Kearnstucker4883

sight into which biomarkers can be used as predictors of local control after primary radiotherapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Bifidobacterium longum is a symbiotic human gut bacterium that has a degradation system for β-arabinooligosaccharides, which are present in the hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins of edible plants. Whereas microbial degradation systems for α-linked arabinofuranosyl carbohydrates have been extensively studied, little is understood about the degradation systems targeting β-linked arabinofuranosyl carbohydrates. We functionally and structurally analyzed a substrate-binding protein (SBP) of a putative ABC transporter (BLLJ_0208) in the β-arabinooligosaccharide degradation system. Thermal shift assays and isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that the SBP specifically bound Araf-β1,2-Araf (β-Ara2 ) with a Kd of 0.150 μm, but did not bind L-arabinose or methyl-β-Ara2 . Therefore, the SBP was termed β-arabinobiose-binding protein (BABP). Crystal structures of BABP complexed with β-Ara2 were determined at resolutions of up to 1.78 Å. The findings showed that β-Ara2 was bound to BABP within a short tunnel between two lobes as an α-anomeric form at its reducing end. BABP forms extensive interactions with β-Ara2 , and its binding mode was unique among SBPs. A molecular dynamics simulation revealed that the closed conformation of substrate-bound BABP is stable, whereas substrate-free form can adopt a fully open and two distinct semi-open states. The importer system specific for β-Ara2 may contribute to microbial survival in biological niches with limited amounts of digestible carbohydrates. DATABASE Atomic coordinates and structure factors (codes 6LCE and 6LCF) have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank (http//wwpdb.org/). © 2020 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.Nucleotide substitutions in codon 38 of HLA-DQB1*05030101 result in a novel allele, HLA-DQB1*056601. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Carbapenems are last-resort β-lactam antibiotics used in healthcare facilities to treat multidrug-resistant infections. Thus, most studies on identifying and characterizing carbapenem-resistant bacteria (CRB) have focused on clinical settings. Relatively, little is still known about the distribution and characteristics of CRBs in the environment, and the role of soil as a potential reservoir of CRB in the United States remains unknown. Here, we have surveyed 11 soil samples from 9 different urban or agricultural locations in the Los Angeles-Southern California area to determine the prevalence and characteristics of CRB in these soils. All samples tested contained CRB with a frequency of less then 10 to 1.3 × 104  cfu per gram of soil, with most agricultural soil samples having a much higher relative frequency of CRB than urban soil samples. Identification and characterization of 40 CRB from these soil samples revealed that most of them were members of the genera Cupriavidus, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas. Other less prevalent genera identified among our isolated CRB, especially from agricultural soils, included the genera Enterococcus, Bradyrhizobium, Achromobacter, and Planomicrobium. Interestingly, all of these carbapenem-resistant isolates were also intermediate or resistant to at least 1 noncarbapenem antibiotic. read more Further characterization of our isolated CRB revealed that 11 Stenotrophomonas, 3 Pseudomonas, 1 Enterococcus, and 1 Bradyrhizobium isolates were carbapenemase producers. Our findings show for the first time that both urban and agricultural soils in Southern California are an underappreciated reservoir of bacteria resistant to carbapenems and other antibiotics, including carbapenemase-producing CRB. © 2020 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Bile secretion and composition reflects the functional status of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. Bile composition can have a role in the assessment of donor grafts before implantation in the recipient. In addition, changes in bile composition after liver transplantation can serve as a diagnostic and prognostic tool to predict posttransplant complications, such as primary non-function, acute cellular rejection, or non-anastomotic biliary strictures. With the popularization of liver machine perfusion preservation in the clinical setting there is a revisited interest in biliary biomarkers to assess graft viability before implantation. This review discusses current literature on biliary biomarkers that could predict or assess liver graft and bile duct viability. Bile composition offers an exciting and novel perspective in the search for reliable hepatocyte and cholangiocyte viability biomarkers. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.OBJECTIVES To determine the levels of endogenous α1-antitrypsin in the perilymph of patients undergoing cochlear implant (CI), and its reverse association with the severity of hearing loss. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study SETTING Tertiary care university hospital PARTICIPANTS The study includes 38 patients undergoing CI surgery, 11 patients diagnosed with congenital deafness and 27 non-congenital deafness, 8 patients diagnosed with moderate hearing loss (N=8; PTA=70 dB), severe hearing loss (N=11; PTA 70-90 dB) and profound hearing loss (N=19; PTA>90 dB). MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE 1 to 12 μL perilymphatic fluids were collected by micropipette. α1-antitrypsin levels were determined, and current and historic audiological parameters were obtained. RESULTS The congenital and non-congenital group exhibited AAT concentrations of 2.5±1.9×106 LFQ and 3.2±1.2×106 LFQ, respectively (mean±SD; p=0.38). Mean levels of α1-antitrypsin in the perilymph fluid within the moderate group was 3.64×106 ±2.1×106 LFQ vs. 3.5×106 ±1.2×106 in severe hearing loss (p=0.81) and 2.4×106 ±1.1×106 LFQ in the profound hearings loss group (p=0.06). The difference in levels of AAT in samples from the severe hearings loss group versus the profound hearings loss group, reached statistical significance (p=0.04). CONCLUSION Insufficiency in α1-antitrypsin levels in the perilymph fluid of the inner ear appears to display a relationship with the severity of hearing loss. The prospect of introducing clinical-grade plasma-purified α1-antitrypsin directly onto the site of cochlear injury deserves thorough investigation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.