Characterization of the novel ene reductase Ppo-Er1 from paenibacillus polymyxa

Ene reductases enable the asymmetric hydrogenation of activated alkenes allowing the manufacture of valuable chiral products. The enzymes complement existing metal- and organocatalytic approaches for the stereoselective reduction of activated C=C double bonds, and efforts to expand the biocatalytic toolbox with additional ene reductases are of high academic and industrial interest. Here, we present the characterization of a novel ene reductase from Paenibacillus polymyxa, named Ppo-Er1, belonging to the recently identified subgroup III of the old yellow enzyme family. The determination of substrate scope, solvent stability, temperature, and pH range of Ppo-Er1 is one of the first examples of a detailed biophysical characterization of a subgroup III enzyme. Notably, Ppo-Er1 possesses a wide temperature optimum (Topt: 20–45 °C) and retains high conversion rates of at least 70% even at 10 °C reaction temperature making it an interesting biocatalyst for the conversion of temperature-labile substrates. When assaying a set of different organic solvents to determine Ppo-Er1′s solvent tolerance, the ene reductase exhibited good performance in up to 40% cyclohexane as well as 20 vol% DMSO and ethanol. In summary, Ppo-Er1 exhibited activity for thirteen out of the nineteen investigated compounds, for ten of which Michaelis–Menten kinetics could be determined. The enzyme exhibited the highest specificity constant for maleimide with a kcat/KM value of 287 mM−1 s−1. In addition, Ppo-Er1 proved to be highly enantioselective for selected substrates with measured enantiomeric excess values of 92% or higher for 2-methyl-2-cyclohexenone, citral, and carvone

Deities & Devotees: Cinema, Religion, and Politics in South India

This is a book review of Uma Maheswari Bhrugubanda, Deities & Devotees: Cinema, Religion, and Politics in South India (Oxford University Press, 2019)

Patterns of Soil Instability and Sediment Delivery from the peri-urban Red House Gill catchment, County Durham

Catchment urbanisation raises important concerns over surface water management and potential negative impacts on erosion and the ecological status of rivers. Red House Gill is a small peri-urban sub-catchment of the River Wear, Northern England, which over the past 50 years has undergone extensive urban growth. This research assesses the effects of urbanisation on sediment delivery from this catchment. A sediment budget approach is used to investigate spatial patterns of fine sediment delivery from three main sub-catchments (East, Middle and West streams). Processes were monitored over a six month period using direct stream flow gauging and spatial sampling (with a network of nine Time-Integrated Mass Samplers- TIMS) together with fixed point photography of sediment sources and terrestrial laser scanning. Historic patterns of soil movement were indirectly assessed by measuring the basal trunk angle of 340 trees across the wooded catchment and a detailed dendrochronologic analysis of eight trees. Results demonstrate that the steep catchment is highly sensitive to high rainfall which leads to rapid discharge (peaks up to 4 m3 s-1) and large suspended sediment loads. Over the study period 80% of suspended sediment load was transported in 2% of the time. Peaks in erosion observed from the static photography and high suspended sediment flux from the TIMS show good temporal agreement. The network of TIMS demonstrates that the majority of sediment is delivered from the Middle stream (55%), which has the second largest catchment area, steepest channel and valley side slopes. In contrast the West stream has the lowest channel gradient and least steep side slopes and consequently delivers the least suspended sediment (3%). Trees growing on steeper slopes generally show greater tilt but the rate of tilt is not significantly correlated with local slope. Results from the dendrochronology demonstrate that soil creep is continually occurring in the catchment, with only a few brief periods where tree rings suggest reduced rates. The preliminary sediment budget demonstrates that over the course of the monitoring period, 482 t of sediment was eroded from the hillslope and delivered to the stream, while 493 t of sediment has been transported by the stream. The 11 t (3%) discrepancy is likely to be caused by in-channel erosion. Assuming a similar annual sediment yield, this equates to a specific annual sediment load of 386 t km-2 yr-1, which is close to the maximum reported sediment yields from other UK catchments. Erosion can be potentially managed by reducing peak flows and limiting sediment supply to the stream

Money Laundering and Its Current Status in Switzerland: New Disincentives for Financial Tourism

As a national source of tourism, the Swiss Alps are, at least in one sense, overshadowed by the banks and finance companies of Switzerland. Because of the relatively strict Swiss banking secrecy laws, the stability of the Swiss franc and the long-standing expertise of Swiss banks in currency trading, financial tourists in the past have relied with alarming consistency on Switzerland\u27s financial system to launder, i.e., introduce into the normal flow of legitimate capital, funds or assets stemming from illegal activities. Proof of Switzerland\u27s status as a capital for financial tourism lies in the oft-observed coincidence that the trails of world-wide drug syndicates, dictators, stock market manipulators and tax evaders invariably - if only initially - lead through Switzerland. Until recently, participation in the laundering of assets known to have stemmed from a crime was not, other than under certain rare circumstances, subject to criminal sanctions in Switzerland. In the absence of applicable legislation, and in response to pressure from Swiss bank regulators to address suspected misuses of Swiss banking services, certain voluntary measures were taken by Swiss banks in 1977 in the form of a private agreement between the Swiss Bankers\u27 Association (SBA) and member banks of the SBA

Money Laundering and Its Current Status in Switzerland: New Disincentives for Financial Tourism

As a national source of tourism, the Swiss Alps are, at least in one sense, overshadowed by the banks and finance companies of Switzerland. Because of the relatively strict Swiss banking secrecy laws, the stability of the Swiss franc and the long-standing expertise of Swiss banks in currency trading, financial tourists in the past have relied with alarming consistency on Switzerland\u27s financial system to launder, i.e., introduce into the normal flow of legitimate capital, funds or assets stemming from illegal activities. Proof of Switzerland\u27s status as a capital for financial tourism lies in the oft-observed coincidence that the trails of world-wide drug syndicates, dictators, stock market manipulators and tax evaders invariably - if only initially - lead through Switzerland. Until recently, participation in the laundering of assets known to have stemmed from a crime was not, other than under certain rare circumstances, subject to criminal sanctions in Switzerland. In the absence of applicable legislation, and in response to pressure from Swiss bank regulators to address suspected misuses of Swiss banking services, certain voluntary measures were taken by Swiss banks in 1977 in the form of a private agreement between the Swiss Bankers\u27 Association (SBA) and member banks of the SBA