Guinea pigs (Cavia spp.) have a long association with humans. From as early as 10,000 years ago they were a wild food source. Later, domesticated Cavia porcellus were dispersed well beyond their ...native range through pre-Columbian exchange networks and, more recently, widely across the globe. Here we present 46 complete mitogenomes of archaeological guinea pigs from sites in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, the Caribbean, Belgium and the United States to elucidate their evolutionary history, origins and paths of dispersal. Our results indicate an independent centre of domestication of Cavia in the eastern Colombian Highlands. We identify a Peruvian origin for the initial introduction of domesticated guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) beyond South America into the Caribbean. We also demonstrate that Peru was the probable source of the earliest known guinea pigs transported, as part of the exotic pet trade, to both Europe and the southeastern United States. Finally, we identify a modern reintroduction of guinea pigs to Puerto Rico, where local inhabitants use them for food. This research demonstrates that the natural and cultural history of guinea pigs is more complex than previously known and has implications for other studies regarding regional to global-scale studies of mammal domestication, translocation, and distribution.
The ornidazole drug substance presents melt at approximately 90 °C
(∆T
= 85–98 °C), which is critical for its use on pharmaceutical manufacturing process. This work aimed the thermal ...characterization of ornidazole raw-material synthesized by three different manufacturers from India, China, and Italy, using the thermoanalytical techniques of DTA, DSC, and TG, besides the verification of its stability and compatibility as a solid pharmaceutical product by the analysis of its binary mixtures (BM) with excipients and a tablet formulation. The characterization includes the thermal decomposition kinetic investigation by Ozawa model using Arrhenius equation and drug purity determination by Van’t Hoff equation. The DSC purity determination and precision were compared with results from UV–Vis spectrophotometric and liquid chromatography, showing an adequate correlation before being recommended as a general method for purity assay. The drug raw-materials presented similar quality and zero-order kinetic behavior, besides showing differences on thermal stability. The drug presented compatibility with the tested excipients since the BM studied presented melting at the same temperature range as the drug and a decomposition temperature similar to the drug for two of the BM, and at a higher temperature for the others three of the BM evaluated, which presented excipients with higher molecular structure, capable of spatial coating on the small drug molecule promoting a physical interaction pharmaceutical acceptable. The tablet was processed by wet granulation and compressed under normal conditions of pressure and temperature, maintaining the physical properties of solid drug approving the manufacturing process used. In this study, the thermal analysis was used with success as an alternative method to characterize, quantify, and perform a preformulation study.
Seagrass meadows, key ecosystems supporting fisheries, carbon sequestration and coastal protection, are globally threatened. In Europe, loss and recovery of seagrasses are reported, but the changes ...in extent and density at the continental scale remain unclear. Here we collate assessments of changes from 1869 to 2016 and show that 1/3 of European seagrass area was lost due to disease, deteriorated water quality, and coastal development, with losses peaking in the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, loss rates slowed down for most of the species and fast-growing species recovered in some locations, making the net rate of change in seagrass area experience a reversal in the 2000s, while density metrics improved or remained stable in most sites. Our results demonstrate that decline is not the generalised state among seagrasses nowadays in Europe, in contrast with global assessments, and that deceleration and reversal of declining trends is possible, expectingly bringing back the services they provide.
This paper presents the design and characterization of a novel, compact, multilayer, passive UHF-RFID tag solution for implantable biotelemetry based on low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) ...technology. A spiral planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) was matched to the UHF integrated circuit (IC) impedance by an inductor line. The LTCC process allowed the IC to be embedded in a sealed cavity. Simulations and measurements of the reflection coefficient and the tag range were carried out when the RFID tag was implanted in the center of a 10 cm cubic skin phantom. The dimensions of the prototype were 8×7×2 mm 3 , leading to a total volume of 112 mm 3 . Results indicated a 6 dB bandwidth of 39 MHz and 84 MHz for simulations and measurements, respectively, and a tag range of approximately 10 cm.
The impacts on the morphological, electrical and hardness properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plates using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as reinforcing fillers have been ...investigated, using MWCNT loadings between 1 and 7 wt%. Plates of the TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites were fabricated by compression molding from extruded pellets. An X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the incorporation of MWCNTs into the TPU polymer matrix increases the ordered range of the soft and hard segments. SEM images revealed that the fabrication route used here helped to obtain TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites with a uniform dispersion of the nanotubes inside the TPU matrix and promoted the creation of a conductive network that favors the electronic conduction of the composite. The potential of the impedance spectroscopy technique has been used to determine that the TPU/MWCNT plates exhibited two conduction mechanisms, percolation and tunneling conduction of electrons, and their conductivity values increase as the MWCNT loading increases. Finally, although the fabrication route induced a hardness reduction with respect to the pure TPU, the addition of MWCNT increased the Shore A hardness behavior of the TPU plates.
Background
Patient empowerment through pharmacological self-management is a common strategy in some chronic diseases such as diabetes, but it is rarely used for controlling blood pressure.
Objective
...This study aimed to assess self-monitoring plus self-titration of antihypertensive medication versus usual care for reducing systolic blood pressure (SBP) at 12 months in poorly controlled hypertensive patients.
Design
The ADAMPA study was a pragmatic, controlled, randomized, non-masked clinical trial with two parallel arms in Valencia, Spain.
Participants
Hypertensive patients older than 40 years, with SBP over 145 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) over 90 mmHg, were recruited from July 2017 to June 2018.
Intervention
Participants were randomized 1:1 to usual care versus an individualized, pre-arranged plan based on self-monitoring plus self-titration.
Main Measure
The primary outcome was the adjusted mean difference (AMD) in SBP between groups at 12 months.
Key Results
Primary outcome data were available for 312 patients (intervention
n
=156, control
n
=156) of the 366 who were initially recruited. The AMD in SBP at 12 months (main analysis) was −2.9 mmHg (95% CI, −5.9 to 0.1,
p
=0.061), while the AMD in DBP was −1.9 mmHg (95% CI, −3.7 to 0.0,
p
=0.052). The results of the subgroup analysis were consistent with these for the main outcome measures. More patients in the intervention group achieved good blood pressure control (<140/90 mmHg) at 12 months than in the control group (55.8% vs 42.3%, difference 13.5%, 95% CI, 2.5 to 24.5%,
p
=0.017). At 12 months, no differences were observed in behavior, quality of life, use of health services, or adverse events.
Conclusion
Self-monitoring plus self-titration of antihypertensive medication based on an individualized pre-arranged plan used in primary care may be a promising strategy for reducing blood pressure at 12 months compared to usual care, without increasing healthcare utilization or adverse events.
Trial Registration
EudraCT, number 2016-003986-25 (registered 17 March 2017) and
clinicaltrials.gov
, NCT03242785.
To evaluate safety and preliminary efficacy of the humanized anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody h-R3 in combination with radiotherapy (RT) in unresectable head and neck cancer ...patients. Secondary end points were the measurement of h-R3 serum levels and the assessment of the potential mechanisms of antitumor effect on patient biopsies. Anti-idiotypic response to h-R3 was assessed. To predict pharmacologic effect, a mathematical model for antibodies recognizing antigens expressed in tumors and normal tissues was built.
Twenty-four patients with advanced carcinomas of the head and neck received six once-weekly infusions of h-R3 at four dose levels in combination with RT. Pretreatment tumor biopsies were obtained to evaluate epidermal growth factor receptor expression as an enrollment criterion. Second biopsies were taken to evaluate the proliferative activity and angiogenesis in comparison with the pretreatment samples. Patient serum samples were collected to measure h-R3 levels and anti-idiotypic response.
The combination of h-R3 and RT was well tolerated. Antibody-related adverse events consisted in infusion reactions. No skin or allergic toxicity appeared. Overall survival significantly increased after the use of the higher antibody doses. Immunohistochemistry studies of tumor specimens before and after treatment revealed that antitumor response correlated with antiproliferative and antiangiogenic effect. One patient developed antibodies to h-R3. The mathematical model predicted that the maximum difference between the area under the curve in tumors and normal tissues is reached when the antibody has intermediate affinity.
h-R3 is a well-tolerated drug that may enhance radiocurability of unresectable head and neck neoplasms.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ANRIL gene have been associated with higher ...cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in general population. The main objective was to ascertain whether ANRIL polymorphisms could identify risk of major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) in patients starting on hemodialysis (HD).
This was a prospective observational cohort study. 284 CKD patients starting on HD were included in the study and followed until achievement of the primary end-point (MACE) or end of the study. All patients were genotyped for four ANRIL SNPs (rs10757278, rs4977574, rs10757274 and rs6475606). Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox survival analyses, together with multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the association between ANRIL SNPs and MACE.
We found that ANRIL SNP rs10757278 was a representative SNP of a strong linkage disequilibrium block and showed significant genotypic associations with MACE in hemodialysis patients. Homozygous patients for the risk allele (GG) showed 2.17 (1.05–4.49) fold increased risk of MACE during hemodialysis than carriers of the protective allele (AA or AG). Diabetes mellitus was a strong enhancer of this effect.
Our results indicate that ANRIL polymorphisms may confer risk to development of MACE in incident patients on hemodialysis.
•ANRIL SNP rs10757278 showed genotypic associations with major adverse cardiovascular event in hemodialysis patients.•Homozygous patients (GG) showed twice fold increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular event than AA or AG.•Associations between rs10757278 and major adverse cardiovascular event remained even after adjustment for diabetes mellitus.
PDF
