Stapled bowel anastomoses in newborn surgery.

Background: In this work, we have described our experience with repair of bowel discontinuity by applying stapled anastomosis. The aim of this study was to compare two basic intestinal anastomotic techniques and to establish the feasibility of the stapled connection of bowel in neonates and infants.

Methods: Between August 2009 and December 2011, we have performed 23 cases of hand-sewn anastomosis (group I) and 21 cases of mechanical anastomosis (group II) in children during the first 3 months of life.

Capturing the reaction pathway in near-atomic-resolution crystal structures of HIV-1 protease.

Snapshots of three consecutive steps in the proteolytic reaction of HIV-1 protease (PR) were obtained in crystal structures at resolutions of 1.2-1.4 Å.

Clinical recognition and management of tularemia in Missouri: a retrospective records review of 121 cases.

Background: Clinical recognition of tularemia is essential for prompt initiation of appropriate antibiotic treatment. Although fluoroquinolones have desirable attributes as a treatment option, limited data on efficacy in the US setting exist.

Methods: To define the epidemiology of tularemia in Missouri, and to evaluate practices and outcomes of tularemia management in general, we conducted a detailed retrospective review and analysis of clinical records for patients reported to the state from 2000 to 2007.

Zoonotic infections among employees from Great Smoky Mountains and Rocky Mountain National Parks, 2008-2009.

U.S. National Park Service employees may have prolonged exposure to wildlife and arthropods, placing them at increased risk of infection with endemic zoonoses.

Web search queries can predict stock market volumes.

We live in a computerized and networked society where many of our actions leave a digital trace and affect other people's actions. This has lead to the emergence of a new data-driven research field: mathematical methods of computer science, statistical physics and sociometry provide insights on a wide range of disciplines ranging from social science to human mobility. A recent important discovery is that search engine traffic (i.

The Hedgehog signaling pathway in ovarian teratoma is stimulated by Sonic Hedgehog which induces internalization of Patched.

The Hedgehog-Gli (Hh-Gli) signaling pathway was examined in ovarian dermoids, which show characteristics of both tumors and developmental malformations. Dermoids are classified as mature teratomas that present differentiation into various tissues, mostly epidermal elements such as glands, multilayered epithelium, hair follicles and occasionally bone and cartilage. Their development is attributed to aberrant meiosis of germinal cells within the ovary.

Critical role of Asp227 in the photocycle of proteorhodopsin.

The photocycle of the proton acceptor complex mutant D227N of the bacterial retinal protein proteorhodopsin is investigated employing steady state pH-titration experiments in the UV-visible range as well as femtosecond-pump-probe spectroscopy and flash photolysis in the visible spectral range. The evaluation of the pH-dependent spectra showed that the neutralization of the charge at position 227 has a remarkable influence on the ground state properties of the protein. Both the pK(a) values of the primary proton acceptor and of the Schiff base are considerably decreased.

Somato-dendritic morphology and dendritic signal transfer properties differentiate between fore- and hindlimb innervating motoneurons in the frog Rana esculenta.

Background: The location specific motor pattern generation properties of the spinal cord along its rostro-caudal axis have been demonstrated. However, it is still unclear that these differences are due to the different spinal interneuronal networks underlying locomotions or there are also segmental differences in motoneurons innervating different limbs. Frogs use their fore- and hindlimbs differently during jumping and swimming.

Reaction intermediates discovered in crystal structures of enzymes.

Crystal structures of enzymes have provided valuable information for the reaction mechanisms. Structures of the enzyme complex with different reaction intermediates are particularly valuable. In several cases, these structures of intermediates were discovered accidently, presumably by trapping in the crystal during freezing prior to X-ray data collection.

Design of substituted bis-Tetrahydrofuran (bis-THF)-derived Potent HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors, Protein-ligand X-ray Structure, and Convenient Syntheses of bis-THF and Substituted bis-THF Ligands.

We investigated substituted bis-THF-derived HIV-1 protease inhibitors in order to enhance ligand-binding site interactions in the HIV-1 protease active site. In this context, we have carried out convenient syntheses of optically active bis-THF and C4-substituted bis-THF ligands using a [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement as the key step. The synthesis provided convenient access to a number of substituted bis-THF derivatives.

Spanish multicenter study of the epidemiology and mechanisms of amoxicillin-clavulanate resistance in Escherichia coli.

We conducted a prospective multicenter study in Spain to characterize the mechanisms of resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanate (AMC) in Escherichia coli. Up to 44 AMC-resistant E. coli isolates (MIC ≥ 32/16 μg/ml) were collected at each of the seven participant hospitals.

Lack of interference by zoster vaccine with the immune response to yellow fever vaccine.

Concerns exist about the serologic response to yellow fever (YF) vaccine when given within 28 days of another live virus vaccine. We report the case of a healthy adult who received 17D YF vaccine 21 days following administration of another live viral vaccine, and developed a protective level of immunity against YF virus.

HIV-1 protease with 20 mutations exhibits extreme resistance to clinical inhibitors through coordinated structural rearrangements.

The escape mutant of HIV-1 protease (PR) containing 20 mutations (PR20) undergoes efficient polyprotein processing even in the presence of clinical protease inhibitors (PIs). PR20 shows >3 orders of magnitude decreased affinity for PIs darunavir (DRV) and saquinavir (SQV) relative to PR. Crystal structures of PR20 crystallized with yttrium, substrate analogue p2-NC, DRV, and SQV reveal three distinct conformations of the flexible flaps and diminished interactions with inhibitors through the combination of multiple mutations.

Potent antiviral HIV-1 protease inhibitor GRL-02031 adapts to the structures of drug resistant mutants with its P1'-pyrrolidinone ring.

GRL-02031 (1) is an HIV-1 protease (PR) inhibitor containing a novel P1' (R)-aminomethyl-2-pyrrolidinone group. Crystal structures at resolutions of 1.25-1.

Substituent effects on P2-cyclopentyltetrahydrofuranyl urethanes: design, synthesis, and X-ray studies of potent HIV-1 protease inhibitors.

The design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel C3-substituted cyclopentyltetrahydrofuranyl (Cp-THF)-derived HIV-1 protease inhibitors are described. Various C3-functional groups on the Cp-THF ligand were investigated in order to maximize the ligand-binding site interactions in the flap region of the protease. Inhibitors 3c and 3d have displayed the most potent enzyme inhibitory and antiviral activity.

Laparoscopic inguinal preperitoneal injection--novel technique for inguinal hernia repair: preliminary results of experimental study.

Background: Inguinal hernia repair is the most common procedure in pediatric surgery. Suture techniques for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in children are easy to perform and popular with a low recurrence rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of laparoscopic preperitoneal injection of three-dimensional gel on closing of the inguinal hernia sac (IHS) in laboratory animals.

A dual role for Rac1 GTPases in the regulation of cell motility.

Rac proteins are the only canonical Rho family GTPases in Dictyostelium, where they act as key regulators of the actin cytoskeleton. To monitor the dynamics of activated Rac1 in Dictyostelium cells, a fluorescent probe was developed that specifically binds to the GTP-bound form of Rac1. The probe is based on the GTPase-binding domain (GBD) from PAK1 kinase, and was selected on the basis of yeast two-hybrid, GST pull-down and fluorescence resonance energy transfer assays.

Enhancing protein backbone binding--a fruitful concept for combating drug-resistant HIV.

The evolution of drug resistance is one of the most fundamental problems in medicine. In HIV/AIDS, the rapid emergence of drug-resistant HIV-1 variants is a major obstacle to current treatments. HIV-1 protease inhibitors are essential components of present antiretroviral therapies.

Terminal interface conformations modulate dimer stability prior to amino terminal autoprocessing of HIV-1 protease.

The HIV-1 protease (PR) mediates its own release (autoprocessing) from the polyprotein precursor, Gag-Pol, flanked by the transframe region (TFR) and reverse transcriptase at its N- and C-termini, respectively. Autoprocessing at the N-terminus of PR mediates stable dimer formation essential for catalytic activity, leading to the formation of infectious virus. An antiparallel β-sheet interface formed by the four N- and C-terminal residues of each subunit is important for dimer stability.

Critical differences in HIV-1 and HIV-2 protease specificity for clinical inhibitors.

Clinical inhibitor amprenavir (APV) is less effective on HIV-2 protease (PR₂) than on HIV-1 protease (PR₁). We solved the crystal structure of PR₂ with APV at 1.5 Å resolution to identify structural changes associated with the lowered inhibition.

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery for pyloric stenosis.

Background: Laparoscopy is the most common procedure for correction of congenital pyloric stenosis. The standard laparoscopic approach is based on the three-port technique. In contrast to the standard laparoscopic technique, the single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) requires only one incision.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Gram-negative organisms from intraabdominal infections and evolution of isolates with extended spectrum β-lactamases in the SMART study in Spain (2002-2010).

Introduction: The SMART (Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends) surveillance study records the antimicrobial susceptibility of Gram-negative bacilli obtain from intraabdominal infections with special focus in isolates with extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs).

Material And Methods: The antimicrobial susceptibility of 8,869 isolates was analyzed by microdilution during the SMART study performed in Spain from 2002 to 2010. Isolates were recovered in 16 centres.

Completeness of West Nile virus testing in patients with meningitis and encephalitis during an outbreak in Arizona, USA.

Accurate data on West Nile virus (WNV) cases help guide public health education and control activities, and impact regional WNV blood product screening procedures. During an outbreak of WNV disease in Arizona, records from patients with meningitis or encephalitis were reviewed to determine the proportion tested for WNV. Of 60 patients identified with meningitis or encephalitis, 24 (40%) were tested for WNV.

Dictyostelium discoideum nucleoside diphosphate kinase C plays a negative regulatory role in phagocytosis, macropinocytosis and exocytosis.

Nucleoside diphosphate kinases (NDPKs) are ubiquitous phosphotransfer enzymes responsible for producing most of the nucleoside triphosphates except for ATP. This role is important for the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins and the metabolism of sugars and lipids. Apart from this housekeeping role NDPKs have been shown to have many regulatory functions in diverse cellular processes including proliferation and endocytosis.