Effectiveness and safety of early lens extraction during par plana vitrectomy for proliferative diabetes retinopathy with mild cataract:a randomized clinical trial

●AIM:To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of early lens extraction during pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)for proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)compared to those of PPV with subsequent cataract surgery.●METHODS:This multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted in three Chinese hospitals on patients with PDR,aged>45y,with mild cataracts.The participants were randomly assigned to the combined(PPV combined with simultaneously cataract surgery,i.e.,phacovitrectomy)or subsequent(PPV with subsequent cataract surgery 6mo later)group and followed up for 12mo.The primary outcome was the change in best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA)from baseline to 6mo,and the secondary outcomes included complication rates and medical expenses.●RESULTS:In total,129 patients with PDR were recruited and equally randomized(66 and 63 in the combined and subsequent groups respectively).The change in BCVA in the combined group[mean,36.90 letters;95%confidence interval(CI),30.35–43.45]was significantly better(adjusted difference,16.43;95%CI,8.77–24.08;P<0.001)than in the subsequent group(mean,22.40 letters;95%CI,15.55–29.24)6mo after the PPV,with no significant difference between the two groups at 12mo.The overall surgical risk of two sequential surgeries was significantly higher than that of the combined surgery for neovascular glaucoma(17.65%vs 3.77%,P=0.005).No significant differences were found in the photocoagulation spots,surgical time,and economic expenses between two groups.In the subsequent group,the duration of work incapacity(22.54±9.11d)was significantly longer(P<0.001)than that of the combined group(12.44±6.48d).●CONCLUSION:PDR patients aged over 45y with mild cataract can also benefit from early lens extraction during PPV with gratifying effectiveness,safety and convenience,compared to sequential surgeries.

Correction of extreme hyperopia: artisan iris-fixated intraocular lens implantation for pseudophakia after clear lens extraction

A 22-year-old patient suffering from both-side extreme hyperopia with amblyopia was corrected with an Artisan iris-fixated intraocular lens (IOL) implantation followed to clear lens extraction (CLE) with posterior chamber (PC)-IOL implantation. The preoperative refraction values were +17.75DS -1.50DC × 168° for the right eye and +17.25DS -0.75DC × 8° for the left eye. The uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was 20/200 bilaterally and the spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) was 20/50 bilaterally. One year after Artisan iris-fixated IOL implantation, bilateral BSCVA was 20/50 with a refraction of +1.25DS -0.75DC × 13° for the right eye and +1.50DS -1.00DC × 55° for the left eye. The outcomes of an Artisan iris-fixated IOL implantation followed to CLE with PC-IOL implantation were encouraging for the correction of extreme hyperopia. Long term follow-up examinations were necessary for further determination of the efficacy and safety of this combinational procedure.

Postoperative efficacy,safety,predictability,and visual quality of implantable collamer lens implantation versus small incision lenticule extraction in myopic eyes:a Meta-analysis

AIM:To compare the postoperative efficacy,safety,predictability,and visual quality of implantable collamer lens(ICL)implantation versus small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)in myopia eyes.METHODS:Pub Med,EMBASE,Web of Science,Cochrane Library and several Chinese databases were searched at May 2021 to select relevant studies in comparison of clinical outcomes between ICL implantation and SMILE for myopia.The primary outcomes were efficacy,safety,and predictability.And the secondary outcomes were postoperative higher-order ocular aberrations(HOAs),modulation transfer function cutoff frequency(MTF),objective scatter index(OSI),contrast sensitivity and a quality of vision(Qo V)questionnaire.RESULTS:A total of 1036 eyes from 10 studies,of which 503 eyes underwent ICL implantation and 533 eyes underwent SMILE,were enrolled in this Meta-analysis.Pooled results revealed that ICL group had a better safety index and post-corrected distance visual acuity(CDVA)(P=0.007,<0.00001,respectively),and a lower percentage of eyes with a postoperative CDVA lost 1 line(P=0.007)than the SMILE group.No significant differences were found in comparison of the other primary outcomes.In the longterm follow-up(>6mo),ICL group had a lower total HOA,coma,and spherical aberration than SMILE group(P=0.003,<0.00001,0.04).Yet higher trefoil was found in ICL group at 6mo after surgery(P=0.003).Additionally,ICL group also had a higher MTF value(P=0.02),and a higher contrast sensitivity score for spatial frequencies of 1.5,6,and 12 cpds(P=0.02,0.005,0.02,respectively).And it also had a lower score of bothersome in Qo V questionnaire than SMILE group(P=0.003).CONCLUSION:ICL implantation and SMILE have similar and comparable outcomes in term of the efficacy and predictability for correcting high myopia.However,ICL group is relatively safer and also has better visual quality in comparison of SMILE group.

A new treatment option for the resistant spasm of accommodation:clear lens extraction and multifocal intraocular lens implantation

Dear Editor,We write you to present a 20-year-old man with resistant spasm of accommodation without any organic cause treated with clear lens extraction（CLE）with phacoemulsification and multifocal intraocular lens（IOL）implantation.

LMWH inhibits anterior chamber inflammation after extra capsular lens extraction through down regulation of bFGF content in aqueous humor

AIM: To observe the changes of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) content in anterior chamber before and after extra capsular lens extraction for investigating the mechanism of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) inhibiting anterior chamber inflammation. METHODS: Eighty-four rabbits were randomly divided into control and experimental group, 42 rabbits in each group. Extra capsular lens extraction was done on unilateral eye in each rabbit. LMWH was perfused into anterior chamber by the concentration of 50U/mL at the end of operation in experimental group. The degrees of corneal edema, aqueous flare and fibrin were evaluated with slit lamp microscope in postoperative day 1, 3, 6, 15, 30, 45 and 60, respectively. Six eyes of each group were at each time point. Contents of bFGF in aqueous humor were determined by ELISA after animals were killed. Another six eyes were used for determining the base line level of bFGF in aqueous humor. RESULTS: The degrees of corneal edema, aqueous flare and fibrin in experimental group were significantly lighter than those in control group (p<0.01) on postoperative day 1, 3 and 6, respectively. No difference was showed between the two groups at other point time. Contents of bFGF in aqueous humor increased at the same time. bFGF content was reached peal on postoperative day 1 in experimental group, while on postoperative day 6 in control group. Contents of bFGF in the two groups declined slowly after reaching peak. The bFGF content in control group were significantly higher than that in experimental group 1-30 days after surgery (p<0.05). No significant differences were shown between the two groups on postoperative day 45 and 60, respectively. CONCLUSION: Perfusion with LMWH by the concentration of 50U/mL can significantly reduce anterior chamber inflammation after extra capsular lens extraction in rabbits, which may be related to down regulation of bFGF content in aqueous humor.

A Clinical Analysis of 120 Cases with Traumatic Cataract Treated by Extracapsular Cataract Extraction and Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lens Implantation

Extracapsular cataract extraction was performed combined with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation on 120 inpatients (122 eyes) with traumatic cataract from 1992 to 1997. The results revealed that this combined operation can make most of them get useful visual acuity, although they were often accompanied with several comlicated eye injuries. We think the most important thing is to choose suitable opertion time, the reasonable operation method and take close followup after operation.

Perspective on early lens extraction for primary angle-closure glaucoma

Primary angle-closure glaucoma(PACG)is a subtype of glaucoma that affects 16 million people worldwide,of whom4 million are bilaterally blind.This prevalence of PACG is expected to increase to 21 million cases by 2020,and it is expected that 5.3 million people will become

Clear lens extraction in angle-closure glaucoma patients

AIM: To describe the results of 5 consecutive cases of clear lens extraction in angle closure patients for the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). ·METHODS: Retrospective observational case series. All angle closure patients were on two or more topical glaucoma medications and had prior laser iridotomy. Eyes underwent clear lens extraction by phacoemu - lsification with intraocular lens implantation. ·RESULTS: All five patients in this case series carried the diagnosis of angle -closure glaucoma and had uncontrolled IOP prior to surgery despite topical medications. After clear lens extraction three of the cases had good IOP control (IOP 【22mmHg) without the need for topical medications. In one case the IOP was better controlled after surgery, however, topical medications were required. The desired IOP was not met in one case despite restarting maximum topical therapy. ·CONCLUSION: This case series suggests that there may be a role for therapeutic clear lens extraction in select cases of angle-closure glaucoma.

Long-term results of clear lens extraction combined with piggyback intraocular lens implantation to correct high hyperopia

AIM:To assess the refractive outcome of clear lensectomy combined with piggyback intraocular lens implantation in highly hyperopic patients.METHODS:This case review included 19 eyes of 10 patients with high hyperopia and axial length less than 21mm.Intraocular lens power was calculated for emmetropia using the Holladay II formula in 17 eyes,and SRK/T formula in 2 eyes following clear lens extraction and piggyback intraocular lens implantation.Patients were examined periodically over 24 months for visual acuity and spherical equivalent(SE).RESULTS:The mean postoperative SE at 24 months was 0.20±1.39D(range,-3.00 to 2.50D),better than preoperative 9.81±2.62D(range,+6.00 to +14.50D)(P【0.001).Five eyes had SE within±0.5D of emmetropia and 11 eyes within±1.00D at postoperative 24 months.The mean postoperative uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA) at 24 months was 0.60±0.36,significantly improved compared to preoperative 1.39±0.33(P【0.001).The mean best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA) at 24 months was 0.49±0.35,not statistically different compared to preoperative 0.38±0.30(P=0.34).Twelve eyes maintained and 1 gained 1 or more Snellen line of BCVA,4 eyes lost 1 line,and 2 eyes lost 2 lines at 24 postoperative months.Twelve eyes best-corrected near visual acuity (BCNVA) achieved J1 at postoperative 24 months compared to preoperative 7 eyes and the other 7 eyes better than J3.CONCLUSION:Clearlensextractioncombinedpiggyback intraocular lens implantation appears to be an effective procedure to correct high hyperopia but mild overcorrection and intralenticular opacification may require secondary procedure.

Extraction and Modelling of Oil from <i>Eucalyptus camadulensis by</i>Organic Solvent

This work was conducted to study the extraction of eucalyptus oil from natural plants (Eucalyptus camadulensis leaves) by organic solvents. the effects of the main operating parameters were studied;type of solvent (n-hexane and ethanol), time to reach equilibrium, the temperature (45&degC to 65&degC) for n-hexane and (45&degC to 75&degC) for ethanol, solvent to solid ratio (5:1 to 8:1 (v/w)), agitation speed (0 to 900 rpm) and the particle size (0.5 to 2.5 cm) of fresh leaves to find the best processing conditions for the achieving maximum oil yield. The concentration of eucalyptus oil in solvent was measured by using UV-spectrophotometer. The results (for n-hexane) showed that the agitation speed of 900 rpm, temperature 65&degC with solvent to solid ratio 7:1 (v/w) of particle size 0.5 cm for 210 minute give the highest value of oil (68.5 wt%). Similar conditions for ethanol with the exception of the temperature (75&degC) give the highest yield of oil (65.07 wt%).

Effects of ultrasonic-assisted extraction on bioactive compounds,volatile flavors and antioxidant activities of vine tea water extracts

Background:Ampelopsis grossedentata,vine tea,which is the tea alternative beverages in China.In vine tea processing,a large amount of broken tea is produced,which has low commercial value.Methods:This study investigates the influence of different extraction methods(room temperature water extraction,boiling water extraction,ultrasonic-assisted room temperature water extraction,and ultrasonic-assisted boiling water extraction,referred to as room temperature water extraction(RE),boiling water extraction(BE),ultrasonic assistance at room temperature water extraction(URE),and ultrasonic assistance in boiling water extraction(UBE))on the yield,dihydromyricetin(DMY)content,free amino acid composition,volatile aroma components,and antioxidant properties of vine tea extracts.Results:A notable influence of extraction temperature on the yield of vine tea extracts(P<0.05),with BE yielding the highest at 43.13±0.26%,higher than that of RE(34.29±0.81%).Ultrasound-assisted extraction significantly increased the DMY content of the extracts(P<0.05),whereas DMY content in the RE extracts was 59.94±1.70%,that of URE reached 66.14±2.78%.Analysis revealed 17 amino acids,with L-serine and aspartic acid being the most abundant in the extracts,nevertheless ultrasound-assisted extraction reduced total free amino acid content.Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated an increase in the diversity and quantity of compounds in the vine tea water extracts obtained through ultrasonic-assisted extraction.Specifically,69 and 68 volatile compounds were found in URE and UBE extracts,which were higher than the number found in RE and BE extracts.In vitro,antioxidant activity assessments revealed varying antioxidant capacities among different extraction methods,with RE exhibiting the highest DPPH scavenging rate,URE leading in ABTS•+free radical scavenging,and BE demonstrating superior ferric ion reducing antioxidant activity.Conclusion:The findings suggest that extraction methods significantly influence the chemical composition and antioxidant properties of vine tea extracts.Ultrasonic-assisted extraction proved instrumental in elevating the DMY content in vine tea extracts,thereby enriching its flavor profile while maintaining its antioxidant properties.

Sutured scleral fixation of existing subluxated/dislocated acrylic one-piece intraocular lenses

AIM:To evaluate the visual and refractive outcomes in cases after sutured scleral fixation of existing subluxated or dislocated acrylic one-piece intraocular lenses(IOLs).METHODS:This study retrospectively enrolled a consecutive series of patients who underwent a surgery of sutured existing subluxated or dislocated IOLs from October 2018 to June 2020.All patients underwent comprehensive preoperative and postoperative ophthalmologic examination,and data were collected including age,sex,surgical indications,best-corrected visual acuity,refractive error,intraocular pressure.Presence of intraoperative and postoperative surgical complications was documented.RESULTS:A total of 20 consecutive cases were enrolled for analysis with mean final follow-up period 9.8±5.3mo.Visual acuity improved from a mean of 0.35(0.46±0.32 logMAR)preoperatively to 0.61(0.21±0.18 logMAR)at the 3-month follow-up(P=0.002).The mean amount of preoperative keratometric astigmatism and total postoperative refractive astigmatism was-1.24±0.80 diopters(D)and-1.42±0.97 D,respectively.There was no statistically significant difference between preoperative and postoperative astigmatism(P=0.156).The mean IOL-induced astigmatism was-0.23±0.53 D.The mean spherical equivalent at the 3-month follow-up was-0.1±0.94 D.No major complications were noted during the follow-up period.CONCLUSION:Surgical techniques using sutured scleral fixation of existing subluxated or dislocated acrylic one-piece IOLs result in favorable visual and refractive outcomes without major complications.

Effects of conductive agent type on lithium extraction from salt lake brine with LiFePO_(4) electrodes

Electrochemical lithium extraction from salt lakes is an effective strategy for obtaining lithium at a low cost.Nevertheless,the elevated Mg:Li ratio and the presence of numerous coexisting ions in salt lake brines give rise to challenges,such as prolonged lithium extraction periods,diminished lithium extraction efficiency,and considerable environmental pollution.In this work,Li FePO4(LFP)served as the electrode material for electrochemical lithium extraction.The conductive network in the LFP electrode was optimized by adjusting the type of conductive agent.This approach resulted in high lithium extraction efficiency and extended cycle life.When the single conductive agent of acetylene black(AB)or multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)was replaced with the mixed conductive agent of AB/MWCNTs,the average diffusion coefficient of Li+in the electrode increased from 2.35×10^(-9)or 1.77×10^(-9)to 4.21×10^(-9)cm^(2)·s^(-1).At the current density of 20 mA·g^(-1),the average lithium extraction capacity per gram of LFP electrode increased from 30.36 mg with the single conductive agent(AB)to 35.62 mg with the mixed conductive agent(AB/MWCNTs).When the mixed conductive agent was used,the capacity retention of the electrode after 30 cycles reached 82.9%,which was considerably higher than the capacity retention of 65.8%obtained when the single AB was utilized.Meanwhile,the electrode with mixed conductive agent of AB/MWCNTs provided good cycling performance.When the conductive agent content decreased or the loading capacity increased,the electrode containing the mixed conductive agent continued to show excellent electrochemical performance.Furthermore,a self-designed,highly efficient,continuous lithium extraction device was constructed.The electrode utilizing the AB/MWCNT mixed conductive agent maintained excellent adsorption capacity and cycling performance in this device.This work provides a new perspective for the electrochemical extraction of lithium using LFP electrodes.

Early clinical outcome with lens position adjustment following implantable collamer lens surgery

AIM:To observe early clinical outcome with lens position adjustment following the implantable collamer lens(ICL)surgery.METHODS:Sixty patients were selected for this retrospective study.One eye from each patient received Toric ICL for astigmatism correction,and the other received non-astigmatic ICL surgery using horizontal position.Patients with higher postoperative arch height were selected,and their non-astigmatic eye clinical outcome were observed after ICL surgery at 1wk,1,and 3mo.The clinical measurements included uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA),intraocular pressure(IOP),refractive state,corneal endothelium cell count,and arch height.Three months later,the ICL in each patient’s non-astigmatic eye was adjusted to the vertical from the horizontal position.The results were compared before and 1wk,1,and 3mo after adjustment.RESULTS:UCVA and IOP were significantly reduced 1wk after position adjustment compared to 1wk after ICL implantation(P<0.05).The patients demonstrated significantly reduced arch height and corneal endothelium cell count 1wk,1,and 3mo after adjusting position compared to 1wk,1,and 3mo after ICL implantation(P<0.05).However,there was no significant difference in refraction between 1wk,1,and 3mo after ICL implantation and position adjustment(P>0.05).CONCLUSION:Early positioning adjustment postphakic ICL implantation can benefit patients with adjusted arch height or higher IOP.Despite the good clinical effects,the doctors should pay attention to the potential for adverse effects on UCVA and corneal endothelium cells following early position adjustment after posterior chamber phakic ICL implantation.

Evaluating the Effects of Graviton Redshift upon Spiral Galaxy Rotation Curves, Surface Brightness Magnitudes and Gravitational Lensing

The effects of the gravitational redshift of gravitons upon spiral galaxy rotation energy are compared to the standard mass to light analyses in obtaining rotation curves. The derivation of the total baryonic matter compares well with the standard theory and the rotation velocity is matched to a high precision. The stellar mass distributions obtained from the fit with graviton energy loss are used to derive the surface brightness magnitudes for the galaxies, which agree well with the observed measurements. In a new field of investigation, the graviton theory is applied to the observations of gravitational lenses. The results of these applications of the theory suggest that it can augment the standard methods and may eliminate the need for dark matter.

A comprehensive review of existing corpora and methods for creating annotated corpora for event extraction tasks

Purpose:The purpose of this study is to serve as a comprehensive review of the existing annotated corpora.This review study aims to provide information on the existing annotated corpora for event extraction,which are limited but essential for training and improving the existing event extraction algorithms.In addition to the primary goal of this study,it provides guidelines for preparing an annotated corpus and suggests suitable tools for the annotation task.Design/methodology/approach:This study employs an analytical approach to examine available corpus that is suitable for event extraction tasks.It offers an in-depth analysis of existing event extraction corpora and provides systematic guidelines for researchers to develop accurate,high-quality corpora.This ensures the reliability of the created corpus and its suitability for training machine learning algorithms.Findings:Our exploration reveals a scarcity of annotated corpora for event extraction tasks.In particular,the English corpora are mainly focused on the biomedical and general domains.Despite the issue of annotated corpora scarcity,there are several high-quality corpora available and widely used as benchmark datasets.However,access to some of these corpora might be limited owing to closed-access policies or discontinued maintenance after being initially released,rendering them inaccessible owing to broken links.Therefore,this study documents the available corpora for event extraction tasks.Research limitations:Our study focuses only on well-known corpora available in English and Chinese.Nevertheless,this study places a strong emphasis on the English corpora due to its status as a global lingua franca,making it widely understood compared to other languages.Practical implications:We genuinely believe that this study provides valuable knowledge that can serve as a guiding framework for preparing and accurately annotating events from text corpora.It provides comprehensive guidelines for researchers to improve the quality of corpus annotations,especially for event extraction tasks across various domains.Originality/value:This study comprehensively compiled information on the existing annotated corpora for event extraction tasks and provided preparation guidelines.

A Joint Entity Relation Extraction Model Based on Relation Semantic Template Automatically Constructed

The joint entity relation extraction model which integrates the semantic information of relation is favored by relevant researchers because of its effectiveness in solving the overlapping of entities,and the method of defining the semantic template of relation manually is particularly prominent in the extraction effect because it can obtain the deep semantic information of relation.However,this method has some problems,such as relying on expert experience and poor portability.Inspired by the rule-based entity relation extraction method,this paper proposes a joint entity relation extraction model based on a relation semantic template automatically constructed,which is abbreviated as RSTAC.This model refines the extraction rules of relation semantic templates from relation corpus through dependency parsing and realizes the automatic construction of relation semantic templates.Based on the relation semantic template,the process of relation classification and triplet extraction is constrained,and finally,the entity relation triplet is obtained.The experimental results on the three major Chinese datasets of DuIE,SanWen,and FinRE showthat the RSTAC model successfully obtains rich deep semantics of relation,improves the extraction effect of entity relation triples,and the F1 scores are increased by an average of 0.96% compared with classical joint extraction models such as CasRel,TPLinker,and RFBFN.

Extraction of the Residual Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Long-term Contaminated Soil in the Field

[Objective] The aim of this study was to find a better method to exactly quantify the residual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons（PAHs）in the long-term contaminated soil in the field so as to provide basis for the remediation for PAHs contaminated soil.[Method]The comparisons of soxhlet extraction,ultrasonic extraction and shaking extraction were studied in the agricultural soil irrigated with oil sewage over a long period of time.[Result]The total PAHs extracted by soxhlet extraction were the highest（6 873.7 μg/kg）,followed by shaking extraction（6 698.8 μg/kg）and ultrasonic extraction（5 737.6 μg/kg）.Among these methods,the highest extracted 4 and 6 rings PAHs were in the soxhlet extraction,the highest extracted 2 and 5 rings PAHs were in the shaking extraction,and the highest extracted 3 rings PAHs were in the ultrasonic extraction.[Conclusion]This study had provided basis for the selection of the assessment method of residual PAHs in the field soil.

A Review on Sources,Extractions and Analysis Methods of a Sustainable Biomaterial:Tannins

Condensed and hydrolysable tannins are non-toxic natural polyphenols that are a commercial commodity industrialized for tanning hides to obtain leather and for a growing number of other industrial applications mainly to substitute petroleum-based products.They are a definite class of sustainable materials of the forestry industry.They have been in operation for hundreds of years to manufacture leather and now for a growing number of applications in a variety of other industries,such as wood adhesives,metal coating,pharmaceutical/medical applications and several others.This review presents the main sources,either already or potentially commercial of this forestry by-materials,their industrial and laboratory extraction systems,their systems of analysis with their advantages and drawbacks,be these methods so simple to even appear primitive but nonetheless of proven effectiveness,or very modern and instrumental.It constitutes a basic but essential summary of what is necessary to know of these sustainable materials.In doing so,the review highlights some of the main challenges that remain to be addressed to deliver the quality and economics of tannin supply necessary to fulfill the industrial production requirements for some materials-based uses.

Prediction of dispersed phase holdup in pulsed disc and doughnut solvent extraction columns under different mass transfer conditions

Using experimental data from a number of pulsed disc and doughnut solvent extraction columns, a unified correla- tion for the prediction of dispersed phase holdup that considers the effects of mass transfer is presented. Pulsed disc and doughnut solvent extraction columns （PDDC） have been used for a range of important applications such as ura- nium extraction and nuclear fuel recycling. Although the dispersed phase holdup in a PDDC has been presented by some researchers, there is still the need to develop a robust correlation that can predict the experimental dispersed phase holdup over a range of operating conditions including the effects of mass transfer direction. In this study, dis- persed phase holdup data from different literature sources for a PDDC were used to refit constants for the correlation presented by Kumar and Hartland lind. Eng. Chem. Res.,27 （1988）,131-138] which did not consider the effect of col- umn geometry. In order to incorporate the characteristic length of the PDDC （i.e. the plate spacing）, the unified cor- relation for holdup proposed by Kumar and Hartland based on data from eight different types of columns [Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.,34 （1995） 3925-3940] was refitted to the PDDC data. New constants have been presented for each hold- up correlation for a PDDC based on regression analysis using published holdup data from PDDCs that cover a range of onerating conditions and nhwical nronerties and consider the direction of mass transfer.