Valuation of Music Catalogs

We propose a risk neutral approach to forecast the cashflows of music catalogs, based on historical revenue data. We use a discounted cashflows formula to produce reasonable ranges of multipliers for these assets, based on the age of the catalog, the last-twelve-months revenue and the duration of the contract. We compare the multipliers implied by the cashflows of top, median and bottom performing songs on the Royalty Exchange platform. We find that ask prices are close to the multipliers justified by median song cashflows. The best bids are near the multipliers justified by the bottom decile of song cashflows

Towards nanomaterials with tubular pores: synthesis and self-assembly of bis-pillar[5]arene

Recently, materials obtained using supramolecular chemistry approaches, and, in particular, spatially preorganized macrocyclic compounds, have attracted close attention of the researchers. Pillar[n]arenes are of special interest due to their tubular spatial structure and macrocyclic cavity. A similar tubular structure is retained in the supramolecular packaging of pillar[5]arene crystals, forming pores. In this study, we developed a block synthetic approach for the preparation of bis-pillar[5]arene containing amide groups. The ability of the synthesized bis-pillar[5]arene to form stable self-associates in solvents of different polarity (CHCl3 and CH3OH) was demonstrated by the DLS method. In trichloromethane at concentration of 1·10–3 M, monodisperse associates with average hydrodynamic diameter of 227 nm (PDI = 0.28) are formed; in methanol, stable associates (1·10–6 M) have an average hydrodynamic diameter of 136 nm (PDI = 0.21). The results obtained can be used to create new supramolecular systems, molecular machines, or capture and detect various organic molecules.

DEVELOPMENT AND PILOT VALIDATION OF A NOVEL PCR-BASED REPLICON TYPING SCHEME FOR PLASMID FAMILIES ASSOCIATED WITH ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN PSEUDOMONAS SPP.

Background. Pseudomonas species are ubiquitous environmental Gram-negative bacteria increasingly associated with difficult to treat healthcare-associated infections. Along with their substantial intrinsic antimicrobial resistance, the ability to acquire additional resistance and pathogenicity determinants contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. Plasmids represent the major vehicles of gene transfer among hospital strains. Accumulation and dissemination of resistance genes through horizontal gene transfer is exceptionally problematic since it leads to the emergence of multi-resistant and stable phenotypes highlighting the importance of novel tools for studying plasmid epidemiology. Materials and Methods. In this study we introduce a novel PCR-based replicon typing (PBRT) scheme for differentiation of various Pseudomonas spp. plasmid families requiring only two multiplex PCR (mPCR) assays. mPCR 1 is composed of previously published primer sets for IncP-1, IncP-7, IncP-9, IncQ, A/C, N, W, IncU. Primers for multiplex PCR 2 were designed after an in-depth in-silico bioinformatic analysis of the repA gene of more than 50 reference IncP-2, IncP-6, IncP-10, pKLC102-like and pMOS94-like plasmids some of which studied for the first time as a group. Results. The scheme was tested on a set of 90 previously genotyped multi-resistant clinical Pseudomonas spp. isolates. The detection rate of the target plasmid families was low in our strain collection. Replicons were registered in only 3/90 isolates from the IncP-7 (n=1), IncP-10 (n=1), and pMOS94-like (n=1) families.  This pilot study demonstrates a novel PBRT scheme applicable to Pseudomonas spp. targeting plasmids of incompatibility groups known to harbour genes associated with antibiotic resistance

Towards controlling the morphology of cobalt loaded nanocomposites in polyol process with polyethylene glycol

The polyol process is one of the simple, efficient and productive methods for the synthesis of metal loaded polymer composites. Functional properties of metal-polymer nanocomposites are determined by chemical composition, size and morphology of their particles. Finding effective ways to control the nanoparticle's properties during the polyol process is a crucial task. The effect of molar ratio Mn+/OHPEG on the formation of cobalt loaded metal-polymer nanocomposites during a one-pot two-component polyol process by polyethylene glycol with Mr = 4000 g·mol–1 (PEG) was studied. The PEG-based polyol process and the formation of cobalt nanophase were studied at molar ratios νCo2+/νOH(PEG) = 1:1, 1:10, 1:100 and 1:500 using UV-Vis, diffuse reflectance IR and ATR FT-IR spectroscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), dynamic light scattering (DLS). It was found that PEG can act as a reducing agent and stabilizing matrix for the cobalt nanophase at a ratio higher than Mn+/OHPEG= 1:10. The composition and morphology of Co/PEG nanocomposites were determined by XRD and TEM methods. Two types of spheroid particles with average diameters of 88±55 nm / 8±4 nm and 12±3 nm / 3±1 nm, respectively, represent Co/PEG nanocomposites 1:500 and 1:100. Scaly structures with a diameter of 15±5 nm are formed at a molar ratio of νCo2+/νOH(PEG) = 1:10. An increase in the Co2+ content in the PEG-based polyol process leads to the immobilized cobalt nanophase Co3O4 (1:500), Co0/CoO (1:100), CoO (1:10) in PEG. Co/PEG nanocomposites are hemocompatible. The HC50value depends on the composition and morphology of the nanoparticles