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Increasing urbanization and its implication for human health, outdoor thermal comfort, air quality or energy consumption necessitate a need for high-resolution urban modelling. In this study, we evaluate uSINGV, a coupled urban-atmosphere research model used by the Singapore Meteorological Service, for four clear-day over Singapore using two different spatial resolutions of 300 and 100 m, respectively. The model is modified to incorporate urban morphology and land use/land cover datasets which are based on European Space Agency climate change initiative data (ESA CCI) at 300 and local datasets at 100 m spatial resolution. The evaluation is carried out for near-surface variables such as temperature, specific humidity, wind speed, and turbulent surface fluxes using Kling-Gupta efficiency (KGE'), root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) as model evaluation metrics. Results suggest that temperature and specific humidity are similar for 300 m and 100 m spatial resolution. On the other hand, for 100 m (300 m), the 10 m wind speed has a KGE’ of 0.45 (0.15), RMSE of 0.69 (1.42) m/s, and MAE of 0.55 (1.26) m/s, hence showing improvements from 300 to 100 m spatial resolution. In addition, sensible heat flux for 100 m resolution simulations is closer to observations, while latent heat flux is overestimated. Overall, uSINGV is able to produce reliable simulations at 100 m spatial resolution, thereby showing promise for improved understanding of detailed urban climate processes.

Simulations of five November months (2010–2014) using the urban version of the numerical weather prediction system of the Meteorological Service Singapore (uSINGV) are used to analyse the urban effect on convective precipitation over Singapore and Johor Bahru (Malaysia). The model is able to closely predict locations where rainfall peaks occur, but rainfall totals are overestimated compared to radar data. The temporal variability of rainfall in the region shows that urban areas increase the frequency and severity of rainfall events and that such impact increases with the rainfall intensity. Results show that low-level moisture advection is enhanced in this coastal conurbation as a result of the strengthening of wind convergence. The latter is likely caused by increasing sea-breeze strength due to lower surface pressure over the urban area, and higher urban surface roughness, respectively. As a consequence, more precipitable water is available in the region, enhancing convection and increasing the probability of heavy rainfall over the centre and north of Singapore island and Johor Bahru. Stronger convection further increases moisture advection from the vicinity. By studying the temporal variability and the spatial distribution of rainfall events, the present study provides new insights on the urban impact on heavy rainfall in tropical areas. The conclusions are only valid for the November inter-monsoon period, when local forcing, rather than large-scale influences, dominates rainfall generation. National Environment Agency - Singapore, R-109-000-338 236-490

Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a rare glucose metabolism disorder characterized by unregulated secretion of insulin that leads to hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (HH). Most cases are caused by mutations in the KATP-channel genes ABCC8 and KCNJ11. We report 2 patients that experienced severe HH from the first day of life. Patient 1 developed midgut volvulus after initiating diazoxide and required intestinal resection. He was subsequently managed with a high-dose octreotide and glucose-enriched diet. Consistent with diffuse type CHI by 18F-dihydroxyphenylalanine positron emission tomography-computed tomography, genetic testing revealed a homozygous ABCC8 variant, c.1801G>A, p.(Val601Ile). The rare variant was previously reported to be diazoxide-responsive, and the patient responded well to diazoxide monotherapy, with clinical remission at 2 years of age. Patient 2 responded to diazoxide with spontaneous clinical remission at 15 months of age. However, an oral glucose tolerance test at 7 years of age revealed hyperinsulinism. Genetic testing revealed that the proband and several seemingly healthy family members harbored a novel, heterozygous ABCC8 variant, c.1780T>C, p.(Ser594Pro). Genetic findings identified previously unrecognized HH in the proband's mother. The proband's uncle had been diagnosed with monogenic ABCC8-diabetes and was successfully transitioned from insulin to glibenclamide therapy. We report findings of intestinal malrotation and volvulus occurring 2 days after initiation of diazoxide treatment. We also report a novel, heterozygous ABCC8 variant in a family that exhibited cases of CHI in infancy and HH and monogenic diabetes in adult members. The cases demonstrate the importance and clinical utility of genetic analyses for informing and guiding treatment and care.

Model-based solutions for monitoring and control of chemical batch processes have been of interest in research for many decades. However, unlike in continuous processes, in which model-based tools such as Model Predictive Control (MPC) have become a standard in the industry, the reported use of models for batch processes, either for monitoring or control, is rather scarce. This limited use is attributed partly to the inherent complexity of the batch processes (e. g., dynamic, nonlinear, multipurpose) and partly to the lack of appropriate commercial tools in the past. In recent years, algorithms and commercial tools for model-based monitoring and control of batch processes have become more mature and in the era of Industry 4.0 and digitalization they are slowly but steadily gaining more interest in real-word batch applications. This contribution provides a practical example in this application field. Specifically, the use of a grey-box modeling approach, in which a multiway Projection to Latent Structure (PLS) model is combined with a first-principles model, to monitor the evolution of a batch polymerization process and predict in real-time the final batch quality is reported. The modeling approach is described, and the experimental results obtained from an industrial batch laboratory reactor are presented.

In this paper, modeling of storage constraints and material transfer are considered for short-term batch scheduling. The key features of storage and quality checks are inspired from a case study of a multiproduct batch plant. The case study presents two strategies for assigning batch orders to each individual storage tank during batch production, which are modeled in the proposed scheduling formulations as two scenarios of storage policies. A continuous-time MILP formulation is applied for the assignment and sequencing of batches in the multistage processes. The proposed approach is tested using the case study problems, and the computational results illustrate the performance of the scheduling formulations.

Neonatal death represents a major burden in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where the main conditions triggering mortality, such as prematurity, labor complications, infections, and respiratory distress syndrome, are frequently worsened by hypothermia, which dramatically scales up the risk of death. In SSA, the lack of awareness on the procedures to prevent hypothermia and the shortage of essential infant devices to treat it are hampering the reduction of neonatal deaths associated to hypothermia. Here, we offer a snapshot on the current available medical solutions to prevent and treat hypothermia in SSA, with a focus on Kenya. We aim to provide a picture that underlines the essential need for infant incubators in SSA. Specifically, given the inappropriateness of the incubators currently on the market, we point out the need for reinterpretation of research in the field, calling for technology-based solutions tailored to the SSA context, the need, and the end-user.

Understanding the response of extreme precipitation (EP) at a city scale to global warming is critical to reducing the respective risk of urban flooding. Yet, current knowledge on this issue is limited. Here, focusing on an urban agglomeration in the tropics, Singapore, we reveal that future global warming enhances both frequency and intensity of EP, based on simulations with a state-of-the-art convection-permitting regional climate model. EP intensification can reach maximum "super" Clausius-Clapeyron rate (>= $\ge $+7% per K warming) rate, implying a "new normal" of "extreme events get more extreme," which is consistently for both Representative Concentration Pathways 8.5 and 4.5. The intensification is lower for moderate and light precipitation. Also, global warming was found to dampen the urban effect on EP events. The EP enhancement is attributed to the increased atmospheric moisture and convective inhibition due to enhanced low-level stratification that delays a convection to develop until it becomes more intense., Earth's Future, 10 (6), ISSN:2328-4277

Lung aging is characterized by lung function impairment, ECM remodeling and airspace enlargement. Tenascin-C (TNC) is a large extracellular matrix (ECM) protein with paracrine and autocrine regulatory functions on cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. This matricellular protein is highly expressed during organogenesis and morphogenetic events like injury repair, inflammation or cancer. We previously showed that TNC deficiency affected lung development and pulmonary function, but little is known about its role during pulmonary aging. In order to answer this question, we characterized lung structure and physiology in 18 months old TNC-deficient and wild-type (WT) mice. Mice were mechanically ventilated with a basal and high tidal volume (HTV) ventilation protocol for functional analyses. Additional animals were used for histological, stereological and molecular biological analyses. We observed that old TNC-deficient mice exhibited larger lung volume, parenchymal volume, total airspace volume and septal surface area than WT, but similar mean linear intercept. This was accompanied by an increase in proliferation, but not apoptosis or autophagy markers expression throughout the lung parenchyma. Senescent cells were observed in epithelial cells of the conducting airways and in alveolar macrophages, but equally in both genotypes. Total collagen content was doubled in TNC KO lungs. However, basal and HTV ventilation revealed similar respiratory physiological parameters in both genotypes. Smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) analysis showed a faint increase in α-SMA positive cells in TNC-deficient lungs, but a marked increase in non-proliferative α-SMA + desmin + cells. Major TNC-related molecular pathways were not up- or down-regulated in TNC-deficient lungs as compared to WT; only minor changes in TLR4 and TGFβR3 mRNA expression were observed. In conclusion, TNC-deficient lungs at 18 months of age showed exaggerated features of the normal structural lung aging described to occur in mice between 12 and 18 months of age. Correlated to the increased pulmonary function parameters previously observed in young adult TNC-deficient lungs and described to occur in normal lung aging between 3 and 6 months of age, TNC might be an advantage in lung aging.

Water storage plays an important role in mitigating heat and flooding in urban areas. Assessment of the capacity of cities to store water remains challenging due to the extreme heterogeneity of the...

In the process industry, various types of degradation occur in processing plants, resulting in significant economic losses. Modeling of degradation is important because it provides quantitative insights for consideration of degradation impacts in the operations of process manufacturing. This paper studies batch processes that show a periodic pattern for the evolution of degradation. A new data structure, the campaign, is applied for data-driven modeling of the periodic batch-to-batch evolution of degradation using a new multiway partial least squares approach, and it is further employed to predict the evolution of degradation in a series of batch runs. The proposed approach is illustrated and applied in a comprehensive industrial case study. The example illustrates the efficacy of the proposed model and presents a fair potential for applications of degradation prediction. © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Degradation such as fouling has significant negative impact on the efficiency of process manufacturing. Creating transparency about degradation is essential in the operations of the plants. This paper focuses on the state estimation of fouling in a multipurpose batch process, and the problem is formulated using an industrial case study. Due to the lack of a good model of fouling, the state estimation is integrated with parameter estimation using the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm, where the variational approximation method is employed for the intermediate robust state estimation in the E-step. The proposed state estimation is applied in the case study, which demonstrates the efficacy of the estimation of a recipe-independent key performance indicator for the batch-to-batch fouling. © 2019, IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control) Hosting by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background Stress during ambulance transportation has been described in adult healthy volunteers where indicators of stress such as heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol increased significantly. In neonates, a few studies have described stress in ambulance with behavioural scales. However, there is no study in neonates assessing both behavioural and physiological indicators of stress simultaneously during ambulance transportation. Objective To assess the feasibility of a study aiming at identifying stress in clinically stable neonates during ambulance transportation in non-emergency situations. Methods Stable neonates transported by ambulance from September 2015 to January 2016 were eligible. Physiological and behavioural parameters of stress were measured during the entire transfer procedure, starting on the ward of departure until hospitalisation at destination. Physiological parameters included salivary cortisol concentration, heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. Behavioural parameters were measured with the Comfort Behavior and the Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised scales. Results Twenty neonates were included. The study proved to be feasible, but collection of saliva for cortisol measurement was problematic. To reach a sufficient amount of saliva, the collection time had to be extended from 90 to 300 s. Physiological parameters demonstrated heterogeneous patterns of stress. Behavioural scores increased during the entire transfer procedure and did not return to baseline values, indicating discomfort, specifically during transfer from the cot into the transport incubator. Conclusions Salivary cortisol values were variable. Behavioural measurement of stress provided a more sensitive measure to detect low level of stress, as shown in our sample of stable neonates, during non-emergency transportation.

The objective of this study was to identify risk factors and study the causes of neonatal mortality of LBW newborns referred to the Institute of Nutrition and Child Health. Material and Methods: This is a prospective descriptive and analytical study from March 1 to August 31, 2015, involving 250 newborns referred to the Neonatology Department of the Institute of Child Nutrition and Health (INSE). Results: During our study period, we recorded 1169 newborns, 250 of whom were referred, representing a referral frequency of 21.38%. The overall mortality rate for transferring newborns was 46.8%. Risk factors associated with neonatal mortality were gravidity (p = 0.0019), parity (p = 0.0323), occupational activities requiring physical effort (p = 0.0257), birth weight (p = 0.0008) and prematurity (p = 0.0039). Conclusion: Neonatal mortality associated with referrals is a major health problem in developing countries. There is currently no doubt that it is possible to significantly reduce perinatal mortality and morbidity rates by organizing the identification of “mother-child” couples at risk, to refer them intently to centres better equipped with technical and human resources to care for them.

Two neonates were presented at the Neonatology Department of the Institute of Child Nutrition and Health in Conakry, Guinea, with tension pneumothoraces as confirmed by chest X-ray. They were initially managed with needle thoracentesis but required continuous thoracic drainage. Due to scarce resources in the public health sector, no prepacked and dedicated pleural drainage systems were available as is the case in many developing countries. Therefore, we fabricated an improvised underwater seal drain out of a plastic infusion bottle and a Heimlich valve out of a vicryl fingerstall. Both devices have shown to be effective. Pneumothorax is a common and potentially life-threatening disease in neonates that often requires prompt treatment. This case series demonstrates how tension pneumothorax in two newborns was successfully managed by improvising different chest drainage systems. The depicted techniques shall serve as an instruction manual to healthcare professionals working in low-resource settings and facing similar challenges.

Large spatial differences in canopy-layer air temperature are found across the city as a consequence of distinct urban morphologies and anthropogenic activities throughout the urban landscape. Model-based studies investigating the spatial and temporal variability of air temperature are commonly employed to assess heat mitigation strategies in cities. It is therefore important that models are capable to accurately predict air temperature variability across the city to account for the local climate context. This study explores the sensitivity of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a multi-layer urban scheme (BEP-BEM) to simulate intra-urban variations of 2-m air temperature during different synoptic conditions in a tropical city, Singapore. An accurate representation of the real heterogeneous urban morphology of Singapore is implemented in the model. Two one-month long simulations are conducted for distinct synoptic weather conditions: (a) a relatively wet period during the SW monsoon and (b) a very dry period during the NE monsoon. The performance of the model is firstly evaluated against micrometeorological data collected by a tall eddy covariance flux tower in a representative low-rise residential neighbourhood. Overall good performance is obtained for wind speed and direction, turbulence parameters and surface energy balance components, in particular during dry conditions. Some difficulties are found in predicting intermittent cloud cover, which results in an overestimation of net radiation increasing model errors during the wetter period. Hence the comparison of 2-m air temperatures against observations results in slightly higher errors during the latter period (RMSE

Background Neonatal mortality in Guinea accounts for about 30% of all fatalities in children younger than five years. Countrywide, specialized neonatal intensive care is provided in one single clinic with markedly limited resources. To implement targeted measures, prospective data on patient characteristics and factors of neonatal death are needed. Objective To determine the rates of morbidity and mortality, to describe clinical characteristics of admitted newborns requiring intensive care, to assess the quality of disease management, and to identify factors contributing to neonatal mortality. Methods Prospective observational cohort study of newborns admitted to the hospital between mid-February and mid-March 2019 after birth in other institutions. Data were collected on maternal/prenatal history, delivery, and in-hospital care via convenience sampling. Associations of patient characteristics with in-hospital death were assessed using cause-specific Cox proportional-hazards models. Results Half of the 168 admitted newborns underwent postnatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Reasons for admission included respiratory distress (49.4%), poor postnatal adaptation (45.8%), prematurity (46.2%), and infections (37.1%). 101 newborns (61.2%) arrived in serious/critical general condition; 90 children (53.9%) showed clinical signs of neurological damage. Quality of care was poor: Only 59.4% of the 64 newborns admitted with hypothermia were externally heated; likewise, 57.1% of 45 jaundiced infants did not receive phototherapy. Death occurred in 56 children (33.3%) due to birth asphyxia (42.9%), prematurity (33.9%), and sepsis (12.5%). Newborns in serious/critical general condition at admission had about a fivefold higher hazard to die than those admitted in good condition (HR 5.21 95%-CI 2.42–11.25, p = Conclusion Neonatal mortality was strikingly high. Birth asphyxia, prematurity, and infection accounted for 89.3% of death, aggravated by poor quality of in-hospital care. Children with serious general condition at admission had poor chances of survival. The whole concept of perinatal care in Guinea requires reconsideration.

Objective To compare length of stay (LOS) in neonatal care for babies born extremely preterm admitted to networks participating in the International Network for Evaluating Outcomes of Neonates (iNeo). Study design Data were extracted for babies admitted from 2014 to 2016 and born at 24 to 28 weeks of gestational age (n = 28 204). Median LOS was calculated for each network for babies who survived and those who died while in neonatal care. A linear regression model was used to investigate differences in LOS between networks after adjusting for gestational age, birth weight z score, sex, and multiplicity. A sensitivity analysis was conducted for babies who were discharged home directly. Results Observed median LOS for babies who survived was longest in Japan (107 days); this result persisted after adjustment (20.7 days more than reference, 95% CI 19.3-22.1). Finland had the shortest adjusted LOS (−4.8 days less than reference, 95% CI –7.3 to −2.3). For each week's increase in gestational age at birth, LOS decreased by 12.1 days (95% CI –12.3 to −11.9). Multiplicity and male sex predicted mean increases in LOS of 2.6 (95% CI 2.0-3.2) and 2.1 (95% CI 1.6-2.6) days, respectively. Conclusions We identified between-network differences in LOS of up to 3 weeks for babies born extremely preterm. Some of these may be partly explained by differences in mortality, but unexplained variations also may be related to differences in clinical care practices and healthcare systems between countries.

This is a comment to the paper "Magnitude of urban heat islands largely explained by climate and population" by Manoli et al. (2019, Nature 573 p. 55-60; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1512-9)

Background Perinatal mortality represents a major health care problem in particular in low and middle-income countries, which account for 97% of all late fetal and 98% of all neonatal deaths. Our objectif was to analyse perinatal morbidity and mortality at the largest maternity clinic of Guinea, in sub-Saharan Africa. Patients & Methods: Prospective observational evaluation of the perinatal morbidity and mortality between May 1st and June 30th 2019 at the Clinic of Obstetrics of the University Hospital Ignace Deen in Conakry, Guinea. Results Of the 1189 deliveries, 98 (82‰) fetus were born dead, 58.1% of them with signs of maceration. 14.1% of all infants had low birth weight ( 4000 g). The rate of preterm infants was 9.3% and 99 infants (8.3%) showed signs of post-maturity. At birth, 6.8% of all live born infants had asphyxia, 10.9% respiratory distress, 1.9% infection, 0.3% malformation, and nine infants died within the first postnatal minutes. Need for any resuscitation manoeuvres showed 304 infants (27.9%), 68.8% of them needed bag and mask ventilation and 27.0% chest compressions. Infants with bad Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes did improve by 10 minutes thanks to respiratory support, but not due to chest compression. As there is no neonatal unit in the same hospital, 192 infants (17.6%) had to be transferred across Conakry to the only tertiary neonatal unit. Due to lack of any (para-)medical transport system for newborn infants, mortality of these neonates is very high and adds to the total perinatal mortality of 143.8 deaths/1000 deliveries. Conclusions Late pregnancy control is very poor in Conakry, leading to delayed referral of high-risk pregnancies to the university hospital. This goes along with high rates of stillbirths, post-term and macrosome infants with increased risk for delivery complications like postnatal adaptation problems and asphyxia. Resuscitation algorithm needs to be adapted to the local context. A hospital-based neonatal unit for primary stabilization and a medicalised neonatal transport system within Conakry needs to be implemented to decrease the high mortality rate.

The increase in urban air temperature caused by urban heat and climate change can have negative effects on the outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) as well as on the energy demand for air-conditioning. Nature-based solutions, such as the increase in urban biomass, are often proposed to mitigate excessive urban heat. Trees are expected to decrease temperatures due to shade provision on surfaces and evapotranspiration but their canopy blocks wind flow, thus potentially induce warming by reduction of heat removal. Several studies have shown that trees have a varying potential for air temperature reduction throughout the diurnal cycle as well as in different climates. Studies that partition and attribute the temperature reduction to the aforementioned effects are still lacking though, thus making the explanation of the observed differences difficult. To address this knowledge gap, we use the mechanistic urban ecohydrological model, Urban Tethys-Chloris (UT&C, Meili et al. 2019), which accounts for radiation, evapotranspiration and roughness effects of trees in the urban canyon. Turning these components on and off by means of virtual experiments allows us to quantify their contribution to the air and surface temperature modification caused by the tree cover. The results are analysed for compact low-rise residential areas (LCZ3) in four different climates (Phoenix, Singapore, Melbourne, Zurich). We find that tree evapotranspiration is able to lower 2 m air temperature at maximum by 3-4°C in all four climates as stomatal closure due to high vapour pressure deficits in dry and hot cities limit the transpirative cooling effect during mid-day. Counterintuitively, tree-radiation interaction increases the 2 m air temperature up to 2°C at noon time even though a decrease in surface temperatures is observed. While the surfaces underneath the tree canopy receive less radiation due to shading, the overall absorbed solar radiation within the canyon increases due to radiation trapping. In the analysed scenarios, the presence of trees leads to a decrease in the city roughness hindering turbulent energy exchange and thus, increasing the 2 m air temperature in all climates during daytime. The tree-radiation and tree-roughness effects on 2 m air temperature during night vary in different climates due to atmospheric stability effects. Combining the different tree effects as in the real world, leads to a distinct diurnal pattern of air temperature reduction which is consistent with the observations in the literature. The numerical experiment allows reconciling differences in temperature changes induced by trees across the diurnal cycle and in various climates. The results could be used to guide green cover and tree type selection in cities and inform future studies aimed at optimizing the role of urban greening for improving local microclimatic conditions., EGUsphere

Objective This study aimed to describe intrapartum and postpartum exposures possibly associated with the risk of in-hospital maternal mortality in Guinea. Study Design Data were collected in the Western Sub-Saharan Africa setting at the university hospital in Conakry, Guinea, during 2016−2017. Case-control study design was applied. The cases comprised all intrapartum and postpartum maternal deaths recorded during the study period. The controls were selected by random sampling from patients discharged alive following hospitalization due to vaginal delivery or cesarean section. Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) was defined as a quotient of the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to generate odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 %CI). Results A total of 10,208 live births and 144 maternal deaths were recorded. The MMR was at 1411 per 100,000 live births. The main causes of maternal death included postpartum hemorrhage (56 %), retroplacental hematoma (10 %), and eclampsia (9%). The ORs of maternal death were significantly elevated in case of transfer from another hospital (OR 24.60, 95 %CI 11.32–53.46), misoprostol-induced labor (OR 4.26, 95 %CI 2.51–7.91), non-use of partogram (OR 3.70, 95 %CI 1.31–5.20), duration of labor ≥24 h (OR 2.87, 95 %CI 1.35–5.29), and positive history of cesarean section (OR 2.54, 95 %CI 1.12–6.19). Conclusion To stop preventable maternal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa, continued efforts are needed to provide perinatal monitoring, to reorganize the obstetric reference system, and to decrease the number of avoidable cesarean sections. Furthermore, the internal supervision of misoprostol doses used for labor induction should be a priority.

Heavy PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter equal to or less than 2.5 mu m) pollution and urban heat island (UHI) pose increasing threats to human health and living environment in populated cities. However, how PM2.5 pollution affects the UHI intensity (UHII) has not been fully understood. The impacts of PM2.5 on the wintertime UHII in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei megalopolis of China are explored during 2013-2017. The results show that the UHII at the time of daily maximum/minimum temperature (UHIImax/UHIImin) exhibits a decreasing/increasing tendency as PM2.5 concentration increases, causing a continuous decrease in the diurnal temperature range. These effects are mediated via aerosol-radiation interaction (aerosol-cloud interaction) under clear-sky (cloudy) condition. The changes in PM2.5 concentration further cause different relative trends of UHII(ma)x/UHIImin/diurnal temperature range across different cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, which are likely related to the differences in both the PM2.5 composition and city size. This study provides insights on how air pollution affects urban climate and would help to design effective mitigation strategies. Plain Language Summary A detailed understanding of the relationship between PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter equal to or less than 2.5 mu m) and the urban heat island (UHI) effect is significant for climate change adaption, planning, and sustainable development in urban regions. While the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) megalopolis of China is among the areas with the highest population densities and fastest urbanization rates in the world, the impacts of PM2.5 pollution on UHI, along with their regional differences in the BTH megalopolis, remain unclear. This study demonstrates that different PM2.5 concentrations in the BTH region pose various influences on the UHI intensities and their change rates in different cities of varying sizes. The UHI intensities during daytime and nighttime, respectively, exhibit weakening and strengthening tendency as PM2.5 concentration increases. These effects are mediated via aerosol-radiation interaction under clear-sky condition and aerosol-cloud interaction in cloudy weather. The relative changes in the UHI magnitudes were mainly determined by PM2.5 composition and city size. The asymmetrical influences of PM2.5 on the daytime and nighttime UHI intensities caused continuous decreases in the diurnal temperature ranges in the urban areas as the pollution level increased. Our study improves the understanding of urban climate affected by air pollution and provides a scientific basis for the mitigation of UHI impacts.

Urban morphology is an important multidimensional variable to consider in climate modeling and observations, because it significantly drives the local and micro-scale climatic variability in cities. Urban form can be described through urban canopy parameters (UCPs) that resolve the spatial heterogeneity of cities by specifying the 3-dimensional geometry, arrangement, and materials of urban features. The sky view factor (SVF) is a dimension-reduced UCP capturing 3-dimensional form through horizon limitation fractions. SVF has become a popular metric to parameterize urban morphology, but current approaches are difficult to scale up to global coverage. This study introduces a Big-Data approach to calculate SVFs for urban areas from Google Street View (GSV). 90-degree field-of-view GSV photos are retrieved and converted into hemispherical views through equiangular projection. The fisheyes are segmented into sky and non-sky pixels using image processing, and the SVF is calculated using an annulus method. Results are compared to SVFs retrieved from GSV images segmented using deep learning. SVF footprints are presented for urban areas around the world tallying 15,938,172 GSV locations. Two use cases are introduced: (1) an evaluation of a Google Earth Engine classified Local Climate Zone map for Singapore; (2) hourly sun duration maps for New York and San Francisco.

Model-based studies investigating the spatial and temporal variability of air temperature are commonly employed to assess heat mitigation strategies in cities. To generate reliable predictions, it is therefore important that models are capable to accurately predict air temperature variability across the city to account for the local climate context. The present study explores the sensitivity of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a multi-layer urban scheme (BEP-BEM) to simulate intra-urban variations of 2-m air temperature during different synoptic conditions in the tropical city-state of Singapore. Two one-month long simulations are conducted during a relatively wet period during the Southwest monsoon and a very dry period during the Northeast monsoon. Model evaluation with micrometeorological data collected at an eddy covariance flux tower shows an overall good performance for turbulence parameters and surface energy balance components, in particular during dry conditions. Difficulties in predicting intermittent cloud cover result in slightly higher errors of modelled 2-m air temperature during the wet period (RMSE

Exposure concentration and inhaled dose of particles during door-to-door trips walking and using motorized transport modes (subway, bus, taxi) are evaluated along a selected route in a commercial district of Singapore. Concentrations of particles smaller than 2.5 μm in size (PM 2.5 ), black carbon, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, number of particles, active surface area and carbon monoxide have been measured in-situ using portable instruments. Simultaneous measurements were conducted at a nearby park to capture the background concentrations. The heart rate of the participants was monitored during the measurements as a proxy of the inhalation rate used to calculate the inhaled dose of particles. All measured metrics were highest and well above background levels during walking. No significant difference was observed in the exposure concentration of PM 2.5 for the three motorized transport modes, unlike for the metrics associated with ultrafine particles (UFP). The concentration of these freshly emitted particles was significantly lower on subway trips. The absence of combustion sources, use of air conditioning and screen doors at station platforms are effective measures to protect passengers' health. For other transport modes, sections of trips close to accelerating and idling vehicles, such as bus stops, traffic junctions and taxi stands, represent hotspots of particles. Reducing the waiting time at such locations will lower pollutants exposure and inhaled dose during a commute. After taking into account the effect of inhalation and travel duration when calculating dose, the health benefit of commuting by subway for this particular district of Singapore became even more evident. For example, pedestrians breathe in 2.6 and 3.2 times more PM 2.5 and UFP, respectively than subway commuters. Public buses were the second best alternative. Walking emerged as the worst commuting mode in terms of particle exposure and inhaled dose.

In der industriellen Praxis werden in verschiedenen Phasen des Lebenszyklus einer Anlage unterschiedliche Simulationswerkzeuge eingesetzt. Momentan ist noch keine Durchgängigkeit dieser Werkzeuge gegeben. Besonders der Wiederverwendung von Modellen sind enge Grenzen gesetzt. Aus diesem Grunde wurde im Rahmen dieser Arbeit ein Verfahren entwickelt, das es ermöglicht, dynamische mid-fidelity Modelle aus schon vorhandenen stationären rigorosen Modellen systematisch und mit geringem Aufwand zu erzeugen und sie später für die virtuelle Inbetriebnahme von Automatisierungsapplikationen einzusetzen.

The present study evaluates the performance of the SURFEX (TEB/ISBA) urban land surface parametrization scheme in offline mode over a suburban area of Singapore. Model performance (diurnal and seasonal characteristics) is investigated using measurements of energy balance fluxes, surface temperatures of individual urban facets, and canyon air temperature collected during an 11-month period. Model performance is best for predicting net radiation and sensible heat fluxes (both are slightly overpredicted during daytime), but weaker for latent heat (underpredicted during daytime) and storage heat fluxes (significantly underpredicted daytime peaks and nighttime storage). Daytime surface temperatures are generally overpredicted, particularly those containing horizontal surfaces such as roofs and roads. This result, together with those for the storage heat flux, point to the need for a better characterization of the thermal and radiative characteristics of individual urban surface facets in the model. Significant variation exists in model behavior between dry and wet seasons, the latter generally being better predicted. The simple vegetation parametrization used is inadequate to represent seasonal moisture dynamics, sometimes producing unrealistically dry conditions.

Zusammenfassung Dieser Beitrag behandelt die praktische Umsetzung einer Regelung der Ammoniumkonzentration in der biologischen Abwasserreinigung der Kläranlage der BASF. Das System wird über zwei Typen von Aktoren beeinflusst, die kontinuierlich bzw. diskret arbeiten, und weist damit das Verhalten hybrider dynamischer Systeme auf. Es wird die praktische Anwendung eines Ansatzes zur hybriden ereignisbasierten Regelung vorgestellt, der um Mechanismen zur besseren Störkompensation und zum Umgang mit Stellgrößenbeschränkungen erweitert wird. Die Ergebnisse der praktischen Erprobung dieses Regelungsansatzes zeigen, dass der Arbeitspunkt des Systems an die Störung adaptiert und somit die Regelgüte gegenüber einem heuristischen Regelungsansatz deutlich verbessert wird.

To date, existing urban land surface models (ULSMs) have been mostly evaluated and optimised for mid- and high-latitude cities. For the first time, we provide a comparative evaluation of four ULSMs for a tropical residential neighbourhood in Singapore using directly measured energy balance components. The simulations are performed offline, for an 11-month period, using the bulk scheme TERRA_URB and three models of intermediate complexity (CLM, SURFEX and SUEWS). In addition, information from three different parameter lists are used to quantify the impact (interaction) of (between) external parameter settings and model formulations on the modelled urban energy balance components. Encouragingly, overall results indicate good model performance for most energy balance components and align well with previous findings for mid-latitude regions, suggesting the transferability of these models to (sub)tropical regions. Similar to results from mid-latitude regions, the outgoing longwave radiation and latent heat flux remain the most problematic fluxes. In addition, the various combinations of models and different parameter values suggest that error statistics tend to be dominated more by the choice of the latter than the choice of model. Finally, our intercomparison framework enabled the attribution of common deficiencies in the different model approaches found previously in mid-latitude regions: the simple representation of water intercepted by impervious surfaces leading to a positive bias in the latent heat flux directly after a precipitation event; and the positive bias in modelled outgoing longwave radiation that is partly due to neglecting the radiative interactions of water vapor between the surface and the tower sensor. These findings suggest that future developments in urban climate research should continue the integration of more physically-based processes in urban canopy models, ensure the consistency between the observed and modelled atmospheric properties and focus on the correct representation of urban morphology, water storage and thermal and radiative characteristics.

The performance of a 3D urban microclimate model (ENVI-met Version 3.1) is evaluated with data collected during mostly clear and calm conditions in a compact low-rise residential neighbourhood of tropical Singapore. Observations are obtained from seven canopy-layer air temperature, Ta, sensors at 2 m above ground, including a fully equipped microclimate station measuring mean radiant temperature, MRT, at 1.1 m above ground. The model is capable of capturing the spatial variability across all stations during most of the eight simulation days. Spatially-averaged Ta predictions are closer to the observations during wet (based on five simulation days) compared to dry (three days) periods. Daytime model performance for MRT is variable but peak values are well predicted. Systematic errors dominate most simulations. The present model evaluation metrics are smaller than reported in similar work, which is likely due to the more accurate determination of model input variables using locally measured soil relative humidity and leaf area density profiles. A modification to how the model calculates MRT also helps to improve its daytime performance. Finally, the model is used to predict the effect of five temperature mitigation/planning strategies. The varying results highlight the micro- and bioclimatic complexities inherent in a heterogeneous urban system, with no one scenario providing consistent cooling throughout both day- and nighttime. Overall the present results suggest that ENVI-met is a useful planning tool for assessing Ta and daytime extremes in outdoor thermal comfort, but the model requires detailed local information for proper initialization and awareness of its limitations.

To assess epidemiological data about respiratory distress (RD) in newborn infants hospitalized in Western Switzerland.During 1 year, two questionnaires were sent out to the seven neonatal and pediatric units of a well-defined geographic region in Switzerland. Data about their obstetrical activity and details about all newborn infants hospitalized with RD were collected, asking for pre-, peri-, and postnatal clinical data in association with RD.Almost 6% of all newborn infants born in the Canton of Vaud had to be hospitalized for RD. All newborn infants below 32 weeks of gestational age (GA) had developed RD, accounting for 14.6% of all neonates, hospitalized with RD, whereas the moderate to late preterm infants contributed with 36.8% much more to the RD hospitalizations. Associated factors to hospitalizations with RD were prematurity, cesarean delivery, and multiple births.Efforts should be made to reduce avoidable RD by reconsidering the management of pregnancies with premature rupture of the membranes around 34 weeks of GA and by delaying elective cesarean sections after 39 completed weeks of gestation.

Les SwissDRG generent des incitations financieres inopportunes, qui peuvent avoir des repercussions prejudiciables sur la qualite de la prise en charge en neonatologie.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) negotiated and administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) regulates the international trade of endangered species and derived products through a permit-based system. Currently, the permit process is paper-based and hence highly prone to manipulations and errors. Being aware of blockchains' potential, the CITES Secretariat defined a challenge to determine whether a blockchain-based system can address the aforementioned issues and serve as a secure, efficient, and affordable permit processing system. In this paper, we respond to the CITES Blockchain Challenge. First, we analyze the permit process and discuss how blockchain systems can improve that process in a way traditional systems cannot. Building on these results, we design a blockchain-based system that enables secure, manipulation resistant permit validation, produces an immutable record of processed permits, and is in compliance with the CITES agreement. To evaluate this design, we developed a proof-of-concept implementation compatible with the paper-based permit process and deployed it to a Proof-of-Authority-based blockchain network. This allows incremental adoption and integration with the existing process, thereby increasing acceptance and addressing affordability. Finally, we describe how a blockchain- based system could disruptively improve the established permit process by enforcing quotas and tracking provenance.

Fouling is a typical type of degradation in the process industries, which results in significant negative effects on the efficiency of plants. This paper considers a case study, where production tasks with different recipes contribute to the batch-to-batch fouling evolution depending on their sequence. The scheduling of the production tasks is improved by explicit consideration of the degradation effects, resulting in an optimized production sequence. A set of continuous-time MILP-based scheduling models integrated with degradation models are employed to formulate this batch scheduling problem. The proposed formulations are tested for different problem sizes of the case study illustrating the effectiveness of each of the proposed approaches. This article will not be available due to copyright restrictions © 2019 by Elsevier

Detailed eddy covariance measurements of radiation, energy and carbon dioxide fluxes over a residential neighbourhood of Singapore are presented. The measurements cover a period of ∼7 years and represent the longest set of flux data reported for a tropical city. Owing to its equatorial location, the observed radiation fluxes are uniformly high throughout the year. Annual changes in climate, energy fluxes and carbon dioxide exchange are therefore much less than observed in cities located outside the Tropics. The energy balance partitioning is nevertheless similar to that reported for subtropical and mid-latitude suburban sites. Across the entire study period and all weather conditions 53.6% of net radiation (3.222 GJ m−2 year−1) is partitioned into sensible and 39.4% into latent heat, respectively, resulting in a long-term daily Bowen ratio of ∼1.4. Significant variability exists in net radiation and sensible heat flux using a classification based on clouds and rainfall. Carbon dioxide fluxes are generally positive throughout the day with morning and evening peaks related to maxima in traffic volume separating lower day- from higher nighttime fluxes. Unlike in many other comparable suburban studies, net fluxes are generally higher during night- compared to daytime. The largest daily fluxes and most pronounced diurnal variability coincide with seasons when the flux footprint includes the highest proportion of vegetation, suggesting an important role for daytime sequestration and nighttime respiration to control the diurnal and seasonal variation. Carbon dioxide fluxes change little across the year given the absence of a heating season with an annual total mass flux of 6368 Mg CO2 km−2 year−1. Singapore provides a unique climatic context, and the present long-term study is expected to add robust statistics from the understudied (sub)tropical region to the global data set of urban energy and carbon dioxide fluxes, which is dominated by work conducted in mid- and high latitudes.

Progress made in the field of perinatology over the past four decades has led to unprecedented low mortality rates for extremely low birth weight infants. However, because rates of important short-term complications and neurodevelopmental impairment among survivors have remained high, the best approach to borderline viable infants continues to be debated. Not surprisingly, guidelines from various national medical societies for the care of infants born at the limit of viability vary considerably. In 2002, the first Swiss recommendations for the care of borderline viable infants were published. They had been developed by a multidisciplinary team of experts from the fields of obstetrics, pediatrics, and neonatology. Despite the availability of national guidelines, center-to-center outcome variability has since persisted, suggesting that care for the most immature infants is not only evidence-based and guideline-driven but also strongly influenced by local neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) culture. In 2011, revised national recommendations for perinatal care at the limit of viability between 22 and 26 completed weeks of gestation were published. It remains to be seen whether this has led to more uniform outcomes across the Swiss centers in the years that followed.