Static performances of timber-and bamboo-concrete composite beams: A critical review of experimental results

The use of composite beams made with traditional concrete and bio-based materials (such as timber and bamboo) is a valuable solution to reduce the environmental impact of the building sector. Timber-Concrete Composite (TCC) beams have been used for decades in structural applications such as new buildings, refurbishment of old timber structures, and bridges. Recently, different researchers suggested composite beams based on engineered bamboo, commonly named Bamboo-Concrete Composite (BCC) beams. This study presents a systematic comparison of structural performances and connection behavior of TCC and BCC beams under short-term static load. TCCs beams are compared to BCC ones using similar shear connectors. The most important aspects of the two composite systems are compared: mechanical behavior of connectors and structural behaviors of full-scale composite beams (e.g., failure modes, connection stiffness, connection shear strength, ultimate load-carrying capacity, maximum deflection and composite efficiency). This comprehensive review indicates that BCC beams have similar or even better structural performances compared with TCC

Translational strategies in drug development for knee osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease worldwide with large unmet medical needs. To bring innovative treatments to OA patients, we at Merck have implemented a comprehensive strategy for drug candidate evaluation. We have a clear framework for decision-making in our preclinical pipeline, to design our clinical proof-of-concept trials for OA patients. We have qualified our strategy to define and refine dose and dosing regimen, for treatments administered either systemically or intra-articularly (IA). We do this through preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies, and by back-translating results from clinical studies in OA patients

Building resilience in CTLs: Reflections on practice

What are the qualities of the “now” that make teaching and learning an urgent, if not a moral, imperative? A group of faculty, administrators, and educational developers respond to this question with individual narratives bound together by a common theme of reflective practice in times of crises to help faculty become more resilient in preparing for ongoing upheavals and unexpected crises while pursuing more inclusive communities. Our personal narratives reflect on the subjects of flexibility in the face of crises, technology and ethics, study abroad exposure to ethical challenges, students’ growing anxiety and mental health, modeling metacognition with peers and students, and considerations of pedagogy in uncertain times. Our individual stories of practice will be helpful to teaching and learning center colleagues who work with faculty and to faculty themselves as they operate in times of crises

Building Resilience in CTLs: Reflections on Practice

What are the qualities of the “now” that make teaching and learning an urgent, if not a moral, imperative? A group of faculty, administrators, and educational developers respond to this question with individual narratives bound together by a common theme of reflective practice in times of crises to help faculty become more resilient in preparing for ongoing upheavals and unexpected crises while pursuing more inclusive communities. Our personal narratives reflect on the subjects of flexibility in the face of crises, technology and ethics, study abroad exposure to ethical challenges, students’ growing anxiety and mental health, modeling metacognition with peers and students, and considerations of pedagogy in uncertain times. Our individual stories of practice will be helpful to teaching and learning center colleagues who work with faculty and to faculty themselves as they operate in times of crises

SCH 48973: a Potent, Broad-Spectrum, Antienterovirus Compound.

SCH 48973 is a novel molecule with potent, selective, antienterovirus activity. In assays of the cytopathic effect against five picornaviruses, SCH 48973 had antiviral activity (50% inhibitory concentrations [IC50s]) of 0.02 to 0.11 microg/ml, with no detectable cytotoxicity at 50 microg/ml. SCH 48973 inhibited 80% of 154 recent human enterovirus isolates at an IC50 of 0.9 microg/ml. The antiviral activity of SCH 48973 is derived from its specific interaction with viral capsid, as confirmed by competition binding studies. The affinity constant (Ki) for SCH 48973 binding to poliovirus was 8.85 x 10(-8) M. In kinetic studies, a maximum of approximately 44 molecules of SCH 48973 were bound to poliovirus capsid. SCH 48973 demonstrated efficacy in a murine poliovirus model of enterovirus disease. SCH 48973 increased the survival of infected mice when it was administered orally at dosages of 3 to 20 mg/kg of body weight/day. Oral administration of SCH 48973 also reduced viral titers in the brains of infected mice. On the basis of its in vitro and in vivo profiles, SCH 48973 represents a potential candidate for therapeutic intervention against enterovirus infections

Editor's Choice - Carotid Stenosis Treatment : Variation in International Practice Patterns

Objectives: The aim was to determine current practice for the treatment of carotid stenosis among 12 countries participating in the International Consortium of Vascular Registries (ICVR). Methods: Data from the United States Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) and the Vascunet registry collaboration (including 10 registries in Europe and Australasia) were used. Variation in treatment modality of asymptomatic versus symptomatic patients was analysed between countries and among centres within each country. Results: Among 58,607 procedures, octogenarians represented 18% of all patients, ranging from 8% (Hungary) to 22% (New Zealand and Australia). Women represented 36%, ranging from 29% (Switzerland) to 40% (USA). The proportion of carotid artery stenting (CAS) among asymptomatic patients ranged from 0% (Finland) to 26% (Sweden) and among symptomatic patients from 0% (Denmark) to 19% (USA). Variation among centres within countries for CAS was highest in the United States and Australia (from 0% to 80%). The overall proportion of asymptomatic patients was 48%, but varied from 0% (Denmark) to 73% (Italy). There was also substantial centre level variation within each country in the proportion of asymptomatic patients, most pronounced in Australia (0-72%), Hungary (5-55%), and the United States (0-100%). Countries with fee for service reimbursement had higher rates of treatment in asymptomatic patients than countries with population based reimbursement (OR 5.8, 95% CI 4.4-7.7). Conclusions: Despite evidence about treatment options for carotid artery disease, the proportion of asymptomatic patients, treatment modality, and the proportion of women and octogenarians vary considerably among and within countries. There was a significant association of treating more asymptomatic patients in countries with fee for service reimbursement. The findings reflect the inconsistency of the existing guidelines and a need for cooperation among guideline committees all over the world. (C) 2017 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Peri-Operative Management of Patients Undergoing Fenestrated-Branched Endovascular Repair for Juxtarenal, Pararenal and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysms: Preventing, Recognizing and Treating Complications to Improve Clinical Outcomes

The advent and refinement of complex endovascular techniques in the last two decades has revolutionized the field of vascular surgery. This has allowed an effective minimally invasive treatment of extensive disease involving the pararenal and the thoracoabdominal aorta. Fenestrated-branched EVAR (F/BEVAR) now represents a feasible technical solution to address these complex diseases, moving the proximal sealing zone above the renal-visceral vessels take-off and preserving their patency. The aim of this paper was to provide a narrative review on the peri-operative management of patients undergoing F/BEVAR procedures for juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (JAAA), pararenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (PRAA) or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurism (TAAA). It will focus on how to prevent, diagnose, and manage the complications ensuing from these complex interventions, in order to improve clinical outcomes. Indeed, F/BEVAR remains a technically, physiologically, and mentally demanding procedure. Intraoperative adverse events often require prolonged or additional procedures and complications may significantly impact a patient’s quality of life, health status, and overall cost of care. The presence of standardized preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative pathways of care, together with surgeons and teams with significant experience in aortic surgery, should be considered as crucial points to improve clinical outcomes. Aggressive prevention, prompt diagnosis and timely rescue of any major adverse events following the procedure remain paramount clinical needs

Deriving and critiquing an empirically-based framework for pharmaceutical ethics.

Background: The pharmaceutical industry has been responsible for major medical advances, but the industry has also been heavily criticized. Such criticisms, and associated regulatory responses, are no doubt often warranted, but do not provide a framework for those who wish to reason systematically about the moral dimensions of drug development. We set out to develop such a framework using Beauchamp and Childress’s “four principles” as organizing categories. Methods: We conducted a qualitative interview study of people working in the “medical affairs” departments of pharmaceutical companies to determine: (1) whether our data could meaningfully be organized under the headings of “autonomy,” “beneficence,” “nonmaleficence,” and “justice”; (2) how principles might be expressed in this particular commercial setting; and (3) if these principles are expressed, whether and how competing principles are balanced. We then critiqued these findings using existing normative theory. Results: Our interviews demonstrated that three of Beauchamp and Childress’ four principles were salient to our participants: beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Within each of these principles, participants had two broad ethical orientations: an altruistic public focus (“other-ness”) and a commitment to their companies (“firm-ness”). Our participants also demonstrated efforts to balance these principles and highlighted the importance of phronesis (or practical wisdom) in balancing and enacting principles. Notably, however, our participants did not spontaneously emphasize the importance of autonomy. Conclusions: It is possible to use qualitative empirical research, together with normative analysis, to derive a framework for pharmaceutical ethics. We suggest that our framework would be useful for those who wish to reason ethically within, or in collaboration with, the pharmaceutical industry. Keywords: Empirical ethics, principle-based ethics, pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical ethics, qualitative researchNHMRC Career Development Fellowship APP106356