[The Course of E-Cigarette Use in Adolescence: A Cohort Study over 18 Months]. / Der Verlauf des E-Zigarettenkonsums im Jugendalter: Eine Kohortenstudie über 18 Monate.

AIM: Description of adolescent e-cigarette use over time. METHOD: In 2017 and 2019, 261 adolescents from North Rhine-Westphalia who had used e-cigarettes at least once a month (mean age: 14.9 years; 33.5 % female) took part in a questionnaire study. RESULTS: In 2017, 84 adolescents (32.2 %) reported exclusive e-cigarette use (single users), 177 adolescents were classified as dual users (67.8 %) because they consumed a tobacco product (conventional cigarette and/or hookah) in addition to e-cigarettes. During the observation period of 18 months, 83 adolescents (31.8 %) quit nicotine products altogether. Dual users quit nicotine less often than single users (N = 39 or 22.0 % vs. N = 44 or 52.4 %, p < 0.001). Seven single users (8.3 %) did not change their behavior, 11 began to use tobacco exclusively (13.1 %), another 22 (26.2 %) started dual use. Seventy-eight dual users (44.1 %) did not change their behavior, 57 (32.1 %) switched to tobacco use only, 3 dual users (1.7 %) stopped tobacco use, but continued to use e-cigarettes. Taken together, at the end of the study, 10 (5.6 %) of the remaining 178 adolescents consumed only e-cigarettes, while 168 (94.4 %) smoked tobacco or were dual-users. CONCLUSIONS: More than two thirds of all young e-cigarette users and more than three quarters of dual users also used nicotine products 18 months later. The remaining consumers showed a less frequent stay or switch to single use, instead a more frequent use of tobacco or dual use.

[Smoking in Adolescence in England and Germany, 2001 - 2016]. / Rauchen im Jugendalter in England und Deutschland, 2001 ­â€Š2016.

AIM: To describe the smoking behavior of adolescents from England and Germany over a period of 15 years. METHODS: Eleven repeated cross-sectional surveys involving a total of 107,485 persons aged 11 to 15 years were carried out between 2001 and 2016 in England and Germany. The following data were assessed: a) the relative proportion of young people who ever smoked a conventional tobacco product, and b) the relative proportion of adolescents, who were current smokers, i. e. teenagers who smoked "occasionally" or "constantly" or "regularly". RESULTS: In the observational period, there was a significant stronger reduction in the proportion of young people who ever smoked in Germany (from 52 % to 10 %) compared to England (from 44 % to 19 %). In the same period, the proportion of young people who smoked currently dropped by 16 percentage points to 3 % in Germany and by 12 percentage points to 7 % in England (no significant difference). CONCLUSIONS: Data indicate a stronger trend towards never smoking in Germany compared to England, and a similar falling trend on "current" smoking in both countries. Causal conclusions are not possible due to the study design.

Timing of unplanned admission following daycare laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice for symptomatic biliary colic. There is controversy regarding the optimal candidate, and postoperative observation time for patients receiving daycare laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: A retrospective, multi-centred, case-control chart review was performed from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011 on consecutive patients undergoing planned laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patient demographics, surgical details, and postoperative details were analyzed. RESULTS: 1256 daycare laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed. One-hundred and twenty-one (9.6%) required unplanned admission the day of surgery. Forty (3.2%) were re-admitted within one month of surgery. The median time from surgical procedure to unplanned day of surgery admission was 218 min ± 143. The unplanned admission patients were older (54.6 vs 45.1, p < 0.005), and had ASA scores 3 or higher (24% vs 3%, p < 0.005). Comorbid conditions associated with unplanned admissions included hypertension, cardiac conditions, and chronic pain. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients can be successfully managed with daycare laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A median time of 4 h is sufficient for postoperative observation. Risk factors for unplanned admission include age, ASA, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic pain.

[Gesundheitsziele.de. Selection of a new health target for Germany]. / Gesundheitsziele.de. Die Auswahl eines neuen Gesundheitsziels für Deutschland.

In 2013, the forum gesundheitsziele.de selected "reduction of alcohol consumption" and "patient safety" as new health targets. Besides the two selected targets, three other topics were considered: health at work, health during pregnancy and childbirth, and health and migration. This paper describes the selection process, which followed several criteria: mortality, morbidity, prevalence, burden of disease, economic impact, potential for improvement, equity in health, empowerment of and priorities of health problems in the population. The analysis particularly focused on the assessment of the feasibility and the readiness of stakeholders to participate in the development and implementation of health targets.

Salmonella typhimurium DsbA is growth-phase regulated.

Northern blot analyses, transcription assays using a dsbA::lacZ transcriptional fusion, and primer extension mapping were used to characterize the promoter region of dsbA from Salmonella typhimurium. Transcription assays measuring promoter activity of a 258-bp segment of DNA immediately upstream of the dsbA translational start site showed strong growth-phase dependence, with maximal expression in stationary phase and high levels of expression maintained for at least 72 h. This expression was not RpoS-dependent. Two transcripts initiating in the dsbA promoter region were mapped by primer extension analysis and their levels were monitored by Northern blot analysis. Growth conditions such as pH and O(2) levels affected dsbA transcription independently of growth phase. The data suggests that the promoter region of S. typhimurium is not constitutively activated. Its regulation may reflect a requirement for DsbA during conditions resulting in stationary-phase-like growth in the environment.