3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor Atorvastatin mediated effects depend on the activation status of target cells in PLP-EAE.

The effect of Atorvastatin on transcriptional activity in murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced by PLP peptide 139-151 was analyzed by DNA microarray technique in lymph nodes and spinal cord at onset (10 days), height (20 days) and first remission (30 days) of disease. Fourteen genes were selectively influenced by Atorvastatin in EAE mice. They are mainly related to immune cell functions and regulation of cell-to-cell interaction.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma overexpression inhibits pro-fibrogenic activities of immortalised rat pancreatic stellate cells.

Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) play a key role in the development of pancreatic fibrosis, a constant feature of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. In response to pro-fibrogenic mediators, PSCs undergo an activation process that involves proliferation, enhanced production of extracellular matrix proteins and a phenotypic transition towards myofibroblasts. Ligands of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), such as thiazolidinediones, are potent inhibitors of stellate cell activation and fibrogenesis in pancreas and liver.

Geomedical warning system against epidemics.

We describe aims, usage and evaluation of the computer-based early warning system telecommunication on medical events (TeCoMed), which achieves tracking down of temporal and spatial spread of epidemics for seasonal communicable diseases. It uses experiences from former waves of communicable diseases down to fine-grained local areas. Data is delivered by the biggest German insurance scheme.

A prognostic model for temporal courses that combines temporal abstraction and case-based reasoning.

Since clinical management of patients and clinical research are essentially time-oriented endeavours, reasoning about time has become a hot topic in medical informatics. Here we present a method for prognosis of temporal courses, which combines temporal abstractions with case-based reasoning. It is useful for application domains where neither well-known standards, nor known periodicity, nor a complete domain theory exist.

Applying temporal abstraction and case-based reasoning to predict approaching influenza waves.

The goal of the TeCoMed project is to send early warnings against forthcoming waves or even epidemics of infectious diseases, especially of influenza, to interested practitioners, pharmacists etc. in the German federal state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The forecast of these waves is based on written confirmations of unfitness for work of the main German health insurance company.

RESIS3D--online information about spatial and temporal spreading of resistant pathogens.

Considering resistances of supposed or identified pathogens is of vital importance in antibiotics therapy. Additionally local details play a very important role. So the resistance situation can be different on two wards of the same facility.

A prognostic model for temporal courses that combines temporal abstraction and case-based reasoning.

Since clinical management of patients and clinical research are essentially time-oriented endeavours, reasoning about time has recently become a hot topic in medical informatics. Here we present a method for prognosis of temporal courses, which combines temporal abstractions with Case-based Reasoning. We have applied our method in two programs.

Methods, architecture, evaluation and usability of a case-based antibiotics advisor.

In this paper, we discuss the usability of an antibiotics therapy adviser, with a broad, complex spectrum of functions which we have developed within the ICONS project. We present the architecture of the system, case-based reasoning methods used, steps and results of medical evaluations, which are concerning the quality of the recommended therapies, the user friendliness of the system and the interpretation of laboratory results. Furthermore, we discuss problems of transferability of such a system from one site to another as well as problems of local susceptibility patterns and individual dose regimens.

A system architecture for genomic data analysis.

Most of diseases are caused by a set of gene defects, which occur in a complex association. The association scheme of expressed genes can be modelled by genetic networks. Genetic networks are efficiently facilities to understand the dynamic of pathogenic processes by modelling molecular reality of cell conditions.