1,722,659 research outputs found
The "Obesity Paradox" and the use of NOAC
No full textObesity is a worldwide health problem at increasing incidence associated with high morbidity and mortality. Although obesity increases patients' cardiovascular (CV) risk, more and more evidences suggest a favorable prognosis in obese subjects with cardiovascular disease (CVD), a phenomenon known as "obesity paradox." Obesity paradox has been demonstrated in various CVD including atrial fibrillation (AF) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) for which anticoagulation therapy is mandatory. Little is still known about the use of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in extreme obese patients, so major guidelines discourage their use in this subset of patients. Due to the lack of data and clinical interest of the topic, we aim to review the concept of obesity paradox applied to AF and VTE, for then examine the available data on the prognosis of obese patients being treated with NOACs
Extended Cardiac Rhythm Monitoring Detects More Arrhythmias in Myotonic Dystrophy Patients
No full textMyotonic Dystrophy: The “right weapons” to fight the long battle against sudden cardiac death
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Community of practice online, the importance of technology for learning: An application of social network analysis
Full text linkThe pervasiveness of technology is affecting also the education field, so it is possible to evaluate whether technology can foster collaboration among students or improve the learning outcomes. A community of practice online is the subject of the present study, it represents a kind of blended learning which is defined as the integration of classroom face-to-face learning with online learning experiences with the objective to increase students’ engagement and motivation. A recent experience of blended learning education has been carried out by four Italian Universities and in the present research study we have implemented social network analysis technique in order to observe online interactions of students, thus describing the nodes that exert the most influence in the group and to evaluate if the online interactions can positively affect the learning process. As result we can state that the outcomes of social network analysis are valuable information for teachers and tutors in order to facilitate participation and collaboration, that in turn promote an effective learning process. As result we can state that the outcomes of social network analysis are valuable information for teachers and tutors in order to facilitate participation and collaboration, that in turn promote an effective learning process
Analysis of the performance of linear Fresnel collectors: Encapsulated vs. evacuated tubes
No full textIn order to reduce the cost of the produced electricity, the Linear Fresnel Collector (LFC) system is a promising Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology. In this paper a detailed study is conducted aimed at the assessment of the heat losses from the receiver of a real 1 MWe pilot plant based on the Fresnel collector and cooled with a thermal oil. The receiver unit, which consists of an absorber tube and a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC), is investigated numerically in order to determine the receiver performance in different wind directions. Two receiver configurations are analyzed: a simply encapsulated one and an evacuated one. In the latter case, high vacuum conditions are reached in the gap between the absorber tube and the glass cover, whereas in the former case, air at ambient pressure fills the gap. The spatial distribution of the heat flux absorbed by the absorber tube and by the glass cover is determined by means of an optical analysis, conducted with the Monte Carlo based open-source ray-tracing tool Tonatiuh, and it is the driver of the ensuing thermal fluid dynamic analysis. A reference operation condition is studied in detail by means of a 1D model that solves the energy balance for the coolant along the entire length of the receiver. The characterization of the 1D model requires an accurate, multi-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis, based on the commercial STAR-CCM+ code, which aims at determining the useful heat transferred to the coolant and the convective and radiative heat losses as a function of the oil temperature. A 2D CFD model is used to simulate the thermal behavior of the receiver at different locations along its axis in case of no wind or wind blowing across the collector axis. A 3D CFD model is adopted to study the impact of the wind blowing along the collector axis. The external air is considered in the computational domain in both CFD models, to be able to accurately assess the convective share of the heat losses. At the end, the oil temperature profile along the receiver tube, as well as the heat losses and the thermal efficiency trends, are presented and discussed. The 2D model is also exploited to perform an annual analysis, varying the solar flux and the sun position, but considering just a single wind direction. The results of our analysis indicate that the benefit of using an evacuated tube depends on the heat absorbed on the linear receiver, which depends in turn on the solar flux and on the sun position. The annual-based performance improvement obtained using an evacuated tube is not dramatic, due to the relatively low temperatures of the receiver. Moreover, this analysis also concludes that the receiver performance is only slightly affected by the wind direction and intensity up to ∼ 4 m/s, due to the presence of the CPC that protects the receiver from the external air stream. © 2018 Elsevier Lt
Targeting cholesterol homeostasis in hematopoietic malignancies
No full textCholesterol is a vital lipid for cellular functions. It is necessary for membrane biogenesis, cell proliferation, and differentiation. In addition to maintaining cell integrity and permeability, increasing evidence indicates a strict link between cholesterol homeostasis, inflammation, and hematological tumors. This makes cholesterol homeostasis an optimal therapeutic target for hematopoietic malignancies. Manipulating cholesterol homeostasis by either interfering with its synthesis or activating the reverse cholesterol transport via the engagement of liver X receptors affects the integrity of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. Cholesterol homeostasis has also been manipulated to restore antitumor immune responses in preclinical models. These observations have prompted clinical trials involving acute myeloid leukemia to test the combination of chemotherapy with drugs interfering with cholesterol synthesis (ie, statins). We review the role of cholesterol homeostasis in hematopoietic malignancies as well as in cells of the tumor microenvironment and discuss the potential use of lipid modulators for therapeutic purposes
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