Architecture for low-cost and highly flexible metro-access networks using SOA-based OADM nodes and digital subcarrier multiplexing with power loading.

Metro-access networks exploiting wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) to cope with the ever-growing bandwidth demands are sensitive to cost and need to be fast-configurable to meet the requirements of many new network services. Optical add-drop multiplexers (OADMs) are a key component in enabling fast dynamic wavelength allocation and optimization. In this Letter, we propose and demonstrate, to our knowledge, a novel architecture for high-performance metro-access networks that utilizes semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)-based OADM nodes, digital subcarrier multiplexing (DSCM), low-cost direct detection receivers, and power loading techniques, which makes the designed metro-access network cost-effective, fast reconfigurable, and flexible for bandwidth allocation on demand. Through a proof-of-concept experiment, we have successfully demonstrated a prototype horseshoe optical network consisting of up to four SOA-based OADM nodes at 40 Gb/s per wavelength channel by leveraging the proposed scheme. The flexible bandwidth allocation and dynamic add and drop operations have also been achieved in an emulated WDM optical network. All results indicate the great scalability and flexibility of the proposed architecture.

Safety level assessment of shield tunneling in water rich sandy pebble strata with large particle size.

Shield tunneling method is widely used in urban metro construction. The construction stability is closely related to the engineering geological conditions. Sandy pebble strata have a loose structure and low cohesion, resulting in great engineering-induced stratigraphic disturbance. Meanwhile, the high water-abundance and strong permeability are extremely detrimental to construction safety. It is of great significance to evaluate the dangerousness of shield tunneling in water-rich pebble strata with large particle size. In this paper, risk assessment of engineering practice is carried through with Chengdu metro project in China as a case study. Referring to the special engineering situations and assessment workload, seven evaluation indices, including compressive strength of pebble layer, boulder volume content, permeability coefficient, groundwater depth, grouting pressure, tunneling speed and tunnel buried depth are selected to establish an evaluation system. A complete risk assessment framework is established based on the cloud model, AHP and entropy weight method. Further, the measured surface settlement is taken as the risk degree characterization to verify the results. This study can provide reference for method selection and evaluation system establishment in the risk assessment of shield tunnel construction in water-rich sandy pebble strata, and contribute to proposing safety management in similar engineering projects.

High-spatial-resolution VOCs emission from the petrochemical industries and its differential regional effect on soil in typical economic zones of China.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are toxic to the ecological environment. The emission of VOCs into the atmosphere has already caused attention. However, few studies focus on their regional effects on soil. As a major VOCs source in China, research on the effect of petrochemical industry on the environment is urgent and essential for regional control and industrial layout. This study established national VOCs emission inventory of five petrochemical sub-industries and spatial distribution based on consumption of raw material or products' yield and 28,888 factories. The VOCs emissions showed continuously increasing trend from 2008 to 2019, with cumulative 1.83 × 107 t, wherein these from rapid economic development zones accounted for 66.10%. The detected concentrations of VOCs in various industries combined with meteorological parameters were used in Resistance Model to quantify regional dry deposition. Higher concentrations of 111 VOC species were 238.27, 260.01, 207.54 µg·m-3 from large-scale enterprises for crude oil and natural gas extraction, oil processing, synthetic rubber and resin, leading to higher deposition ratios of 0.81%-0.94%, 0.70%-0.81%, 1.50%-1.75% in rapid economic development zones, respectively. The regional climate condition played a dominant role. Annual VOCs dry deposition amount in rapid economic development zones was calculated to be totally 6.38 × 103 t using obtained deposition ratios and emissions, with 3.21 × 103 t in Bohai Economic Rim (BER), 2.42 × 103 t in Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), 748.43 t in Pearl River Delta (PRD). Generally, crude oil and natural gas extraction, oil processing, synthetic rubber and resin contributed 13.09%, 57.77% and 29.14%, respectively. The proportion of synthetic rubber and resin for dry deposition increased by 5.04%-18.81% compared with VOCs emissions in BER and YREB. In contrast, it declined from 45.52% for emission to 29.86% for deposition due to absolute dominance of small-scale enterprises in PRD. Overall, VOCs control from oil processing was significant, especially in BER.

The prediction of occupational health risks of benzene in the printing industry through multiple occupational health risk assessment models.

Background: Benzene poisoning is a common occupational poisoning event in the printing industries. Up to now there is still a lack of research data on risk assessment of benzene operations in enclosed workshops. It is crucial to assess the risk level of these positions and put forward effective measures and suggestions. Methods: The information of selected companies and air samples were collected through on-site investigation, data collation and sample testing were carried out according to the requirements of Chinese standards. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Essential, the EPA non-carcinogenic risk assessment model, the Singapore exposure index method and the Chinese semi-quantitative risk assessment models were used to assess the risks of benzene. Results: The exposed groups all worked more than 8 h per day, and the cleaning, pasting, and packaging groups used general ventilation rather than local ventilation. 28.6% of the printing group and 16.7% of the pasting group had benzene concentrations that exceeded the permissible concentration-time weighted average (PC-TWA) in China. Over 60.0% of the work groups were evaluated at high risk and over 20% of the work groups were evaluated at high cancer risk by the risk assessment models. Conclusion: The Chinese exposure index method and the synthesis index method may have a stronger practicability. The printing and pasting groups may have a higher risk for benzene exposure. It is necessary to increase protective measures and strengthen occupational hygiene management to reduce risks.

Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Dienogest Compared With Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist After Conservative Surgery for Endometriosis in China.

PURPOSE: Although the clinical effect of dienogest for endometriosis after conservative surgery has been proven, the cost-effectiveness of this new pharmacotherapy remains to be determined. We aimed to assess the health economic implications of dienogest versus a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a; goserelin in the Chinese setting. METHODS: A decision tree model was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of dienogest compared with a GnRH-a (goserelin) after conservative surgery for endometriosis during a 2-year time horizon from the perspective of a health care system in China. The cost of drugs, use of outpatient care facilities, administration of medications, routine laboratory work and imaging studies, and treatment of drug-related adverse events were considered. We obtained clinical efficacy data from the peer-reviewed literature. Base case findings were further tested with 1-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. FINDINGS: The model projects that treatment with dienogest would result in a modest incremental 0.02 quality-adjusted life-year gains compared with a GnRH-a (goserelin) (1.48 vs 1.46) at a cost saving of ¥7274 (¥22,809 vs ¥30,164). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis found that dienogest has a 100% probability of % being considered cost-effective compared with a GnRH-a (goserelin) at the willingness-to-pay threshold of 3 times the gross domestic product per capita (¥64,644 × 3) of China in 2018 (¥1 = US$0.1454 and €0.1248). IMPLICATIONS: Dienogest is more effective and cost-saving compared with a GnRH-a (goserelin) in the treatment of patients with endometriosis after conservative surgery in China.

The Assessment of Sleep Quality in Patients Following Valve Repair and Valve Replacement for Infective Endocarditis: A Retrospective Study at a Single Center.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to measure sleep quality among patients who underwent infective endocarditis (IE) surgery and identify the risk factors involved in sleep disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this study, we used actigraphy, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Epworth Sleep Scale (ESS) to determine the clinical characteristics of sleep disorders in 116 patients with IE who were in rehabilitation after surgery. RESULTS Our results showed that 46 (39.7%) patients had sleep efficiency over 85%, while 70 (60.3%) patients had sleep efficiency below 85%. The correlation analysis showed that sleep efficiency was related to the duration of the disease, with a longer duration leading to lower sleep efficiency (P=0.031). The sleep efficiency of patients with IE following surgery was also affected by alcohol consumption; however, surprisingly, patients with "heavy" alcohol consumption had higher sleep efficiency (P=0.030). We found a significant correlation between sleep efficiency and postoperative interleukin-6 (IL) levels, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P<0.05). No significant correlation was found between brain natriuretic peptide levels and sleep efficiency, PSQI score, or ESS score. Postoperative hemoglobin (Hb) level was associated with sleep efficiency (R=0.194, P=0.036), but there was no statistically significant correlation between the PSQI and ESS scores. Postoperative alanine transaminase (ALT) showed a significant negative correlation with sleep efficiency (R=-0.27, P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS We found a high prevalence of sleep disorders in patients with IE along with an increase in inflammatory factors, including postoperative IL-6, CRP, ALT, and Hb levels.

Source apportionment and risk assessment for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils at a typical coking plant.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely present in the environment. The coking industry is an important industrial source of PAHs. Coke production in China accounts for 67.44% of total global coke production. Tangshan, a coastal city on the Bohai Rim, contains the largest cluster of coking plants in China. Extremely high PAH emissions in Tangshan may cause long-distance cross-border pollution problems. In this study, the concentrations and sources of 16 priority PAHs in soil at a coking plant in Tangshan were determined and the risks posed by the PAHs were assessed. The PAH concentrations were generally higher in surface soil than subsurface soil, particularly near the coke oven, crude benzol, and coal blending areas. The dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA) concentrations were higher than the risk screening value (1500 ngg-1) but lower than the control value (15,000 ngg-1) for type II land defined in Chinese standard (GB36600-2018). The main sources of PAHs were coal combustion, the coke oven, and traffic. The PAH concentrations were higher in the ammonium sulfate, boiler room, coal blending, and coke oven areas than in the other areas. Toxic equivalent concentrations were calculated to assess the toxic and carcinogenic risks posed by PAHs. The toxic equivalent concentrations were relatively high in the boiler, crude benzol, and coal blending areas, where the toxic equivalent concentrations for the sums of seven highly carcinogenic PAHs contributed 95% of the toxic equivalent concentrations for the sums of the 16 PAHs that were analyzed. The carcinogenic risks posed to humans were therefore assessed using the concentrations of the seven highly carcinogenic PAHs. Dermal contact was found to be an important exposure pathway leading to carcinogenic risks. The carcinogenic risk posed by DBA was > 1 × 10-6 but < 5 × 10-6, indicating that DBA concentrations at the study site monitored closely.

[Industrial Emission Characteristics and Control Countermeasures of VOCs in Chinese Rapid Economic Development Areas].

With the rapid development of China's economy, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as the precursor of smog and ozone are of increasing concern, especially in rapidly developing areas. This paper is a systematic analysis of VOCs emissions and distribution trends in 12 typical industrial sectors, garbage and wastewater treatment plants, comprehensive industrial parks, and residential districts in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta Regions. The results show that pharmacy, rubber producing, as well as paint spraying are the top three industries among the 12 typical industries with the highest average VOCs emission concentrations at 541, 499, and 450 mg·m-3, respectively. By comparison, the average emission concentration of VOCs from the pharmaceutical industry in Yangtze River Delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region was, respectively, about 112 and 1.00×103 mg·m-3. The paint spraying industry in the Pearl River Delta region has the highest emission rate with an average concentration of 1.04×103 mg·m-3. The investigation pertaining to the distribution of different VOCs categories indicates that highly toxic aromatics and halogenated hydrocarbons account for the highest emissions in paint spraying and pharmaceutical industries, reaching ratios of 55.99% and 26.57%, respectively. Additionally, among the three major economic zones, the VOCs concentration is the lowest in residential areas and comprehensive industrial parks in the Yangtze River Delta but the highest in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, which is consistent with the distribution of industrial emissions in each region. Moreover, the research reveals that VOCs concentration in residential districts experienced a fluctuating reduction from 2002 to 2018. The significant reduction since 2016 suggests that formulated policies, laws and standards, along with the performed techniques have made significant contributions to the control of VOCs.

[VOCs Emission Inventory and Variation Characteristics of Artificial Sources in Hubei Province in the Yangtze River Economic Belt].

In this study, a 2018 anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission inventory in Hubei Province was conducted using the emission factor method based on activity levels of five sources. The emission characteristics and variation trends of process sources from 2009 to 2018 were further analyzed. Total anthropogenic VOCs emissions were 6.52×105 tons in Hubei Province, accounting for about 6.41% of the country's total omissions. The contributions of fossil combustion sources, process sources, solvent sources, mobile sources, and waste disposal sources were 3.26%, 76.39%, 4.54%, 14.72%, and 1.09%, respectively. Process sources involving 45 sub-categories of nine industries accounted for a significant proportion of VOCs emissions, with Wuhan and Yichang recording the highest VOCs emission levels. The VOCs emissions intensity of each city and state were analyzed based the level of economic activity and territorial area. Tianmen and Shennongjia had higher VOCs emissions per unit of GDP, while Wuhan, Ezhou, and Tianmen had higher VOCs emissions per unit area. Regarding process source contributions, VOCs emissions increased progressively to 2.45×105 tons in 2009 and then stabilized between 2015 and 2017 with maximum emissions of 7.01×105 tons. In 2018, VOCs emissions decreased to 4.98×105 tons. This trend was similar to national anthropogenic emissions. Two industrial sectors, namely chemical raw materials and rubber and plastics, were the main driving force with contributions of 33.85%-51.55% and 7.07%-38.13%, respectively. Among them, the production of chemicals and active pesticide and pharmaceutical ingredients played an important role in contributing to VOCs emissions, while emissions during foam plastics production varied greatly, increasing sharply to more than 2.00×104 tons in 2015-2017. Under the guidance of the relevant national and local policies, emissions from key industries were significantly reduced in Hubei Province.

[Sources and Distribution Characteristics of HCBD in Rapid Economic Development Areas].

In order to understand the sources and distribution characteristics of hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), and Pearl River Delta (PRD), the emission sources, as well as their distribution in water and soil were analyzed based on the production levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons and wastewater discharge in the three regions. The results showed that the by-products of trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and wastewater treatment plants were the main sources of HCBD in the three regions. In 2018, the total emissions of HCBD from by-products of TCE and PCE in the three regions were 498.46 t, among which the proportion of by-products of TCE was 66.9%. The HCBD emissions of the three regional industrial and domestic wastewater treatment plants were 628.9 kg and 254.6 kg, respectively. The emissions of HCBD from hydrocarbon chlorination production and wastewater treatment plants in YRD were significantly higher at 497.8 t and 648 kg, respectively, while the emissions from the two sources in BTH were 0.37 t and 125 kg, respectively, and in PRD they were 0.29 t and 110.3 kg, respectively. The average concentrations of HCBD in the natural water of YRD, BTH and PRD were 0.35, 0.25, and 0.64 µg·L-1, respectively, and in the drinking water concentrations were 0.16, 0.09, and 0.04 µg·L-1, respectively. The overall level of HCBD in urban drinking water was relatively low. The concentrations of HCBD in industrial soil were significantly higher than in farmland soil, at 9.3-24.6 ng·g-1 and 0.13-2.67 ng·g-1, respectively. Similar to the situation in water bodies, HCBD pollution in the soil of YRD was the most serious, which was related to the fact that HCBD emissions in YRD were significantly higher than in BTH and PRD.

Preliminary Assessment of Intense Pulsed Light Treatment on the Upper Eyelids for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

Objective: To conduct a preliminary assessment of the intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment on the upper eyelid. Background: IPL therapy is an effective therapy for meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). The normal treatment region includes the skin below the lower eyelids and both temporal parts, but not the upper eyelid. Methods: Thirty patients with mid-to-severe dry eye disease caused by MGD were selected and randomly divided into two groups. Fifteen controls in group A received normal IPL treatment. Fifteen patients in Group B underwent additional IPL treatment on the upper eyelid. The change in noninvasive tear breakup time (BUT), Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, patient satisfaction, and adverse events were measured and recorded at each visit, before each treatment. Results: The dry eye symptoms of the patients in both groups improved. The patients in group B had better recovery than those in group A: BUT (right eye: 11.6 ± 3.67 sec vs. 7.73 ± 1.99 sec; left eye: 12.73 ± 4.19 sec vs. 7.73 ± 1.40 sec), OSDI (8.87 ± 4.31 vs. 14.93 ± 3.47); patient satisfaction in group B remained good, but decreased in group A with prolonged treatment duration. No serious skin and eye complications were found in any patient. Conclusions: This study showed the patients who received IPL treatment on the upper eyelid experienced improved symptoms of MGD. A further long-term study should be conducted to increase our understanding of the effect of expanded IPL treatment.

Large-scale monitoring and ecological risk assessment of persistent toxic substances in riverine, estuarine, and coastal sediments of the Yellow and Bohai seas.

The Yellow and Bohai seas comprise one of the most rapidly developing regions in the world, but efforts to assess coastal pollution by persistent toxic substances (PTSs) on wide spatial scale are lacking. The present study aimed to (1) measure the concentrations of PTSs, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylphenols (APs), and styrene oligomers (SOs) via large-scale sediment monitoring (total of 125 locations), (2) assess potential ecological risk of PTSs in sediments to coastal ecosystems, (3) estimate various sources and fresh inputs of PTSs, (4) determine distribution patterns of PTSs by human activities and land-use type, and (5) address decadal (2008-2018) changes in distributions of PTSs. The high concentrations of PAHs [> 7000 ng g-1 dry weight (dw)] in sediments were detected in Nantong in the Yellow Sea of China (YSC) and Huludao and Qinhuangdao in the Bohai Sea (BS), whereas lesser concentrations (< 200 ng g-1 dw) were detected in the Yellow Sea of Korea (YSK). We found relatively high concentrations of sedimentary APs and SOs in Nantong, Huludao, and Qinhuangdao from the YSC and BS regions, but corresponding concentrations were generally below < 100 ng g-1 dw in other locations. Concentrations of PAHs at 38 locations (30% of YSC and BS) posed a potential risk to aquatic ecosystems, whereas relatively low risk concentrations occurred in all locations of YSK. The main source of PAHs (concentrated in YSC and BS) were by-products of diesel and gasoline combustion (42% of total concentration), whereas biomass combustion (24%) dominated in YSK. Fresh inputs of PTSs indicated that the generation and use of PTSs continue across all regions and locations. Among PTSs, concentrations of PAHs were significantly associated with location (p < 0.05) relative to land-use within a given region, whereas concentrations of APs and SOs showed no significant relationships (p > 0.05) among or within regions. Over time, concentrations of PAHs have generally declined, but sediment contamination has increased at some locations in China, with sources shifting from a mixture of PAHs types to those linked to diesel and gasoline combustion. Additional studies are needed on the fate and potential ecological risk posed by certain PTSs in hotspots. This is one of the first efforts providing backgrounds on PTS pollution in the large marine ecosystem of the Yellow and Bohai seas.

Nutritional assessment and prognosis of oral cancer patients: a large-scale prospective study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate and compare the prognostic performance of four nutritional indicators body mass index (BMI), serum albumin (ALB), prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and nutritional risk index (NRI) in oral cancer patients, and to predict the response to chemotherapy in patients with different nutritional status. METHODS: This prospective study which involved 1395 oral cancer patients was conducted in Fujian, China from September 2007 to November 2018. The BMI, PNI and NRI were calculated according to the following formulas: BMI = weight / height2 (kg/m2), PNI = albumin (g/l) + 0.005 × lymphocyte (count/µl) and NRI = (1.519 × albumin, g/l) + (41.7× present/ideal body weight), respectively. The univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the prognostic value of BMI, ALB, PNI and NRI in overall survival (OS) in oral cancer. RESULTS: Patients with BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 (VS 18.5 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 24 kg/m2) had a poor survival outcome (HR = 1.585; 95% CI: 1.207-2.082 ). ALB, PNI, NRI were inversely correlated with OS of oral cancer (HR = 0.716; 95% CI: 0.575-0.891; HR = 0.793; 95% CI: 0.633-0.992; HR = 0.588; 95% CI: 0.469-0.738, respectively). In addition, the prognostic predictive performance of NRI was superior to BMI or ALB or PNI. Interestingly, compared with patients with better nutritional status, chemotherapy was significantly associated with poorer OS in malnourished oral cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: BMI, ALB, PNI and NRI are of prognostic value in patients with oral cancer and the prognostic performance of NRI was superior to BMI or ALB or PNI. Malnutrition (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 or ALB< 40 g/l or PNI < 49.3 or NRI < 97.5) could predict an unfavorable response to chemotherapy in oral cancer patients.

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments and water from the coastal areas of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea.

The Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) is an important socioeconomic zone in Asia, but has been deteriorated by various environmental pollutants over the last half century. However, comprehensive coastal pollution assessments, particularly for heavy metals (HMs), have been limited from an international perspective. Here, we first evaluate coastal HM pollution in sediment and water from 119 riverine, estuarine, and marine locations along the BS and Yellow Sea to perform a comparative assessment between the two countries of China and South Korea. The occurrence, distribution, sources, multimedia fate, interactions, associated environmental factors, and potential ecological risks relating to the HM pollution are widely addressed. Eight typical HMs (As, Hg, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni) were targeted in both sediments and water, and in situ water properties (pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature) and sediment properties (pH and organic matter (OM) content) were analyzed. The results indicated that As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb concentrations in water were higher in the estuarine area than those in riverine and marine areas and that particularly severe HM pollution was evidenced in the BS. The dominant elements in pollution hot spots varied greatly among the countries and regions. According to the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI) values, the sediments exhibited high Hg and Pb pollution in the BS; high As, Hg, and Pb pollution in the Yellow Sea of China; and high Cd and Hg pollution in the Yellow Sea of South Korea. In general, the sediments were moderately contaminated by HMs based on the high PLI (>1.0) and risk index (RI) values (>160). Ni and Cr in the sediment mainly originated from geogenic sources, while the other elements (Zn, As, Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb) were primarily linked to anthropogenic sources. Based on the partial redundancy analysis, we found that environmental factors, especially OM, contributed significantly to the concentrations of HMs in both the sediments and water. The sediment HMs significantly contributed to the waterborne HMs due to their release from the sediments to the water column. An overall assessment of the contamination status, spatial distribution, and potential sources of HMs suggested that the water-sediment interaction of HMs and the influence by environmental factors should be subsequently considered for a better understanding of the multimedia fate of HMs in the given dynamic YSLME system or similar environments elsewhere.

[Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soils from a Typical Urbanized Area].

With the rapid urbanization in China, soil environments are facing high risks. Taking a typical urbanized area as a case study, a total of 106 surface soil samples (0-20 cm) and 96 subsurface soil samples (20-40 cm) were collected to determine the concentrations of heavy metals, and then, the Nemerow index and Hankson index methods were used to evaluate their degrees of ecological risk. The spatial distributions of ecological risks were also explored. Experimental results showed that the concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, and Hg in surface soil samples were 2.87-84.64, 1.40-56.00, 2.75-125.05, 15.05-201.39, 1.46-89.92, 0.001-0.92, 15.29-160.07, and 0.006-0.52 mg·kg-1, respectively, and those in subsurface soil samples were 3.56-75.14, 1.65-71.58, 3.28-290.04, 17.99-296.94, 3.07-65.67, 0.02-1.00, 11.10-97.59, and 0.01-0.41 mg·kg-1, respectively. According to the risk control standards for soil contamination of agricultural land, approximately 71.70%, 40.57%, 4.72%, 3.77%, and 0.94% of Cd, Cu, Pb, As, and Zn, respectively, in the surface soil samples exceeded the standards, while 72.92%, 39.58%, 6.25%, 3.13%, 3.13%, and 1.04% of Cd, Cu, As, Zn, Pb, and Ni, respectively, in the subsurface soil samples exceeded the standards. Obviously, the pollution by Cd and Cu was the most severe in the research area, and the main contaminated areas were distributed in the northern part of the land. The soil environmental quality pollution assessment illustrated that high risk areas were distributed in the northern part of the research area too. The risk assessment results indicated that the main pollution factor was Cd, which is accordance with the serious pollution findings for Cd. In response to these results, effective management and remediation methods should be taken to control the soil environment pollution in this typical urbanized area.

The assessment of decision-making competence in patients with depression using the MacArthur competence assessment tools: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: This is a systematic review of the usefulness of the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tools (MacCAT) in assessing the decision-making competence in patients with depression. DESIGN AND METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed. FINDINGS: Eleven studies met the search criteria. The decision-making capacity was impaired in 9-31% of the patients with depression. There was inconsistency regarding the differences of MacCAT scores between patients with depression and controls, while relatively large effect sizes were found on the Appreciation and Reasoning MacCAT subscales. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The MacCAT appears to be a useful tool for measuring decision-making capacity in patients with depression, but the association between depression and competence is not consistent. The mechanisms mediating such association are likely to be complex and multifactorial.

Engineering risk assessment for emergency disposal projects of sudden water pollution incidents.

Without an engineering risk assessment for emergency disposal in response to sudden water pollution incidents, responders are prone to be challenged during emergency decision making. To address this gap, the concept and framework of emergency disposal engineering risks are reported in this paper. The proposed risk index system covers three stages consistent with the progress of an emergency disposal project. Fuzzy fault tree analysis (FFTA), a logical and diagrammatic method, was developed to evaluate the potential failure during the process of emergency disposal. The probability of basic events and their combination, which caused the failure of an emergency disposal project, were calculated based on the case of an emergency disposal project of an aniline pollution incident in the Zhuozhang River, Changzhi, China, in 2014. The critical events that can cause the occurrence of a top event (TE) were identified according to their contribution. Finally, advices on how to take measures using limited resources to prevent the failure of a TE are given according to the quantified results of risk magnitude. The proposed approach could be a potential useful safeguard for the implementation of an emergency disposal project during the process of emergency response.

The MacArthur Competence Assessment Tools for assessing decision-making capacity in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aimed to examine the decisional capacity measured by the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tools (MacCAT) in schizophrenia. METHOD: English (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Cochrane Library databases and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register) and Chinese (Wan Fang Database and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure) databases were systematically and independently searched from 1995 until August 1, 2016. Weighted and standardized mean differences were calculated. The random effects model was used in all cases. RESULTS: Altogether 10 studies were identified, with 7 studies using the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Clinical Research (MacCAT-CR) and 3 studies using the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment (MacCAT-T). The meta-analysis showed that there was significant impairment in decision-making capacity in schizophrenia patients compared to the healthy control group in terms of Understanding (SMD=-0.81, 95% CI: -1.06 to -0.56, P<0.001), Reasoning (SMD=-0.57, 95% CI: -0.80 to -0.34, P<0.001), Appreciation (SMD=-0.87, 95% CI: -1.20 to -0.53, P<0.001), and Expression a choice (SMD=-0.24, 95% CI: -0.43 to -0.05, P=0.01). CONCLUSION: Compared to the control group, schizophrenia patients are more likely to have impaired decision-making capacity in clinical research and treatment as measured by the MacCAT instruments. Researchers and clinicians need to consider the impaired decisional capacity in schizophrenia patients providing informed consent.

In vivo assessment of behavioral recovery and circulatory exchange in the peritoneal parabiosis model.

The sharing of circulation between two animals using a surgical procedure known as parabiosis has created a wealth of information towards our understanding of physiology, most recently in the neuroscience arena. The systemic milieu is a complex reservoir of tissues, immune cells, and circulating molecules that is surprisingly not well understood in terms of its communication across organ systems. While the model has been used to probe complex physiological questions for many years, critical parameters of recovery and exchange kinetics remain incompletely characterized, limiting the ability to design experiments and interpret results for complex questions. Here we provide evidence that mice joined by parabiosis gradually recover much physiology relevant to the study of brain function. Specifically, we describe the timecourse for a variety of recovery parameters, including those for general health and metabolism, motor coordination, activity, and sleep behavior. Finally, we describe the kinetics of chimerism for several lymphocyte populations as well as the uptake of small molecules into the brains of mice following parabiosis. Our characterization provides an important resource to those attempting to understand the complex interplay between the immune system and the brain as well as other organ systems.