Is premature birth an environmental sensitivity factor? A scoping review protocol

Introduction Globally, around 10% of children are born preterm and are more at risk of negative developmental outcomes. However, empirical evidences and theoretical reasoning also suggest that premature birth can be a susceptibility factor, increasing sensitivity to the environment for better and for worse. Because available findings are controversial, with the current scoping review we will explore if, based on the available literature, preterm birth can be seen as an environmental sensitivity (ES) factor. In doing so, we will consider a series of moderating variables, including the level of prematurity, the type of environment and the outcome investigated. Methodological aspects, as the type of measures used and study design, will be considered. Methods and analysis The scoping review will be conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology guidelines. The report will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. We will perform the search between 15 January 2022 and 1 February 2022. Data will be chartered by independent reviewers. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required, as primary data will not be collected. This scoping review will be the first to explore whether prematurity is associated with an increased ES. This review can have important implications for tailoring prevention and intervention programmes. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal

Application of Linear Model Predictive Control to the ISWEC

Wave energy is one of the promising offshore renewable energies. Nowadays many different kind of prototypes are being studied, designed and developed. ISWEC is a gyroscopic effect based device, with a sealed hull and slack mooring. The analysis of the system dynamic and its optimized control are cur-rently under research. In this paper, an online control technique is proposed, using linear MPC algorithm and implementing an observer over an augmented model, which can model and predict the incoming wave in a novel manner. Some comparisons with an optimized spring-damper existent control technique are shown. At the end, an evaluation of controller’s hardware feasibility is also presented

Quel modèle de bibliothèque ?

Quel avenir pour les bibliothèques publiques ? Baisse du nombre des inscrits et érosion de la fréquentation, révolution numérique, reforme des politiques publiques : comment ne pas s’étonner que les professionnels des bibliothèques s’interrogent sur leur identité, leurs compétences, objectifs et perspectives. Les certitudes et convictions professionnelles d’hier volent en éclat. Où trouver de nouveaux repères, et comment ? Ce n’est pas un hasard quand deux publications d’envergure sortent à q..

Sarcopenia and fragility fractures

Objective: Sarcopenia is the age-associated loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. Sarcopenia was significantly associated with osteoporosis in a large sample of women following a fragility fracture of the hip. The primary aim of our study is to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia in osteoporotic women with vertebral fragility fractures. Method: In this pilot study, we evaluated the prevalence of sarcopenia in involutional osteoporotic women (55 years or older) who already sustained a vertebral fracture, attending the outpatient clinic of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Second University of Naples, during a period of one year (June 2011- June 2012). Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure whole and regional body composition. Appendicular lean mass (aLM) was calculated as the sum of lean mass (LM) in arms and legs. We calculated the skeletal muscle mass (SM) index (aLM/height squared): sarcopenia was defined as a SM index Results: A total of 67 women were included. The mean age was 69.88 ± 7.28 years. Thirty-five women (52.23%) had a vertebral fracture, whom 8 (22.85%) were sarcopenic. Thirty-two women (47.76%) had multiple vertebral fractures, whom 14 (43.75) were sarcopenic. Implications: Our results suggest that sarcopenia is common among osteoporotic women increasing along with the number of vertebral fragility fractures