ObjectiveSeveral epidemiological studies have been performed to evaluate the association of fruit and vegetable consumption with risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), but the results remain controversial. Thus, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis to assess the associations of fruit or/and vegetable consumption with risk of MetS, separately.DesignWe searched PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases up to July 2017 for relevant available articles. Pooled OR with 95 % CI were calculated with the fixed- or random-effects model.ResultsA total of nine studies for fruit consumption, nine studies for vegetable consumption and seven studies for fruit and vegetable consumption were identified as eligible for the present meta-analysis. The pooled OR (95 % CI) of MetS for the highest v. lowest category were 0·87 (0·82, 0·92; I2=46·7 %) for fruit consumption, 0·85 (0·80, 0·91; I2=0·0 %) for vegetable consumption and 0·76 (0·62, 0·93; I2=83·5 %) for fruit and vegetable consumption. In subgroup analyses stratified by continent where the study was conducted, the inverse association of fruit consumption (0·86 (0·77, 0·96)) and vegetable consumption (0·86 (0·80, 0·92)) with risk of MetS remained significant in Asia. There was no evidence of small-study effect.ConclusionsOur meta-analysis indicates that fruit or/and vegetable consumption may be inversely associated with risk of MetS. It suggests that people should consume more fruits and vegetables to decrease the risk of MetS.

Interfacial solar water evaporation, a promising way to address water shortages and water pollution, has attracted increasing attention. However, low evaporation rates limit its practical applications. Reducing evaporation enthalpy is one of the most efficient ways to improve the evaporation rate. In this study, micro-meniscuses and microdroplets (MMDs) are found and observed on the surface of the polypyrrole nanoarrays on hydrophilic carbon cloth. The MMDs can reduce the evaporation enthalpy of the system, thus resulting in a high evaporation rate of 2.16 kg m −2 h −1 in pure water under 1 sun. Dynamic calculations imply that the evaporation rate of MMDs is approximately at least 1.7 times and 1.8 times that of a flat liquid film, respectively. Under 1 sun, the evaporators with MMDs enable stable evaporation in continuous 72 h in 10.0 wt% NaCl solution, simulated seawater, and actual wastewater, with an evaporation rate of 1.86, 1.99, and 1.82 kg m −2 h −1 , respectively. As far as it is known, these evaporation rates are the highest reported values for the 2D interfacial solar evaporator in high-salinity brine or wastewater. It is believed that this work provided a novel pathway for designing an evaporator with low evaporation enthalpy and high evaporation performance.

This meta-analysis of observational studies indicates that exposure to ETS, in particularly prenatal tobacco smoke exposure and maternal smoking, is associated with an increased risk of HS.

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