Comparison of the Application Effects of Tissue-Selecting Therapy Stapler, Procedure for Prolapse and Hemorrhoids, and Ruiyun Procedure for Hemorrhoids in the Treatment of Mixed Hemorrhoids.

Objective: To compare the application effects of tissue-selecting therapy stapler (TST), procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids (PPH), and Ruiyun procedure for hemorrhoids (RPH) in the treatment of mixed hemorrhoids, specifically focusing on primary outcomes such as recovery time, pain levels, and quality of life. Methods: Based on the presence of mixed hemorrhoids,120 patients were admitted to the general surgery department of the hospital from January 2019 to December 2022 were selected and randomly divided into three groups, with 40 cases in each group. The parameters like VAS, ARP, SAP, and HF-QoL scores were chosen to comprehensively assess pain, anal function, and overall quality of life. Group A was treated with TST, group B was treated with PPH, and group C was treated with RPH. The parameters related to surgical treatment and rehabilitation, pain levels [Visual Analog Scale (VAS)] at different times, preoperative and postoperative anal dynamic function [anal rest pressure (ARP), squeeze anal pressure (SAP), and duration of contraction], anal function and quality of life were compared among the three groups. The incidence rates of complications that occurred within 1 month after surgery and postoperative recurrence rate were calculated. Results: There were significant differences in intraoperative blood loss, surgical time, length of hospital stay, and wound healing time among the three groups (TST, PPH, and RPH) (P < .05). There were statistically significant differences in VAS scores among the three groups (TST, PPH, and RPH) on the 1st and 2nd day after surgery (P < .05). The scores increased in sequence from group C, group A to group B. There was no statistically significant difference among the three groups (TST, PPH, and RPH) in terms of ARP, SAP, and duration of contraction before and after treatment, and Wexner scores at different time points after surgery (P > .05). There were statistically significant differences in HF-QoL scores among the three groups (TST, PPH, and RPH) at 1 month and 3 months after surgery (P < .05). One month after surgery, the HF-QoL score of group C was lower than those of groups A and B (P < .05). Three months after surgery, the HF-QoL scores increased in sequence from group C, group A to group B (P < .05). There were statistically significant differences in the incidence rates of urinary retention and anal stenosis among the three groups (TST, PPH, and RPH) (P < .05). The incidence rates of urinary retention and anal stenosis in group B were much higher than those in group B, group A and group C (P < .05). Conclusion: RPH not only shows superiority in treating mixed hemorrhoids in terms of intraoperative blood loss, surgical time, postoperative pain, and quality of life, but also holds promise for enhancing clinical practices with potentially shorter hospital stays and improved patient outcomes.

Heavy metals and Pb isotopes in sediment cores from the Bering and Chukchi seas: Implications for environmental changes and human activities over the past century.

The Bering Sea and the Chukchi Sea are important regions for marine ecosystems and climate change. However, the historical deposition and sources of metals in these regions are poorly understood. In this study, we utilized Pb isotopes and multi-element concentrations (Ni, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb) coupled with Pb-210 dating to investigate the historical deposition and source identification of metals in sediment cores collected from the Bering Sea and the Chukchi Sea. Our findings reveal that the transport of organic matter was mainly transported by marine and terrestrial sources in the Bering and Chukchi Sea, respectively. Historical variations of metals were similar in both seas, showing an increasing trend of metals (excluding Mn) from the 1960s to the 1990s, followed by a gradual decrease after the 1990s, which can be attributed to the development of industrial and gasoline emission. The results of the geo-accumulation index indicated that sediment in both seas was relatively unpolluted with metals. Additionally, Pb isotopic ratios suggested that natural weathering was the primary source of Pb in the area, but the use and phase-out of gasoline were also well-reconstructed. This study provides valuable information for assessing environmental changes and human activities over the past century in the Arctic and subarctic Ocean.

Heavy metals in the sediments of Laoshan Bay, China: Distribution and contamination assessment.

We analyzed total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and heavy metals in 58 sediment samples from the Laoshan Bay, China. TOC and TN results identified marine primary production as the dominant source for organic matter, and the weak correlations between TOC, TN, and heavy metals indicated the terrestrial origin of heavy metals. Cd showed insignificant correlations with other metals, which suggests that agriculture production is the main anthropogenic activity affecting the distribution of Cd. Pb contamination in past 50 years was likely to have occurred because of fossil fuel combustion. Despite 210Pb dating, it was still difficult to trace the contamination condition over interannual variations. Nonetheless, these results provide data for monitoring Pb contamination. As Laoshan Bay is an important economic area, it would be beneficial to conduct further studies to determine the sources and degree of contamination for each heavy metal.

Reassessment of heavy metal pollution in riverine sediments of Hainan Island, China: sources and risks.

Riverine sediment samples from Hainan Island were collected in 2013 to assess the heavy metal pollution levels, sources, and associated environmental risks. The concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb measured in this study were 31.6-128.8 mg kg-1, 9.8-70.3 mg kg-1, 18.3-210.8 mg kg-1, 49.3-314.2 mg kg-1, 2.3-69.2 mg kg-1, 0.3-1.5 mg kg-1, and 23.2-113.4 mg kg-1, respectively. The results indicate that the sediment quality of Hainan Island has been obviously influenced by heavy metals. Based on the effect range classification, the heavy metals in Hainan riverine sediments likely have adverse biological effects on local ecosystems. The enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), and pollution load index (PLI) clearly reflect significant metal pollution in this region. The most significant pollution was observed in the northern and eastern parts of Hainan Island. The pollution levels of the three largest rivers on Hainan Island (i.e., the Nandu, Changhua, and Wanquan Rivers) were notably high. The results of this research will be useful in assessing and managing environmental pollution in this region. In the future, greater attention and further investigation should focus on the metal sources linked to further economic development on Hainan Island.

Improved source apportionment of PAHs and Pb by integrating Pb stable isotopes and positive matrix factorization application (PAHs): A historical record case study from the northern South China Sea.

To obtain the historical changes of pyrogenic sources, integrated source apportionment methods, which include PAH compositions, diagnostic ratios (DRs), Pb isotopic ratios, and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, were developed and applied in sediments of the northern South China Sea. These methods provided a gradually clear picture of energy structural change. Spatially, Σ15PAH (11.3 to 95.5ng/g) and Pb (10.2 to 74.6µg/g) generally exhibited decreasing concentration gradient offshore; while the highest levels of PAHs and Pb were observed near the southern Taiwan Strait, which may be induced by accumulation of different fluvial input. Historical records of pollutants followed closely with the economic development of China, with fast growth of Σ15PAH and Pb occurring since the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. The phasing-out of leaded gasoline in China was captured with a sharp decrease of Pb after the mid-1990s. PAHs and Pb correlated well with TOC and clay content for core sediments, which was not observed for surface sediments. There was an up-core increase of high molecular PAH proportions. Coal and biomass burning were then qualitatively identified as the major sources of PAHs with DRs. Furthermore, shift toward less radiogenic signatures of Pb isotopic ratios after 1900 revealed the start and growing importance of industrial sources. Finally, a greater separation and quantification of various input was achieved by a three-factor PMF model, which made it clear that biomass burning, coal combustion, and vehicle emissions accounted for 40±20%, 41±13%, and 19±12% of PAHs through the core. Biomass and coal combustion acted as major sources before 2000, while contributions from vehicle emission soared thereafter. The integrated multi-methodologies here improved the source apportionment by reducing biases with a step-down and cross-validation perspective, which could be similarly applied to other aquatic systems.

Environmental background values of trace elements in sediments from the Jiaozhou Bay catchment, Qingdao, China.

Selected trace elements (As, Cr, Zn, Cu, Cd, Co, Pb and Ni) in 76 surface sediment samples collected from the rivers and the intertidal zone of Jiaozhou Bay (JZB) were evaluated to assess their environmental background values in the JZB catchment. Overall, the sediment quality in the area meets the China Marine Sediment Quality criteria. The background values (ranges) of the elements As, Cr, Zn, Cu, Cd, Co, Pb and Ni were, respectively, 8.28 (4.10-12.46), 67.96 (38.40-97.52), 56.80 (16.42-196.51), 19.13 (5.71-64.06), 0.10 (0.02-0.42), 6.51 (2.08-20.40), 17.97 (12.26-55.84) and 20.69 (10.43-30.95)mg/kg. The background values of most of the trace elements were lower than those in Chinese soil, the upper continental crust, global shales and global preindustrial sediments. The results may assist in defining future coastal and river management measures specifically targeted at monitoring trace element contamination in the JZB catchment.

Heavy metals in the surface sediments of the northern portion of the South China Sea shelf: distribution, contamination, and sources.

The concentrations of seven heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) in the surface sediments of the northern portion of the South China Sea (SCS) shelf collected between 2012 and 2014 were measured to assess the potential contamination levels and determine the environmental risks that are associated with heavy metals in the area. The measured concentrations in the sediments were 12.4-72.5 mg kg(-1) for Cr, 4.4-29.2 mg kg(-1) for Ni, 7.1-38.1 mg kg(-1) for Cu, 19.3-92.5 mg kg(-1) for Zn, 1.3-12.1 mg kg(-1) for As, 0.03-0.24 mg kg(-1) for Cd, and 8.5-24.4 mg kg(-1) for Pb. These results indicate that the heavy metal concentrations in the sediments generally meet the China Marine Sediment Quality criteria and suggest that the overall sediment quality of the northern portion of the SCS shelf has not been significantly impacted by heavy metal pollution. However, the enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I geo) clearly show that elevated concentrations of Cd occur in the region. A Pearson's correlation analysis was performed, and the results suggest that Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn have a natural origin; Cd is primarily sourced from anthropogenic activities, with partial lithogenic components, and As and Pb may be affected by factors such as varying input sources or pathways (i.e., coal burning activities and aerosol precipitation). Heavy metal contamination mostly occurred to the east of Hainan Island, mainly because of the rapid economic and social developments in the Hainan Island. The results of this study will be useful for marine environment managers for the remediation of pollution sources.

Trace metals in the surface sediments of the intertidal Jiaozhou Bay, China: Sources and contamination assessment.

The major (Al) and trace metal (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd, and As) concentrations in 29 surface sediment samples from the intertidal Jiaozhou Bay (JZB) are evaluated to assess the contamination level. The results show that the overall sediment quality in the area has been obviously impacted by trace metal contamination. The geoaccumulation index and the enrichment factor values indicate that no Cr or Cu contamination has occurred on the whole, only a few stations have been polluted by As, and some areas have been polluted by Cd, Pb, and Zn. Principal component analysis suggests that the Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd are derived from anthropogenic inputs and that Cr, As, Cu, and Zn are influenced by natural weathering processes. Cu and Zn may originate from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The contamination in the northeastern JZB is higher than that in other areas of the bay.

Trace metals in the surface sediments of the eastern continental shelf of Hainan Island: Sources and contamination.

Major (Al) and trace metal (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cd, and As) concentrations in 29 surface sediment samples from the eastern continental shelf of Hainan Island were evaluated to determine the level of contamination. A multivariate analysis indicated that the sources of Cd, As, and Pb were primarily anthropogenic, whereas the sources of Cu, Zn, Cr, and Ni were primarily natural and/or partially anthropogenic. Enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) values were calculated to assess the anthropogenic contamination in the region. Both the EF and Igeo values indicated relatively elevated Cd and As concentrations. This study provides a useful aid for sustainable marine management in the region.