Littérature scientifique sur le sujet « Protein turn-over »

AbstractA dynamic model for simulation of growth in pigs was extended by a module to describe protein turn-over in six body protein pools (muscle, connective tissue, liver, blood plasma, gastro-intestinal, and 'other' proteins). The model describes protein deposition in these pools following different growth curves and differential rates of turnover. Growth curve parameters and turn-over rates were obtained from the literature.In growing animals, experimentally measured turn-over rates represent a combination of turn-over of already-present body protein and fractional (repeated) synthesis of newly deposited protein. An attempt was made to distinguish between these processes by varying the values of the fractional rate of synthesis of newly deposited protein (FRSdrp) and of the proportionof maintenance energy requirements not related to protein turn-over (FrcMEmaint), and comparing the simulated outputto the output from the original model without the protein turnover module.The turn-over rate (TRpres)of already present connective tissue protein reached unrealistic values for FRSdep > 2·5 per day, which puts an upper limit on FRSdep.The output from the extended and the original models showed similar patterns for certain combinations of FRSdefl and FrcMEmaint, dependent on the levels of model input variables. For FRSdcp 2·5 perday, these similar patterns have their optimum at FrcME^^ = 0·65, coinciding with FRSdep =2·0 per day. The corresponding TRpres values were 0·060, 0·019, 0·585, 1·492, 0·582, and 0·016 per day for the above mentioned pools.

The magnitude of the discrepancy between conventional regression estimates of protein retention efficiency and theoretical estimates of synthesis efficiency indicates a major contribution ascribable to protein turn-over in the generally accepted estimates. As protein turn-over is known to be influenced by diet, feeding level and degree of maturity, this suggests the development of an estimator of protein efficiency that can be adapted for such differences. Therefore, based on generally accepted formulas for growth description, a method of estimating protein retention efficiency was developed which is flexible enough to accommodate different diets, feeding levels and degrees of maturity. Moreover, a formula was derived to convert one type of estimate to the other by regarding constant efficiency as equivalent to variable efficiency at the mid point of the estimation interval. Increase in scientific depth to this descriptive approach is provided by a theoretical consideration of a possible mechanism of hormonal control of protein synthesis and breakdown, ultimately expressed as proportionalities to powers of whole body protein (P). Molecular considerations on cellular synthesis and breakdown indicate a difference between breakdown and synthesis powers equal to (2/9)Q. The factor (2/9) is indicated by an argument based on insulinlike growth factor derived activator diffusion attributes by nucleus and body tissue geometries, whileQis equal to the proportion of nuclei activated by insulin-like growth factor. This proportion is likely to be a function of the concentration of growth factor in the blood. Hence, a linear relationship between intake and blood insulin-like growth factor concentration suggests thatQcan be represented by a scaled transformation of intake, 0 ≤Q≤ 1, such that a value ofQ= 1 represents ad libitum intake on a suitable diet andQ= 0 intake at the maintenance requirement. The quantification of breakdown and synthesis power differences by (2/9)Qleads to kP= {1 + [1 − (P/α)(2/9)Q]−1/6}−1, for turn-over related protein retention efficiency (kP), with α the limit value of P at maturity, so that 0 ≤ (P/α) ≤ 1. Experimental estimates, derived from direct estimates of whole body protein synthesis and breakdown at predetermined levels of intake, are in excellent agreement with the theoretical (2/9)Qin the power associated with (P/α) in kP. Furthermore, conventional multiple regression retention efficiencies satisfactorily approximate the turn-over related retention efficiency that can be calculated at a given level of intake for the mid point of the interval covered by the regression estimates.

AbstractA dynamic model for simulation of growth in pigs, that was extended by a module to describe protein turn-over, was made stochastic in order to simulate groups of pigs with among-animal variation in the maximum daily protein deposition (Pdep, maxK in the minimum lipid to protein deposition rate (Ri/pimin), and in the distributionof body protein over protein pools (muscle, connective tissue, and other proteins). As a result, these simulated pigs show among-animal variation in body protein content and composition. This in turn leads to among-animal variation in energy requirements for protein turn-over and this causes among-animal variation in maintenance metabolizable energy requirements (MEmaint)as a result of variation in body composition.Simulated population means for PieVimax were varied in seven steps from 100 to 250 g/day, with an among-animal variation coefficient of 0·10; the feeding level was also varied in seven steps. Dependent on the levels of these input variables, 100-kg pigs showed within-population standard deviations in body protein and lipid content of 0·31 to 0·54 kg and 1·22 to 2·17 kg, respectively. ME showed a protein-turn-over-related, within-population coefficient of variation of 0·014 to 0·02. Comparisons over populations suggests that a 1·50 proportional increase in Pdep, max (from 100 to 250 g/day) would increase protein-turn-over-related MEmaint by 11 to 15%, from between 470 and 486 to 541 k] ME per kg body weight0'75 per day. The inferences that can be made from this with regard to experimental design are discussed.

AbstractIn pigs the quantification of breakdown and synthesis by powers of body protein led to the estimation of turn-over related protein retention efficiency by the equation kP= {1 + [1 − (P/α)(2/9)Q]−1/6}−1, with α the limit value of whole body protein (P) maturity, so that 0 ≤(P/α)≤1. The factor 2/9 is derived from diffusion attributes indicated by cell and nucleus geometries α and Q represents a scaled transformation of intake, 0 ≤ Q ≤ 1, such that a value of Q = 1 may represent ad libitum intake and Q = 0 the intake at the maintenance requirement. Published observations on finishing steers provide estimates of whole body protein synthesis and breakdown at pre-determined levels of intake in confirmation of the theoretical (2/9)Q power associated with (P/α) inkP. Further confirmation of the (2/9)Q power in cattle follows from satisfactory agreement between an estimate of conventional multiple regression retention efficiency and the turn-over related retention efficiency calculated at the given level of intake, for the mid point of the body mass interval covered by the regression estimate. In addition, a simulation experiment on cattle from the literature gives power estimates of protein breakdown and synthesis in general agreement with those accepted for pigs. Examples on both fine and coarse diets are employed to suggest a general rule for prediction on diets causing submaximal efficiency due to suboptimal intakes.In sheep, evidence derived from estimates of conventional multiple regression efficiencies suggests that the rule (a-b) = (2/9) Q for the calculation ofkPshould be reserved for the description of compensatory growth. Protein retention efficiency for ordinary growth should be described by an adaptation of the rule derived for suboptimal intakes.

In ruminants a dynamic state of protein turn-over has been poorly understood although the methodology of measuring the rate of protein turn-over has recently been advanced to a great extent (Waterlow, Garlick and Millward, 1978). Available evidence suggests that ruminants such as sheep and cows are no exception among various mammalian species when whole-body protein synthesis of adult animals is compared on a metabolic body-weight basis (Waterlow et al., 1978; Reeds and Lobley, 1980).

AbstractA review of work reported in the literature was used to present quantitative descriptions of protein use in the growing pig. These are detailed in the text, which also points to preferred values, and to anomalies and lacunae. The review was prepared with the objective of allowing from its content the inclusive and quantitative modelling of amino acid requirement. Requirement was approached as the sum of the component factors: maintenance and protein retention. Ileal true digestible protein and amino acid requirements are presented in a form consistent with that forwarded for energy. Thus both energy and protein elements can be conceptualized within a single coherent framework. Priority uses for absorbed amino acids were assumed to be (a) to support endogenous protein losses resultant from the passage of food and incomplete re-absorption prior to the terminal ileum, (b) to replace lost hair and skin, and (c) to cover the basic maintenance losses which will occur as a result of minimal protein turn-over even when protein retention is zero. The bulk of the protein requirement was directly linked to the daily rate of protein retention, for which the linear-plateau response was accepted. For determination of the maximum rate of protein retention the Gompertz function was proposed, although the use of a single value throughout the growth period was not dismissed. The balance of amino acids for protein retention is specified as different from that for maintenance. Central to the approach was the proposal that the inefficiency of use of ileal digested ideal protein, even when not supplied in excess, was an expression of protein losses occurring as a result of protein turn-over. The requirement for the satisfaction of the losses from protein turn-over occurring as a consequence of protein retention, and therefore additional to the requirements for maintenance, was identified. Quantification was attempted with sufficient success to warrant its inclusion into requirement estimation. It was concluded that this element addressed previously inadequately explained protein utilization inefficiencies. Algorithms are presented based upon protein turn-over which appear to be consistent with empirical findings.

Using longitudinal studies, this chapter examines changes in the participation gap over time. There is a persisting social-status participation gap across all the political activities presented in the chapter. In terms of voting, the widening of the participation gap arises because lower-status individuals are less likely to vote while the better educated still turn out at relatively high levels. Higher-status individuals are increasingly active in a range of non-electoral activities—contacting, signing petitions, community activity, and protest—while the less educated lag behind. These results suggest that the overall increase in citizen participation can be problematic if only certain voices share in this increase.

The economy has been brutal to American workers. The chance to provide a better life for one’s children—the promise at the heart of the American Dream—is slipping away. In the face of soaring economic inequality and mounting despair, we might expect struggling Americans to rise up together and demand their fair share of opportunity. And yet, the groups who stand to gain the most from collective mobilization appear the least motivated to act in their own self-interest. This book examines why disadvantaged people disable themselves politically. Drawing on in-depth interviews with over one hundred black, white, and Puerto Rican residents in a declining coal town in Pennsylvania, We’re Still Here demonstrates that many working-class people are fiercely critical of growing inequality and of the politicians who have failed to protect them from poverty, exploitation, and social exclusion. However, the institutions that historically mediated between personal suffering and collective political struggle have not only become weak, but have become sites of betrayal. In response, working-class people turn inward, cultivating individualized strategies for triumphing over pain. Convinced that democratic processes are rigged in favor of the wealthy, they search for meaning in internet conspiracy theories or the self-help industry—solitary strategies that turn them inward, or turn them against each other. But as visions of a broken America unite people across gender, race, and age, they also give voice to upended hierarchies, creative re-imaginings of economic justice, and yearnings to be part of a collective whole.

Virtue approaches to communication ethics have experienced a resurgence over the last decades. Tied to rhetoric since the time of Aristotle, virtue ethics offers scholars in the broad field of communication an approach to ethics based on character and human flourishing as an alternative to deontology. In each major branch of communication scholarship, the turn to virtue ethics has followed a distinctive trajectory in response to concerns about the adequacy of theoretical foundations for academic and applied work in communication ethics. Recent approaches to journalism and media ethics integrate moral psychology and virtue ethics to focus on moral exemplars, drawing on the work of Philippa Foot and Rosalind Hursthouse, or explore journalism as a MacIntyrean tradition of practice. Recent work in human communication ethics draws on MacIntyre’s approach to narrative, situating communication ethics within virtue structures that protect and promote particular goods in a moment of narrative and virtue contention.

The destruction of the Armenian community in the Ottoman Empire was an unprecedented tragedy. Theodore Roosevelt was adamant that it was the “greatest crime” of the First World War. The mass killing of approximately one million Armenian Christians was the culmination of a series of massacres that Winston Churchill would recall had roused publics on both sides of the Atlantic and inspired fervent appeals to see the Armenians “righted.” This book explains why the Armenian struggle for survival became so entangled with the debate over the United States’ international role as it rose to world power at the turn of the twentieth century. In doing so, it provides a fresh perspective on the role of humanitarian intervention in US foreign policy, Anglo-American relations and the emergence of a new international order after World War One. The clash over the US responsibility to protect the Armenians encapsulated the nation’s conflict over its global position and was a central preoccupation of both Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. For American and British leaders, a US intervention in the Near East to secure an independent Armenia was key to establishing a revised international system and to their visions for the new League of Nations. The debate over safeguarding the Armenians reveals the values that animated American society during a pivotal period in its history. In forcing US politicians to grapple for the first time with atrocities on this scale, it also demonstrates dilemmas in humanitarian politics that continue to bedevil policymakers today.

This study argues that the war on terror can be explained as an effort to cement the U.S. dollar as the world’s foremost reserve currency by expanding American control over the global energy markets. Since the 1970s, the states of OPEC agreed to denominate their oil sales in U.S. dollars in exchange for American military protection. The 9/11 attacks gave the U.S. cover to eliminate current challengers to this system while simultaneously striking new security agreements with host states throughout the Middle East, Africa, and central Asia that are critical to the extraction, sale, and transportation of energy to global markets. However, the U.S. security guarantee soon created a moral hazard problem. Since the host states had American protection, they were free to engage in corrupt behaviors—while labeling their political opponents as terrorists. To make matters worse, these states had incentives to keep terrorists in their territory, given that doing so would force the U.S. to protect them indefinitely. As a result of this moral hazard problem, terrorists in the host states gradually grew in power and transitioned to insurgencies, which caused a rapid escalation in violence. Facing the increasing cost of securing the host states, the U.S. was forced to scale back its security guarantee, which in turn contributed to greater violence in the energy market. Although the U.S. began the war to maintain its economic dominance, it now finds itself locked into a seemingly permanent war for its economic security.

Tucked away in the northeastern corner of Alaska is one of the most contested landscapes in all of North America: the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Considered sacred by Indigenous peoples in Alaska and Canada and treasured by environmentalists, the refuge provides life-sustaining habitat for caribou, polar bears, migratory birds, and other species. For decades, though, the fossil fuel industry and powerful politicians have sought to turn this unique ecosystem into an oil field. Defending the Arctic Refuge tells the improbable story of how the people fought back. At the center of the story is the unlikely figure of Lenny Kohm (1939–2014), a former jazz drummer and aspiring photographer who passionately committed himself to Arctic Refuge activism. With the aid of a trusty slide show, Kohm and representatives of the Gwich’in Nation traveled across the United States to mobilize grassroots opposition to oil drilling. From Indigenous villages north of the Arctic Circle to Capitol Hill and many places in between, this book shows how Kohm and Gwich’in leaders and environmental activists helped build a political movement that transformed the debate into a struggle for environmental justice. In its final weeks, the Trump administration fulfilled a long-sought dream of drilling proponents: leasing much of the Arctic Refuge coastal plain for fossil fuel development. Yet the fight to protect this place is certainly not over. Defending the Arctic Refuge traces the history of a movement that is alive today—and that will continue to galvanize diverse groups to safeguard this threatened land.

AbstractHuman beings are technical beings. From the clothes we wear to the spaceships we fire into the sky, all these technologies are developed with the aim to protect ourselves, improve ourselves, and control the fickle world in which we live. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that when hit with one of the biggest health crises of the last century, all over the world, governments have turned to technology to contain this life-threatening event. Most of these proposed—or already developed—technological solutions are data-driven.Just as the turn to technology to solve this crisis does not come as a surprise, neither does the protest it has caused. Critical citizens and civil rights organizations worry about the possibility of personal data being shared with private parties, about governments ending up using the collected information against citizens, and they fear an overall loss of privacy and freedom if these applications became widely used. Overall, they suspect that what is introduced as a temporary instrument to counter this crisis will have long-lasting effects on society.

AbstractThe provincial governments of Papua and West Papua have expressed their commitments and enacted policies to develop Papua Land in a sustainable manner through the issuance of Papua 2100 Vision, the 2019 Manokwari Declaration, and the ‘green’ spatial plan of Papua province. However, the implementation of these policies in balancing protection of forests and improvement of livelihood of indigenous Papuans has been slow. By employing a political economy approach, the study explores how interactions between the political economy structure, institutions, and actors have resulted in slow implementation of such commitments, particularly in reviewing the compliance of land-based industry licenses and acknowledging customary (adat) areas. The study was conducted between February 2020 and March 2021 and encompassed approximately 50 key informant interviews – including donors, civil society organizations, adat leaders, national and subnational governments, observers, academics, and journalists – and document review. The findings of this study suggest that the reform is mainly driven by development partners and limited numbers of bureaucrats that align with the indigenous Papuans’ interest to protect their land from outsiders. The small coalitions were successful in focusing their effort to enact green policies in the two provinces. However, the study highlights constraints faced by these actors to turn the policies into actions: (1) the existence of wide array of powerful actors – non-Papuans and Papuans – with strong economic and political interests identified at central, provincial, and regency level to hinder the enforcement of problematic land-based licenses and clarify adat areas; (2) the absence of broad-based political support. These have hampered the implementation of the green policies under the two aspects above. This study recommends reviewing policy at the national level to create enabling environment for green policies implementation in both provinces, e.g., to review the Omnibus Law, supporting the regency-level actors to accelerate issuance of the perda PPMHA and local-level regulations on adat-managed areas, supporting licenses review in Southern part of Papua Province to limit the operation of these businesses to expand in forest areas and disrespect adat rights over their lands, and exploring engagement with the opposing parties at all administrative level.

The amyloidoses are a heterogenous group of clinical disorders that share the common finding of the abnormal deposition of insoluble proteins into various organs, with the result that these proteinaceous deposits disrupt cellular function and impair the integrity of the organs involved. Most typically, the abnormal protein deposition is the consequence of abnormal three dimensional folding of the culprit protein. The abnormal folding of the protein, in turn, may be due to a germ line mutation, may be due to an acquired mutation, or may be due to a polymorphism or characteristic of a normal protein that leads to abnormal folding, precipitation, and deposition of the protein, particularly when that protein is expressed at unusually high levels for a prolonged period of time. The clinical manifestations of an amyloid disorder are the consequences of the array of organs involved, the extent of amyloid deposition, and co-morbid conditions present in the individual patient. The array of organs involved, and the extent of organ involvement, in turn, depend in large part on the specific protein that is responsible for the amyloid deposition, and the process driving that protein’s production. In this chapter, a chronological overview is intended to summarize the critical insights into the patho-biology of amyloid accumulation of various types. These insights have allowed an improved understanding over time of the of the major subgroups and disease entities of the amyloidoses, leading to some degree of improvement in diagnosis and treatment outcomes. Unfortunately, as of this writing, treatment outcomes still remain poor for a large fraction of patients, and there is need for improvement in all aspects of the evaluation and management of these diseases.

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is the preferred method used to study biochemical reactions like protein-ligand binding due to its sensitivity, accuracy, and precision. ITC measures directly the heat absorbed or released (∆H) associated with a given binding process. A typical ITC experiment allows the dissection of the binding energy of a reaction into ligand-enzyme association constant (Ka), change in enthalpy (∆H), change in entropy (∆S), change in Gibbs-free energy (∆G), and the stoichiometry of association (N). The change in heat capacity (∆Cp) is obtained from the measurements of binding enthalpy over a range of temperatures. The magnitude and signs of the thermodynamic parameters that were obtained provide insight into the nature of interactions involved in the binding process. The strength of interaction is thermodynamically favorable is determined by the Gibbs free energy. ∆G is an important thermodynamic descriptor of a binding reaction since it dictates the binding affinity and is in turn defined by the enthalpy and entropy changes expressed in the following equation: ∆G = ∆H–T∆S. Up-close, this reflects the contradistinctions of two thermodynamic effects at a molecular level—the propensity to drop to lower energy (bond formation, negative ∆H), counterbalanced by the innate thermal Brownian motion’s destructive characteristic (bond breakage, positive ∆S).

Each square metre of the Earth receives up to 1 kW of solar radiation, with the exact intensity depending on latitude, season, time of day, and weather. A significant amount of this energy is harnessed by the almost magical process we know as ‘photosynthesis’ in which water and carbon dioxide are combined to form carbohydrates. Thus, from the air and driven by sunlight, vegetation plucks vegetation. That new vegetation is at the start of the food chain, for its metabolism is used to forge protein and, in our brains, drive imagination. There is probably no more important chemical reaction on Earth. A large proportion of solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere. Ozone and oxygen molecules absorb a lot of ultraviolet radiation, and carbon dioxide and water molecules absorb some of the infrared radiation. As a result, plants, algae, and some species of bacteria have to make do with what gets through and evolved apparatus that captures principally visible radiation. The early forms of these organisms stumbled into a way to use the energy of visible radiation, which arrives in the packets we call photons, to extract hydrogen atoms from water molecules and use them and carbon dioxide to build carbohydrate molecules, which include sugars, cellulose, and starch. The oxygen left over from splitting up water for its hydrogen went to waste. Most of the oxygen currently in the atmosphere has been generated and is maintained by photosynthesis since Nature first stumbled on the process about 2 billion years ago and thereby caused the first great pollution. That pollution, in Nature’s characteristically careless and wholly thoughtless and unplanned way, was to turn out to be to our great advantage. Photosynthesis begins in the organelle (a component of a cell) known as a ‘chloroplast’, so you need to poke around inside one if you are to understand what is going on. I shall focus on the light harvesting and the accompanying ‘light reactions’. What follows them, the so called ‘dark reactions’ in which the captured energy is put to use to string CO2 molecules together into carbohydrates, is controlled in a highly complex way by enzymes.

Receiving a subpoena or court order are among the most stressful and potentially confusing events for mental health practitioners. This chapter explains the private practitioner’s obligations when receiving a subpoena, important steps to take before releasing client records or answering questions about a client’s treatment, and how to respond in a manner that does not jeopardize the client’s rights or welfare. The various types of subpoenas are explained, the practitioner’s actual obligations and options for responding are reviewed, and the steps to take to incorporate the client’s wishes and best interests are addressed. Recommendations are provided for how to prepare for the possibility of receiving a subpoena regarding any current or former client, the role of legal and risk-management consultation in these matters, and how consultants may assist clinicians to protect themselves and their clients’ interests while complying with legal obligations.

Legionella pneumophila, the causative organism in Legionnaires’ disease, is a natural inhabitant of freshwater environments. Unlike most aquatic bacteria which are digested by protists, Legionella multiplies inside protists after engulfment. Water distribution and air-conditioning systems in modern buildings have provided Legionella pneumophila with an ideal environment for growth. Legionella in aerosols from air-conditioning plants are inhaled by potential victims and deposited in the lung alveoli. Legionella escape digestion by alveolar macrophages in the same way that they escape digestion by protists in the environment. It does so by injecting over 300 effectors into the macrophages. Many of these effectors resemble eukaryotic proteins, or have motifs found only in eukaryotes, and enable Legionella to turn phagosomes into sites of replication.

That there is a missing link between environmentalists' understandings of and the application of the supremacy of Christ and the church over creation cannot be ignored. This has warranted a negative view of this doctrine in the face of current global ecological problems. In traditional African communities there was ambiguous reception of the Christian church, with its operational base confined to certain dangerous and ecologically orphaned ‘evil forests'. It is from these evil forests that the church has positively produced the present educational and political elite who should in turn protect the environment. With this fact, the multi-dimensional approach to tackling the ecological crisis in Nigeria will be set on a positive course.

That there is a missing link between environmentalists' understandings of and the application of the supremacy of Christ and the church over creation cannot be ignored. This has warranted a negative view of this doctrine in the face of current global ecological problems. In traditional African communities there was ambiguous reception of the Christian church, with its operational base confined to certain dangerous and ecologically orphaned ‘evil forests'. It is from these evil forests that the church has positively produced the present educational and political elite who should in turn protect the environment. With this fact, the multi-dimensional approach to tackling the ecological crisis in Nigeria will be set on a positive course.

Conflict theory has a rich criminological history and argues that society’s definitions of crime and reactions to crime represent the values and norms of the powerful. To illuminate the breadth of conflict theory, we turn to Marvel’s The Defenders, a show that brings together four superheroes—Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Daredevil, and Jessica Jones—to protect New York City from the Hand. The chapter argues that, by pushing aside the heroes’ superpowers, the show reveals how group and cultural conflicts emerge in our understanding of crime, criminality, and our reaction to law breakers and how these notions are tied to issues of power, authority, and identity. Specifically, the chapter argues that group conflict manifests as the Hand uses its longstanding power to stay hidden from the formal legal system and operate with impunity from law enforcement. Further, cultural conflict emerges within the Defenders as their different cultural understandings of crime, criminals, and the police create conflict over how to confront the Hand. The chapter describes how each of the Defenders embodies different group interests at conflict with each other, but also with the dominant capitalist interests of the Hand.

Collagen is a structural protein responsible for the mechanical strength, stiffness and toughness of biological tissues like skin, tendon, bone, cornea, lung and vasculature. In the present study we considered the enlargement of the aneurysm as a consequence of a pathological degradation and synthesis of collagen, i.e. malfunction of collagen turn-over. Consequently, the vascular wall is modeled by an (inert) matrix material representing the elastin, which is reinforced by a dynamic structure of bundles of collagen. Specifically, collagen is formed by a continuous stress-mediated process: deposited in the current configuration and removed by a constant degradation rate. Finally the micro-plane concept is used for the Finite Element implementation of the constitutive law. The model proposed within this study has a strong biological motivation and is able to capture both non-linear mechanics of aortic tissue and saline feature of AAA growth. Besides that, the micro-plane approach allows a straight forward FE implementation and preliminary results indicate its numerical robustness.

Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) is a membrane protein which converts light energy to chemical energy by pumping protons unidirectionally across the membrane. The driving force for pumping protons is derived from the photoisomerization of all-trans retinal to 13-cis retinal, the quantum yield of which is reported to be approximately 0.61. The quantum yield appears to be independent of temperature and is minimally affected by mutations to numerous neighboring residues in the protein. Previous studies have suggested that photoexcited BR relaxes in 0.5 ps to J which in turn relaxes in 3 ps to K2. The long-lived intermediate K has been identified as the 13-cis isomer of retinal3. The relative constancy of the quantum yield for the formation of K is not well understood, nor are the differences between J and K. To investigate the primary photoprocesses of BR as well as the role of the protein in mediating the photoisomerization of retinal, we measured time-resolved absorbance spectra over a broad spectral range with high sensitivity.

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women with over 230,000 incidences diagnosed every year. A typical breast cancer surgery might include but is not limited to, biopsies, breast conservation surgery or mastectomies. Moreover, these surgeries usually cause soreness in the shoulder and arms which in turn affect the ability of the patient to perform simple everyday activities. Lymphedema, another serious side effect of these surgeries, when coupled with radiation therapy, can appear in breast cancer patients during months or even years after the treatment ends. Lymphedema is a condition in which high-protein fluid collects beneath the skin and causes swelling, redness and discomfort. This condition occurs in breast cancer patients when lymph nodes are damaged or removed during the procedures. Research suggests that early physiotherapy as well as exercises can reduce the risk of lymphedema. Monitoring the progress during these exercises can be a first step in diagnosing lymphedema. Along with better prognosis, the patients can observe the benefits of early diagnosis with insurance coverage, since most insurance companies do not cover treatments associated with advanced stages of lymphedema. The initial stretching workouts, done during recovery, target the range of motion of the shoulder that is affected by the surgery. This range of motion, determined by the severity of the surgery, improves over time. These exercises can then be used to drain the lymph nodes and help retain flexibility in the affected muscles. A monitoring device engineered to provide data about the extent of recovery would be a significant aide to both the patients and healthcare professionals. The intent of the paper is to introduce a distinctive device that monitors workouts and uses the data as a motivating factor for the patient as well as an early detection system for lymphedema. The device shows the effort that the patient has put for each workout into user friendly real time graphs. Patients and healthcare professionals can then use this data and graphs to identify problem areas in the recovery process. Preliminary tests of this device, which are presented in this paper, showed promising results in accuracy and repeatability as the device calculated and displayed graphs which were a quantified estimation of the range of motion and workout effort of the user.

Algae are very effective in capturing the sun's energy, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and nutrients to turn them into useful substances (carbohydrates, oils, proteins, etc.). Besides the main metabolites, there are also secondary metabolites, such as carotenoids (astaxanthin, β-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and canthaxanthin [1]). Both major and compounds existing in small amounts in algae are useful. Oils and carbohydrates could provide biofuels, proteins can get products with nutritional value and from carotenoids can be prepared food supplements. Obtaining biofuel from algae has not yet proved to be economically viable [2, 3]. A much higher interest might be getting food supplements from algae. To increase their value as ingredients for food supplements, algal oils should have a higher degree of unsaturation (rich in omega 3) and an increased carotenoid content to be an important additional benefit in over all processing of algae. There are studies that refer to the influence of environmental factors on algae composition [2], but the microwave influence on algae growth, especially algal metabolites composition change is very poor studied. In this paper, besides the experiments for the activation of algal growth in discontinuous reactors [4] additional work was conducted in a continuous photobioreactor. The goal was checking not only the growth of microalgae but also their content in polyunsaturated oil and in carotenoids. By microwave-controlled irradiation of the nutrient and algae flux, which is recirculated through the photobioreactor and through a glass reactor located in a TE-type monomod cavity, the lipid content of the algae increased, but only, the modification of the lipid fraction content was significantly increased in the concentration of polyunsaturated acids with 16 and 18 carbon atoms. As far as carotenoids are concerned, the algae nannochloris has a higher carotenoid content over many known vegetables holding carotene or lycopene (carrots or tomatoes). Besides oil increasing microwave treatment produced a significant increase in carotenoid content of algae. They can be extracted together with omega-3-rich algal oil and are the basis of very valuable dietary supplements.

Activation of endothelial cells (EC) by inflammatory stimuli can result in heightened procoagulant properties towards coagulation proteins. These alterations can be readily studied in existing tissue culture models which lack a component of flow (shear). It is generally believed that thrombosis in the venous (low shear) regions of the vasculature are relatively dependent upon the coagulation proteins, whereas clots in the arterial system (high shear) are more dependent upon platelet plugs. Adhesion of the platelets to vessel wall elements under controlled conditions of flow have also been addressed in a number of models, such as the "Baumgartner chamber". In this model, blood or platelets are perfused over denuded, everted vessel segments, usually rabbit aortae. We have modified this model to study attachment of platelets to arterial segments of human origin which retain an intact layer of native EC. Arteries are aseptically removed from umbilical cords, trimmed, washed, and gently everted. The segments are placed in Medium 199 with 20% calf serum and standard growth supplements. After 4-10 days, these segments are placed on rods and perfused with whole citra-ted blood (800 sec−1). Such segments permit attachment of single platelets, but not platelet aggregates. Identical segments from which EC are mecnanically removed promote attachment of large (>5 cell) platelet thrombi. Endothelialized segments which are pre-treated (16 hours) with thrombin or phorbol myristate acetate show reduced attachment of platelets. In selected regions, clusters of leukocytes are attached to these segments, either upon or beneath the still- confluent layer of EC. Artery segments treated with bacterial endotoxin (1 mcg/ml) for 90 minutes, by contrast, show enhanced attachment of platelets, both as a monolayer of platelets and as small (2-5 cell) aggregates. This novel application of the Baumgartner assay demonstrates that platelet and leukocyte attachment to confluent EC may occur under conditions of moderate shear, and may be regulated in part by EC, which in turn may be modulated by exogenous mediators.

Polymeric composite laminates play a vital role in the fabrication of strong, lightweight materials. Composites also play a critical role in the aerospace and automotive industries. They are the very things that protect us from harsh environments. Due to widespread usage, it is important to understand how these materials age and perform over time. The advantages of polymeric composites are high rigidity, high strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance, high fatigue strength, low thermal expansion, and manufacturability. The advantages of polymeric composite parts in machines and vehicles are low mass, high speed of operation, excellent fatigue resistance, quiet running due to shock absorption, easy installment and demounting, low maintenance cost, low energy costs during production and life cycle. Despite the advantages, there are concerns regarding the long-term durability of these composites especially when it comes to performances under critical and varying conditions. Since Terfenol-D, a magnetostrictive material will be placed in these polymeric composites for structural health monitoring, it is imperative to understand the microstructure of the particles and their net effect on the resin, e.g. distortions, volume fraction, and induced strain. Terfenol-D (Tb1−xDyxFe2) is of the cubic laves phase structure in which there is less plastic deformation which in turn makes the particles hard and brittle.

Over the last decades, across the European Union (EU), the concern for improvement of vocational education and training within the member states grew in importance. The COVID-19 pandemic affected this area of a strategic importance. Therefore, the European Union is considering the adoption of the certain measures aimed at reforming it. According to the EU vision, vocational education and training are essential to the restoring of Europe after the COVID-19 pandemic. Each member state of the European Union manages its national education and training systems and establishes the content of the curricula. According to 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, (TFEU), the EU takes on the role of contributing to a quality education, encouraging the cooperation between member states. The fast outspread and the virulence of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the instauration of a panic feeling at global level. The global dynamics was turned upside down, causing survival, production and consume issues. Governments decided to introduce restricting measures across the economical and social plans. World economy was greatly affected: the markets collapsed, both in Europe and the United States, Latin America and Africa. The states adopted measures at national level, closing the borders and enforcing protectionist decisions. In their turn, citizens were ready to accept isolation measures in order to protect their health and lives. At the same time, free circulation and commerce, as well as the financial system, suffered as well. Therefore, autocratic and populist manifestations were greatly fuelled. Recession was in place and hundreds of millions of people became unemployed across the globe. State aids are the only financial resource for millions of people and numerous companies. A complex vicious circle came into being: the reduction of trust led to less crediting, unemployment and bankruptcy.

Eastern Liguria, a sometimes harsh and inhospitable place, encompasses some of the most beautiful landscape realities of the region, thanks to the presence of the sea and of an unexpected scenery. In some cases, land and water are connected, clearly showing the challenges that Man had to face in order to dominate Nature. In these cases, these forms of anthropization can turn their constraints into potentials. In this context, in a gulf such as the one between Rapallo and Portofino, outposts arose as observers to protect the neighboring territory, characterized by docks and, consequently, a suitable area for trade and for pirate incursions. For these reasons, military-style architectural structures arose, both defensive and of sighting, depending on the building site, then, in the sixteenth century coordinated and transformed into a real defensive system, by the will of the Republic of Genoa. Here, then, we can find the castle of Rapallo, the tower of Saint Michael of Pagana, the Castle of Santa Margherita, the Castle of Paraggi and finally that of Portofino, each one with its own identity and events, but connectable to the others, if only for the territorial belonging to an extremely particular site as for organicity and homogeneity. This is what the study of the Castle of Paraggi underlines, as it was built on the cliff overlooking the sea that has enjoyed a “double life” based on highlighting the latent diametrically opposed potential: born for the defense of the land from sea incursions, later on it was converted into a residence, conceptually transforming its position from a dominating into a reserved one, from an outpost on the sea clearly visible, to a place hidden on the land, from public to private. Over the centuries, the change in the function and life of the castle, has therefore been introducing changes to the facies and the composition of its appearance through the different stages of its evolution.

Naval ships, or more generically naval systems, rarely operate as a single asset, most often they operate in small or large task-groups. Individual ships are thus part of a larger complex interacting system-of-systems performing a variety of tasks and missions in support of national and international naval operations. In such a system-of-systems composition naval systems are mutually supportive. For example, a replenishment ship is there to support task-group combatants, while the combatants in turn protect the replenishment ship which typically has few self-defence measures. Timely insight into system interactions and trade-offs driving the performance, effectiveness and affordability of these system-of-systems is crucial in achieving balanced designs which work and operate effectively in naval operations. A NATO Research Task Group (RTG) was initiated to investigate how systems-of-systems technical, operational and cost modelling can help in identifying and understanding such insights aiding requirements elucidation. In support of this RTG, the Netherlands Defence Materiel Organization has worked on a test-case to demonstrate the benefits and possibilities of assessing alternative naval ship designs, and their individual technical requirements, in a system-of-systems modelling approach. In this test-case, a small task-group performing two consecutive naval operations, mine clearance and a non-combatant evacuation, was modelled with the purpose of investigating the influence of ship design requirements on the overall mission effectiveness. Specifically, the interactions of varying requirements on ship signatures and mine clearance sonar performance were investigated. Also, the difference between a single large or two smaller amphibious assault ships was included. This was done to investigate the trade-off between a single large ship with concentrated but possibly vulnerable landing capacity versus two smaller ships with distributed and less vulnerable landing capacity. Each system-of-systems alternative was evaluated in terms of the overall mission effectiveness, which is defined as the number of evacuees rescued, and total acquisition cost. The results of the test-case indicate that indeed a significant trade-off in mission effectiveness and cost exists between investing in mine clearance sonar performance versus reducing the vulnerability of the task-group ships, either by distributing the landing capacity over two assault ships, or by reducing the ship signatures. The cost-benefit results clearly show these distinct trade-offs giving the supporting information for setting the task-group ships requirements. In conclusion, the applied system-of-systems modelling approach has made it possible to identify and quantify important interactions in the test-case. Traditional single ship, single operation modelling and simulation would not have captured these essential insights. Hence, designing effective and affordable (war) ships requires a broadening of scope from a single ship and single operation perspective to a system-of-systems performing multiple (consecutive) operations.

Attention to safety and health are of ever-increasing priority to industrial organizations. Good Safety is demanded by stockholders, employees, and the community while increasing injury costs provide additional motivation for safety and health excellence. Safety has always been a strong corporate value of DuPont and a vital part of its culture. As a result, DuPont has become a benchmark in safety and health performance. Since 1990, DuPont has re-engineered itself to meet global competition and address future vision. In the new re-engineered organizational structures, DuPont has also had to re-engineer its safety management systems. A special Discovery Team was chartered by DuPont senior management to determine the “best practices’ for safety and health being used in DuPont best-performing sites. A summary of the findings is presented, and five of the practices are discussed. Excellence in safety and health management is more important today than ever. Public awareness, federal and state regulations, and enlightened management have resulted in a widespread conviction that all employees have the right to work in an environment that will not adversely affect their safety and health. In DuPont, we believe that excellence in safety and health is necessary to achieve global competitiveness, maintain employee loyalty, and be an accepted member of the communities in which we make, handle, use, and transport products. Safety can also be the “catalyst” to achieving excellence in other important business parameters. The organizational and communication skills developed by management, individuals, and teams in safety can be directly applied to other company initiatives. As we look into the 21st Century, we must also recognize that new organizational structures (flatter with empowered teams) will require new safety management techniques and systems in order to maintain continuous improvement in safety performance. Injury costs, which have risen dramatically in the past twenty years, provide another incentive for safety and health excellence. Shown in the Figure 1, injury costs have increased even after correcting for inflation. Many companies have found these costs to be an “invisible drain” on earnings and profitability. In some organizations, significant initiatives have been launched to better manage the workers’ compensation systems. We have found that the ultimate solution is to prevent injuries and incidents before they occur. A globally-respected company, DuPont is regarded as a well-managed, extremely ethical firm that is the benchmark in industrial safety performance. Like many other companies, DuPont has re-engineered itself and downsized its operations since 1985. Through these changes, we have maintained dedication to our principles and developed new techniques to manage in these organizational environments. As a diversified company, our operations involve chemical process facilities, production line operations, field activities, and sales and distribution of materials. Our customer base is almost entirely industrial and yet we still maintain a high level of consumer awareness and positive perception. The DuPont concern for safety dates back to the early 1800s and the first days of the company. In 1802 E.I. DuPont, a Frenchman, began manufacturing quality grade explosives to fill America’s growing need to build roads, clear fields, increase mining output, and protect its recently won independence. Because explosives production is such a hazardous industry, DuPont recognized and accepted the need for an effective safety effort. The building walls of the first powder mill near Wilmington, Delaware, were built three stones thick on three sides. The back remained open to the Brandywine River to direct any explosive forces away from other buildings and employees. To set the safety example, DuPont also built his home and the homes of his managers next to the powder yard. An effective safety program was a necessity. It represented the first defense against instant corporate liquidation. Safety needs more than a well-designed plant, however. In 1811, work rules were posted in the mill to guide employee work habits. Though not nearly as sophisticated as the safety standards of today, they did introduce an important basic concept — that safety must be a line management responsibility. Later, DuPont introduced an employee health program and hired a company doctor. An early step taken in 1912 was the keeping of safety statistics, approximately 60 years before the federal requirement to do so. We had a visible measure of our safety performance and were determined that we were going to improve it. When the nation entered World War I, the DuPont Company supplied 40 percent of the explosives used by the Allied Forces, more than 1.5 billion pounds. To accomplish this task, over 30,000 new employees were hired and trained to build and operate many plants. Among these facilities was the largest smokeless powder plant the world had ever seen. The new plant was producing granulated powder in a record 116 days after ground breaking. The trends on the safety performance chart reflect the problems that a large new work force can pose until the employees fully accept the company’s safety philosophy. The first arrow reflects the World War I scale-up, and the second arrow represents rapid diversification into new businesses during the 1920s. These instances of significant deterioration in safety performance reinforced DuPont’s commitment to reduce the unsafe acts that were causing 96 percent of our injuries. Only 4 percent of injuries result from unsafe conditions or equipment — the remainder result from the unsafe acts of people. This is an important concept if we are to focus our attention on reducing injuries and incidents within the work environment. World War II brought on a similar set of demands. The story was similar to World War I but the numbers were even more astonishing: one billion dollars in capital expenditures, 54 new plants, 75,000 additional employees, and 4.5 billion pounds of explosives produced — 20 percent of the volume used by the Allied Forces. Yet, the performance during the war years showed no significant deviation from the pre-war years. In 1941, the DuPont Company was 10 times safer than all industry and 9 times safer than the Chemical Industry. Management and the line organization were finally working as they should to control the real causes of injuries. Today, DuPont is about 50 times safer than US industrial safety performance averages. Comparing performance to other industries, it is interesting to note that seemingly “hazard-free” industries seem to have extraordinarily high injury rates. This is because, as DuPont has found out, performance is a function of injury prevention and safety management systems, not hazard exposure. Our success in safety results from a sound safety management philosophy. Each of the 125 DuPont facilities is responsible for its own safety program, progress, and performance. However, management at each of these facilities approaches safety from the same fundamental and sound philosophy. This philosophy can be expressed in eleven straightforward principles. The first principle is that all injuries can be prevented. That statement may seem a bit optimistic. In fact, we believe that this is a realistic goal and not just a theoretical objective. Our safety performance proves that the objective is achievable. We have plants with over 2,000 employees that have operated for over 10 years without a lost time injury. As injuries and incidents are investigated, we can always identify actions that could have prevented that incident. If we manage safety in a proactive — rather than reactive — manner, we will eliminate injuries by reducing the acts and conditions that cause them. The second principle is that management, which includes all levels through first-line supervisors, is responsible and accountable for preventing injuries. Only when senior management exerts sustained and consistent leadership in establishing safety goals, demanding accountability for safety performance and providing the necessary resources, can a safety program be effective in an industrial environment. The third principle states that, while recognizing management responsibility, it takes the combined energy of the entire organization to reach sustained, continuous improvement in safety and health performance. Creating an environment in which employees feel ownership for the safety effort and make significant contributions is an essential task for management, and one that needs deliberate and ongoing attention. The fourth principle is a corollary to the first principle that all injuries are preventable. It holds that all operating exposures that may result in injuries or illnesses can be controlled. No matter what the exposure, an effective safeguard can be provided. It is preferable, of course, to eliminate sources of danger, but when this is not reasonable or practical, supervision must specify measures such as special training, safety devices, and protective clothing. Our fifth safety principle states that safety is a condition of employment. Conscientious assumption of safety responsibility is required from all employees from their first day on the job. Each employee must be convinced that he or she has a responsibility for working safely. The sixth safety principle: Employees must be trained to work safely. We have found that an awareness for safety does not come naturally and that people have to be trained to work safely. With effective training programs to teach, motivate, and sustain safety knowledge, all injuries and illnesses can be eliminated. Our seventh principle holds that management must audit performance on the workplace to assess safety program success. Comprehensive inspections of both facilities and programs not only confirm their effectiveness in achieving the desired performance, but also detect specific problems and help to identify weaknesses in the safety effort. The Company’s eighth principle states that all deficiencies must be corrected promptly. Without prompt action, risk of injuries will increase and, even more important, the credibility of management’s safety efforts will suffer. Our ninth principle is a statement that off-the-job safety is an important part of the overall safety effort. We do not expect nor want employees to “turn safety on” as they come to work and “turn it off” when they go home. The company safety culture truly becomes of the individual employee’s way of thinking. The tenth principle recognizes that it’s good business to prevent injuries. Injuries cost money. However, hidden or indirect costs usually exceed the direct cost. Our last principle is the most important. Safety must be integrated as core business and personal value. There are two reasons for this. First, we’ve learned from almost 200 years of experience that 96 percent of safety incidents are directly caused by the action of people, not by faulty equipment or inadequate safety standards. But conversely, it is our people who provide the solutions to our safety problems. They are the one essential ingredient in the recipe for a safe workplace. Intelligent, trained, and motivated employees are any company’s greatest resource. Our success in safety depends upon the men and women in our plants following procedures, participating actively in training, and identifying and alerting each other and management to potential hazards. By demonstrating a real concern for each employee, management helps establish a mutual respect, and the foundation is laid for a solid safety program. This, of course, is also the foundation for good employee relations. An important lesson learned in DuPont is that the majority of injuries are caused by unsafe acts and at-risk behaviors rather than unsafe equipment or conditions. In fact, in several DuPont studies it was estimated that 96 percent of injuries are caused by unsafe acts. This was particularly revealing when considering safety audits — if audits were only focused on conditions, at best we could only prevent four percent of our injuries. By establishing management systems for safety auditing that focus on people, including audit training, techniques, and plans, all incidents are preventable. Of course, employee contribution and involvement in auditing leads to sustainability through stakeholdership in the system. Management safety audits help to make manage the “behavioral balance.” Every job and task performed at a site can do be done at-risk or safely. The essence of a good safety system ensures that safe behavior is the accepted norm amongst employees, and that it is the expected and respected way of doing things. Shifting employees norms contributes mightily to changing culture. The management safety audit provides a way to quantify these norms. DuPont safety performance has continued to improve since we began keeping records in 1911 until about 1990. In the 1990–1994 time frame, performance deteriorated as shown in the chart that follows: This increase in injuries caused great concern to senior DuPont management as well as employees. It occurred while the corporation was undergoing changes in organization. In order to sustain our technological, competitive, and business leadership positions, DuPont began re-engineering itself beginning in about 1990. New streamlined organizational structures and collaborative work processes eliminated many positions and levels of management and supervision. The total employment of the company was reduced about 25 percent during these four years. In our traditional hierarchical organization structures, every level of supervision and management knew exactly what they were expected to do with safety, and all had important roles. As many of these levels were eliminated, new systems needed to be identified for these new organizations. In early 1995, Edgar S. Woolard, DuPont Chairman, chartered a Corporate Discovery Team to look for processes that will put DuPont on a consistent path toward a goal of zero injuries and occupational illnesses. The cross-functional team used a mode of “discovery through learning” from as many DuPont employees and sites around the world. The Discovery Team fostered the rapid sharing and leveraging of “best practices” and innovative approaches being pursued at DuPont’s plants, field sites, laboratories, and office locations. In short, the team examined the company’s current state, described the future state, identified barriers between the two, and recommended key ways to overcome these barriers. After reporting back to executive management in April, 1995, the Discovery Team was realigned to help organizations implement their recommendations. The Discovery Team reconfirmed key values in DuPont — in short, that all injuries, incidents, and occupational illnesses are preventable and that safety is a source of competitive advantage. As such, the steps taken to improve safety performance also improve overall competitiveness. Senior management made this belief clear: “We will strengthen our business by making safety excellence an integral part of all business activities.” One of the key findings of the Discovery Team was the identification of the best practices used within the company, which are listed below: ▪ Felt Leadership – Management Commitment ▪ Business Integration ▪ Responsibility and Accountability ▪ Individual/Team Involvement and Influence ▪ Contractor Safety ▪ Metrics and Measurements ▪ Communications ▪ Rewards and Recognition ▪ Caring Interdependent Culture; Team-Based Work Process and Systems ▪ Performance Standards and Operating Discipline ▪ Training/Capability ▪ Technology ▪ Safety and Health Resources ▪ Management and Team Audits ▪ Deviation Investigation ▪ Risk Management and Emergency Response ▪ Process Safety ▪ Off-the-Job Safety and Health Education Attention to each of these best practices is essential to achieve sustained improvements in safety and health. The Discovery Implementation in conjunction with DuPont Safety and Environmental Management Services has developed a Safety Self-Assessment around these systems. In this presentation, we will discuss a few of these practices and learn what they mean. Paper published with permission.

In this study we attempted to get a better understanding of processes involved in the degradation of abnormal proteins i chloroplasts. To achieve this goal, we used a number of complementary approaches. We first characterized the expression of the two subunits of Clp protease. We demonstrated that both of them were expressed in chloroplasts in a constitutive fashion, but the expression of the regulatory subunit ClpC was enhanced by light. We generated a mutant the lumenal protein OEE33 which was targeted to the stroma in in vitro experiments. In the wrong compartment it was found unstable, and characterization of its degradation revealed that it was degraded by a soluble, ATP-dependent serine protease, which are also the characteristics of Clp protease. In search of other homologues of bacterial proteases, we found that chloroplasts contain a homologue of the FtsH protease. It is an ATP-dependent metallo-protease, bound to the stromal side of the thylakoid membrane, whose expression is dependent on light. The gene encodig this protease was cloned and characterized. In attempt to generate Arabidopsis mutant plants impaired in their capability to degrade abnormal chloroplast proteins, we fused the gene for mistargeted OEE33 to the streptomycin-detoxifying gene. This chimeric gene was introduced into Arabodipsis plants, to generate transformed plants. This transformants plants were sensitive to streptomycin due to the rapid turn-over of the chimeric protein. Seeds from these plants were then chemically mutagenised, and seedlings were selected for their capability to grow on streptomycin. The ability of these mutant transformants to grow on streptomycin is presumably due to stabilization of the chimeric protein. These plants will allow us in the future to identify the effected genes, which are likely to be involved in the protein degradation process.