Lebensqualität und alexithyme Merkmale bei Patienten mit somatoformer Schmerzstörung

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Patienten mit einer somatoformen Schmerzstörung weisen häufig eine schlechte gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität (QoL) und Schwierigkeiten in der Affektregulation (Alexithymie) auf. Ziel dieser Studie war es, den Zusammenhang zwischen QoL und alexithymen Merkmalen zu untersuchen. Patienten und Methoden: Bei 51Patienten mit somatoformer Schmerzstörung (durchschnittliche Erkrankungsdauer: 11,6Jahre) wurden Alexithymie (TAS-20), QoL (WHOQOL-BREF), psychische Belastung und Somatisierung (SCL-90-R) und depressive Symptome (MADRS) erhoben. Ergebnisse: Es fand sich eine signifikante negative Korrelation zwischen QoL und alexithymen Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen, insbesondere der psychischen QoL und dem TAS-20-Gesamtwert (r=−0,63, p<0,001). Die Alexithymiesubskala "Schwierigkeiten, Gefühle zu beschreiben" erwies sich als signifikanter Einflussfaktor für die psychische QoL (β=−0,34, p<0,01), auch nach Kontrolle von Depression, Somatisierung und Geschlecht. Schlussfolgerung: Für die insgesamt sehr niedrige QoL von Patienten mit somatoformer Schmerzstörung scheinen auch alexithyme Charakteristika eine wichtige Rolle zu spielen. Dies sollte sowohl diagnostisch als auch in der therapeutischen Zielsetzung berücksichtigt werde

Журнал кримських караїмів “Бизым йол” (“Наш шлях”) у світлі традицій караїмської преси і національної політики Кримської АРСР

В статье содержится описание караимских периодических изданий начала ХХ века, их целей и задачи, объема, основных отделов, исследуется отражение в караимской периодике процессов национального культурного ренессанса, изучается связь этнических изданий караимов с общественно-политической жизнью караимской общины.Стаття містить опис караїмських видань початку ХХ століття, з'ясовує їхні цілі і завдан-ня, обсяг, основні розділи; досліджує відбиття у караїмській періодиці процесів національного культурного ренесансу; вивчає зв'язок етнічних видань караїмів із суспільно-політичним життям караїмської громади.The article researches the Karaite mass media of the beginning of the XX century: its matters and tasks, volume, main sections, the reflection of the cultural renaissance in it and its connection with life of the Karaite community

First Observation of Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission in a Free-Electron Laser at 109 nm Wavelength

We present the first observation of Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE) in a free-electron laser (FEL) in the Vacuum Ultraviolet regime at 109 nm wavelength (11 eV). The observed free-electron laser gain (approx. 3000) and the radiation characteristics, such as dependency on bunch charge, angular distribution, spectral width and intensity fluctuations all corroborate the existing models for SASE FELs.Comment: 6 pages including 6 figures; e-mail: [email protected]

The Dutch nationwide trauma registry:The value of capturing all acute trauma admissions

Introduction: Twenty years ago the Dutch trauma care system was reformed by the designating 11 level one Regional trauma centres (RTCs) to organise trauma care. The RTCs set up the Dutch National Trauma Registry (DNTR) to evaluate epidemiology, patient distribution, resource use and quality of care. In this study we describe the DNTR, the incidence and main characteristics of Dutch acutely admitted trauma patients, and evaluate the value of including all acute trauma admissions compared to more stringent criteria applied by the national trauma registries of the United Kingdom and Germany. Methods: The DNTR includes all injured patients treated at the ED within 48 hours after trauma and consecutively followed by direct admission, transfers to another hospital or death at the ED. DNTR data on admission years 2007-2018 were extracted to describe the maturation of the registry. Data from 2018 was used to describe the incidence rate and patient characteristics. Inclusion criteria of the Trauma Audit and Research (TARN) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Unfallchirurgie (DGU) were applied on 2018 DNTR data. Results: Since its start in 2007 a total of 865,460 trauma cases have been registered in the DNTR. Hospital participation increased from 64% to 98%. In 2018, a total of 77,529 patients were included, the median age was 64 years, 50% males. Severely injured patients with an ISS≥16, accounted for 6% of all admissions, of which 70% was treated at designated RTCs. Patients with an ISS≤ 15were treated at non-RTCs in 80% of cases. Application of DGU or TARN inclusion criteria, resulted in inclusion of respectively 5% and 32% of the DNTR patients. Particularly children, elderly and patients admitted at non-RTCs are left out. Moreover, 50% of ISS≥16 and 68% of the fatal cases did not meet DGU inclusion criteria Conclusion: The DNTR has evolved into a comprehensive well-structured nationwide population-based trauma register. With 80,000 inclusions annually, the DNTR has become one of the largest trauma databases in Europe The registries strength lies in the broad inclusion criteria which enables studies on the burden of injury and the quality and efficiency of the entire trauma care system, encompassing all trauma‐receiving hospitals

The Superconducting TESLA Cavities

The conceptional design of the proposed linear electron-positron collider TESLA is based on 9-cell 1.3 GHz superconducting niobium cavities with an accelerating gradient of Eacc >= 25 MV/m at a quality factor Q0 > 5E+9. The design goal for the cavities of the TESLA Test Facility (TTF) linac was set to the more moderate value of Eacc >= 15 MV/m. In a first series of 27 industrially produced TTF cavities the average gradient at Q0 = 5E+9 was measured to be 20.1 +- 6.2 MV/m, excluding a few cavities suffering from serious fabrication or material defects. In the second production of 24 TTF cavities additional quality control measures were introduced, in particular an eddy-current scan to eliminate niobium sheets with foreign material inclusions and stringent prescriptions for carrying out the electron-beam welds. The average gradient of these cavities at Q0 = 5E+9 amounts to 25.0 +- 3.2 MV/m with the exception of one cavity suffering from a weld defect. Hence only a moderate improvement in production and preparation techniques will be needed to meet the ambitious TESLA goal with an adequate safety margin. In this paper we present a detailed description of the design, fabrication and preparation of the TESLA Test Facility cavities and their associated components and report on cavity performance in test cryostats and with electron beam in the TTF linac. The ongoing R&D towards higher gradients is briefly addressed.Comment: 45 pages (Latex), 39 figures (Encapsulated Postscript), 53 Author

All that glisters is not gold: a comparison of electronic monitoring versus filled prescriptions – an observational study

BACKGROUND: Poor compliance with antihypertensive medication is assumed to be an important reason for unsatisfactory control of blood pressure. Poor compliance is difficult to detect. Each method of measuring compliance has its own strengths and weaknesses. The aim of the present study was to compare patient compliance with antihypertensive drugs as measured by two methods, electronic monitoring versus refill compliance. METHODS: 161 patients with a diagnosis of hypertension for at least a year prior to inclusion, and inadequate blood pressure control (systolic blood pressure ≥ 160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 95 mmHg) despite the use of antihypertensive drugs, were included. Patients' pharmacy records from 12 months prior to inclusion were obtained. Refill compliance was calculated as the number of days for which the pills were prescribed divided by the total number of days in this period. After inclusion compliance was measured with an electronic monitor that records time and date of each opening of the pillbox. Agreement between both compliance measures was calculated using Spearman's correlation coefficient and Cohen's kappa coefficient. RESULTS: There was very little agreement between the two measures. Whereas refill compliance showed a large range of values, compliance as measured by electronic monitoring was high in almost all patients with estimates between 90% and 100%. Cohen's kappa coefficient was 0.005. CONCLUSION: While electronic monitoring is often considered to be the gold standard for compliance measurements, our results suggest that a short-term electronic monitoring period with the patient being aware of electronic monitoring is probably insufficient to obtain valid compliance data. We conclude that there is a strong need for more studies that explore the effect of electronic monitoring on patient's compliance