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Although it is widely accepted that familiarity could support associative recognition when the to‐be‐learn items are 'unitized' into a new representation, the effects of unitization on associative recognition and recollection remain much debated. The current study aimed to explain these debates by exploring when and how unitization benefits associative recognition using event‐related potentials (ERPs). During the encoding phase, participants learned compound words and unrelated word pairs (i.e., High vs. Low level of unitization). At retrieval, the compound words were rearranged into new compound words (i.e., no‐change) and unrelated word pairs (i.e., change). Similarly, the unrelated word pairs were rearranged into new unrelated word pairs (i.e., no‐change) and compound words (i.e., change). Results showed that under the no‐change condition, unitization did not affect associative recognition, nor its underlying processes. In contrast, under the change condition, unitization improved associative recognition by increasing both familiarity‐related FN400 effect and recollection‐related LPC effect. In addition, a planned comparison between the compound‐change and unrelated‐no change conditions—a common index for unitization effect in past studies—revealed that unitization could not only elicit significant FN400 effect, but also improve associative recognition by increasing LPC effect. Collectively, these results not only allowed to explain the current discrepancies in the literature concerning the effect of unitization on associative recognition, but also emphasized the importance of matching the level of unitization between the studied and rearranged word pairs. Although most studies have suggested enhanced familiarity‐based associative recognition when the to‐be‐learned items are unitized, the effects of unitization on associative recognition and recollection remain controversial. The current study aims to explain this controversy by manipulating the level of unitization within word pairs, both at encoding and when rearranged. Collectively, results could not only explain current discrepancies in the literature, but also emphasize the importance of matching the level of unitization between the studied and rearranged word pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal mining changes groundwater environment, results in deterioration of water quality and endangering human health in the mining area. However, the comprehensive study of groundwater evolution and its potential impact in mining area is still insufficient. In this study, 95 groundwater samples were collected from 2019 to 2020 in a typical mining area of China. Ion ratio coefficients, isotopic tracing technology, Entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) and human health risk assessment model (HHRA) were applicated to investigate the hydrochemical variation reasons, groundwater quality and its potential health risk in the study area. Results showed that the groundwater hydrochemical types changed from HCO 3 ∙SO 4 –Ca∙Mg type to SO 4 –Ca∙Mg and SO 4 ∙Cl–Ca∙Mg type. Water-rock interaction, agricultural activities, manure and sewage input, precipitation and evaporation controlled the groundwater hydrochemical composition. Groundwater quality showed a trend of fluctuation with an average EWQI of 59.23, 68.92, 63.75, 58.02 and 64.92, respectively. 91.6% of the water samples was fair and acceptable for drinking. The groundwater health risk of nitrate in the study area ranged from 0.03 to 17.80. Infants had the highest health risk and nitrate concentration was the most sensitive parameter. The results will present a comprehensive research of groundwater evolution and potential impacts through a typical mining area example. Thereby offering valuable insights into the influencing factors identification, hydrochemical processes evolution, protection and utilization of groundwater in global mining areas. • Groundwater types changed from HCO 3 ∙SO 4 –Ca∙Mg to SO 4 –Ca∙Mg and SO 4 ∙Cl–Ca∙Mg. • Calcite, dolomite, feldspar, halite and gypsum dissolution occurred in the aquifer. • Agricultural and mining activities, manure or sewage input influenced water quality. • Most of the groundwater samples are acceptable for drinking. • The human health risk of nitrate was high in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Untimely complaint handling can affect the reputation of the e-commerce platform and lead to customer loss, which is not conducive to the sustainable development of the e-commerce industry. To address the problem of untimely handling of consumer complaints, based on the evolutionary game theory, the e-commerce dispute mediation platform is introduced, the authenticity of consumer complaints and the probability of e-commerce platform to be in the mediation platform are considered, a tripartite evolutionary game model of consumer-mediation platform-e-commerce platform is constructed, and the problem of which strategy the mediation platform and e-commerce platform choose to handle consumer complaints is studied. Numerical simulation and simulation analysis are conducted using MATLAB 2020b, and corresponding suggestions are given. The research results show that under certain conditions when the probability of mediation platform and e-commerce platform positively handling complaint increases or the penalty for consumer distortion complaint increases; when the probability of consumer's real complaint increases, the probability of mediation platform positively handling complaint increases; the consumer tend to choose real complaint, the mediation platform tends to choose positively handling strategy, the e-commerce platform positively enters the mediation platform, the mediation platform and consumer's behavior to the reputation of the e-commerce platform increases, which can promote the e-commerce platform to positively handle the consumer complaint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion's influence on source memory has proven more elusive and the lack of studies investigates the effect of the congruent emotional contexts on source memory. Here, we investigated these issues using event-related potentials (ERPs) to assess emotional-induced neural correlates. During encoding, congruent word-picture (a word 'shoes' - a picture described shoes) and incongruent word-picture (a word 'pepper' - a picture described shoes) with a prompt (Common? or Natural?) were presented. At retrieval, participants indicated which prompts were concomitantly presented with the word during encoding. Behavioral results revealed that source memory accuracy was enhanced in the neutral contexts compared to the negative contexts, and enhanced in the incongruent condition relative to the congruent condition, suggesting that emotional contexts impaired source memory performance, and incongruent information enhanced source memory. ERPs results showed that early P2 old/new effect (150–250 ms) and FN400 old/new effect (300–450 ms) were observed for words with correct source that had been encoded in the congruent emotional contexts, and that a larger parietal old/new effect, between 500 and 700 ms, was observed for words with correct source that had been encoded in the incongruent condition than in the congruent condition, irrespective the nature of context. The ERPs results indicate that retrieval of source details for the associated emotionally congruent information supports the idea that emotional events could attract more attentional resources, and reflects the contribution of familiarity-based process. Meanwhile, retrieval of source details for the associated incongruent information reflects a stronger contribution of recollection-based process. • Emotional contexts impaired source memory performance. • Incongruent information enhanced source memory. • Familiarity-based and recollection-based process was contributed to source recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that unitization can promote familiarity-based associative recognition, but the effect of unitization on item recognition remains unclear. The goals of this study were to elaborate on how unitization affected item recognition and the neural correlates of familiarity and recollection for item recognition. In study, the participants were asked to learn related and unrelated picture pairs, and in test, they were required to distinguish single old pictures form new pictures. In experiment 1, we used R/K/N paradigm to estimate the contribution of familiarity and recollection to item recognition, the results showed that unitization could improve item recognition through increasing recollection selectively. In experiment 2, we used ERP old/new effects to estimate the neural correlates of familiarity and recollection, the results showed that unitization could improve item recognition through a selective reduction in LPC effect. Inspired by DRM paradigm, in experiment 3, we divided the new pictures into semantically related lure pictures and semantically unrelated new pictures to explore the effects of unitization on item recognition and verbatim recognition (the ability to distinguish old pictures from lure pictures). The behavioral results showed that unitization could improve item recognition, but it damaged verbatim recognition. The ERP results revealed that there were larger LPC effects in the unrelated condition than in the related condition, regardless of item or verbatim recognition. In summary, we believed that unitization could indeed improve item recognition, but it damaged verbatim recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that familiarity can support associative memory when the to-be-remember items are unitized into a new representation. However, there has been relatively little attention devoted to investigating the effects of different unitization manipulations on associative memory. The present study aimed to address this gap by examining the effects of varying levels of unitization through three tasks: Concept definition, interactive imagery, and sentence frame tasks. The behavioral results revealed that associative memory was significantly enhanced in the interactive imagery task compared to the sentence frame task. However, no significant differences were found between the sentence frame and concept definition tasks, or between the concept definition and interactive imagery tasks. In terms of the neural correlates, the event-related potential (ERP) results revealed that the sentence frame task only elicited a significant recollection-related LPC old/new effect, while the concept definition task only elicited a significant familiarity-related FN400 old/new effect. However, the interactive representation task elicited both of these distinct effects. These findings suggest that both the concept definition and interactive imagery tasks can enhance familiarity for supporting associative memory, but their beneficial effects on associative memory or LPC old/new effects may be different. • Direct comparison of the effects of concept definition and interactive imagery tasks on associative memory • The concept definition task can enhance familiarity to support associative memory without relying on recollection • Both unitization-promoting tasks are meaningful for individuals with impaired recollection but preserved familiarity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taproot of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux (AC), a poisonous Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been widely used to treat joint pain, rheumatism and dysmenorrhea. Fermentation is a traditional drug processing method that reduces toxicity or increases efficacy. However, the chemical composition of AC, especially fermented AC, has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a method to characterize the chemical composition of raw and fermented AC. In this study, a structural feature-based comprehensive strategy was employed to identify the chemical components of raw and fermented AC. A highly selective method consisting of mass defect filtering (MDF), ring double bond (RDB), nitrogen rule, and feature MS fragments filtering was established using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS. By the established method, 230 diterpene alkaloids were characterized in raw AC, including 108 amine, 68 monoester, and 54 diester diterpene alkaloids. 145 of them were potential new compounds. Totals of 466 diterpene alkaloids were identified in fermented AC, including 231 amine, 162 monoester, and 73 diester diterpene alkaloids. 397 of them were potential new compounds. Ester hydrolysis, hydroxylation, and demethylation were the major transformation pathways during fermentation. An integrated approach with highly selective based on the structural feature of analytes was established and applied to identify the chemicals in AC. The strategy showed great performance in improving the accuracy and coverage of the identification by using LC-MS. [Display omitted] • A structural feature-based comprehensive strategy was employed to identify the chemicals in TCM. • The method consisted of MDF, RBD, nitrogen rule, and feature MS fragments filtering. • The method showed high selectivity and advantage in identify unknown compounds. • The biotransformation pathways of diterpene alkaloids during fermentation were elucidated. • Totals of 466 diterpene alkaloids were identified in fermented Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that associative recognition can be supported by familiarity through integrating more than two stimuli into a unit, but the role of unitization in recollection-based associative recognition remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to illustrate how the level of unitization (LOU) affected recollection-based associative recognition and to examine whether the unitization–congruence between original and rearranged picture pairs (UC) could have effect on the relationship between LOU and associative recognition. In encoding, participants were asked to learn related and unrelated picture pairs, and in retrieval, they needed to distinguish intact pairs from rearranged pairs. We also distinguished the LOU of the pairs based on its status at encoding or retrieval separately. The results showed that: (1) LOU-at-encoding could improve associative recognition through increasing recollection-based associative recognition selectively; (2) LOU-at-retrieval could improve associative recognition through increasing familiarity-based and recollection-based associative recognitions; (3) UC did not moderate the relationship between LOU and associative recognition. Hence, in future studies, researchers do not need to pay much attention to the construction of rearranged pairs to ensure that the LOU between original and rearranged picture pairs is matched. It greatly reduces the difficulty of materials selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional view holds that associative recognition require recollection while familiarity can't support associative recognition. However, recent research indicate that familiarity can also contribute to associative recognition when the stimuli are unitized in encoding. Here, we investigated the electrophysiological correlates of retrieval of word and picture stimuli in three encoding conditions. Semantically unrelated word pairs or picture pairs were encoded in concept definition, interactive imagery, and item comparison conditions, separately. In test, the participants were required to discriminate between old pairs that appeared in the same pairing as in study, rearranged pairs that appeared in different pairings in study, or completely new pairs. The behavioral results revealed that higher associative recognition was observed in interactive imagery condition than in concept definition condition, with item comparison condition eliciting the worst recognition, regardless of word or picture stimuli. ERP results of word stimuli revealed that the FN400 old/new effect was solely elicited in concept definition and interactive imagery conditions, but not in item comparison condition. However, ERP results of picture stimuli revealed that the late FN400 old/new effect was observed in three encoding conditions and that larger magnitude of old/new effect was elicited in item comparison condition than in interactive imagery condition. There may be different neural mechanisms of unitization on associative recognition for word and picture stimuli. These findings suggested that the pattern of engagement of familiarity during successful retrieval was dependent on the stimulating properties and the encoding conditions. We will discuss the possibility that top-down unitization which manipulates two unrelated stimuli through instructions may lead to the engagement of specific forms of familiarity–association familiarity and item familiarity. • Both II and CD could facilitate associative recognition for word and picture stimuli. • II might have a relatively high level of unitization than CD for word stimuli. • II and CD might not promote unitization but deepen encoding for picture stimuli. • The mechanism of II and CD on associative recognition was vastly different. • We construct a new method to clear analysis and clarify results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connected-Element Interferometry (CEI) is a technique for measuring the phase delay of difference of Time Of Arrival (TOA) of a downlink radio signal to two antennae on a short baseline. This technique can use an atomic clock for time-frequency transmission and achieve intermediate accuracy angular tracking. Owing to the relatively short length of the baseline, the passive reception mode, and near real-time operation, CEI can be used to continuously monitor the orbit variations of both cooperative and non-cooperative satellites. In this paper, a small-scale CEI system of two orthogonal baselines (75 m × 35 m) is investigated to track a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) Television (TV) satellite at 110·5°E. The phases are extracted from correlation results. The results show that the Root Mean Square (RMS) of the phase fitting residuals, if not calibrated, is within 2° at night and up to 10° in the daytime. After applying the calibration signal, the RMS of the phase fitting residuals in the daytime decreases to the same level at night. Comparing the phase delay with the a priori phase delay using Two-Line-Element (TLE) data, the integer ambiguity is successfully resolved. Finally, a batch algorithm is used to estimate the orbit of the GEO satellite, and the orbit determination accuracy is evaluated using the precise orbits provided by the China National Time Service Centre (NTSC). The results show that the accuracies in the radial direction and the cross-track direction are less than 1 km, and the Three-Dimensional (3D) position accuracy reaches the 2 km order of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research showed that emotional contexts can impair recognition memory for the target item. Given that item‐context congruity may enhance recognition memory, the present study aims to examine the effect of the congruent emotional encoding contexts on recognition memory. Participants studied congruent word‐picture pairs (e.g., the word "cow" – a picture describing a cow) and incongruent word‐picture pairs (e.g., the word "cow" – a picture describing a goat) and, subsequently, were asked to report the nature of the picture (emotional or neutral). Behavioral results revealed that emotional contexts impaired source but not item recognition, with congruent word‐context mitigating this impairment and enhancing item recognition. Neural results from ERPs and theta oscillations found the recollection process, as shown by the LPC old/new effect and theta oscillations, for both item and source recognition across emotional contexts, irrespective of congruity. Meanwhile, the familiarity process as indexed by the FN400 old/new effect was found only for item recognition in congruent emotional contexts. These findings suggest that the congruent relationship of item‐context could mitigate the emotion‐induced source memory impairment and enhance item memory, with neural results elucidating the memory processes involved in retrieval of emotional information. Specifically, while emotion‐related information generally elicits the recollection‐based memory process, only congruent emotional information elicits the familiarity‐based process. Focusing on the semantically congruent connection between emotional context and item, the current study aims to investigate how it affects two types of recognition memory and their underlying neural substrates. The results showed that there were similar neural substrates between item memory and source memory, but significantly different effects of congruent emotional contexts on item memory and source memory performance were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial source tracking (MST) technology represents an innovative approach employed to trace fecal contamination in environmental water systems. The performance of primers may be affected by amplification techniques, target primer categories, and regional differences. To investigate the influence of these factors on primer recognition performance, a meta-analysis was conducted on the application of MST in water environments using three databases: Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed (n = 2291). After data screening, 46 studies were included in the final analysis. The investigation encompassed Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)/quantitative PCR (qPCR) methodologies, dye-based (SYBR)/probe-based (TaqMan) techniques, and geographical differences of a human host-specific (HF183) primer and other 21 additional primers. The results indicated that the primers analyzed were capable of differentiating host specificity to a certain degree. Nonetheless, by comparing sensitivity and specificity outcomes, it was observed that virus-based primers exhibited superior specificity and recognition capacity, as well as a stronger correlation with human pathogenicity in water environments compared to bacteria-based primers. This finding highlights an important direction for future advancements. Moreover, within the same category, qPCR did not demonstrate significant benefits over conventional PCR amplification methods. In comparing dye-based and probe-based techniques, it was revealed that the probe-based method's advantage lay primarily in specificity, which may be associated with the increased propensity of dye-based methods to produce false positives. Furthermore, the heterogeneity of the HF183 primer was not detected in China, Canada, and Singapore respectively, indicating a low likelihood of regional differences. The variation among the 21 other primers may be attributable to regional differences, sample sources, detection techniques, or alternative factors. Finally, we identified that economic factors, climatic conditions, and geographical distribution significantly influence primer performance. [Display omitted] • Meta-analysis for primers and impact factors to their recognition performance. • Viruses-based primers showed a better specificity and recognition ability. • Regional differences of HF183 was not observed in China, Canada, and Singapore. • The influence factors from sample to environment of 21 primers had been listed. • Meta-analysis of economy, climate, and geographic zone on the primers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Poyang Lake reached light eutropher in 2018. • Industrial sewage, manure and agricultural input were main anthropogenic inputs. • Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers influenced trophic level. • Land use change influenced Poyang Lake eutrophication. Human activities have become one of the vital influence factors resulting in eutrophication in the large fresh water lake. However, few studies have been conducted in a large fresh water lake basin to research the influence of industrial and agricultural activities on lake eutrophication through a systematic hydrogeochemical perspective. In this study, 36 samplings were collected in dry and wet season from 2017 to 2018 in China's largest fresh water lake (Poyang Lake). Hydrogeochemical methods (comprehensive trophic level index, entropy-weighted water quality index, ion ratio coefficient, land use/cover change analysis) and hydrogeochemical reverse simulation were used to investigate the anthropogenic causes of lake eutrophication. The results showed that the trophic level index of Poyang Lake increased from 46.08 to 56.38 and achieved the light eutropher level. Ion ratio coefficient analysis revealed the influence of industrial sewage, manure input and agricultural input on the lake. Reverse simulation results showed the urea increased 5.244e-5 mmol/l and the calcium superphosphate decreased 1.554e-8 mmol/l in dry season. While the urea decreased 3.719e-5 mmol/l and the calcium superphosphate decreased 5.381e-7 mmol/l in wet season. Additionally, the cultivated land and construction land area increased 74.4 km2 and 46.31 km2 from 2017 to 2018, which aggravated the eutrophication. TN/TP also affected water quality in Poyang Lake. These results will be helpful to reveal the anthropogenic influence on eutrophication in large fresh water lakes so that put forward targeted treatment measures. Providing the reference for water resources utilization and pollution control in the similar large fresh water lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Acute postsurgical pain is common and has potentially negative long-term consequences for patients. In this study, we evaluated effects of presurgery sociodemographics, pain experiences, psychological influences, and surgery-related variables on acute postsurgical pain using logistic regression vs classification tree analysis (CTA). Design The study design was prospective. Setting This study was carried out at Chongqing No. 9 hospital, Chongqing, China. Subjects Patients (175 women, 84 men) completed a self-report battery 24 hours before surgery (T1) and pain intensity ratings 48–72 hours after surgery (T2). Results An initial logistic regression analysis identified pain self-efficacy as the only presurgery predictor of postoperative pain intensity. Subsequently, a classification tree analysis (CTA) indicated that lower vs higher acute postoperative pain intensity levels were predicted not only by pain self-efficacy but also by its interaction with disease onset, pain catastrophizing, and body mass index. CTA results were replicated within a revised logistic regression model. Conclusions Together, these findings underscored the potential utility of CTA as a means of identifying patient subgroups with higher and lower risk for severe acute postoperative pain based on interacting characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has suggested that familiarity can enhance associative memory after unitization, but the cognitive mechanisms underlying unitization remain debated. To explore the neural mechanisms of associative memory after unitization in the absence of semantic relations, we used Chinese characters as stimuli and recorded participants' blood oxygen level‐dependent signals during recognition. Behavioral results showed that after Chinese character unitization, not only the associative performance of recognition (Pr, hit rate minus false alarm rate) and general Pr but also the hit rate and correct rejection rate increased. Neuroimaging results revealed activation of the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus during associative recognition in both the unitized and the non‐unitized condition, and hippocampal activation increased after unitization. However, activation of the perirhinal cortex was not observed in either condition. These findings, in contrast to those from previous studies on unitization, suggest that Chinese character unitization enhances recollection‐based, rather than familiarity‐based, associative recognition. This suggests that the encoding of semantic relations during unitization is critical for subsequent familiarity‐based associative recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Band gap engineering by elemental doping has been widely used to adjust the photocatalytic properties of h-BN. In this work, Se-doped h-BN with varied Se doping level are first developed via a heat treatment method. Through a series of experiments and measurements, it is found that the band gap and interlayer spacing of h-BN can be decreased by the incorporation Se. The catalytic property was estimated by the photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride under solar light irradiation. Among the modified samples, the optimized 2Se-BN display the highest photocatalytic degradation rate of 78.86% under simulated solar irradiation, which is nearly 1.23 times that of h-BN. It also exhibited reliable recycling photocatalytic activity for the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride. Experimental and theoretical analyses revealed that the introduction of Se can effectively narrow band gap thereby further enhancing light harvesting ability and promote the charge carrier separation of h-BN. This work provides a facile route to synthesize highly efficient Se-doped h-BN photocatalysts for environmental decontamination. [Display omitted] • Se-BN were constructed by simple heat treatment strategy. • The bandgap of h-BN can be adjusted by selenium doping. • The effectiveness of Se doping was confirmed by DFT and experimental results. • The solar light driven-photocatalytic activity has been boosted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In this research, CoFe 2 O 4 -BiO 2−x nanocomposite was prepared using the sol-gel method followed by hydrothermal treatment. The photocatalytic activity of the CoFe 2 O 4 -BiO 2−x nanocomposite was examined by photocatalytic degradation of chlortetracycline (CTC) under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation. The CTC photodegradation efficiency with CoFe 2 O 4 -BiO 2−x photocatalysts (47.42%) was 29 times higher than that of CoFe 2 O 4 (1.64%) and 1.8 times higher than that of BiO 2−x (26.02%). This remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the effective separation of photo-generated electrons and holes through a Z-type charge transfer model. Moreover, the CoFe 2 O 4 -BiO 2−x photocatalysts presented a good stability and the degradation efficiency of CTC was still above 43% after three cycles. In addition, the photocatalysts could be easily separated from the photocatalytic system by a magnet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional Electro-Fenton (EF) is an efficient technology for wastewater treatment but suffers from the acidic condition requirement and external catalyst addition. To overcome these challenges, a GF@MoS 2 @FeOCl cathode was fabricated using a facile method. The as-prepared GF@MoS 2 @FeOCl cathode showed excellent performance for ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation in EF process with RuO 2 /Ti electrode as the anode. H 2 O 2 was electro-generated and activated on-site at the cathode at mild pH without adding Fe2+. CIP was 100% removed with 74.4% of mineralization in 90 min at pH 6. The GF@MoS 2 @FeOCl cathode exhibited good reusability after consecutive runs of degradation. The degradation intermediates were investigated, and the possible mechanism was proposed. This work demonstrated that the prepared GF@MoS 2 @FeOCl cathode is a promising candidate for contaminants treatment in an EF system. • In situ synthetic GF@MoS 2 @FeOCl cathode was fabricated via a facile two-step route. • GF@MoS 2 @FeOCl cathode was used for Electro-Fenton process to efficiently remove ciprofloxacin. • Ciprofloxacin degradation of 100% was obtained in 90 min at mild pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Unitization does not impede overall item recognition performance. • Unitization can maintain item recognition through less overall neural processing. • Both neural correlates of familiarity and recollection contributed to item recognition. • We use Bayesian analysis to explain the null results to ensure the reliability of the results. It is widely accepted that unitization can promote familiarity-based associative recognition, but the role of unitization in recognition of individual component elements which originate from compound words remains unclear. The goals of this study were to elaborate on how unitization affects item recognition and further examine the effect of unitization on the extent to which familiarity and recollection contribute to item recognition. During the study phase, participants were asked to learn 48 compound words and 48 unrelated word pairs, and during the test phase, they were instructed to distinguish old from new words. We disassociated the contribution of familiarity and recollection to recognition with remember/know paradigm in experiment 1 and with ERPs old/new effects in experiment 2. The results showed that the overall item recognition was equivalent between the two retrieval conditions. Disassociation the contribution of familiarity and recollection, we found that there was higher recollection-based item recognition performance for compound-old words than for unrelated-old words in experiment 1. In contrast, in experiment 2, the magnitude of later parietal old/new effect related to recollection was larger for the former than for the latter, indicating that equivalent levels of memory retrieval were achieved through "less" neural correlates of familiarity and recollection. By synthesizing the results of experiment 1 and 2, we believed unitization did not impede overall item recognition performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by a large amount of quality loss and quantity loss of fresh products during transportation, this paper examines the effect of the double loss on decisions and profits by establishing models for a fresh e-commerce supply chain consisting of one online retailer and one third-party logistics provider. The online retailer sells fresh products and provides compensation for quantity loss. TPL's fresh-keeping effort during transportation can effectively reduce the double loss. We find that: (i) under the centralized model, the basic quantity loss rate and freshness sensitivity can improve fresh-keeping effort. The online retailer prefers price-raising strategies as the basic quantity loss rate increases and freshness sensitivity decreases. But, if fresh-keeping cost is within a certain range and the basic quantity loss rate is high enough, the online retailer prefers price reduction strategies. If fresh-keeping cost is high, as freshness sensitivity increases, the retailer first reduces prices and then raises prices. (ii) Under the decentralized model, as the basic quantity loss rate and freshness sensitivity increase, product price will increase. (iii) Centralized decision-making mode is more profitable to the supply chain. Furthermore, we design a "two-way cost sharing-revenue sharing" contract to coordinate the supply chain and achieve Pareto improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil stabilization using polymers and fibers has been widely investigated in recent years. This study introduces an innovative approach by integrating synthetic polymer (AH polymer) with natural fibers (sisal fiber) for sand stabilization. A comprehensive experimental framework was established to assess the impact of varying polymer content (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and fiber content (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.8%, by the mass of dry sand), and densities, on the mechanical properties of stabilized sand, including compressive strength (UCS), tensile strength (TS), and flexural strength (FS). The synergistic stabilization effects of the polymer and fibers were elucidated through SEM. The findings indicate that the synergistic application of AH polymer and sisal fibers significantly enhances the structural integrity of sand. Notably, the UCS, TS, and FS exhibited a well-linear relationship with both the polymer and fiber content. The strengthening effect of fiber was particularly pronounced in samples with higher polymer content. According to the strength increase rate, the optimal polymer content is 2%, and optimal fiber content is 0.6% for the UCS, 0.4% for the TS and 0.8% for the FS. An increase in density was observed to linearly augment the UCS and FS. For sand with 2% polymer and 0.8% fiber, the TS increased linearly with the increment in density, however, for sand with 4% polymer and 0.4% fiber, TS kept a non-monotonic relationship with density. The study also revealed that augmenting the content of polymer and fibers diminishes the brittleness of the stabilized sand, whereas an increase in density has the opposite effect. Furthermore, the incorporation of polymer and fibers resulted in an elevated deformation modulus. The polymer functions as an adhesive, binding fibers to sand particles, while the fibers create a network-like structure that amplifies the effective contact area among sand particles, thereby substantially improving the mechanical properties of the sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The official launch of the Chinese BeiDou Navigation Satellite System with global coverage (BDS-3) presents significant opportunities for various applications, including precision agriculture and autonomous driving, among others. With its global spatial coverage and hybrid space constellation comprising geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO), and medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites, BDS can significantly contribute to various GNSS remote sensing applications that require real-time, precise water surface height measurements with high temporal and spatial resolution, such as in tidal monitoring. In this paper, we propose a carrier-phase-based method for BDS Reflectometry (BDS-R) to precisely retrieve real-time water surface height. Firstly, the BDS-R altimetry method is introduced, along with a detailed explanation of the data processing procedures. Secondly, a quality control method tailored to the characteristics of low-cost BDS devices is developed. Thirdly, a land altimetry experiment is conducted to evaluate the precision of BDS-R and analyze the specific contribution of the BDS hybrid constellation. Finally, a water surface altimetry experiment validates the real-time monitoring capabilities for low-cost BDS-R. The results indicate that low-cost BDS-R can achieve real-time centimeter-level water level monitoring with a temporal resolution of 1 s in lakefront environments. The performance of BDS-R can be significantly improved by the BDS hybrid constellation, particularly IGSOs. It is concluded that low-cost BDS-R has great potential for promoting ground-based GNSS remote sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic on campus, universities in outbreak areas in China can implement closed-loop management. Objects: This study aimed to explore the relationship between mindfulness and mental health of college students under closed-loop management. Measures: 11,939 college students from a university in Changsha, China participated in the online survey during the closed-loop management period. The Chinese version of Perceived Stress Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Cognitive Reappraisal, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder questionnaire, and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire were administered to the college students. Results: We found that mindfulness was negative association with mental health during the closed-loop management period. Perceived stress mediated the relationship between mindfulness and mental health. Cognitive reappraisal moderated the relationship between mindfulness and perceived stress. Specifically, when the level of mindfulness is the same, individuals with more cognitive reappraisal tend to experience a less perceived stress. Conclusion: The results of this study are of great significance to improve the mental health of college students during closed-loop management period. • Research conducted during closed-loop management period in universities • A large sample of 11,542 college students • Anxiety and depression levels were higher during the closed-loop management period. • The mediating role of perceived stress between mindfulness and mental health • The moderating role of cognitive reappraisal between mindfulness and perceived stress [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First report on Pt-GdCrO 3 -Bi 2 MoO 6 Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst. • The heterojunction exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance for CO 2 reduction and bisphenol A degradation. • The CO 2 reduction and bisphenol A degradation pathways were analyzed. • Boosted charge separation and activity resulted from band structure design and Pt nanoparticles. In this work, Z-scheme Pt-GdCrO 3 -Bi 2 MoO 6 ternary heterojunction (Pt-GCO-BMO) are fabricated and applied for realizing effective photoreduction of CO 2 to solar fuels. The constructed photocatalyst displayed significantly enhanced response to visible light, boosted carrier separation efficiency, improved CO 2 adsorption level, and increased strong reduction capacities. Therefore, the production of CO (15.35 μmol/g/h) and CH 4 (8.49 μmol/g/h), as dominating products, can be increased by 4.7 and 9.1 times as compared to that of pure BMO, respectively. In addition, the CO and CH 4 generation rates of the Pt-GCO-BMO photocatalyst shown little change after five reuse cycles. The Pt-GCO-BMO photocatalyst also displayed a better photocatalytic activity for bisphenol A removal than either GCO or BMO only, achieving 78.43% degradation efficiency under the visible light irradiation. Overall, a promising strategy to design and prepare a high efficient Z-scheme photocatalyst with strong oxidative/reductive bands for solar-driven CO 2 photoreduction and wastewater purification has been demonstrated through the Pt-GCO-BMO heterojunction photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WO 3 as a photoanode has the disadvantage of poor charge separation and low solar utilization. It is necessary to surmount these weaknesses to improve its performance. In this work, we doped FeOOH with F to prepare F: FeOOH/BiVO 4 /WO 3 photoanode by the facile method. According to the photoelectrochemical evaluation, in the phosphate buffer electrolyte, the maximum photocurrent of the composite photoanode (3.1 mA/cm2) is 7 times and 9 times that of WO 3 and BiVO 4 , respectively. The improvement is ascribable to F:FeOOH can extract holes and improve charge transfer. Compared with BiVO 4 /WO 3 and original components, F:FeOOH/BiVO 4 /WO 3 photoanode enhances charge separation and also shows good stability and electrons lifetime. Additionally, F-doped FeOOH has better OER catalytic performance than FeOOH according to theoretical calculation, which is consistent with experimental results. This work might extend application of cocatalyst in decomposition PEC water splitting. [Display omitted] • BiVO 4 /WO 3 heterojunctions were prepared by one-step calcination. • Fluorine-doped FeOOH speeds up the kinetics of water oxidation and promotes charge separation. • F:FeOOH/BiVO 4 /WO 3 exhibits excellent performance in the PEC water oxidation. • Theoretical calculation further reveals the reason why F-doped FeOOH has better OER catalytic performance than FeOOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System with global coverage (BDS-3) was officially launched on July 31, 2020. In addition to the legacy B1I and B3I signals from the regional system (BDS-2), BDS-3 provides several new signals, i.e., B1C, B2a, B2b and B2a + b, with advanced technologies and global availability, which brings new opportunities for ground-based BDS multipath reflectometry (BDS-MR) altimetry. Previous studies focused on the MR altimetry performance of the legacy signals using signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) observations, but the new BDS signals have not been investigated. In this contribution, all types of BDS-3 SNR data collected from seven International GNSS Service (IGS) stations are analyzed signal by signal in terms of SNR quality and altimetry performance, while the legacy BDS B2I and Global Positioning System (GPS) L2C signals are also selected for comparison. Seven globally distributed IGS stations are first investigated for the quality of SNR observations, and then two optimally selected land stations are used to assess BDS-MR based altimetry performance, while a coastal station is used to assess BDS-MR for sea level retrieval performance. It is found that the quality of SNR observations varied site by site due to the differences in environment and equipment, but in general, the new signals except B1C show a higher level of SNR. Then, no detectable biases among each signal are found for land altimetry, while new signals could yield higher amplitude when performing spectral analysis. In coastal sea level altimetry, only two new signals B1C and B2a are available at the selected IGS station, and it is observed that the retrieval performance of BDS B2a is comparable to that of B2I, B3I and GPS L2C with root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of about 21 cm, while that for B1I and B1C is slightly poorer with RMSEs of 29.68 cm and 26.66 cm respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between groundwater and surface water, including their recharge relationship and ratio, is crucial for water cycling, management, and pollution control. However, accurately estimating their spatiotemporal interaction at the watershed scale remains challenging. In this study, we used dual stable isotopes (δ18O, δ2H, d-excess , and lc-excess) and hydrochemistry methods to rethink spatiotemporal interaction at the Yiluo River watershed in central China. We collected 20 groundwater and 40 surface water samples over four periods in two seasons (dry and wet). Our results showed that in the downstream region, groundwater recharged surface water in the dry season while surface water recharged groundwater in the wet season, with average recharge ratios of 89.82% and 90.02%, respectively. In the midstream region, surface water recharged groundwater in both seasons with average ratios of 93.79% and 91.35%. In contrast, in the upstream region, groundwater recharged surface water in both seasons with ratios of 67.35% and 76.89%. Seasonal changes in the recharge relationship between surface water and groundwater in the downstream region also been found. Our findings provide valuable insights for watershed-scale water resource and pollution management. Title Comprehensive dual isotopes and hydrogeochemistry method to rethink the interaction between groundwater and surface water at watershed scale. [Display omitted] • Study on spatiotemporal interaction at surface water-groundwater system at watershed-scale. • Using dual isotopes and hydro-geochemistry to analysis Groundwater-surface water interaction. • Recharge style changing in different seasons in Yiluo River watershed. • Groundwater and surface water interaction displayed significant seasonal variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ten methods were applied to estimate baseflow in Yiluo River watershed. • Yiluo River was a typical "Groundwater-dependent River". • The mechanism of the methods generated a critical impact on separation. • Baseflow and baseflow index showed significant spatiotemporal variation. Baseflow is the stable part of streamflow meeting the ecological water requirement of the watershed in dry season. Baseflow separation plays a vital role in maintaining the biodiversity of watershed ecosystem. However, research systematically on spatiotemporal variety in watershed scale in baseflow separation is not well documented. In this study, we chose six hydrometric stations in the Yiluo River watershed and carried ten methods (in the group of HYSEP, UKIH and digital filter methods) to isolate the daily runoff data from 2002 to 2021. Two evaluation indicators (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient and relative error) were applied to measure the accuracy of those methods. The results showed that the Yiluo River had the average annual baseflow of 10.73 × 108 m3 and average baseflow index (BFI) of 0.42. The UKIH and Eckhardt filtering method methods were fit for the Yiluo River watershed. Temporally, BFI in the wet season (average of 0.35) was smaller than the dry season (average of 0.49). As to the interannual scale, the baseflow in the wet year accounted for nearly a half (49 %) of whole twenty years. Spatially, the BFI of lower reaches (0.35 in Heishiguan) was higher than upper reaches (0.30 in Dongwan and 0.24 in Lushi) on the same river. Nearly half river runoff was from the groundwater recharge and suggests that the Yiluo River is a heavily "Groundwater-dependent River". Those results of this study can enhance the understanding of spatiotemporal changes of baseflow separations in watershed scale and provide the important references to the international readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling the large deformation caused by bed separation failure of thick and soft surrounding rock in gob-side entry retaining is difficult. The deformation and failure modes of thick and soft surrounding rock are summarized and classified based on field research, theoretical analysis, laboratory tests, and actual measurements. Systematic research is conducted on the lithologic characteristics, failure characteristics, and control methods of the surrounding rock. The research findings are as follows: (1) The low strength, softening, and water swelling of thick mudstone, as well as its cataclasis, dilatancy, and long-term creep under strong mining and high stress are the objective reasons for large deformation of the surrounding rock. (2) Due to the weak stability of the surrounding rock-support structure and low collaborative roof side bearing capacity, no complete supporting structure is formed with the supporting system, causing the support body in each area to be crushed one by one, which is the subjective reason for the deformation and failure of the surrounding rock. (3) The deformation and failure characteristics of thick and soft surrounding rock in gob-side entry retaining are primarily divided into eight types: roof bending and sinking type, roof cutting along filling body, rib spalling type, roof fall type, filling body rotation type, filling body crushing type, roof step type, and roof cutting along the coal side. The initial points and key points for a chain reaction of each failure type are determined. (4) The surrounding rock is divided into 10 support zones at four levels, and control technology for "zonal support and overall reinforcement" is put forward. The mechanical effect of the support body in each zone and its role in maintaining the stability of surrounding rock are analyzed. This technology can ensure the integrity of the surrounding rock structure and improve the roof side collaborative bearing capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat transfer manipulation is always an attractive theme in the field of thermal technique and utilization. The proposition of transformation thermodynamics presents great potentials on innovating the conventional thermal techniques with metamaterial. However, only simple designs with uniform profiles have been investigated, as completely arbitrary structures would lead to extreme transformations and singular parameters. These non-negligible problems restrict practical applications of metamaterial concentrators. In this paper, we focus on the heat transfer concentration in "complete" arbitrary profiles through rotatory linear maps. Four schemes, classified into two categories, are demonstrated with homogeneous media configurations. Both distinctive behaviors of internal concentration and external robustness on the thermal fields are significantly observed. Such designs not only efficiently avoid extreme parameters but also provide an alternative way to design metamaterial concentrators under different conditions. The findings may provide new ideas of manipulating heat transfer process, and promoting the novel thermal mate-devices to potential utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) technology for treating wastewater containing Cr(VI) and generating bioelectricity simultaneously at an abiotic cathode by utilizing the electricigens on the biotic anode, have been run. In this work, the Cr(VI) is bio-electrochemically reduced to nontoxic Cr(III) in the dual chamber MFCs with different cathodes. The 80 mg L −1 of Cr(VI) is completely removed by MFC with carbon cloth cathode, and the MFC exhibits higher power density than that of these MFC with carbon brush cathode and carbon felt cathode. Besides, the linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) of carbon cloth cathode demonstrates that the electrochemical performance increases with the increase of the initial Cr(VI) concentration. The MFC achieves the maximum power density of 1221.94 mW m −2 in the catholyte contained 120 mg L −1 of Cr(VI), and the power density is great higher than the MFC with the catholyte contained 50 mg L −1 or 80 mg L −1 of Cr(VI). Meanwhile, the 100% Cr(VI) is totally removed by the electrochemical reduction of Cr 2 O 7 2− to Cr(OH) 3 on the surface of carbon cloth cathode. The present study has successfully verified that a promising MFC technology can achieve high output power in removing Cr(VI), revealing the enormous potential of scale-up MFCs for heavy metal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • In-situ growth of FeOOH quantum dots on the surface of Bi 2 WO 6. • FeOOH/Bi 2 WO 6 nanocomposites were constructed with hydrothermal method followed by impregnation. • Separation rate of electron-hole pairs in photo-Fenton process has been enhanced. • The visible-light driven activity has been greatly boosted. • The composite as photo-Fenton catalyst has good stability and recyclability. In this study, FeOOH/Bi 2 WO 6 was prepared with hydrothermal method followed by impregnation. The photo-Fenton reaction was studied by simulating the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) under sunlight. TCH removal by 3%FeOOH/Bi 2 WO 6 (88.39%) was 1.7 times higher than that of Bi 2 WO 6 (52.90%). The increase may be the result of synergy effects, in which photo-generated carriers shifted from Bi 2 WO 6 to FeOOH and provided active centres (Fe2+). Moreover, the removal rate remained above 85% after five cycles, confirming good stability of FeOOH/Bi 2 WO 6 photocatalyst. Through characterization and capture experiment, a reasonable degradation mechanism of pollutants was proposed, which also revealed the principle of photo-Fenton activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Sb-rich sludge char/leachate was co-treated via a novel in-situ recycling strategy. • LMCF characterisations and working mechanisms were scrutinized. • The performance of a pilot-scale pre-treatment system was evaluated. A novel in-situ recycling strategy is proposed for the co-disposal of antimony-rich dewatered sludge char (ADSC) and sludge leachate, and this strategy is further applied in a pilot-scale pre-treatment system. The preparation and operating conditions of lightweight micro-electrolysis ceramic fillers (LMCF) for ADSC were systematically studied, and LMCF characterisations and working mechanisms were scrutinised using SEM-mapping, XRD, XPS, EPR, BET, GF-AAS and CV examination. The results indicated that optimal preparation parameters for LMCF operation were 35% iron scrap content, a 1:2 vol ratio for Fe/ADSC, which was sintered at 900 ℃ for 2 h. Under the initial pH was 3.0 and the aerating intensity was 1 cm3·cm−2·s−1, the Sb-species were concentrated on the porous surface of the LMCF, degraded by various reactive oxygen species (ROS) released from Fe-C cells, and co-precipitated with FeOOH on the used LMCF surface. Thirty-one days of pilot-scale operations indicated that backwash was essential to maintain the LMCF with high efficiency regarding the total Sb removal and the biodegradability improvement of the actual sludge leachate. Lastly, preliminary economic assessment and suggestions for engineering-scale application were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high sensitivity and broad detection range for flexible sensors are desirable but remains a big challenge. Herein, we developed a novel multi-level porous structure of polydimethylsiloxane/carbon nanocapsules composite (PDMS/CNCs) through a facile template method to combine the high sensitivity sensor with broad detection range. The multi-level porous structure consists of nano-scale hollow pores of CNCs and the larger micro-scale pores generated from the template removal. Integrating the excellent conductivity and mechanical properties of CNCs and superior toughness and flexibility of PDMS, the flexible sensor exhibits a positive resistance change under a broad pressure detection range from 0 to 450 kPa. This heavy load pressure sensing capacity exploit a new application in the field of security and protection by equipping carpet with our sensors to spot intruders. Meanwhile, corresponding to stretching and bending deformation, the sensor also possesses highly sensitive strain response of 150.7 and 20.11, respectively. Furthermore, the practical application of our sensor for meticulously detecting the human being joints bending is confirmed without disturbing the normal activities of the human body. The designing high-performance sensors with multi-level pores and high flexibility make it easy for the ultrahigh displacement sensitivity and broad pressure detection range. [Display omitted] • A novel multi-level porous structure composite is synthesized by coupling PDMS and CNCs. • The multi-level porous structure consists of hollow pores of CNCs and the pores generated from the template removal. • The PDMS@CNCs-based sensor exhibits a positive resistance change under a broad pressure detection range from 0 to 450 kPa. • The PDMS@CNCs-based sensor possesses highly sensitive stretching and bending response of 150.7 and 20.11, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • GHG emissions from an industrial-scale AD plant were assessed. • The AD process before digestate treatment achieved carbon offset. • Electricity consumption caused the major GHG emissions. • Waste oil recovery and biogas reuse are pivotal for offsetting GHG emissions. • Net GHG emissions from digestate process varies with different final disposal ways. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been widely applied for treating organic waste and is known as a carbon-offsetting process. However, most studies relied on laboratory-scale experiments or literature to calculate carbon emissions from AD process, and the impact of digestate processing was overlooked. This study assessed the carbon footprint for an industrial food waste co-digestion plant with operational data. The results indicated that carbon emission before digestate treatment is −88.5 ± 4.4 kg CO 2 -eq/t. The major source of carbon emission is electricity provision, followed by fuel combustion, unburned biogas, and fugitive gas emissions, while waste oil recovery and biogas utilization offset the carbon emissions. Considering digestate treatment and disposal options, the plant's net carbon emissions are as follows: −86.1 ± 6.2 kg CO 2 -eq/t (incineration) < -80.7 ± 6.5 kg CO 2 -eq/t (land application) < 6.7 ± 12.2 kg CO 2 -eq/t (landfilling). This work aims at providing a roadmap for making site-specific calculations of the carbon footprint for AD process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a new direct non-contact electromagnetic calibration technique for high precision measurements of micro-thrust and impulse. A ring-shaped electromagnet with an air gap is used in the calibration. The calibration force is produced by the interaction of a uniform magnetic field with a copper wire current in the air gap. This force depends linearly on this current as well as the steady angular displacement of the torsion arm of the thrust stand. The range of calibration force is very large and the calibration force is easy to generate and insensitive to the arm displacement. The calibration uncertainty for a 150-μN force is 4.17 μN. The more influential factor on the calibration uncertainty is the magnetization of the electromagnet core due to the copper wire current. In the impulse calibration, the exerted impulse is linearly dependent on the maximal angular displacement of the torsion arm. The uncertainty in the impulse calibration is determined by uncertainties in both the force calibration and the pulse time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The reference value of urine albumin–creatinine ratio (ACR) has racial disparities. The ACR reference value in a healthy Beijing population is reported. Methods: A reference Beijing population was sampled via a multistage, clustered complex sampling method. By excluding subjects with self-reported kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, obesity or underweight condition, overt proteinuria, hematuria, or pyuria, as well as those with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) > 200ml/min/1.73m2 or < 60ml/min/1.73m2, apparently healthy subjects (1260 males, 2305 females, aged 18–84y) were selected to be included in the current analysis. Urine albumin was measured using the immunoturbidimetic method, creatinine was measured using Jaffe''s kinetic method on a morning spot-urine sample, and ACR was calculated. The 95th percentile of ACR was used as the normal upper limit. The association between ACR and each of gender, age, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, serum glucose, lipids, and eGFR was examined. Results: The normal upper limit of ACR was 14mg/g (1.58mg/mmol) for males and 20mg/g (2.26mg/mmol) for females. Females had higher ACR values than males, and age, systolic blood pressure, and eGFR were positively correlated with ACR. Conclusions: The ACR reference value in the healthy Beijing population is lower than that of the Western population. Age, systolic blood pressure, and eGFR were found to correlate with ACR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The infection curve of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) using the back-projection method was reconstructed for the SARS outbreak period (from March 1, 2003 to June 20, 2003) in Beijing to assess the effectiveness of the intervention measures. There were 2,521 confirmed SARS cases with a population size of 13 million. The SARS outbreak pattern corresponded well with the major events timeline over the SARS outbreak. Despite the limited resources with such a large population size, the intervention measures taken by the Beijing Municipal Government seemed to be effective in containing the SARS epidemic in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Beijing, China, experienced the world's largest outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) beginning in March 2003, with the outbreak resolving rapidly, within 6 weeks of its peak in late April. Little is known about the control measures implemented during this outbreak. Objective: To describe and evaluate the measures undertaken to control the SARS outbreak. Design, Setting, and Participants: Data were reviewed from standardized surveillance forms from SARS cases (2521 probable cases) and their close contacts observed in Beijing between March 5, 2003, and May 29, 2003. Procedures implemented by health authorities were investigated through review of official documents and discussions with public health officials. Main Outcome Measures: Timeline of major control measures; number of cases and quarantined close contacts and attack rates, with changes in infection control measures, management, and triage of suspected cases; and time lag between illness onset and hospitalization with information dissemination. Results: Health care worker training in use of personal protective equipment and management of patients with SARS and establishing fever clinics and designated SARS wards in hospitals predated the steepest decline in cases. During the outbreak, 30 178 persons were quarantined. Among 2195 quarantined close contacts in 5 districts, the attack rate was 6.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.3%-7.3%), with a range of 15.4% (95% CI, 11.5%-19.2%) among spouses to 0.36% (95% CI, 0%-0.77%) among work and school contacts. The attack rate among quarantined household members increased with age from 5.0% (95% CI, 0%-10.5%) in children younger than 10 years to 27.6% (95% CI, 18.2%-37.0%) in adults aged 60 to 69 years. Among almost 14 million people screened for fever at the airport, train stations, and roadside checkpoints, only 12 were found to have probable SARS. The national and municipal governments held 13 press conferences about SARS. The time lag bet... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]