The Changing Landscape of Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes.

Objective: Patients with Cystic Fibrosis related diabetes [CFRD] are treated with insulin and high calorie diets to maintain body mass. The combined CFTR modulator elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor [ETI] decreases pulmonary exacerbations and improves nutritional status. We reviewed the effects of ETI on BMI, HbA1c and diabetes regimen in patients with CFRD over a period of three years.

Pupil dilation and constriction in the skate Leucoraja erinacea in a simulated natural light field.

The skate Leucoraja erinacea has an elaborately shaped pupil, whose characteristics and functions have received little attention. The goal of our study was to investigate the pupil response in relation to natural ambient light intensities. First, we took a recently developed sensory-ecological approach, which gave us a tool for creating a controlled light environment for behavioural work: during a field survey, we collected a series of calibrated natural habitat images from the perspective of the skates' eyes.

Retinal specializations and visual ecology in an animal with an extremely elaborate pupil shape: the little skate Leucoraja (Raja) erinacea Mitchell, 1825.

Investigating retinal specializations offers insights into eye functionality. Using retinal wholemount techniques, we investigated the distribution of retinal ganglion cells in the Little skate Leucoraja erinacea by (a) dye-backfilling into the optic nerve prior to retinal wholemounting; (b) Nissl-staining of retinal wholemounts. Retinas were examined for regional specializations (higher numbers) of ganglion cells that would indicate higher visual acuity in those areas.

Liver Function, Quantified by LiMAx Test, After Major Abdominal Surgery. Comparison Between Open and Laparoscopic Approach.

Introduction: Major abdominal surgery may lead to a systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) with a risk of organ failure. One possible trigger for a postoperative hepatic dysfunction is an altered hepatic blood flow during SIRS, resulting in a decreased oxygen delivery. This pilot study investigated the role of liver dysfunction measured by the LiMAx test after major abdominal surgery, focussing on open and laparoscopic surgical approaches.

Presentation of an 85-year-old woman with musculoskeletal pain to a chiropractic clinic: a case of ischemic stroke.

Objective: The purpose of this case is to describe a patient who had a stroke preceding a chiropractic appointment and was unaware that the cerebrovascular event had occurred.

Clinical Features: An 85-year-old established patient presented for chiropractic treatment of pain in the left side of the neck, hip, and low back associated with known advanced degenerative spinal disease and lumbar stenosis. On the day of presentation, the patient reported morning nausea, double vision, and right-sided vision loss; she related that she had collided into a car while driving to the appointment.

Simple proposal for dosimetry with an Elekta iViewGT™ electronic portal imaging device (EPID) using commercial software modules.

Background: An electronic portal imaging device (EPID) is used to control for patient setup and positioning during fractionated radiotherapy. Due to the rising complexity and conformity of irradiation techniques, the demand for an accurate verification of the dose delivered to the patient has also increased. The purpose of this study was to investigate a simple guidance for dosimetry with an Elekta iViewGT™ EPID using commercial software modules.

GeoChip 3.0 as a high-throughput tool for analyzing microbial community composition, structure and functional activity.

A new generation of functional gene arrays (FGAs; GeoChip 3.0) has been developed, with approximately 28 000 probes covering approximately 57 000 gene variants from 292 functional gene families involved in carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur cycles, energy metabolism, antibiotic resistance, metal resistance and organic contaminant degradation. GeoChip 3.

Organocatalytic asymmetric aza-Michael additions.

The catalytic aza-Michael addition is an important reaction within synthetic organic chemistry, given the significance of the biologically and synthetically interesting products, such as beta-amino acids and beta-lactams. In the last decade organocatalysis emerged as a powerful tool in asymmetric synthesis and had a large impact on the development of asymmetric and catalytic conjugate additions of nitrogen nucleophiles to Michael acceptors. In this review a first summary of the recent rapid progress of asymmetric organocatalyzed aza-Michael reactions is presented.

Different influences of DNA purity indices and quantity on PCR-based DGGE and functional gene microarray in soil microbial community study.

Based on the comparative study of the DNA extracts from two soil samples obtained by three commercial DNA extraction kits, we evaluated the influence of the DNA quantity and purity indices (the absorbance ratios A260/280 and A260/230, as well as the absorbance value A320 indicating the amount of humic substances) on polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and a functional gene microarray used in the study of microbial communities. Numbers and intensities of the DGGE bands are more affected by the A260/280 and A320 values than by the ratio A260/230 and conditionally affected by the DNA yield. Moreover, we demonstrated that the DGGE band pattern was also affected by the preferential extraction due to chemical agents applied in the extraction.

Application of iridium catalyzed allylic substitution reactions in the synthesis of branched tryptamines and homologues via tandem hydroformylation-Fischer indole synthesis.

Combination of enantioselective allylation reactions with a tandem hydroformylation-Fischer indole synthesis sequence as a highly diversity-oriented strategy for the synthesis of tryptamines and homologues was explored. This modular approach allows the substituents at C3 of the indole core, the type of the amine moiety, and the distance of the amine moiety to the indole core in the final synthetic step to be defined. The starting materials required for the hydroformylation step were synthesized via iridium catalyzed enantioselective allylic substitution reactions in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities.

GeoChip: a comprehensive microarray for investigating biogeochemical, ecological and environmental processes.

Owing to their vast diversity and as-yet uncultivated status, detection, characterization and quantification of microorganisms in natural settings are very challenging, and linking microbial diversity to ecosystem processes and functions is even more difficult. Microarray-based genomic technology for detecting functional genes and processes has a great promise of overcoming such obstacles. Here, a novel comprehensive microarray, termed GeoChip, has been developed, containing 24,243 oligonucleotide (50 mer) probes and covering >10,000 genes in >150 functional groups involved in nitrogen, carbon, sulfur and phosphorus cycling, metal reduction and resistance, and organic contaminant degradation.

Improvement of oligonucleotide probe design criteria for functional gene microarrays in environmental applications.

To optimize oligonucleotide probe design criteria, PCR products with different similarities to probes were hybridized to a functional gene microarray designed to detect homologous genes from different organisms. In contrast to more restrictive probe designs based on a single criterion, simultaneous consideration of the percent similarity (< or =90%), the length of identical sequence stretches (< or =20 bases), and the binding free energy (> or =-35 kcal mol(-1)) was found to be predictive of probe specificity.

Structural and functional approach to studying pesticide side-effects on specific soil functions.

The microbial communities in the soil are responsible for material cycling and thus also for maintaining the fertility of agricultural soils. In order to assess pesticide side effects on the soil processes, detailed knowledge is required about the structure and function of the soil microflora. Therefore, the degradation and humification of 14C-labeled maize straw was studied in process-oriented microcosms.

Microbial release and degradation of nonextractable anilazine residues.

Humic substance fractions obtained from a degraded loess soil taken from a long-term lysimeter experiment with the fungicide anilazine were incubated in aerated liquid cultures together with native soil microorganisms. Biomineralization, remobilization of [U-phenyl-(14)C]anilazine, respectively, its metabolites, and changes of the humic matrix were observed under variable nutrient conditions. Stimulated microbial activity favored the degradation of nonextractable (14)C-anilazine residues.

[The effect of chlorhexidine on the pulp-dentin system (research on the canine dental pulp)].

The effect on the pulp-dentin system by chlorhexidine 0.2% in comparison to the physiological sodium chloride solution was investigated in animal experiments. The methods of tests were based on the requirements of FDI 1980.