In total, 110 single nucleotide polymorphisms were tested among 1042 African Americans and 763 whites. The strongest association with serum PF4 levels was observed for rs168449, which was significant selleck in both racial groups (P value: African

Americans=0.0017, whites=0.014, combined=1.2×10(-4)), and remained significant after permutation-based multiple corrections (P-c value: combined=0.0013). After accounting for the effect of rs168449, we identified another significant single nucleotide polymorphism (rs1435520), suggesting a second independent signal regulating serum PF4 levels (conditional P value: African Americans=0.02, whites=0.02). Together, these single nucleotide polymorphisms explained 0.98% and 1.23% of serum PF4 variance in African Americans and whites, respectively. Additionally, in African Americans, we found an additional PF4 variant (rs8180167), uncorrelated with rs168449 and rs1435520, associated with serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels (P=0.008, P-c=0.048).

Conclusions-Our study highlights the importance of PF4 variants in the regulation of platelet activation (PF4) and systemic inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) serum biomarkers. (Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2012;5:412-421.)”
“In

this work, we investigate a low temperature boron (B) and see more phosphorus (P) activation in amorphous (alpha)-Ge using metal-induced crystallization technique. Eight candidates of metals (Pd, Cu, Ni, Au, Co, Al, Pt, and Ti) are used to crystallize the alpha-Ge at a low temperature. Resistivity measurement, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction analyses reveal behaviors of

the metal-induced dopant activation process using the metals reacting with alpha-Ge. It is revealed that Co achieves the highest B and P activation ratio in Ge below 360 degrees C with a slow diffusion rate. This method can be utilized to activate gate, source, and drain of transistors on upper layers in three-dimensional integrated circuits, where low temperature processing is critical. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3238297]“
“Chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) genotype 1 patients who achieved early virologic response have a high probability of sustained virologic response (SVR) following pegylated Fedratinib purchase interferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin therapy. This study was conducted to evaluate how reducing drug doses affects complete early virologic response (c-EVR) defined as hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA negativity at week 12. Nine hundred eighty-four patients with CH-C genotype 1 were enrolled. Drug doses were evaluated independently on a body weight base from doses actually taken. From multivariate analysis, the mean dose of Peg-IFN alpha-2b during the first 12 weeks was the independent factor for c-EVR (P = 0.02), not ribavirin. The c-EVR rate was 55% in patients receiving >= 1.