Workability, quality of life and cardiovascular risk markers in aging nightshift workers: a pilot study.

Background: In aging healthcare professionals, multiple stressors such as night work may affect life and work satisfaction and risk for chronic diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disease [CVD]).

Midday and nadir salivary cortisol appear superior to cortisol awakening response in burnout assessment and monitoring.

Burnout and work-related stress symptoms of anxiety disorder and depression cause prolonged work absenteeism and early retirement. Hence, reliable identification of patients under risk and monitoring of treatment success is highly warranted. We aimed to evaluate stress-specific biomarkers in a population-based, "real-world" cohort (burnouts: n = 40, healthy controls: n = 26), recruited at a preventive care ward, at baseline and after a four-month follow up, during which patients received medical and psychological treatment.

Next-Generation Magnetic Nanocomposites: Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Effects of Coated and Uncoated Ferric Cobalt Boron (FeCoB) Nanoparticles In Vitro.

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have unique physicochemical properties and a widespread application scope depending on their composition and surface characteristics. Potential biomedical applications and the growing diversity of novel nanocomposites highlight the need for toxicological hazard assessment of next-generation magnetic nanomaterials. Our study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic and genotoxic properties of coated and uncoated ferric cobalt boron (FeCoB) NPs (5-15 nm particle size) in cultured normal human dermal fibroblasts.

Guiding Antiepileptic Therapy in a Pediatric Patient with Severe Meningoencephalitis and Decompressive Craniectomy with the Use of Amplitude-Integrated Electroencephalography.

 Amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) is one of the most widely used neuromonitoring tools in neonatology today. However, little is known about its clinical indications and potential benefits in pediatric intensive care patients. Based on limited experience, its impact on therapeutic decision-making in this patient population is unclear.

A combination of routine blood analytes predicts fitness decrement in elderly endurance athletes.

Endurance sports are enjoying greater popularity, particularly among new target groups such as the elderly. Predictors of future physical capacities providing a basis for training adaptations are in high demand. We therefore aimed to estimate the future physical performance of elderly marathoners (runners/bicyclists) using a set of easily accessible standard laboratory parameters.

Low Vitamin D Levels Do Not Predict Hyperglycemia in Elderly Endurance Athletes (but in Controls).

Background And Aim: Recent studies revealed a link between hypovitaminosis D3 and the risk for hyperglycemia. Further mechanistic and interventional investigations suggested a common reason for both conditions rather than a causal relationship. Exposure to sunlight is the most relevant source of vitamin D3 (25(OH)D), whereas adipose tissue is able to store relevant amounts of the lipophilic vitamin.

rs6295 [C]-Allele Protects Against Depressive Mood in Elderly Endurance Athletes.

A single nucleotide variant within the promoter of the 5-hydroxytryptamine1A (5HT1A) receptor, rs6295, is part of a binding site for the transcription factor. We aimed to ascertain whether the rs6295 mediates the effect of exercise on depressive mood in elderly endurance athletes. We prospectively enrolled 55 elderly athletes (marathon runners/bicyclists) and 58 controls.

Combined modified en bloc corpectomy with replacement of the aorta in curative interdisciplinary treatment of a large osteosarcoma infiltrating the aorta.

Purpose: We report a case of a large three-level spinal osteosarcoma infiltrating the adjacent aorta. This is the first case in which a combined modified three-level en bloc corpectomy with resection and replacement of the adjacent aorta was successful as a part of interdisciplinary curative treatment.

Methods: Case report.

Physical exercise counteracts genetic susceptibility to depression.

Background/aims: Depression is a highly prevalent disorder in elderly individuals. A genetic variant (rs6265) of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) impacting on emotion processing is known to increase the risk for depression. We aim to investigate whether intensive endurance sports might attenuate this genetic susceptibility in a cohort of elderly marathon athletes.

Comparison of synovial fluid, urine, and serum ion levels in metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty at a minimum follow-up of 18 years.

Diagnosis of adverse reactions to metal debris in metal-on-metal hip arthroplasty is a multifactorial process. Systemic ion levels are just one factor in the evaluation and should not be relied upon solely to determine the need for revision surgery. Furthermore, the correlation between cobalt or chromium serum, urine, or synovial fluid levels and adverse local tissue reactions is still incompletely understood.

Affective and inflammatory responses among orchestra musicians in performance situation.

A number of studies have shown that mental challenge under controlled experimental conditions is associated with elevations in inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP). However, relatively little work has been done on the effects of 'naturalistic' stressors on acute changes in inflammatory markers. The present study examined whether perceived arousal, valence and dominance in musicians are associated with pro-inflammatory and oxidative responses to a concert situation.

Quality of life and sexuality of patients after treatment for gynaecological malignancies: results of a prospective study in 55 patients.

Aim: To assess the sexuality and quality of life (QoL) of women with gynaecological malignancies after multimodal therapy.

Materials And Methods: This is a prospective analysis of the sexual status among women after treatment for gynaecological malignancies. Validated questionnaires-female sexual function index (FSFI-d), a semi-structured questionnaire and the quality of life score SF12, were applied.

Treatment decision-making processes in the systemic treatment of ovarian cancer: review of the scientific evidence.

Background: The systemic treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the cornerstones in the multimodal management of advanced OC in both primary and recurrent stages of this disease. In most situations various treatment options are available but only few data exists about the treatment decision-making process. Therefore, we conducted a review of the current literature regarding the decision-making process concerning the systemic therapy in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Health-related quality of life during sequential chemotherapy with carboplatin followed by weekly paclitaxel in advanced ovarian cancer: a multicenter phase ii study of the North Eastern German Society of Gynecological Oncology.

Aim: We describe the impact of a sequential dose-dense schedule of carboplatin and paclitaxel on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with ovarian cancer.

Patients And Methods: In this multicenter phase II trial, four cycles of carboplatin followed by 12 cycles of weekly paclitaxel were applied after cytoreductive surgery. QoL was assessed using the QoL questionnaires EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OV28 before chemotherapy (baseline), after four cycles of carboplatin, at the end of treatment (EOT), and after 6, 12, and 24 months.

Longitudinal biomonitoring of nurses handling antineoplastic drugs.

Aims And Objectives: To assess a possible trend in the genotoxic risk of oncologic nurses during the working year, cytogenetic biomonitoring was performed.

Background: Exposure to cytostatic agents is a major occupational concern in oncologic personnel. In contrast to the controlled environment in oncology pharmacies, nurses may be subject to unexpected events of exposure due to the intensive contact with patients.

Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (UMTS, 1,950 MHz) induce genotoxic effects in vitro in human fibroblasts but not in lymphocytes.

Objective: Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) was recently introduced as the third generation mobile communication standard in Europe. This was done without any information on biological effects and genotoxic properties of these particular high-frequency electromagnetic fields. This is discomforting, because genotoxic effects of the second generation standard Global System for Mobile Communication have been reported after exposure of human cells in vitro.

Effect of occupational safety measures on micronucleus frequency in semiconductor workers.

Objectives: To examine whether semiconductor workers exposed to complex mixtures of chemical waste show an increase in genotoxic effects, and, if so, whether occupational safety measures protect these workers.

Methods: To assess chemical exposure in the workplace, air monitoring of boron trifluoride and boron trichloride was performed and urinary concentrations of fluoride were measured. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus test on isolated lymphocytes was used for the detection of genotoxic effects.

8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine as a marker of oxidative DNA damage related to occupational and environmental exposures.

Oxidative DNA damage is considered to play an important role in pathophysiological processes, ageing and cancer. So far major interest has been on measuring 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), the preferred methods relying on HPLC or GC-mass spectrometry. The high biological relevance of 8-OHdG is due to its ability to induce G-->T transversions, which are among the most frequent somatic mutations found in human cancers.

No cognitive deficits in men formerly exposed to lead.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to investigate long-term cognitive effects resulting from low to moderate lead exposure below current threshold values. Executive functions, attention, visuospatial and visuomotor functioning in workers formerly exposed to lead were investigated.

Methods: 48 men formerly exposed to lead and with a mean current blood level (PbB) of 5.

Chromosomal damage in human diploid fibroblasts by intermittent exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields.

Environmental exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) has been implicated in the development of cancer in humans. An important basis for assessing a potential cancer risk due to ELF-EMF exposure is knowledge of biological effects on human cells at the chromosomal level. Therefore, we investigated in the present study the effect of intermittent ELF electromagnetic fields (50 Hz, sinusoidal, 5'field-on/10'field-off, 2-24 h, 1 mT) on the induction of micronuclei (MN) and chromosomal aberrations in cultured human fibroblasts.

Cell type-specific genotoxic effects of intermittent extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields.

The issue of adverse health effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) is highly controversial. Contradictory results regarding the genotoxic potential of ELF-EMF have been reported in the literature. To test whether this controversy might reflect differences between the cellular targets examined we exposed cultured cells derived from different tissues to an intermittent ELF-EMF (50 Hz sinusoidal, 1 mT) for 1-24h.

Functional adrenergic receptor polymorphisms and idiopathic orthostatic intolerance.

Objectives: Idiopathic orthostatic intolerance (IOI) is a common disorder that is characterized by chronic orthostatic symptoms and substantial increases in heart rate and plasma norepinephrine concentrations that are disproportionately high while standing. Several features of the syndrome, including the tachycardia, tremulousness, and exaggerated norepinephrine have been considered potentially due to hypoactive or hyperactive states of adrenergic receptors of the sympathetic nervous system. The aim of this study was therefore to ascertain whether genotypes at eight polymorphic loci within five relevant adrenergic receptor genes (alpha2A, alpha2B, alpha2C, beta1 and beta2) influence the risk for IOI.