Efficacy and safety of auricular therapy in the treatment of post-stroke constipation: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Constipation is one of the common gastrointestinal complications after stroke. It not only aggravates the condition of stroke, but also brings huge medical burden to patients, and has a negative impact on the quality of life of patients. Auricular therapy, as a part of Chinese traditional acupuncture and moxibustion, has been found to be effective in the clinical treatment of constipation. However, no systematic review has investigated the efficacy and safety of auricular therapy in the treatment of post-stroke constipation. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness and safety of auricular therapy for post-stroke constipation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Eight electronic databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library/Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Internet, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang, and VIP databases, will be searched for relevant studies published from inception to February 2023. Two reviewers will independently conduct research selection, data extraction, and evaluation of research quality. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assess the efficacy and safety of auricular therapy for the treatment of post-stroke constipation will be included in this study. We will use the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool to evaluate the methodological qualities (including bias risk). If possible, a meta-analysis will be performed after screening. RESULTS: This study may provide high-quality evidence for the efficacy and safety of auricular therapy in treating post-stroke constipation. CONCLUSION: The conclusions of our study will provide an evidence to judge whether auricular therapy is an effective and safe intervention for patients with post-stroke constipation. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required, as this study was based on a review of published research. This review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated electronically and in print. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number: PROSPERO CRD42023402242.

Levels and distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the aquatic and terrestrial environment around a wastewater treatment plant.

The distribution and fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in a riparian ecosystem nearby a wastewater treatment plant effluent were investigated. Different aqueous and terrestrial samples such as soil, sediment, plants, and invertebrates were collected and analyzed for tri- to heptabrominated PBDEs. Furthermore, the food web structure was elucidated using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. The highest PBDE levels were found for sediment- and soil-dwelling invertebrates, such as earthworms (Σ13 PBDEs 144 ng/g lipid weight), Tubifex tubifex (77 ng/g lw), and scarab larvae (49 ng/g lw). Differences in congener composition profiles among the different matrices show that the environmental distribution and fate of PBDEs in ecosystems can be very complex. Among the analyzed PBDEs in this ecosystem, the tetra-brominated BDE-47 was the dominant PBDE congener and followed by the penta-brominated BDE-99. A potential trend of increasing BDE-47/99 ratio with the increase of δ(15)N was observed for species with similar energy sources (δ(13)C), indicating a higher bioaccumulation potential for BDE-47 in this ecosystem. A significant correlation was also found between PBDEs and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), indicating similar sources and fate between the two compound groups in this area. The biota-soil or biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) were somewhat different among the PBDE congeners and species, but were generally highest for those with log Kow values around 6.5-7.

Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in an urban riparian zone affected by wastewater treatment plant effluent and the transfer to terrestrial compartment by invertebrates.

In this study, we investigated the distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in a riparian zone affected by the effluent from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). River water, sediment, aquatic invertebrates and samples from the surrounding terrestrial compartment such as soil, reed plants and several land based invertebrates were collected. A relatively narrow range of δ(13)C values was found among most invertebrates (except butterflies, grasshoppers), indicating a similar energy source. The highest concentration of total PCBs was observed in zooplankton (151.1 ng/g lipid weight), and soil dwelling invertebrates showed higher concentrations than phytophagous insects at the riparian zone. The endobenthic oligochaete Tubifex tubifex (54.28 ng/g lw) might be a useful bioindicator of WWTP derived PCBs contamination. High bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) were observed in collected aquatic invertebrates, although the biota-sediment/soil accumulation factors (BSAF) remained relatively low. Emerging aquatic insects such as chironomids could carry waterborne PCBs to the terrestrial compartment via their lifecycles. The estimated annual flux of PCBs for chironomids ranged from 0.66 to 265 ng⋅m(-2)⋅y(-1). Although a high prevalence of PCB-11 and PCB-28 was found for most aquatic based samples in this riparian zone, the mid-chlorinated congeners (e.g. PCB-153 and PCB-138) became predominant among chironomids and dragonflies as well as soil dwelling invertebrates, which might suggest a selective biodriven transfer of different PCB congeners.