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Due to the geometry and sea effect, an adaptive methodology is required in the case of the geophysical assessment of coastal concrete infrastructures. Along with other observables, these distinctivenesses influence the resistivity and permittivity measurement. The procedure jointly uses the ERT and GPR geophysical methods and is directly taking into account the geometrical engineered particularities, and the presence of the sea water. With complex geometrical shapes addressing the engineering needs, measurements are directly under the effect of the general geometry and underlying structures. In order to identify the 3D structures, the acquisition and the processing steps have to take into account these complexities and the corresponding anomalies. The process considers the geotechnical and geometrical properties during the data processing and inversion problem in order to assess the coastal concrete infrastructure state.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) pathway in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients taking chloroquine diphosphate (CDP) was evaluated through the kinetic behavior of a radioactive cholesterol-rich nanoemulsion (LDE) that resembles the LDL lipidic structure. LDE was labeled with 14C-cholesteryl ester (14C-CE), then IV injected in inactive female SLE patients: 10 taking CDP (CDP), 10 without therapy (NO THERAPY); and 10 normal subjects (CONTROL). Groups were age-matched and followed rigorous selection criteria of conditions that interfere in the lipid profile. Blood samples were collected in pre-established intervals after infusion for radioactivity measurement. Fasting lipoproteins were determined in the beginning of kinetic studies. Fractional clearance rate (FCR) of 14C-CE was significantly different in the three groups ( P = 0.03). In fact, a greater FCR of 14C-CE was observed in CDP compared to NO THERAPY (0.076 ± 0.037 versus 0.046 ± 0.021 h— 1; P < 0.05) and to CONTROL (0.0516 ± 0.0125 h— 1; P < 0.05). Accordingly, a significant lower total and LDL cholesterol were observed in CDP (156 ± 16 and 88 ± 16 mg/dl) compared to NO THERAPY (174 ± 15 and 108 ± 17 mg/dl; P < 0.05) and to CONTROL (200 ± 24 and 118 ± 23 mg/dl; P < 0.05). In contrast, no difference in (FCR) of 14C-CE of NO THERAPY and CONTROL groups was observed. This is the first in vivo demonstration that LDE removal by LDL receptor from plasma is increased in SLE patients taking CDP with a consequent beneficial decrease in LDL-c levels. Lupus (2007) 16, 273—278.

To investigate the effects of an oral creatine supplementation in older adults, 32 elderly subjects (67-80 years; 16 females, 16 males) were randomly assigned to four equivalent subgroups (control-creatine; control-placebo; trained-creatine; trained-placebo) based on whether or not they took part in an 8-week strength training programme and an 8-week oral creatine monohydrate creatine supplementation programme. The strength training programme consisted of three sets of eight repetitions at 80% of one-repetition maximum, for leg press, leg extension and chest press, 3 days a week. The 52-day supplementation programme consisted of 20 g of creatine monohydrate (or glucose) and 8 g of glucose per day for the initial 5 days followed by 3 g of creatine monohydrate (or glucose), and 2 g of glucose per day. Prior to and after the training and supplementation periods, body mass, body fat, lower limb muscular volume, 1-, 12-repetitions maxima and isometric intermittent endurance tests for leg press, leg extension and chest press were determined. In all groups, no significant changes in anthropometric parameters were observed. For all movements, the increases in 1- and 12-repetitions maxima were greater (P < 0.02) in trained than control subjects. No significant interactions (supplementation/training/time) were observed for the 1-, 12-repetitions maxima, and the isometric intermittent endurance, whatever the movement considered. We conclude that oral creatine supplementation does not provide additional benefits for body composition, maximal dynamical strength, and dynamical and isometric endurances of healthy elderly subjects, whether or not it is associated with an effective strength training.