Effect of various phosphorus levels on the extraction of Cd, the transformation of P, and phosphorus-related gene during the phytoremediation of Cd contaminated soil.

Phytoremediation has emerged as a common technique for remediating Cd pollution in farmland soil. Moreover, phosphorus, an essential element for plants, can alter the pectin content of plant cell walls and facilitate the accumulation of Cd in plant tissues, thereby enhancing phytoremediation efficiency. Therefore, pot experiments were conducted in order to investigate the effect of phosphorus levels on Cd extraction, phosphorus transformation and phosphorus-related genes during phytoremediation. The results revealed that an optimal application of suitable phosphate fertilizers elevated the soil's pH and electrical conductivity (EC), facilitated the conversion of soil from insoluble phosphorus into available forms, augmented the release of pertinent enzyme activity, and induced the expression of phosphorus cycling-related genes. These enhancements in soil conditions significantly promoted the growth of ryegrass. When applying phosphorus at a rate of 600 mg/kg, ryegrass exhibited plant height, dry weight, and chlorophyll relative content that were 1.27, 1.26, and 1.18 times higher than those in the control group (P0), while the Cd content was 1.12 times greater than that of P0. The potentially toxic elements decline ratio and bioconcentration factor were 42.86% and 1.17 times higher than those of P0, respectively. Consequently, ryegrass demonstrated the highest Cd removal efficiency under these conditions. Results from redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed a significant correlation among pH, total phosphorus, heavy metal content, phosphorus forms, soil enzyme activity, and phosphorus-related genes. In conclusion, this study suggests applying an optimal amount of suitable phosphate fertilizers can enhance restoration efficiency, leading to a reduction in soil Cd content and ultimately improving the safety of crop production in farmlands.

Abdominoplasty with Scarpa Fascia Preservation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Scarpa fascia preservation has been proposed to minimize complications associated with conventional abdominoplasty, but its efficacy is unclear. The purpose of this article is to determine the influence of preserving scarpa fascia on reducing postabdominoplasty complications. METHODS: A comprehensive search of Medline Ovid, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane CENTRAL databases was conducted from the inception till June 2021. Eligible studies were prospective controlled studies investigating postoperative complications after scarpa fascia preservation following abdominoplasty. Stata 15.1 software was used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included seven studies with 682 abdominoplasty patients. Abdominoplasty with scarpa fascia preservation could significantly reduce incidence of seroma (OR = - 1.34, 95% CI = - 2.09 - - 0.59, P < 0.05), length of hospital stay (SMD = - 1.65; 95% CI = - 3.50-0.20; P = 0.08), time to drain removal (SMD = - 3.64; 95% CI = - 5.76 - - 1.52; P < 0.05), and total drain output (SMD = - 401.60; 95% CI = - 593.75 - - 209.44; P < 0.05) compared with that of conventional abdominoplasty. However, it failed to achieve a statistically significant reduction in hematoma (OR=- 1.30, 95% CI = - 2.79-0.18, P = 0.08), infection (OR = - 1.03; 95% CI = - 2.17-0.12; P = 0.08), skin necrosis (OR = 0.63; 95% CI = - 1.20-2.45; P = 0.50), and wound dehiscence (OR = 0.28; 95% CI = - 0.28-0.83; P = 0.33). The seroma incidence rate was lower when a scalpel was utilized for dissection rather than electrocautery (3% (95% CI = 1-7%) versus 11% (95% CI = 5-18%)). CONCLUSIONS: Preservation of scarpa fascia during abdominoplasty might reduce the likelihood of postoperative seroma, length of hospital stay, time to drain removal, and total drain output. However, it did not significantly affect the incidence of hematoma, infection, skin necrosis, and wound dehiscence. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Modified Use of Costal Cartilage in Asians for the Correction of Nostril Asymmetry in Unilateral Secondary Cleft Lip Nasal Deformity.

BACKGROUND: Weak alar cartilage and lack of soft tissue on the cleft side are considered to be the main critical factors leading to the asymmetry of bilateral nostrils. The costal cartilage can provide strong structural support and can be used to maintain long-term stability of nostril shape after surgical correction. With the advancement in rhinoplasty techniques, the application and understanding of costal cartilage in cleft lip nasal deformity is still on going. Herein, we present our technique of applying costal cartilage to provide nostril support and correct asymmetry in Asian patients with unilateral secondary cleft lip nasal deformity. METHODS: Ninety-seven patients who underwent nostril asymmetry correction from January 1, 2013, to October 31, 2018, were analyzed retrospectively. Modified integrative alar cartilage strut and diced nostril augmentation with costal cartilage were implemented to improve the collapsed and flat cleft-side nostril. The release and restoration of muscle and bone were also performed when required. Surgical outcomes were analyzed based on the comparison of nostril parameters, the shape and contour, and symmetry of bilateral nostrils after surgery. During postoperative follow-up, the patients' satisfactions with the corrective outcomes were also investigated. RESULTS: All patients received the corrective operations with complete survival of all implanted cartilages. The nostril width was narrower in postoperative group (P < 0.05). The nostril height and long axis angle were higher postoperatively (P < 0.05). After correction, the proportion of moderate type increased from 13.4% to 80.4%, whereas the proportion of horizontal type decreased from 86.6% to 17.5%. The symmetry score on the nostril parameters manifested the rate of high score (AS >3) in postoperative groups were 84.5%, 93.8%, and 87.6% for width, height, and angle of the long axis, respectively. They were higher compared with those of preoperative group (0%). More than 95% of the patients were satisfied with the overall aesthetic outcome of the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Through ameliorating its constructive technology and optimizing its filling form, the modified use of costal cartilage displayed excellent correction effects in the width, height, and long axis angle asymmetry of Asian patients' nostril. Precise and comprehensive rhinoplasty technique is the cornerstone for achieving satisfactory long-term aesthetic outcomes, especially in severe cases, such as secondary cleft lip nasal deformity.

Simultaneous reduction of arsenic and cadmium bioavailability in agriculture soil and their accumulation in Brassica chinensis L. by using minerals.

In situ immobilization of heavy metal cations in contaminated soil using natural minerals is an attractive remediation technique. However, little research has focused on the remediation of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) co-contaminated. In this work, three different crystal structures and chemical compositions minerals, zeolite; bentonite; and dolomite, were applied to simultaneously reduce the uptake of As and Cd in Brassica chinensis L., and the mechanism on reducing As and Cd bioavailability in soil were also investigated. The results showed that the three minerals decreased the bioavailability of As and Cd and restrained their uptake by Brassica chinensis L. with the order followed bentonite > zeolite > dolomite. Particularly, bentonite decreased the exchangeable As and Cd by 4.05% and 32.5% and the concentrations of As and Cd in shoots of Brassica chinensis L. by 36.2% and 64.6%, as compared with the controls. Moreover, with the addition of minerals increased, the dry biomass of Brassica chinensis L. and the rhizosphere microbial functional diversity increased significantly, and the highest biomass increased by 289% at 4.0% addition of bentonite. Correlation analysis indicated that the uptake of As and Cd was positive with the available Cd and As in soil, and was negative with soil pH and available N. Furthermore, the Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis illustrated the interaction between minerals and Cd mainly involved ion-exchange and adsorption, while As was mainly immobilized by calcium and magnesium through forming precipitation. In conclusion, this present study implied that the bentonite can be recommended as the more effective amendment to immobilize metal (loid)s in soil and thereby reduce the exposure risk of metal (loid)s associated with grains consumption.

The effect of substrates on the removal of low-level vanadium, chromium and cadmium from polluted river water by ecological floating beds.

Ecological floating beds (EFBs) is one of the effective methods lately used to remove heavy metals pollutions in water. However, the role of substrate in EFBs was mainly focused on the study of microorganisms, and the effect of substrates on plants enrichment of heavy metals was rarely investigated. This study aimed to investigate the promotion of different substrates (green zeolite, sepiolite, absorbent paper, and ceramsite) on the removal of multi-heavy metals (V, Cr, and Cd) by Acorus calamus L. It also investigated the plant growth status. Results showed that the relative increase rate of Acorus calamus L. fresh weight increased the most in EFBs with green zeolite group (EFB-GZ), which was 60.50%, higher than 38.17% in EFBs with Acorus calamus L. (EFB-A). The enrichment ability of multi-metals in Acorus calamus L. was stronger in EFBs with substrates than in EFB-A, and green zeolite was the best. After 34 days, the total removal efficiency of V, Cr and Cd in EFB-GZ were 79.91%, 95.24% and 91.80%, respectively. Heavy metals translocation from root to shoot influenced by the kinds of substrates. In EFB-GZ, the translocation factor (TF) of V, Cr and Cd were 0.081, 0.263 and 0.180, respectively (0.024, 0.608 and 0.032 in EFB-A). The ability of Acorus calamus L. to resist multi-metals stress was significantly higher in EFBs with substrates than that in EFB-A and the activity of SOD, POD and CAT were increased by heavy metals stress. Our results acquired that green zeolite was the best substrate to promote multi-metals uptake by Acorus calamus L., which could effectively maintain the pH of water, provide a stable environment and nutriment for Acorus calamus L. Green zeolite can promote the translocation of V and Cd from root to shoot in Acorus calamus L., but is not conducive to Cr.

Correlation between physicochemical properties of modified clinoptilolite and its performance in the removal of ammonia-nitrogen.

The physicochemical properties of the 24 modified clinoptilolite samples and their ammonia-nitrogen removal rates were measured to investigate the correlation between them. The modified clinoptilolites obtained by acid modification, alkali modification, salt modification, and thermal modification were used to adsorb ammonia-nitrogen. The surface area, average pore width, macropore volume, mecropore volume, micropore volume, cation exchange capacity (CEC), zeta potential, silicon-aluminum ratios, and ammonia-nitrogen removal rate of the 24 modified clinoptilolite samples were measured. Subsequently, the linear regression analysis method was used to research the correlation between the physicochemical property of the different modified clinoptilolite samples and the ammonia-nitrogen removal rate. Results showed that the CEC was the major physicochemical property affecting the ammonia-nitrogen removal performance. According to the impacts from strong to weak, the order was CEC > silicon-aluminum ratios > mesopore volume > micropore volume > surface area. On the contrary, the macropore volume, average pore width, and zeta potential had a negligible effect on the ammonia-nitrogen removal rate. The relational model of physicochemical property and ammonia-nitrogen removal rate of the modified clinoptilolite was established, which was ammonia-nitrogen removal rate = 1.415[CEC] + 173.533 [macropore volume] + 0.683 [surface area] + 4.789[Si/Al] - 201.248. The correlation coefficient of this model was 0.982, which passed the validation of regression equation and regression coefficients. The results of the significance test showed a good fit to the correlation model.

Immunomodulatory hydrogels for skin wound healing: cellular targets and design strategy.

Skin wounds significantly impact the global health care system and represent a significant burden on the economy and society due to their complicated dynamic healing processes, wherein a series of immune events are required to coordinate normal and sequential healing phases, involving multiple immunoregulatory cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, keratinocytes, and fibroblasts, since dysfunction of these cells may impede skin wound healing presenting persisting inflammation, impaired vascularization, and excessive collagen deposition. Therefore, cellular target-based immunomodulation is promising to promote wound healing as cells are the smallest unit of life in immune response. Recently, immunomodulatory hydrogels have become an attractive avenue to promote skin wound healing. However, a detailed and comprehensive review of cellular targets and related hydrogel design strategies remains lacking. In this review, the roles of the main immunoregulatory cells participating in skin wound healing are first discussed, and then we highlight the cellular targets and state-of-the-art design strategies for immunomodulatory hydrogels based on immunoregulatory cells that cover defect, infected, diabetic, burn and tumor wounds and related scar healing. Finally, we discuss the barriers that need to be addressed and future prospects to boost the development and prosperity of immunomodulatory hydrogels.

Analysis of driving factors of spatial distribution of heavy metals in soil of non-ferrous metal smelting sites: Screening the geodetector calculation results combined with correlation analysis.

Heavy metals (HMs) discharged from smelting production may pose a major threat to human health and soil ecosystems. In this study, the spatial distribution characteristics of HMs in the soil of a non-ferrous metal smelting site were assessed. This study employed the geodetector (GD) by optimizing the classification condition and supplementing the correlation analysis (CA). The contribution of driving factors, such as production workshop distributions, hydrogeological conditions, and soil physicochemical properties, to the distribution of HMs in soil in the horizontal and vertical dimensions was assessed. The results showed that the main factors underlying the spatial distribution of As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb, and Zn in the horizontal direction were the distance from the sintering workshop (the maximum q value of that factor, q=0.28), raw material yard (q=0.14), and electrolyzer (q=0.29), while those in the vertical direction were the soil moisture content (q=0.17), formation lithology (q=0.12), and soil pH (q=0.06). The findings revealed that the CA is a simple and effective method to supplement the GD analysis underlying the spatial distribution characteristics of HMs at site scale. This study provides useful suggestions for environmental management to prevent HMs pollution and control HMs in the soil of non-ferrous metal smelting sites.

MoS2 nanosheets loaded on collapsed structure zeolite as a hydrophilic and efficient photocatalyst for tetracycline degradation and synergistic mechanism.

In this study, MoS2@Z photocatalysts were synthesized by combining ultrasonic and hydrothermal methods, and used for the degradation of tetracycline. The structure characteristics and photocatalytic degradation mechanism of photocatalysts were also systematically investigated. The obtained MoS2@Z-5 exhibits the highest photo-degradation efficiency of tetracycline (87.23%), which is 3.58 times more than alkali-modified zeolite (24.34%) and 1.80 times more than pure MoS2 (48.53%). Furthermore, the MoS2@Z-5 showed significant stability in three times photocatalytic recycles and the removal efficiency only decrease by 9.03%. Crystal structure and micromorphology analysis show modified zeolite with collapsed structure can regulate the morphology of nano-MoS2 and make MoS2 appear fault structure, which can expose more active sites. In addition, low Si/Al ratio zeolite increases the hydrophilia of MoS2@Z-5. Reactive-species-trapping experiments show that the hole is the main reactive oxidizing species. The superior photo-degradation efficiency is mainly attributed to outstanding hydrophilia, exposure of the edge active sites, and efficient separation of photogenerated charge and holes. A possible photocatalytic mechanism and degradation pathways of tetracycline were proposed. The results indicate that MoS2@Z-5 may become an efficient, stable, and promising photocatalyst in tetracycline wastewater treatment.

The impact of merkel cell polyomavirus positivity on prognosis of merkel cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: There are numerous findings over the past decade have indicated that Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) may have two pathways of pathogenesis: one related to ultraviolet irradiation and the other to the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). However, the predictive and clinicopathological value of MCPyV positivity in MCC patients is still debatable. This article aims to examine the most recent data regarding this issue. Methods: The thorough literature searches were conducted in the Medline Ovid, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane CENTRAL Databases, and Embase Databases until December 31, 2021. The associations between overall survival (OS), Merkel cell carcinoma-specific survival (MSS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), progression-free survival (PFS), clinicopathologic features, and MCPyV positivity were examined in our meta-analysis. Results: This meta-analysis included a total of 14 studies involving 1595 patients. Our findings demonstrated a significant correlation between MCPyV positivity and improved OS (HR=0.61, 95%CI:0.39-0.94, P=0.026) and improved PFS (HR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.45-0.83, P=0.002). MCPyV positivity did not, however, appear to be associated with either MSS (HR=0.61, 95%CI: 0.28-1.32, P=0.209) or RFS (HR= 0.93, 95%CI: 0.37-2.34, P=0.873). Pooled results revealed a correlation between MCPyV positivity with gender (male vs. female, OR=0.606, 95%CI: 0.449-0.817, P=0.001), histopathological stage (AJCC I-II vs. III-IV, OR=1.636, 95%CI: 1.126-2.378, P=0.010) and primary site (head and neck vs. other sites, OR=0.409, 95%CI: 0.221-0.757, P=0.004). Conclusion: These results imply that MCPyV positivity may present a promising predictive biomarker for human MCC and call for further study.