Sexual reproduction and mating-type-mediated strain development in the penicillin-producing fungus Penicillium chrysogenum

Penicillium chrysogenum is a filamentous fungus of major medical and historical importance, being the original and present-day industrial source of the antibiotic penicillin. The species has been considered asexual for more than 100 y, and despite concerted efforts, it has not been possible to induce sexual reproduction, which has prevented sexual crosses being used for strain improvement. However, using knowledge of mating-type (MAT) gene organization, we now describe conditions under which a sexual cycle can be induced leading to production of meiotic ascospores. Evidence of recombination was obtained using both molecular and phenotypic markers. The identified heterothallic sexual cycle was used for strain development purposes, generating offspring with novel combinations of traits relevant to penicillin production. Furthermore, the MAT1-1–1 mating-type gene, known primarily for a role in governing sexual identity, was also found to control transcription of a wide range of genes with biotechnological relevance including those regulating penicillin production, hyphal morphology, and conidial formation. These discoveries of a sexual cycle and MAT gene function are likely to be of broad relevance for manipulation of other asexual fungi of economic importance

Разработка информационно-программного комплекса «Журнал учета рабочего времени»

Объектом исследования является учет рабочего времени в высших учебных заведениях. Цель работы – упростить и автоматизировать учет рабочих часов сотрудников, работающих посменно, сократить время, которое уходит на заполнение табеля в конце месяца. В результате реализована система учета рабочего времени сотрудников, работающих посменно, упрощающая процесс заполнения табеля учета рабочего времени.The object of this research is working time tracking in university. The main goal - to simplify and automate working time tracking. In result time tracking system was developed. The result is a system of accounting of working time of employees working in shifts, simplifying the process of filling out a timesheet

Non-Canonical Gauge Coupling Unification in High-Scale Supersymmetry Breaking

The string landscape suggests that the supersymmetry breaking scale can be high, and then the simplest low energy effective theory is the Standard Model (SM). Considering grand unification scale supersymmetry breaking, we show that gauge coupling unification can be achieved at about 10^{16-17} GeV in the SM with suitable normalizations of the U(1)_Y, and we predict that the Higgs mass range is 127 GeV to 165 GeV, with the precise value strongly correlated with the top quark mass m_t and SU(3)_C gauge coupling. For example, if m_t=178\pm1 GeV, the Higgs boson mass is predicted to be between 141 GeV and 154 GeV. We also point out that gauge coupling unification in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) does not imply the canonical U(1)_Y normalization. In addition, we present 7-dimensional orbifold grand unified theories (GUTs) in which such normalizations for the U(1)_Y and charge quantization can be realized. The supersymmetry can be broken at the grand unification scale by the Scherk--Schwarz mechanism. We briefly comment on a non-canonical U(1)_Y normalization due to the brane localized gauge kinetic terms in orbifold GUTs.Comment: RevTex4, 28 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Priorities and Outcomes for Youth-Adult Transitions in Hospital Care: Perspectives of Inpatient Clinical Leaders at US Children’s Hospitals

ObjectivesAdults with chronic conditions originating in childhood experience ongoing hospitalizations; however, efforts to guide youth-adult transitions rarely address transitioning to adult-oriented inpatient care. Our objectives were to identify perceptions of clinical leaders on important and feasible inpatient transition activities and outcomes, including when, how, and for whom inpatient transition processes are needed.MethodsClinical leaders at US children's hospitals were surveyed between January and July 2016. Questionnaires were used to assess 21 inpatient transition activities and 13 outcomes. Perceptions about feasible and important outcome measures and appropriate patients and settings for activities were summarized. Each transition activity was categorized into one of the Six Core Elements (policy, tracking, readiness, planning, transfer, or completion). Associations between perceived transition activity importance or feasibility, hospital characteristics, and transition activity performance were evaluated.ResultsIn total, 96 of 195 (49.2%) children's hospital leaders responded. The most important and feasible activities were identifying patients needing or overdue for transition, discussing transition timing with youth and/or families, and informing youth and/or families that future stays would be at an adult facility. Feasibility, but not importance, ratings were associated with current performance of transition activities. Inpatient transition activities were perceived to be important for children with medical and/or social complexity or high hospital use. Emergency department visits and patient experience during transition were top outcome measurement priorities.ConclusionsChildren's hospital clinical leaders rated inpatient youth-adult transition activities and outcome measures as important and feasible; however, feasibility may ultimately drive implementation. This work should be used to inform initial research and quality improvement priorities, although additional stakeholder perspectives are needed