Upper Austrian Research

The purpose of this application, under Articles 23.9.3, 61.1 and 81.1 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, is to conserve the current usage of the name Urceolariidae Stein, 1867 (incorrect original spelling Urceolarina) for a family of broadly-studied mobiline peritrichs (Ciliophora)—ectosymbionts of freshwater Turbellaria, marine polychaetes and molluscs—by reversing its precedence with respect to the senior homonym Urceolariidae Dujardin, 1841 (incorrect original spelling “Urcéolariens”, latinised as Urceolarina), and to conserve the current usage of its type genus, Urceolaria Stein, 1867, by confirming Trichodina mitra Siebold, 1845 as the type species by monotypy. The homonymy with Urceolaria Lamarck, 1801 (a permanently invalid, junior objective synonym of a rotiferan genus) and Urceolaria Lamarck, 1816 was overlooked until 1938 and remained unresolved until 1977, when Corliss replaced Urceolaria (without giving the authorship, date and type species) with Urceolariella and proposed the family name Urceolariellidae (again without further information). Both these names were disregarded by Corliss himself and have been used only once since 1979; moreover, their availability is questionable because no bibliographic references were given by Corliss. To confirm Urceolariella and Urceolariellidae as available names now would cause great confusion in the mobiline peritrich genus- and family-level taxonomy. Until now, all names based on the stem Urceolari- (from the Latin urceola meaning pitcher, vase or urn) have an uncertain date of priority and authorship, which is confusing to taxonomists, parasitologists and ecologists alike. In preparation for these rulings, the earliest subsequent typification for a nominal genus of ciliates was discovered: that by Baudement in 1849, who designated Urceolaria stellina (original combination Vorticella stellina Müller, 1786) as the type species of Urceolaria Lamarck, 1816.

Nowadays, surgical treatment of cerebral aneurysms remains one of the most demanding disciplines in neurosurgery. The increasing shift toward endovascular interventions leads to a decline in open surgical cases. This fact leaves residents and young neurosurgeons with fewer training opportunities and limited to complex and high-risk aneurysms. There is a growing need for realistic simulation tools to enhance neurosurgical training and preoperative planning. We developed and externally validated a patient-specific mixed-reality simulator for cerebral aneurysm clipping, during the research project "Medical EDUcation in Surgical Aneurysm Clipping (MEDUSA)". Our approach combines physical phantoms of the skull and brain tissue with virtual intracranial blood vessels, including a virtual intracranial aneurysm. Real surgical instruments provide an immersive training environment featuring integrated blood flow simulation for evaluating clipping strategies. A life-sized skull with silicone brain lobes is mounted in a standard neurosurgical head clamp. Optical tracking synchronizes the position of a real clip applier and an emulated surgical microscope with the corresponding virtual environment, allowing true mixed-reality interaction. After aneurysm clipping, blood flow is automatically simulated to assess residual aneurysms or stenoses of the parental vessels. We conducted an external validation with 40 neurosurgeons at two international events. Participants completed a 32-item questionnaire evaluating face and content validity on a 5-point Likert scale. Participants' surgical experience ranged from novice to expert (> 15 years). Average ratings for simulator realism and educational value were high, with mean scores between 3.13 and 4.25. The highest ratings were for the blood flow simulation (4.25) and the simulator's potential for preoperative planning (4.20). Most participants agreed that the physical and virtual components were valuable and that the simulator should be integrated into neurosurgical training and standard surgical workflows. Our mixed-reality simulator achieved robust face and content validity among a diverse group of neurosurgeons. Combining real surgical instruments with a deformable virtual aneurysm model, including blood flow simulation, offers a high level of realism and immediate objective feedback.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10143-025-03846-x.

A cumulative imbalance between rheumatologic need and an inadequate number of young colleagues entering the field leads to a dearth of rheumatologists in the near future. The Austrian Society for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation (ÖGR) has been organizing an annual Rheumatology Summer School (RSS) for medical students since 2017. The aim of this study was to analyze the annual RSS evaluations, the RSS' overall effects on attracting new talent into the field and the lasting promotion of rheumatology. A questionnaire was distributed immediately after each RSS meeting. Additionally, we conducted an electronic survey among RSS participants (2017-2022) to assess their career development trajectories. From 2017-2023, a total of 220 students attended the RSS. They all completed the annual evaluation. Accordingly, students' expectations were met in 80% (2017) to 97% (2023) of cases. The electronic survey was completed by 64/133 (48%) students; 49 (77%) indicated that the RSS had markedly increased their desire to specialize in rheumatology. Among the 36 graduates, 10 (28%) had already been working in the field of rheumatology and 6 (17%) were considering this specialty but had not decided yet. RSS attendees in their 6th study year were influenced to a greater extent by the RSS to choose rheumatology as their primary specialty than 4th or 5th year students. The participants indicated that they benefited most from the RSS in terms of knowledge gain, personal awareness of rheumatology, networking among fellow students as well as gaining access to RSS faculty. The RSS enhanced students' intention to choose rheumatology, particularly in those close to graduation, and led to increased awareness and deeper knowledge about rheumatology.

BackgroundHospitals are complex organizations with a potential for medical errors that can be influenced by safety culture. Safety climate, as measurable element of safety culture, illustrates the perception of safety-relevant aspects of health care staff at a certain time. The Safety Climate Survey is applied internationally to measure safety climate. However, psychometrics for the German version of the survey have yet not been evaluated. The aim of this study is to explore the factor structure, reliability, and potential usefulness of the Safety Climate Survey in Austrian acute care.MethodsCross-sectional surveys of physicians, therapists, and nurses/midwives were implemented. An exploratory factor analysis was carried out, both in total sample and split by 2 selected professions. After deriving a factor structure for both professions, internal consistency and scale means were calculated for the subscales. Finally, mean subscale differences between physicians and nurses/midwives were tested.ResultsOf 5160 eligible staff, 933 respondents participated. A 6-factor solution explaining 59.1% of total variance was identified. Comparison by profession illustrated that the factor structures and item loading patterns differ between physicians and nurses/midwives. To achieve an overarching solution, 5 items were excluded from consecutive subscale measures because of cross-loadings and contradictory factor loadings. Subscales demonstrated good to low internal consistency (α = 0.794–0.535). Significant mean differences between subscales of professions were found relating to 3 factors.ConclusionsThe German Safety Climate Survey measures safety climate multidimensionally rather than unidimensionally and demonstrated some limitations in factor structures and item loadings but overall had satisfactory reliability of the 6 subscales.

Age-groups are commonly implemented in education and sports in order to provide fair and equal opportunities. Various studies, however, have shown a competitive advantage for early born children over their relatively younger peers, which is referred to as relative age effect. The present study examined differences in various components of physical fitness in Austrian elementary-school children. A total of 18,168 children (51% boys) between 6 and 11 years of age provided valid data on anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness. Specifically, children completed eight fitness tests that assessed cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and power, speed, agility, flexibility and object control. Across age-specific quartiles, older children were significantly taller and heavier than their younger peers. Older children also displayed better performance for strength and power, speed, agility and object control, while differences in cardio-respiratory endurance were less pronounced. These results highlight the presence of a relative age effect during the elementary school years and emphasize the need to consider individual differences in the evaluation of children’s performance. As all children should be given equal opportunities to engage successfully in physical education and sports, physical education teachers and youth coaches need to be educated on the implications of a relative age effect.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of external factors on the Facebook dialogue. As both weather and point in time substantially. As both weather and point in time substantially influence people’s lives, it can be assumed that both factors may also affect communication on Facebook. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study focusing on the impact of the external factors “weather” and “point in time” on a public utility’s Facebook communication. Design/methodology/approach The potential influence is explored through the case study of an Austrian public utility. The study focuses on 321 postings, published via the company’s official Facebook account between August 2016 and February 2018. Findings The empirical results confirm the influence of “weather” and “point in time” indicators on the stakeholder dialogue. The findings highlight how the relevant items affect the posting behavior of a utility, as well as stakeholders’ reactions, comments and shares. Originality/value By introducing both external factors to the social media literature, this paper broadens the understanding of Facebook communications beyond the sender and receiver of digital information. In this way, the research contributes to a more holistic view of Facebook dialogue. It provides practical advice on how social media managers of public utilities may use weather forecasts and “point in time” considerations to more strategically foster stakeholder dialogue in social media.

Background Metastatic patterns have been linked with prognosis in colorectal cancer. We aim to determine the distribution of metastases, their dynamics during disease and their prognostic impact for specific clinical treatment scenarios (resection of metastasis and/or systemic treatment, best supportive care). Material and methods 978 patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma treated at three oncological centers from 2006 to 2018 were included. Overall survival was assessed depending on tumor load, distribution of metastases and treatment of the patients. Results Most patients had single site metastasis (n = 684; 69.9%): 398 patients had liver (n = 398; 40.7%) and 103 patients had lung only metastasis (10.6%). The number of organs involved in metastases at diagnosis was highly prognostic (HR 0.77; CI 0.65, 0.90), whereas the additional gain of metastases during progression of the disease was not. The majority of patients (62.9–74.2%) with initial lung, liver or both metastases retained their initial metastatic status. In the overall population, lung only metastases were associated with the most favorable outcome (HR 0.64; CI 0.50, 0.81). This was also observed in patients receiving best supportive care (HR 0.45; CI 0.27, 0.75). Resection of lung only metastases resulted in longer median survival (102.2 months). A relevant survival difference in patients treated by systemic therapy alone was not observed. Lung only metastasis was associated with rectal cancer (p < .001) and RAS-mutation (p = .01); both, lung and liver metastasis were associated with time from diagnosis to first metastasis (p < .001). Conclusion The number of organs involved in metastasis at diagnosis but not the total cumulative number of involved organs is of prognostic relevance in colorectal adenocarcinoma. This prognostic relevant initial metastasis distribution remains unchanged in the majority of patients during the disease. However, the prognostic impact of the metastatic pattern is potentially altered by treatment modality.

Accurate burn size calculation is basic for a scientific approach to burns treatment. Since the influence of burns size on the outcome has been verified, multiple formulas have been developed to ensure better data quality. There are multiple ways how to evaluate and various errors which can influence the results. This led to methods reducing observer errors as well as interobserver variability. This chapter tries to give an overview of the development of methods and techniques with a critical appraisal of the methods.

BackgroundCOPD is a treatable disease with increasing prevalence worldwide. Treatment aims to stop disease progression, to improve quality of life, and to reduce exacerbations. We aimed to evaluate the association of the stage of COPD on adherence to inhaled therapy and the relationship between adherence and COPD exacerbations.MethodsA retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized for acute exacerbation of COPD in a tertiary care hospital in Upper Austria and discharged with a guideline conform inhaled therapy was performed. Follow-up data on medical utilization was recorded for the subsequent 24 months. Adherence to inhaled therapy was defined according to the percentage of prescribed inhalers dispensed to the patient and classified as complete (> 80%), partial (50–80%) or low (< 50%).ResultsOut of 357 patients, 65.8% were male with a mean age of 66.5 years and a mean FEV1 of 55.0%pred. Overall, 35.3% were current smokers, and only 3.9% were never-smokers. In 77.0% inhaled triple therapy (LAMA + LABA + ICS) was prescribed. 33.6% showed complete adherence to their therapy (33.2% in men, 34.4% in women), with a mean age of 67.0 years. Mean medication possession ratio by GOLD spirometry class I – IV were 0.486, 0.534, 0.609 and 0.755, respectively (p = 0.002). Hence, subjects with complete adherence to therapy had a significantly lower FEV1 compared to those with low adherence (49.2%pred. vs 59.2%pred., respectively; p < 0.001).The risk of exacerbations leading to hospitalization was 10-fold higher in GOLD spirometry class IV compared to GOLD spirometry class I, which was even more evident in multivariate analysis (OR 13.62).ConclusionComplete adherence to inhaled therapy was only seen in 33.6% and was higher among those with more severe COPD.Trial registrationNot applicable.

As a follow-up to the theme of integration between architecture and nature discussed in the previous issues of Project Baikal, the article gives a definition of the principle of environmental interconnection. It also presents the geneses and the state-of-the-art of the ideas and practices based on this complex and dialectically contradictory principle. The author analyses the evolution of different ways of penetration of natural environment into the inner space of architectural structures. He also studies the development of the idea of openness of architectural structures toward natural environment, including the means of differentiation and regulation of openness and transformable facades and roofs.