Natural macrocyclic peptides produced by microorganisms serve as valuable resources for therapeutic compounds, including antibiotics, anticancer agents, and immune suppressive agents. Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are responsible for the biosynthesis of macrocyclic peptides. NRPSs are large multimodular enzymes, and each module recognizes and incorporates one specific amino acid into the polypeptide product.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is a commonly performed procedure for bariatric and metabolic surgery. However, few reports exist concerning the learning curves and surgical outcomes of LSG among trainee surgeons. This study aimed to investigate the learning curves and surgical outcomes of LSG for one attending surgeon and trainee surgeons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedulloblastomas are one of the most common malignant cancers of the central nervous system in children. Proton beam therapy (PBT) is expected to provide equivalent tumor control to photon therapy while reducing the various adverse events caused by irradiation. Few studies have considered the cost-effectiveness of PBT for pediatric medulloblastoma, considering the multiple adverse effects and reflecting on the latest treatment advancements.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe propose a modified Comparative Thyroid Assay (CTA, USEPA) utilizing a smaller number of Sprague-Dawley rats (N=10/group) that assesses brain thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations and periventricular heterotopia while maintaining assay sensitivity. Our recent findings demonstrated that a prenatal test cohort of the modified CTA detected a dose-dependent decrease in maternal serum T3 (up to -26%) and T4 (up to -44%) with sodium phenobarbital (NaPB) exposure at 1000 ppm and 1500 ppm, equivalent to intakes of 60 and 84 mg/kg/day, respectively. On gestation day (GD) 20, fetuses exhibited reduced serum (-26%) and brain (-29%) TH concentrations, although these reductions were not dose dependent.
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