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The new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) has been recently declared a Variant of Concern due to a series of important mutations in the viral spike protein and especially in the receptor-binding domain. While investigations into the spread of this new variant are ongoing, the first cases have been detected in Switzerland. Important questions have been raised: (1) Will the PCR assays commonly used to detect SARS-CoV-2 still work for the Omicron variant? (2) Can specific PCR features, e.g. S-gene dropout, be used to identify potential Omicron samples? In this minireview we provide current knowledge on the Omicron variant and guidance on its PCR validation.

Our first result is a stochastic sewing lemma with quantitative estimates for mild incremental processes, with which we study SPDEs driven by fractional Brownian motions in a random environment. We obtain uniform Lp-bounds. Our second result is a fractional averaging principle admitting non-stationary fast environments. As an application, we prove a fractional averaging principle for SPDEs.

We prove an enhanced limit theorem for additive functionals of a multidimensional Volterra process $(y_t)_{t\geq 0}$. As an application, we establish weak convergence of the solutions of rough differential equations (RDE) of the form $$ dx^\varepsilon_t=\frac 1 {\sqrt \varepsilon} f(x_t^\varepsilon,y_{\frac{t}{\varepsilon}})\,dt+g(x_t^\varepsilon)\,d\mathbf{B}_t,$$ and identify their limits as solutions of an RDE driven by a Gaussian field with a drift coming from the L\'evy area correction of the limiting rough driver. The equation models a passive tracer in a random field. In particular if $h$ is random field such that $h(x, \cdot)$ a semi-martingale with spatial parameter $x$, we show that the solutions of the equations $$ dx^\varepsilon_t=\frac 1 {\sqrt \epsilon} f(x_t^\varepsilon,y_{\frac{t}{\varepsilon}})\,dt+h(x_t^\varepsilon, dt),$$ converge weakly to that of a Kunita type It\^o SDE $dx_t=G(x_t,dt)$ where $G(x,t)$ is a semi-martingale with spatial parameters. Furthermore the $N$-point motions converge.

Multicolour fluorescence imaging by STimulated Emission Depletion (STED) superresolution microscopy with doughnut-shaped STED laser beams based on different wavelengths for each colour channel requires precise image registration. This is especially important when STED imaging is used for colocalisation studies of two or more native proteins in biological specimens to analyse nanometric subcellular spatial arrangements. We developed a robust postprocessing image registration protocol, with the aim to verify and ultimately optimise multicolour STED image quality. Importantly, this protocol will support any subsequent quantitative localisation analysis at nanometric scales. Henceforth, using an approach that registers each colour channel present during STED imaging individually, this protocol reliably corrects for optical aberrations and inadvertent sample drift. To achieve the latter goal, the protocol combines the experimental sample information, from corresponding STED and confocal images using the same optical beam path and setup, with that of an independent calibration sample. As a result, image registration is based on a strategy that maximises the cross-correlation between sequentially acquired images of the experimental sample, which are strategically combined by the protocol. We demonstrate the general applicability of the image registration protocol by co-staining of the ryanodine receptor calcium release channel in primary mouse cardiomyocytes. To validate this new approach, we identify user-friendly criteria, which - if fulfilled - support optimal image registration. In summary, we introduce a new method for image registration and rationally based postprocessing steps through a highly standardised protocol for multicolour STED imaging, which directly supports the reproducibility of protein co-localisation analyses. Although the reference protocol is discussed exemplarily for two-colour STED imaging, it can be readily expanded to three or more colours and STED channels.

We conducted a large observational study in 193 children and adolescents with allergic rhinitis due to grass or tree pollens to evaluate the safety and tolerability of an ultrarush high-dose sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) regimen reaching a maintenance dose of 300 index of reactivity within 90 minutes.Children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years with at least a 1-year medical history of allergic rhinitis with or without mild to moderate asthma due to tree pollens (birch, alder, hazel) or grass pollens (cocksfoot, meadow grass, rye grass, sweet vernal grass, timothy) were recruited. Standardized grass and tree pollen allergen extracts were used for ultrarush titration and subsequent coseasonal maintenance.During ultrarush titration, 60 patients (31%) reported 117 predominantly mild and local adverse events, which resolved within 150 minutes. During the maintenance phase, 562 adverse events were reported; the most frequent local events were oral pruritus, burning sensation, lip or tongue swelling, and gastrointestinal symptoms, and the most frequent systemic events were rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma. There was 1 clinically significant asthma event in an 11-year old boy with known asthma in whom SLIT was resumed after an interval of 4 days.Ultrarush titration was safe and well tolerated. Pediatric patients with asthma should be carefully monitored and adequately trained to use their rescue medications.

Approaching a dangerous bifurcation, from which a dynamical system such as the Earth's climate will jump (tip) to a different state, the current stable state lies within a shrinking basin of attraction. Persistence of the state becomes increasingly precarious in the presence of noisy disturbances. We consider an underlying potential, as defined theoretically for a saddle-node fold and (via averaging) for a Hopf bifurcation. Close to a stable state, this potential has a parabolic form; but approaching a jump it becomes increasingly dominated by softening nonlinearities. If we have already detected a decrease in the linear decay rate, nonlinear information allows us to estimate the propensity for early tipping due to noise. We argue that one needs to extract information about the nonlinear features (a "softening") of the underlying potential from the time series to judge the probability and timing of tipping. This analysis is the logical next step if one has detected a decrease of the linear decay rate. If there is no discernable trend in the linear analysis, nonlinear softening is even more important in showing the proximity to tipping. After extensive normal form calibration studies, we check two geological time series from paleo-climate tipping events for softening of the underlying well. For the ending of the last ice age, where we find no convincing linear precursor, we identify a statistically significant nonlinear softening towards increasing temperature. The analysis has thus successfully detected a warning of the imminent tipping event.

Im Rahmen einer naturalistischen, störungsübergreifenden Evaluationsstudie zur Therapiewirksamkeit wurde das bestehende stationäre kinderpsychiatrische Behandlungsangebot der Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie in Klingenmünster (Pfalzinstitut) multiperspektivisch anhand der Daten von 51 Kindern, deren Eltern und PsychotherapeutInnen untersucht. Dies geschah im Hinblick auf die Entwicklung vorliegender Symptomatik, Lebensqualität und Behandlungszufriedenheit im Laufe der Therapie sowie bis zur erfolgten Drei-Monats-Katamnese. Darüber hinaus wurden die beteiligten ÄrztInnen und TherapeutInnen über Nutzen und Realisierbarkeit einer solchen Evaluation am Pfalzinstitut befragt. In den allgemeinen Veränderungsmessungen zeigten sich signifikante Verbesserungen der Symptomatik und der Lebensqualität im Verlauf der Behandlung sowie zum Zeitpunkt der Nacherhebung. Insgesamt bestand eine hohe Zufriedenheit mit Therapieergebnis und -verlauf. Für gesicherte Aussagen über eine Generalisierbarkeit der erhaltenen Befunde wird eine standardmäßige Implementierung der Therapieevaluation am Pfalzinstitut grundsätzlich empfohlen. Die Befragungen der beteiligten MitarbeiterInnen machen jedoch deutlich, dass Aufwand und Nutzen einer Evaluation im klinischen Alltag nicht unter allen Umständen in einem angemessenen Verhältnis stehen. Für eine standardmäßig implementierte Evaluation gilt es, die Praxistauglichkeit im Kontext einer kinder- und jugendpsychiatrischen Versorgungsklinik zu optimieren.

Während die Wiederherstellung der äußeren Nasenregionen im Rahmen der Hauttumorchirurgie zu den alltäglichen Aufgaben eines Plastischen Chirurgen zählen, sind die allschichtigen Defekte wesentlich aufwendiger zu planen und bedürfen meist einer dreidimensionalen Rekonstruktion.[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 43. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft der Plastischen, Rekonstruktiven und Ästhetischen Chirurgen (DGPRÄC), 17. Jahrestagung der Vereinigung der Deutschen Ästhetisch-Plastischen Chirurgen (VDÄPC)

We present a continuation method that enables one to track or continue branches of periodic orbits directly in an experiment when a parameter is changed. A control-based setup in combination with Newton iterations ensures that the periodic orbit can be continued even when it is unstable. This is demonstrated with the continuation of initially stable rotations of a vertically forced pendulum experiment through a fold bifurcation to find the unstable part of the branch.

We study dynamical systems that switch between two different vector fields depending on a discrete variable and with a delay. When the delay reaches a problem-dependent critical value so-called event collisions occur. This paper classifies and analyzes event collisions, a special type of discontinuity induced bifurcations, for periodic orbits. Our focus is on event collisions of symmetric periodic orbits in systems with full reflection symmetry, a symmetry that is prevalent in applications. We derive an implicit expression for the Poincare map near the colliding periodic orbit. The Poincar map is piecewise smooth, finite-dimensional, and changes the dimension of its image at the collision. In the second part of the paper we apply this general result to the class of unstable linear single-degree-of-freedom oscillators where we detect and continue numerically collisions of invariant tori. Moreover, we observe that attracting closed invariant polygons emerge at the torus collision.