The architecture of the diaminobutyrate acetyltransferase active site provides mechanistic insight into the biosynthesis of the chemical chaperone ectoine.

Ectoine is a solute compatible with the physiologies of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and is widely synthesized by bacteria as an osmotic stress protectant. Because it preserves functional attributes of proteins and macromolecular complexes, it is considered a chemical chaperone and has found numerous practical applications. However, the mechanism of its biosynthesis is incompletely understood.

Comparison of the beta-hydroxybutyrate, glucose, and lactate concentrations derived from postmortem proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and biochemical analysis for the diagnosis of fatal metabolic disorders.

Purpose: The detection and quantification of metabolites relevant for the diagnosis of fatal metabolic disorders by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was recently demonstrated. This prospective study aimed to compare the concentrations of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), glucose (GLC), and lactate (LAC) derived from both biochemical analyses and 1H-MRS for the diagnosis of fatal metabolic disorders.

Methods: In total, 20 cases with suspected fatal metabolic disorders were included in the study.

Targeting T2 Inflammation by Dupilumab Impacts on the Microbiomic "Ménage à Trois" of Atopic Dermatitis.

Dupilumab leads to an improvement of the dysbiosis in lesional and non-lesional skin in atopic dermatitis (AD). Although the causal relationship between inflammation and dysbiosis remains unclear, strategies to normalize microbiome composition remain a relevant approach in AD. How and when to best individually impact on the microbiome to improve AD in the long-term and potentially modify disease is worthy of additional exploration.

Is the value of urodynamics undermined by poor technique?: ICI-RS 2018.

Introduction: The quality of urodynamic measurements in clinical practice has been debated as a matter of concern. It is considered plausible that this has a direct bearing on patient care and the perceived value of urodynamic testing.

Methods: This is a report of the proceedings of the Think Tank: "Is the value of urodynamics undermined by poor technique?" from the Annual International Consultation on Incontinence-Research Society, which took place in June 2018 in Bristol, UK.

How can we improve investigation, prevention and treatment for recurrent urinary tract infections - ICI-RS 2018.

Background: Recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) is a chronic condition and has a significant impact on health-related quality of life. The commonly used definition for rUTI is greater than three episodes in a year or more than two in 6 months. Current diagnostic methods have been used worldwide for over five decades, despite well evidenced criticism.

Are there different patterns of detrusor overactivity which are clinically relevant? ICI-RS 2018.

Introduction: Different patterns of detrusor overactivity (DO) have been described and included in several standardization terminology documents. However, it is unclear if these different patterns have any clinical significance.

Methods: This is a report of the proceedings of Proposal 3: "Are there different patterns of detrusor overactivity which are clinically relevant?" from the annual International Consultation on Incontinence-Research Society (ICIRS) meeting, which took place from 14 to 16 June 2018, in Bristol, UK.

MULTIOMIC PATTERNS IN BODY FLUIDS: TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGE WITH A GREAT POTENTIAL TO IMPLEMENT THE ADVANCED PARADIGM OF 3P MEDICINE.

Liquid biopsy (LB) is defined as a sample of any of body fluids (blood, saliva, tear fluid, urine, sweat, amniotic, cerebrospinal and pleural fluids, cervicovaginal secretion, and wound efflux, amongst others), which can be ex vivo analysed to detect and quantity the target(s) of interest. LB represents diagnostic approach relevant for organ-specific changes and systemic health conditions including both manifested diseases and their prestages such as suboptimal health. Further, experts emphasise that DNA-based analysis alone does not provide sufficient information for optimal diagnostics and effective treatments.

Baseline characteristics, disease severity and treatment history of patients with atopic dermatitis included in the German AD Registry TREATgermany.

Background: The Atopic Dermatitis (AD) TREATgermany registry was initiated by the German Society for Dermatology (DDG) in 2011 to evaluate the 'real-life' situation of health care for patients with AD.

Objectives: Interim data analysis on baseline characteristics as well as current and prescribed systemic treatments of the TREATgermany registry patients.

Methods: Patients (≥18 years) with moderate-to-severe AD [objective (o)SCORAD > 20], or with current or previous anti-inflammatory systemic treatment for AD within 24 months, were included and are followed up over at least 24 months.

Impact of acute sleep deprivation on dynamic functional connectivity states.

Sleep deprivation (SD) could amplify the temporal fluctuation of spontaneous brain activities that reflect different arousal levels using a dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) approach. Therefore, we intended to evaluate the test-retest reliability of dFC characteristics during rested wakefulness (RW), and to explore how the properties of these dynamic connectivity states were affected by extended durations of acute sleep loss (28/52 hr). We acquired resting-state fMRI and neuropsychological datasets in two independent studies: (a) twice during RW and once after 28 hr of SD (n = 15) and (b) after 52 hr of SD and after 14 hr of recovery sleep (RS; n = 14).

WS PRO 160 I 120 mg (a combination of sabal and urtica extract) in patients with LUTS related to BPH.

Introduction: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) caused by prostatic enlargement are a common impairing condition in men aged 50 years and older. In the management of LUTS related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), medication, particularly by α-adrenoceptor antagonists, 5α-reductase inhibitors, and phytopharmaceuticals, is considered the first-line therapy. Despite their popularity, a number of adverse effects on the cardiovascular or cognitive systems have been reported for some of the synthetic drugs.

Secretion of Phospholipase Dδ Functions as a Regulatory Mechanism in Plant Innate Immunity.

Plant phospholipase Ds (PLDs), essential regulators of phospholipid signaling, function in multiple signal transduction cascades; however, the mechanisms regulating PLDs in response to pathogens remain unclear. Here, we found that Arabidopsis () PLDδ accumulated in cells at the entry sites of the barley powdery mildew fungus, f. sp Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and single-molecule analysis, we observed higher PLDδ density in the plasma membrane after chitin treatment; PLDδ also underwent rapid exocytosis.

Prediction of survival outcomes following postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

To evaluate predictive factors for survival outcomes after post-prostatectomy radiotherapy. In the years 2003-2008, 324 patients have received postoperative radiotherapy a median time of 14 months after radical prostatectomy. All patients have been treated up to 66.

Safety and Treatment Effects of Nusinersen in Longstanding Adult 5q-SMA Type 3 - A Prospective Observational Study.

Objective: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive autosomal recessive motor neuron disease caused by loss of the SMN1 gene. Based on randomized clinical trials in children with SMA type 1 and 2, Nusinersen has been approved as the first treatment for all types of SMA, including adults with SMA type 3.

Methods: We evaluated the safety and treatment effects of Nusinersen in longstanding adult 5q-SMA type 3.

The Association between Alcohol Consumption and Serum Metabolites and the Modifying Effect of Smoking.

Alcohol consumption is an important lifestyle factor that is associated with several health conditions and a behavioral link with smoking is well established. Metabolic alterations after alcohol consumption have yet to be comprehensively investigated. We studied the association of alcohol consumption with metabolite patterns (MPs) among 2433 individuals from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam Study, and a potential modification by smoking.

Slowly but surely: gradual diversification and phenotypic evolution in the hyper-diverse tree fern family Cyatheaceae.

Background And Aims: The tremendously unbalanced distribution of species richness across clades in the tree of life is often interpreted as the result of variation in the rates of diversification, which may themselves respond to trait evolution. Even though this is likely a widespread pattern, not all diverse groups of organisms exhibit heterogeneity in their dynamics of diversification. Testing and characterizing the processes driving the evolution of clades with steady rates of diversification over long periods of time are of importance in order to have a full understanding of the build-up of biodiversity through time.

ITPK1 and ITPK2 Have an Evolutionarily Conserved Phytic Acid Kinase Activity.

Diphospho--inositol polyphosphates, also termed inositol pyrophosphates, are molecular messengers containing at least one high-energy phosphoanhydride bond and regulate a wide range of cellular processes in eukaryotes. While inositol pyrophosphates InsP and InsP are present in different plant species, both the identity of enzymes responsible for InsP synthesis and the isomer identity of plant InsP remain unknown. This study demonstrates that ITPK1 and ITPK2 catalyze the phosphorylation of phytic acid (InsP) to the symmetric InsP isomer 5-InsP and that the InsP kinase activity of ITPK enzymes is evolutionarily conserved from humans to plants.

Bacterial community composition of biofilms in milking machines of two dairy farms assessed by a combination of culture-dependent and -independent methods.

Dairy biofilms as a source of contamination of milk and its products are of great concern in the dairy industry. For a reliable risk assessment, knowledge about the microbial community composition of biofilms in the milking systems of dairy farms must be improved. In this work, swab samples of milking machine biofilms of two dairy farms were investigated by a combination of culture-dependent and -independent methods.

Dietary Patterns Are Associated with Serum Metabolite Patterns and Their Association Is Influenced by Gut Bacteria among Older German Adults.

Background: Although dietary intakes and dietary intake patterns (DPs) have been associated with single metabolites, it is unclear whether DPs are also reflected in specific metabolite patterns (MPs). Moreover, the influence of groups of gut bacteria on the relationship between DPs and MPs is underexplored.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the association of DPs and serum MPs and also the modifying effect of the gut bacteria compositional patterns (BCPs).

Survival of HIV/HCV co-infected patients before introduction of HCV direct acting antivirals (DAA).

HIV/HCV infection is supposed to substantially reduce survival as compared to HIV mono-infection. Here, we compared longtime-survival and causes of death in a cohort of HIV- and HIV/HCV-co-infected patients on combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), before introduction of HCV direct acting antivirals (DAA). 322 Caucasian patients with HIV (n = 176) and HIV/HCV-infection (n = 146) were enrolled into this study.

Site Selective and Efficient Spin Labeling of Proteins with a Maleimide-Functionalized Trityl Radical for Pulsed Dipolar EPR Spectroscopy.

Pulsed dipolar electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (PDS) in combination with site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) of proteins and oligonucleotides is a powerful tool in structural biology. Instead of using the commonly employed -dimethyl-nitroxide labels, triarylmethyl (trityl) spin labels enable such studies at room temperature, within the cells and with single-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments. However, it has been repeatedly reported that labeling of proteins with trityl radicals led to low labeling efficiencies, unspecific labeling and label aggregation.

Quality of Life Changes >10 Years After Postoperative Radiation Therapy After Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: To analyze long-term quality-of-life (QoL) changes related to postoperative radiation therapy (RT) after radical prostatectomy.

Methods And Materials: Patients who received postoperative 3-dimensional conformal RT in the years 2003 to 2008 with 1.8 to 2.

Antimicrobial Activity of Lignin and Lignin-Derived Cellulose and Chitosan Composites Against Selected Pathogenic and Spoilage Microorganisms.

The antiradical and antimicrobial activity of lignin and lignin-based films are both of great interest for applications such as food packaging additives. The polyphenolic structure of lignin in addition to the presence of O-containing functional groups is potentially responsible for these activities. This study used DPPH assays to discuss the antiradical activity of HPMC/lignin and HPMC/lignin/chitosan films.

C-C Cross-Coupling Reactions of Trityl Radicals: Spin Density Delocalization, Exchange Coupling, and a Spin Label.

Organic radicals are usually highly reactive and short-lived species. In contrast, tetrathiatriarylmethyl radicals, the so-called trityl- or TAM-radicals, are stable and do survive over longer times even under in-cell conditions. In addition, they show strong EPR signals, have long phase memory times at room temperature, and are reporters on local oxygen and proton concentrations.

Re-targeting of a plant defense protease by a cyst nematode effector.

Plants mount defense responses during pathogen attacks, and robust host defense suppression by pathogen effector proteins is essential for infection success. 4E02 is an effector of the sugar beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii. Arabidopsis thaliana lines expressing the effector-coding sequence showed altered expression levels of defense response genes, as well as higher susceptibility to both the biotroph H.

Saliva molecular inflammatory profiling in female migraine patients responsive to adjunctive cervical non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation: the MOXY Study.

Background: Rising evidence indicate that oxytocin and IL-1β impact trigemino-nociceptive signaling. Current perspectives on migraine physiopathology emphasize a cytokine bias towards a pro-inflammatory status. The anti-nociceptive impact of oxytocin has been reported in preclinical and human trials.