Review on physical performance, modification mechanisms, carbon emissions and economic costs of recycled aggregates modified with physical enhancement technologies.

With the continuous advancement of urban renewal, the application of recycled aggregates (RA) is a win-win measure to solve the treatment of construction waste and provide the required building materials. However, the existence of a large amount of old adhesive mortar (OAM) makes it difficult for RA to equivalently replace natural aggregates (NA) due to their higher water absorption and crushing index, as well as a lower apparent density. From the published literature on enhancing RA, the most mature and easiest method for construction is physical enhancement technology. Therefore, through a review of recent related researches, this article summarizes and compares the modification effects of mechanical grinding technology, traditional heating and grinding technology, and microwave heating technology on the physical properties of RA, including water absorption, apparent density, and crushing value. The related modification mechanisms were discussed. Additionally, the impacts of different physical enhancement technologies on the environment and economy effects are assessed from the perspectives of carbon emissions and cost required during processing. Based on multi-criteria analysis, microwave heating technology is more efficient and cleaner, which is the most recommended in the future.

Spatial analysis of logistics ecological efficiency and its influencing factors in China: based on super-SBM-undesirable and spatial Dubin models.

Improving the logistics ecological efficiency (LEE) has become a significant part of ensuring a sustainable development and tackling environmental pollution. Previous studies in the logistics industry seldom considered air pollutants and the association of spatial information. Therefore, innovatively considering SO2, NOx, and PM, this study adopted the super-SBM-undesirable model to calculate the LEE of 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2019 and, thereafter, developed information-based matrix to explore its influencing factors by using the spatial Dubin model. The results indicated that (1) the overall LEE was low with the average of 0.657, presenting a three-stage trend of "decreasing first, then rising, and later stable," and significant regional differences with the decreasing gradient pattern of the "Eastern-Central-Western." (2) A spatial directionality distributed from the northeast to southwest and a significant spatial autocorrelation were observed. (3) The LEE had a significant positive spillover effect. Industrial structure, urbanization level, environmental regulation, and technological innovation level had a positive impact on the local LEE, and industrial structure displayed the most promoting effects. Energy intensity, economic level, energy structure, and opening level had a significant effect on the local LEE with varying degree of inhibition. Local energy intensity and environmental regulation had a positive influence on the LEE in neighboring areas, while local opening level had inhibiting effects. In addition, policy recommendations for enhancing the LEE were made.

The efficacy assessment of convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients: a multi-center case series.

Convalescent plasma (CP) transfusion has been indicated as a promising therapy in the treatment for other emerging viral infections. However, the quality control of CP and individual variation in patients in different studies make it rather difficult to evaluate the efficacy and risk of CP therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to explore the potential efficacy of CP therapy, and to assess the possible factors associated with its efficacy. We enrolled eight critical or severe COVID-19 patients from four centers. Each patient was transfused with 200-400 mL of CP from seven recovered donors. The primary indicators for clinical efficacy assessment were the changes of clinical symptoms, laboratory parameters, and radiological image after CP transfusion. CP donors had a wide range of antibody levels measured by serology tests which were to some degree correlated with the neutralizing antibody (NAb) level. No adverse events were observed during and after CP transfusion. Following CP transfusion, six out of eight patients showed improved oxygen support status; chest CT indicated varying degrees of absorption of pulmonary lesions in six patients within 8 days; the viral load was decreased to a negative level in five patients who had the previous viremia; other laboratory parameters also tended to improve, including increased lymphocyte counts, decreased C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and indicators for liver function. The clinical efficacy might be associated with CP transfusion time, transfused dose, and the NAb levels of CP. This study indicated that CP might be a potential therapy for severe patients with COVID-19.

Psychometric properties of the 15-item positive subscale of the community assessment of psychic experiences.

OBJECTIVE: A new 15-item version of the positive subscale of Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE-P15) has been recently proposed and used to measure psychotic-like experiences. The wide application of this scale is thought to be feasible and cost-effective, due to its manageable length and higher level of internal consistency. However, its psychometric properties have not been well established. METHODS: The validity and reliability of the CAPE-P15 were assessed in 1255 college students across two time frames (over a lifetime and in the past month). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm its construct validity and measurement invariance across sex. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to investigate its clinical and concurrent validity. We also calculated the test-retest reliability and internal consistency to verify the reliability of the scale. Finally, telephone interviews were performed to explore the consistency between self-reported and interview-verified CAPE-P15 scores. RESULTS: The scale has adequate psychometric properties in terms of construct, clinical and concurrent validity; measurement invariance across sex; test-retest reliability; and internal consistency. We also confirmed considerably high consistency between self-reported and interview-verified CAPE-P15 scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that the CAPE-P15 is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing psychotic-like experiences in college students, both over a lifetime and in the past month. This overall assessment of the CAPE-P15 supports its more widespread use in this population. However, further research is needed to assess its utility in clinical settings, as well as in general population.

Performance assessment of a portable nephelometer for outdoor particle mass measurement.

The availability of portable nephelometers has improved assessment of exposure to atmospheric particles at a high resolution regarding space and time. However, nephelometer performance has seldom been evaluated for outdoor measurements, especially in Chinese cities. During 37 days of measurements at four outdoor sites in Shanghai, we assessed a popular nephelometer called SidePak (TSI Inc., USA) for PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 mass measurements and compared them to US federal reference methods (FRMs) based on different measurement principles. The nephelometer showed high measurement precision and stability and was strongly correlated with FRMs, making it superior to the portable light scattering monitors reported in the past and thus indicating the maturity of this principle. The nephelometer measurements overestimated all those of FRMs by a factor of two, which is higher than in evaluations in other international cities. This overestimation showed a descending order for PM1.0 (2.9-fold), PM2.5 (2.2-fold) and PM10 (1.9-fold) relative to the FRMs of tapered element oscillating microbalance or beta attenuation combined with nephelometry, based on whole samples. Sites that are far from direct pollution sources showed very good agreement between the nephelometer and FRMs for PM2.5 mass measurements, while, by comparison, the roadside site showed a lower SidePak/FRM PM2.5 ratio, which is likely due to higher abundance of elemental carbon in roadside particles. Relative humidity (RH) was shown to be a key factor that distorted the measurement of the nephelometer. An empirical formula incorporating an RH adjustment developed to correct the nephelometer could produce a reasonable result, even across the various sites. This study demonstrates the great potential of the nephelometer for outdoor particle mass measurements, but for accurate and comparable data, a site-specific calibration is strongly recommended before using.