Photochromic Semiconductive Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework (HOF) with Broadband Absorption.

Semiconductors with broadband photoelectric response have important practical needs in many aspects such as solar energy conversion, photocatalysis, and photodetection. We synthesized the first photochromic semiconductive hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF), [H2(bpyb)](H2PO4)2·2H2O (1), using the polycyclic viologen cation [H2(bpyb)] (bpyb = 1,4-bis(tetrapyridyl)benzene). After 1 s of xenon lamp irradiation, compound 1 showed a visible color change from the initial yellowish to dark purple after continuous irradiation. The photoinduced radical product has an absorption band covering 200-1700 nm, which is wider than the absorption ranges of silicon and perovskites. It produced photocurrent when irradiated with a xenon lamp or a laser (355, 532, or 808 nm). The on/off ratio of the current (Iirr/Idark) can be as high as 300 times under the irradiation of the 808 nm laser with a power of 1.9 W cm-2. In addition, under the 808 nm light source, the on/off ratio of 1B is 35 times that of 1A.

[The influence of changes in the levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide and neuropeptide Y on cardiac function of severe burn patients during shock stage].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of the changes in the levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) on cardiac function of severe burn patients during shock stage. METHODS: Sixty severe burn patients with total burn surface area larger than 30% were enrolled as experiment group (E group) , and they received fluid resuscitation and debridement during shock stage. Sixty healthy volunteers were enrolled as control group (C group). The changes in the plasma level of CGRP, NPY and cTnT in E and C groups were observed at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 post-burn hours (PBH). The correlation among the CGRP, NPY and cTnT in the C group were analyzed. RESULTS: At 3 PBH, the plasma level of CGRP in E group (28 +/- 6) ng/L was lower than that in C group (55 +/- 7) ng/L , and it reached the lowest level at 12 PBH (15 +/- 4)ng/L . It was still lower than that in C group at 48 PBH (P < 0.05). The levels of NPY and cTnT in E group were significantly increased at 1PBH [(136 +/- 20) ng/L, (0.41 +/- 0.08) microg/L] compared with that in C group[ (86 +/- 13) ng/L, (0.16 +/- 0.06) microg/L], peaking at 12PBH [(189 +/- 31) ng/L, (1.78 +/- 0. 47) microg/L], and remaining higher than those in C group at 48PBH. There exhibited obvious negative correlation between the changes in the level of CGRP and cTnT ( r = -0.76, P < 0.01), while obvious positive correlation was found between the changes in level of NPY and cTnT ( r = 0.79, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The decrease in CGRP level and the increase in NPY level might play important roles in myocardial injury during shock stage of severe burn patients.

Burns due to gunpowder explosions in fireworks factory: a 13-year retrospective study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of burns due to gunpowder explosions in fireworks factories. Three hundred and fifty-one patients having burns caused by gunpowder explosions in a fireworks factory were admitted to our center from 1 January 1987 to 31 December 1999 and the clinical notes of 339 patients were available for review. Data on age, sex, size, depth and sites of burn, incidence by month, inhalation injury, associated injuries, number of operations, length of hospital stay, morbidity, mortality, and causes of explosions were recorded. The majority of the patients were male, with a mean age of 36.7 years. The mean total burn surface area was 40.9%, mostly deep burns. The commonest areas of the body to be injured were the head and neck. One hundred and eighty-five patients (55%) were injured in December, November, and January. Sixty-five patients (19%) had an inhalation injury, 35 having tracheotomies and mechanical ventilation. Thirty-five patients (10%) had associated injuries, the commonest being the fracture of limbs (25 patients). Two hundred and thirty-two patients (68%) required operations while the number of operations including debridement and grafting, or tracheotomy, per patient were 2.7. The mean time in hospital of the survivors was 32 days with a range of 1-94 days. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis were the commonest complications during the early post-burn period (7 days or less) and the later period (>7 days), respectively. Forty-four patients died in this series giving a mortality rate of 13%. The commonest cause of death was sepsis (27 patients), followed by multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) (11 patients). Most accidents (71%) were caused by too much gunpowder put in at one time and accidents resulting from carelessness while making fireworks. Prevention measures are also discussed.