Impacts of Comorbidity and Mental Shock on Organic Micropollutants in Surface Water During and After the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Wuhan (2019–2021), China

The first pandemic wave of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)induced a considerable increase in several antivirals and antibiotics in surface water.The common symptoms of COVID-19 are viral and bacterial infections,while comorbidities(e.g.,hypertension and diabetes)and mental shock(e.g.,insomnia and anxiety)are nonnegligible.Nevertheless,little is known about the long-term impacts of comorbidities and mental shock on organic micropollutants(OMPs)in surface waters.Herein,we monitored 114 OMPs in surface water and wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs)in Wuhan,China,between 2019 and 2021.The pandemic-induced OMP pollution in surface water was confirmed by significant increases in 26 OMP concentrations.Significant increases in four antihypertensives and one diabetic drug suggest that the treatment of comorbidities may induce OMP pollution.Notably,cotinine(a metabolite of nicotine)increased 155 times to 187 ngL1,which might be associated with increased smoking.Additionally,the increases in zolpidem and sulpiride might be the result of worsened insomnia and depression.Hence,it is reasonable to note that mental-health protecting drugs/behavior also contributed to OMP pollution.Among the observed OMPs,telmisartan,lopinavir,and ritonavir were associated with significantly higher ecological risks because of their limited WWTP-removal rate and high ecotoxicity.This study provides new insights into the effects of comorbidities and mental shock on OMPs in surface water during a pandemic and highlights the need to monitor the fate of related pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment and to improve their removal efficiencies in WWTPs。

长江流域城市水污染治理成效的系统评估与解析

如何实现人类社会经济的可持续发展是本世纪的重大挑战之一。近几十年来,中国经济实力大幅提升,国际影响力显著增强。然而,经济社会高速发展可能会给生态环境造成诸多不利影响,其中之一就是人类活动污水排放总量的快速增长。长江经济带作为中国高质量发展的重点区域,科学评估和揭示沿江城市群污水治理成效及影响因素至关重要。本研究核算了2007-2017年间长江流域主要污染物的浓度变化趋势,利用数据驱动型技术对影响污染物通量变化的关键因子及其贡献开展了系统解耦和量化分析,揭示了污染物排放强度的时空异质性,解析了沿江城镇污水系统发展对污染物通量削减的作用效果。研究发现,长江流域水污染治理成效总体向好,长江经济带国内生产总值和沿江人类活动污水排放强度之间的强耦合在2013年之后呈现脱钩趋势,这主要得益于城镇排水和污水厂基础设施建设的快速发展。研究提出,长江流域城镇污水治理如何实现以水载资源再生利用为导引的“绿色零碳模式”转变,对于全面改善长江流域的水环境质量具有关键作用,同时也能为区域生态环境保护与经济高质量发展提供有益启示和借鉴。

Organic photovoltaics for simultaneous energy harvesting and high-speed MIMO optical wireless communications

We show that organic photovoltaics(OPVs)are suitable for high-speed optical wireless data receivers that can also harvest power.In addition,these OPVs are of particular interest for indoor applications,as their bandgap is larger than that of silicon,leading to better matching to the spectrum of artificial light.By selecting a suitable combination of a narrow bandgap donor polymer and a nonfullerene acceptor,stable OPVs are fabricated with a power conversion efficiency of 8.8%under 1 Sun and 14%under indoor lighting conditions.In an optical wireless communication experiment,a data rate of 363 Mb/s and a simultaneous harvested power of 10.9 mW are achieved in a 4-by-4 multipleinput multiple-output(MIMO)setup that consists of four laser diodes,each transmitting 56 mW optical power and four OPV cells on a single panel as receivers at a distance of 40 cm.This result is the highest reported data rate using OPVs as data receivers and energy harvesters.This finding may be relevant to future mobile communication applications because it enables enhanced wireless data communication performance while prolonging the battery life in a mobile device.

Triple-cation perovskite solar cells for visible light communications

Hybrid perovskite materials are widely researched due to their high absorptivity,inexpensive synthesis,and promise in photovoltaic devices.These materials are also of interest as highly sensitive photodetectors.In this study,their potential for use in visible light communication is explored in a configuration that allows for simultaneous energy and data harvesting.Using a triple-cation material and appropriate device design,a new record data rate for perovskite photodetectors of 56 Mbps and power conversion efficiencies above 20%under white LED illumination are achieved.With this device design,the−3 dB bandwidth is increased by minimizing the dominating time constant of the system.This correlation between the bandwidth and time constant is proved using measurements of time-resolved photoluminescence,transient photovoltage,and device resistance.

Regulation of BMP2K in AP2M1-mediated EGFR internalization during the development of gallbladder cancer

Dear Editor,Gallbladder cancer(GBC),the most common malignant tumor of the biliary tract,is a highly invasive form of cancer.Surgical resection is currently the first line approach to effectively treat GBC;however,very few patients have the opportunity to receive radical surgical treatment due to lack of obvious symptoms.1 The median survival of patients with GBC is only 12 months and 5-year survival rate is<5%,indicating GBC is extremely poor prognosis.Therefore,it is urgent to identify novel key molecules that can potentially serve as early diagnostic biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets.The current study focused on the potential role of bone morphogenetic protein 2 inducible kinase(BMP2K),a serine/threonine kinase,which was recently identified as clathrin-coated vesicle-associated protein in the development of GBC;the outcome may hold diagnostic and therapeutic promising for clinical practice.

Overview of the winning approaches in BCI Controlled Robot Contest in World Robot Contest 2021:Calibration-free SSVEP

Recently,steady-state visual evoked potential(SSVEP)has become one of the most popular electroencephalography paradigms due to its high information transfer rate.Several approaches have been proposed to improve the performance of SSVEP.The calibration-free scenario is significant in SSVEP-based brain-computer interface systems,where the subject is the first time to use the system.The participating teams proposed several effective calibration-free algorithm frameworks in the SSVEP competition(calibration-free)of the BCI Controlled Robot Contest in World Robot Contest 2021.This paper introduces the approaches used in the algorithms of the top five teams in the final.The results of the five subjects in the final proved the effectiveness of the approaches.This paper discusses the effectiveness of each approach in improving the system performance in the calibration-free scenario and gives suggestions on how to use these approaches in a real-world system.

Overview of the winning approaches in 2022 World Robot Contest Championship–Asynchronous SSVEP

In recent years,the steady-state visual evoked potential(SSVEP)electroencephalogram paradigm has gained considerable attention owing to its high information transfer rate.Several approaches have been proposed to improve the performance of SSVEP-based brain–computer interface(BCI)systems.In SSVEP-based BCIs,the asynchronous scenario poses a challenge as the subjects stare at the screen without synchronization signals from the system.The algorithm must distinguish whether the subject is being stimulated or not,which presents a significant challenge for accurate classification.In the 2022 World Robot Contest Championship,several effective algorithm frameworks were proposed by participating teams to address this issue in the SSVEP competition.The efficacy of the approaches employed by five teams in the final round is demonstrated in this study,and an overview of their methods is provided.Based on the final score,this paper presents a comparative analysis of five algorithms that propose distinct asynchronous recognition frameworks via diverse statistical methods to differentiate between intentional control state and non-control state based on dynamic window strategies.These algorithms achieve an impressive information transfer rate of 89.833 and a low false positive rate of 0.073.This study provides an overview of the algorithms employed by different teams to address asynchronous scenarios in SSVEP-based BCIs and identifies potential future avenues for research in this area.