Annual hospitalisation rates for children with asthma are inversely associated with total hours of sunshine in English regions

During childhood, exacerbation of asthma is the most common medical reason for admission to hospital in the UK. Each year 44,000 children are admitted to hospital in the UK with 40-50 children dying as a result of asthma [1]. Weather patterns and seasonality have distinct, measurable effects on the rates of hospitalisation for asthma

Experimental testing of joints for seismic design of lightweight structures: part 1: screwed joints in straps

Connections in x-braced shear walls play a crucial role in the seismic performance of lightweight structures: they should be strong enough to allow energy dissipation via plastification of the diagonal straps. An extensive experimental research on tensile screwed joints between straps is reported here. Two dominant failure modes are identified: (1) tilting and net section failure (T+NSF) and (2) tilting, bearing and pull out (T+B+PO). The analysis in terms of strength and ductility shows that T+NSF joints are suitable for seismic design, because the straps yield before the connections fail. T+B+PO joints, on the contrary, are not suited because the connection fails before the straps can yield. The influence of various design parameters (strap thickness, number and diameter of screws, steel grade) in the failure mode is studied, and design criteria to induce a T+NSF response are given.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Experimental testing of joints for seismic design of lightweight structures. Part 3: gussets, corner joints, x-braced frames

An experimental campaign on joints of x-braced frames is presented. Tests are performed on strap-gusset joints and lower and upper corner joints. Many different phenomena and failure modes are observed in these tests. However, it is possible to see that only one failure mode can be accepted if a good seismic performance of the frame needs to be guaranteed: the net-section failure of the diagonal strap after yielding. The results of the tests also allow to establish a set of recommendations for seismic design of joints. The effectiveness of these recommendations is verified by means of two final tests on complete x-braced frames. A full explanation on the behaviour of the joints and frames tested is included, together with a description of the special test set-up developed for the experimental campaign.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Acute health effects after accidental exposure to styrene from drinking water in Spain.

OBJECTIVES: We studied subjective health symptoms in a population accidentally exposed to high styrene concentrations in drinking tap water. The contamination occurred during the reparation of a water tank. METHODS: Residents of 27 apartments in two buildings using the contaminated water were contacted. A questionnaire on subjective symptoms was administered to 84 out of 93 persons living in the apartments at the time of the accident. Styrene concentration was measured in samples of water collected two days after the accident. The means of exposure associated with appearance of symptoms were examined through case-control analyses. RESULTS: Styrene in water reached concentrations up to 900 microg/L. Symptoms were reported by 46 persons (attack rate 55 %). The most frequent symptoms were irritation of the throat (26%), nose (19%), eyes (18%) and the skin (14%). General gastrointestinal symptoms were observed with 11% reporting abdominal pain and 7% diarrhea. The factors most strongly associated with symptoms were drinking tap water (OR = 7.8, 95% CI 1.3-48), exposure to vapors from the basement (OR = 10.4, 2.3-47) and eating foods prepared with tap water (OR = 8.6, 1.9-40). All residents in the ground floor reported symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This accidental contamination led to very high styrene concentrations in water and was related to a high prevalence of subjective symptoms of the eyes, respiratory tract and skin. Similar exposures have been described in workers but not in subjects exposed at their residence. Various gastrointestinal symptoms were also observed in this population probably due to a local irritative effect

Production of vegetables and artichokes is associated with lower cardiovascular mortality: An ecological study

Mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD), including cerebrovascular disease (CED) and ischaemic heart disease (IHD), was considerably different in eight municipalities of the province of Castellón, Community of Valencia (Spain) during the period of 1991–2011. In addition, these villages showed differences in agricultural practices and production. Since high vegetable consumption has been linked to decreased all-cause, CVD, and CED mortalities, we hypothesized that the diversity in vegetable and artichoke production, used as proxies for their consumption, could be associated with the diversity of mortality rates. In order to test our hypothesis, we estimated the smoothed standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of CVD, CED, and IHD mortalities and a directed, age-adjusted mortality rate (AMR). We used a multilevel linear regression analysis to account for the ecological nature of our study. After adjustment, the CVD and CED SMRs were inversely associated with vegetable and artichoke production, with a reduction in SMRs for CVD: −0.19 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] −0.31 to −0.07) and −0.42 (95% CI −0.70 to −0.15) per hectare/103 inhabitants, respectively. The SMRs for CED also decreased: −0.68 (95% CI −1.61 to −0.19) and −1.47 (95% CI −2.57 to −0.36) per hectare/103 inhabitants, respectively. The SMRs for IHD were not associated with vegetal and artichoke production. When the directed AMR was used, CED mortality was consistent with the previous results, whereas the CVD mortality association was lost. Our results indicate that vegetable and artichoke production may act as protective factors of CED and CVD mortalities