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Copyright of Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Gram‐negative bacterium Legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease and replicates in amoebae and macrophages within a distinct compartment, the Legionella‐containing vacuole (LCV). The facultative intracellular pathogen switches between a replicative, non‐virulent and a non‐replicating, virulent/transmissive phase. Here, we show on a single‐cell level that at late stages of infection, individual motile (PflaA‐GFP‐positive) and virulent (PralF‐ and PsidC‐GFP‐positive) L. pneumophila emerge in the cluster of non‐growing bacteria within an LCV. Comparative proteomics of PflaA‐GFP‐positive and PflaA‐GFP‐negative L. pneumophila subpopulations reveals distinct proteomes with flagellar proteins or cell division proteins being preferentially produced by the former or the latter, respectively. Toward the end of an infection cycle (˜ 48 h), the PflaA‐GFP‐positive L. pneumophila subpopulation emerges at the cluster periphery, predominantly escapes the LCV, and spreads from the bursting host cell. These processes are mediated by the Legionella quorum sensing (Lqs) system. Thus, quorum sensing regulates the emergence of a subpopulation of transmissive L. pneumophila at the LCV periphery, and phenotypic heterogeneity underlies the intravacuolar bi‐phasic life cycle of L. pneumophila. Synopsis: Legionella forms a distinct vacuole in phagocytes, wherein the pathogen adopts a bi‐phasic life cycle and phenotypic heterogeneity. Quorum sensing elicits a transmissive subpopulation at the vacuole periphery, which spearheads compartment exit and host cell lysis. Legionella pneumophila switches between a replicative and a virulent/transmissive phase in its unique intracellular vacuole.The intravacuolar bi‐phasic life cycle displays phenotypic heterogeneity.Quorum sensing elicits a transmissive subpopulation at the vacuole periphery, promoting compartment exit and cell lysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zoonotic pathogen Campylobacter jejuni is among the leading causes of foodborne diseases worldwide. While C. jejuni colonises many wild animals and livestock, persistence mechanisms enabling the bacterium to adapt to host species' guts are not fully understood. In order to identify putative determinants influencing host preferences of distinct lineages, bootstrapping based on stratified random sampling combined with a k-mer-based genome-wide association was conducted on 490 genomes from diverse origins in Germany and Canada. We show a strong association of both the core and the accessory genome characteristics with distinct host animal species, indicating multiple adaptive trajectories defining the evolution of C. jejuni lifestyle preferences in different ecosystems. Here, we demonstrate that adaptation towards a specific host niche ecology is most likely a long evolutionary and multifactorial process, expressed by gene absence or presence and allele variations of core genes. Several host-specific allelic variants from different phylogenetic backgrounds, including dnaE, rpoB, ftsX or pycB play important roles for genome maintenance and metabolic pathways. Thus, variants of genes important for C. jejuni to cope with specific ecological niches or hosts may be useful markers for both surveillance and future pathogen intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite recent growth in palliative care programs palliative care remains underutilized. Studies suggest that patients and providers commonly associate palliative care with end of life, often leading to misconceptions and late referrals. Objective: To characterize self-reported palliative care knowledge and misconceptions about palliative care among US adults and demographic, health, and social role factors associated with knowledge and misconceptions. Design: We conducted secondary data analysis of nationally representative, self-reported data from the 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5, Cycle 2. We examined associations between knowledge and misconceptions about palliative care together with demographics, health care access, health status, and social roles. Participants: 3504 US adults. 2594 included in the first analysis after omitting missing cases; 683 who reported knowing about palliative care were included in the second analysis. Main Measures: Palliative care knowledge was self-reported in response to: "How would you describe your level of knowledge about palliative care?" Level of misconceptions was based on a series of factual and attitudinal statements about palliative care. Key Results: Among US adults, 28.8% report knowing about palliative care, but only 12.6% report knowing what palliative care is and hold no misconceptions. Those most likely to report knowing about palliative care are female, college-educated, higher income, have a primary health care provider, or are a caregiver. Among those who report knowing about palliative care, misconceptions were common: 44.4% automatically think of death, 38.0% equate palliative care with hospice, 17.8% believe you must stop other treatments, and 15.9% see palliative care as giving up. Conclusions: US adults who have some knowledge of palliative care are most likely to confuse it with hospice but are less likely to see it as requiring forgoing treatment or as giving up. Primary care clinicians should be encouraged to communicate about palliative care with patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica is the second most reported bacterial cause of food-borne infections in Europe. Therefore molecular surveillance activities based on pathogen subtyping are an important measure of controlling Salmonellosis by public health agencies. In Germany, at the federal level, this work is carried out by the National Reference Center for Salmonella and other Bacterial Enteric Pathogens (NRC). With rise of next generation sequencing techniques, the NRC has introduced whole-genome-based typing methods for S. enterica in 2016. In this study we report on the feasibility of genome-based in silico serotyping in the German setting using raw sequence reads. We found that SeqSero and seven gene MLST showed 98% and 95% concordance, respectively, with classical serotyping for the here evaluated serotypes, including the most common German serotypes S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium as well as less frequently found serotypes. The level of concordance increased to >99% when the results of both in silico methods were combined. However, both tools exhibited misidentification of monophasic variants, in particular monophasic S. Typhimurium and therefore need to be fine-tuned for reliable detection of this epidemiologically important variant. We conclude that with adjustments Salmonella genome-based serotyping might become the new gold standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Singular values are used to construct physically admissible 3-dimensional mixing matrices characterized as contractions. Depending on the number of singular values strictly less than one, the space of the 3-dimensional mixing matrices can be split into four disjoint subsets, which accordingly corresponds to the minimal number of additional, non-standard neutrinos. We show in numerical analysis that taking into account present experimental precision and fits to different neutrino mass splitting schemes, it is not possible to distinguish, on the level of 3-dimensional mixing matrices, between two and three extra neutrino states. It means that in 3+2 and 3+3 neutrino mixing scenarios, using the so-called α parametrization, ranges of non-unitary mixings are the same. However, on the level of a complete unitary 3+1 neutrino mixing matrix, using the dilation procedure and the Cosine-Sine decomposition, we were able to shrink bounds for the “light-heavy” mixing matrix elements. For instance, in the so-called seesaw mass scheme, a new upper limit on |Ue4| is about two times stringent than before and equals 0.021. For all considered mass schemes the lowest bounds are also obtained for all mixings, i.e. |Ue4|, |Uμ4|, |Uτ4|. New results obtained in this work are based on analysis of neutrino mixing matrices obtained from the global fits at the 95% CL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of ozone, diode laser irradiation, and presence of teeth crowding/spacing on pain perception in orthodontic patient was tested. Overall, 76 patients [55 women and 21 men; age 35.1(6.4) years] who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. Immediately after fixed orthodontic appliance placement, the patients were exposed to a pain relief treatment (one single session) using either 635-nm diode laser (SmartM, Lasotronix, Warsaw, Poland) or ozone therapy (OzoneDTA, Apoza, New Taipei City, Taiwan) by placing the handpieces in the area of each teeth apex and interdental papillae, from the maxillary right first molar to the maxillary left first molar. Subjects were divided into three groups: control group (G1, n = 26), ozone (G2, n = 26, exposed to ozone therapy, generator probe type 3, working time per point 5 s, 23 points, application time 1 min and 55 s), and laser group (G3, n = 25, exposed to continuous mode diode laser, 400 mW, handpiece diameter 8 mm, spot area 0.5024 cm2, power density per second 1.59 W/cm2, dose 2 J per point, time: 5 s per point, 23 points, total energy per session 46 J, application time 1 min and 55 s). The level of teeth crowding was assessed using the Lundstrom indicator. The patients received a questionnaire for pain assessment (the Numeric Rating Scale, NRS-11, grade level 0-10) and recorded at 7 time points (1 h, 6 h, and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 days ) after the fixed orthodontic appliance placement. The mean pain values for the diode laser, ozone, and control group were 3.6 (1.31) (95% CI, 2.95-4.25), 5.25 (3.37) (95% CI, 3.52-6.98), and 5.75 (2.40) (95% CI, 4.69-6.81), respectively. We observed lower pain values in the diode laser group compared to the control group (p = 0.0237). The use of ozone in this study did not result in significant pain reduction in comparison to control (p = 0.8040) and laser groups (p = 0.1029). There were no differences in pain perception between patients with crowded teeth and non-crowded teeth in each group (G1, p = 0.66, G2, p = 0.86, G3, p = 0.24). The use of 635-nm diode laser led to decreased pain perception; however, ozone and presence of teeth crowding/spacing did not affect the pain perception in orthodontic patients during the first 5 days after the fixed orthodontic appliance placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to identify factors that affect primary stability of orthodontic mini-implants because it determines the success of treatment. We assessed mini-implant primary stability (initial mechanical engagement with the bone) placed in pig jaws. We also assessed mini-implant insertion failure rate (mini-implant fracture, mini-implants to root contact). A total of 80 taper-shaped mini-implants (Absoanchor® Model SH1312-6; Dentos Inc., Daegu, Korea) 6 mm long with a diameter of 1.1 mm were used. Bone decortication was made before mini-implant insertion by means of three different methods: Group G1: Er:YAG laser (LiteTouch®, Light Instruments, Yokneam, Israel) at energy of 300 mJ, frequency 25 Hz, fluence 38.2 J/cm2, cooling 14 ml/min, tip 1.0 × 17 mm, distance 1 mm, time of irradiation 6 s; Group G2: drill (Hager & Meisinger GmbH, Hansemannstr, Germany); Group G3: piezosurgery (Piezotom Solo, Acteon, NJ, USA). In G4 group (control), mini-implants were driven by a self-drilling method. The primary stability of mini-implants was assessed by measuring damping characteristics between the implant and the tapping head of Periotest device (Gulden-Medizinteknik, Eschenweg, Modautal, Germany). The results in range between - 8 to + 9 allowed immediate loading. Significantly lower Periotest value was found in the control group (mean 0.59 ± 1.57, 95% CI 0.7, 2.4) as compared with Er:YAG laser (mean 4.44 ± 1.64, 95% CI 3.6, 5.3), piezosurgery (mean 17.92 ± 2.73, 95% CI 16.5, 19.3), and a drill (mean 5.91 ± 1.52, 95% CI 5.2, 6.6) (p < 0.05). The highest failure rate (33.3%) during mini-implant insertion was noted for self-drilling method (G4) as compared with G1, G2, and G3 groups (p < 0.05). The small diameter decortication by Er:YAG laser appeared to provide better primary stability as compared to drill and piezosurgery. Decortication of the cortical bone before mini-implant insertion resulted in reduced risk of implant fracture or injury of adjacent teeth. The high initial stability with a smaller diameter of the mini-implant resulted in increased risk of fracture, especially for a self-drilling method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even when human skeletal remains are found in contexts indicative of body disposal after homicide, none of the bones may manifest injuries. When skeletons are incomplete, there are two possibilities, the injured bones are missing or none were injured. This leads to the question how frequently bones are injured during homicide, where the injuries tend to be placed, and whether the frequency of injury is related to the type of homicide. To answer these questions, the postmortem reports from all autopsies performed for homicide victims at the Institute of Legal Medicine at the University Hospital in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, between 1994 and 2014, were retrospectively evaluated for bony injuries discovered during autopsy. In 90 cases, a preliminary postmortem computed tomography (pmCT) examination had been performed. The cases were categorized into the following five groups by type of fatal trauma: blunt force, sharp force, gunshot injury, strangulation, or other. In total, the postmortem reports for 897 homicides (527 male, 370 female) were evaluated. The number of victims per trauma category were sharp force, 309; blunt force, 179; gunshot injury, 242; strangulation, 92; and other, 75. Bony injuries had been reported in 70.9 % of the homicides. The 'gunshot' category contained the highest proportion of victims with bony injuries (92.6 %). With 80.4 %, the second-highest proportion of victims with bony injuries was in the 'blunt force' category, followed by 66.3 % of victims in the 'sharp force' group. In contrast, with 53.3 %, the second-lowest proportion of victims with bony injuries was in the 'strangulation' category, which contained a preponderance of female victims, followed by 17.3 % of victims with bony injuries in the 'other' category. Bony injuries thus occurred in the majority of homicides. Forensic osteological analysis should, therefore, always be performed on badly decomposed human remains. Where necessary, the additional use of visualization techniques, in particular, pmCT, or maceration may be considered. The absence of bony injuries does not rule out homicide; e.g., in strangulations, bony injuries are manifest in only half the victims, even when the skeleton is intact. The relevant structures are also easily lost to decomposition, scavenging, or scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strain of Biatriospora sp. CCF 4378 was tested for the production of secondary metabolites under submerged fermentation conditions. Eleven compounds were isolated from the culture broth, and the structures of these compounds were determined using HRMS, NMR and X-ray analysis. In addition to six known naphthoquinone derivatives, i.e. ascomycone A, ascomycone B, 6-deoxyfusarubine, 6-deoxyanhydrofusarubine, herbarine and balticol A, one derivative of 2-azaanthraquinone, 6-deoxybostrycoidine, was also identified. Four new natural pyranonaphthoquinones were found, and these natural products were pleorubrin A, pleorubrin B, pleorubrin C and pleorubrin D. The toxicity on human cell lines of the crude naphthoquinone fraction and pure 6-deoxybostrycoidin, ascomycone B, pleorubrin B and 6-deoxyfusarubin was tested. Ascomycone B and 6-deoxyfusarubin elicited rapid cytotoxicity at micromolar concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been much controversy about the impact of the health sector and the infant food industry on breast-feeding behavior. This study links causal factors to breast-feeding decisions, using a longitudinal survey of more than 3,000 Filipino mother-infant pairs. Most factors decreasing the likelihood that mothers will breast-feed seem to be related to family economics. Delivery in a private hospital, urban residence, high income, absence of spouse, and having worked for wages affect adversely the initiation of breast-feeding. Formula advertising and distribution of samples appear to have relatively little impact on feeding decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to assess the suitability of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) as a pilot method for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The new 1,2,4-triazole and thiosemicarbazide derivatives were analyzed by use of reversed-phase (RP)- TLC and RP-HPLC techniques, applying octadecyl silica adsorbents and aqueous-organic mobile phases. Organic modifiers: methanol and acetonitrile were used at appropriate concentrations providing optimal retention factors. For both techniques, retention coefficient k in column chromatography and the retardation factor RF expressing retention in TLC were determined. The experimentally measured parameters were presented in a logarithmic scale as log k and RM, respectively. The constructed relationships between log k and RM allowed determining the possibility of TLC for anticipating HPLC retention behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Re-irradiation has been shown to be a meaningful option for recurrent high-grade glioma (HGG) patients. Furthermore, bevacizumab exerts certain activity in combination with chemotherapy/as monotherapy and was safely tested in combination with radiotherapy in several previous studies. To our knowledge, this is the largest cohort of patients treated with both re-irradiation and bevacizumab to date. After receiving standard radiotherapy (with or without TMZ) patients with recurrent HGG were treated with bevacizumab (10 mg/kg intravenously at d1 and d15) during re-irradiation. Median prescribed radiation dose during re-treatment was 36 Gy, conventionally fractionated. Datasets of 71 re-irradiated patients were retrospectively analyzed. Patients either received bevacizumab ( N = 57) or not ( N = 14; other substances ( N = 4) and sole radiation ( N = 10)). In patients receiving bevacizumab, both post-recurrence survival (PRS) (median 8.6 vs. 5.7 months; p = 0.003, log-rank test) and post-recurrence progression-free survival (PR-PFS, 5.6 vs. 2.5 months; p = 0.005, log-rank test; PFS-6 42.1 % for the bevacizumab group) were significantly increased which was confirmed by multivariate analysis. KPS, re-surgery, MGMT methylation status, sex, WHO grade, tumor volume and age were no significant predictors for neither PR-PFS nor PRS (univariate analysis). Re-irradiation with bevacizumab remains a feasible and highly effective treatment schedule. Studies on further salvage strategies and timing of sequential treatment options versus observation are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Der Pathologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study was to give some insights into the prevalence, serovars, phage types, and antibiotic resistances of Salmonella from animal origin in the United Arab Emirates. Data on diagnostic samples from animals ( n = 20,871) examined for Salmonella between 1996 and 2009 were extracted from the databases of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai and from typed strains ( n = 1052) from the Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode Branch in Germany and analyzed for general and animal-specific trends. Salmonella was isolated from 1,928 (9 %) of the 20,871 samples examined. Among the 1,052 typed strains, most were from camels ( n = 232), falcons ( n = 166), bustards ( n = 101), antelopes ( n = 66), and horses ( n = 63). The predominant serovars were Salmonella Typhimurium (25 %), Salmonella Kentucky (8 %), followed by Salmonella Frintrop (7 %), and Salmonella Hindmarsh (5 %). When analyzed by animal species, the most frequent serovars in camels were Salmonella Frintrop (28 %) and Salmonella Hindmarsh (21 %), in falcons Salmonella Typhimurium (32 %), in bustards Salmonella Kentucky (19 %), in antelopes Salmonella Typhimurium (9 %), and in horses Salmonella Typhimurium (17 %) and S. Kentucky (16 %). Resistance of all typed Salmonella strains ( n = 1052) was most often seen to tetracycline (23 %), streptomycin (22 %), nalidixic acid (18 %), and ampicillin (15 %). These data show trends in the epidemiology of Salmonella in different animal species which can be used as a base for future prevention, control, and therapy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently introduced Kinetex C18 column packed with core-shell 2.6 μm particles is declared to provide similar efficiency and short analysis as Acquity BEH C18 column with 1.7 μm porous particles. Unlike Acquity BEH C18 column, Kinetex C18 column exhibited lower column backpressure making this column compatible to conventional LC systems. The performance of Kinetex C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm) and Acquity BEH C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm) for gradient separation of tetracyclines under acidic conditions (oxytetracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and doxycycline) and macrolides under alkaline conditions (tylosin, clarithromycin, roxithromycin, and carbomycin) was studied. The columns were compared by evaluation of their experimental peak capacity and its dependence on linear velocity and gradient slope. The maximal experimental peak capacities for analysis of tetracyclines were 51.8 (Acquity BEH C18 column) and 48.4 (Kinetex C18 column). This indicated that Kinetex C18 was a suitable alternative to Acquity BEH C18 column for the analysis of tetracyclines under acidic conditions. On the contrary, the maximal experimental peak capacities for analysis of macrolides on Acquity BEH C18 column was higher (46.7) than that on Kinetex C18 column (36.9). Moreover, application of Kinetex C18 column for the analysis of macrolides under alkaline conditions was limited with respect to its decreasing performance with growing number of injections on the column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the presence of an intact nervous system, defecation is controlled by the autonomously regulated internal sphincter and the external, consciously controlled sphincter. The former opens when a certain rectal filling volume has been exceeded, leading to the urge to defecate, while the latter can retain material in the rectum for a certain period of time thereafter. In the case of paraplegia, not only the conscious control of defecation is affected, but also dysfunction in involuntary function in the gastrointestinal tract can occur, depending on the level and extent of paralysis. Three problem areas arise for paraplegia patients affected by bowel paralysis: uncontrolled defecation, delayed stool passage and defecation, as well as frequent and severe anal disease. The aim of treatment for bowel paralysis consists in maintaining continuous colonic transit on the one hand, as well as defecation under controlled conditions on the other. To this end, both medicamentous and surgical measures may be considered. Accessory classic anal disease should be considered at an early stage and treated appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrathecal baclofen therapy has become an integral part of the treatment of spasticity in traumatic paraplegia. Despite its widespread use there is still a lack of knowledge regarding the associated specific and possibly life-threatening complications in the field of intensive medicine. We report on the cases of 2 tetraplegic patients with acute intrathecal baclofen withdrawal syndrome and discuss the symptoms and treatment of this life-threatening event on the basis of the literature and own experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geosmithia fungi are little known symbionts of bark beetles. Secondary metabolites of lilac colored species G. lavendula and other nine Geosmithia species were investigated in order to elucidate their possible role in the interactions of the fungi with environment. Hydroxylated anthraquinones (yellow, orange, and red pigments), were found to be the most abundant compounds produced into the medium during the submerged cultivation. Three main compounds were identified as 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone ( 1), rhodolamprometrin (1-acetyl-2,4,5,7-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone; 2), and 1-acetyl-2,4,5,7,8-pentahydroxyanthraquinone ( 3). Compounds 2 and 3 (representing the majority of produced metabolites) inhibited the growth of G+-bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis with minimum inhibitory concentration of 64–512 μg/mL. Anti-inflammatory activity detected as inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 was found only for compound 3 at 1 and 10 μg/mL. Compound 2 interfered with the morphology, compound 3 with cell-cycle dynamics of adherent mammalian cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Der Orthopäde is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A cosmid bearing an insert of 38 217 bp covering the gene cluster and its flanking regions of type strain Streptomyces lincolnensis ATCC 25466 was sequenced. Two relatively extensive sequence changes and several hundred point mutations were identified if compared with the previously published sequence of the lincomycin (Lin) industrial strain S. lincolnensis 78-11. Analysis of the cluster-flanking regions revealed its localization within the genome of the ATCC 25466 strain. The cluster-bearing cosmid was integrated into the chromosome of Lin non-producing strains S. coelicolor CH 999 and S. coelicolor M 145. The modified strains heterologously produced Lin but the level dropped to ≈1–3 % of the production in the ATCC 25466 strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ergot alkaloids act as (partial) agonists or antagonists at serotonergic, dopaminergic and α-adrenergic receptors. In contrast to their affinity at serotonergic (5-HT) and dopaminergic receptor subtypes, only limited information is available concerning their interaction with α-adrenoceptor subtypes. This especially holds true for native α-adrenoceptors. Therefore, we studied the pharmacological profile of 25 ergolines at α1A-, α1B- and α1D-adrenoceptors in vascular rings or strips of rat and guinea pig endowed with these receptors. Contractile responses were studied by measurement of isometric tension changes in rat tail artery (α1A, α1B), guinea pig spleen (α1B) and rat thoracic aorta (α1D). The anti-migraine drugs ergotamine and dihydroergotamine, the anti-parkinsonian drug lisuride and the anti-hyperprolactinemic drug terguride behaved as antagonists or low-efficacy partial agonists at all three α1-adrenoceptor subtypes with nanomolar receptor affinity. Derivatives of these drugs showed lower affinity at α1-adrenoceptors than the parent compounds. Each individual ergoline derivative tested showed low discriminatory capability at the subtypes, α1A, α1B, α1D. A low discriminatory power between the subtypes (α1A, α1B, α1D) seems to be a class effect of the ergolines. The nanomolar affinities of ergotamine, dihydroergotamine and lisuride for α1-adrenoceptors may affect their effectiveness as anti-migraine and anti-parkinsonian drugs, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of unique colorless needle crystals growing from the surface mycelium of the basidiomycete Quambalaria cyanescens and identified as (+)-globulol was followed by mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, and polarimetry. The mechanism of (+)-globulol fragmentation is proposed based on collision induced dissociation mass spectrometry. X-Ray analysis revealed that crystal packing is governed by hydrogen bond O-H·····O connecting the molecules into an infinite helix along a 3-fold screw axis propagating along the longest dimension of the needle crystal ( c-axis of the unit cell). The X-ray diffraction data correspond well with the proposed structure determined by mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An open-label randomised comparison of efficacy and tolerability of irinotecan plus high-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV) (ILF) with etoposide plus 5-FU/LV (ELF) in patients with untreated metastatic or locally advanced gastric cancer. One cycle of ILF comprised six once-weekly infusions of irinotecan 80 mg m(-2), LV 500 mg m(-2), 24-h 5-FU 2000 mg m(-2), and ELF comprised three once-daily doses of etoposide 120 mg m(-2), LV 300 mg m(-2), 5-FU 500 mg m(-2). In all, 56 patients received ILF and 58 ELF. Median age was 62 years, Karnofsky performance 90%, and disease status was comparable for both arms. The objective clinical response rates after 14 weeks treatment (primary end point) were 30% for ILF and 17% for ELF (risk ratio (RR) 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29-1.13, P = 0.0766). Overall response rates over the entire treatment period for ILF and ELF were 43 and 24%, respectively (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.33-0.97; P = 0.0467). For ILF and ELF, respectively, median progression-free survival was 4.5 vs 2.3 months, time to treatment failure was 3.6 vs 2.2 months (P = 0.4542), and overall survival was 10.8 vs 8.3 months (P = 0.2818). Both regimens were well tolerated, the main grade 3/4 toxicities being diarrhoea (18%, ILF) and neutropenia (57%, ELF). The data from this randomised phase II study indicate that ILF provides a better response rate than ELF, and that ILF should be investigated further for the treatment of metastatic gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oligosaccharides produced by submerged cultures of C. africana and C. sorghi were isolated by semipreparative HPLC. Structure of 6- O-β- d-fructofuranosyl- d-glucopyranose (blastose), 1,6-bis- O-(β- d-fructofuranosyl)-α- d-glucopyranoside (neokestose) and two sugar alcohols, 1- O-β- d-fructofuranosyl- d-mannitol (fructosylmannitol) and 1,6-bis- O-(β- d-fructofuranosyl)- d-mannitol (bisfructosylmannitol) was determined by NMR spectrometry. MALDI TOF MS analysis revealed molecular ions [ M+Na]+ that indicate the presence of other tetra- and pentasaccharides ( m/z=689.4 and 851.5, respectively) and corresponding sugar alcohol ( m/z=691.4). Rapid conversion of sucrose into series of oligosaccharides and corresponding sugar alcohols was observed in all tested strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Der Orthopäde is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sixteen isolates of Claviceps spp. were analyzed for the production of polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, and sucrose metabolism under conditions of submerged fermentation. Physiological markers calculated by the Verhulst-Pearl law were used for hierarchical cluster analysis. Low correlation was found between physiologically based dendrogram and phylogenetic analysis constructed from an alignment of rDNA sequences. To confirm the intraspecific uniformity of physiological markers three isolates of C. africana from different hosts and locations were included. The influence of genotype, physiological variability, environmental location and habitat on metabolite production is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Der Internist is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The direct resolution of neutral amino acid and amino alcohol derivatives by pressurized capillary electrochromatography (p-CEC) is reported. Separations were performed on columns packed with multiple-interaction based chiral stationary phases (CSPs) in reversed-phase mode, using borate buffer/acetonitrile mixtures as the eluent. Two CSPs were used: 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl-( R)-phenylglycine (DNB-PGLY)- and 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl-( R)-naphthylglycine (DNB-NGLY)-silica bonded, respectively. Baseline separations of N-benzoyl- β-naphthylamide derivatives of phenylalanine and leucine were accomplished on DNB-PGLY-CSP in less than three minutes, and on DNB-NGLY-CSP within about 3.5 minutes, with a comparable efficiency of 160.000 plates per meter. As expected, DNB-NGLY-CSP showed higher selectivity for the compounds under study. The R-isomer eluted before the S-isomer on both CSPs. The effect of the buffer pH on the efficiency of the columns was also studied. With buffer pH over the values of 8–8.5, free residual γ-aminopropyl groups on the silica particles seemed do affect neither selectivity nor resolution. At these mobile phase conditions calculated efficiency against electroosmotic flow plot is consistent with that generally obtained in CEC, providing a reduced plate height of about 1.8 at a linear velocity of 0.5 mm s−1. With buffer pH values under 7.0, protonation of the free aminopropyl groups strongly affected the resolution with the result of higher retention and lower solute mass transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among 18 tested strains of Claviceps spp., 7 produced significant amounts of exocellular polysaccharide (EPS). The maximum production of EPS was found in fermentation broth of Claviceps viridis. The kinetics of growth, substrate consumption, and EPS production in the batch, aerobic, submerged culture of this fungus were investigated in detail. The experimental data were processed by a simple mathematical model describing mass balance of growth, substrate consumption, formation of intermediates, and production of EPS. The parameters of the model were estimated from data obtained in cultivation performed in flasks and two laboratory fermentors of different size. Physiological similarity was obtained during process scale-up in volumetric ratio 1 : 100. The sugar consumption efficiency (52 %) and observed EPS productivity (1.9 kg/m3 per d) were comparable with literature data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

STUDY DESIGN:: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVES:: To examine the value of operative fracture stabilization by means of the ring fixator in fractures of the lower extremity in the presence of chronic paralysis caused by transverse lesions of the spinal cord. SETTING:: A specialist center for the treatment of spinal cord injuries in Germany. METHODS:: Clinical examination of the lower extremities with side-for-side comparison, radiological investigation of the fractures, patient survey. PATIENTS:: In 21 patients with chronic spinal cord lesions, 22 fractures of the lower extremities were treated with the ring fixator. RESULTS:: At follow-up a mean of 41.5 months after fracture healing it could be shown that movement in the knee and ankle joints on the same side as the fracture was not restricted by more than 10? in any of our patients. No losses affecting activities of daily living were reported, and 19 of the 21 patients were satisfied with the result achieved with this technique. After four of the 22 operations there were complications. Malalignments were visible radiologically following five of the fractures. CONCLUSIONS:: In osteoporosis-induced fractures of the lower extremities in chronically paraplegic and tetraplegic patients, fracture stabilization with the ring fixator, with fewer complications and better results in terms of joint mobility, is superior to the conservative treatment so far given preference in the literature. It should be offered as an alternative to conservative treatment in the case of pathological fractures.Spinal Cord (2003) 41, 172-177. doi:10.1038/sj.sc.3101397 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic waste disposal is a huge ecotechnological problem and one of the approaches to solving this problem is the development of biodegradable plastics. This review summarizes data on their use, biodegradability, commercial reliability and production from renewable resources. Some commercially successful biodegradable plastics are based on chemical synthesis ( i.e. polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, and polyvinyl alcohol). Others are products of microbial fermentations ( i.e. polyesters and neutral polysaccharides) or are prepared from chemically modified natural products ( e.g., starch, cellulose, chitin or soy protein). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we have presented in vitro data and results of a preliminary clinical trial using dendritic cells (DC) in patients with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma. DC precursor cells were obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). DC were pulsed with autologous tumor cell lysate if available. In total, 15 patients were treated with a median of 3.95×106 DC administered and ultrasound-guided into a lymph node or into adjacent tissue. Seven patients remained with progressive disease (PD), 7 patients showed stable disease (SD), and one patient displayed a partial response (PR). Most interestingly, the patient who was treated with the highest number of DC (14.4×106 DC/vaccine) displayed a PR. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction using autologous tumor lysate was positive in 3 out of 13 patients, including the patient with PR. Two out of 3 patients receiving additional treatment with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) showed reactivity to KLH after vaccination. CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD28+ cells as well as the proliferation rate of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) increased significantly in the blood of patients during therapy. In conclusion, our observations confirm the capability of tumor-lysate pulsed autologous DC vaccines to stimulate an immune response in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma even in the presence of a large tumor burden. The lack of adverse effects together with immunologic effects support further investigation of this novel therapeutic approach. Further studies are necessary to demonstrate clinical effectiveness in cancer patients, in particular in patients with less advanced disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review lists natural sources, i.e. strains and species of fungi producing predominantly psychoactive tryptamines (indolealkylamines), their chemical structure and properties, toxic effects on the man and psychic symptoms of intoxication. It describes the biosynthesis and production of some tryptamines by the mycelial culture of Psilocybe bohemica Šebek, a survey of methods for their analysis and isolation. It evaluates the worldwide use and abuse of psychoactive fungi as sources of drugs in general and in the Czechia in particular during the last two and a half decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of the molecular complex between the chiral selector (+)1-(3-allylpropyl)-(5 R,8 S,10 R)- N, N-diethyl- N′-[6-methylergolin-8-yl]urea, C23H33N4O, (allyl-terguride) and the more retained ( S) isomer of dansyl-serine, C15H19N2O5S, has been determined. It is part of a study on the chiral recognition mechanism of ergot alkaloids, when used in chiral stationary phases for the separation of racemic mixture of organic acids by liquid chromatographic methods. At the pH of the crystallization conditions, which mimick those corresponding to the best enantiodiscriminative activity, each molecule of ( S)-dansyl-serine is locked by hydrogen bonds between two translation related molecules of allyl-terguride forming a infinite chains in a 1:1 molecular ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]