Direct photocatalytic conversion of aldehydes to esters using supported gold nanoparticles under visible light irradiation at room temperature

Visible light can drive esteri fi cation from aldehydes and alcohols using supported gold nanoparticles (Au/Al 2 O 3 ) as photo- catalysts at ambient temperatures. The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) absorb visible light due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) e ff ect, and the conduction electrons of the AuNPs gain the energy of the incident light. The energetic electrons, which concentrate at the NP surface, facilitate the activation of a range of aldehyde and alcohol substrates. The photocatalytic e ffi ciencies strongly depend on the Au loading, particle sizes of the AuNPs, irradiance, and wavelength of the light irradiation. Finally, a plausible reaction mechanism was proposed, and the Au/Al 2 O 3 catalysts can be reused several times without signi fi cantly losing activity. The knowledge acquired in this study may inspire further studies in new e ffi cient recyclable photocatalysts and a wide range of organic synthesis driven by sunlight.

Global variation in the effects of ambient temperature on mortality: A systematic evaluation

Background: Studies have examined the effects of temperature on mortality in a single city, country, or region. However, less evidence is available on the variation in the associations between temperature and mortality in multiple countries, analyzed simultaneously. Methods: We obtained daily data on temperature and mortality in 306 communities from 12 countries/regions (Australia, Brazil, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and Canada). Two-stage analyses were used to assess the nonlinear and delayed relation between temperature and mortality. In the first stage, a Poisson regression allowing overdispersion with distributed lag nonlinear model was used to estimate the community-specific temperature-mortality relation. In the second stage, a multivariate meta-analysis was used to pool the nonlinear and delayed effects of ambient temperature at the national level, in each country. Results: The temperatures associated with the lowest mortality were around the 75th percentile of temperature in all the countries/regions, ranging from 66th (Taiwan) to 80th (UK) percentiles. The estimated effects of cold and hot temperatures on mortality varied by community and country. Meta-analysis results show that both cold and hot temperatures increased the risk of mortality in all the countries/regions. Cold effects were delayed and lasted for many days, whereas heat effects appeared quickly and did not last long. Conclusions: People have some ability to adapt to their local climate type, but both cold and hot temperatures are still associated with increased risk of mortality. Public health strategies to alleviate the impact of ambient temperatures are important, in particular in the context of climate change.

Temperature variation between neighboring days and mortality: a distributed lag non-linear analysis

Objectives To investigate whether a sudden temperature change between neighboring days has significant impact on mortality. Methods A Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lag non-linear models was used to estimate the association of temperature change between neighboring days with mortality in a subtropical Chinese city during 2008–2012. Temperature change was calculated as the current day’s temperature minus the previous day’s temperature. Results A significant effect of temperature change between neighboring days on mortality was observed. Temperature increase was significantly associated with elevated mortality from non-accidental and cardiovascular diseases, while temperature decrease had a protective effect on non-accidental mortality and cardiovascular mortality. Males and people aged 65 years or older appeared to be more vulnerable to the impact of temperature change. Conclusions Temperature increase between neighboring days has a significant adverse impact on mortality. Further health mitigation strategies as a response to climate change should take into account temperature variation between neighboring days.

Impact of temperature on mortality in three major Chinese cities

To study the relation between temperature and mortality by estimating the temperature-related mortality in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. METHODS: Data of daily mortality, weather and air pollution in the three cities were collected. A distributed lag nonlinear model was established and used in analyzing the effects of temperature on mortality. Current and future net temperature-related mortality was estimated. RESULTS: The association between temperature and mortality was J-shaped, with an increased death risk of both hot and cold temperature in these cities. The effects of cold temperature on health lasted longer than those of hot temperature. The projected temperature-related mortality increased with the decreased cold-related mortality. The mortality was higher in Guangzhou than in Beijing and Shanghai. CONCLUSION: The impact of temperature on health varies in the 3 cities of China, which may have implications for climate policy making in China.

Impact of diurnal temperature range on human health: a systematic review

Increasing epidemiological studies have shown that a rapid temperature change within 1 day is an independent risk factor for human health. This paper aimed to systematically review the epidemiological evidence on the relationship between diurnal temperature range (DTR) and human health and to propose future research directions. A literature search was conducted in October 2013 using the databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, and EBSCO. Empirical studies regarding the relationship between DTR and mortality and morbidity were included. Twenty-five relevant studies were identified, among which, 11 investigated the relationship between DTR and mortality and 14 examined the impact of DTR on morbidity. The majority of existing studies reported that DTR was significantly associated with mortality and morbidity, particularly for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Notably, compared with adults, the elderly and children were more vulnerable to DTR effects. However, there were some inconsistencies regarding the susceptible groups, lag time, and threshold of DTR. The impact of DTR on human health may be confounded or modified by season, socioeconomic, and educational status. Further research is needed to further confirm the adverse effects of DTR in different geographical locations; examine the effects of DTR on the health of children aged one or under; explore extreme DTR effects on human health; analyze the difference of DTR effects on human health in different locations and the modified effects of potential confounding factors; and develop detailed preventive measures against large DTR, particularly for susceptible groups

Separable spatiotemporal priors for convex reconstruction of time-varying 3D point clouds

Reconstructing 3D motion data is highly under-constrained due to several common sources of data loss during measurement, such as projection, occlusion, or miscorrespondence. We present a statistical model of 3D motion data, based on the Kronecker structure of the spatiotemporal covariance of natural motion, as a prior on 3D motion. This prior is expressed as a matrix normal distribution, composed of separable and compact row and column covariances. We relate the marginals of the distribution to the shape, trajectory, and shape-trajectory models of prior art. When the marginal shape distribution is not available from training data, we show how placing a hierarchical prior over shapes results in a convex MAP solution in terms of the trace-norm. The matrix normal distribution, fit to a single sequence, outperforms state-of-the-art methods at reconstructing 3D motion data in the presence of significant data loss, while providing covariance estimates of the imputed points.

Atomic resolution of dielectric with low temperature coefficient

Ba(6-3x)Nd(8+2x)Ti(18)O(54) (BNTl14) is a high permittivity dielectric with low temperature coefficient (Tcf). Low coefficient of change of dielectric permittivity with temperature (Tcf) is an unusual materials property. The research is aimed at discovering how atomic structure relates to temperature coefficient. Sub-Ångström scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is used to measure mixed occupancy of Nd and Ba in atomic columns. It was expected that phase separation would occur to accommodate mixing of dissimilar ions. However no evidence of phase separation was found. There is a good image match between experiment and high angle annular dark field (HAADF) simulation. Vacancies and excess Ba ions appear to be randomly arranged on the available sites which would result in distortion of TiO6 octahedra. The low Tcf may arise from TiO6 distortion.

Customised osteotomy guides and endoprosthetic reconstruction for periacetabular tumours

Purpose We sought to analyse clinical and oncological outcomes of patients after guided resection of periacetabular tumours and endoprosthetic reconstruction of the remaining defect. Methods From 1988 to 2008, we treated 56 consecutive patients (mean age 52.5 years, 41.1 % women). Patients were followed up either until death or February 2011 (mean follow up 5.5 years, range 0.1–22.5, standard deviation ± 5.3). Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to estimate survival rates. Results Disease-specific survival was 59.9 % at five years and 49.7 % at ten and 20 years, respectively. Wide resection margins were achieved in 38 patients, whereas 11 patients underwent marginal and seven intralesional resection. Survival was significantly better in patients with wide or marginal resection than in patients with intralesional resection (p = 0.022). Survival for patients with secondary tumours was significantly worse than for patients with primary tumours (p = 0.003). In 29 patients (51.8 %), at least one reoperation was necessary, resulting in a revision-free survival of 50.5 % at five years, 41.1 % at ten years and 30.6 % at 20 years. Implant survival was 77.0 % at five years, 68.6 % at ten years and 51.8 % at 20 years. A total of 35 patients (62.5 %) experienced one or more complications after surgery. Ten of 56 patients (17.9 %) experienced local recurrence after a mean of 8.9 months. The mean postoperative Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score was 18.1 (60.1 %). Conclusion The surgical approach assessed in this study simplifies the process of tumour resection and prosthesis implantation and leads to acceptable clinical and oncological outcomes.

The effects of ambient temperature on cerebrovascular mortality: An epidemiologic study in four climatic zones in China

Background Little evidence is available about the association between temperature and cerebrovascular mortality in China. This study aims to examine the effects of ambient temperature on cerebrovascular mortality in different climatic zones in China. Method We obtained daily data on weather conditions, air pollution and cerebrovascular deaths from five cities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Guangzhou) in China during 2004-2008. We examined city-specific associations between ambient temperature and the cerebrovascular mortality, while adjusting for season, long-term trends, day of the week, relative humidity and air pollution. We examined cold effects using a 1°C decrease in temperature below a city-specific threshold, and hot effects using a 1°C increase in temperature above a city-specific threshold. We used a meta-analysis to summarize the cold and hot effects across the five cities. Results Beijing and Tianjin (with low mean temperature) had lower thresholds than Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou (with high mean temperature). In Beijing, Tianjin, Wuhan and Guangzhou cold effects were delayed, while in Shanghai there was no or short induction. Hot effects were acute in all five cities. The cold effects lasted longer than hot effects. The hot effects were followed by mortality displacement. The pooled relative risk associated with a 1°C decrease in temperature below thresholds (cold effect) was 1.037 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.020, 1.053). The pooled relative risk associated with a 1°C increase in temperature above thresholds (hot effect) was 1.014 (95% CI: 0.979, 1.050). Conclusion Cold temperatures are significantly associated with cerebrovascular mortality in China, while hot effect is not significant. People in colder climate cities were sensitive to hot temperatures, while people in warmer climate cities were vulnerable to cold temperature.

The effects of high temperature on cardiovascular admissions in the most populous tropical city in Vietnam

This study examined the short-term effects of temperature on cardiovascular hospital admissions (CHA) in the largest tropical city in Southern Vietnam. We applied Poisson time-series regression models with Distributed Lag Non-Linear Model (DLNM) to examine the temperature-CHA association while adjusting for seasonal and long-term trends, day of the week, holidays, and humidity. The threshold temperature and added effects of heat waves were also evaluated. The exposure-response curve of temperature-CHA reveals a J-shape relationship with a threshold temperature of 29.6 °C. The delayed effects temperature-CHA lasted for a week (0–5 days). The overall risk of CHA increased 12.9% (RR, 1.129; 95%CI, 0.972–1.311) during heatwave events, which were defined as temperature ≥ the 99th percentile for ≥2 consecutive days. The modification roles of gender and age were inconsistent and non-significant in this study. An additional prevention program that reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in relation to high temperatures should be developed.

Biceps femoris architecture and strength in athletes with a prior ACL reconstruction

Purpose To determine if limbs with a history of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury reconstructed from the semitendinosus (ST) display different biceps femoris long head (BFlh) architecture and eccentric strength, assessed during the Nordic hamstring exercise, compared to the contralateral uninjured limb. Methods The architectural characteristics of the BFlh were assessed at rest and at 25% of a maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in the control (n=52) and previous ACL injury group (n=15) using two-dimensional ultrasonography. Eccentric knee-flexor strength was assessed during the Nordic hamstring exercise. Results Fascicle length was shorter (p=0.001; d range: 0.90 to 1.31) and pennation angle (p range: 0.001 to 0.006: d range: 0.87 to 0.93) was greater in the BFlh of the ACL injured limb when compared to the contralateral uninjured limb at rest and during 25% of MVIC. Eccentric strength was significantly lower in the ACL injured limb than the contralateral uninjured limb (-13.7%; -42.9N; 95% CI = -78.7 to -7.2; p=0.021; d=0.51). Fascicle length, MVIC and eccentric strength were not different between the left and right limb in the control group. Conclusions Limbs with a history of ACL injury reconstructed from the ST have shorter fascicles and greater pennation angles in the BFlh compared to the contralateral uninjured side. Eccentric strength during the Nordic hamstring exercise of the ACL injured limb is significantly lower than the contralateral side. These findings have implications for ACL rehabilitation and hamstring injury prevention practices which should consider altered architectural characteristics.

Elevated temperature mechanical properties of hollow flange channel sections

The fire performance of cold-formed steel members is an important criterion to be verified for their successful use in structural applications. However, lack of clear design guidance on their fire performance has inhibited their usage in buildings. Their elevated temperature mechanical properties, i.e., yield strengths, elastic moduli and stress–strain relationships, are imperative for the fire design. In the past many researchers have proposed elevated temperature mechanical property reduction factors for cold-formed steels, however, large variations exist among them. The LiteSteel Beam (LSB), a hollow flange channel section, is manufactured by a combined cold-forming and electric resistance welding process. Its web, inner and outer flange elements have different yield strengths due to varying levels of cold-working caused by their manufacturing process. Elevated temperature mechanical properties of LSBs are not the same even within their cross-sections. Therefore an experimental study was undertaken to determine the elevated temperature mechanical properties of steel plate elements in LSBs. Elevated temperature tensile tests were performed on web, inner and outer flange specimens taken from LSBs, and their results are presented in this paper including their comparisons with previous studies. Based on the test results and the proposed values from previous studies and fire design standards, suitable predictive equations are proposed for the determination of elevated temperature mechanical properties of LSB web and flange elements. Suitable stress–strain models are also proposed for the plate elements of this cold-formed and welded hollow flange channel section.

Study of reproducibility of human arterial plaque reconstruction and its effects on stress analysis based on multispectral in vivo magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose: To quantify the uncertainties of carotid plaque morphology reconstruction based on patient-specific multispectral in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and their impacts on the plaque stress analysis. Materials and Methods: In this study, three independent investigators were invited to reconstruct the carotid bifurcation with plaque based on MR images from two subjects to study the geometry reconstruction reproducibility. Finite element stress analyses were performed on the carotid bifurcations, as well as the models with artificially modified plaque geometries to mimic the image segmentation uncertainties, to study the impacts of the uncertainties to the stress prediction. Results: Plaque reconstruction reproducibility was generally high in the study. The uncertainties among interobservers are around one or the subpixel level. It also shows that the predicted stress is relatively less sensitive to the arterial wall segmentation uncertainties, and more affected by the accuracy of lipid region definition. For a model with lipid core region artificially increased by adding one pixel on the lipid region boundary, it will significantly increase the maximum Von Mises Stress in fibrous cap (>100%) compared with the baseline model for all subjects. Conclusion: The current in vivo MRI in the carotid plaque could provide useful and reliable information for plaque morphology. The accuracy of stress analysis based on plaque geometry is subject to MRI quality. The improved resolution/quality in plaque imaging with newly developed MRI protocols would generate more realistic stress predictions.

Modelling growth rate of Penaeus monodon Fabricius in intensively managed ponds: effects of temperature, pond age and stocking density

Records of shrimp growth and water quality made during 12 crops from each of 48 ponds, over a period of 6.5 years, were provided by a Queensland, Australia, commercial shrimp farm, These data were analysed with a new growth model derived from the Gompertz model. The results indicate that water temperature, mortality and pond age significantly affect growth rates. After 180 days, shrimp reach 34 g at constant 30 degrees C, but only 15 g after the same amount of time at 20 degrees C. Mortality, through thinning the density of shrimp in the ponds, increased the growth rate, but the effect is small. With continual production, growth rates at first remained steady, then appeared to decrease for the sixth and seventh crop, after which they have increased steadily with each crop. It appears that conservative pond management, together with a gradual improvement in husbandry techniques, particularly feed management, brought about this change. This has encouraging implications for the long-term sustainability of the farming methods used. The growth model can be used to predict productivity, and hence, profitability, of new aquaculture locations or new production strategies.