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Right-to-left shunt may be a cause of paradoxical embolization (and cryptogenic cerebral ischemic events). Patent foramen ovale and pulmonary arterio-venous malformations are the most common cause of paradoxical embolization; however, some rare cardiovascular lesions may cause a right-to-left shunt with consequent paradoxical embolization. We describe a case of a young child with superior sinus venosus atrial septal defect who underwent surgical closure and developed a cryptogenic cerebral ischemic attack due to a rare cause of paradoxical embolization, during a long-term follow-up. This case report cautions us to consider some rare causes of parodixal embolization such as systemic-pulmonary venous connections. The diagnosis should be always suspected in patients with paradoxical embolization without a patent foramen ovale and/or arterio-venous pulmonary malformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Trevisio DS flexible tip improves occluder position assessment before release. • Trevisio PAS studied the Trevisio DS during transcatheter closure of PFO and ASD. • 251 patients (144 PFO and 107 ASD) were enrolled at 22 European sites. • The Trevisio DS exhibited a high rate of technical success and excellent safety. The Amplatzer™ Trevisio™ Intravascular Delivery System (Trevisio DS; Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, IL, USA) facilitates the delivery of Amplatzer™ Occluders and features an ultraflexible tip, which improves assessment of occluder position before release. To assess the safety and efficacy of the Trevisio DS for transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale and atrial septal defect. The Amplatzer™ Trevisio™ Intravascular Delivery System Post-Approval Study was a prospective, postmarket, single-arm, multicentre, observational study of the Trevisio DS. Enrolled patients were indicated for transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale or atrial septal defect. In all procedures, the Trevisio DS was used to deliver Amplatzer™ Occluders. Technical success was defined as successful deployment and release of at least one occluder. Device- or procedure-related serious adverse events were tracked until discharge or day 7, whichever occurred earlier. The study enrolled 144 patients with patent foramen ovale and 107 patients with atrial septal defect at 22 European sites; 53 patients with atrial septal defect (49.6%) were aged < 18 years. The rate of technical success was 98.4% (97.2% for atrial septal defect, 99.3% for patent foramen ovale). There was one serious adverse event (0.4%), an acute periprocedural device embolization that occurred after occluder release in a patient with atrial septal defect; the device was retrieved percutaneously. This was determined by the implanter to be unrelated to the performance of the Trevisio DS. The Trevisio DS exhibited a high rate of technical success and an excellent safety profile during transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale and atrial septal defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hip arthroscopy has become an increasingly common procedure with expanding indications over the last several decades. With the increase in number of procedures performed a complication profile has emerged, although there is yet to be a formal classification system for complications. The most cited complications include lateral femoral cutaneous nerve neuropraxia, other sensory deficits, chondral or labral iatrogenic damage, superficial infection and deep vein thrombosis. One complication that has not yet been well documented in the literature is pericapsular scarring/adhesions resulting in decreased hip range of motion and function. If this complication is noted to persist after adequate impingement resection and a rigorous post-operative physical therapy regimen, the senior author has addressed this with a hip manipulation under anesthesia. Therefore, this techniques paper aims to describe pericapsular scarring as a post hip-arthroscopy condition which may cause pain and demonstrate our technique to address this diagnosis through hip manipulation under anesthesia. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celiac disease is a common lifelong disorder. Recent studies indicate that the number of clinically detected cases has increased over the last decades, however little is known about changes in the prevalence and the detection rate of celiac disease. To evaluate the current prevalence and detection rate of celiac disease in Italy by a multicenter, mass screening study on a large sample of school-age children. children aged 5–11 years were screened at school by HLA-DQ2 and -DQ8 determination on a drop of blood in six Italian cities; total serum IgA and IgA anti-transglutaminase were determined in children showing HLA-DQ2 and/or -DQ8 positivity. Diagnosis of celiac disease was confirmed according to the European guidelines. 5994 children were eligible, 4438 participated and 1873 showed predisposing haplotypes (42.2%, 95% CI=40.7–43.7). The overall prevalence of celiac disease was 1.65% (95% CI, 1.34%–2.01%). Only 40% of celiac children had been diagnosed prior to the school screening. Symptoms evoking celiac disease were as common in celiac children as in controls. In this multicenter study the prevalence of celiac disease in school-age Italian children was one of the highest in the world. Determination of HLA predisposing genotypes is an easy and fast first-level screening test for celiac disease. Without a mass screening strategy, 60% of celiac patients remain currently undiagnosed in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonatal and infantile cholestasis (NIC) can represent the onset of a surgically correctable disease and of a genetic or metabolic disorder worthy of medical treatment. Timely recognition of NIC and identification of the underlying etiology are paramount to improve outcomes. Upon invitation by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), an expert working grouped was formed to formulate evidence-based positions on current knowledge about the diagnosis of NIC. A systematic literature search was conducted to collect evidence about epidemiology, etiology, clinical aspects and accuracy of available diagnostic tests in NIC. Evidence was scored using the GRADE system. All recommendations were approved by a panel of experts upon agreement of at least 75% of the members. The final document was approved by all the panel components. This position document summarizes the collected statements and defines the best-evidence diagnostic approach to cholestasis in the first year of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Echography to assess photon-induced vaporization of perfluorobutane nanodroplets. • Tuning the degree of superheat of nanodroplets enhances photon–triggered activation. • New potential of phase change ultrasound contrast agents for radiotherapy dosimetry. We investigate the vaporization of phase-change ultrasound contrast agents using photon radiation for dosimetry perspectives in radiotherapy. We studied superheated perfluorobutane nanodroplets with a crosslinked poly(vinylalcohol) shell. The nanodroplets' physico-chemical properties, and their acoustic transition have been assessed firstly. Then, poly(vinylalcohol)-perfluorobutane nanodroplets were dispersed in poly(acrylamide) hydrogel phantoms and exposed to a photon beam. We addressed the effect of several parameters influencing the nanodroplets radiation sensitivity (energy/delivered dose/dose rate/temperature). The nanodroplets-vaporization post-photon exposure was evaluated using ultrasound imaging at a low mechanical index. Poly(vinylalcohol)-perfluorobutane nanodroplets show a good colloidal stability over four weeks and remain highly stable at temperatures up to 78 °C. Nanodroplets acoustically-triggered phase transition leads to microbubbles with diameters <10 μm and an activation threshold of mechanical index = 0.4, at 7.5 MHz. A small number of vaporization events occur post-photon exposure (6MV/15MV), at doses between 2 and 10 Gy, leading to ultrasound contrast increase up to 60% at RT. The nanodroplets become efficiently sensitive to photons when heated to a temperature of 65 °C (while remaining below the superheat limit temperature) during irradiation. Nanodroplets' core is linked to the degree of superheat in the metastable state and plays a critical role in determining nanodroplet' stability and sensitivity to ionizing radiation, requiring higher or lower linear energy transfer vaporization thresholds. While poly(vinylalcohol)-perfluorobutane nanodroplets could be slightly activated by photons at ambient conditions, a good balance between the degree of superheat and stability will aim at optimizing the design of nanodroplets to reach high sensitivity to photons at physiological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The levoatriocardinal vein is a rare vascular anomalous connection between the left atrium and the superior vena cava (or left innominate vein). This defect is usually associated with left heart obstructive lesions, while it is rarely found in an isolated form. In the former case, the anomalous connection causes a pre-tricuspid left-to-right shunt with right-heart volume overload. We describe the first case of "double" homolateral levoatriocardinal vein in a child with signs and symptoms of right-heart failure and pulmonary blood-flow overload. A trans-catheter closure of both vascular connections was performed with two Amplatzer Vascular Plug type II (Abbott, Plymouth, MN, USA). The percutaneous approach proved to be safe and effective, with early improvement in the signs and symptoms of heart failure. < Learning objective: This case report cautions us to consider the levoatriocardinal vein as a possible finding in infants or children with right-heart overload in absence of other congenital heart lesions. Furthermore, the presence of a "double" levoatriocardinal connection may worsen the pulmonary blood-flow overload with early onset of symptoms. The trans-catheter approach is effective to deal with the congenital lesion.> [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Transcranial doppler can be used to calculate and monitor cerebrovascular function. • Variability of transcranial doppler does not significantly affect secondary indices. • Transcranial doppler derived mean index of cerebral autoregulation Mxa seems robust. • Fist study on robustness of non-invasive cerebral autoregulation monitoring. • Transcranial doppler derived 'critical closing pressure' (CrCP) seems robust. Continuous measurement of cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) using transcranial Doppler (TCD) and arterial blood pressure (ABP) monitoring enables assessment of cerebrovascular haemodynamics. Further indices describing cerebrovascular function can be calculated from ABP and CBFV, such as the mean index (Mxa) of cerebrovascular autoregulation, the 'time constant of the cerebral arterial bed' (tau), the 'critical closing pressure' (CrCP) and a 'non-invasive estimator of ICP' (nICP). However, TCD is operator-dependent and changes in angle and depth of MCA insonation result in different readings of CBFV. The effect of differing CBFV readings on the calculated secondary indices remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate variation in angle and depth of MCA insonation on these secondary indices. In eight patients continuous ABP and ipsilateral CBFV monitoring was performed using two different TCD probes, resulting in four simultaneous CBFV readings at different angles and depths per patient. From all individual recordings, the K-means clustering algorithm was applied to the four simultaneous longitudinal measurements. The average ratios of the between-clusters, sum-of-squares and total sum-of-squares were significantly higher for CBFV than for the indices Mxa, tau and CrCP (p < 0.001, p = 0.007 and p = 0.016) but not for nICP (p = 0.175). The results indicate that Mxa, tau and CrCP seemed to be not affected by depth and angle of TCD insonation, whereas nICP was. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on exploring the relationships between different categories of crypto assets and measures of uncertainty in BRIC countries, specifically examining geopolitical risk (GPR) and economic policy uncertainty (EPU). Our findings indicate that the co-movement of the EPU and GPR indexes with different categories of crypto assets is influenced by factors such as the time period, investment horizons, and the type of event, and that it differs across crypto assets. An overall pattern is observed, suggesting that the crypto market does not act as a hedge against economic policy uncertainties (EPU) but demonstrates a hedging effect against geopolitical risk (GPR). This distinction in hedging effectiveness is influenced by the nature of events (COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine), since investors' expectations and perception of risk differ during these events. Furthermore, our analysis shows that stablecoins and memecoins do not exhibit consistent results in relation to GPR and EPU, suggesting that they may not serve as reliable hedging instruments against geopolitical risks or economic policy uncertainties in the BRIC countries. Our findings carry important implications for investors, portfolio managers, policy makers, and researchers, offering insights into portfolio risk management, regulatory frameworks, and the behavior of the cryptocurrency market in the face of uncertainties. [Display omitted] • Assessment of Cryptocurrency's relationships with BRIC's uncertainty. • Analysis focused on different uncertainty measures such as the GPR and EPU. • Crypto market does not act as a hedge against economic policy uncertainties. • Crypto market can act as a hedge against geopolitical risk. • Type of event influences the co-movement between uncertainties and crypto assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hypohydration is associated with worse outcomes after ischemic stroke. • Hypohydration should be define by both serum and urine biomarkers. • Urine biomarkers better describe chronic low fluid intake and gradual dehydration. • Urine osmolality >500 mOsm/kg predicts worse outcomes after acute ischemic stroke. Hypohydration has been suggested increasing the risk of vascular diseases, and it is associated with poor prognosis and worse functional outcome in stroke. Most studies have used blood parameters to determine patients' hydration status. The aim of this study was to measure urine osmolality (uOsm) and its influence on stroke severity and independence. A prospective descriptive study was conducted in stroke patients admitted to a stroke unit. All patients underwent neurological evaluation at admission and discharge using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Independence at discharge was evaluated with the Barthel Index (BI) and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). uOsm was measured at admission. Patients were grouped in "poor fluid intake" (PF) and "euhydration" (EU), the latter if uOsm ≤ 500 mOsm/kg. Among 119 included patients, the prevalence of PF was 52%, with no difference observed between groups in demographics or blood samples analyses. PF had higher chances of NIHSS > 8 at admission (OR: 4.7 95% CI: 1.3–17.0; p = 0.02), lower BI at discharge (β: −15.3 95% CI: −26.7 to −3.8; p = 0.01), and worse mRS at discharge (OR: 4.01 95% CI: 1.2–14.0; p = 0.02). These findings are consistent with previous results, suggesting that uOsm may be a factor significantly associated with stroke severity and independence outcome after acute ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Risk of dehydration and malnutrition is common during hospitalization. • Despite fluid therapy, hydration status may not improve during acute hospitalization. • Fluid volume coming from oral sources predicts hydration status at discharge. • Including enteral and parenteral fluids may not predict hydration status at discharge. Abstract Proper hydration and nutrition have been found to be contributing factors to a better recovery in patients after stroke. A better knowledge of factors influencing fluid and energy intake may contribute to a better care of the acute stroke patient. Aim of this study was to describe hydration status, fluid intake, and energy intake of stroke patients during acute hospitalization in a stroke unit. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted in stroke patients admitted to a stroke unit. All patients received neurological evaluation and urinary osmolality (uOsm) measure at admission and discharge. During stroke unit stay patients received a day-by-day diary to record data about beverages, food, and therapy. Water and energy content were then reported based on a national nutritional database. Ninety-five patients were included in the analysis. uOsm did not differ between patients with or without dysphagia, with uOsm > 500 mosm/kg in 58.1% at admission and 57.8% at discharge. Inadequate fluid intake was found in 41.2% of the sample with no difference between groups. Insufficient energy intake was found in 95.6% of the sample, with no patients with dysphagia reaching the minimum suggested amount. Our results suggest that a relevant proportion of stroke patients with and without dysphagia may not improve their hydration status during the first days after admission. Diet and therapy were insufficient to achieve recommended fluid intake and energy intake in a large proportion of patients, suggesting a more careful monitoring of hydration and nutrition needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the last decade, there has been considerable growth in the production of end-use polymer parts and components using additive manufacturing methods. A wide range of polymers, from Nylon-12 to thermoplastic polyurethane polymers, can be processed with complex geometry tailored to specific function. However, due to the nature of the layer-by-layer process used in additive manufacturing, high roughness surfaces remain on the parts. To reduce the roughness of the surfaces, a proprietary post-processing method, developed by Additive Manufacturing Technologies, is applied to the surfaces. To monitor and control the finishing of the surfaces, an in-process surface detection instrument has been developed based on machine vision and machine learning. This paper presents the machine learning approach and the effectiveness of the instrument for in-process measurement of the finished surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Obesity is recognised as a serious public health issue, due to its associated morbidity and mortality. This study aimed at estimating the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Portuguese population through direct measurements obtained by the 1st National Health Examination Survey (INSEF 2015) and to identify its associated sociodemographic factors. INSEF was a nationally representative cross-sectional prevalence study conducted on 4911 Portuguese adults aged 25–74 years, in 2015. Height and weight were measured according to the European Health Examination Survey procedures. Poisson regression was used to estimate the adjusted prevalence ratios of overweight and obesity according to age, marital status, occupational activity, education, urbanization of living area and smoking status. Overall prevalences of overweight and obesity were 39.1% and 28.6%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight was higher among men (45.5% vs 33.2%) while the prevalence of obesity was higher among women (32% vs 25%). The sociodemographic factors associated with overweight and obesity were age, marital status and education. Smoking status was associated with overweight and obesity but only in women. INSEF suggests that a high prevalences of overweight and obesity are found in older individuals, married, with lower education levels and non-smoking women. Public health interventions are urgently required for obesity prevention, namely throughout health literacy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is aimed at assessing the influence of pressurized fluids treatment on the enzymatic activity of pectin lyase (Pectinex® Ultra SP-L and Pectinex® Mash) immobilized in hybrid polymer-inorganic of alginate/gelatin/calcium oxalate (AGOCa). The effects of system pressure (30–190 bar), exposure time (1–6 h) and depressurization rate (20–100 bar/min), using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) on the enzymatic activity of pectin lyase and pectin methyl esterase have been evaluated through Central Composite Rotational Design (CCRD) 2 3 . The pectin lyase Pectinex® Ultra SP-L presented a 14% increase in residual activity using LPG at 30 bar during 1 h exposure with a 100 bar/min depressurization rate and the commercial Pectinex ® Mash had a 38% increment observed at 190 bar for 1 h treatment at 20 bar/min depressurization rate. Enzyme extracts immobilized on alginate-gelatin remained at approximately 60% of pectin lyase (Pectinex® Mash) activity on the sixth recycle after treatment LPG. However, approximately 53% of the pectin lyase (Pectinex® Ultra SP-L) remained until the third recycle. The treatment with pressurized LPG increases the catalytic power of pectinases, hence constituting an interesting solvent to improve the enzyme activity before its use in the process or to carry out reactions using LPG as reaction medium in a enzymatic gas–solid system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensing and stimulating microstructures are necessary to develop more specialized and highly accurate Organ-on-Chip (OOC) platforms. In this paper, we present the integration of a conductive polymer, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), on a stretchable membrane, core element of an Heart-on-Chip. The electrical conductivity along with its biocompatibility, high transparency (≈88%) and mechanical elasticity (≈1.2 GPa) make this material a candidate to develop novel microstructures for electrical monitoring and stimulation of cells in flexible-substrate based OOCs. Microstructures with different shapes and geometries of PEDOT:PSS embedded in a 9 μm-thick Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane are developed following a wafer-level fabrication approach. PEDOT:PSS layers between 120 nm and 300 nm are obtained by varying the deposition conditions. The layers are successfully patterned and microstructures with lateral dimensions down to 2 μm. The obtained results indicate that this polymer is a suitable material for microfabrication of sensing and stimulating elements in OOC platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing concern with biodiversity loss has raised the attention on the importance of cities as habitats for a unique assemblage of plants and animals, particularly its public green spaces. Public green spaces, namely parks, gardens and green squares, are often too numerous to allow a detailed study of all of them. Due to their high heterogeneity, a random selection or a stratification based on few features would have consequences on the statistical validity of subsequent biodiversity analysis. Therefore, we aim to present a sampling methodology for public urban green spaces for the selection of a representative group that reflects the diversity of the original population. First, the stratification is based on a selection of variables considered relevant for biodiversity research and easy to evaluate, specifically total area, vegetation cover, impermeable area, water, age, dominant function and space character. Then, a clustering method, through finite mixture modelling, is applied to generate groups of similar green spaces. The application of the proposed sampling methodology was tested in Porto, Portugal. It aims to facilitate site selection for urban biodiversity surveys, in order to improve the accuracy and reliability of biodiversity analysis in public green spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome is a rare form of post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans, characterized by unilateral lung hyperlucency due to loss of pulmonary vasculature and alveolar hyperdistention, in the absence of main bronchial obstruction. It is an exclusion diagnosis, usually suspected on chest x-ray and confirmed by high resolution lung computerized tomography. The clinical course and prognosis are influenced by the presence of underlying bronchiectasis and treatment is generally conservative. The authors report a rare clinical case complicated with bilateral apical blebs and bronchiectasis, presenting as a tension pneumothorax. In the light of this index patient, we discuss specific literature review. Highlights • Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome is a rare form of post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans. • Presents as an incidental finding on chest x-ray, with chronic symptoms or acutely, with lung infection or acute pneumothorax. • It is an exclusion diagnosis, suspected on chest x-ray and confirmed by computerized tomography. • Prognosis is influenced by the presence of underlying bronchiectasis. • Treatment is mainly conservative, but surgery is reserved for non-responding or complex cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Markets are not efficient in times of crisis. • COVID-19 had more impact on market efficiency than the Russia-Ukraine conflict. • - Developed markets have multifractality. This paper investigates the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the stock market efficiency of six developed countries. The sample is composed of daily stock index data from the United States (US), United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Market efficiency was analyzed by the multifractal structure of the series of returns in four periods (full series, COVID-19 outbreak, before the conflict and after the conflict). The results show the presence of multifractality of the index's return series in periods of crisis. The evidence rejects the market efficiency hypothesis and indicates the predictability of asset prices in times of instability and global financial crisis. Our findings can help fund managers, institutional investors, and investors in general to make decisions about asset allocation in times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study sought to evaluate the impact of arterial duct (AD) stenting in promoting catch-up growth of hypoplastic pulmonary artery (PA) tree in congenital heart disease with duct-dependent pulmonary circulation (CHD-DPC). Background Significant and balanced PA growth following AD stenting has already been consistently reported in the literature. However, no data are so far available about the role of this approach in severe PA hypoplasia, which significantly impacts the risk of surgical repair. Methods Pre-surgical angiographic PA evaluation was performed in 45 patients with confluent PAs submitted to neonatal AD stenting as palliation of CHD-DPC. PA growth was evaluated as Nakata Index and McGoon ratio as well as individual PA z -score changes, both in the whole population and according to the original vessel size (Nakata Index <100 mm 2 /m 2 , Group I [n = 15] vs. Nakata Index >100 mm 2 /m 2 , Group II [n = 30]). Results Control angiography was performed 7.5 ± 6.5 months (median 6 months) after duct stenting, showing significant and balanced PA growth. The Nakata Index increased from 143 ± 73 mm 2 /m 2 to 270 ± 88 mm 2 /m 2 (124 ± 118%, p < 0.0001); left PA z -score from −0.7 ± 1.7 to 1.0 ± 1.4; right PA z -score from −0.6 ± 1.3 to 1.2 ± 1.3 (p < 0.0001 for both comparisons). Group I showed a greater increase of global PA growth (Nakata Index increase 227 ± 141% vs. 72 ± 57%, p < 0.001) as compared with Group II. Final PA size did not significantly differ between the groups (246 ± 105 mm 2 /m 2 vs. 282 ± 78 mm 2 /m 2 , p = NS). Conclusions Percutaneous AD stenting is highly effective in promoting a significant and balanced catch-up growth of diminutive PAs, being therefore advisable in this subset of patients as a reliable alternative to surgical palliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to evaluate the spatial and temporal impact of dust-pollution in the vicinity of a cement industry, located in an area with dry climate. The spatial impact integrated over time was evaluated from the concentrations of Ca, Fe and Mg in in-situ Xanthoria parietina. The temporal pattern was assessed through one-month transplants of the lichen Ramalina canariensis. Four potential sources of atmospheric dust were evaluated: the limestone-quarry; the unpaved roads, the deposit area and the cement mill. Calcium concentration in lichens was considered the best cement-dust indicator. Different types of dust (clinker and grinded-limestone-dust) resulted in different time-patterns of Ca accumulation, which was also related with the different influence that wet and dry periods have in the lichen accumulation process. The dust pollution was found to be deposited locally and dependent on: the nature of dust particles and the volume and frequency of precipitation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Returns by calendar year to a hedge portfolio long on the lowest accrual decile and short on the highest accrual decile. This paper examines the accrual anomaly on the European market and the impact of the financial crisis on its dynamics. Using a sample of public European firms, during the period 2005-2016, this paper follows Sloan (1996) seminal work and measures accruals as Dechow, Sloan and Sweeney (1995). There is no evidence that accrual anomaly persists on European markets. The study shows that, contrary to previous research, investors are not underweighting the accrual component of earnings and that accruals are not a good predictor of future stock returns. Our study has two limitations. First, due to the lack of data, the original sample was reduced to about one third. Second, results must be interpreted carefully since the sample period may be seen as an outlier case attributed to the crisis. Research on future years may unveil a conclusion on this. Results suggest that transaction costs and idiosyncratic risk are no longer a barrier to investors. Results also point toward a possible new outcome in investor´s behaviour during crisis. Economically, given the lower returns that can be obtained on today markets, it makes sense that investors may reduce their risk aversion levels to get more returns. This study contributes to the ongoing debate about accruals anomaly and market efficiency. To the best of our knowledge, it provides an original contribution to the literature by framing the accrual anomaly during the European debt crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the anaerobic digestion (AD) of garden waste (GW), which is a lignocellulosic type of biomass produced in large scale worldwide. Different pretreatment techniques were applied and their effect on the hydrolysis rate and methane production potential were evaluated. The pretreatments included alkaline (AP), thermal alkaline (TAP) and alkaline followed by solid/liquid phase-separation. A new strategy was proposed using fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) as an acid catalyst for breaking lignocellulosic biopolymers during co- storage with GW before the batch test. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) was evaluated following VDI 4630 [ 1 ] and a kinetic study was applied using the first-order and modified Gompertz models. The BMP of the untreated GW ranged from 255 to 323 L N CH 4 kg VS–1. Alkaline pretreatment followed by solid/liquid phase separation showed to be the best technique, with a BMP increased by 70% when compared to the untreated GW. However, a liquid effluent with high soluble COD was produced. Co-storing FVW with GW prior to AD proved to be an alternative to increase the BMP of lignocellulosic biomass. After 7 days of co- storing GW with FVW at room temperature the BMP was increased by 13% (498 L N CH 4 kg VS–1), indicating good capacity to enhance speed of degradation with no addition of chemicals and no generation of effluents. The best fit for predicting the BMP was observed for the first-order kinetic model, with R2 ≥ 0.992 and RMSE ≤ 11.3 L CH 4 kg VS–1 for all pretreatments applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient air pollution (AAP) is recognized a cardiovascular risk factor and lipid profile dysregulation seems to be one of the potential mediators involved. However, results from epidemiologic research on the association between exposure to AAP and altered lipid profile have been inconsistent. This study aims to systematically review and meta-analyse epidemiologic evidence on the association between exposure to ambient air pollutants (particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, back carbon) and lipid profile parameters (Total cholesterol; High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol; Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol; TG-Triglycerides) or dyslipidaemia. Systematic electronic literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases (last search on 24th May 2019) using keywords related to the exposure (ambient air pollutants) and to the outcomes (lipid profile parameters/dyslipidaemia). Qualitative and quantitative information of the studies were extracted and fixed or random-effects models were used to obtain a pooled effect estimate per each pollutant/outcome combination. 22 studies were qualitatively analysed and, from those, 3 studies were quantitatively analysed. Particulate matters were the most studied pollutants and a considerable heterogeneity in air pollution assessment methods and outcomes definitions was detected. Age, obesity related measures, tobacco consumption, sex and socioeconomic factors were the most frequent considered variables for confounding adjustment in the models. In a long-term exposure scenario, we found a 3.14% (1.36%–4.95%) increase in TG levels per 10 μg/m3 PM 10 increment and a 4.24% (1.37%–7.19%) increase in TG levels per 10 μg/m3 NO 2 increment. No significant associations were detected for the remaining pollutant/outcome combinations. Despite the few studies included in the meta-analysis, our study suggests some epidemiologic evidence supporting the association between PM 10 and NO 2 exposures and increased TG levels. Due to the very low level of evidence, more studies are needed to clarify the role of lipid profile dysregulation as a mediator on the AAP adverse cardiovascular effects. Image 1 • Ambient air pollution (AAP) is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. • First systematic review and meta-analysis on the association between ambient air pollutants exposure and lipid profile. • Some epidemiologic evidence supporting the association between PM 10 and NO 2 exposures and increased Triglycerides levels. • More studies are needed to clarify the association between ambient air pollutants exposure and lipid profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary auscultation is a method used in clinical practice for the evaluation and detection of abnormalities relating to the respiratory system. This method has limitations, as it depends on the experience and hearing acuity of the examiner to determine adventitious sounds. In this context, it’s important to analyze whether there is a correlation between auscultation of lung sounds and the behavior of the respiratory mechanical properties of the respiratory system in patients with immediate postoperative cardiac surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is associated to cellular and structural alterations of lung vasculature. Endothelial dysfunction promotes vasoconstriction, smooth muscle hypertrophy, intimal proliferation, angioproliferative plexiform lesions, and in situ thrombosis increasing pulmonary vascular resistance and arterial stiffness. Indeed, an inflammatory component has been defined in PAH on the last years. Sepsis is a systemic complex syndrome, of infectious origin. The presence of inflammation is well established in this condition and it is also considered a risk factor for acute lung injury. Thrombotic events play important role in sepsis pathophysiology. The association between PAH and sepsis potentiate the metabolic oxygen consumption/offer imbalance, with very high mortality risk. Furthermore, it is possible that the association of these two conditions should intensify thrombotic events on pulmonary microcirculation, reducing area of pulmonary vascular bed available for blood flow. For the other side, an inflammation synergism observed on these two conditions should increase the respiratory system impedance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]