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The latest information from Hiroshima and Nagasaki on radiation-induced cancer in man includes new DS86 dose assignments and extension of the Life-Span Study Sample cohort through 1985. The implications of these new doses and updated data for the assessment of cancer risk at low to moderate doses have been evaluated. Results from the fitting of three dose-response models (linear, quadratic, linear-quadratic) to the data at doses less than 1.5 Gy are reported. Based on statistical analyses of the authors' results, comments are made concerning the possible shapes of dose-response curves for human cancer.

Comfort temperature and sleep quality involving 20 participants were determined in two cases: Case A (arbitrary, controlled air-conditioner setting) and Case B (adjustment of 3 °C higher than the setting of Case A with cool bed linen). Data of indoor thermal comfort and electricity consumption were collected every night throughout the measurement period. Questionnaires on thermal comfort and sleep quality were distributed twice a night for a duration of three nights for each case; the first night was for respondents’ adaptation and the following two nights were for measurement. The sleep quality of the respondents was objectively measured using a commercially available activity tracker. Results found that most respondents were thermally comfortable in both cases, with 39% lower energy consumption reported for Case B compared to Case A. The thermal conditions of Case B were found to be more tolerable than those of Case A. Most respondents reported to have a calm and satisfied sleep for both cases. Comfort temperature and Sleep Efficiency Index (SEI) were found to be maintained in both cases.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a type of force majeure that significantly and unexpectedly affected all human lifestyles. This study includes an integrative review of articles published across Scopus and Web of Science journals and compiled using the systematic review methodology based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) Statement and VOSreview (visualization of similarities) software by defining keywords that include “construction industry” and “force majeure” and “environmental risks” as a starting point. Moreover, the research years and the countries covered by this research were determined in a second stage. Finally, the abstracts of selected studies were reviewed in order to extract factors similar to the pandemic conditions of COVID-19 along with the brief results of the research. Out of 6384 publications identified and 56 publications reporting, 20 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria with full text. Based on our findings, there has been a continuous growth of publications on construction risk and environmental research since 2010. Malaysia had the greatest contribution to the research topic of the countries covered by the study, followed by Egypt. The Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management journal published the greatest number of publications related to the research topic. In this review, the most important previous studies are classified according to their handling of force majeure and environmental risks and the most important factors mentioned in these studies are identified. In addition, recommendations are made for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and for mitigating its effects on the construction industry in the Arab world and Malaysia. The results of this review will benefit researchers and construction companies alike in furthering research on reducing the risks of COVID-19 to construction projects and avoiding the significant economic loss that results from stopping these projects.

The interconversion of the ethanolate, hydrate and amorphous form of TMC114 ((3-[(4-amino-benzenesulfonyl)-isobutyl-amino]-1-benzyl-2-hydroxypropyl)-carbamic acid hexahydrofuro-[2,3-b]furan-3-yl ester) in open conditions was characterized. TMC114 hydrate and ethanolate form isostructural channel solvates. The crystal structure of TMC114 was obtained from single crystal X-ray diffraction, confirming that it is a channel solvate. Ethanol and water can exchange with one another. TMC114 ethanolate converts into TMC114 hydrate at moderate or high relative humidity (RH) at 25 degrees C, and it converts back into the ethanolate in ethanol atmosphere. The hydration level of the hydrate is determined by the environmental humidity. TMC114 hydrate collapses to the amorphous product when water is removed by drying at low RH or increasing temperature. TMC114 ethanolate becomes amorphous at elevated temperature in a dry environment below the desolvation temperature. Amorphous TMC114 obtained by dehydrating the hydrate during storage at room temperature/<5% RH, by increasing the temperature, or via desolvating the ethanolate by heating, converts into the hydrate at moderate or high RH at ambient conditions, and into TMC114 ethanolate in an ethanol atmosphere. Under ambient conditions, TMC114 ethanolate may convert into the hydrate, whereas the opposite will not occur under these conditions. The amorphous form, prepared by melting-quenching shows a limited water uptake. Whereas TMC114 ethanolate is stable in the commercialized drug product, special conditions can trigger its conversion.

(2002). Electrolytic Deposition (Electroplating) of Metals. Transactions of the IMF: Vol. 80, No. 2, pp. 67-72.

Abstract Catalyst layer structural changes in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells have significant impact on the cell performance and durability. In this study, ex-situ experiments are designed to investigate the effect of humidity and/or thermal cycles on the structural changes of catalyst layers. The relative humidity and temperature are controlled by an environmental chamber and the catalyst layer structure is characterized by scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. The experimental results indicate that crack growth and development, catalyst agglomerate detachment, and surface bulges are the main structural changes of the catalyst layers. Applying relative humidity and thermal cycling simultaneously causes the most significant crack growth, while applying thermal cycling alone causes no appreciable changes. This indicates that the absolute humidity is the key parameter for the crack growth. Through cyclic voltammetry analysis, it is shown that the electrochemical active surface area decreases from 64.1 m2 g−1 to 49.1 m2 g−1 after 500 combined relative humidity and thermal cycles. Analyses of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy show that the charge transfer resistance and ohmic resistance increase significantly after 500 combined relative humidity and thermal cycles, causing the cell performance degradation.

Background: Minimizing raw salt and increasing fruit consumption are important factors for controlling blood pressure. The study aimed to investigate the following associations: (i) the association between socio-demographic characteristics and awareness of, and attitudes towards, raw salt and fruit consumption and (ii) the association between salt and fruit consumption and blood pressure. Methods: In a cluster-RCT, 307 adults, aged 30 to 75 years, with hypertension were recruited in 2021. Blood pressure was the primary outcome, and knowledge, attitudes and intakes of raw salt and fruit were secondary outcomes. Results: Of the participants, 271 (78.5%) consumed raw salt. More than 80% of the participants knew that reduced raw salt was good for controlling blood pressure and almost everyone knew that fruits and vegetables were good for health. Despite this, 95% of the participants had a habit of eating fruit irregularly. A lower proportion (64%) of the participants having at least a secondary school certificate (SSC) consumed raw salt, compared with those having an education level SSC (82%), p = 0.002. Blood pressure was not significantly different for participants, irrespective of raw salt or fruit consumption. Conclusions: Raw salt consumption among rural people was high and regular fruit consumption was deficient. They intended to reduce raw salt consumption. Appropriate intervention programs should be implemented to reduce salt consumption and increase fruit consumption.

AbstractAlloy anodes composed of microsized particles receive increasing attention recently, which outperform the nanostructured counterparts in both the manufacturing cost and volumetric energy density. However, the pulverization of particles and fracture of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) during cycling brings about fast capacity degradation. Herein, it is shown how normally considered fragile SEI can become highly elastic through electrolyte chemistry regulation. Compared to the SEI constructed in classic carbonate electrolyte, the atomic force microscopy tests reveal that the one built in ether‐based electrolyte doubles the maximum elastic strain to accommodate the repeated swelling‐contracting. Such an SEI effectively encapsulates the microsized Sb anodes to prevent the capacity loss from particle isolation. Coupled with an intercalation‐assisted alloying reaction mechanism, a sustained capacity of ≈573 mAh g−1 after 180 cycles at 0.1 A g−1 with outstanding initial Coulombic efficiency is obtained, which is among the highest values achieved in K‐ion batteries. This study emphasizes the significance of building robust SEI, which offers the opportunity to enable stable microsized alloy anodes.