Dissent in the sediment? Lake sediments as archives of short- and long-range impact of anthropogenic activities in northeastern Germany.

The suitability of lake sediment cores to reconstruct past inputs, regional pollution, and usage patterns of pesticides has been shown previously. Until now, no such data exist for lakes in eastern Germany. Therefore, 10 sediment cores (length 1 m) of 10 lakes in eastern Germany, the territory of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), were collected and cut into 5-10-mm layers.

[Intimal pulmonary sarcoma: A case report of a rare differential diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension].

Pulmonary angiosarcoma is a rare and malignant disease of the blood vessels. Initially, it can be misdiagnosed as chronic thromboembolic hypertension (CTEPH). In CTEPH, there is increased pressure and resistance of the pulmonary arteries following persistent obstruction of pulmonary circulation from (recurrent) thromboembolism despite adequate anticoagulative treatment.

[Sarcoidosis as prime example of a granulomatous disease].

Sarcoidosis is the most frequent immunologically related granulomatous disease and can serve as a model for understanding diseases within this category. The evidence on the diagnostics and treatment is so far limited. It is therefore all the more important that two new and significant guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of sarcoidosis were published during the last 2 years.

Diagnostic Utility of Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Patients with Acute Leukemia under Broad-Spectrum Anti-Infective Treatment.

Despite therapeutic advances in the prevention and treatment of febrile neutropenia, acute leukemia (AL) patients still have considerable febrile neutropenia-related mortality. However, the diagnostic yield of flexible bronchoscopy (FB) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in acute leukemia patients is unclear. In this retrospective single-center study, we analyzed 88 BAL samples of patients with acute leukemia and pulmonary infiltrates in spite of treatment with broad-spectrum anti-infective agents.

Comparison of four diagnostic criteria for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis-A diagnostic accuracy study in critically ill patients.

Background: In the absence of lung biopsy, there are various algorithms for the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in critically ill patients that rely on clinical signs, underlying conditions, radiological features and mycology. The aim of the present study was to compare four diagnostic algorithms in their ability to differentiate between probable IPA (i.e.

Respiratory muscle dysfunction in long-COVID patients.

Purpose: Symptoms often persistent for more than 4 weeks after COVID-19-now commonly referred to as 'Long COVID'. Independent of initial disease severity or pathological pulmonary functions tests, fatigue, exertional intolerance and dyspnea are among the most common COVID-19 sequelae. We hypothesized that respiratory muscle dysfunction might be prevalent in persistently symptomatic patients after COVID-19 with self-reported exercise intolerance.

Management of Esophageal Cancer-Associated Respiratory-Digestive Tract Fistulas.

Respiratory-digestive tract fistulas are fatal complications that occur in esophageal cancer treatment. Interdisciplinary treatment strategies are still evolving, especially in anatomical treatment stratification. Thus, this study aims to evaluate general therapeutic strategies for this rare condition.

[High-flow oxygen therapy-Chances and risks].

High-flow oxygen therapy (high flow nasal cannula, HFNC), in which an oxygen-air gas mixture is applied at flow rates between 30 and 70 L/min, is a technically simple and highly effective procedure for the treatment of hypoxemic respiratory insufficiency. Furthermore, HFNC can be used during bronchoscopy for oxygenation, before intubation for preoxygenation, and after extubation to avoid reintubation. The high gas flow prevents the patient from inspiring ambient air, allowing precise adjustment of an inspiratory oxygen fraction; furthermore, a positive end-expiratory pressure is built up by a resulting dynamic pressure, mucociliary clearance is improved by humidification and warming of the air breathed and the work of breathing is reduced by flushing the upper airways.

[Acute intoxications in the intensive care unit: A 10-year analysis].

Background: Acute intoxications play a special role in preclinical emergency medicine, in the emergency department, and in intensive care. This study characterizes cases of acute intoxications from an intensive care perspective.

Objectives: All cases of acute intoxications admitted to the intensive care units at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf between 01 January 2007 and 30 June 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.

Genetic evidence for a causative effect of airflow obstruction on left ventricular filling: a Mendelian randomisation study.

Background: Observational studies on the general population have suggested that airflow obstruction associates with left ventricular (LV) filling. To limit the influence of environmental risk factors/exposures, we used a Mendelian randomisation (MR) approach based on common genetic variations and tested whether a causative relation between airflow obstruction and LV filling can be detected.

Methods: We used summary statistics from large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) measured by spirometry and the LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Exposure to DDT and HCH congeners and associated potential health risks through khat (Catha edulis) consumption among adults in South Wollo, Ethiopia.

Khat (Catha edulis) chewing is widespread in the region of East Africa. Even low levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in khat could induce public health concern. In a market-based study, from five popular khat varieties, a total of 35 composite khat samples were analyzed for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its main transformation products, and four hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis: mind the airway.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a potentially life-threatening disease that affects all ages. As the disease may be rapidly progressive, the undelayed recognition of its inflammatory activity is critical. This is especially important in central airway involvement, which contributes to morbidity and mortality.

Blood carbon dioxide tension and risk in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: Low partial pressure of blood carbon dioxide (PCO) is common in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and may inform on clinical outcomes. We investigated whether PCO measurements could provide prognostic information in addition to standard risk assessment in this group of patients.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study on patients with newly diagnosed idiopathic, heritable or drug/toxin-induced PAH recruited from two European centres.

The Whole Is More Than Its Parts? From Explicit to Implicit Pose Normalization.

Fine-grained classification describes the automated recognition of visually similar object categories like birds species. Previous works were usually based on explicit pose normalization, i.e.

Endotracheal tube-mounted camera-assisted intubation versus conventional intubation in intensive care: a prospective, randomised trial (VivaITN).

Background: For critically ill patients, effective airway management with a high first-attempt success rate for endotracheal intubation is essential to prevent hypoxic complications during securing of the airway. Video guidance may improve first-attempt success rate over direct laryngoscopy (DL).

Methods: With ethics approval, this randomised controlled trial involved 54 critically ill patients who received endotracheal intubation using a tube with an integrated video camera (VivaSight™-SL tube, VST, ETView Ltd.

Endoscopic lung volume reduction coil treatment in patients with very low FEV: an observational study.

Background: Endoscopic lung volume reduction coil (LVRC) treatment is a therapeutic option for selected patients with advanced emphysema. The effects and the safety of endoscopic lung volume reduction in patients with very low forced expired volume in one second (FEV) remain to be determined. This study was conducted to assess the effects and the safety of LVRC treatment in patients with very low FEV.

Bronchoscopy versus an endotracheal tube mounted camera for the peri-interventional visualization of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy - a prospective, randomized trial (VivaPDT).

Background: Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in critically ill patients often involves bronchoscopic optical guidance. However, this procedure is not without disadvantages. Therefore, we aimed to study a recently introduced endotracheal tube-mounted camera (VivaSight-SL tube [VST]; ETView, Misgav, Israel) for guiding PDT.

HER2 challenge contest: a detailed assessment of automated HER2 scoring algorithms in whole slide images of breast cancer tissues.

Aims: Evaluating expression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) by visual examination of immunohistochemistry (IHC) on invasive breast cancer (BCa) is a key part of the diagnostic assessment of BCa due to its recognized importance as a predictive and prognostic marker in clinical practice. However, visual scoring of HER2 is subjective, and consequently prone to interobserver variability. Given the prognostic and therapeutic implications of HER2 scoring, a more objective method is required.

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Hemoptysis.

Background: Hemoptysis, i.e., the expectoration of blood from the lower airways, has an annual incidence of approximately 0.

Exploratory analysis of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: Chronic inflammation emerges as a feature of the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in experimental models. Alterations of circulating cell subsets have been observed in patients with PAH. We aimed to assess associations of the white blood cell count with disease severity and outcome in patients with PAH.

Endoscopic lung volume reduction coil treatment in patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure: an observational study.

Background: Endoscopic lung volume reduction coil (LVRC) treatment is an option for selected patients with severe emphysema. In the advanced stages, emphysema leads to respiratory failure: hypoxemia and eventually chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. It can be hypothesized that LVRC treatment, a procedure targeting hyperinflation and thereby reducing ventilatory workload, may be especially beneficial in patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure.

Bleeding Complications After Endoscopic Lung Volume Reduction Coil Treatment: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Endoscopic lung volume reduction coil (LVRC) treatment is an option for selected patients with severe emphysema. This study was conducted to determine the incidence of bleeding complications after LVRC treatment, to identify risk factors and to discuss treatment options in case of hemoptysis which does not resolve spontaneously.

Methods: Retrospective observational study conducted in the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in all subjects in whom LVRC treatment was performed between April 1, 2012 and September 30, 2015.