Die explorative Tympanoskopie mit Obliteration des runden/ovalen Fensters in der Behandlung des Hörsturzes

In diesem Open-Access-Buch unternimmt der Autor den Versuch, auf das Therapieverfahren der explorativen Tympanoskopie mit Obliteration des/r runden/ovalen Fensters mit autologem Bindegewebe näher einzugehen und es in seiner Wirkung mit den verschiedenen verfahren intratympanaler Steroidinjektionen zu vergleichen. Die im Fokus stehende Operationsmethode stellt eine Therapiemethode in der Behandlung akut eingetretener, hochgradiger, idiopathischer, sensorineuraler Schwerhörigkeiten (Hörstürzen) dar. Sie kann alternativ zu der sicher zur Zeit noch in überwiegender Zahl durchgeführten intratympanalen Kortikoidgaben vorgenommen werden. Die hier zusammengetragenen Ergebnisse inklusive der Hinzufügung von Resultaten eigener Studiengruppen, bei denen die explorative Tympanoskopie zum Einsatz kam, legen nahe, dass die beschriebene Operationsmethode erfolgreich als „Second-line-Verfahren“ in der Behandlung des ausgepröägten Hörsturzes eingesetzt werden kann. Die Frage, inwiefern sie auch im „First-line-Mode“ verwendbar ist, kann durch die vorhandenen Studien noch nicht beantwortet werden. Ihrer Klärung sollte aber, initiiert durch die vorgelegten Therapierergebnisse, in der Zukunft in weiteren, prospektiv angelegten und möglichst doppel verblendeten Untersuchungsreihen mit Einbeziehung von Kontrollgruppen angestrebt werden. ; In diesem Open-Access Buch unternimmt der Autor den Versuch, auf das Therapieverfahren der explorativen Tympanoskopie mit Obliteration des/r runden/ovalen Fenster näher einzugehen und es in seiner Wirkung mit den verschiedenen beschriebenen Verfahren intratympanaler Steroidinjektionen zu vergleichen. Die explorative Tympanoskopie mit Obliteration der runden, ggf. auch ovalen Fensternische mit autologem Bindegewebe stellt eine Therapiemethode in der Behandlung akut eingetretener, hochgradiger, idiopathischer Schallempfindungsschwerhörigkeiten (Hörstürzen) dar. Sie kann alternativ zu der sicher zur Zeit noch in überwiegender Zahl durchgeführten intratympanalen Kortikoidinstillationen vorgenommen werden. Die hier zusammengetragenen Ergebnisse inklusive der Hinzufügung von Resultaten eigener Studiengruppen, bei denen die explorative Tympanoskopie zum Einsatz kam, legen nahe, dass die beschriebene Operationsmethode erfolgreich als „Second-line-Verfahren“ in der Behandlung des ausgepröägten Hörsturzes eingesetzt werden kann. Die Frage, inwiefern sie auch im „First-line-Mode“ verwendbar ist, kann durch die vorhandenen Studien noch nicht beantwortet werden. Ihrer Klärung sollte aber, initiiert durch die vorgelegten Therapierergebnisse, in der Zukunft in weiteren, prospektiv angelegten und möglichst doppel verblendeten Untersuchungsreihen mit Einbeziehung von Kontrollgruppen angestrebt werden

Discovering and quantifying nontrivial fixed points in multi-field models

We use the functional renormalization group and the $\epsilon$-expansion concertedly to explore multicritical universality classes for coupled $\bigoplus_i O(N_i)$ vector-field models in three Euclidean dimensions. Exploiting the complementary strengths of these two methods we show how to make progress in theories with large numbers of interactions, and a large number of possible symmetry-breaking patterns. For the three- and four-field models we find a new fixed point that arises from the mutual interaction between different field sectors, and we establish the absence of infrared-stable fixed point solutions for the regime of small $N_i$. Moreover, we explore these systems as toy models for theories that are both asymptotically safe and infrared complete. In particular, we show that these models exhibit complete renormalization group trajectories that begin and end at nontrivial fixed points.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures; minor changes, as published in EPJ

Issues, challenges, and leadership qualities of participating NJAC head soccer coaches at the division III level

The purpose of this study was to identify the issues, challenges, and leadership qualities of NCAA Division III head soccer coaches in a highly competitive and diverse area of the United States. Fifteen head soccer coaches from the New Jersey Athletic Conference completed the Leadership Assessment Instrument and the Issues and Challenges survey to identify similarities amongst state institutions of higher education in New Jersey and to compare similarities between head coaches of male and female soccer programs. Findings suggest there are no distinct differences amongst these institutions or between head coaches of male and female soccer programs. The leadership competencies and skills also reveal no distinct differences between the head coaches for male soccer programs when compared to female soccer programs

Escherichia coli utilizes methanesulfonate and l-cysteate as sole sulfur sources for growth

Twenty-three Escherichia coli strains were tested for their ability to use taurine, methanesulfonate, l-cysteate and other alkanesulfonates as sole sulfur sources for growth. One strain was unable to use any of the alkanesulfonates offered as sole sulfur sources for growth but grew with sulfate. Seven strains (class I) used alkanesulfonates for this purpose, but not methanesulfonate or l-cysteate. A further seven strains (class II) grew with all compounds tested, except with l-cysteate, and eight strains (class III) utilized all compounds tested as sulfur sources. Sulfur assimilation from methanesulfonate and l-cysteate was absolutely dependent on the ssuEADCB operon that encodes an alkanesulfonate uptake system (SsuABC) and a two-component monooxygenase (SsuDE) involved in the release of sulfite from alkanesulfonates. Long-term exposure of class I strains to methanesulfonate and of class II strains to l-cysteate selected for derivatives that utilized these two sulfur sources as efficiently as sulfate. The nucleotide sequence of the ssuEADCB operon in the methanesulfonate- and l-cysteate-utilizing derivative EC1250Me+ was identical to that in the class I wild-type EC1250. Gain of the ability to utilize methanesulfonate and l-cysteate as sulfur sources thus appears to result from increased expression of ssu genes rather than from a change in the quality of one or several of the Ssu protein

Complete high-quality genome sequence of Clostridium limosum (Hathewaya limosa) isolate 14S0207, recovered from a cow with suspected blackleg in Germany

Clostridium limosum can be found in soil and the intestinal tract of animals. In 2014, C. limosum was isolated from a suspected blackleg outbreak in cattle in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. We present a complete genome sequence of a C. limosum strain represented by a circular chromosome and three plasmids

Improvement of CHO specific productivity using amino acid derivatives

Industrial fed-batch cultivation of mammalian cells is used for the production of therapeutic proteins such as monoclonal antibodies. Besides medium ensuring initial growth, feeding is necessary to improve growth, viability and antibody production. Amino acids are key elements for the cellular metabolism but also for the quality of the recombinant protein produced. Several studies have already demonstrated the link between amino acid availability and sequence variants [1-3] or specific modifications like trisulfide bonds [4]. To avoid such modifications, the chemical modification of amino acids is an interesting alternative to modulate their overall solubility [5], stability or chemical reactivity. In this study, we analyzed the beneficial effect of using amino acid derivatives in neutral pH feeds on CHO cell growth and specific productivity in small scale and bioreactor experiments. The mechanisms of extra- or intra- cellular amino acid metabolization were investigated as well as the interaction with other media or cellular components. Additionally, gene expression arrays and western blot analyses were used to decipher the mechanisms of increased productivity. Finally, LC-MS based methods were used to study the impact of the chemical modification on several IgG critical quality attributes

Family Climate in Pandemic Times: Adolescents and Mothers

In this article, we examine changes in family climate during the first Covid‐19‐related lockdown in Germany. We compare the perspectives of mothers and adolescents to explore whether the factors of perceived changes in family climate are systematically and significantly different between these groups. We measure family climate as positive emotional climate, a sub‐dimension of the family environment scale, to capture a feeling of cohesion and emotional openness within the family. Based on family system theory and the family stress model, we expect an overall deterioration in family climate due to increased environmental adaptation in the pandemic. Furthermore, we expect family climate to deteriorate less when families have economic and social resources available. On the other hand, we assume that being employed and/or primarily responsible for family care relates to a stronger decline in the family climate. We employ longitudinal survey data (AID:A) from around 300 German families with children aged nine to 17 and apply individual fixed effects models to investigate changes in family climate from 2019 to 2020. Almost half of our respondents report a decrease in family climate. For mothers, the share of unpaid care work at home is the only significant predictor: Mothers doing more than 80% of the chores and childcare feel a greater decrease in family climate. For adolescents, however, being at risk of poverty and having less frequent family activities are important predictors of stronger decreases in family climate. In summary, our results illustrate the relevance of distinguishing between the perspective of children and parents in family studies

Young people’s engagement in online research:Challenges and lessons from conducting focus groups with young people online

Online qualitative focus groups are a method which has been increasingly used, especially since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, including in research with young people. Studies have reflected upon the challenges of conducting online qualitative research with young people, often drawing on experiences from the pandemic’s earlier stages [e.g. Smithson et al. 2021; Woodrow et al. 2021]. This article reflects upon the challenges faced, and choices made, when conducting online focus groups with 80 young people aged 14–18 to study their democratic engagement during the later 2021 wave of the pandemic. It highlights specific issues around the method’s effectiveness in engaging young people who face different kinds of marginalisation from democratic processes. While online modes of delivery were positive for engaging some, including groups of geographically dispersed young people, they exacerbated existing inequalities for others: young people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, from remote or rural areas and those with certain disabilities. Such inequalities in research participation can lead to variation in data quality, and therefore in the types of knowledge produced. Using these insights we outline a range of methodological and research design considerations for researchers when choosing whether to conduct online focus group research with young people.</p