Following the population of European urban areas in the last half century (1961-2011) : the TRADEVE database

In this paper we present the methodological issues and choices related to the construction of the TRADEVE database, which allows following the population of European urban areas since 1961. Whereas most of the recent academic works related to this issue focus either on time depth (for larger cities) or on the large coverage of urban hierarchy (for a shorter period), one of the main interests of the TRADEVE database is to extend over a relatively long period (from 1961 to 2011) and to cover small and medium sized cities at the same time. But, above all, it distinguishes by taking into account the spatial expansion of urban areas during a period characterized by a pronounced sprawling process. First insights are provided that allow studying the hierarchical and regional expressions of urban growth slowing down during this period. A cluster analysis performed on the demographic trajectories of cities shows that 22% are decreasing, i.e. 870 out of the 3,930 considered in the database. Along with the paper, the TRADEVE database fully documented with metadata is available online in open acces

Dietary interventions for induction and maintenance of remission in inflammatory bowel disease

Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprised of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is characterized by chronic mucosal inflammation, frequent hospitalizations, adverse health economics, and compromised quality of life. Diet has been hypothesised to influence IBD activity. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dietary interventions on IBD outcomes. Search methods We searched the Cochrane IBD Group Specialized Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Clinicaltrials.gov and the WHO ICTRP from inception to 31 January 2019. We also scanned reference lists of included studies, relevant reviews and guidelines. Selection criteria We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of dietary manipulations to other diets in participants with IBD. Studies that exclusively focused on enteral nutrition, oral nutrient supplementation, medical foods, probiotics, and parenteral nutrition were excluded. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently performed study selection, extracted data and assessed bias using the risk of bias tool. We conducted meta‐analyses where possible using a random‐effects model and calculated the risk ratio (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for dichotomous outcomes. We assessed the certainty of evidence using GRADE. Main results The review included 18 RCTs with 1878 participants. The studies assessed different dietary interventions for active CD (six studies), inactive CD (seven studies), active UC (one study) and inactive UC (four studies). Dietary interventions involved either the consumption of low amounts or complete exclusion of one or more food groups known to trigger IBD symptoms. There was limited scope for data pooling as the interventions and control diets were diverse. The studies were mostly inadequately powered. Fourteen studies were rated as high risk of bias. The other studies were rated as unclear risk of bias. The effect of high fiber, low refined carbohydrates, low microparticle diet, low calcium diet, symptoms‐guided diet and highly restricted organic diet on clinical remission in active CD is uncertain. At 4 weeks, remission was induced in: 100% (4/4) of participants in the low refined carbohydrates diet group compared to 0% (0/3) of participants in the control group (RR 7.20, 95% CI 0.53 to 97.83; 7 participants; 1 study; very low certainty evidence). At 16 weeks, 44% (23/52) of participants in the low microparticle diet achieved clinical remission compared to 25% (13/51) of control‐group participants (RR 3.13, 95% CI 0.22 to 43.84; 103 participants; 2 studies; I² = 73%; very low certainty evidence). Fifty per cent (16/32) of participants in the symptoms‐guided diet group achieved clinical remission compared to 0% (0/19) of control group participants (RR 20.00, 95% CI 1.27 to 315.40; 51 participants ; 1 study; very low certainty evidence) (follow‐up unclear). At 24 weeks, 50% (4/8) of participants in the highly restricted organic diet achieved clinical remission compared to 50% (5/10) of participants in the control group (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.39 to 2.53; 18 participants; 1 study; very low certainty evidence). At 16 weeks, 37% (16/43) participants following a low calcium diet achieved clinical remission compared to 30% (12/40) in the control group (RR 1.24, 95% CI 0.67 to 2.29; 83 participants; 1 study; very low certainty evidence). The effect of low refined carbohydrate diets, symptoms‐guided diets and low red processed meat diets on relapse in inactive CD is uncertain. At 12 to 24 months, 67% (176/264) of participants in low refined carbohydrate diet relapsed compared to 64% (193/303) in the control group (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.25; 567 participants; 3 studies; I² = 35%; low certainty evidence). At 6 to 24 months, 48% (24/50) of participants in the symptoms‐guided diet group relapsed compared to 83% (40/48) participants in the control diet (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.01; 98 participants ; 2 studies; I² = 54%; low certainty evidence). At 48 weeks, 66% (63/96) of participants in the low red and processed meat diet group relapsed compared to 63% (75/118) of the control group (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.26; 214 participants; 1 study; low certainty evidence). At 12 months, 0% (0/16) of participants on an exclusion diet comprised of low disaccharides / grains / saturated fats / red and processed meat experienced clinical relapse compared to 26% (10/38) of participants on a control group (RR 0.11, 95% CI 0.01 to 1.76; 54 participants; 1 study; very low certainty evidence). The effect of a symptoms‐guided diet on clinical remission in active UC is uncertain. At six weeks, 36% (4/11) of symptoms‐guided diet participants achieved remission compared to 0% (0/10) of usual diet participants (RR 8.25, 95% CI 0.50 to 136.33; 21 participants; 1 study; very low certainty evidence). The effect of the Alberta‐based anti‐inflammatory diet, the Carrageenan‐free diet or milk‐free diet on relapse rates in inactive UC is uncertain. At 6 months, 36% (5/14) of participants in the Alberta‐based anti‐inflammatory diet group relapsed compared to 29% (4/14) of participants in the control group (RR 1.25, 95% CI 0.42 to 3.70; 28 participants; 1 study; very low certainty evidence). Thirty per cent (3/10) of participants following the carrageenan‐free diet for 12 months relapsed compared to 60% (3/5) of the participants in the control group (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.15 to 1.64; 15 participants; 1 study; very low certainty evidence). At 12 months, 59% (23/39) of milk free diet participants relapsed compared to 68% (26/38) of control diet participants (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.15; 77 participants; 2 studies; I² = 0%; low certainty evidence). None of the included studies reported on diet‐related adverse events

Cost-effectiveness of interventions for increasing the possession of functioning smoke alarms in households with pre-school children: a modelling study

Background The UK has one of the highest rates for deaths from fire and flames in children aged 0-14 years compared to other high income countries. Evidence shows that smoke alarms can reduce the risk of fire-related injury but little exists on their cost-effectiveness. We aimed to compare the cost effectiveness of different interventions for the uptake of 'functioning' smoke alarms and consequently for the prevention of fire-related injuries in children in the UK. Methods We carried out a decision model-based probabilistic cost-effectiveness analysis. We used a hypothetical population of newborns and evaluated the impact of living in a household with or without a functioning smoke alarm during the first 5 years of their life on overall lifetime costs and quality of life from a public health perspective. We compared seven interventions, ranging from usual care to more complex interventions comprising of education, free/low cost equipment giveaway, equipment fitting and/or home safety inspection. Results Education and free/low cost equipment was the most cost-effective intervention with an estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of [pound sign]34,200 per QALY gained compared to usual care. This was reduced to approximately £4,500 per QALY gained when 1.8 children under the age of 5 were assumed per household. Conclusions Assessing cost-effectiveness, as well as effectiveness, is important in a public sector system operating under a fixed budget restraint. As highlighted in this study, the more effective interventions (in this case the more complex interventions) may not necessarily be the ones considered the most cost-effective

Efficiency of pressing oil from rape seeds

Przeprowadzone w pracy badania miały na celu określenie efektywności wytłaczania oleju z nasion rzepaku z zastosowaniem nasączania rozpuszczalnikiem organicznym. Zakres pracy obejmował obróbkę wstępną materiału oraz proces wytłaczania przy użyciu prasy jednoślimakowej wraz z badaniem ilości powstałego oleju w jednostce czasu oraz energii elektrycznej potrzebnej do jego wytłoczenia. Zastosowano cztery prędkości obrotowe ślimaka prasy: 20, 30, 40, 50 obr.·min-1 oraz trzy średnice dyszy wylotowej: 6, 8, 10 mm. Nasiona rzepaku nasączano rozpuszczalnikiem (24 godziny przed wytłaczaniem) - alkoholem metylowym (metanolem) w proporcji masowej 1:40 oraz 1:20. Największa wydajność wytłaczania wyniosła 6,3 kg oleju na godzinę, przy 6 mm średnicy dyszy i 50 obr.·min-1 dla rzepaku nasączonego metanolem w proporcji 1:20. Największy stosunek masy oleju do masy wytłoków - 0,624 i 0,610 kg oleju na kg wytłoków, przy 6 mm średnicy, 20 i 30 obr.·min-1 dla rzepaku z metanolem 1:20. Najmniejsza energochłonność procesu - 0,1051 i 0,1054 kWh na kg oleju, przy 10 mm średnicy i 50 obr.·min-1, co odpowiada najwyższej efektywności energetycznej - 9,515 i 9,487 kg oleju na kWh.The objective of the research carried out within the paper was to determine efficiency of pressing oil from rape seeds with the use of saturation with organic solvent. The scope of the paper covered an initial processing of the material and the pressing process with the use of a one - screw press along with testing the amount of oil which was formed in the time and electric energy units necessary for pressing it. Four rotational speeds of the press screw were applied: 20, 30, 40, 50 rotations·min-1 and three diameters of the outlet nozzle: 6, 8, 10 mm. Rape seeds were saturated with solvent (24 hours before pressing) - methyl alcohol (methanol) in the mass proportion 1:40 and 1:20. The highest efficiency of pressing was 6.3 (kg of oil)·h-1 at 6 mm diameter of the nozzle and 50 rotations·min-1 for rape saturated with methanol in the 1:20 proportion. The biggest oil mass to pomace mass ratio - 0.624 and 0.610 (kg of oil)·kg of pomace-1 at 6 mm diameter, 20 and 30 rotations·min-1 for rape with methanol 1:20. The lowest energy consumption of the process - 0.1051 and 0.1054 kWh·(kg of oil-1) at 10 mm diameter and 50 rotations·min-1 which corresponds to the highest energy efficiency - 9.515 and 9.487 (kg of oil)·kWh-1

Pi-conjugated oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) rosettes and their tubular self-assembly

Oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s with pendant diaminotriazine moieties can self-assemble through hydrogen-bonding interactions to give hexameric rosettes. These rosettes further organize into large supramol. tubes with perfect space filling

Pi-conjugated oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) rosettes and their tubular self-assembly

Oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s with pendant diaminotriazine moieties can self-assemble through hydrogen-bonding interactions to give hexameric rosettes. These rosettes further organize into large supramol. tubes with perfect space filling

Bias-Dependent Visualization of Electron Donor (D) and Electron Acceptor (A) Moieties in a Chiral DAD Triad Molecule

The 2D crystal lattice structure and bias-dependent contrast of a chiral electron donor-acceptor-donor triad system, composed of two oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) electron donors and a perylenediimide electron acceptor (OPV4-PDI-OPV4), have been studied by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at the liquid-graphite interface. OPV4-PDI-OPV4 is ordered in rows and forms a well-ordered 2D crystal lattice structure. The electrical properties of the donor and acceptor parts are distinguished by the contrast in bias-dependent STM imaging