The contribution of rectangularization to the secular increase of life expectancy: an empirical study.

BACKGROUND: In low-mortality countries, life expectancy is increasing steadily. This increase can be disentangled into two separate components: the delayed incidence of death (i.e. the rectangularization of the survival curve) and the shift of maximal age at death to the right (i.e. the extension of longevity). METHODS: We studied the secular increase of life expectancy at age 50 in nine European countries between 1922 and 2006. The respective contributions of rectangularization and longevity to increasing life expectancy are quantified with a specific tool. RESULTS: For men, an acceleration of rectangularization was observed in the 1980s in all nine countries, whereas a deceleration occurred among women in six countries in the 1960s. These diverging trends are likely to reflect the gender-specific trends in smoking. As for longevity, the extension was steady from 1922 in both genders in almost all countries. The gain of years due to longevity extension exceeded the gain due to rectangularization. This predominance over rectangularization was still observed during the most recent decades. CONCLUSIONS: Disentangling life expectancy into components offers new insights into the underlying mechanisms and possible determinants. Rectangularization mainly reflects the secular changes of the known determinants of early mortality, including smoking. Explaining the increase of maximal age at death is a more complex challenge. It might be related to slow and lifelong changes in the socio-economic environment and lifestyles as well as population composition. The still increasing longevity does not suggest that we are approaching any upper limit of human longevity.

[Illustrations de Le Chevalier délibéré.] / [Non identifié] ; Olivier de La Marche, aut. du texte

Comprend : [pl.1 :] Cy sarme monte et embastonne lacteur pour entrer en sa queste. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.2 :] Cy se combatent lacteur et messire hutin et reliques de iennese les depart. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.3 :] Comment lermite heberga lacteur et des devises quilz orent ensamble. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.4 :] Comment lermite dit a lacteur que lon lappelle Entendement et des devises quilz eurent ensamble. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.5 :] Comment lermite Entendement monstre les reliques a lacteur et lui devise des euvres de messze Accident et de son pouoir. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.6 :] Cy commence la seconde partie de ce livre Et devise côment Entendement donna au partir a lacteur la lance de Regime. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.7 :] Cy le combat lacteur a lencontre deaige. Et côment lacteur le rendit prisonnier. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.8 :] Côment lacteur sest fourvoie et est venu dedât le palais damours ou belle vouloit quil entrast mais souvenir len a destourné et de ses aventures. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.9 :] Cy monstre fresche memoire a lacteur les sepultures des anciens trespassez et par les escriptures voit ceulx qui ont este desconfiz par debile ou par accident. Et commence la tierce partie de ce livre. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.10 :] Cy devise la bataille faitte entre mesize debile et le duc Phelippe de bourgongne. Et commence la iiii partie de ce livre. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.11 :] Comment le duc Charle de bourg. combatyt Accident. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.12 :] Cômêt accidêt combatit la duchesse daustrice et elle vamcue lacteur se noult pnter pour faire son devoir et cômêt atropos lêuoya contremâd par respit son herault. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.13 :] Comment fresche memoire ramaine lacteur en sa maison. Et lui deuvise en chemin de ses nouvelles. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.14 :] Cômêt Entêdemêt êseigne lacteur a se côduire et faire ses armes. Et cômêt il se doit armer et parer. Et comêce la V et derremiere ptie de ce livre. [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788] ; [pl.15 : trois crânes. Un ange tient deux écussons avec les armoiries de la ville de Schiedam et celles de Hollande.] [Cote : microfilm m 2045/R 52788]

Citrus fruit and cancer risk in a network of case-control studies.

BACKGROUND: Citrus fruit has shown a favorable effect against various cancers. To better understand their role in cancer risk, we analyzed data from a series of case-control studies conducted in Italy and Switzerland. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The studies included 955 patients with oral and pharyngeal cancer, 395 with esophageal, 999 with stomach, 3,634 with large bowel, 527 with laryngeal, 2,900 with breast, 454 with endometrial, 1,031 with ovarian, 1,294 with prostate, and 767 with renal cell cancer. All cancers were incident and histologically confirmed. Controls were admitted to the same network of hospitals for acute, nonneoplastic conditions. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated by multiple logistic regression models, including terms for major identified confounding factors for each cancer site, and energy intake. RESULTS: The ORs for the highest versus lowest category of citrus fruit consumption were 0.47 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.36-0.61) for oral and pharyngeal, 0.42 (95% CI, 0.25-0.70) for esophageal, 0.69 (95% CI, 0.52-0.92) for stomach, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.72-0.93) for colorectal, and 0.55 (95% CI, 0.37-0.83) for laryngeal cancer. No consistent association was found with breast, endometrial, ovarian, prostate, and renal cell cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that citrus fruit has a protective role against cancers of the digestive and upper respiratory tract.

[Illustrations de Le Chevalier délibéré] / [Non identifié] ; Olivier de La Marche, aut. du texte

Comprend : [Fig. à la Page de titre : le Chevalier Délibéré et armoiries.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. folio aiii : le Chevalier Délibéré participe à joute sur son cheval nommé Vouloir. ] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. : le Chevalier Délibéré et un hermite. ] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. au folio bii : l'hermite présente des reliques.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. : le Chevalier Délibéré et son vainqueur.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. folio Ci : le Chevalier Délibéré devant le château d'Amour qui l'enjoint à rentrer. Il en est détourné par Souvenir.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. : Frâîche Mémoire montre des tombes au Chevalier Délibéré.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. folio Ei : le duc Philippe de Bourgogne et Débile.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. : le duc Philippe de Bourgogne combat messire Accident.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. : Accident et la duchesse d'Autriche.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. en reg. folio Fii : Fraîche Mémoire ramène le Chevalier Délibéré chez lui.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. : Entendement enseigne le maniement des armes au Chevalier Délibéré.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. : joute de chevaliers.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639] ; [Fig. au verso du dernier folio : marque typographique de Jean Trepperel avec armoiries et devise.] [Cote : Res Ye 249/Microfilm R 33639]

RELAÇÃO ENTRE DENSIDADE DO SOLO E CONTEÚDO DE ÁGUA EM REPETIDOS CICLOS DE CONTRAÇÃO E EXPANSÃO EM UM LATOSSOLO

A compactação do solo é uma consequência indesejável do uso agrícola do solo, sobretudo em sistemas de cultivo com mínimo revolvimento do solo, como é o caso do plantio direto (PD). Contudo, a compactação que o tráfego de máquinas causa no solo sob PD não inviabiliza a produção das culturas, indicando que mecanismos intrínsecos a ele promovem reversão da compactação. Neste estudo, avaliou-se a influência de ciclos de contração e expansão sobre a densidade do solo (ρ) de um Latossolo Vermelho argiloso (0,57 kg kg-1 de argila e 0,12 kg kg-1 de areia) e a mudança temporal da ρ no campo. Amostras de solo foram compactadas no laboratório até atingirem ρ de 1464 kg m-3 e submetidas a cinco ciclos de contração (secagem ao ar) e expansão (saturação). Durante a contração, foi monitorado o conteúdo gravimétrico de água e a ρ. A ρ foi medida também no campo, nos anos de 2010, 2011 e 2013. O decréscimo do conteúdo de água nas amostras provocou aumento da ρ conforme uma função sigmoide com duas assíntotas, e o aumento da ρ foi expressivo em conteúdos de água menores que o do ponto de murcha permanente (1,5 MPa). Embora tenha havido aumento da ρ durante a contração, os sucessivos eventos de contração e expansão reduziram gradativamente a ρ de 1713 para 1570 kg m-3 (final da contração), e de 1464 para 1385 kg m-3 (próximo à saturação). Em solo compactado no campo também foi verificado a variação decrescente de ρ (de 1406 para 1327 kg m-3) a uma taxa de -26 kg m-3 ano-1. Concluiu-se que a diminuição do grau de compactação no campo está ligada em grande parte ao mesmo mecanismo que diminuiu o grau de compactação das amostras no laboratório. Assim, no solo usado neste estudo, a contração e expansão conseguiram reverter grande parte da compactação que o tráfego de máquinas causa nele.

Synthesis of chemically functionalized superparamagnetic nanoparticles as delivery vectors for chemotherapeutic drugs.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are in clinical use for disease detection by MRI. A major advancement would be to link therapeutic drugs to SPIONs in order to achieve targeted drug delivery combined with detection. In the present work, we studied the possibility of developing a versatile synthesis protocol to hierarchically construct drug-functionalized-SPIONs as potential anti-cancer agents. Our model biocompatible SPIONs consisted of an iron oxide core (9-10 nm diameter) coated with polyvinylalcohols (PVA/aminoPVA), which can be internalized by cancer cells, depending on the positive charges at their surface. To develop drug-functionalized-aminoPVA-SPIONs as vectors for drug delivery, we first designed and synthesized bifunctional linkers of varied length and chemical composition to which the anti-cancer drugs 5-fluorouridine or doxorubicin were attached as biologically labile esters or peptides, respectively. These functionalized linkers were in turn coupled to aminoPVA by amide linkages before preparing the drug-functionalized-SPIONs that were characterized and evaluated as anti-cancer agents using human melanoma cells in culture. The 5-fluorouridine-SPIONs with an optimized ester linker were taken up by cells and proved to be efficient anti-tumor agents. While the doxorubicin-SPIONs linked with a Gly-Phe-Leu-Gly tetrapeptide were cleaved by lysosomal enzymes, they exhibited poor uptake by human melanoma cells in culture.

The long-term culture of porcine urothelial cells and induction of urothelial stratification.

OBJECTIVE: To assess porcine urothelial cell cultures and the in vitro induction of urothelial stratification in long-term cultures, to study their morphological, functional and genetic behaviour, and thus provide potential autologous urothelium for tissue-engineered substitutes for demucosalized gastric or colonic tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Primary cultures of porcine urothelium were established and the cells passaged thereafter. Cell specificity was confirmed by cytokeratin analysis, cell membrane stability assessed using lactate dehydrogenase leakage, cell de-differentiation by gamma-glutamyl transferase activity and genomic stability by karyotype investigations. Histology and scanning electron microscopy were performed to study the cultured cells and the stratified constructs. Furthermore, collagen matrices were tested as cell scaffolds. RESULTS: The cells were cultured for 180 days; 10 subcultures were established during this period. Stratification was induced in a culture flask and on a collagen matrix. Cytokeratins 7, 8, 17 and 18 were expressed in all cultures, and cell membranes were stable, with no evident de-differentiation. The cultures were stable in their genotype and no chromosomal aberrations were found. The histology and immunohistochemistry of the stratified porcine constructs, and cell membrane stability and cell de-differentiation, were compared with those in the human system. CONCLUSION: Pig and human urothelial cells can be cultured over a long period with no signs of senescence. Urothelial stratification can be induced in vitro. The collagen matrix seems to be an excellent scaffold, allowing cell adherence and growth.

La fortuna di Luciano nel Rinascimento : il volgarizzamento del manoscritto Vaticano Chigiano L.VI.215 : edizione critica dei volgarizzamenti delle "Storie vere"

Résumé II lavoro verte sui volgarizzamenti quattro-cinquecenteschi di Luciano di Samosata, importante capitolo nella fortuna dell'autore greco, che diede l'avvio a quel vasto fenomeno chiamato "lucianesimo", esteso in Europa fino al XIX sec. In particolare fornisco l'edizione critica e commentata delle Storie vere volgarizzate, contenute nella prima, assai ampia (41 opuscoli), e per molto tempo unica, silloge lucianea in volgare, che ho datato a poco prima del 1480. Essa ci è giunta tramite un unico manoscritto, il Vaticano Chigiano L.VI.215, confezionato a Ferrara per Ercole I d'Este, nonché in almeno otto edizioni veneziane apparse fra il 1525 e il 1551. La princeps, da cui dipendono in vario modo tutte le edizioni successive, è pubblicata da Niccolò Zoppino. I1 ms. e le prime due edizioni (1525; 1527 Bindoni e Pasini) tacciono il nome del traduttore, che compare solo nell'edizione del 1529 (Zoppino): Niccolò Leoniceno (1428-1524), medico umanista e valente grecista, attivo a Ferrara dal 1464 al 1524, studioso e traduttore di Ippocrate e Galeno, editore di Aristotele e volgarizzatore di storici per Ercole d'Este. L'edizione ha richiesto uno studio preliminare sulle numerose traduzioni in latino e in volgare di Luciano, per valutare meglio le modalità della sua fortuna umanistica. Confrontando ms. e stampe, per le Storie vere si hanno due volgarizzamenti totalmente diversi, fin dal titolo: La vera historia nel ms., Le vere narrazioni nelle cinquecentine. Ma per l'ultimo quarto di testo, ms. e stampe in sostanza coincidono. La collazione ha coinvolto anche il testo greco (con gli apparati delle edizioni critiche) e la versione latina dell'umanista umbro Lilio Tifernate (1417/18-1486) risalente al 1439-43 ca., intitolata De veris narrationibus, di cui si hanno almeno tre redazioni d'autore; una quarta è invece dovuta probabilmente a Benedetto Bordon, che la inserì nella sua silloge latina di Luciano del 1494. Ho cosa stabilito che il volgarizzamento del ms. Chigiano, La vera historia, è stato eseguito direttamente dal greco, fatto eccezionale nel panorama delle traduzioni umanistiche, mentre quello a stampa, Le vere narrazioni, deriva dalla redazione Bordon del De veris narrationibus. La diversità dei titoli dipende dalle varianti dei codici greci utilizzati dai traduttori: il Vat. gr. 1323, o una sua copia, è utilizzato sia dal volgarizzatore del Chigiano, sia da Bordon, indipendentemente l'uno dall'altro; il Marc. gr. 434, o una sua copia, dal Tifernate. Il titolo latino mantenuto da Bordon risale al Tifernate. Per quanto riguarda l'attribuzione dei due volgarizzamenti, come già per altri due testi della silloge da me studiati (Lucio 01 Asino e Timone), anche per La vera historia del Chigiano è accettabile il nome di Niccolò Leoniceno, poiché: 1) essa è tradotta direttamente dal greco, correttamente e con buona resa in volgare, 2) Paolo Giovio -che conobbe di persona il Leoniceno -, negli Elogia veris clarorum virorum imaginibus apposita ricorda che i volgarizzamenti di Luciano e di Dione eseguiti dal Leoniceno piacquero molto ad Ercole d'Este, 3) nessuno nella prima metà del sec. XVI rivendica, per sé o per un suo maestro, il volgarizzamento di Luciano. Le vere narrazioni a stampa, tradotte dal latino del Bordon, dopo il 1494 e prima del 1525, per la parte che diverge dalla Vera historia rimangono invece anonime. Dato che si tratta di due volgarizzamenti distinti, ho allestito l'edizione a fronte dei due testi fin dove essi divergono, seguendo per l'uno il ms., per l'altro la princeps; per la parte finale, in cui confluiscono, mi baso invece sul manoscritto e relego in apparato le varianti più vistose della princeps (non è emerso un chiaro rapporto di dipendenza fra i due testimoni). Oltre all'apparato critico con le lezioni rifiutate, fornisco un commento con la giustificazione delle scelte e il confronto con i corrispondenti passi greci e latini.

Estimating and explaining the effect of education and income on head and neck cancer risk : INHANCE consortium pooled analysis of 31 case-control studies from 27 countries

Low socioeconomic status has been reported to be associated with head and neck cancer risk. However, previous studies have been too small to examine the associations by cancer subsite, age, sex, global region, and calendar time, and to explain the association in terms of behavioural risk factors. Individual participant data of 23,964 cases with head and neck cancer and 31,954 controls from 31 studies in 27 countries pooled with random effects models. Overall, low education was associated with an increased risk of head and neck cancer (OR = 2·50; 95%CI 2·02- 3·09). Overall one-third of the increased risk was not explained by differences in the distribution of cigarette smoking and alcohol behaviours; and it remained elevated among never users of tobacco and non-drinkers (OR = 1·61; 95%CI 1·13 - 2·31). More of the estimated education effect was not explained by cigarette smoking and alcohol behaviours: in women than in men, in older than younger groups, in the oropharynx than in other sites, in South/Central America than in Europe/North America, and was strongest in countries with greater income inequality. Similar findings were observed for the estimated effect of low vs high household income. The lowest levels of income and educational attainment were associated with more than 2-fold increased risk of head and neck cancer, which is not entirely explained by differences in the distributions of behavioural risk factors for these cancers, and which varies across cancer sites, sexes, countries, and country income inequality levels. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Osteoporotic fracture risk in elderly women: estimation with quantitative heel US and clinical risk factors

PURPOSE: To derive a prediction rule by using prospectively obtained clinical and bone ultrasonographic (US) data to identify elderly women at risk for osteoporotic fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was approved by the Swiss Ethics Committee. A prediction rule was computed by using data from a 3-year prospective multicenter study to assess the predictive value of heel-bone quantitative US in 6174 Swiss women aged 70-85 years. A quantitative US device to calculate the stiffness index at the heel was used. Baseline characteristics, known risk factors for osteoporosis and fall, and the quantitative US stiffness index were used to elaborate a predictive rule for osteoporotic fracture. Predictive values were determined by using a univariate Cox model and were adjusted with multivariate analysis. RESULTS: There were five risk factors for the incidence of osteoporotic fracture: older age (>75 years) (P < .001), low heel quantitative US stiffness index (<78%) (P < .001), history of fracture (P = .001), recent fall (P = .001), and a failed chair test (P = .029). The score points assigned to these risk factors were as follows: age, 2 (3 if age > 80 years); low quantitative US stiffness index, 5 (7.5 if stiffness index < 60%); history of fracture, 1; recent fall, 1.5; and failed chair test, 1. The cutoff value to obtain a high sensitivity (90%) was 4.5. With this cutoff, 1464 women were at lower risk (score, <4.5) and 4710 were at higher risk (score, >or=4.5) for fracture. Among the higher-risk women, 6.1% had an osteoporotic fracture, versus 1.8% of women at lower risk. Among the women who had a hip fracture, 90% were in the higher-risk group. CONCLUSION: A prediction rule obtained by using quantitative US stiffness index and four clinical risk factors helped discriminate, with high sensitivity, women at higher versus those at lower risk for osteoporotic fracture.