Grinding, Melting and Reshaping of EoL Thermoplastic Polymers Reinforced with Recycled Carbon Fibers

This article assesses the technical feasibility of a recycling process based on grinding, melting and re-shaping of carbon fibers (CFs) reinforced thermoplastic polymers, in order to obtain new products that can be introduced in different markets, depending on mechanical properties retained. The idea at the basis of our study is that this kind of recycling process lies at the edge of the stages of recycling and re-use of materials, considering that the latter is preferable when considering the waste management hierarchy. Lower cost and similar mechanical strength of virgin CFs allowed the spread of recycled CFs in the automotive sector in the form of composite materials. Taking into account the Directive 2000/53/EC that sets out measures to prevent and limit waste from end-of-life (EoL) vehicles and their components, and ensures that where possible this is reused, recycled or recovered, we considered worth to investigate the recyclability of composite materials made with recycled CFs when they will reach the state of EoL materials. Considering this premise, an additional scope of this paper is therefore to provide some useful information about the possibility to perform a multiple closed loop recycling of rCF thermoplastic composites. Experiments carried out demonstrated that re-shaping of composites is technically feasible. Some square plates were produced without any setback. The mass balance of the recycling process demonstrated that about 88% of the EoL material can be recovered. Calculation of energy consumption showed that approximately 16 MJ are necessary in the treatment of 1 kg of EoL composites

Atrial fibrillation pattern, left atrial diameter and risk of cardiovascular events and mortality. A prospective multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND There are conflicting evidence on the association between atrial fibrillation (AF) pattern, such as persistent/permanent (Pers/Perm) and paroxysmal (PAF) AF and risk of ischemic events. We investigated if left atrial diameter (LAd) may affect the risk of cardiovascular outcomes according to AF pattern. METHODS Prospective multicenter observational including 1,252 non-valvular AF patients (533 PAF and 719 Pers/Perm AF). Study endpoints were cardiovascular events (CVEs), major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and CV death. LA anteroposterior diameter (LAd) was obtained by transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS Pers/Perm AF patients had a higher proportion of LAd above median than PAF (≥44 mm, 59.5% vs 37.5% respectively, P < .001). In a mean follow-up of 42.2 ± 31.0 months (4,315 patients/year) 179 CVEs (incidence rate [IR] 4.2%/year), 133 MACE (IR 3.1%/year), and 97 CV deaths (IR 2.2%/year) occurred. Compared to patients with LAd below median, those with LAd above the median had a higher rate of CVEs (log-rank test, P < .001), MACE (log-rank test P < .001), and CV death (log-rank test P < .001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that LAd above the median was associated with CVEs, (HR 1.569, 95% CI 1.129-2.180, P = .007) MACE (HR 1.858, 95% CI 1.257-2.745, P = .002) and CV death (HR 2.106, 95% CI 1.308-3.390, P = .002). The association between LAd and outcomes was evident both in PAF and Pers/Perm AF patients. No association between AF pattern and outcomes was found. CONCLUSION LAd is a simple parameter that can be obtained in virtually all AF patients and can provide prognostic information on the risk of CVEs, MACE and CV death regardless of AF pattern

The Paradox of Power in CSR: A Case Study on Implementation

Purpose Although current literature assumes positive outcomes for stakeholders resulting from an increase in power associated with CSR, this research suggests that this increase can lead to conflict within organizations, resulting in almost complete inactivity on CSR. Methods A single in-depth case study, focusing on power as an embedded concept. Results Empirical evidence is used to demonstrate how some actors use CSR to improve their own positions within an organization. Resource dependence theory is used to highlight why this may be a more significant concern for CSR. Conclusions Increasing power for CSR has the potential to offer actors associated with it increased personal power, and thus can attract opportunistic actors with little interest in realizing the benefits of CSR for the company and its stakeholders. Thus power can be an impediment to furthering CSR strategy and activities at the individual and organizational level

Institutional Strategies in Emerging Markets

We review and integrate a wide range of literature that has examined the strategies by which organizations navigate institutionally diverse settings and capture rents outside of the marketplace. We synthesize this body of research under the umbrella term institutional strategies, which we define as the comprehensive set of plans and actions directed at strategically leveraging and shaping the socio-political and cultural institutions within an organization’s external environment. Our review of institutional strategies is focused on emerging market contexts, settings that are characterized by weak capital market and regulatory infrastructures and fast-paced turbulent change. Under such challenging conditions, strategies aimed at shaping the institutional environment may be especially critical to an organization’s performance and long-term survival. Our review reveals that organizations engage in three specific and identifiable sets of institutional strategies, which we term: relational, infrastructure-building, and socio-cultural bridging. We conclude by highlighting fruitful avenues for cross-disciplinary dialogue in the hope of promoting future research on emerging markets and defining the next frontier of institutional theory in organizational analysis

Platelet activation is associated with myocardial infarction in patients with pneumonia

BACKGROUND: Troponins may be elevated in patients with pneumonia, but associations with myocardial infarction (MI) and with platelet activation are still undefined.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between troponin elevation and in vivo markers of platelet activation in the early phase of hospitalization of patients affected by community-acquired pneumonia.METHODS: A total of 278 consecutive patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia, who were followed up until discharge, were included. At admission, platelet activation markers such as plasma soluble P-selectin, soluble CD40 ligand, and serum thromboxane B2 (TxB2) were measured. Serum high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T levels and electrocardiograms were obtained every 12 and 24 h, respectively.RESULTS: Among 144 patients with elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, 31 had signs of MI and 113 did not. Baseline plasma levels of soluble P-selectin and soluble CD40 ligand and serum TxB2 were significantly higher in patients who developed signs of MI. Logistic regression analysis showed plasma soluble CD40 ligand (p &lt; 0.001) and soluble P-selectin (p &lt; 0.001), serum TxB2 (p = 0.030), mean platelet volume (p = 0.037), Pneumonia Severity Index score (p = 0.030), and ejection fraction (p = 0.001) to be independent predictors of MI. There were no significant differences in MI rate between the 123 patients (45%) taking aspirin (100 mg/day) and those who were not aspirin treated (12% vs. 10%; p = 0.649). Aspirin-treated patients with MIs had higher serum TxB2 compared with those without MIs (p = 0.005).CONCLUSIONS: MI is an early complication of pneumonia and is associated with in vivo platelet activation and serum TxB2 overproduction; aspirin 100 mg/day seems insufficient to inhibit thromboxane biosynthesis. (MACCE in Hospitalized Patients With Community-acquired Pneumonia; NCT01773863)

Synergistic Interactions between HDAC and Sirtuin Inhibitors in Human Leukemia Cells

Aberrant histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity is frequent in human leukemias. However, while classical, NAD+-independent HDACs are an established therapeutic target, the relevance of NAD+-dependent HDACs (sirtuins) in leukemia treatment remains unclear. Here, we assessed the antileukemic activity of sirtuin inhibitors and of the NAD+-lowering drug FK866, alone and in combination with traditional HDAC inhibitors. Primary leukemia cells, leukemia cell lines, healthy leukocytes and hematopoietic progenitors were treated with sirtuin inhibitors (sirtinol, cambinol, EX527) and with FK866, with or without addition of the HDAC inhibitors valproic acid, sodium butyrate, and vorinostat. Cell death was quantified by propidium iodide cell staining and subsequent flow-cytometry. Apoptosis induction was monitored by cell staining with FITC-Annexin-V/propidium iodide or with TMRE followed by flow-cytometric analysis, and by measuring caspase3/7 activity. Intracellular Bax was detected by flow-cytometry and western blotting. Cellular NAD+ levels were measured by enzymatic cycling assays. Bax was overexpressed by retroviral transduction. Bax and SIRT1 were silenced by RNA-interference. Sirtuin inhibitors and FK866 synergistically enhanced HDAC inhibitor activity in leukemia cells, but not in healthy leukocytes and hematopoietic progenitors. In leukemia cells, HDAC inhibitors were found to induce upregulation of Bax, a pro-apoptotic Bcl2 family-member whose translocation to mitochondria is normally prevented by SIRT1. As a result, leukemia cells become sensitized to sirtuin inhibitor-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, NAD+-independent HDACs and sirtuins cooperate in leukemia cells to avoid apoptosis. Combining sirtuin with HDAC inhibitors results in synergistic antileukemic activity that could be therapeutically exploited

Understanding the interplay between social and spatial behaviour

According to personality psychology, personality traits determine many aspects of human behaviour. However, validating this insight in large groups has been challenging so far, due to the scarcity of multi-channel data. Here, we focus on the relationship between mobility and social behaviour by analysing trajectories and mobile phone interactions of ∼1000 individuals from two high-resolution longitudinal datasets. We identify a connection between the way in which individuals explore new resources and exploit known assets in the social and spatial spheres. We show that different individuals balance the exploration-exploitation trade-off in different ways and we explain part of the variability in the data by the big five personality traits. We point out that, in both realms, extraversion correlates with the attitude towards exploration and routine diversity, while neuroticism and openness account for the tendency to evolve routine over long time-scales. We find no evidence for the existence of classes of individuals across the spatio-social domains. Our results bridge the fields of human geography, sociology and personality psychology and can help improve current models of mobility and tie formation

Large-Scale Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Mediterranean Cephalopod Diversity

Species diversity is widely recognized as an important trait of ecosystems’ functioning and resilience. Understanding the causes of diversity patterns and their interaction with the environmental conditions is essential in order to effectively assess and preserve existing diversity. While diversity patterns of most recurrent groups such as fish are commonly studied, other important taxa such as cephalopods have received less attention. In this work we present spatio-temporal trends of cephalopod diversity across the entire Mediterranean Sea during the last 19 years, analysing data from the annual bottom trawl survey MEDITS conducted by 5 different Mediterranean countries using standardized gears and sampling protocols. The influence of local and regional environmental variability in different Mediterranean regions is analysed applying generalized additive models, using species richness and the Shannon Wiener index as diversity descriptors. While the western basin showed a high diversity, our analyses do not support a steady eastward decrease of diversity as proposed in some previous studies. Instead, high Shannon diversity was also found in the Adriatic and Aegean Seas, and high species richness in the eastern Ionian Sea. Overall diversity did not show any consistent trend over the last two decades. Except in the Adriatic Sea, diversity showed a hump-shaped trend with depth in all regions, being highest between 200–400 m depth. Our results indicate that high Chlorophyll a concentrations and warmer temperatures seem to enhance species diversity, and the influence of these parameters is stronger for richness than for Shannon diversityVersión del editor4,411

Simple Parameters from Complete Blood Count Predict In-Hospital Mortality in COVID-19

The clinical course of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is highly heterogenous, ranging from asymptomatic to fatal forms. The identification of clinical and laboratory predictors of poor prognosis may assist clinicians in monitoring strategies and therapeutic decisions