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Our case was unique in that the tumor was located in the spinal marrow of a patient with congenital lumbosacral malformations and a postpoliomyelitis paralytic limb. For these, gross total tumor resections rather than subtotal resection were reported to have favorable clinical outcomes in terms of time free of disease.[2] In our case, the tumor in the spinal marrow underwent total resection, and the patient remained free of disease at our last follow-up. Congenital Lumbosacral Malformations with Low-Grade Neuroepithelial Tumor Causing Progressive Postpoliomyelitis Paralytic Limb. [Extracted from the article]

• A variational level set model based on additive image decomposition is proposed. • A novel indirect regularization scheme is introduced in the model. • The proposed model can effectively segment intensity inhomogeneous images with noise. The variational level set model is widely used in image segmentation. However, it suffers from the limited performance when the images are contaminated by noise and intensity inhomogeneity. To solve this problem, a variational level set model based on additive decomposition is proposed in this paper. First, we decompose the image into three components: structure, intensity inhomogeneity and noise, which are regularized by different metrics. Specially, the structure component is regularized as a piecewise constant function in bounded variation (BV) space; the intensity inhomogeneity is modeled as a smooth function that is regularized by H 1 space, and the residual containing noise is measured by L 2 norm. Furthermore, a new indirect regularization term for level set function is designed to enhance the accuracy of the segmentation outcomes. And then, alternate direction iteration algorithm combining with gradient descent and ADMM to solve the proposed model. Experiments on both synthetic and real images validate the proposed model. Compared with five state-of-the-art models, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model exhibits the significant improvement in both accuracy and efficiency, outperforming all other methods. Quantitative evaluations show the average segmentation coefficients for Jaccard, Dice and Accuracy against ground truth are 0.93, 0.95 and 0.96, respectively, and the average running time is 0.80 seconds, further confirming its superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total variation (TV) regularization model has the excellent performance in noise-removing and edge-preserving. However, it often yields staircase artifacts in the smooth region of the restorations. To attack this problem, we propose a generalized hybrid nonconvex variational regularization model in this paper, which utilizes two nonconvex regularizers to impose the priors to the two different components of the images, respectively. One is nonconvex TV regularizer that measures the piecewise constant component of the input image, and the other is nonconvex Laplacian regularizer that models the piecewise smooth component. New model inherits the advantages of the nonconvex regularization and the first- and second-order hybrid variational regularization, which can well remove the noises while preserving edges and reducing staircase artifacts. To solve this nonconvex minimization problem efficiently, we propose a first-order algorithm based on alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) combining with majorization–minimization (MM) scheme. In addition, a sufficient condition for the convergence of the proposed algorithm is provided. In the experiments, we compare the proposed model with several state-of-the-art image denoising models, numerical results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm for both synthetic and real images in terms of peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM) indexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing family income, the prevalence of overweight has risen and become a serious threat to individual health and a major public health challenge in China. This study attempts to shed light on the mechanism of income impact on the adult health outcomes of BMI and overweight through five potential channels: nutritional intakes, dietary diversity, dietary knowledge, food preference, and dining out. Using the panel data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), we investigate the causal relationship between income and health by considering the changes in the minimum wage as a valid instrument to address the endogeneity problem of income in health estimation. The results indicate that rising income increases the adults' BMI and the propensity to be overweight; approximately 15.58% and 16.20% of income impact on BMI and overweight could be explained by the five channels considered, respectively. Among the five channels, dietary diversity plays the most significant role in explaining the income impact. We observe significant heterogeneity in income-BMI gradients across various income quantiles and subsamples. Specifically, income-BMI gradients tend to increase along with income percentiles, and income has a significantly positive impact on BMI and overweight for the male sample but it shows no significant impact for the female sample. • Five important mechanisms of income impact on BMI and overweight are highlighted. • The endogeneity of income is addressed by using minimum wage as an instrument. • Rising income increases the adults' BMI and the propensity to be overweight. • Dietary diversity plays the most significant role in explaining the income impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract This work aims to investigate the changes in the shear and oscillation responses of an ethoxylated alkylamine emulsion with the addition of acetic acid and establishes their relationships with the emulsion phase inversion. The initial emulsion behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid exhibiting shear thinning with a viscoelastic gel structure (at rest). Upon the addition of acetic acid, the emulsion first transforms to a structureless (at rest) non-Newtonian fluid with lower viscosity and worse shear thinning compared with the initial state and then converts back to a non-Newtonian fluid with a higher gel strength, higher elasticity (at rest) and better shear thinning than the initial state as the phase inversion proceeds from an oil-continuous stage to a bicontinuous stage. This regained non-Newtonian character can be maintained throughout the whole bicontinuous stage and can even extend to the beginning of the water-continuous stage which is obtained from the bicontinuous stage by increasing the acetic acid content; however, it is ultimately replaced by a structureless (at rest) non-Newtonian fluid that exhibits lower viscosity and worse shear thinning compared with the initial state as the acetic acid content increases. The establishment of relationships among the interfacial moduli and deformation, geometrical factors (i.e., interfacial curvature, droplet shape and size and positional structure) and the liquid crystal phase behaviors help to elucidate the mechanisms that control the rheological transitions of emulsions. Based on these results, a novel water-washable viscoelastic emulsion drilling fluid is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest Farm Carbon Sink (FFCS) projects are one of the effective ways to achieve carbon neutrality and mitigate global warming. Though the existing literature has widely discussed the effect of FFCS on the allocation of agricultural factors, such as land, labor employment structure and income structure, little is known about whether FFCS projects could have an effect on agricultural development. Based on the panel data of 140 counties in Sichuan province, China, from 2002 to 2018, we examined the causal effect on agricultural total factor productivity (TFP), and revealed their dynamic effect and underlying mechanisms. Propensity score matching and the difference in difference (PSM-DID) method were used to address the endogeneity problem of FFCS implementation. Results showed that FFCS projects increased agricultural TFP by 1.7%–2.4%. Health, saving and industrial structure were the important channels through which FFCS projects affect agricultural TFP. Our findings suggest that policies promoting FFCS projects can increase agricultural TFP while achieving environmental goals—a win-win situation. • The causal effect of FFCS projects on agricultural development was examined. • A theoretical framework was constructed to quantify FFCS projects and agricultural development. • FFCS projects significantly increased agricultural TFP by 1.7%–4.9%. • FFCS projects affect agricultural TFP in short term but not in the medium and long term. • Health, saving and industrial structure were the important channels underlying the effect of FFCS projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis, in which T cell responses and cytokines may play critical roles in the development of the disease. TIM-3 may affect immune responses and is correlated with decreased expression of interferon gamma (INF-γ) in CD4+ T cells. In the current study, we investigated the association between polymorphisms in the TIM-3 gene and susceptibility to OA. Two polymorphisms in TIM-3, −574G/T and +4259T/G polymorphisms, were identified in OA cases and healthy donors by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Data revealed that the prevalence of TIM-3 +4259T/G genotype was significantly elevated in OA patients than in the healthy donors after adjustment (Odds ratio [OR] = 2.67, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.32-5.11, P < 0.001). Similarly, the TIM-3 +4259G allele presented a positive association with the risk of OA after adjustment (OR = 2.58, 95 % CI 1.29-4.82, P = 0.003). The TIM-3 −574G/T polymorphism did not show any correlation with the disease. We further examined whether the two TIM-3 polymorphisms could affect INF-γ expression in CD4+ T cells. Data revealed that subjects carrying polymorphic +4259TG genotype had significantly higher mRNA and protein levels of INF-γ in CD4+ T cells compared to wild-type GG genotype ( P < 0.001 and P < 0.01). These results indicated that TIM-3 polymorphism is associated with increased susceptibility to OA possibly by upregulating INF-γ expression in CD4+ T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reversible invert emulsion muds (RIEMs) offer unique advantages over other oil-based muds for the completion of a well due to the pH-responsiveness of reversible emulsifiers. This paper presents new insights into the effects of pH-responsiveness on the completion performance of RIEMs and the mechanisms involved. At pH 4 and 6, RIEMs are easy to remove, but the formation damage is relatively severe. At pH 10, the removal of RIEMs is relatively difficult but can be facilitated by intense and repeated flushes. Once the mud has been removed, there is little formation damage. At pH 8, the mud is very difficult to remove, and the greatest amount of formation damage is observed. The spontaneous curvature of the surfactant layer changes at pH 4 and 6, resulting in the emulsion inversion and thereby enabling the removal of RIEMs by the solvent effect. These changes do not occur at pH 8 and 10. More emulsifiers adsorb to the rock surface at pH 4, 6, and 8, resulting in a strongly oil-wet condition and high formation damage. The desorption of emulsifiers occurs at pH 10, causing a water-wet condition and low formation damage. The variety in chemical states accounts for the changes in the adsorption behavior of the emulsifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Two phase inversion pathways in ethoxylated alkylamine emulsion are proposed. [•] Two pathways have the same threshold and different destinations. [•] Phase inversion is induced by the addition of acetic acid, but not exclusively. [•] Phase inversion mechanisms rely on changes in the spontaneous curvature. [•] Structural transition images help in understanding phase inversion mechanisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A novel visible light photocatalyst of iron(II) bipyridine complex encapsulated within NaY zeolite was explored. [•] The photocatalyst for oxygenation of styrene has high turnovers and high selectivity. [•] The photocatalyst was also effective for oxidation of other olefins. [•] Photooxygenation of styrene occurs within the supercages of zeolite Y. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Active contour based methods are effective models for image segmentation. However, they always suffer from the limited performance due to the presence of noise and intensity inhomogeneity. To solve this problem, a kernel metric induced local image fitting (KLIF) variational model is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a kernel metric induced local fitting image (KLFI) is introduced by minimising a kernel metric based energy. The combination of the kernel metric and the local fitting image enables the model to be more robust to the noise and intensity inhomogeneity. And then, using the KLFI, a variational level set model that is a squared l2 distance between the KLFI and the original image is constructed. Two regularisation terms are employed in the model to keep the level set function to be stable during the evolution. At last, an alternating iterative algorithm combining with fixed‐point iteration and gradient descent of three‐step time‐splitting is introduced to solve the proposed model. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed model for image segmentation in the presence of noise and intensity inhomogeneity, and demonstrate the competitive performance over several state‐of‐the‐art variational models in term of accuracy and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NH 2 - and HO- functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) inhibit shale hydration excellently. • NH 2 - functionality was more favorable to shale inhibition than HO- functionality. • ILs in WBDs inhibit viscosity build-up at high temperatures. • ILs cause the filtration and inhibition failure of WBD without colloidal protection. • ILs inhibit shale hydration by minimizing crystalline and osmotic hydration of clay. Shale hydration is the main cause of wellbore instability during drilling using water-based drilling fluids (WBD). In this work, NH 2 - and HO-functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) were investigated for their performances on inhibiting the shale hydration, as well as their influences on the properties of WBD, using immersion and sedimentation tests, linear swelling test, hot-rolling dispersion test, rheological and filtration experiments. The mechanisms were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta-potential and particle size distribution analyses, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and related theoretical analysis. Evaluation experiment results showed that the NH 2 -functionalized IL had the best inhibition performance, followed by poly(propylene glycol)bis(2-aminopropyl ether), HO-functionalized IL and KCl. NH 2 -functionality was more favorable to shale inhibition than HO-functionality. When used in WBD, ILs could prevent viscosity building-up at high temperature, but cause filtration and inhibition failure, which could be mitigated when polyanionic cellulose (PAC) was added in WBD prior to inhibitors. Three critical observations helped elucidate the inhibitive mechanisms: the intercalation of cationic groups of ILs into the clay interlayers, the decrease of both interlayer spacing and double layer thickness. The NH 2 -functionalized IL allowed the smallest interlayer spacing and double layer thickness and therefore performed best in inhibition. The inhibition failure in WBD with ILs depended on two aspects: the consumption of ILs untimely and the filtration failure of WBD. PAC could decrease both of ILs' loss within WBD and water loss toward shale, mitigating the WBD's inhibition failure. Our work will facilitate the rational design of efficient and environmentally acceptable inhibitors and their rational applications in WBD for drilling shale formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variational regularization, renowned for its sound theoretical foundations and impressive performance, is widely used in image restoration. The traditional regularization models typically use a predefined regularizer to promote smoothness in the solution. However, these models do not explicitly take into account any external information that should be preserved in the restoration. In this paper, we introduce a novel guided regularization model to enhance the efficacy of traditional regularization. Our model incorporates an external guidance regularizer, utilizing a guidance image to bolster the quality of restoration. By integrating this external information into the regularization process, the model is better equipped to preserve specific features or attributes indicated by the guidance image, leading to more accurate and aesthetically pleasing restored images. Furthermore, we demonstrate the convexity of the model and prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution. The alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithm is employed to numerically solve the proposed model. In the experimental evaluation, the proposed model is applied to image denoising and deblurring tasks. The experiments successfully validate the proposed model and algorithm. Compared with several state-of-the-art models, the proposed model demonstrates the best performance in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index (SSIM). • A novel guided regularization model is proposed, which aims to incorporate additional guidance into regularization process. • We demonstrate the convexity of the model and prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution. • The proposed guided regularization model is applied to image denoising and deblurring tasks, yielding satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clay is closely associated with the drilling of oil and gas by influencing the shale wellbore stability and the rheology of drilling fluids. In this work, four imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) were used to modify the typical clay (i.e., sodium bentonite (Na-Bent)), and their effects on the Na-Bent rheological and swelling properties were evaluated by shear rheological measurements, immersion experiment, linear swelling measurements. The mechanisms involved were identified by using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Zeta-potential and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) analysis. Evaluation experiment results showed that the adsorption of each IL could both significantly affect the Na-Bent rheological property and inhibit the Na-Bent swelling, which strongly depended on ILs' structures and concentrations. The mechanism study revealed that the cationic groups of ILs could adsorb on Na-Bent prior to water molecules, followed by expelling water and compressing the double electrode layers, and therefore inhibit the Na-Bent swelling. The adsorption of ILs could also change aggregation behaviors of the Na-Bent particles, by which the "house of cards" structures in Na-Bent dispersions were improved or destroyed, resulting in changes in rheological properties of Na-Bent dispersions. Unlabelled Image • An ionic liquid (IL) can affect the clay rheological and swelling behaviors • Effects of IL on clay depend on IL's structure and concentration • Preferential adsorption of IL expels water and compresses double electrode layers • IL inhibits clay swelling by minimizing crystalline and osmotic hydration of clay • Changes of "house of card" structure account for the clay rheological transitions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing consumer demand has increased environmental pressure. Altering consumer behavior may be one strategy to achieve emission reduction targets. China's carbon labeling system is still in its infancy, and consumers' response to carbon labeling products is still uncertain. This study investigates consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for carbon-labeled agricultural products (CAP) in different regions, the factors influencing them, and the strategies to implement carbon labeling. The results suggest that 77.60% of respondents are willing to pay more for CAP. The premium WTP for carbon-labeled milk, corn, bananas, tomatoes, and eggs is 25.66%, 31.96%, 24.08%, 23.62%, and 20.64%. Low-carbon awareness and the peer effect greatly and favorably impact people's reception of carbon labeling. Respondents' WTP for carbon labeling is considerably and favorably influenced by their acceptance of carbon labeling. We also put forward some suggestions on the promotion strategy of CAP from the perspective of government, enterprises, and consumers. • This study investigates consumers' WTP for carbon-labeled agricultural products (CAP). • 77.60% of respondents are willing to pay more for CAP. • People's reception of CLP is impacted by low-carbon awareness and peer effect. • Respondents' WTP for carbon labels is influenced by their acceptance of CAP. • We offer some advice on promoting CAP from multiple perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of community thyroid cancer survivors in Hangzhou, China, and to explore the important correlates defining HRQoL. Methods: All thyroid cancer patients who met study criteria in 183 communities were invited to participate (N = 1551). A self-administered questionnaire including collection of personal information and HRQoL instruments was completed by each participant (n = 970), with a response rate of 62.5%. HRQoL was assessed using the Short Form 36 Health Survey and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire. Data for comparison were derived from a representative Hangzhou community sample (N = 1790). After bivariate analyses, multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate independent associations between socio-demographic variables, clinical characteristics, life-style behaviors, and HRQoL. Results: Information from 965 participants was available for analysis. A total of 92.1% were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, known as the most common type of thyroid cancer. In general, thyroid cancer survivors have impaired quality of life compared to the age- and sex-matched reference population using the Short Form 36 Health Survey. Thyroid cancer survivors reported the highest level of fatigue and insomnia. Multivariable regression analyses showed that being employed, higher education, and per capita disposable income (24,000–56,000 ¥ per year), and undertaking 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days a week were independent correlates of high physical component summary scores, while being overweight or obese and having a higher dose of levothyroxine intake per day had a negative influence. Being employed, higher per capita disposable income (>56,000 ¥ per year), undertaking 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days a week, and eating more fruit were positively associated with mental component summary scores, while females and patients having more surgeries reported lower mental component summary scores. The global quality of life scale scores were associated with education, employment status, marital status, per capita disposable income, physical activity per week, fruit intake per day, and type of surgery. Conclusion: Although patients with thyroid cancer have a very good prognosis overall, in this study, they often experienced more problems than the community reference population, independent of their age and sex. Sex, education, marital status, employment status, weight status, per capita disposable income, number of surgeries, type of surgery, physical activity per week, fruit intake, and levothyroxine intake per day are important correlates of HRQoL of thyroid cancer survivors. Awareness of these relevant factors could help healthcare professionals provide better supportive care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carcinoembryonic antigen related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) is a trans-membrane multifunctional cell adhesion molecule associated with tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, invasion, and migration during tumor development. In the present study, we evaluated serum CEACAM1 level in osteosarcoma patients to explore its diagnostic and prognostic value for this particular malignancy. Sera from 113 patients with primary osteosarcoma, 98 patients with benign bone tumors and 126 healthy controls were obtained. Serum CEACAM1 level was measured with ELISA and correlation with clinicopathological characteristics was further analyzed. Receiver operating curves (ROC), Kaplan-Meier curves, and log-rank analyses as well as Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate diagnostic and prognostic significance. The results revealed that serum CEACAM1 level was significantly higher in osteosarcoma patients compared to benign bone tumors and healthy controls (455.2 ± 179.9 vs 287.4 ± 103.2, 260.8 ± 109.7 pg/ml, respectively). Osteosarcoma patients with larger tumors, later-tumor stages, low tumor grades, and distant metastases had much higher CEACAM1 compared to those with smaller tumors, earlier tumor stages, high tumor grades and non-distant metastases (P < 0.05 for all). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that high serum CEACAM1 level was an independent risk factor for distant metastases (OR = 3.02, 95%CI 1.65–4.17). To distinguish osteosarcoma patients from those with benign bone tumor and healthy controls, ROC/AUC analysis indicated an AUC of 0.81 (sensitivity 0.61; specificity 0.89) and an AUC of 0.77 (sensitivity 0.57; specificity 0.92), respectively. Osteosarcoma patients with higher CEACAM1 had relatively lower survival compared to those with low CEACAM1 (P < 0.01), and multivariate analyses for overall survival revealed that high serum CEACAM1 level was an independent prognostic factor for osteosarcoma (HR = 1.56, 95%CI 1.23–3.28). The present study suggested that elevated serum CEACAM1 level might be a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for osteosarcoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease strongly associated with HLA-B*27, an major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule that presents peptide antigen to T cells. Previously, regulatory B cells were found to suppress T cell-mediated autoimmunity induction and chronic inflammation, partially through interleukin (IL)-10 production. Here, we examined the role of regulatory B cells in AS pathogenesis. Apheresis samples from HLA-B*27-positive AS patients and non-AS healthy controls were collected. We found that although AS patients and non-AS controls presented similar frequencies of CD24+CD38+ B cells, compared to non-AS controls, those from AS patients produced less IL-10 under ex vivo condition and after CD40 and B-cell receptor (BCR) stimulation. Purified T cell-B cell cocultures showed that compared to non-AS controls, CD24+CD38+ B cells from AS patients were defective at suppressing naive and memory CD8+ T cell activation. The suppression of memory CD8+ T cells in non-AS controls appeared to be mediated by IL-10, since the addition of IL-10 mAb suppressed CD24+CD38+ B cell-mediated downregulation of proinflammatory cytokine production and proliferation. To rescue the defect in AS patients, CD24+CD38+ B cells were pretreated by CD40 and BCR stimulation, which enhanced CD24+CD38+ B cell-mediated memory CD8+ T cell suppression. Together, our data discovered a regulatory B cell defect in AS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the inhibition of chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (HTCC) in the drilling fluid was studied. The inhibition was evaluated by linear swelling test, mud making test and rolling recovery. The results indicated that the inhibition of HTCC was better than polyether amino, which be used widely in the oil flied as the excellent shale inhibitor. Especially HTCC is an environmental friendly and biodegradable. The inhibition mechanism of HTCC was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy, Zeta potential, Gel strength measurement analysis. The negative charge in the surface of montmorillonite (MMT) was neutralized by the positive charge. HTCC was absorbed and coated in the surface and intercalated in the interlayer of MMT, which reduced the hydration repulsion of diffuse electric double layer and leaded to the inhibiting hydration of clay. Hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl, amino groups in the HTCC and the surface of clay can be formed in the process. The coordination of electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding prevented the water molecules from the gallery of clay, which resulted from the absorption and intercalation of HTCC in the surface and interlayer of MMT. The high molecular weight of HTCC was coated in the surface of MMT, which further expelled the hydration swelling of clay. It kept the high inhibition even if the ether bond hydrolysis partly in high temperature, comparing to polyether amino which the inhibition be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric peroxides, especially hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), are essential oxidants. The peroxide concentration is closely related to the extent of OH radicals and the O3 cycle in the tropospheric atmospheric chemistry. However, only a few studies have investigated their atmospheric concentrations in China because of inadequacies in the measurement techniques or higher costs of analytical instruments. Therefore, it is essential to design a suitable analysis method of peroxides with higher sensitivity, lower detection limit, and low cost. In view of that, this study investigated the optimum analysis conditions of two H2O2 analytical techniques: the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection using two-enzyme catalysis of horseradishperoxidase (HRP method) and Hemin (Hemin method). Furthermore, these two analysis methods were systematically compared in terms of detection limit, calibration curve, precision, accuracy, and applicability for the first time. The findings showed that the HRP method had a lower detection limit, higher sensitivity, and better applicability for detecting H2O2 and methyl hydroperoxide (MHP) than the Hemin method. Moreover, the HRP method is better suitable for H2O2 and MHP detection, which requires low detection limits and high sensitivity. Besides this, the Hemin method is inexpensive and is more suitable for detecting hydroxyl alkyl peroxides (C ≥ 3). The atmospheric concentrations (average) of H2O2 and MHP were 0.60 ± 0.37 ppb and 0.081 ± 0.039 ppb, respectively, as determined by the HRP method. Importantly, atmospheric peroxide concentrations were higher on sunny days than on cloudy days in Beijing in September 2016. H2O2 concentrations showed a diurnal variation with the lowest value in the morning and two peaks at 13:00–17:00. In contrast, MHP concentrations were lowest in the morning and highest after 17:00. Photochemical reactions were responsible for the production of H2O2 and MHP. The reactions of O3 and olefins emitted by motor vehicles also caused H2O2 concentration to increase during the evening rush hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study examines the role of risk preferences in consumers' WTPs for functional food. • Consumers are revealed to be reluctant to pay for functional milk. • Consumers with high-risk preferences are more willing to purchase functional milk. • Visual attention is positively correlated with consumers' consumption preferences. • Consumers' risk preferences should be considered when promoting functional food. With the prominence of nutrition-related health issues worldwide, functional food is supposed to be an efficient way to address this challenge by achieving its nutrition and health benefits. However, whether consumers are willing to pay (WTP) for high-nutritional value foods of this kind and what is the role of consumers' risk preferences in their WTPs are unclear. This study employs a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to investigate the effect of risk preferences on consumers' preferences and WTPs for functional food, focusing on four attributes of dairy products: origin, organic label, functionality and price. We also seek to understand the physiological mechanisms underlying this effect by a lab experiment using eye-tracking technology. The results show that consumers have various preferences and WTPs for different attributes of milk, but they are reluctant to pay for functional milk. Compared to consumers with low-risk preferences, consumers with high-risk preferences are more willing to purchase functional milk. The evidence from eye-tracking experiments indicates that visual attention to the attributes considered positively correlates with their consumption preference. Consumers with high-risk preferences tend to pay more attention to the functional attribute and therefore have a higher probability of purchasing functional milk. This study implies that consumers' risk preferences should be considered when promoting consumers to purchase functional food, as different consumers have significantly distinct preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstitution of control architecture creates a great challenge for distributed drive electric vehicles (DDEV), due to the emergence of a new distributed driving strategy. To this end, a novel distributed control architecture is proposed in this paper for integrated control of active front steering (AFS) system and direct yaw moment (DYC) system. First, a multi-agent system (MAS) is employed to construct a general framework, where AFS and DYC act as agents that work together to improve vehicle lateral stability and simultaneously reduce workloads of drivers during path tracking. The cooperative control strategies of two agents are obtained through Pareto-optimality theory to ensure optimal control performance of AFS and DYC. Then, on the basis of dynamic interaction between agents, terminal constraints, including terminal cost function and terminal input with local static feedback, are designed to guarantee the asymptotic stability of the close-loop system. Finally, virtual simulations are conducted to evaluate the proposed controller. The results indicate that the proposed control architecture can effectively preserve vehicle stability and reduce workloads of drivers, especially for the inexperienced driver. Furthermore, the hardware-in-loop (HIL) test results also demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An emission inventory, involving both air pollutants (APs) and greenhouse gases (GHGs), is needed so that the questions of air pollution and climate change can be co-addressed, coordinated, and collaborated upon. In this study, an emission inventory, including both APs and CO 2 (representing GHGs), was developed for China 2019 using two special measures. First, the framework of air pollution source classification was used for the integrative inventory and then the CO 2 emissions for each sector/subsector/source in the GHG inventory were precisely arranged into the framework of APs by every possible means such as drawing on the constraints from the International Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC), which enabled the sharing of common or intrinsically connected activity data for both APs and CO 2. Second, an attempt was made to deduce the activity data of various industrial processes through proper interpretation of the information carried in Pollutant Permits. The calculated emissions of APs and CO 2 were found to be comparable to the results of other studies. Additionally, the average per capita CO 2 and pollution equivalents (PEs) were 10.29 ± 6.75 tons and 11.72 ± 7.35 tons, respectively, over the provincial regions with per capita gross domestic product (GDP) lower than ￥70000 (about $10000). Whereas the average per capita CO 2 and PEs dropped to 6.10 ± 1.83 tons and 6.70 ± 2.09 tons, respectively, over the provincial regions with per capita GDP higher than ￥70000. This somewhat supports the philosophy of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) regarding the close connection between emission and development. Moreover, the two emission intensities (for APs and CO 2) were found to vary synchronously among the provinces, reflecting the inter-linked fates of the two emissions under the control measures oriented toward either APs or GHGs. [Display omitted] • An emission inventory integrating air pollutants and CO 2 are compiled. • GHG classification framework are used for the integrative inventory with additional constraints from ISIC. • Pollutant-Permit information is employed to derive activity data of industrial processes and links. • The EKC philosophy on emission/development relation is partly supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important industrial material, bentonite has been widely applied in water-based drilling fluids to create mud cakes to protect boreholes. However, the common mud cake is porous, and it is difficult to reduce the filtration of a drilling fluid at high temperature. Therefore, this paper endowed bentonite with a thermo response via the insertion of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) monomers. The interaction between NIPAM monomers and bentonite was investigated via Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), isothermal adsorption, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) at various temperatures. The results demonstrate that chemical adsorption is involved in the adsorption process of NIPAM monomers on bentonite, and the adsorption of NIPAM monomers accords with the D–R model. With increasing temperature, more adsorption water was squeezed out of the composite when the temperature of the composite exceeded 70 °C. Based on the composite of NIPAM and bentonite, a mud cake was prepared using low-viscosity polyanionic cellulose (Lv-PAC) and initiator potassium peroxydisulfate (KPS). The change in the plugging of the mud cake was investigated via environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), contact angle testing, filtration experiments, and linear expansion of the shale at various temperatures. In the plugging of the mud cake, a self-recovery behavior was observed with increasing temperature, and resistance was observed at 110 °C. The rheology of the drilling fluid was stable in the alterative temperature zone (70–110 °C). Based on the high resistance of the basic drilling fluid, a high-density drilling fluid (ρ = 2.0 g/cm3) was prepared with weighting materials with the objective of drilling high-temperature formations. By using a high-density drilling fluid, the hydration expansion of shale was reduced by half at 110 °C in comparison with common bentonite drilling fluid. In addition, the rheology of the high-density drilling fluid tended to be stable, and a self-recovery behavior was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The thyroid cancer (TC) incidence in China has increased dramatically during the last three decades. Typical in this respect is the case of Hangzhou city (China), where 7147 new TC cases were diagnosed during the period 2008–2012. Hence, the assessment of the TC incidence risk increase due to environmental exposure is an important public health matter. Methods Correlation analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Poisson regression were first used to evaluate the statistical association between TC and key risk factors (industrial density and socioeconomic status). Then, the Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) theory and the integrative disease predictability (IDP) criterion were combined to quantitatively assess both the overall and the spatially distributed strength of the “exposure-disease” association. Results Overall, higher socioeconomic status was positively correlated with higher TC risk (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.687, P < 0.01). Compared to people of low socioeconomic status, people of median and high socioeconomic status showed higher TC risk: the Relative Risk (RR) and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) were found to be, respectively, RR = 2.29 with 95% CI = 1.99 to 2.63, and RR = 3.67 with 95% CI = 3.22 to 4.19. The “industrial density-TC incidence” correlation, however, was non-significant. Spatially, the “socioeconomic status-TC” association measured by the corresponding IDP coefficient was significant throughout the study area: the mean IDP value was − 0.12 and the spatial IDP values were consistently negative at the township level. It was found that stronger associations were distributed among residents mainly on a stripe of land from northeast to southwest (consisting mainly of sub-district areas). The “industrial density-TC” association measured by its IDP coefficient was spatially non-consistent. Conclusions Socioeconomic status is an important indicator of TC risk factor in Hangzhou (China) whose effect varies across space. Hence, socioeconomic status shows the highest TC risk effect in sub-district areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High chemical inertness of porous graphitic carbon particles (PGC) makes their surface modification rather difficult. Here a facile way is proposed to prepare a PGC stationary phase with quaternary ammonium-polyvinyl alcohol mixed functional groups for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) by generating a thin layer of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (DDAC) copolymer onto PGC particles. The phase shows obvious positively electrostatic character and typical HILIC character, exhibiting different selectivity relative to several HILIC phases and bare PGC. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fully pH-stable, quaternary ammonium functionalized HILIC phase. It is much superior to silica-based HILIC phases in terms of wide pH tolerance (2.1–12.7) and low bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid cancer (TC) incidence in China has increased rapidly in recent years. Hangzhou is one of the areas with the highest TC incidence in China. However, the composite space-time variation and risk factors of TC are rarely investigated. We acquired 7147 TC cases from 2008 to 2012 in Hangzhou. Descriptive statistics were employed to compare the incidence disparities in different sub-populations. Geographical information systems were used to create spatial distribution maps. Hotspot analysis was applied to detect high/low incidence clusters, and the GeogDetector model was implemented to investigate the relationship between TC incidence and environmental factors. TC incidence in Hangzhou increased dramatically from 2008 to 2012: a noticeable 244.9 % increase, from 10.04 to 34.63 per 100,000 individuals, with a female to male ratio of 3.0, an urban to rural ratio of 3.2 and iodine sufficient to iodine deficient ratio of 3.5. Significantly high TC cluster was detected in the northeast area of Hangzhou. Elevation was found to be the most powerful determinant of TC distribution, followed by soil parent materials and slope. TC incidence decreased as elevation and slope increased. Concerning soil parent materials, deposited materials were generally linked to higher TC incidence than were eluvium ones. The spatial/temporal pattern of TC incidence is affected by geomorphology and soil property variations. Excessive iodine exposure may be a TC risk factor. Health research and management should pay sufficient attention to the improved understanding and prediction of the composite space-time distribution of the quickly increasing TC incidence described in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common female malignant tumor. Previous studies have suggested a big incidence disparity among different cities in China. The present work selected a typical city, Hangzhou, to study BC incidence disparity within the city. Methods: Totally, 8784 female breast cancer cases were obtained from the Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention during the period 2008–2012. Analysis of Variance and Poisson Regression were the statistical tools implemented to compare incidence disparity in the space-time domain (reference group: township residents during 2008, area: subdistrict, town, and township, time frame: 2008–2012), space-time scan statistics was employed to detect significant spatiotemporal clusters of BC compared to the null hypothesis that the probability of cases diagnosed at a particular location was equal to the probability of cases diagnosed in the whole study area. Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to generate BC spatial distribution and cluster maps at the township level. Results: The subdistrict populations were found to have the highest and most stable BC incidence. Although town and township populations had a relatively low incidence, it displayed a significant increasing trend from 2008 to 2012. The BC incidence distribution was spatially heterogeneous and clustered with a trend-surface from the southwest low area to the northeast high area. High clusters were located in the northeastern Hangzhou area, whereas low clusters were observed in the southwestern area during the time considered. Conclusions: Better healthcare service and lifestyle changes may be responsible for the increasing BC incidence observed in towns and townships. One high incidence cluster (Linping subdistrict) and two low incidence clusters (middle Hangzhou) were detected. The low clusters may be attributable mainly to developmental level disparity, whereas the high cluster could be associated with other risk factors, such as environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the nano terpolymer of acrylamide (AM), 2-acrylamido-2-methyl -1-propane sulfonic acid (AMPS), N-vinyl-pyrrolidone (NVP) was synthesized by free radical polymerization in water solution. The addition of ethanol was used to control molecular weight of terpolymer. The plugging properties and mechanism of terpolymer were studied. The characterization and properties of nano terpolymer were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, particle size analyzer, transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that the structure of terpolymer was consistent with design. It was nano material in water and kept on nanoscale stable in drilling fluid. The filtration property of terpolymer was studied by drilling fluid filter press and the results indicated that the filtration property of terpolymer was equal to fluid loss agent. Nevertheless, the addition of inorganic nanoparticles resulted in high amount of filtration volume in the same conditions because of extensive agglomeration of inorganic nanoparticles. The stability of nano materials in solution was requirement to plug nanopores. The resistance properties to salinity, calcium and high temperature were studied, and the results showed that the properties were better than PAC which is widely used in oil flied as fluid loss agent. The plugging properties of terpolymer were studied by specific surface and porosity physical adsorption instrument (BET) and the membrane efficiency tester. BET results showed that the surface area of natural rock reduced after treated with terpolymer, indicating terpolymer entered into nanopores of shale because of the adsorption in the surface of shale. In study of the membrane efficiency test, the addition of terpolymer resulted in significantly reducing of shale permeability. It was further presented that nanopores of shale were plugged by terpolymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Numerous studies have reported a strong inverse association between BMI and physical activity in western populations. Recently, the association between BMI and physical activity has been considered bidirectional. This study aimed to examine the associations of body mass index (BMI) with physical activity and sedentary behavior and to explore whether those associations were modified by socio-demographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: We conducted a multistage random sampling survey in three districts of Hangzhou, China, in 2012. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire long form was used to collect data regarding physical activity and sedentary behavior. A multilevel mixed-effects regression model was used to assess the associations of BMI with physical activity and sedentary behavior. Results: A total of 1362 eligible people (624 men and 738 women, ages 23-59 years) completed the survey. People who are young or middle-aged and have the highest education level are the most inactive. Significant differences in the associations between physical activity and BMI across socio-demographic groups were identified (sex*BMI, P=0.018; age*BMI, P<0.001; education level*BMI, P=0.030). Women or individuals older than 50 had a higher level of physical activity with increasing BMI. There was no statistically significant association between BMI and sedentary behavior (P=0.450). Conclusions: The associations between BMI and physical activity were modified by sex, age, and education level in Hangzhou, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To understand the changes of the nutrition labeling of packaged food in China two years after the promulgation of the Regulation for Food Nutrition Labeling, which encourages food manufacturers to identify nutrition labeling. Methods: Investigators copied out the nutrition information panel, nutrition claim and nutrient function claim of packaged food in a supermarket with prepared questionnaire and finished normative judgment in 2008 and 2010. Results: 4693 and 5526 kinds of packaged food were investigated separately. Nutrition information panel, nutrition claim and nutrient function claim were found on the food label of 27.6%, 13.0% and 1.9% of packaged food respectively in 2008, while 35.1%, 7.7% and 2.3% in 2010. The nutrition information panel which labeled energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate and sodium was 597(43.8%) and 1661(85.9%) in 2008 and 2010, only 134(9.8%) and 985(51.0%) nutrition information panel were totally normalized. Nutrition claim and nutrient function claim focused on vitamin, mineral and dietary fiber. The total qualified proportions for nutrition claim were increased significantly for most of the nutrients, except for cholesterol. There were 6 (6.4%) and 5 (3.9%) nutrient function claims with hinting of therapeutic effects on diseases separately. Conclusion: Although the voluntary regulation remarkably improved the level of normalization for nutrition labeling, its role on the prevalence was minus. It's imperative to enforce nutrition labeling for not only China but also other countries, and furthermore, health education on nutrition labeling should be initiated to support the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catering oil fumes are a major hazard to human health. In particular, the typical Chinese cooking style is characterised by a high temperature frying process that produces high levels of cooking oil fumes. However, limited data relating to this sector mean that national emission inventory data specific to the catering service industry do not exist. To address above deficiency and thus to establish the inventory of a city, or a province, or even a country, a door-to-door survey campaign was launched in the Chinese cities of Heze and Linfen to determine the structure of local catering industries. Data revealed that the number of catering businesses per 104 people was 17 ± 4. Of these, 3.0 ± 1.4, 15.0 ± 1.4, and 82.0 ± 0.0% were classified as large, medium, and small enterprises, respectively. Furthermore, the installation rates of fume purifiers were 74 ± 13, 66 ± 9, and 51 ± 14% for large, medium, and small enterprises, respectively, with net removal efficiencies of 63 ± 11, 50 ± 7, and 31 ± 8%, respectively. This information was extrapolated across all provincial regions of China to construct a provincial and national emission inventory. In 2017, China's national catering industry released approximately 34 kt of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 38 kt of particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5), 48 kt of particulate matter with a diameter less than 10 μm (PM 10), 1 kt of black carbon (BC), and 27 kt of organic carbon (OC). A significant correlation was observed between vegetable oil consumption and emissions (e.g., for VOCs, y = 14.94 x + 76.50, R2 = 0.87, where y is VOCs emissions and x is vegetable oil consumption), indirectly corroborating the rationality of the inventory. Moreover, this correlation provides the potential for a dynamic inventory based on vegetable oil consumption. Future studies are proposed to address more influential factors to improve the reliability of the national inventory and refer to big data, rather than door-to-door investigation, to identify the amount of catering service businesses in a region. Unlabelled Image • Intensive surveys on catering industry information performed in two Chinese cities • Survey data help establish a national emission inventory of catering industry. • A significant correlation observed between vegetable oil consumption and emissions. • This correlation indirectly verifies by the rationality of the inventory. • This relation useful for dynamically updating emission inventory of catering sector [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground-level ozone is a secondary pollutant produced by photochemical reactions and it adversely affects plant and human health. Taiyuan City, a typical city on the loess plateau, is suffering from severe ozone pollution. We utilized the data from eight national environmental monitoring sites of Taiyuan, including concentrations of O3 and nitric oxide, and meteorological factors, such as air temperature and wind, to study the pollution characteristics and sources of ozone (O3) in Taiyuan in 2018. Results show that during 2018, the maximum value and 90th percentile of the maximum 8-h running average of O3 concentration were 257 μg/m3 and 192 μg/m3, respectively. There were 72 days where the O3 concentration exceeded the standard in 2018, which were mainly during April to August. The O3 concentration increased from March, reached a high level in April through August, and decreased significantly from September. The O3 concentrations displayed a typical "single peak" diurnal variation, which was high during the day with peak at around 13:00–15:00 and low at night. From April to August, the O3 concentrations at Jinyuan was the highest, followed by Xiaodian and Taoyuan, and the O3 concentrations at Shanglan and Nanzhai were the lowest. When the O3 concentration exceeded the standard value, Jinyuan contributed the most to the O3 pollution of Taiyuan, followed by Taoyuan and Xiaodian. High temperature and pressure, south and southwest winds can lead to an increase in O3 concentration. The O3 pollution in the Taiyuan urban area is caused by local generation, and the transportation of polluted air masses containing oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by industries, such as the coking and steel plants in counties of Jinzhong City in southern Taiyuan, and Qingxu County, and some counties in Lyuliang City to the southwest. In addition, the mountain winds and low nitric oxide concentration are the main reasons for the increase of O3 concentration, often observed in Shanglan at night. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]