Mosaic of submerged habitats in the Venice lagoon shows signs of marinization

The relationships between habitat patterns and ecosystem functioning have been widely explored in terrestrial ecosystems, but less in marine and coastal ecosystems, calling for further research in this direction. This work focuses on the mosaic of submerged habitats in the Venice lagoon, Italy. It aims to describe the habitats’ spatial patterns at multiple spatial scales, and to explore their linkages with the ecological status defined according to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC). The submerged habitats’ mosaic has been analysed by calculating a set of seascape metrics at different spatial scales. These metrics have been linked with the biological quality elements (BQEs) that are monitored in the lagoon in compliance to the WFD. The results show that the habitats’ spatial patterns differ between the areas of the lagoon with marine-like features and the areas which still retain more lagoon characteristics. The similarity between the pattern found in the whole lagoon and those found in marine-like areas suggests a general loss of lagoon characteristics at the lagoon scale. Regarding the ecological status, every BQE seems to be associated with a different habitat configuration at the water body scale. This does not facilitate the joint improvement of the BQEs, as required by the Directive. If we cannot achieve that, at some point we will probably have to choose what to prioritize. On a broader perspective, this calls for a reflection on what lagoon we want for the future, a vision that should be shared and account for the lagoon’s complexity, current trends and challenges

Boron-containing delocalised lipophilic cations for the selective targeting of cancer cells

Correction for “Boron-containing delocalised lipophilic cations for the selective targeting of cancer cells” by Gianpiero Calabrese et al., Med. Chem. Commun., 2017, 8, 67–72.</p

Tailoring the specificity of the type C feruloyl esterase FoFaeC from Fusarium oxysporum towards methyl sinapate by rational redesign based on small molecule docking simulations

The type C feruloyl esterase FoFaeC from Fusarium oxysporum is a newly discovered enzyme with high potential for use in the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass but it shows low activity towards sinapates. In this work, small molecule docking simulations were employed in order to identify important residues for the binding of the four model methyl esters of hydroxycinnamic acids, methyl ferulate/caffeate/sinapate/p-coumarate, to the predicted structure of FoFaeC. Subsequently rational redesign was applied to the enzyme’ active site in order to improve its specificity towards methyl sinapate. A double mutation (F230H/T202V) was considered to provide hydrophobic environment for stabilization of the methoxy substitution on sinapate and a larger binding pocket. Five mutant clones and the wild type were produced in Pichia pastoris and biochemically characterized. All clones showed improved activity, substrate affinity, catalytic efficiency and turnover rate compared to the wild type against methyl sinapate, with clone P13 showing a 5-fold improvement in catalytic efficiency. Although the affinity of all mutant clones was improved against the four model substrates, the catalytic efficiency and turnover rate decreased for the substrates containing a hydroxyl substitution

Frequency of Retinal Redetachment Based on the Primary Reattachment Treatment and Intraocular Tamponade

Introduction: To observe the number and presentation of retinal redetachment after primary reattachment treatment in a national eye center. Methods: This study was designed for ob- servational-descriptive of the medical record from April 2011 to March 2012. Selected cases were identified on the secondary retinal surgery for retinal reattachment followed the failure of the primary treatment. Cases were then classified into 4 groups based on the primary reattach- ment procedure: pneumatic retinopexy (PR), scleral buckle (SB), pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), and combined SB with PPV. Furthermore, in the group of PPV and SB+PPV were then divided into 3 subgroups based on the intraocular tamponade: SF6 gas, silicone oil, and heavy silicone oil. Results: At one-year followed-up data, the presentation retinal redetachment was 7.1%, relative to the sex female (26%) was less than male (74%) with the most common age group was 41-50 years-old. Regarding with primary reattachment treatment, cases of retinal redetachment after pneumatic retinopexy was 6%, the scleral buckle was 16%, pars plana vitrectomy was 29%, and combined sclera buckle with pars plana vitrectomy was 48%. Con- clusions: Rates of retinal redetachment after primary reattachment treatment varied from 6% to 48%, that were performed by combined scleral buckling and pars plana vitrectomy with or without tamponade silicone oil

BEBERAPA FAKTOR RESIKO TERJADINYA DERMATITIS SEBOROIK PADA KARYAWAN GO-JEK KOTA SEMARANG

Latar Belakang: Dermatitis Seboroik adalah penyakit kulit kronis berulang pada area yang didasari oleh faktor konstitusi dan bertempat predileksi yang memiliki banyak kelenjar sebasea. Karyawan GO-JEK Kota Semarang diperkirakan memiliki resiko lebih tinggi untuk terkena Dermatitis Seboroik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui beberapa faktor resiko Dermatitis Seboroik pada Karyawan GO-JEK Kota Semarang. Tujuan: Mengetahui beberapa faktor resiko terjadinya Dermatitis Seboroik pada Karyawan GO-JEK Kota Semarang. Metode: Penelitian ini bersifat belah lintang dilakkan pada 22 Karyawan GO-JEK Kota Semarang sebagai subjek penelitian pada bulan Mei 2018. Diagnosis Dermatitis Seboroik ditegakkan berdasarkan pemeriksaan klinis residen ilmu kesehatan kulit dan kelamin. Data diambil dengan kuesioner meliputi hygiene perorangan, durasi terpapar keringat dan lama kerja per hari. Data dianalisis dengan program komputer secara analitik dengan menggunakan uji chi-square atau fischer test dengan tingkat kemaknaan untuk variabel uji bivariat p<0,05. Kemudian dilakukan regresi logistik. Hasil: Hasil analisis multivariat menunjukkan bahwa lama kerja yang lama merupakan faktor resiko Dermatitis Seboroik RP= 20,158 (IK = 1,107-367,015) p = 0,042 Simpulan: Lama kerja yang lama merupakan faktor resiko Dermatitis Seboroik. Kata Kunci: Dermatitis Seboroik, faktor resiko, lama kerja

Engineering tyrosine-based electron flow pathways in proteins: The case of aplysia myoglobin

Tyrosine residues can act as redox cofactors that provide an electron transfer ("hole-hopping") route that enhances the rate of ferryl heme iron reduction by externally added reductants, for example, ascorbate. Aplysia fasciata myoglobin, having no naturally occurring tyrosines but 15 phenylalanines that can be selectively mutated to tyrosine residues, provides an ideal protein with which to study such through-protein electron transfer pathways and ways to manipulate them. Two surface exposed phenylalanines that are close to the heme have been mutated to tyrosines (F42Y, F98Y). In both of these, the rate of ferryl heme reduction increased by up to 3 orders of magnitude. This result cannot be explained in terms of distance or redox potential change between donor and acceptor but indicates that tyrosines, by virtue of their ability to form radicals, act as redox cofactors in a new pathway. The mechanism is discussed in terms of the Marcus theory and the specific protonation/deprotonation states of the oxoferryl iron and tyrosine. Tyrosine radicals have been observed and quantified by EPR spectroscopy in both mutants, consistent with the proposed mechanism. The location of each radical is unambiguous and allows us to validate theoretical methods that assign radical location on the basis of EPR hyperfine structure. Mutation to tyrosine decreases the lipid peroxidase activity of this myoglobin in the presence of low concentrations of reductant, and the possibility of decreasing the intrinsic toxicity of hemoglobin by introduction of these pathways is discussed. © 2012 American Chemical Society

FREQUENCY OF RETINAL REDETACHMENT BASED ON THE PRIMARY REATTACHMENT TREATMENT AND INTRAOCULAR TAMPONADE

ABSTRACT Introduction: To observe the number and  presentation of retinal redetachment after primary reattachment treatment in a national eye  center. Methods:  This study was designed for ob- servational-descriptive of the medical record  from April 2011  to March 2012.  Selected cases were identified on the secondary retinal surgery for retinal reattachment followed the failure of the primary treatment. Cases were then classified into 4 groups based on the primary reattach- ment procedure: pneumatic retinopexy (PR), scleral buckle (SB), pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), and combined SB with PPV. Furthermore, in the group of PPV and SB+PPV  were then divided into 3 subgroups based on the intraocular tamponade: SF6  gas, silicone oil, and heavy  silicone oil. Results:  At one-year followed-up data, the presentation retinal redetachment was 7.1%, relative to the sex female (26%) was less than  male (74%) with the most common age  group was 41-50  years-old. Regarding with primary reattachment treatment, cases  of retinal redetachment after pneumatic retinopexy was 6%,  the  scleral buckle was 16%,  pars plana vitrectomy was 29%, and  combined sclera buckle with pars plana vitrectomy was 48%. Con- clusions: Rates of retinal redetachment after primary reattachment treatment varied from 6% to 48%, that were  performed by combined scleral buckling and  pars plana vitrectomy with or without tamponade silicone oil. Keyword : Retinal redetachment, pars plana vitrectomy, scleral buckle, silicon oil, intraocular gas

The Synthetic Potential of Fungal Feruloyl Esterases : A Correlation with Current Classification Systems and Predicted Structural Properties

Twenty-eight fungal feruloyl esterases (FAEs) were evaluated for their synthetic abilities in a ternary system of n-hexane: t-butanol: 100 mM MOPS-NaOH pH 6.0 forming detergentless microemulsions. Five main derivatives were synthesized, namely prenyl ferulate, prenyl caffeate, butyl ferulate, glyceryl ferulate, and l-arabinose ferulate, offering, in general, higher yields when more hydrophilic alcohol substitutions were used. Acetyl xylan esterase-related FAEs belonging to phylogenetic subfamilies (SF) 5 and 6 showed increased synthetic yields among tested enzymes. In particular, it was shown that FAEs belonging to SF6 generally transesterified aliphatic alcohols more efficiently while SF5 members preferred bulkier l-arabinose. Predicted surface properties and structural characteristics were correlated with the synthetic potential of selected tannase-related, acetyl-xylan-related, and lipase-related FAEs (SF1-2, -6, -7 members) based on homology modeling and small molecular docking simulations.Peer reviewe

Pharmacological development of target-specific delocalized lipophilic cation-functionalized carboranes for cancer therapy

PURPOSE: Tumor cell heterogeneity and microenvironment represent major hindering factors in the clinical setting toward achieving the desired selectivity and specificity to malignant tissues for molecularly targeted cancer therapeutics. In this study, the cellular and molecular evaluation of several delocalized lipophilic cation (DLC)-functionalized carborane compounds as innovative anticancer agents is presented. METHODS: The anticancer potential assessment of the DLC-carboranes was performed in established normal (MRC-5, Vero), cancer (U-87 MG, HSC-3) and primary glioblastoma cancer stem (EGFRpos, EGFRneg) cultures. Moreover, the molecular mechanism of action underlying their pharmacological response is also analyzed. RESULTS: The pharmacological anticancer profile of DLC-functionalized carboranes is characterized by: a) a marked in vitro selectivity, due to lower concentration range needed (ca. 10 fold) to exert their cell growth-arrest effect on U-87 MG and HSC-3, as compared with that on MRC-5 and Vero; b) a similar selective growth inhibition behavior towards EGFRpos and EGFRneg cultures (>10 fold difference in potency) without, however, the activation of apoptosis in cultures; c) notably, in marked contrast to cancer cells, normal cells are capable of recapitulating their full proliferation potential following exposure to DLC-carboranes; and, d) such pharmacological effects of DLC-carboranes has been unveiled to be elicited at the molecular level through activation of the p53/p21 axis. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the data presented in this work indicates the potential of the DLC-functionalized carboranes to act as new selective anticancer therapeutics that may be used autonomously or in therapies involving radiation with thermal neutrons. Importantly, such bifunctional capacity may be beneficial in cancer therapy