Impact of Rehabilitation on Physical and Neuropsychological Health of Patients Who Acquired COVID-19 in the Workplace.

Workers, especially healthcare workers, are exposed to an increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, less is known about the impact of rehabilitation on health outcomes associated with post-COVID. This longitudinal observational study examined the changes in physical and neuropsychological health and work ability after inpatient rehabilitation of 127 patients (97 females/30 males; age 21-69 years; Mean = 50.62) who acquired COVID-19 in the workplace. Post-COVID symptoms, functional status, physical performance, neuropsychological health, employment, and work ability were assessed before and after rehabilitation. Group differences relating to sex, professions, and acute COVID status were also analyzed. Except for fatigue, the prevalence of all post-COVID symptoms decreased after rehabilitation. Significant improvements in physical performance and neuropsychological health outcomes were determined. Moreover, healthcare workers showed a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms compared to non-healthcare workers. Nevertheless, participants reported poor work ability, and 72.5% of them were still unable to work after discharge from rehabilitation. As most participants were still suffering from the impact of COVID-19 at rehabilitation discharge, ongoing strategies in aftercare are necessary to improve their work ability. Further investigations of this study population at 6 and 12 months after rehabilitation should examine the further course of post-COVID regarding health and work ability status.

Rehabilitation and Return-to-Work of Patients Acquiring COVID-19 in the Workplace: A Study Protocol for an Observational Cohort Study.

Background: In 2020, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) developed into a worldwide pandemic. The course of COVID-19 is diverse, non-specific, and variable: Affected persons suffer from physical, cognitive, and psychological acute and long-term consequences. The symptoms influence everyday life activities, as well as work ability in the short or long-term. Healthcare professionals are considered particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 compared to the general population. In Germany, COVID-19 is recognized as an occupational disease or a work-related accident under certain conditions. Disease-specific rehabilitation is recommended for patients following acute COVID-19 to recover physical and neuropsychological performance and to improve work ability. Currently, there are limited findings on the short-term or long-term impact of COVID-19 as a recognized occupational disease or work-related accident, as well as on rehabilitation programs and associated influencing factors. Thus, the present research project will investigate these questions. Methods: For this observational cohort study, post-acute patients with COVID-19 as a recognized occupational disease or work-related accident according to the insurance regulations for COVID-19 will be recruited at the BG Hospital for Occupational Disease in Bad Reichenhall, Germany. All participants will complete a comprehensive multimodal and interdisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation program for a duration of at least 3 weeks, beginning after their acute COVID-19 infection and depending on their individual indication and severity of disease. Participants will complete medical, functional, motor, psychological, and cognitive measurements at four time points (at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) of inpatient rehabilitation; 6 (T3) and 12 (T4) months after the beginning of inpatient rehabilitation). Discussion: The present research project will help to assess and describe long-term effects of COVID-19 as a recognized occupational disease or work-related accident on physical and neuropsychological health, as well as on everyday activities and work ability of affected insured persons. In addition, this study will investigate influencing factors on severity and course of COVID-19. Furthermore, we will examine rehabilitation needs, measures, occurring specifics, and the feasibility of the rehabilitation procedure and disease development in the patients. The results of the intended study will further advance common recommendations for targeted and tailored rehabilitation management and participation in inpatient rehabilitation. Clinical Trial Registration: www.drks.de, identifier: DRKS00022928.

[PFLEGEprevent - A Randomized Controlled Intervention Study on the Effectiveness of a Prevention Program on Caregiver Workload]. / PFLEGEprevent ­ Präventiv der Arbeitsbelastung von Pflegekräften begegnen. Ergebnisse einer randomisiert kontrollierten Interventionsstudie zur Wirksamkeit einer Präventionsmaßnahme für Pflegekräfte.

BACKGROUND: Care staff in Germany is being increasingly affected by physical and mental stress, which is reflected in high number of sick days and early retirement rates. A prevention program that addresses the specific needs of caregivers - strengthening their resources in dealing with workloads and daily challenges- was developed in the project PFLEGEprevent. The prevention program was implemented in an RCT and its effects on stress, work ability and quality of life were evaluated. METHOD: The randomized controlled intervention study was conducted with 6 survey periods over 9 months. Targeted data were collected using validated tools: Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Work Ability Index (WAI), Recovery-Load Questionnaire for work (EBF-Work 27), Short Form-Health Survey (SF-12) and WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Descriptive analyses and the t-test for independent samples to compare changes in primary and secondary outcomes between study groups were conducted. RESULTS: A total of 125 (92% female, average age 46.7 years) caregivers participated in the study. There were significant group differences in changes of the target size to the follow-up measures up to 9 months. Especially stress was reduced in the long term in the intervention group. Overall well-being in this group improved significantly from baseline to follow-up. CONCLUSION: The evaluation of the prevention program showed a positive effect in the measured outcome of perceived stress. In other outcomes, significant group differences could be shown after 1 and 3 months.

Platelet inhibition by abciximab bolus-only administration and oral ADP receptor antagonist loading in acute coronary syndrome patients: the blocking and bridging strategy.

INTRODUCTION: Current guidelines still recommend the bolus and infusion administration of glycoprotein IIbIIIa inhibitors in patients with high-risk acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. We sought to evaluate the extent of platelet inhibition by a blocking and bridging strategy with intracoronary abciximab bolus-only administration and oral loading of adenosine diphosphate receptor antagonists. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-six consecutive high-risk acute coronary syndrome patients with bolus-only abciximab administration (0.25 mg/kg i.c.) and loading with 600 mg clopidogrel (55%) or 60 mg prasugrel (45%) were included in this study. Platelet aggregation induced by thrombin receptor-activating peptide and adenosine diphosphate was measured by multiple electrode aggregometry up to 7 days. RESULTS: Thrombin receptor-activating peptide induced platelet aggregation was significantly suppressed for a minimum of 48 h (45±17U) and returned to a normal range (>84 U) after 6 days (90±26U; p<0.001). Co-medication with prasugrel significantly reduced adenosine diphosphate-induced (p=0.002) and thrombin receptor-activating peptide-induced (p=0.02) platelet aggregation compared with clopidogrel throughout the observation period. No stent thrombosis or repeat myocardial infarction occurred at 30-day follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate blocking of platelet aggregation in high-risk acute coronary syndrome patients by intracoronary abciximab bolus-only administration and bridging to prolonged inhibition via oral blockade of ADP receptors effectively inhibited overall platelet reactivity for at least 48 h, questioning the value of continuous abciximab infusion. Co-medication with prasugrel vs. clopidogrel synergistically augmented platelet inhibition.

Experiential, autonomic, and respiratory correlates of CO2 reactivity in individuals with high and low anxiety sensitivity.

Psychometric studies indicate that anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a risk factor for anxiety disorders such as panic disorder (PD). To better understand the psychophysiological basis of AS and its relation to clinical anxiety, we examined whether high-AS individuals show similarly elevated reactivity to inhalations of carbon dioxide (CO2) as previously reported for PD and social phobia in this task. Healthy individuals with high and low AS were exposed to eight standardized inhalations of 20% CO2-enriched air, preceded and followed by inhalations of room air. Anxiety and dyspnea, in addition to autonomic and respiratory responses were measured every 15 s. Throughout the task, high AS participants showed a respiratory pattern of faster, shallower breathing and reduced inhalation of CO2 indicative of anticipatory or contextual anxiety. In addition, they showed elevated dyspnea responses to the second set of air inhalations accompanied by elevated heart rate, which could be due to sensitization or conditioning. Respiratory abnormalities seem to be common to high AS individuals and PD patients when considering previous findings with this task. Similarly, sensitization or conditioning of anxious and dyspneic symptoms might be common to high AS and clinical anxiety. Respiratory conditionability deserves greater attention in anxiety disorder research.

Erwinia amylovora expresses fast and simultaneously hrp/dsp virulence genes during flower infection on apple trees.

BACKGROUND: Pathogen entry through host blossoms is the predominant infection pathway of the gram-negative bacterium Erwinia amylovora leading to manifestation of the disease fire blight. Like in other economically important plant pathogens, E. amylovora pathogenicity depends on a type III secretion system encoded by hrp genes. However, timing and transcriptional order of hrp gene expression during flower infections are unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using quantitative real-time PCR analyses, we addressed the questions of how fast, strong and uniform key hrp virulence genes and the effector dspA/E are expressed when bacteria enter flowers provided with the full defense mechanism of the apple plant. In non-invasive bacterial inoculations of apple flowers still attached to the tree, E. amylovora activated expression of key type III secretion genes in a narrow time window, mounting in a single expression peak of all investigated hrp/dspA/E genes around 24-48 h post inoculation (hpi). This single expression peak coincided with a single depression in the plant PR-1 expression at 24 hpi indicating transient manipulation of the salicylic acid pathway as one target of E. amylovora type III effectors. Expression of hrp/dspA/E genes was highly correlated to expression of the regulator hrpL and relative transcript abundances followed the ratio: hrpA>hrpN>hrpL>dspA/E. Acidic conditions (pH 4) in flower infections led to reduced virulence/effector gene expression without the typical expression peak observed under natural conditions (pH 7). CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The simultaneous expression of hrpL, hrpA, hrpN, and the effector dspA/E during early floral infection indicates that speed and immediate effector transmission is important for successful plant invasion. When this delicate balance is disturbed, e.g., by acidic pH during infection, virulence gene expression is reduced, thus partly explaining the efficacy of acidification in fire blight control on a molecular level.

One dry summer: a leaf proteome study on the response of oak to drought exposure.

One of the most prominent hallmarks of the expected climate change in Europe is the higher prevalence of longer and more intense periods of summer drought. To preserve European oak forests, of considerable importance for European economical and ecological development, under these conditions knowledge on the mechanisms by which broad-leaved trees cope with drought is needed. In this study the effect of one season of drought stress, corresponding in length and soil water content to a dry summer, on young pedunculate oak trees (Quercus robur L.) was investigated by monitoring phenotypical parameters, the analysis of carbohydrate accumulation and a 2D-DIGE-based proteome study of leaves. In our experimental system, mimicking the conditions of a dry summer, the plants displayed reduced growth, moreover the transition through the developmental stages was affected. The data obtained during this study, supported by a separately published gene expression analysis study, indicated that the oak tried to adapt its metabolism in order to maintain its full molecular functionality. Initially the plants seemed to be able to cope with the imposed stress. However prolonged drought exposure overwhelmed the adaptive mechanisms and at the last sampling point of this study the molecular machinery succumbed.

Respiratory, autonomic, and experiential responses to repeated inhalations of 20% CO2 enriched air in panic disorder, social phobia, and healthy controls.

Inhalation of carbon dioxide (CO2) enriched air triggers anxiety in panic disorder (PD) patients, which is often interpreted as a sign of biological vulnerability. However, most studies have not measured respiration in these tasks. We compared patients with PD (n=20) and social phobia (SP, n=19) to healthy controls (n=18) during eight inhalations of 20% CO2, preceded and followed by two inhalations of room air, while continuously measuring subjective anxiety and dyspnea as well as autonomic and respiratory variables. PD patients showed increased reactivity and delayed recovery during CO2 inhalations for most measures. Unlike both other groups, the PD group's tidal volume responses did not habituate across CO2 inhalations. However, PD patients did not differ from SP patients on most other measures, supporting a continuum model of CO2 sensitivity across anxiety disorders. Both patient groups showed continued reactivity during the last air inhalations, which is unlikely to be due to a biological sensitivity.

Organ-specific defence strategies of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) during early phase of water deficit.

Drought is one of the major factors that limits crop production and reduces yield. To understand the early response of plants under nearly natural conditions, pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.) were grown in a greenhouse and stressed by withholding water for 1 week. Plants adapted to the decreasing water content of the soil by adjustment of their osmotic potential in root tissue. As a consequence of drought, strong accumulation of raffinose, glucose, galactinol and proline was detected in the roots. In contrast, in leaves the levels of fructose, sucrose and also galactinol increased. Due to the water deficit cadaverine, putrescine, spermidine and spermine accumulated in leaves, whereas the concentration of polyamines was reduced in roots. To study the molecular basis of these responses, a combined approach of suppression subtractive hybridisation and microarray technique was performed on the same material. A total of 109 unique ESTs were detected as responsive to drought, while additional 286 ESTs were selected from the bulk of rare transcripts on the array. The metabolic profiles of stressed pepper plants are discussed with respect to the transcriptomic changes detected, while attention is given to the differences between defence strategies of roots and leaves.

Simultaneous measurement of proline and related compounds in oak leaves by high-performance ligand-exchange chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for environmental stress studies.

A mass spectrometer was coupled to high-performance ligand-exchange liquid chromatography (HPLEC) for simultaneous analysis of stress associated solutes such as proline, hydroxyproline, methylproline, glycine betaine and trigonelline extracted from leaves of drought stressed oaks and an internal standard namely N-acetylproline. Methanol/chloroform/water extracts were analyzed using an Aminex HPX-87C column and specifically quantified by the positive ion mode of an electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) in single ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The recovery of N-acetyl proline added to oak leaf extracts ranged from 85.2 to 122.1% for an intra-day study. Standard calibration curves showed good linearity in the measured range from 0.3125 to 10micromolL(-1) with the lowest correlation coefficient of 0.99961 for trigonelline. The advantages of this alternative procedure, compared to previously published methods using fluorescence or amperometric detections, are the simultaneous and direct detection of osmoprotectants in a single chromatographic run, a minimal sample preparation, a good specificity and reduced limits of quantification, ranging from 0.1 to 0.6micromolL(-1). Fifty-six days of water deficit exposure resulted in increased foliar free proline levels (2.4-fold, P<0.001, 155micromolg(-1) FW) and glycine betaine contents (2.5-fold, P<0.05, 175micromolg(-1) FW) of drought stressed oak compared to control.

Changes in water status and proline and abscisic acid concentrations in developing somatic embryos of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) during maturation and germination.

Somatic embryos of oak (Quercus robur L.) were matured on P24 media differing in gel strength (0.8, 0.9 and 1.0% (w/v) agar). Viscosity and osmotic potential (Psipi,medium) of the media were determined. Developing cotyledonary embryos were analyzed at maturity Stages I-III for water content, osmotic potential (Psipi,embryo) and concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA) and proline. Proliferation of embryogenic tissue, germination rates and the number of embryos formed were also determined in order to relate embryo quality to physiological parameters. Viscosity increased with agar concentration, a phenomenon apparently related to water availability. Many Stage III embryos with high germination potentials were obtained on P24 medium containing 1.0% agar. Embryo water content decreased progressively from 94 to 80% during embryo maturation. Stage I and II embryos that matured on media containing 0.8 or 0.9% agar had similar values of Psipi,embryo, whereas Psipi,embryo of Stage III embryos that matured on medium containing 1.0% agar was significantly lower, although Psipi,medium was unaffected by gel strength. Stage III embryos showed a nearly 16-fold increase in proline concentration and a 50% decrease in ABA concentration compared with Stage I embryos. We conclude that tissue water status and a complex relationship between ABA and proline concentrations, modulated by medium gel strength, are important factors in the maturation process and the quality of oak somatic embryos.

Cultivation-independent population analysis of bacterial endophytes in three potato varieties based on eubacterial and Actinomycetes-specific PCR of 16S rRNA genes.

Abstract Endophytic bacteria are ubiquitous in most plants and colonise plants without exhibiting pathogenicity. Studies on the diversity of bacterial endophytes have been mainly approached by characterisation of isolates obtained from internal tissues. Despite the broad application of culture-independent techniques for the analysis of microbial communities in a wide range of natural habitats, little information is available on the species diversity of endophytes. In this study, microbial communities inhabiting stems, roots and tubers of three potato varieties were analysed by 16S rRNA-based techniques such as terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis as well as 16S rDNA cloning and sequencing. Two individual plant experiments were conducted. In the first experiment plants suffered from light deficiency, whereas healthy and robust plants were obtained in the second experiment. Plants obtained from both experiments showed comparable endophytic populations, but healthy potato plants possessed a significantly higher diversity of endophytes than stressed plants. In addition, plant tissue and variety specific endophytes were detected. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA genes indicated that a broad phylogenetic spectrum of bacteria is able to colonise plants internally including alpha-, beta-, and gamma-Proteobacteria, high-GC Gram-positives, microbes belonging to the Flexibacter/Cytophaga/Bacteroides group and Planctomycetales. Group-specific analysis of Actinomycetes indicated a higher abundance and diversity of Streptomyces scabiei-related species in the variety Mehlige Mühlviertler, which is known for its resistance against potato common scab caused by S. scabiei.