Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee with Bracing: A Scoping Review.

Knee osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability around the world. Knee bracing provides a conservative management option for symptom relief. A variety of different bracing types, manufacturers and products are currently available on the market.

Photodynamic inactivation of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by chlorin e6 and red light (λ=670nm).

Multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MDR-SA) are a frequent cause of antibiotic treatment refractory bacterial corneal infections. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is being discussed as a putative treatment option to cure this type of bacterial infection. Here we tested the in vitro susceptibility of a set of 12 clinically derived MDR-SA isolates with differing genetic backgrounds and antibiotic resistance profiles against photodynamic inactivation (PDI) by the porphyrin chlorin e6 (Ce6) and red light (λ=670nm).

3-Fluorophenmetrazine, a fluorinated analogue of phenmetrazine: Studies on in vivo metabolism in rat and human, in vitro metabolism in human CYP isoenzymes and microbial biotransformation in Pseudomonas Putida and wastewater using GC and LC coupled to (HR)-MS techniques.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as means to estimate illicit drug and new psychoactive substance (NPS) consumption with spatial and temporal resolution is gaining increasing attention. In order to evaluate a given NPS using WBE, in vivo metabolism and microbial biotransformation of excretion products and unchanged compounds need evaluation. The aims of this study were to identify in vivo phase I and II metabolites of the NPS 3-fluorophenmetrazine (3-FPM) in human and rat urine and study the in vitro contribution of Cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes in phase I metabolism.

Growth Factor and Interleukin Concentrations in Amniotic Membrane-Conditioned Medium.

Purpose: Application of amniotic membrane-conditioned medium (AMM) eye drops is a potential treatment alternative for therapy-resistant corneal epithelial defects. Our purpose was to determine the concentration of growth factors epidermal growth factor (EGF), nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1), fibroblast growth factor basic (FGFb), and interleukins, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, in AMM following different preparation methods.

Methods: Amniotic membranes of 10 placentas were prepared and thereafter stored at -80°C using the standard method of our LIONS Cornea Bank.

Influence of fullerene (C60) on soil bacterial communities: aqueous aggregate size and solvent co-introduction effects.

Fullerene C60 nanoparticles are being used in broad range of applications. It is important to assess their potential impacts in the environment. We evaluated the effects of C60 introduced as aqueous suspensions of nC60 aggregates of different particle size or via organic solvents on soils with different organic matter contents in this study.

[PONV after strabismus surgery : Risk adapted prophylaxis?].

Background: Following strabismus surgery, patients frequently develop variable degrees of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). These symptoms cause discomfort and result in serious complications such as intramuscular bleeding and subconjunctival hemorrhage. In children long lasting PONV can lead to and electrolyte imbalance and dehydration.

The pathogenicity and host adaptation of livestock-associated MRSA CC398.

The presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) CC398 in livestock and their transmission to humans followed by their introduction into hospitals led to a significant burden for the human healthcare system, especially in regions with a high density of livestock breeding. The CC398 lineage made two host changes in its evolutionary history: From humans to pigs and other livestock-associated animals and back to the human host. These adaptation processes are mirrored by changes of the equipment with virulence factors necessary for successful host change.

RpiRc Is a Pleiotropic Effector of Virulence Determinant Synthesis and Attenuates Pathogenicity in Staphylococcus aureus.

In Staphylococcus aureus, metabolism is intimately linked with virulence determinant biosynthesis, and several metabolite-responsive regulators have been reported to mediate this linkage. S. aureus possesses at least three members of the RpiR family of transcriptional regulators.

Stk1-mediated phosphorylation stimulates the DNA-binding properties of the Staphylococcus aureus SpoVG transcriptional factor.

The stage V sporulation protein G (SpoVG) homolog of Staphylococcus aureus is a modulator of virulence factor synthesis and antibiotic resistance in this clinically important gram-positive pathogen. Here we demonstrate that SpoVG can be phosphorylated by the staphylococcal Ser/Thr protein kinase Stk1 and that phosphorylation positively affects its DNA-binding properties. Mass spectrometric analyses and site directed mutagenesis identified Thr4, Thr13, Thr24 and Ser41 as phospho-acceptors.

Current treatment strategies for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background: Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) represents one of the most challenging emergencies in surgery. Open repair (OR) is associated with relevant morbidity and mortality and has not been reduced significantly over the last decade. The introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and its meanwhile common use in the treatment of rAAA has raised the demand for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in order to resolve a potential superiority of either OR or EVAR.

Floral colours in a world without birds and bees: the plants of Macquarie Island.

We studied biotically pollinated angiosperms on Macquarie Island, a remote site in the Southern Ocean with a predominately or exclusively dipteran pollinator fauna, in an effort to understand how flower colour affects community assembly. We compared a distinctive group of cream-green Macquarie Island flowers to the flora of likely source pools of immigrants and to a continental flora from a high latitude in the northern hemisphere. We used both dipteran and hymenopteran colour models and phylogenetically informed analyses to explore the chromatic component of community assembly.

The role of IL-1β in Pseudomonas aeruginosa in lung infection.

This mini-review examines the role of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β in the interaction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the host immune system during lung infection. Different studies show that the reduction of the inflammatory response, especially a decrease in IL-1β, leads to a better outcome in acute lung infection with this bacterium. This includes a higher survival rate, reduced damage to the lung tissue and, in particular, a better clearance of the airways and the tissue of the lungs from P.

A calcium-redox feedback loop controls human monocyte immune responses: The role of ORAI Ca2+ channels.

In phagocytes, pathogen recognition is followed by Ca(2+) mobilization and NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2)-mediated "oxidative burst," which involves the rapid production of large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We showed that ORAI Ca(2+) channels control store-operated Ca(2+) entry, ROS production, and bacterial killing in primary human monocytes. ROS inactivate ORAI channels that lack an ORAI3 subunit.

Impact of bacteriophage Saint3 carriage on the immune evasion capacity and hemolytic potential of Staphylococcus aureus CC398.

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) isolates of clonal complex 398 (CC398) are frequently found in Europe, and recent studies highlighted the importance of mobile genetic element (MGE) exchange for host adaptation of this lineage. Of note, one of the MGEs commonly found in human S. aureus isolates, the immune evasion cluster (IEC) harboring bacteriophage Saint3, is very rarely found in LA-MRSA CC398 isolates obtained from farm animals, but more frequently found in LA-MRSA CC398 that were retransmitted to humans.

Outcome of thoracic endovascular aortic repair in patients with thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.

Objective: This study reports the long-term results after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs).

Methods: Between 1997 and 2010, 269 patients were treated with TEVAR, 100 of them (72 male; mean age, 68.3 years) for aneurysmal disease.

[Confocal microscopy for the diagnostics of fungal keratitis].

Fungal keratitis is a rare but very serious eye disease in industrial nations with a frequency of 1-5 % of all forms of keratitis from microbial causes. We present two patients with keratitis of primary unknown cause. Using confocal microscopy fungal filaments could be identified that partially showed a parallel configuration (like "railway tracks").

Investigations to the Antibacterial Mechanism of Action of Kendomycin.

Purpose: The emergence of bacteria that are resistant to many currently used drugs emphasizes the need to discover and develop new antibiotics that are effective against such multi-resistant strains. Kendomycin is a novel polyketide that has a unique quinone methide ansa structure and various biological properties. This compound exhibits strong antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).