Effects of apparent temperature on daily mortality in Lisbon and Oporto, Portugal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Evidence that elevated temperatures can lead to increased mortality is well documented, with population vulnerability being location specific. However, very few studies have been conducted that assess the effects of temperature on daily mortality in urban areas in Portugal.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this paper time-series analysis was used to model the relationship between mean apparent temperature and daily mortality during the warm season (April to September) in the two largest urban areas in Portugal: Lisbon and Oporto. We used generalized additive Poisson regression models, adjusted for day of week and season.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results show that in Lisbon, a 1°C increase in mean apparent temperature is associated with a 2.1% (95%CI: 1.6, 2.5), 2.4% (95%CI: 1.7, 3.1) and 1.7% (95%CI: 0.1, 3.4) increase in all-causes, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality, respectively. In Oporto the increase was 1.5% (95%CI: 1.0, 1.9), 2.1% (95%CI: 1.3, 2.9) and 2.7% (95%CI: 1.2, 4.3) respectively. In both cities, this increase was greater for the group >65 years.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Even without extremes in apparent temperature, we observed an association between temperature and daily mortality in Portugal. Additional research is needed to allow for better assessment of vulnerability within populations in Portugal in order to develop more effective heat-related morbidity and mortality public health programs.</p

Optimal rectangular partitions

Assume that a rectangle R is given on the Euclidean plane together with a finite set P of points that are interior to R. A rectangular partition of R is a partition of the surface of R into smaller rectangles. The length of such a partition equals the sum of the lengths for the line segments that define it. The partition is said to be feasible if no point of P is interior to a partition rectangle. The Rectangular Partitioning Problem (RPP) seeks a feasible rectangular partition of R with the least length. Computational evidence from the literature indicates that RPPs with noncorectilinear points in P, denoted NCRPPs, are the hardest to solve to proven optimality. In this paper, some structural properties of optimal feasible NCRPP partitions are presented. These properties allow substantial reductions in problem input size to be carried out. Additionally, a stronger formulation of the problem is also made possible. Based on these ingredients, a hybrid Lagrangian Relaxation-Linear Programming Relaxation exact solution algorithm is proposed. Such an algorithm has proved capable of solving NCRPP instances more than twice as large as those found in the literature. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.411516

Early and 24-hour bond strength and degree of conversion of etch-and-rinse and self-etch adhesives.

PURPOSE: To evaluate early and 24-hour microtensile bond strength (microTBS) and the degree of conversion (DC) of one representative adhesive system from each of the four current bonding approaches. METHODS: 40 human molars were sectioned occluso-gingivally into two halves. Resin composite was bonded incrementally to flat, mid-coronal dentin, using the adhesives Adper Scotchbond MP (MP); Adper Scotchbond 2 (SB); Clearfil SE Bond (SE); and Adper Prompt L-Pop (LP) according to the respective manufacturer's instructions (n = 10). One half was immediately sectioned into sticks and subjected to muTBS test. As the sectioning process took approximately 1 hour, the results were designated as 1-hour bond strengths. The other half was stored in distilled water at 37 degrees C for 24 hours before being sectioned and tested. The DC of these systems was measured using Fourier Transform-Raman spectroscopy in three periods: immediately, 1 and 24 hours after polymerization. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and Tukey's tests. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the 1-hour and 24-hour bond strengths (P > 0.05), or among the DC measured immediately, 1 hour and 24 hours after polymerization (P > 0.05). However, significant differences were observed among adhesives (P MP (35.3 +/- 10.9/38.6 + 6.7) > LP (25.5 + 1.1/26.0 + 1.5). The DC, in percentage (immediately/1 hour/24 hour), were: SE (81/82/87) > MP (79/77/81) > SB (60/63/65) > LP (39/37/42)