Exploring the influence of medical staffing and birth volume on observed-to-expected cesarean deliveries: a panel data analysis of integrated obstetric and gynecological departments in Germany.

Introduction: Cesarean deliveries account for approximately one-third of all births in Germany, prompting ongoing discussions on cesarean section rates and their connection to medical staffing and birth volume. In Germany, the majority of departments integrate obstetric and gynecological care within a single department.

Methods: The analysis utilized quality reports from German hospitals spanning 2015 to 2019.

A tailored intervention for the detection of patients with coronary heart disease and mental or cognitive comorbidities in the German primary care setting: qualitative evaluation of implementation success.

Background: Guidelines recommend the identification of potential mental and/or cognitive disorders (MCD) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). However, compliance with these guidelines appears to be lacking in primary care. A minimal invasive intervention was tailored with experts for the primary care setting to increase the identification of this patient group and ensure proper treatment.

Effects of aging on the tensile strength and surface condition of orthodontic aligners: a comparative study of five models.

Background/objective: The objective of this study is to determine the effect of aging on tensile strength and surface condition of orthodontic aligners on days 0, 1, 5, 7, 10, and 14.

Materials/methods: The total sample of 80 aligners included five brands (Accusmile®, Angel®, GRAPHY®, Invisalign® and Suresmile®) were placed in a thermocycler to imitate the temperature variations of the oral cavity and accelerate aging for 50, 250, 350, 500, and 700 cycles. The mechanical tensile properties (Young's modulus E, yield strength YS, maximum elastic stress MES, Ultimate Tensile Strength UTS, and maximum stress MS) were measured by Universal Testing Machine at a rate of 5 mm of deformation per minute for 4 minutes.

German centralization strategy during COVID-19: Continuing or interrupting a trend?

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries applied centralization strategies to the distribution of power between national government and regional/local governments over responsibility for regulatory tasks. As a result, health-policy decision-making competences were shifted from the regional level to the national level (vertical shift of decision-making competences). This centralization trend for the purpose of infection control is evident in Germany.

Initial Age and Performans Status: Predicators for Re-Irradiation Ability in Patients with Relapsed Brain Metastasis after Initial Stereotactic Radiotherapy.

Background: Brain metastases (BMs) frequently occur in cancer patients, and stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) is a preferred treatment option. In this retrospective study, we analyzed patients treated by SRT for a single BM during their first SRT session and we compared two subgroups: "Cohort 1" with patients did not undergo cerebral re-irradiation and "Cohort 2" with patients received at least one subsequent SRT session for cerebral recurrence.

Methods: We included patients who received SRT for a single BM between January 2010 and June 2020.