University of Hamburg

About: University of Hamburg is a education organization based out in Hamburg, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Laser. The organization has 45564 authors who have published 89286 publications receiving 2850161 citations. The organization is also known as: Hamburg University.

Structural Equation Modeling with the SmartPLS

Abstract: The objective of this article is to present a didactic example of Structural Equation Modeling using the software SmartPLS 2.0 M3. The program mentioned uses the method of Partial Least Squares and seeks to address the following situations frequently observed in marketing research: Absence of symmetric distributions of variables measured by a theory still in its beginning phase or with little “consolidation”, formative models, and/or a limited amount of data. The growing use of SmartPLS has demonstrated its robustness and the applicability of the model in the areas that are being studied.

Phase III randomized trial of CED of IL13-PE38QQR vs Gliadel wafers for recurrent glioblastoma.

Abstract: Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of cintredekin besudotox (CB) was compared with Gliadel wafers (GW) in adult patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) at first recurrence. Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive CB or GW. CB (0.5 microg/mL; total flow rate 0.75 mL/h) was administered over 96 hours via 2-4 intraparenchymal catheters placed after tumor resection. GW (3.85%/7.7 mg carmustine per wafer; maximum 8 wafers) were placed immediately after tumor resection. The primary endpoint was overall survival from the time of randomization. Prestated interim analyses were built into the study design. Secondary and tertiary endpoints were safety and health-related quality-of-life assessments. From March 2004 to December 2005, 296 patients were enrolled at 52 centers. Demographic and baseline characteristics were balanced between the 2 treatment arms. Median survival was 36.4 weeks (9.1 months) for CB and 35.3 weeks (8.8 months) for GW (P = .476). For the efficacy evaluable population, the median survival was 45.3 weeks (11.3 months) for CB and 39.8 weeks (10 months) for GW (P = .310). The adverse-events profile was similar in both arms, except that pulmonary embolism was higher in the CB arm (8% vs 1%, P = .014). This is the first randomized phase III evaluation of an agent administered via CED and the first with an active comparator in GBM patients. There was no survival difference between CB administered via CED and GW. Drug distribution was not assessed and may be crucial for evaluating future CED-based therapeutics.

Spontaneous Assembly of a Monolayer of Charged Gold Nanocrystals at the Water/Oil Interface

Abstract: Novel materials based on 2D and 3D arrays of nanocrystalline building blocks can be prepared from colloidal suspensions by controlled processing. There is a large effort in this field due to the exciting electrical, magnetic 5] and optical properties of such systems, which can be tuned by the size of the building blocks and the interactions between them. Ordered arrays of uncharged, sterically stabilized nanocrystals have been successfully obtained by a subtle destabilization of the suspension or by assembly at a liquid/air or liquid/liquid interface. There is, however, an important class of suspensions that are stable owing to the nanocrystal surface charge. Assembly of uncapped, charged nanocrystals into arrays is considerably more difficult as destabilization of a suspension usually leads to uncontrolled coagulation. Herein, we report surprising results that may lead to novel routes for the controlled fabrication of materials from chargestabilized nanocrystal colloids. We have observed that gold nanocrystals spontaneously form a monolayer at the water/oil interface if the surface charge of the nanocrystals is gradually reduced. The separation between the nanocrystals in the layer is smaller than the width of the diffuse electrical double layer. Nevertheless, coagulation of the particles into clumps does not occur. The monolayers are remarkably robust and can be easily transferred to substrates, opening the way to technological applications. The spontaneous 2D assembly of charged nanocrystals is qualitatively described in terms of a reduction of the water/oil interfacial energy upon particle adsorption counteracted by electrostatic repulsion in the film. Suspensions of sterically stabilized and supposedly uncharged gold nanocrystals have been used as model systems for the study of self-assembly. A wealth of gold nanocrystal structures have been reported and their optoelectrical properties are still under investigation. The synthesis of charge-stabilized gold sols is well established. The processing of such sols has been focused on the capping of charged nanocrystals with organic molecules to allow transfer to a

Metacognitive training in schizophrenia: from basic research to knowledge translation and intervention.

Abstract: Purpose of reviewThere has been a marked increase in the study of cognitive biases in schizophrenia, which has in part been stimulated by encouraging results with cognitive–behavioral interventions in the disorder. We summarize new evidence on cognitive biases thought to trigger or maintain positive