Publications by authors named "B Iorga"

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is often caused by heterozygous mutations in β-myosin heavy chain (MYH7, β-MyHC). In addition to hyper- or hypocontractile effects of HCM-mutations, heterogeneity in contractile function (contractile imbalance) among individual cardiomyocytes was observed in end-stage HCM-myocardium. Contractile imbalance might be induced by burst-like transcription, leading to unequal fractions of mutant versus wildtype mRNA and protein in individual cardiomyocytes (allelic imbalance).

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OXA-244, an R214G variant of OXA-48, is silently spreading worldwide likely because of difficulties in detection using classical screening media. Here, we characterized two clinical isolates of and that displayed reduced susceptibility to carbapenems but were lacking significant carbapenemase activity as revealed by negative Carba NP test results. However, positive test results were seen for OXA-48-like enzymes by lateral flow immunoassays.

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In an extensive screening endeavor for anti-coronaviral compounds, we examined 824 tropical plant extracts from the Annonaceae and Rutaceae families. The screening identified an ethyl acetate extract from the aerial parts of Miliusa balansae for its potent inhibitory activity against Human coronavirus HCoV-229E. Subsequent bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract revealed two unreported miliusanes including a complex dimeric structure and seven known compounds, comprising miliusane XXXVI, (+)-miliusol, bistyryls, styryl-pyranones, and the flavonoid rhamnetin.

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As a result of screening a panel of marine organisms to identify lead molecules for the stimulation of endochondral bone formation, the calcareous sponge was identified to exhibit significant activity during endochondral differentiation. On further molecular networking analysis, dereplication and chemical fractionation yielded the known clathridine A-related metabolites and the homodimeric complex (clathridine A) Zn (), together with the new unstable heterodimeric complex (clathridine A-clathridimine)Zn (). With the presence of the zinc complexes annotated through the LC-MS analysis of the crude extract changing due to the instability of some metabolites and complexes constituting the mixture, we combined the isolation of the predicted molecules with their synthesis in order to confirm their structure and to understand their reactivity.

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The elementary molecular step that generates force by cross-bridges (CBs) in active muscles has been under intense investigation in the field of muscle biophysics. It is known that an increase in the phosphate (P) concentration diminishes isometric force in active fibers, indicating a tight coupling between the force generation step and the P release step. The question asked here is whether the force generation occurs before P release or after release.

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