Micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) is a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) mode with mobile phases containing a surfactant (ionic or non-ionic) above its critical micellar concentration ...(CMC). In these conditions, the stationary phase is modified with an approximately constant amount of surfactant monomers, and the solubilising capability of the mobile phase is altered by the presence of micelles, giving rise to diverse interactions (hydrophobic, ionic and steric) with major implications in retention and selectivity. From its beginnings in 1980, the technique has evolved up to becoming a real alternative in some instances (and a complement in others) to classical RPLC with hydro-organic mixtures, owing to its peculiar features and unique advantages. This review is aimed to describe the retention mechanisms (i.e. solute interactions with both stationary and mobile phases) in an MLC system, revealed in diverse reports where the retention behaviour of solutes of different nature (ionic or neutral exhibiting a wide range of polarities) has been studied in a variety of conditions (with ionic and non-ionic surfactants, added salt and organic solvent, and varying pH). The theory is supported by several mechanistic models that describe satisfactorily the retention behaviour, and allow the measurement of the strength of solute–stationary phase and solute–micelle interactions. Suppression of silanol activity, steric effects in the packing pores, anti-binding behaviour, retention of ionisable compounds, compensating effect on polarity differences among solutes, and the contribution of the solvation parameter model to elucidate the interactions in MLC, are commented.
The Granada group in BNCT research is currently performing studies on: nuclear and radiobiological data for BNCT, new boron compounds and a new design for a neutron source for BNCT and other ...applications, including the production of medical radioisotopes. All these activities are described in this report.
•Basic research activities at two international facilities: CERN and ILL are shown.•Obtention of accurate nuclear and radiobiological data for reducing uncertainties in treatment planning is pursued.•The conceptual design of a facility for BNCT and isotope production is described.
Abstract This study offers a descriptive analysis of the economic costs of Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the knee for the public health system of Andalusia (Spain) The data are based on ...consecutive patients with PJI treated in our Bone and Joint Infection Unit between January 2005 and January 2010. The total cost for all patients with knee PJI was 4,151,843 $ (3,202,841 €), i.e., a mean cost per patient of 52,555 $ (40,542 €). The mean cost per patient was 24,980 $ (19,270.80 €) for patients with early PJI and rose to 78,111 $ (60,257 €) for those with late PJI. The main cost was for the hospital stay and the specific in-hospital care received, followed by the cost of the surgical procedure.
A total of 76
Lactobacillus plantarum and
Oenococcus oeni wild strains were recovered from traditionally elaborated Spanish red wines and were investigated with respect to their response to acid pH, ...lyophilisation, temperature and ethanol concentrations which are normally lethal to lactic acid bacteria. Both
L. plantarum and
O. oeni strains were able to grow at pH 3.2, were highly resistant to lyophilisation treatment and proliferated in the presence of up to 13% ethanol at 18°C. Therefore, it is shown that both species are highly tolerant to stress conditions and that similarly to
O. oeni strains,
L. plantarum strains are of interest in beverage biotechnology.
Purpose: To analyse outcome and prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and time to treatment failure (TTF) in 357 patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) undergoing an autologous stem cell ...transplantation (ASCT) after a first relapse and reported to the The Grupo Español de Linfomas/Trasplante Autólogo de Médula Osea (GEL/TAMO) Cooperative Group. Methods: Two hundred and twenty males and 137 females with a median age of 29 years were autografted in second remission (n=181), first sensitive relapse (n=148) and first resistant relapse (n=28). Results: Five-year actuarial TTF and OS were of 49% ± 3% and 57% ± 3%. Advanced stage at diagnosis, complementary radiotherapy before ASCT, a short first complete response (CR) and detectable disease at ASCT adversely influenced TTF. Year of transplant ≤1995, bulky disease at diagnosis, a short first CR, detectable disease at ASCT and ≥1 extranodal areas involved at ASCT were adverse factors for OS. Conclusions: ASCT constitutes a therapeutic option for HL patients after a first relapse. Promising results are observed in patients with low tumour burden at diagnosis, autografted after a long CR and without detectable disease at ASCT. Innovative approaches should be pursued for patients with risk factors at relapse.
A new unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with deteriorating effect and the objective of makespan minimization is presented in this paper. The deterioration of each machine (and therefore ...of the job processing times) is a function of the sequence of jobs that have been processed by the machine and not (as considered in the literature) by the time at which each job is assigned to the machine or by the number of jobs already processed by the machine. It is showed that for a single machine the problem can be solved in polynomial time, whereas the problem is NP-hard when the number of machines is greater or equal than two. For the last case, a set of list scheduling algorithms and simulated annealing meta-heuristics are designed and the effectiveness of these approaches is evaluated by solving a large number of benchmark instances.
Sarcoidosis is a chronic multisystem disease with variable course resulting from the interaction between environmental factors and the immune system of individuals genetically predisposed. The ...evidence linking sarcoidosis with environmental triggers such as metals is increasing. We describe the case of a 44 year old female with a history. of smoking since age 30 and previous mercury dental filling who presented at physical examination with numerous subcutaneous nodules. Laboratory data showed accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and high titer of anti-U1 ribonucleoprotein antibodies (U1 RNP). Skin biopsy and chest X-ray suggested the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. In this report we illustrate the different causes involved in the onset of sarcoidosis.
Impulse control disorders (ICDs) comprise abnormal behaviors frequently found in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) receiving antiparkinsonian medication. ICDs in PD would develop when ...dopaminergic treatment overstimulates the dopamine receptor D3 (DR3). Here we studied whether DR3 gene (DRD3) is associated to ICD in PD patients with early-onset (EOPD).
We performed association analysis of the rs6280 DRD3 single nucleotide variation (SNV) (Ser9Gly) in a clinical sample of 126 non early-onset PD (NEOPD) and 73 EOPD (age at onset < 45). ICD was evaluated using the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders (QUIP) in PD.
In the total sample, we found that a younger onset of PD is linked to ICD traits with a potentially addictive reinforcement (ICDARs, behavioral addictions) (p = .017) and a trend for total ICDs (p = .078) while punding was not associated (p = .75). EOPD sample showed an increase of DRD3 C+ genotype for ICD (p = .022) and ICDARs (p = .043) but not for punding (p = .170). The post-hoc analyses including the time of evolution and Pramipexol or Ropinirole treatments, confirmed the independent effect of the DRD3 upon ICDs (p = .028) and ICDARs (p = .041) as well as the interaction between DRD3 and Pramipexol treatment upon ICDARs (OR = 4.60, 95% CI 1.20–17.632, p = .026). The NEOPD group showed no association between DRD3 and ICDs.
We found that behavioral addictions in PD are associated with an early onset of the disease, the rs6280 DRD3 SNV and the type of dopamine agonist. Further investigation in independent samples is warranted.
•DRD3 is associated with behavioral addictions in early-onset PD patients and not in non-early PD patients.•The type of dopamine agonist may contribute to DRD3 association with behavioral addiction in patients with early-onset PD.•DRD3 is not associated with punding in PD.
Aim. Aware that Down Syndrome patients present among their clinical characteristics impaired immunity, the aim of this study is to identify the statistically significant differences in ...inflammation-related gene expression by comparing Down Syndrome patients with Periodontal Disease (DS+PD+) with Down Syndrome patients without Periodontal Disease (DS+PD-), and their relationship with periodontitis as a chronic oral inflammatory clinical feature. Materials and Methods. Case study and controls on eleven Down Syndrome patients (DS+PD+ vs. DS+PD-). RNA was extracted from peripheral blood using a Qiagen PAXgene Blood miRNA Kit when performing an oral examination. A search for candidate genes (92 selected) was undertaken on the total genes obtained using a Scientific GeneChip® Scanner 3000 (Thermo Fisher Scientific) and Clariom S solutions for human, mouse, and rat chips, with more than 20,000 genes annotated for measuring expression levels. Results. Of the 92 inflammation-related genes taken initially, four genes showed a differential expression across both groups with a p value of <0.05 from the data obtained using RNA processing of the patient sample. Said genes were TNFSF13B (p=0.0448), ITGB2 (p=0.0033), ANXA3 (p=0.0479), and ANXA5 (p=0.016). Conclusions. There are differences in inflammation-related gene expression in Down Syndrome patients when comparing patients who present a state of chronic oral inflammation with patients with negative rates of periodontal disease.
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