Reply to "Comment on 'Dependence of the Fluorescent Lifetime τ on the Concentration at High Dilution'": Extended Interpretation.

In "Comment on 'Dependence of the Fluorescent Lifetime τ on the Concentration at High Dilution'" by Anne Myers Kelley and David F. Kelley, the newly found concentration dependence of the fluorescence lifetime was attributed to the reabsorption and the delay of re-emission of fluorescence light. Accordingly, a comparably high optical density is required for a damping of the optically exciting light beam, causing a special profile for the re-emitted light with partial multiple reabsorption.

Percutaneous fractionated radiotherapy of the groin to eliminate lymphatic fistulas after vascular surgery.

Background: Vascular surgery of the inguinal area can be complicated by persistent lymphatic fistulas. Rapid and effective treatment is essential to prevent infection, sepsis, bleeding, and possible leg amputation. Current data on irradiation of lymphatic fistulas lack recommendation on the appropriate individual and total dose, the time of irradiation, and the target volume.

Parental Burden and Quality of Life in 5q-SMA Diagnosed by Newborn Screening.

The aim of this study was to assess the psychosocial burden in parents of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), detected by newborn screening (NBS), for which first pilot projects started in January 2018 in Germany. The survey, performed 1-2 years after children's diagnosis of SMA via NBS, included 3 parent-related questionnaires to evaluate the psychosocial burden, quality of life (QoL)/satisfaction and work productivity and activity impairment in the families. 42/44 families, detected between January 2018 and February 2020, could be investigated.

CXCR4 - a possible serum marker for risk stratification of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture is still associated with a mortality rate of 80-90%. Imaging techniques or molecular fingerprinting for patient-specific risk stratification to identify pending rupture are still lacking. The chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor (CXCR4) activation by CXCL12 ligand has been identified as a marker of inflammation and atherosclerosis, associated with AAA.

Prognostic markers for the clinical course in the blood of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: The presentation of peptides and the subsequent immune response depend on the MHC characteristics and influence the specificity of the immune response. Several studies have found an association between HLA variants and differential COVID-19 outcomes and have shown that HLA genotypes are associated with differential immune responses against SARS-CoV-2, particularly in severely ill patients. Information, whether HLA haplotypes are associated with the severity or length of the disease in moderately diseased individuals is absent.

Dependence of the Fluorescent Lifetime τ on the Concentration at High Dilution.

Long-range interactions between electronically excited molecules and molecules at the ground state were found for distances of much more than 100 nm, as indicated by the dependence of the fluorescence lifetime on the concentration of dyes in diluted solutions. In contrast to this experimental result, the fluorescence lifetimes of distant isolated molecules should be independent from the concentration according to basic theory for light emission, such as that reported by Förster and Strickler-Berg. As a consequence, the theory of such emission should be modified for real systems to include electromagnetic interactions with distant resonating structures.

Multiple tumorous lesions of the pituitary gland.

Purpose/objective: Multiple tumorous lesions in one pituitary gland are rare and mostly described in case reports. Their incidences and combinations are defined in larger collectives. Therefore, we analyzed our large collection for double tumors and combinations of tumors, cysts, and inflammation.

Increased neutralization and IgG epitope identification after MVA-MERS-S booster vaccination against Middle East respiratory syndrome.

Vaccine development is essential for pandemic preparedness. We previously conducted a Phase 1 clinical trial of the vector vaccine candidate MVA-MERS-S against the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), expressing its full spike glycoprotein (MERS-CoV-S), as a homologous two-dose regimen (Days 0 and 28). Here, we evaluate the safety (primary objective) and immunogenicity (secondary and exploratory objectives: magnitude and characterization of vaccine-induced humoral responses) of a third vaccination with MVA-MERS-S in a subgroup of trial participants one year after primary immunization.

Vibronic Intramolecular Resonant Energy Transfer along More than 5 nm: Synthesis of Dyads for a Re-Examination of the Distance Function of FRET.

Dyads of chromophores with orthogonal transition moments and sequences of aliphatic cage-structures as spacers were prepared where resonance energy transfer (FRET) proceeded in contrast to Förster's theory even until 58 Å. The distance dependence of the efficiency was re-examined by means of various functions; the commonly used dependence gave acceptable results, but a slightly larger exponent was more useful for practical applications.

Post-Neoadjuvant Treatment Strategies in Breast Cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy enables close monitoring of tumor response in patients with breast cancer. Being able to assess tumor response during treatment provides an opportunity to evaluate new therapeutic strategies. Thus, for triple-negative breast tumors, it was demonstrated that additional immunotherapy could improve prognosis compared with chemotherapy alone.

Neuromuscular conditions and the impact of cystine-depleting therapy in infantile nephropathic cystinosis: A cross-sectional analysis of 55 patients.

Infantile nephropathic cystinosis (INC) is a rare lysosomal storage disease caused by biallelic mutations in the cystinosin gene, leading to cystine accumulation in various organs. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate neuromuscular complications in a cohort of 55 patients (aged 2.8-41.

Adjuvant radiotherapy and local recurrence in vulvar cancer - a subset analysis of the AGO-CaRE-1 study.

Background: The impact of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) to the vulva with regard to prognosis and local recurrence in patients with vulvar squamous cell cancer (VSCC) is poorly described.

Patients And Methods: In the AGO-CaRE-1 study 1618 patients with primary VSCC FIGO stage ≥ IB, treated between 1998-2008, were documented. In this retrospective subanalysis, 360 patients were included based on the following criteria: nodal involvement (pN+), known RT treatment and known radiation fields.

Terminal Terthiophenediones: Fast-Decay Fluorescent Dyes and Their Efficient Syntheses.

Terminally acylated terthiophenes, in particular, the bis-pivaloyl derivative, were synthesized by Friedel-Crafts acylation with sub-stoichiometric amounts of standard zinc oxide and exhibit strong fluorescence and an ultrafast fluorescence decay of 400 ps. Their high photostability and large Stokes' shifts are good prerequisites for applications in optical GBit fast data systems such as fiber optics in slip rings.

Newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy in Germany: clinical results after 2 years.

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in childhood. Since motor neuron injury is usually not reversible, early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent major disability. Our objective was to assess the impact of genetic newborn screening for SMA on outcome.

Role of Pelvic Lymph Node Resection in Vulvar Squamous Cell Cancer: A Subset Analysis of the AGO-CaRE-1 Study.

Background: As the population at risk for pelvic nodal involvement remains poorly described, the role of pelvic lymphadenectomy (LAE) in vulvar squamous cell cancer (VSCC) has been a matter of discussion for decades.

Methods: In the AGO-CaRE-1 study, 1618 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB or higher primary VSCC treated at 29 centers in Germany between 1998 and 2008 were documented. In this analysis, only patients with pelvic LAE (n = 70) were analyzed with regard to prognosis and correlation between inguinal and pelvic lymph node involvement.

Jumping Mechanography is a Suitable Complementary Method to Assess Motor Function in Ambulatory Boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Objective: The number of clinical trials for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has increased substantially lately, therefore appropriate clinical instruments are needed to measure disease progression and drug efficacy. Jumping mechanography is a medical diagnostic method for motion analysis, which allows to quantify physical parameters. In this study, we compared mechanography with timed function tests (TFTs).

Childhood asthma: Novel endotyping by cytokines, validated through sensitization profiles and clinical characteristics.

Background: Specific allergy sensitization pattern, using "component-resolved diagnosis" (CRD), is a central component of allergy and asthma in childhood. Besides this, allergic asthma has been characterized by a Th2-shifted endotype with elevation of classical Th2 cytokines. Recently, other endotypes with distinct mechanisms focusing on cytokine regulation evolved, yet those pathways are still not well understood.

Childbearing Age Women Characteristics in Latin America. Building Evidence Bases for Early Prevention. Results from the ELANS Study.

Latin American (LA) women have been exposed to demographic and epidemiologic changes that have transformed their lifestyle, with increasing sedentary and unhealthy eating behaviors. We aimed to identify characteristics of LA women to inform public policies that would benefit these women and their future children. The Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS) is a multicenter cross-sectional study of representative samples in eight Latin American countries ( = 9218) with a standardized protocol to investigate dietary intake, anthropometric variables, physical activity, and socioeconomic characteristics.

Diagnostic Activities and Diagnostic Practices in Medical Education and Teacher Education: An Interdisciplinary Comparison.

In this article, we investigate diagnostic activities and diagnostic practices in medical education and teacher education. Previous studies have tended to focus on comparing knowledge between disciplines, but such an approach is complicated due to the content specificity of knowledge. We compared 142 learners from medical education and 122 learners from teacher education who were asked to (a) diagnose eight simulated cases from their respective discipline in a simulation-based learning environment and (b) write a justificatory report for each simulated case.

Changes in renal parameters and their association with subclinical vector-borne infections in Bernese Mountain dogs.

Background: An increased risk for glomerulonephritis and a higher prevalence of antibodies to Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi sensu lato have been reported in Bernese mountain dogs (BMDs). The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of laboratory abnormalities suggestive of kidney disease in clinically healthy BMDs compared to a control population and to investigate if there is a correlation with the occurrence of antibodies to B.