For the first time, this study showed that the apparent second-order rate constants (k app) of six selected emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) oxidation by Fe(VI) increased, remained constant, or ...declined with time, depending on EOC0/Fe(VI)0, pH, and EOCs species. Employing excess caffeine as the quenching reagent for Fe(V) and Fe(IV), it was found that Fe(V)/Fe(IV) contributed to 20–30% of phenol and bisphenol F degradation by Fe(VI), and the contributions of Fe(V)/Fe(IV) remained nearly constant with time under all the tested conditions. However, the contributions of Fe(V)/Fe(IV) accounted for over 50% during the oxidation of sulfamethoxazole, bisphenol S, and iohexol by Fe(VI), and the variation trends of k app of their degradation by Fe(VI) with time displayed three different patterns, which coincided with those of the contributions of Fe(V)/Fe(IV) to their decomposition with time. Results of the quenching experiments were validated by simulating the oxidation kinetic data of methyl phenyl sulfoxide by Fe(VI), which revealed that the variation trends of k app with time were significantly determined by the change in the molar ratio of Fe(V) to Fe(VI) with time, highlighting the key role of Fe(V) in the oxidative process. This study provides comprehensive and insightful information on the roles of Fe(V)/Fe(IV) during EOC oxidation by Fe(VI).
Trend analysis of climate variables such as streamflow, precipitation, and temperature provides useful information for understanding the hydrological changes associated with climate change. In this ...study, a nonparametric Mann-Kendall test was employed to evaluate annual, seasonal, and monthly trends of precipitation and streamflow for the Neka basin in the north of Iran over a 44-year period (1972 to 2015). In addition, the Inverse Distance Weight (IDW) method was used for annual seasonal, monthly, and daily precipitation trends in order to investigate the spatial correlation between precipitation and streamflow trends in the study area. Results showed a downward trend in annual and winter precipitation (Z < −1.96) and an upward trend in annual maximum daily precipitation. Annual and monthly mean flows for most of the months in the Neka basin decreased by 14% significantly, but the annual maximum daily flow increased by 118%. Results for the trend analysis of streamflow and climatic variables showed that there are statistically significant relationships between precipitation and streamflow (
p
value < 0.05). Correlation coefficients for Kendall, Spearman’s rank and linear regression are 0.43, 0.61, and 0.67, respectively. The spatial presentation of the detected precipitation and streamflow trends showed a downward trend for the mean annual precipitation observed in the upstream part of the study area which is consistent with the streamflow trend. Also, there is a good correlation between monthly and seasonal precipitation and streamflow for all sub-basins (Sefidchah, Gelvard, Abelu). In general, from a hydro-climatic point of view, the results showed that the study area is moving towards a situation with more severe drought events.
The United States has poorer child health outcomes than other wealthy nations despite greater per capita spending on health care for children. To better understand this phenomenon, we examined ...mortality trends for the US and nineteen comparator nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for children ages 0-19 from 1961 to 2010 using publicly available data. While child mortality progressively declined across all countries, mortality in the US has been higher than in peer nations since the 1980s. From 2001 to 2010 the risk of death in the US was 76 percent greater for infants and 57 percent greater for children ages 1-19. During this decade, children ages 15-19 were eighty-two times more likely to die from gun homicide in the US. Over the fifty-year study period, the lagging US performance amounted to over 600,000 excess deaths. Policy interventions should focus on infants and on children ages 15-19, the two age groups with the greatest disparities, by addressing perinatal causes of death, automobile accidents, and assaults by firearm.
Admission of infants to hospital with bronchiolitis consumes considerable healthcare resources each winter. We report an analysis of hospital admissions in England over five decades.
Data were ...analysed from the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE, 1968-1985), Hospital Episode Statistics (HES, 1989-2011), Oxford Record Linkage Study (ORLS, 1963-2011) and Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network (PICANet, 2003-2012). Cases were identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in discharge records. Bronchiolitis was given a separate code in ICD9 (used in England from 1979). Geographical variation was analysed using Local Authority area boundaries. Maternal and perinatal risk factors associated with bronchiolitis and subsequent admissions for asthma were analysed using record-linkage.
All-England HIPE and HES data recorded 468 138 episodes of admission for bronchiolitis in infants aged <1 year between 1979 and 2011. In 2011 the estimated annual hospital admission rate was 46.1 (95% CI 45.6 to 46.6) per 1000 infants aged <1 year. Between 2004 and 2011 the rates rose by an average of 1.8% per year in the all-England HES data, whereas admission rates to paediatric intensive care changed little (1.3 to 1.6 per 1000 infants aged <1 year). A fivefold geographical variation in hospital admission rates was observed. Young maternal age, low social class, low birth weight and maternal smoking were among factors associated with an increased risk of hospital admission with bronchiolitis.
Hospital admissions for infants with bronchiolitis have increased substantially in recent years. However, cases requiring intensive care have changed little since 2004.
PDF
