5,606 research outputs found
The role of burden of disease assessment in tracking progress towards achieving WHO global air quality guidelines
OBJECTIVES: More than 90% of the global population live in areas exceeding the PM2.5 air quality guidelines (AQGs). We provide an overview of the ambient PM2.5-related burden of disease (BoD) studies along with scenario analysis in the framework of the WHO AQG update on the estimated reduction in the BoD if AQGs were achieved globally. METHODS: We reviewed the literature for large-scale studies for the BoD attributed to ambient PM2.5. Moreover, we used the latest WHO statistics to calculate the BoD at current levels and the scenarios of aligning with interim targets and AQG levels. RESULTS: The most recent BoD studies (2010 onwards) share a similar methodology, but there are differences in the input data which affect the estimates for attributable deaths (2.9-8.9 million deaths annually). Moreover, we found that if AQGs were achieved, the estimated BoD would be reduced by up to 50% in total deaths worldwide. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the BoD across countries, especially in those that do not align with the AQGs, is essential in order to inform actions to reduce air pollution globally
Molecular elucidation of CO2 methanation over a highly active, selective and stable LaNiO3/CeO2-derived catalyst by in situ FTIR and NAP-XPS
The CO2 methanation mechanism over the highly active (TOF=75.1 hâ1), selective (>92%) and stable 10% LaNiO3/CeO2-derived catalyst is still unresolved. The surface of the catalyst is monitored under hydrogenation (H2), oxidizing (CO2) and CO2 methanation (H2 +CO2) conditions by near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) using synchrotron radiation. Meanwhile, the main reaction intermediates are identified by in situ FTIR analysis. NAP-XPS experiments confirm that LaNiO3 perovskite reduction leads to the ex-solution of Ni0 nanoparticles and Ni2+single bondCeO2âx and Ni2+single bondLa2O3 interfaces conformation, favouring the CO2 adsorption and the H2 dissociation/transfer. In situ FTIR experiments combined with the C1s spectra (NAP-XPS) suggest that the CO2 activation occurs on CeO2âx (oxygen vacancies and OHâ) at low temperatures, in the form of bicarbonates; whereas, mono-/bidentate carbonates are formed on different strength La2O3 sites at increasing temperatures. These species are consecutively reduced to formates, as the main reaction intermediate, and methane by the H spilled from Ni0 nanoparticles near to NiOsingle bondCeO2âx and NiOsingle bondLa2O3 interfaces.Support for this study was provided by Projects PID2019â105960RB-C21 and PID2019â105960RB-C22 by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, the Basque Government (Project IT1509â2022), Generalitat Valenciana (CIPROM/2021/74) and ALBA synchrotron. One of the authors (JAOC) acknowledges the postdoctoral research grant (DOCREC20/49) provided by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
Ianus: an Adpative FPGA Computer
Dedicated machines designed for specific computational algorithms can
outperform conventional computers by several orders of magnitude. In this note
we describe {\it Ianus}, a new generation FPGA based machine and its basic
features: hardware integration and wide reprogrammability. Our goal is to build
a machine that can fully exploit the performance potential of new generation
FPGA devices. We also plan a software platform which simplifies its
programming, in order to extend its intended range of application to a wide
class of interesting and computationally demanding problems. The decision to
develop a dedicated processor is a complex one, involving careful assessment of
its performance lead, during its expected lifetime, over traditional computers,
taking into account their performance increase, as predicted by Moore's law. We
discuss this point in detail
The Spin Glass Phase in the Four-State, Three-Dimensional Potts Model
We perform numerical simulations, including parallel tempering, on the Potts
glass model with binary random quenched couplings using the JANUS
application-oriented computer. We find and characterize a glassy transition,
estimating the location of the transition and the value of the critical
exponents. We show that there is no ferromagnetic transition in a large
temperature range around the glassy critical temperature. We also compare our
results with those obtained recently on the "random permutation" Potts glass.Comment: 7 pages and 3 figures. Corrected minor typo
P-P Total Cross Sections at VHE from Accelerator Data
Comparison of P-P total cross-sections estimations at very high energies -
from accelerators and cosmic rays - shows a disagreement amounting to more than
10 %, a discrepancy which is beyond statistical errors. Here we use a
phenomenological model based on the Multiple-Diffraction approach to
successfully describe data at accelerator energies. The predictions of the
model are compared with data On the basis of regression analysis we determine
confident error bands, analyzing the sensitivity of our predictions to the
employed data for extrapolation. : using data at 546 and 1.8 TeV, our
extrapolations for p-p total cross-sections are only compatible with the Akeno
cosmic ray data, predicting a slower rise with energy than other cosmic ray
results and other extrapolation methods. We discuss our results within the
context of constraints in the light of future accelerator and cosmic ray
experimental results.Comment: 26 pages aqnd 11 figure
Monitoring by in situ NAP-XPS of active sites for CO2 methanation on a Ni/CeO2 catalyst
Ni/CeO2 catalysts are very active and selective for total hydrogenation of CO2 to methane, but the nature of the active sites is still unclear. The surface of a Ni/CeO2 catalyst has been monitored under CO2 methanation conditions by Near Ambient Pressure-XPS (NAP-XPS) using synchrotron radiation, and has been concluded that the species involved in the redox processes taking place during the CO2 methanation mechanism are the Ni2+-CeO2/Ni0 and Ce4+/Ce3+ pairs. In addition, a small fraction of nickel is present on the catalyst surface forming NiO and Ni2+-carbonates/hydroxyls (around 20% of the total surface nickel), but these species do not participate in the redox processes of the methanation mechanism. Under CO2 methanation conditions the H2 reduction rate of the Ni2+-CeO2/Ni0 and Ce4+/Ce3+ couples is much faster than their CO2 reoxidation rate (2 times faster, at least, at 300ÂșC), but a certain proportion of nickel always remains oxidized under reaction conditions. The high activity of Ni/CeO2 catalysts for CO2 methanation is tentatively attributed to the simultaneous presence of Ni2+-CeO2 and Ni0 active sites where CO2 and H2 are expected to be efficiently dissociated, respectively.Generalitat Valenciana, Spain (PROMETEO/2018/0765) Ministry for Science and Innovation MICINN, Spain (Projects PID2019-105960RB-C21 and PID2019-105960RB-C22) Junta de AndalucĂa, Spain (Project P18-RTJ-2974); European Unionâs Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (Marie SkĆodowska-Curie grant agreement No 713567) Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre, Ireland (award 12/RC/2278_P2) ALBA synchrotron, Spain (Proposal number: ID 2020094556)
Tuna labels matter in Europe: Mislabelling rates in different tuna products
Tuna fisheries and processing represent economic activities of paramount importance around the world. Most of these products are traded for human consumption and in general are highly demanded commodities. However, not all tuna products achieve the same market price, some consumers are willing to pay a huge amount of money for certain species (i.e. Japanese market for Bluefin tuna) while other species are rather affordable (i.e. Skipjack tuna), therefore mislabelling has been observed frequently. We collected and analysed 545 tuna samples in six European countries, including fresh, frozen and canned products, and we have investigated whether or not these products were correctly labelled under European and national legislations. We found an overall mislabelling rate of 6.79%; in particular, 6.70% of the fresh and frozen tuna products and 7.84% of canned tuna were mislabelled, and only in the case of fresh and frozen tuna samples significant differences among countries were found. Mislabelling rates for Atlantic Bluefin tuna labelled products were very high, ranging from 50 up to 100%. In general, mislabelling was higher when specific names were included in the labels. The âtunaâ umbrella term is a very popular one with consumers, but also one that remains vulnerable to ambiguity, hampering efforts towards market transparency and with potential negative consequences to the adequate management of tuna species stocks
The 2HWC HAWC Observatory Gamma Ray Catalog
We present the first catalog of TeV gamma-ray sources realized with the
recently completed High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory (HAWC). It is the
most sensitive wide field-of-view TeV telescope currently in operation, with a
1-year survey sensitivity of ~5-10% of the flux of the Crab Nebula. With an
instantaneous field of view >1.5 sr and >90% duty cycle, it continuously
surveys and monitors the sky for gamma ray energies between hundreds GeV and
tens of TeV.
HAWC is located in Mexico at a latitude of 19 degree North and was completed
in March 2015. Here, we present the 2HWC catalog, which is the result of the
first source search realized with the complete HAWC detector. Realized with 507
days of data and represents the most sensitive TeV survey to date for such a
large fraction of the sky. A total of 39 sources were detected, with an
expected contamination of 0.5 due to background fluctuation. Out of these
sources, 16 are more than one degree away from any previously reported TeV
source. The source list, including the position measurement, spectrum
measurement, and uncertainties, is reported. Seven of the detected sources may
be associated with pulsar wind nebulae, two with supernova remnants, two with
blazars, and the remaining 23 have no firm identification yet.Comment: Submitted 2017/02/09 to the Astrophysical Journa
Increased localization of APP-C99 in mitochondria-associated ER membranes causes mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer disease
In the amyloidogenic pathway associated with Alzheimer disease (AD), the
amyloid precursor protein (APP) is cleaved by beta-secretase to generate
a 99-aa C-terminal fragment (C99) that is then cleaved by c-secretase to
generate the beta-amyloid (Ab) found in senile plaques. In previous
reports, we and others have shown that c-secretase activity is enriched
in mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAM)
and that ER-mitochondrial connectivity and MAM function are upregulated
in AD. We now show that C99, in addition to its localization in
endosomes, can also be found in MAM, where it is normally processed
rapidly by c-secretase. In cell models of AD, however, the concentration
of unprocessed C99 increases in MAM regions, resulting in elevated
sphingolipid turnover and an altered lipid composition of both MAM and
mitochondrial membranes. In turn, this change in mitochondrial membrane
composition interferes with the proper assembly and activity of
mitochondrial respiratory supercomplexes, thereby likely contributing to
the bioenergetic defects characteristic of AD.We thank Drs. Orian Shirihai and Marc Liesa (UCLA) for assistance with
the Seahorse measurements, Dr. Huaxi Xu (Sanford Burnham Institute) for
the APP-DKO MEFs and Dr. Mark Mattson (NIH) for the PS1 knock-in mice,
Drs. Arancio and Teich for the APP-KO mice tissues used in these
studies, Dr. Hua Yang (Columbia University) for mouse husbandry, and
Drs. Marc Tambini, Ira Tabas, and Serge Przedborski for helpful
comments. This work was supported by the Fundacion Alfonso Martin
Escudero (to M.P.); the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, the
Ellison Medical Foundation, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the U.S.
Department of Defense W911NF-12-1-9159 and W911F-15-1-0169), and the J.
Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation (to E.A.S.); the U.S. National
Institutes of Health (P01-HD080642 and P01-HD032062 to E.A.S.; NS071571
and HD071593 to M.F.M.; R01-NS056049 and P50-AG008702 to G.D.P.;
1S10OD016214-01A1 to G.S.P. and F.P.M, and K01-AG045335 to E.A.-G.), the
Lucien Cote Early Investigator Award in Clinical Genetics from the
Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF-CEI-1364 and PDF-CEI-1240) to
C.G.-L., and National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate
Fellowship (FA9550-11-C-0028) to R.R.A.S
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