Risk behaviours and viral infections among drug injecting migrants from the former Soviet Union in Germany: Results from the DRUCK-study.

Background: High prevalence of drug use and injection-related risk behaviours have been reported among former Soviet Union (FSU)-migrants. To investigate hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV seroprevalence and related risk behaviours in this subgroup in Germany, we compared first generation FSU-migrants and native Germans using data from a sero-behavioural survey of people who inject drugs (PWID).

Methods: Current injectors were recruited using respondent-driven sampling in eight German cities in 2011-2014.

High-fidelity entanglement between a trapped ion and a telecom photon via quantum frequency conversion.

Entanglement between a stationary quantum system and a flying qubit is an essential ingredient of a quantum-repeater network. It has been demonstrated for trapped ions, trapped atoms, color centers in diamond, or quantum dots. These systems have transition wavelengths in the blue, red or near-infrared spectral regions, whereas long-range fiber-communication requires wavelengths in the low-loss, low-dispersion telecom regime.

Thiol-ene Clickable Poly(glycidol) Hydrogels for Biofabrication.

In this study we introduce linear poly(glycidol) (PG), a structural analog of poly(ethylene glycol) bearing side chains at each repeating unit, as polymer basis for bioink development. We prepare allyl- and thiol-functional linear PG that can rapidly be polymerized to a three-dimensionally cross-linked hydrogel network via UV mediated thiol-ene click reaction. Influence of polymer concentration and UV irradiation on mechanical properties and swelling behavior was examined.

4D-Imaging of the lung: reproducibility of lesion size and displacement on helical CT, MRI, and cone beam CT in a ventilated ex vivo system.

Purpose: Four-dimensional (4D) imaging is a key to motion-adapted radiotherapy of lung tumors. We evaluated in a ventilated ex vivo system how size and displacement of artificial pulmonary nodules are reproduced with helical 4D-CT, 4D-MRI, and linac-integrated cone beam CT (CBCT).

Methods And Materials: Four porcine lungs with 18 agarose nodules (mean diameters 1.

Exogenous sphingomyelinase causes impaired intestinal epithelial barrier function.

Aim: To test the hypothesis that hydrolysis of sphingomyelin to ceramide changes the composition of tight junctions (TJs) with increasing permeability of the intestinal epithelium.

Methods: Monolayers of Caco-2 cells were used as an in vitro model for the intestinal barrier. Permeability was determined by quantification of transepithelial flux and transepithelial resistance.