Retrofitting parallelism onto OCaml.

OCaml is an industrial-strength, multi-paradigm programming language, widely used in industry and academia. OCaml is also one of the few modern managed system programming languages to lack support for shared memory parallel programming. This paper describes the design, a full-fledged implementation and evaluation of a mostly-concurrent garbage collector (GC) for the multicore extension of the OCaml programming language. Given that we propose to add parallelism to a widely used programming language with millions of lines of existing code, we face the challenge of maintaining backwards compatibility--not just in terms of the language features but also the performance of single-threaded code running with the new GC. To this end, the paper presents a series of novel techniques and demonstrates that the new GC strikes a balance between performance and feature backwards compatibility for sequential programs and scales admirably on modern multicore processors

Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283. Findings Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group. Interpretation Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset. Funding London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Noise adaptive particle filtering for mobile robot applications

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)Ransomes JacobsenGBUnited Kingdo

A facile microwave approach to synthesize RGO-BaWO₄ composites for high performance visible light induced photocatalytic degradation of dyes

Photocatalysts with enhanced efficiency for environmental remediation requires an effective separation of photogenerated electron hole pairs and optimum charge carrier transport. Based on the above criteria, a cost effective, facile one-pot microwave approach was made to synthesize RGO-BaWO4 composites with excellent stability and reusability in photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO). A series of composites with varying composition with respect to RGO was synthesized and thoroughly characterized using various techniques. The composite with 2.5% RGO-BaWO4 showed maximum efficiency under visible light irradiation. The mechanism of charge transfer and kinetics of the reaction was also studied. The interfacial/interparticle charge transfer between the narrow elliptical BaWO4 particles and RGO is found to be responsible for the increased efficiency. The photo generated holes and the superoxide radical were found to play a key role in the degradation process. The synergistic action makes RGO-BaWO4 composites a promising material as high performance photocatalyst for degradation of organic dyes

Novel ZnWO₄/RGO nanocomposite as high performance photocatalyst

In this study, we report the synthesis of nanocomposite material composed of zinc tungstate (ZnWO4) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) as photocatalyst by a simple microwave irradiation technique. The prepared nanocomposites have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of the prepared nanocomposites are evaluated in terms of the efficiencies of photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The prepared nanocomposites showed excellent photodegradation efficiency compared to the commercial TiO2 under visible light irradiation. The activity of the catalyst towards methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine B (RB) was also good. Further, in view of the low cost, simple preparation method and high catalytic activity of the material, it is expected that the prepared nanocomposite can serve as an environment friendly photocatalyst for treating the large scale industrial waste waters

RGO/ZnWO4/Fe3O4 nanocomposite as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Development of low cost, environmental friendly and noble metal free catalyst materials with excellent performance is essential for commercialization. In fact, this is the need of the day too. Herein, we report a facile microwave irradiation method for the synthesis of novel RGO/ZnWO4/Fe3O4 cathode catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline medium. The structural and morphological features of synthesized materials are fully examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The chemical composition and elemental analysis of the catalyst is investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy techniques. Efficiency of RGO/ZnWO4/Fe3O4 catalyst material for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in 0.1 M KOH is reported. The activity of catalyst is determined by linear sweep voltammogram (LSV) and rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements in O2 saturated 0.1 M KOH electrolyte. RGO/ZnWO4/Fe3O4 catalyst exhibits higher ORR activity than RGO, ZnWO4, RGO/ZnWO4 and its electrocatalytic performance is comparable to Pt/C material and is superior to it in stability and methanol tolerance. Further, it is determined that process follows a direct four electron reaction pathway. These combined results strongly signpost that RGO/ZnWO4/Fe3O4 composite can function as an economic noble metal free ORR cathode catalyst for energy applications

Novel RGO-ZnWO₄‑Fe₃O₄ Nanocomposite as an Efficient Catalyst for Rapid Reduction of 4‑Nitrophenol to 4‑Aminophenol

We report herein a simple, economic, and facile approach for the synthesis of a novel reduced graphene oxide-zinc tungstate-iron oxide (RGO-ZnWO₄-Fe₃O₄) nanocomposite by a one-pot microwave method and its efficiency as a catalyst in reducing 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) using sodium borohydride (NaBH₄). The as-prepared RGO-ZnWO₄-Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The prepared nanocomposites showed excellent catalytic performance in the reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP. The reaction was completed in just 40 s at room temperature. The RGO in RGO-ZnWO₄-Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite plays an essential role to improve the catalytic performance through facilitation of easy electron transfer and high adsorption of the substrate on graphene sheets. The synergistic effects of RGO, ZnWO₄, and Fe₃O₄ in the RGO-ZnWO₄-Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite toward reduction, apart from its excellent stability and reusability, make it an efficient candidate as catalyst for hydrogenation reactions of aromatic compounds in research and industrial applications

Surface oxygen vacancy defects induced CoTiO3-x perovskite nanostructures for highly efficient catalytic activity from acidic and seawater electrolysis

Efficient electrocatalysts have great demand for improved hydrogen evolution (HE) from natural seawater splitting. In this work, a new type of oxygen (O2) vacancies and Ti3+ defective perovskite nanostructures (DPNSs) of D-CoTiO3-x were prepared by using eco-friendly sonochemical assisted laser irradiation technique (SCA-LIT) for the first time. These DPNSs were thoroughly characterized, and HE activity was evaluated to determine their electrocatalytic potential and efficiency improvement. The existence of abundantly available active sites in the prepared D-CoTiO3-x electrocatalyst composed of defective D-TiO2-x was confirmed through various physicochemical measurements. The designed DPNSs-based working electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical performance due to its low over-potential (0.352 V), reduced Tafel slope (94.7 mV/dec), high double layer capacitance (235.3 µF/cm2), large electrochemically active surface area (6.72 cm2) and exceptional long-term stability. The attained improvement in the HE efficiency was ascribed to the induced synergistic strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) effect of the surface O2 vacancies and Ti3+ defects in DPNSs that yielded high conductivity, high exposure of abundant active sites, wide active surface area, improved kinetics, and fast charge transport. Furthermore, Volmer-Heyrovsky (V-H) reaction mechanism was responsible for the generation of hydrogen (H2) by the proposed DPNSs-based electrode. In addition to the natural seawater, the D-CoTiO3-x DPNSs outperformed in terms of the electrocatalytic hydrogen activity and stability. Thus, our systematic approach for the fabrication of surface O2 vacancy and Ti3+ defect engineering DPNSs-based electrodes to produce H2 from natural seawater splitting may be beneficial for green energy generation, solving future environmental problems and energy demand crises