Current treatment and diagnosis of rhinosinusal aspergilloma Review

Phytochemical investigation of the n-BuOH extract of the roots of Terminalia albida Sc. Elliot (Combretaceae) led to the isolation and identification of 10 oleanane triterpenoids (1-10), among which six new compounds, i.e., albidanoside A (2), albidic acid A (4), albidinolic acid (5), albidienic acid (8), albidolic acid (9), and albidiolic acid (10), and two triterpenoid aglycones, i.e., albidic acid B (6) and albidic acid C (7), were isolated here for the first time from a natural source, along with two known compounds. The structures of these constituents were established by means of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and ESI mass spectrometry. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their antiplasmodial and antimicrobial activity against the chloroquine-resistant strain Plasmodium falciparum K1, Candida albicans, and Staphylococcus aureus. Compounds 1-4, 6, 7, and 8 showed moderate antiplasmodial activity with IC50 values between 5 and 15 μM. None of the tested compounds were active against C. albicans or S. aureus. These findings emphasize the potential of T. albida as a source for discovery of new antiplasmodial compounds.Synthesis of the JKLMN-ring fragment of Caribbean ciguatoxin C-CTX-1, the causative toxin of ciguatera fish poisoning in the Caribbean Sea and the Northeast Atlantic areas, is described in detail. Key to the synthesis are a [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement to construct a seven-membered α-hydroxy exo-enol ether, stereoselective construction of an angular tetrasubstituted stereogenic center on the seven-membered M-ring by a hydrogen atom transfer-based reductive olefin coupling, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of the KLMN-ring enol phosphate with a highly congested M-ring, and silica gel-mediated epoxide ring opening to form the J-ring. Comparison of the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data for the synthesized fragment with those for the natural product provided support for the formerly assigned structure of the N-ring in the right-hand terminal of C-CTX-1.Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) of rapeseed (Brassica napus), caused by the soil-borne fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of the main diseases seriously affecting the yield and oil quality of infected rapeseed crops. The complexity of the inheritance of resistance and of the interaction mechanisms between rapeseed and S. sclerotiorum limits resistance gene identification and molecular breeding. In this review, the latest progress of research into resistance to SSR in B. napus is summarized from the following three directions the pathogenesis mechanisms of S. sclerotiorum, the resistance mechanisms of B. napus toward S. sclerotiorum, and rapeseed breeding for resistance to SSR. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis and useful reference for analyzing the mechanism of the interaction between B. napus and S. sclerotiorum, searching for gene loci associated with the resistance response, and for achieving disease-resistance genetic manipulation and molecular design breeding in rapeseed.Ichang lemon is a citrus fruit whose rind gives off a delicious and much appreciated fragrance and flavor. The volatile components of the fruit peel of Ichang lemon were investigated by GC-MS and GC-O (AEDA method). Simultaneously, its genetic origin was identified by using diagnostic SNP markers specific to ancestral species and multiallelic SSR and InDel markers. Ichang lemon combines three ancestral genomes (Citrus maxima, Citrus ichangensis, and Citrus reticulata) and may be a pummelo × Yuzu hybrid. Although the major compounds of the Ichang lemon aromatic profile were present in Citrus junos, a few pummelo-specific compounds were also detected, such as indole and nootkatone, in agreement with its maternal lineage. 3-Methyl-3-sulfanylbutyl acetate, reported to occur in passion fruit and brewed coffee, was identified by GC-MS, GC-QTOF-MS, and GC-FTIR for the first time in citrus. This odor-active compound has a sulfurous, tropical fruity, green note.SAM is a powerful methylating agent, with a methyl group transfer potential matching the phosphoryl group transfer potential of ATP. SAM-dependent N-methyltransferases have evolved to catalyze the modification of specific lysine residues in histones and transcription factors, in addition to generating epinephrine, N-methylnicotinamide, and a quaternary amine (betaine) that is used to maintain osmotic pressure in plants and halophilic bacteria. To assess the catalytic power of these enzymes and their potential susceptibility to transition state and multisubstrate analogue inhibitors, we determined the rates and positions of the equilibrium of methyl transfer from the trimethylsulfonium ion to model amines in the absence of a catalyst. Unlike the methyl group transfer potential of SAM, which becomes more negative with an increase in pH throughout the normal pH range, equilibrium constants for the hydrolytic demethylation of secondary, tertiary, and quaternary amines are found to be insensitive to a change in pHd 1.1 × 1012 -fold at the active site of a SET domain methyltransferase.Arsenolipids are a class of lipid-soluble arsenic species. see more They are present in seafoods and show high potentials of cytotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Hindered by traditional low-throughput analytical techniques, the characterization of arsenolipids is far from complete. Here, we report on a sensitive and high-throughput screening method for arsenolipids in krill oil, tuna fillets, hairtail heads, and kelp. We demonstrate the detection and identification of 23 arsenolipids, including novel arsenic-containing fatty acids (AsFAs), hydroxylated AsFAs, arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHCs), hydroxylated AsHCs, thiolated trimethylarsinic acids, and arsenic-containing lysophosphatidylcholines not previously reported. The new method incorporated precursor ion scan (PIS) into data-independent acquisition. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-qToF-MS) was used to perform the sequential window acquisition of all theoretical spectra (SWATH). Comprehensive HPLC-MS and MS/MS data were further processed using a fragment-guided chromatographic computational program Precursorfinder developed here. Precursorfinder achieved efficient peak-picking, retention time comparison, hierarchical clustering, and wavelet coherence calculations to assemble fragment features with their target precursors. The identification of arsenolipids was supported by coeluting the HPLC-MS peaks detected with the characteristic fragments of arsenolipids. Method validation using available arsenic standards and the successful identification of previously unknown arsenolipids in seafood samples demonstrated the applicability of the method for environmental research.Electrochemical conversion of light alkanes to high-value oxygenates provides an attractive avenue for eco-friendly utilization of these hydrocarbons. However, such conversion under ambient conditions remains exceptionally challenging due to the high energy barrier of C-H bond cleavage. Herein, we investigated theoretically the partial oxidation of propane on a series of single atom alloys by using active intermediates generated during water oxidation as the oxidant. We show that by controlling the potential and pH, stable surface oxygen atoms can be maintained under water oxidation conditions. The free energy barrier for C-H bond cleavage by the surface oxygen can be as small as 0.54 eV, which can be surmounted easily at room temperature. Our calculations identified three promising surfaces as effective propane oxidation catalysts. Our complementary experiments demonstrated the partial oxidation of propane to acetone on Ni-doped Au surfaces. We also investigated computationally the steps leading to acetone formation. These studies show that the concept of exploiting intermediates generated in water oxidation as oxidants provides a fruitful strategy for electrocatalyst design to efficiently convert hydrocarbons into value-added chemicals.Carbohydrates, such as oligo- and polysaccharides, are highly abundant biopolymers that are involved in numerous processes. The study of their structure and functions is commonly based on a material that is isolated from complex natural sources. However, a more precise analysis requires pure compounds with well-defined structures that can be obtained from chemical or enzymatic syntheses. Novel synthetic strategies have increased the accessibility of larger monodisperse polysaccharides, posing a challenge to the analytical methods used for their molecular characterization. Here, we present wide mass range ultrahigh-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry (MS) as a powerful platform for the analysis of synthetic oligo- and polysaccharides. Synthetic carbohydrates 16-, 64-, 100-, and 151-mers were mass analyzed and characterized by MALDI in-source decay FT-ICR MS. Detection of fragment ions generated from glycosidic bond cleavage (or cross-ring cleavage) provided information of the monosaccharide content and the linkage type, allowing for the corroboration of the carbohydrate compositions and structures.Water supplies for millions of U.S. individuals exceed maximum contaminant levels for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Contemporary and legacy use of aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) is a major contamination source. However, diverse PFAS sources are present within watersheds, making it difficult to isolate their predominant origins. Here we examine PFAS source signatures among six adjacent coastal watersheds on Cape Cod, MA, U.S.A. using multivariate clustering techniques. A distinct signature of AFFF contamination enriched in precursors with six perfluorinated carbons (C6) was identified in watersheds with an AFFF source, while others were enriched in C4 precursors. Principal component analysis of PFAS composition in impacted watersheds showed a decline in precursor composition relative to AFFF stocks and a corresponding increase in terminal perfluoroalkyl sulfonates with less then C6 but not those with ≥ C6. Prior work shows that in AFFF stocks, all extractable organofluorine (EOF) can be explained by targeted PFAS and precursors inferred using Bayesian inference on the total oxidizable precursor assay. Using the same techniques for the first time in impacted watersheds, we find that only 24%-63% of the EOF can be explained by targeted PFAS and oxidizable precursors. Our work thus indicates the presence of large non-AFFF organofluorine sources in these coastal watersheds.Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is an important secondary messenger that controls carbon metabolism, type IVa pili biogenesis, and virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Precise manipulation of bacterial intracellular cAMP levels may enable tunable control of twitching motility or virulence, and optogenetic tools are attractive because they afford excellent spatiotemporal resolution and are easy to operate. Here, we developed an engineered P. aeruginosa strain (termed pactm) with light-dependent intracellular cAMP levels through introducing a photoactivated adenylate cyclase gene (bPAC) into bacteria. On blue light illumination, pactm displayed a 15-fold increase in the expression of the cAMP responsive promoter and an 8-fold increase in its twitching activity. The skin lesion area of nude mouse in a subcutaneous infection model after 2-day pactm inoculation was increased 14-fold by blue light, making pactm suitable for applications in controllable bacterial host infection. In addition, we achieved directional twitching motility of pactm colonies through localized light illumination, which will facilitate the studies of contact-dependent interactions between microbial species.