Giant Elastocaloric Effect and Improved Cyclic Stability in a Directionally Solidified (NiMnTi)B Alloy.

Superelastic shape memory alloys with an integration of large elastocaloric response and good cyclability are crucially demanded for the advancement of solid-state elastocaloric cooling technology. In this study, we demonstrate a giant elastocaloric effect with improved cyclic stability in a <001> textured polycrystalline (NiMnTi)B alloy developed through directional solidification. It is shown that large adiabatic temperature variation (|Δ|) values more than 15 K are obtained across the temperature range from 283 K to 373 K.

Comparative epidemiology of bacteraemia in two ageing populations: Singapore and Denmark.

Burden of bacteraemia is rising due to increased average life expectancy in developed countries. This study aimed to compare the epidemiology and outcomes of bacteraemia in two similarly ageing populations with different ethnicities in Singapore and Denmark. Historical cohorts from the second largest acute-care hospital in Singapore and in the hospitals of two Danish regions included patients aged 15 and above who were admitted from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2016 with at least 1 day of hospital stay and a pathogenic organism identified.

Realization of Large Low-Stress Elastocaloric Effect in TiZrNbAl Alloy.

Seeking novel high-performance elastocaloric materials with low critical stress plays a crucial role in advancing the development of elastocaloric refrigeration technology. Here, as a first attempt, the elastocaloric effect of TiZrNbAl shape memory alloy at both room temperature and finite temperatures ranging from 245 K to 405 K, is studied systematically. Composition optimization shows that Ti-19Zr-14Nb-1Al (at.

Frameworks for measuring population health: A scoping review.

Introduction: Many regions in the world are using the population health approach and require a means to measure the health of their population of interest. Population health frameworks provide a theoretical grounding for conceptualization of population health and therefore a logical basis for selection of indicators. The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview and summary of the characteristics of existing population health frameworks that have been used to conceptualize the measurement of population health.

Fabricating Ultra-Narrow Precision Slit Structures with Periodically Reducing Current Over-Growth Electroforming.

An ultra-narrow precision slit with a width of less than ten micrometers is the key structure of some optical components, but the fabrication of these structures is still very difficult to accomplish. To fabricate these slits, this paper proposed a periodically reducing current over-growth electroforming process. In the periodically reducing current over-growth electroforming, the electric current applied to the electrodeposition process is periodically stepped down rather than being constant.

Flatband λ-TiO towards extraordinary solar steam generation.

Solar steam interfacial evaporation represents a promising strategy for seawater desalination and wastewater purification owing to its environmentally friendly character. To improve the solar-to-steam generation, most previous efforts have focused on effectively harvesting solar energy over the full solar spectrum. However, the importance of tuning joint densities of states in enhancing solar absorption of photothermal materials is less emphasized.

Influence of the Sputtering Temperature on Reflectivity and Electrical Properties of ITO/AgIn/ITO Composite Films for High-Reflectivity Anodes.

In this paper, indium tin oxide/silver indium/indium tin oxide (ITO/AgIn/ITO) composite films were deposited on glass substrates by magnetron sputtering. The effects of the sputtering temperature on the optical and electrical properties of the composite films were systematically investigated. The ITO/AgIn/ITO composite films deposited at sputtering temperatures of 25 °C and 100 °C demonstrated a high reflectivity of 95.

Large Cryogenic Magnetostriction Induced by Hydrostatic Pressure in MnCoNiSi Alloy.

Giant magnetostriction could be achieved in MnCoSi-based alloys due to the magneto-elastic coupling accompanied by the meta-magnetic transition. In the present work, the effects of hydrostatic pressure on magnetostrictive behavior in MnCoNiSi alloy have been investigated. The saturation magnetostriction (at 30,000 Oe) could be enhanced from 577 ppm to 5034 ppm by the hydrostatic pressure of 3.

A Study on the Effect of Graphene in Enhancing the Electrochemical Properties of SnO-FeO Anode Materials.

To enhance the conductivity and volume expansion during the charging and discharging of transition metal oxide anode materials, rGO-SnO-FeO composite materials with different contents of rGO were prepared by the in situ hydrothermal synthesis method. The SEM morphology revealed a sphere-like fluffy structure, particles of the 0.4%rGO-10%SnO-FeO composite were smaller and more compact with a specific surface area of 223.

Effect of High-Current Pulsed Electron Beam on Properties of Graphene-Modified Aluminum Titanium Carbide Composites.

High-current pulse electron beam (HCPEB) is an advanced surface modification technology developed in recent decades. This paper focuses on the effect of 0.3 wt.

Prediction of Magnetocaloric Effect Induced by Continuous Modulation of Exchange Interaction: A Monte Carlo Study.

A magnetic-to-thermal energy conversion, derived from the continuous modulation of intrinsic exchange energy, is conceived and studied by performing Monte Carlo simulations. On the basis of thermodynamics and Weiss's molecular field theories, we modified the Maxwell formula, where the magnetic entropy change (∆) is calculated by integrating the temperature derivative of magnetization under a continuously increasing exchange interaction, rather than an external magnetic field, from zero to a given value. For the conventional ∆ induced through increasing magnetic field, the ∆ maximum value is enhanced with increasing magnetic field, while the ∆ peak temperature is weakly influenced by the magnetic field.

Enhanced Magnetostrain in a <0 0 1>A-Textured Ni44.5Co4.9Mn37.5In13.1 Alloy through Superelastic Training.

Large magnetostrain can be demonstrated in Ni-Mn-X (X = In, Sn, Sb) meta-magnetic shape memory alloys by resuming the predeformed martensite through magnetic-field-induced reverse martensitic transformation. However, owing to the constraint from the self-accommodated microstructure and randomly distributed crystallographic orientation, spontaneous magnetostrain without predeformation in polycrystalline alloys remains low. Here, by combining microstructure texturing and superelastic training, enhanced spontaneous magnetostrain was achieved in a directionally solidified Ni44.

Crystallography and Microstructure of 7M Martensite in Ni-Mn-Ga Thin Films Epitaxially Grown on (1 1 2¯ 0)-Oriented AlO Substrate.

Epitaxial Ni-Mn-Ga thin films have been extensively investigated, due to their potential applications in magnetic micro-electro-mechanical systems. It has been proposed that the martensitic phase in the <1 1 0>A-oriented film is much more stable than that in the <1 0 0>A-oriented film. Nevertheless, the magnetic properties, microstructural features, and crystal structures of martensite in such films have not been fully revealed.

Giant Elastocaloric Effect in Ni-Mn-Ga-Based Alloys Boosted by a Large Lattice Volume Change upon the Martensitic Transformation.

High-performance elastocaloric materials are highly sought in developing energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solid-state elastocaloric refrigeration. Here, we present an effective strategy to achieve a giant elastocaloric response by enlarging the lattice volume change Δ/ upon the martensitic transformation. Using the NiMn binary alloy as the prototype, a large transformation entropy change Δ can be tailored in the vicinity of room temperature by simultaneously doping Cu and Ga.

Large Low-Field Reversible Magnetocaloric Effect in Itinerant-Electron HfTaFe Alloys.

First-order isostructural magnetoelastic transition with large magnetization difference and controllable thermal hysteresis are highly desirable in the development of high-performance magnetocaloric materials used for energy-efficient and environmental-friendly magnetic refrigeration. Here, we demonstrate large magnetocaloric effect covering the temperature range from 325 K to 245 K in Laves phase HfTaFe ( = 0.13, 0.

Frequency of Visit-to-Visit Variability of Resting Heart Rate and the Risk of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in the General Population.

Resting heart rate (RHR) has been an established predictor for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the association of visit-to-visit heart rate variability (VVHRV) with new-onset AF risk over long term remains unclear. Our study investigates the relation of VVHRV to new-onset AF in general population in the prospective study of the Kailuan cohort.

Altitude Cardiomyopathy Is Associated With Impaired Stress Electrocardiogram and Increased Circulating Inflammation Makers.

Many sea-level residents suffer from acute mountain sickness (AMS) when first visiting altitudes above 4,000 m. Exercise tolerance also decreases as altitude increases. We observed exercise capacity at sea level and under a simulated hypobaric hypoxia condition (SHHC) to explore whether the response to exercise intensity represented by physiological variables could predict AMS development in young men.

Effectiveness of Containment Measures Against COVID-19 in Singapore: Implications for Other National Containment Efforts.

Background: We hypothesize that comprehensive surveillance of COVID-19 in Singapore has facilitated early case detection and prompt contact tracing and, with community-based measures, contained spread. We assessed the effectiveness of containment measures by estimating transmissibility (effective reproduction number, (Equation is included in full-text article.)) over the course of the outbreak.

Compound Danshen Dripping Pill Promotes Adaptation to Acute High-Altitude Exposure.

Li, Zongbin, Jun Guo, Chunwei Liu, Yajun Shi, Yang Li, Jinli Wang, Dandan Li, Jing Wang, and Yundai Chen. Compound Danshen Dripping Pill promotes adaptation to acute high-altitude exposure. .

Reducing onward spread of COVID-19 from imported cases: quarantine and 'stay at home' measures for travellers and returning residents to Singapore.

Singapore imposed a 14-day ‘Stay Home Notice’ (SHN) on travellers and returning residents to reduce secondary transmission from imported cases of COVID-19. In this article, we describe the processes and enforcement of SHN, and explore the issues faced by individuals under such quarantine, and the steps taken to address them.

Presymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 - Singapore, January 23-March 16, 2020.

Presymptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), might pose challenges for disease control. The first case of COVID-19 in Singapore was detected on January 23, 2020, and by March 16, a total of 243 cases had been confirmed, including 157 locally acquired cases. Clinical and epidemiologic findings of all COVID-19 cases in Singapore through March 16 were reviewed to determine whether presymptomatic transmission might have occurred.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Surveillance and Containment Measures for the First 100 Patients with COVID-19 in Singapore - January 2-February 29, 2020.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and has since spread globally, resulting in >95,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide by March 5, 2020 (1). Singapore adopted a multipronged surveillance strategy that included applying the case definition at medical consults, tracing contacts of patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, enhancing surveillance among different patient groups (all patients with pneumonia, hospitalized patients in intensive care units [ICUs] with possible infectious diseases, primary care patients with influenza-like illness, and deaths from possible infectious etiologies), and allowing clinician discretion (i.e.

Physiological Variables Associated with the Development of Acute Mountain Sickness.

To identify the physiological variables associated with the development of acute mountain sickness (AMS). Eighty four young Chinese men residing at low altitude were taken to an altitude of 4000 m within 40 hours. At sea level and at high altitude, we measured the heart rate, blood pressure, and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO) respectively.