Background The recently postulated “disease spreading hypothesis” has gained much attention, especially for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The various non-motor symptoms (NMS) in neurodegenerative diseases would be much better explained by this hypothesis than by the degeneration of disease-specific cell populations. Motor neuron disease (MND) is primarily known as a group of diseases with a selective loss of motor function. However, recent evidence suggests disease spreading into non-motor brain regions also in MND. The aim of this study was to comprehensively detect NMS in patients suffering from MND. Methods We used a self-rating questionnaire including 30 different items of gastrointestinal, autonomic, neuropsychiatric, and sleep complaints [NMS questionnaire (NMSQuest)], which is an established tool in PD patients. 90 MND patients were included and compared to 96 controls. Results In total, MND patients reported significantly higher NMS scores (median: 7 points) in comparison to controls (median: 4 points). Dribbling, impaired taste/smelling, impaired swallowing, weight loss, loss of interest, sad/blues, falling, and insomnia were significantly more prevalent in MND patients compared to controls. Interestingly, excessive sweating was more reported in the MND group. Correlation analysis revealed an increase of total NMS score with disease progression. Conclusion NMS in MND patients seemed to increase with disease progression, which would fit with the recently postulated “disease spreading hypothesis.” The total NMS score in the MND group significantly exceeded the score for the control group, but only 8 of the 30 single complaints of the NMSQuest were significantly more often reported by MND patients. Dribbling, impaired swallowing, weight loss, and falling could primarily be connected to motor neuron degeneration and declared as motor symptoms in MND.

In humans of all ages, the cell wall-less and genome-reduced species Mycoplasma pneumoniae can cause infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract. The well-documented occurrence of major peaks in the incidence of community-acquired pneumonia cases reported world-wide, the multifaceted clinical manifestations of infection and the increasing number of resistant strains provide reasons for ongoing interest in the pathogenesis of mycoplasmal disease. The results of recent studies have provided insights into the interaction of the limited virulence factors of the bacterium with its host. In addition, the availability of complete M. pneumoniae genomes from patient isolates and the development of proteomic methods for investigation of mycoplasmas have not only allowed characterization of sequence divergences between strains but have also shown the importance of proteins and protein parts for induction of the immune reaction after infection. This review focuses on selected aspects of the humoral host immune response as a factor that might influence the clinical course of infections, subsequent protection in cases of re-infections and changes of epidemiological pattern of infections. The characterization of antibodies directed to defined antigens and approaches to promote their induction in the respiratory mucosa are also preconditions for the development of a vaccine to protect risk populations from severe disease due to M. pneumoniae.

Within the field of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback, most studies provide subjects with instructions or suggest strategies to regulate a particular brain area, while other neuro-/biofeedback approaches often do not. This study is the first to investigate the hypothesis that subjects are able to utilize fMRI neurofeedback to learn to differentially modulate the fMRI signal from the bilateral amygdala congruent with the prescribed regulation direction without an instructed or suggested strategy and apply what they learned even when feedback is no longer available. Thirty-two subjects were included in the analysis. Data were collected at 3 Tesla using blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD)-sensitivity optimized multi-echo EPI. Based on the mean contrast between up- and down-regulation in the amygdala in a post-training scan without feedback following three neurofeedback sessions, subjects were able to regulate their amygdala congruent with the prescribed directions with a moderate effect size of Cohen’s d = 0.43 (95% conf. int. 0.23–0.64). This effect size would be reduced, however, through stricter exclusion criteria for subjects that show alterations in respiration. Regulation capacity was positively correlated with subjective arousal ratings and negatively correlated with agreeableness and susceptibility to anger. A learning effect over the training sessions was only observed with end-of-block feedback (EoBF) but not with continuous feedback (trend). The results confirm the above hypothesis. Further studies are needed to compare effect sizes of regulation capacity for approaches with and without instructed strategies.

Reaction times (RTs) are a valuable measure for assessing cognitive processes. However, RTs are susceptible to confounds and therefore variable. Exposure to threat, for example, speeds up or slows down responses. Distinct task types to some extent account for differential effects of threat on RTs. But also do inter-individual differences like trait anxiety. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we investigated whether activation within the amygdala, a brain region closely linked to the processing of threat, may also function as a predictor of RTs, similar to trait anxiety scores. After threat conditioning by means of aversive electric shocks, 45 participants performed a choice RT task during alternating 30 s blocks in the presence of the threat conditioned stimulus [CS+] or of the safe control stimulus [CS-]. Trait anxiety was assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and participants were median split into a high- and a low-anxiety subgroup. We tested three hypotheses: (1) RTs will be faster during the exposure to threat compared to the safe condition in individuals with high trait anxiety. (2) The amygdala fMRI signal will be higher in the threat condition compared to the safe condition. (3) Amygdala fMRI signal prior to a RT trial will be correlated with the corresponding RT. We found that, the high-anxious subgroup showed faster responses in the threat condition compared to the safe condition, while the low-anxious subgroup showed no significant difference in RTs in the threat condition compared to the safe condition. Though the fMRI analysis did not reveal an effect of condition on amygdala activity, we found a trial-by-trial correlation between blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal within the right amygdala prior to the CRT task and the subsequent RT. Taken together, the results of this study showed that exposure to threat modulates task performance. This modulation is influenced by personality trait. Additionally and most importantly, activation in the amygdala predicts behavior in a simple task that is performed during the exposure to threat. This finding is in line with “attentional capture by threat”—a model that includes the amygdala as a key brain region for the process that causes the response slowing.

Background Ablative tumor surgery often results in continuity defects of the mandible. When an immediate reconstruction using autologous bone grafts is not possible the bridging of the defects with a variety of bridging plates might be achieved. However, those bridging plates have the risk of plate fractures or exposure. Customized titanium implants manufactured using CAD/CAM and the LaserCUSING® technique might be an alternative. Methods In the present study, computed tomographies (CT) of porcine cadaver mandibles were generated and transferred into DICOM data. Following, different continuity defects were surgically created in the mandibles. Based on the DICOM data customized titanium implants were manufactured using CAD/CAM procedures and the LaserCUSING® technique. The implants were fixed to the remaining stumps with screws. Subsequently, the accuracy of the reconstructed mandibles was tested using plaster casts. Results The workflow from the CT to the application of the customized implants was proved to be practicable. Furthermore, a stable fixation of the customized implant to the remaining stumps could be achieved. The control of the accuracy showed no frictions or obstacles. Conclusion The customized titanium implant seems to be a promising approach to bridge continuity defects of the mandible whenever an immediate reconstruction with autologous bone is not possible.

Polymer brush patterns were prepared by a combination of electron beam induced damage in self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), creating a stable carbonaceous deposit, and consecutive self-initiated photografting and photopolymerization (SIPGP). This newly applied technique, reactive writing (RW), is investigated with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane SAM (PF-SAM) on silicon oxide, which, when modified by RW, can be selectively functionalized by SIPGP. With the monomer N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), we demonstrate the straightforward formation of polymer brush gradients and single polymer lines of sub-100 nm lateral dimensions, with high contrast to the PF-SAM background. The lithography parameters acceleration voltage, irradiation dose, beam current and dwell time were systematically varied to identify the optimal conditions for the maximum conversion of the SAM into a carbonaceous deposit. The results of this approach were compared to patterns prepared by carbon templating (CT) under analogous conditions, revealing a dwell time dependency, which differs from earlier reports. This new technique expands the range of CT by giving the opportunity to not only vary the chemistry of the created polymer patterns with monomer choice but also vary the chemistry of the surrounding substrate.

Genetic and environmental protective factors and risks modulate brain structure and function in neurodegenerative diseases and their preclinical stages. We wanted to investigate whether the years of formal education, a proxy measure for cognitive reserve, would influence hippocampal structure in Alzheimer’s disease patients, and whether apolipoprotein Eε4 (APOE4) carrier status and a first-degree family history of the disease would change a possible association. Fifty-eight Alzheimer’s disease patients underwent 3T magnetic resonance imaging. We applied a cortical unfolding approach to investigate individual subregions of the medial temporal lobe. Among patients homozygous for the APOE4 genotype or carrying both APOE4 and family history risks, lower education was associated with a thinner cortex in multiple medial temporal regions, including the hippocampus. Our data suggest that the years of formal education and genetic risks interact in their influence on hippocampal structure in Alzheimer’s disease patients.

Chitosan is known for its hemostatic and antimicrobial properties and might be useful for temporary coating of removable dentures or intraoral splints to control bleeding after oral surgery or as a supportive treatment in denture stomatitis. This study investigated a new method to adhere chitosan to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). There were 70 cylindrical specimens made from PMMA and 70 from PET (13 mm diameter, 6 mm thickness). The materials with ten specimens each were sandblasted at 2.8 or 4.0 bar with aluminum oxide 110 μm or/and aluminum oxide coated with silica. After sandblasting, all specimens were coated with a 2% or 4% acetic chitosan solution with a thickness of 1 mm. Then the specimens were dried for 120 min at 45 °C. The precipitated chitosan was neutralized with 1 mol NaOH. After neutralization, all specimens underwent abrasion tests using the tooth-brushing simulator with soft brushes (load 2N, 2 cycles/s, 32 °C, 3000 and 30,000 cycles). After each run, the specimen surfaces were analyzed for areas of remaining chitosan by digital planimetry under a light microscope. The best chitosan adhesion was found after sandblasting with aluminum oxide coated with silica (U-Test, p < 0.05) in both the PMMA and the PET groups. Hence, with relatively simple technology, a reliable bond of chitosan to PMMA and PET could be achieved.

This review aims to highlight and comprehensively summarize recent developments in the field of mixed-coordinate phosphorus chemistry. Particular attention is focused on the synthetic approaches to compounds containing at least two directly bonded phosphorus atoms in different coordination environments and their unexpected properties that are derived from spectroscopic and crystallographic data. Novel substance classes are discussed in order to supplement previous reviews about mixed-coordinate phosphorus compounds.

Objectives This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effects of two different rest periods between as set of balance exercises after stroke during inpatient rehabilitation. Results Twenty patients after stroke [11 males; mean (SD) age 65.4 (11.5) years; duration of illness 5.3 (3.4) weeks; 16 (80%) left-sided strokes] were randomly allocated into two groups of either a full rest (FR) of 4 min (n = 10) or a short rest (SR) of 1 min between exercise sets (n = 10). Patients improved from baseline until immediately after exercises in one-leg standing time on the affected leg [SR: mean difference 5.1 s (SD 10.3) and FR: 2.0 s (2.4)] and tandem standing time (TST). [SR: 14.9 s (SD 24.6) and FR: 5.7 s (12.0)], but OLST and TST did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.35 and p = 0.52, respectively). Trial registration The study was registered retrospectively in the German Register of Clinical Trials with the ID: DRKS00013979