Musculoskeletal complaints, postural patterns and psychosocial workplace predictors in police officers from an organizational unit of a German federal state police force - a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Police officers are exposed to a particularly high risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and psychosocial stress due to their working conditions. Therefore, the aim of this project will be to assess the occupational physical and mental health of police officers from an organizational unit of the police force of a German federal state. METHODS: The aim is to analyze at least 200 active police officers of a state police force in Germany between the age of 18 and 65 years. In a mixed-methods design, a video raster stereography-based measurement of the upper body posture and a modified version of the Nordic Questionnaire (NQ) will be used for investigating their physical health, while the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and the Operational Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-Op) will be used to analyze their mental health. In addition, job-specific psychosocial factors at the workplace will be assessed (using self-designed questions that were previously evaluated in an expert interview). DISCUSSION: To date, there is a lack of current questionnaire-based data on the prevalence of MSDs in police officers, or of MSDs associated with injuries or psychosocial workplace factors. Thus, in this study, these MSDs will be correlated with quantitative upper body posture data. If these results prove an increased physical and/or psychosocial stress, then the existing workplace health promotion measures should be analyzed and modified if necessary.

Improvement of cervical spine mobility and stance stability by wearing a custom-made mandibular splint in male recreational athletes.

OBJECTIVES: The range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine and postural stability are important for an economical and motorically adequate adaptation of the body to any situation. Therefore, this study aims to analyze whether these two components of postural and movement control can be influenced by means of a splint in a centric position compared to habitual occlusion. METHODS: 38 recreational male athletes volunteered. Cervical spine ROM was recorded using an ultrasound system and the a pressure measuring plate for postural stability (length of center of pressure (CoP) movement, area of CoP). The two dental occlusion conditions employed were the habitual occlusion and wearing a splint in an idealized, condylar position close to the centric position. Level of significance was set at ρ ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The cervical spine mobility increased significantly by wearing the splint regarding rotation to the left (+3.9%) and right (+2.7%) and lateral flexion to the left (+4.4%) and right (+6.7%). Wearing the splint reduced the area of sway deflections by about 31.5% in the bipedal stance and by about 2.4% (left) and 28.2% (right) in the unipedal stance. The CoP trace was reduced in the sagittal plane by approximately 8.2% in the right single-leg stance. CONCLUSIONS: The major findings seem to demonstrate that wearing a splint that keeps the jaw close to the centric relation may increase the cervical ROM and may improve balance stability in male recreational athletes. Changing the jaw relation in athletes can possibly aid the release of performance potentials by improving coordination skills.

Effect of Subgingival Instrumentation on Neutrophil Elastase and C-Reactive Protein in Grade B and C Periodontitis: Exploratory Analysis of a Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Assessment of the effect of subgingival instrumentation (SI) on systemic inflammation in periodontitis grades B (BP) and C (CP). Methods: In this prospective cohort study, eight BP and 46 CP patients received SI. Data were collected prior to and 12 weeks after SI. Blood was sampled prior to, one day, 6, and 12 weeks after SI. Neutrophil elastase (NE), C-reactive protein (CRP), leukocyte count, lipopolysaccharide binding protein, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-8 were assessed. Results: Both groups showed significant clinical improvement. NE was lower in BP than CP at baseline and 1 day after SI, while CRP was lower in BP than CP at baseline (p < 0.05). NE and CRP had a peak 1 day after SI (p < 0.05). Between-subjects effects due to CP (p = 0.042) and PISA (p = 0.005) occurred. Within-subjects NE change was confirmed and modulated by grade (p = 0.017), smoking (p = 0.029), number of teeth (p = 0.033), and PISA (p = 0.002). For CRP between-subjects effects due to BMI (p = 0.008) were seen. Within-subjects PISA modulated the change of CRP over time (p = 0.017). Conclusions: In untreated CP, NE and CRP were higher than in BP. SI results in better PPD and PISA reduction in BP than CP. Trial registration: Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien DRKS00026952 28 October 2021 registered retrospectively.

Standard reference values of the upper body posture in healthy male adults aged between 51 and 60 years in Germany.

Comparative values are essential for the classification of orthopedic abnormalities and the assessment of a necessary therapy. At present, reference values for the upper body posture for healthy, male adults exist for the age groups of 18-35, 31-40 and 41-50 years. However, corresponding data on the decade of 51 to 60 year-old healthy men are still lacking. 23 parameters of the upper body posture were analyzed in 102 healthy male participants aged 51-60 (55.36 ± 2.78) years. The average height was 180.76 ± 7.81 cm with a weight of 88.22 ± 14.57 kg. The calculated BMI was 26.96 ± 3.92 kg/m2. In the habitual, upright position, the bare upper body was scanned three-dimensionally using video raster stereography. Mean or median values, confidence intervals, tolerance ranges and group comparisons, as well as correlations of BMI and physical activity, were calculated for all parameters. The spinal column parameters exhibited a good exploration of the frontal plane in the habitual standing position. In the sagittal plane, a slight, ventral inclination of the trunk with an increased kyphosis angle of the thoracic spine and increased thoracic bending angle was observed. The parameters of the pelvis showed a pronounced symmetry with deviations from the 0° axis within the measurement error margin of 1 mm/1°. The scapula height together with the scapula angles of the right and left side described a slightly elevated position of the left shoulder compared to the right side. The upper body posture is influenced by parameters of age, height, weight and BMI. Primarily there are significant correlations to measurements of trunk lengths D (age: p ≤ 0.02, rho = -0.23; height: p ≤ 0.001, rho = 0.58; weight: p ≤ 0.001, rho = 0.33), trunk lengths S (age: p ≤ 0.01, rho = -0.27; height: p ≤ 0.001, rho = 0.58; weight: p ≤ 0.001, rho = 0.32), pelvic distance (height: p ≤ 0.01, rho = 0.26; weight: p ≤ 0.001, rho = 0.32; BMI: p ≤ 0.03, rho = 0.22) and scapula distance (weight: p ≤ 0.001, rho = .32; BMI: p ≤ 0.01, rho = 0.27), but also to sagittal parameters of trunk decline (weight: p ≤ 0.001, rho = -0.29; BMI: p ≤ 0.01, rho = -0.24), thoracic bending angle (height: p ≤ 0.01, rho = 0.27) and kyphosis angle (BMI: p ≤ 0.03, rho = 0.21). The upper body posture of healthy men between the ages of 51 and 60 years was axially almost aligned and balanced. With the findings of this investigation and the reference values obtained, suitable comparative values for use in clinical practice and for further scientific studies with the same experimental set-up have been established.

Standard reference values of the upper body posture in healthy male adults aged between 31 and 40 years in Germany-an observational study.

BACKGROUND: In order to classify and analyze the parameters of upper body posture, a baseline in the form of standard values is demanded. To this date, standard values have only been published for healthy men aged 18-35 and 41-50 years. Data for male adults aged between 31 and 40 years are lacking. METHODS: The postural parameters of 101 symptom-free male volunteers aged 31-40 (35.58 ± 2.88) years were studied. The mean height of the men was 179.89 ± 7.38 cm, with a mean body weight of 86.36 ± 11.58 kg and an average BMI of 26.70 ± 3.35 kg/m2. By means of video rasterstereography, a 3-dimensional scan of the upper back surface was measured in a habitual standing position. The means or medians, confidence interval, tolerance range, and group comparisons and correlations of BMI and physical activity were calculated for all parameters. RESULTS: The habitual standing position was found to be almost symmetrical and the axis aligned in the spine, pelvis, and shoulder region, while the spine position was marginally inclined ventrally. The kyphosis angle of the thoracic spine was greater than the lordosis angle of the lumbar spine. All deviations fell under the measurement error margin of 1 mm/1°. The greater the BMI, the greater was the pelvic and scapular distance. The lower the BMI, the further caudally positioned was the right shoulder. The pelvic and scapular distances were also lower with the increasing athleticism of the participants. CONCLUSION: The upper body posture of men between the ages of 31 and 40 years was found to be almost symmetrical and axis-conforming, with the kyphosis angle, pelvic distance, and shoulder distance enlarging with increasing BMI. Consequently, postural parameters presented in this survey allow for comparisons with other studies, as well as the evaluation of clinical diagnostics and applications.

Standard reference values of the upper body posture in healthy middle-aged female adults in Germany.

In order to classify and analyze the parameters of upper body posture, a baseline in form of standard values is demanded. To this date, standard values have only been published for healthy young women. Data for female adults between 51 and 60 years are lacking. 101 symptom-free female volunteers aged 51-60 (55.16 ± 2.89) years. The mean height of the volunteers was 1.66 ± 0.62 m, with a mean body weight of 69.3 ± 11.88 kg and an average BMI of 25.02 ± 4.55 kg/m2. By means of video raster stereography, a 3D-scan of the upper back surface was measured in a habitual standing position. The confidence interval, tolerance range and ICCs were calculated for all parameters. The habitual standing position is almost symmetrical in the frontal plane the most prominent deviation being a slightly more ventral position of the left shoulder blade in comparison to the right. The upper body (spine position) is inclined ventrally with a minor tilt to the left. In the sagittal plane, the kyphosis angle of the thoracic spine is greater than the lordosis angle of the lumbar spine. The pelvis is virtually evenly balanced with deviations from an ideal position falling under the measurement error margin of 1 mm/1°. There were also BMI influenced postural variations in the sagittal plane and shoulder distance. The ICCs are calculated from three repeated measurements and all parameters can be classified as "almost perfect". Deflections from an ideally symmetric spinal alignment in women aged 51-60 years are small-scaled, with a minimal frontal-left inclination and accentuated sigmoidal shape of the spine. Postural parameters presented in this survey allow for comparisons with other studies as well as the evaluation of clinical diagnostics and applications.

Effect of a sports mouthguard on the functional range of motion of the spine and the upper body posture in taekwondo.

BACKGROUND: The aim is to investigate to what extent the different oral protections compared to the habitual occlusion affect the upper body posture in statics and during taekwondo-specific movement. METHODS: 12 Taekwondoka (5 f/7 m) of German national team were measured by using a 3d back scanner and an ultrasonic distance measuring (upright stand, taekwondo attack and defense movement, two taekwondo specific combinations) in habitual occlusion, with a custom-made and ready-made mouth protection RESULTS: There are no significant changes in the upper body posture (p ≥ 0.05). Depending on the dynamic measurements, different significant reactions of the spinal position were found while wearing the custom made mouthguard or the ready-made mouthguard according to the conducted movement. CONCLUSION: The measured changes in dynamic movements are not clinical relevant. Based on the positive responses from the participants, the custom-made mouth protection can be recommended combined with an individual analysis.

Influence of Second-Hand Smoke and Prenatal Tobacco Smoke Exposure on Biomarkers, Genetics and Physiological Processes in Children-An Overview in Research Insights of the Last Few Years.

Children are commonly exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS) in the domestic environment or inside vehicles of smokers. Unfortunately, prenatal tobacco smoke (PTS) exposure is still common, too. SHS is hazardous to the health of smokers and non-smokers, but especially to that of children. SHS and PTS increase the risk for children to develop cancers and can trigger or worsen asthma and allergies, modulate the immune status, and is harmful to lung, heart and blood vessels. Smoking during pregnancy can cause pregnancy complications and poor birth outcomes as well as changes in the development of the foetus. Lately, some of the molecular and genetic mechanisms that cause adverse health effects in children have been identified. In this review, some of the current insights are discussed. In this regard, it has been found in children that SHS and PTS exposure is associated with changes in levels of enzymes, hormones, and expression of genes, micro RNAs, and proteins. PTS and SHS exposure are major elicitors of mechanisms of oxidative stress. Genetic predisposition can compound the health effects of PTS and SHS exposure. Epigenetic effects might influence in utero gene expression and disease susceptibility. Hence, the limitation of domestic and public exposure to SHS as well as PTS exposure has to be in the focus of policymakers and the public in order to save the health of children at an early age. Global substantial smoke-free policies, health communication campaigns, and behavioural interventions are useful and should be mandatory.

Effect of nonsurgical periodontal therapy on haematological parameters in grades B and C periodontitis: an exploratory analysis.

AIM: Assessment of the effect of nonsurgical periodontal therapy on haematological parameters in patients with grades B (BP) and C periodontitis (CP). METHODS: Eight BP and 46 CP patients received full-mouth periodontal debridement within 48 h, if positive for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans with adjunctive systemic antibiotics (4 BP, 17 CP). Clinical data were collected prior and 12 weeks after periodontal therapy. Blood was sampled prior to and 1 day as well as 6 and 12 weeks after the first SD visit. Erythrocyte count, haemoglobin value, haematocrit (HCT), mean erythrocyte volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), MCH concentration (MCHC), platelets (PLT) and heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) were assessed. RESULTS: Both groups showed significant clinical improvement (p < 0.05). Using univariate analysis, MCV was noticeably lower in CP than BP at all examinations, HCT only at baseline. For CP, MCHC was noticeably higher 12 weeks after SD than at baseline and 1 day (p ≤ 0.005) and Hsp27 increased noticeably at 1 day (p < 0.05). Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed African origin to be associated with lower MCV and female sex with lower MCHC. CONCLUSION: Based on multivariate analysis, periodontal diagnosis (BP/CP) was not associated with haematological parameters measured in this study or serum Hsp27. In CP, nonsurgical periodontal therapy improved MCHC 12 weeks after SD. Also in CP Hsp27 was increased 1 day after SD.

Work related cardiovascular load in professional dance teachers - a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: There have been only a limited number of studies available on the physical requirements in dance teachers (DT), who are responsible for the training of recreational and/or professional dancers and/or dance students. First results provide indications that a consideration of physical work load (teaching load) of this occupational group is necessary. METHODS: HR measurements were done on a total of 21 DT (f: n = 18, m: n = 3) aged 48.2 ± 9.3 years during their lessons in three dance styles: ballet (B), jazz/modern dance (J/MD) and pre-school dance (CD). The HR data were objectified using the spiroergometrically measured maximum HR (HRmax). In addition, the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was asked directly after the lesson using the Borg scale together with an additional questionnaire. RESULTS: Depending on the dance style, the average HR load during the lessons ranged between 56.7% ± 7.4%) (B) and 63.6% ± 9.8% (CD) of the individual HRmax. No significant differences could be found between the dance styles for the minimum, medium and maximum teaching loads. The DTs rated the average RPE of the teaching units according to BORG (11.4 ± 2.1). Correlations between the RPE and the mean and maximum cardiovascular loads (r = 0.376, p = 0.037 and r = 0.441, p = 0.013) could be shown for all dance units and for the mean loads in J/MD (r = 0.558, p = 0.044). CONCLUSION: Most dance units do not represent a load in the sense of a endurance training unit. An increase in aerobic fitness and possible positive effects in the context of injury prevention is not to be expected. In J/MD, the use of RPEs for the rough estimation of cardiovascular stress is conceivable. The assessment of cardiovascular load in dance lessons requires further investigations for more precise assessments.

Health behaviors in dance teachers and their use of psychoactive substances.

BACKGROUND: Dance teachers (DTs) give lessons on various professional and amateur genres. Up to the present, little has been known on health-related behavior regarding the consumption of substances such as inhalant and synthetic substances, cocaine, cannabis/marijuana (c/m), anabolic steroids and naturally occurring hallucinogens in dance teachers. RELEVANCE: To analyze the consumption of these substances as well as to determine influencing variables due to their role model function (educational level, prevalence of injuries, BMI and income). METHODS: N = 236 (m: n = 53, f: n = 183) professional DTs participated in the single cross-sectional cohort study. RESULTS: The majority of DTs had a single or occasional use of the tested substances. This coincides with the results of the general population. C/m was the most frequently consumed substance with a prevalence of up to 40.1% (m). Only a few significant gender-specific differences were observed. There were weak gender-specific correlations between the consumption of substances and educational level (f) and income (m and f) or injuries (f). CONCLUSION: Due to the specific occupational stress DTs are exposed to, a use of substances would be conceivable. However, apart from cannabis/marijuana (c/m), the consumption of psychoactive substances in DTs seems to be negligible. However, attention should be paid to the significant proportion of dance teachers having tried out substances.

Expressiveness of Bone Markers in Breast Cancer with Bone Metastases.

INTRODUCTION: On a global scale, the malignant growth of mammary gland is the most common type of cancer in women. In the progress of mammary carcinoma, osseous metastatic invasion has a pivotal significance because it is a frequent complication occurring at an early stage of the disease. BACKGROUND: Bone metastases in breast cancer patients lead to increased mortality and decreased health-related quality of life. Therefore, early diagnostic assessment and treatment is requested. Meanwhile the progress of the disease should be monitored closely. Regarding health-related quality of life and lifetime prolongation, osseous metastases should be early diagnosed, therapied, and monitored. Up to date the gold standard is the whole-body scintigraphy. This kind of bone imaging features has high sensitivity but shows loss of specificity. AIM: This study aims to investigate the diagnostic versatility of bone markers in its resorption and formation function to detect bone metastases in patients with breast cancer. PATIENTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS: For this purpose, the concentration of competing bone processing tumor markers in serums of 78 patients was detected and analyzed. Two groups of women with mammary carcinoma with and without osseous metastases were built to examine the presence (or absence) of statistically significant disparity of tumor marker concentration. The tumor markers employed in this study were the carboxyterminal collagen type I telopeptid (CTX), known as beta-crosslaps (ß-CTx), the alkaline phosphatase (AP), and its isoenzymes (especially the bone-specific AP [B-AP]). Additionally, the tumor markers for breast cancer (CA 15-3 and CEA) were analyzed in both groups. RESULTS: Our results provide evidence that in both groups, tumor markers such as ß-CTx and B-AP were a promising tool for the detection and exclusion of bone metastases in breast cancer. This comprehensive investigation shows both ß-CTx and B-AP are able to fulfill the conditions of a competent appliance to detect osseous metastases of patients with mammary carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Concerning the urgency of early and frequent detection, staging, and disease monitoring of mammary carcinoma with osseous metastases, this study renewed and underlined the importance of biochemical tumor markers - especially ß-CTx and B-AP - and laid a clinical-based cornerstone to build up on a prospective research.

Indoor Air Pollution in Cars: An Update on Novel Insights.

From a global viewpoint, a lot of time is spent within the indoor air compartment of vehicles. A German study on mobility has revealed that, on average, people spend 45 minutes per day inside vehicles. In recent years the number of cars has increased to around 43 million vehicles in private households. This means that more than one car can be used in every household. The ratio has been growing, especially in eastern Germany and rural areas. "Overall and especially outside the cities, the car remains by far number one mode of transport, especially in terms of mileage". Therefore, numerous international studies have addressed different aspects of indoor air hygiene, in the past years. In this paper, meaningful original studies on car indoor air pollution, related to VOCs, COx, PMs, microbials, BFRs, OPFRs, cigarettes, electronic smoking devices, high molecular weight plasticizer, and NOx are summarized in the form of a review. This present review aimed to summarize recently published studies in this important field of environmental medicine and points to the need for further studies with special recommendations for optimizing the interior air hygiene.

Standard reference values of the upper body posture in healthy young female adults in Germany: an observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Classifications of posture deviations are only possible compared with standard values. However, standard values have been published for healthy male adults but not for female adults. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main. PARTICIPANTS: 106healthy female volunteers (21-30 years old; 25.1±2.7 years) were included. Their body weight ranged from 46 to 106 kg (60.3±7.9 kg), the heights from 1.53 to 1.82 m (1.69±0.06 m) and the body mass index from 16.9 kg/m² to 37.6 kg/m² (21.1±2.6 kg/m²). OUTCOME MEASURES: A three-dimensional back scan was performed to measure the upper back posture in habitual standing. The tolerance ranges and CI were calculated. Group differences were tested by the Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: In normal posture, the spinal column was marginally twisted to the left, and the vertebrae were marginally rotated to the right. The kyphosis angle is larger than the lumbar angle. Consequently, a more kyphotic posture is observed in the sagittal plane. The habitual posture is slightly scoliotic with a rotational component (scapular depression right, right scapula marginally more dorsally, high state of pelvic right, iliac right further rotated anteriorly). CONCLUSIONS: Healthy young women have an almost ideally balanced posture with minimal ventral body inclination and a marginal scoliotic deviation. Compared with young males, women show only marginal differences in the upper body posture. These values allow a comparison to other studies, both for control and patient data, and may serve as guideline in both clinical practice and scientific studies.

Standard values of the upper body posture in male adults.

BACKGROUND: Interactions within the musculoskeletal system have been investigated and confirmed in numerous studies. OBJECTIVES: Since there are no standard values for the posture of healthy persons, this study attempts to define reference values for the upper body posture in healthy men. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 3-dimensional back scan was performed to quantify the upper back posture while habitually standing. Tolerance regions for habitual posture were calculated, including the upper and lower limit for 95% of all values. Furthermore, the left and right limit of the confidence interval (CI) was carried out. Group differences were tested by using the t-test or the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of the participants were comparable to those of the average young German males. The spinal column was marginally twisted to the right. The spinal curves, defined by the thoracic or lumbar flexion angle, and the kyphosis and lordosis angle, indicated that the angle in the thoracic spine area was larger than that in the lumbar region. Consequently, a more kyphotic posture was observed in the sagittal plane. The habitual posture was slightly scoliotic, with a rotational component (scapular depression left, right scapula marginally located more dorsally, high state of pelvic left, iliac left further rotated posteriorly and simultaneously tilted further ventrally). No significant difference between right and left-handed persons could be proven. CONCLUSIONS: Video raster stereography is a suitable method to measure the 3-dimensional back surface. Using this method for healthy young men, we observed that they had an almost ideally balanced posture with minimal ventral body inclination and a marginal scoliotic deviation. The normal values allow a better comparison of data between different studies of body posture.

[The gender gap in highest quality medical research - A scientometric analysis of the representation of female authors in highest impact medical journals]. / Der Gendergap in der medizinischen Spitzenforschung.

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to elucidate the state of gender equality in high-impact medical research, analyzing the representation of female authorships from January, 2008 to September, 2017. METHODS: 133 893 male and female authorships from seven high-impact medical journals were analyzed. The key methodology was the combined analysis of the relative frequency, odds ratio and citations of female authorships. The Prestige Index measures the distribution of prestigious authorships between the two genders. RESULTS: 35.0 % of all authorships and 34.3 % of the first, 36.1 % of the co- and 24.2 % of the last authorships were held by women. Female authors have an odds ratio of 0.97 (KI: 0.93 - 1.01) for first, 1.36 (KI: 1.32 - 1.40) for co- und 0.57 (KI: 0.54 - 0.60) for last authorships compared to male authors. The proportion of female authorships exhibits an annual growth of 1.3 % overall, with 0.5 % for first, 1.2 % for co-, and 0.8 % for last authorships. Women are underrepresented at prestigious authorship compared to men (Prestige Index = -0.38). The underrepresentation accentuates in highly competitive articles attracting the highest citation rates, namely, articles with many authors and articles that were published in highest-impact journals. Multi-author articles with male key authors are more frequently cited than articles with female key authors. The gender-specific differences in citation rates increase the more authors contribute to an article. Women publish fewer articles compared to men (39.6 % female authors are responsible for 35.0 % of the authorships) and are underrepresented at productivity levels of more than 1 article per author. Distinct differences at the country level were revealed. CONCLUSION: High impact medical research is characterized by few female group leaders as last authors and many female researchers being first or co-authors early in their career. It is very likely that this gender-specific career dichotomy will persistent in the next decade.

Gender disparities in high-quality dermatology research: a descriptive bibliometric study on scientific authorships.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to elucidate the state of gender equality in high-quality dermatological research by analysing the representation of female authorships from January 2008 to May 2017. DESIGN: Retrospective, descriptive study. SETTING: 113 189 male and female authorships from 23 373 research articles published in 23 dermatological Q1 journals were analysed with the aid of the Gendermetrics Platform. RESULTS: 43.0% of all authorships and 50.2% of the firstauthorships, 43.7% of the coauthorships and 33.1% of the last authorships are held by women. The corresponding female-to-male ORs are 1.41 (95% CI 1.37 to 1.45) for first authorships, 1.07 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.10) for coauthorships and 0.60 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.62) for last authorships. The annual growth rates are 1.74% overall and 1.45% for first authorships, 1.53% for coauthorships and 2.97% for last authorships. Women are slightly under-represented at prestigious authorships compared with men (Prestige Index=-0.11). The under-representation remains stable in highly competitive articles attracting the highest citation rates, namely, articles with many authors and articles that were published in highest-impact journals. Multiauthor articles with male key authors are only slightly more frequently cited than those with female key authors. Women publish slightly fewer papers compared with men (47.2% women hold 43.0% of the authorships). At the level of individual journals, there is a high degree of uniformity in gender-specific authorship odds. By contrast, distinct differences at country level were revealed. The prognosis for the next decades forecasts a consecutive harmonisation of authorship odds between the two genders. CONCLUSIONS: In high-quality dermatological research, the integration of female scholars is advanced as compared with other medical disciplines. A gender gap consists mainly in the form of a career dichotomy, with many female early career researchers and few women in academic leadership positions. However, this gender gap has been narrowed in the last decade and will likely be further reduced in the future.

Inflammatory serum markers up to 5 years after comprehensive periodontal therapy of aggressive and chronic periodontitis.

AIM: The aim of the study is to assess the long-term effect of active periodontal therapy on serum inflammatory parameters in patients with aggressive (AgP) and chronic (ChP) periodontitis in a non-randomised clinical study. METHODS: Twenty-five ChP and 17 AgP were examined clinically prior to (baseline), 12 weeks and 60 months after subgingival debridement of all pockets within 2 days. Systemic antibiotics were prescribed if Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans was detected (10 AgP, 8 ChP), flap surgery was rendered if required. Neutrophil elastase (NE), C-reactive protein (CRP), lipopolysaccharide binding protein, interleukin 6, 8, and leukocyte counts were assessed at baseline, 12 weeks and 60 months. RESULTS: Clinical parameters improved significantly in both groups from 12 weeks to 60 months. Eleven AgP and 18 ChP patients received surgical treatment after the 12 weeks examination. Only 3 patients in each group attended ≥ 2 supportive maintenance visits per year. NE and CRP were significantly higher in AgP than ChP at baseline and 60 months (p < 0.01). For leukocyte counts in ChP, significant changes were observed (baseline: 6.11 ± 1.44 nl-1; 12 weeks: 5.34 ± 1.40 nl-1; 60 months: 7.73 ± 2.89 nl-1; p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis identified African origin, surgical treatment and female sex to correlate with better clinical improvement. CONCLUSION: Despite comprehensive periodontal treatment, AgP patients exhibit higher NE and CRP levels than ChP patients up to 5 years after therapy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Systemic inflammatory burden in AgP patients is higher than in ChP patients even 5 years after periodontal treatment.

Evaluation of TKTL1 as a biomarker in serum of prostate cancer patients.

INTRODUCTION: Monocyte associated transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1) as a cancer biomarker has become popular with alternative practitioners, but plays no role in conventional medicine. This investigation evaluates the potential of serum TKTL1 as a biomarker for prostate cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients (n = 66) undergoing curative radical prostatectomy (RPE) for biopsy-pro-ven PCa were included in the study. Controls (n = 10) were healthy, age-matched, male volunteers. 10 ml of peripheral blood was drawn from patients several days before surgery and from controls. Serum TKTL1 was measured using the ELISA method. RESULTS: The median age at tumor diagnosis was 66 years and median serum PSA was 8.0 ng/ml. Nearly 96% of PCas submitted to surgery were clinically significant. Compared to healthy controls, serum TKTL1 was significantly lower in PCa patients (p = 0.0001, effect size indicator r = Z/sqr(n) = 0.4179). No correlation was apparent between serum TKTL1 and serum PSA, Gleason sum, tumor stage or further clinical and pathologic parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced serum TKTL1 in PCa patients stands in opposition to TKTL1 epitope detection in monocytes (EDIM) based studies, whereby increased TKTL1 in monocytes of tumor patients has been reported. Since serum TKTL1 does not correlate with clinical parameters in the current investigation, further research is needed to clarify whether serum TKTL1 has potential as a biomarker for PCa.

Non-surgical periodontal therapy decreases serum elastase levels in aggressive but not in chronic periodontitis.

AIM: Assessment of the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy (SRP) on serum inflammatory parameters in patients with untreated aggressive (AgP) and chronic (ChP) periodontitis. METHODS: Overall, 31 ChP and 29 AgP were examined clinically prior to and 12 weeks after SRP (subgingival scaling of all pockets within 2 days) with systemic antibiotics for patients positive for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (14 AgP, 9 ChP). Blood was sampled prior to, one day, 6, and 12 weeks after the first SRP visit. Serum elastase, C-reactive protein (CRP), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), interleukin (IL) 6, 8, and leukocyte counts were assessed. RESULTS: At baseline, serum elastase, CRP, and LBP were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in AgP than ChP. Serum elastase, CRP, LBP, and IL-6 were significantly (p < 0.001) elevated one day after scaling in both groups. Both groups showed significant clinical improvement (p < 0.001). A significant difference was observed regarding change of serum elastase 12 weeks after SRP between AgP and ChP (p = 0.015). Multiple regression analysis revealed AgP, African origin, and bleeding on probing to be associated with more pronounced elastase reduction. CRP reduction was associated with African origin, systemic antibiotics, and baseline probing pocket depth. CONCLUSION: SRP results in serum elastase reduction in AgP but not in ChP.