also reveals that the strength of the electron-phonon coupling is much stronger in the DC than RF sputtered films, suggesting that the electron-phonon interaction not only is sensitive to the total level of disorder but also is sensitive to the microscopic quality of the disorder.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Effective Dynamic Range in Measurements with Flash Analog-to-Digital Convertor

Flash Analog to Digital Convertor (FADC) is frequently used in nuclear and particle physics experiments, often as the major component in big multi-channel systems. The large data volume makes the optimization of operating parameters necessary. This article reports a study of a method to extend the dynamic range of an 8-bit FADC from the nominal $\rm{2^8}$ value. By comparing the integrated pulse area with that of a reference profile, good energy reconstruction and event identification can be achieved on saturated events from CsI(Tl) crystal scintillators. The effective dynamic range can be extended by at least 4 more bits. The algorithm is generic and is expected to be applicable to other detector systems with FADC readout.Comment: 19 pages, 1 table, 10 figure

Quantitative structure-activity relationships for the pre-steady state of Pseudomonas species lipase inhibitions by p-nirophenyl-N-substituted carbamates

The pre-steady states of Pseudomonas species lipase inhibitions by p-nitrophenyl-N-substituted carbamates (1-6) are composed of two steps: (1) formation of the non-covalent enzyme-inhibitor complex (E:I) from the inhibitor and the enzyme and (2) formation of the tetrahedral enzyme-inhibitor adduct (E-I) from the E:I complex. From a stopped-flow apparatus, the dissociation constant for the E:I complex, K-S, and the rate constant for formation of the tetrahedral E-I adduct from the E:I complex, k(2) are obtained from the non-linear least-squares of curve fittings of first-order rate constant (k(obs)) versus inhibition concentration ([I]) plot against k(obs)=k(2)+k(2)[I]/(K-S+[I]). Values of pK(S), and log k(2) are linearly correlated with the rho(*) values with the rho(*) values of -2.0 and 0.36, respectively. Therefore, the E:I complexes are more positive charges than the inhibitors due to the rho(*) value of -2.0. The tetrahedral E-I adducts on the other hand are more negative charges than the E:I complexes due to the rho(*) value of 0.36. Formation of the E:I complex from the inhibitor and the enzyme are further divided into two steps: (1) the pre-equilibrium protonation of the inhibitor and (2) formation of the E:I complex from the protonated inhibitor and the enzyme

(2,2 '-Bipyridine)(2-{1- 2-(dimethylamino)ethylimino ethyl}-4-methoxyphenolat o)copper(II) perchlorate

The Cu atom of the title complex, [Cu(C(13)H(19)N(2)O(2))(C(10)H(8)N(2))]ClO(4), has a distorted square-pyramidal geometry with all three of the donor atoms from the N, N', O-tridentate Schiff base ligand in the equatorial positions and the bipyridine N atoms in an equatorial-axial binding mode. The Cu atom is 0.1801 (11) angstrom above the N(3)O mean basal plane

Cost-effectiveness of Clinical Pathway in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Few studies have been devoted to the exploration of the effect of clinical pathways on coronary artery diseases treated with coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery. This study was aimed to investigate the cost and effectiveness of the clinical pathway on CAB surgery in a medical center. With a retrospective dataset in 2003-2007, 212 CAB surgery patients were included. Data of the costs and postoperative complication occurrence and length of stays were the focus and patient demographics, surgical risk indicator EuroSCORE, surgical conditions were collected. It revealed that there was differentiation across specified cost items in beating heart CAB surgery patients, but not for heart arrest CAB surgery patients with and without clinical pathways enrolled. In addition, there was no difference in postoperative complication occurrence in CAB surgery patients enrolled into clinical pathways. However, robotic beating heart CAB surgery patients enrolled clinical pathways were shown to have less postoperative ordinary ward stay than those not enrolled clinical pathways. CAB surgery patients' age and surgical risks were related to their postoperative lengths of stay to some extent

Understorey plant community and light availability in conifer plantations and natural hardwood forests in Taiwan

Questions: What are the effects of replacing mixed species natural forests with Cryptomeria japonica plantations on understorey plant functional and species diversity? What is the role of the understorey light environment in determining understorey diversity and community in the two types of forest? Location: Subtropical northeast Taiwan. Methods: We examined light environments using hemispherical photography, and diversity and composition of understorey plants of a 35‐yr C. japonica plantation and an adjacent natural hardwood forest. Results: Understorey plant species richness was similar in the two forests, but the communities were different; only 18 of the 91 recorded understorey plant species occurred in both forests. Relative abundance of plants among different functional groups differed between the two forests. Relative numbers of shade‐tolerant and shade‐intolerant seedling individuals were also different between the two forest types with only one shade‐intolerant seedling in the plantation compared to 23 seedlings belonging to two species in the natural forest. In the natural forest 11 species of tree seedling were found, while in the plantation only five were found, and the seedling density was only one third of that in the natural forest. Across plots in both forests, understorey plant richness and diversity were negatively correlated with direct sunlight but not indirect sunlight, possibly because direct light plays a more important role in understorey plant growth. Conclusions: We report lower species and functional diversity and higher light availability in a natural hardwood forest than an adjacent 30‐yr C. japonica plantation, possibly due to the increased dominance of shade‐intolerant species associated with higher light availability. To maintain plant diversity, management efforts must be made to prevent localized losses of shade‐adapted understorey plants

Electroactive biofilms: new means for electrochemistry

This work demonstrates that electrochemical reactions can be catalysed by the natural biofilms that form on electrode surfaces dipping into drinking water or compost. In drinking water, oxygen reduction was monitored with stainless steel ultra-microelectrodes under constant potential electrolysis at )0.30 V/SCE for 13 days. 16 independent experiments were conducted in drinking water, either pure or with the addition of acetate or dextrose. In most cases, the current increased and reached 1.5–9.5 times the initial current. The current increase was attributed to biofilm forming on the electrode in a similar way to that has been observed in seawater. Epifluorescence microscopy showed that the bacteria size and the biofilm morphology depended on the nutrients added, but no quantitative correlation between biofilm morphology and current was established. In compost, the oxidation process was investigated using a titanium based electrode under constant polarisation in the range 0.10–0.70 V/SCE. It was demonstrated that the indigenous micro-organisms were responsible for the current increase observed after a few days, up to 60 mA m)2. Adding 10 mM acetate to the compost amplified the current density to 145 mA m)2 at 0.50 V/SCE. The study suggests that many natural environments, other than marine sediments, waste waters and seawaters that have been predominantly investigated until now, may be able to produce electrochemically active biofilm

The role of a conserved histidine residue, His324, in Trigonopsis variabilis D-amino acid oxidase

To investigate the functional role of an invariant histidine residue in Trigonopsis variabilis D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO), a set of mutant enzymes with replacement of the histidine residue at position 324 was constructed and their enzymatic properties were examined, Wild-type and mutant enzymes have been purified to homogeneity using the His-bound column and the molecular masses were determined to be 39.2 kDa. Western blot analysis revealed that the in vivo synthesized mutant enzymes are immune-identical with that of the wild-type DAAO. The His324Asn and His324Gln mutants displayed comparable enzymatic activity to that of the wild-type enzyme, while the other mutant DAAOs showed markedly decreased or no detectable activity. The mutants, His324/Asn/Gln/Ala/Tyr/Glu, exhibited 38-181% increase in K-m and a 2-10-fold reduction in k(cat)/K-m. Based on the crystal structure of a homologous protein, pig kidney DAAO, it is suggested that His324 might play a structural role for proper catalytic function of T. variabilis DAAO. (C) 1999 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved