Search

Abstract Comprehensive studies comparing impacts of building and street levels interventions on air temperature at metropolitan scales are still lacking despite increased urban heat‐related mortality and morbidity. We therefore model the impact of 9 interventions on air temperatures at 2 m during 2 hot days from the summer 2018 in the Greater London Authority area using the WRF BEP‐BEM climate model. We find that on average cool roofs most effectively reduce temperatures (∼−1.2°C), outperforming green roofs (∼0°C), solar panels (∼−0.5°C) and street level vegetation (∼−0.3°C). Application of air conditioning across London (United Kingdom) increases air temperatures by ∼+0.15°C. A practicable deployment of solar panels could cover its related energetic consumption. Current practicable deployments of green roofs and solar panels are ineffective at large scale reduction of temperatures. We provide a detailed decomposition of the surface energy balance to explain changes in air temperature and guide future decision‐making.

The Gemini South telescope is now equipped with a new high-resolution spectrograph called the Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST). This instrument provides high-efficiency, high-resolution spectra covering 347–1060 nm in a single exposure of either one or two targets simultaneously, along with precision radial velocity spectroscopy utilizing an internal calibration source. It can operate at a spectral element resolving power of either 76,000 or 56,000, and can reach a signal-to-noise ratio of ∼5 in a 1 hr exposure on a V ∼ 20.8 mag target in median site seeing and dark skies (per resolution element). GHOST was installed on-site in 2022 June, and we report performance after full integration to queue operations in 2023 November, in addition to scientific results enabled by the integration observing runs. These results demonstrate the ability to observe a wide variety of bright and faint targets with high efficiency and precision. With GHOST, new avenues to explore high-resolution spectroscopy have opened up to the astronomical community. These are described, along with the planned and potential upgrades to the instrument.

Background: Current algorithms and device morphology templates have been proposed in current Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators (ICDs) to minimize inappropriate therapies (ITS), but this has not been completely successful. Aim: Assess the impact of a deliberate strategy of using an atrial lead implant with standardized parameters; based on all current ICD discriminators and technologies, on the burden of ITS. Method: A retrospective single-centre analysis of 250 patients with either dual chamber (DR) ICDs or biventricular ICDs (CRTDs) over a (41.9 ± 27.3) month period was performed. The incidence of ITS on all ICD and CRTD patients was chronicled after the implementation of standardized programming. Results: 39 events of anti-tachycardial pacing (ATP) and/or shocks were identified in 20 patients (8% incidence rate among patients). The total number of individual therapies was 120, of which 34% were inappropriate ATP, and 36% were inappropriate shocks. 11 patients of the 250 patients received ITS (4.4%). Of the 20 patients, four had ICDs for primary prevention and 16 for a secondary prevention. All the episodes in the primary indication group were inappropriate, while seven patients (43%) of the secondary indication group experienced inappropriate therapies. Conclusions: The burden of ITS in the population of patients receiving ICDs was 4.4% in the presence of atrial leads. The proposed rationalized programming criteria seems an effective strategy to minimize the burden of inappropriate therapies and will require further validation. Keywords: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICDs), Inappropriate therapies, Standardized programming

The current work aims at estimating the stress intensity factor deep inside the bulk from elastic strain data measured by synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Key features affecting the evaluation of the stress intensity factor are the number of terms in the analytical model describing the crack tip field, the extension and position of the area of interest of the experimental data, the effect of the experimental data collected within the plastic zone and the number of elastic strain data points used. Here a parametric study of these features is presented in terms of their influence for the stress intensity factor determination. It was found that 3 or 4 terms in Williams’ expansion is often sufficient; the data should be collected from across the full range of angles around the crack tip; and the number of points/number of terms should be greater than 40.

The damage evolution in a single domain aluminium/alumina freeze-cast composite has been examined using 3D X-ray computed tomography (CT). A single domain was extracted and loaded incrementally at an orientation of 45° to the lamellae, with the damage being assessed after each of eight compressive loading steps. Prior to loading, significant damage was observed at the metal-ceramic interface – this is thought to have formed during machining and can be ascribed to weak interfacial bonding associated with the Cu coating applied to the ceramic preform prior to metal infiltration. Further interfacial damage was seen to initiate after loading to 170MPa and to develop with each subsequent load step. Damage was also observed in the ceramic lamellae, with a series of parallel cracks forming across the alumina, perpendicular to the domain orientation. These sets of parallel, intra-lamellae cracks were closely spaced, but initiated independently, with coalescence only occurring at higher loads. Both the interfacial and intra-lamellae cracking initiated after loading to 170MPa, with the intra-lamellae cracks propagating into the metal matrix after loading to 240MPa. The cracks in the ceramic lamellae were found to form and develop independent of the interfacial cracks, with discrete crack paths and morphologies being observed in each case. Despite this, the underlying driving force was the same for each damage mode, with crack propagation being driven by an elastic-plastic mismatch between the metal matrix and ceramic lamellae.

Objective: To determine the trend of high school students from Valparaíso Chile by means of an anthropometrical somatotype. Material and methods: two samples of students during the years 1984-1985 (86 men and 71 women) and 2009-2010 (77 men and 86 women) between 15 and 18 years of age have been studied. Somatotype was estimated by the Heath-Carter anthropometric method. Results: significant differences were found in all the variables of the somatotype during the periods studied (p < 0.01), except for height (p = 0.176) and humeral breadth in women (p = 0.067). Important distinctions were also found in the endomorphic, mesomorphic and ectomorphic components (p < 0.01). Men measurements registered remarkable differences in all the variables (p < 0.01), with the exception of weight (p = 0.156), calf breadth (p = 0.906) and arm breadth in contraction (p = 0.284). Measurement results of endomorphic (p < 0.01), ectomorphic (p < 0.01) and mesomorfic components (p < 0.05) revealed considerable differences. During the period 1984-1985, men classified as balanced mesomorph 2.7-4.8-3.1 which switched to mesomorph-endomorph 3.8-4.3-2.5 in the period 2009-2010. And the population of women in the 1984-1985 period is classified as mesomorph-endomorph 4.2-4.7-2.1 and changes to a mesomorphic-endomorph biotype 6.6-4.1-1.3 in the 2009-2010. Conclusions: the somatotype of the adolescent population, especially women in Valparaiso, Chile has changed to a predominant endomorphic biotype, and its mesomorphic component has decreased. A high relative adiposity contributes to increase the probability for these people to suffer non-transmissible chronic diseases and cardiovascular issues.Objetivo: Determinar la tendencia de una población de estudiantes de educación secundaria de Valparaíso, Chile a través del somatotipo. Material y métodos: Se han estudiado dos muestras de estudiantes durante los períodos 1984-1985 (hombres 86 y mujeres 71) y 2009-2010 (hombres 77 y mujeres 86) de 15 a 18 años. Se registraron los datos antropométricos para evaluar el somatotipo antropométrico de Heath-Carter. Resultados: Para todas las variables del somatotipo de Heath-Carter se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los períodos estudiados (p < 0,01) excepto para talla (p = 0,176) y diámetro humeral (p = 0,067) en mujeres, para los componentes endomorfo, mesomorfo y ectomorfo también se registran diferencias significativas (p < 0,01). En hombres, se registran diferencias significativas para todas las variables (p < 0,01) con excepción de peso (p = 0,156), perímetro de pierna (p=906) y perímetro de brazo en contracción (p = 0,284). También se observan diferencias significativas en los componentes endomorfo (p < 0,01), ectomorfo (p < 0,01) y mesomorfo (p < 0,05). La población de mujeres del periodo 1984-1985 se clasifica como endomorfo-mesomorfo 4,2-4,7-2,1 y cambia a un perfil endo-mesomórfico 6,6-4,1-1,3 en el 2009-2010. En los hombres en el periodo 1984-1985 se clasifica como mesomorfismo balaceado 2,7-4,8-3,1 y cambia a un endomorfo-mesomorfo 3,8-4,3-2,5 en el periodo 2009-2010. Conclusiones: El somatotipo de la población de adolescentes de Valparaíso, Chile se ha desplazado hacia un biotipo predominantemente endomorfo sobre todo en mujeres y ha disminuido su componente mesomórfico. Este perfil con una alta adiposidad relativa contribuye a aumentar las probabilidades de que esta población sufra enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles y cardiovasculares.