Nullification functors and the homotopy type of the classifying space for proper bundles

Let G be a discrete group for which the classifying space for proper G-actions is finite-dimensional. We find a space W such that for any such G, the classifying space PBG for proper G-bundles has the homotopy type of the W-nullification of BG. We use this to deduce some results concerning PBG and in some cases where there is a good model for PBG we obtain information about the BZ/p-nullification of BG.Comment: Published by Algebraic and Geometric Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/agt/AGTVol5/agt-5-46.abs.htm

Influence of cracking on oxygen transport in UHPFRC using stainless steel sensors

[EN] Reinforced concrete elements frequently suffer small cracks that are not relevant from the mechanical point of view, but they can be an entrance point for aggressive agents, such as oxygen, which could initiate the degradation processes. Fiber-Reinforced Concrete and especially Ultra High Performance Concrete increase the multi-cracking behavior, reducing the crack width and spacing. In this work, the oxygen availability of three types of concrete was compared at similar strain levels to evaluate the benefit of multi-cracking in the transport of oxygen. The types of concrete studied include traditional, High-Performance, and Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete with and without nanofibers. To this purpose, reinforced concrete beams sized 150 x 100 x 750 mm(3) were prepared with embedded stainless steel sensors that were located at three heights, which have also been validated through this work. These beams were pre-cracked in bending up to fixed strain levels. The results indicate that the sensors used were able to detect oxygen availability due to the presence of cracks and the detected differences between the studied concretes. Ultra High Performance Concrete in the cracked state displayed lower oxygen availability than the uncracked High Performance Concrete, demonstrating its potential higher durability, even when working in cracked state, thanks to the increased multi-cracking response.The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for the pre-doctoral scholarship granted to Ana Martinez Ibernon (FPU 16/00723), to the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for the pre-doctoral scholarship granted to Josep Ramon Lliso Ferrando (FPI-UPV-2018), and the European Union's Horizon 2020 ReSHEALience project (Grant Agreement No. 760824).Martínez-Ibernón, A.; Roig-Flores, M.; Lliso-Ferrando, JR.; Mezquida-Alcaraz, EJ.; Valcuende Payá, MO.; Serna Ros, P. (2020). Influence of cracking on oxygen transport in UHPFRC using stainless steel sensors. Applied Sciences. 10(1):1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10010239S117101Front Matter. (2013). fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010, I-XXXIII. doi:10.1002/9783433604090.fmatterYoo, D.-Y., & Banthia, N. (2016). Mechanical properties of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete: A review. Cement and Concrete Composites, 73, 267-280. doi:10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2016.08.001Wittmann, F., & Van Zijl, G. (Eds.). (2011). Durability of Strain-Hardening Fibre-Reinforced Cement-Based Composites (SHCC). doi:10.1007/978-94-007-0338-4Li, V. C. (2003). On Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC). Journal of Advanced Concrete Technology, 1(3), 215-230. doi:10.3151/jact.1.215Asgari, M. A., Mastali, M., Dalvand, A., & Abdollahnejad, Z. (2017). Development of deflection hardening cementitious composites using glass fibres for flexural repairing/strengthening concrete beams: experimental and numerical studies. European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering, 23(8), 916-944. doi:10.1080/19648189.2017.1327888Ravindrarajah, R. S., & Swamy, R. N. (1989). Load effects on fracture of concrete. Materials and Structures, 22(1), 15-22. doi:10.1007/bf02472690Bascoul, A. (1996). State of the art report—Part 2: Mechanical micro-cracking of concrete. Materials and Structures, 29(2), 67-78. doi:10.1007/bf02486196Damgaard Jensen, A., & Chatterji, S. (1996). State of the art report on micro-cracking and lifetime of concrete—Part 1. Materials and Structures, 29(1), 3-8. doi:10.1007/bf02486001Berrocal, C. G., Löfgren, I., Lundgren, K., Görander, N., & Halldén, C. (2016). Characterisation of bending cracks in R/FRC using image analysis. Cement and Concrete Research, 90, 104-116. doi:10.1016/j.cemconres.2016.09.016Correia, M. J., Pereira, E. V., Salta, M. M., & Fonseca, I. T. E. (2006). Sensor for oxygen evaluation in concrete. Cement and Concrete Composites, 28(3), 226-232. doi:10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2006.01.006Yoon, I.-S. (2018). Comprehensive Approach to Calculate Oxygen Diffusivity of Cementitious Materials Considering Carbonation. International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials, 12(1). doi:10.1186/s40069-018-0242-yBanthia, N., Zanotti, C., & Sappakittipakorn, M. (2014). Sustainable fiber reinforced concrete for repair applications. Construction and Building Materials, 67, 405-412. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2013.12.073Berrocal, C. G., Löfgren, I., & Lundgren, K. (2018). The effect of fibres on steel bar corrosion and flexural behaviour of corroded RC beams. Engineering Structures, 163, 409-425. doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.02.068Sisomphon, K., Copuroglu, O., & Koenders, E. A. B. (2012). Self-healing of surface cracks in mortars with expansive additive and crystalline additive. Cement and Concrete Composites, 34(4), 566-574. doi:10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2012.01.005Ferrara, L., Krelani, V., & Carsana, M. (2014). A «fracture testing» based approach to assess crack healing of concrete with and without crystalline admixtures. Construction and Building Materials, 68, 535-551. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.07.008Roig-Flores, M., Pirritano, F., Serna, P., & Ferrara, L. (2016). Effect of crystalline admixtures on the self-healing capability of early-age concrete studied by means of permeability and crack closing tests. Construction and Building Materials, 114, 447-457. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.03.196López, J. Á., Serna, P., Navarro-Gregori, J., & Camacho, E. (2014). An inverse analysis method based on deflection to curvature transformation to determine the tensile properties of UHPFRC. Materials and Structures, 48(11), 3703-3718. doi:10.1617/s11527-014-0434-0Lopez, J. A., Serna, P., Camacho, E., Coll, H., & Navarro-Gregori, J. (2014). First Ultra-High-Performance Fibre-Reinforced Concrete Footbridge in Spain: Design and Construction. Structural Engineering International, 24(1), 101-104. doi:10.2749/101686614x13830788505793Negrini, A., Roig-Flores, M., Mezquida-Alcaraz, E. J., Ferrara, L., & Serna, P. (2019). Effect of crack pattern on the self-healing capability in traditional, HPC and UHPFRC concretes measured by water and chloride permeability. MATEC Web of Conferences, 289, 01006. doi:10.1051/matecconf/20192890100

A multi-targeted approach to suppress tumor-promoting inflammation

Cancers harbor significant genetic heterogeneity and patterns of relapse following many therapies are due to evolved resistance to treatment. While efforts have been made to combine targeted therapies, significant levels of toxicity have stymied efforts to effectively treat cancer with multi-drug combinations using currently approved therapeutics. We discuss the relationship between tumor-promoting inflammation and cancer as part of a larger effort to develop a broad-spectrum therapeutic approach aimed at a wide range of targets to address this heterogeneity. Specifically, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, cyclooxygenase-2, transcription factor nuclear factor-κB, tumor necrosis factor alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase, protein kinase B, and CXC chemokines are reviewed as important antiinflammatory targets while curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, lycopene, and anthocyanins are reviewed as low-cost, low toxicity means by which these targets might all be reached simultaneously. Future translational work will need to assess the resulting synergies of rationally designed antiinflammatory mixtures (employing low-toxicity constituents), and then combine this with similar approaches targeting the most important pathways across the range of cancer hallmark phenotypes

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Long-term follow-up of certolizumab pegol in uveitis due to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases : multicentre study of 80 patients

Objectives To evaluate effectiveness and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) in uveitis due to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID). Methods Multicentre study of CZP-treated patients with IMID uveitis refractory to conventional immunosuppressant. Effectiveness was assessed through the following ocular parameters: best-corrected visual acuity, anterior chamber cells, vitritis, macular thickness and retinal vasculitis. These variables were compared between the baseline, and first week, first, third, sixth months, first and second year. Results We studied 80 (33 men/47 women) patients (111 affected eyes) with a mean age of 41.6±11.7 years. The IMID included were: spondyloarthritis (n=43), Behçet's disease (n=10), psoriatic arthritis (n=8), Crohn's disease (n=4), sarcoidosis (n=2), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (n=1), reactive arthritis (n=1), rheumatoid arthritis (n=1), relapsing polychondritis (n=1), Conclusions CZP seems to be effective and safe in uveitis related to different IMID, even in patients refractory to previous biological drugs

Next Generation Flow for highly sensitive and standardized detection of minimal residual disease in multiple myeloma

Flow cytometry has become a highly valuable method to monitor minimal residual disease (MRD) and evaluate the depth of complete response (CR) in bone marrow (BM) of multiple myeloma (MM) after therapy. However, current flow-MRD has lower sensitivity than molecular methods and lacks standardization. Here we report on a novel next generation flow (NGF) approach for highly sensitive and standardized MRD detection in MM. An optimized 2-tube 8-color antibody panel was constructed in five cycles of design-evaluation-redesign. In addition, a bulk-lysis procedure was established for acquisition of

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)