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To-date, the commonest way to deal with geographical information and processes still appears to consume local resources, i.e. locally stored data processed on a local desktop or server. The maturity and subsequent growing use of OGC standards to exchange data on the World Wide Web, enhanced in Europe by the INSPIRE Directive, is bound to change the way people (and among them research scientists, especially in environmental sciences) make use of, and manage, spatial data. A clever use of OGC standards can help scientists to better store, share and use data, in particular for modelling. We propose a framework for online processing by making an intensive use of OGC standards. We illustrate it using the Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) GéoSAS which is the SDI set up for researchers’ needs in our department. It is based on the existing open source, modular and interoperable Spatial Data Architecture geOrchestra.

• Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), but not sleeve gastrectomy, reduces plasma PCSK9 levels. • Plasma PCSK9 changes after RYGB are not associated with changes in LDL-C. • Changes in plasma PCSK9 are correlated with changes in glucose parameters after bariatric surgery. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a master regulator of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) metabolism, acting as an endogenous inhibitor of the LDL receptor. While it has been shown that bariatric surgery differentially affects plasma LDL-C levels, little is known of its effects on plasma PCSK9 concentrations. Therefore, the present study aimed to: (i) investigate the effect of sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on plasma PCSK9 concentrations; and (ii) correlate baseline or postoperative plasma PCSK9 concentration variations with anthropometric and metabolic parameters. Fasting plasma PCSK9 levels were measured by ELISA in morbidly obese patients before and 6 months after bariatric surgery. Patients were recruited from three prospective cohorts (in Nantes and Colombes in France, and Antwerp in Belgium). A total of 156 patients (34 SG, 122 RYGB) were included. Plasma PCSK9 , LDL-C and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels were significantly reduced after RYGB (−19.6%, −16.6% and −19.5%, respectively; P < 0.0001), but not after SG. In all patients, postoperative PCSK9 change was positively correlated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG; r = 0.22, P = 0.007), HOMA-IR (r = 0.24, P = 0.005), total cholesterol (r = 0.17, P = 0.037) and non-HDL-C (r = 0.17, P = 0.038) variations, but not LDL-C. In contrast to what was observed for glucose parameters (FPG, HOMA-IR), correlation between PCSK9 and non-HDL-C changes after RYGB was independent of total weight loss. RYGB, but not SG, promotes a significant reduction in plasma PCSK9 levels, and such changes in circulating PCSK9 levels after RYGB appear to be more associated with glucose improvement than with lipid homoeostasis parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) deliver oxygen in intermittent pulses. The challenge of establishing equivalence between continuous flow oxygen and nominal pulse flow settings on different POCs is well known. In vitro bench measurements and in silico mathematical modeling were used to compare the performance of 4 POCs versus continuous flow oxygen by predicting the FIO2 at the trachea and entering the acini. METHODS: Each of the 4 POCs was connected to a 3-dimensional printed replica of a human adult nasal airway via nasal cannula. A test lung simulated 3 breathing patterns representative of a patient with COPD at rest, during exercise, and while asleep. POCs were tested for each breathing pattern at all integer pulse flow settings. Volume-averaged FIO2 was calculated by analyzing oxygen concentrations and inhalation flow over time. In vitro oxygen waveforms were then combined with a single-path mathematical model of the lungs to assess oxygen transport through the conducting airways. In vitro experiments and mathematical modeling were repeated for continuous flow oxygen. RESULTS: Continuous flow oxygen consistently delivered more (>2%absolute) oxygen in terms of volume-averaged FIO2 for all nominally equivalent pulse flow settings of >2. Differences were also observed when comparing performances between different POCs, particularly at high device settings (5 and 6). Simulations showed that efficiency of delivery to the acinar region of the lungs was higher in pulse flow than in continuous flow oxygen but that continuous flow oxygen generally delivered a higher absolute volume of oxygen. Differences in absolute oxygen delivery per breath between continuous flow oxygen and pulse flow were smaller for acinar delivery than for tracheal delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in POC performance based on volume-averaged FIO2 were found between pulse flow and continuous flow oxygen, and among pulse flow modes in different POCs. Although pulse flow was a more efficient mode of delivery than continuous flow oxygen, continuous flow oxygen delivered a greater absolute volume of oxygen per breath. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is aimed to determine the resistance of fibreboards made of milled coconut (Cocos nucifera [L.]) husk and bonded with tannin adhesive (Coconut Fibreboards - CFB) against wood-destroying insects and fungi under laboratory and field conditions. Marine plywood (MPW) samples were included in the tests for comparison. Results showed that CFB had higher resistance to insect and fungi than MPW. After four months of laboratory exposure to subterranean termites CFB had only few signs of nibbling with weight losses of 3.5%. MPW showed instead weight losses of 95%. CFB exposed for 12 months to drywood termite were damaged between 0.0% and 6.0%. MPW damage was within 21.0% and 65.0% within the same period. Wood decay fungi caused weight loss of 7.8% in CFB, while weight losses between 55.4% and 88.0% were observed in MPW. The potential of CFB for applications as ceiling and wall cladding in the Philippines was therefore suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibility of producing binderless panels made of milled coconut husk, a largely available by-product of the coconut oil industry, has been shown in previous researches. Long pressing times and a high risk of blisters have however hindered the industrial implementation of the process. In this study, a more energy-efficient manufacturing process, involving a tailored degassing step, was developed on a laboratory scale and then validated at an industrial size (2 × 1 m2). To achieve mechanical properties close to the European and Japanese standards for fibreboards and to avoid the delamination of the boards, final densities between 900 and 1000 kg m−3 had to be targeted. Similarly, a successful board production was only possible if the moisture content of the husk was between 10 and 25%. The need for a suitable mat-forming technology to avoid the risk of warping of the panel was highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Serum proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) concentrations have been shown to be positively associated with LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), but the relationship between PCSK9 and coronary atherosclerosis lesions remains unclear. Objective This study aims to investigate the correlation between serum PCSK9 levels and coronary damage severity in patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods In this prospective proof-of-concept study, coronary lesions were assessed using SYNTAX scores. Serum PCSK9 concentrations were measured on admission (Day 0) for ACS by Elisa, and on every day of hospitalization. Spearman's correlations were used to determine the association between PCSK9 levels, SYNTAX score and metabolic parameters. Results A total of 174 patients (mean age: 59 ± 14 years, 79% male) with ACS (on Day 0, 119 patients were not taking statins, but 55 were) were included. After initiation of high-intensity statin therapy, serum PCSK9 concentrations increased significantly, reaching maximum levels on Day 2 (+31% vs. Day 0), and remained stable up to Day 4 ( P < 0.001, by mixed model). Serum PCSK9 on Day 0 was associated with LDL-C ( rho = 0.226, P = 0.017) and apolipoprotein B ( rho = 0.282, P = 0.005) in the statin-naïve group only, and with triglycerides and non-HDL-C in all groups. More important, PCSK9 levels on Day 0 were positively associated with SYNTAX scores in the statin-naïve group ( rho = 0.239, P = 0.009), but not in the statin-treated group ( P = NS). This association was maintained after adjusting for LDL-C ( P = 0.014) and major CV risk factors ( P = 0.008). Conclusion Serum PCSK9 levels are positively associated with severity of coronary artery lesions independently of LDL-C concentrations in patients hospitalized for ACS. This reinforces the potential importance of PCSK9 inhibition in the management of ACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]