Assembly of tight junction belts by ZO1 surface condensation and local actin polymerization.

Tight junctions play an essential role in sealing tissues, by forming belts of adhesion strands around cellular perimeters. Recent work has shown that the condensation of ZO1 scaffold proteins is required for tight junction assembly. However, the mechanisms by which junctional condensates initiate at cell-cell contacts and elongate around cell perimeters remain unknown.

Automated sample annotation for diabetes mellitus in healthcare integrated biobanking.

Healthcare integrated biobanking describes the annotation and collection of residual samples from hospitalized patients for research purposes. The central idea of the current work is to establish an automated workflow for sample annotation, selection and storage for diabetes mellitus. This is challenging due to incomplete data at the time of sample selection.

Efficacy and safety of 2-drug regime dolutegravir/lamivudine in pregnancy and breastfeeding - clinical implications and perspectives.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of a two-drug regimen (2DR) with dolutegravir (DTG) and lamivudine (3TC) in maintaining viral suppression during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and to evaluate its potential as an alternative to the recommended three-drug regimen (3DR) in preventing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV.

Methods: We present a case of a 34-year-old pregnant woman who, after discontinuing 3DR due to side effects and poor adherence, was switched to DTG/3TC at gestational week 23. Maternal viral load (VL) and infant HIV status were monitored throughout pregnancy and a ten-month breastfeeding period.

Flight Attitude Estimation with Radar for Remote Sensing Applications.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and radar technology have benefitted from breakthroughs in recent decades. Both technologies have found applications independently of each other, but together, they also unlock new possibilities, especially for remote sensing applications. One of the key factors for a remote sensing system is the estimation of the flight attitude.

Clinically inapparent mpox virus (MPXV) infections among clients of three anonymous Community Based Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres in Berlin, Germany, 2022-2023.

Introduction: Since the mpox outbreak in 2022, it was unclear if and how often infections with mpox virus (MPXV) were clinically inapparent, i.e. not presenting to clinical care with mpox symptoms.

[InspeCKD - Analysis of the use of diagnostics in patients at high risk for chronic kidney disease in German general practitioner (GP) practices].

Background: Despite the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Germany, only a small proportion of patients are currently diagnosed with CKD. Patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and/or cardiovascular disease have a significantly increased risk of developing CKD and rapid disease progression and should therefore be screened and monitored in accordance with the guidelines.

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective, cross-sectional study was to gain insights into appropriate diagnosis of patients at risk for CKD in German general practitioner practices.

Nonequilibrium Wet-Dry Cycling Acts as a Catalyst for Chemical Reactions.

Recent experimental studies suggest that wet-dry cycles and coexisting phases can each strongly alter chemical processes. The mechanisms of why and to what degree chemical processes are altered when subjected to evaporation and condensation are unclear. To close this gap, we developed a theoretical framework for nondilute chemical reactions subject to nonequilibrium conditions of evaporation and condensation.

Preschool Children with Hearing Loss: Social Communication and Parenting Stress.

Studies on parenting stress (PS) in parents of children with hearing loss (HL) have found relationships between child behavior, language skills and parenting stress. The role of early social communication skills has not been researched before. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between child behavior, social communication and PS.

Sequence self-selection by cyclic phase separation.

The emergence of functional oligonucleotides on early Earth required a molecular selection mechanism to screen for specific sequences with prebiotic functions. Cyclic processes such as daily temperature oscillations were ubiquitous in this environment and could trigger oligonucleotide phase separation. Here, we propose sequence selection based on phase separation cycles realized through sedimentation in a system subjected to the feeding of oligonucleotides.

Comparison between In-Hospital and Out-of-Hospital Acute Myocardial Infarctions: Results from the Regional Myocardial Infarction Registry of Saxony-Anhalt (RHESA) Study.

Aims: Risk factors and outcomes of in-hospital ST elevation myocardial infraction (STEMI) are well explored. Recent findings show that non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) accounts for the majority of in-hospital infarctions (IHMIs). Our aim was to identify differences between IHMI and out-of-hospital myocardial infraction (OHMI) in terms of risk factors, treatment and outcomes, including both STEMI and NSTEMI.

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections - observational data from German checkpoints, 01/2019-08/2021.

Background: The impact of starting HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) on diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STI) remains unclear. We used data from German HIV/STI Checkpoints collected from 01/2019 to 08/2021 to determine the impact of PrEP use on syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia diagnoses.

Methods: We used self-reported data on demographics, sexual behaviour, testing and PrEP use, as well as lab-confirmed diagnoses from visits to HIV/STI Checkpoints in Germany.

Heat fluctuations in chemically active systems.

Chemically active systems such as living cells are maintained out of thermal equilibrium due to chemical events which generate heat and lead to active fluctuations. A key question is to understand on which time and length scales active fluctuations dominate thermal fluctuations. Here, we formulate a stochastic field theory with Poisson white noise to describe the heat fluctuations which are generated by stochastic chemical events and lead to active temperature fluctuations.

Aggregation controlled by condensate rheology.

Biomolecular condensates in living cells can exhibit a complex rheology, including viscoelastic and glassy behavior. This rheological behavior of condensates was suggested to regulate polymerization of cytoskeletal filaments and aggregation of amyloid fibrils. Here, we theoretically investigate how the rheological properties of condensates can control the formation of linear aggregates.

Chemical Kinetics and Mass Action in Coexisting Phases.

The kinetics of chemical reactions are determined by the law of mass action, which has been successfully applied to homogeneous, dilute mixtures. At nondilute conditions, interactions among the components can give rise to coexisting phases, which can significantly alter the kinetics of chemical reactions. Here, we derive a theory for chemical reactions in coexisting phases at phase equilibrium.

Validity and feasibility of a predictive language screening tool in 2-year-old children in primary pediatric care.

Objective: To assess the predictive validity and feasibility of the newly developed language screening tool, SPES-2 (Sprachentwicklungsscreening), for 2-year-old children in pediatric primary care.

Methods: A prospective cohort study recruited 2,044 non-selected German-speaking children undergoing a regular well-baby check-up at the age of 2 years. Thirty primary care pediatricians spread over urban and rural areas screened the children using a short parent-reported questionnaire and direct assessment of word comprehension.

Communicative deficits associated with maladaptive behavior in individuals with deafness and special needs.

Background: At least one in three individuals who are prelingually deaf has special needs, most commonly due to intellectual disabilities. The scant literature on challenging behavior in this population, however, suggests high rates of prevalence and an important need to better understand the contributing factors.

Aim: We sought to analyze the prevalence of maladaptive behavior and its association with intellectual functioning, adaptive skills, language skills, and social communication in a population of adults with deafness and special needs.

Development and Validation of a Language Screening for Implementation in Pre-School Settings.

Background: To prevent or mitigate long-lasting learning problems and emotional, behavioral, and social-adaption difficulties associated with language disorders, age-appropriate German language competence at school entry level is essential. Therefore, universal screening of children in their penultimate year of pre-school has been established in Upper Austria. So far, the screenings administered by speech and language pathologists to identify risk of language disorder (LD) were not based on standardized materials.

Predicting Word Reading Deficits Using an App-Based Screening Tool at School Entry.

Background: Reading is a crucial competence associated with academic development, mental health, and social adaptation. Reading difficulties are often detected at a late stage, with a possible negative impact on long-term reading development and secondary developmental disadvantages. The first manifestations of reading difficulties can be identified by word reading deficits in first and second grade, paving the way for specific interventions.

Urban-Rural Differences in Children's and Adolescent's Physical Activity and Screen-Time Trends Across 15 Years.

Background: Urban and rural areas have been experiencing major demographic and structural changes, characterized by an aging population in rural areas and a growth of cities in number and size. However, it is poorly researched how children's physical activity and screen time developed in urban and rural areas. To address this deficit, we investigated physical activity and screen-time trends in Germany's pediatric population across four urbanicity levels (rural, small town, medium-sized town, city).

Identifying Language Disorder Within a Migration Context: Development and Performance of a Pre-school Screening Tool for Children With German as a Second Language.

Background: There is a lack of accurate and practicable instruments for identifying language disorders in multilingual children in pre-school settings.

Objective: To develop a language screening instrument for pre-school children who are growing up with German as their second language.

Design: After the development and initial validation of a language screening tool, the new instrument (LOGiK-S) was administered to three cohorts of children (2014, 2015, 2017) with a non-German first language attending a variety of public pre-schools in Upper Austria.