Search results for "medical sciences"

A comparison of semiparametric approaches to evaluate composite endpoints in heart failure trials

2021

In heart failure trials efficacy is usually proven by a composite endpoint including cardiovascular death (CVD) and recurrent heart failure hospitalisations (HFH), evaluated with time-to-first-event analysis based on a Cox model. As a considerable fraction of events is ignored that way, recurrent event[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]

Workplace-based assessment of communication skills: A pilot project addressing feasibility, acceptance and reliability

2016

Background: Imparting communication skills has been given great importance in medical curricula. In addition to standardized assessments, students should communicate with real patients in actual clinical situations during workplace-based assessments and receive structured feedback on their performance. The aim of this project was to pilot a formative testing method for workplace-based assessment. Our investigation centered in particular on whether or not physicians view the method as feasible and how high acceptance is among students. In addition, we assessed the reliability of the method. Method: As part of the project, 16 students held two consultations each with chronically ill patients …

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells are inefficient in activation of human regulatory T cells

2011

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells (DC) play a key role in initiation and regulation of immune responses. Plasmacytoid DC (pDC), a small subset of DC, characterized as type-I interferon producing cells, are critically involved in anti-viral immune responses, but also mediate tolerance by induction of regulatory T cells (Treg). In this study, we compared the capacity of human pDC and conventional DC (cDC) to modulate T cell activity in presence of Foxp3(+) Treg. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In coculture of T effector cells (Teff) and Treg, activated cDC overcome Treg anergy, abrogate their suppressive function and induce Teff proliferation. In contrast, pDC do not break Treg anergy but induce Teff prolifera…

The impact of intercellular communication for the generation of complex multicellular prevascularized tissue equivalents

2019

In reconstructive surgery the use of prevascularized soft tissue equivalents is a promising approach for wound coverage of defects after tumor resection or trauma. However, in previous studies to generate soft tissue equivalents on collagen membranes, microcapillaries were restricted to superficial areas. In this study, to understand which factors were involved in the formation of these microcapillaries, the levels of the angiogenic factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the supernatants of the tissue equivalents were examined at various time points and conditions. Additionally, the influence of these factors on …

Identification and diagnosis of patients with familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS): Expert panel recommendations and proposal of an "FCS score".

2018

Familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS) is a rare, inherited disorder characterised by impaired clearance of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins from plasma, leading to severe hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG) and a markedly increased risk of acute pancreatitis. It is due to the lack of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) function, resulting from recessive loss of function mutations in the genes coding LPL or its modulators. A large overlap in the phenotype between FCS and multifactorial chylomicronaemia syndrome (MCS) contributes to the inconsistency in how patients are diagnosed and managed worldwide, whereas the incidence of acute hypertriglyceridaemic pancreatitis is more frequent in FCS. A panel of Eu…

Adenovirus E1A/E1B Transformed Amniotic Fluid Cells Support Human Cytomegalovirus Replication.

2015

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replicates to high titers in primary human fibroblast cell cultures. A variety of primary human cells and some tumor-derived cell lines do also support permissive HCMV replication, yet at low levels. Cell lines established by transfection of the transforming functions of adenoviruses have been notoriously resistant to HCMV replication and progeny production. Here, we provide first-time evidence that a permanent cell line immortalized by adenovirus type 5 E1A and E1B (CAP) is supporting the full HCMV replication cycle and is releasing infectious progeny. The CAP cell line had previously been established from amniotic fluid cells which were likely derived from…

Pharmacogenomic identification of small molecules for lineage specific manipulation of subventricular zone germinal activity

2017

Strategies for promoting neural regeneration are hindered by the difficulty of manipulating desired neural fates in the brain without complex genetic methods. The subventricular zone (SVZ) is the largest germinal zone of the forebrain and is responsible for the lifelong generation of interneuron subtypes and oligodendrocytes. Here, we have performed a bioinformatics analysis of the transcriptome of dorsal and lateral SVZ in early postnatal mice, including neural stem cells (NSCs) and their immediate progenies, which generate distinct neural lineages. We identified multiple signaling pathways that trigger distinct downstream transcriptional networks to regulate the diversity of neural cells …

DNA Sensors for the Detection of Biomolecules and Biochemical Conditions

2017

Validierung der Messung der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität mittels des SF-12 Version 2.0 in einer deutschen Normstichprobe

2018

Hintergrund: Mit der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität ist das subjektive Befinden von Menschen zu einem wesentlichen Teil der Gesundheitsforschung geworden. In der Lebensqualitätsforschung werden auf Basis einer bio-psycho-sozialen Modellvorstellung psychologische, funktionale und soziale[zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL]

A call to experimentally study acute affect-regulation mechanisms specific to driven exercise in eating disorders.

2020

Driven exercise (i.e., feeling compelled to exercise to control one's weight or shape, to obtain other positive consequences of exercising, or to avoid other negative consequences of not exercising) is a common phenomenon in individuals with eating disorders (EDs), typically associated with negative clinical outcomes. Current theoretical models of driven exercise highlight the short-term affect-regulating outcome of acute driven exercise, which is implicated to maintain this symptom either by positive or negative reinforcement. However, few studies have actually investigated cognitive, affective, and psychobiological mechanisms related to acute driven exercise. In particular, experimental s…