1,576 research outputs found
A3 thinking approach to support knowledge-driven design
Problem solving is a crucial skill in product development. Any lack of effective decision making at an early design stage will affect productivity and increase costs and the lead time for the other stages of the product development life cycle. This could be improved by the use of a simple and informative approach which allows the designers and engineers to make decisions in product design by providing useful knowledge. This paper presents a novel A3 thinking approach to problem solving in product design, and provides a new A3 template which is structured from a combination of customised elements (e.g. the 8 Disciplines approach) and reflection practice. This approach was validated using a case study in the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) design issue for an automotive electrical sub-assembly product. The main advantage of the developed approach is to create and capture the useful knowledge in a simple manner. Moreover, the approach provides a reflection section allowing the designers to turn their experience of design problem solving into proper learning and to represent their understanding of the design solution. These will be systematically structured (e.g. as a design checklist) to be circulated and shared as a reference for future design projects. Thus, the recurrence of similar design problems will be prevented and will aid the designers in adopting the expected EMC test results
Cognitive Reserve Associated with FDG-PET in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of education (a surrogate measure of cognitive reserve) on FDG-PET brain metabolism in elderly cognitively healthy (HC) subjects with preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD). METHODS: Fifty-two HC subjects (mean age 75 years) with FDG-PET and CSF measurement of Abeta1-42 were included from the prospective Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative biomarker study. HC subjects received a research classification of preclinical AD if CSF Abeta1-42 was <192 pg/mL (Abeta1-42 [+]) vs HC with normal Abeta (Abeta1-42 [-]). In regression analyses, we tested the interaction effect between education and CSF Abeta1-42 status (Abeta1-42 [+] vs Abeta1-42 [-]) on FDG-PET metabolism in regions of interest (ROIs) (posterior cingulate, angular gyrus, inferior/middle temporal gyrus) and the whole brain (voxel-based). RESULTS: An interaction between education and CSF Abeta1-42 status was observed for FDG-PET in the posterior cingulate (p < 0.001) and angular gyrus ROIs (p = 0.03), but was not significant for the inferior/middle temporal gyrus ROI (p = 0.06), controlled for age, sex, and global cognitive ability (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale). The interaction effect was such that higher education was associated with lower FDG-PET in the Abeta1-42 (+) group, but with higher FDG-PET in the Abeta1-42 (-) group. Voxel-based analysis showed that this interaction effect was primarily restricted to temporo-parietal and ventral prefrontal brain areas. CONCLUSIONS: Higher education was associated with lower FDG-PET in preclinical AD (Abeta1-42 [+]), suggesting that cognitive reserve had a compensatory function to sustain cognitive ability in presence of early AD pathology that alters FDG-PET metabolism
Comment on 'Geoengineering with seagrasses: Is credit due where credit is given?'
Over the past decade scientists around the world have sought to estimate the capacity of seagrass meadows to sequester carbon, and thereby understand their role in climate change mitigation. The number of studies reporting on seagrass carbon accumulation rates is still limited, but growing scientific evidence supports the hypothesis that seagrasses have been efficiently locking away CO2 for decades to millennia (e.g. Macreadie et al 2014, Mateo et al 1997, Serrano et al 2012). Johannessen and Macdonald (2016), however, challenge the role of seagrasses as carbon traps, claiming that gains in carbon storage by seagrasses may be \u27illusionary\u27 and that \u27their contribution to the global burial of carbon has not yet been established\u27. The authors warn that misunderstandings of how sediments receive, process and store carbon have led to an overestimation of carbon burial by seagrasses. Here we would like to clarify some of the questions raised by Johannessen and Macdonald (2016), with the aim to promote discussion within the scientific community about the evidence for carbon sequestration by seagrasses with a view to awarding carbon credits
Global impacts of energy demand on the freshwater resources of nations
The growing geographic disconnect between consumption of goods, the extraction and processing of resources, and the environmental impacts associated with production activities makes it crucial to factor global trade into sustainability assessments. Using an empirically validated environmentally extended global trade model, we examine the relationship between two key resources underpinning economies and human well-being—energy and freshwater. A comparison of three energy sectors (petroleum, gas, and electricity) reveals that freshwater consumption associated with gas and electricity production is largely confined within the territorial boundaries where demand originates. This finding contrasts with petroleum, which exhibits a varying ratio of territorial to international freshwater consumption, depending on the origin of demand. For example, although the United States and China have similar demand associated with the petroleum sector, international freshwater consumption is three times higher for the former than the latter. Based on mapping patterns of freshwater consumption associated with energy sectors at subnational scales, our analysis also reveals concordance between pressure on freshwater resources associated with energy production and freshwater scarcity in a number of river basins globally. These energy-driven pressures on freshwater resources in areas distant from the origin of energy demand complicate the design of policy to ensure security of fresh water and energy supply. Although much of the debate around energy is focused on greenhouse gas emissions, our findings highlight the need to consider the full range of consequences of energy production when designing policy
The Occurrence of Acute Postoperative Confusion in Patients after Cardiac Surgery
This study quantified the occurrence of acute confusion in cardiac surgery patients at three German hospitals. A total of 867 patients, 22-91 years old, were examined each nursing shift postoperatively for 5 days for the presence of acute confusion using a modified version of the Glasgow Coma Scale and Confusion Rating Scale. The night shifts and the third postoperative day showed the most frequent periods of occurrence. Confusional state was noted in patients ranging from 10.5% for patients aged <70, to 40.7% for patients >80 years of age. Those found at increased risk were patients of increasing age and coexisting disease. Targeted nursing interventions for patients at increased risk of acute confusion may decrease this complication
Variations in water use by a mature mangrove of Avicennia germinans, French Guiana
In the tropical intertidal zones, little is known on water uptake by mangroves. Transpiration rates are generally measured at leaf level, but few studies exist on water use at tree or stand levels. The objective of this study was to measure sap flow in trees of different sizes to appreciate the range of variation in water use that may exist in a site dominated by 80% mature Avicennia germinans. The results showed that from the dry to the wet season the mean water use increased from 3.2 to 5.3 dm3 d−1 in small trees (DBH ∼ 13 cm), from 11.5 to 30.8 dm3 d−1 in medium trees (∼24 cm) and from 40.8 to 64.1 dm3 d−1 in large ones (∼45 cm). Sapwood remained active up to a depth of 8 cm with radial variations within the stem. Weak correlations were obtained with VPD and net radiation. This study confirmed that transpiration was larger under low levels of salinity. Water use at stand level (∼1900 living stems ha−1) was estimated to be in the range of 5.8 to 11.8 m3 ha−1 d−1 according to the season
Infections with Avian Pathogenic and Fecal Escherichia coli Strains Display Similar Lung Histopathology and Macrophage Apoptosis
The purpose of this study was to compare histopathological changes in the lungs of chickens infected with avian
pathogenic (APEC) and avian fecal (Afecal) Escherichia coli strains, and to analyze how the interaction of the bacteria with
avian macrophages relates to the outcome of the infection. Chickens were infected intratracheally with three APEC strains,
MT78, IMT5155, and UEL17, and one non-pathogenic Afecal strain, IMT5104. The pathogenicity of the strains was assessed by
isolating bacteria from lungs, kidneys, and spleens at 24 h post-infection (p.i.). Lungs were examined for histopathological
changes at 12, 18, and 24 h p.i. Serial lung sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE), terminal deoxynucleotidyl
dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) for detection of apoptotic cells, and an anti-O2 antibody for detection of MT78 and
IMT5155. UEL17 and IMT5104 did not cause systemic infections and the extents of lung colonization were two orders of
magnitude lower than for the septicemic strains MT78 and IMT5155, yet all four strains caused the same extent of
inflammation in the lungs. The inflammation was localized; there were some congested areas next to unaffected areas. Only
the inflamed regions became labeled with anti-O2 antibody. TUNEL labeling revealed the presence of apoptotic cells at 12 h
p.i in the inflamed regions only, and before any necrotic foci could be seen. The TUNEL-positive cells were very likely dying
heterophils, as evidenced by the purulent inflammation. Some of the dying cells observed in avian lungs in situ may also be
macrophages, since all four avian E. coli induced caspase 3/7 activation in monolayers of HD11 avian macrophages. In
summary, both pathogenic and non-pathogenic fecal strains of avian E. coli produce focal infections in the avian lung, and
these are accompanied by inflammation and cell death in the infected areas
Biophysical suitability, economic pressure and land-cover change: a global probabilistic approach and insights for REDD+
There has been a concerted effort by the international scientific community to understand the multiple causes and patterns of land-cover change to support sustainable land management. Here, we examined biophysical suitability, and a novel integrated index of “Economic Pressure on Land” (EPL) to explain land cover in the year 2000, and estimated the likelihood of future land-cover change through 2050, including protected area effectiveness. Biophysical suitability and EPL explained almost half of the global pattern of land cover (R 2 = 0.45), increasing to almost two-thirds in areas where a long-term equilibrium is likely to have been reached (e.g. R 2 = 0.64 in Europe). We identify a high likelihood of future land-cover change in vast areas with relatively lower current and past deforestation (e.g. the Congo Basin). Further, we simulated emissions arising from a “business as usual” and two reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) scenarios by incorporating data on biomass carbon. As our model incorporates all biome types, it highlights a crucial aspect of the ongoing REDD + debate: if restricted to forests, “cross-biome leakage” would severely reduce REDD + effectiveness for climate change mitigation. If forests were protected from deforestation yet without measures to tackle the drivers of land-cover change, REDD + would only reduce 30 % of total emissions from land-cover change. Fifty-five percent of emissions reductions from forests would be compensated by increased emissions in other biomes. These results suggest that, although REDD + remains a very promising mitigation tool, implementation of complementary measures to reduce land demand is necessary to prevent this leakage
Termite environmental tolerances are more linked to desiccation than temperature in modified tropical forests
Termites are vital members of old-growth tropical forests, being perhaps the main decomposers of dead plant material at all stages of humification (decay). Termite abundance and diversity drop in selectively logged forest, and it has been hypothesised that this drop is due to a low tolerance to changing micro-climatic conditions. Specifically, the thermal adaptation hypothesis suggests that tropical species are operating at, or close to, their thermal optimum, and therefore, small temperature increases can have drastic effects on abundance, however, other climatic variables such as humidity might also cause termite abundance to drop. We tested termite tolerance to these two climatic variables (temperature and humidity). We found that termites had a higher CTmax than expected, and that three traits, feeding group, body sclerotisation, and nesting type, were significantly correlated with CTmax. We found that termite desiccation tolerance was low, however, and that all termite genera lost significantly more water in a desiccated environment than in a control. Body sclerotisation, the only trait that was tested, was surprisingly not significantly correlated with desiccation tolerance. Our results suggest that desiccation, rather than ambient temperature, may be the determining factor in dictating termite distributions in modified forests. Should climate change lead to reduced humidity within tropical rainforests, termite abundances and the rates of the functions they perform could be severely reduced
The BIN1 rs744373 SNP is associated with increased tau-PET levels and impaired memory
© 2019, The Author(s). The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs744373 in the bridging integrator-1 gene (BIN1) is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the brain, BIN1 is involved in endocytosis and sustaining cytoskeleton integrity. Post-mortem and in vitro studies suggest that BIN1-associated AD risk is mediated by increased tau pathology but whether rs744373 is associated with increased tau pathology in vivo is unknown. Here we find in 89 older individuals without dementia, that BIN1 rs744373 risk-allele carriers show higher AV1451 tau-PET across brain regions corresponding to Braak stages II–VI. In contrast, the BIN1 rs744373 SNP was not associated with AV45 amyloid-PET uptake. Furthermore, the rs744373 risk-allele was associated with worse memory performance, mediated by increased global tau levels. Together, our findings suggest that the BIN1 rs744373 SNP is associated with increased tau but not beta-amyloid pathology, suggesting that alterations in BIN1 may contribute to memory deficits via increased tau pathology
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