Incidencia del envejecimiento del asfalto y del grado de fillerización en el fisuramiento de una carpeta asfáltica

Este trabajo estudia la incidencia que tiene el envejecimiento del asfalto y el aumento de MfillerM (como consecuencia de la degradación de los agregados pétreos) en las fisuras producidas en un pavimento urbano luego de un período prolongado de servicio. El envejecimiento del asfalto se estudia por medidas de consistencia y por espectrofotometría infrarroja. Se trata de poner en evidencia la influencia del grado de fillerización mediante ensayos mecánicos de estabilidad Hubbard Field, y por el estudio Teológico del sistema "filien-betún.This paper deals about the cracking produced by the bitumen ageing and by the increment of the mineral filler (as consequence of the aggregate degradation) of an urban pavement after a long-term performance. The ageing of the bitumen is studied by consistency measurements and by infrared spectrophotometry. The influence of the mineral filler is made evident by Hubbard Field stability and by the rheological behaviour of the filler- bitumen system

Improved cardiac performance with human calcitonin gene related peptide in patients with congestive heart failure

Study objective - The aim of the study was to assess the cardiovascular effects of human calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) in patients with congestive heart failure. Design - The effects of CGRP II (or β), 12.5 μg·h−1, given by intravenous infusion for 24 h to digitalised patients with congestive heart failure, were assessed by measurement of cardiac functional indices. Patients - Five patients (four female) were studied. Age was 73-82 years. Three were in New York Heart Association phase III and two in phase IV. Measurements and main results - The pre-ejection period to left ventricular ejection time ratio and the QT distance adjusted for heart rate were lowered by 21% and 4% respectively. The left ventricular shortening index was raised by 43%. The arterial pressure and heart rate did not change consistently. Conclusion - Calcitonin gene related peptide improves myocardial contractility in patients with congestive heart failure. This is the first time this has been show

An analysis of structural components of an urban pavement after 27 years of weathering

Este trabajo, se refiere al análisis efectuado sobre un pavimento urbano con 27 años de servicio, que a la fecha comienza a presentar los primeros signos de deterioro. Sobre el mismo, actualmente sometido a intenso tránsito, no se ha ejecutado en el transcurso de su vida útil ningún tipo de mejora ni mantenimiento. En virtud de una previsión elogiable por parte de los técnicos que en su oportunidad (año 1943) intervinieron en la dosificación de la carpeta de rodamiento, se conservan perfectamente preservadas las muestras de asfaltos que se utilizaron hace 27 años en dicha mezcla. Esta circunstancia permitió cotejar las características de estos betunes originales con las que presenta en la actualidad el asfalto recuperado del pavimento, como también determinar las variaciones de las características físico-mecánicas de la mezcla.This report present the results of an analysis made on a urban pavement when it begun to show the first signs of deterioration after 27 years of wearing. It is presently subjected to an intensive traffic by light and heavy vehicles and it was never subjected to improvements or maintenance. With a praiseworthy foresight the technicians who proportioned its materials in 1943 preserved the samples of the asphalts used for the road construction. This permits the confrontation of the original bitumes with those presently recuperated from the pavement, and the determination of the changes in physical and mechanical properties of the mixture after field use. A correlation of observed failures with assay results is attemped.Facultad de Ingeniería (FI

Variation in Back Pain between Countries: The Example of Britain and Germany

Study Design. Cross-sectional survey with personal interviews. Objective. To study national differences in subjective health, back pain, and self-perceived disability between the United Kingdom and Germany. Summary of Background Data. Back pain is a leading health problem in most Western populations, causing enormous costs to the national health systems. Different prevalence rates were reported from many countries, but rarely as a result of a direct comparison based on an identical study design. Methods. A total of 6,235 male and female participants 50 to 79 years of age (population-based stratified random samples) were recruited in 6 British and 8 German study centers. The interviewer administered standardized questionnaire included a section about presence and severity of back pain. Results. Past and current back pain was more frequent among German participants and different between East and West German centers. The differences in back pain prevalence rates could not be explained by less favorable risk profiles among German respondents. Conclusions. Intercultural differences in perceiving or reporting back pain can be hypothesized as the most likely explanation of the markedly different prevalence rates of the disorder in the United Kingdom and East and West Germany

Soy protein supplementation does not cause lymphocytopenia in postmenopausal women

BACKGROUND: The health benefits of soy isoflavones have been widely investigated; however, there are some concerns as to whether soy isoflavones, similar to ipriflavone, a synthetic isoflavone, cause lymphocytopenia in postmenopausal women. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which 12-month supplementation of 25 g soy protein containing 60 mg isoflavones alters lymphocyte counts or other hematological parameters in postmenopausal women who were not on hormone replacement therapy. METHODS: Eighty-seven postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to receive either soy protein or an equivalent amount of control protein devoid of isoflavones. Fasting venous blood was collected at baseline and at the end of twelve month study period for complete blood count analyses. RESULTS: Between the two treatment groups, the percent changes in hematological parameters, including lymphocytes, were not different. While women consuming the soy supplement had an increase in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution width index (RDW; a marker of reticulocytes), women consuming the control diet had higher percentage of only MCHC. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results of the present study indicate that consumption of 25 g soy protein containing 60 mg isoflavones daily for one year does not cause lymphocytopenia

AKR1C enzymes sustain therapy resistance in paediatric T-ALL

BACKGROUND: Despite chemotherapy intensification, a subgroup of high-risk paediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (TALL) patients still experience treatment failure. In this context, we hypothesised that therapy resistance in T-ALL might involve aldo-keto reductase 1C (AKR1C) enzymes as previously reported for solid tumors.METHODS: Expression of NRF2-AKR1C signaling components has been analysed in paediatric T-ALL samples endowed with different treatment outcomes as well as in patient-derived xenografts of T-ALL. The effects of AKR1C enzyme modulation has been investigated in T-ALL cell lines and primary cultures by combining AKR1C inhibition, overexpression, and gene silencing approaches.RESULTS: We show that T-ALL cells overexpress AKR1C1-3 enzymes in therapy-resistant patients. We report that AKR1C1-3 enzymes play a role in the response to vincristine (VCR) treatment, also ex vivo in patient-derived xenografts. Moreover, we demonstrate that the modulation of AKR1C1-3 levels is sufficient to sensitise T-ALL cells to VCR. Finally, we show that T-ALL chemotherapeutics induce overactivation of AKR1C enzymes independent of therapy resistance, thus establishing a potential resistance loop during T-ALL combination treatment.CONCLUSIONS: Here, we demonstrate that expression and activity of AKR1C enzymes correlate with response to chemotherapeutics in T-ALL, posing AKR1C1-3 as potential targets for combination treatments during T-ALL therapy

A consensus-based approach on the management of patients with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in the dermatological and rheumatological settings in Italy: The ADOI PSO-Amore Project

: Psoriasis is a complex disease often needing a multidisciplinary approach. In particular, the collaboration between dermatologist and rheumatologist is crucial for the management of patients suffering from both psoriasis (PSO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Here we report a series of recommendations from a group of experts, as a result of a Consensus Conference, defining the circumstances in which it is preferable or even mandatory, depending on the available settings, to rely on the opinion of the two specialists, jointly or in a deferred manner. Indications are given on how to organize a 3rd level joint Dermatology- Rheumatology care unit, in connection with 1st and 2nd level clinicians of both specialties, GPs, and other specialists involved in the management of psoriasis. A potential patient journey is suggested, that can be used as a basis for future design and validation of national and/or local diagnostic therapeutic and assistance pathways

Number and type of vertebral deformities: Epidemiological characteristics and relation to back pain and height loss

Vertebral deformity is the classical hallmark of osteoporosis. Three types of vertebral deformity are usually described: crush, wedge and biconcave deformities. However, there are few data concerning the descriptive epidemiology of the individual deformity types, and differences in their underlying pathogenesis and clinical impact remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to compare the epidemiological characteristics of the three types of vertebral deformity and to explore the relationships of the number and type of deformity with back pain and height loss. Age-stratified random samples of men and women aged 50 years and over were recruited from population registers in 30 European centers (EVOS study). Subjects were invited to attend for an interviewer-administered questionnaire and lateral spinal radiographs. The presence, type and number of vertebral deformities was determined using the McCloskey–Kanis algorithm. A total of13 562 men and women were studied; mean age in men was 64.4 years (SD 8.5), and in women 63.8 years (SD 8.5 years). There was evidence of variation in the occurrence of wedge, crush and biconcave deformity by age, sex and vertebral level. Wedge deformities were the most frequent deformity and tended to cluster at the mid-thoracic and thoraco-lumbar regions of the spine in both men and women. Similar predilection for these sites was observed for crush and to a lesser extent biconcave deformities though this was much less marked than for wedge deformities. In both sexes the frequency of biconcave deformities was higher in the lumbar than the thoracic spine and unlike the other deformity types it did not decline in frequency at lower lumbar vertebral levels. The prevalence of all three types of vertebral deformity increased with age and was more marked in women. There were no important differences in the effect of age on the different deformity types. All types of deformity were associated with height loss, which was greatest for individuals with crush deformity. Back pain was also associated with all types of deformity.Overall, these results do not suggest important differences in pathophysiology between the three deformity types. Biomechanical factors appear to be important in determining their distribution within the spine. All deformity types are linked with adverse outcomes, though crush deformities showed greater height loss than the other deformity types.21320682,677Q2SCI

Does location of vertebral deformity within the spine influence back pain and disability?

3713682,444Q2SCI

Assessment of soy phytoestrogens' effects on bone turnover indicators in menopausal women with osteopenia in Iran: a before and after clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is the gradual declining in bone mass with age, leading to increased bone fragility and fractures. Fractures in hip and spine are known to be the most important complication of the disease which leads in the annual mortality rate of 20% and serious morbidity rate of 50%. Menopause is one of the most common risk factors of osteoporosis. After menopause, sex hormone deficiency is associated with increased remodeling rate and negative bone balance, leading to accelerated bone loss and micro-architectural defects, resulting into increased bone fragility. Compounds with estrogen-like biological activity similar to "Isoflavones" present in plants especially soy, may reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women as they are similar in structure to estrogens. This research, therefore, was carried out to study the effects of Iranian soy protein on biochemical indicators of bone metabolism in osteopenic menopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This clinical trial of before-after type was carried out on 15 women 45–64 years of age. Subjects were given 35 g soy protein per day for 12 weeks. Blood and urine sampling, anthropometric measurement and 48-h-dietary recalls were carried out at zero, 6 and 12 weeks. Food consumption data were analyzed using Food Proccessor Software. For the study of bone metabolism indicators and changes in anthropometric data as well as dietary intake, and repeated analyses were employed. RESULTS: Comparison of weight, BMI, physical activity, energy intake and other intervening nutrients did not reveal any significant changes during different stages of the study. Soy protein consumption resulted in a significant reduction in the urinary deoxypyridinoline and increasing of total alkaline phosphatase (p < 0.05), although the alterations in osteocalcin, c-telopeptide, IGFBP3 and type I collagen telopeptide were not significant. CONCLUSION: In view of beneficial effect of soy protein on bone metabolism indicators, inclusion of this relatively inexpensive food in the daily diet of menopausal women, will probably delay bone resorption, thereby preventing osteoporosis