Unveiling the enzymatic pathway of UMG-SP2 urethanase: insights into polyurethane degradation at the atomic level.

The recently discovered metagenomic urethanases UMG-SP1, UMG-SP2, and UMG-SP3 have emerged as promising tools to establish a bio-based recycling approach for polyurethane (PU) waste. These enzymes are capable of hydrolyzing urethane bonds in low molecular weight dicarbamates as well as in thermoplastic PU and the amide bond in polyamide employing a Ser-Ser -Lys triad for catalysis, similar to members of the amidase signature protein superfamily. Understanding the catalytic mechanism of these urethanases is crucial for enhancing their enzymatic activity and improving PU bio-recycling processes.

Distinct patterns of volcano deformation for hot and cold magmatic systems.

Volcano deformation can be detected over timescales from seconds to decades, offering valuable insights for magma dynamics. However, these signals are shaped by the long-term evolution of magmatic systems, a coupling that remains poorly understood. Here we integrate thermal models of crustal-scale magmatism with thermo-mechanical simulations of ground deformation.

Transcriptomic Response of the Ovarian Follicle Complex in Post-Vitellogenic Rainbow Trout to 17α,20β-Dihdroxy-4-pregnen-3-one In Vitro.

Gonadotropins and progestins are the primary regulators of follicle maturation and ovulation in fish, and they require complex communication among the oocyte and somatic cells of the follicle. The major progestin and the maturation-inducing hormone in salmonids is 17α,20β-dihdroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20βP), and traditional nuclear receptors and membrane steroid receptors for the progestin have been identified within the follicle. Herein, RNA-seq was used to conduct a comprehensive survey of changes in gene expression throughout the intact follicle in response to in vitro treatment with these hormones to provide a foundation for understanding the coordination of their actions in regulating follicle maturation and preparation for ovulation.

Alanine mutation of the targeting subunit of the myosin phosphatase, MYPT1 at threonine 696 reduces cGMP responsiveness of mouse femoral arteries.

The femoral artery (FA) is the largest vessel in the hindlimb circulation and its proper tone regulation ensures adequate blood supply to muscle tissue. We investigated whether an alanine mutation of the targeting subunit of myosin-light-chain-phosphatase (MLCP), MYPT1, at threonine 696 (MYPT1-T696A/+), decisive for enzyme acivity, affects the responsiveness of young and old FAs (y-FAs and o-FAs) to activation of nitric-oxide/soluble-guanylate-cyclase/protein-kinase-G cascade (NO/sGC/PKG). Contractile responses of the vessels were measured by wire myography.

2-Stage and 3-stage restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis show comparable short- and long-term outcomes.

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) represents the standard treatment for therapy-refractory, malignant or complicated ulcerative colitis (UC) and can be performed as a 2-stage or 3-stage procedure. This study aimed to compare the short- and long-term outcomes after 2- and 3-stage IPAA in patients with UC in our department. A retrospective analysis of 176 patients with UC who received 2- or 3-stage restorative proctocolectomy with IPAA at our institution from 2001 to 2021 was performed.

Continuous or Interrupted Suture for Hepaticojejunostomy in Pancreaticoduodenectomy (the HEKTIK Trial): Findings of a Randomized, Controlled, Single-Center Superiority Trial.

Background: Over 6000 pancreaticoduodenectomies are performed each year in Germany, and hepaticojejunostomy is a crucial step of the procedure. An anastomotic leak of hepaticojejunostomy can cause major postoperative complications. The aim of this trial was to compare the morbidity and efficiency of continuous versus interrupted suturing for hepaticojejunostomy in pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Protocol for the quantitative analysis of images retrieved by multiplex immunofluorescence staining to allow cell type-specific spatial phenotyping of markers of interest in the human placenta.

In contrast to other tissues, the placenta consists of numerous functionally different cell types, distributed in a markedly dissimilar manner within one placenta and between different cases. To evaluate pathology-specific changes in cell phenotype and expression of molecular markers it is important to establish a multi staining method combining immunohistological identification of the cell type with staining of proteins of interest. We successfully established a protocol for a 6-plex antibody panel for multiplex immunofluorescence.

Risk Factors for Postoperative Major Morbidity, Anastomotic Leakage, Re-Surgery and Mortality in Patients with Colonic Perforation.

: This study aimed to determine the risk factors associated with postoperative major morbidity, anastomotic/suture leakage, re-surgery and mortality in patients undergoing emergency surgery for colonic perforation. : A total of 204 adult patients treated surgically for colonic perforation from 2016 to 2021 at the University Hospital Erlangen were included in a retrospective analysis. Patient demographics and pre-, intra- and postoperative parameters were obtained and evaluated among various outcome groups (in-hospital major morbidity, anastomotic/suture leakage, re-surgery and 90-day mortality).

A novel approach for in vivo DNA footprinting using short double-stranded cell-free DNA from plasma.

Here, we present a method for enrichment of double-stranded cfDNA with an average length of ∼40 bp from cfDNA for high-throughput DNA sequencing. This class of cfDNA is enriched at gene promoters and binding sites of transcription factors or structural DNA-binding proteins, so that a genome-wide DNA footprint is directly captured from liquid biopsies. In short double-stranded cfDNA from healthy individuals, we find significant enrichment of 203 transcription factor motifs.

Distributed Augmentation, Hypersweeps, and Branch Decomposition of Contour Trees for Scientific Exploration.

Contour trees describe the topology of level sets in scalar fields and are widely used in topological data analysis and visualization. A main challenge of utilizing contour trees for large-scale scientific data is their computation at scale using highperformance computing. To address this challenge, recent work has introduced distributed hierarchical contour trees for distributed computation and storage of contour trees.

Vasculature segmentation in 3D hierarchical phase-contrast tomography images of human kidneys.

Efficient algorithms are needed to segment vasculature in new three-dimensional (3D) medical imaging datasets at scale for a wide range of research and clinical applications. Manual segmentation of vessels in images is time-consuming and expensive. Computational approaches are more scalable but have limitations in accuracy.

Cancer mortality trends in Luxembourg: A 24-year descriptive study (1998-2021).

Background: Cancer, the second most common cause of death worldwide, is projected to cause 17 million deaths by 2045. Epidemiological studies on cancer play a vital role in understanding cancer burden impact and formulating control plans. This study aimed to analyse the changes in cancer mortality rates within Luxembourg from 1998 to 2021 by sex and age.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Prognostic Nutritional Index Are Predictors for Overall Survival after Primary Pancreatic Resection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Single Centre Evaluation.

Purpose: Prognostic inflammation-based parameters have been reported as useful tools in various oncologic diseases. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a high mortality rate, making reliable prognostic markers highly desirable. However, there is still inconsistency in the literature regarding the efficacy of the different available scores.

Towards cross-application model-agnostic federated cohort discovery.

Objectives: To demonstrate that 2 popular cohort discovery tools, Leaf and the Shared Health Research Information Network (SHRINE), are readily interoperable. Specifically, we adapted Leaf to interoperate and function as a node in a federated data network that uses SHRINE and dynamically generate queries for heterogeneous data models.

Materials And Methods: SHRINE queries are designed to run on the Informatics for Integrating Biology & the Bedside (i2b2) data model.

Recurrence pattern and its risk factors in patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma - A retrospective analysis of 272 patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of recurrence and their associated risk factors in patients who underwent resection for pancreatic carcinoma.

Methods: This retrospective study included 272 patients, who underwent Ro/R1-resection of PDAC from 2005 to 2020 at the University Hospital Erlangen. Risk factors for different recurrence patterns and the prognostic value of recurrence pattern on the overall survival after recurrence were evaluated.

Do Program Directors of Anesthesiology Residency Programs Interpret Narrative Letters of Recommendation as Intended?

Background Letters of recommendation (LORs) are an important part of the application process for medical residency programs with most specialties preferring a narrative format. Given the inherent subjectivity of narrative LORs, the current study sought to determine whether the intended messages of narrative LORs written for applicants to anesthesiology residency programs are accurately interpreted by readers. Methodology Anonymous online surveys were sent via the Qualtrics platform to program directors (PDs) of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited anesthesiology residency programs in the Mid-Atlantic region as designated by the Electronic Residency Application Service, which consists of the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

A new sol-gel fluorescent sensor to track carbonyl compounds.

Carbonyl compounds are ubiquitous quality trackers that provide information about food product degradation as well as air and water pollution levels. In addition, they are used as biomarkers for medical diagnoses. With more user-friendly sensors, their fast detection and easy quantification are highly relevant.

Weak-cooperative binding of a long single-stranded DNA chain on a surface.

Binding gene-wide single-stranded nucleic acids to surface-immobilized complementary probes is an important but challenging process for biophysical studies and diagnostic applications. The challenge comes from the conformational dynamics of the long chain that affects its accessibility and weakens its hybridization to the probes. We investigated the binding of bacteriophage genome M13mp18 on several different 20-mer probes immobilized on the surface of a multi-spot, label-free biosensor, and observed that only a few of them display strong binding capability with dissociation constant as low as 10 pM.