Federal Ministry Of Education Research Articles

School Administrators' and Teachers' Perceptions on Policy Change Implementation Strategies Adoption in Technical Colleges in South-west Nigeria

Abstract Education policy change is intended to improve the education system. The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) policy as adopted by the federal ministry of education in Nigeria is structured on three major goals believed to ameliorate economic challenges. The accomplishment of these however, depends on the effectiveness of its policy implementation strategies. This study therefore investigated administrative and instructional teachers’ perception on policy change implementation strategies adoption in technical colleges in south- west, Nigeria. The research was a descriptive study of the cross-sectional survey design type. It adopted a multi-stage sampling technique. Simple random sampling technique was then used to select four out of the six states in South-west, Nigeria. Respondents in the technical colleges were classified as administrative (principals and vice-principals) and instructional (teachers). Adopting census method, all the 21 principals, 47 vice-principals and 626 instructional teachers were sampled. Two questionnaires were used for data collection. It was found that there was a significant relationship between policy change implementation strategies and goal achievement in technical colleges in South-west, Nigeria (F (6,564) =25.947 p < .005, .217). In conclusion, inability to fully adopt TVET policy implementation strategies was due to poor funding to acquire adequate training resources which was the major reason why TVET goals have not been fully achieved in technical colleges. It was recommended based on the findings that colleges should make efforts to reach

지속 가능한 교양으로의 전환

Objectives This article explores a German university case that integrates the principles and values of sustainable development principles into all aspects of the German higher education system. The study sets out to provide practical implications for the development strategies from a sustainable development perspective to support general education in South Korea. Methods This paper gives an overview of the higher education system for implementation while the significance of this study lie in the practice and possibilities of general education. Theses are examined to probe how Germany adapts and applies a whole-institution approach to embed the value of sustainable development. A German university case of adapting the whole-institutional approach towards sustainability is then provided. Priority action areas are reviewed for the analysis of sustainable development in action through the approach to Education for Sustainable Development in the illustrative case. Results The characteristics of the German higher education system that realizes the value of sustainable development are as follows. A concept of sustainable development builds upon the global framework for implementation of sustainable development such as the Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development(ESD): Towards achieving the Sustainable Developing Goals(SDG). A joint research project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research(BMBF) is to establish guidelines for higher education for sustainable development. Based on the guideline each university develops a common concept of sustainability and transformative action program that promote the whole-institution approach. Conclusions Main findings of this research provide insights for general higher education in South Korea. This approach will prove useful in expanding our understanding of how apply to the whole-institution approach to general education in South Korea.

Limited neutralisation of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2 by convalescent and vaccine serum and monoclonal antibodies.

SummaryBackgroundIn recent months, Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 have become dominant in many regions of the world, and case numbers with Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2 continue to increase. Due to numerous mutations in the spike protein, the efficacy of currently available vaccines, which are based on Wuhan-Hu 1 isolate of SARS-CoV-2, is reduced, leading to breakthrough infections. Efficacy of monoclonal antibody therapy is also likely impaired.MethodsIn our in vitro study using A549-AT cells constitutively expressing ACE2 and TMPRSS2, we determined and compared the neutralizing capacity of vaccine-elicited sera, convalescent sera and monoclonal antibodies against authentic SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 compared with Delta.FindingsAlmost no neutralisation of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 was observed using sera from individuals vaccinated with two doses 6 months earlier, regardless of the type of vaccine taken. Shortly after the booster dose, most sera from triple BNT162b2-vaccinated individuals were able to neutralise both Omicron variants. In line with waning antibody levels three months after the booster, only weak residual neutralisation was observed for BA.1 (26%, n = 34, 0 median NT50) and BA.2 (44%, n = 34, 0 median NT50). In addition, BA.1 but not BA.2 was resistant to the neutralising monoclonal antibodies casirivimab/imdevimab, while BA.2 exhibited almost a complete evasion from the neutralisation induced by sotrovimab.InterpretationBoth SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2 escape antibody-mediated neutralisation elicited by vaccination, previous infection with SARS-CoV-2, and monoclonal antibodies. Waning immunity renders the majority of tested sera obtained three months after booster vaccination negative in BA.1 and BA.2 neutralisation. Omicron subvariant specific resistance to the monoclonal antibodies casirivimab/imdevimab and sotrovimab emphasizes the importance of genotype-surveillance and guided application.FundingThis study was supported in part by the Goethe-Corona-Fund of the Goethe University Frankfurt (M.W.) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (COVIDready; grant 02WRS1621C (M.W.).

(Invited, Digital Presentation) Approach to Neuromorphic Computing with Ferroelectric Schottky Barrier FETs

Neuromorphic computing inspired by neural network systems of the human brain enables energy efficient computing as a solution of the von Neumann bottleneck. A neural network consists of thousands or even millions of neurons which communicate with each other through connected synapses. Synapses can memorize and process the information simultaneously. The plasticity of a synapse to strengthen or weaken its activity over time make it be capable of learning and computing. Thus, artificial synapses which can emulate functionalities and the plasticity of bio-synapses form the backbone of a neuromorphic computing system.Non-volatile memories with two-terminals, like resistive random-access memory (ReRAM), phase change memory (PCM), are attractive candidates for artificial synapses. However, signal processing and learning cannot be performed simultaneously in these two-terminal synapses. FeFET, similar to a MOSFET structure using CMOS compatible HfO2 based ferroelectrics as gate oxide forms three-terminal synapses offering high endurance, good performance and high energy efficiency. In contrast to two-terminal devices, three terminal FeFET based synapses can perform processing and learning at the same time. In order to maintain the ferroelectric properties of an HfO2 based ferroelectric film, high temperature annealing should be avoided after the ferroelectric layer deposition. In this paper, we present ferroelectric NiSi2 source/drain Schottky barrier (SB) MOSFET (FE-SBFET) structure (Fig.1a), which requires neither ion implantation nor thermal activation of source/drain contacts at high temperatures.FE-SBFETs were fabricated on SOI substrates with a boron-doped (1016 B/cm-3), 55 nm thick top Si layer and a 145 nm thick buried oxide (BOX) layer. Very thin (9 nm) single crystalline NiSi2 layers which offer superior properties of uniform and stable SB contacts on Si are used at source/drain regions. A gate stack consisting of 10 nm thick Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) layer and a 40 nm thick TiN layer are deposited by ALD and sputtering, respectively. A rapid thermal annealing at 500 °C is performed to crystallize the HZO into a ferroelectric phase before the gate patterning. The fabricated device has a channel length of 10 µm and a gate width of 10 µm. The overlap between the top gate and NiSi2 is 6 µm along the channel and 10 µm wide on each side. The ferroelectric polarization modulates both the SB at the source/drain contacts as well as the potential in the channel, thus changing the carrier injection through the SB. The Id-Vg transfer characteristics of a p-type FE-SBFET shows a clockwise hysteresis which is caused by the ferroelectric polarization switch.The excitatory post-synaptic current (EPSC), one of the typical short-term synaptic plasticity features for biologic synapses, is characterized by measuring the transient drain currents for a voltage pulse on the gate of a FE-SBFET (Fig.1b). The amplitude of the pulse VAM changes from -0.2 to -1.2 V with a fixed pulse width tpw=1 μs. We found that the EPSC peak value increases linearly with VAM. It shows a very low energy/spike consumption of 2fJ/spike at VAM=-0.2 V, demonstrating a very high energy efficiency. From the EPSC measurements with repeated gate voltage pulses paired-pulse facilitation/depression (PPF/PPD) are characterized showing an exponential decay, similar to biological synapses.The long-term synaptic plasticity of FE-SBFET synapses is characterized by a series repeated identical or non-identical pulses. The later can improve the long-term potentiation/depression (LTP/LTD) symmetry and linearity. The measurements show a large Gmax/Gmin ratio, very high endurance and small cycle-to-cycle (CTC) variation (1.06%) due to the perfect contact of NiSi2 (Fig.1c). The biological neuron-like spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) is characterized for the FE-SBFET synapse. The results show an asymmetric anti-Hebbian STDP, which is one of the biological STDP functionalities (Fig.1d).In conclusion, the fabricated FE-SBFET synapse exhibits multiple synaptic functions with high endurance and small variations. The ultra-low energy/spike consumption indicates a high potential for low power neuromorphic computing applications. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, Germany) in the project NEUROTEC (16ME0398K). Figure 1

Nigeria General Educational System: Mainstreaming Care and Integration of Sub-Normal Children Analyzing the Counselling Perspective

Education in Nigeria is overseen by the Federal Ministry of Education. The local authorities take responsibility for implementing state-controlled policy regarding public education and state schools. The education system is divided into Kindergarten, Primary education, Secondary education, and Tertiary education. Nigeria's federal government has been dominated by instability since declaring independence from Britain, and as a result, a unified set of education policies is yet to be successfully implemented. Regional differences in quality, curriculum, and funding characterize the education system in Nigeria. Currently, Nigeria possesses the largest population of out-of-school learning youths in the world. The education system in the South is different from the North. Most northerners hav e memorized the Holy Qur'an and use that as their education. The educational systems in Nigeria are divided into two the public where the student only pays for PTA while the private where students pay school fees and some other fees like sports, exam fees, computer fees etc and they are costly. Therefore, Care and integration of sub-normal children will be necessary if the Nigeria General Educational System will succeed, while the duties of the counsellor remind important to the general education in Nigeria.

Patient reported experience and adherence to remote patient management in chronic heart failure patients: a posthoc analysis of the TIM-HF2 trial

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): German Federal Ministry of Education and Research Background Remote Patient Management (RPM) enables early detection and prevention of cardiac deterioration in heart failure (HF) patients by measuring vital signs. Clinical trials reported inconsistent results. Patient adherence was suggested to be one of the main reasons for inconsistent results in previous trials (2-4). The "Telemedical interventional management in heart failure II (TIM-HF2)" study showed the superiority of non-invasive RPM compared to usual care (UC) in terms of mortality and unplanned cardiovascular (CV) hospitalisation (1). Purpose The objective of the analysis is to assess the patient experience with RPM, the adherence to daily measurements and outline factors affecting both aspects. Methods TIM-HF2 was conducted 2013-2018 with 1,538 HF patients in a 12-month follow-up (5). Inclusion criteria were HF in NYHA class II or III with either LVEF ≤45% or, if LVEF >45%, patients had been treated with oral diuretics; and HF hospitalisation within the last 12 months. Patients with major depression were excluded. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to RPM or UC. RPM-Patients had to measure daily weight, blood pressure, ECG and self-rated health status. Data were sent automatically to the telemedical centre (TMC). In case of conspicuous findings, the TMC contacted the patient or GP for therapy adjustment. At the study end, RPM-patients were asked to evaluate the program through a 9-question survey. Adherence was distinguished between measurement of at least one (incomplete adherence- IA) and all vital parameters (complete adherence- CA) and defined as ratio of the number of days of measurements taken divided by the number of days of possible measurements. All data were analysed descriptively (mean ± standard deviation). Differences between groups were analysed by ANOVA and T-Test. Results The survey was answered by n=564 patients (response rate: 79.7%). The patients were satisfied with the program and device usability. CA was 89.1±14.1% and consistently high over the study course (table 1). Reasons for dropouts (n=37) were e.g. frustration with the devices and physical inability to complete the measurement protocol. Patients <70 years and living in rural areas had lower IA rates. The mean adherence was independent of severe of disease (LVEF, NTproBNP, NYHA). Patients (n=244) had significantly lower IA the week prior to an unplanned CV hospitalisation (difference by -5.2±20.5%) compared to the entire study period. IA was significantly lower by -12.8±24.7% in the week after an unplanned CV hospitalisation compared to the entire study period. Conclusions In a setting with user-friendly devices, pre-interventional patient training, regular TMC-patient contact and close cooperation between primary physicians and TMC a long-lasting and high adherence and satisfaction regarding RPM could be achieved. A change in adherence might detect deterioration in health status and indicate the need to intensify telemedical care.

Corrigendum

Sustainable DevelopmentVolume 30, Issue 4 p. 786-786 CORRIGENDUMFree Access Corrigendum This article corrects the following: Where walls of power meet the wall of money: Hydropower in the age of financialization Rhodante Ahlers, Volume 28Issue 2Sustainable Development pages: 405-412 First Published online: September 4, 2019 First published: 30 June 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2356AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat In the paper “Where walls of power meet the wall of money: Hydropower in the age of financialization”, funding information is missing. Funding Information section should read: This open access publication has been supported by the Käte Hamburger Kolleg/Centre for Global Cooperation Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen and has been funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant number 01UK1810). The online version has been updated. REFERENCE Ahlers R. Where walls of power meet the wall of money: Hydropower in the age of financialization.Sustainable Development. 2020; 28: 405– 412. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1994 Wiley Online LibraryWeb of Science®Google Scholar Volume30, Issue4August 2022Pages 786-786 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Predicting the functional effects of voltage-gated potassium channel missense variants with multi-task learning.

SummaryBackgroundVariants in genes encoding voltage-gated potassium channels are associated with a broad spectrum of neurological diseases including epilepsy, ataxia, and intellectual disability. Knowledge of the resulting functional changes, characterized as overall ion channel gain- or loss-of-function, is essential to guide clinical management including precision medicine therapies. However, for an increasing number of variants, little to no experimental data is available. New tools are needed to evaluate variant functional effects.MethodsWe catalogued a comprehensive dataset of 959 functional experiments across 19 voltage-gated potassium channels, leveraging data from 782 unique disease-associated and synthetic variants. We used these data to train a taxonomy-based multi-task learning support vector machine (MTL-SVM), and compared performance to several baseline methods.FindingsMTL-SVM maintains channel family structure during model training, improving overall predictive performance (mean balanced accuracy 0·718 ± 0·041, AU-ROC 0·761 ± 0·063) over baseline (mean balanced accuracy 0·620 ± 0·045, AU-ROC 0·711 ± 0·022). We can obtain meaningful predictions even for channels with few known variants (KCNC1, KCNQ5).InterpretationOur model enables functional variant prediction for voltage-gated potassium channels. It may assist in tailoring current and future precision therapies for the increasing number of patients with ion channel disorders.FundingThis work was supported by intramural funding of the Medical Faculty, University of Tuebingen (PATE F.1315137.1), the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (Treat-ION, 01GM1907A/B/G/H) and the German Research Foundation (FOR-2715, Le1030/16-2, He8155/1-2).

Pedagogy of Petroleum Engineering in Nigeria

The petroleum industry in Nigeria contributes a huge percentage to the national revenue of the country, to the extent that budgets are being passed based on the oil price dynamics. With the importance the petroleum sector has attained in Nigeria, it is expected that the country's pedagogy will reflect the value it contributes to the national table. However, reviews, surveys, and works of literature have shown otherwise. As a result, this study emphasizes the importance of petroleum engineering pedagogy in-country as an oil-producing country, the university curriculum of petroleum engineering in Nigeria was also examined (with a particular focus on the impact of poor curriculum on national development), and the dynamics between the university, industry and government were critically discussed and recommended practices for improving petroleum engineering pedagogy were made. This study targets national development and control over its own resources through a knowledge economy and seamless dynamics of information within the oil and gas industry. The Nigerian government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, is further expected to capitalize on the outcomes of this research for curriculum review of petroleum engineering and related courses offered in-country to foster sustainability in a competing global society.

ASSESSMENT OF RECONSTRUCTION POLICIES ON BASIC EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN POST BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY IN NORTH EAST NIGERIA

Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast Nigeria has caused damage to basic education infrastructure and reconstructing such infrastructure is essential to sustain recovery in North East Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to assess reconstruction policies of building technical and managerial capacity, achieving rapid physical reconstruction, restoring service delivery, establishing sustainable policies and institutions and sector-wide planning on basic education infrastructure in post Boko Haram insurgency in North East, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose, five research questions and hypotheses were raised. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised four hundred basic education sector staff and stakeholders from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. Data were collected using researcher instrument tagged “Reconstruction Policies on Basic Education Infrastructure Assessment Questionnaire” (RPBEIAQ). The instrument was validated and reliability was determined using Cronbach Alpha. The reliability coefficient was 0.78. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions and z-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings show that building technical and managerial capacity, rapid physical reconstruction, restoring service delivery, establishing sustainable policies, and institutions and education sector-wide planning were not achieved on basic education infrastructure in North East, Nigeria. The study concluded that key players and actors such as federal ministry of education, state ministries of education, local government education authorities, NGOs, civil societies, donor, and international aid agencies did not achieve reconstruction policies on basic education infrastructure. The study also recommended among others that sound technical and managerial capacity reconstruction policies should be built on basic education infrastructure in terms of recruitment and training of teachers and administrators to proper utilization.

1036-P: The Association between Maternal Gestational Weight Gain and Autonomic Nervous System Is Disturbed in GDM: Results from Two-Year-Old Children

Objective: The intrauterine environment is known to affect the offspring's long-term risk for obesity and diabetes. Previous data show that maternal metabolism and gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) function in fetuses in utero, which can be assessed with heart rate variability (HRV) . We have now examined whether this association is also present in 2-year-old children and addressed the impact of gestational diabetes (GDM) . Research Design and Methods: We examined children of participants of the ongoing PREG study (NCT04270578) who had a 5-point 75g oral glucose tolerance test during pregnancy. To assess HRV, a 10-minute ECG was recorded in the offspring. We analyzed time domain (beats per minute (BPM) , Root Mean Square of successive differences (RMSSD)) , Standard Deviation of RR-Intervals (SDNN) and frequency domain parameters (low frequency (LF) , high frequency (HF) and LF/HF) of HRV. Results: We examined 67 children (33 girls, 34 boys, age 25.3±1.6 months) . During pregnancy, 30 of their mothers had GDM, which was treated according to national guidelines. There were no differences between groups in birth weight, weight at age 2, and body fat. We observed statistically significant associations of GWG with heart rate, RMSSD, SDNN, HF power, and HF/LF, indicating a lower parasympathetic tone in children of mothers with low GWG. This association was attenuated in GDM-exposed children. ANS function correlated with body weight and body fat only in children from normoglycemic pregnancies (NGT) . Conclusion: We found an impact of maternal GWG on offspring ANS function, which was missing in the presence of treated GDM. The balance of the ANS was related to offspring body composition only in children from NGT pregnancies. Our results point towards a critical impact of maternal weight gain during pregnancy on the developing ANS with longstanding consequences for body composition. Disclosure L.Fritsche: None. H.Preissl: None. M.Heni: Advisory Panel; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Research Support; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Sanofi, Speaker's Bureau; Amryt Pharma Plc, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk. J.Hartkopf: None. J.Hummel: None. D.Löffler: None. H.Häring: None. A.Peter: None. A.L.Birkenfeld: None. R.Wagner: Advisory Panel; Akcea Therapeutics, Daiichi Sankyo, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Speaker's Bureau; Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH. A.Fritsche: Advisory Panel; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH. Funding The PREG study is supported in part by a grant from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (01GI0925) to the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and by grant from the Deutsche Diabetes Stiftung (380/02/16) to LF

254-OR: Glucose Response Patterns Based on 75g OGTTS during Pregnancy and Their Association with the Risk of Macrosomia: A Latent Class Analysis of TWO Cohort Studies

Background and Aims: People with different glucose response patterns during the 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) have substantially different clinical characteristics and risk for long-term outcomes in the general population. We aimed to identify comparable glucose response patterns in pregnancy and their association with maternal and fetal outcomes. Materials and Methods: We used latent class trajectory modelling to identify glucose response patterns using 5-point 75g OGTT in 470 pregnant women at 27.3±2.2 weeks of gestation. We assessed these classes and investigated pregnancy outcomes in an independent cohort of 7073 pregnant women with 3-point OGTTs. Results: We identified five different glucose response patterns (classes) . Rate of gestational diabetes (GDM) was lowest in class 1 (< 7%) and highest in class 5 (100%) for both cohorts. Class 3 was characterized by transient hyperinsulinemia at 30 minutes but the prevalence of GDM was only 25-36%. Compared to class 1, women in class 3 had an increased gestational weight gain (GWG, β=0.85 SE: 0.31kg, p=0.0065, adjusted for age, gestational age, pre-gestational BMI, GDM treatment and AUCGlucose) . New-borns in class 3 had the highest risk of macrosomia (OR 1.47 95% CI: [1.12, 1.93] vs. class 1) after adjustment for maternal age, parity and smoking, but this was attenuated by additional adjustment for pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG. Conclusion: We found an easily identifiable group of pregnant women who have an increased risk of macrosomia without formally meeting GDM diagnosis. These women would most likely benefit from a therapy (e.g. nutritional counselling) aiming at preventing excessive glucose excursions and GWG. Note: LF and AH contributed equally to this work. Disclosure L.Fritsche: None. R.Wagner: Advisory Panel; Akcea Therapeutics, Daiichi Sankyo, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Speaker's Bureau; Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH. A.Hulman: None. K.Prystupa: None. M.Heni: Advisory Panel; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Research Support; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Sanofi, Speaker's Bureau; Amryt Pharma Plc, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk. A.L.Birkenfeld: None. A.Peter: None. A.Fritsche: Advisory Panel; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH. A.Kun: None. A.Tabak: Consultant; 77 Elektronika Kft., Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Speaker's Bureau; 77 Elektronika Kft., AstraZeneca, Sanofi_aventis Zrt. Funding The PREG study is supported in part by a grant from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (01GI0925) to the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD)

1258-P: Islet Autoantibody Levels Differentiate Progression Trajectories in Individuals with Presymptomatic Type 1 Diabetes

Our previous data-driven analysis from five large-scale prospective studies discovered three trajectories (TR1, TR2, and TR3) composed of latent states for evolving patterns of islet autoantibodies (IAbs) : IAA, GADA and IA-2A. Here we examined the evolution of IAb levels within these trajectories for 2145 IAb positive participants, followed from early life, and compared those who progressed to T1D (n=643) to those who remained undiagnosed (n=1502) . Using threshold values determined by 5-year T1D risk, four levels were defined for each IAb (L0: negative; L1: lowest; L2: middle; L3: highest) and overlayed onto each visit (Figure) . In the diagnosed participants, high IAA levels were seen in TR1 and TR2 at ages <3 years, whereas IAA remained at lower levels in the undiagnosed. Proportions of dwell times at the four IAb levels significantly differed between the diagnosed and undiagnosed for GADA and IA-2A in all three trajectories (p<0.001) , but for IAA dwell times differed only within TR2 (p<0.05) . Overall, undiagnosed participants more frequently had low IAb levels and later appearance of IAb than those who were diagnosed (Figure) . Better characterization considering both timing and levels within distinct IAb trajectories towards T1D may lead to more personalized approaches to risk prediction and intervention. Disclosure B. Kwon: Employee; IBM. P. Achenbach: None. V. Anand: Employee; IBM, IBM. W. Hagopian: Research Support; Janssen Research & Development, LLC. J. Hu: Employee; IBM. E. Koski: Employee; IBM. Å. Lernmark: None. K. Ng: Employee; IBM. R. Veijola: None. B.I. Frohnert: Advisory Panel; Provention Bio, Inc. Funding JDRF (IBM: 1-RSC-2017-368-I-X, 1-IND-2019-717-I-X) , (DAISY: 1-SRA-2019-722-I-X, 1-RSC-2017-517-I-X, 5-ECR-2017-388-A-N) , (DiPiS: 1-SRA-2019-720-I-X, 1-RSC-2017-526-I-X) , (DIPP: 1-RSC-2018-555-I-X, 1-SRA-2016-342-M-R, 1-SRA-2019-732-M-B) , (DEW-IT: 1-SRA-2019-719-I-X, 1-RSC-2017-516-I-X) NIH (DAISY: DK032493, DK032083, DK104351; and DK116073; DiPiS: DK26190 CDC (DEW-IT: UR6/CCU017247) . European Union (DIPP: BMH4-CT98-3314) ; Novo Nordisk Foundation; Academy of Finland (Decision 292538 and Centre of Excellence in Molecular Systems Immunology and Physiology Research 2012-2017, Decision No. 250114) ; Special Research Funds for University Hospitals in Finland; Diabetes Research Foundation, Finland; and Sigrid Juselius Foundation, Finland. German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to the German Center for Diabetes Research. Swedish Research Council (grant no. 14064) , Swedish Childhood Diabetes Foundation, Swedish Diabetes Association, Nordisk Insulin Fund, SUS funds, Lion Club International, district 101-S, The royal Physiographic society, Skåne County Council Foundation for Research and Development as well as LUDC-IRC/EXODIAB funding from the Swedish foundation for strategic research (Dnr IRC15-0067) and Swedish research council (Dnr 2009-1039) . Hussman Foundation and by the Washington State Life Science Discovery Fund.

1412-P: Preexisting Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Attenuates Improvement of Adipose Tissue OXPHOS Capacity after Weight-Loss Surgery

Impaired adipose tissue (AT) function closely associates with obesity, type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) . Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity of AT improves after weight loss surgery. However, it is not clear if the improvement is affected by the presence of NAFLD before surgery. We examined 52 severely obese people exhibiting no histological liver disease (OBE_CON) , simple steatosis (OBE_NAFL) or steatohepatitis (OBE_NASH) before (0 weeks) , 12 and 52 weeks after bariatric surgery. Whole-body insulin sensitivity was measured by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps. OXPHOS capacity of subcutaneous AT was assessed by high-resolution respirometry. Transcript levels of TNFα in AT were quantified by RT-PCR. Before surgery, OBE_NASH presented with lower insulin sensitivity and higher HbA1c compared to OBE_CON and OBE_NAFL (all p<0.05) whereas OXPHOS capacity in AT was comparable between the groups. Maximum coupled respiration declined at week 12 by 17% from week 0 in OBE_CON only (p<0.05) . From 12 to 52 weeks, AT maximum coupled respiration markedly increased by 82 and 49% in OBE_CON and OBE_NAFL (both p<0.001) but only by 28% in OBE_NASH (p=0.05; maximum coupled OXPHOS at week 52: OBE_CON vs. OBE_NASH p<0.05) . The changes in AT maximum coupled respiration from 12 to 52 weeks correlated negatively with changes in AT TNFα levels in OBE_CON (β=-0.83, p<0.001) and negatively with changes in systemic C-reactive protein levels in OBE_NASH (β=-0.34, p<0.05) . Maximal noncoupled OXPHOS yielded similar changes and correlations. In conclusion, in severe obesity, weight loss-related improvements in AT OXPHOS capacity may be mediated to a great extent by reduced AT inflammation in people without liver disease; however, with pre-surgery manifestation of NASH and worsening of metabolic control, residual systemic subclinical inflammation may attenuate the improvement of AT OXPHOS capacity after bariatric surgery. Disclosure S.Kahl: None. G.Heilmann: None. I.Esposito: None. M.Schlensak: None. M.Roden: Advisory Panel; Eli Lilly and Company, Research Support; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Nutricia, Speaker's Bureau; Novo Nordisk. K.Strassburger: None. S.Gancheva: None. N.Saatmann: None. C.Granata: None. C.Herder: Research Support; Sanofi. K.Pafili: None. J.Puetzer-furmanczak: None. T.Sarabhai: None. Funding German Federal Ministry of Health; Ministry of Culture and Science of the State North Rhine-Westphalia;German Federal Ministry of Education and Research;European Funds for Regional Development (EFRE-0400191) ;EUREKA Eurostars-2 (E!113230DIA-PEP) ;German Science Foundation (CRC/SFB1116/2 B12; RTG/GRK 2576 vivid, Project 3) ;Schmutzler Stiftung

1095-P: Clusters of Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Stratify All-Cause Mortality in a Cohort of Participants Undergoing Invasive Coronary Diagnostics

Risk for complications and mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is heterogenous. Different trajectories can be identified in the prediabetic state, which comprises heterogenous metabolic clusters. It is not known whether such pathophysiologic clusters of prediabetes and diabetes affect survival in at-risk persons being evaluated for coronary heart disease. The LURIC Study recruited patients referred for coronary angiography at a median age of 63 (IQR 56-70) who have since been followed-up for a median of 14.5 (IQR 9.6-17.7) years. Clustering of 1269 subjects without diabetes was performed with oGTT-derived glucose and insulin; fasting triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, BMI, waist and hip circumference. Patients with T2D (n=794) were clustered using age, BMI, glycemia, homeostasis model assessment, and islet autoantibodies. Associations of clusters with mortality were analyzed using Cox regression. Individuals without diabetes were classified into six subphenotypes, with 884 assigned to subjects at low-risk (cluster 1,2,4) and 385 at high-risk (cluster 3,5,6) for diabetes. We found significantly increased mortality in clusters 3 (hazard ratio (HR) 1.42) , 5 (HR 1.43) and 6 (HR 1.46) age-, BMI-, HbA1c- and sex-adjusted. In the T2D group, 5were assigned to mild age-related diabetes (MARD) , 183 to severe insulin-resistant diabetes (SIRD) , 84 to mild obesity-related diabetes (MOD) , to severe insulin-deficient diabetes (SIDD) . Compared to the low-risk nondiabetes group, crude mortality was not different in MOD. An increased mortality was found for MARD (HR 2.2) , SIRD (HR 2.2) and SIDD (HR 2.5) . Metabolic clustering successfully stratifies survival even among persons already undergoing invasive coronary diagnostics. Novel clustering approaches based on glucose metabolism can identify persons who require special attention as they are in danger of increased mortality Disclosure K.Prystupa: None. G.Delgado: None. A.P.Moissl: None. M.E.Kleber: Employee; SYNLAB Holding Deutschland GmbH. M.Heni: Advisory Panel; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Research Support; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Sanofi, Speaker's Bureau; Amryt Pharma Plc, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk. A.L.Birkenfeld: None. A.Fritsche: Advisory Panel; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH. W.Maerz: None. R.Wagner: Advisory Panel; Akcea Therapeutics, Daiichi Sankyo, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Speaker's Bureau; Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH. Funding German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (01GI0925)

27-OR: Fatty Acid Uptake and Metabolism in Human Adipose Tissue Is Decreased upon Consuming an Isocaloric High–Saturated Fat Diet and Partially Genetically Determined

CD36 transports fatty acids (FA) into adipocytes and is increased in white adipose tissue (WAT) in obesity. In rodents, however, it was shown that CD36 knock out is protective for diet induced adiposity. In humans a hypocaloric high fat diet decreased CD36 gene expression in WAT. This study investigated the response of gene expression of FA uptake and metabolism in sub cutaneous WAT after a sudden switch from a healthy isocaloric low fat diet to an isocaloric high fat diet (HF) in healthy human twins. 35 monzyogotic and dizygotic healthy pairs of twins (women and men, age 18 - 70) were investigated for 12 weeks. An isocaloric diet rich in carbohydrates (55% carbohydrates, 30% fat, 15% protein, LF) was applied for 6 weeks, followed by an isocaloric diet rich in saturated fat (40% carbohydrates, 45% fat, 15% protein, HF) for another 6 weeks. Body weight (BW) , BMI, serum FA and gene expression of CD36, PDK4, PGC1α and CPT1α by qPCR were analyzed after the LF period, after one week (HF1) and at the end (HF6) of the HF period. BW did not change during the study. Serum FA were unchanged at HF1 but decreased at HF6 by 18% (P<0.compared to LF) . Gene expression of CD 36 was strongly decreased by 33% at HF1 and by 26% at HF6, respectively, compared to LF (both P<0.001) . A significant decrease of gene expression of PDK4 by 18% was observed at HF1 and by 27% at HF6 (both P<0.0compared to LF) . Gene expression of PGC1α and CPT1α were not changed at HF1 but decreased both at HF6 by 14% (both P<0.0compared to LF) and were highly heritable: 64% for PGC1α and 48% for CPT1α. Gene expression was positively correlated with BMI for CD36 at HF1 and for PDK4 at LF, HF1 and HF6 (P<0.05) . These data indicate that gene expression of transport (CD36) and re-esterification (PDK4) of FA are not only dependant on the amount of nutritional fat, but also on energy content. Moreover, expression of genes controlling mitochondrial (PGC1α) and FA (CPT1α) metabolism appear to be genetically determined. Disclosure M.Kruse: None. A.Ost: None. S.Hornemann: None. D.Hoffmann: None. T.Frahnow: None. A.Busjahn: None. A.F.Pfeiffer: None. Funding German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (0315424)

Associations of DNA methylation algorithms of aging and cancer risk: Results from a prospective cohort study.

SummaryBackgroundPrevious studies have shown that three DNA methylation (DNAm) based algorithms of aging, DNAm PhenoAge acceleration (AgeAccelPheno), DNAm GrimAge acceleration (AgeAccelGrim), and mortality risk score (MRscore), to be strong predictors of mortality and aging related outcomes. We aimed to investigate if and to what extent these algorithms predict cancer.MethodsIn four subsets (n = 727, 1003, 910, and 412) of a population-based cohort from Germany, DNA methylation in whole blood was measured using the Infinium Methylation EPIC BeadChip kit or the Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip Assay (Illumina.Inc, San Diego, CA, USA). AgeAccelPheno, AgeAccelGrim, and a revised MRscore based on 8 CpGs only (MRscore-8CpGs), were calculated. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated to assess associations of the three DNAm algorithms with total cancer risk and risk of invasive breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer incidence.FindingsDuring 17 years of follow-up, a total of 697 malignant tumors (thereof breast cancer = 75, lung cancer = 146, prostate cancer = 114, colorectal cancer = 155) were observed. All three algorithms showed strong positive associations with lung cancer risk in a dose response manner, with adjusted HRs per SD increase in AgeAccelPheno, AgeAccelGrim, and MRscore-8CpGs, of 1·37 (1·03-1·82), 1·74 (1·11-2·73), and 2·06 (1·39-3·06), respectively. By contrast, strong inverse associations were seen with breast cancer risk [adjusted HRs 0·65 (0·49-0·86), 0·45 (0·25-0·80), and 0·42 (0·25-0·70), respectively]. Weak positive associations of MRscore-8CpGs were seen with total cancer risk.InterpretationThe DNAm algorithms, particularly the MRscore-8CpGs, have potential to contribute to site-specific cancer risk prediction.FundingThe ESTHER study was funded by grants from the Baden-Württemberg state Ministry of Science, Research and Arts (Stuttgart, Germany), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Berlin, Germany), the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Berlin, Germany), and the Saarland State Ministry of Health, Social Affairs, Women and the Family (Saarbrücken, Germany). The work of Xiangwei Li was supported by a grant from Fondazione Cariplo (Bando Ricerca Malattie invecchiamento, #2017-0653).

Microgliosis and neuronal proteinopathy in brain persist beyond viral clearance in SARS-CoV-2 hamster model.

SummaryBackgroundNeurological symptoms such as cognitive decline and depression contribute substantially to post-COVID-19 syndrome, defined as lasting symptoms several weeks after initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. The pathogenesis is still elusive, which hampers appropriate treatment. Neuroinflammatory responses and neurodegenerative processes may occur in absence of overt neuroinvasion.MethodsHere we determined whether intranasal SARS-CoV-2 infection in male and female syrian golden hamsters results in persistent brain pathology. Brains 3 (symptomatic) or 14 days (viral clearance) post infection versus mock (n = 10 each) were immunohistochemically analyzed for viral protein, neuroinflammatory response and accumulation of tau, hyperphosphorylated tau and alpha-synuclein protein.FindingsViral protein in the nasal cavity led to pronounced microglia activation in the olfactory bulb beyond viral clearance. Cortical but not hippocampal neurons accumulated hyperphosphorylated tau and alpha-synuclein, in the absence of overt inflammation and neurodegeneration. Importantly, not all brain regions were affected, which is in line with selective vulnerability.InterpretationThus, despite the absence of virus in brain, neurons develop signatures of proteinopathies that may contribute to progressive neuronal dysfunction. Further in depth analysis of this important mechanism is required.FundingFederal Ministry of Health (BMG; ZMV I 1-2520COR501), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF 01KI1723G), Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony in Germany (14 - 76103-184 CORONA-15/20), German Research Foundation (DFG; 398066876/GRK 2485/1), Luxemburgish National Research Fund (FNR, Project Reference: 15686728, EU SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020 MANCO, no > 101003651).

Concept of the Munich/Augsburg Consortium Precision in Mental Health for the German Center of Mental Health.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) issued a call for a new nationwide research network on mental disorders, the German Center of Mental Health (DZPG). The Munich/Augsburg consortium was selected to participate as one of six partner sites with its concept “Precision in Mental Health (PriMe): Understanding, predicting, and preventing chronicity.” PriMe bundles interdisciplinary research from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Technical University of Munich (TUM), University of Augsburg (UniA), Helmholtz Center Munich (HMGU), and Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry (MPIP) and has a focus on schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BPD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). PriMe takes a longitudinal perspective on these three disorders from the at-risk stage to the first-episode, relapsing, and chronic stages. These disorders pose a major health burden because in up to 50% of patients they cause untreatable residual symptoms, which lead to early social and vocational disability, comorbidities, and excess mortality. PriMe aims at reducing mortality on different levels, e.g., reducing death by psychiatric and somatic comorbidities, and will approach this goal by addressing interdisciplinary and cross-sector approaches across the lifespan. PriMe aims to add a precision medicine framework to the DZPG that will propel deeper understanding, more accurate prediction, and personalized prevention to prevent disease chronicity and mortality across mental illnesses. This framework is structured along the translational chain and will be used by PriMe to innovate the preventive and therapeutic management of SZ, BPD, and MDD from rural to urban areas and from patients in early disease stages to patients with long-term disease courses. Research will build on platforms that include one on model systems, one on the identification and validation of predictive markers, one on the development of novel multimodal treatments, one on the regulation and strengthening of the uptake and dissemination of personalized treatments, and finally one on testing of the clinical effectiveness, utility, and scalability of such personalized treatments. In accordance with the translational chain, PriMe’s expertise includes the ability to integrate understanding of bio-behavioral processes based on innovative models, to translate this knowledge into clinical practice and to promote user participation in mental health research and care.

Sex Differences in Health Behaviors of Austrian Teachers and School Principals

IntroductionCurrently, about 2% of the European working population (~5 million people) are teachers, who are a characterized occupational group with various roles as educators, partners, counselors, social directors, professional managers, and political theorists. Teachers’ health has a remarkable effect on teaching quality, and consequently, on the success of students of future generations. Public and occupational health are highly related to lifestyle behaviors (including diet type and PA); however, little is known regarding lifestyle patterns in different groups of teachers, particularly males and females. This study aimed to investigate sex differences in health/lifestyle behaviors of Austrian secondary-level teachers and school principals.
 MethodsThis cross-sectional and multidisciplinary study is a part of the bigger Austrian-wide research project From Science 2 School (www.science2.school/en; supported by Federal Ministry of Education, Science, and Research). A sample size of 89,243 teachers and principals from 2,554 secondary schools (level I & II) were invited to participate, and a total number of 1,350 teachers and principals (1.5% of eligible Austrian participants; aged 45.8±11.4; 69.7% females) completed an online survey. In addition to sociodemographic information, a complete profile of lifestyle behaviors (e.g., diet type: omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan; nutritional patterns; exercise and sports activities; smoking habits; and alcohol consumption) was evaluated.
 FindingsMale teachers were 2.1 years older than females (p<0.01). While there was no sex difference in leisure-time sports participation (p>0.05), males engaged in club sports more than females (39.1% vs. 24.9%; p<0.01). The frequency of sports/exercise engagement was higher in males compared to females (3.1 ± 1.5 vs. 2.9 ± 1.4; p=0.02). Omnivorous diet was significantly more common in male teachers (93.9% vs. 87.2%; p<0.01), while a vegetarian diet was significantly more prevalent in females compared to male teachers (9.8% vs. 3.4%; p<0.01). There was no significant difference between male and female teachers in the prevalence of vegan diet (p>0.05).
 ConclusionDespite some differences in lifestyle components between females and males, teachers in both sexes appeared to have a healthier lifestyle compared to general populations reported by similar investigations. This finding might be associated with the higher educational level of teachers, particularly their improved individual capabilities (including knowledge, skills, competencies, values, and qualifications) and social advantages (e.g., networks, general living conditions) to implement toward scientifically well-accepted healthy behaviors. This study can serve as a starting point for future health-related interventions focusing on sex differences in the dual approach of “healthy eating – active living” considered the practical recommendation to achieve sustainable health.