Vergleich von Plattformen zur Unterstützung der Governance in serviceorientierten Architekturen

Mit der immer wichtiger werdenden Kommunikation zwischen Maschinen entstand das Architekturparadigma der service-orientierten-Architektur (SOA). Durch die Verwendung einer SOA im Unternehmen kann man schneller auf geänderte Prozesse und Anforderungen reagieren, jedoch bringen die flexiblen Strukturen einer SOA auch eine erhöhte Komplexität mit sich. SOA Governance soll helfen, Unternehmensziele mit SOA-Zielen in Einklang zu bringen. In dieser Arbeit werden Tools zur Unterstützung der SOA Governance hinsichtlich verschiedener Kriterien untersucht und bewertet

Recapitulating the tumor ecosystem along the metastatic cascade using 3D culture models

Advances in cancer research have shown that a tumor can be likened to a foreign species that disrupts delicately balanced ecological interactions, compromising the survival of normal tissue ecosystems. In efforts to mitigate tumor expansion and metastasis, experimental approaches from ecology are becoming more frequently and successfully applied by researchers from diverse disciplines to reverse engineer and re-engineer biological systems in order to normalize the tumor ecosystem. We present a review on the use of 3D biomimetic platforms to recapitulate biotic and abiotic components of the tumor ecosystem, in efforts to delineate the underlying mechanisms that drive evolution of tumor heterogeneity, tumor dissemination, and acquisition of drug resistance.ope

Service registry for on-dmand provisioning of services

In einer geschäftlichen Umgebung werden Services ständig benötigt, daher muss man sich dort keine Gedanken um die Einsparung von Ressourcen machen. Anders ist es in einer wissenschaftlichen Umgebung. Hier werden Services seltener und unregelmäßiger genutzt. Es ist daher naheliegender Services nur dann bereitzustellen, wenn sie auch wirklich gebraucht werden. Sogenannte "On-Demand"-Services haben den Vorteil, dass sie bei Bedarf provisioniert und nach der Benutzung de-provisioniert werden können. Eine Service Registry erleichtert die Suche nach Services, indem sie Services an einer zentralen Stelle verwaltet. Sie macht Vorgänge wie Service Discovery (das Suchen nach funktional passenden Services) und Dynamic Binding (das automatische Zuweisen eines Aufrufes an einen passenden Service) überhaupt möglich. Es gibt keine Service Registry, die On-Demand Services unterstützt. Um eine Lösung für diese Problemstellung zu entwickeln, werden in dieser Arbeit folgende Ansätze diskutiert: das Anpassen existierender Lösungen oder die Entwicklung einer eigenen Lösung für eine Service Registry mit Unterstützung von On-Demand-Services. Das Resultat ist eine Service Registry mit einer Grundfunktionalität zum Registrieren von üblichen, provisionierten Services und einer Erweiterung für nicht-provisionierte On-Demand-Services.Services are used regularly and continuously in a business environment, therefore you do not have to worry about saving resources. This is different in a scientific environment, where services are used rarely and at irregular times. It is more suitable to provide services whenever they are needed. The advantage of so called "on-demand" services is the possibility of provisioning services whenever they are needed and deprovisioning them after usage. A service registry makes the search for services easier, by managing services in a central location. It makes operations, like service discovery (the search for services that fit functionally) and dynamic binding (the automatic assignment of a call to a service) possible. There exists no such service registry for on-demand services. To develop a solution for this problem, the following approaches are discussed in this thesis: adjusting existing solutions or developing a new solution for a service registry with support for on-demand services. The result is a service registry with the core functionality for typical, continuously provisioned services and an extension for not provisioned on-demand services

Prediction of One-Year Mortality Based upon A New Staged Mortality Risk Model in Patients with Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Transcatheter Valve Replacement

Background: In-depth knowledge about potential predictors of mortality in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is still warranted. Currently used risk stratification models for TAVR often fail to reach a holistic approach. We, therefore, aimed to create a new staged risk model for 1-year mortality including several new categories including (a) AS-entities (b) cardiopulmonary hemodynamics (c) comorbidities, and (d) different access routes. Methods: 737 transfemoral (TF) TAVR (84.3%) and 137 transapical (TA) TAVR (15.7%) patients were included. Predictors of 1-year mortality were assessed according to the aforementioned categories. Results: Over-all 1-year mortality (n = 100, 11.4%) was significantly higher in the TA TAVR group (TF vs. TA TAVR: 10.0% vs. 18.9 %; p = 0.0050*). By multivariate cox-regression analysis, a three-staged model was created in patients with fulfilled categories (TF TAVR: n = 655, 88,9%; TA TAVR: n = 117, 85.4%). Patients in “stage 2” showed 1.7-fold (HR 1.67; CI 1.07–2.60; p = 0.024*) and patients in “stage 3” 3.5-fold (HR 3.45; CI 1.97–6.05; p < 0.0001*) enhanced risk to die within 1 year. Mortality increased with every stage and reached the highest rates of 42.5% in “stage 3” (plogrank < 0.0001*), even when old- and new-generation devices (plogrank = n.s) were sub-specified. Conclusions: This new staged mortality risk model had incremental value for prediction of 1-year mortality after TAVR independently from the TAVR-era

Comparison of Manual and Automated Preprocedural Segmentation Tools to Predict the Annulus Plane Angulation and C-Arm Positioning for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

<div><p>Background</p><p>Preprocedural manual multi-slice-CT-segmentation tools (MSCT-ST) define the gold standard for planning transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). They are able to predict the perpendicular line of the aortic annulus (PPL) and to indicate the corresponding C-arm angulation (CAA). Fully automated planning-tools and their clinical relevance have not been systematically evaluated in a real world setting so far.</p><p>Methods and Results</p><p>The study population consists of an all-comers cohort of 160 consecutive TAVR patients with a drop out of 35 patients for technical and anatomical reasons. 125 TAVR patients underwent preprocedural analysis by manual (M-MSCT) and fully automated MSCT-ST (A-MSCT). Method-comparison was performed for 105 patients (Cohort A). In Cohort A, CAA was defined for each patient, and accordance within 10° between M-MSCT and A-MSCT was considered adequate for concept-proof (95% in LAO/RAO; 94% in CRAN/CAUD). Intraprocedural CAA was defined by repetitive angiograms without utilizing the preprocedural measurements. In Cohort B, intraprocedural CAA was established with the use of A-MSCT (20 patients). Using preprocedural A-MSCT to indicate the corresponding CAA, the levels of contrast medium (ml) and radiation exposure (cine runs) were reduced in Cohort B compared to Cohort A significantly (23.3±10.3 vs. 35.3 ±21.1 ml, p = 0.02; 1.6±0.7 vs. 2.4±1.4 cine runs; p = 0.02) and trends towards more safety in valve-positioning could be demonstrated.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>A-MSCT-analysis provides precise preprocedural information on CAA for optimal visualization of the aortic annulus compared to the M-MSCT gold standard. Intraprocedural application of this information during TAVR significantly reduces the levels of contrast and radiation exposure.</p><p>Trial Registration</p><p>ClinicalTrials.gov <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01805739" target="_blank">NCT01805739</a></p></div

The Role of EGFR Family Inhibitors in Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Review of Clinical Data and Molecular Evidence

PURPOSE: Conventional platinum based chemotherapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma is plagued by common resistance to this regimen. Several studies implicate the EGFR family of RTKs in urothelial carcinoma progression and chemoresistance. Many groups have investigated the effects of inhibitors of this family in patients with urothelial carcinoma. This review focuses on the underlying molecular pathways that lead to urothelial carcinoma resistance to EGFR family inhibitors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a PubMed® search for peer reviewed literature on bladder cancer development, EGFR family expression, clinical trials of EGFR family inhibitors and molecular bypass pathways. Research articles deemed to be relevant were examined and a summary of original data was created. Meta-analysis of expression profiles was also performed for each EGFR family member based on data sets accessible via Oncomine®. RESULTS: Many clinical trials using inhibitors of EGFR family RTKs have been done or are under way. Those that have concluded with results published to date do not show an added benefit over standard of care chemotherapy in an adjuvant or second line setting. However, a neoadjuvant study using erlotinib before radical cystectomy demonstrated promising results. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and preclinical studies show that for reasons not currently clear prior treatment with chemotherapeutic agents rendered patients with urothelial carcinoma with muscle invasive bladder cancer resistant to EGFR family inhibitors as well. However, EGFR family inhibitors may be of use in patients with no prior chemotherapy in whom EGFR or ERBB2 is over expressed

Comparison of the Mean Deviation of the Perpendicular Valve Angulations and Correspondance in Cohort A.

<p>Comparison of the Mean Deviation of the Perpendicular Valve Angulations and Correspondance in Cohort A.</p

Patient Procedural Characteristics and Outcomes.

<p>Patient Procedural Characteristics and Outcomes.</p

Comparison of the Mean Perpendicular Valve Angulations.

<p>Comparison of the Mean Perpendicular Valve Angulations.</p

Preprocedural Alignment of the Aortic Root Planes.

<p>Colored lines through selected CT images reflect the 3D schematic reconstructions in several planes using a manual software (M-MSCT) <b>(A, coronal, sagittal and axial planes)</b>. The axial plane presents the basis for the alignment of the hinge point plane, in which no valve structure is visible (hinge points). Three points were set on the axial plane, and the 3D volume-rendered reconstruction was initiated. The angles were determined by manually rotating the 3D aortic reconstructions to reach the appropriate projection with a perpendicular view. The automated software (A-MSCT) automatically places fiducial marks at the hinge points (yellow points), representing the aortic valve plane <b>(B)</b>. The aortic root angiogram displays a perpendicular valve view on the aortic valve annulus <b>(C)</b>. NCC = noncoronary cusp; RCC = right coronary cusp; LCC = left coronary cusp; LAO = left anterior oblique; CAUD = caudal; CRAN = cran; M-MSCT = Manual derived CAA by MSCT; A-MSCT = Automated derived CAA by MSCT; CAA = Intraprocedural C-arm angulation.</p