Ultra-high Performance Thermochromic Polymers via a Solid-solid Phase Transition Mechanism and Their Applications.

Thermochromic materials are substances that change colour in response to temperature variations. Today, sustainability concerns are the main drivers of thermochromic research, with smart, energy efficient windows being one of primary applications. While vanadium oxides and leuco dyes are traditionally the main thermochromic materials, hydrogels operating based on change of solvation have risen as some of the most promising materials due to their high optical transparency and good solar modulating abilities. In this work, a distinct mechanism for thermochromism arising from the crystalline solid to amorphous solid polymer transition, with a corresponding transition from an opaque state to a transparent state is disclosed. Both ultra-high optical transparency (Tlum up to 99%) and ultra-high solar modulation (ΔTsolar up to 87%) were observed. The transition temperature was tunable from 11 to 61 ͦ C by tuning the polymer structure. When incorporated into applications such as greenhouse materials and thermoelectric devices, significant performance enhancement was observed, due to the thermochromic material functioning as a thermal valve, speeding up solar heat absorbance while inhibiting the cooling process via its phase transition. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Cuidados de enfermagem na termorregulação de recém-nascidos prematuros: revisão integrativa / Cuidados de enfermería en la termorregulación de recién nacidos prematuros: revisión integradora / Nursing care in the thermo-regulation of preterm newborns: an integrative review

RESUMO Objetivo: evidenciar e discutir os cuidados de enfermagem no que concerne à termorregulação de recém-nascidos prematuros. Método: revisão integrativa com busca por artigos primários completos, publicados de 2014 a 2019, em português, inglês ou espanhol na Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde, PubMed e Cochrane Library. Utilizou-se os descritores: Termorregulação; Recém-Nascido; Enfermagem; "Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros"; "Body Temperature Regulation"; e "Infant, Newborn". Resultados: foram incluídos nove artigos para síntese, com estudos realizados em diferentes países. Emergiram categorias sobre cuidados na termorregulação de recém-nascidos prematuros e sobre protocolos para a termorregulação neonatal na prática clínica. Considerações finais: os cuidados de enfermagem na termorregulação incluem o uso de cama aquecida, aquecedor radiante, métodos de isolamento corporal e ajuste da temperatura ambiente. Este estudo contribui fornecendo base para pesquisas sobre a situação clínica de recém-nascidos e possíveis associações entre a assistência de enfermagem que poderiam comprometer a termorregulação neonatal.

RESUMEN: Objetivo: evidenciar y debatir los cuidados de enfermería en lo referente a la termorregulación de recién nacidos prematuros. Método: revisión integradora con búsqueda por artículos primarios completos, publicados entre 2014 y 2019, en portugués, inglés o español en la Biblioteca Virtual de Salud, PubMed y la Cochrane Library. Se utilizaron los siguientes descriptores: Termorregulação; Recém-Nascido; Enfermagem; "Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros"; "Body Temperature Regulation"; e "Infant, Newborn". Resultados: se incluyeron nueve artículos para la síntesis, con estudios realizados en diferentes países. Surgieron categorías sobre cuidados en la termorregulación de recién nacidos prematuros y sobre protocolos para la termorregulación neonatal en la práctica clínica. Consideraciones finales: los cuidados de enfermería en la termorregulación incluyen el uso de una cama con calefacción, calefactor radiante, métodos de aislamiento corporal y ajuste de la temperatura ambiente. Este estudio contribuye con el aporte de una base para realizar investigaciones sobre la situación clínica de los recién nacidos y sus posibles asociaciones en la asistencia de enfermería que podrían poner en riesgo la termorregulación neonatal.

ABSTRACT Objective: to evidence and discuss nursing care regarding thermo-regulation for pre-term newborns. Method: An integrative review with search by complete primary articles, published from 2014 to 2019 in Portuguese, English or Spanish in the Virtual Health Library, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library. The following descriptors were used: Termorregulação; Recém-Nascido; Enfermagem; "Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros"; "Body Temperature Regulation"; and "Infant, Newborn". Results: nine articles were included for synthesis, with studies conducted in different countries. Categories emerged about care in the thermo-regulation of pre-term newborns and on protocols for neonatal thermo-regulation in the clinical practice. Final considerations: nursing care in thermo-regulation includes the use of a heated bed, radiant heater, body insulation methods, and adjustment of room temperature. This study contributes by providing a basis for research on the clinical situation of newborns and possible associations in nursing care that could compromise neonatal thermo-regulation.

Neonatal hypothermia and associated factors within six hours of delivery in eastern part of Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal hypothermia plays a significant role in increasing neonatal death by 80% for every 1 degree Celsius decrease of body temperature, especially in sub Saharan countries. A global burden of neonatal hypothermia indicated that 53% of Ethiopian newborns developed hypothermia due to different socio-demographic, behavioral, physiological and birth context related factors. However, the significance of these factors along the spectrum of public health institutions in the study area hasn't been yet studied. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of neonatal hypothermia within six hours of delivery at public health institutions of Harar city, Eastern Ethiopia, 2018. METHODS: An institution based cross sectional study was conducted at Harar city after stratified followed by random selection of 3 public health institutions. Every other eligible newborn was included by systematic sampling to yield a sample of 403 newborns and their axillary temperature was measured by a calibrated digital thermometer within six hours of delivery from January 25 to February 19, 2018. A pre-tested anonymous questionnaire and checklist were used. The collected data were cleaned, coded and entered into Epi -data version 4.2 and exported to STATA version 12. Binary logistic regression model was considered and those variables with P < 0.25 in the bivariable analysis were included in to final model after which statistical significance was declared at P < 0.05. The goodness of fit was tested by Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic and Omnibus tests. Multi co-linearity was diagnosed using standard error and correlation matrix. RESULTS: The prevalence of neonatal hypothermia in the study area was 66.3% (95% CI: 61.1, 70.5%). No skin to skin contact (AOR = 2.87, 95% CI:1.48, 5.57), no wearing cap (AOR = 2.10, 95% CI:1.17, 3.76), no warm intra-facility transportation (AOR = 3.18, 95% CI: 1.84, 5.48), born to mothers having obstetric complication (AOR = 2.42, 95% CI:1.28, 4.57), prematurity (AOR = 3.37, 95% CI:1.53, 7.44) and neonatal health problem (AOR = 4.24, 95% CI:1.92, 9.34) were significantly associated with hypothermia. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of neonatal hypothermia was relatively high. Therefore, adherence should be made to the thermal care mainly the cost effective ones like wearing cap, skin to skin contact and warm transportation.

Evidence of maternal effects on temperature preference in side-blotched lizards: implications for evolutionary response to climate change.

Natural populations respond to selection pressures like increasing local temperatures in many ways, including plasticity and adaptation. To predict the response of ectotherms like lizards to local temperature increase, it is essential to estimate phenotypic variation in and determine the heritability of temperature-related traits like average field body temperature (T b) and preferred temperature (T p). We measured T p of Uta stansburiana in a laboratory thermal gradient and assessed the contribution of sex, reproductive status and throat color genotype to phenotypic variation in T b of adult lizards. Females had higher T p than males. However, they temporarily preferred lower temperature when gravid than when nongravid. Using a nested half-sib design for genetic crosses in the laboratory, we estimated relative contributions of additive genetic variation and maternal effects to T p of hatchlings. Our results show that maternal effects, but not additive genetic variation, influence T p of hatchlings in U. stansburiana. Maternal T p and the presence or absence of blue throat color alleles significantly influenced T p of hatchlings. We discuss ecological and evolutionary consequences of these maternal effects in the context of rapid climate change and natural selection that we measure on progeny survival to maturity as a function of maternal T p.