Experimental Verification of Thermal Insulation in Timber Framed Walls.

Current environmental crisis calls for sustainable solutions in the building industry. One of the possible solutions is to incorporate timber-framed constructions into designs. Among other benefits, these structures are well established in many countries, originating in traditional building systems.

Biodegradable Thermoplastic Starch/Polycaprolactone Blends with Co-Continuous Morphology Suitable for Local Release of Antibiotics.

We report a reproducible preparation and characterization of highly homogeneous thermoplastic starch/pol(ε-caprolactone) blends (TPS/PCL) with a minimal thermomechanical degradation and co-continuous morphology. These materials would be suitable for biomedical applications, specifically for the local release of antibiotics (ATB) from the TPS phase. The TPS/PCL blends were prepared in the whole concentration range.

Effect of Water Condensate on Corrosion of Wires in Ungrouted Ducts.

In the case of existing prestressed concrete structures, information about the actual state of prestressing is an important basis for determining their load-carrying capacity, as well as remaining service lifetime. This is even more important in the case of existing prestressed concrete bridges, which are exposed to a more aggressive environment than the other prestressed concrete structures. The level of prestressing is affected and reduced by prestress losses at a given time.

Thermoplastic starch composites with TiO particles: Preparation, morphology, rheology and mechanical properties.

Composites of thermoplastic starch (TPS) with titanium dioxide particles (mTiO; average size 0.1μm) with very homogeneous matrix and well-dispersed filler were prepared by a two-step method, including solution casting (SC) followed by melt mixing (MM). Light and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that only the two-step procedure (SC+MM) resulted in ideally homogeneous TPS/mTiO systems.

Associations between HLA class II alleles and type 1 diabetes mellitus in the Slovak population.

Objectives: Several associations between HLA complex and diabetes mellitus type IA were found in various groups of patients of Caucasoid population. This study was therefore prompted to be conducted in Slovak population, since any such has not yet been performed in Slovak population.

Methods: Patients suffering from DM-1A originated from all regions of Slovakia.

HLA class II allele frequencies in type 1A diabetes mellitus Slovak patients.

Background: Diabetes mellitus type 1A (DM-1A) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune response is directed to pancreatic islet cells. DM-1A occurs in genetically predisposed individuals. Among type 1A diabetes associated genes, those of the HLA region have the greatest effect.

Association of HLA-DPB1 alleles with type I diabetes mellitus in Slovak population.

Background: Genes of HLA complex on chromosome 6p21 principally contribute to the genetic risk of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus type I (T1 DM). Associations of HLA class II loci allelic variants with T1 DM are well established. Another prime candidate, particularly the polymorphic DPB1 gene, has been reported as probably contributing to the disorder, but its relative contribution to the predisposition to the disease is difficult to assess due to strong linkage disequilibrium of HLA alleles.

Trends in the incidence of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes in Slovakia 1985 - 2000.

The aim of this work was to study and monitor the patterns in incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes in Slovakia. The incidence of type 1 diabetes per 100,000/year from 1985 to 2000 was determined in children 0 - 14 years old. A total of 1,818 cases were diagnosed during this time.

Insulin gene profile cycles with season of birth of future diabetic children and their relatives.

Background: HLA class II gene pattern and IA-2A antibody positivity, revealing selected risks for prediction of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1), were previously shown to be cycling roughly in parallel with seasonally fluctuating frequencies of births of future diabetic children. Is this also true for insulin genotyping? Is this also true for births of the healthy close relatives of children with DM1?

Patients And Methods: In 98 Slovak children with DM1 and in 60 healthy parents and siblings, two single nucleotide polymorphisms of the insulin gene (-23 Hph I; +1127 Pst I) were typed. Results were expressed as score 0 (maximal risk) up to 2 (minimal risk or protection), or 0-4 for the sum of both scores.

The epidemiology of Type 1 diabetes mellitus is not the same in young adults as in children.

Aims/hypothesis: This prospective study examined the epidemiology of Type 1 diabetes in young adults in Europe.

Methods: We ascertained incident cases of Type 1 diabetes in the 15 to 29 years (both inclusive) age group throughout Europe over a period of 2 years. Diabetes registries in nine countries, in which incidence rates for Type 1 diabetes in the 0 to 14 age group were available, took part.

IA-2A positivity rate at manifestation of type 1 diabetes mellitus in Slovak children culminates in September.

Background: New cases of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) in Slovak children accumulate in late summer, autumn and winter.

Hypotheses: Children manifesting the disease in these seasons have higher autoantibody positivity than those first diagnosed in spring or summer.

Patients And Methods: One hundred and fifty Slovak children (and adolescents), aged 1-14 (15-17) years at the manifestation of DM1, born 1978-2000, with the disease manifested 1989-2001, were investigated at diagnosis by IA-2A, GADA and IAA autoantibody positivity, using standard radioimmunoassay procedures.

Trends of childhood diabetes incidence in Slovakia 1985-2000: accelerated increase in the years 1990-2000.

Background: A sudden rise in the incidence of childhood diabetes (DM 1) in Central and Eastern Europe over the last decade has been reported.

Aim: To compare in Slovakia incidence trends in the 80s with those in the 90s.

Subjects And Methods: The data from the Slovak Register of Diabetic Children diagnosed in 1985-2000 (n=1818) were divided into 6 groups according to sex and age at diagnosis (0-4, 5-9, 10-14).

Secular and seasonal cycling of IA2-ab autoantibody in Slovak diabetic children.

The concept of seasonal and secular cycling of initial autoantibody plasma levels in children with diabetes mellitus 1 is not common, despite the known fluctuations in one of the triggering factors, i.e., various enteroviral infections.

Serum levels of advanced glycation end products in poorly metabolically controlled children with diabetes mellitus: relation to HbA1c.

Serum levels of advanced glycation end products (s-AGEs) were investigated in children with poorly metabolically controlled diabetes to determine whether they may be correlated with HbA1c, fructosamine, glycaemia, albumin excretion rate, duration of diabetes and age. In this study, 17 children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (age range 9 to 18 yr) and 8 healthy children (age range 7 to 17 yr) served as subjects. S-AGEs were found to be increased in poorly metabolically controlled children with diabetes (HbA1c>9%).

[Association of type I diabetes mellitus with HLA alleles].

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by a loss of tolerance towards own antigene structures beta-pancreatic cells. The destruction of cells subsequently leads to the loss of insulin production. There are more factors which trigger the autoimmune response in susceptible individuals, however, they are only partially known so far.

Values of markers of early and advanced glycation and lipoxidation in serum proteins of children with diabetes mellitus.

Background: Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) have been established as one of the major factors responsible for the multi-organ damage seen in diabetes. AGEs and lipoxidation products, as e.g.

Alterations in lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood at manifestation of type 1 diabetes mellitus in childhood.

Background: Alterations in cellular immunity at manifestation of type 1 diabetes mellitus, as described in publications so far, are equivocal. Moreover, the age of children was usually not taken into account.

Objectives: Exact inferentially statistical measures were used to arrive at reliable information.

Coxsackie infection and births of future diabetic children: year, seasonality and secularity.

Background: Environmental factors including Coxsackie virus infections are considered as one of the etiopathogenetic mechanisms in childhood insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

Hypothesis: This relationship should be reflected not only in similar seasonal and secular periodicities of Coxsackie epidemics and IDDM incidence but also in the cycling of births of future diabetic children.

Subjects: Seven hundred and seven healthy Slovak children randomly selected in 1985-98 were investigated for the presence of actual Coxsackie infection.

[Microalbuminuria and tubular reabsorption of minerals in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus].

Background: The most severe late complication of microangiopathic changes in diabetes mellitus type I (IDDM) is the diabetic nephropathy. The fully developed picture of diabetic nephropathy usually does not occur in children, however, original signs of altered renal functions may be present already.

Objectives: The study is aimed firstly at the detection of microalbuminuria and the relation between the amount of albumin urinary excretion and individual clinical indices such as age, degree of metabolic compensation, blood pressure.

Anti-mutagenic and immuno-stimulatory properties of lactic acid bacteria.

Statistically significant antigenotoxic activity was exerted by six of nine strains of lactic acid bacteria tested (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Staphylococcus carnosus, Streptococcus thermophilus, L. rhamnosus, Enterococcus faecium and En.

Incidence and prevalence of childhood diabetes in Slovakia (1985-1992). Slovak Childhood Diabetes Epidemiology Study Group.

Objective: To provide reliable data on the incidence and prevalence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in children in Slovakia.

Research Design And Methods: A total of 754 Slovak children with IDDM, aged 0-14 years, were identified during an 8-year study period. There were 369 boys and 385 girls from an average population of 1,363,499 children.