Differences in risk profile associated with varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency - results from the Bonn Vein Study 1.

The aim of this publication is to demonstrate similarities and differences in the association of risk factors with the prevalence of different manifestations of chronic venous disease (CVD), like varicose veins (VV), venous oedema (C3) and severe chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) in the population-based cross-sectional Bonn Vein Study 1 (BVS). In the BVS 1 between 13.11.

Ultrasound versus Computed Tomography Assessment of Focal Lung Aeration in Invasively Ventilated ICU Patients.

It is unknown whether and to what extent the penetration depth of lung ultrasound (LUS) influences the accuracy of LUS findings. The current study evaluated and compared the LUS aeration score and two frequently used B-line scores with focal lung aeration assessed by chest computed tomography (CT) at different levels of depth in invasively ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients. In this prospective observational study, patients with a clinical indication for chest CT underwent a 12-region LUS examination shortly before CT scanning.

The impact of self-stigmatization on medication attitude in schizophrenia patients.

Negative attitudes towards medication in schizophrenia patients are one major factor contributing to non-adherence behavior. Besides, self-stigmatization represents another frequent and important obstacle in patients suffering from psychotic disorders. Here, we investigated possible associations between medication adherence attitude and the extent of self-stigmatization, while also exploring factors related to self-stigmatization.

The importance of strengthening competence and control beliefs in patients with psychosis to reduce treatment hindering self-stigmatization.

Different aspects of self-stigmatization represent barriers for recovery in patients with psychosis disorders. It is unclear whether addressing patient's competence and control beliefs could attenuate the extent of self-stigmatization. The major aim of this study was to identify predictors of self-stigmatization derived from competence and control beliefs in patients (N = 80).

Botulinum neurotoxin type A in the treatment of classical Trigeminal Neuralgia (BoTN): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by paroxysmal facial pain attacks. Adequate prophylactic drug therapy is often limited by the lack of efficacy and intolerance due to central nervous system side effects. Subcutaneous injections of botulinum toxin type A are a promising treatment option for patients with unsatisfactory response to drug therapy or neurosurgical intervention.

Long-term outcome of vertigo and dizziness associated disorders following treatment in specialized tertiary care: the Dizziness and Vertigo Registry (DiVeR) Study.

To investigate the long-term outcome of interdisciplinary treatment in a tertiary care neuro-otology institution after 2 years as part of the Dizziness and Vertigo Registry study. Risk factors associated with unfavourable outcome were assessed. 3113 consecutive patients with disorders of vertigo and dizziness were recruited prospectively between March 2010 and February 2012.

The association between stress and headache: A longitudinal population-based study.

Introduction: We studied the association between stress intensity and headache frequency for tension-type headache (TTH), migraine and migraine with coexisting TTH (MigTTH).

Method: We studied a population-based sample of 5159 participants (21-71 years) who were asked quarterly between March 2010 and April 2012 about headache and stress. Log-linear regression in the framework of generalized estimating equations was used to estimate regression coefficients presented as percent changes to describe the association between stress intensity (modified visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 100) and headache frequency (days/month) stratified by headache subtypes and age groups and adjusted for sex, age, frequent intake of acute pain drugs, drinking, smoking, BMI and education.

Therapy with compression stockings in Germany - results from the Bonn Vein Studies.

Background: Despite the frequent use of medical compression stockings (MCS), reliable data are lacking on the frequency of MCS use and experience of patients with the treatment.

Patients And Methods: The Bonn Vein Study included 3,072 participants from the general population aged 18 to 79 years (1,350 men/1,722 women). Between 2007 and 2008 (Bonn Vein Study 2) 1,978 participants from the Bonn Vein Study 1 were reinvestigated.

Nanoscale arrangement of apoptotic ligands reveals a demand for a minimal lateral distance for efficient death receptor activation.

Cellular apoptosis, the prototype of programmed cell death, can be induced by activation of so-called death receptors. Interestingly, soluble and membrane-bound members of death receptor ligands can differentially activate their receptors. Using the death receptor ligand tumor necrosis factor (TNF) presented on a surface in a nanoscaled pattern with spacings between 58 and 290 nm, we investigated its requirements for spatial arrangement and motility to efficiently activate TNF receptor (TNFR)1 and TNFR2 as well as its chimeras TNFR1-Fas and TNFR2-Fas.

Impact of order and disorder in RGD nanopatterns on cell adhesion.

We herein present a novel platform of well-controlled ordered and disordered nanopatterns positioned with a cyclic peptide of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) on a bioinert poly(ethylene glycol) background, to study whether the nanoscopic order of spatial patterning of the integrin-specific ligands influences osteoblast adhesion. This is the first time that the nanoscale order of RGD ligand patterns was varied quantitatively, and tested for its impact on the adhesion of tissue cells. Our findings reveal that integrin clustering and such adhesion induced by RGD ligands is dependent on the local order of ligand arrangement on a substrate when the global average ligand spacing is larger than 70 nm; i.

Assembly of multilayer arrays of viral nanoparticles via biospecific recognition: a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring study.

The development of multilayered thin film assemblies containing (bio)molecules is driven by the need to miniaturize sensors, reactors, and biochips. Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) have become popular nanobuilding blocks for material fabrication, and our research has focused on the well-characterized plant virus Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV). In a previous study, we have reported the construction of multilayer VNP assemblies.

Prone positioning improves oxygenation in post-traumatic lung injury--a prospective randomized trial.

Background: In a prospective randomized trial the effect of prone positioning on the duration of mechanical ventilation was evaluated in multiple trauma patients and was compared with patients ventilated in supine position.

Method: Multiple trauma patients of the intensive care units of two university hospitals were considered eligible if they met the criteria for acute lung injury or the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Patients in the prone group (N = 21) were kept prone for at least eight hours and a maximum of 23 hours per day.