Time to diagnosis and determinants of diagnostic delays of people living with a rare disease: results of a Rare Barometer retrospective patient survey.

Timely diagnosis is one of the most serious challenges faced by people living with a rare disease (PLWRD), and this study estimates that in Europe, the average total diagnosis time (TDT) is close to 5 years. We investigated the duration of the TDT for PLWRD in Europe, the difficulties associated with their diagnosis odyssey and the main determinants of diagnosis delays for all rare diseases (RD). We conducted a survey of PLWRD and their families using Rare Barometer, the survey initiative of EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe.

Porous Silica Microspheres with Immobilized Titania Nanoparticles for In-Flow Solar-Driven Purification of Wastewater.

In this paper, inorganic silica microspheres with interconnected macroporosity are tested as a platform for designing robust and efficient photocatalytic systems for a continuous flow reactor, enabling a low cost and straightforward purification of wastewater through solar-driven photocatalysis. The photocatalytically active microspheres are prepared by wet impregnation of porous silica scaffolds with Trizma-functionalized anatase titania (TiO) nanoparticles (NPs). NPs loading of 22 wt% is obtained in the form of a thin and well-attached layer, covering the external surface of the microspheres as well as the internal surface of the pores.

Within and between population variation in epidermal club cell investment in a freshwater prey fish: a cautionary tale for evolutionary ecologists.

Many prey fishes possess large club cells in their epidermis. The role of these cells has garnered considerable attention from evolutionary ecologists. These cells likely form part of the innate immune system of fishes, however, they also have an alarm function, releasing chemical cues that serve to warn nearby conspecifics of danger.