Inversin, a novel gene in the vertebrate left-right axis pathway, is partially deleted in the inv mouse

A DNA fragment containing the recA gene of Gluconobacter oxydans was isolated and further characterized for its nucleotide sequence and ability to functionally complement various recA mutations. When expressed in an Escherichia coli recA host, the G. oxydans recA protein could efficiently function in homologous recombination and DNA damage repair. The recA gene's nucleotide sequence analysis revealed a protein of 344 amino acids with a molecular mass of 38 kDa. We observed an E. coli-like LexA repressor-binding site in the G. oxydans recA gene promoter region, suggesting that a LexA-like mediated response system may exist in G. oxydans. The expression of G. oxydans recA in E. coli RR1, a recA+ strain, surprisingly caused a remarkable reduction of the host wild-type recA gene function, whereas the expression of both Serratia marcescens recA and Pseudomonas aeruginosa recA gene caused only a slight inhibitory effect on function of the host wild-type recA gene product. Compared with the E. coli RecA protein, the identity of the amino acid sequence of G. oxydans RecA protein is much lower than those RecA proteins of both S. marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This result suggests that the expression of another wild-type RecA could interfere with host wild-type recA gene's function, and the extent of such an interference is possibly correlated to the identity of the amino acid sequence between the two classes of RecA protein.     

Greedy hot-potato routing on the two-dimensional mesh

Summary We propose hot-potato (or, deflection) packet routing algorithms on the two-dimensional mesh. The algorithms are strongly greedy in the sense that they attempt to send packets in good directions whenever possible. Furthermore, the routing operations are simple and independent of the time that has elapsed. The first algorithm gives the best evacuation time known for delivering all the packets to their destinations. A batch ofk packets with maximal source-to-destination distanced _max is delivered in 2(k-1)+d _max. The second algorithm improves this bound tok+d _max when all packets are destined to the same node. This also implies a new bound for the multitarget case, which is the first to take into account the number of in-edges of a node. The third algorithm is designed for routing permutations with source-to-destination distance at most three, in which case the algorithm terminates in at most seven steps. We also show a lower bound of five steps for this problem. Ishai Ben-Aroya received the B.A. and M.Sc. in computer science from the Technion (Israel Institute of Technology). He is currently working with Microsoft Israel R&D group. His main interests include Routing Algorithms, Cryptography and Computer Security. Tamar Eilam received the B.A. degree in Computer Science from the Technion IIL in 1995, and is currently studying towards her M.A. degree. Assaf Schuster received his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (the last one in 1991). He is currently a lecturer at the Technion IIL. His main interests include Networks and Routing Algorithms, Parallel and Distributed Computation, Optical Computation and Communication, Dynamically Reconfiguring Networks, and Greedy Hot Potato Routing.This work was supported in part by the French-Israeli grant for cooperation in Computer Science, and by a grant from the Israeli Ministry of Science. An extended abstract appeared in proc. 2nd European Symposium on Algorithms, September 1994     

Investigation of the titanium–indium system

The phase diagram of the Ti–In system was determined using DTA, XRD and EDX analyses. The existence of the phases Ti₂In₅ [Mn₂Hg₅ type structure, space group P4/mbm, a=0.99995(3), c=0.29960(2) nm] and Ti₃In [Ni₃Sn type structure, space group P6₃/mmc, a=0.5978(1), c=0.4812(1) nm] was confirmed. The phase previously labeled Ti₃In₂ was found to exist in a narrow homogeneity region near Ti₅₆In₄₄. Rietveld refinement of the XRD powder pattern yielded solutions compatible with a Cu₃Au-type or a BiIn-type crystal structure, but not with a CuAu-type crystal structure. Furthermore, at 38.5 at.% In, a new phase was observed having a γ-brass related crystal structure [Ti₈In₅, space group , a=0.99578(6) nm]. The intermetallic phases were formed by a cascade of peritectic reactions ending in a eutectic at >99 at.% indium between Ti₂In₅ and (In) at 0.4 K below the melting temperature of pure indium.     

Ertragsleistung sowie Gehalte und Zusammensetzung der Fette und Proteine einiger Senfarten und -sorten auf ökologisch stark differenzierten Standorten

Yield as well as Contents and Composition of Fats and Proteins in Several Varieties and Types of Mustard at Distinctly Different Ecological Locations In a cultivation experiment extending over two years the yield of different varieties of Brassica juncea, Brassica nigra and Sinapis alba was examined. Fat content and protein content were determined and the correlations with different characteristics were calculated. Fatty acid composition of the oil showed that erucic acid content was distinctly influenced by the location and the year of cultivation. In all samples, whose erucic acid content showed large difference from average values for the variety, electrophoretic patterns of the proteins were found to be distinctly different, both with respect to number and distribution of the bands.     

Struktur und eigenschaften von ABS-polymeren. IX. Quantitative untersuchungen zur morphologie von ABS-polymerisaten

The technological properties of ABS polymers largely depend on the structure of the elastomer phase as well as on the elastomer/thermoplast interface. The morphological structure of such polymers can be determined from electron micrographs of ultramicrotome sections – after selective contrasting of the polybutadiene phase – or of replicas of fracture surfaces after selective chemical degradation. The various ABS polymers are classified by their manufacturing processes and their morphologies and characterized by electron micrographs. The degree and place of grafting are of particular importance. The quantitative determination of the surface- and internal grafting is achieved by combining the determination of the degree of grafting (extraction), the evaluation of the results obtained on particle counting, and a morphometric process. It is demonstrated that the morphometric process can in general be applied for the quantitative determination of the contrastable component in two-phase polymers.     

Tensile and fatigue behavior of Al-based metal matrix composites reinforced with continuous carbon or alumina fibers: Part II. Quasi-unidirectional composite cross-ply laminates

The mechanical behavior (tension, fatigue, and notch sensitivity) of Al-based metal matrix composite (MMC) cross-ply laminates is investigated. The two selected laminates, K139/A357 and N610/AU2, are reinforced by continuous K139 (carbon) or N610 (alumina) fibers. These multiplies consist in the stacking of (quasi-unidirectional) quasi-UD preforms oriented at 0, ±45, and 90 deg, the thermomechanical behavior of the corresponding quasi-UD composites being reported independently (Part I). The investigated cross-ply laminates exhibit attractive static and cyclic performances and a low notch (circular hole) sensitivity. High-resolution microfractography has led to a better understanding of the fracture mechanisms of these materials. In this respect, the role of the transverse bundles is dominant in the tensile and fatigue failure of both laminates. However, the failure surfaces are completely different: long fiber pullout in the K139/A357 laminate and much more planar areas in the N610/AU2 laminate. Due to the rather low notch sensitivity, a large portion of the specimen section was already highly damaged during a non-negligible part of the fatigue life: debonded interfaces in the K139/A357 laminate and multicracked and “crumbled” matrix in the N610/AU2 laminate. These mechanisms are in good agreement with the weak interface in the first case and the very low yield stress of the AU2 matrix, much lower than the fatigue limit of the N610/AU2 laminate, in the second case. Moreover, compared to the quasi-UD composites, the stress concentration around the notch allows further exacerbation of the fatigue mechanisms, much more intense than that attained in “model” composites.