Effect of low-degree astigmatism on the objective visual quality

AIM:To evaluate the effect of low-degree astigmatism on objective visual quality through the Optical Quality Analysis System(OQAS).METHODS:This study enrolled 46 participants(aged 23 to 30y,90 eyes)with normal or corrected-to-normal vision.The cylindrical lenses(0,0.5,0.75,1.0,and 1.25 D)were placed at the axial direction(180°,45°,90°,and 135°)in front of the eyes with the best correction to form 16 types of regular low-degree astigmatism.OQAS was used to detect the objective visual quality,recorded as the objective scattering index(OSI),OQAS values at contrasts of 100%,20%,and 9%predictive visual acuity(OV100%,OV20%,and OV9%),modulation transfer function cut-off(MTFcut-off)and Strehl ratio(SR).The mixed effect linear model was used to compare objective visual quality differences between groups and examine associations between astigmatic magnitude and objective visual quality parameters.RESULTS:Apparent negative relationships between the magnitude of low astigmatism and objective visual quality were observed.The increase of OSI per degree of astigmatism at 180°,45°,90°,and 135°axis were 0.38(95%CI:0.35,0.42),0.50(95%CI:0.46,0.53),0.49(95%CI:0.45,0.54)and 0.37(95%CI:0.34,0.41),respectively.The decrease of MTFcut-off per degree of astigmatism at 180°,45°,90°,and 135°axis were-10.30(95%CI:-11.43,-9.16),-12.73(95%CI:-13.62,-11.86),-12.75(95%CI:-13.79,-11.70),and-9.97(95%CI:-10.92,-9.03),respectively.At the same astigmatism degree,OSI at 45°and 90°axis were higher than that at 0°and 135°axis,while MTFcut-off were lower.CONCLUSION:Low astigmatism of only 0.50 D can significantly reduce the objective visual quality.

Assessment of Physico-Chemical and Microbial Quality of Sugarcane Juice Sold by Street Vendors in Three Regions of Bangladesh

Sugar cane juice is a popular refreshing drink in most part of Bangladesh. It has great taste and health benefits;also it is available most of the public places at reasonable prices which consumed by road side customers including general public, shopping personals, tourists, students. In our country, street vendors crushing sugarcane between roller crusher and sold without any heat treatment or preservative, also served with or without added ice and lemon juice. The study aimed to identify and compare the physico-chemical and microbial quality of sugarcane juice. The chemical qualities of juices including moisture, PH, ash, total soluble solid, total sugar, reducing sugar and titrable acidity were found slightly different in Mymensingh, Gazipur and Narayangonj areas. The highest and lowest value of moisture, ash, PH, total soluble solids, total sugar, reducing sugar and titrable acidity were found in 84.33% - 79.26% (Gazipur-Mymensingh), 0.57% - 0.04% (Mymensingh-Gazipur), 5.9 - 2.9 (Gazipur-Narayangonj), 17.48% - 4.98% (Mymensingh-Narayangonj), 21.9% - 6.56% (Mymensingh-Gazipur), 3.7 - 2.1 (Gazipur-Mymensingh) and 0.523% - 0.007% (Narayangonj-Gazipur) respectively. For microbiological analysis, the total viable count of sugar cane juice in Mymensingh, Gazipur and Narayangonj were ranged from 0.6 × 105 - 43.6 × 105 cfu/ml, 4.6 × 105 - 21.6 × 105 cfu/ml and 3.6 × 105 - 36.6 × 105 cfu/ml respectively, where the permitted value is 1.0 × 104 cfu/ml, whereas the total coliform count was ranged from 0.4 × 105 - 6.4 × 105 cfu/ml, 0.6 × 105 - 8.4 × 105 cfu/ml and 0.00 - 8.4 × 105 cfu/ml, where the permitted value is 100 cfu/ml and total fungal count was ranged from 5.5 × 105 - 56.5 × 105 cfu/ml, 21.5 × 105 - 54.5 × 105 cfu/ml and 32.5 × 105 - 68.5 × 105 cfu/ml, where the permitted value is 1000 cfu/ml. According to the Gulf standard, the microbiological parameters of all the collected sugar cane juice were out of the permitted standards, so that a serious health outbreak can be caused anytime.

Sleep quality in middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients:Impact of a structured nursing intervention program

BACKGROUND Poor sleep quality is common among hemodialysis patients and can significantly impact their well-being.This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured nursing intervention program in improving sleep quality in middleaged and elderly hemodialysis patients.AIM To evaluate the impact of nursing intervention on sleep quality in hemodialysis patients.METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital,the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University,in 2023.This study included 105 middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients aged≥45 years who underwent maintenance hemodialysis for at least 3 mo,utilizing the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)to identify poor sleepers.Those identified underwent a 12-wk nursing intervention program focusing on education,relaxation techniques,and counseling.Post-intervention,sleep quality was reassessed using the PSQI.RESULTS The study found that 68.6%of hemodialysis patients were poor sleepers.Following the 12-wk nursing intervention program,there was a significant decrease in the mean global PSQI score from 8.9±3.2 to 5.1±2.7(P<0.001),indicating improved sleep quality.This demonstrated the effectiveness of the structured nursing intervention in enhancing sleep quality for middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients.CONCLUSION The structured nursing intervention program focusing on sleep hygiene education,relaxation techniques,and counseling effectively improved sleep quality among middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients.The significant decrease in the mean global PSQI score post-intervention indicates the positive impact of tailored nursing interventions in addressing poor sleep quality in this patient population.These findings emphasize the importance of implementing targeted nursing interventions to enhance the quality of life for hemodialysis patients by addressing the prevalent issue of poor sleep quality.

Exploring groundwater quality in semi-arid areas of Algeria:Impacts on potable water supply and agricultural sustainability

Groundwater quality assessment is important to assure safe and durable water use.In semi-arid areas of Algeria,groundwater represents the main water resource for drinking water supply of the rural population as well as for irrigation of agricultural lands.Groundwater samples from wells and springs were collected from the Gargaat Tarf and Annk Djemel sub-watersheds of the Oum El Bouaghi,Algeria,and were analyzed and compared with the World Health Organization(WHO)standards.Results showed that most of the measured physical and chemical parameters exceeded the quality limits according to the WHO standards.Groundwater had a slightly alkaline water pH(7.00-7.79),electrical conductivity>1500μS/cm,chloride>500 mg/L,calcium>250 mg/L,and magnesium>155 mg/L.Water quality index(WQI)results showed that 68%of the area had excellent water quality,24%of the samples fell into good category,and only 8%were of poor quality and unsuitable for human consumption.Six wells in the area showed bacterial contamination.Total coliforms(453.9(±180.3)CFU(colony-forming units)/100 mL),fecal coliforms(243.2(±99.2)CFU/100 mL),and fecal streptococci(77.9(±32.0)CFU/100 mL)loads were above the standard limits set by the WHO.These results confirmed that water resources in the study area were strongly influenced by anthropogenic activities and were not recommended for consumption as drinking water.

Correlation and Pathway Analysis of the Carbon,Nitrogen,and Phosphorus in Soil-Microorganism-Plant with Main Quality Components of Tea(Camellia sinensis)

The contents of carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P)in soil-microorganisms-plant significantly affect tea quality by altering the main quality components of tea,such as tea polyphenols,amino acids,and caffeine.However,few studies have quantified the effects of these factors on the main quality components of tea.The study aimed to explore the interactions of C,N,and P in soil-microorganisms-plants and the effects of these factors on the main quality components of tea by using the path analysis method.The results indicated that(1)The contents of C,N,and P in soil,microorganisms,and tea plants were highly correlated and collinear,and showed significant correlations with the main quality components of tea.(2)Optimal regression equations were established to esti-mate tea polyphenol,amino acid,catechin,caffeine,and water extract content based on C,N,and P contents in soil,microorganisms,and tea plants(R^(2)=0.923,0.726,0.954,0.848,and 0.883,respectively).(3)Pathway analysis showed that microbial biomass phosphorus(MBP),root phosphorus,branch nitrogen,and microbial biomass carbon(MBC)were the largest direct impact factors on tea polyphenol,catechin,water extracts,amino acid,and caffeine content,respectively.Leaf carbon,root phosphorus,and leaf nitrogen were the largest indirect impact factors on tea polyphenol,catechin,and water extract content,respectively.Leaf carbon indirectly affected tea polyphenol content mainly by altering MBP content.Root phosphorus indirectly affected catechin content mainly by altering soil organic carbon content.Leaf nitrogen indirectly affected water extract content mainly by altering branch nitrogen content.The research results provide the scientific basis for reasonable fertilization in tea gardens and tea quality improvement.

Review of Fault-tolerant Control for Motor Inverter Failure with Operational Quality Considered

In recent years,motor drive systems have garnered increasing attention due to their high efficiency and superior control performance.This is especially apparent in aerospace,marine propulsion,and electric vehicles,where high performance,efficiency,and reliability are crucial.The ability of the drive system to maintain long-term fault-tolerant control(FTC)operation after a failure is essential.The likelihood of inverter failures surpasses that of other components in the drive system,highlighting its critical importance.Long-term FTC operation ensures the system retains its fundamental functions until safe repairs or replacements can be made.The focus of developing a FTC strategy has shifted from basic FTC operations to enhancing the post-fault quality to accommodate the realities of prolonged operation post-failure.This paper primarily investigates FTC strategies for inverter failures in various motor drive systems over the past decade.These strategies are categorized into three types based on post-fault operational quality:rescue,remedy,and reestablishment.The paper discusses each typical control strategy and its research focus,the strengths and weaknesses of various algorithms,and recent advancements in FTC.Finally,this review summarizes effective FTC techniques for inverter failures in motor drive systems and suggests directions for future research.

Exploring the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide and semen quality parameters:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To investigate the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide(SO2)exposure and semen quality parameters.Methods:A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies investigating the association between SO2 exposure and semen quality parameters.This search encompassed the timeframe from January 2000 to May 2023 and included electronic databases such as Web of Science,Google Scholar,PubMed,Cochrane,and Scopus.Pooled effect estimates with 95%confidence intervals(CI)were calculated using percent changes(PC).The meta-analysis included seven studies with 6711 participants and 15087 semen samples.Results:The results revealed a significant negative association between ambient SO2 exposure and certain semen quality parameters.In particular,SO2 exposure was associated with a significant decrease in progressive motility(PC=0.032;95%CI:-0.063 to-0.001;P=0.044)and sperm concentration(PC=-0.020;95%CI:-0.036 to-0.005;P=0.012).However,no statistically significant associations were observed for total sperm count(PC=-0.038;95%CI:-0.079 to 0.003;P=0.070),seminal fluid volume(PC=-0.009;95%CI:-0.048 to-0.030;P=0.662)and sperm motility(PC=-0.17;95%CI:-0.363 to 0.022;P=0.830).In addition,the results of the subgroup analysis revealed specific variables that were associated with the decrease in relevant sperm parameters.Conclusions:This systematic review and meta-analysis provides compelling evidence supporting a consistent negative association between exposure to ambient SO2 and semen quality parameters.

Safety-Constrained Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Power Quality Control in Distributed Renewable Energy Networks

This paper examines the difficulties of managing distributed power systems,notably due to the increasing use of renewable energy sources,and focuses on voltage control challenges exacerbated by their variable nature in modern power grids.To tackle the unique challenges of voltage control in distributed renewable energy networks,researchers are increasingly turning towards multi-agent reinforcement learning(MARL).However,MARL raises safety concerns due to the unpredictability in agent actions during their exploration phase.This unpredictability can lead to unsafe control measures.To mitigate these safety concerns in MARL-based voltage control,our study introduces a novel approach:Safety-ConstrainedMulti-Agent Reinforcement Learning(SC-MARL).This approach incorporates a specialized safety constraint module specifically designed for voltage control within the MARL framework.This module ensures that the MARL agents carry out voltage control actions safely.The experiments demonstrate that,in the 33-buses,141-buses,and 322-buses power systems,employing SC-MARL for voltage control resulted in a reduction of the Voltage Out of Control Rate(%V.out)from0.43,0.24,and 2.95 to 0,0.01,and 0.03,respectively.Additionally,the Reactive Power Loss(Q loss)decreased from 0.095,0.547,and 0.017 to 0.062,0.452,and 0.016 in the corresponding systems.

Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene on skin greasiness and quality of'Yuluxiang'pear during storage at 20℃

During storage at 20℃,specific pear cultivars may exhibit a greasy texture and decline in quality due to fruit senescence.Among these varieties,‘Yuluxiang’is particularly susceptible to peel greasiness,resulting in significant economic losses.Therefore,there is an urgent need for a preservative that can effectively inhibit the development of greasiness.Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of 1-methylcyclopropene(1-MCP)in extending the storage period of fruits.We hypothesize that it may also influence the occurrence of postharvest peel greasiness in the‘Yuluxiang’pears.In this study,we treated‘Yuluxiang’pears with 1-MCP.We stored them at 20℃while analyzing the composition and morphology of the surface waxes,recording enzyme activities related to wax synthesis,and measuring indicators associated with fruit storage quality and physiological characteristics.The results demonstrate that prolonged storage at 20℃leads to a rapid increase in skin greasiness,consistent with the observed elevations in L*,greasiness score,and the content of total wax and greasy wax components.Moreover,there were indications that cuticular waxes underwent melting,resulting in the formation of an amorphous structure.In comparison to controls,the application of 1-MCP significantly inhibited increments in L*values as well as grease scores while also reducing accumulation rates for oily waxes throughout most stages over its shelf period,additionally delaying transitions from flaky-wax structures towards their amorphous counterparts.During the initial 7 d of storage,several enzymes involved in the biosynthesis and metabolism of greasy wax components,including lipoxygenase(LOX),phospholipase D(PLD),andβ-ketoacyl-CoA synthase(KCS),exhibited an increase followed by a subsequent decline.The activity of LOX during early shelf life(0–7 d)and the KCS activity during middle to late shelf life(14–21 d)were significantly suppressed by 1-MCP.Additionally,1-MCP effectively maintained firmness,total soluble solid(TSS)and titratable acid(TA)contents,peroxidase(POD),and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase(PAL)activities while inhibiting vitamin C degradation and weight loss.Furthermore,it restrained polyphenol oxidase(PPO)activity,ethylene production,and respiration rate increase.These findings demonstrate that 1-MCP not only delays the onset of peel greasiness but also preserves the overall storage quality of‘Yuluxiang’pear at a temperature of 20℃.This study presents a novel approach for developing new preservatives to inhibit pear fruit peel greasiness and provides a theoretical foundation for further research on pear fruit preservation.

Does Green Food Certification promote agri-food export quality?Evidence from China

The construction of a food certification system plays a vital role in upgrading export quality, which previous studies have largely overlooked. We match China's industry-level data of Green Food Certification with its HS6-digit export data of agri-food products to quantify the impact of Green Food Certification on export quality. We identify the significant and positive effect of Green Food Certification on export quality. The 2SLS estimation based on instrumental variables and a range of robustness checks confirm the validity and robustness of the benchmark conclusions. Further analysis discloses that Green Food Certification improves export quality by raising agricultural production efficiency and brand premiums. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of Green Food Certification varies across regions, notably improving the quality of agri-food products exported to developed regions and regions with high levels of import supervision. Furthermore, among various product types, Green Food Certification significantly improves the export quality of primary products and products vulnerable to non-tariff measures. The above findings could guide the future development of agri-food quality certification systems, potentially leading to a transformation and promotion of the agri-food trade.

Effects of high-quality neurosurgical nursing care on improving clinical nursing quality

BACKGROUND With continuous advancements in medical technology,neurosurgical nursing is constantly developing and improving to provide higher-quality nursing services.AIM To explore the effects of different types of high-quality nursing care on clinical nursing quality and patient satisfaction in neurosurgical nursing.METHODS Eighty patients who received neurosurgical treatment in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from June to December 2020 were selected as study participants and categorised into study and control groups.The study group comprised 40 patients who received 4 different types of high-quality nursing care,whereas the control group comprised 40 patients who received conventional nursing care.After a specific period,nursing satisfaction levels and adverse event and complication rates were compared between the two groups.RESULTS Satisfaction with high-quality care was higher than that with conventional care,and high-quality health services and regional services showed the highest satisfaction levels,with an average score of 12 on the Glasgow scale.The satisfaction levels of the study and control groups were 75%and 57%,respectively,with a statistically significant difference(t=7.314,P<0.05).During the nursing period,the adverse event and complication rates were the highest in patients with level III pathology grade and those who underwent neurosurgery(40.02%and 85.93%,respectively),and the difference was statistically significant.CONCLUSION In neurosurgical nursing,employing appropriate high-quality nursing methods can effectively reduce adverse event and complication rates in patients,thereby improving the quality of nursing care and increasing clinical nursing value.

Air Quality Assessment of Ubeji Community near Petroleum-Related Activities

The escalating global concern over air pollution requires rigorous investigations. This study assesses air quality near residential areas affected by petroleum-related activities in Ubeji Community, utilizing Aeroqual handheld mobile multi-gas monitors and air quality multi-meters. Air sampling occurred on three distinct days using multi-gas monitors and meters, covering parameters such as CO, NO2, CH4, NH3, VOCs, Particulate Matter, Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Air Quality Index. Soil and plant samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical and organic components. Air pollutant concentrations showed significant fluctuations. Carbon monoxide (CO) ranged from 0.00 to 3.22 ppm, NO2 from 0.00 to 0.10 ppm, CH4 from 4.00 to 2083 ppm, NH3 from 371 to 5086 ppm, and VOCs from 414 to 6135 ppm. Soil analysis revealed low total nitrogen, and undetected BTEX levels. Plant samples displayed a pH range of 7.72 to 9.45. CO concentrations, although below WHO limits, indicated potential vehicular and industrial influences. Fluctuations in NO2 and CH4 were linked to traffic, industrial activities, and gas flaring. NH3 levels suggested diverse pollution sources. The result in this study highlights the dynamic nature of air pollution in Ubeji community, emphasizing the urgent need for effective pollution control measures. Although CO concentrations were within limits, continuous monitoring is essential. Elevated NO2 levels gave information on the impact of industrial activities, while high CH4 concentrations may be associated with gas flaring and illegal refining. The study recommends comprehensive measures and collaborative efforts to address these complex issues, safeguarding both the environment and public health. This study shows the potential synergy between air quality sensors and plants for holistic environmental health assessments, offering valuable insights for environmental assessments and remediation endeavours. The findings call for stringent regulations and collaborative efforts to address air pollution in Ubeji community comprehensively.

Assessment of Groundwater Physico-Chemical Quality in the Ouémé Delta (Southern-Benin)

Groundwater resources are the main sources of water used to supply drinking water to the population of the Ouémé Delta via the Continental Terminal aquifer. Urbanization, population growth, and agricultural and industrial activities have resulted in a deterioration in the quality of these resources. To assess the quality of the delta’s groundwater and its suitability for human consumption and irrigation, a total of fourteen (14) physico-chemical parameters were analyzed in some forty existing water points between September 2020 and March 2021, using standard water analysis techniques. The values obtained were compared with the potability standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Republic of Benin and were subjected to statistical analysis (principal component analysis (PCA)). In addition, methods for determining the suitability of water for irrigation were used. The results showed that the waters are acidic to slightly neutral and influenced by ambient temperature. In addition, the waters are moderately mineralized, with conductivities (24 - 1205 μS/cm) in line with WHO standards. A comparison of the analytical results of the WHO (2017) and Benin (2001) standards indicates that the majority of the waters studied are of good quality for all the chemical parameters considered. Nevertheless, some samples show levels of nitrates (21%), potassium (14% to 16%), calcium (13%), ammonium (12%), nitrites (8%) and bicarbonates (10%) over their respective standards. The Wilcox and Riverside diagrams indicate that the majority of waters (90%) have excellent suitability for irrigation and no negative effect on soil fertilization.

Data Quality Control Method of a New Drifting Observation Technology Named Drifting Air-Sea Interface Buoy

An integral quality control(QC)procedure that integrates various QC methods and considers the design indexes and operational status of the instruments for the observations of drifting air-sea interface buoy was developed in the order of basic in-spection followed by targeted QC.The innovative method of combining a moving Hampel filter and local anomaly detection com-plies with statistical laws and physical processes,which guarantees the QC performance of meteorological variables.Two sets of observation data were used to verify the applicability and effectiveness of the QC procedure,and the effect was evaluated using the observations of the Kuroshio Extension Observatory buoy as the reference.The results showed that the outliers in the time series can be correctly identified and processed,and the quality of data improved significantly.The linear correlation between the quality-controlled observations and the reference increased,and the difference decreased.The correlation coefficient of wind speed before and after QC increased from 0.77 to 0.82,and the maximum absolute error decreased by approximately 2.8ms^(-1).In addition,air pressure and relative humidity were optimized by 10^(-3)–10^(-2) orders of magnitude.For the sea surface temperature,the weight of coefficients of the continuity test algorithm was optimized based on the sea area of data acquisition,which effectively expanded the applicability of the algorithm.

Failure to Rescue as a Quality Metric in Congenital Heart Surgeries in a High-Complexity Service Provider Institution Located in a Middle-Income Country

Background:Failure to rescue has been an effective quality metric in congenital heart surgery.Conversely,mor-bidity and mortality depend greatly on non-modifiable individual factors and have a weak correlation with better-quality performance.We aim to measure the complications,mortality,and risk factors in pediatric patients undergoing congenital heart surgery in a high-complexity institution located in a middle-income country and compare it with other institutions that have conducted a similar study.Methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted in a high-complexity service provider institution,in Cali,Colombia.All pediatric patients undergoing any congenital heart surgery between 2019 and 2022 were included.The main outcomes evaluated in the study were complication,mortality,and failure to rescue rate.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed with mortality as the outcome variable.Results:We evaluated 308 congenital heart sur-geries.Regarding the outcomes,201(65%)complications occurred,23(7.5%)patients died,and the FTR of the entire cohort was 11.4%.The presence of a postoperative complication(OR 14.88,CI 3.06–268.37,p=0.009),age(OR 0.79,CI 0.57–0.96,p=0.068),and urgent/emergent surgery(OR 8.14,CI 2.97–28.66,p<0.001)were the most significant variables in predicting mortality.Conclusions:Failure to rescue is an effective and comparable quality measure in healthcare institutions and is the major contributor to postoperative mortality in congenital heart surgeries.Despite our higher mortality and complication rate,we obtained a comparable failure to rescue rate to high-income countries’health institutions.

Rock mass quality prediction on tunnel faces with incomplete multi-source dataset via tree-augmented naive Bayesian network

Rock mass quality serves as a vital index for predicting the stability and safety status of rock tunnel faces.In tunneling practice,the rock mass quality is often assessed via a combination of qualitative and quantitative parameters.However,due to the harsh on-site construction conditions,it is rather difficult to obtain some of the evaluation parameters which are essential for the rock mass quality prediction.In this study,a novel improved Swin Transformer is proposed to detect,segment,and quantify rock mass characteristic parameters such as water leakage,fractures,weak interlayers.The site experiment results demonstrate that the improved Swin Transformer achieves optimal segmentation results and achieving accuracies of 92%,81%,and 86%for water leakage,fractures,and weak interlayers,respectively.A multisource rock tunnel face characteristic(RTFC)dataset includes 11 parameters for predicting rock mass quality is established.Considering the limitations in predictive performance of incomplete evaluation parameters exist in this dataset,a novel tree-augmented naive Bayesian network(BN)is proposed to address the challenge of the incomplete dataset and achieved a prediction accuracy of 88%.In comparison with other commonly used Machine Learning models the proposed BN-based approach proved an improved performance on predicting the rock mass quality with the incomplete dataset.By utilizing the established BN,a further sensitivity analysis is conducted to quantitatively evaluate the importance of the various parameters,results indicate that the rock strength and fractures parameter exert the most significant influence on rock mass quality.

Effect of lens surgery on health-related quality of life in preschool children with congenital ectopia lentis

AIM:To evaluate the effect of lens surgery on health-related quality of life(HRQoL)of preschool children with congenital ectopia lentis(CEL).METHODS:A prospective self-controlled study was conducted in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center.Children aged from 5 to 7y whom were diagnosed with CEL and underwent phacoemulsification with scleral-fixated posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation and their parents were enrolled in this study.All of them completed the child and proxy(parental)PedsQL™4.0 before and after the surgery.Their preoperative scores were compared to their postoperative ones.Subgroup analyses were performed based on gender and preoperative bilateral presenting visual acuity of the children.RESULTS:Thirty-two children with CEL successfully underwent surgery without any complications,among whom 8 had monocular surgery and 24 had binocular surgery.Preoperative and postoperative questionnaires were completed by 32 child-parent pairs.Surgical intervention could significantly improve the vision of affected children(P<0.001).The medians of physical,psychosocial and total health scores self-reported by the children were 68.75(62.50,81.25),65.00(60.00,80.00)and 67.39(60.87,78.26)preoperatively and were 93.75(87.50,100.00),90.00(83.33,96.67)and 89.13(85.32,95.65)postoperatively.The preoperative scores of the affected children were significantly lower in all scales than age-matched healthy children(P<0.001).All the postoperative scores were significantly higher than the preoperative scores in affected children and their parents(P<0.001).In the physical functioning evaluation,the preoperative score reported by parents of girls was higher than parents of boys(P=0.041),and the postoperative score of girls was higher than that of boys(P=0.036).CONCLUSION:CEL is associated with significantly worse quality of life in preschool children.Surgical intervention can significantly improve the HRQoL in affected children from both personal and family perspective.

Identification of new cotton fiber-quality QTL by multiple genomic analyses and development of markers for genomic breeding

Cotton fiber is one of the main raw materials for the textile industry.In recent years,many cotton fiber quality QTL have been identified,but few were applied in breeding.In this study,a genome wide association study(GWAS)of fiber-quality traits in 265 upland cotton breeding intermediate lines(GhBreeding),combined with genome-wide selective sweep analysis(GSSA)and genomic selection(GS),revealed 25 QTL.Most of these QTL were ignored by only using GWAS.The CRISPR/Cas9 mutants of GhMYB_D13 had shorter fiber,which indicates the credibility of QTL to a certain extent.Then these QTL were verified in other cotton natural populations,5 stable QTL were found having broad potential for application in breeding.Additionally,among these 5 stable QTL,superior genotypes of 4 showed an enrichment in most improved new varieties widely cultivated currently.These findings provide insights for how to identify more QTL through combined multiple genomic analysis to apply in breeding.

Power Quality Disturbance Identification Basing on Adaptive Kalman Filter andMulti-Scale Channel Attention Fusion Convolutional Network

In light of the prevailing issue that the existing convolutional neural network(CNN)power quality disturbance identification method can only extract single-scale features,which leads to a lack of feature information and weak anti-noise performance,a new approach for identifying power quality disturbances based on an adaptive Kalman filter(KF)and multi-scale channel attention(MS-CAM)fused convolutional neural network is suggested.Single and composite-disruption signals are generated through simulation.The adaptive maximum likelihood Kalman filter is employed for noise reduction in the initial disturbance signal,and subsequent integration of multi-scale features into the conventional CNN architecture is conducted.The multi-scale features of the signal are captured by convolution kernels of different sizes so that the model can obtain diverse feature expressions.The attention mechanism(ATT)is introduced to adaptively allocate the extracted features,and the features are fused and selected to obtain the new main features.The Softmax classifier is employed for the classification of power quality disturbances.Finally,by comparing the recognition accuracy of the convolutional neural network(CNN),the model using the attention mechanism,the bidirectional long-term and short-term memory network(MS-Bi-LSTM),and the multi-scale convolutional neural network(MSCNN)with the attention mechanism with the proposed method.The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method is higher than CNN,MS-Bi-LSTM,and MSCNN,and the overall recognition rate exceeds 99%,and the proposed method has significant classification accuracy and robust classification performance.This achievement provides a new perspective for further exploration in the field of power quality disturbance classification.

Adding chitosan nanoparticles of green tea extract in diluent and thawing temperatures ameliorate the post-thawed quality of Boer buck semen

Objective:To improve the quality of post-thawing Boer buck semen for artificial insemination by adding green tea extract chitosan nanoparticles to skimmed egg yolk diluent,and the proper thawing temperature.Methods:The ejaculate of Boer buck was added to skimmed egg yolk diluent without(the control group)and with adding 1μg of chitosan nanoparticles of green tea extract per mL of diluent(the treatment group).Then,the diluted semen was filled in French mini straws containing 60×106 live sperm per straw,frozen in a standard protocol,and stored as frozen semen at−196℃for a week.Six replicates from each group were diluted for 30 s at 37℃or 39℃sterile water to evaluate the semen quality.Results:Post-thawing(at 37℃or 39℃)of live sperm,progressive motility,and plasma membrane integrity were lower compared to those of the pre-freezing stage(P<0.05).Thawing at 37℃resulted in no significant difference in live sperm,progressive motility,and plasma membrane between the control group and the treatment group(P>0.05).The live sperm,progressive motility,and plasma membrane of the treatment group in the pre-freezing stage,and post-thawed at 39℃were higher compared to those of the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in malondialdehyde(MDA)concentration,DNA fragmentation,and catalase concentration of thawing at 37℃compared to those of 39℃in the same group.The MDA concentration and DNA fragmentation in thawing at 37℃and 39℃of the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group(P<0.05).However,the catalase concentration in thawing at 37℃and 39℃of the treatment group was not significantly different than the control group(P>0.05).Conclusions:Higher quality post-thawing Boer buck semen is achieved by adding 1μg/mL of chitosan nanoparticles of green tea extract to the skimmed egg yolk diluent and thawing at 39℃.