Publications by authors named "W B Keller"

Two-component flavin-dependent monooxygenases are of great interest as biocatalysts for the production of pharmaceuticals and other relevant molecules, as they catalyze chemically important reactions such as hydroxylation, epoxidation and halogenation. The monooxygenase components require a separate flavin reductase, which provides the necessary reduced flavin cofactor. The tryptophan halogenase Thal from Streptomyces albogriseolus is a well-characterized two-component flavin-dependent halogenase.

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The WHAM-Fβ model describes the toxic effects of mixtures of protons and metal cations towards biological species, using a set of intrinsic parameters for the cations (α, α*) and a sensitivity parameter (β) for each species. We applied the model to extensive water chemistry and zooplankton species occurrence data for four lakes contaminated with acidity and metals (Al, Ni, Cu, Zn) at Sudbury, Ontario, over the period 1973-2018, during which cation contamination declined, and zooplankton species numbers increased. Assuming that the appearance of a species resulted solely from decreases in water toxicity, and that α and α* values previously derived from laboratory toxicity test data could be applied in the field, we used the field data to estimate values of β for individual lake zooplankton species.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated how administering vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) affects inflammation and the expression of intestinal tight junction mRNA in lambs on grain-based diets, comparing two groups: one given VIP and another given saline (control).
  • - Although there were no significant differences in tight junction mRNA expressions across intestinal regions, VIP-treated lambs showed increased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines and lower lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations, indicating reduced inflammation.
  • - Overall, while VIP did not appear to change tight junction mRNA levels, the treatment seemed to lower inflammation by decreasing LPS levels in lambs fed grain diets.
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Purpose: Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is implicated in numerous retinal pathologies. A necessary step in developing new therapies, an area of significant interest, is a quantifiable assessment of posterior vitreous adhesion (PVA) that is also clinically relevant.

Methods: A 23-gauge vitrector was used at varying levels of vacuum to attempt PVD induction in a porcine eye model injected with either balanced salt solution (BSS) (control) or plasmin (2, 3, or 5 U), which can pharmacologically induce PVD.

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Pollen from , i.e., saltwort, Russian thistle, is a major allergen source in the coastal regions of southern Europe, in Turkey, Central Asia, and Iran.

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