Effect of Gypsum on the Early Hydration of Cubic and Na-Doped Orthorhombic Tricalcium Aluminate

The tricalcium aluminate (C3A) and sulfate content in cement influence the hydration chemistry, setting time and rheology of cement paste, mortar and concrete. Here, in situ experiments are performed to better understand the effect of gypsum on the early hydration of cubic (cub-)C3A and Na-doped orthorhombic (orth-)C3A. The isothermal calorimetry data show that the solid-phase assemblage produced by the hydration of C3A is greatly modified as a function of its crystal structure type and gypsum content, the latter of which induces non-linear changes in the heat release rate. These data are consistent with the in situ X-ray diffraction results, which show that a higher gypsum content accelerates the consumption of orth-C3A and the subsequent precipitation of ettringite, which is contrary to the cub-C3A system where gypsum retarded the hydration rate. These in situ results provide new insight into the relationship between the chemistry and early-age properties of cub- and orth-C3A hydration and corroborate the reported ex situ findings of these systems

Silk fibroin nanoparticles constitute a vector for controlled release of resveratrol in an experimental model of inflammatory bowel disease in rats.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the intestinal anti-inflammatory properties of silk fibroin nanoparticles, around 100 nm in size, when loaded with the stilbene compound resveratrol, in an experimental model of rat colitis. Methods: Nanoparticles were loaded with resveratrol by adsorption. The biological effects of the resveratrol-loaded nanoparticles were tested both in vitro, in a cell culture of RAW 264.7 cells (mouse macrophages), and in vivo, in the trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid model of rat colitis, when administered intracolonically. Results: The resveratrol liberation in 1× phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; pH 7.4) was characterized by fast liberation, reaching the solubility limit in 3 hours, which was maintained over a period of 80 hours. The in vitro assays revealed immunomodulatory properties exerted by these resveratrol-loaded nanoparticles since they promoted macrophage activity in basal conditions and inhibited this activity when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. The in vivo experiments showed that after evaluation of the macroscopic symptoms, inflammatory markers, and intestinal barrier function, the fibroin nanoparticles loaded with resveratrol had a better effect than the single treatments, being similar to that produced by the glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Conclusion: Silk fibroin nanoparticles constitute an attractive strategy for the controlled release of resveratrol, showing immunomodulatory properties and intestinal anti-inflammatory effects

Intestinal anti-inflammatory effects of goat whey on DNBS-induced colitis in mice

This study evaluated the intestinal anti-inflammatory effects of goat whey in a mouse model of colitis induced by 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid that resembles human IBD. At a concentration of 4 g/kg/day, the goat whey improved the symptoms of intestinal inflammation, namely by decreasing the disease activity index, colonic weight/length, and leukocyte infiltration. Moreover, goat whey inhibited NF-kappa B p65 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways and consequently down-regulated the gene expression of various proinflammatory markers such as IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-alpha, iNOS, MMP-9, ICAM-1. Also, goat whey increased the expression of proteins such as mucins, occludin proteins and cytokine signalling suppressors. The immunomodulatory properties of goat whey were also evaluated in vitro using the murine macrophage cell line Raw 264 and CMT-93 cells derived from mouse rectum carcinomas. The results revealed the ability of goat whey to inhibit the production of NO and reduce IL-6 production in LPS-stimulated cells. In conclusion, goat whey exhibited antiinflammatory effects in the DNBS model of intestinal inflammation, and these observations were confirmed by its immunomodulatory properties in vitro. Together, our results indicate that goat whey could have applications for the treatment of IBD.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Differentiating Abnormal, Normal, and Ideal Personality Profiles in Multidimensional Spaces

Current dimensional taxonomies of personality disorder (PD) establish that intense traits do not suffice to diagnose a disorder, and additional constructs reflecting dysfunction are required. However, traits appear able to predict maladaptation by themselves, which might avoid duplications and simplify diagnosis. On the other hand, if trait-based diagnoses are feasible, it is the whole personality profile that should be considered, rather than individual traits. This takes us into multidimensional spaces, which have their own particular - but poorly understood - logic. The present study examines how profile-level differences between normal and disordered subjects can be used for diagnosis. The Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology - Basic Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ) and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) were administered to a community and a clinical sample each (total n = 1,925 and 3,543 respectively). Intense traits proved to be common in the general population, so empirically-based thresholds are indispensable not to take as abnormal what is at most unideal. Profile-level parameters such as Euclidean and Mahalanobis distances outperformed individual traits in predicting mental problems and equaled the performance of published measures of dysfunction or severity. Personality profiles can play a more central role in identifying disorders than is currently acknowledged, provided that adequate metrics are used

Towards a common European ethical and legal framework for conducting clinical research : the GATEKEEPER experience

This paper examines the ethical and legal challenges encountered during the GATEKEEPER Project and how these challenges informed the development of a comprehensive framework for future Large-Scale Pilot (LSP) projects. GATEKEEPER is a LSP Project with 48 partners conducting 30 implementation studies across Europe with 50,000 target participants grouped into 9 Reference Use Cases. The project underscored the complexity of obtaining ethical approval across various jurisdictions with divergent regulations and procedures. Through a detailed analysis of the issues faced and the strategies employed to navigate these challenges, this study proposes an ethical and legal framework. This framework, derived from a comparative analysis of ethical application forms and regulations, aims to streamline the ethical approval process for future LSP research projects. By addressing the hurdles encountered in GATEKEEPER, the proposed framework offers a roadmap for more efficient and effective project management, ensuring smoother implementation of similar projects in the future

18F-FDG metabolism in a rat model of chronic infarction: a 17-sector semiquantitative analysis

Strategies to establish the functional benefit of cell therapy in cardiac regeneration and the potential mechanism are needed. Aims: Development of a semi-quantitative method for non invasive assessment of cardiac viability and function in a rat model of myocardial infarction (MI) based on the use of microPET. Animals, methods: Ten rats were subjected to myocardial imaging 2, 7, 14, 30, 60 and 90 days after left coronary artery ligation. Intravenous 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-2-D-glucose (18F-FDG) was administered and regional 18F activity concentrations per unit area were measured in 17 regions of interest (ROIs) drawn on cardiac polar maps. By comparing the differences in 18F uptake between baseline and each of the follow up time points, parametric polar maps of statistical significance (PPMSS) were calculated. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was blindly assessed echocardiographically. All animals were sacrificed for histopathological analysis after 90 days. Results: The diagnostic quality of 18F-FDG microPET images was excellent. PPMSS demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in 18F concentrations as early as 48 hours after MI in 4 of the 17 ROIs (segments 7, 13, 16 and 17; p <0.05) that persisted throughout the study. Semi-quantitative analysis of 18F-FDG uptake correlated with echocardiographic decrease in LVEF (p <0.001). Conclusion: The use of PPMSS based on 18F-FDG-microPET provides valuable semi-quantitative information of heart glucose metabolism allowing for non-invasive follow up thus representing a useful strategy for assessment of novel therapies in cardiac regeneration

Application of the JA-CHRODIS Integrated Multimorbidity Care Model (IMCM) to a Case Study of Diabetes and Mental Health

The Integrated Multimorbidity Care Model (IMCM), developed by the Joint Action on Chronic Diseases and Promoting Healthy Ageing across the Life Cycle (JA-CHRODIS), proposes a set of 16 multidimensional components (i.e., recommendations) to improve the care of persons with multimorbidity in Europe. This study aimed at analyzing the potential applicability of the IMCM. We followed a qualitative approach that comprised two phases: (1) The design of a case study based on empirical clinical data, which consisted of a hypothetical woman with multimorbidity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, mental health, and associated social problems, and (2) the creation of a consensus group to gather the opinions of a multidisciplinary group of experts and consider the potential applicability of the IMCM to our case study. Experts described how care should be delivered to this patient according to each model component, suggested the use of specific rating scales and tools to assess her needs in a comprehensive and regular way, and pointed our crucial health and social resources to improve her care process. Experts also highlighted patient-centered, integrated and tailored care as one of the keystones of quality healthcare. Our results suggest that the IMCM is applicable in complex patients with multimorbidity

Health-related quality of life with palbociclib plus endocrine therapy versus capecitabine in postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor–positive metastatic breast cancer: Patient-reported outcomes in the PEARL study

Background: The PEARL study showed that palbociclib plus endocrine therapy (palbociclib/ET) was not superior to capecitabine in improving progression-free survival in postmenopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer resistant to aromatase inhibitors, but was better tolerated. This analysis compared patient-reported outcomes. Patients and methods: The PEARL quality of life (QoL) population comprised 537 patients, 268 randomised to palbociclib/ET (exemestane or fulvestrant) and 269 to capecitabine. Patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 and EQ-5D-3L questionnaires. Changes from the baseline and time to deterioration (TTD) were analysed using linear mixed-effect and stratified Cox regression models, respectively. Results: Questionnaire completion rate was high and similar between treatment arms. Significant differences were observed in the mean change in global health status (GHS)/QoL scores from the baseline to cycle 3 (2.9 for palbociclib/ET vs. -2.1 for capecitabine (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4–8.6; P = 0.007). The median TTD in GHS/QoL was 8.3 months for palbociclib/ET versus 5.3 months for capecitabine (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.55–0.89; P = 0.003). Similar improvements for palbociclib/ET were also seen for other scales as physical, role, cognitive, social functioning, fatigue, nausea/vomiting and appetite loss. No differences were observed between the treatment arms in change from the baseline in any item of the EQ-5D-L3 questionnaire as per the overall index score and visual analogue scale. Conclusion: Patients receiving palbociclib/ET experienced a significant delay in deterioration of GHS/QoL and several functional and symptom scales compared with capecitabine, providing additional evidence that palbociclib/ET is better tolerated. Trial registration number: NCT02028507 (ClinTrials.gov). EudraCT study number: 2013-003170-27. © 2021 The Author(s

Real-time incidence of travel-related symptoms through a smartphone-based app remote monitoring system: a pilot study

Trip Doctor(R), a Smartphone-based app monitoring system, was developed to detect infections among travelers in real-time. For testing, 106 participants were recruited (62.2% male, mean age 36 years (SD = 11)). Majority of trips were for tourism and main destinations were in South East Asia. Mean travel duration was 14 days (SD = 10). Diarrhea was the most frequently reported symptom (15.5%). The system demonstrated adequate usability and is ready to be used on a larger scale