Wider share ownership?: investors in English and Welsh Bank shares in the nineteenth century

The joint-stock banks that established after the liberalizing legislation of 1826 were periodically criticized during the nineteenth century for their low-quality and rapidly deteriorating shareholder constituencies. The quality of a bank's shareholding constituency was of paramount importance because of unlimited shareholder liability. Using archival records, this article examines the quality of bank shareholder constituencies over the nineteenth century. The main finding is that shareholder constituencies did not deteriorate in quality until the introduction of limited liability. The non-deterioration of constituencies is attributed to bank deeds which locked in the aggregate quality of shareholder constituencies by empowering directors to vet all share transfers.

Gaze and power. A post-structuralist interpretation on Perseus’ myth

Gaze hierarchizes, manages and labels reality. Then, according to Foucault, gaze can be understood as a practice of power. This paper is inspired by his theories, and it applies them to one of the most powerful symbolic spheres of Western culture: Greek Myths. Notions such as visibility, invisibility and panopticism bring new light into the story of Perseus and Medusa, and they enable a re-reading of this Myth focused on the different ways of power that emerge from the gaze.

Ionic liquid salt-induced inactivation and unfolding of cellulase from Trichoderma reesei

The potential for performing cellulase-catalyzed reactions on cellulose dissolved in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([bmim] Cl) has been investigated. We have carried out a systematic study on the irreversible solvent and ionic strength-induced inactivation and unfolding of cellulase from Trichoderma reesei ( E.C.#3.2.1.4). Experiments, varying both cellulase and IL solvent concentrations, have indicated that [bmim] Cl, and several other ILs, as well as dimethylacetamide-LiCl (a well-known solvent system for cellulose), inactivate cellulase under these conditions. Despite cellulase inactivity, results obtained from this study led to valuable insights into the requirements necessary for enzyme activity in IL systems. Enzyme stability was determined during urea, NaCl, and [bmim] Cl-induced denaturation observed through fluorescence spectroscopy. Protein stability of a PEG-supported cellulase in [bmim] Cl solution was investigated and increased stability/activity of the PEG-supported cellulase in both the [bmim] Cl and citrate buffer solutions were detected.

New ionic liquids containing an appended hydroxyl functionality from the atom-efficient, one-pot reaction of 1-methylimidazole and acid with propylene oxide

New ionic liquids containing ( 2- hydroxypropyl)- functionalized imidazolium cations have been synthesized by the atom- efficient, room temperature reaction of 1- methylimidazole with acid and propylene oxide; the acid providing the anionic component of the resultant ionic liquids. The incorporation of the secondary hydroxyl- functionality in the cation causes some interesting modifications to the behavior of these ionic liquids, increasing hydrophilicity and resulting in the unprecedented formation of liquid - liquid biphases with acetone. The single crystal structure of 1-( 2- hydroxypropyl)- 3- methylimidazolium tetraphenylborate, prepared by metathesis of the corresponding chloride- containing ionic liquid, has also been determined.

Development and characterization of 11 polymorphic compound tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for the Leisler's bat, Nyctalus leisleri (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera)

Eleven polymorphic microsatellite marker loci were developed from a Leisler's bat (Nyctalus leisleri) genomic enriched library. Assessment of the usefulness of these markers for population genetics studies of Leisler's bats was carried out by screening 100 specimens sampled from eight locations in Ireland and two in Northeastern France. Both moderately and highly polymorphic marker loci were identified. Five to 28 alleles were found to be segregating per locus with observed heterozygosities values ranging from 28.4 to 94%. Initial evaluation indicates that these microsatellites will be useful for genetic based studies aiming, for instance, at parentage and population structure of Leisler's bats.