Das Informationszentrum Sozialwissenschaften im Urteil von Soziologieprofessorinnen und -professoren aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz

"Der vorliegende Bericht ist Teil einer Serie von Untersuchungen der unterschiedlichen Zielgruppen des IZ. Lag das Augenmerk zunächst auf den Mehrfachkunden des IZ (vgl. Arbeitsbericht Nr. 13), so sind es im vorliegenden Fall die Soziologieprofessoren/innen in den deutschsprachigen Ländern. Die wichtigsten Ergebnisse: Der (gestützte) Bekanntheitsgrad des IZ ist hoch (87% der Befragten geben an, das IZ zumindest dem Namen nach zu kennen). Von den einzelnen Produkten und Dienstleistungen wird der 'sozialwissenschaftliche Fachinformationsdienst - soFid' in seiner gedruckten Version am häufigsten genutzt. Die SOFIS-Erhebung ist die mit Abstand am häufigsten genannte 'Brücke' zwischen dem IZ und seinen persönlichen Nutzern. Die allgemeine Kundenzufriedenheit ist mit einem Indexwert von 76 außergewöhnlich gut." (Autorenreferat

Qualitätsmanagementsysteme und ihre Anwendung auf Serviceeinrichtungen der WGL

"Der Arbeitsbericht gibt einen Überblick über häufig verwendete Begriffe und Konzepte im Bereich von Qualitätsmanagementsystemen. Neben der Normenfamilie ISO 9000 - 9004 sowie Total Quality Management (TQM) werden spezielle Maßnahmen wie Benchmarking und Re-Engineering angesprochen sowie Probleme der Anwendung dieser Systeme im Bereich von Forschungs- und Serviceeinrichtungen diskutiert. Auf die Evaluation und die geplanten Maßnahmen zur Qualitätssicherung im Rahmen der Institute der Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (WGL) und die Besonderheiten von Serviceeinrichtungen wird eingegangen." (Autorenreferat

Treatment of Semantic Heterogeneity in Information Retrieval

"Nowadays, users of information services are faced with highly decentralised, heterogeneous document sources with different content analysis. Semantic heterogeneity occurs e.g. when resources using different systems for content description are searched using a single query system. This report describes several approaches of handling semantic heterogeneity used in projects of the German Social Science Information Centre." (author's abstract

Heterogenitätsbehandlung bei textueller Information verschiedener Datentypen und Inhaltserschließungsverfahren

"Die Sonderfördermaßnahme CARMEN ('Content Analysis, Retrieval and Metadata: Effective Networking') zielte im Rahmen des vom BMB+F geförderten Programms GLOBAL INFO unter anderem auf eine (semantische) Verbesserung der Ausweitung von Recherchen in Fachdatenbanken zu Internet-Recherchen und umgekehrt ab. Die dafür gewählten Konzepte zur Behandlung semantischer Heterogenität wurden entwickelt, implementiert und evaluiert. Der vorliegende Bericht beschreibt die Arbeiten und Ergebnisse der Projektpartner dieses Arbeitspakets (Fachbereich Mathematik/Informatik der Universität Osnabrück sowie das Informationszentrum Sozialwissenschaften Bonn)." (Autorenreferat

Bilinear modulation models for seasonal tables of counts

We propose generalized linear models for time or age-time tables of seasonal counts, with the goal of better understanding seasonal patterns in the data. The linear predictor contains a smooth component for the trend and the product of a smooth component (the modulation) and a periodic time series of arbitrary shape (the carrier wave). To model rates, a population offset is added. Two-dimensional trends and modulation are estimated using a tensor product B-spline basis of moderate dimension. Further smoothness is ensured using difference penalties on the rows and columns of the tensor product coefficients. The optimal penalty tuning parameters are chosen based on minimization of a quasi-information criterion. Computationally efficient estimation is achieved using array regression techniques, avoiding excessively large matrices. The model is applied to female death rate in the US due to cerebrovascular diseases and respiratory diseases

Expression of Msx-1 is suppressed in bisphosphonate associated osteonecrosis related jaw tissue-etiopathology considerations respecting jaw developmental biology-related unique features

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bone-destructive disease treatments include bisphosphonates and antibodies against the osteoclast differentiator, RANKL (aRANKL); however, osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a frequent side-effect. Current models fail to explain the restriction of bisphosphonate (BP)-related and denosumab (anti-RANKL antibody)-related ONJ to jaws. Msx-1 is exclusively expressed in craniofacial structures and pivotal to cranial neural crest (CNC)-derived periodontal tissue remodeling. We hypothesised that Msx-1 expression might be impaired in bisphosphonate-related ONJ. The study aim was to elucidate Msx-1 and RANKL-associated signal transduction (BMP-2/4, RANKL) in ONJ-altered and healthy periodontal tissue.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty ONJ and twenty non-BP exposed periodontal samples were processed for RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. An automated staining-based alkaline phosphatase-anti-alkaline phosphatase method was used to measure the stained cells:total cell-number ratio (labelling index, Bonferroni adjustment). Real-time RT-PCR was performed on ONJ-affected and healthy jaw periodontal samples (n = 20 each) to quantitatively compare Msx-1, BMP-2, RANKL, and GAPDH mRNA levels.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Semi-quantitative assessment of the ratio of stained cells showed decreased Msx-1 and RANKL and increased BMP-2/4 (all p < 0.05) expression in ONJ-adjacent periodontal tissue. ONJ tissue also exhibited decreased relative gene expression for Msx-1 (p < 0.03) and RANKL (p < 0.03) and increased BMP-2/4 expression (p < 0.02) compared to control.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results explain the sclerotic and osteopetrotic changes of periodontal tissue following BP application and substantiate clinical findings of BP-related impaired remodeling specific to periodontal tissue. RANKL suppression substantiated the clinical finding of impaired bone remodelling in BP- and aRANKL-induced ONJ-affected bone structures. Msx-1 suppression in ONJ-adjacent periodontal tissue suggested a bisphosphonate-related impairment in cellular differentiation that occurred exclusively jaw remodelling. Further research on developmental biology-related unique features of jaw bone structures will help to elucidate pathologies restricted to maxillofacial tissue.</p

Trabecular Reorganization in Consecutive Iliac Crest Biopsies when Switching from Bisphosphonate to Strontium Ranelate Treatment

BACKGROUND: Several agents are available to treat osteoporosis while addressing patient-specific medical needs. Individuals' residual risk to severe fracture may require changes in treatment strategy. Data at osseous cellular and microstructural levels due to a therapy switch between agents with different modes of action are rare. Our study on a series of five consecutively taken bone biopsies from an osteoporotic individual over a six-year period analyzes changes in cellular characteristics, bone microstructure and mineralization caused by a therapy switch from an antiresorptive (bisphosphonate) to a dual action bone agent (strontium ranelate). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Biopsies were progressively taken from the iliac crest of a female patient. Four biopsies were taken during bisphosphonate therapy and one biopsy was taken after one year of strontium ranelate (SR) treatment. Furthermore, serum bone markers and dual x-ray absorptiometry measurements were acquired. Undecalcified histology was used to assess osteoid parameters and bone turnover. Structural indices and degree of mineralization were determined using microcomputed tomography, quantitative backscattered electron imaging, and combined energy dispersive x-ray/µ-x-ray-fluorescence microanalysis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Microstructural data revealed a notable increase in bone volume fraction after one year of SR treatment compared to the bisphosphonate treatment period. Indices of connectivity density, structure model index and trabecular bone pattern factor were predominantly enhanced indicating that the architectural transformation from trabecular rods to plates was responsible for the bone volume increase and less due to changes in trabecular thickness and number. Administration of SR following bisphosphonates led to a maintained mineralization profile with an uptake of strontium on the bone surface level. Reactivated osteoclasts designed tunneling, hook-like intratrabecular resorption sites. The appearance of tunneling resorption lacunae and the formation of both mini-modeling units and osteon-like structures within increased plate-like cancellous bone mass provides additional information on the mechanisms of strontium ranelate following bisphosphonate treatment, which may deserve special attention when monitoring a treatment switch