Mehrwerte kostenpflichtiger Patentdatenbanken im Vergleich zum Leistungsumfang kostenfreier Patentdatenbanken

Seit einigen Jahren sind Patentinformationen auch zunehmend durch Datenbanken von Patentämtern sowie Patentsuchmaschinen kostenfrei im Web verfügbar. Diese Angebote stellen eine wachsende Konkurrenz für die kommerziellen Datenbankhersteller und -anbieter dar. Oft ist jedoch nicht bekannt, welche umfangreichen Möglichkeiten die kostenpflichtigen Datenbanken bieten und welche erheblichen Einschränkungen bei den kostenfreien Quellen zu beachten sind. In dieser Arbeit werden daher die Mehrwerte von kostenpflichtigen Patentdatenbanken im Überblick vorgestellt. Für effektive und effiziente Recherchen eignen sich Retrievalsprachen in einer standardisierten Host-Umgebung. Hochwertige Mehrwertdatenbanken zeichnen sich vor allem durch qualitativ verbesserte Daten und zusätzliche Indexierungen aus. Wenn sie bei Patentrecherchen durch Primärdatenbanken ergänzt werden und beide eine höchstmögliche Abdeckung aufweisen, sind verlässliche und vollständige Trefferlisten möglich. Auch für den weiteren Bearbeitungsprozess stehen bei kommerziellen Anbietern zahlreiche unterstützende Funktionen, Programme und eine Kundenbetreuung zur Verfügung. Anhand einer Vergleichsrecherche werden die Vor- und Nachteile von kostenfreien und kostenpflichtigen Patentdatenbanken exemplarisch herausgearbeitet.Since several years patent information has been increasingly available through databases by patent offices as well as patent search engines which are freely accessible on the Web. These offers represent a growing competition for the commercial database producers and providers. However it is often little known which extensive possibilities the fee required databases offer and that there are considerable restrictions when using free of cost sources. This work therefore shows the additional benefits of commercial patent databases in an overview. Retrieval languages in a standardized host environment are suitable for effective and efficient patent searches. Value-added databases are characterized through qualitative improved data and additional indexing. If they are used to supplement patent search with primary databases and if both show the highest possible coverage reliable and complete hit lists are possible. Another advantage for the users of databases by commercial suppliers is the availability of the numerous supporting functions and programs, as well as customer service. Based on a comparative research this work will elaborate the advantages and disadvantages of free of charge databases as opposed to commercial patent databases in an exemplary manner

Direct Toll-like receptor 2 mediated co-stimulation of T cells in the mouse system as a basis for chronic inflammatory joint disease

The pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory joint diseases such as adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and Lyme arthritis is still poorly understood. Central to the various hypotheses in this respect is the notable involvement of T and B cells. Here we develop the premise that the nominal antigen-independent, polyclonal activation of preactivated T cells via Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 has a pivotal role in the initiation and perpetuation of pathogen-induced chronic inflammatory joint disease. We support this with the following evidence. Both naive and effector T cells express TLR-2. A prototypic lipoprotein, Lip-OspA, from the etiological agent of Lyme disease, namely Borrelia burgdorferi, but not its delipidated form or lipopolysaccharide, was able to provide direct antigen-nonspecific co-stimulatory signals to both antigen-sensitized naive T cells and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) lines via TLR-2. Lip-OspA induced the proliferation and interferon (IFN)-γ secretion of purified, anti-CD3-sensitized, naive T cells from C57BL/6 mice but not from TLR-2-deficient mice. Induction of proliferation and IFN-γ secretion of CTL lines by Lip-OspA was independent of T cell receptor (TCR) engagement but was considerably enhanced after suboptimal TCR activation and was inhibitable by monoclonal antibodies against TLR-2

Validation of a Novel Immunoline Assay for Patient Stratification according to Virulence of the Infecting Helicobacter pylori Strain and Eradication Status

Helicobacter pylori infection shows a worldwide prevalence of around 50%. However, only a minority of infected individuals develop clinical symptoms or diseases. The presence of H. pylori virulence factors, such as CagA and VacA, has been associated with disease development, but assessment of virulence factor presence requires gastric biopsies. Here, we evaluate the H. pylori recomLine test for risk stratification of infected patients by comparing the test score and immune recognition of type I or type II strains defined by the virulence factors CagA, VacA, GroEL, UreA, HcpC, and gGT with patient's disease status according to histology. Moreover, the immune responses of eradicated individuals from two different populations were analysed. Their immune response frequencies and intensities against all antigens except CagA declined below the detection limit. CagA was particularly long lasting in both independent populations. An isolated CagA band often represents past eradication with a likelihood of 88.7%. In addition, a high recomLine score was significantly associated with high-grade gastritis, atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer. Thus, the recomLine is a sensitive and specific noninvasive test for detecting serum responses against H. pylori in actively infected and eradicated individuals. Moreover, it allows stratifying patients according to their disease state

Intensity modulated radiotherapy for high risk prostate cancer based on sentinel node SPECT imaging for target volume definition

BACKGROUND: The RTOG 94-13 trial has provided evidence that patients with high risk prostate cancer benefit from an additional radiotherapy to the pelvic nodes combined with concomitant hormonal ablation. Since lymphatic drainage of the prostate is highly variable, the optimal target volume definition for the pelvic lymph nodes is problematic. To overcome this limitation, we tested the feasibility of an intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) protocol, taking under consideration the individual pelvic sentinel node drainage pattern by SPECT functional imaging. METHODS: Patients with high risk prostate cancer were included. Sentinel nodes (SN) were localised 1.5–3 hours after injection of 250 MBq (99m)Tc-Nanocoll using a double-headed gamma camera with an integrated X-Ray device. All sentinel node localisations were included into the pelvic clinical target volume (CTV). Dose prescriptions were 50.4 Gy (5 × 1.8 Gy / week) to the pelvis and 70.0 Gy (5 × 2.0 Gy / week) to the prostate including the base of seminal vesicles or whole seminal vesicles. Patients were treated with IMRT. Furthermore a theoretical comparison between IMRT and a three-dimensional conformal technique was performed. RESULTS: Since 08/2003 6 patients were treated with this protocol. All patients had detectable sentinel lymph nodes (total 29). 4 of 6 patients showed sentinel node localisations (total 10), that would not have been treated adequately with CT-based planning ('geographical miss') only. The most common localisation for a probable geographical miss was the perirectal area. The comparison between dose-volume-histograms of IMRT- and conventional CT-planning demonstrated clear superiority of IMRT when all sentinel lymph nodes were included. IMRT allowed a significantly better sparing of normal tissue and reduced volumes of small bowel, large bowel and rectum irradiated with critical doses. No gastrointestinal or genitourinary acute toxicity Grade 3 or 4 (RTOG) occurred. CONCLUSION: IMRT based on sentinel lymph node identification is feasible and reduces the probability of a geographical miss. Furthermore, IMRT allows a pronounced sparing of normal tissue irradiation. Thus, the chosen approach will help to increase the curative potential of radiotherapy in high risk prostate cancer patients

Annealing-induced magnetic moments detected by spin precession measurements in epitaxial graphene on SiC

We present results of nonlocal and three-terminal (3T) spin precession measurements on spin injection devices fabricated on epitaxial graphene on SiC. The measurements were performed before and after an annealing step at 150 ∘C for 15 minutes in vacuum. The values of spin relaxation length Ls and spin relaxation time τs obtained after annealing are reduced by a factor 2 and 4, respectively, compared to those before annealing. An apparent discrepancy between spin diffusion constant Ds and charge diffusion constant Dc can be resolved by investigating the temperature dependence of the g factor, which is consistent with a model for paramagnetic magnetic moments

Adaptation of an Existing Intake Structure Caused by Increased Sediment Level

An unexpected and massive redistribution of fine sediment in a large Alpine reservoir was triggered by a further lowering of the water level to conduct maintenance work. This caused the need of a total redesign of the existing head race intake for a high head power plant in the Austrian Alps. Two main geometry options for the trash rack support structure are compared with numerical simulations (ANSYS-CFX) as well as with a scale model test (scale 1:20). The laboratory experiment substantially benefited from the preliminary numerical investigation in respect of the location and implementation of the model boundaries. In return was the confidence in the numerics strengthened by the successful validation of the local head loss and the velocity distribution for the main operation cases. This allowed that the main inputs for the structural design and the further optimisation is conducted only with the 3D-numerical tool. The paper presents the interlaced concept as well as the main finding of the investigation, which lead to a successful adaptation of the intake structure

Persönliche Freiheit und Sicherheit im Internet. Podiumsveranstaltung in Kooperation mit dem Politik-Prüfungskurs des 12. Jahrgangs des Ratsgymnasiums Osnabrück am 27. November 2014 in der Aula der Universität

Textdokumentation zur Veranstaltung der Osnabrücker Friedensgespräche am 27. November 201

Source-Reconstruction of Event-Related Fields Reveals Hyperfunction and Hypofunction of Cortical Circuits in Antipsychotic-Naive, First-Episode Schizophrenia Patients during Mooney Face Processing

Schizophrenia is characterized by dysfunctions in neural circuits that can be investigated with electrophysiological methods, such as EEG and MEG. In the present human study, we examined event-related fields (ERFs), in a sample of medication-naive, first-episode schizophrenia (FE-ScZ) patients (n = 14) and healthy control participants (n = 17) during perception of Mooney faces to investigate the integrity of neuromagnetic responses and their experience-dependent modification. ERF responses were analyzed for M100, M170, and M250 components at the sensor and source levels. In addition, we analyzed peak latency and adaptation effects due to stimulus repetition. FE-ScZ patients were characterized by significantly impaired sensory processing, as indicated by a reduced discrimination index (A′). At the sensor level, M100 and M170 responses in FE-ScZ were within the normal range, whereas the M250 response was impaired. However, source localization revealed widespread elevated activity for M100 and M170 in FE-ScZ and delayed peak latencies for the M100 and M250 responses. In addition, M170 source activity in FE-ScZ was not modulated by stimulus repetitions. The present findings suggest that neural circuits in FE-ScZ may be characterized by a disturbed balance between excitation and inhibition that could lead to a failure to gate information flow and abnormal spreading of activity, which is compatible with dysfunctional glutamatergic neurotransmission