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Objective. To explore the factors influencing the spiritual care needs of patients with advanced cancer. Method. A sample of 321 patients with advanced cancer, who have been treated in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from December 2022 to February 2023, was recruited. Clinical data of patients participating in this study were collected via a customized questionnaire. The validated Chinese version of the spiritual care needs scale was used to evaluate patients' spiritual care needs. Statistical analyses included the unpaired t‐test, analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression. Result. The average score of spiritual care needs was 33.81 ± 7.76 points. Multiple regression analysis revealed that age (t = 4.24 and P < 0.01), occupation (t = 2.971 and P < 0.01), and alcohol consumption (t = 3.477 and P < 0.01) significantly influenced spiritual care needs. Patients with age, occupation, and alcohol consumption negatively impact spiritual needs, that is, the older the age, the smaller the spiritual needs. Individuals who engaged in business units, individual businesses, or had a drinking habit had lower spiritual needs. Conclusion. The scores of spiritual care needs in patients with advanced cancer were influenced by factors such as age, occupation, and alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban terminal logistics and distribution enterprises face the problems of duplicated network layouts, high costs, and inefficient urban environments. Recently, collaborative distribution using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ground vehicles has been considered as a means of reducing costs and enhancing efficiency, thus overcoming the issues created by the high-density layout of enterprises' relatively independent networks. This essentially involves constructing an air–ground collaborative common distribution network. To optimize the economic cost and distribution time of network operations, we established a site selection planning model for air–ground cooperative urban co-distribution centers and designed a solution method based on gray wolf optimization with K-means clustering. Taking the Wangsheren area of Jinan City, China, as an example, 15 UAV co-distribution centers and 13 vehicle co-distribution centers were identified. Although the average distribution cost of the network rose by 35–50% compared to traditional terminal distribution, the time saving was 80–85%, greatly improving the high-value-added service capacity. The end-distribution efficiency and customer satisfaction were also enhanced, which fully verifies the feasibility, validity, and applicability of the proposed model. Our approach can be applied to landing sites and the planning and optimization of large-scale commercial operations using logistics UAVs in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The development of machine learning technology enables more robust real-time earthquake monitoring through automated implementations. However, the application of machine learning to earthquake location problems faces challenges in regions with limited available training data. To address the issues of sparse event distribution and inaccurate ground truth in historical seismic datasets, we expand the training dataset by using a large number of synthetic envelopes that closely resemble real data and build an earthquake location model named ENVloc. We propose an envelope-based machine learning workflow for simultaneously determining earthquake location and origin time. The method eliminates the need for phase picking and avoids the accumulation of location errors resulting from inaccurate picking results. In practical application, ENVloc is applied to several data intercepted at different starting points. We take the starting point of the time window corresponding to the highest prediction probability value as the origin time and save the predicted result as the earthquake location. We apply ENVloc to observed data acquired in the southern Sichuan Basin, China, between September 2018 and March 2019. The results show that the average difference with the catalog in latitude, longitude, depth, and origin time is 0.02°, 0.02°, 2 km, and 1.25 s, respectively. These suggest that our envelope-based method provides an efficient and robust way to locate earthquakes without phase picking, and can be used in earthquake monitoring in near-real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring seismicity in real time provides significant benefits for timely earthquake warning and analyses. In this study, we propose an automatic workflow based on machine learning (ML) to monitor seismicity in the southern Sichuan Basin of China. This workflow includes coherent event detection, phase picking, and earthquake location using three-component data from a seismic network. By combining PhaseNet, we develop an ML-based earthquake location model called PhaseLoc, to conduct real-time monitoring of the local seismicity. The approach allows us to use synthetic samples covering the entire study area to train PhaseLoc, addressing the problems of insufficient data samples, imbalanced data distribution, and unreliable labels when training with observed data. We apply the trained model to observed data recorded in the southern Sichuan Basin, China, between September 2018 and March 2019. The results show that the average differences in latitude, longitude, and depth are 5.7 km, 6.1 km, and 2 km, respectively, compared to the reference catalog. PhaseLoc combines all available phase information to make fast and reliable predictions, even if only a few phases are detected and picked. The proposed workflow may help real-time seismic monitoring in other regions as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Out of all the essential eight trace elements, boron is an indispensable nutrient required for the growth and development of plants. The importance of boron as an essential micronutrient in agriculture cannot be overstated because both its deficiency and toxicity in soils can have a negative impact on plant growth and development. Boron deficiency is the second most widespread nutrient deficiency and gained economic importance in horticultural crops. Boron plays a significant role in cell wall formation; its functioning and strength as the majority amount of boron (>90%) is found in the cell wall of plants. India ranks second in fruit production after China. Fruits are considered a vital source of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins etc. The immobile nature of boron increases its unavailability in plants and hence produces a wide range of deficiency symptoms in younger parts of fruit crops. Imbalanced boron uptake disrupts the pollination process which consequently reduces flowering, fruit set, yield, and henceforth deteriorates fruit quality by increasing fruit acidity. Application of boron fertilizers at different rate has shown a significant influence on the yield and quality of fruits. So, the main objective of this paper is to focus on the critical role and significance of boron in managing higher fruit crop yield as well as their quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterococcus spp., as an opportunistic pathogen, are widely distributed in the environment and the gastrointestinal tracts of both humans and animals. Captive Asian elephants, popular animals at tourist attractions, have frequent contact with humans. However, there is limited information on whether captive Asian elephants can serve as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The aim of this study was to characterize AMR, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), virulence-associated genes (VAGs), gelatinase activity, hemolysis activity, and biofilm formation of Enterococcus spp. isolated from captive Asian elephants, and to analyze the potential correlations among these factors. A total of 62 Enterococcus spp. strains were isolated from fecal samples of captive Asian elephants, comprising 17 Enterococcus hirae (27.4%), 12 Enterococcus faecalis (19.4%), 8 Enterococcus faecium (12.9%), 7 Enterococcus avium (11.3%), 7 Enterococcus mundtii (11.3%), and 11 other Enterococcus spp. (17.7%). Isolates exhibited high resistance to rifampin (51.6%) and streptomycin (37.1%). 50% of Enterococcus spp. isolates exhibited multidrug resistance (MDR), with all E. faecium strains demonstrating MDR. Additionally, nine ARGs were identified, with tet(M) (51.6%), erm(B) (24.2%), and cfr (21.0%) showing relatively higher detection rates. Biofilm formation, gelatinase activity, and α-hemolysin activity were observed in 79.0, 24.2, and 14.5% of the isolates, respectively. A total of 18 VAGs were detected, with gelE being the most prevalent (69.4%). Correlation analysis revealed 229 significant positive correlations and 12 significant negative correlations. The strongest intra-group correlations were observed among VAGs. Notably, we found that vancomycin resistance showed a significant positive correlation with ciprofloxacin resistance, cfr, and gelatinase activity, respectively. In conclusion, captive Asian elephants could serve as significant reservoirs for the dissemination of AMR to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An approximate 236‐year interval in major seismic activity near the southern Xianshuihe fault terminated on 5 September 2022 until a destructive M6.8 Luding earthquake. The strike‐slip mainshock, accompanied by potent normal‐faulting aftershocks, fell short of the previously anticipated M7+ event. Utilizing deep‐learning and source inversion techniques, we analyzed dense near‐field seismograms to examine detailed fault structures and rupture characteristics. Our high‐quality relocated catalog with 7,388 events revealed that the earthquake ruptured an unmapped multiscale fault network. The analysis of the mainshock and 43 ML ≥ 2.8 aftershocks suggests normal‐faulting events relate to the vertical movement of the Gongga Mountain. The sequence length, seismic gaps, and asperities derived from seismicity and waveform modeling imply that the rupture of the M6.8 quake was incomplete, indicating a high risk of a future M6+ event at the northern Moxi segment. These findings hold crucial implications for assessing future seismic hazards in this region. Plain Language Summary: On 5 September 2022, a destructive M6.8 earthquake struck the southern Xianshuihe fault, Luding, China. This event ended the 236‐year‐long silence in the area, resulting in 93 deaths and severe economic damage. This strike‐slip mainshock, accompanied by unusual normal‐faulting aftershocks, fell into earlier predictions of an approximate 248‐year cycle of M7+ earthquakes in this area. However, its magnitude was less than anticipated, leading us to question whether another significant earthquake could potentially occur. To investigate this, we used a novel deep‐learning method named DiTingPicker, which was trained with ∼5 million seismograms, and waveform modeling techniques to examine the detailed fault structures and mainshock rupture characteristics using dense local seismic stations. We compiled a 415‐day‐long earthquake catalog, showing this sequence ruptured an unmapped multiscale fault network of interlaced northwest‐trending and northeast‐trending faults. Our study suggests the normal‐faulting aftershocks are related to the vertical movement of the Gongga Mountain. By comparing the rupture lengths of the historical 1786 M7.8 earthquake and the 2022 event, our research suggests a potential risk for another M6+ earthquake at the unruptured northern Moxi segment. Key Points: A 415‐day seismic catalog that characterizes fine‐scale fault structures and seismic gaps was compiled using deep learningA hidden developing fault network was revealed and distinct normal‐fault aftershocks were spotted west of the strike‐slip mainshockSeismicity and source inversion suggest the M6.8 quake's rupture was incomplete and a future M6+ event at the unruptured Moxi segment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high‐precision earthquake catalog is made from continuous waveform data recorded at 360 portable seismographs deployed for one month in the Changbaishan‐Tianchi volcanic area based on an automatic earthquake detection and location workflow. Then we investigate detailed 3‐D structures of P and S wave velocities (Vp and Vs) and Vp/Vs ratio of the crust beneath the study region. Our results reveal a high‐Vp/Vs zone accompanied with active volcanic earthquakes beneath the Tianchi caldera at ∼5 km depth, which may reflect a magma chamber. The intense seismic activities within 2 km depth beneath the Tianchi caldera from 2002 to 2005 occurred directly above the magma chamber revealed by this study, which could be related to upward migration of high‐pressure volatiles originating from the magma chamber. A potential middle‐crustal magma chamber might provide continuous magmatic materials feeding the upper‐crust magma chamber and lead to ruptures of surrounding rocks, resulting in two swarms of volcanic seismicity during the observation period. We deem that the diverse eruption styles of the Changbaishan volcano are closely associated with the multilevel structure of magma chambers in the upper and middle crust. Plain Language Summary: It is difficult for the earthquake monitoring system to identify and locate microearthquakes by using traditional seismic detection methods due to their weak signals, leading to a relatively low quantity and quality of seismic data in a study region, which cannot meet the demands of high‐resolution seismic tomography. In this study, we detect and locate microseismic events beneath the Changbaishan‐Tianchi volcanic area using 1‐month waveform data recorded at our 360 portable seismographs deployed in the volcanic area. Then we investigate high‐resolution 3‐D crustal structures of P and S wave velocities (Vp, Vs) and Vp/Vs ratio beneath the study area. Our results reveal a possible crustal magma reservoir at ∼5 km depth beneath the Tianchi caldera, which is accompanied with volcanic earthquakes during our observation period. In addition, small earthquakes occurred actively at a depth of ∼2 km during 2002–2005, which are located right above the magma reservoir. We deem that the joint effect of magma reservoirs in the upper and middle crust could explain the active volcanic seismicity and distinctive eruption behaviors of the Changbaishan volcano. Key Points: A magma chamber at ∼5 km depth beneath the Tianchi caldera of the Changbaishan volcano (CBV) is revealedThe CBV unrest during 2002–2005 was related to reactivation of the crustal magma chamberDistinctive eruption behaviors of the volcano are related to multilevel magma chambers in the crust [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of INMATEH - Agricultural Engineering is the property of INMATEH - Agricultural Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

For the past few decades, the electronic and electrical waste have been accumulating and piling on our lands and aside from posing some serious threat on our environment and our health. And with the technological advance and the rapid growing electronic demand and production there is the risk of accumulating even more unused valuable usable materials in our waste land-fields. Up to 2030, EU is forecasting about 74 million tons of e-waste, including washing machines, tablet computers, toasters, and cell phones. In 2022, more than 5.3 billion mobile phones were wasted whereas Li, Mn, Cu, Ni, and various rare-earth elements (like Nd, Eu and Tb, etc.) as well as graphite are actually found in the contents of many metal parts from wiring, batteries to their components. The main purpose aside from an environmental aspect is reserving the mineral used in this waste, as many of the crucial materials have a supply risk heavily depending on import. For instance, many of these rare earth elements (REE) are sourced from China; these REEs are used in many electronics that range from consumer products to industrial-use machines. This study is to review one of the desired methods that is via using bio-techniques to dissolve and recover as much as possible from main e-waste sources such as PCBs, spend batteries and LCD/LED panels. Microorganisms that are used for bioleaching process and their metal recovery aspects were compared in the second part. Future perspectives were finally added considering significant techno-economic environmental and social impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault grouting is important in preventing groundwater inrush into coal mines from aquifers underlying the coal seams. However, evaluating the effect of grouting in the coal mine is difficult and expensive; hence, the region is sparsely explored. Therefore, we propose a more economical and efficient method for investigating grouting in the coal mine, which utilizes a real-time microseismic monitoring system. A system is an integrated approach involving a deep neural network phase picker method, grid search location method, and double-difference seismic tomography method for enhanced real-time processing of the microseismic data of 1613A working face in Zhangji coal mine, China. The velocity structure of the 1613A working face has been inverted using the microseismic events in September 2020. We found that the grouting treatment area is considerably perturbed during mining, with the 50-m area below the mining floor characterized by a high seismic velocity of up to 4.3 km/ s, showing optimal grouting. The checkerboard resolution test shows that the seismic velocity results in concern have high reliability. The effect of grouting is well evaluated by machine learning-based microseismic catalog and passive seismic tomography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deepening of a new round of technological revolution and industrial reform, digital technology has been continuously innovated and widely penetrated into various economic fields. The digital economy (DE) is gradually becoming the focus of China's economic development planning and a new engine to enhance national strength. Evaluating the development level of DE in various regions is conducive to timely discover the shortcomings in China's DE development, as well as provide an important basis for putting forward corresponding policy suggestions. This investigation established a hybrid multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) model for evaluating DE development of 31 provincial level regions in China ranging from 2015 to 2020. Firstly, the evaluation indicator system is established from digital infrastructure, integrated development, social benefits, innovation ability, and electronic-commerce dimensions containing 17 quantitative sub-criteria based on Fuzzy-Delphi method. Secondly, integrated weights of 17 sub-criteria from 2015 to 2020 are computed in terms of objective weights calculated by the anti-entropy weight (AEW) approach from 2015 to 2020 and subjective weights obtained via the best-worst method (BWM). Thirdly, MARCOS model is applied to evaluate the DE development degree of various regions in China ranging from 2015 to 2020. Case analysis illustrates that the DE development of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Beijing always maintain in the top four from 2015 to 2020, while the southwest and northwest regions in China are obviously fall behind others. And the DE development degree of various regions is primarily affected under the integrated development performance, innovation ability performance, and social benefits performance. Therefore, the backward regions should emphasize the development of software industry and information technology industry. The robustness of the proposed MCDM model combining Fuzzy-Delphi, AEW, BWM and MARCOS is discussed employing three similarity coefficients of rankings. And it is verified that the proposed MCDM model has superior robustness and validity in evaluating DE development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arxan volcanic group is one of the largest active volcanic fields in China. Its last eruption occurred ∼2,000 years ago, but it still has a potential of eruption in the future. The spatial distribution and migration channel of its magmatic reservoirs are still unclear. Here we precisely locate microearthquakes and study the detailed 3‐D velocity structure of the volcanic area using a large number of high‐quality P and S wave arrival‐time data recorded at 227 portable seismometers. A swarm of microearthquakes (M < 1.5) related to magmatic activity were recorded, which lasted about 4 days during 13–16 September 2020. Our tomographic results show that 12 Arxan volcanoes share the same magmatic system. The melt fraction of a magma chamber below the Tianchi volcano at ∼0–8 km depths is estimated to be ∼6.1%–8.6% from the seismic velocity reductions. Our results indicate that the Arxan magmatic system is still active at present. Plain Language Summary: The detailed crustal structure and magmatic system beneath the Arxan volcanic field in NE China are still unclear due to the lack of a dense seismic network in the area. Local earthquakes associated with the volcanic activity in this area are all very small, so precise location of the seismic events is a challenge. We deployed a dense portable seismic network in the volcanic area to precisely locate 712 microearthquakes. Then we determine a detailed 3‐D seismic velocity model of the crust beneath the volcanic area. As a result, the spatial distribution and migration channel of magmatic reservoirs in the Arxan volcanic area are revealed for the first time. Key Points: We precisely locate microearthquakes and study 3‐D Vp and Vs crustal structure beneath the Arxan volcanic areaA microearthquake swarm occurred during 13–16 September 2020, reflecting magmatic activity of the Arxan volcanic group12 Arxan volcanoes share the same magmatic system with a melt fraction of ∼6.1%–8.6% [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Industrial Minerals & Processing / Huagong Kuangwu yu Jiagong is the property of Industrial Minerals & Processing Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To investigate the associations between different phytosterols (PSs) intake and subtype of obesity in Chinese. Total 6073 adults aged ≥18 years was enrolled from China. General characteristics were completed by the validated dietary questionnaire. For total phytosterols intake, comparing Q4 with Q1 was inversely associated with the risks of overweight [odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.82 (0.69, 0.96), p <.05]. The intake of stigmasterol, β‐sitosterol, β‐sitostanol and campestanol were associated with the lower risks of obesity, whereas no significant correlationss were found between campesterol intake and any subtype of obesity in the multivariable‐adjusted model. Interestingly, the stigmasterol intake was inversely related with the prevalence of central obesity in female, while the β‐sitostanol intake was found in male [OR 95% CI in Q3 of 0.78 (0.60–0.99) and 0.71 (0.56–0.91), respectively; p <.05]. The multiple linear regression models showed that fruits, vegetable‐oil, nuts and seeds may be important diet sources of PSs. The intake of total PSs, β‐sitosterol, stigmasterol, β‐sitostanol and campestanol were inversely associated with the prevalence of obesity. Moreover, the lower obesity risk for total PSs and PSs subgroups differed for the gender. The firm results deserve to be further verified in cohort studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizome-rooted Medicago sativa L. "Qingshui" is an excellent germplasm for establishing grazing and ecological grasslands but inferior in yield, in which both high production and ecological values can be achieved by cross-breeding. We have obtained valuable rhizome-rooted hybrid strains (RSA-01, RSA-02, and RSA-03) by crossing of Qingshui and the high-yielding Medicago sativa L. "WL168." In this study, the Qingshui plants with low production performance were crossed for improvement, and progenies with better production and higher quality than those of Qingshui were selected. The results reveal that the branch number, crude protein (CP) content, and relative feed value (RFV) of RSA-01; the stem thickness, CP content, and ether extract (EE) content of RSA-02; and the plant height, stem thickness, branch number, and dry hay yield of RSA-03 were higher than those of Qingshui. Except for the leaf/stem ratio and plant height of RSA-01, leaf/stem ratio of RSA-02, and plant height of RSA-03, the coefficient of variation (CV) of yield traits of the hybrid strains was lower than those of Qingshui, ranging from 0.1% to 4.28%. In addition to the lignin and acid detergent fiber content of RSA-01 as well as EE content of RSA-02 and RSA-03, the CV of the nutritional traits of the hybrid strains was low, ranging from 0.60% to 3.43%. The tested samples were ranked as follows based on yield performance and nutritional values: WL 168 > RSA − 03 > RSA − 01 > RSA − 02 > Qingshui and RSA − 01 > WL 168 > RSA − 03 > Qingshui > RSA − 02 , respectively. Compared with parental Qingshui, RSA-01, RSA-02, and RSA-03 show better yield performance; meanwhile, RSA-01 and RSA-03 had higher nutritional traits. RSA-01 shows heterosis in branch number, CP content, and RFV; RSA-02 shows heterosis in stem thickness and RSA-03 in plant height, stem thickness, branch number, fresh yield, dry hay yield, and CP content. Notably, the low production performance of Qingshui was improved after crossing it with WL168, substantially resulting in an abundant rhizome-rooted germplasm resource for the establishment of grazing grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the coarse spatial resolution, the column‐averaged dry‐air mole fraction of CO2 (XCO2) data from the CarbonTracker may be inadequate to reflect the spatial heterogeneity of XCO2. We developed a machine learning model to fill the data gaps in the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 satellite retrievals across China during 2015–2018, with cross‐validation R2 = 0.95 and RMSE = 0.91 ppm. Based on the gap‐filled data set, the multiyear average XCO2 was the highest in East China (405.71 ± 3.72 ppm) and the lowest in Northwest China (403.99 ± 3.47 ppm). At the national level, the multiyear seasonal XCO2 varied from 402.54 ± 3.95 ppm in summer to 406.28 ± 3.19 ppm in spring. While the XCO2 kept increasing, the rate of increase declined from 3.23 to 2.10 ppm/year. The machine learning approach is feasible for downscaling and calibrating the CarbonTracker XCO2 data. The full‐coverage and fine‐scale XCO2 data set is expected to advance our understanding of the carbon cycles. Plain Language Summary: As the most abundant greenhouse gas, atmospheric CO2 is considered one of the main contributors to climate change. Climate research requires comprehensive spatiotemporal distributions of CO2. However, the sparseness of the ground‐based measurements and lack of a fine‐scale modeled CO2 data set limits our understanding of the carbon dynamics. We developed a machine learning model to fill the data gaps in the satellite retrievals of the column‐averaged dry‐air mole fraction of CO2 (XCO2) for China during 2015–2018. The XCO2 levels were the highest in East China and the lowest in Northwest China, and were the lowest in summer and the highest in spring. While the XCO2 levels kept increasing, the rate of increase slightly declined. The full‐coverage and fine‐scale XCO2 data are valuable for policy making in carbon emission management. This work affirms the necessity of modeling the XCO2 from satellites, which can advance our understanding of the carbon cycles. Key Points: The machine learning model exhibited decent performance in predicting gridded daily XCO2, with cross‐validation R2 = 0.95The machine‐learning predicted XCO2 revealed considerably higher spatial heterogeneity than the CarbonTracker outputBased on the gap‐filled XCO2 data set, the average XCO2 during 2015–2018 was the highest in East China and the lowest in Northwest China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belowground plant traits play important roles in plant diversity loss driven by atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition. However, the way N enrichment shapes plant microhabitats by patterning belowground traits and finally determines aboveground responses is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the rhizosheath trait of 74 plant species in seven N‐addition simulation experiments across multiple grassland ecosystems in China. We found that rhizosheath formation differed among plant functional groups and contributed to changes in plant community composition induced by N enrichment. Compared with forb species, grass and sedge species exhibited distinct rhizosheaths; moreover, grasses and sedges expanded their rhizosheaths with increasing N‐addition rate which allowed them to colonize belowground habitats. Grasses also shaped a different microenvironment around their roots compared with forbs by affecting the physicochemical, biological, and stress‐avoiding properties of their rhizosphere soil. Rhizosheaths act as a "biofilm‐like shield" by the accumulation of protective compounds, carboxylic anions and polysaccharides, determined by both plants and microorganisms. This enhanced the tolerance of grasses and sedges to stresses induced by N enrichment. Conversely, forbs lacked the protective rhizosheaths which renders their roots sensitive to stresses induced by N enrichment, thus contributing to their disappearance under N‐enriched conditions. This study uncovers the processes by which belowground facilitation and trait matching affect aboveground responses under conditions of N enrichment, which advances our mechanistic understanding of the contribution of competitive exclusion and environmental tolerance to plant diversity loss caused by N deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's construction industry has been suffering from high cost, high efficiency, and maladjustment of management. The traditional management mode makes the construction project face the risk of cost overruns and delays, which cannot achieve the effect of cost control. Therefore, by summarizing the characteristics of construction projects and the classification of costs, this paper analyzes the foundation of earned value management method in construction and combines it with cost management; in addition, the actual development of Company A is taken as an example, where a cost early-warning system suitable for construction projects is constructed, including the design of the organizational structure, operation platform, and early-warning model of this system, which can improve the cost management level of construction enterprises to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, public transport is considered as an alternative to private vehicles to reduce environmental and social problems in developing countries. Hence, assuring a high passenger satisfaction level in the public transport system is an important task for municipalities and governments. However, passenger satisfaction evaluation of public transport is difficult as the opinions of passengers are vague and uncertain, and the number of involved passengers is large. In this article, we present a new method based on double hierarchy hesitant linguistic term sets (DHHLTSs) and alternative queuing method (AQM) for the passenger satisfaction evaluation of rail transit network under large group environment. First, the DHHLTSs are utilized to depict the uncertain satisfaction evaluation information given by passengers. Next, the k-means++ algorithm is modified to cluster the large group of passengers for satisfaction evaluation information aggregation. Then, the AQM is extended and used to acquire the passenger satisfaction ranking of rail transit lines. The practicability and rationality of the proposed passenger satisfaction evaluation method are illustrated via an application to the Shanghai rail transit network in China. The result shows that the new method provides more reliable and realistic results and introduces directions for further service quality improvement of public transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health risks of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and ambient ozone (O 3) have been widely recognized in recent years. An accurate estimate of PM 2.5 and O 3 exposures is important for supporting health risk analysis and environmental policy-making. The aim of our study was to construct random forest models with high-performance and estimate daily average PM 2.5 concentration and O 3 daily maximum of 8 h average concentration (O 3 -8 hmax) of China in 2005–2017 at a spatial resolution of 1 km × 1 km. The model variables included meteorological variables, satellite data, chemical transport model output, geographic variables and socioeconomic variables. Random forest model based on 10-fold cross-validation was established, and spatial and temporal validations were performed to evaluate the model performance. According to our sample-based division method, the daily, monthly and yearly estimations of PM 2.5 from test datasets gave average model-fitting R2 values of 0.85, 0.88 and 0.90, respectively; these R2 values were 0.77, 0.77 and 0.69 for O 3 -8 hmax, respectively. The meteorological variables and their lagged values can significantly affect both PM 2.5 and O 3 -8 hmax estimations. During 2005–2017, PM 2.5 concentration exhibited an overall downward trend, while ambient O 3 concentration experienced an upward trend. Whilst the spatial patterns of PM 2.5 and O 3 -8 hmax barely changed between 2005 and 2017, the temporal trend had spatial characteristics. The dataset is accessible to the public at 10.5281/zenodo.4009308 (Ma et al., 2021a), and the shared dataset of Chinese Environmental Public Health Tracking (CEPHT, 2022) is available at https://cepht.niehs.cn:8282/developSDS3.html. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To estimate heavy metal sources in soils under the influence of a high-density population, the concentrations of heavy metals, namely, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Fe, were determined in 23 soil samples from different sites at Suzhou University campus. Factor analysis (FA) and source analysis were completed based on the UNMIX model; the results showed that the contents of Ni, Cu, As, Cd, and Hg in the samples are 40.06, 60.75, 25.03, 0.10, and 0.12 mg/kg, respectively, which are higher than their soil background values in China. Three factors were obtained, agricultural activities, natural pedogenesis, and domestic waste; these accounted for a total of 76.49% of the explained covariance. The results for the three sources calculated using the UNMIX model are consistent with the FA results. The contribution of these sources to heavy metals in soils of the study area was also calculated; the contribution rates were 5.01, 29.25, and 65.74%, respectively. In conclusion, heavy metals in soils in the study area are mainly inherited from the weathering of parent rock (source 3, 65.74%) and are affected by agricultural activities such as chemical fertilizer use (source 2, 29.25%), whereas the effects of domestic waste such as batteries (source 1, 5.01%) is weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lotus rhizome starch (LRS) is an important traditional processed product of lotus rhizome in China due to its good taste and high nutritional value. However, adulterated lotus rhizome starches are prevalent on the market. In this study, a novel method for the rapid detection of adulteration in LRS based on color reaction between ferrous sulfate (FS) and (-)-gallocatechin (GC) in LRS was studied. The polyphenols in LRS were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) as GC and (+)-catechin, and GC could show a bluish color with FS solution. LRS showed a bluish color when FS solution (0.01 mol/L) was used as the chromogenic agent, which was not observed for other ten kinds of starches tested in this work. There was an obvious color gradient when FS solution was used to react with adulterated LRS at different proportions, and the change in blue color was obvious when maize starch or cassava starch was adulterated in LRS at the ratio of 6:4. Then, a semi-quantitative method was used to make a color card according to the color gradient, which was then successfully used to detect the adulteration of four kinds of commercial LRS. The results indicate that the proposed method may facilitate the simple, effective and efficient detection of adulteration in LRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive surface wave imaging based on noise cross-correlation has been a research hotspot in recent years. However, because randomness of noise is difficult to achieve in reality, prominent noise sources will inevitably affect the dispersion measurement. Additionally, in order to recover high-fidelity surface waves, the time series input during cross-correlation calculation is usually very long, which greatly limits the efficiency of passive surface wave imaging. With an automatic noise or signal removal algorithm based on synchrosqueezed continuous wavelet transform (SS-CWT), these problems can be alleviated. We applied this method to 1-h passive datasets acquired in Sichuan province, China; separated the prominent noise events in the raw field data, and enhanced the cross-correlation reconstructed surface waves, effectively improving the accuracy of the dispersion measurement. Then, using the conventional surface wave inversion method, the shear wave velocity profile of the underground structure in this area was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of rapid urbanization in Northeast China has resulted in severe heavy metal pollution in the environment. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of heavy metal pollution in soil-corn straw and its combustion flue gas system, and the health risks of heavy metal pollution. The results showed that Cu and Zn in soil were more easily absorbed by corn straw roots. Heavy metals in soil, corn straw and flue gas from corn straw burning all pose some health risk to humans, and are more harmful to children than adults. The concentrations of heavy metals in both soil and flue gas from corn straw burning have reached extremely high ecological risk. The main sources of heavy metal elements in soils are, in order, industrial production, agricultural production activities and metallurgical production. This study highlights the key issues of heavy metal contamination in soil-corn straw and its combustion flue gas system, provides an auxiliary guide for the next step in analyzing the transfer mechanisms, and suggests a rational approach to mitigate heavy metal contamination., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

In seismic data processing, low-frequency random noise with non-Gaussian and non-stationary characteristics heavily contaminates the reflected signals in Tarim area, which brings great difficulties in interpretation of seismic records in northwest China. To achieve more satisfied resolution, more greater fidelity, together with much higher increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), this paper proposes a SNR enhancement method based on the combination of variational mode decomposition (VMD) and Semi-soft Go Decomposition (Semi-Soft GoDec), named VMD-SSGoDec, which can realize the simplification of low-rank extraction in time–frequency representation (TFR) domain. Firstly, each trace of the rough seismic record is decomposed into several modes to reconstruct a component matrix by VMD. Due to the semi-low rank or approximate low-rank character of the desert low-frequency noise component matrix in TFR domain, secondly, we apply the Semi-soft GoDec, a low-rank matrix estimation to extract the low-frequency random noise components from the VMD results obtained in the first step. Repeating the above single-trace procedure to each trace rather than decomposing the entire record but use low-rank estimation once can lead to a more reduced dimension of the component matrix, and thus simplify the low-rank selection in Semi-soft GoDec. Finally, with the extracted random noise results in the second step, we can obtain the denoised record by making a difference with the original input. The proposed algorithm is tested by both synthetic record and field desert seismic data. Experimental results show outstanding advantages in low-frequency noise attenuation comparing with those of f-x deconvolution and SSWT-OptShrink. Both low-frequency random noise and surface waves are almost thoroughly attenuated by the proposed method, while the reflected signals are left nearly intact, revealing a significant enhancement in SNR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Nearly half of the tailings dams in China are in a state of high-security risks and overservice, and the safety of these tailings dams has always been a concern for relevant scholars. The seepage characteristics of tailings are one of the essential factors affecting the safety of tailings dam. Now, due to the improvement of mineral processing technology, there are many fine tailings dam; the study of the seepage characteristics of the tailings dam is no longer applicable. Fine-grained tailings form uneven deposition in these tailings dams, resulting in the permeability of tailings not conforming to the previous law. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the permeability of fine-grained tailings with uneven deposition. In this paper, the physical model of the simulated tailings dam is established to study the influence of the dry beach slope on the distribution and deposition law of fine tailings during discharge. The test results show that the average particle size of tailings decreases along the length of dry beach, showing the phenomenon of coarsening upstream and thinning downstream. Then, based on the data of fine tailings deposition, the variation characteristics of the permeability coefficient of layered tailings under stable and unstable seepage conditions are studied. The test results show that the variation process of tailings permeability coefficient can be divided into four stages: rapid compaction stage, slow compaction stage, failure stage, and stable stage. Under stable and unstable seepage conditions, the permeability coefficients of unstratified tailing sand are about 10% and 15% higher, respectively, than those in the initial state. The permeability coefficient of layered tailings formed by uneven settlement changes more obviously, which is about 12% and 20% higher than the initial state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The burden of chronic kidney disease is increasing substantially worldwide. Neck circumference (NC), an anthropometric index for upper-body adiposity, has been recognized as an indicator of cardiometabolic diseases. However, the association between NC and renal dysfunction has not been fully disclosed. Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between NC and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in the general population in China. Methods. A total of 8805 participants (3322 men and 5483 women) were enrolled in this study. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between NC and eGFR. The male and female subjects were divided into four groups according to the NC quartiles. The primary outcome was defined as an eGFR ≤ 90 mL / min / 1.73 m 2 . Results. Logistic regression analysis revealed that in both sexes, higher NC was significantly associated with a higher risk of decreased eGFR even after fully adjusting for age, other anthropometric indexes, traditional risk factors for chronic kidney diseases, and sociologic risk factors (quartile 1 as a reference; the odds ratios [95% confidence intervals] were as follows: quartile 2, 1.26 [0.99-1.59]; quartile 3, 1.40 [1.07-1.83]; and quartile 4, 1.71 [1.22-2.38], in men; quartile 2, 1.14 [0.95-1.37]; quartile 3, 1.31 [1.03-1.66]; and quartile 4, 1.32 [1.04-1.68], in women). Stratified analyses suggested that the association was significant among subjects with prediabetes or normal serum uric acid levels and those without cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Among subjects with CVD, the association persisted only in males. When the subjects were stratified according to blood pressure or BMI, the association persisted among male subjects with abnormal blood pressure and was strengthened among male subjects who were overweight/obese, while the association disappeared among female subjects. Conclusions. NC is independently associated with the risk of decreased eGFR in the general population in China, indicating that NC could contribute to renal dysfunction risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provenance of voluminous eolian dust on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) is still highly debated. Here we apply machine learning methods of support vector machine and convolutional neural network to train models using element compositions of surface sediments from eight potential source regions, accordingly, to determine the dust sources and contributions by classifying the last glacial loess and present interglacial sediments on the CLP. The trained models succeed in differentiating major secondary sources and quantitatively estimating the contributions of both primary and secondary sources at least during the last glacial‐interglacial cycle. The understanding that a constant dust source despite changing climate conditions agrees with those derived from Sr‐Nd isotopes and U‐Pb age spectra. Our observations demonstrate that big geochemical data sets coupled with machine learning technology are fully capable of tracing sources. Plain Language Summary: Central northern China is occupied by a unique landscape called the Loess Plateau which is formed by accumulation of extensive eolian dust (640,000 km2 in area and 105 km3 in volume). To understand this majestic Earth surface process, it is of great significance to study the dust sources. In the present study, we use a big geochemical data set and machine learning algorithms to decipher the mystery of where the dust on the Loess Plateau originates. The advantage of the new methods is that they can fully exploit the used big data set. Our results indicate that the contributions of major secondary sources are dominated (approximately 50%) by the recycled Yellow River sediments from the Hetao Graben, followed by materials from inland basins in the northwest of China (>15% for eastern Tibetan Plateau, approximately 15% for Qaidam Basin, and >5% for Tarim Basin, Junggar Basin, and Alxa Plateau). Two primary sources, that is, northern Tibetan Plateau and Central Asian Orogenic Belt, thus contribute about 80% and 20%, respectively, to the dust deposition. An unchanged dust source structure during the last glacial‐present interglacial cycle structure is also recognized. These findings strengthen our understanding of the formation of the Loess Plateau. Key Points: We use chemical compositions of 81 elements in surface sediments from potential dust sources to train machine learning modelsThe trained models clearly differentiate major secondary dust sources and predict their sedimentary budgets on the Chinese Loess PlateauA constant dust source structure defined by element compositions agrees with those derived from Sr‐Nd isotopes and U‐Pb age spectra [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health burden, and anemia is common among patients with CKD. However, less is known regarding the longitudinal association between anemia and deterioration of kidney function among the general population. The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study is a nationally representative survey for households with members aged ≥ 45 years. Participants without creatinine and demographic data in 2011 and 2015 were excluded. Anemia was defined according to definitions of the World Health Organization. Rapid decline in kidney function was defined as a ≥16.9% (quartile 3) decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), calculated using the CKD-EPI equation during 2011-2015. Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic splines were used to explore their relationship. Altogether, 7210 eligible participants were included in the analysis, with a mean age of 58.6 ± 8.8 years. Rapid decline in kidney function occurred among 1802 (25.0%) participants. Those with kidney function decline were more likely to be older, male, and have anemia, lower eGFRs, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (P < 0.05). Anemia, or hemoglobin, was independently associated with rapid decline in kidney function after adjusting for potential confounding factors (OR = 1.64 , 95% CI, 1.32-2.04; OR = 0.90 , 95% CI, 0.87-0.94, respectively). Restricted cubic splines showed a nonlinear relationship between hemoglobin and rapid decline in kidney function, especially for men with anemia (P < 0.05). In conclusion, anemia is an independent risk factor for progression of kidney function among the middle-aged and elderly population. Attentive management and intervention strategies targeting anemia could be effective to reduce the risk of kidney failure and improve the prognosis of the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of cultivars and variation in phytochemical components pose a great threat to the security of foods that contain walnut. The nutrient values of walnut are stipulated according to phytochemical components, which are driven by internal and external factors associated with fruit growth. The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of cultivar and climate zone on the phytochemical components of walnuts. First, differences and relationships of phytochemical components in eleven walnut cultivars harvested from northeastern China were analyzed. Almost all individual phytochemical components among cultivars showed significant differences (p <.05). The results were submitted to correspondence analysis followed by matrix transformation and factor analysis. Fatty acids, amino acids, and minerals (Ca, Na, Fe, Cu, P, and Zn) for the identification and discrimination of eleven walnut cultivars were authenticated. Furthermore, based on essential microelements, essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and antioxidants, the walnut cultivars realized the precision position in food application. Finally, we confirmed the effects of climate zones on the phytochemical components of walnuts, with variations up to 142%. The climatic factors precipitation and temperature influenced the formation and accumulation of monounsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, and most minerals. The findings will open promising perspectives for oriented cultivation of walnuts and future application in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus agalactiae colonization in pregnant women can cause postpartum intrauterine infections and life-threatening neonatal infections. To formulate strategies for the prevention and treatment of S. agalactiae infections, we performed a comprehensive analysis of antibiotic resistance and a molecular-based epidemiological investigation of S. agalactiae in this study. Seventy-two S. agalactiae strains, collected from pregnant women, were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility tests; then, the screened erythromycin and clindamycin nonsusceptible isolates were used for macrolides and clindamycin resistance genes detection, respectively. Detection of resistance genes, serotyping, and determination of virulence genes were performed by polymerase chain reaction. The clonal relationships among the colonized strains were evaluated by multilocus sequence typing. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) mass peak analysis was performed to discriminate the specific sequence types (STs). In our study, 69.4% and 47.2% of the strains were nonsusceptible to erythromycin and clindamycin, respectively; the multidrug resistance rate was 66.7%. All erythromycin nonsusceptible strains harbored resistance genes, whereas only 52.9% of the clindamycin nonsusceptible strains possessed the linB gene. Erythromycin resistance was mainly mediated by the ermB or mefA/E genes. Four serotypes were identified, and the most common serotype was serotype III (52.8%), followed by Ib (22.2%), Ia (18.0%), and II (4.2%). All the strains were divided into 18 STs that were assigned to nine clonal complexes. Most of the major STs were distributed into specific serotypes, including ST19/serotype III, ST17/serotype III, ST485/serotype Ia, ST862/serotype III, and ST651/serotype III. Analysis of virulence genes yielded seven clusters, of which bca-cfb-scpB-lmb (61.6%) was the predominant virulence gene cluster. Among all ST strains distributed in this region, only the ST17 strains had a mass peak at 7620 Da. The outcomes of this study are beneficial for the epidemiological comparison of colonized S. agalactiae in different regions and may be helpful for developing the strategies for the prevention of S. agalactiae infection in Guangzhou. Furthermore, our results show that MALDI-TOF MS can be used for the rapid identification of the ST17 strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially atherosclerosis, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally; it causes a considerable burden on families and caregivers and results in significant financial costs being incurred. Hawthorn has an extensive history of medical use in many countries. In China, the use of hawthorn for the treatment of CVD dates to 659 AD. In addition, according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, it acts on tonifying the spleen to promote digestion and activate blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis. This review revealed that the hawthorn extracts possess serum lipid-lowering, anti-oxidative, and cardiovascular protective properties, thus gaining popularity, especially for its anti-atherosclerotic effects. We summarize the four principal mechanisms, including blood lipid-lowering, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and vascular endothelial protection, thus providing a theoretical basis for further utilization of hawthorn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "agricultural superdocking" mode which has been strong supported by the government has become the main way for fresh agricultural products to enter the market in China. Based on the analysis of fresh agricultural products supply chain inventory management under the "agricultural superdocking" mode, this paper constructs an integrated inventory model for fresh agricultural products of "farmers' professional cooperatives + distribution centers + supermarkets." Considering multiple members at each echelon of a supply chain, a model that maximizes the overall profit of the supply chain is proposed. The model assumes that the market demand of fresh agricultural products is affected by freshness and sales prices, and the distribution center is responsible for not only storage, processing, and distribution but also coordinating the production and supply information of farmers' professional cooperatives and the order sales information of supermarkets. An improved genetic algorithm is developed to solve the nonlinear optimization problem. Results of a case study show that the optimal supply and replenishment strategy under the given supply chain distribution process are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to identify crash-prone sections of the highways in mountainous areas professionally and exclusively, the common phenomena of "sharp turns", "continuous long downhill", "multiple tunnels", "dangerous roadside environment", and complex and changeable meteorological environment, which all imply risk factors of the mountainous highways, are comprehensively considered. Utilizing the improved classical coupling model, the coupling mechanism of the risk factors is revealed, and the coupling model of the traffic risk factors is constructed, by which the coupling degrees of multi-risk factors couplings are calculated respectively. Based on the coupling degrees of the above factors, the concept of vehicle operation risk index (VORI) of the mountainous highway is introduced and its numerical value is quantified as the basis for identifying the crash-prone sections. The 21 km of Songming to Huize section of the Songdai Highway in the Yunnan Province of China is selected as an example, and the good applicability of the identification model is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction. The present study estimated the cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery versus medication therapy for the management of recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in obese patients from a Chinese health insurance payer perspective. Materials and Methods. A Markov model was established to compare the 40-year time costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) between bariatric surgery and medication therapy. The health-care costs in the bariatric surgery group, proportion of patients in each group with remission of diabetes, and state transition probabilities were calculated based on observed resource utilization from the hospital information system (HIS). The corresponding costs in the medication therapy group were derived from the medical insurance database. QALYs were estimated from previous literature. Costs and outcomes were discounted 5% annually. Results. In the base case analysis, bariatric surgery was more effective and less costly than medication therapy. Over a 40-year time horizon, the mean discounted costs were 86,366.55 RMB per surgical therapy patient and 113,235.94 CNY per medication therapy patient. The surgical and medication therapy patients lived 13.46 and 10.95 discounted QALYs, respectively. Bariatric surgery was associated with a mean health-care savings of 26,869.39 CNY and 2.51 additional QALYs per patient compared to medication therapy. Uncertainty around the parameter values was tested comprehensively in sensitivity analyses, and the results were robust. Conclusions. Bariatric surgery is a dominant intervention over a 40-year time horizon, which leads to significant cost savings to the health insurance payer and increases in health benefits for the management of recently diagnosed T2DM in obese patients in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's policy on atmospheric pollution is changeable in recent years. The single‐year estimated population exposure to air pollution is widely used in China where has the largest population and the heaviest fine particulate (PM2.5) pollution worldwide. However, the single‐year estimate introduces considerable uncertainty and loses consideration on multiyear cumulative exposure, thus may underestimate the burden of disease and mislead decisions regarding environmental conservation. We thus estimate the cumulative population exposure to PM2.5 pollution from 2000 to 2015. Areas with PM2.5 > 35 μg/m3 within China's territory increased from an average of 39% (2000–2005) to 42% (2006–2015), causing 471.6 million population at 58.8 × 104 km2 were exposed to 16 years' cumulative exposure to PM2.5 > 35 μg/m3. The migrant population contributed a major proportion of the increased population exposure, especially in East China's rapidly urbanizing areas. Cumulative population exposure to air pollution would provide a better understanding on the long‐term health risk and may suggest to a long, stable, and effective environmental protection regulation and policy should be carried out in China. Key Points: A multiyear frequency‐based cumulative PM2.5 risk was estimated in ChinaThe 471.6 million population on 1,588,000 km2 were exposed to 16 year's cumulative PM2.5 pollutionThe migrant population contributed a major proportion of the increased population exposure, especially large in East China's urban area [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a multi-level grey cluster decision method is proposed for the synthetic evaluation of operation schemes of natural gas pipelines with inexact data and insufficient information. A four-level index system is built as the synthetic evaluation criterion, aiming in balancing transmission volume, economic profit, and safety of the pipeline. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method is applied to calculate the weights of indexes. In order to assess the pipeline's operation schemes with multi-level index, the principle of AHP method and the conventional grey cluster decision method are incorporated into a new multi-level grey evaluation method. The essential procedures of the method are illustrated in details, including computations of the grey class, whitenization weight function, decision coefficient matrix, weighted normalized decision coefficient matrix and synthetic evaluation score. Finally, this method is applied to seven operation schemes of Se–Ning–Lan gas pipeline in China. The results demonstrate that synthetic prior order of each scheme is not dependent on any one evaluation index, but on the comprehensive performance of the transmission volume, economic profit and pipeline safety. The application proves that the pipeline's operation schemes can be reasonably evaluated even if insufficient data are used. The achievement of this paper provides a new analytical method as well as a powerful tool for the synthetic evaluation of operation schemes for natural gas pipelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: The purpose of the study is to explore the relationships among structural empowerment, innovative behaviour, self‐efficacy, and career success by nurses in mainland China. Method: A cross‐sectional study was designed, and participants were recruited from 6 tertiary hospitals in Tianjin, China. The study used an anonymous questionnaire, filled voluntarily by 460 nurses in spring 2017. Structural equation modelling analyses were conducted. Results: The results reveal that innovative behaviour is positively associated with career success and self‐efficacy, which, in turn, mediates the relationship between structural empowerment and career success. Structural empowerment is positively associated with innovative behaviour and career success. Self‐efficacy is positively associated with career success and mediates the relationship between innovative behaviour and career success. Conclusion: Higher perceived structural empowerment, innovative behaviour, and self‐efficacy can increase career success of Chinese nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of gastric cardia cancer (GCC) is high in China. However, the clinicopathological characteristics and the carcinogenesis of GCC are unclear. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is an important innate immunity receptor and has a role in non-GCC (NGCC). We compared the clinicopathological characteristics of GCC patients from a high-risk area in China to esophageal cancer (EC) patients. Immunohistochemistry for TLR4 was performed in 201 histological samples of normal gastric cardia mucosa (n = 11), gastric cardia inflammation (n = 87), and GCC (n = 103). We included 84 patients with EC and 99 with GCC. GCC tissue was more poorly differentiated than EC tissue and more invasive, with more histomorphologic variation. Lymph node metastasis was more frequent in GCC than in EC. The Helicobacter pylori infection rate was higher but not significantly with GCC than EC. Survival was shorter with lymph node metastasis. We found a statistically significant trend for progressive increase of TLR4 expression from normal mucosa to inflammation in GCC. GCC in this high-risk area displays clinicopathologic characteristics different from those of EC and different from those of gastroesophageal junction carcinomas in other countries, although this was not analyzed statistically. Increased TLR4 expression in gastric cardia lesions may be associated with GCC tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The financing channels, investors and operators of urban rail transit are becoming more and more diversified, and public private partnership pattern has been increasingly suggested in financing and investment field of urban rail transit in China. The diversification of investors of urban rail transit will no doubt lead to the diversification of operators of urban rail transit network. To legitimately distribute the cooperation profits among operators, a model is developed based on passenger's path choice behavior by considering travel period, travel time, transfer convenience and the comprehensive proportion of different service types provided by operators. In accordance with the features of urban rail transit network and origin-destination (OD) pairs of transferring among lines of different operators, a scheme of improved rail transit network is proposed. On the basis of the algorithm of breadth-first search and depth-first search, an algorithm of searching effective paths based on backtracking and traversing along the shortest path is established by considering the factor of transfer. Taking the example of Shenzhen's rail transit network, three typical OD pairs are selected to measure and calculate, compare and analyze by six different conditions. The result shows that travel period, travel time, transfer convenience, and service types provided by operators exert great influence on the distribution of cooperation profits. Therefore, it is advisable to comprehensively consider all of these factors to improve the accuracy of cooperation profits distribution. Moreover, the proposed algorithm can search effective paths efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) has been implicated as a risk factor for a range of psychiatric disorders in children. However, there have been a few studies showing inconsistent associations between PNMS and offspring autistic-like behaviours. We therefore aimed to examine whether trimester-specific PNMS exposure might be related to an increased risk of autistic-like behaviours among preschoolers. Using data from Longhua Children Cohort Study, mothers of 65,931 preschool children were asked to recall their level of PNMS in each of the three trimesters of pregnancy, while children's current autistic-like behaviours were assessed using the Autism Behaviour Checklist. A series of Cox regression models were fitted to assess the association between PNMS exposure and autistic-like behaviours. After adjusting for potential confounders, the Cox regression models showed that PNMS exposure, especially during the second pregnant trimester, was significantly and positively associated with the presence of children's autistic-like behaviours. The strength of these associations was enhanced with the increase of PNMS exposure level. Furthermore, based on different permutations of exposure versus no exposure in each trimester, the participants were divided into eight groups. A cross-over analysis confirmed the aforementioned finding that the second pregnant trimester might be the sensitive period for PNMS exposure increasing the risk of autistic-like behaviours. Our findings supported the hypothesis of an association between PNMS exposure and autistic-like behaviours among preschoolers. Preventive interventions should be trialled to examine whether minimizing maternal psychological stress during pregnancy, especially the second trimester, may reduce the risk of offspring autistic-like behaviours., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

China is one of the largest grain producing and consuming nations in the world and the importance of grain security to the Chinese can never be overemphasized. In this paper, we present a comprehensive early-warning model for evaluating the status of grain security in China. The model is based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method and the Dempster-Shafer theory (DST). We divided the risk assessment into four stages. First, we seek risk sources and identify the indices to be used in the model. Then, we preprocess the index data to obtain the index directions and risk bounds. After that, we assign index weights via AHP method. Finally, we evaluate risk of grain security via DST method and determine the overall risk degree. An empirical analysis is conducted to demonstrate the use of the model for evaluating the status of grain security in China. The result shows that the model which conforms to the reality of China is effective and can be used as a grain security pre-warning monitoring tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was deemed important to calculate the thermal recovery production model of tight oil reservoirs after fracturing and packing based on the field data of an oilfield in Bohai Sea, China. The thermal recovery production of a tight oil reservoir after fracturing is demonstrated through theoretical calculation and practical field data on the premise of five hypotheses. Fractures change the fluid flow capacity of the reservoir. Combined with the relevant theories of reservoir thermal production, the dual porosity system in the fractured zone and the single porosity system in the unfractured zone were established. The calculation models of heat loss in the fractured and unfractured zones were derived to determine the thermal recovery heating radius of the reservoir after fracturing and packing. Combined with the pseudo-steady state productivity formula of the composite reservoir, a production calculation model of thermal recovery after fracturing and packing in the tight oil reservoir was established. The results showed that the heating radius of the reservoir after fracturing and packing is smaller than that of the unfractured reservoir, and the additional heat absorption of the fracture system generated by fracturing and packing reduces the thermal recovery effect. The thermal recovery productivity of heavy oil reservoirs is mainly affected by the heating radius. With the increase of fracture density, the heating radius decreases and production decreases. The increase of fracture porosity also leads to the decrease of the heating radius and the production. The calculation result of this model is improved after tight oil reservoir fracturing during the production period, which indicates that the model has a better prediction effect of the production of the tight reservoir after fracturing and packing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]