Polyampholytes with alternating cationic and anionic monomers were synthesized and complexed with fatty acids (dodecanoic acid and perfluorododecanoic acid). The formation of the polyelectrolyte−fatty acid complexes is self-assembled and generates nanoparticles with sizes in the range of 3−5 nm that were named dressed micelles. A defined arrangement of the ionic charges of three polyampholytes was achieved by the copolymerization of a cationic vinyl monomer (N,N‘-diallyl-N,N‘-dimethylammonium chloride) and anionic vinyl monomers (maleamic acid, phenylmaleamic acid, and 4-butylphenylmaleamic acid). The zeta potentials of the polyampholyte dressed micelles were adjusted in the range of −56 to 25 mV. They increase when replacing the alkylated dodecanoic acid by its perfluorinated counterpart, and they also increase when enhancing the hydrophilicity of the polyampholyte. Analytical ultracentrifugation, dynamic light scattering, and isothermal titration calorimetry were used for the characterization of the fluorinated and the hydrogenated complexes.

The application of stannous ions in combination with fluoride (F/Sn) is one of the central strategies in reducing erosive tooth wear. F/Sn efficacy can be enhanced by adding chitosan, a positively charged biopolymer. For patients with low saliva flow, this efficacy, however, is not sufficient, making further improvement desirable. This could be achieved by combining chitosan with other molecules like mucin, which together might form multilayers. This in-vitro study aimed to investigate the effect of chitosan, mucin, F/Sn and combinations thereof on enamel erosion and erosion-abrasion. Human enamel samples (n = 448, 28 groups) were cyclically eroded or eroded-abraded (10 days; 6 × 2 min erosion and 2 × 15 s/200 g abrasion per day). Samples were treated 2 × 2 min/day with solutions containing either, chitosan (50 or 500 mPas), porcine gastric mucin, F/Sn or combinations thereof after abrasive challenge. Tissue loss was measured profilometrically, interaction between hard tissue and active agents was assessed with energy dispersive spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Chitosan and F/Sn showed the expected effect in reducing tissue loss under erosive and under erosive-abrasive conditions. Neither mucin alone nor the combinations with mucin showed any additional beneficial effect.

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There is only scarce information on the quality of life of child recipients of liver transplants and their families. Particularly children with a living related graft and their families never have been compared to children who received a cadaveric graft and their families. We investigated the following issues in our study: How do parents and children from participating families rate their strain, their quality of life and their relationships within their family? Do families with a living - related donor differ from those with a cadaveric donor? What do living donors and their partners think about the donation retrospectively? The study was conducted with 106 participants from 50 families (42 mothers, 40 fathers, and 24 children older than 6 years). In 20 of these families, a living transplantation had been performed. Participants were interviewed and asked to fill out several questionnaires. School-aged children with a liver transplant show good social integration among their peers and in school. The child's disease, however, has a great impact on the family. Family members show a reduction in social contact, and an increase in marital crises, and problematic relations amongst siblings. Families in which a cadaveric graft was performed, are less satisfied with life, and show more symptoms of exhaustion. Every family studied possessed or acquired - a high degree of internal or external coping resources. Living - related donors tried hard to obtain an understanding of the medical context. The partner, rather than the donor himself, feels anxious before the donation. The limited time available for the decision to donate is not perceived by the donors to be critical. Ten percent of living donors feel "a little" that their health is affected. The decision to donate is supported "strongly" or "very strongly" by the partners in 80 % of the cases. A possible strain on the child through the expectation of gratitude by the donor is stated by 20 %. All of the donors agree that if they were to be asked today, they would donate again, only one of the partners raised objections. In summary, as a retrospective pilot study, this study primarily generates hypotheses rather than testing them and helps to develop research tools for the field. Results suggest that a psychological support be made available both prior to and following the operation, not only for the children but also for their families, with particular attention to the partners of the living donors and the siblings of the affected children.

Die alpine Tourismuswirtschaft nach der Pandemie steht heute vor tiefgreifenden, langfristigen und disruptiven Veränderungen. Neue Arbeits- und Freizeitformen entwickeln sich, digitale Transformation und Künstliche Intelligenz zeigen ihre Potenziale für den Tourismussektor. Das von Thomas Bieger, Pietro Beritelli und Christian Laesser herausgegebene Jahrbuch untersucht die damit verbundenen Chancen, Lösungsansätze und Trends aus unterschiedlichen Blickwinkeln.Eine einmalige Zusammenstellung zur aktuellen Weiterentwicklung des alpinen Tourismus in Forschung und Praxis.