Abstract: A method for producing optically active alcohols of formula (Ia) or (Ib), wherein R1, R2 are alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or alkylaryl groups, which in turn can be mono-substituted or poly-substituted with alkyl, halogen, SH, SR2, OH, OR2, NO2, CN, CO, COOR2, NR2R3 or NR2R3R4+X, wherein R2, R3 and R4 independently of each other are H or a low-alkyl or low-alkoxy radical, and X? is a counterion, with the stipulation that R1 is not identical to R2, by reduction of the corresponding ketone, the reduction being performed with a dehydrogenase having the polypeptide sequence SEQ ID NO:2 or NO:4, or having a polypeptide sequence in which up to 25% of the amino acid radicals are modified relative to SEQ ID NO:2 or NO:4 by deletion, insertion, substitution, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel proteins having esterase activity, to mutants thereof, to nucleic acid sequences coding therefor, to expression cassettes, vectors and recombinant microorganisms; to methods for preparing said proteins and to the use thereof for enzymic, in particular enantioselective enzymic, ester hydrolysis or transesterification of organic esters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing optically active (4S)-4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-one derivatives of the formula (I) and a method for preparing (3S,3?S)-astaxanthin of the formula (III) comprising the first-mentioned method.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel proteins, especially with protease activity, which promote the production of extracellular lipases by bacteria, especially of the genus Burkholderia, nucleic acid sequences encoding them, expression constructs containing them, hosts transformed with them, methods for the production of the proteins with protease activity and methods for the production of lipases, especially by bacteria of the genus Burkholderia.

Abstract: The present invention relates to enzymic and nonenzymic processes for preparing 3-methylamino-1-(thien-2-yl)propan-1-ol; as well as to enzymes for implementing these processes; and to nucleic acid sequences encoding these enzymes, to expression cassettes containing these nucleic acid sequences, to vectors and to recombinant hosts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a production method for producing, on a production installation (1), flat products, also of a large width, from continuously cast slabs having a large or medium thickness or from thin slabs. Said production installation is comprised of a single or multiple stand blooming train (4), of a roller table (3), which is provided for conveying the rolling stock and, optionally for oscillating, of a roller table section (5) with hinged heat-insulating covering hoods. The production installation is also comprised of a straightening unit (6) for straightening the pre-strips, of an, in particular, inductive heating installation (7) for effecting the controlled heating of the pre-strips to a defined temperature over the length and width of the pre-strips, of a multiple-stand finishing train (10), of a delivery roller table with devices (11) for cooling the hot rolled strip, and of subsequently arranged coiling machines (12) for coiling the finished strip.

Abstract: A process for preparing optically active alkanols of the formula I in which n is an integer from 0 to 5; Cyc is an optionally substituted, mono- or polynuclear, saturated or unsaturated, carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring, and R1 is halogen, SH, OH, NO2, NR2R3 or NR2R3R4+X?, with R2, R3 and R4 independently of one another being hydrogen or a lower alkyl or lower alkoxy radical and X? being a counterion, which process comprises incubating in a medium comprising alkanone of the formula II in which n, Cyc and R1 are as defined above, an enzyme having a polypeptide sequence (i) SEQ ID NO: 1 or (ii) in which, compared to SEQ ID NO:1, up to 25% of the amino acid radicals have been altered by deletion, insertion, substitution or a combination thereof and which retains at least 50% of the enzymic activity of SEQ ID NO:1, with the compound of the formula II being enzymically reduced to give the compound of the formula I, and isolating the product formed.

Abstract: A process for preparing optically active (1S)-3-chloro-1-(2-thienyl)propan-1-ol of the formula I by, in a medium comprising 3-chloro-1-(2-thienyl)propan-1-one of the formula II reducing this compound to the compound of the formula I by means of an alcohol dehydrogenase from the Thermoanaerobacter genus, and isolating the product formed in substantially enantiomerically pure form.

Abstract: A method and device for measuring and adjusting the evenness and/or tension of a stainless steel strip (1) during cold rolling in a 4-roll stand (2) provided with at least one control loop (4) comprising several actuators (3), resulting in more precise measurement and adjustment due to the fact that an evenness defect (10) is determined by comparing a tension vector (8) with a predefined reference curve (9), whereupon the characteristic of the evenness defect (10) along the width of the strip is broken down into proportional tension vectors (8) in an analysis building block (11) in a mathematically approximated manner and the evenness defect proportions (C1 . . . Cx) determined by real numerical values are supplied to respectively associated control modules (12a; 12b) for actuation of the respective actuator (3).

Abstract: The present invention relates to proteins having an enzymatic activity of reducing substituted alkanones such as 3-methylamino-1-(2-thienyl)-propan-1-one. The invention furthermore relates to nucleic acids coding for said proteins, nucleic acid constructs, vectors, genetically modified microorganisms and to methods for preparing optically active substituted alkanols, such as, for example, (S)-3-methylamino-1-(2-thienyl)-(S)-propanol.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing the optically active alkanols of formula (I), wherein n is an integer of from 0 to 5; Cyc represents an optionally substituted, mononuclear or polynuclear, saturated or unsaturated, carbocylic or heterocyclic ring, and R1 represents halogen, SH, OH, NO2, NR2R3 or NR2R3R4+X?, wherein R2, R3 and R4 independently represent H or a lower alkyl or lower alkoxy group and X? represents a counterion. According to the invention, an enzyme (E) selected from the groups of dehydrogenases, aldehyde reductases and carbonyl reductases is incubated in a medium containing the alkanone of formula (II), wherein n, Cyc and R1 are defined as above, in the presence of reduction equivalents.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for influencing in a controlled manner the load-bearing force of supporting rollers (SW) that rest on working rollers. The neck (WZ) of said supporting rollers (SW) which is provided with an extension (ZA) is mounted in roller bearings or sliding bearings that are disposed in a bearing-supporting housing of the rollers of a roller stand. The neck extension (ZA) is mounted in a supporting bearing. The outside of the housing (LG) of said supporting bearing is connected to the bearing-supporting housing. An intermediate housing (ZG) which is inserted in the housing (LG) of the supporting bearing cylindrically encloses the supporting bearing, is impinged upon by a piston cylinder unit (RB, SK), and can be displaced within said housing (LG) in a radial direction relative to the axis of the neck extension (ZA).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for purifying (1S)-3-METHYLAMINO-1-(2-THIENYL)-1-PROPANOL by distilling a reaction mixture which comprises between 25 and 99% by weight of (IS)-3-METHYLAMINO-1-(2-THIENYL)-1-PROPANOL.

Abstract: The present invention relates to enzymic processes for preparing S-butan-2-ol; and to enzymes for carrying out said processes; to nucleic acid sequences coding for said enzymes, to expression cassettes, vectors and recombinant hosts containing said nucleic acid sequences.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for removing horn substances from animal skin. The method is characterized in that animal skins are treated in an aqueous bath containing between 0.05 and 5 wt. %, in relation to the weight of the salt, of at least one compound of general formula I or the corresponding alkali metallic salts or alkaline-earth metallic salts thereof or ammonium or phosphonium salts.

Abstract: Horny substances are removed from animal hides by a process wherein animal hides are treated in a liquor comprising from 0.05 to 5% by weight, based on the salted weight, of one or more compounds of the formula I or the corresponding alkali metal or alkaline earth metal or ammonium or phosphonium salts thereof, the variables being defined as follows: R1 is selected from hydrogen and C1-C12-alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted by one or more S—H or O—H groups; X1 to X4 are identical or different and are selected from hydrogen, C1-C4-alkyl, O—H, S—H and N—HR2, R2 is hydrogen or C1-C12-alkyl or a C1-C4-alkyl-C?O group, at least one of the radicals X1 to X4 being S—H, and, if R1 contains neither O—H nor S—H, at least one further radical from among X1 to X4 is selected from S—H, OH and NH—R2, and furthermore with at least one compound which catalyzes the hydrolysis of peptide bonds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to enzymic and nonenzymic processes for preparing 3-methylamino-1-(thien-2-yl)propan-1-ol; as well as to enzymes for implementing these processes; and to nucleic acid sequences encoding these enzymes, to expression cassettes containing these nucleic acid sequences, to vectors and to recombinant hosts.

Abstract: A polypeptide with pyruvate decarboxylase activity, derived from the pyruvate decarboxylase from Zymomonas mobilis by substitution of an amino acid in position 553.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rolling mill (1) which is used to hot roll metal, in particular aluminium. Said rolling mill comprises a hot strip mill (3) provided with a pre-rolling train (4) and a finishing rolling train (5). The aim of the invention is to improve said rolling mill such that it is more compact and/or such that the systems, which are already compact, are more productive. The pre-rolling train (4) is embodied as a tandem train, wherein the rolling product is milled in a tandem mode for jointly involving at least two pre-rolling frames (8, 9) arranged one behind the other. Alternatively or simultaneously, the pre-rolling train (4) and the finishing train (5) work together as a tandem train. Milling occurs place in the tandem mode when the frame of the pre-rolling train and the finishing train are used together. In the finishing train, milling can take place, preferably, in a reversing tandem mode.

Abstract: This application relates to a new process for the production of R-phenylacetylcarbinol by an enzymatic process in a liquid two-phase system.