Explore the vast range of titles available.

ObjectivesDepression and depressive symptoms are common mental disorders that have a considerable effect on patients’ health-related quality of life and satisfaction with medical care, but the prevalence of these conditions varies substantially between published studies. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide a precise estimate of the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among outpatients in different clinical specialties.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sources and eligibility criteriaThe PubMed and PsycINFO, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify observational studies that contained information on the prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms in outpatients. All studies included were published before January 2016. Data characteristics were extracted independently by two investigators. The point prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms was measured using validated self-report questionnaires or structured interviews. Assessments were pooled using a random-effects model. Differences in study-level characteristics were estimated by meta-regression analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed using standard χ2 tests and the I2 statistic. The study protocol has been registered with PROSPERO under number CRD42017054738.ResultsEighty-three cross-sectional studies involving 41 344 individuals were included in this study. The overall pooled prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms was 27.0% (10 943/41 344 individuals; 95% CI 24.0% to 29.0%), with significant heterogeneity between studies (p<0.0001, τ2=0.3742, I2=96.7%). Notably, a significantly higher prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms was observed in outpatients than in the healthy controls (OR 3.16, 95% CI 2.66 to 3.76, I2=72.0%, χ 2 =25.33). The highest depression/depressive symptom prevalence estimates occurred in studies of outpatients from otolaryngology clinics (53.0%), followed by dermatology clinics (39.0%) and neurology clinics (35.0%). Subgroup analyses showed that the prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms in different specialties varied from 17.0% to 53.0%. The prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms was higher among outpatients in developing countries than in outpatients from developed countries. Moreover, the prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms in outpatients slightly decreased from 1996 to 2010. Regarding screening instruments, the Beck Depression Inventory led to a higher estimate of the prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms (1316/4702, 36.0%, 95% CI 29.0% to 44.0%, I2=94.8%) than the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (1003/2025, 22.0%, 95% CI 12.0% to 35.0%, I2=96.6%).ConclusionOur study provides evidence that a significant proportion of outpatients experience depression or depressive symptoms, highlighting the importance of developing effective management strategies for the early identification and treatment of these conditions among outpatients in clinical practice. The substantial heterogeneity between studies was not fully explained by the variables examined.

Soil erosion is an increasingly severe problem and a global focus. As one of the countries facing relatively serious soil erosion, China encounters significant ecological challenges. This study focuses on the carbon sink benefits of comprehensive soil and water conservation management in the red soil erosion area of southern China, conducting an in-depth analysis using the Ziyang small watershed in Shangyou County, Jiangxi Province, as a typical case. Research methods involved constructing an integrated monitoring approach combining basic data, measured data, and remote sensing data. Changes in soil and vegetation carbon storage in the Ziyang small watershed across different years were determined by establishing a baseline scenario and applying inverse distance spatial interpolation, quadrat calculation, feature extraction, and screening. The results indicate that from 2002 to 2023, after 21 years of continuous implementation of various soil and water conservation measures under comprehensive watershed management, the carbon storage of the Ziyang small watershed increased significantly, yielding a net carbon sink of 54,537.28 tC. Tending and Management of Coniferous and Broad-leaved Mixed Forest, Low-efficiency Forest Improvement, and Thinning and Tending contributed substantially to the carbon sink, accounting for 72.72% collectively. Furthermore, the carbon sink capacity of the small watershed exhibited spatial variation influenced by management measures: areas with high carbon density were primarily concentrated within zones of Tending and Management of Coniferous and Broad-leaved Mixed Forest, while areas with low carbon density were mainly found within zones of Bamboo Forest Tending and Reclamation. The increase in watershed carbon storage was attributed to contributions from both vegetation and soil carbon pools. Comprehensive management of soil erosion demonstrates a significant carbon accumulation effect. The annual growth rate of vegetation carbon storage was higher than that of soil carbon storage, yet the proportion of soil carbon storage increased yearly. This study provides a theoretical basis and data foundation for the comprehensive management of soil and water conservation in small watersheds in the southern red soil erosion region of China and can offer technical and methodological support for other soil and water conservation carbon sink projects in this area.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a key role in soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition via the priming effect (PE). The DOM-induced soil PE is closely related to nutrient availability, especially nitrogen (N). Regardless of the widespread of chronic N addition, how elevated N deposition affects DOM-induced PEs remains poorly understood. To fill this knowledge gap, we studied the effects of N addition, 13C-labeled leaf-DOM (herein DOM) addition, and leaf-DOM plus N addition (DOM+N) on soil PEs in soils of a subtropical Chinese-fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantation and a natural Castanopsis carlesii forest (hereafter referred to as Chinese-fir soil and Castanopsis soil, respectively). Soil properties (e.g., soil organic C, total N, available phosphorus, and ratio of C and N), dissolved organic C (DOC), soil microbial biomass C (MBC), phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), and enzyme activities were also investigated, because these parameters predominantly affect the intensity and direction of soil priming. The addition of DOM induced positive PEs in the Castanopsis soil but negative PEs in the Chinese-fir soil. In addition, DOM addition increased MBC and fungal abundance and the activities of phenol oxidase (PhOx) and peroxidase (Perox) in the Castanopsis soil but not in the Chinese-fir soil. Compared with DOM-only addition, DOM+N addition significantly enhanced PEs in the Chinese-fir soil but not in the Castanopsis soil. Furthermore, compared with DOM-only addition, DOM+N addition significantly increased MBC, abundance of fungi and AMF, fungi to bacteria ratio (F:B), and activities of four enzymes [β-glucosidase (βG), N-acetyl glucosaminidase (NAG), PhOx, and Perox] in the Chinese-fir soil but not in the Castanopsis soil. The DOM+N addition also had a significant effect on composition of main microbial groups in the Chinese-fir soil but not in the Castanopsis soil. These results suggest the enhanced PE following DOM+N in the Chinese-fir soil was likely mediated by enhanced enzyme production associated with increased fungal abundance. Our study highlights that the effects of increases of DOM on soil C cycling is largely affected by N availability and mediated by the effects on the abundance of soil microbial groups and enzyme activities. Our result also demonstrated a case in which effects of DOM and N addition on soil C cycling differ between a Castanopsis forest and a Chinese-fir plantation forest, with Chinese-fir soil being more sensitive to N addition. This is an important finding that needs to be taken into consideration in estimating the soil C pools.

Inflammatory cataracts secondary to Behcet's disease (BD) or Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH) are thought to result from a pathological dysregulation of cytokines that is different from that of age-related (AR) cataracts. However, little is known about the function of cytokines in the development of inflammatory cataracts. The purpose of this study was to identify possible differences in cytokine expression in inflammation- and age-related cataract patients. Analysis techniques involving the concomitant use of a cocktail of antibody-coated non-magnetic beads were used to determine the cytokine expression profiles of BD, VKH and AR cataract patients. Furthermore, anterior chamber aqueous flares and inflammatory cells were quantitatively measured with a laser flare cell meter (LFCM). The expressions of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were analyzed in aqueous humor (AqH), phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated and non-PHA-stimulated cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from the three types of cataract patients. IL-6 and IFN-γ were identified above the detection limits, but, among the BD and VKH cataract patients, only the levels of IL-6 were significantly higher in both the AqH and PBMC non-PHA cultures compared with the levels observed in the AR cataract patients. In contrast, IFN-γ was significantly elevated in the AqH of the BD cataract patients compared with the VKH and AR cataract patients. In the PHA-stimulated PBMC cultures, IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-17A were significantly increased, and the IL-6 level was significantly higher in the VKH patients than in the BD and AR cataract patients. The correlation analyses of the cytokines and inflammation indexes of the AqH obtained with the LFCM revealed that only IL-6 was significantly correlated with the inflammation index. Distinct expression profiles of cytokines and the correlations of these profiles with in vivo inflammatory indexes for inflammatory and AR cataract patients were identified.

Soil and water conservation measures have good carbon sinking capacity, and the comprehensive management of small watersheds involves plant measures, engineering measures and farming measures, which profoundly affect the capacity of the three major carbon pools of soil, vegetation and water bodies, making them an ideal place to carry out the monitoring and accounting of carbon sinks in soil and water conservation. The purpose of this paper is to monitor and evaluate the carbon sinks of soil and vegetation, to provide techniques and methods for the implementation of dynamic monitoring and evaluation of carbon sinks in soil and water conservation projects, and to provide theoretical and methodological support for the participation of soil and water conservation projects in carbon trading and the study of the formulation of relevant rules. In this study, field sampling and analysis, LiDAR, remote sensing and other related parameters were used to account for the carbon storage of vegetation carbon pools and soil carbon pools in the Luodi River sub-watershed, Changting County, Fujian Province, from 2001 to 2022, and to evaluate the carbon sink capacity of the various soil and water conservation management measures in the sub-watershed. The results show that after 21 years of comprehensive management, various soil and water conservation measures in the Luodi River sub-basin have significantly enhanced the role and capacity of carbon sinks, and the sub-basin’s carbon stock increased by 3.97 × 104 t, with an average annual increase of 1.89 × 103 t/a. From the perspective of the carbon pools, the carbon stocks of soil and vegetation increased by 73.73% and 346.41%, respectively, from 2001 to 2022. The total carbon sunk in the sub-watershed reached 2.90 × 104 t, of which 1.57 × 104 t was in soil carbon sinks and 1.34 × 104 t was in vegetation carbon sinks. There were differences in the ability of various measures to enhance the increment of the carbon sink, among which the Castanea mollissima and the Fertilized Pinus massoniana Forest had the most obvious increase in carbon sunk, followed by the Mixed Needleleaf and Broadleaf Forest, the Nurture and Management Pinus massoniana Forest, and the Horizontal terraces Pinus massoniana Forest, and lastly, the Closed Management Forest and the Morella rubra. Various soil and water conservation measures have obvious effects of carbon retention, carbon sequestration and sink enhancement, while Castanea mollissima and Fertilized Pinus massoniana Forest and other forests that implement land preparation and afforestation with fertilization and nourishment measures have more significant increases in carbon sink capacity, which is an effective measure to improve the benefits of soil and water conservation and increase the amount of carbon sinks.

The original version of this article, unfortunately, contained an error. In Figure 2 - panel d, incorrect image was published and this is now presented correctly in this article.

Congenital cataract (CC) is the primary cause of treatable childhood blindness. Population-based assessments of prevalence and surgery age of CC, which are critical for improving management strategies, have been unavailable in China until now. We conducted a hospital-based, cross-sectional study of the hospital charts of CC patients younger than 18 years old from January 2005 to December 2010 at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC) in Guangzhou, China. Residence, gender, age at surgery, hospitalization time, and the presence of other ocular abnormalities were extracted and statistically analyzed in different subgroups. The search identified 1314 patients diagnosed with CC from a total of 136154 hospitalizations, which accounted for 2.39% of all the cataract in-patients and 1.06% of the total in-patients over the six-year study period. Of the identified CC patients, 9.2% had ≥ 2 hospitalizations due to the necessity of additional surgeries, with a total ratio of boys to girls of 1.75 ∶ 1. Based on a subgroup analysis according to age, patients 2-6 years old constituted the highest proportion (29.22%) of all hospitalized CC patients, and those 13-18 years old constituted the lowest proportion (13.47%) of the total number. The average age at surgery was 27.62 ± 23.36 months, but CC patients ≤ 6 years old (especially ≤ 6 months old) became increasingly prevalent throughout the 6-year study period. A total of 276 cases (20.93%) of CC were associated with one or more other ocular abnormalities, the highest incidence rates were observed for exotropia (6.24%), nystagmus (6.16%), and refractive error (3.65%). In conclusion, CC patients accounted for 2.39% of all cataract in-patients in a review of 6 years of hospitalization charts from ZOC. The age at the time of surgery decreased over the 6-year study period, which probably reflects the continuing improvement of public awareness of children's eye care in China.

Monitoring intraocular pressure (IOP) is essential for pediatric cataract treatment but always difficult due to lack of cooperation in young children. We present the baseline characteristics and the first-year results of a long-term prospective cohort study, which are aimed to determine the relationship of the incidence of ocular hypertension (OH) in children after cataract surgery during the first-year period and the risk of developing late-onset glaucoma. Children were included with the following criteria: they were ≤10 years old and scheduled to undergo cataract surgery with/without intraocular lens implantation; they were compliant with our follow-up protocol, which included monitoring IOP using a Tono-Pen under sedation or anesthesia. Incidence of OH, peak OH value, OH onset time and OH duration within a 12-month period following surgery were measured. In brief, 206 patients (379 eyes) were included and OH developed in 66 of 379 (17.4%) eyes. The mean follow-up period was 14.0±3.2 months (median, 12 months; range, 10-16 months). Moreover, 33 of 196 (16.8%) aphakic eyes and 33 of 183 (18.0%) IOL eyes were diagnosed with OH. The peak OH onset times were at 1-week (34/66, 51.5%) and 1-month (14/66, 21.2%) appointments postsurgery. The peak IOP value in the OH eyes was 29.9±7.5 mmHg (median, 29 mmHg; range, 21-48 mmHg). The duration of OH was 30.9±31.2 days (median, 30 days; range, 3-150 days). OH recurred in 13 eyes with a history of OH diagnosed within 1 month postsurgery (13/54, 24.1%), which needed temporary or long term use of antiglaucoma medications. In conclusion, the incidence of OH in children after cataract surgery was 17.4% during the first-year period. Children who have suffered elevated IOP in the first year after cataract surgery should be followed closely to determine if there is an increased risk of developing late-onset glaucoma.

Congenital cataract is a major cause of visual impairment and childhood blindness. The solubility and stability of crystallin proteins play critical roles in maintaining the optical transparency of the lens during the life span. Previous studies have shown that approximately 8.3%~25% of congenital cataracts are inherited, and mutations in crystallins are the most common. In this study, we attempted to identify the genetic defect in a four-generation family affected with congenital cataracts. The congenital cataract phenotype of this four-generation family was identified as membranous cataract by slit-lamp photography. Mutation screening of the candidate genes detected a heterozygous c.465G → C change in the exon6 of the βB2-crystallin gene (CRYBB2) in all family members affected with cataracts, resulting in the substitution of a highly conserved Tryptophan to Cystine (p.W151C). The mutation was confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and found that the transition resulted in the absence of a BslI restriction site in the affected members of the pedigree. The outcome of PolyPhen-2 and SIFT analysis predicted that this W151C mutation would probably damage to the structure and function of βB2-crystallin. Wild type (wt) and W151C mutant βB2-crystallin were expressed in human lens epithelial cells (HLECs), and the fluorescence results showed that Wt-βB2-crystallin was evenly distributed throughout the cells, whereas approximately 34.7% of cells transfected with the W151C mutant βB2-crystallin formed intracellular aggregates. Taken together, these data suggest that the missense mutation in CRYBB2 gene leads to progressive congenital membranous cataract by impacting the solubility and function of βB2-crystallin.

Background To compare the in-the-bag stability and visual function of single-piece intraocular lenses (IOLs) and three-piece IOLs. Methods A total of 65 patients with age-related cataracts (80 eyes) were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive in-the-bag implantation of either a single-piece IOL (40 eyes) or a three-piece IOL (40 eyes). Follow-up visits were conducted at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively. Visual acuity, refraction and total aberration were examined. IOL position stability (including axial movement, decentration and tilt) was measured using a Scheimpflug imaging system. Results At the 3-month follow-up visit, single-piece IOLs did not exhibit significant axial movement (0.07 ± 0.30 mm, p  = 0.13) compared with their axial position at 1 week postoperatively, whereas three-piece IOLs displayed forward axial movement of −0.22 ± 0.23 mm ( p  < 0.0001). The mean manifest spherical equivalence (SE) of eyes with single-piece IOL was 0.15 ± 0.18D, whereas in eyes with three-piece IOLs, the mean manifest SE was −0.34 ± 0.15D ( p  < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in IOL decentration, tilt, uncorrected visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity or total spherical aberration between the two groups. Conclusions Three months after implantation, single-piece IOLs exhibit better axial stability and more stable refractive outcome than three-piece IOLs, but both IOLs perform equally well in terms of decentration, tilt, visual acuity and total aberration. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT02609997 , 11/18/2015, retrospectively registered.