Fungal Community Shift Along Steep Environmental Gradients from Geothermal Soils in Yellowstone National Park.

Geothermal soils offer unique insight into the way extreme environmental factors shape communities of organisms. However, little is known about the fungi growing in these environments and in particular how localized steep abiotic gradients affect fungal diversity. We used metabarcoding to characterize soil fungi surrounding a hot spring-fed thermal creek with water up to 84 °C and pH 10 in Yellowstone National Park.

[An examination programme for functional analysis of the upper extremities (author's transl)].

An examination programme for assessing the functional capacities of the upper extremities with special regard to manual skills is presented. Experience involving 200 clients are reported on, permitting to assume the programme's usefulness in assessing functional disorders in the hand.

[The spine in the thalidomide-embryopathy].

The results of an X-ray investigation of 480 patients suffering from thalidomide embryopathy demonstrate that, beside dysmelia, spinal alterations are an important factor in malformations of the postural and locomotion apparatus. The pattern of malformations consists-according to the frequency of accumulated incidences - of spondylolysis, scoliosis, malformations of the intervertebral disc and dysgenesia of the sacrum. As in the case of extremities this pattern of malformations can only be established by radiological morphology.

[Functional and cosmetic results in thumb replacement surgery].

The operations to replace the thumb have been proved in thalidomide embryopathy both functionally and cosmetically. The best results are achieved in the pollicisation of dolichophalangeal triphalangeal thumbs. Simultaneously existing radial club hand impairs the operative results considerably.