By using the Inverted Chirality Columns Approach (ICCA) we have developed an enantioselective UHPSFC method to determine the enantiomeric excess (ee) of (-)-Δ
-THC in medicinal marijuana (Bedrocan®). ...The ee was high (99.73%), but the concentration of the (+)-enantiomer (0.13
%) was not negligible, and it is worth a systematic evaluation of bioactivity.
Although generally ascribed to the presence of defects, an ultimate assignment of the different contributions to the emission spectrum in terms of surface states and deep levels in ZnO nanostructures ...is still lacking. In this work we unambiguously give first evidence that zinc vacancies at the (1010) nonpolar surfaces are responsible for the green luminescence of ZnO nanostructures. The result is obtained by performing an exhaustive comparison between spatially resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy and imaging and ab initio simulations. Our findings are crucial to control undesired recombinations in nanostructured devices.
Background
Palmoplantar pustular psoriasis (PPPP) is a variant of psoriasis whose the association with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has been recently described. There is limited evidence regarding how ...to best reduce palmoplantar pustular psoriasis severity and to maintain remission once achieved.
Objective
The aim of this study was to elaborate evidence‐based recommendations for PPPP treatment supported by a systematic literature review.
Methods
A systematic literature search was carried out in Embase, Medline and Cochrane Library databases from 1980 to February 2013 searching for any trial in patients with PPPP assessing therapeutic interventions not including a systemic biotherapy. The selection of articles was limited to human subjects and English or French languages.
Results
Among the 675 articles identified, 29 including one Cochrane review were analysed. The Cochrane review summarised 23 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in chronic PPPP until February 2003, including 724 patients. The authors concluded that oral retinoid therapy (acitretin), photochemotherapy or combination of both, low dose of ciclosporin or topical corticosteroids under occlusion appeared to be helpful in relieving symptoms of PPPP. Since the publication of this review, 9 open studies on PPPP treatment have been published. Three new studies evaluated the benefits of PUVA on PPPP. They all showed a better efficacy of PUVA compared to UVB therapy. One open study concluded that a retinoid treatment with an arotinoid ethylesther showed a good efficacy. Five prospective studies (level of evidence of 3) assessed Laser Excimer UVB‐NB (Excimer 308 nm) in PPPP. The combined analysis of these studies showed that 64% of patients experienced an improvement of 70% at the end of treatment.
Conclusion
Phototherapy, ciclosporin and topical corticosteroids seem to be able to control PPPP. However, the standard of care for PPPP remains an issue and there is a strong need for reliable RCTs to better define treatment strategies for PPPP.
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•More residential greenspace was not associated with better lung function.•Increased NDVI was associated with a slightly faster decline in FVC.•Residing near green spaces might be ...associated with a faster decline in FEV1 and FVC.
The few studies that have examined associations between greenspace and lung function in adulthood have yielded conflicting results and none have examined whether the rate of lung function decline is affected.
We explored the association between residential greenspace and change in lung function over 20 years in 5559 adults from 22 centers in 11 countries participating in the population-based, international European Community Respiratory Health Survey.
Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured by spirometry when participants were approximately 35 (1990–1994), 44 (1999–2003), and 55 (2010–2014) years old. Greenness was assessed as the mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in 500 m, 300 m, and 100 m circular buffers around the residential addresses at the time of lung function measurement. Green spaces were defined as the presence of agricultural, natural, or urban green spaces in a circular 300 m buffer. Associations of these greenspace parameters with the rate of lung function change were assessed using adjusted linear mixed effects regression models with random intercepts for subjects nested within centers. Sensitivity analyses considered air pollution exposures.
A 0.2-increase (average interquartile range) in NDVI in the 500 m buffer was consistently associated with a faster decline in FVC (−1.25 mL/year 95% confidence interval: −2.18 to −0.33). These associations were especially pronounced in females and those living in areas with low PM10 levels. We found no consistent associations with FEV1 and the FEV1/FVC ratio. Residing near forests or urban green spaces was associated with a faster decline in FEV1, while agricultural land and forests were related to a greater decline in FVC.
More residential greenspace was not associated with better lung function in middle-aged European adults. Instead, we observed slight but consistent declines in lung function parameters. The potentially detrimental association requires verification in future studies.
Degenerative diseases and injuries that compromise hand movement reduce individual autonomy and tend to cause financial and psychological problems to their family nucleus. To mitigate these ...limitations, over the past decade, hand exoskeletons have been designed to rehabilitate or enhance impaired hand movements. Although promising, these devices still have limitations, such as weight and cost. Moreover, the movements performed are not kinematically compatible with the joints, thereby reducing the achievements of the rehabilitation process. This article presents the biomimetic design of a soft hand exoskeleton actuated using artificial tendons designed to achieve low weight, volume, and cost, and to improve kinematic compatibility with the joints, comfort, and the sensitivity of the hand by allowing direct contact between the hand palm and objects. We employed two twisted string actuators and Bowden cables to move the artificial tendons and perform the grasping and opening of the hand. With this configuration, the heavy part of the system was reallocated to a test bench, allowing for a lightweight set of just 232 g attached to the arm. The system was triggered by the myoelectric signals of the biceps captured from the user's skin to encourage the active participation of the user in the process. The device was evaluated by five healthy subjects who were asked to simulate a paralyzed hand, and manipulate different types of objects and perform grip strength. The results showed that the system was able to identify the intention of movement of the user with an accuracy of 90%, and the orthosis was able to enhance the ability of handling objects with gripping force up to 1.86 kgf.
PURPOSE:Sacral nerve stimulation is a safe and effective procedure for fecal incontinence. We investigated whether its efficacy is maintained long term.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:Sixty patients with fecal ...incontinence underwent permanent sacral nerve stimulation. Patients' data were prospectively recorded in the national registry of the Italian Group of sacral nerve stimulation. The severity of fecal incontinence was evaluated by the Wexner score, and data were collected in a bowel function diary. Quality of life was evaluated by the Italian version of the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form (SF-36) questionnaire.
RESULTS:Fifty-two patients were available for long-term follow-up lasting at least 5 years. Compared with baseline, the Wexner score decreased significantly after definitive implantation (from 15 ± 4 to 5 ± 5, P < 0.001). At least 50 percent improvement in continence was achieved in 74 percent of the patients, and at least 70 percent improvement (median value) was achieved in 50 percent. The mean number of solid/liquid incontinence episodes decreased significantly from 0.5 (±0.5) to 0.1 (±0.3) per day (P = 0.004). Quality of life improved in all domains. The overall mean improvement in SF-36 scores was 39.8 percent. Both mean resting and squeeze anal pressures increased significantly, and maximum volume tolerated decreased significantly.
CONCLUSIONS:Sacral nerve stimulation maintains its efficacy long term, not only in regard to control of symptoms but also regarding quality of life.
We show that transport inequalities, similar to the one derived by M. Talagrand (1996, Geom. Funct. Anal.6, 587–600) for the Gaussian measure, are implied by logarithmic Sobolev inequalities. ...Conversely, Talagrand's inequality implies a logarithmic Sobolev inequality if the density of the measure is approximately log-concave, in a precise sense. All constants are independent of the dimension and optimal in certain cases. The proofs are based on partial differential equations and an interpolation inequality involving the Wasserstein distance, the entropy functional, and the Fisher information.
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