[Component Characteristics and Source Appointment of Volatile Organic Compounds in Lianyungang City].

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important precursors of ozone and particulate matter; thus, their impacts on air quality are particularly significant. To study the composition characteristics and sources of VOCs in Lianyungang City, four national control sites were selected to conduct VOCs sampling and analysis on typical days in spring, summer, and autumn. Concentrations of VOCs, the effects of different components of VOCs on ozone formation were quantified, and the sources of VOCs were analyzed using the Positive Matrix Factorization model. The VOC concentrations were in the range of 27.46×10-9-40.52×10-9 in spring, 45.79×10-9-53.45×10-9 in summer, and 38.84×10-9-46.66×10-9 in autumn. Concentrations of oxygenated compounds accounted for 41%-48% of all measured VOCs. VOC species with higher concentrations were acetone, acrolein, and propionaldehyde, and the concentration of isoprene was higher in summer. Generally, VOC concentrations were higher at 09:00 than at 13:00 when acrolein, ethylene, and dichloromethane concentrations changed greatly. The ozone formation potential (OFP) of oxygenated compounds was the highest, followed by aromatics and alkenes, and the OFP of alkanes was the smallest. The VOC species with higher OFP were acrolein, propylene, and ethylene. The main sources of VOCs in Lianyungang were industry (49%), solvent usage (23%), transportation (14%), paint usage (10%), and natural sources (4%). The results suggest further investigating the oxygenated compounds with higher concentrations and higher OFP in Lianyungang City, and studying the impacts of industrial sources on VOCs.

Susceptibility and Resistance Mechanisms During Photodynamic Therapy of Melanoma.

Melanoma is the most aggressive malignant skin tumor and arises from melanocytes. The resistance of melanoma cells to various treatments results in rapid tumor growth and high mortality. As a local therapeutic modality, photodynamic therapy has been successfully applied for clinical treatment of skin diseases. Photodynamic therapy is a relatively new treatment method for various types of malignant tumors in humans and, compared to conventional treatment methods, has fewer side effects, and is more accurate and non-invasive. Although several in vivo and in vitro studies have shown encouraging results regarding the potential benefits of photodynamic therapy as an adjuvant treatment for melanoma, its clinical application remains limited owing to its relative inefficiency. This review article discusses the use of photodynamic therapy in melanoma treatment as well as the latest progress made in deciphering the mechanism of tolerance. Lastly, potential targets are identified that may improve photodynamic therapy against melanoma cells.

Effect of Yiqi Bufei recipe [see text] on patients with pulmonary incompetence after pneumonectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Yiqi Bufei Recipe ([see text], YBR) on surgical tolerability, pulmonary compensatory function and post-operation rehabilitation in patients with pulmonary incompetence (PI) after pneumonectomy. METHODS: YBR intervention was applied to 60 patients with PI after pneumonectomy (as test group), the pulmonary and cardiac functions changes before and after operation, occurrence of postoperative complications, mortality, and the number of hospitalization days and intensive care unit (ICU) confinement period were observed. Meantime, for the negative and positive controls, the same parameters were observed comparatively in 60 patients with normal lung function, and in 60 patients with PI undergoing a similar operation but untreated with Chinese herbs. RESULTS: Lung function in the test group showed insignificant change before and after operation (P >0.05), while significant decrease was seen in the two control groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, the incidences of post-operation complications and mortality as well as the number of hospitalization days and the ICU confinement period in the test group were significantly lower than those in the positive control group respectively (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: YBR could relieve lung injury after pneumonectomy, improve surgical tolerability, reduce the length of postoperative hospitalization days and ICU confinement period, and lower the incidence of postoperative complications and mortality in patients with PI after pneumonectomy.

Rule of Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation in the patients with thoracic diseases at perioperation stage.

OBJECTIVE: To study the rule of syndrome differentiation in the patients with thoracic diseases at perioperation stage. METHODS: A standard was created referring to the related literature, and it was applied to differentiate the Chinese medicine syndrome in 150 patients before and three days after thoracic operation. RESULTS: Before operation, Chinese medicine syndromes were as differentiated as phlegm type in 45.3%, blood stasis type in 17.3%, and qi-stagnancy type in 16.0%. The patients with asthenia syndrome markedly increased after operation, accounting for 34.0% (51 patients, including qi-, yin-, and blood-deficiency syndromes). The most frequently seen intermixed syndromes were qi-deficiency with phlegm-stasis syndrome and Pi ()-deficiency with phlegm-dampness syndrome. The intermixed syndromes revealed in 37.5% and 42.0% of the patients before and after operation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The syndrome in the patients with thoracic disease before operation was mostly the excessive syndrome, mainly the phlegm syndrome type; at postoperation stage, Chinese medicine syndrome in patients become asthenia in essence with excessive superficiality, which is mostly revealed as Pi-deficiency with phlegm-dampness.

Memory alloy embracing fixator in treatment of multiple fractured ribs and flail chest.

BACKGROUND: With the development of internal fixation materials, simple operation with internal fixation has become a tendency. Ni-Ti shape memory alloy embracing fixator has such advantages as slight injury, easy operation, security, reliable fixation, and better histocompatibility. The present study was to explore curative effect and postoperative results of Ti-Ni shape memory alloy embracing fixator in patients with multiple fractured ribs and flail chest. METHODS: The curative effect and long-term follow-up results were observed after internal fixation with a shape memory alloy embracing fixator in patients with multiple fractured ribs and flail chest from January 2006 to December 2009. RESULTS: All patients were cured with an average hospital stay of 10.31±3.14 days. Post-operative pain was less severe than preoperative pain (P=0.02). The rate of postoperative complications such as atelectasis, pulmonary infection, etc was 17.65%. There were fewer long-term complications and less influence on daily work and life. CONCLUSIONS: It is practical to perform an operation for fracture of multiple ribs using a Ti-Ni shape memory alloy embracing fixator. The fixator, which is less traumatic, simple, safe, and reliable, has a good-histocompatibility and fewer postoperative complications.

[Clinical observation on intervention of Yiqi Bufei Recipe in patients with severe pulmonary function incompetence after lung resection].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Yiqi Bufei Recipe (YBR) on clinical symptoms, pulmonary function and recovery in patients with severe pulmonary function incompetence (PFI) after lung resection (LR). METHODS: The clinical symptoms were observed, the pulmonary function examined and blood-gas analysis conducted in 30 patients with PFI after LR (the treatment group) and in 30 cases with normal pulmonary function after LR (the control group). RESULTS: In the treatment group, clinical manifestations including cough, dyspnea, frequency of oxygen inhalation, and mobility, as well as the results of blood-gas analysis were improved after operation, while pulmonary function changed insignificantly. There was no significant difference in occurrence of postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: YBR can relieve acute lung injury caused by LR and improve the tolerance of patients with PFI for operation, which is benificial for postoperative recovery.