We study the mechanical response of elastic rods bent into open knots, focusing on the case of trefoil and cinquefoil topologies. The limit of a weak applied tensile force is studied both analytically and experimentally: the Kirchhoff equations with self-contact are solved by means of matched asymptotic expansions; predictions on both the geometrical and mechanical properties of the elastic equ...

An indolizidine alkaloid (swainsonine) was isolated from the plant Swainsona canescens. Swainsonine is a specific and potent inhibitor of alpha-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.24) and when administered to animals produces a phenocopy of the genetically based lysosomal storage disease, mannosidosis. Evidence is presented to suggest that swainsonine is a reversible active site-directed inhibitor of lysosom...

In silico sequence diversities of four orthologous plant gsh1 genes and their anino acid translates of GSH1 proteins (Glutathione Synthase) were compared to the non-orthologous prokaryotic gshI/GSHI gene/protein of E. coli (NCBI # X03954). Primer pair was designed and transgene detection was carried out in two types of gshI-transgenic poplar clones (Populus x canescens) of ggs11 (cyt-ECS) and l...