Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

Clinical Outcomes and Prognostic Factors Following Routine CT-Based Image-Guided Adaptive Brachytherapy for Cervical Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background/Objectives: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based image-guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT) is the preferred standard for cervical cancer, but access remains limited in many settings. Computed tomography (CT)-based IGABT provides a practical alternative. We evaluate...

Patient-reported outcomes after lateral unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty: a propensity score-matched cohort study

Abstract Introduction Comparative evidence on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains limited. We compared PROs between cohorts matched for demographic characteristics and baseline knee func...

Learning curve and target-based accuracy of diode laser versus scalpel incisions in a porcine skin model: a preclinical feasibility study with undergraduate dental students

PURPOSE: Despite the growing clinical application of diode lasers in oral surgery, laser training remains underrepresented in dental curricula. This study evaluated the feasibility of structured preclinical diode-laser training and characterized the early learning curve of underg...

Buoyancy and polarity driven accumulation of dissolved organic matter in the sea surface microlayer during a phytoplankton bloom

Abstract. The sea surface microlayer (SML) is only 1–1000 µm thick but resembles a biologically and geochemically very active boundary that modulates the exchange of energy and matter between the ocean and atmosphere. Globally, the SML accumulates up to 200 Tg C yr−1 of organic m...

Trends in Heat Stress During Heat Waves Across Europe (1979–2023)

Abstract With heat waves becoming more frequent and intense under global warming, heat stress is a growing public health risk. We analyze heat stress trends (Simplified Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, sWBGT) during European heatwaves (1979–2023) using observations and reanalysis data...

Imaging the Alpine Collision With Seismic Radial Anisotropy

Abstract The Alpine region and the adjacent Northern Apennines (NA) and Northern Dinarides record the complex tectonic evolution associated with the collision between the Eurasian and Adriatic plates. We combine Rayleigh and Love surface waves from ambient noise and earthquake da...

The Costs of Parkinson's Disease in Europe: Results of the Costs of Illness in Neurology Initiative

Abstract Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. It imposes substantial and growing burden on patients, families, and caregivers and reduces quality of life. The disability and care needs associated with PD carry economic ramificat...

Phagocytosis of microbial symbionts supports embryonic nutrition in the sponge Halichondria panicea

Abstract Animals associate with microbial symbionts that play crucial roles in their nutrition and development, yet their function during gametogenesis and embryogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate host–symbiont dynamics throughout the reproductive cycle of th...

Graph and String Parameters: Connections Between Pathwidth, Cutwidth and the Locality Number

Abstract We investigate the locality number, a recently introduced structural parameter for strings (with applications in pattern matching with variables), and its connection to two important graph-parameters, cutwidth and pathwidth. These connections allow us to show that comput...

Metabolic switch: lymphocytes and the onset of T-cell-mediated autoimmunity

T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and type 1 diabetes (T1D), are being increasingly recognized as disorders driven not only by immune dysregulation but also by profound metabolic reprogramming in lymphocytes. Emergi...

Correlation of polygenic risk score and clinical phenotype in patients with genetic generalized epilepsy

Abstract Objective The polygenic risk score (PRS) for individuals with genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) quantifies the common risk variants in genes identified in genome‐wide association studies. We hypothesized that the phenotype of GGE patients differs based on their GGE PRS....

Moment Matching for Bayesian Inference in the Baseline New Keynesian Model

Abstract The sparsity and small size of economic samples often obscure the identification of parameters in macroeconomic models. These identification problems originate from the poorly defined mapping between a structural model and reduced-form parameters. Hence, researchers rely...

Prehistoric pottery styles of the Jutland Peninsula and their effect on human attention

Abstract This paper examines how long-term transformations in pottery styles from the Jutland Peninsula (Denmark) may relate to patterns of visual attention between 4600 and 1 BCE. Free-viewing eye-tracking experiments were designed to record participants’ engagement with differe...

Key management practices controlling yield performance and nitrate leaching in a grass-clover based organic crop rotation

Organic farming is frequently discussed as a strategy for mitigating nitrate leaching, especially in water protection areas. The effectiveness of nitrogen (N) management practices within organic crop rotations requires evaluation to balance yield performance with nitrate leaching...

Identity fusion in children: A validation of the Dynamic Identity Fusion Index

Identity fusion is a strong form of group alignment, in which individuals experience a visceral sense of oneness with the group, motivating extreme forms of pro-group action. However, little is known about the emergence and development of identity fusion across the lifespan, larg...

Frailty before disease onset: risk of mortality and chronic conditions in disease-free middle-aged adults

Abstract Frailty, defined by multisystem physiological decline and heightened vulnerability to stressors, is typically associated with aging and chronic disease. However, its relevance in apparently healthy individuals remains poorly understood. Identifying frailty in this popula...

Identification and phenotypic profiling of subgroups with distinct cognitive aging trajectories

Cognitive aging is shaped by genetic variation, environmental factors, and health-related conditions. Until now, it is largely unclear why some individuals maintain their cognitive function, and others show progressive cognitive decline. This study uncovered determinants of disti...

Capturing of interdental areas with digital and conventional impression systems and their impact on automatic tooth segmentation in CAD software: an in vitro study

OBJECTIVES: This in vitro study evaluated and compared the accuracy of digital versus conventional impression systems in reproducing interdental areas (IAs) of periodontally compromised dentitions (PCDs) and examined how impression quality influences automated tooth segmentation...

Characterizing the intrinsic parameters, mass, volume and density, of single pollen grains as a base for mechanical analysis of pollen adhesion

MAIN CONCLUSION: This study combines own experimental data with an extensive literature research to characterize the average single pollen grain mass, volume and density as parameters for future force measurements on pollen. The analysis of pollen grain mechanical properties and...

Fecal microbiome transplant in food allergy in humans and mice identifies a role for bile acid metabolites in oral tolerance

The gut microbiome has been implicated in the pathogenesis of food allergy (FA), prompting microbiome-focused interventions. We evaluated, in a phase 1 open-label trial (NCT02960074), the safety and efficacy of oral encapsulated fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) in 15 adults...