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Abstract Background Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) play a crucial role in assessing rheumatic diseases, offering insights into disease evaluation and treatment efficacy. This study focuses on PRO assessment in large vessel vasculitides, including Takayasu Arteritis and Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). Methods We retrospectively analyzed routine data from patients treated at our rheumatology clinic over a 10-year span. Patient and physician-rated global disease activity scale (G-DAS) scores, measured on a numeric rating scale (0–10 points), were collected at each visit. Clinical variables like age, sex, body mass index (BMI), disease duration, lab values, pain perception, and questionnaire responses were recorded. Linear regression and generalized additive linear regression (GAM analysis) examined associations between PROs and these factors. Results The study included 138 patients, primarily diagnosed with GCA (94.4%). Mean follow-up was 2.5 years (0-7.7). Patient and physician G-DAS exhibited a moderate correlation (Pearson R 0.19, CI 0.14–0.24, p

Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. The main driving force behind this association is coronary artery disease (CAD), the manifestation of atherosclerosis in the coronary circulation. Cornerstones in the development of CAD are pathologies in lipid metabolism. In recent years, ongoing research has identified ceramides, a subclass of sphingolipids to be mediators of CVD. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of type II diabetes mellitus (DM) on circulating ceramides and hexosylceramides (HexCers) in CAD patients. Methods 24 patients aged 40–90 years with CAD confirmed by angiography were included into a pilot study. Patients with DM were identified by analysis of discharge letters or other medical documents available at the study center. During coronary angiography, arterial blood samples were collected and quantification of sphingolipids in patient serum was performed by mass spectrometry. Results Statistical analysis showed nine significantly different HexCers in CAD patients with DM compared to patients without DM. Among the nine significantly regulated HexCers, we identified seven d18:1 HexCers. This group contributes to the fourth most abundant subgroup of total ceramides and HexCers in this dataset. HexCer-d18:1–23:1(2-OH) showed the strongest downregulation in the patient group with DM. Conclusion This study suggests that levels of circulating HexCers are downregulated in patients with CAD and concomitant DM compared to patients without DM. Further research is needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms and the suitability of HexCers as possible mediators and/or prognostic markers in CAD.

This study evaluated the single-leg vertical hop test (SLVHT), using digital sensor technology, for the functional assessment of rehabilitation progress in patients after ACL reconstruction (ACL-R). Between January 2019 and June 2022, 143 patients (26.6 (8.9) years, m/f 66/34%) completed return-to-sport testing at 3 and 6 months after ACL-R. The jump height during SLVHT was quantified with a digital motion sensor, containing a three-axis acceleration gyroscope sensor, and the limb symmetry index (LSI) (injured/non-injured leg ratio) was calculated. Three months postoperatively, the jump height of the injured leg was 59.6% (13.5 (5.5) cm) that of the non-injured leg (22.9 (6.2) cm; p < 0.01). After 6 months, the jump height of the injured leg (18.4 (6.9) cm) improved by 44.1% compared to that at the 3-month follow-up but was still lower than the non-injured leg jump height (23.2 (7.0) cm, p < 0.001; LSI = 79.6%). Men jumped higher than women, but their LSI was not different at 3 (59.6 vs. 59.5%) and 6 months (80.6 vs. 77.8%). Regression analysis identified the non-injured leg jump height as the primary independent predictor of the jump height of the injured leg (β = 0.776, T = 51.506, p < 0.001). SLVHT, using digital sensor technology, is a simple and cost-effective functional test to assess rehabilitation progress after ACL-R, with the potential for multi-centre data analysis.

PurposeThe aim of the study was to evaluate how many patients are being transferred between trauma centers and and their characteristics in the 2006 initiated TraumaNetzwerk DGU® (TNW). We further investigated the time point of transfer and differences in outcome, compared to patients not being transferred. We wanted to know how trauma centers judged the performance of the TNW in transfer.Method(1) We analyzed the data of the TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU) from 2014–2018. Included were patients that were treated in German trauma centers, maximum AIS (MAIS) >2 and MAIS 2 only in case of admission on ICU or death of the patient. Patients being transferred were compared to patients who were not. Characteristics were compared, and a logistic regression analysis performed to identify predictive factors. (2) We performed a survey in the TNW focussing on frequency, timing and communication between hospitals and improvement through TNW.ResultsStudy I analyzed 143,195 patients from the TR-DGU. Their mean ISS was 17.8 points (SD 11.5). 56.4% were admitted primarily to a Level-I, 32.2% to a Level-II and 11.4% to a Level-III Trauma Center. 10,450 patients (7.9%) were transferred. 3,667 patients (22.7%) of the admitted patients of Level-III Center and 5,610 (12.6%) of Level-II Center were transferred, these patients showed a higher ISS (Level-III: 18.1 vs. 12.9; Level-II: 20.1 vs. 15.8) with more often a severe brain injury (AIS 3+) (Level-III: 43.6% vs. 13.1%; Level-II: 53.2% vs. 23.8%). Regression analysis showed ISS 25+ and severe brain injury AIS 3+ are predictive factors for patients needing a rapid transfer. Study II: 215 complete questionnaires (34%) of the 632 trauma centers. Transfers were executed within 2 h after the accident (Level-III: 55.3%; Level-II: 25.0%) and between 2–6 h (Level-III: 39.5%; Level-II: 51.3%). Most trauma centers judged that implementation of TNW improved trauma care significantly (Level III: 65.0%; Level-II: 61.4%, Level-I: 56.7%).ConclusionThe implementation of TNW has improved the communication and quality of comprehensive trauma care of severely injured patients within Germany. Transfer is mostly organized efficient. Predictors such as higher level of head injury reveal that preclinical algorithm present a potential of further improvement.

Airborne observations of vertical aerosol particle distributions are crucial for detailed process studies and model improvements. Tethered balloon systems represent a less expensive alternative to aircraft to probe shallow atmospheric boundary layers (ABLs). This study presents the newly developed cubic aerosol measurement platform (CAMP) for balloon-borne observations of aerosol particle microphysical properties. With an edge length of 35 cm and a weight of 9 kg, the cube is an environmentally robust instrument platform intended for measurements at low temperatures, with a particular focus on applications in cloudy Arctic ABLs. The aerosol instrumentation on board CAMP comprises two condensation particle counters with different lower detection limits, one optical particle size spectrometer, and a miniaturized absorption photometer. Comprehensive calibrations and characterizations of the instruments were performed in laboratory experiments. The first field study with a tethered balloon system took place at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) station in Melpitz, Germany, in the winter of 2019. At ambient temperatures between −8 and 15 ∘C, the platform was operated up to a 1.5 km height on 14 flights under both clear-sky and cloudy conditions. The continuous aerosol observations at the ground station served as a reference for evaluating the CAMP measurements. Exemplary profiles are discussed to elucidate the performance of the system and possible process studies. Based on the laboratory instrument characterizations and the observations during the field campaign, CAMP demonstrated the capability to provide comprehensive aerosol particle measurements in cold and cloudy ABLs.

BackgroundBiobanks are essential structures for scientific research. The RHINEVIT biobank is used to recruit biomaterials from rheumatology patients in outpatient care and to conduct clinical research studies (e.g., cohort studies) and basic research. RHINEVIT established Broad Consents (BC) to allow extensive and relevant usage of data and biospecimens without the need for specific project restrictions. For quality assurance, we compared the consent rate of individual items of the BC versions in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the longitudinal study.MethodsBCs were used for biomaterial donation. Informed consent data from RHINEVIT were analyzed. Due to the content restructuring of the BC items due to changes from the templates of the working group of the Medical Ethics Commissions in the Federal Republic of Germany and GDPR requirements, content mapping of the items was performed for the analysis.ResultsFrom September 2015 to March 2022, 291 SLE outpatients donated biomaterials. In 119 patients, the BC was renewed at least once in a subsequent biomaterial donation. Three biomaterial donations were obtained from 21 patients and four from six patients using the respective BC. However, one consent was later revoked. Consent to the BC topics showed consistently high rates of agreement (range 97.5%−100%), with only some patients disagreeing with individual topics. This remained stable over time (median 526 days [Q1 400, Q3 844]). None of the patients disagreed with a certain topic in two consecutive visits.ConclusionModifications to the BC did not result in any relevant changes in the approval rates for SLE patients. RHINEVIT's BC is successfully used for the quality-assured handling of excellently annotated biomaterial. The long-term use of these highly valuable biospecimens for unrestricted research, also in an international context, remains assured.

Students often have misconceptions about terrestrial carbon flows and there is a lack of coherence in students' explanations regarding the different levels of biological organisation at which these processes occur. In this study, problem-based teaching materials on the topic of terrestrial carbon flows were developed and tested with 15 students 18-19 years old (grade 12) using a pre/post-test design. Students focused on specific carbon flows in an ecosystem at the macro level (e.g. CO[subscript 2] fixation and heterotrophic respiration) including specific related concepts at the micro level (e.g. photosynthesis and cellular respiration). The findings indicate that the teaching materials improved the students' understanding of terrestrial carbon flows and their ability to reason across the different levels of biological organisation. On the basis of these findings, implications for teaching terrestrial carbon flows in biological education are discussed.

ObjectiveTo compare physician and patient assessments of global disease activity in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) and to identify associated factors.MethodsGlobal disease activity scores (0–10 points) were retrospectively analyzed from physicians and patients with AAV at each outpatient visit from 2010 to 2020. We compared the scores and performed a linear regression with a random effects to identify associated factors.ResultsPatients (n = 143, 1,291 pairs, 52% female) had a mean 64 (±15) years of age and a mean disease duration of 9 (±7) years. Patients and physicians global disease activity assessments showed a moderate correlation (Pearson R 0.31, CI [0.23–0.52], p

A unique data set derived from remote sensing, airborne, and ground-based in situ measurements is presented. This measurement report highlights the known complexity of comparing multiple aerosol optical parameters examined with different approaches considering different states of humidification and atmospheric aerosol concentrations. Mie-theory-based modeled aerosol optical properties are compared with the respective results of airborne and ground-based in situ measurements and remote sensing (lidar and photometer) performed at the rural central European observatory at Melpitz, Germany. Calculated extinction-to-backscatter ratios (lidar ratios) were in the range of previously reported values. However, the lidar ratio is a function of the aerosol type and the relative humidity. The particle lidar ratio (LR) dependence on relative humidity was quantified and followed the trend found in previous studies. We present a fit function for the lidar wavelengths of 355, 532, and 1064 nm with an underlying equation of fLR(RH, γ(λ))=fLR(RH=0,λ)×(1-RH)-γ(λ), with the derived estimates of γ(355 nm) = 0.29 (±0.01), γ(532 nm) = 0.48 (±0.01), and γ(1064 nm) = 0.31 (±0.01) for central European aerosol. This parameterization might be used in the data analysis of elastic-backscatter lidar observations or lidar-ratio-based aerosol typing efforts. Our study shows that the used aerosol model could reproduce the in situ measurements of the aerosol particle light extinction coefficients (measured at dry conditions) within 13 %. Although the model reproduced the in situ measured aerosol particle light absorption coefficients within a reasonable range, we identified many sources for significant uncertainties in the simulations, such as the unknown aerosol mixing state, brown carbon (organic material) fraction, and the unknown aerosol mixing state wavelength-dependent refractive index. The modeled ambient-state aerosol particle light extinction and backscatter coefficients were smaller than the measured ones. However, depending on the prevailing aerosol conditions, an overlap of the uncertainty ranges of both approaches was achieved.

This study investigates students' conceptions of the carbon cycle with regard to the components they believe to be relevant to the carbon cycle, how they interrelate these components, the ways in which they trace carbon atoms, and the different levels of biological organisation they consider when doing so. A total of 142 students aged 13-16 years (grades 8-10) participated in the study. A total of 130 students completed the diagnostic task, and an additional 12 students completed both the diagnostic task and were interviewed. The primary results show that the students identified few components of the carbon cycle, tended to trace carbon atoms exclusively at the level of the organism, and had difficulties identifying organic carbon compounds, especially during processes in which carbon compounds are transformed. Considering the main educational implications, we recommend using an instructional strategy that traces carbon atoms across the different levels of biological organisation whilst connecting fragmented knowledge by integrating knowledge from physiology, biochemistry and ecology when teaching the carbon cycle.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between high school students' understanding of carbon compounds, including their transformations, and their ability to trace matter in the carbon cycle. The rationale of this study is based on the hypothesis that the students' lack of knowledge about carbon compounds and their transformations limits the students' ability to trace carbon in the carbon cycle. A total of 16 students aged 14-16 years (grade 9) from two different secondary schools were interviewed about carbon compounds, and they were asked to trace matter in the carbon cycle in response to a written diagnostic task. We argue that students' lack of knowledge about carbon compounds and their transformations is responsible for their construction of the carbon cycle as either a gas-gas or solid-solid cycle. Educational implications are discussed.

Non-coding RNAs have been shown to be important biomarkers and mediators of many different disease entities, including cardiovascular (CV) diseases like atherosclerosis, aneurysms, and valvulopathies. Growing evidence suggests a central role of ncRNAs as regulators of different pathological pathways involved in endothelial dysfunction, cardiovascular inflammation, cell differentiation, and calcification. This review will discuss the role of protein-bound and extracellular vesicular-bound ncRNAs as biomarkers of vascular and valvular diseases, their role as intercellular communicators, and regulators of disease pathways and also highlights possible treatment strategies.

Emotion regulation ability (ERA) enables individuals to disengage from negative stimuli. In this study, we investigated the role of ERA in the depression-related negativity bias. Seventy-four individuals with major depressive disorder and eighty-three nonclinical individuals were screened for depressiveness using the Beck Depression Inventory. ERA was assessed using the Action Orientation After Failure Subscale of the Action Control Scale. We used a classical Stroop task variant, wherein the color words were preceded by either a self-relevant positive (success-related), negative (failure-related), or neutral word prime. The expected depressiveness × emotional prime interaction did not reach significance but the expected ERA × emotional prime interaction did. The latter effect was qualified by a three-way interaction between ERA, depressiveness, and emotional prime. Specifically, ERA predicted the negativity bias in individuals with high depressiveness scores. Using the Johnson–Neyman technique, we found that this effect was significant at the level of mild to moderate depression and beyond. Thus, poor ERA in individuals with depression may cause the depression-related negativity bias, whereas (at least) moderate ERA may protect individuals with depression from this bias. Future studies should assess ERA in individuals with depressive symptomatology and investigate how it influences their everyday functioning and treatment outcomes.

Digital applications in health care are a concurrent research and management question, where implementation experiences are a core field of information systems research. It also contributes to fighting pandemic crises like COVID-19 because contactless information flow and speed of diagnostics are improved. This paper presents three digital application case studies from emergency medicine, administration management, and cancer diagnosis with AI support from the University Medical Centers of Münster and Göttingen in Germany. All cases highlight the potential of digitalization to increase speed and efficiency within the front end of medicine as the crucial phase before patient treatment starts. General challenges for health care project implementations and human-computer interaction (HCI) concepts in health care are derived and discussed, including the importance of specific processes together with user analysis and adaption. A derived concept for HCI includes the criteria speed, accuracy, modularity, and individuality to achieve sustainable improvements within the front end of medicine.

Limited comparative data exist on different interventional strategies for endovascular revascularization of complex femoropopliteal interventions. In this study, the authors aimed to compare a stent-avoiding (SA) vs a stent-preferred (SP) strategy, promoting optimal lesion preparation and the use of drug-eluting technologies in both arms. Within a prospective, multicenter, pilot study, 120 patients with symptomatic complex femoropopliteal lesions (Rutherford classification 2-4, mean lesion length 187.7 ± 78.3 mm, 79.2% total occlusions) were randomly assigned in a 1:1 fashion to endovascular treatment with either paclitaxel-coated balloons or polymer-coated, paclitaxel-eluting stents. Lesion preparation including the use of devices for plaque modification and/or removal was at the operators' discretion in both treatment arms. In the SA group, lesion preparation was more frequently performed (71.7% SA [43/60] vs 51.7% [31/60] SP; P = 0.038) with a high provisional stenting rate (48.3% [29/60]). At the 12-month follow-up, primary patency was 78.2% (43/55) in the SA group and 78.6% (44/56) in the SP group (P = 1.0; relative risk: 0.995; 95% CI: 0.818-1.210). Freedom from major adverse events was determined in 93.1% (54/58) in the SA group and in 94.9% (56/59) in the SP group (P = 0.717; relative risk: 0.981; 95% CI: 0.895-1.075), with all adverse events attributable to clinically driven target lesion revascularization. Both endovascular strategies promoting lesion preparation before the use of drug-eluting devices suggest promising efficacy and safety results in complex femoropopliteal procedures with a high proportion of total occlusions through 12 months. Ongoing follow-up will show whether different results emerge over time. (Best Endovascular Strategy for Complex Lesions of the Superficial Femoral Artery [BEST-SFA]; NCT03776799) [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring vertical profiles of the particle light-absorption coefficient by using absorption photometers may face the challenge of fast changes in relative humidity (RH). These absorption photometers determine the particle light-absorption coefficient due to a change in light attenuation through a particle-loaded filter. The filter material, however, takes up or releases water with changing relative humidity (RH in %), thus influencing the light attenuation. A sophisticated set of laboratory experiments was therefore conducted to investigate the effect of fast RH changes (dRH ∕ dt) on the particle light-absorption coefficient (σabs in Mm−1) derived with two absorption photometers. The RH dependence was examined based on different filter types and filter loadings with respect to loading material and areal loading density. The Single Channel Tricolor Absorption Photometer (STAP) relies on quartz-fiber filter, and the microAeth® MA200 is based on a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filter band. Furthermore, three cases were investigated: clean filters, filters loaded with black carbon (BC), and filters loaded with ammonium sulfate. The filter areal loading densities (ρ*) ranged from 3.1 to 99.6 mg m−2 in the case of the STAP and ammonium sulfate and 1.2 to 37.6 mg m−2 in the case the MA200. Investigating BC-loaded cases, ρBC* was in the range of 2.9 to 43.0 and 1.1 to 16.3 mg m−2 for the STAP and MA200, respectively. Both instruments revealed opposing responses to relative humidity changes (ΔRH) with different magnitudes. The STAP shows a linear dependence on relative humidity changes. The MA200 is characterized by a distinct exponential recovery after its filter was exposed to relative humidity changes. At a wavelength of 624 nm and for the default 60 s running average output, the STAP reveals an absolute change in σabs per absolute change of RH (Δσabs∕ΔRH) of 0.14 Mm−1 %−1 in the clean case, 0.29 Mm−1 %−1 in the case of BC-loaded filters, and 0.21 Mm−1 %−1 in the case filters loaded with ammonium sulfate. The 60 s running average of the particle light-absorption coefficient at 625 nm measured with the MA200 revealed a response of around −0.4 Mm−1 %−1 for all three cases. Whereas the response of the STAP varies over the different loading materials, in contrast, the MA200 was quite stable. The response was, for the STAP, in the range of 0.17 to 0.24 Mm−1 %−1 and, in the case of ammonium sulfate loading and in the BC-loaded case, 0.17 to 0.62 Mm−1 %−1. In the ammonium sulfate case, the minimum response shown by the MA200 was −0.42 with a maximum of −0.36 Mm−1 %−1 and a minimum of −0.42 and maximum −0.37 Mm−1 %−1 in the case of BC. A linear correction function for the STAP was developed here. It is provided by correlating 1 Hz resolved recalculated particle light-absorption coefficients and RH change rates. The linear response is estimated at 10.08 Mm−1 s−1 %−1. A correction approach for the MA200 is also provided; however, the behavior of the MA200 is more complex. Further research and multi-instrument measurements have to be conducted to fully understand the underlying processes, since the correction approach resulted in different correction parameters across various experiments. However, the exponential recovery after the filter of the MA200 experienced a RH change could be reproduced. However, the given correction approach has to be estimated with other RH sensors as well, since each sensor has a different response time. And, for the given correction approaches, the uncertainties could not be estimated, which was mainly due to the response time of the RH sensor. Therefore, we do not recommend using the given approaches. But they point in the right direction, and despite the imperfections, they are useful for at least estimating the measurement uncertainties due to relative humidity changes. Due to our findings, we recommend using an aerosol dryer upstream of absorption photometers to reduce the RH effect significantly. Furthermore, when absorption photometers are used in vertical measurements, the ascending or descending speed through layers of large relative humidity gradients has to be low to minimize the observed RH effect. But this is simply not possible in some scenarios, especially in unmixed layers or clouds. Additionally, recording the RH of the sample stream allows correcting for the bias during post-processing of the data. This data correction leads to reasonable results, according to the given example in this study.

Air quality measurements usually consist of ground-based instrumentation at fixed locations. However, vertical profiles of pollutants are of interest for understanding processes, distribution, dilution and concentration. Therefore, a multicopter system has been developed to investigate the vertical distribution of the concentration of aerosol particles, black carbon, ozone, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide and the meteorological parameters of temperature and humidity. This article presents the requirements by different users, the setup of the quadrocopter system, the instrumentation and the results of first applications. The vertical distribution of particulate matter next to a highway was strongly related to atmospheric stratification, with different concentrations below and above the temperature inversion present in the morning. After the qualification phase described in this article, two identically equipped multicopters will be used upwind and downwind of line or diffuse sources such as highways or urban areas to quantify the influence of their emissions on the local air quality.

The recent outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has plunged countries across the world into crisis. Both in the general population and in specific subgroups such as infected people or health care workers, studies have reported increased symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress. However, the reactions of individuals with mental disorders to Covid-19 have largely been neglected. The present study therefore aimed to investigate the perceived impact of Covid-19 and its psychological consequences on people with mental disorders. In this online survey, participants were asked to evaluate their disorder-specific symptoms, perceived psychosocial stress and behaviors related to Covid-19 in the current situation and retrospectively before the spread of Covid-19. The study included participants with self-identified generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder and agoraphobia (PA), illness anxiety disorder (IA), social anxiety disorder (SAD), depression (DP), obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), eating disorders (ED), schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (SP), other non-specified mental disorder (other) as well as mentally healthy controls (HC). The results of bayesian parameter estimation suggest that the symptom severity of DP, GAD, IA and BDD has deteriorated as a reaction to Covid-19. Across all mental disorders and HC, self-reported psychosocial stress levels were higher during the outbreak of Covid-19 compared to before. A reduced frequency of social contacts and grocery shopping was found for all participants. People with self-identified mental disorders showed higher personal worries about Covid-19 and a higher fear of contagion with Covid-19 than did HC. According to our findings, Covid-19 may reinforce symptom severity and psychosocial stress in individuals with mental disorders. In times of pandemics, special support is needed to assist people with mental disorders and to prevent symptom deterioration.

Background: Post-Stroke Depression (PSD) is a severe condition, affecting about 30% of stroke survivors within a five-year period after stroke. Post-stroke functional impairments (FI) and social support are associated with PSD. It is inconclusive, whether one of the factors, post-stroke FI and PSD, shows a stronger predictive value on the respective other over time. The aims of the present study were to 1) investigate the relationship between PSD, FI, and social support of stroke patients in a 3-year prospective design, and 2) address methodological shortcomings of previous studies. Methods: We investigated 174 stroke survivors and assessed PSD with a structured clinical interview and a dimensional symptom rating scale. We conducted regression analyses and applied the approach of multiple imputations (MI) for missing data due to dropout during follow-up. Results: PSD prevalence was 32.2% in the acute phase after stroke. Individuals with a PSD in this phase revealed a fivefold higher risk for PSD 3 years later. FI in the acute phase did not additionally contribute to the prediction of PSD at follow-up. Compared to individuals without PSD in the acute phase, individuals with PSD had an increased risk for FI at follow-up. Limitations regarding sample characteristics, design, and dropout are discussed. Conclusions: Results indicate that PSD rather than FI represents a crucial risk factor for negative long-term consequences regarding physical and psychological health after stroke. Post-stroke treatment might be optimized by a routine assessment of PSD and FI after stroke and considering the results for personalized treatment options. Keywords: Post-stroke depression, Functional impairments, Social support, Stroke, Prospective design

ObjectiveFindings on the relationship between hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) activity and cognitive performance are inconsistent. We investigated whether personality in terms of emotion regulation abilities (ERA) moderates the relationship between stress-contingent HPA activity and accuracy of intuitive coherence judgments.MethodERA and cortisol responses to social-evaluative stress as induced by a variant of the Trier Social Stress Test were measured in N = 49 participants (32 female, aged 18 to 33 years, M = 22.48, SD = 3.33). Subsequently, in a Remote Associates Task they provided intuitive judgments on whether word triples, primed by either stress-reminding or neutral words, are coherent or not.ResultsUnder relative cortisol increase participants low in ERA showed reduced performance whereas individuals high in ERA showed increased performance. By contrast, under conditions of low cortisol change, individuals low in ERA outperformed those high in ERA.ConclusionPersonality can moderate the link between stress and cognition such as accurate intuition. This can happen to a degree that existing effects may not be become apparent in the main effect (i.e. without considering personality), which highlights the necessity to consider personality in stress research, ERA in particular. We discuss the findings with respect to individual differences in neurobehavioral mechanisms potentially underlying ERA and corresponding interactions with cognitive processing.

Body image disturbance is associated with several mental disorders. Previous research on body image has focused mostly on women, largely neglecting body image in men. Moreover, only a small number of studies have conducted gender comparisons of body image over the lifespan and included participants aged 50 years and older. With regard to measurement, body image has often been assessed only in terms of body dissatisfaction, disregarding further aspects such as body appreciation or the importance of appearance. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore different aspects of body image in the general German-speaking population and to compare men and women of various ages. Participants completed an online survey comprising questionnaires about body image. Body dissatisfaction, importance of appearance, the number of hours per day participants would invest and the number of years they would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance, and body appreciation were assessed and analyzed with respect to gender and age differences. We hypothesized that body dissatisfaction and importance of appearance would be higher in women than in men, that body dissatisfaction would remain stable across age in women, and that importance of appearance would be lower in older women compared to younger women. Body appreciation was predicted to be higher in men than in women. General and generalized linear models were used to examine the impact of age and gender. In line with our hypotheses, body dissatisfaction was higher in women than in men and was unaffected by age in women, and importance of appearance was higher in women than in men. However, only in men did age predict a lower level of the importance of appearance. Compared to men, women stated that they would invest more hours of their lives to achieve their ideal appearance. For both genders, age was a predictor of the number of years participants would sacrifice to achieve their ideal appearance. Contrary to our assumption, body appreciation improved and was higher in women across all ages than in men. The results seem to suggest that men’s and women’s body image are dissimilar and appear to vary across different ages.

This paper examines the representativeness of ground-based in situ measurements for the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and conducts a closure study between airborne in situ and ground-based lidar measurements up to an altitude of 2300 m. The related measurements were carried out in a field campaign within the framework of the High-Definition Clouds and Precipitation for Advancing Climate Prediction (HD(CP)2) Observational Prototype Experiment (HOPE) in September 2013 in a rural background area of central Europe.The helicopter-borne probe ACTOS (Airborne Cloud and Turbulence Observation System) provided measurements of the aerosol particle number size distribution (PNSD), the aerosol particle number concentration (PNC), the number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN-NC), and meteorological atmospheric parameters (e.g., temperature and relative humidity). These measurements were supported by the ground-based 3+2 wavelength polarization lidar system PollyXT, which provided profiles of the particle backscatter coefficient (σbsc) for three wavelengths (355, 532, and 1064 nm). Particle extinction coefficient (σext) profiles were obtained by using a fixed backscatter-to-extinction ratio (also lidar ratio, LR). A new approach was used to determine profiles of CCN-NC for continental aerosol. The results of this new approach were consistent with the airborne in situ measurements within the uncertainties.In terms of representativeness, the PNSD measurements on the ground showed a good agreement with the measurements provided with ACTOS for lower altitudes. The ground-based measurements of PNC and CCN-NC are representative of the PBL when the PBL is well mixed. Locally isolated new particle formation events on the ground or at the top of the PBL led to vertical variability in the cases presented here and ground-based measurements are not entirely representative of the PBL. Based on Mie theory (Mie, 1908), optical aerosol properties under ambient conditions for different altitudes were determined using the airborne in situ measurements and were compared with the lidar measurements. The investigation of the optical properties shows that on average the airborne-based particle light backscatter coefficient is 50.1 % smaller for 1064 nm, 27.4 % smaller for 532 nm, and 29.5 % smaller for 355 nm than the measurements of the lidar system. These results are quite promising, since in situ measurement-based Mie calculations of the particle light backscattering are scarce and the modeling is quite challenging. In contrast, for the particle light extinction coefficient we found a good agreement. The airborne-based particle light extinction coefficient was just 8.2 % larger for 532 nm and 3 % smaller for 355 nm, for an assumed LR of 55 sr. The particle light extinction coefficient for 1064 nm was derived with a LR of 30 sr. For this wavelength, the airborne-based particle light extinction coefficient is 5.2 % smaller than the lidar measurements. For the first time, the lidar ratio of 30 sr for 1064 nm was determined on the basis of in situ measurements and the LR of 55 sr for 355 and 532 nm wavelength was reproduced for European continental aerosol on the basis of this comparison. Lidar observations and the in situ based aerosol optical properties agree within the uncertainties. However, our observations indicate that a determination of the PNSD for a large size range is important for a reliable modeling of aerosol particle backscattering.

Ultrashort pulse laser machining is subject to increase the processing speeds by scaling average power and pulse repetition rate, accompanied with higher dose rates of X-ray emission generated during laser–matter interaction. In particular, the X-ray energy range below 10 keV is rarely studied in a quantitative approach. We present measurements with a novel calibrated X-ray detector in the detection range of 2–20 keV and show the dependence of X-ray radiation dose rates and the spectral emissions for different laser parameters from frequently used metals, alloys, and ceramics for ultrafast laser machining. Our investigations include the dose rate dependence on various laser parameters available in ultrafast laser laboratories as well as on industrial laser systems. The measured X-ray dose rates for high repetition rate lasers with different materials definitely exceed the legal limitations in the absence of radiation shielding.

The HD(CP)2 Observational Prototype Experiment (HOPE) was performed as a major 2-month field experiment in Jülich, Germany, in April and May 2013, followed by a smaller campaign in Melpitz, Germany, in September 2013. HOPE has been designed to provide an observational dataset for a critical evaluation of the new German community atmospheric icosahedral non-hydrostatic (ICON) model at the scale of the model simulations and further to provide information on land-surface–atmospheric boundary layer exchange, cloud and precipitation processes, as well as sub-grid variability and microphysical properties that are subject to parameterizations. HOPE focuses on the onset of clouds and precipitation in the convective atmospheric boundary layer. This paper summarizes the instrument set-ups, the intensive observation periods, and example results from both campaigns. HOPE-Jülich instrumentation included a radio sounding station, 4 Doppler lidars, 4 Raman lidars (3 of them provide temperature, 3 of them water vapour, and all of them particle backscatter data), 1 water vapour differential absorption lidar, 3 cloud radars, 5 microwave radiometers, 3 rain radars, 6 sky imagers, 99 pyranometers, and 5 sun photometers operated at different sites, some of them in synergy. The HOPE-Melpitz campaign combined ground-based remote sensing of aerosols and clouds with helicopter- and balloon-based in situ observations in the atmospheric column and at the surface. HOPE provided an unprecedented collection of atmospheric dynamical, thermodynamical, and micro- and macrophysical properties of aerosols, clouds, and precipitation with high spatial and temporal resolution within a cube of approximately 10 × 10 × 10 km3. HOPE data will significantly contribute to our understanding of boundary layer dynamics and the formation of clouds and precipitation. The datasets have been made available through a dedicated data portal. First applications of HOPE data for model evaluation have shown a general agreement between observed and modelled boundary layer height, turbulence characteristics, and cloud coverage, but they also point to significant differences that deserve further investigations from both the observational and the modelling perspective.

Rainer DüsingMedizinische Klinik und Poliklinik 1, Bonn, GermanyAbstract: The majority of hypertensive patients need ≥2 antihypertensive agents to reach goal blood pressure. As an estimate, one-third of unselected hypertensive patients may be successfully treated with monotherapy, one-third may require 2 and the remaining one-third of patients will need ≥3 antihypertensive agents for effective blood pressure control. However, doctors are often hesitant to expand therapy in treated patients whose blood pressure is not lowered to goal (therapeutic inertia). Multiple-drug therapy in the majority of hypertensive patients may also represent one of several factors responsible for the low rates of adherence with chronic antihypertensive treatment. As a consequence, both US and European guidelines recommend single pill combinations to lower the number of pills needed in order to increase medication adherence and, possibly, reduce therapeutic inertia. For 2 drug combinations, the recently revised European (ESC/ESH) guidelines recommend the following options: diuretic plus either calcium channel blocker (CCB) or renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blocker (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker) or CCB plus RAS-blocker. In the absence of substantial evidence, neither JNC-7 (from 2003) nor the European guidelines from 2007 give any meaningful advice on triple combination treatment. It is therefore of interest that the 2009 reappraisal of the European guidelines gives preference to the combination of a RAS blocker and a CCB plus a diuretic. On the background of the substantial number of patients requiring ≥3 drugs for blood pressure control, the recent approval of a single-pill 3-drug combination composed in accordance with the above mentioned ESC/ESH recommendations should be appreciated.Keywords: blood pressure, fixed-dose combinations, hypertension

Construal Level Theory (CLT) [1] defines psychological distance as any object, event, or person that cannot be experienced by the self in the here and now. The goal of the present research was to demonstrate that feelings of uncertainty are closely linked to the concept of psychological distance. Two experiments tested the assumption that spatial distance and uncertainty are bidirectionally related. In the first experiment, we show that perceived spatial distance leads to a feeling of uncertainty. The second experiment revealed that a feeling of uncertainty leads to a perception of greater distance. By demonstrating that distance is closely tied to uncertainty, the present research extends previous research on both distance and uncertainty by incorporating previously unexplained findings within CLT. Implications of these findings such as the role of uncertainty within CLT are discussed.