Evaluation of Urban Transportation Resilience under Extreme Weather Events

The frequent occurrence of extreme weather events (EWEs) in recent years has posed major hazards to urban transportation as well as socioeconomic impacts. A quantitative evaluation of the urban transportation resilience to minimize the impact caused by EWEs becomes critical to the rapid recovery of urban transportation after disasters. However, there is, generally, a lack of reliable data sources to monitor urban transportation performance under EWEs. This empirical study proposes a performance indicator (displacement) and quantitative method for evaluating the urban transportation performance under EWEs based on bus GPS trajectory datasets. Furthermore, the transportation resilience of it is quantified, and the variation is compared across temporal and spatial dimensions. The method is applied in a case study of Fuzhou, China, under rainstorm events. The results show that the Gulou and Jinan subareas have the highest transportation resilience during the yellow and red rainstorm warnings. By formulating an emergency plan and taking mitigation measures, the transportation performance in the Jinan subarea during the red rainstorm warning was improved by 36% compared to the yellow rainstorm warning. The empirical study not only fills the knowledge gap for quantifying the transportation resilience across the geographical boundary under rainstorm events, but also estimates the operation status of the road network. The results will help policymakers prioritize the resource distribution and develop effective policies or measures to further improve transportation resilience in the city

In Situ-Generated Heat-Resistant Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework for Remarkably Improving Both Flame Retardancy and Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Composites

In this study, the heat-resistant hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) material HOF-FJU-1 was synthesized via in situ generation and then used as flame retardants (FRs) to improve the flame retardancy of epoxy resin (EP). HOF-FJU-1 can maintain high crystallinity at 450 °C and thus function as a flame retardant in EP. The study found that HOF-FJU-1 facilitates the improvement of char formation in EP, thus inhibiting heat transfer and smoke release during combustion. For EP/HOF-FJU-1 composites, the in situ-generated HOF-FJU-1 can remarkably improve both the mechanical properties and the flame retardancy of EP. Furthermore, the in situ-generated HOF-FJU-1 has better fire safety than the ex situ-generated HOF-FJU-1 at the same filling content. Thermal degradation products and flame retardation mechanisms in the gas and condensed phases were further investigated. This work demonstrates that the in situ-generated HOF-FJU-1 is promising to be an excellent flame-retardant candidate

Carbetocin for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

<div><p></p><p><i>Objective</i>: To compare the efficacy and safety profile of carbetocin with other uterotonic agents in preventing postpartum hemorrhage.</p><p><i>Methods</i>: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and EBSCOhost were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials published until September 2013.</p><p><i>Results</i>: Carbetocin was associated with a significantly reduced need for additional uterotonic agents (RR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.55–0.84, <i>I</i>²= 4%) compared with oxytocin in women following cesarean delivery. However, with respect to postpartum hemorrhage, severe postpartum hemorrhage, mean estimated blood loss and adverse effects, our analysis failed to detect a significant difference. Studies comparing carbetocin with syntometrine in women undergoing vaginal delivery demonstrated no statistical difference in terms of risk of postpartum hemorrhage, severe postpartum hemorrhage or the need for additional uterotonic agents, but the risk of adverse effect was significantly lower in the carbetocin group.</p><p><i>Conclusions</i>: Carbetocin has been associated with a similar low incidence of adverse effects to oxytocin and at least as effective as syntometrine and may become an alternative uterotonic agent for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage. Further studies should be conducted to determine the safety and efficacy profile of carbetocin in women with cardiac disorders and to analyze the cost-effectiveness and minimum effective dose of carbetocin.</p></div

Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol by Electron-Directed Movement of Polypyrrole/ZnIn₂S₄ Composites

A PPy/ZnIn2S4 (PPy/ZIS) composite photocatalyst has been successfully synthesized using a straightforward in situ growth method and applied to the photocatalytic degradation of phenol. The flaky ZIS material is evenly enveloped around the surface of tubular PPy, forming PPy/ZIS composites. Compared to ZIS and PPy alone, the PPy/ZIS composite exhibits superior electron–hole pair separation performance. Consequently, the PPy/ZIS composite displays a 7.8-fold increase in photocatalytic efficiency compared to pure ZIS nanomaterials, achieving 95% phenol removal within 4 h. The primary active species responsible for phenol degradation are identified as hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide radicals (·O2–). Additionally, an exploration is conducted into the photocatalytic breakdown mechanism of phenol under full spectrum irradiation, specifically for the PPy/ZIS composite. Remarkably, the PPy/ZIS composite demonstrates excellent photostability during cycling tests, underscoring its potential as an effective photocatalytic material for phenol degradation