Measurement of bacterial promoter absolute activity and determination of dynamic performance in cell-free expression system by qPCR

The purpose of this RFC is to provide standard methodology for the measurement of the absolute strength of bacterial promoters. The absolute activity can be experimentally measured in Moles of RNA per Moles of DNA in time, and therefore it is can be expressed in PoPS [1

Open licensing of BioBrick parts

This document provides recommendations for licensing of community-created biological parts, especially in BioBrick standard

Cold-adapted arsenite oxidase from a psychrotolerant Polaromonas species.

Polaromonas sp. str. GM1 is an aerobic, psychrotolerant, heterotrophic member of the Betaproteobacteria and is the only isolate capable of oxidising arsenite at temperatures below 10 °C. Sequencing of the aio gene cluster in GM1 revealed the presence of the aioB and aioA genes, which encode the arsenite oxidase but the regulatory genes typically found upstream of aioB in other members of the Proteobacteria were absent. The GM1 Aio was purified to homogeneity and was found to be a heterodimer. The enzyme contained Mo and Fe as cofactors and had, using the artificial electron acceptor 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, a Km for arsenite of 111.70 ± 0.88 μM and a Vmax of 12.16 ± 0.30 U mg(-1), which is the highest reported specific activity for any known Aio. The temperature-activity profiles of the arsenite oxidases from GM1 and the mesophilic betaproteobacterium Alcaligenes faecalis were compared and showed that the GM1 Aio was more active at low temperatures than that of A. faecalis. A homology model of the GM1 Aio was made using the X-ray crystal structure of the Aio from A. faecalis as the template. Structural changes that account for cold adaptation were identified and it was found that these resulted in increased enzyme flexibility and a reduction in the hydrophobicity of the core

Technique of the transcervical-subxiphoid-videothoracoscopic maximal thymectomy

Background: The aim of this study is to present the new technique of transcervical-subxiphoid-videothoracoscopic "maximal"thymectomy introduced by the authors of this study for myasthenia gravis. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and sixteen patients with Osserman scores ranging from I-III were operated on from 1/9/2000 to 31/12/2006 for this study. The operation was performed through four incisions: a transverse 5-8 cm incision in the neck, a 4-6 cm subxiphoid incision and two 1 cm incisions for videothoracoscopic (VTS) ports. The cervical part of the procedure was performed with an open technique while the intrathoracic part was performed using a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical (VATS) technique. The whole thymus with the surrounding fatty tissue containing possible ectopic foci of the thymic tissue was removed. Such an operation can be performed by one surgical team (the one team approach) or by two teams working simultaneously (two team approach). The early and late results as well as the incidence and localization of ectopic thymic foci have been presented in this report. Results: There were 216 patients in this study of which 178 were women and 38 were men. The ages of the patients ranged from 11 to 69 years (mean 29.7 years). The duration of myasthenia was 2-180 months (mean 28.3 months). Osserman scores were in the range of I-III. Almost 27% of the patients were taking steroids or immunosuppressive drugs preoperatively. The mean operative time was 201.5 min (120-330 min) for a one-team approach and it was 146 (95-210 min) for a two-team approach (P < 0.05). While there was no postoperative mortality, the postoperative morbidity was 12%. The incidence of ectopic thymic foci was 68.4%. The rates of complete remission after one, two, three, four and five years of follow-up were 26.3, 36.5, 42.9, 46.8 and 50.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Transcervical-subxiphoid-VTS maximal thymectomy is a complete and highly effective treatment modality for myasthenia gravis. The need for sternotomy is avoided while the completeness of the operation is retained

Technique of the transcervical-subxiphoid-videothoracoscopic maximal thymectomy

<b>Background</b>: The aim of this study is to present the new technique of transcervical-subxiphoid-videothoracoscopic "maximal"thymectomy introduced by the authors of this study for myasthenia gravis. <b>Materials and Methods</b>: Two hundred and sixteen patients with Osserman scores ranging from I-III were operated on from 1/9/2000 to 31/12/2006 for this study. The operation was performed through four incisions: a transverse 5-8 cm incision in the neck, a 4-6 cm subxiphoid incision and two 1 cm incisions for videothoracoscopic (VTS) ports. The cervical part of the procedure was performed with an open technique while the intrathoracic part was performed using a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical (VATS) technique. The whole thymus with the surrounding fatty tissue containing possible ectopic foci of the thymic tissue was removed. Such an operation can be performed by one surgical team (the one team approach) or by two teams working simultaneously (two team approach). The early and late results as well as the incidence and localization of ectopic thymic foci have been presented in this report. <b>Results</b>: There were 216 patients in this study of which 178 were women and 38 were men. The ages of the patients ranged from 11 to 69 years (mean 29.7 years). The duration of myasthenia was 2-180 months (mean 28.3 months). Osserman scores were in the range of I-III. Almost 27&#x0025; of the patients were taking steroids or immunosuppressive drugs preoperatively. The mean operative time was 201.5 min (120-330 min) for a one-team approach and it was 146 (95-210 min) for a two-team approach (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). While there was no postoperative mortality, the postoperative morbidity was 12&#x0025;. The incidence of ectopic thymic foci was 68.4&#x0025;. The rates of complete remission after one, two, three, four and five years of follow-up were 26.3, 36.5, 42.9, 46.8 and 50.2&#x0025;, respectively. <b>Conclusion</b>: Transcervical-subxiphoid-VTS maximal thymectomy is a complete and highly effective treatment modality for myasthenia gravis. The need for sternotomy is avoided while the completeness of the operation is retained

Technique of the transcervical-subxiphoid-videothoracoscopic maximal thymectomy

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to present the new technique of transcervical-subxiphoid-videothoracoscopic “maximal”thymectomy introduced by the authors of this study for myasthenia gravis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen patients with Osserman scores ranging from I–III were operated on from 1/9/2000 to 31/12/2006 for this study. The operation was performed through four incisions: a transverse 5–8 cm incision in the neck, a 4–6 cm subxiphoid incision and two 1 cm incisions for videothoracoscopic (VTS) ports. The cervical part of the procedure was performed with an open technique while the intrathoracic part was performed using a video assisted thoracoscopic surgical (VATS) technique. The whole thymus with the surrounding fatty tissue containing possible ectopic foci of the thymic tissue was removed. Such an operation can be performed by one surgical team (the one team approach) or by two teams working simultaneously (two team approach). The early and late results as well as the incidence and localization of ectopic thymic foci have been presented in this report. RESULTS: There were 216 patients in this study of which 178 were women and 38 were men. The ages of the patients ranged from 11 to 69 years (mean 29.7 years). The duration of myasthenia was 2–180 months (mean 28.3 months). Osserman scores were in the range of I–III. Almost 27% of the patients were taking steroids or immunosuppressive drugs preoperatively. The mean operative time was 201.5 min (120–330 min) for a one-team approach and it was 146 (95–210 min) for a two-team approach (P < 0.05). While there was no postoperative mortality, the postoperative morbidity was 12%. The incidence of ectopic thymic foci was 68.4%. The rates of complete remission after one, two, three, four and five years of follow-up were 26.3, 36.5, 42.9, 46.8 and 50.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Transcervical-subxiphoid-VTS maximal thymectomy is a complete and highly effective treatment modality for myasthenia gravis. The need for sternotomy is avoided while the completeness of the operation is retained