Isolation and characterization of a novel Bacillus subtilis WD23 exhibiting laccase activity from forest soil

The strain Bacillus sp. WD23 exhibiting laccase activity was screened from forest soil. The M9 medium containing Cu2+ was used for enriching and isolating bacterial strains capable of oxidizing syringaldazine. One isolated strain was identified as Bacillus subtilis WD23 based on the results of physiological and biochemical tests and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The strain WD23 could grow at temperatures ranging from 20 to 55°C and showed optimum growth temperature and pH at 25°C and 7.0, respectively. The sporulation rate of the strain clearly correlated well with the laccase activity. The temperature half-life of the spore laccase was 2.5 h at 80°C and the pH half life time was 15 d at pH 9.0. Its spore laccase could decolorize 50 - 90% of Remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR), alizarin red, congo red, methyl orange and methyl violet, which suggests the potential application of spore laccase in dyestuff treatment.Keywords: Bacterial laccase, Bacillus subtilis, spore, decolorizationAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(34), pp. 5496-5502, 23 August, 201

Shaping symmetric Airy beam through binary amplitude modulation for ultralong needle focus

Needle-like electromagnetic field has various advantages for the applications in high-resolution imaging, Raman spectroscopy, as well as long-distance optical transportation. The realization of such field often requires high numerical aperture (NA) objective lens and the transmission masks. We demonstrate an ultralong needle-like focus in the optical range produced with an ordinary lens. This is achieved by focusing a symmetric Airy beam (SAB) generated via binary spectral modulation with a digital micromirror device. Such amplitude modulation technique is able to shape traditional Airy beams, SABs, as well as the dynamic transition modes between the one-dimensional and two-dimensional (2D) symmetric Airy modes. The created 2D SAB was characterized through measurement of the propagating fields with one of the four main lobes blocked by an opaque mask. The 2D SAB was verified to exhibit self-healing property against propagation with the obstructed major lobe reconstructed after a certain distance. We further produced an elongated focal line by concentrating the SAB via lenses with different NAs and achieved an ultralong longitudinal needle focus. The produced long needle focus will be applied in optical, chemical, and biological sciences.Fil: Zhao Xiang, Fang. University of Science and Technology of China; ChinaFil: Yu Xuan, Ren. Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences; ChinaFil: Gong, Lei. University of Science and Technology of China; ChinaFil: Vaveliuk, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones Opticas (i); Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Chen, Yue. University of Science and Technology of China; ChinaFil: Rong De, Lu. University of Science and Technology of China; Chin

Optimal Control of Investment-Reinsurance Problem for an Insurer with Jump-Diffusion Risk Process: Independence of Brownian Motions

This paper investigates the excess-of-loss reinsurance and investment problem for a compound Poisson jump-diffusion risk process, with the risk asset price modeled by a constant elasticity of variance (CEV) model. It aims at obtaining the explicit optimal control strategy and the optimal value function. Applying stochastic control technique of jump diffusion, a Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation is established. Moreover, we show that a closed-form solution for the HJB equation can be found by maximizing the insurer’s exponential utility of terminal wealth with the independence of two Brownian motions W(t) and W1(t). A verification theorem is also proved to verify that the solution of HJB equation is indeed a solution of this optimal control problem. Then, we quantitatively analyze the effect of different parameter impacts on optimal control strategy and the optimal value function, which show that optimal control strategy is decreasing with the initial wealth x and decreasing with the volatility rate of risk asset price. However, the optimal value function V(t;x;s) is increasing with the appreciation rate μ of risk asset

Facilitating coordinated care for multi-morbidity patients through integrated preventive Clinical Decision Support (C3-Cloud)

Introduction: A growing share of the population in OECD countries is of age 65 and over, expected to reach 22% by 2030 (compared to 15% in 2010). Life expectancy has also significantly increased. People at age of 65 are expected to live for an average of 21 and 17 years for women and men; an almost 40% increase since 1960. The profound success in improving life expectancy has resulted in a new set of challenges. Challenge: Shift of resources was necessary, redirected to address the complex needs of multi-morbidity patients. Furthermore, patients’ needs are not effectively met by current care models, which tend to operate in isolation. This results in static services that patients need to wander. It is common for patients to revisit all levels of care discussing their needs, and reconciling potentially conflicting objectives amongst their conditions (e.g., incompatible lifestyle goals, adverse drug effects and side-effects, undetected conditions). Optimal collaboration and coordination between professionals in the delivery of integrated care have become essential requirements for the provision of high-quality care. Coordinated care aims for the orderly arrangement of individual and group efforts providing unity of action in pursuit of a common goal. Method: C3-Cloud is an e-health based ICT system, offering integrated, patient-centred care, considering all aspects of multi-morbidity and creating a collaborative environment, for all involved stakeholders. The navel of the system consists of the patient care plan, a digital shared picture of the patients’ needs and care regime. The care plan allows all professionals to review and understand the implications of one condition in the presence of others; this by its nature is complex, containing a considerable amount of diverse information. Navigating, understanding, and interpreting all the information can be confounding. The C3-Cloud Clinical Decision Support Service (CDS) offers an automated means of interpreting the available data. CDSS connects to the care plan repository, and continuously searches records for relevant data. The algorithms and integration of recommendations to the service were reviewed and validated by clinicians. Human computer interaction methods were employed to ensure optimal interaction between C3-Cloud and its users. Results: C3-Cloud offers CDSS for diabetes, renal failure, depression and congenital heart failure, with over 300 rules and checks that deliver four best practice guidelines in parallel; whilst reconciling their objectives, and monitoring their outcomes. It creates warnings or recommendations for the patient as well as for formal and informal carers. Discussion and Conclusions: C3-Cloud offers a powerful way to ensure that subtle, as well as critical, information about the patient, is presented to healthcare professionals, along with guideline based recommendations. The rules reconcile potential conflicts amongst conditions. Combined with a single patient and professionals interface, it provides a seamless experience throughout the health and care service. The C3-Cloud CDS service provides support to three pilot sites throughout Europe, currently undergoing evaluation. Acknowledgements: C3-Cloud is funded from the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation project C3-Cloud, under grant agreement No 6891810. This abstract is based on the work and material of the entire C3-Cloud consortium

The aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction of electronically and sterically deactivated substrates.

The aza-Morita–Baylis–Hillman (azaMBH) reaction has been studied for electronically and sterically deactivated Michael acceptors. It is found that electronically deactivated systems can be converted with electron-rich phosphanes and pyridines as catalysts equally well. For sterically deactivated systems clearly better catalytic turnover can be achieved with pyridine catalysts. This is in accordance with the calculated affinities of the catalysts towards different Michael-acceptors

An epigraphene platform for coherent 1D nanoelectronics

Exceptional edge state ballistic transport, first observed in graphene nanoribbons grown on the sidewalls of trenches etched in electronics grade silicon carbide even at room temperature, is shown here to manifest in micron scale epigraphene structures that are conventionally patterned on single crystal silicon carbide substrates. Electronic transport is dominated by a single electronic mode, in which electrons travel large distances without scattering, much like photons in an optical fiber. In addition, robust quantum coherence, non-local transport, and a ground state with half a conductance quantum are also observed. These properties are explained in terms of a ballistic edge state that is pinned at zero energy. The epigraphene platform allows interconnected nanostructures to be patterned, using standard microelectronics methods, to produce phase coherent 1D ballistic networks. This discovery is unique, providing the first feasible route to large scale quantum coherent graphene nanoelectronics, and a possible inroad towards quantum computing