Crystallization of Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C N-(1-D-carboxyethyl)-L-norvaline dehydrogenase and its complex with NAD+

The novel NAD+-linked opine dehydrogenase from a soil isolate Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C belongs to an enzyme superfamily whose members exhibit quite diverse substrate specificites. Crystals of this opine dehydrogenase, obtained in the presence or absence of co-factor and substrates, have been shown to diffract to beyond 1.8 ? resolution. X-ray precession photographs have established that the crystals belong to space group P21212, with cell parameters a = 104.9, b = 80.0, c = 45.5 ? and a single subunit in the asymmetric unit. The elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of this enzyme will provide a structural framework for this novel class of dehydrogenases to enable a comparison to be made with other enzyme families and also as the basis for mutagenesis experiments directed towards the production of natural and synthetic opine-type compounds containing two chiral centres.     

Thermal characterization of portland cement-magnesia blends

Summary Due to growing environmental concerns and the need to use less energy-intensive building products, alternatives and improvements to Portland cement (PC) are being actively researched worldwide. Use of supplementary materials is now a common practice where PC is the predominant component of inorganic building products. This study aims to investigate the potential of magnesia (MgO), derived from a naturally occurring raw material magnesite, as a supplementary material. Results from mortar samples prepared with 10 and 20% replacements of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) by MgO are presented. DTA-TG was used to study and characterise the hydration behaviour of MgO in OPC environment after 3, 7, 14, 28, 56 and 90 days of moist curing. Microstructural and compressive strength determinations providing additional information on the influence of hydrated phases are also reported.     

Assessment of the UVR protection provided by different tree species

In recent years, SunSmart campaigns have emphasized the importance of the use of shade as a strategy in the reduction of human exposure to solar UV radiation (UVR), particularly in early life with the provision of shade in schools. Trees can play an important role in shade provision, either as the main shade provider or to augment shade structures and increase UVR protection provided to the general population. A study to measure the protection provided by a range of trees common in Australian urban environments was undertaken during the summers of 2004/2005 and 2005/2006. Solar UVR beneath the trees was measured using UVR sensitive polysulphone badges positioned horizontally within the shaded area and were compared with those in full sunshine to give an indication of the protection provided. Measurements made on sunny days during the months of October to April indicated that the shade cover provided by the trees depended upon the tree species and changed with season as a result of changing foliage and sun angles. Measured protection factors ranged from 5 to 10 and were generally a maximum in the height of summer when the sun was highest in the sky and the foliage was densest.     

Linguistic modelling and information coarsening based on prototype theory and label semantics

The theory of prototypes provides a new semantic interpretation of vague concepts. In particular, the calculus derived from this interpretation results in the same calculus as label semantics proposed by Lawry. In the theory of prototypes, each basic linguistic label L has the form ‘about P’, where P is a set of prototypes of L and the neighborhood size of the underlying concept is described by the word ‘about’ which represents a probability density function δ on [0,+∞). In this paper we propose an approach to vague information coarsening based on the theory of prototypes. Moreover, we propose a framework for linguistic modelling within the theory of prototypes, in which the rules are concise and transparent. We then present a linguistic rule induction method from training data based on information coarsening and data clustering. Finally, we apply this linguistic modelling method to some benchmark time series prediction problems, which show that our linguistic modelling and information coarsening methods are potentially powerful tools for linguistic modelling and uncertain reasoning.     

A bipolar model of assertability and belief

Valuation pairs are introduced as a bipolar model of the assertability of propositions. These correspond to a pair of dual valuation functions, respectively, representing the strong property of definite assertability and the dual weaker property of acceptable assertability. In the case where there is uncertainty about the correct valuation pair for a language then a probability distribution is defined on possible valuation pairs. This results in two measures, μ⁺ giving the probability that a sentence is definitely assertable, and μ⁻ giving the probability that a sentence is acceptable to assert. It is shown that μ⁺ and μ⁻ can be determined directly from a two dimensional mass function m defined on pairs of sets of propositional variables. Certain natural properties of μ⁺ and μ⁻ are easily expressed in terms of m, and in particular we introduce certain consonance or nestedness assumptions. These capture qualitative information in the form of assertability orderings for both the propositional variables and the negated propositional variables. On the basis of these consonance assumptions we show that label semantics, intuitionistic fuzzy logic and max-min fuzzy logic can all be viewed as special cases of this bipolar model. We also show that bipolar belief measures can be interpreted within an interval-set model.     

A neutrino (antineutrino)-induced four lepton event

We report observation of a neutrino (antineutrino)-induced event with two electrons, one positron, one positively charged muon, a neutral K meson, and seven gammas in an experiment performed in the FNAL 15-ft. bubble chamber with a 47% atomic mixture of neon in hydrogen. Estimated experimental electron backgrounds are ～10^?4 per track. At present we have no plausible interpretation of this event.