Enhancing operational performance of AHUs through an advanced fault detection and diagnosis process based on temporal association and decision rules

The pervasive monitoring of HVAC systems through Building Energy Management Systems (BEMSs) is enabling the full exploitation of data-driven based methodologies for performing advanced energy management strategies. In this context, the implementation of Automated Fault Detection and Diagnosis (AFDD) based on collected operational data of Air Handling Units (AHUs) proved to be particularly effective to prevent anomalous running modes which can lead to significant energy waste over time and discomfort conditions in the built environment. The present work proposes a novel methodology for performing AFDD, based on both unsupervised and supervised data-driven methods tailored according to the operation of an AHU during transient and non-transient periods. The whole process is developed and tested on a sample of real data gathered from monitoring campaigns on two identical AHUs in the framework of the Research Project ASHRAE RP-1312. During the start-up period of operation, the methodology exploits Temporal Association Rules Mining (TARM) algorithm for an early detection of faults, while during non-transient period a number of classification models are developed for the identification of the deviation from the normal operation. The proposed methodology, conceived for quasi real-time implementation, proved to be capable of robustly and promptly identifying the presence of typical faults in AHUs

In Vitro Comparative Biocompatibility Testing of Carbofilm Coated and Uncoated Polyetherimide for Cardiovascular Application

When blood contacts the surface of a material, several processes take place including the activation of coagulation and immune systems. The aim of this work is to study in vitro the biological reactions seen from the point of view of hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility of a new polymer suggested as an artificial surface for cardiovascular applications: Carbofilm® coated polyetherimide (C®PEI) in comparison to polyetherimide (PEI), the uncoated form. PEI and C®PEI showed no signs of acute cytotoxicity although following long term incubation with PEI cytotoxicity was somewhat increased; both materials supported good endothelial cell adhesion with a higher level of cell proliferation on the coated form. No significant difference was detected in the activation of the inflammatory response and in thrombogenicity tested by assay of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and tromboxane B2 (TXB2) respectively, following incubation of the biomaterials with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Complement activation assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)/Western Blot analysis of both contacting plasma and protein which adsorbed on the surface of the polymers showed both materials to be activators of complement. In conclusion, Carbofilm® coating, showing lower cytotoxic activity and higher endothelial cell growth in comparison with uncoated material, seems to increase PEI compatibility

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I in human carcinomas: a novel role in histone deacetylation?

Carnitine palmitoyl transferase I (CPT1) catalyzes the transport of long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria for beta-oxidation. A link between CPT1 and apoptosis has been suggested on the basis of several experimental data. Nevertheless, results are contradictory about the effective role of CPT1 in cell survival control and cancer development. Conversely, Fatty acid synthase (FAS) enzyme, required for the synthesis of fatty acids, is found over-expressed in tumors and inhibition of FAS triggers apoptosis in human cancer cells. We have studied the tumor-specific modulation of CPT1 and FAS in human colorectal cancer (n = 11) and breast carcinomas (n = 24). CPT1 was significantly decreased in the cytoplasm of tumoral samples (p < or = 0.04), whereas FAS was increased (p < or = 0.04). A striking CPT1 nuclear localization was evident in the tumors (p < or = 0.04). In the nuclear environment the protein would modulate the levels of acetyl/acyl-CoA implicated in the regulation of gene transcription. At this purpose, we performed in vitro experiments using epithelial neoplastic (MCF-7, Caco-2, HepG2 cells) and non neoplastic cell lines (MCF-12F) confirming a nuclear localization of CPT1 protein exclusively in neoplastic cells. Moreover histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity showed significantly higher levels in nuclear extracts from neoplastic than from control cells. HDAC1 and CPT1 proteins coimmunoprecipitated in nuclear extracts from MCF-7 cells. The treatment with HDAC inhibitors such as trichostatin A and butyrate significantly decreased nuclear expression of CPT1 and its bond to HDAC1. We also identified the existence of CPT1A mRNA transcript variant 2 in MCF-7, beside to the classic isoform 1. The peculiar localization of CPT1 in the nuclei of human carcinomas and the disclosed functional link between nuclear CPT1 and HDAC1 propose a new role of CPT1 in the histonic acetylation level of tumors

A data-driven energy platform: from energy performance certificates to human-readable knowledge through dynamic high-resolution geospatial maps

The energy performance certificate (EPC) is a document that certifies the average annual energy consumption of a building in standard conditions and allows it to be classified within a so-called energy class. In a period such as this, when greenhouse gas emissions are of considerable importance and where the objective is to improve energy security and reduce energy costs in our cities, energy certification has a key role to play. The proposed work aims to model and characterize residential buildings’ energy efficiency by exploring heterogeneous, geo-referenced data with different spatial and temporal granularity. The paper presents TUCANA (TUrin Certificates ANAlysis), an innovative data mining engine able to cover the whole analytics workflow for the analysis of the energy performance certificates, including cluster analysis and a model generalization step based on a novel spatial constrained K-NN, able to automatically characterize a broad set of buildings distributed across a major city and predict different energy-related features for new unseen buildings. The energy certificates analyzed in this work have been issued by the Piedmont Region (a northwest region of Italy) through open data. The results obtained on a large dataset are displayed in novel, dynamic, and interactive geospatial maps that can be consulted on a web application integrated into the system. The visualization tool provides transparent and human-readable knowledge to various stakeholders, thus supporting the decision-making process

Non-coding RNAs as prognostic biomarkers: A miRNA signature specific for aggressive early-stage lung adenocarcinomas

Lung cancer burden can be reduced by adopting primary and secondary prevention strategies such as anti-smoking campaigns and low-dose CT screening for high risk subjects (aged &gt;50 and smokers &gt;30 packs/year). Recent CT screening trials demonstrated a stage-shift towards earlier stage lung cancer and reduction of mortality (~20%). However, a sizable fraction of patients (30–50%) with early stage disease still experience relapse and an adverse prognosis. Thus, the identification of effective prognostic biomarkers in stage I lung cancer is nowadays paramount. Here, we applied a multi-tiered approach relying on coupled RNA-seq and miRNA-seq data analysis of a large cohort of lung cancer patients (TCGA-LUAD, n = 510), which enabled us to identify prognostic miRNA signatures in stage I lung adenocarcinoma. Such signatures showed high accuracy (AUC ranging between 0.79 and 0.85) in scoring aggressive disease. Importantly, using a network-based approach we rewired miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks, identifying a minimal signature of 7 miRNAs, which was validated in a cohort of FFPE lung adenocarcinoma samples (CSS, n = 44) and controls a variety of genes overlapping with cancer relevant pathways. Our results further demonstrate the reliability of miRNA-based biomarkers for lung cancer prognostication and make a step forward to the application of miRNA biomarkers in the clinical routine

Investigating the Origin of Mycobacterium chimaera Contamination in Heater-Cooler Units: Integrated Analysis with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Whole-Genome Sequencing

Mycobacterium chimaera is ubiquitously spread in the environment, including factory and hospital water systems. Invasive cases of M. chimaera infection have been associated with aerosols produced by the use of heater-cooler units (HCU) during cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate for the first time the performance of IR-Biotyper system on a large number of M. chimaera isolates collected from longitudinal environmental HCUs samples and water sources from hospitals located in three Italian provinces. In addition, IR-Biotyper results were compared with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis, the reference method for molecular epidemiology, to investigate the origin of M. chimaera contamination of HCUs. From November 2018 to May 2021, 417 water samples from 52 HCUs (Stockert 3T, n = 41 and HCU40, n = 11) and 23 hospital taps (used to fill the HCU tanks) were concentrated, decontaminated, and cultured for M. chimaera. Positive cultures (n = 53) were purified by agar plate subcultures and analyzed by IR-Biotyper platform and Ion Torrent sequencing system. IR-Biotyper spectra results were analyzed using a statistical approach of dimensionality reduction by linear discriminant analysis (LDA), generating three separate clusters of M. chimaera, ascribable to each hospital. Furthermore, the only M. chimaera-positive sample from tap water clustered with the isolates from the HCUs of the same hospital, confirming that the plumbing system could represent the source of HCU contamination and, potentially, of patient infection. According to the genome-based phylogenies and following the classification proposed by van Ingen and collaborators in 2017, three distinct M. chimaera groups appear to have contaminated the HCU water systems: subgroups 1.1, 2.1, and branch 2. Most of the strains isolated from HCUs at the same hospital share a highly similar genetic profile. The nonrandom distribution obtained with WGS and IR-Biotyper leads to the hypothesis that M. chimaera subtypes circulating in the local plumbing colonize HCUs through the absolute filter, in addition with the current hypothesis that contamination occurs at the HCU production site. This opens the possibility that other medical equipment, such as endoscope reprocessing device or hemodialysis systems, could be contaminated by M. chimaera. IMPORTANCE Our manuscript focuses on interventions to reduce waterborne disease transmission, improve sanitation, and control infection. Sanitary water can be contaminated by nontuberculous Mycobacteria, including M. chimaera, a causative agent of invasive infections in immunocompromised patients. We found highly similar genetic and phenotypic profiles of M. chimaera isolated from heater-cooler units (HCU) used during surgery to thermo-regulate patients' body temperature, and from the same hospital tap water. These results lead to the hypothesis that M. chimaera subtypes circulating in the local plumbing colonize HCUs through the absolute filter, adding to the current hypothesis that contamination occurs at the HCU production site. In addition, this opens the possibility that other medical equipment using sanitized water, such as endoscope reprocessing devices or hemodialysis systems, could be contaminated by nontuberculous Mycobacteria, suggesting the need for environmental surveillance and associated control measures

Validation of a 5-item Tool to Measure Patient Assessment of Clinician Compassion in the Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: To test if the 5-item compassion measure (a tool previously validated in the outpatient setting to measure patient assessment of clinician compassion) is a valid and reliable tool to quantify a distinct construct (i.e. clinical compassion) among patients evaluated in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted in three academic emergency departments in the U.S. between November 2018 and April 2019. We enrolled adult patients who were evaluated in the EDs of the participating institutions and administered the 5-item compassion measure after completion of care in the ED. Validity testing was performed using confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach\u27s alpha was used to test reliability. Convergent validity with patient assessment of overall satisfaction questions was tested using Spearman correlation coefficients and we tested if the 5-item compassion measure assessed a construct distinct from overall patient satisfaction using confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS: We analyzed 866 patient responses. Confirmatory factor analysis found all five items loaded well on a single construct and our model was found to have good fit. Reliability was excellent (Cronbach\u27s alpha = 0.93) among the entire cohort. These results remained consistent on sub-analyses stratified by individual institutions. The 5-item compassion measure had moderate correlation with overall patient satisfaction (r = 0.66) and patient recommendation of the ED to friends and family (r = 0.57), but reflected a patient experience domain (i.e. compassionate care) distinctly different from patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-item compassion measure is a valid and reliable tool to measure patient assessment of clinical compassion in the ED

Congenital cytomegalovirus infection: the state of the art and future perspectives

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection is the most common congenital infection, with an estimated incidence of approximately one in 200 infants in high-income settings. Approximately one in four children may experience life-long consequences, including sensorineural hearing loss and neurodisability. Knowledge regarding prevention, diagnosis, and treatment increased in the recent years, but some challenges remain. In this review, we tried to summarize the current knowledge on both the obstetrical and pediatric areas, while also highlighting controversial aspects and future perspectives. There is a need to enhance awareness among the general population and pregnant women through specific information programs. Further research is needed to better define the classification of individuals at birth and to have a deeper understanding of the long-term outcomes for so defined children. Finally, the availability of valaciclovir medication throughout pregnancy, where appropriate, has prompted the assessment of a universal serological antenatal screening. It is recommended to establish a dedicated unit for better evaluation and management of both mothers and children

MicroRNA Dysregulation in Colon Cancer Microenvironment Interactions: The Importance of Small Things in Metastases

The influence of the microenvironment through the various steps of cancer progression is signed by different cytokines and growth factors, that could directly affect cell proliferation and survival, either in cancer and stromal cells. In colon cancer progression, the cooperation between hypoxia, IL-6 and VEGF-A165 could regulate the DNA repair capacity of the cell, whose impairment is the first step of colon cancer development. This cooperation redirects the activity of proteins involved in the metabolic shift and cell death, affecting the cell fate. The pathways triggered by micro environmental factors could modulate cancer-related gene transcription, affecting also small non coding mRNA, microRNAs. MicroRNAs have emerged as key post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, directly involved in human cancers. The present review will focus first on the intertwined connection between cancer microenvironment and aberrant expression of microRNAs which contribute to carcinogenesis. In particular, the epigenetic mechanisms triggered by tissue microenvironment will be discussed, in view of the recent identification of miRNAs able to directly or indirectly modulate the epigenetic machinery (epi-miRNAs) and that are involved in the epithelial to mesenchimal transition and metastases development