Pulmonary vein reconnection and repeat ablation characteristics following cryoballoon-compared to radiofrequency-based pulmonary vein isolation.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in efficacy and safety of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after PVI remains common. PV-reconnection is the main finding during repeat PVI procedures performed to treat recurrent AF. OBJECTIVE: To analyze pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection patterns during repeat ablation procedures in a large cohort of consecutive patients undergoing radio frequency or cryoballoon-based PVI. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of PV-reconnection patterns and analysis of re-ablation strategies in consecutive index RF- and CB-based PVI and their respective re-ablation procedures during concomitant usage of both energy sources at a single high-volume center in Germany. RESULTS: A total of 610 first (06/2015-10/2022) and 133 s (01/2016-11/2022) repeat ablation procedures after 363 (60%) RF- and 247 (40%) CB-based index PVIs between 01/2015 and 12/2021 were analyzed. PV-reconnection was found in 509/610 (83%) patients at first and 74/133 (56%) patients at second repeat procedure. 465 of 968 (48%) initially via CB isolated PVs were reconnected at first re-ablation but 796 of 1422 initially RF-isolated PV (56%) were reconnected (OR: 0.73 [95% CI: 0.62-0.86]; p < .001). This was driven by fewer reconnections of the left PVs (LSPV: OR: 0.60 [95% CI: 0.42-0.86]; p = .005 and LSPV: 0.67 [0.47-0.95]; p = .026). PV-reconnection was more likely after longer, RF-based index PVI and in older females. Repeat procedures were shorter after CB-compared to after RF-PVI. CONCLUSIONS: Reconnection remains the most common reason for repeat AF ablation procedures after PVI. Our data suggest to preferentially use of the cryoballoon during index PVI, especially in older women.

Predation risk drives long-term shifts in migratory behaviour and demography in a large herbivore population.

Migration is an adaptive life-history strategy across taxa that helps individuals maximise fitness by obtaining forage and avoiding predation risk. The mechanisms driving migratory changes are poorly understood, and links between migratory behaviour, space use, and demographic consequences are rare. Here, we use a nearly 20-year record of individual-based monitoring of a large herbivore, elk (Cervus canadensis) to test hypotheses for changing patterns of migration in and adjacent to a large protected area in Banff National Park (BNP), Canada. We test whether bottom-up (forage quality) or top-down (predation risk) factors explained trends in (i) the proportion of individuals using 5 different migratory tactics, (ii) differences in survival rates of migratory tactics during migration and whilst on summer ranges, (iii) cause-specific mortality by wolves and grizzly bears, and (iv) population abundance. We found dramatic shifts in migration consistent with behavioural plasticity in individual choice of annual migratory routes. Shifts were inconsistent with exposure to the bottom-up benefits of migration. Instead, exposure to landscape gradients in predation risk caused by exploitation outside the protected area drove migratory shifts. Carnivore exploitation outside the protected area led to higher survival rates for female elk remaining resident or migrating outside the protected area. Cause-specific mortality aligned with exposure to predation risk along migratory routes and summer ranges. Wolf predation risk was higher on migratory routes than summer ranges of montane-migrant tactics, but wolf predation risk traded-off with heightened risk from grizzly bears on summer ranges. A novel eastern migrant tactic emerged following a large forest fire that enhanced forage in an area with lower predation risk outside of the protected area. The changes in migratory behaviour translated to population abundance, where abundance of the montane-migratory tactics declined over time. The presence of diverse migratory life histories maintained a higher total population abundance than would have been the case with only one migratory tactic in the population. Our study demonstrates the complex ways in which migratory populations change over time through behavioural plasticity and associated demographic consequences because of individuals balancing predation risk and forage trade-offs.

A tactile approach to introduce the skin autoimmune disease psoriasis to the general public and the vision-impaired community.

Scientific outreach activities play an important role in disseminating knowledge, connecting the general public to research and breaking down scientific skepticism barriers. However, the vision-impaired community is often disadvantaged when the most common audio-visual approach of scientific communication is applied. Here we integrated tactile clues in the scientific communication of immune processes involved in the autoimmune skin disease psoriasis. We fostered the involvement of the vision-impaired community through interactive experiences, including tactile scientific origami art, a haptic poster and wood-carved molecular models. Readily accessible science communication that engages a number of senses is a critical step toward making science more inclusive and engaging for individuals with a wide range of sensory abilities. The approach of the 2023 Monash Sensory Science exhibition aligns with the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion and helps to empower a more informed and scientifically literate public.

Quantitative muscle MRI displays clinically relevant myostructural abnormalities in long-term ICU-survivors: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Long-term data on ICU-survivors reveal persisting sequalae and a reduced quality-of-life even after years. Major complaints are neuromuscular dysfunction due to Intensive care unit acquired weakness (ICUAW). Quantitative MRI (qMRI) protocols can quantify muscle alterations in contrast to standard qualitative MRI-protocols. METHODS: Using qMRI, the aim of this study was to analyse persisting myostructural abnormalities in former ICU patients compared to controls and relate them to clinical assessments. The study was conducted as a cohort/case-control study. Nine former ICU-patients and matched controls were recruited (7 males; 54.8y ± 16.9; controls: 54.3y ± 11.1). MRI scans were performed on a 3T-MRI including a mDTI, T2 mapping and a mDixonquant sequence. Water T2 times, fat-fraction and mean values of the eigenvalue (λ1), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were obtained for six thigh and seven calf muscles bilaterally. Clinical assessment included strength testing, electrophysiologic studies and a questionnaire on quality-of-life (QoL). Study groups were compared using a multivariate general linear model. qMRI parameters were correlated to clinical assessments and QoL questionnaire using Pearson´s correlation. RESULTS: qMRI parameters were significantly higher in the patients for fat-fraction (p < 0.001), water T2 time (p < 0.001), FA (p = 0.047), MD (p < 0.001) and RD (p < 0.001). Thighs and calves showed a different pattern with significantly higher water T2 times only in the calves. Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation of muscle strength (MRC sum score) with FA and T2-time. The results were related to impairment seen in QoL-questionnaires, clinical testing and electrophysiologic studies. CONCLUSION: qMRI parameters show chronic next to active muscle degeneration in ICU survivors even years after ICU therapy with ongoing clinical relevance. Therefore, qMRI opens new doors to characterize and monitor muscle changes of patients with ICUAW. Further, better understanding on the underlying mechanisms of the persisting complaints could contribute the development of personalized rehabilitation programs.

Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI): closing the gap between image analysis and navigation in complex invasive diagnostic procedures.

LITERATURE REVIEW: Cystoscopy is the gold standard for initial macroscopic assessments of the human urinary bladder to rule out (or diagnose) bladder cancer (BCa). Despite having guidelines, cystoscopic findings are diverse and often challenging to classify. The extent of the false negatives and false positives in cystoscopic diagnosis is currently unknown. We suspect that there is a certain degree of under-diagnosis (like the failure to detect malignant tumours) and over-diagnosis (e.g. sending the patient for unnecessary transurethral resection of bladder tumors with anesthesia) that put the patient at risk. CONCLUSIONS: XAI robot-assisted cystoscopes would help to overcome the risks/flaws of conventional cystoscopy. Cystoscopy is considered a less life-threatening starting point for automation than open surgical procedures. Semi-autonomous cystoscopy requires standards and cystoscopy is a good procedure to establish a model that can then be exported/copied to other procedures of endoscopy and surgery. Standards also define the automation levels-an issue for medical product law. These cystoscopy skills do not give full autonomy to the machine, and represent a surgical parallel to 'Autonomous Driving' (where a standard requires a human supervisor to remain in the 'vehicle'). Here in robotic cystoscopy, a human supervisor remains bedside in the 'operating room' as a 'human-in-the-loop' in order to safeguard patients. The urologists will be able to delegate personal- and time-consuming cystoscopy to a specialised nurse. The result of automated diagnostic cystoscopy is a short video (with pre-processed photos from the video), which are then reviewed by the urologists at a more convenient time.

Spatial correction improves accuracy of catheter positioning during ablation of premature ventricular contractions: differences between ventricular outflow tracts and other localizations.

BACKGROUND: Hybrid activation mapping is a novel tool to correct for spatial displacement of the mapping catheter due to asymmetrical contraction of myocardium during premature ventricular contractions (PVC). The aim of this study is to describe and improve our understanding of spatial displacement during PVC mapping as well as options for correction using hybrid activation mapping. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed 5798 hybrid mapping points in 40 acquired hybrid maps of 22 consecutive patients (age 63 ± 16 years, 45% female) treated for premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). Median PVC-coupling interval was 552 ms (IQR 83 ms). Spatial displacement was determined by measuring the dislocation of the catheter tip during PVC compared to the preceding sinus beat. Mean spatial displacement was 3.8 ± 1.5 mm for all maps. The displacement was 1.3 ± 0.4 mm larger for PVCs with non-outflow-tract origin compared to PVCs originating from the ventricular outflow tracts (RVOT/LVOT; p = 0.045). Demographic parameters, PVC-coupling-interval and chamber of origin had no significant influence on the extent of spatial displacement. CONCLUSION: Ectopic activation of the ventricular myocardium during PVCs results in spatial displacement of mapping points that is significantly larger for PVCs with non-outflow-tract origin. The correction for spatial displacement may improve accuracy of radiofrequency current (RFC)-application in catheter ablation of PVCs.

Clinical outcome after lumbar spinal fusion surgery in degenerative spondylolisthesis: a 3-year follow-up.

INTRODUCTION: Lumbar spinal fusion surgery is a widely accepted surgical treatment in degenerative causes of lumbar spondylolisthesis. The benefit of reduction of anterior displacement and restoration of sagittal parameters is still controversially debated. Purpose of the underlying publication was to analyze the influence of radiographic sagittal parameters of the spine in aspects of changes in postoperative clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By prospective analysis, we included patients with low-grade degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (Meyerding grades I and II) with mono- or bisegmental fusion surgery with a minimum follow-up data of 3 years. For clinical outcome measures, COMI, ODI and EQ-5D were used. Spinopelvic parameters (sacral inclination, pelvic tilt, sacral slope and pelvic incidence, lumbar lordosis and lumbar index as well as anterior displacement and sagittal rotation) were measured on plain radiographs. RESULTS: We could observe a significant benefit in clinical outcome after lumbar fusion surgery in low-grade spondylolisthesis in our mid-term follow-up data including 32 patients. By surgical reduction, we could see significant restoration of anterior displacement and sagittal rotation. Interestingly, a significant correlation between restoration of both sagittal rotation and sacral inclination and clinical outcome score was observed in the 3-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: In low-grade spondylolisthesis, spinal fusion surgery is a well-established surgical procedure; however, the impact of sagittal parameters and reduction of anterior displacement remains controversial. Within our findings, restoration of sagittal parameters showed significant correlation to improvement in clinical outcome in our mid-term follow-up data.

Spectroscopy along Flerovium Decay Chains: Discovery of

A nuclear spectroscopy experiment was conducted to study α-decay chains stemming from isotopes of flerovium (element Z=114). An upgraded TASISpec decay station was placed behind the gas-filled separator TASCA at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany. The fusion-evaporation reactions ^{48}Ca+^{242}Pu and ^{48}Ca+^{244}Pu provided a total of 32 flerovium-candidate decay chains, of which two and eleven were firmly assigned to ^{286}Fl and ^{288}Fl, respectively. A prompt coincidence between a 9.60(1)-MeV α particle event and a 0.36(1)-MeV conversion electron marked the first observation of an excited state in an even-even isotope of the heaviest man-made elements, namely ^{282}Cn. Spectroscopy of ^{288}Fl decay chains fixed Q_{α}=10.06(1) MeV. In one case, a Q_{α}=9.46(1)-MeV decay from ^{284}Cn into ^{280}Ds was observed, with ^{280}Ds fissioning after only 518 µs. The impact of these findings, aggregated with existing data on decay chains of ^{286,288}Fl, on the size of an anticipated shell gap at proton number Z=114 is discussed in light of predictions from two beyond-mean-field calculations, which take into account triaxial deformation.

Systematic Review on Pain-Related Outcome Domains After Sternotomy: A First Step Toward the Development of a Core Outcome Set.

OBJECTIVES: Pain after surgery has a major impact on acute and long-term recovery and quality of life, but its management is often insufficient. To enhance the quality of research and to allow for better comparability between studies, it is important to harmonize outcomes for assessing the efficacy and effectiveness of pain management interventions after surgery. As a first step in developing a core outcome set, this study aimed to systematically search for outcome domains assessed in research regarding acute pain management after sternotomy as an example of a typically painful surgical procedure. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed using MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL. Eligibility criteria consisted of randomized controlled trials and observational trials targeting pain management after sternotomy in adults in the acute postoperative setting (≤2 weeks). After duplicate removal and title and abstract screening by 2 independent reviewers, study characteristics and outcome domains were identified, which were extracted from full texts and summarized qualitatively. RESULTS: Of 1350 studies retrieved by database searching, 156 studies were included for full-text extraction. A total of 80 different outcome domains were identified: pain intensity, analgesic consumption, physiological function, and adverse events were the most frequent ones. Outcome domains were often not explicitly reported, and the combination of domains and assessment tools was heterogeneous. The choice of outcomes is commonly made within clinicians; patients' perspectives are not considered. CONCLUSIONS: The wide variety of commonly applied outcome domains, the nonexplicit wording, and the heterogeneous combination of the domains indicating treatment benefit demonstrate the need for harmonization of outcomes assessing perioperative pain management after surgery.

Which experimental models and explorations to use in regenerative endodontics? A comprehensive review on standard practices.

Since the discovery of dental pulp stem cells, a lot of teams have expressed an interest in dental pulp regeneration. Many approaches, experimental models and biological explorations have been developed, each including the use of stem cells and scaffolds with the final goal being clinical application in humans. In this review, the authors' objective was to compare the experimental models and strategies used for the development of biomaterials for tissue engineering of dental pulp with stem cells. Electronic queries were conducted on PubMed using the following terms: pulp regeneration, scaffold, stem cells, tissue engineering and biomaterial. The extracted data included the following information: the strategy envisaged, the type of stem cells, the experimental models, the exploration or analysis methods, the cytotoxicity or viability or proliferation cellular tests, the tests of scaffold antibacterial properties and take into account the vascularization of the regenerated dental pulp. From the 71 selected articles, 59% focused on the "cell-transplantation" strategy, 82% used in vitro experimentation, 58% in vivo animal models and only one described an in vivo in situ human clinical study. 87% used dental pulp stem cells. A majority of the studies reported histology (75%) and immunohistochemistry explorations (66%). 73% mentioned the use of cytotoxicity, proliferation or viability tests. 48% took vascularization into account but only 6% studied the antibacterial properties of the scaffolds. This article gives an overview of the methods used to regenerate dental pulp from stem cells and should help researchers create the best development strategies for research in this field.

Effects of saxagliptin on adipose tissue inflammation and vascular function in overweight and obese people: a placebo-controlled study.

AIMS: To test the effect of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor saxagliptin on adipose tissue inflammation and microvascular function, and whole-body postprandial endothelial function. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study was conducted between June 2013 and November 2016 in 44 overweight or obese people without diabetes (saxagliptin, n=28; placebo, n=16). Subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue biopsies, a 4-h fat-enriched meal test and peripheral arterial tonometry for measurement of endothelial function were performed at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment with saxagliptin (5 mg/day) or matching placebo. RESULTS: Forty participants were analysed (saxagliptin, n=26; placebo, n=14). Secretion of interleukin-8 from adipose tissue explants was reduced after saxagliptin (median fold-change from baseline: 0.8 saxagliptin vs 3.3 placebo; P=0.02). Adipose tissue expression of thioredoxin-inhibitory protein (TxNIP) was lower after saxagliptin (0.75 vs 1.0; P=0.02), while there were no significant differences in adipose tissue secretion of interleukin-1b, interleukin-6 or macrophage chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), adipose tissue macrophage content, adipose tissue mRNA levels of mcp1, cd36, cd68, il6, il8, txnip and adpq, and activation of adipose tissue inflammatory pathways [extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF- κB)] or insulin-induced vasodilation of adipose tissue arterioles. Postprandial plasma glucose was slightly lower (by an estimated 0.3 mmol/l; P=0.01), while postprandial insulin, triglyceride levels and endothelial function were unchanged after saxagliptin. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of saxagliptin on adipose tissue inflammation was relatively modest, with many inflammatory markers unchanged. We also found no evidence that saxagliptin therapy improved adipose tissue arteriole vasodilation or postprandial endothelial function.

High antibiotic prescription rates in hospitalized children with human metapneumovirus infection in comparison to RSV infection emphasize the value of point-of-care diagnostics.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory infections are the main causes for hospitalization in children and a common reason for the initiation of antibiotic treatment. Rapid antigen detection tests and point-of-care mPCR-based assays provide a fast detection of viral pathogens. Nonetheless, the prescription rate of antibiotics for respiratory infections is exceedingly high. In particular, human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infections frequently cause antibiotic treatment. METHODS: Children hospitalized in our clinic with an acute respiratory infection between January 2008 and January 2013 were included in the present study. Data of 3799 children were analyzed retrospectively for clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and antibiotic and inhalation treatment. We performed an in-house m-RT-PCR-ELISA method for pathogen detection. RESULTS: Pathogen detection was possible in 2464 patients. In 6.3%, hMPV and, in 24.0%, RSV were detected. Patients positively tested for hMPV received inhalation therapy in 62.9%; patients positive for RSV in 73.8%. Patients positive for hMPV were treated with antibiotics in 62.3%. Patients with RSV infection received antibiotic treatment in 44.4%; all others in 43.5%. Notably, a positive result in RSV-RADT was associated with reduced number of antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSION: hMPV infections inherit a two times higher probability of antibiotic treatment. There was no significant difference in laboratory findings or body temperature between hMPV infection and infections caused by other pathogens. Clinical symptoms seem not to differ from those in RSV illness. Nonetheless, RSV infections triggered significantly lower antibiotic prescription rates. A considerate application of a POC-mPCR for patients with RSV-like symptoms and age of 1 year and older with a negative RSV-RADT might lead to higher detection rates of hMPV and a reduction in prescription of antibiotics.

A history of obesity leaves an inflammatory fingerprint in liver and adipose tissue.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dieting is a popular yet often ineffective way to lower body weight, as the majority of people regain most of their pre-dieting weights in a relatively short time. The underlying molecular mechanisms driving weight regain and the increased risk for metabolic disease are still incompletely understood. Here we investigate the molecular alterations inherited from a history of obesity. METHODS: In our model, male high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese C57BL/6J mice were switched to a low caloric chow diet, resulting in a decline of body weight to that of lean mice. We measured body composition, as well as metrics of glucose, insulin and lipid homeostasis. This was accompanied by histological and gene expression analysis of adipose tissue and liver to assess adipose tissue inflammation and hepatosteatosis. Moreover, acute hypothalamic response to (re-) exposure to HFD was assessed by qPCR. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: Within 7 weeks after diet switch, most obesity-associated phenotypes, such as body mass, glucose intolerance and blood metabolite levels were reversed. However, hepatic inflammation, hepatic steatosis as well as hypertrophy and inflammation of perigonadal, but not subcutaneous, adipocytes persisted in formerly obese mice. Transcriptional profiling of liver and perigonadal fat revealed an upregulation of pathways associated with immune function and cellularity. Thus, we show that weight reduction leaves signs of inflammation in liver and perigonadal fat, indicating that persisting proinflammatory signals in liver and adipose tissue could contribute to an increased risk of formerly obese subjects to develop the metabolic syndrome upon recurring weight gain.

A systematic review of the psychometric properties, usability and clinical impacts of mobile mood-monitoring applications in young people.

BACKGROUND: Mobile mood-monitoring applications are increasingly used by mental health providers, widely advocated within research, and a potentially effective method to engage young people. However, little is known about their efficacy and usability in young populations. METHOD: A systematic review addressing three research questions focused on young people: (1) what are the psychometric properties of mobile mood-monitoring applications; (2) what is their usability; and (3) what are their positive and negative clinical impacts? Findings were synthesised narratively, study quality assessed and compared with evidence from adult studies. RESULTS: We reviewed 25 articles. Studies on the psychometric properties of mobile mood-monitoring applications were sparse, but indicate questionable to excellent internal consistency, moderate concurrent validity and good usability. Participation rates ranged from 30% to 99% across studies, and appeared to be affected by methodological factors (e.g. payments) and individual characteristics (e.g. IQ score). Mobile mood-monitoring applications are positively perceived by youth, may reduce depressive symptoms by increasing emotional awareness, and could aid in the detection of mental health and substance use problems. There was very limited evidence on potential negative impacts. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence for the use of mood-monitoring applications in youth is promising but limited due to a lack of high-quality studies. Future work should explicate the effects of mobile mood-monitoring applications on effective self-regulation, clinical outcomes across disorders and young people's engagement with mental health services. Potential negative impacts in this population should also be investigated, as the adult literature suggests that application use could potentially increase negativity and depression symptoms.

Worth a second look: outcomes of patients with initial finding of regular renal tissue in CT-guided renal tumor biopsies.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Renal tumor biopsy is recommended for histological diagnosis of radiologically indeterminate renal masses, to select patients with small-renal masses for surveillance approaches, before ablative treatments and to confirm metastatic spread of renal cell cancer (RCC), according to the EAU guidelines. We aimed to determine outcomes of patients with suspicious renal masses with initial finding of regular renal tissue in renal tumor biopsies. METHODS: Retrospective database analysis of 101 patients undergoing CT-guided-, percutaneous renal tumor biopsies in local anesthesia. RESULTS: In 23/101 patients, histopathologic evaluation of the biopsies showed regular renal tissue. Of these, two patients underwent simultaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA), 2/23 underwent radical nephrectomy, despite negative biopsy because of radiological suspicious aspect. Overall, 12 patients underwent a second set of biopsies due to persistent clinical suspicion. Of these, five were diagnosed with RCC: three clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and two papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC). Benign tumours were found in two patients. A lymphoma was found in two patients. In 3/12 patients, also the second set of biopsies showed regular renal tissue. CONCLUSION: An unsuspicious histology in CT-guided renal tumor biopsy does not preclude patients with suspicious renal masses from being diagnosed with malignancies.

HIV prevention strategies and risk of infection: a model-based analysis.

Risk populations for HIV infections tend to neglect condom use, making alternative preventive approaches necessary. Accordingly, we modelled the risk of sexual HIV transmission for condom use vs. use of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) systems with subsequent exclusion of potential sexual partners with a correctly or falsely positive test from unprotected sex with and without the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in a bio-statistical approach. We combined a previously described model of transmission risk for HIV-exposed individuals with a newly suggested model of risk of HIV exposure for sexually active HIV-negative individuals. The model was adapted for several stages of infection and different strategies of HIV infection prevention.HIV prevention with RDTs can reduce the transmission risk by up to 97% compared with having sex without any prevention and up to 80% compared with condom use. Nevertheless, RDT-based prevention strategies demonstrate a lack of protection in several stages of infection; in particular, RNA-based RDT systems may fail under treatment. RDT-based pre-screening of potential sex partners prior to unprotected sexual contacts substantially reduces HIV transmission risk. Combination of different prevention strategies is advisable for high-risk groups.

Pitfalls in accelerometer-based measurement of physical activity: The presence of reactivity in an adult population.

When a behavior is monitored, it is likely to change, even if no change may be intended. This phenomenon is known as measurement reactivity. We investigated systematic changes in accelerometer-based measures over the days of monitoring as an indicator of measurement reactivity in an adult population. One hundred seventy-one participants from the general population (65% women; mean age = 55 years, range: 42-65 years) wore accelerometers for 7 consecutive days to measure sedentary behavior and physical activity (PA). Latent growth models were used (a) to investigate changes in accelerometer wear time over the measurement days and (b) to identify measurement reactivity indicated by systematic changes in sedentary time (ST), light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Over the measurement days, participants reduced accelerometer wear time by trend (rate of change [b] = -4.7 min/d, P = .051, Cohen's d = .38), increased ST (b = 2.4 min/d, P = .018, d = .39), and reduced LPA (b = -2.4 min/d, P = .015, d = .38). Participants did not significantly reduce MVPA (P = .537). Our data indicated that accelerometry might generate reactivity. Small effects on ST and LPA were found. Thus, the validity of accelerometer-based data on ST and LPA may be compromised. Systematic changes observed in accelerometer wear time may further bias accelerometer-based measures. MVPA seems to be less altered due to the presence of an accelerometer.

Odontoblastic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells from healthy and carious teeth on an original PCL-based 3D scaffold.

AIMS: To isolate and characterize dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) obtained from carious and healthy mature teeth extracted when conservative treatment was not possible or for orthodontic reasons; to evaluate the ability of DPSCs to colonize, proliferate and differentiate into functional odontoblast-like cells when cultured onto a polycaprolactone cone made by jet-spraying and prototyped into a design similar to a gutta-percha cone. METHODOLOGY: DPSCs were obtained from nine carious and 12 healthy mature teeth. Then cells were characterized by flow cytometry and submitted to multidifferentiation to confirm their multipotency. These DPSCs were then cultured on a polycaprolactone cone in an odontoblastic differentiation medium. Cell proliferation, colonization of the biomaterial and functional differentiation of cells were histologically assessed. For the characterization, a t-Student test was used to compare the two groups. RESULTS: In all cell cultures, characterization highlighted a mesenchymal stem cell phenotype (CD105+, CD90+, CD73+, CD11b-, CD34-, CD45-, HLA-DR-). No significant differences were found between cultures obtained from carious and healthy mature teeth. DPSCs from both origins were able to differentiate into osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes. Cell colonization was observed both on the surface and in the thickness of polycaprolactone cones as well as a mineralized pericellular matrix deposit composed of type I collagen, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and dentin sialophosphoprotein. CONCLUSIONS: DPSCs were isolated from both carious and healthy mature teeth. They were able to colonize and proliferate within a polycaprolactone cone and could be differentiated into functional odontoblast-like cells.

[Migration Background and Pathological Gambling: Results of a Nationwide Epidemiological Study on the Impact of Region of Origin in Germany]. / Migrationshintergrund und pathologisches Glücksspielen: Befunde einer deutschlandweiten epidemiologischen Untersuchung zur Bedeutung der Herkunftsregion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the extent to which the presence and number of symptoms of pathological gambling (PG), distinguished by region of origin (RO), differ. METHODS: Data was obtained from a nationwide telephone survey of 15 023 individuals living in Germany and aged 14-64 years. They were categorized according to their RO and the number of symptoms of PG (0-10 DSM-IV-criteria). RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of PG symptoms is 18.1% for people of the RO Turkey, 9.0% for those of the RO Yugoslavia and 6.8% for those without a migration background. Compared to the latter, the two-part count data regression method showed a higher chance of PG symptoms for the RO Turkey as well as a 70.3 and 87.2% increase in the number of symptoms for the RO Turkey and Yugoslavia, respectively. CONCLUSION: The RO could independently contribute to the presence and amount of symptoms of PG.