Simulating the impact of optimized prevention and control measures on the transmission of monkeypox in the United States: A model-based study.

This study aimed to develop a modified susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model to evaluate monkeypox epidemics in the United States and explore more optimized prevention and control measures. To further assess the impact of public health measures on the transmission of monkeypox, different intervention scenarios were developed based on the classic SEIR model, considering reducing contact, enhancing vaccination, diagnosis delay, and environmental transmission risk, respectively. We evaluated the impact of different measures by simulating their spread in different scenarios. During the simulation period, 8709 people were infected with monkeypox. The simulation analysis showed that: (1) the most effective measures to control monkeypox transmission during the early stage of the epidemic were reducing contact and enhancing vaccination, with cumulative infections at 51.20% and 41.90% of baseline levels, respectively; (2) shortening diagnosis time would delay the peak time of the epidemic by 96 days; and (3) the risk of environmental transmission of monkeypox virus was relatively low. This study indirectly proved the effectiveness of the prevention and control measures, such as reducing contact, enhancing vaccination, shortening diagnosis time, and low risk of environmental transmission, which also provided an important reference and containment experience for nonepidemic countries.

MiR-339-5p inhibits replication of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by targeting viral gene regions.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a variable virus, whose spread cannot be totally stopped by vaccination. PRRSV infection results in abortion and respiratory symptoms in pregnant pigs. One crucial component of the anti-viral infection strategy is microRNA (miRNA), a class of multifunctional small molecules. It is unknown whether miR-339-5p can specifically target the PRRSV gene and prevent the virus from replicating, despite the fact that miR-339-5p is markedly up-regulated during the PRRSV infection. In this pursuit, the present study revealed that the two PRRSV areas targeted by miR-339-5p were PRRSV nsp2-3378 to 3403 and PRRSV nsp2-3112 to 3133 using the miRanda program. Dual luciferase reporter assays showed that the miR-339-5p target region of the PRRSV gene sequence exhibited 100% homology and was highly conserved. Furthermore, the ability of miR-339-5p to target PRRSV gene areas was verified. It was found that the overexpression of miR-339-5p markedly reduced the PRRSV replication through PRRSV infection trials. The precursor sequence of ssc-miR-339-5p was amplified using the DNA of pig lung tissue as a template in order to create a fragment of 402 bp of porcine-derived miR-339-5p precursor sequence, which was then used to produce the eukaryotic expression plasmid of miR-339-5p. In conclusion, miR-339-5p can target the specific PRRSV gene areas and prevent PRRSV replication, offering fresh perspectives for the creation of medications that combat the PRRSV infection.

Interaction between home and community-based services and PM2.5 on cognition: A prospective cohort study of Chinese elderly.

PM2.5 and home and community-based services (HCBSs) had been shown to affect cognition, but the evidence on their joint effects was limited. Aimed to study the joint effects of HCBSs and PM2.5 on cognition, we utilized the follow-up data of participants in the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey (CLHLS) who were 65 years of age or older and had normal cognitive function at baseline for the 2008-2018, 2011-2018, and 2014-2018 waves. 16,954, 9,765, and 7192 participants from each of these three waves were initially recruited, respectively. The PM2.5 concentration data of each province in China from 2008 to 2018 was obtained from the Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group. Participants were asked what kind of HCBSs were available in their community. The cognitive status of the participants was evaluated by the Chinese version of Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE). We applied the Cox proportional hazard regression model to investigate the joint effects of HCBSs and PM2.5 on cognition and further stratified the analysis according to HCBSs. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated based on Cox models. During a median follow-up period of 5.2 years, 911 (8.8%) participants with normal baseline cognitive function developed cognitive impairment. Compared to participants without HCBSs and exposed to the highest level of PM2.5, those with HCBSs and exposed to the lowest level of PM2.5 had a significantly reduced risk of developing cognitive impairment (HR = 0.428, 95% CI: 0.303-0.605). The results from the stratified analysis revealed that the detrimental effect of PM2.5 on cognition was more pronounced in participants without HCBSs (HR = 3.44, 95% CI: 2.18-5.41) compared with those with HCBSs (HR = 1.42, 95% CI: 0.77-2.61). HCBSs may attenuate the harmful impact of PM2.5 on cognitive status in the elderly Chinese and the government should further promote the application of HCBSs.

Traffic-related air pollution, adherence to healthy lifestyles, and risk of cognitive impairment: A nationwide population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is a risk factor for cognitive function, whereas healthy lifestyles are associated with better cognition. We aimed to examine their joint effects on cognition among the Chinese elderly. METHODS: The data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey was used. Participants' cognitive performance was assessed by the Chinese version of the mini-mental state examination. Residential proximity to major roadways was obtained through self-report and categorized into five categories: > 300 m, 201-300 m, 101-200 m, 50-100 m, and < 50 m, serving as a surrogate for TRAP. Six lifestyle behaviors (smoking, drinking, exercise, body mass index, sleep duration, and dietary diversity) were taken into account to calculate healthy lifestyle scores. The scores ranged from zero to six and were then divided into three groups: healthy (5-6), intermediate (2-4), and unhealthy (0-1). Logistic regression models were applied to investigate the joint effects of TRAP and healthy lifestyle scores on cognition. RESULTS: Compared to participants living < 50 m from major roadways and adopting an unhealthy lifestyle, those living > 300 m from major roadways and adopting a healthy lifestyle had a significantly decreased risk of cognitive impairment. Stratified analysis indicated that the associations between TRAP and cognitive impairment were more pronounced among participants adopting an unhealthy lifestyle compared to the participants adopting a healthy lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS: TRAP may impair cognitive function, and its detrimental impacts may be lessened by healthy lifestyles.

Destruction kinetic of PCDDs/Fs in MSWI fly ash using microwave peroxide oxidation.

Microwave peroxide oxidation is a less greenhouse gas emission and energy-efficient technology to destroy toxic organic compounds in hazardous waste. The research novelty is to adopt the innovative microwave peroxide oxidation in H2SO4/HNO3 solution to efficiently destroy the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs)/Fs in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash. The major objective of this paper is to study dynamic destruction of PCDDs/Fs using the microwave peroxide oxidation. Almost all PCDDs/Fs in the raw fly ash can be destructed in 120 min at a temperature of 423 K using the microwave peroxide oxidation treatment. It was found that the microwave peroxide oxidation provides the potential to destruct the PCDDs/Fs content in municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash to a low level as a function of treatment time. A useful kinetic correlation between destruction efficiency and treatment conditions is proposed on the basis of the experimental data obtained in this study. The significance of this work in terms of practical engineering applications is that the necessary minimum treatment time can be solved using a proposed graphic illustration method, by which the minimum treatment time is obtained if the desired destruction efficiency and treatment temperature are known. Because of inorganic salt dissolution, the temperature would be a critical factor facilitating the parts of fly ash dissolution. Material loss problem caused by the microwave peroxide oxidation and the effects of treatment time and temperature are also discussed in this paper.

Research progress of residual stress measurement methods.

Residual stress refers to self-equilibrating stress present within materials, with the potential to significantly affect manufacturing processes and performance. Therefore, accurately and quantitatively measuring residual stress is always of great importance. This study provides a comprehensive review of various characterization techniques for residual stress, including their principles, development history, applications, and limitations. Initially, several destructive techniques such as the hole-drilling method, ring-core method, deep hole drilling method, slitting method, and contour method are summarized. Subsequently, three nondestructive techniques based on X-ray/electron diffraction, magnetic signals, and ultrasonic signals are evaluated. In the final part of this overview, special attention is given to a newly-developed technique for measuring residual stress, which combines incremental focused ion beam (FIB) milling and digital image correlation (DIC). Our review aims to guide further investigations on residual stress and identify the future development of techniques for measuring residual stress.

Microstructures and Enhanced Mechanical Properties of (Zr, Ti)(C, N)-Based Nanocomposites Fabricated by Reactive Hot-Pressing at Low Temperature.

Dense and enhanced mechanical properties (Zr, Ti)(C, N)-based composites were fabricated using ZrC, TiC0.5N0.5, and Si powders as the raw powders by reactive hot-pressing at 1500-1700 °C. At the low sintering temperature, both (Zr, Ti)(C, N) and (Ti, Zr)(C, N) solid solutions were formed in the composites by adjusting the ratio of ZrC to TiC0.5N0.5. During the sintering process, the Si added at a rate of 5 mol% reacted with ZrC and TiC0.5N0.5 to generate SiC. With the increase in Si addition, it was found that the residual ß-ZrSi was formed, which greatly reduced the flexural strength of composites but improved their toughness. The reaction and solid-solution-driven inter-diffusion processes enhanced mass transfer and promote densification. The solid solution strengthening and grain refinement improved the mechanical properties. The ZrC-47.5 mol% TiC0.5N0.5-5 mol% Si (raw powder) composite possessed excellent comprehensive performance. Its flexural strength, Vickers hardness, and fracture toughness were 508 ± 33 MPa, 24.5 ± 0.7 GPa, and 3.8 ± 0.1 MPa·m1/2, respectively. These reached or exceeded the performance of most (Zr, Ti)(C, N) ceramics reported in previous studies. The lattice distortion, abundant grain boundaries, and fine-grained microstructure may make it possible for the material to be resistant to radiation.

Interaction between the animal-based dietary pattern and green space on cognitive function among Chinese older adults: A prospective cohort study.

Green space is associated with better cognition, while the animal-based dietary pattern can be a risk factor. We aimed to verify the associations and explore their interaction among the elderly. The China Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) cohort including 17,827 participants was used. The average green space coverage rate was used to measure green space exposure. The animal-based diet index (ADI) was scored based on the non-quantitative frequency questionnaire of ten types of food intake (three types of animal foods and seven types of plant foods). We used the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive function. The Cox proportional hazard regression was applied to explore the correlations and interactions. In the models, we gradually adjusted for the potential risk factors. Compared with participants living in the area with the lowest green space, those living with the highest were associated with a 20% decrease in the risk of cognitive impairment (hazard ratio (HR): 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.89). As for ADI, the highest group was related to a 64% increase in the risk of cognitive impairment (HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.38, 1.95). The protective effect of the highest green space group on cognitive impairment was more evident among participants with low ADI (HR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.83), compared to those with high ADI. Green space was positively associated with cognition, while the animal-based dietary pattern was a cognitive disadvantage. The animal-based dietary pattern may mitigate the beneficial effects of green space on cognition.

Associations of family income and healthy lifestyle with all-cause mortality.

Background: There is a lack of evidence on whether combined lifestyle factors mediate the association between family income and all-cause mortality, as well as the joint relations between family income and lifestyle factors with mortality. Methods: Using data on family income and lifestyle factors of participants in the US National Health Interview Survey 2016-2018, we performed multivariable logistic regression models to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of all-cause mortality with said data. Results: We included 73 729 participants with a mean age of 47.1 years (standard deviation (SD) = 18.0), 51% of whom were women and 65% of whom were non-Hispanic Whites. There were 2284 deaths documented. After multivariable adjustment, middle-income participants had an OR of 0.73 (95% CI = 0.61-0.88) for mortality, while high-income participants had an OR of 0.47 (95% CI = 0.37-0.60) compared with low-income participants. We found that lower all-cause mortality was related to higher lifestyle scores. Adults from high-income families with lifestyle scores of 3 and 4 had an OR for mortality of 0.44 (95% CI = 0.30-0.65) compared to those from low-income families and lifestyle scores of 0 or 1. When comparing those in highest vs lowest income groups in the mediation analysis, 9.8% (95% CI = 7.4-13.0) of the relation for all-cause mortality was mediated by lifestyles. Adults from high-income families with lifestyle scores of 3 or 4 had an OR of 0.23 (95% CI = 0.17-0.33) for mortality compared with those from low-income families and lifestyle scores of 0 or 1. Conclusions: A lower risk of all-cause mortality was linked to higher family income and healthier lifestyles. Furthermore, lifestyle factors mediated a small proportion of the association between family income and mortality among US adults. Economic disparity in health may not be eliminated by changing only one's lifestyle. Therefore, besides promoting a healthy lifestyle, we should stress how family income inequality affects health outcomes.

Research on Sustainable Development of Transport Infrastructure Based on Corporate Culture and Low-Carbon Perspective.

Excellence in corporate culture is the key to achieving sustainable business development. Sustainability can be a source of success, innovation and profitability for a company, driving the achievement of low-carbon goals for transport infrastructure enterprises. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between corporate culture and corporate sustainability from the perspective of transport infrastructure enterprises, and to identify which corporate culture factors may have an impact on the sustainable low carbon development of transport infrastructure enterprises. To achieve this, we constructed a structural equation model based on 351 cases in Hunan Province and examined the relationship between corporate culture and sustainable low-carbon development using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that corporate values and corporate culture management capabilities play an important role in promoting sustainable development of transport infrastructure enterprises at the economic and low-carbon levels.