How to determine whether conceptual endophenotypes can improve clinical outcomes in patients suffering from major depression: An exploratory approach.

Depression is a complex mental health disorder, resulting in a high degree of disability. Since symptom constellation, course, and outcome are heterogeneous in these patients, current research initiatives are striving to establish stratified diagnostic and treatment approaches. In the past two decades, Dirk Hellhammer and his team introduced Neuropattern, a new diagnostic concept, which is based on conceptual endophenotypes of the stress response network.

A prospective, non-randomized evaluation of a novel low energy radiofrequency treatment for nasal obstruction and snoring.

Background: Weak or inward-bent cartilage of the nasal sidewall at the level of the internal nasal valve (INV) can produce narrowness or collapse of the nasal valve. This is a common cause of impaired nasal breathing during daily activities and there is also an established connection between nasal obstruction and snoring. The condition is often difficult to treat, although even a small enlargement of the lumen at the nasal valve can lead to a significant improvement in the ease of nasal breathing.

Comparison of mucosal and mucoperiosteal wound cover for the treatment of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw lesions: a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Actually, there is no detailed guidance on how to deal with wound closure after surgical removal of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) lesions. This study attempts to compare the difference in outcome between the mucosal and the mucoperiosteal flap closure after surgery.

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective monocentric cohort study, patients (n = 61; 35 female/26 male) suffering from MRONJ and requiring surgical therapy at the University of Aachen between 2013 and 2015 were included.

Chiral Lithiated Allylic α-Sulfonyl Carbanions: Experimental and Computational Study of Their Structure, Configurational Stability, and Enantioselective Synthesis.

X-ray crystal structure analysis of the lithiated allylic α-sulfonyl carbanions [CH2 CHC(Me)SO2 Ph]Li⋅diglyme, [cC6 H8 SO2 tBu]Li⋅PMDETA and [cC7 H10 SO2 tBu]Li⋅PMDETA showed dimeric and monomeric CIPs, having nearly planar anionic C atoms, only OLi bonds, almost planar allylic units with strong CC bond length alternation and the s-trans conformation around C1C2. They adopt a C1S conformation, which is similar to the one generally found for alkyl and aryl substituted α-sulfonyl carbanions. Cryoscopy of [EtCHCHC(Et)SO2 tBu]Li in THF at 164 K revealed an equilibrium between monomers and dimers in a ratio of 83:17, which is similar to the one found by low temperature NMR spectroscopy.

Incidence of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in consideration of primary diseases and concomitant therapies.

Background: Since its first description by Marx in 2003, the etiology of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is the subject of numerous scientific discussions for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Many retrospective studies on its etiology and pathogenesis have been carried out to explain pathological mechanisms; most of them just take a close look at the issue of dosage and application. Recently, attempts have been made, to identify co-factors which might promote the development of BRONJ.

Neuropattern: a new translational tool to detect and treat stress pathology. II. The Teltow study.

The present study was designed to test the clinical utility of Neuropattern (NP), a newly developed translational diagnostic tool. NP consists of biological and psychological measures that facilitate the identification of functional changes (called "neuropatterns") in patients with stress-related health problems. In this prospective, randomized control trial, we expected NP to improve therapeutic efficacy, as compared with the usual treatment.

Neuropattern: a new translational tool to detect and treat stress pathology I. Strategical consideration.

Translational research is most prominently represented by the search for biomarkers and preclinical research. Aside from generating such new measures and methodologies, translational research additionally refers to translation of integrated knowledge. This strategy involves synthesis, exchange, and dissemination of available knowledge, with the goal of improving health services and health care systems.

Effects of psychological treatment on recurrent abdominal pain in children - a meta-analysis.

Recurrent abdominal pain in children has a high prevalence, thought to be about 10%. Untreated, there is a high risk that the symptoms become chronic and may lead in some cases to co-morbid mental disorders. Evidence-based treatments are therefore urgently needed.

[The quality of diagnostic classification using abridged versions of the tinnitus questionnaire: comparative analysis].

Background: There are different abridged versions of the tinnitus questionnaire (TQ) and reference values for grading tinnitus-related distress, the diagnostic value of which is unclear, as is the relation of sensitivity to specificity, as well as positive and negative predictive values. The present study is aimed at clarifying these issues and at benchmarking the existing abridged TQ versions.

Patients And Methods: TQ data from 209 outpatients who had tinnitus for a period of at least 4 months were collected at the beginning of treatment.

A novel hemostatic delivery device for thrombin: biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) 50:50 microspheres.

Topical thrombins are locally active hemostatic agents that can be used to minimize blood loss during any surgery. The aim of this study was to design and investigate a thrombin-containing biodegradable hemostyptic device with an optimized drug release profile to promote local blood clot formation. It is effective with ongoing systemic antithrombotic therapy and can be used in all types of bone-related surgery, for example, in dental surgery.

Gender specific quality of life in patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas.

Background: The goal of this study was to evaluate the somatic and psychological effects by means of QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) of surgical treatment of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. The factors gender, age, nicotine consumption, and tumour stage were taken into consideration.

Methods: 54 patients after surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) were analysed from 01.

[Distraction and relaxation training in acute tinnitus : effects of a complement to otorhinolaryngological treatment].

Background: We examined whether training conceptualized as a complement to standard medical treatment (ST) for acute tinnitus to promote patients' capacity to distract attention from their tinnitus and to relax (distraction and relaxation training) has a positive effect on tinnitus-specific distress (tinnitus loudness, tinnitus-related distress and disability), as well as on general well-being.

Patients And Methods: Study participants comprised 29 patients with tinnitus of maximum 4 weeks' standing (first lifetime tinnitus episode) who were randomized to ST (rheological therapy) or advanced standard treatment (AST) (rheological therapy complemented by distraction and relaxation training).

Results: Tinnitus-specific distress was reduced to a significantly greater extent in the EST group as compared to ST, especially in patients with a striking psychopathology.

Associations of the cortisol awakening response (CAR) with cortical activation asymmetry during the course of an exam stress period.

The cortisol awakening response (CAR) is a cortisol rise which is distinct from the circadian rise in hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity before awakening. The CAR has been shown to be related to experiences of stress and negative affect, and activation of neocortical networks has been suggested as a mechanism. Right-sided cortical activation has been shown to be correlated with negative affect, and an association of electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry measures with cortisol secretion has been demonstrated.

[Attention diversion in tinnitus therapy. Comparison of the effects of different treatment methods].

Background: Diversion or distraction of auditory attention is a core principle of tinnitus retraining therapy as introduced by P. Jastreboff and J. Hazell.

Highly selective palladium catalyzed kinetic resolution and enantioselective substitution of racemic allylic carbonates with sulfur nucleophiles: asymmetric synthesis of allylic sulfides, allylic sulfones, and allylic alcohols.

We describe the highly selective palladium catalyzed kinetic resolutions of the racemic cyclic allylic carbonates rac-1 a-c and racemic acyclic allylic carbonates rac-3 aa and rac-3 ba through reaction with tert-butylsulfinate, tolylsulfinate, phenylsulfinate anions and 2-pyrimidinethiol by using N,N'-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexanediylbis[2-(diphenylphosphino)-benzamide] (BPA) as ligand. Selectivities are expressed in yields and ee values of recovered substrate and product and in selectivity factors S. The reaction of the cyclohexenyl carbonate 1 a (>/=99 % ee) with 2-pyrimidinethiol in the presence of BPA was shown to exhibit, under the conditions used, an overall pseudo-zero order kinetics in regard to the allylic substrate.

[Aberrant salivary gland tissue in differential diagnosis of branchiogenic neck cyst].

A neck fistula next to the sternocleidomastoid muscle is suspicious of a branchial origin. Here we report on a 29-year-old patient with a discharging cutaneous orifice caused by an ectopic salivary gland. The clinical and histological findings are demonstrated and discussed with reference to the literature.

Reliability and validity studies of the Facial Discrimination Task for emotion research.

The Facial Discrimination Task (FDT) (Erwin, R.J., Gur, R.

Retraining therapy for chronic tinnitus. A critical analysis of its status.

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), as conceived of mainly by PJ Jastreboff, has recently received increasing attention in the media, as well as in seminars and congresses on treatment methods for chronic tinnitus. It is often claimed, though not explicitly in scientific publications, that TRT is currently the most efficacious therapy for tinnitus, obtaining improvement rates exceeding 80%. This assertion is highly significant in light of the most likely increasing prevalence of chronic tinnitus and ensuing urgent demand for effective therapies.

Pathological fractures of the mandible. A review of the etiology and treatment.

A retrospective study was undertaken to analyse the etiology, site and treatment procedures of 30 pathological fractures of the mandible. Fifty percent of the fractures had an inflammatory cause. The remaining cases were associated with severe atrophy of edentulous mandibles (4), benign tumours (3), cysts (3), and primary or secondary malignancies (5).

Decoding of facially expressed emotions in patients with psychosomatic gastrointestinal disorders.

The hypothesis that individuals with psychosomatic conditions are lacking in empathy was tested by investigating decoding abilities of facially expressed emotions. Fourteen subjects with psychosomatic gastrointestinal disorders and 14 matched controls participated. Slides of one male and one female model's facial expressions of anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise, and a neutral face, were presented to subjects, with exposure durations of 1/60, 1/15, and 4 seconds.

Sealing ability of five different retrograde filling materials.

The sealing ability of Amalgam, Harvard-Cement, Diaket, gold-leaf, and Ketac-Endo as retrofilling materials was investigated. Paper cones were fixed with Harvard-Cement in the instrumented roots of 100 extracted human incisors. Apicectomy was performed and a 2-mm-deep retrograde cavity was prepared.

Subjective stress sensitivity and physiological responses to an aversive auditory stimulus in migraine and control subjects.

Subjective stress sensitivity and physiological parameters were compared between 24 migraine subjects and 24 matched headache-free controls during a multifrequency 85-dB (A) aversive auditory stressor and during a recovery period. Measures consisted of frontalis EMG, temporal artery blood volume pulse, heart rate, a stress sensitivity questionnaire, stress reaction during the stress-expectation period, and ratings of noise aversiveness. Migraine subjects showed a higher level of general stress sensitivity, increased situational stress sensitivity, and higher ratings of noise aversiveness; this supports the general notion that migraine sufferers are psychologically more sensitive toward stress stimulation than nonheadache controls.

The impact of medical, reeducational, and psychological variables on rehabilitation outcome in amputees.

178 male unilateral above-knee amputees (cause of amputation: war injury or accident) participated in the study. Medical reeducational, social, vocational, and psychological predictor variables as well ad medical, social, vocational, and psychological outcome variables were assessed by means of interviews, expert ratings, questionnaires, and by ratings from the amputees partners. A series of risk factors for poor rehabilitation was specified by means of discriminant and correlational analyses.