Matrix Metalloproteinases-8 and-9 and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 in Burn Patients. A Prospective Observational Study

Introduction Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) -8 and -9 are released from neutrophils in acute inflammation and may contribute to permeability changes in burn injury. In retrospective studies on sepsis, levels of MMP-8, MMP-9, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) differed from those of healthy controls, and TIMP-1 showed an association with outcome. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between these proteins and disease severity and outcome in burn patients. Methods In this prospective, observational, two-center study, we collected plasma samples from admission to day 21 post-burn, and burn blister fluid samples on admission. We compared MMP-8, -9, and TIMP-1 levels between TBSA20% (N = 30) injured patients and healthy controls, and between 90-day survivors and non-survivors. MMP-8, -9, and TIMP-1 levels at 24-48 hours from injury, their maximal levels, and their time-adjusted means were compared between groups. Correlations with clinical parameters and the extent of burn were analyzed. MMP-8, -9, and TIMP-1 levels in burn blister fluids were also studied. Results Plasma MMP-8 and -9 were higher in patients than in healthy controls (P20% groups. MMP-8 and -9 were not associated with clinical severity or outcome measures. TIMP-1 differed significantly between patients and controls (P20% groups (PPeer reviewe

MLOps pipeline development:the OSSARA use case

Abstract Software development based on MLOps practices is entering its early adoption stage. As for it, practitioners and researchers are starting to develop pipelines composed of tools capable of automating the whole software lifecycle. The development of the pipeline however is not as straightforward as it looks and some key points need to be addressed. In this work, we propose our vision for the development of the MLOps pipeline by showing what to keep into account when choosing the tools for each step of a pipeline. The proposition has been backed up by describing a developed use case scenario: the OSSARA use case. We believe that the presented use case, as well as the remarks presented for the process of tool selection for each MLOps phase, will help practitioners and researchers in the process of developing their own pipelines

Analysis of airport design for introducing infrastructure for autonomous drones

Abstract Purpose: Connecting autonomous drones to ground operations and services is a prerequisite for the adoption of scalable and sustainable drone services in the built environment. Despite the rapid advance in the field of autonomous drones, the development of ground infrastructure has received less attention. Contemporary airport design offers potential solutions for the infrastructure serving autonomous drone services. To that end, this paper aims to construct a framework for connecting air and ground operations for autonomous drone services. Furthermore, the paper defines the minimum facilities needed to support unmanned aerial vehicles for autonomous logistics and the collection of aerial data. Design/methodology/approach: The paper reviews the state-of-the-art in airport design literature as the basis for analysing the guidelines of manned aviation applicable to the development of ground infrastructure for autonomous drone services. Socio-technical system analysis was used for identifying the service needs of drones. Findings: The key findings are functional modularity based on the principles of airport design applies to micro-airports and modular service functions can be connected efficiently with an autonomous ground handling system in a sustainable manner addressing the concerns on maintenance, reliability and lifecycle. Research limitations/implications: As the study was limited to the airport design literature findings, the evolution of solutions may provide features supporting deviating approaches. The role of autonomy and cloud-based service processes are quintessentially different from the conventional airport design and are likely to impact real-life solutions as the area of future research. Practical implications: The findings of this study provided a framework for establishing the connection between the airside and the landside for the operations of autonomous aerial services. The lack of such framework and ground infrastructure has hindered the large-scale adoption and easy-to-use solutions for sustainable logistics and aerial data collection for decision-making in the built environment. Social implications: The evolution of future autonomous aerial services should be accessible to all users, “democratising” the use of drones. The data collected by drones should comply with the privacy-preserving use of the data. The proposed ground infrastructure can contribute to offloading, storing and handling aerial data to support drone services’ acceptability. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the paper describes the first design framework for creating a design concept for a modular and autonomous micro-airport system for unmanned aviation based on the applied functions of full-size conventional airports

Application system design:maintenance

Abstract In this chapter the use of Arrowhead Framework is tested in two application environments. The first part of the chapter “Widening the scope: Managing maintenance data in large multifunctional plant environments” reports the challenges in the mining industry and how the challenges of this type of industry can be addressed with the Arrowhead Framework. The second part of the chapter “Aircraft Maintenance System” is from commercial aviation focusing on various examples related to maintenance

Utilidad de la distancia recorrida en una prueba de ejercicio incremental como predictor de morbilidad postoperatoria en la resección del cáncer de pulmón. Abordaje multidisciplinar: cirugía torácica – anestesiología

[ES] El cáncer de pulmón no microcítico es hoy en día la primera causa de mortalidad por enfermedad neoplásica en hombres.[EN] The non-small cell lung cancer is now the leading cause of death from malignant disease in men

A Recessive Skeletal Dysplasia, SEMD Aggrecan Type, Results from a Missense Mutation Affecting the C-Type Lectin Domain of Aggrecan

Analysis of a nuclear family with three affected offspring identified an autosomal-recessive form of spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia characterized by severe short stature and a unique constellation of radiographic findings. Homozygosity for a haplotype that was identical by descent between two of the affected individuals identified a locus for the disease gene within a 17.4 Mb interval on chromosome 15, a region containing 296 genes. These genes were assessed and ranked by cartilage selectivity with whole-genome microarray data, revealing only two genes, encoding aggrecan and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4, that were selectively expressed in cartilage. Sequence analysis of aggrecan complementary DNA from an affected individual revealed homozygosity for a missense mutation (c.6799G → A) that predicts a p.D2267N amino acid substitution in the C-type lectin domain within the G3 domain of aggrecan. The D2267 residue is predicted to coordinate binding of a calcium ion, which influences the conformational binding loops of the C-type lectin domain that mediate interactions with tenascins and other extracellular-matrix proteins. Expression of the normal and mutant G3 domains in mammalian cells showed that the mutation created a functional N-glycosylation site but did not adversely affect protein trafficking and secretion. Surface-plasmon-resonance studies showed that the mutation influenced the binding and kinetics of the interactions between the aggrecan G3 domain and tenascin-C. These findings identify an autosomal-recessive skeletal dysplasia and a significant role for the aggrecan C-type lectin domain in regulating endochondral ossification and, thereby, height