Additively printed mechanical metamaterial structures optimize material, energy and waste, producing more sustainable products. Their introduction in the production workflow depends on having proper ...tools for accurately predicting their performance. However, the additive manufacturing process incorporates significant defects which result in an important change of the effective properties of the metamaterial cell. Finite element predictions using perfect geometries and nominal base material properties result in important errors which may require excessive uncertainty-related safety design margins. This work presents a methodology to introduce the effect of the most common defects in finite element models to compute the effective mechanical response of different metamaterials printed by Selective Laser Melting. It is shown that even at elastic infinitesimal strains, the defects produce an important change in the effective mechanical capabilities of the metamaterial, which also depend on the type of the metamaterial cell studied and on the type and magnitude of defects. With the proposed methodology, which incorporates the distribution of defects in the finite element model, the predicted mechanical properties of the metamaterial better match the experimental ones. It is shown that the initial discrepancies in the order of 100% are reduced to an order of 5%.
This article presents the data set obtained for the research work entitled “Effect of a Ni-P coating on the corrosion resistance of an additive manufacturing carbon steel immersed in a 0.1 M NaCl ...solution” 1. Microstructural, mechanical, and electrochemical characterization (using the electrochemical impedance and electrochemical noise spectroscopy technique) is performed on a material obtained by additive manufacturing and the influence of a Ni-P coating on it. The layer sizes and hardness of the substrate are measured, as well as the thickness of the coating and its hardness, values for corrosion resistance, resistance to electrochemical noise and location indices are calculated. The data show an adequate deposition rate for the type of coating, as well as the increase in corrosion resistance when the coating is applied to the steel by additive manufacturing.
Background
Previous studies demonstrated that patients with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) show altered startle reflex responses to alcohol‐related stimuli. However, there is little information about ...the role of these altered responses in the development of AUDs. This study examined the startle reflex response to different visual stimuli and the role of these patterns in the development of AUDs in a 4‐year follow‐up.
Methods
Two hundred and thirty‐nine (nondependent) heavy‐drinking participants were selected. In the baseline period, the startle reflex responses to alcohol‐related, aversive, appetitive, and neutral pictures were assessed. Startle reflex responses to these pictures were used as predictive variables. Status drinking (alcohol dependence and nondependence) assessed at 4‐year follow‐up was used as outcome measure.
Results
At the 4‐year follow‐up assessment, 46% of participants fulfilled DSM‐IV alcohol abuse or dependence criteria. Alcohol dependence status was predicted by an attenuated startle reflex response to alcohol‐related and aversive pictures.
Conclusions
This study revealed that an attenuated modulation of startle reflex response to alcohol‐related and aversive stimuli could be used as a clinical marker to predict the development of AUDs in participants with previous alcohol consumption.
The participants are 239 men with a heavy‐drinking profile who had not received previous formal treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Results show that in comparison with participants remaining as heavy drinkers and remitted at 4‐year follow‐up, alcohol‐dependent subjects show an attenuated startle reflex response to alcohol‐related, aversive, appetitive and neutral pictures. The predictive analysis shows that the startle reflex response to alcohol‐related and aversive pictures are significant predictors of alcohol‐dependence status at the follow‐up 4 years later.
The effect of alirocumab, a PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitor, on coronary plaque burden in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia has not been addressed. Our aim ...was to assess changes in coronary plaque burden and its characteristics after treatment with alirocumab by quantification and characterization of atherosclerotic plaque throughout the coronary tree on the basis of a noninvasive analysis of coronary computed tomographic angiography in asymptomatic subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia receiving optimized and stable treatment with maximum tolerated statin dose with or without ezetimibe.
This study is a phase IV, open-label, multicenter, single-arm clinical trial to assess changes in coronary plaque burden and its characteristics after 78 weeks of treatment with alirocumab in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia without clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Participants underwent an initial coronary computed tomographic angiography at baseline and another at 78 weeks. Every patient received 150 mg of alirocumab subcutaneiously every 14 days in addition to high-intensity statin therapy. The main outcome was the change on coronary plaque burden and its characteristics by quantification and characterization of atherosclerotic plaque throughout the coronary tree on the basis of analysis of coronary computed tomographic angiography.
The study was completed by 104 patients. The median age was 53.3 (46.2-59.4) years. Of these patients, 54 were women (51.9%). Median low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 138.9 (117.5-175.3) mg/dL at entry and 45.0 (36.0-65.0) mg/dL at follow-up (
<0.001). Coronary plaque burden changed from 34.6% (32.5%-36.8%) at entry to 30.4% (27.4%-33.4%) at follow-up (
<0.001). A significant change in the characteristics of the coronary atherosclerosis was also found: an increase in the proportion of calcified (+0.3%;
<0.001) and mainly fibrous (+6.2%;
<0.001) plaque, accompanied by a decrease in the percentage of fibro-fatty (-3.9%;
<0.001) and necrotic plaque (-0.6%;
<0.001).
Treatment with alirocumab in addition to high-intensity statin therapy resulted in significant regression of coronary plaque burden and plaque stabilization on coronary computed tomographic angiography over 78 weeks in these groups of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia without clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. ARCHITECT (Effect of Alirocumab on Atherosclerotic Plaque Volume, Architecture and Composition) could link and explain ODYSSEY OUTCOMES (Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab) results.
URL: https://www.
gov; Unique identifier: NCT05465278.
The purpose of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the value of the methods used to assess dietary patterns for measuring nutrient intake adequacy in the ...population. Systematic review on Pubmed database up to April 2008. The search included specific key words and MeSH terms. No language limit was set. Only studies that compared food patterns with nutrient intake adequacy or nutrient biomarkers were included in the analysis. The search resulted in 1504 articles. The inclusion and exclusion criteria limited the selection to thirty articles. Nineteen studies evaluated the usefulness of the dietary patterns, either a priori defined (thirteen studies), or defined by factor analysis (four studies) or by cluster analysis (two studies), but only nine of them tested their validity (four a priori defined and four a posteriori defined). Diet indices showed moderate to good validity results for measuring the adequacy of intakes for α-carotene, β-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin B6, Ca, folic acid, Fe and Mg. The factor analysis approach showed moderate to good validity correlations with the adequacy of intake of α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein, lycopene, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folic acid. Vitamin B12 and vitamin E are the micronutrients with less probability of being adequately assessed with dietary patterns a priori or a posteriori defined. Diet indices are tools with fair to moderate validity to assess micronutrient intake adequacy.
This study investigates people's preconceptions of green roofs and their visual preference for different green roof design alternatives in relation to behavioral, social and demographical variables. ...The investigation was performed as a visual preference study using digital images created to represent eight different alternatives: gravel roof, extensive green roof with Sedums not in flower, extensive green roof with sedums in bloom, semi-intensive green roof with sedums and ornamental grasses, semi-intensive green roof with shrubs, intensive green roof planted with a lawn, intensive green roof with succulent and trees and intensive green roof with shrubs and trees. Using a Likert-type scale, 450 respondents were asked to indicate their preference for each digital image. Results indicated that respondents' sociodemographic characteristics and childhood environmental background influenced their preferences toward different green roof types. Results also showed that green roofs with a more careful design, greater variety of vegetation structure, and more variety of colors were preferred over alternatives.
•We examine individuals' preconceptions and preferences for green roof types.•The most valued benefit of green roof installation was the reduction in air pollution.•The potential problem with the highest score was allergy problems.•Clearly designed green roofs were preferred before more naturalistic alternatives.
In Mexico little is known about high-altitude glacial psychrotolerant or psychrophilic fungal species, with most glacial fungi isolated from polar environments or Alpine glaciers. It has been ...documented that some of these species may play an important role in bioremediation of contaminated environments with heavy metals. In the present study, 75 fungi were isolated from glaciers in Citlaltépetl (5675 masl) and Iztaccíhuatl (5286 masl) volcanoes. Combining morphological characteristics and molecular methods, based on ITS rDNA, 38 fungi were partially identified to genus level, 35 belonging to
Ascomycota
and three to
Mucoromycota
. The most abundant genera were
Cladosporium
, followed by
Alternaria
and
Sordariomycetes
order. All isolated fungi were psychrotolerant, pigmented and resistant to different concentrations of Cr(III) and Pb(II), while none tolerated Hg(II). Fungi most tolerant to Cr(III) and Pb(II) belong to the genera
Stemphylium
,
Cladosporium
and
Penicillium
and to a lesser extent
Aureobasidium
and
Sordariomycetes.
To our knowledge, this is the first report on cultivable mycobiota richness and their Cr and Pb tolerance. The results open new research possibilities about fungal diversity and heavy metals myco-remediation. Extremophilic fungal communities should be further investigated before global warming causes permanent changes and we miss the opportunity to describe these sites in Mexico.
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common genetic disorder associated with premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). There are sparse data on attainment of treatment ...targets; large registries that reflect real-life clinical practice can uniquely provide this information.
We sought to evaluate the achievement of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) treatment goals in FH patients enrolled in a large national registry.
The SAFEHEART study (Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolemia Cohort Study) is a large, ongoing registry of molecularly defined patients with heterozygous FH treated in Spain. The attainment of guideline-recommended plasma LDL-C goals at entry and follow-up was investigated in relation to use of lipid-lowering therapy (LLT).
The study recruited 4,132 individuals (3,745 of whom were ≥18 years of age); 2,752 of those enrolled were molecularly diagnosed FH cases. Mean follow-up was 5.1 ± 3.1 years; 71.8% of FH cases were on maximal LLT, and an LDL-C treatment target <100 mg/dl was reached by only 11.2% of patients. At follow-up, there was a significant increase in the use of ezetimibe, drug combinations with statins, and maximal LLT. The presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, a defective allele mutation, ezetimibe use, and the absence of previous ASCVD were predictors of the attainment of LDL-C goals.
Despite the use of intensified LLT, many FH patients continue to experience high plasma LDL-C levels and, consequently, do not achieve recommended treatment targets. Type of LDL-receptor mutation, use of ezetimibe, coexistent diabetes, and ASCVD status can bear significantly on the likelihood of attaining LDL-C treatment goals.
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