Non-enzymatic active transport in vitro. Conversion of chemical to osmotic energy]

The active transport of ammonia gas was obtained with an asymmetric composite membrane-model using H+ as carrier and the formation of water as chemical energy source. The experimental molecular pump externally limited by two silicone films permeable to gasses but not to liquids or ions is separated into two liquid layers by a central cation-exchange membrane. The first acid layer produces the aspiration of NH3, due to NH4+ formation, through the inlet silicone film; NH4+ is transferred to the second alkaline layer through the ion exchange membrane, by interdiffusion with K+; there NH4+ reacts with OH-, water is formed and NH3 is expelled throught the oulet silicone film. This new pump enlarges the applicability of in vitro active transport to non-enzymatic systems and energy sources different from ATP.     

关中麦棉集约式栽培技术模式研究

本试验针对陕西关中棉区气侯特点与种植习惯，研究了夏棉春育、麦林移栽、麦后覆膜等项麦棉集约式两熟栽培技术，扩展夏棉生长的时空和热量条件。三年试验结果表明，在“三密一稀”满幅荷种植的麦田，麦收前育苗移栽、麦后采取覆膜管理等措施，可增加≥15℃有效积温535．6-525．8℃，使夏棉皮棉产量达1197．5～981．0kg·hm^-2。比麦林点播棉籽的一般露地管理夏棉增产皮棉89．4％，较好的解决了当地棉麦两熟栽培有效热量不足的最小限制因子，实现了麦棉集约式两熟作务，提高了土地等资源的利用率。     

Anaerobic specimen transport system

Summary Degassed dimethyl silicone oil may be used as a transport medium for specimens containing anaerobic microorganisms.     

An anatomical study of the microcirculation in the rabbit femur

Summary A technique is described which will allow a study of the microcirculation to a long bone such as the femur. It involves use of a silicone rubber compound (Microfil) in combination with the Spalteholz clearing technique. Preliminary results in the normal rabbit skeleton suggest that this technique can be used to study the changes in vascularity which occur under various pathological conditions.     

The interaction of warfarin with antacid constituents in the gut

Summary A study was made of the effect of 4 constituents of antacid preparations on the absorption of the coumarin derivate warfarin sodium using an in vitro experimental model. The constituents tested were activated dimethicone (a silicone) magnesium trisilicate, bismuth carbonate and the adsorbant, kaolin. Slight decreased intestinal absorption was shown by magnesium trisilicate (19%) and bismuth carbonate (7%), the other 2 components showing no effects.     

The interaction of warfarin with antacid constituents in the gut.

A study was made of the effect of 4 constituents of antacid preparations on the absorption of the coumarin derivate warfarin sodium using an in vitro experimental model. The constituents tested were activated dimethiocone (a silicone) magnesium trisilicate, bismuth carbonate and the adsorbant, kaolin. Slight decreased intestinal absorption was shown by magnesium trisilicate (19%) and bismuth carbonate (7%), the other 2 components showing no effects.     

Hydrophobic surfaces for serological reactions

Résumé Le silicone GE Dri-Film SC 87 produit une surface hautement imperméable aux réactions sérologiques. On démontre expérimentalement qu'il est plus hydrophobique que le formvar.     

Reliability of intraperitoneal injections in fish

Résumé L'hormone thyréotrope¹²⁵I fut injectée en doses variées dans le péritoine de Cyprins. Les pertes de substance par écoulement dépassèrent le 50% des doses. Les meilleures rétentions furent obtenues avec de petits volumes, injectés à travers l'intestin, après bouchage du cloaque avec du liquide silicone.     

中外商业方法专利保护之比较研究

对中外商业方法专利保护的制度与实践进行了积极探索和研究。介绍了商业方法及商业方法专利概念的不同规定,并提出了自己的看法和见解;分析美日欧商业方法专利的保护状况、特点和贡献,对我国商业方法专利保护的现状及存在的问题进行了剖析;最后,对我国在商业方法专利保护方面所面临的挑战提出了笔者的应对策略。     

Using the bootstrap to evaluate forecasting equations

The bootstrap, like the jack-knife, is a technique for estimating standard errors. The idea is to use Monte Carlo simulation, based on a non-parametric estimate of the underlying error distribution. The bootstrap will be applied to an econometric equation describing the demand for energy by industry, to determine multi-period forecasting error and choose among competing specifications. The delta method for estimating forecast errors turns out to be too optimistic by a factor of 2.     

Regulation of flowering time: all roads lead to Rome

Plants undergo a major physiological change as they transition from vegetative growth to reproductive development. This transition is a result of responses to various endogenous and exogenous signals that later integrate to result in flowering. Five genetically defined pathways have been identified that control flowering. The vernalization pathway refers to the acceleration of flowering on exposure to a long period of cold. The photoperiod pathway refers to regulation of flowering in response to day length and quality of light perceived. The gibberellin pathway refers to the requirement of gibberellic acid for normal flowering patterns. The autonomous pathway refers to endogenous regulators that are independent of the photoperiod and gibberellin pathways. Most recently, an endogenous pathway that adds plant age to the control of flowering time has been described. The molecular mechanisms of these pathways have been studied extensively in Arabidopsis thaliana and several other flowering plants.     

Introduction: Reappraising Paul Feyerabend

This volume is devoted to a reappraisal of the philosophy of Paul Feyerabend. It has four aims. The first is to reassess his already well-known work from the 1960s and 1970s in light of contemporary developments in the history and philosophy of science. The second is to explore themes in his neglected later work, including recently published and previously unavailable writings. The third is to assess the contributions that Feyerabend can make to contemporary debate, on topics such as perspectivism, realism, and political philosophy of science. The fourth and final aim is to reconsider Feyerabend's place within the history of philosophy of science in the light of new scholarship.     

Forecasting energy prices: Quantile-based risk models

The goal of this paper is to use a new modelling approach to extract quantile-based oil and natural gas risk measures using quantile autoregressive distributed lag mixed-frequency data sampling (QADL-MIDAS) regression models. The analysis compares this model to a standard quantile auto-regression (QAR) model and shows that it delivers better quantile forecasts at the majority of forecasting horizons. The analysis also uses the QADL-MIDAS model to construct oil and natural gas prices risk measures proxying for uncertainty, third-moment dynamics, and the risk of extreme energy realizations. The results document that these risk measures are linked to the future evolution of energy prices, while they are linked to the future evolution of US economic growth.     

Quantitative analysis of absorption spectra and application to the characterization of ligand binding curves

The spectrum of a chromophore may change as a result of perturbations in its environment. The spectral changes resulting from the perturbation are often followed by measurements at just one or two wavelengths but it is usually no more difficult to collect entire spectra. The problem comes in analysing the data from such a series of spectra. In this paper we will suggest a simple procedure in which the spectrum observed under any particular set of conditions may be considered to consist of the sum of two distinct spectral forms. The method, which is free of any assumptions regarding the quantitative relationship between the perturbation and the extent of spectral change, defines any given spectrum in terms of an apparent molar fraction of the contributing spectral forms. The variation of this apparent molar fraction provides information from which a quantitative relationship can be developed to describe the dependence of the spectral change on the perturbant. The method is illustrated using the model system of phenol red protonation and is applied to the characterization of the binding of azide ions to cobalt-substituted carbonic anhydrase.     

Production of underweight embryos in rats treated with barbiturates during pregnancy

Summary The effect of administering barbital sodium, phenobarbitone or butobartitone during pregnancy was investigated in rats. The study shows that these bartiturates affect the litter-size and retard the foetal growth markedly. The embryos produced are significantly undersized.Acknowledgments. The authors wish to express their gratitude to Prof. M. R. Rajasekar Setty for the encouragement received and CSIR, India, for the award of a Research Fellowship to A. V. Champakamalini.     

Gastric lysozyme as a digestive enzyme in the hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), a ruminant-like folivorous bird

The hoatzin is the only bird known to have pregastric fermentation in the crop. This digestive strategy is supported by morphological and microbiological adaptations analogous to those present in ruminants and ruminant-like mammals. The hoatzin expresses a lysozyme-like bacteriolytic activity in its foregut. The enzyme has a high activity, and its low pH optimum, pepsin resistance and localization to the proventriculus allow it to be active for digestion in the stomach. The hoatzin enzyme and the ruminant gastric lysozyme present similar biochemical characteristics. The lysis of bacterial cells may be of significance for the nutrition of the hoatzin. We propose that the hoatzin expresses a lysozyme which has been recruited to function as a digestive enzyme, representing a unique case of evolutionary convergence of digestive adaptations in this bird and foregut fermenter mammals.     

Forecasting Simultaneously High‐Dimensional Time Series: A Robust Model‐Based Clustering Approach

This paper considers the problem of forecasting high‐dimensional time series. It employs a robust clustering approach to perform classification of the component series. Each series within a cluster is assumed to follow the same model and the data are then pooled for estimation. The classification is model‐based and robust to outlier contamination. The robustness is achieved by using the intrinsic mode functions of the Hilbert–Huang transform at lower frequencies. These functions are found to be robust to outlier contamination. The paper also compares out‐of‐sample forecast performance of the proposed method with several methods available in the literature. The other forecasting methods considered include vector autoregressive models with ∕ without LASSO, group LASSO, principal component regression, and partial least squares. The proposed method is found to perform well in out‐of‐sample forecasting of the monthly unemployment rates of 50 US states. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantitative analysis of absorption spectra and application to the characterization of ligand binding curves

Summary The spectrum of a chromophore may change as a result of perturbations in its environment. The spectral changes resulting from the perturbation are often followed by measurements at just one or two wavelengths but it is usually no more difficult to collect entire spectra. The problem comes in analysing the data from such a series of spectra. In this paper we will suggest a simple procedure in which the spectrum observed under any particular set of conditions may be considered to consist of the sum of two distinct spectral forms. The method, which is free of any assumptions regarding the quantitative relationship between the perturbation and the extent of spectral change, defines any given spectrum in terms of an apparent molar fraction of the contributing spectral forms. The variation of this apparent molar fraction provides information from which a quantitative relationship can be developed to describe the dependence of the spectral change on the perturbant. The method is illustrated using the model system of phenol red protonation and is applied to the characterization of the binding of azide ions to cobalt-substituted carbonic anhydrase.     

过江隧道穿越既有铁路相互影响研究

过江隧道穿越既有铁路的相互影响是一个难点.依托重庆长江隧道穿越襄渝铁路工程进行研究,研究结果表明：过江隧道施工对既有铁路两个方向地表沉降的影响都很小,最大值为2.549 mm,故受影响的既有铁路附近地层不需做特殊加固处理,但要加强监控;既有铁路对过江隧道结构安全性及洞周位移影响也较小,在列车荷载作用下结构最小安全系数为6.8,过江隧道结构仍是偏于安全的,故隧道结构可不作加固处理,只需加强监控.研究成果为保证既有铁路的正常运营及过江隧道的结构安全性提供了理论基础,并可为相似工程提供参考.     

Nonlinear vibrations of nano-beams accounting for nonlocal effect using a multiple scale method

The nonlinear free transverse vibrations of a nano-beam on simple supports are investigated based on nonlocal elasticity theory.The governing equation is proposed by considering geometric nonlinearity due to finite stretching of the beam.The method of multiple scales is applied to the governing equation to evaluate the nonlinear natural frequencies.Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the analytical results and highlight the contributions of the nonlinear term and nonlocal effect.