Family C1 cysteine proteases: Biological diversity or redundancy?

Recent progress in the identification and partial characterization of novel genes encoding cysteine proteases of the papain family has considerably increased our knowledge of this family of enzymes. Kinetic data available to date for this large family indicate relatively broad, overlapping specificities for most enzymes, thus inspiring a growing conviction that they may exhibit functional redundancy. This is also supported in part by phenotypes of cathepsin knockout mice and suggests that several proteases can substitute for each other to degrade or process a given substrate. On the other hand, specific functions of one particular protease have also been documented. In addition, differences in cellular distribution and intracellular localization may contribute to defining specific functional roles for some of these proteases

Phytochemistry Predicts Habitat Selection by an Avian Herbivore at Multiple Spatial Scales

Animal habitat selection is a process that functions at multiple, hierarchically structured spatial scales. Thus multi-scale analyses should be the basis for inferences about factors driving the habitat selection process. Vertebrate herbivores forage selectively on the basis of phytochemistry, but few studies have investigated the influence of selective foraging (i.e., fine-scale habitat selection) on habitat selection at larger scales. We tested the hypothesis that phytochemistry is integral to the habitat selection process for vertebrate herbivores. We predicted that habitats selected at three spatial scales would be characterized by higher nutrient concentrations and lower concentrations of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) than unused habitats. We used the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), an avian herbivore with a seasonally specialized diet of sagebrush, to test our hypothesis. Sage-Grouse selected a habitat type (black sagebrush, Artemisia nova) with lower PSM concentrations than the alternative (Wyoming big sagebrush, A. tridentata wyomingensis). Within black sagebrush habitat, Sage-Grouse selected patches and individual plants within those patches that were higher in nutrient concentrations and lower in PSM concentrations than those not used. Our results provide the first evidence for multi-scale habitat selection by an avian herbivore on the basis of phytochemistry, and they suggest that phytochemistry may be a fundamental driver of habitat selection for vertebrate herbivores

A plea for extension of the anatomical nomenclature. Part 1: Nervous system and senses

A correct, exact, concise and detailed anatomical nomenclature is a cornerstone of communication not only in anatomy and related subjects but also in other medical branches and in the whole medical education. Terminologia Anatomica fulfils this task but some important structures are still missing there. The authors have collected and present here a list of terms including their definitions or explanations to provoke discussion about possible extension of the Terminologia Anatomica. The first part of this contribution, presented in this article, comprises 113 terms concerning the regulation systems of the human body: endocrine glands, central and peripheral nervous system, and senses. It also contains some corrections of anatomical mistakes, systemic inconsistencies and grammar changes

Atomic-scale representation and statistical learning of tensorial properties

This chapter discusses the importance of incorporating three-dimensional symmetries in the context of statistical learning models geared towards the interpolation of the tensorial properties of atomic-scale structures. We focus on Gaussian process regression, and in particular on the construction of structural representations, and the associated kernel functions, that are endowed with the geometric covariance properties compatible with those of the learning targets. We summarize the general formulation of such a symmetry-adapted Gaussian process regression model, and how it can be implemented based on a scheme that generalizes the popular smooth overlap of atomic positions representation. We give examples of the performance of this framework when learning the polarizability and the ground-state electron density of a molecule

Focused Ion Beam Fabrication

Contains reports on five research projects.DARPA/Naval Electronic Systems Command (Contract MDA-903-85-C-0215)Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (Contract DL-H-261827)U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-84-K-0073)Nippon Telephone and TelegraphHitachi Central Research Laborator

Focused Ion Beam Fabrication

Contains reports on four sections of one research project.Microsystems Technology LaboratoriesDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency/Naval Electronics Systems Command (Contract MDA 903-85-C-0215)U.S. Air Force (through Lincoln Laboratory)Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (through Lincoln Laboratory)Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. (Contract DL-H-261827)Hitachi Central Research LaboratoryNippon Telegraph & TelephoneU.S. Army Research Office (Contract DAALO3-87-K-0126

Focused Ion Beam Fabrication

Contains reports on ten research projects.U.S. Army Research Office Contract DAAL03-88-K-0108Hughes Research Laboratories FellowshipSEMATECHCharles S. Draper Laboratory Contract DL-H-261827U.S. Army Research Office Contract DAAL03-87-K-0126IBM General Technologies DivisionIBM Research Divisio

Focused Ion Beam Fabrication

Contains summary of research program and reports on four research projects.Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (Contract DL-H-225270)Hughes Research LaboratoriesInternational Business Machines, Inc. (Contract 456614)Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, Inc.U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-84-K-0073)U.S. Department of Defense (Contract MDA903-85-C-0215)Hitachi Central Research Laborator

Focused Ion Beam Fabrication

Contains reports on thirteen research projects and a list of publications.Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/U.S. Army Research Office Contract DAAL03-88-K-0108National Science Foundation Grant ECS 89-21728MIT Lincoln Laboratory Innovative Research ProgramSEMATECH Contract 90-MC-503Micrion Contract M08774U.S. Army Research Office Contract DAAL03-87-K-0126IBM Corporatio

Focused Ion Beam Fabrication

Contains reports on eight research projects.DARPA/Naval Electronics Systems Command (Contract MDA 903-85-C-0215)DARPA/U.S. Army Research Office (Contract DAAL03-88-K-0108)U.S. Army Research Office (Contract DAAL03-87-K-0126)Charles Stark Draper LaboratoryInternational Business Machines Corporation - Research Division, General Technologies DivisionU.S. Air ForceDARP