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Abstract Background It is generally assumed that procrastination leads to negative consequences. However, evidence for negative consequences of procrastination is still limited and it is also unclear by which mechanisms they are mediated. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the harmful consequences of procrastination on students’ stress and mental health. We selected the procrastination-health model as our theoretical foundation and tried to evaluate the model’s assumption that trait procrastination leads to (chronic) disease via (chronic) stress in a temporal perspective. We chose depression and anxiety symptoms as indicators for (chronic) disease and hypothesized that procrastination leads to perceived stress over time, that perceived stress leads to depression and anxiety symptoms over time, and that procrastination leads to depression and anxiety symptoms over time, mediated by perceived stress. Methods To examine these relationships properly, we collected longitudinal data from 392 university students at three occasions over a one-year period and analyzed the data using autoregressive time-lagged panel models. Results Procrastination did lead to depression and anxiety symptoms over time. However, perceived stress was not a mediator of this effect. Procrastination did not lead to perceived stress over time, nor did perceived stress lead to depression and anxiety symptoms over time. Conclusions We could not confirm that trait procrastination leads to (chronic) disease via (chronic) stress, as assumed in the procrastination-health model. Nonetheless, our study demonstrated that procrastination can have a detrimental effect on mental health. Further health outcomes and possible mediators should be explored in future studies.

Abstract While macroinvertebrate dispersal operates at the individual level, predictions of their dispersal capabilities often rely on indirect proxies rather than direct measurements. To gain insight into the dispersal of individual specimens, it is crucial to mark (label) and capture individuals. Isotopic enrichment with 15N is a non‐invasive method with the potential of labelling large quantities of macroinvertebrates. While the analysis of 15N is widely utilised in food web studies, knowledge on the specific utility of isotopic enrichment with 15N for mass labelling of macroinvertebrate individuals across different taxa and feeding types is limited. Previous studies have focused on single species and feeding types, leaving gaps in our understanding of the broader applicability of this method. Therefore, this study aimed to test and compare isotopic mass enrichment across several macroinvertebrate taxa and feeding types. We released 15NH4Cl at five stream reaches in North‐Rhine Westphalia, Germany, and successfully enriched 12 distinct macroinvertebrate taxa (Crustacea and Insecta). Significant enrichment was achieved in active and passive filter feeders, grazers, shredders and predators, and predominantly showed positive correlations with the enrichment of the taxa's main food sources phytobenthos and particulate organic matter. Enrichment levels rose rapidly and peaked at distances between 50 m and 300 m downstream of the isotopic inlet; significant enrichment occurred up to 2000 m downstream of the isotopic inlet in all feeding types. Macroinvertebrate density estimates on the stream bottom averaged to a total of approximately 3.4 million labelled individuals of the 12 investigated taxa, thus showing the high potential of isotopic (15N) enrichment as a non‐invasive method applicable for mass labelling across different macroinvertebrate feeding types. Hence, isotopic enrichment can greatly assist the analysis of macroinvertebrate dispersal through mark‐and‐recapture experiments, as it allows to measure the movement at the level of individual specimens.

Abstract We investigated highly mature sedimentary rocks exposed along both sides of the Fram Strait in the northern North Atlantic using apatite fission track and (U‐Th)/He thermochronology to obtain information on the thermal imprint of rifting and continental breakup processes along a sheared margin. Our data showed that the conjugate margins experienced several heating episodes, which we explain as resulting from heat transfer along segments of the De Geer Fracture Zone, a large continental transform system which connected magmatic centers north and south of the Fram Strait. Heating occurred prior to and during the Eurekan intraplate orogeny, which occupied the position of the present‐day Fram Strait during the Eocene. Heat transfer may have caused or contributed to lithospheric weak zones, which focussed deformation during intraplate orogeny. Movements along the transform fault system continued during the Oligocene, after the end of the Eurekan Orogeny, causing further structural weakening of pre‐existing fault zones. These were exploited during the final continental breakup leading to the opening of the Fram Strait. No unambiguous thermal signature associated with this latest stage of breakup was detected. Our data underline recent studies on the importance of structural inheritance and continental transform faults for the prolonged and complex processes of continental rifting and breakup.

Abstract Uveitis is a process of intraocular inflammation that may involve different sections of the uveal tract. Apart from systemic or localized immune-mediated diseases, infections are key players in the etiology of uveitis and entail different treatment strategies. Rubella virus (RuV) is a recognized causative agent for the development of Fuchs uveitis, representing a major cause of virus-associated intraocular inflammation. A cohort of 159 patients diagnosed with different forms of uveitis between 2013 and 2019 was subjected to diagnostic antibody testing of the aqueous or vitreous humor. The diagnostic panel included RuV, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and toxoplasmosis. Within this cohort, 38 RuV-associated uveitis (RAU) patients were identified based on a pathologic Goldman-Witmer coefficient indicative of an underlying RuV infection. With a mean age of 45.9 years, the RAU patients were younger than the non-RAU patients (56.3, p

Permafrost is widespread in the High Arctic, including the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. The uppermost permafrost intervals have been well studied, but the processes at its base and the impacts of the underlying geology have been largely overlooked. More than a century of coal, hydrocarbon, and scientific drilling through the permafrost in Svalbard shows that accumulations of natural gas trapped at the base of permafrost are common. These accumulations exist in several stratigraphic intervals throughout Svalbard and show both thermogenic and biogenic origins. The gas, combined with the relatively young permafrost age, is evidence of ongoing gas migration throughout Svalbard. The accumulation sizes are uncertain, but one case demonstrably produced several million cubic metres of gas over 8 years. Heavier gas encountered in two boreholes on Hopen may be situated in the gas hydrate stability zone. While permafrost is demonstrably ice-saturated and acting as seal to gas in lowland areas, in the highlands permafrost is more complex and often dry and permeable. Svalbard shares a similar geological and glacial history with much of the Circum-Arctic, suggesting that sub-permafrost gas accumulations are regionally common. With permafrost thawing in the Arctic, there is a risk that the impacts of releasing of methane trapped beneath permafrost will lead to positive climatic feedback effects.

The choice of the extraction material is a critical step in solid-phase microextraction (SPME), especially the extraction of analytes which strongly differ in their polarity is challenging. This study is intended to give first insights into the headspace extraction of analytes with large differences in polarity by using a novel hydrophilic-lipophilic-balanced (HLB) SPME material with different particle sizes (5 µm, 5 + 30 µm, and 30 µm) in classical SPME, as well as SPME arrow format. The obtained results were compared to conventional and already established divinylbenzene carbon wide-range polydimethylsiloxane (DVB-CWR-PDMS) and PDMS SPME arrow fibers. The chosen model analytes toluene, indole, phenol, anisole, o-xylene, naphthalene, 2-heptanone, n-dodecane, and lindane are assigned to different substance classes with Kaw values ranging from -5.0–2.5 and Kow values from 1.5 to 7.5. The highest amount of the analytes was extracted by the HLB 5 + 30 µm arrow and the HLB 5 µm arrow, whereas the HLB SPME with a six times smaller phase volume compared to an SPME arrow, performed almost as well as the DVB-CWR-PDMS arrow. The 8-point calibration with the 5 + 30 µm HLB SPME arrow in the range of 5–70 µg L−1 of the analytes showed good linearity with R2 values ranging from 0.9765 to 0.9982, MDLs from 0.9 to 6.2 µg L−1 and RSDs from 2 to 31 %. For all of the observed analytes, the HLB material performed better than the conventional extraction materials and has great potential to replace the conventional extraction materials in many applications.

Abstract Stable isotope analysis of individual compounds is emerging as a powerful tool to study nutrient origin and conversion in host-parasite systems. We measured the carbon isotope composition of amino acids and glucose in the cestode Schistocephalus solidus and in liver and muscle tissues of its second intermediate host, the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), over the course of 90 days in a controlled infection experiment. Similar linear regressions of δ13C values over time and low trophic fractionation of essential amino acids indicate that the parasite assimilates nutrients from sources closely connected to the liver metabolism of its host. Biosynthesis of glucose in the parasite might occur from the glucogenic precursors alanine, asparagine and glutamine and with an isotope fractionation of − 2 to – 3 ‰ from enzymatic reactions, while trophic fractionation of glycine, serine and threonine could be interpreted as extensive nutrient conversion to fuel parasitic growth through one-carbon metabolism. Trophic fractionation of amino acids between sticklebacks and their diets was slightly increased in infected compared to uninfected individuals, which could be caused by increased (immune-) metabolic activities due to parasitic infection. Our results show that compound-specific stable isotope analysis has unique opportunities to study host and parasite physiology.

Abstract Interpretation of stable isotope data is of upmost importance in ecology to build sound models for the study of animal diets, migration patterns and physiology. However, our understanding of stable isotope fractionation and incorporation into consumer tissues is still limited. We therefore measured the δ13C values of individual amino acids over time from muscle and liver tissue of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) on a high protein diet. The δ13C values of amino acids in the liver quickly responded to small shifts of under ± 2.0‰ in dietary stable isotope compositions on 30-day intervals. We found on average no trophic fractionation in pooled essential (muscle, liver) and non-essential (muscle) amino acids. Negative Δδ13C values of − 0.7 ± 1.3‰ were observed for pooled non-essential (liver) amino acids and might indicate biosynthesis from small amounts of dietary lipids. Trophic fractionation of individual amino acids is reported and discussed, including unusual Δδ13C values of over + 4.9 ± 1.4‰ for histidine. Arginine and lysine showed the lowest trophic fractionation on individual sampling days and might be useful proxies for dietary sources on short time scales. We suggest further investigations using isotopically enriched materials to facilitate the correct interpretation of ecological field data.

The Covid-19 pandemic occurred at a time of major revolution in the geosciences – the era of digital geology. Digital outcrop models (DOMs) acquired from consumer drones, processed using user-friendly photogrammetric software and shared with the wider audience through online platforms are a cornerstone of this digital geological revolution. Integration of DOMs with other geoscientific data, such as geological maps, satellite imagery, terrain models, geophysical data and field observations, strengthens their application in both research and education. Teaching geology with digital tools advances students' learning experience by providing access to high-quality outcrops, enhancing visualization of 3D geological structures and improving data integration. Similarly, active use of DOMs to integrate new field observations will facilitate more effective fieldwork and quantitative research. From a student's perspective, georeferenced and scaled DOMs allow for an improved appreciation of scale and of 3D architecture, which is a major threshold concept in geoscientific education. DOMs allow us to bring geoscientists to the outcrops digitally, which is particularly important in view of the Covid-19 pandemic that restricts travel and thus direct access to outcrops. At the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), located at 78∘ N in Longyearbyen in Arctic Norway, DOMs are actively used even in non-pandemic years, as the summer field season is short and not overlapping with the Bachelor “Arctic Geology” course package held from January to June each year. In 2017, we at UNIS developed a new course (AG222 “Integrated Geological Methods: From Outcrop To Geomodel”) to encourage the use of emerging techniques like DOMs and data integration to solve authentic geoscientific challenges. In parallel, we have established the open-access Svalbox geoscientific portal, which forms the backbone of the AG222 course activities and provides easy access to a growing number of DOMs, 360∘ imagery, subsurface data and published geoscientific data from Svalbard. Considering the rapid onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Svalbox portal and the pre-Covid work on digital techniques in AG222 allowed us to rapidly adapt and fulfil at least some of the students' learning objectives during the pandemic. In this contribution, we provide an overview of the course development and share experiences from running the AG222 course and the Svalbox platform, both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Honey is the oldest and nowadays widely used natural sweetener for food worldwide. Its composition is associated with its botanical and geographical origin and honey is often mislabeled and has a high potential for food fraud. Thus, quick easy and sensitive analyses are required. For the first time, we developed and applied an automated, fast, sensitive and robust, in-tube extraction dynamic headspace in-tube extraction-dynamic headspace (ITEX-DHS) method for a variety of Honey containing VOCs in connection with GC–MS. Another advantage of ITEX is, that it is a green analytical solventless method. The method provides very low method detection limits (MDL) from 0.8 to 47 ng g−1 for VOCs in honey samples as well as very good repeatabilities with averages below 9 % RSD. Recoveries are between 83 and 100 %. Only octanal possess a repeatability 13 % and a recovery of 62 % due to its high polarity. 38 honey samples were measured after method validation. Four acacia honeys (A), six forest honeys (F) and 22 blossom honeys (B). The type of six honeys was not known (U) but could be predicted with the help of a linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The LDA was carried out with the three groups (A, B, F) leading to a proportion of correct predictions of 90.6 %. With the help of a scatterplot, two of the unknown samples were classified as forest honeys and four of them as blossom honeys.

Abstract Intraspecific diet specialization, usually driven by resource availability, competition and predation, is common in natural populations. However, the role of parasites on diet specialization of their hosts has rarely been studied. Eye flukes can impair vision ability of their hosts and have been associated with alterations of fish feeding behavior. Here it was assessed whether European perch (Perca fluviatilis) alter their diet composition as a consequence of infection with eye flukes. Young-of-the-year (YOY) perch from temperate Lake Müggelsee (Berlin, Germany) were sampled in two years, eye flukes counted and fish diet was evaluated using both stomach content and stable isotope analyses. Perch diet was dominated by zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates. Both methods indicated that with increasing eye fluke infection intensity fish had a more selective diet, feeding mainly on the benthic macroinvertebrate Dikerogammarus villosus, while less intensively infected fish appeared to be generalist feeders showing no preference for any particular prey type. Our results show that infection with eye flukes can indirectly affect interaction of the host with lower trophic levels by altering the diet composition and highlight the underestimated role of parasites in food web studies.

Stable isotope analysis offers a unique tool for comparing trophic interactions and food web architecture in ecosystems based on analysis of stable isotope ratios of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) in organisms. Clarias gariepinus were collected from six sites along the Vaal River, South Africa and were assessed for ectoparasites and endoparasites. Lamproglena clariae (Copepoda), Tetracampos ciliotheca and Proteocephalus glanduligerus (Cestoda), and larval Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda) were collected from the gills, intestine and mesenteries, respectively. Signatures of δ13C and δ15N were analysed in host muscle tissue and parasites using bulk stable isotope analysis. Variable stable isotope enrichment between parasites and host were observed; L. clariae and the host shared similar δ15N signatures and endoparasites being depleted in δ13C and δ15N relative to the host. Differences in stable isotope enrichment between parasites could be related to the feeding strategy of each parasite species collected. Geographic and spatial differences in enrichment of stable isotopes observed in hosts were mirrored by parasites. As parasites rely on a single host for meeting their nutritional demands, stable isotope variability in parasites relates to the dietary differences of host organisms and therefore variations in baseline stable isotope signatures of food items consumed by hosts.

Der Gemeine Windhalm Apera spica-venti (L.) hat sich in den zurückliegenden Jahrzehnten zu einem der wichtigsten Ungräser in Europa entwickelt. Europaweit sind für Windhalm jedoch zunehmende Resistenzfälle besonders gegenüber Herbiziden aus der Gruppe der ALS-Inhibitoren bekannt. Die vorliegenden Dosis-Wirkungs-Versuche zielen darauf ab die Wirksamkeit ausgewählter Herbizide gegenüber dem Gemeinen Windhalm in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern zu quantifizieren und Dosis-Wirkungs- Beziehungen zu prüfen. Zu diesem Zweck wurde im Frühjahr 2019 ein Biotest mit 19 Windhalmpopulationen von Feldern in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern durchgeführt. Unter standardisierten Gewächshausbedingungen wurde die Wirkung der vier Herbizide Axial 50®, Herold SC®, Broadway® und Husar Plus® auf die 19 Populationen getestet. Für die 19 Windhalmpopulationen wurden für die Herbizide Axial 50®, Broadway® und Husar® Wirkungen >95 % ermittelt. Für Herold SC® wurden hingegen unter den getesteten Populationen anhand der mittleren Wirkung bei voller Aufwandmenge Wirkungsschwächen nachgewiesen. Die ED50-Werte variieren zwischen den Herbiziden Axial 50®, Broadway®, Husar Plus® und Herold SC®. Der höhere mittlere ED50-Wert, der für Herold SC® ermittelt wurde, deutet darauf hin, dass nur bei maximaler Dosis ausreichende Wirkung gegenüber dem Gemeinen Windhalm besteht.

AIM: To describe using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography the regeneration of the foveal morphology after pars plana (re)vitrectomy surgery and gas tamponade combined with injection of autologous platelet concentrate to treat full-thickness macular holes, and to describe different anatomical outcome. METHODS: A retrospective case series of 8 eyes of 8 patients was described. RESULTS: In all cases investigated, the platelet-assisted closure of macular holes was associated with a rapid resolution of cystic cavities in the foveal walls. In two patients, there was a regular regeneration of the foveal morphology after hole closure; the regenerated central fovea had a regular structure with a foveola and photoreceptors. In three other patients, there was an irregular regeneration of the fovea; a foveola was not formed, photoreceptor cells were absent from the foveal center, and the center was composed of Müller and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. The foveal regeneration after hole closure may proceed with or without a temporary detachment of the foveal center from the RPE, and with or without a direct contact between the central outer nuclear layer (ONL) and the RPE. Contacts between the ONL and RPE were observed only in patients with an irregular foveal regeneration after hole closure. CONCLUSION: The data show that there are different modes of foveal regeneration after closure of macular holes with (re)vitrectomy and platelet concentrate. It is suggested that the regular regeneration of the foveal morphology proceeds by Müller cell-mediated tissue movements without cell proliferation, whereas the irregular foveal regeneration proceeds in part by proliferation of Müller and RPE cells.

To analyze the volatile organic compounds of olive oils, an automated, robust and sensitive and solventless in-tube extraction dynamic headspace (ITEX-DHS) GC–MS method was developed, optimized and validated. 21 VOCs, typically appearing in olive oils and extra virgin olive oils, were used to develop the method. The extraction procedure was optimized for incubation time, incubation temperature, number of extraction cycles and desorption volume. Repeatability was between 1 and 9% for all analytes, except octanal (11%), and a good recovery (84–118%) was found. The ITEX-DHS method allowed VOC analysis in olive oils at much smaller concentration than in previous studies using solid phase microextraction, with limits of detections from 0.1 to 68.6 µg kg−1. In terms of an application, a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was conducted including 31 olive oil samples from five different geographical origins, which led to 90.3% correct predictions.

Learning from errors as the main mechanism for motor adaptation has two fundamental prerequisites: a mismatch between the intended and performed movement and the ability to adapt motor actions. Many neurological patients are limited in their ability to transfer an altered motor representation into motor action due to a compromised motor pathway. Studies that have investigated the effects of a sustained and unresolvable mismatch over multiple days found changes in brain processing that seem to optimize the potential for motor learning (increased drive for motor adaptation and a weakening of the current implementation of motor programs). However, it remains unclear whether the observed effects can be induced experimentally and more important after shorter periods. Here, we used task-based and resting-state fMRI to investigate whether the known pattern of cortical adaptations due to a sustained mismatch can be induced experimentally by a short (20 min), but unresolvable, sensory–motor mismatch by impaired facial movements in healthy participants by transient facial tapping. Similar to long-term mismatch, we found plastic changes in a network that includes the striatal, cerebellar and somatosensory brain areas. However, in contrast to long-term mismatch, we did not find the involvement of the cerebral motor cortex. The lack of the involvement of the motor cortex can be interpreted both as an effect of time and also as an effect of the lack of a reduction in the motor error. The similar effects of long-term and short-term mismatch on other parts of the sensory–motor network suggest that the brain-state caused by long-term mismatch can be (at least partly) induced by short-term mismatch. Further studies should investigate whether short-term mismatch interventions can be used as therapeutic strategy to induce an altered brain-state that increase the potential for motor learning.

Background: The antisense oligonucleotide Nusinersen recently became the first approved drug against spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). It was approved for all ages, albeit the clinical trials were conducted exclusively on children. Hence, clinical data on adults being treated with Nusinersen is scarce. In this case series, we report on drug application, organizational demands, and preliminary effects during the first 10 months of treatment with Nusinersen in seven adult patients. Methods: All patients received intrathecal injections with Nusinersen. In cases with severe spinal deformities, we performed computed tomography (CT)-guided applications. We conducted a total of 40 administrations of Nusinersen. We evaluated the patients with motor, pulmonary, and laboratory assessments, and tracked patient-reported outcome. Results: Intrathecal administration of Nusinersen was successful in most patients, even though access to the lumbar intrathecal space in adults with SMA is often challenging. No severe adverse events occurred. Six of the seven patients reported stabilization of motor function or reduction in symptom severity. The changes in the assessed scores did not reach a significant level within this short time period. Conclusions: Treating adult SMA patients with Nusinersen is feasible and most patients consider it beneficial. It demands a complex organizational and interdisciplinary effort. Due to the slowly decreasing motor functions in adult SMA patients, long observation phases for this recently approved treatment are needed to allow conclusions about effectiveness of Nusinersen in adults.

Abstract Aims Volume overload (VO) and pressure overload (PO) induce differential cardiac remodelling responses including distinct signalling pathways. Extracellular signal‐regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), key signalling components in the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, modulate cardiac remodelling during pressure overload (PO). This study aimed to assess their role in VO‐induced cardiac remodelling as this was unknown. Methods and results Aortocaval fistula (Shunt) surgery was performed in mice to induce cardiac VO. Two weeks of Shunt caused a significant reduction of cardiac ERK1/2 activation in wild type (WT) mice as indicated by decreased phosphorylation of the TEY (Thr‐Glu‐Tyr) motif (−28% as compared with Sham controls, P < 0.05). Phosphorylation of other MAPKs was unaffected. For further assessment, transgenic mice with cardiomyocyte‐specific ERK2 overexpression (ERK2tg) were studied. At baseline, cardiac ERK1/2 phosphorylation in ERK2tg mice remained unchanged compared with WT littermates, and no overt cardiac phenotype was observed; however, cardiac expression of the atrial natriuretic peptide was increased on messenger RNA (3.6‐fold, P < 0.05) and protein level (3.1‐fold, P < 0.05). Following Shunt, left ventricular dilation and hypertrophy were similar in ERK2tg mice and WT littermates. Left ventricular function was maintained, and changes in gene expression indicated reactivation of the foetal gene program in both genotypes. No differences in cardiac fibrosis and kinase activation was found amongst all experimental groups, whereas apoptosis was similarly increased through Shunt in ERK2tg and WT mice. Conclusions VO‐induced eccentric hypertrophy is associated with reduced cardiac ERK1/2 activation in vivo. Cardiomyocyte‐specific overexpression of ERK2, however, does not alter cardiac remodelling during VO. Future studies need to define the pathophysiological relevance of decreased ERK1/2 signalling during VO.

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased over the past 20 years. Pulmonary involvement in paediatric IBD is rare but may be missed since the spectrum of symptoms is broad and mimics other diseases. The most important differential diagnoses of pulmonary manifestations of IBD are infections and therapy-related side-effects. There is no gold standard to diagnose respiratory manifestations in children with IBD. Diagnostic tests should be chosen according to history and clinical presentation. Treatment of respiratory manifestations of IBD includes inhaled or oral corticosteroids and initiation or step-up of immunomodulatory IBD therapies.

PurposeCardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension or dyslipidemia can influence the incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME). The aim of this study is to describe the comorbidities in patients with DME.MethodsProspective, monocentric observational study. Patients presenting for the treatment of DME received laboratory and clinical examinations including 24-hour blood pressure measurement.ResultsSeventy-five consecutive patients were included in the study. The mean age was 61.0 ± 14.5 years, and 83% had type 2 diabetes. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 32.8 ± 6.0 kg/m2. Overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) was present in 92% of all patients. HbA1c values were > 7.0% in 57%. Although 87% of the patients already received antihypertensive therapy, the blood pressure (BP) of 82% was still above the recommended target values of systolic < 140 mmHg and diastolic < 80 mmHg. An insufficient nocturnal fall of the systolic BP (< 10%, non-dipping or reverse dipping) was observed in 62%. In 83% of the patients the glomerular filtration rate was ≤ 90 ml/min/1.73m2. Despite 65% of the cohort already receiving lipid-lowering therapy, LDL cholesterol was above the target value of 1.4 mmol/l in 93%. All patients had at least one cardiovascular risk factor in addition to diabetes (overweight, hypertension, insufficient nocturnal BP fall, dyslipidemia, or renal dysfunction) and 86% had ≥ 3 risk factors.ConclusionDME patients are characterized by highly prevalent cardiovascular risk factors that are poorly controlled. These comorbidities reduce the prognosis and negatively influence existing DR and DME. The data reveal an important opportunity for improving patient care by interaction of the ophthalmologist with the general practitioner and internal specialists for the detection and treatment of these conditions.

Serial peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements can identify phenotypes in severe adult asthma, enabling more targeted treatment. The feasibility of this approach in children has not been investigated. Overall, 105 children (67% male, median age 12.4 years) with a range of asthma severities were recruited and followed up over a median of 92 days. PEF was measured twice daily. Fluctuation-based clustering (FBC) was used to identify clusters based on PEF fluctuations. The patients’ clinical characteristics were compared between clusters. Three PEF clusters were identified in 44 children with sufficient measurements. Cluster 1 (27% of patients: n=12) had impaired spirometry (mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) 71% predicted), significantly higher exhaled nitric oxide (≥35 ppb) and uncontrolled asthma (asthma control test (ACT) score

Abstract Interaction of relativistic electron beams with high power lasers can both serve as a secondary light source and as a novel diagnostic tool for various beam parameters. For both applications, it is important to understand the dynamics of the inverse Compton scattering mechanism and the dependence of the scattered light’s spectral properties on the interacting laser and electron beam parameters. Measurements are easily misinterpreted due to the complex interplay of the interaction parameters. Here we report the potential of inverse Compton scattering as an advanced diagnostic tool by investigating two of the most influential interaction parameters, namely the laser intensity and the electron beam emittance. Established scaling laws for the spectral bandwidth and redshift of the mean scattered photon energy are refined. This allows for a quantitatively well matching prediction of the spectral shape. Driving the interaction to a nonlinear regime, we spectrally resolve the rise of higher harmonic radiation with increasing laser intensity. Unprecedented agreement with 3D radiation simulations is found, showing the good control and characterization of the interaction. The findings advance the interpretation of inverse Compton scattering measurements into a diagnostic tool for electron beams from laser plasma acceleration.

Chronic respiratory symptoms, such as cough, wheeze and dyspnoea, are common in children; however, most research has, with the exception of a few large-scale clinical cohort studies, been performed in the general population or in small, highly-selected samples. The Swiss Paediatric Airway Cohort (SPAC) is a national, prospective clinical cohort of children and adolescents who visit physicians for recurrent conditions, such as wheeze and cough, and exercise-related respiratory problems. The SPAC is an observational study and baseline assessment includes standardised questionnaires for families and data extracted from hospital records, including results of clinically indicated investigations, diagnoses and treatments. Outcomes are assessed through annual questionnaires, monthly symptom reporting via mobile phone and follow-up visits. The SPAC will address important questions about clinical phenotypes, diagnosis, treatment, and the short- and long-term prognosis of common respiratory problems in children. The cohort currently consists of 347 patients from four major hospitals (Bern, Zurich, Basel and Lucerne), with 70–80 additional patients joining each month. More centres will join and the target sample size is a minimum of 3000 patients. The SPAC will provide real-life data on children visiting the Swiss healthcare system for common respiratory problems and will provide a research platform for health services research and nested clinical and translational studies.