Homogenization and crystallization of histidine ammonia-lyase by exchange of a surface cysteine residue

Histidase (histidine ammonia-lyase, EC 4.3.1.3) from Pseudomonasputida was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. In theabsence of thiols the tetrameric enzyme gave rise to undefinedaggregates and suitable crystals could not be obtained. Thesolvent accessibility along the chain was predicted from theamino acid sequence. Among the seven cysteines, only one waslabeled as `solvent-exposed'. The exchange of this cysteineto alanine abolished all undefined aggregations and yieldedreadily crystals diffracting to 1.8 Å resolution.     

A method for identification of geometrical tool changes during machining of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V

There exists an increasing demand for cost and time-efficient cutting tests for describing the performance of different combinations of cutting tools and workpiece materials in the cutting process both in industry and academia. Cutting tools are expected to withstand the heat and the pressure developed during the machining of difficult-to-machine materials such as Ti6Al4V. This article introduces a new test method which may be used in order to analyze both the machinability of a workpiece material as well as the cutting tool behavior. The experiments were performed by using a predefined sequence of feeds, a so-called Stepwise Increased Feed Test. A gradually increased load on the cutting edge was thus applied up to the point where plastic deformation of the cutting edge was obtained. The limit for the initial change in tool geometry was identified through analysis of measured cutting forces.     

Energy-efficient cooking methods

Energy-efficient new cooking techniques have been developed in this research. Using a stove with 649?±?20 W of power, the minimum heat, specific heat of transformation, and on-stove time required to completely cook 1 kg of dry beans (with water and other ingredients) and 1 kg of raw potato are found to be: 710 (±24)?kJ, 613 (±20)?kJ, and 1,144?±?10 s, respectively, for beans and 287?±?12 kJ, 200?±?9 kJ, and 466?±?10 s for Irish potato. Extensive researches show that these figures are, to date, the lowest amount of heat ever used to cook beans and potato and less than half the energy used in conventional cooking with a pressure cooker. The efficiency of the stove was estimated to be 52.5?±?2 %. Discussion is made to further improve the efficiency in cooking with normal stove and solar cooker and to save food nutrients further. Our method of cooking when applied globally is expected to contribute to the clean development management (CDM) potential. The approximate values of the minimum and maximum CDM potentials are estimated to be 7.5?×?10¹¹ and 2.2?×?10¹³?kg of carbon credit annually. The precise estimation CDM potential of our cooking method will be reported later.     

Activation energy of poly(methyl methacrylate) from rheometry and polymer welding

In this article, activation energies for a poly(methyl methacrylate) material were determined by shear rheometry and by bond strength in welding. Functions for temperature dependency of viscosity and for bond strength, depending on time and temperature, were found. These functions were fitted to measurements from shear rheometry between 230 and 270 °C and from strength of lap-shear joints welded from 105 to 130 °C, where by values of activation energies were found. It was found that bonding pressure was less than significant. Despite experimental differences, there was good correlation with data from literature for each method as well as for temperature dependency.     

Integrierte Wertschöpfungsnetzwerke – Chancen und Potenziale durch Industrie 4.0

The Smart Factory is the central element of Industry 4.0 and establishes the foundation to enable integrated value chains across companies. The linkage of information along value chains offers a wide range of opportunities and potentials to realize new innovative solutions.     

Model-Supported Impact Assessment for the Water Sector in Central Germany Under Climate Change—A Case Study

Climate change challenges water managers and researchers to find sustainable management solutions, in order to avoid undesirable impacts on water resources, environment and water-dependent sectors. Needed are projections into the future for the main driving forces, the resulting pressures on water resources, and quantification of the impacts. Modeling studies can play an important role in investigating, quantifying, and communicating possible impacts of climate change, with account of uncertainty of the results. However, climate change related impacts and a need for adaptation still play a minor role in current river basin management plans that have to comply e.g. with the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). One important reason is that climate impact assessment is generally done in research institutes, while management plans are designed by practitioners working in national and regional environmental agencies and water supply companies. Knowledge transfer from science to practice and visa versa is often missing. In the present study, we propose a methodology and a case study for model-supported decision making in the water sector applicable to a participatory water resources planning process. The methodology is applied in a case study investigating climate change impacts on water resources. The case study area is the German State of Saxony-Anhalt, where the task was to develop a climate change impact assessment including possible adaptation measures as basis for a federal adaptation directive.     

Microstructure and Compression Strength of Novel TRIP‐Steel/Mg‐PSZ Composites

Novel composites on basis of austenitic stainless TRIP‐steel as matrix with reinforcements of Mg‐PSZ are presented. Compact rods were produced by cold isostatic pressing and sintering, square honeycomb samples by the ceramic extrusion technique. The samples are characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy before and after deformation, showing the microstructure and the deformation‐ induced martensite formation. The mechanical properties of samples with 5 vol% zirconia are superior compared to zirconia‐free samples and composites with higher zirconia contents in terms of bending and compression tests. The honeycomb samples exhibit extraordinary high specific energy absorption in compression.     

Correction to correction to Ilies et al. (2009).

Reports an error in "'Personality and citizenship behavior: The mediating role of job satisfaction': Correction" by Remus Ilies, Ingrid Smithey Fulmer, Matthias Spitzmuller and Michael D. Johnson (Journal of Applied Psychology, 2010[Mar], Vol 95[2], 404). The volume number of the original article was incorrectly identified. It should have been identified as Vol. 94. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2010-04488-016.) Reports an error in "Personality and citizenship behavior: The mediating role of job satisfaction" by Remus Ilies, Ingrid Smithey Fulmer, Matthias Spitzmuller and Michael D. Johnson (Journal of Applied Psychology, 2009[Jul], Vol 94[4], 945-959). The path coefficients presented in the figures are slight overestimates. For example, in Figure 1 (p. 952), the paths from Agreeableness and Conscientiousness to Job Satisfaction should be .11 and .23 instead of .12 and .28, the direct effects from Agreeableness and Conscientiousness to Citizenship Behavior should be .10 and .16 instead of .11 and .18, and the paths from Job Satisfaction to Citizenship Behavior should be .28 (.22) instead of .34 (.26). The statistical significance of the path coefficients is correct, and so are the substantive conclusions based on the better fit of the partially mediated models relative to the fully mediated models. Also, the meta-analytic estimates presented in Table 1 (p. 949), Table 2 (p. 950), and Table 3 (p. 951) are correct. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2009-10167-018.) Using meta-analytic path analysis, the authors tested several structural models linking agreeableness and conscientiousness to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Results showed that the 2 personality traits had both direct effects and indirect effects—through job satisfaction—on overall OCB. Meta-analytic moderator analyses that distinguished between individual- and organization-targeted citizenship behaviors (OCB-I and OCB-O) showed that agreeableness was more closely related with OCB-I and conscientiousness with OCB-O. Finally, the path analyses predicting OCB-I and OCB-O offered further support for the general hypothesis that these 2 constructs are distinct. That is, the results of these analyses revealed that agreeableness had both direct and indirect effects on OCB-I but only indirect effects on OCB-O, and that for conscientiousness the pattern of direct and indirect effects was exactly opposite (direct and indirect effects on OCB-O but only indirect effects on OCB-I). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)