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  • 1
    In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, MDPI AG, Vol. 18, No. 14 ( 2021-07-10), p. 7395-
    Abstract: Physical and mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic is typically assessed via surveys, which might make it difficult to conduct longitudinal studies and might lead to data suffering from recall bias. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) driven smartphone apps can help alleviate such issues, allowing for in situ recordings. Implementing such an app is not trivial, necessitates strict regulatory and legal requirements, and requires short development cycles to appropriately react to abrupt changes in the pandemic. Based on an existing app framework, we developed Corona Health, an app that serves as a platform for deploying questionnaire-based studies in combination with recordings of mobile sensors. In this paper, we present the technical details of Corona Health and provide first insights into the collected data. Through collaborative efforts from experts from public health, medicine, psychology, and computer science, we released Corona Health publicly on Google Play and the Apple App Store (in July 2020) in eight languages and attracted 7290 installations so far. Currently, five studies related to physical and mental well-being are deployed and 17,241 questionnaires have been filled out. Corona Health proves to be a viable tool for conducting research related to the COVID-19 pandemic and can serve as a blueprint for future EMA-based studies. The data we collected will substantially improve our knowledge on mental and physical health states, traits and trajectories as well as its risk and protective factors over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and its diverse prevention measures.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1660-4601
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2021
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2175195-X
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  • 2
    In: Atmosphere, MDPI AG, Vol. 13, No. 4 ( 2022-04-15), p. 629-
    Abstract: 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.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2073-4433
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2605928-9
    SSG: 23
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  • 3
    In: Journal of Clinical Medicine, MDPI AG, Vol. 12, No. 15 ( 2023-07-25), p. 4893-
    Abstract: Background: Cardiogenic shock and arrest present as critical, life-threatening emergencies characterized by severely compromised tissue perfusion and inadequate oxygen supply. Veno–arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA–ECMO) serves as a mechanical support system for patients suffering shock refractory to conventional resuscitation. Despite the utilization of VA–ECMO, clinical deterioration due to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) resulting from the underlying shock and exposure of blood cells to the artificial surfaces of the ECMO circuit may occur. To address this issue, cytokine adsorbers offer a valuable solution by eliminating blood proteins, thereby controlling SIRS and potentially improving hemodynamics. Consequently, a prospective, randomized, blinded clinical trial will be carried out with ECMOsorb. Methods and Study Design: ECMOsorb is a single-center, controlled, randomized, triple-blinded trial that will compare the hemodynamic effects of treatment with a VA–ECMO in combination with a cytokine adsorber (CytoSorb®, intervention) to treatment with VA–ECMO only (control) in patients with cardiogenic shock (with or without prior cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)) requiring extracorporeal, hemodynamic support. Fifty-four patients will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion to the intervention or control group over a 36-month period. The primary endpoint of ECMOsorb is the improvement of the Inotropic Score (IS) 72 h after the intervention. Prognostic indicators, including mortality rates, hemodynamic parameters, laboratory findings, echocardiographic assessments, quality of life measurements, and clinical parameters, will serve as secondary outcome measures. The safety evaluation encompasses endpoints such as air embolisms, allergic reactions, peripheral ischemic complications, vascular complications, bleeding incidents, and stroke occurrences. Conclusions: The ECMOsorb trial seeks to assess the efficacy of a cytokine adsorber (CytoSorb®; CytoSorbents Europe GmbH, Berlin, Germany) in reducing SIRS and improving hemodynamics in patients with cardiogenic shock who are receiving VA–ECMO. We hypothesize that a reduction in cytokine levels can lead to faster weaning from inotropic and mechanical circulatory support, and ultimately to improved recovery.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2077-0383
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2662592-1
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  • 4
    In: Healthcare, MDPI AG, Vol. 11, No. 5 ( 2023-02-26), p. 689-
    Abstract: Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in affect processing. Studies describe the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) as a major hub for emotion processing and the pathophysiology of affective disorders. Subregions of the OFC show diverse functional connectivity (FC) topographies, but the effect of chronic PA on subregional OFC FC still lacks scientific understanding. Therefore, we aimed at investigating the effects of regular PA on the FC topographies of OFC subregions in healthy individuals within a longitudinal randomized controlled exercise study. Participants (age: 18–35 years) were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (IG; N = 18) or a control group (CG; N = 10). Fitness assessments, mood questionnaires, and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) were performed four times over the duration of 6 months. Using a detailed parcellation of the OFC, we created subregional FC topography maps at each time point and applied a linear mixed model to assess the effects of regular PA. The posterior–lateral right OFC showed a group and time interaction, revealing decreased FC with the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the IG, while FC in the CG increased. Group and time interaction in the anterior–lateral right OFC with the right middle frontal gyrus was driven by increased FC in the IG. The posterior–lateral left OFC showed a group and time interaction based on differential change in FC to the left postcentral gyrus and the right occipital gyrus. This study emphasized regionally distinctive FC changes induced by PA within the lateral OFC territory, while providing aspects for further research.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2227-9032
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2721009-1
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  • 5
    In: Biomolecules, MDPI AG, Vol. 12, No. 4 ( 2022-03-25), p. 501-
    Abstract: Polyamines (PAs) are small, versatile molecules with two or more nitrogen-containing positively charged groups and provide widespread biological functions. Most of these aspects are well known and covered by quite a number of excellent surveys. Here, the present review includes novel aspects and questions: (1) It summarizes the role of most natural and some important synthetic PAs. (2) It depicts PA uptake from nutrition and bacterial production in the intestinal system following loss of PAs via defecation. (3) It highlights the discrepancy between the high concentrations of PAs in the gut lumen and their low concentration in the blood plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, while concentrations in cellular cytoplasm are much higher. (4) The present review provides a novel and complete scheme for the biosynthesis of Pas, including glycine, glutamate, proline and others as PA precursors, and provides a hypothesis that the agmatine pathway may rescue putrescine production when ODC knockout seems to be lethal (solving the apparent contradiction in the literature). (5) It summarizes novel data on PA transport in brain glial cells explaining why these cells but not neurons preferentially accumulate PAs. (6) Finally, it provides a novel and complete scheme for PA interconversion, including hypusine, putreanine, and GABA (unique gliotransmitter) as end-products. Altogether, this review can serve as an updated contribution to understanding the PA mystery.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2218-273X
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2701262-1
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  • 6
    In: Biomolecules, MDPI AG, Vol. 13, No. 7 ( 2023-07-13), p. 1114-
    Abstract: The importance of polyamines (PAs) for the central nervous system (CNS) is well known. Less clear, however, is where PAs in the brain are derived from. Principally, there are three possibilities: (i) intake by nutrition, release into the bloodstream, and subsequent uptake from CNS capillaries, (ii) production by parenchymatous organs, such as the liver, and again uptake from CNS capillaries, and (iii) uptake of precursors, such as arginine, from the blood and subsequent local biosynthesis of PAs within the CNS. The present investigation aimed to unequivocally answer the question of whether PAs, especially the higher ones like spermidine (SPD) and spermine (SPM), can or cannot be taken up into the brain from the bloodstream. For this purpose, a biotin-labelled analogue of spermine (B-X-SPM) was synthesized, characterized, and used to visualize its uptake into brain cells following application to acute brain slices, to the intraventricular space, or to the bloodstream. In acute brain slices there is strong uptake of B-X-SPM into protoplasmic and none in fibrous-type astrocytes. It is also taken up by neurons but to a lesser degree. Under in vivo conditions, astrocyte uptake of B-X-SPM from the brain interstitial fluid is also intense after intraventricular application. In contrast, following intracardial injection, there is no uptake from the bloodstream, indicating that the brain is completely dependent on the local synthesis of polyamines.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2218-273X
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2701262-1
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  • 7
    In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, MDPI AG, Vol. 19, No. 10 ( 2022-05-17), p. 6078-
    Abstract: Acute exercise has beneficial effects on mood and is known to induce modulations in functional connectivity (FC) within the emotional network. However, the long-term effects of exercise on affective brain circuits remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of 6 months of regular exercise on mood, amygdala structure, and functional connectivity. This study comprised N = 18 healthy sedentary subjects assigned to an intervention group (IG; 23.9 ± 3.9 years; 3 trainings/week) and N = 10 subjects assigned to a passive control group (CG; 23.7 ± 4.2 years). At baseline and every two months, performance diagnostics, mood questionnaires, and structural and resting-state-fMRI were conducted. Amygdala-nuclei segmentation and amygdala-to-whole-brain FC analysis were performed. Linear mixed effects models and correlation analyses were conducted between FC, relVO2max, and mood scores. Data showed increases in relVO2max exclusively in the IG. Stronger anticorrelation in amygdala-precuneus FC was found, along with a stronger positive correlation in the amygdala-temporal pole FC in the IG after 4 and 6 months, while mood and amygdala volume did not reveal significant interactions. The relVO2max/amygdala-temporal pole FC correlated positively, and the amygdala-precuneus/amygdala-temporal pole FC correlated negatively. Findings suggest that exercise induced long-term modulations of the amygdala FC with the precuneus and temporal pole, shedding light on potential mechanisms by which exercise has positive influences on mood-related networks, typically altered in affective disorders.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1660-4601
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2175195-X
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  • 8
    In: Journal of Clinical Medicine, MDPI AG, Vol. 11, No. 15 ( 2022-08-08), p. 4623-
    Abstract: Introduction: Cardiogenic shock due to myocardial infarction or heart failure entails a reduction in end organ perfusion. Patients who cannot be stabilized with inotropes and who experience increasing circulatory failure are in need of an extracorporeal mechanical support system. Today, small, percutaneously implantable cardiac assist devices are available and might be a solution to reduce mortality and complications. A temporary, ventricular, continuous flow propeller pump using magnetic levitation (Impella®) has been approved for that purpose. Methods and Study Design: JenaMACS (Jena Mechanical Assist Circulatory Support) is a monocenter, proof-of-concept study to determine whether treatment with an Impella CP® leads to improvement of hemodynamic parameters in patients with cardiogenic shock requiring extracorporeal, hemodynamic support. The primary outcomes of JenaMACS are changes in hemodynamic parameters measured by pulmonary artery catheterization and changes in echocardiographic parameters of left and right heart function before and after Impella® implantation at different support levels after 24 h of support. Secondary outcome measures are hemodynamic and echocardiographic changes over time as well as clinical endpoints such as mortality or time to hemodynamic stabilization. Further, laboratory and clinical safety endpoints including severe bleeding, stroke, neurological outcome, peripheral ischemic complications and occurrence of sepsis will be assessed. JenaMACS addresses essential questions of extracorporeal, mechanical, cardiac support with an Impella CP® device in patients with cardiogenic shock. Knowledge of the acute and subacute hemodynamic and echocardiographic effects may help to optimize therapy and improve the outcome in those patients. Conclusion: The JenaMACS study will address essential questions of extracorporeal, mechanical, cardiac support with an Impella CP® assist device in patients with cardiogenic shock. Knowledge of the acute and subacute hemodynamic and echocardiographic effects may help to optimize therapy and may improve outcome in those patients. Ethics and Dissemination: The protocol was approved by the institutional review board and ethics committee of the University Hospital of Jena. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants of the study. The results of this study will be published in a renowned international medical journal, irrespective of the outcomes of the study. Strengths and Limitations: JenaMACS is an innovative approach to characterize the effect of additional left ventricular mechanical unloading during cardiogenic shock via a minimally invasive cardiac assist system (Impella CP®) 24 h after onset and will provide valuable data for acute interventional strategies or future prospective trials. However, JenaMACS, due to its proof-of-concept design, is limited by its single center protocol, with a small sample size and without a comparison group.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2077-0383
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2662592-1
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  • 9
    In: Cells, MDPI AG, Vol. 12, No. 1 ( 2022-12-31), p. 176-
    Abstract: Background: High-dose-rate radiotherapy has shown promising results with respect to normal tissue preservation. We developed an ex vivo model to study the physiological effects of experimental radiotherapy in the rodent esophageal smooth muscle. Methods: We assessed the physiological parameters of the esophageal function in ex vivo preparations of the proximal, middle, and distal segments in the organ bath. High-dose-rate synchrotron irradiation was conducted using both the microbeam irradiation (MBI) technique with peak doses greater than 200 Gy and broadbeam irradiation (BBI) with doses ranging between 3.5–4 Gy. Results: Neither MBI nor BBI affected the function of the contractile apparatus. While peak latency and maximal force change were not affected in the BBI group, and no changes were seen in the proximal esophagus segments after MBI, a significant increase in peak latency and a decrease in maximal force change was observed in the middle and distal esophageal segments. Conclusion: No severe changes in physiological parameters of esophageal contraction were determined after high-dose-rate radiotherapy in our model, but our results indicate a delayed esophageal function. From the clinical perspective, the observed increase in peak latency and decreased maximal force change may indicate delayed esophageal transit.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2073-4409
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2661518-6
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