Hepatitis E: an emerging infectious disease in Germany?

Increased frequencies of HEV infections have been reported in several industrialized countries. We suggest that this finding might be explained by a better awareness of the disease and not by an increased incidence. Although reported HEV infections increased more than 6-fold in Germany in recent years, the seroprevalence remained unchanged (2 %).

[Orgasm after curietherapy with permanent iodine-125 radioimplants for localized prostate cancer]

OBJECTIVES

Orgasm is a domain of male sexuality that remains underreported in literature. Our aim was to realize the first detailed analysis of orgasm in patients treated by 125 I permanent prostate brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In a series of 270 sexually active men treated by prostate brachytherapy (125I permanent implantation), 241 (89%), mean age of 65 (43-80), participated in a mailed survey about sexual function after a mean time of 36 months (9-70). Erectile and ejaculatory functions and orgasm were explored using a mailed questionnaire. Two questions focused on orgasm. The first was about quality of orgasm (fast/intense/late, difficult/weak/absent) and the second about the presence of painful orgasm and its frequency (always/sometimes/often).

RESULTS

After prostate brachytherapy, 81.3% of sexually active men conserved ejaculation and 90% orgasm. There was a significant deterioration of the quality of orgasm (P=0.0001). More than 50% of the patients had an altered orgasm (weak, difficult, absent) after brachytherapy, vs 16% before implantation (P=0.001). Men with a diminished ejaculation volume often had a weak/difficult orgasm (P=0.007). Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy did not seem to impact the quality of orgasm or the frequency of painful ejaculation. Patients who had an IIEF-5 score higher than 12 had frequently intense orgasm (26.7% vs 2.7%; P<0.001) after brachytherapy. Sixty patients (30.3%) experienced often/sometimes painful ejaculation 12.9% (n=31) before implantation (P=0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Most of the patients treated by prostate brachytherapy conserved orgasm after treatment. However, most of the patients described a deterioration of the quality of orgasm.

The effect of propofol and desflurane anaesthesia on human hepatic blood flow: a pilot study

This study tested the hypothesis that propofol is associated with a higher hepatic blood flow in humans compared with desflurane. Using a cross over study design, 10 patients received first propofol and then desflurane, and a further 10 patients received desflurane and then propofol. Blood flow index in the right and middle hepatic veins, stroke volume index and cardiac index were assessed by transoesophageal echocardiography. Mean arterial blood pressure, stroke volume index and cardiac index were the same in both groups. Propofol was associated with significantly greater blood flow index in the right hepatic vein (median (IQR [range]) 199 (146-237 [66-388]) vs. 149 (112-189 [42-309]) ml.min(-1).m(-2); p = 0.005) and middle hepatic vein (150 (122-191 [57-341]) vs. 125 (92-149 [47-362]) ml.min(-1).m(-2); p < 0.001) compared with desflurane. In routine clinical conditions, propofol anaesthesia was associated with significantly greater hepatic blood flow than desflurane anaesthesia.

[Percutaneous administration of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-7 (rhBMP-7) after callus distraction. Two case reports]

Two cases of increased bone density after callus distraction are described following percutaneous administration of 3.5 mg recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-7 (rhBMP-7). Both patients underwent segmental resection and segmental transport for osteomyelitis of the long bones (femur and tibia) but no callus maturation occurred. After percutaneous administration of rhBMP-7 the callus density increased in both cases.

Indications and candidacy for active middle ear implants

Currently, there are two active middle ear implants available commercially: the Vibrant Soundbridge system and the Carina system. A third active middle ear implant, the Esteem, is under clinical evaluation. All devices are indicated for patients with moderate-to-severe hearing loss. Because active middle ear implants are directly coupled to middle ear structures, many of the problems that patients with conventional hearing aids report, such as acoustic feedback, occlusion, and irritation of the outer ear canal, are avoided. In addition, AMEI patients perform well in background noise. However, indications for AMEIs are selective and candidates should be carefully evaluated before surgery. Before considering an AMEI, patients should be provided with conventional hearing aids. Only when benefit is insufficient and audiological selection criteria are met is further candidacy evaluation indicated. Since Colletti described coupling the Vibrant Soundbridge directly onto the round window membrane in 2006, the indications for the Vibrant Soundbridge have expanded and the VSB is implanted in patients with conductive and mixed hearing losses. Patients have often undergone middle ear surgery before. Especially mixed hearing loss cases with 30-60 dB HL sensorineural hearing impairment and 30-40 dB HL air-bone gaps may be helped by this new application.

Production and Properties of Xylan-Degrading Enzymes from Cellulomonas uda

Xylan degradation and production of beta-xylanase and beta-xylosidase activities were studied in cultures of Cellulomonas uda grown on purified xylan from birchwood. beta-Xylanase activity was found to be associated with the cells, although in various degrees. The formation of beta-xylanase activity was induced by xylotriose and repressed by xylose. beta-Xylosidase activity was cell bound. Both constitutive and inducible beta-xylosidase activities were suggested. beta-Xylanase and beta-xylosidase activities were inhibited competitively by xylose. beta-Xylanase activity had a pronounced optimum pH of 5.8, whereas the optimum pH of beta-xylosidase activity ranged from 5.4 to 6.1. The major products of xylan degradation by a crude preparation of beta-xylanase activity, in decreasing order of amount, were xylobiose, xylotriose, xylose, and small amounts of xylotetraose. This pattern suggests that beta-xylanase activity secreted by C. uda is of the endosplitting type. Supernatants of cultures grown on cellulose showed not only beta-glucanase but also beta-xylanase activity. The latter could be attributed to an endo-1,4-beta-glucanase activity which had a low beta-xylanase activity.

Formation and identification of interfacial-active glycolipids from resting microbial cells

Resting cells of Arthrobacter sp. strain DSM2567 incubated in the presence of various mono-, di-, or trisaccharides biosynthesized different glycolipids. All eight glycolipids, containing the corresponding carbohydrate moiety and one, two, or three alpha-branched beta-hydroxy fatty acids, were produced when mannose, glucose, cellobiose, maltose, and maltotriose were used as carbon sources in a simple phosphate buffer. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by means of H and C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and by chemical ionization mass spectroscopy. In high-salinity solution, the substances showed different surfactant properties. Cellobiose and maltose monocorynomycolates reduced the interfacial tension from 42 to 1 mN/m at critical micelle concentrations below 20 mg/liter.

Heavy ion beam probe coordinate mapping and calibration at WEGA stellarator

The heavy ion beam probe (HIBP) is an established nonperturbing diagnostic for high spatially and temporary resolved measurements of magnetically confined plasma parameters such as potential, density, and temperature. These quantities can be determined from the change in the ion beam parameters (charge, intensity, and trajectory) passing through a plasma volume due to collisions with electrons and interaction with the confining magnetic field. One of the problems that should be solved during HIBP installation and tuning is the coordinate matching. Conventionally the coordinate mapping of the HIBP measurement point is provided by ray tracing calculations of the ion beam in the magnetic field. However, it is very difficult to include all physical effects and uncertainties in the model. Thus, the result of the calculations may differ from the real probing position. In order to improve the mapping precision of the HIBP installed at the WEGA stellarator an additional measurement of the beam position is provided using a primary beam detector array inside the vacuum vessel. This allows comparing the measured and calculated ion beam positions in order to prove the calculated coordinate precision and include adjustments in the calculation code if necessary. The principle and the results of this calibration, which is not specific to WEGA but could be adapted to other experiments as well, are presented in this work.