Becoming Sustainable Together: ESG Data Commons for Fintech Startups

Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) reporting has become an important instrument for the sustainable transition of the next generation of business-startup. Nonetheless, poor ESG data quality impedes effective reporting, especially in domains such as Fintech where top-down ESG metrics may overlook pertinent material issues. This action research study applies a design probe in the form of the notion of an ESG data commons to explore possible strategies to improve ESG data quality in Fintech startup. By reporting on the initial results of an ongoing study of a Danish Fintech startup cluster, we develop a practice-based approach that highlights the changing processes, teleoaffective structures, and sociomaterial dynamics of ESG data commons. We contribute to information systems (IS) research in two areas. First, we contribute to the call for a data-driven approach to ESG reporting. Second, the study extends the IS design literature by applying data commons as a design probe

Inhibition of diacylglycerol–sensitive TRPC channels by synthetic and natural steroids

TRPC channels are a family of nonselective cation channels that regulate ion homeostasis and intracellular Ca2+ signaling in numerous cell types. Important physiological functions such as vasoregulation, neuronal growth, and pheromone recognition have been assigned to this class of ion channels. Despite their physiological relevance, few selective pharmacological tools are available to study TRPC channel function. We, therefore, screened a selection of pharmacologically active compounds for TRPC modulating activity. We found that the synthetic gestagen norgestimate inhibited diacylglycerol-sensitive TRPC3 and TRPC6 with IC50s of 3–5 µM, while half-maximal inhibition of TRPC5 required significantly higher compound concentrations (>10 µM). Norgestimate blocked TRPC-mediated vasopressin-induced cation currents in A7r5 smooth muscle cells and caused vasorelaxation of isolated rat aorta, indicating that norgestimate could be an interesting tool for the investigation of TRP channel function in native cells and tissues. The steroid hormone progesterone, which is structurally related to norgestimate, also inhibited TRPC channel activity with IC50s ranging from 6 to 18 µM but showed little subtype selectivity. Thus, TRPC channel inhibition by high gestational levels of progesterone may contribute to the physiological decrease of uterine contractility and immunosuppression during pregnancy

Advances on Scandium Recovery Beyond State of the Art

Peer reviewe

Elastase activity on sputum neutrophils correlates with severity of lung disease in cystic fibrosis

Neutrophil elastase (NE) is a key risk factor for severity of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. Recent studies identified increased NE activity on the surface of airway neutrophils from CF-like mice and patients with CF. However, the role of surface-bound NE in CF lung disease remains unknown. We determined the relationship between surface-bound NE activity and severity of lung disease in CF.Surface-bound NE activity was measured on sputum neutrophils from 35 CF patients and eight healthy controls using novel lipidated Förster resonance energy transfer reporters and correlated with free NE activity, neutrophil counts, interleukin-8, myeloperoxidase and antiproteases in sputum supernatant, and with lung function parameters.Surface-bound NE activity was increased in CF compared to healthy controls (p&lt;0.01) and correlated with free NE activity (p&lt;0.05) and other inflammation markers (p&lt;0.001). Surface-bound and free NE activity correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s % predicted (p&lt;0.01 and p&lt;0.05), but only surface-bound NE activity correlated with plethysmographic functional residual capacity % pred (p&lt;0.01) in patients with CF.We demonstrate that surface-bound NE activity on airway neutrophils correlates with severity of lung disease in patients with CF. Our results suggest that surface-bound NE activity may play an important role in the pathogenesis and serve as novel biomarker in CF lung disease.</jats:p

The EURARE Project: development of a sustainable exploitation scheme for Europe’s Rare Earth Ore Deposits

Numerous European industries are heavily dependent on imported rare earth element (REE) raw materials. This has created a need for the European Union (EU) to ensure a sustainable supply of REE minerals, as well as develop from the ground up the currently non-existent European REE extraction and processing industry. In order to support this, the European Commission, through the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) scheme, funded the EURARE project which runs from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2017. Through the EURARE project, selected European REE deposits have been researched and in certain cases identified resources were successfully processed for REE production. Several REE deposits across Europe have been the focus of detailed geological field and laboratory work. Mineral concentrates obtained from the Norra Kärr deposit in Sweden, the Kringlerne deposit in Greenland and the Kvanefjeld deposit in Greenland, Rødberg ore from Norway and bauxite residue from Greece were tested from laboratory to pilot scale by means of conventional and innovative metallurgical processing. The novel technologies developed provide efficiency and selectivity in various steps of the metallurgical processing, from ore beneficiation to metal production. A road map for sustainable REE production in Europe is now being developed, which includes an evaluation of the environmental benefits and risks of the EURARE technologies

Lenalidomide and dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis: results from a large cohort of patients with long follow-up.

SummaryLenalidomide and dexamethasone (RD) is a standard treatment in relapsed/refractory immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis (RRAL). We retrospectively investigated toxicity, efficacy and prognostic markers in 260 patients with RRAL. Patients received a median of two prior treatment lines (68% had been bortezomib‐refractory; 33% had received high‐dose melphalan). The median treatment duration was four cycles. The 3‐month haematological response rate was 31% [very good haematological response (VGHR) in 18%]. The median follow‐up was 56·5 months and the median overall survival (OS) and haematological event‐free survival (haemEFS) were 32 and 9 months. The 2‐year dialysis rate was 15%. VGHR resulted in better OS (62 vs. 26 months, P < 0·001). Cardiac progression predicted worse survival (22 vs. 40 months, P = 0·027), although N‐terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) increase was frequently observed. Multivariable analysis identified these prognostic factors: NT‐proBNP for OS [hazard ratio (HR) 1·71; P < 0·001]; gain 1q21 for haemEFS (HR 1·68, P = 0·014), with a trend for OS (HR 1·47, P = 0·084); difference between involved and uninvolved free light chains (dFLC) and light chain isotype for OS (HR 2·22, P < 0·001; HR 1·62, P = 0·016) and haemEFS (HR 1·88, P < 0·001; HR 1·59, P = 0·008). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (HR 0·71, P = 0·004) and 24‐h proteinuria (HR 1·10, P = 0·004) were prognostic for renal survival. In conclusion, clonal and organ biomarkers at baseline identify patients with favourable outcome, while VGHR and cardiac progression define prognosis during RD treatment