Development of a pandemic-related core set of quality indicators for quality and patient safety in University Hospitals in Germany.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic entailed a global health crisis, significantly affecting medical service delivery in Germany as well as elsewhere. While intensive care capacities were overloaded by COVID cases, not only elective cases but also non-COVID cases requiring urgent treatment unexpectedly decreased, potentially leading to a deterioration in health outcomes. However, these developments were only uncovered retrospectively.

Selective Protein (Post-)modifications through Dynamic Covalent Chemistry: Self-activated SAr Reactions.

SAr reactions were remarkably accelerated using a pretargeting and activating unit based on dynamic covalent chemistry (DCvC). A Cys attack at the C-F bond on the aromatic ring of salicylaldehyde derivatives was only observed upon iminium formation with a neighboring Lys residue of model small peptides. Such self-activation was ascribed to the stronger electron-withdrawing capability of the iminium bond with respect to that of the parent aldehyde that stabilized the transition state of the reaction, together with the higher preorganization of the reactive groups in the cationic aldiminium species.

Abrupt changes in biomass burning during the last glacial period.

Understanding the causes of past atmospheric methane (CH) variability is important for characterizing the relationship between CH, global climate and terrestrial biogeochemical cycling. Ice core records of atmospheric CH contain rapid variations linked to abrupt climate changes of the last glacial period known as Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) events and Heinrich events (HE). The drivers of these CH variations remain unknown but can be constrained with ice core measurements of the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric CH, which is sensitive to the strength of different isotopically distinguishable emission categories (microbial, pyrogenic and geologic).

Sexual wellness clinic collaborative initiative with a large urban emergency department: sexual health outcomes and linkage to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Introduction: Despite escalating rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States (US), there has been progressive divestment of sexual health services leading to the reliance on emergency departments (EDs) for sexual healthcare, particularly among vulnerable populations. The Sexual Wellness Clinic (SWC), a novel care delivery model operating in collaboration with the ED, offers comprehensive sexual health services.

Objectives: This study aims to analyze the demographics, STI positivity, and HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake among patients accessing the SWC.

Tbx1 haploinsufficiency leads to local skull deformity, paraflocculus and flocculus dysplasia, and motor-learning deficit in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Neurodevelopmental disorders are thought to arise from intrinsic brain abnormalities. Alternatively, they may arise from disrupted crosstalk among tissues. Here we show the local reduction of two vestibulo-cerebellar lobules, the paraflocculus and flocculus, in mouse models and humans with 22q11.

[Prioritization of research questions in health crises-presentation of a concept developed during the COVID-19 pandemic].

In acute crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific questions need to be addressed quickly in order to protect the health of the population and to maintain the function of the healthcare system. The prevailing urgency and the large number of issues to be addressed, combined with the limitation of time, personnel, or monetary resources make prioritization indispensable. In the COVID-19 Evidence Ecosystem (CEOsys) project initiated by the University Medicine Network (NUM), a procedure for the rapid prioritization of questions was used specifically for evidence syntheses and clinical guideline recommendations, which was further developed in the follow-up project PREparedness and Pandemic Response in Germany (PREPARED).

[Left bundle branch (area) pacing: lead positioning and implant criteria-step for step].

Left bundle branch area pacing is currently the most common form of physiological pacing prior to His bundle pacing. It is intended to prevent or correct the development of pacemaker-induced cardiomyopathy and is being used more and more frequently. In order to be able to perform this successfully, knowledge regarding the specific anatomy and radiological anatomy as well as the ECG criteria for left bundle branch pacing is required in addition to knowledge of the tools.

[ePROs in the routine care of a major oncology center: Results and experiences].

Background: To what extent and under what conditions electronically captured patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) can be used in routine medical care and contribute to improved patient care is a widely discussed question. In the field of oncology, few studies in Germany have focused this topic that go beyond the scope of time-limited studies.

Method: First, we present the centrally coordinated collection of ePROs in the routine care of a comprehensive cancer center of the German Cancer Aid in its development, and then describe its qualitative dimension.

Rationale and study protocol of a regional health panel in Saxony, Germany (GEPASA).

Background: The citizens' perspectives on health care are central to the assessment of the health care situation and to regional development. In Germany, however, strategic goals for health care delivery are planned based on population statistics and partly on regional morbidity. Saxony is a German federal state with high average age and low density of physicians which makes the population perspective on quality of health care especially intersting.

PaedVacCOVID - safety of the BNT162b2 vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 in children with and without comorbidities aged 5 to 11 years.

Background: Little is known about specific safety aspects in children with significant comorbidities receiving the mRNA vaccine BNT162b2, as approval studies did not address this population. This study's purpose is to evaluate safety and adverse events in these children compared to healthy children.

Methods: In this prospective, multicentre, industry-independent cohort study, caregivers whose children received BNT162b2 were asked to participate in an online questionnaire.

Effect of therapeutic plasma exchange on tissue factor and tissue factor pathway inhibitor in septic shock.

Background: Coagulopathy is part of the pathological host response to infection in sepsis. Higher plasma concentrations of both tissue factor (TF) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) are associated with occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), multi-organ dysfunction and increased mortality in patients with sepsis. Currently no treatment approaches specifically targeting this axis are available.

SPINEPS-automatic whole spine segmentation of T2-weighted MR images using a two-phase approach to multi-class semantic and instance segmentation.

Objectives: Introducing SPINEPS, a deep learning method for semantic and instance segmentation of 14 spinal structures (ten vertebra substructures, intervertebral discs, spinal cord, spinal canal, and sacrum) in whole-body sagittal T2-weighted turbo spin echo images.

Material And Methods: This local ethics committee-approved study utilized a public dataset (train/test 179/39 subjects, 137 female), a German National Cohort (NAKO) subset (train/test 1412/65 subjects, mean age 53, 694 female), and an in-house dataset (test 10 subjects, mean age 70, 5 female). SPINEPS is a semantic segmentation model, followed by a sliding window approach utilizing a second model to create instance masks from the semantic ones.

MULTIPLE ORGAN FAILURE FOLLOWING SEVERE BATTLE INJURIES DURING RECENT CONFLICTS: A FRENCH RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY.

Introduction : Improvements in combat casualty care have increased survival rates, but these patients are at particular risk of developing multiple organ failure (MOF). We investigated the incidence and severity of MOF in a cohort of severe combat casualties. Materials and Methods : This retrospective study included all on-duty French land army war casualties with a severe combat injury requiring intensive care unit admission during 2009-2023.

Virus-Specific Nanobody-Chimeras Degrade the Human Cytomegalovirus US28 Protein in CD34+ Cells.

After primary infection, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) establishes lifelong persistence, underpinned by latent carriage of the virus with spontaneous reactivation events. In the immune-competent, primary infection or reactivation from latency rarely causes disease. However, HCMV can cause significant disease in immune-compromised individuals such as immune-suppressed transplant patients.

Health benefits of US light-duty vehicle electrification: Roles of fleet dynamics, clean electricity, and policy timing.

We present a dynamic perspective to quantify the air quality-related health impacts of the electrification of light-duty vehicles in the United States between 2022 and 2050. Using a fleet turnover model and future electricity generation mix scenarios, we compare ambitious vehicle electrification to fleet renewal relying on newer internal combustion engine vehicles, without electric vehicles. The model includes vehicle-level pollutant emission factors and a reduced complexity air quality and valuation model and covers direct (tailpipe, brake wear, and tire wear) and indirect (production of electricity and liquid fuels) emissions of NO, SO, PM, NH, and VOCs, with a breakdown at the county level to identify geographical disparities in the distribution of health impacts.

Hybrid Silica Cage-Type Nanostructures Made from Triply Hydrophilic Block Copolymers Single Micelles.

Controlling the structure and functionality of porous silica nanoparticles has been a continuous source of innovation with important potential for advanced biomedical applications. Their synthesis, however, usually involves passive surfactants or amphiphilic copolymers that do not add value to the material after synthesis. In contrast, polyion complex (PIC) micelles based on hydrophilic block copolymers allow for the direct synthesis of intrinsically functional hybrid materials.

The genetics of spatiotemporal variation in cortical thickness in youth.

Prior studies have shown strong genetic effects on cortical thickness (CT), structural covariance, and neurodevelopmental trajectories in childhood and adolescence. However, the importance of genetic factors on the induction of spatiotemporal variation during neurodevelopment remains poorly understood. Here, we explore the genetics of maturational coupling by examining 308 MRI-derived regional CT measures in a longitudinal sample of 677 twins and family members.

[Access to and use of Data for better Healthcare: A Plea for a cooperative data and Research Infrastructure of Statutory and Private Health Insurers and the Network University Medicine (NUM)].

With the Network of University Medicine (NUM) and the Medical Informatics Initiative (MII), the BMBF is funding two pioneering, structure-building research measures that are now being merged. The data integration centers (DIZ) of the MII are to be consolidated in the NUM. The aim is to establish a standardized research infrastructure within which the existing data from the clinical routine care of the 36 German university hospitals, from clinical cohorts and clinical-epidemiological studies can be used for various research questions upon request and via coordinated processes.

Endometrial Cancer - Long-Term Survival in Certified Cancer Centers and Non-Certified Hospitals: Comparative Analysis Based on a Large German Retrospective Cohort Study (WiZen).

Endometrial cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the female genital organs. In Germany, treatment is provided in both cancer centers certified by the German Cancer Society (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, DKG) and in non-certified hospitals. This study investigated whether treatment in DKG-certified centers leads to improved overall survival of patients with endometrial cancer.