1,049 research outputs found
Weyl states and Fermi arcs in parabolic bands
Weyl fermions are shown to exist inside a parabolic band, where the kinetic
energy of carriers is given by the non-relativistic Schroedinger equation.
There are Fermi arcs as a direct consequence of the folding of a ring shaped
Fermi surface inside the first Brillouin zone. Our results stem from the
decomposition of the kinetic energy into the sum of the square of the Weyl
state, the coupling to the local magnetic field and the Rashba interaction. The
Weyl fermions break the time and reflection symmetries present in the kinetic
energy, thus allowing for the onset of a weak three-dimensional magnetic field
around the layer. This field brings topological stability to the current
carrying states through a Chern number. In the special limit that the Weyl
state becomes gapless this magnetic interaction is shown to be purely
attractive, thus suggesting the onset of a superconducting condensate of zero
helicity states
METROPOLITAN AGRICULTURE, SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DYNAMICS AND THE FOOD-CITY RELATIONSHIP IN SOUTHERN EUROPE
Peri-urban agriculture is a pivotal issue in the debate on sustainable
management of land in metropolitan regions worldwide. Multiple socioeconomic
and environmental solutions introduced by new models of peri-urban agriculture
are playing an important role in planning and management of fringe land. The
recent development of peri-urban agriculture in Southern European cities was
supposed to reflect latent, crisis-driven processes of 'coming back to land': new
land has been extensively cultivated, and new relations have been created between
farmers, communities and territories within peri-urban areas. This study describes
some relevant experiences of peri-urban farming in 6 metropolitan regions
(Lisbon, Barcelona, Marseille, Rome, Athens, Istanbul) representative of different
socioeconomic contexts in Southern Europe, outlining strengths and weaknesses in
the use of fringe land for cropping, and evidencing relevant implications for urban
sustainability
16 Targeting remission and low disease activity in SLE
Remission and low disease activity (LDA) are the most important targets to achieve in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) management.1–5 In this process, the first target we should try to achieve is remission and when remission cannot be achieved we should aim for clinical LDS.3 Nowadays, achieving remission or LDA is not uncommon in SLE; however maintaining remission over time is more difficult, since SLE relapses are very common. We should make every effort to achieve and maintain these targets, in fact we know that the longer the remission or the LDA, the lower the damage accrual.1 2 5 6 In patients with lupus nephritis (LN) the lack of achievement of EULAR/ERA-EDTA response at 1 year is predictive of a poor renal outcome7 and, again, the longer the duration of LN remission the lower the proportion of patients who develop chronic kidney disease.8 The second step in the treat-to-target (T2T) strategy should be to minimize or even withdrawal glucocorticoids (GC). The short- and long-term side-effects of GC are very well known. We evaluated the increase in damage progression according to the level of remission in our patients: complete remission, clinical remission off GC, and clinical remission on prednisone ≤5 mg/day.2 Interestingly, no differences in damage progression were observed among the different levels of remission in patients who achieve The third step in the T2T strategy is to reduce and to withdraw immunosuppressants (IS) where possible. In a recent study carried out in the Toronto lupus cohort, univariate and multivariate analysis showed IS as well as GC and other factors were predictors of damage progression within 5 years. We have recently analysed prevalence and predictors of flare after IS discontinuation in SLE patients in remission: Out of 319 patients ever treated with IS, 139 discontinued IS, 105 due to remission and 34 due to poor adherence/intolerance. Twenty-six patients developed a flare, and the flare-free survival was higher in patients who discontinued due to remission than in those who discontinued IS due to poor adherence/intolerance.6 The longer the remission before discontinuation and hydroxychloroquine intake were the most significant protective factors. T2T strategy through the achievement of remission/LDA can improve disease outcomes, especially halting damage accrual. The proportion of patients who can achieve remission and LDA largely depends on the definition used, and in any case is higher in a clinical practice setting than in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Notably, biologics can help attain remission and LDA and, in turn, dampen damage progression.9 Learning Objectives Discuss the major targets in SLE management and their timing in a sequential strategy Explain the importance of achieving remission or LDA in SLE Describe the role of biologics in achieving remission or LDA in post-hoc analysis of RCTs and in clinical practice setting References Zen M, Iaccarino L, Gatto M, et al. Prolonged remission in Caucasian patients with SLE: prevalence and outcomes. Ann Rheum Dis. 2015;74(12):2117–22. Zen M, Iaccarino L, Gatto M, et al. The effect of different durations of remission on damage accrual: results from a prospective monocentric cohort of Caucasian patients. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76(3):562–5. Gatto M, Zen M, Iaccarino L, Doria A. New therapeutic strategies in systemic lupus erythematosus management. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2019;15(1):30–48. Zen M, Iaccarino L, Gatto M, et al. Lupus low disease activity state is associated with a decrease in damage progression in Caucasian patients with SLE, but overlaps with remission. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018;77(1):104–10. Saccon F, Zen M, Gatto M, et al. Remission in systemic lupus erythematosus: testing different definitions in a large multicentre cohort. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020;79(7):943–50. Zen M, Saccon F, Gatto M, et al. Prevalence and predictors of flare after immunosuppressant discontinuation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in remission. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2020;59(7):1591–8. Moroni G, Gatto M, Tamborini F, et al. Lack of EULAR/ERA-EDTA response at 1 year predicts poor long-term renal outcome in patients with lupus nephritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020;79(8):1077–83. Moroni G, Vercelloni PG, Quaglini S, et al. Changing patterns in clinical-histological presentation and renal outcome over the last five decades in a cohort of 499 patients with lupus nephritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018;77(9):1318–25. Gatto M, Saccon F, Zen M, et al. Early Disease and Low Baseline Damage as Predictors of Response to Belimumab in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Real-Life Setting. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020;72(8):1314–24
12 Belimumab helps lupus patients to achieve lupus targets
Remission and low disease activity (LDA) are the most important targets to achieve in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) management.1–4 Belimumab is the only biologic drug approved for SLE and whether or not it can help lupus patients to achieve these targets is a critical question. In a post-hoc analysis carried out in patients enrolled in BLISS-52 and BLISS-76, remission and LDA were able to discriminate response to belimumab 10 mg/kg from placebo.5 6 Notably, clinical (c) SLEDAI-2K=0 was the best discriminator6 and, importantly, in a recent multicentre cohort study including 646 patients, cSLEDAI=0 had the best performance in predicting damage accrual compared with all other definitions of remission.7 In real-life the proportion of patients who can achieve a stable low lupus disease activity state (LLDAS) and remission was higher than that obtained in randomised controlled trials, as shown in two recent studies.8 9 A recent Italian multicentre cohort study of 466 patients on the use of belimumab in clinical practice settings, with a median follow-up of 18 months (range 1–60 months), showed that 71.7% of patients achieved LDA, 61.3% SRI-4, and 41.1% remission at 12 months, with these figures being maintained over time.10 The most important independent predictors of SRI-4 response were baseline SLEDAI2K≥10, SLE duration ≤2 years and a baseline SLICC damage index=0. Independent predictors of remission and LDA were baseline SLEDAI-2K Consequently, this study provided novel evidence that an earlier use of belimumab in patients with active SLE and low damage may maximise its efficacy in clinical practice. Learning Objectives Explain the importance of achieving remission or LDA in SLE management Describe the role of belimumab in achieving remission or LDA in post-hoc analysis of the randomised control trials Discuss the best use of belimumab in clinical practice settings References Gatto M, Zen M, Iaccarino L, et al. New therapeutic strategies in systemic lupus erythematosus management. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2019;15(1):30–48. Zen M, Iaccarino L, Gatto M, et al. Prolonged remission in Caucasian patients with SLE: prevalence and outcomes. Ann Rheum Dis 2015;74(12):2117–22. Zen M, Iaccarino L, Gatto M, et al. The effect of different durations of remission on damage accrual: results from a prospective monocentric cohort of Caucasian patients. Ann Rheum Dis 2017;76(3):562–65. Zen M, Iaccarino L, Gatto M, et al. Lupus low disease activity state is associated with a decrease in damage progression in Caucasian patients with SLE, but overlaps with remission. Ann Rheum Dis 2018;77(1):104–10. Oon S, Huq M, Golder V, et al. Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS) discriminates responders in the BLISS-52 and BLISS-76 phase III trials of belimumab in systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Rheum Dis 2019;78(5):629–33. Parodis I, Emamikia S, Gomez A, et al. Clinical SLEDAI-2K zero may be a pragmatic outcome measure in SLE studies. Expert opinion on biological therapy 2019;19(2):157–68. Saccon F, Zen M, Gatto M, et al. Remission in systemic lupus erythematosus: testing different definitions in a large multicentre cohort. Ann Rheum Dis 2020;79(7):943–50. Fanouriakis A, Adamichou C, Koutsoviti S, et al. Low disease activity-irrespective of serologic status at baseline-associated with reduction of corticosteroid dose and number of flares in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus treated with belimumab: A real-life observational study. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2018;48(3):467–74. Sbeih N, Mathian A, Pineton de Chambrun M, et al. Achieving lupus low-disease activity and remission states under belimumab in refractory systemic lupus erythematosus: time and organ involvement matter. Ann Rheum Dis 2019:annrheumdis-2019-215732. Gatto M, Saccon F, Zen M, et al. Early disease and low baseline damage predict response to belimumab in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheumatol 2020 doi: 10.1002/art.41253 [published Online First: 2020/04/11
Lupus Academy Roadshow Meeting: Abstract Book
The Lupus Academy is committed to continuing the development of high quality educational programmes, focused on providing insightful and clinically relevant content through both live meetings and eLearning environments. With this, we aim will support you as you strive to provide best-in-class patient care and improve patient outcomes in lupus. This Roadshow Meeting is CME accredited by the Paraguayan Society of Rheumatology and aims to provide latest insights into advances in global research and clinical practice in lupus and allied diseases. The scientific component of this programme, developed by our Steering Committee of 12 international experts in lupus, is designed to create a highly interactive forum through which we can all develop a logical approach to the management of lupus worldwide. This meeting will give you the opportunity to meet like-minded clinicians and scientists and, through the sharing of clinical and scientific experience, develop your knowledge in this complex and multidisciplinary therapeutic area. We sincerely hope that this meeting will provide you with new ideas for your clinical work, enriched enthusiasm for collaborative research, and fruitful discussions with your colleagues who care for patients with lupus.CONACYT - Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y TecnologÃaPROCIENCI
Participación en la vida cotidiana de niñas y niños del barrio Bello Oriente de MedellÃn
RESUMEN: El presente informe de práctica profesional de trabajo social es el resultado del proceso de acompañamiento que se ha realizado a los niños y niñas del barrio Bello Oriente de MedellÃn desde la estrategia de niñez de la Corporación Con – Vivamos, durante el periodo de tiempo comprendido entre febrero 2018 y agosto 2018, con la finalidad de seguir acompañando su proceso, concientizarlos sobre la importancia de la participación, ya sea individual o colectiva, como una herramienta de información, comunicación, aprendizajes y propuestas para la defensa y reconocimiento de otros derechos humanos como la recreación, la libre expresión, la no discriminación, equidad de género, entre otros, que contribuyan a su construcción como ciudadanos y ciudadanas y a la lucha por unas condiciones de vida dignas.ABSTRACT: The following professional practice report of social work is the result of the accompaniment process that has been carried out for the children of the Bello Oriente neighborhood of MedellÃn from the childhood strategy of the Con - Vivamos Corporation, during the period of time between February 2018 and August 2018, in order to continue accompanying their process, raise awareness about the importance of participation, either individually or collectively, as a tool for information, communication, learning and proposals for the defense and recognition of other human rights such as recreation, free expression, non-discrimination, gender equity, among others, that contribute to its construction as citizens and to the struggle for decent living conditions
La radiologÃa como técnica aplicada en las ciencias forenses
Uno de los grandes hallazgos cientÃficos que revolucionó el mundo, fue la radiologÃa implementada en aras de la salud y su mejoramiento. Las técnicas de imagen han sido de gran ayuda para caracterizar clÃnicamente patologÃas antes desconocidas, brindar tratamientos adecuados y contribuir a la curación de dichas enfermedades. La radiologÃa tiene herramientas de gran importancia que respaldan a otras ciencias como la medicina forense y brindan un gran aporte a la justicia. Con estas técnicas de adquisición se busca conocer causas, formas y mecanismos de muertes de manera más objetiva y precisa a través de la radiologÃa convencional, la tomografÃa computarizada, la resonancia magnética, entre otras. Estas aplicaciones de la radiologÃa a las ciencias forenses se implementan en muertes causadas por accidentes aéreo o desastres, documentación de lesiones óseas en accidentes de tránsito, estudios de muerte por impactos de arma de fuego para conocer trayectoria y ubicación de proyectiles, determinación de la edad, análisis de restos óseos y en muertes infantiles.
Todo este aporte posee un valor significativo dentro de procesos penales y judiciales que conciernen a la medicina forense en Colombia, teniendo en cuenta el marco del conflicto armado y la necesidad de establecer identificación de cadáveres como medio de reparación y en aras de la verdad.
La radiologÃa sin duda vislumbra perspectivas más amplias que fortalecen las investigaciones forenses y contribuye a darle importancia a la identidad de cada ser humano.One of the great scientific discoveries that revolutionized the world was radiology implemented for the sake of health and its improvement. Imaging techniques have been of great help to clinically characterize previously unknown pathologies, provide adequate treatments and contribute to the cure of these diseases. Radiology has tools of great importance that support other sciences such as forensic medicine and provide a great contribution to justice; With these acquisition techniques it is sought to know causes, forms and mechanisms of death in a more objective and precise way through conventional radiology, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, among others. These applications of radiology to forensic sciences are implemented in deaths caused by air accidents or disasters, documentation of bone injuries in traffic accidents, studies of death by firearm impacts to know the trajectory and location of projectiles, determination of age, analysis of skeletal remains and in infant deaths.
All this contribution has a significant value within criminal and judicial processes that concern forensic medicine in Colombia, taking into account the framework of the armed conflict and the need to establish identification of corpses as a means of reparation and for the sake of truth.
Radiology undoubtedly envisions broader perspectives that strengthen forensic investigations and contribute to giving importance to the identity of each human being
Myofiber stress-response in myositis: parallel investigations on patients and experimental animal models of muscle regeneration and systemic inflammation
Introduction: The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-response, evoked in mice by the overexpression of class I major histocompatibility complex antigen (MHC-I), was proposed as a major mechanism responsible for skeletal muscle damage and dysfunction in autoimmune myositis. The present study was undertaken to characterize in more detail the ER stress-response occurring in myofibers of patients with inflammatory myopathies, focusing on the expression and distribution of Grp94, calreticulin and Grp75, three ER chaperones involved in immunomodulation.
Methods: Muscle biopsies were obtained from seven healthy subjects and 29 myositis patients, who were subdivided into groups based on the morphological evidence of inflammation and/or sarcolemmal immunoreactivity for MHC-I. Biopsies were analyzed by means of immunohistochemistry and western blot using anti-Grp94, anti-calreticulin and anti-Grp75 specific antibodies. Parallel analyses on these ER chaperones were conducted in rabbit and/or murine skeletal muscle after experimental induction of regeneration or systemic inflammation.
Results: Upregulation of Grp94 characterized regenerating myofibers of myositis patients (P = 0.03, compared with values detected in biopsies without signs of muscle regeneration) and developing and regenerating myofibers of mouse muscles. Conversely, levels of calreticulin and Grp75 increased about fourfold and twofold, respectively, in patient biopsies positive for sarcolemmal MHC-I immunoreactivity, compared with healthy subjects and patients negative for both inflammation and MHC-I labeling (P < 0.005). Differently from calreticulin, the Grp75 level increased significantly also in patient biopsies that displayed occasional sarcolemmal MHC-I immunoreactivity (P = 0.002), suggesting the interference of other mechanisms. Experimental systemic inflammation achieved in mice and rabbits by a single injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide significantly increased Grp75 and calreticulin but not MHC-I expression in muscles.
Conclusions: These results indicate that, in myositis patients, muscle regeneration and inflammation, in addition to MHC-I upregulation, do evoke an ER stress-response characterized by the increased expression of Grp94 and Grp75, respectively. The increase in the muscle Grp75 level in patients showing occasional immunoreactivity for sarcolemmal MHC-I might be considered further as a broader indicator of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy
The Influence of Dietary Intervention in Connective Tissue Diseases: Evidence from Randomized Clinical Trials
Adaptation and Validation of the Subtle and Blatant Prejudice Scale in a Colombian Sample
El objetivo del estudio fue establecer las propiedades psicométricas para Colombia de la Escala de Prejuicios Sutiles y Manifiestos elaborada por Pettigrew y Meertens (1995) y adaptada al español por Rueda y Navas (1996), tomando como población objetivo los inmigrantes venezolanos que han llegado a Colombia. La muestra fue de 1078 colombianos residentes en Barranquilla (Atlántico) seleccionados intencionalmente, con edades entre 18 y 78 años (M = 34.6 y DE = 13.4). Un 49% (n=523) eran hombres. Los resultados indican una consistencia interna para la escala global de α =.84 y ω = .85. La subescala de Prejuicio Sutil muestra una consistencia interna de α = .74 y ω = .75, y la de Prejuicio Manifiesto de α = .78 y ω = .80. Con el Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio se ratifica la estructura factorial, pero se cambia el Ãtem 17 de factor y se elimina el Ãtem 7, quedando en total con 19 Ãtems. Se describen las limitaciones.The main objective of this study was to establish the psychometric properties for Colombia of the Subtle and Blatant Prejudice Scale of Pettigrew and Meertens (1995) which was adapted to Spanish by Rueda and Navas (1996). Venezuelan immigrants in Colombia are the target population. The sample comprised 1078 Barranquilla residents (Atlantic) who were selected intentionally, with an age range between 18 and 78 years old (M = 34.6 and SD= 13.4), of whom 49 % (n=523) were male. Outcomes show a Cronbach’s alpha (α) of .84 and an Omega (ω) of .85 for the global scale. The Subtle Prejudice subscale displays α = .74 and ω = .75, while the Blatant Prejudice subscale demonstrates α = .78 and ω = .80. Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirms the underlying factorial structure, but item 17 changes factor and item 7 is eliminated, leaving a total of 19 items. Limitations are discussed
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