@article{SalpatiChuChenetal.2014, author = {Salpati, Laurent and Chu, Xiaoyan and Chen, Liangfu and Prasad, Bhagwat and Dallas, Shannon and Evers, Raymond and Mamaril-Fishman, Donna and Geier, Ethan G. and Kehler, Jonathan and Kunta, Jeevan and Mezler, Mario and Laplanche, Loic and Pang, Jodie and Soars, Matthew G. and Unadkat, Jashvant D. and van Waterschoot, Robert A.B. and Yabut, Jocelyn and Schinkel, Alfred H. and Scheer, Nico and Rode, Anja}, title = {Evaluation of organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 and 1B3 humanized mice as a translational model to study the pharmacokinetics of statins}, series = {Drug Metabolism and Disposition}, volume = {42}, journal = {Drug Metabolism and Disposition}, number = {8}, publisher = {ASPET}, address = {Bethesda, Md.}, issn = {1521-009X}, doi = {10.1124/dmd.114.057976}, pages = {1301 -- 1313}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Organic anion transporting polypeptide (Oatp) 1a/1b knockout and OATP1B1 and -1B3 humanized mouse models are promising tools for studying the roles of these transporters in drug disposition. Detailed characterization of these models will help to better understand their utility for predicting clinical outcomes. To advance this approach, we carried out a comprehensive analysis of these mouse lines by evaluating the compensatory changes in mRNA expression, quantifying the amounts of OATP1B1 and -1B3 protein by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and studying the active uptake in isolated hepatocytes and the pharmacokinetics of some prototypical substrates including statins. Major outcomes from these studies were 1) mostly moderate compensatory changes in only a few genes involved in drug metabolism and disposition, 2) a robust hepatic expression of OATP1B1 and -1B3 proteins in the respective humanized mouse models, and 3) functional activities of the human transporters in hepatocytes isolated from the humanized models with several substrates tested in vitro and with pravastatin in vivo. However, the expression of OATP1B1 and -1B3 in the humanized models did not significantly alter liver or plasma concentrations of rosuvastatin and pitavastatin compared with Oatp1a/1b knockout controls under the conditions used in our studies. Hence, although the humanized OATP1B1 and -1B3 mice showed in vitro and/or in vivo functional activity with some statins, further characterization of these models is required to define their potential use and limitations in the prediction of drug disposition and drug-drug interactions in humans.}, language = {en} } @article{KrollLudwigsKaesling2014, author = {Kroll-Ludwigs, Kathrin and Kaesling, Katharina}, title = {Family Law and Culture in Europe: Developments, Challenges and Opportunities - Konferenz der Commission on European Family Law vom 29.-31. August 2013, Bonn}, series = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Europ{\"a}isches Privatrecht (ZEuP)}, journal = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Europ{\"a}isches Privatrecht (ZEuP)}, number = {3}, publisher = {Beck}, address = {M{\"u}nchen}, issn = {0943-3929}, pages = {673 -- 676}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Vor dem Hintergrund zunehmender gesellschaftlicher Ver{\"a}nderungen bei den Lebens- und Familienformen hat es sich die Commission on European Family Law (CEFL) seit 2001 zum Ziel gesetzt, unverbindliche Regelungsvorschl{\"a}ge f{\"u}r ein europaweit einheitliches Familienrecht zu schaffen. Die Vorstellung und Diskussion dieser auf rechtsvergleichender Basis erstellten Principles erfolgt auf den regelm{\"a}ßig veranstalteten Tagungen der CEFL. Die nunmehr f{\"u}nfte Konferenz zum Thema „Family Law and Culture in Europe - Developments, Challenges and Opportunities" fand erstmals in Deutschland statt. Ausgerichtet wurde die Veranstaltung, zu der ca. 200 Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmern aus Wissenschaft und Praxis aus insgesamt 33 L{\"a}ndern angereist waren, von Nina Dethloff (Direktorin des Instituts f{\"u}r Deutsches, Europ{\"a}isches und Internationales Familienrecht an der Universit{\"a}t Bonn), Katharina Boele-Woelki (Direktorin des Utrecht Centre for European Research into Family Law und Preistr{\"a}gerin des Anneliese Maier-Forschungspreises der Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung) und Werner Gephart (Direktor des K{\"a}te Hamburger Kollegs „Recht als Kultur").}, language = {de} } @article{Bernecker2014, author = {Bernecker, Andreas}, title = {Do politicians shirk when reelection is certain? Evidence from the German parliament}, series = {European Journal of Political Economy}, volume = {36}, journal = {European Journal of Political Economy}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0176-2680}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2014.07.001}, pages = {55 -- 70}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Does stiffer electoral competition reduce political shirking? For a micro-analysis of this question, I construct a new data set spanning the years 2005 to 2012 covering biographical and political information about German Members of Parliament (MPs), including their attendance rates in voting sessions. For the parliament elected in 2009, I show that indeed opposition party MPs who expect to face a close race in their district show significantly and relevantly lower absence rates in parliament beforehand. MPs of governing parties seem not to react significantly to electoral competition. These results are confirmed by an analysis of the parliament elected in 2005, by several robustness checks, and also by employing an instrumental variable strategy exploiting convenient peculiarities of the German electoral system. The study also shows how MPs elected via party lists react to different levels of electoral competition.}, language = {en} } @article{Bernecker2014, author = {Bernecker, Andreas}, title = {Divided Government and the Adoption of Economic Reforms}, series = {CESifo DICE Report - Journal for Institutional Comparison}, volume = {12}, journal = {CESifo DICE Report - Journal for Institutional Comparison}, number = {4}, publisher = {Ifo Institute for Economic Research}, address = {M{\"u}nchen}, issn = {1612-0663}, pages = {47 -- 52}, year = {2014}, language = {en} } @article{ScheerMclaughlinRodeetal.2014, author = {Scheer, Nico and Mclaughlin, Lesley A. and Rode, Anja and MacLeod, Alastair Kenneth and Henderson, Colin J. and Wolf, Roland C.}, title = {Deletion of thirty murine cytochrome P450 genes results in viable mice with compromised drug metabolism}, series = {Drug Metabolism and Disposition}, volume = {42}, journal = {Drug Metabolism and Disposition}, number = {6}, publisher = {ASPET}, address = {Bethesda, Md.}, issn = {1521-009X}, doi = {10.1124/dmd.114.057885}, pages = {1022 -- 1030}, year = {2014}, abstract = {In humans, 75\% of all drugs are metabolized by the cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase system. Enzymes encoded by the CYP2C, CYP2D, and CYP3A gene clusters account for ∼80\% of this activity. There are profound species differences in the multiplicity of cytochrome P450 enzymes, and the use of mouse models to predict pathways of drug metabolism is further complicated by overlapping substrate specificity between enzymes from different gene families. To establish the role of the hepatic and extrahepatic P450 system in drug and foreign chemical disposition, drug efficacy, and toxicity, we created a unique mouse model in which 30 cytochrome P450 genes from the Cyp2c, Cyp2d, and Cyp3a gene clusters have been deleted. Remarkably, despite a wide range of putative important endogenous functions, Cyp2c/2d/3a KO mice were viable and fertile, demonstrating that these genes have evolved primarily as detoxification enzymes. Although there was no overt phenotype, detailed examination showed Cyp2c/2d/3a KO mice had a smaller body size (15\%) and larger livers (20\%). Changes in hepatic morphology and a decreased blood glucose (30\%) were also noted. A five-drug cocktail of cytochrome P450 isozyme probe substrates were used to evaluate changes in drug pharmacokinetics; marked changes were observed in either the pharmacokinetics or metabolites formed from Cyp2c, Cyp2d, and Cyp3a substrates, whereas the metabolism of the Cyp1a substrate caffeine was unchanged. Thus, Cyp2c/2d/3a KO mice provide a powerful model to study the in vivo role of the P450 system in drug metabolism and efficacy, as well as in chemical toxicity.}, language = {en} } @article{AkimbekovDigelZhubanova2014, author = {Akimbekov, N. Sh. and Digel, Ilya and Zhubanova, A. A.}, title = {Advantages of creation of e-books in training of specialists biologists and biotechnologists}, series = {KazNU Bulletin. Biology series.}, volume = {60}, journal = {KazNU Bulletin. Biology series.}, number = {1}, publisher = {Al-Farabi Kazakh National University}, address = {Almaty}, issn = {1563-0218}, pages = {249 -- 252}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The necessity of e-books as a primary of learning, its opportunities for realization of competence during training biologist and biotechnologist specialists are determined. Definitions and requirements to the e-books, its advantages in comparison with traditional textbooks, and the ways of creation of e-books in the SunRav BookEditor program are considered.}, language = {ru} } @article{AkimbekovDigelOHerasetal.2014, author = {Akimbekov, N.Sh. and Digel, Ilya and O´Heras, C. and Tastambek, K.T. and Savitskaya, I.S. and Ualyeva, P.S. and Mansurov, Z.A. and Zhubanova, A.A.}, title = {Adsorption of bacterial lipopolysaccharides on carbonized rice husks obtained in the batch experiments}, series = {Experimental Biology}, volume = {60}, journal = {Experimental Biology}, number = {1/2}, publisher = {Al-Farabi Kazakh National University}, address = {Almaty}, issn = {1563-0218}, pages = {144 -- 148}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The scope of this study is the measurement of endotoxin adsorption rate for carbonized rice husk. It showed good adsorption properties for LPS. During the batch experiments, several techniques were used and optimized for improving the material's adsorption behavior. Also, with the results obtained it was possible to differentiate the materials according to their adsorption capacity and kinetic characteristics.}, language = {en} } @article{ScheerWolf2014, author = {Scheer, Nico and Wolf, C. Roland}, title = {Genetically humanized mouse models of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters and their applications}, series = {Xenobiotica}, volume = {44}, journal = {Xenobiotica}, number = {2}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, address = {Abingdon}, issn = {1366-5928}, doi = {10.3109/00498254.2013.815831}, pages = {96 -- 108}, year = {2014}, abstract = {1. Drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters play important roles in the absorption, metabolism, tissue distribution and excretion of various compounds and their metabolites and thus can significantly affect their efficacy and safety. Furthermore, they can be involved in drug-drug interactions which can result in adverse responses, life-threatening toxicity or impaired efficacy. Significant species differences in the interaction of compounds with drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters have been described. 2. In order to overcome the limitation of animal models in accurately predicting human responses, a large variety of mouse models humanized for drug metabolizing enzymes and to a lesser extent drug transporters have been created. 3. This review summarizes the literature describing these mouse models and their key applications in studying the role of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters in drug bioavailability, tissue distribution, clearance and drug-drug interactions as well as in human metabolite testing and risk assessment. 4. Though such humanized mouse models have certain limitations, there is great potential for their use in basic research and for testing and development of new medicines. These limitations and future potentials will be discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{HentschkeHagerHojdis2014, author = {Hentschke, Reinhard and Hager, Jonathan and Hojdis, Nils}, title = {Molecular Modeling Approach to the Prediction of Mechanical Properties of Silica-Reinforced Rubbers}, series = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {131}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, number = {18}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {New York, NY}, issn = {1097-4628}, doi = {10.1002/app.40806}, pages = {1 -- 9}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Recently, we have suggested a nanomechanical model for dissipative loss in filled elastomer networks in the context of the Payne effect. The mechanism is based on a total interfiller particle force exhibiting an intermittent loop, due to the combination of short-range repulsion and dispersion forces with a long-range elastic attraction. The sum of these forces leads, under external strain, to a spontaneous instability of "bonds" between the aggregates in a filler network and attendant energy dissipation. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations to obtain chemically realistic forces between surface modified silica particles. The latter are combined with the above model to estimate the loss modulus and the low strain storage modulus in elastomers containing the aforementioned filler-compatibilizer systems. The model is compared to experimental dynamic moduli of silica filled rubbers. We find good agreement between the model predictions and the experiments as function of the compatibilizer's molecular structure and its bulk concentration.}, language = {en} } @article{PoghossianSchoening2014, author = {Poghossian, Arshak and Sch{\"o}ning, Michael Josef}, title = {Label-free sensing of biomolecules with field-effect devices for clinical applications}, series = {Electroanalysis}, volume = {26}, journal = {Electroanalysis}, number = {6}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1521-4109 (E-Journal); 1040-0397 (Print)}, doi = {10.1002/elan.201400073}, pages = {1197 -- 1213}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Among the variety of transducer concepts proposed for label-free detection of biomolecules, the semiconductor field-effect device (FED) is one of the most attractive platforms. As medical techniques continue to progress towards diagnostic and therapies based on biomarkers, the ability of FEDs for a label-free, fast and real-time detection of multiple pathogenic and physiologically relevant molecules with high specificity and sensitivity offers very promising prospects for their application in point-of-care and personalized medicine for an early diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The presented paper reviews recent advances and current trends in research and development of different FEDs for label-free, direct electrical detection of charged biomolecules by their intrinsic molecular charge. The authors are mainly focusing on the detection of the DNA hybridization event, antibody-antigen affinity reaction as well as clinically relevant biomolecules such as cardiac and cancer biomarkers.}, language = {en} }