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Background and Objectives: Melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody (anti-MDA5) in dermatomyositis (DM) is associated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and poor prognosis. Early diagnosis is key to improving the prognosis of these patients. The aim was to confirm cutaneous characteristics in patients with anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis and to explore new diagnostic markers for the presence of anti-MDA5 (anti-MDA5 + )., Patients and Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional retrospective cohort study of 124 patients diagnosed with DM, of which 37 were anti-MDA5 + . Demographic data, laboratory data, and clinical manifestations were collected., Results: Anti-MDA5 + DM is characterized by a distinct mucocutaneous phenotype that includes oral lesions, alopecia, mechanic's hands, palmar and dorsal papules, palmar erythema, vasculopathy, and skin ulceration. We found vasculopathy and digit tip involvement very frequently in anti-MDA5 + patients (p <0.001), being a diagnostic marker of anti-MDA5 + (OR, 12.355; 95% CI 2.850-79.263; p  =  0.012 and OR, 7.447; 95% CI 2.103-46.718; p  =  0.004, respectively). The presence of ulcers deserves special mention, especially in anti-MDA5 + patients, because in our cohort, up to 97% of the anti-MDA5 + patients had ulcers., Conclusions: In patients with suspected DM with digit tip involvement or vasculopathy, the presence of anti-MDA5 antibodies must be ruled out, as it may be a clinical predictor., (© 2023 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG).)

The study described sought further understanding of the synergies in a mix of CDW pozzolans, containing (calcareous and siliceous) concrete and glass waste, used to prepare ternary eco-cement paste bearing 7% of the binary blend at concrete/glass ratios of 2:1 and 1:2. The mineralogical phases in the 2-day, 28-day, and 90-day cement matrices were identified and monitored using XRF, XRD-Rietveld, SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and NMR. The findings showed that changes in the reaction kinetics in the ternary blended pastes relative to OPC pastes depended on the nature of the recycled concrete and the glass content. Adding the binary mix bearing calcareous concrete (at a ratio of 2:1) favoured ettringite, portlandite, and amorphous phase formation, whilst the blends with siliceous concrete favoured C-S-H gel formation. Monocarboaluminate was detected in the 90-day siliceous concrete and glass pastes in amounts similar to those found in the reference OPC paste.

Increasing evidence on goat milk and the health benefits of its derived products beyond its nutritional value show its potential as a functional food. In this study, goat milk fractions were tested for their total antioxidant capacity using different methods (ORAC, ABTS, DPPH and FRAP), as well as their angiotensin-I-converting-enzyme inhibitory and antimicrobial (against Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus) activities. Different whey fractions (whey, cation exchange membrane permeate P and retentate R) of two fermented skimmed goat milks (ultrafiltered goat milk fermented with the classical starter bacteria or with the classical starter plus the Lactobacillus plantarum C4 probiotic strain) were assessed. Additionally, P fractions were divided into two sub-fractions after being passed through a 3 kDa cut-off membrane: (a) the permeate with peptides of MW <3 kDa (P < 3); and (b) the retentate with peptides and proteins of MW >3 kDa (P > 3). No differences in biological activities were observed between the two fermented milks. However, the biological peptides present in the P < 3 fraction showed the highest total antioxidant capacity (for the ORAC assay) and angiotensin-I-converting-enzyme inhibitory activity. Those present in the R fraction showed the highest total antioxidant capacity against ABTS˙ + and DPPH˙ radicals. Some antimicrobial activity against E. coli was observed for the fermented milk containing the probiotic, which could be due to some peptides being released by the probiotic strain. In conclusion, small and non-basic bioactive peptides could be responsible for most of the angiotensin-I-converting-enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant activities. These findings reinforce the potential benefits of the consumption of fermented goat milk in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases associated with oxidative stress and hypertension.

Roman culture employed architectural terracotta made from baked clay as original material to manufacture ceramic pieces. It was often used as a basis for construction of functional and/or decorative elements in roofs, such as plane and curve tiles as well as antefixes with their corresponding "imbrexes". Some of them are conserved nowadays. They were collected in Roman quarries discovered in old cities and villages sited in the Hispania Citerior (northeast of Spain in Roman age). A study of the origin and manufacturing process (moulding, baking, touching up and painting) of these terracotta pieces has been made on the basis of the data obtained from a physicochemical characterization of samples. The used techniques were mainly flame absorption and emission spectrometry for the elemental analysis (major and minor elements), dilatometry for the study of thermal behaviour, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for observation of thin layers and X-ray diffraction spectrometry (XRD) for mineralogical composition. In addition, a supervised pattern recognition programme was applied to the results for a selected group of 85 samples and five variables (chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc contents). Dilatometry and SEM results showed baking temperatures of these materials below 900 degrees C and the existence of zones with very different porosity in the same ceramic piece. Results obtained from multielemental analysis and multivariate statistical study by linear discriminant analysis lead us to the following conclusions: (i) the high content of lead found in a large number of antefixes demonstrates the use of lead oxide as an additive in the lime grout treatment, (ii) different contents of Cu, Zn, Cr, and Ni were indicative of the use of varied clay types in the manufacture process (even in the same production centre) as well as of the existence of a pigmentation process, although this last affirmation is not corroborated by the presence of remains of evident painting in the ceramic pieces, (iii) samples can be classified according to the places where these pieces came from and (iv) more variety in their composition was found in Roman age terracotta production centres.