•Comprehensive vulnerability assessment serves as a decision-making support system.•Coastal vulnerability varies across urbanized areas, suburban and rural areas.•Socio-economic factors and hazard ...exposure significantly influence vulnerability.•Applying the assessment at a smaller scale helps identify targeted decision-making.
With increasing population growth and urban sprawl, many coastal lowlands are unprecedentedly vulnerable to climate change and its impacts, such as rising sea levels, increasing extreme storm events, and coastal flooding. Quantifying coastal flood vulnerability serves as a tool to identify a system’s weakness, monitor its change, and support making targeted climate adaptation policies. The assessment framework proposed in this research uses principal component analysis (PCA) and a weighting method to build a composite indicator of flood vulnerability index and evaluate the vulnerability for 256 coastal census tracts and 24 municipalities along the coast of Connecticut, USA. The research uses Keiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity to test sample adequacy and performs data standardization for all indicators. Through PCA, 30 coastal vulnerability-related indicators were grouped into four major dimensions: hazard exposure, socio-economic, physical/land use and land cover, and natural. The findings highlight the variations of flood vulnerability across highly urbanized areas, suburban areas, and rural areas; and the gradient from coastal low-elevation region to high-elevation inland area. This variance is unevenly caused by different dimensions although they may trade-off with each other when aggregated, the dominant dimensions play a significant or decisive role in the vulnerability assessment. This research built an automatic and objective assessment framework that is flexible enough to be applied at a smaller scale so as to obtain detailed analysis and it can be used as a decision-making support system.
The electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is an attractive technology for the mass production of hydrogen. Ru‐based materials are promising electrocatalysts owing to the similar bonding ...strength with hydrogen but much lower cost than Pt catalysts. Herein, an ordered macroporous superstructure of N‐doped nanoporous carbon anchored with the ultrafine Ru nanoclusters as electrocatalytic micro/nanoreactors is developed via the thermal pyrolysis of ordered macroporous single crystals of ZIF‐8 accommodating Ru(III) ions. Benefiting from the highly interconnected reticular macro–nanospaces, this superstrucure affords unparalleled performance for pH‐universal HER, with order of magnitude higher mass activity compared to the benchmark Pt/C. Notably, an exceptionally low overpotential of only 13 mV@10 mA cm−2 is required for HER in alkaline solution, with a low Tafel slope of 40.41 mV dec−1 and an ultrahigh turnover frequency value of 1.6 H2 s−1 at 25 mV, greatly outperforming Pt/C. Furthermore, the hydrogen generation rates are almost twice those of Pt/C during practical overall alkaline water splitting. A solar‐to‐hydrogen system is also demonstrated to further promote the application. This research may open a new avenue for the development of advanced electrocatalytic micro/nanoreactors with controlled morphology and excellent performance for future energy applications.
An ordered macroporous superstructure of nitrogen‐doped nanoporous carbon implanted with ultrafine Ru nanoclusters is developed via thermal pyrolysis of the ordered macroporous single crystals of ZIF‐8 accommodating Ru(III) ions, which affords unparalleled performance for the pH‐universal hydrogen evolution reaction, with order of magnitude higher mass activity compared to the benchmark Pt/C.
Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating the maintenance and destruction of intervertebral disc may lead to the development of new therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Here ...we present evidence from miRNA microarray analyses of clinical data sets along with in vitro and in vivo experiments that miR-141 is a key regulator of IDD. Gain- and loss-of-function studies show that miR-141 drives IDD by inducing nucleus pulposus (NP) apoptosis. Furthermore, miR-141 KO in mice attenuated spontaneous and surgically induced IDD. Mechanistically, miR-141 promotes IDD development by targeting and depleting SIRT1, a negative regulator of NF-κB pathway. Therapeutically, upregulation or downregulation of miR-141 by nanoparticle delivery in IDD model aggravated or alleviated experimental IDD, respectively. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which miR-141, in part, promotes IDD progression by interacting with SIRT1/NF-κB pathway. Blockade of miR-141 in vivo may serve as a potential therapeutic approach in the treatment of IDD.
Since early December 2019, the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused pneumonia epidemic in Wuhan, Hubei province of China. This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the ...progression of pneumonia in COVID-19 patients. Associated results will be used to evaluate the prognosis and to find the optimal treatment regimens for COVID-19 pneumonia.
Patients tested positive for the COVID-19 based on nucleic acid detection were included in this study. Patients were admitted to 3 tertiary hospitals in Wuhan between December 30, 2019, and January 15, 2020. Individual data, laboratory indices, imaging characteristics, and clinical data were collected, and statistical analysis was performed. Based on clinical typing results, the patients were divided into a progression group or an improvement/stabilization group. Continuous variables were analyzed using independent samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Categorical variables were analyzed using Chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the risk factors for disease progression.
Seventy-eight patients with COVID-19-induced pneumonia met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. Efficacy evaluation at 2 weeks after hospitalization indicated that 11 patients (14.1%) had deteriorated, and 67 patients (85.9%) had improved/stabilized. The patients in the progression group were significantly older than those in the disease improvement/stabilization group (66 51, 70 vs. 37 32, 41 years, U = 4.932, P = 0.001). The progression group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with a history of smoking than the improvement/stabilization group (27.3% vs. 3.0%, χ = 9.291, P = 0.018). For all the 78 patients, fever was the most common initial symptom, and the maximum body temperature at admission was significantly higher in the progression group than in the improvement/stabilization group (38.2 37.8, 38.6 vs. 37.5 37.0, 38.4°C, U = 2.057, P = 0.027). Moreover, the proportion of patients with respiratory failure (54.5% vs. 20.9%, χ = 5.611, P = 0.028) and respiratory rate (34 18, 48 vs. 24 16, 60 breaths/min, U = 4.030, P = 0.004) were significantly higher in the progression group than in the improvement/stabilization group. C-reactive protein was significantly elevated in the progression group compared to the improvement/stabilization group (38.9 14.3, 64.8 vs. 10.6 1.9, 33.1 mg/L, U = 1.315, P = 0.024). Albumin was significantly lower in the progression group than in the improvement/stabilization group (36.62 ± 6.60 vs. 41.27 ± 4.55 g/L, U = 2.843, P = 0.006). Patients in the progression group were more likely to receive high-level respiratory support than in the improvement/stabilization group (χ = 16.01, P = 0.001). Multivariate logistic analysis indicated that age (odds ratio OR, 8.546; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.628-44.864; P = 0.011), history of smoking (OR, 14.285; 95% CI: 1.577-25.000; P = 0.018), maximum body temperature at admission (OR, 8.999; 95% CI: 1.036-78.147, P = 0.046), respiratory failure (OR, 8.772, 95% CI: 1.942-40.000; P = 0.016), albumin (OR, 7.353, 95% CI: 1.098-50.000; P = 0.003), and C-reactive protein (OR, 10.530; 95% CI: 1.224-34.701, P = 0.028) were risk factors for disease progression.
Several factors that led to the progression of COVID-19 pneumonia were identified, including age, history of smoking, maximum body temperature at admission, respiratory failure, albumin, and C-reactive protein. These results can be used to further enhance the ability of management of COVID-19 pneumonia.
Parkinson's disease is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by resting tremor, slowness of movements, rigidity, gait disturbance and postural instability. Most ...investigations on Parkinson's disease focused on the basal ganglia, whereas the cerebellum has often been overlooked. However, increasing evidence suggests that the cerebellum may have certain roles in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. Anatomical studies identified reciprocal connections between the basal ganglia and cerebellum. There are Parkinson's disease-related pathological changes in the cerebellum. Functional or morphological modulations in the cerebellum were detected related to akinesia/rigidity, tremor, gait disturbance, dyskinesia and some non-motor symptoms. It is likely that the major roles of the cerebellum in Parkinson's disease include pathological and compensatory effects. Pathological changes in the cerebellum might be induced by dopaminergic degeneration, abnormal drives from the basal ganglia and dopaminergic treatment, and may account for some clinical symptoms in Parkinson's disease. The compensatory effect may help maintain better motor and non-motor functions. The cerebellum is also a potential target for some parkinsonian symptoms. Our knowledge about the roles of the cerebellum in Parkinson's disease remains limited, and further attention to the cerebellum is warranted.
Herein, the authors report, for the first time, the semisacrificial template growth of a self‐supporting metal–organic framework (MOF) nanocomposite electrode composed of ultrasmall iron‐rich ...Fe(Ni)‐MOF cluster‐decorated ultrathin Ni‐rich Ni(Fe)‐MOF nanosheets from the NiFe alloy foam, in which the Fe(Ni)‐MOF clusters are uniform with a particle size of 2–5 nm, while the thickness of the Ni(Fe)‐MOF nanosheets is only about 1.56 nm. When directly used as a self‐supported working electrode for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), it can afford an impressive electrocatalytic performance with required overpotentials of 227 and 253 mV to achieve current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively, much outperforming the benchmark of RuO2 and most state‐of‐the‐art noble‐metal‐free catalysts. Characterizations demonstrated that the combination of the unique nanostructure of the catalyst and the strong coupling effect between Ni and Fe active sites should be responsible for its excellent OER performance. Remarkably, when coupled with a Pt electrode in an overall water splitting system, they only needed 1.537 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The facile and economical methodology represents a new way to design and prepare high‐performance self‐supporting MOF electrocatalysts for highly efficient electrochemical processes.
A self‐supporting MOF nanocomposite electrode composed of ultrasmall iron‐rich Fe(Ni)‐MOF cluster‐decorated ultrathin Ni‐rich Ni(Fe)‐MOF nanosheets is prepared by a semisacrificial template growth method. The combination of the unique nanostructure and the strong coupling effect between Ni and Fe active sites endow the composite electrode with excellent electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction performance.
•A novel refrigerant-based battery thermal management system is proposed.•Temperature distributions and boiling characteristics are predicted.•The maximum temperature is inversely correlated with ...refrigerant inlet velocity.•Temperature uniformity is predominantly affected by nucleate boiling heat transfer.
In this paper, a novel battery thermal management system (BTMS) using the dielectric, non-flammable HFE-7000 refrigerant is proposed for electric vehicles (EVs). Its thermal performance is studied both numerically and experimentally. The refrigerant flows and boils on the battery wall surfaces, which lowers the thermal contact resistance as well as enhances the heat transfer process. Therefore, the thermal performance of the battery module is improved. The results indicate that forced convection heat transfer of the liquid refrigerant is dominating in the control of the temperature rise in the battery module. The maximum battery temperature drops to 35.10°C at 0.3ms-1 inlet velocity and a 5C discharge rate. In contrast, the temperature uniformity between individual battery cells primarily depends on the nucleate boiling heat absorption and local perturbation of the two-phase turbulent flow. A temperature difference of no more than 3.71°C can be observed at 5C discharge rate and 0.1ms- 1. In addition, good agreement was found between the numerical results and experimental data.
Abstract
Many high quality studies have emerged from public databases, such as Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), The ...Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC); however, these data are often characterized by a high degree of dimensional heterogeneity, timeliness, scarcity, irregularity, and other characteristics, resulting in the value of these data not being fully utilized. Data-mining technology has been a frontier field in medical research, as it demonstrates excellent performance in evaluating patient risks and assisting clinical decision-making in building disease-prediction models. Therefore, data mining has unique advantages in clinical big-data research, especially in large-scale medical public databases. This article introduced the main medical public database and described the steps, tasks, and models of data mining in simple language. Additionally, we described data-mining methods along with their practical applications. The goal of this work was to aid clinical researchers in gaining a clear and intuitive understanding of the application of data-mining technology on clinical big-data in order to promote the production of research results that are beneficial to doctors and patients.
Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to valuable fuels is appealing for CO2 fixation and energy storage. However, the development of electrocatalysts with high activity and selectivity in a wide ...potential window is challenging. Herein, atomically thin bismuthene (Bi‐ene) is pioneeringly obtained by an in situ electrochemical transformation from ultrathin bismuth‐based metal–organic layers. The few‐layer Bi‐ene, which possesses a great mass of exposed active sites with high intrinsic activity, has a high selectivity (ca. 100 %), large partial current density, and quite good stability in a potential window exceeding 0.35 V toward formate production. It even deliver current densities that exceed 300.0 mA cm−2 without compromising selectivity in a flow‐cell reactor. Using in situ ATR‐IR spectra and DFT analysis, a reaction mechanism involving HCO3− for formate generation was unveiled, which brings new fundamental understanding of CO2 reduction.
Atomically thin bismuthene with excellent electrocatalytic CO2 reduction performance is obtained from ultrathin metal–organic layers by an in situ electrochemical transformation process. A reaction route involving HCO3− for formate production is revealed.
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