Weather, weekday, and vacation effects on webcam recorded daily visitor numbers in the alpine winter season.

Winter tourism is an important economic factor in the European Alps, which could be exposed to severely changing meteorological conditions due to climate change in the future. The extent to which meteorology influences winter tourism figures has so far been analyzed mainly based on monthly or seasonal data and in relation to skier numbers. Therefore, we record for the first time daily visitor numbers at five Bavarian winter tourism destinations based on 1518 webcam images using object detection and link them to meteorological and time-related variables.

VEGF-releasing suture material for enhancement of vascularization: development, in vitro and in vivo study.

As it has been demonstrated that bioactive substances can be delivered locally using coated surgical suture materials, the authors developed a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-releasing suture material that should promote vascularization and potentially wound healing. In this context, the study focused on the characterization of the developed suture material and the verification of its biological activity, as well as establishing a coating process that allows reproducible and stable coating of a commercially available polydioxanone suture material with poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and 0.1μg and 1.

Pharmacokinetics and rectal bioavailability of hydrocortisone acetate after single and multiple administration in healthy subjects and patients.

The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of hydrocortisone after rectal administration of a hydrocortisone acetate foam were determined after single and multiple dosing in healthy subjects as well as in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Endogenous hydrocortisone was suppressed by dexamethasone administration. Plasma levels were compared with those observed after intravenous administration of hydrocortisone.

[Clinical and pharmacologic aspects of various betamethasone crystalline suspensions].

The commercially available betamethasone suspensions for injection used in this study have clearly shown quantitative differences in the combination of their easily hydrosoluble betamethasone esters and those difficult to dissolve in water, as well as in the shapes and sizes of their crystals. With regard to their influence on the endogenous cortisol production the two preparations have shown a highly deviating pharmaco-dynamic duration of action-corresponding to their different galenic composition (betamethasone phosphate/acetate approx. 7-8 days; betamethasone phosphate/dipropionate approx.