Diagnosis and treatment of refractory infectious diseases using nanopore sequencing technology:Three case reports

BACKGROUND Infectious diseases are still one of the greatest threats to human health,and the etiology of 20%of cases of clinical fever is unknown;therefore,rapid identification of pathogens is highly important.Traditional culture methods are only able to detect a limited number of pathogens and are time-consuming;serologic detection has window periods,false-positive and false-negative problems;and nucleic acid molecular detection methods can detect several known pathogens only once.Three-generation nanopore sequencing technology provides new options for identifying pathogens.CASE SUMMARY Case 1:The patient was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain for three days and cessation of defecation for five days,accompanied by cough and sputum.Nanopore sequencing of the drainage fluid revealed the presence of orallike bacteria,leading to a clinical diagnosis of bronchopleural fistula.Cefoperazone sodium sulbactam treatment was effective.Case 2:The patient was admitted to the hospital with fever and headache,and CT revealed lung inflammation.Antibiotic treatment for Streptococcus pneumoniae,identified through nanopore sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid,was effective.Case 3:The patient was admitted to our hospital with intermittent fever and an enlarged neck mass that had persisted for more than six months.Despite antibacterial treatment,her symptoms worsened.The nanopore sequencing results indicate that voriconazole treatment is effective for Aspergillus brookii.The patient was diagnosed with mixed cell type classical Hodgkin's lymphoma with infection.CONCLUSION Three-generation nanopore sequencing technology allows for rapid and accurate detection of pathogens in human infectious diseases.

Dual carbon goal and agriculture in China:Exploring key factors influencing farmers’behavior in adopting low carbon technologies

Identifying the factors influencing farmers’adoption of low-carbon technologies(FA)and understanding their impacts are essential for shaping effective agricultural policies amied at emission reduction and carbon sequestration in China.This study employs a meta-analysis of 122 empirical studies,delves into 23 driving factors affecting FA and addresses the inconsistencies present in the existing literature.We systematically examine the effect size,source of heterogeneity,and time-accumulation effect of the driving factors on FA.We find that significant heterogeneity in the factors influencing FA,except for farming experience,sources of heterogeneity from the survey zone,methodology model,technological attributes,report source,financial support,and the sampling year.Additionally,age,farming experience,and adoption cost negatively correlate with FA.In contrast,educational level,health status,technical training,economic and welfare cognition,land contract,soil quality,terrain,information accessibility,demonstration,government promotion,government regulation,government support,agricultural cooperatives member,peer effect,and agricultural income ratio demonstrate a positive correlation.Especially,demonstration and age show a particularly strong correlation.Finally,the effect of demonstration,age,economic and welfare cognition,farming experience,land contract,soil quality,information accessibility,government promotion,and support,as well as agricultural cooperative membership and peer effects on FA,are generally stable but exhibit varying degrees of attenuation over time.The effect of village cadre,family income,farm scale,gender,health status,technical training,and off-farm work on FA show notable temporal shifts and maintain a weak correlation with FA.This study contributes to shaping China’s current low-carbon agriculture policies across various regions.It encourages policymakers to comprehensively consider the stability of key factors,other potential factors,technological attributes,rural socio-economic context,and their interrelations.

Coupling effect on the thermal hazard assessment of hazardous chemical materials via calorimetric technologies and simulation approaches

The coupling effect of heat absorption and release exists in the thermal decomposition of a few chemical materials.However,the impact of the above coupling on thermal hazard assessment is not considered in the literature studies.In this work,nitroguanidine(NQ)and 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine(RDX)are selected as representative materials to explore the influence of the coupling effect on the thermal hazard assessment of chemical materials.The linear heating experiments of NQ and RDX are carried out by a microcalorimeter and synchronous thermal analyser.The thermal decomposition curves are decoupled by advanced thermokinetics software.The thermal decomposition and kinetic parameters before and after decoupling are calculated.The results of TG experiment show that both NQ and RDX began to lose mass during the endothermic stage.The endothermic melting and exothermic decomposition of NQ and RDX are coupled within this stage.The coupling effect has different degrees of influence on its initial decomposition temperature and safety parameters.Compared with the parameters in the coupling state,the initial decomposition temperature and adiabatic induction period after decoupling decrease.The self-accelerating decomposition temperature increases,and internal thermal runaway time decreases.In the thermal hazard assessment of chemical materials with coupling effects,the calculated parameters after decoupling should be taken as an important safety index。

Waste Mg alloys hydrogen production from seawater:An integrative overview of medium optimization,hydrogen-producing materials,underlying mechanisms,innovative technologies,and device development

In response to global carbon neutrality targets,there is an urgent need for large-scale,clean hydrogen production technologies to supplant fossil fuels and underpin the establishment of a‘hydrogen economy’.The prospect of large-scale on-site green hydrolysis of Mg-based materials for hydrogen production has attracted wide attention.Aiming at the problems of easy formation of inert oxide layer on its surface and the production of Mg(OH)_(2) to hinder the hydrolysis process,it is urgent to explore efficient,low-cost and green modification strategies.In this work,the green modification strategy for hydrolyzing hydrogen production of Mg-based materials was summarized,and the fast initial kinetics and high hydrogen production rate could be achieved by adjusting hydrolysis medium conditions and modifying Mg-based material.The significance of hydrolytic hydrogen production technology and device development for the realization of Mg-based hydrolytic hydrogen production was evaluated.Meanwhile,this work looks forward to the future direction of hydrogen production modification by hydrolysis of Mg-based alloy,and gradually optimizes the hydrolysis performance of industrial multi-component waste Mg alloy under the premise of green hydrogen production,and proposes the goal of efficient modification of waste Mg alloy,high-quality utilization of seawater,and low-cost and controllable hydrogen production process.

Enabling Technologies for Autonomous Robotic Systems in Manufacturing

Research of autonomous manufacturing systems is motivated both by the new technical possibilities of cyber-physical systems and by the practical needs of the industry.Autonomous operation in semi-structured industrial environments can now be supported by advanced sensor technologies,digital twins,artificial intelligence and novel communication techniques.These enable real-time monitoring of production processes,situation recognition and prediction,automated and adaptive(re)planning,teamwork and performance improvement by learning.This paper summarizes the main requirements towards autonomous industrial robotics and suggests a generic workflow for realizing such systems.Application case studies will be presented from recent practice at HUN-REN SZTAKI in a broad range of domains such as assembly,welding,grinding,picking and placing,and machining.The various solutions have in common that they use a generic digital twin concept as their core.After making general recommendations for realizing autonomous robotic solutions in the industry,open issues for future research will be discussed.

Exploring Nutritional Compositions,Volatile Compounds,Health Benefits,Emerging Processing Technologies,and Potential Food Products of Glutinous Rice:A Review

Glutinous rice(Oryza sativa var.glutinosa)stands out as one of the most popular rice varieties globally,amidst thousands of rice cultivars.Its increasing popularity is attributed to its rich nutritional compositions and health benefits.This review aims to summarize the nutritional compositions,volatile compounds,and health benefits of glutinous rice.Further,in-depth studies are necessary to explore the utilization of glutinous rice in enhancing processing technologies and developing new food products.Glutinous rice has been shown to possess numerous health benefits,including antioxidant activity,bioactive compounds,anti-cancer properties,anti-inflammatory effects,anti-diabetic potential,and cholesterol-lowering effects.Besides its nutritional compositions,the major volatile compounds identified in glutinous rice could serve as a functional food for human consumption.Emerging processing technologies related to glutinous rice are elaborated to improve the latest developments for incorporating them into various food products.

Measuring Pedestrian Stress Response (MPSR) Using Wearable Technologies

Walkability is an essential aspect of urban transportation systems. Properly designed walking paths can enhance transportation safety, encourage pedestrian activity, and improve community quality of life. This, in turn, can help achieve sustainable development goals in urban areas. This pilot study uses wearable technology data to present a new method for measuring pedestrian stress in urban environments and the results were presented as an interactive geographic information system map to support risk-informed decision-making. The approach involves analyzing data from wearable devices using heart rate variability (RMSSD and slope analysis) to identify high-stress locations. This data-driven approach can help urban planners and safety experts identify and address pedestrian stressors, ultimately creating safer, more walkable cities. The study addresses a significant challenge in pedestrian safety by providing insights into factors and locations that trigger stress in pedestrians. During the pilot study, high-stress pedestrian experiences were identified due to issues like pedestrian-scooter interaction on pedestrian paths, pedestrian behavior around high foot traffic areas, and poor visibility at pedestrian crossings due to inadequate lighting.

Combined Insights from Leachate Structure and Microstructure Characteristics for Eating Quality of Convenience Rice Processed by Super-Heated and Pressurized Steam Technologies

Convenience rice has become widely popular due to its easy availability for cooking. This study investigated the starch structure and composition of leachate and the microstructure of reheated convenience rice using novel processing technologies: super-heated steaming(SHS), auto-electric cooking(AEC), and pressurized-steam cooking(PSC). Additionally, the effect of two different target water contents(58% and 63%) was also evaluated. The PSC_63% sample had the highest total solids and amylopectin amount in the leachate. The amylopectin amount in the leachate differed significantly based on the targeted water content. Morphological characterization revealed that the swelling of starch and the coated layer on the surface of rice grains were most pronounced in the PSC_63% sample due to the pressure processing. The textural hardness of the AEC_58% sample was much higher than that of the other samples. The PSC_63% sample had the highest textural adhesiveness value, which can be attributed to the highest amylopectin amount in the leachate. Sensory characterization showed that the PSC_63% sample had the highest glossiness, whiteness, moistness, and overall acceptability. The principal component analysis score plots presented substantial differences in the leachate and textural and sensory characteristics of reheated convenience rice among the different processing technologies.

Optimizing air quality and health Co-benefits of mitigation technologies in China: An integrated assessment

Carbon mitigation technologies lead to air quality improvement and health co-benefits,while the practical effects of the technologies are dependent on the energy composition,technological advancements,and economic development.In China,mitigation technologies such as end-of-pipe treatment,renewable energy adoption,carbon capture and storage(CCS),and sector electrification demonstrate significant promise in meeting carbon reduction targets.However,the optimization of these technologies for maximum co-benefits remains unclear.Here,we employ an integrated assessment model(AIM/enduse,CAM-chem,IMED|HEL)to analyze air quality shifts and their corresponding health and economic impacts at the provincial level in China within the two-degree target.Our findings reveal that a combination of end-of-pipe technology,renewable energy utilization,and electrification yields the most promising results in air quality improvement,with a reduction of fine particulate matter(PM2.5)by−34.6μg m^(−3) and ozone by−18.3 ppb in 2050 compared to the reference scenario.In contrast,CCS technology demonstrates comparatively modest improvements in air quality(−9.4μg m^(−3) for PM2.5 and−2.4 ppb for ozone)and cumulative premature deaths reduction(−3.4 million from 2010 to 2050)compared to the end-of-pipe scenario.Notably,densely populated regions such as Henan,Hebei,Shandong,and Sichuan experience the most health and economic benefits.This study aims to project effective future mitigation technologies and climate policies on air quality improvement and carbon mitigation.Furthermore,it seeks to delineate detailed provincial-level air pollution control strategies,offering valuable guidance for policymakers and stakeholders in pursuing sustainable and health-conscious environmental management.

Ad Blockers & Online Privacy: A Comparative Analysis of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PET)

Online tracking mechanisms employed by internet companies for user profiling and targeted advertising raise major privacy concerns. Despite efforts to defend against these mechanisms, they continue to evolve, rendering many existing defences ineffective. This study performs a large-scale measurement of online tracking mechanisms across a large pool of websites using the OpenWPM (Open Web Privacy Measurement) platform. It systematically evaluates the effectiveness of several ad blockers and underlying Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PET) that are primarily used to mitigate different tracking techniques. By quantifying the strengths and limitations of these tools against modern tracking methods, the findings highlight gaps in existing privacy protections. Actionable recommendations are provided to enhance user privacy defences, guide tool developers and inform policymakers on addressing invasive online tracking practices.

Monitoring Technologies for Marine Carbon Sequestration in Zhanjiang

Marine carbon sequestration is an important component of carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage(CCUS) technology. It is crucial for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutralization in China. However, CO_(2) leakage may lead to seabed geological disasters and threaten the safety of marine engineering. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the safety monitoring technology of marine carbon sequestration.Zhanjiang is industrially developed and rich in carbon sources. Owing to the good physical properties and reservoirs and trap characteristics,Zhanjiang has huge storage potential. This paper explores the disaster mechanism associated with CO_(2) leakage in marine carbon sequestration areas. Based on the analysis of the development of Zhanjiang industry and relevant domestic monitoring technologies, several suggestions for safety monitoring of marine carbon sequestration are proposed: application of offshore aquaculture platforms, expansion and application of ocean observation networks, carbon sequestration safety monitoring and sensing system. Intended to build a comprehensive and multi-level safety monitoring system for marine carbon sequestration, the outcome of this study provides assistance for the development of marine carbon sequestration in China's offshore areas.

Ecological Restoration Technologies of Urban Artificial Landscape Lakes

Aiming at the problems of water pollution and ecological environment degradation in urban artificial landscape lakes,the ecological restoration technologies of artificial landscape lakes at home and abroad were studied to provide some reference for the ecological restoration of urban artificial landscape lakes in China.

Developing Healthcare Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia Using Smart Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities

This study aims to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with developing healthcare infrastructure in Saudi Arabia through the implementation of smart technologies. The healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia is undergoing significant transformation, and the integration of smart technologies has the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes, and enhance the overall healthcare experience. However, several challenges need to be addressed in order to fully leverage the benefits of smart technologies in healthcare infrastructure development. This research identifies and analyzes these challenges while also highlighting the opportunities that arise from the adoption of smart technologies in the Saudi Arabian healthcare system. The findings contribute to the understanding of the current state of healthcare infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and provide insights into the strategies and policies required to overcome challenges and maximize the benefits of smart technologies in healthcare.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in China: Progress and Prospects of Research on Treatment Technologies and Policy Provisions

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are an atmospheric pollutant with a boiling point of 50˚C - 260˚C at room temperature and pressure. They are precursors of sulfur dioxide and ozone, which can seriously pollute the atmosphere and endanger human health. After the “14th Five-Year Plan”, VOCs, instead of SO2, became one of the five indicators of China’s atmospheric governance. As a result, the government’s efforts to control VOCs have increased significantly. VOCs governance mustn’t be delayed. This paper provides a comprehensive summary and analysis of VOCs governance, covering the classification of VOCs, analysis of VOC governance technology (with a focus on end-of-pipe governance technology), national policy regulations, current governance shortcomings, and a forward-looking perspective on the future direction of VOCs governance, emphasizing healthy and sustainable development.

Energy-Saving Construction Technologies for Buildings

The development of the construction industry is shifting towards low-carbon construction,so it is necessary to improve and optimize related construction concepts,methods,and processes.By improving resource and energy control efficiency in building projects,minimizing construction waste,and reducing environmental impact,a foundation for the sustainable development of the industry can be established.This paper mainly analyzes the significance of low-carbon energy-saving construction technology and the control factors of construction,summarizes the status quo of the development of building energy-saving construction,and puts forward strategies for applying building energy-saving construction technology.These strategies serve to achieve low-carbon and energy-saving goals to promote the healthy development of energy-saving construction.

Leveraging Geospatial Technologies for Resource Optimization in Livestock Management

Geospatial technologies can be leveraged to optimize the available resources for better productivity and sustainability. The resources can be human, software and hardware equipment and their effective management can enhance operational efficiency through better and informed decision making. This review article examines the application of geospatial technologies, including GPS, GIS, and remote sensing, for optimizing resource utilization in livestock management. It compares these technologies to traditional livestock management practices and highlights their potential to improve animal tracking, feed intake monitoring, disease monitoring, pasture selection, and rangeland management. Previously, animal management practices were labor-intensive, time-consuming, and required more precision for optimal animal health and productivity. Digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have transformed the livestock sector through precision livestock management. However, major challenges such as high cost, availability and accessibility to these technologies have deterred their implementation. To fully realize the benefits and tremendous contribution of these digital technologies and to address the challenges associated with their widespread adoption, the review proposes a collaborative approach between different stakeholders in the livestock sector including livestock farmers, researchers, veterinarians, industry professionals, technology developers, the private sector, financial institutions and government to share knowledge and expertise. The collaboration would facilitate the integration of various strategies to ensure the effective and wide adoption of digital technologies in livestock management by supporting the development of user-friendly and accessible tools tailored to specific livestock management and production systems.

Pollution source identification methods and remediation technologies of groundwater: A review

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water.Groundwater pollution severely endangers drinking water safety and sustainable social development.In the case of groundwater pollution,the top priority is to identify pollution sources,and accurate information on pollution sources is the premise of efficient remediation.Then,an appropriate pollution remediation scheme should be developed according to information on pollution sources,site conditions,and economic costs.The methods for identifying pollution sources mainly include geophysical exploration,geochemistry,isotopic tracing,and numerical modeling.Among these identification methods,only the numerical modeling can recognize various information on pollution sources,while other methods can only identify a certain aspect of pollution sources.The remediation technologies of groundwater can be divided into in-situ and ex-situ remediation technologies according to the remediation location.The in-situ remediation technologies enjoy low costs and a wide remediation range,but their remediation performance is prone to be affected by environmental conditions and cause secondary pollution.The ex-situ remediation technologies boast high remediation efficiency,high processing capacity,and high treatment concentration but suffer high costs.Different methods for pollution source identification and remediation technologies are applicable to different conditions.To achieve the expected identification and remediation results,it is feasible to combine several methods and technologies according to the actual hydrogeological conditions of contaminated sites and the nature of pollutants.Additionally,detailed knowledge about the hydrogeological conditions and stratigraphic structure of the contaminated site is the basis of all work regardless of the adopted identification methods or remediation technologies.

A Review of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Contemporary Computer Network Technologies

Rapid advancement in science and technology has seen computer network technology being upgraded constantly, and computer technology, in particular, has been applied more and more extensively, which has brought convenience to people’s lives. The number of people using the internet around the globe has also increased significantly, exerting a profound influence on artificial intelligence. Further, the constant upgrading and development of artificial intelligence has led to the continuous innovation and improvement of computer technology. Countries around the world have also registered an increase in investment, paying more attention to artificial intelligence. Through an analysis of the current development situation and the existing applications of artificial intelligence, this paper explicates the role of artificial intelligence in the face of the unceasing expansion of computer network technology.

A review of cathode and electrolyte recovery from spent lithium-ion batteries: Recent technologies, processes and policies

Recently,lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),due to their superior performance,have been vastly applied in electronic,auto,and other industries,resulting in the generation of an increasing amount of spent LIBs.What’s worse,LIBs contained potentially toxic substances,including heavy metals,toxic and flammable electrolyte containing LiBF_(4),LiClO_(4),and LiPF_(6).Conventional disposal of spent LIBs via landfill or incineration exerts tremendous pressure on the environment.It was necessary to adopt efficient,low-cost,and environmentally friendly approaches to valorizing spent LIBs,which could not only alleviate the shortage of rare resources by recycling valuable ele-ments such as Cu,Li,Mn,Ni,Co,and Al,but also eliminate the pollution of harmful components in batteries and realize the recycling and sustainable industry related to consumer electronics and electric vehicles(EVs).Given this,this paper summarized the recycling technologies of spent LIBs,including pyrometallurgy(melting reduction and roasting methods)and hydrometallurgy(leaching,precipitation,extraction,ion-exchange,elec-trochemical,sol-gel methods),and electrolyte recycling(organic solvent extraction and supercritical extraction methods).Pyrometallurgy technologies had relatively decent metal recovery rates but were associated with high energy consumption and atmospheric emission issues.Hydrometallurgical technologies were more environ-mentally friendly and efficient in recovering spent LIBs,although disposing of the wastewater generated from the process remained a challenge.In addition,the different industrial processes and various countries’related policies of recycling spent LIBs were investigated.In the end,the outlooks and future directions of recycling spent LIBs were proposed.

The Appeals,Dilemmas,and Pathways of Enabling Rural Teachers’Professional Development Through Emerging Technologies

With the rapid advancements in technology,especially in digitalization and intelligence,numerous modern technologies have poured into rural schools,effectively improving their informatization conditions.Nevertheless,these technologies remain detached from rural teachers,failing to significantly enhance the quality of education and teaching in rural areas.Rural education is a crucial aspect of ensuring balanced development in education.The question of how to enhance rural teachers’technological application abilities and fully leverage the positive role of technology in rural education and teaching has become a significant topic of current research on rural education issues.To better address this question,this study conducted a thorough examination of the specific appeals of rural teachers in the process of technology enablement.It was discovered that rural teachers generally face dilemmas such as insufficient technological application abilities,difficulties in obtaining quality teaching resources,and the lack of continuous technical support and update mechanisms.Based on these findings,specific pathways such as strengthening rural teacher training,optimizing the allocation of educational resources,and establishing mechanisms for continuous technical support and updates are proposed to aid in the high-quality development of rural education.