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Alternaria spp. cause different diseases in potato and tomato crops. Early blight caused by Alternaria solani and brown spot caused by Alternaria alternata are most common, but the disease complex is far more diverse. We first provide an overview of the Alternaria species infecting the two host plants to alleviate some of the confusion that arises from the taxonomic rearrangements in this fungal genus. Highlighting the diversity of Alternaria fungi on both solanaceous hosts, we review studies investigating the genetic diversity and genomes, before we present recent advances from studies elucidating host–pathogen interactions and fungicide resistances. Taxonomy Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota, Class Dothideomycetes, Order Pleosporales, Family Pleosporaceae, Genus Alternaria. Biology and host range Alternaria spp. adopt diverse lifestyles. We specifically review Alternaria spp. that cause disease in the two solanaceous crops potato (Solanum tuberosum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). They are necrotrophic pathogens with no known sexual stage, despite some signatures of recombination. Disease symptoms Symptoms of the early blight/brown spot disease complex include foliar lesions that first present as brown spots, depending on the species with characteristic concentric rings, which eventually lead to severe defoliation and considerable yield loss. Control Good field hygiene can keep the disease pressure low. Some potato and tomato cultivars show differences in susceptibility, but there are no fully resistant varieties known. Therefore, the main control mechanism is treatment with fungicides. We review the major Alternaria species that cause early blight disease complex (genetic diversity, genome structure and mechanisms of pathogenicity), management strategies such as resistance breeding and fungicide resistance.

(1) Purpose: Lower limb deformities can have a severe impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL). LIMB-Q Kids is a new patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) aiming to elucidate the experience of 8–18-year-old patients before, during and after treatment, and to measure the different aspects of HRQL. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt LIMB-Q Kids to German. (2) Methods: The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) guidelines were followed. Three forward translations, a backward translation, an expert panel meeting with eight participants, and twenty cognitive debriefing interviews led to the final German version of LIMB-Q Kids. (3) Results: In the forward translations, 4/159 items were difficult to translate, and 2/159 items in the backward translation differed from the original English version. Cognitive debriefing interviews with 20 patients identified 7/159 items that were difficult to comprehend/answer, and 2 of these items were changed. (4) Conclusions: Lower limb deformities can have a great impact on children, and it is important to measure and consider the impact on HRQL. In order to be able to use PROMs in different countries, conceptually equivalent translations and cultural adaptations should be performed in order to ensure comprehensibility. The final German version of LIMB-Q Kids is ready for use in an international field test.

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures are gaining increasing importance in clinical research and quality control. Clinical impairment through limb deformities can appear in various forms. This study aimed at translating and culturally adaptating the Limb Deformity-Scoliosis Research Society (LD-SRS) patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) into German by following the scientific rigor of the cross-cultural adaptation process as well as ensuring the reliability of the translated version. The LD-SRS is applicable in children and adults. Methods: The translation was performed in accordance with the creators of the LD-SRS following the Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) guidelines for translation and cultural adaptation. Two forward translations were performed, and after a consensus meeting, a professional translator translated the PROM back to English. The creators reviewed the back translation of the preliminary German version. Thirty patients with upper and lower limb deformities participated in cognitive debriefing interviews. The version was proofread and, finally, the test-retest reliability was estimated. Results: The mean age was 19 years (range 6–61). Twenty-six patients (87%) completed the retest after 6 days (range 3–26). The internal consistency was estimated with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.96 (range 0.94–0.97), and the intraclass correlation was 0.92 (range 0.89–0.94), indicating an excellent reliability. The scores were normally distributed. Thereafter, the German version was proofread and finalized. Conclusions: The German translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the LD-SRS score resulted in a high reliability and internal consistency. The German LD-SRS score is readily usable and may be applied in future studies of German-speaking limb deformity patients.

The pore structure and pore size is a crucial characteristic of surgical meshes. A huge amount of different approaches for mesh classification based on pore size or materials are available. It is difficult to use these classification methods because of the large variety in knitting structures and pore shapes. No agreement on an established method to measure the pore size is available despite the fact that the surgical community agrees that pore size and geometry are crucial factors for the result of a hernia repair. In this publication a new approach to characterize meshes based on their pore shape and pore size is presented. The pore size is defined by the largest inscribed circle within a mesh pore and the smallest circumscribed circle outside the pore, in addition to hence calculated values. This allows a characterization with regards to tissue ingrowth and bridging behavior. The measurements are made using the scientific image processing software ImageJ and additional customized software plug-in. Since the program ImageJ is public domain and the plug-ins are available, the measurements can be reproduced. Furthermore, the presented pore descriptions can also be used for manual pore size verification.

The inclusion of less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) in the care of preterm infants has been found to be beneficial for respiratory outcomes. Recently, the OPTIMIST trial found higher mortality rates in the subgroup of infants born at 25 to 26 weeks' gestational age (GA) who received surfactant treatment while spontaneously breathing. To analyze outcomes among LISA-exposed, highly vulnerable babies born at less than 27 weeks' GA within the large-scale observational cohort of the German Neonatal Network. In this cohort study of data from 68 tertiary level neonatal intensive care units in Germany of infants born between 22 weeks 0 days to 26 weeks 6 days of gestation between April 1, 2009, and December 31, 2020, short-term outcomes among infants receiving LISA vs infants not receiving LISA were compared. Use of LISA within the first 72 hours of life. The main outcomes were rates of LISA use, use of mechanical ventilation within the first 72 hours (considered failure of LISA), and association of LISA with outcomes, including death from all causes, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), death and BPD combined, pneumothorax, retinopathy of prematurity, intracerebral hemorrhage, and periventricular leukomalacia. To address potential confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression models were used. A total of 6542 infants (3030 [46.3%] female and 3512 [53.7%] male; mean [SD] GA, 25.3 (1.1) weeks; mean [SD] birth weight, 715 [180] g) were analyzed; 2534 infants (38.7%) received LISA, which was most frequently given quasi-prophylactically during delivery room management. Among the infants who received LISA, 1357 (53.6%) did not require mechanical ventilation in the first 72 hours compared with 331 infants (8.3%) of 4008 who did not receive LISA. In a multivariate logistic regression model that adjusted for GA, small-for-GA status, sex, multiple birth, inborn status, antenatal steroid use, and maximum fraction of inspired oxygen in the first 12 hours of life, LISA was associated with reduced risks of all-cause death (odds ratio [OR], 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61-0.90; P = .002), BPD (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.62-0.78; P < .001), and BPD or death (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.57-0.72; P < .001) compared with infants without LISA exposure. The results of this long-term multicenter cohort study suggest that LISA may be associated with reduced risks of adverse outcomes in extremely preterm infants.