Unveiling the activity difference cause and ring-opening reaction routes of typical radicals induced degradation of toluene

This study employs five UV-AOPs (PMS, PDS, H2O2, NaClO and NaClO2) to produce radicals (•OH, SO4•-, ClO•, O2•- and 1O2) and further comparatively studies their activity sequence and activity difference cause in toluene degradation. The toluene mineralization efficiency as a descending order is 73 % (UV-PMS) > 71 % (UV-PDS) > 70 % (acidified-UV-NaClO) > 55 % (UV-H2O2) > 36 % (UV-NaClO) > 35 % (UV-NaClO2); that of conversion efficiency is 99 % (acidified-UV-NaClO) > 95 % (UV-PMS) > 90 % (UV-PDS) > 74 % (UV-H2O2) > 44 % (UV-NaClO) > 41 % (UV-NaClO2). Acidic pretreatment significantly boosts the reactivity of UV-NaClO. ESR combined with radical quenching tests reveals the radicals' generation and evolution, and their contribution rates to toluene conversion, i.e. ClO• > SO4•- > O2•- > 1O2 > •OH. Theoretical calculations further unveil the ring-opening reaction routes and the nature of the activity difference of different radicals. The minimum energy required for ring-opening reaction is 116.77, 150.63, 168.29 and 191.92 kJ/mol with respect to ClO•, SO4•-, 1O2 and •OH, and finding that the ClO•-HO• pair is the best for toluene mineralization. The difficulty for eliminating typical VOCs by using UV-AOPs method is determined as toluene > chlorobenzene > benzene > ethyl acetate.

Electrochemical Reduction of Flue Gas Denitrification Wastewater to Ammonia Using a Dual-Defective Cu2O@Cu Heterojunction Electrode

Wet flue gas denitrification offers a new route to convert industrial nitrogen oxides (NOx) into highly concentrated nitrate wastewater, from which the nitrogen resource can be recovered to ammonia (NH3) via electrochemical nitrate reduction reactions (NITRRs). Low-cost, scalable, and efficient cathodic materials need to be developed to enhance the NH3 production rate. Here, in situ electrodeposition was adopted to fabricate a foamy Cu-based heterojunction electrode containing both Cu-defects and oxygen vacancy loaded Cu2O (OVs-Cu2O), which achieved an NH3 yield rate of 3.59 mmol h-1 cm-2, NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 99.5%, and NH3 selectivity of 100%. Characterizations and theoretical calculations unveiled that the Cu-defects and OVs-Cu2O heterojunction boosted the H* yield, suppressed the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and served as dual reaction sites to coherently match the tandem reactions kinetics of NO3-to-NO2 and NO2-to-NH3. An integrated system was further built to combine wet flue gas denitrification and desulfurization, simultaneously converting NO and SO2 to produce the (NH4)2SO4 fertilizer. This study offers new insights into the application of low-cost Cu-based cathode for electrochemically driven wet denitrification wastewater valorization.

Multimedia Mercury Recovery from Coal-Fired Power Plants Utilizing N-Containing Conjugated Polymer Functionalized Fly Ash

To recover multimedia mercury from coal-fired power plants, a novel N-containing conjugated polymer (polyaniline and polypyrrole) functionalized fly ash was prepared, which could continuously adsorb 99.2% of gaseous Hg0 at a high space velocity of 368,500 h-1 and nearly 100% of aqueous Hg2+ in the solution pH range of 2-12. The adsorption capacities of Hg0 and Hg2+ reach 1.62 and 101.36 mg/g, respectively. Such a kind of adsorbent has good environmental applicability, i.e. good resistance to coexisting O2/NO/SO2 and coexisting Na+/K+/Ca2+/Mg2+/SO42-. This adsorbent has very low specific resistances (6 × 106-5 × 109 Ω·cm) and thus can be easily collected by an electrostatic precipitator under low-voltage (0.1-0.8 kV). The Hg-saturated adsorbent can desorb almost 100% Hg under relatively low temperature (<250 °C). Characterization and theoretical calculations reveal that conjugated-N is the critical site for adsorbing both Hg0 and Hg2+ as well as activating chlorine. Gaseous Hg0 is oxidized and adsorbed in the form of HgXClX(ad), while aqueous Hg2+ is adsorbed to form a complex with conjugated-N, and parts of Hg2+ are reduced to Hg+ by conjugated-N. This adsorbent can be easily large-scale manufactured; thus, this novel solid waste functionalization method is promising to be applied in coal-fired power plants and other Hg-involving industrial scenes.

[Clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes in pediatric progressive restrictive strabismus]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, imaging manifestations, histopathological characteristics, and surgical outcomes in pediatric progressive restrictive strabismus. Methods: A retrospective case series study was conducted, including data from 9 cases (9 eyes) of pediatric progressive restrictive strabismus treated at Tianjin Eye Hospital from June 2017 to October 2022. The study compared the degree of globe protrusion in both eyes, changes in eyelid fissure height during internal and external rotation in the primary gaze, summarized clinical characteristics, and analyzed intraoperative conditions, surgical outcomes and postoperative histopathological results of strabismus correction surgery. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Friedman two-way analysis of variance. Results: All 9 cases involved unilateral onset, with 4 males and 5 females. Three cases affected the right eye, and six affected the left eye. Onset age ranged from 2 to 40 months. The degree of globe protrusion in the affected eyes was 13.00 (12.00, 13.00) mm for the right eye and 12.00 (12.00, 13.50) mm for the left eye, with no statistically significant difference (Z=-1.00, P=0.317). There were no significant changes in eyelid fissure height during internal rotation [8.00 (7.25, 8.00) mm], primary gaze [7.50 (7.00, 8.00) mm], and external rotation [8.00 (7.75, 8.00) mm] in the affected eyes (χ²=1.00, P=0.607). No apparent abnormalities were observed in head CT or MRI scans, serum, or immunological tests. However, orbital CT or MRI scans indicated thickening of different extraocular muscle bellies. Six out of nine cases underwent strabismus correction surgery, and postoperative examination revealed restriction in eye movement despite achieving orthophoria in the primary gaze. Tissue pathology of three cases showed increased collagen fiber proliferation in one, scattered bundles of smooth muscle fibers amid diffuse collagen fiber proliferation in another, and abnormal proliferation of striated muscle fibers with varying diameters, increased paired box (PAX)7-positive satellite cells expressing slow muscle myosin in the third case. Conclusions: Pediatric progressive restrictive strabismus presents with restrictive changes, without significant alterations in globe protrusion and eyelid fissure height. Imaging examinations reveal thickening of the extraocular muscle bellies in the affected eye. Although strabismus correction surgery improves eye position, postoperative eye movement remains restricted. Histopathological findings in some cases show abnormal proliferation of skeletal muscle fibers or collagen fibers.

[Significance of accurately interpreting the Bielschowsky tilt test in the differential diagnosis of superior oblique muscle paralysis]

Superior oblique muscle paralysis is a common type of vertical rotatory strabismus with various subtypes. Regardless of the subtype, the Bielschowsky tilt test plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of superior oblique muscle paralysis and is often considered a significant criterion for diagnosis and differential diagnosis. However, the sensitivity and specificity of the Bielschowsky tilt test for diagnosing superior oblique muscle paralysis are not 100% due to the mechanism involved. The test is not solely based on extraocular muscle imbalance but also involves reflex pathways of the vestibular system and central nervous system. Consequently, lesions affecting corresponding areas may yield positive results in the Bielschowsky tilt test. Additionally, vestibular and central nervous system lesions can also cause strabismus, leading to a lack of one-to-one correspondence between a positive Bielschowsky tilt test and superior oblique muscle paralysis. Therefore, correctly interpreting the role of the Bielschowsky tilt test in superior oblique muscle paralysis is of paramount importance for the effective clinical management and treatment of associated conditions.

Assessing hydrological connectivity for natural-artificial catchment with a new framework integrating graph theory and network analysis

Anthropogenic activities alter the underlying surface conditions and arrangements of landscape features in a drainage basin, interfering with the pollutant (e.g., dissolved nitrogen, phosphorus) transport network configuration and altering the hydrological response. Assessing the impact of anthropogenic activities on hydrological connectivity for natural-artificial catchment is critical to understand the hydrological-driven ecosystem processes, services and biodiversity. However, quantifying this impact at catchment scale remains challenging. In this study, a new framework was proposed to quantify the impact of anthropogenic activities on hydrological connectivity combined with graph theory and network analysis. This framework was exemplified in a natural-artificial catchment of the Yangtze River basin of China. Based on remote sensing and field-investigated data, three transport networks were constructed, including natural transport network (N1), ditch-road transport network (N2), and terrace-dominated transport network (N3), which reflected the different human intervention. The results showed that human intervention improved the connectivity of the nodes and enhanced the complexity of the catchment transport network structure. Anthropogenic activities significantly decreased the hydrological structural connectivity of the catchment. In particular, compared with the N1 network, the critical nodes for hydrological connectivity which were judged by connectivity indexes were reduced by 92.94% and 95.29% in the N2 and N3 network, respectively. Furthermore, the ditch-road construction had a greater impact than terraces in decreasing hydrological structural connectivity at catchment scale. This framework has proven effective in quantifying the hydrological connectivity analysis under different human intervention at the catchment scale and facilitates the improvement of catchment management strategies.

[Characteristics of visual function in children with autism complicated with mental retardation]

Objective: To explore the characteristics of visual function and eye diseases in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mental retardation. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. Two hundred and ninety-two cases (584 eyes) of children with ASD combined with mental retardation from 7 special education schools in Chaoyang District of Beijing, including 235 males (80.48%) and 57 females (19.52%); The age ranged from 2 to 18 years old. Subjective far and near vision, near stereoacuity, objective vision, diopter, anterior segment and fundus were examined. In addition, 300 students with normal intelligence level, aged 2 to 18 years, were included as controls. LogMAR was used to record vision examination. Subjective, objective vision and diopter were examined. Mann Whitney U test or Kruskal Wallis H test was used for the data of children with different genders, different age. Results: Among 584 eyes of children with ASD and mental retardation, 272 eyes (47.22%) were ametropia, 260 eyes (45.14%) were astigmatism, 29 eyes (5.03%) were hyperopia, 10 eyes (1.74%) were myopia, and 47 eyes (8.16%) were amblyopia risk factors. Among 292 children, there were 20 cases of strabismus (6.85%), 3 cases of color weakness (1.03%), and 4 cases of external eye abnormalities (1.37%). Two hundred and eleven children completed near stereopsis examination, of which 54 (25.59%) were within 100″ and 157 (74.41%) were within 200″ to 900″. Two hundred and seventy-two eyes with ametropia, 157 eyes (57.72%) needed correction but did not. The median and quartile of subjective and objective logMAR visual acuity were 0.22(0.10, 0.35), 0.10(0.00, 0.22), respectively; There were no significant differences in far visual acuity, near visual acuity, objective visual acuity, diopter, and near stereoacuity between different genders of ASD children with mild or moderate mental retardation (all P>0.05); There was a statistically significant difference in ASD children with mild mental retardation at different age rangs (H=21.453, P<0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in subjective tests such as far visual acuity and near visual acuity, for children with moderate mental retardation (Z=-3.508, -4.503; P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in objective visual acuity, diopter and near stereo acuity(all P>0.05). There are 300 healthy children as the control group, with LogMar's subjective far vision is 0.10(0.00, 0.22), and the objective vision is 0.00(0.00, 0.10), diopter 0.25 (-0.25, 0.50) D. Compared with healthy children, ASD children with mental retardation had a significant difference in subjective far vision and objective vision (Z=-8.527, -10.393; P<0.001). There was no significant difference in diopter (Z=-1.274, P=0.203). Conclusions: The subjective and objective visual acuity of children with ASD combined with mental retardation was lower than that of healthy children. The prevalence and uncorrected rate of refractive errors, strabismus, amblyopia and other eye diseases were significantly higher than those of healthy children. Their refractive errors were mainly astigmatism, and the rates of correction and treatment were low.

[Advances in the development of ocular cardiac reflex in extraocular muscle surgery]

Ocular cardiac reflex (OCR) usually occurs in ophthalmic surgery, especially in extraocular muscle(s) surgery. OCR generally can cause sinus bradycardia, arrhythmia, reduced atrial pressure, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular doublet, dizziness, nausea and other symptoms. Severe cases will appear cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, etc. Recent studies on the mechanism of OCR and the relationship between surgical operation and anaesthesia in extraocular muscle surgery and the occurrence of OCR are reviewed in this paper in order to reduce the occurrence of OCR and treatment of OCR in extraocular muscle surgery.

A critical review on the technique and mechanism of microwave-based denitrification in flue gas

Microwave radiation has received extensive attention due to its significant thermal and non-thermal effects, and the development of MW-based denitrification in flue gas has become one of the most promising methods to avoid the defects of ammonia escape, high temperature and cost in traditional SCR. This review introduces the thermal and non-thermal effects of microwaves and divides MW-based denitrification methods into MW reduction and oxidation denitrification, systematically summarizes these denitrification methods, including MW discharge reduction, MW-induced catalytic reduction using active carbon, molecular sieves, metal oxides (transition metals, perovskites, etc.), MW-induced oxidation denitrification with and without additional oxidant, and discusses their removal pathway and mechanism. Finally, several research prospects and directions regarding the development of microwave-based denitrification methods are provided.

Microwave-Induced Deep Catalytic Oxidation of NO Using Molecular-Sieve-Supported Oxygen-Vacancy-Enriched Fe-Mn Bimetal Oxides

A novel microwave (MW) catalytic oxidation denitrification method was developed, which can deeply oxidize NO into nitrate/nitrite with little NO₂ yield. A molecular-sieve-supported oxygen-vacancy-enriched Fe₂O₃-MnO₂ catalyst (Ov-Fe-Mn@MOS) was fabricated. Physicochemical properties of the catalyst were revealed by various characterization methods. MW irradiation was superior to the conventional heating method in NO oxidation (90.5 vs 70.6%), and MW empowered the catalyst with excellent low-temperature activity (100-200 °C) and good resistance to H₂O and SO₂. Ion chromatography analysis demonstrated that the amount of nitrate/nitrite accounted for over 90.0% of the N products, but the main product gradually varied from nitrate to nitrite as the reaction proceeded because of the switching of the main reaction path of NO removal. Mechanism analyses clarified that NO oxidation was a non-radical catalytic reaction: (i) the chemisorbed NO on ≡Mn(IV) reacted with O₂* to produce nitrate and (ii) the excited NO* due to MW irradiation reacted with the active O* generated from Ov···O₂ to form nitrite. Density functional theory calculations combined with electron paramagnetic resonance tests revealed the promotional effects of Fe₂O₃ in (i) boosting the Ov's quantity; (ii) facilitating O₂ adsorption; (iii) increasing the nitrite formation; and (iv) alleviating the suppression of SO₂.

Arsenic emission and distribution characteristics in the ultra-low emission coal-fired power plant

The characteristics of arsenic emission and distribution of a typical Chinese coal-fired power plant renovated with ultra-low emission technique have been studied. The results showed that arsenic concentration in coal was 5.72 mg/kg, and the arsenic emissions in fly ash, bottom ash, gypsum, flue gas, and wastewater were 489.12 g/h, 5.15 g/h, 1.14 g/h, 0.46 g/h, and 0.03 g/h, respectively, corresponding to the proportion of arsenic in fly ash, bottom ash, gypsum, flue gas, and wastewater of 98.63%, 1.04%, 0.23%, 0.09%, and 0.01%, respectively. About 87.61% of the gaseous arsenic was absorbed by catalysts used for selective catalytic reduction (SCR). Low-low temperature electrostatic precipitator (LLT-ESP) plays a key role in decreasing particulate arsenic. Wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) has positive effects on absorbing both gaseous and particulate arsenic. The removal efficiencies across the air pollution control devices follow the order of LLT-ESP > WFGD > SCR. The LLT-ESP can achieve a significant arsenic removal efficiency of 99.94%, resulting in quite low arsenic emission to the atmosphere. According to the calculated arsenic emission factor, the total emission amount of arsenic to the atmosphere from all Chinese coal-fired stations with ultra-low emission control technique in 2020 is estimated to be about 9.67-11.59 tons/year.

Simultaneous Nitrite Resourcing and Mercury Ion Removal Using MXene-Anchored Goethite Heterogeneous Fenton Composite

The integrated system of gas-phase advanced oxidation process combined with sulfite-based wet absorption process is a desirable method for simultaneous removal of SO₂, NO, and Hg⁰, but due to the enrichment of nitrite and Hg²⁺, resourcing harmless wastewater is still a challenge. To tackle this problem, this study fabricated a bifunctional β-FeOOH@MXene heterogeneous Fenton material, of which the crystalline phase, morphology, structure, and composition were revealed by using X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. It exhibits excellent performance on nitrite oxidation (99.5%) and Hg²⁺ removal (99.7%) and can maintain stable outstanding ability after 13 cycles, with superior Hg²⁺ adsorption capacity (395 mg/g) and ultralow Fe leaching loss (<0.018 wt %). The synergism between MXene and β-FeOOH appears as follows: (i) MXene, as an inductive agent, directionally converted Fe₂O₃ into β-FeOOH in the hydrothermal method and greatly reduced its monomer size; (ii) the introduced ≡Ti(III)/≡Ti(II) accelerated the regeneration of ≡Fe(II) via rapid electron transfer, thereby improving the heterogeneous Fenton reaction; and (iii) MXene strongly immobilized β-FeOOH to greatly inhibit Fe-leaching. HO^•, ^•O₂^--, and ¹O₂ were the main radicals identified by electron spin resonance. Radical quenching tests showed their contributions to NO₂^- oxidation in the descending order HO^• > ¹O₂ > ^•O₂^-. Quantum chemical calculations revealed that ^•OH-induced oxidation of NO₂^- or HNO₂ was the primary reaction path. Density functional theory calculations combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman characterizations displayed the Hg²⁺ removal mechanism, with Hg₂Cl₂, HgCl₂, and HgO as the main byproducts. This novel material provides a new strategy for resourcing harmless wastewater containing nitrite and Hg²⁺.

Removal and Recovery of Gaseous Elemental Mercury Using a Cl-Doped Protonated Polypyrrole@MWCNTs Composite Membrane

Due to the restrictions on mercury mining, recovering the mercury from mercury-containing waste is attracting increasing attention. This study successfully achieved the removal and recovery of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg⁰) by using membrane technology. A novel composite membrane of Cl-doped protonated polypyrrole-coated multiwall carbon nanotubes (Cl-PPy@MWCNTs) was fabricated in which MWCNTs acted as the framework to support the active component Cl-PPy. The morphology, structure, and composition of the prepared membranes were determined by field emission scanning electron microcopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, etc. The composite membrane exhibited an excellent performance in Hg⁰ removal (97.3%) at a high space velocity of 200,000 h^-1. The dynamical adsorption capacity of Hg⁰ was 3.87 mg/g when the Hg⁰ breakthrough reached 10%. The adsorbed Hg⁰ could be recovered/enriched via a leaching process using acidic NaCl solution; meanwhile, the membrane was regenerated. The recovered mercury was identified in the form of Hg²⁺, with a recovery efficiency of over 99%. Density functional theory calculations and mechanism analysis clarified that the electrons of Hg⁰ transported to the delocalized electron orbits of protonated PPy and then combined with Cl^- to form Hg₂Cl₂/HgCl₂. Finally, we first demonstrated that the analogous protonated conductive polymers (e.g., polyaniline) also possessed good Hg⁰ removal ability, implying that such species may offer more outstanding answers and attract attention in future.

Reaction Behavior and Influencing Mechanisms of Different Fly Ashes on the NO Removal by Using the Ultraviolet Irradiating Chlorite Method

Our previous work had demonstrated that UV/NaClO₂ was the best advanced oxidation method in terms of nitric oxide (NO) removal, but we have not studied the impact of the fly ash on NO removal under such conditions. For this, this paper selected six kinds of fly ashes and studied their effects on NO removal. The micromorphology, elemental composition, and the elemental oxidation states of these six fly ashes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma methods. The main inorganic components in the six fly ashes are metal oxides (Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, ZnO, MgO, and TiO₂), carbonates (Na₂CO₃ and CaCO₃), and chlorides (NaCl, KCl, and MgCl₂). The experimental results suggested that high solubility was the premise condition for the fly ashes exhibiting an inhibitory effect on NO removal. Among all of the metal compounds, Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄ exhibited the highest inhibitory contribution rate to the NO removal (22.9-45.7%). The anions of Cl^- and CO₃ ^2- acted as scavengers for the free radicals which greatly impaired the oxidation of NO. Based on the simulation experimental results and the UV-vis analysis, the order of inhibitory contribution rates of various metal compounds to the NO removal was determined as Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄ > TiO₂ ≈ Na₂CO₃ > Al₂O₃ ≈ ZnO ≈ MnO₂ > CaCO₃ > NaCl > KCl ≈ SiO₂ ≈ MgCl₂.

[Graded vertical rectus tenotomy for small angle vertical deviation]

Objective: To observe the effectiveness of the graded vertical rectus tenotomy procedure for small-angle vertical deviation. Methods: Retrospective case series study. Twelve patients, including 8 males and 4 females, with an average age of (48±8) years were treated in Tianjin Eye Hospital from January 2017 to December 2019 for diplopia in primary gaze by strabismus surgery. The disease duration was (15±7) months. MRI/CT scan of the orbits and brain was performed to exclude the orbital and craniocerebral diseases. All patients underwent ocular movement examination, with the prism and alternate cover test to detect the deviation angle in primary gaze and the double Maddox test. Based on the results, the posterior segment of the nasal/temporal superior/inferior rectus muscle was operated. The changes of vertical and cyclotorsion deviation angle and the relationship between the vertical rectus graded tenotomy and corrected vertical deviation angle were observed at 1 day after surgery and the last follow-up. The vertical deviation angle was represented by M (Q₁, Q₃). Friedman test (Bonferroni correction) and linear fitting analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: The follow-up time of all patients was (7±3) months. The vertical deviation angle in primary gaze before surgery [7.00 (5.25, 7.75) PD] was significantly different from that at 1 day after surgery [1.00 (1.00, 2.00) PD] and the last follow-up [1.50 (1.00, 2.00) PD] (P<0.001, P=0.003). There was no significant difference in postoperative cyclotorsion in all patients. Linear fitting results showed that 50% to 90% vertical rectus tenotomy corrected 5 to 8 PD vertical deviation (R²=0.72; P<0.001). Conclusion: The graded vertical rectus tenotomy procedure can effectively improve the small-angle vertical deviation in primary gaze.

Low-Medium Temperature-Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO with NH3 over a Mn/Co-MOF-74 Catalyst

To realize the selective catalytic reduction of NO at low-medium temperatures and avoid secondary pollution, a highly active catalyst Mn/Co-MOF-74 was synthesized. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, and scanning electron microscopy were employed to analyze the physicochemical properties of catalysts with different Mn/Co molar ratios and conjecture about the difference in the catalytic activity. Meanwhile, the effects of the molar ratio of Mn/Co, catalyst dosage, catalyst synthesis conditions, GHSV, and temperature on the NO conversion efficiencies were investigated and found that an optimal NO conversion efficiency of 93.5% was obtained at 200-225 °C. In the end, the stability of Mn/Co-MOF-74 was investigated and found that the catalyst has better sulfur and water resistance, and the NO conversion mechanism was speculated on the basis of characterizations and literature data.

[Clinical observation of anterior tucking of the superior oblique tendon for correction of excyclotropia in adults]

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of anterior 1/3 superior oblique tendon tucking in acquired symptomatic excyclotropia adults. Methods: Retrospective case series. Seven patients (7 eyes) with acquired symptomatic excyclotropia who underwent an anterior 1/3 superior oblique tendon tuck procedure in Tianjin Eye Hospital from January 2019 to December 2019 were included. There were 5 male patients and 2 female patients, with an average age of (49±12) years old. All the patients had a history of a closed head injury. There was torsional diplopia in primary position, and eye movement examination showed paralysis of the superior oblique muscle in the affected eye, without obvious hyperactivity of the inferior oblique muscle. The anterior 1/3 tendon of the superior oblique muscle was tucked during surgery according to the relaxation of the superior oblique tendon in the forced duction test. The paired-sample nonparametric rank sum test was used to analyze the preoperative and postoperative (at 1 day after surgery and the last follow-up) excyclotropia angle. Results: The mean tuck amount was (7.7±1.8) mm (range, 6.0 to 10.0 mm). During operation, patients complained that excyclotropia improved markedly. The excyclotropia angle with the double Maddox rod test improved significantly from preoperative 10° (8°, 15°) to 2° (0°, 3°) at 1 day (Z=-2.379; P<0.05) and 2° (2°, 5°) at the last follow-up (Z=-2.375; P<0.05). The follow-up period was (112+38) days. All patients had no complaints of excyclotropia at the last follow-up. Conclusions: The anterior 1/3 superior oblique tendon tucking can effectively improve clinical symptoms in the primary position in adults with acquired excyclotropia and diplopia. The short-term postoperative results seem to be stable, without significant regression. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 685-688).

[Clinical analysis and surgical treatment of atypical acute acquired concomitant esotropia]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, possible etiology and surgical efficacy of acute acquired concomitant esotropia (AACE) with atypical etiology. Methods: Case-control study. Twelve patients, including 7 males and 5 females, who complained of diplopia and were diagnosed with AACE in Tianjin Eye Hospital from January to December 2019 and underwent surgical treatment were included. The duration of the disease was (8.83±3.71) months. All patients underwent routine ocular examination except amblyopia and ocular organic lesions. MRI examination of the orbits and the brain was performed in all the patients in order to screen orbital and craniocerebral diseases, and patients denied that the existence of common causes of AACE (such as occlusion of one eye, mental or psychological factors, medium to high myopia, etc. during medical examination). The characteristics of the disease, the difference of deviation angle at 33 cm and 5 m, and the changes of deviation angle and stereopsis before and after surgery were analyzed. The forced duction test was performed before operation, and the distance between the sclera margin and the midpoint of the medial rectus muscle attachment was measured and compared with the patients with intermittent exotropia (10 cases) and comitant esotropia (10 cases). Paired sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. Results: The mean spherical equivalent was (1.70±0.88) D in all AACE patients, and the deviation angle was (22.42±5.82) prism diopter (PD) at 33 cm and (20.00±4.86) PD at 5 m in primary gaze, which were not statistically significant (P=0.371). The force duction test showed no obvious tension or contracture of the medial rectus and no paralysis. In patients with AACE, the horizontal distance from the midpoint of the medial rectus to the limbus was (5.20±0.27) mm, versus (5.30±0.25) mm in intermittent exotropia patients and (5.30±0.31) mm in concomitant esotropia patients. All the differences were not statistically significant (P=0.618). All the patients with AACE had residual esotropia (mean, 3.42 to 6.33 PD) at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively, and their stereopsis improved more than before, with no stereopsis in 2 patients before surgery and stereopsis in all 12 patients after surgery. Conclusions: AACE patients with atypical etiology do not have high myopia and hyperopia. There is no significant difference between the distance and near angles. The occurrence of esotropia is related to decompensation of esophoria, which may result in clinical symptoms of diplopia. Conventional surgery can reduce esotropia and restore stereoscopic vision, but there is still a small amount of esophoria after surgery. There is no abnormality in the attachment point of the medial rectus muscle. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 348-352).

[MRI study of rectus extraocular muscles in concomitant exotropia with small angle vertical deviation]

Objective: To observe the changes of four pulley locations of extraocular rectus muscles and rectus muscle volumes, as well as superior and inferior part ratio of horizontal rectus muscles, in concomitant exotropia with small-angle vertical deviation in primary gaze. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Data was collected from January 2018 to December 2019 in Tianjin Eye Hospital. The pulley position changes and volumes of four extraocular rectus muscles in the coronal position of patients who had concomitant exotropia without vertical deviation (group A) or with small-angle vertical deviation in primary gaze (<5 prism diopter; group B) and normal controls (group C) were observed using MRI, and the changes of the volume ratio of the superior and inferior parts of the horizontal rectus muscle were calculated. One way analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis. Results: There were 19 patients (38 eyes; 10 males, 9 females) aged (30±7) years in group A, ten patients (20 eyes; 4 males, 6 females) aged (27±6) years in group B, and 20 healthy volunteers (40 eyes) in group C. Age and gender distribution were matched among the three groups (all P>0.05). Among the three groups, the pulley locations of the four extraocular rectus muscles were not significantly different (all P>0.05). The medial rectus muscle volume in groups A [(358.6±44.9) mm³; t=6.405, P<0.01] and B [(334.7±35.6) mm³; t=6.025, P<0.01] was significantly smaller than group C [(437.5±49.3) mm³]. There was no statistically significant difference in the superior and inferior muscle volume ratio of the lateral rectus in three groups (all P>0.05), while the ratio in group B was more dispersive. Conclusions: The pulley location changes of four extraocular rectus muscles of patients with concomitant exotropia and small-angle vertical deviation in primary gaze are not significant, but the medial rectus volume in patients who had concomitant exotropia with vertical deviation or not is significantly smaller. The dispersive superior and inferior muscle volume ratio of the horizontal rectus muscles may be related to the small angle of vertical deviation in clinical examinations. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 223-227).

Circ_0001982 accelerates the progression of colorectal cancer via sponging microRNA-144

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to uncover the expression pattern and biological function of circ_0001982 in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Relative expression level of circ_0001982 in 66 paired CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues was detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The association between circ_0001982 level and clinical indexes of CRC patients was assessed. The effect of circ_0001982 on cellular behaviors of HT29 and HCT-116 cells was evaluated in vitro. Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay was conducted to verify the binding relation between circ_0001982 and microRNA-144. Finally, rescue experiments were performed to assess the role of the circ_0001982/microRNA-144 axis in mediating the progression of CRC.

RESULTS

Circ_0001982 was significantly up-regulated in CRC tissues when compared with adjacent normal ones. CRC patients with a high expression level of circ_0001982 showed a significantly higher rate of distant metastasis and worse survival. Knockdown of circ_0001982 remarkably attenuated the proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities of HCT-116 cells. However, opposite results were observed after the overexpression of circ_0001982 in HT29 cells. MicroRNA-144 was verified as a target gene of circ_0001982, which could be negatively regulated by circ_0001982. Furthermore, microRNA-144 was capable of reversing the regulatory effect of circ_0001982 on the proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities of CRC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Up-regulated circ_0001982 was closely related to distant metastasis and poor prognosis of CRC. In addition, circ_0001982 attenuated the progression of CRC by negatively regulating microRNA-144.

Simultaneous removal of SO2, NO and Hg0 using an enhanced gas phase UV-AOP method

The core for simultaneous removal of SO₂, NO and Hg⁰ is the oxidation of NO and Hg⁰. Radical induced oxidation of NO and Hg⁰ is considered to be the most efficient method. We develop a novel gas phase advanced oxidation process (AOP) of UV-Heat/H₂O₂-NaClO₂ to simultaneously remove SO₂, NO and Hg⁰ due to a great synergism between H₂O₂ and NaClO₂ under thermal and ultraviolet (UV) co-catalysis. The results indicated that the SO₂ removal was always good, while the removal of NO and Hg⁰ was affected by NaClO₂ and UV. Higher catalytic temperature and longer flue gas residence time favored the removal of NO and Hg⁰. The presence of SO₂ and NO facilitated Hg⁰ removal. Kinetics analyses were conducted to provide the reaction rate of removal of NO and Hg⁰ under different conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the product composition as Cl^-, Hg²⁺, NO₃^- and SO₄^2-. Electron spin resonance (ESR) tests confirmed the generation of HO. Cost analyses demonstrated the better cost performance of the proposed method compared to SCR-ACI combined method. HO and ClO₂ were proved to be the main oxidant. The reaction mechanism for removal of NO and Hg⁰ by using UV-Heat/H₂O₂-NaClO₂ were proposed finally.

The investigation of hepatitis A virus and hepatitis E virus co-infection in humans and animals in China

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of co-infection of hepatitis A and hepatitis E virus (HAV/HEV) in patients with acute hepatitis as well as in different animal species. A total of 46 serum samples from patients diagnosed as hepatitis A or hepatitis E and 675 fecal samples of 11 animal species were collected. The IgM class antibodies to HEV and HAV, respectively, were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HEV and HAV RNAs were extracted from serum and fecal samples for the nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. At least 10.9% (5/46) of the patients were co-infected with both HAV and HEV. Fifteen percent (18/120) of rabbit fecal samples and 17.5% (7/40) of swine fecal samples were positive for HEV RNA, but only 1% (2/200) of ferret fecal samples were positive for HAV RNA. Our study showed that co-infection with both HAV and HEV in patients and animals is infrequent. At least in our study, we showed that ferrets may represent the potential HAV hosts. Keywords: hepatitis A virus; hepatitis E virus; co-infection; zoonosis; prevalence.

Study on the Transport Mechanism of a Freestanding Graphene Oxide Membrane for Forward Osmosis

Graphene oxide membranes (GOMs) are promising separation technologies. In forward osmosis (FO), we found that the water flux from the feed solution to the draw solution can prevent ions from diffusing to the feed solution in a highly tortuous and porous GOM. In reverse osmosis (RO), we found that the salt rejection is low compared to that in commercially available RO membranes. While this prohibits the use of GOMs for RO and FO water desalination, we believe that such membranes could be used for other water treatment applications and energy production. To examine the transport mechanism, we characterized the physical and chemical properties of GOMs and derived mass transfer models to analyze water and salt transport inside freestanding GOMs. The experimental reverse salt flux was between the largest and smallest theoretical values, which corresponds to the lowest and highest tortuosity, respectively, in FO. Furthermore, the concentration profile for the reverse salt flux shortened as the NaCl draw concentration increased because the water flux increased and the electrical double layer (EDL) decreased with increasing NaCl in the draw solution. We provide insights into the transport mechanisms in GOMs and provide guidance for future exploration of GOMs in efficient water treatment and energy production processes.

Highly sensitive and specific detection of hepatitis B virus DNA and drug resistance mutations utilizing the PCR-based CRISPR-Cas13a system

OBJECTIVES

Undetectable or low-level hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and drug resistance mutations in patients may increase the risk of HBV transmission or cause active viral replication and other clinical problems. Here, we established a highly sensitive and practical method for HBV and drug resistance detection using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) -based CRISPR-Cas13a detection system (referred to as PCR-CRISPR) and evaluated its detection capability using clinical samples.

METHODS

Specific CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) are designed for HBV DNA detection and YMDD (tyrosine-methionine-aspartate-aspartate) variant identification. The HBV DNA was detected in 312 serum samples for HBV diagnosis using quantification PCR (qPCR) and PCR-CRISPR. Additionally, 424 serum samples for YMDD testing were detected by qPCR, direct sequencing, and our assay.

RESULTS

Using PCR-CRISPR, one copy per test of HBV DNA was detected with HBV-1 crRNA in 15 min after PCR amplification. Consistent results with qPCR were observed for 302 samples, while the remaining 10 samples with low-level HBV DNA were detectable by PCR-CRISPR and droplet digital PCR but not by qPCR. PCR-CRISPR diagnosed all 412 drug-resistant samples detected by the YMDD detection qPCR kit and direct sequencing, as well as the other 12 drug-resistant samples with low-level HBV DNA undetectable by qPCR and direct sequencing.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a novel PCR-CRISPR method for highly sensitive and specific detection of HBV DNA and drug resistance mutations. One copy per test for HBV DNA and YMDD drug resistance mutations could be detected. This method has wide application prospects for the early detection of HBV infection, drug resistance monitoring and treatment guidance.

Multi-air-pollutant removal by using an integrated system: Key parameters assessment and reaction mechanism

How to cost-efficiently and cooperatively remove SO₂, NO and Hg⁰ in flue gas is a hot topic in the field of air pollution control. This work developed an integrated system that consists of a dual-absorption system and a vapor oxidation system, in which Na₂CO₃ and H₂O₂/Na₂S₂O₈ were used as the absorbent and oxidant. The results indicated that the efficiencies of SO₂ removal and NO conversion reached 99.5% and 93% respectively. Rising the vaporization temperature and decreasing the pH of H₂O₂/Na₂S₂O₈ could facilitate the NO conversion. The spent Na₂CO₃ after desulfurization was demonstrated to be a good absorbent for NO₂ removal. The best conditions of pH and temperatures for the dual-absorber were determined as 10/8 and 60/60 °C, respectively. The presence of 1000 mg/m³ SO₂ and 300 mg/m³ NO favored the Hg⁰ removal. TMT-15, an organic sulfur compound, was demonstrated to be useful in retaining Hg²⁺, with an efficiency of 92%. According to the analyses of electron spin resonance (ESR), ion chromatography (IC), atom fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), SO₄^- and HO were proved to be the key radicals, and the existing forms of N- and Hg- species in the product were identified as NaNO₂/NaNO₃ and HgCl₂.

[Paying attention to the application of imaging examination in strabismus]

There are many pathogenic factors of strabismus. In addition to the changes of alignment and ocular movement, there may be abnormal pathways and development of extraocular muscles, abnormalities of orbital and intraorbital connective tissue, paralysis of cranial nerves (oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, and abductor nerve), and nuclear and supranuclear lesions, accompanied by other cerebral dysplasia sometimes. In recent years, advances in imaging technology and its application in the professional field of strabismus have made it possible to clearly observe the eye, orbital, intracranial, and innervation changes, which is helpful to clarify the etiology of strabismus and extraocular muscle-related diseases, and to provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of strabismus. Strabismus specialists should learn and pay attention to the application of imaging examination, so as to achieve in-depth understanding and accurate treatment. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56: 166-170).

Radical-induced oxidation removal of multi-air-pollutant: A critical review

Sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitric oxide (NO) and elemental mercury (Hg⁰) are three common air pollutants in flue gas. SO₂ and NO are the main precursors for chemical smog and Hg⁰ is a bio-toxicant for human. Cooperative removal of multi-air-pollutant in flue gas using radical-induced oxidation reaction is considered as one of the most promising methods due to the high removal efficiency, low cost and less secondary environmental impact. The common radicals used in air pollution control can be classified into four types: (1) hydroxyl radical (OH), (2) sulfate radical (SO₄^-), (3) chlorine-containing radicals (Cl, ClO₂, ClO, HOCl^-, etc.) and (4) ozone. This review summarizes the generation methods and mechanism of the four kinds of radicals, as well as their applications in the removal of multi-air-pollutant in flue gas. The reactivity, selectivity and reaction mechanism of the four kinds of radicals in multi-air-pollutant removal were comprehensively described. Finally, some future research suggestions on the development of new technique for cooperative removal of multi-air-pollutant in flue gas were provided.

Photocatalytic removal of NO and Hg0 using microwave induced ultraviolet irradiating H2O/O2 mixture

We developed a novel method, microwave (MW) induced ultraviolet (UV) irradiating H₂O/O₂, to cooperatively remove NO and Hg⁰, with the efficiencies of 89.3% and 99.5%. It also can remove 97% SO₂. O₂ at a content of 2-8% was sufficient to conduct a good removal of NO and Hg⁰. Ozone (O₃) and hydroxyl radical (HO•) were proved to be the major oxidants for the removal of Hg⁰ and NO, respectively. High temperature facilitated NO removal but impaired Hg⁰ removal. SO₂ greatly promoted the removal of NO and Hg⁰ due to the formation of SO₄•^-. The presence of Cl^{- and Br-}suppressed NO removal but promoted Hg⁰ removal, because Cl^- and Br^-quenched HO• to produce Cl- and Br-radicals. The produced NO₂ could be totally absorbed by the Na₂SO₃ solution that followed the main reactor. The O₃ yield and the formation of HO• under different conditions were determined using iodine quantity method and electron spin resonance (ESR). The distributions of anion concentration and mercury proportion were obtained using ion chromatography (IC) and cold atom fluorescence spectrometry (AFS), and the main products were identified to be SO₄^2-, NO₃^- and HgO. The mechanisms of removal of SO₂, NO and Hg⁰ were speculated.

A novel catalytic oxidation process for removing elemental mercury by using diperiodatoargentate(III) in the catalysis of trace ruthenium(III)

A series of experiments were conducted at a bench scale reactor to investigate the effects of key influencing factors on the Hg⁰ removal from flue gas using the prepared diperiodatoargentate (III) (DPA) as an oxidant, trace ruthenium(III) as a catalyst, respectively. The experimental results showed that the average Hg⁰ removal efficiency reached to 87.5% under the optimal conditions in which the DPA concentration was 1.03 mmol/L, catalyst concentration was 2.0 μmol/L, reaction temperature was 40 °C and solution pH was 8.5. Meanwhile, it was found from the experiments that the high concentrations of SO₂ and NO could inhibit the Hg⁰ removal due to the competition between Hg⁰ and SO₂/NO, while the lower NO concentration exhibited a slight promotion for Hg⁰ removal. The evolutions of DPA(III) and Ru(III) before and after the reaction were characterized by an ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer (UV-vis), from which, the promotional mechanism of Ru(III) on Hg⁰ removal was analyzed. The spent solution was analyzed by a cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometer (CVAFS), which verified that Hg⁰ was oxidized into Hg²⁺ by the catalytic system of DPA(III)-Ru(III), and DPA was converted into Ag⁺.

Simultaneous Removal of SO2 and NO Using a Novel Method of Ultraviolet Irradiating Chlorite-Ammonia Complex

A novel advanced oxidation process (AOP) using ultraviolet/sodium chlorite (UV/NaClO₂) is developed for simultaneous removal of SO₂ and NO. NH₄OH, as an additive, was used to inhibit the generation of ClO₂ and NO₂. The removal efficiencies of SO₂ and NO reached 98.7 and 99.1%. NO removal was enhanced by greater UV light intensity and shorter wavelengths but was insensitive to changes in pH and temperature. SO₂ at 500-1000 mg/m³ improved NO removal, especially in the absence of UV. The coexistence of SO₂ and O₂ facilitated the removal of NO by ClO₂^-. HCO₃^-, Cl^-, and Br^- enhanced NO removal, but their roles were negligible when UV was added. The generation of ClO₂ and ClO^•/HO^• was verified by an UV-vis spectrometer, electron spin resonance (ESR), and radical-quenching tests. The mechanisms responsible for the removal of SO₂ and NO were attributed to the synergism between acid-base neutralization and radical-induced oxidation. The ClO₂^- evolution and product composition were demonstrated by UV-vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Kinetics analyses showed that the Hatta numbers were 329-798 and 747-1000 without and with UV. Thus, the gas-film resistance mainly controlled the mass-transfer process.

Elemental Mercury Removal by a Method of Ultraviolet-Heat Synergistically Catalysis of H2O2-Halide Complex

A novel method of ultraviolet-heat synergistically catalyzing H₂O₂-X (X: NaCl, NaBr, HCl, and HBr) for removal of elemental mercury (Hg⁰) was developed. In terms of Hg⁰ removal efficiency and economy, HCl and HBr were the suitable additives. Hg⁰ removal efficiencies reached 93.6% for H₂O₂-HCl and 91.4% for H₂O₂-HBr, the concentrations of H₂O₂, HCl and HBr were 1 M, 4.2 mM and 0.5 mM. The doses of gaseous Cl and Br-oxidants were 6.27 and 0.75 ppm. The costs by using H₂O₂-HCl and H₂O₂-HBr were 1,180 USD/lb-Hg⁰ and 1,170 USD/lb-Hg⁰. The best temperature for heat catalysis was 413 K. Hg⁰ removal was enhanced by 500 mg/m³ SO₂ and 300 mg/m³ NO due to the formation of sulfuric and NO₂. Mercury distribution analyses indicated that 500 mg/m³ SO₂, 300 mg/m³ NO, and 6% O₂ favored KCl retaining Hg²⁺. When the H₂O₂ concentration was adjusted to 3 M, the simultaneous removal efficiencies of NO and Hg⁰ reached 83.7% and 99.2% for H₂O₂-HCl, and 82.8% and 98.8% for H₂O₂-HBr. Electron spin resonance demonstrated that ClOH•^-/BrOH•^- and Cl₂•^-/Br₂•^- played leading roles in Hg⁰ oxidation, besides Cl₂/Br₂. The mercury forms in spent KCl were HgCl₂, HgBr₂, and HgNO₃, according to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Elemental mercury removal by a novel advanced oxidation process of ultraviolet/chlorite-ammonia: Mechanism and kinetics

A novel advanced oxidation process (AOP) of ultraviolet/chlorite-ammonia (UV/NaClO₂-NH₄OH) was developed to remove Hg⁰ from flue gas. The distribution of mercury concentration in three solutions of NaClO₂-NH₄OH, KCl, and H₂SO₄-KMnO₄ was determined by cold atom fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). The role of NH₄OH was to help NaClO₂ preserving and/or stabilizing Hg²⁺ meanwhile inhibiting the photo-production of ClO₂. In the absence of UV, decreasing pH promoted the release of Hg²⁺ from NaClO₂-NH₄OH; introducing NO, SO₂, O₂, Br^-, Cl^-, and HCO₃^- suppressed Hg⁰ oxidation. In the presence of UV, rising temperature accelerated the release of Hg²⁺ from NaClO₂-NH₄OH; while SO₂, Br^- and HCO₃^- facilitated Hg⁰ oxidation. In the absence and presence of UV, Hg⁰ oxidation was controlled by ClO₂^- and by ClO/Cl₂O₂/HO/ClO₂, respectively. The formations of ClO/HO/ClO₂ were confirmed by electron spin resonance (ESR). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the products of Hg⁰ and ClO₂^- were HgCl₂, and ClO₂, Cl-, ClO₃-, Cl₂, and ClO₄-, respectively. Analysis of kinetics showed that the Hatta numbers were 23-133 and 69-305 without and with UV, respectively, thus, the gas-film mass transfer was the rate-determining step. This paper gives a new insight in radical behavior in Hg⁰ oxidation.

Research on sulfur oxides and nitric oxides released from coal-fired flue gas and vehicle exhaust: a bibliometric analysis

A bibliometric method was used to evaluate the global scientific publications about sulfur oxides and nitric oxides released by coal-fired flue gas and vehicle exhaust from 1995 to 2018 and to provide insights into the characteristics of the articles and tendencies that may exist in the publications. Performance of publications, research tendency, and hotspots were analyzed. The article number had an explosive growth in 2004 and, then, began to grow steadily. China had an absolutely advantage in publication quantities; however, America had a leading position considering publication cited times. The simultaneous removal of mercury, particulate matter, and CO₂ was a research hotpot in sulfur oxide and nitric oxide control process; oxidation, absorption, and catalytic reduction were the central control methods that had the most strength in relation with sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide. Considering the study of traditional flue gas pollutant control method (limestone-gypsum method, selective catalytic reduction, etc.) was perfection, it was speculated that adsorption by ionic liquid, electricity charging, advanced oxidation progress, and multi-pollutant removal, simultaneously, would be the new research orientation in flue gas pollutant control. One of the hot points of controlling the vehicle exhaust was the application of the "green energy" biodiesel; lots of keywords concerning human health suggested that quite a lot studies were focused on the health hazard brought by sulfur oxides and nitric oxide.

A novel method of ultraviolet/NaClO2-NH4OH for NO removal: Mechanism and kinetics

The key step for nitric oxide (NO) removal using oxidation method is to efficiently oxidize NO. This study developed a novel advanced oxidation process (AOP) of ultraviolet light (UV) catalysis of chlorite (NaClO₂) to oxidize NO. The production of nitric dioxide (NO₂) and photo-production of chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) were suppressed by adding ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH). The NO conversion efficiency was 98.1% using UV/NaClO₂-NH₄OH. Electron spin resonance (ESR) tests confirmed the roles of hydroxyl radical (HO) and oxychloride radical (ClO/Cl₂O₂) in the oxidation of NO. Kinetics analyses showed that NO flux was significantly enhanced by radical-induced (HO/ClO) oxidation of NO. In the presence of UV, the overall reaction rates (k_ov1*) were 3-8 times higher than those without UV. The Hatta number, namely the enhanced factor, was calculated in the range of 229-403 and 730-780 corresponding to without and with UV light, suggesting that NO oxidation belonged to fast and/or instantaneous reaction. Thus, the gas-film mass transfer resistance was the rate-determining step. N-containing product was determined as NH₄⁺ and NO₃^- according to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Experimental study on penetration characteristic of submerged steam jet in quiescent water

The direct contact condensation is an effective way to rapid depressurization for light water reactor, such as pressure suppression pool, for which the characteristic of steam plume is a key parameter to evaluate the efficiency of depressurization. In this paper, a series of visualization experiments are described which investigate the characteristic of steam plume, the influence of jetting direction, air mass fraction, water temperature, diameter of jet on the steam plume were analyzed. The results show that, the dimensionless steam plume length increased with the increase of inlet pressure and water temperature for pure steam submerged jet, a correlation was set up to predict the dimensionless penetration length and the predicted errors were within the band of ±15%. Furthermore, the penetration length decreased with the rise of air mass fraction due to buoyancy force, the penetration length increased with the increase of inlet pressure, and the jet penetration length for vertical jet is longer than horizontal jet about 25% at the same inlet pressure and air mass fraction.

[Smoking abstinence rate and its associated factors between abrupt and gradual smoking cessation]

Objective: To analyze and compare the abstinence rate of smoking quitting methods and its associated factors between abrupt and gradual smoking cessation in smokers with drug-based therapy. Methods: A prospective clinical study was conducted in patients undergoing quitting smoking intervention in Ruijin Hospital smoking cessation clinic between June 2013 and May 2016. All the subjects were randomized in a 1∶1 ratio into the abrupt smoking cessation group (smoking as usual over 3 weeks before a planned quit day, and then stopping smoking abruptly) and the gradual smoking cessation group (gradually reducing tobacco use over 3 weeks before a planned quit day, and then stopping smoking totally). The primary outcome was the complete abstinence rate, and the secondary outcomes included 1-month, 3-month and 6 month 7-day point prevalence of abstinence rates and 3 month sustained abstinence rates. Changes of body weight and drug adverse events were also compared. Results: A total of 314 moderate to severe nicotine-dependent patients were admitted in the study, including 157 patients in the abrupt smoking cessation and 157 patients in the gradual smoking cessation group. Fourteen patients fell off during the follow-up. For the complete abstinence rate, the gradual smoking cessation group was higher than the abrupt smoking cessation group(55.0% vs. 36.9%, χ(2)=9.841, P=0.002) .For 7-d smoking abstinence rate in the 1st, 3rd, 6th month, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). As for the 3-month sustained abstinence rate, a higher smoking quitting rate was seen in the gradual smoking cessation group compared to the abrupt smoking cessation group in the 6-month follow-up (17.9% vs.8.7%, χ(2)=5.441, P=0.020). The adverse drug reaction incidence was higher in the abrupt smoking cessation group than the gradual smoking cessation group (Gastrointestinal discomfort: 39.2% vs. 17.7%, χ(2)=12.336, P=0.000; Dreaminess: 40.2% vs. 13.3%, χ(2)=20.172, P=0.000). Conclusions: For moderate to severe nicotine-dependent patients, the gradual smoking cessation could serve to enhance the abstinence rate and mitigate the withdrawal symptoms.

Removal of multi-pollutant from flue gas utilizing ammonium persulfate solution catalyzed by Fe/ZSM-5

A nano-sized iron loaded ZSM-5 zeolite (Fe/ZSM-5) catalyst was firstly used to activate (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ solution for the simultaneous removal of multi-pollutant from flue gas. The simultaneous removal efficiencies 100% of SO₂, 72.6% of NO and 93.4% of Hg° were achieved under the condition that the catalyst dose was 0.8 g/L, concentration, pH and temperature of (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ solution were 0.03 mol/L, 5 and 65 °C, respectively. The stability of catalyst was checked by a continuous test, proving that the catalytic activity was maintained for 4 h and the leached iron reached low levels. Based on the catalyst characterizations, product analysis and literatures, the removal mechanism was speculated preliminarily, during which, OH and SO₄^- played key roles for oxidizing NO and Hg° into NO₃^- and Hg²⁺.

[A study of superior oblique muscle changes in superior oblique palsy using magnetic resonance imaging]

Objective: To observe the magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) changes of superior oblique muscle and to study the relationship between changes and clinical signs in superior oblique muscle palsy. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Data was collected from January 2014 to January 2016 in Tianjin Eye Hospital. Twenty-three(30 eyes) patients who were diagnosed with superior oblique palsy included 15 patients with congenital superior oblique palsy [9 males and 6 females aged (32±13) years (range, 12-53 years)] and 8 cases with acquired superior oblique palsy [3 males and 5 females aged (36±15) years(range, 17-62 years)]. Twenty normal volunteers [11 males and 9 females aged (35±13) years (range, 15-60 years)] were also observed. Coronal MRI was used to detect superior oblique muscle morphological changes, as well as the maximum cross-sectional area and volume changes. The relationship between the morphological changes and vertical deviation and cyclotorsion in the primary gaze was analyzed. Rank sum test, t-test and Person correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: Two morphological changes were obtained using MRI in superior oblique muscle palsy, including round (19 eyes) and oval changes (11 eyes). The maximum cross-sectional area in eyes with the palsied superior oblique muscle [round, (10.38±1.76) mm(2); oval, (11.16±2.02) mm(2)] was significantly smaller than fellow eyes [(14.16±1.88) mm(2); Z=6.208, 5.178, both P<0.001] and eyes with normal superior oblique muscle [(15.40±1.71) mm(2); Z=8.215, 6.330, both P<0.001], and the volume changes [round, (104.92±13.36) mm(3); oval, (110.43±16.11) mm(3)] were also significantly different from fellow eyes [(254.57±20.15) mm(3); Z=7.511, 5.396, both P<0.001] and eyes with normal superior oblique muscle [(258.04±16.36) mm(3); Z=10.040, 6.936, both P<0.001]. There was no significant difference in vertical deviation between round and oval superior oblique muscle palsies (P>0.05). The cyclotorsion effect of the round change in superior oblique muscle palsy was significantly less than that of the oval change (5.47°±1.05° vs. 7.36°±0.97°, t=3.083, P=0.005). The correlation of the volume changes with vertical deviation angle in the primary gaze was not significantly different (round and oval, both P<0.05), but there was a correlation between the morphological changes and cyclotorsion strabismus (r=0.631, P=0.004; r=0.801, P=0.003). Conclusions: In the patients with superior oblique palsy, MRI scans shows that the maximum cross-sectional area decreased and the volume was smaller, which indicated superior oblique muscle atrophy. Deformation of superior oblique muscle do not significantly affect the vertical deviation, but is in correlation with cyclodeviation. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55:20-24).

[Advances in research of synergistic divergence]

Synergistic divergence is a rare condition characterized by complete absence of adduction that is associated with simultaneous abduction of the affected eye on attempted adduction. This causes the affected eye to move further into abduction on gaze to the normal side and results in extreme divergence of both eyes. It is sometimes referred to as exotropic Duane syndrome with synergistic divergence (type 4 Duane syndrome) or congenital fibrosis syndrome with synergistic divergence. Diseases combined with synergistic divergence fall within the category of congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders (CCDDs). The ocular associations reported with synergistic divergence are uncommon and include Horner syndrome, ocular albinism, foveal hypoplasia, Goldenhar syndrome and pupillary abnormalities. MRI and electro-oculographic study suggested that this is the result of CCDDs. Various surgical techniques have been tried in individual cases including large recession of the lateral rectus muscle, lateral rectus muscle extirpation, large resection of the medial rectus (MR) muscle, weakening procedures of the oblique muscles, combination of lateral rectus orbital wall fixation with MR resection, but further investigations with large-scale samples are needed. Recent research advances in the definition, etiology, and treatment of synergistic divergence are reviewed in this article. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55:63-67).

Combustion behavior, emission characteristics of SO2, SO3 and NO, and in situ control of SO2 and NO during the co-combustion of anthracite and dried sawdust sludge

The combustion behaviors of anthracite and dried sawmill sludge (DSS) were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and derivative thermogravimetric analysis (DTG). DSS was found to be a promoter for anthracite combustion, the addition of DSS in anthracite decreased the burnout temperature and time. But DSS caused the rapid releases of SO₂ and NO in the initial combustion stage. In overall, the increasing of DSS significantly decreased the emission factor of SO₂ from 13.42 ± 1.80 to 0.31 ± 0.08 g/kg; while the emission factor of NO was not obviously changed and stable at 0.7-0.8 g/kg in all cases. The oxygen-rich atmosphere was helpful for the rapid and sufficient combustion of blend; the oxygen-lean atmosphere delayed the combustion process and slowed down the releases of SO₂ and NO. The increasing combustion temperature improved the anthracite combustion, and the emission factors of SO₂ and NO were all increased with the temperature increasing. 900 °C was found to be the best combustion temperature for NO generation. SO₃ was detected in the combustion of anthracite under 21% and 30% of O₂. Two promising ways for control of SO₂ and NO were provided: 1) urea-fuel mixture combustion combined with the post-combustion wet absorption by Na₂CO₃; 2) post-combustion wet absorption by NaClO/Na₂CO₃. The removal efficiencies of SO₂ and NO could reach 100% and over 95% respectively. The removal products were determined as sulfate, sulfite and nitrate by IC, with no toxic byproducts being produced.

Low-Grade Waste Heat Recovery via an Osmotic Heat Engine by Using a Freestanding Graphene Oxide Membrane

The osmotic heat engine represents a new and promising technology for the harvesting of low-grade waste heat from various sources. However, the lack of an adequate semipermeable membrane hinders the technology's advancement. In this study, we investigated the application of a freestanding graphene oxide membrane (GOM) for energy generation in an osmotic heat engine. The synthesized GOM has a water permeability coefficient of 4.4 L m^-2 h^-1 bar^-1 (LMH-bar). The internal concentration polarization in the osmosis filtration system can be minimized because no membrane support layer is needed for the freestanding GOM. As a result, high water flux and high power density are obtained. For example, under an applied hydraulic pressure of 6.90 bar, with a 2 M draw solution of ammonium bicarbonate solution, a power density of 20.0 W/m² is achieved. This study shows that the freestanding GOM is promising for application in the osmotic heat engine. Future research regarding improving the mechanical properties and water stability of the GOM is beneficial for further advancing the technology.

Simultaneous removal of NO and SO2 from flue gas using vaporized H2O2 catalyzed by nanoscale zero-valent iron

To remove NO and SO₂ from flue gas simultaneously, a heterogeneous catalytic oxidation system was developed with the nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI), vaporized H₂O₂, and sodium humate (HA-Na) acting as the catalyst, oxidant, and absorbent, respectively. The experimental results indicated that the desulfurization was mainly influenced by the absorption, and the denitrification was significantly affected by the catalytic oxidation parameters. Under the optimal conditions, the simultaneous removal efficiencies of SO₂ and NO were 100 and 88.4%, respectively. The presence of ^·OH during the removal process was proved by the scavenger tests, and the production of ^·OH with and without nZVI was indirectly evaluated by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and methylene blue experiments. Moreover, the fresh and aged nZVI were characterized by a series of techniques and the results suggested that the redox pair Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ released by nZVI could react with H₂O₂ to provide the sustainable ^·OH, which was important for the oxidation from NO and SO₂ to NO₃^- and SO₄^2-. The removal mechanism was proposed preliminarily based on the correlative experiments, characterizations, and references.