7 research outputs found
Jared Ailstock: Oil Paint Quality and Material
No full textThe paint quality
Portrait painter Jared Ailstock shares that the paint is composed of finely ground mineral or organic pigments, mixed with oil which hardens as it dries. There are different color qualities which correspond to the fineness of the pigments and their concentration. Jared Ailstock shares these qualities:
* The study quality is intended for painters who practice a lot. The colors are packaged in large tubes and the prices are more affordable.
* Extra fine grade is the oil with the highest pigment content. There is usually only one pigment ground with no chemical additives. The range of colors available is immense, it is the oil par excellence.
* Fine quality is quite simply between the previous two.
Jared Ailstock claims that in order to choose the quality that meets your needs, you should study the fine qualities that are strong enough for thick work while the extra-fine quality is recommended for fine applications where you will need a strong coloring power.
You can very well start with the extra fine quality and restrict yourself to a range of primary colors that will allow you to create all the others.
Jared Ailstock shares a choice of colors to obtain a complete color chart:
- a lemon yellow
- two reds: vermilion and dark madder
- an ultramarine blue + a Prussian blue
- two extra browns: ocher and burnt sienna
- a titanium white
- an ivory black
Black can be obtained by mixing: dark blue + dark red + yellow). Subsequently, depending on your needs, you can purchase more vivid colors.
The palette
Jared Ailstock shares there are classic wooden or plastic pallets.
You can also use:
* a white melamine board
* a sample of tiles
* disposable pallets to avoid the drudgery of cleaning
Jared Ailstock indicates that the advantage of oil painting is that you can leave your palette aside for several hours without the colors drying out.
If you are new to oil painting, practice good habits. On your palette, the order of colors will respect the chromatic circle: warm colors together and cool colors like blue or magenta on the other hand. For more information, visit Jared Ailstock’s profile on Speakerhub
Increase in gut permeability and oxidized ldl is associated with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2
No full textBackgroundPost-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is marked by persistent or newly developing symptoms beyond 4 weeks of infection. Investigating gut integrity, oxidized lipids and inflammatory markers is important for understanding PASC pathogenesis.MethodsA cross-sectional study including COVID+ with PASC, COVID+ without PASC, and COVID-negative (COVID-) participants. We measured plasma markers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to assess intestinal permeability (ZONULIN), microbial translocation (lipopolysaccharide-binding protein or LBP), systemic inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein or hs-CRP), and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL).Results415 participants were enrolled in this study; 37.83% (n=157) had prior COVID diagnosis and among COVID+, 54% (n=85) had PASC. The median zonulin among COVID- was 3.37 (IQR: 2.13, 4.91) mg/mL, 3.43 (IQR: 1.65, 5.25) mg/mL among COVID+ no PASC, and highest [4.76 (IQR: 3.2, 7.35) mg/mL] among COVID+ PASC+ (p<.0001). The median ox-LDL among COVID- was 47.02 (IQR: 35.52, 62.77) U/L, 57.24 (IQR: 40.7, 75.37) U/L among COVID+ No PASC, and the highest [76.75 (IQR: 59.95, 103.28) U/L] among COVID+ PASC+ (p<.0001). COVID+ PASC+ was positively associated with zonulin (p=0.0002) and ox-LDL (p<.0001), and COVID- was negatively associated with ox-LDL (p=0.01), compared to COVID+ No PASC. Every unit increase in zonulin was associated with 44% higher predicted odds of having PASC [aOR: 1.44 (95%CI: 1.1, 1.9)] and every one-unit increase in ox-LDL was associated with more than four-fold increased odds of having PASC [aOR: 2.44 (95%CI: 1.67, 3.55)].ConclusionsPASC is associated with increased gut permeability and oxidized lipids. Further studies are needed to clarify whether these relationships are causal which could lead to targeted therapeutics
The Long-Term Effect of COVID-19 Infection on Body Composition
No full textBackground: The effect of COVID-19 infection versus the indirect effect of the pandemic on body composition remains unclear. This study investigates the long-term changes in body composition in COVID-19 survivors compared to a contemporary control group. Method: This is a prospective study involving adults who underwent a pre-pandemic whole-body DXA scan (DXA#1) between 2017 and 2019. Participants were asked to return for a repeat whole-body DXA scan (DXA#2) after the pandemic. Detailed data were collected including their medical and COVID-19 history. Inflammation markers and fasting lipids were measured. For those participants who experienced a COVID-19 infection between the two DXAs, DXA#2 was acquired at least one year after COVID-19 infection. Results: Overall, 160 adults were enrolled; 32.5% females, 51.8% non-white, with mean age of 43.2 years. Half (n = 80) of the participants experienced a COVID-19 infection between their two DXA scans (COVID-19+ group), and the other half had never had COVID-19. COVID-19-negative participants displayed an increase in annualized trunk fat (g) [922.5 vs. 159.7; p = 0.01], total fat (g) [1564.3 vs. 199.9; p = 0.2], and LBM (g) [974.9 vs. −64.5; p = 0.0002] when compared to the COVID-19+ group. However, among the COVID-19+ group, no differences were seen in annualized trunk fat, total fat mass, or LBM between those with PASC and without (p > 0.05). Conclusion: During the pandemic, both the COVID-19 survivors and the COVID-19-negative group exhibited increases in weight, total fat, and trunk fat, likely associated with pandemic-linked lifestyle modifications. However, only COVID-19 survivors displayed a decline in lean body mass over the same period, regardless of PASC symptoms
Associations of Plasma Erythritol with Dietary Factors, Cardiometabolic, Inflammatory, and Gut Health Markers in People with and without HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study
No full textBackground: Recently, elevated levels of plasma erythritol have been associated with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). It is known that people with HIV (PWH) have a higher cardiovascular disease burden. Whether PWH have higher levels of plasma erythritol has not been evaluated. This study aimed to assess if blood erythritol levels are elevated in PWH and to examine relationships between erythritol and dietary, cardiometabolic, inflammatory, and gut health markers. Methods: Plasma erythritol levels were measured using frozen samples from 162 participants, including 109 PWH and 53 people without HIV (PWoH) in a parent study. General linear models were used to assess the linear relationship between characteristics, cardiovascular measures, markers of body composition, inflammation, and gut integrity with plasma erythritol. Logistic regression was used to assess risk factors associated with PWH, and cumulative logit models were used to investigate which factors were associated with having the highest plasma erythritol levels among PWH. Results: Compared to PWoH, PWH had higher plasma erythritol levels (p = 0.03). Every 10% increase in VLDL (p = 0.01), visceral adipose tissue (p < 0.0001), or TNFrI (p = 0.01) was associated with an approximately 1% increase in plasma erythritol. Among PWH, HgbA1c (p = 0.003), TNFrI (p = 0.002), and IFAB-P (p = 0.004) were associated with having the highest tertile of plasma erythritol (≥3.6 μM). Compared to PWoH, PWH were more than two times as likely (p = 0.03) to have plasma erythritol ≥ 3.6 μM. Conclusions: We identified positive associations between plasma erythritol levels and several factors, including HIV status, BMI, adipose tissue, TNFr1, HbA1c, and VLDL. These results underscore the importance of further investigating the role of elevated plasma erythritol levels in people with HIV, particularly in light of their increased vulnerability to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases
Vitamins K2 and D3 Improve Long COVID, Fungal Translocation, and Inflammation: Randomized Controlled Trial
No full textBackground: Long COVID (LC) is characterized by persistent symptoms at least 3 months after a SARS-COV-2 infection. LC has been associated with fungal translocation, gut dysfunction, and enhanced systemic inflammation. Currently, there is no approved treatment for this condition. The anti-inflammatory effect of vitamins K2 and D3 was shown to help attenuate the course of acute COVID-19 infection. Objective and hypothesis: This trial aims to investigate the effects of vitamins K2/D3 on LC symptoms, as well as gut and inflammatory markers, in people with established long COVID. Our hypothesis is that by attenuating systemic inflammation, vitamins K2/D3 will improve long COVID symptoms. Methods: This single-site randomized controlled study enrolled adults experiencing ≥2 moderate LC symptoms at least 3 months after a COVID-19 infection. The RECOVER Long COVID Research Index and number and type of LC symptoms were considered. Participants were randomized 2:1 to daily 240 µg K2 (pure MK-7 form) and 2000 UI vitamin D3 or standard of care (SOC) for 24 weeks. The endpoints were changes in symptomatology and in select inflammatory, metabolic, and gut biomarkers at 24 weeks. Results: We enrolled 151 participants (n = 98 received vit K2/D3 and 53 received SOC). The median age was 46 years; 71% were female and 29% were non-white. Baseline demographics were balanced between groups. At 24 weeks, the active treatment group only had a sharp increase in 25(OH) D, indicating good treatment adherence. In the vitamin K2/D3 arm, there was a 7.1% decrease in the proportion who had an LC Index ≥12 (vs. a 7.2% increase in the SOC group; p = 0.01). The average number of LC symptoms remained stable in the vitamin K2/D3 arm but increased in the SOC arm (p = 0.03). Additionally, reductions in oxidized LDL, inflammatory markers sTNF-RI and sCD163, and fungal translocation marker (1,3)-β-d-glucan were observed in the vitamin K2/D3 arm compared to the SOC arm (p < 0.01) over 24 weeks. Conclusions: Vitamins K2/D3 improved the RECOVER Long COVID Index, the number of LC symptoms, and several gut and inflammatory markers. Vitamins K2/D3 provide a promising safe intervention for people suffering from long COVID
The Effect of COVID-19 on Arterial Stiffness and Inflammation: A Longitudinal Prospective Study
No full textData are limited for assessing the effect of COVID infection on endothelial function, pre- and post-pandemic. The objective of this study was to assess changes in pre-pandemic cardiovascular parameters after COVID-19 infection. This prospective cohort study used EndoPAT2000 Itamar Medical Ltd., Caesarea, Israel, to measure the augmentation index (AI; arterial elasticity) and reactive hyperemic index (RHI; endothelial function). Markers of endothelial function, inflammation, and gut integrity were collected at pre- and post-pandemic visits. COVID-negative and COVID-positive participants were matched on pre-pandemic covariates, and AI ≥ 5.0 was defined as having worse AI. Among the 156 participants, 50% had documented COVID-19 infection. Groups were balanced (p > 0.05) on pre-pandemic characteristics. Increases in oxLDL (p = 0.03) were observed in the COVID-positive group, and COVID infection had a negative effect on inflammatory markers (sVCAM-1, sTNF-RI, sTNF-RII, sCD14) and gut integrity (I-FABP, BDG) compared to COVID-negative participants (p < 0.05). There was a 16.7% (p = 0.02) increase in the proportion of COVID-positive participants with AI ≥ 5.0, without a significant change (p = 0.09) among the COVID-negative group. COVID-positive status, female sex, and higher IL-6 and sCD163 were associated (p < 0.05) with an increase in having worse AI. COVID infection is independently associated with arterial stiffness. For COVID survivors, female sex and higher markers of inflammation were associated with arterial stiffness
PRICE-FIXING OVERCHARGES: LEGAL AND ECONOMIC EVIDENCE
No full textThis paper surveys hundreds of published social-science studies of private, hard-core cartels that contain 699 observations of long-run overcharges. The primary finding is that the median cartel overcharge for all types of cartels over all time periods is 25%: 19% for domestic cartels, 32% for international cartels, and 31% for all successful cartels. Thus, international cartels have historically been about 68% more effective in raising prices than domestic cartels. Cartel overcharges are skewed to the high side, pushing the mean overcharge for all types of cartels over all time periods to 42%. "Peak" cartel overcharges are typically double those of the long-run averages. These results are generally consistent with the few, more limited, previously published works that survey cartel overcharges. There is no evidence that convicted cartels are markedly less effective than unpunished ones. The results of a second survey of final verdicts in decided U.S. horizontal collusion cases, only three of which were international cartels, show an average median overcharge of 21% and an average mean overcharge of 30%. Outside the United States, 62 decisions of competition commissions cited median average overcharges of 25% and a mean of 47%. There are three significant policy implications. First, there is a view among some antitrust writers that there is little evidence that cartels raise prices significantly for a period long enough to justify the height of current U.S. cartel penalties. This survey's results, which are based upon an extraordinarily large amount of data spanning a broad swath of history of all types of private cartels, sharply contradict these views. In fact, the data suggest that U.S. penalties ought to be increased. Mean overcharges are three times as high as the level presumed by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Surprisingly, bid rigging was no more injurious than other forms of collusion, which suggests that the USSC should amend its Guidelines that currently treat bid rigging more harshly than other forms of collusion. Second, the principal antitrust authorities abroad often base their typical or maximum fines on a 10% harm presumption. Average fines imposed since 1995 by Canada and the EU on identical cartels have been lower than U.S. government fines, yet overcharges generated by cartels discovered outside the United States are higher than North America-centered cartels. Consequently, anticartel laws and fine-setting practices abroad are in even greater need of strengthening. Third, cartels with multi-continental price effects are the most harmful type. Despite the evident increases in cartel detection rates and the size of monetary fines and penalties in the past decade, a good case can be made that current global anticartel regimes are under-deterring. While the recent worldwide trend towards the intensification of cartel penalties has been desirable, global cartels are more difficult to detect, have less fear from entry of rivals, achieve higher levels of sales and profitability, and systematically receive weaker corporate sanctions than comparable domestic cartels. Antitrust sanctions worldwide should be higher for global cartels than for other types.International Relations/Trade,
