Coral high molecular weight carbohydrates support opportunistic microbes in bacterioplankton from an algae-dominated reef.

Unlabelled: High molecular weight (HMW; >1 kDa) carbohydrates are a major component of dissolved organic matter (DOM) released by benthic primary producers. Despite shifts from coral to algae dominance on many reefs, little is known about the effects of exuded carbohydrates on bacterioplankton communities in reef waters. We compared the monosaccharide composition of HMW carbohydrates exuded by hard corals and brown macroalgae and investigated the response of the bacterioplankton community of an algae-dominated Caribbean reef to the respective HMW fractions.

The Dual Mode of Antibacterial Action of the Synthetic Small Molecule DCAP Involves Lipid II Binding.

The synthetic small molecule DCAP is a chemically well-characterized compound with antibiotic activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including drug-resistant pathogens. Until now, its mechanism of action was proposed to rely exclusively on targeting the bacterial membrane, thereby causing membrane depolarization, and increasing membrane permeability (Eun 2012, 134 (28), 11322-11325; Hurley 2015, 6, 466-471). Here, we show that the antibiotic activity of DCAP results from a dual mode of action that is more targeted and multifaceted than previously anticipated.

Surgical versus conservative treatment for odontoid fractures in older people: an international prospective comparative study.

Background: The optimal treatment for odontoid fractures in older people remains debated. Odontoid fractures are increasingly relevant to clinical practice due to ageing of the population.

Methods: An international prospective comparative study was conducted in fifteen European centres, involving patients aged ≥55 years with type II/III odontoid fractures.

Semisynthetic guanidino lipoglycopeptides with potent in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity.

Gram-positive bacterial infections present a major clinical challenge, with methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant strains continuing to be a cause for concern. In recent years, semisynthetic vancomycin derivatives have been developed to overcome this problem as exemplified by the clinically used telavancin, which exhibits increased antibacterial potency but has also raised toxicity concerns. Thus, glycopeptide antibiotics with enhanced antibacterial activities and improved safety profiles are still necessary.

Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy Compared with Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion for Cervical Radiculopathy: Two-Year Results of the FACET Randomized Noninferiority Study.

Background: Posterior cervical foraminotomy (posterior surgery) is a valid alternative to anterior discectomy with fusion (anterior surgery) as a surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy, but the quality of evidence has been limited. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcome of these treatments after 2 years of follow-up. We hypothesized that posterior surgery would be noninferior to anterior surgery.