Direct monitoring of biocatalytic deacetylation of amino acid substrates by 1H NMR reveals fine details of substrate specificity.

Amino acids are key synthetic building blocks that can be prepared in an enantiopure form by biocatalytic methods. We show that the l-selective ornithine deacetylase ArgE catalyses hydrolysis of a wide-range of N-acyl-amino acid substrates. This activity was revealed by 1H NMR spectroscopy that monitored the appearance of the well resolved signal of the acetate product. Furthermore, the assay was used to probe the subtle structural selectivity of the biocatalyst using a substrate that could adopt different rotameric conformations.

Direct purification and immobilization of his-tagged enzymes using unmodified nickel ferrite NiFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles.

Purification of valuable engineered proteins and enzymes can be laborious, costly, and generating large amount of chemical waste. Whilst enzyme immobilization can enhance recycling and reuse of enzymes, conventional methods for immobilizing engineered enzymes from purified samples are also inefficient with multiple-step protocols, regarding both the carrier preparation and enzyme binding. Nickel ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (NiFe2O4 MNPs) offer distinct advantages in both purification and immobilization of enzymes. In this work, we demonstrate the preparation of NiFe2O4 MNPs via a one-step solvothermal synthesis and their use in direct enzyme binding from cell lysates. These NiFe2O4 MNPs have showed an average diameter of 8.9 ± 1.7 nm from TEM analysis and a magnetization at saturation (Ms) value of 53.0 emu g-1 from SQUID measurement. The nickel binding sites of the MNP surface allow direct binding of three his-tagged enzymes, D-phenylglycine aminotransferase (D-PhgAT), Halomonas elongata ω-transaminase (HeωT), and glucose dehydrogenase from Bacillus subtilis (BsGDH). It was found that the enzymatic activities of all immobilized samples directly prepared from cell lysates were comparable to those prepared from the conventional immobilization method using purified enzymes. Remarkably, D-PhgAT supported on NiFe2O4 MNPs also showed similar activity to the purified free enzyme. By comparing on both carrier preparation and enzyme immobilization protocols, use of NiFe2O4 MNPs for direct enzyme immobilization from cell lysate can significantly reduce the number of steps, time, and use of chemicals. Therefore, NiFe2O4 MNPs can offer considerable advantages for use in both enzyme immobilization and protein purification in pharmaceutical and other chemical industries.

Heart failure in older adults. Providing nursing care to improve outcomes.

Heart failure continues to be a challenge for older patients and their health care providers. This article is based on work by advanced practice nurses in a nursing study funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institute of Health. Mary Naylor, RN, PhD at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing through grant #1RO1-NR04315 is using a transitional care model to provide advance practice nurse intervention for older adults with heart failure in a randomized controlled trial. Effects of the intervention being addressed include quality of life, functional status, rehospitalizations, and costs of care. Working with the patient in the acute hospital setting and following patients to the home care setting for 3 months, the advance practice nurse develops a visit pattern and intervention plan individual to the patient's needs. Key to a successful intervention plan is the right treatment for systolic versus diastolic failure. Although the patient's symptoms and some physical findings may be similar, the drugs used to treat systolic versus diastolic heart failure are different. Thus the nursing interventions to promote symptom management and avoid rehospitalizations have a different approach. In this article, care of elderly individuals with systolic versus diastolic heart failure is compared and contrasted using physical examination and diagnostic techniques, medication management, and nursing intervention. Case studies of a typical patient with systolic and diastolic heart failure will be used to illustrate the differences in approach to this common group of patients with complex needs.

Ross River virus disease in inland NSW: higher than average notifications in 2007-08.

This study showed that Ross River virus notifications in the Greater Western Area Health Service of NSW were higher in 2007-08 than any other financial year for the 1997-2009 period. The study also examined the epidemiology of those notifications. Notification and population data were retrieved from the NSW Health Notifiable Diseases Database and HOIST Populations Library respectively. Age-standardised notification rates were highest in Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Gilgandra, Narromine, Walgett and Warren. Notifications peaked for the 35-39-year age group and were evenly distributed between the sexes. Notifications peaked in February. Aboriginal status was under-reported.

Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency: overview of clinical features and outcomes.

In this paper, we provide a brief update of diagnostic considerations and biochemical phenotype in L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency. We review clinical features and outcome data in 11 affected patients, including 7 previously unreported cases. All had onset of the characteristic movement disorder by 6 months of age. The phenomenology of the movement disorder is identical to that previously reported, and includes intermittent oculogyric crises and limb dystonia, generalized athetosis, and impaired voluntary movement in all patients. Autonomic dysfunction is characterized by a significant impairment of sympathetic regulation of heart rate and blood pressure, as documented via detailed studies with spectral analysis techniques in two patients. Functional clinical outcomes as a group remain poor, in spite of a variety of attempted treatment interventions, with marked impairment in motor abilities as well as in speech and communication; however, outcome was quite variable from patient to patient and covered a broad spectrum of neurological disability. Much further work remains to identify and refine the best treatment options for patients with L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency.