Communication skills of medical students: Evaluation of a new communication curriculum at the University of Augsburg.

Objectives: Teaching communication skills plays a pivotal role in medical curricula. The aim of this article is to describe and evaluate a new communication curriculum developed at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg (KomCuA), which was conceptualized by an interdisciplinary team based on recommended quality standards (i.e.

Structural and functional characterization of retinal impairment in T1DM patients without diabetic retinopathy: a 3-year longitudinal study.

Purpose: To analyze the progression of structural and functional retinal impairment in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients with no clinical signs of diabetic retinopathy (DR) during a 3-year follow-up.

Methods: This was an observational longitudinal study. Post-pediatric T1DM patients without clinical signs of DR, and sex- and age-matched healthy subjects were recruited at San Raffaele Hospital (Milan, Italy).

Sodium Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Non-Diabetic Kidney Disease: Evidence in Experimental Models.

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a class of glucose-lowering agents widely used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. A number of clinical trials in type 2 diabetic patients with different degrees of renal impairment have clearly demonstrated that SGLT2 inhibitors reduce the progression rate of diabetic kidney disease. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that SGLT2 inhibitors also exert a protective effect in the case of non-diabetic kidney disease.

Topical Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) restores electrophysiological alterations in the Ins2 mouse model of diabetic retinopathy.

People suffering from diabetes mellitus commonly have to face diabetic retinopathy (DR), an eye disease characterized by early retinal neurodegeneration and microvascular damage, progressively leading to sight loss. The Ins2 (Akita) diabetic mouse presents the characteristics of DR and experimental drugs can be tested on this model to check their efficacy before going to the clinic. Topical administration of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) has been recently demonstrated to prevent DR in the Akita mouse, reverting the thinning of retinal layers and protecting the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from death.

Progressive Thinning of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer/Ganglion Cell Layer (RNFL/GCL) as Biomarker and Pharmacological Target of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetes-driven retinal neurodegeneration has recently been shown to be involved in the initial phases of diabetic retinopathy, raising the possibility of setting up a preventive strategy based on early retinal neuroprotection. To make this possible, it is crucial to identify a biomarker for early retinal neurodegeneration. To this end, in this study, we verified and confirmed that, in the Akita mouse model of diabetes, the thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer/ganglion cell layer (the RNFL/GCL-the layer that contains the retinal ganglion cells) precedes the death of these same cells, suggesting that this dysfunction is a possible biomarker of retinal neurodegeneration.

Cardioprotective Effects of Sodium Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibition in Angiotensin II-Dependent Hypertension Are Mediated by the Local Reduction of Sympathetic Activity and Inflammation.

The cardioprotective effects of sodium glucose cotrasponter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors seem to be independent from the effects on glycemic control, through little-known mechanisms. In this study, we investigate whether the cardioprotective effects of empagliflozin, a SGLT2 inhibitor, may be associated with myocardial sympathetic activity and inflammatory cell infiltration in an experimental model of angiotensin II-dependent hypertension. Angiotensin II (Ang II), Ang II plus Empagliflozin, physiological saline, or physiological saline plus empagliflozin were administered to Sprague Dawley rats for two weeks.

Relationship between chronotype and pain threshold in a sample of young healthy adults.

Introduction: Chronotype indicates the biological preference for timing of activity and sleep. Being a late chronotype (ie, having a tendency for late sleep times) is associated with several mental and physical health problems. Previous studies found that late chronotypes are also more susceptible to chronic pain, but the relationship between chronotype and pain sensitivity remains unclear.

What do healthcare workers need? A qualitative study on support strategies to protect mental health of healthcare workers during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Background: To support healthcare workers (HCWs) during the increased burden caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, numerous recommendations for action and possible interventions have been developed. However, the actual protective factors, needs and desires of those affected, as well as potential barriers to implementing psychological interventions, have been insufficiently examined. This study addresses this research gap and captures HCWs' experiences and views.

Early increase in circulating carbonic anhydrase IX: A potential new predictive biomarker of preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe complication of pregnancy. The identification of a reliable predictive biomarker could help in setting up a specific preventive strategy. To this aim, we studied carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) as a marker of hypoxia (a pathway involved in PE pathogenesis) and compared the diagnostic accuracy of CAIX to that of the validated biomarker sFlt1/PlGF ratio.

Diabetes has no additional impact on retinal ganglion cell loss in a mouse model of spontaneous glaucoma.

Purpose: There is no valid medical treatment for diabetic retinopathy mostly because its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Early stages of diabetic retinopathy, just like glaucoma, are characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells. Whether the two diseases may share a similar pathogenic background is unknown.

Angiotensin II Modulates Calcium/Phosphate Excretion in Experimental Model of Hypertension: Focus on Bone.

A link between hypertension and long-term bone health has been suggested. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic angiotensin II administration on urinary calcium/phosphate excretion, bone mineral density, bone remodeling and osteoblast population in a well-established experimental model of hypertension, in the absence of possible confounding factors that could affect bone metabolism. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, divided in the following groups: (a) Angiotensin II (Ang II, 200 ng/kg/min, osmotic minipumps, sub cutis, = 8); (b) Ang II+losartan (Los, 50 mg/kg/day, , = 6); (c) control group (physiological saline, sub cutis, = 9); and (d) control+losartan ( = 6) were treated for four weeks.

Topical nerve growth factor prevents neurodegenerative and vascular stages of diabetic retinopathy.

Specific and effective preventive treatment for diabetic retinopathy (DR) is presently unavailable, mostly because the early stages of the complication have been, until recently, poorly understood. The recent demonstration that the vascular phase of DR is preceded and possibly caused by the neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells suggests that DR could, at least theoretically, be prevented through an early neuroprotective approach. The aims of our study were to clarify the natural history of diabetes-driven retinal neurodegeneration and to verify the possibility to prevent DR using topical nerve growth factor (NGF).

COVID-19 related psychological burden and potential benefits of vaccination - Data from a repeated cross-sectional survey in healthcare workers.

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the psychological well-being, especially of health care workers, for more than two years now. Here, we followed-up on a survey we conducted at the very beginning of the pandemic, to determine potential changes in psychological strain experienced by health care workers one year later. Since our first survey in 2020, COVID-19 vaccines have been established, thus we assessed whether vaccination-status might modulate psychological burden of health care workers.

Redox and Calcium Alterations of a Müller Cell Line Exposed to Diabetic Retinopathy-Like Environment.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus and is the major cause of vision loss in the working-age population. Although DR is traditionally considered a microvascular disease, an increasing body of evidence suggests that neurodegeneration is an early event that occurs even before the manifestation of vasculopathy. Accordingly, attention should be devoted to the complex neurodegenerative process occurring in the diabetic retina, also considering possible functional alterations in non-neuronal cells, such as glial cells.

Perceived risk of COVID-19 exposure and poor COVID-19 prognosis impair sleep: The mediating and moderating roles of COVID-19-related anxiety and knowledge.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to increased levels of stress, depression, and anxiety in many people around the world. Therefore, identifying individuals at risk of psychosocial burden during this unprecedented crisis is essential for developing prevention measures and treatment options for mental health issues. To this aim, we investigated two risk groups: individuals at higher risk of exposure to the virus and individuals at higher risk of poor prognosis if they contract the virus.

A 4-year longitudinal study investigating the relationship between flexible school starts and grades.

The mismatch between teenagers' late sleep phase and early school start times results in acute and chronic sleep reductions. This is not only harmful for learning but may reduce career prospects and widen social inequalities. Delaying school start times has been shown to improve sleep at least short-term but whether this translates to better achievement is unresolved.

Sleep improvements on days with later school starts persist after 1 year in a flexible start system.

Early school times fundamentally clash with the late sleep of teenagers. This mismatch results in chronic sleep deprivation posing acute and long-term health risks and impairing students' learning. Despite immediate short-term benefits for sleep, the long-term effects of later starts remain unresolved.

School start times and academic achievement - A systematic review on grades and test scores.

Early school times clash with the late sleep of adolescents, leading to wide-spread sleep restriction in students. Evidence suggests that delaying school starts is beneficial for sleep and recent studies investigated whether this also translates into improved academic achievement. We thus conducted a systematic review of the literature on school start times, grades and test scores in middle and high-school students.

Angiotensin Type 2 and Mas Receptor Activation Prevents Myocardial Fibrosis and Hypertrophy through the Reduction of Inflammatory Cell Infiltration and Local Sympathetic Activity in Angiotensin II-Dependent Hypertension.

Compound 21 (C21), an AT2 receptor agonist, and Angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7), through Mas receptor, play an important role in the modulation of the protective arm of the renin-angiotensin system. The aim of this study was to investigate in an experimental model of angiotensin II-dependent hypertension whether the activation of the potentially protective arm of the renin-angiotensin system, through AT2 or Mas receptor stimulation, counteracts the onset of myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy, and whether these effects are mediated by inflammatory mechanism and/or sympathetic activation. Sprague Dawley rats ( = 67) were treated for 1 ( = 25) and 4 ( = 42) weeks and divided in the following groups: (a) Angiotensin II (Ang II, 200 ng/kg/min, osmotic minipumps, sub cutis); (b) Ang II+Compound 21 (C21, 0.

Assessing sleep problems and daytime functioning: a translation, adaption, and validation of the Athens Insomnia Scale for non-clinical application (AIS-NCA).

 Sleep problems are common and have been linked to health problems, diminished well-being, and impaired performance. Many scales to diagnose clinically relevant sleep problems are time-consuming, complex, and difficult to administer in non-clinical and multi-thematic studies. Through a multi-stage translation (from English to German) and scale testing process, we developed a parsimonious measure of sleep problems and daytime functioning for non-clinical applications based on the Athens Insomnia Scale.

Weekly and seasonal variation in the circadian melatonin rhythm in humans: A response.

We read with interest the commentary by Skeldon and Dijk about our article "Weekly, seasonal and chronotype-dependent variation of dim light melatonin onset." The discussion points raised by Skeldon and Dijk are currently among the most hotly debated in human circadian science. What external factors determine human phase of entrainment? How great is the contribution of natural versus artificial light and sun time versus social time? Our intra-individual data add to the still limited evidence from field studies in this matter.

Short-and Long-Term Expression of Vegf: A Temporal Regulation of a Key Factor in Diabetic Retinopathy.

To investigate the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at different phases of diabetic retinopathy (DR), we assessed the retinal protein expression of VEGF-A (corresponding to the VEGF isoform present in humans, which is the predominant member implicated in vascular hyperpermeability and proliferation), HIF-1α and PKCβ/HuR pathway in (diabetic) mice at different ages. We used C57BL6J mice (WT) at different ages as control. Retina status, in terms of tissue morphology and neovascularization, was monitored at different time points by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography (FA), respectively.