Background and Aims: Colonoscopy as standard procedure in endoscopy is often perceived as uncomfortable for patients. Patient's anxiety is therefore a significant issue, which often lead to avoidance of participation of relevant examinations as CRC-screening. Non-pharmacological anxiety management interventions such as music might contribute to relaxation in the phase prior and during endoscopy. Although music's anxiolytic effects have been reported previously, no objective measurement of stress level reduction has been reported yet. Focus of this study was to evaluate the objective measurement of the state of relaxation in patients undergoing colonoscopy. Methods: Prospective study (n = 196) performed at one endoscopic high-volume center. Standard colonoscopy was performed in control group. Interventional group received additionally self-chosen music over earphones. Facial Electromyography (fEMG) activity was obtained. Clinician Satisfaction with Sedation Instrument (CSSI) and Patients Satisfaction with Sedation Instrument (PSSI) was answered by colonoscopists and patients, respectively. Overall satisfaction with music accompanied colonoscopy was obtained if applicable. Results: Mean difference measured by fEMG via musculus zygomaticus major indicated a significantly lower stress level in the music group [7.700(±5.560) μV vs. 4.820(±3.330) μV; p = 0.001]. Clinician satisfaction was significantly higher with patients listening to music [82.69(±15.04) vs. 87.3(±15.02) pts.; p = 0.001]. Patient's satisfaction was higher but did not differ significantly. Conclusions: We conclude that self-chosen music contributes objectively to a reduced stress level for patients and therefore subjectively perceived satisfaction for endoscopists. Therefore, music should be considered as a non-pharmacological treatment method of distress reduction especially in the beginning of endoscopic procedures.

Background Sixty percent of all species are insects, yet despite global efforts to monitor animal movement patterns, insects are continuously underrepresented. This striking difference between species richness and the number of species monitored is not due to a lack of interest but rather to the lack of technical solutions. Often the accuracy and speed of established tracking methods is not high enough to record behavior and react to it experimentally in real-time, which applies in particular to small flying animals. Results Our new method of real-time tracking relates to frequencies of solar radiation which are almost completely absorbed by traveling through the atmosphere. For tracking, photoluminescent tags with a peak emission (1400 nm), which lays in such a region of strong absorption through the atmosphere, were attached to the animals. The photoluminescent properties of passivated lead sulphide quantum dots were responsible for the emission of light by the tags and provide a superb signal-to noise ratio. We developed prototype markers with a weight of 12.5 mg and a diameter of 5 mm. Furthermore, we developed a short wave infrared detection system which can record and determine the position of an animal in a heterogeneous environment with a delay smaller than 10 ms. With this method we were able to track tagged bumblebees as well as hawk moths in a flight arena that was placed outside on a natural meadow. Conclusion Our new method eliminates the necessity of a constant or predictable environment for many experimental setups. Furthermore, we postulate that the developed matrix-detector mounted to a multicopter will enable tracking of small flying insects, over medium range distances (>1000m) in the near future because: a) the matrix-detector equipped with an 70 mm interchangeable lens weighs less than 380 g, b) it evaluates the position of an animal in real-time and c) it can directly control and communicate with electronic devices.

(1) Background: Refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (R-aGvHD) remains a leading cause of death after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Survival rates of 15% after four years are currently achieved; deaths are only in part due to aGvHD itself, but mostly due to adverse effects of R-aGvHD treatment with immunosuppressive agents as these predispose patients to opportunistic infections and loss of graft-versus-leukemia surveillance resulting in relapse. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) from different tissues and those generated by various protocols have been proposed as a remedy for R-aGvHD but the enthusiasm raised by initial reports has not been ubiquitously reproduced. (2) Methods: We previously reported on a unique MSC product, which was generated from pooled bone marrow mononuclear cells of multiple third-party donors. The products showed dose-to-dose equipotency and greater immunosuppressive capacity than individually expanded MSCs from the same donors. This product, MSC-FFM, has entered clinical routine in Germany where it is licensed with a national hospital exemption authorization. We previously reported satisfying initial clinical outcomes, which we are now updating. The data were collected in our post-approval pharmacovigilance program, i.e., this is not a clinical study and the data is high-level and non-monitored. (3) Results: Follow-up for 92 recipients of MSC-FFM was reported, 88 with GvHD ≥°III, one-third only steroid-refractory and two-thirds therapy resistant (refractory to steroids plus ≥2 additional lines of treatment). A median of three doses of MSC-FFM was administered without apparent toxicity. Overall response rates were 82% and 81% at the first and last evaluation, respectively. At six months, the estimated overall survival was 64%, while the cumulative incidence of death from underlying disease was 3%. (4) Conclusions: MSC-FFM promises to be a safe and efficient treatment for severe R-aGvHD.

Active Galactic Nuclei emit radiation over the whole electromagnetic spectrum up to TeV energies. Blazars are one subtype with their jets pointing towards the observer. One of their typical features is extreme variability on timescales, from minutes to years. The fractional variability is an often used parameter for investigating the degree of variability of a light curve. Different detection methods and sensitivities of the instruments result in differently binned data and light curves with gaps. As they can influence the physics interpretation of the broadband variability, the effects of these differences on the fractional variability need to be studied. In this paper, we study the systematic effects of completeness in time coverage and the sampling rate. Using public data from instruments monitoring blazars in various energy ranges, we study the variability of the bright TeV blazars Mrk 421 and Mrk 501 over the electromagnetic spectrum, taking into account the systematic effects, and compare our findings with previous results. Especially in the TeV range, the fractional variability is higher than in previous studies, which can be explained by the much longer (seven years compared to few weeks) and more complete data sample.

In den vergangenen Jahren traten auf den internationalen Kapitalmärkten starke Veränderungen ein. Die Öffnung vieler Länder für den internationalen Kapitalmarkt seit den 1980er Jahren führte allgemein zu einem hohen Anstieg grenzüberschreitender Investitionen. Folgt man der wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Theorie, sollte aber wesentlich mehr Kapital von Industriestaaten in arme Länder fließen als es tatsächlich der Fall ist. Politische Faktoren bzw. politische Länderrisiken sind entscheidende Faktoren zur Erklärung dieses Phänomens. Hauptgegenstand dieser Arbeit ist die Klärung der Wirkungszusammenhänge zwischen Politik, Kapitalflüssen und Länderrisiken. In der Arbeit werden verschiedene Formen internationalen Kapitals unterschieden. Es ist von entscheidender Bedeutung, wie sich politisches Risiko auf unterschiedliche Kapitalflüsse wie Direktinvestitionen und Schuldenflüsse auswirkt. Dem Kreditmarkt und dem Phänomen des Staatsbankrotts kommt hierbei eine Schlüsselrolle zu. Die Frage, unter welchen politischen Voraussetzungen sich Staaten am internationalen Kapitalmarkt verschulden, ist in der Literatur bislang vernachlässigt worden. Dieser Zusammenhang bestimmt jedoch zu einem hohen Grad die Auslandsschulden eines Landes bei gegebener Kreditwürdigkeit. Die Arbeit konzentriert sich nicht nur auf den Faktor politisches Risiko, sondern beleuchtet die Rolle der „Politik“ als Ganzes. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit Schritt wird der theoretische Zusammenhang zwischen politischen Variablen, Wirtschaftswachstum und verschiedenen Kapitalflüssen untersucht und darauf aufbauend Hypothesen gebildet. Im zweiten Schritt wird gezeigt, wie Investoren Politik bzw. politische Risiken hinsichtlich ihrer Investitionsmöglichkeiten wahrnehmen. Dies geschieht anhand der Länderratings, die von Ratingagenturen veröffentlicht werden, um deren Einschätzung der Kreditwürdigkeit eines Landes dem Markt mitzuteilen. Diese Länderratings sind zu einem wichtigen Element im Wettbewerb staatlicher Akteure um die Gunst von Investoren geworden. Neben ökonomischen Determinanten wird das Länderrisiko auch von sozialen und politischen Faktoren beeinflusst. Es zeigt sich, dass gerade politische Risiken nur schwer voraussehbar und kaum operationalisierbar sind. Außerdem wird deutlich, dass es den Trägern der Analyse an Kompetenz gerade bei der Einschätzung politischer Risiken mangelt. Die Regressionsanalysen bilden den dritten Teil der Arbeit und werden mit einem globalen Datenpanel durchgeführt. Ein zweites Sample wird für Lateinamerika, den regionalen Schwerpunkt der Arbeit, erstellt. Es wird unterschieden nach den politischen Determinanten von Direktinvestitionen, Aktieninvestitionen und Schuldenflüssen. Die politischen Determinanten von Länderratings werden separat untersucht. Fallstudien zu Argentinien und Venezuela vervollständigen die Erkenntnisse der Untersuchung. In einem ersten Schritt wird dabei die jeweilige historische Entwicklung der Kapitalflüsse der Länder im Rahmen ihrer ökonomischen und politischen Geschichte analysiert. Daran schließt sich eine Analyse der Perzeption politischer Risiken während der Schuldenkrise der 1980er Jahre an, die beide Länder betraf. Es wird außerdem gezeigt, welche politischen Institutionen Einfluss auf die wirtschaftliche Leistungsfähigkeit beider Länder haben. Hier wird für Venezuela vor allem die auf Öl basierende Rentenökonomie behandelt und im Falle Argentiniens der Fiskalföderalismus. Am Beispiel der liberalen Reformen Anfang der 1990er Jahre wird gezeigt, warum die Länder mit ihrer Politik trotz ähnlicher Bedingungen unterschiedliche Ergebnisse erzielten. Die Fallstudien schließen mit der Analyse jüngerer Krisen und deren Folgen für die Investoren ab.