Indoor particulate matter concentrations and air cleaner intervention association with biomarkers in former smokers with COPD.

Background: Indoor pollutants have been associated with worse clinical outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Elevated biomarkers are associated with ambient pollution exposure, however the association with indoor pollution remains unclear.

Methods: Former smokers with spirometry-confirmed COPD were randomized to portable air cleaner or placebo.

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a South African narrative.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disorder known to interfere with several life domains. Yet little is known about the subjective experiences of living with OCD amongst South Africans and more so, the ways in which it impacts daily functioning and quality of life (QOL).

Methods: The aim of this study was to explore daily functioning and QOL among South African adults living with OCD.

D-Xylose assimilation via the Weimberg pathway by solvent-tolerant Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120.

The natural ability of Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 to use xylose as sole carbon and energy source offers a high potential for sustainable industrial biotechnology. In general, three xylose assimilation routes are reported for bacteria. To elaborate the metabolic capacity of P.

Complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas sp. strain VLB120 a solvent tolerant, styrene degrading bacterium, isolated from forest soil.

Pseudomonas sp. VLB120 was isolated in Stuttgart, Germany, as a styrene degrading organism. The complete genome sequence includes genomic information of solvent tolerance mechanisms, metabolic pathways for various organic compounds, and the megaplasmid pSTY.

[The work personality profile: an instrument for the assessment of the work competence of psychiatric patients].

The "Work Personality Profile", which assesses via supervisor ratings the basic work competences of psychiatric patients on eleven scales, was translated and adapted for use in German psychiatric institutions. Test analysis of data of 58 patients, most of whom were schizophrenic, yielded good statistical indicators for most of the scales. Factor analyses indicated a structure of two to three components: Learning ability, social and interactional competence, and social adaptation and motivation.