Left Atrial Roof Incision for Mitral Valve Interventions and Left Atrial Mass Resection: A Safe Alternative for Excellent Exposure. A Single Center Experience.

Background: Proper visualization has always been the cornerstone for conducting proper cardiac interventions. Although many incisions have been described for mitral valve exposure, the feasibility of some comes at the expense of proper exposure. When it comes to a small left atrium, larger incisions may venture into critically situated structures, creating a heavy toll of increased morbidity and mortality.

Catalytic and thermodynamic properties of glycosylated Bacillus cereus cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase.

Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) was covalently coupled to five oxidized polysaccharides differing in structure and chemical nature. The conjugates were evaluated for the retained activity, kinetic and thermodynamic stability. The conjugated CGTase with oxidized dextran (MW 47000) had the highest retained specific activity (70.

Novel norhumulene and xeniaphyllane-derived terpenoids from a formosan soft coral Sinularia gibberosa.

A novel skeletal norhumulene (1) and six xeniaphyllane-derived compounds, including norditerpenoids (2, 3) and diterpenoids (4-7), were isolated from the EtOAc extract of the Formosan soft coral Sinularia gibberosa. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. In vitro cytotoxic evaluation of the above metabolites revealed that 2 and 4 showed weak cytotoxicity toward a few cancer cell lines.

Xeniaphyllane-derived terpenoids from the formosan soft coral Sinularia gibberosa.

New xeniaphyllane-derived metabolites (1-7) were isolated from the EtOAc extract of the Formosan soft coral Sinularia gibberosa. The structures and relative configurations of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis (including 2D NMR) and by comparison of their spectral data with those of related compounds. In vitro cytotoxic evaluation of the above metabolites towards a limited panel of cancer cell lines is also described.

Phenanthrenoids from Juncus acutus L., new natural lipopolysaccharide-inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors.

The novel natural product juncutol (1), 1,4,7-trimethyl-8,9-dihydro-4H-cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene-2,6-diol, along with the three related metabolites juncusol (2), dehydrojuncusol (3), and 6-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-5-vinyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-2-ol (4), were isolated from the rhizomes of Juncus acutus L. (Juncaceae) growing in Egypt. The structural identity of 1 was determined on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, including 2D NMR spectroscopy.