Effects of calorie restriction therapy on health-related outcomes in patients with heart failure, a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: We conducted this systematic review to comprehensively assess the impact of CRT on health-related outcomes among patients with HF. DATA SYNTHESIS: In order to find studies investigating the effect of CRT on health-related outcomes among patients with HF, we performed a systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases (inception until February 12th, 2023). A total of 10 studies including 933 individuals met the inclusion criteria. The systematic review indicated that 8 to 24 weeks of CRT intervention offered some health advantages for patients with HF. CRT significantly reduced patients' body weight (SMD = - 0.52, 95 % CI = - 0.99 to -0.04, P = 0.03, I2 = 77 %) and improved their quality of life (SMD = 0.35, 95 % CI = 0.12 to 0.58, P = 0.003, I2 = 0 %). However, CRT significantly increased the risk of mortality and HF-related rehospitalization, including combined events of all-cause mortality and HF-related rehospitalization within a year (CRT group: 20 % vs. control group: 5 %), mortality rate within 1.52 years (CRT group: 34 % vs. control group: 22 %), readmission rate (CRT group: 52 % vs. control group: 17 %), and length of stay after readmission (CRT group: 124 days vs. control group:18 days). CONCLUSION: CRT provides no significant benefits in terms of health-related outcomes among patients with HF, hence most patients with HF might not be eligible for CRT treatments. Meanwhile, there are several methodological issues among the studies included in the review, resulting in a low-to-moderate quality of evidence. REGISTRATION: The PROSPERO registration number of this review is CRD 42023413992.

Association between stigma and quality of life among chronic refractory wounds patients and informal caregivers: an actor-partner interdependence model analysis.

PURPOSE: The co-occurrence of health impairments in patients and their informal caregivers may be particularly common in intimate care settings in China. Patients with Chronic Refractory Wounds (CRWs) and their informal caregivers constitute a dyad and exhibit dyadic effects during the caring process. Unfortunately, no study has yet explored the dyadic effects of stigma on the QoL of patients with CRWs and their caregivers. METHODS: We used a convenience sampling method and recruited CRWs patient-caregiver dyads (N = 207) in China between April 2022 and October 2023. RESULTS: We found that: (i) dyadic members experience varying degrees of stigma; (ii) the actor-partner effect of CRWs patients' stigma on their own and their informal caregivers' QoL was significant (Path A1: ß = - 1.27, Path A2: ß = - 0.37, Path P1: ß = - 0.08, Path P2: ß = - 0.18); (iii) informal caregivers' stigma adversely affects both their own and their patients' psychological QoL((Path A4: ß = - 0.65, Path P4: ß = - 0.52)). Informal caregivers' stigma can negatively impact patients' physical QoL (Path P3: ß = - 0.17), whereas it does not significantly affect their own physical QoL. CONCLUSION: There is a notable actor-partner effect of the CRWs patients' stigma on their own and their informal caregivers' QoL. CRWs patients' stigma should become a priority for the government to improve CRWs patients' and informal caregivers' QoL. Besides, health professionals should be addressing several assessments and interventions to decrease informal caregivers' affiliate stigma symptoms and improve CRWs patients' and informal caregivers' QoL.

Catastrophic Cognition Is a Stronger Predictor Than Emotional Factors of Acute Postoperative Pain in Patients With Traumatic Orthopedic Injuries.

BACKGROUND: Both cognitive (pain catastrophizing [PC]) and emotional factors (anxiety, depression, and optimism) play vital roles in acute postoperative pain (APOP) management among patients with traumatic orthopedic injuries (TOIs). It remains uncertain if these psychological factors independently or collectively impact APOP in patients with TOIs, and the underlying mechanisms by which various psychological factors impact APOP in patients with TOIs are also ambiguous. PURPOSE: The aims of the current research were to analyze the effects of PC and emotional factors (anxiety, depression, and optimism) on APOP in patients with TOIs and explore the potential mechanisms by which PC and emotional factors influence APOP based on a hypothetical moderated mediation pathway mediated by pain-related fear. METHODS: This was an observational cross-sectional study. RESULTS: PC was a significantly positive predictor of APOP regardless of coexistence with emotional factors. TOI patients who had higher PC had more severe APOP (ß = 0.57, standard error [SE] = 0.005, p < .01, adjusted R2 = 0.78; ß = 0.84, SE = 0.003, p < .01, adjusted R2 = 0.77, respectively). Furthermore, when positive and negative emotions coexisted (adjusted R2 = 0.74), anxiety levels were a significant positive predictor of APOP (ß = 0.71, SE = 0.009, p < .01) and optimism was a significant negative predictor of APOP (ß = -0.24, SE = 0.008, p < .01). Pain-related fear played a mediating role in the association between the level of PC (effect = 0.044, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.027 to 0.062), anxiety (effect = 0.102, 95% CI = 0.075 to 0.137), and APOP in patients with TOIs. Optimism moderated the strength of the relationship between PC (95% CI = -0.020 to -0.010), anxiety (95% CI = -0.045 to -0.003), and APOP mediated by pain-related fear. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical staff should assess the level of PC and emotional factors to identify TOI patients at high risk for APOP, subsequently facilitating the optimization of pain management and efficient utilization of nursing resources through early discussion.

Effect of Chinese pilots carbon emission trading scheme on enterprises' total factor productivity: The moderating role of government participation and carbon trading market efficiency.

Based on the tightening regulation of carbon emissions, China has launched the pilot carbon emission trading scheme (CETS) since 2013. There is growing empirical evidence of the actual effect of CETS to promote enterprises' productivity which is characterized by total factor productivity (TFP). However, most studies ignored the further analysis of influence mechanisms. This paper aims to explore the impact of CETS on the TFP of enterprises and discuss the mediating role of government participation and carbon trading market efficiency. Using data from A-share listed enterprises from CETS-covered enterprises, this paper employed a combination of the propensity score matching (PSM) and difference-in-differences (DID) strategies and found that the CETS has a statistically significant positive impact on the TFP of enterprises, and the positive effect has been maintained for six years since its inception. The moderation analysis indicated that: (1) two dimensions of government participation in terms of the market incentive and government supervision significantly moderate the positive impact of CETS on TFP of enterprises; (2) two dimensions of carbon trading market efficiency in terms of the market scale and liquidity significantly moderates the positive impact of CETS on TFP of enterprises. In light of Chinese pilots CETS policy, the study highlights the important moderating roles of government participation and high carbon trading market efficiency on enterprise's TFP.

Effect of marine ecological compensation policy on coastal water pollution: Evidence from China based on a multiple period difference-in-differences approach.

With the development and utilization of marine resources, coastal water pollution has become increasingly prominent. The marine ecological compensation (MEC) is a key measure to balance the utilization of marine resources and the protection of marine environment. This paper attempts to explore the governance effect of MEC policy on coastal water pollution. Based on panel data of coastal cities in China from 2006 to 2020, a multiple period difference-in-differences (DID) model is used to estimate the impact of MEC policy on coastal water pollution. The research results show that the coastal water pollution has decreased significantly in the polit cities after implementing the MEC policy. The governance effect of MEC policy on coastal water pollution will last for three year and cover areas within a geographical distance of 200 km. The transmission mechanisms of MEC policy on coastal water pollution are the reduction of land-based sewage, marine technological progress and optimization of industrial structure. Further, this paper provides operational suggestions for strengthening the governance effect of MEC policy on coastal water pollution.

New evidence on the impact of No-tillage management on agricultural carbon emissions.

Controlling agricultural carbon emissions contributes to achieving peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality. However, as a conservation management practice of farmland, the impact of No-tillage management (NTM) on agricultural carbon emissions needs to be further discussed. The main purpose of this paper is to assess the direct effect and spatial spillover effect of NTM on agricultural carbon emissions, revealing the regulating mechanism of NTM on agricultural carbon emissions and the combined application of NTM. Results indicate that NTM reduces agricultural carbon emissions, which is significant in the central and western regions, along with the primary grain, corn, and rice production areas, as well as the northern regions of the Huai River. Furthermore, the spatial spillover analysis reveals that the implementation of NTM increases agricultural carbon emissions in neighboring regions, but financial support and cross-regional services can negatively regulate the relationship between NTM and space agricultural carbon emissions. This paper also finds that combining straw-returning technology and NTM reduces agricultural carbon emissions. Building a cross-regional coordination mechanism, an incentive mechanism, and innovating the conservation tillage model is essential for promoting the NTM and achieving agricultural carbon reduction.

Effect of activator/precursor mass ratio on sulfur-doped porous carbon for catalytic oxidation of aqueous organics with persulfate.

Sulfur-doped porous carbon has emerged as promising metal-free catalysts toward persulfate (PS) for catalytic oxidation of aqueous organics. Wherein, thermal pyrolysis with activator activation is very common for the preparation of activated carbon. However, the relationship between the mass ratio of activator/precursor and catalytic efficiency has been rarely reported. Herein, a series of sulfur-doped porous carbons (S-AC) were synthesized by one-step chemical activation of (Poly(phenylene sulphide) (PPS)) with K2CO3 as activator at K2CO3/PPS mass ratio ranging from 0 to 3. The effects of K2CO3/PPS mass ratio on its physicochemical properties and its catalytic performance for p-chlorophenol (PCP) degradation with PS were comprehensively investigated. Experiment results show that sulfur doping enhanced its catalytic activity and the sample synthesized with K2CO3/PPS mass ratio of 2 (S-AC-2) exhibited the best adsorption and catalytic performance toward PS for PCP removal. More importantly, S-AC-2 with PS could efficiently degrade various aqueous toxic organics other than PCP, and S-AC-2 showed superior catalytic activity to many recently reported advanced materials. In addition, the effects of several operate parameters, including reaction temperature, PS concentration, pH, humic acid, and inorganic ions on PCP oxidation were evaluated. By combining with the results of quenching experiments and EPR, the PS activation mechanism over S-AC-2 was revealed. Moreover, the reusability and regenerability of S-AC-2 was also studied. It indicates that S-AC-2 showed inferior reusability, but the catalytic activity of which could be fully recovered through thermal treatment at 600 °C for 2 h in N2.

Research on the competitive effect of local government's environmental expenditure in China.

Local government's environmental expenditure (LGEE) is critical to ecological protection and environmental governance, and it has not played its due role. By constructing a theoretical model of the competitive effect of LGEE under the intervention of central government, this study used the spatial econometric model to analyze the competitive effect of LGEE based on the data of 30 provinces in China from 2007 to 2016. The main results show that (1) from the perspective of the national area, LGEE shows a U-shaped development model together with economic growth; (2) a significant positive spatial effect in interprovincial LGEE is observed in eastern region, indicating that local government tends to adopt the competitive strategy of mutual imitation. Local government will not reduce environmental expenditure as fiscal decentralization increases; (3) the coefficient of the spatial effect in LGEE is significantly negative in central and western regions, which is manifested as a competitive strategy of mutual substitution. The coefficient of fiscal decentralization is significantly negative, indicating that LGEE relies mainly on the transfer payments from central government, and the essence of interprovincial competition regarding environmental expenditure is the competition for the transfer payments from central government.