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The binding characteristics and inhibition kinetics of the fatty acid hydroxylase P-450 BM3 from Bacillus megaterium with imidazolyl carboxylic acids were examined. Findings indicated that these compounds are the most potent inhibitors of P-450 BM3. Data showed evidence for interdomain communication between the heme diflavin domains of the flavocytochrome. Binding of the inhibitors to the P-450 BM3 active site resulted from the binding of either pyridine nucleotide or fatty acid substrates at key catalytic residues.

Abstract: In-situ infrared spectroelectrochemical measurements have been carried out in a high temperature PEFC setup. The design of the setup allowed to acquire infrared spectra at the catalytic surface of a Pt layer on a conventional phosphoric acid doped polymer electrolyte membrane. CO has been used as the probing molecule and the spectroscopic signature of the resulting adsorbate has been recorded under technically relevant conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Full-field X-ray microscopy is a valuable tool for 3D observation of biological systems. In the soft X-ray domain organelles can be visualized in individual cells while hard X-ray microscopes excel in imaging of larger complex biological tissue. The field of view of these instruments is typically 103 times the spatial resolution. We exploit the assets of the hard X-ray sub-micrometer imaging and extend the standard approach by widening the effective field of view to match the size of the sample. We show that global tomography of biological systems exceeding several times the field of view is feasible also at the nanoscale with moderate radiation dose. We address the performance issues and limitations of the TOMCAT full-field microscope and more generally for Zernike phase contrast imaging. Two biologically relevant systems were investigated. The first being the largest known bacteria (Thiomargarita namibiensis), the second is a small myriapod species (Pauropoda sp.). Both examples illustrate the capacity of the unique, structured condenser based broad-band full-field microscope to access the 3D structural details of biological systems at the nanoscale while avoiding complicated sample preparation, or even keeping the sample environment close to the natural state. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Femoral bone degeneration has been recognized as an important cause of lameness in broiler chickens for many years, but the pathogenesis of this condition has not been completely elucidated. The current work presents comprehensive analyses of changes associated with femoral bone degeneration based on findings from gross pathology, histopathology, biochemistry, and synchrotron-based imaging techniques. Gross lesions were predominantly seen in epiphysis and metaphysis of the proximal femur, and infrequently in distal femur, but we did not observe gross lesions in the diaphysis. Bone fractures were observed occasionally, but the most common lesions involved separation of articular cartilage of the femoral bone head, with progressive erosions of the subchondral bone. In advanced cases, on histopathological examination, changes in femoral bone were indicative of chondronecrosis and osteonecrosis. Computed tomography revealed that the degenerative process involves loss of trabecular bone. The course of the lesion development in the mineralized matrix appears to be coupled with increased bone resorption associated with excessive proliferation of pathologically altered osteoclasts. Light microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and biochemical analysis provided consistent evidence that lowered protein content of the bone organic matrix is an integral component of femoral bone pathology, but these changes do not appear to be associated with excessive activity of matrix metalloproteinases. Taken together, our findings indicate that femoral bone degeneration is associated with structural changes occurring in both inorganic and organic matrix of the bone, but insufficiency in protein metabolism is most probably a primary aetiological factor in the natural history of femoral bone degeneration. However, it is important to stress that our findings do not negate the importance of bacterial infection in the evolution of this condition. Pathogens play a critical role in the progressive pathogenesis of this condition, which ultimately is manifested, in most instances, as femoral head necrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recent developments of element-specific microscopy techniques using synchrotron radiation are opening new opportunities for the analytical investigation of various heterogeneous materials. This article provides a general description of the operational principles of different microscopes allowing chemical and structural imaging combined with micro-spot spectroscopic analysis. Several selected examples are used to illustrate the potential of the synchrotron-based methods in terms of imaging and chemical sensitivity for identification of spatial variations in the composition of morphologically complex and nano-structured inorganic and organic materials, including biological samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]