Screening of COPD patients for abdominal aortic aneurysm

Purpose: Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in “men aged over 65 years who have ever smoked” is a recommended policy. To reduce the number of screenings, it may be of value to define subgroups with a higher prevalence of AAA. Since chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and AAA are associated with several common risk factors, this study investigates the prevalence of AAA in COPD patients. Patients and methods: Patients with COPD were identified via the hospital information system. Inclusion criteria were: COPD stage I–IV, ability to give full consent, and age >18 years; exclusion criteria were: patient too obese for an ultrasound check, previously diagnosed AAA, prior surgery for AAA, or ethical grounds such as concomitant advanced malignant or end-stage disease. The primary endpoint of the study was an aortic diameter measured by ultrasound of ≥30 mm. Defined secondary endpoints were evaluated on the basis of medical records and interviews. Results: Of the 1,180 identified COPD patients, 589 were included in this prospective study. In 22 patients (3.70%), the aortic diameter was ≥30 mm, representing an AAA prevalence of 6.72% among males aged >65 years. The risk of AAA increased with the following comorbidities/risk factors: male sex (odds ratio [OR] 2.98), coronary heart disease (OR 2.81), peripheral arterial occlusive disease (OR 2.47), hyperlipoproteinemia (OR 2.77), AAA in the family history (OR 3.95), and COPD stage I/II versus IV (OR 1.81). Conclusion: The overall AAA prevalence of 3.7% in our group of COPD patients is similar to that of the general population aged >65 years. However, the frequency of AAA in male COPD patients aged >65 years is considerably higher (6.72%) and increased further still in those individuals with additional comorbidities/risk factors. Defining subgroups with a higher risk of AAA may increase the efficiency of screening

Modellprojekt zur Verknüpfung von Arbeits- und Gesundheitsförderung im Setting

MODELLPROJEKT ZUR VERKNÜPFUNG VON ARBEITS- UND GESUNDHEITSFÖRDERUNG IM SETTING Modellprojekt zur Verknüpfung von Arbeits- und Gesundheitsförderung im Setting / Schreiner-Kürten, Karin (Rights reserved) ( -

The reliability of postural balance measures in single and dual tasking in elderly fallers and non-fallers

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of a forceplate postural balance protocol in a group of elderly fallers and non-fallers. The measurements were tested in single and dual-task conditions, with and without vision. METHODS: 37 elderly (mean age 73 +/- 6 years) community-dwellers were included in this study. All were tested in a single (two-legged stance) and in a dual-task (two-legged stance while counting backwards aloud in steps of 7's) condition, with and without vision. A forceplate was used for registering postural variables: the maximal and the root-mean-square amplitude in medio-lateral (Max-ML, RMS-ML) and antero-posterior (Max-AP, RMS-AP) direction, mean velocity (MV), and the area of the 95% confidence ellipse (AoE). Reliability of the test protocol was expressed with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), with 95% limits of agreement (LoA), and with the smallest detectable difference (SDD). RESULTS: The ICCs for inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability of the balance variables were r = 0.70-0.89. For the variables Max-AP and RMS-AP the ICCs were r = 0.52-0.74. The SDD values were for variable Max-ML and Max-AP between 0.37 cm and 0.83 cm, for MV between 0.48 cm/s and 1.2 cm/s and for AoE between 1.48 cm2 and 3.75 cm2. The LoA analysis by Bland-Altman plots showed no systematic differences between test-retest measurements. CONCLUSION: The study showed good reliability results for group assessment and no systematic errors of the measurement protocol in measuring postural balance in the elderly in a single-task and dual-task condition

Rapid Insulinotropic Action of Low Doses of Bisphenol-A on Mouse and Human Islets of Langerhans: Role of Estrogen Receptor β

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a widespread endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) used as the base compound in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics. It alters pancreatic β-cell function and can be considered a risk factor for type 2 diabetes in rodents. Here we used ERβ−/− mice to study whether ERβ is involved in the rapid regulation of KATP channel activity, calcium signals and insulin release elicited by environmentally relevant doses of BPA (1 nM). We also investigated these effects of BPA in β-cells and whole islets of Langerhans from humans. 1 nM BPA rapidly decreased KATP channel activity, increased glucose-induced [Ca2+]i signals and insulin release in β-cells from WT mice but not in cells from ERβ−/− mice. The rapid reduction in the KATP channel activity and the insulinotropic effect was seen in human cells and islets. BPA actions were stronger in human islets compared to mouse islets when the same BPA concentration was used. Our findings suggest that BPA behaves as a strong estrogen via nuclear ERβ and indicate that results obtained with BPA in mouse β-cells may be extrapolated to humans. This supports that BPA should be considered as a risk factor for metabolic disorders in humans

Framework and baseline examination of the German National Cohort (NAKO)

The German National Cohort (NAKO) is a multidisciplinary, population-based prospective cohort study that aims to investigate the causes of widespread diseases, identify risk factors and improve early detection and prevention of disease. Specifically, NAKO is designed to identify novel and better characterize established risk and protection factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory and infectious diseases in a random sample of the general population. Between 2014 and 2019, a total of 205,415 men and women aged 19–74 years were recruited and examined in 18 study centres in Germany. The baseline assessment included a face-to-face interview, self-administered questionnaires and a wide range of biomedical examinations. Biomaterials were collected from all participants including serum, EDTA plasma, buffy coats, RNA and erythrocytes, urine, saliva, nasal swabs and stool. In 56,971 participants, an intensified examination programme was implemented. Whole-body 3T magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 30,861 participants on dedicated scanners. NAKO collects follow-up information on incident diseases through a combination of active follow-up using self-report via written questionnaires at 2–3 year intervals and passive follow-up via record linkages. All study participants are invited for re-examinations at the study centres in 4–5 year intervals. Thereby, longitudinal information on changes in risk factor profiles and in vascular, cardiac, metabolic, neurocognitive, pulmonary and sensory function is collected. NAKO is a major resource for population-based epidemiology to identify new and tailored strategies for early detection, prediction, prevention and treatment of major diseases for the next 30 years. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10654-022-00890-5

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

CDOM retrieval using measurements of downwelling irradiance

As it can strongly influence the availability of light and thus primary production, coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) affects the function of lake ecosystems. Therefore reliable methods are required for the monitoring of CDOM concentration. A new method using downwelling irradiance was tested for applicability in four selected lakes of the Bavarian Osterseen Lake District, which consists of 19 naturally connected freshwater lakes of different trophic level. The method separates between the direct and diffuse part of the incident light in order to handle the strong variability of the underwater light field. It is implemented in the software WASI, which is capable to retrieve water constituents by inverse modeling. During field campaigns downwelling irradiance measurements using RAMSES sensors were made in different depths. Simultaneously, water samples were taken in three depths (0.5 m, 2 m and Secchi disk depth), from which the absorption coefficient of CDOM, aY, was derived in the range from 190 to 900 nm using photometric absorption measurements. Concentration (defined as aY at 440 nm) ranged from 0.33 to 1.55 m-1 ± 0.04 m-1, the spectral slope at 440 nm from 0.0120 to 0.0184 nm-1 with a mean of 0.0145 ± 0.0008 nm-1. These laboratory measurements from water samples were compared to CDOM concentration obtained by inverse modeling of downwelling irradiance measurements using WASI. For sensor depths lower than 1 to 1.5 m large uncertainties were observed. The measurements in 2 m depth and at Secchi disk depth yielded good correlation between water sample and WASI derived data (R^2 = 0.87) with a mean standard deviation of 0.06 m-1 for the determined CDOM concentrations. This new method is an alternative to laboratory analysis of water samples from in situ measurements of CDOM concentration

The impact of long-term acclimation to different growth light intensities on the regulation of zeaxanthin epoxidase in different plant species

Proper short- and long-term acclimation to different growth light intensities is essential for the survival and competitiveness of plants in the field. High light exposure is known to induce the down-regulation and photoinhibition of photosystem II (PSII) activity to reduce photo-oxidative stress. The xanthophyll zeaxanthin (Zx) serves central photoprotective functions in these processes. We have shown in recent work with different plant species (Arabidopsis, tobacco, spinach and pea) that photoinhibition of PSII and degradation of the PSII reaction center protein D1 is accompanied by the inactivation and degradation of zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP), which catalyzes the reconversion of Zx to violaxanthin. Different high light sensitivity of the above-mentioned species correlated with differential down-regulation of both PSII and ZEP activity. Applying light and electron microscopy, chlorophyll fluorescence, and protein and pigment analyses, we investigated the acclimation properties of these species to different growth light intensities with respect to the ability to adjust their photoprotective strategies. We show that the species differ in phenotypic plasticity in response to short- and long-term high light conditions at different morphological and physiological levels. However, the close co-regulation of PSII and ZEP activity remains a common feature in all species and under all conditions. This work supports species-specific acclimation strategies and properties in response to high light stress and underlines the central role of the xanthophyll Zx in photoprotection