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Der Van-Orden-Stern-Test in Bezug zum kraniofazialen System
Get PDFDer Einfluss der Okklusion und des Kiefergelenks auf weitere Körperregionen wurde in zahlreichen Publikationen beschrieben. In dieser Studie sollte ein Zusammenhang vom kraniofazialen zu dem visuellen System untersucht, analysiert und angewendet werden. Beim Durchleuchten der Grundlagenliteratur lässt sich erkennen, dass es einen weitreichenden morphologischen und funktionellen Zusammenhang zwischen Augen und Zähnen gibt und ihr Informationsaustausch durch Störungen beeinflusst werden kann. Beim Betrachten spezifischer Untersuchungen zeigt sich in der Gesamtheit ein positiver Zusammenhang zwischen dem Sehvermögen und den funktionellen und skelettalen kraniofacialen Störungen. Um einen möglichen Zusammenhang der zwei Systeme aufzuzeigen, wurde der Van-Orden-Stern-Test als Untersuchungsmöglichkeit überprüft.
Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass der Van-Orden-Stern Test keine angemessene Reproduzierbarkeit zulässt. Somit ist er für Langzeituntersuchungen nicht geeignet. Auch konnte kein signifikanter Einfluss auf das visuelle System durch die Manipulationen mittels einer Watterolle, eines Bretts unter dem Fuß und einer Jig-Schiene aufgezeigt werden. Für eine fundierte Aussage zur Korrelation des visuellen Systems und der Okklusion ist der Van- Orden-Stern demnach nicht geeignet
Central obesity and fat-free mass are associated with a larger spleen volume in the general population
Get PDFBackground and aim
As the spleen plays a significant role in immunity, the aim was to investigate the associations of different body composition markers derived from various sources with spleen volume in a general population sample.
Materials and methods
Cross-sectional data of 1095 individuals (570 women; 52%) aged between 30 and 90 years were collected in the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-START-2). We measured spleen volume by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Body composition markers were derived from classic anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance analysis, including absolute fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM), as well as from MRI, including visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and liver fat content. Sex-stratified-adjusted linear regression models were used to analyze the associations of body composition markers with spleen volumes.
Results
We observed positive associations of body mass index, body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-height ratio, absolute FM, absolute FFM, and VAT and SAT with spleen volume in men and women. An 8.12 kg higher absolute FFM was associated with a 38.4 mL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26.7–50.1) higher spleen volume in men and a 5.21 kg higher absolute FFM with a 42.6 mL (95% CI: 26.2–59.0) higher spleen volume in women.
Conclusion
Our findings indicate that obesity-related body composition markers and FFM are associated with a higher spleen volume. Particularly, higher absolute FFM showed a strong association with a larger spleen volume in both men and women. Further studies are warranted to understand the clinical significance of body composition markers on large spleen volume
Nutritional status in patients with chronic pancreatitis and liver cirrhosis is related to disease conditions and not dietary habits
Get PDFMalnutrition is a common complication of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and liver cirrhosis (LC). Inadequate food intake is considered a relevant driver of malnutrition in both entities. However, the contribution of habitual diet to impaired nutritional status is unclear. In a prospective, multicenter cross-sectional study, we recruited patients with confirmed CP or LC and healthy volunteers as a control group. Malnutrition was diagnosed according to the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria. We comprehensively investigated habitual dietary intake on nutrient, food group, and dietary pattern level applying two validated food frequency questionnaires. We included 144 patients (CP: n = 66; LC: n = 78) and 94 control subjects. Malnutrition was prevalent in 64% and 62% of patients with CP or LC, respectively. In both CP and LC, despite slightly altered food group consumption in malnourished and non-malnourished patients there were no differences in energy or nutrient intake as well as dietary quality. Compared to controls patients showed distinct dietary food group habits. Patients consumed less alcohol but also lower quantities of fruits and vegetables as well as whole grain products (p < 0.001, respectively). Nevertheless, overall dietary quality was comparable between patients and healthy controls. Nutritional status in CP and LC patients is rather related to disease than habitual dietary intake supporting the relevance of other etiologic factors for malnutrition such as malassimilation or chronic inflammation. Despite distinct disease-related differences, overall dietary quality in patients with CP or LC was comparable to healthy subjects, which suggests susceptibility to dietary counselling and the benefits of nutrition therapy in these entities
Effective combination of cold physical plasma and chemotherapy against Ewing sarcoma cells in vitro
Get PDFAbstract
Ewing's sarcoma (ES) is the second most common bone tumor in children and adolescents and is highly malignant. Although the new chemotherapy has significantly improved the survival rate for ES from about 10 to 75%, the survival rate for metastatic tumors remains around 30%. This treatment is often associated with various side effects that contribute to the suffering of the patients. Cold physical plasma (CPP), whether used alone or in combination with current chemotherapy, is considered a promising adjunctive tool in cancer treatment. This study aims to investigate the synergistic effects of CPP in combination with cytostatic chemotherapeutic agents that are not part of current ES therapy. Two different ES cell lines, RD-ES and A673, were treated with the determined IC20 concentrations of the chemotherapeutic agents cisplatin and methotrexate (MTX) in combination with CPP. The effects on population doubling, cell viability, and apoptotic processes within these cell lines were assessed. This combination therapy has led to a reduction of population doubling and cell viability, as well as an increase in apoptotic activity in cells compared to CPP monotherapy. The results of this study provide evidence that combining CPP with non-common chemotherapy drugs such as MTX and CIS in the treatment of ES enhances the anticancer effects of these drugs. These findings open up new possibilities for the effective use of these drugs against ES
Die Rolle des Slc35f1 Transporters bei der neuronalen Plastizität im Hippocampus und der Amygdala der Maus
Get PDFDer SLC35F1 Transporter ist ein Zellmembrantransporter, welcher im Gehirn des Menschen und auch bei Säugetieren nachgewiesen wurde. Dieser Transporter ist ein Mitglied der SLC-Superfamilie der zuckerähnlichen Carrier (SLC – engl. „sugar-like carrier“ oder „Solute Carrier“) und aktuell ist noch wenig über seine Funktion bekannt. Sicher ist jedoch, dass der SLC35F1 Transporter im Gehirn des Menschen, in der Netzhaut und beispielsweise auch im Rückenmark exprimiert wird. Eine Fehlfunktion des SLC35F1 Transporters im Gehirn des Menschen wird mit neurologischen Entwicklungsstörungen assoziiert. Wir erzeugten Mäuse mit einem heterozygoten Slc35f1-/- Knockout, welche sich lebensfähig zeigten und bis ins Erwachsenenalter überlebten. In dieser Arbeit wurden die Auswirkungen des Knockouts des im Hippocampus und der Amygdala exprimierten Slc35f1 Transporters auf die strukturelle Plastizität im Gehirn von Mäusen untersucht.
Die gewonnenen Ergebnisse zeigten eine signifikant erhöhte Apoptoserate, sowie eine kürzere Länge der dendritischen Dornen im Gyrus dentatus. Der Hauptteil der neuroanatomischen Parameter für die neuronale Plastizität wie die Dichte der neugebildeten Nervenzellen oder die Dichte der dendritischen Dornen zeigte sich jedoch unverändert. Ebenso konnten keine morphologischen Veränderungen im Gehirnvolumen oder -gewicht, sowie in den histologischen Schichtdicken des Hippocampus detektiert werden.
Trotz eines beschriebenen Fallberichts einer Patientin, welche eine heterozygote Missense-Variante des SLC35F1 Transporters trägt und einen Rett-Syndrom ähnlichen Phänotyp sowie eine schwere geistige Behinderung zeigte (Di Fede et al. 2021), konnten keine größeren neuroanatomischen Veränderungen durch den Slc35f1 Knockout bei Mäusen gezeigt werden
The Helmholtz Equation with Uncertainties in the Wavenumber
Get PDFWe investigate the Helmholtz equation with suitable boundary conditions and uncertainties in the wavenumber. Thus the wavenumber is modeled as a random variable or a random field. We discretize the Helmholtz equation using finite differences in space, which leads to a linear system of algebraic equations including random variables. A stochastic Galerkin method yields a deterministic linear system of algebraic equations. This linear system is high-dimensional, sparse and complex symmetric but, in general, not hermitian. We therefore solve this system iteratively with GMRES and propose two preconditioners: a complex shifted Laplace preconditioner and a mean value preconditioner. Both preconditioners reduce the number of iteration steps as well as the computation time in our numerical experiments
Gerichtliche Obduktionen nach Anhaltungen bei Feuerbestattungsleichenschau: Gegenüberstellung von Todesursache und Todesart vor und nach der Obduktion
Get PDFNach der vorhandenen Literatur sind zwischen 20 und 47,5 % der auf Todesbescheinigungen dokumentierten Todesursachen nicht korrekt. Daraus ist erkennbar, dass die Mortalitätsstatistik erhebliche Defizite aufweist. Es ergab sich die Frage, ob diese Fehlerhäufigkeit auch im Versorgungsgebiet des Instituts für Rechtsmedizin der Universitätsmedizin Greifswald nachweisbar ist.
Dazu wurden die im Rahmen der Feuerbestattungsleichenschau angehaltenen Sterbefälle aus dem Zeitraum vom 01.01.2013 bis zum 31.12.2022, bei denen eine gerichtliche Obduktion angeordnet wurde, untersucht. Von 323 obduzierten Sterbefällen wurden neben allgemeinen Aspekten besonders die Angaben zu Todesursache und Todesart der Todesbescheinigung mit den bei der Obduktion erhobenen Ergebnissen verglichen. Zur besseren Vergleichbarkeit wurden die Todesursachen für diese Untersuchung in vordefinierte Kategorien unterteilt.
Im Untersuchungszeitraum wurden 2389 Sterbefälle angehalten und hiervon 323 gerichtlich obduziert, davon waren 54 % Männer und 46 % Frauen; das Durchschnittsalter lag im Gesamtkollektiv bei 72 Jahren.
Als häufigste Todesart wurde vor und nach der gerichtlichen Obduktion eine natürliche Todesart festgestellt. In 44 Fällen wurde durch die gerichtliche Obduktion eine nicht natürliche Todesart aufgedeckt. In drei Fällen ergab die gerichtliche Obduktion todesursächliche Gewalteinwirkung durch fremde Hand. Einer dieser Fälle wies bei der Feuerbestattungsleichenschau eine staatsanwaltschaftliche Freigabe auf.
Als häufigste Todesursache (n = 193) war auf den Todesbescheinigungen eine kardiale Ursache im Rahmen der obligatorischen ärztlichen Leichenschau dokumentiert worden, die sich in 64 % autoptisch bestätigte. Insgesamt zeigte sich eine Übereinstimmung der Todesursachen in dem Untersuchungsgut in 47,7 % der Fälle; unter zusätzlicher Berücksichtigung der Todesart waren es 43 %.
Ohne gerichtliche Obduktion wäre in 52,3 % eine falsche Todesursache in die Mortalitätsstatistik eingegangen.
Zum Aufdecken bisher nicht erkannter nicht natürlicher Todesfälle ist die Feuerbestattungsleichenschau, wie sie in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern durchgeführt wird, ein Faktor zur Verbesserung der Todesursachenstatistik. Die vorgelegte Untersuchung zeigt, dass mit dieser Vorgehensweise nicht auf die Feuerbestattungsleichenschau verzichtet werden kann.According to the literature between 20% and 47.5% of the documented causes of death given on death certificates are inaccurate. Consequently, this raises significant concerns regarding the accuracy of mortality statistics. The discrepancy prompted us to lead an inquiry into the prevalence of errors on death certificates within the jurisdiction of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Greifswald.
The analysis focused on cases of deceased individuals who underwent a forensic autopsy after being withheld from cremation following a second postmortem examination between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2022. A total of 323 cases were considered for this study, wherein especially the cause and manner of death, as documented in the confidential section of the death certificates, were compared with the findings from the forensic autopsy.
The causes of death were categorized into specific groups to streamline the analysis.
During this 10-year period 2389 cases of deceased individuals were withheld from cremation, 323 deceased individuals underwent an autopsy, 54% were male, 46% were female and the average age at the time of death was 72 years. The most frequent manner of death, both before and after autopsy, was natural; however, in 44 cases the forensic autopsy revealed an unnatural manner of death, while the death certificate declared a natural one. Additionally, in three cases homicidal violence was revealed as the cause of death through forensic autopsy and one case had already received judicial clearance at the time of the second postmortem examination.
The most frequent cause on the death certificates was cardiac-related (n = 193) and the autopsy findings confirmed this in 64% of cases. Overall, for 47.7% of cases the cause of death stated on the death certificates was corroborated by the forensic autopsy findings. Furthermore, in 43% of cases the death certificates correctly stated the cause and manner of death. Without the crucial role of forensic autopsies, in 52.3% of cases an incorrect cause of death would have skewed the mortality statistics.
The second postmortem examination as carried out in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is an essential tool for uncovering previously undetected non-natural manners of death and a factor for improving mortality statistics. The second postmortem examination cannot be dispensed with
The effects of an online positive psychology intervention on pre‐service teachers' efficacy, ability to cope and emotional regulation
Get PDFPre‐service teachers have been identified as a risk group for developing burnout syndromes over the course of their careers due to increased perceived psychological distress and, in particular, if there is a lack of coping strategies. To provide pre‐service teachers with appropriate techniques and concepts that can be successfully applied in educational and work contexts, an online positive psychology intervention was designed to improve participants' resilience, in particular their self‐efficacy, emotion regulation and ability to cope. Linear mixed models that simultaneously analyse variability between subjects and over time revealed that pre‐service teachers who participated in the intervention benefited from the programme with respect to an increase of their emotion regulation strategies, self‐efficacy and ability to cope compared to the control group—although at baseline, they exhibited less beneficial emotion regulation, self‐efficacy and ability to cope. The findings suggest that such positive psychology interventions could help pre‐service teachers build their resilience
Pain and salivary biomarkers of stress in temperomandibular disorders were affected by maxillary splints
Get PDFBackground
Longitudinal intervention studies on treatment options in temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) including self reports and salivary biomarkers of stress are rare and the exact therapeutic function of occlusal splints widely unknown.
Methods
We examined the therapeutic effects of a Michigan splint with occlusal relevance in patients with TMD using a placebo‐controlled, delayed‐start design. Two intervention groups received a Michigan splint, while one of them had a placebo palatine splint for the first 3 weeks. We collected pain intensities (at rest and after five occlusal movements), salivary measures associated with stress (cortisol and alpha‐amylase) and self‐reported psychological distress (stress, anxiety, catastrophizing) at baseline and 3 and 7 weeks after onset of intervention.
Results
At baseline, we observed increased pain intensity and psychological distress in TMD patients compared to 11 matched healthy controls. Baseline anxiety was linked to movement pain intensity through stress. Over therapy reductions in pain intensity and morning cortisol were more pronounced in those patients starting immediately with the Michigan splint, while psychological distress decreased similarly in both groups.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that perceived stress plays a role for the association between anxiety and TMD pain and underlines the need for an interdisciplinary perspective on the pathogenesis and therapy of TMD in a setting where psychotherapeutic knowledge is still scarce or rarely applied
Non-cross-reactive epitopes dominate the humoral immune response to COVID-19 vaccination – kinetics of plasma antibodies, plasmablasts and memory B cells
Get PDFIntroduction
COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in inducing protective immunity. While the serum antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination has been studied in depth, our knowledge of the underlying plasmablast and memory B cell (Bmem) responses is still incomplete. Here, we determined the antibody and B cell response to COVID-19 vaccination in a naïve population and contrasted it with the response to a single influenza vaccination in a primed cohort. In addition, we analyzed the antibody and B cell responses against the four endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs).
Methods
Measurement of specific plasma IgG antibodies was combined with functional analyses of antibody-secreting plasmablasts and Bmems. SARS-CoV-2- and HCoV-specific IgG antibodies were quantified with an in-house bead-based multiplexed immunoassay.
Results
The antibody and B cell responses to COVID-19 vaccination reflected the kinetics of a prime-boost immunization, characterized by a slow and moderate primary response and a faster and stronger secondary response. In contrast, the influenza vaccinees possessed robust immune memory for the vaccine antigens prior to vaccination, and the recall vaccination moderately boosted antibody production and Bmem responses. Antibody levels and Bmem responses waned several months after the 2 nd COVID-19 vaccination, but were restored upon the 3 rd vaccination. The COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibodies mainly targeted novel, non-cross-reactive S1 epitopes of the viral spike protein, while cross-reactive S2 epitopes were less immunogenic. Booster vaccination not only strongly enhanced neutralizing antibodies against an original SARS-CoV-2 strain, but also induced neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron BA.2 variant. We observed a 100% plasma antibody prevalence against the S1 subunits of HCoVs, which was not affected by vaccination.
Discussion
Overall, by complementing classical serology with a functional evaluation of plasmablasts and memory B cells we provide new insights into the specificity of COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody and B cell responses