University Medical Center Freiburg

Edward Miles Vaughan Williams’ classification of antiarrhythmic drugs: then and now

Abstract This historical review provides a short biographical overview of the British pharmacologist Edward Miles Vaughan Williams (1918–2016) and summarises the experimental findings which form the basis for his original definition of three classes of antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) a...

OpenMRF : A Modular, Vendor‐Neutral Open‐Source Framework for Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting Using Pulseq

ABSTRACT Purpose Widespread adoption and methodological advancement of magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) are limited by the lack of unified, reproducible implementation frameworks and fragmented open‐source tools. To address these barriers, we introduce OpenMRF—a comprehens...

Exploratory proof-of-concept study and failure mode analysis of a dual-lumen stent graft for transapical off-pump LVAD implantation

Abstract Transapical off-pump implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) requires a separate inflow cannula and outflow graft. This study represents the first exploratory proof-of-concept evaluation of a dual-lumen stent graft designed to redirect blood from the left...

Engineering and characterization of a novel hydrogel-based cancer spheroid system to recapitulate clinical wIRA -hyperthermia treatments

Background Water-filtered infrared-A (wIRA) mild hyperthermia (mHT) combined with radiotherapy can effectively treat superficial tumors. While in vitro models are essential for mechanistic studies, existing approaches mostly rely on monolayer cultures and non-clinical heating. We...

Impact of combined Hydrus Microstent implantation and cataract surgery on diurnal intraocular pressure range: a longitudinal, retrospective study

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the impact of combined Hydrus Microstent implantation and cataract surgery on the 24-hour intraocular pressure (IOP) range in patients with open-angle glaucoma. Patients and methods This retrospective, single-center study included 125 consecutive eyes...

Volumetric reference data of the orbit: a deep learning MRI analysis in the German national cohort

Abstract Manual segmentation of orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is labor-intensive, hindering large-scale morphometric studies. To overcome this, we developed a fully automated deep learning pipeline to segment orbital MRIs and establish age- and sex-stratified normative...

Between myopathy and mortality: Challenges in the diagnosis of PLOD1 -related kyphoscoliotic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Objective PLOD1-related kyphoscoliotic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (kEDS) is a rare autosomal recessive connective tissue disorder characterized by generalized joint laxity, severe congenital hypotonia, progressive kyphoscoliosis, hyperextensible and easily bruised skin, ocular abnorm...

Elucidating a potential role of the infant gut microbiome on L-tyrosine bioavailability in phenylketonuria using whole-body metabolic modelling

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) deficiency, leading to elevated L-phenylalanine and severe neurological damage if untreated. While phenylalanine-based biomarkers are diagnostic and phenylalanine levels correlate w...

Pediatric intensive care follow-up in Germany is rarely established and highly heterogeneous: a nationwide survey of 20 PICUs

BACKGROUND: Survival after pediatric critical illness has improved substantially, but many survivors and their families experience long-term physical, neurocognitive, psychological and social sequelae, summarized as post-intensive care syndrome in pediatrics and in families. Stru...

A biomechanical comparison of closed-reduction osteosynthesis techniques for fractures of the ulnar styloid

BACKGROUND: Ulnar styloid fractures (USF) are frequently underestimated and can contribute to clinically relevant wrist instability and impaired functional outcomes. Several osteosynthesis techniques are available for the treatment of unstable USF. This study aims to compare the...

Impact of sudanese chewing tobacco toombak on oral bacteria – a culture-based pilot study

Abstract Objective This study investigated the impact of the Sudanese smokeless tobacco Toombak on cultivable oral bacteria, its potential antibacterial properties, and its own microbial composition. Materials and methods Oral swabs from 20 adult male participants, including ten...

Combination therapy of sutimlimab and rituximab can lead to stable remission in autoimmune hemolytic anemia: a case series

Abstract Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is associated with a significant impairment of quality of life for affected patients and can lead to life-threating hemolytic crises. Complement-mediated destruction of antibody-opsonized erythrocytes is a central pathomechanism in many...

Elevated IL-10 is Linked With the Expansion of T-bethighCD21low B Cells in Patients With Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Abstract Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is frequently complicated by autoimmune and inflammatory manifestations associated with profound immune dysregulation (CVIDc), including expansion of T-bet high CD21 low B cells (CD21 low B cells). Elevated serum IL-10 levels have...

Outcome after cataract surgery with IOL implantation in adolescents and adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) associated or ANA-positive anterior uveitis

Purpose Cataract surgery in patients with chronic anterior uveitis may be associated with increased risk for complications and poor outcomes. This study analyses visual outcome, uveitis course and complications after cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in ad...

Incidence and relative risk of negative outcomes of psychological interventions for pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background Negative outcomes of psychological treatments for pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been underresearched. Although reporting has increased over the years, a comprehensive systematic review and meta‐analysis is lacking. Methods We conducted a preregist...

Treatment with Cistus incanus and Rosmarinus officinalis reduces inflammatory processes in an in vitro virus mimicry approach

Acute respiratory viral diseases caused by single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses like influenza A infection occur frequently in all age groups, with significant impact on morbidity and mortality worldwide. The severity and burden of the disease is tightly connected to host inflamma...

A new endoscopic device to facilitate argon plasma coagulation treatment: First Multicenter Clinical Experience

Background and study aims: Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is an established ablation technique, but limited by tangential probe orientation. ArgoCap was developed to allow precise, safe, and reproducible APC by visualizing the argon beam, shielding the probe, maintaining a define...

DECIDER-2: Prospective randomized multicenter phase III trial of decitabine and venetoclax administered in combination with all-trans retinoic acid or placebo in patients with acute myeloid leukemia who are ineligible for induction chemotherapy

Abstract Background Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is predominantly a disease of older patients with a poor long-term survival. Approval of the combination of venetoclax (VEN) with azacitidine (AZA) or decitabine (DAC) in the European Union in 2021 for the treatment of patients wit...

Using a digital health tool to strengthen community engagement in arboviral disease prevention: an implementation study in Colombia

Abstract Background Arboviral diseases remain major public health problems in Colombia. Mobile applications such as WhatsApp are increasingly being used to support health interventions by improving community engagement and preventive practices. Given its widespread use in Colombi...

Electrochemical in vivo oxygen sensing on cochlear implants

Abstract Cochlear implants (CIs) are the most frequently implanted neuroprostheses. Despite the clinical success of CIs, the processes actually occurring at the electrodes post-implantation remain unknown, and the majority of research is limited to endpoint analyses. Electrochemi...