Food cues affect hunger and nutritional choices. Omnipresent stimulation with palatable food contributes to the epidemics of obesity. The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of food ...cues on appetite-related hormones and to assess the functionality of the secreted hormones on macronutrient uptake in healthy subjects. Additionally, we aimed at verifying differences in the response of total and active ghrelin to stimulation with food pictures and to a meal followed by the stimulation. We were also interested in the identification of factors contributing to response to food cues. We recruited healthy, non-obese participants for two independent cross-over studies. During the first study, the subjects were presented random non-food pictures on the first day and pictures of foods on the second day of the study. Throughout the second study, following the picture session, the participants were additionally asked to drink a milkshake. Concentrations of blood glucose, triglycerides and hunger-related hormones were measured. The results showed that concentrations of several hormones measured in the blood are interdependent. In the case of ghrelin and gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) as well as ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), this co-occurrence relies on the visual cues. Regulation of total ghrelin concentration following food stimulation is highly individual and responders showed upregulated total ghrelin, while the concentration of active ghrelin decreases following a meal. Protein content and colour intensity of food pictures reversely correlated with participants' rating of the pictures. We conclude that observation of food pictures influences the concentration of several appetite-related hormones. The close link of visual clues to physiological responses is likely of clinical relevance. Additionally, the protein content of displayed foods and green colour intensity in pictures may serve as a predictor of subjective attractiveness of the presented meal.
The Colorectal cancer Study of Austria (CORSA) is comprised more than 13,500 newly diagnosed colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, patients with high- and low-risk adenomas as well as population-based ...controls. The recruitment for the CORSA biobank is performed in close cooperation with the invited two-stage CRC screening project "Burgenland PREvention trial of colorectal Disease with ImmunologiCal Testing" (B-PREDICT). Annually, more than 150,000 inhabitants of the Austrian federal state Burgenland aged between 40 and 80 are invited to participate using FIT-tests as an initial screening. FIT-positive tested participants are offered a diagnostic colonoscopy and are asked to take part in CORSA, sign a written informed consent, complete questionnaires concerning dietary and lifestyle habits and provide an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) blood sample as well as a stool sample. Additional CRC cases have been recruited at four hospitals in Vienna and a hospital in lower Austria. A major strength of CORSA is the population-based controls who are FIT-positive and colonoscopy-confirmed to be free of polyps and/or CRC.
Context:
Established bone turnover markers do not reflect fracture risk in idiopathic male and premenopausal osteoporosis and the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in these patients is currently unclear. ...miRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and bone tissue homeostasis. They are considered a new class of endocrine regulators with promising potential as biomarkers.
Objective:
Evaluation of circulating miRNA signatures in male and female subjects with idiopathic and postmenopausal osteoporotic low-traumatic fractures.
Design, Setting, and Patients:
This was a case-control study of cross-sectional design of 36 patients with prevalent low-traumatic fractures and 39 control subjects
Main Outcome Measures:
One hundred eighty-seven miRNAs were quantified in serum by qPCR, compared between groups and correlated with established bone turnover markers.
Results:
Significant differences in serum levels of circulating miRNAs were identified in all three subgroups (46 in premenopausal, 52 in postmenopausal, 55 in male). A set of 19 miRNAs was consistently regulated in all three subgroups. Eight miRNAs miR-152-3p, miR-30e-5p, miR-140-5p, miR-324-3p, miR-19b-3p, miR-335-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-550a-3p were excellent discriminators of patients with low-traumatic fractures, regardless of age and sex, with area under the curve values > 0.9. The 11 remaining miRNAs showed area under the curve values between 0.81 and 0.89. Correlation analysis identified significant correlations between miR-29b-3p and P1NP, and miR-365-5p and iPTH, TRAP5b, P1NP and Osteocalcin, as well as BMDL1–L4 and miR-19b-3p, miR-324-3p, miR-532-5p, and miR-93-5p.
Conclusions:
Specific serum miRNA profiles are strongly related to bone pathologies. Therefore miRNAs might be directly linked to bone tissue homeostasis. In particular, miR-29b-3p has previously been reported as regulator of osteogenic differentiation and could serve as a novel marker of bone turnover in osteoporotic patients as a member of a miRNA signature.
A set of 19 miRNAs was differentially regulated in all subjects with low-traumatic fractures. miRNAs were excellent discriminators of patients with fractures, regardless of age and gender.
Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
Der Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) ist ein krankheitsspezifischer Fragebogen zur Erhebung der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität von Patienten vor und ...nach Cochleaimplantation.
Ziel der Arbeit
Validierung und Reliabilitätsprüfung der deutschen Übersetzung des NCIQ.
Material und Methoden
Es wurde eine prospektive Studie an 100 postlingual ertaubten oder hochgradig schwerhörigen Patienten durchgeführt, welche präoperativ sowie 3 und 6 Monate nach einer Cochleaimplantation mittels NCIQ, Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) und Hearing Participation Scale (HPS) untersucht wurden. Als Kontrolle fungierte ein postlingual ertaubtes oder hochgradig schwerhöriges, unbehandeltes Patientenkollektiv (
n
= 54). Cronbach‑α und Test-Retest-Reliabilität dienten der Reliabilitätsüberprüfung. Es wurde auf Inhalts‑, Übereinstimmungs- und auf diskriminative Validität getestet. Die Konstruktvaliditätsprüfung basiert auf kürzlich veröffentlichen Daten. Als Gütekriterien wurden die Sensitivität und eine ROC(„Receiver Operating Characteristic“)-Analyse, inklusive AUC(„Area Under the ROC Curve“)-Betrachtung, eingesetzt.
Ergebnisse
Das Test-Retesting ergab nach 3 und 6 Monaten postoperativ stabile NCIQ-Werte. Die Cronbach-α-Werte wiesen auf eine gute interne Konsistenz hin. Der NCIQ diskriminierte valide zwischen behandelten und unbehandelten Patientengruppen. Es ergaben sich statistisch signifikante, wenn auch schwache, Korrelationen zwischen dem NCIQ und dem APHAB (r = −0,22;
p
= 0,04) und dem HPS (r = 0,30;
p
= 0,01). Sensitivitäts- und ROC-Analysen zeigten eine gute Messqualität des deutschsprachigen NCIQ.
Schlussfolgerung
Die deutsche Übersetzung des NCIQ misst zuverlässig und valide die Lebensqualität vor und nach Cochleaimplantation und kann zur klinischen Erfolgskontrolle nach Cochleaimplantationen verwendet werden.
•Depth concentration profiles for skin parameters were generated in vivo by CRS.•The curve profiles of in vivo data could be visualised within a few minutes.•The correlation between skin and blood ...cholesterol levels was investigated.
In vivo application of confocal Raman spectroscopy (CRS) allows non-invasive depth measurement of the skin. Thereby obtained knowledge of the skin composition is essential to reliably assess the actual skin state. Besides other components, the skin cholesterol concentration is of interest; however, little is known about its connection to the cholesterol concentration quantified in venous blood.
In this study, the skin composition of the volar forearm was characterised in vivo using CRS. In particular, the potential of CRS as a non-invasive method to determine cholesterol levels was validated.
Raman spectra of the volar forearm of 15 participants were recorded twice within two weeks. Depth concentration profiles for major skin components were generated. Stratum corneum (SC) thickness was calculated from water concentration profiles. In order to examine the usability of dermal CRS for cholesterol level determination, results were compared to fasting total cholesterol values in venous blood as determined by an enzymatic method.
Depth concentration profiles for the skin components of interest showed a comparable curve progression for the participants. It was possible to link changes in concentration to physiological processes. Moreover, age-related differences could be found. Several novel mathematical approaches for the comparison of the skin cholesterol content and the blood cholesterol concentration have been developed. However, no correlation passed the Bonferroni multiple testing correction.
CRS serves as useful tool for the in vivo monitoring of skin components and hydration. Concentration depth profiles provide information about the current skin condition. No distinct correlation between the skin and blood cholesterol concentration was found within the scope of the present study. Concerning this matter, the heterogeneous distribution of cholesterol in the skin may be a factor influencing these results.
Background
The nontechnical and team skills of surgical teams are critical for safety and efficiency in the operating room. Assessment of nontechnical and team skills can facilitate improvement by ...encouraging both self-reflection and team reflection, identifying training needs, and informing operating room (OR) team training approaches. The observational teamwork assessment for surgery (OTAS) tool is a well-validated and robust tool for capturing teamwork in the operating room. The aims of the present study were to systematically adapt and refine the OTAS for German-speaking OR staff and to test the adapted assessment tool (OTAS-D) for psychometric properties and metric equivalence.
Methods
The study was carried out in three stages: at stage 1, OTAS was translated into German. At stage 2, experienced German OR experts (surgeons, OR nurses, anesthetists) were interviewed. At stage 3, two blinded assessors observed 11 general surgical operations (general surgical and vascular procedures) and interrater reliability was tested for refined OTAS-D behavioral exemplars and scorings.
Results
The German OR experts confirmed the applicability and content validity of the vast majority of translated behavioral exemplars. After their evaluation, 32 items were changed slightly, six were changed substantially, and one item was added. During observations, perfect and substantial interobserver agreement was found for 77 behavioral exemplars (67.1 % of the items, kappa coefficient >0.60). Rating at all OTAS behaviors showed acceptable levels of reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients >0.72).
Conclusions
The OTAS-D is a tool for valid and reliable assessment of nontechnical skills that contribute to safe and effective surgical performance in ORs staffed by German-speaking professionals. Furthermore, our study serves as an example for systematically adapting and customizing well-established observational tools across different healthcare environments.
Herein, we report the synthesis and isolation of Si(IV) dications stabilized by a bidentate N‐heterocyclic carbene‐phosphinidene (NHCP). Treatment of the bis(NHCP) with Si(IV) bis(triflate) ...R2Si(OTf)2 (with R=H, Ph) resulted in the instant formation of Si(IV) dicationic complexes 2 a and 2 b featuring a tetracoordinated silicon centre. The dications show expected high Lewis acidity. The bis(NHCP)‐stabilized parent silyl dication 2a (SiH22+) presents the first isolable example of a parent SiH2 dication. In addition, dication 2 a is able to react with diphenylketene by insertion into the Si−P bond.
In this publication the utilization of bis(NHCP) ligands is expanded towards complexation of silicon precursors giving access to Si(IV) dications 2 a and 2 b. These complexes present the first examples of bis(NHCP)‐supported Si(IV) dications, showing expected high Lewis acidity. Reactivity investigations showed the insertion of diphenylketene in the Si−P bond of 2 aOTf2.
All social roles have positive and rewarding as well as negative/problematic aspects. Research on the work-family interface has predominantly focused on conflicting roles. In contrast, this paper ...extends research on work-family enrichment (WFE), a positive aspect of work and gender differences in WFE in a cross-national context. Drawing upon social role theory and the culture sensitive theory on work-family enrichment, we examined gender differences in experiences of developmental WFE in a sample of service sector employees in eight European countries. In line with traditional gender roles, women reported more WFE than men. The relationship was moderated by both an objective and subjective measure of gender egalitarianism but in the opposite direction as hypothesized. The gender gap in WFE was larger in more gender-egalitarian countries, where women may be better able to transfer resources from the work domain to benefit their family role than in low egalitarian societies. National differences in labour market factors, family models and the public discourse on work-life balance mainly explain the unanticipated findings.
The colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program B-PREDICT is a population based invited two stage screening project using a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) for initial screening followed by a ...colonoscopy for those with a positive FIT. B-PREDICT was compared with the opportunistic screening colonoscopy (OPP-COL), performed in course of the nationwide screening program.
Within B-PREDICT all residents of the Austrian federal state Burgenland, aged between 40 and 80 are annually invited to FIT testing. All individuals who underwent initial colonoscopy in Burgenland between 01/2003 and 12/2014, were included in this study. Individuals from the FIT-triggered invited screening program B-PREDICT were compared with those from the non-FIT triggered OPP-COL.
15 133 individuals from B-PREDICT were compared to 10 045 individuals with OPP-COL. CRC detection rates were 1.34% (CI-95%, 1.15; 1.52) in B-PREDICT compared to 0.54% in OPP-COL (95%-CI, 0.39; 0.68 p < 0.001). The decrease in the age standardized incidence rates of CRC was more pronounced in the population screened with FIT than in the general population screened with colonoscopy. Changes in incidence rates per year were -4.4% (95%-CI, -5.1; -3.7) vs. -1.8% (95%-CI, -1.9; -1.6 p < 0.001).
B-PREDICT shows a two-fold higher detection rate of CRC as well as HRA compared to OPP-COL.
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