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γ‐Glutamyl transpeptidase from equine kidney (ekGGT, E.C. 2.3.2.2) is an intrinsic membrane enzyme which transfers the γ‐glutamyl moiety of glutathione to amino acids and peptides, thus producing γ‐glutamyl derivatives. An immobilization study of ekGGT was carried out with the aim to develop a robust biocatalyst for the synthesis of γ‐glutamyl amino acids which are known as kokumi compounds. Heterofunctional octyl‐glyoxyl‐agarose resulted in a high immobilization yield and activity recovery (93 % and 88 %, respectively). Immobilized ekGGT retained more than 95 % activity under reaction conditions (Tris‐HCl, pH 9, 0.05 M) after 6 days, whereas the residual activity after 6 reaction cycles (18 days) was 85 %. The synthesis of γ‐glutamylmethionine catalyzed by octyl‐glyoxyl‐agarose‐ekGGT afforded the product in 42 % yield (101 mg). The immobilized ekGGT was characterized by Raman spectroscopy. The immobilization protocol developed for ekGGT could be of general applicability to membrane proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The petrous apex poses a challenge for surgical intervention due to poor access. As intraoperative image guidance and surgical instrumentation improve, newer endoscopic approaches are increasingly favored. This study aims to provide normative data on the anatomy of the lateral sphenoid sinus recess and petrous apex. These normative data could assist in determining the efficacy of a transnasal transsphenoidal approach to lesions of the anteroinferior petrous apex. Methods This is a retrospective study investigating normative data on all maxillofacial computed tomography (CT) scans performed at a level I trauma center over a 6-month period. All appropriate images had the pneumatization pattern of the petrous apex and lateral recess of the sphenoid sinus reviewed by a single otologist and graded bilaterally. These were then analyzed in SPSS; Pearson correlation analyses and χ² test were used. Results A total of 481 patients were identified, yielding a total of 962 temporal bones and sphenoid sinuses for analysis. Eighty-eight percent of sides analyzed had a nonpneumatized lateral recess. The petrous apex was nonpneumatized in 54% of sides analyzed. Therewas a correlation noted between the degree of pneumatization of the petrous apex and pneumatization of the lateral recess of the sphenoid. Conclusion This study is the first to provide normative data comparing pneumatization of the petrous apex and sphenoid sinus. These data may support future work evaluating the utility of an endonasal approach to the petrous apex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the association between low levels of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and aspirin unresponsiveness in patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). A retrospective study was conducted on subjects with AERD who underwent immune evaluation and received aspirin therapy after desensitization (ATAD). Among the study subjects, those who did not respond to ATAD had significantly lower MBL levels compared to responders. The authors suggest that MBL deficiency may contribute to the complexity and heterogeneity of AERD and affect the response to ATAD. Further research is needed to validate these findings and explore other factors that may influence aspirin responsiveness in AERD patients. [Extracted from the article]

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a surgical procedure used to manage spine pathology including disc herniation, spondylosis, and myelopathy. During the operation, the vertebral segment of interest is accessed via the anterior neck and the disc space is fully resected along with osteophytes to relieve the compression along the affected nerve. While the procedure is regarded as being highly effective in improving symptoms, there are several complications associated with the surgery that patients should be cautioned about. We present a case of a patient with oropharyngeal and cervical esophageal dysphagia and left vocal cord paralysis following a C5/C6, C6/C7, and C7/T1 ACDF for multilevel cervical stenosis and disc herniation. Otolaryngology evaluation confirmed vocal cord paralysis from recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) and the patient's symptoms were managed with a vocal cord injection and speech therapy. This report explores the surgical approach for ACDF along with its complications and postoperative care., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Echevarria et al.)