Heterogeneity of sensitization profiles and clinical phenotypes among patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis in Southern European countries-The @IT.2020 multicenter study.

Background: Pollen allergy poses a significant health and economic burden in Europe. Disease patterns are relatively homogeneous within Central and Northern European countries. However, no study broadly assessed the features of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) across different Southern European countries with a standardized approach.

Augmented 360° Three-Dimensional Virtual Reality for Enhanced Student Training and Education in Neurosurgery.

Objective: This prospective study assesses the acceptance and usefulness of augmented 360° virtual reality (VR) videos for early student education and preparation in the field of neurosurgery.

Methods: Thirty-five third-year medical students participated. Augmented 360° VR videos depicting three neurosurgical procedures (lumbar discectomy, brain metastasis resection, clipping of an aneurysm) were presented during elective seminars.

Extension of a conditional performance score for sample size recalculation rules to the setting of binary endpoints.

Background: Sample size calculation is a central aspect in planning of clinical trials. The sample size is calculated based on parameter assumptions, like the treatment effect and the endpoint's variance. A fundamental problem of this approach is that the true distribution parameters are not known before the trial.

Clinical efficacy and satisfaction of a digital wheeze detector in a multicentre randomised controlled trial: the WheezeScan study.

Introduction: Wheezing is common in preschool children and its clinical assessment often challenging for caretakers. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a novel digital wheeze detector (WheezeScan™) on disease control in a home care setting.

Methods: A multicentre randomised open-label controlled trial was conducted in Berlin, Istanbul and London.

Impact of sex and gender on post-COVID-19 syndrome, Switzerland, 2020.

BackgroundWomen are overrepresented among individuals with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). Biological (sex) as well as sociocultural (gender) differences between women and men might account for this imbalance, yet their impact on PASC is unknown.AimWe assessed the impact of sex and gender on PASC in a Swiss population.

Cognitive training and brain stimulation in patients with cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Repeated sessions of training and non-invasive brain stimulation have the potential to enhance cognition in patients with cognitive impairment. We hypothesized that combining cognitive training with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will lead to performance improvement in the trained task and yield transfer to non-trained tasks.

Methods: In our randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind study, 46 patients with cognitive impairment (60-80 years) were randomly assigned to one of two interventional groups.

Shear Wave Elastography for Assessing Liver Stiffness in HCV-Infected Kidney Transplant Recipients after Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment: A Comparative Study with Magnetic Resonance Elastography.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to hepatic fibrosis. The advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has substantially improved sustained virological response (SVR) rates. In this context, kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are of particular interest due to their higher HCV infection rates and uncertain renal excretion and bioavailability of DAAs.

Validation of a New Measuring Instrument for the Assessment of Bite Force.

Background: this study aims to validate two occlusal-force-measuring devices by comparing them to a universal testing machine and assessing their reliability across various dental and prosthetic groups. The research comprised two parts: part 1 assessed the measurement accuracy of the Occlusal Force Meter GM 10 (OFM) (Morita, Nagano Keiki, Higashimagome, Ohta-ku, Tokyo, Japan) and a prototype (PRO) by comparing them to a calibrated universal testing machine (ZWICK). Part 2 involved analyzing the devices' reliability based on clinical bite force measurements from study participants.

Elastometry - The biomechanical analysis of the lateral nasal wall.

'Elastometry' is a novel technique that allows for the quantitative assessment of elastic properties of the nasal tissues, providing valuable insights into the dynamic behavior of the external, soft lateral nasal wall. This study aimed to explore the application of 'elastometry' in understanding the biomechanics of the lateral nasal wall and its implications for nasal function in 'elastometry' measurements. After validation of safety and reliability of this method, we investigated mechanical properties of the lateral nasal wall by 'elastometry' using specifically developed measurement forceps with end pieces including sensors applied on 30 healthy volunteers, aged 18 to 82 without a history of severe trauma or surgery.

Effectiveness of oral prednisone tapering following intravenous methylprednisolone for acute optic neuritis in multiple sclerosis.

Acute optic neuritis treatment lacks standardized protocols. The value of oral prednisone taper (OPT) following intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) on visual outcome parameters in optic neuritis (ON) has never been explored. In the present retrospective study, we investigated whether OPT after IVMP affects the structural and functional visual outcomes of inaugural clinically isolated syndrome (CIS)- or multiple sclerosis (MS)-ON.

Kidney function estimators for drug dose adjustment of direct oral anticoagulants in older adults with atrial fibrillation.

Background: The Cockcroft-Gault equation (CrCl) is recommended for dose adjustment of direct oral anticoagulant drugs (DOACs) to kidney function. We aimed to assess whether defining DOAC dose appropriateness according to various kidney function estimators changed the associations between dose appropriateness and adverse events in older adults with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Participants of the Berlin Initiative Study with AF and treated with DOACs were included.

Effectiveness of a tablet-based intervention for people living with dementia in primary care-A cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Primary care physicians (PCP) play a key role in the care of people living with dementia. However, the implementation and practicability of the German S3 Dementia Guideline in primary care remain unclear. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate an intervention for improving guideline-based dementia care in primary care.

Depressive symptoms and anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor GluN1 antibody seropositivity in the PROSpective cohort with incident stroke.

Background: Anti-NMDA-receptor GluN1 antibodies (NMDAR1-abs) are present in an autoimmune encephalitis with severe neuropsychiatric symptoms. We aimed to estimate the impact of serum NMDAR1-abs on depressive symptoms years after first-ever ischemic stroke (IS).

Methods: Data were used from the PROSpective Cohort with Incident Stroke-Berlin (PROSCIS-B; NCT01363856).

Quantifying bone healing after mandibular displacement in orthognathic surgery.

Impaired bony healing following bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) is a major unmet medical need for affected patients, and rare occurrences can hinder the identification of underlying risk factors. We hypothesised that osseous union following BSSO can be quantified using volumetric analysis, and we aimed to identify the risk factors for impaired bone healing. The percentage change in bony volume was measured in orthognathic patients following BSSO using two consecutive postoperative cone-beam computed tomography scans.

Patient perspective on task shifting from general practitioners to medical practice assistants - a quantitative survey in Germany.

Introduction: Various developments result in increasing workloads in general practices. New models of care and a restructuring of the division of tasks could provide relief. One approach is to extend the delegation of medical tasks from general practitioners (GPs) to medical practice assistants (MPAs).

Follow-Up of Men Who Have Undergone Focal Therapy for Prostate Cancer with HIFU-A Real-World Experience.

Purpose: To determine oncological and functional outcomes and side effects after focal therapy of prostate cancer (PCa) with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).

Methods: This retrospective single-center study included 57 consecutive patients with localised PCa. Aged 18-80 with ≤2 suspicious lesions on mpMRI (PIRADS ≥ 3), PSA of ≤15 ng/mL, and an ISUP GG of ≤2.

Association of known SARS-CoV-2 serostatus and adherence to personal protection measures and the impact of personal protective measures on seropositivity in a population-based cross-sectional study (MuSPAD) in Germany.

Background: In 2020/2021 in Germany, several non-pharmacological interventions were introduced to lower the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We investigated to what extent knowledge of prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 or vaccination status influenced the use of personal protection measures (PPM). Further, we were interested in the effect of compliance with PPM on SARS-CoV-2 serostatus.