Escalating to medium- versus high-efficacy disease modifying therapy after low-efficacy treatment in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: In patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) on low-efficacy disease modifying therapies (DMT), the optimal strategy on how to escalate treatment once needed, remains unknown. METHODS: We studied RRMS patients on low-efficacy DMTs listed in the Swiss National Treatment Registry, who underwent escalation to either medium- or high-efficacy DMTs. Propensity score-based matching was applied using 12 clinically relevant variables. Both groups were also separately matched with control subjects who did not escalate therapy. Time to relapse and to disability worsening were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Of 1037 eligible patients, we 1:1 matched 450 MS patients who switched from low-efficacy to medium-efficacy (n = 225; 76.0% females, aged 42.4 ± 9.9 years [mean ± SD], median EDSS 3.0 [IQR 2-4]) or high-efficacy DMTs (n = 225; 72.4% females, aged 42.2 ± 10.6 years, median EDSS 3.0 [IQR 2-4]). Escalation to high-efficacy DMTs was associated with lower hazards of relapses than medium-efficacy DMTs (HR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.47-0.95, p = .027) or control subjects (HR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.44-0.84, p = .003). By contrast, escalation from low to medium-efficacy DMTs did not alter the hazard for relapses when compared to controls (i.e. patients on low-efficacy DMT who did not escalate DMT during follow-up) CONCLUSION: Our nationwide registry analysis suggests that, once escalation from a low-efficacy DMT is indicated, switching directly to a high-efficacy treatment is superior to a stepwise escalation starting with a moderate-efficacy treatment.

Overcoming adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal stability of psychosocial resource profiles of elite athletes and their association with perceived stress.

Previous research has demonstrated that psychosocial resources are associated with elite athletes' perceived stress. However, these resources have mainly been studied separately. Using a person-oriented approach, this study aimed to identify meaningful profiles of athletes' psychosocial resources, their stability over time, and their relationship with perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. To identify such patterns, separate latent profile analyses (LPA) at two measurement points T1 (June 2020) and T2 (March 2021) and a subsequent latent transition analysis (LTA) were conducted with athletic identity, resilience, perceived social support, and self-esteem for a sample of 373 Swiss elite athletes. Perceived stress was analyzed at and between T1 and T2 with a mixed-design ANOVA. For LPA, theoretical considerations and statistical criteria led to a solution of four profiles: (1) Athletic Identifiers With Above-Average Resources (nT1 = 235; nT2 = 240), (2) Below-Average Athletic Identifiers With Below-Average Resources (nT1 = 84; nT2 = 90), (3) Variable Athletic Identifiers With Below-Average Internal and Clearly Below-Average External Resources (nT1 = 14; nT2 = 7), and (4) Athletic Identifiers With Below-Average Internal and Above-Average External Resources (nT1 = 40; nT2 = 36). For LTA, both structural and individual stability was demonstrated. A large and significant main effect of perceived stress was observed for resource profiles, while there was no significant main effect for measurement point nor interaction effect. Direct comparisons revealed that Athletic Identifiers With Above-Average Resources perceived significantly less stress than the other profiles at both time points. In conclusion, regardless of psychosocial resource profile, the perceived stress of elite athletes was stable during the COVID-19 pandemic, but exhibiting a pattern with high psychosocial resources seems to buffer against stress compared to a lack of specific resources. Therefore, sport federations and practitioners should provide tailored support programs to help athletes build all these resources.

Closing a chapter? A protocol for a longitudinal mixed methods study on retirement from elite sport.

Retirement from elite sport represents a major life transition for athletes and requires them to redefine their central life projects, identities, and perhaps even sources of meaning in life. Although an extensive body of literature has identified risk and protective factors in career termination, little is known about the more subjective processes and individual pathways of athletes as they establish their new relationship with work-life and sport. The planned longitudinal mixed methods study follows Swiss elite athletes' transition with a focus on understanding (1) the relationship between psychological resources, life situations at the end of the sports career, and the retirement process; (2) how athletes' post-retirement vocational careers interact with their subjective careers and sense of meaningful work; (3) how athletes reconstruct their identities and relationship with sport over time; and (4) how gender shapes athletes' pathways and reorientation of their life design.Using a person-oriented approach combined with narrative inquiry, we expect to identify specific types and stories which demonstrate individual differences in career and personal development throughout the transitional period, an understanding of which can be targeted towards support programmes for retiring elite athletes. As the study centralises dimensions of positive psychological functioning (meaning and purpose in life/sport/work, resilience, life satisfaction), it complements previous studies focused on psychological distress and provides much needed knowledge that can be used to foster well-being in athletic retirement. Collaborating with the Swiss Olympic Association helps to ensure that the research findings will be disseminated to relevant end-users and used towards developing socially sustainable elite sport for the future generations.

Comparative analysis of dimethyl fumarate and teriflunomide in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), analyses from observational studies comparing dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and teriflunomide showed conflicting results. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of DMF and teriflunomide in a real-world setting, where both drugs are licensed as first-line therapies for RRMS. METHODS: We included all patients who initiated DMF or teriflunomide between 2013 and 2022, listed in the Swiss National Treatment Registry. Coarsened exact matching was applied using age, gender, disease duration, baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, time since last relapse, and relapse rate in the previous year as matching variables. Time to relapse and time to 12-month confirmed EDSS worsening were compared using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: In total, 2028 patients were included in this study, of whom 1498 were matched (DMF: n = 1090, 69.6% female, mean age 45.1 years, median EDSS score 2.0; teriflunomide: n = 408, 68.9% female, mean age 45.1 years, median EDSS score 2.0). Time to relapse and time to EDSS worsening was longer in the DMF than the teriflunomide group (hazard ratio 0.734, p = 0.026 and hazard ratio 0.576, p = 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSION: Analysis of real-world data showed that DMF treatment was associated with more favorable outcomes than teriflunomide treatment.

Retirement from elite sport and self-esteem: a longitudinal study over 12 years.

This study examined the complex associations between athletic retirement and self-esteem among former elite athletes. With reference to theoretical and empirical work on the quality of the transition out of sport, information was collected from 290 (junior) elite athletes in a retrospective-prospective design: at the first measurement, active athletes assessed satisfaction with their sporting career, athletic identity, and self-esteem. At the second measurement (12 years later), the now former athletes rated transition characteristics of their career ending, sporting career success, emotional reactions to career termination, extent of necessary adjustment required following athletic retirement, duration and quality of adjustment, and self-esteem. Structural equation modelling revealed that neither sporting career success nor sporting career satisfaction had a direct effect on adjustment. However, athletic identity and retirement planning predicted the extent of adjustment, which in turn predicted the duration and quality of adjustment, and ultimately self-esteem. Voluntariness, timeliness, and perceptions of gain predicted emotional reactions towards career termination, which also predicted the duration of adjustment. Extent of adjustment and emotional reactions mediated between preconditions of career termination and transition characteristics and self-esteem. While self-esteem after career termination was predominantly predicted by self-esteem 12 years earlier, perceived quality of adjustment to career termination had a significant effect on self-esteem in the post-athletic career. These results complement existing literature illustrating that athletic retirement is a complex and dynamic process and the quality of this transition has a small, but still noteworthy effect on self-esteem, a central construct for well-being.

Dose-response relation between the duration of a cognitively challenging bout of physical exercise and children's cognition.

Acute bouts of physical exercise have the potential to benefit children's cognition. Inconsistent evidence calls for systematic investigations of dose-response relations between quantitative (intensity and duration) and qualitative (modality) exercise characteristics. Thus, in this study the optimal duration of an acute cognitively challenging physical exercise to benefit children's cognition was investigated, also exploring the moderating role of individual characteristics. In a within-subject experimental design, 104 children (Mage = 11.5, SD = 0.8, 51% female) participated weekly in one of four exergaming conditions of different durations (5, 10, 15, 20 min) followed by an Attention Network task (ANT-R). Exergame sessions were designed to keep physical intensity constant (65% HRmax ) and to have a high cognitive challenge level (adapted to the individual ongoing performance). Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed a significant effect of exercise duration on reaction times (RTs; p = 0.009, ƞ2 p = 0.11), but not on response accuracy. Post hoc analyses showed faster information processing speed after 15 min of exercise compared to 10 min (p = 0.019, ƞ2 p = 0.09). Executive control, alerting and orienting performances and interactions were unaffected by exercise duration (ps > 0.05). Among individual characteristics, habitual physical activity moderated duration effects on RTs. For more active children, exercise duration influenced the interaction between executive control and orienting (p = 0.034; ƞ2 p = 0.17) with best performances after the 15 min duration. Results suggest that an acute 15 min cognitively high-challenging bout of physical exercise enhances allocable resources, which in turn facilitate information processing, and-for more active children only-also executive processes. Results are interpreted according to the arousal theory and cognitive stimulation hypothesis.

Maturity-based correction mechanism for talent identification: When is it needed, does it work, and does it help to better predict who will make it to the pros?

When identifying talent, the confounding influence of maturity status on motor performances is an acknowledged problem. To solve this problem, correction mechanisms have been proposed to transform maturity-biased test scores into maturity-unbiased ones. Whether or not such corrections also improve predictive validity remains unclear. To address this question, we calculated correlations between maturity indicators and motor performance variables among a sample of 121 fifteen-year-old elite youth football players in Switzerland. We corrected motor performance scores identified as maturity-biased, and we assessed correction procedure efficacy. Subsequently, we examined whether corrected scores better predicted levels of performance achievement 6 years after data collection (47 professionals vs. 74 non-professional players) compared with raw scores using point biserial correlations, binary logistic regression models, and DeLong tests. Expectedly, maturity indicators correlated with raw scores (0.16 ≤ | r | ≤ 0.72; ps < 0.05), yet not with corrected scores. Contrary to expectations, corrected scores were not associated with an additional predictive benefit (univariate: no significant r-change; multivariate: 0.02 ≤ ΔAUC ≤ 0.03, ps > 0.05). We do not interpret raw and corrected score equivalent predictions as a sign of correction mechanism futility (more work for the same output); rather we view them as an invitation to take corrected scores seriously into account (same output, one fewer problem) and to revise correction-related expectations according to initial predictive validity of motor variables, validity of maturity indicators, initial maturity-bias, and selection systems. Recommending maturity-based corrections is legitimate, yet currently based on theoretical rather than empirical (predictive) arguments.

Period prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections and willingness to vaccinate in Swiss elite athletes.

Objectives: (1) To assess the period prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections and willingness to vaccinate in Swiss elite athletes and (2) to evaluate whether sociodemographic and sport-related characteristics were associated with infection of SARS-CoV-2 in athletes. Methods: A total of 1037 elite athletes (Mage=27.09) were surveyed in this cross-sectional study. They were asked whether they had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and whether they would like to be vaccinated. Characteristics of a possible COVID-19 illness were also recorded. Results: During the first year of the pandemic, 14.6% of all Swiss elite athletes were found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, and 5.4% suspected that they had been infected. Male athletes, young athletes and team sports athletes had an increased likelihood of being infected with SARS-CoV-2. There was considerable heterogeneity in the duration and severity of a COVID-19 illness in athletes. Overall, 68% of respondents indicated a willingness to be vaccinated if they were offered an opportunity to do so. Conclusion: In the first year of the pandemic, Swiss elite athletes were tested more often positive for SARS-CoV-2 than the general Swiss population. Because COVID-19 illness can impair health for a relatively long time, sports federations are advised to motivate athletes to be vaccinated.

Motor ability, physical self-concept and health-related quality of life in pediatric cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Cancer survivorship is frequently associated with severe late effects. However, research into pediatric cancer survivors on late effects in motor ability, physical self-concept and their relationship to quality of life is limited. METHODS: Using multiple regression analyses, 78 pediatric cancer survivors and 56 typically developing children were compared in motor ability, physical self-concept and health-related quality of life. In addition, mediational multi-group analyses between motor ability (independent variable), physical self-concept (mediator) and quality of life (dependent variable) were calculated. RESULTS: Pediatric cancer survivors had a lower motor ability (gHedges  = 0.863), a lower physical self-concept with regard to several scales of the PSDQ-S (gHedges  = 0.318-0.764) and a higher relative risk for a below average quality of life than controls (RR = 1.44). Children with a history of cancer involving the central nervous system showed poorer motor ability compared to those without central nervous system involvement (gHedges  = 0.591). Furthermore, the physical self-concept significantly mediated the relationship between motor ability and quality of life in pediatric cancer survivors but not in typically developing children. CONCLUSIONS: Results show the importance of monitoring and supporting the development of motor ability in the aftercare of pediatric cancer survivors. Physical activity interventions may be advisable to prevent physical activity-related late effects and potentially improve related psychosocial variables such as quality of life.

An experimental approach to assessing the impact of ecosystem engineers on biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

Plants acting as ecosystem engineers create habitats and facilitate biodiversity maintenance within plant communities. Furthermore, biodiversity research has demonstrated that plant diversity enhances the productivity and functioning of ecosystems. However, these two fields of research developed in parallel and independent from one another, with the consequence that little is known about the role of ecosystem engineers in the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across trophic levels. Here, we present an experimental framework to study this relationship. We combine facilitation by plants acting as ecosystem engineers with plant-insect interaction analysis and variance partitioning of biodiversity effects. We present a case-study experiment in which facilitation by a cushion-plant species and a dwarf-shrub species as ecosystem engineers increases positive effects of plant functional diversity (ecosystem engineers and associated plants) on ecosystem functioning (flower visitation rate). The experiment, conducted in the field during a single alpine flowering season, included the following treatments: (1) removal of plant species associated with ecosystem engineers, (2) exclusion (covering) of ecosystem engineer flowers, and (3) control, i.e., natural patches of ecosystem engineers and associated plant species. We found both positive and negative associational effects between plants depending on ecosystem engineer identity, indicating both pollination facilitation and interference. In both cases, patches supported by ecosystem engineers increased phylogenetic and functional diversity of flower visitors. Furthermore, complementarity effects between engineers and associated plants were positive for flower visitation rates. Our study reveals that plant facilitation can enhance the strength of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships, with complementarity between plants for attracting more and diverse flower visitors being the likely driver. A potential mechanism is that synergy and complementarity between engineers and associated plants increase attractiveness for shared visitors and widen pollination niches. In synthesis, facilitation among plants can scale up to a full network, supporting ecosystem functioning both directly via microhabitat amelioration and indirectly via diversity effects.

Effects of Cognitive Training and Exergaming in Pediatric Cancer Survivors-A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Although most pediatric cancer patients survive, those who undergo anticancer treatments like chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy are at a high risk for late effects, such as cognitive deficits. To counteract these deficits, feasible and effective interventions are needed. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of working memory training, exergaming, and a wait-list control condition on cognitive functions in pediatric cancer survivors. METHODS: In a parallel-group randomized trial, 69 pediatric cancer survivors aged 7-16 yr (mean = 11.35, SD = 3.53) were randomly assigned to 8-wk working memory training, exergaming, or a wait-list control group. Each training course consisted of three 45-min training sessions per week. The primary outcome comprised the core executive functions (visual working memory, inhibition, switching), and the secondary outcomes included other cognitive domains (intelligence, planning, memory, attention, processing speed), motor abilities, and parent rating on their children's executive functions. Assessments were conducted both before and immediately after the interventions, and at 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Linear mixed models revealed that participants in the working memory training group showed a linear improvement in visual working memory after training and at follow-up compared with the control group. No other intervention effects of either type of training could be detected. CONCLUSION: This study presents evidence that working memory training improves visual working memory in pediatric cancer survivors. Results show that near-transfer, but no far-transfer effects can be expected from working memory training. Multiple-component interventions tailored to fit the individual's cognitive profile are needed to best support cognitive development after cancer and its treatment.

The role of viewing distance and viewing angle on referees' decision-making performance during the FIFA World Cup 2014.

The present study aims to reveal the effects of positioning on decision-making performance in top-level refereeing in association football. To this end, for all 64 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2014, potential foul-play situations were videometrically analysed in terms of the referee's position relative to the infringement. Contrary to earlier studies, viewing angles were analysed in addition to viewing distances and error rates were considered for not only falsely whistled but also falsely non-whistled events. Moreover, direct logistic regression analysis was applied to detect position-dependent differences. For the total of 1,527 potential foul play situations, an overall low error rate of 6.9% was found. The similar numbers of total whistle (n = 52) and non-whistle errors (n = 54) reflect referees' ability to balance both types of errors. Regarding the overall viewing-distance effect, referees were 2.58 times (95% CI 1.47-4.54) more likely to commit a whistle error at 10-15 m and 5.51 times (95% CI 1.35-22.47) more likely to commit a non-whistle error at 0-5 m, corresponding to the position ranges occurring with the highest (10-15 m: 30.3%) and lowest (0-5 m: 5.8%) frequencies. In contrast, no significant effects of viewing-angle on decision-making accuracy could be revealed.

Plant interactions shape pollination networks via nonadditive effects.

Plants grow in communities where they interact with other plants and with other living organisms such as pollinators. On the one hand, studies of plant-plant interactions rarely consider how plants interact with other trophic levels such as pollinators. On the other, studies of plant-animal interactions rarely deal with interactions within trophic levels such as plant-plant competition and facilitation. Thus, to what degree plant interactions affect biodiversity and ecological networks across trophic levels is poorly understood. We manipulated plant communities driven by foundation species facilitation and sampled plant-pollinator networks at fine spatial scale in a field experiment in Sierra Nevada, Spain. We found that plant-plant facilitation shaped pollinator diversity and structured pollination networks. Nonadditive effects of plant interactions on pollinator diversity and interaction diversity were synergistic in one foundation species networks while they were additive in another foundation species. Nonadditive effects of plant interactions were due to rewiring of pollination interactions. In addition, plant facilitation had negative effects on the structure of pollination networks likely due to increase in plant competition for pollination. Our results empirically demonstrate how different network types are coupled, revealing pervasive consequences of interaction chains in diverse communities.

The Bernese Motive and Goal Inventory for Adolescence and Young Adulthood.

Exercise- and sport-related motives and goals are important motivational factors in promoting exercise and sport among adolescents and young adults. However, at present, there is no well-validated instrument to assess these factors that considers age-specific characteristics. Therefore, the goals of this study were to adapt the existing Bernese Motive and Goal Inventory in exercise and sport for middle-aged adults for use in adolescents and young adults and to examine its psychometric properties. The Bernese Motive and Goal Inventory for adolescence and young adulthood was validated with 2,318 participants aged between 14 to 34 years old. Applying exploratory structural equation modeling, the inventory demonstrated excellent model fit (CFI = 0.983, SRMR = 0.014, RMSEA = 0.040) using 26 items and covering eight motives and goals: Contact, Competition/Performance, Distraction/Catharsis, Body/Appearance, Health, Fitness, Aesthetics, and Risk/Challenge. A cross-validation confirmed the factor structure. Psychometric analyses revealed good reliabilities (CR ≥ 0.70, AVE ≥ 0.50, test-retest reliability: 0.62 ≤ r tt ≤ 0.83) and discriminant validity. The factors correlated, in predictable ways, with exercise- and sport-related self-concordance, indicating criterion validity of the inventory. Additionally, metric measurement invariance was supported for activity levels, gender, and age. Overall, the Bernese Motive and Goal Inventory for adolescence and young adulthood is an age-specific, economical, and psychometrically sound questionnaire to assess exercise- and sport-related motives and goals. The inventory can be used in the practical field of exercise and sport promotion (e.g., sport counseling), as well as in research, to better understand the mechanisms and effects of motives and goals in exercise and sport.

Water quality in dental chair units. A random sample in the canton of St. Gallen.

This study aimed to identify the microbial contamination of water from dental chair units (DCUs) using the prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Legionella species and heterotrophic bacteria as a marker of pollution in water in the area of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Water (250 ml) from 76 DCUs was collected twice (early on a morning before using all the instruments and after using the DCUs for at least two hours) either from the high-speed handpiece tube, the 3 in 1 syringe or the micromotor for water quality testing. An increased bacterial count (>300 CFU/ml) was found in 46 (61%) samples taken before use of the DCU, but only in 29 (38%) samples taken two hours after use. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found in both water samples in 6/76 (8%) of the DCUs. Legionella were found in both samples in 15 (20%) of the DCUs tested. Legionella anisa was identified in seven samples and Legionella pneumophila was found in eight. DCUs which were less than five years old were contaminated less often than older units (25% und 77%, p<0.001). This difference remained significant (0=0.0004) when adjusted for manufacturer and sampling location in a multivariable logistic regression. A large proportion of the DCUs tested did not comply with the Swiss drinking water standards nor with the recommendations of the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The effect of periodontal therapy on the survival rate and incidence of complications of multirooted teeth with furcation involvement after an observation period of at least 5 years: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the survival rate and incidence of complications of furcation-involved multirooted teeth following periodontal therapy after at least 5 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Electronic and manual searches were performed up to and including January 2008. Publication selection, data extraction and validity assessment were performed independently by three reviewers. RESULTS: Twenty-two publications met the inclusion criteria. Because of the heterogeneity of the data, a meta-analysis could not be performed. The survival rate of molars treated non-surgically was >90% after 5-9 years. The corresponding values for the different surgical procedures were: Surgical therapy: 43.1% to 96%, observation period: 5-53 years. Tunnelling procedures: 42.9% to 92.9%, observation period: 5-8 years. Surgical resective procedures including amputation(s) and hemisections: 62% to 100%, observation period: 5-13 years. Guided tissue regeneration (GTR): 83.3% to 100%, observation period: 5-12 years. The most frequent complications included caries in the furcation area after tunnelling procedures and root fractures after root-resective procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Good long-term survival rates (up to 100%) of multirooted teeth with furcation involvement were obtained following various therapeutic approaches. Initial furcation involvement (Degree I) could be successfully managed by non-surgical mechanical debridement. Vertical root fractures and endodontic failures were the most frequent complications observed following resective procedures.

Bone level changes at implants supporting crowns or fixed partial dentures with or without cantilevers.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze whether or not a cantilever extension on a fixed dental prosthesis (FDP) supported by implants increased the amount of peri-implant bone loss or technical complications compared with reconstructions without cantilevers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-four partially dentate patients with a total of 54 FDPs supported by 78 implants were enrolled in the study. Twenty-seven FDPs were with cantilever and 27 FDPs were without cantilever (control group). All FDPs were supported by one or two implants and were located in the posterior maxilla or mandible. The primary outcome variable was change in peri-implant marginal bone level from the time of FDP placement to the last follow-up visit. FDPs were under functional loading for a period of 3 up to 12.7 years. Statistical analysis was carried out with Student's t-test. Regression analyses were carried out to evaluate the influence of confounding factors on the peri-implant bone level change. In addition, implant survival rates were calculated and technical complications assessed. RESULTS: After a mean observation period of 5.3 years, the mean peri-implant bone loss for the FDPs with cantilevers was 0.23 mm (SD+/-0.63 mm) and 0.09 mm (SD+/-0.43 mm) for FDPs without cantilever. Concerning the bone level change at implants supporting FDPs with or without cantilevers no statistically significant differences were found. The regression analysis revealed that jaw of implant placement had a statistically significant influence on peri-implant bone loss. When the bone loss in the cantilever group and the control group were compared within the maxilla or mandible separately, no statistically significant difference was found. Implant survival rates reached 95.7% for implants supporting cantilever prostheses and 96.9% for implants of the control group. Five FDPs in the cantilever group showed minor technical complications, none were observed in the control group. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study it was concluded that cantilever on FDPs did not lead to a higher implant failure rate and did not lead to more bone loss around supporting implants compared with implants supporting conventional FDPs. In contrast to these results more technical complications were observed in the group reconstructed with cantilever.

Common plantain. A collection of expressed sequence tags from vascular tissue and a simple and efficient transformation method.

The vascular tissue of higher plants consists of specialized cells that differ from all other cells with respect to their shape and size, their organellar composition, their extracellular matrix, the type of their plasmodesmata, and their physiological functions. Intact and pure vascular tissue can be isolated easily and rapidly from leaf blades of common plantain (Plantago major), a plant that has been used repeatedly for molecular studies of phloem transport. Here, we present a transcriptome analysis based on 5,900 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and 3,247 independent mRNAs from the Plantago vasculature. The vascular specificity of these ESTs was confirmed by the identification of well-known phloem or xylem marker genes. Moreover, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, macroarray, and northern analyses revealed genes and metabolic pathways that had previously not been described to be vascular specific. Moreover, common plantain transformation was established and used to confirm the vascular specificity of a Plantago promoter-beta-glucuronidase construct in transgenic Plantago plants. Eventually, the applicability and usefulness of the obtained data were also demonstrated for other plant species. Reporter gene constructs generated with promoters from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) homologs of newly identified Plantago vascular ESTs revealed vascular specificity of these genes in Arabidopsis as well. The presented vascular ESTs and the newly developed transformation system represent an important tool for future studies of functional genomics in the common plantain vasculature.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa in public swimming pools and bathroom water of patients with cystic fibrosis.

INTRODUCTION: Acquisition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is a marker of poor survival. PA is a ubiquitous pathogen prevalent in humid conditions. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of PA in public swimming pools, as well as from water taps. METHODS: Water was collected from public indoor and outdoor pools in the area of St. Gallen, Switzerland. In addition, standing and running water was sampled from bathroom water taps of 50 patients with CF. RESULTS: Outdoor pools: In 2002, none of the 72 specimens from 28 pools revealed PA. In 2003, three specimens from 46 pools (7%) revealed PA, each were from a different paddling pool. Indoor pools: two of 128 specimens from 56 pools (4%) identified PA, both were from non-public hydrotherapy pools. Water taps: in winter, none of the 102 specimens was colonized with PA. in summer, only two out of 50 specimens of the standing water were positive for PA but none of the running water revealed PA. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of PA in public swimming pools and bathroom water taps in the eastern part of Switzerland is very low. On hot summer days, outdoor paddling pools and standing tap water can contain PA. This study does not support recommendations to avoid public swimming pools or running tap water if the water is maintained according to hygiene guidelines.

Effect of bioresorbable fibres (Polyfibre) and a bioresorbable foam (Polyfoam) on new bone formation. A short term experimental study on the rabbit skull.

The aim of the study was to evaluate two bioresorbable polylactic acid (PLA) filler materials in a guided bone regeneration (GBR) model system. The first was Polyfibre, a fibrous PLA filler material. Polyfoam, the second material tested, consisted of a spongy PLA filler material. In each group there were eight rabbits. In test rabbits a flap was raised uncovering the calvaria. A hemispherical PLA dome was filled with Polyfibre or Polyfoam material and periphereal blood and anchored onto the calvaria. Eight rabbits with the same domes, filled with blood alone, served as controls. The rabbits were sacrificed at 1 or 2 months. Histomorphometric measurements of regenerated total tissue volume, bone height and bone volume were carried out in undecalcified sections under a light microscope. At 1 month the totally filled volume attained 87% (range 82-91) in the fibre group, including 25% (23-27) fibres, 87% (85-95) in the foam group, including 15% (15-16) foam, and 55% (16-100) in the controls. The volume of mineralized bone was 12% (7-15) in the fibre group, 15% (12-18) in the foam group and 6% (1-11) in control domes. Bone height attained 48% (27-79) in the fibre group, 37% (31-58) in the foam group and 45% (14-67) in the control group. At 2 months, tissue volume attained 86% (85-87) including 26% (22-29) fibres, bone volume attained 13% (7-21) and bone height attained 56% (42-78) in the Polyfibre group. In the Polyfoam group, they were 83% (55-99) including 18% (15-19) foam, 13% (7-24) and 49% (29-74). In control domes, tissue volume was 82% (35-100), bone volume 20% (9-27) and bone height 86% (60-100). The Polyfibre and Polyfoam material was excellently integrated. No adverse reactions were found in the surrounding tissues. Direct bone apposition was observed onto the material. In conclusion, Polyfibre and Polyfoam material had a positive effect on initial bone and tissue formation but was a hindrance to increasing tissue volume, bone volume or bone height at 2 months compared to control specimens. The Polyfibre and Polyfoam material provoked no adverse reactions in the surrounding tissues and allowed for extensive angiogenesis.