Passive temperature sensing through chipless vanadium dioxide metasurface tags.

Passive temperature sensing systems based on the Internet of Things (IoT) present an efficient, reliable, and convenient solution for temperature monitoring with extensive application prospects and market value. This paper introduces a passive, battery-free, chipless, metasurface temperature sensing tag. The key insight is that the sensing tag uses vanadium dioxide ([Formula: see text]) to solve the problems of measuring distance, large size, and high cost related to active devices.

Enhancing tomato fruit antioxidant potential through hydrogen nanobubble irrigation.

Eating fruits and vegetables loaded with natural antioxidants can boost human health considerably and help fight off diseases linked to oxidative stress. Hydrogen has unique antioxidant effects. However, its low-solubility and fast-diffusion has limited its applications in agriculture.

Unlocking osmotic energy harvesting potential in challenging real-world hypersaline environments through vermiculite-based hetero-nanochannels.

Nanochannel membranes have demonstrated remarkable potential for osmotic energy harvesting; however, their efficiency in practical high-salinity systems is hindered by reduced ion selectivity. Here, we propose a dual-separation transport strategy by constructing a two-dimensional (2D) vermiculite (VMT)-based heterogeneous nanofluidic system via an eco-friendly and scalable method. The cations are initially separated and enriched in micropores of substrates during the transmembrane diffusion, followed by secondary precise sieving in ultra-thin VMT laminates with high ion flux.

Influence of double-layer filling structure on nitrogen removal and internal microbial distribution in bioretention cells.

The nitrogen removal effect of traditional bioretention cells on runoff rainwater is not stable. The nitrogen removal effect of bioretention cells can be improved by setting up a layered filling structure, but the effect of changes in filling structure on the nitrogen removal process and microbial community characteristics is still unclear. Two types of porosity fillers were set up in the experiment, and a homogeneous bioretention cell and three bioretention cells with layered fillers were constructed by changing the depth range of the upper and lower layers to analyze the influence of the pore variation of different depth fillers on the nitrogen removal process and microbial community characteristics.

Nitrogen transfer and transformation in bioretention cells under low temperature conditions.

The nitrogen removal effect of traditional bioretention cells is generally poor under low temperature conditions, with significant levels of fluctuation and leaching often reported. Therefore, the migration characteristics of nitrogen were explored in bioretention cells under low temperature conditions, with the aim of improving the nitrogen removal effect. Four groups of modified collapsible loess bioretention cells were constructed and operated at 1, 5, 10 and 25 °C.

Effects of freeze-thaw cycles on nutrient removal from bioretention cells.

There have been numerous summaries of the runoff purification characteristics of bioretention cells in warm climates. However, little has been done on the effects of freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) that frequently occur in cold regions on bioretention cell performance. Three experimental columns were constructed to simulate the operation of the bioretention cell under the FTCs.

Selenium fertigation with nanobubbles influences soil selenium residual and plant performance by modulation of bacterial community.

Although selenium (Se) is an essential microelement for humans and animals, it is a potentially toxic element due to its bioaccumulation potential. In this study, Se fertilizer was supplied in a greenhouse vegetable (cucumber) plantation using an innovative system consisting of nanobubbles (NB_Se) and compared to that under conventional conditions of fertigation (C_Se) with six doses. The results revealed that NB_Se significantly reduced soil Se accumulation (38%-144%) and increased cucumber Se content compared with the C_Se treatments at the same Se dose.

Cost analysis of staged versus simultaneous bilateral total knee and hip arthroplasty using a propensity score matching.

Background: Total joint arthroplasty (TJA), including total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA), is required for many patients. This study aimed to evaluate the medical costs, length of stay (LOS), blood transfusion and in-hospital complications in patients undergoing simultaneous and staged TJA.

Methods: All patients who underwent primary bilateral TJA from 2013 to 2018 in our institute were included.

Study of influential factors of provincial health expenditure -analysis of panel data after the 2009 healthcare reform in China.

Background: Total Healthcare Expenditure (THE) has increased substantially in all countries. Since the health system reform and health policy environment differ from each country, it is necessary to analyze the motivations of THE in a specific country.

Methods: The objective of this study was to analyze the influential factors of Provincial THE (PTHE) per capita in China by using spatiotemporal panel data across 31 provinces (including provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, all called provinces in here) from 2009 to 2016 at the provincial and annual level.

Redox-active biochar facilitates potential electron tranfer between syntrophic partners to enhance anaerobic digestion under high organic loading rate.

Sawdust-based biochar prepared (SDBC) at three pyrolytic temperatures were compared as additives to mesophilic anaerobic digestion (AD). SDBC prepared at 500 °C performed better in enhancing CH production than other SDBCs. Analyzing the crucial electro-chemical characteristics of the SDBCs revealed that the excellent electron transfer capacity of SDBC was significant to stimulate methanogenesis promotion.

Redox-based electron exchange capacity of biowaste-derived biochar accelerates syntrophic phenol oxidation for methanogenesis via direct interspecies electron transfer.

In this study, six different types of biochar (based on two feedstocks and three pyrolytic temperatures) were prepared as individual additives for both syntrophic phenol degradation and methanogenesis promotion. The results showed that for phenol degradation, the addition of biochar (15 g/L) shortened the methanogenic lag time from 15.0 days to 1.

A novel construct with biomechanical flexibility for articular cartilage regeneration.

Background: Although tissue-engineered cartilage has been broadly studied, complete integration of regenerated cartilage with residual cartilage is still difficult for the inferior mechanical and biochemical feature of neocartilage. Chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells can be induced by biophysical and biochemical factors.

Methods: In this study, autologous platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) membrane was used as a growth factor-rich scaffold that may facilitate differentiation of the transplanted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).

The association between psychological strains and life satisfaction: Evidence from medical staff in China.

Background: Previous research on the relationship between life satisfaction and its influencing factors has mainly focused on the work domain. Psychological strains, which result from these stress-related outcomes, have not been paid enough attention to explain how it correlates negatively with life satisfaction.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted, using questionnaires sent to selected medical staff in a public hospital in Shandong, China (N = 1012).

The role of anthrax toxin protein receptor 1 as a new mechanosensor molecule and its mechanotransduction in BMSCs under hydrostatic pressure.

Anthrax toxin protein receptor (ANTXR) 1 has many similarities to integrin and is regarded in some respects as a single-stranded integrin protein. However, it is not clear whether ANTXR1 responds to mechanical signals secondary to the activation of integrins or whether it is a completely new, independent and previously undiscovered mechanosensor that responds to an undefined subset of mechanical signaling molecules. Our study demonstrates that ANTXR1 is a novel mechanosensor on the cell membrane, acting independently from the classical mechanoreceptor molecule integrinβ1.

Speciation, Distribution and Risk Assessment of Metals in Sediments from a Water Body Replenished by Effluent from a Wastewater Treatment Plant.

To assess the status and risk of metal pollution in landscape water body replenished by wastewater treatment plant effluent, the distribution of metals in sediments from three regions [regulation pond (RP), wetland lake (WL), and main lake (ML)] of Harbor Lake, Tianjin, China, was characterized. Higher levels of all metals (except Cr and Pb) were observed in RP sediments. As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were mainly bound to organic matter and sulfide (F3) and residual fractions (F4), while the exchangeable and carbonate fraction (F1) and Fe/Mn oxide fraction (F2) were the dominant forms for Cd.

Relationship between phytoplankton community and environmental factors in landscape water with high salinity in a coastal city of China.

Relationship between phytoplankton community and environmental variables was explored in three landscape water bodies (namely Jiyun River Oxbow (JRO), Qingjing Lake (QL), and Jiyun River (JR)) with high salinity, located in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city of China, using redundancy analysis (RDA). A total of 48 species of phytoplankton were identified during the study period, in which Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta accounted for 35.42 and 31.

On the risks from sediment and overlying water by replenishing urban landscape ponds with reclaimed wastewater.

The extensive use of reclaimed wastewater (RW) as a source of urban landscape pond replenishment, stimulated by the lack of surface water (SW) resources, has raised public concern. Greater attention should be paid to pond sediments, which act as 'sinks' and 'sources' of contaminants to the overlying pond water. Three ponds replenished with RW (RW ponds) in three Chinese cities were chosen to investigate 22 indices of sediment quality in four categories: eutrophication, heavy metal, ecotoxicity and pathogens risk.