This review covers the investigations carried out with my colleagues and students during the last 25 years aimed at the development of analytical procedures for the preconcentration and/or speciation analysis of trace and ultra-trace elements using bio- and nanosorbents employing different methodologies, analytical techniques, and instrumental approaches. In the last years, an important part of this research was based on the use of nanomaterials for preconcentration and/or speciation studies. For their properties, they constitute a break point in the evolution of analytical chemistry. Special attention was paid to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that resulted effective sorbents in flow systems using different immobilization strategies to improve their sorption capabilities. They resulted unique tools for on-line solid-phase (micro)extraction methods providing the appropriate selectivity (clean-up) and sensitivity (preconcentration) to reach the expected levels of many elements in matrices of biological or environmental interest. The performance of the different substrates, their strengths and weaknesses for the determination of trace elements, and their species in different matrices by a variety of analytical techniques are discussed in detail, along with perspectives and possible challenges in future development. This survey contains 96 references and covers primarily the literature published over the last 25 years by our research group. Relevant publications on the topics discussed were also included.In an aging society, epilepsy in old age will become a more and more relevant disease. The diagnosis is often difficult because of the frequent occurrence of focal seizures in old age, which are easily overlooked. The diagnosis is often delayed, particularly in older patients who, for example also suffer from dementia. The causes of the epilepsy can be manifold in the aging brain. Another challenge for neurologists is the medicinal treatment of geriatric epilepsy, as many anticonvulsive drugs can be associated with serious side effects and interactions. The evidence for the effectiveness and tolerability of anticonvulsive drugs in old age is insufficient, so that the choice of drugs must be made on an individual basis. Status epilepticus is a neurological emergency, which occurs not only more frequently in older than in younger persons but is also associated with a higher mortality, so that immediate diagnosis and adequate treatment is necessary.BACKGROUND Non-motor symptoms (NMS) in patients with dystonia have a relevant impact on health-related quality of life; however, a comprehensive easy to use NMS assessment tool for clinical bedside use is currently not available. OBJECTIVE The validated German version of the dystonia non-motor symptoms questionnaire (DNMSQuest) for assessing NMS in craniocervical dystonia is presented. METHODS The DNMSQuest in the German language was developed based on internationally recognized standards for intercultural adaptation of self-completed patient questionnaires. Translation of the original English questionnaire into the German language as well as back translation to English was carried out independently by four bilingual specialists in neurological movement disorders. In each case a consensus version accepted by each translator was created by another neurologist. The back translated English version was compared with the original English questionnaire for relevant linguistic and content discrepancies by a neurologist who was significantly involved in the development of the original questionnaire. The final German version was used in 130 patients with cervical dystonia and 48 healthy controls in an international, multicenter validation study. RESULTS An interculturally adapted validated version of the DNMSQuest in the German and English languages was developed for rapid bedside assessment and evaluation of NMS in cervical dystonia. CONCLUSION The DNMSQuest successfully bridges the current gap of a validated disease-specific, patient self-administered, short, comprehensive questionnaire for NMS assessment in routine clinical practice in craniocervical dystonia. It is envisaged that this tool will be useful for the clinical practice and trials.OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of athletic pubalgia imaging findings on MRI in patients with femoroacetabular impingement and assess for correlative risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective search identified 156 hips with femoroacetabular impingement and a control group of 113 without femoroacetabular impingement that had an MRI performed between January 1, 2015, and January 1, 2018. Two fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed studies for the presence of acute osteitis pubis, chronic osteitis pubis, adductor tendinosis, and tendon tear; rectus abdominis tendinosis and tendon tear; and aponeurotic plate tear. Findings were correlated with various clinical and imaging risk factors. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS Imaging findings of adductor tendinosis (p = 0.02) and chronic osteitis pubis (p = 0.01) were more prevalent in FAI patients than controls. Univariate analyses in FAI patients showed that an alpha angle ≥ 60° had a higher prevalence of aponeurotic plate tears (p = 0.02) and adductor tendinosis (p = 0.049). Multivariate analyses showed that an alpha angle ≥ 60° had a higher prevalence of chronic osteitis pubis (OR = 2.27, p = 0.031), sports participation had a higher prevalence of adductor tendon tears (OR = 4.69, p = 0.013) and chronic osteitis pubis (OR = 2.61, p = 0.0058), and males had a higher prevalence of acute osteitis pubis (OR = 5.17, p = 0.032).  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/Chlorogenic-acid.html  CONCLUSION Sports participation, alpha angle ≥ 60°, and male sex predict a higher prevalence of athletic pubalgia imaging findings in patients with femoroacetabular impingement.Less than 10 years ago a breakthrough was made in the world of computer science and artificial intelligence (AI) with the application of deep neural networks, which initially found little attention in medicine. In 2017 the first high-ranking publications on the medical application of AI were published. The potential of AI became known to many both in clinical medicine as well as in clinical and biomedical research. At the end of 2019 a phase of upheaval is occurring first concepts for regulatory procedures have appeared, a large number of start-ups but also established companies are endeavoring to introduce AI-based medical devices into the market. This article discusses the basic principles for understanding AI-based medical devices as well as an overview of current AI-based solutions specific to cardiac surgery.