Search

Nanopowders of complex oxides with the double perovskite structure La2Ni1 – xFexMnO6 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4) were synthesized using the glycine-nitrate combustion method. Thin nanostructured layers based on the obtained materials were fabricated and studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-Vis optical spectroscopy. It was shown that introduction of Fe3+ ions into the La2NiMnO6 crystal structure at low concentration (x = 0.2) leads to an increase in the band gap value. To determine the photosensitivity of La2Ni1 – xFexMnO6 thin layers, Schottky diodes based on them were fabricated and their photovoltaic characteristics were studied in the dark and under standard AM1.5G illumination conditions. It has been found that cation doping with Fe3+ ions at low concentration increases the photosensitivity of La2NiMnO6 thin layer by ~7%. The presented results provide new possibilities for application of inorganic perovskite materials in solar photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface modification of titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) layers and powders by ozone was performed. Thin nanostructured TiO2 layers were deposited on conductive glass substrates and treated with an ozone-oxygen mixture with various ozone concentrations. A powder sample of titanium dioxide was ozonised in a bubbling reactor. The kinetics of oxidation processes both for powder and thin-film TiO2 samples has been studied and the rate constants of oxidation for two systems were determined. The optical characteristics of ozone-treated TiO2 were investigated by UV-vis. and infrared spectroscopy. The formation of the main oxidation products for powder and thin-film TiO2 samples has been studied. It was shown that ozone treatment increases the specific surface of the samples and accordingly increases the adsorption of the ruthenium dye (N719) in the bulk of the nanostructured TiO2 layer. Obtained results indicate that ozone-treated TiO2 layers could be used as photoelectrodes for high-efficient dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of thin films made with TiO2 nanoparticles with a varied anatase/rutile phase ratio is prepared on conducting glass substrates using a spin-coating method. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of TiO2 nanopowders and thin films fabricated are studied using powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and optical spectroscopy. The TiO2 nanostructured films created are used as photoelectrodes for the fabrication of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The photovoltaic characteristics of PSCs under AM1.5 light illumination (1000 W/m2) under ambient conditions are studied. It is shown that the best efficiency of solar-to-electrical energy conversion, namely, 9.3%, is obtained for the PSC with a photoelectrode based on a TiO2 film with an anatase/rutile mixed phase ratio of 86/14%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Maintenance therapy for Crohn disease features the use of immunosuppressive drugs, which are associated with an increased risk of infection. Identification of safe and effective maintenance strategies is a priority.Objective: To determine whether the oral administration of omega-3 free fatty acids is more effective than placebo for prevention of relapse of Crohn disease.Design, Setting, and Patients: Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies (Epanova Program in Crohn's Study 1 [EPIC-1] and EPIC-2) conducted between January 2003 and February 2007 at 98 centers in Canada, Europe, Israel, and the United States. Data from 363 and 375 patients with quiescent Crohn disease were evaluated in EPIC-1 and EPIC-2, respectively.Interventions: Patients with a Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) score of less than 150 were randomly assigned to receive either 4 g/d of omega-3 free fatty acids or placebo for up to 58 weeks. No other treatments for Crohn disease were permitted.Main Outcome Measure: Clinical relapse, as defined by a CDAI score of 150 points or greater and an increase of more than 70 points from the baseline value, or initiation of treatment for active Crohn disease.Results: For EPIC-1, 188 patients were assigned to receive omega-3 free fatty acids and 186 patients to receive placebo. Corresponding numbers for EPIC-2 were 189 and 190 patients, respectively. The rate of relapse at 1 year in EPIC-1 was 31.6% in patients who received omega-3 free fatty acids and 35.7% in those who received placebo (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-1.19; P = .30). Corresponding values for EPIC-2 were 47.8% and 48.8% (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-1.21; P = .48). Serious adverse events were uncommon and mostly related to Crohn disease.Conclusion: In these trials, treatment with omega-3 free fatty acids was not effective for the prevention of relapse in Crohn disease.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifiers: EPIC-1: NCT00613197, EPIC-2: NCT00074542. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atrial fibrillation is associated with higher mortality. Identification of causes of death and contemporary risk factors for all‐cause mortality may guide interventions. Methods and Results: In the Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared with Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation (ROCKET AF) study, patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation were randomized to rivaroxaban or dose‐adjusted warfarin. Cox proportional hazards regression with backward elimination identified factors at randomization that were independently associated with all‐cause mortality in the 14 171 participants in the intention‐to‐treat population. The median age was 73 years, and the mean CHADS 2 score was 3.5. Over 1.9 years of median follow‐up, 1214 (8.6%) patients died. Kaplan–Meier mortality rates were 4.2% at 1 year and 8.9% at 2 years. The majority of classified deaths (1081) were cardiovascular (72%), whereas only 6% were nonhemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism. No significant difference in all‐cause mortality was observed between the rivaroxaban and warfarin arms (P=0.15). Heart failure (hazard ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.33–1.70, P<0.0001) and age ≥75 years (hazard ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.51–1.90, P<0.0001) were associated with higher all‐cause mortality. Multiple additional characteristics were independently associated with higher mortality, with decreasing creatinine clearance, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, male sex, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetes being among the most strongly associated (model C‐index 0.677). Conclusions: In a large population of patients anticoagulated for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, ≈7 in 10 deaths were cardiovascular, whereas <1 in 10 deaths were caused by nonhemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism. Optimal prevention and treatment of heart failure, renal impairment, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes may improve survival. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT00403767.

Review: 91 refs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Proctitis is the least extensive type of ulcerative colitis, for which rectal therapy is rarely studied and is underused. This study evaluated the efficacy, safety, and patient's preference of a novel formulation of budesonide suppository 4 mg, compared with a commercially available budesonide rectal foam 2 mg, for the treatment of mild to moderate ulcerative proctitis., Methods: This was a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled trial. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either budesonide 4 mg suppository or budesonide 2 mg foam once daily for 8 weeks. The co-primary endpoints were changes from baseline to Week 8 in clinical symptoms, for which clinical remission was defined as having a modified Ulcerative Colitis-Disease Activity Index [UC-DAI] subscore for stool frequency of 0 or 1 and a subscore for rectal bleeding of 0, and mucosal healing, defined as having a modified UC-DAI subscore for mucosal appearance of 0 or 1. Using a more stringent criterion, we additionally analysed deepened mucosal healing, which was defined as a mucosal appearance subscore of 0. Patient's preference, physician's global assessment, and quality of life were also assessed and analysed., Results: Overall, 286 and 291 patients were included in the 4 mg suppository and 2 mg foam groups, respectively. Budesonide 4 mg suppository met the prespecified criterion for non-inferiority to the 2 mg foam in both co-primary endpoints of clinical remission and mucosal healing. Secondary endpoints consistently supported the non-inferiority of the suppository. Trends in favour of the suppository were observed in the subgroup of mesalazine non-responders. More patients reported a preference for the suppository over rectal foam., Conclusions: In patients with ulcerative proctitis, budesonide 4 mg suppository was non-inferior to budesonide 2 mg foam in efficacy, and both were safe and well tolerated., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation.)

Glycero-(9,10-trioxolane)-trioleate (ozonide of oleic acid triglyceride, OTOA) was introduced into polylactic acid (PLA) films in amounts of 5, 10, 30, 50, and 70% w / w . The morphological, mechanical, thermal, and water absorption properties of PLA films after the OTOA addition were studied. The morphological analysis of the films showed that the addition of OTOA increased the diameter of PLA spherulites and, as a consequence, increased the proportion of amorphous regions in PLA films. A study of the thermodynamic properties of PLA films by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated a decrease in the glass transition temperature of the films with an increase in the OTOA content. According to DSC and XRD data, the degree of crystallinity of the PLA films showed a tendency to decrease with an increase in the OTOA content in the films, which could be accounted for the plasticizing effect of OTOA. The PLA film with 10% OTOA content was characterized by good smoothness, hydrophobicity, and optimal mechanical properties. Thus, while maintaining high tensile strength of 21 MPa, PLA film with 10% OTOA showed increased elasticity with 26% relative elongation at break, as compared to the 2.7% relative elongation for pristine PLA material. In addition, DMA method showed that PLA film with 10% OTOA exhibits increased strength characteristics in the dynamic load mode. The resulting film materials based on optimized PLA/OTOA compositions could be used in various packaging and biomedical applications.

Biocompatible glycero (9,10-trioxolane) trioleate (ozonide of oleic acid triglyceride, OTOA) was incorporated into polylactic acid (PLA) fibers by electrospinning and nonwoven PLA mats with 1%, 3% and 5% OTOA content. The morphological, mechanical, thermal and water sorption properties of electrospun PLA mats after the addition of OTOA were studied. A morphological analysis showed that the addition of OTOA increased the average fiber diameter and induced the formation of pores on the fiber surface, leading to an increase in the specific surface area for OTOA-modified PLA fibrous mats. PLA fiber mats with 3% OTOA content were characterized by a highly porous surface morphology, an increased specific surface area and high-water sorption. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to analyze the thermal properties of the fibrous PLA mats. The glass transition temperatures of the fibers from the PLA-OTOA composites decreased as the OTOA content increased, which was attributed to the plasticizing effect of OTOA. DSC results showed that OTOA aided the PLA amorphization process, thus reducing the crystallinity of the obtained nonwoven PLA-OTOA materials. An analysis of the mechanical properties showed that the tensile strength of electrospun PLA mats was improved by the addition of OTOA. Additionally, fibrous PLA mats with 3% OTOA content showed increased elasticity compared to the pristine PLA material. The obtained porous PLA electrospun fibers with the optimal 3% OTOA content have the potential for various biomedical applications such as drug delivery and in tissue engineering.

Background: The infliximab biosimilar CT-P13 was approved for use in Crohn's disease after clinical comparison with originator infliximab in ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis; however, concerns about such indication extrapolation have been expressed. This study investigated whether CT-P13 is non-inferior to infliximab in patients with Crohn's disease who were naive to biological therapy., Methods: In this randomised, multicentre, double-blind, phase 3 non-inferiority study, we enrolled patients with active Crohn's disease who had not responded to, or were intolerant to, non-biological treatments. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to receive CT-P13 then CT-P13, CT-P13 then infliximab, infliximab then infliximab, or infliximab then CT-P13, with switching occurring at week 30. Patients received 5 mg/kg CT-P13 or infliximab at weeks 0, 2, 6, and then every 8 weeks up to week 54. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a decrease of 70 points or more in Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) from baseline to week 6. A non-inferiority margin of -20% was set (CT-P13 was non-inferior to infliximab if the lower limit of the two-sided 95% CI for the treatment difference was greater than -20). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02096861, and is completed., Findings: Between Aug 20, 2014, and Feb 15, 2017, 308 patients were assessed for eligibility, and 220 patients were enrolled: 111 were randomly assigned to initiate CT-P13 (56 to the CT-P13-CT-P13 group and 55 to the CT-P13-infliximab group) and 109 to initiate infliximab (54 to the infliximab-infliximab group and 55 to the infliximab-CT-P13 group). CDAI-70 response rates at week 6 were similar for CT-P13 (77 [69·4%, 95% CI 59·9 to 77·8] of 111) and infliximab (81 [74·3%, 95% CI 65·1 to 82·2] of 109; difference -4·9% [95% CI -16·9 to 7·3]), thereby establishing non-inferiority. Over the total study period, 147 (67%) patients experienced at least one treatment-emergent adverse event (36 [64%] in the CT-P13-CT-P13 group, 34 [62%] in the CT-P13-infliximab group, 37 [69%] in the infliximab-infliximab group, and 40 [73%] in the infliximab-CT-P13 group)., Interpretation: This study showed non-inferiority of CT-P13 to infliximab in patients with active Crohn's disease. Biosimilar CT-P13 could be a new option for the treatment of active Crohn's disease., Funding: Celltrion, Pfizer., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: "To describe management options for pelvic fluid collections in adult patients with classic bladder exstrophy.", Methods: A single institution retrospective chart review was performed of patients who presented between 1998 and 2016 with a history of bladder exstrophy and pelvic fluid collections and 3 patients were identified. Patients had been followed for a mean of 9.0 years (1-23)., Results: All 3 patients required urinary diversions at various intervals following their exstrophy repair as newborns. All initially presented with symptomatic fluid collections located inferior to the bladder visualized by cross-sectional imaging. Mean age at presentation was 32.3 years (26-38 years). Two patients underwent drainage and sclerosing of cystic fluid collections with durable symptomatic relief for 1 patient. The other had recurrence of the fluid collections so he underwent marsupialization of the fluid collection which failed to sufficiently alleviate his symptoms. Ultimately, he along with the last patient, underwent open excision of the presumed hypoplastic prostate leading to resolution of pain symptoms, though the last patient did have some persistence of the fluid collection. All patients maintained their erectile function subsequent to these interventions., Conclusion: Adult patients with bladder exstrophy can present with painful cystic fluid collections potentially due to secretions from presumed hypoplastic prostate tissue. Sclerosing of the cyst can be successful in a subset of these patients, though some may require removal of the presumed prostatic tissue, which is curative and can be achieved with preservation of erectile function., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Current healthcare systems do not effectively promote weight reduction in patients with obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The Reflux Improvement and Monitoring (TRIM) program provides personalized, multidisciplinary, health education and monitoring over 6 months. In this study we aimed to (i) measure the effectiveness of TRIM on GERD symptoms, quality of life, and weight, and (ii) examine patient health beliefs related to TRIM., Methods: This prospective mixed methods feasibility study was performed at a single center between September 2015 and February 2017, and included adult patients with GERD and a body mass index ≥30 kg/m 2 . Quantitative analysis consisted of a pre- to post-intervention analysis of TRIM participants (+TRIM Cohort) and a multivariable longitudinal mixed model analysis of +TRIM vs. patients who declined TRIM (-TRIM Cohort). Primary outcomes were change in patient-reported GERD symptom severity (GerdQ) and quality of life (GerdQ-DI), and change in percent excess body weight (%EBW). Qualitative analysis was based on two focus groups of TRIM participants., Results: Among the +TRIM cohort (n=52), mean baseline GerdQ scores (8.7±2.9) decreased at 3 months (7.5±2.2; P<0.01) and 6 months (7.4±1.9; P=0.02). Mean GerdQ-DI scores decreased, but did not reach statistical significance. Compared with the -TRIM cohort (n=89), reduction in %EBW was significantly greater at 3, 6, and 12 months among the +TRIM cohort (n=52). In qualitative analysis, patients unanimously appreciated the multidisciplinary approach and utilized weight loss effectively to improve GERD symptoms., Conclusions: In this mixed methods feasibility study, participation in TRIM was associated with symptom improvement, weight reduction, and patient engagement.

The validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a screen for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia was evaluated in African Americans attending an urban outpatient memory disorders clinic. Eighty one patients ≥50 years old were administered the MoCA and neuropsychological tests. Clinicians, blinded to the MoCA scores, reviewed the neuropsychological findings and reports of instrumental activities of daily living and they assigned a diagnosis of normal cognition (NC; N = 16), MCI (N = 38), or dementia (N = 27). The MoCA scores of the 3 groups were significantly different (NC > MCI > dementia). Using cutoff scores of ≤24 points for MCI and ≤22 points for dementia, the MoCA had .95 sensitivity and .63 specificity for MCI and .96 sensitivity and .88 specificity for dementia. The MoCA is a valid and cost-effective screen for cognitive impairment in African Americans but with a higher likelihood of falsely classifying persons with NC as having MCI., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

Unlabelled: Glycerol phenylbutyrate (GPB) lowers ammonia by providing an alternate pathway to urea for waste nitrogen excretion in the form of phenylacetyl glutamine, which is excreted in urine. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II trial enrolled 178 patients with cirrhosis, including 59 already taking rifaximin, who had experienced two or more hepatic encephalopathy (HE) events in the previous 6 months. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with HE events. Other endpoints included the time to first event, total number of events, HE hospitalizations, symptomatic days, and safety. GPB, at 6 mL orally twice-daily, significantly reduced the proportion of patients who experienced an HE event (21% versus 36%; P=0.02), time to first event (hazard ratio [HR]=0.56; P<0.05), as well as total events (35 versus 57; P=0.04), and was associated with fewer HE hospitalizations (13 versus 25; P=0.06). Among patients not on rifaximin at enrollment, GPB reduced the proportion of patients with an HE event (10% versus 32%; P<0.01), time to first event (HR=0.29; P<0.01), and total events (7 versus 31; P<0.01). Plasma ammonia was significantly lower in patients on GPB and correlated with HE events when measured either at baseline or during the study. A similar proportion of patients in the GPB (79%) and placebo groups (76%) experienced adverse events., Conclusion: GPB reduced HE events as well as ammonia in patients with cirrhosis and HE and its safety profile was similar to placebo. The findings implicate ammonia in the pathogenesis of HE and suggest that GPB has therapeutic potential in this population. (Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00999167)., (© 2014 The Authors. Hepatology published by Wiley on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.)

Objective: Budesonide MMX is a novel oral formulation of budesonide that uses Multi-Matrix System (MMX) technology to extend release to the colon. This study compared the efficacy of budesonide MMX with placebo in patients with active, mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis (UC)., Design: Patients were randomised 1:1:1:1 to receive budesonide MMX 9 mg or 6 mg, or Entocort EC 9 mg (budesonide controlled ileal-release capsules; reference arm) or placebo once daily for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was combined clinical and endoscopic remission, defined as UC Disease Activity Index score ≤1 with a score of 0 for rectal bleeding and stool frequency, no mucosal friability on colonoscopy, and a ≥1-point reduction in endoscopic index score from baseline., Results: 410 patients were evaluated for efficacy. Combined clinical and endoscopic remission rates with budesonide MMX 9 mg or 6 mg, Entocort EC and placebo were 17.4%, 8.3%, 12.6% and 4.5%, respectively. The difference between budesonide MMX 9 mg and placebo was significant (OR 4.49; 95% CI 1.47 to 13.72; p=0.0047). Budesonide MMX 9 mg was associated with numerically higher rates of clinical (42.2% vs 33.7%) and endoscopic improvement (42.2% vs 31.5%) versus placebo. The rate of histological healing (16.5% vs 6.7%; p=0.0361) and proportion of patients with symptom resolution (23.9% vs 11.2%; p=0.0220) were significantly higher for budesonide MMX 9 mg than placebo. Adverse event profiles were similar across groups., Conclusion: Budesonide MMX 9 mg was safe and more effective than placebo at inducing combined clinical and endoscopic remission in patients with active, mild-to-moderate UC.

Background & Aims: Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common systemic complication of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Iron-deficiency anemia recurs frequently and rapidly after iron-replacement therapy in patients with IBD. We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to determine if administration of ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) prevents anemia in patients with IBD and low levels of serum ferritin., Methods: We performed a single-blind, multicenter study of nonanemic patients who had completed the FERGIcor study. Serum levels of ferritin were assessed every second month, and patients were given FCM (total iron dose, 1181 ± 662 mg; n = 105) or placebo (n = 99) when levels decreased to less than 100 μg/L. The primary end point was time to recurrence of anemia within 8 months. Secondary end points included changes of quality of life, disease activity, results from laboratory tests, and adverse events., Results: Anemia recurred in 26.7% of subjects given FCM and in 39.4% given placebo. The time to anemia recurrence was longer in the FCM group (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-1.00; P = .049). Markers of body levels of iron increased or remained at normal levels in subjects given FCM (ferritin increased by 30.3 μg/L, transferrin saturation increased by 0.6%) but decreased in the group given placebo (ferritin decreased by 36.1 μg/L, transferrin saturation decreased by 4.0%). Changes in quality of life and disease activity were comparable between groups. Adverse events were reported in 59.0% of the FCM group and 50.5% of the placebo group, and serious adverse events were reported in 6.7% and 8.1%, respectively., Conclusions: FCM prevents recurrence of anemia in patients with IBD, compared with placebo. Nevertheless, the high rate of anemia recurrence warrants optimization of the frequency and requirements for FCM treatment., (Copyright © 2013 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The analytical consideration of some recent experimental and theoretical data on the hydrogen on-board storage problem shows the necessity and economical expediency of carrying out further basic studies and initiating a constructive discussion on the physical key-note aspects ("open questions") of the hydrogen sorption by carbon-based nanomaterials: Especially, on the hydrogen multilayer intercalation in carbonaceous nanostructures, their relevance for the development of super-adsorbents for fuel-cell-powered vehicles, i.e., storage materials, which satisfy most of the U.S. DOE targets. It is consistent with the U. S. National Academies' recent recommendations and manifestations of the critical situation of the hydrogen storage problem.

Objectives: A prospective study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of everolimus versus azathioprine or placebo in maintaining steroid-induced remission in active Crohn's disease (CD) and assess the safety and pharmacokinetics of everolimus., Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept study in adults with moderate-to-severe active CD. The patients received oral steroids for a rapid induction of remission plus everolimus 6 mg/day, azathioprine 2.5 mg/kg/day, or placebo as maintenance treatment. The main outcome measure was the treatment success, defined as a steroid-free remission by the end of month 3 and maintained until study cutoff without the use of prohibited efficacy treatments., Results: Following an interim analysis, the study was terminated before enrollment was completed due to the lack of efficacy. The full intent-to-treat population comprised 138 patients. Only 96 patients who entered the study > or =7 months prior to data cutoff were included in the primary efficacy population. The treatment success was achieved in 13 of 38 everolimus patients, 22 of 36 azathioprine patients, and 8 of 22 placebo patients. Using the Kaplan-Meier estimates at month 7, the incidence of treatment success was 22.0% with everolimus group (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.7-37.3%, P= 0.610 vs placebo), 38.3% with azathioprine group (95% CI 20.6-55.9%, P= 0.500 vs placebo), and 28.8% with placebo group (95% CI 7.7-49.9%). The type and incidence of adverse events in the everolimus cohort were similar to those reported in the approved transplantation indications., Conclusions: The safety and tolerability of everolimus (6 mg/day) in patients with active CD were comparable to azathioprine. At this dose, everolimus is not more efficacious in achieving a steroid-free remission in active CD than the comparators.