Impact of different age ranges on the benefits and harms of the breast cancer screening programme by the EU-TOPIA tool.

BACKGROUND: The recommendation for the implementation of mammography screening in women aged 45-49 and 70-74 is conditional with moderate certainty of the evidence. The aim of this study is to simulate the long-term outcomes (2020-50) of using different age range scenarios in the breast cancer screening programme of the Valencia Region (Spain), considering different programme participation rates. METHODS: Three age range scenarios (S) were simulated with the EU-TOPIA tool, considering a biennial screening interval: S1, 45-69 years old (y); S2, 50-69 y and S3, 45-74 y. Simulations were performed for four participation rates: A = current participation (72.7%), B = +5%, C = +10% and D = +20%. Considered benefits: number (N°) of in situ and invasive breast cancers (BC) (screen vs. clinically detected), N° of BC deaths and % BC mortality reduction. Considered harms: N° of false positives (FP) and % overdiagnosis. RESULTS: The results showed that BC mortality decreased in all scenarios, being higher in S3A (32.2%) than S1A (30.6%) and S2A (27.9%). Harms decreased in S2A vs. S1A (N° FP: 236 vs. 423, overdiagnosis: 4.9% vs. 5.0%) but also benefits (BC mortality reduction: 27.9% vs. 30.6%, N° screen-detected invasive BC 15/28 vs. 18/25). In S3A vs. S1A, an increase in benefits was observed (BC mortality reduction: 32.2% vs. 30.6%), N° screen-detected in situ B: 5/2 vs. 4/3), but also in harms (N° FP: 460 vs. 423, overdiagnosis: 5.8% vs. 5.0%). Similar trends were observed with increased participation. CONCLUSIONS: As the age range increases, so does not only the reduction in BC mortality, but also the probability of FP and overdiagnosis.

Capability of Copper Hydroxy Nitrate (Cu2(OH)3NO3) as an Additive to Develop Antibacterial Polymer Contact Surfaces: Potential for Food Packaging Applications.

The globalization of the market, as well as the increasing world population, which require a higher demand for food products, pose a great challenge to ensure food safety and prevent food loss and waste. In this sense, active materials with antibacterial properties are an important alternative in the prolongation of shelf life and ensuring food safety. In this work, the ability of copper(II) hydroxy nitrate (CuHS) to obtain antibacterial films based on low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polylactic acid (PLA), was evaluated. The thermal properties of the composites, evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), showed that the concentrations of added CuHS do not particularly change these characteristics with respect to the neat polymer matrix films. The mechanical properties, determined using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMTA), indicate a small increase in the brittleness of the material in PLA-based composites. The antibacterial properties against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica were evaluated using a surface contact test, and a bacterial reduction of at least 8 to 9 logarithmic units for the composites with 0.3% CuHS, both in LDPE and PLA and against both bacteria, were achieved. The reusability of the composite films after their first use demonstrated a higher stability against Listeria monocytogenes. The migration and cytotoxicity of the composites loaded with 0.3% CuHS was evaluated, demonstrating the safety of these materials, which reinforces their potential use in food packaging applications.

Construction of an individual socioeconomic status index for analysing inequalities in colorectal cancer screening.

OBJECTIVE: To construct an individual socioeconomic status index (ISESI) with information available in the Population Information System of the Region of Valencia, Spain, and use it to analyse inequalities in a colorectal cancer screening programme (CRCSP). METHODS: Cross-sectional study of men and women aged between 50 and 75 at the time of the study (2020) that were selected from the target population of the Region of Valencia CRCSP. (study sample 1,150,684). First, a multiple correspondence analysis was performed to aggregate information from the Population Information System of the Region of Valencia into an ISESI. Second, data from the 2016 Region of Valencia Health Survey were used for validation, and finally the relationship between CRCSP participation and the ISESI was analysed by logistic regression models. RESULTS: The variables included in the index were nationality, employment status, disability, healthcare coverage, risk of vulnerability and family size. The most important categories for determining the highest socioeconomic status were being employed and not being at risk of social vulnerability, and being unemployed and at risk of social vulnerability for determining the lowest socioeconomic status. Index validation demonstrated internal and external coherence for measuring socioeconomic status. The relationship between CRCSP participation and the ISESI categorised by quartile (Q) showed that Q4 (the lowest socioeconomic status) was less likely to participate OR = 0.769 (0.757-0.782) than Q1 (the highest socioeconomic status), and the opposite was found for Q2 OR = 1.368 (1.347-1.390) and Q3 OR = 1.156 (1.137-1.175). CONCLUSIONS: An ISESI was constructed and validated using Population Information System data and made it possible to evaluate inequalities in colorectal cancer screening.

Mechanism of Morphology Development in HDGEBA/PAMS Hybrid Thermosets: Monte Carlo Simulation and LSCM Study.

Reactive combinations of aliphatic epoxy resins and functional polysiloxanes form a class of hybrid thermosetting materials with properties that may come from both the organic and the inorganic phases. The two typically immiscible phases form a suspension whose morphology, composition, and thermal properties vary with curing time. The aim of this research was to elucidate the mechanism by which morphology changed with time and to simulate it through Metropolis-Monte Carlo. The selected system was hydrogenated epoxy (HDGEBA) and a synthetic polyaminosiloxane (PAMS). It was studied by DSC, FTnIR, gel point, viscometry, and in-situ laser scanning confocal microscopy. A mechanism for morphology generation was proposed and simulated, exploring a wide range of values of the "a priori" relevant variables. The essential features were captured by simulations with a reasonable agreement with experimental data. However, the complete process was more complex than the geometrical approach of the simulation. The main deviations that were found and qualitatively explained are: (i) the induction period on the rate of coalescence, and (ii) PAMS-rich domain average size increases faster than predictions.

Antibacterial Capability of MXene (Ti3C2Tx) to Produce PLA Active Contact Surfaces for Food Packaging Applications.

The globalization of the market and the increase of the global population that requires a higher demand of food products superimposes a big challenge to ensure food safety. In this sense, a common strategy to extend the shelf life and save life of food products is by avoiding bacterial contamination. For this, the development of antibacterial contact surfaces is an urgent need to fulfil the above-mentioned strategy. In this work, the role of MXene (Ti3C2Tx) in providing antibacterial contact surfaces was studied through the creation of composite films from polylactic acid (PLA), as the chosen polymeric matrix. The developed PLA/MXene films maintained the thermal and mechanical properties of PLA and also presented the attractive antibacterial properties of MXene. The composites' behaviour against two representative foodborne bacteria was studied: Listeria mono-cytogenes and Salmonella enterica (representing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively). The composites prevented bacterial growth, and in the case of Listeria only 0.5 wt.% of MXene was necessary to reach 99.9999% bactericidal activity (six log reductions), while against Salmonella, 5 wt.% was necessary to achieve 99.999% bactericidal activity (five log reductions). Cy-totoxicity tests with fHDF/TER166 cell line showed that none of the obtained materials were cytotoxic. These results make MXene particles promising candidates for their use as additives into a polymeric matrix, useful to fabricate antibacterial contact surfaces that could prove useful for the food packaging industry.

High Ampacity Carbon Nanotube Materials.

Constant evolution of technology is leading to the improvement of electronical devices. Smaller, lighter, faster, are but a few of the properties that have been constantly improved, but these developments come hand in hand with negative downsides. In the case of miniaturization, this shortcoming is found in the inherent property of conducting materials-the limit of current density they can withstand before failure. This property, known as ampacity, is close to reaching its limits at the current scales of use, and the performances of some conductors such as gold or copper suffer severely from it. The need to find alternative conductors with higher ampacity is, therefore, an urgent need, but at the same time, one which requires simultaneous search for decreased density if it is to succeed in an ever-growing electronical world. The uses of these carbon nanotube-based materials, from airplane lightning strike protection systems to the microchip industry, will be evaluated, failure mechanisms at maximum current densities explained, limitations and difficulties in ampacity measurements with different size ranges evaluated, and future lines of research suggested. This review will therefore provide an in-depth view of the rare properties that make carbon nanotubes and their hybrids unique.

Electromagnetic Shielding Materials in GHz Range.

The state-of-the art in the design and the manufacture methods of the different electromagnetic shielding materials has been reviewed. This topic has become a mainstream field of research because of the electromagnetic pollution generated by telecommunication technology development. The review is centred in absorbent materials and shows a general overview of how the absorption properties of such composites can be tailored through changes in geometry, composition, morphology, and the filler particles content. Although different types of materials are explained, the text is mainly focused on carbon materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes. In this way, the importance of the dispersion of the conductive fillers in different polymer matrices is discussed. In addition, an extensive study on new complex architectures such as foam-based materials is presented. Finally, the combination of carbon fillers with other constituents such as metallic nanoparticles is mentioned. In all these studies, the efficiency of the composites as absorbent or reflective of electromagnetic radiation is discussed.

Advanced self-healing asphalt composites in the pavement performance field: mechanisms at the nano level and new repairing methodologies.

In an effort to give a global view of this field of research, in this mini-review we highlight the most recent publications and patents focusing on modified asphalt pavements that contain certain reinforcing nanoparticles which impart desirable thermal, electrical and mechanical properties. In response to the increasing cost of asphalt binder and road maintenance, there is a need to look for alternative technologies and new asphalt composites, able to self-repair, for preserving and renewing the existing pavements. First, we will focus on the self-healing property of asphalt, the evidences that support that healing takes place immediately after the contact between the faces of a crack, and how the amount of healing can be measured in both the laboratory and the field. Next we review the hypothetical mechanisms of healing to understand the material behaviour and establish models to quantify the damage-healing process. Thereafter, we outline different technologies, nanotechnologies and methodologies used for self-healing paying particular attention to embedded micro-capsules, new nano-materials like carbon nanotubes and nano-fibres, ionomers, and microwave and induction heating processes.

Influence of the water content on the diffusion coefficients of Li+ and water across naphthalenic based copolyimide cation-exchange membranes.

The transport of lithium ions in cation-exchange membranes based on sulfonated copolyimide membranes is reported. Diffusion coefficients of lithium are estimated as a function of the water content in membranes by using pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR and electrical conductivity techniques. It is found that the lithium transport slightly decreases with the diminution of water for membranes with water content lying in the range 14 < λ < 26.5, where λ is the number of molecules of water per fixed sulfonate group. For λ < 14, the value of the diffusion coefficient of lithium experiences a sharp decay with the reduction of water in the membranes. The dependence of the diffusion of lithium on the humidity of the membranes calculated from conductivity data using Nernst-Planck type equations follows a trend similar to that observed by NMR. The possible explanation of the fact that the Haven ratio is higher than the unit is discussed. The diffusion of water estimated by (1)H PFG-NMR in membranes neutralized with lithium decreases as λ decreases, but the drop is sharper in the region where the decrease of the diffusion of protons of water also undergoes considerable reduction. The diffusion of lithium ions computed by full molecular dynamics is similar to that estimated by NMR. However, for membranes with medium and low concentration of water, steady state conditions are not reached in the computations and the diffusion coefficients obtained by MD simulation techniques are overestimated. The curves depicting the variation of the diffusion coefficient of water estimated by NMR and full dynamics follow parallel trends, though the values of the diffusion coefficient in the latter case are somewhat higher. The WAXS diffractograms of fully hydrated membranes exhibit the ionomer peak at q = 2.8 nm(-1), the peak being shifted to higher q as the water content of the membranes decreases. The diffractograms present additional peaks at higher q, common to wet and dry membranes, but the peaks are better resolved in the wet membranes. The ionomer peak is not detected in the diffractograms of dry membranes.