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Definition and characteristics of behavioral medicine, and main tasks and goals of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine – an international Delphi study
No full textBackground. In the past decades, behavioral medicine has attained global recognition. Due to its global reach, a critical need has emerged to consider whether the original definition of behavioral medicine is still valid, comprehensive and inclusive, and to reconsider the main tasks and goals of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM), as the umbrella organization in the field. The purpose of the present study was to (i) update the definition and scope of behavioral medicine and its defining characteristics; and (ii) develop a proposal on ISBM’s main tasks and goals.Methods. Our study used the Delphi method. A core group prepared a discussion paper. An international Delphi panel rated questions and provided comments. The panel intended to reach an a priori defined level of consensus (i.e. 70%). Results. The international panel reached consensus on an updated definition and scope of behavioral medicine as a field of research and practice that builds on collaboration among multiple disciplines. These disciplines are concerned with development and application of behavioral and biomedical evidence across the disease continuum in clinical and public health domains. Consensus was reached on a proposal for ISBM’s main tasks and goals focused on supporting communication and collaboration across disciplines and participating organizations; stimulating research, education and practice; and supporting individuals and organizations in the field. Conclusions. The consensus on definition and scope of behavioral medicine and ISBM’s tasks and goals provides a foundational step toward achieving these goals.<br/
Polygenic risk scores and breast and epithelial ovarian cancer risks for carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants
No full textPurpose: We assessed the associations between population-based polygenic risk scores (PRS) for breast (BC) or epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) with cancer risks for BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers. Methods: Retrospective cohort data on 18,935 BRCA1 and 12,339 BRCA2 female pathogenic variant carriers of European ancestry were available. Three versions of a 313-SNP BC PRS were evaluated based on whether it predicts overall, estrogen-receptor (ER)-negative or ER-positive BC; and two PRS for overall or high-grade serous EOC. Associations were validated in a prospective cohort. Results: The ER-negative PRS showed the strongest association with BC risk for BRCA1 carriers (Hazard Ratio (HR) per standard deviation=1.29 (95%CI 1.25-1.33), P=3x10-72). For BRCA2, the strongest association was with overall BC PRS (HR=1.31 (95%CI 1.27-1.36), P=7x10-50). HR estimates decreased significantly with age and there was evidence for differences in associations by predicted variant-effects on protein expression. The HR estimates were smaller than general population estimates. The high-grade serous PRS yielded the strongest associations with EOC risk for BRCA1 (HR=1.32 (95%CI 1.25-1.40), P=3x10-22) and BRCA2 (HR=1.44 (95%CI 1.30-1.60), P=4x10-12) carriers. The associations in the prospective cohort were similar. Conclusion: Population-based PRS are strongly associated with BC and EOC risks for BRCA1/2 carriers and predict substantial absolute risk differences for women at PRS distribution extreme
Enhanced superconductivity in few-layer TaS2 due to healing by oxygenation
No full textWhen approaching the atomically thin limit, defects and disorder play an increasingly important role in the properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials. While defects are generally thought to negatively affect superconductivity in 2D materials, here we demonstrate the contrary in the case of oxygenation of ultrathin tantalum disulfide (TaS2). Our first-principles calculations show that incorporation of oxygen into the TaS2 crystal lattice is energetically favourable and effectively heals sulfur vacancies typically present in these crystals, thus restoring the electronic band structure and the carrier density to the intrinsic characteristics of TaS2. Strikingly, this leads to a strong enhancement of the electron-phonon coupling, by up to 80% in the highly-oxygenated limit. Using transport measurements on fresh and aged (oxygenated) few-layer TaS2, we found a marked increase of the superconducting critical temperature (Tc) upon aging, in agreement with our theory, while concurrent electron microscopy and electron-energy loss spectroscopy confirmed the presence of sulfur vacancies in freshly prepared TaS2 and incorporation of oxygen into the crystal lattice with time. Our work thus reveals the mechanism by which certain atomic-scale defects can be beneficial to superconductivity and opens a new route to engineer Tc in ultrathin materials
A novel method for measuring spatial uniformity of irregular boiling bubbles in a direct contact heat exchanger
No full textAs the binary image fails to reflect the density distribution of the bubble,this paper proposes an improved new indicator for accurate measurement ofspatial uniformity based on gray image analysis: moment. Compared withthe inclination angle method in binary image, the test results show that thetwo methods have significant positive correlation. The experimental resultsalso indicate that the evolution curve of bubble numbers is consistent withits moment evolution curve, and the moment evolution fitting curve candistinguish the high noise in the experiment. Compared with other methods,mixing performance index (t) obtained by moment evolution fitting curveis correlated with heat transfer performance (Pearson correlation coefficienta=-0.94). The variation in characteristic area of the bubble in the directionof bubble growth can characterize the heat transfer performance. The indexof dispersion of the global moment and the local moment indicates thatthe local moment can be used to precisely quantify the spatial uniformityof boiling bubbles. This work could also be applied to study a variety ofproblems involving spatial uniformity through visualization techniques.<br/
Structured hierarchical Mn-Co mixed oxides supported on silicalite-1 foam catalyst for catalytic combustion
No full textSilicalite-1 (S1) foam was functionalized by supporting manganese-cobalt (Mn-Co) mixed oxides to develop the structured hierarchical catalyst (Mn-Co@S1F) for catalytic combustion for the first time. The self-supporting S1 foam with hierarchical porosity was prepared via hydrothermal synthesis with polyurethane (PU) foam as the template. Subsequently, Mn-Co oxides nano sheets were uniformly grown on the surface of S1 foams under hydrothermal conditions to prepare the structured hierarchical catalyst with specific surface area of 354 m2·g−1, micropore volume of 0.141 cm3·g−1 and total pore volume of 0.217 cm3·g−1, as well as a good capacity to adsorb toluene (1.7 mmol·g−1 at p/p0 = 0.99). Comparative catalytic combustion of toluene of over developed structured catalyst Mn-Co@S1F was performed against the control catalysts of bulk Mn-Co@S1 (i.e., the crushed Mn-Co@S1F) and unsupported Mn-Co oxides (i.e., Mn-Co). Mn-Co@S1F exhibited comparatively the best catalytic performance, that is, complete and stable toluene conversion at 248 °C over 65 h due to the synergy between Mn-Co oxides and S1 foam, which provided a large number of oxygen vacancies, high redox capacity. In addition, the hierarchical porous structure also improved the accessibility of active sites and facilitated the global mass transfer across the catalyst bed, being beneficial to the catalysis and catalyst longevity
Post-earthquake fire performance of square concrete-filled steel tube columns
No full textIt has been shown that fire disaster normally occurs following an earthquake disaster, which might cause even more serious losses than the earthquake itself. This study investigates the post-earthquake fire performance of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns. The experimental programme contains two parts - quasi-static tests and fire tests. During the quasi-static tests, the square CFST columns were loaded under constant compressive force and cyclic horizontal force, until reaching different degrees of seismic damage. Afterwards, the pre-damaged columns were loaded under a constant axial compression ratio (i.e. ratio of the applied compressive load to its bearing capacity) of 0.3 at elevated temperatures. The fire resistance time and failure modes of these pre-damaged CFST columns were reported. Finite element (FE) models were developed and validated against the test results; a total of 48 numerical results were generated in the parametric study using the validated model. In the parametric study, the influence of key parameters including the thickness of steel tube, the yield strength of steel tube, the axial compression ratio and pre-damage degrees on the fire resistance of square CFST columns were analysed. The experimental and numerical results are used to propose design rules for the fire performance of square CFST columns with different degrees of seismic damage
Novel Approaches for Energy-Efficient Flexible Job-Shop Scheduling Problems
No full textIn this work, two novel mixed-integer linear programming models for energy efficient scheduling of flexible job-shops with simultaneous consideration of machine switching off-on strategy are developed. While the first model is based on the unit-specific event-based approach, the other one uses the sequence-based approach. The computational results demonstrate that the proposed models, especially the unit-specific event-based model, are more robust and efficient than the existing models. To solve industrial-scale problems efficiently, a hybrid algorithm is developed through the combination of the existing eGEP algorithm and mathematical programming approach. The hybrid algorithm leads to up to 15 % more energy savings in comparison to the eGEP algorithm
Bradley and Moore on Common Sense
No full textIt is well appreciated that Moore, in the final years of the nineteenth century, emphatically rejected the monistic idealism of F. H. Bradley. It has, however, been less widely noticed that Moore’s concern to defeat monism remained with him well into the 1920s. In the following discussion I describe the role that Moore’s adoption of a ‘common sense’ orientation played in his criticisms of Bradley’s monism. I begin by outlining certain distinctive features of Bradley’s sceptical methodology, before describing the contrasting approach of Moore as it appears in 1910-11 and 1925. I bring these methodological differences into relief by assessing the status of common sense claims in the work of each figure. I show that Moore’s common sense methodology was employed against Bradley’s monistic conclusions, and that it was adopted with Bradley squarely in mind
Risk-reducing hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in female carriers of pathogenic mismatch repair variants:A Prospective Lynch Syndrome Database report
No full textPurposeTo determine impact of risk-reducing hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) on gynaecological cancer incidence and death in carriers of pathogenic MMR (path_MMR) variants.MethodsThe Prospective Lynch Syndrome Database was used to investigate the effects of gynaecological risk-reducing surgery (RRS) at different ages.ResultsRisk-reducing hysterectomy at 25 years of age prevents endometrial cancer before 50 years in 15%, 18%, 13% and 0% of path_MLH1, path_MSH2, path_MSH6 and path_PMS2 carriers and death in 2%, 2%, 1% and 0%, respectively. Risk-reducing BSO at 25 years of age prevents ovarian cancer before 50 years in 6%, 11%, 2% and 0% and death in 1%, 2%, 0% and 0%, respectively. Risk-reducing hysterectomy at 40 years prevents endometrial cancer by 50 years in 13%, 16%, 11% and 0% and death in 1%, 2%, 1% and 0%, respectively. BSO at 40 years prevents ovarian cancer before 50 years in 4%, 8%, 0% and 0%, and death in 1%, 1%, 0% and 0%, respectively.ConclusionLittle benefit is gained by performing RRS before 40 years of age and premenopausal BSO in path_MSH6 and path_PMS2 carriers has no measurable benefit for mortality. These findings may aid decision making for women with LS who are considering RRS.<br/
