Temporal dynamics of freshwater planktonic parasites inferred using a DNA metabarcoding time-series.

Parasites are important components of biodiversity and contributors to ecosystem functioning, but are often neglected in ecological studies. Most studies examine model parasite systems or single taxa, thus our understanding of community composition is lacking. Here, the seasonal and annual dynamics of parasites was quantified using a 5-year metabarcoding time-series of freshwater plankton, collected weekly.

Engineered Bacterial Flavin-Dependent Monooxygenases for the Regiospecific Hydroxylation of Polycyclic Phenols.

4-Hydroxyphenylacetate 3-hydroxylase (4HPA3H), a flavin-dependent monooxygenase from E. coli that catalyzes the hydroxylation of monophenols to catechols, was modified by rational redesign to convert also more bulky substrates, especially phenolic natural products like phenylpropanoids, flavones or coumarins. Selected amino acid positions in the binding pocket of 4HPA3H were exchanged with residues from the homologous protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, yielding variants with improved conversion of spacious substrates such as the flavonoid naringenin or the alkaloid mimetic 2-hydroxycarbazole.

Evidence for Lignocellulose-Decomposing Enzymes in the Genome and Transcriptome of the Aquatic Hyphomycete .

Fungi are ecologically outstanding decomposers of lignocellulose. Fungal lignocellulose degradation is prominent in saprotrophic Ascomycota and Basidiomycota of the subkingdom Dikarya. Despite ascomycetes dominating the Dikarya inventory of aquatic environments, genome and transcriptome data relating to enzymes involved in lignocellulose decay remain limited to terrestrial representatives of these phyla.

Dehydroquinate dehydratase/shikimate dehydrogenases involved in gallate biosynthesis of the aluminum-tolerant tree species Eucalyptus camaldulensis.

Eucalyptus camaldulensis EcDQD/SDH2 and 3 combine gallate formation, dehydroquinate dehydratase, and shikimate dehydrogenase activities. They are candidates for providing the essential gallate for the biosynthesis of the aluminum-detoxifying metabolite oenothein B. The tree species Eucalyptus camaldulensis shows exceptionally high tolerance against aluminum, a widespread toxic metal in acidic soils.

Mutual Facilitation Among Invading Nuttall's Waterweed and Quagga Mussels.

Nuttall's waterweed () is the most abundant invasive aquatic plant species in several European countries. populations often follow a boom-bust cycle, but the causes and consequences of this dynamics are yet unknown. We hypothesize that both boom and bust periods can be affected by dreissenid mussel invasions.

Positive selection in development and growth rate regulation genes involved in species divergence of the genus Radix.

Background: Life history traits like developmental time, age and size at maturity are directly related to fitness in all organisms and play a major role in adaptive evolution and speciation processes. Comparative genomic or transcriptomic approaches to identify positively selected genes involved in species divergence can help to generate hypotheses on the driving forces behind speciation. Here we use a bottom-up approach to investigate this hypothesis by comparative analysis of orthologous transcripts of four closely related European Radix species.

Parallel evolution of cox genes in H2S-tolerant fish as key adaptation to a toxic environment.

Populations that repeatedly adapt to the same environmental stressor offer a unique opportunity to study adaptation, especially if there are a priori predictions about the genetic basis underlying phenotypic evolution. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) blocks the cytochrome-c oxidase complex (COX), predicting the evolution of decreased H2S susceptibility of the COX in three populations in the Poecilia mexicana complex that have colonized H2S-containing springs. Here, we demonstrate that decreased H2S susceptibility of COX evolved in parallel in two sulphide lineages, as evidenced by shared amino acid substitutions in cox1 and cox3 genes.

Impact of subcortical white matter lesions on dopamine transporter SPECT.

Subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy (SAE) can affect the nigrostriatal system and presumably cause vascular parkinsonism (VP). However, in patients with SAE, the differentiation of VP from idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPS) is challenging. The aim of the present study was to examine the striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) density in patients with parkinsonism and SAE.

Total knee arthroplasty in a patient with chronic occlusion of the superficial femoral artery.

In a 67-year-old patient with severe valgus gonarthrosis and chronic occlusion of the superficial femoral artery on the same side, total knee replacement was performed without preceding angioplasty because the collateral circulation was intact. No tourniquet was used. To leave the peripatellar arterial ring intact on one side in this case of lateral patellar maltracking, a lateral approach was used.

Complications in hip arthroscopy.

Hip arthroscopy is being recognized as a valuable additional procedure in the treatment of disorders of this joint. Although initially employed as a diagnostic tool only, better understanding of the anatomy involved and advanced skills have now made surgical treatment possible. Because the techniques are still evolving, a standardized approach is just being established.

[Localized pigmented villonodular synovitis: a primary overlooked diagnosis in a young female patient].

Localized pigmented villonodular synovitis is a rare condition of the knee that may present with symptoms suggesting internal derangement. We report a case of juvenile patient who presented with a 1-year history of signs and symptoms of a loose body in the knee. Radiographic examination and MRI were within normal limits.

[Long-term surgical results of osteochondrosis dissecans of the knee joint in adolescents less than 16 years of age].

The correct therapy of osteochondritis dissecans in patients under 16 years is very important to prevent the knee joint from secondary arthritis. We analysed clinical, radiological and with MRI the long term (10 years) results of a follow-up study on 36 patients under 16 years with 42 operatively treated osteochondritis dissecans of the knee joint. There were excellent and good results in 81% of the patients.

[Indication and technique for hip arthroscopy: possibilities and limitations].

Arthroscopy of knee and shoulder has become an established part of orthopedic and traumatologic surgery. Hip arthroscopy is a relatively new addition to orthopedics and is more demanding for the surgeon. Indication and technique are described.

Alterations of skeletal muscle in chronic heart failure.

Background: The present study was designed to define the prevalence and characteristics of skeletal muscle alterations in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and their relation to exercise capacity.

Methods And Results: The ultrastructure of skeletal muscle was analyzed by ultrastructural morphometry in 57 patients with CHF and 18 healthy controls. The volume density of mitochondria (Vvm) and the surface density (Svmc) of mitochondrial cristae were evaluated as a structural correlate of oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle.

Intersalt in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In Intersalt, positive relations between 24-hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion and blood pressure were observed in over 10,000 men and women in 52 centers around the world. Body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake and smoking showed different associations with blood pressure in various population groups. We investigated these variables in the 2 Canadian centers and could not confirm the sodium-potassium relationship.

[Opinions of normal citizens on asocial behavior--various aspects, its dimensions and stability].

At an interval of six weeks 177 so-called normal citizens were questioned in respect to their opinions on antisociality. They described as antisocial primarily those persons or behaviors, which are detrimental towards others. Criminal behavior was qualified by them as extremely antisocial.

Radioisomers of scoparone (6,7-dimethoxycoumarin) as a tool for in vivo differentiation of various hepatic monooxygenase inducers in mice using the breath test technique.

The oxidative removal of two different methyl groups from scoparone by a cytochrome P-450-mediated reaction proceeds with greater velocity for the 6-methyl group than for the 7-methyl group. In vivo experiments in mice were carried out with the two respective radioisomers [6-methyl-14C]scoparone and [7-methyl-14C]scoparone. The consecutive administration of the scoparone to the same animal is followed by collecting the 14CO2 exhaled (breath test).

[Antisociality and school failure as judged by elementary school teachers (author's transl)].

126 elementary school teachers were interviewed in respect to their concepts of school failure and antisociality. According to their opinions antisociality finds its expression especially in the following behaviour: delinquent and/or destructive actions against others or the state, deliberate disturbance of social peace and order in a society, and criminality. The main causes of school failure are seen in intellectual-emotional development retardation, social isolation, rejection of a child by its parents, insufficient maturity for education hereditary mental retardation and lack of intelligence.