Effect of Fluorophilic- and Hydrophobic-Modified Polyglycerol-Based Coatings on the Wettability of Low Surface Energy Polymers.

Catechol-derived polymers form stable coatings on a wide range of materials including challenging to coat low surface energy polymers. Whether modification of the coating polymer with fluorophilic or hydrophobic groups is a successful approach to further favor the coating of hydrophobic or fluorophilic surfaces with catechol-based polymers remains ambiguous. Herein, we report the effect of a series of catechol-derived polyglycerol (PG)-based coatings and monolayer coatings on the wettability of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polystyrene, and poly(methyl methacrylate) surfaces.

New and Emerging Biological Therapies for Myasthenia Gravis: A Focussed Review for Clinical Decision-Making.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease characterised by exertion-induced muscle weakness that can lead to potentially life-threatening myasthenic crises. Detectable antibodies are directed against specific postsynaptic structures of the neuromuscular junction. MG is a chronic condition that can be improved through therapies, but to date, not cured.

Fast, Present and Future of the Concept of Spondyloarthritis.

Purpose Of Review: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a rather prevalent chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease that affects already relatively young patients. It has been known better since the end of the nineteenth century but quite a lot has been learned since the early 60ies when the first classification (diagnostic) criteria for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were agreed on. I have been part of many developments in the last 30 years, and I'm happy to have been able to contribute to the scientific progress in terms of diagnosis, imaging, pathophysiology and therapy.

[Nationwide evaluation of medical training in psychiatry and psychotherapy in Germany].

Background: To date there has been no evaluation of further training and working conditions in medical specialist training in psychiatry and psychotherapy in Germany. In order to counteract the lack of young talent and ensure long-term care for patients, quality assurance is essential.

Aim Of The Work: The evaluation aims to identify strengths and weaknesses of the further training and to derive measures for improvement.

Photochemical Evolution of Alanine in Association with the Martian Soil Analog Montmorillonite: Insights Derived from Experiments Conducted on the International Space Station.

The (PSS) experiment was part of the European Space Agency's mission and was conducted on the International Space Station from 2014 to 2016. The PSS experiment investigated the properties of montmorillonite clay as a protective shield against degradation of organic compounds that were exposed to elevated levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in space. Additionally, we examined the potential for montmorillonite to catalyze UV-induced breakdown of the amino acid alanine and its potential to trap the resulting photochemical byproducts within its interlayers.

Herbicide glyphosate efficiently inhibits growth of pathogenic algae species, suggesting the presence of novel pathways for the development of anti-algal drugs.

are ubiquitous algae and occasional pathogens of humans and animals. While rare, the infection is often fatal and treatment options are limited to antifungals with low efficiency. Here, using growth curve assays, we demonstrate that five pathogenic species of () were fully inhibited by 50-100 μg/mL of herbicide glyphosate, suggesting novel pathways that can be considered for anti-algal drug development.

Occurrence and clinical correlates of SARS-CoV-2 viremia in two German patient cohorts.

Viremia defined as detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the blood is a potential marker of disease severity and prognosis in COVID-19 patients. Here, we determined the frequency of viremia in serum of two independent COVID-19 patient cohorts within the German National Pandemic Cohort Network (German: tionales andemie horten etzwerk, NAPKON) with diagnostic RT-PCR against SARS-CoV-2. A cross-sectional cohort with 1,122 COVID-19 patients (German: , SUEP) and 299 patients recruited in a high-resolution platform with patients at high risk to develop severe courses (German: , HAP) were tested for viremia.

A Short Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Assessment Scale for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Background: Patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) suffer from several neuropsychological impairments. These mainly affect the frontal lobe and subcortical brain structures. However, a scale for the assessment of cognitive and neuropsychiatric disability in PSP is still missing.

Predictors of Arrhythmia Recurrence After Cryoballoon Ablation for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: A Sub-Analysis of the Cryo Global Registry.

Introduction: Freedom from recurrences of atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATA) is suboptimal after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PsAF). This sub-analysis from the Cryo Global Registry sought to investigate predictors of ablation success after PVI using cryoballoon ablation (CBA) for PsAF.

Methods And Results: ATA recurrence was defined as ≥ 30 s recurrence of atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia after a 90-day blanking period and through 12-months.

Multicenter validation of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis diagnostic criteria.

Background: Five fulfilled hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)-2004 criteria, and the HScore are widely used and recommended by international expert consensus to diagnose secondary HLH. Both diagnostic scores have never been validated in heterogeneous patient cohorts of secondary HLH patients. We aimed to systematically optimize and validate diagnostic criteria of secondary HLH using a multicenter approach.

Linking higher amyloid beta 1-38 (Aβ(1-38)) levels to reduced Alzheimer's disease progression risk.

Introduction: The beneficial effects of amyloid beta 1-38, or Aβ(1-38), on Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression in humans in vivo remain controversial. We investigated AD patients' cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ(1-38) and AD progression.

Methods: Cognitive function and diagnostic change were assessed annually for 3 years in 177 Aβ-positive participants with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) longitudinal cognitive impairment and dementia study (DELCODE) cohort using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite (PACC), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA) criteria.

Nursing as a Functional System of Society. A Systems Theoretical Perspective on Nursing and the Research Object of Nursing Science.

The transformation of societies' age structures has intensified the need for nursing care, especially in economically developed regions of the world. This will necessitate societal decisions that determine how care needs are met in the long term. This article offers a sociological perspective on nursing care using Luhmann's systems theory.

Predicting the impact of targeted fence removal on connectivity in a migratory ecosystem.

Fencing is one of the most widely utilized tools for reducing human-wildlife conflict in agricultural landscapes. However, the increasing global footprint of fencing exceeds millions of kilometers and has unintended consequences for wildlife, including habitat fragmentation, movement restriction, entanglement, and mortality. Here, we present a novel and quantitative approach to prioritize fence removal within historic migratory pathways of white-bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) across Kenya's Greater Masai Mara Ecosystem.

Ethics Committees' Practices in Healthcare, Banking and Research: Key Requirements for Their Functionality.

Rationale: To meet concerns about ethical and unethical behavior in their work environments and workplaces, organizations began establishing ethics programs that contain ethics committees (ECs). There is now a tradition and diverse use of ECs for ethical decision-making in many different organizational settings. In addition, ECs have been subject to many publications in books and articles in the scientific literature.

Roads to remission: evolving treatment concepts in type 2 inflammatory diseases.

Unlabelled: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) characterised by type 2 inflammation, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, atopic dermatitis, food allergies and eosinophilic esophagitis, are increasing in prevalence worldwide. Currently, there is a major paradigm shift in the management of these diseases, towards the concept of disease modification and the treatment goal remission, regardless of severity and age. Remission as a treatment goal in chronic inflammatory NCDs was first introduced in rheumatoid arthritis, and then adopted in other non-type 2 inflammatory diseases.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Multidrug-Resistant Infection in Clinical Dogs and Cats - China, 2018-2021.

What Is Already Known About This Topic?: spp., while naturally occurring as commensal bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans, have emerged as significant opportunistic pathogens in healthcare settings.

What Is Added By This Report?: A comprehensive surveillance study revealed enterococci in 14.

model of bacterial biofilm mineralization in complex humid environments: a proof of concept study.

Background: Bacteria in physiological environments can generate mineralizing biofilms, which are associated with diseases like periodontitis or kidney stones. Modelling complex environments presents a challenge for the study of mineralization in biofilms. Here, we developed an experimental setup which could be applied to study the fundamental principles behind biofilm mineralization on rigid substrates, using a model organism and in a tailored bioreactor that mimics a humid environment.

The role of Neurofilament light (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in MS and AQP4-NMOSD: Advancing clinical applications.

Fluid biomarkers such as Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) and Neurofilament Light (NfL) play important roles in the diagnosis, monitoring, and evaluation of therapeutic responses in conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Aquaporin-4 Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (AQP4-NMOSD). These biomarkers offer key insights into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of these diseases, enabling effective follow-up and personalized treatment approaches, which are essential for improving patient outcomes. Herein, we synthesize the structural attributes, functional roles, and clinical significance of GFAP and NfL in the context of MS and AQP4-NMOSD.

Diagnosis and management of de novo non-specific spinal infections: European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) Spine Section Delphi consensus recommendations.

Introduction: The management of de novo non-specific spinal infections (spondylodiscitis - SD) remains inconsistent due to varying clinical practices and a lack of high-level evidence, particularly regarding the indications for surgery.

Research Question: This study aims to develop consensus recommendations for the diagnosis and management of SD, addressing diagnostic modalities, surgical indications, and treatment strategies.

Material And Methods: A Delphi process was conducted with 26 experts from the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS).

Efficacy, Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Immunogenicity of ABBV-154 in Adults With Glucocorticoid-Dependent Polymyalgia Rheumatica: A Phase 2, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Objective: An unmet need exists for glucocorticoid-sparing treatments for patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). The antibody-drug conjugate ABBV-154 comprises adalimumab conjugated to a glucocorticoid receptor modulator. We evaluated ABBV-154 versus placebo in patients with glucocorticoid-dependent PMR.

Copy Number Variant Does Not Influence Stroke Severity in 2 C57BL/6J Mouse Models nor in Humans: An Exploratory Study.

Background: Contrary to the common belief, the most commonly used laboratory C57BL/6J mouse inbred strain presents a distinctive genetic and phenotypic variability, and for several traits, the genotype-phenotype link remains still unknown. Recently, we characterized the most important stroke survival factor such as brain collateral plasticity in 2 brain ischemia C57BL/6J mouse models (bilateral common carotid artery stenosis and middle cerebral artery occlusion) and observed a Mendelian-like fashion of inheritance of the posterior communicating artery (PcomA) patency. Interestingly, a copy number variant (CNV) spanning locus was reported to segregate in an analogous Mendelian-like pattern in the C57BL/6J colonies of the Jackson Laboratory.

Myocardial Inflammation in Cardiac Transthyretin Amyloidosis: Prevalence and Potential Prognostic Implications.

Background: Despite previous histopathologic evidence for its presence, the role of myocardial inflammation in the development and progression of cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) remains insufficiently understood. Thus, this study sought to characterize the prevalence and potential prognostic implications of myocardial inflammation in ATTR-CA.

Methods: A retrospective observational study including patients with ATTR-CA diagnosed by endomyocardial biopsy was conducted.

Interaction between bacterial phytochromes Agp1 and Agp2 of Agrobacterium fabrum by fluorescence resonance energy transfer and docking studies.

Phytochromes are biliprotein photoreceptors found in bacteria, fungi, and plants. The soil bacterium Agrobacterium fabrum has two phytochromes, Agp1 and Agp2, which work together to control DNA transfer to plants and bacterial conjugation. Both phytochromes interact as homodimeric proteins.

Characterization of Hospital Admissions During Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Insights From the ICOG Study.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have improved the therapeutic arsenal in outpatient oncology care; however, data on necessity of hospitalizations associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are scarce. Here, we characterized hospitalizations of patients undergoing ICI, from the prospective cohort study of the immune cooperative oncology group (ICOG) Hannover.

Methods: Between 12/2019 and 06/2022, 237 patients were included.