Diagnosis of pre-sarcopenia from a single selectional crosscut at C3 region, using CT scans before radiotherapy

PURPOSE: the main purpose of this study was to diagnose pre-sarcopenia in cancer patients who had lack of computed tomography (CT) abdominal images, with a newly discovered method based on cervical images. MATERIAL AND METHODS: a sample of 37 patients with either lung cancer or a cancer that affected the upper digestive system underwent radiotherapy computed simulation which included measurements at C3 and L3 regions. Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and skeletal muscle index (SMI) were determined by Hounsfield units and compared in both regions. Pre-sarcopenia was identified according to the cut-points currently established: ≤ 41 cm2/m2 in females, ≤ 43 cm2/m2 in males with a BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2, and ≤ 53 cm2/m2 in males with a BMI > 25 kg/m2. RESULTS: the correlation of SMM and SMI between the C3 and L3 regions was R2 = 0.876 and R2 = 0.805, respectively. Moreover, there was a positive association (86.49%) in terms of the diagnosis of pre-sarcopenia according to both regions. In total, eleven pre-sarcopenic patients (29.37%) were identified; three of them being overweight (27.27%) and two of them being obese (18.18%). CONCLUSION: a single sectional cross at the level of C3 can be used for the diagnosis of pre-sarcopenia. This new method avoids unnecessary irradiation, saves hospital costs and detects malnutrition before starting radiotherapy treatment in cancer patients who have lack of CT abdominal imaging

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase 1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age  6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score  652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc = 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N = 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in Asia and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

Etude de transferts thermiques rayonnement spectral - conduction - convection naturelle dans des systèmes photovoltaïques hybrides en vue de leur intégration au bâti

Ce travail s\u27attache à l\u27étude de composants hybrides PhotoVoltaïques/Thermiques en phase d\u27intégration au bâti. Partant de la problématique liée aux composants PhotoVoltaïques de type cristallin(s) (échauffement diminuant leur efficacité énergétique), le modèle développé vise l\u27évaluation de leur champ de température interne. Une modélisation du comportement radiatif de composants multicouches de milieux semi-transparents non diffusants est réalisés. La propagation d\u27un flux collimaté et celle d\u27un flux diffus sont traitées de manières séparées. La composante collimatée est traitée suivant une approche de type lancer de rayons. La méthode des Ordonnées Discrétes associée à la méthode des volumes finis est employée pour la solution numérique de l\u27Equation du transfert Radiatif en composante diffuse dans le cas d\u27une géométrie plane monodimensionnelle. Les quadratures directionnelles sont établis de manière adaptative par couche et pour chaque fréquence spectrale. Les directions discrètes d\u27une des couches correspondent à celles réfractées de la couche voisine. Le couplage de ce modèle RANS à bas Nombre de Reynolds est ensuite réalisé afin d\u27étudié les transferts convectifs pour des configurations d\u27intégration de type double façade. Les perspectives de cette étape consistent à analyser l\u27influence des paramètres favorisant le rafraîchissement naturel des modules (épaisseur, hauteur lame d\u27air, distribution spatiale des conditions aux limites thermiques,). Enfin, le phénomène de conversion électrique, complétant le bilan énergétique d\u27une cellule PV, est brièvement abordé en adéquation avec le niveau de modélisation des transferts thermiques couplés

JURIDICAL AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE BANKING MANAGEMENT FROM ROMANIA

At present, the corporate social responsibility must be regarded from a complex perspective. We consider that the social responsibility of the banks is what the community expects from a bank ecologically, economically, juridically, ethically, and philanthropically. Thus, the banking corporate social responsibility includes all these types of responsibilities: the ecological responsibility, the economic responsibility, the juridical responsibility, the ethical responsibility, and the philanthropic responsibility. Combining the juridical analysis with the marketing research, this work aims at the actual compliance with the corporate social responsibility by the banks from Romania, an European Union member state. The juridical regulations adopted mid 2013 at the European Union level bring a new approach to the relation between the most important categories of stakeholders – consumers and employees – and the bank by means of actual juridical specifications regarding the banking management. Presenting the most important provisions of Directive 2013/36/UE of the European Parliament and Council regarding the access to the activity of the credit institutions and prudential supervision of the credit institutions and investment companies, and of Regulation no. 575/2013 of the European Parliament and Council regarding the prudential requirements for the credit institutions and investment companies, in relation to the corporate social responsibility aspects offers an interesting image of the evolution of the legislative aspects regulating the banking management. One can note, in practice, the assimilation by the banks of the corporate social responsibility only with its philanthropic component, ignoring the most important elements of the social responsibility: the juridical responsibility, the ethical responsibility, or the economic responsibility. This work shows results of a quantitative marketing research which has been performed in Brașov municipality in 2014. The marketing research on “Attitudes and opinions of the Brașov citizens regarding social responsibility” had a final sample made up of 386 persons, with a random error of ± 4.99%, which can be considered a minimum limit of representativeness. Thus, the results of this research are representative for Brașov town, and can also be extended in the case of other large towns of Romania. This work presents pertinent proposals regarding the improvement of the juridical framework regarding the corporate social responsibility which can be developed within the banking management

ON THE UTILITY OF ENFORCING DIRECTIVE 2013/34/EU IN THE FIELD OF THE SOCIAL RESPONSBILITY OF THE PUBLIC ORGANISATIONS

This work analyses the utility and possibility of extending the legislation adopted at the European Union level – in the field of reporting the socially responsible results of the joint-stock companies, limited liability companies, partnerships limited by shares, general partnerships, and limited partnerships – also in the case of the public organisations. The scientific work starts from the concept of the corporate social responsibility, a concept including five types of responsibilities: ecologic responsibility, economic responsibility, juridical responsibility, ethical responsibility, and philanthropic responsibility. Further to the analyses of the results of a quantitative marketing research performed in 2014 in Brașov municipality, Romania, and Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and Council regarding the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of enterprises, as well as of the special situation, in most of the cases, of the performed activity and profit achieved by the public organizations, the de lege ferenda proposals have been exposed regarding the possibility of extending the juridical regulations concerning the philanthropic component of the social responsibility also on the public organisations. The marketing research on ”Attitudes and opinions of the Brașov citizens regarding social responsibility” has had the final sample made up 386 persons, with a random error of ± 4.99%, which can be considered a minimum limit of representativeness. Thus, the results of this research are representative for Brașov town, and can also be extended in the case of other large towns from Romania. The analysed results have revealed the view of the questioned Brașov citizens regarding the reporting activity and the manner of reporting from the business operators of the socially responsible activity. The juridical analysis of the provisions of Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and Council regarding the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements, and related reports of certain types of enterprises have determined an answer to the question: ”Is it useful and necessary the extension – de lege ferenda – of the legislation regarding the philanthropic component of the social responsibility also in the sector of the activities performed by the public bodies?

Etude des transferts thermiques rayonnement spectral - conduction - convection naturelle dans des systèmes photovoltaïques hybrides en vue de leur intégration au bâti

Ce travail s'attache à l'étude de composants hybrides PhotoVoltaïques/Thermiques en phase d'intégration au bâti. Partant de la problématique liée aux composants PhotoVoltaïques de type cristallin(s) (échauffement diminuant leur efficacité énergétique), le modèle développé vise l'évaluation de leur champ de température interne. Une modélisation du comportement radiatif de composants multicouches de milieux semi-transparents non diffusants est réalisés. La propagation d'un flux collimaté et celle d'un flux diffus sont traitées de manières séparées. La composante collimatée est traitée suivant une approche de type lancer de rayons. La méthode des Ordonnées Discrétes associée à la méthode des volumes finis est employée pour la solution numérique de l'Equation du transfert Radiatif en composante diffuse dans le cas d'une géométrie plane monodimensionnelle. Les quadratures directionnelles sont établis de manière adaptative par couche et pour chaque fréquence spectrale. Les directions discrètes d'une des couches correspondent à celles réfractées de la couche voisine. Le couplage de ce modèle RANS à bas Nombre de Reynolds est ensuite réalisé afin d'étudié les transferts convectifs pour des configurations d'intégration de type double façade. Les perspectives de cette étape consistent à analyser l'influence des paramètres favorisant le rafraîchissement naturel des modules (épaisseur, hauteur lame d'air, distribution spatiale des conditions aux limites thermiques,...). Enfin, le phénomène de conversion électrique, complétant le bilan énergétique d'une cellule PV, est brièvement abordé en adéquation avec le niveau de modélisation des transferts thermiques couplés.This work deals with the study of PhotoVoltaic/Themal hybrid components in building frame integration configuration. Starting from the basis of thermal problems related to the Photovoltaic components of crystalline type (heating decreases their energy effectiveness), the developed model aims at the prediction of their internal temperature field. A modelling of the radiation in a multi-layer component of non diffusing semi-transparent media is carried out. The propagation of a collimated flux and of a diffuse flow are separately treated. The collimated part is treated according to an approach of ray emission model. The Method of the Discrete Ordinates associated the method of finite volumes is employed for the numerical solution of the diffuse radiation in the case of a monodimensional plane geometry. Directional quadratures are established in an adaptative way for each spectral frequency. The discrete directions of one of the layers correspond to those refracted of the close layer. The coupling of this model to a model RANS with low Reynolds number is then carried out in order to study the convective transfers for a double façade configuration of building integration. The prospects for this step consist in analysing the influence of the parameters supporting the natural cooling of the modules (thickness, height of air gap, spatial distribution of the thermal boundary conditions, ). Lastly, the electric phenomenon of conversion, supplementing the energy balance of a cell statement, is briefly approached in adequacy with the level of modelling of the coupled thermal transfers.VILLEURBANNE-DOC'INSA LYON (692662301) / SudocSudocFranceF