Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

About: Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg is a education organization based out in Halle, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Liquid crystal. The organization has 20232 authors who have published 38773 publications receiving 965004 citations. The organization is also known as: MLU & University of Wittenberg.

Chemotherapy-induced diarrhea: pathophysiology, frequency and guideline-based management

Abstract: Diarrhea is one of the main drawbacks for cancer patients. Possible etiologies could be radiotherapy, chemotherapeutic agents, decreased physical performance, graft versus host disease and infections. Chemotherapy-induced diarrhea (CID) is a common problem, especially in patients with advanced cancer. The incidence of CID has been reported to be as high as 50-80% of treated patients (≥30% CTC grade 3-5), especially with 5-fluorouracil bolus or some combination therapies of irinotecan and fluoropyrimidines (IFL, XELIRI). Regardless of the molecular targeted approach of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and antibodies, diarrhea is a common side effect in up to 60% of patients with up to 10% having severe diarrhea. Furthermore, the underlying pathophysiology is still under investigation. Despite the number of clinical trials evaluating therapeutic or prophylactic measures in CID, there are just three drugs recommended in current guidelines: loperamide, deodorized tincture of opium and octreotide. Newer strategies and more effective agents are being developed to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with CID. Recent research focusing on the prophylactic use of antibiotics, budesonide, probiotics or activated charcoal still have to define the role of these drugs in the routine clinical setting. Whereas therapeutic management and clinical work-up of patients presenting with diarrhea after chemotherapy are rather well defined, prediction and prevention of CID is an evolving field. Current research focuses on establishing predictive factors for CID like uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase-1A1 polymorphisms for irinotecan or dihydropyrimidine-dehydrogenase insufficiency for fluoropyrimidines.

TAL effector RVD specificities and efficiencies

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The EU(7)-PIM list: a list of potentially inappropriate medications for older people consented by experts from seven European countries

Abstract: The aim of the study was to develop a European list of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) for older people, which can be used for the analysis and comparison of prescribing patterns across European countries and for clinical practice. A preliminary PIM list was developed, based on the German PRISCUS list of potentially inappropriate medications and other PIM lists from the USA, Canada and France. Thirty experts on geriatric prescribing from Estonia, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden participated; eight experts performed a structured expansion of the list, suggesting further medications; twenty-seven experts participated in a two-round Delphi survey assessing the appropriateness of drugs and suggesting dose adjustments and therapeutic alternatives. Finally, twelve experts completed a brief final survey to decide upon issues requiring further consensus. Experts reached a consensus that 282 chemical substances or drug classes from 34 therapeutic groups are PIM for older people; some PIM are restricted to a certain dose or duration of use. The PIM list contains suggestions for dose adjustments and therapeutic alternatives. The European Union (EU)(7)-PIM list is a screening tool, developed with participation of experts from seven European countries, that allows identification and comparison of PIM prescribing patterns for older people across European countries. It can also be used as a guide in clinical practice, although it does not substitute the decision-making process of individualised prescribing for older people. Further research is needed to investigate the feasibility and applicability and, finally, the clinical benefits of the newly developed list.

Performance and analysis of recording microhardness tests

Abstract: With a microhardness arrangement which is constructed as an accessory equipment for modern material testing machines the generation of Vickers indentation is investigated by recording of the load during a programmed penetration of the pyramide. For all engineering materials investigated the relation between load L and penetration depth p could be fitted by L=a1p ± a2p2 with a high degree of statistical reliability. It is derived a new hardness number which is independent of the load also in the microhardness region. By comparison it can be shown that conventionally measured Vickers hardness numbers are identical for the ductile metals but to large for brittle materials. Furtheron it is possible to determine quantitatively the change of the hardness of the surface layer disturbed by mechanical polishing. By the same experiment it is investigated in microregions of the different materials the inelastic behaviour by stress relaxation and the elastic recovery by measurement of the L-p relation during unloading. Mit einer Mikroharteprufanordnung, welche als Zusatzeinheit fur eine moderne Materialprufmaschine konstruiert ist, wird die Erzeugung von Vickerseindrucken durch Registrierung der Last wahrend des programmgesteuerten Eindringvorganges verfolgt. Fur alle untersuchten Werkstoffe kann die Abhangigkeit zwischen Last L und Eindringtiefe p durch den Ansatz L = a1p ± ± a2p2 mit groser statistischer Sicherheit analysiert werden. Es wird eine neue Hartezahl abgeleitet, die auch im Mikrolastbereich lastunabhangig ist. Durch Vergleich kann gezeigt werden, das die konventionell gemessenen Vickers-Hartezahlen fur duktile Materialien glechgros, jedoch fur sprode Materialien zu gros sind. Weiterhin kann quantitativ die Anderung der Harte von Oberflachenschichten, die durch mechanische Politur gestort sind, bestimmt werden. Mit der gleichen experimentellen Anordnung wird von verschiedenen Materialien in Mikrobereichen das inelastische Verhalten durch Spannungsrelaxation und die elastische Ruckfederung durch Messung der L−p-Abhangigkeit wahrend der Entlastung untersucht.

Synthetic Antiferromagnetic Spintronics.

Abstract: Spintronic and nanomagnetic devices often derive their functionality from layers of different materials and the interfaces between them. This is especially true for synthetic antiferromagnets - two or more ferromagnetic layers that are separated by metallic spacers or tunnel barriers and which have antiparallel magnetizations. Here, we discuss the new opportunities that arise from synthetic antiferromagnets, as compared to crystal antiferromagnets or ferromagnets.