79 results on '"Constantinescu, R."'
Search Results
2. ANTIMICROBIAL FINISHING OF TEXTILES USING EMULSIONS BASED ON NATURAL PRODUCTS
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CHIRILĂ Laura, VASILE Georgiana, CONSTANTINESCU R. Rodica, OLARU Sabina, POPESCU Alina, and STAN Miruna
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bioactive textiles ,propolis ,chitosan ,xanthan ,antibacterial activity ,biocompatibility ,Manufactures ,TS1-2301 - Abstract
Bioactive dressings are obtained using substances which release bioactive compounds. A way of immobilization active ingredients on various textile materials is through emulsions based on natural polymers. Active ingredients, like essential oils and propolis play an important role in the inhibition and prevention of bacterial growth. Chitosan and xanthan gum are suitable for essential oil entrapment due to their biodegradability, low product costs and environmentally friendly production processes. The aim of this paper is to highlight the antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility of textile materials treated with cinnamon essential oil and propolis based emulsions. In this respect, experimental samples of oil-in-water emulsions type, based on chitosan-propolis-cinnamon essential oil and xanthan-propolis-cinnamon essential oil were prepared and then were immobilized on woven fabrics with different fiber compositions. The functionalized textile materials were characterized in terms of their physical-mechanical and physical-chemical characteristics, antibacterial activity and biocompatibility point of view. From the corroboration of the obtained data it was found that the obtained samples are more hydrophobic than the untreated material and the bioactive polymeric systems have shown antibacterial activity for both gram positive bacteria (S. aureus) and gram negative bacteria (E. coli) test strains. The in vitro biocompatibility evaluation on human skin cells confirmed the absence of cytotoxicity after the short-term exposure. Also, the treated samples displayed a good biocompatibility without skin irritations.
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- 2022
3. Explosive sequence of La Soufrière St Vincent April 2021:Insights into drivers and consequences via eruptive products
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Cole, P. D., Barclay, J., Robertson, R. E. A., Mitchell, S., Davies, B. V., Constantinescu, R., Sparks, R. J. S., Aspinall, W., Stinton, A., Robertson, R. E. A., Joseph, E. P., Barclay, J., and Sparks, R. S. J.
- Abstract
This paper forensically reconstructs the timings, impacts and processes that drove the sequence of explosive eruptions of La Soufrière, St Vincent in April 2021 using a combination of field-based stratigraphy and textural dissection of the deposit character together with contemporary visual observations. Explosive activity on 9th and early on 10th April involved destruction of almost all of the 2020/2021 lava dome, ∼ 60% of the 1979 dome and formation of a 600 m diameter crater by 2pm UTC on 10th April. Following the initial explosion, plumes rose to altitudes of ∼15 km and pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) formed by column collapse, first occurred on 10th April, only after > 24hrs of explosive activity. Dense PDCs reached the sea only in the Larikai and Roseau Valleys, and dilute PDCs were restricted to within 2.5 km of the Summit Crater rim. The tephra fallout deposits are stratified, composed of numerous layers of both lapilli-rich and ash-rich layers, which we have grouped into at least 7 Units, based on their common characteristics (Units 1 to 7). Volume estimates, using a range of techniques to constrain uncertainties, indicate that the bulk volume of tephra (fallout and PDC) is 1.19 x 108m3 +/− 20% making this a VEI 4 eruption. Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6474317
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- 2024
4. BIOACTIVE HYDROGEL TYPE CARRIER SYSTEMS AIMED FOR TEXTILE WOUND DRESSING
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CHIRILĂ Laura, ȚIGĂU Andreea, CONSTANTINESCU R. Rodica, OLARU Sabina, POPESCU Alina, and STAN Miruna
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bioactive textiles ,zno nanoparticles ,bacitracin ,hyaluronic acid ,antibacterial activity ,Manufactures ,TS1-2301 - Abstract
Wound healing is a specific biological process related to the general phenomenon of growth and tissue regeneration. Polysaccharide gels are usually biocompatible and show several peculiar physical-chemical properties that make them suitable for a variety of biomedical applications. The hydrogels based on these types of polymers can cool the wound and reduce pain, which is helpful for burns or painful wounds. This paper aims to study the antibacterial activity of a layer-by-layer hydrogel “carrier” system based on sodium alginate and chitosan, which is further functionalized with active principles, like hyaluronic acid, or ZnO nanoparticles, or bacitracin. The synthesis of the hydrogels system was followed by the immobilization on textile woven fabrics made of fibrous blends of different chemical compositions, in order to achieve bioactive wound dressing for application in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions. The textile materials used to produce the wound dressings have the same weave and warp thread (100% cotton, Nm 50/2), but different weft thread (100% acetate 130 dtex or 100% Lenpur Nm 34/1). For this purpose, several experimental variants of hydrogels were prepared and the treated textile materials were characterized from a physical-chemical and comfort point of view. The antibacterial activity and the biocompatibility of the textile materials functionalized with the hydrogels and active ingredients were also investigated. The textile materials treated with the synthesized hydrogels and subsequent bacitracin addition show an antibacterial effect on both S. aureus and E. coli test strains, while the hydrogels followed by ZnO nanoparticles addition show an antibacterial effect against S. aureus.
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- 2021
5. Analysis of a Class of Lotka–Volterra Systems
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Moza, G., Constantinescu, D., Efrem, R., Bucur, L., and Constantinescu, R.
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- 2022
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6. Deterministic Versus Probabilistic Volcano Monitoring: Not 'or' But 'and'
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Rouwet, D., Constantinescu, R., Sandri, L., Nemeth, Karoly, Series Editor, Gottsmann, Joachim, editor, Neuberg, Jürgen, editor, and Scheu, Bettina, editor
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- 2019
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7. A new version of KSOR method with lower number of iterations and lower spectral radius
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Constantinescu, R., Poenaru, R. C., Pop, F., and Popescu, P. G.
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- 2019
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8. Ceboruco hazard map: part II—modeling volcanic phenomena and construction of the general hazard map
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Sieron, K., Ferrés, D., Siebe, C., Constantinescu, R., Capra, L., Connor, C., Connor, L., Groppelli, G., and González Zuccolotto, K.
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- 2019
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9. Explosive sequence of La Soufrière, St Vincent, April 2021: insights into drivers and consequences via eruptive products
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Cole, Paul D., primary, Barclay, J., additional, Robertson, R. E. A., additional, Mitchell, Sam, additional, Davies, B. V., additional, Constantinescu, R., additional, Sparks, R. S. J., additional, Aspinall, W., additional, and Stinton, A., additional
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- 2023
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10. Estimation of eruption source parameters for the 2021 La Soufrière eruption (St Vincent): implications for quantification of eruption magnitude on volcanic islands
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Constantinescu, R., White, J. T., Connor, C., Cole, P., Fontijn, K., Barclay, J., and Robertson, R.
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Figures S1–S3 and Tables S1 and S2
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- 2023
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11. Computed tomographic findings in dogs with suspected aspiration pneumonia: 38 cases (2014‐2019)
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Constantinescu, R., primary, Istrate, A., additional, Sumping, J. C., additional, Dye, C., additional, Schiborra, F., additional, and Mortier, J. R., additional
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- 2022
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12. Deterministic Versus Probabilistic Volcano Monitoring: Not “or” But “and”
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Rouwet, D., primary, Constantinescu, R., additional, and Sandri, L., additional
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- 2017
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13. Computed tomographic findings in dogs with suspected aspiration pneumonia: 38 cases (2014‐2019).
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Constantinescu, R., Istrate, A., Sumping, J. C., Dye, C., Schiborra, F., and Mortier, J. R.
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ASPIRATION pneumonia ,DOGS ,COMPUTED tomography ,HOSPITAL admission & discharge ,DIAGNOSTIC imaging - Abstract
Objectives: To describe computed tomographic (CT) findings in dogs diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia and to assess for any correlation with patient outcome. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of 38 cases with a presumptive diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia at two UK referral centres. Medical records were reviewed for signalment, history, physical examination and clinicopathologic data. CT examinations of the thorax were reviewed by the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging board‐certified radiologist for all dogs to describe the characteristics and distribution of the pulmonary lesions. Results: The most common CT findings were lung lobe consolidation associated with air bronchograms (100%) followed by ground‐glass attenuation (89.4%), bronchial wall thickening (36.8%), bronchiolectasis (31.5%) and bronchiectasis (15.7%). Large‐breed dogs were overrepresented. Duration of hospitalisation ranged between 0 and 8 days (mean 3 days). Overall, 89.4% of dogs survived the aspiration event and were discharged from the hospital. The four dogs that did not survive to discharge had five or more lobes affected on CT. Clinical Significance: CT findings in dogs with aspiration pneumonia are described. CT is a useful imaging modality to diagnose aspiration pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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14. Uncertainty Quantification of Eruption Source Parameters Estimated From Tephra Fall Deposits
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Constantinescu, R., primary, White, J. T., additional, Connor, C. B., additional, Hopulele‐Gligor, A., additional, Charbonnier, S., additional, Thouret, J.‐C., additional, Lindsay, J. M., additional, and Bertin, D., additional
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- 2022
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15. Study on Medical Malpractice Insurance in Romania
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Voroneanu-Popa, R.V., primary, Constantinescu, R., additional, Ciocan, V., additional, Lazar, M., additional, and Ioan, B.G., additional
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- 2022
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16. Cerebrospinal fluid markers of neuronal and glial cell damage to monitor disease activity and predict long-term outcome in patients with autoimmune encephalitis
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Constantinescu, R., Krýsl, D., Bergquist, F., Andrén, K., Malmeström, C., Asztély, F., Axelsson, M., Menachem, E. B., Blennow, K., Rosengren, L., and Zetterberg, H.
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- 2016
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17. New Insights Into the 2070calyrBP Pyroclastic Currents at El Misti Volcano (Peru) From Field Investigations, Satellite Imagery and Probabilistic Modeling
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Charbonnier, S. J., primary, Thouret, J.-C., additional, Gueugneau, V., additional, and Constantinescu, R., additional
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- 2020
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18. Identification of symbol digit modality test score extremes in Huntington's disease
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Braisch, U, Muche, R, Rothenbacher, D, Landwehrmeyer, GB, Long, JD, Bentivoglio, AR, Biunno, I, Bonelli, RM, Dunnett, SB, Illmann, T, Levey, J, Ramos-Arroyo, M, Nielsen, JE, Paivarinta, M, Sebastian, AR, Tabrizi, SJ, Vandenberghe, W, Uhrova, T, Come, A, Garde, MB, Betz, S, Capodarca, S, Wildson, SC, da Silva, V, Di Renzo, M, Finisterra, M, Genoves, C, Gilling, M, Handley, OJ, Hvalstedt, C, Koppers, K, Lamanna, C, Laura, M, Descals, AM, Monza, D, Mutze, L, Oehmen, M, Padieu, H, Paterski, L, Koivisto, SP, Rindal, B, Roren, N, Sasinkova, P, Seliverstov, Y, Timewell, E, Cubillo, PT, van Walsem, MR, Witjes-Ane, MN, Yudina, E, Zielonka, E, Zinzi, P, Braunwarth, EM, Brugger, F, Buratti, L, Hametner, EM, Hepperger, C, Holas, C, Hotter, A, Hussl, A, Larcher, B, Mahlknecht, P, Muller, C, Pinter, B, Poewe, W, Seppi, K, Sprenger, F, Wenning, G, Dupuis, M, Minet, C, Ribai, P, Van Paemel, D, Verellen-Dumoulin, C, Klempir, J, Majerova, V, Roth, J, Babiloni, B, Debruxelles, S, Duche, C, Goizet, C, Jameau, L, Lafoucriere, D, Spampinato, U, Bachoud-Levi, AC, Boisse, MF, de Langavant, LC, Lemoine, L, Morgado, G, Youssov, K, Annic, A, Barthelemy, R, De Bruycker, C, Cabaret, M, Carette, AS, Carriere, N, Decorte, E, Defebvre, L, Delliaux, M, Delval, A, Depelchin, A, Destee, A, Dewulf-Pasz, N, Dondaine, T, Dugauquier, F, Dujardin, K, Lemaire, MH, Manouvrier, S, Peter, M, Plomhause, L, Sablonniere, B, Simonin, C, Tard, C, Thibault-Tanchou, S, Vuillaume, I, Bellonet, M, Benoit, A, Blin, S, Courtin, F, Duru, C, Fasquel, V, Godefroy, O, Krystkowiak, P, Mantaux, B, Roussel, M, Tir, M, Schuler, B, Wannepain, S, Azulay, JP, Chabot, C, Delfini, M, Eusebio, A, Fluchere, F, Grosjean, H, Mundler, L, Nowak, M, Bioux, S, Bliaux, E, Girard, C, Guyant-Marechal, L, Hannequin, D, Hannier, V, Jourdain, S, Maltete, D, Pouliquen, D, Blondeau, L, Calvas, F, Cheriet, S, Delabaere, H, Demonet, JF, Pariente, J, Pierre, M, Beuth, M, Gelderblom, H, Priller, J, Pruss, H, Spruth, E, Thiel, S, Ellrichmannberlin, G, Herrmann, L, Hoffmann, R, Kaminski, B, Saft, C, Bosredon, C, Hunger, U, Lohle, M, Maass, A, Ossig, C, Schmidt, S, Storch, A, Wolz, A, Wolz, M, Kohl, Z, Kozay, C, Ullah, J, Winkler, J, Bergmann, U, Boringer, R, Capetian, P, Kammel, G, Lambeck, J, Meier, S, Rijntjes, M, Zucker, B, Boelmans, K, Ganos, C, Goerendt, I, Heinicke, W, Hidding, U, Munchau, A, Schmalfeld, J, Stubbe, L, Zittel, S, Diercks, G, Dressler, D, Francis, F, Gayde-Stephan, S, Gorzolla, H, Kramer, B, Minschke, R, Schrader, C, Tacik, P, Longinus, B, Lusebrink, A, Muhlau, M, Peinemann, A, Stadtler, M, Weindl, A, Winkelmann, J, Ziegler, C, Bechtel, N, Beckmann, H, Bohlen, S, Gopfert, N, Holzner, E, Lange, H, Reilmann, R, Rohm, S, Rumpf, S, Sass, C, Schepers, S, Weber, N, Barth, K, Buck, A, Connemann, J, Ecker, D, Geitner, C, Held, C, Kesse, A, Landwehrmeyer, B, Lezius, F, Lewerenz, J, Nepper, S, Niess, A, Orth, M, Schneider, A, Schwenk, D, Sussmuth, S, Trautmann, S, Weydt, P, Klebe, S, Musacchio, T, Leypold, C, Noth, K, Cormio, C, de Tommaso, M, Franco, G, Sciruicchio, V, Serpino, C, Calandra-Buonaura, G, Capellari, S, Cortelli, P, Gallassi, R, Poda, R, Sambati, L, Scaglione, C, Maserati, MS, Agosti, C, Barlati, S, Compostella, S, Marchina, E, Padovani, A, Bertini, E, Ghelli, E, Ginestroni, A, Mechi, C, Paganini, M, Piacentini, S, Pradella, S, Romoli, AM, Sorbi, S, Abbruzzese, G, di Poggio, MB, Ferrandes, G, Mandich, P, Marchese, R, Tamburini, T, Baake, V, van den Bogaard, SJA, Bos, R, Dumas, EM, t'Hart, EP, Kampstra, A, Roos, RAC, Schoonderbeek, A, Aaserud, O, Bjorgo, K, Borgeod, N, Dramstad, E, Fannemel, M, Frich, JC, Gorvell, PF, Heiberg, A, Lorentzen, E, Retterstol, L, Rosby, O, Sikiric, A, Stokke, B, van Walsem, M, Wehus, R, Bjornevoll, I, Sando, SB, Haug, MG, Storseth, HH, Arntsen, V, Dziadkiewicz, A, Konkel, A, Narozanska, E, Robowski, P, Sitek, E, Slawek, J, Soltan, W, Szinwelski, M, Arkuszewski, M, Blaszczyk, M, Boczarska-Jedynak, M, Ciach-Wysocka, E, Gorzkowska, A, Nska-Myga, BJ, Kaczmarczyk, A, Klodowska-Duda, G, Opala, G, Stompel, D, Banaszkiewicz, K, Bocwinska, D, Bojakowska-Jaremek, K, Dec, M, Grabska, N, Krawczyk, GM, Kubowicz, E, Malec-Litwinowicz, M, Rudzinska, M, Stenwak, A, Szczudlik, A, Szczygiel, E, Wojcik, M, Wasielewska, A, Bryl, JAA, Ciesielska, A, Klimberg, A, Marcinkowski, J, Samara, H, Sempolowicz, J, Sniewski, BW, Zielonka, D, Gogol, A, Janik, P, Jamrozik, Z, Kaminska, A, Kwiecinski, H, Antczak, J, Jachinska, K, Krysa, W, Rakowicz, M, Richter, P, Rola, R, Ryglewicz, D, Sienkiewicz-Jarosz, H, Stepniak, I, Sulek, A, Witkowski, G, Zaremba, J, Zdzienicka, E, Ziora-Jakutowicz, K, Januario, C, Julio, F, Guedes, LC, Coelho, M, Finisterra, AM, Ferreira, JJ, Mestre, T, Mendes, T, Rosa, MM, Valadas, A, Kopishinskaya, S, Korotysh, M, Herrera, CD, Moreno, PG, Bas, J, Busquets, N, Calopa, M, Classen, SJ, Dedicha, NR, Buongiorno, MT, Maria, ADS, Munoz, E, Santacruz, P, Barbera, MA, Pardo, SA, Guia, DB, Calzado, N, Hernanz, LC, Diaz-Zorita, JPT, Catena, JL, Ferrer, PQ, Carruesco, GT, Robert, MF, Viladrich, CM, Roca, E, Idiago, JMR, Riballo, AV, Campolongo, A, de Bobadilla, RF, Bojarsky, JK, Martinez-Horta, S, Pagonabarraga, J, Perez, JP, Ribosa, R, Villa, C, Gil, MAA, Corrales, KB, Esteban, JCG, Gonzalez, A, Merino, BT, Cubo, E, Polo, CG, Mariscal, N, Romero, SG, Arbelo, JM, de Molina, RM, Martin, I, Perianez, JM, Udaeta, B, Alonso-Frech, F, Frades, B, Villanueva, MA, Sevilla, MAZ, Frech, FA, Fenollar, MD, Garcia, RGR, Villanueva, C, Bascunana, M, Ventura, MF, Ribas, GG, de Yebenes, JG, Moreno, JLLS, Barral, VM, Ruiz, PJG, Garcia, A, Lopez, RG, Barcenas, AH, Martinez-Descals, A, Martin, VP, Martinez, NR, Artiga, MJS, Sanchez, V, Pueyo, A, Gonzalez, S, Guisasola, LM, Ribacoba, MPPR, Salvador, C, Lozano, PS, Caldentey, JG, Ramirez, IL, Arques, PN, Lopera, MR, Pastor, BV, Gaston, I, Garcia-Amigot, F, Martinez-Jaurrieta, MD, Ramos-Arroyo, MA, Carrillo, F, Redondo, MTC, Mir, P, Gonzalez, LV, Moreno, JMG, Lucena, CM, Pena, JC, Redondo, L, Sanchez, VS, Fernandez, CM, Mata, MP, Lemos, MDR, Bosca, M, Burguera, JA, Vilaplana, FCBCP, Solis, P, Figuerola, BJ, Palanca, PM, Berglund, P, Constantinescu, R, Fredlund, G, Hosterey-Ugander, U, Linnsand, P, Neleborn-Lingefjard, L, Wahlstrom, J, Palhagen, S, Svenningsson, P, Paucar, M, Wallden, T, Ekwall, C, Goller, ML, Sundblom, J, Stebler, Y, Kaelin, A, Romero, I, Schupbach, M, Zaugg, SW, Jung, H, Petersen, J, Auer, M, Mihaylova, V, Vernon, N, Akhtar, S, Crooks, J, Curtis, A, de Souza, J, Piedad, J, Rickards, H, Wright, J, Pallett, A, Coulthard, E, Gethin, L, Hayward, B, Sieradzan, K, Wright, A, Busse, M, Butcher, C, Dunnett, S, Clenaghan, C, Hunt, S, Jones, L, Jones, U, Khalil, H, Minster, S, Owen, M, Price, K, Townhill, J, Rosser, A, Edwards, M, Ho, C, McGill, M, Porteous, M, Pearson, P, Harrower, T, Irvine, S, Brockie, P, Foster, J, Johns, N, McKenzie, S, Rothery, J, Thomas, G, Yates, S, Deith, C, Ireland, J, Ritchie, S, Andrew, A, Frost, J, Noad, R, Cosgrove, J, Gallantree, D, Hamer, S, Hobson, E, Jamieson, S, Kraus, A, Longthorpe, M, Markova, I, Musgrave, H, Peacy, C, Raman, A, Rowett, L, Toscano, J, Wild, S, Yardumian, P, Clayton, C, Dipple, H, Freire-Patino, D, Hallam, C, Middleton, J, Alusi, S, Davies, R, Foy, K, Gerrans, E, Leggett, H, Pate, L, Anjum, U, Coebergh, J, Eddy, C, McEntagart, M, Patton, M, Peterson, M, Rose, S, Andrews, T, Brown, S, Bruno, S, Doherty, K, Golding, C, Haider, S, Hensman, D, Lahiri, N, Lewis, M, Novak, M, Patel, A, Robertson, N, Rosser, E, Tabrizi, S, Taylor, R, Warner, T, Wild, E, Arran, N, Bek, J, Callaghan, J, Craufurd, D, Fullam, R, Howard, L, Huson, S, Johnson, L, Jones, M, Krishnamoorthy, A, Murphy, H, Oughton, E, Partington-Jones, L, Rogers, D, Sollom, A, Snowden, J, Stopford, C, Thompson, J, Tinkler, P, Trender-Gerhard, I, Verstraelen, N, Westmoreland, L, Cass, G, Davidson, L, Davison, J, Fullerton, N, Holmes, K, Komati, S, McDonnell, S, Mohammed, Z, Morgan, K, Savage, L, Singh, B, Wood, J, Chu, E, Knight, C, O'Neill, M, Das Purkayastha, D, Nemeth, AH, Siuda, G, Valentine, R, Dixon, K, Armstrong, R, Harrison, D, Hughes, M, Large, S, Donovan, JO, Palmer, A, Parkinson, A, Soltysiak, B, Timings, L, Williams, J, Burn, J, Weekes, R, Craven, J, Bailey, W, Coleman, C, Haig-Brown, D, Simpson, S, Hare, M, Majeed, T, Bandmann, O, Bradbury, A, Fairtlough, H, Fillingham, K, Foustanos, I, Gill, P, Kazoka, M, Nevitt, L, Peppa, N, Quarrell, O, Taylor, C, Tidswell, K, O'Donovan, K, Agarwal, V, Anderson, M, Gunner, K, Harris, K, Hayward, E, Heywood, M, Keys, L, Kipps, C, MacKinnon, L, Smalley, S, Gowers, L, Powell, K, Bethwaite, P, Edwards, R, Fuller, K, Phillips, M, Tan, L, Burgunder, JM, Lau, PN, Pica, E, Shoulson, I, Gusella, JG, Antonijevic, I, vankammen, D, Foroud, T, Warner, J, Giuliano, J, Vetter, L, Marshall, F, Marder, K, Frucht, S, Moskowitz, C, Clouse, R, Wasserman, P, Shannon, K, Jaglin, J, Jankovic, J, Palao, A, Harrison, M, Singer, C, Quesada, M, Hersch, S, Rosas, D, Tanev, K, Malarick, K, Colcher, A, Sanchez-Ramos, J, Kostyk, S, Paulsen, J, Perlmutter, J, Tabbal, S, Ross, C, Dorsey, R, Nucifora, F, Dubinsky, R, Dubinsky, H, Suchowersky, O, Klimek, ML, Jones, R, Morgan, J, Mohlo, E, Kang, U, Agarwal, P, Factor, S, Jennings, D, Higgins, D, Adams, J, Frank, S, Saint-Hilaire, M, Diggin, M, Furtado, S, Walker, F, O'Neill, C, Quaid, K, LeDoux, M, Raymond, L, Leavitt, B, Decolongon, J, Perlman, S, Peavy, G, Goldstein, J, Kumar, R, McCusker, E, Griffith, J, Loy, C, Wheelock, V, Tempkin, T, Martin, A, Nance, M, Mallonee, W, Suter, G, Revilla, F, Gartner, M, Drazinic, C, Fitzpatrick, MJ, Panisset, M, Duff, K, Scott, B, Weiner, W, Robottom, B, Chiu, E, Yastrubetskaya, O, Churchyard, A, Greenamyre, TJ, Oakes, D, Beck, C, Robertson, S, Eaton, K, Lindsay, P, Deuel, L, MacDonald, M, Hickey, C, Muratori, L, Leserman, A, Doucette, N, Uc, E, Rodnitzky, R, Vik, S, Davis, R, Dietrich, S, Segro, V, Erickson, D, Hunt, V, Lucarelli, N, Broyles, J, Delarosa, J, Louis, E, Panegyres, P, Schmidt, A, Barton, S, Sperin, E, Testa, C, Thiede, F, Zauber, SE, McInnis, R, Welsh, C, Wesson, M, Coleman, A, and European Commission
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,congenital, hereditary, and neonatal diseases and abnormalities ,COHORT ,Cox hazard model ,quantile regression ,REGISTRY ,symbol digit modalities test ,Genotype ,Neuropsychological Tests ,Cohort Studies ,03 medical and health sciences ,Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience ,Cognition ,0302 clinical medicine ,Huntington's disease ,Rating scale ,mental disorders ,medicine ,Humans ,Verbal fluency test ,Longitudinal Studies ,Genetics (clinical) ,Proportional Hazards Models ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,Proportional hazards model ,business.industry ,Reproducibility of Results ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,nervous system diseases ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Huntington Disease ,Phenotype ,Test score ,Cohort ,Disease Progression ,Female ,Observational study ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Stroop effect ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
REGISTRY Investigators of the European Huntington's Disease Network and COHORT Investigators of the Huntington Study Group., Studying individuals with extreme phenotypes could facilitate the understanding of disease modification by genetic or environmental factors. Our aim was to identify Huntington's disease (HD) patients with extreme symbol digit modality test (SDMT) scores. We first examined in HD the contribution of cognitive measures of the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) in predicting clinical endpoints. The language-independent SDMT was used to identify patients performing very well or very poorly relative to their CAG and age cohort. We used data from REGISTRY and COHORT observational study participants (5,603 HD participants with CAG repeats above 39 with 13,868 visits) and of 1,006 healthy volunteers (with 2,241 visits), included to identify natural aging and education effects on cognitive measures. Separate Cox proportional hazards models with CAG, age at study entry, education, sex, UHDRS total motor score and cognitive (SDMT, verbal fluency, Stroop tests) scores as covariates were used to predict clinical endpoints. Quantile regression for longitudinal language-independent SDMT data was used for boundary (2.5% and 97.5% quantiles) estimation and extreme score analyses stratified by age, education, and CAG repeat length. Ten percent of HD participants had an extreme SDMT phenotype for at least one visit. In contrast, only about 3% of participants were consistent SDMT extremes at two or more visits. The thresholds for the one-visit and two-visit extremes can be used to classify existing and new individuals. The identification of these phenotype extremes can be useful in the search for disease modifiers., This work was in part funded by a grant from the EuropeanCommission under the 7th framework programme (RD-Connect, grantagreement number 305444).
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- 2019
19. ANTIMICROBIAL FINISHING OF TEXTILES USING EMULSIONS BASED ON NATURAL PRODUCTS.
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Laura, CHIRILĂ, Georgiana, VASILE, Rodica, CONSTANTINESCU R., Sabina, OLARU, Alina, POPESCU, and Miruna, STAN
- Subjects
ESSENTIAL oils ,XANTHAN gum ,TEXTILE finishing ,NATURAL products ,BIOPOLYMERS ,GRAM-negative bacteria ,EMULSIONS ,MANUFACTURING processes - Abstract
Bioactive dressings are obtained using substances which release bioactive compounds. A way of immobilization active ingredients on various textile materials is through emulsions based on natural polymers. Active ingredients, like essential oils and propolis play an important role in the inhibition and prevention of bacterial growth. Chitosan and xanthan gum are suitable for essential oil entrapment due to their biodegradability, low product costs and environmentally friendly production processes. The aim of this paper is to highlight the antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility of textile materials treated with cinnamon essential oil and propolis based emulsions. In this respect, experimental samples of oil-in-water emulsions type, based on chitosan-propolis-cinnamon essential oil and xanthan-propolis-cinnamon essential oil were prepared and then were immobilized on woven fabrics with different fiber compositions. The functionalized textile materials were characterized in terms of their physical-mechanical and physical-chemical characteristics, antibacterial activity and biocompatibility point of view. From the corroboration of the obtained data it was found that the obtained samples are more hydrophobic than the untreated material and the bioactive polymeric systems have shown antibacterial activity for both gram positive bacteria (S. aureus) and gram negative bacteria (E. coli) test strains. The in vitro biocompatibility evaluation on human skin cells confirmed the absence of cytotoxicity after the short-term exposure. Also, the treated samples displayed a good biocompatibility without skin irritations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
20. Invariant solutions of the Eckhaus-Kundu model with nonlinear dispersion and non-Kerr nonlinearities.
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Cimpoiasu, R. and Constantinescu, R.
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- *
QUINTIC equations , *NONLINEAR Schrodinger equation , *OPTICAL fibers , *DISPERSION (Chemistry) - Abstract
This paper will study Eckhaus-Kundu equation from the perspective of Lie symmetry analysis. We will systematically construct similarity reductions in order to perform the explicit invariant solutions of this version of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with nonlinear dispersion and cubic-quintic nonlinearities, describing the propagation of ultrashort pulses in optical fibers. Some new wave solutions with real and imaginary parts of trigonometric type or of a compound of trigonometric and hyperbolic types will be pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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21. The effect of triple therapy on the mortality of catastrophic anti-phospholipid syndrome patients
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Rodríguez-Pintó, I. Espinosa, G. Erkan, D. Shoenfeld, Y. Cervera, R. Piette, J.C. Jacek, M. Roca, B. Tektonidou, M. Moutsopoulos, H. Boffa, J. Chapman, J. Stojanovich, L. Veloso, M.P. Praprotnik, S. Traub, B. Levy, R. Daryl, T. Tan, D. Boffa, M.C. Makatsaria, A. Ruano, M. Allievi, A. You, W. Khamastha, M. Hughes, S. Nilzete, L. Menendez Suso, J. Pacheco, J. Boriotti, M.F. Dias, C. Pangtey, G. Miller, S. Policepatil, S. Larissa, L. Marjatta, S. Carolyn, S. Noortje, T. Reiner, K. Arteaga, S. Leilani, T. Langsford, D. Niedzwiecki, M. Queyrel, V. Moroti-Constantinescu, R. Romero, C. Jeremic, K. Urbano, A. Hurtado-García, R. Kumar Das, A. Costedoat-Chalumeau, N. Yngvar, F. Gomez-Puerta, J.A. de Meigs, E. Smith, J.P. Zakharova, E. Nayer, A. Douglas, W. Lyndsey, R. Blanco, V. Vicent, C. Natalya, K. Damian, L. Valentini, E. Giula, B. Casal Moura, M. Loperena, O.A. Susan, Y.R. Imbert, G.G. Almasri, H. Hospach, T. Mouna, B. Robles, A. Wilson, H. Guisado, P. Ruiz, R. Rodriguez, J. CAPS Registry Project Group
- Abstract
Objectives. The objective of this study was to assess the effect that triple therapy (anticoagulation plus CS plus plasma exchange and/or IVIGs) has on the mortality risk of patients with catastrophic APS (CAPS) included in the CAPS Registry. Methods. Patients from the CAPS Registry were grouped based on their treatments: triple therapy; drugs included in the triple therapy but in different combinations; and none of the treatments included in the triple therapy. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to compare mortality risk between groups. Results. The CAPS Registry cohort included 525 episodes of CAPS accounting for 502 patients. After excluding 54 episodes (10.3%), a total of 471 patients with CAPS were included [mean (S.D.) age 38.5 years (17); 68.2% female primary APS patients 62%]. Overall, 174 (36.9%) patients died. Triple therapy was prescribed in 189 episodes (40.1%), other combinations in 270 (57.3%) and none of those treatments in 12 episodes (2.5%); the mortality rate in the three groups was 28.6, 41.1 and 75%, respectively. Triple therapy was positively associated with a higher chance of survival when compared with non-treatment [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 9.7, 95% CI: 2.3, 40.6] or treatment with other combinations of drugs included in the triple therapy (adjusted OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.6). No statistical differences were found between patients that received triple therapy with plasma exchange or IVIGs (P = 0.92). Conclusion. Triple therapy is independently associated with a higher survival rate among patients with CAPS. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology.
- Published
- 2018
22. Invariant solutions of the Eckhaus-Kundu model with nonlinear dispersion and non-Kerr nonlinearities
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Cimpoiasu, R., primary and Constantinescu, R., additional
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- 2019
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23. BIOACTIVE HYDROGEL TYPE CARRIER SYSTEMS AIMED FOR TEXTILE WOUND DRESSING.
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Laura, CHIRILĂ, Andreea, ȚIGĂU, Rodica, CONSTANTINESCU R., Sabina, OLARU, Alina, POPESCU, and Miruna, STAN
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SODIUM alginate ,HYALURONIC acid ,TEXTILES ,BACITRACIN ,WOUND healing ,HYDROGELS ,ZINC oxide - Abstract
Wound healing is a specific biological process related to the general phenomenon of growth and tissue regeneration. Polysaccharide gels are usually biocompatible and show several peculiar physicalchemical properties that make them suitable for a variety of biomedical applications. The hydrogels based on these types of polymers can cool the wound and reduce pain, which is helpful for burns or painful wounds. This paper aims to study the antibacterial activity of a layer-by-layer hydrogel "carrier" system based on sodium alginate and chitosan, which is further functionalized with active principles, like hyaluronic acid, or ZnO nanoparticles, or bacitracin. The synthesis of the hydrogels system was followed by the immobilization on textile woven fabrics made of fibrous blends of different chemical compositions, in order to achieve bioactive wound dressing for application in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions. The textile materials used to produce the wound dressings have the same weave and warp thread (100% cotton, Nm 50/2), but different weft thread (100% acetate 130 dtex or 100% Lenpur Nm 34/1). For this purpose, several experimental variants of hydrogels were prepared and the treated textile materials were characterized from a physicalchemical and comfort point of view. The antibacterial activity and the biocompatibility of the textile materials functionalized with the hydrogels and active ingredients were also investigated. The textile materials treated with the synthesized hydrogels and subsequent bacitracin addition show an antibacterial effect on both S. aureus and E. coli test strains, while the hydrogels followed by ZnO nanoparticles addition show an antibacterial effect against S. aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
24. P1553PROCAM vs. SCORE: 10 years after
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Dumitrescu, S I, primary, Boingiu, R, additional, Hantulie, I, additional, Popescu, R, additional, Savoiu, D, additional, Gurzun, M, additional, Stanciu, S, additional, Chiriac, L, additional, Bolohan, R, additional, Botezatu, S, additional, and Constantinescu, R, additional
- Published
- 2018
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25. Social mobility and educational attainment among Romanian Rroma
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Constantinescu, R and Heath, A
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Romania ,Social conditions ,Romanies ,Minorities ,Education - Abstract
Academic researches suggests that Rroma face challenges of overcoming poverty, improving access to education, increasing employability and improving health. This thesis describes a qualitative investigation into the role of education to ensuring upward mobility for Rroma. Using a purposive sample, the research analysed the ethnic make-up of Rroma individuals and found that contrary to uninformed perceptions, Rroma community is immensely diverse and can be described through two generic types: a Traditional Gypsies type and a Modern Rroma type. The Traditional Gypsies type would generally describe the Gypsies who at individual or collective level still preserve in their day to day life a collection of Gypsy ethnic practices. By contrast, the Modern Rroma type would refer to those Rroma who having began recently or generations back a process of ethnic transition and/or assimilation into the wider Romanian community now share only a few traditional ethnic practices. Next, the research classified occupations encountered, analysed whether intra-generational and inter-generational social mobility occurs and found that Rroma community experiences a dynamic pattern of multi-directional and multi-speed social mobility as well as a distinct process of ethnic transition. Ethnic transition describes the process through which respondents shed ethnic practices and move away from distinct Gypsy ethnic identities towards "symbolic" identities. Thirdly, the research analysed the impact of education on social trajectories and found that contrary to uninformed prejudice, a majority of Rroma tend to hold education in high esteem and that they do benefit socially from it. Far from questioning its relevance or fearing it, formal education is accepted and aspired to by Traditional Gypsies who understand its potential impact upon their living standard. Modem Rroma too, value education though their ideal attainment levels tend to be higher than those of Traditional Gypsies. The gap between abstract preferences and real school participation is maintained less by discrimination alone but by a rational choice evaluation through a cost (including discrimination) benefit analysis. Formal education is essential for Rroma's social mobility though Traditional Gypsies necessitate lesser levels than Modern Rroma who, to compete in the Gadje world, require the same amount of education for comparative occupation levels as other members of the wider community.
- Published
- 2016
26. High levels of neurofilament light and YKL-40 in cerebrospinal fluid are related to poor outcome in ALS.
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Rosén C, Mitre B, Nellgård B, Axelsson M, Constantinescu R, Andersen PM, Dalla K, Blennow K, Nilsson G, Zetterberg H, and Rosén H
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- Humans, Female, Male, Middle Aged, Aged, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein cerebrospinal fluid, Disease Progression, Adult, Membrane Glycoproteins, Receptors, Immunologic, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis cerebrospinal fluid, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis diagnosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis blood, Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 cerebrospinal fluid, Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 blood, Neurofilament Proteins cerebrospinal fluid, Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid
- Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurological disease without effective treatment. No pathognomonic test can diagnose ALS in sporadic cases. Routine investigation in suspected cases includes neurological examination, imaging of the brain and spine and electromyography supported by blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses. The ALS diagnosis is made by clinical judgement and results from examinations. We aimed to study if the CSF biomarkers neurofilament light protein (NFL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), YKL-40, soluble amyloid precursor protein (sAPP) α and β, and soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2) were associated with ALS diagnosis and could predict disease progression. Eighty-one patients with suspected ALS were included after referral to the neurological clinic at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Fifty-nine patients were diagnosed having ALS, while 22 patients were given alternative diagnoses and labeled ALS mimics. Finally, 25 age-matched neurologically intact individuals were used as controls. ALS patients had significantly higher CSF levels of NFL than controls and mimics. Levels of YKL-40 and GFAP were significantly higher in ALS patients compared with controls. No difference was found between study groups when comparing levels of sAPPα, sAPPβ and sTREM2. Further, elevated levels of NFL and YKL-40 were associated with an increased hazard of death and the annual decline in ALSFRS-R. We also found that patients with elevated levels of both NFL and YKL-40 had a particularly poor prognosis. The results demonstrate the usefulness of CSF biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognostication of ALS., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest HZ has served at scientific advisory boards and/or as a consultant for Abbvie, Acumen, Alector, Alzinova, ALZPath, Annexon, Apellis, Artery Therapeutics, AZTherapies, Cognito Therapeutics, CogRx, Denali, Eisai, Nervgen, Novo Nordisk, Optoceutics, Passage Bio, Pinteon Therapeutics, Prothena, Red Abbey Labs, reMYND, Roche, Samumed, Siemens Healthineers, Triplet Therapeutics, and Wave, has given lectures in symposia sponsored by Cellectricon, Fujirebio, Alzecure, Biogen, and Roche, and is a co-founder of Brain Biomarker Solutions in Gothenburg AB (BBS), which is a part of the GU Ventures Incubator Program (outside submitted work). MA has served at scientific advisory boards and lectures for Biogen, Merck, Sanofi and Genzyme. KB has served as a consultant and at advisory boards for Acumen, ALZPath, AriBio, BioArctic, Biogen, Eisai, Lilly, Moleac Pte. Ltd., Novartis, Ono Pharma, Prothena, Roche Diagnostics, and Siemens Healthineers; has served at data monitoring committees for Julius Clinical and Novartis; has given lectures, produced educational materials and participated in educational programs for AC Immune, Biogen, Celdara Medical, Eisai and Roche Diagnostics; and is a co-founder of Brain Biomarker Solutions in Gothenburg AB (BBS), which is a part of the GU Ventures Incubator Program, outside the work presented in this paper. Authors are required to disclose financial or non-financial interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
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- 2024
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27. Cerebrospinal fluid glial fibrillary acidic protein, in contrast to amyloid beta protein, is associated with disease symptoms in Huntington's disease.
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Korpela S, Sundblom J, Zetterberg H, Constantinescu R, Svenningsson P, Paucar M, and Niemelä V
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- Humans, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Biomarkers, Disease Progression, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein, Huntington Disease genetics
- Abstract
Introduction: Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease, currently lacking disease-modifying treatments. Biomarkers are needed for objective assessment of disease progression. Evidence supports both complex protein aggregation and astrocyte activation in HD. This study assesses the 42 amino acid long amyloid beta (Aβ42) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) as potential biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of HD mutation carriers., Methods: CSF from participants was obtained from three sites in Sweden. Clinical symptoms were graded with the composite Unified Huntington's disease rating scale (cUHDRS). Protein concentrations were measured using ELISA. Pearson correlations were calculated to assess disease progression association. Results were adjusted for age and collection site., Results: The study enrolled 28 manifest HD patients (ManHD), 13 premanifest HD gene-expansion carriers (PreHD) and 20 controls. Aβ42 levels did not differ between groups and there was no correlation with measures of disease progression. GFAP concentration was higher in ManHD (424 ng/l, SD 253) compared with both PreHD (266 ng/l, SD 92.4) and controls (208 ng/l, SD 83.7). GFAP correlated with both cUHDRS (r = -0.77, p < 0.001), and 5-year risk of disease onset (r = 0.70, p = 0.008)., Conclusion: We provide evidence that indicates CSF Aβ42 has limited potential as a biomarker for HD. GFAP is a potential biomarker of progression in HD. Validation in larger cohorts measuring GFAP in blood and CSF would be of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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28. α-Synuclein seed amplification assay as a diagnostic tool for parkinsonian disorders.
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Fernandes Gomes B, Farris CM, Ma Y, Concha-Marambio L, Lebovitz R, Nellgård B, Dalla K, Constantinescu J, Constantinescu R, Gobom J, Andreasson U, Zetterberg H, and Blennow K
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- Humans, alpha-Synuclein, Synucleinopathies, Parkinsonian Disorders diagnosis, Parkinson Disease diagnosis, Multiple System Atrophy diagnosis, Tauopathies
- Abstract
Introduction: Synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) can be challenging to diagnose due to the symptom overlap with, for example, atypical parkinsonisms like progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Seed amplification assays (SAA), developed for the detection of α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates in CSF, have been successful when used as a biomarker evaluation for synucleinopathies. In this study, we investigated the potential of this assay to not only detect αSyn seeds in CSF, but also discriminate between movement disorders., Methods: The αSyn-SAA was tested in a Scandinavian cohort composed of 129 CSF samples from patients with PD (n = 55), MSA (n = 27), CBD (n = 7), and PSP (n = 16), as well as healthy controls (HC, n = 24)., Results: The αSyn seed amplification assay (αSyn-SAA) was able to correctly identify all PD samples as positive (sensitivity of 100%) while also discriminating the PD group from HC (70.8% specificity, p < 0.0001) and tauopathies [CBD (71% specificity) and PSP (75% specificity), p < 0.0001)]. The αSyn-SAA was also able to identify almost all MSA samples as positive for αSyn aggregation (sensitivity of 92.6%). In general, this assay is able to discriminate between the synucleinopathies and tauopathies analyzed herein (p < 0.0001) despite the overlapping symptoms in these diseases., Conclusion: These findings suggest the αSyn-SAA is a useful diagnostic tool for differentiating between different parkinsonian disorders, although further optimization may be needed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Potential conflicts of interest have been declared as follows: Co-author Henrik Zetterberg has served at scientific advisory boards and/or as a consultant for Abbvie, Alector, Annexon, Artery Therapeutics, AZTherapies, CogRx, Denali, Eisai, Nervgen, Novo Nordisk, Pinteon Therapeutics, Red Abbey Labs, Passage Bio, Roche, Samumed, Siemens Healthineers, Triplet Therapeutics, and Wave, has given lectures in symposia sponsored by Cellectricon, Fujirebio, Alzecure, Biogen, and Roche, and is a co-founder of Brain Biomarker Solutions in Gothenburg AB (BBS), which is a part of the GU Ventures Incubator Program. Co-author Kaj Blennow has served as a consultant, at advisory boards, or at data monitoring committees for Abcam, Axon, BioArctic, Biogen, JOMDD/Shimadzu. Julius Clinical, Lilly, MagQu, Novartis, Ono Pharma, Pharmatrophix, Prothena, Roche Diagnostics, and Siemens Healthineers, and is a co-founder of Brain Biomarker Solutions in Gothenburg AB (BBS), which is a part of the GU Ventures Incubator Program. Co-authors Luis Concha-Marambio, Carly M. Farris, Yihua Ma, and Russ Lebovitz are employees of Amprion, a biotechnology company that focuses on the commercial use of SAA (PMCA, RT-QuIC) for diagnostic purposes. They are also inventors in several patents associated to SAAs., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2023
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29. Paraneoplastic or not? Sirtuin 2 in anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis.
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Stevens-Jones O, Mojzisova H, Elisak M, Constantinescu R, Hanzalova J, Axelsson M, and Krysl D
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- Female, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Autoantibodies, Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Proteomics, Retrospective Studies, Sirtuin 2, Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis cerebrospinal fluid
- Abstract
Background and Purpose: N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 (LGI1) encephalitis are important types of autoimmune encephalitis (AE) with significant morbidity. In this study, we used a proteomic approach in search of novel clinically relevant biomarkers in these types of encephalitides., Methods: Swedish and Czech tertiary neuroimmunology centers collaborated in this retrospective exploratory study. Fifty-eight cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of 28 patients with AE (14 definite NMDAR, 14 with definite LGI1 encephalitis) and 30 controls were included. CSF samples were analyzed using proximity extension assay technology (Olink Target 96 Inflammation panel). For each CSF sample, 92 proteins were measured. Clinical variables were retrospectively collected, and correlations with protein levels were statistically analyzed., Results: Patients and controls differed significantly in the following 18 biomarkers: TNFRSF9, TNFRSF12, TNFRSF14, TNFβ, TNFα, IL7, IL10, IL12B, IFNγ, CD5, CD6, CASP8, MMP1, CXCL8, CXCL10, CXCL11, IL20RA, and sirtuin 2 (SIRT2). In LGI1 encephalitis, no clinically useful association was found between biomarkers and clinical variables. In the NMDAR encephalitis group, SIRT2, TNFβ, and CD5 were significantly associated with ovarian teratoma. For SIRT2, this was true even for the first patients' CSF sample (SIRT2 without vs. with tumor, mean ± SD = 2.2 ± 0.29 vs. 2.88 ± 0.48; p = 0.007, 95% confidence interval = -1.15 to -0.22; r statistic in point-biserial correlation (rpb) = 0.66, p = 0.011). SIRT2 was positively correlated with age (rpb = 0.39, p = 0.018) and total hospital days (r = 0.55, p = <0.001)., Conclusions: SIRT2 should be investigated as a biomarker of paraneoplastic etiology in NMDAR encephalitis., (© 2023 The Authors. European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology.)
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- 2023
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30. SCRN1: A cerebrospinal fluid biomarker correlating with tau in Alzheimer's disease.
- Author
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Weiner S, Sauer M, Brinkmalm G, Constantinescu J, Constantinescu R, Gomes BF, Becker B, Nellgård B, Dalla K, Galasko D, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, and Gobom J
- Subjects
- Humans, Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Biomarkers metabolism, Corticobasal Degeneration cerebrospinal fluid, Corticobasal Degeneration metabolism, Corticobasal Degeneration pathology, Multiple System Atrophy cerebrospinal fluid, Multiple System Atrophy metabolism, Multiple System Atrophy pathology, Parkinson Disease cerebrospinal fluid, Parkinson Disease genetics, Parkinson Disease metabolism, Parkinson Disease pathology, Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive cerebrospinal fluid, Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive genetics, Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive metabolism, Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive pathology, Alzheimer Disease cerebrospinal fluid, Alzheimer Disease genetics, Alzheimer Disease metabolism, Alzheimer Disease pathology, Nerve Tissue Proteins cerebrospinal fluid, Nerve Tissue Proteins genetics, Nerve Tissue Proteins metabolism, tau Proteins cerebrospinal fluid, tau Proteins metabolism
- Abstract
Introduction: Secernin-1 (SCRN1) is a neuronal protein that co-localizes with neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but not with tau inclusions in corticobasal degeneration (CBD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), or Pick's disease., Methods: We measured SCRN1 concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using a novel mass spectrometric parallel reaction monitoring method in three clinical cohorts comprising patients with neurochemically characterized AD (n = 25) and controls (n = 28), clinically diagnosed Parkinson's disease (PD; n = 38), multiple system atrophy (MSA; n = 31), PSP (n = 20), CBD (n = 8), healthy controls (n = 37), and neuropathology-confirmed AD (n = 47)., Results: CSF SCRN1 was significantly increased in AD (P < 0.01, fold change = 1.4) compared to controls (receiver operating characteristic area under the curve = 0.78) but not in CBD, PSP, PD, or MSA. CSF SCRN1 positively correlated with CSF total tau (R = 0.78, P = 1.1 × 10
-13 ), phosphorylated tau181 (R = 0.64, P = 3.2 × 10-8 ), and Braak stage and negatively correlated with Mini-Mental State Examination score., Discussion: CSF SCRN1 is a candidate biomarker of AD, reflecting tau pathology., Highlights: We developed a parallel reaction monitoring assay to measure secernin-1 (SCRN1) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF SCRN1 was increased in Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy controls. CSF SCRN1 remained unchanged in Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, or corticobasal degeneration compared to controls. CSF SCRN1 correlated strongly with CSF phosphorylated tau and total tau. CSF SCRN1 increased across Braak stages and negatively correlated with Mini-Mental State Examination score., (© 2023 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)- Published
- 2023
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31. Presence of neural surface and onconeural autoantibodies in cerebrospinal fluid and serum in neurological diseases presents a potential risk for misdiagnosis.
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Stevens-Jones O, Malmeström C, Constantinescu C, Dalla K, Nellgård B, Zelano J, Constantinescu R, and Axelsson M
- Subjects
- Humans, Autoantibodies, Diagnostic Errors, Parkinson Disease diagnosis, Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis
- Abstract
Background and Purpose: Autoantibodies have been found to contribute to pathology and are used in the diagnosis of some neurological diseases. We examined the prevalence of autoantibodies in patients with various neurological diseases and whether patients who had autoantibodies differed in age, sex, or disability from those who did not., Methods: We examined the prevalence of neural surface and onconeural autoantibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum from patients with multiple sclerosis (n = 64), Parkinson disease plus atypical parkinsonism (n = 150), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (n = 43), or autoimmune encephalitis (positive control; n = 7) and a healthy control group (n = 37). A total of 12 onconeural autoantibodies and six neural surface autoantibodies were tested in all participants., Results: Autoantibodies were present in all cohorts. The prevalence of autoantibodies was high (>80%) in the autoimmune encephalitis cohort but low (<20%) in all other cohorts. When comparing patients within cohorts who were positive for autoantibodies to patients who were not, there was no difference in age, sex, and disability. This was apart from the multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease plus atypical parkinsonism cohorts, where those with positivity for autoantibodies in the CSF were significantly older., Conclusions: The presence of the autoantibodies examined does not appear to have a substantial clinical impact within the diseases examined in this study. The presence of autoantibodies in all cohorts presents a risk for misdiagnosis when the method is used incorrectly on patients with atypical clinical presentation., (© 2023 The Authors. European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology.)
- Published
- 2023
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32. Phytochemical Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Their Antimicrobial Investigation on Cotton and Wool Textiles.
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Lite MC, Constantinescu R, Tănăsescu EC, Kuncser A, Romanițan C, Mihaiescu DE, Lacatusu I, and Badea N
- Abstract
The use of bio-based reagents for silver nanoparticle (AgNP) production has gained much attention among researchers as it has paved the way for environmentally friendly approaches at low cost for synthesizing nanomaterials while maintaining their properties. In this study, Stellaria media aqueous extract was used for silver nanoparticle phyto-synthesis, and the resulting treatment was applied to textile fabrics to test its antimicrobial properties against bacteria and fungi strains. The chromatic effect was also established by determining the L*a*b* parameters. For optimizing the synthesis, different ratios of extract to silver precursor were tested using UV-Vis spectroscopy to observe the SPR-specific band. Moreover, the AgNP dispersions were tested for their antioxidant properties using chemiluminescence and TEAC methods, and the phenolic content was evaluated by the Folin-Ciocâlteu method. For the optimal ratio, values of average size, 50.11 ± 3.25 nm, zeta potential, -27.10 ± 2.16 mV, and polydispersity index, 0.209, were obtained via the DLS technique and zeta potential measurements. AgNPs were further characterized by EDX and XRD techniques to confirm their formation and by microscopic techniques to evaluate their morphology. TEM measurements revealed cvasi-spherical particles with sizes in the range of 10-30 nm, while SEM images confirmed their uniform distribution on the textile fiber surface.
- Published
- 2023
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33. Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers of Synaptic Dysfunction are Altered in Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders.
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Nilsson J, Constantinescu J, Nellgård B, Jakobsson P, Brum WS, Gobom J, Forsgren L, Dalla K, Constantinescu R, Zetterberg H, Hansson O, Blennow K, Bäckström D, and Brinkmalm A
- Subjects
- Humans, Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Parkinson Disease complications, Parkinsonian Disorders pathology, Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive diagnosis, Multiple System Atrophy diagnosis, Alzheimer Disease complications
- Abstract
Background: Synaptic dysfunction and degeneration are central contributors to the pathogenesis and progression of parkinsonian disorders. Therefore, identification and validation of biomarkers reflecting pathological synaptic alterations are greatly needed and could be used in prognostic assessment and to monitor treatment effects., Objective: To explore candidate biomarkers of synaptic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) and related disorders., Methods: Mass spectrometry was used to quantify 15 synaptic proteins in two clinical cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cohorts, including PD (n
1 = 51, n2 = 101), corticobasal degeneration (CBD) (n1 = 11, n2 = 3), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) (n1 = 22, n2 = 21), multiple system atrophy (MSA) (n1 = 31, n2 = 26), and healthy control (HC) (n1 = 48, n2 = 30) participants, as well as Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n2 = 23) patients in the second cohort., Results: Across both cohorts, lower levels of the neuronal pentraxins (NPTX; 1, 2, and receptor) were found in PD, MSA, and PSP, compared with HC. In MSA and PSP, lower neurogranin, AP2B1, and complexin-2 levels compared with HC were observed. In AD, levels of 14-3-3 zeta/delta, beta- and gamma-synuclein were higher compared with the parkinsonian disorders. Lower pentraxin levels in PD correlated with Mini-Mental State Exam scores and specific cognitive deficits (NPTX2; rho = 0.25-0.32, P < 0.05) and reduced dopaminergic pre-synaptic integrity as measured by DaTSCAN (NPTX2; rho = 0.29, P = 0.023). Additionally, lower levels were associated with the progression of postural imbalance and gait difficulty symptoms (All NPTX; β-estimate = -0.025 to -0.038, P < 0.05) and cognitive decline (NPTX2; β-estimate = 0.32, P = 0.021)., Conclusions: These novel findings show different alterations of synaptic proteins in parkinsonian disorders compared with AD and HC. The neuronal pentraxins may serve as prognostic CSF biomarkers for both cognitive and motor symptom progression in PD. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society., (© 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.)- Published
- 2023
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34. Novel Green Crosslinked Salecan Hydrogels and Preliminary Investigation of Their Use in 3D Printing.
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Ianchis R, Alexa RL, Gifu IC, Marin MM, Alexandrescu E, Constantinescu R, Serafim A, Nistor CL, and Petcu C
- Abstract
Salecan, a kind of polysaccharide, is produced by the Agrobacterium ZX09 salt tolerant strain. In this study, green crosslinked citric acid-salecan hydrogels are explored as novel materials with a high potential for use in regenerative medicine. The impact of salecan and citric acid on the final crosslinked hydrogels was intensively studied and estimated in terms of the whole physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity. FTIR spectra demonstrated the successful green crosslinking of salecan through its esterification with citric acid where the formation of strong covalent bonds collaboratively helped to stabilize the entire hydrogel systems in a wet state. Hydrogels presented a microporous morphology, good swelling capacity, pH responsiveness, great mechanical stability under stress conditions and good antibacterial activity, all related to the concentration of the biopolymers used in the synthesis step. Additionally, salecan hydrogels were preliminary investigated as printing inks. Thanks to their excellent rheological behavior, we optimized the citrate-salecan hydrogel inks and printing parameters to render 3D constructs with great printing fidelity and integrity. The novel synthesized salecan green crosslinked hydrogels enriches the family of salecan-derived hydrogels. Moreover, this work not only expands the application of salecan hydrogels in various fields, but also provides a new potential option of designing salecan-based 3D printed scaffolds for customized regenerative medicine.
- Published
- 2023
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35. Novel Nanocomposite Hydrogels Based on Crosslinked Microbial Polysaccharide as Potential Bioactive Wound Dressings.
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Marin MM, Albu Kaya M, Kaya DA, Constantinescu R, Trica B, Gifu IC, Alexandrescu E, Nistor CL, Alexa RL, and Ianchis R
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A multitude of dressings have been developed to promote wound repair, such as membranes, foams, hydrocolloids and hydrogels. In this study, a crosslinked polysaccharide hydrogel was mixed with a bioactive ingredient to synthesize a novel nanocomposite material to be used in wound healing. Variation of the ratio between hydrogel components was followed and its effect was analyzed in regard to swelling, degradation rate and thermo-mechanical behavior. The resulting crosslinked structures were characterized by FTIR and microscopy analyses. The antimicrobial activity of the crosslinked hydrogels loaded with bioactive agent was evaluated using two bacterial strains (Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia Coli). All the results showed that the new synthesized biopolymer nanocomposites have adequate properties to be used as antibacterial wound dressings.
- Published
- 2023
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36. Pitfalls in patenting academic CAR-T cells therapy.
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Constantinescu C, Constantinescu R, Bergthorsson JT, Greiff V, Tanase A, Colita A, Gulei D, and Tomuleasa C
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- Humans, Patents as Topic, Immunotherapy, Adoptive methods, T-Lymphocytes, Immunotherapy methods, Receptors, Chimeric Antigen
- Abstract
Introduction: Emerging immunotherapies are pushing the boundaries of cancer treatment, with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy being one of the most advanced. Due to the increasingly crowded CAR-T cell field, patenting and protecting the intellectual property of these CAR-T cells implies a good knowledge of the legal landscape., Areas Covered: The present manuscript focuses on the challenges regarding the patenting process of CAR-T technology, beginning with a description of the main characteristics of CAR-T cells and their functionalities, continuing with the legal landscape applicable to patenting processes, and concluding by presenting the potential strategies to overcome the impediments that can appear when trying to patent CAR-T cells. It is meant to offer insights for those who are exploring possible patenting options in CAR-T cells territory. PubMed and Patenscope databases were used for patent and literature searching (2013-2023)., Expert Opinion: There is no one-size-fits-all solution in this matter and the medical evolution of this therapy will certainly bring out even more challenges. Comprehensive knowledge of the intellectual property, exposure to potential litigation, growing competition, and the high price of therapy, are strikingly relevant in the broader landscape. Future endeavors would be to take steps toward the harmonization of the CAR-T patenting procedure.
- Published
- 2023
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37. The Need for Cybersecurity in Industrial Revolution and Smart Cities.
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Clim A, Toma A, Zota RD, and Constantinescu R
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- Humans, Cities, Technology, Computer Security, Industry
- Abstract
Cities have grown in development and sophistication throughout human history. Smart cities are the current incarnation of this process, with increased complexity and social importance. This complexity has come to involve significant digital components and has thus come to raise the associated cybersecurity concerns. Major security relevant events can cascade into the connected systems making up a smart city, causing significant disruption of function and economic damage. The present paper aims to survey the landscape of scientific publication related to cybersecurity-related issues in relation to smart cities. Relevant papers were selected based on the number of citations and the quality of the publishing journal as a proxy indicator for scientific relevance. Cybersecurity will be shown to be reflected in the selected literature as an extremely relevant concern in the operation of smart cities. Generally, cybersecurity is implemented in actual cities through the concerted application of both mature existing technologies and emerging new approaches.
- Published
- 2022
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38. A Compact Monopole Antenna for Underwater Acoustic Monitoring Beacons.
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Bucuci S, Constantin A, Paun M, Pastorcici MN, Tamas RD, Danisor A, and Constantinescu R
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- Humans, Acoustics, Wireless Technology, Communication
- Abstract
Protected wetlands such as deltas, lakes or rivers provide a sanctuary for many endangered species. In order to protect these areas from illegal human interventions, it is necessary to monitor the unauthorized entrance of motor boats. In order to mitigate such an impact, we have developed a network of floating beacons for underwater acoustic monitoring, using LoRa communication modules operating at 433 MHz. Such beacons should be equipped with compact antennas. In this paper, we use a genetic algorithm approach to design the compact, monopole antennas required for the beacons; size constraints would apply not only to the radiating element but also to the ground plane. Although the antenna input is unbalanced, such a small ground plane may yield common mode currents on the antenna feeder, which distort the radiation pattern of the antenna. In order to investigate the effect of the common mode currents, we developed a distance averaging method, while, for characterizing the antenna, we used a single-antenna method. For the experimental validation of the system in real conditions, a continuous monitoring of the lake was carried out. During the monitoring, multiple events generated by incursions of motor boats were successfully detected and recorded.
- Published
- 2022
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39. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers that reflect clinical symptoms in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus patients.
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Lukkarinen H, Jeppsson A, Wikkelsö C, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Constantinescu R, Remes AM, Herukka SK, Hiltunen M, Rauramaa T, Nägga K, Leinonen V, and Tullberg M
- Subjects
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt, Cognitive Dysfunction cerebrospinal fluid, Cognitive Dysfunction diagnosis, Cognitive Dysfunction etiology, Cognitive Dysfunction physiopathology, Gait Disorders, Neurologic cerebrospinal fluid, Gait Disorders, Neurologic diagnosis, Gait Disorders, Neurologic etiology, Gait Disorders, Neurologic physiopathology, Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure cerebrospinal fluid, Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure complications, Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure diagnosis, Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure surgery, Outcome Assessment, Health Care
- Abstract
Background: The relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and the clinical features of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) has been inconclusive. We aimed to evaluate CSF biomarkers reflecting Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related amyloid β (Aβ) aggregation, tau pathology, neuroinflammation and axonal degeneration in relation to the clinical features of pre- and post-shunt surgery in iNPH patients., Methods: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and gait velocity were evaluated pre- and postoperatively in cohorts of 65 Finnish (FIN) and 82 Swedish (SWE) iNPH patients. Lumbar CSF samples were obtained prior to shunt surgery and analysed for soluble amyloid precursor protein alpha (sAPPα) and beta (sAPPβ); amyloid-β isoforms of 42, 40 and 38 (Aβ
42 , Aβ40 , Aβ38 ); total tau (T-tau); phosphorylated tau (P-tau181 ); neurofilament light (NfL) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1)., Results: Preoperative patient characteristics showed no significant differences between patients in the FIN and SWE cohorts. Patients in both cohorts had significantly improved gait velocity after shunt surgery (p < 0.0001). Low CSF T-tau and absence of apolipoprotein E ε4 predicted over 20% gait improvement postoperatively (p = 0.043 and p = 0.008). Preoperative CSF T-tau, P-tau181 and NfL correlated negatively with MMSE scores both pre- (p < 0.01) and post-surgery (p < 0.01). Furthermore, T-tau, NfL and Aβ42 correlated with MMSE outcomes (p < 0.05). Low preoperative CSF P-tau181 (p = 0.001) and T-tau with NfL (p < 0.001 and p = 0.049) best predicted pre- and postoperative MMSE scores greater than or equal to 26., Conclusions: CSF biomarkers of neurodegeneration appeared to correlate with pre- and postoperative cognition, providing a window into neuropathological processes. In addition, preoperative CSF neurodegeneration biomarkers may have potential in the prediction of gait and cognitive outcomes after shunt surgery., (© 2022. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2022
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40. Predictive Value of Ambulatory Objective Movement Measurement for Outcomes of Levodopa/Carbidopa Intestinal Gel Infusion.
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Kilinçalp G, Sjöström AC, Eriksson B, Holmberg B, Constantinescu R, and Bergquist F
- Abstract
Patients with Parkinson's disease that may benefit from device-assisted therapy can be identified with guidelines like Navigate PD. The decision to offer advanced treatment and the choice of treatment modality are, however, not straightforward, and some patients respond less favorably to a chosen therapy. Measurements with the Parkinson Kinetigraph (PKG) can detect motor fluctuations and could therefore predict patients that respond better or worse to intestinal levodopa/carbidopa gel infusion (LCIG). In a retrospective analysis of 45 patients that had been selected to start LCIG between 2014 and 2020, the effects of baseline PKG and clinical characteristic on the outcome were determined with ordinal regression. Although all patients had been found to have handicapping medication-related symptom fluctuations, patients without clear objective off fluctuations in the baseline PKG had low odds ratio for success. Lower odds for success were also found with increasing age, whereas gender, medication intensity and baseline PKG summary scores (median bradykinesia and dyskinesia scores, fluctuation dyskinesia score and percent time with tremor) had no significant effect. Absence of easily identified off-periods in the PKG has a negative prognostic value for the effect of LCIG and could prompt noninvasive infusion evaluation before surgery.
- Published
- 2022
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41. Development of New Collagen/Clay Composite Biomaterials.
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Marin MM, Ianchis R, Leu Alexa R, Gifu IC, Kaya MGA, Savu DI, Popescu RC, Alexandrescu E, Ninciuleanu CM, Preda S, Ignat M, Constantinescu R, and Iovu H
- Subjects
- Animals, Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology, Cattle, Cell Line, Cell Survival drug effects, Collagen ultrastructure, Drug Liberation, Escherichia coli drug effects, Gentamicins pharmacology, Humans, Materials Testing, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared, Staphylococcus aureus drug effects, Stress, Mechanical, Thermogravimetry, X-Ray Diffraction, Biocompatible Materials chemistry, Clay chemistry, Collagen chemistry
- Abstract
The fabrication of collagen-based biomaterials for skin regeneration offers various challenges for tissue engineers. The purpose of this study was to obtain a novel series of composite biomaterials based on collagen and several types of clays. In order to investigate the influence of clay type on drug release behavior, the obtained collagen-based composite materials were further loaded with gentamicin. Physiochemical and biological analyses were performed to analyze the obtained nanocomposite materials after nanoclay embedding. Infrared spectra confirmed the inclusion of clay in the collagen polymeric matrix without any denaturation of triple helical conformation. All the composite samples revealed a slight change in the 2-theta values pointing toward a homogenous distribution of clay layers inside the collagen matrix with the obtaining of mainly intercalated collagen-clay structures, according X-ray diffraction analyses. The porosity of collagen/clay composite biomaterials varied depending on clay nanoparticles sort. Thermo-mechanical analyses indicated enhanced thermal and mechanical features for collagen composites as compared with neat type II collagen matrix. Biodegradation findings were supported by swelling studies, which indicated a more crosslinked structure due additional H bonding brought on by nanoclays. The biology tests demonstrated the influence of clay type on cellular viability but also on the antimicrobial behavior of composite scaffolds. All nanocomposite samples presented a delayed gentamicin release when compared with the collagen-gentamicin sample. The obtained results highlighted the importance of clay type selection as this affects the performances of the collagen-based composites as promising biomaterials for future applications in the biomedical field.
- Published
- 2021
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42. Persons with suspicious onset of multiple sclerosis but with undetermined diagnosis had persistent lower cognition and reduced quality of life.
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Constantinescu C, Novakova L, Brandt AF, Malmeström C, Constantinescu R, Axelsson M, and Lycke J
- Subjects
- Cognition, Humans, Neuropsychological Tests, Prospective Studies, Multiple Sclerosis, Quality of Life
- Abstract
Backgound: Differential diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) includes a variety of disorders and misdiagnosis is common., Objective: To follow-up persons with suspected onset of MS but in whom the diagnostic investigation was negative., Methods: In a prospective study including 271 persons with clinical features of suspected MS onset, 136 persons were diagnosed with MS or clinically isolated syndrome (PwMS), 46 had other disorders, and 89 persons had a negative diagnostic work-up, i.e. persons with undetermined diagnosis (PwUD). They underwent diagnostic reassessment, and those who remained without a diagnosis were investigated for signs of pathology including cognitive tests and assessments of quality of life (QoL). Results were compared with those of PwMS and 24 age and sex matched healthy controls (HC)., Results: After reassement 55 (20%) persons still had undetermined diagnosis (PwUD). They had similar age and gender distribution as PwMS. In 76% of PwUD, the suspected clinical onset included sensory symptoms. PwUD and PwMS scored similarly in cognitive tests and QoL but significantly lower than HC. At 3 years follow-up, PwMS and PwUD improved in most test parameters, but PwUD scored lower than PwMS in cognition., Conclusion: PwUD constituted the dominating differential diagnosis in persons with suspected clinical onset of MS. QoL and cognition were comparable with those of PwMS but significantly lower than in HC., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
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43. Multi-Approach Assessment for Stress Evaluation in Rainbow Trout Females, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792) from Three Different Farms during the Summer Season.
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Uiuiu P, Lațiu C, Păpuc T, Craioveanu C, Ihuț A, Sava A, Răducu C, Șonea C, Constantinescu R, Cocan D, and Mireșan V
- Abstract
Blood biochemistry parameters are valuable tools for monitoring fish health. Their baseline values are still undefined for a multitude of farmed fish species. In this study, changes in the blood profile of rainbow trout females ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) from three farms were investigated using different biomarkers during the summer season. In the given context, the main water physicochemical parameters were investigated and twelve biochemical parameters were measured from blood samples of rainbow trout reared in the Fiad, Șoimul de Jos, and Strâmba farms. We selected these farms because the genetic background of the rainbow trout is the same, with all studied specimens coming from the Fiad farm, which has an incubation station. Forty-five samples were collected monthly (May to August) throughout summer to observe the changes in the blood profile of rainbow trout. Principal component analysis showed a clear separation both among the studied farms and months. Furthermore, significant correlations ( p < 0.05) between the majority of the biochemical parameters were found, indicating that the environmental parameters can influence several blood parameters at the same time. The present study provides several useful norms for assessing the welfare of rainbow trout, indicating that the relationships among different parameters are important factors in interpreting the blood biochemical profiles.
- Published
- 2021
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44. Proenkephalin Decreases in Cerebrospinal Fluid with Symptom Progression of Huntington's Disease.
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Niemela V, Landtblom AM, Nyholm D, Kneider M, Constantinescu R, Paucar M, Svenningsson P, Abujrais S, Burman J, Shevchenko G, Bergquist J, and Sundblom J
- Subjects
- Biomarkers, Disease Progression, Enkephalins, Humans, Neurons, Protein Precursors, Proteomics, Huntington Disease
- Abstract
Objective: Identifying molecular changes that contribute to the onset and progression of Huntington's disease (HD) is of importance for the development and evaluation of potential therapies., Methods: We conducted an unbiased mass-spectrometry proteomic analysis on the cerebrospinal fluid of 12 manifest HD patients (ManHD), 13 pre-manifest (preHD), and 38 controls. A biologically plausible and significant possible biomarker was validated in samples from a separate cohort of patients and controls consisting of 23 ManHD patients and 23 controls., Results: In ManHD compared to preHD, 10 proteins were downregulated and 43 upregulated. Decreased levels of proenkephalin (PENK) and transthyretin were closely linked to HD symptom severity, whereas levels of 15 upregulated proteins were associated with symptom severity. The decreased PENK levels were replicated in the separate cohort where absolute quantitation was performed., Conclusions: We hypothesize that declining PENK levels reflect the degeneration of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that produce PENK and that assays for PENK may serve as a surrogate marker for the state of MSNs in HD. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society., (© 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.)
- Published
- 2021
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45. Sustainable Rabbit Skin Glue to Produce Bioactive Nanofibers for Nonactive Wound Dressings.
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Matei E, Gaidau C, Râpă M, Constantinescu R, Savin S, Berechet MD, Predescu AM, Berbecaru AC, Coman G, and Predescu C
- Abstract
This paper assessed the collagen glue (Col) from rabbit skin for use as a raw material in combination with different water-based dispersants of antimicrobial agents such as ZnO NPs, TiO
2 NPs doped with nitrogen and Ag NPs (TiO2 -N-Ag NPs), and chitosan (CS) for the production of biocompatible and antimicrobial nanofibers. The electrospun nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflectance in conjunction with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR) analyses and antioxidant activity. The biocompatibility of electrospun nanofibers was investigated on cell lines of mouse fibroblast NCTC ((clone L929) using MTT test assays. Antimicrobial activity was performed against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and Candida albicans pathogenic fungus. Electrospun antimicrobial nanofibers based on collagen glue achieved reduction in the number of viable microorganisms against both fungi and bacteria and exhibited multiple inhibitory actions of fungal and bacterial strains. The electrospun nanofibers showed average dimension sizes in the range of 30-160 nm. The results indicated that both Col/TiO2 -N-Ag NPs and Col/CS formulations are suitable for cell proliferation and may be useful for producing of nonactive wound dressings.- Published
- 2020
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46. A multiple motion sensors index for motor state quantification in Parkinson's disease.
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Aghanavesi S, Westin J, Bergquist F, Nyholm D, Askmark H, Aquilonius SM, Constantinescu R, Medvedev A, Spira J, Ohlsson F, Thomas I, Ericsson A, Buvarp DJ, and Memedi M
- Subjects
- Aged, Antiparkinson Agents administration & dosage, Antiparkinson Agents pharmacology, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Female, Humans, Levodopa administration & dosage, Levodopa pharmacology, Male, Middle Aged, Support Vector Machine, Sweden, Walking, Wrist, Movement drug effects, Parkinson Disease, Wearable Electronic Devices
- Abstract
Aim: To construct a Treatment Response Index from Multiple Sensors (TRIMS) for quantification of motor state in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) during a single levodopa dose. Another aim was to compare TRIMS to sensor indexes derived from individual motor tasks., Method: Nineteen PD patients performed three motor tests including leg agility, pronation-supination movement of hands, and walking in a clinic while wearing inertial measurement unit sensors on their wrists and ankles. They performed the tests repeatedly before and after taking 150% of their individual oral levodopa-carbidopa equivalent morning dose.Three neurologists blinded to treatment status, viewed patients' videos and rated their motor symptoms, dyskinesia, overall motor state based on selected items of Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III, Dyskinesia scale, and Treatment Response Scale (TRS). To build TRIMS, out of initially 178 extracted features from upper- and lower-limbs data, 39 features were selected by stepwise regression method and were used as input to support vector machines to be mapped to mean reference TRS scores using 10-fold cross-validation method. Test-retest reliability, responsiveness to medication, and correlation to TRS as well as other UPDRS items were evaluated for TRIMS., Results: The correlation of TRIMS with TRS was 0.93. TRIMS had good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.83). Responsiveness of the TRIMS to medication was good compared to TRS indicating its power in capturing the treatment effects. TRIMS was highly correlated to dyskinesia (R = 0.85), bradykinesia (R = 0.84) and gait (R = 0.79) UPDRS items. Correlation of sensor index from the upper-limb to TRS was 0.89., Conclusion: Using the fusion of upper- and lower-limbs sensor data to construct TRIMS provided accurate PD motor states estimation and responsive to treatment. In addition, quantification of upper-limb sensor data during walking test provided strong results., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing interest As an outcome of this work, authors Ilias Thomas, Mevludin Memedi and Jerker Westin have filed a patent application “Systems for evaluating dosage parameters”, UK patent application number 1708624.0. Somayeh Aghanavesi, Dongni Johansson, Anders Ericsson, Jack Spira, Dag Nyholm, Radu Constantinescu, Håkan Askmark, Sten Magnus Aquilonius, Alexander Medvedev, Fredrick Ohlsson, and Filip Bergquist declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
- Published
- 2020
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47. Bioactive Properties of Nanofibres Based on Concentrated Collagen Hydrolysate Loaded with Thyme and Oregano Essential Oils.
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Berechet MD, Gaidau C, Miletic A, Pilic B, Râpă M, Stanca M, Ditu LM, Constantinescu R, and Lazea-Stoyanova A
- Abstract
This research aimed to obtain biocompatible and antimicrobial nanofibres based on concentrated collagen hydrolysate loaded with thyme or oregano essential oils as a natural alternative to synthesis products. The essential oils were successfully incorporated using electrospinning process into collagen resulting nanofibres with diameter from 471 nm to 580 nm and porous structure. The presence of essential oils in collagen nanofibre mats was confirmed by Attenuated Total Reflectance -Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS) and antimicrobial activity. Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy analyses allowed evaluating the morphology and constituent elements of the nanofibre networks. Microbiological tests performed against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans showed that the presence of essential oils supplemented the new collagen nanofibres with antimicrobial properties. The biocompatibility of collagen and collagen with essential oils was assessed by in vitro cultivation with NCTC clone 929 of fibroblastic cells and cell viability measurement. The results showed that the collagen and thyme or oregano oil composites have no cytotoxicity up to concentrations of 1000 μg·mL
-1 and 500 μg mL-1 , respectively. Optimization of electrospinning parameters has led to the obtaining of new collagen electrospun nanofibre mats loaded with essential oils with potential use for wound dressings, tissue engineering or protective clothing.- Published
- 2020
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48. Alpha-Synuclein Protofibrils in Cerebrospinal Fluid: A Potential Biomarker for Parkinson's Disease.
- Author
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von Euler Chelpin M, Söderberg L, Fälting J, Möller C, Giorgetti M, Constantinescu R, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, and Höglund K
- Subjects
- Aged, Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Female, Humans, Immunoassay, Male, Middle Aged, Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive cerebrospinal fluid, Parkinson Disease cerebrospinal fluid, Parkinsonian Disorders cerebrospinal fluid, alpha-Synuclein cerebrospinal fluid
- Abstract
Background: Currently, there is no established biomarker for Parkinson's disease (PD) and easily accessible biomarkers are crucial for developing disease-modifying treatments., Objective: To develop a novel method to quantify cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of α-synuclein protofibrils (α-syn PF) and apply it to clinical cohorts of patients with PD and atypical parkinsonian disorders., Methods: A cohort composed of 49 patients with PD, 12 with corticobasal degeneration (CBD), 22 with progressive supranuclear palsy, and 33 controls, that visited the memory clinic but had no biomarker signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD, tau<350 pg/mL, amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42)>530 pg/mL, and phosphorylated tau (p-tau)<60 pg/mL) was used in this study. The CSF samples were analyzed with the Single molecule array (Simoa) technology. Total α-synuclein (α-syn) levels were analyzed with a commercial ELISA-kit., Results: The assay is specific to α-syn PF, with no cross-reactivity to monomeric α-syn, or the β- and γ-synuclein variants. CSF α-syn PF levels were increased in PD compared with controls (62.1 and 40.4 pg/mL, respectively, p = 0.03), and CBD (62.1 and 34.2 pg/mL, respectively, p = 0.02). The accuracy of predicting PD using α-syn PF is significantly different from controls (area under the curve 0.68, p = 0.0097) with a sensitivity of 62.8% and specificity of 67.7%. Levels of total α-syn were significantly different between the PD and CBD groups (p = 0.04)., Conclusion: The developed method specifically quantifies α-syn PF in human CSF with increased concentrations in PD, but with an overlap with asymptomatic elderly controls.
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- 2020
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49. Neuronal antibodies in adult patients with new-onset seizures: A prospective study.
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Zelano J, Axelsson M, Constantinescu R, Malmeström C, and Kumlien E
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- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Anticonvulsants therapeutic use, Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System diagnosis, Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System drug therapy, Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System epidemiology, Epilepsy diagnosis, Epilepsy drug therapy, Epilepsy epidemiology, Female, Glutamate Decarboxylase immunology, Humans, Male, Membrane Proteins immunology, Middle Aged, Nerve Tissue Proteins immunology, Prospective Studies, Sweden epidemiology, Autoantibodies immunology, Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System immunology, Epilepsy immunology
- Abstract
Objectives: Immunotherapy in addition to antiepileptic drugs can improve seizure freedom rates in autoimmune epilepsy, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis. A diagnosis of autoimmune epilepsy can be supported by presence of serum antibodies to neuronal antigens. We asked how often neuronal antibodies are found in the serum of unselected adult patients with new-onset seizures and whether such testing could improve detection of autoimmune epilepsy., Material and Methods: We included 44 patients over the age of 25 presenting after at least one unprovoked seizure to the Neurology Clinic at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. The median time between the first-ever seizure in life and the serum sampling was 50 days (range 22-11,000). Antibody testing in serum was performed according to the manufacturer's instructions. The patients were followed for at least 1 year., Results: Epilepsy could be diagnosed already at the first visit in 21/44 patients (47.7%). Two patients (4.5%) were positive for neuronal antibodies: one against contactin-associated protein 2 (CASPR-2) and one against glutamate acid decarboxylase (GAD). Three patients (6.7%) displayed very weak immunoreactivity that was deemed clinically insignificant. One of the antibody-positive patients had only a single seizure. The other had a focal cortical dysplasia and was seizure-free on levetiracetam. None of the five patients with antibodies or immunoreactivity displayed any feature of autoimmune epilepsy., Conclusions: We conclude that indiscriminate testing in patients presenting to a first seizure clinic with new-onset seizures or epilepsy is unlikely to improve detection of autoimmune epilepsy., (© 2019 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)
- Published
- 2019
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50. CSF biomarkers distinguish idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus from its mimics.
- Author
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Jeppsson A, Wikkelsö C, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Constantinescu R, Remes AM, Herukka SK, Rauramaa T, Nagga K, Leinonen V, and Tullberg M
- Subjects
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease cerebrospinal fluid, Amyloid beta-Peptides cerebrospinal fluid, Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor cerebrospinal fluid, Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Case-Control Studies, Chemokine CCL2 cerebrospinal fluid, Dementia, Vascular cerebrospinal fluid, Female, Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration cerebrospinal fluid, Humans, Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure cerebrospinal fluid, Male, Middle Aged, Multiple System Atrophy cerebrospinal fluid, Neurofilament Proteins cerebrospinal fluid, Parkinson Disease cerebrospinal fluid, Peptide Fragments cerebrospinal fluid, Phosphoproteins cerebrospinal fluid, Sensitivity and Specificity, Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive cerebrospinal fluid, tau Proteins cerebrospinal fluid, Alzheimer Disease diagnosis, Dementia, Vascular diagnosis, Diagnosis, Differential, Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration diagnosis, Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure diagnosis, Multiple System Atrophy diagnosis, Parkinson Disease diagnosis, Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive diagnosis
- Abstract
Objective: To examine the differential diagnostic significance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers reflecting Alzheimer's disease-related amyloid β (Aβ) production and aggregation, cortical neuronal damage, tau pathology, damage to long myelinated axons and astrocyte activation, which hypothetically separates patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) from patients with other neurodegenerative disorders., Methods: The study included lumbar CSF samples from 82 patients with iNPH, 75 with vascular dementia, 70 with Parkinson's disease, 34 with multiple system atrophy, 34 with progressive supranuclear palsy, 15 with corticobasal degeneration, 50 with Alzheimer's disease, 19 with frontotemporal lobar degeneration and 54 healthy individuals (HIs). We analysed soluble amyloid precursor protein alpha (sAPPα) and beta (sAPPβ), Aβ species (Aβ38, Aβ40 and Aβ42), total tau (T-tau), phosphorylated tau, neurofilament light and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1)., Results: Patients with iNPH had lower concentrations of tau and APP-derived proteins in combination with elevated MCP-1 compared with HI and the non-iNPH disorders. T-tau, Aβ40 and MCP-1 together yielded an area under the curve of 0.86, differentiating iNPH from the other disorders. A prediction algorithm consisting of T-tau, Aβ40 and MCP-1 was designed as a diagnostic tool using CSF biomarkers., Conclusions: The combination of the CSF biomarkers T-tau, Aβ40 and MCP-1 separates iNPH from cognitive and movement disorders with good diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. This may have important implications for diagnosis and clinical research on disease mechanisms for iNPH., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)
- Published
- 2019
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