Distribution and transformation of potentially toxic elements in cracks under coal mining disturbance in farmland.

The ground cracks resulting from coal mining activities induce alterations in the physical and chemical characteristics of soil. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the impact of subsidence caused by coal mining on the distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) fractions in farmland soil. In this study, we collected 19 soil profiles at varying depths from the soil surface and at horizontal distances of 0, 1, 2, and 5 m from the vertical crack. Using BCR extraction fractionation, we determined the geochemical fractions and total concentrations of Chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) to investigate their ecological risk, spatial fraction distribution, and main influencing factors. Results showed that the E r i values of Cd appearing in 68.7% of the samples were higher than 40 and less than 80, presented a moderate ecological risk. Chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), and lead (Pb) were mainly bound to residual fractions (> 60%) with lower mobility and Cd was dominated by F1 (acid-soluble fractions, 50%) and F2 (reducible fractions, 29%) in surface soil (0-20 cm). The geochemical fractionation revealed that the mobile fractions (F1-acid-soluble and F2-reducible) of PTEs were primarily located near the crack, influenced by available potassium. In contrast, the less mobile fractions (F3-oxidizable and F4-residual) exhibited higher concentrations at distances of 2 and 5 m from the crack, except for arsenic, influenced by the presence of clay particles and available phosphorus.

Safety and efficacy of endoscope-assisted versus microscopic microvascular decompression surgery for hemifacial spasm: a prospective cohort study.

Microscopic microvascular decompression (M-MVD) is a classical treatment for relieving long-term hemifacial spasms (HFS). An endoscopy technique has recently been introduced to improve M-MVD; however, this application remains debatable. This study compared the safety and effectiveness of endoscope-assisted microvascular decompression (EA-MVD) and M-MVD for HFS. From February 2021 to September 2022, we enrolled 49 patients with HFS assigned to the EA-MVD (n = 26) and M-MVD (n = 23) groups. The patients were assessed with Park YS grades, operative time, hospital days, and complications. Evaluations were performed in the early postoperative period, at one month, 3 months, 6 months, and at least 12 months. Twenty-three (23/26, 88.5%) patients in the EA-MVD group and 20 (20/23, 87.0%) patients in the M-MVD group achieved spasm-free relief, ranging over "excellent" and "good" Park YS grades. The operative time in the EA-MVD and M-MVD groups were 143 ± 28 min and 145 ± 22 min (p = 0.002). The duration of hospital stay was 6.8 ± 0.8 days and 7.2 ± 1.3 days in the EA-MVD and M-MVD groups (p = 0.002), respectively. All surgeries for HFS were successful, with no death, stroke, hearing loss, facial numbness, or other extreme complications. In conclusion, EA-MVD, compared with M-MVD, demonstrated equally effective outcomes with decreased operative time and hospital stays, providing bright intraoperative illumination and flexible surgical vision.

Endoscopic Versus Microscopic Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Prospective Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested favorable results with endoscope-assisted microvascular decompression (EA-MVD) for treating patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN); however, supporting evidence is limited. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of EA-MVD with microscopic microvascular decompression (M-MVD). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective controlled study. SETTING: We performed a prospective controlled clinical study that included 52 patients with TN (36, [69.2%] women; 16, [30.8%] men), from June 2021 through January 2022. METHODS: Patients were assigned to receive either EA-MVD (n = 23) or M-MVD (n = 29). The primary outcome was pain intensity relief, measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Barrow Neurological Institute grading scale. The secondary outcomes were the detection of multiple offending vessels, endoscopic use, operation time, hospital stay length, and complications. All patients were followed-up for >= 12 months. RESULTS: At 12 months, both treatment groups showed similar improvements in pain intensity (P = 0.099). The mean VAS score was 3.5 ± 1.6 and 2.9 ± 1.7 in the EA-MVD and M-MVD groups, respectively. Overall, most patients in both groups reached a pain-free status or had nearly pain-free relief (EA-MVD: 21/23, 91.3%; M-MVD: 27/29, 93.1%). The incidence of multiple offending vessels was higher in the EA-MVD group than in the M-MVD group (52.2% vs 17.2%, P = 0.038). The mean operating time in the EA-MVD group (158 ± 27 minutes) was longer and the hospital stay (6 ± 1 days) was shorter than those of the M-MVD group (144 ± 25 minutes and 8 ± 4 days). No mortality or endoscope-related serious adverse events were noted, with the exception of an intracranial infection case in the M-MVD group. LIMITATIONS: The mean follow-up time was relatively short and a single-center study and a small patient population, which might bring some clinical bias. CONCLUSIONS: M-MVD and EA-MVD achieved similar analgesic effects for TN; however, EA-MVD allowed observation of more probable offending vessels with good flexible operative visualization.

Characterization of simultaneous ammonium and nitrate removal and microbial communities in airlift reactor using 3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) as carbon source and biofilm carrier.

As a novel trend, solid carbon sources are applied to act as electron donors and biofilm carrier in biological denitrification process. In this study, simultaneous nitrate and ammonium removal process in an airlift sequencing batch reactor using 3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) as carbon source and biofilm carrier under intermittent aeration conditions was established to treat effluent of synthetic marine recirculating aquaculture system. The results showed that maximum nitrate and ammonia nitrogen removal rates of 0.45 and 0.09 kg m-3 d-1 were achieved. No significant nitrite accumulation was found during 200-day operation, while effluent dissolved organic carbon accumulation and particle size reduction significantly increased. Microbial community analysis and batch tests illuminate that the generated sludge and attached biofilm played important roles in nitrogen removal. This study demonstrates the potential mechanism for the nitrogen removal process mediated by 3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate and provide a new idea for the alternative solutions of solid carbon sources.

Cascade hydroarylation/Diels-Alder cycloaddition of alkynylindoles with electron-deficient alkynes and alkenes.

Herein, a novel cascade gold(I)-catalyzed hydroarylation of alkynylindoles and subsequent Diels-Alder cycloaddition with electron-deficient alkynes and alkenes is described. A variety of azepino-fused hydrocarbazoles and carbazoles were obtained in moderate to excellent yields. Key features of this methodology are low catalyst loadings, high regioselectivity, broad functional group tolerances, access to important heterocycles, and 100% atom economy.

Distribution and transformation of potentially toxic elements in crack under coal mining disturbance.

In China, coal provides about 56.8% of the energy. Most of China's coal mines are shaft mines, which cause the surface to collapse and crack during the mining process. The soil near the cracks changes its physicochemical properties due to the altered stress conditions. This will affect the distribution of PTEs in the soil. We collected 18 samples from a selected crack in the abandoned land. The pH, Eh, and PTE and their fractions of the samples were determined. With the test results, we understand the distribution characteristics of pH, Eh, PTEs, and their fractions at the cracks. Meanwhile, we explored the key factors that contribute to this distribution. It was determined that crack decreases surface soil pH while increasing Eh. The total amount of 7 PTEs is higher in the bottom soil of the main crack and 2 m away from the main crack. The content of reducible fractions of PTEs increases with the increase of soil Eh. The oxidizable and residual fractions of PTEs adsorbed to the clay particles migrate to and enrich the deeper layers of the main crack. This study emphasizes the effect of crack generation on the distribution of PTEs in soil. It provides insights to describe the distribution of PTE throughout the full life cycle of crack.

Effects of Ion Combinations and Their Concentrations on Denitrification Performance and Gene Expressions of an Aerobic Strain Marinobacter Hydrocarbonoclasticus RAD-2.

Salinity is one of the most important factors affecting the nitrogen-removal efficiency of denitrifying bacteria. A series of different ion combinations and salinity gradients were carried out to clarify the effects of ion types and concentrations on nitrogen removal by halophilic aerobic denitrifying bacteria RAD-2. Nitrate concentrations, nitrite concentrations, TAN concentrations, and OD600 were monitored to investigate their effects on denitrification in each group. The results showed that Na+, K+, and Cl- accelerated the denitrification process and improved nitrogen-removal efficiency at moderate additions, while Ca2+ and Mg2+ showed no significant effect. Na+ was effective alone, while K+ or Cl- needed to be combined with at least one of Na+, K+, or Cl- to achieve similar efficiency. The batch tests of salinity confirmed that the addition of a moderate concentration of NaCl/Na2SO4 could effectively improve nitrogen-removal efficiency, while excessive salinity might hinder denitrification metabolism. In the salinity range of 5~40‱, a 5‱ dosage might be the most economical method for strain RAD-2. Real-time PCR experiments on 17 key nitrogen metabolism-related genes revealed that chloride was widely involved in the nitrogen and carbon metabolism of microorganisms by altering cell osmotic pressure and opening ion channel proteins, thereby affecting the efficiency of denitrification. The results of this study may contribute to a better understanding of the different roles of various ions in aerobic denitrification and highlight the importance of salinity control in highly salted wastewater treatment.

Automated fundus ultrasound image classification based on siamese convolutional neural networks with multi-attention.

Fundus ultrasound image classification is a critical issue in the medical field. Vitreous opacity (VO) and posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) are two common eye diseases, Now, the diagnosis of these two diseases mainly relies on manual identification by doctors. This method has the disadvantages of time-consuming and manual investment, so it is very meaningful to use computer technology to assist doctors in diagnosis. This paper is the first to apply the deep learning model to VO and PVD classification tasks. Convolutional neural network (CNN) is widely used in image classification. Traditional CNN requires a large amount of training data to prevent overfitting, and it is difficult to learn the differences between two kinds of images well. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end siamese convolutional neural network with multi-attention (SVK_MA) for automatic classification of VO and PVD fundus ultrasound images. SVK_MA is a siamese-structure network in which each branch is mainly composed of pretrained VGG16 embedded with multiple attention models. Each image first is normalized, then is sent to SVK_MA to extract features from the normalized images, and finally gets the classification result. Our approach has been validated on the dataset provided by the cooperative hospital. The experimental results show that our approach achieves the accuracy of 0.940, precision of 0.941, recall of 0.940, F1 of 0.939 which are respectively increased by 2.5%, 1.9%, 3.4% and 2.5% compared with the second highest model.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and risk of esophagogastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been found to be strongly linked to several diseases. Although previous studies have explored the association between MAFLD and extrahepatic cancers, research on the relationship between MAFLD and gastric carcinoma (GC) and esophageal carcinoma (EC) is relatively scarce and requires updating. Therefore, the objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the association between MAFLD and GC or EC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search for relevant studies published up to 5 August 2022, using the PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases. To estimate the risk ratio (RR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI), we employed a random-effects model. We also conducted subgroup analyses based on study characteristics. The protocol for this systematic review is registered in the Prospero database under the registration number CRD42022351574. RESULTS: Our analysis included eight eligible studies, comprising a total of 8 629 525 participants. We found that the pooled RR values for the risk of GC in patients with MAFLD were 1.49 (95%CI: 1.17-1.91), whereas the pooled RR values for the risk of EC in patients with MAFLD were 1.76 (95%CI: 1.34-2.32). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our meta-analysis, we conclude that there is a significant association between the presence of MAFLD and the development of GC and EC.

Case report: Peripheral nerve stimulation relieves post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathic pain and secondary hemifacial dystonia.

Post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathic pain (PTNP) combined with secondary dystonia are rare sequelae of orofacial injury and often do not respond to conservative treatment. The consensus on treatment for both symptoms is yet to be standardized. This study reports the case of a 57-year-old male patient with left orbital trauma who developed PTNP immediately after the injury and secondary hemifacial dystonia 7 months thereafter. To treat his neuropathic pain, we performed peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) using a percutaneously implanted electrode to the ipsilateral supraorbital notch along the brow arch, which instantly resolved the patient's pain and dystonia. PTNP was relieved in a satisfactory manner until 18 months after the surgery, despite a gradual recurrence of the dystonia since 6 months after the surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of PNS used for the treatment of PTNP combined with dystonia. This case report highlights the potential benefits of PNS in relieving neuropathic pain and dystonia and discusses the underlying therapeutic mechanism. Moreover, this study suggests that secondary dystonia occurs due to the uncoordinated integration of afferent sensory and efferent motor information. The findings of the present study indicate that PNS should be considered for patients with PTNP following the failure of conservative treatment. Secondary hemifacial dystonia may benefit from PNS upon further research and long-term assessment.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction and properties of polysaccharide from Ginkgo biloba leaves.

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions of Ginkgo biloba leaves polysaccharide (GBLP). The optimum extraction conditions for the ultrasound-assisted extraction of GBLP were obtained as liquid to material ratio of 30 mL/g, ultrasonic power of 340 W, and extraction time of 50 min. Under these conditions, the yield of GBLP was 5.37 %. Two chemically modified polysaccharides, CM-GBLP and Ac-GBLP, were obtained by carboxymethylation and acetylation of GBLP. The physicochemical properties of these three polysaccharides were comparatively studied and their in vitro antioxidant activities were evaluated comprehensively. The results showed that the solubility of the chemically modified polysaccharides was significantly enhanced and the in vitro antioxidant activity was somewhat improved. This suggests that carboxymethylation and acetylation are effective methods to enhance polysaccharide properties, but the results exhibited some uncontrollability. At the same time, GBLP has also shown high potential for research and application.

Access to Azepino-Annulated Benzo[c]carbazoles Enabled by Gold-Catalyzed Hydroarylation of Alkynylindoles and Subsequent Oxidative Cyclization.

Herein, we report a facile and efficient synthetic method to construct azepino[1,2-a]indoles through a novel gold(I)-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation of alkynylindoles. A wide range of functional groups can be well tolerated in this transformation, and the corresponding highly functionalized azepino[1,2-a]indole skeletons were obtained in moderate to excellent yields. Subsequent oxidation of the products gave the interesting and valuable polycyclic carbazoles, which were widely used as the key building blocks in materials science.

Pain-Free Survival After Endoscopic Rhizotomy Versus Radiofrequency for Lumbar Facet Joint Pain: A Real-World Comparison Study.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic rhizotomy (ER) of the medial branch has been recently developed for the treatment of lumbar facet joint pain (LFJP). However, there are no studies comparing the pain-free duration after ER and radiofrequency (RF). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term outcomes for pain and physical function in patients who underwent ER versus RF for LFJP and compare their pain-free survival. STUDY DESIGN: Open label, prospective, real-world study that includes patients treated with ER or RF at a single center between November 2017 and February 2020. SETTING: The research took place within a single university-based neuro-spine center. METHODS: Patients with a positive diagnostic medial branch block (>= 80% pain relief) were treated with ER or RF. Numeric rating scale (NRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Global Impression of Change (GIoC) were obtained at the baseline, and at 6 months and 12 months postoperatively. The duration of pain-free time was recorded at every follow-up. The final follow-up was conducted in March 2021. RESULTS: Of 55 patients with LFJP, 19 underwent ER, and 36 underwent RF. Both ER and RF groups showed significant decreases in NRS and ODI scores at 6 months and 12 months compared with baseline (P < 0.001). ER had significantly better efficacy than RF in NRS, ODI, and GIoC scores at 6 and 12 months (P < 0.05). The pain-free survival curves showed that the median pain-free duration was 20 months and 10 months in ER and RF, respectively. LIMITATION: Patients were not randomized to different groups, which may have led to bias. CONCLUSIONS: Both ER and RF can improve the pain and physical function in patients with LFJP. ER is associated with a longer operative duration and medical expenses; however, it provides more sustained efficacy than RF. The surgical choice should depend on the patients' specific conditions.

Defect Passivation via Additive Engineering to Improve Photodetection Performance in CsPbI2Br Perovskite Photodetectors.

Solution-processable all-inorganic lead halide perovskites are under intensive attention due to their potential applications in low-cost high-performance optoelectronic devices such as photodetectors. However, solution processing usually generates structural and chemical defects which are detrimental to the photodetection performance of photodetectors. Here, a polymer additive of polyethylene glycol (PEG) was employed to passivate the localized defects in CsPbI2Br films through the Lewis acid-base interaction. The interfacial defects were passivated efficiently by introducing a trace amount of a PEG additive with a concentration of 0.4 mg mL-1 into the CsPbI2Br precursor solution, as suggested by the significantly reduced trap density of state, which was revealed using thermal admittance spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectrum characterization showed that rather than Cs+ or I-, a Lewis acid-base interaction was established between Pb2+ and PEG to passivate the defects in the CsPbI2Br perovskite, which leads to large suppression of noise current. Both specific detectivity and linear dynamic range improved from 4.1 × 109 Jones and 73 dB to 2.2 × 1011 Jones and 116 dB, respectively. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of employing an environmentally stable polymeric additive PEG to passivate defects for high photodetection performance in all-inorganic perovskite photodetectors.

Rubidium Doping to Enhance Carrier Transport in CsPbBr3 Single Crystals for High-Performance X-Ray Detection.

The direct band gap CsPbBr3 perovskite is regarded as a promising alternative for low-cost and high-performance X-ray radiation detectors. Despite the fact that CsPbBr3 nanocrystals have been shown to be good scintillators in the indirect conversion mode, the direct X-ray conversion with CsPbBr3 single crystals is expected to yield higher spatial resolution. Here, rubidium (Rb) doping is demonstrated to be an efficient approach to improve carrier transport and X-ray detection performance in the direct-conversion X-ray detectors based on Cs(1-x)RbxPbBr3 single crystals. Electrical properties' characterizations as combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements have revealed that Rb doping in Cs(1-x)RbxPbBr3 single crystals can enhance the atomic interaction and orbital coupling between Pb and Br atoms, leading to an enhancement of carrier transport and X-ray detection performance. X-ray detectors based on a small amount (0.037%) of Rb-doped Cs(1-x)RbxPbBr3 single crystals exhibited a high X-ray sensitivity of 8097 µC Gyair-1 cm-2. This work offers a feasible strategy to improve the X-ray detection performance by chemical doping in all-inorganic perovskite X-ray detectors.

Syntheses and structures of copper complexes of 3-(6-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)pyridin-2-yl)pyrazol-1-ide and their excellent performance in the syntheses of nitriles and aldehydes.

Reactions of a pincer ligand 2-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-6-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (pzpypzH) with Cu(NO3)2, Cu(ClO4)2, CuSO4, CuCl2 or CuI produced three dinuclear Cu(ii) complexes [{Cu(NO3)}(µ-pzpypz)]2 (1), [{Cu(ClO4)}(µ-pzpypz)]2 (2), [Cu2(µ-SO4)(µ-pzpypz)2]·2MeOH (3·2MeOH), one mononuclear Cu(ii) complex [CuCl2(pzpypzH)] (4) and one trinuclear Cu(i)/Cu(ii) complex [(ICu)(µ-I)2Cu2(µ-pzpypz)2] (5), respectively. Treatment of 4 with two equiv. of AgNO3 in DMF also gave rise to 1. Complexes 1-5 were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 or 2 has a dimeric structure in which two {Cu(X)} (X = NO3, ClO4) fragments are interconnected by two µ-pzpypz(-) ligands. 3 also adopts a dimeric structure in which two Cu(ii) centers are interconnected by a pair of µ-pzpypz(-) ligands and one µ-SO4(2-) ion. The Cu(ii) center in 4 is five-coordinated by three N atoms of the pzpypzH ligand and two Cl atoms. In 5, two Cu(ii) centers are bridged by two µ-pzpypz(-) ligands and one CuI3(2-) unit, forming a unique trinuclear structure. Complexes 1-5 displayed high catalytic activity toward the ammoxidation of alcohols to nitriles and the aerobic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes in H2O. The nitrile or aldehyde products could be readily separated from the catalytic system by extraction and the residual aqueous solution containing 1 retained good activity for several cycles.