Retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients with micoalbuminuria and to evaluate the association of risk factors with prevalence of retinopathy in these patients.

Material And Methods: A fundus examination of 137 patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus with microalbuminuria was done, with direct ophthalmoscope/ binocular indirect ophthalmoscope after dilating the pupils with 1 % tropicamide eye drops. Retinal changes were graded as no retinopathy, non-proliferative retinopathy, proliferative retinopathy and maculopathy.

An efficient strategy to drive nanoparticles into carbon nanotubes and the remarkable effect of confinement on their catalytic performance.

Are you in? Bimetallic PtRu nanoparticles have been selectively confined inside or deposited outside carbon nanotubes (see picture). The confined nanoparticles display significantly higher selectivity and catalytic activity in hydrogenation reactions.

Palladium catalyzed Suzuki C-C couplings in an ionic liquid: nanoparticles responsible for the catalytic activity.

A new family of functionalized ligands derived from norborn-5-ene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride has been used in Suzuki C-C cross-couplings between aryl boronic acids and aryl bromide derivatives in [BMI][PF(6)] (BMI=1-n-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium), using palladium acetate as catalytic precursor. High conversions and yields are obtained when amine ligands containing hydroxy groups are involved. TEM analyses after catalysis show the formation of small nanoparticles, in contrast to the agglomerates observed when nanoparticles are intentionally preformed, with a consequent decrease in the catalytic activity in the latter case.

Electron energy loss spectra near structural defects in TiN and TiC.

In this study, we use first principles multiple scattering calculations on atomic clusters to show how the carbon and nitrogen K-edge fine structures are modified in the vicinity of structural defects in TiN and TiC. Changes in the electron energy loss spectra are due to changes in the atomic structure of the first atomic shells around the absorbing atom. Two different kinds of defects, which both modify the structure of these atomic shells, are investigated here.

Changes in immunological properties of neutrophil alkaline phosphatase in trisomy 21 pregnancies.

Immunoreactivity, cytochemical, immunocytochemical characteristics and subcellular distribution of neutrophil alkaline phosphatase (NAP) were investigated in blood and/or smear samples from 18 women aged 23-46 years (mean 32.5 years) with trisomy 21 fetuses (17-21 weeks) and 28 women aged 20-42 years (mean 31 years) with normal fetuses (17-22 weeks). Immunochemical NAP investigations were carried out in 8 pathological and 8 normal pregnancies; cytochemical and immunocytochemical procedures were carried out in 18 pregnant women with trisomy 21 fetuses and 28 controls.