Aerodynamic Performance Investigations of Savonius Twin-rotor Wind Turbines

The aim of this study is to evaluate the aerodynamic efficiency of a Savonius vertical-axis wind turbine. The approach used relies on resolving the Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations (URANS), the turbulence being modeled by the k-ω SST model. The flow around the wind turbine is simulated using the arbitrary sliding interfaces technique. First, the study investigates the impact of blade shape on wind turbine efficiency by examining seven Savonius rotors constructed with distinct blade configurations. The results indicate that the highest aerodynamic performance is provided by the rotor with the elliptical blades, with a notable increase in the power coefficient of about 80% in comparison to the classic semi-circular profile. To further enhance the efficiency of the Savonius wind turbine, a twin-rotor configuration using the elliptical blades was studied. The results indicate a further enhancement in the power coefficient, reaching 110% compared to a single rotor with semicircular blades

An observational cohort study of the use of five-grass-pollen extract sublingual immunotherapy during the 2015 pollen season in France

Background:Allergic rhinitis affects around one quarter of the Western European population. Prophylactic allergen immunotherapy may be useful to reduce the risk of acute symptomatic attacks (hayfever). A five-grass pollen extract sublingual immunotherapy (5GPE-SLIT) has been developed for the treatment of allergic rhinitis to grass pollen. The objective of this study was to describe real-world treatment patterns with 5GPE-SLIT in France with respect to the prescribing information.Methods:This prospective cohort study was conducted by 90 community and hospital allergists. Adults and children (> 5 years old) starting a first treatment with 5GPE-SLIT prior to the 2015 pollen season were eligible. Data was collected at the inclusion visit and at the end of the pollen season. The primary outcome variable was compatibility of 5GPE-SLIT prescription with the prescribing information. This was determined with respect to four variables: (1) interval between 5GPE-SLIT initiation and onset of the pollen season ≥ 3 months, (2) age of patient ≥ 5 years, (3) intermittent symptoms or mild symptom severity (4) confirmatory diagnostic test. At study end, symptoms reported during the pollen season and any modifications to treatment or adverse events were documented.Results:280 adults and 203 children were enrolled. The prescribing information was respected for 82.5% of adults and 86.7% of children. A skin test was performed for all patients. 5GPE-SLIT was started 3-5 months before the pollen season for 85.3%. Treatment was discontinued before the start of the pollen season in 11.0% of patients overall, generally because of an adverse event (78.8% of discontinuations). The mean duration of treatment was 5.2 months in adults and 5.6 months in children. At the end of follow-up, symptoms during the pollen season were intermittent for 75.0% of adults and 85.7% of children, and severity was mild for 61.8 and 66.0% respectively. During 5GPE-SLIT, the following symptoms reported during the previous year were not reported again in > 50% of patients: nasal congestion, rhinorrhoea, repeated sneezing, conjunctivitis and nasal pruritus.Conclusions:5GPE-SLIT use was generally consistent with prescribing recommendations and was associated with an improvement of AR severity, with resolution of the principal AR symptoms in around half the patients treated.Trial registration EUPAS9358. Registered 13 May 2015. Not prospectively registered. http://www.encepp.eu/encepp/viewResource.htm?id=16229

The 3.5-Year Mortality Impact Of Drugs In Secondary Prevention Of Myocardial Infarction In Real-Life (Interim Analysis Of The Eole Cohort)

International audienc

Six-year survival study after myocardial infarction: The EOLE prospective cohort study. Long-term survival after MI

BACKGROUND: Studies of survival after myocardial infarction (MI) are often based on intention to treat analyses of controlled trials. OBJECTIVES: Describe long-term survival after MI in France. METHODS: Six-year cohort study of patients recruited within 3 months after MI. Primary outcome was all-cause death. Vital status was verified in the national death registry. Analysis used Cox models with time-dependent variables and propensity scores. RESULTS: Five thousand five hundred and twenty-seven (5527) subjects were included, 62.1+/-13 years old, 77.6% male, 9.6% smokers, 16.7% diabetic, 13.3% with previous MI. Up to 99% of patients were initially prescribed secondary prevention drugs (aspirin and/or other antiplatelet agents, beta-blockers, statins or other lipid-lowering agents, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers); 73% had all four classes. Overall 6-year mortality was 13.1% [95% confidence interval 12.3 to 14.0%], 2.34 per hundred patient-years (% PY); 49% returned all or all but one of the possible questionnaires (compliant [C]), 50.8% did not (non-compliant [NC]). The main predictors for death were non-compliance with study protocol (death rates NC 2.98% PY, C 1.69%PY, hazard ratio (HR) 3.13 [2.63-3.57]); increasing age at inclusion (HR up to 15.7 [10.7-23.2] for age >/=80); diabetes (1.39 [1.17-1.65]); smoking at inclusion (1.76 [1.27-2.44]), previous MI (1.46 [1.22-1.75]). Beta-blockers (0.79 [0.64-0.96]), statins (0.68 [0.51-0.90]), and enrolment in physical rehabilitation programs (0.74 [0.62-0.89]) were associated with a lower death rate. CONCLUSION: Association of mortality with non-compliance to study protocol probably indicates general non-compliance with prevention. Analyses of treatment effects were hindered by paucity of events and of unexposed patients