MethCancerDB--aberrant DNA methylation in human cancer.

Early detection, classification and prognosis of human cancers by analysis of CpG methylation carry huge diagnostic potential. MethCancerDB collects and annotates genes and sequences from the abundance of published methylation studies and interlinks them to all methylation-relevant bioinformatical resources. MethCancerDB starts with 4720 entries from 348 sources and is freely accessible at http://www.

Modularity and community detection in bipartite networks.

The modularity of a network quantifies the extent, relative to a null model network, to which vertices cluster into community groups. We define a null model appropriate for bipartite networks, and use it to define a bipartite modularity. The bipartite modularity is presented in terms of a modularity matrix B; some key properties of the eigenspectrum of B are identified and used to describe an algorithm for identifying modules in bipartite networks.

Microarray-based in vitro test system for the discrimination of contact allergens and irritants: identification of potential marker genes.

Background: Animal tests have been used to characterize the potential of chemicals to produce allergic contact dermatitis, but this approach is increasingly a matter of public and political concern. Our aim was to develop and validate an alternative in vitro test that can identify contact allergens.

Methods: We developed a targeted microarray containing oligonucleotide probes for 66 immune-relevant genes and analyzed gene expression in monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs) treated with 1 irritant (SDS) and 2 prominent contact allergens, nickel and Bandrowski's base (BB), which is the oxidation product of the most important hair dye allergen, p-phenylenediamine.

Feasibility of a mobile phone-based data service for functional insulin treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus patients.

Background: Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) have to be active participants in their treatment because they are inevitably responsible for their own day-to-day-care. Availability of mobile Internet access is advancing rapidly and mobile phones are now widely available at low cost. Thus, mobile phones have the potential to assist in daily diabetes management and to enable a telemedical interaction between patients and health care professionals.

N-glycan modification in Aspergillus species.

The production by filamentous fungi of therapeutic glycoproteins intended for use in mammals is held back by the inherent difference in protein N-glycosylation and by the inability of the fungal cell to modify proteins with mammalian glycosylation structures. Here, we report protein N-glycan engineering in two Aspergillus species. We functionally expressed in the fungal hosts heterologous chimeric fusion proteins containing different localization peptides and catalytic domains.

Indium ion emission from nanotube fibres.

The manufacture of a liquid metal ion source based on carbon nanotubes is described. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes were attached to the tip of a tungsten needle forming a fibre which was subsequently coated with a layer of indium. The onset of ion emission was observed at about 850 V, a value much lower than that for a conventional indium needle emitter.

Development of a microfluidic biochip for online monitoring of fungal biofilm dynamics.

Microfabricated biochips are developed to continuously monitor cell population dynamics in a non-invasive manner. In the presented work we describe the novel combination of contact-less dielectric microsensors and microfluidics to promote biofilm formation for quantitative cell analysis. The cell chip consists of a polymeric fluidic (PDMS) system bonded to a glass wafer containing the electrodes while temperature and fluid flow are controlled by external heating and pumping stations.

Outdoor workers' acceptance of personal protective measures against solar ultraviolet radiation.

The acceptance and usability of personal protection against solar UV radiation was evaluated in a field study with a group of tinsmiths in Austria. The personal protective measures (PPM) tested involved four categories: shirts, headwear, sunglasses and topically applied sunscreens; at least six different products per category were tested. Recommendations for the "ideal" shirt, headwear, pair of sunglasses and topical sunscreen are given based on data from questionnaires, i.

Bacterial endophytes contribute to abiotic stress adaptation in pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.).

Endophytes are nonpathogenic plant-associated bacteria that can play an important role in plant vitality and may confer resistance to abiotic or biotic stress. The effects of 5 endophytic bacterial strains isolated from pepper plants showing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase activity were studied in sweet pepper under in vitro conditions. Four of the strains tested showed production of indole acetic acid.

Study on potential effects of "902-MHz GSM-type Wireless Communication Signals" on DMBA-induced mammary tumours in Sprague-Dawley rats.

The aim of the study was to detect whether long-term exposure to "902-MHz GSM-type Wireless Communication Signals" ("radio-frequency (RF)-exposure") would affect 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumours in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Five hundred female rats were each given a single oral dose of 17 mg DMBA per kg body weight (bw) at an age of 46-48 days. Three groups of 100 animals each were RF-exposed (902 MHz; crest factor 8; pulse width=0.

Comparison of RNA amplification techniques meeting the demands for the expression profiling of clinical cancer samples.

Available ribonucleic acid (RNA) amplification methods are extensively tested for reproducibility, but only a few studies additionally deal with potential amplification bias. On targeted arrays, we evaluated three amplification protocols, which are less time consuming than the commonly used T7-RNA polymerase based in vitro transcription protocols and therefore may be more suitable for clinical use: Template-switching polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Ribo-single primer isothermal amplification and a random primer-based PCR. Additionally, a more sensitive labelling method, Dendrimer labelling, was evaluated.

Feasibility of a telemedicine framework for collaborative pacemaker follow-up.

We propose a telemedicine framework for remote and manufacturer independent pacemaker (PM) follow-up. The main goal is to provide the caregiver at the point-of-care with an efficient screening method to identify possible malfunction of the pacing system in collaboration with the specialist at the PM clinic. The concept was evaluated in a clinical trial on 44 patients (mean age 76 years).

Feasibility and usability of a home monitoring concept based on mobile phones and near field communication (NFC) technology.

Utilization of mobile information and communication technologies in home monitoring applications is becoming more and more common. The mobile phone, acting as a patient terminal for patients suffering from chronic diseases, provides an active link to the caregiver to transmit health status information and receive feedback. In such a concept the usability is still limited by the necessity of entering the values via the mobile phone's small keypad.

Consensus genes of the literature to predict breast cancer recurrence.

Background: Extensive efforts have been undertaken to discover genes relevant for breast cancer prognosis. Yet, in current opinion, with little overlap in findings. We aimed to reanalyze molecular prediction of breast cancer recurrence.

Effect of surface parameters on the performance of IgG-arrayed hydrogel chips: a comprehensive study.

In this article, the assay performance of 3D polyurethane (PU) hydrogel surfaces, used either plain or modified with cross linkers and additives in a direct immunoassay for IgG, is correlated with chip surface parameters such as water content and expansion, mechanical stability, hydrophilicity, thickness, and surface topography. Commercial chip surfaces ARChip Epoxy, Nexterion slide H and HydroGel are used as references. A strong correlation between assay sensitivity and physical surface parameters was found only for various hydrogels of the same chemical composition, in which cases assay sensitivity increases with decreasing hydrogel concentration as well as decreasing roughness, water content, and expansion.

The dielectric properties of human pineal gland tissue and RF absorption due to wireless communication devices in the frequency range 400-1850 MHz.

In order to enable a detailed analysis of radio frequency (RF) absorption in the human pineal gland, the dielectric properties of a sample of 20 freshly removed pineal glands were measured less than 20 h after death. Furthermore, a corresponding high resolution numerical model of the brain region surrounding the pineal gland was developed, based on a real human tissue sample. After inserting this model into a commercially available numerical head model, FDTD-based computations for exposure scenarios with generic models of handheld devices operated close to the head in the frequency range 400-1850 MHz were carried out.

Time trends (1986-2003) of radiocesium transfer to roe deer and wild boar in two Austrian forest regions.

Starting shortly after the Chernobyl accident, samples of roe deer and wild boar from two comparatively highly contaminated Austrian forest stands have been regularly analysed for (137)Cs. Until 1995 average (137)Cs concentrations exceeded 1000 Bq kg(-1) in both roe deer and wild boar. Long-term and seasonal trends are similar in both investigation sites.

Characterization of the drugged human genome.

Human drug targets are a part of our genome of special relevance to human disease. However, the number and nature of drug target genes has not yet been conclusively assessed. We analyzed involvement in biochemical functions, biological processes and pathways, with chromosome, cellular and tissue distribution of the 392 human drug targets collected in DrugBank.

Identification of human pathogens isolated from blood using microarray hybridisation and signal pattern recognition.

Background: Pathogen identification in clinical routine is based on the cultivation of microbes with subsequent morphological and physiological characterisation lasting at least 24 hours. However, early and accurate identification is a crucial requisite for fast and optimally targeted antimicrobial treatment. Molecular biology based techniques allow fast identification, however discrimination of very closely related species remains still difficult.

Reproducibility of hydrogel slides in on-chip immunoassays with respect to scanning mode, spot circularity, and data filtering.

The reproducibility of three-dimensional hydrogel surfaces based on polyurethane, poly(vinyl alcohol), and polyacrylamide (HydroGel) with respect to scanning mode (confocal vs nonconfocal), alignment (circular vs irregular), and influence of fluorescent background was investigated. It is demonstrated that, if even probe spots are provided, fluorescence intensities measured at the same photomultiplier tube gain are similar for confocal and nonconfocal scanning modes. Uneven probe spots, however, cause reduced fluorescence with confocal scanners, greater spot-to-spot variation, and higher degrees of intra- and interexperimental variability (%CV among three experiments).

New head exposure system for use in human provocation studies with EEG recording during GSM900- and UMTS-like exposure.

A new head exposure system for double blinded human provocation studies, which requires EEG recording during exposure with GSM900- and UMTS-like signals has been developed and dosimetrically evaluated. The system uses planar patch antennas fixed at 65 mm distance from the subject's head by a special headset, which provides minimum impairment of the test subjects and ensures an almost constant position of the antennas with respect to the head, even in case of head movements. Compared to exposure concepts operating small antennas in close proximity to the head, the concept of planar antennas at a certain distance from the head produces a much more homogeneous SAR distribution in the temporal and parietal lobe of the brain.

Synthesis of single-crystalline Zn metal nanowires utilizing cold-wall physical vapor deposition.

Zinc metal nanowires (NWs) of two different morphologies have been synthesized in a cold-wall physical vapor deposition (CWPVD) chamber at high vacuum conditions and growth temperatures of 150 degrees C. Substrates initially seeded by gold or platinum crystals show NWs of wool-like and/or unidirectional morphologies. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies revealed that the rodlike NWs consist of single-crystalline Zn covered with a thin native oxide.

Radio frequency-induced temperature elevations in the human head considering small anatomical structures.

In order to enable a detailed numerical radio frequency (RF) dosimetry and the computations of RF-induced temperature elevations, high-resolution (0.1 mm) numerical models of the human eye, the inner ear organs and the pineal gland were developed and inserted into a commercially available head model. As radiation sources, generic models of handsets at 400, 900 and 1850 MHz operating in close proximity to the head were considered.

Exposure caused by wireless technologies used for short-range indoor communication in homes and offices.

In order to estimate typical radio frequency exposures from indoor used wireless communication technologies applied in homes and offices, WLAN, Bluetooth and Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications systems, as well as baby surveillance devices and wireless headphones for indoor usage, have been investigated by measurements and numerical computations. Based on optimised measurement methods, field distributions and resulting exposure were assessed on selected products and real exposure scenarios. Additionally, generic scenarios have been investigated on the basis of numerical computations.