A tyrosinase, mTyr-CNK, that is functionally available as a monophenol monooxygenase

Tyrosinase efficiently catalyzes the ortho-hydroxylation of monophenols and the oxidation of diphenols without any additional cofactors. Although it is of significant interest for the biosynthesis of catechol derivatives, the rapid catechol oxidase activity and inactivation of tyrosinase have hampered its practical utilization as a monophenol monooxygenase. Here, we prepared a functional tyrosinase that exhibited a distinguished monophenolase/diphenolase activity ratio (V max mono/ V max di = 3.83) and enhanced catalytic efficiency against L-tyrosine (k cat  = 3.33 ± 0.18 s−1, K m  = 2.12 ± 0.14 mM at 20 °C and pH 6.0). This enzyme was still highly active in ice water (>80%), and its activity was well conserved below 30 °C. In vitro DOPA modification, with a remarkably high yield as a monophenol monooxygenase, was achieved by the enzyme taking advantage of these biocatalytic properties. These results demonstrate the strong potential for this enzyme’s use as a monophenol monooxygenase in biomedical and industrial applications.113Nsciescopu

Ultrasonographic Assessment of the Safe Zone for Carpal Tunnel Intervention: A Comparison Between Healthy Individuals and Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Objective To compare transverse and longitudinal safe zones using ultrasonography between healthy individuals and patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods This was a prospective observational case-control study. Forty wrists from 20 healthy individuals and 40 wrists from 24 patients with CTS were examined. Patients with CTS were classified into three groups (mild, moderate, and severe CTS) based on electrodiagnostic findings. Using ultrasonography, we measured the distance between the median nerve and ulnar vessels to identify the transverse safe zone, and between the distal flexor retinaculum and superficial palmar artery arch to identify the longitudinal safe zone. Results The transverse and longitudinal safe zones were significantly different between participants with CTS and those without CTS. The transverse safe zone significantly differed between the mild and severe CTS groups, while the longitudinal safe zone was not significantly different between the groups. The cross-sectional area of the median nerve negatively correlated with the transverse and longitudinal safe zones. Conclusion Transverse and longitudinal safe zones were narrower in patients with CTS than in the healthy group. A significant difference was observed between patients with mild CTS and those with severe CTS. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of the median nerve was directly proportional to the degree of narrowing of the transverse and longitudinal safe zones

A Surgically Treated Case of Chronic Necrotizing Aspergillosis with Pleural Invasion

Aspergillus is a ubiquitous fungus and can cause many levels of disease severity. Chronic necrotizing aspergillosis is a rare disease and few cases have been reported in Korea. We experienced a case of pleural aspergillosis that was treated successfully with medical and surgical interventions. The 52-year-old man who was diagnosed with chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis underwent surgical treatment including a lobectomy, decortication, and myoplasty. The patient was also medically treated with amphotericin B followed by voriconazole. Pleural irrigation with amphotericin B was also performed. A multi-dimensional approach should be considered for treating chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis

Hungry bone syndrome after parathyroidectomy of a minimally invasive parathyroid carcinoma

The prognosis of parathyroid carcinoma varies significantly between numerous studies. Therefore, many attempts have been made to grade the degree of parathyroid carcinoma, and recently, classifying parathyroid carcinomas into either minimally invasive or widely invasive carcinoma- similar to follicular carcinoma of the thyroid- has led to a more reliable prediction of the prognosis. Hungry bone syndrome can occur if parathyroidectomy is performed due to primary hyperparathyroidism regardless of the cause of the disease. Hungry bone syndrome is characterized by postoperative a hypocalcemic state due to remineralization of various minerals, including calcium, of the bone; this syndrome requires a long-term supplementation of calcium. The authors aim to report, along with a review of related literatures, 1 case of a 29-year-old female patient diagnosed with minimally invasive parathyroid carcinoma who fell into hungry bone syndrome after parathyroidectomy

Acute phase response in bovine coronavirus positive post-weaned calves with diarrhea

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is associated with severe diarrhea in calves, winter dysentery in adult cattle, and respiratory diseases in cattle of all ages. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between white blood cell counts and haptoglobin (Hp) and serum amyloid A (SAA) levels in post-weaned calves with diarrhea caused by BCoV and those that recovered from diarrhea. Blood and fecal samples were collected twice from the same animals; 17 post-weaned calves with diarrhea (first) and 15 post-weaned calves that recovered from diarrhea (second). Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that all 17 fecal samples from post-weaned calves with diarrhea and one out of 15 from diarrhea-recovered calves were positive for BCoV and negative for Cryptosporidium spp., Escherichia coli K99, Salmonella spp., bovine rotavirus, and bovine viral diarrhea virus. No Eimeria oocysts were detected using the flotation method. In comparison with post-weaned calves with diarrhea, in diarrhea-recovered calves, the lymphocyte count was significantly higher (P = 0.018), and the monocyte count was significantly lower (P = 0.001); however, the number of monocytes was still high. Post-weaned calves with diarrhea had a significantly higher Hp concentration (P < 0.001) compared with diarrhea-recovered calves. The results indicated that increased Hp concentration and monocytosis but not SAA may be associated with diarrhea caused by BCoV. The present study suggests that the monitoring of Hp concentration and monocyte count is useful in the diagnosis of post-weaned calves with diarrhea caused by BCoV in this field.This study was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2017R1A2B2005685)

Does gender influence the impact of impaired renal function on prognosis after ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction?

Background: A limited number of studies have investigated the impact of gender on renal function and clinical outcomes after ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), and these studies have provided discrepant results.Methods and Results: This study was based on a retrospective cohort, the Korean Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR). Patients (n = 7,679) with a discharge diagnosis of STEMI were analyzed to investigate association of gender with renal function and clinical outcomes. Compared to men, women were older and exhibited more comorbidity, including impaired renal function. Women showed higher mortality compared to men (1-month mortality,5.6% in men vs. 12.6% in women, p &lt; 0.001; 1-year mortality, 6.8% in men vs. 14.4% in women, p &lt; 0.001). The risk of death proportionally increased as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decreased in both genders. After adjusting for potential confounders, hazard ratios for women did not significantly differ from those for men at each eGFR level.The interaction test showed no significant interaction between gender and eGFR in 1-month mortality and 1-year mortality.Conclusions: Impaired renal function was an independent prognostic factor after STEMI in both genders, and the impact of impaired renal function on prognosis after STEMI did not significantly differ between genders