Value of routine plain x-ray position checks after cochlear implantation.

Objective: To analyze the value of a routine x-ray position check after cochlear implantation and to assess if an increased resistance during electrode insertion is a sufficient predictor of electrode misplacement.

Study Design: Retrospective data collection.

Setting: University hospital.

Prevalence of labyrinthine ossification in CT and MR imaging of patients with acute deafness to severe sensorineural hearing loss.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of labyrinthine ossification, and especially cochlear ossification, in a cohort of patients with unilateral sudden deafness or severe sensorineural hearing loss.

Design: Retrospective data collection.

Study Sample: Sixty-four consecutive patients with unilateral sudden deafness or severe sensorineural hearing loss and either high-resolution CT (HRCT) of the temporal bone (isotropic spatial resolution ≤ 0.

Deciphering cell wall integrity signalling in Aspergillus fumigatus: identification and functional characterization of cell wall stress sensors and relevant Rho GTPases.

The fungal cell wall, a conserved and highly dynamic structure, is essential for virulence and viability of fungal pathogens and is an important antifungal drug target. The cell wall integrity (CWI) signalling pathway regulates shape and biosynthesis of the cell wall. In this work we identified, localized and functionally characterized four putative CWI stress sensors of Aspergillus fumigatus, an airborne opportunistic human pathogen and the cause of invasive aspergillosis.

AfMkk2 is required for cell wall integrity signaling, adhesion, and full virulence of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus.

The cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway, best characterized in S. cerevisiae, is strikingly conserved in Aspergillus species. We analyzed the importance of AfMkk2, a CWI signaling kinase, for virulence and antifungal therapy in the human pathogen A.

Farnesol misplaces tip-localized Rho proteins and inhibits cell wall integrity signalling in Aspergillus fumigatus.

Farnesol is known for inducing apoptosis in some fungi and mammalian cells. To evaluate its potential role as an antifungal agent, we studied its impact on the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. We found that growth of A.