Erfahrungen bei der Entwicklung eines Informationssystems auf RDBMS- und 4GL-Basis

Anläßlich der Entwicklung eines großen Informationssystems wurde die Entscheidung getroffen, ein Werkzeug der vierten Generation (4GL) und ein relationales Datenbanksystem (Oracle) zu verwenden. Der Beitrag beschreibt die Erfahrungen, die bei der Datenmodellierung auf Basis des Entity-Relationship-Ansatzes und der Überführung in ein Relationenmodell sowie mit den Oracle-spezifischen 4GL-Werkzeugen und der dadurch ermöglichten Entwicklungsmethodik (Prototyping) gesammelt wurden. Das Informationssystem selbst ist an anderer Stelle beschrieben.<br

Identification of prediagnostic metabolites associated with prostate cancer risk by untargeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics: A case-control study nested in the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer form in males in many European and American countries, but there are still open questions regarding its etiology. Untargeted metabolomics can produce an unbiased global metabolic profile, with the opportunity for uncovering new plasma metabolites prospectively associated with risk of PCa, providing insights into disease etiology. We conducted a prospective untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics analysis using prediagnostic fasting plasma samples from 752 PCa case-control pairs nested within the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study (NSHDS). The pairs were matched by age, BMI, and sample storage time. Discriminating features were identified by a combination of orthogonal projection to latent structures-effect projections (OPLS-EP) and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Their prospective associations with PCa risk were investigated by conditional logistic regression. Subgroup analyses based on stratification by disease aggressiveness and baseline age were also conducted. Various free fatty acids and phospholipids were positively associated with overall risk of PCa and in various stratification subgroups. Aromatic amino acids were positively associated with overall risk of PCa. Uric acid was positively, and glucose negatively, associated with risk of PCa in the older subgroup. This is the largest untargeted LC-MS based metabolomics study to date on plasma metabolites prospectively associated with risk of developing PCa. Different subgroups of disease aggressiveness and baseline age showed different associations with metabolites. The findings suggest that shifts in plasma concentrations of metabolites in lipid, aromatic amino acid, and glucose metabolism are associated with risk of developing PCa during the following two decades

Apoptotic functions of microRNAs in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of endometriosis

MicroRNAs or miRNAs are a component of the non-coding RNAs family which is engaged in many cellular functions such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, gene expression, signaling pathways, angiogenesis, and etc. Endometriosis is a malignant gynecologic disorder occurring in women before menopausal age. Pathogenesis of this illness is still a discussion subject between the scientists but in our knowledge, microRNAs can be one of the possible involved factors. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of apoptotic activities of miRNAs in endometriosis. Accumulative evidence has demonstrated the role of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion in the progression of these diseases. In this review, we looked into the specific role of apoptosis and its related genes and pathways in endometriosis and tied to present an explanation of how miRNAs can affect endometriosis by their apoptotic activities. What we found is that a great extent of miRNAs is involved in this illness and they are responsible for repressing apoptosis and progression of the disease. As a result, miRNAs have two different usages in endometriosis: biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. In this review we gathered a great amount of evidence to inquire into the role of micro RNAs in inducing apoptosis and how this mechanism can be exerted for therapeutic purposes for endometriosis. © 2020 The Author(s)

Uniformity of optical absorption in HgCdTe epilayer measured by infrared spectromicroscopy

Infrared absorption in HgCdTe epitaxial material has been investigated using infrared spectromicroscopy to study the uniformity at dimensions representative of typical infrared detectors. Infrared transmission measurements were performed on HgCdTe material using an infrared beam diameter of 9 μm. Line scans and area maps of transmission spectra were obtained to investigate statistical variations in infrared absorption. The HgCdTe material demonstrates a high degree of uniformity, with a standard deviation in absorption coefficient near the sensitive turn-on region of less than 3% and standard deviation in extracted Hg1-xCdxTeHg1-xCdxTe compositon of 3×10−4.3×10−4. © 2003 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69699/2/APPLAB-83-18-3701-1.pd

Phylogenetic relationships of Iranian Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (IPNV) based on deduced amino acid sequences of genome segment A and B cDNA

Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (IPNV) is the causal agent of a highly contagious disease that affects many species of fish and shellfish. This virus causes economically important diseases of farmed rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, in Iran which is often associated with the transmission of pathogens from European resources. In this study, moribund rainbow trout fry were collected during an outbreak of IPNV in three different fish farms in one northern province (Mazandaran), and two west provinces (Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad) of Iran. We investigated full genome sequence of Iranian IPNV and compared it with previously identified IPNV sequences. The sequences of different structural and non-structural protein genes were compared with other aquatic birnaviruses sequenced to date. Our results showed that the Iranian isolate fall within genogroup 5, serotype A2 strain SP, having 99 % identity with the strain 1146 from Spain. These results suggest that the Iranian isolate may have originated from Europe

Metabolic risk factors and risk of Covid-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective Based on the epidemiologic findings of Covid-19 incidence; illness and mortality seem to be associated with metabolic risk factors. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the association of metabolic risk factors and risk of Covid-19. Methods This study was designed according to PRISMA guidelines. Two independent researchers searched for the relevant studies using PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. The search terms developed focusing on two main roots of "Covid-19"and "metabolic risk factors". All relevant observational, analytical studies, review articles, and a meta-analysis on the adult population were included in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effect model for pooling proportions to address heterogeneity among studies. Data were analyzed using STATA package version 11.2, (Stata- Corp, USA). Results Through a comprehensive systematic search in the targeted databases we found 1124 papers, after running the proses of refining, 13 studies were included in the present meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of obesity in Covid-19 patients was 29 (95 CI: 14-47). For Diabetes and Hypertension, these were 22 (95 CI: 12 33) and 32 (95 CI: 12 56), respectively. There was significant heterogeneity in the estimates of the three pooled prevalence without any significant small-study effects. Such warning points, to some extent, guide physicians and clinicians to better understand the importance of controlling co-morbid risk factors in prioritizing resource allocation and interventions. Conclusion The meta-analysis showed that hypertension is more prevalent than obesity and diabetes in patients with Covid-19 disease. The prevalence of co-morbid metabolic risk factors must be adopted for better management and priority settings of public health vaccination and other required interventions. The results may help to improve services delivery in COVID-19 patients, while helping to develop better policies for prevention and response to COVID-19 and its critical outcomes. © 2020 Moazzami et al

Influence of SiO2 micro-particles onto microstructure, mechanical properties and wear resistance of uhmwpe based composite under dry sliding friction

Operation is demonstrated of a field-effect transistor made of transparant oxidic thin films, showing an intrinsic memory function due to the usage of a ferroelectric insulator. The device consists of a high mobility Sb-doped n-type SnO2 semiconductor layer, PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 as a ferroelectric insulator, and SrRuO3 as a gate electrode, each layer prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The hysteresis behavior of the channel conductance is studied. Using gate voltage pulses of 100 µs duration and a pulse height of ±3 V, a change of a factor of two in the remnant conductance is achieved. The dependence of the conductance on the polarity of the gate pulse proves that the memory effect is driven by the ferroelectric polarization. The influence of charge trapping is also observed and discussed. © 1996 American Institute of Physics

Functional activities of beta-glucans in the prevention or treatment of cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the fourth-ranked cancer in the world and is associated with a large number of deaths annually. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are known as the common therapeutic approaches in the treatment of cervical cancer, but because of their side effects and toxicity, researchers are trying to discovery alternative therapies. Beta-glucans, a group of glucose polymers that are derived from the cell wall of fungi, bacteria, and etc. it has been showed that beta-glucans have some anti-cancer properties which due to their impacts on adaptive and innate immunity. Along to these impacts, these molecules could be used as drug carriers. In this regard, the application of beta-glucans is a promising therapeutic option for the cancer prevention and treatment especially for cervical cancer. Herein, we have summarized the therapeutic potential of beta-glucans alone or as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of cervical cancer. Moreover, we highlighted beta-glucans as drug carriers for preventive and therapeutic purposes. © 2020 The Author(s)