Redox-neutral electrochemical decontamination of hypersaline wastewater with high technology readiness level.

Industrial hypersaline wastewaters contain diverse pollutants that harm the environment. Recovering clean water, alkali and acid from these wastewaters can promote circular economy and environmental protection. However, current electrochemical and advanced oxidation processes, which rely on hydroxyl radicals to degrade organic compounds, are inefficient and energy intensive. Here we report a flow-through redox-neutral electrochemical reactor (FRER) that effectively removes organic contaminants from hypersaline wastewaters via the chlorination-dehalogenation-hydroxylation route involving radical-radical cross-coupling. Bench-scale experiments demonstrate that the FRER achieves over 75% removal of total organic carbon across various compounds, and it maintains decontamination performance for over 360 h and continuously treats real hypersaline wastewaters for two months without corrosion. Integrating the FRER with electrodialysis reduces operating costs by 63.3% and CO2 emissions by 82.6% when compared with traditional multi-effect evaporation-crystallization techniques, placing our system at technology readiness levels of 7-8. The desalinated water, high-purity NaOH (>95%) and acid produced offset industrial production activities and thus support global sustainable development objectives.

Effect of waiting time for radiotherapy after last induction chemotherapy on prognosis of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The effect of radiotherapy waiting time after last induction chemotherapy (IC-RT) on prognosis of patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC) needs further discussion. METHODS: Three hundred and six patients with LANPC diagnosed pathologically by induction chemotherapy (IC) and radiotherapy (RT) from 2013 to 2018 were selected for this study. RESULTS: The IC-RT was a risk factor for the post-treatment progression of LANPC (OR = 1.017 95%CI: 1.003-1.031), For patients with LANPC, the IC-RT > 40 days significantly reduced 5-year PFS (70% vs. 55%; p = 0.0012), 5-year OS (84% vs. 73%; p = 0.028), 5-year DMFS (80% vs. 66%; p = 0.003), 5-year LRFS (77% vs. 67%; p = 0.012). Indicating that patients with stage IVa who IC-RT > 40 days were found to be a significant predictor of aggravated PFS (HR = 2.69; 95%CI: 1.57-4.6), OS (HR = 2.55; 95%CI: 1.29-5.03), DMFS (HR = 3.07; 95%CI: 1.64-5.76) and LRFS (HR = 2.26; 95%CI: 1.21-4.21). CONCLUSION: The prognosis of patients will be adversely affected if the IC-RT exceeds 40 days, especially for stage IVa patients.

Prevalent characteristics of human papillomavirus infection in 29,508 women in Jinshan District, Shanghai.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in 29,508 female cases in Jinshan District, Shanghai. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current research represents a retrospective study that included 29,508 women who received cervical screening in the Jinshan Branch of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital from 2010 to 2020. The overall prevalence, distribution types, age-specific prevalence and annual trends were analysed. RESULTS: The overall HPV infection rate among the patients was 21.97%. They were primarily high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infections (20.30%) and single HPV infections (15.91%). A general decline in HPV and HR-HPV prevalence was observed with time from 33.52% to 25.45% in 2011 to 21.47% and 20.18% in 2020. The most common HPV genotypes were HPV52, HPV16, HPV58, HPV51, HPV53 and HPV68. The infection rates of HPV genotypes, including HPV6, HPV11, HPV16, HPV18, HPV31, HPV33, HPV35, HPV39, HPV42, HPV43, HPV66 and HPV68, showed overall declines across different years. The age-specific prevalence of total HPV and HR-HPV infections formed an approximate U-shaped curve with two peaks, one in the ≥55 age group (29.75%, 28.43%) and the other in the <25 age group (22.93%, 20.85%). Both total HPV and HR-HPV infection rates decreased to their lowest in the 25-34-year age groups. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HPV infections showed a downward tendency with time. Single HPV genotype infections and HR-HPV infections were predominantly detected. The after prevalent characteristics of HPV can help to guide HPV vaccinations and cervical cancer screenings: 1) non-HPV16/HPV18 H R-HPV genotypes were prevalent; 2) non-vaccine-covered HPV53, HPV51 and HPV68 were also prevalent; 3) women above the age of 55 years had the highest HPV and HR-HPV infection rates.

Comparison of ACR TI-RADS, Kwak TI-RADS, ATA guidelines and KTA/KSThR guidelines in combination with SWE in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic efficacy of ACR TI-RADS, Kwak TI-RADS, ATA guidelines and KTA/KSThR guidelines in combination with shear wave elastography (SWE) for thyroid nodules. METHODS: The retrospective study included 566 thyroid nodules with maximum diameter≥5 mm which confirmed by FNA cytology or/and surgical pathology. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, Youden index of diagnosis of thyroid nodules by ACR TI-RADS, Kwak TI-RADS, ATA guidelines, KTA/KSThR guidelines and SWE were calculated. The ROC curve was drawn to determine the cut-off values of the four ultrasound classification systems and SWE Emax. The diagnostic efficacy of the four ultrasound classification systems in combination with SWE were calculated and compared with those of pre-combination. RESULTS: The ROC curves indicated that the cut-off value of ACR TI-RADS, Kwak TI-RADS, ATA guidelines, KTA/KSThR guidelines and Emax of SWE was TR5, 4c, high-suspicion, high-suspicion, and 41.7 kPa, respectively, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.907(0.879-0.934), 0904(0.876-0.932), 0.894(0.863-0.924), 0.888(0.856-0.919), 0.886(0.859-0.913), respectively. After combination with SWE, the the sensitivities of the four ultrasound classification systems for the diagnosis of nodules were improved, and the differences were statistically significant (all P≤0.001); the specificities were decreased, but the differences were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05); the accuracies were improved, but only the difference of ACR TI-RADS was statistically significant (x2 = 4.45, P = 0.035); the differences in the AUCs were not significant (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The four ultrasound classification systems and SWE all had high performance in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. The four classification systems in combination with SWE were all beneficial to the differential diagnosis of nodules, and ACR TI-RADS in combination with SWE was more effective, especially for TR3 and TR4 nodules.

[Effect of acupoint thread-embedding therapy on the sitting ability of ataxia children with cerebral palsy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effective of acupoint thread-embedding therapy for ataxia children with cerebral palsy. METHODS: A total of 70 ataxia children with cerebral palsy and a Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM, Dimension B) score of <35 were enrolled and randomly divided into thread-embedding group and control group, with 35 children in each group, and 2 children in the thread-embedding group were lost to follow-up. The children in the control group were given routine rehabilitation treatment, including physical therapy, spleen-strengthening, kidney-nourishing, and Governor Vessel-regulating massage, vibroacoustic therapy, and scalp acupuncture, and those in the thread-embedding group were given thread-embedding therapy at the acupoints of Jianyu (LI15), Jianliao (SJ14), Tianzong (SI11), Tianshu (ST25), and HuatuoJiaji points (C4, L1 and L4) in addition to the treatment in the control group, with 6-8 acupoints selected each time, once a week. Each course of treatment was 4 weeks, with an interval of one week between two courses of treatment, and the children were treated for 3 courses. Level of sitting scale (LSS), incurvation reflex, and GMFM score were recorded to evaluate the improvement in sitting ability and clinical outcome. RESULTS: Both groups had significant improvements in LSS, incurvation reflex, and GMFM (Dimension A and B) score after treatment (P<0.01), and the thread-embedding group had significantly greater improvements than the control group (P<0.01). The thread-embedding group had a significantly higher overall response rate than the control group (90.9% [30/33] vs 68.5% [24/35], P<0.01). CONCLUSION: In addition to routine rehabilitation treatment, acupoint thread-embedding therapy can effectively suppress primitive reflex in ataxia children with cerebral palsy and significantly promote their sitting ability, and therefore, it is an effective acupuncture treatment method for ataxia children with cerebral palsy.

[Risk factors for interictal epileptiform discharges on electroencephalogram in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical symptoms and features of interictal epileptiform discharges (IED) on electroencephalogram (EEG) in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) and to analyze the risk factors for IED. METHODS: Eighty-three children with spastic hemiplegic CP were recruited, and their clinical data, results of video-electroencephalogram, imaging findings, and cognitive levels were collected. The influencing factors for IED were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The incidence of epilepsy was 13% in children with spastic hemiplegic CP; 34% of these cases had IED. The incidence of epilepsy in children with IED (32%) was significantly higher than that in those without IED (4%) (P<0.01). The incidence of IED in children with complications and brain cortex impairment increased significantly (P<0.01). The incidence of IED varied significantly between patients with different cognitive levels (P<0.01). Brain cortex impairment (OR=11.521) and low cognitive level (OR=2.238)were risk factors for IED in children with spastic hemiplegic CP (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Spastic hemiplegic CP is often found with IED on EEG, and the incidence of epilepsy is higher in children with IED than in those without IED. Brain cortex impairment and low cognitive level have predictive values for IED in children with spastic hemiplegic CP.

Clinical observation on treatment of clearing the Governor Vessel and refreshing the mind needling in neural development and remediation of children with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of clearing the Governor Vessel and refreshing the mind needling in neural development and remediation of children with cerebral palsy. METHODS: A total of 200 cases of children with cerebral palsy were randomly assigned to the treatment group (100 patients) and the control group (100 patients). The treatment group was given the combined therapy of acupuncture and rehabilitation training, and the chosen acupoints were 13 points of the Governor Vessel, Shenshu (BL 23), Taixi (KI 3), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), and points of refreshing the mind were also selected, which included puncturing Shenting (GV 24) toward Qianding (GV 21), puncturing Qianding (GV 21) toward Baihui (GV 20), puncturing Baihui (GV 20) toward Naohu (GV 17) and Sishencong (Ex-HN 1). The control group was only treated with rehabilitation training. A contrastive analysis of the therapeutic effect between acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training and rehabilitation training alone was made after a treatment course of 3 months. The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and Beijing Gesell Developmental Scale were adopted to assess the neural development and rehabilitation outcomes of the two groups. In addition, skull CT/MRI was adopted to evaluate the plerosis of injured cerebral nerve after treatment. RESULTS: The total effective rate in treatment group was 87% (87/100), significantly higher than the 55% (55/100) in the control group. The children's development quotient (DQ) tested by Gesell Developmental Scale and scores tested by GMFM in the treatment group were obviously higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). The improving and curing rates presented by skull CT/MRI in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Clearing the Governor Vessel and refreshing the mind needling could accelerate the recovery of injured brain nerve and the reconstruction of brain function. The acupuncture therapy could ameliorate both the motor development and cognitive development. On the other hand, the forward curative effect of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training was significantly better than the rehabilitation training alone.

[Effect of acupuncture-moxibustion combined with nerve growth factor on compensation of cerebral function in the children of cerebral palsy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the compensation of cerebral function in acupuncture for rehabilitation of cerebral palsy. METHODS: One hundred children of cerebral palsy were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 50 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated with scalp acupuncture at the Motor Area, Foot Motor Sensory Area and Equilibrium Area, body acupuncture at Binao (LI 14), Fengchi (GB 20), Huantiao (GB 30), etc. and injection of nerve growth factor into Zusanli (ST 36), in combination with rehabilitation training; the control group were treated only with rehabilitation training. Their clinical therapeutic effects and recoveries of brain lesion detected by CT, SEPCT were investigated. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 84.0% in the treatment group better than 52.0% of the control group. After treatment, the development quotient (DQ) in the treatment group was higher than the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can promote compensation of cerebral function in the children of cerebral palsy.