University of Cologne

About: University of Cologne is a education organization based out in Cologne, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Transplantation. The organization has 32050 authors who have published 66350 publications receiving 2210092 citations. The organization is also known as: Universität zu Köln & Universitatis Coloniensis.

Lipoprotein(a), PCSK9 Inhibition, and Cardiovascular Risk.

Abstract: Background: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] may play a causal role in atherosclerosis. PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9) inhibitors have been shown to significantly reduce plasma Lp(a) concen...

Survival of Acinetobacter baumannii on Dry Surfaces: Comparison of Outbreak and Sporadic Isolates

Abstract: Acinetobacter spp. are important nosocomial pathogens reported with increasing frequency in outbreaks of cross-infection during the past 2 decades. The majority of such outbreaks are caused by Acinetobacter baumannii. To investigate whether desiccation tolerance may be involved in the ability of certain strains of A. baumannii to cause hospital outbreaks, a blind study was carried out with 39 epidemiologically well-characterized clinical isolates of A. baumannii for which survival times were determined under simulated hospital conditions. The survival times on glass coverslips of 22 strains isolated from eight well-defined hospital outbreaks in a German metropolitan area were compared with the survival times of 17 sporadic strains not involved in outbreaks but rather isolated from inpatients in the same geographic area. All sporadic isolates have been shown by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to represent different strain types. There was no statistically significant difference between the survival times of sporadic strains of A. baumannii and outbreak strains (27.2 versus 26.5 days, respectively; P ≤ 0.44) by the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. All investigated A. baumannii strains, irrespective of their areas of endemicity or epidemic occurrence, have the ability to survive for a long time on dry surfaces. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that A. baumannii outbreak strains were significantly more resistant to various broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents than sporadic strains. Both desiccation tolerance and multidrug resistance may contribute to their maintenance in the hospital setting and may explain in part their propensity to cause prolonged outbreaks of nosocomial infection.

Diagnosis and treatment of diverticular disease

Abstract: Background: With the aim of resolving the current controversy over the diagnosis and treatment of diverticular disease, this consensus development conference set out to summarize the actual state of the art Methods: A multidisciplinary panel of international experts (n= 16) was selected to take part in the consensus process Prior to the conference, all experts were asked to answer a series of questions on diverticular disease The consensus statement compiled out of these evaluations was modified during a joint meeting of the panel members, then presented for discussion in a public session, and finally revised by the expert panel The finalized statement was mailed to all panel members for approval (Delphi method) Results: Asymptomatic diverticulosis, diverticular disease (with actual or recurrent symptoms), and complicated diverticular disease were defined separately No agreement was reached on whether barium enema or colonoscopy is the better choice as an initial diagnostic tool in uncomplicated cases In complicated cases, computed tomography is recommended for diagnosis After two attacks of diverticular disease, elective resection should be considered For patients in whom a concomitant carcinoma cannot be excluded and those with chronic complications (fistula, stenosis, or bleeding) surgery is also indicated Laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy is recommended only for uncomplicated and, after percutaneous drainage of abscesses, Hinchey stage I and II cases Conclusions: Laparoscopic surgery has already begun to influence the management of diverticular disease, but the randomized controlled trials needed to support therapy decisions are largely missing

Two lane traffic simulations using cellular automata

Abstract: We examine a simple two-lane cellular automaton based upon the single-lane CA introduced by Nagel and Schreckenberg. We point out important parameters defining the shape of the fundamental diagram. Moreover we investigate the importance of stochastic elements with respect to real life traffic.