University of Mainz

About: University of Mainz is a education organization based out in Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Immune system. The organization has 37673 authors who have published 71163 publications receiving 2497880 citations. The organization is also known as: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz & Universität Mainz.

Model Driven Architecture (MDA)

Abstract: Die Object Management Group (OMG) wurde 1989 als gemeinnützige Organisation mit dem Ziel gegründet, objektorientierte Technologien zu standardisieren, um so die herstellerübergreifende Integration von Software zu erleichtern. Frühe Arbeiten der OMG führten zur Object Management Architecture (OMA) mit dem Kernstandard der Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). Die vorgelegte Spezifikation eines Object Request Broker beeinflusste Architektur und Entwicklung von Software, behandelte aber primär implementierungstechnische Aspekte wie Objektmodell, Typsystem und Persistenz. Eine deutliche Ausweitung der Standardisierungsgegenstände der OMG erfolgte im Jahre 1997 mit der bernahme derUnifiedModeling Language (UML), einer objektorientierten Modellierungssprache, die den seit Anfang der 1990er Jahre herrschenden objektorientierten Methodenpluralismus vereinheitlichte und sowohl zur Repräsentation von Entwurfsals auch von Analyseartefakten der Systementwicklung verwendet wird. Inzwischen stehen zahlreiche weitere OMG-Standards bereit, die vielfältige Aspekte der Softwareentwicklung behandeln.

Antioxidant effects of resveratrol in the cardiovascular system

Abstract: The antioxidant effects of resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) contribute substantially to the health benefits of this compound. Resveratrol has been shown to be a scavenger of a number of free radicals. However, the direct scavenging activities of resveratrol are relatively poor. The antioxidant properties of resveratrol in vivo are more likely to be attributable to its effect as a gene regulator. Resveratrol inhibits NADPH oxidase-mediated production of ROS by down-regulating the expression and activity of the oxidase. This polyphenolic compound reduces mitochondrial superoxide generation by stimulating mitochondria biogenesis. Resveratrol prevents superoxide production from uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide synthase by up-regulating the tetrahydrobiopterin-synthesizing enzyme GTP cyclohydrolase I. In addition, resveratrol increases the expression of various antioxidant enzymes. Some of the gene-regulating effects of resveratrol are mediated by the histone/protein deacetylase sirtuin 1 or by the nuclear factor-E2-related factor-2. In this review article, we have also summarized the cardiovascular effects of resveratrol observed in clinical trials. Linked articles This article is part of a themed section on Redox Biology and Oxidative Stress in Health and Disease. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.12/issuetoc.

Efficacy of acupuncture for the prophylaxis of migraine: a multicentre randomised controlled clinical trial

Abstract: Summary Background Our aim was to assess the efficacy of a part-standardised verum acupuncture procedure, in accordance with the rules of traditional Chinese medicine, compared with that of part-standardised sham acupuncture and standard migraine prophylaxis with beta blockers, calcium-channel blockers, or antiepileptic drugs in the reduction of migraine days 26 weeks after the start of treatment. Methods This study was a prospective, randomised, multicentre, double-blind, parallel-group, controlled, clinical trial, undertaken between April 2002 and July 2005. Patients who had two to six migraine attacks per month were randomly assigned verum acupuncture (n=313), sham acupuncture (n=339), or standard therapy (n=308). Patients received ten sessions of acupuncture treatment in 6 weeks or continuous prophylaxis with drugs. Primary outcome was the difference in migraine days between 4 weeks before randomisation and weeks 23–26 after randomisation. This study is registered as an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN52683557. Findings Of 1295 patients screened, 960 were randomly assigned to a treatment group. Immediately after randomisation, 125 patients (106 from the standard group) withdrew their consent to study participation. 794 patients were analysed in the intention-to-treat popoulation and 443 in the per-protocol population. The primary outcome showed a mean reduction of 2 ·3 days (95% CI 1·9–2·7) in the verum acupuncture group, 1·5 days (1·1–2·0) in the sham acupuncture group, and 2·1 days (1·5–2·7) in the standard therapy group. These differences were statistically significant compared with baseline (p Interpretation Treatment outcomes for migraine do not differ between patients treated with sham acupuncture, verum acupuncture, or standard therapy.

Half-Heusler compounds: Novel materials for energy and spintronic applications

Abstract: Half-Heusler compounds are an impressive class of materials with a huge potential for different applications such as future energy applications and for spintronics. The semiconducting Heusler compounds can be identified by the number of valence electrons. The band gap can be tuned between 0 and 4 eV by the electronegativity difference of the constituents. Magnetism can be introduced in these compounds by using rare-earth elements, manganese or ‘electron’ doping. Thus, there is a great interest in the fields of thermoelectrics, solar cells and diluted magnetic semiconductors. The combination of different properties such as superconductivity and topological edge states leads to new multifunctional materials, which have the potential to revolutionize technological applications. Here, we review the structure, the origin of the band gap and the functionalities of semiconducting half-Heusler compounds.