Implementation of socio-economic variables in risk adjustment systems: A quantitative analysis using the example of Germany.

At least in Western Europe, competitive social health insurance systems have implemented systems of morbidity-based risk adjustment to establish a level playing field for insurers. However, insured persons with specific socio-economic characteristics are still underfunded, leaving incentives for risk selection. In Germany, there is an ongoing debate about (re)implementing socio-economic variables to reduce this undercompensation.

A Taxonomy for Augmented and Mixed Reality Applications to Support Physical Exercises in Medical Rehabilitation-A Literature Review.

In the past 20 years, a vast amount of research has shown that Augmented and Mixed Reality applications can support physical exercises in medical rehabilitation. In this paper, we contribute a taxonomy, providing an overview of the current state of research in this area. It is based on a comprehensive literature review conducted on the five databases Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and ACM up to July 2021.

Amino acid digestibility and metabolisable energy of spring and winter faba beans grown on two sites and effects of dehulling in caecectomised laying hens.

Background: The variation in amino acid (AA) digestibility and metabolisable energy (ME ) in four spring and four winter faba bean genotypes differing in vicine/convicine (V/C) concentrations grown on two sites was investigated in caecectomised LSL-Classic laying hens. Effects of dehulling one faba bean genotype were also examined. Diets containing one out of 17 faba bean variants each and a basal diet were fed to ten caecectomised laying hens in a row-column design to achieve five replicates per diet.

Low Back Pain and Sacroiliitis on Cross-Sectional Abdominal Imaging for Axial Spondyloarthritis Diagnosis in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Background: Joint damage is the most frequent extraintestinal manifestation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the value of low back pain (LBP) associated with sacroiliitis on abdominal imaging for the diagnosis of spondyloarthritis (SpA) in IBD.

Methods: We used a questionnaire assessing rheumatological symptoms for all patients with abdominal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance enterography (MRE).

Perspective: Why Organizational Researchers Should Consider Psychophysiology When Investigating Emotion?

Although neuroscience is currently gaining wide acceptance in organization science and management studies, some important questions remain unanswered and may hinder the development of so-called organizational neuroscience. Specifically, it appears that the usefulness and the applications of neuroscience methods to organization science are still unclear. Hence, the paper addresses this by examining the role of psychophysiology in investigating implicit emotional experience in organizational behaviors and by discussing how concepts from affective sciences and psychophysiological methods could provide a more complete picture of emotion in organization.

Traumatic Isolated Myotendinous Rupture of the Teres Minor in a Young Athlete - A Unique Case Report.

Introduction: Functional role of teres minor (TM) is well known. To date, an isolated myotendinous rupture of the TM, without any lesion of the other cuff tendons, has never been reported in literature.

Case Report: The patient was a 22-year-old soccer player who has presented with a direct shoulder traumatism that is causing persistent pain and impairment.

Comparison between subtalar joint quantitative kinematic 4-D CT parameters in healthy volunteers and patients with joint stiffness or chronic ankle instability: A preliminary study.

Objective: to compare quantitative kinematic 4-D CT parameters between healthy volunteers and pathologic patients (joint stiffness or chronic ankle instability).

Methods: Thirteen healthy volunteers without previous ankle trauma, 18 patients with clinical subtalar joint stiffness and 10 patients with chronic ankle instability diagnosed based on clinical and imaging findings were prospectively evaluated with 4-D CT. This study was approved by the local ethics committee and all patients signed an informed consent.

[Medical care of patients with spasticity following stroke : Evaluation of the treatment situation in Germany with focus on the use of botulinum toxin].

Background: Upper limb spasticity is a common complication following stroke. Cohort studies found 19% of post-stroke patients had upper limb spasticity at 3 months and 38% of patients at 12 months. For focal spasticity, intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin are indicated.

The Impact of GP-Centered Healthcare.

Background: In Germany, enhanced primary care ('GP-centered health care') is being promoted in order to strengthen the role of GPs and improve the quality of primary care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a GPcentered healthcare program, established in 2011 in the German federal state of Thuringia, on healthcare costs, care coordination, and pharmacotherapy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study based on insurance claims data.

Quantitative Analysis of Subtalar Joint Motion With 4D CT: Proof of Concept With Cadaveric and Healthy Subject Evaluation.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to show the application of quantitative 4D CT for subtalar joint evaluation in healthy volunteers and cadavers.

Materials And Methods: Fifteen healthy volunteers with no history of subtalar joint trauma and three cadavers were prospectively evaluated with dynamic CT. The subtalar joint was evaluated during a pronosupination cycle.

High cost pool or high cost groups-How to handle high(est) cost cases in a risk adjustment mechanism?

Competitive social health insurance systems (at least) in Western Europe have implemented systems of morbidity based risk adjustment to set a level playing field for insurers. However, many high cost insured still are heavily underfunded despite risk adjustment, leaving incentives for risk selection. In most of these health care systems, there is an ongoing debate about how to deal with such underpaid high cost cases.

Detection of the carcinogenic water pollutant benzo[a]pyrene with an electro-switchable biosurface.

The toxic nature of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in particular benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), neccessitates the monitoring of PAH contamination levels in food and the environment. Here we introduce an indirect immunoassay format using electro-switchable biosurfaces (ESB) for the detection of B[a]P in water. The association of anti-B[a]P antibodies to microelectrodes is analyzed in real-time by measuring changes in the oscillation dynamics of DNA nanolever probes, which are driven to switch their orientations by high-frequency electrical actuation.

[Secondary data analysis of the prevalence of alcohol dependence (F10.2) in Germany].

Background And Aim: Compared to other European countries, alcohol consumption and abuse in Germany is on a high level. Even in smaller quantities, frequent alcohol consumption can generate organic damages and thus lead to secondary diseases that have a significant societal relevance regarding direct and indirect costs for the healthcare system. After several publications have already addressed the prevalence of acute alcohol intoxication and alcohol abuse in adolescents, the question arises how the prevalence of alcohol abuse develops on the basis of the accounting data of outpatient and inpatient care providers in the population of adults aged 18 and over and what tendency can be observed within a multi-year period.

Phospholipase A(2)-catalyzed acylation of lysophospholipids analyzed by experimental design.

The catalytic potential of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) for the synthesis of phospholipids with defined fatty acid structure in the sn-2 position has been underestimated hitherto because of very low conversion in most organic solvents. One of the most suitable solvents for PLA2-catalyzed phospholipid synthesis is glycerol. With the aim to analyze the effect of several interacting reaction parameters on the product yield, we studied the conversion of 1-palmitoyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (lyso-PC) with oleic acid as model reaction in mixtures of glycerol and methanol or ethanol by methods of experimental design.

The prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis assessed on magnetic resonance imaging of inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective study performed on 186 patients.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) colonography or enterography is increasingly used to assess disease activity and complications in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, no study has evaluated the role of this imaging technique to assess sacroiliitis.

Aim: The primary objective was to assess the prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis on MRI performed for IBD investigation.

[The health-care situation in outpatient psychiatry--results of a survey among members of the Germany Association of Psychotherapists (DPtV)].

Background: Mental-health problems are of increasing importance in the German population. Nonetheless there is a lack of data concerning outpatient psychotherapeutic care, especially with a focus on psychotherapy sessions approved by social health insurances and performed by psychological psychotherapists and paediatric psychotherapists.

Methods: The study presents the results of a survey among all members of the German Association of Psychotherapists (DPtV) and is based on questionnaires filled in by 2,497 psychotherapists (return rate 33.

Effect of guideline orientation on the outcomes of peripheral arterial disease in primary care.

Objective: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), an established marker of premature death and cardiovascular risk in general, is highly prevalent. We analysed factors associated with poor outcomes in an observational cohort, with particular focus on the effect of guideline orientation in the management of these patients.

Methods: PACE-PAD is a multicentre, prospective, observational study of PAD patients in primary care.

Characterization of a recombinant adeno-associated virus type 2 Reference Standard Material.

A recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 2 Reference Standard Material (rAAV2 RSM) has been produced and characterized with the purpose of providing a reference standard for particle titer, vector genome titer, and infectious titer for AAV2 gene transfer vectors. Production and purification of the reference material were carried out by helper virus-free transient transfection and chromatographic purification. The purified bulk material was vialed, confirmed negative for microbial contamination, and then distributed for characterization along with standard assay protocols and assay reagents to 16 laboratories worldwide.

Conjugates of gadolinium complexes to bile acids as hepatocyte-directed contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging.

A series of structurally different Gd(III) conjugates incorporating a bile acid moiety have been prepared. Polyaminopolycarboxylic ligands such as diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetracetic acid (DOTA) have been selected as chelating subunit for the Gd(III) ion. Cholic acid, cholylglycine, and cholyltaurine have been incorporated as the bile acid moieties.

[Cancer prevention with the endoscope. Search not only for polyps!].

Through the rigorous application of polypectomy, the colon carcinoma rate can be clearly reduced (66%). The term "polyp" comprises epithelial (hyperplastic or neoplastic) and nonepithelial causes. The majority of carcinomas in the colon develop from adenomatous tissue (adenoma-carcinoma sequence).

[Improving prognosis of chronic liver diseases with specific nutrition].

A sensible diet is capable of reducing the complications of chronic liver disease and improving the patient's prognosis. In patients with compensated liver disease, adequate nutrition should be ensured, but specific therapeutic measures are not generally required. Patients with decompensated liver disease often have deficient nutrition or malnutrition.

[Nutritional therapy in gastrointestinal diseases. Diets--necessary or superfluous?].

Diets form a part of the treatment concept in numerous gastrointestinal diseases. Their effectiveness, however, varies considerably from one disease to another. Thus, for example, diet is of decisive importance in celiac disease and lactose intolerance.

Bile and acid reflux in long and short segment Barrett's esophagus, and in reflux disease.

Gastroesophageal acid reflux (GER) is the primary risk factor for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In long segment Barrett's esophagus (LSBE) duodenogastroesophageal reflux (DGER) parallels acid reflux. The role of GER and DGER in short segment Barrett's esophagus (SSBE) remains to be determined.