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BACKGROUND: Many regions of the world are now facing more frequent and unprecedentedly large wildfires. However, the association between wildfire-related PM2·5 and mortality has not been well characterised. We aimed to comprehensively assess the association between short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM2·5 and mortality across various regions of the world. METHODS: For this time series study, data on daily counts of deaths for all causes, cardiovascular causes, and respiratory causes were collected from 749 cities in 43 countries and regions during 2000-16. Daily concentrations of wildfire-related PM2·5 were estimated using the three-dimensional chemical transport model GEOS-Chem at a 0·25° × 0·25° resolution. The association between wildfire-related PM2·5 exposure and mortality was examined using a quasi-Poisson time series model in each city considering both the current-day and lag effects, and the effect estimates were then pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. Based on these pooled effect estimates, the population attributable fraction and relative risk (RR) of annual mortality due to acute wildfire-related PM2·5 exposure was calculated. FINDINGS: 65·6 million all-cause deaths, 15·1 million cardiovascular deaths, and 6·8 million respiratory deaths were included in our analyses. The pooled RRs of mortality associated with each 10 μg/m3 increase in the 3-day moving average (lag 0-2 days) of wildfire-related PM2·5 exposure were 1·019 (95% CI 1·016-1·022) for all-cause mortality, 1·017 (1·012-1·021) for cardiovascular mortality, and 1·019 (1·013-1·025) for respiratory mortality. Overall, 0·62% (95% CI 0·48-0·75) of all-cause deaths, 0·55% (0·43-0·67) of cardiovascular deaths, and 0·64% (0·50-0·78) of respiratory deaths were annually attributable to the acute impacts of wildfire-related PM2·5 exposure during the study period. INTERPRETATION: Short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM2·5 was associated with increased risk of mortality. Urgent action is needed to reduce health risks from the increasing wildfires. FUNDING: Australian Research Council, Australian National Health & Medical Research Council. Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Background: Minimum mortality temperature (MMT) is an important indicator to assess the temperature-mortality association, indicating long-term adaptation to local climate. Limited evidence about the geographical variability of the MMT is available at a global scale. Methods: We collected data from 658 communities in 43 countries under different climates. We estimated temperature-mortality associations to derive the MMT for each community using Poisson regression with distributed lag nonlinear models. We investigated the variation in MMT by climatic zone using a mixed-effects meta-analysis and explored the association with climatic and socioeconomic indicators. Results: The geographical distribution of MMTs varied considerably by country between 14.2 and 31.1 ºC decreasing by latitude. For climatic zones, the MMTs increased from alpine (13.0 ºC) to continental (19.3 ºC), temperate (21.7 ºC), arid (24.5 ºC), and tropical (26.5 ºC). The MMT percentiles (MMTPs) corresponding to the MMTs decreased from temperate (79.5th) to continental (75.4th), arid (68.0th), tropical (58.5th), and alpine (41.4th). The MMTs indreased by 0.8 ºC for a 1 ºC rise in a community's annual mean temperature, and by 1 ºC for a 1 ºC rise in its SD. While the MMTP decreased by 0.3 centile points for a 1 ºC rise in a community's annual mean temperature and by 1.3 for a 1 ºC rise in its SD. Conclusions: The geographical distribution of the MMTs and MMTPs is driven mainly by the mean annual temperature, which seems to be a valuable indicator of overall adaptation across populations. Our results suggest that populations have adapted to the average temperature, although there is still more room for adaptation. Copyright © 2021 The Authors.

Background: Exposure to cold or hot temperatures is associated with premature deaths. We aimed to evaluate the global, regional, and national mortality burden associated with non-optimal ambient temperatures. Methods: In this modelling study, we collected time-series data on mortality and ambient temperatures from 750 locations in 43 countries and five meta-predictors at a grid size of 0·5° × 0·5° across the globe. A three-stage analysis strategy was used. First, the temperature–mortality association was fitted for each location by use of a time-series regression. Second, a multivariate meta-regression model was built between location-specific estimates and meta-predictors. Finally, the grid-specific temperature–mortality association between 2000 and 2019 was predicted by use of the fitted meta-regression and the grid-specific meta-predictors. Excess deaths due to non-optimal temperatures, the ratio between annual excess deaths and all deaths of a year (the excess death ratio), and the death rate per 100 000 residents were then calculated for each grid across the world. Grids were divided according to regional groupings of the UN Statistics Division. Findings: Globally, 5 083 173 deaths (95% empirical CI [eCI] 4 087 967–5 965 520) were associated with non-optimal temperatures per year, accounting for 9·43% (95% eCI 7·58–11·07) of all deaths (8·52% [6·19–10·47] were cold-related and 0·91% [0·56–1·36] were heat-related). There were 74 temperature-related excess deaths per 100 000 residents (95% eCI 60–87). The mortality burden varied geographically. Of all excess deaths, 2 617 322 (51·49%) occurred in Asia. Eastern Europe had the highest heat-related excess death rate and Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest cold-related excess death rate. From 2000–03 to 2016–19, the global cold-related excess death ratio changed by −0·51 percentage points (95% eCI −0·61 to −0·42) and the global heat-related excess death ratio increased by 0·21 percentage points (0·13–0·31), leading to a net reduction in the overall ratio. The largest decline in overall excess death ratio occurred in South-eastern Asia, whereas excess death ratio fluctuated in Southern Asia and Europe. Interpretation: Non-optimal temperatures are associated with a substantial mortality burden, which varies spatiotemporally. Our findings will benefit international, national, and local communities in developing preparedness and prevention strategies to reduce weather-related impacts immediately and under climate change scenarios. Funding: Australian Research Council and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license

Background Controversy exists regarding the role of the subfractions of high-density lipoproteins (HDL2 and HDL3) in cardiovascular disease. The functionality of these particles, and their protective role, is due in part to the paraoxonase 1 (PON1) presence in them. The polymorphisms rs662 (Q192R, A/G), rs854560 (L55 M, T/A), and rs705379 (C-108T) of the PON1 gene have been related to enzyme activity and, with the anti-oxidative capacity of the HDL. The objective was to determine the arylesterase PON1 activity in HDL3 and HDL2 and its relationship with the polymorphisms mentioned, in a young population. Methods The polymorphisms were determined through mini-sequencing (SnaPshot). The HDL subpopulations were separated via ionic precipitation, cholesterol was measured with enzymatic methods, and PON1 activity was measured through spectrophotometry. Results The results show that the PON1 polymorphisms do not influence the cholesterol in the HDL. A variation between 40.02 and 43.9 mg/dL was in all the polymorphisms without significant differences. Additionally, PON1 activity in the HDL3 subfractions was greater (62.83 ± 20 kU/L) than with HDL2 (35.8 ± 20.8 kU/L) in the whole population and in all the polymorphisms (p QR > RR). Thus, 115.90 ± 30.7, 88.78 ± 21.3, 65.29 ± 10.2, respectively, for total HDL, with identical behavior for HDL3 and HDL2. Conclusions PON1 polymorphisms do not influence the HDL-c, and the PON activity is greater in the HDL3 than in the HDL2, independent of the polymorphism, but it is necessary to delve into the functionality of these findings in different populations., Highlights • PON1 polymorphisms do not influence the cholesterol in the HDL subfractions. • PON1 arylesterase activity in the HDL3 subfractions was greater than with HDL2. • In Q192R, L55 M and C-108T polymorphisms, PON1 activity is always higher in HDL3. • This study shows that healthy young people in Colombia have very low HDL cholesterol.

Resumen Introducción: las encuestas alimentarias son utilizadas para la determinación del consumo de alimentos y nutrientes a nivel poblacional y/o individual, aunque subestiman la ingesta en un 37% o más. La introducción de nuevas tecnologías como la imagen digital de la porción de consumo, podría contribuir a disminuir el error de estimación para calorías y determinados macronutrientes. Objetivo: evaluar la precisión y exactitud del método de registro apoyado con imagen digital en tiempo real en la estimación de ingesta de calorías y macronutrientes en adultos jóvenes, considerándose como método de referencia el registro por pesada (RPP). Método: se evaluó la ingesta del almuerzo sometido previamente a un RPP de 58 sujetos. Antes y después de la ingesta, cada participante capturó una imagen de sus porciones de consumo y completaron un registro de ingesta. Se determinó el estado nutricional de los sujetos. El análisis estadístico se realizó con medianas, Kruskal-Wallis y concordancia con Bland-Altman (p < 0,05). Resultados: la mayor proporción de los sujetos presentó estado nutricional normal (72%) y el 80% presentó riesgo cardiovascular promedio. Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los tres métodos al estimar la ingesta en calorías, proteínas y lípidos. La subestimación de calorías y lípidos disminuye del 32% al 25,8% al utilizar una imagen digital como apoyo a la estimación de ingesta y lípidos de 47% al 24,4%. Conclusiones: el registro complementado con imagen digital de las porciones consumidas presenta mejor concordancia con el método de referencia (RPP) en estimación de calorías, proteínas y lípidos, mejorando la precisión y exactitud del método. Abstract Introduction: food surveys are used to determine the consumption of food and nutrients at the population and/or individual level, although they underestimate the intake by 37% or more. The introduction of new technologies such as the digital image of the portion of consumption could help to reduce the estimation error for calories and certain macronutrients. Objective: to evaluate the precision and accuracy of the food record method supported with real-time digital imaging in the estimation of caloric intake and macronutrients in young adults, considering the weighed food record (WFR) as a reference method. Methods: lunch intake was evaluated previously submitted to a WFR of 58 subjects. Before and after the intake, each participant captured an image of their consumption portions and completed a food record. The nutritional status of the subjects was determined. The statistical analysis was performed with medians, Kruskal-Wallis, and concordance with Bland-Altman (p < 0.05). Results: the highest proportion of subjects presented normal nutritional status (72%) and 80% presented average cardiovascular risk. Significant differences were found between the three methods when estimating the intake for calories, proteins, lipids. The underestimation of calories and lipids decreases from 32% to 25.8% and lipids from 47% to 24.4% when using a digital image to support the estimation of intake. Conclusions: the food record complemented with digital image of the consumed portions presents better agreement with the reference method (WFR) in estimation of calories, proteins and lipids, improving the precision and accuracy of the method.

A mobile manipulator is a mobile platform with a mounted serial manipulator. A Mobile Manipulator is a system subject to its kinematic restrictions and the degrees of freedom of the manipulator arm mounted on it. These systems combine the advantages of mobile platforms and robotic arms, and reduce their disadvantages. For example, a mobile manipulator has larger working space when it has a mobile platform, as it offers more functionality during operation. For the previously mentioned in this work will be shown the implementation in the robotic simulation software Webots, a mobile manipulator that allows to determine its operation in a virtual environment