Advancing Joint Design and Operation of Water Resources Systems Under Uncertainty

AbstractGlobally, many countries are actively seeking to maximize the hydropower potential of major river basins, yielding proposals for constructing approximately 3,700 major dams in the near future. The planning of new water reservoir systems raises several major challenges that must be conjunctively accounted for within the system design phase, in order to design efficient yet sustainable infrastructures able to satisfy multiple water needs and perform well under a wide range of external future changes. This contribution aims at advancing the current planning and operation of water reservoir systems, focusing on the coupling of dam sizing and operation design in order to thoroughly capture their interdependencies also with respect to uncertainty in the main external drivers

A cyanobacterial LPS antagonist prevents endotoxin shock and blocks sustained TLR4 stimulation required for cytokine expression

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) function as primary sensors that elicit coordinated innate immune defenses through recognition of microbial products and induction of immune and proinflammatory genes. Here we report the identification and biological characterization of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-like molecule extracted from the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria Planktothrix FP1 (cyanobacterial product [CyP]) that is not stimulatory per se but acts as a potent and selective antagonist of bacterial LPS. CyP binds to MD-2 and efficiently competes with LPS for binding to the TLR4–MD-2 receptor complex. The addition of CyP together with LPS completely inhibited both MyD88- and TRIF-dependent pathways and suppressed the whole LPS-induced gene transcription program in human dendritic cells (DCs). CyP protected mice from endotoxin shock in spite of a lower capacity to inhibit LPS stimulation of mouse DCs. Interestingly, the delayed addition of CyP to DCs responding to LPS strongly inhibited signaling and cytokine production by immediate down-regulation of inflammatory cytokine mRNAs while not affecting other aspects of DC maturation, such as expression of major histocompatibility complex molecules, costimulatory molecules, and CCR7. Collectively, these results indicate that CyP is a potent competitive inhibitor of LPS in vitro and in vivo and reveal the requirement of sustained TLR4 stimulation for induction of cytokine genes in human DCs

Perceived factors influencing the success of pain neuroscience education in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

PurposeWe aimed to identify the factors influencing the success of Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) in chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain from the perspective of those experiencing PNE first-hand.Materials and MethodsWe conducted a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Articles were found on MEDLINE via Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINHAL, and PsycINFO up to April 2023. Eligible qualitative studies focussed on adults (>16 years old) with a diagnosis of chronic primary or secondary MSK pain who performed PNE. Thematic synthesis by Thomas and Harden was followed. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool ensured the quality of the studies, while the Confidence in Evidence from the Reviews of Qualitative Research (CERQual) approach facilitated data confidence assessment.ResultsNine studies were included (188 participants). Three analytical themes were developed: (i) “Efficient Communication of Information”, emphasising the importance of accurate content transmission; (ii) “Emotional Support and Well-being”, recognising emotional aspects as integral to treatment; and (iii) “Empowerment Promotion”, focusing on information retention and personal transformation. The studies showed good quality, with moderate confidence in the evidence.ConclusionsThe perceived factors influencing the success of PNE are intricately related to the domain of communication, the emotional dimension of personal experience, and the capacity to be empowered

Correction: Whole exome sequencing reveals mutations in FAT1 tumor suppressor gene clinically impacting on peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper

The diacylglycerol kinase α/Atypical PKC/β1 integrin pathway in SDF-1α mammary carcinoma invasiveness

Diacylglycerol kinase α (DGKα), by phosphorylating diacylglycerol into phosphatidic acid, provides a key signal driving cell migration and matrix invasion. We previously demonstrated that in epithelial cells activation of DGKα activity promotes cytoskeletal remodeling and matrix invasion by recruiting atypical PKC at ruffling sites and by promoting RCP-mediated recycling of α5β1 integrin to the tip of pseudopods. In here we investigate the signaling pathway by which DGKα mediates SDF-1α-induced matrix invasion of MDA-MB-231 invasive breast carcinoma cells. Indeed we showed that, following SDF-1α stimulation, DGKα is activated and localized at cell protrusion, thus promoting their elongation and mediating SDF-1α induced MMP-9 metalloproteinase secretion and matrix invasion. Phosphatidic acid generated by DGKα promotes localization at cell protrusions of atypical PKCs which play an essential role downstream of DGKα by promoting Rac-mediated protrusion elongation and localized recruitment of β1 integrin and MMP-9. We finally demonstrate that activation of DGKα, atypical PKCs signaling and β1 integrin are all essential for MDA-MB-231 invasiveness. These data indicates the existence of a SDF-1α induced DGKα - atypical PKC - β1 integrin signaling pathway, which is essential for matrix invasion of carcinoma cells

Occurrence and Effects on Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation of Intensive Care Unit Acquired and Diaphragm Weakness: A Pilot Study

PurposeLimb intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness (ICUAW) and ICU acquired diaphragm weakness (DW) occur frequently in mechanically ventilated (MV) patients; their coexistence in cooperative and uncooperative patients is unknown. This study was designed to (1) describe the co-occurrence of the two conditions (2) evaluate the impact of ICUAW and DW on the ventilator-free days (VFDs) at 28 days and weaning success, and (3) assess the correlation between maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and thickening fraction (TFdi) in patients with DW.MethodsThis prospective pilot study was conducted in a single-center on 73 critically ill MV patients. Muscle weakness was defined as a Medical Research Council score < 48 in cooperative patients or a bilateral mean simplified peroneal nerve test < 5.26 mV in uncooperative patients. Diaphragm dysfunction was defined as MIP < 30 cm H2O or as a TFdi < 29%. Weaning success was defined according to weaning according to a new definition (WIND).ResultsFifty-seven patients (78%) had ICUAW and 59 (81%) had DW. The coexistence of the two conditions occurred in 48 patients (65%), without association (χ2 = 1.06, p = 0.304). In the adjusted analysis, ICUAW was independently related to VFDs at 28-days (estimate difference 6 days, p = 0.016), and WIND (OR of 3.62 for having WIND different than short weaning), whereas DW was not. The linear mixed model showed a significant but weak correlation between MIP and TFdi (p < 0.001).ConclusionThis pilot study is the first to explore the coexistence of ICUAW and DW in both cooperative and uncooperative patients; a lack of association was found between DW and ICUAW when considering both cooperative and uncooperative patients. We found a strong correlation between ICUAW but not DW with the VFDs at 28 days and weaning success. A future larger study is warranted in order to confirm our results, and should also investigate the use of transdiaphragmatic twitch pressure measurement during bilateral anterior magnetic phrenic nerve stimulation for the diagnosis of DW

Serum Albumin Is Inversely Associated With Portal Vein Thrombosis in Cirrhosis

We analyzed whether serum albumin is independently associated with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in liver cirrhosis (LC) and if a biologic plausibility exists. This study was divided into three parts. In part 1 (retrospective analysis), 753 consecutive patients with LC with ultrasound-detected PVT were retrospectively analyzed. In part 2, 112 patients with LC and 56 matched controls were entered in the cross-sectional study. In part 3, 5 patients with cirrhosis were entered in the in vivo study and 4 healthy subjects (HSs) were entered in the in vitro study to explore if albumin may affect platelet activation by modulating oxidative stress. In the 753 patients with LC, the prevalence of PVT was 16.7%; logistic analysis showed that only age (odds ratio [OR], 1.024; P = 0.012) and serum albumin (OR, -0.422; P = 0.0001) significantly predicted patients with PVT. Analyzing the 112 patients with LC and controls, soluble clusters of differentiation (CD)40-ligand (P = 0.0238), soluble Nox2-derived peptide (sNox2-dp; P < 0.0001), and urinary excretion of isoprostanes (P = 0.0078) were higher in patients with LC. In LC, albumin was correlated with sCD4OL (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [r(s)], -0.33; P < 0.001), sNox2-dp (r(s), -0.57; P < 0.0001), and urinary excretion of isoprostanes (r(s), -0.48; P < 0.0001) levels. The in vivo study showed a progressive decrease in platelet aggregation, sNox2-dp, and urinary 8-iso prostaglandin F2 alpha-III formation 2 hours and 3 days after albumin infusion. Finally, platelet aggregation, sNox2-dp, and isoprostane formation significantly decreased in platelets from HSs incubated with scalar concentrations of albumin. Conclusion: Low serum albumin in LC is associated with PVT, suggesting that albumin could be a modulator of the hemostatic system through interference with mechanisms regulating platelet activation

An inverse nested approach to optimize planning and operation of water reservoir systems

ISSN:1029-7006ISSN:1607-796

Integrated water-energy system modelling for optimal hydropower production planning under changing climate in the Zambezi River

ISSN:1029-7006ISSN:1607-796