Low energy (0–10 eV) electron driven reactions in the halogenated organic acids CCl3COOH, CClF2COOH, and CF3CHNH2COOH (trifluoroalanine)

Negative ion formation following resonant electron attachment to the three title molecules is studied by means of a beam experiment with mass spectrometric detection of the anions. All three molecules exhibit a pronounced resonance in the energy range around 1 eV which decomposes by the loss of a neutral hydrogen atom thereby generating the closed shell anion (M–H)− (or RCOO−), a reaction which is also a common feature in the non- substituted organic acids. The two chlorine containing molecules CCl3COOH and CClF2COOH exhibit an additional strong and narrow resonance at very low energy (close to 0 eV) which decomposes by the cleavage of the C–Cl bond with the excess charge finally localised on either of the two fragments Cl− and (M–Cl)−. This reaction is by two to three orders of magnitude more effective than hydrogen loss. Apart from these direct bond cleavages (C–Cl, O–H) resonant attachment of subexcitation electrons trigger additional remarkably complex unimolecular decompositions leading, e.g., to the formation of the bihalide ions ClHCl− and ClHF− from CCl3COOH and CClF2COOH, respectively, or the loss of a neutral CF2 unit from trifluoroalanine thereby generating the fluoroglycine radical anion. These reactions require substantial rearrangement in the transitory negative ion, i.e., the cleavage of different bonds and formation of new bonds. F− from both chlorodifluoroacetic acid and trifluoroalanine is formed at comparatively low intensity (more than three orders of magnitude less than Cl− from the chlorine containing molecules) and predominantly within a broad resonant feature around 7–8 eV characterised as core excited resonance

Low energy (0–10 eV) electron driven reactions in the halogenated organic acids CCl3COOH, CClF2COOH, and CF3CHNH2COOH (trifluoroalanine)

Negative ion formation following resonant electron attachment to the three title molecules is studied by means of a beam experiment with mass spectrometric detection of the anions. All three molecules exhibit a pronounced resonance in the energy range around 1 eV which decomposes by the loss of a neutral hydrogen atom thereby generating the closed shell anion (M–H)− (or RCOO−), a reaction which is also a common feature in the non- substituted organic acids. The two chlorine containing molecules CCl3COOH and CClF2COOH exhibit an additional strong and narrow resonance at very low energy (close to 0 eV) which decomposes by the cleavage of the C–Cl bond with the excess charge finally localised on either of the two fragments Cl− and (M–Cl)−. This reaction is by two to three orders of magnitude more effective than hydrogen loss. Apart from these direct bond cleavages (C–Cl, O–H) resonant attachment of subexcitation electrons trigger additional remarkably complex unimolecular decompositions leading, e.g., to the formation of the bihalide ions ClHCl− and ClHF− from CCl3COOH and CClF2COOH, respectively, or the loss of a neutral CF2 unit from trifluoroalanine thereby generating the fluoroglycine radical anion. These reactions require substantial rearrangement in the transitory negative ion, i.e., the cleavage of different bonds and formation of new bonds. F− from both chlorodifluoroacetic acid and trifluoroalanine is formed at comparatively low intensity (more than three orders of magnitude less than Cl− from the chlorine containing molecules) and predominantly within a broad resonant feature around 7–8 eV characterised as core excited resonance

Quantification of intramuscular fat in patients with late-onset Pompe disease by conventional magnetic resonance imaging for the long-term follow-up of enzyme replacement therapy

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate a quantitative method based on conventional T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to assess fatty muscular degeneration in patients with late-onset Pompe disease and to compare it with semi-quantitative visual evaluation (the Mercuri score). In addition, a long-term retrospective data analysis was performed to evaluate treatment response to enzyme replacement therapy with alglucosidase alfa. METHODS: MR images of the lumbar spine were acquired in 41 patients diagnosed with late-onset Pompe disease from 2006 through 2015. Two independent readers retrospectively evaluated fatty degeneration of the psoas and paraspinal muscles by applying the Mercuri score. Quantitative semi-automated muscle and fat tissue separation was performed, and inter-observer agreement and correlations with clinical parameters were assessed. Follow-up examinations were performed in 13 patients treated with alglucosidase alfa after a median of 39 months; in 7/13 patients, an additional follow-up examination was completed after a median of 63 months. RESULTS: Inter-observer agreement was high. Measurements derived from the quantitative method correlated well with Medical Research Council scores of muscle strength, with moderate correlations found for the 6-minute walk test, the 4-step stair climb test, and spirometry in the supine position. A significant increase in the MR-derived fat fraction of the psoas muscle was found between baseline and follow-up 1 (P = 0.016), as was a significant decrease in the performance on the 6-minute walk test (P = 0.006) and 4-step stair climb test (P = 0.034), as well as plasma creatine kinase (P = 0.016). No statistically significant difference in clinical or MR-derived parameters was found between follow-up 1 and follow-up 2. CONCLUSIONS: Quantification of fatty muscle degeneration using the semi-automated method can provide a more detailed overview of disease progression than semi-quantitative Mercuri scoring. MR-derived data correlated with clinical symptoms and patient exercise capacity. After an initial worsening, the fat fraction of the psoas muscle and performance on the 6-minute walk test stayed constant during long-term follow-up under enzyme replacement therapy

Strategien entwickeln, Potenziale nutzen: Fachkräftebedarf; Angebot an Arbeitskräften wird knapper

"Das IAB nimmt nach einer allgemeinen Einschätzung des Fachkräftebedarfs und einer Darstellung der Erwartungen für die Zukunft Stellung zu den folgenden Punkten der Anträge der Fraktionen Die Linke und Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: Ausbau von Ganztagsschulen, Konzept DualPlus, Grüner Pakt für Hochschulen, Bildungsberatung, Finanzierung der Berufsberatung durch Umlagesystem, Kürzungen bei der Förderung der beruflichen Weiterbildung, Weiterbildung Geringqualifizierter und beschäftigter älterer Arbeitnehmer in Unternehmen (WeGebAU)-Programm, Weiterbildung in Klein- und Großbetrieben, stärkere Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen, Erwerbsbeteiligung älterer Arbeitnehmer, Erwerbsbeteiligung von Menschen mit Behinderung, Anerkennung ausländischer Qualifikationen, Fachkräfteeinwanderung, Punktesystem, Weiterentwicklung des bisherigen Rechtssystems, Blue Card-Richtlinie, Anwerbung ausländischer Studenten, flächendeckender gesetzlicher Mindestlohn, Zurückdrängen prekärer Beschäftigungsformen, Anhebung der Hartz-IV-Regelsätze auf 500 Euro, Senkung des Renteneintrittsalters und kürzere Wochenarbeitszeiten." (Autorenreferat)"Preceded by a general assessment of qualified labour demand and a presentation of respective expectations for the future, the IAB comments on the following issues in the Left (Die Linke) and Green (Bündnis 90/DieGrünen) parliamentary parties’ petitions: expansion of fulltime schools, the concept "DualPlus", the Green Pact for institutions of higher education, educational counselling, funding of vocational edu-cation and training by a pay-as-you-go scheme, cuts in the promotion of continued vocational education, continued education of low-qualified workers and older employees in private companies (WeGebAU programme), continued education in small- and large-sized establishments, increased employment participation of women, employment participation of elderly employees, employment participation of handicapped people, recognition of foreign-country qualifications, immigration of skilled labour, labour immigration credit system, further development of the current legal system, the Blue Card guideline, attracting international university students, general minimum wage, confining precarious forms of employment, raising Hartz IV unemployment benefits to 500 Euros, lowering the retirement age, and reduced weekly working hours." (author's abstract

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms