Understanding the removal of heavy metals from stormwater runoff in permeable pavement system.

Understanding the removal of heavy metals (HMs) in permeable pavement systems is of great significance for controlling urban runoff pollution and optimizing structural design. However, few studies have systematically investigated the mechanism of permeable pavement systems in removing HMs from stormwater runoff. In this study, we adopted a hierarchical strategy to understand the efficiency of individual structural layers on HMs removal in a permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) system. Experimental results illuminated that the surface layer exhibited the highest uptakes of HMs, which can remove up to 64 % of Pb2+, 50 % of Cu2+, 28 % of Cd2+ and 13 % of Zn2+. Meanwhile, as the rainfall return period increased, the removal rates of HMs in PICP was gradually decreased. In addition, batch experiments were conducted and the adsorption results were in accordance with the rainfall filtration experiments. More importantly, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and leaching results were investigated to understand the HMs removal mechanism, which found that the ion exchange is the main mechanism in the surface layer to remove HMs, whereas the chemical adsorption play a crucial role in the base and sub-base layers. Overall, these findings provided new insights into the transport patterns of HMs in the internal structural layers of the PICP.

The water-retaining functional slow-release fertilizer modified by carboxymethyl chitosan.

To solve the problem of shortage of agricultural water resources and low utilization rate of fertilizer, a slow-release fertilizer based on chitosan modified water retention function was developed. Solution polymerization and semi-interpenetrating network technology were used to load urea aldehyde into carboxymethyl chitosan superabsorbent resin network. This technology realizes the simultaneous slow release of nutrients and water by using modified chitosan, which has important implications for the application of chitosan in agriculture to regulate the soil water and fertilizer conditions. The optimal preparation conditions were: MBA 0.07 %, KPS 0.8 %, AM to AA mass ratio of 0.3:1, CMC content of 10 %, AA neutralization degree 85 %, UF 20 %, AA+AM mass sum of 10 g, reaction temperature 70 °C and reaction time 2 h. The maximum water absorption rate of the optimized NC reached 172.3 g/g. The cumulative release of nitrogen in 30 days was 83.67 %. The application of NC in sandy soil promoted seed germination and growth. The comprehensive results indicate that NC has broad application prospects in arid areas based on its excellent water retention and nutrient release performance.

Genome-Wide Analysis of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Growth-Regulating Factor (GRF) Transcription Factors.

Flax is an important cash crop globally with a variety of commercial uses. It has been widely used for fiber, oil, nutrition, feed and in composite materials. Growth regulatory factor (GRF) is a transcription factor family unique to plants, and is involved in regulating many processes of growth and development. Bioinformatics analysis of the GRF family in flax predicted 17 LuGRF genes, which all contained the characteristic QLQ and WRC domains. Equally, 15 of 17 LuGRFs (88%) are predicted to be regulated by lus-miR396 miRNA. Phylogenetic analysis of GRFs from flax and several other well-characterized species defined five clades; LuGRF genes were found in four clades. Most LuGRF gene promoters contained cis-regulatory elements known to be responsive to hormones and stress. The chromosomal locations and collinearity of LuGRF genes were also analyzed. The three-dimensional structure of LuGRF proteins was predicted using homology modeling. The transcript expression data indicated that most LuGRF family members were highly expressed in flax fruit and embryos, whereas LuGRF3, LuGRF12 and LuGRF16 were enriched in response to salt stress. Real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that both LuGRF1 and LuGRF11 were up-regulated under ABA and MeJA stimuli, indicating that these genes were involved in defense. LuGRF1 was demonstrated to be localized to the nucleus as expected for a transcription factor. These results provide a basis for further exploration of the molecular mechanism of LuGRF gene function and obtaining improved flax breeding lines.

Design of Self-Integrating Transient Surface Current Density Sensor Integrated Fiber Transmission Link.

The transient surface current density reflects the external coupling of the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) to the tested device. In this paper, the generation mechanism and measurement principle of conductor surface current density are introduced, and the surface current density distribution irradiated by EMP on a typical aircraft structure is simulated and analyzed. The traditional surface current density is usually measured by B-dot antenna, but its output signal is the differential of the measured signal, so additional integrators or numerical integration of the measured data are required. In this paper, a self-integrating surface current sensor based on optical fiber transmission is designed based on the shielded loop antenna with gap structure. The output signal is the real signal waveform to be measured. Compared with coaxial cables, integrated optical fiber transmission improves the anti-interference ability of long-distance transmission signals. At the same time, the design process of the sensor is introduced in detail. The bandwidth of the sensor is 300 kHz~500 MHz, the sensitivity is calibrated at 1.23 (A·m-1)/mV, and the dynamic range is ±25~1400 A·m-1 (35 dB). The surface current of a metal plate is measured in a bounded wave electromagnetic pulse simulator using a detector developed in this paper. The test results show that the developed sensor has good engineering applicability.

Prevalence of sleep disturbances and associated factors among Chinese residents: A web-based empirical survey of 2019.

Background: To identify the prevalence of sleep disorders in China through a large sample study. To explore the relevant social determinants affecting residents' sleep status at both individual and provincial levels based on the theoretical framework of the Dahlgren-Whitehead model. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted from January 20 to February 28, 2019 across 31 provinces of China. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate residents' sleep quality. Multilevel linear regression analysis was used to analyse the influencing factors of sleep disorder. Results: A sample of 107 650 residents completed the survey, and 94 454 questionnaires were included in the final analysis. The crude incidence rate and the age-adjusted rate of sleep disorder in Chinese residents were 19.16% and 21.25%, respectively. Those who were older, female, smokers, drinkers, married, divorced, or widowed, retired, more educated (regression coefficient (b) = 0.172, P < 0.05), had worse self-perceived economic status, and lived far away from community health services (b = 0.758, P < 0.05) were more likely to have sleep problems. Physical exercise, social support (b = -1.705, P < 0.05), and greening coverage of residential areas (b = -1.769, P < 0.05) were protective factors for residents' sleep quality. Conclusions: Sleep disorders are prevalent in the Chinese population, with varying incidence rates across provinces. To improve sleep quality, the Chinese government and health management departments should pay more attention to vulnerable groups and promote healthy lifestyles through education. Additionally, the social network can be utilized to provide social support. Improving the ecological environment and daily living environment is also essential.

Network interpenetrating slow-release nitrogen fertilizer based on carrageenan and urea: A new low-cost water and fertilizer regulation carrier.

Modern agriculture presents new requirements of low cost, high water retention and degradability for superabsorbent and slow-release fertilizers. In this study, carrageenan (CG), acrylic acid (AA), N, N '-methylene diacrylamide (MBA), urea and ammonium persulfate (APS) were used as raw materials. A kind of high water absorption, water retention, nitrogen slow release and biodegradable carrageenan superabsorbent (CG-SA) was prepared by grafting copolymerization. The optimal CG-SA was obtained with a water absorption rate of 680.45 g/g by orthogonal L18(3)7 experiments and single-factor experiments. The water absorption behavior of CG-SA in deionized water and salt solution were studied. The CG-SA was characterized before and after degradation by FTIR, SEM. The nitrogen release behavior and kinetic characteristics of CG-SA were investigated. In addition, CG-SA degraded 58.33 % and 64.35 % in soil at 25 °C and 35 °C after 28 days. All the results indicated that the low-cost and degradable CG-SA can achieve simultaneous slow release of water and nutrients, which is expected to be widely used as a new water-fertilizer integration technology in arid and poor areas.

Worldwide dispensing of non-prescription antibiotics in community pharmacies and associated factors: a mixed-methods systematic review.

This mixed-method systemic review estimated the pooled prevalence of non-prescription antibiotic dispensing in community pharmacies worldwide and identified associated factors influencing the practice. 162 studies covering 52 countries were included. The pooled prevalence of community pharmacy non-prescription antibiotic dispensing was 63·4% (95% CI 59·6-67·1). The prevalence was significantly higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. Additionally, the situation of dispensing antibiotics without prescriptions has not improved over time in the past two decades. Quantitative studies showed that pharmacies located in poorer economic areas, pharmacy staff who were also the pharmacy owners, and private pharmacies were more likely to dispense non-prescription antibiotics. Qualitative findings suggested four major factors driving antibiotics being dispensed without a prescription. First, strong customer demand for non-prescription antibiotics and a lack of relevant knowledge; second, pharmacy staff motivated by financial or personal viewpoints; third, alternative health-care services being expensive or inconvenient, or having irregular prescribing practices; and finally, weak social, industry, and legal regulation. The current antibiotic stewardship needs to be strengthened.

The developmental basis of fingerprint pattern formation and variation.

Fingerprints are complex and individually unique patterns in the skin. Established prenatally, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that guide fingerprint ridge formation and their intricate arrangements are unknown. Here we show that fingerprint ridges are epithelial structures that undergo a truncated hair follicle developmental program and fail to recruit a mesenchymal condensate. Their spatial pattern is established by a Turing reaction-diffusion system, based on signaling between EDAR, WNT, and antagonistic BMP pathways. These signals resolve epithelial growth into bands of focalized proliferation under a precociously differentiated suprabasal layer. Ridge formation occurs as a set of waves spreading from variable initiation sites defined by the local signaling environments and anatomical intricacies of the digit, with the propagation and meeting of these waves determining the type of pattern that forms. Relying on a dynamic patterning system triggered at spatially distinct sites generates the characteristic types and unending variation of human fingerprint patterns.

Scalp hair loss is not random across follicular units: A new insight into human hair ageing.

OBJECTIVES: Scalp hair has the greatest number of hairs (typically 1-5) per follicular unit but is also the most susceptible body site to hair loss with age. Hence, we set-out to determine the degree to which scalp hair parameters change with age in women and men, any sex differences thereof and whether hair loss is random across follicular units. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study of 200 Chinese men and 200 Chinese women (30-69 years). Image analysis and manual counting methods were used to measure occipital located hair parameters from 6 × 8 mm shaved scalp photographs and plucked hair microscopy images. RESULTS: Of the five hair parameters, the number of hairs per follicular unit had the greatest (negative) correlation with age in both men and women. Men had a greater number of hairs and follicular units than women on average but had a greater decrease in the number of hairs per follicular unit with age, particularly for the loss of multi-hair (3+) follicular units. The loss of hairs with age was significantly different to that expected by a random loss of hairs across follicular units and better described by a model of increased hair loss risk the greater number of hairs per follicular unit. CONCLUSIONS: We have found evidence of hair loss preferentially occurring in multi-hair follicular units, which was more pronounced in men. These data suggest that part of the reason scalp hair is more susceptible to hair loss than on other body sites is due to the greater presence of multi-hair follicular units on the scalp.

OBJECTIFS: Le cuir chevelu possède le plus grand nombre de cheveux (généralement de 1 à 5) par unité folliculaire, mais c'est aussi le site le plus sensible à la perte de cheveux avec l'âge. Nous avons donc entrepris de déterminer dans quelle mesure les paramètres des cheveux du cuir chevelu changent avec l'âge chez les femmes et les hommes, quelles sont les différences entre les sexes et si la perte de cheveux est aléatoire entre les unités folliculaires. MÉTHODES: Étude transversale rétrospective portant sur 200 hommes et 200 femmes chinois (30-69 ans). Des méthodes d'analyse d'image et de comptage manuel ont été utilisées pour mesurer les paramètres des cheveux situés dans la région occipitale à partir de photographies du cuir chevelu rasé de 6x8 mm et d'images microscopiques de cheveux arrachés. RÉSULTATS: Parmi les 5 paramètres capillaires, le nombre de cheveux par unité folliculaire présentait la corrélation la plus forte (négative) avec l'âge, tant chez les hommes que chez les femmes. Les hommes avaient en moyenne un plus grand nombre de cheveux et d'unités folliculaires que les femmes, mais le nombre de cheveux par unité folliculaire diminuait davantage avec l'âge, en particulier pour la perte d'unités folliculaires à plusieurs cheveux (3+). La perte de cheveux avec l'âge était significativement différente de celle attendue par une perte aléatoire de cheveux dans les unités folliculaires, et mieux décrite par un modèle d'augmentation du risque de perte de cheveux plus le nombre de cheveux par unité folliculaire est élevé. CONCLUSIONS: Nous avons trouvé des preuves que la perte de cheveux se produit préférentiellement dans les unités folliculaires à plusieurs cheveux, ce qui était plus prononcé chez les hommes. Ces données suggèrent qu'une partie de la raison pour laquelle les cheveux du cuir chevelu sont plus sensibles à la perte de cheveux que sur d'autres sites du corps est due à la plus grande présence d'unités folliculaires à cheveux multiples sur le cuir chevelu.

Occurrence and correlated factors of physical and verbal violence among emergency physicians in China.

Background: Workplace violence against emergency physicians is a global concern. However, there was relatively little research on the incidence and correlated factors of workplace violence among emergency physicians in China. We aimed to investigate the occurrence and correlated factors of physical and verbal violence among emergency physicians in China. Methods: We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study from July 2018 to August 2018. We included a total of 10 457 emergency physicians from 31 provinces across China in the analysis. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic characteristics, work-related factors, psychological characteristics, and workplace violence. We applied binary logistic regression to examine the correlated factors of physical and verbal violence among emergency physicians. Results: The prevalence of physical and verbal violence among emergency physicians in China was 27.63% and 81.81%, respectively. Regarding socio-demographic factors, male emergency physicians with bachelor's degrees or higher, poor sleep quality, and unfavorable health conditions were more likely to experience workplace violence. Concerning work-related factors, emergency physicians who had longer years of service, worked a higher frequency of night shifts per month and served more patients per day had a greater prevalence of workplace violence. As for individual psychological characteristics, negative affect was positively correlated with workplace violence, while self-efficacy and positive affect were negatively correlated with workplace violence. Conclusions: The situation of physical and verbal violence against emergency physicians in China is severe, especially verbal violence. Hospital administrators should pay more attention to the workplace violence of emergency physicians and take measures to decrease the occurrence of workplace violence efficiently, such as reducing their workload and cultivating their positive affect and self-efficacy.

Color computational ghost imaging by deep learning based on simulation data training.

We present a new color computational ghost imaging strategy using a sole single-pixel detector and training by simulated dataset, which can eliminate the actual workload of acquiring experimental training datasets and reduce the sampling times for imaging experiments. First, the relative responsibility of the color computational ghost imaging device to different color channels is experimentally detected, and then enough data sets are simulated for training the neural network based on the response value. Because the simulation process is much simpler than the actual experiment, and the training set can be almost unlimited, the trained network model has good generalization. In the experiment with a sampling rate of only 4.1%, the trained neural network model can still recover the image information from the blurry ghost image, correct the color distortion of the image, and get a better reconstruction result. In addition, with the increase in the sampling rate, the details and color characteristics of the reconstruction result become better and better. Feasibility and stability of the proposed method have been verified by the reconstruction results of the trained network model on the color objects of different complexities.

Limb development genes underlie variation in human fingerprint patterns.

Fingerprints are of long-standing practical and cultural interest, but little is known about the mechanisms that underlie their variation. Using genome-wide scans in Han Chinese cohorts, we identified 18 loci associated with fingerprint type across the digits, including a genetic basis for the long-recognized "pattern-block" correlations among the middle three digits. In particular, we identified a variant near EVI1 that alters regulatory activity and established a role for EVI1 in dermatoglyph patterning in mice. Dynamic EVI1 expression during human development supports its role in shaping the limbs and digits, rather than influencing skin patterning directly. Trans-ethnic meta-analysis identified 43 fingerprint-associated loci, with nearby genes being strongly enriched for general limb development pathways. We also found that fingerprint patterns were genetically correlated with hand proportions. Taken together, these findings support the key role of limb development genes in influencing the outcome of fingerprint patterning.

Palmprint Phenotype Feature Extraction and Classification Based on Deep Learning.

Palmprints are of long practical and cultural interest. Palmprint principal lines, also called primary palmar lines, are one of the most dominant palmprint features and do not change over the lifespan. The existing methods utilize filters and edge detection operators to get the principal lines from the palm region of interest (ROI), but can not distinguish the principal lines from fine wrinkles. This paper proposes a novel deep-learning architecture to extract palmprint principal lines, which could greatly reduce the influence of fine wrinkles, and classify palmprint phenotypes further from 2D palmprint images. This architecture includes three modules, ROI extraction module (REM) using pre-trained hand key point location model, principal line extraction module (PLEM) using deep edge detection model, and phenotype classifier (PC) based on ResNet34 network. Compared with the current ROI extraction method, our extraction is competitive with a success rate of 95.2%. For principal line extraction, the similarity score between our extracted lines and ground truth palmprint lines achieves 0.813. And the proposed architecture achieves a phenotype classification accuracy of 95.7% based on our self-built palmprint dataset CAS_Palm.

Multi-MHz MEMS-VCSEL swept-source optical coherence tomography for endoscopic structural and angiographic imaging with miniaturized brushless motor probes.

Swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) enables volumetric imaging of subsurface structure. However, applications requiring wide fields of view (FOV), rapid imaging, and higher resolutions have been challenging because multi-MHz axial scan (A-scan) rates are needed. We describe a microelectromechanical systems vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (MEMS-VCSEL) SS-OCT technology for A-scan rates of 2.4 and 3.0 MHz. Sweep to sweep calibration and resampling are performed using dual channel acquisition of the OCT signal and a Mach Zehnder interferometer signal, overcoming inherent optical clock limitations and enabling higher performance. We demonstrate ultrahigh speed structural SS-OCT and OCT angiography (OCTA) imaging of the swine gastrointestinal tract using a suite of miniaturized brushless motor probes, including a 3.2 mm diameter micromotor OCT catheter, a 12 mm diameter tethered OCT capsule, and a 12 mm diameter widefield OCTA probe. MEMS-VCSELs promise to enable ultrahigh speed SS-OCT with a scalable, low cost, and manufacturable technology, suitable for a diverse range of imaging applications.

Numerical study of COVID-19 spatial-temporal spreading in London.

A recent study reported that an aerosolized virus (COVID-19) can survive in the air for a few hours. It is highly possible that people get infected with the disease by breathing and contact with items contaminated by the aerosolized virus. However, the aerosolized virus transmission and trajectories in various meteorological environments remain unclear. This paper has investigated the movement of aerosolized viruses from a high concentration source across a dense urban area. The case study looks at the highly air polluted areas of London: University College Hospital (UCH) and King's Cross and St Pancras International Station (KCSPI). We explored the spread and decay of COVID-19 released from the hospital and railway stations with the prescribed meteorological conditions. The study has three key findings: the primary result is that the concentration of viruses decreases rapidly by a factor of 2-3 near the sources although the virus may travel from meters up to hundreds of meters from the source location for certain meteorological conditions. The secondary finding shows viruses released into the atmosphere from entry and exit points at KCSPI remain trapped within a small radial distance of < 50 m. This strengthens the case for the use of face coverings to reduce the infection rate. The final finding shows that there are different levels of risk at various door locations for UCH; depending on which door is used there can be a higher concentration of COVID-19. Although our results are based on London, since the fundamental knowledge processes are the same, our study can be further extended to other locations (especially the highly air polluted areas) in the world.

Optimization of STP Innovation Management Mechanisms Driven by Advanced Evolutionary IoT Arithmetic.

Since industrialization, manufacturing has been an important pillar of a country's economic development. Under the dual pressure of the new trend of global manufacturing development and the loss of competitive advantage of manufacturing industry, it is especially important to accelerate the enhancement of national high technology innovation capacity and the optimization of high technology policy innovation management mechanism driven by advanced evolutionary Internet of Things (IoT) arithmetic. The main of this paper thus introduces the effective method of optimization of high technology policy innovation management mechanism driven by advanced evolutionary IoT arithmetic. To study the optimization of high technology policy innovation management mechanism, a conceptual analysis of currently popular information technologies, such as big data technologies, artificial intelligence technologies, and Internet of Things technologies, and an overview of the application of these technologies in microgrids are given. In the paper, all factors are studied using the STP innovation management mechanism-based approach, and finally, all factors are classified into two categories of cause and effect factors by this approach, and the importance of all factors is ranked. Secondly, a wind power prediction algorithm based on data mining technology and an improved algorithm and a PV power prediction algorithm based on a deep neural network were established with the technical support of high-tech information technology such as big data and artificial intelligence. Finally, the majorization of high technology policy innovation management mechanism driven by advanced evolutionary IoT arithmetic is proposed.

Genome-wide association studies and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing identify regulatory variants influencing eyebrow thickness in humans.

Hair plays an important role in primates and is clearly subject to adaptive selection. While humans have lost most facial hair, eyebrows are a notable exception. Eyebrow thickness is heritable and widely believed to be subject to sexual selection. Nevertheless, few genomic studies have explored its genetic basis. Here, we performed a genome-wide scan for eyebrow thickness in 2961 Han Chinese. We identified two new loci of genome-wide significance, at 3q26.33 near SOX2 (rs1345417: P = 6.51×10(-10)) and at 5q13.2 near FOXD1 (rs12651896: P = 1.73×10(-8)). We further replicated our findings in the Uyghurs, a population from China characterized by East Asian-European admixture (N = 721), the CANDELA cohort from five Latin American countries (N = 2301), and the Rotterdam Study cohort of Dutch Europeans (N = 4411). A meta-analysis combining the full GWAS results from the three cohorts of full or partial Asian descent (Han Chinese, Uyghur and Latin Americans, N = 5983) highlighted a third signal of genome-wide significance at 2q12.3 (rs1866188: P = 5.81×10(-11)) near EDAR. We performed fine-mapping and prioritized four variants for further experimental verification. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing provided evidence that rs1345417 and rs12651896 affect the transcriptional activity of the nearby SOX2 and FOXD1 genes, which are both involved in hair development. Finally, suitable statistical analyses revealed that none of the associated variants showed clear signals of selection in any of the populations tested. Contrary to popular speculation, we found no evidence that eyebrow thickness is subject to strong selective pressure.

Multiethnic GWAS Reveals Polygenic Architecture of Earlobe Attachment.

The genetic basis of earlobe attachment has been a matter of debate since the early 20th century, such that geneticists argue both for and against polygenic inheritance. Recent genetic studies have identified a few loci associated with the trait, but large-scale analyses are still lacking. Here, we performed a genome-wide association study of lobe attachment in a multiethnic sample of 74,660 individuals from four cohorts (three with the trait scored by an expert rater and one with the trait self-reported). Meta-analysis of the three expert-rater-scored cohorts revealed six associated loci harboring numerous candidate genes, including EDAR, SP5, MRPS22, ADGRG6 (GPR126), KIAA1217, and PAX9. The large self-reported 23andMe cohort recapitulated each of these six loci. Moreover, meta-analysis across all four cohorts revealed a total of 49 significant (p < 5 × 10-8) loci. Annotation and enrichment analyses of these 49 loci showed strong evidence of genes involved in ear development and syndromes with auricular phenotypes. RNA sequencing data from both human fetal ear and mouse second branchial arch tissue confirmed that genes located among associated loci showed evidence of expression. These results provide strong evidence for the polygenic nature of earlobe attachment and offer insights into the biological basis of normal and abnormal ear development.

Indoor PM2.5 exposure affects skin aging manifestation in a Chinese population.

Traffic-related air pollution is known to be associated with skin aging manifestations. We previously found that the use of fossil fuels was associated with skin aging, but no direct link between indoor air pollutants and skin aging manifestations has ever been shown. Here we directly measured the indoor PM2.5 exposure in 30 households in Taizhou, China. Based on the directly measured PM2.5 exposure and questionnaire data of indoor pollution sources, we built a regression model to predict the PM2.5 exposure in larger datasets including an initial examination group (N = 874) and a second examination group (N = 1003). We then estimated the association between the PM2.5 exposure and skin aging manifestations by linear regression. In the initial examination group, we showed that the indoor PM2.5 exposure levels were positively associated with skin aging manifestation, including score of pigment spots on forehead (12.5% more spots per increase of IQR, P-value 0.0371), and wrinkle on upper lip (7.7% more wrinkle on upper lip per increase of IQR, P-value 0.0218). The results were replicated in the second examination group as well as in the pooled dataset. Our study provided evidence that the indoor PM2.5 exposure is associated with skin aging manifestation in a Chinese population.