N alpha- and N epsilon-D-galacturonoyl-L-lysine amides: properties and possible occurrence in plant cell walls

Three representatives of a novel class of amide (isopeptide) glycoconjugates have been synthesised: N alpha-D-galacturonoyl-L-lysine and N epsilon-D-galacturonoyl-L-lysine and N epsilon-D-polygalacturonoyl-L-lysine. Galacturonoyl-lysine amide bonds were labile in 2 M trifluoroacetic acid at 120 degrees and in alkali, but relatively stable in cold acid. The amide bonds were resistant to digestion by Driselase, Pronase and trypsin. The polysaccharide backbone of N epsilon-D-polygalacturonoyl-L-lysine was hydrolysed by Driselase to yield two major ninhydrin-positive compounds which were shown by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy to be tri- and tetra-alpha-(1-->4)-D-galacturonoyl-L-lysines. To investigate the possible natural occurrence of N-galacturonoyl isopeptide bonds, we fed cell-suspension cultures of spinach and tomato with D-[6-14C]glucuronic acid, which radio-labels pectic polysaccharides. The radioactive cell walls were digested with, sequentially, Driselase, mild acid, and proteinases. On electrophoresis at pH 2.0, several of the radioactive digestion-products were cathodic. Some of the cathodic products yielded [14C]galacturonic acid upon complete acid hydrolysis. The existence of these products is compatible with the presence of novel N-galacturonoyl isopeptide bonds, which could serve as cross-links in plant cell walls.     

Context effects on semantic domains as seen in analogy solution.

Three experiments investigated the processing of categorical information in context. Exp 1 used multidimensional scaling techniques to identify some common and unique dimensions for a given set of occupational terms in 3 different contexts. The results of Exp 2 indicate that these context-specific representations (as opposed to the general one) were used in the solution of word analogies. The results of Exp 2 also suggest that Ss solve these word analogies by means of heuristics rather than algorithmic rules. The results of Exp 3 support this conclusion. These findings are discussed in terms of the processing of context-dependent conceptual representations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Estimation and detection in non-Gaussian noise using higher orderstatistics

One of the primary applications of higher order statistics has been for detection and estimation of nonGaussian signals in Gaussian noise of unknown covariance. This is motivated by the fact that higher order cumulants of Gaussian processes vanish. We study the opposite problem, namely, detection and estimation in nonGaussian noise. We estimate cumulants of nonGaussian processes in the presence of unknown deterministic and/or Gaussian signals, which allows either parametric or nonparametric estimation of the covariance of the nonGaussian noise. Our approach is to augment existing second-order detection methods using cumulants. We propose solutions for detection of deterministic signals based on matched filters and the generalized likelihood ratio test which incorporate cumulants, where the resulting solutions are valid under either detection hypotheses. This allows for single record detection and obviates the need for noise-only training records. The problem of estimating signal strength in the presence of nonGaussian noise of unknown covariance is also considered, and a cumulant-based solution is proposed which uses a single data record. Examples are used throughout to illustrate our proposed methods     

Hydrogen-induced microelectronic capacitor failure in pacemakers

Ceramic chip capacitors used in hybrid microelectronics for cardiac pacemakers are usually highly reliable. However, under certain conditions of capacitor construction, capacitor materials, mounting techniques, and environmental conditions, high failure rates may occur. A specific example is presented in which a ceramic capacitor used in an implanted pacemaker delaminated and failed approximately 30 days after being implanted. The failed capacitor caused a pulse rate rise, but due to circuit design techniques, the rate increase was limited to an acceptable value. The capacitor that failed was from an isolated lot of capacitors that was manufactured using pure palladium plates. The circuit containing this capacitor was hermetically sealed within a titanium case by welding. During the welding, a small amount of hydrogen was released from the titanium which, over a period of 2 to 4 weeks, was absorbed by the palladium plates in the capacitor. By absorbing the hydrogen, the palladium plates exhibit a volumetric expansion of sufficient magnitude to crack and delaminate the capacitor to the point of failure. Subsequently, the recurrence of this failure mode has been avoided by using capacitors containing special palladium alloys that cannot absorb hydrogen. This phenomenon is of interest to pacemaker designers since mercury batteries used in conventional pacemakers generate large amounts of hydrogen and potentially may be responsible for complications when used in conjunction with capacitors containing palladium.     

Circuit effects in time-of-flight diffusivity measurements

A Monte Carlo procedure is used to examine certain effects that interfere with the determination of the diffusivity D from current rise and fall times in a time-of-flight experiment. It is found that electron bombardment time, sample capacitance, contact resistance, and oscilloscope rise time can cause considerable error in the measurement of D, especially near the threshold electric field. It is shown that a reasonable accounting for these effects can explain much of the difference between experimentally-and theoretically-determined D-E characteristics for GaAs.     

How to hide zinc in a small protein

Small cysteine-rich proteins (metallothioneins) and related domains of some large proteins (e.g., lysine methyltransferases) bind tri- and tetranuclear zinc clusters with topologies resembling fragments of Zn(II) sulfide minerals. These clusters are ubiquitous in animals, plants, and bacteria. Bacterial metallothioneins can also contain histidines as cluster ligands and embed Zn(II) with a "treble-clef"-like finger fold. This unusual embedded Zn(II) is "hidden" and surprisingly inert toward Zn or Cd exchange. Clearly, proteins can exert fine control over both the thermodynamics and kinetics of zinc binding in thiolate clusters. Genome sequences suggest that related zinc-finger sites are common in a variety of bacteria.