Food vacuole proteome of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum

The Plasmodium falciparum food vacuole (FV) is a lysosome-like organelle where erythrocyte hemoglobin digestion occurs. It is a favorite target in the development of antimalarials. We have used a tandem mass spectrometry approach to investigate the proteome of an FV-enriched fraction and identified 116 proteins. The electron microscopy analysis and the Western blot data showed that the major component of the fraction was the FV and, as expected, the majority of previously known FV markers were recovered. Of particular interest, several proteins involved in vesicle-mediated trafficking were identified, which are likely to play a key role in FV biogenesis and/or FV protein trafficking. Recovery of parasite surface proteins lends support to the cytostomal pathway of hemoglobin ingestion as a FV trafficking route. We have identified 32 proteins described as hypothetical in the databases. This insight into FV protein content provides new clues towards understanding the biological function of this organelle in P. falciparum.     

Oxidation of proteins: Basic principles and perspectives for blood proteomics

Protein oxidation mechanisms result in a wide array of modifications, from backbone cleavage or protein crosslinking to more subtle modifications such as side chain oxidations. Protein oxidation occurs as part of normal regulatory processes, as a defence mechanism against oxidative stress, or as a deleterious processes when antioxidant defences are overcome. Because blood is continually exposed to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, blood proteomics should inherently adopt redox proteomic strategies. In this review, we recall the biochemical basis of protein oxidation, review the proteomic methodologies applied to analyse redox modifications, and highlight some physiological and in vitro responses to oxidative stress of various blood components.     

The cell probe complexity of succinct data structures

We consider time-space tradeoffs for static data structure problems in the cell probe model with word size 1 (the bit probe model). In this model, the goal is to represent n$n$-bit data with s=n+r$s=n+r$ bits such that queries (of a certain type) about the data can be answered by reading at most t$t$ bits of the representation. Ideally, we would like to keep both s$s$ and t$t$ small, but there are tradeoffs between the values of s$s$ and t$t$ that limit the possibilities of keeping both parameters small.     

Noise exposed of the operators of combine harvesters with and without a cab

A considerable number of the combine harvesters in Turkey are rather old and used without cabs resulting in unhealthy working conditions for their operators. Noise is one of the detrimental factors. This study deals with determining and comparing the noise exposed on the operators of the combines with and without a cab used for wheat harvesting in Turkey. The sound pressure levels (dB) at octave band center frequencies (31.5–8000 Hz) and the sound levels (dBA) at the ear level of the operators were measured on 37 different combine harvesters with four different makes and different years from 1976 to 2001. Fifteen of the combines were without a cab, another 15 had original cabs while remaining seven combines had cabs mounted on them after manufacturing.

The sound pressure levels were in a decreasing trend from the lower frequencies to higher frequencies. This trend was more noticeable for the combines with original cab and with the cab mounted after manufacturing compared to the ones without cab. The use of a cab was more effective in the insulation of the noise at the medium and higher frequencies, which have more bothersome effect compared to the lower frequencies. The sound pressure levels were 75–102 dB and 46–89 dB at low (31.5–500 Hz) and high (500–8000 Hz) frequencies for all combines, respectively. The sound pressure levels at the frequency of 4000 Hz at which the human ear is most sensitive were 6–17 dB lower for the combines with the cabs mounted after manufacturing and 9–28 dB lower for the ones with the original cabs compared to the combines without cab. The sound levels were 85–90, 81–83, and 76–81 dBA for the combines without cab, with cab mounted after manufacturing, and with original cab, respectively.

The study showed that the use of a cab was useful in the insulation of the noise, particularly at higher frequencies. In addition, it protects the operator from the factors having detrimental effects on the working efficiency such as high temperature and dusty environment. The authors strongly recommend mounting of a cab on to the combines currently being used without a cab in rental system in Turkey to provide healthy working conditions for their operators.     

Computer program for automated sleep depth estimation

In this article, we present a new implementation of an amplitude-independent method for continuous-scale sleep depth estimation. Having been implemented as an add-on analysis module under commercially available biosignal recording and analysis software, it can be easily applied in clinical routine. The software gives the user full freedom to change all the analysis parameters inside theoretical limits. Computational sleep depth profiles produced by the presented software compare favourably with visual classifications. Future work will concentrate on systematic optimization of analysis parameters, further evaluation of the method with disturbed sleep and application of the method for automated adaptive sleep analysis.     

Free binary decision diagrams for the computation of EAR n

Free binary decision diagrams (FBDDs) are graph-based data structures representing Boolean functions with the constraint (additional to binary decision diagram) that each variable is tested at most once during the computation. The function EAR_n is the following Boolean function defined for n × n Boolean matrices: EAR_n(M) = 1 iff the matrix M contains two equal adjacent rows. We prove that each FBDD computing EAR_n has size at least and we present a construction of such diagrams of size approximately .     

Satisfiability of co-nested formulas

As a notion dual to Knuth's nested formulas [4], we call a boolean formula in conjunctive normal formco-nested if its clauses can be linearly ordered (sayC={c _i ;i=1,2, ...,n})so that the graphG ^cl =(XC, {xc _i ;xc _i or ¬xc _i } {c _i c _i+1;i=1, 2, ...,n}) allows a noncrossing drawing in the plane so that the circlec ₁,c ₂, ...,c _n bounds the outerface. Our main result is that maximum satisfiability of co-nested formulas can be decided in linear time.Both authors acknowledge a partial support of Ec Cooperative Action IC-1000 (project ALTEC:Algorithms for Future Technologies).     

NMR studies on vortices in rotating3He-A

NMR measurements are reported on rotating³He-A in a long cylindrical geometry of 5 mm diameter at a liquid pressure of 29.3 bar and in axial magnetic fields of 14.2, 28.4, and 56.9 mT. At 28.4 mT, NMR studies are also reported in fields inclined by 25° and 90° from the axis of rotation. The frequency shift, the width, and the intensity of the spin wave modes localized on the soft vortex cores, as well as the additional broadening of the main NMR line during rotation, were measured as a function of temperature, angular velocity , magnetic field intensity, and its inclination angle. Also observed were a critical angular velocity of vortex formation, hysteretic behavior in the number of vortices when comparing accelerating rotation to decelerating, and metastable vortex densities, presumably a vortex tangle after rapid oscillatory acceleration. The results can be understood in terms of the continuous 4 vortices first proposed by Seppälä and Volovik.     

Rayonnement en ondes métriques et décimétriques des orages

This article presents the result of the current knowledge on the very high frequency electromagnetic radiation of lightning. A phenomenology analysis of the new results obtained from the study of triggered lightning in New Mexico (TRIP 82) and at Saint-Privat-d’ Allier in Haute-Loire, France (1983) is first described. The authors then present the spectral and temporal characteristics of the VHF/UHF radiation which can be applied to the electromagnetic compatibility of systems. From a synthesis of the experimental and theoretical contributions, they propose a reflection on the lightning initiation process and on the mechanisms generating lightning radiation.