Isolation Of A Cytokinin-Binding Protein From Cucumis-Sativus Cotyledons

A cytokinin-binding protein which exists as monomer and dimer was isolated from cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. var Guntur) cotyledons by affinity chromatography on AH-Sepharose-pi6 Ap /s> column. The protein bound to [3H]-N6-(Δ2-isopentenyl) adenosine trialcohol. On Sephadex G-50 chromatography it gave 2 peaks corresponding to molecular weight 4000 and 8000 daltons. On sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, it gave only one band with an apparent molecular weight of 4000 daltons.

Combustion of ammonium perchlorate-based composite propellants in presence of methylammonium perchlorates

The effect of tri- and tetramethylammonium perchlorates (MAP-3 and MAP-4) on the burning rate of ammonium perchlorate (AP) based propellants has been determined at various pressures. Both additives increase the burning rate; however, MAP-3 has a moderate effect, whereas MAP-4 has a rather large effect. To explain the results, the thermal decomposition and calorimetric values of the propellants having these additives have been examined. Compound MAP-3 affects the thermal decomposition rate considerably, whereas MAP-4 has virtually no effect on the decomposition rate. The contrasting effects of MAP-4 on decomposition and burning rate suggest that the enhancement of burning rate may be due to the catalysis of gas-phase reactions. Further, detailed differences between behaviour of MAP-3, and MAP-4 appear to be attributable to the melting and low-temperature exotherm of MAP-3 and nonmelting and high-temperature exotherm of MAP-4.

Effect of Storage Temperatures on the Mechanical Properties of the Composite Solid Propellants

Accelerated ageing studies for three composite propellant formulations, namely polystyrene (PS)/ ammonium perchlorate (AP), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)/AP and poly phenol formaldehyde (PPF)/AP have been carried out in the temperature range of 55-125°C. Measurements of the ultimate compression strength (Uc) and isothermal decomposition rate (TD rate) were monitored as a function of storage time and temperature. The change in Uc was found to be linearly dependent on the change in TD rate irrespective of the propellant systems. Analysis of the results further revealed that the cause of ageing for both Uc and burning rate (r) is the thermal decomposition of the propellant. The safe-life for the change in mechanical properties was found to be higher compared to the change in r for PS and PMMA based propellants.

Microprocessor-based temperature indicator using platinum resistance as the sensor

A novel microprocessor-based platinum resistance temperature indicator has been developed and described. This indicator provides a linear performance over a wide dynamic temperature range of - 183.0°C to +200°C with an accuracy of better than ±0.05°C. To sasily carry out the linearization of platinum thermometer through software, the modified Callendar-Van Dusen equation is used. Test results are given to support the theory.

N-2-(4-Methyl-2-quinolyl)phenyl]acetamide: a P1 structure with Z=4

The title compound, C18H16N2O, crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1, with four independent molecules in the asymmetric unit wherein two molecules have an irregular -ac, -ac, +ap conformation (ap, antiperiplanar; ac, anticlinal), while the other molecules exhibit a different, +ac, +ac, +ap conformation. The planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.006 A in each of the four molecules) quinoline ring systems of the four molecules are oriented at dihedral angles of 32.8 (2), 33.4 (2), 31.7 (2) and 32.3 (2)degrees with respect to the benzene rings. Intramolecular N-H...N interactions occur in all four independent molecules. The crystal packing is stabilized by intermolecular N-H...O and C-H...O hydrogen bonds, and are further consolidated by C-H...pi and pi-pi stacking interactions centroid-centroid distances = 3.728 (3), 3.722 (3), 3.758 (3) and 3.705 (3) A].

Predicting the Timing of Spikes Evoked by Tactile Stimulation of the Hand

Kim SS, Sripati AP, Bensmaia SJ. Predicting the timing of spikes evoked by tactile stimulation of the hand. J Neurophysiol 104: 1484-1496, 2010. First published July 7, 2010; doi: 10.1152/jn.00187.2010. What does the hand tell the brain? Tactile stimulation of the hand evokes remarkably precise patterns of neural activity, suggesting that the timing of individual spikes may convey information. However, many aspects of the transformation of mechanical deformations of the skin into spike trains remain unknown. Here we describe an integrate-and-fire model that accurately predicts the timing of individual spikes evoked by arbitrary mechanical vibrations in three types of mechanoreceptive afferent fibers that innervate the hand. The model accounts for most known properties of the three fiber types, including rectification, frequency-sensitivity, and patterns of spike entrainment as a function of stimulus frequency. These results not only shed light on the mechanisms of mechanotransduction but can be used to provide realistic tactile feedback in upper-limb neuroprostheses.

Artificial database for character recognition research

This paper describes a technique for artificial generation of learning and test sample sets suitable for character recognition research. Sample sets of English (Latin), Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil characters are generated easily through their prototype specifications by the endpoint co-ordinates, nature of segments and connectivity.

Crystal structures of Salmonella typhimurium propionate kinase and its complex with Ap4A: evidence for a novel Ap4A synthetic activity

Propionate kinase catalyses the last step in the anaerobic breakdown of L-threonine to propionate in which propionyl phosphate and ADP are converted to propionate and ATR Here we report the structures of propionate kinase (TdcD) in the native form as well as in complex with diadenosine 5 ',5 '''-P-1,P-4-tetraphosphate (AP(4)A) by X-ray crystallography. Structure of TdcD obtained after cocrystallization with ATP showed Ap(4)A bound to the active site pocket suggesting the presence of Ap(4)A synthetic activity in TdcD. Binding of Ap(4)A to the enzyme was confirmed by the structure determination of a TdcD-Ap(4)A complex obtained after cocrystallization of TdcD with commercially available Ap(4)A. Mass spectroscopic studies provided further evidence for the formation of Ap(4)A by propionate kinase in the presence of ATP. In the TdcD-Ap(4)A complex structure, Ap(4)A is present in an extended conformation with one adenosine moiety present in the nucleotide binding site and other in the proposed propionate binding site. These observations tend to support direct in-line transfer of phosphoryl group during the kinase reaction.

Curing reactions in plastic prepolymers and propellants. I. Polystyrene

Curing reactions of the viscous PS prepolymer and PS/AP propellant slurry have been studied. The molecular weight of the binder (separated from the propellant) and the prepolymer was found to increase to a maximum value, remain constant for some time, and then fall off between 50–125°C. The molecular weight of the binder was found to be less than corresponding prepolymer between 100–150°C but at lower temperatures (50–75°C) the reverse was found to be true. The increase in the molecular weight during curing at lower temperatures has been explained on the basis of Trommsdorff effect which gets support from the estimated activation energy (9 kcal mole−1) for the curing process. Curing was recognized as chain extension where the rate of polymerization becomes diffusion controlled below 75° C.

The Transcriptional Regulation of Retrotransposon BARE

The purpose of this research project was to understand the steps of the retrotransposon BARE (BArley REtrotransposon) life cycle, from regulation of transcription to Virus-Like Particle (VLP) formation and ultimate integration back into the genome. Our study concentrates mainly on BARE1 transcriptional regulation because transcription is the crucial first step in the retrotransposon life cycle. The BARE element is a Class I LTR (Long Terminal Repeat) retrotransposon belonging to the Copia superfamily and was originally isolated in our research group. The LTR retrotransposons are transcribed from promoters in the LTRs and encode proteins for packaging of their transcripts, the reverse transcription of the transcripts into cDNA, and integration of the cDNA back into the genome. BARE1 is translated as a single polyprotein and cleaved into the capsid protein (GAG), integrase (IN), and reverse transcriptase-RNaseH (RT-RH) by the integral aspartic proteinase (AP). The BARE retrotransposon family comprises more than 104 copies in the barley (Hordeum vulgare) genome. The element is bound by long terminal repeats (LTRs, 1829 bp) containing promoters required for replication, signals for RNA processing, and motifs necessary for the integration of the cDNA. Members of the BARE1 subfamily are transcribed, translated, and form virus-like particles. Several basic questions concerning transcription are explored in the thesis: BARE1 transcription control, promoter choice in different barley tissues, start and termination sites for BARE transcripts, and BARE1 transcript polyadenylation (I). Polyadenylation is an important step during mRNA maturation, and determines its stability and translatability among other characteristics. Our work has found a novel way used by BARE1 to make extra GAG protein, which is critical for VLP formation. The discovery that BARE1 uses one RNA population for protein synthesis and another RNA population for making cDNA has established the most important step of the BARE1 life cycle (III). The relationship between BARE1 and BARE2 has been investigated. Besides BARE, we have examined the retrotransposon Cassandra (II), which uses a very different transcriptional mechanism and a fully parasitic life cycle. In general, this work is focused on BARE1 promoter activity, transcriptional regulation including differential promoter usage and RNA pools, extra GAG protein production and VLP formation. The results of this study give new insights into transcription regulation of LTR retrotransposons.

Character recognition — A review

The machine replication of human reading has been the subject of intensive research for more than three decades. A large number of research papers and reports have already been published on this topic. Many commercial establishments have manufactured recognizers of varying capabilities. Handheld, desk-top, medium-size and large systems costing as high as half a million dollars are available, and are in use for various applications. However, the ultimate goal of developing a reading machine having the same reading capabilities of humans still remains unachieved. So, there still is a great gap between human reading and machine reading capabilities, and a great amount of further effort is required to narrow-down this gap, if not bridge it. This review is organized into six major sections covering a general overview (an introduction), applications of character recognition techniques, methodologies in character recognition, research work in character recognition, some practical OCRs and the conclusions.

Novel kinetic scheme for the ammonium perchlorate gas phase

A novel gas-phase kinetic scheme for ammonium perchlorate (AP) deflagration involving 22 reactions among 18 species is developed. The kinetic scheme is based on a study of the effect of initial conditions on the solution of the differential equations of adiabatic constant-pressure combustion kinetics. The existence of condensed-phase reaction products providesalternate pathways for the consumption of NH3 and HCIOl produced by gas-phase dissociation of AP. Theoretically obtained temperature-time profiles of the novel scheme do not change when the conventional reaction pathways are included, indicatingthat the novel scheme is a substantially faster rate process. The new scheme does not involve the species CIO, which has long been considered a critical component of the AP gas phase and which is included in the conventional reaction pathways.The new scheme develops faster overall reaction rates, steeper temperature-time profiles, and in a deflagration model will result in higher heat-transfer rates from gas phase to the condensed phase.

A Thermodynamic Proposal for the Exposition of Critically and other Subtle Features in Self-Deflagrating Ammonium Perchlorate Systems

A first comprehensive investigation on the deflagration of ammonium perchlorate (AP) in the subcritical regime, below the low pressure deflagration limit (LPL, 2.03 MPa) christened as regime I$^{\prime}$, is discussed by using an elegant thermodynamic approach. In this regime, deflagration was effected by augmenting the initial temperature (T$_{0}$) of the AP strand and by adding fuels like aliphatic dicarboxylic acids or polymers like carboxy terminated polybutadiene (CTPB). From this thermodynamic model, considering the dependence of burning rate ($\dot{r}$) on pressure (P) and T$_{0}$, the true condensed (E$_{\text{s,c}}$) and gas phase (E$_{\text{s,g}}$) activation energies, just below and above the surface respectively, have been obtained and the data clearly distinguishes the deflagration mechanisms in regime I$^{\prime}$ and I (2.03-6.08 MPa). Substantial reduction in the E$_{\text{s,c}}$ of regime I$^{\prime}$, compared to that of regime I, is attributed to HClO$_{4}$ catalysed decomposition of AP. HClO$_{4}$ formation, which occurs only in regime I$^{\prime}$, promotes dent formation on the surface as revealed by the reflectance photomicrographs, in contrast to the smooth surface in regime I. The HClO$_{4}$ vapours, in regime I$^{\prime}$, also catalyse the gas phase reactions and thus bring down the E$_{\text{s,g}}$ too. The excess heat transferred on to the surface from the gas phase is used to melt AP and hence E$_{\text{s,c}}$, in regime I, corresponds to the melt AP decomposition. It is consistent with the similar variation observed for both the melt layer thickness and $\dot{r}$ as a function of P. Thermochemical calculations of the surface heat release support the thermodynamic model and reveal that the AP sublimation reduces the required critical exothermicity of 1108.8 kJ kg$^{-1}$ at the surface. It accounts for the AP not sustaining combustion in the subcritical regime I$^{\prime}$. Further support for the model comes from the temperature-time profiles of the combustion train of AP. The gas and condensed phase enthalpies, derived from the profile, give excellent agreement with those computed thermochemically. The $\sigma _{\text{p}}$ expressions derived from this model establish the mechanistic distinction of regime I$^{\prime}$ and I and thus lend support to the thermodynamic model. On comparing the deflagration of strand against powder AP, the proposed thermodynamic model correctly predicts that the total enthalpy of the condensed and gas phases remains unaltered. However, 16% of AP particles undergo buoyant lifting into the gas phase in the `free board region' (FBR) and this renders the demarcation of the true surface difficult. It is found that T$_{\text{s}}$ lies in the FBR and due to this, in regime I$^{\prime}$, the E$_{\text{s,c}}$ of powder AP matches with the E$_{\text{s,g}}$ of the pellet. The model was extended to AP/dicarboxylic acids and AP/CTPB mixture. The condensed ($\Delta $H$_{1}$) and gas phase ($\Delta $H$_{2}$) enthalpies were obtained from the temperature profile analyses which fit well with those computed thermochemically. The $\Delta $H$_{1}$ of the AP/succinic acid mixture was found just at the threshold of sustaining combustion. Indeed the lower homologue malonic acid, as predicted, does not sustain combustion. In vaporizable fuels like sebacic acid the E$_{\text{s,c}}$ in regime I$^{\prime}$, understandably, conforms to the AP decomposition. However, the E$_{\text{s,c}}$ in AP/CTPB system corresponds to the softening of the polymer which covers AP particles to promote extensive condensed phase reactions. The proposed thermodynamic model also satisfactorily explains certain unique features like intermittent, plateau and flameless combustion in AP/ polymeric fuel systems.

A thermodynamic protocol for explaining subcriticality and other subtle features in self-deflagrating solids

A novel universal approach to understand the self-deflagration in solids has been attempted by using basic thermodynamic equation of partial differentiation, where burning mte depends on the initial temperature and pressure of the system. Self-deflagrating solids are rare and are reported only in few compounds like ammonium perchlorate (AP), polystyrene peroxide and tetrazole. This approach has led us to understand the unique characteristics of AP, viz. the existence of low pressure deflagration limit (LPL 20 atm), hitherto not understood sufficiently. This analysis infers that the overall surface activation energy comprises of two components governed by the condensed phase and gas phase processes. The most attractive feature of the model is the identification of a new subcritical regime I' below LPL where AP does not burn. The model is aptly supported by the thermochemical computations and temperature-profile analyses of the combustion train. The thermodynamic model is further corroborated from the kinetic analysis of the high pressure (1-30 atm) DTA thermograms which affords distinct empirical decomposition rate laws in regimes I' and 1 (20-60 atm). Using Fourier-Kirchoff one dimensional heat transfer differential equation, the phase transition thickness and the melt-layer thickness have been computed which conform to the experimental data.

Dissection of the genetic background of childhood onset progressive myoclonic epilepsies

The progressive myoclonic epilepsies (PMEs) are a clinically and etiologically heterogeneous group of symptomatic epilepsies characterized by myoclonus, tonic-clonic seizures, psychomotor regression and ataxia. Different disorders have been classified as PMEs. Of these, the group of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) comprise an entity that has onset in childhood, being the most common cause of neurodegeneration in children. The primary aim of this thesis was to dissect the molecular genetic background of patients with childhood onset PME by studying candidate genes and attempting to identify novel PME-associated genes. Another specific aim was to study the primary protein properties of the most recently identified member of the NCL-causing proteins, MFSD8. To dissect the genetic background of a cohort of Turkish patients with childhood onset PME, a screen of the NCL-associated genes PPT1, TPP1, CLN3, CLN5, CLN6, MFSD8, CLN8 and CTSD was performed. Altogether 49 novel mutations were identified, which together with 56 mutations found by collaborators raised the total number of known NCL mutations to 364. Fourteen of the novel mutations affect the recently identified MFSD8 gene, which had originally been identified in a subset of mainly Turkish patients as the underlying cause of CLN7 disease. To investigate the distribution of MFSD8 defects, a total of 211 patients of different ethnic origins were evaluated for mutations in the gene. Altogether 45 patients from nine different countries were provided with a CLN7 molecular diagnosis, denoting the wide geographical occurrence of MFSD8 defects. The mutations are private with only one having been established by a founder-effect in the Roma population from the former Czechoslovakia. All mutations identified except one are associated with the typical clinical picture of variant late-infantile NCL. To address the trafficking properties of MFSD8, lysosomal targeting of the protein was confirmed in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells. The major determinant for this lysosomal sorting was identified to be an N-terminal dileucine based signal (9-EQEPLL-14), recognized by heterotetrameric AP-1 adaptor proteins, suggesting that MFSD8 takes the direct trafficking pathway en route to the lysosomes. Expression studies revealed the neurons as the primary cell-type and the hippocampus and cerebellar granular cell layer as the predominant regions in which MFSD8 is expressed. To identify novel genes associated with childhood onset PME, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genomewide scan was performed in three small families and 18 sporadic patients followed by homozygosity mapping to determine the candidate loci. One of the families and a sporadic patient were positive for mutations in PLA2G6, a gene that had previously been shown to cause infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy. Application of next-generation sequencing of candidate regions in the remaining two families led to identification of a homozygous missense mutation in USP19 for the first and TXNDC6 for the second family. Analysis of the 18 sporadic cases mapped the best candidate interval in a 1.5 Mb region on chromosome 7q21. Screening of the positional candidate KCTD7 revealed six mutations in seven unrelated families. All patients with mutations in KCTD7 were reported to have early onset PME, rapid disease progression leading to dementia and no pathologic hallmarks. The identification of KCTD7 mutations in nine patients and the clinical delineation of their phenotype establish KCTD7 as a gene for early onset PME. The findings presented in this thesis denote MFSD8 and KCTD7 as genes commonly associated with childhood onset symptomatic epilepsy. The disease-associated role of TXNDC6 awaits verification through identification of additional mutations in patients with similar phenotypes. Completion of the genetic spectrum underlying childhood onset PMEs and understanding of the gene products functions will comprise important steps towards understanding the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms, and will possibly shed light on the general processes of neurodegeneration and nervous system regulation, facilitating the diagnosis, classification and possibly treatment of the affected cases.