Connecting molecular biomarkers, mineralogical composition, and microbial diversity from Mars analog lava tubes.

Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) is one of the best terrestrial analogs to Martian volcanology. Particularly, Lanzarote lava tubes may offer access to recognizably preserved chemical and morphological biosignatures valuable for astrobiology. By combining microbiological, mineralogical, and organic geochemistry tools, an in-depth characterization of speleothems and associated microbial communities in lava tubes of Lanzarote is provided.

Assessment and management after corrosive ingestion: when is specialist centre referral needed? A 10-year UK experience.

Background: Corrosive ingestion injuries are rare but clinically significant events, potentially associated with high morbidity and mortality. The low volume of cases limits guideline development. We report a 10-year experience of our tertiary centre focusing on cases requiring specialist care.

Tannin-based coagulants: Current development and prospects on synthesis and uses.

Population growth, industrialization, urbanization, and agriculture lead to a decrease in the availability of clean water. Coagulation/flocculation is one of the most common operations in water, urban wastewater, and industrial effluents treatment systems. Usually, this process is achieved using conventional coagulants that have their performance affected by pH, are poorly biodegradable, produce a huge volume of sludge, and are associated with degenerative diseases.

Establishing the state-of-the-art on the adsorption of coexisting pnictogens in water: A literature review.

The occurrence of pnictogens, namely phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony, can be observed in soils, sediments and mining areas, and their coexistence requires a multifaceted approach to the design of adsorption systems to maximize their simultaneous removal efficiency. Therefore, this work aims to provide an extensive literature review of P, As, and Sb adsorption in multicomponent systems and the statistical treatment of the quantitative results. Binary As-P systems have been the most studied in the literature.

A rare case of heterotopic pancreatitis and intestinal malrotation in a COVID-19 positive patient. COVID-19, causative or coincidence?

Introduction And Importance: Heterotopic pancreas (HP) is defined as the presence of pancreatic tissue without anatomical and vascular continuity with the main body of the pancreas. HP typically remains asymptomatic, however complications such as acute pancreatitis can arise. Gastrointestinal involvement with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not uncommon and there are reported cases of associated pancreatitis.

Trans-thoracic versus retropleural approach for symptomatic thoracic disc herniations: comparative analysis of 94 consecutive cases.

Purpose: The authors illustrate their results in the surgical treatment of symptomatic thoracic disc herniations (TDHs) by comparing the traditional open to the less invasive retropleural lateral approaches.

Methods: Retrospective review of 94 consecutive cases treated at a single Institution between 1988 and 2014. Fifty-two patients were males, 42 females, mean age was 53.

Effects of Growth Conditions and Cultivar on the Content and Physiochemical Properties of Arabinoxylan in Barley.

The present study aims to evaluate the effect of the growth conditions and the cultivar on the total and water-extractable (W-E) arabinoxylan (AX) in barley. For this purpose, nine barley varieties from two different years were analyzed. The total AX content ranged from 5.

Effect of Growth Conditions and Genotype on Barley Yield and β-Glucan Content of Kernels and Malt.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of growth conditions and genotype on the barley yield and β-glucan content of grain and malt. Total and water-extractable (W-E) β-glucans and their molecular and structural properties were analyzed in nine 2-row barley varieties and corresponding malts. The total β-glucan content of barley is not influenced by year or by the cultivar, while the grain yield and W-E β-glucan content are significantly influenced by the year.

Validation of a high-performance size-exclusion chromatography method to determine and characterize β-glucans in beer wort using a triple-detector array.

Beer wort β-glucans are high-molecular-weight non-starch polysaccharides of that are great interest to the brewing industries. Because glucans can increase the viscosity of the solutions and form gels, hazes, and precipitates, they are often related to poor lautering performance and beer filtration problems. In this work, a simple and suitable method was developed to determine and characterize β-glucans in beer wort using size exclusion chromatography coupled with a triple-detector array, which is composed of a light scatterer, a viscometer, and a refractive-index detector.

Methionine adenosyltransferase α2 sumoylation positively regulate Bcl-2 expression in human colon and liver cancer cells.

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9 (Ubc9) is required for sumoylation and inhibits apoptosis via Bcl-2 by unknown mechanism. Methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A) encodes for MATα2, the catalytic subunit of the MATII isoenzyme that synthesizes S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe). Ubc9, Bcl-2 and MAT2A expression are up-regulated in several malignancies.

Effects of malting on molecular weight distribution and content of water-extractable β-glucans in barley.

In the beer industry β-glucans are extensively studied non-starch polysaccharides due to their ability to increase the viscosity of solutions and to form gels. The current study was designed to determine the total and water-soluble β-glucan contents of barley during malting. Total and water-soluble β-glucans were analyzed from two different malts that originated from the same barley but varied in germination time from 36h (malt A) to 72h (malt B).

Small Molecular Aryl Acetylenes: Chemically Tailoring High-Efficiency Organic Semiconductors for Solar Cells and Field-Effect Transistors.

Over the last two decades, ever increasing interest has been focused on π-conjugated triple-bond-containing systems, namely, (poly)aryl acetylenes, as a very promising class of semiconducting materials, owing to the availability of flexible/efficient synthetic protocols and the new conception of their conformational and steric advantages. In this review, the major design/synthetic strategies used to obtain molecular aryl acetylene semiconductors are discussed. A brief discussion of their key properties as well as their performance in organic field-effect transistors and photovoltaic cell applications is also included.

Transanal dearterialization with targeted mucopexy is effective for advanced haemorrhoids.

Aim: Transanal haemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) has become well established for the treatment of haemorrhoids. In this study we describe a technical modification of this technique, targeted mucopexy (THD TM), and report the results for advanced haemorrhoids.

Method: The study included a prospective evaluation of patients with Grade IV (fourth-degree) haemorrhoids operated on with the THD TM technique.

Polyamine and methionine adenosyltransferase 2A crosstalk in human colon and liver cancer.

Methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) is an essential enzyme that is responsible for the biosynthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), the principal methyl donor and precursor of polyamines. MAT1A is expressed in normal liver and MAT2A is expressed in all extrahepatic tissues. MAT2A expression is increased in human colon cancer and in colon cancer cells treated with mitogens, whereas silencing MAT2A resulted in apoptosis.

MAT2B-GIT1 interplay activates MEK1/ERK 1 and 2 to induce growth in human liver and colon cancer.

Unlabelled: Methionine adenosyltransferase 2B (MAT2B) encodes for two variant proteins (V1 and V2) that promote cell growth. Using in-solution proteomics, GIT1 (G Protein Coupled Receptor Kinase Interacting ArfGAP 1) was identified as a potential interacting partner of MAT2B. Here, we examined the functional significance of this interplay.

S-adenosyl methionine regulates ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9 protein expression and sumoylation in murine liver and human cancers.

Unlabelled: Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9 (Ubc9) is required for sumoylation and is overexpressed in several malignancies, but its expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. Hepatic S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) levels decrease in methionine adenosyltransferase 1A (Mat1a) knockout (KO) mice, which develop HCC, and in ethanol-fed mice. We examined the regulation of Ubc9 by SAMe in murine liver and human HCC, breast, and colon carcinoma cell lines and specimens.

Surgical treatment of gastric cancer with coexistent abdominal aortic aneurysm. Personal experience and literature review.

Background/aims: There are great controversies regarding the surgical management of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with coexistent gastrointestinal cancers. The aim of this study was to report our experience of AAA with concomitant gastric cancer and to compare our results with the literature.

Methodology: From January 1988 to December 2002, six patients with simultaneous diagnosis of AAA and gastric cancer were operated on at the First Department of General Surgery, University of Verona, Italy.

Endovascular repair of intrathoracic left subclavian artery aneurysm with stent grafts: report of a case and review of the literature.

At present, the standard management of subclavian artery aneurysms is surgical repair. Endovascular treatment of these aneurysms with implantation of a covered stent graft is a relatively new technique that appears to be both feasible and safe. We present the case of a large true aneurysm of the left intrathoracic subclavian artery that was successfully treated with two stent grafts on March 2001.

[Surgical treatment of gasto-esophageal junction adenocarcinoma: long-term results of a single Italian centre].

Objective: The present study analysed the experience of a single Italian institution in the treatment of gastro-esophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma with the aim of assessing the long-term outcome after surgical resection.

Methods: The results of 132 patients who underwent resection with curative intent for GEJ adenocarcinoma at the First Division of General Surgery, University of Verona, from January 1988 to February 2004, were analysed statistically with special reference to Siewert type. The median follow-up period for the surviving patients was 37 months.

Using the angio-seal to achieve hemostasis in prosthetic endovascular surgery: report of three cases.

At least 10% of patients who undergo bilateral aortofemoral bypass are at risk of needing a reoperation for late prosthetic thrombosis because of reduced outflow as the disease progresses. To prevent occlusion of the prostheses, we performed endovascular surgery with transprosthetic access for distal stenosis. We report our experience of using the Angio-Seal with transprosthetic access after angioplasty in three patients who had undergone bilateral aortofemoral bypass.

Extraintestinal infection by group C Salmonella: a case report and review of the literature.

Infected or mycotic aneurysms of the aorta are not very frequent but they are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Vascular infections due to Salmonella are not very frequent, but in recent years the reports of infections of this type have been on the increase. The authors report their experience with a case of aneurysm of the abdominal aorta infected by group C Salmonella and go on to review the literature on the subject.

Metabolism of polychlorinated phenols by Pseudomonas cepacia AC1100: determination of the first two steps and specific inhibitory effect of methimazole.

Resting cells of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid-grown Pseudomonas cepacia AC1100 metabolize both dichlorophenols, such as 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,6-dichlorophenol, 3,4-dichlorophenol, and 3,5-dichlorophenol, and more highly substituted phenols, such as 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol, to the corresponding chlorohydroquinones. The first hydroxylation occurs in the para position of the phenol regardless of whether this position is replaced by a chlorine substituent. The first evidence leading to the characterization of para-hydroxylase as a flavin-containing enzyme is provided by the inhibitory effect of methimazole, an alternate substrate for this monooxygenase, on the degradative ability of the strain.