Effect of some heterocyclic compounds on human semen composition and biology.

The effect of some heterocyclic compounds on some aspects of human semen metabolism was studied. Caffeine produced stimulation of motility and lactic acid production and an inhibition of fructose utilization and oxygen uptake. Nicotinamide and riboflavin produced stimulation of motility, fructose utilization and oxygen uptake and an inhibition of lactic acid production.     

Degradation of cuticle during larval-pupal and pupal-adult development of the housefly, Musca domestica

Abstract. The patterns of changes in cuticle weight, its chitin content and chitinase activity have been studied during postembryonic development of the housefly, Musca domestica L. During pupariation the larval cuticle loses weight. During the early part of this weight-loss the decline in chitin content parallels the overall change in cuticle weight. A simultaneous elevation in chitinase activity suggests that at this time the larval cuticle is being enzymatically degraded. Later weight loss may be due to sclerotization. No significant changes in cuticle weight or its chitin content occur in pharate cuticle until one day before eclosion. However, a peak of chitinase activity found at mid-late pupal stage suggests the timing of pupal cuticle breakdown.     

Detection and accommodation of multivariate statistical outliers

This paper deals with the problem of identifying and testing a number of extreme sample elements (t = 1, 2, 3 and 4) as significant outliers in a sample of size n from a K-dimensional normal distribution with unknown parameters. Accommodation of detected outliers is effected through outlier-robust estimation of multivariate location (mean vector) and dispersion (variance-covariance matrix).     

The MYST histone acetyltransferases are essential for gametophyte development in Arabidopsis

Background  

Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) play critical roles in the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression. Arabidopsis genome contains 12 HAT genes, but the biological functions of many of them are still unknown. In this work, we studied the evolutionary relationship and cellular functions of the two Arabidopsis HAT genes homologous to the MYST family members.     

Linearization of the full activated sludge model No 1 for interaction analysis

This paper deals with the linearization of the full activated sludge model No 1 (ASM1) in the scope of interaction analysis. For consistency, the linearization procedure is developed and validated within the BSM1 simulation benchmark framework. It is based on reaction rate approximation by linear combinations of states. The linear rate models are identified and incorporated in the mass balance equations, yielding a linear locally equivalent to the ASM1 model. Linear models for anoxic and aerated compartments are proposed. It is observed that the presented models track very closely the nonlinear ASM1 responses to various influent data. The key feature of this linearization strategy is that the gotten linear version of the ASM1 model is linear time invariant (LTI) and that it conserves the states biological interpretation and the original ASM1 dimension. It allows, therefore, application of interaction analysis methods and makes it possible to determine motivated control configurations for the ASM1 model.