The basidiomycetous yeast Trichosporon may cause severe lung exacerbation in cystic fibrosis patients - clinical analysis of Trichosporon positive patients in a Munich cohort

Background: The relevance of Trichosporon species for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients has not yet been extensively investigated. Methods: The clinical course of CF patients with Trichosporon spp. in their respiratory secretions was analysed between 2003 and 2010 in the Munich CF center. All respiratory samples of 360 CF patients (0 - 52.4 years; mean FEV1 2010 81.4% pred) were investigated. Results: In 8 patients (2.2%, 3 male, mean age 21.8 years) Trichosporon was detected at least once. One patient carried T. asahii. One patient carried T. mycotoxinivorans and one patient T. inkin as determined by DNA sequencing. As potential risk factors for Trichosporon colonization steroid treatment, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and CF associated diabetes were identified in 6, 5, and 2 patients respectively. For one patient, the observation period was not long enough to determine the clinical course. One patient had only a single positive specimen and exhibited a stable clinical course determined by change in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), body-mass-index (BMI), C-reactive protein (CRP) and immunoglobulin G (IgG). Of 6 patients with repeatedly positive specimen (mean detection period 4.5 years), 4 patients had a greater decline in FEV1 than expected, 2 of these a decline in BMI and 1 an increase in IgG above the reference range. 2 patients received antimycotic treatment: one patient with a tormenting dry cough subjectively improved under Amphotericin B inhalation; one patient with a severe exacerbation due to T. inkin was treated with i.v. Amphotericin B, oral Voriconazole and Posaconazole which stabilized the clinical condition. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the potential association of Trichosporon spp. with severe exacerbations in CF patients

Venture capital deal structurering in Nederland

Dit artikel analyseert 122 deals door Nederlandse venture capital-partijen. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat de deal-structurering is in te delen in vier functies. De eerste functie is selectiemiddel van ondernemer en ondernemingsplan. De tweede functie is het verkleinen van de agency-problemen tussen ondernemer en investeerder. De derde functie is het beperken van het risico voor de investeerder. De vierde functie die aangetroffen wordt is het indammen van de dreiging van toekomstige heronderhandelingen tussen de investeerder en de ondernemer over de opbrengsten van de onderneming. Ten slotte blijkt uit het onderzoek dat de ondernemer op het gebied van deal-structurering een informatieachterstand heeft op de investeerder

Development of the small intestine of piglets in response to prenatal elevation of glucocorticoids

The effects of prenatal adrenal stimulation and synthetic glucocorticoicl supplementation on developrncnt of the gastro-intestinal tract of the piglet were investigated. Twelve pregnant sows were treated with either ACTH infusion. Isoflupredone injection or Saline between days I05 and 112 of gestation. Neonatal pigs were weighed. bled and sacrificed at 0 or at 6 h. Piglets sacrificed at 6 h were fed bovine colostrum. Trailsvcrse sections were prcpared from the duucienuin. i e j ~ ~ n uman cl ileum for measurcment of thc villus amplification factor (VAF) and basal membrane circunifercnce. Sows in the ACTH group showed an cle\,ation in cortisol in response to infusion: this decreased aftcr infusion and then rose again at parturition. Piglcts from both the ACTH and Saline groups had more villus surface area per unit of body weight (BW) than those born to Isotluprcdone-treated animals. The BW of the ACTH piglets was lowcr (P < 0.05) than those of piglets in the other groups. Whcn the weight of thc stomach and the Small Intestine (SI) was cxpressetl as a function of thc body weight, tlic stomach and S1:BW ratio was larger (p < 0.05) in pigs born to ACTH-treated sows. The circumfcrence of the ilcurn was larger at 6 h than at 0 h. Control pigs had a higher concentration of bovine IgG at 4 and 6 h (P < 0.05). Observations of thc light microscvpic preparations indicated a less organized epithelium in both ACTH and isotluprcdone pigs sacrificed at O Ii. Light and EM preparations of ileum from ACTH pigs sacrificed at 6 h. showcd an abundance of dark-stained vacuoles. characteristic of IgG-containing structures. These became lcss evident in piglets from the Isotlupredone group and even less so in thc control groups. The consequences of these phenomena in terms of absorptive capacity are discusscd

139 142 International Lupin Association Canterbury, New Zealand

A trial in which roasted ground lupin, raw ground lupin or soyabean meal were fed to cows to establish possible effects on the fatty acid composition of milk (24 cows) and meat (28 cows) is reported. Results indicated that, in lupin-fed cows, even with a relatively low level of dietary fat, synthesis of medium-chain fatty acids was reduced, and the transfer of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids into milk was increased. Roasting of lupins slightly increased the protection from rumen hydrogenation. No effects of roasting lupins were observed on muscle fatty acid composition.