Do We Need More Structured MD Thesis Programs? A Propensity Score Matched Analysis of the Research Program at the Medical Faculty Dresden.

Introduction: Conducting a Medical Doctorate (MD) thesis is desired by the majority of medical students. However, the needed scientific competencies are not regularly implemented in medical education. To support students during their MD thesis, a graduate college was implemented.

Digital competence using the example of executives in residential care facilities in Germany-a comparison.

Background: Change and progress through digitalisation is also becoming increasingly important in the field of professional care and the associated increasing demands on the skills of nursing staff. The European Union considers digital skills to be one of the eight key competences for lifelong learning. At present, few reliable statements can be made about the status of digital skills in professional nursing care in Germany.

Scientific competence during medical education - insights from a cross-sectional study at a German Medical School.

Background: Medical knowledge regarding the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of diseases is constantly evolving. To effectively incorporate these findings into professional practice, it is crucial that scientific competencies are a central component of medical education. This study seeks to analyse the current state of scientific education and students' desires for integration into the curriculum.

A mutation in switch I alters the load-dependent kinetics of myosin Va.

Myosin Va is the molecular motor that drives intracellular vesicular transport, powered by the transduction of chemical energy from ATP into mechanical work. The coupling of the powerstroke and phosphate (P) release is key to understanding the transduction process, and crucial details of this process remain unclear. Therefore, we determined the effect of elevated P on the force-generating capacity of a mini-ensemble of myosin Va S1 (WT) in a laser trap assay.

Beach litter sources around Nuuk, Greenland: An analysis by UArctic summer school graduate course students.

Modeling studies illustrate the potential for long-range transport of plastics into the Arctic, although the degree to which this occurs remains relatively undocumented. We utilised a teaching exercise at a UArctic summer school graduate course in Nuuk, Greenland to conduct a preliminary in-depth analysis of beach litter sources in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord. Students and instructors collected and analysed 1800 litter items weighing 200 kg from one location in the fjord and another at its mouth.

Curricular representation of neurogastroenterology: A survey among medical students in Germany.

Background: Neurogastroenterological disorders (NGDs) are highly prevalent and substantially impact patients' quality of life. Effective treatment of NGDs depends on the competence and training of medical caregivers. Students' perceived competence in neurogastroenterology and its place in medical school curricula are assessed in this study.

Steroid-Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome-Associated Mutations Have Differential Effects on Myosin 1e Localization, Dynamics, and Activity.

Background: Myo1e is a nonmuscle motor protein enriched in podocytes. Mutations in are associated with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). Most of the variants identified by genomic sequencing have not been functionally characterized.

Assessing the psychosocial work environment of migrant and non-migrant workers in inpatient mental health centres: A feasibility study.

The number of migrant workers in Germany has increased over the last decades and will probably further increase in the context of a growing cultural diversity of the population and shortage of skilled professionals. Since migrant workers face different challenges, they may experience poorer psychosocial work environments than non-migrants. A negative psychosocial work environment can increase burnout and depression symptoms.

Effects of the Population-Based "10,000 Steps Duesseldorf" Intervention for Promoting Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling Adults: Protocol for a Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA), which translates to approximately 7000 to 10,000 steps per day for adults. In Germany, less than half of the population in this age range meets this recommendation, highlighting the need for population-based intervention approaches for promoting daily PA.

Objective: The complex community-based PA intervention "10,000 Steps Ghent," which was originally developed in Belgium and was shown to be effective for PA promotion, has been adapted for implementation and evaluation in 2 German cities.

Feasibility of a Social Network-Based Physical Activity Intervention Targeting Vocational School Students: A Pilot Study.

Globally, four out of five adolescents do not meet the recommendations for physical activity (PA). Moving large segments of young adults from inactivity to activity is essential to reach the global target of a 15% relative reduction in inactivity by 2030 worldwide. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of a social network-based PA intervention (WALK2gether) in vocational school students.

Feasibility of smartphone-supported, combined physical and cognitive activities in the Neighbourhood for stimulating social participation of the elderly.

Background: Combining smartphone-assisted group activities in the neighbourhood and training in physical and cognitive skills may offer the potential to promote social participation and connectedness of older adults. This non-controlled proof-of-concept, retrospectively registered study aimed to determine the feasibility of such an intervention approach, including its evaluation.

Methods: In two consecutive six-month intervention cycles, 39 community-dwelling adults were provided with weekly smartphone, physical and cognitive training by two tutors.

Effectiveness of Social Media-Based Interventions for the Promotion of Physical Activity: Scoping Review.

A global target of the World Health Organization (WHO) is to reduce physical inactivity among all adults and adolescents by approximately fifteen percent by 2030. Social media could have an impact in this effort because of its enormous reach, potentially addressing underserved populations in need for physical activity (PA) interventions. This scoping review provides a broad overview of social media-based interventions and systematically maps the evidence regarding their effectiveness for PA promotion and other health outcomes.

Deafness mutation in the MYO3A motor domain impairs actin protrusion elongation mechanism.

Class III myosins are actin-based motors proposed to transport cargo to the distal tips of stereocilia in the inner ear hair cells and/or to participate in stereocilia length regulation, which is especially important during development. Mutations in the gene are associated with delayed onset deafness. A previous study demonstrated that L697W, a dominant deafness mutation, disrupts MYO3A ATPase and motor properties but does not impair its ability to localize to the tips of actin protrusions.

Probing size variations of molecular aggregates inside chlorosomes using single-object spectroscopy.

We theoretically investigate the possibility to use single-object spectroscopy to probe size variations of the bacteriochlorophyll aggregates inside chlorosomes. Chlorosomes are the light-harvesting organelles of green sulfur and non-sulfur bacteria. They are known to be the most efficient light-harvesting systems in nature.

Melanotic Neuroectodermal Tumour of Infancy: Clinical Courses and Therapeutic Options-A Review of Three Cases.

Background: Melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy (MNTI) is a rare benign neoplasm. MNTI appears most often during the first year of life, arises predominantly in the maxilla and tends to recur. We discuss possible therapeutic options given in the literature and within our experience in three cases.

Functional Role of Class III Myosins in Hair Cells.

Cytoskeletal motors produce force and motion using the energy from ATP hydrolysis and function in a variety of mechanical roles in cells including muscle contraction, cargo transport, and cell division. Actin-based myosin motors have been shown to play crucial roles in the development and function of the stereocilia of auditory and vestibular inner ear hair cells. Hair cells can contain hundreds of stereocilia, which rely on myosin motors to elongate, organize, and stabilize their structure.

DNA methylation predicts age and provides insight into exceptional longevity of bats.

Exceptionally long-lived species, including many bats, rarely show overt signs of aging, making it difficult to determine why species differ in lifespan. Here, we use DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles from 712 known-age bats, representing 26 species, to identify epigenetic changes associated with age and longevity. We demonstrate that DNAm accurately predicts chronological age.

Defective Mitochondrial Dynamics Underlie Manganese-Induced Neurotoxicity.

Perturbations in mitochondrial dynamics have been observed in most neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we focus on manganese (Mn)-induced Parkinsonism-like neurodegeneration, a disorder associated with the preferential of Mn in the basal ganglia where the mitochondria are considered an early target. Despite the extensive characterization of the clinical presentation of manganism, the mechanism by which Mn mediated mitochondrial toxicity is unclear.

Limitations of Linear Dichroism Spectroscopy for Elucidating Structural Issues of Light-Harvesting Aggregates in Chlorosomes.

Linear dichroism (LD) spectroscopy is a widely used technique for studying the mutual orientation of the transition-dipole moments of the electronically excited states of molecular aggregates. Often the method is applied to aggregates where detailed information about the geometrical arrangement of the monomers is lacking. However, for complex molecular assemblies where the monomers are assembled hierarchically in tiers of supramolecular structural elements, the method cannot extract well-founded information about the monomer arrangement.

EVL regulates VEGF receptor-2 internalization and signaling in developmental angiogenesis.

Endothelial tip cells are essential for VEGF-induced angiogenesis, but underlying mechanisms are elusive. The Ena/VASP protein family, consisting of EVL, VASP, and Mena, plays a pivotal role in axon guidance. Given that axonal growth cones and endothelial tip cells share many common features, from the morphological to the molecular level, we investigated the role of Ena/VASP proteins in angiogenesis.

FRET and optical trapping reveal mechanisms of actin activation of the power stroke and phosphate release in myosin V.

Myosins generate force and motion by precisely coordinating their mechanical and chemical cycles, but the nature and timing of this coordination remains controversial. We utilized a FRET approach to examine the kinetics of structural changes in the force-generating lever arm in myosin V. We directly compared the FRET results with single-molecule mechanical events examined by optical trapping.