Source contribution analysis of nutrient pollution in a P-rich watershed: Implications for integrated water quality management.

It is still a great challenge to address nutrient pollution issues caused by various point sources and non-point sources on the watershed scale. Source contribution analysis based on watershed modeling can help watershed managers identify major pollution sources, propose effective management plans and make smart decisions. This study demonstrated a technical procedure for addressing watershed-scale water pollution problems in an agriculture-dominated watershed, using the Dengsha River Watershed (DRW) in Dalian, China as an example. The SWAT model was improved by considering the constraints of soil nutrient concentration, i.e., nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), when modeling the nutrient uptake by a typical crop, corn. Then the modified SWAT model was used to quantify the contributions of all known pollution sources to the N and P pollution in the DRW. The results showed that crop production and trans-administrative wastewater discharge were the two dominant sources of nutrient pollution. This study further examined the responses of nutrient loss and crop yield to different fertilizer application schemes. The results showed that N fertilizer was the limiting factor for crop yield and that excessive levels of P were stored in the agricultural soils of the DRW. An N fertilizer application rate of approximately 40% of the current rate was suggested to balance water quality and environmental protection with crop production. The long-term impact of legacy P was investigated with a 100-year future simulation that showed the crop growth could maintain for 12 years even after P fertilization ceased. Our study highlights the need to consider source attribution, fertilizer application and legacy P impacts in agriculture-dominated watersheds. The analysis framework used in this study can provide a scientifically sound procedure for formulating adaptive and sustainable nutrient management strategies in other study areas.

Vypro II mesh for inguinal hernia repair: a meta analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness of Vypro II mesh and polypropylene mesh after inguinal hernia repair. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The use of prosthetic meshes has become increasingly popular in inguinal hernia surgery. Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed the relative merits and risks between Vypro II mesh and standard polypropylene mesh. A meta-analysis was needed to estimate the real effectiveness. METHODS: PubMed, the Cochrane library, EMBASE, SCI and Chinese Biomedical Literature Databases were used to search the published clinical randomized controlled trials about Vypro II mesh. Two independent reviewers assessed the trials for eligibility and quality, all the related data matching our standards were abstracted for Meta-analysis by RevMan 5.0.1. The evaluation criteria included recurrence, pain, urinary tract infection, seroma, the feeling of a foreign body, and testicular atrophy. RESULT: A total of 2027 patients of 10 RCTs were included. Compared with polypropylene Mesh, Vypro II Mesh had no significant difference in recurrence (OR=1.53, 95% CI 0.73-3.19), pain (OR=0.87, 95% CI 0.55-1.37), urinary tract infection (OR=0.71, 95% CI 0.14-3.63), seroma (OR=0.80, 95% CI 0.26-2.48), and testicular atrophy (OR=1.94, 95% CI 0.58-6.49), but the feeling of a foreign body was significantly lower (OR=0.58, 95% CI 0.42-0.80). CONCLUSION: Current evidence suggests that there is no significant difference between Vypro II and polypropylene mesh in short-term effectiveness. However, use of Vypro II mesh was associated with reduced feeling of a foreign body. Further high-quality, long follow-up period RCTs should be carried out to provide more reliable evidence.