Customized chitooligosaccharide production-controlling their length engineering of rhizobial chitin synthases and the choice of expression system.

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) have attracted attention from industry and academia in various fields due to their diverse bioactivities. However, their conventional chemical production is environmentally unfriendly and in addition, defined and pure molecules are both scarce and expensive. A promising alternative is the synthesis of desired COS in microbial platforms with specific chitin synthases enabling a more sustainable production.

Sensory and motor differences in Autism Spectrum Conditions and developmental coordination disorder in children: A cross-syndrome study.

Recent research has shown that Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) can present with some similar symptomology as Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). This paper therefore explored the similarities and differences in coordination and sensory responsivity between DCD and ASC. 77 children took part: 42 (35 male, 7 female) with ASC (ages 7-21: mean age 12.

[Leptospirosis].

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira species. Leptospira infection can range from subclinical to life-threatening disease. Renal failure and severe respiratory symptoms may occur and are associated with a high mortality rate.

Goal setting in neurological rehabilitation: staff perspectives.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore rehabilitation professionals' perspectives about goal setting, and more particularly, the use of two specific forms of goal setting used within the same setting; 'usual participation' and 'increased participation'.

Methods: A qualitative research approach was identified as being particularly pertinent for the aims of this study. Fifteen rehabilitation professionals representing five different professions and having experience of usual and increased participation goal setting approaches used in one Neurological Rehabilitation Unit participated in two focus groups.

Navigated minimally invasive unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an alternative procedure to high tibial osteotomy. This study assessed the procedure using computer navigation to improve implantation accuracy and presents early radiological results of a group of patients implanted with the univation UKA (B. Braun Aesculap, Tuttlingen, Germany) with navigation instrumentation and a minimally invasive approach.

Better survival in patients with esophageal cancer after surgical treatment in university hospitals: a plea for performance by surgical oncologists.

Background: In primary esophageal cancer, studies have frequently focused on surgical patients in an effort to link outcome to hospital- or surgeon-related experience, with operative mortality used as the main outcome measure. Many studies have found an inverse relationship between operative mortality and hospital volume and surgical expertise. This study aims to assess the influence of surgeon-related expertise and hospital volume on the relative survival of operated esophageal cancer patients.

Increase in non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness as an early marker of bronchial response to occupational agents during specific inhalation challenges.

Background: Specific bronchial reactivity to occupational agents may decline after exposure in the workplace ceases leading to falsely negative specific inhalation challenges. A study was carried out to assess prospectively whether increases in nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness could be useful in detecting the bronchial response to occupational agents during specific inhalation challenges.

Methods: Specific inhalation challenges were performed in 66 subjects with possible occupational asthma due to various agents.

Changing trends in mental health legislation: anatomy of reforming a civil commitment law.

In this article, we discuss changing trends of mental health legislation in the United States using a case study of the process of reforming the civil commitment law in New Jersey. That state's new commitment law, commonly called the "screening law," was enacted after a thirteen-year legislative process. Changes in the orientation of the proposed legislation and the dynamics of the process of reforming the commitment law in the state exemplify changing national trends in civil commitment legislation.

Occupational asthma caused by oak wood dust.

Three cases of occupational asthma caused by oak wood dust are presented. The diagnosis was confirmed by specific inhalation challenges, which induced a dual asthmatic reaction in two subjects and an atypical prolonged immediate reaction in one subject.

[Computed tomography of pneumoconioses].

Thoracic computed tomography is now used in the assessment of occupational diseases. Coal miner's pneumoconiosis, silicosis and benign asbestosis constitute the principal indications. The specific contribution of computed tomography techniques, their methodology and their signs are presented.

Acylureidoalkylphenylsulfonylureas with blood glucose lowering efficacy.

The structure and the synthesis of the blood-glucose lowering sulfonylurea glimepiride (Hoe 490) and of some analogues is described. The acylureido group of these compounds is prepared from lactams.

[Blood glucose-lowering acylaminoalkylbenzenesulfonamide derivatives with heterocyclic acyl residues].

The paper reports on acylaminoalkylbenzenesulfonamide derivatives with special heterocyclic acyl substituents. The compounds are characterized by an oxygen atom in ortho position to the carboxamide group of the heterocyclic acyl moiety. Several compounds show blood glucose lowering activities in animals similarly to glibenclamide.

Mineralogical analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage in talc pneumoconiosis.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid obtained from six talc workers with pneumoconiosis was studied by optical and electron microscopy for its mineral content. Two of these workers were mainly exposed to American and Australian talc, and the other four were exposed to French talc (Luzenac). In all lavage fluids, talc particles and talc bodies were abundant, sometimes many years after the end of exposure.

Occupational lung fibrosis in an aluminium polisher.

An aluminium polisher developed severe lung fibrosis complicated by bronchial carcinoma. Although he was not submitted to the exposure risks usually described in aluminium lung (bauxite smelting, use of aluminium powders, aluminium welding), he worked in a high concentration of aluminium dust. This was demonstrated by mineralogical analyses which revealed large amounts of small metallic aluminium particles (0.

Inhibition of 3H-glibenclamide binding to sulfonylurea receptors by oral antidiabetics.

Specific binding of 3H-glibenclamide (HB 419) is observed with membranes from rat cerebral cortex and rat beta-cell tumor. 3H-Glibenclamide binding is of high affinity, reversible, saturable, and can be displaced by oral antidiabetics of different structural types. Half maximal inhibition of binding correlates with the hypoglycemic action of the compounds.

[Examination method for identification of snapping hip (author's transl)].

An examination method is described for the identification of the snapping hip 30-40 degrees of bending, adduction and alternating anterior and exterior rotation of the hip joint. Through the maximal pre-tension of the tractus iliotibialis it is possible to definitely prove the existence even of minor snapping. In view of the fact that the examination method is a passive one, it can also be employed intra-operatively for direct control of the result of the operation.

Elevated levels of antibodies to polyuridylic acid detected and quantitated in systemic scleroderma patients by solid phase radioimmunoassay.

A solid support radioimmunoassay has been developed to detect immunoglobulin specific circulating antibodies to polyuridylic acid (Pol U), single-stranded RNA (ss RNA), and single-stranded DNA (ss DNA) in scleroderma and other connective tissue diseases. The assay system uses flex-vinyl microtiter plates on which bovine methyl albumin, the respective polynucleotide, a 1:80 dilution of patient serum, and tritiated high affinity anti-IgG, -IgA, or -IgM are layered. The individual wells containing the sandwich assay are then counted for the presence of labeled immunoglobulins and the results are reported in microgram/ml.

[Acylaminoalkyl substituted benzoic and phenylalkane acids with hypoglycaemic properties (author's transl)].

Newly developed carbonic acids with hypoglycaemic properties are presented. Their activity is based on an insulin secretion with unusual biphasic dynamics which is seen both after enteral and parenteral administration. In vitro, the substances described have an inhibitory effect on gluconeogenesis in the liver and lipolysis in adipose tissue.