Isotopic composition of inorganic carbon as an indicator of benzoate degradation by Pseudomonas putida: temperature, growth rate and pH effects.

Degradation experiments of benzoate by Pseudomonas putida resulted in enzymatic carbon isotope fractionations. However, isotopic temperature effects between experiments at 20 and 30 °C were minor. Averages of the last three values of the CO2 isotopic composition (δ13CCO2(g)) were more negative than the initial benzoate δ13C value (−26.2‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belenite (VPDB)) by 3.8, 3.4 and 3.2‰ at 20, 25 and 30 °C, respectively. Although the maximum isotopic temperature difference found was only 0.6‰, more extreme temperature variations may cause larger isotope effects. In order to understand the isotope effects on the total inorganic carbon (TIC), a better measure is to calculate the proportions of the inorganic carbon species (CO2(g), CO2(aq) and HCO3−) and to determine their cumulative δ13CTIC. In all three experiments δ13CTIC was more positive than the initial isotopic composition of the benzoate at a pH of 7. This suggests an uptake of 12C in the biomass in order to match the carbon balance of these closed system experiments.

Will attracting the creative class boost economic growth in old industrial regions? A case study of Scotland

Attracting in-migration of the creative class has been argued by Florida (2002) to be a route to higher economic growth in the era of the knowledge economy. This paper critically evaluates this proposition in relation to old industrial regions using the example of Scotland. The paper presents an assessment of, in the first instance, to what extent there is a shortage of skilled, talented and entrepreneurial individuals and, in the second instance, whether a talent attraction strategy alone can hope to attract such people to Scotland. It is proposed that for most migrants the availability of appropriate economic opportunities is a prerequisite for mobility. However, despite uncertain evidence that place attractiveness is a catalyst to mobility among the so-called creative class, this is not a reason for dismissing talent attraction programmes. Instead it is argued that talent attraction programmes have the potential to contribute to old industrial economies, but their success will be greatest when talent attraction is carefully targeted and based on economic realities rather than the marketing of ethereal conceptions of place attractiveness.

Are Good Industrial Relations Good for the Economy?

Recent US microeconomic analysis indicates that good industrial relations might improve firm performance. Of late, it has also been claimed that the benefits of industrial relations quality - proxied inversely by a strikes variable - could also extend to the macroeconomy. Using cross-country data, we find that, independent of other labor market institutions, a lower strike volume is associated with lower unemployment. Although there is a separate line of causation running from unemployment to strikes, our analysis suggests that this is not dominant. That said, support for the notion that macro performance owes something to good industrial relations is, however, weakened once we formally control for strike endogeneity.

The rate of return on equity across industrial sectors on the British stock market, 1825-70

This article assesses the contribution of the various industrial sectors to the growth of the British equity market in the 1825–70 period. It also provides estimates of the rates of return on these industrial sectors in this period. The article then proceeds to examine whether differences in rates of return across the various sectors can be explained by risk or other financial factors. One of the main findings is that the relatively high rates of return in the banking, insurance, and miscellaneous sectors appear to be in some measure explained by the presence of extended liability and uncalled capital.

Activation of Alkanes by Gold-Modified Lanthanum Oxide

Functionalization of alkanes is much sought after for the production of fine and bulk chemicals. In particular, the oxidative activation of alkanes and their conversion to ethene and propene has been studied extensively, owing to the use of these alkenes in polymerization reactions. The greater reactivity of the products in comparison with the reactants has proven a major issue in this reaction as this can result in overoxidation, producing CO and CO2 and, therefore, reducing the alkene yield. Herein, the first application of supported gold catalysts for the direct activation of C2+ aliphatic alkanes with oxygen to form alkenes is demonstrated. This catalyst is particularly notable as it is highly active, selective to propene and ethene, and stable on stream over a 48 h period. Maintaining cationic gold is thought to be critical for the stability and this catalyst design provides the possibility of applying gold-based catalysts over a much wider temperature range than has been reported.

Use of microtechnologies for intensifying industrial processes

The use of new technologies based on microstructured reactors in industrial processes, including the obtainment of hydrogen peroxide, the catalytic oxidation of ammonia, the utilization of rocket fuels, fine organic synthesis, polymerization, and phase transfer catalysis, were considered. The transition to microtechnologies considerably increases the performance of the process; at the same time, the product yield increases as compared with periodically operating reactors, which allows for a reduction of costs at the separation stage of the reaction mixture and the extraction of the reaction products.

Anion-templated formation of a unique inorganic 'super-adamantoid' cage [Ag-6(triphos)(4)(O3SCF3)(4)](2+) [triphos = (PPh2CH2)(3)CMe]

In the presence of templating anions, 2:3 molar mixtures of triphos and silver(I) cations unexpectedly give novel hexanuclear cages, which result from an unusual 'endo-methyl' geometry of the triphos ligands.