Factors Affecting Vitamin D Status in Infants.

Vitamin D is critical to children's skeletal development and health. Despite this, the factors which determine vitamin D concentrations during infancy remain incompletely understood. This article reviews the literature assessing the factors which can affect vitamin D status in infancy, including antenatal and postnatal vitamin D supplementation.

Energy Management for Personalized Weight Reduction (EMPOWER) Program: Three-Year Outcome Data.

Background: The current consensus guidelines for management of pediatric obesity recommend clinic-based, family-centered, multi-disciplinary interventions. It is well reported that these programs often only lead to modest improvements in BMI status. The individual factors that differentiate which patient's BMI status will improve vs.

Non-operative treatment of ACL injury is associated with opposing subjective and objective outcomes over 20 years of follow-up.

Purpose: The aim of this study was the evaluation of long-term clinical and radiological outcomes of non-operative treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency. The hypothesis was that conservative treatment would be associated with a deterioration of subjective and objective measures of joint health and disability over time.

Methods: From an initial sample of 41 patients conservatively treated for ACL rupture, 10 received secondary ACL reconstruction, 1 was excluded due to contralateral ACL injury, and 1 patient required total knee replacement and a high tibial osteotomy.

Limb symmetry index in competitive alpine ski racers: Reference values and injury risk identification according to age-related performance levels.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to assess differences of limb symmetry index (LSI) in strength- and coordination-related tasks between high-level, competitive, noninjured ski racers of different age-related performance levels and to prospectively assess limb differences as a possible risk factor for traumatic and overuse injury in youth ski racers.

Methods: The study (Study 1) included 285 high-level competitive ski racers (125 females, 160 males) of 3 age-related performance levels and based on the school system: 95 youth (10-14 years, secondary modern school), 107 adolescent (15-19 years, grammar school), and 83 elite athletes (20-34 years). To investigate the second aim (Study 2), 67 of the 95 youth athletes were included and any traumatic or overuse injuries were prospectively recorded over 2 seasons.

Design of an Algorithm for Automated, Computer-Guided PASI Measurements by Digital Image Analysis.

The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) is the most accepted method for psoriasis severity scoring. However, a prominent level of subjectivity and a low intra- and inter-rater reproducibility was reported. Therefore, an accurate and reproducible measure of psoriasis severity is needed, especially in the setting of registration studies for systemic anti-psoriatic drugs.

PRURITIC RASH IN AN ELDERLY PATIENT WITH UNCONTROLLED DIABETES MELLITUS.

Objective: Acquired reactive perforating collagenosis is an uncommon skin disease that belongs to a group of dermatologic disorders characterized by transepidermal elimination of dermal material. It is highly associated with systemic disease, primarily diabetes mellitus and dialysis-dependent chronic renal failure.

Methods: A 70-year-old female with 20 years of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus presented with a 6-month history of multiple pruritic erythematous papules and nodules with central hyperkeratosis, involving her right dorsal arm.

Minimally Invasive Quadriceps Tendon Single-Bundle, Arthroscopic, Anatomic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Rectangular Bone Tunnels.

Many surgeons use quadriceps tendon (QT) graft for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) revision surgery; however, despite excellent clinical results, the QT has not achieved universal acceptance for primary ACL reconstruction. One of the reasons for this may be that the QT is technically demanding to harvest and the scar from open harvesting techniques is less cosmetically favorable than that from hamstring tendon techniques. Recent evidence has suggested that broad flat QT grafts may more closely mimic native ACL "ribbon-like" morphology than hamstring tendon grafts.

Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction using quadriceps tendon autograft provides good clinical, functional and patient-reported outcome measurements (PROM): a 2-year prospective study.

Purpose: The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is the most important ligamentous stabilizer preventing lateral patella dislocation. Numerous surgical procedures for MPFL reconstruction have been described in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical, functional and patient-reported (PROM) outcomes 2 years after minimally invasive MPFL reconstruction performed using an autologous strip of the quadriceps tendon.

Prospective multicentre cohort study of patient-reported outcomes and complications following major abdominal neoplastic surgery (PATRONUS) - study protocol for a CHIR-Net student-initiated German medical audit study (CHIR-Net SIGMA study).

Background: One of the most important aspects of designing a clinical trial is selecting appropriate outcomes. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can provide a personal assessment of the burden and impact of a malignant disease and its treatment. PROs comprise a wide range of outcomes including basic clinical symptom scores and complex metrics such as health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Grow With the Challenge - Microbial Effects on Epithelial Proliferation, Carcinogenesis, and Cancer Therapy.

The eukaryotic host is in close contact to myriads of resident and transient microbes, which influence the crucial physiological pathways. Emerging evidence points to their role of host-microbe interactions for controlling tissue homeostasis, cell fate decisions, and regenerative capacity in epithelial barrier organs including the skin, lung, and gut. In humans and mice, it has been shown that the malignant tumors of these organs harbor an altered microbiota.

Vascular endothelial growth factor for the treatment of femoral head osteonecrosis: An experimental study in canines.

Aim: To evaluate the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) with the use of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Methods: In 30 mature beagles (6 groups of 5 beagles) ONFH was induced cryosurgically and one of the following solutions was administered locally in the femoral head (FH) in each group: Single injection of 500 μg VEGF (t-VEGFμ group); single injection of 500 ng VEGF (t-VEGFn group); continuous delivery of 500 μg VEGF through osmotic micropump (t-VEGFpump-μ group); continuous delivery of 500 ng VEGF through osmotic micropump (t-VEGFpump-n group); single injection of 0.9% sodium chloride (t-NS group), while one group that served as control group did not receive any local solution (No-t group).

Precision and reproducibility of automated computer-guided Psoriasis Area and Severity Index measurements in comparison with trained physicians.

Background: The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) represents the gold standard for psoriasis severity assessments but is limited by its subjectivity and low intra- and inter-rater consistency.

Objectives: To investigate the precision and reproducibility of automated, computer-guided PASI measurements (ACPMs) in comparison with three trained physicians.

Methods: This was a comparative observational study assessing ACPMs attained by automated total-body imaging and computerized digital image analysis in a cohort of 120 patients affected by plaque psoriasis of various severities.

Heidelberger Interprofessionelle Ausbildungsstation (HIPSTA): a practice- and theory-guided approach to development and implementation of Germany's first interprofessional training ward.

Deficits in care and impaired patient-safety have been linked to inefficient interprofessional collaborative practice. Interprofessional training wards (IPTW) are an interprofessional educational intervention which aim to enable students and trainees from different health professions to work self-responsibly in order to manage the medical treatment and rehabilitation of real-life patients together as an interprofessional team. We aimed to develop and implement Germany´s first IPTW at the department of Surgery at Heidelberg University Hospital.

A model of cigarette smoke induced COPD identifies Nrf2 signaling as an expedient target for intervention.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is among the most important causes of death. Signaling systems that are relevant for tissue repair and detoxification of reactive oxygen species or xenobiotics are thought to be impaired in lungs of patients suffering from this disease. Here, we developed a simple cigarette smoke induced model of COPD based on chronic cigarette smoke exposure that recapitulates major pathological hallmarks of the disease and thus can be used to investigate new therapeutic strategies.

First Dark Matter Constraints from a SuperCDMS Single-Charge Sensitive Detector.

We present the first limits on inelastic electron-scattering dark matter and dark photon absorption using a prototype SuperCDMS detector having a charge resolution of 0.1 electron-hole pairs (CDMS HVeV, a 0.93 g CDMS high-voltage device).

An addiction model-based mobile health weight loss intervention in adolescents with obesity.

Background: Clinical approaches to treating childhood obesity can be expensive and poorly reimbursed, and often produce suboptimal results. It has been theorized that overeating may have addictive qualities, and a sizable number of adolescents with obesity endorse addictive habits. Interestingly, few weight management interventions have tested techniques founded in addiction medicine principles.

Evaluation of capillary pathologies by nailfold capillaroscopy in patients with psoriasis vulgaris: study protocol for a prospective, controlled exploratory study.

Introduction: Psoriasis vulgaris was shown to be an independent factor increasing the risk of several comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes and dyslipidaemia with an increased risk of stroke and myocardial infarction. We hypothesise that early endothelial dysfunction, which plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, may be detected by digital video nailfold capillaroscopy (DVNC) at the level of the dermal capillary microvasculature as a surrogate parameter. Nailfolds represent the only body site allowing for a non-invasive assessment of the capillary microvasculature at a horizontal plane.

[Marshmallow Root Extract for the Treatment of Irritative Cough: Two Surveys on Users' View on Effectiveness and Tolerability].

Background: Cough preparations containing aqueous marshmallow root extracts (Althaea officinalis) have a long history as medicinal products in Germany. The aim of the 2 prospective, non-interventional surveys reported here was to create a better documentation of the users' impression of the effectiveness and tolerability, and user satisfaction.

Methods: Consumers (n = 822) buying either lozenges or syrup of the aqueous marshmallow root extract STW42 to treat their dry cough were recruited in pharmacies in 2 independently performed surveys.

Fitness, knee function and competition performance in professional alpine skiers after ACL injury.

Objectives: To assess the fitness of elite alpine skiers during recovery from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and changes in performance level after return to competition.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: The database of a specialized sports clinic was screened for professional alpine skiers with a history of ACL rupture and reconstruction.