Search

Background: Proximal humeral fractures in children are rare and usually treated non-operatively, especially in children younger than ten. The decision between operative and non-operative treatment is mostly based on age and fracture angulation. In the current literature, diverging recommendations regarding fracture angulation that is still tolerable for non-operative treatment can be found. Besides, there is no consensus on how fracture angulation should be determined. This study aimed to determine whether leading experts in pediatric trauma surgery in Germany showed agreement concerning the measurement of fracture angulation, deciding between operative and non-operative treatment, and choosing a treatment modality. Methods: Twenty radiographs showing a proximal humeral fracture and the patient's age were assessed twice by twenty-two senior members of the "Section of Pediatric Traumatology of the German Association for Trauma Surgery". Experts determined the fracture angulation and chose between several operative and non-operative treatment modalities. The mean of individual standard deviations was calculated to estimate the accuracy of single measurements for fracture angulation. Besides Intra-Class Correlation and Fleiss' Kappa coefficients were determined. Results: For fracture angulation, experts showed moderate (ICC = 0.60) interobserver and excellent (ICC = 0.90) intraobserver agreement. For the treatment decision, there was fair (Kappa = 0.38) interobserver and substantial (Kappa = 0.77) intraobserver agreement. Finally, experts preferred ESIN over K-wires for operative and a Gilchrist over a Cuff/Collar for non-operative treatment. Conclusions: Firstly, there is a need for consensus among experts on how fracture angulation in PHFs in children should be reliably determined. Our data indicate that choosing one method everybody agrees to use could be more helpful than using the most sophisticated. However, the overall importance of fracture angulation should also be critically discussed. Finally, experts should agree on treatment algorithms that could translate into guidelines to standardize the care and perform reliable outcome studies. Level of evidence: III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In some breast and gynaecologic cancer centres in Germany, patients participate in their own case discussion in multidisciplinary tumour conferences (MTCs), where treatment recommendations are discussed and finalized. However, the extent to which patients in MTCs are involved in decision‐making on treatment recommendations remains largely unexplored. Hence, this study investigates how recommendations are communicated to patients and the extent to which the interactions with patients in MTCs are in line with shared decision‐making (SDM). Methods: In this observational study, we audio‐recorded MTCs with patient participation in three breast and gynaecologic cancer centres in Germany. We qualitatively analysed the data with regard to content and linguistic aspects. Results: We analysed 82 case discussions. Recommendations made during MTCs were regarding (i) treatment options, (ii) treatment initiation, (iii) next (treatment) steps and (iv) whether a treatment method should be initiated at all. The decision about recommendations depended in part on patients' preferences or further course/further outcomes. Although the purpose of MTCs is to provide recommendations, some recommendations were framed as the final decision. The majority of the decision‐making conversation could be characterized as option talk (78%), during which patients were mostly proposed only one (treatment) option. Conclusions: This study establishes limited SDM in MTCs with patient participation. By indicating choices and thereby creating awareness of choices among patients, MTCs with patient participation could be used to foster SDM implementation. Patient or Public Contribution: Two representatives of a large self‐help organization for patients with breast cancer assisted the research project, particularly, in discussing the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to identify differences in motivation between working and nonworking older volunteers, in order to contribute to knowledge on the relationship between work status and volunteering in later life. The study also contributes a cross-European view, given that most literature emanates from the United States. It was conducted utilizing a database of 955 working and nonworking older volunteers in three European countries: the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. Results showed that work status has a significant impact on the motivation to volunteer, suggesting that voluntary organizations need to consider responding to different motivations between older volunteers still in paid employment and those who are retired. Specifically, those in paid work may be more driven by the desire to improve their career or knowledge, whereas older retired volunteers and those employed part time may consider volunteering as a response to challenges associated with retirement and later life or an unsatisfactory working situation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The microbial communities of three different sulfidic and acidic mine waste tailing dumps located in Botswana, Germany, and Sweden were quantitatively analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), catalyzed reporter deposition-FISH (CARD-FISH), Sybr green II direct counting, and the most probable number (MPN) cultivation technique. Depth profiles of cell numbers showed that the compositions of the microbial communities are greatly different at the three sites and also strongly varied between zones of oxidized and unoxidized tailings. Maximum cell numbers of up to 109 cells g-1 dry weight were determined in the pyrite or pyrrhotite oxidation zones, whereas cell numbers in unoxidized tailings were significantly lower. Bacteria dominated over Archaea and Eukarya at all tailing sites. The acidophilic Fe(II)- and/or sulfur-oxidizing Acidithiobacillus spp. dominated over the acidophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing Leptospirillum spp. among the Bacteria at two sites. The two genera were equally abundant at the third site. The acidophilic Fe(II)- and sulfur-oxidizing Sulfobacillus spp. were generally less abundant. The acidophilic Fe(III)-reducing Acidiphilium spp. could be found at only one site. The neutrophilic Fe(III)-reducing Geobacteraceae as well as the dsrA gene of sulfate reducers were quantifiable at all three sites. FISH analysis provided reliable data only for tailing zones with high microbial activity, whereas CARD-FISH, Q-PCR, Sybr green II staining, and MPN were suitable methods for a quantitative microbial community analysis of tailings in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a strong effect of childbirth on female labour supply. This effect, however, is changing over time. This article uses panel data on the last two decades on three European countries (the Netherlands, Germany, the UK) to study changes in female labour force behaviour around childbirth and tries to find an explanation for these changes by looking at differences between the three countries. We conclude that there are substantial differences in participation patterns between the three countries in our study and that policy measures and institutions such as childcare that make the costs of combining work and family lower relative to being a full-time mother seem to increase female participation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the globe underground hard coal mining leads to a release of methane into the atmosphere. About 7% of the global annual methane emissions originate from coal mining. In the year 2002, 16 countries used coal gas to generate heat and electricity. In many cases, the exact size of coalbed methane reservoirs is not identified. The possibility of a long-term gas production and its profitability at single sites are unknown. To clarify these points, the processes of gas generation as well as the gas-in-place volume have to be determined. Both issues are tackled here for the Ruhr basin. Within this basin, coal gas samples were taken at 13 gas production sites, spread over three samplings within 14 months. There were virtually no changes in the concentrations of gas components at single sites within this period. The isotope composition of methane (δ13C-methane: -40.0 to -57.3‰ vs. PDB) revealed that the produced methane is a mixture of gases of thermogenic and microbial origin. The microbial contribution of methane seems to be more pronounced at sites of active and especially abandoned coal mining than at unmined places. Ethane and propane are of thermogenic origin, with ethane''s isotopic composition tending to heavier values (richer in 13C) with time. This time-dependent phenomenon is interpreted as being caused by desorption. In addition, living methanogenic archaea were detected in mine water samples from depths down to 1200 m. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim was to study bioleaching of rare earth elements from red mud by a chemoorganotrophic microorganism, and to investigate the microbe-mineral interactions. Red mud is a promising resource for scandium, whose concentration was 92 and 54 mg/kg in two samples from Germany and India, respectively; however, both showed appreciably high concentration of zirconium. A gluconic acid-producing bacterium, Gluconobacter oxydans (DSMZ 46616), was used in the bioleaching experiments under parametric variation of inoculum concentration, pulp density, and culture adaptation. At a solid load of 10% (w / v) red mud with 10% (v /v) bacterial inoculum at 37 °C, a maximum solubilisation of 83% and 94% Sc was observed after 18–20 d of incubation for Indian and German red mud, respectively. The total amount of gluconic acid excreted by the bacteria increased with an increase in pulp density up to 10% (w / v). After bioleaching, SEM-EDAX analysis of the solid residue depicted enrichment of zirconium associated with the silicate matrix, and the bacterial cells were adhered to the major mineral matrix. [Display omitted] • Scandium is associated with calcium phase in red mud. • Comparative bioleaching amenabilities of German and Indian red mud by G. oxydans. • Approx. 83–94% Sc recovery in 18–20 d from red mud. • Gluconic acid assisted in Sc release from the calcium matrix. • Post bioleach residue enriched with zirconium silicate matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microbial consortium of mesophilic and acidophilic bacteria and archaea was applied in shake flasks as well as in 2 L stirred tank reactors (STR) to bioleach cobalt, copper, and other valuable metals from sulfidic mine tailings (Rammelsberg polymetallic massive sulfide deposit, Harz Mountains, Germany). After succession from low to high pulp density, the microbial consortium was well adapted to 10% pulp density and showed high bioleaching efficiency. Microbial activity and abundance were measured by microcalorimetry, microscopy, and quantitative, real-time PCR. The adapted mesophilic microbial consortium consisted mainly of Acidithiobacillus (At.) ferrooxidans and At. thiooxidans which achieved 91% cobalt and 57% copper extraction from the bulk tailings (Co 0.02%; Cu 0.12%) after 13 days in STR. Bioleaching tests with a tailings flotation concentrate (Co 0.06%; Cu 0.57%) showed a recovery of 66% cobalt and 33% copper. In addition, mineralogical analysis showed that cobalt occurred on the surface of framboidal pyrite and was mainly leached by microbial attack. Attached cells were microscopically observed on the surface of solid particles of the bulk tailings and tailings flotation concentrate. The amount of sulfides (mainly pyrite) in the tailings was sufficient to sustain microbial growth and thus no additional substrate was required for tailings bioprocessing. Bioleaching is considered to be an important processing step in the concept for reprocessing of the Rammelsberg mine tailings, and for many sulfidic mine tailings worldwide. Unlabelled Image • Bioprocessing of a Co/Cu rich polymetallic mine tailings. • Bioleaching was more effective compared to chemical leaching. • Cobalt was efficiently bioleached from framboidal pyrite structures. • Biofilms on the tailings were characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mixotrophic and acidophilic bacterial strain BGR 140 T was isolated from mine tailings in the Harz Mountains near Goslar, Germany. Cells of BGR 140 T were Gram-stain-positive, endospore-forming, motile and rod-shaped. BGR 140 T grew aerobically at 25-55 °C (optimum 45 °C) and at pH 1.5-5.0 (optimum pH 3.0). The results of analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that BGR 140 T was phylogenetically related to different members of the genus Sulfobacillus , and the sequence identities to Sulfobacillus acidophilus DSM 10332 T , Sulfobacillus thermotolerans DSM 17362 T , and Sulfobacillus benefaciens DSM 19468 T were 94.8, 91.8 and 91.6 %, respectively. Its cell wall peptidoglycan is A1 γ , composed of meso -diaminopimelic acid. The respiratory quinone is DMK-6. The major polar lipids were determined to be glycolipid, phospholipid and phosphatidylglycerol. The predominant fatty acid is 11-cycloheptanoyl-undecanoate. The genomic DNA G+C content is 58.2 mol%. On the basis of the results of phenotypic and genomic analyses, it is concluded that strain BGR 140 T represents a novel species of the genus Sulfobacillus , for which the name Sulfobacillus harzensis sp. nov. is proposed because of its origin. Its type strain is BGR 140 T (=DSM 109850 T =JCM 39070 T ).

In freshly deposited sulfidic mine tailings the pH is alkaline or circumneutral. Due to pyrite or pyrrhotite oxidation the pH is dropping over time to pH values <3 at which acidophilic iron- and sulfur-oxidizing prokaryotes prevail and accelerate the oxidation processes, well described for several mine waste sites. The microbial communities at the moderate acidic stage in mine tailings are only scarcely studied. Here we investigated the microbial diversity via 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis in eight samples (pH range 3.2-6.5) from three different sulfidic mine tailings dumps in Botswana, Germany and Sweden. In total 701 partial 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed a divergent microbial community between the three sites and at different tailings depths. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were overall the most abundant phyla in the clone libraries. Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Nitrospira occurred less frequently. The found microbial communities were completely different to microbial communities in tailings at