COping with Rheumatic Stressors (CORS) questionnaire: validated German translation and cross-cultural adaptation for patients with axSpA.

Background: Patients with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases, including axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), may suffer from stressors like pain and functional impairments leading to limitations in their self-perceived health status. The COping with Rheumatic Stressors (CORS) questionnaire was developed to analyze how patients cope with these stressors. The CORS is currently not available in German.

Effects of the Tovertafel on apathy, social interaction and social activity of people with dementia in long-term inpatient care: results of a non-controlled within-subject-design study.

Introduction: Tovertafel is a VR-based serious game for dementia care (SGDC) that aims to stimulate residents affected by dementia in nursing homes, promote social and cognitive skills and reduce apathy. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of using Tovertafel on apathy, social interaction and social activity of people with dementia (PWD) in long-term inpatient care in Germany.

Methods: In this monocentric intervention study, 25 residents of an inpatient long-term care facility with moderate or severe dementia had two weekly applications of Tovertafel over a period of 8 weeks.

Unveiling Usage Patterns and Explaining Usage of Symptom Checker Apps: Explorative Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Symptom checker apps (SCA) aim to enable individuals without medical training to classify perceived symptoms and receive guidance on appropriate actions, such as self-care or seeking professional medical attention. However, there is a lack of detailed understanding regarding the contexts in which individuals use SCA and their opinions on these tools.

Objective: This mixed methods study aims to explore the circumstances under which medical laypeople use SCA and to identify which aspects users find noteworthy after using SCA.

Sulfur Diffusion Studies Imitating Recycled Ground-Rubber-Containing Compounds.

In-rubber properties of vulcanizates deteriorate in the presence of incorporated recycled ground rubber (GR). This behavior is partly explained by a possible diffusion of sulfur from the rubber matrix into the GR. Therefore, the sulfur concentration and, thus, the crosslink density in the matrix are reduced.

Evaluation of the therapeutic relevance of architectural aspects in child and adolescent psychiatric institutions from the perspective of architects and senior physicians.

Objective: The concept of "Healing Architecture" addresses the relevance of design and architectural issues on the outcome of medical and therapeutic treatment in hospitals. The questionnaire ARCHI was developed to record data on the opinion of different groups of users on the architectural design of their therapeutic environment in departments of child and adolescent psychiatry.

Method: A Questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted in two phases between 2020 and 2022 using ARCHI to gather the perspectives of senior physicians and architects on the significance of architectural design in German child and adolescent psychiatric facilities.

The Donnan equilibrium is still valid in high-volume HDF.

Clinical studies have shown that hemodiafiltration reduces morbidity and mortality of dialysis patients compared to hemodialysis alone. This is attributed to its superior middle molecule clearance compared to standard hemodialysis. However, doubts arose as to whether a high convective flux through the dialyzer membrane has an influence on the equilibrium concentration of small ions, especially that of sodium.

Analysis of Factors Influencing the Precision of Body Tracking Outcomes in Industrial Gesture Control.

The body tracking systems on the current market offer a wide range of options for tracking the movements of objects, people, or extremities. The precision of this technology is often limited and determines its field of application. This work aimed to identify relevant technical and environmental factors that influence the performance of body tracking in industrial environments.

DOSage of Exercise for chronic low back pain disorders (DOSE): protocol for a systematic review with dose-response network meta-analysis.

Chronic low back disorders are the leading cause of direct and indirect healthcare burden globally. Exercise training improves pain intensity, mental health and physical function. However, the optimal prescription variables are unknown.

Standardized wireless deep brain stimulation system for mice.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a revolutionary technique for accessing and modulating brain circuits. DBS is used to treat dysfunctional neuronal circuits in neurological and psychiatric disorders. Despite over two decades of clinical application, the fundamental mechanisms underlying DBS are still not well understood.

Technostress and time spent online. A cross-cultural comparison for teachers and students.

Introduction: Research shows that ICT is beneficial for academics and students, aiding in overcoming distance barriers, streamlining administration, and improving teaching and learning processes. However, the negative impact of technology, particularly technostress, are garnering attention. In the context of the concerns about technostress among higher education institutions (HEI), the aim of the study is to analyze the technostress creators and inhibitors for university teachers and students in different European countries.

CIRCLE-An interactive visual exploration tool for single cell RNA-Seq data.

CIRCLE (ingle-ell nteractive eal-time omputer visualization for ow-dimensional xploration) is a tool for exploratory analysis of single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data sets, with a focus on bacterial scRNA-seq. The software takes an information design perspective to re-envision visually and interactively exploring low dimensional representations of scRNA-Seq data. Users can project cells in various 3D and 2D spaces and interactively query and paint cells using rich metadata sets reporting on cell cluster, gene function, and gene expression.

A 3D bioreactor model to study osteocyte differentiation and mechanobiology under perfusion and compressive mechanical loading.

Osteocytes perceive and process mechanical stimuli in the lacuno-canalicular network in bone. As a result, they secrete signaling molecules that mediate bone formation and resorption. To date, few three-dimensional (3D) models exist to study the response of mature osteocytes to biophysical stimuli that mimic fluid shear stress and substrate strain in a mineralized, biomimetic bone-like environment.

Polyethylene liner dissociation in cementless total hip arthroplasty: Ensuring accurate diagnosis.

Background: Uncemented acetabular components are widely used in modern total hip arthroplasty (THA). Modularity has numerous advantages including the ability to use supplementary screw fixation for the shell, and allow to switch from ceramic to polyethylene (PE) bearings and vice versa, and the use of lipped and face-changing liners.

Objective: Despite these advantages, a problem with modular PE liners is dissociation.

Single German centre experience with patient journey and care-relevant needs in amyloidosis: The German AMY-NEEDS research and care program.

Background: Amyloidosis is a rare multi-system disorder associated with frequently delayed diagnosis, enormous disease burden and psychosocial distress.

Methods: Systematic assessment of needs was performed by a subtype-spanning questionnaire-based survey within the AMY-NEEDS research and care program.

Results: 118 patients with proven amyloidosis (62.

Experiences of participant and public involvement in an international randomized controlled trial for people living with dementia and their informal caregivers.

Background: This study was initiated and co-designed by a Participant and Public Involvement (PPI) group attached to HOMESIDE, a randomized controlled trial that investigated music and reading interventions for people living with dementia and their family caregivers across five countries: Australia, Germany, Norway, Poland, and the UK. The aim was to capture experiences of PPI across the five countries, explore the benefits and challenges of PPI in dementia research, and identify contributions made to the study.

Methods: We surveyed PPI members and academic researchers who collaborated on the HOMESIDE study.

Self-employed and stressed out? The impact of stress and stress management on entrepreneurs' mental health and performance.

Introduction: Entrepreneurs play a central role in economic and social stability, yet the start-up rate in Germany has declined in recent years, possibly due to the stress associated with entrepreneurial endeavors. Stressors such as financial uncertainty and time pressure are prevalent among entrepreneurs and negatively affect their psychological well-being. However, research on stress management strategies among self-employed individuals remains limited.

Effectiveness of Sensitization Campaigns in Reducing Leprosy-Related Stigma in Rural Togo: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: In the global strategy to eliminate leprosy, there remains a need for early case detection to successfully interrupt transmissions. Poor knowledge about leprosy and leprosy-related stigma are key drivers of delayed diagnosis and treatment. Sensitization campaigns to inform and increase awareness among the general population are an integral part of many national neglected tropical disease programs.

Pixelwise high-temperature calibration for in-situ temperature measuring in powder bed fusion of metal with laser beam.

High-temperature calibration methods in additive manufacturing involve the use of advanced techniques to accurately measure and control the temperature of the build material during the additive manufacturing process. Infrared cameras, blackbody radiation sources and non-linear optimization algorithms are used to correlate the temperature of the material with its emitted thermal radiation. This is essential for ensuring the quality and repeatability of the final product.

'Better see a doctor?' Status quo of symptom checker apps in Germany: A cross-sectional survey with a mixed-methods design (CHECK.APP).

Background: Symptom checker apps (SCAs) offer symptom classification and low-threshold self-triage for laypeople. They are already in use despite their poor accuracy and concerns that they may negatively affect primary care. This study assesses the extent to which SCAs are used by medical laypeople in Germany and which software is most popular.

Needs of amyloidosis patients and their care providers: design & first results of the MY-NEED research and care program.

Background: Amyloidosis represents a rare yet heterogeneous multi-system disorder associated with a grave prognosis and an enormous psycho-emotional strain on patients, relatives, and caregivers. We here present the overall study design and first results of MY-NEED, a research program aiming to systematically assess the needs of patients suffering from amyloidosis, their relatives and health care professionals (HCPs), and develop an amyloidosis-specific care approach.

Methods: MY-NEED uses a mixed-methods approach including focus groups (step 1), a questionnaire-based broad evaluation within the local amyloidosis patient collective (step 2), and the development of a needs-adapted care concept (step 3).

Assessing the Influence of Sensor-Induced Noise on Machine-Learning-Based Changeover Detection in CNC Machines.

The noise in sensor data has a substantial impact on the reliability and accuracy of (ML) algorithms. A comprehensive framework is proposed to analyze the effects of diverse noise inputs in sensor data on the accuracy of ML models. Through extensive experimentation and evaluation, this research examines the resilience of a LightGBM ML model to ten different noise models, namely, Flicker, Impulse, Gaussian, Brown, Periodic, and others.

Perfusable Tissue Bioprinted into a 3D-Printed Tailored Bioreactor System.

Bioprinting provides a powerful tool for regenerative medicine, as it allows tissue construction with a patient's specific geometry. However, tissue culture and maturation, commonly supported by dynamic bioreactors, are needed. We designed a workflow that creates an implant-specific bioreactor system, which is easily producible and customizable and supports cell cultivation and tissue maturation.

Home-based family caregiver-delivered music and reading interventions for people living with dementia (HOMESIDE trial): an international randomised controlled trial.

Background: Music interventions provided by qualified therapists within residential aged care are effective at attenuating behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSD) of people with dementia (PwD). The impact of music interventions on dementia symptom management when provided by family caregivers is unclear.

Methods: We implemented a community-based, large, pragmatic, international, superiority, single-masked randomised controlled trial to evaluate if caregiver-delivered music was superior to usual care alone (UC) on reducing BPSD of PwD measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q).