A Rouse-like model for highly ordered main-chain liquid crystalline polymers containing hairpins

Main-chain liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are used to produce strong fibers due to their ability to form highly-ordered orientational states. For sufficiently long chains it is known that loss of entropy in such highly-ordered states is partly recovered by the formation of so-called hairpins or kinks. The presence of hairpins not only modifies the microstructure of LCPs, but it has also been conjectured that hairpins influence their macroscopic mechanical behavior. In this paper the influence of hairpins on the rheological properties of concentrated solutions of LCPs is studied

A rod-spring model for main-chain liquid crystalline polymers containing hairpins

Main-chain liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are used to produce strong ¿bers due to their ability to form highly-ordered orientational states. For su¿ciently long chains it is known that loss of entropy in such highly-ordered states is partly recovered by the formation of so-called hairpins or kinks. The presence of hairpins not only modi¿es the microstructure of LCPs, but it has also been conjectured that hairpins in¿uence their macroscopic mechanical behavior. In this paper the in¿uence of hairpins on the rheological properties of concentrated solutions of LCPs is studied

Turnout and voting behaviour in constitutional referendums: a regional analysis of the Italian case

This paper investigates regional disparities of both turnout and voting behaviour in constitutional referendums. The analysis is undertaken at the NUTS-3 level and it considers the three constitutional referendums held in Italy in the period 2001–2016. It finds that turnout was lower in provinces with higher unemployment rates and where citizens had a stronger affiliation to opposition parties. These factors, along with level of government popularity, were important drivers of referendum results, especially in 2006 and 2016 when the referendums were rejected. In addition, while the three referendums implied different effects for rich and poor regions, mainly due to decentralization of powers, the local voting patterns did not reflect this. Overall, these findings suggest that the merit of the constitutional reforms played little part in explaining the outcome of the referendums

Characteristics of self-care interventions for patients with a chronic condition: A scoping review

Background: Self-care is a fundamental element of treatment for patients with a chronic condition and a major focus of many interventions. A large body of research exists describing different types of self-care interventions, but these studies have never been compared across conditions. Examination of heterogeneous interventions could provide insights into effective approaches that should be used in diverse patient populations. Objectives: To provide a comprehensive and standardized cross-condition overview of interventions to enhance self-care in patients with a chronic condition. Specific aims were to: 1) identify what self-care concepts and behaviors are evaluated in self-care interventions; 2) classify and quantify heterogeneity in mode and type of delivery; 3) quantify the behavior change techniques used to enhance self-care behavior; and 4) assess the dose of self-care interventions delivered. Design: Scoping review DATA SOURCES: Four electronic databases - PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO and CINAHL - were searched from January 2008 through January 2019. Eligibility criteria for study selection: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with concealed allocation to the intervention were included if they compared a behavioral or educational self- care intervention to usual care or another self-care intervention and were conducted in adults. Nine common chronic conditions were included: hypertension, coronary artery disease, arthritis, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, stroke, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diagnoses that are psychiatric (e.g. schizophrenia), acute rather than chronic, or benefitting little from self-care (e.g. dementia) were excluded. Studies had to be reported in English with full-text available. Results: 9309 citations were considered and 233 studies were included in the final review. Most studies addressed type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 85; 36%), hypertension (n = 32; 14%) or heart failure (n = 27; 12%). The majority (97%) focused on healthy behaviors like physical activity (70%), dietary intake (59%), and medication management (52%). Major deficits found in self-care interventions included a lack of attention to the psychological consequences of chronic illness, technology and behavior change techniques were rarely used, few studies focused on helping patients manage signs and symptoms, and the interventions were rarely innovative. Research reporting was generally poor. Conclusions: Major gaps in targeted areas of self-care were identified. Opportunities exist to improve the quality and reporting of future self-care intervention research. Registration: The study was registered in the PROSPERO database (#123,719)

Diagnostic value of a heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) bedside test in suspected acute coronary syndrome in primary care

AbstractBackgroundTo determine the diagnostic accuracy of a rapid heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) test in patients suspected of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in primary care.MethodsGeneral practitioners included 298 patients suspected of ACS. In all patients, whether referred to hospital or not, ECG and cardiac biomarker testing was performed. ACS was determined in accordance with international guidelines. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the value of H-FABP in addition to clinical findings.ResultsMean patient age was 66years (SD 14), 52% was female and 66 patients (22%) were diagnosed with ACS. The H-FABP bedside test was performed within 24h (median 3.1, IQR 1.5 to 7.1) after symptom onset. The positive predictive value (PPV) of H-FABP was 65% (95% confidence interval (CI) 50–78). The negative predictive value (NPV) was 85% (95% CI 80–88). Sensitivity was 39% (29–51%) and specificity 94% (90–96%). Within 6h after symptom onset, the PPV was 72% (55–84) and the NPV was 83% (77–88), sensitivity 43% (31–57%) and specificity 94% (89–97%). Adding the H-FABP test to a diagnostic model for ACS led to an increase in the area under the receiver operating curve from 0.66 (95% CI 0.58–0.73) to 0.75 (95% CI 0.68–0.82).ConclusionThe H-FABP rapid test provides modest additional diagnostic certainty in primary care. It cannot be used to safely exclude rule out ACS. The test can only be used safely in patients otherwise NOT referred to hospital by the GP, as an extra precaution not to miss ACS (‘rule in’)

Mechanisms of pine disease susceptibility under experimental climate change

Climate change (CC) conditions projected for many temperate areas of the world, expressed by way of excessive temperatures and low water availability, will impact forest health directly by means of abiotic stress but also by predisposing trees to pathogenic attack. However, we do not yet know how such environmental conditions alter the physiology and metabolism of trees to render them more susceptible to pathogens. To explore these mechanisms, we conditioned 3-year-old Austrian pine saplings to a simulated CC environment (combined drought and elevated temperatures), followed by pathogenic inoculation with two sister fungal species characterized by contrasting aggressiveness, Diplodia sapinea (aggressive) and D. scrobiculata (less aggressive). Lesion lengths resulting from infection were measured after 3 weeks to determine phenotypes, while dual transcriptomics analysis was conducted on tissues collected from the margins of developing lesions on separate branches 72 h post inoculation. As expected, climate change conditions enhanced host susceptibility to the less aggressive pathogen, D. scrobiculata, to a level that was not statistically different from the more aggressive D. sapinea. Under controlled climate conditions, D. sapinea induced suppression of critical pathways associated with host nitrogen and carbon metabolism, while enhancing its own carbon assimilation. This was accompanied by suppression of host defense-associated pathways. In contrast, D. scrobiculata infection induced host nitrogen and fatty acid metabolism as well as host defense response. The CC treatment, on the other hand, was associated with suppression of critical host carbon and nitrogen metabolic pathways, alongside defense associated pathways, in response to either pathogen. We propose a new working model integrating concurrent host and pathogen responses, connecting the weakened host phenotype under CC treatment with specific metabolic compartments. Our results contribute to a richer understanding of the mechanisms underlying the oft-observed increased susceptibility to fungal infection in trees under conditions of low water availability and open new areas of investigation to further integrate our knowledge in this critical aspect of tree physiology and ecology.https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/forests-and-global-changedm2022BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

108 AUROTHIOMALATE INHIBITS COX-2 EXPRESSION AND PGE2 PRODUCTION IN CHONDROCYTES BY INCREASING MKP-1 EXPRESSION AND DECREASING p38 AND JNK PHOSPHORYLATION

The very high occurrence of cardiovascular events presents a major public health issue, because treatment remains suboptimal. Lowering LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) with statins or ezetimibe in combination with a statin reduces major adverse cardiovascular events. The cardiovascular risk reduction in relation to the absolute LDL-C reduction is linear for most interventions without evidence of attenuation or increase in risk at low LDL-C levels. Opportunities for innovation in dyslipidaemia treatment should address the substantial risk of lipid-associated cardiovascular events among patients optimally treated per guidelines but who cannot achieve LDL-C goals and who could benefit from additional LDL-C-lowering therapy or experience side effects of statins. Fresh approaches are needed to identify promising drug targets early and develop them efficiently. The Cardiovascular Round Table of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) convened a workshop to discuss new lipid-lowering strategies for cardiovascular risk reduction. Opportunities to improve treatment approaches and the efficient study of new therapies were explored. Circulating biomarkers may not be fully reliable proxy indicators of the relationship between treatment effect and clinical outcome. Mendelian randomization studies may better inform development strategies and refine treatment targets before Phase 3. Trials should match the drug to appropriate lipid and patient profile, and guidelines may move towards a precision-based approach to individual patient management. Stakeholder collaboration is needed to ensure continued innovation and better international coordination of both regulatory aspects and guidelines. It should be noted that risk may also be addressed through increased attention to other risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, overweight, and inactivity

Gold Nanoparticle-Quantum Dot Fluorescent Nanohybrid:Application for Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance-induced Molecular Beacon Ultrasensitive DNA Detection

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The prognostic value of the suPARnostic® ELISA in HIV-1 infected individuals is not affected by uPAR promoter polymorphisms

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High blood levels of soluble urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) are associated with poor outcomes in human immunodeficiency-1 (HIV-1) infected individuals. Research on the clinical value of suPAR in HIV-1 infection led to the development of the suPARnostic^®assay for commercial use in 2006. The aim of this study was to: 1) Evaluate the prognostic value of the new suPARnostic^®assay and 2) Determine whether polymorphisms in the active promoter of uPAR influences survival and/or suPAR values in HIV-1 patients who are antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>DNA samples were collected retrospectively from 145 Danes infected with HIV-1 with known seroconversion times. In addition, plasma was collected retrospectively from 81 of these participants for use in the suPAR analysis. Survival was analysed using Kaplan Meier analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Survival was strongly correlated to suPAR levels (p < 0.001). Levels at or above 6 ng/ml were associated with death in 13 of 27 patients within a two-years period; whereas only one of 54 patients with suPAR levels below 6 ng/ml died during this period. We identified two common uPAR promoter polymorphisms: a G to A transition at -118 and an A to G transition at -465 comparative to the transcription start site. These promoter transitions influenced neither suPAR levels nor patient survival.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Plasma suPAR levels, as measured by the suPARnostic^®assay, were strongly predictive of survival in ART-naïve HIV-1 infected patients. Furthermore, plasma suPAR levels were not influenced by uPAR promoter polymorphisms.</p