A case-control study of the effect of infant feeding on celiac disease

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the duration of breast-feeding and the age at the first gluten introduction into the infant diet and the incidence and age at onset of celiac disease. Methods: In a case-control study, 143 children with celiac disease and 137 randomly recruited gender- and age-matched control children were administered a standardized questionnaire. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (OR) as estimates of the relative risk and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Results: The risk of developing celiac disease decreased significantly by 63% for children breast-fed for more than 2 months (OR 0.37, 95% Cl 0.21-0.64) as compared with children breast-fed for 2 months or less. The age at first gluten introduction had no significant influence on the incidence of celiac disease (OR 0.72, 95% Cl 0.29-1.79 comparing first gluten introduction into infant diet >3 months vs. less than or equal to3 months). Conclusions: A significant protective effect on the incidence of celiac disease was suggested by the duration of breast-feeding (partial breastfeeding as well as exclusive breast-feeding). The data did not support an influence of the age at first dietary gluten exposure on the incidence of celiac disease. However, the age at first gluten exposure appeared to affect the age at onset of symptoms. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

Results of metallographic analysis of the QUENCH-20 bundle with B₄C absorber

Experiment QUENCH-20 with BWR geometry simulation bundle was conducted at KIT on 9th October 2019 in the framework of the international SAFEST project. The test bundle mock-up represented one quarter of a BWR fuel assembly with 24 electrically heated fuel rod simulators and two B4C control blades. The rod simulators were filled with Kr to inner pressure of 5.5 bar at peak cladding temperature of 900 K. The pre-oxidation stage in the flowing gas mixture of steam and argon (each 3 g/s) and system pressure of 2 bar lasted 4 hours at the peak cladding temperature of 1250 K. During the following transient stage, the bundle was heated to a maximal temperature of 2000 K. The cladding radial extensions and failures due to inner overpressure (about 4 bar) were observed at temperature about 1700 K and lasted about 200 s. During the period of rod failures also the first absorber melt relocation accompanied by shroud failure were registered. The interaction of B4C with steel blade and ZIRLO channel box was observed at elevations 650…950 mm with formation of eutectic melt. The typical components of this melt are (Fe, Cr) borides and ZrB2 precipitated in steel or in Zr-steel eutectic melt. Massive absorber melt relocation was observed 50 s before the end of transition stage. Small fragments of the absorber melt moved down to the elevation of 50 mm. The test was terminated with the quench water injected with a flow rate of 50 g/s from the bundle bottom. Fast temperature escalation from 2000 to 2300 K during 20 s was observed. As result, the metal part (prior β-Zr) of claddings between 550 and 950 mm was melted, partially released into space between rods and partially relocated in the gap between pellet and outer oxide layer to 450 mm. The bundle elevations 850 and 750 mm are mostly oxidized with average cladding ECR 33%

Results of metallographic analysis of the QUENCH-20 bundle with B4C absorber

Experiment QUENCH-20 with BWR geometry simulation bundle was conducted at KIT on 9th October 2019 in the framework of the international SAFEST project. The test bundle mock-up represented one quarter of a BWR fuel assembly with 24 electrically heated fuel rod simulators and two B4C control blades. The rod simulators were filled with Kr to inner pressure of 5.5 bar at peak cladding temperature of 900 K. The pre-oxidation stage in the flowing gas mixture of steam and argon (each 3 g/s) and system pressure of 2 bar lasted 4 hours at the peak cladding temperature of 1250 K. During the following transient stage, the bundle was heated to a maximal temperature of 2000 K. The cladding radial extensions and failures due to inner overpressure (about 4 bar) were observed at temperature about 1700 K and lasted about 200 s. During the period of rod failures also the first absorber melt relocation accompanied by shroud failure were registered. The interaction of B4C with steel blade and ZIRLO channel box was observed at elevations 650…950 mm with formation of eutectic melt. The typical components of this melt are (Fe, Cr) borides and ZrB2 precipitated in steel or in Zr-steel eutectic melt. Massive absorber melt relocation was observed 50 s before the end of transition stage. Small fragments of the absorber melt moved down to the elevation of 50 mm. The test was terminated with the quench water injected with a flow rate of 50 g/s from the bundle bottom. Fast temperature escalation from 2000 to 2300 K during 20 s was observed. As result, the metal part (prior β-Zr) of claddings between 550 and 950 mm was melted, partially released into space between rods and partially relocated in the gap between pellet and outer oxide layer to 450 mm. The bundle elevations 850 and 750 mm are mostly oxidized with average cladding ECR 33%

"Richtig studieren" Infos, Wissenswertes, Anregungen, Regularien

Ausgangspunkt der Magisterarbeit bildeten die im Beispielunternehmen beobachteten Phänomene der eher zur zufälligen Transparenz und Vernetzung von Wissen und Wissensträgern und die starke Bindung von Wissen an einzelne Personen und der damit einhergehenden Gefahr des Wissensverlustes. Wissenslandkarten, so die These, bieten an dieser Stelle Interventionsmöglichkeiten, die im Rahmen der Magisterarbeit durch Literaturzitierungen einzelner Autoren und an den konkret im Beispielunternehmen entwickelten Wissenslandkarten verdeutlicht werden konnten. Es wurde das Ziel verfolgt, die Wissenslandkarten einerseits im Kontext bestehender Wissensmanagementkonzepte zu betrachten und sie anderseits im Hinblick auf Nutzungsmöglichkeiten für eine erfolgreiche Personal- und Organisationsentwicklung zu beurteilen

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic related stressors on patients with anxiety disorders

The COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures are affecting mental health, especially among patients with pre-existing mental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the first wave and its aftermath of the pandemic in Germany (March–July) on psychopathology of patients diagnosed with panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobia who were on the waiting list or in current treatment at a German university-based outpatient clinic. From 108 patients contacted, forty-nine patients (45.37%) completed a retrospective survey on COVID-19 related stressors, depression, and changes in anxiety symptoms. Patients in the final sample (n = 47) reported a mild depression and significant increase in unspecific anxiety (d = .41), panic symptoms (d = .85) and specific phobia (d = .38), while social anxiety remained unaltered. Pandemic related stressors like job insecurities, familial stress and working in the health sector were significantly associated with more severe depression and increases in anxiety symptoms. High pre-pandemic symptom severity (anxiety/depression) was a risk factor, whereas meaningful work and being divorced/separated were protective factors (explained variance: 46.5% of changes in anxiety and 75.8% in depressive symptoms). In line with diathesis-stress models, patients show a positive association between stressors and symptom load. Health care systems are requested to address the needs of this vulnerable risk group by implementing timely and low-threshold interventions to prevent patients from further deterioration.Peer Reviewe

Gene expression in periodontal tissues following treatment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In periodontitis, treatment aimed at controlling the periodontal biofilm infection results in a resolution of the clinical and histological signs of inflammation. Although the cell types found in periodontal tissues following treatment have been well described, information on gene expression is limited to few candidate genes. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the expression profiles of immune and inflammatory genes in periodontal tissues from sites with severe chronic periodontitis following periodontal therapy in order to identify genes involved in tissue homeostasis.</p> <p>Gingival biopsies from 12 patients with severe chronic periodontitis were taken six to eight weeks following non-surgical periodontal therapy, and from 11 healthy controls. As internal standard, RNA of an immortalized human keratinocyte line (HaCaT) was used. Total RNA was subjected to gene expression profiling using a commercially available microarray system focusing on inflammation-related genes. Post-hoc confirmation of selected genes was done by Realtime-PCR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Out of the 136 genes analyzed, the 5% most strongly expressed genes compared to healthy controls were Interleukin-12A (IL-12A), Versican (CSPG-2), Matrixmetalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), Down syndrome critical region protein-1 (DSCR-1), Macrophage inflammatory protein-2β (Cxcl-3), Inhibitor of apoptosis protein-1 (BIRC-1), Cluster of differentiation antigen 38 (CD38), Regulator of G-protein signalling-1 (RGS-1), and Finkel-Biskis-Jinkins murine osteosarcoma virus oncogene (C-FOS); the 5% least strongly expressed genes were Receptor-interacting Serine/Threonine Kinase-2 (RIP-2), Complement component 3 (C3), Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase-2 (COX-2), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), Endothelin-1 (EDN-1), Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-2 (PAI-2), Matrix-metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14), and Interferon regulating factor-7 (IRF-7).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Gene expression profiles found in periodontal tissues following therapy indicate activation of pathways that regulate tissue damage and repair.</p

Approval-Based Apportionment

In the apportionment problem, a fixed number of seats must be distributed among parties in proportion to the number of voters supporting each party. We study a generalization of this setting, in which voters cast approval ballots over parties, such that each voter can support multiple parties. This approval-based apportionment setting generalizes traditional apportionment and is a natural restriction of approval-based multiwinner elections, where approval ballots range over individual candidates. Using techniques from both apportionment and multiwinner elections, we are able to provide representation guarantees that are currently out of reach in the general setting of multiwinner elections: First, we show that core-stable committees are guaranteed to exist and can be found in polynomial time. Second, we demonstrate that extended justified representation is compatible with committee monotonicity

Polymorphism analysis of six selenoprotein genes: support for a selective sweep at the glutathione peroxidase 1 locus (3p21) in Asian populations

BACKGROUND: There are at least 25 human selenoproteins, each characterized by the incorporation of selenium into the primary sequence as the amino acid selenocysteine. Since many selenoproteins have antioxidant properties, it is plausible that inter-individual differences in selenoprotein expression or activity could influence risk for a range of complex diseases, such as cancer, infectious diseases as well as deleterious responses to oxidative stressors like cigarette smoke. To capture the common genetic variants for 6 important selenoprotein genes (GPX1, GPX2, GPX3, GPX4, TXNRD1, and SEPP1) known to contribute to antioxidant host defenses, a re-sequence analysis was conducted across these genes with particular interest directed at the coding regions, intron-exon borders and flanking untranslated regions (UTR) for each gene in an 102 individual population representative of 4 major ethnic groups found within the United States. RESULTS: For 5 of the genes there was no strong evidence for selection according to the expectations of the neutral equilibrium model of evolution; however, at the GPX1 locus (3p21) there was evidence for positive selection. Strong confirmatory evidence for recent positive selection at the genomic region 3p21 in Asian populations is provided by data from the International HapMap project. CONCLUSION: The SNPs and fine haplotype maps described in this report will be valuable resources for future functional studies, for population specific genetic studies designed to comprehensively explore the role of selenoprotein genetic variants in the etiology of various human diseases, and to define the forces responsible for a recent selective sweep in the vicinity of the GPX1 locus

Antibiotic prophylaxis with teicoplanin on alternate days reduces rate of viridans sepsis and febrile neutropenia in pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Intensive chemotherapy directed against acute myeloid leukemia of childhood is followed by profound neutropenia and high risk for bacterial and fungal infections, including viridans group streptococci as a common cause for gram-positive septicemia. Few retrospective studies have shown the efficacy of various antibiotic prophylactic regimens in children. We retrospectively studied 50 pediatric patients treated on the AML-BFM 2004 protocol between 2005 and 2015 at St. Anna Childrens Hospital and assessed the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on the frequency of febrile neutropenia and bacterial sepsis. Fifty pediatric patients underwent 199 evaluable chemotherapy cycles. Viridans sepsis occurred after none of 98 cycles with prophylactic administration of teicoplanin/vancomycin in comparison to 12 cases of viridans sepsis among 79 cycles without systemic antibacterial prophylaxis (0 vs. 15 %, p<0.0001). In addition, there were significantly fewer episodes of febrile neutropenia in the teicoplanin/vancomycin group (44 % vs. no prophylaxis 82 %, p<0.0001). Severity of infection seemed to be worse when no antibiotic prophylaxis had been administered with a higher rate of intensive care unit treatment (0/98, 0 %, vs. 4/79, 5 %, p=0.038). So far, no increase of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus isolates in surveillance cultures was noticed. Antibiotic prophylaxis with teicoplanin (or vancomycin) appears safe and feasible and resulted in eradication of viridans sepsis and decreased incidence of febrile neutropenia in pediatric AML patients. The possibility to administer teicoplanin on alternate days on an outpatient basis or at home could contribute to patients quality of life and decrease health care costs.(VLID)349720