Variation in suicide occurrence by day and during major American holidays.

BACKGROUND: Due to temporal variations in completed suicides, it has been suggested that impulsivity and environmental factors may influence suicide. STUDY OBJECTIVE: Our intent was to determine if particular days of the week, seasons, or holidays were associated with increased attempted and completed suicides by poisoning. METHODS: All calls recorded in the National Poison Database System coded as suspected suicide from 2006 through 2010 were included. Exposures were evaluated by day, season, and holidays, and compared to control dates. RESULTS: There were 1,065,067 exposures (63% female) related to suicide attempts, with completions in 0.4% of cases. Sundays and Mondays for adults, and Mondays and Tuesdays for age \u3c 19 years were the most common. Spring and fall had higher numbers of exposures than summer and winter. New Year\u27s Day had a higher number of exposures, whereas Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas had fewer exposures. CONCLUSIONS: The beginning of the week, spring and fall, and New Year\u27s Day were associated with higher numbers of ingestions with suicidal intent. This has implications for clinicians advising potential victims and providing emergency care for these patients

The Contribution of Housing Renovation to Children\u27s Blood Lead Levels: A Cohort Study

Background Routine renovation of older housing is a risk factor for childhood lead poisoning, but the contribution to children’s blood lead levels is poorly defined for children with lower exposure levels. Methods We examined a prospective cohort of 276 children followed from 6 to 24 months of age. We conducted surveys of renovation activities and residential lead hazards and obtained blood lead level (B-Pb) every six months. We analyzed B-Pb in a repeated measures design using a mixed effects linear model. Results Parent reported interior renovation ranged from 11 to 25% of housing units at the four, 6-month periods. In multivariable analysis, children whose housing underwent interior renovation had a 12% higher mean B-Pb by two years of age compared with children whose housing units were not renovated (p < 0.01). The time between renovation and the child blood lead sample was associated with higher B-Pb (p-value for trend <0.01); compared to children in non-renovated housing, children whose housing units underwent renovation in the prior month had a 17% higher mean B-Pb at two years of age, whereas children whose housing renovation occurred in the prior 2–6 months had an 8% higher mean B-Pb. We also found an association between higher paint lead loading, measured using an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) based paint lead index, and child B-Pb (p = 0.02); for every 10 mg/cm2 increase in paint lead loading index there was a 7.5% higher mean childhood B-Pb. Conclusions In an analysis of data collected before the recent changes to Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead, Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, routine interior housing renovation was associated with a modest increase in children’s B-Pb. These results are important for the provision of clinical advice, for housing and public health professionals, and for policymakers

Urban Renewal and Sustainable Development in Jamaica: Progress, Challenges and New Directions

The chapter discusses the history and context of urban renewal in Jamaica and shares the country’s integrated model for urban renewal, as well as the lessons learned from over two decades of implementation. As the urban planning landscape evolves there is a call to move in new directions, incorporating concepts which embody the development of human capital. One call is to re-position urban renewal as a public health tool to reduce crime and violence, communicable and non-communicable diseases, especially for the urban poor and urban youth who share a greater burden of Jamaica’s status as a Low/Middle Income Country (LMIC) and Small Island Developing State (SIDS). The call for the paradigm shift from gender-blind to gender-sensitive urban planning is expected to promote policy coherence between commitments to gender mainstreaming and gender equality and urban development modalities. There is also the need for a new governance framework to support the active participation of the average resident in the decision making process for land use management and other aspects of urban renewal to meet the goals of the New Urban Agenda and to realize Vision 2030 Jamaica, making “Jamaica, the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business”

Thermoelectric properties of partially filled skutterudites RxCo4Sb12 (R = Ce and Nd) synthesized under high pressures

We report the thermoelectric properties of the partially Ce or Nd filled skutterudite compounds CexCo4Sb12 and NdxCo4Sb12 prepared under high pressures and temperatures. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction. The actual filling ratio x of Ce or Nd was estimated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). SEM-EDX results indicate that the maximum x values of Ce and Nd can be increased to 0.37 and 0.33, respectively. These values have been considered the highest for any CexCo4Sb12 and NdxCo4Sb12 reported thus far. The electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient measurements of the compounds were performed from 5 to 760 K. Furthermore, the Hall coefficient and specific heat of the compounds were also measured below 300 K. The Seebeck and Hall coefficients of both Ce- and Nd-filled samples exhibited the n-type conductor behavior. The maximum dimensionless figure-of-merit (ZT) values of CexCo4Sb12 and NdxCo4Sb12 were determined to be 0.26 and 0.48 at 700K, respectively. (C) 2018 The Japan Society of Applied Physic

Diagnostic Performance of Ultrafast Brain MRI for Evaluation of Abusive Head Trauma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR imaging with sedation is commonly used to detect intracranial traumatic pathology in the pediatric population. Our purpose was to compare nonsedated ultrafast MR imaging, noncontrast head CT, and standard MR imaging for the detection of intracranial trauma in patients with potential abusive head trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was performed in 24 pediatric patients who were evaluated for potential abusive head trauma. All patients received noncontrast head CT, ultrafast brain MR imaging without sedation, and standard MR imaging with general anesthesia or an immobilizer, sequentially. Two pediatric neuroradiologists independently reviewed each technique blinded to other modalities for intracranial trauma. We performed interreader agreement and consensus interpretation for standard MR imaging as the criterion standard. Diagnostic accuracy was calculated for ultrafast MR imaging, noncontrast head CT, and combined ultrafast MR imaging and noncontrast head CT. RESULTS: Interreader agreement was moderate for ultrafast MR imaging (κ = 0.42), substantial for noncontrast head CT (κ = 0.63), and nearly perfect for standard MR imaging (κ = 0.86). Forty-two percent of patients had discrepancies between ultrafast MR imaging and standard MR imaging, which included detection of subarachnoid hemorrhage and subdural hemorrhage. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were obtained for any traumatic pathology for each examination: ultrafast MR imaging (50%, 100%, 100%, 31%), noncontrast head CT (25%, 100%, 100%, 21%), and a combination of ultrafast MR imaging and noncontrast head CT (60%, 100%, 100%, 33%). Ultrafast MR imaging was more sensitive than noncontrast head CT for the detection of intraparenchymal hemorrhage (P = .03), and the combination of ultrafast MR imaging and noncontrast head CT was more sensitive than noncontrast head CT alone for intracranial trauma (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: In abusive head trauma, ultrafast MR imaging, even combined with noncontrast head CT, demonstrated low sensitivity compared with standard MR imaging for intracranial traumatic pathology, which may limit its utility in this patient population

A review on lithium recovery using electrochemical capturing systems

Resource recovery from natural reserves is appealing and Li extraction from different brines is in the forefront. Li extraction by membranes is reviewed in the literature much more than electrochemical processes. However, a very recent review thoroughly discussed Li recovery by electrochemically switchable ion exchange (ESIX). This paper reviews Li recovery by both charge transfer processes, namely electrodialysis (ED), and electro-sorption processes, namely capacitive deionization (CDI). It also reviews ESIX with a focus on performance matrices and includes comments on the technology readiness of each separation technique. These processes exhibit promising perspectives on the separation and recovery of Li both selectively and non-selectively from simulated brine solutions and Li salt solutions. Readers are provided with guidelines to choose between the processes, depending on the applied voltage, current density, specific energy consumption and purity of recovered Li. Most electrochemical lithium capturing systems (ELiCSs) have been tested at the lab scale. Therefore, future research should be directed toward pilot-scale development and parameter optimization. Furthermore, we urge the ELiCSs research community to report information in a standard form that allows meaningful comparisons and insights into the systems.This publication was made possible by NPRP grant # [NPRP12S-0227-190166] from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The findings achieved are solely the responsibility of the authors. Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library

Association of Prenatal and Childhood Blood Lead Concentrations with Criminal Arrests in Early Adulthood

Kim Dietrich and colleagues find an association between developmental exposure to lead and adult criminal behavior

Successful awake proning is associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19: single-centre high-dependency unit experience

The SARS-CoV-2 can lead to severe illness with COVID-19. Outcomes of patients requiring mechanical ventilation are poor. Awake proning in COVID-19 improves oxygenation, but on data clinical outcomes is limited. This single-centre retrospective study aimed to assess whether successful awake proning of patients with COVID-19, requiring respiratory support (continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) or high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO)) on a respiratory high-dependency unit (HDU), is associated with improved outcomes. HDU care included awake proning by respiratory physiotherapists. Of 565 patients admitted with COVID-19, 71 (12.6%) were managed on the respiratory HDU, with 48 of these (67.6%) requiring respiratory support. Patients managed with CPAP alone 22/48 (45.8%) were significantly less likely to die than patients who required transfer onto HFNO 26/48 (54.2%): CPAP mortality 36.4%; HFNO mortality 69.2%, (p=0.023); however, multivariate analysis demonstrated that increasing age and the inability to awake prone were the only independent predictors of COVID-19 mortality. The mortality of patients with COVID-19 requiring respiratory support is considerable. Data from our cohort managed on HDU show that CPAP and awake proning are possible in a selected population of COVID-19, and may be useful. Further prospective studies are required

Reconciling Deep Calibration and Demographic History: Bayesian Inference of Post Glacial Colonization Patterns in Carcinus aestuarii (Nardo, 1847) and C. maenas (Linnaeus, 1758)

A precise inference of past demographic histories including dating of demographic events using Bayesian methods can only be achieved with the use of appropriate molecular rates and evolutionary models. Using a set of 596 mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequences of two sister species of European green crabs of the genus Carcinus (C. maenas and C. aestuarii), our study shows how chronologies of past evolutionary events change significantly with the application of revised molecular rates that incorporate biogeographic events for calibration and appropriate demographic priors. A clear signal of demographic expansion was found for both species, dated between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, which places the expansions events in a time frame following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). In the case of C. aestuarii, a population expansion was only inferred for the Adriatic-Ionian, suggestive of a colonization event following the flooding of the Adriatic Sea (18,000 years ago). For C. maenas, the demographic expansion inferred for the continental populations of West and North Europe might result from a northward recolonization from a southern refugium when the ice sheet retreated after the LGM. Collectively, our results highlight the importance of using adequate calibrations and demographic priors in order to avoid considerable overestimates of evolutionary time scales

Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease, 1990–2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Health system planning requires careful assessment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemiology, but data for morbidity and mortality of this disease are scarce or non-existent in many countries. We estimated the global, regional, and national burden of CKD, as well as the burden of cardiovascular disease and gout attributable to impaired kidney function, for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017. We use the term CKD to refer to the morbidity and mortality that can be directly attributed to all stages of CKD, and we use the term impaired kidney function to refer to the additional risk of CKD from cardiovascular disease and gout. Methods The main data sources we used were published literature, vital registration systems, end-stage kidney disease registries, and household surveys. Estimates of CKD burden were produced using a Cause of Death Ensemble model and a Bayesian meta-regression analytical tool, and included incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, mortality, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). A comparative risk assessment approach was used to estimate the proportion of cardiovascular diseases and gout burden attributable to impaired kidney function. Findings Globally, in 2017, 1·2 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 1·2 to 1·3) people died from CKD. The global all-age mortality rate from CKD increased 41·5% (95% UI 35·2 to 46·5) between 1990 and 2017, although there was no significant change in the age-standardised mortality rate (2·8%, −1·5 to 6·3). In 2017, 697·5 million (95% UI 649·2 to 752·0) cases of all-stage CKD were recorded, for a global prevalence of 9·1% (8·5 to 9·8). The global all-age prevalence of CKD increased 29·3% (95% UI 26·4 to 32·6) since 1990, whereas the age-standardised prevalence remained stable (1·2%, −1·1 to 3·5). CKD resulted in 35·8 million (95% UI 33·7 to 38·0) DALYs in 2017, with diabetic nephropathy accounting for almost a third of DALYs. Most of the burden of CKD was concentrated in the three lowest quintiles of Socio-demographic Index (SDI). In several regions, particularly Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, the burden of CKD was much higher than expected for the level of development, whereas the disease burden in western, eastern, and central sub-Saharan Africa, east Asia, south Asia, central and eastern Europe, Australasia, and western Europe was lower than expected. 1·4 million (95% UI 1·2 to 1·6) cardiovascular disease-related deaths and 25·3 million (22·2 to 28·9) cardiovascular disease DALYs were attributable to impaired kidney function. Interpretation Kidney disease has a major effect on global health, both as a direct cause of global morbidity and mortality and as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. CKD is largely preventable and treatable and deserves greater attention in global health policy decision making, particularly in locations with low and middle SDI