Associations between TERT Promoter Mutations and Survival in Superficial Spreading and Nodular Melanomas in a Large Prospective Patient Cohort.

Survival outcomes in melanoma and their association with mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene TERT promoter remain uncertain. In addition, few studies have examined whether these associations are affected by a nearby common germline polymorphism or vary on the basis of melanoma histopathological subtype. We analyzed 408 primary tumors from a prospective melanoma cohort for somatic TERT and TERT mutations, the germline polymorphism rs2853669, and BRAF and NRAS mutations.

Exercise-induced changes in miRNA expression in coronary artery disease.

Objectives: Micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that control gene expression by translational inhibition. Exercise has been shown to affect several miRNAs' expression in healthy subjects, but this has not yet been studied in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Since exercise training confers beneficial long-term effects and may also trigger acute coronary events, it is of utmost interest to be able to identify those who are risk for untoward effects.

The mutagenic potency of onion juice vs. its contents of quercetin and rutin.

In spite of its considerable value as a predictor of in vivo genotoxicity and even for carcinogenicity, false positive cases were reported for the Ames test, e.g., with a number of natural food constituents.

The Feasibility and Impact of a Presurgical Exercise Intervention Program (Prehabilitation) for Patients Undergoing Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of a prehabilitation program for cystectomy patients and to determine the effectiveness of the program in improving strength and functional capacity in the peri-operative period.

Materials And Methods: This phase I/II study accrued patients ≥60 years old from January 2013 to October 2017 with biopsy-proven bladder cancer, Karnofsky performance score ≥70 and a sedentary baseline lifestyle to participate in a 4-week supervised preoperative exercise training program. Primary outcomes were feasibility and safety; secondary outcomes included changes in fitness, patient-reported QOL, peri-operative complications and readmissions.

"I Tell Them What I Can Feel and How Far My Legs Can Bend": Optimizing Sexual Satisfaction for Women With Spina Bifida.

Background: There is a high reported rate of sexual dysfunction among women with spina bifida, but little is known about the etiology of this or how sexual satisfaction could be improved.

Aim: To identify, through the words of women with spina bifida, perceived causes of diminished sexual satisfaction and recommendations to optimize partnered sexual encounters.

Methods: In this qualitative study, we conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 22 women with spina bifida (median age 26.

Health effects of active commuting to work: The available evidence before GISMO.

Sedentary lifestyle is a major modifiable risk factor for many chronic diseases. Global guidelines recommend for maintaining health in adults, at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity of physical activity throughout the week, but compliance is insufficient and health problems arise. One obvious way to overcome this is to integrate physical activity into the daily routine for example by active commuting to work.

"He told me it would be extremely selfish of me to even consider [having kids]": The importance of reproductive health to women with spina bifida and the lack of support from their providers.

Background: As more women with spina bifida (SB) enter their reproductive years, the number having children is significantly increasing. However, little is known about their understanding of their ability to get pregnant or their experiences in considering, planning, or interacting with providers during a pregnancy.

Objective: We sought to determine what women have been told and understand about their reproductive health, their attitudes towards having children, and their experiences interacting with providers when seeking reproductive health care.

"If Everyone Else Is Having This Talk With Their Doctor, Why Am I Not Having This Talk With Mine?": The Experiences of Sexuality and Sexual Health Education of Young Women With Spina Bifida.

Introduction: Women with spina bifida are sexually active, but most never discuss this topic with providers.

Aim: To determine what women with spina bifida understand about their sexual health, how they learned about it, what questions they have, and their experiences with their sexuality.

Methods: For this qualitative study, women with spina bifida ages 16 and older without marked developmental delay were individually interviewed.

Exercise responsive micro ribonucleic acids identify patients with coronary artery disease.

Aims: Exercise is a trigger for acute coronary events especially in the untrained. Identifying subjects at risk remains a challenge. We set out to assess whether a distinct pattern of micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) expressed in response to an acute bout of all-out exercise might exist that would allow discrimination between health and disease.

"I Don't Know What I'm Doing… I Hope I'm Not Just an Idiot": The Need to Train Pediatric Urologists to Discuss Sexual and Reproductive Health Care With Young Women With Spina Bifida.

Introduction: Although pediatric urologists have taken responsibility for initiating discussions on sexual and reproductive health with spina bifida patients, research shows that very few girls and women with spina bifida have ever discussed this topic with any physician.

Aim: We sought to better understand pediatric urologists' gaps in knowledge and training needs in the sexual and reproductive health education of women with spina bifida with the goal of creating a tool kit to equip providers to have these discussions.

Methods: In this qualitative study, pediatric urologists were interviewed separately about their current practices, perceived barriers, knowledge gaps, and recommendations for the tool kit until thematic saturation was reached.

Computer-assisted measurement of primary tumor area is prognostic of recurrence-free survival in stage IB melanoma patients.

Current staging guidelines are insufficient to predict which patients with thin primary melanoma are at high risk of recurrence. Computer-assisted image analysis may allow for more practical and objective histopathological analysis of primary tumors than traditional light microscopy. We studied a prospective cohort of stage IB melanoma patients treated at NYU Langone Medical Center from 2002 to 2014.

An Introduction to the Inverted/Flipped Classroom Model in Education and Advanced Training in Medicine and in the Healthcare Professions.

In describing the inverted classroom model (ICM), the following paper is meant to provide an introduction to the subject matter and to serve as a practical guide for those wishing to employ its methods in basic and advanced medical training and education. The ICM is a blended-learning method in which a self-directed learning phase (individual phase) precedes the classroom-instruction phase. During the online phase, factual knowledge is imparted that serves as a basis for the classroom phase.

Acetaminophen changes intestinal epithelial cell membrane properties, subsequently affecting absorption processes.

Background/aims: Acetaminophen (APAP) effects on intestinal barrier properties are less investigated. APAP may lead to a changed bioavailability of a subsequently administered drug or diet in the body. We investigated the influence of APAP on enterocytic cell membrane properties that are able to modify the net intestinal absorption of administered substances across the Caco-2 barrier model.

Interactive e-learning courses in human genetics: usage and evaluation by science and medical students at the faculty of medicin.

Introduction: This study presents our online-teaching material within the k-MED project (Knowledge in Medical Education) at the university of Marburg. It is currently organized in five e-learning modules: cytogenetics, chromosomal aberrations, formal genetics, fundamentals of molecular diagnostics, and congenital abnormalities and syndromes. These are basic courses intended to do the educational groundwork, which will enable academic teachers to concentrate on more sophisticated topics during their lectures.

Cytoprotective role of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 in light-damaged human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

The role of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatases (MKPs) in light-damaged cells is unclear. Therefore we investigated the involvement of MKP-1 in the regulation of apoptosis and cell survival mediated by MAP kinase pathways in light-damaged human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19). Light dose-dependent changes in the expression of MKP-1 and in the phosphorylation status of the MAP kinases, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 were demonstrated.

Polymorphisms in the interleukin-1 (IL1) gene cluster are not associated with aggressive periodontitis in a large Caucasian population.

Polymorphisms in the interleukin-1 (IL1) gene have been suggested to influence transcription of IL1A (interleukin-1alpha) and IL1B (interleukin-1beta) and thereby the pathophysiology of periodontitis. This case-control association study on 415 northern European Caucasian patients with aggressive periodontitis (AgP) and 874 healthy controls was conducted to examine 10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes of the IL1 cluster for association with IL1A, IL1B, CKAP2L (cytoskeleton-associated protein 2-like), and IL1RN (IL-1 receptor antagonist). The results do not support an association between variants in the IL1 gene cluster and AgP.

Modulation of gene expression profiles by hyperosmolarity and insulin.

Cell hydration changes play a key role in the regulation of cell function and critically affect insulin sensitivity of carbohydrate- and protein metabolism. Here, the modulation of gene expression profiles by hyperosmolarity and insulin was examined in H4IIE rat hepatoma cells by cDNA/oligonucleotiode array-, Northern- and Western blot analysis. Osmosensitive expression of the insulin-like growth factor binding protein Igfbp1, the multidrug resistance protein Mrp5 (Abcc5a) and cyclin D1 (Ccnd1) was established at the mRNA and protein level.

Osmotic regulation of betaine homocysteine-S-methyltransferase expression in H4IIE rat hepatoma cells.

Cell hydration changes critically affect liver metabolism and gene expression. In the course of gene expression studies using nylon cDNA-arrays we found that hyperosmolarity (405 mosmol/l) suppressed the betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (Bhmt) mRNA expression in H4IIE rat hepatoma cells. This was confirmed by Northern blot and real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis, which in addition unraveled a pronounced induction of Bhmt mRNA expression by hypoosmotic (205 mosmol/l) swelling.

[Implementation of the multi-center basis documentation CL-BaDo for conciliar and liaison services: generating data for internal quality management and cost calculation].

In the German DRG system the funding of CL services is not ensured. The documentation of psychiatric comorbidity and CL care delivery is a pre-condition to the development of funding models for CL-services. A task force of several German psychosomatic associations (German College of Psychosomatic Medicine, German Society of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, General Medical Society for Psychotherapy) developed a new documentation form for CL-services (CL-BaDo).