XT-6

The extracellular thermostable xylanase (XT-6) produced by the thermophilic bacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus T-6 was shown to bleach pulp optimally at pH 9 and 338 K, and was successfully used in a large-scale biobleaching mill trial. The xylanase gene was cloned and sequenced. The mature enzyme consists of 379 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 43,808 and pI of 9.0. Crystallographic studies of XT-6 were initiated to study the mechanism of catalysis as well as to provide a structural basis for rational introduction of enhanced thermostability by site-specific mutagenesis. This report describes the crystallization and preliminary crystallographic characterization of the native XT-6 enzyme. The most suitable crystals were obtained by the vapor-diffusion method using ammonium sulfate and 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol as an organic additive. The crystals belong to a primitive trigonal crystal system (space group P3(1) or P3(2)) with room-temperature cell dimensions of a = b = 114.9 and c = 122.6 A. At 103 K the volume of the unit cell decreased significantly with observed dimensions of a = b = 112.2 and c = 122.9 A. These crystals are mechanically strong and diffract X-rays to better than 2.2 A resolution. The crystals exhibit considerable radiation damage at room temperature even at relatively short exposures to X-rays. A full 2.3 A resolution diffraction data set (99.8% completeness) has recently been collected on flash-frozen crystals at 103 K using synchrotron radiation. Two derivatives of XT-6 were recently prepared. In the first derivative, a unique Cys residue replaced Glu265, the putative nucleophile in the active site. The second derivative was selenomethionyl xylanase which was produced biosynthetically. These derivatives have been crystallized and the resulting crystals were shown to be isomorphous to the native crystals and diffract X-rays to comparable resolutions.

Introduction: Limited data is available regarding the novel Reveal LinQ (LinQ) which is a new generation implantable loop recorders (ILRs). Methods: We performed a prospective, observational study of all consecutive patients undergoing conventional (Reveal XT; XT) and LinQ devices at our institution between January 2012 and December 2014. Results: A total of 217 patients underwent ILR implantation. XT was implanted in 105 and LinQ in 112 patients. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. LinQ implantation using the manufacturer's technique termed, "manufacturer's method" group had significantly higher incidence of pocket infection compared to XT (6/50, 12% vs 3/105, 3%, p=0.032). With modifications to the LinQ implantation technique (using a conventional scalpel and placing a suture when needed to the incision) termed "modified method" group, the rate of infection has decreased significantly compared to "manufacturer's method group" (0/62, 0% vs 6/50, 12%, p=0.004) (Table 3). In multivariate regression analysis, the only independent predictors of infection were younger age (OR 0.95; p=0.04), insertion of LinQ device (OR 30.02; p=0.006) and procedure time (OR 1.07; p=0.03). Conclusion: In our single-center, prospective, observational study we found that with the current implantable techniques, the novel insertable LinQ device is associated with increased risk of complications.

Aims: Stent-frame morphology of the newer-generation, balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve (THV), the SAPIEN 3 (S3), after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is unknown. We evaluated the THV stent-frame morphology post TAVI of the S3 using multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) compared with the prior-generation THV, SAPIEN XT (S-XT). Methods and results: A total of 94 consecutive participants of RESOLVE registry (NCT02318342) had MSCT after balloon-expandable TAVI (S3 = 39 and S-XT = 55). The morphology of the THV stent-frame was evaluated for expansion area and eccentricity at the THV-inflow, native annulus, mid-THV and THV-outflow levels. Mean %-expansion area for the S3 and the S-XT was 100.9 ± 5.7 and 96.1 ± 5.5%, respectively (P < 0.001). In the S3 group, the THV-inflow level had the largest value of %-expansion area, which decreased from THV-inflow to mid-THV level (105.2 ± 6.4 to 96.5 ± 5.9%, P < 0.001). However, in the S-XT group, %-expansion area increased from THV-inflow level to mid-THV level (93.2 ± 6.2 to 95.1 ± 6.1%, P = 0.0058). On nominal delivery balloon volume, the S3 in 88.5% of cases had overexpansion at the THV-inflow level. The observed degree of THV oversizing of the S3 was significantly lower than the S-XT (6.3 ± 8.6 vs. 11.8 ± 8.5%, P = 0.0027). Nonetheless, the incidence of post-procedural paravalvular aortic regurgitation (PVR) ≥ mild following the S3 TAVI was also significantly lower than the S-XT TAVI (17.9 vs. 43.6%, P = 0.014). Conclusion: The newer-generation, balloon-expandable device, the S3, has a flared inflow morphology, whereas the prior-generation device, the S-XT, has relatively constrained inflow morphology post TAVI. This may contribute to a lesser degree of PVR with the S3.