Soil Bacteria in Archaeology: What Could Rank Abundance Functions Tell Us About Ancient Human Impacts on Microbial Communities?

Metagenomic analysis of soil bacterial communities based on 16S rRNA reflects a typical community composition containing a low number of high-abundance types and a very high number of low-abundance types. Here, the formation of characteristic rank order functions of bacterial abundance is investigated by modelling the dynamics of soil bacterial communities, assuming a succession of different bacterial populations that grow rapidly and decay more slowly. We found that the characteristic shape of typical rank order functions is well reflected by simulations.

[Management of adult bronchiectasis - Consensus-based Guidelines for the German Respiratory Society (DGP) e. V. (AWMF registration number 020-030)].

Bronchiectasis is an etiologically heterogeneous, chronic, and often progressive respiratory disease characterized by irreversible bronchial dilation. It is frequently associated with significant symptom burden, multiple complications, and reduced quality of life. For several years, there has been a marked global increase in the prevalence of bronchiectasis, which is linked to a substantial economic burden on healthcare systems.

Complex Arterio-Portal-Venous Malformation of the Liver.

A neonatal female patient exhibited a congenital intricate vascular malformation affecting the liver, encompassing anomalies in the arterial, venous, and portal venous systems and notably including an aneurysm within the portal vein. The management strategy involved a staged endovascular approach, initially using retrograde embolization via the venous outflow tract. Subsequently, transarterial embolization was performed to address complications associated with pulmonary and portal hypertension.

Safety, efficacy, and survival of different transarterial chemoembolization techniques in the management of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a comparative single-center analysis.

Purpose: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has become the standard of care for the treatment of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, current clinical practice guidelines lack consensus on the best selection of a specific TACE technique. This study aims to compare safety, tumor response, and progression-free survival (PFS) of conventional TACE (cTACE), drug-eluting bead TACE (DEB-TACE), and degradable starch microsphere TACE (DSM-TACE).

Radiomics-Based Prediction Model for Outcome of Radioembolization in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the benefit of a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) radiomics-based model for predicting response and survival in patients with colorectal liver metastases treated with transarterial Yttrium-90 radioembolization (TARE).

Materials And Methods: Fifty-one patients who underwent TARE were included in this single-center retrospective study. Response to treatment was assessed using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.

Evaluation of effectiveness and safety of the large-format pRESET 6-50 thrombectomy stent-retriever in the endovascular treatment of ischemic stroke: real-world experiences from two tertiary comprehensive stroke centers.

Objective: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become the standard treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with large vessel occlusion (LVO). First-pass (FP) reperfusion of the occluded vessel and fewer passes with stent retrievers show improvement in functional outcomes in stroke patients, while higher numbers of passes are associated with higher complication rates and worse outcomes. Studies indicate that a larger size of the stent-retriever is associated with a higher rate of first-pass reperfusion and improved clinical outcomes.

Evaluation of effectiveness and safety of the multizone NeVa stent retriever for mechanical thrombectomy in ischemic stroke.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the NeVa stent retriever as first- and second-line device for mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: In this retrospective single-center study, all consecutive patients that underwent mechanical thrombectomy with NeVa stent retriever as first- or second-line device due to intracranial vessel occlusion with acute ischemic stroke between March and November 2022 were included.

Results: Thirty-nine patients (m=18, f=21) with a mean age of 69.

Use and outcome of TIPS in hospitalized patients in Germany: A Nationwide study (2007-2018).

Background: The number of complications in patients admitted for cirrhosis has increased over time. Portal hypertension is the driver of many complications of cirrhosis. TIPS placement is the most effective treatment of portal hypertension.

Real-Time Nitrate Ion Monitoring with Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) Materials.

Nitrate (NO) pollution in groundwater, caused by various factors both natural and synthetic, contributes to the decline of human health and well-being. Current techniques used for nitrate detection include spectroscopic, electrochemical, chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis. It is highly desired to develop a simple cost-effective alternative to these complex methods for nitrate detection.

Multi-organ Radiomics-Based Prediction of Future Remnant Liver Hypertrophy Following Portal Vein Embolization.

Background: Portal vein embolization (PVE) is used to induce remnant liver hypertrophy prior to major hepatectomy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of baseline computed tomography (CT) data for future remnant liver (FRL) hypertrophy after PVE.

Methods: In this retrospective study, all consecutive patients undergoing right-sided PVE with or without hepatic vein embolization between 2018 and 2021 were included.

A Methodology to Model the Rain and Fog Effect on the Performance of Automotive LiDAR Sensors.

In this work, we introduce a novel approach to model the rain and fog effect on the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor performance for the simulation-based testing of LiDAR systems. The proposed methodology allows for the simulation of the rain and fog effect using the rigorous applications of the Mie scattering theory on the time domain for transient and point cloud levels for spatial analyses. The time domain analysis permits us to benchmark the virtual LiDAR signal attenuation and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) caused by rain and fog droplets.

[Diagnosis and treatment of asthma: a guideline for respiratory specialists 2023 - published by the German Respiratory Society (DGP) e. V.].

The management of asthma has fundamentally changed during the past decades. The present guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma was developed for respiratory specialists who need detailed and evidence-based information on the new diagnostic and therapeutic options in asthma. The guideline shows the new role of biomarkers, especially blood eosinophils and fractional exhaled NO (FeNO), in diagnostic algorithms of asthma.

Evidence of Disaster Planning by Home Care Providers: An Integrative Literature Review.

The increasing risk of disasters worldwide poses challenges both to health care infrastructures and to home care providers, who must maintain decentralised services for those in need of long-term care for as long as possible, even under adverse circumstances. However, both the kind of organisational precautions that home care providers consider in preparation for disasters and the available evidence on the effectiveness of these precautions remain largely unclear. An integrative literature review was thus performed via a systematic search of several international databases in order to identify original research on organisational disaster planning by home care providers and to determine the evidence base of this research.

Performance Evaluation of MEMS-Based Automotive LiDAR Sensor and Its Simulation Model as per ASTM E3125-17 Standard.

Measurement performance evaluation of real and virtual automotive light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors is an active area of research. However, no commonly accepted automotive standards, metrics, or criteria exist to evaluate their measurement performance. ASTM International released the ASTM E3125-17 standard for the operational performance evaluation of 3D imaging systems commonly referred to as terrestrial laser scanners (TLS).

Archaeal and Extremophilic Bacteria from Different Archaeological Excavation Sites.

Beside natural factors, human activities are important for the development of microbiomes. Thus, local soil bacterial communities are affected by recent activities such as agriculture, mining and industry. In addition, ancient human impacts dating back centuries or millennia have changed soils and can emboss the recent bacterial communities up to now, representing a certain long-term "memory of soil".

A Stepwise Replicable Approach to Negotiating Value-driven Supply Chain Contracts for Orthobiologics.

Introduction: Orthobiologics are increasingly used to augment healing of tissues. Despite growing demand for orthobiologic products, many health systems do not enjoy substantial savings expected with high-volume purchases. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate an institutional program designed to (1) prioritize high-value orthobiologics and (2) incentivize vendor participation in value-driven contractual programs.

Optimizing Orthopaedic Trauma Implant Pricing Through a Data-Driven and Surgeon-Integrated Approach.

Objective: To determine whether market-based pricing could be coupled with surgeon integration into negotiation strategies to achieve lower pricing levels for orthopaedic trauma implants. A secondary aim was to identify specific types of implants that may offer larger opportunities for cost savings.

Methods: Market pricing levels were reviewed from 2 industry implant databases.

Multicentered analysis of percutaneous sclerotherapies in venous malformations of the face.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety and outcome of image-guided sclerotherapy for treating venous malformations (VMs) of the face.

Materials And Methods: A multicenter cohort of 68 patients with VMs primarily affecting the face was retrospectively investigated. In total, 142 image-guided sclerotherapies were performed using gelified ethanol and/or polidocanol.

High-frequency Contactless Sensor for the Detection of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Antibodies via Platelet Aggregation.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a severe autoimmune disorder, occurs in patients undergoing heparin therapy. The presence of platelet-activating antibodies against platelet factor 4/Heparin in the blood confirms patients suffering from HIT. The most widely used methods for HIT diagnosis are immunoassays but the results only suit to rule out HIT as the assays provide only around 50% specificity.

Development of High-Fidelity Automotive LiDAR Sensor Model with Standardized Interfaces.

This work introduces a process to develop a tool-independent, high-fidelity, ray tracing-based light detection and ranging (LiDAR) model. This virtual LiDAR sensor includes accurate modeling of the scan pattern and a complete signal processing toolchain of a LiDAR sensor. It is developed as a functional mock-up unit (FMU) by using the standardized open simulation interface (OSI) 3.

Image-guided embolization of arteriovenous malformations of the hand using Ethylene-vinyl Alcohol Copolymer.

PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate the safety and outcome of image-guided embolization for treating arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the hand using ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). METHODS A retrospective, multicenter cohort of 15 patients with AVMs of the hand treated with 35 imageguided embolotherapies using EVOH was investigated. Clinical history, symptomatology, and imaging findings were assessed to evaluate clinical outcome (symptom-free, partial relief of pain, no improvement of pain, and clinical progression despite embolization), lesion devascularization (total, 100%; near-total, 90%-99%; substantial, 70%-90%; partial, 30%-70%; and failure, 0%-30%), and peri- and postprocedural complication rates (major complications classified according to CIRSE guidelines).

Induction of embryogenic development in haploid microspore stem cells in droplet-based microfluidics.

This work presents the application of droplet-based microfluidics for the cultivation of microspores from using the doubled haploid technology. Under stress conditions ( heat shock) or by chemical induction a certain fraction of the microspores can be reprogrammed and androgenesis can be induced. This process is an important approach for plant breeding because desired plant properties can be anchored in the germline on a genetic level.