Benzodiazepine biosynthesis in Streptomyces refuineus

Anthramycin is a benzodiazepine alkaloid with potent antitumor and antibiotic activity produced by the thermophilic actinomycete Streptomyces refuineus sbsp. thermotolerans. In this study, the complete 32.5 kb gene cluster for the biosynthesis of anthramycin was identified by using a genome-scanning approach, and cluster boundaries were estimated via comparative genomics. A lambda-RED-mediated gene-replacement system was developed to provide supporting evidence for critical biosynthetic genes and to validate the boundaries of the proposed anthramycin gene cluster. Sequence analysis reveals that the 25 open reading frame anthramycin cluster contains genes consistent with the biosynthesis of the two halves of anthramycin: 4 methyl-3-hydroxyanthranilic acid and a "dehydroproline acrylamide" moiety. These nonproteinogenic amino acid precursors are condensed by a two-module nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) terminated by a reductase domain, consistent with the final hemiaminal oxidation state of anthramycin.     

Equilibria of two-sided matching games with common preferences

Problems of matching have long been studied in the operations research literature (assignment problem, secretary problem, stable marriage problem). All of these consider a centralized mechanism whereby a single decision maker chooses a complete matching which optimizes some criterion. This paper analyzes a more realistic scenario in which members of the two groups (buyers–sellers, employers–workers, males–females) randomly meet each other in pairs (interviews, dates) over time and form couples if there is mutual agreement to do so. We assume members of each group have common preferences over members of the other group. Generalizing an earlier model of Alpern and Reyniers [Alpern, S., Reyniers, D.J., 2005. Strategic mating with common preferences. J. Theor. Biol. 237, 337–354], we assume that one group (called males) is r   times larger than the other, r?1$r?1$. Thus all females, but only 1/r$1/r$ of the males, end up matched. Unmatched males have negative utility -c$-c$. We analyze equilibria of this matching game, depending on the parameters r   and c$c$. In a region of (r,c)$(r\text{,}c)$ space with multiple equilibria, we compare these, and analyze their ‘efficiency’ in several respects. This analysis should prove useful for designers of matching mechanisms who have some control over the sex ratio (e.g. by capping numbers of males at a ‘singles event’or by having ‘ladies free’ nights) or the nonmating cost c (e.g. tax benefits to married couples).     

Transport of Pseudomonas putida in a 3-D Bench Scale Experimental Aquifer

This study is focused on the transport of Pseudomonas (P.) putida bacterial cells in a 3-D model aquifer. The pilot-scale aquifer consisted of a rectangular glass tank with internal dimensions: 120?cm length, 48?cm width, and 50?cm height, carefully packed with well-characterized quartz sand. The P. putida decay was adequately represented by a first-order model. Transport experiments with a conservative tracer and P. putida were conducted to characterize the aquifer and to investigate the bacterial behavior during transport in water saturated porous media. A 3-D, finite-difference numerical model for bacterial transport in saturated, homogeneous porous media was developed and was used to successfully fit the experimental data. Furthermore, theoretical interaction energy calculations suggested that the extended-DLVO theory seems to predict bacteria attachment onto the aquifer sand better than the classical DLVO theory.     

A photosynthetic biosensor with enhanced electron transfer generation realized by laser printing technology

One of the limits of current electrochemical biosensors is a lack of methods providing stable and highly efficient junctions between biomaterial and solid-state devices. This paper shows how laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) can enable efficient electron transfer from photosynthetic biomaterial immobilized on screen-printed electrodes (SPE). The ideal pattern, in terms of photocurrent signal of thylakoid droplets giving a stable response signal with a current intensity of approximately 335 ± 13 nA for a thylakoid mass of 28 ± 4 ng, was selected. It is shown that the efficiency of energy production of a photosynthetic system can be strongly enhanced by the LIFT process, as demonstrated by use of the technique to construct an efficient and sensitive photosynthesis-based biosensor for detecting herbicides at nanomolar concentrations.     

Assessment of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Selected Greek Propolis Samples (North East Aegean Region Islands)

Propolis is a bee-produced substance rich in bioactive compounds, which has been utilized widely in folk medicine, in food supplement and cosmetology areas because of its biological properties, (antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, etc.). The subject of this study is associated with the chemical analysis and the biological evaluation of 16 propolis samples from the northeast Aegean region Greek islands, a well-recognized geographic area and the homeland of rich flora as a crossroads between Europe and Asia. Our study resulted in the detection of a significant percentage of diterpenes by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), while flavonoids were identified in low percentages among studied samples. Furthermore, the DPPH assay highlighted that eight of the samples (Lesvos and Lemnos origin) demonstrated a promising antioxidant profile, further verified by their total phenolic content (TPC). Additionally, the propolis samples most rich in diterpenes showed significant antibacterial and fungicidal properties against human pathogenic microorganisms, proving them to be a very interesting and promising crude material for further applications, concluding that floral diversity is the most responsible for the bioactivity of the propolis samples.     

Macroscopic and microscopic techno-economic analyses highlighting aspects of 5G transport network deployments

Photonic Network Communications - 5G networks will comprise multiple, versatile infrastructures at finest granularity consisting of multiple disaggregated pools of network, compute and storage...     

On‐Chip Super‐Resolution Imaging with Fluorescent Polymer Films

Wide field‐of‐view (FOV), label‐free, super‐resolution imaging is demonstrated using a specially designed waveguide chip that can illuminate a sample with multicolor evanescent waves travelling along different directions. The method is enabled by a polymer fluorescent film that emits over a broad wavelength range. Its polygonal geometry ensures coverage over all illumination directions, enabling high‐fidelity image reconstruction while minimizing distortion and image blurring. By frequency shifting and iterative stitching of different spatial frequencies in Fourier space, the reconstruction of 2D samples is achieved without distortion over wide FOVs. The fabrication process is facile and compatible with conventional semiconductor‐fabrication methods. The super‐resolution chip (SRC) can thus be produced with high yield, offering opportunities for potential conjunction of super‐resolution techniques integrated optical circuits or for the development of single‐use diagnostic kits.     

Simplifying sample preparation using fabric phase sorptive extraction technique for the determination of benzodiazepines in blood serum by high‐performance liquid chromatography

Fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE), a recently introduced novel sample preparation technology, has been evaluated for the extraction of benzodiazepines from human blood serum. FPSE utilizes a flexible fabric surface as the substrate platform for creating sol‐gel hybrid organic‐inorganic sorbent coatings. FPSE media can be introduced directly into the sample containing the target analyte(s), requiring no need for prior sample pretreatment or clean‐up. Benzodiazepines were selected as model analytes because they represent one of the most widely used therapeutic drugs in psychiatry and are also amongst the most frequently encountered drugs in forensic toxicology. The chromatographic separation of target analytes was performed on a LiChroCART‐LiChrospher®100 RP‐18e (5 µm, 250 × 4 mm) analytical column, operated at room temperature. Ternary gradient elution was applied with a mobile phase that consisted of acetonitrile, methanol and ammonium acetate (0.05 M), which was delivered at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Diode array detection was performed with monitoring at 240 nm. FPSE was performed using cellulose fabric extraction media coated with sol‐gel poly(ethylene glycol) (sol‐gel PEG). Absolute recovery values in the equilibrium state for the examined benzodiazepines were found to be 27% for bromazepam, 63% for lorazepam, 42 % for diazepam and 39% for alprazolam. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.