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This study investigated the application of agricultural waste rice straw as fibre or filler in asphalt mixtures. Initially, the physical, chemical, mineralogical and morphological characterisation of rice straw products were analysed. Subsequently, the performance of stone matrix asphalt (SMA) mixtures containing rice straw fibre was evaluated in terms of rutting, crack resistance and moisture susceptibility, compared to cellulose fibre. Additionally, the properties of asphalt concrete (AC) mixtures incorporating rice straw filler to replace conventional mineral filler partially were examined. The findings revealed that rice straw products exhibited similar characteristics to cellulose fibre or mineral filler, indicating their suitability for use in asphalt mixtures. The appropriate addition of rice straw fibre or filler demonstrated enhancement in the high-temperature performance, low-temperature crack resistance and moisture stability of asphalt mixtures. Through experimental tests, the optimum content of rice straw fibre in SMA-13 mixtures was determined to be 0.4%, while for the rice straw filler in AC-13 mixtures, it was 20%. The mechanisms of rice straw fibre and filler added in asphalt mixtures to strengthen their road performance were binder adsorption and reinforcement effect through scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Furthermore, rice straw filler also contributed to void filling within asphalt mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-nitrogen mining drainage (HNMD) is a significant source of watershed nitrogen pollution, influencing the nitrogen distribution in streams through various pathways, including surface runoff (HNMDs) and subsurface runoff (HNMDg). In this study, the nitrogen contributions of HNMDs and HNMDg were characterized by using water chemistry analysis, isotope analysis, and a Bayesian stable isotope mixing model. The combined effects of HNMDs, HNMDg, and domestic sewage (DS) were found to substantially impact nitrogen dynamics in the study area. On average, HNMDs and HNMDg contributed 60.5 ± 8.8% and 19.8 ± 12.5%, respectively, to riverine nitrogen. After accounting for the exclusion of DS, the dominance of HNMDs became more pronounced, contributing 67.0 ± 4.1% and 81.9 ± 0.1% of the HNMD nitrogen in the Chakeng and Caiyang Rivers, respectively. HNMDs and HNMDg displayed distinct nitrogen discharge behaviors within the watershed, which influenced the observed variations in nitrogen fluxes. Precipitation had a stronger influence on nitrogen discharge from HNMDs compared to HNMDg. Furthermore, NH4+-N from HNMD was more likely to enter streams via surface runoff, while HNMDg served as a critical and relatively stable source of nitrogen discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current situation of agricultural non-point source pollution in a small watershed in typical mountainous areas at Dongjiang Headwaters were investigated and analyzed,and the agricultural non-point source pollution sources,pollution load and pollution load intensity in this watershed were analyzed,so as to provide a reference for ensuring the safety of water sources in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and promoting the precise pollution control in the watershed.The pollution types such as human settlements,agricultural planting,livestock and poultry breeding and aquaculture in the Dongjiang River Basin of Dingnan County were classified and investigated at the scale of county and township.The pollution load and pollution load intensity were estimated using the output coefficient method and the equivalent pollution load method,and the spatial distribution of pollutants was analyzed by clusteranalysis and ArcGIS.It was found that the main pollutants from agricultural non-point sources in the Dongjiang River Basin of Dingnan County were TN and NH+4-N,which mainly came from human settlements and agricultural planting,and the pollution sources were concentrated in Lishi Town and Egong Town.Strengthening residents' awareness of water environmental protection,speeding up the construction of supporting sewage pipe networks,strengthening the operation and management of sewage equipments,and rationally applying nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers are of great significance for promoting the continuous emission reduction of agricultural non-point source pollution in the mountainous watershed at Dongjiang Headwaters.

Objective To explore a new cut-off of remnant liver volume-to-body weight ratio (RLV-BWR) and investigate the relationship between RLV-BWR and post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of cirrhotic liver. Methods We analyzed the clinical data of 181 patients who underwent hemihepatectomy. Total liver volume, tumor volume, remnant liver volume and resected liver volume were measured by Myrian-Liver surgical planning system before surgery. Intraoperative resected liver volume(include resected normal liver and tumor volume) were collected by drainage method. Patients were divided into PHLF group and non-PHLF group according to the "50-50"criteria. Then the risk factors of PHLF were analyzed. The cut-off of RLV-BWR and efficiency to predict PHLF were analyzed in the subgroup of cirrhotic liver. The grading of liver cirrhosis was analysed by helical CT, retrospectively. Results After operation, 22 patients developed PHLF and one patient died of PHLF. Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative total bilirubin level and RLV-BWR were identified as independent predictors of PHLF. According the postoperative pathological data, 102 patients with cirrhotic liver were selected; 18 patients developed PHLF and one patient died of PHLF in the subgroup. ROC curve analysis showed that the cut-off of RLV-BWR was 0.94%(the areas under the curve was 0.853, P < 0.01, sensitivity and specialty rates were 94.4% and 72.3%) in patients with HCC in cirrhotic liver. By analyzing helical CT, 84 cases were grade Ⅰ or Ⅱ and 18 cases were grade Ⅲ. Conclusion The risk of PHLF would increase in the HCC in cirrhotic liver patients with RLV-BWR ≤0.94% after hemihepatectomy.

Background The difference in the prognoses between treatment with surgical therapy and continuation of local-plus-systemic therapy following successful down-staging of intermediate-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Methods Data of 405 patients with intermediate-advanced HCC treated at 30 hospitals across China from January 2017 to July 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received local-plus-systemic therapy and were divided into the surgical (n  = 100) and nonsurgical groups (n  = 305) according to whether they received surgical therapy. The differences between long-term prognoses of the 2 groups were compared. Subgroup analysis was performed in 173 HCC patients who met the criteria for surgical resection following down-staging. Results Multivariable analysis of all patients showed that surgical therapy, hazard ratio (HR): 0.289, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.136-0.613) was a protective factor for overall survival (OS), but not for event-free survival (EFS). Multivariable analysis of 173 intermediate-advanced HCC patients who met the criteria for surgical resection after conversion therapy showed that surgical therapy (HR: 0.282, 95% CI, 0.121-0.655) was a protective factor for OS, but not for EFS. Similar results were obtained after propensity score matching. For patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B (HR: 0.171, 95% CI, 0.039-0.751) and C (HR: 0.269, 95% CI, 0.085-0.854), surgical therapy was also a protective factor for OS. Conclusions Overall, for patients with intermediate-advanced HCC who underwent local-plus-systemic therapies, surgical therapy is a protective factor for long-term prognosis and can prolong OS, and for those who met the surgical resection criteria after conversion therapy, surgical therapy is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-, peri-, and postoperative oral administration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to patients with primary liver cancer (PLC) during hepatic resection (HR) remains controversial. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this practice. Seven literature databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported pre-, peri-, and postoperative oral administration of BCAA for PLC patients during HR. Three RCTs were included in a meta-analysis in which risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. The 2 groups showed similar recurrence rates (RR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.36) and similar overall survival (RR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.18). Adverse events related to oral administration of BCAA were more than the control group, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and hypertension. However, all adverse reactions disappeared after symptomatic treatment. The available evidence suggests that although pre-, peri-, and postoperative oral BCAA for patients with PLC is safe, it is of questionable clinical value. More RCTs are warranted to explore this question definitively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of hepatic resection for those patients with large/multinodular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or those involving macrovascular invasion (MVI)., Methods: PubMed was systematically searched for studies examining the safety and efficacy of hepatic resection for treatment of HCC involving a single large tumor (>5 cm) or multiple tumors (>2), or those involving MVI., Results: The identified 52 studies involving 14 922 patients that investigated the use of hepatic resection for large/multinodular HCC, and 25 studies with 4 412 patients that investigated hepatic resection for HCC with MVI. Median in-hospital mortality of patients with either type of HCC was significantly lower in Asian studies (2.7%) than in non-Asian studies (7.3%, P<0.001). Median overall survival rate was significantly higher for all Asian patients with large/multinodular HCC than for all non-Asian patients both at the time of 1 year (81% vs 65%, P<0.001) and 5 years (42% vs 32%, P<0.001). However, median overall survival rate was similar for Asian and non-Asian patients with HCC involving MVI at the time of 1 year (50% vs 52%, P=0.46) and 5 years (18% vs 15%, P=0.95). There was an increasing trend in 5-year overall survival in patients with either type of HCC., Conclusions: Hepatic resection is reasonably safe and effective for the treatment of large/multinodular HCC and HCC with MVI. The available evidence argues for expanding the indications for hepatic resection in official treatment guidelines.

Objective: To compare the long-term survival of patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing either liver resection or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) after propensity score matching (PSM)., Methods: One hundred sixty-seven and 70 BCLC-B HCC patients undergoing liver resection and TACE were retrospectively collected. PSM function of SPSS software was conducted to reduce confounding bias between the groups. And then survival analysis was performed for the matched data., Results: Fifty-three pairs of patients were successfully matched. And then survival analysis showed that the median survival periods and their 95% confidence intervals were 35.0 (26.3-43.7)months in the liver resection group versus 20.0(15.0-25.0) months in the TACE group. The 1, 3, 5 and 7-year survival rates were 91.0%, 49.0%, 30.0% and 17.0% in the liver resection group versus 73.0%, 25.0%, 8.0% and 5.0% respectively in the TACE group (P = 0.001). Cox regression analysis revealed that TACE, total bilirubin ≥ 34.2 µmol/L, alpha fetoprotein ≥ 400 ng/ml and tumor number ≥ 3 were independent risk factors of survival (hazard ratio >1, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The balance of covariates may be achieved through PSM. And for patients with BCLC-B HCC, liver resection provides better long-term overall survival than TACE.