Serial Changes in Exercise Capacity, NT-proBNP, and Adiponectin in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome before and after Phase II Rehabilitation as well as at the 12-Month Follow-Up.

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) causes pathophysiological changes in exercise capacity, N-terminal part of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and adiponectin that impact the course of coronary artery disease and clinical outcomes after cardiac rehabilitation (CR). However, the serial changes and the relationship between the changes in these parameters for a prolonged term remain uninvestigated.

Methods: Eighty-one patients with ACS underwent a three- or four-week CR program after acute care and were followed up for 12 months.

Impact of hexamine addition to a nitrite-based additive on fermentation quality, Clostridia and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a white lupin-wheat silage.

Background: Nitrite and hexamine are used as silage additives because of their adverse effects on Clostridia and Clostridia spores. The effect of sodium nitrite and sodium nitrite/hexamine mixtures on silage quality was investigated. A white lupin-wheat mixture was treated with sodium nitrite (NaHe0) (900 g t forage), or mixtures of sodium nitrite (900 g t ) and hexamine.

Prevalence, clonality, and pathogenicity of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates in newborn feces.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are the most prevalent pathogens causing late-onset sepsis in neonates. The question is whether neonates acquire endemic hospital-adapted clones or incidentally occurring CoNS strains after birth during their hospital stay. Therefore, a prospective study was performed on the prevalence of CoNS in the stool of babies (born vaginally or by cesarean section) during their first days of life.

1000 Genomes-based meta-analysis identifies 10 novel loci for kidney function.

HapMap imputed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed >50 loci at which common variants with minor allele frequency >5% are associated with kidney function. GWAS using more complete reference sets for imputation, such as those from The 1000 Genomes project, promise to identify novel loci that have been missed by previous efforts. To investigate the value of such a more complete variant catalog, we conducted a GWAS meta-analysis of kidney function based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in 110,517 European ancestry participants using 1000 Genomes imputed data.

and Loci Identified through Large-Scale Exome Chip Analysis Regulate Kidney Development and Function.

Genome-wide association studies have identified >50 common variants associated with kidney function, but these variants do not fully explain the variation in eGFR. We performed a two-stage meta-analysis of associations between genotypes from the Illumina exome array and eGFR on the basis of serum creatinine (eGFRcrea) among participants of European ancestry from the CKDGen Consortium (: 111,666; : 48,343). In single-variant analyses, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms at seven new loci associated with eGFRcrea (, , and ; <3.

Independent associations of vitamin D metabolites with anemia in patients referred to coronary angiography: the LURIC study.

Purpose: Anemia and vitamin D deficiency are both frequent in adult patients. Whether low vitamin D metabolite levels are an independent risk factor for different subtypes of anemia remains to be studied in detail.

Methods: In 3299 patients referred for coronary angiography, we investigated the association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)D] with anemia [hemoglobin (Hb) <12.

Panel of emerging cardiac biomarkers contributes for prognosis rather than diagnosis in chronic heart failure.

Background: As complex disease, heart failure is associated with various pathophysiological and biochemical disorders. No single biomarker is able to display all these characteristics. Therefore, we evaluated a multimarker panel together with the biochemical gold-standard NT-proBNP.

Hemoglobin, iron metabolism and angiographic coronary artery disease (The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study).

Background: Anemia has been shown to be a risk factor for coronary artery disease and mortality. The involvement of body iron stores in the development of CAD remains controversial. So far, studies that examined hemoglobin and parameters of iron metabolism simultaneously do not exist.

Gene-centric meta-analyses for central adiposity traits in up to 57 412 individuals of European descent confirm known loci and reveal several novel associations.

Waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) are surrogate measures of central adiposity that are associated with adverse cardiovascular events, type 2 diabetes and cancer independent of body mass index (BMI). WC and WHR are highly heritable with multiple susceptibility loci identified to date. We assessed the association between SNPs and BMI-adjusted WC and WHR and unadjusted WC in up to 57 412 individuals of European descent from 22 cohorts collaborating with the NHLBI's Candidate Gene Association Resource (CARe) project.

Use and effects of malaria control measures in pregnancy in Lagos, Nigeria.

In Nigeria, malaria causes up to 11% of maternal mortality. Our main aim was to find out the most common mosquito control measures employed by the pregnant women in Lagos and their effects on malaria infection. The study was carried out over a period of 6 months during which trained interviewers administered questionnaires to 400 pregnant women.

BD GeneOhm-MRSA assay for detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus directly in nasal and non-nasal swab specimens from haematologic patients.

Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are responsible for rising health care costs and have a high attribution to mortality. Reliable and rapid detection of MRSA carriage is essential. Real-time PCR allows an early detection of MRSA colonization within 2 h.

Infections due to Pseudallescheria/Scedosporium species in patients with advanced HIV disease--a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of infections caused by members of the genera Pseudallescheria/Scedosporium in HIV-positive patients.

Methods: We describe a case of a fatal scedosporiosis in a treatment-naïve HIV patient and review all previously reported cases of pseudallescheriosis/scedosporiosis from a search of the PubMed and Deutsches Institut für Medizinische Dokumentation und Information (DIMDI) databases, applying the terms 'Pseudallescheria', 'Scedosporium', 'Allescheria', 'Monosporium', 'Petriellidium', 'boydii', 'prolificans', 'inflatum', cross-referenced with 'HIV' and 'AIDS'.

Results: Detection of Scedosporium and Pseudallescheria species has been reported in 22 HIV-positive patients.

[Spectrum of microbial colonisation and resistance of a surgical ICU in a systematic comparison of the 10-year time period 1996-2005 using routine microbiological testing].

Introduction: Knowledge on potentially pathogenic microbes including characteristics of their antibiotic resistance in septic patients as well as on the ward- and department-specific microbial spectrum can be considered essential for an efficient initiation of an adequate antimicrobial treatment, which turns out to become pivotal for patient outcome. Permanent changes in microbial patterns and antibiotic resistance can only be identified by a continuous investigation of various microbiological specimens.

Aim: Based on the retrospective evaluation of prospectively collected data on microbiological investigations of the surgical ICU in 1996, 2002, 2004 and 2005, the short- and long-term changes by trend of microbial spectrum and antibiotic resistance following reorganisation and restructuring of the University Hospital from the more traditional pavillon-based system to a multidisciplinary complex building in 2003 were investigated.

Varicella outbreak in Indian students in Magdeburg with detection of the African-Indian VZV clade 5.

Varicella has the highest contagiosity index of all viral diseases. We report an endemic outbreak of varicella among 4 Indian students in Magdeburg in November and December 2008. An initially severe course was observed in three of these patients with a negative vaccination status.

Spirocyclopropane-type sesquiterpene hydrocarbons from Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi.

The essential oil of Schinus terebinthifolius fruits was reinvestigated using GC and GC-MS techniques. Apart from several known compounds three sesquiterpene hydrocarbons with a carbon skeleton exhibiting the rare spiro(cyclopropane) moiety could be isolated by a combination of column chromatography and GLC. Structure assignments were carried out by NMR spectroscopy.

Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of clinical isolates Salmonella serovar Typhimurium in western Kenya.

Background: Salmonella spp. are recognized as some of the most common causes of enteritis worldwide. This study aimed to identify clinically isolated S.

Emergence of a community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain with a unique resistance profile in Southwest Nigeria.

Phenotypic, genotypic, and toxin gene analyses have not yet been done all in one for the Nigerian Staphylococcus aureus population. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of S. aureus strains at the largest university clinic in Ibadan, Nigeria.

[Microbial spectrum in surgical infections based on a microbiological routine monitoring over the 10-year period from 1995 to 2004].

Introduction: Infections belong to the most frequent and dangerous complications in surgery. In addition to the medical aspects, these infections may have a significant impact on the costs and the overall economic efficacy of medical treatment under the present circumstances of DRG.

Aim: A systematic, prospective collection and retrospective evaluation of all consecutive microbiological analyses in specimens from the 3 medical floors (except the ICU) of the Department of Surgery at the University Hospital, Magdeburg (Germany) was performed in 1995, 2002 and 2004 to characterise i) the 10-year course (1995 vs.

Comparison of the performance of the rapid antigen detection actim Influenza A&B test and RT-PCR in different respiratory specimens.

Nowadays, influenza antigen detection test kits are used most frequently to detect influenza A or B virus to establish the diagnosis of influenza rapidly and initiate appropriate therapy. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the actim Influenza A&B test (Medix Biochemica). Overall, 473 respiratory specimens were analysed in the actim Influenza A&B test and the results were compared with those from an RT-PCR assay; 461 of these samples originated from paediatric patients aged 7 weeks to 6.

No association of two functional polymorphisms in human ALOX15 with myocardial infarction.

The 12/15-lipoxygenase plays a janus-role in inflammation with pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects in cell systems and even opposite effects on atherosclerosis in two different animal species. Screening of the human 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15) gene detected a polymorphic C to T substitution at position c.-292, which led to three times higher ALOX15 activity in macrophages and showed a trend to be atheroprotective in a small case-control study for coronary artery disease (CAD).

Extended-spectrum Beta-lactamase detection with different panels for automated susceptibility testing and with a chromogenic medium.

Infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)- and ampC beta-lactamase-producing gram-negative bacteria complicate therapy and limit treatment options. Several different panels for ESBL detection with automated systems exist. In addition, a chromogenic agar medium is available for ESBL screening.

Cowpox infection transmitted from a domestic cat.

A 21-year-old immunocompetent woman developed a cowpox infec-tion,while working as a veterinarian's assistant in a rural area. She had never received vaccinia immunization and came in contact with a fatally-infected house cat. Under symptomatic treatment, the infection remained localized to one cheek and cleared over 3 weeks with substantial dermal-subcutaneous tissue destruction.

Genetic classification and distinguishing of Staphylococcus species based on different partial gap, 16S rRNA, hsp60, rpoB, sodA, and tuf gene sequences.

The analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences has been the technique generally used to study the evolution and taxonomy of staphylococci. However, the results of this method do not correspond to the results of polyphasic taxonomy, and the related species cannot always be distinguished from each other. Thus, new phylogenetic markers for Staphylococcus spp.