Publications

Abstract Tris‐Chelate von Eu(III) mit chiralen β‐Diketonen verschieben entsprechende NMR‐ Resonanzen vieler enantiomerer organischer Substanzen in unterschiedlichem Umfang.

Combining aqueous multiphase systems (AMPS) and magnetic levitation (MagLev) provides a method to produce hybrid gradients in apparent density. AMPS—solutions of different polymers, salts, or surfactants that spontaneously separate into immiscible but predominantly aqueous phases—offer thermodynamically stable steps in density that can be tuned by the concentration of solutes. MagLev—the levitation of diamagnetic objects in a paramagnetic fluid within a magnetic field gradient—can be arranged to provide a near-linear gradient in effective density where the height of a levitating object above the surface of the magnet corresponds to its density; the strength of the gradient in effective density can be tuned by the choice of paramagnetic salt and its concentrations and by the strength and gradient in the magnetic field. Including paramagnetic salts (e.g., MnSO4 or MnCl2) in AMPS, and placing them in a magnetic field gradient, enables their use as media for MagLev. The potential to create large steps in density with AMPS allows separations of objects across a range of densities. The gradients produced by MagLev provide resolution over a continuous range of densities. By combining these approaches, mixtures of objects with large differences in density can be separated and analyzed simultaneously. Using MagLev to add an effective gradient in density also enables tuning the range of densities captured at an interface of an AMPS by simply changing the position of the container in the magnetic field. Further, by creating AMPS in which phases have different concentrations of paramagnetic ions, the phases can provide different resolutions in density. These results suggest that combining steps in density with gradients in density can enable new classes of separations based on density.

A post-pandemic perspective on paper-based microfluidics by George Whitesides and collaborators. Sketch generated by artificial intelligence using an original photograph courtesy of Volker Steger (Science Photo Library).

The Western pattern, especially a diet higher in processed meats, may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women.

OBJECTIVE Evidence is inconsistent for the association between sulfonylurea use and risk of cardiovascular disease among patients with diabetes. We aimed to prospectively evaluate this association using the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), a well-established cohort of U.S. women with long-term follow-up. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We followed 4,902 women (mean age 68 years) with diabetes (mean duration 11 years), but without cardiovascular disease at baseline. The use of sulfonylureas and other medications was self-reported at baseline and during the follow-up period of up to 10 years. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% CI for the association between the sulfonylurea use and incident cardiovascular disease while accounting for potential confounders, including age, diabetes duration, diabetes-related complications, other antihyperglycemic medications, BMI, lifestyle factors, family history of cardiovascular diseases, and present chronic conditions. We also applied the propensity score stratification method to address the possibility of residual confounding. RESULTS We identified 339 incident cases of cardiovascular disease, including 191 cases of coronary heart disease (CHD) and 148 cases of stroke. A longer duration of sulfonylurea use was significantly associated with a higher risk of CHD (P for trend = 0.002); the RRs for CHD were 1.24 (95% CI 0.85–1.81) for patients who used sulfonylurea therapy for 1–5 years, 1.51 (0.94–2.42) for 6–10 years, and 2.15 (1.31–3.54) for >10 years, compared with nonusers. Compared with users of metformin monotherapy, the RR for CHD was 3.27 (1.31–8.17) for those who were treated with the combination of metformin and sulfonylurea. The analysis using propensity score stratification yielded similar results. We did not observe a significant association between sulfonylurea therapy and stroke risk. CONCLUSIONS Long-term use of sulfonylureas was associated with a significantly higher risk of developing CHD among women with diabetes.

Background . Stiff porridge (ugali) made from unrefined maize flour has been a staple food in Tanzania. Recently, high intakes of refined carbohydrates and energy-dense foods have been documented in urban areas in Tanzania. We assessed cultural acceptability, perceptions and barriers to consumption of unrefined carbohydrates in Tanzania. Methods . Twelve focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among 44 overweight and obese adults aged 40–65 years. All FGDs were audio-recorded, and QSR N6 software was used for data analysis. Results . Most participants (77%) had tried and liked unrefined maize ugali prior to our study. For unrefined sorghum ugali, 12 participants had tried it before, and 9 of them liked it. Brown rice was found to be unpopular and was considered a diet for diabetic patients; four participants had tried it before and all reported to like it. Sensory appeal, availability, and affordability were key facilitators whereas high cost, scarcity, and negative perceptions toward whole grains were mentioned as barriers to consumption of unrefined carbohydrates. Conclusion . Our study has identified facilitators and barriers to consumption of unrefined carbohydrates in Tanzania. Educational strategies are recommended in order to increase consumption of unrefined carbohydrates and consequently reduce diet-related chronic diseases in Tanzania.

Genome-wide association studies have identified >50 common variants associated with kidney function, but these variants do not fully explain the variation in eGFR. We performed a two-stage meta-analysis of associations between genotypes from the Illumina exome array and eGFR on the basis of serum creatinine (eGFRcrea) among participants of European ancestry from the CKDGen Consortium ( n Stage1 : 111,666; n Stage2 : 48,343). In single-variant analyses, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms at seven new loci associated with eGFRcrea ( PPM1J , EDEM3, ACP1, SPEG, EYA4, CYP1A1 , and ATXN2L ; P Stage1 <3.7×10 −7 ), of which most were common and annotated as nonsynonymous variants. Gene-based analysis identified associations of functional rare variants in three genes with eGFRcrea, including a novel association with the SOS Ras/Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 2 gene, SOS2 ( P =5.4×10 −8 by sequence kernel association test). Experimental follow-up in zebrafish embryos revealed changes in glomerular gene expression and renal tubule morphology in the embryonic kidney of acp1- and sos2 -knockdowns. These developmental abnormalities associated with altered blood clearance rate and heightened prevalence of edema. This study expands the number of loci associated with kidney function and identifies novel genes with potential roles in kidney formation.

Abstract The glycaemic and insulin indices assess postprandial glycaemic and insulin response to foods, respectively, which may not reflect the long-term effects of diet on insulin response. We developed and evaluated the validity of four empirical indices to assess the insulinaemic potential of usual diets and lifestyles, using dietary, lifestyle and biomarker data from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS, n 5812 for hyperinsulinaemia, n 3929 for insulin resistance). The four indices were as follows: the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinaemia (EDIH) and the empirical lifestyle index for hyperinsulinaemia (ELIH); the empirical dietary index for insulin resistance (EDIR) and the empirical lifestyle index for insulin resistance (ELIR). We entered thirty-nine FFQ-derived food groups in stepwise linear regression models, and defined indices as patterns most predictive of fasting plasma C-peptide, for the hyperinsulinaemia pathway (EDIH and ELIH), and of theTAG:HDL-cholesterol ratio, for the insulin-resistance pathway (EDIR and ELIR). We evaluated the validity of indices in two independent samples from NHS-II and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) using multivariable-adjusted linear regression analyses to calculate relative concentrations of biomarkers. The EDIH is comprised of eighteen food groups; thirteen were positively associated with C-peptide and five were inversely associated. The EDIR is comprised of eighteen food groups; ten were positively associated with TAG:HDL-cholesterol and eight were inversely associated. Lifestyle indices had fewer dietary components, and included BMI and physical activity as components. In the validation samples, all indices significantly predicted biomarker concentrations – for example, the relative concentrations of the corresponding biomarkers comparing extreme index quintiles in the HPFS were EDIH, 1·29 (95 % CI 1·22, 1·37); ELIH, 1·78 (95 % CI 1·68, 1·88); EDIR, 1·44 (95 % CI 1·34, 1·55); and ELIR, 2·03 (95 % CI 1·89, 2·19); all P trend <0·0001. The robust associations of these novel hypothesis-driven indices with insulin response biomarker concentrations suggest their usefulness in assessing the ability of whole diets and lifestyles to stimulate and/or sustain insulin secretion.

Motor proficiency is positively associated with physical activity levels. The aim of this study is to investigate associations between the timing of infant motor development and subsequent sports participation during adolescence.Prospective observational study. The study population consisted of 9,009 individuals from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Motor development was assessed by parental report at age 1 year, using age at walking with support and age at standing unaided. At follow up aged 14 years, data were collected on the school grade awarded for physical education (PE). Self report was used to collect information on the frequency of sports participation and number of different sports reported.Earlier infant motor development was associated with improved school PE grade, for age at walking supported (p<0.001) and standing unaided (p = <0.001). Earlier infant motor development, in terms of age at walking supported, was positively associated with the number of different sports reported (p = 0.003) and with a greater frequency of sports participation (p = 0.043). These associations were independent of gestational age and birth weight, as well as father's social class and body mass index at age 14 years.Earlier infant motor development may predict higher levels of physical activity as indicated by higher school PE grade, participation in a greater number of different types of sports and increased frequency of sports participation. Identification of young children with slower motor development may allow early targeted interventions to improve motor skills and thereby increase physical activity in later life.

OBJECTIVE—High habitual coffee consumption has been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, but data on lower levels of consumption and on different types of coffee are sparse. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—This is a prospective cohort study including 88,259 U.S. women of the Nurses’ Health Study II aged 26–46 years without history of diabetes at baseline. Consumption of coffee and other caffeine-containing foods and drinks was assessed in 1991, 1995, and 1999. We documented 1,263 incident cases of confirmed type 2 diabetes between 1991 and 2001. RESULTS—After adjustment for potential confounders, the relative risk of type 2 diabetes was 0.87 (95% CI 0.73–1.03) for one cup per day, 0.58 (0.49–0.68) for two to three cups per day, and 0.53 (0.41–0.68) for four or more cups per day compared with nondrinkers (P for trend &amp;lt;0.0001). Associations were similar for caffeinated (0.87 [0.83–0.91] for a one-cup increment per day) and decaffeinated (0.81 [0.73–0.90]) coffee and for filtered (0.86 [0.82–0.90]) and instant (0.83 [0.74–0.93]) coffee. Tea consumption was not substantially associated with risk of type 2 diabetes (0.88 [0.64–1.23] for four or more versus no cups per day; P for trend = 0.81). CONCLUSIONS—These results suggest that moderate consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee may lower risk of type 2 diabetes in younger and middle-aged women. Coffee constituents other than caffeine may affect the development of type 2 diabetes.