Burdens and resources of Austrian clinical psychologists: results of a qualitative study two years into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic increased the mental health burden in the general population, enhancing the demands placed on mental healthcare professionals.

Methods: This study aimed to assess the burdens and resources of clinical psychologists that emerged since the beginning of the pandemic. N = 172 Austrian clinical psychologists participated in a cross-sectional online survey between April and May 2022.

Workplace interventions to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection outside of healthcare settings.

Background: Although many people infected with SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) experience no or mild symptoms, some individuals can develop severe illness and may die, particularly older people and those with underlying medical problems. Providing evidence-based interventions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection has become more urgent with the potential psychological toll imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Controlling exposures to occupational hazards is the fundamental method of protecting workers.

Nutrition and movement to improve quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis: the NUMOQUA study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) has long been considered as a degenerative disease of cartilage tissue resulting from bodily wear and tear. However, there is accumulating evidence that inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of OA. In knee OA, the most common form of OA, exercise therapy as an effective component of early treatment addresses functional deficits, pain and inflammation.

The neutralizing effect of heparin on blood-derived antimicrobial compounds: impact on antibacterial activity and inflammatory response.

Acting through a combination of direct and indirect pathogen clearance mechanisms, blood-derived antimicrobial compounds (AMCs) play a pivotal role in innate immunity, safeguarding the host against invading microorganisms. Besides their antimicrobial activity, some AMCs can neutralize endotoxins, preventing their interaction with immune cells and avoiding an excessive inflammatory response. In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of unfractionated heparin, a polyanionic drug clinically used as anticoagulant, on the endotoxin-neutralizing and antibacterial activity of blood-derived AMCs.

Increased nitrate intake from beetroot juice over 4 weeks affects nitrate metabolism, but not vascular function or blood pressure in older adults with hypertension.

The decline in vascular function and increase in blood pressure with aging contribute to an increased cardiovascular disease risk. In this randomized placebo-controlled crossover study, we evaluated whether previously reported cardiovascular benefits of plant-derived inorganic nitrate nitric oxide (NO) translate into improved vascular function and blood pressure-lowering in 15 men and women (age range: 56-71 years) with treated hypertension. We investigated the effects of a single ∼400 mg-dose at 3 hours post-ingestion (3H POST) and the daily consumption of 2 × ∼400 mg of nitrate through nitrate-rich compared with nitrate-depleted (placebo) beetroot juice over 4 weeks (4WK POST).

Perceptions of Therapeutic Climbing for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Neurorehabilitation: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Therapeutic climbing (TC) has emerged as a prospective rehabilitation approach for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). The existing literature primarily focuses on the physical and psychological benefits of TC across diverse populations but is limited concerning its application and efficacy for patients with MS.

Objectives: This study aimed to delineate the experiences, subjective effects, and perceptions of both individuals with MS and therapists regarding TC, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of this therapeutic approach.

The Association between Problematic Smartphone Use and Mental Health in Austrian Adolescents and Young Adults.

Although problematic smartphone use (PSU) is prevalent and associated with mental health and physical activity, there are no studies on its prevalence and associations in Austria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of PSU and its associations with mental health in adolescents and young adults. A cross-sectional online survey was performed from 19 April to 27 July 2023, and the data of N = 913 respondents (14.

Effects of Blood-Derived Products on Cellular Senescence and Inflammatory Response: A Study on Skin Rejuvenation.

Blood-derived products, such as citrate platelet-rich plasma (CPRP) and hyperacute serum (HAS), are recognized for their rich growth factor content. When human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells are exposed to combined mitogenic and DNA-damaging stimuli, it can lead to an increased burden of senescent cells and a modified senescence-associated secretory phenotype. In this study, the senescent state was comprehensively assessed through various methods, including phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX) staining, p21 and p16 q-PCR, p21-western blot, growth curves, and senescence-associated ß-galactosidase staining.

Process and outcome of outpatient psychotherapies under clinically representative conditions in Austria: protocol and feasibility of an ongoing study.

Background: While most studies assessing psychotherapy efficacy are randomized-controlled trials conducted in research institutions or short clinical treatments, the understanding of psychotherapy effectiveness under regular, clinically representative conditions, particularly in outpatient practice, remains limited. Representative data examining the effectiveness of psychotherapy under real-world conditions in Austria is lacking.

Aims And Methods: This paper introduces a naturalistic observational combined process- and outcome study, implementing a dual-perspective approach through standardised pre- and post-treatment questionnaires and evaluating changes in the therapeutic alliance after each session.

The fluorochrome-to-protein ratio is crucial for the flow cytometric detection of tissue factor on extracellular vesicles.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have crucial roles in hemostasis and coagulation. They sustain coagulation by exposing phosphatidylserine and initiate clotting by surface expression of tissue factor (TF) under inflammatory conditions. As their relevance as biomarkers of coagulopathy is increasingly recognized, there is a need for the sensitive and reliable detection of TF EVs, but their flow cytometric analysis is challenging and has yielded controversial findings for TF expression on EVs in the vascular system.

Rapid reviews methods series: assessing the appropriateness of conducting a rapid review.

This paper, part of the Cochrane Rapid Review Methods Group series, offers guidance on determining when to conduct a rapid review (RR) instead of a full systematic review (SR). While both review types aim to comprehensively synthesise evidence, RRs, conducted within a shorter time frame of typically 6 months or less, involve streamlined methods to expedite the process. The decision to opt for an RR depends on the urgency of the research question, resource availability and the impact on decision outcomes.

Culture of Hoffa fat pad mesenchymal stem/stromal cells on microcarrier suspension in vertical wheel bioreactor for extracellular vesicle production.

Background: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are increasingly employed in regenerative medicine approaches for their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, which are encoded in their secretome including extracellular vesicles (EVs). The Hoffa fat pad (HFP) located infrapatellarly harbours MSCs that could assist in tissue homeostasis in osteoarthritic joints. Intraarticular injection therapies based on blood products could modulate the populations of released HFP-MSC-EVs in a quantitative manner.

Oral intake of solid medications in patients with post-stroke dysphagia. A challenge for nurses?

Aim: To provide a comprehensive overview of how stroke nurses manage solid medication (SM) delivery to patients with post-stroke dysphagia.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: A self-administered online survey was carried out among nurses in German-speaking countries between September and December 2021.

School students' burdens and resources after 2 years of COVID-19 in Austria: a qualitative study using content analysis.

Introduction: The mental health of young people has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures associated with it. Mental health symptoms increased across various domains during the pandemic and subjective wellbeing decreased.

Methods: This study examined the burdens and resources of Austrian school students ( = 16.

Prevalence of mental health symptoms and potential risk factors among Austrian psychotherapists.

This research focused on the intricacies of mental health within the psychotherapist community, a domain currently understudied. A recent study suggests a better overall mental health profile for Austrian psychotherapists compared to the general population. However, a substantial proportion of psychotherapists still exhibited scores beyond the cut-off for clinically significant mental disorders, potentially undermining the efficacy of patient outcomes.

Dynamic cultivation of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells for the production of extracellular vesicles in a 3D bioreactor system.

Purpose: 3D cell culture and hypoxia have been demonstrated to increase the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). In this study, a process for the production of MSC-EVs in a novel 3D bioreactor system under normoxic and hypoxic conditions was established and the resulting EVs were characterized.

Methods: Human adipose-derived MSCs were seeded and cultured on a 3D membrane in the VITVO® bioreactor system for 7 days.

Impact of production methods and storage conditions on extracellular vesicles in packed red blood cells and platelet concentrates.

The use of blood and blood products can be life-saving, but there are also certain risks associated with their administration and use. Packed red blood cells (pRBCs) and platelet concentrates are the most commonly used blood products in transfusion medicine to treat anemia or acute and chronic bleeding disorders, respectively. During the production and storage of blood products, red blood cells and platelets release extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a result of the storage lesion, which may affect product quality.

Heparin enables the reliable detection of endotoxin in human serum samples using the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay.

The determination of lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) in serum or plasma samples using Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL)-based assays is currently not sufficiently reliable in clinical diagnostics due to numerous interfering factors that strongly reduce the recovery of LPS in clinical samples. The specific plasma components responsible for the endotoxin neutralizing capacity of human blood remain to be identified. There are indications that certain endotoxin-neutralizing proteins or peptides, which are part of the host defense peptides/proteins of the innate immune system may be responsible for this effect.

In vitro Removal of Protein-Bound Retention Solutes by Extracorporeal Blood Purification Procedures.

Introduction: When the kidneys or liver fail, toxic metabolites accumulate in the patient's blood, causing cardiovascular and neurotoxic complications and increased mortality. Conventional membrane-based extracorporeal blood purification procedures cannot remove these toxins efficiently. The aim of this in vitro study was to determine whether commercial hemoperfusion adsorbers are suitable for removing protein-bound retention solutes from human plasma and whole blood as well as to compare the removal to conventional hemodialysis.

An Electrochemical Aptasensor for the Detection of Freshwater Cyanobacteria.

is a genus of cyanobacteria that is filamentous and nitrogen-fixing and inhabits aquatic environments. This genus is known as one of the major producers of cyanotoxins that can affect water quality after the bloom period. In this study, an electrochemical aptasensor is demonstrated using a specific aptamer to detect sp.