The Effect of Amniotic Membrane Transplantation or Conjunctival Autografts on the Tear Mucins MUC5A and MUC2 After Pterygium Resection: A Six-Month Follow-Up.

Purpose: Pterygium is an ocular surface disease characterized by the invasion of fibrovascular tissue from the bulbar conjunctiva to the cornea and is associated with abnormal tear function caused by changes in tear composition and osmolarity. In this study, the effect of two different surgical techniques to remove primary pterygium: conjunctival autograft surgery (CAG) and amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT), on changes in MUC2 and MUC5AC tear mucins concentration were evaluated.

Methods: Forty-four patients (>18 years old) with primary unilateral pterygium (> 1.

Comparative study between the efficacy of prabotulinum toxin-A versus onabotulinum toxin-A for the treatment of upper facial expression lines.

Background: Botulinum Toxin (BoNTA) is the most used nonsurgical aesthetic procedure to treat facial expression lines.

Aims: This study compared the efficacy of Prabotulinum toxin-A, a novel BoNTA that originates from Clostridium botulinum Hall-A, with onabotulinum toxin-A in treating facial expression lines using the Facial Wrinkle Scale (FWS) and FACE-Q questionnaires.

Methods: This was an experimental, comparative, longitudinal, open-label, and prospective study.

Acne and diet: a review of pathogenic mechanisms.

Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit with multifactorial etiology. Abnormal proliferation of keratinocytes, altered sebum production, inflammation of the sebaceous follicle, and colonization by Cutibacterium acnes have been traditionally implicated. However, the diet has also been highlighted in the pathogenesis because of its direct relation with some biochemical markers and the transcription of specific genes associated with sebaceous gland activity, inflammation, and bacterial proliferation, which together promote the development of the disease, affect the severity of the condition, and modify its response to treatment.

Oxidative stability in raw, cooked, and frozen ground beef using Epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides L.).

This study investigated the potential of aqueous epazote (AE) and ethanolic extract of epazote (ETHE) as inhibitors of lipid oxidation in raw and cooked ground beef stored at 4 °C for 9 days as well as frozen beef patties stored at -18 °C for 90 days. Organic acids were identified in AE and ETHE using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight (UHPLC-qTOF). Chemical composition, TBARS, pH, colour, sensory acceptability and intensity of oxidised flavour were analysed in the three different meat products.

Some physicochemical and rheological properties of starch isolated from avocado seeds.

Seeds from avocado (Persea americana Miller) fruit are a waste byproduct of fruit processing. Starch from avocado seed is a potential alternative starch source. Two different extraction solvents were used to isolate starch from avocado seeds, functional and rheological characteristics measured for these starches, and comparisons made to maize starch.

Effects of a buried cysteine-to-serine mutation on yeast triosephosphate isomerase structure and stability.

All the members of the triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) family possess a cystein residue (Cys126) located near the catalytically essential Glu165. The evolutionarily conserved Cys126, however, does not seem to play a significant role in the catalytic activity. On the other hand, substitution of this residue by other amino acid residues destabilizes the dimeric enzyme, especially when Cys is replaced by Ser.

Biochemical characterization of recombinant L-asparaginase (AnsA) from Rhizobium etli, a member of an increasing rhizobial-type family of L-asparaginases.

We report the expression, purification, and characterization of L-asparaginase (AnsA) from Rhizobium etli. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity in a single-step procedure involving affinity chromatography, and the kinetic parameters K(m), V(max), and k(cat) for L-asparagine were determined. The enzymatic activity in the presence of a number of substrates and metal ions was investigated.

Crystal structure of Cu / Zn superoxide dismutase from Taenia solium reveals metal-mediated self-assembly.

Taenia solium is the cestode responsible for porcine and human cysticercosis. The ability of this parasite to establish itself in the host is related to its evasion of the immune response and its antioxidant defence system. The latter includes enzymes such as cytosolic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase.

Chemical and pharmacological aspects of capsaicin.

Capsaicin is a unique alkaloid found primarily in the fruit of the Capsicum genus and is what provides its spicy flavor. Generally extracted directly from fruit, high demand has driven the use of established methods to increase production through extraction and characterization. Over time these methods have improved, usually be applying existing techniques in conjunction.

Binding thermodynamics of phosphorylated inhibitors to triosephosphate isomerase and the contribution of electrostatic interactions.

Electrostatic interactions have a central role in some biological processes, such as recognition of charged ligands by proteins. We characterized the binding energetics of yeast triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) with phosphorylated inhibitors 2-phosphoglycollate (2PG) and phosphoglycolohydroxamate (PGH). We determined the thermodynamic parameters of the binding process (K(b), ΔG(b), ΔH(b), ΔS(b) and ΔC(p)) with different concentrations of NaCl, using fluorimetric and calorimetric titrations in the conventional mode of ITC and a novel method, multithermal titration calorimetry (MTC), which enabled us to measure ΔC(p) in a single experiment.

The conserved salt bridge linking two C-terminal beta/alpha units in homodimeric triosephosphate isomerase determines the folding rate of the monomer.

Triosephosphate isomerase (TIM), whose structure is archetypal of dimeric (beta/alpha)(8) barrels, has a conserved salt bridge (Arg189-Asp225 in yeast TIM) that connects the two C-terminal beta/alpha segments to rest of the monomer. We constructed the mutant D225Q, and studied its catalysis and stability in comparison with those of the wild-type enzyme. Replacement of Asp225 by Gln caused minor drops in k(cat) and K(M), but the catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(M)) was practically unaffected.

Conserved cysteine 126 in triosephosphate isomerase is required not for enzymatic activity but for proper folding and stability.

In triosephosphate isomerase, Cys126 is a conserved residue located close to the catalytic glutamate, Glu165. Although it has been mentioned that Cys126 and other nearby residues are required to maintain the active site geometry optimal for catalysis, no evidence supporting this idea has been reported to date. In this work, we studied the catalytic and stability properties of mutants C126A and C126S of Saccharomyces cerevisiae TIM (wtTIM).