Psychosocial effects of a humanoid robot on informal caregivers of people with dementia: A randomised controlled trial with nested interviews.

Background: Dementia rates are rising globally, impacting healthcare systems and society. The care of people with dementia is largely provided by informal caregivers (e.g.

Development of a platform method for rapid detection and characterization of domain-specific post-translational modifications in bispecific antibodies.

Charge heterogeneity is inherent to all therapeutic antibodies and arises from post-translational modifications (PTMs) and/or protein degradation events that may occur during manufacturing. Among therapeutic antibodies, the bispecific antibody (bsAb) containing two unique Fab arms directed against two different targets presents an additional layer of complexity to the charge profile. In the context of a bsAb, a single domain-specific PTM within one of the Fab domains may be sufficient to compromise target binding and could potentially impact the stability, safety, potency, and efficacy of the drug product.

Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with an increase in the incidence of multiple sclerosis: a retrospective cohort study of 24,934 patients.

Background: Recent data suggest a potential pathophysiological link between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and multiple sclerosis (MS), two immune-mediated diseases both of which can have a significant impact on patients' quality of life. In the present manuscript, we investigate the association between IBD and MS in a German cohort of general practice patients. These results may have important implications for the screening and management of patients with IBD, as well as for further research into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying both disorders.

Frailty predicts all-cause and cause-specific mortality among older adults in Austria: 8-year mortality follow-up of the Austrian Health Interview Survey (ATHIS 2014).

Background: The frailty index (FI) is an established predictor of all-cause mortality among older adults, but less is known with regard to cause-specific mortality, and whether the predictive power of the FI varies between men and women and by socio-economic position.

Methods: We assessed all-cause and cause-specific mortality during 8 years of follow-up (median = 7 years) among the population-representative sample of older adults (65 + , n = 2,561) from the European Health Interview Survey in Austria (ATHIS 2014). A FI at baseline was constructed from 41 health deficits.

A single-center observational study on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with tuberous sclerosis complex.

Background: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare multisystem disorder caused by mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 gene. More than 90% of patients with TSC develop neurological and/or neuropsychiatric manifestations. The aim of the present study was to determine the developmental and cognitive long-term outcomes of pediatric TSC patients.

Effectiveness of computer-based interventions for community-dwelling people with cognitive decline: a systematic review with meta-analyses.

Background: Cognitive deficits arise with age and can increase the risk for subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which may result in dementia, leading to health problems, care dependency and institutionalization. Computer-based cognitive interventions (CCIs) have the potential to act as important counteraction functions in preserving or improving cognition concomitant to available pharmacological treatment. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of CCIs performed individually with a personal or tablet computer, game console, virtual, augmented, or mixed reality application on cognition in community-dwelling people with SCD, MCI and dementia.

Long-term outcomes of very-low-birth-weight and low-birth-weight preterm newborns with neonatal seizures: A single-center perspective.

Objective: Newborn seizures are frequent in preterm newborns and indicate brain lesions in many cases. The objective of this observational study was to investigate the long-term outcome of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) and low-birth-weight (LBW) preterm infants with neonatal seizures.

Methods: We examined 54 preterm infants (40 VLBW and 14 LBW cases) born between 2008 and 2011 with clinical seizures during the neonatal period confirmed by interictal or ictal electroencephalography recordings in a retrospective single-center study.

Psychological, physical, and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital nurses.

Aim: The study aim was to explore the physical, mental, and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Austrian nurses working in hospitals.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic required nurses to work extremely hard and over long periods, which can have physical, psychological, and social consequences.

Methods: This study was carried out using a qualitative descriptive design and data was collected through individual interviews using an interview guide.

Humanoid socially assistive robots in dementia care: a qualitative study about expectations of caregivers and dementia trainers.

Objective: To examine the expectations of informal caregivers, nurses, and dementia trainers regarding the support of (physical and psychosocial) human needs by humanoid social assistive robots (SARs) in dementia care.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with 11 homogeneous focus groups of informal caregivers, nurses and dementia trainers providing dementia care at home, in adult daycare centers, or in nursing homes. A qualitative content analysis was performed using a concept- and data-driven coding frame.

Rare intronic mutation between Exon 62 and 63 (c.9225-285A>G) of the dystrophin gene associated with atypical BMD phenotype.

Dystrophinopathies are predominantly caused by deletions, duplications and point mutations in the coding regions of the dystrophin gene with less than 1% of all pathogenic mutations identified within intronic sequences. We describe a 17-year-old male with a Becker muscular dystrophy diagnosis and mental disability due to an intron mutation that led to aberrant splicing and formation of an additional exon. Histopathological analysis of muscle tissue revealed signs of muscular dystrophy and reduced signal for dystrophin, alpha-sarcoglycan, and alpha-dystroglycan.

Predictors of negotiated prices for new drugs in Germany.

Introduction: In Germany, all new, innovative medicines are subject to an early benefit assessment by the German Federal Joint Committee with subsequent price negotiation and optional arbitration. The purpose of this study was to identify drivers of negotiated (including arbitrated) prices of new, non-orphan innovative medicines in Germany.

Methods: The analysis considered all non-orphan drugs that underwent a benefit appraisal between January 2011 and June 2016, and displayed a reimbursement price in the German Drug Directory (Lauer-Taxe) in November 2017.

Effects of a Humanoid Socially Assistive Robot Versus Tablet Training on Psychosocial and Physical Outcomes of Persons With Dementia: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

Background: New technologies, like socially assistive robots (SARs), may have the potential to support caregivers at home. Still, the evidence for people with dementia in home care is unclear because a lot of studies are performed in a laboratory or institutional setting, and mainly use robots in prototype stages.

Objective: This study aims to explore the effects of the refined, commercially-available, humanoid SAR Pepper combined with a tablet PC-based dementia training program (Coach Pepper) versus an exclusively tablet PC-based dementia training program on psychosocial and physical outcomes of people with dementia living at home, including caregivers and dementia trainers.

A large multicentre, randomized, double-blind, cross-over study in healthy volunteers to compare pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of a pegfilgrastim biosimilar with its US- and EU-reference biologics.

Aims: Recombinant PEGylated human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (pegfilgrastim) is indicated for the reduction of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and prevention of febrile neutropenia. Biosimilar pegfilgrastim is expected to reduce the financial burden of this complication of chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to demonstrate biosimilarity between Sandoz biosimilar pegfilgrastim and its US- and EU-approved reference biologics.

Structure of GTP cyclohydrolase I from Listeria monocytogenes, a potential anti-infective drug target.

A putative open reading frame encoding GTP cyclohydrolase I from Listeria monocytogenes was expressed in a recombinant Escherichia coli strain. The recombinant protein was purified and was confirmed to convert GTP to dihydroneopterin triphosphate (K = 53 µM; v = 180 nmol mg min). The protein was crystallized from 1.

Postoperative pain in small-for-gestational age infants after hernia repair, orchidopexy and urethral reconstruction surgery: A pilot study.

Background: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth bears an enhanced risk of developing hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance and mental health disorders in later life as a consequence of adaptive processes in utero. Only a small number of studies on pain perception in SGA infants exist. These are indicative of a blunted stress response to pain in SGA newborns.

Molecular Basis for poly(A) RNP Architecture and Recognition by the Pan2-Pan3 Deadenylase.

The stability of eukaryotic mRNAs is dependent on a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex of poly(A)-binding proteins (PABPC1/Pab1) organized on the poly(A) tail. This poly(A) RNP not only protects mRNAs from premature degradation but also stimulates the Pan2-Pan3 deadenylase complex to catalyze the first step of poly(A) tail shortening. We reconstituted this process in vitro using recombinant proteins and show that Pan2-Pan3 associates with and degrades poly(A) RNPs containing two or more Pab1 molecules.

Na MRI depicts early changes in ion homeostasis in skeletal muscle tissue of patients with duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a hereditary neuromuscular disease leading to progressive muscle wasting. Since there is a need for MRI variables that serve as early sensitive indicators of response to treatment, several quantitative MRI methods have been suggested for disease monitoring.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential of sodium ( Na) and proton ( H) MRI methods to assess early pathological changes in skeletal muscle of DMD.

Is the topic of malnutrition in older adults addressed in the European nursing curricula? A MaNuEL study.

Background: The lack of sufficient knowledge of health care professionals is one main barrier to implementing adequate nutritional interventions. Until now, it is not known to which extent European nurses are exposed to the topic of malnutrition in older adults during their education.

Objective: To determine whether formal nursing degree programs in Europe address the topic of nutrition and, specifically, malnutrition in older adults.

Characterization of a novel modification of a CHO-produced mAb: Evidence for the presence of tyrosine sulfation.

Herein we describe the investigation of a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-expressed human mAb molecule found partially modified by a +80 Da adduct. This mass difference, suggestive of a single sulfation or phosphorylation addition, was observed by mass analysis of the intact and reduced molecule by mass spectrometry (MS). The modification was located on tyrosine 31 (Y31) of the light chain in the complementarity-determining region 1 by liquid chromatography (LC)-MS peptide mapping and electron transfer dissociation fragmentation.

Controlled Release of Vanadium from a Composite Scaffold Stimulates Mesenchymal Stem Cell Osteochondrogenesis.

Large bone defects often require the use of autograft, allograft, or synthetic bone graft augmentation; however, these treatments can result in delayed osseous integration. A tissue engineering strategy would be the use of a scaffold that could promote the normal fracture healing process of endochondral ossification, where an intermediate cartilage phase is later transformed to bone. This study investigated vanadyl acetylacetonate (VAC), an insulin mimetic, combined with a fibrous composite scaffold, consisting of polycaprolactone with nanoparticles of hydroxyapatite and beta-tricalcium phosphate, as a potential bone tissue engineering scaffold.

Magnetic resonance venography to assess thrombus resolution with edoxaban monotherapy versus parenteral anticoagulation/warfarin for symptomatic deep vein thrombosis: A multicenter feasibility study.

The feasibility of magnetic resonance venography (MRV) for measuring change in thrombus volume with a novel anticoagulation regimen versus standard anticoagulation in patients with symptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has not been assessed. Our aim was to study the feasibility of MRV to measure change in thrombus volume in patients with acute symptomatic objectively confirmed proximal DVT in an open-label multicenter trial (edoxaban Thrombus Reduction Imaging Study, eTRIS). We randomized patients in a 2:1 allocation ratio to edoxaban 90 mg/day for 10 days followed by 60 mg/day versus parenteral anticoagulation bridging to warfarin for 3 months.

Structure of the RNA Helicase MLE Reveals the Molecular Mechanisms for Uridine Specificity and RNA-ATP Coupling.

The MLE helicase remodels the roX lncRNAs, enabling the lncRNA-mediated assembly of the Drosophila dosage compensation complex. We identified a stable MLE core comprising the DExH helicase module and two auxiliary domains: a dsRBD and an OB-like fold. MLEcore is an unusual DExH helicase that can unwind blunt-ended RNA duplexes and has specificity for uridine nucleotides.

Change in Care Dependency and Nursing Care Problems in Nursing Home Residents with and without Dementia: A 2-Year Panel Study.

Over time, chronic conditions like dementia can lead to care dependency and nursing care problems, often necessitating nursing home admission. This panel study (2012-2014) aims to explore changes in care dependency and nursing care problems (incontinence, malnutrition, decubitus, falls and restraints) in residents with and without dementia over time. In total, nine Austrian nursing homes participated, including 258 residents (178 with, 80 without dementia) who completed all five measurements.