How Big are the Big Multinational Companies?

Multinational corporations are increasingly seen as excessively big and powerful, and as having dramatically increased in size and power. This perception has led to the view that the big corporations are threatening democratic institutions of the nation-states and that they pervert the cultural and social fabric of countries. In this paper we analyse the size of large corporations and the recent trends in this size. Using value-added data (instead of sales) we find that multinationals are surprisingly small compared to the GDP of many nation-states. In addition, if anything, the size of multinationals relative to the size of nations has tended to decline somewhat during the last 20 years. Finally, we argue that there is little evidence that the economic and political power of multinationals has increased in the last few decades.

Trihexyphenidyl hydro­chloride: a powder diffraction study

In the cation of the title compound [systematic name: 1-(3-cyclo­hexyl-3-hy­droxy-3-phenyl­prop­yl)piperidinium chloride], C20H32NO+·Cl−, the cyclo­hexyl and piperidine rings are in chair conformations. In the crystal structure, cations and anions are linked into chains along the c-axis direction via O—H⋯Cl and N—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds. Weak inter­molecular C—H⋯Cl inter­actions link further these chains into layers parallel to the bc plane. The salt, obtained from a racemic solution, was found to crystallize in the chiral P21212 space group, indicating that, in the absence of any evident chirality-inducing process, the polycrystalline powders consist of an equivalent mixture of R and S enanti­omers, forming a racemic conglomerate

1-(Hydroxymethyl)pyrene

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C17H12O, contains two molecules, in which the fused aromatic ring systems are almost planar [maximum deviations = 0.0529 (9) and 0.0256 (9) Å]. In the crystal, aromatic π–π stacking interactions (perpendicular distance of centroids of about 3.4 Å) and strong O—H...O hydrogen bonds result in a helical arrangement of pyrenyl dimers

Фрагменти до біографії І. Мазепи

Мета цієї статті увести до наукового обігу три документи, які стосуються життя й діяльності І. Мазепи. Перший з них нами було виявлено у польських архівосховищах. Автором цього листа, адресованого, очевидно, королеві Яну III Собеському, був учасник посольства Речі Посполитої до Москви, яке очолював вармінський біскуп і коронний канцлер Августин Міхал Радзейовський. Лист важливий тим, що проливає світло на малознаний період біографії Івана Мазепи, коли той був генеральним осавулом на лівобічній Гетьманщині. Другий і третій документи мають меншу цінність. Один з них - це типова рукописна газета - “новина”, у якій повідомляється про польсько-російські переговори у Варшаві у 1695 р. у зв’язку з азово-дніпровськими походами, у котрих визначну роль відіграли українські війська на чолі з гетьманом Іваном Мазепою. Автором наступного документа був Лаврентій Крщонович, визначний церковний діяч, ігумен деяких православних монастирів Гетьманщини, зокрема Свято-Троїцького Іллінського у Чернігові

A minimalist chemical model of matrix metalloproteinases- Can small peptides mimic the more rigid metal binding sites of proteins?

In order to develop a minimalist chemical model of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), we synthesized a pentadecapeptide (Ac-KAHEFGHSLGLDHSK-NH2) corresponding to the catalytic zinc(II) binding site of human MMP-13. The multi-domain structural organization of MMPs fundamentally determines their metal binding affinity, catalytic activity and selectivity. Our potentiometric, UV-VIS, CD, EPR, NMR, ESI-MS and kinetic study are aimed to explore the usefulness of flexible peptides to mimic the more rigid metal binding sites of proteins, to examine the intrinsic metal binding properties of this naked sequence, as well as to contribute the development of a minimalist, peptide-based chemical model of MMPs, including the catalytic properties. Since multiimidazole environment is also characteristic for copper(II), and recently copper(II) containing variants of MMPs have been identified, we also studied the copper(II) complexes of the above peptide. Around pH 6-7 the peptide, similarly to MMPs, offers {3Nim} coordinated binding site for both zinc(II) and copper(II). In the case of copper(II), the formation of amide coordinated species at higher pH ceased the analogy with the copper(II) containing MMP variant. On the other hand, the zinc(II)-peptide system mimics some basic features of the MMP active sites: the main species around pH 7 (ZnH2L) possesses {3Nim,H2O} coordination environment, the deprotonation of the zinc-bound water takes place near to the physiological pH, it forms relatively stable ternary complexes with hydroxamic acids, and the species ZnH2L(OH) and ZnH2L(OH)2 have notable hydrolytic activity between pH 7-9

Binary and ternary mixed metal complexes of terminally free peptides containing two different histidyl binding sites

Copper(II), nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes of the terminally free peptides AHAAAHG and AAHAAAHG have been studied by combined applications of potentiometric and various spectroscopic techniques, including UV-visible, CD and EPR for copper(II) and UV-visible, CD and NMR for nickel(II). It was found that the octapeptide AAHAAAHG can easily bind two equivalents of copper(II) or nickel(II) ions and the amino terminus was identified as the primary ligating site of the molecule. On the other hand, this peptide has a relatively low zinc(II) binding affinity. Mono- and di-nuclear copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes were also formed with the heptapeptide AHAAAHG but this peptide can effectively bind one equivalent of zinc(II) ions, too, with the involvement of the deprotonated amide nitrogen in zinc(II) binding. The enhanced stability of the [MH-1L] species of AHAAAHG was explained by the tridentate (NH2,N-,Nim) coordination of the amino terminus supported by the macrochelation of the internal histidyl residue. Mixed metal copper(II)-nickel(II) complexes were also formed with both peptides and copper(II) ions were coordinated to the amino terminal, while nickel(II) ions to the internal histidyl sites. © 2013 Elsevier Inc

Real-time fluctuations in student emotions and relations with day of the week, time of the day, and teaching methods

IntroductionThis study investigated the real-time variability of secondary school students’ academic emotions (i.e., enjoyment, enthusiasm, boredom, and frustration) in mathematics classes, examining their relation to the day of the week, time of the day, and teaching methods. Utilizing experience sampling methodology, the research captures the dynamic nature of emotions as states, providing insights into their situational dynamics.Methods440 students reported twice during their mathematics classes for a period of 10 school days on their real-time experiences of academic enjoyment, enthusiasm, boredom, and frustration. Additionally, their teachers indicated the teaching methods that were used on each measurement occasion.ResultsResults indicated students to have a more positive emotional pattern on Fridays (i.e., a “Thank God it’s Friday” effect) and Wednesdays, likely due to the anticipation of leisure time. Additionally, a “Frustrating Tuesday” effect was observed, while no evidence was found for a “Blue Monday” effect. Time of the day effects were less consistent, with frustration increasing throughout the day and boredom being higher in the afternoon, possibly due to postprandial somnolence (i.e., post-meal dip). Teaching methods differently related to emotions; during individual and group work students experienced more enjoyment and enthusiasm but also more frustration compared to whole-class instruction. During classroom discussion more frustration was experienced relative to whole-class instruction. Female students experienced less enthusiasm than male students, and higher ability students experienced more enjoyment, enthusiasm and less boredom than lower ability students.DiscussionThis study underscores the importance of considering temporal factors and teaching methods in understanding students’ emotional experiences in educational settings

4-Hy­droxy-3,5-dimeth­oxy-N-{4-[(5-methyl-1,2-oxazol-3-yl)sulfamo­yl]phen­yl}benzamide methanol monosolvate

The title compound, C19H19N3O7S·CH3OH, was synthesized from syringic acid and sulfamethoxazole. The benzene rings make a dihedral angle of 41.8 (1)° and the isoxazole ring is twisted by 74.3 (1)° from the central benzene ring. The crystal packing features O—H⋯O and O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds in which the hy­droxy groups from the main mol­ecule and methanol solvent mol­ecules serve as donor groups

Thermodynamics of polymolecular duplexes between phosphate-methylated DNA and natural DNA

Phosphate-methylated (P.M.) DNA possesses a very high affinity for complementary natural DNA, as a result of the absence of interstrand electrostatic repulsions. In this study, a model system phosphate-methylated d[Cn] with natural d(Gk) (n <k)is chosen for an investigation of the thermodynamic properties that determine duplex stability. The enthalpy change of a melting transition is shown to be considerably larger than is observed for corresponding natural DNA duplexes. It is found that H of GG/CC nearest neighbor pairwise interaction equals -15.6 kcal/mol, compared to -11.0 kcal/mol for the natural analog. The entropy change is strongly dependent on the length of the natural DNA strand and the number of phosphate-methylated DNA oligomers hybridized. The results are explained by means of a model in which a cooperative effect for subsequent hybridizations of phosphate-methylated DNA oligomers is assumed, thus giving additional stability