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The transcriptional profile of iron deficiency in patients with heart failure: Heme‐sparing and reduced immune processes
Get PDFAims: Iron deficiency (ID) is highly prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF) and associated with morbidity and poor prognosis, but pathophysiological mechanisms are unknown. We aimed to identify novel biological pathways affected by ID. Methods and results: We studied 881 patients with HF from the BIOSTAT‐CHF cohort. ID was defined as a transferrin saturation <20%. Transcriptome profiling was performed in whole blood. Identified targets were validated in a human in vitro stem cell‐derived cardiomyocyte ID model utilizing deferoxamine as iron chelator. ID was identified in 554 (62.9%) patients, and 89 differentially expressed genes between ID and non‐ID were identified, of which 60 were up‐ and 29 were downregulated. Upregulated genes were overrepresented in pathways of erythrocyte development and homeostasis. Heme biosynthetic processes were confirmed as relatively upregulated in ID, while iron–sulfur cluster assembly was downregulated. Downregulated processes further included natural killer cell and lymphocyte mediated immunity. In agreement with patient data, cardiomyocyte iron depletion significantly induced the expression of two genes (SIAH2 and CLIC4), which could be normalized upon iron supplementation. Both SIAH2 and CLIC4 are associated with increased mortality in patients with HF (hazard ratio 2.40, 95% confidence interval 1.86–3.11, p < 0.001 hazard ratio 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.53–2.07, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Iron deficiency is associated with the preservation of heme‐related processes at the cost of iron–sulfur clusters. Immune processes are downregulated, uncovering another high energy demand system affected. SIAH2 and CLIC4 might be modifiable factors in the relation between ID and impaired prognosis
Life expectancy gain of implementing the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023: modelling from eight Nordic and Baltic countries
Get PDFBackground:
Dietary guidelines play a key role in promoting health and preventing chronic diseases. The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 (NNR2023) provide updated recommendations for healthy eating relevant for the Nordic and Baltic countries, but the potential benefits have yet to be quantified.
Objectives:
This study projects the population health benefits, specifically, potential gains in life expectancy in Nordic and Baltic countries resulting from long-term dietary changes from current dietary patterns within each country to NNR2023.
Methods:
For this population-based mathematical model; using the Food4HealthyLife 2.0 calculator, data were obtained from meta-analyses on associations between each food group and mortality, and background mortality data were derived from the Global Burden of Disease study. Standard life-table methods were used, accounting for the correlation between 14 food groups and the anticipated time delay between dietary changes and health effects.
Results:
For 40-year-old females/males, projected life expectancy gains were from 1.8/2.1 years in Finland to 3.4/4.1 years in Lithuania, changing to feasible NNR2023. Correspondingly, when changing to full-potential NNR2023, gains ranged from 4.4/5.0 years in Finland to 6.1/7.3 years in Lithuania. The largest gains in life expectancy were linked to consuming more legumes (18%), nuts (17%), whole grains (12%), and less processed meat (14%) and added sugars (13%).
Conclusion:
Adopting dietary patterns in line with the NNR2023 is associated with considerable gains in life expectancy in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The study contributes to the evidence base to support policy measures to achieve NNR2023
Introduction to the special issue on visual cognition and visuomotor control: a tribute to Mel Goodale
No full textNo abstract available
Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Tests on a Multi-Configurable Planform UCAV Model
Get PDFThe ever-growing demand for uninhabited combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) in military applications necessitates higher survivability due to the nature of hostile conditions, and this can be achieved by increasing the UCAV maneuverability. The present work was motivated by the potential of a multi-configurable UCAV planform that avoids gaps using smooth deflected wingtips. Experimental analysis was performed to obtain the low-speed aerodynamic characteristics of a lambda UCAV wing model with various deflected wingtips. The low-speed wind tunnel tests were performed at the de Havilland closed return atmospheric low-speed wind tunnel facility at the University of Glasgow. Various wingtip deflections, such as symmetric wingtip positively deflected up and negatively deflected down, were considered for the testing. In addition, an asymmetrical configuration with one wingtip deflected positively and negatively, whereas the other wingtip has no deflection. The present study demonstrated the potential of wingtip deflection models that allow for customizable aerodynamic performance and stability, which can improve UCAV maneuverability during flight
Comparison of measurement protocols for internal channels of transparent microfluidic devices
Get PDFThe microfluidic industry faces a significant challenge due to the lack of sensitive and standardized methods. One critical need is the measurement of internal channel dimensions in fully assembled chips. This study presents and compares several protocols for measuring these dimensions, including optical profilometry, optical microscopy, and tiled digital imagery. Standardized chips made from two materials commonly used in microfluidics (borosilicate glass and Cyclic Olefin Copolymer) were evaluated using each protocol. A consistency analysis using normalized error statistics identified optical profilometry as the most reliable method, offering the lowest uncertainty and the highest consistency with nominal geometry values. However, all protocols encountered difficulties with vertical depth measurements of internal structures. Future research should focus on addressing these limitations, including investigating the influence of multiple refractive surfaces on optical profilometry and exploring confocal microscopy. In conclusion, this work provides a comprehensive comparison of measurement protocols for internal microfluidic structures and offers a practical solution for applications in the microfluidic industry, while also identifying important directions for future research
Warped multifidelity Gaussian processes for data fusion of skewed environmental data
Get PDFUnderstanding the dynamics of climate variables is critical for sectors like energy and environmental monitoring. This study addresses the pressing need for accurate mapping of environmental variables in national or regional monitoring networks, a challenge exacerbated by skewed data and large gaps. While this may not be immediately apparent, managing skewness across multiple data sources introduces additional complexities, as conventional transformation methods often fail to effectively normalize the data or preserve inter-dataset relationships. Furthermore, the literature highlights that interpolation uncertainty is closely linked to the interpolation distance, making the handling of large gaps particularly problematic. To tackle these challenges, we propose a novel data fusion approach: the warped multifidelity Gaussian process. This method predicts time-series data from multiple sources with varying reliability and resolution, while effectively addressing skewness and demonstrating partial independence from interpolation distance. Through extensive simulation experiments, we explore both the strengths and limitations of the method. Additionally, as a case study, we apply warped multifidelity Gaussian process (WMFGP) to wind speed data from the Agenzia regionale per la protezione ambientale (ARPA) Lombardia network, a regional environmental agency in Italy. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of WMFGP in filling large gaps in wind speed data, providing more accurate predictions that are essential for air quality forecasting, network maintenance
Dual-Band Microwave Photonic Filter Utilizing Equivalent Chirped Four-Phase-Shifted Sampled Bragg Grating for 52.1 GHz – 439.5 GHz Range
Get PDFWe have developed an integrated dual-band microwave photonic filter utilizing equivalent chirped four-phase-shifted sidewall sampled Bragg gratings on an SOI platform. By employing the reconstruction equivalent-chirp technique, we designed linearly chirped four-phase-shifted sampled Bragg gratings with two π phase shifts positioned at 1/3 and 2/3 of the cavity, introducing two passbands in the +1st channel. Leveraging the significant thermo-optic effect of silicon, dual-band tuning is achieved via micro-heaters integrated on the chip surface. By tuning the injection currents into the micro-heaters, distinct optical frequency divisions from 100GHz to 400GHz, are demonstrated using a 100GHz, 1535nm semiconductor passive mode-locked laser as the light source
Five year mortality in an RCT of a lung cancer biomarker to select people for low dose CT screening
Get PDFThe role of biomarkers in risk-based early detection of lung cancer may enable screening to become cost effective and widely accessible. EarlyCDT-Lung is an example of such a blood-based autoantibody biomarker which may improve accessibility to Low dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) screening for those at highest risk. We randomized 12 208 individuals aged 50–75 at high risk of developing lung cancer to either the test or to standard clinical care. Outcomes were ascertained from Register of Deaths and Cancer Registry. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratio of the rate of deaths from all causes and lung cancer. Additional analyses were performed for cases of lung cancer diagnosed within two years of the initial test. After 5 years 326 lung cancers were detected (2.7% of those enrolled). The total number of deaths reported from all causes in the intervention group was 344 compared to 388 in the control group. There were 73 lung cancer deaths in the intervention arm and 90 in the controls (Adjusted HR 0.789 (0.636, 0.978). An analysis of cases of lung cancer detected within 2 years of randomization in the intervention group showed that there were 34 deaths from all causes and 29 from lung cancer. In the control group there were 56 deaths with 49 from lung cancer. In those diagnosed with lung cancer within 2 years of randomization the hazard ratio for all cause mortality was 0.615 (0.401,0.942) and for lung cancer 0.598 (0.378, 0.946). Further large-scale studies of the role of biomarkers to target lung cancer screening, in addition to LDCT, are likely to provide additional value
Orbiting Solar Reflectors: A Pathway to Extended Space-based Solar Power Availability and Enhanced Grid Stability
Get PDFThe transition to clean energy resources such as solar energy is critical for the battle against climate change and to achiev e net zero emission goals. However, one of the challenges solar energy faces is its dependence on daylight hours only for energy production. This challenge restricts the availability of solar energy after daylight hours which leads to reliance on fossil fuel generators during peak demand periods, thus, increasing CO2 emissions. To overcome this challenge, orbiting solar reflectors (OSRs) were proposed as a future technology which can reflect sunlight to terrestrial solar power farms (SPF) from space during dawn and dusk. This paper aims to explore the integration of OSRs into SPFs to extend the availability of energy after hours of sunlight and reduce carbon emissions by reducing dependency on fossil fuel generators. Furthermore, the paper discusses how OSRs can contribute to the stability of the voltage of the power grid. The results show that the OSR could significantly boost the energy output of a SPF during these periods, thereby extending the availability of solar energy and decreasing the reliance on fossil fuel generators. This technology has the potential to reduce carbon emissions, which contributes to global efforts to reduce climate change. Furthermore, the findings illustrate how OSRs can help maintain voltage stability in the power grid by providing more energy during the peak demand period
Advanced persistent threats based on supply chain vulnerabilities: challenges, solutions & future directions
Get PDFDue to the ever increasing inter-dependency across a variety of diverse software and hardware components in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provisioning, Supply Chain Vulnerabilities (SCVs) targeting such dependencies have evolved as a primary choice for malicious actors to stealthy and complex cyber-attacks. The current modus operandi in the cyber threat spectrum is solely correlated with Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) that have shown to be prevalent across diversified attacks underpinning cyberwarfare, and cybercrime. Hence, defense against such threats is undoubtedly considered as a high priority on a global scale. Nonetheless, the reliance on third-party supply chain software and device across diverse ICT ecosystems, combined with the current defense mechanisms’ inability to identify specific compromised entry points, results in an increased risk of APTs. This survey explores the state-of-the-art to stratify and showcase the properties of supply chain-based APTs, elaborate on reported risks from such APTs, and expand on existing defense methods. This study connects academic research with industry practices to highlight a new and growing problem. It examines supply chain compromises, offers unique insight into how these exploitations occur, and equips cybersecurity practitioners with the knowledge required to design next-generation APT defense mechanisms
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