Leukocyte redistribution as immunological biomarker of corticosteroid resistance in severe asthma

Background: Earlier studies have suggested that the leukocyte redistribution can be considered as an immunological marker of the clinical response to corticosteroids (CS), representing an easy measurable potential biomarker in severe asthma. Objective: The aim of this study was to determinate the utility of the leukocyte redistribution as a biomarker of disease heterogeneity in patients with severe asthma and as a bioindicator of potential CS resistance. Methods: We developed an unbiased clustering approach based on the clinical data and the flow cytometry results of peripheral blood leukocyte phenotypes of 142 patients with severe asthma before and after systemic CS administration. Results: Based on the differences in the blood count eosinophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes, together with the flow cytometry measurements of basic T cell, B cell and NK cell subpopulations before and after systemic CS administration, we identified two severe asthma clusters, which differed in the cell frequencies, response to CS and atopy status. Patients in cluster 1 had higher frequency of blood eosinophils at baseline, were sensitized to less allergens and had better steroid responsiveness, measured as the pronounced leukocyte redistribution after the administration of systemic CS. Patients in cluster 2 were determined by the higher frequency of B-cells and stronger IgE sensitization status to the multiple allergens. They also displayed higher steroid resistance, as the clinical correlate for the lower leukocyte redistribution after administration of systemic CS. Conclusion: The flow cytometry-based profiling of the basic populations of immune cells in the blood and its analysis before and after systemic corticosteroid administration could improve personalized treatment approaches in patients with severe asthma. Keywords: asthma phenotypes; biological therapy; corticosteroids resistance; leukocyte redistribution; severe asthma; treatment asthm

Studies on germ cells. I. The history of the germ cells in insects with special reference to the Keimbahn-determinants. II. The origin and significance of the Keimbahn-determinants in animals

No Abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50235/1/1050250302_ftp.pd

Abschlußbericht des DFG-Projektes: Ressourceneffiziente Hardware-Software-Kombinationen für Kryptographie mit elliptischen Kurven

von zur Gathen J, Rückert U. Abschlußbericht des DFG-Projektes: Ressourceneffiziente Hardware-Software-Kombinationen für Kryptographie mit elliptischen Kurven. Heinz Nixdorf Institut, Universität Paderborn; 2008

Multi sequence hardware design for rotational drift spectroscopy

Rotational Drift Spectroscopy (RDS) is a novel spectroscopic method for magnetic nanoparticles. It is based on measuring the rotational drift of magnetic nanoparticle ensembles in liquid suspension in a rotating magnetic field, that is below the magnetic field strength necessary for rotating the magnetic nanoparticles synchronously. The resulting asynchronous rotational drift strongly depends on the properties of the magnetic nanoparticles and their environment. This allows for, e.g., detecting specific molecules via functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. The following work presents a compact rotational drift spectroscopy hardware design, which is controllable with python scripts and is especially designed for accommodating various kinds of RDS measurement sequences with differing hardware requirements

Verfahren und Einrichtung zur fehlercodierenden Datenübertragung

Marks KM, Rückert U, Staudt von H-M. Verfahren und Einrichtung zur fehlercodierenden Datenübertragung. 1993.Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren und eine Einrichtung zur Erkennung und/oder Korrektur von 1- und mehr-Bit-Fehlern gemäß Oberbegriff der Patentansprüche 1 und 5. Um bei einem Verfahren sowie einer Einrichtung der gattungsgemäßen Art eine Optimierung der Fehlererkennung und Fehlerkorrektur bei gleichzeitiger Minimierung der Kodierungstiefe d. h. der Zahl der nötigen Gatterebenen zu erreichen, wird erfindungsgemäß vorgeschlagen, das Datenwort sowie das Prüfwort in jeweils 4-Bit breite Teilworte aufzuteilen, wobei das Prüfwort aus einer Anzahl von p Prüfbits, und das Datenwort aus einer Anzahl von d Datenbits gebildet ist. Zur Prüfwortgenerierung wird eine d*p Generatormatrix verwendet, bei der jeder Spaltenvektor das Generierungsgewicht Gs = d/4, und jeder Zeilenvektor das Generierungsgewicht Gz = p/4 aufweist, derart, daß zeilenweise jedes Datenbit maximal 2 Bit in einem Prüfteilwort beeinflußt