Showing papers by "Falk Hildebrand published in 2022"

Structure and function of the soil microbiome underlying N2O emissions from global wetlands

Abstract: Wetland soils are the greatest source of nitrous oxide (N2O), a critical greenhouse gas and ozone depleter released by microbes. Yet, microbial players and processes underlying the N2O emissions from wetland soils are poorly understood. Using in situ N2O measurements and by determining the structure and potential functional of microbial communities in 645 wetland soil samples globally, we examined the potential role of archaea, bacteria, and fungi in nitrogen (N) cycling and N2O emissions. We show that N2O emissions are higher in drained and warm wetland soils, and are correlated with functional diversity of microbes. We further provide evidence that despite their much lower abundance compared to bacteria, nitrifying archaeal abundance is a key factor explaining N2O emissions from wetland soils globally. Our data suggest that ongoing global warming and intensifying environmental change may boost archaeal nitrifiers, collectively transforming wetland soils to a greater source of N2O.

Landscape of mobile genetic elements and their antibiotic resistance cargo in prokaryotic genomes

Abstract: Abstract Prokaryotic Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs) such as transposons, integrons, phages and plasmids, play important roles in prokaryotic evolution and in the dispersal of cargo functions like antibiotic resistance. However, each of these MGE types is usually annotated and analysed individually, hampering a global understanding of phylogenetic and environmental patterns of MGE dispersal. We thus developed a computational framework that captures diverse MGE types, their cargos and MGE-mediated horizontal transfer events, using recombinases as ubiquitous MGE marker genes and pangenome information for MGE boundary estimation. Applied to ∼84k genomes with habitat annotation, we mapped 2.8 million MGE-specific recombinases to six operational MGE types, which together contain on average 13% of all the genes in a genome. Transposable elements (TEs) dominated across all taxa (∼1.7 million occurrences), outnumbering phages and phage-like elements (<0.4 million). We recorded numerous MGE-mediated horizontal transfer events across diverse phyla and habitats involving all MGE types, disentangled and quantified the extent of hitchhiking of TEs (17%) and integrons (63%) with other MGE categories, and established TEs as dominant carriers of antibiotic resistance genes. We integrated all these findings into a resource (proMGE.embl.de), which should facilitate future studies on the large mobile part of genomes and its horizontal dispersal.

Microbiota Dysbiosis and Gut Barrier Dysfunction Associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Are Modulated by a Specific Metabolic Cofactors’ Combination

Abstract: The gut is a selective barrier that not only allows the translocation of nutrients from food, but also microbe-derived metabolites to the systemic circulation that flows through the liver. Microbiota dysbiosis occurs when energy imbalances appear due to an unhealthy diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Dysbiosis has a critical impact on increasing intestinal permeability and epithelial barrier deterioration, contributing to bacterial and antigen translocation to the liver, triggering non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression. In this study, the potential therapeutic/beneficial effects of a combination of metabolic cofactors (a multi-ingredient; MI) (betaine, N-acetylcysteine, L-carnitine, and nicotinamide riboside) against NAFLD were evaluated. In addition, we investigated the effects of this metabolic cofactors’ combination as a modulator of other players of the gut-liver axis during the disease, including gut barrier dysfunction and microbiota dysbiosis. Diet-induced NAFLD mice were distributed into two groups, treated with the vehicle (NAFLD group) or with a combination of metabolic cofactors (NAFLD-MI group), and small intestines were harvested from all animals for histological, molecular, and omics analysis. The MI treatment ameliorated gut morphological changes, decreased gut barrier permeability, and reduced gene expression of some proinflammatory cytokines. Moreover, epithelial cell proliferation and the number of goblet cells were increased after MI supplementation. In addition, supplementation with the MI combination promoted changes in the intestinal microbiota composition and diversity, as well as modulating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentrations in feces. Taken together, this specific combination of metabolic cofactors can reverse gut barrier disruption and microbiota dysbiosis contributing to the amelioration of NAFLD progression by modulating key players of the gut-liver axis.

Frakturversorgung beim Polytrauma

Abstract: The management of polytrauma patients is a complex multidisciplinary and dynamic task. The early and comprehensive assessment of the clinical condition is of great importance with respect to the timing and the individual decision-making on surgical fracture treatment. Stable patients benefit from early definitive fracture treatment, whereas for unstable patients, the concept of multistage fracture treatment with temporary minimally invasive stabilization has gained wide acceptance. These concepts, known as early total care (ETC) and damage control orthopedics (DCO), have been extended in recent decades by dynamic and injury-adapted treatment protocols, such as early appropriate care (EAC) or safe definitive orthopedic surgery (SDS): Therefore, patients in an initially unclear condition (borderline patients) can now also be treated with an individually adapted care concept as soon as possible.Die Versorgung polytraumatisierter Patienten ist eine komplexe multidisziplinäre und dynamische Aufgabe. Die frühe und umfassende Erhebung des klinischen Zustands ist von hoher Bedeutung hinsichtlich der individuellen Entscheidungsfindung für den richtigen Zeitpunkt der operativen Frakturversorgung. Während stabile Patienten von einer frühen definitiven Versorgung profitieren, hat sich bei instabilen Patienten das Konzept einer mehrzeitigen Frakturversorgung mit einer temporären minimal-invasiven Stabilisierung durchgesetzt. Diese als „Early Total Care“ (ETC) und „Damage Control Orthopedics“ (DCO) bezeichneten Konzepte wurden in den vergangenen Dekaden durch dynamische und verletzungsadaptierte Versorgungsprotokolle, wie die „Early Appropriate Care“ (EAC) oder die „Safe Definitive Orthopedic Surgery“ (SDS), erweitert. Damit können nun auch Patienten in zunächst unklarem Zustand („Borderline“-Patienten) schnellstmöglich individuell angepasst versorgt werden.

Differentialdiagnose von Knochen- und Weichteiltumoren sowie tumorähnlichen Läsionen der Ferse

Abstract: Knochentumore im Bereich der Ferse sind selten, Weichteiltumore noch seltener. Dennoch sollte bei länger anhaltenden Fersenschmerzen immer ein Tumor als Ursache ausgeschlossen werden. Gutartige Tumore überwiegen in der Anzahl deutlich, wobei Kalkaneuszysten den Hauptteil ausmachen. Die häufigsten malignen Knochentumore sind Chondrosarkome, Osteosarkome und das Ewing Sarkom. Einige Entitäten verhalten sich ähnlich wie an den anderen Skelettabschnitten, andere weisen im Fußbereich Besonderheiten auf. Die Diagnose wird in der Regel mittels konventionellem Röntgen, häufig ergänzt durch eine MRT-Untersuchung und ggf. eine CT, gestellt. Eine Sicherung der definitiven Diagnose erfolgt durch die histopathologische Befundung. Bone tumors of the heel are rare, soft tissue tumors are even less often. Nevertheless, a tumor should always be excluded as the cause of prolonged heel pain. Most of the tumors are benigne whereby calcaneus cysts are most common. Most common malignant tumors are osteosarcomas, chondrosarcomas and Ewing sarcomas. Some of the entities behave similarly to other skeleton regions, others show special characteristics on the foot. First line imaging is conventional X-rays under load. In most cases MRI examination and in some cases an additional CT scan should be supplemented. Histopathological examination is necessary to confirm the definitive diagnosis.

Sturzprävention bei älteren Menschen durch ergotherapeutische Wohnraumanalyse, -beratung und -anpassung: eine Prozessdarstellung

Abstract: Zusammenfassung Sturzgeschehen bei älteren Menschen treten häufig auf und sind mit relevanten kurz- als auch langfristigen Traumafolgen assoziiert. Vor dem Hintergrund der demografischen Entwicklung rücken präventive Maßnahmen zunehmend in den Fokus. Wohnraumanalysen durch ErgotherapeutInnen ermöglichen die Evaluation extrinsischer und verhaltensbasierter Sturzrisikofaktoren. Verhältnisprävention im Sinne der ergotherapeutischen Wohnraumanalyse ist eine wirksame Maßnahme, um Morbidität und Mortalität, einhergehend mit Stürzen bei älteren Menschen, und den steigenden sturzassoziierten Gesundheitskosten vorzubeugen. Ergotherapeutische Wohnraumanalysen und entsprechende Sturzpräventionsmaßnahmen reduzieren Sturzrisiko und Sturzrate bei älteren Menschen mit erhöhtem Sturzrisiko effektiv und sind im Kontext bestehender gesetzlicher Rahmenbedingungen umsetzbar. Ziel dieser Übersichtsarbeit ist es, den optimalen Versorgungsprozess der Wohnraumanalyse, -beratung und -anpassung für sturzgefährdete PatientInnen durch HausärztInnen, OrthopädInnen und ErgotherapeutInnen darzustellen.