A new Zymomonas mobilis platform strain for the efficient production of chemicals.

Background: Zymomonas mobilis is well known for its outstanding ability to produce ethanol with both high specific productivity and with high yield close to the theoretical maximum. The key enzyme in the ethanol production pathway is the pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) which is converting pyruvate to acetaldehyde. Since it is widely considered that its gene pdc is essential, metabolic engineering strategies aiming to produce other compounds derived from pyruvate need to find ways to reduce PDC activity.

Construction and comparison of different vehicles for heterologous gene expression in Zymomonas mobilis.

Zymomonas mobilis has the potential to be an optimal chassis for the production of bulk chemicals derived from pyruvate. However, a lack of available standardized and characterized genetic tools hinders both efficient engineering of Z. mobilis and progress in basic research on this organism.

Characterizing and utilizing oxygen-dependent promoters for efficient dynamic metabolic engineering.

Promoters adjust cellular gene expression in response to internal or external signals and are key elements for implementing dynamic metabolic engineering concepts in fermentation processes. One useful signal is the dissolved oxygen content of the culture medium, since production phases often proceed in anaerobic conditions. Although several oxygen-dependent promoters have been described, a comprehensive and comparative study is missing.

Substitution of Copper by Magnesium in Malachite: Insights into the Synthesis and Structural Effects.

The phase width of the copper hydroxycarbonate malachite, CuCO(OH), upon substitution with magnesium has been studied in detail. In extension of a previous study on amorphous precursors, the introduction of a hydrothermal aging step allowed the retrieval of crystalline hydroxycarbonate samples with up to 37 atom % Mg (metal content) that are suitable candidates as precursors to Cu/MgO catalysts for CO hydrogenation. Simultaneous refinements of X-ray powder diffraction and pair distribution function (PDF) data as well as complementary spectroscopic insight (X-ray absorption and infrared spectroscopy) revealed that samples with up to 18 atom % Mg are phase-pure magnesian malachites but the magnesium content can be increased beyond this threshold when mcguinnessite (CuMgCO(OH)) is accepted as a side phase.

Zymo-Parts: A Golden Gate Modular Cloning Toolbox for Heterologous Gene Expression in .

is a microorganism with extremely high sugar consumption and ethanol production rates and is generally considered to hold great potential for biotechnological applications. However, its genetic engineering is still difficult, hampering the efficient construction of genetically modified strains. In this work, we present Zymo-Parts, a modular toolbox based on Golden-Gate cloning offering a collection of promoters (including native, inducible, and synthetic constitutive promoters of varying strength), an array of terminators and several synthetic ribosomal binding sites and reporter genes.

Community financing for sustainable food and farming: a proximity perspective.

An increasing number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the German organic agri-food sector involves citizens through different community financing models. While such models provide alternative funding sources as well as marketing opportunities to SMEs, they allow private investors to combine their financial and ethical concerns by directly supporting the development of a more sustainable food system. Due to the low level of financial intermediation, community financing is characterized by close relations between investors and investees.

Non-invasive ventilation and hypercapnia-associated symptoms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Objectives: During the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive weakness of respiratory muscles leads to chronic hypercapnia which causes various symptoms like sleep disturbances, daytime fatigue, and depression. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) improves survival and quality of life, but little is known about its effect on these specific symptoms, in particular during the later course of disease. Our aim was to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of NIV on hypercapnia-associated symptoms in ALS.

Ionothermal syntheses of nano- and microstructured ternary copper-indium-chalcogenides.

Ternary compounds of copper indium selenide nano- and microsized materials were prepared through colloidal synthesis using an indium(III) selenide precursor and copper(I) chloride via a microwave-assisted ionothermal route. The indium(III) selenide precursor used in the reaction was formed in situ from a diphenyl diselenide precursor and chloroindate(III) ionic liquids (ILs), also via a microwave-assisted ionothermal route. The crystal structures of three intermediates, namely, CuCl2(OMe)2(H2O)){Cu(PhSeO2)2}n, [CuCl(Se2Ph2)2]n, and [C8mim]3{Cu(I)Cl2Cu(II)OCl8}n, were determined after formation through a ionothermal procedure utilizing metal-containing imidazolium ILs and a selenium precursor with conventional heating.

Reactive glia in the injured brain acquire stem cell properties in response to sonic hedgehog. [corrected].

As a result of brain injury, astrocytes become activated and start to proliferate in the vicinity of the injury site. Recently, we had demonstrated that these reactive astrocytes, or glia, can form self-renewing and multipotent neurospheres in vitro. In the present study, we demonstrate that it is only invasive injury, such as stab wounding or cerebral ischemia, and not noninvasive injury conditions, such as chronic amyloidosis or induced neuronal death, that can elicit this increase in plasticity.

Dynamic changes in myelin aberrations and oligodendrocyte generation in chronic amyloidosis in mice and men.

Myelin loss is frequently observed in human Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may constitute to AD-related cognitive decline. A potential source to repair myelin defects are the oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) present in an adult brain. However, until now, little is known about the reaction of these cells toward amyloid plaque deposition neither in human AD patients nor in the appropriate mouse models.

Improving the adsorption capacity and solid structure of natural volcanic soil using a foaming-sintering process based on recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The volcanic soils of southern Chile have demonstrated a high capacity to adsorb environmental pollutants, but for an industrial application, a stable solid material is necessary. The objective of this work was to produce a stable ceramic material through a process involving volcanic soil-polyurethane foam produced with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-polyols, and further thermal treatment. The selected foam formulation with 35.

Idiopathic intimal hyperplasia of small arteries and arterioles affecting intestines and myocardium.

We report the case of a 52-year-old woman dying from a noninflammatory, occlusive vasculopathy. Histology showed marked intimal hyperplasia of small arteries of the intestines and myocardium with subsequent infarction of myocardium, large intestine and gallbladder. A comprehensive work up including laboratory studies, clinical investigations and postmortem failed to assign this condition to any of the known vascular diseases.

Carcinomas of the anal canal and anal margin differ in their expression of cadherin, cytokeratins and p53.

Carcinomas of the anus are subdivided into those of the anal canal and those of the anal margin. It has been postulated that the various types of tumours of the anal canal represent a spectrum of differentiation rather than tumours of a separate origin. We compared the expression of Pan-cadherin, cytokeratins (CKs) 5/6, 7, 13, 18 and 19, p53 and MIB-1 in 17 cases of carcinoma of the anal canal and 5 cases of carcinoma of the anal margin.

Cluster of pulmonary infections caused by Cunninghamella bertholletiae in immunocompromised patients.

Cunninghamella bertholletiae is a rare cause of pulmonary mucormycosis. We describe a cluster of invasive pulmonary infections caused by C. bertholletiae in 4 immunocompromised patients that occurred during a 2-year period at 1 center.

Influence of antimicrobial treatment on mortality in septicemia.

Objective: To determine the influence of antimicrobial therapy and of predisposing illness on the septicemia mortality rate.

Method: All blood-culture-positive episodes of septicemia in the Department of Medicine at the University Hospital in Frankfurt between 1989 and 1993 were entered on a database. Underlying illnesses were classified as immunocompromising diseases (hematological malignancies, AIDS and others), severe chronic and chronic illnesses and no predisposing illnesses.

Ultrasensitive enzymatic radioimmunoassay using a fusion protein of protein A and neomycin phosphotransferase II in two-chamber-well microtiter plates.

A new sensitive method for antigen detection employing a phosphorylation reaction is described using human serum albumin as a model. The antigen is initially bound to the surface of polystyrene microtiter plates and reacted with an antibody (rabbit). A microbiologically produced bifunctional fusion protein of protein A and neomycin phosphotransferase II (NPT II) serves as a second immunological reagent by virtue of its protein A component.

High-sensitivity protein detection by a new "contact-copy" method using a protein A-neomycin phosphotransferase II fusion protein.

A new system for high-sensitivity protein detection by an immunoenzymatic "contact-copy" procedure is described. It is based on two components: (i) a microbiologically produced bifunctional fusion protein of protein A and neomycin phosphotransferase II (protein A-NPT II) in which the protein A moiety acts as a second immunological reagent while NPT II catalyzes the detection reaction and (ii) a novel kanamycin-loaded substrate matrix (kanamycin-cyanuric chloride-activated and sulfanilic acid-derivatized paper) brought into direct contact with a protein-carrying matrix after blot or dot application and initial immunoreaction--the NPT II enzyme reaction with [gamma-32P]ATP as cosubstrate leads to phosphorylation of the substrate kanamycin on the substrate matrix, which is used for further analysis. The contact-copy method has at least the same detection sensitivity as procedures employing 125I-protein A, but allows extremely short exposure times and avoids probe prelabeling.

A new neomycin phosphotransferase II solid phase assay in combination with polyacrylamide sodium dodecylsulphate gel electrophoresis.

A new general method for the determination of neomycin phosphotransferase (NPT) II (EC 2.7.1.

A protein-free blocking system for the covalently binding matrix cyanuric chloride-activated paper in immunological procedures.

A new protein-free blocking system containing 10% (w/v) sulfanilic acid/10% (v/v) triethanolamine/0.05% (v/v) Tween 20 has been used to block free binding sites of the covalently binding matrix cyanuric chloride-activated paper (CCA-paper). This method allows a reversible staining of protein blots with Coomassie brilliant blue after each step of the immunological procedure and reuse of the blots for a repeated antibody probing.

Use of cyanuric chloride-activated paper for detection of subpicogram quantities of specific DNA sequences and its application to linked restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in a Duchenne muscular dystrophy affected family.

Conditions for the optimal use of cyanuric chloride-activated (CCA) paper in Southern transfer hybridization experiments of genomic DNA were investigated. They depend critically on pH and ionic strength during transfer and on the composition of the hybridization solution. Simplified hybridization conditions using a SSC/dextran sulfate system at 65 degrees C without sodium dodecyl sulfate and the complex Denhardt's solution are applied.

CCA paper: a new two-dimensional cyanuric chloride-activated matrix for universal application in molecular biology.

A novel two-dimensional cyanuric chloride-activated (CCA) paper has been developed. It is composed of a cellulosic base, covalently bound cyanuric chloride, and microprecipitated complex cyanuric chloride-sodium chloride crystals on its surface. CCA paper covalently binds nucleic acids and proteins.