The impact of marital status on tumor aggressiveness, treatment, and screening among black and white men diagnosed with prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To examine the association of marital status with prostate cancer outcomes in a racially-diverse cohort. METHODS: The study population consisted of men (1010 Black; 1070 White) with incident prostate cancer from the baseline North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer (PCaP) cohort. Marital status at time of diagnosis and screening history were determined by self-report. The binary measure of marital status was defined as married (including living as married) vs. not married (never married, divorced/separated, or widowed). High-aggressive tumors were defined using a composite measure of PSA, Gleason Score, and stage. Definitive treatment was defined as receipt of radical prostatectomy or radiation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association of marital status with (1) high-aggressive tumors, (2) receipt of definitive treatment, and (3) screening history among Black and White men with prostate cancer. RESULTS: Black men were less likely to be married than White men (68.1% vs. 83.6%). Not being married (vs. married) was associated with increased odds of high-aggressive tumors in the overall study population (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 1.56; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.20-2.02) and both Black and White men in race-stratified analyses. Unmarried men were less likely to receive definitive treatment in the overall study population (aOR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.54-0.85). In race-stratified analyses, unmarried Black men were less likely to receive definitive treatment. Both unmarried Black and White men were less likely to have a history of prostate cancer screening than married men. CONCLUSION: Lower rates of marriage among Black men might signal decreased support for treatment decision-making, symptom management, and caregiver support which could potentially contribute to prostate cancer disparities.

Cigarette smoking and prostate cancer aggressiveness among African and European American men.

PURPOSE: Smoking is a modifiable lifestyle factor that has not been established as a prostate cancer risk factor, nor emphasized in prostate cancer prevention. Studies have shown that African American (AA) smokers have a poorer cancer prognosis than European Americans (EAs), while having a lower prevalence of heavy smoking. We examined the relationship between cigarette smoking and prostate cancer aggressiveness and assessed racial differences in smoking habits on the probability of high-aggressive prostate cancer. METHODS: Using data from the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (n = 1,279), prostate cancer aggressiveness was defined as high or low based on Gleason scores, serum prostate-specific antigen levels, and tumor stage. Cigarette smoking was categorized as current, former, or never smokers. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Self-reported current (OR = 1.99; 95% CI 1.30-3.06) smoking was associated with high-aggressive prostate cancer relative to never smokers. When stratified by self-reported race, the odds of having high-aggressive cancer increased among AA current (OR = 3.58; 95% CI 2.04-6.28) and former smokers (OR = 2.21; 95% CI 1.38-3.53) compared to AA never smokers, but the odds were diminished among the EA stratum (Pself-reported race x smoking status = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking is associated with prostate cancer aggressiveness, a relationship modulated by self-reported race. Future research is needed to investigate types of cigarettes smoked and metabolic differences that may be contributing to the racial disparities observed.

Associations Among Family Caregivers' Perceptions of Loneliness, Choice, and Purpose: a Comparative Analysis Between Non-Hispanic Black Caregivers and Non-Hispanic White Caregivers in a Population-Based Sample.

BACKGROUND: Loneliness is a frequent experience among family members engaging in caregiving responsibilities and may vary across racial and ethnic groups. This study aimed to examine (a) the difference in loneliness between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White caregivers, (b) the associations between loneliness and perceptions of choice and purpose in caregiving, and (c) whether those associations with loneliness differ by caregivers' race. METHOD: Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression were conducted in a population-based sample of 1000 caregivers (Black caregivers, n = 199; White caregivers, n = 801) from the 2020 Caregiving in the U.S. STUDY: The survey design was properly addressed. Key variables included loneliness (level of feeling alone about being a caregiver), choice (whether or not reporting a choice in taking on the caregiver responsibility), sense of purpose (level of purpose/meaning in life from caregiving), and race (Black/White). Models adjusted for caregiving characteristics (e.g., hour of caregiving) and sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age and education). RESULTS: Black caregivers had lower odds of reporting a higher level vs. a lower level of loneliness than White caregivers (aOR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.47, 0.96). Reporting having no choice was associated with higher odds of a higher level of loneliness (aOR, 0.77, 95%CI = 0.67, 0.88). Higher sense of purpose scores were associated with lower odds of a higher level of loneliness (aOR = 0.81, 95%CI = 0.71, 0.93). No significant moderation effects of race were found. CONCLUSION: Black caregivers reported lower loneliness scores than White caregivers. Reporting no choice and lower sense of purpose were associated with higher loneliness in both racial groups.

[Fetal electrocardiogram signal extraction based on multi-scale residual shrinkage U-Net].

In the extraction of fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) signal, due to the unicity of the scale of the U-Net same-level convolution encoder, the size and shape difference of the ECG characteristic wave between mother and fetus are ignored, and the time information of ECG signals is not used in the threshold learning process of the encoder's residual shrinkage module. In this paper, a method of extracting fetal ECG signal based on multi-scale residual shrinkage U-Net model is proposed. First, the Inception and time domain attention were introduced into the residual shrinkage module to enhance the multi-scale feature extraction ability of the same level convolution encoder and the utilization of the time domain information of fetal ECG signal. In order to maintain more local details of ECG waveform, the maximum pooling in U-Net was replaced by Softpool. Finally, the decoder composed of the residual module and up-sampling gradually generated fetal ECG signals. In this paper, clinical ECG signals were used for experiments. The final results showed that compared with other fetal ECG extraction algorithms, the method proposed in this paper could extract clearer fetal ECG signals. The sensitivity, positive predictive value, and F1 scores in the 2013 competition data set reached 93.33%, 99.36%, and 96.09%, respectively, indicating that this method can effectively extract fetal ECG signals and has certain application values for perinatal fetal health monitoring.

Prostate cancer aggressiveness and financial toxicity among prostate cancer patients.

INTRODUCTION: Financial toxicity (FT) is a growing concern among cancer survivors that adversely affects the quality of life and survival. Individuals diagnosed with aggressive cancers are often at a greater risk of experiencing FT. The objectives of this study were to estimate FT among prostate cancer (PCa) survivors after 10-15 years of diagnosis, assess the relationship between PCa aggressiveness at diagnosis and FT, and examine whether current cancer treatment status mediates the relationship between PCa aggressiveness and FT. METHODS: PCa patients enrolled in the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP) were recontacted for long-term follow-up. The prevalence of FT in the PCaP cohort was estimated. FT was estimated using the COmprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity, a validated measure of FT. The direct effect of PCa aggressiveness and an indirect effect through current cancer treatment on FT was examined using causal mediation analysis. RESULTS: More than one-third of PCa patients reported experiencing FT. PCa aggressiveness was significantly independently associated with high FT; high aggressive PCa at diagnosis had more than twice the risk of experiencing FT than those with low or intermediate aggressive PCa (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.14-3.96). The proportion of the effect of PCa aggressiveness on FT, mediated by treatment status, was 10%, however, the adjusted odds ratio did not indicate significant evidence of mediation by treatment status (aOR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.95-1.20). CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive PCa was associated with high FT. Future studies should collect more information about the characteristics of men with high FT and identify additional risk factors of FT.

An eHealth symptom and complication management program for cancer patients with newly created ostomies and their caregivers (Alliance): a pilot feasibility randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients with newly created ostomies face complications that reduce quality of life (QOL) and increase morbidity and mortality. This proof-of-concept study examined the feasibility, usability, acceptability, and initial efficacy of an eHealth program titled the "Patient Reported Outcomes-Informed Symptom Management System" (PRISMS) during post-ostomy creation care transition. METHODS: We conducted a 2-arm pilot randomized controlled trial among 23 patients who received surgical treatment with curative intent for bladder and colorectal cancer and their caregivers. After assessing QOL, general symptoms, and caregiver burden at baseline, participants were randomly assigned to PRISMS (n = 16 dyads) or usual care (UC) (n = 7 dyads). After a 60-day intervention period, participants completed a follow-up survey and post-exit interview. We used descriptive statistics and t-tests to analyze the data. RESULTS: We achieved an 86.21% recruitment rate and a 73.91% retention rate. Among the PRISMS participants who used the system and biometric devices (n = 14, 87.50%), 46.43% used the devices for ≥ 50 days during the study period. Participants reported PRISMS as useful and acceptable. Compared to their UC counterparts, PRISMS patient social well-being scores decreased over time and had an increased trend of physical and emotional well-being; PRISMS caregivers experienced a greater decrease in caregiver burden. CONCLUSIONS: PRISMS recruitment and retention rates were comparable to existing family-based intervention studies. PRISMS is a useful and acceptable multilevel intervention with the potential to improve the health outcomes of cancer patients needing ostomy care and their caregivers during post-surgery care transition. A sufficiently powered RCT is needed to test its effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial.gov ID: NCT04492007. Registration date: 30/07/2020.

Aggregation-induced Emission Materials for High-efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells.

The perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with high efficiency and stability are in great demand for commercial applications. Although the remarkable photovoltaic feature of perovskite layer plays a great role in improving the PCE of PSCs, the inevitable defects and poor stability of perovskite, etc. are the bottleneck and restrict the commercialization of PSCs. Herein, a review provides a strategy of applying aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules, containing passivation functional groups and distinct AIE character, which serves as the alternative materials for fabricating high-efficiency and high-stability PSCs. The methods of introducing AIE molecules to PSCs are also summarized, including additive engineering, interfacial engineering, hole transport materials and so on. In addition, the functions of AIE molecule are discussed, such as defects passivation, morphology modulation, well-matched energy level, enhanced stability, hole transport ability, carrier recombination suppression. Finally, the detailed functions of AIE molecules are offered and further research trend for high performance PSCs based on AIE materials is proposed.

Illness uncertainty and quality of life in patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers: An actor-partner interdependence model analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between illness uncertainty and quality of life (QOL) has been examined for either the patient or caregiver, but not among the patient-caregiver dyads. This study examined relationships between illness uncertainty and QOL among patients with advanced cancer and family caregivers. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial that examined the effects of a dyadic-based intervention on psychological outcomes for patients with advanced cancer and family caregivers (N = 484 dyads). Illness uncertainty and QOL were measured using the shorten version of the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Adult and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy, respectively. The actor-partner interdependence model was used to examine whether an individual's uncertainty (either a patient's or caregiver's) was associated with their own QOL (i.e., an actor effect) and/or their partner's QOL (i.e., a partner effect). RESULTS: Significant actor effects included a negative association between patients' uncertainty and their own QOL (b = -0.422; p < 0.001) and a negative association between caregivers' uncertainty and their own QOL (b = -0.408; p < 0.001). In terms of partner effects, patients' uncertainty was negatively associated with caregivers' QOL (b = -0.095; p < 0.01). No partner effect was found for caregivers, suggesting that caregivers' uncertainty was not related to patients' QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings support targeted interventions offered to both patients and their family caregivers to manage their illness uncertainty and improve their QOL.

Psychosocial experiences of cancer survivors and their caregivers in sub-Saharan Africa: A synthesis of qualitative studies.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize and examine current literature on survivorship experiences and psychosocial oncologic care programs of individuals affected by cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). METHODS: This was a systematic review guided by the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We searched 6 databases for articles published from inception to 21 October 2021. Articles were appraised using the Johanna Briggs Institute's Checklist for Qualitative Research. For data synthesis, we used the World Health Organization (WHO) quality of life framework [WHOQOL] to organize experiences into 6 domains/themes. RESULTS: Twenty-five qualitative studies were included in the synthesis. Studies focused on psychosocial care of adults (>18 years) affected by cancer in SSA. The common WHOQOL domains were social relations, spirituality/religion/personal beliefs, and psychological. CONCLUSION: Findings echo need for individuals with cancer and their caregivers. Healthcare professionals are an essential resource for information and support services that can be tailored to individuals need. This synthesis highlighted caregiver stress and stressors from the community that could impact care of individuals with cancer. A holistic approach is needed that incorporates professional and social aspects of care.

Silicon/nickel oxide core/shell nanospheres as a hole transport layer for high efficiency and light-stable perovskite solar cells.

Metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) possess huge potential due to their high power conversion efficiency. However, instability is still a key factor limiting their applications. Therefore, we have found a feasible strategy to improve the light stability of PSCs. Specifically, a core-shell material with a silicon nanosphere core and a nickel oxide nanosheet shell serves as the hole transport layer in our PSCs. Due to the selective absorption of ultraviolet light by the silicon nanoparticles, the ultraviolet light content of the natural light that reaches the perovskite layer is reduced. Compared with a control device (without Si), the PSCs with the silicon/nickel oxide hole transport layer possessed a higher current density of 22.09 mA cm-2 and a higher power conversion efficiency of 18.54%, with both values increased by 2.7% and 6.1%, respectively. More importantly, the PSCs based on a silicon/nickel oxide hole transport layer maintains 85% of its initial power conversion efficiency value after 700 hours of natural light exposure. These results indicate that the silicon/nickel oxide hole transport layer is an important functional component of the PSCs, which improves the photovoltaic performance and reduces ultraviolet light-induced photodegradation, thereby improving the device stability.

Correlates of illness uncertainty in cancer survivors and family caregivers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Illness uncertainty is widely recognized as a psychosocial stressor for cancer survivors and their family caregivers. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify the sociodemographic, physical, and psychosocial correlates that are associated with illness uncertainty in adult cancer survivors and their family caregivers. METHODS: Six scholarly databases were searched. Data synthesis was based on Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness Theory. Person's r was used as the effect size metric in the meta-analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. RESULTS: Of 1116 articles, 21 articles met the inclusion criteria. Of 21 reviewed studies, 18 focused on cancer survivors, one focused on family caregivers, and 2 included survivors and family caregivers. Findings identified distinct correlates for illness uncertainty in cancer survivors, including sociodemographic factors (e.g., age, gender, race), stimuli frame (e.g., symptom, family history of cancer), structure providers (e.g., education), coping, and adaptation. Notable effect sizes were observed in the correlations between illness uncertainty and social support, quality of life, depression, and anxiety. Caregivers' illness uncertainty was associated with their race, general health, perception of influence, social support, quality of life, and survivors' prostate-specific antigen levels. Insufficient data precluded examining effect size of correlates of illness uncertainty among family caregivers. CONCLUSION: This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the literature on illness uncertainty among adult cancer survivors and family caregivers. Findings contribute to the growing literature on managing illness uncertainty among cancer survivors and family caregivers.

Evaluating the Knowledge Change Before and After Continuing Cancer Education in Malawian Nurses.

Malawi has a high cancer incidence and mortality. Efforts to train and educate oncology nurses have been identified as an area of need. This study evaluates the educational needs of oncology nurses in Malawi and the effects of a virtual cancer education program on improving the knowledge of cancer epidemiology, treatment, and nursing care of common cancers among oncology nurses in Malawi. The educational programs consisted of four sessions at one-month intervals focused on Cancer Screening, Survivorship, Radiation Therapy, and Complementary and Alternative Therapies. A pretest-posttest design was used. Overall, there was an increase in knowledge at each session: cancer screening (47% vs 95%), survivorship (22% vs 100%), radiation therapy (66% vs 100%), and complementary and alternative therapies (63% vs 88%). Using virtual continuing education sessions is an effective tool to enhance the knowledge of oncology nurses in Malawi. These education sessions can serve as an example of how other Schools of Nursing and cancer centers in high-resource countries can collaborate with hospitals and Schools of Nursing in low- and middle-resource countries to support the advancement of oncology nursing knowledge, and ultimately, oncologic care.

Neighborhood deprivation and risk of mortality among men with prostate cancer: Findings from a long-term follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: The overall survival rate of prostate cancer (PCa) has improved over the past decades. However, huge socioeconomic and racial disparities in overall and prostate cancer-specific mortality exist. The neighborhood-level factors including socioeconomic disadvantage and lack of access to care may contribute to disparities in cancer mortality. This study examines the impact of neighborhood deprivation on mortality among PCa survivors. METHODS: North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP) data were used. A total of 2113 men, 1046 AA and 1067 EA, with PCa were included in the analysis. Neighborhood deprivation was measured by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) at the census block group level using data from the US Census Bureau. Quintiles of ADI were created. Cox proportional hazards and competing risk models with mixed effects were performed to estimate the effect of neighborhood deprivation on all-cause and PCa-specific mortality adjusted for age, race, study site, insurance status, and comorbidities. RESULTS: Participants living in the most deprived neighborhoods had an increased risk for all-cause mortality (quintiles 4 + 5: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16-1.96) compared to those in the least deprived (quintile 1) neighborhoods. The risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality was also higher among those living in the deprived neighborhoods (quintiles 4 + 5: aHR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.10-3.50) than those in the least deprived neighborhood. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest neighborhood-level resources or health interventions are essential to improve survival among men with PCa. Additional research should focus on the mechanisms of how the neighborhood environment affects mortality.

When Aggregation-Induced Emission Meets Perovskites: Efficient Defect-Passivation and Charge-Transfer for Ambient Fabrication of Perovskite Solar Cells.

The intrinsic defects in perovskite film can serve as non-radiative recombination center to limit the performance and stability of metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The additive engineering in perovskite film is always applied to produce high-efficiency PSCs in recent years. Here, a typical donor-acceptor (D-A) structured aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecule tetraphenylethene-2-dicyano-methylene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran (TPE-TCF) was introduced into perovskite film. The D-A structure of TPE-TCF molecule provided additional charge transfer channels, contributing to transporting electron of TPE-TCF-based device. The cyano (C≡N) of TPE-TCF can interact with the uncoordinated Pb to from a relatively stable intermediate, PbI2 ⋅TPE-TCF, resulting in the slower crystal growth, reduced the defects at the grain boundaries and suppressed carrier recombination. As a consequence, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of TPE-TCF-modified PSCs achieved a remarkably enhanced from 15.63 to 19.66 % with negligible hysteresis, which was prominent in methylammonium lead iodide-based devices fabricated under ambient condition. Furthermore, the PSCs modified by AIE molecule possessed an outstanding stability and maintain about 86 % of the initial PCE after 300 h storage in air at 25-35 °C with a high relative humidity (RH) of ≈85 %. This work suggests that incorporating AIE molecule into perovskite is a promising strategy for facilitating high-performance PSCs commercialization in ambient environment without glovebox.

Psychosocial interventions for siblings of children with cancer: A mixed methods systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This review systematically (1) describes the characteristics of psychosocial interventions for siblings of children with cancer (SCC); (2) assesses the effect of the psychosocial interventions on SCCs' outcomes, and (3) describes SCCs' experiences and perceptions of these interventions. METHODS: Seven databases were systematically searched for relevant literature. We included both quantitative and qualitative studies of psychological interventions designed to improve the adjustment of SCCs. RESULTS: Our database searches yielded 19 publications. We found a range of psychosocial interventions being used among SCCs, with group interventions being the most common. The primary outcomes focused on the SCCs' depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Quantitative studies provided insufficient evidence to draw definitive conclusions about the interventions' effects, whereas the qualitative studies indicated that SCCs can derive benefits from these interventions, including an enhanced sense of belonging and bonding, improved family relationships, increased self-awareness and confidence, increased cancer knowledge, and decreased somatic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Although a growing number of psychosocial interventions have been developed to improve the adjustment of SCCs, research evidence of the effects of these interventions on SCCs' adjustment remains limited. Future research needs to rigorously evaluate the effects of these interventions.

Marital status and prostate cancer incidence: a pooled analysis of 12 case-control studies from the PRACTICAL consortium.

While being in a committed relationship is associated with a better prostate cancer prognosis, little is known about how marital status relates to its incidence. Social support provided by marriage/relationship could promote a healthy lifestyle and an increased healthcare seeking behavior. We investigated the association between marital status and prostate cancer risk using data from the PRACTICAL Consortium. Pooled analyses were conducted combining 12 case-control studies based on histologically-confirmed incident prostate cancers and controls with information on marital status prior to diagnosis/interview. Marital status was categorized as married/partner, separated/divorced, single, or widowed. Tumours with Gleason scores ≥ 8 defined high-grade cancers, and low-grade otherwise. NCI-SEER's summary stages (local, regional, distant) indicated the extent of the cancer. Logistic regression was used to derive odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between marital status and prostate cancer risk, adjusting for potential confounders. Overall, 14,760 cases and 12,019 controls contributed to analyses. Compared to men who were married/with a partner, widowed men had an OR of 1.19 (95% CI 1.03-1.35) of prostate cancer, with little difference between low- and high-grade tumours. Risk estimates among widowers were 1.14 (95% CI 0.97-1.34) for local, 1.53 (95% CI 1.22-1.92) for regional, and 1.56 (95% CI 1.05-2.32) for distant stage tumours. Single men had elevated risks of high-grade cancers. Our findings highlight elevated risks of incident prostate cancer among widowers, more often characterized by tumours that had spread beyond the prostate at the time of diagnosis. Social support interventions and closer medical follow-up in this sub-population are warranted.

Systematic review of illness uncertainty management interventions for cancer patients and their family caregivers.

PURPOSE: Illness uncertainty pervades individuals' experiences of cancer across the illness trajectory and is associated with poor psychological adjustment. This review systematically examined the characteristics and outcomes of interventions promoting illness uncertainty management among cancer patients and/or their family caregivers. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were systematically searched for relevant literature. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies focusing on interventions for uncertainty management in cancer patients and/or their family caregivers. RESULTS: Our database searches yielded 26 studies. Twenty interventions were only offered to cancer patients, who were mostly elder, female, and White. All interventions included informational support. Other intervention components included emotional support, appraisal support, and instrumental support. Most interventions were delivered in person and via telephone (n = 8) or exclusively in person (n = 7). Overall, 18 studies identified positive intervention effects on illness uncertainty outcomes. CONCLUSION: This systematic review foregrounds the promising potential of several interventions-and especially multi-component interventions-to promote uncertainty management among cancer patients and their family caregivers. To further improve these interventions' effectiveness and expand their potential impact, future uncertainty management interventions should be tested among more diverse populations using rigorous methodologies.

Preparation and properties of aflatoxins imprinted polymer grafted onto the surface of mesoporous silica SBA-15 functionalized with double bonds.

Mesoporous silica Santa Barbara-15 was functionalized by methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane. Taking this as the carrier material, a new mesoporous silica surface imprinted polymer was synthesized by using the C=C bond, functional monomer α-methacrylic acid, and crosslinker ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, which was used to extract aflatoxin from grain efficiently. It is different from the preparation of surface imprinted polymers which is physically wrapping carrier materials with polymer layers. The chemical grafting method makes the coating of the polymer layer more controllable. A new method for selective separation, enrichment, and determination of trace aflatoxin in grain was established by using the polymers as the filter of the solid-phase extraction column and high-performance liquid chromatography. The linear range of the method was 0.5-100 µg/kg, R2  = 0.9990-0.9993. The recovery of aflatoxin G2, G1, B2, and B1 was 98.9-119.7% and the relative standard deviation was 3.07-5.76%. By comparing the self-made column with the immunoaffinity column, it was found that the self-made column had better extraction performance for aflatoxins than the immunoaffinity column. It can be used for the analysis and detection of aflatoxins in cereal.

The effect of loteprednol suspension eye drops after corneal transplantation.

BACKGROUND: To compare the effect of loteprednol suspension eye drops after corneal transplantation with the effect of prednisolone acetate eye drops. METHODS: A total of 234 patients (234 eyes) who underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and lamellar keratoplasty (LKP) were retrospectively included. Patients who received 1 % prednisolone acetate eye drops were defined as 1 % prednisolone acetate eye drop group (n = 96), and patients who received 0.5 % loteprednol suspension eye drops were defined as 0.5 % loteprednol suspension eye drop group (n = 138). RESULTS: 35 cases in 1 % prednisolone acetate eye drops group and 27 cases in 0.5 % loteprednol suspension eye drops group developed corticosteroid-induced ocular hypertension, and were defined as prednisolone acetate group and loteprednol group. No significant differences were observed in the average intraocular pressure (IOP) at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months or 12 months postoperatively. There were significant differences in the average IOP between the two groups at 6 months postoperatively (P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in the average best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 1, 3 and 12 months postoperatively between two groups. The average 6-month postoperative BCVA was significantly higher in the prednisolone acetate group than the loteprednol group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the postoperative graft rejection rates between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 0.5 % loteprednol suspension eye drops may be considered for long-term use after corneal transplantation.

Comparative Study on the Efficacy of Frozen Amniotic Membrane Transplantation and Lamellar Keratoplasty in the Treatment of Mooren Ulcer.

OBJECTIVE: To compare of the clinical efficacy of frozen amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) and lamellar keratoplasty (LKP) in the treatment of Mooren ulcer. METHOD: Forty patients (42 eyes) with Mooren's ulcer in our hospital from January 2010 to January 2019 were divided into frozen AMT group (20 eyes) and LKP group (22 eyes). Comparative observation of post-operative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), corneal epithelial healing time, corneal epithelialization time, ulcer healing, corneal transparency, corneal graft transparency, neovascularization and original disease recurrence were observed. RESULTS: The average BCVA at post-operative 6 and 12 months in LKP group were significantly lower than AMT group (P < 0.05). The ulcer healing rates in LKP group (63.6) were significantly higher than AMT group (30) (P < 0.05). The corneal epithelialization time of LKP group were 9.55 ±â€Š1.26 days. The corneal epithelial healing time of AMT group were 13.50 ±â€Š2.21 days. Nine cases were corneal graft transparency grade 0, and 13 cases were grade I. Three eyes in AMT group were corneal transparency grade 0, 7 were grade I and 10 were grade II. Corneal neovascularization were observed in 3 eyes in AMT group and 4 eyes in LKP group. The original disease recurrence rates in LKP group (50) were significantly higher than AMT group (20) (P < 0.05). Four cases of primary corneal transplantation failure were observed in LKP group. CONCLUSION: Lamellar keratoplasty group obtained significantly better BCVA during follow-up and faster healing time than the frozen AMT group while frozen AMT group had lower original disease recurrence rates than LKP group.