Abstract: The invention provides a method of assigning to a patient a likelihood of having a kidney disease, or a likelihood of undergoing kidney transplant rejection, comprising the steps of providing a urine sample from the patient and determining the concentration of T cells, podocytes and proximal tubular epithelial cells. The ratios of these cell types are used for determining the risk of a kidney disease or transplant rejection.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of a uromodulin polypeptide in prevention or therapy of vascular calcification or a disease caused by, or related to, vascular calcification, particularly vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease, in diabetes, in aging and in atherosclerosis.

Abstract: It is provided a method for identifying optical aberrations. The method comprising the steps of providing at least one first optical beam and a second optical beam ; creating a combined beam by at least partially superimposing the first and the second optical beam; focusing the combined beam into or through a medium and detecting radiation excited in the medium by the combined beam due to nonlinear optical effects; detecting the radiation excited in the medium by the combined beam for each one of the phase positions, the spatial positions and/or the time positions of the first beam; and identifying aberrations using signals generated by a detection device for the plurality of the phase positions, the spatial positions and/or the time positions of the first beam relative to the second beam upon the detection of the radiation excited in the medium.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an aptamer comprising or consisting of the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 1, SEQ ID No. 2, SEQ ID No. 3 and/or a nucleic acid sequence being at least 80% identical to one of SEQ ID No. 1, 2 and 3 for use in therapy and/or diagnosis of autoimmune diseases, wherein the autoimmune disease is cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), idiopathic cardiomyopathy, Chagas' cardiomyopathy, Chagas' megacolon, Chagas' megaesophagus, Chagas' neuropathy, benign prostatic hyperplasia, scleroderma, psoriasis, Raynaud syndrome, pre-eclampsia, kidney allograft rejection, myocarditis, glaucoma, hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, malignant hypertension, and/or Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control preparation (e.g. comprising microorganism control cells embedded in a cold polymerising resin or plastic) for use in a method for detection of a target microorganism in microbiological pathology, comprising a plurality of section bodies joint by a joining polymer, wherein each section body comprises a matrix polymer (e.g. a cold polymerising resin or plastic). A first section body comprises a nucleic acid sequence specific for the target microorganism (e.g. microorganism cells used as positive control). A second section body comprises a second nucleic acid sequence, which in comparison to said first nucleic acid sequence, contains a deletion, an additional nucleoside or a different nucleoside in one, two, three or four positions of said second nucleic acid sequence and which does not hybridize to said first nucleic acid sequence under stringent conditions (e.g.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for separating tissue parts, wherein the device has two parallel clamping plates, wherein at least one part of one clamping plate can be pivoted away from the other clamping plate in order to receive a tissue part and can be pivoted back in order to fix the tissue part, wherein the device has at least two interconnected blades arranged at an angle to each other or has one curved or kinked blade, wherein the blade or blades is/are insertable and displaceable in guide rails of the clamping plates, and wherein a cutting edge of the blade or blades extends between the clamping plates.

Abstract: The invention relates to method for cultivating stem cells in vitro, comprising the following steps: providing a sample comprising stem cells and cultivating the stem cells by subjecting the sample to a treatment for a first period of time. The treatment is carried out under hypothermic conditions having a defined temperature and a defined atmosphere, wherein the temperature does not exceed 15° C. and the atmosphere has an oxygen content not exceeding 21% (v/v). Thereby, the first period of time is 4 days to 4 weeks.

Abstract: An analysis method determines a functional parameter of an organ by measuring 13CO2 content in exhaled air of an individual to which a substrate has been administered. The reaction of the substrate in the body of the individual enriches the exhaled air with 13CO2. The maximum reaction rate of the substrate in the body is determined via a change of the measured 13CO2 content in the exhaled air using zero-order enzyme kinetics. An aqueous methacetin solution having a pH greater than 7.0 is used in the analysis method. A face mask separates the exhaled air from inhaled air. The face mask is configured such that inhaled and exhaled air flows essentially completely through the face mask. Exhalation and inhalation valves in the face mask allow a flow of inhaled and exhaled air through the face mask. A diagnostic method is used to determine the functional parameters of the organ.

Abstract: The invention relates to new peptides and to their use in the diagnosis of celiac disease.

Abstract: The invention relates, inter alia, to a method for operating an elastography device (10), wherein an excitation unit (20) generates mechanical vibration patterns for generating mechanical tissue movements in human or animal tissue, and an image recording device (30) generates images of the tissue during the tissue movements. According to the invention, it is provided that for initiating the respective next mechanical vibration pattern, a respective trigger signal (T) is fed into a trigger signal terminal (20a) of the excitation unit (20), and for configuring the excitation unit (20), configuration signals (K) are fed into the same trigger signal terminal (20a) of the excitation unit (20).

Abstract: The present invention concerns means and methods for cancer diagnosis and, in particular, diagnosis of prostate cancer. Specifically, it relates to a method for diagnosing whether a subject is at risk for recunent prostate carcinoma after prostatectomy comprising determining the amount of at least one metabolite selected from Table 2 in a test sample of a subject after prostatectomy, and comparing the determined amount to a reference, whereby it is diagnosed whether the subject is at risk for recurrent prostate carcinoma after prostatectomy. Further methods provided in accordance with the present invention relate to differentiating between a malignant prostate carcinoma tissue and a non-malignant tissue and diagnosing metastasizing prostate carcinoma in a subject. Also provided are devices for carrying out the aforementioned methods.

Abstract: The invention relates to an agent for treating cervical dysplasias, comprising a recombinant, genetically modified E1-deleted adenovirus replication defective in non-HPV infected cells, which is suitable for local external application in the region of the portio and the cervix uteri.

Abstract: The invention provides antibody against p40, IL-12 or IL-23 for the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer's disease. It further provides ligands to the pair of interleukin 12 or 23 and its specific receptor, specifically an antibody, an antibody fragment, an antibody-like-molecule, for the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Similarly, siRNA, antisense or transcription factor modulators of gene expression of p19, p35, p40, IL-12R-?1, IL-12R-?2, and/or IL-23R for the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer's disease are provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an X-ray system and method for generating 3D image data. The X-ray system comprises a radiation detector, a movable X-ray tube assembly and a control unit, wherein in a working state of the system the radiation detector is detachably positioned in a spatially fixed manner and the X-ray tube assembly can be moved into relative positions relative to the radiation detector. Projection images recorded in the relative positions can be processed together with the coordinates of the relative positions using an iterative reconstruction technique or other image processing methods so as to obtain 3D X-ray images. The X-ray tube assembly is attached to a motor-driven movable stand arm and can be displaced using a control unit. The stand base of the movable stand can be positioned in a spatially fixed manner, so that it has a defined fixed position relative to the radiation detector.

Abstract: The invention relates to new uses of soluble CEACAM6 or CEACAM8, or substances that are specific to soluble CEACAM8. Another object of the invention concerns the use of CEACAM1-specific and/or CEACAM6-specific compounds for apoptosis prevention in-vitro. The invention also relates to a method for screening compounds, which prevent apoptosis and a method for preventing apoptosis in human granulocytes.

Abstract: The present invention features compositions and methods for increasing the cell surface expression of degradation-prone CFTR proteins and preventing or treating cystic fibrosis. The invention provides peptides and peptidomimetics that selectively inhibit the interaction between CAL and mutant CFTR proteins, thereby stabilizing the CFTR and facilitating transport of the same to the cell surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to an agent for treating cervical dysplasias, comprising a recombinant, genetically modified E1-deleted adenovirus replication defective in non-HPV infected cells, which is suitable for local external application in the region of the portio and the cervix uteri.

Abstract: The application provides Ang-(1-7) receptor agonist peptides and their use for treating acute lung injury.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the uniform distribution of microparticles in a liquid, said apparatus comprising a storage chamber 1 including a suspension of microparticles and liquid, a mixing head 2 for receiving the suspension, and a pump 3 which is connected to the storage chamber 1 and the mixing head 2 for sucking the suspension from the storage chamber 1 into the mixing head 2, said mixing head 2 having at least one well 4 with a flow turbulator 5 and an overflow 6 which is connected to the storage chamber 1 via an opening 7, characterized in that the storage chamber 1 has a pin 14 and/or a rotary inlet 15 and a rotary runback 16 which are connected to the pump 3. The apparatus can be used for the identification, characterization and purification of proteins. The invention is also directed to a method for the uniform distribution of microparticles in a liquid, which method generates a turbulent, quasi-static state.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device to produce mechanical oscillations in a research object using magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) with a membrane that can be set into periodic motion (312) and a transmission element (4, 400) for the transmission of periodic motion of the membrane (312) onto the research object (1), whereby the membrane (312) is connected to the transmission element (4, 400) by means of a mounting medium (311, 320, 321, 322) in such a way that periodic motion of the membrane is transmitted over the mounting medium (311, 320, 321, 322) to the transmission element (4, 400). A second aspect relates to the invention of a device with a step motor to generate periodic motion and a transmission element for the transmission of the periodic motion of the step motor to the research object in order to generate mechanical oscillation therein.