A series of ceramic coatings have been prepared on P91 substrates by spray pyrolysis processes and on Zr–2.5Nb substrates by a plasma electrolytic oxidation process. Preliminary results show that ...coatings obtained with different solution compositions and procedures can reduce the oxidation weight gain of P91 samples by factors of 2–10 for exposure times up to 500h in deaerated supercritical water at 500°C and 25MPa. Results also show that the weight gain of a P91 sample with an alumina (Al2O3) coating is about nine times less than that of uncoated P91 after exposures for 400h in deaerated supercritical water at 650°C and 25MPa. These results indicate that the Al2O3 coating shows promising results for preventing oxidation of P91 under supercritical water conditions. The samples with ceramic coatings on Zr–2.5Nb substrates show marginally improved corrosion resistance compared to the bare substrates.
►Studied the feasibilities for ceramic coatings under supercritical water conditions. ►Deposited ceramic coatings on P91 and Zircaloy substrates by different techniques. ►Demonstrated alumina as the most promising coating materials on P91. ►Suggested further studies for the ceramic coatings on Zircaloy.
The functional properties of the anaerobic responsive element (ARE) of the maize Adh1 gene have been analysed using a transient expression assay in electroporated maize protoplasts. The ARE functions ...in both orientations although inversion of the ARE sequence relative to the TATA box element produces slightly weaker promoter activity under anaerobic conditions and elevated expression under aerobic conditions. Promoter activity under anaerobic conditions is proportional to the number of complete ARE sequences in the Adh1 promoter. The ARE contains two sub-regions and dimers of sub-region II are as efficient as the wild-type sequence in activating gene expression under anaerobic conditions. However, sub-region I dimers do not appear capable of inducing gene expression in response to anaerobic stress. We conclude that sub-region II is essential for anaerobic induction of gene expression. Reporter gene expression remains constant when the spacing between sub-regions of the ARE is increased up to at least 64 bp, but increased spacing of 136 bp or greater abolishes expression in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, indicating that a close association of the two sub-regions is required both for anaerobic responsiveness and for maximal levels of aerobic gene expression. When the ARE is placed upstream of position -90 of the CaMV 35S promoter, the ARE produces a high level of expression in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The general enhancement of gene expression driven by the hybrid ARE/35S promoter in aerobic conditions requires an intact sub-region II motif since mutation or deletion of sub-region II from the hybrid promoter reduces the level of expression to that observed for the truncated 35S promoter alone. In addition, mutation of the sub-region I sequences in the ARE/35S hybrid promoter does not significantly reduce expression in aerobic conditions, relative to pARE/delta 35S(-90), suggesting that sub-region I does not contribute to this general enhancer function.
Introduction
The Cognitive Disorders Unit carries out sessions of Psychoeducational Groups (PG) for caregivers of patients diagnosed with cognitive impairment (CI). The aim is to educate about the ...disease, improve the caregiver’s self-care and learn how to take better care of the sick.
Objectives
Analyze the profile of the caregivers that participate in PG and assess changes in their psychological state.
Methods
Subjects: 110 caregivers of patients diagnosed with mild-moderate CI who have participated in PG. Methodology: sociodemographic data of the caregiver and patient are collected. The following scales are passed: General-Health-Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Global-Deterioration-Scale, Barthel-Index. 5 sessions of 90 minutes are carried out every fortnight. An opinion questionnaire and the GHQ-12 are administered at the end of the sessions.
Results
86% of caregivers are women: 37% spouses and 55% daughters; mean age 57; 92% of patients live with the caregiver. 62% of caregivers present some kind of psychological disorder that is significantly reduced (p=0,0003) after some sessions. After PG: 65% of caregivers are able to further enjoy their daily activities 46% improve concentration capacity 42% improve sleeping and mood. Opinion Questionnaire Results: 98% of caregivers are satisfied with the activities, the topics addressed and their applicability.
Conclusions
The participants in PG were mostly daughters of patients, with average age 57, and living in the same household. Participation in PG improves the information and skills of caregivers, and reduces psychological disorders by improving their mood, their ability to concentrate, their quality of sleep and enjoyment of daily activities.
The mechanisms by which ionizing radiation kills cells was a topic of great interest to Dr Alper, and one suspects that she would have delighted in 'clarifying' the role of apoptosis. Indeed, ...clarification seems necessary in view of the abundance of often conflicting data currently emerging. However, given some simplifying assumptions, important patterns can be discerned. The following comments are thus framed in the context of haematopoietic cell lines, which generally undergo rapid apoptosis (within hours) following irradiation, in contrast to cells of non-haematopoietic origin, which are more likely to be characterized by delayed apoptosis (within days). Tolerance for DNA damage appears to be reduced in cells capable of rapid apoptosis, and those cells are sensitized to ionizing radiation when the apoptotic response mechanisms are fully functional. This rapid apoptotic response shows minor sensitivity to cell cycle position or radiation dose rate. Different considerations apply, however, for the delayed response. Delayed apoptosis appears to be triggered by chromosome damage, and evidence implicating delayed apoptosis as a modifier of cellular radiosensitivity is much less convincing at present.
Introduction
Clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic for treatment resistant schizophrenia but adverse reactions to clozapine include neutropenia. Patients with COVID-19 infection frequently ...experience lymphopenia, but not neutropenia.The impact of clozapine treatment in the presence of COVID-19 is unknown
Objectives
Show 2 cases of neutropenia in patients treated with long-term clozapine during COVID-19 infection.
Methods
Subjects: 48 admitted patients to a long-stay psychiatric unit. COVID-19 infection confirmed by positive nasopharyngeal swab for viral ribonucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2. Hematological controls between March and April 2020.
Results
16 patients (33%) treated with clozapine.18 patients (37’5%) had COVID-19 infection, of which 5 (10’4%) were treated with clozapine; 2 presented neutropenia. 1- 56-year-old woman diagnosed with schizophrenia on clozapine since 2009. Begins to have a dry cough and fever with positive COVID-19 swab (day 0). Slight leukopenia without neutropenia was observed on day 1. On day 7, neutropenia was observed with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of 1100. We decided to suspend clozapine and to initiate daily hematological controls. The ANC on day 8 was 970. Over the next few days the ANC will progressively improve until neutropenia resolved (day 22). 2- 55-year-old woman who required a transfer to a general hospital because of respiratory complications from COVID-19. She presented significant leukopenia (1’01x 10^3/uL) and neutropenia (ANC 100). Clozapine was not withdrawn. She was treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.
Conclusions
An urgent full blood count will be required to exclude neutropenia with appropriate action. Further research will be needed to clarify the possible relationship between COVID-19, clozapine and neutropenia.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Introduction
Clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic for treatment resistant schizophrenia. In patients treated with clozapine, COVID-19 infection may result in complications including an ...increased risk of pneumonia, clozapine toxicity, and disruption to clozapine treatment by COVID-19 induced lymphopenia.
Objectives
We report 5 cases of elevated clozapine levels occurring in patients with COVID-19 infection who had been previously managed for several years on stable doses.
Methods
Subjects: 48 admitted patients to a long-stay psychiatric unit. COVID-19 infection confirmed by positive nasopharyngeal swab for viral ribonucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2. Hematological controls between March and April 2020.
Results
16 patients (33%) treated with clozapine.18 patients (37’5%) had COVID-19 infection, of which 5 (10’4%) were treated with clozapine. Results are presented in table 1. Increases in plasma clozapine levels were observed in all cases (49’38 to 307.5%). We don’t have the clozapine levels of a patient who presented a pneumonia requiring admission and treatment in the general hospital. Two cases of neutropenia were observed, of which one had to discontinue treatment with clozapine. In the other three patients the dose of clozapine was reduced and they did not present haematological or intoxication complications that required further adjustments.
Conclusions
Covid-19 infection is associated with increased serum clozapine levels by probably multifactorial mechanisms (systemic infection, reduced smoking). Importance of full clinical assessment of suspected COVID-19 infection in clozapine treated patients, including assessment clozapine level, and full blood count. The general recommendation is to reduce the dose of clozapine in this patients.
A cDNA clone (WL:AGA.1) encoding wheat leaf ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase has been isolated from a lambda gt11 expression library, by immunological screening with anti-spinach leaf ADP-glucose ...pyrophosphorylase serum. The WL:AGA.1 cDNA is 948 bp long and contains approximately 55% of the complete wheat leaf ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase mRNA sequence, estimated from Northern blot experiments. A wheat endosperm cDNA library was subsequently constructed in lambda gt11 and six clones hybridising to the cDNA insert of clone WL:AGA.1 were isolated. The longest of these wheat endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase cDNAs, clone WE:AGA.7, is nearly full-length (1798 bp), indicated by Northern blot analysis of wheat endosperm mRNA and nucleotide sequence analysis. Southern hybridisation analysis and restriction enzyme mapping indicated that the wheat leaf and wheat endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase cDNAs and genes are members of two distinct gene families. In addition, restriction enzyme mapping revealed polymorphism in the wheat endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase cDNAs, indicating the existence of at least two wheat endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene sub-families. Subsequent nucleotide sequence analysis indicates that there is approximately 55% identity between wheat leaf and wheat endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase cDNAs. In contrast, members of each sub-family of endosperm cDNA, represented by clones WE:AGA.3 and WE:AGA.7, are 96% identical.
This is a prospective study of ultrasonography of the rotator cuff mechanism as an alternative to arthrography for screening rotator cuff tears. Seventy-two patients (40 men and 32 women) with ...possible rotator cuff tears were referred for shoulder arthrography. Before arthrography, bilateral shoulder sonography was performed by a technician under the direction of a radiologist. Arthrograms and sonograms were read separately, and a decision as to the absence or presence of a rotator cuff tear was made without knowledge of the results of the other examination. The results showed 90% sensitivity and 91% specificity, with a positive accuracy of 87%, and a negative accuracy of 93%. Ultrasonography of the rotator cuff is a noninvasive, painless, and cost-effective screening method for patients with a suspected rotator cuff tear.
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