Non-utilisation of health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the CoMoLo study

Based on data from the CORONA-MONITORING lokal (CoMoLo) study conducted in four municipalities particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, this article investigates the non-utilisation of health care services in the population aged 18 years and older (n=9,002) in relation to the period after the introduction of the containment measures in March 2020. The results show that about one third of the respondents (35.5%) gave up at least one of the surveyed health care services. The most frequent cancellations were dental (15.2%) and specialist check-ups (11.8%), followed by postponement of physiotherapy, ergotherapy or speech therapy (6.1%), cancellation of general practitioner (GP) check-ups (5.8%), postponement of psychotherapy (2.0%), postponement of planned hospital treatment (1.8%) and not going to an emergency room (0.7%). Almost 10% of the respondents reported not visiting a physician despite health complaints. Compared to respondents without such a waiver, these respondents were more often female and younger than 35 years, less often rated their health as very good or good, more often had a diagnosis of depression and more often used telemedical contacts as an alternative to visiting the practice during the pandemic. Further analyses of trends in utilisation behaviour and changes in health status over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic are important

Water-content related alterations in macro and micro scale tendon biomechanics

Though it is known that the water content of biological soft tissues alters mechanical properties, little attempt has been made to adjust the tissue water content prior to biomechanical testing as part of standardization procedures. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of altered water content on the macro and micro scale mechanical tissues properties. Human iliotibial band samples were obtained during autopsies to osmotically adapt their water content. Macro mechanical tensile testing of the samples was conducted with digital image correlation, and micro mechanical tests using atomic force microscopy. Analyses were conducted for elastic moduli, tensile strength, and strain at maximum force, and correlations for water content, anthropometric data, and post-mortem interval. Different mechanical properties exist at different water concentrations. Correlations to anthropometric data are more likely to be found at water concentrations close to the native state. These data underline the need for adapting the water content of soft tissues for macro and micro biomechanical experiments to optimize their validity. The osmotic stress protocol provides a feasible and reliable standardization approach to adjust for water content-related differences induced by age at death, post-mortem interval and tissue processing time with known impact on the stress-strain properties

Nichtinanspruchnahme gesundheitlicher Versorgungsleistungen während der COVID-19-Pamdemie: Ergebnisse der CoMoLo-Studie

Der vorliegende Beitrag betrachtet auf Datenbasis der in vier besonders von der COVID-19-Pandemie betroffenen Orten durchgeführten Studie CORONA-MONITORING lokal (CoMoLo) die Nichtinanspruchnahme gesundheitlicher Versorgungsleistungen in der Bevölkerung ab 18 Jahren (n = 9.002) bezogen auf die Zeit nach Einführung der Eindämmungsmaßnahmen im März 2020. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass etwa ein Drittel der Befragten (35,5 %) auf mindestens eine der erfragten Versorgungsleistungen verzichtete. Am häufigsten wurde die Absage zahnärztlicher (15,2 %) und fachärztlicher Kontrolltermine (11,8 %) angegeben, gefolgt von der Verschiebung physio-, ergotherapeutischer oder logopädischer Behandlungen (6,1 %), der Absage hausärztlicher Kontrolltermine (5,8 %), der Verschiebung psychotherapeutischer Behandlungen (2,0 %) und geplanter Krankenhausbehandlungen (1,8 %) sowie dem Verzicht, eine Notaufnahme aufzusuchen (0,7 %). Fast 10 % der Befragten gaben den Verzicht auf einen Arztbesuch trotz Beschwerden an. Diese Befragten waren im Vergleich zu Befragten ohne einen solchen Verzicht häufiger weiblich und jünger als 35 Jahre, schätzten ihre Gesundheit seltener als sehr gut oder gut ein, hatten häufiger die Diagnosestellung Depression und nutzten alternativ zum Praxisbesuch in der Pandemie häufiger telemedizinische Kontakte. Weitere Analysen zu Entwicklungen des Inanspruchnahmeverhaltens und Veränderungen im Gesundheitszustand im Verlauf der COVID-19-Pandemie sind wichtig

Homage to Professor INUZUKA Susumu

千葉大学「人文研究」第41

Prevalence of hysterectomy in women 18 to 79 years old

In many countries, hysterectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in gynaecology. The aim of this study is to analyse the prevalence of hysterectomy in Germany by sociodemographic factors and factors of (reproductive) health. Analyses are based on data from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1), which is part of the health monitoring of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The prevalence of hysterectomy among participating women (18–79 years old) was 17.5% (n=689). Most women (49.1%) were 40–49 years old when surgery was performed; 6.1% of hysterectomised women had cancer of the uterus or ovaries, and 19.7% underwent a simultaneous oophorectomy. There were significant differences in the prevalence of hysterectomy regarding social status, place of residence in 1988, number of live births, and body weight. DEGS1 is the first study showing the prevalence of hysterectomy in a representative sample of the German population. More detailed analyses of the DEGS data, among other data sources, are needed to evaluate the importance of the described associations and to assess trends

Integration of cell-free expression and solid-state NMR to investigate the dynamic properties of different sites of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor

Cell-free expression represents an attractive method to produce large quantities of selectively labeled protein for NMR applications. Here, cell-free expression was used to label specific regions of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) with NMR-active isotopes. The GHSR is a member of the class A family of G protein-coupled receptors. A cell-free expression system was established to produce the GHSR in the precipitated form. The solubilized receptor was refolded in vitro and reconstituted into DMPC lipid membranes. Methionines, arginines, and histidines were chosen for 13C-labeling as they are representative for the transmembrane domains, the loops and flanking regions of the transmembrane α-helices, and the C-terminus of the receptor, respectively. The dynamics of the isotopically labeled residues was characterized by solid-state NMR measuring motionally averaged 1H-13C dipolar couplings, which were converted into molecular order parameters. Separated local field DIPSHIFT experiments under magic-angle spinning conditions using either varying cross polarization contact times or direct excitation provided order parameters for these residues showing that the C-terminus was the segment with the highest motional amplitude. The loop regions and helix ends as well as the transmembrane regions of the GHSR represent relatively rigid segments in the overall very flexible receptor molecule. Although no site resolution could be achieved in the experiments, the previously reported highly dynamic character of the receptor concluded from uniformly 13C labeled receptor samples could be further specified by this segmental labeling approach, leading to a more diversified understanding. of the receptor dynamics under equilibrium condition

MicroRNA regulation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice and marmosets resembles regulation in human multiple sclerosis lesions

Here we demonstrate that miRNA regulation in marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) and C57/BL6 mouse EAE lesions largely resembles miRNA regulation in active human MS lesions. Detailed quantitative PCR analyses of the most up- and downregulated miRNAs of active human MS lesions in dissected lesions from marmoset EAE brains and inflamed spinal cords of EAE mice revealed that the conserved and highly regulated miRNAs, miRNA-155, miRNA-142-3p, miRNA-146a, miRNA-146b and miRNA-21, turned out to be similarly upregulated in marmoset and mouse EAE lesions

Long-term benefit of human fetal neuronal progenitor cell transplantation in a clinically adapted model after traumatic brain injury

Experimental human fetal neural progenitor cell (hfNPC) transplantation has proven to be a promising therapeutic approach after traumatic brain injury (TBI). However the long-term efficacy and safety, which are both highly important for clinical translation of this approach, have not been investigated so far. This study investigated the effect of local (1x105 cells) (L) and systemic (5x105 cells) (S) administration of PKH-26-labeled pre-differentiated hfNPCs over a period of twelve weeks, twenty-four hours after severe controlled cortical impact TBI in Sprague-Dawley rats. Accelerating rotarod testing revealed a trend of functional improvement beginning one week after transplantation and persisting until the end of the experiment. The traumatic lesion volume as quantified by magnetic resonance imaging was smaller in both treatment groups when compared to control (C) animals (C = 54.50 mm3, L = 32 mm3, S = 37.50 mm3). Correspondingly, NeuN staining showed increased neuronal survival at the border of the lesion in both transplanted groups (S: 92.4%; L: 87.2%; 72.5%). Histological analysis of brain compartments revealed transiently increased angiogenesis and reduced astroglial reaction during the first four weeks post-transplantation. PKH-26-positive cells were detected exclusively after local transplantation without any evidence of tumor formation. However, graft differentiation was only observed in very rare cases. In conclusion, transplantation of hfNPCs improved the long-term functional outcome after TBI, diminished trauma lesion size and increased neuronal survival in the border zone of the lesion. This therapeutic effect was most unlikely due to cell replacement but was associated with transiently increased angiogenesis and reduced astrogliosis

MicroRNA regulation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice and marmosets resembles regulation in human multiple sclerosis lesions

Here we demonstrate that miRNA regulation in marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) and C57/BL6 mouse EAE lesions largely resembles miRNA regulation in active human MS lesions. Detailed quantitative PCR analyses of the most up- and downregulated miRNAs of active human MS lesions in dissected lesions from marmoset EAE brains and inflamed spinal cords of EAE mice revealed that the conserved and highly regulated miRNAs, miRNA-155, miRNA-142-3p, miRNA-146a, miRNA-146b and miRNA-21, turned out to be similarly upregulated in marmoset and mouse EAE lesions

MPI/MRI road mapping of balloon angioplasty.

<p>MPI/MRI fused images in sagittal orientation (PD-weighted MRI and MPI-Signal) displayed in a timeline during the simulated angioplasty procedure. <b>(a)</b> The labeled guidewire was placed (from left to right) in the center and <b>(b, c)</b> beyond the stenosis. <b>(d)</b> The balloon catheter was placed over the wire passing the stenosis with two signals from the lacquer marks—compare <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0156899#pone.0156899.g003" target="_blank">Fig 3</a>—barely fit within the FoV of the MPI. <b>(e)</b> The balloon catheter is slightly inflated to 4.5 bar adapting to the contour of the stenosis and thereby making it visible. <b>(f)</b> Then the balloon pressure is gradually increased and the balloon consecutively increases in diameter until <b>(g)</b> the ligature/string ruptures at a pressure of 20 bar simulating the removal of the vessel phantom stenosis. <b>(h)</b> Fused MPI-MRI image of the fully inflated balloon after successful <i>in-vitro</i> angioplasty, a minimal remaining stenosis is visible.</p