Water binding to the Mn(4)O(5)Ca cluster of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of Photosystem II (PSII) poised in the S(2) state was studied via H(2)(17)O- and (2)H(2)O-labeling and high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Hyperfine couplings of coordinating (17)O (I = 5/2) nuclei were detected using W-band (94 GHz) electron-electron double resonance (ELDOR) detected NMR an...

One of the fundamental biological reactions, the catalytically activated water-splitting, takes place at an inorganic tetra-manganese monocalcium penta-oxygen (Mn4CaO5) cluster which together with its protein ligands forms the oxygen evolution complex (OEC) of the membrane-bound pigment− protein photosystem II (PSII) of plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. In the first step of a new hierarchical a...

Oxygen-enhanced combustion (OEC) is a useful method for improving the efficiency of thermal plants and decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Basic modified burner designs utilizing OEC in aluminum melting process rotary tilting furnace were studied. A combined approach comprising experimental measurement simulation modeling was adopted aimed at assessing GHG emissions production. Reduction...

There is still not an effective treatment for continuous retinal light exposure and subsequent photoreceptor degeneration. Olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation has been shown to be neuroprotective in spinal cord, and optic nerve injury and retinitis pigmentosa. However, whether OECs protect rat photoreceptors against light-induced damage and how this may work is unclear. Thus, to el...

Transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC) is a promising therapy in spinal cord injury (SCI) treatment. However, the therapeutic efficacy of this method is unstable due to unknown reasons. Considering the alterations in the culture environment that occur during OEC preparation for transplantation, we hypothesize that these changes may cause variations in the curative effects of this ...

In the present study we assessed the potential of human outgrowth endothelial cells (OEC), a subpopulation within endothelial progenitor cell cultures, to support the vascularization of a complex tissue engineered construct for bone. OEC cultured on starch polycaprolactone fiber meshes (SPCL) in monoculture retained their endothelial functionality and responded to angiogenic stimulation by VEGF...

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC) transplanted to the site of a spinal cord injury can promote axonal sparing/regeneration and functional recovery. The purpose of this study was to investigate if OEC enhance the effects of grafted dopamine-neuron-rich ventral mesencephalic tissue (VM) in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease. We co-grafted VM with either OEC or astrocytes derived from the same ...

This paper investigates the mechanism of water splitting in photosystem II (PSII) as described by chemically sensible models of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in the S0-S4 states. The reaction is the paradigm for engineering direct solar fuel production systems since it is driven by solar light and the catalyst involves inexpensive and abundant metals (calcium and manganese). Molecular model...

Expression and purification of photosynthetic protein PsbR for crystallization The PsbR protein is a nuclear-encoded photosystem (PS) II subunit specifically found in higher plants, in particular this 10 kDa protein is a component of oxygen evolving complex (OEC) of PSII. The role of PsbR has not been clarified yet. It is reported that PsbR might have auxiliary role for the PsbP binding to PSII...

An effective isolation protocol for outgrowth endothelial cells (OEC) resulting in higher cell numbers and a reduced expansion time would facilitate the therapeutical application. In this study a standard protocol based on the isolation of mononuclear cells from adult peripheral blood was modified by adding a passaging step 7 days after the isolation. OEC colonies gained by both protocols were ...