Chemical Zymogens: Specificity and Steroidal Control of Reactivation.

Activating and masking enzymatic activity on demand is of the highest importance in nature. It is achieved by chemical interconversion of enzymes and the corresponding zymogens through, for example, proteolytic processing or reversible phosphorylation, and affords on-demand activation of enzymes, controlled in space and/or time. In stark contrast, examples of chemical zymogens are very few, and in most cases these are based on disulfide chemistry, which is largely indiscriminate as to the nature of the activating thiol.

Elevated fractional donor-derived cell-free DNA during subclinical graft injury after liver transplantation.

Personalized immunosuppression (IS) promises to improve the balance of necessary control of alloreactivity and dose-dependent adverse effects of long-term IS such as kidney insufficiency, infections, and malignancies. The majority of liver transplantation (LT) recipients exhibit graft injuries (graft inflammation and/or fibrosis) that are not eligible for an IS reduction according to current Banff criteria, even when liver enzymes are normal or only marginally elevated. This cross-sectional study evaluated the noninvasive prediction of such subclinical graft injuries in surveillance liver biopsies via donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA).

[Disinfectants during the COVID-19 pandemic: a challenge].

Disinfection measures have become more important as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. The increased need for disinfectants at the beginning of the pandemic required temporary legal regulations in order to provide a sufficient quantity of products for the necessary disinfection in the medical sector on the one hand and for the additional demand in the population on the other. For this purpose, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) issued a general ruling, which is explained in more detail in this article.

Virological Outcome of Patients With HIV Drug Resistance Attending an Urban Outpatient Clinic in Uganda: A Need for Structured Adherence Counseling and Third-Line Treatment Options.

Background: HIV drug resistance and suboptimal adherence are the main reasons for treatment failure among HIV-infected individuals. As genotypic resistance testing is not routinely available in resource-limited settings such as Uganda, data on transmitted and acquired resistance are sparse.

Methods: This observational follow-up study assessed the virological outcomes of patients diagnosed with virological failure or transmitted HIV drug resistance in 2015 at the adults' outpatient clinic of the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda.

Ten years of antiretroviral therapy: Incidences, patterns and risk factors of opportunistic infections in an urban Ugandan cohort.

Background: Despite increased antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage and the raised CD4 threshold for starting ART, opportunistic infections (OIs) are still one of the leading causes of death in sub-Saharan Africa. There are few studies from resource-limited settings on long-term reporting of OIs other than tuberculosis.

Methods: Patients starting ART between April 2004 and April 2005 were enrolled and followed-up for 10 years in Kampala, Uganda.

Is predictability salient? A study of attentional capture by auditory patterns.

In this series of behavioural and electroencephalography (EEG) experiments, we investigate the extent to which repeating patterns of sounds capture attention. Work in the visual domain has revealed attentional capture by statistically predictable stimuli, consistent with predictive coding accounts which suggest that attention is drawn to sensory regularities. Here, stimuli comprised rapid sequences of tone pips, arranged in regular (REG) or random (RAND) patterns.

Preferential accumulation of T helper cells but not cytotoxic T cells characterizes benign subclinical rejection of human liver allografts.

Subclinical rejection (SCR) is a common event in protocol biopsies after liver transplantation (LT). So far the interpretation of the underlying histological changes and clinical significance is limited. Previous studies were restricted to SCR manifestations within the first weeks after transplantation with limited follow-up.

Intrahepatic regulatory T cells in autoimmune hepatitis are associated with treatment response and depleted with current therapies.

Background & Aims: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic autoimmune liver disease usually requiring life-long immunosuppression. The mechanisms for disease initiation and chronicity are largely unknown. A contribution of deficient regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the blood was controversially discussed recently.

[Hepatitis A in Poland in 2008].

In Poland in 2008 were reported 208 cases of hepatitis A. The incidence rate in 2008 were 0.55 per 100 000 population and were six times higher then in 2007.

[Foodborne infections and intoxications in Poland in 2008].

A total of 12 217 bacterial foodborne infections and intoxications were registered in 2008 (incidence 32.1/100 000 population). Unlike bacterial infections, the incidence of viral foodborne infections increased in the recent years (2008 - 85.

[Dysentery and amoebiasis in Poland in 2008].

The number as well as incidence rate of notified as shigellosis, bacillary dysentery cases in XXI century are every year lower. Only 33 cases were notified in the year 2008 (incidence rate 0.09/100 000 population), while the 64 cases were notified in 2007 (incidence rate 0.

[Hepatitis A in Poland in the years 2006-2007].

In Poland in 2006 and 2007 were reported 108 and 38 cases of hepatitis A respectively. Since 1997 noticeable downward trend of hepatitis A in Poland in 2006 and 2007 were continue. The incidence rate in 2007 was 0.

[Foodborne infections and intoxications in Poland in 2007].

A total of 15,249 bacterial foodborne infections and intoxications were registered in 2007 (incidence 40/100,000 population). Unlike bacterial infections, the incidence of viral foodborne infections increased in the recent years (2007--57.1 vs.

[Salmonellosis in Poland in 2006].

In 2006, 13 362 salmonellosis cases were reported (16 006 in 2005), the incidence rate was 35.0 per 100 000 population. In total 298 outbreaks were reported involving 2 965 cases.

[Foodborne infections and intoxications in Poland in 2006].

A total of 17 157 bacterial foodborne infections and intoxications were registered in 2006 (incidence 45/100 000 population). Unlike bacterial infections, the incidence of viral foodborne infections increased in the recent years (2006 - 54.21 vs.

[The role of natural environment in spreading of hantavirus--model of the correlation between host, pathogen and human infections].

The environmental changes caused by humans influence ecosystem and thus have significant impact on occurrence of emerging and re-emerging diseases. The hantavirus infection belong to the one of them. The aim of this paper was to present current knowledge about relationship between hantavirus, their natural host and the spread of the infection to people.

[Occurrence of human hantavirus infections in Poland].

A spread of hantavirus infections causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is one of the rising epidemiological problems in the world. There is evidence that this type of viruses exists in almost all European countries. It is known that in Poland all the species of wild rodents hosting European hantaviruses are present.

[Hantavirus specific IgG antibodies in population of zoologists and forest workers].

Serological diagnostic tests were introduced for detection of immunoresponse against to etiological agents of current infectious diseases. Interpretation criteria for those tests should eliminate unspecific reactions, cross-reactivity with related viruses as well as traces amounts of immunological response against to the past infections. In the case of past hantaviruses infections for obtaining an adequate seroepidemiological data revalidation of this tests are required.

[Aids and HIV infection in Poland in 2005].

The cumulative number of AIDS cases diagnosed in Poland in 1986 to 2005 reached 1761, and 806 AIDS deaths were registered during this time. In recent years a minor upward trend in AIDS incidence is observed with the highest so far numbers of incident cases in 2004--173 (incidence 0.45 per 100,000) and 2005-146 (0.

[Foodborne infections and intoxications in Poland in 2005].

A total of 20,072 bacterial foodborne infections and intoxications were registered in 2005 (incidence 52.6/100 000 population). These illnesses were less incident in 2005, compared to the median 1998-2002 (26 734 cases).

[Foodborne infections and intoxications in Poland in 2004].

A total of 19 870 bacterial foodborne infections and intoxications were registered in 2004 (incidence 52.0/100,000 population). These illnesses were less incident in 2004, compared both to 2003 figure (20 221 cases) and the median 1998-2002 (26 734 cases).