Community-embedded follow-up management intervention for geriatric primary care: a mixed-methods study of an integrated health services model.

BACKGROUND: To propose a community-embedded follow-up management model to provide health services for elderly patients with osteoporosis who live alone. METHODS: Researchers randomly selected 396 people with osteoporosis living alone from five communities in Nantong, China, for the study. These participants were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. Twenty-four community physicians in five communities provided professional support based on a community-embedded follow-up management model. Participants completed quantitative questionnaires at baseline and after the 6-month follow-up intervention, and some participants underwent semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The primary outcome is the effectiveness of the community-embedded follow-up management model in improving the quality of life of elderly patients with osteoporosis living alone. Based on an objective quantitative assessment, the qualitative study explains and adds essential components of this community-based follow-up management model. RESULTS: The quantitative study showed that scores in physical functioning, ability to perform daily activities, self-efficacy, and mental status were significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The most significant improvements were found in "mental status" (p = 0.012) and "self-care skills" (p = 0.003). The qualitative study reported the essential elements of a community healthcare model for older people living alone with osteoporosis, including professional support, personalized services, social support, and empowerment. CONCLUSIONS: Community-embedded follow-up management meets the need for elderly patients with osteoporosis living alone. It helps to improve health perception, promote physical and mental health, and optimize the quality of life in this population. Personalized services and professional support are two major contributing factors to effective embedded follow-up management in the community.

Major influencing factors identification and probabilistic health risk assessment of soil potentially toxic elements pollution in coal and metal mines across China: A systematic review.

Deposition of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils due to different types of mining activities has been an increasingly important concern worldwide. Quantitative differences of soil PTEs contamination and related health risk among typical mines remain unclear. Herein, data from 110 coal mines and 168 metal mines across China were analyzed based on 265 published literatures to evaluate pollution characteristics, spatial distribution, and probabilistic health risks of soil PTEs. The results showed that PTE levels in soil from both mine types significantly exceeded background values. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) revealed metal-mine soil pollution levels exceeded those of coal mines, with average Igeo values for Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cu, and Zn being 3.02-15.60 times higher. Spearman correlation and redundancy analysis identified natural and anthropogenic factors affecting soil PTE contamination in both mine types. Mining activities posed a significant carcinogenic risk, with metal-mine soils showing a total carcinogenic risk an order of magnitude higher than in coal-mine soils. This study provides policymakers a quantitative foundation for developing differentiated strategies for sustainable remediation and risk-based management of PTEs in typical mining soils.

Analysis and experimental assessment of an optimized SERS substrate used to detect thiabendazole in apples with high sensitivity.

Pesticides that linger in the environment and ecosystems for an extended period can cause severe and dangerous health problems in humans. To detect pesticides in foods, the development of high-sensitivity and quick screening technologies was required. This research investigated the performance of Au@Ag NPs with varying thicknesses of the silver shell for detecting trace quantities of thiabendazole (TBZ) in apples using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The Au@Ag NPs were synthesized by coating 32 nm gold seeds with different thicknesses of silver shell ranging from 2.4 to 8.7 nm, achieved by adjusting the incorporation of AgNO3 and ascorbic acid. The optimized Au@Ag NPs with a 7.3 nm silver shell demonstrated outstanding SERS activity, high sensitivity, and a detection limit of 0.05 µg/mL for TBZ. The R2 values, representing the goodness of fit, were found to be 0.990 and 0.986 for standard and real TBZ samples, respectively, indicating a strong correlation between the measured signal and the TBZ concentration. The recovery analysis showed a reliable and accurate detection capability (96 to 105%), suggesting good reliability and accuracy of the SERS-based detection using the optimal Au@Ag NPs. Overall, this research highlights the potential of SERS with optimal Au@Ag NPs for rapid and effective monitoring of pesticides in the food industry.

Predicting fracture classification and prognosis with hounsfield units and femoral cortical index: A simple and cost-effective approach.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between bone density and fracture has been widely studied and recognized, and the role of cortical bone in proximal femoral fractures has also been increasingly studied. However, both the determination of bone mineral density (BMD) and the determination of cortical mass are expensive and cumbersome. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether two readily available indicators, Hounsfield Units (HUs) and femoral cortical index (FCI), can be used to predict hip fracture classification and prognosis. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 110 patients with hip fragility fractures. Cortical index was calculated on fractured and contralateral femur FCI, with HUs calculated on the proximal femur. The correlation of the FCI and HU with diabetes, hypertension, and related indicators, such as albumin, creatinine, and urea nitrogen levels, were also analyzed in the study. RESULTS: Both the Evans classification of intertrochanteric fractures and the Garden and Pauwels classifications of femoral neck fractures showed that as the severity of the fracture increased, the HUs and FCI decreased. Age and albumin level also had a negative correlation with HUs and FCI. There was also a significant correlation between HUs and FCI. CONCLUSIONS: The HUs and FCI, which can be easily and quickly obtained, can be used to predict the classification and prognosis of hip fractures.

The need for ecological momentary assessment in researching emotional factors in language education.

Language learning is an emotional and dynamic process, which is marked by fluctuations in language learners' positive and negative emotional variables (e.g., boredom, enjoyment, anxiety). Presumably, evidence can be found for an ecological view of the patterns and variations involved in language learners' emotions under the influence of the interactive individual and contextual elements of classroom learning. The present study contends that an ecological momentary assessment (EMA), which is compatible with the complex dynamic system theory (CDST) can help to explore the dynamics of language learners' emotional variables as they develop out of the process of classroom language learning. EMA is capable of tracing the moment-by-moment changes in a certain emotional trait in language learners as they are learning a foreign or second language. This innovative approach to research compensates for the shortcomings of retrospective studies (the delay of recalls) and also single-shot research designs (for data collection). It is fit for the assessment of the emergent patterns of L2 emotional variables. The distinctive features and pedagogical implications will be further discussed here.

Insights into the impacts of chloride ions on the oxidation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene using ferrous activated persulfate: Removal efficiency, reaction mechanism, transformation pathway, and toxicity assessment.

Persulfate/Fe2+-based advanced oxidation processes are widely used to treat water contaminated with 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT). However, the oxidation of DNT by persulfate/Fe2+ in the presence of the chloride ion (Cl⁻) has not been addressed, and the transformation pathways and toxicities of the intermediate products remain unclear. In this study, the effect of different Cl⁻ concentrations on the oxidation of DNT was investigated by persulfate/Fe2+. After the addition of 1.0 mM Cl⁻ and 6 h of oxidation, the removal efficiency of DNT increased by 68.5%. Scavenging experiments and an electron spin resonance analysis suggested that Cl⁻ caused hydroxyl radicals to increase in content in the persulfate/Fe2+ system, thus promoting the removal of DNT. Eight intermediate products of DNT were accurately detected using high-resolution mass spectrometry, and the transformation pathways of DNT were proposed, including hydroxylation/oxidation, elimination of the nitro group, and chlorination process. The acute and chronic toxicities of the intermediate products decreased during the oxidation process, but chlorinated by-products posed a higher toxicological risk. This result is vital for the practical application and environmental safety evaluation of persulfate/Fe2+-based advanced oxidation.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Remote Monitoring to Establish a Community Health Intervention During COVID-19: A Community Intervention Trial.

Background: The widespread use of telemedicine systems and medical information networks has made telemedicine one of the current trends in health care. The purpose of this article is to propose a community health intervention with remote monitoring and teleconsultation during COVID-19 for the prevention and control of COVID-19 at the rural level. Methods: In this intervention study, a randomized group of 1,500 community residents was selected. A questionnaire with acceptable validity and reliability was used to collect data. The study was conducted with the test group itself as a control, and the questionnaire was completed again 6 months after the health intervention through remote monitoring. The extent of the effect of the remote monitoring intervention on community health during COVID-19 was measured. The data were entered into SPSS 26, and the data were analyzed using the K-S normality test, t-test, and chi-square test. Results: After 6 months of the intervention, the differences in mean scores of the test group were statistically significant (p < 0.05) in cognition, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and behavioral outcomes, with a substantial increase in mean scores for all variables. Conclusions: The application of remote monitoring during COVID-19 in rural communities can influence the health perception, benefit perception, self-efficacy, and behavior of community residents, thus effectively preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19 in rural communities. It reduces medical barriers for rural areas while meeting.

From ambiguity to transparency: influence of environmental information disclosure on financial performance in the context of internationalization.

Environmental sustainability is an important strategy for firms to expand market reach and space in pursuit of profitable growth. In the context of internationalization, environment information disclosure (EID) is considered an environmental signal released by a firm to external stakeholders. Using a sample of Chinese construction firms listed in the global Engineering News-Record (ENR), two periods, from 2008 to 2014 and 2015 to 2019, were set up from the perspective of the EID guideline changes. The regression results illustrate a negative relationship between EID and financial performance in the first period. The moderating effect of internationalization on the relationship between EID and financial performance changes from negative to positive over time. Quantile regressions further reveal how EID and internationalization affect firms at different levels of financial performance. This study proposed a periodic contingency perspective to reconcile the changes in the influence of EID on financial performance within the context of internationalization.

Application of DRGs in hospital medical record management and its impact on service quality.

BACKGROUND: To explore the application of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) in hospital medical record management and the impact on service quality. OBJECTIVE: This study introduced DGRs management into hospital medical record management in order to improve the quality of hospital medical record management. METHOD: The medical record management of our hospital was analysed retrospectively between August 2020 and April 2021. A total of 7263 cases without DRG management before January 2021 were included in a control group, and 7922 cases with DRG management after January 2021 were included in a study group. The error rate of medical records, the specific error items and the scores of service capability, service efficiency and service quality were compared along with the comprehensive scores of the two groups. RESULTS: The error rate of medical records in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group (19.35% vs. 31.24%, P < 0.05). The error rates in terms of diagnosis on admission, surgical procedures, main diagnosis and other diagnoses in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group. The scores for service ability, service efficiency and service quality were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The comprehensive evaluation score of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Applying DRGs in the hospital medical record management can effectively reduce the error rate of medical records and improve the quality of hospital services.

PCDD/Fs and heavy metals in the vicinity of landfill used for MSWI fly ash disposal: Pollutant distribution and environmental impact assessment.

This study focused on the syngenetic control of polychlorinated-ρ-dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and heavy metals by field stabilization/solidification (S/S) treatment for municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWIFA) and multi-step leachate treatment. Modified European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) speciation analysis and risk assessment code (RAC) revealed the medium environment risk of Cd and Mn, indicating the necessity of S/S treatment for MSWIFA. S/S treatment significantly declined the mass/toxic concentrations of PCDD/Fs (i.e., from 7.21 to 4.25 µg/kg; from 0.32 to 0.20 µg I-TEQ/kg) and heavy metals in MSWIFA due to chemical fixation and dilution effect. The S/S mechanism of sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate (SDD) and cement was decreasing heavy metals in the mild acid-soluble fraction to reduce their mobility and bioavailability. Oxidation treatment of leachate reduced the PCDD/F concentration from 49.10 to 28.71 pg/L (i.e., from 1.60 to 0.98 pg I-TEQ/L) by suspension absorption or NaClO oxidation decomposition, whereas a so-called "memory effect" phenomena in the subsequent procedures (adsorption, press filtration, flocculating settling, slurry separation, and carbon filtration) increased it back to 38.60 pg/L (1.66 pg I-TEQ/L). Moreover, the multi-step leachate treatment also effectively reduced the concentrations of heavy metals to 1-4 orders of magnitude lower than the national emission standards. Furthermore, the PCDD/Fs and heavy metals in other multiple media (soil, landfill leachate, groundwater, and river water) and their spatial distribution characteristics site were also investigated. No evidence showed any influence of the landfill on the surrounding liquid media. The slightly higher concentration of PCDD/Fs in the soil samples was ascribed to other waste management processes (transportation and unloading) or other local source (hazardous incineration plant). Therefore, proper management of landfills and leachate has a negligible effect on the surrounding environment.

Identification of priority areas for water ecosystem services by a techno-economic, social and climate change modeling framework.

Water scarcity and quality deterioration often occur in economically developing regions, particularly during crises related to climate change or increasing human activities. The assignment of priority areas is considered a suitable strategy for stakeholders to mitigate water crises and cope with water stress. However, most studies focused on protecting water bodies in priority areas and did not consider the hydrological/hydrochemical/hydroecological interaction between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. We divided a watershed into manageable areas to select priority areas for multiple water-related ecosystem services (WES-priority areas), considering the aquatic-terrestrial interactions to predict the effects of climate change and human activities. The proposed novelty framework couples the soil and water assessment tool and maximum entropy models with a systematic conservation planning tool. It uses the gross domestic product as the economic cost to assess dynamic changes and social-environmental driving forces. A case study is conducted in the Xiangjiang River basin, a modified watershed of the main tributary of the Yangtze River, China. Results revealed that most of the WES-priority areas were located in the southern and southeastern regions of the upper reaches in all climatic scenarios. The conservation efficiency of the WES-priority areas decreased from 1.264 to 0.867 in 50 years, indicating that the level of protection declined as climate change accelerated. The precipitation was positively correlated with the WES-priority area selection in all climate scenarios. The temperature was only negatively correlated with the WES-priority areas when it exceeded 20 °C, and this effect became more pronounced as the temperature increased. The topographic factors had the most crucial impacts on the upstream priority areas selection. The water flow regulation service played a leading role in identifying WES-priority areas in the middle reaches because the priority areas' distribution here was closely related to the water yield, and its proportion decreased with the acceleration of global warming. The number of WES-priority areas was relatively low in the lower reaches. It was positively associated with the gross domestic product and the amount of built-up land. The proposed framework for WES-priority areas identification enables a sound trade-off between environmental protection and economic development.

Multi-dimensional vulnerability analysis on catastrophic health expenditure among middle-aged and older adults with chronic diseases in China.

OBJECTIVE: Middle-aged and older adults are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases because of their particular health characteristics, which lead to a high incidence of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE). This study plans to analyse the different factors affecting CHE in middle-aged and older adults with chronic diseases, target the vulnerable characteristics, and suggest groups that medical insurance policies should pay more attention to. METHODS: The data used in this study came from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database. The method of calculating the CHE was adopted from the World Health Organization (WHO). The logistic regression was used to determine the family characteristics of chronic disease in middle-aged and older adults with a high probability of incurring CHE. RESULTS: The incidence of CHE in middle-aged and older adults with chronic disease was highest in sub-poverty level families (26.20%) was lowest in wealthier level families (20.07%). Households with malignant tumours had the highest CHE incidence under any circumstances, especially if the householder had been using inpatient service in the past year. Among the comparison of CHE incidence in different types of medical insurance, the Urban and Rural Residents' Basic Medical Insurance (URRBMI) was the highest (27.46%). The incidence of CHE was 2.73 times (95% CI 2.30-3.24) and 2.16 times (95% CI 1.81-2.57) higher among people who had used inpatient services in the past year or outpatient services in the past month than those who had not used them. CONCLUSIONS: Relatively wealthy economic conditions cannot significantly reduce the financial burden of chronic diseases in middle-aged and older adults. For this particular group with multiple vulnerabilities, such as physical and social vulnerability, the high demand and utilization of health services are the main reasons for the high incidence of CHE. After achieving the goal of lowering the threshold of universal access to health services, the medical insurance system in the next stage should focus on multiple vulnerable groups and strengthen the financial protection for middle-aged and older adults with chronic diseases, especially for patients with malignant tumours.

Discrete-Time Advanced Zeroing Neurodynamic Algorithm Applied to Future Equality-Constrained Nonlinear Optimization With Various Noises.

This research first proposes the general expression of Zhang et al. discretization (ZeaD) formulas to provide an effective general framework for finding various ZeaD formulas by the idea of high-order derivative simultaneous elimination. Then, to solve the problem of future equality-constrained nonlinear optimization (ECNO) with various noises, a specific ZeaD formula originating from the general ZeaD formula is further studied for the discretization of a noise-perturbed continuous-time advanced zeroing neurodynamic model. Subsequently, the resulting noise-perturbed discrete-time advanced zeroing neurodynamic (NP-DTAZN) algorithm is proposed for the real-time solution to the future ECNO problem with various noises suppressed simultaneously. Moreover, theoretical and numerical results are presented to show the convergence and precision of the proposed NP-DTAZN algorithm in the perturbation of various noises. Finally, comparative numerical and physical experiments based on a Kinova JACO2 robot manipulator are conducted to further substantiate the efficacy, superiority, and practicability of the proposed NP-DTAZN algorithm for solving the future ECNO problem with various noises.

Assessment of the effects of mimicking tissue microstructural properties on apparent diffusion coefficient and apparent exchange rate in diffusion MRI via a series of specially designed phantoms.

PURPOSE: Diffusion MRI provides a valuable tool for imaging tissue microstructure. However, due to the lack of related experimental methods and specially designed phantoms, no experimental study has been conducted yet to quantitatively assess the effects of membrane permeability, intracellular volume fraction (IVF), and intracellular diffusivity on the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) obtained from diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and the effects of membrane permeability on the apparent exchange rate (AXR) obtained from filter exchange imaging (FEXI). METHODS: A series of phantoms with three adjustable parameters was designed to mimic tissue microstructural properties including membrane permeability, IVF, and intracellular diffusivity. Quantitative experiments were conducted to assess the effects of these properties on ADC and AXR. DWI scans were performed to obtain axial and radial ADC values. FEXI scans were performed to obtain AXR values. RESULTS: Axial ADC values range from 1.148 µm2 /ms to 2.157 µm2 /ms, and radial ADC values range from 0.904 µm2 /ms to 2.067 µm2 /ms. Radial ADC decreased with a decrease in fiber permeability. Decreased axial and radial ADC values with increased intra-fiber volume fraction, and increased polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) concentration of the intra-fiber space were observed. AXR values range from 2.1 s-1 to 4.9 s-1 . AXR increases with fiber permeability. CONCLUSION: The proposed phantoms can quantitatively evaluate the effects of mimicking tissue microstructural properties on ADC and AXR. This new phantom design provides a potential method for further understanding the biophysical mechanisms underlying the change in ADC and diffusion exchange.

Epidemiological trends of urinary tract infections, urolithiasis and benign prostatic hyperplasia in 203 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTI), urolithiasis, and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are three of the most common nonmalignant conditions in urology. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive and updated epidemiological data. This study aimed to investigate the disease burden of UTI, urolithiasis, and BPH in 203 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: Data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease 2019, including incident cases, deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and corresponding age-standardized rate (ASR) from 1990 to 2019. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) were calculated to evaluate the trends of ASR. The associations between disease burden and social development degrees were analyzed using a sociodemographic index (SDI). RESULTS: Compared with 1990, the incident cases of UTI, urolithiasis, and BPH increased by 60.40%, 48.57%, and 105.70% in 2019, respectively. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of UTI increased (EAPC = 0.08), while urolithiasis (EAPC = - 0.83) and BPH (EAPC = - 0.03) decreased from 1990 to 2019. In 2019, the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of UTI and urolithiasis were 3.13/100,000 and 0.17/100,000, respectively. BPH had the largest increase (110.56%) in DALYs in the past three decades, followed by UTI (68.89%) and urolithiasis (16.95%). The burden of UTI was mainly concentrated in South Asia and Tropical Latin America, while the burden of urolithiasis and BPH was recorded in Asia and Eastern Europe. Moreover, the ASIR and SDI of urolithiasis in high-SDI regions from 1990 to 2019 were negatively correlated, while the opposite trend was seen in low-SDI regions. In 2019, the ASIR of UTI in females was 3.59 times that of males, while the ASIR of urolithiasis in males was 1.96 times higher than that in females. The incidence was highest in the 30-34, 55-59, and 65-69 age groups among the UTI, urolithiasis, and BPH groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Over the past three decades, the disease burden has increased for UTI but decreased for urolithiasis and BPH. The allocation of medical resources should be based more on the epidemiological characteristics and geographical distribution of diseases.

Global, regional, and national burden of kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers and their attributable risk factors, 1990-2019.

BACKGROUND: The burden of kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers has changed in recent decades. This study aims to investigate the global and regional burden of, and attributable risk factors for genitourinary cancers during the past 30 years. METHODS: We extracted data of kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database, including incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and attributable risk factors from 1990 to 2019. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) were calculated to assess the changes in age-standardized incidence rate, age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR), and age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR). The associations between cancers burden and socio-demographic index (SDI) were also analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with 1990, the global incident cases in 2019 were higher by 154.78%, 123.34%, and 169.11% for kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers, respectively. During the 30-year study period, there was a downward trend in ASMR and ASDR for bladder cancer (EAPC = - 0.68 and - 0.83, respectively) and prostate cancer (EAPC = - 0.75 and - 0.71, respectively), but an upward trend for kidney cancer (EAPC = 0.35 and 0.12, respectively). Regions and countries with higher SDI had higher incidence, mortality, and DALYs for all three types of cancers. The burden of bladder and prostate cancers was mainly distributed among older men, whereas the burden of kidney cancer increased among middle-aged men. Smoking related mortality and DALYs decreased, but high body mass index (BMI) and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) related mortality and DALYs increased among kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers remain major global public health challenges, but with distinct trend for different disease entity across different regions and socioeconomic status. More proactive intervention strategies, at both the administrative and academic levels, based on the dynamic changes, are needed.

Assessment models and dynamic variables for dynamic life cycle assessment of buildings: a review.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is widely used to quantify the environmental performance of buildings. Recently, the potential temporal variations in the lifetime of buildings and their influences on assessment results have attracted considerable attention. Dynamic LCA (DLCA) is an emerging research topic. This study provides an overview of the current scenario of DLCA studies in the building field. A literature survey was conducted by searching through scientific literature databases; 48 articles met the inclusion criteria. Eleven dynamic variables as well as their addressing approaches were summarized and analyzed. A few typical dynamic assessment models were synthesized and compared to present the methodology progress. Finally, considering the existing limitations, a few research directions were recommended: setting cutoff criteria for dynamic variables, developing a dynamic database, and considering the interactions between dynamic variables. The analyses in this study indicate that research on the DLCA of buildings needs interdisciplinary cooperation. This review promotes in-depth understanding about DLCA research of buildings and offers valuable implications for environmental practice. The highlighted future research directions facilitate further explorations in this research area.

Underestimated or overestimated? Dynamic assessment of hourly PM2.5 exposure in the metropolitan area based on heatmap and micro-air monitoring stations.

Spatio-temporal distributions of air pollution and population are two important factors influencing the patterns of mortality and diseases. Past studies have quantified the adverse effects of long-term exposure to air pollution. However, the dynamic changes of air pollution levels and population mobility within a day are rarely taken into consideration, especially in metropolitan areas. In this study, we use the high-resolution PM2.5 data from the micro-air monitoring stations, and hourly population mobility simulated by the heatmap based on Location Based Service (LBS) big data to evaluate the hourly active PM2.5 exposure in a typical Chinese metropolis. The dynamic "active population exposure" is compared spatiotemporally with the static "census population exposure" based on census data. The results show that over 12 h on both study periods, 45.83% of suburbs' population-weighted exposure (PWE) is underestimated, while 100% of rural PWE and more than 34.78% of downtown's PWE are overestimated, with the relative difference reaching from -11 µg/m3 to 7 µg/m3. More notably, the total PWE of the active population at morning peak hours on weekdays is worse than previously realized, about 12.41% of people are exposed to PM2.5 over 60 µg/m3, about twice as much as that in census scenario. The commuters who live in the suburbs and work in downtown may suffer more from PM2.5 exposure and uneven environmental resource distribution. This study proposes a new approach of calculating population exposure which can also be extended to quantify other environmental issues and related health burdens.

A method to establish an "immortalized F2 " sporophyte population in the economic brown alga Undaria pinnatifida (Laminariales: Alariaceae).

Studies of quantitative trait loci based on genetic linkage maps require the establishment of a mapping population. Permanent mapping populations are more ideal than temporary ones because they can be used repeatedly. However, there has been no reported permanent sporophyte population of economically important kelp species. Based on the characteristics of the kelp life cycle, we proposed a method to establish, and then constructed experimentally, an "immortalized F2 " (IF2 ) population of Undaria pinnatifida. Doubled-haploid "female" and "male" sporophytes were obtained through the parthenogenesis of a female gametophyte clone and the selfing of a "monoicous" gametophyte clone (originally male), respectively, and they were used as the parents. The F1 hybrid line was generated by crossing the female and male gametophytes derived from the respective female and male parents. Full-sibling F2 gametophyte clones, consisting of 260 females and 260 males, were established from an F1 hybrid sporophyte. Thirty-five females and 35 males were randomly selected and paired to give rise to an IF2 population containing 35 crossing lines. A parentage analysis using 10 microsatellite markers confirmed the accuracy of the IF2 population and indicated the feasibility of this method. This proposed method may be adapted for use in other kelp species, and thus, it will be useful for genetic studies of kelp.