A Case Report of Unilateral Syphilitic Uveitis: A Diagnostic Challenge and the Role of Point-of-care Ultrasound.

Introduction: Syphilis presents with diverse clinical manifestations, posing challenges for diagnosis, especially in the fast-paced emergency department (ED) setting.

Case Report: We report a rare case of unilateral syphilitic uveitis in an individual who had been sexually abstinent for 13 years. Using ocular point-of-care ultrasound in the ED, we successfully diagnosed this uncommon ocular manifestation.

Design and Characterization of Mutated Variants of the Oncotoxic Parvoviral Protein NS1.

Oncotoxic proteins such as the non-structural protein 1 (NS1), a constituent of the rodent parvovirus H1 (H1-PV), offer a novel approach for treatment of tumors that are refractory to other treatments. In the present study, mutated NS1 variants were designed and tested with respect to their oncotoxic potential in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. We introduced single point mutations of previously described important residues of the wild-type NS1 protein and a deletion of 114 base pairs localized within the N-terminal domain of NS1.

Distance measurements in the FF-ATP synthase from E. coli using smFRET and PELDOR spectroscopy.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer in single enzyme molecules (smFRET, single-molecule measurement) allows the measurement of multicomponent distance distributions in complex biomolecules similar to pulsed electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR, ensemble measurement). Both methods use reporter groups: FRET exploits the distance dependence of the electric interaction between electronic transition dipole moments of the attached fluorophores, whereas PELDOR spectroscopy uses the distance dependence of the interaction between the magnetic dipole moments of attached spin labels. Such labels can be incorporated easily to cysteine residues in the protein.

Debridement and implant retention in the management of hip periprosthetic joint infection: outcomes following guided and rapid treatment at a single centre.

Aims: To analyse the effectiveness of debridement and implant retention (DAIR) in patients with hip periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and the relationship to patient characteristics. The outcome was evaluated in hips with confirmed PJI and a follow-up of not less than two years.

Patients And Methods: Patients in whom DAIR was performed were identified from our hip arthroplasty register (between 2004 and 2013).

Risk of infection in primary, elective total hip arthroplasty with direct anterior approach or lateral transgluteal approach: a prospective cohort study of 1104 hips.

Background: The direct anterior approach (DAA) is increasingly popular for hip replacement. However, the small incision and the location near to the groin might increase the risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). We asked the questions (i) whether there is an increased risk of infection for this approach, and (ii) whether the spectrum of microorganisms differs between patients with DAA and those with lateral transgluteal approach (LAT).

Eradication of infection, survival, and radiological results of uncemented revision stems in infected total hip arthroplasties.

Background and purpose - The use of uncemented revision stems is an established option in 2-stage procedures in patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, in 1-stage procedures, they are still rarely used. There are still no detailed data on radiological outcome after uncemented 1-stage revisions.

Thermodynamics of proton transport coupled ATP synthesis.

The thermodynamic H(+)/ATP ratio of the H(+)-ATP synthase from chloroplasts was measured in proteoliposomes after energization of the membrane by an acid base transition (Turina et al. 2003 [13], 418-422). The method is discussed, and all published data obtained with this system are combined and analyzed as a single dataset.

One-stage revision of infected hip arthroplasty: outcome of 39 consecutive hips.

Purpose: There are various options for treating periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Two-stage exchange has traditionally been the gold standard. However, if the appropriate surgical intervention is chosen according to a rational algorithm, the outcome is similar when using all types of interventions.

The treatment and outcome of peri-prosthetic infection of the ankle: a single cohort-centre experience of 34 cases.

The treatment of peri-prosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the ankle is not standardised. It is not clear whether an algorithm developed for hip and knee PJI can be used in the management of PJI of the ankle. We evaluated the outcome, at two or more years post-operatively, in 34 patients with PJI of the ankle, identified from a cohort of 511 patients who had undergone total ankle replacement.

Single-particle EM reveals plasticity of interactions between the adenovirus penton base and integrin αVβ3.

Human adenoviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses responsible for numerous infections, some of which can be fatal. Furthermore, adenoviruses are currently used in clinical trials as vectors for gene therapy applications. Although initial binding of adenoviruses to host attachment receptors has been extensively characterized, the interactions with the entry receptor (integrins) remain poorly understood at the structural level.

Recurrent bone fractures due to tenofovir-induced renal phosphate wasting.

A 42-y-old HIV-infected man suffered from several stress fractures due to tenofovir-induced proximal tubular injury. Laboratory examination revealed hypophosphatemia due to renal phosphate wasting. Therefore, more attention has to be paid to the monitoring of serum phosphate and alkaline phosphatase levels, since tenofovir-related nephrotoxicity increases the risk of osteomalacia.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus foot infection after fish pedicure.

Fish pedicure has become a popular cosmetic procedure involving immersion of the feet in a tank with freshwater fish (Garra rufa) that nibble off dead skin. There are concerns about the potential transmission of pathogens, but no cases of infections after this procedure have been published so far. We present a patient who developed foot infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) after fish pedicure.

Blinking effect and the use of quantum dots in single molecule spectroscopy.

Luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots, QD) have unique photo-physical properties: high photostability, brightness and narrow size-tunable fluorescence spectra. Due to their unique properties, QD-based single molecule studies have become increasingly more popular during the last years. However QDs show a strong blinking effect (random and intermittent light emission), which may limit their use in single molecule fluorescence studies.

Risk factors for periprosthetic ankle joint infection: a case-control study.

Background: Periprosthetic ankle joint infection is a feared complication of total ankle arthroplasty because the implant fails in the majority of cases. However, risk factors for developing these infections are unknown.

Methods: We aimed to determine risk factors for infection in a matched case-control study that included twenty-six patients with periprosthetic ankle joint infection and two control groups, each consisting of fifty-two patients.

Comparison of the H+/ATP ratios of the H+-ATP synthases from yeast and from chloroplast.

F(0)F(1)-ATP synthases use the free energy derived from a transmembrane proton transport to synthesize ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate. The number of protons translocated per ATP (H(+)/ATP ratio) is an important parameter for the mechanism of the enzyme and for energy transduction in cells. Current models of rotational catalysis predict that the H(+)/ATP ratio is identical to the stoichiometric ratio of c-subunits to β-subunits.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by a Pasteurella dagmatis-like isolate originating from a patient's cat.

Pasteurella species are part of the oral flora of cats and dogs. In humans, they are frequently found in infected animal bite wounds, but invasive infections are rare. This is the first report of prosthetic-valve endocarditis with a Pasteurella dagmatis-like species, which originated from the patient's cat.

[An unexpected case of lower left-side abdominal pain. Acute reactivation of chronic osteomyelitis].

Osteomyelitis caused by S. aureus can be reactivated after decades. Our patient presented with an acute episode of lower left-side abdominal pain and subfebrile temperature due to a reactivation of a S.

Periprosthetic joint infection following Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Objectives: The incidence of haematogenous periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) among patients with remote infections has been reported to be less than 1%. This incidence may be much higher in cases after documented Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). We evaluated the incidence of haematogenous PJI following SAB in patients with previously uninfected arthroplasties.

Clinical comparison between exogenous and haematogenous periprosthetic joint infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Patient-related risk factors for invasive Staphylococcus aureus infection overlap with those for periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). We compared these factors and clinical characteristics between 17 exogenous and 40 haematogenous PJIs caused by S. aureus.

Time-dependent FRET with single enzymes: domain motions and catalysis in H(+)-ATP synthases.

H(+)-ATP synthases are molecular machines which couple transmembrane proton transport with ATP synthesis from ADP and inorganic phosphate by a rotational mechanism. Single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer (spFRET) in single molecules is a powerful tool to analyse conformational changes. It is used to investigate subunit movements in H(+)-ATP synthases from E.

Proton transport coupled ATP synthesis by the purified yeast H+ -ATP synthase in proteoliposomes.

The H(+)/ATP synthase from yeast mitochondria, MF₀F₁, was purified and reconstituted into liposomes prepared from phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidic acid. Analysis by mass spectrometry revealed the presence of all subunits of the yeast enzyme with the exception of the K-subunit. The MF₀F₁ liposomes were energized by acid-base transitions (DeltapH) and a K(+)/valinomycin diffusion potential (Deltaphi).

Escherichia coli variants in periprosthetic joint infection: diagnostic challenges with sessile bacteria and sonication.

The diagnostic yield of prosthetic joint-associated infection is hampered by the phenotypic change of bacteria into a sessile and resistant form, also called biofilm. With sonication, adherent bacteria can be dislodged from the prosthesis. Species identification may be difficult because of their variations in phenotypic appearance and biochemical reaction.