No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Anaerobic growth of the bacterium strain HxN1 with n‐hexane gives nearly equal amounts of (2R,1′R)‐ and (2S,1′R)‐(1‐methylpentyl)succinate, which are formed by the radical addition of the hydrocarbon to fumarate (see scheme). The highly selective attack on the pro‐S hydrogen atom at C2 of n‐hexane is associated with inversion of the configuration at C2 during binding to fumarate and exhibits isotopic discrimination against a C2H bond.

Introduction Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for treatment of Peyronie's disease (PD) is controversial. Aim To study the efficacy of ESWT by a placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Methods Patients with PD (n = 102) were randomly assigned (n = 51) to each group (ESWT or placebo). All patients were given 6 weekly treatments. Patients in the ESWT-group received 2,000 shock waves per session, using the Piezoson 100 lithotripter (Richard Wolf, Knittlingen, Germany). Patients in the placebo-group were treated with interposition of a plastic membrane, which prevented any transmission of shock waves. Main Outcome Measures Primary end point was decrease of pain between baseline and after 4 weeks follow-up. Secondary end points were changes in deviation, plaque size, and sexual function. Pain was assessed by a visual analog scale. Deviation was measured by a goniometer after artificial erection using Alprostadil (Viridal®, Schwarz Pharma, Monheim, Germany). Plaque size was measured with a ruler and sexual function assessed by a scale regarding the ability to perform sexual intercourse. Results Overall, only 45 patients experienced pain at baseline. In the subgroup analysis of these patients, pain decreased in 17/20 (85.0%) patients in the ESWT group and 12/25 (48.0%) patients in the placebo group (P = 0.013, relative risk [RR] = 0.29, 95% confidence interval: 0.09–0.87). Penile deviation was not reduced by ESWT (P = 0.66) but worsened in 20/50 (40%) and 12/49 (24.5%) patients of the ESWT and placebo-group, respectively (P = 0.133). Plaque size reduction was not different between the two groups (P = 0.33). Additional, plaque size increased in five patients (10.9%) of the ESWT group only. An improvement in sexual function could not be verified (P = 0.126, RR = 0.46). Conclusions Despite some potential benefit of ESWT in regard to pain reduction, it should be emphasized that pain usually resolves spontaneously with time. Given this and the fact that deviation may worsen with ESWT, this treatment cannot be recommended.

Surgery is gold-standard for correction of Peyronie's curvature. Grafting is preferred in advanced deviations. We present our novel surgical technique and early results of grafting with collagen fleece. Patients with stable Peyronie's disease (PD) were included. Grafting was performed by a ready-to-use collagen fleece coated with tissue sealant (TachoSil, Nycomed, Konstanz, Germany), following partial plaque excision/incision. Results of correction were documented by artificial erection. In all, n=70 consecutive patients underwent surgery. Mean patient age was 56.4 years (range: 33-72); 88.6% of patients had dorsal deviation, 11.4% lateral or ventral deviation. Grafting after partial plaque excision was performed in 61 patients (87.1%), after plaque incision in 2 (2.9%) patients. In the former patients, mean operative time was 94.2 min (range: 65-165). Totally straightness was achieved in 83.6%. Three patients required surgical drainage because of subcutaneous haematoma formation. After mean early follow-up of 5.2 days (range: 2-15), glans sensation was normal in 56 patients (91.8%). Seven patients (10.0%) underwent Nesbit procedure alone. Grafting by collagen fleece in PD is feasible and promising. Major advantages are decreased operative times and easy application. Moreover, an additional haemostatic effect is provided. However, long-term clinical outcomes are necessary to confirm these encouraging findings.

There is a lack of consensus in the definition of stone-free rate (SFR) after ureteric or renal stone surgery. We propose a simple classification to define levels of SFR post-treatment.

؊1 ) growth rates. A positive correlation to growth rate was observed for cellular parameters (cell size, and DNA and protein contents). The free energy consumed for biomass formation steadily increased with growth rate. In contrast, the energy demand for maintenance increased only from low to med and then remained constant until high . The most comprehensive proteomic changes were observed at low compared to high . Uniformly decreased abundances of protein components of the anaerobic benzoyl coenzyme A (benzoyl-CoA) pathway, central carbon metabolism, and information processing agree with a general deceleration of benzoate metabolism and cellular processes in response to slow growth. In contrast, increased abundances were observed at low for diverse catabolic proteins and components of uptake systems in the absence of the respective substrate (aromatic or aliphatic compounds) and for proteins involved in stress responses. This potential catabolic versatility and stress defense during slow growth may be interpreted as preparation for future needs. Most terrestrial and aquatic habitats are characterized by dynamic fluctuations in the composition and concentration of nutrients, supporting heterotrophic growth of bacteria in a feastand-famine manner. In most cases, poor carbon and nutrient availabilities restrict or even arrest microbial growth (see, e.g., references 19, 27, and 33). Thus, the capacity of bacteria to cope with nutrient limitation is a key determinant for their survival and success in the environment. Substrate limitation and its longknown intimate coupling to bacterial growth rates are best studied by continuous cultivation in chemostats (for an overview, see, e.g., references 20 and 27). Constrained by a defined and constant supply of the limiting nutrient at a specific rate (dilution rate [D]), the bacterial population in a chemostat approaches a steady state characterized by a specific growth rate () and stable growth parameters (39, 45). Combining these quantities with chemostat models can describe the dynamics of bacterial populations at many levels (see, e.g., reference 25).Steady-state responses are best understood in Escherichia coli and other enterobacteria. Early physiological studies revealed a tight coupling of growth rate with the size and molecular composition of cells (7,42,61). Subsequently, growth rate-dependent global alterations in gene expression (21, 30) and proteome signatures (49, 76) were observed. An interesting outcome from these global surveys of slowly growing, carbon-limited cells was the apparently preemptive adaptation to future needs for stress resistance and multiple substrate utilization (for an overview, see reference 19).The denitrifying strain "Aromatoleum aromaticum" EbN1 is a versatile aquatic betaproteobacterium that anaerobically degrades 24 different monoaromatic compounds, including petroleum hydrocarbons (57), phenolic solvents (79), and 3-phenylpropanoids (69). With few exceptions, these aromatic substrates are channeled via specific reaction sequences i...