Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Beyond exact and asymptotic: optimization-based tuning of confidence intervals for proportions

Abstract Confidence interval estimation for binomial proportions remains challenging in finite samples due to the discreteness of the data, which induces oscillatory coverage behavior. Classical intervals are often conservative (e.g., Clopper–Pearson) or may exhibit undercoverage...

Microvascular remodeling and endothelial dysfunction across the post-COVID-19 spectrum: a prospective observational case-control study

<title>Abstract</title> Background Post-viral diseases, including post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), cause substantial long-term morbidity. Persistent cardiovascular risk after acute infection highlights the need for acce...

Ketamine’s impact on rumination-related brain dynamics: insights from a randomized controlled fMRI trial

Abstract Rumination has been associated with aberrant dynamics of a coactivation pattern (CAP) comprising the default mode (DMN) and frontoparietal (FPN) networks. Ketamine exerts rapid antidepressant effects and may influence these dynamics via glutamatergic mechanisms. In a ran...

Quantification of practice effects in a self-administered online cognitive pre-screening test

BACKGROUND: With growing prevalence of mild cognitive impairment and dementia, online self-administered pre-screening tests hold the promise to more objectively identify individuals who stand to benefit from prioritized access to supervised cognitive testing and in-depth neurolog...

Transcranial Electrical Stimulation and Delirium Among Postoperative Patients

Importance Postoperative delirium (POD) occurs as a significant complication after elective surgery. Objective To investigate the modulation of delirium incidence by transcranial electric stimulation (tES). Design, Setting, and Participants A double-blind, sham-controlled randomi...

Task-irrelevant stimuli robustly drive phasic pupil-linked arousal but only weakly affect memory formation

Abstract Brainstem arousal systems including the locus coeruleus noradrenaline system, respond transiently to behaviorally relevant events. This also drives dilations of the pupil, which are often observed during cognitive tasks. The strength of pupil responses during encoding of...

The limitations of non-mechanistic methods for characterizing pathogen-pathogen interactions: A simulation study

Abstract Pathogen-pathogen interactions occur when infection with one pathogen influences one’s chance of infection or disease due to another. Increasingly, evidence suggests that interactions are a common feature of infectious disease epidemiology. However, due to both the nonli...

Acute kidney injury and renal replacement therapy: a critical synthesis of metabolic derangements and nutritional implications

Acute kidney injury (AKI) affects up to 50% of critically ill patients and is frequently complicated by severe metabolic derangements, requiring the initiation of replacement therapy (RRT) in 10–15% of cases. Despite substantial progress in the diagnosis of AKI and optimisation o...

Comparative analysis of neuronal proteolytic pathways reveals neuron-specific and sub-compartmental-specific capacities with aging

Abstract Proteostasis is essential for maintaining neuronal function, and its dysregulation is a hallmark of aging and neurodegeneration. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and macroautophagy are the two major proteolytic pathways responsible for protein degradation. However,...

Artificial hibernation reveals synaptic engram architecture associated with memory retention

Memories leave lasting physical changes at the synaptic level. Although stable, larger spines are thought to support memory, the high turnover of dendritic spines and the drifting of neuronal representations after memory formation suggest alternative possibilities. To elucidate t...

CMR-based aortic stiffness parameters in a symptomatic high risk obstructive sleep apnea cohort: results from the population-based Hamburg City Health Study

Abstract Background Aortic stiffness (AS) parameters as pulse wave velocity (PWV), aortic distensibility of the ascending and descending aorta (AD AoAsc, AD AoDesc) and pulse pressure (PP) are marker for vascular ageing, whereas data concerning obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in po...

Implementation barriers, facilitators, and fidelity of a mobile money-based savings tool for pregnant women in the Analamanga region of Madagascar: an ex-post process evaluation

Abstract Background Mobile payment services could improve access to obstetric care by easing saving, raising revenue, and pooling resources. Between 2019 and 2022, a mobile money-based savings tool for obstetric care was implemented in the Analamanga region of Madagascar followin...

High-frequency visual stimulation can increase medial temporal lobe ripple oscillation density

Abstract Background Flickering visual stimulation can evoke neural oscillations, which can influence ongoing brain activity. Electrophysiological recordings of neural oscillations in the ripple band (80–180 Hz) show that these high-frequency oscillations occur in the neocortex an...

Mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of asthma: from bench to bedside

Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic airway disease arising from a complex interplay of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposures. Key pathobiological features include dysregulated immune responses (particularly type 2 inflammation), structural airway remodeling, and mucus...

Measures for intersectional mental healthcare: results from a participatory interview and focus group study with psychosocial counsellors, people with experience of using mental health services and providers

BACKGROUND: Discriminatory practices and barriers to care are increasingly recognised as a significant challenge for mental healthcare institutions. Yet, little research has considered what measures people with experience of using mental health services and mental healthcare serv...

Effect of apremilast on entheseal bone damage in psoriasis patients at risk of developing psoriatic arthritis - data from the prospective, interventional EPOS study

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: A subset of psoriasis (PsO) patients exhibits subclinical entheseal inflammation and bone remodeling placing them at higher risk of developing psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Whether early pharmacological interventions during this phase can modulate these inflammat...

The importance of B cells for osteogenic homeostasis

Abstract Therapeutic interventions for diseases such as leukemia and autoimmune disorders are increasingly designed to selectively target and deplete specific immune cell subsets over prolonged periods. This can disrupt the homeostasis of the adaptive immune system, with conseque...

Is self-reported daylight exposure reliable? A validation study with actigraphy in urban environments

Daylight exposure is an environmental determinant of human health, yet measuring real-world exposure at scale remains a major challenge. Large population studies frequently rely on self-reported time spent outdoors as a proxy for daylight exposure, although the validity of this m...

Analysis of serum NMR metabolomics in fibrotic diseases of the myocardium

INTRODUCTION: Heart failure accounts for more than 43% of annual deaths worldwide, and isdriven by widespread pathological remodeling, in which myocardial fibrosis plays an important role. Currently, accurate clinical diagnosis of myocardialfibrosis (MF) remains difficult, with e...

The Impact of Psychosocial Factors on Pain and Functional Outcomes After Rotator Cuff Repair: A Systematic Review

Introduction Outcomes after rotator cuff repair are commonly evaluated in terms of structural healing and surgical technique. However, psychological factors may also influence patients’ experience of pain and functional recovery. Increasing attention has therefore been directed t...