Echocardiographic assessment of atrial, ventricular, and valvular function in patients with atrial fibrillation—an expert proposal by the german working group of cardiovascular ultrasound

Echocardiography in patients with atrial fibrillation is challenging due to the varying heart rate. Thus, the topic of this expert proposal focuses on an obvious gap in the current recommendations about diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF)—the peculiarities and difficulties of echocardiographic imaging. The assessment of systolic and diastolic function—especially in combination with valvular heart diseases—by echocardiography can basically be done by averaging the results of echocardiographic measurements of the respective parameters or by the index beat approach, which uses a representative cardiac cycle for measurement. Therefore, a distinction must be made between the functionally relevant status, which is characterized by the averaging method, and the best possible hemodynamic status, which is achieved with the most optimal left ventricular (LV) filling according to the index beat method with longer previous RR intervals. This proposal focuses on left atrial and left ventricular function and deliberately excludes problems of echocardiography when assessing left atrial appendage in terms of its complexity. Echocardiography of the left atrial appendage is therefore reserved for its own expert proposal

Phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNfH) concentration in cerebrospinal fluid predicts overall disease aggressiveness (D50) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by tremendous clinical heterogeneity that necessitates reliable biomarkers for the trajectory of the disease. The potential of phosphorylated Neurofilament-Heavy-chain (pNfH) measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to mirror disease progressiveness has repeatedly been suggested but is not applicable as outcome on an individual patient-level. This potential was probably obfuscated before due to imprecise clinical measures of disease progression that assumed a linear decline of motoric function over time. The primary objective was therefore to study if disease aggressiveness, as quantified via the D50 model, would reveal more stable correlations with pNfH. Methods: ELISA-quantified pNfH CSF levels of 108 patients with ALS were comparatively analyzed in relation to three different measures of disease progression speed via analyses of covariance, linear and non-linear regressions, respectively. These were (a) the D50, depicting a patient’s overall disease aggressiveness, (b) cFL, the calculated functional loss-rate as locally derived parameter of progression speed, and (c) DPR, the disease progression-rate as more commonly used linear approximation of points lost per month in the ALS functional rating scale since symptom onset. Results: All analyses of covariance showed a significant main impact of the respective disease progression-speed parameter on pNfH, independent of disease phase, presence of frontotemporal dementia, analyzing laboratory, sex or clinical onset type, while only age revealed borderline additional influence. Notably, CSF pNfH concentration was independent of how far the disease had progressed, as neither disease phase nor a direct regression with the quantified disease accumulation at the time of lumbar puncture revealed a significant correlation. However, the parameter D50 quantifying aggressiveness showed the most significant impact on pNfH-levels, as compared to the cFL and even more evident in contrast to the DPR. This superiority of D50 was confirmed in direct linear and most evident in non-linear regressions with pNfH. Conclusion: Overall disease aggressiveness in ALS, as quantified by D50, most robustly correlated with CSF pNfH-levels, independent of the time of collection during symptomatic disease. This opens perspectives to use CSF pNfH as a prognostic outcome measure for future therapeutic interventions in the sense of precision medicine

Die 'Weihe des Zweifels': Romantische Religionsästhetik bei Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wettes am Beispiel seines Theodor-Romans

In seinem Impuls zeigt Peter Schüz am Lehr- und Bildungsroman "Theodor oder des Zweiflers Weihe" des evangelischen Theologen Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette die enge Verbindung von Ästhetik und Religiösität in der Romantik. Der Zweifel bedeutet darin keine Auflösungserscheinung der Glaubensinhalte, sondern ein Moment produktiver Erneuerun

34. Folge: Essanfälle sind zerstörerisch – also warum verlieren wir immer wieder die Kontrolle?

In dieser zweiten Folge zum Thema Essstörungen werfen wir einen Blick auf die Themen Bulimia nervosa und Binge-Eating-Störung. Was steckt hinter Essanfällen? Warum verliert man die Kontrolle über das eigene Essverhalten? Wir beleuchten die psychischen und physischen Folgen von Essanfällen, sprechen über den Zusammenhang zwischen Diät und Essstörungen und ziehen Parallelen zur Anorexia nervosa. Du hast Fragen oder Feedback? – Schreib uns eine Mail an [email protected]

A reproducible representation of healthy tibiofemoral kinematics during stair descent using REFRAME – part I: REFRAME foundations and validation

In clinical movement biomechanics, kinematic measurements are collected to characterise the motion of articulating joints and investigate how different factors influence movement patterns. Representative time-series signals are calculated to encapsulate (complex and multidimensional) kinematic datasets succinctly. Exacerbated by numerous difficulties to consistently define joint coordinate frames, the influence of local frame orientation and position on the characteristics of the resultant kinematic signals has been previously proven to be a major limitation. Consequently, for consistent interpretation of joint motion (especially direct comparison) to be possible, differences in local frame position and orientation must first be addressed. Here, building on previous work that introduced a frame orientation optimisation method and demonstrated its potential to induce convergence towards a consistent kinematic signal, we present the REference FRame Alignment MEthod (REFRAME) that addresses both rotational and translational kinematics, is validated here for a healthy tibiofemoral joint, and allows flexible selection of optimisation criteria to fittingly address specific research questions. While not claiming to improve the accuracy of joint kinematics or reference frame axes, REFRAME does enable a representation of knee kinematic signals that accounts for differences in local frames (regardless of how these differences were introduced, e.g. anatomical heterogeneity, use of different data capture modalities or joint axis approaches, intra- and inter-rater reliability, etc.), as evidenced by peak root-mean-square errors of 0.24° ± 0.17° and 0.03 mm ± 0.01 mm after its implementation. By using a self-contained optimisation approach to systematically re-align the position and orientation of reference frames, REFRAME allows researchers to better assess whether two kinematic signals represent fundamentally similar or different underlying knee motion. The openly available implementation of REFRAME could therefore allow the consistent interpretation and comparison of knee kinematic signals across trials, subjects, examiners, or even research institutes

Characterization of photometers for high illuminance levels

Photometers measuring high illuminance levels, ranging up to 200,000 lux, often undergo significant heating during operation. This temperature rise affects critical components - the spectral matching filter, diffuser, and silicon photodiode - thereby impacting the accuracy of illuminance measurements and contributing to measurement uncertainties. The study investigates the temperature dependence of the luminous responsivity, showing that as temperature increases, the photodiode's sensitivity rises, and the transmission characteristics of filters may change, especially in narrowband spectra such as coloured light sources. The degree of this effect varies based on photometer design and materials. Thermostatic stabilization, commonly integrated into laboratory-grade photometers, regulates the internal temperature, minimizing deviations caused by ambient conditions and stabilizing measurements across high illuminance levels. Nevertheless, temperature effects cannot be fully neglected even with thermostabilisation. The findings highlight the necessity of understanding temperature effects to enhance accuracy and reliability in photometric calibration processes

25 Jahre Flurnamenforschung in Thüringen

Das Projekt „Flurnamen und Regionalgeschichte“ wurde 1999 beim Heimatbund Thüringen e.V. gegründet. Durch das Engagement zahlreicher Sammlerinnen und Sammler konnten in einem Vierteljahrhundert über 42.000 Flurnamen erhoben werden, die den Bestand des Thüringischen Flurnamenarchivs der Universität Jena ergänzen. Die Bestände werden mit Unterstützung der Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek (ThULB) im Thüringischen Flurnamenportal für Forschung und Interessierte nutzbar gemacht. Im Jahr 2024 wurde die Thüringer Flurnamenforschung auf die Landesliste des Immateriellen Kulturerbes Thüringens aufgenommen, womit das 25-jährige Bestehen des von Bürgerinnen und Bürgern getragenen Projekts eine besondere Anerkennung erfuhr. Am 14. Februar 2025 findet eine große Jubiläumstagung statt. Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler aus dem gesamten deutschsprachigen Raum präsentieren ihre aktuellen Forschungen sowie lokale Flurnamenprojekte. Im Anschluss berichten Mitwirkende des Thüringer Flurnamenprojekts von ihren Erfahrungen und persönlichen Highlights aus 25 Jahren Flurnamenforschung

The Use of 3D-Echo in Edge-to-Edge Percutaneous Tricuspid Valve Repair

The tricuspid valve (TV) is a complex anatomical entity. As surgical treatment for isolated tricuspid regurgitation has traditionally been associated with high peri- and post-operative mortality, advances in percutaneous transcatheter techniques of repair and replacement of the TV are emerging as safe and effective alternatives. This review summarizes the current evidence on the use of three-dimensional echocardiography to assist transcatheter-edge-to-edge repair (TEER) in patients with tricuspid regurgitation

Cortical and subcortical grey matter atrophy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis correlates with measures of disease accumulation independent of disease aggressiveness

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by high clinical heterogeneity, which complicates both patient management and the design of clinical trials. Reliable biomarkers that reflect individual disease progression independent of disease aggressiveness are needed. The aim of this study was to investigate whether cortical thickness derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can serve as a surrogate marker for disease accumulation in ALS. T1-weighted MRI scans from 100 ALS patients and 72 healthy controls were analyzed using surface-based morphometry (SBM) to assess cortical thickness and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to measure subcortical grey matter volumes. To model individual disease trajectories, the D50 progression model was applied, providing measures for both disease accumulation (relative D50, rD50) and overall disease aggressiveness (D50). Results showed significant cortical thinning and subcortical grey matter atrophy in ALS patients compared to healthy controls, predominantly in frontotemporal areas. Within the ALS cohort, patients in later disease phases exhibited more pronounced cortical thinning. Regression analyses confirmed a significant negative correlation between cortical thickness and rD50, indicating progressive grey matter loss with increasing disease accumulation. Importantly, neither cortical nor subcortical changes were associated with the overall disease aggressiveness (D50). These findings suggest that cortical thickness and subcortical grey matter volumes are robust neuroimaging markers reflecting ALS-specific disease accumulation, independent of individual disease aggressiveness. This work thus supports the use of MRI-derived metrics for patient stratification and monitoring of therapeutic interventions in ALS research

Radiotherapie des linksseitigen Mammakarzinoms: Auswirkungen der computersimulierten Herzbewegung auf die Strahlendosis von Herz und Ramus interventricularis anterior während Bestrahlung in tiefer Inspiration

Einleitung: Kardiale Spätfolgen einer adjuvanter Bestrahlung der linken Brust nach Brust-erhaltender Resektion (BET) eines Mammakarzinoms zählen zu den relevanten Nebenwirkungen. Studien zur Auswirkung der Herzbewegung auf die Strahlendosis von Herz und Ramus interventricularis anterior (RIVA) bei tiefer Inspiration fehlen. Ziel ist die Analyse dosimetrischer Effekte einer simulierten Herzbewegung. Material und Methoden: 73 Patientinnen mit Computertomographie (CT) in freier Atmung und tiefer Inspiration wurden untersucht. Die Planung erfolgte mittels dreidimensionaler, konformaler Bestrahlungsplanung (RayStation®, V.8). Auf Basis des Planungs-CTs (P-CT) erfolgte eine 6-Phasen-Simulation der Herz-/RIVA-Bewegung in anterior-posterior (AP), links-rechts (LR) und superior-inferior (SI). Bewegungsausmaße: LR 0,32 cm (Herz)/0,27 cm (RIVA), AP 0,27 cm/0,24 cm, SI 0,41 cm. Drei Dosisszenarien wurden analysiert: normofraktioniert (NF: 50,4/1,8 Gy), hypofraktioniert (HF: 40,05/2,67 Gy) und ultra-hypofraktioniert (uHF: 26/5,2 Gy). Erfasst wurden Dmean Herz, Dmean RIVA, V40/40EQD2RIVA und V30/30EQD2RIVA. Berücksichtigt wurden außerdem das linke Lungenvolumen, Herz-, RIVA- und Brustvolumen (CTV-Mamma) sowie das Differenz-Lungenvolumen. Die Auswertung erfolgte mittels Verallgemeinerter Schätzgleichungen (p < 0,05). Ergebnisse: Alle Bewegungsrichtungen beeinflussten Dmean signifikant (p < 0,001). Anterior- und Linksbewegung erhöhten Dmean Herz um 17,8 %, Dmean RIVA um bis zu 14,9 %. Die Superiorbewegung führte zu einer 8,6 % bzw. 9,4 %. Signifikant waren linkes Lungenvolumen (p < 0,001), RIVA-Volumen (p = 0,001) und Herzvolumen (p < 0,05). Schlussfolgerung: Schon geringe Bewegungsausmaße (0,24–0,41 cm) beeinflussen Dmean Herz und RIVA signifikant. Bewegungen nach anterior, superior und links erhöhen die mittlere Strahlendosis. Pro 100 ml Lungenvolumen sinkt geschätzt Dmean Herz um bis zu 0,1 Gy und Dmean RIVA um bis zu 1,2 Gy. Größeres RIVA-Volumen senkt Dmean RIVA um bis zu 8,6 Gy