Endophytic Fungi of Bitter Melon \u3ci\u3e(Momordica Charantia)\u3c/i\u3e in Guangdong Province, China

Endophytic fungi can mutualistically interact with their host plants by deterring herbivores. Overall 1172 endophytic fungal isolates were recovered from roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits of bitter melon, Momordica charantia, at five sites in Guangdong Province. These isolates were identified to 25 genera using morphological and molecular characteristics. The endophyte communities at the five sites were similar. Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus spp., Cladosporium spp., Colletotrichum spp., Nigrospora spp., Penicillium spp., Arthrinium spp., Chaetimium spp., Curvularia spp., Fusarium spp., Phoma spp., and Phomopsis spp. were isolated from at least three of the five sites. The coefficient of similarity for endophytes ranged from 60.6% to 83.3% between any two sites. There were significant differences in the species composition of endophytes recovered from different tissues of bitter melon. Fusarium spp. was the most frequent in root and stem samples, Colletotrichum spp. in leaf samples, A. alternata in flower samples, and Cladosporium spp. in fruit samples. The coefficients of similarity for endophytes were between 42.9% and 80.0% from any two tissues. We found that the composition of endophytes of bitter melon was relatively stable across sites, but differed greatly among tissues. We also found that there were fewer insects such as aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae), leafminers (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae), and cotton leafworms Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) collected from the leaves of bitter melon at the Huadu site compared to those collected at the Yunfu site. Whether this is related to the endophyte communities isolated from different sites requires further research

Money and Price Posting under Private Information

We study price posting with undirected search in a search-theoretic monetary model with divisible money and divisible goods. Ex ante homogeneous buyers experience match specific preference shocks in bilateral trades. The shocks follow a continuous distribution and the realization of the shocks is private information. We show that generically there exists a unique price posting monetary equilibrium. In equilibrium, each seller posts a continuous pricing schedule that exhibits quantity discounts. Buyers spend only when they have high enough preferences. As their preferences are higher, they spend more till they become cash constrained. Since inflation reduces the future purchasing power of money and the value of retaining money, buyers tend to spend their money faster in response to higher inflation. In particular, more buyers choose to spend money and buyers spend on average a higher fraction of their money. The model naturally captures the hot potato effect of inflation along both the intensive margin and the extensive margin.Economic models; Inflation and prices

What Causes the Volatility of the Balancing Item?

This paper analyzes the impacts of timing errors, capital flows and economic openness on the behavior of the balancing item. We choose Norway, Sweden, Philippines and South Africa as sample countries where the size of the balancing item is often excess the IMF's criterion of ‘smallness'. The empirical results show that the sources of the volatility of the balancing item are different among these four countries.Balancing item, Balance of payments

相対論的平均場近似を超える理論に基づく微視的粒子‐回転子模型によるΛハイパー核の低エネルギースペクトルの記述

Tohoku University萩野浩一課

PERFLUOROALKYL (ARYL) SULFONIMIDE ZWITTERIONS

This research focuses on superacid perfluoroalkyl(aryl) sulfonimides and their derivatives as a source of stable zwitterionic salts. The strong resonance stabilization of sulfonimides imparts unexpected stability to the zwitterions. Two types of zwitterions were investigated. The first are symmetrical diaryliodonium zwitterions (DZs) as potential photo acid generators (PAGs) for microlithography. Driven by the demand for smaller feature sizes in the microelectronics industry, microlithography using shorter wavelength light has evolved and new PAGs are of interest. New DZs are potentially useful because they have good thermal stability and may be structurally modified to alter their spectral absorption characteristics. As an extension of earlier research in our group, three new symmetric difunctional DZs (p-PhI+PhSO2N-SO2Rf)2 (Rf = C4F8, or C6F12, or C2F4OC2F4) were synthesized. Similar to earlier monofunctional DZs, they have very good thermal stability and high extinction coefficients. The second zwitterions were developed for electrochemical applications. In order to incorporate strong acid electrolytes into nanoporous carbon electrodes for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells, we have synthesized functional diazonium zwitterions (FDZs) based on fluorinated sulfonimides. FDZs provide a means to covalently attach the electrolyte to the carbon substrate as an alternative to physical deposition of an electrolyte from a solution. The typical electrolyte deposition for membrane electrode assembly using solubilized Nafion® cannot be used for nanoporous carbons due to size exclusion. Most diazonium salts are unstable at room temperature and some are explosive. Three series of thermally stable FDZs were successively prepared. Monofunctional Diazonium Zwitterions (MFDZs) p-N2+PhSO2N-SO2Rf (Rf = CF3 or C4F9) were the first example and were shown to have surprisingly high decomposition temperatures and good solubility in organic solvents. Then, Difunctional Diazonium Zwitterions (DFDZs) (p-N2+PhSO2N-SO2Rf)2 (Rf =C4F8 or C6F12) were synthesized from the experience of making DZs and MDZs. These salts only dissolve in more polar solvents such as DMSO and exhibited good thermal stability. Finally, Multifunctional Diazonium Zwitterions (MFDZs) p-N2+PhSO2N-SO2RfSO2N(H)SO2CF3 (Rf = C4F8 or C6F12) were prepared with two acidic proton positions on grafting. These salts had good solubility in water and several organic solvents. In principle, all of these salts are composed of acidic protons upon grafting to carbon. The best carbon coating method is still under investigation. An alternative route to higher ion exchange capacity after attachment to carbon was envisaged via two other types of FDZs. A trifluorvinyl ether (TFVE) of the type p-N2+PhSO2N-SO2PhOCF=CF2 was prepared and can in principle be used to prepare a multifunctional polymer using step-growth polymerization with an appropriate functional TFVE monomer. Similarly, the novel FDZs p-N2+PhSO2N-SO2RfSO2N(H)SO2F (Rf = C4F8 or C6F12) can be used to grow or attach a polymer by condensation reaction with an appropriate amide

Analytic-holistic thinking influence on information use during sensemaking

The present study looks at how cultural differences in cognition pose a challenge to the management of information. Analytic-Holistic (AH) thinking, in particular, appears to influence information selection, attribution, and ultimately, sensemaking. This study, conducted in the United States, used 47 Americans and 47 Malaysian students studying in the U.S. The participants completed the Holism Scale; read a scenario and responded to a recognition test and an attribution assessment, developed for this study. First, Malaysians were found to be higher than the Americans in a scale of holistic thinking. Second, they also remembered more situational information. Thirdly, no differences were found between the two groups in situational attribution. Finally, proposed mediations with recognition of information as a mediator of AH thinking and Attribution were not significant. Differences in cognition affected types of information remembered. Implications of results on information management, sensemaking, and barriers to multinational teamwork are discussed