Emergency Department Environmental Responses to COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

This study aimed to document and empirically evaluate the physical environment strategies used by emergency departments (EDs) to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic; and to develop recommendations for managing future crises. Emergency departments made significant environmental modifications in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic but these modifications and the decision-making processes were seldomly studied. In this in-depth qualitative case study, a multidisciplinary research team conducted semistructured interviews with 11 professionals of various roles in environmental responses to the pandemic at a large urban ED in the U.

Pyrolysis kinetics of waste ryegrass under nitrogen and air atmosphere.

To investigate the pyrolysis reaction of ryegrass, we conducted a simultaneous thermal analysis using thermogravimetric(TG) analyzers. This involved obtaining data through Thermogravimetry (TG), Derivative Thermogravimetry (DTG), and Differential thermal analysis (DTA) techniques. The experiments were conducted under dynamic nitrogen and air atmospheres at different heating rates.

The influence of visual elements in Chinese food labels on consumers' visual perception: insights from an eye-tracking study.

To investigate the impact of four visual elements, namely text, colour, image, and shape, on the visual perception of Chinese consumers when observing nutrition labels, as well as to enhance their attention towards nutritional information, this study examines the visual effects of nutrition labels incorporating these elements through eye movement experiments, questionnaire surveys, subjective evaluations, and other research methods. The aim is to determine the optimal design solution. The results revealed that participants displayed the highest level of attention towards the round x image group, followed by the colour group.

Reliable assessment and prediction of moderate preoxidation of sodium hypochlorite for algae-laden water treatment.

Chemical moderate preoxidation for algae-laden water is an economical and prospective strategy for controlling algae and exogenous pollutants, whereas it is constrained by a lack of effective on-line evaluation and quick-response feedback method. Herein, excitation-emission matrix parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) was used to identify cyanobacteria fluorophores after preoxidation of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) at Excitation/Emission wavelength of 260(360)/450 nm, based on which the algal cell integrity and intracellular organic matter (IOM) release were quantitatively assessed. Machine learning modeling of fluorescence spectral data for prediction of moderate preoxidation using NaClO was established.

Bioprocesses for lactic acid production from organic wastes toward industrialization-a critical review.

Lactic acid (LA) is a crucial chemical which has been widely used for industrial application. Microbial fermentation is the dominant pathway for LA production and has been regarded as the promising technology. In recent years, many studies on LA production from various organic wastes have been published, which provided alternative ways to reduce the LA production cost, and further recycle organic wastes.

Long-range interactions driving neighboring Fe-N sites in Fenton-like reactions for sustainable water decontamination.

Actualizing efficient and sustainable environmental catalysis is essential in global water pollution control. The single-atom Fenton-like process, as a promising technique, suffers from reducing potential environmental impacts of single-atom catalysts (SACs) synthesis and modulating functionalized species beyond the first coordination shell. Herein, we devised a high-performance SAC possessing impressive Fenton-like reactivity and extended stability by constructing abundant intrinsic topological defects within carbon planes anchored with Fe-N sites.

COVID-19 Impacts on Physical Activity Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Memory Problems: The Moderating Role of Walkable Neighborhood Destinations.

Background And Objectives: The number of people with memory problems who desire or are forced to age in place has been growing rapidly. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought significant challenges to the ability of those with memory problems to stay active and age in place. This study investigated the roles of neighborhood environments in helping community-dwelling people with memory problems maintain physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effects of electric vehicle charging stations on the economic vitality of local businesses.

Electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) are essential for promoting cleaner transportation by facilitating electric vehicle recharging. This study explores their broader economic impact on nearby businesses, analyzing data from over 4000 EVCS and 140,000 business establishments in California. Results show that installing one EVCS boosts annual spending at a nearby establishment by 1.

Phylogeographical patterns match the floristic subdivisions: the diversification history of a widespread herb in subtropical China.

Background And Aims: Subtropical China is dominated by evergreen broad-leaved forests (EBLFs) and is acknowledged as a critical region for its high floristic richness and endemism. Our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms of such global biodiversity hotspots comes almost exclusively from long-lived tree species. Herbaceous plants represent critical biodiversity components in forests, but the diversification history of understorey herbs in subtropical EBLFs remain poorly understood.

An improve crested porcupine algorithm for UAV delivery path planning in challenging environments.

With the rapid advancement of drone technology and the growing applications in the field of drone engineering, the demand for precise and efficient path planning in complex and dynamic environments has become increasingly important. Traditional algorithms struggle with complex terrain, obstacles, and weather changes, often falling into local optima. This study introduces an Improved Crown Porcupine Optimizer (ICPO) for drone path planning, which enables drones to better avoid obstacles, optimize flight paths, and reduce energy consumption.

Lemongrass essential oil and its major component citronellol: evaluation of larvicidal activity and acetylcholinesterase inhibition against Anopheles sinensis.

Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever, and the Zika virus, pose significant global health challenges, affecting millions annually. Due to increasing insecticide resistance, there is a growing interest in natural alternatives for mosquito control. Lemongrass essential oil, derived from Cymbopogon citratus, has shown promising repellent and larvicidal properties against various mosquito species.

Orienting people-centred disaster shelter planning based on risk assessing with semi-supervised learning.

Climate-related disasters have been escalating worldwide, incurring major losses. Landslides have become one of the most destructive disasters, especially in China's mountainous areas. To address this, constructing emergency shelters and designing evacuation routes are critical to ensure public safety and minimize impacts on affected residents.

Over- and underreporting of prices: most hospitals are not compliant with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule.

Concern has been raised about the effectiveness of the Hospital Price Transparency Rule to facilitate a clear understanding of health care prices due to poor reporting by hospitals. However, the relationship between what services the hospital provides and what prices they report is not clear. We assessed reported prices in the Turquoise Health database and compared them at the hospital level with the CMS Provider of Services File to identify if a shoppable service was provided at a hospital.

Design, Synthesis, and Antiviral and Fungicidal Activities of 4-Oxo-4-quinolin-1-yl Acylhydrazone Derivatives.

To discover novel antiviral agents, based on the high antiviral activity of (4-oxo-4-quinolin-1-yl)-acetic acid hydrazide (), a series of 4-oxo-4-quinoline acylhydrazone derivatives were designed, synthesized, and first evaluated for their antiviral and fungicidal activities. Most acylhydrazone derivatives exhibited moderate to good antiviral activities in vivo. The inactive, curative, and protective activities of compounds (51.

Development of a New Permanganate/Chlorite Process for Water Decontamination.

Development of new technologies with strong selectivity for target pollutants and low sensitivity toward a water matrix remains challenging. Herein, we introduced a novel strategy that used chlorite as an activator for Mn(VII) at pH 4.8, turning the inert reactivity of the pollutants toward Mn(VII) into a strong reactivity.

Enhancing microfiltration membrane performance by sodium percarbonate-based oxidation for hydraulic fracturing wastewater treatment.

Low pressure membrane takes a great role in hydraulic fracturing wastewater (HFW), while membrane fouling is a critical issue for the stable operation of microfiltration (MF). This study focused on fouling mitigation by sodium percarbonate (SPC) oxidation, activated by ultraviolet (UV) and ferrous ion (Fe(II)). The higher the concentration of oxidizer, the better the anti-fouling performance of MF membrane.

From challenge to opportunity: Revolutionizing the monitoring of emerging contaminants in water with advanced sensors.

Emerging contaminants in water represent long-term and unpredictable threats to both environmental and human health due to their persistence and bioaccumulation. Current research predominantly focuses on their removal rather than sustained monitoring. This review comprehensively investigates advanced sensor technologies for detecting these contaminants in water, critically evaluating biosensors, optical sensors, electrochemical sensors, and nanomaterial sensors.

LzSCL9, a Novel GRAS Transcription Factor in Lanzhou Lily ( var. ), Participates in Regulation of Trichokonins-Primed Heat Stress Tolerance.

In our previous research, we found that trichokonins' (TKs) employment improved the thermotolerance of the Lanzhou lily, a renowned edible crop species endemic to China that is relatively susceptible to high temperatures (HTs). Here, a novel Lanzhou lily GRAS gene, , was identified to respond to heat stress (HS) and HS+TKs treatment based on transcriptome and RT-qPCR analysis. TKs could improve the upregulation of during long-term HS.

Ultraviolet Grafting of Bismuth Oxide Enhances the Photocatalytic Performance of PVDF Membrane and Improves the Problem of Membrane Fouling.

Photocatalytic membranes are crucial in addressing membrane fouling issues. However, the grafting amount of the catalyst on the membrane often becomes a key factor in restricting the membrane's self-cleaning capability. To address the challenge, this manuscript proposes a method for solving membrane fouling, featuring high grafting rates of bismuth oxide (BiO) and acrylic acid (AA), significant contaminant degradation capability, and reusability.

Experimental Study of Recycled Concrete under Freeze-Thaw Conditions.

Recycled concrete is a new and environmentally friendly material for future construction. When applying recycled concrete to cold and severe regions, it is necessary to consider the freeze-thaw resistance of recycled concrete. Using an indoor freeze-thaw cycle test system, the rapid freezing method was used to conduct rapid freeze-thaw tests on recycled concrete specimens under set freeze-thaw cycle conditions.

Multiple Non-Destructive Approaches to Analysis of the Early Silurian Chain Coral from South China.

Cnidarians are among the most important diploblastic organisms, elucidating many of the early stages of Metazoan evolution. However, Cnidarian fossils from Cambrian deposits have been rarely documented, mainly due to difficulties in identifying early Cnidarian representatives. , a tabulate coral from Silurian reef systems, serves as a crucial taxon for interpreting Cambrian cnidarians.