Photocrosslinkable starch cinnamyl ethers as bioinspired bio-based polymers.

A novel starch-based ether bearing cinnamyl functionalities, conferring photo-crosslinking properties, is synthesised by reaction with cinnamyl chloride in the presence of sodium hydroxide. Natural yuca was selected as a sustainable source of starch. Three different molar equivalents of reagents are used, affording starch-cinnamyl ethers with different degrees of substitution, ranging from 0.

The Landscape of Osteocalcin Proteoforms Reveals Distinct Structural and Functional Roles of Its Carboxylation Sites.

Human osteocalcin (OC) undergoes reversible, vitamin K-dependent γ-carboxylation at three glutamic acid residues, modulating its release from bones and its hormonal roles. A complete understanding of OC roles and structure-activity relationships is still lacking, as only uncarboxylated and few differently carboxylated variants have been considered so far. To fill this lack of knowledge, a comprehensive experimental and computational investigation of the structural properties and calcium-binding activity of all the OC variants is reported here.

[Molecular characterization of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from human and food sources in Argentina, 2018-2023].

Human listeriosis is an infectious disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes. The invasive form of this disease leads to a high rate of hospitalizations and fatality. The main mode of transmission is through contaminated ready-to-eat foods such as dairy, vegetables and meat products.

Homozygous substitution of threonine 191 by proline in polymerase η causes Xeroderma pigmentosum variant.

DNA polymerase eta (Polη) is the only translesion synthesis polymerase capable of error-free bypass of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers. A deficiency in Polη function is associated with the human disease Xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XPV). We hereby report the case of a 60-year-old woman known for XPV and carrying a Polη Thr191Pro variant in homozygosity.

Enhancing the Activity of Surface Immobilized Antimicrobial Peptides Using Thiol-Mediated Tethering to Poly(ethylene glycol).

Considering the need for versatile surface coatings that can display multiple bioactive signals and chemistries, the use of more novel surface modification methods is starting to emerge. Thiol-mediated conjugation of biomolecules is shown to be quite advantageous for such purposes due to the reactivity and chemoselectivity of thiol functional groups. Herein, the immobilization of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to silica colloidal particles based on thiol-mediated conjugation techniques, along with an assessment of the antimicrobial potential of the functionalized particles against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus is investigated.

[Legionnaires' disease in Argentina: Evolution of the laboratory diagnostic strategy].

Legionnaires' disease (LD) is severe acute pneumonia that occurs in sporadic or epidemic form, and generally requires hospitalization. The objective of this work was to describe the experience in the LD laboratory diagnostic approach in Argentina during the period 2016-2021. The laboratory analyzed 168 clinical specimens from 93 cases of suspected LD pneumonia.

Synthesis and Characterization of Alkoxysilane-Bearing Photoreversible Cinnamic Side Groups: A Promising Building-Block for the Design of Multifunctional Silica Nanoparticles.

The present study reports on the synthesis of a new alkoxysilane-bearing light-responsive cinnamyl group and its application as a surface functionalization agent for the development of SiO nanoparticles (NPs) with photoreversible tails. In detail, cinnamic acid (CINN) was activated with -hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) to obtain the corresponding NHS-ester (CINN-NHS). Subsequently, the amine group of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was acylated with CINN-NHS leading to the generation of a novel organosilane, CINN-APTES, which was then exploited for decorating SiO NPs.

Fishery waste valorization: Sulfated ZrO as a heterogeneous catalyst for chitin and chitosan depolymerization.

Chitin and chitosan are abundant unique sources of biologically-fixed nitrogen mainly derived from residues of the fishery productive chain. Their high potential as nitrogen-based highly added-value platform molecules is still largely unexploited and a catalytic way for their valorization would be strongly desirable within a biorefinery concept. Here we report our results obtained with a series of heterogeneous catalysts in the depolymerization of chitosan and chitin to acetylglucosamine.

Fabrication Strategies Towards Hydrogels for Biomedical Application: Chemical and Mechanical Insights.

This review aims at giving selected chemical and mechanical insights on design criteria that should be taken into account in hydrogel production for biomedical applications. Particular emphasis will be given to the chemical aspects involved in hydrogel design: macromer chemical composition, cross-linking strategies and chemistry towards "conventional" and smart/stimuli responsive hydrogels. Mechanical properties of hydrogels in view of regenerative medicine applications will also be considered.

SARS-CoV-2 and Chlamydia pneumoniae co-infection: A review of the literature.

Bacterial co-pathogens are commonly identified in viral respiratory infections and are important causes of morbid-mortality. The prevalence of Chlamydia (C.) pneumoniae infection in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 has not been sufficiently studied.

Study of the genetic diversity of Moraxella spp. isolates obtained from corneal abscesses.

This is the first study of the genetic diversity of Moraxella spp. Isolates were detected in an Eye Hospital in the City of Buenos Aires. Due to the high frequency of Moraxella spp.

The Genetic relatedness of Burkholderia contaminans clinical isolates from cystic fibrosis and non-cystic fibrosis patients in Argentina.

Introduction: The Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) bacteria are opportunistic pathogens that cause nosocomial infections and are especially dangerous for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Burkholderia contaminans is an emerging BCC species isolated from CF patients that also occurs as a contaminant in pharmaceutical and personal care products, sometimes linking it with outbreaks.

Methodology: A total of 55 B.

Galactose Tethered Decellularized Liver Matrix: Toward a Biomimetic and Biofunctional Matrix for Liver Tissue Engineering.

The major challenge in liver tissue engineering is the replication of the microenvironment and microarchitecture of the liver tissue at the nanoscale. Decellularized liver matrix (DLM) provides an ideal material for scaffold preparation, as it retains the relevant structural and biochemical composition. However, the loss of bioactive factors during decellularization needs to be taken into account when using DLM and should be supplemented accordingly for an expected outcome.

[Dolosigranulum pigrum in corneal abscess].

Dolosigranulum pigrum is a gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic coccus, which is part of the oral and upper respiratory tract microbiota. Although reports of infections by this microorganism are scarce, it has been associated with a wide spectrum of infectious diseases. The case of an elderly man with a lower corneal abscess, in which Dolosigranulum pigrum was isolated, is described.

DROSHA is recruited to DNA damage sites by the MRN complex to promote non-homologous end joining.

The DNA damage response (DDR) is the signaling cascade that recognizes DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and promotes their resolution via the DNA repair pathways of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (HR). We and others have shown that DDR activation requires DROSHA; however, whether DROSHA exerts its functions by associating with damage sites, what controls its recruitment, and how DROSHA influences DNA repair remains poorly understood. Here, we show that DROSHA associates with DSBs independently of transcription.

Exploring the value of MALDI-TOF MS for the detection of clonal outbreaks of Burkholderia contaminans.

Background: Molecular genetics has risen in both output and affordability to become the gold standard in diagnosis, however it is not yet available for most routine clinical microbiology due to cost and the level of skill it requires. Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation - time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) approaches may be useful in bridging the gap between low-resolution phenotypic methods and bulky genotypic methods in the goal of epidemiological source-typing of microbes. Burkholderia has been shown to be identifiable at the subspecies level using MALDI-TOF MS.

Synthesis, Molecular Modeling and Biological Evaluation of Metabolically Stable Analogues of the Endogenous Fatty Acid Amide Palmitoylethanolamide.

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) belongs to the class of -acylethanolamine and is an endogenous lipid potentially useful in a wide range of therapeutic areas; products containing PEA are licensed for use in humans as a nutraceutical, a food supplement, or food for medical purposes for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties demonstrating efficacy and tolerability. However, the exogenously administered PEA is rapidly inactivated; in this process, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) plays a key role both in hepatic metabolism and in intracellular degradation. So, the aim of the present study was the design and synthesis of PEA analogues that are more resistant to FAAH-mediated hydrolysis.

Differential glycosylation of collagen modulates lung cancer stem cell subsets through β1 integrin-mediated interactions.

In lung cancer, CD133+ cells represent the subset of cancer stem cells (CSC) able to sustain tumor growth and metastatic dissemination. CSC function is tightly regulated by specialized niches composed of both stromal cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, mainly represented by collagen. The relevance of collagen glycosylation, a fundamental post-translational modification controlling several biological processes, in regulating tumor cell phenotype remains, however, largely unexplored.

Neoglycosylated Collagen: Effect on Neuroblastoma F-11 Cell Lines.

The regeneration of the nervous system is a challenging task. Currently, regenerative medicine approaches that exploit nature-inspired cues are being studied and hold great promise. The possibility to use protein-based matrices functionalized with small oligo- and monosaccharides is of interest since these can be finely tuned to better mimic the native environment.

rapidly identified by MALDI-TOF MS. A rare gram-variable agent of bacteraemia.

is an enteric anaerobic, endospore-forming, gram-positive rod with a low GC content that is rarely associated with disease in humans. We present a case of bacteraemia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case of bacteraemia in an elderly patient presenting with fever, abdominal pain and bilious emesis.