[Mobile geriatric consultant services for rest homes. Study of the effects of consultations by internal medicine specialists in the medical care of rest home residents]. / Mobiler geriatrischer Konsiliardienst für Pflegeheime. Untersuchung der Effektivität eines internistisch-fachärztlichen Konsiliardienstes zur medizinischen Versorgung von Pflegeheimbewohnern.

BACKGROUND: Hospital admissions are frequent among long-term residents of nursing homes and can result in detrimental complications affecting the patients' somatic, psychological, and cognitive status. In this prospective controlled study, we investigated the effects of a mobile geriatric consultant service (GECO) offered by specialists in internal medicine on frequency of hospitalizations in nursing home residents. METHODS: During a 10-month observation period, residents in a control nursing home received medical attendance by general practitioners as is common in Austrian nursing homes. Residents in the intervention nursing home also received the medical service of GECO. RESULTS: Within the group of rest home residents receiving GECO support, a statistically significant lower frequency of acute transports to hospitals was observed in comparison to residents of the control nursing home (mean number of acute transports to hospitals/100 residents/month: 6.1 versus 11.7; p < 0.01). The number of planned non-acute hospital and specialist office presentations was also lower in the intervention nursing home (mean number of hospital and specialist office presentations/100 residents/month: 14.4 versus 18.0); however, this difference did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: This study shows that a mobile medical geriatric consultant service based on specialists in internal medicine can improve medical care in nursing homes resulting in a statistically significant reduction of acute transports to hospitals.

Detection of a new enzyme for stereoselective hydrolysis of linalyl acetate using simple plate assays for the characterization of cloned esterases from Burkholderia gladioli.

Plate assays were developed for the identification of specific hydrolytic activities of esterases from Burkholderia gladioli, cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Clones showing different substrate specificities were identified by fluorescence or azo-dye formation caused by the released alcohol moiety of the hydrolyzed substrates, or by colour change of pH indicators mediated by decreased pH. The use of 1-hydroxypyrene-3,6,8-trisulfonic acid (HPTS-) esters and linalyl acetate for these assays clearly allowed to discriminate substrate specificities for two different cloned esterases, EP6 and EP10. Long chain fatty acid HPTS-esters were only hydrolyzed by the EP10 clone. On the other hand, the EP6 clone showed significant activity in hydrolysis of the sterically hindered ester linalyl-acetate. Enantioselective hydrolysis of linalyl acetate could be verified with a crude EP6 preparation on a preparative scale.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cyanohydrins with recombinant nitrile hydratase and amidase from Rhodococcus erythropolis.

Nitrile hydratase and amidase from Rhodococcus erythropolis CIMB11540 were both cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Crude cell free extracts were used for the hydrolysis of different aromatic cyanohydrins. Nitrile hydratase expression was increased up to 5-fold by redesign of the expression cassette. The recombinant enzymes were successfully used for the conversion of several cyanohydrins to the corresponding alpha-hydroxy amides and acids while retaining enantiopurity.