Object-centered representation for species systematics and identification in living systems in nature

An artificial intelligence application to identification in biological taxonomy is presented. An object-centered representation is described using SHIRKA, a knowledge-based system developed in France. The capacities of this system, relating to a classification algorithm, are described. An application to the identification of the trees and lianas of the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats (India) is presented to illustrate the problems encountered in the development of the knowledge base. A model of a systematist's reasoning, using evolutionary principles, is the basis of this work. Finally the efficiency of the system is discussed.     

A 3D EFFECT IN THE WEDGE ADHESION TEST: APPLICATION OF SPECKLE INTERFEROMETRY

The wedge test is of considerable use for evaluating adhesion between two bonded rigid substrates. In its (usual) static form, release of elastic strain energy is equated to effective adhesion energy during crack growth. However, the test is usually treated as two-dimensional. In fact, it is really three-dimensional due to anticlastic bending effects of the bent beam(s) during crack propagation.

We studied a composite material/epoxy/aluminium alloy system and observed a curved crack front during propagation. This leads to doubt as to the value of crack length to be inserted in the adhesion energy formula. In addition, by using the highly sensitive technique of speckle interferometry, it was possible to study anticlastic bending effects in a quantitative manner. Far from the crack front, agreement between theory and experimental is good, yet work remains to be done to understand the zone near the fracture zone.     

Role of incubation conditions and protein fraction on the antimicrobial activity of egg white against Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli

The mechanism of egg white antimicrobial activity involves specific molecules and environmental factors. However, it is difficult to compare the data from the literature because of the use of various bacterial strains and incubation conditions. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of temperature, pH, inoculum size, and egg white protein concentration on egg white antimicrobial activity and to investigate the putative interactions among these factors by conducting a complete factorial design analysis. The behavior of Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli was studied after precultivation in tryptic soy broth and Luria-Bertani broth, respectively, using three different egg white protein concentrations (0, 10, and 100%), five temperatures (37, 40, 42, 45, and 48°C), two pHs (7.8 and 9.3), and six inoculum levels (3 to 8 log CFU/ml). The essential role of temperature was identified. An inverse relationship was observed between bacterial growth and an increase in temperature. The role of egg white proteins was clearly demonstrated. In the absence of egg white proteins, bacterial growth occurred under most incubation conditions, whereas the presence of 10 and 100% protein produced bacteriostatic or bactericidal effects. The interaction between temperature and protein concentration was significant. At the highest tested temperatures, proteins were less involved in the bactericidal effect. Bacterial destruction was higher at pH 9.3 than at pH 7.8. Under our experimental conditions, Salmonella Enteritidis was more resistant to inactivation by egg white than was E. coli.     

Fibre optic biosensors with immobilized bioluminescence enzymes

A fibre optic biosensor involving immobilized bioluminescence enzymes associated with a glass fibre bundle has been designed. The firefly luciferase fromPhotinus pyralis, as well as the bacterial luciferase-oxidoreductase system from eitherVibrio fischeri orVibrio harveyi, have been immobilized on preactivated polyamide membranes. First, the validity of the approach is demonstrated by performing the microdetermination of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and sodium dehydrogenase (NADH) in a batch system. The detection limits are equal to 0.1nm for ATP and 0.3nm for NADH. With the NADH-based system, the extension of the biosensor potential to other analytes (ethanol, sorbitol and oxaloacetate) has been achieved using suitable dehydrogenases co-immobilized with the bacterial system. Second, the fibre optic biosensor is associated with a specially designed flow cell for the continuous-flow bioluminescent assay of NADH over the range 2 pmol-1 nmol with an r.s.d. of 3.4% at 0.1 nmol. Finally, a multifunction biosensor for the determination of either ATP or NADH using a single bioluminescence-based fibre optic probe is described. This was made possible by co-immobilizing the firefly luciferase with the bacterial system on the same preactivated polyamide membrane.     

Electrochemical synthesis in an undivided cell of aromatic mono and dichalcogeno derivatives by SRN1 substitution reactions in MeCN

The two-step electrochemical synthesis of chalcogeno derivatives ArEPh (1) and ArEEAr (3) resulting from the oxidation of ArE^– (2) (AR = 4 – NCC₆H₄, 1-naphthyl, 2-quinolyl; E = S, Se, Te) can be conveniently carried out in MeCN, by reduction of an aryl halide (ArX) in the presence of electrogenerated PhE^– or E₂ ^2– anions (S_RN1 substitution reaction). To circumvent the disadvantages connected with the use of a divided cell equipped with degradable membranes, a method based on a beaker-type cell has been developed. Thus, the synthesis of substituted compounds1 and3 can be carried out in an undivided cell equipped with a magnesium anode, if a fluoride salt, such as Et₄NF.2H₂O is purposely added before electrolysis (for3) or after the first step (for1). Under such conditions, the yields are competitive with those obtained in a divided cell.     

Programming real-time applications with SIGNAL

The authors present the main features of the SIGNAL language and its compiler. Designed to provide safe real time system programming, the SIGNAL language is based on synchronous principles. Its semantics are defined via a mathematical model of multiple-clocked flows of data and events. SIGNAL programs describe relations on such objects, so that it is possible to program a real time application via constraints. The compiler calculates the solutions of the system and thus can be used as a proof system. The equational approach is a natural way to derive multiprocessor executions of a program. This approach uses a graphical interface of a block-diagram style, and the system is illustrated on a speech recognition application     

The copines, a novel class of C2 domain-containing, calcium-dependent, phospholipid-binding proteins conserved from Paramecium to humans

In an attempt to identify proteins that might underlie membrane trafficking processes in ciliates, calcium-dependent, phospholipid-binding proteins were isolated from extracts of Paramecium tetraurelia. The major protein obtained, named copine, had a mass of 55 kDa, bound phosphatidylserine but not phosphatidylcholine at micromolar levels of calcium but not magnesium, and promoted lipid vesicle aggregation. The sequence of a 920-base pair partial cDNA revealed that copine is a novel protein that contains a C2 domain likely to be responsible for its membrane active properties. Paramecium was found to have two closely related copine genes, CPN1 and CPN2. Current sequence data bases indicate the presence of multiple copine homologs in green plants, nematodes, and humans. The full-length sequences reveal that copines consist of two C2 domains at the N terminus followed by a domain similar to the A domain that mediates interactions between integrins and extracellular ligands. A human homolog, copine I, was expressed in bacteria as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase. This recombinant protein exhibited calcium-dependent phospholipid binding properties similar to those of Paramecium copine. An antiserum raised against a fragment of human copine I was used to identify chromobindin 17, a secretory vesicle-binding protein, as a copine. This association with secretory vesicles, as well the general ability of copines to bind phospholipid bilayers in a calcium-dependent manner, suggests that these proteins may function in membrane trafficking.