Epidemiology and Prognostic Factors Analysis of Electrical Injuries in Shaanxi, China: A Single-Center Observational Study of 385 Cases.

The objective of this research is to investigate the epidemiological features of electrical injuries in Shaanxi Province, China, examine their prognosis, and ascertain the factors that impact the outcomes. Telephone follow-ups were conducted with electrical injury patients at our hospital between 2011 and 2021, yielding the following results: Most electrical injuries occur in males (94.3%) and younger or middle-aged individuals. The most common voltages involved are 220V and 380V. Since 2016, there has been a 20.1% annual decrease in electrical injuries, with most cases occurring from April to September. Patients typically undergo 1 surgical procedure (0,3), with a 14.8% amputation rate and an average hospital stay of 21 days (9,43). 1.8% of electrical injury patients have died, 17.1% have permanent nerve damage, and 10.8% need help with daily tasks. 18.5% have psychological issues and 9.6% have PTSD. 93.7% return to work in an average of 6 months (2,12). Amputation risk is influenced by voltage, muscle injury, and current pathway; skin grafting risk is mainly due to voltage. Heart injuries are affected by unconsciousness and current pathways; labor loss risk factors include voltage, falls from heights, and muscle injury; nerve damage is linked to muscle injury. Cataract development risk is associated with electric shock to the head and neck. It is crucial to address the psychological well-being of patients and provide necessary support. Patient input should be taken into account when deciding on treatment for non-functional limbs. Physicians should evaluate prognostic factors and provide appropriate treatment to enhance patient outcomes.

Development of a real-time recombinase-aided amplification assay for rapid and sensitive detection of Edwardsiella piscicida.

Edwardsiella piscicida, a significant intracellular pathogen, is widely distributed in aquatic environments and causes systemic infection in various species. Therefore, it's essential to develop a rapid, uncomplicated and sensitive method for detection of E. piscicida in order to control the transmission of this pathogen effectively. The recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) assay is a newly developed, rapid detection method that has been utilized for various pathogens. In the present study, a real-time RAA (RT-RAA) assay, targeting the conserved positions of the EvpP gene, was successfully established for the detection of E. piscicida. This assay can be performed in a one-step single tube reaction at a temperature of 39°C within 20 min. The RT-RAA assay exhibited a sensitivity of 42 copies per reaction at a 95% probability, which was comparable to the sensitivity of real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay. The specificity assay confirmed that the RT-RAA assay specifically targeted E. piscicida without any cross-reactivity with other important marine bacterial pathogens. Moreover, when clinical specimens were utilized, a perfect agreement of 100% was achieved between the RT-RAA and qPCR assays, resulting a kappa value of 1. These findings indicated that the established RT-RAA assay provided a viable alternative for the rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of E. piscicida.

[Research and Application Progress of Biochar in Amelioration of Saline-Alkali Soil].

Saline-alkali land， as one of the farmland problems that seriously threatens grain yield in the 21st century， is widely distributed and has great potential for development. Biochar is a relatively efficient novel soil amendment， which can play an important role in alleviating the soil acid-base barrier， soil pollution control， carbon sequestration， and fertilizer slow release and has a great prospect in promoting sustainable agricultural development. In recent years， the research and application of biochar to improve saline-alkali soil have attracted much attention. However， due to the complexity and heterogeneity of the structural components of biochar， the improvement effect of biochar on saline-alkali soil is highly uncertain， and there is also a lack of systematic summary and in-depth discussion of the key mechanisms， which limits the further popularization and application of biochar technology in the improvement of saline-alkali soil. This study comprehensively analyzed the effects of biochar on physicochemical properties， nutrient availability， and biological characteristics of saline-alkali soil； summarized the improvement effects of biochar and modified biochar on saline-alkali soil and their effects on quality and efficiency； and elucidated the possible mechanism of biochar in the improvement of saline-alkali soil. The future research prospect of biochar was discussed in order to provide reference for further research and development of green， efficient， and accurate improvement technology of biochar in saline-alkali soil and its popularization and application.

Coinfection of Cage-Cultured Spotted Sea Bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) with Vibrio harveyi and Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida Associated with Skin Ulcer.

Spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) is a high-economic-value aquacultural fish widely distributed in the coastal and estuarine areas of East Asia. In August 2020, a sudden outbreak of disease accompanied by significant mortality was documented in L. maculatus reared in marine cage cultures located in Nanhuang island, Yantai, China. Two coinfected bacterial strains, namely, NH-LM1 and NH-LM2, were isolated from the diseased L. maculatus for the first time. Through phylogenetic tree analysis, biochemical characterization, and genomic investigation, the isolated bacterial strains were identified as Vibrio harveyi and Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida, respectively. The genomic analysis revealed that V. harveyi possesses two circular chromosomes and six plasmids, while P. damselae subsp. piscicida possesses two circular chromosomes and two plasmids. Furthermore, pathogenic genes analysis identified 587 and 484 genes in V. harveyi and P. damselae subsp. piscicida, respectively. Additionally, drug-sensitivity testing demonstrated both V. harveyi and P. damselae subsp. piscicida exhibited sensitivity to chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, orfloxacin, minocycline, doxycycline, tetracycline, and ceftriaxone. Moreover, antibiotic resistance genes were detected in the plasmids of both strains. Extracellular product (ECP) analysis demonstrated that both V. harveyi and P. damselae subsp. piscicida can produce hemolysin and amylase, while V. harveyi additionally can produce caseinase and esterase. Furthermore, infected fish displayed severe histopathological alterations, including infiltration of lymphocytes, cellular degeneration and necrosis, and loose aggregation of cells. Artificial infection assays determined that the LD50 of P. damselae subsp. piscicida was 3 × 105 CFU/g, while the LD50 of V. harveyi was too low to be accurately evaluated. Furthermore, the dual infection of V. harveyi and P. damselae subsp. piscicida elicits a more rapid and pronounced mortality rate compared to single challenge, thereby potentially exacerbating the severity of the disease through synergistic effects. Ultimately, our findings offer compelling evidence for the occurrence of coinfections involving V. harveyi and P. damselae subsp. piscicida in L. maculatus, thereby contributing to the advancement of diagnostic and preventative measures for the associated disease.

Split-level folding, step-type tension-relieving suture technique, and the evaluation on scar minimization.

BACKGROUND: Prevailing tension-reducing suture methods have a spectrum of issues. This study presents a straightforward yet highly efficacious suture technique known as the Split-level Folding, Step-type Tension-relieving Suture technique, which could play a pivotal role in preempting incisional scarring. AIMS: To introduce Split-level Folding, Step-type Tension-relieving Suture technique and assess its effect on scar minimization. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 64 patients who underwent treatment utilizing the proposed suturing methodology. Assessment parameters included the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS), the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), scar width, complications, and all evaluated at 6- and 12-month postoperatively. RESULTS: At 12-month follow-up, the POSAS and VSS scores in the normal suture group (32.58 ± 5.43, 3.58 ± 1.39) were considerably higher than the step-type suture group (29.75 ± 3.56, p = 0.0007; 2.78 ± 1.17, p = 0.0006). Moreover, the step-type suture group showcased a significantly narrower average incision scar width (1.62 ± 0.36) than the normal suture group (1.87 ± 0.42, p = 0.0004). This novel tension-relieving suture technique that effectively circumvents the occurrence of persistent localized eversion and other complications often associated with traditional tension-relieving sutures. CONCLUSIONS: The Split-level Folding, Step-type Tension-relieving Suture technique emerges as a highly promising option for averting incisional scarring. This suture method works well for incisions on the chest, back, and extremities, resulting in significantly better long-term outcomes.

The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical fitness in young adults: a historical control study.

The strength of evidence regarding long-term changes to fitness resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns is deficient. This two-site retrospective study aimed to investigate the long-term changes in physical fitness among young adults a year after the onset of the pandemic using a robust historical control. University freshmen who underwent physical fitness tests in 2019 and completed a follow-up in 2020 (study group) were included. The primary focus was to compare the current cohort with a historical control group who completed the same tests a year prior (2018). A total of 5376 individuals were recruited, of which 2239 were in the study group. Compared with the control, the study group exhibited a decrease in anaerobic fitness, with an overall difference of -0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], [-1.33 to -0.36]); declines in aerobic fitness, with a difference of -2.25 [-3.92 to -0.57] for males and -4.28 [-4.97 to -3.59] for females; a reduced explosive fitness (-2.68 [-3.24 to -2.12]); and a decreased upper-body strength in females (-1.52 [-2.16 to -0.87]). The fitness of young adults has been considerably compromised by COVID-19 lockdowns, highlighting the importance of promoting physical activity to prevent long-term health implications.

Fabrication of glass-based analytical devices by immobilizing nanomaterials on glass substrate with a fluorescent glue for the highly sensitive determination of mercury ions.

A facile method is reported to develop glass-based analytical devices (GADs) based on immobilizing nanomaterials on a glass substrate with fluorescent glue. The fluorescent glue was first prepared by coupling bovine serum albumin (BSA)-protected Au nanoclusters (NCs) and sugars (i.e., ascorbic acid, AA). The glue was then used to immobilize carbon dots (C-dots) on glass substrates to fabricate the portable GADs. The liquid glue-C-dots mixture and probable GADs were developed for Hg2+ detection. Under 365-nm excitation wavelength, the emission at 652 nm from the glue is gradually quenched with increasing concentrations of Hg2+. This quenching is explained in terms of the Stern-Volmer equation and is ascribed to static quenching. The fluorescent color of the glue and GADs gradually changes from pink to blue, with increasing concentrations of Hg2+. The limits of detection (LODs) for Hg2+ determination by bare eyes are 1 nM both for the glue and GADs, suggesting an uncompromised sensing capability even after immobilization. The detection sensitivity of GADs shows a significant improvement compared with the same material-based papers (5 µM). A linear relationship is observed between the total Euclidean distances (EDs) and Hg2+ concentration in the range 0-100 nM, providing the potential for Hg2+ quantification using GADs. The LOD is estimated to be 0.84 nM. To show a potentially practical application, the GADs were used to detect Hg2+ in certified reference material and lake water.

Detection of human serum albumin using a rare-earth nanosheet fluorescent probe based on intensity and lifetime signals.

Human serum albumin (HSA) is an important biomarker for early disease diagnosis. Therefore, the detection of HSA in biological samples is important. In this study, for the sensitive detection of HSA, a fluorescent probe based on Eu(III)-doped yttrium hydroxide nanosheets was designed and sensitized by α-thiophenformyl acetone trifluoride as an antenna. The morphology and structure of the as-prepared nanosheet fluorescent probe were studied by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. A detailed investigation of the fluorescence properties of the as-obtained nanosheet probe revealed that the Eu(III) emission intensity was linearly and selectively enhanced by the consecutive addition of HSA. Furthermore, the lifetime signal of this probe was enhanced with increasing concentration. The sensitivity of the nanosheet probe to HSA is discussed based on the results of ultraviolet-visible, fluorescence, and infrared spectral analyses, the findings demonstrate that the nanosheet fluorescent probe we prepared is a highly sensitive and selective tool for detecting HSA concentration with a high intensity and a large lifetime change.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy measures of frontal hemodynamic responses in Parkinson's patients and controls performing the Timed-Up-and-Go test.

Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), hemodynamic responses (i.e., changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin) were measured while participants with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy controls performed the Timed-Up-and-Go test (TUGT), and differences in cortical activity at baseline and three different intervals were examined between the two groups. Seventeen PD patients and twenty-two controls participated in the study, but two PD patients were excluded from statistical analysis due to the presence of freezing of gait and using walking aids during the TUGT. During the TUGT, activity in the front, left, right and total frontal cortices initially decreased significantly, then significantly increased in PD participants and low-risk faller PD participants, compared to when in a sitting position. ΔHbO (HbO change from baseline) over the front, left and total frontal cortices in the PD group was significantly lower than the control group in interval 1 (P = 0.019, P = 0.014 and P = 0.031, respectively), while significantly higher than the control group in interval 2 over the left frontal cortex (P = 0.010). No significant differences were observed between the high-risk faller and low-risk faller subgroups of PD participants in ΔHbO and ΔHbR in the three intervals (P > 0.05). In the high-risk faller subgroup, ΔHbO over the left frontal cortex was significantly higher than the right frontal cortex in interval 2 and interval 3 (P = 0.015, P = 0.030, respectively). There was a strong positive correlation between education and HbR concentration over the right frontal cortex in PD participants (rho = 0.557, P = 0.031), while there were strong negative correlations between PD duration and HbR concentration over the right and total frontal cortices in the high-risk faller subgroup of PD participants (rho = -0.854, P = 0.014 for the right; rho = -0.784, P = 0.037 for the total). The falls prediction cutoff TUGT time for PD participants was 14.2 s. These results suggest that frontal cognition training, along with exercise training, could be used as an effective training method to improve motor performance in PD patients, especially for those at high-risk for falls.

COVID-19 in Kidney Transplant Recipient and Waitlist Patients: Implications of Chest Radiographic Severity Score.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the chest radiographic severity score (CXR-SS) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who are kidney transplant recipients compared with patients on the waitlist. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort includes 78 kidney transplant recipients (50 men, mean age 59.9±11.9 y) and 59 kidney transplant waitlist patients (33 men, mean age 58.8±10.8 y) diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 15 and May 30, 2020 with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Patient chest radiographs were divided into 6 zones and examined for consolidation. Primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospital admission, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and intubation. Predictors of our primary and secondary outcomes were identified by bivariate analysis and multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in CXR-SS between 2 groups (P=0.087). Transplant recipients had significantly higher rates of hospitalization (odds ratio, 6.8; 95% confidence interval: 1.7, 39.3; P<0.001), ICU admission (odds ratio, 6.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8-35.9; P=0.002), intubation (odds ratio, 11; 95% CI: 2.4-96.9; P=0.001), and mortality (odds ratio, 17; 95% CI: 3.9-153.1; P<0.001). A higher CXR-SS was not predictive of mortality, intubation, or ICU admission. CXR-SS was associated with hospital admission overall (odds ratio, 1.613; 95% CI: 1.04-2.49; P=0.0314). CONCLUSION: The CXR-SS was not predictive of mortality, ICU admission or intubation in our population. Kidney transplant patients with COVID-19 had near universal hospital admission, more than one-third mortality and about a quarter were intubated and admitted to the ICU-all significantly worse outcomes than for patients on the transplant waitlist.

Translation, Cultural Adaptation, and Reliability and Validity Testing of a Chinese Version of the Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOGQ-CH).

Freezing of gait is a disabling symptom with a complex episodic nature that is frequently experienced by people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Although China has the largest population with PD in the world, no Chinese version of the freezing of gait questionnaire (FOGQ), the instrument that has been most widely used to assess FOG, has yet been developed. This study aimed to translate and adapt the original version of FOGQ to create a Chinese version, the FOGQ-CH, then assess its reliability, calculate the Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) and investigate its validity. The forward-backwards translation model was adopted, and cultural adaptation included expert review and pretesting. For the reliability study, 31 Chinese native speaking patients with PD were assessed two times in a 7-10 days interval. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the FOGQ-CH were measured by Cronbach's alpha (Cα) and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). For the validity study, 34 native speakers of Chinese with PD were included. To explore the convergent validity, relationships between the FOGQ-CH and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part II (UPDRS II) and Part III (UPDRS III), Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), Timed Up and Go Test in cognitive task (TUGT-Cog), walking speed (10 MWT speed), and step length (10 MWT step length) in a 10-m Walk Test were tested. To explore predictive validity, the number of falls followed up for 6 months were assessed. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was employed to test the capacity of FOGQ-CH to discriminate those with falls. From the reliability study, Cα = 0.823, ICC = 0.786. The MDC0.90 = 4.538. From the validity study, the FOGQ-CH showed moderate correlations with UPDRS II (rho = 0.560, p = 0.001), UPDRS III (rho = 0.451, p = 0.007), TUGT (rho = 0.556, p = 0.007), TUGT-Cog (rho = 0.557, p = 0.001), 10MWT-speed (rho = -0.478, p = 0.004), 10MWT-step length (rho = -0.419, p = 0.014), and the number of falls followed up for 6 months (rho = 0.356, p = 0.045). The AUC = 0.777 (p = 0.036) for predicting whether the participants will have multiple falls (two or more) in the following 6 months. The FOGQ-CH showed good reliability and validity for assessing Chinese native speaking patients with PD. In addition, the FOGQ-CH showed good efficacy for predicting multiple falls in the following 6 months.

Weight gain in Chinese youth during a 4-month COVID-19 lockdown: a retrospective observational study.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the weight change in Chinese youth during a 4-month COVID-19 lockdown, and the association between weight change and mental health, physical activity and sedentary time changes, and dietary habits. DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. SETTINGS: Two universities located in Zhejiang and Hunan provinces, China. PARTICIPANTS: This study enrolled 12 889 college students whose body weight was measured before the lockdown (1 December 2019-20 January 2020) at the two universities, and reported their weight measured at home or community after the end of the lockdown (1-23 May 2020) via an online follow-up questionnaire. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the weight change in Chinese youth during a 4-month lockdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary outcomes were the relationships of weight change to COVID-19-related stress, depression, anxiety, physical activity and sedentary time changes, and dietary habits. RESULTS: Participants' ages ranged from 17 to 27 years (M=19, SD=1) with 80.2% identified as female. The average absolute and relative changes in body weight were 2.6 (95% CI 2.0 to 3.2)) kg and 4.2% (95% CI 4.0% to 4.3%) for men, and 2.1 (1.9 to 2.4) kg and 4.2% (95% CI 3.9% to 4.4%) for women. An increase in overweight and obese individuals according to Asian cut-off points as a demographic percentage by 4.5% and 2.7% and 4.8% and 3.4% in men and women, respectively (P<0.001), was observed. Weight gain was significantly associated with increased sedentary time and an increase in COVID-19-related stress and depression score. CONCLUSION: The present study's results suggest that the risk of weight gain in Chinese youth during the lockdown increased and that strategies to decrease sedentary time and improve mental health may be warranted to mitigate weight gain during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

A rapid reduction of Au(I→0) strategy for the colorimetric detection and discrimination of proteins.

A gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based sensing strategy based on rapid reduction of Au(I→0) is proposed. As a proof-of-concept study, the proposed sensing principle is designed for simultaneous and colorimetric detection and discrimination of multiple proteins. In the presence of H2O2, the target proteins could reduce Au(I) (i.e. HAuCl2) to AuNPs with different sizes, shapes and dispersion/aggregation states, thus resulting in rapidly colorimetric identification of different proteins. The optical response (i.e. color) of AuNPs is found to be characteristic of a given protein. The color response patterns are characteristic for each protein and can be quantitatively differentiated by statistical techniques. The sensor array is capable of discriminating proteins at concentrations as low as 0.1 µg/mL with high accuracy. A linear relationship was observed between the total Euclidean distances and protein concentration, providing the potential for protein quantification using this sensor array. The limit of detection (LOD) for catalase (Cat) is 0.08 µg/mL. The good linear range (from 0 to 8 µg/mL) has been used for the quantitative assay of Cat. To show a potentially practical application, this method was used to detect and discriminate proteins in human urine and tear samples. Graphical abstract We report a facile gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based sensing strategy, that is, "a rapid reduction of Au(I) to Au(0) nanoparticles with different sizes and shapes by analytes that having certain reducing capabilities, resulting in different colours." The proposed sensing principle is designed for simultaneous, colorimetric detection and discrimination of multiple proteins.

Epidermal stem cells maintain stemness via a biomimetic micro/nanofiber scaffold that promotes wound healing by activating the Notch signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Epidermal stem cells (EpSCs) play a vital role in wound healing and skin renewal. Although biomaterial scaffolds have been used for transplantation of EpSCs in wound healing, the ex vivo differentiation of EpSCs limits their application. METHODS: To inhibit the differentiation of EpSCs and maintain their stemness, we developed an electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL)+cellulose acetate (CA) micro/nanofiber for the culture and transplantation of EpSCs. The modulation effect on EpSCs of the scaffold and the underlying mechanism were explored. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for label-free quantitative proteomics was used to analyze proteomic changes in EpSCs cultured on scaffolds. In addition, the role of transplanted undifferentiated EpSCs in wound healing was also studied. RESULTS: In this study, we found that the PCL+CA micro/nanofiber scaffold can inhibit the differentiation of EpSCs through YAP activation-mediated inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway. Significantly differentially expressed proteomics was observed in EpSCs cultured on scaffolds and IV collagen-coated culture dishes. Importantly, differential expression levels of ribosome-related proteins and metabolic pathway-related proteins were detected. Moreover, undifferentiated EpSCs transplanted with the PCL+CA scaffold can promote wound healing through the activation of the Notch signaling pathway in rat full-thickness skin defect models. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our study demonstrated the role of the PCL+CA micro-nanofiber scaffold in maintaining the stemness of EpSCs for wound healing, which can be helpful for the development of EpSCs maintaining scaffolds and exploration of interactions between biomaterials and EpSCs.

The association between prior physical fitness and depression in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic-a cross-sectional, retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a spike in deleterious mental health. This dual-center retrospective cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of depression in young adults during this pandemic and explored its association with various physical fitness measures. METHODS: This study enrolled 12,889 (80% female) young adults (mean age 20 ± 1) who performed a National Student Physical Fitness battery from December 1st, 2019, to January 20th, 2020, and completed a questionnaire including Beck's Depression Inventory in May 2020. Independent associations between prior physical fitness and depression during the pandemic were assessed using multivariable linear and binary logistic regressions accordingly, covariates including age, dwelling location, economic level, smoking, alcohol, living status, weight change, and exercise volume during the pandemic. Sex- and baseline stress-stratified analyses were performed. RESULTS: Of the study population 13.9% of men and 15.0% of women sampled qualified for a diagnosis of depression. After multivariable adjustment, anaerobic (mean change 95% CI -3.3 [-4.8 to 1.8]) aerobic (-1.5 [-2.64 to -0.5]), explosive (-1.64 [-2.7 to -0.6]) and muscular (-1.7 [-3.0 to -0.5]) fitness were independently and inversely associated with depression for the overall population. These remained consistent after sex- and baseline stress-stratification. In binary logistic regression, the combined participants with moderate, high or excellent fitness also showed a much lower risk compared to those least fit in anaerobic (odd ratio (OR) 95% CI 0.68 [0.55-0.82]), aerobic (0.80 [0.68-0.91]), explosive (0.72 [0.61-0.82]), and muscular (0.66 [0.57-0.75]) fitness. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that prior physical fitness may be inversely associated with depression in young adults during a pandemic.

The effect of capsule tension ring on posterior capsule opacification: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Posterior capsule opacification is one of the most common complications after cataract surgery. Studies have suggested that the introduction of a capsule tension ring might play a critical role in the prevention of capsule opacification, yet quantitative evidence is still lacking. This work consists of a meta-analysis on available data in order to explore the influence of a capsule tension ring on posterior capsule opacification. METHODS: A comprehensive review of the literature on capsule tension ring and posterior capsule opacification was carried out using the Embase, Pubmed, Web of Science, and Cochrane electronic databases. The selected studies included randomized controlled trials, retrospective studies and prospective studies published before June 2020. The studies of interest were selected by two reviewers independently from the included studies. Odds ratios (ORs) and standardized mean differences (SMD) were used in order to assess the association. A fixed-effects model or a random-effects model was applied to combine data according to heterogeneities. Sensitivity analysis was used to assess the heterogeneity of the studies. Publication bias was estimated using the Egger test. Statistical analysis was performed using the stata15.1 software. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included in total 8 studies involving 379 cases and 333 controls. There was a statistically significant difference of Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy rate (OR=0.241, 95% CI: 0.145, 0.400 I2=42.1%) between the capsule tension ring group and the control group, indicating that the tension ring reduced the Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy rate. Further studies with continuous data also revealed that the use of capsule tension ring was associated with a lower posterior capsule opacification score (SMD = -1.402, 95% CI: -2.448, -0.355 I2=95.0%). The sensitivity analysis suggested that the result of the re-combined analysis did not change notably, indicating that the result was reliable and stable. Both pooled analysis showed no evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSION: The findings of this meta-analysis confirmed that capsule tension ring might reduce capsule opacification. Further studies should be made to validate the result.

The effect of diabetes on corneal endothelium: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This research was conducted with the aim to determine the effect of diabetes mellitus on corneal endothelial cells. METHODS: The terms: ("diabetes mellitus" or "diabetes" or "diabetic") and ("corneal endothelium" or "cornea" or "Corneas") searched in Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of science until August 2019. The included types of studies contained observational studies. The standard mean difference (SMD) which was deemed as main size effects for continuous data was calculated by means and standard deviations. The data on corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), mean cell area (MCA), cell area variation coefficient (CV) and percentage of hexagonal cells (HEX) included in the study were collected and analyzed using stata15.1. RESULTS: The final 16 cross-sectional studies and 2 case-control studies were included for the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis revealed that diabetes mellitus could reduce ECD (SMD = - 0.352, 95% CI -0.538, - 0.166) and the HEX (SMD = - 0.145, 95% CI -0.217, - 0.074), in addition to increasing CV (SMD = 0.195, 95% CI 0.123, 0.268). Nevertheless, there was no statistically significant differences observed when combining MCA (SMD = 0.078, 95% CI -0.022, 0.178). In subgroup analysis, Type 2 diabetes patients owned less corneal ECD (P < 0.05). Moreover the same results also found during the subgroup form Asia, Europe and American. The meta-regression revealed the type of diabetes mellitus might be contributing to heterogeneity. (P = 0.008). The results indicated a significant publication bias for studies, with combined CV (Begg's test, P = 0.006; Egger's test, P = 0.005) and merged combined HEX (Begg's test, P = 0.113; Egger's test, P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: As indicated by meta-analysis, diabetes mellitus could cause a detrimental effect on corneal endothelium health. Diabetes mellitus contributed to the instability of corneal endothelium during the analysis. Therefore, further research is considered necessary to confirm our research results. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CED 42019145858 .

Temporal influence of reaction atmosphere and chlorine on arsenic release in combustion, gasification and pyrolysis of sawdust.

The temporal influence of reaction atmosphere and chlorine on arsenic release in combustion, gasification and pyrolysis of sawdust was studied using an on-line analysis system. The arsenic release amount in combustion atmosphere was higher than that in CO2 gasification and argon pyrolysis. The derived values of activation energy followed the order: combustion < gasification < pyrolysis. Furthermore, the enhancement effect of chlorine species on arsenic release percentage in air combustion was also higher than that in gasification and pyrolysis conditions. The total proportion of arsenic release in combustion with additive chlorine is bigger than the case in gasification and pyrolysis, especially when 20% chlorine is added. According to equilibrium analysis, arsenic oxides were identified as the main gaseous arsenic species and their formation were decreased in the oxygen-deficient environment, mainly accounting for lesser arsenic release proportion in gasification and pyrolysis than combustion. The release of arsenic was promoted to a different extent with additive chlorine, mainly caused by the AsCl3 (g) formation. By the findings of the experiments and theoretical analyses, the possible reaction pathways and release mechanisms of arsenic species were proposed.

Development of O2 and NO Co-Doped Porous Carbon as a High-Capacity Mercury Sorbent.

In this study, a novel Hg0 adsorption strategy based on nonthermal plasma and porous carbon was proposed and tested. The O2 and NO in flue gas were used to activate porous carbon with auxiliary plasma. The plasma significantly increased the functionalities on the carbon surface, and it has a negligible effect on the textural properties of porous carbon. The O2/NO co-doped porous carbon was used to remove elemental mercury (Hg0). The sample functionalized by plasma in 4% O2 and 200 ppm NO (balanced with N2) for 3 min exhibited superior Hg0 adsorption ability, which could be assigned to the formation of a large amount of C═O, C-NO, and C-NO2. O2, NO, and HCl have a positive effect on Hg0 adsorption, whereas SO2 and H2O have an inhibitory effect on Hg0 removal. The equilibrium Hg0 adsorption capacity of optimal O2/NO co-doped porous carbon was found to be 12315 µg/g, which was far greater than that of brominated activated carbon (1061 µg/g). Density functional theory was used to investigate the mechanism responsible for Hg0 adsorption. C═O and C-NO improved the interaction of Hg0 with neighboring carbon sites. C-NO2 could react with Hg0 by forming HgO.

A study on soybean responses to drought stress and rehydration.

To investigate soybean responses to drought stress and growth through metabolism compensation after rehydration, and for the establishment of an optimal water-saving irrigation model, we used the soybean variety Suinong 14 as experimental material and adopted a weighing method for water control in potted plants. We exposed soybean plants to stress treatments at different growth stages using different stress levels and durations. We then studied the effects of drought stress and rehydration on soybean growth and development, osmoregulation, and endogenous hormonal regulations, as well as antioxidant systems. The results showed that drought stress inhibited increases in the soybean plant height and leaf area. This inhibition became more significant as the level, duration, and frequency of the drought stress increased. After rehydration, the soybean plant heights and leaf areas exhibited rapid increases and partial compensation for their decreased sizes. As the level, duration, and frequency of drought stress increased, the compensation effect decreased, but it did not return to the control level. Drought stress reduced the chlorophyll content and relative water content in the soybean leaves and increased the osmolyte contents, antioxidant potential, and peroxidation of the membrane lipids. In addition, the changes mentioned above became more dramatic as the drought stress level, duration, and frequency increased. Upon rehydration, various levels of growth compensation were observed in each physio-biochemical parameter. As the drought stress level, duration, and frequency increased, the compensation effect also increased. Overall, the compensation effect for drought stress that occurred at the early growth stages was higher than that at the later growth stages. Drought stress led to decreases in the ZR/IAA and ZR/ABA ratios in soybean leaves and an increase in the ABA/(IAA + GA + ZR) ratio; thus, the plant growth was inhibited. These hormone ratios exhibited more dramatic changes when the drought stress level became more severe and the stress duration was prolonged. After rehydration, these hormone ratios produced equal compensation effects. Therefore, the compensatory effect of rewatering after drought stress is conditional. Severe stress, especially long-term severe stress, will reduce the compensatory effect. At the same time, drought resistance treatment at seedling stage can improve the adaptability and compensatory effect of re-drought at grain filling stage.