Improving physical distancing among healthcare workers in a pediatric intensive care unit

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) not adhering to physical distancing recommendations is a risk factor for acquisition of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The study objective was to assess the impact of interventions to improve HCW physical distancing on actual distance between HCWs in a real-life setting. Methods: HCWs voluntarily wore proximity beacons to measure the number and intensity of physical distancing interactions between each other in a pediatric intensive care unit. We compared interactions before and after implementing a bundle of interventions including changes to the layout of workstations, cognitive aids, and individual feedback from wearable proximity beacons. Results: Overall, we recorded 10,788 interactions within 6 feet (∼2 m) and lasting >5 seconds. The number of HCWs wearing beacons fluctuated daily and increased over the study period. On average, 13 beacons were worn daily (32% of possible staff; range, 2–32 per day). We recorded 3,218 interactions before the interventions and 7,570 interactions after the interventions began. Using regression analysis accounting for the maximum number of potential interactions if all staff had worn beacons on a given day, there was a 1% decline in the number of interactions per possible interactions in the postintervention period (incident rate ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.98–1.00; P = .02) with fewer interactions occurring at nursing stations, in workrooms and during morning rounds. Conclusions: Using quantitative data from wearable proximity beacons, we found an overall small decline in interactions within 6 feet between HCWs in a busy intensive care unit after a multifaceted bundle of interventions was implemented to improve physical distancing.

Hybrid Supercapacitor Electrode Materials via Molecular Imprinting of Nitrogenous Ligands and Iron Complexes into Carbon Support

Novel hybrid supercapacitor materials were made by the covalent immobilization of nitrogenous ligands onto the surface of commercial carbon support (Vulcan XC-72), then coordinated to iron. The covalent attachment of the nitrogenous ligands allows for the controlled deposition of nitrogen functionalities on the surface of the carbon. The supercapacitor tests in acidic media showed significant growth of the capacitance as a result of the nitrogenous ligands on the support. Notably, the increase of the capacitance values directly correlates with the molecular loading on the surface. Following coordination of the iron to the ligands on the surface further elevated the capacitance via Faradaic reactions of the metal center. Remarkably, the overall capacitance of materials significantly increased after the course of long-term cycling tests (ca. 110% or higher). At the beginning of durability studies, a small decline in capacitance was observed, due to some extent of molecular decomposition on the surface of the electrode. However, the intense cycling further propagates a steady growth of the overall capacitance. This could be attributed to the process of polymerization of physisorbed molecules/ radicals that result in the formation of a 3D network structure that eventually boosts the overall capacitance and charge storage of the electrode.

Comprehensive Socio-Ecologo-Economic Assessment of Agricultural Efficiency in China

Modern agriculture aims to coordinate the contradiction between the development and utilization of agricultural resources and environmental protection by using scientific and technological achievements and management methods, so as to obtain good ecological benefit, social benefit and economic benefit. In this paper, 12 indexes are selected to build an evaluation system of comprehensive agricultural benefit. The agricultural data from 2013 to 2019 are analyzed, and the evaluation results are obtained: China’s comprehensive agricultural benefit kept growing, social benefit and economic benefit continued to grow, and ecological benefit began to grow rapidly in 2018 after experiencing a small decline. According to the evaluation results, the problems existing in China’s agricultural development are found, and the corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward.

Study the effect of low pH on Ruditapes decussatus (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

The grooved carpet shell clam (Ruditapes decussatus) is one of the most economically essential mollusks in Mediterranean lagoons and sandy beaches, with fisheries and aquaculture both contributing to its abundance. The goal of this research is to see how varying amounts of acidity affect this calcifying organism. 420 ppm (ambient control), 550 ppm, 750 ppm, and 1050 ppm were used to incubate juvenile clams in CO2 enriched saltwater. With increasing pCO2 , the biological parameters evaluated revealed a small decline. Differences, however, were not substantial. In terms of overall weight, the reduction was greatest at 550 and 1050 ppm. Furthermore, clams kept at 550 parts per million had the lowest condition index and the greatest mortality rate of 8%. Both the 550 ppm and the control 420 ppm groups demonstrated an increase in metabolic rate and ammonia excretion in the physiological response testing. With increasing acidification, the algal feed clearance rate declined, with the highest average value in the control (420 ppm) group and the lowest average value in the extremely high pCO2 (1050 ppm) group. Ocean acidification may put further strain on R. decussatus' health and economic value by the end of the century

Enhancing light scattering effect of white LEDs with ZnO nanostructures

Pc-LEDs, the lighting method that blends blue LED light with yellow light from phosphor to discharge white radiation, is one of the most advance known for high lumen output. However, pc-LEDs has inferior due to angular CCT deviation, which prevent pc-LEDs from reaching better performance. As a result, this research is conducted to address the need of pc-LEDs development by introducing a configuration doped with ZnO nanoparticles. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and the phosphor layer containing ZnO were applied in the experiments. The effect of ZnO-filled on the performance of color quality pc-LEDs is confirmed through calculated results. In particular, the uniformity of scattered light is improved with the presence of ZnO. In addition, ZnO particles also minimize the deviation of color temperature and enhance the color quality. Although there is a small decline in lumen output to achieve better color temperature uniformity, however, with suitable concentrations such as 0.25% N-ZnO, 0.25% S-ZnO, and 0. 75% R-ZnO, the decline is acceptable. The research on ZnO pc-LEDs demonstrates that this affordable and simple configuration can improve lighting properties and create other directions to enhance white light

Long Term Memory Outcome of Repetitive, Low-Level Dietary Exposure to Domoic Acid in Native Americans

Domoic acid (DA) is a marine-based neurotoxin that, if ingested via tainted shellfish, is associated with Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP). These acute effects of elevated DA exposure in humans have been well described. In contrast, the long-term impacts of lower level, repetitive, presumably safe doses of DA (less than 20 ppm) are minimally known. Since Native Americans (NA) residing in coastal communities of the Pacific NW United States are particularly vulnerable to DA exposure, this study focuses on the long-term, 8-year memory outcome associated with their repeated dietary consumption of the neurotoxin. Measures of razor clam consumption, memory, clerical speed and accuracy, and depression were administered over eight years to 500 randomly selected adult NA men and women ages 18–64. Data were analyzed using GEE analyses taking into consideration the year of study, demographic factors, and instrumentation in examining the association between dietary exposure and outcomes. Findings indicated a significant but small decline in total recall memory within the context of otherwise stable clerical speed and accuracy and depression scores. There is reason to believe that a continuum of memory difficulties may be associated with DA exposure, rather than a unitary ASP syndrome.

2019 Quota Data Update

The paper presents summary results for the updated data set, with country-by-country details provided in Appendix I. In terms of broad country groups, the results of the data update are broadly consistent with trends observed in previous updates. The aggregate share of Emerging Market and Developing Countries (EMDCs) increased by 0.3 pp, to 50.0 percent, following a small decline in the EMDCs’ share recorded in the 2018 data update. The rising EMDC share reflected again foremost an increase for Asia. Most advanced economies recorded a small decrease in their calculated quota share using the current quota formula.

The Impacts of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot: A Comparative Analysis of the Findings from the Hamilton Region

This article provides the findings of a quantitative and qualitative study of participants from the prematurely cancelled Ontario Basic Income Pilot in the Hamilton region. We compare our evidence with those of other large-scale experiments from the high-income countries between 1968 and 2019 to place OBIP’s findings in the context of evidence from randomized control experiments with similar policy conditions to Ontario’s. Our study identified a small decline in labour market participation, but improvements on a variety of quality-of-life measurements. We hypothesize that OBIPs comparatively positive results on general well-being can be attributed to its: i) generous benefit rates relative to social assistance rates; ii) 50 percent take back rate; and iii) unconditionality; iv) broad well-being/welfare design.

No support for relatedness and kin selection to explain high rates of conspecific brood parasitism in colonial Red-breasted Mergansers

Conspecific brood parasitism (CBP) has been observed in approximately half of all species of waterfowl, a philopatric group in which breeding females are frequently locally related. It has been suggested that kin selection can facilitate the evolution of CBP in waterfowl via fitness benefits for the host and parasite. One model demonstrates that discrimination of related and unrelated parasites by the host must be sufficient for kinship to promote CBP, provided that costs of brood parasitism to host fitness are sufficiently low. We parameterized the model using demographic data and behavioural observations from a population of colonial Red-breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator (Linnaeus, 1758)) in which 47% of nests were parasitized by conspecifics. The costs of 1-3 foreign eggs to host hatching success were generally small (decline of 1.8% per additional egg). Nevertheless, model outputs revealed that brood parasites maximize their inclusive fitness by avoiding nests of relatives, primarily because of constraints on a host’s ability to detect parasites at the nest. Indeed, hosts spent <8% of the diurnal period at the nest during egg laying, a period when parasite activity is greatest. It is thus highly unlikely that relatedness and kin selection promote brood parasitism in this population.

Intense east coast lows and associated rainfall in eastern Australia

East coast lows (ECLs) are low pressure systems that occur near the east coast of Australia. But not all lows cause the same level of impact, and a small proportion of ECLs are responsible for more than half of all days with widespread rainfall above 50mm in this region. In this study, we combine analyses of cyclones at both the surface and 500hPa levels to assess the locations of cyclones responsible for widespread heavy rainfall on the east coast. We found that the majority of days with widespread totals above 100mm on the east coast occur when a low at 500hPa over inland southeast Australia coincides with a surface low located more directly over the east coast. Such events occur on about 15 days per year but are responsible for more than 50% of days with widespread heavy rainfall on the eastern seaboard of Australia. We also found that extreme rainfall was most likely when both the surface and upper cyclones were very strong, when measured using the maximum Laplacian of pressure/height. The seasonal frequency of cyclones at the surface and 500hPa were found to be only weakly correlated with each other and often had opposing relationships (albeit weak in magnitude) with both global climate drivers and indices of local circulation variability. Trends in cyclone frequency were weak over the period 1979–2019, but there was a small decline in the frequency of deep cyclone days, which was statistically significant in some parts of the southeast. Understanding which ECLs are associated with heavy rainfall will help us to better identify how future climate change will influence ECL impacts.