The Deggendorf Institute of Technology, founded in 1994, is a research-oriented Technische Hochschule in Lower Bavaria, Germany. In addition to its undergraduate and graduate courses, the Deggendorf Institute of Technology offers doctoral programmes in cooperation with the Charles Sturt University. The institute has significantly grown in the past decades and added several new buildings to its campus.
The 16th Acromegaly Consensus Conference in September 2024 updated recommendations on diagnosis and treatment of acromegaly comorbidities. Since the 2020 acromegaly comorbidity management guideline was published, new evidence has emerged on novel and known comorbidities and new treatment approaches. Forty-three experts in the management of acromegaly reviewed the current literature and assessed changes in clinical practice standards and management. Current outcome goals were considered and updated, with a focus on the impact of current and emerging treatments of these comorbidities. Participants assessed factors that determine pharmacological choices, as well as use of specific agents in the management of the most relevant acromegaly comorbidities. We present consensus recommendations highlighting optimization of evidence-based acromegaly comorbidities management.
Abstract Background The loss of a child during pregnancy or birth is a profound and enduring experience that deeply shapes the lives of families. However, little is known about how parents experience the immediate moment of loss, including the diagnosis and medical procedures in the hospital. As a result, there is a lack of guidelines and recommendations for professionals on how to appropriately support affected parents. Aim To explore the needs of parents during their intrauterine or perinatal child loss. Methods We conducted a qualitative multi-method study with world cafés and focus groups in 2025. In this study, 16 German-speaking parents who had lost their child during pregnancy in the last 12 months took part. Data was collected using field notes, photos and audio records. Analysis of data followed an inductive thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke, which was performed by two researchers. Findings The analysis revealed the three principal themes ‘experiencing implications of child loss’, ‘emerging needs and demands related to child loss’ and ‘individual strategies to cope with the situation’. The needs were diverse and included the requirement for social support, demands on healthcare professionals and adjustments to administrative processes. In addition, the importance of creating memories with the child was emphasized, as was the need for safety and protection, having time and pausing, and being in control. Finally, the need to be strong, to be involved and to participate was also emphasized, as was understanding one's own situation and overcoming tensions. Conclusion Parents during intrauterine or perinatal child loss show complex needs. These must be addressed to prevent negative consequences. Healthcare professionals are responsible for the course of parents’ treatment and linked outcomes. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT06771661, registered on January 13th, 2025.
Steigende Einsatzzahlen, demographische Veränderungen und eine zunehmende Inanspruchnahme des Rettungsdienstes bei nicht lebensbedrohlichen Hilfeersuchen verdeutlichen die Notwendigkeit vorbeugender Versorgungsansätze in der Außerklinischen Akut- und Notfallversorgung. Im Rahmen des 1. Deggendorfer Workshops zur akademischen Ausbildung in der Außerklinischen Akut- und Notfallversorgung wurde diskutiert, welche erweiterten Kompetenzen und Qualifikationsprofile künftig für akademisch qualifizierte Notfallsanitäter:innen in diesem Handlungsfeld erforderlich sind. Im Februar 2026 erarbeiteten 24 Expert:innen aus Rettungsdienst, Wissenschaft und Berufsverbänden aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz Grundlagen für und Anforderungen an ein bundeseinheitliches Bachelor-Curriculum für Notfallsanitäter:innen im vorbeugenden Rettungsdienst mit entsprechenden Kompetenzprofilen und Ausbildungsinhalten. Es konnten zwei komplementäre Teil-Curricula für den Kompetenzerwerb im Rahmen von Aufbaustudiengängen für Notfallsanitäter:innen im vorbeugenden Rettungsdient entwickelt werden. Diese decken die Bereiche Forschung und Entwicklung sowie Patientenversorgung ab. Ein bundeseinheitlich abgestimmtes Kompetenzprofil kann dazu beitragen, die Professionalisierung des Rettungsdienstes fortzuführen und die Patientensicherheit in der Außerklinischen Akut- und Notfallversorgung zu stärken. Es ist Grundlage für eine medikolegal auszudefinierende Tätigkeit von akademisch qualifizierten Notfallsanitäter:innen im vorbeugenden Rettungsdienst.
PURPOSE:The purpose of this systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis was to compare short-term functional outcomes, pain relief, and complication rates between open and endoscopic gluteal tendon repair, expressed as functional improvement normalized to minimal clinically important difference (MCID) units. The hypothesis was that endoscopic repair would provide comparable clinical efficacy with a lower complication rate compared with open repair. METHODS:PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL and Epistemonikos were searched to 15 October 2025. Eligible primary studies reporting postoperative or change outcomes were synthesized with a frequentist multilevel random-effects model (inverse variance, restricted maximum likelihood estimation, Hartung-Knapp adjustment). RESULTS:Thirty-four studies (1278 patients; 1283 hips) met criteria. Postoperative functional MCID (27 studies; n = 1005): overall 9.01 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.11-9.91; I2 = 100%; τ2 = 5.2); open 9.09 (8.12-10.06; six studies; n = 398) versus endoscopic 8.96 (8.02-9.90; 17 studies; n = 607); no subgroup difference (p = 0.63). Change in functional MCID (21 studies; n = 718): overall 3.33 (2.86-3.81; I2 = 83%; τ2 = 0.9); open 3.10 (2.39-3.81; nine studies; n = 290) versus endoscopic 3.52 (2.89-4.15; 12 studies; n = 428); no difference (p = 0.36). Postoperative pain MCID (19 studies; n = 867): overall 1.71 (1.27-2.16; I2 = 98%; τ2 = 0.9); open 1.58 (1.03-2.13; nine studies; n = 349) versus endoscopic 1.81 (1.31-2.32; 11 studies; n = 518); no difference (p = 0.38). Change in pain MCID (19 studies; n = 798): overall -1.99 (-2.74 to -1.24; I2 = 99%; τ2 = 2.5); open -1.82 (-2.96 to -0.69; nine studies; n = 349) versus endoscopic -2.12 (-3.18 to -1.09; 11 studies; n = 449); no difference (p = 0.68). Overall complications (25 studies; n = 804): 58/804 (0.07; 95% CI: 0.05-0.11; I2 = 53%; τ2 = 0.8); open 33/371 (0.08; 0.04-0.16) versus endoscopic 25/433 (0.07; 0.04-0.12); no difference (p = 0.70). CONCLUSION:Open and endoscopic gluteal tendon repair provide clinically meaningful short-term improvements in function and pain, with no relevant differences in efficacy when interpreted using MCID units. These findings support both techniques in clinical practice and favour endoscopic repair when available due to its less invasive nature. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:Level III, systematic review and meta-analysis of predominantly Level III studies.
Considering students' preferences for learning formats is an important issue for institutions in higher education regarding high competition due to demographic changes. Using data from a student survey at Deggendorf Institute of Technology (DIT) in Germany we conduct a latent class analysis to identify heterogenous preferences for learning formats. Our results show that the student population can best be described in four different segments that we classify as traditional learners, blended learners, synchronous online learners and hybrid learners. We offer a conceptual proposition that hypothesizes how the four classes might emerge naturally out of differing needs for personal interaction, temporal and spatial flexibility. We derive potential directions for lecturers and administrators who aim at catering to students' preferences.
