This paper deals with one of the speech synthesizer components – automatic stressing of a text. The method, which by means of a decision tree finds sequences of letters that unambiguously define the word stressing, was applied to stress a Lithuanian text. Stressing rules based on sequences of letters at the beginnings, endings and in the middle of a word have been formulated. Also, the proposed...

Focal adhesion assembly and maturation often occurs concomitantly with changes in force generated within the cytoskeleton or extracellular matrix. To coordinate focal adhesion dynamics with force, it has been suggested that focal adhesion dynamics are mechanosensitive. This review discusses current understanding of the regulation of focal adhesion assembly and force transmission, and the limits...

Obesity is characterized by chronic activation of inflammatory pathways in peripheral tissues. In this issue, Zhang et al. (2008) demonstrate that inflammation also occurs in the central nervous system where it disrupts activity of the hypothalamus leading to resistance to leptin that is mediated by activation of IKK and the endoplasmic reticulum stress response.

Neuroendocrine responses to stress, particularly those mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, can differ significantly between males and females in many species. In laboratory rats and mice, for example, basal and stress-induced hormone secretions in the HPA axis are generally higher in females than in males in a variety of experimental situations (1, 2). Female roden...