Findings from the Candrive/Ozcandrive study: Low mileage older drivers,crash risk and reduced fitness to drive

Previous research has found that only older drivers with low annual driving mileages had a heightened crash risk relative to other age groups. These drivers tend to drive mainly in urban areas, where the prevalence of complex traffic situations increases crash risk. However it might also be that some drivers may have reduced their driving due to perceived or actual declines in driving fitness.     

Evaluation of novel lactose-positive and exopolysaccharide-producing strain of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pediococcus pentosaceus</Emphasis> for fermented foods

A novel strain of lactic acid bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus P 773 was isolated from spoiled beer and identified by means of 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The ability to assimilate lactose as a sole carbon source as a specific feature for this strain was detected and confirmed on dairy substrates. In the presence of sucrose containing substrates (sucrose, raffinose) this P. pentosaceus P 773 lactose-positive strain produced a complex of extracellular polysaccharides (Qp = 0.08 g/l/h) with a molecular mass about 2,000 kDa composed by glucose and fructose residues at a ratio 3:1, respectively. These exopolysaccharides were capable to stimulate the growth rate and biomass productivity of common constituent cultures of probiotic dairy starters (Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus) as well as were assimilated as a sole carbon source by these strains. The present study confirmed the presence of lactose-positive and exopolysaccharide-producing strain of P. pentosaceus in natural environment which could be used as a starter culture to impart more functional attributes to fermented food.     

3-Arylaziridine-2-carboxylic Acid Derivatives and (3-Arylaziridin-2-yl)ketones: The Aziridination Approaches

Aziridination reactions represent a powerful tool in aziridine synthesis. Significant progress has been achieved in this field in the last decades, whereas highly functionalized aziridines including 3-arylated aziridine-2-carbonyl compounds play an important role in both medical and synthetic chemistry. For the reasons listed, in the current review we have focused on the ways to obtain 3-arylated aziridines and on the recent advances (mainly since the year 2000) in the methodology of the synthesis of these compounds via aziridination.     

An Easy Route to Aziridine Ketones and Carbinols

N,N-Dimethylaziridine-2-carboxamides react with organolithium reagents yielding 2-aziridinylketones. The reaction with one equivalent of organolithium compound is selective to amide carbonyl at a low (−78 °C) temperature. These ketones, in reaction with organolithium reagents, give symmetrical and unsymmetrical aziridinyl carbinols. The usage of excess phenyllithium may serve as a special N-Boc-protecting group cleavage method for acid-sensitive substrates.     

Modeling of the three-dimensional structure of the human melanocortin 1 receptor, using an automated method and docking of a rigid cyclic melanocyte-stimulating hormone core peptide

A model is presented of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), constructed by use of an unbiased, objective method. The model is created directly from data derived from multiple sequence analysis, a low-resolution EM-projection map of rhodopsin, and the approximate membrane thickness. The model agrees well with available data concerning natural mutations of MC1Rs occurring in different species. A model is also presented of the most rigid ligand for this receptor, the cyclic pentapeptide cHFRWG, shown docked in the receptor model. The receptor–ligand complex model agrees well with available experimental data. The ligand is located between transmembrane region 1 (TM1), TM2, TM3, TM6, and TM7 of the receptor. Multiple interactions occur between ligand and receptor, including interactions with Leu-48 (TM1), Ser-52 (TM1), Glu-55 (TM1), Asn-91 (TM2), Glu-94 (TM2), Thr-95 (TM2) Ile-98 (TM2), Asp-121 (TM3), Thr-124 (TM3), Phe-257 (TM6), Phe-283 (TM7), Asn-290 (TM7), and Asp-294 (TM7) of the receptor.