Low-cost and efficient all group-IV visible/shortwave infrared dual-band photodetector.

Low-cost broadband photodetectors (PDs) based on group-IV materials are highly demanded. Herein, a vertical all group-IV graphene-i-n (Gr-i-n) structure based on sputtering-grown undoped Ge0.92Sn0.08/Ge multiple quantum wells (MQWs) on n-Ge substrate was proposed to realize efficient visible/shortwave infrared (VIS/SWIR) dual-band photoresponse. Harnessing Gr-germanium tin (GeSn)/Ge MQWs van der Waals heterojunctions, an extended surface depletion region was established, facilitating separation and transportation of photogenerated carriers at VIS wavelengths. Consequently, remarkable VIS/SWIR dual-band response ranging from 400 to 2000 nm with a rapid response time of 23 µs was achieved. Compared to the PD without Gr, the external quantum efficiency at 420, 660, and 1520 nm was effectively enhanced by 10.2-, 5.2-, and 1.2-fold, reaching 40, 42, and 50%, respectively. This research paves the way for the advancement of all group-IV VIS/SWIR broadband PDs and presents what we believe to be a novel approach to the design of low-cost broadband PDs.

Occurrence of organic ultraviolet absorbers in the particle and gas samples from plastic greenhouses: Human inhalation intake risk assessment.

The environmental pollution of organic ultraviolet absorbers (UVAs) has attracted global attention. However, the distribution, sources and risk assessment of UVAs in air from plastic greenhouses are rarely reported. This study was the first to investigate the concentrations of ten UVAs in the air samples from plastic greenhouses. The total concentrations of ten UVAs (∑10UVAs) in the air samples ranged from 5.7 × 103 ng/m3 to 6.3 × 103 ng/m3 (median 5.7 × 103 ng/m3) in greenhouses covered with biodegradable mulch film, 288.2 ng/m3 to 376.4 ng/m3 (median 333.9 ng/m3) in greenhouses covered with PE mulch film, and 97.9 ng/m3 to 142.6 ng/m3 (median 114.9 ng/m3) in greenhouses covered without mulch film. The concentrations of ten UVAs in 65 commercial agricultural films were simultaneously analyzed. Additionally, the potential health risks for greenhouse workers exposed to UVAs were estimated. And the migration simulations showed that the health risk in greenhouses may be higher even if only one UVA is added to the biodegradable mulch film. Therefore, the exposure risk of UVAs in plastic greenhouses needs to be highly prioritized.

Integrated assessment of the spatial distribution, sources, degradation, and human risk of tetracyclines in honey in China.

Tetracyclines are widely used in Chinese apiculture. However, limited information is available on the presence of tetracycline residues in honey and the sources, degradation patterns, and associated health risks of these compounds. In this study, the presence of tetracyclines in honey samples across China was investigated over a four-year period. Additionally, the risks of dietary intake, as well as the sources and degradation patterns of tetracyclines in honey, were assessed. The three-dimensional spatial distributions (floral region, geographical region and entomological origin) of tetracyclines contamination varied significantly. Tetracycline residues in honey posed a moderate risk to children aged 3-10 years in Northwest China. Source analysis indicated that colony migration serves as the primary source of tetracyclines in honey. Based on the degradation patterns of tetracyclines in honey within colonies and during storage, oxytetracycline is more readily degraded than other tetracyclines. The main degradation products of tetracyclines are epimers and dehydration products, and the effects of these products on human health and the environment should be further evaluated in future studies. This comprehensive investigation provides valuable insights into the safe use and regulation of tetracyclines in Chinese apiculture.

Association of lifestyle behaviors and oral health care needs: Mediating effects of inflammatory markers.

OBJECTIVE: Mounting evidence indicates that modifiable risk factors such as lifestyle behaviors may be involved in the occurrence of oral diseases. However, existing research doesn't come to a unanimous consent. This study aims to evaluate the association between lifestyle behaviors and oral health care needs. METHODS: This study used the nationally representative dataset from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from March 2017 to 2020 pre-pandemic. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate lifestyle behavioral factors that influence oral health care needs. Mediation analysis was performed to explore the roles of inflammatory markers in the relationship between physical activities and oral problems. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, multivariate analysis indicated that flossing (OR = 0.590, 95% CI, 0.510-0.682, P < 0.001), moderate alcohol consumption (per week: OR = 0.717, 95% CI, 0.588-0.873, P < 0.001; per month/year: OR = 0.794, 95% CI, 0.669-0.942, P = 0.008) and participation in recreational activities (vigorous recreational activities: OR = 0.548, 95% CI, 0.462-0.648, P < 0.001; moderate recreational activities: OR = 0.629, 95% CI, 0.549-0.721, P < 0.001) significantly reduced oral health care needs. In addition, sleep duration of 7-9 h was associated with lower oral health care needs compared to less or more sleep duration (<7 h or > 9 h) (OR = 0.851, 95% CI, 0.741-0.976, P = 0.021). Mediation analysis suggested that white blood cell (WBC) counts and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations acted significant mediating roles in the association between recreational activities and oral problems. CONCLUSIONS: The possible beneficial effects of healthy lifestyle behaviors on oral health will guide individuals to develop good habits, thereby reducing the burden of oral diseases.

Development of a rhodamine-based fluorescent probe for ATP detection for potential applications in meat freshness assessment.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) plays a vital role in physiological processes and is an essential indicator of microbial content in food. Herein, a new sensitive, rapid and water-soluble probe for ATP detection was developed. Rhodamine B and pentaethylenehexamine were employed to design and synthesise the probe rhodamine-pentaethylenehexamine (RP) for selective ATP detection. The synthesised probe RP was characterized using Fourier transform infrared, NMR and dynamic light scattering size distributions. Upon the addition of ATP, the probe exhibited a distinct change in fluorescence intensity, with fluorescence emission at 580 nm. A linear relationship was observed between fluorescence intensity and ATP concentrations at 0-50 µmol/L, with a limit of detection of 10.97 × 10-9 mol/L. The results of the zeta potential and molecular dynamics simulation demonstrated that the detection mechanism of the probe RP is associated with the electrostatic adsorption interaction between the multi-positively charged sites of RP and the negatively charged triphosphate structure of ATP. Our study provides new insights into improving charge site identification in small molecule detection. Furthermore, the successful detection of ATP on meat surfaces indicates that RP has the potential to assess meat freshness.

Application of improved GalNAc conjugation in development of cost-effective siRNA therapies targeting cardiovascular diseases.

N-Acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-conjugated small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapies have received approval for treating both orphan and prevalent diseases. To improve in vivo efficacy and streamline the chemical synthesis process for efficient and cost-effective manufacturing, we conducted this study to identify better designs of GalNAc-siRNA conjugates for therapeutic development. Here, we present data on redesigned GalNAc-based ligands conjugated with siRNAs against angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), two target molecules with the potential to address large unmet medical needs in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. By attaching a novel pyran-derived scaffold to serial monovalent GalNAc units before solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis, we achieved increased GalNAc-siRNA production efficiency with fewer synthesis steps compared to the standard triantennary GalNAc construct L96. The improved GalNAc-siRNA conjugates demonstrated equivalent or superior in vivo efficacy compared to triantennary GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs.

Polysomnography scoring-related training and quantitative assessment for improving interscorer agreement.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To efficiently improve the scoring competency of scorers with varying levels of experience across regions in Taiwan, we developed a training program with a cloud-based polysomnography scoring platform to evaluate and improve interscorer agreement. METHODS: A total of 70 scorers from 34 sleep centers in Taiwan (job tenure: 0.5-39.0 years) completed a scoring test. All scorers scored a 742-epoch (30 s/epoch) overnight polysomnography recording of a patient with a moderate apnea-hypopnea index. Subsequently, 8 scoring experts delivered 8 interactive online lectures (each lasting 30 minutes). The training program included identifying scoring weaknesses, highlighting the latest scoring rules, and providing physicians' perspectives. Afterward, the scorers completed the second scoring test on the same participant. Changes in agreement from the first to second scoring test were identified. Sleep staging, sleep parameters, and respiratory events were considered for evaluating scoring agreement. RESULTS: The scorers' agreement in overall sleep stage scoring significantly increased from 74.6 to 82.3% (median score). The proportion of scorers with an agreement of ≥ 80% increased from 20.0% (14/70) to 58.6% (41/70) after the online training program. In addition, the scorers' agreement in overall respiratory-event scoring increased to 88.8% (median score) after training. The scorers with a job tenure of 2.0-4.9 years exhibited the highest level of improvement in overall sleep staging (their median agreement increased from 72.8 to 84.9%; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our interactive online training program efficiently targeted the scorers' scoring weaknesses identified in the first scoring test, leading to substantial improvements in scoring proficiency. CITATION: Liao Y-S, Wu M-C, Li C-X, Lin W-K, Lin C-Y, Liang S-F. Polysomnography scoring-related training and quantitative assessment for improving interscorer agreement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(2):271-278.

Global burden of inflammatory bowel disease 1990-2019: A systematic examination of the disease burden and twenty-year forecast.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic intestinal disease with various levels and trends in different countries and regions. Understanding the current burden and trends of IBD in various geographical locations is essential to establish effective strategies for prevention and treatment. We report the average annual percentage change (AAPC) and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) in age-standardized rates (ASR) of IBD in different regions based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study from 1990-2019, and the relationships between IBD and the human development index (HDI) and socio-demographic index (SDI). The prevalence trends of IBD were predicted by gender from 2019-2039. AIM: To comprehensively investigate IBD data, providing further insights into the management of this chronic disease. METHODS: We collected the information on the incidence of IBD from the GBD study from 1990-2019 to calculate the AAPC and EAPC in ASR of IBD in different regions. The relationships between IBD, HDI, and SDI were analyzed. The Nordpred and Bayesian age-period-cohort models were used to predict the prevalence trends of IBD by gender from 2019-2039, and the reliability of the results was validated. Statistics of all the data in this study were performed using R software (version 4.2.1). RESULTS: North America consistently had the highest IBD ASR, while Oceania consistently had the lowest. East Asia had the fastest average annual growth in ASR (2.54%), whereas Central Europe had the fastest decline (1.38%). Countries with a low age-standardized incidence rates in 1990 showed faster growth in IBD while there was no significant correlation in 2019. Additionally, IBD increased faster in countries with a low age-standardized death rates in 1990, whereas the opposite was true in 2019. Analysis of SDI and IBD ASR showed that countries with a high SDI generally had a higher IBD ASR. Finally, the projections showed a declining trend in the incidence of IBD from 2019-2039, but a gradual increase in the number of cases. CONCLUSION: As the global population increases and ages, early monitoring and prevention of IBD is important to reduce the disease burden, especially in countries with a high incidence of IBD.

Dissipation and Dietary Risk Assessment of Prochloraz in Strawberries under Greenhouse Conditions.

Prochloraz and its metabolites in strawberries have not been determined until now. Meanwhile, few reports in the literature have concerned the dissipation behavior and risk assessment of prochloraz and its metabolites in strawberries under greenhouse conditions in Beijing. A method for the determination of prochloraz and its metabolites in strawberries was developed using QuEChERS in combination with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Prochloraz and its metabolites recovered from strawberries were present in concentrations of 73.06% to 116.01%, their RSDs ranged from 1.12% to 9.17%, and their limits of detection ranged from 0.1 to 1 µg kg-1. Then, a study was conducted on the dissipation of prochloraz in strawberries under greenhouse conditions. The dissipation of prochloraz in strawberries followed the first-order kinetic equation, and its half-life was 8.06 days. The health risk associated with prochloraz in strawberries was evaluated using the target hazard quotient (THQ) method and EFSA PRIMo model. The results showed that the THQ values, %ARfD values, and %ADI values were less than 1. These results indicate that no health concerns of prochloraz are associated with the consumption of the studied strawberries. The government can use the results of this study to support the establishment of a maximum residue level for prochloraz in strawberries.

Enhancing prediction of supraspinatus/infraspinatus tendon complex injuries through integration of deep visual features and clinical information: a multicenter two-round assessment study.

OBJECTIVE: Develop and evaluate an ensemble clinical machine learning-deep learning (CML-DL) model integrating deep visual features and clinical data to improve the prediction of supraspinatus/infraspinatus tendon complex (SITC) injuries. METHODS: Patients with suspected SITC injuries were retrospectively recruited from two hospitals, with clinical data and shoulder x-ray radiographs collected. An ensemble CML-DL model was developed for diagnosing normal or insignificant rotator cuff abnormality (NIRCA) and significant rotator cuff tear (SRCT). All patients suspected with SRCT were confirmed by arthroscopy examination. The model's performance was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the curve (AUC) metrics, and a two-round assessment was conducted to authenticate its clinical applicability. RESULTS: A total of 974 patients were divided into three cohorts: the training cohort (n = 828), the internal validation cohort (n = 89), and the external validation cohort (n = 57). The CML-DL model, which integrates clinical and deep visual features, demonstrated superior performance compared to individual models of either type. The model's sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under curve (95% confidence interval) were 0.880, 0.812, 0.836, and 0.902 (0.858-0.947), respectively. The CML-DL model exhibited higher sensitivity and specificity compared to or on par with the physicians in all validation cohorts. Furthermore, the assistance of the ensemble CML-DL model resulted in a significant improvement in sensitivity for junior physicians in all validation cohorts, without any reduction in specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The ensembled CML-DL model provides a solution to help physicians improve the diagnosis performance of SITC injury, especially for junior physicians with limited expertise. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The ensembled clinical machine learning-deep learning (CML-DL) model integrating deep visual features and clinical data provides a superior performance in the diagnosis of supraspinatus/infraspinatus tendon complex (SITC) injuries, particularly for junior physicians with limited expertise. KEY POINTS: 1. Integrating clinical and deep visual features improves diagnosing SITC injuries. 2. Ensemble CML-DL model validated for clinical use in two-round assessment. 3. Ensemble model boosts sensitivity in SITC injury diagnosis for junior physicians.

Cancer and Atrial Fibrillation Comorbidities Among 25 Million Citizens in Shanghai, China: Medical Insurance Database Study.

BACKGROUND: With population aging, the prevalence of both cancer and atrial fibrillation (AF) have increased. However, there is scarce epidemiological data concerning the comorbid state of cancer and AF in low- and middle-income countries, including China. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the site-, sex-, and age-specific profiles of cancer and AF comorbidities in Chinese populations. METHODS: Data from the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission database between 2015 and 2020 were screened, covering all medical records of Shanghai residents with medical insurance. Site-specific cancer profiles were evaluated for the population with AF relative to the age- and sex-adjusted population of residents without AF. The sex distribution and peak age of cancer diagnosis were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 25,964,447 adult patients were screened. Among them, 22,185 patients presented cancers comorbid with AF (median 77, IQR 67-82 years of age; men: n=13,631, 61.44%), while 839,864 presented cancers without AF (median 67, IQR 57-72 years of age; men: n=419,020, 49.89%), thus yielding a higher cancer prevalence among residents with AF (8.27%) than among those without AF (6.05%; P<.001). In the population with AF, the most prevalent cancer type was lung cancer, followed by colorectal, male genital organ, stomach, breast, liver, bladder, thyroid, leukemia, and esophageal cancers. AF was associated with an average of nearly 1.4-fold (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.37, 95% CI 1.35-1.38) increased prevalence of cancer after adjusting for age and sex. For site-specific analyses, an increased prevalence of cancer in the population with AF was observed in 20 of 21 cancer sites. This increased prevalence was most prominent for nonsolid tumors, including multiple myeloma (PR 2.56, 95% CI 2.28-2.87), leukemia (PR 1.73, 95% CI 1.57-1.90), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (PR 1.59, 95% CI 1.43-1.77); intrathoracic malignancies, including mediastinum (PR 2.34, 95% CI 1.89-2.90), lung (PR 1.64, 95% CI 1.59-1.69), and esophageal cancers (PR 1.41, 95% CI 1.28-1.56); bone and soft tissue neoplasms (PR 1.56, 95% CI 1.37-1.77); and kidney cancer (PR 1.53, 95% CI 1.36-1.72). Cancer prevalence in the population with AF relative to that in the population without AF was higher in men than in women in 14 of 18 cancer sites, and female predominance was only observed for thyroid cancer. The peak age of index cancer diagnosis was lower in the population with AF (age group: 70-74 years) than in that without AF (age group: 75-79 years), especially for specific cancer types, including thyroid, central nervous system, mediastinum, esophageal, bladder, and biliary cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AF are associated with increased prevalence, heightened male predominance, and younger peak age of cancer. Further studies are needed to determine whether early screening of specific cancers is cost-effective and beneficial for patients with AF.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia burden comparison between China and United States based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

PURPOSE: To determine the difference in the burden of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) between China and the United States from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: The prevalence, incidence, Years Lived with Disability (YLD), and their age-standardized rates for BPH in China and USA from 1990 to 2019 were based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019). The annual percentage changes (APC) of the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and the age-standardized YLD rates (ASYR) were calculated using joinpoint regression analysis. The YLD numbers of six urinary tract diseases were also compared in both countries. RESULTS: The absolute burden of BPH increased continuously in both countries, but it was much higher in China than in the United States. The ASIR and ASYR of BPH decreased in China but remained stable or decreased slightly in the United States. BPH incidence and YLD rates decreased in all age groups in China from 1990 to 2019. In the USA, they varied by age group. BPH caused more YLD number than any other urinary tract disease in China. In the USA, prostate cancer (PCa) caused more YLDs than BPH. CONCLUSIONS: This research reveals marked BPH burden differences between China and the US (1990-2019). China's higher burden necessitates targeted interventions, while unique trends in both countries demand tailored strategies. These insights enhance understanding of BPH dynamics, informing effective interventions across diverse contexts.

Economic evaluations of electronic health interventions for people with age-related cognitive impairment and their caregivers: A systematic review.

OBJECTS: Dementia has physical, social and economic impacts, causing considerable distress for people with age-related cognitive impairment (PWACI) and their caregivers. Electronic health (e-health) interventions can provide convenient education to improve the coping competence of caregivers and have become an important approach to supporting them. Understanding the economic evidence of e-health interventions will facilitate the decision making and implementation of integrating e-health into routine health services. The present review aimed to appraise economic evidence related to e-health interventions for PWACI and their caregivers. METHODS: We systematically searched multiple cross-disciplinary databases from inception to February 28, 2023. Two reviewers independently selected the trials, assessed the quality, and checked the data. A descriptive-analytical narrative method was used to analyze the review findings. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were analyzed, including 12 randomized controlled trials and one quasi-experimental study. All included studies were conducted in developed countries. The included studies reported limited economic information. There were six cost-effectiveness analysis, five cost-consequence analysis and one partial economic evaluation. The included studies were heterogeneous, and varied in quality. The results demonstrated that e-health multicomponent interventions can reduce the cost of health service utilization in short term (10-104 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: Few studies calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of e-health interventions. Preliminary evidence indicates that e-health interventions can reduce the cost of health service utilization in the short term, but the cost-effectiveness of e-health interventions hasn't been identified. More robust evidence is needed to clarify the value of e-health interventions for PWACI and their caregivers.

Research on the impact of the development of green finance in the China region on residents' health.

In the context of implementing the strategy of "double carbon" and "healthy China," this paper firstly measures the level of green finance development and the comprehensive index of health care accessibility in each province by using the entropy weight method based on 30 provincial panel data from 2007 to 2021. A panel fixed effects model was also used to empirically analyze the effect of regional green finance development on the improvement of residents' health. In addition, a panel threshold model was constructed to empirically test the threshold effect of green finance on residents' health under the influence of four external environments: carbon intensity level, healthcare accessibility, residents' living standard and human capital level. The empirical results show that the regional green financial development in China significantly improves the health level of residents. And the impact has significant regional heterogeneity, as shown in the improvement effect is more significant for the provinces in the central and western regions. In addition, the impact of green financial development on the health level of residents in China is non-linearly influenced by external environmental factors. The improvement effect of green finance on residents' health level is more significant in the provinces with higher carbon intensity level, residents' living standard, human capital level and lower accessibility to medical services. In this regard, regional governments should continue to build and optimize a synergistic development ecosystem of green finance and public health, give full play to the advantages of financial leverage, promote green, low-carbon and high-quality economic and social development, and realize the beautiful vision of harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature.

Validation of a Wearable System for Lower Extremity Assessment.

OBJECTIVE: Remote assessment and diagnosis of functional impairment caused by osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee can achieve early intervention of patients' functional impairment, prevent the deterioration of OA of the knee, and provide functional remote screening for patients with knee OA. This study introduced an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor-based system to assess lower extremity function and perform gait analysis. Then, we compared its accuracy to gold-standard motion capture and gait measurement systems. METHODS: Nine adults were selected to participate in a comparative study of gait assessment outcomes using an IMU sensor-based wearable system, a gold-standard motion capture system, and a pressure-based gait analysis system. The subject walked on a path that incorporated all three systems. Data analysis was performed on spatiotemporal gait parameters, including velocity, cycle time, cadence, and stride length. This was followed by gait phases, including stance, swing, double stance, and single limb support phases. Data were processed using the data processing software of each system. An independent sample t-test was conducted for inter-group comparison to analyze the data. RESULTS: The spatiotemporal gait parameters of the systems demonstrated excellent consistency, and the gait phases showed high consistency. Compared to the gold-standard pressure-based gait analysis system (the GATERite system), the mean gait cycle time results were 1.124 s vs. 1.127 s (p = 0.404); cadence was 93.333 steps/min vs. 94.189 steps/min (p = 0.482); stance phase was 60.89% vs. 63.26% (p < 0.001); swing phase was 39.11% vs. 36.74% (p < 0.001); stride length was 1.404 m vs. 1.420 m (p = 0.743); speed was 1.093 m/s vs. 1.110 m/s (p = 0.725). Compared to the gold-standard video-based motion capture system, the root mean square error was 2.7° for the hip angle and 2.6° for the knee angle. CONCLUSIONS: This IMU-based wearable system delivered precise measuring results to evaluate patients with knee OA. This technology can also be used to guide rehabilitation exercises for patients with knee OA.

[Characteristics of VOCs and Assessment of Emission Reduction Effect During the Epidemic Lockdown Period in Shenzhen Urban Area].

To prevent disease spreading during the COVID-19 epidemic, Shenzhen adopted lockdown measures in March of 2022. This provided an opportunity to study the response of changes in anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs) in Shenzhen to emission reduction and to evaluate the effectiveness of current emission reduction measures. This study analyzed the variety of AVOCs before, during, and after the epidemic lockdown based on the online observation data of pollutants at Lianhua Station in Shenzhen from March 7, 2022 to March 27, 2022. Additionally, the sensitivity of ozone formation and the assessment of the reduction effect of precursors was conducted by an observation based model(OBM). The results showed that:affected by regional influences and the interference of meteorological conditions, the average value of AVOCs in Shenzhen urban areas did not drop significantly during the lockdown period compared to that before the lockdown. However, the peak of AVOCs at the morning peak time under the influence of "sea and land wind" during the epidemic lockdown period dropped by 46% on average compared with that during the non-lockdown period, and the aromatic hydrocarbon component dropped the most by 59%. Additionally, under the influence of continuous easterly wind, or during the accumulation and increase of AVOCs affected by regional transmission, aromatic components also decreased by an average of 25% and 21%, respectively. During the lockdown period of the epidemic in Shenzhen, the O3 formation in urban areas was still AVOCs-limited. Increasing the emission reduction ratio of AVOCs was the most effective measure to reduce O3 in the short term. In order to ensure the effectiveness of emission reduction, it was recommended that the coordinated emission reduction ratio of AVOCs and NOx should be greater than 1:2. It was only possible to enter the downward channel of O3 if the deep emission reduction was more than 60%. This study revealed that the emission reduction of AVOCs during the morning traffic peak during the epidemic lockdown period was conducive to inhibiting the formation of O3, whereas the control of NOx would promote it. Strengthening the control of local aromatic hydrocarbon components during the regional impact process could also significantly reduce O3 production. At this stage, Shenzhen should strengthen the management and control of industrial solvents, especially to reduce the aromatic hydrocarbon components in the solvent source that have a greater impact on the generation of O3. Further, Shenzhen should continue to promote the reform of the energy structure of motor vehicles to reduce the emission of VOCs in fuel combustion.

Highly Sensitive Fabric Sensors Based on Scale-like Wool Fiber for Multifunctional Health Monitoring.

Highly sensitive, multifunctional, and comfortable fabric sensors with splendid electrical properties for precise detection of human physiological health parameters have attractive prospects in next-generation wearable flexible devices. However, it remains a non-ignorable challenge to construct a multifunctional fabric sensor to meet the requirements of compact structure, high sensitivity, fast response, excellent stability, and air permeability. Here, a wool felt@MXene fabric sensor (WF@MFS) prepared by felting large quantities of wool coated with MXene is reported for measuring multiple physiological parameters in a noninvasive manner. With the high conductivity and outstanding mechanical properties of MXene and the special scale-like surface structure of the wool fiber, the sensor exhibits remarkable sensing performance such as high pressure sensitivity (80.79 kPa-1), fast response (40 ms), low detection limit (12 Pa), and strong stability (>12,500 cycles). Furthermore, to avoid direct contact between MXene and the human body, the WF@MFS is encapsulated in pure wool without MXene, thereby enabling the fabricated sensor to be tightly integrated into a variety of clothing for monitoring different physiological signals and information about human activities. More importantly, we develop an intelligent cushion with a square and panda pattern and an intelligent neckerchief in the form of arrays based on the WF@MFS, which can intuitively observe the real-time force distribution of the thigh and cervical spine by means of machine learning when a human body sits in different postures. The sensor proposed in this work demonstrates the great ability to prevent cardiovascular disease and the related diseases caused by improper sitting postures in advance, paving a promising path for future wearable smart fabric electronics.

Dynamic assessment and system dynamics simulation of safety risk in whole life cycle of coal mine.

Based on the accident causation theory, the mechanism and inducement of construction safety risk in mining enterprises are clarified. The safety risk system of mining enterprises is divided into five subsystems: personnel, material equipment, technology, environment, and management by rough set theory. The comprehensive weight of each risk factor is calculated by network analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. Taking a mine in Shanxi Province as the research object, the causal traceability diagram and stock flow diagram of the risk system of mining enterprises are constructed by means of system dynamics model. The influence of various risk factors of the mine on the overall safety risk management level of the enterprise is simulated, and the numerical value of key personnel influence factors is adjusted. The sensitivity changes of safety productivity and safety risk management level of mining enterprises in different situations are analyzed. The results show that: (1) the management and personnel subsystem has the greatest impact on the safety risk management of mining enterprises, followed by the technology, material equipment, and environment subsystem. (2) Increasing safety input can improve the safety level and reduce the expected safety value time, otherwise it will reduce the safety level and delay the expected safety value time. (3) Further simulation of the personnel subsystem, it is found that the factors affecting the safety level of mining enterprises contain six factors, namely, the technical level of construction personnel, the management level of manager, the conduct code of construction personnel, the safety consciousness of practitioners, the basic quality of construction personnel, and the physical and mental state of construction personnel. (4) The conversion rate of personnel safety input to manager's management level and the safety consciousness of practitioners presents a steep decline-slow rise-gradually steady development trend, which mainly because the benefits of safety input have certain time delay and lag.

Reorganization Energy Predictions with Graph Neural Networks Informed by Low-Cost Conformers.

A critical bottleneck for the design of high-conductivity organic materials is finding molecules with low reorganization energy. To enable high-throughput virtual screening campaigns for many types of organic electronic materials, a fast reorganization energy prediction method compared to density functional theory is needed. However, the development of low-cost machine-learning-based models for calculating the reorganization energy has proven to be challenging. In this paper, we combine a 3D graph-based neural network (GNN) recently benchmarked for drug design applications, ChIRo, with low-cost conformational features for reorganization energy predictions. By comparing the performance of ChIRo to another 3D GNN, SchNet, we find evidence that the bond-invariant property of ChIRo enables the model to learn from low-cost conformational features more efficiently. Through an ablation study with a 2D GNN, we find that using low-cost conformational features on top of 2D features informs the model for making more accurate predictions. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of reorganization energy predictions on the benchmark QM9 data set without needing DFT-optimized geometries and demonstrate the types of features needed for robust models that work on diverse chemical spaces. Furthermore, we show that ChIRo informed with low-cost conformational features achieves comparable performance with the previously reported structure-based model on π-conjugated hydrocarbon molecules. We expect this class of methods can be applied to the high-throughput screening of high-conductivity organic electronics candidates.

Distribution, Source Apportionment and Risk Assessment of Phthalate Esters in the Overlying Water of Baiyang Lake, China.

As a kind of endocrine disruptor compounds, the presence of phthalate esters (PAEs) has become a global concern. In this study, the pollution levels and spatial distribution of sixteen PAEs were investigated. Their potential sources and eco-environmental health risk were discussed in Baiyang Lake and its upstream rivers during different periods. PAEs were detected in all of samples, ranging from 1215 to 3014 ng·L-1 in October 2020 and 1384 to 3399 ng·L-1 in May 2021. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di-isobutyl phthalate (DIBP) were the predominant monomers, with a detection rate of 100% and the highest concentrations in the overlying water. Restricted by multiple factors, the spatial distribution difference between Baiyang Lake and its upstream rivers in October was more significant than in May. The source apportionment revealed that agricultural cultivation and disorderly use and disposal of plastic products were the primary factors for the contamination. The human health risk assessment indicated that eight PAE congeners did not pose significant carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic harms to males, females and children. However, the ecological risks of DBP, DIBP and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate to algae, crustaceans and fish species were moderate or high-risk levels. This study provides an appropriate dataset for the assessment of the pollution of PEs to the water ecosystem affected by anthropogenic activities.