The impact of objective urban features on perception of neighbourhood environments.

Perceptions of the neighbourhood environment can play an important role in promoting public health, yet modifying perceptions is challenging. Adjusting the built environment may be a pathway to influence perceptions. In addition to the physical environment, intrapersonal factors may shape perceptions.

Construction of multifunctionalized (oxo)indoles via O-Selective interception of the zwitterionic intermediate with N=O.

A straightforward multi-component method is developed to construct multifunctionalized (oxo)indoles under Pd(II) catalysis via intramolecular or intermolecular reaction pathways between electron-rich arenes, diazo compounds, and nitrosoarenes. Under the catalysis of palladium, metal carbene, generated from diazo compound, reacts with electron-rich arene to form zwitterionic intermediate, which is trapped by activated nitrosobenzene to give the desired product. It is worth noting that indole and nitrosobenzene have a competitive relationship and react with diazo compounds to produce different two-component products.

Asymmetric Nickel-Catalyzed Denitrogenative Transannulation to Construct Axially Chiral C-N Atropisomers.

Here, we report an enantioselective nickel-catalyzed transannulation reaction through a denitrogenative strategy for the synthesis of new atropisomers under mild conditions. A series of axially chiral atropisomers bearing a chiral C-N bond were achieved with excellent enantioselectivities and regioselectivities. Moreover, a broad range of alkynes and 1,2,3-benzotriazinones were well tolerated by this method.

Multi-component reactions via copper(I) difluorocarbene as carbonyl source for constructing α-aminoamide derivatives.

Difluorocarbene, an important reactive intermediate in organic synthesis, exhibits intriguing properties and synthetic versatility. However, great challenges in modulating reaction pathways limit its widespread application in synthetic chemistry. While metal-catalyzed difluorocarbene transfer offers a promising strategy but remains a formidable challenge.

The role of MCT1 in tumor progression and targeted therapy: a comprehensive review.

Overexpression of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) in tumor cells is often associated with poor prognosis. The established mechanisms through which MCT1 and its mediated lactate transport drive tumor progression are manifold. The classical mechanisms include fostering metabolic symbiosis among tumor cells, dampening the immune function of immune cells, and spurring tumor angiogenesis.

Beyond companionship: psycho-social benefits of pet ownership.

Background: Pet ownership, which has increased over the last decade, can offer owners health benefits. However, relatively few studies have examined the psycho-social benefits of pet ownership, particularly across diverse contexts and types of pets. Existing research is largely Western-focused, and has paid limited attention to the potential interrelationships between pet ownership, pet types, and gender.

Deciphering antibiotic resistance gene transfer in activated sludge systems for piggery wastewater: behaviors, hosts and drivers.

Understanding the transfer and driving mechanisms of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in activated sludge is essential for mitigating environmental risks, particularly during real wastewater treatment where these processes remain poorly characterized. This study investigated the prevalence of ARGs in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) - up-flow microaerobic sludge reactor (UMSR) system treating high-risk piggery wastewater and revealed critical pathways for resistance propagation. Ten prevalent ARG subtypes, categorized into three types, were selected as target genes, exhibiting a total relative abundance of 0.

Machine learning strategy secures urban smart drinking water treatment plant through incremental advances.

The integration of machine learning into urban drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) offers a transformative pathway to ensure drinking water safety while promoting the development of smart, low-carbon cities. However, the effectiveness of these systems is frequently hindered by challenges related to data security and reliability, including imprecise control logic, sensor inconsistencies, and data transmission errors. In this study, we introduce a novel progressive Step-by-Step (SBS) machine learning strategy, initially applied to precise disinfectant dosage control in drinking water treatment and subsequently extended to enhance the data security of the entire water supply system.

Metal-free regioselective hydrophosphorylation of electron-deficient alkynes catalyzed by oxazaborolidines.

Here, we describe a metal-free strategy for the hydrophosphorylation of electron-deficient alkynyl to access various P-containing olefins catalyzed by commercial oxazaborolidines with high regio-selectivity ( :  up to 99%). Interestingly, the possible mechanism suggests that the catalytic path proceeds through a synergistic addition process which leads to single -structure products. Moreover, the chiral oxazaborolidine catalyst probably works as a Lewis pair which can accelerate the cleavage of the O-H bond in diarylphosphine oxides and provide appropriate steric hindrance to control the regioselectivity.

Redesigning urban parks for active living in dense urban areas: a remote audit approach.

The widespread use of virtual audits has transformed the assessment of urban design attributes by eliminating the necessity for on-site visits. However, there remains a lack of virtual audit tools specifically designed for evaluating urban parks in dense urban environments. This study aims to (1) adapt the Audit Tool for Activity-friendly Parks in Dense Urban Areas (TAPS) into a remote audit tool (R-TAPS), and (2) evaluate its reliability and validity.

The built environment and place attachment: Insights from Japanese cities.

Objective: Place attachment plays an important role in individuals' health and well-being. Understanding the associations between urban design attributes and place attachment can inform strategies to promote place attachment. This study aims to examine the associations between walkable built environment metrics and place attachment.

At-Home Immersive Virtual Reality Exergames to Reduce Cardiometabolic Risk Among Office Workers: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The worldwide rise in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases has increased the recognition of the need to identify modifiable risk factors for preventing and managing these diseases. The office worker, as a representative group of physically inactive workers, is exposed to risk factors for metabolic syndrome, which is a primary driver of noncommunicable diseases. The use of virtual reality (VR) exergames may offer a potential solution to the problem of increasing noncommunicable disease prevalence, as it can help individuals increase their physical activity levels while providing a more immersive experience.

An ODE-based swift and dynamic sewer airflow model.

Airflow models are powerful tools for ventilation design to achieve odour and corrosion mitigation in sewer networks. Currently, there lacks a model able to efficiently predict in-sewer dynamic airflows, as all available dynamic models with an acceptable accuracy are computationally demanding. In this study, a swift dynamic airflow model based on an ordinary differential equation (ODE) is derived by simplifying the one-dimensional Navier Stokes Equations (NSE), supported by the observation that the NSE solutions always display negligible spatial variations in air velocity when applied to a sewer conduit.

Identifying periods impacted by sewer inflow and infiltration using time series anomaly detection.

Accurate diagnosis of sewer inflow and infiltration (I/I) is crucial for ensuring the safe transportation of sewage and the stability of wastewater treatment processes. Identifying periods impacted by I/I is essential for I/I diagnosis, but current methods lack a standard criterion and require adaptation to specific conditions, resulting in low accuracy, complexity, and limited generalizability. This paper proposes a novel approach to distinguish I/I periods from time series of sewer measurements based on anomaly detection theory through an iterative use of a time-series reconstruction model.

Efficient methane fermentation from the waste of a novel straw alkali-heat pretreatment-butyric acid fermentation process.

The butyric acid biorefinery technology for straw is highly significant for environmental protection and the restructuring of the energy system. However, this process produces waste from alkali-heat pretreatment (PW) and butyric acid fermentation (FW). In this study, the feasibility of methane fermentation from the wastes was confirmed, with the methane production from PW and FW of 351.

Making waves: Knowledge and data fusion in urban water modelling.

Mathematical modeling plays a crucial role in understanding and managing urban water systems (UWS), with mechanistic models often serving as the foundation for their design and operations. Despite the wide adoptions, mechanistic models are challenged by the complexity of dynamic processes and high computational demands. Data-driven models bring opportunities to capture system complexities and reduce computational cost, by leveraging the abundant data made available by recent advance in sensor technologies.

A data-driven method for estimating sewer inflow and infiltration based on temperature and conductivity monitoring.

Quantitation of sewer inflow and infiltration (I/I) is important for maintaining efficient wastewater transport and treatment. I/I flows can be quantified based on flow rate and water quality measurements. Flow rate-based methods require continuous monitoring of flow rates using flow meters that are costly and prone to fouling.

Boron induced multiple quorum-sensing circuits in parallel to assist in anaerobic digestion recovery from volatile fatty acids accumulation.

Exogenous quorum sensing (QS) molecular can regulate the activity and granulation process of anaerobic sludge in anaerobic digestion process, but would be impractical as a standalone operation. Here we demonstrated that application of 1 mg L boric acid assisted in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor recovery from volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulation. After VFAs accumulation, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal suddenly reduced from 78.

Metal-Free Enantioselective 1,4-Addition of Diarylphosphine Oxides to α,β-Unsaturated Carboxylic Esters.

The catalytic asymmetric conjugate addition of phosphorus nucleophiles to unsaturated compounds, catalyzed by metallic or nonmetallic catalysts, has been extensively developed. However, the enantioselective transformations involving α,β-unsaturated carboxylic esters for constructing chiral c-p bonds have been rarely reported, particularly in metal-free processes. In this study, we present a novel metal-free methodology for enantioselective 1,4-addition of diarylphosphine oxides to α,β-unsaturated carboxylic esters using classical chiral oxazaborolidine catalysts.

When transition-metal catalysis meets electrosynthesis: a recent update.

While aiming at sustainable synthesis, organic electrosynthesis has attracted increasing attention in the past few years. In parallel, with a deeper understanding of catalyst and ligand design, 3d transition-metal catalysis allows the conception of more straightforward synthetic routes in a cost-effective fashion. Owing to their intrinsic advantages, the merger of organic electrosynthesis with 3d transition-metal catalysis has offered huge opportunities for conceptually novel transformations while limiting ecological footprint.

Asymmetric 1,4-Addition of Diarylphosphine Oxides to α, β-Unsaturated 2-Acyl Imidazoles.

Here we introduce a metal-free, catalytic and enantioselective strategy from α,β-unsaturated 2-acyl imidazoles to the chiral phosphorous 2-acyl imidazoles. Interestingly, this methodology was catalyzed by the classical and commercial oxazaborolidine under mild conditions. This strategy features a wide range of substrates scope with good yields and excellent enantioselectivities.

Temperature-resilient superior performances by coupling partial nitritation/anammox and iron-based denitrification with granular formation.

Partial nitritation-anammox (PN/A), an energy-neutral process, is widely employed in the treatment of nitrogen-rich wastewater. However, the intrinsic nitrate accumulation limits the total nitrogen (TN) removal, and the practical application of PN/A continues to face a significant challenge at low temperatures (<15 °C). Here, an integrated partial nitritation-anammox and iron-based denitrification (PNAID) system was developed to address the concern.