Both cholelithiasis and alcohol were main etiologic factors in the more northern countries studied, whereas cholelithiasis alone predominated in the more southern ones. Mortality was high for necrotic pancreatitis; it was similar among the various etiologic groups, and there was no relationship between mortality and age.

BackgroundOnline gaming has become increasingly popular. However, this has led to concerns that these games might induce serious problems and/or lead to dependence for a minority of players. Aim: The aim of this study was to uncover and operationalize the components of problematic online gaming.MethodsA total of 3415 gamers (90% males; mean age 21 years), were recruited through online gaming websites. A combined method of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied. Latent profile analysis was applied to identify persons at-risk.ResultsEFA revealed a six-factor structure in the background of problematic online gaming that was also confirmed by a CFA. For the assessment of the identified six dimensions – preoccupation, overuse, immersion, social isolation, interpersonal conflicts, and withdrawal – the 18-item Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ) proved to be exceedingly suitable. Based on the latent profile analysis, 3.4% of the gamer population was considered to be at high risk, while another 15.2% was moderately problematic.ConclusionsThe POGQ seems to be an adequate measurement tool for the differentiated assessment of gaming related problems on six subscales.

The aim of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that membrane permeability is necessary in bone formation using the principle of guided tissue regeneration. On the forehead of 8 rabbits, titanium test cylinders were anchored in the calvaria. These cylinders were either covered by an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane generating a chamber for bone formation or they were sealed off by cast titanium. The implanted cylinders were covered by resuturing the periosteum and the cutaneous flap. After 8 months of healing, new bone had formed in all cylinders in all animals irrespective of whether the chamber for bone formation was sealed off by cast titanium or the ePTFE membrane. Based on these results, we conclude that permeability of the membrane is not necessary in the guided generation of new bone.

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The rise and growing popularity of online games has led to the appearance of excessive gaming that in some cases can lead to physical and psychological problems. Several measures have been developed to explore the nature and the scale of the phenomenon. However, few measures have been validated psychometrically. The aim of the present study was to test the psychometric properties of the 12-item Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire Short-Form (POGQ-SF) and to assess the prevalence of problematic online gaming. Data collection was carried out to assess the prevalence of problematic online gaming in a national representative adolescent sample by using an offline (pen and pencil) method. A total of 5,045 secondary school students were assessed (51% male, mean age 16.4 years, SD = 0.9 years) of which 2,804 were gamers (65.4% male, mean age 16.4 years, SD = 0.9 years). Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to test the measurement model of problematic online gaming, and latent profile analysis was used to identify the proportion of gamers whose online game use can be considered problematic. Results showed that the original six-factor model yielded appropriate fit to the data, and thus the POGQ-SF has appropriate psychometric properties. Latent profile analysis revealed that 4.6% of the adolescents belong to a high risk group and an additional 13.3% to a low risk group. Due to its satisfactory psychometric characteristics, the 12-item POGQ-SF appears to be an adequate tool for the assessment of problematic online gaming.