Hot temperatures and morbidity : a systematic review and meta–analysis

Extreme temperatures have been shown to have a detrimental effect on health. Hot temperatures can increase the risk of mortality, particularly in people suffering from cardiorespiratory diseases. Given the onset of climate change, it is critical that the impact of temperature on health is understood, so that effective public health strategies can correctly identify vulnerable groups within the population. However, while effects on mortality have been extensively studied, temperature–related morbidity has received less attention. This study applied a systematic review and meta–analysis to examine the current literature relating to hot temperatures and morbidity.

Blowing hot and cold on project management

The purpose of this article is to suggest a possible “meta” approach of the project management field—the unit of analysis—respectful of the various perspectives in existence, while providing an integrative ontological and epistemological framework. In order to do so, I first suggest what could be perceived as being the state of the field and its main constituting “school of thoughts.” Then I open the debate on what could be the ontological and epistemological perspectives enabling us to better take into account the diversity we face in considering the richness of the field. Based on these developments, I propose to address project management as a complex integrative knowledge field, which eventually will lead us to consider “modeling—developing specific convention—to do ingeniously” as acting and learning mode in the management of projects.

High court determines that it cannot be assumed that hot chips are only eaten at lunch

In Strong v Woolworth Ltd (t/as Big W) (2012) 285 ALR 420 the appellant was injured when she fell at a shopping centre outside the respondent’s premises. The appellant was disabled, having had her right leg amputated above the knee and therefore walked with crutches. One of the crutches came into contact with a hot potato chip which was on the floor, causing the crutch to slip and the appellant to fall. The appellant sued in negligence, alleging that the respondent was in breach of its duty of care by failing to institute and maintain a cleaning system to detect spillages and foreign objects within its sidewalk sales area. The issue before the High Court was whether it could be established on the balance of probabilities as to when the hot chip had fallen onto the ground so as to prove causation in fact...

Reduced electron recombination of dye-sensitized solar cells based on TiO 2 spheres consisting of ultrathin nanosheets with [001] facet exposed

An anatase TiO 2 material with hierarchically structured spheres consisting of ultrathin nanosheets with 100% of the [001] facet exposed was employed to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC s). Investigation of the electron transport and back reaction of the DSCs by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the spheres had a threefold lower electron recombination rate compared to the conventional TiO 2 nanoparticles. In contrast, the effective electron diffusion coefficient, D n, was not sensitive to the variation of the TiO 2 morphology. The TiO 2 spheres showed the same Dn as that of the nanoparticles. The influence of TiCl 4 post-treatment on the conduction band of the TiO 2 spheres and on the kinetics of electron transport and back reactions was also investigated. It was found that the TiCl 4 post-treatment caused a downward shift of the TiO 2 conduction band edge by 30 meV. Meanwhile, a fourfold increase of the effective electron lifetime of the DSC was also observed after TiCl4 treatment. The synergistic effect of the variation of the TiO 2 conduction band and the electron recombination determined the open-circuit voltage of the DSC. © 2012 Wang et al.

Exposure to hot and cold temperatures and ambulance attendances in Brisbane, Australia: A time series study

ABSTRACT Objectives: To investigate the effect of hot and cold temperatures on ambulance attendances. Design: An ecological time series study. Setting and participants: The study was conducted in Brisbane, Australia. We collected information on 783 935 daily ambulance attendances, along with data of associated meteorological variables and air pollutants, for the period of 2000–2007. Outcome measures: The total number of ambulance attendances was examined, along with those related to cardiovascular, respiratory and other non-traumatic conditions. Generalised additive models were used to assess the relationship between daily mean temperature and the number of ambulance attendances. Results: There were statistically significant relationships between mean temperature and ambulance attendances for all categories. Acute heat effects were found with a 1.17% (95% CI: 0.86%, 1.48%) increase in total attendances for 1 °C increase above threshold (0–1 days lag). Cold effects were delayed and longer lasting with a 1.30% (0.87%, 1.73%) increase in total attendances for a 1 °C decrease below the threshold (2–15 days lag). Harvesting was observed following initial acute periods of heat effects, but not for cold effects. Conclusions: This study shows that both hot and cold temperatures led to increases in ambulance attendances for different medical conditions. Our findings support the notion that ambulance attendance records are a valid and timely source of data for use in the development of local weather/health early warning systems.

Exposure to hot and cold temperatures and ambulance attendances in Brisbane, Australia

Objectives: To investigate the effect of hot and cold temperatures on ambulance attendances. Design: An ecological time series study. Setting and participants: The study was conducted in Brisbane, Australia. We collected information on 783 935 daily ambulance attendances, along with data of associated meteorological variables and air pollutants, for the period of 2000–2007. Outcome measures: The total number of ambulance attendances was examined, along with those related to cardiovascular, respiratory and other non-traumatic conditions. Generalised additive models were used to assess the relationship between daily mean temperature and the number of ambulance attendances. Results: There were statistically significant relationships between mean temperature and ambulance attendances for all categories. Acute heat effects were found with a 1.17% (95% CI: 0.86%, 1.48%) increase in total attendances for 1 °C increase above threshold (0–1 days lag). Cold effects were delayed and longer lasting with a 1.30% (0.87%, 1.73%) increase in total attendances for a 1 °C decrease below the threshold (2–15 days lag). Harvesting was observed following initial acute periods of heat effects, but not for cold effects. Conclusions: This study shows that both hot and cold temperatures led to increases in ambulance attendances for different medical conditions. Our findings support the notion that ambulance attendance records are a valid and timely source of data for use in the development of local weather/health early warning systems.

Empirical evaluation of alternative approaches in identifying crash hot spots

This study proposes a framework of a model-based hot spot identification method by applying full Bayes (FB) technique. In comparison with the state-of-the-art approach [i.e., empirical Bayes method (EB)], the advantage of the FB method is the capability to seamlessly integrate prior information and all available data into posterior distributions on which various ranking criteria could be based. With intersection crash data collected in Singapore, an empirical analysis was conducted to evaluate the following six approaches for hot spot identification: (a) naive ranking using raw crash data, (b) standard EB ranking, (c) FB ranking using a Poisson-gamma model, (d) FB ranking using a Poisson-lognormal model, (e) FB ranking using a hierarchical Poisson model, and (f) FB ranking using a hierarchical Poisson (AR-1) model. The results show that (a) when using the expected crash rate-related decision parameters, all model-based approaches perform significantly better in safety ranking than does the naive ranking method, and (b) the FB approach using hierarchical models significantly outperforms the standard EB approach in correctly identifying hazardous sites.

A randomised controlled trial of a theory-based intervention to improve sun protective behaviour in adolescents ('you can still be HOT in the shade') : study protocol

Background: Most skin cancers are preventable by encouraging consistent use of sun protective behaviour. In Australia, adolescents have high levels of knowledge and awareness of the risks of skin cancer but exhibit significantly lower sun protection behaviours than adults. There is limited research aimed at understanding why people do or do not engage in sun protective behaviour, and an associated absence of theory-based interventions to improve sun safe behaviour. This paper presents the study protocol for a school-based intervention which aims to improve the sun safe behaviour of adolescents. Methods/design: Approximately 400 adolescents (aged 12-17 years) will be recruited through Queensland, Australia public and private schools and randomized to the intervention (n = 200) or 'wait-list' control group (n = 200). The intervention focuses on encouraging supportive sun protective attitudes and beliefs, fostering perceptions of normative support for sun protection behaviour, and increasing perceptions of control/self-efficacy over using sun protection. It will be delivered during three × one hour sessions over a three week period from a trained facilitator during class time. Data will be collected one week pre-intervention (Time 1), and at one week (Time 2) and four weeks (Time 3) post-intervention. Primary outcomes are intentions to sun protect and sun protection behaviour. Secondary outcomes include attitudes toward performing sun protective behaviours (i.e., attitudes), perceptions of normative support to sun protect (i.e., subjective norms, group norms, and image norms), and perceived control over performing sun protective behaviours (i.e., perceived behavioural control). Discussion: The study will provide valuable information about the effectiveness of the intervention in improving the sun protective behaviour of adolescents.

Analysis of a negatively buoyant jet

The behavior of plane fountains, resulting from the injection of dense fluid (water) upwards into a large container of homogeneous fluid of lower density (air),was investigated. In this study the behavior of fountains was examined numerically and experimentally for different Froude and Reynolds numbers. The flow rate and nozzle diameter of the inlet of the fountain was varied to cover a wide range of Reynolds and Froude numbers. The effect of inclination angle of the inlet for different nozzle diameter and flow rate on fountain behavior was observed. It was found that the height of the fountain greatly depends on Froude number. An empirical correlation was developed for non-dimensional fountain height with Froude number. However the non-dimensional fountain height can more accurately be represented when regressed with both Reynolds and Froude number by the following relationship H/r=exp(5.94)*Re^-0.72*Fr^2.26. The result are compared with previous numerical and experimental results and found to be consistent.

Reconstructing the history of maize streak virus strain a dispersal to reveal diversification hot spots and its origin in southern Africa

Maize streak virus strain A (MSV-A), the causal agent of maize streak disease, is today one of the most serious biotic threats to African food security. Determining where MSV-A originated and how it spread transcontinentally could yield valuable insights into its historical emergence as a crop pathogen. Similarly, determining where the major extant MSV-A lineages arose could identify geographical hot spots of MSV evolution. Here, we use model-based phylogeographic analyses of 353 fully sequenced MSV-A isolates to reconstruct a plausible history of MSV-A movements over the past 150 years. We show that since the probable emergence of MSV-A in southern Africa around 1863, the virus spread transcontinentally at an average rate of 32.5 km/year (95% highest probability density interval, 15.6 to 51.6 km/year). Using distinctive patterns of nucleotide variation caused by 20 unique intra-MSV-A recombination events, we tentatively classified the MSV-A isolates into 24 easily discernible lineages. Despite many of these lineages displaying distinct geographical distributions, it is apparent that almost all have emerged within the past 4 decades from either southern or east-central Africa. Collectively, our results suggest that regular analysis of MSV-A genomes within these diversification hot spots could be used to monitor the emergence of future MSV-A lineages that could affect maize cultivation in Africa. © 2011, American Society for Microbiology.

The causes of sinuous crustal-scale deformation patterns in hot orogens: Evidence from scaled analogue experiments and the southern Central Andes

The cause of upper-crustal segmentation into rhomb-shaped, shear zone-bound domains associated with contractional sedimentary basins in hot, wide orogens is not well understood. Here we use scaled multilayered analogue experiments to investigate the role of an orogen-parallel crustal-strength gradient on the formation of such structures. We show that the aspect ratio and size of domains, the sinuous character and abundance of transpressional shear zones vary with the integrated mechanical strength of crust. Upper-crustal deformation patterns and the degree of strain localization in the experiments are controlled by the ratio between the brittle and ductile strength in the model crust as well as gradients in tectonic and buoyancy forces. The experimental results match the first-order kinematic and structural characteristics of the southern Central Andes and provide insight on the dynamics of underlying deformation patterns in hot, wide orogens.