Systematic literature review of burden of illness in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)

Altres ajuts: CSL Behring GmbHBackground: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare neurological disorder characterised by muscle weakness and impaired sensory function. The present study provides a comprehensive literature review of the burden of illness of CIDP. Methods: Systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, and key conferences in May 2019. Search terms identified studies on the epidemiology, humanistic burden, current treatment, and economic burden of CIDP published since 2009 in English. Results: Forty-five full texts and nineteen conference proceedings were identified on the epidemiology (n = 9), humanistic burden (n = 7), current treatment (n = 40), and economic burden (n = 8) of CIDP. Epidemiological studies showed incidence and prevalence of 0.2-1.6 and 0.8-8.9 per 100,000, respectively, depending on geography and diagnostic criteria. Humanistic burden studies revealed that patients experienced physical and psychosocial burden, including impaired physical function, pain and depression. Publications on current treatments reported on six main types of therapy: intravenous immunoglobulins, subcutaneous immunoglobulins, corticosteroids, plasma exchange, immunosuppressants, and immunomodulators. Treatments may be burdensome, due to adverse events and reduced independence caused by treatment administration setting. In Germany, UK, France, and the US, CIDP economic burden was driven by direct costs of treatment and hospitalisation. CIDP was associated with indirect costs driven by impaired productivity. Conclusions: This first systematic review of CIDP burden of illness demonstrates the high physical and psychosocial burden of this rare disease. Future research is required to fully characterise the burden of CIDP, and to understand how appropriate treatment can mitigate burden for patients and healthcare systems

Influence of self-efficacy and social support in the quality of teen couple relationships

Resumen: Este estudio analiza las características de las relaciones de pareja adolescentes y la influencia que tiene la auto-eficacia social y el apoyo social en su calidad. un total de 209 estudiantes (49.3% chicos) de entre 12-18 años (X=14.28; D.T=1.21), escolarizados en tres centros de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria de Córdoba, cumplimentaron un cuestionario de auto-informe formado por preguntas abiertas que informaban del sexo, edad, nivel educativo y situación sentimental, y por un conjunto de instrumentos medidos en escala Likert que exploraban la calidad de las parejas, la auto-eficacia y el apoyo social. Los análisis descriptivos y correlacionales señalaron alta implicación en las relaciones sentimentales, mostrando más satisfacción y expectativas de futuro los chicos y los participantes de mayor edad. Se detecta que los/as jóvenes más auto-eficaces contaban con más habilidades para manejar las exigencias de una relación romántica. Se discuten los resultados en base a la importancia que tienen las relaciones positivas dentro del grupo de iguales y el apoyo social respecto a la calidad de estas parejas.Influence of self-efficacy and social support in the quality of teen couple relationshipsAbstract:This study analyses the characteristics of adolescent relationships and influence that has social self-efficacy and social support. A number of 209 youth (49.3% boys) aged between 12-18 years (X=14.28; D.T.=1.21), enrolled in three centers of compulsory secondary education of Cordoba, completed a selfreport consisting of open-ended questions that reported the sex, age, educational level and relationship status, and a set of instruments measured on Likert scale that explored the quality of couples, self-efficacy and social support. Descriptive and correlational analysis indicated a high involvement in romantic relationships, showing more satisfaction and future expectatives boys and older participants. It is detected that teenagers with more social self-efficacy had more skills to handle the demands of a relationship. We discuss the results based on the importance that have positive peer group relationships and social support with respect to the quality of these couples.</jats:p

Coexistence of a native and an invasive mussel species across an environmental gradient: Do interactions matter?

Introductions of invasive species are increasing worldwide, potentially threatening biodiversity. Although invasive species often displace native species by outcompeting them, coexistence between native and non-native species is common in diverse communities. A field experiment investigated the interactions between the native mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the invasive black pygmy mussel Xenostrobus securis across an environmental salinity gradient in the Ria de Vigo (NW Spain). The salinity gradient strongly affected the physiological responses of both mussel species as well as the competitive interactions between the two species. Mytilus galloprovincialis had a stronger effect on the invader than vice versa. The competition with M. galloprovincialis and the release from predation in certain estuarine areas may in part explain the dynamics of the invader population in the Ría de Vigo. Furthermore, results suggest that the invader may contribute positively to ecosystem functioning by increasing bentho-pelagic coupling, water-column clearance, and biodeposition of organic material in the innermost parts of estuaries, where it reaches large abundances. These areas are likely to promote and maintain the supply of propagules to the outermost parts, as well as favouring secondary spread along the Galician coast.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. CGL2014-60193-PXunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C 2021/4

Shape-controlled synthesis and cathodoluminescence properties of elongated α-Fe_2O_3 nanostructures

α-Fe_2O_3 (hematite) nanostructures with various morphologies have been grown by thermal oxidation of compacted iron powder at temperatures between 700 and 900 degrees C. Different thermal treatments have been found to induce the growth of single-crystalline nanowires, nanobelts, nanoplates and featherlike structures, free and caped nanopillars, and pyramidal microcrystals or cactuslike microstructures. The experimental conditions leading to the different morphologies have been systematically investigated, as well as the possible growth mechanisms. The obtained nanostructures have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy in the SEM. The formation of the nanostructures induces changes in the intensity and spectral distribution of the CL emission, as compared with the bulk material. Ligand to metal charge transfer transitions as well as Fe^(3+) ligand field transitions are thought to be involved in the observed luminescence. The evolution of the panchromatic CL intensity in the visible range as a function of temperature shows some anomalies that may be induced by magnetic ordering effects

The impact of climate change on the geographical distribution of habitat-forming macroalgae in the Rías Baixas

In the current scenario of climate change characterized by a generalized warming, many species are facing local extinctions in areas with conditions near their thermal tolerance threshold. At present, the southern limit of the geographical distribution of several habitat-forming algae of cold-temperate affinities is located in the Northwest Iberian Peninsula, and the Rías Baixas may be acting as contemporary refugia at the range edge. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze future changes induced by ocean warming in this area that may induce changes in macroalgae populations. The Delft3D-Flow model forced with climatic data was used to calculate July-August sea surface temperature (SST) for the present (1999-2018) and for the far future (2080-2099). Mean daily SST was used to develop and calibrate a mechanistic geographical distribution model based on the thermal survival threshold of two intertidal habitat-forming macroalgae, namely Himanthalia elongata (L.) S.F.Gray and Bifurcaria bifurcata R. Ross. Results show that H. elongata will become extinct in the Rías Baixas by the end of the century, while B. bifurcata will persist and may occupy potential free space left by the decline in H. elongata.publishe

Acoustic-like dynamics of amorphous drugs in the THz regime

The high frequency dynamics of Indomethacin and Celecoxib glasses has been investigated by inelastic x-ray scattering, accessing a momentum-energy region still unexplored in amorphous pharmaceuticals. We find evidence of phonon-like acoustic dynamics, and determine the THz behavior of sound velocity and acoustic attenuation. Connections with ordinary sound propagation are discussed, along with the relation between fast and slow degrees of freedom as represented by non-ergodicity factor and kinetic fragility, respectively

180 diffusion through amorphous SiOs and cristobalite

Secondary ion mass spectrometry was used to profile the diffusion of oxygen in polycrystalline β-cristobalite and vitreous SiO2. The tracer concentration profiles of cristobalite are consistent with a model based on two mechanisms: bulk and short-circuit diffusion. The profiles of partially crystallized samples containing vitreous SiO2 and β-cristobalite were fitted using the sum of two complementary error functions and taking account of some interstitial-network exchange. The bulk oxygen diffusivity, in the temperature range 1240-1500 °C, is about five times greater for vitreous silica than for β-cristobalite

Sistema de telepeaje en zonas urbanas

Las Low Emission Zones (LEZ) limitan el acceso de vehículos a las zonas más céntricas de las ciudades con el objetivo de reducir la densidad del tráfico y la contaminación ambiental. Estos sistemas tienen problemas de privacidad de los conductores y de efectividad en la detección del fraude. Este artículo presenta un sistema de telepeaje para LEZ que mejora estos problemas.Este trabajo está parcialmente financiado por el Gobierno de España (a través de una beca FPI BES-2012-054780 y los proyectos CO-PRIVACY TIN2011-27076-C03-01, ARES-CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010 CSD2007-00004 y BallotNext IPT-2012-0603-430000)

Magnetic transitions in alpha-Fe_2O_3 nanowires

Magnetic transitions in single-crystal alpha-F_2O_3 (hematite) nanowires, grown by thermal oxidation of iron powder, have been studied in the range of 5-1023 K with a superconducting quantum interference device below room temperature and with a vibrating sample magnetometer at higher temperatures. The broad temperature range covered enables us to compare magnetic transitions in the nanowires with the transitions reported for bulk hematite. Morin temperatures (T-M) of the nanowires and of hematite bulk reference powder were found to be 123 and 263 K, respectively. Also the Neel temperature (T-N) of the nanowires, 852 K, was lower than the bulk T-N value. Measurements of the magnetization as a function of temperature show an enhanced signal in the nanowires, which suggests a decrease in the anti ferromagnetic coupling. A coercive field observed below T-M in the hysteresis loops of the nanowires is tentatively explained by the presence of a magnetic phase