Equitable infrastructure: Achieving resilient systems and restorative justice through policy and research innovation.

Recent major investments in infrastructure in the United States and globally present a crucial opportunity to embed equity within the heart of resilient infrastructure decision-making. Yet there is a notable absence of frameworks within the engineering and scientific fields for integrating equity into planning, design, and maintenance of infrastructure. Additionally, whole-of-government approaches to infrastructure, including the Justice40 Initiative, mimic elements of process management that support exploitative rather than exploratory innovation. These and other policies risk creating innovation traps that limit analytical and engineering advances necessary to prioritize equity in decision-making, identification and disruption of mechanisms that cause or contribute to inequities, and remediation of historic harms. Here, we propose a three-tiered framework toward equitable and resilient infrastructure through restorative justice, incremental policy innovation, and exploratory research innovation. This framework aims to ensure equitable access and benefits of infrastructure, minimize risk disparities, and embrace restorative justice to repair historical and systemic inequities. We outline incremental policy innovation and exploratory research action items to address and mitigate risk disparities, emphasizing the need for community-engaged research and the development of equity metrics. Among other action items, we recommend a certification system-referred to as Social, Environmental, and Economic Development (SEED)-to train infrastructure engineers and planners and ensure attentiveness to gaps that exist within and dynamically interact across each tier of the proposed framework. Through the framework and proposed actions, we advocate for a transformative vision for equitable infrastructure that emphasizes the interconnectedness of social, environmental, and technical dimensions in infrastructure planning, design, and maintenance.

Responses of runoff and sediment yield to slope length and gravel content of Lou soil engineering accumulation slope in Guanzhong region, Northwest China.

With the economic development, a large number of engineering accumulation bodies with Lou soil as the main soil type were produced in Guanzhong area, Northwest China. We examined the characteristics of runoff and sediment yield of Lou soil accumulation bodies with earth (gravel content 0%) and earth-rock (gravel content 30%) under different rainfall intensities (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 mm·min-1) and different slope lengths (3, 5, 6.5, 12 m) by the simulating rainfall method. The results showed that runoff rate was relatively stable when rainfall intensity was 1.0-1.5 mm·min-1, while runoff rate fluctuated obviously when rainfall intensity was 2.0-2.5 mm·min-1. The average runoff rate varied significantly across different rainfall intensities on the same slopes, and the difference of average runoff rate of the two slopes was significantly increased with rainfall intensity. Under the same rainfall intensity, the difference in runoff rate between the slope lengths of the earth-rock slope was more obvious than that of the earth slope. When the slope length was 3-6.5 m, flow velocity increased rapidly at first and then increased slowly or tended to be stable. When the slope length was 12 m, flow velocity increased significantly. In general, with the increases of rainfall intensity, inhibition effect of gravel on the average flow velocity was enhanced. When rainfall intensity was 2.5 mm·min-1, the maximum reduction in the average flow velocity of earth-rock slope was 61.5% lower than that of earth slope. When rainfall intensity was less than 2.0 mm·min-1, sediment yield rate showed a trend of gradual decline or stable change, while that under the other rainfall intensities showed a trend of rapid decline and then fluctuated sharply. The greater the rainfall intensity, the more obvious the fluctuation. There was a significant positive correlation between the average sediment yield rate and runoff parameters, with the runoff rate showing the best fitting effect. Among the factors, slope length had the highest contribution to runoff velocity and rainfall erosion, which was 51.8% and 35.5%, respectively. This study can provide scientific basis for soil and water erosion control of engineering accumulation in Lou soil areas.

[Improvement and application on the estimation model of windbreak and sand fixation function based on remote sensing soil moisture factor]. / åŸºäºŽé¥æ„ŸåœŸå£¤æ¹¿åº¦å› å­çš„é˜²é£Žå›ºæ²™åŠŸèƒ½ä¼°ç®—æ¨¡åž‹æ”¹è¿›åŠåº”ç”¨.

Soil moisture factor is one of the important parameters in the study of wind and sand fixation functions of ecosystems. Traditional methods often use potential evaporation, rainfall, and irrigation observed by meteorological stations to estimate soil moisture, which has significant limitations in terms of spatial continuity and data availability. Based on the development of remote sensing technology in soil moisture detection, we selected four remote sen-sing indicators for soil moisture (MODIS evapotranspiration ratio method, SMAP soil moisture ratio method, visible shortwave infrared drought index method, and remote sensing humidity index method) to improve the estimation of soil moisture factor in the modified wind erosion equation model (RWEQ), and used the improved algorithm to analyze the spatiotemporal variations and driving factors of wind prevention and sand fixation services in the northwest region of Liaoning Province from 2001 to 2021. The results showed that the MODIS evapotranspiration ratio method had the highest correlation with traditional meteorological methods in calculating soil moisture. The formula obtained by fitting the two could be used to improve the calculation of soil moisture factor in the RWEQ model. From 2001 to 2021, the wind prevention and sand fixation capacity in the northwest region of Liaoning Province showed strong spatial distribution characteristics in the northern and eastern regions, while weak in the central and western regions. According to Mann-Kendall trend testing, 72.7% of the regions in northwest Liaoning Province were showing an upward trend in their ability to prevent wind and fix sand. The application of geographic detector models for driving factor analysis showed that the change in wind and sand fixation capacity was a process of multiple factors interacting with each other, greatly influenced by soil type, annual wind speed, and economic development level. Moreover, the interaction between various driving factors had a higher impact on wind and sand fixation than that of single factors. The results could improve the RWEQ model estimation and provide technical support for the long-term analysis of ecological function formation mechanisms and driving forces in the northwest region of Liaoning.

Exploring the environmental properties and resource utilization of construction waste in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is a capital economic circle for the future. Promoting the coordinated development of its population, economy, resources and environment is a major national strategy. And as towns and cities continue to expand, the volume of construction waste is gradually expanding, posing a major challenge to the sustainable development of the construction industry. In order to solve this problem, this paper used portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to realize the on-site rapid monitoring of heavy metals in construction waste, and the correlation analysis result was R2 = 0.9908. The visualization of enrichment factor evaluation results was realized through ArcGIS. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is mainly polluted by heavy metal elements Cr, Zn, Pb and Hg, showing regional pollution characteristics, and the results of mercury morphology analysis show that all are inorganic mercury pollution, and methylmercury is not detected, and the cause can be traced to heavy industrial production in Tangshan City, which is consistent with industrial ecology. The results of leaching toxicity and cation anion analysis showed that the construction waste in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region had environmental risks to the surrounding surface water and groundwater. The resource treatment and disposal path were determined by means of XRD, ternary phase diagram and oxide composition analysis to avoid secondary pollution. This study explores the environmental properties and resource utilization pathways of construction waste in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, laying the foundation for research work on construction waste in the development of national urban agglomerations, effectively solving regional environmental pollution problems and promoting the sustainable development of the construction industry.

[Characterization and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in PM2.5 in Xiamen Port].

PM2.5 samples at Haitian and Songyu container terminals in Xiamen Port were collected in summer and autumn/winter in 2020 and analyzed for 20 elements to investigate their temporal-spatial distribution features, sources, and health risk. The results showed that the levels of PM2.5 were relatively low and did not show significant spatial and diurnal differences. Ca and Si were the main crustal elements, and Zn and Mn were the main heavy metals in PM2.5. Compared with GB 3095-2012 guidelines, Cr(Ⅵ) was in the range of 27.4-28.6 times above the standard. Under the influence of monsoon and port throughput, the concentrations of some elements in summer were higher than those in autumn/winter. Significant diurnal variations were observed for Cu, Zn, SO2, and NO2 but not for V and Ni. Industrial sources were identified as the primary contributor (55.2%-59.4%), followed by traffic (28.7%-31.3%), ship emissions (7.1%-7.7%), and sea salt plus construction dust (4.8%-5.8%). The results of health risk assessment showed that heavy metals in PM2.5in Xiamen Port had potential carcinogenic risk (ECR>1(10-5) to people living near the port, and Cr(Ⅵ), V, and As together accounted for 97.3%-97.5% of the total risks; however, the non-carcinogenic risk was negligible (HI<1), and the major contributors were V, Mn, Ni, and As (89.6%-91.2%). The relative contributions of each contributor to ECR was in the order of traffic (47.2%-49.4%)>industrial (23.8%-24.2%)>ship emissions (16.9%-20.8%)>sea salt plus construction dust (5.7%-12.1%), and the relative contribution to HI was in the order of traffic (38.7%-42.3%)>industrial (24.5%-28.2%)>ship emissions (24.1%-27.2%)>sea salt plus construction dust (5.4%-9.6%).

Assessment Parameters for Arrayed Pulse Wave Analysis and Application in Hypertensive Disorders.

Study on the objectivity of pulse diagnosis is inseparable from the instruments to obtain the pulse waves. The single-pulse diagnostic instrument is relatively mature in acquiring and analysing pulse waves, but the pulse information captured by single-pulse diagnostic instrument is limited. The sensor arrays can simulate rich sense of the doctor's fingers and catch multipoint and multiparameter array signals. How to analyse the acquired array signals is still a major problem in the objective research of pulse diagnosis. The goal of this study was to establish methods for analysing arrayed pulse waves and preliminarily apply them in hypertensive disorders. While a sensor array can be used for the real-time monitoring of twelve pulse wave channels, for each subject in this study, only the pulse wave signals of the left hand at the "guan" location were obtained. We calculated the average pulse wave (APW) per channel over a thirty-second interval. The most representative pulse wave (MRPW) and the APW were matched by their correlation coefficient (CC). The features of the MRPW and the features that corresponded to the array pulse volume (APV) parameters were identified manually. Finally, a clinical trial was conducted to detect these feature performance indicators in patients with hypertensive disorders. The independent-samples t-tests and the Mann-Whitney U-tests were performed to assess the differences in these pulse parameters between the healthy and hypertensive groups. We found that the radial passage (RP) APV h1, APV h3, APV h4, APV h3/h1 (P < 0.01), and APV h4/h1 (P < 0.05) were significantly higher in the hypertensive group than in the healthy group; the intermediate passage (IP) APV h4, APV h3/h1 (P < 0.05), and APV h4/h1 (P < 0.01) and the mean APV h3, APV h3/h1 (P < 0.05), and APV h4/h1 (P < 0.01) were significantly higher in the hypertensive group than in the healthy group, and the ulnar passage (UP) APV h4/h1 (P < 0.05) was clearly elevated in the hypertensive group. These results provide a preliminary validation of this novel approach for determining the APV by arrayed pulse wave analysis. In conclusion, we identified effective indicators of hypertensive vascular function. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pulses comprise multidimensional information, and a sensor array could provide a better indication of TCM pulse characteristics. In this study, the validation of the arrayed pulse wave analysis demonstrates that the APV can reliably mirror TCM pulse characteristics.

A Blood-based Assay for Assessment of Tumor Mutational Burden in First-line Metastatic NSCLC Treatment: Results from the MYSTIC Study.

PURPOSE: Tumor mutational burden (TMB) has been shown to be predictive of survival benefit in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Measuring TMB in the blood (bTMB) using circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) offers practical advantages compared with TMB measurement in tissue (tTMB); however, there is a need for validated assays and identification of optimal cutoffs. We describe the analytic validation of a new bTMB algorithm and its clinical utility using data from the phase III MYSTIC trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The dataset used for the clinical validation was from MYSTIC, which evaluated first-line durvalumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) ± tremelimumab (anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 antibody) or chemotherapy for metastatic NSCLC. bTMB and tTMB were evaluated using the GuardantOMNI and FoundationOne CDx assays, respectively. A Cox proportional hazards model and minimal P value cross-validation approach were used to identify the optimal bTMB cutoff. RESULTS: In MYSTIC, somatic mutations could be detected in ctDNA extracted from plasma samples in a majority of patients, allowing subsequent calculation of bTMB. The success rate for obtaining valid TMB scores was higher for bTMB (809/1,001; 81%) than for tTMB (460/735; 63%). Minimal P value cross-validation analysis confirmed the selection of bTMB ≥20 mutations per megabase (mut/Mb) as the optimal cutoff for clinical benefit with durvalumab + tremelimumab. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the feasibility, accuracy, and reproducibility of the GuardantOMNI ctDNA platform for quantifying bTMB from plasma samples. Using the new bTMB algorithm and an optimal bTMB cutoff of ≥20 mut/Mb, high bTMB was predictive of clinical benefit with durvalumab + tremelimumab versus chemotherapy.

Physical Activity and Its Correlates among Adults in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study.

Obesity and rates of non-communicable diseases linked to physical inactivity have increased dramatically in Malaysia over the past 20 years. Malaysia has also been identified as one of the least physically active countries in the world with over 60% of adults being essentially sedentary. This study examines the relationship of socio-demographic factors to physical activity among 770 adults from 3 Malaysian states. Physical activity levels were significantly related to ethnicity, gender, age, occupation and educational level. Controlling for inter-relationships among these variables; age, gender, Chinese ethnicity and education level were found to have unique effects on total physical activity, as well as moderate and vigorous exercise. As would be expected, younger people were more physically active, engaging more in both moderate and vigorous types of exercise and males were generally more active than females. Contrary to findings from many developed countries, however, more educated Malaysians were less likely to engage in all types of physical activity. Ethnic Chinese participants, and to a lesser degree Indians also consistently reported lower levels of activity. Possible intervention strategies are discussed that specifically target ethnic and cultural norms related to physical activity. Future research programs exploring barriers to participation and perceptions of physical activity, as well as programs to encourage active life styles among youths are also suggested.

Assessment of quality of life for the patients with cervical cancer at different clinical stages.

With improved overall survival of cervical cancer patients, the importance of the quality of life (QOL) is increasingly recognized. This study was conducted to compare the QOL of women with different stage cervical cancer before and after treatment to facilitate improved cervical cancer prevention and treatment. We used the generic Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) to collect QOL information. Based on SF-36, we interviewed cervical cancer patients at West China Second Affiliated Hospital and Sichuan Cancer Hospital between May 2010 and January 2011. A total of 92 patients with precancerous lesions, 93 with early cancer, and 35 with advanced cancer responded to our survey. Average physical component summary (PCS) scores were significantly different between the three groups at every time point (P < 0.05). Average mental component summary (MCS) scores were significantly different between the three groups after treatment (P < 0.05). Average PCS and MCS scores increased gradually from the pretreatment to posttreatment period for patients with precancerous lesions. However, they reached the lowest at 1 month after treatment for patients with early and advanced cancers and rebounded between 1 and 6 months after treatment. Our results indicate that patients with precancerous lesions and early cervical cancer show better overall QOL than do those with advanced cervical cancer. Additionally, patients with early cancer recover more quickly than do those with advanced cancer in terms of both physical and mental functions. Thus, early detection and treatment initiatives may improve the QOL for patients with precancerous lesions and cervical cancer.

Cost-benefit analysis of screening for esophageal and gastric cardiac cancer.

In 2005, a program named "Early Detection and Early Treatment of Esophageal and Cardiac Cancer" (EDETEC) was initiated in China. A total of 8279 residents aged 40-69 years old were recruited into the EDETEC program in Linzhou of Henan Province between 2005 and 2008. Howerer, the cost-benefit of the EDETEC program is not very clear yet. We conducted herein a cost-benefit analysis of screening for esophageal and cardiac cancer. The assessed costs of the EDETEC program included screening costs for each subject, as well as direct and indirect treatment costs for esophageal and cardiac severe dysplasia and cancer detected by screening. The assessed benefits of this program included the saved treatment costs, both direct and indirect, on esophageal and cardiac cancer, as well as the value of prolonged life due to screening, as determined by the human capital approach. The results showed the screening cost of finding esophageal and cardiac severe dysplasia or cancer ranged from RMB 2707 to RMB 4512, and the total cost on screening and treatment was RMB 13 115-14 920. The cost benefit was RMB 58 944-155 110 (the saved treatment cost, RMB 17 730, plus the value of prolonged life, RMB 41 214-137 380). The ratio of benefit-to-cost (BCR) was 3.95-11.83. Our results suggest that EDETEC has a high benefit-to-cost ratio in China and could be instituted into high risk areas of China.