Direct synthesis of mesoporous silica containing cobalt: A new strategy using a cobalt soap as a co-template

A novel approach to incorporate transition metals into porous structures is presented, which makes use of a cobalt soap in combination with the templating agent C16TMABr. An ordered mesoporous silica MCM-41 type material doped with Co is obtained after removal of the organic part by calcination. The a unit cell parameter of the cobalt containing mesoporous matrices is larger than that of pure MCM-41 and increases with the amount of cobalt present in the sample as well as the diameter of the pores. This is not observed when e.g. cobalt acetate is employed instead of the metal soap. The procedure presented establishes a new route for the incorporation of a transition metal into MCM-41 together with a tuning of the porous structure

How do GP practices and patient characteristics influence the prescription of antidepressants? A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Under-prescription of antidepressants (ADs) among people meeting the criteria for major depressive episodes and excessive prescription in less symptomatic patients have been reported. The reasons influencing general practitioners’ (GPs) prescription of ADs remain little explored. This study aimed at assessing the influence of GP and patient characteristics on AD prescription. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on a sample of 816 GPs working within the main health care insurance system in the Seine-Maritime district of France during 2010. Only GPs meeting the criteria for full-time GP practice were included. The ratio of AD prescription to overall prescription volume, a relative measure of AD prescription level, was calculated for each GP, using the defined daily dose (DDD) concept. Associations of this AD prescription ratio with GPs’ age, gender, practice location, number of years of practice, number of days of sickness certificates prescribed, number of home visits and consultations, number and mean age of registered patients, mean patient income, and number of patients with a chronic condition were assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The high prescribers were middle-aged (40–59) urban GPs, with a moderate number of consultations and fewer low-income and chronic patients. GPs’ workload (e.g., volume of prescribed drug reimbursement and number of consultations) had no influence on the AD prescription ratio. GPs with more patients with risk factors for depression prescribed fewer ADs, however, which could suggest the medications were under-prescribed among the at-risk population. CONCLUSIONS: Our study described a profile of the typical higher AD prescriber that did not include heavy workload. In future work, a more detailed assessment of all biopsychosocial components of the consultation and other influences on GP behavior such as prior training would be useful to explain AD prescription in GP’s practice. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12991-015-0041-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Effects of a multifaceted intervention on cardiovascular risk factors in high-risk hypertensive patients: the ESCAPE trial, a pragmatic cluster randomized trial in general practice

BACKGROUND: Several observational studies on hypertensive patients have shown a gap between therapeutic targets recommended in guidelines and those achieved in daily practice. The ESCAPE trial aimed to determine whether a multifaceted intervention focused on general practitioners (GPs), could increase significantly the proportion of hypertensive patients at high risk in primary prevention who achieved all their recommended therapeutic targets. METHODS: A pragmatic, cluster randomized trial involving 257 GPs randomized by region. The GPs in the intervention group had a one-day training session and were given an electronic blood pressure measurement device and a short recommendation leaflet. Along with usual follow-up, they focused one consultation on hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors every six months for two years. They also received feedback at baseline and at one year on their patients’ clinical and biological parameters. Main outcome measures were change in the proportion of patients achieving all their therapeutic targets and each individual therapeutic target at two years, and quality of life. RESULTS: 1,832 high-risk hypertensive patients were included. After two years, the proportion of patients achieving all their therapeutic targets increased significantly in both groups, but significantly more in the intervention group: OR (odds-ratio) 1.89, (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09 to 3.27, P = 0.02). Significantly more patients achieved their blood pressure targets in the intervention group than in the usual care group: OR 2.03 (95% CI 1.44 to 2.88, P < 0.0001). Systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased significantly more in the intervention group than in the usual care group, by 4.8 mmHg and 1.9 mmHg, respectively (P < 0.0001 for both). There were no significant difference changes in physical and mental quality of life between groups. CONCLUSION: An easy-to-perform, multifaceted intervention targeting only GPs increased significantly the proportion of high-risk hypertensive patients in primary prevention achieving their recommended therapeutic targets. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT0034885

The interaction between lipid derivatives of colchicine and tubulin: Consequences of the interaction of the alkaloid with lipid membranes

AbstractColchicine is a potent antimitotic poison which is well known to prevent microtubule assembly by binding tubulin very tightly. Colchicine also possesses anti-inflammatory properties which are not well understood yet. Here we show that colchicine tightly interacts with lipid layers. The physical and biological properties of three different lipid derivatives of colchicine are investigated parallel to those of membrane lipids in the presence of colchicine. Upon insertion in the fatty alkyl chains, colchicine rigidifies the lipid monolayers in a fluid phase and fluidifies rigid monolayers. Similarly X-ray diffraction data show that lecithin–water phases are destabilized by colchicine. In addition, an unexpectedly drastic enhancement of the photoisomerization rate of colchicine into lumicolchicine in the lipid environment is observed and further supports insertion of the alkaloid in membranes. Finally the interaction of colchicine with lipids makes the drug inaccessible to tubulin. The possible in vivo significance of these results is discussed

Centre de recherches historiques – CRH

Marie-Élizabeth Ducreux, directrice de recherche au CNRSChristine Lebeau et Antoine Marès, professeurs à l’Université Paris-I États, populations, identités et territoires en Europe centrale, XVIIIe-XXe siècle Après une séance générale introductive, suivie d’une réflexion sur les différentes déclinaisons du concept d’Europe centrale et les significations qu’il a recouvertes à partir de Vienne (Jacques Le Rider), le séminaire s’est articulé cette année selon quelques grands axes, susceptibles d..

Centre de recherches historiques – CRH

Marie-Élizabeth Ducreux, directrice de recherche au CNRSChristine Lebeau et Antoine Marès, professeurs à l’Université Paris-I États, populations, identités et territoires en Europe centrale, XVIIIe-XXe siècle Après une séance générale introductive, suivie d’une réflexion sur les différentes déclinaisons du concept d’Europe centrale et les significations qu’il a recouvertes à partir de Vienne (Jacques Le Rider), le séminaire s’est articulé cette année selon quelques grands axes, susceptibles d..

Centre de recherches interdisciplinaires sur l’Allemagne – CRIA

Falk Bretschneider, ATERAlexandre Escudier, chargé de recherche à la FNSPWolfgang Kaiser, Pierre Monnet, Michael Werner, directeurs d’étudesChristine Lebeau, professeur à l’Université Paris-IMarie-Louise Pelus-Kaplan, professeur à l’Université Paris-VIIPatrice Veit, directeur de recherche au CNRS Les mots de l’histoire : historiens allemands et français face à leurs concepts et à leurs outils Pendant l’année, le CRIA a poursuivi le séminaire collectif « Les mots de l’histoire », avec le souti..

Centre de recherches interdisciplinaires sur l’Allemagne – CRIA

Falk Bretschneider, ATERAlexandre Escudier, chargé de recherche à la FNSPWolfgang Kaiser, Pierre Monnet, Michael Werner, directeurs d’étudesChristine Lebeau, professeur à l’Université Paris-IMarie-Louise Pelus-Kaplan, professeur à l’Université Paris-VIIPatrice Veit, directeur de recherche au CNRS Les mots de l’histoire : historiens allemands et français face à leurs concepts et à leurs outils Pendant l’année, le CRIA a poursuivi le séminaire collectif « Les mots de l’histoire », avec le souti..

Centre de recherches interdisciplinaires sur l’Allemagne – CRIA

Falk Bretschneider, ATERAlexandre Escudier, chargé de recherche au CEVIPOF, FNSPWolfgang Kaiser, Pierre Monnet, Michael Werner, directeurs d’étudesChristine Lebeau, professeur à l’Université Paris-IMarie-Louise Pelus-Kaplan, professeur à l’Université Paris-VIIPatrice Veit, directeur de recherche au CNRS Les mots de l’histoire : historiens allemands et français face à leurs concepts et à leurs outils Le cria a poursuivi le séminaire collectif « Les mots de l’histoire », avec le soutien de la M..