Primary structure of a Thomsen-Friedenreich-antigen-specific lectin, jacalin [Artocarpus integrifolia (jack fruit) agglutinin]. Evidence for the presence of an internal repeat

Jacalin [Artocarpus integrifolia (jack fruit) agglutinin] is made up of two types of chains, heavy and light, with M(r) values of 16,200 +/- 1200 and 2090 +/- 300 respectively (on the basis of gel-permeation chromatography under denaturing conditions). Its complete amino acid sequence was determined by manual degradation using a 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene 4'-isothiocyanate double-coupling method. Peptide fragments for sequence analysis were obtained by chemical cleavages of the heavy chain with CNBr, hydroxylamine hydrochloride and iodosobenzoic acid and enzymic cleavage with Staphylococcus aureus proteinase. The peptides were purified by a combination gel-permeation and reverse-phase chromatography. The light chains, being only 20 residues long, could be sequenced without fragmentation. Amino acid analyses and carboxypeptidase-Y-digestion C-terminal analyses of the subunits provided supportive evidence for their sequence. Computer-assisted alignment of the jacalin heavy-chain sequence failed to show sequence similarity to that of any lectin for which the complete sequence is known. Analyses of the sequence showed the presence of an internal repeat spanning residues 7-64 and 76-130. The internal repeat was found to be statistically significant.

An algorithm to find similar internal sequence repeats

In recent years, identification of sequence patterns has been given immense importance to understand better their significance with respect to genomic organization and evolutionary processes. To this end, an algorithm has been derived to identify all similar sequence repeats present in a protein sequence. The proposed algorithm is useful to correlate the three-dimensional structure of various similar sequence repeats available in the Protein Data Bank against the same sequence repeats present in other databases like SWISS-PROT, PIR and Genome databases.

Boundary-layer effects on internal flow choking in dual-thrust solid rocket motors

Theoretical studies have been carried out to examine internal flow choking in the inert simulators of a dual-thrust motor. Using a two-dimensional k-omega turbulence model, detailed parametric studies have been carried out to examine aerodynamic choking and the existence of a fluid throat at the transition region during the startup transient of dual-thrust motors. This code solves standard k-omega turbulence equations with shear flow corrections using a coupled second-order-implicit unsteady formulation. In the numerical study, a fully implicit finite volume scheme of the compressible, Reynolds-averaged, Navier-Stokes equations is employed. It was observed that, at the subsonic inflow conditions, there is a possibility of the occurrence of internal flow choking in dual-thrust motors due to the formation of a fluid throat at the beginning of the transition region induced by area blockage caused by boundary-layer-displacement thickness. It has been observed that a 55% increase in the upstream port area of the dual-thrust motor contributes to a 25% reduction in blockage factor at the transition region, which could negate the internal How choking and supplement with an early choking of the dual-thrust motor nozzle. If the height of the upstream port relative to the motor length is too small, the developing boundary layers from either side of the port can interact, leading to a choked,flow. On the other hand, if the developing boundary layers are far enough apart, then choking does not occur. The blockage factor is greater in magnitude for the choked case than for the unchoked case. More tangible explanations are presented in this paper for the boundary-layer blockage and the internal flow choking in dual-thrust motors, which hitherto has been unexplored.

Long-term results of operative treatment for Hirschsprung's disease and internal anal sphincter achalasia

The aim of the study was to evaluate long-term results of operative treatment for Hirschsprung's disease(HD) and internal anal sphincter achalasia. Fecal continence and quality of life were evaluated by a questionnaire in 100 adult patients who had undergone surgery for HD, during 1950-75. Fecal continence was evaluated using a numerical scoring described by Holschneider. Fifty-four of the 100 patients underwent clinical examination, rigid sigmoidoscopy and manometric evaluation. In anorectal manometry basal resting pressure(BRP)and maximal squeeze pressure(MSP) were measured and voluntary sphincter force(VSF) was calculated by subtracting the BRP from MSP. The results of operative treatment for adult HD were compared with the results of the patients operated in childhood. In adult HD the symptoms are such mild that the patients attain adolescence or even adulthood. The patients with HD and cartilage-hair-hypoplasia were specifically evaluated. The outcome of the patients with internal anal sphincter achalasia operated on by myectomy was evaluated by a questionnaire and continence was evaluated using a numerical scoring described by Holschneider. Of the 100 patients operated on for HD 38 patients had completely normal bowel habits. A normal or good continence score was found in 91 our of 100 patients. Nine patients had fair continence. One of the patients with fair continence had Down's syndrome and two were mentally retarded for other reasons. Only one patient suffered from constipation. In anorectal manometry the difference in BRP between patients with normal and good continence was statistically significant, whereas the difference between good and fair continence groups was not statistically significant. The differences on MSP and VSF between patient groups with different continence outcome were not statistically significant. The differences between patient groups and normal controls were statistically significant in BRP and MSP. In VSF there was not statistically significant difference between the patients and the normal controls. The VSF reflects the working power of the muscles including external sphincter, levator ani and gluteal muscles. The patients operated at adult age had as good continence as patients operated in childhood. The patients with HD and cartilage-hair-hypoplasia had much more morbidity and mortality than non-cartilage-hair-hypoplasia HD patients. The mortality was as high as 38%. In patients with internal anal sphincter achalasia the constipation was cured or alleviated by myectomy whereas a significant number suffered from soiling-related social problems.

1H NMR study of internal motions and quantum rotational tunneling in (CH3)4NGeCl3

(CH3)4NGeCl3 is prepared, characterized and studied using 1H NMR spin lattice relaxation time and second moment to understand the internal motions and quantum rotational tunneling. Proton second moment is measured at 7 MHz as function of temperature in the range 300-77 K and spin lattice relaxation time (T1) is measured at two Larmor frequencies, as a function of temperature in the range 270-17 K employing a homemade wide-line/pulsed NMR spectrometers. T1 data are analyzed in two temperature regions using relevant theoretical models. The relaxation in the higher temperatures (270-115 K) is attributed to the hindered reorientations of symmetric groups (CH3 and (CH3)4N). Broad asymmetric T1 minima observed below 115 K down to 17 K are attributed to quantum rotational tunneling of the inequivalent methyl groups.

Reliability assessment of internal stability of reinforced soil structures: A pseudo-dynamic approach

A methodology for reliability based optimum design of reinforced soil structures subjected to horizontal and vertical sinusoidal excitation based on pseudo-dynamic approach is presented. The tensile strength of reinforcement required to maintain the stability is computed using logarithmic spiral failure mechanism. The backfill soil properties, geometric and strength properties of reinforcement are treated as random variables. Effects of parameters like soil friction angle, horizontal and vertical seismic accelerations, shear and primary wave velocities, amplification factors for seismic acceleration on the component and system probability of failures in relation to tension and pullout capacities of reinforcement have been discussed. In order to evaluate the validity of the present formulation, static and seismic reinforcement force coefficients computed by the present method are compared with those given by other authors. The importance of the shear wave velocity in the estimation of the reliability of the structure is highlighted. The Ditlevsen's bounds of system probability of failure are also computed by taking into account the correlations between three failure modes, which is evaluated using the direction cosines of the tangent planes at the most probable points of failure. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of ''internal'' interannual variability of the Indian summer monsoon in a GCM

1] The poor predictability of the Indian summer monsoon ( ISM) appears to be due to the fact that a large fraction of interannual variability (IAV) is governed by unpredictable "internal'' low frequency variations. Mechanisms responsible for the internal IAV of the monsoon have not been clearly identified. Here, an attempt has been made to gain insight regarding the origin of internal IAV of the seasonal ( June - September, JJAS) mean rainfall from "internal'' IAV of the ISM simulated by an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) driven by fixed annual cycle of sea surface temperature (SST). The underlying hypothesis that monsoon ISOs are responsible for internal IAV of the ISM is tested. The spatial and temporal characteristics of simulated summer intraseasonal oscillations ( ISOs) are found to be in good agreement with those observed. A long integration with the AGCM forced with observed SST, shows that ISO activity over the Asian monsoon region is not modulated by the observed SST variations. The internal IAV of ISM, therefore, appears to be decoupled from external IAV. Hence, insight gained from this study may be useful in understanding the observed internal IAV of ISM. The spatial structure of the ISOs has a significant projection on the spatial structure of the seasonal mean and a common spatial mode governs both intraseasonal and interannual variability. Statistical average of ISO anomalies over the season ( seasonal ISO bias) strengthens or weakens the seasonal mean. It is shown that interannual anomalies of seasonal mean are closely related to the seasonal mean of intraseasonal anomalies and explain about 50% of the IAV of the seasonal mean. The seasonal mean ISO bias arises partly due to the broad-band nature of the ISO spectrum allowing the time series to be aperiodic over the season and partly due to a non-linear process where the amplitude of ISO activity is proportional to the seasonal bias of ISO anomalies. The later relation is a manifestation of the binomial character of rainfall time series. The remaining 50% of the IAV may arise due to land-surface processes, interaction between high frequency variability and ISOs, etc.

NMR study of internal motions in certain iron group fluosilicates

NMR study of ferrous fluosilicate hexahydrate indicated the presence of motion of both proton and fluorine nuclei. Only a single narrow line was observed for protons for any arbitrary orientation of a single crystal with respect to the applied magnetic field. This can be interpreted in terms of a phase-correlated flip motion of the interproton vectors between two disordered orientations or in terms of a hindered rotation of the Fe(H2O) 6 octahedron about the fourfold axes, together with the flip motion. The fluorine second moment indicated that the SiF6 octahedron also is undergoing reorientation. The temperature variation of the powder linewidth showed a transition around 195°K and led to rather low values for the potential barriers hindering the motions. No significant temperature variation of the linewidth was observed for hexahydrated cobalt fluosilicate in the temperature range between 90°K and room temperature. Similar observations in a powder sample of tetrahydrated copper fluosilicate also showed the presence of internal motions. The linewidth transition in this case took place at about 220°K and was found to be rather abrupt. The potential barrier for the motion was found to be relatively high.

A Relationship Mediated Theory of Internal Marketing (summary section only)

This report presents a new theory of internal marketing. The thesis has developed as a case study in retrospective action research. This began with the personal involvement of the author in an action research project for customer service improvement at a large Australian retail bank. In other words, much of the theory generating ‘research’ took place after the original project ‘action’ had wound down. The key theoretical proposition is that internal marketing is a relationship development strategy for the purpose of knowledge renewal. In the banking case, exchanges of value between employee participants emerged as the basis for relationship development, with synergistic benefits for customers, employees and the bank. Relationship development turned out to be the mediating variable between the learning activity of employee participants at the project level and success in knowledge renewal at the organisational level. Relationship development was also a pivotal factor in the motivation and customer consciousness of employees. The conclusion reached is that the strength of relationship-mediated internal marketing is in combining a market focused commitment and employee freedom in project work to achieve knowledge renewal. The forgotten truth is that organisational knowledge can be renewed through dialogue and learning, through being trustworthy, and by gaining the trust of employees in return.

Critical Incidents in Internal Relationships

Critical incidents have had an important role in service quality and service management research. The focus of critical-incident studies has gradually shifted from separate acts and episodes towards relationships, and even switching from one relationship to another. The Critical Incident Technique has mainly been used when studying the service sector, concentrating on the customer's perception of critical incidents. Although some studies have considered the perceptions of employees important, critical incidents have not been considered a tool for studying internal relationships to any larger extent. This paper takes a process approach and shifts the focus from an external to an internal setting. It puts forward a new technique for analysing internal relationships from a critical-incident perspective. The technique captures the dynamism in relationships through considering internal critical incidents as micro-processes affecting not only internal but also external relationships.

The Far Eastern Question at the Washington Conference (1921-1922) with an outline of its implications for internal politics in China

This dissertation is a narrative account of the negotiations concerning the question of the Far East and the Shandong issue at the Washington Conference, leading to treaties, agreements and resolutions. In this dissertation, a certain stress is laid on the interaction between the Conference and the internal situation in China, particularly concerning the question of the implications of the Conference for Cabinet politics in Peking. Through the narrative account of the Conference, the general aim is an attempt to reassess the achievements of the Washington Conference. Too often the Washington Conference has been viewed negatively. The political aim behind the legal framework was to open the door to China as a sovereign State member of the international community whose territorial integrity was internationally recognized, despite its chaotic internal situation. It is undeniable that the Washington Conference opened a new chapter in modern Chinese history. The violations of the agreements concerning China that occurred in the 1930s should not lead to the belief that these agreements were of no value. Peace may not be lasting and evolves according to circumstances; agreements are transitory, and new situations need new arrangements. This dissertation tries to demonstrate that the agreements in themselves were not the cause of their failure, but the failure was due to the lack of determination on the part of the Signatories Powers to defend them.