Publications by authors named "L Perera"

Article Synopsis
  • Sodium chloride (NaCl) is significant across various fields, including geochemistry and food production, and is one of the most prevalent salts in the cosmos.
  • Researchers discovered a new form of NaCl, a metastable dihydrate, created by rapidly freezing a NaCl solution, which transforms into hydrohalite and ice Ih when heated above 190 K.
  • This finding suggests that the presence of this new hydrate on icy celestial bodies, like Jupiter and Saturn's moons, could indicate areas where subsurface brines have recently frozen, highlighting potential targets for future space missions.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the aggregation process of α-synuclein, a protein linked to Parkinson's Disease and Multiple System Atrophy, and its implications for research.
  • Researchers determined the first atomic structure of mouse α-synuclein fibrils, revealing similarities to fibrils found in human conditions, but with important differences in their properties.
  • The findings indicate that mouse α-synuclein fibrils have altered behaviors, suggesting a need to reevaluate their use in developing diagnostic tools and treatments for related diseases.
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Background: High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation treatment for uterine fibroids and adenomyosis has been long developed. The aim of this study is to investigate miRNA profile changes in vaginal secretions after HIFU treatment and their clinical relevance.

Methods: We prospectively collected vaginal secretions samples from 8 patients (1 with adenomyosis and 7 with fibroids) before and after HIFU treatment.

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  • APECED is a serious genetic autoimmune disorder linked to variants in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene, with 16% of evaluated patients lacking known harmful variants, most of whom are of Puerto Rican descent.
  • Researchers discovered a deep intronic variant (c.1504-818 G>A) in these patients that causes a cryptic splice site leading to a dysfunctional protein through pseudoexon inclusion.
  • They developed an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) that corrected this genetic issue, demonstrating the potential for targeted treatments in APECED patients.
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Rationale: Spironolactone is a steroidal drug prescribed for a variety of medical conditions and is extensively metabolized quickly after administration. Measurement of spironolactone and its metabolites remains challenging using mass spectrometry (MS) due to in-source fragmentation and relatively poor ionization using electrospray ionization. Therefore, improved methods of measurements are needed, particularly in the case of small sample volumes.

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