Studies on peri urban farming in Zambia have not adequately tackled the issues pertaining to heavy metal contaminated wastewater irrigation farming. The study investigated heavy metal contamination of water, soils and...Studies on peri urban farming in Zambia have not adequately tackled the issues pertaining to heavy metal contaminated wastewater irrigation farming. The study investigated heavy metal contamination of water, soils and crops at two peri urban areas in Zambia. Two study sites were New Farm Extension in Mufulira Town in the Copperbelt Province and Chilumba Gardens in Kafue Town in Lusaka Province. The heavy metals investigated were lead, copper, cobalt, nickel and chromium. These heavy metals were found to be higher than acceptable limits in wastewater used to irrigate crops and there are potential human health risks associated with consumption of heavy metal contaminated food crops which have implications on the livelihoods of people. Samples of water, soil and crops were collected and analysed for lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) using the Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). The data on heavy metals was analysed using mean, standard error and T-test. The results indicated that the levels of heavy metals in wastewater, soil and food crops were above acceptable limits at two study sites. It can be concluded that there was heavy metal contamination of wastewater, soil and food crops at the two peri-urban areas in Zambia. The study highlighted the actual levels of heavy metal contaminant uptake in food crops consumed by the peri urban population. The information from this study can be used by the relevant authorities to develop appropriate measures for monitoring and control of heavy metal contamination in wastewater irrigation farming systems in peri urban areas inZambia.展开更多
BACKGROUND Data examining the impact of sex on liver transplant(LT)outcomes are limited.It is clear that further research into sex-related differences in transplant patients is necessary to identify areas for improvem...BACKGROUND Data examining the impact of sex on liver transplant(LT)outcomes are limited.It is clear that further research into sex-related differences in transplant patients is necessary to identify areas for improvement.Elucidation of these differences may help to identify specific areas of focus to improve on the organ matching process,as well as the peri-and post-operative care of these patients.AIM To utilize data from a high-volume Eurotransplant center to compare characteristics of male and female patients undergoing liver transplant and assess association between sex-specific variables with short-and long-term post-transplant outcomes.METHODS A retrospective review of the University of Essen’s transplant database was performed with collection of baseline patient characteristics,transplant-related data,and short-term outcomes.Comparisons of these data were made with Shapiro-Wilk,Mann-Whitney U,χ2 and Bonferroni tests applied where appropriate.A P value of<0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.RESULTS Of the total 779 LT recipients,261(33.5%)were female.Female patients suffered higher incidences of acute liver failure and lower incidences of alcohol-related or viremic liver disease(P=0.001).Female patients were more likely to have received an organ from a female donor with a higher donor risk index score,and as a high urgency offer(all P<0.05).Baseline characteristics of male and female recipients were also significantly different.In multivariate hazard regression analysis,recipient lab-Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score and donor cause of death were associated with long-term outcomes in females.Pre-operative diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma,age at time of listing,duration of surgery,and units transfused during surgery,were associated with long-term outcomes in males.Severity of complications was associated with long-term outcomes in both groups.Overall survival was similar in both males and females;however,when stratified by age,females<50 years of age had the best survival.CONCLUSION 展开更多
Introduction: Perioperative hypothermia in cardiac surgery is associated with adverse outcome. The aim of this investigation was to study whether an underbody forced-air warming blanket during coronary artery bypass g...Introduction: Perioperative hypothermia in cardiac surgery is associated with adverse outcome. The aim of this investigation was to study whether an underbody forced-air warming blanket during coronary artery bypass graft surgery with normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass can prevent postoperative hypothermia. Methods: After Medical Ethics Committee approval, 60 low-risk cardiac surgery patients at random were assigned into a group that received standard thermal care management (control group n = 30) and a group that received the underbody forced-air warming system plus the standard thermal care (intervention group n = 30). Results: The temperature after-drop from the end of cardiopulmonary bypass to arrival in the ICU was less in the intervention group versus control group (0.4°C ± 0.3°C vs 0.6°C ± 0.4°C;P = 0.027). Out of the intervention group, 27 patients arrived in the ICU with a bladder temperature ? 36°C (90%) as compared to 14 patients (46.7%) from the control group (P < 0.001). The peripheral temperature was significantly higher in the intervention group as compared to the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: A full underbody forced-air warming blanket prevents postoperative hypothermia in normothermic coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients.展开更多
In this paper, we investigate the dynamics and the global exponential stability of a new class of Hopfield neural network with time-varying and distributed delays. In fact, the properties of norms and the contraction ...In this paper, we investigate the dynamics and the global exponential stability of a new class of Hopfield neural network with time-varying and distributed delays. In fact, the properties of norms and the contraction principle are adjusted to ensure the existence as well as the uniqueness of the pseudo almost periodic solution, which is also its derivative pseudo almost periodic. This results are without resorting to the theory of exponential dichotomy. Furthermore, by employing the suitable Lyapunov function, some delayindependent sufficient conditions are derived for exponential convergence. The main originality lies in the fact that spaces considered in this paper generalize the notion of periodicity and almost periodicity. Lastly, two examples are given to demonstrate the validity of the proposed theoretical results.展开更多
AIM:To evaluate whether the application of sorafenib during the peri-operative period of liver transplantation improves prognosis in liver cancer patients.METHODS:We searched Pub Med,EMBASE and MEDLINE for eligible ar...AIM:To evaluate whether the application of sorafenib during the peri-operative period of liver transplantation improves prognosis in liver cancer patients.METHODS:We searched Pub Med,EMBASE and MEDLINE for eligible articles.A total of 4 studieswere found that fulfilled the previously agreed-upon standards.We then performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the enrolled trials that met the inclusion criteria.RESULTS:Out of the 104 studies identified in the database,82 were not clinical experiments,and 18 did not fit the inclusion standards.Among the remaining 4 articles,only 1 was related to the preoperative use of sorafenib,whereas the other 3 were related to its postoperative use.As the heterogeneity among the 4 studies was high,with an I2 of 86%,a randomized effect model was applied to pool the data.The application of sorafenib before liver transplantation had a hazard ratio(HR) of 3.29 with a 95% confidence interval(CI) of 0.33-32.56.The use of sorafenib after liver transplantation had an HR of 1.44(95%CI:0.27-7.71).The overall pooled HR was 1.68(95%CI:0.41-6.91).CONCLUSION:The results showed that the use of sorafenib during the peri-operative period of liver transplantation did not improve patient survival significantly.In fact,sorafenib could even lead to a worse prognosis,as its use may increase the hazard of poor survival.展开更多
In order to take advantage of the climate resources more effectively ac- cording to the local circumstances and to plan and develop the citrus industry in Southern Shaanxi more reasonably. On the basis of the investig...In order to take advantage of the climate resources more effectively ac- cording to the local circumstances and to plan and develop the citrus industry in Southern Shaanxi more reasonably. On the basis of the investigation of freeze dam- age to citrus occurring in Southern Shaanxi in the winter of 2010, the climatic back- ground for the formation of this freeze damage was analyzed. In combination with the freeze damage indicators during the overwintering period and the harmful accu- mulated cold during the cold wave, indexes for grading the freeze damage in southern Shaanxi were analyzed and verified, and the perspective of grading the freeze damage using the harmful accumulated cold during the cold wave was also presented. Through analyzing the extremely lowest temperature and the harmful ac- cumulated cold in the winter of 2010 and in history at 12 citrus growing counties （districts） in Ankang area and Hanzhong area, the reasons why the freeze damage to citrus during the overwintering period was severer in the west than in the east of Southern Shaanxi were discussed, and the results obtained were basically consistent with the actual situation observed from investigation. Finally, defensive countermea- sures against the freeze damage to citrus during the overwintering period were put forward from several aspects.展开更多
Epi continental arc system is a series of arcuate structures along coastlines of the mainland and behind the island arc system on the margin of the Northwest peri Pacific region. Epi continental arc is similar to t...Epi continental arc system is a series of arcuate structures along coastlines of the mainland and behind the island arc system on the margin of the Northwest peri Pacific region. Epi continental arc is similar to the island arc in geometery and kinematics, but it was characterised by an arcuate fracture zone and compensated front sag, basic volcanic activity, shallow earthquake belt and the latest active tectonics. The eastern China continent is dominated by the coastal epi continental arc of Southeast China. Its front arc is situated along the coastline of Zhejiang, Fujian and eastern Guangdong provinces which is convex to SE. The left NW trending flank extended along the NW trending coast line of northern Jiangsu and traversed Shangdong Peninsula to northern Hebei and Shanxi provinces; and the right E W trending flank along the western Guangdong, southern Guangxi, northern Hainan coastlines extended to northern Hanoi. This arc controlls activities of the most modern intense earthquakes in eastern China continents. The compressing thrust type earthquakes occurred along the front arc, especially the 'collison belt', and the strike slip type earthquakes along the both flanks sinistral and dextral strike slip faults respectively. Earthquakes of epi continental arc type is characterised by segmentation in space and periodicity in time.展开更多
<strong>Objective:</strong><span style="white-space:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:;" "=""> This work aimed to evaluate the epidemiological clinical aspects and evolu...<strong>Objective:</strong><span style="white-space:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:;" "=""> This work aimed to evaluate the epidemiological clinical aspects and evolutionary aspects of peri partum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in the cardiology department of the CHU Point G. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> This was a descriptive cross-sectional study from </span><span style="white-space:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:;" "="">0</span><span style="white-space:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:;" "="">1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019, including all patients admitted for heart failure during this period.<b> Results:</b> The study involved 40 patients out of 1187 admissions, a hospital prevalence of PPCM was 3.36%. The average age was 26 years plus or minus 7 years with extremes of 16 years and 38 years. The age group between 16 and 20 years was the most represented with 32.5% of cases. Housewives were in the majority with 87.6%;residing in rural areas 62.5%, with a low socio-economic standard of living 32.5% of cases. Multiparous in our context were dominant 42.5%, followed by pauci pares and primiparous with 32.5% and 25% frequency respectively. All our patients, 100% had their first symptom after childbirth, functional signs were dominated by dyspnea of effort present in 100% of patients, followed cough (40%) and chest pain (27.5%). On physical examination there was Tachycardia in 82.5%, Galop B3 (45%) and auscultatory arrhythmia in 5%. Signs of pulmonary condensation (82.5%) and pleural fluid effusion (25%). Hepatomegaly was present in 72.5% of patients. It was overall heart failure in 72.5% of cases. On the electrocardiogram there was sinus tachycardia (75%) and atrial fibrillation arrhythmia (5%). On cardiac Doppler ultrasound the left ventricle was dilated with a low systolic ejection fraction in 100% of patients, the four cavities were dilated in 32.5%, a left intraventricular thrombus in 7.5% of cases and a pericardial fluid effusion in 5% of cases. Biology noted anemia in 22.5% of patients. Treatment was clas展开更多
The perioperative management of 81 cases with pheochromocytoma was reviewed including blood pressure and arrhythmia control, blood volume expansion, patient′s general condition improvement and vital signs monitoring....The perioperative management of 81 cases with pheochromocytoma was reviewed including blood pressure and arrhythmia control, blood volume expansion, patient′s general condition improvement and vital signs monitoring. It was stressed that pre and intra operative management was of prime importance in the treatment of pheochromocytoma.展开更多
Pericardiocentesis is a common therapeutic procedure for pericardial tamponade due to pericardial effusion as well as a diagnostic procedure to obtain fluid for cytopathologic examination.Standard methods include ultr...Pericardiocentesis is a common therapeutic procedure for pericardial tamponade due to pericardial effusion as well as a diagnostic procedure to obtain fluid for cytopathologic examination.Standard methods include ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance,which generally result in high success rates(over 95%).[1,2].The complication rate of pericardiocentesis is low with reported incidences of l%-2%.[3]In the past,the most common indications for pericardiocentesis include uremia,tuberculous pericarditis or malignant pericardial effusions.However,with the increasing number of catheter-based interventional cardiac procedures,iatrogenic pericardial effusions are becoming more frequent[4-6].展开更多
文摘Studies on peri urban farming in Zambia have not adequately tackled the issues pertaining to heavy metal contaminated wastewater irrigation farming. The study investigated heavy metal contamination of water, soils and crops at two peri urban areas in Zambia. Two study sites were New Farm Extension in Mufulira Town in the Copperbelt Province and Chilumba Gardens in Kafue Town in Lusaka Province. The heavy metals investigated were lead, copper, cobalt, nickel and chromium. These heavy metals were found to be higher than acceptable limits in wastewater used to irrigate crops and there are potential human health risks associated with consumption of heavy metal contaminated food crops which have implications on the livelihoods of people. Samples of water, soil and crops were collected and analysed for lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) using the Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). The data on heavy metals was analysed using mean, standard error and T-test. The results indicated that the levels of heavy metals in wastewater, soil and food crops were above acceptable limits at two study sites. It can be concluded that there was heavy metal contamination of wastewater, soil and food crops at the two peri-urban areas in Zambia. The study highlighted the actual levels of heavy metal contaminant uptake in food crops consumed by the peri urban population. The information from this study can be used by the relevant authorities to develop appropriate measures for monitoring and control of heavy metal contamination in wastewater irrigation farming systems in peri urban areas inZambia.
文摘BACKGROUND Data examining the impact of sex on liver transplant(LT)outcomes are limited.It is clear that further research into sex-related differences in transplant patients is necessary to identify areas for improvement.Elucidation of these differences may help to identify specific areas of focus to improve on the organ matching process,as well as the peri-and post-operative care of these patients.AIM To utilize data from a high-volume Eurotransplant center to compare characteristics of male and female patients undergoing liver transplant and assess association between sex-specific variables with short-and long-term post-transplant outcomes.METHODS A retrospective review of the University of Essen’s transplant database was performed with collection of baseline patient characteristics,transplant-related data,and short-term outcomes.Comparisons of these data were made with Shapiro-Wilk,Mann-Whitney U,χ2 and Bonferroni tests applied where appropriate.A P value of<0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.RESULTS Of the total 779 LT recipients,261(33.5%)were female.Female patients suffered higher incidences of acute liver failure and lower incidences of alcohol-related or viremic liver disease(P=0.001).Female patients were more likely to have received an organ from a female donor with a higher donor risk index score,and as a high urgency offer(all P<0.05).Baseline characteristics of male and female recipients were also significantly different.In multivariate hazard regression analysis,recipient lab-Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score and donor cause of death were associated with long-term outcomes in females.Pre-operative diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma,age at time of listing,duration of surgery,and units transfused during surgery,were associated with long-term outcomes in males.Severity of complications was associated with long-term outcomes in both groups.Overall survival was similar in both males and females;however,when stratified by age,females<50 years of age had the best survival.CONCLUSION
文摘Introduction: Perioperative hypothermia in cardiac surgery is associated with adverse outcome. The aim of this investigation was to study whether an underbody forced-air warming blanket during coronary artery bypass graft surgery with normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass can prevent postoperative hypothermia. Methods: After Medical Ethics Committee approval, 60 low-risk cardiac surgery patients at random were assigned into a group that received standard thermal care management (control group n = 30) and a group that received the underbody forced-air warming system plus the standard thermal care (intervention group n = 30). Results: The temperature after-drop from the end of cardiopulmonary bypass to arrival in the ICU was less in the intervention group versus control group (0.4°C ± 0.3°C vs 0.6°C ± 0.4°C;P = 0.027). Out of the intervention group, 27 patients arrived in the ICU with a bladder temperature ? 36°C (90%) as compared to 14 patients (46.7%) from the control group (P < 0.001). The peripheral temperature was significantly higher in the intervention group as compared to the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: A full underbody forced-air warming blanket prevents postoperative hypothermia in normothermic coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients.
文摘In this paper, we investigate the dynamics and the global exponential stability of a new class of Hopfield neural network with time-varying and distributed delays. In fact, the properties of norms and the contraction principle are adjusted to ensure the existence as well as the uniqueness of the pseudo almost periodic solution, which is also its derivative pseudo almost periodic. This results are without resorting to the theory of exponential dichotomy. Furthermore, by employing the suitable Lyapunov function, some delayindependent sufficient conditions are derived for exponential convergence. The main originality lies in the fact that spaces considered in this paper generalize the notion of periodicity and almost periodicity. Lastly, two examples are given to demonstrate the validity of the proposed theoretical results.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81172349 and No.30872491
文摘AIM:To evaluate whether the application of sorafenib during the peri-operative period of liver transplantation improves prognosis in liver cancer patients.METHODS:We searched Pub Med,EMBASE and MEDLINE for eligible articles.A total of 4 studieswere found that fulfilled the previously agreed-upon standards.We then performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the enrolled trials that met the inclusion criteria.RESULTS:Out of the 104 studies identified in the database,82 were not clinical experiments,and 18 did not fit the inclusion standards.Among the remaining 4 articles,only 1 was related to the preoperative use of sorafenib,whereas the other 3 were related to its postoperative use.As the heterogeneity among the 4 studies was high,with an I2 of 86%,a randomized effect model was applied to pool the data.The application of sorafenib before liver transplantation had a hazard ratio(HR) of 3.29 with a 95% confidence interval(CI) of 0.33-32.56.The use of sorafenib after liver transplantation had an HR of 1.44(95%CI:0.27-7.71).The overall pooled HR was 1.68(95%CI:0.41-6.91).CONCLUSION:The results showed that the use of sorafenib during the peri-operative period of liver transplantation did not improve patient survival significantly.In fact,sorafenib could even lead to a worse prognosis,as its use may increase the hazard of poor survival.
基金Supported by Shaanxi"13115"Public Service Platform Construction Program for Science&Technology Innovation Projects(2010FWPT-17)~~
文摘In order to take advantage of the climate resources more effectively ac- cording to the local circumstances and to plan and develop the citrus industry in Southern Shaanxi more reasonably. On the basis of the investigation of freeze dam- age to citrus occurring in Southern Shaanxi in the winter of 2010, the climatic back- ground for the formation of this freeze damage was analyzed. In combination with the freeze damage indicators during the overwintering period and the harmful accu- mulated cold during the cold wave, indexes for grading the freeze damage in southern Shaanxi were analyzed and verified, and the perspective of grading the freeze damage using the harmful accumulated cold during the cold wave was also presented. Through analyzing the extremely lowest temperature and the harmful ac- cumulated cold in the winter of 2010 and in history at 12 citrus growing counties （districts） in Ankang area and Hanzhong area, the reasons why the freeze damage to citrus during the overwintering period was severer in the west than in the east of Southern Shaanxi were discussed, and the results obtained were basically consistent with the actual situation observed from investigation. Finally, defensive countermea- sures against the freeze damage to citrus during the overwintering period were put forward from several aspects.
文摘Epi continental arc system is a series of arcuate structures along coastlines of the mainland and behind the island arc system on the margin of the Northwest peri Pacific region. Epi continental arc is similar to the island arc in geometery and kinematics, but it was characterised by an arcuate fracture zone and compensated front sag, basic volcanic activity, shallow earthquake belt and the latest active tectonics. The eastern China continent is dominated by the coastal epi continental arc of Southeast China. Its front arc is situated along the coastline of Zhejiang, Fujian and eastern Guangdong provinces which is convex to SE. The left NW trending flank extended along the NW trending coast line of northern Jiangsu and traversed Shangdong Peninsula to northern Hebei and Shanxi provinces; and the right E W trending flank along the western Guangdong, southern Guangxi, northern Hainan coastlines extended to northern Hanoi. This arc controlls activities of the most modern intense earthquakes in eastern China continents. The compressing thrust type earthquakes occurred along the front arc, especially the 'collison belt', and the strike slip type earthquakes along the both flanks sinistral and dextral strike slip faults respectively. Earthquakes of epi continental arc type is characterised by segmentation in space and periodicity in time.
文摘<strong>Objective:</strong><span style="white-space:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:;" "=""> This work aimed to evaluate the epidemiological clinical aspects and evolutionary aspects of peri partum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in the cardiology department of the CHU Point G. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> This was a descriptive cross-sectional study from </span><span style="white-space:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:;" "="">0</span><span style="white-space:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:;" "="">1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019, including all patients admitted for heart failure during this period.<b> Results:</b> The study involved 40 patients out of 1187 admissions, a hospital prevalence of PPCM was 3.36%. The average age was 26 years plus or minus 7 years with extremes of 16 years and 38 years. The age group between 16 and 20 years was the most represented with 32.5% of cases. Housewives were in the majority with 87.6%;residing in rural areas 62.5%, with a low socio-economic standard of living 32.5% of cases. Multiparous in our context were dominant 42.5%, followed by pauci pares and primiparous with 32.5% and 25% frequency respectively. All our patients, 100% had their first symptom after childbirth, functional signs were dominated by dyspnea of effort present in 100% of patients, followed cough (40%) and chest pain (27.5%). On physical examination there was Tachycardia in 82.5%, Galop B3 (45%) and auscultatory arrhythmia in 5%. Signs of pulmonary condensation (82.5%) and pleural fluid effusion (25%). Hepatomegaly was present in 72.5% of patients. It was overall heart failure in 72.5% of cases. On the electrocardiogram there was sinus tachycardia (75%) and atrial fibrillation arrhythmia (5%). On cardiac Doppler ultrasound the left ventricle was dilated with a low systolic ejection fraction in 100% of patients, the four cavities were dilated in 32.5%, a left intraventricular thrombus in 7.5% of cases and a pericardial fluid effusion in 5% of cases. Biology noted anemia in 22.5% of patients. Treatment was clas
文摘The perioperative management of 81 cases with pheochromocytoma was reviewed including blood pressure and arrhythmia control, blood volume expansion, patient′s general condition improvement and vital signs monitoring. It was stressed that pre and intra operative management was of prime importance in the treatment of pheochromocytoma.
文摘Pericardiocentesis is a common therapeutic procedure for pericardial tamponade due to pericardial effusion as well as a diagnostic procedure to obtain fluid for cytopathologic examination.Standard methods include ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance,which generally result in high success rates(over 95%).[1,2].The complication rate of pericardiocentesis is low with reported incidences of l%-2%.[3]In the past,the most common indications for pericardiocentesis include uremia,tuberculous pericarditis or malignant pericardial effusions.However,with the increasing number of catheter-based interventional cardiac procedures,iatrogenic pericardial effusions are becoming more frequent[4-6].
