Caracterización de un compuesto de polipropileno y polietileno para la producción de ladrillos en muros no estructurales

This paper investigates the feasibility of using recycled plastic composed of polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), as a basis for the fabrication of plastic bricks for non-structural walls starting from the material characterization. The deformation properties of plastic bricks were evaluated under the application of compression, flexural and traction forces; the thermal analysis of the material was carried out by means of the ignition test, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and its water ab-sorption capacity was also tested. Satisfactory results were obtained in the tests carried out; It was found that the compressive strength of the material complies with the requirements of standard specifications for conventional bricks (clay - concrete), and the physicochemical properties of the composite meet specifications of material for use in non-structural walls; which makes it an innovative material with enormous potential for use in the construction sector.Este artículo investiga la viabilidad en el uso de plástico reciclado compuesto de polipropileno (PP) y polietileno de alta densidad (HDPE), como base para la generación de ladrillos en muros no estructurales a partir de la caracterización del material. Se evaluaron las propiedades a deformación bajo la aplicación de esfuerzos de compresión, flexión y tracción; se determinó la resistencia al fuego del material mediante el ensayo de inflamabilidad, y se evalúo su capacidad de absorción de agua. Se obtuvieron resultados satisfactorios en los ensayos realizados; se encontró que la resistencia a la compresión del material cumple con los requisitos exigidos en la norma de ladrillos convencionales (arcilla - concreto), y las propiedades físico- químicas del compuesto cumple como material para el uso en muros no estructurales; lo que lo convierte en un material innovador y con un enorme potencial en el sector de la construcción

Healthy behaviors at age 50 years and frailty at older ages in a 20-year follow-up of the UK Whitehall II cohort: A longitudinal study

Severine Sabia and colleagues investigate whether healthy behaviors at midlife are associated with reduced risk of frailty at older ages.Peer reviewe

Long-Term Evolution of Functional Limitations in Stroke Survivors Compared with Stroke-Free Controls: Findings from 15 Years of Follow-Up across 3 International Surveys of Aging

International audienceBackground and Purpose: In the chronic phase 2 to 5 years poststroke, limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) initially plateau before steady increasing. However, the impact of age and differences in initial levels of disability on the evolution of these limitations remains unclear. As such, this study aims to evaluate differences in long-term evolution of ADL/IADL limitations between stroke survivors and stroke-free population, and how limitations differ by initial level of disability for stroke survivors. Methods: Thirty-three thousand six hundred sixty participants (5610 first-ever stroke cases with no recurrence during follow-up and 28 050 stroke-free controls) aged ≥50 from the Health and Retirement Study, Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, and English Longitudinal Study of Ageing were assessed for number of ADL/IADL limitations during the poststroke chronic phase (for cases) and over follow-up years 1996 to 2018 (for controls). Three thousand seven hundred eighteen stroke cases were additionally categorized by disability level using the modified Rankin Scale score of 1 to 2 years poststroke. Evolution of ADL/IADL limitations was assessed in stroke cases and controls and by modified Rankin Scale score (0-1, 2-3, 4-5) using linear mixed models. Models were stratified by age group (50-74 and ≥75 years) and adjusted for baseline characteristics, health behaviors, BMI, and comorbidities. Results: Findings showed relative stability of ADL/IADL limitations during 3 to 6 years poststroke followed by an increase for both populations, which was faster for younger stroke cases, suggesting a differential age-effect (P<0.001). Disability level at 1 to 2 years poststroke influenced the evolution of limitations over time, especially for severe disability (modified Rankin Scale score, 4-5) associated with a reduction in limitations at 5 to 6 years poststroke. Conclusions: Our findings showed that during the poststroke chronic phase functional limitations first plateau and then increase and the evolution differs by disability severity. These results highlight the importance of adaptive long-term health and social care measures for stroke survivors

Role of age and sex in the association between BMI and functional limitations in stroke patients: Cross-sectional analysis in three European and US cohorts

International audienceBackground: A U- or J-shaped association between BMI and different post-stroke outcomes is suggested. Thus, the aim is to evaluate the association between BMI with ADL, IADL and mobility limitations in the ageing post-stroke population at different ages, as well as the differences in this association by sex. Methods: A total of 5,468 participants with stroke and 21,872 without stroke over 50 years of age were assessed for the number of limitations in basic or instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL) as well as mobility tasks. The association between BMI at the interview (continuous time-dependent variable) and the level of limitations was assessed using a linear mixed model stratified by sex and stroke status. Results: The association between BMI and ADL/IADL and mobility limitations were found to be significant in both men and women regardless of stroke status (p<0.001 for all). The association differs between those who have suffered a stroke and those who have not (p<0.001 for all). In ADL/IADL limitations, men with stroke showed a transition from an inverted J-shape to a U-shape association with age. In women, the BMI showed a less pronounced association between BMI and ADL/IADL limitations compared to men but with similar trends. A effect of sex was observed in the association between BMI and mobility, with women with and without stroke showing a linear association that differed from the inverted J-shaped or U-shaped association of men. Conclusion: Our results suggest that BMI is associated with limitations in ADL, IADL and mobility in stroke patients. In addition, this association differs between men and women and is also influenced by age

Role of age and sex in the association between BMI and functional limitations in stroke patients: Cross-sectional analysis in three European and US cohorts

Background: A U- or J-shaped association between BMI and different post-stroke outcomes is suggested. Thus, the aim is to evaluate the association between BMI with ADL, IADL and mobility limitations in the ageing post-stroke population at different ages, as well as the differences in this association by sex. // Methods: A total of 5,468 participants with stroke and 21,872 without stroke over 50 years of age were assessed for the number of limitations in basic or instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL) as well as mobility tasks. The association between BMI at the interview (continuous time-dependent variable) and the level of limitations was assessed using a linear mixed model stratified by sex and stroke status. // Results: The association between BMI and ADL/IADL and mobility limitations were found to be significant in both men and women regardless of stroke status (p<0.001 for all). The association differs between those who have suffered a stroke and those who have not (p<0.001 for all). In ADL/IADL limitations, men with stroke showed a transition from an inverted J-shape to a U-shape association with age. In women, the BMI showed a less pronounced association between BMI and ADL/IADL limitations compared to men but with similar trends. A effect of sex was observed in the association between BMI and mobility, with women with and without stroke showing a linear association that differed from the inverted J-shaped or U-shaped association of men. // Conclusion: Our results suggest that BMI is associated with limitations in ADL, IADL and mobility in stroke patients. In addition, this association differs between men and women and is also influenced by age

The role of age, sex, and multimorbidity in 7-year change in prevalence of limitations in adults 60–94 years

International audienceRecent data suggest a temporal trend in decline in functional limitations in older adults but whether this trend extends to the period after the 8th decade of life remains unclear. We examined change in prevalence of limitations in activities and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL and IADL) between 2008 and 2015 among adults of 60–94 years and the role of age, sex, multimorbidity; we also examined changes in severity of limitations. Data were drawn from two nationally representative surveys in 2008 (n = 13,593) and 2015 (n = 13,267). The 6-item scales of ADL and IADL were each categorized first as ≥ 1 limitations, and then to examine severity as 0, 1–2, and ≥ 3 limitations. Weighted logistic and multinomial regressions were used to estimate prevalence of limitations; the difference between surveys were extracted every 5 years between 60 and 90 years. The prevalence of ≥ 1 ADL declined between 2008 and 2015, from age 75 (− 1.2%; 95%CI = − 2.0, − 0.4%) to age 90 (− 8.8%; 95%CI = − 12.7, − 5.0%). This decline was more pronounced in men than women (p-value for interaction = 0.05) and observed primarily in those with multimorbidity (p-value for interaction = 0.06). Up to 2 ADL limitations declined from age 75 (− 1.0; 95%CI = − 1.7, − 0.3) to 90 (− 6.7; 95%CI = − 9.9, − 3.6) and from age 80 (− 0.6; 95%CI = − 1.1, 0.1) to 85 (− 1.2; 95%CI = − 2.2, − 0.1) for ≥ 3 ADL limitations. There was no substantial change in IADL limitations. These data from a high-income country with universal health care show improvement in ADL even after the 8th decade of life despite increase in multimorbidity

Pre-stroke Disability and Long-Term Functional Limitations in Stroke Survivors: Findings From More of 12 Years of Follow-Up Across Three International Surveys of Aging

International audienceBackground: Almost 50% of the post-stroke disabled population already have a premorbid disability before stroke. These patients may be offered a different care pathway in the acute and subacute phase than those without pre-morbid disability. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the association of the severity of premorbid disability with change of limitations in basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL) 1 year after stroke and over the following decade. Methods: Among 3,432 participants from HRS, SHARE and ELSA cohorts with a first stroke, ADL/IADL limitations were measured at 1–2 years prior to stroke, at 1 year post-stroke, and during the chronic phase. Modified Ranking Scale (P-mRS) was used to categorize the participants by level of premorbid disability (1–2 years pre-stroke). Change in ADL/IADL limitations by P-mRS level (0–1, 2–3, and 4–5) was assessed using a piecewise linear mixed model with a breakpoint set at 1 year post-stroke, stratified by median age groups. Results: Increase in ADL limitations at 1 year post-stroke was less pronounced in P-mRS ≥2 (p < 0.005). After years of relative stability, limitations of ADL increased for all P-mRS levels (p = 0.003). In those aged ≥75 years at stroke event, the increase was similar irrespective of P-mRS (p = 0.090). There were no significant differences in IADL trajectories between P-mRS levels (p ≥ 0.127). Conclusion: These results suggest similar trajectories of functional limitations between P-mRS levels up to 9 years post-stroke, highlighting the possible benefit of including patients with pre-morbid disability to certain treatments during the acute phase. Copyrigh

X chromosome inactivation does not necessarily determine the severity of the phenotype in Rett syndrome patients

WOS: 000481590200024PubMed ID: 31427717Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurological disorder usually caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene. Since the MECP2 gene is located on the X chromosome, X chromosome inactivation (XCI) could play a role in the wide range of phenotypic variation of RTT patients; however, classical methylation-based protocols to evaluate XCI could not determine whether the preferentially inactivated X chromosome carried the mutant or the wild-type allele. Therefore, we developed an allele-specific methylation-based assay to evaluate methylation at the loci of several recurrent MECP2 mutations. We analyzed the XCI patterns in the blood of 174 RTT patients, but we did not find a clear correlation between XCI and the clinical presentation. We also compared XCI in blood and brain cortex samples of two patients and found differences between XCI patterns in these tissues. However, RTT mainly being a neurological disease complicates the establishment of a correlation between the XCI in blood and the clinical presentation of the patients. Furthermore, we analyzed MECP2 transcript levels and found differences from the expected levels according to XCI. Many factors other than XCI could affect the RTT phenotype, which in combination could influence the clinical presentation of RTT patients to a greater extent than slight variations in the XCI pattern.Spanish Ministry of Health (Instituto de Salud Carlos III/FEDER) [PI15/01159]; Crowdfunding program PRECIPITA, from the Spanish Ministry of Health (Fundacion Espanola para la Ciencia y la Tecnologia); Catalan Association for Rett Syndrome; Fondobiorett; Mi Princesa RettWe thank all patients and their families who contributed to this study. The work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Health (Instituto de Salud Carlos III/FEDER, PI15/01159); Crowdfunding program PRECIPITA, from the Spanish Ministry of Health (Fundacion Espanola para la Ciencia y la Tecnologia); the Catalan Association for Rett Syndrome; Fondobiorett and Mi Princesa Rett