A total lagrangian geometrically non-linear analysis of combined beam and cable structures

A unified formulation for the geometrically non-linear analysis of two dimensional beam and line elements is presented, using a total Lagrangian approach. The formulation employed permits any magnitude of deformation for straight or curved elements. The computer program developed permits analysis of combined beam and cable structures. Particular attention is paid to the fact that structures comprising cables are often mechanisms without an initial stress state due to pretensioning of the cables. The prescribed displacement technique is used for establishing the initial pretensioned configuration. Limit loads causing the loss of pretension are also investigated.     

The AP-3 complex: a coat of many colours

A new adaptor protein complex, termed AP-3, has recently been identified in mammalian cells, and genetic studies in yeast have revealed a functional role for the AP-3 complex in cargo-selective transport via a new alternative trafficking pathway from the Golgi to the vacuole/lysosome. Here, the authors review what is currently known about the AP-3 complex and discuss recent insight into its function in multicellular organisms that has come from the finding that mutations in AP-3 subunits correspond to classical mutations in Drosophila and mice.     

A dielectrophoresis-based microdevice coated with nanostructured TiO2 for separation of particles and cells

In this study, we present a microdevice coated with titanium dioxide for cells and particles separation and handling. The microsystem consists of a pair of planar interdigitated gold micro-electrode arrays on a quartz substrate able to generate a traveling electric completed with a microfabricated three-dimensional glass structure for cell confinement. Dielectrophoretic forces were exploited for both vertical and lateral cell motions. In order to provide a biocompatible passivation layer to the electrodes a highly biocompatible nanostructured titanium dioxide film was deposited by supersonic cluster beam deposition (SCBD) on the electrode array. The dielectrophoretic effects of the chip were initially tested using polystyrene beads. To test the biocompatibility and capability of dielectrophoretic cell movement of the device, four cell lines (NIH3T3, SH-SY5Y, MDCK, and PC12) were used. Separation of beads from SH-SY5Y cells was also obtained.     

Fab1p PtdIns(3)P 5-kinase function essential for protein sorting in the multivesicular body

Sorting of signal-transducing cell surface receptors within multivesicular bodies (MVBs) is required for their rapid down-regulation and degradation within lysosomes. Yeast mutants defective in late stages of transport to the vacuole/lysosome accumulate MVBs. We demonstrate that the membrane glycoprotein carboxypeptidase S and the G protein-coupled receptor Ste2p are targeted into the vacuole lumen, and this process requires a subset of VPS gene products essential for normal endosome function. The PtdIns(3)P 5-kinase activity of Fab1p, which converts the product of the Vps34p PtdIns 3-kinase PtdIns(3)P into PtdIns(3,5)P2, also is required for cargo-selective sorting into the vacuole lumen. These findings demonstrate a role for phosphoinositide signaling at distinct stages of vacuolar/lysosomal protein transport and couple PtdIns(3,5)P2 synthesis to regulation of MVB sorting.     

On the application of wide-trail strategy to improve an extended feistel cryptosystem

In this paper, we discuss a wide-trail-strategy-based method able to enhance the security offered by an encryption scheme developed in the University of Ferrara and based on an extended Feistel structure. By adding a new diffusion layer to the basic round transformation of the original system, we are able to increase the amount of active transformations, improving both the strength of the scheme against linear and differential attacks and the whole cipher performance by considerably reducing the system decoding time.