A Procedure to Develop Metrics for Currency and its Application in CRM

Due to the importance of using up-to-date data in information systems, this article analyzes how the data-quality dimension currency can be quantified. Based on several requirements (e.g., normalization and interpretability) and a literature review, we design a procedure to develop probability-based metrics for currency which can be adjusted to the specific characteristics of data attribute values. We evaluate the presented procedure with regard to the requirements and illustrate the applicability as well as its practical benefit. In cooperation with a major German mobile services provider, the procedure was applied in the field of campaign management in order to improve both success rates and profits.

Comparison of insulin analogue regimens in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the PREFER Study: a randomized controlled trial

AIMS

Insulin analogues are widely used but few data exist comparing different analogue regimens. We compared two such regimens in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) uncontrolled by oral antidiabetic agents (OADs) with or without basal insulin.

METHODS

In a 26-week multinational, multicentre, randomized treat-to-target trial, OADs were discontinued and subjects randomized to analogue basal-bolus therapy (insulin detemir once daily and insulin aspart mealtimes) or biphasic insulin aspart 30 (30% rapid-acting insulin aspart), twice daily. Insulin was titrated to targets for fasting, predinner and postprandial plasma glucose (PG), as appropriate.

RESULTS

Of 719 subjects, 92% completed the study; 58% achieved haemoglobin fraction A(1c) (HbA(1c)) < or =7.0%, with reductions of 1.56% (to 6.96%) with basal-bolus therapy and 1.23% (to 7.17%) with biphasic insulin aspart. Reduction with basal-bolus therapy was superior in the overall population by 0.23% (p = 0.0052), with no difference between regimens in insulin-naive patients. Major hypoglycaemia occurred in five basal-bolus patients (0.9%) and in no patients with biphasic insulin aspart. Incidence of minor hypoglycaemia was similar in both groups. All insulin doses increased during titration, with increase in lunchtime insulin aspart dose and equal distribution of breakfast and dinner biphasic insulin aspart doses. Insulin detemir remained once daily in 87% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Modern insulin analogue regimens, adjusted to PG targets, enable a majority of people with T2DM to reach HbA(1c)< or =7.0% after failure of OADs and OAD-basal insulin therapy. Insulin-treated patients may benefit more from transfer to analogue basal-bolus therapy, while insulin-naive individuals benefit equally well from the more convenient biphasic analogue regimen.

Femtosecond XANES study of the light-induced spin crossover dynamics in an iron(II) complex

X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a powerful probe of molecular structure, but it has previously been too slow to track the earliest dynamics after photoexcitation. We investigated the ultrafast formation of the lowest quintet state of aqueous iron(II) tris(bipyridine) upon excitation of the singlet metal-to-ligand-charge-transfer (1MLCT) state by femtosecond optical pump/x-ray probe techniques based on x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). By recording the intensity of a characteristic XANES feature as a function of laser pump/x-ray probe time delay, we find that the quintet state is populated in about 150 femtoseconds. The quintet state is further evidenced by its full XANES spectrum recorded at a 300-femtosecond time delay. These results resolve a long-standing issue about the population mechanism of quintet states in iron(II)-based complexes, which we identify as a simple 1MLCT-->3MLCT-->5T cascade from the initially excited state. The time scale of the 3MLCT-->5T relaxation corresponds to the period of the iron-nitrogen stretch vibration.

Growth disturbances of the distal tibia after physeal separation--what do we know, what do we believe we know? A review of current literature

PURPOSE

Although they are the most frequent physeal separations of the lower limb, epiphyseal separations (Salter I and II) of the distal tibia are rare injuries, peaking in adolescence. Generally they are considered lobe benign fractures with a low rate of complications. However, in the literature, concrete statements on the incidence of fracture-associated growth disturbances are infrequent and inconsistent, even contradictory.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A review of textbooks, classical references and recent literature was performed to identify the available evidence on distal tibia physeal separations.

RESULTS

A review of the literature showed that most authors agree that conservative, nonoperative treatment is the preferred treatment. But opinions differ on almost all essential fundamentals of treatment. Neither the potential for growth-associated spontaneous correction of posttraumatic axis deviations nor the tolerable degree of axial deviations are evaluated homogenously. Opinions also vary greatly concerning the frequency of posttraumatic growth disturbances, the influence of the mechanism of injury and the amount of primary axial deviation. The most consistent statement in the literature is that poor results of both closed and open reduction lead to an increasing number of growth disturbances, which may include the assumption that not only trauma but operative procedures, too, can be the reason for restrictive physeal plate disturbances.

CONCLUSIONS

There are two major deficiencies in most of the reviewed literature. The first is that the numbers of cases reported in each article are low due to the rarity of the injury. The second deficiency is that many studies report "physeal injuries" but do not clearly distinguish physeal separations (Salter I and II) from epiphyseal fractures (Salter III and IV) and transitional fractures, all involving the physeal plate, but in completely different ways with completely different prognoses. A prospective multicenter study is taking place.

Incorporation of the bone marker carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type-1 collagen improves prognostic information of the International Staging System in newly diagnosed symptomatic multiple myeloma

Several prognostic markers, including parameters of tumor burden and cytogenetics, were adopted to identify high-risk patients in multiple myeloma (MM). Recently, the International Staging System (ISS), including beta2-microglobulin (beta2M) and albumin, was introduced for patients with symptomatic MM. As bone disease is a hallmark of MM, we investigated the prognostic impact of the bone resorption marker carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type-1 collagen (ICTP) in combination with ISS, beta2M, albumin, deletion of chromosome 13 and high-dose therapy (HDT) in 100 patients with newly diagnosed symptomatic MM. beta2M alone, albumin alone, ISS, HDT, del(13q14) and ICTP were significant prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). In a multivariate analysis, ICTP was the most powerful prognostic factor (log-rank P<0.001, hazard ratio: ninefold increase). ICTP clearly separated two subgroups with a good and a worse prognosis within each of the three ISS stages (ISS I: P=0.027, ISS II: P=0.022, ISS III: P=0.013). Incorporation of ICTP in a combined ICTP-ISS score significantly (P<0.001) separated four risk groups with a 5-year OS rate of 95, 64, 46 and 22%, [corrected] respectively. These data demonstrate for the first time that the inclusion of the collagen-I degradation product ICTP, as a biomarker of bone resorption, adds to the prognostic value of ISS.

Nanoscale depth-resolved coherent femtosecond motion in laser-excited bismuth

We employ grazing-incidence femtosecond x-ray diffraction to characterize the coherent, femtosecond laser-induced lattice motion of a bismuth crystal as a function of depth from the surface with a temporal resolution of 193+/-8 fs. The data show direct consequences on the lattice motion from carrier diffusion and electron-hole interaction, allowing us to estimate an effective diffusion rate of D=2.3+/-0.3 cm(2)/s for the highly excited carriers and an electron-hole interaction time of 260+/-20 fs.

Biology-inspired synthesis of compound libraries

Biologically active small molecules represent the basis for chemical biology applications in which small molecules are used as chemical tools to probe biological processes. In this report, we review two approaches to design and synthesize compound libraries for biological screenings, i.e., diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) and biology-oriented synthesis (BIOS).

Bortezomib inhibits human osteoclastogenesis

In multiple myeloma, the overexpression of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) ligand (RANKL) leads to the induction of NF-kappaB and activator protein-1 (AP-1)-related osteoclast activation and enhanced bone resorption. The purpose of this study was to examine the molecular and functional effects of proteasome inhibition in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. Furthermore, we aimed to compare the outcome of proteasome versus selective NF-kappaB inhibition using bortezomib (PS-341) and I-kappaB kinase inhibitor PS-1145. Primary human osteoclasts were derived from CD14+ precursors in presence of RANKL and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). Both bortezomib and PS-1145 inhibited osteoclast differentiation in a dose- and time-dependent manner and furthermore, the bone resorption activity of osteoclasts. The mechanisms of action involved in early osteoclast differentiation were found to be related to the inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, whereas the later phase of differentiation and activation occurred due to inhibition of p38, AP-1 and NF-kappaB activation. The AP-1 blockade contributed to significant reduction of osteoclastic vascular endothelial growth factor production. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that proteasomal inhibition should be considered as a novel therapeutic option of cancer-induced lytic bone disease.

In vitro antiprotozoal activities and cytotoxicity of some selected Cameroonian medicinal plants

Eight extracts from seven selected Cameroonian medicinal plants, traditionally used to treat malaria and other protozoal diseases, were tested in vitro for their antiprotozoal activities against Plasmodium falciparum K1 chloroquine-resistant strain, Leishmania donovani, Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, protozoa responsible for malaria, visceral leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and African trypanosomiasis, respectively. The most active extract against Plasmodium falciparum K1 strain and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense was the methanolic extract of Albizia zygia (Fabaceae) stem bark with IC(50) values of 1.0 microg/ml and 0.2 microg/ml, respectively. Five extracts showed IC(50) values below 5mug/ml against Leishmania donovani, with the methanolic seed extract of Harungana madagascarensis showing the highest activity, but only the methanolic extract of Albizia zygia showed activity against Trypanosoma cruzi. Cytotoxicity and selectivity indexes were estimated for the most active extracts. The best ratio of cytotoxicity to antiplasmodial activity (SI(a)=14) was established for the methanolic leaf extract of Symphonia globulifera (Clusiaceae), while the methanolic stem bark extract of Albizia zygia showed the best ratio of cytotoxicity to antitrypanosomal activity (SI(b)=22.5).

Proteasome as an Emerging Therapeutic Target in Cancer

The 26S proteasome is a multicatalytic intracellular protease expressed in eukaryotic cells. It is responsible for selective degradation of intracellular proteins that are responsible for cell proliferation, growth, regulation of apoptosis and transcription of genes involved in execution of key cellular functions. Thus proteasome inhibition is a potential treatment option for cancer and diseases due to aberrant inflammation condition. Treatment with proteasome inhibitors results in stabilization and accumulation proteasome substrates, a phenomenon that may result in confounding signals in cells, cell cycle arrest and activation of apoptotic programs. The inhibition of the transcriptional factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation was found as one of crucial mechanisms in induction of apoptosis, overcoming resistance mechanisms and inhibition of immune response and inflammation mechanisms. Bortezomib (PS-341) and PS-519 are the first proteasome inhibitors that have entered clinical trials. In multiple myeloma, both the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) and EMEA (European Medicine Evaluation Agency) granted an approval for the use of bortezomib (Velcade) for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma. At present, several phase II and phase III trials in hematological malignancies and solid tumors are ongoing. PS-519 that focuses on inflammation, reperfusion injury and ischemia is currently under evaluation for the indication of acute stroke.