[Diabetes mellitus and total joint arthroplasty-What should be considered?].

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is on the rise in the population. Approximately 10% of adults suffer from DM. Over two-thirds of patients are over 60 years old, and thus it particularly affects patients who have to undergo total joint arthroplasty.

Virtual reality-based Harms tangent screen test for strabismus measurement.

Purpose: Our study presents a virtual reality-based tangent screen test (VTS) to measure subjective ocular deviations including torsion in nine directions of gaze. The test was compared to the analogous Harms tangent screen test (HTS).

Methods: We used an Oculus Go controller and head-mounted-display with rotation sensors to measure patient's head orientation for the VTS.

[Perioperative management with consumption of alcohol and nicotine in patients with hip and knee arthroplasty].

Excessive consumption of nicotine and alcohol has been proven to effect the organ system. Both stimulants are consumed in the population to a not insignificant extent. The question therefore arises as to what effect the consumption of nicotine and alcohol has on the complication rates and to what extent this should be reduced or stopped before performing a joint arthroplasty? A literature search was carried out to answer these questions.

Characterization of high Zr/Ce ratio Ba(Zr,Ce,Y)O proton conductors: investigating the impact of Y on the properties of materials.

Acceptor-substituted Ba(Zr,Ce)O proton conducting oxides have attracted significant attention due to their excellent proton conductivity at intermediate temperatures (400-600 °C). A high Zr/Ce ratio is crucial for maintaining stability in humid or other harsh atmospheres. Herein, a systematic study was conducted on the phase composition, microstructure, and the resulting hydration ability and electrochemical performance of high Zr/Ce ratio Ba(Zr,Ce)O solid solutions with different Y substitution levels (10 at% to 30 at%).

Time as a significant factor in the release of potassium from lithium heparin plasma and serum.

Objectives: In most countries the majority of patients are in outpatient care. In difference to hospitalized patients, their blood samples often take hours after collection to centrifugation. The study investigates the release of potassium and the development of pseudohyperkalemia in lithium heparin (Li-Hep) and serum blood collection tubes over time.

Giant Polyketide Synthases Biosynthesize a Marine Polyether Biotoxin.

Prymnesin toxins were probably the direct cause of the environmental catastrophe in the Oder river in 2022. They belong to the so-called ladder polyethers, which are among the most toxic non-proteinogenic substances and have caused a whole series of food poisoning in humans and numerous other incidents of fish deaths. Despite massive efforts, the enzymatic machinery has remained enigmatic.

Cerebrovascular damage caused by the gut microbe/host co-metabolite -cresol sulfate is prevented by blockade of the EGF receptor.

The gut microbiota-brain axis has been associated with the pathogenesis of numerous disorders, but the mechanism(s) underlying these links are generally poorly understood. Accumulating evidence indicates the involvement of gut microbe-derived metabolites. Circulating levels of the gut microbe/host co-metabolite -cresol sulfate (pCS) correlate with cerebrovascular event risk in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but whether this relationship is mechanistic is unclear.

Sub-30-fs Yb:CALGO laser oscillator based on cross-polarized multi-mode diode pumping.

Ytterbium (Yb)-doped materials are an excellent choice for efficient and powerful ultrafast lasers. They exhibit favorable emission properties, which include a low quantum defect and compatibility with cost-effective high-power pump diodes. While being strongly beneficial for efficiency, the low quantum defect is a challenge for operation in the few-cycle regime.

[Hybrid diagnosis-related groups-The challenge].

The introduction of hybrid diagnosis-related groups (DRG) presents new challenges for healthcare providers and health insurances. The same applied in 2023 to the institute designated by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) to extract medical procedures and calculate remuneration levels for the first hybrid DRGs. A responsible calculation methodology and a realistic data basis are required as the result of the calculation can lead to controversy, even to a splitting among specialist groups and constructs.

Quantitative, real-time imaging of spreading depolarization-associated neuronal ROS production.

Spreading depolarization (SD) causes a massive neuronal/glial depolarization, disturbs ionic homeostasis and deranges neuronal network function. The metabolic burden imposed by SD may also generate marked amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Yet, proper optical tools are required to study this aspect with spatiotemporal detail.

Impact of seizure outcome and extent of neocortical resection on emotional well-being in patients with epilepsy one year after temporal lobe surgery.

Background: Seizure frequency and cognitive function are common parameters in assessing epilepsy surgery outcomes. However, psychobehavioral outcomes, such as symptoms of depression and quality of life (QOL), have not found equal attention yet.

Objective: To assess the effect of seizure frequency, the extent of resection, and cognitive function on the psychobehavioral outcome of patients after temporal lobe surgery for pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

Effect of HTC and Water-Leaching of Low-Grade Biomasses on the Release Behavior of Inorganic Constituents in a Calcium Looping Gasification Process at 650 °C.

The release of alkali metals (K, Na) and nonmetals (S, Cl) during a calcium looping (CaL) gasification process of waste derived-hydrochars, water-leached samples, and CaO-biomass blends was investigated. Special attention was paid to biomasses that are not particularly promising for gasification requirements but have a large occurrence in Europe, including Grape Bagasse, Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW), Green Waste, and Out-of-use woods from construction debris and discarded furniture. The release experiments were performed at 650 °C in a flow channel reactor to investigate the behavior of inorganic trace substances.

Voices of the Future: Junior Physicians' Experiences of Discussing Life-Sustaining Treatments With Hospitalized Patients.

Objectives: Life-sustaining treatments (LST) aim to prolong life without reversing the underlying medical condition. Being associated with a high risk of developing unwanted adverse outcomes, decisions about LST are routinely discussed with patients at hospital admission, particularly when it comes to cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Physicians may encounter many challenges when enforcing shared decision-making in this domain.

Menopause and Alzheimer's disease susceptibility: Exploring the potential mechanisms.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD), responsible for 62% of all dementia cases, is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that leads to cognitive dysfunction. The prevalence of AD is consistently higher in women suggesting they are disproportionately affected by this disease. Despite this, our understanding of this female AD vulnerability remains limited.

From the forest floor to the lab: Insights into the diversity and complexity of mushroom polyketide synthases.

Mushroom-forming fungi exhibit a distinctive ecology, which is unsurprisingly also reflected in unique and divergent biosynthetic pathways. We review this phenomenon through the lens of the polyketide metabolism, where mushrooms often deviate from established principles and challenge conventional paradigms. This is evident not only by non-canonical enzyme architectures and functions but also by their propensity for multi-product synthases rather than single-product pathways.

Regioselective Oxidative Phenol Coupling by a Mushroom Unspecific Peroxygenase.

Bioactive dimeric (pre-)anthraquinones are ubiquitous in nature and are found in bacteria, fungi, insects, and plants. Their biosynthesis via oxidative phenol coupling (OPC) is catalyzed by cytochrome P450 enzymes, peroxidases, or laccases. While the biocatalysis of OPC in molds (Ascomycota) is well-known, the respective enzymes in mushroom-forming fungi (Basidiomycota) are unknown.

Identification of Kibdelomycin and Related Biosynthetic Gene Clusters and Characterization of the C-Branching of Amycolose.

Many bacterial natural products contain C-branched sugars, including components from the outer cell wall or antibiotically active metabolites. The enzymatic C-branching of keto sugars leading to longer side chains (≥C) is catalyzed by thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzymes. Chiral tertiary α-hydroxy ketones are formed in this process.

Dietary fiber supplementation increases lifespan and gut microbiota diversity.

Dietary fiber has been shown to have multiple health benefits, including a positive effect on longevity and the gut microbiota. In the present study, has been chosen as an model organism to study the health effects of dietary fiber supplementation (DFS). DFS extended the mean half-life of male and female flies, but the absolute lifespan only increased in females.

Structures and Protein Engineering of the α-Keto Acid C-Methyltransferases SgvM and MrsA for Rational Substrate Transfer.

S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent methyltransferases (MTs) are involved in the C-methylation of a variety of natural products. The MTs SgvM from Streptomyces griseoviridis and MrsA from Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae catalyze the methylation of the β-carbon atom of α-keto acids in the biosynthesis of the antibiotic natural products viridogrisein and 3-methylarginine, respectively.