Expression and characterization of the nitrile reductase queF from E. coli

AbstractThe expression and characterization of a nitrile reductase from Escherichia coli K-12 (EcoNR), a newly discovered enzyme class, is described. This enzyme has a potential application for an alternative nitrile reduction pathway. The enzyme activity towards its natural substrate, preQ0, was demonstrated and optimal working conditions were found to be at 37°C and at pH 7 with Tris buffer

Fabrication and Experimental Evaluation of Simple Tissue-Mimicking Phantoms with Realistic Electrical Properties for Impedance-Based Sensing

Venipuncture is one of the most often performed invasive clinical procedure. Nevertheless, complications still occur. One opportunity to counteract these complications is to indicate the insertion by electrical impedance measurement, which bases on the various electrical properties of different tissues. This paper presents the evaluation and reproducible fabrication of simple tissue-mimicking phantoms for investigation of impedance sensing techniques. Three different tissue-mimicking phantoms, representing blood, fat, and skin, were made on water-based recipes, including agar and gelatin as gelling agents. For evaluation of the electrical properties an electrode probe, made of hypodermic needles, was fabricated and characterized using six sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions of defined concentrations. For characterization of the phantoms, conductances were measured over a frequency range from 20 Hz up to 1 MHz using the self-fabricated electrodes. The calculated conductivities of the tissue-mimicking phantoms showed sufficient agreement with corresponding electrical literature data of native tissue. Tests with a layered tissue structure proved usability for impedance-based venous entry tests. However, the method proposed was not suitable for investigation of relative permittivity, which would be required for full electrical characterization

Categorical and continuous - disentangling the neural correlates of the carry effect in multi-digit addition

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recently it was suggested that the carry effect observed in addition involves both categorical and continuous processing characteristics.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the present study, we aimed at identifying the specific neural correlates associated with processing either categorical or continuous aspects of the carry effect in an fMRI study on multi-digit addition.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In line with our expectations, we observed two distinct parts of the fronto-parietal network subserving numerical cognition to be associated with either one of these two characteristics. On the one hand, the categorical aspect of the carry effect was associated with left-hemispheric language areas and the basal ganglia probably reflecting increased demands on procedural and problem solving processes. Complementarily, the continuous aspect of the carry effect was associated with increased intraparietal activation indicating increasing demands on magnitude processing as well as place-value integration with increasing unit sum.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In summary, the findings suggest representations and processes underlying the carry effect in multi-digit addition to be more complex and interactive than assumed previously.</p

Increasing Antibacterial Efficiency of Cu Surfaces by targeted Surface Functionalization via Ultrashort Pulsed Direct Laser Interference Patterning

Copper (Cu) exhibits great potential for application in the design of antimicrobial contact surfaces aiming to reduce pathogenic contamination in public areas as well as clinically critical environments. However, current application perspectives rely purely on the toxic effect of emitted Cu ions, without considering influences on the interaction of pathogenic microorganisms with the surface to enhance antimicrobial efficiency. In this study, it is investigated on how antibacterial properties of Cu surfaces against Escherichia coli can be increased by tailored functionalization of the substrate surface by means of ultrashort pulsed direct laser interference patterning (USP‐DLIP). Surface patterns in the scale range of single bacteria cells are fabricated to purposefully increase bacteria/surface contact area, while parallel modification of the surface chemistry allows to involve the aspect of surface wettability into bacterial attachment and the resulting antibacterial effectivity. The results exhibit a delicate interplay between bacterial adhesion and the expression of antibacterial properties, where a reduction of bacterial cell viability of up to 15‐fold can be achieved for E. coli on USP‐DLIP surfaces in comparison to smooth Cu surfaces. Thereby, it can be shown how the antimicrobial properties of copper surfaces can be additionally enhanced by targeted surface functionalization

Growth and biofilm formation of Penicillium chrysogenum in simulated microgravity

Penicillium sp. are one of the main fungal genera detected on board the Russian Space Station (MIR) and the International Space Station (ISS), demonstrating its ability to grow on the space stations´ walls and to maintain growth under microgravity (1-3). As a spore-forming microorganism, Penicillium sp. poses a concern for planetary protection and to human/astronaut health, as its spores, associated with respiratory diseases, can be dispersed through the air (4). Fungal growth on the ISS has shown to promote biodegradation of the spacecraft materials, compromising their integrity. Biofilms are groups of organisms adhered to each other by self-synthesized extracellular polymeric substances, and are ubiquitous in industrial and natural environments (5). It has been reported that Penicillium sp. forms biofilms, which are associated with higher tolerance/resistance to adverse conditions (6). Therefore, biofilm formed on the ISS may have deleterious effects on astronaut’s health and/or on ISS materials. To gain valuable knowledge to control biofilm during long duration spaceflight missions, the NASA-funded project “Characterization of Biofilm Formation, Growth, and Gene Expression on Different Materials and Environmental Conditions in Microgravity” is currently being prepared. Pre-flight testing include: defining and optimizing the growth medium and culturing conditions of P. chrysogenum DSM 1075; characterizing the morphological response of P. chrysogenum growth under simulated microgravity; assessing biofilm formation by P. chrysogenum under different conditions. The study of this fungal strain represents the beginning of a new line of research on board ISS. The knowledge gained can be applicable to a) the safety and maintenance of crewed spacecraft, b) planetary protection, c) mitigation of biofilm-associated illnesses on the crew, as well as on the Earth. Besides, P. chrysogenum is of major medical and historical importance, as it presents the original and present-day industrial source of the antibiotic penicillin, and as an important producer of antifungal proteins and other relevant enzymes

Good Feasibility of the New German Blood Donor Questionnaire

Background: We assessed the effect of the uniform donor questionnaire (UDQ) on deferral rates in first-time and repeat donors. We focused on the introduced question about unprotected sexual contact with a new partner. Another goal was a stratified comparison of the deferral rates of the donor questionnaire (DQ) and UDQ. Methods: Data on donors and deferrals using the DQ and UDQ were collected at four blood establishments. The comparison included a 2-year period by questionnaire version. For the comparison of the questionnaires, an adjusted multinomial logistic regression was performed. Results: The analysis included 260,848 donations. First-time (FTD) and repeat donations (RD) showed higher deferral rates with the UDQ (FTD +5.4%, RD +1.4%). Deferral due to a new partner was 3.0% in first-time and 0.4% in repeat donors. The majority of these occurred in the youngest age groups. The most frequent deferral criterion was ‘disease' (5.1%). Conclusion: The regression revealed stronger predictors for deferral than the questionnaire version. Especially younger age carried a higher and independent risk for deferral. The additional deferrals of mainly young first-time donors due to a new sexual partner may identify those donors with potential heterosexual risk behavior who would otherwise not be identified

Auditory Cortical Contrast Enhancing by Global Winner-Take-All Inhibitory Interactions

Brains decompose the world into discrete objects of perception, thereby facing the problem of how to segregate and selectively address similar objects that are concurrently present in a scene. Theoretical models propose that this could be achieved by neuronal implementations of so-called winner-take-all algorithms where neuronal representations of objects or object features interact in a competitive manner. Here we present evidence for the existence of such a mechanism in an animal species. We present electrophysiological, neuropharmacological and neuroanatomical data which suggest a novel view of the role of GABAA-mediated inhibition in primary auditory cortex (AI), where intracortical GABAA-mediated inhibition operates on a global scale within a circular map of sound periodicity representation in AI, with functionally inhibitory projections of similar effect from any location throughout the whole map. These interactions could underlie the proposed competitive “winner-take-all” algorithm to support object segregation, e.g., segregation of different speakers in cocktail-party situations

Increasing Antibacterial Efficiency of Cu Surfaces by targeted Surface Functionalization via Ultrashort Pulsed Direct Laser Interference Patterning

Copper (Cu) exhibits great potential for application in the design of antimicrobial contact surfaces aiming to reduce pathogenic contamination in public areas as well as clinically critical environments. However, current application perspectives rely purely on the toxic effect of emitted Cu ions, without considering influences on the interaction of pathogenic microorganisms with the surface to enhance antimicrobial efficiency. In this study, it is investigated on how antibacterial properties of Cu surfaces against Escherichia coli can be increased by tailored functionalization of the substrate surface by means of ultrashort pulsed direct laser interference patterning (USP‐DLIP). Surface patterns in the scale range of single bacteria cells are fabricated to purposefully increase bacteria/surface contact area, while parallel modification of the surface chemistry allows to involve the aspect of surface wettability into bacterial attachment and the resulting antibacterial effectivity. The results exhibit a delicate interplay between bacterial adhesion and the expression of antibacterial properties, where a reduction of bacterial cell viability of up to 15‐fold can be achieved for E. coli on USP‐DLIP surfaces in comparison to smooth Cu surfaces. Thereby, it can be shown how the antimicrobial properties of copper surfaces can be additionally enhanced by targeted surface functionalization

Low-Load Unilateral and Bilateral Resistance Training to Restore Lower Limb Function in the Early Rehabilitation After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Active-Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Continuous passive motion (CPM) is frequently used during rehabilitation following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Low-load resistance training (LLRT) using continuous active motion (CAM) devices is a promising alternative. We investigated the effectiveness of CPM compared to LLRT using the affected leg (CAMuni) and both legs (CAMbi) in the early post-operative rehabilitation. Hypotheses: (I) LLRT (CAMuni and CAMbi) is superior to CPM, (II) additional training of the unaffected leg (CAMbi) is more effective than unilateral training (CAMuni).Materials and Methods: Eighty-five TKA patients were randomly assigned to three groups, respectively: (i) unilateral CPM of the operated leg; (ii) unilateral CAM of the operated leg (CAMuni); (iii) bilateral alternating CAM (CAMbi). Patients were assessed 1 day before TKA (pre-test), 1 day before discharge (post-test), and 3 months post-operatively (follow-up). Primary outcome: active knee flexion range of motion (ROMFlex). Secondary outcomes: active knee extension ROM (ROMExt), swelling, pain, C-reactive protein, quality of life (Qol), physical activity, timed-up-and-go performance, stair-climbing performance, quadriceps muscle strength. Analyses of covariances were performed (modified intention-to-treat and per-protocol).Results: Hypothesis I: Primary outcome: CAMbi resulted in a higher ROMFlex of 9.0° (95%CI −18.03–0.04°, d = 0.76) and 6.3° (95%CI −14.31–0.99°, d = 0.61) compared to CPM at post-test and follow-up, respectively. Secondary outcomes: At post-test, C-reactive protein was lower in both CAM groups compared with CPM. Knee pain was lower in CAMuni compared to CPM. Improved ROMExt, reduced swelling, better stair-climbing and timed-up-and-go performance were observed for CAMbi compared to CPM. At follow-up, both CAM groups reported higher Qol and CAMbi showed a better timed-up-and-go performance. Hypothesis II: Primary outcome: CAMbi resulted in a higher knee ROMFlex of 6.5° (95%CI −2.16–15.21°, d = 0.56) compared to CAMuni at post-test. Secondary outcomes: At post-test, improved ROMExt, reduced swelling, and better timed-up-and-go performance were observed in CAMbi compared to CAMuni.Conclusions: Additional LLRT of the unaffected leg (CAMbi) seems to be more effective for recovery of function than training of the affected leg only (CAMuni), which may be mediated by positive transfer effects from the unaffected to the affected limb (cross education) and/or preserved neuromuscular function of the trained, unaffected leg.Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02062138

Corrigendum to “Performance of early pregnancy HbA1c for predicting gestational diabetes mellitus and adverse pregnancy outcomes in obese European women” [Diab. Res. Clin. Pract. 168 (2020) 108378](S0168822720306318)(10.1016/j.diabres.2020.108378)

The authors regret that a few lines in Tables 1 and 2 were formatted incorrectly in the published version of the article with numbers all appearing in one line instead of being in separate lines. The correctly formatted tables are shown below. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused