Improved production of spiramycin by mutant Streptomyces ambofaciens

Strain improvement and medium optimization to increase the productivity of spiramycin were carried out. Of oil tolerant mutant strains screened, one mutant, Streptomyces ambofaciens XC 2-37, produced 9% more spiramycin than the parent strain S. ambofaciens XC 1-29. The effects of soybean oil and propyl alcohol on spiramycin production with S. ambofaciens XC 2-37 were studied. The potency of S. ambofaciens XC 2-37 was improved by 61.8% with addition of 2% soybean oil in the fermentation medium and 0.4% propyl alcohol at 24 hours after incubation. The suitable time for feeding propyl alcohol is at 24 hours after incubation in flask fermentation and at 20 hours after incubation in fermentor fermentation. The new process with S. ambofaciens XC 2-37 was scaled up for industrial scale production of spiramycin in a 60 m3 fermentor in Xinchang Pharmaceutical Factory, Zhejiang Medicine Company, Ltd., China, and the potency and productivity of fermentation were improved by 42.9%.

Large eddy simulation of the gas-particle turbulent wake flow

To find out the detailed characteristics of the coherent structures and associated particle dispersion in free shear flow, large eddy simulation method was adopted to investigate a two-dimensional particleladen wake flow. The well-known Sub-grid Scale mode introduced by Smagorinsky was employed to simulate the gas flow field and Lagrangian approach was used to trace the particles. The results showed that the typical large-scale vortex structures exhibit a stable counter rotating arrangement of opposite sign, and alternately form from the near wall region, shed and move towards the downstream positions of the wake with the development of the flow. For particle dispersion, the Stokes number of particles is a key parameter. At the Stokes numbers of 1.4 and 3.8 the particles concentrate highly in the outer boundary regions. While the particles congregate densely in the vortex core regions at the Stokes number of 0. 15, and the particles at Stokes number of 15 assemble in the vortex braid regions and the rib regions between the adjoining vortex structures.

Study on the distribution of active centers in novel low Ti-loading MgCl2-supported Ziegler-Natta catalyst

Novel MgCl2-supported Ziegler-Natta (Z-N) catalysts prepared using a new one-pot ball milling method can effectively control the amounts of Ti-loading in the catalysts. Complex GPC data on polypropylene synthesized by these novel catalysts were analyzed using the method of fitting the molecular weight distribution (MWD) curves with a multiple Flory-Schulz function. It was found that multiple active centers exist in these novel catalysts. Detailed study of the effects of the Ti-loadings in the catalysts on the distribution of the active centers showed that the Ti-loadings in the novel MgCl2-supported Z-N catalysts might affect the proportion of each type of active centers; and might be the main factor responsible for the effect of the Ti-loadings on the microstructure, the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution width of the resultant polymer, the catalytic activity and polymerization kinetics.

Chemical bond properties and M(?)ssbauer spectroscopy in (La_(1-x)M_x)_2CuO_4(M=Ba,Sr)

By using the average band-gap model, the chemical bond properties of(La_(1-x)M_x)_2CuO_4(M=Ba, Sr) were calculated . The calculated covalencies for Cu-O and La-O bondin the compounds are 0.3 and 0.03 respectively. Mossbauer isomer shifts of ^(57)Fe doped inLa_2CuO_4 and ^(119)Sn doped in La_2CuO_4 were calculated by using the chemical surrounding factordefined by covalency and electronic polarizability. Four valence state tin and three valence ironsites were identified in ^(57)Fe and ^(119)Sn

Complete Genome Sequences of the SARS-CoV: the BJ Group (Isolates BJ01-BJ04)

Beijing has been one of the epicenters attacked most severely by the SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus) since the first patient was diagnosed in one of the city's hospitals. We now report complete genome sequences of the BJ Group, including four isolates (Isolates BJ01, BJ02, BJ03, and BJ04) of the SARS-CoV.It is remarkable that all members of the BJ Group share a common haplotype, consisting of seven loci that differentiate the group from other isolates published to date. Among 42 substitutions uniquely identified from the BJ group, 32 are non-synonymous changes at the amino acid level. Rooted phylogenetic trees, proposed on the basis of haplotypes and other sequence variations of SARS-CoV isolates from Canada, USA, Singapore, and China, gave rise to different paradigms but positioned the BJ Group, together with the newly discovered GD01 (GD-Ins29) in the same clade, followed by the H-U Group (from Hong Kong to USA) and the H-T Group (from Hong Kong to Toronto), leaving the SP Group (Singapore) more distant. This result appears to suggest a possible transmission path from Guangdong to Beijing/Hong Kong, then to other countries and regions.

Evolution and Variation of the SARS-CoV Genome

Knowledge of the evolution of pathogens is of great medical and biological significance to the prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of infectious diseases. In order to understand the origin and evolution of the SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus), we collected complete genome sequences of all viruses available in GenBank, and made comparative analyses with the SARS-CoV. Genomic signature analysis demonstrates that the coronaviruses all take the TGTT as their richest tetranucleotide except the SARS-CoV. A detailed analysis of the forty-two complete SARS-CoV genome sequences revealed the existence of two distinct genotypes, and showed that these isolates could be classified into four groups. Our manual analysis of the BLASTN results demonstrates that the HE (hemagglutinin-esterase) gene exists in the SARS-CoV, and many mutations made it unfamiliar to us.

Genome Organization of the SARS-CoV

Annotation of the genome sequence of the SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus) is indispensable to understand its evolution and pathogenesis. We have performed a full annotation of the SARS-CoV genome sequences by using annotation programs publicly available or developed by ourselves. Totally, 21 open reading frames (ORFs) of genes or putative uncharacterized proteins (PUPs) were predicted. Seven PUPs had not been reported previously, and two of them were predicted to contain transmembrane regions. Eight ORFs partially overlapped with or embedded into those of known genes, revealing that the SARS-CoV genome is a small and compact one with overlapped coding regions. The most striking discovery is that an ORF locates on the minus strand. We have also annotated non-coding regions and identified the transcription regulating sequences (TRS) in the intergenic regions. The analysis of TRS supports the minus strand extending transcription mechanism of coronavirus. The SNP analysis of different isolates reveals that mutations of the sequences do not affect the prediction results of ORFs.

Bonding and Mssbauer Isomer Shifts in (Hg, Pb)-1223 Cuprate

By using the chemical bond theory of dielectric description, the chemical bond parameters of (Hg, Pb) 1223 were calculated. The results show that the (Ba, Sr) O and Ca-O types of bond have higher ionic character, while the Cu-O and (Hg, Pb) O types of bond have more covalent character. Mssbauer isomer shifts of 57 Fe and 119 Sn doped in (Hg, Pb) 1223 were calculated by using the chemical environmental factor, h e, defined by covalency and electronic polarizability. Four valence state tin and three valence iron sites were identified in 57 Fe and 119 Sn doped (Hg, Pb) 1223 superconductor. It can be concluded that all of the Fe atoms substitute the Cu at square planar Cu(1) site, whereas Sn prefers to substitute the square pyramidal Cu(2) site.