1,721,010 research outputs found
Insights into cardiovascular research in Göttingen and Heidelberg: a report by the ESC Scientists of Tomorrow
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Invisible threats, visible consequences: metabolomic footprints of air pollution on heart failure
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Comparison of two screening questionnaires for patients with low back pain. Collation of risk factors for chronification
No full textScreening for risk factors for chronic low back pain (LBP) (yellow flags) is recommended by clinical guidelines. Various questionnaires to assess yellow flags have been proposed. The aim of this study was to compare the prognostic validity of two screening questionnaires. This was a prospective observational study with 241 LBP patients from 9 general practitioners, 4 orthopedic surgeons and 2 pain clinics. We compared the A-rebro musculoskeletal pain questionnaire (A-MSPQ) and the Heidelberg short questionnaire (HKF-R10) which were completed by all patients at inclusion before the consultation. Primary outcomes were assessed after 3 months by mail. Clinical endpoints were pain intensity, disability and more than two follow-up consultations. The sensitivity of the HKF-R10 to predict the primary outcome ranged from 81 % to 88 %, while the specificity was much lower (37-47 %). The A-MSPQ showed an opposite pattern with a low sensitivity ranging from 50 % to 58 % but a higher specificity (77-80 %). In patients initially classified as having chronic LBP (n = 81), using the questionnaires as a diagnostic tool, the sensitivity of both questionnaires increased but specificity decreased. Single items may perform better with regard to primary outcome than the sum scores. Both screening questionnaires for chronic LBP have insufficient diagnostic and prognostic validity for routine use in ambulatory care. Further studies are needed to improve diagnostic and prognostic validity and to elaborate criteria for a targeted use of screening questionnaires to guide therapeutic interventions
Mechanosensitive Ion Channels as Novel Targets in Osteoporosis
No full textAbstract Osteoporosis is the most prevalent metabolic bone disease globally, characterized by decreased bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration, leading to an increased risk of fractures. While its pathogenesis is multifactorial, including hormonal changes, aging and inflammatory processes, and thus far incompletely understood, recent advances in ion channel research have shed light on the importance of mechanosensitive ion channels as novel players in these pathophysiological processes. This perspective discusses the involvement of the mechanosensitive ion channels TREK-1, Piezo, and VRACs as potential novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of osteoporosis. TREK-1, a mechanosensitive K2P channel is important for maintaining the resting membrane potential in many cells, including osteoblasts and osteoclasts. K2P channels regulate osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, as well as osteoclast activity, potentially modulating bone remodeling in osteoporosis. Piezo channels influence osteoblast differentiation and osteoclast activity by modulating calcium influx, which is crucial for osteogenic signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin and ERK1/2. Piezo1 activation promotes bone formation, while its deficiency leads to impaired osteogenesis and increased bone resorption. VRACs have been shown to be involved in osteoblast adaptation to mechanical stress and macrophage polarization, which indicates their importance for bone homeostasis. Chronic inflammation is a major contributor to osteoporosis progression. Evidence of ion channel involvement in this process has emerged in recent years. Specifically, macrophage function in osteoporosis seems to be linked to ion channel activity. Inflammatory polarization of macrophages is a key player in inflammation-induced bone loss and can be driven by mechanosensitive ion channels. Modulating these ion channels may provide therapeutic opportunities, as evidenced by studies showing that targeting TREK-1 and Piezo1 can alter macrophage polarization and reduce osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. Given the complexity of ion channel interactions in bone cells and their regulatory role in bone remodeling, understanding their precise function in osteoporosis is essential. Targeted modulation of mechanosensitive ion channels holds promise as a novel therapeutic approach to mitigate inflammation-driven bone loss and improve bone density. Further research into their role in osteoclasts and macrophage-driven bone degradation will aid in developing innovative osteoporosis treatments
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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