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The first pandemic wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced a considerable increase in several antivirals and antibiotics in surface water. The common symptoms of COVID-19 are viral and bacterial infections, while comorbidities (e.g., hypertension and diabetes) and mental shock (e.g., insomnia and anxiety) are nonnegligible. Nevertheless, little is known about the long-term impacts of comorbidities and mental shock on organic micropollutants (OMPs) in surface waters. Herein, we monitored 114 OMPs in surface water and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Wuhan, China, between 2019 and 2021. The pandemic-induced OMP pollution in surface water was confirmed by significant increases in 26 OMP concentrations. Significant increases in four antihypertensives and one diabetic drug suggest that the treatment of comorbidities may induce OMP pollution. Notably, cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine) increased 155 times to 187 ng·L−1, which might be associated with increased smoking. Additionally, the increases in zolpidem and sulpiride might be the result of worsened insomnia and depression. Hence, it is reasonable to note that mental-health protecting drugs/behavior also contributed to OMP pollution. Among the observed OMPs, telmisartan, lopinavir, and ritonavir were associated with significantly higher ecological risks because of their limited WWTP-removal rate and high ecotoxicity. This study provides new insights into the effects of comorbidities and mental shock on OMPs in surface water during a pandemic and highlights the need to monitor the fate of related pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment and to improve their removal efficiencies in WWTPs.

ABSTRACTTo summarize the distribution of types of human papillomavirus (HPV) associated with HPV-related diseases and investigate the potential causes of high prevalence of HPV 52 and 58 by summarizing the prevalence of lineages, sub-lineages, and mutations among Chinese women. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, and WanFang from January, 2012 to June, 2023 to identify all the eligible studies. We excluded patients who had received HPV vaccinations. Data were summarized in tables and cloud/rain maps. A total of 102 studies reporting HPV distribution and 15 studies reporting HPV52/HPV58 variants were extracted. Among Chinese women, the top five prevalent HPV types associated with cervical cancer (CC) were HPV16, 18, 58, 52, and 33. In patients with vaginal cancers and precancerous lesions, the most common HPV types were 16 and 52 followed by 58. For women with condyloma acuminatum (CA), the most common HPV types were 11 and 6. In Chinese women with HPV infection, lineage B was the most prominently identified for HPV52, and lineage A was the most common for HPV58. In addition to HPV types 16, which is prevalent worldwide, our findings revealed the unique high prevalence of HPV 52/58 among Chinese women with HPV-related diseases. HPV 52 variants were predominantly biased toward lineage B and sub-lineage B2, and HPV 58 variants were strongly biased toward lineage A and sub-lineage A1. Further investigations on the association between the high prevalent lineage and sub-lineage in HPV 52/58 and the risk of cancer risk are needed. Our findings underscore the importance of vaccination with the nine-valent HPV vaccine in China.

Studying urban land use and its impact on carbon emissions is crucial for achieving China’s dual carbon goals. This research utilized the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) scenarios 126, 245, and 585 from the Sixth International Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), along with a coupled System Dynamics (SD) and Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model and a carbon emission coefficient method to simulate and predict Xi’an’s land use carbon emissions from 2020 to 2040. The results indicate the following: (1) Cultivated and forest lands are the predominant land use types in Xi’an, with cultivated and grassland areas projected to decline under all three SSP scenarios by 2040. The most significant expansion of construction land, primarily at the expense of farmland, is projected under the SSP585 scenario, with an increase of 515.92 km2 by 2040. (2) Land use carbon emissions increased from 414.15 × 104 t in 2000 to 2376.10 × 104 t in 2020, with construction land being the primary source of emissions and forest land serving as the main carbon sink. However, the carbon sink capacity remained low at only 21.38 × 104 t in 2020. (3) Carbon emissions are expected to continue increasing under all scenarios through 2030 and 2040, though at a decreasing rate. The SSP126 scenario predicts the lowest emissions, reaching 9186.00 × 104 t by 2040, while SSP585 predicts the highest at 14,935.00 × 104 t. The findings of this study provide theoretical support for future low-carbon and high-quality urban development strategies.

In this paper, we obtain analytical expressions for the co-propagation of two and four interacting astigmatic hyperbolic sinusoidal Gaussian beams in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media by using nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Through numerical simulations, we characterize their interaction properties and differences between the interaction of two beams and four beams, primarily focusing on the transverse intensity distribution of beam clusters and the evolution of intensity along the axis. We find that in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media, the evolution of multiple interacting astigmatic hyperbolic sinusoidal Gaussian beams is periodic. Regardless of whether the beams are in-phase or out-of-phase, the interaction among multiple beams is always attractive. The difference lies in the fact that in the case of complete in-phase beams, there are two small intensity peaks at the center of the interaction region, whereas this is not the case for other scenarios. Furthermore, among the four beams, the evolution of the in-phase interaction between vertically adjacent beams is exactly opposite to the out-of-phase interaction between horizontally adjacent beams. This research provides valuable insights for interaction of multiple beams and optical wireless communication.

Meeting the ever-growing demands of humans while ensuring sustainability is one of the great challenges of this century. China has made significant economic progress in recent decades and is increasingly engaged in international activities. This economic prosperity, however, has resulted in substantial contaminant discharge and damage to domestic aquatic ecosystems. Considerable efforts have been made to address these issues through developments in wastewater services infrastructure. Here, we provide an overview of wastewater infrastructure development in the Yangtze River Economic Zone during 2007–2017 and analyze diverse long-term monitoring data. These analyses trace and capture the key drivers affecting the restoration of water quality and determine how such restoration may be sustained or even accelerated in future. We find that there has been a decoupling trend between the economy and environmental variables since 2013, which coincides with the substantial implementation of improved wastewater treatment systems. While further developments in sewerage facilities and phosphorus discharge reduction may continue restoration, a paradigm shift toward a circular economy remains necessary to integrate these developments with wastewater resources management. Overall, this study advances the current understanding of the impact of wastewater services facilities on the balance between economic development and environmental protection.

Steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) is one of the most popular brain-computer interface (BCI) paradigms, with high information transmission rate and signal-to-noise ratio. Many calibration-free and calibration-based approaches have been proposed to improve the performance of SSVEP-based BCIs. This paper considers a quick calibration scenario, where there are plenty of data from multiple source subjects, but only a small number of calibration trials from a subset of stimulus frequencies for the new subject. We propose small data least-squares transformation (sd-LST) to solve this problem. Experiments on three publicly available SSVEP datasets demonstrated that sd-LST outperformed several classical or state-of-the-art approaches, with only about 10 calibration trials for 40-target SSVEP-based BCI spellers.

The central part of the Shaluli Mountains is located in the Ganzi area, Sichuan Province, China, bordered by the Jinsha River and adjacent to Tibet. Frequent avalanches pose a serious threat to human activities and engineering construction such as the Sichuan-Tibet Railway under construction. Therefore, the evaluation of avalanche susceptibility in this area can not only help define the spatial pattern of avalanches on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau but also provide references for the recognition and early warning of regional avalanche disasters. In this study, avalanche samples were selected by remote sensing interpretation supplemented by a detailed field survey, GIS spatial analysis, and data mining. Two statistical models [evidence confidence function (EBF) and certainty coefficient (CF)] combined with two machine learning models [logistic regression (LR) and multilayer perceptron (MLP)] were used to establish four integrated models (EBF-LR, CF-LR, EBF-MLP, and CF-MLP) as well as the traditional frequency ratio model (FR) for avalanche susceptibility evaluation. Finally, the results were checked for accuracy by Kappa coefficients and ROC curves. The CF-MLP (Kappa = 0.606, AUC = 0.910) model was the best avalanche susceptibility evaluation model for this study, the FR (Kappa = 0.584, AUC = 0.894) model had the next highest accuracy, and the combination of the CF algorithm and the machine learning model performed better than the EBF. The most important influencing factors were elevation, slope orientation, terrain moisture index, and January average temperature. The five models showed a high degree of consistency in the sensitivity to topographic factors during the evaluation of susceptibility. The avalanche susceptibility zoning map based on the CF-MLP model was obtained by the natural breakpoint method, and the areas with very high and high susceptibility accounted for about 10.01% and 15.33% of the total area, respectively.

Abstract We show that organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are suitable for high-speed optical wireless data receivers that can also harvest power. In addition, these OPVs are of particular interest for indoor applications, as their bandgap is larger than that of silicon, leading to better matching to the spectrum of artificial light. By selecting a suitable combination of a narrow bandgap donor polymer and a nonfullerene acceptor, stable OPVs are fabricated with a power conversion efficiency of 8.8% under 1 Sun and 14% under indoor lighting conditions. In an optical wireless communication experiment, a data rate of 363 Mb/s and a simultaneous harvested power of 10.9 mW are achieved in a 4-by-4 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) setup that consists of four laser diodes, each transmitting 56 mW optical power and four OPV cells on a single panel as receivers at a distance of 40 cm. This result is the highest reported data rate using OPVs as data receivers and energy harvesters. This finding may be relevant to future mobile communication applications because it enables enhanced wireless data communication performance while prolonging the battery life in a mobile device.

Electroplating is a common process of converting zinc ion in electrolyte as a micro level zinc layer on electroplating pieces. After electroplating, the remaining electrolyte on the surface of the pieces is washed with water, and accordingly, Zn-containing electroplating wastewater is generated. Hazardous Zn-containing wastewater is generated during the washing of electroplating pieces and plating tank. Herein, Zn was enriched from wastewater by commercial flocculant and then recycled as highly purified zinc phosphate via coupled acid extraction and hydrothermal treatment. Firstly, 98.4% Zn was recovered as sludge from wastewater by adding 0.2 g/L of flocculant. Then, the sludge was dissolved into an acid solution to produce a leachate with 31.2/10.8/19.3 g/L of Fe/Al/Zn and then hydrothermally treated to remove Fe/Al. The Fe removal rate was only 54.2% without phosphate and glucose but was increased to 98.6% after the addition of 0.5 g of glucose with Al/Zn loss

Organic LEDs (OLEDs) have generally been considered to be slow devices. Through engineering the structure and materials of OLEDs, the authors achieve a breakthrough in the high-speed operation of OLEDs and demonstrate a 1 Gbps optical wireless link using the OLEDs.

High speed wireless communications are highly desirable for many industrial and scientific underwater applications. Acoustic communications suffer from high latency and limited data rates, while Radio Frequency communications are severely limited by attenuation in seawater. Optical communications are a promising alternative, offering high transmission rates (up to Gb/s), while water has relatively low attenuation at visible wavelengths. Here we demonstrate the use of series-connected micro-light-emitting-diode (μLED) arrays consisting of 6 μLED pixels either 60 μm or 80 μm in diameter and operating at 450 nm. These devices increase the output power whilst maintaining relatively high modulation bandwidth. Using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) we demonstrate underwater wireless data transmission at rates of up to 4.92 Gb/s, 3.22 Gb/s and 3.4 Gb/s over 1.5 m, 3 m and 4.5 m, respectively, with corresponding bit error ratios (BERs) of 1.5 × 10-3, 1.1 × 10-3 and 3.1 × 10-3, through clear tap water, and Mb/s rates through >5 attenuation lengths (ALs) in turbid waters.

Abstract ᅟ The present study comprised 17,096 Chinese hypertensive dyslipidemia patients who received lipid-lowering treatment for > 3 months in order to investigate blood pressure (BP) as well as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal attainment rates in Chinese hypertensive dyslipidemia patients on antidyslipidemia drugs. The factors that interfered with BP, or BP and LDL-C goal attainment rates and antihypertensive treatment patterns, were analyzed. In total, 89.9% of the 17,096 hypertensive dyslipidemia patients received antihypertensive medications mainly consisting of a calcium channel blocker (CCB) (48.7%), an angiotensin receptor antagonist (ARB) (25.4%) and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) (15.1%). In cardiology departments, usage rates of β-blockers (19.2%) were unusually high compared to other departments (4.0–8.3%), whereas thiazide diuretics were prescribed at the lowest rate (0.3% vs 1.2–3.6%). The overall goal attainment rates for combined BP and LDL-C as well as BP or LDL-C targets were 22.9, 31.9 and 60.1%, respectively. The lowest BP, LDL-C and BP combined with LDL-C goal attainment rates were achieved in endocrine departments (19.9, 48.9 and 12.4%, respectively). Combination therapies showed no benefit particularly for BP goal achievement. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age < 65 years, alcohol consumption, diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 kg/m2 and not achieving total cholesterol goals were independent predictors for achieving BP, LDL-C or combined BP and LDL-C goals. In summary, the BP and LDL-C goal achievement rates in Chinese dyslipidemia outpatients with hypertension were low, especially in endocrine departments. Combination therapies were not associated with improvement of the goal achievement rates. Trial registration Clinical trial registration number NCT01732952

Zn2+ is a heavy metal ion, and hazardous sludge from the electroplating and alloy industry is rich in Zn and impure Al and Ca. Such sludge is commonly recycled by dissolution in strong acid and then selective extraction to recycle Zn2+ by a special extraction reagent. In this process, impurity Al3+ is dissolved and then participates in the extraction of Zn2+, so Al3+ should be removed first. Here, a new strategy was reported for the effective removal of Al3+ and recovery of Zn2+ from a simulated Al/Zn-bearing sludge via an improved acid solution–precipitation route. The sludge was simulated by coagulating Zn-bearing waste water (290 mg/L Zn2+) with 600 mg/L polyaluminium chloride. The sludge was dissolved in sulphuric acid and nitric acid to form an acidic solution with Al3+ and Zn2+ concentrations of 3.2 g/L and 5.7 g/L, respectively. The solution was treated directly by hydrothermal method at 270 °C, in which 55% Al3+ was precipitated as boehmite and Al hydroxide. After the addition of 0.2 mL of ethylene glycol, the removal rate of Al3+ dramatically increased to 99.8%, with Zn2+ loss of 1.5%. The residual Zn2+ was 5620 mg/L in the treated solution and further directly precipitated by adjusting the pH of the solution to pH 7.5 with NaOH. The precipitated Zn2+ was in the form of simonkolleite with ZnO content of 63.1%, with Al content of only 0.8%. In the hydrothermal precipitation, the removal rate of Al3+ increased with the temperature and extension of reaction time. Al3+ was hydrolysed and precipitated as aluminium oxonium sulphate hydroxide and then recrystallised in boehmite form. Then, H+ was generated and consumed in the redox reaction of nitrate and ethylene glycol, accelerating the Al3+ precipitation. This method provides a way to efficiently separate Al3+ from a Zn-bearing solution and can be applied in the recycling of Al/Zn-bearing sludge.

BACKGROUND: Fusarium graminearum is a devastating fungal pathogen that poses a significant threat to global wheat production and quality. Control of this toxin‐producing pathogen remains a major challenge. This study aimed to isolate strains with antagonistic activity against F. graminearum and at the same time to analyze the synthesis of deoxynivalenol (DON), in order to provide a new basis for the biological control of FHB. RESULTS: Total of 69 microorganisms were isolated from the soil of a wheat‐corn crop rotation field, and an antagonistic bacterial strain F12 was identified as Burkholderia pyrrocinia by molecular biology and carbon source utilization. F. graminearum control by strain F12 showed excellent biological activities under laboratory conditions (95.8%) and field testing (63.09%). Meanwhile, the DON content of field‐treated wheat grains was detected the results showed that F12 have significantly inhibited of DON, which was further verified by qPCR that F12 produces secondary metabolites that inhibit the expression of DON and pigment‐related genes. In addition, the sterile fermentation broth of F12 not only inhibited mycelial growth and spore germination, but also prevented mycelia from producing spores. CONCLUSION: In this study B. pyrrocinia was reported to have good control of FHB and inhibition of DON synthesis. This novel B. pyrrocinia F12 is a promising biological inoculant, providing possibilities for controlling FHB, and a theoretical basis for the development of potential biocontrol agents and biofertilizers for agricultural use. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to assess the impact of an American ginseng nutritional product on relieving muscle fatigue post-Wushu Sanda exercise. Twenty Sanda athletes were randomly assigned to groups A and B for a 30-day Wushu Sanda training. Each participant was administered three capsules twice daily, either American ginseng and Acanthopanax senticosus or a placebo. Body composition, ratings of perceived exertion, and blood biochemical values were compared. No significant disparities in body composition and ratings of perceived exertion were observed between group A and group B before or after the experiment. However, the increase in ratings of perceived exertion for group A was slightly less pronounced compared to that of group B. On the first day of the experiment, no significant differences were observed in glucose, blood lactic acid, blood urea nitrogen, and creatine kinase between the two groups (P > 0.05). On the 15th and 30th days of the experiment, blood glucose levels were significantly higher in group A, while levels of creatine kinase, blood lactic acid, and blood urea nitrogen were lower, with statistically significant variances observed (P < 0.05). The American ginseng nutritional product can effectively alleviate muscle fatigue post-Wushu Sanda exercise and can be considered a nutritional supplement in sports training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]