In eukaryotic organisms clathrin-coated vesicles are instrumental in the processes of endocytosis as well as intracellular protein trafficking. Hence, it is important to understand how these vesicles have evolved across eukaryotes, to carry cargo molecules of varied shapes and sizes. The intricate nature and functional diversity of the vesicles are maintained by numerous interacting protein par...

The DnaJ protein auxilin has been extensively studied in vitro as a cofactor for uncoating clathrin-coated vesicles by the chaperone Hsc70. Recent studies provide the first evidence that auxilin plays this role in vivo, and work on a new mammalian auxilin suggests the protein may have more complex cellular functions.

Endocytosis is crucial for an array of cellular functions and can occur through several distinct mechanisms with the capacity to internalize anything from small molecules to entire cells. The clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway has recently received considerable attention because of (i) the identification of an array of molecules that orchestrate the assembly of clathrin-coated vesicles and the...

The distinctive triskelion shape of clathrin allows assembly into polyhedral lattices during the process of clathrin-coated vesicle formation. We have used random and site-directed mutagenesis of the yeast clathrin heavy chain gene (CHC1) to characterize regions which determine Chc trimerization and binding to the clathrin light chain (Clc) subunit. Analysis of the mutants indicates that mutati...

The GTPase dynamin is essential for CME (clathrin-mediated endocytosis), but its exact function and mechanism of action have been controversial. Here, we review findings that have led to the current models for dynamin function, either as a mechanochemical enzyme driving membrane fission or as a regulatory GTPase monitoring rate-limiting steps in CME. However, these models are not mutually exclu...

WantEat is about interacting with everyday objects that become intelligent hubs for accessing and sharing the cultural heritage of a territory. Objects are smart in the sense that they share knowledge with users, interact with them in a personalized way and maintain social relationships with users and other objects. When interacting with an object, a user can share information with it and is al...

Topic of this paper is an interactive sound reproduction system to create virtual sonic environments and visual spaces, called Virtual Audio Reproduction Engine for Spatial Environments (VARESE). Using VARESE, Edgard Varèse’s Poème électronique was recreated within a virtual Philips Pavilion. The system draws on binaural sound reproduction principles including spatialization techniques based on...

The classification of the various image features or visual objects can be done by the consistency-driven pairwise comparisons method based on their relative importance. A key issue in the proposed approach is a weight based synthesis for combining various image features. When compared with the traditional experience-based linear assignment method, the proposed approach is more effective and eas...

Microsoft has prosecuted a vigorous civil enforcement campaign against spammers and phishers. When initial investigation into a spam or phishing case fails to reveal the identity of the person(s) responsible, filing a “John Doe” lawsuit and following up with thorough third-party discovery has been an effective strategy to unmask the perpetrator.

Gravitational collapse is one of the most striking phenomena in gravitational physics. The cosmic censorship conjecture has provided strong motivation for researches in this field. In the absence of general proof for the censorship, many examples have been proposed, in which naked singularity is the outcome of gravitational collapse. Recent development has revealed that there are examples of na...