Characterization of Biomimetic Cofactors According to Stability,Redox Potentials,and Enzymatic Conversion by NADH Oxidase from Lactobacillus pentosus

Oxidoreductases are attractive biocatalysts that convert achiral substrates into products of higher value, but they are also for the most part dependent on nicotinamide cofactors. Recently, biomimetic nicotinamide derivatives have received attention as less costly alternatives to natural cofactors. However, recycling of biomimetics is still challenging because there are only limited opportunities. Here, we have characterized various biomimetic cofactors with regard to stability and redox potentials to find the best alternative to natural cofactors. Further, the cofactor spectrum of NADH oxidase from Lactobacillus pentosus (LpNox) could be expanded, and the enzymatic activity was also compared to activities with different small‐molecule catalysts. As a result, we succeeded in identifying several strategies for regeneration of oxidized biomimetics.     

Factors influencing lake recovery from eutrophication--the case of basin 1 of Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton is a large, shallow, and calcareous lake that was subject to a rapid eutrophication during the 1970s. Management measures taken from the mid-1980s decreased the phosphorus load to the lake from 0.5 to 0.3 g P m-2 yr-1. Using long-term load and water quality data, we analyse the response of the formerly hypertrophic Basin 1 of the lake by the means of simple empirical models. Several factors that are commonly neglected during studies of lake recovery modified the apparent settling velocity of total P and consequently, the biomass of the phytoplankton. These factors included the loads of calcium and suspended solids, the loading ratio of the dissolved to particulate phosphorus, and blooming of the dominant cyanobacterium, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. Due to the rapid immobilisation of the mobile phosphorus in the surface sediments, moderate reduction (45-50%) in the external load resulted in a surprisingly fast and significant improvement of the water quality in the hypertrophic southwestern basins of the lake.     

Mild and neutral deprotections catalyzed by cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate

The development of a novel, chemoselective, and catalytic deprotection methodology that proceeds under mild and neutral conditions is described, and its mechanism of action is analyzed in some detail. The scope, limitations, and advantages of this protocol are discussed. Selected applications in synthesis are also highlighted.     

Comprehensive support for nuclear decommissioning based on 3D simulation and advanced user interface technologies

There is an increasing international focus on the need to optimise decommissioning strategies, driven by the anticipation of high costs and major effort for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities in the coming decades. The goals are to control and mitigate costs and negative impacts on workers, the general public, and the environment. The methods presently employed for many decommissioning tasks do not apply the latest advancements of science and technology. Therefore, there is growing interest in research and development into the adoption of novel techniques for improving safety, reducing costs, and increasing transparency.

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the authors’ results from investigating how current and emerging technologies can be applied to enhance the international decommissioning strategy, focussing in particular on three-dimensional simulation, virtual reality, advanced user interfaces, mobile and wearable devices, and geographical information systems. Our results demonstrate that emerging technologies have great potential for supporting adoption of new instrumentation, improving data and knowledge management, optimising project plans, briefing and training field operators, and for communication, surveillance, and education in general.     

The Behavior of Matrix Metalloproteinases and Their Inhibitors in Colorectal Cancer

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in the degradation of extracellular matrix components crucial for tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. MMPs are controlled by natural inhibitors called tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). We and others have demonstrated that MMPs and TIMPs are especially important in the process of tumor invasion, progression and the metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). It has been proposed that MMPs and TIMPs might play a part not only in tumor invasion and initiation of metastasis but also in carcinogenesis from colorectal adenomas. Several recent studies demonstrated that high preoperative serum or plasma MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 antigen levels are strong predictive factors for poor prognosis in patients with CRC and their determination might be useful for identification of patients with higher risk for cancer recurrence. MMP-9 and TIMP-1 have significant potential tumor marker impact in CRC. Their diagnostic sensitivity is consistently higher than those of conventional biomarkers. The pharmacological targeting of CRC by the development of a new generation of selective inhibitors of MMPs, that is highly specific for certain MMPs, is a promising and challenging area for the future.     

VBR Video Source Characterization and a Practical Hierarchical Model

There are many ways to build up traffic models for VBR video sources. A frequently applied methodology is to use mathematical analysis based on realistic assumptions to set up a source model that generates traffic according to a stochastic process. In this case, the critical issue is the validation of the synthetic trace by comparing statistics to results obtained from measurements on the real source. In this paper, we choose a different and more practical approach to model the behavior of the real traffic source. Our model building philosophy is that we analyze and understand what happens with the video information on its way from the ingress to the multimedia terminal to the egress of the network card. Throughout this journey the information is processed by several mechanisms and we build an empirical model step by step based on our measurement-based observations. Besides understanding the traffic generation procedure, statistical analysis of VBR traffic traces captured from a number of video sequences was also carried out in several scenarios. Using the knowledge of encoding, encapsulation and scheduling processes and results of the trace analysis, a hierarchical source model is set up for modeling the multimedia terminal. Thereby our model imitates the generation of video frames and the inner working of each level of protocol hierarchy and tries to reproduce the complex behavior of the real source. We use the leaky bucket analysis for verification of the model in order to capture directly the behavior of the traffic in a queue.     

2-(E)-nonen-1-ol: Male attractant for chafersAnomala vitis Fabr. andA. dubia Scop. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Traps baited with 2-(E)-nonen-1-ol alone or in combination with other compounds caught large numbers of males of both the vine chafer,Anomala vitis Fabr. and the margined vine chafer,A. dubia Scop. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), vineyard and orchard pests. In a dosage test, the largest numbers were caught by traps baited with 10 mg of 2-(E)-nonen-1-ol, which was the highest dosage tested. This is the first report on male attractants for chafer species occurring in Europe.The present paper is dedicated to the memory of our coauthor, friend and colleague Mátyás Lesznyák who died a premature and tragic death in late 1993.     

Nitrogen containing compounds

Bridge-head nitrogen-containing compounds, (1,4-diaza-bicyclo-[2.2.2]-octane, 1-azabicyclo-[2.2.2]-octane, 1,5-diaza-bicyclo-[5.4.0]-undec-5-ene and l-azabicyclo-[2.2.2]-octane-3-one), successfully catalyze the ethoxylation of dodecyl alcohol. The catalytic activity of any of the first two compounds was four to five times higher than that of an open-chain, symmetrical trialkylamine of similar basicity. The molar mass distribution of the ethoxylated dodecyl alcohol derivatives was of the Weibull-Nycander-Gold type. No Weibull-Törnquist effect could be detected, however, unlike the case realized in ethoxylated systems gained in the presence of trialkylamines. No change in the distribution constant (calculated according to Natta and Mantica) could be observed in the course of these ethoxylation reactions.     

Optimized punch contact action related to control of local structure displacement

Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization - For a structure under service loads, there is a need to induce precise control of a local displacement by additional punch loading. Such problem...