Solving the Puzzle: A Compelling Case Study of Calcaneal Apophysitis With Achilles Tendon Calcification in a 14-Year-Old Patient.

Calcaneal apophysitis, known as Sever's disease, manifests as heel pain and is prevalent among children and adolescents, particularly during growth spurts and periods of heightened physical activity. Although Sever's disease is well-documented, its co-occurrence with other foot pathologies in pediatric patients is relatively uncommon. We present here a unique case of a 14-year-old female patient who presented with significant heel pain and discomfort associated with flat feet, impacting her daily activities and physical performance.

Genome mining and functional genomics for siderophore production in Aspergillus niger.

Iron is an essential metal for many organisms, but the biologically relevant form of iron is scarce because of rapid oxidation resulting in low solubility. Simultaneously, excessive accumulation of iron is toxic. Consequently, iron uptake is a highly controlled process.

The role of coproporphyrinogen III oxidase and ferrochelatase genes in heme biosynthesis and regulation in Aspergillus niger.

Heme is a suggested limiting factor in peroxidase production by Aspergillus spp., which are well-known suitable hosts for heterologous protein production. In this study, the role of genes coding for coproporphyrinogen III oxidase (hemF) and ferrochelatase (hemH) was analyzed by means of deletion and overexpression to obtain more insight in fungal heme biosynthesis and regulation.

Analysis of the role of the Aspergillus niger aminolevulinic acid synthase (hemA) gene illustrates the difference between regulation of yeast and fungal haem- and sirohaem-dependent pathways.

To increase knowledge on haem biosynthesis in filamentous fungi like Aspergillus niger, pathway-specific gene expression in response to haem and haem intermediates was analysed. This analysis showed that iron, 5'-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and possibly haem control haem biosynthesis mostly via modulating expression of hemA [coding for 5'-aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALAS)]. A hemA deletion mutant (ΔhemA) was constructed, which showed conditional lethality.

Heme biosynthesis and its regulation: towards understanding and improvement of heme biosynthesis in filamentous fungi.

Heme biosynthesis in fungal host strains has acquired considerable interest in relation to the production of secreted heme-containing peroxidases. Class II peroxidase enzymes have been suggested as eco-friendly replacements of polluting chemical processes in industry. These peroxidases are naturally produced in small amounts by basidiomycetes.

Growth kinetic study on normal and microtic chondrocytes of human auricular cartilage.

Chondrocytes were isolated from normal and microtic human auricular cartilage after ear surgery carried out at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre. Chondrocytes were cultured and expanded until passage 4. After reached confluence, cultured chondrocytes at each passage (P1, P2, P3 and P4) were harvested and assigned for growth profile analysis.

Derivation of cochlea hair cell for in vitro expansion and characterization.

A potential cure for hearing loss would be to regenerate hair cells by stimulating cells of the damaged inner ear sensory epithelia to proliferate and differentiate into hair cells. Here, we investigated the possibility to isolate, culture-expand and characterize the cells from the cochlea membrane of adult mice. Our results showed that the cultured cells isolated from mouse cochlea membrane were heterogenous in nature.

Pediatric auricular chondrocytes gene expression analysis in monolayer culture and engineered elastic cartilage.

Objectives: This study was aimed at regenerating autologous elastic cartilage for future use in pediatric ear reconstruction surgery. Specific attentions were to characterize pediatric auricular chondrocyte growth in a combination culture medium and to assess the possibility of elastic cartilage regeneration using human fibrin.

Study Design: Laboratory experiment using human pediatric auricular chondrocytes.

The translabyrinthine approach for acoustic neuroma and its common complications.

A retrospective analysis of 15 cases intracanalicular acoustic neuroma that undergone tumour excision by translabyrinthine approach spanning from August 1996 until December 2002 is presented. The main presenting complaints are unilateral hearing loss (100%) and tinnitus (86.7%).

Production of bifunctional proteins by Aspergillus awamori: llama variable heavy chain antibody fragment (V(HH)) R9 coupled to Arthromyces ramosus peroxidase (ARP).

The Arthromyces ramosus peroxidase gene (arp) was genetically fused to either the 5'- or 3'-terminal ends of the gene encoding llama variable heavy chain antibody fragment V(HH) R9, resulting in the fusion expression cassettes ARP-R9 or R9-ARP. Aspergillus awamori transformants were obtained which produced up to 30 mgl(-1) fusion protein in the culture medium. Both fusion proteins showed peroxidase activity in an ABTS activity test.

Acute pesticide poisoning related deaths in Turkey.

This study determined the spectrum of deaths due to acute agrochemical poisoning in Turkey. Data was obtained from all autopsy reports performed between 1997 and 2001, compiled by the Institute of Forensic Medicine (which is a department of the Ministry of Justice), and evaluated retrospectively. There were 3990 deaths by intoxication of one form or another.

Quality evaluation analysis of bioengineered human skin.

Our objective is to determine the quality of tissue engineered human skin via immunostaining, RT-PCR and electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). Culture-expanded human keratinocytes and fibroblasts were used to construct bilayer tissue-engineered skin. The in vitro skin construct was cultured for 5 days and implanted on the dorsum of athymic mice for 30 days.

Expression and production of llama variable heavy-chain antibody fragments (V(HH)s) by Aspergillus awamori.

We report the expression and production of llama variable heavy-chain antibody fragments (V(HH)s) by Aspergillus awamori. Fragments encoding V(HH)s were cloned in a suitable Aspergillus expression vector and transformants secreting V(HH) fragments were analysed for integrated gene copy-numbers, mRNA levels and protein production. Functional V(HH)s were detected in the culture medium, indicating the feasibility of producing this type of protein in a fungal expression system.

The role of the Aspergillus niger furin-type protease gene in processing of fungal proproteins and fusion proteins. Evidence for alternative processing of recombinant (fusion-) proteins.

We have characterized growth and protein processing characteristics of Aspergillus niger strains carrying a disrupted allele of the previously cloned and characterized kexB gene [Appl. Environ. Microbiol.

Efficient production of Arthromyces ramosus peroxidase by Aspergillus awamori.

The heterologous production of Arthromyces ramosus peroxidase (ARP) was analysed in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus awamori under control of the inducible endoxylanase promoter. Secretion of active ARP was achieved up to 800 mg l(-1) in shake flask cultures. Western blot analysis showed that an rARP product of the correct molecular weight was produced.

Cloning, sequence analysis, and characterization of the genes involved in isoprimeverose metabolism in Lactobacillus pentosus.

Two genes, xylP and xylQ, from the xylose regulon of Lactobacillus pentosus were cloned and sequenced. Together with the repressor gene of the regulon, xylR, the xylPQ genes form an operon which is inducible by xylose and which is transcribed from a promoter located 145 bp upstream of xylP. A putative xylR binding site (xylO) and a cre-like element, mediating CcpA-dependent catabolite repression, were found in the promoter region.

Regulation of expression of the Lactobacillus pentosus xylAB operon.

The xylose cluster of Lactobacillus pentosus consists of five genes, two of which, xylAB, form an operon and code for the enzymes involved in the catabolism of xylose, while a third encodes a regulatory protein, XylR. By introduction of a multicopy plasmid carrying the xyl operator and by disruption of the chromosomal xylR gene, it was shown that L. pentosus xylR encodes a repressor.

Promoter analysis and transcriptional regulation of Lactobacillus pentosus genes involved in xylose catabolism.

The xyl genes in Lactobacillus pentosus are induced by xylose and repressed by glucose, ribose, and arabinose. Northern blot analysis showed that regulation is mediated at the transcriptional level. Under inducing conditions, two xylA transcripts were detected, a major transcript of 1.

Organization and characterization of three genes involved in D-xylose catabolism in Lactobacillus pentosus.

A cluster of three genes involved in D-xylose catabolism (viz. xylose genes) in Lactobacillus pentosus has been cloned in Escherichia coli and characterized by nucleotide sequence analysis. The deduced gene products show considerable sequence similarity to a repressor protein involved in the regulation of expression of xylose genes in Bacillus subtilis (58%), to E.

Complementation of the inability of Lactobacillus strains to utilize D-xylose with D-xylose catabolism-encoding genes of Lactobacillus pentosus.

The inability of two Lactobacillus strains to ferment D-xylose was complemented by the introduction of Lactobacillus pentosus genes encoding D-xylose isomerase, D-xylulose kinase, and a D-xylose catabolism regulatory protein. This result opens the possibility of using D-xylose fermentation as a food-grade selection marker for Lactobacillus spp.

Incompatibility of Lactobacillus Vectors with Replicons Derived from Small Cryptic Lactobacillus Plasmids and Segregational Instability of the Introduced Vectors.

Three new Lactobacillus vectors based on cryptic Lactobacillus plasmids were constructed. The shuttle vector pLP3537 consists of a 2.3-kb plasmid from Lactobacillus pentosus MD353, an erythromycin resistance gene from Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pE194, and pUC19 as a replicon for Escherichia coli.