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Copyright of Notfall & Rettungsmedizin is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The medical dissertation represents an independently processed scientific project. In the field of medicine this has for many years displayed the basis for controversial discussions. The aim of the study presented here was to evaluate the prerequisites of all current promotion regulations in German medical faculties in order to develop a comparability on the basis of a scoring system. Method: An independent analysis of all promotion regulations from German medical faculties for the year 2014 was carried out according to 12 primary outcome measures and a scoring system. Results: The average total score of promotion regulations at 37 German medical faculties was 57.2 points (SD ±9.5) out of a possible 100 scoring points. The highest scores with 72-85 points were achieved by 3 faculties and 5 achieved scores of only 42-45 points. The range of the different criteria tested was broad. While the written thesis, the review process, the examination requirements as well as the grading of the thesis were defined in all regulations, the introduction into good clinical practice, knowledge of methodology as well as a check for plagiarism only seem to play minor roles. Conclusion: The promotion regulations at German medical faculties show a great variation using the scoring system presented here for the first time. Standardized federal promotion regulations might help to establish a structured transparency as well as a national equality of opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Der Unfallchirurg is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Friction properties of cluster-eroded surfaces of synthetic single crystal diamond (Monodite) are compared after erosion with high-speed CO2 cluster beams as well as with corresponding Ar cluster beams, the cluster impact kinetic energy being 100 keV in both cases. The respective friction values are determined by atomic force microscope measurements. Using CO2 clusters, the reactive accelerated cluster erosion (RACE) of the single crystal diamond substrates leads to more than seven times higher friction values than those observed after erosion with non-reactive accelerated Ar clusters. Molecular dynamics calculations reveal related differences in the simulations of respective single cluster impacts already at 2 ps after impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufactures of commercially available explosives guarantee a certain lifetime of their products. In the commercial field this lifetime is usually large enough. The explosive is normally used long before the end of its lifetime. It may happen that these explosives are stored for a long time in a bunker where they sometimes exceed their lifetime. A large set of commercial explosives is characterized with a TG by heating small samples in aluminium sample cups from room temperature to 550°C, under a nitrogen atmosphere, with three different heating rates (2, 5 and 10 K min-1). The activation energy of the decomposition step is determined in several different ways. After this characterization, a selection of the samples (based on economical value) is artificially aged for periods of 2, 4 and 6 weeks. After these ageing profiles the samples are re-investigated with the TG under the same conditions (heating rates and atmosphere) followed by the calculation of the kinetic parameters of the artificially aged materials. According to the TG measurements almost all tested explosives appear to have a much longer lifetime than the values given by the manufacturer. From kinetic point of view, the different methods for calculating the activation energy result in approximately the same parameters. It may conclude that TG seems to be a reliable and quick method for the determination of the lifetime of commercial explosives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of dibutyltin(IV) complexes of polyhydroxyalkyl carboxylic acids (O donor atoms) and amino acids (O,N donor atoms) were prepared in the solid state. The binding sites of the ligands were determined by means of FT-IR, Raman and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Partial quadrupole splitting calculations were utilized to determine the coordination geometry around the Sn(IV) centre by means of Mössbauer measurements. The results showed that in the solid state oligomeric complexes are formed, with the -COO- groups as bridges between the organometallic cations. The {Sn} atoms are mostly in trigonal bipyramidal surroundings. The Sn-O and Sn-C bond distances were determined by EXAFS measurements to be 207-234 and 295 pm, respectively. Evaluation of the pH-metric and NMR titration curves in Me2Sn(IV)-D-gluconic acid system revealed that the equilibria in aqueous solution are fairly complicated. In acidic solution, the formation of 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 -COO- coordinated species predominate, but deprotonation of the alcoholic -OH groups also starts at very low pH. In the pH range 5-9, NMR provides experimental evidence of ligand-exchange reactions without pH-metrically detectable proton release. In alkaline solution, further deprotonation processes occur, resulting in either alkoxo or mixed hydroxo complexes. The carboxylate coordination is expected for the amino acid ligands but the shift of the νN-H stretching vibrations in the FT-IR spectra demonstrated that the ammine group also binds to the metal ion in the solid Bu2Sn(IV)complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A screening procedure was established to identify Corynebacterium glutamicum transposon mutants with an altered L-glutamate excretion behaviour. By this microtiter plate-based approach seven non- or less excreting C. glutamicum strains and two hyper-excreters were found. The subsequently carried out molecular analysis of a hyper-producing clone led to the identification of the gltS gene, which codes for the sodium-coupled secondary L-glutamate uptake system in C. glutamicum. Characterization of a gltS deletion strain revealed that this transporter has a weak but significant impact on L-glutamate production induced by biotin limitation in the wild type. Obviously, GltS leads to the re-uptake of excreted L-glutamate causing a futile cycle. In accord with this hypothesis, the overexpression of gltS decreased L-glutamate production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threonine production in Escherichia coli threonine producer strains is enhanced by overexpression of the E. coli rhtB and rhtC genes or by heterologous overexpression of the gene encoding the Corynebacterium glutamicum threonine excretion carrier, thrE. Both E. coli genes give rise to a threonine-resistant phenotype when overexpressed, and they decrease the accumulation of radioactive metabolites derived from [14C] L-threonine. The evidence presented supports the conclusion that both RhtB and RhtC catalyze efflux of L-threonine and other structurally related neutral amino acids, but that the specificities of these two carriers differ substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport processes play a pivotal role in cellular metabolism, e.g. for the uptake of nutrients or the excretion of metabolic waste products. Moreover, they are also important in biotechnological processes such as the production of various amino acids by the use of microorganisms. The focus of this review is on bacterial amino acid transport systems, in particular those of Corynebacterium glutamicum and Escherichia coli, with respect to their function and biotechnological significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive accelerated cluster erosion (RACE) of single crystal artificial diamond has been used to fabricate various nano- and microstructures. Carbondioxide clusters of about 1000 molecules are accelerated to 100 keV to act as the eroding agent. Using movable shadow masks, the accelerated cluster beam may erode staircase structures acting as an optical grating. A cycloid gear has been generated via a stationary nickel mask. Non-reactive accelerated cluster erosion using argon clusters will be considered for comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arthroskopie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Der Orthopäde is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Triphenyltin(IV) complexes of N-acetylglycine, N-acetyl-L-leucine, N-acetyl-L-asparagine and N-acetyl-L-tyrosine were prepared by two methods and characterized by means of different spectroscopic methods (FTIR, multinuclear,1H,13C and119Sn NMR and119Sn Mössbauer). The spectroscopic data indicated that the N-acetylglycine complex adopts a trigonal-bipyramidal structure in which the monodentate carboxylate and the amide-C=O group are bound to the same organotin(IV) moiety. The other three complexes are linear oligomers in which the planar Ph3Sn(IV) is coordinated axially by a monodentate carboxylate and an amide-C=O from two different ligands. At the C-terminal end of the oligomer chain there is a tetracoordinated tin(IV) with a monodentate carboxylate as donor group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-enzymatic reagents that efficiently promote the hydrolytic cleavage of DNA currently receive much attention since they have many potential applications in molecular biology. This review focuses on recent progress in the hydrolysis of the phosphodiester backbone of DNA by metal ions and metal complexes. Pioneering work on the sequence-selective DNA scission by an artificial restriction enzyme, which is prepared by covalent attachment of a cerium(IV) complex to an antisense-deoxyoligonucleotide, is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Corynebacterium glutamicum is grown with a sufficient nitrogen supply, urea crosses the cytoplasmic membrane by passive diffusion. A permeability coefficient for urea diffusion of 9 × 10–7 cm s–1 was determined. Under conditions of nitrogen starvation, an energy-dependent urea uptake system was synthesized. Carrier-mediated urea transport was catalyzed by a secondary transport system linked with proton motive force. With a K m for urea of 9 μM, the affinity of this uptake system was much higher than the affinity of urease towards its substrate ( K m approximately 55 mM urea). The maximum uptake velocity depended on the expression level and was relatively low [2–3.5 nmol min–1 (mg dry wt.)–1]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corynebacterium glutamicum accumulates the compatible solutes proline, glycine betaine, and ectoine under conditions of high osmolality. Uptake of proline is mediated by both a high-affinity and a low-affinity secondary transport system. The low-affinity uptake system also accepts glycine betaine and ectoine as substrates. In the present study, the gene encoding the high-affinity proline uptake system PutP was isolated by heterologous complementation of Escherichia coli mutant strain WG389, which lacks the transport systems BetT, PutP, ProP, and ProU and is unable to synthesize proline and glycine betaine. This gene ( putP) encodes a protein of 524 amino acids that shares identity with the proline transport systems PutP of E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Haemophilus influenzae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Functional studies of PutP synthesized in E. coli mutant strain MKH13, which also lacks the transport systems for compatible solutes and is unable to synthesize glycine betaine, revealed that this carrier system is not regulated by the external osmolality on the level of activity. K m values of 7.6 mM for proline and 1.3 mM for sodium as cotransported ion were determined. Deletion of the putP gene allowed the functional characterization of another proline uptake system with low affinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmembrane threonine fluxes (i.e., uptake, diffusion, and carrier-mediated excretion) all contribut-ing to threonine production by a recombinant strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum, were analyzed and quantitated. A threonine-uptake carrier that transports threonine in symport with sodium ions was identified. Under production conditions (i.e., when internal threonine is high), this uptake system catalyzed predominantly threonine/threonine exchange. Threonine export via the uptake system was excluded. Threonine efflux from the cells was shown to comprise both carrier-mediated excretion and passive diffusion. The latter process was analyzed after inhibition of all carrier-mediated fluxes. Threonine diffusion was found to proceed with a first-order rate constant of 0.003 min or 0.004 μl min (mg dry wt.), which corresponds to a permeability of 8 × 10 cm s. According to this permeability, less than 10% of the efflux observed under optimal conditions takes place via diffusion, and more than 90% must result from the activity of the excretion carrier. In addition, the excretion carrier was identified by (1) inhibition of its activity by amino acid modifying reagents and (2) its dependence on metabolic energy in the form of the membrane potential. Activity of the excretion system depended on the membrane potential, but not on the presence of sodium ions. Threonine export in antiport against protons is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to test the 'Methanochondrion concept', uptake of adenine nucleotides in various membrane preparations of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum was studied. The uptake showed properties which are in general interpreted as indicative of a transport mechanism: (i) kinetics in the time range of minutes, (ii) temperature dependence, (iii) substrate specificity and (iv) failure to remove the substrate by extensive washing. However, nucleotide transport as an interpretation of this 'uptake' can definitely be excluded. Not only an exchange mechanism of the mitochondrial type, but also a general exchange or an uniport mechanism was ruled out. In contrast, the 'nucleotide uptake' was shown to be actually a tight and specific binding of ADP and ATP to binding sites at the interior side of the cell membrane. This was conclusively demonstrated in protoplasts obtained from M. thermoautotrophicum cells. In these protoplasts which do not contain internal membranes also nucleotide binding was observed, but only after disruption of the plasma membrane by osmotic lysis, which leads to the exposure of binding sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osmoadaption mechanisms of the biotechnologically important hemiascomycete Ashbya gossypii were investigated, thereby distinguishing between halo- and osmotolerance by exposure to NaCl and mannitol stress. We studied the growth and ultrastructure of differently treated cells and quantified the intracellular contents of compatible solutes and inorganic ions. Mannitol affected growth of A. gossypii at concentrations above 0.8 M, whereas NaCl inhibited growth at 0.2 M. NaCl-treated cells differed from control cells in having smaller vacuoles, which occupied a smaller part of the cell volume. Glycerol was found to be the predominant compatible solute in A. gossypii; accumulation of inorganic ions could not be detected. Measurement of glycerol uptake under isosmotic conditions as well as upon hyperosmotic stress revealed the existence of a highly active glycerol-uptake system, which, however, was down-regulated under hyperosmotic stress. Investigation of glycerol biosynthesis by measuring glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity under hyperosmotic conditions indicated that accumulation of glycerol in A. gossypii is almost solely due to biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysine secretion in wild-type Corynebacterium glutamicum was investigated by means of dipeptide feeding during short-term fermentation. It could be shown that important properties of lysine excretion, e. g. dependence on membrane potential and the internal Michaelis constant ( K), are not different for the producing strain DG 52-5 and the wild type. The main difference seems to refer to regulatory properties of the lysine excretion carrier activity. The transport of lysine in the wild type is regulated by the presence and kind of carbon sources. These differences in transport activity are not due to changes in the driving force. A possible distinction between phosphotransferase system (PTS) and non-PTS carbon sources with respect to the observed regulatory phenomena is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]