In recent years, the use of turbines or Pumps operating As Turbines (PATs) has been proven to be a sustainable alternative for managing Water Distribution Networks (WDNs), by coupling pressure ...control and leakage reduction with hydropower generation.
Pumps running in reverse mode can be an effective alternative to using turbines for energy production in WDNs. Many commercial models are readily available on the market and a number of economic and technical advantages for installation, operation and maintenance can be found. Theoretical and experimental criteria for predicting pump performance in turbine mode and for the optimal installation of a PAT in WDNs can be found in the literature. Nevertheless, the prediction of PAT characteristic curves is still an unresolved issue, because of the lack of information provided by manufacturers and the few laboratory campaigns that focus on the topic.
For this purpose, the laboratory results in the present study aim to assess the performance of pumps operating in reverse mode. Two centrifugal pumps were investigated: a centrifugal horizontal single-stage pump and a vertical multi-stage pump. Experiments were compared with theoretical models available in the literature, in order to assess their reliability in predicting PAT performance when data are lacking.
•Pumps As Turbines (PATs) are effective for energy recovery in Water Networks.•Literature is fairly lacking in predicting PAT performance curves.•Experiments were carried out to assess the validity of existing relationships.•Data allowed to obtain more general relationships than existing ones.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Nox2 is responsible for artery dysfunction via production of reactive oxidant species. RNA viruses may activate Nox2, but it is unknown if this occurs in coronavirus 2019(Covid-19). Nox2 activation ...by soluble Nox2-derived peptide(sNox2-dp) was measured in patients hospitalized for Covid-19 (n = 182) and controls (n = 91). sNox2-dp values were higher in Covid-19 patients versus controls and in severe versus non severe Covid-19. Patients with thrombotic events(n = 35,19%) had higher sNox2-dp than thrombotic event-free ones. A logistic regression analysis showed that sNox2 and coronary heart disease predicted thrombotic events. Oxidative stress by Nox2 activation is associated severe disease and thrombotic events in Covid-19 patients.
•Nox2 is responsible for artery dysfunction via production of reactive oxidant species.•sNox2-dp values, markers of Nox2 activation, were high in Covid-19 patients and higher in those with severe disease.•A logistic regression analysis showed that sNox2 predicted thrombotic events.•Oxidative stress by Nox2 activation is associated severe disease and thrombotic events in Covid-19 patients.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The current significant increase in energy consumption has resulted in the need to develop and implement effective approaches for defining alternative and sustainable solutions to couple primary ...resources with supporting methods of energy generation. In the field of effective water distribution network (WDN) management, the suitability of combining pressure regulation with small-scale hydropower generation is attracting even more interest, given that it can possibly reduce water leakages, as well as produce attractive rates of renewable energy. Specifically, pumps as turbines (PATs) are widely considered a viable solution because they combine hydraulic benefits with affordable investment and management costs. Nevertheless, despite several approaches available in the literature for the optimal selection and management of PATs, choosing the most suitable device to be installed in the network is still a challenge, especially when electrical regulation is arranged to modulate the PAT rotational speed and optimize the produced energy. Several approaches in the literature provide interesting solutions for assessing the effectiveness of electrical regulation when a PAT is installed within a water network. However, most of them require specific knowledge of the PAT mechanical features or huge computational efforts and do not support swift PAT selection. To overcome this lack of tools, in this work, an operative framework for the preliminary assessment of the main features (the head drop and the produced power at the best efficiency point (BEP), the impeller diameter and the rotational speed) of a PAT is proposed, aimed at both maximizing the daily produced energy and performing challenging economic selection. Then, it is assessed by estimations of the corresponding payback period (PP) and the net present value (NPV).
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Sars-CoV-2) global pandemic is a devastating event that is causing thousands of victims every day around the world. One of the main reasons of the ...great impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on society is its unexpected spread, which has not allowed an adequate preparation. The scientific community is fighting against time for the production of a vaccine, but it is difficult to place a safe and effective product on the market as fast as the virus is spreading. Similarly, for drugs that can directly interfere with viral pathways, their production times are long, despite the great efforts made. For these reasons, we analyzed the possible role of non-pharmacological substances such as supplements, probiotics, and nutraceuticals in reducing the risk of Sars-CoV-2 infection or mitigating the symptoms of COVID-19. These substances could have numerous advantages in the current circumstances, are generally easily available, and have negligible side effects if administered at the already used and tested dosages. Large scientific evidence supports the benefits that some bacterial and molecular products may exert on the immune response to respiratory viruses. These could also have a regulatory role in systemic inflammation or endothelial damage, which are two crucial aspects of COVID-19. However, there are no specific data available, and rigorous clinical trials should be conducted to confirm the putative benefits of diet supplementation, probiotics, and nutraceuticals in the current pandemic.
In February 2022, a critically ill patient colonized with a carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae producing KPC-3 and VIM-1 carbapenemases was hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 in the intensive care unit of ...Policlinico Umberto I hospital in Rome, Italy. During 95 days of hospitalization, ceftazidime/avibactam, meropenem/vaborbactam, and cefiderocol were administered consecutively to treat 3 respiratory tract infections sustained by different bacterial agents. Those therapies altered the resistome of K. pneumoniae sequence type 512 colonizing or infecting the patient during the hospitalization period. In vivo evolution of the K. pneumoniae sequence type 512 resistome occurred through plasmid loss, outer membrane porin alteration, and a nonsense mutation in the cirA siderophore gene, resulting in high levels of cefiderocol resistance. Cross-selection can occur between K. pneumoniae and treatments prescribed for other infective agents. K. pneumoniae can stably colonize a patient, and antimicrobial-selective pressure can promote progressive K. pneumoniae resistome evolution, indicating a substantial public health threat.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Authors’ response Cina Sasannejad, E. Wesley Ely and Shouri Lahiri Dear Editor, We greatly appreciate Giordano et al.’s interest in our paper and are grateful for their insights. Given the ...preponderance of published data at basic and clinical levels of analysis that associate mechanical ventilation with cognitive deterioration, we agree with Giordano et al. that this risk should be disclosed as informed consent is obtained to implement mechanical ventilation. While we also agree that tidal volume minimization appears to be neuroprotective in patients with anoxic brain injury after cardiac arrest 4, more precise risk stratification for mechanical ventilation in the general population may necessitate consideration of additional factors, including the extent and type of any pre-existing neurodegenerative substrate or duration of mechanical ventilation. For instance, although recently published data show accelerated Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology in mechanically ventilated mice, as evidenced by increased levels of the amyloid-β peptide and cognition-relevant neuroinflammation, there were differential effects of mechanical ventilation on blood-brain barrier permeability between mice with and without pre-existing neurodegenerative pathology 5. These findings illustrate the potential complexity of the relationship between mechanical ventilation exposure and neurodegenerative processes, which may be modulated by factors related to mechanical ventilation, such as tidal volume and duration of mechanical ventilation, as well as the patient’s individual cerebral substrate. Further, the neurocognitive effects of various sedative drugs, which frequently accompany low-tidal volume mechanical ventilation, remain an active area of research 6. The heterogeneity of critical illness and its underlying mechanisms may ultimately require a personalized approach to assessing the risks and benefits of mechanical ventilation for individual patients in the context of their overall disease state and potential for recovery. Indeed, neuroprotective approaches to mechanical ventilation may improve outcomes after cardiac arrest or brain injury 4, 7; however, further research is still needed to clarify how neuroprotective approaches to mechanical ventilation inform the balance of risks and benefits of mechanical ventilation in other disease conditions and clinical contexts.
Background:
Gastrointestinal disorders are frequent in COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 has been hypothesized to impact on host microbial flora and gut inflammation, infecting intestinal epithelial cells. ...Since there are currently no coded therapies or guidelines for treatment of COVID-19, this study aimed to evaluate the possible role of a specific oral bacteriotherapy as complementary therapeutic strategy to avoid the progression of COVID-19.
Methods:
We provide a report of 70 patients positive for COVID-19, hospitalized between March 9th and April 4th, 2020. All the patients had fever, required non-invasive oxygen therapy and presented a CT lung involvement on imaging more than 50%. Forty-two patients received hydroxychloroquine, antibiotics, and tocilizumab, alone or in combination. A second group of 28 subjects received the same therapy added with oral bacteriotherapy, using a multistrain formulation.
Results:
The two cohorts of patients were comparable for age, sex, laboratory values, concomitant pathologies, and the modality of oxygen support. Within 72 h, nearly all patients treated with bacteriotherapy showed remission of diarrhea and other symptoms as compared to less than half of the not supplemented group. The estimated risk of developing respiratory failure was eight-fold lower in patients receiving oral bacteriotherapy. Both the prevalence of patients transferred to ICU and mortality were higher among the patients not treated with oral bacteriotherapy.
Conclusions:
A specific bacterial formulation showed a significant ameliorating impact on the clinical conditions of patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. These results also stress the importance of the gut-lung axis in controlling the COVID-19 disease.
Authors’ response Battaglini D; Bonatti G; Robba C; Rocco PRM; Pelosi P Dear Editor, We thank Professor Bilotta and colleagues for their interest in our recent scientific contribution 1. The authors ...pointed out the role of neuroinflammation due to mechanical ventilation in stroke, thus advising the relevance of possible novel pharmacological strategies. First, we were asked to clarify our point of view regarding the existence of significant neuroinflammation induced by mechanical ventilation in stroke, as challenged by Hegeman and colleagues 4. We fully agree with the importance of neuroinflammation due to mechanical ventilation in stroke patients, and in our review, discussed only few of those papers referring to neuromodulation in stroke. Different perspectives have been reported in the literature, which focus on the complex interaction among the neuroendocrine, neuroinflammatory, autonomic and immunologic pathways, both implicated in lung injury that can affect the brain 6. Furthermore, different neuromodulation patterns, as well as different brain-lung interactions, may occur due to mechanical ventilation or primary cerebral pathologies. Second, as suggested, novel anti-inflammatory therapies for modulating the neuroinflammatory response (such as lidocaine) could play a role in the near future. This is another interesting issue that we did not take into consideration in our review, which focused on mechanical ventilation strategies in stroke. Experimental and clinical perspectives suggest a wide range of promising therapies against neuroinflammation in stroke, including molecular modulation, such as those reported by the use of minocycline in rats 7 or by modulating the vagal and dopaminergic pathways 8. Newer biomolecular targets, such as noradrenergic and dopaminergic receptors, stem cell therapy, microRNA, and interleukins, all of which are still in the preclinical stages of research, are also of the utmost interest. However, addressing these would have exceeded the scope of our study.
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