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The strategy of carbon neutrality is reshaping the global landscape of resource flow and recycling. As the final sink of geological minerals, the proliferated anthropogenic minerals, also called secondary resources, play an increasingly important role in resource supply enrichment. Niobium is a critical metal that lacks full concern for its sustainability. The fundamental principle of niobium circularity is to recycle and maintain the material as close to the manufacturing process as possible. Here we estimate the niobium-containing applications lost at their end-of-life, underscoring the imperative to minimize such disposal. Additionally, we elucidate the extraction processes for scrap and alloy quantities throughout the industry's lifecycle. Drawing from anticipated waste generated by the majority of niobium applications, a forecast indicates a potential loss of approximately 168 kt by 2090 in the absence of recycling. Contrastingly, with a recycling efficiency of 90% for niobium, the projected loss diminishes to approximately 16 kt. We delve into the significance of niobium's circular economy and explore various aspects that demand further investigation for a seamless transition from linear to circular practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Smoothed Particle Finite Element Method (SPFEM) has gained popularity as an effective numerical method for modelling geotechnical problems involving large deformations. To promote the research and application of SPFEM in geotechnical engineering, we present ESPFEM2D, an open-source two-dimensional SPFEM solver developed using MATLAB. ESPFEM2D discretizes the problem domain into computable particle clouds and generates the finite element mesh using Delaunay triangulation and the α -shape technique to resolve mesh distortion issues. Additionally, it incorporates a nodal integration technique based on strain smoothing, effectively eliminating defects associated with the state variable mapping after remeshing. Furthermore, the solver adopts a simple yet robust approach to prevent the rank-deficiency problem due to under-integration by using only nodes as integration points. The Drucker-Prager model is adopted to describe the soil's constitutive behavior as a demonstration. Implemented in MATLAB, this open-source solver ensures easy accessibility and readability for researchers interested in utilizing SPFEM. ESPFEM2D can be easily extended and effectively coupled with other existing codes, enabling its application to simulate a wide range of large geomechanical deformation problems. Through rigorous validation using four numerical examples, namely the oscillation of an elastic cantilever beam, non-cohesive soil collapse, cohesive soil collapse, and slope stability analysis, the accuracy, effectiveness and stability of this open-source solver have been thoroughly confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the impact of infection delays in human and mosquito populations, vaccination with waning immunity and reinfection on the malaria transmission process, a malaria transmission model with these factors is developed and investigated. The local stability of disease-free and endemic equilibria have been discussed explicitly. By taking the delay as the bifurcation parameter, the existence of Hopf bifurcation is analyzed in four cases. Using normal form theory and center manifold theorem, direction and stability of Hopf bifurcation are discussed. Numerically, the bifurcation diagrams show that both delays can destabilize the endemic equilibrium and cause Hopf bifurcation and irregular oscillations, and that stability switches can occur mainly because of the delay in human. In addition, the malaria transmission case of Nigeria is studied. Numerical analysis reveals that ignoring the waning of immunity and reinfection may underestimate the infection risk and enlarge the critical value of Hopf bifurcation. Moreover, combined with sensitivity analysis, we can see that even though vaccination is not so effective in reducing the basic reproduction number, it is efficient for controlling the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the core of blockchain technology, the consensus mechanism ensures the safe and stable operation of the blockchain system. According to the more complex traceability of data when sharing cross-system and cross-chain, the paper proposes the Layered Cross-Chain Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (LC-PBFT) suitable for cross-chain scenarios to ensure the secure traceability of data in the process of cross-chain data traceability. Firstly, in a single chain, the initial reputation value is set according to the success rate and efficiency of the nodes in the historical transactions in the chain, the reputation ranking of the nodes in the chain is realized by the improved PageRank algorithm, and delegated nodes are selected to participate in the cross-chain consensus based on reputation ranking. Then, the forest topology is sorted according to the contribution of the consensus nodes in the cross-chain system, and the consensus results from the child nodes are quickly verified by aggregation signature, which prevents the parent node from tampering with the consensus results of the child nodes. Meanwhile, the consensus process between the sibling nodes in the same layer and the view switching protocol when the master node fails are given. Finally, the performance of the LC-PBFT consensus algorithm is analyzed, and its advantages in performance such as throughput are verified by simulation. Compared with the Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) algorithm, the consensus latency of the LC-PBFT consensus algorithm is reduced by 50.17%, and the throughput is improved by 19.37%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid skirted foundations have remarkably catered to the escalating demands in larger load-bearing capacity of offshore wind turbines due to its outstanding horizontal load resistance capacity and cost-effectiveness in steel utilization. This study employed numerical analysis to investigate the failure mechanisms of hybrid skirted foundations under combined VHM (vertical, horizontal, and moment) loading in silty sand-over-clay deposit and to quantify its load-bearing capacity. Comparisons are made between previous published data and this study, in terms of the failure mechanisms of hybrid skirted foundations in both layered and single-clay soil, yielding a robust consensus. Then, a parametric study is employed to provide insight into the effects of foundation dimensions, upper sand layer thickness, soil parameters, and load intensity on the load-bearing capacity of the hybrid skirted foundation. The research demonstrates that the sand layer thickness and the aspect ratio of foundations play significant influence on the behavioral characteristics of hybrid skirted foundation in a silty sand-over-clay soil deposit. An empirical approximate expression is suggested to estimate the uniaxial and combined bearing capacity of hybrid skirted foundations in silty sand-over-clay deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sardinops melanostictus is mainly distributed in Northwest Pacific Ocean, which is significantly affected by climate change. The carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of the muscles of Japanese sardines from the Northwest Pacific Ocean were measured based on samples taken by the ocean-going fishery resources survey ship "Songhang" in the high seas of the Northwest Pacific Ocean between June and July 2021. The GAM model was then used to examine the effects of both biotic (body length) and abiotic (Latitude, sea surface temperature, offshore distance, chlorophyll-a) factors on the stable nitrogen isotopes; The differences in the trophic niche among sex and body length groups were also analyzed in Japanese sardines in Northwest Pacific Ocean. The results showed that there was no significant difference in muscle δ13C and δ15N between males and females during La Niña years. However, both δ13C and δ15N differed among body length groups. The GAM model's results showed that as body length increases, both δ13C and δ15N exhibited a trend of first decreasing and then increasing; δ13C also exhibits this trend with increasing latitude; δ15N exhibits a negative correlation with both offshore distance and chlorophyll-a. The overlap rate between female and male niche is generally high, with a similar niche width between females and males ranging from 100 to 160 mm. The width of the ecological niche varied across the length groups, and its position changed with growth. However, compared to males, females have substantially broader niches, ranging from 161 to 220 mm. In contrast to usual years, the La Niña year's readings for δ13C and δ15N are all low. The study demonstrates that the feeding ecology of Japanese sardines in Northwest Pacific Ocean varies depending on sex and body length, and that changes in the marine environmental elements under La Niña events affected the feeding ecology of Japanese sardines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the impact of the cold chain logistics center layout on economic benefits, operating efficiency and carbon emissions, a layout optimization method is proposed based on the improved dung beetle algorithm. Firstly, based on the analysis of the relationship between logistics and non-logistics, a multi-objective optimization model is established to minimize the total logistics cost, maximize the adjacency correlation and minimize the carbon emissions; secondly, based on the standard Dung Beetle Optimization (DBO) algorithm, in order to further improve the global exploration ability of the algorithm, Chebyshev chaotic mapping and an adaptive Gaussian–Cauchy hybrid mutation disturbance strategy are introduced to improve the DBO (IDBO) algorithm; finally, taking an actual cold chain logistics center as an example, the DBO algorithm and the improved DBO algorithm are applied to optimize its layout, respectively. The results show that the total logistics cost after optimization of the IDBO algorithm is reduced by 25.54% compared with the original layout, the adjacency correlation is improved by 29.93%, and the carbon emission is reduced by 6.75%, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed method and providing a reference for the layout design of cold chain logistics centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fluorescent probe containing an imine structure was synthesized through a condensation reaction based on the skeleton of antipyrine. Due to the synergistic effect of photoinduced electron transfer (PET), excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), and E/Z isomerization, the probe itself has weak fluorescence. When zinc ions are added to the ethanol solution of the probe, the formed complex inhibits PET, ESIPT, and E/Z isomerization while activating chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF), resulting in fluorescent "turn-on" at 462 nm. Under optimal detection conditions, the probe can rapidly respond to zinc ions within 3 min, with a linear range of 60–220 μM and a lower limit of detection (LOD) of 0.63 μM. It can also specifically identify zinc ions in the presence of 13 common metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to ambient air pollution has significant adverse health effects; however, whether air pollution is associated with urological cancer is largely unknown. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis with epidemiological studies, showing that a 5 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure is associated with a 6%, 7%, and 9%, increased risk of overall urological, bladder, and kidney cancer, respectively; and a 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 is linked to a 3%, 4%, and 4% higher risk of overall urological, bladder, and prostate cancer, respectively. Were these associations to reflect causal relationships, lowering PM2.5 levels to 5.8 μg/m3 could reduce the age-standardized rate of urological cancer by 1.5 ~ 27/100,000 across the 15 countries with the highest PM2.5 level from the top 30 countries with the highest urological cancer burden. Implementing global health policies that can improve air quality could potentially reduce the risk of urologic cancer and alleviate its burden. Whether air pollufion is associated with urological cancer is largely unknown. In this study, the authors reveal correlafions between air pollufion and urological cancer risk: an increase of 5 μg/m3 in PM2.5 and 10 μg/m3 in NO2 would raise risks by 6-9% and 3-4%, respecfively; while lowering PM2.5 to 5.8 μg/m3 may reduce urological cancer burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bird strikes pose one of the most significant threats to aviation safety, often leading to substantial loss of life and economic damage. Many bird strike incidents involve multiple birds. However, in previous bird strike studies, the problem of multiple bird strikes has often been neglected. In this paper, the bird slicing process of a rotating engine fan is examined, and a probability model is introduced to assess the risk of multiple impacts on the fan blades. In addition, this paper utilized an implicit–explicit calculation method. The parameters of blade root stress, tip displacement, plastic deformation, and energy were selected to investigate the effects of the time interval and strike position of a bird strike on the dynamic response of and damage to the blades. The results indicated that the position of bird strikes has a more pronounced effect on blade damage compared to the time interval between impacts. Damage to a blade is most severe when the blade root is struck multiple times. Multiple bird strikes may not always lead to a significant increase in maximum blade tip displacement, and may even have a dampening effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the construction of an offshore wind turbine (OWT) system, the lifting of the wind turbine blade requires setting up of jacks near preinstalled foundations, which could impact the existing adjacent foundations. To explore the movement characteristics of preinstalled caissons induced by the installation of rectangular footings, this study performs large deformation numerical analyses to quantify these influences. A numerical model is generated and validated against existing testing data in terms of penetration resistance of rectangular footings and soil deformation around the structure. An extensive parametric study is then conducted to quantify the influences of caisson aspect ratio, vertical distance between caisson and two rectangular footings, spacing between two rectangular footings, soil strength, the rectangular footing area, and roughness. It is found that the normalized distance between the caisson and the rectangular footing as well as the caisson aspect ratio play important roles in the movement of the adjacent caisson, with rotational angles of 0.05–0.9°, while the rest factors have limited impacts. Based on numerical results, empirical design formulae are proposed for estimating the maximum inclination angle of the caisson which can be used for engineering application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the use of an interlocking gap gradation and rubber powder to improve the crack resistance of a cement-stabilized macadam (CSM) mixture. First, a crack-resistant interlocking gap gradation was designed by controlling the percentage of passing of the critical sieve size and the maximum nominal particle diameter. Second, the effect of different addition orders of rubber powder on the crack resistance of the CSM mixture was explored. Finally, the properties and crack resistance of the CSM mixture were analyzed based on the types of gradation and types of rubber powder. The test results show that the crack-resistant interlocking gap gradation not only strengthens the mechanical properties of the CSM mixture but also improves its crack resistance. CSM mixtures with modified rubber powder and cement added simultaneously exhibit the best crack resistance property and mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotherapy, as a conventional strategy for tumor therapy, often leads to unsatisfied therapeutic effect due to the multi-drug resistance and the serious side effects. Herein, we genetically engineered a thermal-responsive murine Ferritin (mHFn) to specifically deliver mitoxantrone (MTO, a chemotherapeutic and photothermal agent) to tumor tissue for the chemotherapy and photothermal combined therapy of colorectal cancer, thanks to the high affinity of mHFn to transferrin receptor that highly expressed on tumor cells. The thermal-sensitive channels on mHFn allowed the effective encapsulation of MTO in vitro and the laser-controlled release of MTO in vivo. Upon irradiation with a 660 nm laser, the raised temperature triggered the opening of the thermal-sensitive channel in mHFn nanocage, resulting in the controlled and rapid release of MTO. Consequently, a significant amount of reactive oxygen species was generated, causing mitochondrial collapse and tumor cell death. The photothermal-sensitive controlled release, low systemic cytotoxicity, and excellent synergistic tumor eradication ability in vivo made mHFn@MTO a promising candidate for chemo-photothermal combination therapy against colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high energy density and low-cost O3-layered NaNi1/3Fe1/3Mn1/3O2 (NFM) is a representative layered cathode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, its long-term cycling stability needs further improvement and its high voltage usage is highly desired, which is quite challenging. The lack of full understanding of the cycling-induced failures hinders material optimization. Herein, we utilize advanced microanalysis techniques to comprehensively investigate the failure mechanisms of the O3-NFM layered cathode upon low-voltage (2.0–4.0 V) and high-voltage (2.0–4.3 V) cycling. We found that surface degradations play a dominant role during low-voltage cycling, and bulk failures become prominent upon high-voltage cycling. Surface cracking, corrosion, and structure transition together lead to slow charge transfer kinetics, resulting in chronic capacity decay. Bulk degradations such as intragranular cracking, void formation, and interlayer cation mixing severely deteriorate Na storage performance and Na diffusion kinetics, causing rapid capacity decay and voltage fading issues, which are the main challenges of the NFM layered cathode for high voltage usage. High charging cutoff voltage activates the cation migration and condensation, causing a highly disordered layered structure but no phase transition occurs in the bulk. Synergistically stabilizing the surface and bulk structure of the high-voltage O3-layered cathode is essential for achieving superior electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most hot dry rock geothermal wells are small angle directional wells, and rock cuttings easily accumulate at the bottom of the borehole to form a cuttings bed, causing accidents such as drill sticking, reducing the rate of penetration, and drilling tool breakage. Accurately calculating the resistance coefficient and settling velocity of hot dry rock cuttings can improve cuttings transportation efficiency, design and optimize drilling hydraulic parameters, and is crucial to solving borehole cleaning problems. Through visual experiments, this paper obtained experimental data on the settlement of 167 groups of spherical pellets, 153 groups of granite cuttings, and 174 groups of carbonate cuttings in the Herschel-Bulkley fluid. First, a prediction model for the resistance coefficient of spherical pellets consistent with Herschel-Bulkley fluid was established. Based on this, form factor-Roundness is introduced as the starting point, and two prediction models for the resistance coefficients of granite cuttings and carbonate cuttings in the Herschel-Bulkley fluid were established. The average relative errors between the resistance coefficient model predictions and experimental measurements are 9.61% for granite cuttings and 6.59% for carbonate cuttings. The average relative errors between the predicted and measured values of settlement velocity are 7.27% for granite cuttings and 6.21% for carbonate cuttings, respectively, which verifies the accuracy and reliability of the prediction model. The research results can provide a theoretical basis and engineering application guidance for optimizing drilling fluid rheology and circulation displacement in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a pervasive, chronic sleep-related respiratory condition that causes brain structural alterations and cognitive impairments. However, the causal association of OSA with brain morphology and cognitive performance has not been determined. Methods: We conducted a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal relationship between OSA and a range of neurocognitive characteristics, including brain cortical structure, brain subcortical structure, brain structural change across the lifespan, and cognitive performance. Summary-level GWAS data for OSA from the FinnGen consortium was used to identify genetically predicted OSA. Data regarding neurocognitive characteristics were obtained from published meta-analysis studies. Linkage disequilibrium score regression analysis was employed to reveal genetic correlations between OSA and related traits. Results: Our MR study provided evidence that OSA was found to significantly increase the volume of the hippocampus (IVW β (95% CI) = 158.997 (76.768 to 241.227), P = 1.51e-04), with no heterogeneity and pleiotropy detected. Nominally causal effects of OSA on brain structures, such as the thickness of the temporal pole with or without global weighted, amygdala structure change, and cerebellum white matter change covering lifespan, were observed. Bidirectional causal links were also detected between brain cortical structure, brain subcortical, cognitive performance, and OSA risk. LDSC regression analysis showed no significant correlation between OSA and hippocampus volume. Conclusions: Overall, we observed a positive association between genetically predicted OSA and hippocampus volume. These findings may provide new insights into the bidirectional links between OSA and neurocognitive features, including brain morphology and cognitive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae poses a serious threat for inpatients. This study aimed to describe the genomic characteristics of K. pneumoniae causing UTI in a tertiary-care hospital in Beijing, China. Methods: A total of 20 K. pneumoniae strains collected from 2020 to 2021 were performed whole-genome sequencing. The Antibiotic susceptibility of 19 common antimicrobial agents was tested against all strains. The multi-locus sequence types (MLSTs) and serotypes were determined from the WGS data. De novo assemblies were used to identify resistance and virulence genes. The presence and characteristics of the plasmids were detected using hybrid assembly of long and short-read data. Results: These K. pneumoniae strains were clustered into nine sequence types (STs) and twelve K-serotypes. All the carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) strains acquired carbapenemase blaKPC-2 (n=7). Two CRKP strains exhibited increased resistance to Polymyxin B with MIC ≥ 4 mg/L due to insertion of an IS5-like sequence in the mgrB gene, and they were also involved in a transmission event in Intensive Care Unit. Long-read assemblies identified many plasmids co-carrying multiple replicons. Acquisition of a new IncM2_1 type blaCTX-M-3 positive plasmid was observed after transfer from ICU to neurovascular surgery by comparing the two strains collected from the same patient. Conclusion: K. pneumoniae is a significant pathogen responsible for urinary tract infections. The ST11-KL47 strain, prevalent at our hospital, exhibits a combination of high drug resistance and hypervirulence. It is imperative to enhance ongoing genomic surveillance of urinary tract infection-causing pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metagenomic next‐generation sequencing (mNGS) is a valuable technique for identifying pathogens. However, conventional mNGS requires the separate processing of DNA and RNA genomes, which can be resource‐ and time‐intensive. To mitigate these impediments, we propose a novel method called DNA/RNA cosequencing that aims to enhance the efficiency of pathogen detection. DNA/RNA cosequencing uses reverse transcription of total nucleic acids extracted from samples by using random primers, without removing DNA, and then employs mNGS. We applied this method to 85 cases of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI). Influenza virus was identified in 13 cases (H1N1: seven cases, H3N2: three cases, unclassified influenza type: three cases) and was not detected in the remaining 72 samples. Bacteria were present in all samples. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii were detected in four influenza‐positive samples, suggesting coinfections. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting influenza A virus were 73.33% and 95.92%, respectively. A κ value of 0.726 indicated a high level of concordance between the results of DNA/RNA cosequencing and SARI influenza virus monitoring. DNA/RNA cosequencing enhanced the efficiency of pathogen detection, providing a novel capability to strengthen surveillance and thereby prevent and control infectious disease outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of slope subsurface strata for natural soil slopes is essential to assess the stability of potential landslides. The highly variable strata in a slope are hard to characterize by traditional boreholes at limited locations. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a non-destructive method that is capable of capturing continuous subsurface information. However, the accuracy of subsurface identification using GPRs is still an open issue. This work systematically investigates the capability of the GPR technique to identify different strata via both laboratory experiments and on-site examination. Six large-scale models were constructed with various stratigraphic interfaces (i.e., sand–rock, clay–rock, clay–sand, interbedded clay, water table, and V–shaped sand–rock). The continuous interfaces of the strata in these models were obtained using a GPR, and the depths at different points of the interfaces were interpreted. The interpreted depths along the interface were compared with the measured values to quantify the interpretation accuracy. Results show that the depths of interfaces should be interpreted with the relative permittivity, back-calculated using on-site borehole information instead of empirical values. The relative errors of the depth of horizontal interfaces of different strata range within ±5%. The relative and absolute errors of the V–shaped sand–rock interface depths are in the ranges of [−9.9%, 10.5%] and [−107, 119] mm, respectively. Finally, the GPR technique was used in the field to identify the strata of a slope from Tanglang Mountain in China. The continuous profile of the subsurface strata was successfully identified with a relative error within ±5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As stringent demands for PI materials with low-temperature curable properties have increased in the high-frequency communication era, the introduction of flexible structures has gained prominence for enhancing molecular chain mobility. However, systematic studies on the effect of flexible structures on low-temperature curing ability remain limited. In this work, we designed a new dianhydride monomer with isopropylidene and ester groups named TABPP. Low-temperature curable polyimides with different molecular chain flexibility were prepared by choosing different diamines and anhydrides. Surprisingly, the degree of imidization was not straightforwardly aligned with molecular chain flexibility. An exemplar instance was PI-9-200, exhibiting the greatest flexibility among the samples, yet possessing the lowest degree of imidization (ID) of 68.59%. Based on the analysis of experimental results and front-line orbital energy levels, it could be seen that the mismatch between the ID and the flexibility may originate from the influence of electronic effects of the monomers. Notably, when enough flexible structures were introduced into the polyimide backbone, the effect of increasing the free volume appeared to outweigh the influence of incomplete imidization, thereby favoring the preparation of low-temperature curable PI films with outstanding dielectric properties. In particular, the dielectric constant of the prepared low-temperature curable PI films was as low as 2.50, which is the best performance among the low-temperature curable PI films. This work throws new light on the correlation between flexibility and low-temperature curing ability and offers fresh perspectives on the preparation of low-temperature curable PIs with excellent dielectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a previous study, we utilized saturated prewet high titanium heavy slag sand to produce UHPC (ST-UHPC). ST-UHPC has high impact and abrasion resistance. For better ST-UHPC applications, we investigate the mechanism of ST-UHPC under different curing systems from the microstructure and macroscopic perspective in this paper. We prepared ST-UHPC under four maintenance conditions: 20 °C standard curing, 90 °C steam curing, 90 °C dry curing and 210 °C 2 MPa pressure steam curing. Then, we analyzed the hydration product composition, the degree of cement hydration, the C-A-S-H gel microstructure and the substitution of Al3+ for Si4+ in relation to these prepared ST-UHPCs. Compared with standard curing, dry curing at 90 °C accelerated the water evaporation and reduced the hydration degree of ST-UHPC cementite. However, pressure steam curing significantly improved the hydration degree of ST-UHPC cementing material, and increased the MCL and Al[4]/Si of C-A-S-H gel. In addition, pressure steam curing reduced the Ca/Si and promoted the conversion of C-A-S-H cementing to tobermorite. Compared with dry curing at 90 °C, pressure steam curing significantly improved the macroscopic properties of ST-UHPC. The macro-performance difference of ST-UHPC under standard curing and 90 °C steam curing is small. The reason is that steam curing caused the water to be rapidly released in the internal aggregate of ST-UHPC. This resulted in the increase of the interface between the internal aggregate of ST-UHPC and the ST-UHPC cementate. The harmful pores in the ST-UHPC matrix under steam curing were also increased. To sum up, compared with standard curing, dry curing at 90 °C weakened the mechanical properties and microstructure of ST-UHPC, but steam pressure curing increased them. The single steam curing had no significant effect on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the ST-UHPC. Therefore, non-steam and room-temperature moisturizing maintenance should be adopted for anti-abrasive UHPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tri-axis MEMS accelerometers are used in a wide range of applications such as health monitoring, industrial electronics and navigation guidance due to their low cost, high performance and integration. At this stage, the main structure of commercial products of triaxial accelerometers is the integration of three single-axis capacitive accelerometers. However, many reports have shown that resonant accelerometers can achieve better performance than capacitive accelerometers. In this paper, a novel triaxial accelerometer include a dual-axis resonantors and two torsional elements is proposed. The prototype was fabricated using MEMS processing technology and had a footprint of 10.8 mm × 10.8 mm. A non-vacuum package is adopted to guarantee the stability of the torsional accelerometers included. As a result, a low Q value is obtained for each part included. The effect of low Q is analyzed and its control circuit is optimized to obtain excellent stability. Finally, the triaxial accelerometer prototype was tested to evalute its performance, the Q value of each resonantors is lower than 100, the cross-axis coupling coefficient is below than 0.5%, the nonlinearity is belower than 0.053% at a range of ± 10 g and the bias instability at each axis is 5.7 μg, 4.8 μg and 73 μg respectively (X, Y and Z aixs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quality of life (QoL) of older adults has become a pivotal concern of the public and health system. Previous studies found that both cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) can affect QoL in older adults. However, it remains unclear how these symptoms are related to each other and impact on QoL. Our aim is to investigate the complex network relationship between cognitive and NPS symptoms in older adults, and to further explore their association with QoL. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 389 older individuals with complaints of memory decline. The instruments included the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, the Mini Mental State Examination, and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey. Data was analyzed using network analysis and mediation analysis. Results: We found that attention and agitation were the variables with the highest centrality in cognitive and NPS symptoms, respectively. In an exploratory mediation analysis, agitation was significantly associated with poor attention (β = -0.214, P < 0.001) and reduced QoL (β = -0.137, P = 0.005). The indirect effect of agitation on the QoL through attention was significant (95% confidence interval (CI) [-0.119, -0.035]). Furthermore, attention served as a mediator between agitation and QoL, accounting for 35.09% of the total effect. Conclusions: By elucidating the NPS-cognition-QoL relationship, the current study provides insights for developing rehabilitation programs among older adults to ensure their QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current hardware equipment used to detect the content of each element component in the rare earth extraction process has a complex structure and high maintenance cost. A modeling method for the soft measurement of rare earth multi-element component content is proposed to address this issue. This method uses the Multi-LightVGG multi-tasking learning model and the Multi Gradient Descent Algorithm based on Optimized Upper Bound (MGDA-OUB) to optimize the model for each prediction task and find the Pareto optimal solution. After conducting several experiments, the Multi-LightVGG model loaded with MGDA-OUB has lower MRE, RMSE for Pr, Nd prediction, and MAX(|error|) for Nd prediction than the Multi-LightVGG model without MGDA-OUB by 0.3778%, 0.5208%, 0.0015, 0.0015, and 0.1985%, respectively; and the MRE and RMSE of the Multi-LightVGG model for Pr and Nd prediction under the same optimization conditions are lower than those of Multi-ResNet18 by 0.3297%, 0.5423%, 0.0019, and 0.002, respectively, thus indicating that MGDA-OUB can effectively solve multiple task-specific Pareto solutions to avoid possible conflicts between specific tasks, while the Multi-LightVGG model, compared to the Multi-Resnet18 model, has a backbone network that can effectively capture the abstract representations in the images of the rare earth-extraction mixed solution, which in turn improves the prediction accuracy of the content of each elemental component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the leaching process of ion-adsorbed rare earth ores, large amounts of non-rare earth impurities such as aluminum and iron will be generated. This study selected glutamic acid as a complex agent to selectively calculate aluminum ions; then, added non-ionic surfactants and extract and separate aluminum ions from a rare earth solution using the cloud point extraction method. The effects of solution pH, reaction temperature, equilibration time, amount of glutamic acid, reaction time, and amount of Triton X-114 on aluminum extraction were investigated. The results showed that with a Mglu:MAl ratio of 3:1, a solution pH of 4.5, a constant temperature of 40 °C, and the addition of 10 mL Triton X-114 after 10 min of reaction time, the single extraction efficiency of aluminum ions reached 78.01%, and the extraction efficiency of rare earths was only 5.09% after 10 min of equilibration time. The reaction equation of glutamic acid with aluminum ions was determined, and the lowest extraction concentration of aluminum ions in the glutamic acid complexation extraction solution was found to be cAl = 0.045 ± 0.003 g/L, with a separation coefficient of β(Al/RE) = 66.15. This result indicated that the aluminum ions in the mixed solution could be effectively separated from the rare earth ions when using glutamic acid as a complexing agent in combination with the turbidity point extraction method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let the bi-parameter Fourier integral operators be defined by the phase functions φ 1 (x 1 , ξ) , φ 2 (x 2 , ξ) ∈ L ∞ Φ 2 satisfying the rough non-degeneracy condition and the amplitude a ∈ L p B S ϱ m with m = (m 1 , m 2) ∈ R 2 , ϱ = (ϱ 1 , ϱ 2) ∈ [ 0 , 1 ] × [ 0 , 1 ] . It is proved that if 0 < r ≤ ∞ , 1 ≤ p , q ≤ ∞ , satisfying the relation 1 r = 1 q + 1 p , then these operators are bounded from L q to L r provided m i < - ϱ i (n - 1) 2 (1 s + 1 min (p , s ′) ) + n (ϱ i - 1) s i = 1 , 2 , where s = min (2 , p , q) and 1 s + 1 s ′ = 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entering the era of knowledge economy, knowledge is the important source of economic growth and is the basis for ensuring the sustainable development of economy even under any disadvantageous environment. This paper addresses the comparison of economic strength between China and the USA from a view of knowledge economy. To this end, based on analysis of previous studies, the authors conceptualize the knowledge-based economic strength, establish the indicators system for its comparison between China and the USA, and conduct the comparison and analysis based on them. The findings are that (1) while China gets ahead of the USA in exports of high-tech manufactures and numbers of knowledge resources, the USA gets ahead of China in GDP per capita, receipts of intellectual properties, human capital, financial expenditure, and ICT infrastructure, (2) China has mostly focused on quantitative growth of knowledge resources rather than qualitative growth, (3) China has devoted many efforts to the decrease of differences in almost all aspects of knowledge-based economic strength from the USA, and (4) for both countries, degrees of contributions of resource indicators to GDP per capita are different. Given that competition between China and the USA enters the new stage, this comparative study may serve as the policy basis in taking the technological measures for further strengthening its own economic strength for China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial waste is the byproduct of many industrial processes. Estimating the recycling potential of industrial waste can help solve the anthropogenic circularity conundrum. Here we employed the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) to verify GDP as a route to "amplified resource efficiency". The results provide substantial evidence for an inverted U and N relationship between the hypothesized GDPPC and industrial waste generation. During 2011–2025, the recycling potential in China showed a downward trend. China is projected to experience a dramatic increase in the production of industrial hazardous waste until the successful implementation of industrial hazardous waste prevention measures reverses the current trends. The turning point of the EKC between industrial waste generation and economic development is around US$8000, while the comprehensive utilization is 102.22 million tons. The EKC inflection points established by the study are correlated with the waste category's turning point. The revised EKC claims that technological change may accelerate the turning points; thus, the graph shifts downward and right. The study recommends investing in new technology development to help the industry produce virgin and recycled industrial waste for a circular economy. Recycling potential evaluation also assists us to achieve our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human astroviruses (HAstV) are etiologic agents of acute gastroenteritis that most often afflict young children and elderly adults. Most studies of HAstV have focused on epidemiology. In this study, we collected 10 stool samples from a diarrhea outbreak from a diarrhea sentinel surveillance hospital in Beijing. Samples were evaluated immediately using parallel multiplex RT-qPCR and nanopore sequencing, and were then amplified by designed primers and Sanger sequencing to obtain whole genome sequences. Six isolates were categorized as HAstV-5 and subjected to whole genome analysis to characterize their genetic variation and evolution. Full genome analysis revealed low genetic variation (99.38–100% identity) among isolates. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates were closely related to domestic strains Yu/1-CHN and 2013/Fuzhou/85. The recombination breakpoint of the six isolates was located at 2741 bp in the overlap region of ORF1a and ORF1b, similar to those of Yu/1-CHN and 2013/Fuzhou/85. Overall, our study highlights the combined use of RT-qPCR and sequencing as an important tool in rapid diagnosis and acquisition of whole genome sequences of HAstV. Highlights: We parallel used multiplex RT-PCR and nanopore sequencing to identify Human astroviruse from 10 stool samples of a diarrhea outbreak from a diarrhea sentinel surveillance hospital in this study. Six isolates were categorized as HAstV-5 and subjected to whole genome analysis to characterize their genetic variation and evolution.It is showed that the combined use of RT-PCR and sequencing as an important tool in rapid diagnosis and acquisition of whole genome sequences of HAstV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of accelerators has been a common approach to prepare low‐temperature curable polyimide (PI). However, the accelerators have gradually fallen out of favor because of their excessive dosages and negative effect on the properties of PI. In this work, a new strategy of introducing accelerators by grafting to eliminate these disadvantages is presented. A novel quinoline derivative named 6‐([1,1′‐biphenyl]−4‐yl)−4‐chloroquinoline (NQL) is designed for this purpose, and an ultralow dosage of only 2.5 mol% is sufficient to prepare low‐temperature curable PI. The favorable low‐temperature curing effect of NQL is attributed to its strong alkalinity (pKa = 18.47) and electron‐donating ability. At a curing temperature of 200 °C, the PI with 2.5 mol% NQL showed outstanding properties (Young's modulus of 5.73 GPa, elongation of 37.3%, tensile strength of 237 MPa, and coefficient of thermal expansion of 16 ppm K−1). In particular, NQL can even lower the curing temperature to 180 °C and the ultralow temperature curable PI film still retains excellent properties. These results demonstrate that introducing low‐temperature curable accelerators by partial grafting instead of blending is a promising way to furnish low‐temperature curable PI, and provide insights into the preparation of polyimide with high performance in advanced packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited by the switching frequency of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), the system bandwidth of high-power inverters is low. If the amplitude and phase changes of each harmonic from the reference signal to the output waveform are defined as transmission characteristics, it can be concluded that the limited bandwidth will result in nonlinear system transmission characteristics. This results in the amplitude and phase distortion of each harmonic of the asymmetric sine wave, which in turn leads to severe distortion of the output waveform. Therefore, this article proposes a method to linearize transmission characteristics. This method effectively offsets the nonlinear effect of transmission characteristics, which is caused by the limited bandwidth, by causing distortions with respect to each harmonic in the reference signal, thereby suppressing the distortion of the output waveform. In addition, an online identification method of transmission characteristics based on a state observer is proposed to achieve the online linearization of system transmission characteristics. This method does not rely on closed-loop system control, has no stability problems, and can be used for a variety of control methods. Simulation and experiments verify the effectiveness of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kidney cancer incidence demonstrates significant geographic variation suggesting a role for environmental risk factors. This study sought to evaluate associations between groundwater exposures and kidney cancer incidence. Methods: The authors identified constituents from 18,506 public groundwater wells in all 58 California counties measured in 1996–2010, and obtained county‐level kidney cancer incidence data from the California Cancer Registry for 2003–2017. The authors developed a water‐wide association study (WWAS) platform using XWAS methodology. Three cohorts were created with 5 years of groundwater measurements and 5‐year kidney cancer incidence data. The authors fit Poisson regression models in each cohort to estimate the association between county‐level average constituent concentrations and kidney cancer, adjusting for known risk factors: sex, obesity, smoking prevalence, and socioeconomic status at the county level. Results: Thirteen groundwater constituents met stringent WWAS criteria (a false discovery rate <0.10 in the first cohort, followed by p values <.05 in subsequent cohorts) and were associated with kidney cancer incidence. The seven constituents directly related to kidney cancer incidence (and corresponding standardized incidence ratios) were chlordane (1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.10), dieldrin (1.04; 95% CI, 1.01–1.07), 1,2‐dichloropropane (1.04; 95% CI, 1.02–1.05), 2,4,5‐TP (1.03; 95% CI, 1.01–1.05), glyphosate (1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.04), endothall (1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.03), and carbaryl (1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.03). Among the six constituents inversely related to kidney cancer incidence, the standardized incidence ratio furthest from the null was for bromide (0.97; 95% CI, 0.94–0.99). Conclusions: This study identified several groundwater constituents associated with kidney cancer. Public health efforts to reduce the burden of kidney cancer should consider groundwater constituents as environmental exposures that may be associated with the incidence of kidney cancer. This study analyzed 180 groundwater exposures in California and used a water‐wide association study (WWAS) platform, based on XWAS methodology, to identify associations between groundwater exposures and kidney cancer incidence. Results revealed 13 groundwater constituents meeting stringent WWAS criteria, with seven directly linked to increased kidney cancer incidence, suggesting that public health efforts should consider environmental exposures that may be associated with the incidence of kidney cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-strength large-volume marine concrete is a critical material required for the construction of large-span sea-crossing bridges. However, the widespread issue of cracking in this concrete type significantly impacts the durability and load-bearing capacity of concrete structures. Dealing with these cracks not only delays construction schedules but also increases project costs. Addressing these pressing technical issues, this project proposes the use of newly developed high-modulus heat-shrinkable fibers (polyethylene terephthalate fiber, also known as PET fiber) from the textile industry. These fibers utilize the heat generated during the hydration of large-volume concrete to trigger its contraction, applying three-dimensional micro-prestressing stress to enhance its crack resistance, while simultaneously incorporating prewetted aggregates with high-performance micro-porous structures and utilizing their internal curing effect to reduce concrete shrinkage. This helps to minimize the loss of micro-prestressing stress caused by concrete shrinkage and creep. This synergistic approach aims to improve the crack resistance of high-strength large-volume marine concrete. By employing modern testing and simulation analysis techniques, this study aims to uncover the mechanism by which the heat-shrinkable fibers exert micro-prestressing stress on concrete and the water release mechanism of internal curing aggregates during the temperature rise and fall stages of large-volume concrete. It seeks to elucidate the cooperative regulation of the microstructure and performance enhancement mechanisms of high-strength large-volume marine concrete by the heat-shrinkable fibers and internal curing aggregates. This research will lead to the development of novel methods for the design and crack control of high-strength large-volume marine concrete, which will be validated through engineering demonstrations. The outcomes of this study will provide theoretical foundations and technical support for the preparation of the crack-resistant large-volume marine concrete used in large-span bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics are important drugs for the treatment of microbial infections and related diseases. However, due to the abuse of antibiotics, drug resistance has become a serious and urgent problem. The development of new antibiotics is a crucial area of research, and natural products are one of the main sources of novel antibiotics. Among various potential natural antimicrobial products, saponins attracted much attention due to their excellent and broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. Although there are several reviews on antibacterial saponins, this review is the first to highlight the potential antibacterial mechanisms of saponins from both experimental and molecular simulation perspectives to provide a comprehensive panorama of the field. This review presents the current progress in the development and repurposing of natural-product antibiotics. The focus is centered on antimicrobial saponins discovered in recent years as well as the synergistic effect of some saponins with traditional antibiotics. This review presents experimental and simulation studies in this field to provide a multiscale overview of the antimicrobial mechanisms of saponins and potential directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is necessary to accurately assess the inflow and infiltration conditions in sewer systems if sewer overflows are to be avoided. In this regard, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is widely utilized for hydrological time-series forecasting. However, hydrological time-series have been found to be highly nonlinear and dynamic, such that the original LSTM model cannot simultaneously consider the spatiotemporal correlations of the input sequences for water flow rate forecasting. To address this problem, we propose using an LSTM with spatiotemporal attention (LSTM-STA) model, one based on encoder-decoder architecture, as this will allow accurate forecasting of the water flow rate. The encoder incorporates a spatial attention mechanism module allowing it to adaptively capture the key spatial attributes from all related spatial attributes at each time step. The decoder also incorporates a temporal attention mechanism module for dynamically discovering the key encoder hidden states from all time steps in the window. Using the spatiotemporal attention mechanism, the LSTM-STA model comprehensively considers all the important factors influencing the water flow rate forecasting, in both temporal and spatial dimensions. We performed extensive experiments; applying the LSTM-STA model to real-world hydrological time-series datasets, each one containing 52,704 sampled data points while leveraging state-of-the-art SVR-rbf, MLP, CNN1D, GRU, LSTM, Encoder-Decoder, LSTM-SA, and LSTM-TA as baselines. The experimental results demonstrated that the LSTM-STA model outperforms the state-of-the-art baseline models. Specifically, the LSTM-STA model yields the lowest RMSE, MAE, MAPE, and the highest R2 in the test process, said values being 73.19, 33.37, 1.09, and 0.99858, respectively. We also verified the stability and hyperparameter sensitivity of the LSTM-STA model. Furthermore, we visualized the spatial attention weights and benefitted from spatial interpretability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of bridge structural engineering, it is customary to meticulously contemplate the material's strength and rigidity attributes during the dimensioning phase. In recent years, there has been a burgeoning interest in employing Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete (abbreviated as UHPC) for the construction of bridge decks and wet joints. However, the large self-shrinkage of UHPC can easily lead to shrinkage cracking and affect its service life. This study delves into the utilization of a blend of basalt coarse aggregate and high-modulus aggregate (HMA) in the formulation of Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete (UHPC) with the objectives of achieving exceptional strength (>180 MPa), superior modulus of elasticity (>56 GPa), and synergistic effect of using prewetted internal curing aggregate (ICA), metallurgical ore sand (MOS), and calcium–magnesium composite-based expansion agent (EA) to reduce the shrinkage of UHPC. Furthermore, the mechanical properties, shrinkage, hydration process, and microstructure of UHPC prepared with EA and ICA were studied. The results show that UHPC prepared with both 3% EA and 20% ICA had the optimal volume stability (the shrinkage was only 273 με at 180 d). In contrast, the 180 d shrinkage of UHPC with 3% EA and 20% ICA separately was 287 με and 373 με, respectively. In addition, the incorporation of EA and ICA can effectively improve the flexural strength of UHPC, although it affects the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of UHPC (small decrease). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorder with regression (ASD‐R) is characterized by the loss of previously acquired skills during the initial year of life. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, patterns of regression, and potential risk factors associated with ASD‐R in the Chinese Han population. A case–control study was conducted between September 2020 and March 2022. A total of 186 children were enrolled, including 58 children with ASD‐R, 70 with ASD without regression (ASD‐NR), and 58 typically developing children. Demographic information, clinical characteristics, and potential risk factors related to ASD‐R were assessed using a combination of questionnaires, interviews, and physician assessments. The results revealed that children with ASD‐R exhibited more severe impairments in social communication and stereotyped behaviors compared with those with ASD‐NR. Language regression, constituting 40% of cases within the ASD‐R group, was found to be the most common type of regression. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that fever (OR = 4.01, 95% CI: 1.26–12.76) and diarrhea (OR = 6.32, 95% CI: 1.38–29.03) were identified as significant risk factors for ASD‐R. These findings contribute to our understanding of the heterogeneity of ASD and highlight the importance of considering immune responses and gastrointestinal factors in the etiology of ASD‐R. Lay Summary: This study aimed to understand autism spectrum disorder with regression (ASD‐R) in a Chinese population by examining its characteristics and potential risk factors. The researchers compared children with ASD‐R, ASD without regression (ASD‐NR), and typically developing children. They found that children with ASD‐R had more severe difficulties in social communication and stereotyped behaviors. Language regression was the most common type of regression observed. Additionally, fever and diarrhea were identified as significant risk factors for ASD‐R. These findings provide valuable insights into the unique features of ASD‐R and highlight the importance of considering immune responses and gastrointestinal factors in its development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how different types of social interaction and competitive information in exergaming affect older adults' motivation and attitude toward playing exergames. A 2 (time: pre- vs. posttest) × 3 (social interaction: play alone vs. play with peer vs. play with youth) × 2 (competition: competition informed vs. noncompetition informed) mixed experiment was conducted with 319 Singaporean older adults over 6 weeks through a three-way analysis of variance. Social interaction was found to significantly affect the changes of extrinsic motivation over time, while competitive information affected intrinsic motivation significantly. The results showed significant three-way interaction effects between time, social interaction, and competitive information on older adults' extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. The changes of attitude over time were not affected by either social interaction or competitive information. The findings contribute to aging research and advance the knowledge of potential factors that promote the effective implementation of exergames for community older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the associations between maternal exposure to PFASs and infant birth weight and to explore evidence for a possible dose-response relationship. Four databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Medline before 20 September 2022 were systematically searched. A fixed-effect model was used to estimate the change in infant birth weight (g) associated with PFAS concentrations increasing by 10-fold. Dose-response meta-analyses were also conducted when possible. The study follows the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A total of 21 studies were included. Among these studies, 18 studies examined the associations between PFOA and birth weight, 17 studies reported PFOS, and 11 studies discussed PFHxS. Associations between PFHxS (ES = −5.67, 95% CI: −33.92 to 22.59, P = 0.694) were weaker than those for PFOA and PFOS (ES = −58.62, 95% CI: −85.23 to −32.01, P < 0.001 for PFOA; ES = −54.75, 95% CI: −84.48 to −25.02, P < 0.001 for PFOS). The association was significantly stronger in the high median PFOS concentration group (ES = −107.23, 95% CI: −171.07 to −43.39, P < 0.001) than the lower one (ES = −29.15, 95% CI: −63.60 to −5.30, P = 0.097; meta-regression, P = 0.045). Limited evidence of a dose-response relationship was found. This study showed negative associations between maternal exposure to PFASs and infant birth weight. Limited evidence of a dose-response relationship between exposure to PFOS and infant birth weight was found. Further studies are needed to find more evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial waste is the byproduct of many industrial processes. Estimating the recycling potential of industrial waste can help solve the anthropogenic circularity conundrum. Here we employed the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) to verify GDP as a route to "amplified resource efficiency". The results provide substantial evidence for an inverted U and N relationship between the hypothesized GDPPC and industrial waste generation. During 2011–2025, the recycling potential in China showed a downward trend. China is projected to experience a dramatic increase in the production of industrial hazardous waste until the successful implementation of industrial hazardous waste prevention measures reverses the current trends. The turning point of the EKC between industrial waste generation and economic development is around US$8000, while the comprehensive utilization is 102.22 million tons. The EKC inflection points established by the study are correlated with the waste category's turning point. The revised EKC claims that technological change may accelerate the turning points; thus, the graph shifts downward and right. The study recommends investing in new technology development to help the industry produce virgin and recycled industrial waste for a circular economy. Recycling potential evaluation also assists us to achieve our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foam concrete was prepared by water glass as the initiator in cement, mineral powder and large amount of phosphogypsum cement for subgrade filling. And the influence of cement content on the properties of foam concrete was studied in order to further reduce the cement content and improve the utilization rate of solid waste. The results show that the optimal cement content is 15%, and the flow value and 28d compressive strength of foam concrete are 172 mm and 3.36 MPa, respectively. At the same time, foam concrete with different wet densities was prepared by adjusting the foam content, and when the wet density was 600kg/m³ and 700kg/m³, the compressive strength of 28d was 0.61 MPa and 0.87 MPa respectively, which still met the requirements of the current subgrade material for the compressive strength of foam concrete; when the cement content was 8%, the peak heat release rate and 7d heat release were the largest. With the decrease of cement content, foam concrete expands under 80% humidity conditions, and foam concrete expands early and shrinks late under 60% humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]