Several studies have demonstrated an association of CTLA4 (IDDM12) alanine-17 with type 1 diabetes, but CTLA4 variants have not yet been investigated in type 2 diabetes. The CTLA4 exon 1 polymorphism ...(49 A/G) was analyzed in 300 Caucasian patients with type 2 diabetes and 466 healthy controls. All patients were negative for glutamate decarboxylase and islet cell antibodies. CTLA4 alleles were defined by PCR, single-strand conformational polymorphism, and restriction length fragment polymorphism analysis using BBV:I. The distribution of alleles as well as the genotypic and phenotypic frequencies were similar among patients and controls AA, 42 vs. 39%; AG, 47 vs. 46%; GG, 11 vs. 15%, P = not significant (n.s.); A/G, 65/35% vs. 62/38%, P = n.s.; alanine/threonine 92/58% vs. 85/61%, P = n.s.. However, detailed analysis of clinical and biochemical parameters revealed a tendency of GG (alanine/alanine) toward younger age at disease manifestation (46.8 +/- 0.8 vs. 49.5 +/- 0.8 yr, mean +/- SEM), lower body mass index (21.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 24.4 +/- 0.5 kg/m(2), P = 0.042), and basal C-peptide level (0.33 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.53 +/- 0.07nmol/L), as well as earlier start of insulin treatment (5.8 +/- 1.2 vs. 8.7 +/- 0.6 yr) and higher portion of patients on insulin (71 vs. 61%). Patients with the AA genotype were significantly less likely to develop microangiopathic lesions (P < 0.0005). No differences were found for hypertension or family history of type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, CTLA4 alanine-17 does not represent a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Additional studies on larger groups and different ethnic groups are warranted to clarify the association of the GG genotype with faster ss-cell failure and the lower rate of microvascular complications in AA carriers.
Ausgetrickst wird die Natur durch eine Überbrückung der Bicyclo4.2.0octane A in Form der Vorstufen B. Eine für offenkettige 1,7‐Diene unmögliche kupferkatalysierte 2+2‐Photocycloaddition gelingt auf ...diese Weise für Substrate des Typs C. Am Beispiel der Baeyer‐Villiger‐Oxidation wird gezeigt, dass die Desymmetrisierung von B (Z=CO) einen Zugang zu enantiomerenreinen Produkten A eröffnet.
Summary
The 10
th
annual meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE) was entitled "Combating TBE: Vaccination rates on the rise". The incidence of TBE ...has increased in several European countries endemic for this potentially debilitating central nervous system infection. Among the countries most affected are Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, and the Baltic States. In many regions, the three basic requirements for optimal living conditions for ticks, i.e., humidity above 85%. temperatures above 6–7°C, and the presence of large numbers of hosts, have been changing in favor of the tick population. Austria has the highest TBE vaccination rate (88%) in Europe. Although recent years have seen increases in the vaccination rates in some countries, coverage is still too low to offer adequate protection. Presently, no clear recommendations for travelers exist. The ISW-TBE has initiated programs geared towards increasing appreciation of TBE in countries where the disease is largely unknown and towards incorporating travel-related considerations when drawing up vaccination recommendations.
Ideas of general practitioners (GPs) could be of value for the restructuring of the German ambulant health care system. The way managed care is seen by GPs is of particular interest. The aim of this ...study was to record opinions of GPs, working in Berlin, in regard to several aspects of their daily work.
14 female and 16 male GPs from Berlin participated in a qualitative survey. These 30 GPs were interviewed about their attitude toward cooperation with specialized colleagues and their opinions on a future medical care system. The interviews performed were summarized, structured and analyzed according to the qualitative content analysis by Mayring.
From the GPs' point of view, ambulant cooperation is facilitated by knowing specialized colleagues, by staying in close contact to them via telephone and by being able to arrange short-term appointments with these specialists. A closer cooperation with specialists in a network as well as an advanced use of digital information systems for accessing patients' data were considered to be vital elements for a future health care system.
An important reason for choosing the cooperation with specialists is to find quick comprehensive treatment strategies for patients. It may be concluded that ambulant managed care of patients could be optimized with the creation of medical networks.
Several studies have demonstrated an association of CTLA4 (IDDM12)
alanine-17 with type 1 diabetes, but CTLA4 variants have not yet been
investigated in type 2 diabetes. The CTLA4 exon 1 polymorphism ...(49 A/G)
was analyzed in 300 Caucasian patients with type 2 diabetes and 466
healthy controls. All patients were negative for glutamate
decarboxylase and islet cell antibodies. CTLA4 alleles were
defined by PCR, single-strand conformational polymorphism, and
restriction length fragment polymorphism analysis using
BbvI. The distribution of alleles as well as the
genotypic and phenotypic frequencies were similar among patients and
controls AA, 42 vs. 39%; AG, 47 vs.
46%; GG, 11 vs. 15%, P = not
significant (n.s.); A/G, 65/35% vs. 62/38%,
P = n.s.; alanine/threonine 92/58%
vs. 85/61%, P = n.s.. However,
detailed analysis of clinical and biochemical parameters revealed a
tendency of GG (alanine/alanine) toward younger age at disease
manifestation (46.8 ± 0.8 vs. 49.5 ± 0.8 yr,
mean ± sem), lower body mass index (21.4 ± 0.5
vs. 24.4 ± 0.5 kg/m2,
P = 0.042), and basal C-peptide level (0.33 ±
0.07 vs. 0.53 ± 0.07nmol/L), as well as earlier
start of insulin treatment (5.8 ± 1.2 vs. 8.7±
0.6 yr) and higher portion of patients on insulin (71
vs. 61%). Patients with the AA genotype were
significantly less likely to develop microangiopathic lesions
(P < 0.0005). No differences were found for
hypertension or family history of type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, CTLA4
alanine-17 does not represent a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Additional studies on larger groups and different ethnic groups are
warranted to clarify the association of the GG genotype with fasterβ
-cell failure and the lower rate of microvascular complications in
AA carriers.
Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have attracted a strong interest from researchers worldwide, as they constitute an emerging class of quantum-designed materials. The major challenges towards their ...exploitation in electronic applications include reliable contacting, complicated by their small size (\(<\)50 nm), as well as the preservation of their physical properties upon device integration. In this combined experimental and theoretical study, we report on the quantum dot (QD) behavior of atomically precise GNRs integrated in a device geometry. The devices consist of a film of aligned 5-atoms wide GNRs (5-AGNRs) transferred onto graphene electrodes with a sub 5-nm nanogap. We demonstrate that the narrow-bandgap 5-AGNRs exhibit metal-like behavior resulting in linear IV curves for low bias voltages at room temperature and single-electron transistor behavior for temperatures below 150~K. By performing spectroscopy of the molecular levels at 13~K, we obtain addition energies in the range of 200-300 meV. DFT calculations predict comparable addition energies and reveal the presence of two electronic states within the bandgap of infinite ribbons when the finite length of the 5-AGNRs is accounted for. By demonstrating the preservation of the 5-AGNRs electronic properties upon device integration, as demonstrated by transport spectroscopy, our study provides a critical step forward in the realisation of more exotic GNR-based nano-electronic devices.
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