Unsteady Magnetohydrodynamic Free Convection Flow of a Second Grade Fluid in a Porous Medium with Ramped Wall Temperature

Magnetic field influence on unsteady free convection flow of a second grade fluid near an infinite vertical flat plate with ramped wall temperature embedded in a porous medium is studied. It has been observed that magnitude of velocity as well as skin friction in case of ramped temperature is quite less than the isothermal temperature. Some special cases namely: (i) second grade fluid in the absence of magnetic field and porous medium and (ii) Newtonian fluid in the presence of magnetic field and porous medium, performing the same motion are obtained. Finally, the influence of various parameters is graphically shown.     

Crystal structure of human PACRG in complex with MEIG1 reveals roles in axoneme formation and tubulin binding

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Semen Characteristics of Purebred and Crossbred Male Rabbits

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the semen quality traits of purebred male rabbits and their crosses under subtropical Egyptian conditions. A full 3 x 3 diallel crossing was performed for producing the first generation progeny of New Zealand White (N), Flander (F) and Rex (R) breeds. The highest ejaculate volume (p< 0.05) and percentage of live sperms (p<0.01) with the lowest percentage of sperm cell morphological abnormalities (p<0.05) had been recorded in the NF bucks. Moreover, they possessed positive estimates of direct heterosis for ejaculate volume, mass motility (Mm), individual motility (Im) and sperm cell concentration (SCC). On the contrary, pH had negative estimates of direct heterosis in all crosses and their reciprocal. Semen pH was negatively correlated with SCC (r = -0.18), Mm (r = -0.13) and Im (r = -0.23). In conclusion, the superiority of crossbreeding was particularly obvious in the New Zealand White x Flander males, which cumulated heterosis and favorable maternal effects of the Flander dams.     

Technical Study of a Standalone Photovoltaic–Wind Energy Based Hybrid Power Supply Systems for Island Electrification in Malaysia

Energy is one of the most important factors in the socioeconomic development of a country. In a developing country like Malaysia, the development of islands is mostly related to the availability of electric power. Power generated by renewable energy sources has recently become one of the most promising solutions for the electrification of islands and remote rural areas. But high dependency on weather conditions and the unpredictable nature of these renewable energy sources are the main drawbacks. To overcome this weakness, different green energy sources and power electronic converters need to be integrated with each other. This study presents a battery storage hybrid standalone photovoltaic-wind energy power supply system. In the proposed standalone hybrid system, a DC-DC buck-boost bidirectional converter controller is used to accumulates the surplus hybrid power in the battery bank and supplies this power to the load during the hybrid power shortage by maintaining the constant dc-link voltage. A three-phase voltage source inverter complex vector control scheme is used to control the load side voltage in terms of the voltage amplitude and frequency. Based on the simulation results obtained from MATLAB/Simulink, it has been found that the overall hybrid framework is capable of working under variable weather and load conditions.     

A comparative study of the characteristics of eIF-2 and eIF-2-ancillary factor activities from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and rabbit reticulocytes

The characteristics of yeast eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2) and Co-eIF-2A have been studied and compared with those of the corresponding factors from rabbit reticulocytes. 1) Unlike eIF-2r, purified eIF-2y did not contain bound GDP. 2) Purified eIF-2y preparation contained GTPase activity and dephosphorylated GTP to GDP. 3) An anti-eIF-2r preparation which predominantly precipitated the gamma-subunit (Mr 54,000) of eIF-2r also precipitated the larger subunit (Mr 54,000) of eIF-2y. 4) Unlike eIF-2r, ternary complex formation by eIF-2y was not inhibited by Mg2+. 5) Both Co-eIF-2A20y and Co-eIF-2r significantly enhanced Met-tRNAf binding to eIF-2y and, again, Mg2+ did not have any effect on this stimulated Met-tRNAf binding to eIF-2y. 6) Both Co-eIF-2A20y and Co-eIF-2r were similarly effective in stimulating Met-tRNAf binding to eIF-2r in the absence of Mg2+. However, in the presence of Mg2+, Co-eIF-2A20y was significantly less effective than Co-eIF-2r as Co-eIF-2A20y did not promote displacement of GDP from eIF-2r X GDP. 7) eIF-2y bound [3H]GDP and this binding was significantly enhanced in the presence of Mg2+. Also, [3H]GDP in the preformed eIF-2y X [3H]GDP complex was rapidly exchanged with exogenously added unlabeled GDP in the presence of Mg2+. Co-eIF-2A20y had no effect on GDP binding to eIF-2y nor on GDP exchange reactions. 8) Reticulocyte heme-regulated protein synthesis inhibitor, which phosphorylated almost completely (in excess of 80%) the alpha-subunit (Mr 38,000) of eIF-2r, also phosphorylated similarly the smaller subunit (Mr 36,000) of eIF-2y. However, such phosphorylation had no significant effect on ternary complex formation, GDP binding, and GDP exchange reactions.     

The stable evolutionary fixation of a bifunctional tyrosine-pathway protein in enteric bacteria

Abstract The bifunctional T-protein (chorismate mutase-T: cyclohexadienyl dehydrogenase) of l -tyrosine biosynthesis was found to be present in all genera making up the enteric bacteria. The dehydrogenase component of the T-protein was active with both prephenate and l -arogenate, showing it to be a cyclohexadienyl dehydrogenase. The dehydrogenase component, but not the mutase component, of the T-protein was feedback-inhibited by l -tyrosine. Unlike some other bifunctional proteins, the T-protein has evolved recently and is not ubiquitous. However, once the biochemical specialization of bifunctionality becomes established, the results indicate that such character states are strongly conserved through evolutionary time. Thus, bifunctional proteins can provide particularly reliable markers for small (recent origin), intermediate, and large (ancient origin) phylogenetic clusters.     

On differential responses of the melanophores of the Paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis

Chromatic adaptation of the Paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis L., to illuminated backgrounds ranging from "white" to "black" shows that the pigment is most readily dispersed in the deepest-lying melanophores and least readily in the uppermost layers.