A Semi-Quantitative Approach to Nontarget Compositional Analysis of Complex Samples.

Nontarget analysis (NTA) by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry improves the capacity to comprehend the molecular composition of complex mixtures compared to targeted analysis techniques. However, the detection of unknown compounds means that quantification in NTA is challenging. This study proposes a new semi-quantitative methodology for use in the NTA of organic aerosol.

The crystal structure of the human smacovirus 1 Rep domain.

Replication initiator proteins (Reps) from the HUH endonuclease family process specific single-stranded DNA sequences to initiate rolling-circle replication in viruses. Here, the first crystal structure of the apo state of a Rep domain from the smacovirus family is reported. The structure of the human smacovirus 1 Rep domain was obtained at 1.

Designing Efficient Enzymes: Eight Predicted Mutations Convert a Hydroxynitrile Lyase into an Efficient Esterase.

Hydroxynitrile lyase from rubber tree (HNL) shares 45% identical amino acid residues with the homologous esterase from tobacco, SABP2, but the two enzymes catalyze different reactions. The x-ray structures reveal a serine-histidine-aspartate catalytic triad in both enzymes along with several differing amino acid residues within the active site. Previous exchange of three amino acid residues in the active site of HNL with the corresponding amino acid residue in SABP2 (T11G-E79H-K236M) created variant HNL3, which showed low esterase activity toward p-nitrophenyl acetate.

Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting axillary odor variation. A comprehensive review.

Humans produce odorous secretions from multiple body sites according to the microbiomic profile of each area and the types of secretory glands present. Because the axilla is an active, odor-producing region that mediates social communication via the sense of smell, this article focuses on the biological mechanisms underlying the creation of axillary odor, as well as the intrinsic and extrinsic factors likely to impact the odor and determine individual differences. The list of intrinsic factors discussed includes sex, age, ethnicity, emotions, and personality, and extrinsic factors include dietary choices, diseases, climate, and hygienic habits.

TRPC1 channel clustering during store-operated Ca entry in keratinocytes.

Skin is the largest organ in the human body with ∼95% of its surface made up of keratinocytes. These cells maintain a healthy skin barrier through regulated differentiation driven by Ca-transcriptional coupling. Many important skin conditions arise from disruption of this process although not all stages are fully understood.

Watson-Crick Base-Pairing Requirements for ssDNA Recognition and Processing in Replication-Initiating HUH Endonucleases.

Replication-initiating HUH endonucleases (Reps) are sequence-specific nucleases that cleave and rejoin single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) during rolling-circle replication. These functions are mediated by covalent linkage of the Rep to its substrate post cleavage. Here, we describe the structures of the endonuclease domain from the Muscovy duck circovirus Rep in complex with its cognate ssDNA 10-mer with and without manganese in the active site.

Store-operated calcium channels in skin.

The skin is a complex organ that acts as a protective layer against the external environment. It protects the internal tissues from harmful agents, dehydration, ultraviolet radiation and physical injury as well as conferring thermoregulatory control, sensation, immunological surveillance and various biochemical functions. The diverse cell types that make up the skin include 1) keratinocytes, which form the bulk of the protective outer layer; 2) melanocytes, which protect the body from ultraviolet radiation by secreting the pigment melanin; and 3) cells that form the secretory appendages: eccrine and apocrine sweat glands, and the sebaceous gland.

Systematic review of educational interventions to improve the menstrual health of young adolescent girls.

Objectives: To systematically review interventions that include an element of menstrual education delivered to young adolescent girls.

Design: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis. Selected articles were quality assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool quality appraisal checklist.

Molecular underpinnings of ssDNA specificity by Rep HUH-endonucleases and implications for HUH-tag multiplexing and engineering.

Replication initiator proteins (Reps) from the HUH-endonuclease superfamily process specific single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) sequences to initiate rolling circle/hairpin replication in viruses, such as crop ravaging geminiviruses and human disease causing parvoviruses. In biotechnology contexts, Reps are the basis for HUH-tag bioconjugation and a critical adeno-associated virus genome integration tool. We solved the first co-crystal structures of Reps complexed to ssDNA, revealing a key motif for conferring sequence specificity and for anchoring a bent DNA architecture.

Factitious Disorder (Munchausen Syndrome) in Plastic Surgery: A Systematic Review of 42 Cases.

Introduction: Patients with factitious disorder (FD) or "Munchausen syndrome" intentionally fabricate or induce medical problems for psychological gratification. They may deceive plastic surgeons into performing multiple unnecessary procedures. We undertook the first systematic review of FD case reports in plastic surgery.

The impact of different hair-removal behaviours on the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of female axillary skin.

Objective: The impact of hair removal on the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of human axillary skin is not fully understood. This study investigated the effect of different hair-removal techniques on biophysical parameters and the concentrations of key inflammatory biomarkers in the axillae of female Thai subjects. Axillary hair was removed by shaving, plucking or waxing.

Larger active site in an ancestral hydroxynitrile lyase increases catalytically promiscuous esterase activity.

Hydroxynitrile lyases (HNL's) belonging to the α/β-hydrolase-fold superfamily evolved from esterases approximately 100 million years ago. Reconstruction of an ancestral hydroxynitrile lyase in the α/β-hydrolase fold superfamily yielded a catalytically active hydroxynitrile lyase, HNL1. Several properties of HNL1 differ from the modern HNL from rubber tree (HbHNL).

VIP and muscarinic synergistic mucin secretion by salivary mucous cells is mediated by enhanced PKC activity via VIP-induced release of an intracellular Ca pool.

Mucin secretion by salivary mucous glands is mediated predominantly by parasympathetic acetylcholine activation of cholinergic muscarinic receptors via increased intracellular free calcium ([Ca]) and activation of conventional protein kinase C isozymes (cPKC). However, the parasympathetic co-neurotransmitter, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), also initiates secretion, but to a lesser extent. In the present study, cross talk between VIP- and muscarinic-induced mucin secretion was investigated using isolated rat sublingual tubuloacini.

Aquifer systems extending far offshore on the U.S. Atlantic margin.

Low-salinity submarine groundwater contained within continental shelves is a global phenomenon. Mechanisms for emplacing offshore groundwater include glacial processes that drove water into exposed continental shelves during sea-level low stands and active connections to onshore hydrologic systems. While low-salinity groundwater is thought to be abundant, its distribution and volume worldwide is poorly understood due to the limited number of observations.

Incorporating ACPE Standards in a Holistic Approach to School Operations and Accreditation.

Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy (AUHSOP) implemented a comprehensive, holistic process of continuous quality improvement (CQI) for its program using the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's (ACPE) Accreditation Standards as the foundation. The process served as a way to increase the impact of the accreditation standards through continuous monitoring and programmatic improvements. Internally generated standards were also included in the CQI process.

Discovery of Hydroxylase Activity for PqqB Provides a Missing Link in the Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Biosynthetic Pathway.

Understanding the biosynthesis of cofactors is fundamental to the life sciences, yet to date a few important pathways remain unresolved. One example is the redox cofactor pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), which is critical for C1 metabolism in many microorganisms, a disproportionate number of which are opportunistic human pathogens. While the initial and final steps of PQQ biosynthesis, involving PqqD/E and PqqC, have been elucidated, the precise nature and order of the remaining transformations in the pathway are unknown.

Longitudinal autoantibody responses against tumor-associated antigens decrease in breast cancer patients according to treatment modality.

Background: Metastatic breast cancer (BCa) is most often diagnosed months after completion of treatment of the primary tumor when a patient reports physical symptoms. Besides a physical examination, no other alternative recurrence screening method is recommended for routine follow-up care. Detection of autoantibodies against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) has demonstrated promise for distinguishing healthy women from patients diagnosed with primary BCa.

Human axillary skin condition is improved following incorporation of glycerol into the stratum corneum from an antiperspirant formulation.

The study objectives were to demonstrate that glycerol, when topically applied from a roll-on antiperspirant formulation, can be delivered directly to human skin ex vivo and the axillary stratum corneum (SC) in vivo, and to assess whether it improves the quality of the axillary skin barrier. Ex vivo human skin absorption of glycerol was measured following application of a roll-on antiperspirant formulation containing 4% C-glycerol. Skin distribution of C-glycerol over 24 h was assessed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Crystal structures reveal metal-binding plasticity at the metallo-β-lactamase active site of PqqB from Pseudomonas putida.

PqqB is an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of pyrroloquinoline quinone and a distal member of the metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) superfamily. PqqB lacks two residues in the conserved signature motif HxHxDH that makes up the key metal-chelating elements that can bind up to two metal ions at the active site of MBLs and other members of its superfamily. Here, we report crystal structures of PqqB bound to Mn, Mg, Cu, and Zn.