d-matrix – database exploration, visualization and analysis

BACKGROUND: Motivated by a biomedical database set up by our group, we aimed to develop a generic database front-end with embedded knowledge discovery and analysis features. A major focus was the human-oriented representation of the data and the enabling of a closed circle of data query, exploration, visualization and analysis. RESULTS: We introduce a non-task-specific database front-end with a new visualization strategy and built-in analysis features, so called d-matrix. d-matrix is web-based and compatible with a broad range of database management systems. The graphical outcome consists of boxes whose colors show the quality of the underlying information and, as the name suggests, they are arranged in matrices. The granularity of the data display allows consequent drill-down. Furthermore, d-matrix offers context-sensitive categorization, hierarchical sorting and statistical analysis. CONCLUSIONS: d-matrix enables data mining, with a high level of interactivity between humans and computer as a primary factor. We believe that the presented strategy can be very effective in general and especially useful for the integration of distinct data types such as phenotypical and molecular data

Verwaltungsmodernisierung: Chancen für Beteiligung?

"Der Autor dieses Beitrags beschäftigt sich mit der Reformpraxis in deutschen Kommunalverwaltungen bei der Umsetzung des von der Kommunalen Gemeinschaftsstelle für Verwaltungsvereinfachung (KGSt) entwickelten Neuen Steuerungsmodells. Es werden die maßgeblichen Akteure, die Reformziele und die strukturellen Veränderungen beschrieben. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit finden die Personalräte in ihrer neuen Rolle als Co-Manager sowie die zwischen den Verwaltungsspitzen und Interessenvertretungen abgeschlossenen 'Modernisierungsabkommen'." (Autorenreferat)"This article deals with the practice of management reform in German local government, and the implementation of the New Management Model. It describes the actors, the goals of the reforms and the structural changes. Special attention is given to the Works Councils in their new role as co-managers and to the new Modernisation Agreements negotiated between management and employee representatives." (author's abstract

Exploring emotions for design of your future chair

The User Compass Chart (UCC) was used for eliciting middle-age subjects’ experiences of 33 photo-represented easy chairs, including consumer products and chairs designed for nursing-homes as well as institutions in general. The chairs were represented in black and white photos measuring 50 x 50 mm. The vectors used in the chart were most inviting - most repellent and most homelike- most nursing-home like associating adjectives. Subjects were asked to position each representation on the chart, according to hers/his emotional experiences and to think-aloud. When the UCC was complete the subject had the possibility to adjust the positions of the representations. The experiments were recorded with video and digital camera. Key-sentences were transcribed. The positions of all subjects’ markers were summarised in “flag diagrams” for each represented chair and frequencies were compared of different products in different sectors. Key sentences of significant products and sectors were classified according to design elements (defined elements or whole body) and products values (functional and ergonomic or appearance and image). Some chairs were identified as more significant (homelike and inviting, institutional and inviting, institutional and repellent). The UCC proved to be a stimulating and useful tool, and some product qualities could be recommended on basis of the results

Hitting bacteria at the heart of the central dogma: sequence-specific inhibition

An important objective in developing new drugs is the achievement of high specificity to maximize curing effect and minimize side-effects, and high specificity is an integral part of the antisense approach. The antisense techniques have been extensively developed from the application of simple long, regular antisense RNA (asRNA) molecules to highly modified versions conferring resistance to nucleases, stability of hybrid formation and other beneficial characteristics, though still preserving the specificity of the original nucleic acids. These new and improved second- and third-generation antisense molecules have shown promising results. The first antisense drug has been approved and more are in clinical trials. However, these antisense drugs are mainly designed for the treatment of different human cancers and other human diseases. Applying antisense gene silencing and exploiting RNA interference (RNAi) are highly developed approaches in many eukaryotic systems. But in bacteria RNAi is absent, and gene silencing by antisense compounds is not nearly as well developed, despite its great potential and the intriguing possibility of applying antisense molecules in the fight against multiresistant bacteria. Recent breakthrough and current status on the development of antisense gene silencing in bacteria including especially phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (PS-ODNs), peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) will be presented in this review

Jenseits von Globalisierung und Finanzialisierung: Aushandlungsbeziehungen in der deutschen Chemie- und Automobilindustrie

"Der Beitrag diskutiert die aktuelle und zukünftige Bedeutung lokal verankerter Aushandlungs- und Machtpositionen von Arbeitnehmervertretungen in großen Industrieunternehmen, die sich transnational neu ausrichten. Im Kontext der spezifisch deutschen industriellen Beziehungen werden die im Zuge der organisatorischen Restrukturierung und Globalisierung sich verändernden Aushandlungskonstellationen herausgearbeitet und die Verankerungen und Gefährdungen von Primärmachtpositionen der Arbeitnehmervertretungen analysiert. Untersucht werden Restrukturierungsfälle in der Chemie- und Pharma- sowie in der Automobilindustrie. Der Beitrag arbeitet die Spielräume der Ausgestaltung und Gewichtung lokaler Aushandlungspositionen heraus, die diese im Verlauf strategischer Wahlentscheidungen des Managements erlangen aber auch verlieren können. Abschließend wird angesichts eines wachsenden Gewichtes globaler Finanzmarktrationalität für strategische Orientierungen eine Tendenz zur Instabilvisierung von Aushandlungsbeziehungen diskutiert." (Autorenreferat)"The article focuses on the actual and future importance of local bargaining constellations in transnationally restructuring industries and in large companies. In the context of Germany's institutionalized industrial relations system, the article analyses changes in bargaining constellations emerging with industrial restructuring and organizational globalization. Against this background, the relevance of locally based power resources is discussed. Empirical evidence is based on case studies in chemical/pharmaceutical and automobile companies. The paper argues that locally embedded collective skills and cooperation play an important role in strategic choices of corporate management towards restructuring and globalisation. They thereby create scope for action by employee representatives. Finally, the article discusses the increasing influence of financial markets and financial orientations, leading to new instabilities, which may challenge traditional productive resources as well as actors of the German industrial relations system." (author's abstract

A novel mutation in GJA8 associated with autosomal dominant congenital cataract in a family of Indian origin

Purpose To identify the underlying genetic defect in a four-generation family of Chinese origin with autosomal dominant congenital cataract-microcornea syndrome (CCMC). Methods All individuals in the study underwent a full clinical examination and the details of history were collected . Genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and the exons of all candidate genes were sequenced. Results Direct sequencing of the encoding regions of the candidate genes revealed a heterozygous mutation c.592C→T in exon 2 of the gap junction protein, alpha 8 (GJA8) gene. This mutation was responsible for the familial disorder through the substitution of a highly conserved arginine to tryptophan at codon 198 (p.R198W). This change co-segregated with all affected members of the family, but was not detected either in the non-carrier relatives or in the 100 normal controls. Conclusions This report is the first to relate p.R198W mutation in GJA8 with CCMC. The result expands the mutation spectrum of GJA8 in associated with congenital cataract and microcornea, and implies that this gene has direct involvement with the development of the lens as well as the other anterior segment of the eye

A novel fan-shaped cataract-microcornea syndrome caused by a mutation of CRYAA in an Indian family

PURPOSE: The molecular characterization of an Indian family having 10 members in four generations affected with a unique fan-shaped cataract-microcornea syndrome. METHODS: Detailed family history and clinical data were recorded. A genome-wide screening by two-point linkage analysis using more than 400 microsatellite markers in combination with multipoint lod score and haplotype analysis was carried out. Mutation screening was performed in the candidate gene by bi-directional sequencing of amplified products. RESULTS: The cataract-microcornea locus in this family was mapped to a 23.5 cM region on chromosome 21q22.3. Direct sequencing of the candidate gene CRYAA revealed a heterozygous C>T transition resulting in the substitution of the highly conserved arginine at position 116 by cysteine (R116C). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the report of mapping a locus for syndromal cataract (cataract-microcornea syndrome) on 21q22.3. The mutation observed in CRYAA in the present family highlights the phenotypic heterogeneity of the disorder in relation to the genotype, as an identical mutation has previously been reported in an American family with a different type of cataract. The "fan-shaped cataract" observed in the present family has not been reported before

Sutural cataract associated with a mutation in the ferritin light chain gene (FTL) in a family of Indian origin

PURPOSE: The molecular characterization of 27 members of an Indian family, with 13 members in four generations, affected with Y-sutural congenital cataract. METHODS: Detailed family history and clinical data were collected. A genome-wide scan by two-point linkage analysis using more than 400 microsatellite markers in combination with multipoint lod score and haplotype analysis was performed. Mutation screening was carried out in the candidate gene by bi-directional sequencing of amplified products. RESULTS: A maximum two-point lod score of 6.37 at theta=0.00 was obtained with marker D19S879. Haplotype analysis placed the cataract locus to a 5.0 cM region between D19S902 and D19S867, in close proximity to the L-ferritin light chain gene (FTL) on chromosome 19q13.3. Hematological tests in two affected individuals showed very high levels of serum ferritin without iron overload leading to the diagnosis of hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome. Mutation screening in FTL identified a G>A change at position 32 (c.-168G>A) in a highly conserved 3 nucleotide motif that forms a loop structure in the iron responsive element (IRE) in the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR). This nucleotide alteration was neither seen in any unaffected member of the family nor found in 50 unrelated control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The present study is the first report of a Y-sutural congenital cataract mapping to 19q13.3. The mutation observed in FTL in this family highlights the phenotypic heterogeneity of the disorder in relation to the genotype as the identical mutation (32 G>A) has previously been reported in two Italian families with entirely different phenotypes. It is also the first report of hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome in a family of Indian origin

Erosion, Erneuerung, Umnutzung: Arbeitgeberverbände und ihr Umgang mit dem Flächentarifvertrag am Beispiel der ERA-Einführung in der Metall- und Elektroindustrie

"Die in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten anhaltende Erosion des Flächentarifvertragssystems in Deutschland gefährdet den ordnungspolitischen Anspruch der tarifvertraglichen Regelung von Arbeitsstandards. Mit den Entgeltrahmenabkommen (ERA) haben die Tarifparteien in der Metall- und Elektroindustrie einen ambitionierten Ansatz zur (Re-)Stabilisierung tariflicher Ordnungs- und Gestaltungsfunktion verfolgt. Der Beitrag arbeitet auf der Basis empirisch-soziologischer Begleitforschung in den Tarifregionen Baden-Württemberg und Niedersachsen heraus, wie die strategischen Zielsetzungen einer Modernisierung von Entgeltstrukturen von den Arbeitgeberverbänden regional unterschiedlich konzipiert, interpretiert und umgesetzt werden und wie sie dabei strategische Varianten des Umgangs mit dem Flächentarifvertrag begründen, die die Ausgestaltung der Tarifnormen sowie die Umsetzungsprozesse und -ergebnisse unterschiedlich prägen." (Autorenreferat)"The erosion of the German system of collective bargaining during the last two decades is threatening the effectiveness of collective regulation of wages and working standards. With the introduction of the new Single Status Pay Agreement (ERA), both sides, the employers' association and the trade union, initiated an ambitious attempt to (re)stabilize the system of collective bargaining in the metalworking industry. The article presents findings from an empirical sociological study of the implementation of ERA in two regions, Baden-Wurttemberg and Lower Saxony. The article shows that the strategic objectives of modernizing the pay system are conceptualized, interpreted and implemented quite differently by the regional employers' associations. Therefore, the article argues, the resulting differences of strategy lead to different collective standards, and shape the process and outcome of pay structure reform." (author's abstract