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1.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0300478, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38935676

ABSTRACT

To bolster the dual-circulation development model and green economy, this study delves into the spatiotemporal dynamics of implied carbon transfer in China's inter-provincial and inter-industrial trade, emphasizing its significance for the "dual carbon" objectives. Utilizing multi-regional input-output data from 2012, 2015, and 2017, we employed the multi-region input-output model to gauge embodied carbon transfers across 31 provinces and 28 industries. The Structural Decomposition Analysis (SDA) model further decomposed the growth of trade-related carbon emissions. Key findings include: (1) The electricity and thermal power sectors dominate carbon transfers, with secondary industries seeing rapid growth; (2) Northern provinces significantly outweigh southern ones in carbon transfers and the main direction of it is towards affluent southern coastal regions; (3) Scale effect plays a pivotal role in these transfers. Conclusively, it is crucial for regulatory authorities to rationally formulate region-specific emission policies for inter-regional coordination, and future studies can focus on industrial and spatial clustering effects.


Subject(s)
Carbon , Industry , China , Carbon/analysis
2.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0303666, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38935697

ABSTRACT

Rising income inequality challenges economic and social stability in developing countries. For China, the fastest-growing global digital economy, it could be an effective tool to promote inclusive development, narrowing urban-rural income disparity. It investigates the role of digital financial inclusion (DFI) in narrowing the urban-rural income gap. The study uses panel data from 52 counties in Zhejiang Province, China, from 2014 to 2020. The results show that the development of DFI significantly reduces rural-urban and rural income inequality. The development of DFI helps optimize industrial structure and upgrade the internal structure of agriculture, facilitating income growth for people in rural areas. Such effects are greater in poorer counties. Our findings provide insights into why rapid DFI and the narrowing of the rural-urban income disparity exist in China. Moreover, our results provide clear policy implications on how to reduce the disparity. The most compelling suggestion is that promoting the optimization of industrial structure through DFI is crucial for narrowing the urban-rural income gap.


Subject(s)
Income , Rural Population , Urban Population , China , Income/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Socioeconomic Factors , Industry/economics
3.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0306104, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38935809

ABSTRACT

Highlighting minorities and crime survivors through public discourse is essential for their support and protection. However, advocating for minorities is challenging due to the fear of potential isolation from one's social circles. This reluctance contributes to the societal phenomenon known as the "spiral of silence," significantly impeding efforts to support socially vulnerable individuals. This study centers on a pivotal instance where the silence surrounding sexual abuse in the Japanese entertainment industry was disrupted, in which the late company president had allegedly abused idol trainees of the company for decades. Utilizing extensive data from news media and social media, the study probes the engagement dynamics of public attention to this scandal. Results indicate that users on social media provided earlier and greater coverage for this scandal compared to news media outlets. Furthermore, television demonstrated a significant delay in addressing this issue compared to other news media, such as tabloids, magazines, and online news. Regarding social media engagement, idol fans exhibited a more subdued response to the issue compared to the general public. Notably, fans more loyal to the company tended to be slower to mention the issue, with a higher likelihood of standing in defense of the perpetrators. Moreover, conflicting attitudes were observed within the fan communities, culminating in an observable "echo chamber" phenomenon. This paper presents a novel examination of the process of disruption of social silence and offers critical insights for aiding vulnerable individuals in environments dominated by an unacknowledged spiral of silence. This study is novel in that it suggests a reinterpretation of the "spiral of silence theory" in the age of social media, through a comprehensive analysis of relevant social media data and news media data. This contributes to the body of research that has analyzed the spiral of silence theory online.


Subject(s)
Sex Offenses , Social Media , Humans , Japan , Sex Offenses/psychology , Mass Media , Industry , Female , East Asian People
4.
ACS Sens ; 9(6): 2728-2776, 2024 Jun 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38828988

ABSTRACT

The escalating development and improvement of gas sensing ability in industrial equipment, or "machine olfactory", propels the evolution of gas sensors toward enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, stability, power efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and longevity. Two-dimensional (2D) materials, distinguished by their atomic-thin profile, expansive specific surface area, remarkable mechanical strength, and surface tunability, hold significant potential for addressing the intricate challenges in gas sensing. However, a comprehensive review of 2D materials-based gas sensors for specific industrial applications is absent. This review delves into the recent advances in this field and highlights the potential applications in industrial machine olfaction. The main content encompasses industrial scenario characteristics, fundamental classification, enhancement methods, underlying mechanisms, and diverse gas sensing applications. Additionally, the challenges associated with transitioning 2D material gas sensors from laboratory development to industrialization and commercialization are addressed, and future-looking viewpoints on the evolution of next-generation intelligent gas sensory systems in the industrial sector are prospected.


Subject(s)
Gases , Gases/analysis , Gases/chemistry , Smell , Industry , Odorants/analysis
5.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0299011, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38913624

ABSTRACT

In traditional supply chain finance, the financing of enterprise mainly relies on the credit segmentation of the core enterprise, resulting in a short trust transmission radius and poor financing ability. The development of Internet technology, while expanding financing channels, has also seen an increasing severity in issues such as information fraud and data breaches, which has further aggravated the trust crisis in supply chain finance. This paper integrates blockchain technology into the industrial internet platform and analyzes the applicability of both in empowering supply chain financial trust. Then a supply chain financial trust framework, which emphasizes information sharing, data security, and trust circulation, is proposed. Furthermore, combined with the theories of Funk-SVD and entropy value, this paper designs a global trust evaluation mechanism that facilitates the trust circulation in supply chain finance and proposes a recommendation algorithm for global trust. With the testing conducted using the Epinions dataset, it is found that the algorithm proposed in this paper has a strong data dimensionality reduction and concentration ability, especially for large sample data, it can obtain more accurate evaluation values with less space occupation, thus enhancing the trust circulation ability of supply chain finance. Finally, the paper puts forward specific policy recommendations for the implementation of the supply chain finance information mechanism, aiming to better improve the financing accessibility of enterprises in supply chain, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.


Subject(s)
Algorithms , Blockchain , Internet , Trust , Industry/economics , Humans , Computer Security
6.
Front Public Health ; 12: 1355094, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38915753

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The presence of the Penicillium section Aspergilloides (formerly known as Penicillium glabrum) in the cork industry involves the risk of respiratory diseases such as suberosis. Methods: The aim of this study was to corroborate the predominant fungi present in this occupational environment by performing a mycological analysis of 360 workers' nasal exudates collected by nasal swabs. Additionally, evaluation of respiratory disorders among the cork workers was also performed by spirometry. Results: Penicillium section Aspergilloides was detected by qPCR in 37 out of the 360 nasal swabs collected from workers' samples. From those, 25 remained negative for Penicillium sp. when using culture-based methods. A significant association was found between ventilatory defects and years of work in the cork industry, with those people working for 10 or more years in this industry having an approximately two-fold increased risk of having ventilatory defects compared to those working less time in this setting. Among the workers who detected the presence of Penicillium section Aspergilloides, those with symptoms presented slightly higher average values of CFU. Discussion: Overall, the results obtained in this study show that working in the cork industry may have adverse effects on worker's respiratory health. Nevertheless, more studies are needed (e.g., using serological assays) to clarify the impact of each risk factor (fungi and dust) on disease etiology.


Subject(s)
Occupational Exposure , Penicillium , Humans , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Portugal , Penicillium/isolation & purification , Male , Adult , Middle Aged , Female , Spirometry , Industry
7.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0302654, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38848406

ABSTRACT

South Korea has faced many social issues due to long working hours, lack of rest areas, and poor rest facility environments for cleaners, security guards, department store workers, etc. Discussions have been ongoing about mandating the installation of rest facilities. From August 18, 2022, Article 128-2 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, concerning the installation of rest facilities, was enforced. Consequently, employers in all industries are required to install rest facilities, and laws have been established to ensure these facilities meet certain standards. Accordingly, this study investigated the current status of rest facility installations and the awareness of the law's enactment in Korean industrial sites. The results, analyzed by gender, age, managerial status, industry, and size of the business, indicated that younger people were less satisfied with the rest facilities. Managers were more knowledgeable about the legal regulations than workers. In the service industry, compared to other industries, smaller businesses were less likely to have rest facilities and were less aware of the legal regulations. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data to help establish the rest facility installation laws in Korea.


Subject(s)
Occupational Health , Republic of Korea , Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Occupational Health/legislation & jurisprudence , Workplace/legislation & jurisprudence , Awareness , Surveys and Questionnaires , Industry/legislation & jurisprudence
8.
Environ Geochem Health ; 46(7): 230, 2024 Jun 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38849623

ABSTRACT

Soil in urban and industrial areas is one of the main sinks of pollutants. It is well known that there is a strong link between metal(loid)s bioaccessibility by inhalation pathway and human health. The critical size fraction is < 10 µm (inhalable fraction) since these particles can approach to the tracheobronchial region. Here, soil samples (< 10 µm) from a highly urbanized area and an industrialized city were characterized by combining magnetic measurements, bioaccessibility of metal(loids) and Pb isotope analyses. Thermomagnetic analysis indicated that the main magnetic mineral is impure magnetite. In vitro inhalation analysis showed that Cd, Mn, Pb and Zn were the elements with the highest bioaccessibility rates (%) for both settings. Anthropogenic sources that are responsible for Pb accumulation in < 10 µm fraction are traffic emissions for the highly urbanized environment, and Pb related to steel emissions and coal combustion in cement plant for the industrial setting. We did not establish differences in the Pb isotope composition between pseudo-total and bioaccessible Pb. The health risk assessment via the inhalation pathway showed limited non-carcinogenic risks for adults and children. The calculated risks based on pseudo-total and lung bioaccessible concentrations were identical for the two areas of contrasting anthropogenic pressures. Carcinogenic risks were under the threshold levels (CR < 10-4), with Ni being the dominant contributor to risk. This research contributes valuable insights into the lung bioaccessibility of metal(loids) in urban and industrial soils, incorporating advanced analytical techniques and health risk assessments for a comprehensive understanding.


Subject(s)
Lead , Soil Pollutants , Risk Assessment , Humans , Soil Pollutants/analysis , Lead/analysis , Inhalation Exposure/analysis , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Isotopes/analysis , Biological Availability , Particle Size , Industry , Metals, Heavy/analysis , Child , Adult , Urbanization , Soil/chemistry , Cities
9.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0296623, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38843199

ABSTRACT

The demographic structure is an important factor influencing the development of the services industry. As the country with the world's most serious aging problem, China's service industry structure is likely to undergo profound changes in response to the rapid demographic transition. Therefore, this paper examines the effect of population aging on the development of the service industry in the context of China's accelerating population aging. The study found that: (1) Population aging has a significant "inverted U" effect on the development of the services industry. (2) The impact of population aging on the development of the service industry has obvious regional and industry heterogeneity. The study of regional heterogeneity found that population aging in economically developed regions has a more obvious effect on the development of the service industry than in economically less developed regions. Industry heterogeneity studies found that population aging has an obvious promotional effect on the development of medical and other rigid demand industries, while the effect on other non-rigid demand industries is not significant. (3) The threshold effect test found that when the degree of population aging exceeds the threshold, the stimulating effect of population aging on the development of the services industry is no longer significant. The research in this paper provides useful insights into the likely response to changes in the industrial structure of the services industry, and offers some implications for countries with similar demographic profiles to China.


Subject(s)
Population Dynamics , China , Humans , Population Dynamics/trends , Industrial Development , Aging , Industry
10.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0300936, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38843206

ABSTRACT

The study aims to uncover the impact of COVID-19 and capital structure on the financial performance of 1787 renewable and nonrenewable energy firms in China from 2010 to 2022. Using the fixed effect approach, our study found that financial leverage negatively affected the return on assets and equity ratios for both renewable and nonrenewable energy. On the other hand, the study shows that COVID-19 adversely affected the financial performances of non-renewable energy firms. Conversely, COVID-19 positively affected the financial performances of renewable energy firms. The conclusions drawn by the present study are helpful for the policymakers in making corresponding financial decisions. The study suggests that policymakers must adopt profitable capital structure strategies for firms and shareholders in this context. Finally, policymakers must design more policies to overcome the adverse influence of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and avoid any future unforeseeable pandemics.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/economics , China/epidemiology , Humans , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Pandemics/economics , Industry/economics , Renewable Energy/economics
11.
Front Public Health ; 12: 1381879, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38894995

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Risk assessment and management in companies plays a significant role in the prevention section of any field. In the field of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), its inconsistent or incorrect application has a direct impact on the life and health of employees. In some companies, even today, it is not properly implemented and adequate procedures and methods are not used. The article discusses the development of a step-by-step procedure for risk assessment in industrial environments in the area of OHS. Methods: Main parts of the model and its steps present the partial results of a survey conducted on a sample of 500 small and micro enterprises in the field of risk assessment and the systematic procedure developed following the main survey results. The survey covered only enterprises located in the construction, manufacturing, transport and storage and agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors, which is also a significant statistical feature. Within the structure of respondents, statistical features such as: size of enterprise, sector, region by work are identified. Only enterprises with size by number of employees - micro enterprises from 1 to 9 employees and small enterprises from 10 to 49 employees - were included for the survey. Results: New elements of the methods were integrated into the developed systematic procedure, which was subsequently validated in 7 plants of the one company on the same position. The application of the developed model was verified by an expert group consisting of 7 members, an odd number, and the developed checklists and risk register were applied. On the basis of the verification, the model, checklist and risk register were corrected. In addition, the scoring method and the risk matrix were also used, but they did not contain new elements. Discusion: The procedure is still in use today and employees have been trained to use it. On the basis of the developed methodology and the Checklist, the procedure has been transposed into the European OiRA tool and can be used by companies throughout the European Union.


Subject(s)
Industry , Occupational Health , Humans , Risk Assessment/methods , Surveys and Questionnaires
12.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 31(28): 41084-41106, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38842782

ABSTRACT

Current studies do not provide a consensus on whether digital technology innovation can reduce enterprise carbon intensity despite the rise of the digital economy. This paper examines the role and influence pathway of digital technology innovation on enterprise carbon intensity using data from A-share listed enterprises in China's manufacturing industry from 2012 to 2021. The findings indicate that (1) digital technology innovation has been found to significantly reduce enterprise carbon intensity, as confirmed by numerous robustness and endogeneity tests. However, its inhibitory effect on carbon intensity shows a marginal decreasing trend. (2) In the heterogeneity analysis, it was found that digital technology innovation significantly reduces the carbon intensity of consuming coal, coke, kerosene, and diesel. From various perspectives, including enterprise, industry, and external environment, there are significant differences in the carbon reduction effects of digital technology innovation. (3) The analysis of impact paths reveals that digital technology innovation can affect enterprise carbon intensity through three paths: improving productivity, enhancing green innovation efficiency, and adjusting energy consumption. (4) Upon further analysis, it was discovered that the spillover effect of digital technology innovation is more pronounced in the industry cohort of enterprises. Additionally, digital technology innovation plays a positive role in enhancing enterprise ESG performance. The paper's findings offer empirical evidence and decision-making references for the government to develop reasonable policies for reducing carbon emissions, promoting green and low-carbon enterprise transformation, and actively and steadily achieving the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.


Subject(s)
Carbon , Digital Technology , China , Inventions , Industry
13.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0298191, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38843281

ABSTRACT

Currently, digital transformation is having various impacts on enterprises around the world, including the green innovation. However, the current literature on the relationship between digitalization and green innovation in enterprises is scarce. What is the relationship between them, and whether heterogeneous environmental regulation has mediating effects, are questions that are worth exploring. Using a sample of listed manufacturing enterprises in China, this paper empirically tests the impact of digital transformation on enterprise green innovation. The results show that: (1) Digital transformation has a significant positive impact on green innovation, including green innovation output and green innovation capability. (2) Diverse environmental regulation may have mediating effects of digital transformation's influence on green innovation. (3) After a number of robustness tests, the conclusions are still valid. This paper can provide a reference for developing green development strategies for manufacturing enterprises.


Subject(s)
Inventions , China , Conservation of Natural Resources/methods , Humans , Industry , Manufacturing Industry
14.
Front Public Health ; 12: 1394678, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38855452

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Many decarbonization technologies have the added co-benefit of reducing short-lived climate pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2), creating a unique opportunity for identifying strategies that promote both climate change solutions and opportunities for air quality improvement. However, stakeholders and decision-makers may struggle to quantify how these co-benefits will impact public health for the communities most affected by industrial air pollution. Methods: To address this problem, the LOCal Air Emissions Tracking Atlas (LOCAETA) fills a data availability and analysis gap by providing estimated air quality benefits from industrial decarbonization options, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS). These co-benefits are calculated using an algorithm that connects disparate datasets that separately report greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants at U.S. industrial facilities. Results: Version 1.0 of LOCAETA displays the estimated primary PM2.5 emission reduction co-benefits from additional pretreatment equipment for CCS on industrial and power facilities across the state of Louisiana, as well as the potential for VOC and NH3 generation. The emission reductions are presented in the tool alongside facility pollutant emissions information and relevant air quality, environmental, demographic, and public health datasets, such as air toxics cancer risk, satellite and in situ pollutant measurements, and population vulnerability metrics. Discussion: LOCAETA enables regulators, policymakers, environmental justice communities, and industrial and commercial users to compare and contrast quantifiable public health benefits due to air quality impacts from various climate change mitigation strategies using a free and publicly-available tool. Additional pollutant reductions can be calculated using the same methodology and will be available in future versions of the tool.


Subject(s)
Air Pollutants , Air Pollution , Environmental Monitoring , Particulate Matter , Air Pollution/analysis , Air Pollutants/analysis , Particulate Matter/analysis , Humans , Louisiana , Industry , Sulfur Dioxide/analysis , Climate Change , Nitrogen Oxides/analysis
15.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev ; 25(6): 1929-1934, 2024 Jun 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38918653

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Exposure to noise by generation of free radicals causes oxidative stress in body. The aim of this study was the evaluation of oxidative stress in workers who have used hearing protection devices during working time. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Pressing workers (n=24) of a home appliance industry were studied using hearing protection devices to reduce noise exposure. Twenty two office staff (without exposure to noise) were considered as a control group. Two groups were matched for age, work experience and smoking. Exposure to noise was measured by dosimeter method at workstations. By obtaining 3 ml blood sample, Malondialdehyde levels, Thiol groups and total antioxidant capacity were evaluated in all subjects. RESULTS: Exposure to sound pressure level in pressing workers by considering the noise reduction factor of the earplug was observed in 77.65 dB with minimum 75.1 dB and Maximum 81.22 dB. Plasma thiol groups (0.076 (0.041-0.119) vs (0.110 (0.076-0.197), mmol/l P =0.0001) and total antioxidant capacity (361.33± 54.65 vs 414.14± 96.82, µmol/ml P = 0.026) in pressing workers significantly decreased than control group. Pearson correlation showed significant results between exposure to noise and oxidative stress parameters. CONCLUSION: Exposure to noise wave cause oxidative stress in different site of body. Oxidative stress is an intermediate way for different disease due to noise exposure. Reducing of noise exposure by earplug in pressing workers is not efficient protection for oxidative stress generation. Therefore, hearing protection devices are not a barrier to the harmful effects of noise in occupational exposure.


Subject(s)
Ear Protective Devices , Noise, Occupational , Occupational Exposure , Oxidative Stress , Humans , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Occupational Exposure/prevention & control , Adult , Male , Noise, Occupational/adverse effects , Case-Control Studies , Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/prevention & control , Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/etiology , Antioxidants/metabolism , Middle Aged , Follow-Up Studies , Malondialdehyde/blood , Female , Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , Occupational Diseases/etiology , Industry , Prognosis
16.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0302494, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38900766

ABSTRACT

The Global Investment Report 2023 revealed that after a sharp decline in 2020 and a strong rebound in 2021, global foreign direct investment (FDI) declined by 12 percent to $1.3 trillion in 2022. However, in developing countries, FDI increased by 4% to $916 billion, a record share of more than 70% of global flows. The number of greenfield investment projects in developing countries increased by 37 percent and international project finance transactions by 5 percent. Foreign investment from China, the second largest recipient of foreign investment globally, increased by 5 percent. The service industry has become the mainstream industry in the global FDI structure. The global industry is accelerating its transformation to a "service-based economy," international FDI in productive service industries has become an essential means of industrial transfer in developed countries and a meaningful way to upgrade the industrial structure and high-quality development in emerging economies. As a representative province in central China, Hubei Province has unique advantages in human capital, factor cost, and market potential, which provide preferential conditions to attract foreign investment. This paper first introduced the concept of the productive service industry, based on the relevant statistical data from 2011 to 2022, focused on the current situation of foreign investment utilization in five major sub-sectors of the productive service industry in Hubei Province in the past ten years, and empirically investigated the impact of foreign investment utilization in five major sub-sectors of the productive service industry on the economic growth of Hubei Province, and obtained that the level of foreign investment attraction varied significantly among the regions in Hubei Province. The three productive service industries, namely transportation, storage and postal services, information transmission, software and information technology services, and financial services, played a significant role in the active attraction and optimal utilization of foreign capital and the economic development of Hubei Province. Based on this, it was proposed to build a market-oriented rule of law and internationalized business environment, improve the infrastructure construction in different regions of the province, focus on the training of professional talents for the development of productive service industries, and pay attention to the improvement of independent innovation capacity.


Subject(s)
Industry , Investments , China , Investments/economics , Industry/economics , Humans , Developing Countries/economics , Economic Development
17.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 31(27): 39570-39587, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38822958

ABSTRACT

China is constantly seeking rapid, high-quality growth in order to meet its carbon peaking and neutrality goals. Approximately 40% of China's carbon emissions come from the electric power industry, which is beset by issues of poor efficiency and excessive emissions. Thus, it is essential to determine if environmental restrictions increase economic benefits total factor productivity while still preserving the environment. We use the Quasi-DID method to examine the impact of carbon emissions trading scheme on firm-level total factor productivity of electric power companies. The findings demonstrate the following: (1) carbon emissions trading scheme considerably impedes total factor productivity development; (2) the primary cause of this detrimental impact is the need for additional improvements in marketization since green innovation is still in its infancy; (3) additional study indicates that law enforcement's heterogeneity is what affects this restriction. Our research may both enhance the Chinese carbon emissions trading scheme's effectiveness assessment framework and point out several potential avenues for high-quality growth.


Subject(s)
Electricity , China , Industry , Carbon , Power Plants , East Asian People
18.
Sci Robot ; 9(91): eadi2377, 2024 Jun 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38865477

ABSTRACT

Repetitive overhead tasks during factory work can cause shoulder injuries resulting in impaired health and productivity loss. Soft wearable upper extremity robots have the potential to be effective injury prevention tools with minimal restrictions using soft materials and active controls. We present the design and evaluation of a portable inflatable shoulder wearable robot for assisting industrial workers during shoulder-elevated tasks. The robot is worn like a shirt with integrated textile pneumatic actuators, inertial measurement units, and a portable actuation unit. It can provide up to 6.6 newton-meters of torque to support the shoulder and cycle assistance on and off at six times per minute. From human participant evaluations during simulated industrial tasks, the robot reduced agonist muscle activities (anterior, middle, and posterior deltoids and biceps brachii) by up to 40% with slight changes in joint angles of less than 7% range of motion while not increasing antagonistic muscle activity (latissimus dorsi) in current sample size. Comparison of controller parameters further highlighted that higher assistance magnitude and earlier assistance timing resulted in statistically significant muscle activity reductions. During a task circuit with dynamic transitions among the tasks, the kinematics-based controller of the robot showed robustness to misinflations (96% true negative rate and 91% true positive rate), indicating minimal disturbances to the user when assistance was not required. A preliminary evaluation of a pressure modulation profile also highlighted a trade-off between user perception and hardware demands. Finally, five automotive factory workers used the robot in a pilot manufacturing area and provided feedback.


Subject(s)
Equipment Design , Range of Motion, Articular , Robotics , Shoulder , Torque , Wearable Electronic Devices , Humans , Robotics/instrumentation , Biomechanical Phenomena , Male , Shoulder/physiology , Adult , Range of Motion, Articular/physiology , Muscle, Skeletal/physiology , Electromyography/instrumentation , Industry/instrumentation , Shoulder Injuries/prevention & control , Female , Young Adult , Task Performance and Analysis , Shoulder Joint/physiology , Exoskeleton Device
19.
Nature ; 630(8015): 123-131, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38840014

ABSTRACT

The financial motivation to earn advertising revenue has been widely conjectured to be pivotal for the production of online misinformation1-4. Research aimed at mitigating misinformation has so far focused on interventions at the user level5-8, with little emphasis on how the supply of misinformation can itself be countered. Here we show how online misinformation is largely financed by advertising, examine how financing misinformation affects the companies involved, and outline interventions for reducing the financing of misinformation. First, we find that advertising on websites that publish misinformation is pervasive for companies across several industries and is amplified by digital advertising platforms that algorithmically distribute advertising across the web. Using an information-provision experiment9, we find that companies that advertise on websites that publish misinformation can face substantial backlash from their consumers. To examine why misinformation continues to be monetized despite the potential backlash for the advertisers involved, we survey decision-makers at companies. We find that most decision-makers are unaware that their companies' advertising appears on misinformation websites but have a strong preference to avoid doing so. Moreover, those who are unaware and uncertain about their company's role in financing misinformation increase their demand for a platform-based solution to reduce monetizing misinformation when informed about how platforms amplify advertising placement on misinformation websites. We identify low-cost, scalable information-based interventions to reduce the financial incentive to misinform and counter the supply of misinformation online.


Subject(s)
Advertising , Consumer Behavior , Decision Making , Disinformation , Industry , Internet , Humans , Advertising/economics , Communication , Industry/economics , Internet/economics , Motivation , Uncertainty , Male , Female
20.
Chemosphere ; 360: 142339, 2024 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38754488

ABSTRACT

The environmental burden due to industrial activities has been quite observable in the last few years, with heavy metals (HMs) like lead, cadmium, and arsenic inducing serious perturbations to the microbial ecosystem of groundwater. Studies carried out in North China, a region known for interconnection of industrial and groundwater systems, sought to explore the natural mechanisms of adaptation of microbes to groundwater contamination. The results showed that heavy metals permeate from surface increased the diversity and abundance of microbial communities in groundwater, producing an average decrease of 40.84% and 34.62% in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria in groundwater, respectively. Meanwhile, the key environmental factors driving the evolution of microbial communities shift from groundwater nutrients to heavy metals, which explained 50.80% of the change in the microbial community composition. Microbial indicators are more sensitive to HMs pollution and could accurately identify industrial area where HMs permeation occurred and other extraneous pollutants. The phylum Bacteroidetes could act as appropriate indicators for the identification. Significant genera that were identified, being Mesorhizobium, Clostridium, Bacillus and Mucilaginibacter, were found to play important roles in the microbial network in terms of the potential to assist in groundwater clean-up. Notably, pollution from heavy metals has diminished the effectiveness and resilience of microbial communities in groundwater, thereby heightening the susceptibility of these normally stable microbial ecosystems. These findings offer new perspectives on how to monitor and detect groundwater pollution, and provide scientific guidance for developing suitable remediation methods for groundwater contaminated with heavy metals. Future research is essential explore the application of metal-tolerant or resistant bacteria in bioremediation strategies to rehabilitate groundwater systems contaminated by HMs.


Subject(s)
Environmental Monitoring , Groundwater , Metals, Heavy , Water Pollutants, Chemical , Metals, Heavy/analysis , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Water Pollutants, Chemical/metabolism , Groundwater/chemistry , Groundwater/microbiology , China , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Microbiota/drug effects , Bacteria/metabolism , Bacteria/drug effects , Bacteroidetes , Industry , Ecosystem
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