A Golgi localization signal identified in the Menkes recombinant protein

Menkes disease arises from a genetic impairment in copper transport. The gene responsible for the phenotype has been identified as a copper transporting ATPase ( ATP7A ). Recently, the protein encoded by the ATP7A gene has been localized to the Golgi complex. In order to investigate the role of the Menkes disease protein in copper transport, recombinant constructs containing both the full-length open reading frame and an alternatively spliced form have been successfully expressed and localized in mammalian cells. Other studies of a patient with occipital horn syndrome, an allelic variant of Menkes disease, have demonstrated that only this alternatively spliced isoform and not the full-length form is expressed in this patient. The milder form of this patient's phenotype suggests that the alternatively spliced isoform has some functional role in copper transport. In the present study the full-length recombinant Menkes protein was shown by immunofluorescence to localize to the Golgi apparatus and the alternatively spliced form, lacking sequences for transmembrane domains 3 and 4 encoded by exon 10, was shown to localize to the endoplasmic reticulum. Using sequences from exon 10 fused to a non-Golgi reporter molecule, a 38 amino acid sequence containing transmembrane domain 3 of the Menkes protein was found to be sufficient for localization to the Golgi complex. Therefore, the protein sequence encoded by exon 10 may be responsible for this differential localization and both isoforms may be required for comprehensive transport of copper within the cell.     

Radionuclides in the Kara sea bottom sediments

The contents and distribution of natural (214Pb, 214Bi, 228Ac, and 208Tl) and technogenic (90Sr, 137Cs, and 60Co) radionuclides in the Kara Sea bottom sediments was analyzed by using the materials collected by R/V "Pomor" (Murmansk Marine Biological Institute). In 1994, no high (critical) concentrations of technogenic radioisotopes were found in the sea sediments, while the spots (regions) of elevated 137Cs content found in 1984 were not confirmed in 1994. It was proposed that the main sources of entry of technogenic radionuclides in the sea sediments in the last years are the flow of the Ob'-Yenisei waters and container burials of radioactive waste in the sea, which appeared to have been markedly corroded. The latter is confirmed by detection in some places of 60Co, which was not previously found in the sediments.     

Native serotonin 5-HT3 receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes differ from homopentameric 5-HT3 receptors

Efficacies of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 5-HT3 receptor (5-HT3R) agonists 2-methyl-5-HT, dopamine, and m-chlorophenylbiguanide on 5-HT3R native to N1E-115 cells and on homopentameric 5-HT3R expressed in Xenopus oocytes were determined relative to that of 5-HT. Efficacies of 2-methyl-5-HT and dopamine on 5-HT3R native to differentiated N1E-115 cells are high (54 and 36%) as compared with their efficacies on homopentameric 5-HT3R-A(L) and 5-HT3R-A(S) receptors expressed in oocytes (4-8%). m-Chlorophenylbiguanide does not distinguish between 5-HT3R in N1E-115 cells and in oocytes. The distinct pharmacological profile of 5-HT3R native to differentiated N1E-115 cells is conserved when poly(A)+ mRNA from these cells is expressed in oocytes. The results indicate that, apart from the known 5-HT3R subunits, N1E-115 cells express additional proteins involved in 5-HT3R function.     

Presidential reflections

Two direct methods for the diagnosis of trichinellosis were compared: trichinoscopy and artificial digestion. Muscles from 17 wistar rats, orally infected with 500 Trichinella spiralis encysted larvae were examined. From each of the following muscles: diaphragm, tongue, masseters, intercostals, triceps brachialis and cuadriceps femoralis, 648,440 larvae from 1 g samples were recovered. The linear correlation between trichinoscopy and artificial digestion was very high and significant (r = 0.94, p < 0.0001), showing that both methods for the detection of muscular larvae did not differ significantly. In both methods, significant differences were found in the distribution of larvae per gramme of muscle.     

The Cost of Diversity in Textile Finishing

The effect on specific operating and capital costs of textile finishing, incurred by catering for the demands of a wide range of customers in varied styles, is illustrated. The return on investment in a new factory planned to operate under these conditions is realistically examined and a view expressed on the likely pattern of future investment in textile finishing.     

Effect of vanadium and chromium on the microstructural features of V–Cr–Mn–Ni spheroidal carbide cast irons

The objective of this investigation is to study the influence of vanadium（5.0wt%–10.0wt%） and chromium（0–9.0wt%） on the microstructure and hardness of Cr-V-Mn-Ni white cast irons with spheroidal vanadium carbides. The alloys＇ microstructural features are presented and discussed with regard to the distribution of phase elements. The structural constituents of the alloys are spheroidal VC, proeutectoid cementite, ledeburite eutectic, rosette-shaped carbide eutectic（based on M7C3）, pearlite, martensite, and austenite. Their combinations and area fraction（AF） ratios are reported to be influenced by the alloys＇ chemical composition. Spheroidized VC particles are found to be sites for the nucleation of carbide eutectics. Cr and V are shown to substitute each other in the VC and M7C3 carbides, respectively. Chromium alloying leads to the formation of a eutectic（γ-Fe ＋ М7С3）, preventing the appearance of proeutectoid cementite in the structure. Vanadium and chromium are revealed to increase the total carbide fraction and the amount of austenite in the matrix. Cr is observed to play a key role in controlling the metallic matrix microstructure.     

Nitrogen fixation by pea and lentil green manures in a semi-arid agroecoregion: effect of planting and termination timing

Crop-fallow systems dominate many semi-arid agricultural regions despite fallow’s negative effects on soil and water quality. Annual legumes grown as a fallow-replacement crop, and terminated prior to maturity, can reduce these negative effects without substantially decreasing plant available water for the subsequent crop. Interest in growing legume green manures (LGMs) in synthetically-fertilized systems is increasing in the northern Great Plains of North America, partly due to the N-fixing capabilities of legumes; however, little is known about the effects of planting and termination time on N fixation amounts in the region. A 2-year field study was initiated in southwest Montana to determine the effects of planting time (spring or summer) and termination time (e.g. flower or pod) on the amount of N fixed by field pea (Pisum sativum cv. Arvika) and lentil (Lens culinaris cv. Richlea). Two methods, ¹⁵N natural abundance and N difference, were used to quantify N fixation, with wheat or in-crop weeds as reference plants. In 2009, N fixed by spring-planted lentil was higher by pod than flower (P = 0.03). Termination time did not affect the amount of N fixed by spring-planted pea, despite more biomass by pod than flower. In 2010, both spring-planted crops fixed more N by pod than flower (P < 0.01) and more N was fixed by spring-planted than summer-planted crops (P < 0.01). These results should prove useful to growers interested in selecting management practices that optimize N fixation of LGMs.     

Yield stress distribution in injection‐moulded glassy polymers

A methodology for structural analysis simulations is presented that incorporates the distribution of mechanical properties along the geometrical dimensions of injection‐moulded amorphous polymer products. It is based on a previously developed modelling approach, where the thermomechanical history experienced during processing was used to determine the yield stress at the end of an injection‐moulding cycle. Comparison between experimental data and simulation results showed an excellent quantitative agreement, both for short‐term tensile tests as well as long‐term creep experiments over a range of strain rates, applied stresses, and testing temperatures. Changes in mould temperature and component wall thickness, which directly affect the cooling profiles and, hence, the mechanical properties, were well captured by the methodology presented. Furthermore, it turns out that the distribution of the yield stress along a tensile bar is one of the triggers for the onset of the (strong) localization generally observed in experiments. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry     

Development of a creep‐free stress‐strain law for fire analysis of steel structures

This paper presents a practical procedure for obtaining creep‐free stress‐strain laws for steel exposed to fire, on the basis of codified stress‐strain laws that consider creep implicitly. The applicability of the proposed procedure has been tested on two commonly used stress‐strain laws for steel at elevated temperature, the Eurocode 3 law and a Ramberg–Osgood model, both of which have implicit consideration of creep. The simulation of two published steel coupon experiments on steel of grades S275 and S355 shows that both the Eurocode and Ramberg–Osgood stress‐strain laws produce inaccurate predictions of creep in fire at elevated temperatures. The proposed procedure was thereby used to extract the implicit creep according to the heating rates of the transient coupon tests and to derive the creep‐free stress‐strain laws. It has been shown that, by combining the creep‐free stress strain law obtained by the proposed methodology with an explicit creep model, a more realistic prediction of steel behaviour in the selected coupon test studies can be achieved. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.