Neuronal synchrony does not correlate with motion coherence in cortical area MT

Natural visual scenes are cluttered with multiple objects whose individual features must somehow be selectively linked (or 'bound') if perception is to coincide with reality. Recent neurophysiological evidence supports a 'binding-by-synchrony' hypothesis: neurons excited by features of the same object fire synchronously, while neurons excited by features of different objects do not. Moving plaid patterns offer a straightforward means to test this idea. By appropriate manipulations of apparent transparency, the component gratings of a plaid pattern can be seen as parts of a single coherently moving surface or as two non-coherently moving surfaces. We examined directional tuning and synchrony of area-MT neurons in awake, fixating primates in response to perceptually coherent and non-coherent plaid patterns. Here we show that directional tuning correlated highly with perceptual coherence, which is consistent with an earlier study. Although we found stimulus-dependent synchrony, coherent plaids elicited significantly less synchrony than did non-coherent plaids. Our data therefore do not support the binding-by-synchrony hypothesis as applied to this class of motion stimuli in area MT.     

Structure of the Escherichia coli ribosomal termination complex with release factor 2

Termination of protein synthesis occurs when the messenger RNA presents a stop codon in the ribosomal aminoacyl (A) site. Class I release factor proteins (RF1 or RF2) are believed to recognize stop codons via tripeptide motifs, leading to release of the completed polypeptide chain from its covalent attachment to transfer RNA in the ribosomal peptidyl (P) site. Class I RFs possess a conserved GGQ amino-acid motif that is thought to be involved directly in protein-transfer-RNA bond hydrolysis. Crystal structures of bacterial and eukaryotic class I RFs have been determined, but the mechanism of stop codon recognition and peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis remains unclear. Here we present the structure of the Escherichia coli ribosome in a post-termination complex with RF2, obtained by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Fitting the known 70S and RF2 structures into the electron density map reveals that RF2 adopts a different conformation on the ribosome when compared with the crystal structure of the isolated protein. The amino-terminal helical domain of RF2 contacts the factor-binding site of the ribosome, the 'SPF' loop of the protein is situated close to the mRNA, and the GGQ-containing domain of RF2 interacts with the peptidyl-transferase centre (PTC). By connecting the ribosomal decoding centre with the PTC, RF2 functionally mimics a tRNA molecule in the A site. Translational termination in eukaryotes is likely to be based on a similar mechanism.     

A camelid antibody fragment inhibits the formation of amyloid fibrils by human lysozyme

Amyloid diseases are characterized by an aberrant assembly of a specific protein or protein fragment into fibrils and plaques that are deposited in various organs and tissues, often with serious pathological consequences. Non-neuropathic systemic amyloidosis is associated with single point mutations in the gene coding for human lysozyme. Here we report that a single-domain fragment of a camelid antibody raised against wild-type human lysozyme inhibits the in vitro aggregation of its amyloidogenic variant, D67H. Our structural studies reveal that the epitope includes neither the site of mutation nor most residues in the region of the protein structure that is destabilized by the mutation. Instead, the binding of the antibody fragment achieves its effect by restoring the structural cooperativity characteristic of the wild-type protein. This appears to occur at least in part through the transmission of long-range conformational effects to the interface between the two structural domains of the protein. Thus, reducing the ability of an amyloidogenic protein to form partly unfolded species can be an effective method of preventing its aggregation, suggesting approaches to the rational design of therapeutic agents directed against protein deposition diseases.     

Dyeing of Cotton Fabric WithReactive Dyes Using Ozonated,Spent Dyebath Water

Textilemanufacturingplantsarerequiredtoremovecolorfromeffluents.Traditionaltreatmentmethodssuchasextendedaerationremoveonlypartofthecolorfromdyehousewastewater.Additionaltreatmentsthatmaybeusedtoremovecoloraftertraditionalbiologicaltreatmentin-.eludechemi…     

拉伐尔喷嘴中气粉流的数学模型

考虑粉粒体积分率及粒径分布对流动的影响，建立了描述拉伐尔喷嘴中超声速气粉流行为的数学模型。     

等直径喷嘴中气粉两相流粉粒速度的实验研究

利用粉粒光电分光器对等直径喷嘴中粉粒速度进行了实验研究，在实验的基础上，提出了用实测喷嘴内初始运动参数和出口压强确定喷嘴内粉粒初始速度的方法，结果表明，喷嘴内粉粒速度的计算结果同实测结果基本一致。     

Hydrostatic BuIge Forming of HoIIow Parts

0 IntroductionIn recent years a number of hydrostatic bulge forming (HBF) processeshave been put into industrial production. HBF may be classified as a coldmetal forming technique for forming tubular blanks of finite length intohollow components of specified geometry by the direct application of highhydrostatic pressure to the internal surface of the blank. The action ofhydrostatic pressure is usually accompanied by the application of oneor several external concentrated or uniformly distribu…     

The potential of vertebrate microfossils for marine to non-marine correlation in the Late Jurassic

Fish (cartilaginous: elasmobranch and bony: osteichthyan actinopterygian) and reptile (crocodile) microfossils comprising scales and teeth have been examined from a series of limestone samples in the Upper Jurassic of France and Germany to gauge the possibilities of using them for correlation between fully marine and hypo-or hyper-saline (non-marine) deposits.