University of Oviedo

About: University of Oviedo is a education organization based out in Oviedo, Spain. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Large Hadron Collider. The organization has 13423 authors who have published 31649 publications receiving 844799 citations. The organization is also known as: Universidá d'Uviéu & Universidad de Oviedo.

Hydrolases: Catalytically promiscuous enzymes for non-conventional reactions in organic synthesis

Abstract: During the last three decades the use of hydrolases for the catalysis of environmentally friendly organic processes under mild reaction conditions has been well documented. Hydrolases have shown themselves to be ideal tools for the acceleration of synthetic transformations because of their high stability, catalytic efficiency, commercial availability and broad substrate specificity in a wide spectrum of biocatalyzed processes. In recent years, novel examples have appeared related to non-conventional reactions catalyzed by hydrolytic enzymes. Amongst these, lipases and acylases have gained much attention as promiscuous biocatalysts showing good levels of reactivity in C–C bond formation, C–heteroatom bond formation, oxidative processes, and novel hydrolytic reactions. This critical review covers recent investigation in the field of catalytic promiscuity, and highlights the most surprising and uncommon activities that this class of enzymes shows in organic synthetic transformations (111 references).

POT1 mutations cause telomere dysfunction in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract: Carlos Lopez-Otin and colleagues report recurrent mutations in POT1 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This is the first member of the telomeric shelterin complex reported to be mutated in human cancer.

Boron nitride nanoresonators for phonon-enhanced molecular vibrational spectroscopy at the strong coupling limit

Abstract: Enhanced light-matter interactions are the basis of surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy, and conventionally rely on plasmonic materials and their capability to focus light to nanoscale spot sizes. Phonon polariton nanoresonators made of polar crystals could represent an interesting alternative, since they exhibit large quality factors, which go far beyond those of their plasmonic counterparts. The recent emergence of van der Waals crystals enables the fabrication of high-quality nanophotonic resonators based on phonon polaritons, as reported for the prototypical infrared-phononic material hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). In this work we use, for the first time, phonon-polariton-resonant h-BN ribbons for SEIRA spectroscopy of small amounts of organic molecules in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Strikingly, the interaction between phonon polaritons and molecular vibrations reaches experimentally the onset of the strong coupling regime, while numerical simulations predict that vibrational strong coupling can be fully achieved. Phonon polariton nanoresonators thus could become a viable platform for sensing, local control of chemical reactivity and infrared quantum cavity optics experiments. Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful tool for characterizing materials based on their specific vibrational fingerprints. However, its ability to characterize small amounts or thin layers of molecules is limited by their extremely small infrared absorption cross-sections. This limitation can be overcome by surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA), which exploits the field enhancement provided by plasmon polaritons on thin metal films or resonant metallic nanostructures. Now, Rainer Hillenbrand from CIC nanoGUNE in San Sebastian (Spain) and co-workers have developed highly sensitive phonon-polariton resonators for SEIRA detection, based on hexagonal boron nitride ribbons, which exhibit quality factors much higher than their plasmonic counterparts. They demonstrated phonon-enhanced molecular vibrational spectroscopy with sensitivity down to femtomolar levels, approaching the strong coupling limit.

Surgical margins in head and neck cancer: A contemporary review

Abstract: Adequate resection margins are critical to the treatment decisions and prognosis of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, there are numerous controversies regarding reporting and interpretation of the status of resection margins. Fundamental issues relating to the basic definition of margin adequacy, uniform reporting standards for margins, optimal method of specimen dissection, and the role of intraoperative frozen section evaluation, all require further clarification and standardization. Future horizons for margin surveillance offer the possible use of novel methods such as "molecular margins" and contact microscopic endoscopy, However, the limitations of these approaches need to be understood. The goal of this review was to evaluate these issues to define a more rational, standardized approach for achieving resection margin adequacy for patients with HNSCC undergoing curative resection.