Background: Studies of single nutrients on depression have produced inconsistent results, and they have failed to consider the complex interactions between nutrients. An increasing number of studies ...in recent years are investigating the association of overall dietary patterns and depression.Objective: This study aimed to systematically review current literature and conduct meta-analyses of studies addressing the association between dietary patterns and depression.Design: Six electronic databases were searched for articles published up to August 2013 that examined the association of total diet and depression among adults. Only studies considered methodologically rigorous were included. Two independent reviewers completed study selection, quality rating, and data extraction. Effect sizes of eligible studies were pooled by using random-effects models. A summary of the findings was presented for studies that could not be meta-analyzed.Results: A total of 21 studies were identified. Results from 13 observational studies were pooled. Two dietary patterns were identified. The healthy diet pattern was significantly associated with a reduced odds of depression (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.76, 0.92; P < 0.001). No statistically significant association was observed between the Western diet and depression (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.68; P = 0.094); however, the studies were too few for a precise estimate of this effect.Conclusions: The results suggest that high intakes of fruit, vegetables, fish, and whole grains may be associated with a reduced depression risk. However, more high-quality randomized controlled trials and cohort studies are needed to confirm this finding, specifically the temporal sequence of this association.
As rates of new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases decline across Europe owing to nonpharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing policies and lockdown measures, countries require ...guidance on how to ease restrictions while minimizing the risk of resurgent outbreaks. We use mobility and case data to quantify how coordinated exit strategies could delay continental resurgence and limit community transmission of COVID-19. We find that a resurgent continental epidemic could occur as many as 5 weeks earlier when well-connected countries with stringent existing interventions end their interventions prematurely. Further, we find that appropriate coordination can greatly improve the likelihood of eliminating community transmission throughout Europe. In particular, synchronizing intermittent lockdowns across Europe means that half as many lockdown periods would be required to end continent-wide community transmission.
Electrochemistry of Nanoparticles Kleijn, Steven E. F.; Lai, Stanley C. S.; Koper, Marc T. M. ...
Angewandte Chemie (International ed.),
April 1, 2014, Letnik:
53, Številka:
14
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Metal nanoparticles (NPs) find widespread application as a result of their unique physical and chemical properties. NPs have generated considerable interest in catalysis and electrocatalysis, where ...they provide a high surface area to mass ratio and can be tailored to promote particular reaction pathways. The activity of NPs can be analyzed especially well using electrochemistry, which probes interfacial chemistry directly. In this Review, we discuss key issues related to the electrochemistry of NPs. We highlight model studies that demonstrate exceptional control over the NP shape and size, or mass‐transport conditions, which can provide key insights into the behavior of ensembles of NPs. Particular focus is on the challenge of ultimately measuring reactions at individual NPs, and relating the response to their structure, which is leading to imaginative experiments that have an impact on electrochemistry in general as well as broader surface and colloid science.
Revealing electrochemistry: Key issues related to the electrochemistry of nanoparticles are being uncovered through innovative techniques capable of relating activity and structure, ultimately at the level of a single nanoparticle. Recent advances in experimental approaches are discussed and assessed, with particular emphasis on those that enhance the fundamental understanding of electrocatalysis and nanoscale electrochemistry.
Context. The physical structure of deeply embedded low-mass protostars (Class 0) on scales of less than 300 AU is still poorly constrained. While molecular line observations demonstrate the presence ...of disks with Keplerian rotation toward a handful of sources, others show no hint of rotation. Determining the structure on small scales (a few 100 AU) is crucial for understanding the physical and chemical evolution from cores to disks. Aims. We determine the presence and characteristics of compact, disk-like structures in deeply embedded low-mass protostars. A related goal is investigating how the derived structure affects the determination of gas-phase molecular abundances on hot-core scales. Methods. Two models of the emission, a Gaussian disk intensity distribution and a parametrized power-law disk model, are fitted to subarcsecond resolution interferometric continuum observations of five Class 0 sources, including one source with a confirmed Keplerian disk. Prior to fitting the models to the de-projected real visibilities, the estimated envelope from an independent model and any companion sources are subtracted. For reference, a spherically symmetric single power-law envelope is fitted to the larger scale emission (~1000 AU) and investigated further for one of the sources on smaller scales. Results. The radii of the fitted disk-like structures range from ~90−170 AU, and the derived masses depend on the method. Using the Gaussian disk model results in masses of 54−556 × 10-3 M⊙, and using the power-law disk model gives 9−140 × 10-3 M⊙. While the disk radii agree with previous estimates the masses are different for some of the sources studied. Assuming a typical temperature distribution (r-0.5), the fractional amount of mass in the disk above 100 K varies from 7% to 30%. Conclusions. A thin disk model can approximate the emission and physical structure in the inner few 100 AU scales of the studied deeply embedded low-mass protostars and paves the way for analysis of a larger sample with ALMA. Kinematic data are needed to determine the presence of any Keplerian disk. Using previous observations of p-H218O, we estimate the relative gas phase water abundances relative to total warm H2 to be 6.2 × 10-5 (IRAS 2A), 0.33 × 10-5 (IRAS 4A-NW), 1.8 × 10-7 (IRAS 4B), and < 2 × 10-7 (IRAS 4A-SE), roughly an order of magnitude higher than previously inferred when both warm and cold H2 were used as reference. A spherically symmetric single power-law envelope model fails to simultaneously reproduce both the small- and large-scale emission.
PLA and TPU were melt-blended to form shape memory bio-based blends in order to improve the shape memory effect of PLA. The shape memory behaviors of PLA/TPU blends predeformed under three different ...predeformation temperatures (25, 80, 120 °C) were investigated at various recovery temperatures. At the predeformation temperature of 25 °C, the addition of TPU significantly increased the shape recovery ratio of PLA up to 93.5 ± 0.4 % at 160 °C for the PLA/TPU (50/50) blends. With the increase of predeformation temperatures, the shape fixing ability enhanced, but the ability of shape recovery decreased. In order to consider both fixing and recovery ratios together, an additional denotation of shape memory index to couple both ratios by the multiplication of fixing ratio (R
f
) and recovery ratio (R
r
) was also considered. The sharp increases in the shape memory index curves against recovery temperatures for blends predeformed near the glass transition temperature of PLA were observed in comparison with the gradual, and earliest or latest, increases in the shape recovery curves for those predeformed at room temperature or high temperature. The recovery stress peak temperatures largely corresponded to the predeformation temperatures and increased with increasing the predeformation temperatures, indicating a unique “memory” effect for this type of bio-based blends in terms of recovery stress.
Abstract
Background
The ongoing pandemic is having a collateral health effect on delivery of surgical care to millions of patients. Very little is known about pandemic management and effects on other ...services, including delivery of surgery.
Methods
This was a scoping review of all available literature pertaining to COVID-19 and surgery, using electronic databases, society websites, webinars and preprint repositories.
Results
Several perioperative guidelines have been issued within a short time. Many suggestions are contradictory and based on anecdotal data at best. As regions with the highest volume of operations per capita are being hit, an unprecedented number of operations are being cancelled or deferred. No major stakeholder seems to have considered how a pandemic deprives patients with a surgical condition of resources, with patients disproportionally affected owing to the nature of treatment (use of anaesthesia, operating rooms, protective equipment, physical invasion and need for perioperative care). No recommendations exist regarding how to reopen surgical delivery. The postpandemic evaluation and future planning should involve surgical services as an essential part to maintain appropriate surgical care for the population during an outbreak. Surgical delivery, owing to its cross-cutting nature and synergistic effects on health systems at large, needs to be built into the WHO agenda for national health planning.
Conclusion
Patients are being deprived of surgical access, with uncertain loss of function and risk of adverse prognosis as a collateral effect of the pandemic. Surgical services need a contingency plan for maintaining surgical care in an ongoing or postpandemic phase.
Graphical Abstract
Surgical services are adapting to mitigate the surge in patients with COVID-19 in need of critical care support. All non-essential elective surgery has been cancelled, or is pending cancellation, in healthcare systems around the globe, impacting millions of patients. The postpandemic phase will require re-establishment of surgical services, and capacity building to restore normalcy and to appropriately reduce the backlog of cases by priority. A framework for evaluation and a plan to incorporate surgical care into the WHO strategies for national health plans and pandemic mitigation is urgently needed.
Graphical Abstract
Preparing for the next wave
To address the need for brief, reliable, valid, and standardized quality of life (QOL) assessment applicable across neurologic conditions.
Drawing from larger calibrated item banks, we developed ...short measures (8-9 items each) of 13 different QOL domains across physical, mental, and social health and evaluated their validity and reliability. Three samples were utilized during short form development: general population (Internet-based, n = 2,113); clinical panel (Internet-based, n = 553); and clinical outpatient (clinic-based, n = 581). All short forms are expressed as T scores with a mean of 50 and SD of 10.
Internal consistency (Cronbach α) of the 13 short forms ranged from 0.85 to 0.97. Correlations between short form and full-length item bank scores ranged from 0.88 to 0.99 (0.82-0.96 after removing common items from banks). Online respondents were asked whether they had any of 19 different chronic health conditions, and whether or not those reported conditions interfered with ability to function normally. All short forms, across physical, mental, and social health, were able to separate people who reported no health condition from those who reported 1-2 or 3 or more. In addition, scores on all 13 domains were worse for people who acknowledged being limited by the health conditions they reported, compared to those who reported conditions but were not limited by them.
These 13 brief measures of self-reported QOL are reliable and show preliminary evidence of concurrent validity inasmuch as they differentiate people based upon number of reported health conditions and whether those reported conditions impede normal function.
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