Ascending aortic and proximal hemiarch replacement with antegrade cerebral perfusion for a penetrating aortic ulcer.

We report the surgical repair of a penetrating aortic ulcer in the distal ascending aorta close to the brachiocephalic trunk, by supracoronary ascending aortic and hemiarch replacement via a full sternotomy. The procedure is performed under moderate hypothermia with bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion.

Practical Synthesis of N-Formylmethionylated Peptidyl-tRNA Mimics.

Hydrolysis-resistant RNA-peptide conjugates that mimic peptidyl-tRNAs are frequently needed for structural and functional studies of protein synthesis in the ribosome. Such conjugates are accessible by chemical solid-phase synthesis, allowing for the utmost flexibility of both the peptide and the RNA sequence. Commonly used protection group strategies, however, have severe limitations with respect to generating the characteristic Nα-formylmethionyl terminus because the formyl group of the conjugate synthesized at the solid support is easily cleaved during the final basic deprotection/release step. In this study, we demonstrate a simple solution to the problem by coupling appropriately activated Nα-formyl methionine to the fully deprotected conjugate. The structural integrity of the obtained Nα-formylmethionyl conjugate─and hence the chemoselectivity of the reaction─were verified by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry sequence analysis. Additionally, we confirmed the applicability of our procedure for structural studies by obtaining two structures of the ribosome in complex with either fMAI-nh-ACCA or fMFI-nh-ACCA in the P site and ACC-PMN in the A site of the bacterial ribosome at 2.65 and 2.60 Å resolution, respectively. In summary, our approach for hydrolysis-resistant Nα-formylated RNA-peptide conjugates is synthetically straightforward and opens up new avenues to explore ribosomal translation with high-precision substrate mimics.

HIV and access to fertility treatment in the European and Swedish contexts.

Across Europe many people living with HIV face discrimination in accessing fertility treatment. This short communication presents an updated mapping of regulations across Europe, along with a consideration of the Swedish context. Overall, the accessibility and availability of MAR for people living with HIV in Europe is complicated and, in some countries, inconsistent. We encourage sharing best practice from countries with less restricted access. We also call for an end to discrimination based on outdated medical knowledge, and for more clearly defined and readily available guidelines surrounding fertility treatment entitlements for people living with HIV.

Amine-to-Azide Conversion on Native RNA via Metal-Free Diazotransfer Opens New Avenues for RNA Manipulations.

A major challenge in the field of RNA chemistry is the identification of selective and quantitative conversion reactions on RNA that can be used for tagging and any other RNA tool development. Here, we introduce metal-free diazotransfer on native RNA containing an aliphatic primary amino group using the diazotizing reagent fluorosulfuryl azide (FSO2 N3 ). The reaction provides the corresponding azide-modified RNA in nearly quantitatively yields without affecting the nucleobase amino groups. The obtained azido-RNA can then be further processed utilizing well-established bioortho-gonal reactions, such as azide-alkyne cycloadditions (Click) or Staudinger ligations. We exemplify the robustness of this approach for the synthesis of peptidyl-tRNA mimics and for the pull-down of 3-(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl)uridine (acp3 U)- and lysidine (k2 C)-containing tRNAs of an Escherichia coli tRNA pool isolated from cellular extracts. Our approach therefore adds a new dimension to the targeted chemical manipulation of diverse RNA species.

Amine-to-Azide Conversion on Native RNA via Metal-Free Diazotransfer Opens New Avenues for RNA Manipulations.

A major challenge in the field of RNA chemistry is the identification of selective and quantitative conversion reactions on RNA that can be used for tagging and any other RNA tool development. Here, we introduce metal-free diazotransfer on native RNA containing an aliphatic primary amino group using the diazotizing reagent fluorosulfuryl azide (FSO2N3). The reaction provides the corresponding azide-modified RNA in nearly quantitatively yields without affecting the nucleobase amino groups. The obtained azido-RNA can then be further processed utilizing well-established bioortho-gonal reactions, such as azide-alkyne cycloadditions (Click) or Staudinger ligations. We exemplify the robustness of this approach for the synthesis of peptidyl-tRNA mimics and for the pull-down of 3-(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl)uridine (acp3U)- and lysidine (k2C)-containing tRNAs of an Escherichia coli tRNA pool isolated from cellular extracts. Our approach therefore adds a new dimension to the targeted chemical manipulation of diverse RNA species.

Cerebrospinal beta-amyloid peptides(1-40) and (1-42) in severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome - a pilot study.

During pregnancy, substantial alterations in cerebral plasticity, vascular remodeling and neuronal growth occur in the maternal brain. We investigated whether concentrations of selected neurodiagnostic biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid of women with preeclampsia/HELLP syndrome differ from those in healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. We found that tau protein concentrations (p = 0.016) and phospho-tau/tau ratio (p < 0.001) in cerebrospinal fluid were significantly lower in 39 preeclamptic women compared to 44 healthy controls during third trimester of pregnancy. Beta-amyloid(1-40)/(1-42) ratio was significantly higher in HELLP syndrome than in severe preeclampsia (8.49 + 2.73 vs. 4.71 + 1.65; p = 0.007). We conclude that beta-amyloid(1-40)/(1-42) ratio in cerebrospinal fluid can discriminate severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. High beta-amyloid peptide and low tau protein concentrations are associated with impaired development of the materno-feto-placental unit and correlate with placental dysfunction.