Crystallization of Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C N-(1-D-carboxyethyl)-L-norvaline dehydrogenase and its complex with NAD+

The novel NAD+-linked opine dehydrogenase from a soil isolate Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C belongs to an enzyme superfamily whose members exhibit quite diverse substrate specificites. Crystals of this opine dehydrogenase, obtained in the presence or absence of co-factor and substrates, have been shown to diffract to beyond 1.8 ? resolution. X-ray precession photographs have established that the crystals belong to space group P21212, with cell parameters a = 104.9, b = 80.0, c = 45.5 ? and a single subunit in the asymmetric unit. The elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of this enzyme will provide a structural framework for this novel class of dehydrogenases to enable a comparison to be made with other enzyme families and also as the basis for mutagenesis experiments directed towards the production of natural and synthetic opine-type compounds containing two chiral centres.     

Nonlinear optical techniques for plasma diagnostics

The application of various nonlinear optical laser spectroscopic techniques to plasma diagnostics are reported. The techniques discussed in this paper are two-photon laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy, double-resonant four-wave mixing, coherent anti-Stokes Raman-scattering (CARS), and a combination of emission spectroscopy and CARS. They are applied to measurements of atomic hydrogen densities, molecular temperature, chemical composition, electric field distributions, and vibrational population distribution. The basic principles are described and important aspects of the methods are discussed in context with application to various kinds of discharges at low and elevated pressures     

Integral resource capacity planning for inpatient care services based on bed census predictions by hour

The design and operations of inpatient care facilities are typically largely historically shaped. A better match with the changing environment is often possible, and even inevitable due to the pressure on hospital budgets. Effectively organizing inpatient care requires simultaneous consideration of several interrelated planning issues. Also, coordination with upstream departments like the operating theatre and the emergency department is much-needed. We present a generic analytical approach to predict bed census on nursing wards by hour, as a function of the Master Surgical Schedule and arrival patterns of emergency patients. Along these predictions, insight is gained on the impact of strategic (ie, case mix, care unit size, care unit partitioning), tactical (ie, allocation of operating room time, misplacement rules), and operational decisions (ie, time of admission/discharge). The method is used in the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam as a decision-support tool in a complete redesign of the inpatient care operations.     

In situ diagnostics in plasmas of electronic-ground-state hydrogen molecules in high vibrational and rotational states by laser-induced fluorescence with vacuum-ultraviolet radiation

Detection of excited electronic-ground-state hydrogen molecules with v(") up to 13 in a magnetic multipole plasma source was performed for the first time by laser-induced fluorescence with vacuum-ultraviolet radiation. The measurements are taken after fast shutoff of the discharge current. The rovibrationally excited molecules live longer than the plasma background light so that the fluorescence light can be detected with good signal-to-noise ratio. Absolute level populations are measured as well as decay times. The theoretically predicted suprathermal population of the vibrational distribution is clearly identified. The H- density is calculated on the basis of the measured populations and the measured electron energy distribution function. It is in excellent agreement with the H- density measured by photodetachment.     

Application of sorbent obtained by pyrolysis of sewage sludge for biological treatment of waste water

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - The investigation of the behavior of the waste-water sludge of various chemical enterprises during thermal processing shows that effective carbon-mineral...