The mediterranean way. Should elderly people eat leafy vegetables and beetroot to lower high blood pressure?

n/

Statin use and survival in resectable pancreatic cancer: confounders and mechanisms.

A first point regards the possible activity of drugs other than statins, such as aspirin or metformin, against pancreatic cancer. As many patients use a combination of these drugs, one might speculate that the association between simvastatin and overall survival in resected pancreatic cancer patients might also be explained by the concomitant use of aspirin or metformin, or that these drugs might result synergistic, as hypothesized for colorectal cancer (3). We wonder whether the authors had access to data on aspirin or metformin use for their population. A second point regards the very high 45% rate of simvastatin or lovastatin users reported by the authors. This figure is different from that of many European countries, thus possibly limiting the attributable fraction of cases for whom the observed findings can be replicated

Burgers, Doughnuts, and Expatriations: An Analysis of the Tax Inversion Epidemic and a Solution Presented Through the Lens of the Burger King-Tim Hortons Merger

Currently, the concept of tax inversion is a major corporate phenomenon. In the United States, companies pay taxes on all earnings, whether or not they were accumulated here. With one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world, this is a major expense for U.S. corporations competing in the world market. While most companies simply deal with the tax burden, some U.S. corporations buy foreign companies and relocate the company headquarters to the acquisitions home country. This corporate expatriation allows companies to avoid U.S. taxes on earnings in a number of ways. This Note will examine tax inversion through the lens of the 2014 Burger King-Tim Hortons merger and the resulting expatriation of the American burger purveyor from Florida to Canada. In particular, this Note will (1) examine why tax inversions have come about, (2) look at how politicians and academics have reacted to the phenomenon, (3) analyze the intricacies of the Burger King-Tim Hortons merger, and (4) propose a new solution that would actually curtail tax inversions and corporate expatriations within the United States

Development Of A Nanoparticulate Drug Delivery Vehicle For Retinoic Acid

Retinoic acid (RA) is a small molecule capable of shunting developing T cells away from the Th17 lineage and towards the Treg phenotype, making it a potentially useful therapeutic for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. However, therapy can be complicated by systemic toxicity and unpredictable bioavailability, making a targeted drug delivery vehicle for local therapy desirable. A promising approach is the use of nanoparticles, which have been demonstrated to increase potency and decrease toxicity of therapies in a variety of disease models including Th17 mediated diseases. We therefore constructed a nanoparticulate drug delivery platform from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) capable of encapsulating and releasing RA. Here we report the fabrication, characterization, and in vitro bioactivity of this platform. We demonstrate that RA containing PLGA nanoparticles suppress IL-17 and IFN-gamma production and ROR-gamma(t) expression in T cells polarized towards the Th17 phenotype in vitro with similar potency to that of free drug. Furthermore, we show that these particles enhance TGF-beta dependent Foxp3 expression and IL-10 production of T cells in vitro with similar potency to free RA. Finally, we demonstrate that T cells polarized towards the Th17 phenotype in the presence of free RA and nanoparticulate RA have similarly suppressed ability to induce IL-6 production by fibroblasts. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of RA delivery via biodegradable nanoparticles and represent an exciting technology for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases

Rascacielos a la italiana. Construcción de gran altura en los años cincuenta y sesenta

In the fifties and sixties, while Italian engineering was receiving important international awards, the theme of the tall building attracted the attention of the best architects. They made it a field of design experimentation, immediately sensing how the strategic use of the structure could revolutionize the already stereotyped image of the all-steel and glass towers proposed by the International Style. Gio Ponti, Luigi Moretti and the BBPR thus created formidable partnerships with Pier Luigi Nervi and Arturo Danusso, the most active engineers in the field of skyscraper design. The result was at least three masterpieces, among the works created in those years: the Velasca tower and the Pirelli skyscraper in Milan and the Stock Exchange tower in Montreal, which, at the time of its completion, also marked the record for the highest reinforced concrete building in the world.En los años cincuenta y sesenta del siglo XX, mientras la ingeniería italiana recibía importantes premios internacionales, el diseño de los edificios en altura atraía la atención de los mejores arquitectos. Estos entendieron inmediatamente lo mucho que el empleo estratégico de la estructura habría podido revolucionar la ya de por sí estereotipada imagen de la torre de acero y vidrio propuesta por el Estilo Internacional, y lo convirtieron en un campo de experimentación. De esta forma Gio Ponti, Luigi Moretti y la BBPR desarrollaron extraordinarias colaboraciones con Pier Luigi Nervi y Arturo Danusso, los ingenieros más activos en el campo del diseño de rascacielos. De entre los proyectos realizados en esos años, este proceso de colaboración dió como resultado a al menos tres obras maestras: la torre Velasca, el rascacielos Pirelli y la torre de la Bolsa de Valores de Montreal. Esta última, en el momento de su finalización, además significó el récord del edificio de hormigón armado más alto del mundo

An Android-Based Mechanism for Energy Efficient Localization Depending on Indoor/Outdoor Context

Today, there is widespread use of mobile applications that take advantage of a user\u27s location. Popular usages of location information include geotagging on social media websites, driver assistance and navigation, and querying nearby locations of interest. However, the average user may not realize the high energy costs of using location services (namely the GPS) or may not make smart decisions regarding when to enable or disable location services-for example, when indoors. As a result, a mechanism that can make these decisions on the user\u27s behalf can significantly improve a smartphone\u27s battery life. In this paper, we present an energy consumption analysis of the localization methods available on modern Android smartphones and propose the addition of an indoor localization mechanism that can be triggered depending on whether a user is detected to be indoors or outdoors. Based on our energy analysis and implementation of our proposed system, we provide experimental results-monitoring battery life over time-and show that an indoor localization method triggered by indoor or outdoor context can improve smartphone battery life and, potentially, location accuracy

The use of complementary and alternative medicine is frequent in patients with pancreatic disorder

BACKGROUND: Herbal remedies and other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are used by 30% of the patients with liver and inflammatory bowel diseases. However, there are no data regarding CAM use in patients with pancreatic disorders, including potential pancreatotoxicity. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of CAM use in patients with pancreatic disorders and screen for pancreatotoxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey of consecutive outpatients seen at a Pancreas Center. Data were collected in a specific questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the prevalence and the patterns of CAM use. Characteristics associated with CAM use were analyzed by appropriate statistics. RESULTS: Of 108 patients (52% male; mean age, 65±13 years), 47 (43.5%) used CAM. The use of CAM was more frequent among patients with previous acute pancreatitis (47%). Reported reasons for the use of CAM were to help standard therapies and for an overall better feeling. About 61% of the patients reported advantages with treatment. As compared with nonusers, CAM users were more often female (55% vs. 42%), with a higher school degree (43% vs. 36%), more frequently performing physical activity (51% vs. 41%), and reporting anxiety (45% vs. 31%). However, none of these differences were statistically significant. Three patients with previous acute pancreatitis reported the use of Serenoa repens that is potentially pancreatotoxic. DISCUSSION: The rate of CAM use in patients with pancreatic disorders is similar to those reported for other digestive diseases. CAM use seems to be more frequent in women with a higher education level and a "healthier lifestyle." Patients might not be aware of the potential pancreatotoxicity of CAM, which should be carefully considered by physician

Sample Annotated Bibliography and Guidelines

Students are given a set of guidelines and a sample annotated bibliography to guide them in creating entries for a variety of sources. They assemble all their entries into a formal Annotated Bibliography as their final assignment.https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/opensuny/1017/thumbnail.jp