Subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics induce phenazine production in a marine Streptomyces sp

Subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics were found to enhance and modulate the production of new phenazines, streptophenazines A-H, in a marine Streptomyces isolate. The streptophenazines differ in length and substitution of an alkyl chain. The pattern of metabolites formed depends on the antibiotic used. In the presence of tetracycline, streptophenazines F and G were induced and the production of streptophenazines A-D was increased. When using bacitracin, mainly streptophenazine H was produced. Streptophenazines C and H showed moderate activity against Bacillus subtilis, while streptophenazine C was also active against Staphylococcus lentus.     

High-intensity focused ultrasound for the targeted destruction of uterine tissues: experiences from a pilot study using a mobile HIFU unit

Background High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a novel method which offers the non-invasive ablation of tissues without harming overlying organs or skin. It has been introduced successfully in urology for the ablation of prostatic hyperplasia and seems to be promising in the treatment of uterine fibroids. In this study we aimed to examine the feasibility and possible side effects of HIFU treatment of uterine tissues using an experimental mobile HIFU unit with ultrasound guidance. Methods For these experiments, a 1.07 MHz ultrasound source was used which allows treatment depths between 0 and 10 cm. In 12 patients scheduled to have abdominal hysterectomy, 5–60 impulses of HIFU were applied through the intact skin upon uterine tissues directly prior to the surgical procedure. Tissue intensities lay between 3,200 and 6,300 W/cm2 and a fixed pulse length of 4 s was used. Results No side effects were encountered other than one first-degree skin burn and the treatment was well tolerated. Histology showed clearly demarcated coagulative necrosis in the targeted tissues. Treatment was concluded in less than 45 min for each patient. Conclusion Focused ultrasound is an effective method to selectively destroy tissue within the uterus and the transabdominal access route is very feasible. This study shows that a mobile ultrasound source can be used safely and effectively to destroy uterine tissues, such as fibroids, without major side effects.     

An estrogen metabolism-related polymorphism of the 17-alpha HSD gene is associated with perimenopausal body mass index

In a cross-sectional study of 2,802 perimenopausal caucasian women, carriage of at least one mutated allele of the 17-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17-alpha HSD) vlV A-->C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was associated with a significantly increased body mass index (mean 24.3 +/- 4.4 kg/m(2) vs. 23.5 +/- 4.2 kg/m(2); P<.001), and obesity was more frequent among mutant allele carriers (P=.06; odds ratio 1.38; 95% confidence interval 0.97-1.95), providing evidence of 17-alpha HSD as a candidate gene of perimenopausal obesity.     

Infektionen Durch Anaerobe Bacillen

Ohne ZusammenfassungNach einem am 27. Januar 1934 in der Medizinischen Vereinigung im Westfälischen Industriegebiet in Dortmund gehaltenen Vortrag mit 50 Lichtbildern.     

Das Kolloid der Schilddrüse und Hypophyse des Menschen

Ohne ZusammenfassungHierzu Tafel III und 1 Textfigur.     

Removal of Stair-Step Effects in Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing Using Grayscale and Dithering-Based Droplet Distribution

Binder jetting is a layer-based additive manufacturing process for three-dimensional parts in which a print head selectively deposits binder onto a thin layer of powder. After the deposition of the binder, a new layer of powder is applied. This process repeats to create three-dimensional parts. The binder jetting principle can be adapted to many different materials. Its advantages are the high productivity and the high degree of freedom of design without the need for support structures. In this work, the combination of binder jetting and casting is utilized to fabricate metal parts. However, the achieved properties of binder jetting parts limit the potential of this technology, specifically regarding surface quality. The most apparent surface phenomenon is the so-called stair-step effect. It is considered an inherent feature of the process and only treatable by post-processing. This paper presents a method to remove the stair-step effect entirely in a binder jetting process. The result is achieved by controlling the binder saturation of the individual voxel volumes by either over or underfilling them. The saturation is controlled by droplet size variation as well as dithering, creating a controlled migration of the binder between powder particles. This work applies the approach to silica sand particle material with an organic binder for casting molds and cores. The results prove the effectiveness of this approach and outline a field of research not identified previously.     

Individual Response to Botulinum Toxin Therapy in Movement Disorders: A Time Series Analysis Approach

On a group level, satisfaction with botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) treatment in neurological indications is high. However, it is well known that a relevant amount of patients may not respond as expected. The aim of this study is to evaluate the BoNT treatment outcome on an individual level using a statistical single-case analysis as an adjunct to traditional group statistics. The course of the daily perceived severity of symptoms across a BoNT cycle was analyzed in 20 cervical dystonia (CD) and 15 hemifacial spasm (HFS) patients. A parametric single-case autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) time series analysis was used to detect individual responsiveness to BoNT treatment. Overall, both CD and HFS patients significantly responded to BoNT treatment with a gradual worsening of symptom intensities towards BoNT reinjection. However, only 8/20 CD patients (40%) and 5/15 HFS patients (33.3%) displayed the expected U-shaped curve of BoNT efficacy across a single treatment cycle. CD (but not HFS) patients who followed the expected outcome course had longer BoNT injection intervals, showed a better match to objective symptom assessments, and were characterized by a stronger certainty to control their somatic symptoms (i.e., internal medical locus of control). In addition to standard evaluation procedures, patients should be identified who do not follow the mean course-of-treatment effect. Thus, the ARIMA single-case time series analysis seems to be an appropriate addition to clinical treatment studies in order to detect individual courses of subjective symptom intensities.