Comparison of Dexmedetomidine Versus Propofol in Mechanically Ventilated Patients With Sepsis: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dexmedetomidine compared with propofol in mechanically ventilated patients with sepsis. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of dexmedetomidine versus propofol in septic patients requiring mechanical ventilation from inception to December 2021. The primary outcome was 28/30-day mortality and secondary outcomes were ventilator-free days and the length of ICU stay. Pooled relative risk (RR), mean deviation (MD), along with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to express outcomes by the software of Review Manager 5.3. Results: Seven studies with a total of 1,212 patients were eligible for meta-analysis. The results primarily showed that dexmedetomidine had no significant effects on the 28/30-day mortality (RR = 1.04 [0.85-1.26], p = 0.70, I2 = 3%). As for secondary outcomes, the administration of dexmedetomidine was not associated with longer-ventilator-free days (MD = 0.50 [-2.15, 3.15], p = 0.71, I2 = 24%) compared with propofol. However, our results revealed dexmedetomidine could shorten the length of ICU stay (MD = -0.76 [-1.34, -0.18], p = 0.01, I2 = 33%). Conclusion: Administration of dexmedetomidine for sedation in septic patients who required mechanical ventilation had no effect on 28/30-day mortality and ventilator-free days, but it could shorten the length of ICU stay.

[Effects of regulation measure on soil and microbial biomass of moderately degraded alpine meadow in Qilian Mountain, China]. / 调控措施对祁连山中度退化高寒草甸土壤的影响.

We examined the effects of different regulation measures (spring rest grazing, spring rest grazing-cutting turf, spring rest grazing-cutting turf-fertilization, spring rest grazing-cutting turf-sowing, spring rest grazing-cutting turf-fertilization-sowing) on vegetation, soil physical and chemical properties, and soil microbial biomass in mode-rately degraded alpine meadow in Qilian Mountain. The results showed that all the regulation measures significantly increased plant coverage and aboveground and underground biomass of degraded alpine meadows. Plant species richness increased significantly under the two measures of spring rest grazing-cutting turf-fertilization and spring rest grazing-cutting turf-fertilization-sowing. The dominant species of spring rest grazing-cutting turf-sowing and spring rest grazing-cutting turf-fertilization-sowing was Poa pratensis cv. Qinghai. Soil pH and bulk density in moderately degraded alpine meadow (control) were significantly higher than those of all regulation measures. Soil water content, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total potassium, carbon-nitrogen ratio and nitrogen-phosphorus ratio of spring rest grazing-cutting turf-fertilization-sowing measures were the highest, which were 21.3%, 22.30 g·kg-1, 2.77 g·kg-1, 19.93 g·kg-1, 8.3 and 3.5, respectively. Soil microbial biomass nitrogen and phosphorus (104.98 and 40.74 mg·kg-1) of degraded meadows under spring rest grazing-cutting turf-fertilization-sowing measures were significantly higher than those of other measures, while soil microbial biomass carbon (240.72 mg·kg-1) of degraded meadows under spring rest grazing-cutting turf-fertilization measures was significantly higher than that of other measures. The results of radar map showed that the regulation measures affected the characteristics of degra-ded meadow vegetation (aboveground and underground biomass), soil physical and chemical properties (water content, organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium) and soil microbial biomass (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus). Spring rest grazing-cutting turf-fertilization-sowing measures had the best performance in restoraing degraded meadows in the study area.

Determination of anion-exchange resin performance based on facile chloride-ion monitoring by FIA-spectrophotometry with applications to water treatment operation.

Based on a flow-injection spectrophotometry, an automatic analytical method for determination of ppb-level chloride-ion has been established. By use of this method, a novel FIA method for the determination of SBAER performance has also been developed. In this paper, the effects of concentration, dosage, and flow rate of the regenerant on BEC of SBAER were first investigated dynamically by the FIA method. In addition, the flow rate of the sample water and the temperature of the ion exchange resin were also examined. The optimum conditions were obtained: the volume of the regenerant (sodium hydroxide) was 50 mL (0.15 g resin), and its concentration was 3% (w/v); the volumetric flow rates of the regenerant and the sample water were 0.5 ml/min (4.3 m/h) and 1.5 ml/min (13 m/h), respectively. The exchanging temperature was 25 +/- 5 degrees C. The method is characterized by the use of a micro resin-column, shorter testing cycle, easy operation, and high reproducibility. The proposed method is approximately 30 times more efficient than the manual method, and it can be used for the exchange performance comparison of various SBAER.