Semantic IoT Solutions - A Developer Perspective

Semantic technologies have recently gained significant support in a number of communities, in particular the IoT community. An important problem to be solved is that, on the one hand, it is clear that the value of IoT increases significantly with the availability of information from a wide variety of domains. On the other hand, existing solutions target specific applications or application domains and there is no easy way of sharing information between the resulting silos. Thus, a solution is needed to enable interoperability across information silos. As there is a huge heterogeneity regarding IoT technologies on the lower levels, the semantic level is seen as a promising approach for achieving interoperability (i.e. semantic interoperability) to unify IoT device description, data, bring common interaction, data exploration, etc.This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements No.732240 (SynchroniCity) and No. 688467 (VICINITY); from ETSI under Specialist Task Forces 534, 556, 566 and 578. This work is partially funded by Hazards SEES NSF Award EAR 1520870, and KHealth NIH 1 R01 HD087132-01

Towards Semantic Interoperability Standards based on Ontologies

The paper is structured as follows: Section 2 introduces semantic interoperability and its benefits; Section 3 provides industry requirements for semantic interoperability practice; Section 4 describes various initiatives for ontology-driven interoperability; Section 5 explains the various life cycles for ontology-driven interoperability; and finally, Section 6 provides recommendations on ontology-based semantic interoperability.This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements No.732240 (SynchroniCity) and No. 688467 (VICINITY); from ETSI under Specialist Task Forces 534, 556, and 566. This work is partially funded by Hazards SEES NSF Award EAR 1520870, and KHealth NIH 1 R01 HD087132-01

Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth from Biache‑Saint‑Vaast, France

The study of dental morphology can be a very useful tool to understand the origin and evolution of Neanderthals in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene (MP). At present, the earliest evidence, ca. 430 ka, of a pre-Neanderthal population in Europe is the hominin sample from Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos (SH) that present clear dental affinities with Neanderthals while other penecontemporaneous populations, such as Arago or Mala Balanica, exhibit less Neanderthal traits. We present the morphometric study of the external and internal dental structures of eleven hominin dental remains recovered from the MP, ca. 240 ka, French site of Biache-Saint-Vaast (BSV). Our analyses place the BSV hominins within the MP group, together with SH, Fontana Ranuccio, Visogliano, Steinheim or Montmaurin, that showgreater morphological affinities with Neanderthals. Moreover, we identified interpopulation variability in the expression of the enamel thickness trait, with BSV hominins sharing the unique combination of thin and thick pattern in the premolars and molars with the SH population. These results further support the coexistence of two or more populations in Europe during the MP that reflect the population and settlement of human groups suggested by the Central Area of Dispersals of Eurasia (CADE) and sink and source model

Thrombocytopenia and platelet transfusions in ICU patients: an international inception cohort study (PLOT-ICU)

Purpose Thrombocytopenia (platelet count < 150 × 109/L) is common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and is likely associated with worse outcomes. In this study we present international contemporary data on thrombocytopenia in ICU patients. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study in adult ICU patients in 52 ICUs across 10 countries. We assessed frequencies of thrombocytopenia, use of platelet transfusions and clinical outcomes including mortality. We evaluated pre-selected potential risk factors for the development of thrombocytopenia during ICU stay and associations between thrombocytopenia at ICU admission and 90-day mortality using pre-specified logistic regression analyses. Results We analysed 1166 ICU patients; the median age was 63 years and 39.5% were female. Overall, 43.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 40.4–46.1) had thrombocytopenia; 23.4% (20–26) had thrombocytopenia at ICU admission, and 19.8% (17.6–22.2) developed thrombocytopenia during their ICU stay. Non-AIDS-, non-cancer-related immune deficiency, liver failure, male sex, septic shock, and bleeding at ICU admission were associated with the development of thrombocytopenia during ICU stay. Among patients with thrombocytopenia, 22.6% received platelet transfusion(s), and 64.3% of in-ICU transfusions were prophylactic. Patients with thrombocytopenia had higher occurrences of bleeding and death, fewer days alive without the use of life-support, and fewer days alive and out of hospital. Thrombocytopenia at ICU admission was associated with 90-day mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.7; 95% CI 1.19–2.42). Conclusion Thrombocytopenia occurred in 43% of critically ill patients and was associated with worse outcomes including increased mortality. Platelet transfusions were given to 23% of patients with thrombocytopenia and most were prophylactic.publishedVersio

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Sylviculture et stabilité

National audienc

Pharmacological evidence for the concept of spare glutamate transporters

Through the efficient clearance of extracellular glutamate, high affinity astrocytic glutamate transporters constantly shape excitatory neurotransmission in terms of duration and spreading. Even though the glutamate transporter GLT-1 (also known as EAAT2/SLC1A2) is amongst the most abundant proteins in the mammalian brain, its density and activity are tightly regulated. In order to study the influence of changes in the expression of GLT-1 on glutamate uptake capacity, we have developed a model in HEK cells where the density of the transporter can be manipulated thanks to a tetracycline-inducible promoter. Exposing the cells to doxycycline concentration-dependently increased GLT-1 expression and substrate uptake velocity. However, beyond a certain level of induction, increasing the density of transporters at the cell surface failed to increase the maximal uptake. This suggested the progressive generation of a pool of spare transporters, a hypothesis that was further validated using the selective GLT-1 blocker WAY-213613 of which potency was influenced by the density of the transporters. The curve showing inhibition of uptake by increasing concentrations of WAY-213613 was indeed progressively rightward shifted when tested in cells where the transporter density was robustly induced. As largely documented in the context of cell-surface receptors, the existence of ‘spare’ glutamate transporters in the nervous tissue and particularly in astrocytes could impact on the consequences of physiological or pathological regulation of these transporters

Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth from Biache-Saint-Vaast, France

International audienceAbstract The study of dental morphology can be a very useful tool to understand the origin and evolution of Neanderthals in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene (MP). At present, the earliest evidence, ca. 430 ka, of a pre-Neanderthal population in Europe is the hominin sample from Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos (SH) that present clear dental affinities with Neanderthals while other penecontemporaneous populations, such as Arago or Mala Balanica, exhibit less Neanderthal traits. We present the morphometric study of the external and internal dental structures of eleven hominin dental remains recovered from the MP, ca. 240 ka, French site of Biache-Saint-Vaast (BSV). Our analyses place the BSV hominins within the MP group, together with SH, Fontana Ranuccio, Visogliano, Steinheim or Montmaurin, that show greater morphological affinities with Neanderthals. Moreover, we identified interpopulation variability in the expression of the enamel thickness trait, with BSV hominins sharing the unique combination of thin and thick pattern in the premolars and molars with the SH population. These results further support the coexistence of two or more populations in Europe during the MP that reflect the population and settlement of human groups suggested by the Central Area of Dispersals of Eurasia (CADE) and sink and source model