Myocardial deposition of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, and lead accelerates heart failure and alters UPRmt in humans.

In the myocardium of control subjects and patients undergoing heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device implantation (LVAD), we analyzed concentrations of Al, As, Cd, Pb, and Ni using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Myocardial generation of oxidative-stress-induced lipid peroxidation was analyzed by quantifying concentration of 4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) with ELISA and pro-apoptotic DAPK2 gene expression was determined with quantitative RT-PCR. Compared to six control hearts, myocardial samples of 128 individuals undergoing heart transplantation or LVAD implantation exhibited a moderate increase in deposition of five tested non-essential elements, which was significantly increased only for Cd and cumulative deposition of Al, As, Cd, and Pb.

Single-strand DNA-binding protein suppresses illegitimate recombination in Escherichia coli, acting in synergy with RecQ helicase.

Single-strand DNA-binding proteins SSB/RPA are ubiquitous and essential proteins that bind ssDNA in bacteria/eukaryotes and coordinate DNA metabolic processes such as replication, repair, and recombination. SSB protects ssDNA from degradation by nucleases, while also facilitating/regulating the activity of multiple partner proteins involved in DNA processes. Using Spi assay, which detects aberrantly excised λ prophage from the E.

Di-mannosylation enhances the adjuvant properties of adamantane-containing desmuramyl peptides .

Muramyl dipeptide (MDP) is the smallest essential peptidoglycan substructure capable of promoting both innate and adaptive immune responses. Herein, we report on the design, synthesis, and study of the adjuvant properties of two novel MDP analogs containing an achiral adamantyl moiety attached to the desmuramyl dipeptide (DMP) pharmacophore and additionally modified by one mannosyl subunit (derivative 7) or two mannosyl subunits (derivative 11). Mannose substructures were introduced in order to assess how the degree of mannosylation affects the immune response and nucleotide-binding oligomerization-domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) binding affinity, compared to the reference compound ManAdDMP.

Heart failure in patients is associated with downregulation of mitochondrial quality control genes.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of key factors causing heart failure. We performed a comprehensive analysis of expression of mitochondrial quality control (MQC) genes in heart failure.

Methods: Myocardial samples were obtained from patients with ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy in a terminal stage of heart failure and donors without heart disease.

Posterior fossa ischemic infarction: single-center retrospective review of non-surgical and surgical cases.

Cerebellar ischemic stroke (CIS) is a morbid neurological event, with potentially fatal consequences. There is currently no objective standard of care regarding when surgical procedures are required for this entity. We retrospectively reviewed 763 patients with CIS, 247 patients of which had a stroke larger than 1 cm in greatest dimension on cranial imaging.

Evaluation of factors associated with interhospital transfers to pediatric and adult tertiary level of care: A study of acute neurological disease cases.

Introduction: Patient referrals to tertiary level of care neurological services are often potentially avoidable and result in inferior clinical outcomes. To decrease transfer burden, stakeholders should acquire a comprehensive perception of specialty referral process dynamics. We identified associations between patient sociodemographic data, disease category and hospital characteristics and avoidable transfers, and differentiated factors underscoring informed decision making as essential care management aspects.

Effect of Body Mass Index on Paddle Lead Spinal Cord Stimulator Safety Implantation for Chronic Pain Management.

Objective: Spinal cord stimulators (SCS) represent an effective treatment for patients with chronic pain issues. This study examines extremely obese patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥40) as appropriate surgical candidates for paddle lead SCS trial via partial thoracic laminectomy and whether obesity impacts implantation safety.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients treated with partial thoracic laminectomy and paddle lead SCS trial between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2019 was performed.

Perioperative prophylaxis for surgical site infections in pediatric spinal surgery: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objective: Postoperative infections in pediatric spinal surgery commonly occur and necessitate reoperation(s). However, pediatric-specific infection prophylaxis guidelines are not available. This network meta-analysis compares perioperative prophylaxis methods including Betadine irrigation, saline irrigation, intrawound vancomycin powder, combination therapy (Betadine, vancomycin, gentamicin, and cefuroxime), Betadine irrigation plus vancomycin powder, and no intervention to determine the most efficacious prevention method.

Regulation of ssb Gene Expression in Escherichia coli.

Bacterial SSB proteins, as well as their eukaryotic RPA analogues, are essential and ubiquitous. They avidly bind single-stranded DNA and regulate/coordinate its metabolism, hence enabling essential DNA processes such as replication, transcription, and repair. The prototypic SSB protein is encoded by an gene.

Synthesis and Immunological Evaluation of Mannosylated Desmuramyl Dipeptides Modified by Lipophilic Triazole Substituents.

Muramyl dipeptide (-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine, MDP) is the smallest peptidoglycan fragment able to trigger an immune response by activating the NOD2 receptor. Structural modification of MDP can lead to analogues with improved immunostimulating properties. The aim of this work was to prepare mannosylated desmuramyl peptides (ManDMP) containing lipophilic triazole substituents to study their immunomodulating activities in vivo.

antifungal effect of phenylboronic and boric acid on .

The ascomycete fungus causes early blight, one of economically the most important tomato diseases. Due to frequent use of fungicides, has developed resistance with negative economic and environmental consequences. Research of new ways to control fungal pathogens has turned its eye to environmentally friendly chemicals with low toxicity such as boronic acids.

Control of Early Blight Fungus () in Tomato by Boric and Phenylboronic Acid.

Finding a suitable alternative to the small pool of existing antifungal agents is a vital task in contemporary agriculture. Therefore, intensive research has been conducted globally to uncover environmentally friendly and efficient agents that can suppress pathogens resistant to the currently used antimycotics. Here, we tested the activity of boric acid (BA) and its derivative phenylboronic acid (PBA) in controlling the early blight symptoms in tomato plants infected with pathogenic fungus .

Phenylboronic acid as a novel agent for controlling plant pathogenic bacteria.

Background: Phenylboronic acid (PBA) is an environmentally non-toxic substance with antimicrobial activity. Due to increasing ecological limitations in phytopharmacy and considering the development of resistance of phytopathogenic bacteria to available antibacterial agents, here we explore a possible role of PBA as an antibacterial agent of choice.

Results: We determined a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of PBA in vitro on the Pseudomonas syringae pv.

Educational impact of early COVID-19 operating room restrictions on neurosurgery resident training in the United States: A multicenter study.

Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented suspensions of neurosurgical elective surgeries, a large proportion of which involve spine procedures. The goal of this study is to report granular data on the impact of early COVID-19 pandemic operating room restrictions upon neurosurgical case volume in academic institutions, with attention to its secondary impact upon neurosurgery resident training. This is the first multicenter quantitative study examining these early effects upon neurosurgery residents caseloads.

High-resistance proximal "scaled" ventricular catheters.

Purpose: Prove the concept of high-resistance proximal catheters for valve-independent treatment of hydrocephalus.

Methods: A preliminary design process yielded optimal high-resistance proximal ventricular catheters with a "scaled" design and parallel-oriented, U-shaped inlets. Prototypes were manually constructed using carving tools to stamp through silicone tubings.

The role of regulatory T lymphocytes in immune control of MC-2 fibrosarcoma.

The role of T regulatory lymphocytes (T) particularly in cancer is well known. The goal of the present study was to determine the contribution of these lymphocytes in the regulation of anti-tumor immunity of CBA/HZgr mice against MC-2 fibrosarcoma (4 generation of methylcholanthrene induced tumor). The levels of T lymphocytes (CD4+, CD8+ and CD4+CD25+) were determined 8 and 20 days after tumor transplantation.

The significance of serum thyroglobulin measurement before and after the treatment of toxic nodular goiter with 131I.

Objectives: Thyroglobulin is routinely used as a tumor marker in follow up of patients with thyroid carcinoma, but is also elevated in patients with toxic nodular goiter. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of thyroglobulin measurement prior to and after the radioiodine therapy (RIT) in patients with toxic nodular goiter and to compare the results with the therapy outcome.

Patients And Methods: In 109 patients with toxic nodular goiter (102 females, 7 males, aged 45-85 years), 61 with multinodular toxic goiter and 48 with toxic adenoma, thyroglobulin level was measured before RIT and during the first 12 months after the treatment and compared to therapy outcome, defined as euthyroid, hypothyroid and persistent hyperthyroidism.

Biological Activity of Flavonoids and Rare Sesquiterpene Lactones Isolated From L.

The endemic Croatian species L., like other species from the genus , has been traditionally used in Croatia as an antibacterial agent and for the treatment of gastrointestinal and urogenital disorders. In several chromatographic steps, three flavonoids and three sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) were isolated and identified from the most active fractions of the ethanol extract.

RecF, UvrD, RecX and RecN proteins suppress DNA degradation at DNA double-strand breaks in Escherichia coli.

Double strand breaks (DSBs) in E. coli chromosome (such as those induced by gamma rays) are repaired by recombination repair, during which a certain amount of DNA gets degraded. We monitored DNA degradation in gamma-irradiated cells to assess processing of DSBs.

In vitro and in vivo antitumour effects of phenylboronic acid against mouse mammary adenocarcinoma 4T1 and squamous carcinoma SCCVII cells.

The cytotoxic activity of phenylboroxine acid was evaluated in vitro on mouse mammary adenocarcinoma 4T1, mouse squamous cell carcinoma SCCVII, hamster lung fibroblast V79 and mouse dermal fibroblasts L929 cell lines. The cytotoxic effects were dose dependent for all tested tumour and non-tumour cell lines. Under in vivo conditions, three application routes of phenylboronic acid were studied: intra-peritoneal (i.

3'-Terminated Overhangs Regulate DNA Double-Strand Break Processing in .

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are lethal DNA lesions, which are repaired by homologous recombination in To study DSB processing , we induced DSBs into the chromosome by γ-irradiation and measured chromosomal degradation. We show that the DNA degradation is regulated by RecA protein concentration and its rate of association with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). RecA decreased DNA degradation in wild-type, , and strains, indicating that it is a general phenomenon in On the other hand, DNA degradation was greatly reduced and unaffected by RecA in the mutant (which produces long overhangs) and in a strain devoid of four exonucleases that degrade a 3' tail (ssExos).

Nucleolytic degradation of 3'-ending overhangs is essential for DNA-end resection in RecA-loading deficient recB mutants of Escherichia coli.

Degradation of a 5'-ending strand is the hallmark of the universal process of DNA double strand break (DSB) resection, which results in creation of the central recombination intermediate, a 3'-ending overhang. Here we show that in Escherichia coli recB1080/recB1067 mutants, which are devoid of RecBCD's nuclease and RecA loading activities, degradation of the unwound 3' tail is as essential as is degradation of its 5'-ending complement. Namely, a synergistic action of ExoI, ExoVII, SbcCD and ExoX single-strand specific exonucleases (ssExos) of 3'-5' polarity was essential for preserving cell viability, DNA repair and homologous recombination in the recB1080/recB1067 mutants, to the same extent as the redundant action of 5'-tail trimming ssExos RecJ and ExoVII.

Impact of calcium ion on cytotoxic effect of the boroxine derivative, K[BOFOH].

The effect of Ca ions on the cytotoxic ability of boron heterocyclic compound dipotassium-trioxohydroxytetrafluorotriborate (K[BOFOH]), on in vitro tumor cells (mammary adenocarcinoma 4T1, melanoma B16F10 and squamous cell carcinoma SCCVII) and non-tumoral fibroblast cells (mouse dermal L929 and hamster lung V79) was examined. At small concentrations of Ca ions (0.42 mM), K[BOFOH] (3.