Spatial-temporal characteristics and regional differences of the freight transport industry's carbon emission efficiency in China.

The freight transport industry is an important field in which to achieve the goal of carbon emission reduction within the transportation industry. Analyzing the spatial-temporal characteristics and regional differences in the freight transport industry's carbon emissions efficiency (CEE) is an essential prerequisite for developing a reasonable regional carbon abatement policy. However, few studies have conducted an in-depth analysis of the freight transport industry's CEE from the perspective of geographic space. This study combines the super-efficiency slack-based measure (SBM) model and the window analysis model to measure the freight transport industry's CEE in 31 Chinese provinces from 2008 to 2019. We then introduced a spatial autocorrelation analysis and the Theil index to analyze the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics and regional differences in the freight transport industry's CEE in China. The results show that (1) the overall level of the freight transport industry's CEE is low, with an average of 0.534, which showed a weak downward trend during the study period. This indicates that the freight industry's CEE has not improved, and there is a massive requirement for energy conservation and emission reduction. (2) From 2008 to 2019, CEE gradually shows a spatial distribution pattern of being "low in the west and high in the east," with a significant, positive spatial correlation (all passed the significance level test at P < 0.01). This indicates that the spatial diffusion and inhibition of the freight transport industry's CEE in adjacent areas cannot be ignored. (3) The overall differences in the freight transport industry's CEE show a fluctuating upward trend from 2008 to 2019. The inter-regional differences of the three regions (east, central, and west) are the main contributors of the total differences. Therefore, narrowing inter-regional gaps in CEE is one of the main ways to improve the freight transport industry's CEE.

External validation and comparison of two versions of simplified sequential organ failure assessment scores to predict prognosis of septic patients.

BACKGROUND: Evidence shows that simplified SOFA scoring system has better clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to validate and compare the scores acquired with simplified organ dysfunction criteria optimized for electronic health records (eSOFA), and simplified and accurate sequential organ failure assessment (sa-SOFA) for their accuracies in predicting the prognosis of septic patients. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted at three major academic hospitals. Clinical data from 574 patients diagnosed with sepsis following the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3)were retrospectively retrieved and analysed. Scores from the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) were used as reference scores. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to assess the performance of eSOFA and sa-SOFA scores in predicting in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: AUROC analysis demonstrated the predictability of the four scoring systems for sepsis surveillance, listed in descending order as: sa-SOFA, 0.790 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.754-0.822); SOFA, 0.774 (95% CI: 0.738-0.808); eSOFA, 0.729 (95% CI: 0.691-0.765); and qSOFA, 0.618 (95% CI: 0.577-0.658). Moreover, sa-SOFA and SOFA scores (Z = 1.950, P = .051) did not significantly differ from each other in discriminatory power, but the sa-SOFA score had a higher power than eSOFA score (P values < .001). CONCLUSION: sa-SOFA appeared to have performed better than eSOFA score for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients' sepsis. Further large prospective studies are needed to externally validate.

A longitudinal assessment of aluminum contents in foodstuffs and aluminum intake of residents in Tianjin metropolis.

AIM: In this report, we retrieved and analyzed the data of aluminum contents in foodstuffs over a 6-year span between 2010 and 2015 and assessed the risk of dietary aluminum exposure in residents of Tianjin metropolis. METHODS: A multistage random clustering method was used to survey Tianjin residents between 2010 and 2015. Samples were mainly purchased from breakfast vendors, farmers' markets, and supermarkets in Tianjin between 2009 and 2015. A total of 1,814 persons aged at least 2 years from 1,262 households from randomly chosen communities were asked to complete the questionnaire on food consumption. Aluminum contents in the food samples were determined. RESULTS: Totally 21.14% of food samples exceeded the recommended aluminum residue limit over the study period. The mean aluminum levels in the food samples over the 6-year span were 111.9 7 ± 265.26 mg/kg, and the mean P95 was 597.00 mg/kg. Totally 21.14% of the food samples exceeded the recommended aluminum residue limit (100 mg/kg). The lowest mean aluminum levels in food were detected in 2010, and the highest levels were found in 2015. The highest mean aluminum levels were found in jellyfish. The highest total mean aluminum intake in food was 83.61 mg/day in those aged at least 50 years and younger than 66 years. Meanwhile, children aged at least 2 years and less than 8 years had the highest mean weekly aluminum intake (18.19 mg/kg body weight/week); they also had the highest MOS (18.19). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that despite the implementation since 2014 of the new policy on the use of aluminum food additives in China, residents in Tianjin still face high levels of aluminum exposure in foodstuffs with young children particularly vulnerable. Public awareness of the new policy should be enhanced, and more vigorous supervision of the use of aluminum food additives should be undertaken.

The quantitative assessment of the public excess disease burden advanced by inhalable particulate matter under different air quality standard targets in Tianjin, China.

Currently, the quantitative assessment of the public excess risk for the update of the air quality guidelines only considered the mortality and morbidity without disease burden indicators. To provide evidences for the update of air quality guidelines and the policy analysis of air control, a simple framework to identify the excess disease burden of PM10 was used in this study. Daily data on PM10, meteorological factors, and deaths were collected in this 10-year (2001-2010) time series study in Tianjin, China. The excess disease burden advanced by PM10 was assessed when the PM10 levels exceeded the expected levels. Generalized additive model was used to estimate the associations of PM10 with mortality and years of life lost (YLL). Our study found that the exposure of PM10 was associated with the increasing of mortality and YLL in different diseases. The excess deaths and YLL of different diseases advanced by PM10 when the PM10 levels exceeded the expected levels were high and showed a decreasing trend from 2001 to 2010. The annual deaths and YLL standardized per million population advanced by PM10 when the annual PM10 levels exceeded the China national ambient air quality secondary standard targets (70 µg/m3) and WHO guideline (20 µg/m3) were 126 persons, 2670 person years and 260 persons, 5449 person years, respectively. This study may provide a simple framework to identify the excess disease burden of PM and provide basic and intuitive evidences to update the air quality guidelines. Furthermore, these findings may also provide decisionmakers with intuitive quantitative information for policymaking and emphasize health considerations in air quality policy discussions.

[Comprehensive assessment on the outcome of Tianjin Act of Tobacco Control].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the integrated effects of tobacco control programs through comparing the pre- and post-implementation of the Tianjin Tobacco Control Act (Act), in 4 successive years. METHODS: Case-related data on myocardial infarction was collected by Tianjin Surveillance System, New Case Registry. Both the representative sample size of indoor working places and public places for observation and PM2.5 monitored were selected through the calculation of Survey System, while the representative sample size of people involved in the survey for interview was under the Door to Door and Intercept. RESULTS: Through comparing the pre- and post-implementation programs on Act, the posting of "No Smoking Sign" had become much more visible in hospitals, schools, governmental buildings and the waiting areas of public transportation. People smoked much less in the main public places, excepting for hotels and public bath rooms (P < 0.05). Exposure to secondhand smoking (SHS) had a 26.5% (P < 0.01) decline, than the Act was implemented in workplace and public place. Despite the number of cases increased in the entire population in Tianjin (ß = -0.061, P = 0.00; ß = 0.059, P = 0.00), cases with myocardial infarction presented at the hospitals were declining annually, among the indoor workers. CONCLUSION: Act showed a positive effect in decreasing the number of smokers in public places thus protecting people from the negative effects on SHS. Message on health effect and social benefits on tobacco control should be disseminated to facilitate the comprehensive implementation of the Act.