Sequential Enzymatic Conversion of α-Angelica Lactone to γ-Valerolactone through Hydride-Independent C=C Bond Isomerization.

A case of hydride-independent reaction catalyzed by flavin-dependent ene-reductases from the Old Yellow Enzyme (OYE) family was identified. α-Angelica lactone was isomerized to the conjugated β-isomer in a nicotinamide-free and hydride-independent process. The catalytic cycle of C=C bond isomerization appears to be flavin-independent and to rely solely on a deprotonation-reprotonation sequence through acid-base catalysis.

Uptake and Toxicity of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles in C6 Glioma Cells.

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) are frequently used for many technical applications, but are also known for their cell toxic potential. In order to investigate a potential use of CuO-NPs as a therapeutic drug for glioma treatment, we have investigated the consequences of an application of CuO-NPs on the cellular copper content and cell viability of C6 glioma cells. CuO-NPs were synthesized by a wet-chemical method and were coated with dimercaptosuccinic acid and bovine serum albumin to improve colloidal stability in physiological media.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Opuntia robusta and Opuntia streptacantha Fruits against Acetaminophen-Induced Acute Liver Damage.

Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced acute liver failure (ALF) is a serious health problem in developed countries. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), the current therapy for APAP-induced ALF, is not always effective, and liver transplantation is often needed. Opuntia spp.

The protective effect of the natural compound hesperetin against fulminant hepatitis in vivo and in vitro.

Background And Purpose: Liver diseases are mostly accompanied by inflammation and hepatocyte death. Therapeutic approaches targeting both hepatocyte injury and inflammation are not available. Natural compounds are considered as potential treatment for inflammatory liver diseases.

Impact of Platelet-Rich Plasma on Arthroscopic Repair of Small- to Medium-Sized Rotator Cuff Tears: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Increased interest in using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as an augment to rotator cuff repair warrants further investigation, particularly in smaller rotator cuff tears.

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of PRP application in improving perioperative pain and function and promoting healing at 6 months after arthroscopic repair of small- or medium-sized rotator cuff tears.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

The Role of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Stroke in Familial Alzheimer Disease.

Importance: The contribution of cardiovascular disease (CV) and cerebrovascular disease to the risk for late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) has been long debated. Investigations have shown that antecedent CV risk factors increase the risk for LOAD, although other investigations have failed to validate this association.

Objective: To study the contribution of CV risk factors (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease) and the history of stroke to LOAD in a data set of large families multiply affected by LOAD.

The Readmitted Patient with Heart Failure.

A multi-site descriptive retrospective study of physiologic, demographic, and psychosocial factors associated with 30-day readmissions for heart failure was conducted in six Magnet-designated hospitals. Results can be used to plan effective nursing interventions to target readmitted patients.

Biocatalytic functionalization of hydroxyalkyl acrylates and phenoxyethanol via phosphorylation.

The enzymatic phosphorylation of phenoxyethanol, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate catalyzed by acid phosphatases PhoN-Sf and PiACP at the expense of inorganic di-, tri-, hexameta- or polyphosphate was applied to the preparative-scale synthesis of phosphorylated compounds. The reaction conditions were optimized with respect to enzyme immobilization, substrate concentration, pH and type of phosphate donor. The mild reaction conditions prevented undesired polymerization and hydrolysis of the acrylate ester moiety.

Selected anteromedial coronoid fractures can be treated nonoperatively.

Background: Surgical fixation is currently recommended for unstable anteromedial coronoid fractures, but the role of nonoperative management is not well defined. Our purpose was to report the functional and radiographic outcomes of select patients managed nonoperatively.

Methods: Between 2006 and 2012, 10 patients with anteromedial coronoid fractures underwent nonoperative treatment.

Nanoemulsions Containing a Coumarin-Rich Extract from Pterocaulon balansae (Asteraceae) for the Treatment of Ocular Acanthamoeba Keratitis.

This study describes the incorporation of a coumarin-rich extract from Pterocaulon balansae into nanoemulsions intended for the local treatment of ocular keratitis caused by Acanthamoeba. The n-hexane dewaxed extract of P. balansae was characterized by HPLC/PDA and UPLC/MS.

Regio- and Enantioselective Sequential Dehalogenation of rac-1,3-Dibromobutane by Haloalkane Dehalogenase LinB.

The hydrolytic dehalogenation of rac-1,3-dibromobutane catalyzed by the haloalkane dehalogenase LinB from Sphingobium japonicum UT26 proceeds in a sequential fashion: initial formation of intermediate haloalcohols followed by a second hydrolytic step to produce the final diol. Detailed investigation of the course of the reaction revealed favored nucleophilic displacement of the sec-halogen in the first hydrolytic event with pronounced R enantioselectivity. The second hydrolysis step proceeded with a regioselectivity switch at the primary position, with preference for the S enantiomer.

Validation and determination of taselisib, a β-sparing phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, in human plasma by LC-MS/MS.

A liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of taselisib (GDC-0032, RO5537381) concentrations in human plasma has been developed and validated to support bioanalysis of clinical samples. Solid phase extraction (SPE) was used to extract plasma samples (50μL) and the resulting samples were analyzed using reversed phase chromatography and mass spectrometry coupled with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface. The mass analysis of taselisib was performed using multiple reaction monitoring transitions in positive ionization mode.

Prevalence of Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Workers With Upper Extremity Complaints.

Study Design Cross-sectional cohort study. Background Symptoms of depression, panic disorder (PD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been associated with musculoskeletal complaints and could represent barriers to recovery in injured workers. Objectives To determine the prevalence of symptoms of depression, PD, and PTSD utilizing the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in a cohort of patients presenting to an upper extremity injured-worker clinic; secondarily, to identify any relationships between patients screening positive and patient-reported outcome measures.

Acute Toxicity Associated With the Recreational Use of the Novel Psychoactive Benzofuran N-methyl-5-(2 aminopropyl)benzofuran.

N-methyl-5-(2 aminopropyl)benzofuran (5-MAPB) is a novel psychoactive benzofuran, created by N-methylation of 5-(2-aminopropyl)benzofuran (5-APB), which shares structural features with methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). To our knowledge, no case of 5-MAPB-related toxicity has been published in the scientific literature. We report a case of oral 5-MAPB exposure confirmed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in a 24-year-old previously healthy white man.

Radial Head Fractures Treated with Modular Metallic Radial Head Replacement: Outcomes at a Mean Follow-up of Eight Years.

Background: Radial head arthroplasty is commonly used to treat acute unreconstructible radial head fractures. The purpose of this study was to report on the clinical and radiographic outcomes at a minimum follow-up of five years after radial head arthroplasty with a modular metallic implant for the treatment of acute radial head fractures.

Methods: The cases of fifty-five patients with unreconstructible radial head fractures treated acutely with a smooth-stemmed modular metallic radial head implant were retrospectively reviewed.

Scope, limitations and classification of lactamases.

The hydrolysis of amide bonds is a ubiquitous process in nature and is catalyzed by various enzymes: Whereas N-unsubstituted amides are cleaved by amidases (EC 3.5.1.

Treatment of complex elbow fracture-dislocations.

Successful management of complex elbow fracture-dislocations requires, in part, recognition of the overall injury pattern, which can aid in the identification of concomitant bony and soft tissue injuries. Trans-olecranon fracture-dislocations are best treated surgically with stable anatomic restoration of the trochlear notch. Terrible triad elbow injuries are believed to be caused by a valgus posterolateral force.

Hormesis in Cholestatic Liver Disease; Preconditioning with Low Bile Acid Concentrations Protects against Bile Acid-Induced Toxicity.

Introduction: Cholestasis is characterized by accumulation of bile acids and inflammation, causing hepatocellular damage. Still, liver damage markers are highest in acute cholestasis and drop when this condition becomes chronic, indicating that hepatocytes adapt towards the hostile environment. This may be explained by a hormetic response in hepatocytes that limits cell death during cholestasis.

HSPA6 is an ulcerative colitis susceptibility factor that is induced by cigarette smoke and protects intestinal epithelial cells by stabilizing anti-apoptotic Bcl-XL.

Background: Cigarette smoking ameliorates ulcerative colitis (UC) and aggravates Crohn's disease (CD). Cigarette smoke suppresses inflammation-induced apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells (DLD-1), which may explain its protective effect in UC. Here, we performed transcriptome profiling of cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-exposed DLD-1 and Jurkat cells (T-lymphocytes) and related this to UC susceptibility genes with protective functions in the intestinal epithelium.

Biocatalytic Characterization of Human FMO5: Unearthing Baeyer-Villiger Reactions in Humans.

Flavin-containing mono-oxygenases are known as potent drug-metabolizing enzymes, providing complementary functions to the well-investigated cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenases. While human FMO isoforms are typically involved in the oxidation of soft nucleophiles, the biocatalytic activity of human FMO5 (along its physiological role) has long remained unexplored. In this study, we demonstrate the atypical in vitro activity of human FMO5 as a Baeyer-Villiger mono-oxygenase on a broad range of substrates, revealing the first example to date of a human protein catalyzing such reactions.

Three-Phase 3D Reconstruction of a LiCoO2 Cathode via FIB-SEM Tomography.

Three-phase three-dimensional (3D) microstructural reconstructions of lithium-ion battery electrodes are critical input for 3D simulations of electrode lithiation/delithiation, which provide a detailed understanding of battery operation. In this report, 3D images of a LiCoO2 electrode are achieved using focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), with clear contrast among the three phases: LiCoO2 particles, carbonaceous phases (carbon and binder) and the electrolyte space. The good contrast was achieved by utilizing an improved FIB-SEM sample preparation method that combined infiltration of the electrolyte space with a low-viscosity silicone resin and triple ion-beam polishing.

A simple coculture system shows mutualism between anaerobic faecalibacteria and epithelial Caco-2 cells.

Most gut bacteria are obligate anaerobes and are important for human health. However, little mechanistic insight is available on the health benefits of specific anaerobic gut bacteria. A main obstacle in generating such knowledge is the lack of simple and robust coculturing methods for anaerobic bacteria and oxygen-requiring human cells.

Amination of ω-Functionalized Aliphatic Primary Alcohols by a Biocatalytic Oxidation-Transamination Cascade.

Amination of non-activated aliphatic fatty alcohols to the corresponding primary amines was achieved through a five-enzyme cascade reaction by coupling a long-chain alcohol oxidase from (LCAO_Af) with a ω-transaminase from (ω-TA_Cv). The alcohol was oxidized at the expense of molecular oxygen to yield the corresponding aldehyde, which was subsequently aminated by the PLP-dependent ω-TA to yield the final primary amine product. The overall cascade was optimized with respect to pH, O pressure, substrate concentration, decomposition of HO (derived from alcohol oxidation), NADH regeneration, and biocatalyst ratio.

Capitellar and Trochlear Fractures.

Fractures of the capitellum and trochlea account for a small proportion of elbow trauma. Clinicians need to be vigilant in their assessment as they are commonly associated with other injuries about the elbow. To optimize outcomes, the goals of management include a stable, anatomic reduction and early range of motion.