Clinical Application and Curative Effect Analysis of Postural Awareness Surgical Tool Assisted Nail Placement in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

OBJECTIVE: The pedicle screw technique has been widely used in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis orthopedic surgery, but misplacement of screws may damage important structures such as blood vessels and nerves around the pedicle, resulting in serious consequences. Therefore, our research team has independently developed a surgical tool to assist in the placement of pedicle screws. This study aims to investigate the safety and accuracy of postural awareness tool assisted nail placement in orthopedic surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. METHOD: A retrospective analysis was performed on 24 adolescent patients with idiopathic scoliosis admitted to our hospital from July 2019 to July 2022, including 10 males and 14 females, with an average age of 14.88 ± 2.36 years (10-19 years). The mean follow-up was 15.67 ± 2.20 months (12-20 months). We divided the patients into postural awareness group (n = 12) and C-arm group (n = 12) according to whether the postural awareness surgical tool was used during the operation. All patients were treated with posterior spinal orthopedic surgery. The postural awareness group was assisted by pedicle screw placement with a postural awareness surgical tool, while the C-arm group was given a pedicle screw placement with freehand technique. The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, nail placement related complications, nail placement accuracy, and scoliosis correction rate were recorded and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The operative time, intraoperative blood loss and fluoroscopy times in the postural awareness group were significantly lower than those in the C-arm group, with statistical significance (p < 0.05). The postural awareness group implanted 163 screws with an accuracy rate of 91.41%, while the C-arm group implanted 159 screws with an accuracy rate of 83.02%. The accuracy rate of screw placement in the postural awareness group was higher than that in the C-arm group, with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.024). According to the imaging of the patients, there was no significant difference between the Cobb Angle of the main bend measured at three time points before surgery, 1 week after surgery and the last follow-up between the two groups. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the rate of lateral curvature correction between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The application of postural awareness surgical tool in posterior orthopedic surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis can improve screw placement accuracy, shorten screw placement time, and make auxiliary screw placement safer and more accurate.

Exploration in the Mechanism of Ginsenoside Rg5 for the Treatment of Osteosarcoma by Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking.

OBJECTIVE: Osteosarcoma is a primary malignancy originating from mesenchymal tissue characterized by rapid growth, early metastasis and poor prognosis. Ginsenoside Rg5 (G-Rg5) is a minor ginsenoside extracted from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer which has been discovered to possess anti-tumor properties. The objective of current study was to explore the mechanism of G-Rg5 in the treatment of osteosarcoma by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. METHODS: Pharmmapper, SwissTargetPrediction and similarity ensemble approach databases were used to obtain the pharmacological targets of G-Rg5. Related genes of osteosarcoma were searched for in the GeneCards, OMIM and DrugBank databases. The targets of G-Rg5 and the related genes of osteosarcoma were intersected to obtain the potential target genes of G-Rg5 in the treatment of osteosarccoma. The STRING database and Cytoscape 3.8.2 software were used to construct the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) platform was used to perform gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. AutoDock vina software was used to perform molecular docking between G-Rg5 and hub targets. The hub genes were imported into the Kaplan-Meier Plotter online database for survival analysis. RESULTS: A total of 61 overlapping targets were obtained. The related signaling pathways mainly included PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Proteoglycans in cancer, Lipid and atherosclerosis and Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection. Six hub targets including PIK3CA, SRC, TP53, MAPK1, EGFR, and VEGFA were obtained through PPI network and targets-pathways network analyses. The results of molecular docking showed that the binding energies were all less than -7 kcal/mol. And the results of survival analysis showed TP53 and VEGFA affect the prognosis of sarcoma patients. CONCLUSION: This study explored the possible mechanism of G-Rg5 in the treatment of osteosarcoma using network pharmacology method, suggesting that G-Rg5 has the characteristics of multi-targets and multi-pathways in the treatment of osteosarcoma, which lays a foundation for the follow-up experimental and clinical researches on the therapeutic effects of G-Rg5 on osteosarcoma.

Pharmacological Effects of Resveratrol in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: A Literature Review.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a high incidence disease of musculoskeletal system that often leads to stenosis, instability, pain and even deformity of the spinal segments. IDD is an important cause of discogenic lower back pain and often leads to large economic burden to families and society. Currently, the treatment of IDD is aimed at alleviating symptoms rather than blocking or reversing pathological progression of the damaged intervertebral disc. Resveratrol (RSV) is a polyphenol phytoalexin first extracted from the Veratrum grandiflflorum O. Loes and can be found in various plants and red wine. Owing to the in-depth study of pharmacological mechanisms, the therapeutic potential of RSV in various diseases such as osteoarthritis, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes have attracted the attention of many researchers. RSV has anti-apoptotic, anti-senescent, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anabolic activities, which can prevent further degeneration of intervertebral disc cells and enhance their regeneration. With high safety and various biological functions, RSV might be a promising candidate for the treatment of IDD. This review summarizes the biological functions of RSV in the treatment of IDD and to facilitate further research.

Trophinin-associated protein expression correlates with shorter survival of patients with glioma: a study based on multiple data fusion analysis.

BACKGROUND: Trophinin-associated protein (TROAP) mediates embryonic transfer, regulates microtubules, and is associated with the biological behavior of various cancers. However, there is limited information on the role of TROAP in glioma. METHODS AND RESULTS: We obtained clinical information on 1948 patients with glioma from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas. Basal assays were used to measure changes in TROAP expression levels in high-grade glioma cell lines and in normal human astrocytes. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays showed that TROAP expression was higher in glioma cell lines than in normal astrocytes. The expression level of TROAP in 749 glioma was significantly higher than that in 228 normal brain tissues using Student's t test. The expression of TROAP has a positive relationship with the clinical characteristics of poor prognosis, such as WHO grade, age and has negatively correlated with the indicators of beneficial prognosis, such as IDH mutation and 1p19q co-deletion. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, single multifactor analysis were used to analyze correlations between TROAP and clinical features and prognosis of gliomas. In addition, TROAP overexpression was an independent risk factor for glioma and was associated with reduced overall survival of patients with glioma particularly in patients with WHO grade III and grade IV glioma. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that homologous recombination, cell cycle, and p53 signaling pathways were enriched in samples overexpressing TROAP. CONCLUSION: TROAP is a potential risk factor associated with poor prognosis in patients with glioma and may act as a highly specific biomarker, offering the possibility of individualized glioma treatment.

Insight into the pharmacological effects of andrographolide in musculoskeletal disorders.

Andrographis paniculata (A. paniculata) is a traditional herbal medicine that has been widely used in Asian countries for hundreds of years. Andrographolide (AG) is a diterpene lactone extracted from A. paniculata. Owing to the in-depth study of pharmacological mechanisms, the therapeutic potential of AG, including its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and immunoregulatory attributes, has attracted the attention of many researchers. Studies testing the therapeutic effects of AG have demonstrated desirable results in the treatment of a variety of clinical diseases. With high safety and various biological functions, AG might be a promising candidate for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. Here, we review all available literatures to summarize the pharmacological effects of AG and facilitate further researches on musculoskeletal diseases.

Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Discectomy and Fenestration Discectomy to Treat Posterior Ring Apophyseal Fractures: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED) and fenestration discectomy (FD) for posterior ring apophyseal fractures (PRAF). METHODS: This study was a retrospective cohort control study. A total of 96 patients with lumbar PRAF who underwent surgical treatment at the Henan Provincial People's Hospital of Henan University from September 2013 to December 2017 were retrospectively examined, of which 51 were treated by PTED and 45 by FD. The average age of those in the PTED group was 28.24 years, including 38 males and 13 females. The average age of those in the FD group was 28.07 years, with 33 males and 12 females. Operation time, total blood loss, hospitalization days, preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS), and Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores were evaluated. Modified MacNab criteria were used to evaluate the clinical effect at the last follow-up. RESULTS: Both operations were successful and no serious complications occurred. All patients were followed up for 12-30 (average 16.7 ± 3.2) months, and no patients were lost to follow-up. No statistically significant difference was found in the mean age and gender between the PTED group and the FD group (P < 0.05). Operation time, total blood loss, and length of hospital stay were significantly lower in the PTED group (87.65 ± 13.15 min, 12.78 ± 4.95 mL, and 6.80 ± 1.67 days, respectively) than in the FD group (114.11 ± 14.39 min, 30.89 ± 7.09 mL, and 11.71 ± 1.98 days, respectively) (P < 0.05). The VAS and ODI scores of the two groups at postoperative day 1 (PTED: 3.82 ± 0.97, 37.73% ± 3.72%; FD: 3.62 ± 1.09, 36.62% ± 3.05%), and at 3 months (PTED: 2.90 ± 1.08, 26.02% ± 2.90%; FD: 3.07 ± 0.99, 27.16% ± 4.02%), 6 months (PTED: 2.31 ± 0.88, 22.53% ± 2.67%; FD: 2.36 ± 0.77, 21.18% ± 3.35%), and the last follow-up (PTED: 1.90 ± 0.83, 19.88% ± 3.01%; FD: 1.89 ± 0.86, 18.22% ± 3.03%) were significantly different from the preoperative scores (PTED: 6.53 ± 1.00, 55.24% ± 4.54%; FD: 6.78 ± 1.31, 53.56% ± 5.73%) (P < 0.05). The VAS and ODI scores at 3 months postoperatively, 6 months postoperatively, and the last follow up were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). In the PTED group, 2 patients developed a transient nerve stimulation symptom within 1 day after surgery and 1 patient had recurrence at 3 months after surgery. In the FD group, 2 patients had severe dural ruptures due to adhesion during surgery, 1 patient developed infection complications, and 2 patients relapsed at 2 and 3 months after surgery. At the last follow-up, the modified MacNab criteria for clinical effect were 93.3% and 94.1% in the FD and PTED groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: While PTED has the same efficacy as FD for treating PRAF, it is associated with shorter operation time, less trauma, and quicker recovery.

Ankylosing Spondylitis Complicated with Atlantoaxial Dislocation and Destruction of the Dens and Lateral Atlantoaxial Joint: A Case Report.

CASE: Non-neoplastic bone destruction, known as Andersson lesion, is not rare in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and always appeared as bone destruction and sclerosis in the vertebral body-intervertebral disc region. The Andersson lesion has been reported mostly in the thoracic and lumbar spine and rarely in the lower cervical spine. We surgically treated a patient with AS complicated with atlantoaxial dislocation and destruction of dens and lateral atlantoaxial joint, which was similar to the Andersson lesion. CONCLUSIONS: AS can cause destructive lesion in the upper cervical spine. Posterior reduction, removal of the lesion, and fusion were possible approaches for the treatment of this destructive lesion.

Posterior Screw-Rod Fixation and Selective Axial Loosening for the Treatment of Atlantoaxial Instability or Dislocation Caused by Os Odontoideum: A Case Series for a Single Posterior Approach.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of screw-rod fixation and selective axial loosening in the treatment of atlantoaxial instability or dislocation (including reducible and irreducible) caused by os odontoideum (OO) via a single posterior approach. METHODS: A consecutive series of patients with OO surgically treated in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. For atlantoaxial instability and reducible atlantoaxial dislocation, C1-C2 screw-rod fixation and fusion were performed. OO combined with irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation was reduced after posterior axial loosening, followed by screw-rod fixation and fusion. The general information, clinical data, and radiographic data were compared between the 2 different procedures. RESULTS: There were 41 patients with an average age of 40.6 ± 21.7 years. All the patients underwent posterior reduction and C1-2 screw rod fixation, 6 with axial loosening and 35 without axial loosening. The clinical manifestations and radiographic data significantly improved after the operation with a low rate of complications. Except for clivus-canal angle and visual analogue score of cervical pain, there were no differences in clinical and radiographic data between the 2 procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Posterior screws-rod fixation and selective axial loosening is appropriate for treating OO complicated with atlantoaxial instability or dislocation (including reducible and irreducible) without the need for anterior decompression.

Cervical lordosis in asymptomatic individuals: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cervical lordosis has important clinical and surgical implications. Cervical spine curvature is reported with considerable variability in individual studies. The aim of this study was to examine the existence and extent of cervical lordosis in asymptomatic individuals and to evaluate its relationship with age and gender. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in several electronic databases. Study selection was based on pre-determined eligibility criteria. Random effects meta-analyses were performed to estimate the proportion of asymptomatic individuals with lordosis and the effect size of cervical lordotic curvature in these individuals which followed metaregression analysis to examine the factors affecting cervical lordosis. Data from 21 studies (15,364 asymptomatic individuals, age 42.30 years [95% confidence interval 36.42, 48.18], 54.2% males) were used in the present study. RESULTS: In this population, 63.99% [95% confidence interval 44.94, 83.03] individuals possessed lordotic curvature. Degree of lordotic curvature differed by method of measurement; 12.71° [6.59, 18.84] with Cobb C2-C7 method and 18.55° [14.48, 22.63] with posterior tangent method. Lordotic curvature was not significantly different between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals but was significantly higher in males in comparison with females. Age was not significantly associated with lordotic cervical curvature. CONCLUSION: Majority of the asymptomatic individuals possesses lordotic cervical curvature which is higher in males than in females but have no relationship with age or symptoms.

Lutein prevents osteoarthritis through Nrf2 activation and downregulation of inflammation.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory disorder associated with oxidative stress and apoptosis leading to cartilage destruction and impairment of cartilage formation. In the present study, we studied the protective effect of lutein against monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis in primary chondrocyte cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Oxidative stress was determined through testing antioxidant status, reactive oxygen species levels and lipid peroxide content. Also, Nrf2 expression and its downstream target genes HO-1 and NQO-1 were determined. Inflammation was analyzed through NF-κB, COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1ß). In addition, the effects of MIA and lutein on mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase-3 levels were analyzed. RESULTS: The results showed that lutein treatment significantly increased the cell viability of chondrocytes and offered significant cytoprotection by enhancing the antioxidant defense mechanisms and reducing oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation). Lutein treatment showed anti-inflammatory effects by downregulating inflammatory proteins (NF-κB, COX-2) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1ß). Lutein reduced MIA-induced apoptosis through maintaining mitochondrial membrane potential and downregulating caspase-3 activity. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows significant cytoprotection offered by lutein against MIA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis by the modulatory effect of NF-κB and Nrf2 activation.

[Immobilization of Estrogen-degrading Bacteria to Remove the 17ß-estradiol and Diethylstilbestrol from Polluted Water and Cow Dung].

Estradiol (E2) and diethylstilbestrol (DES) can be enriched in sewage and cow dung, posing serious threats to human and ecological health. Strain Rhodococcus sp. JX-2 and strain Serratia sp. S, which could degrade 17ß-estradiol and diethylstilbestrol, respectively, were immobilized by alginate and then added into sewage and cow dung to remove E2 and DES. The immobilization was determined by orthogonal experiment, and the removal of E2 and DES from sewage and cow dung was compared between treatments of immobilized bacteria, free bacteria and control without bacteria. The influencing factors including inoculation amount, pH value, moisture content, turning time on the removal of E2 and DES were investigated. The optimal conditions of JX-2 and S immobilization were as follows: Strain JX-2: strain S (V/V) 1: 1, alginate concentration 5%, calcium chloride concentration 4%, bacteria-cement ratio 1 : 2. The immobilized strains removed 99. 42% and 84. 59% of the 2 mg.L-1 E2 and DES under laboratory conditions, respectively. The optimal conditions for E2 and DES removal from water by the immobilized strains were as follows: 300 g.L-1 inoculation volume of immobilized strains and pH 5. 0-6. 0. Immobilized bacteria could completely remove DES and remove 95. 85% of E2 from water. The optimal conditions for E2 and DES removal from cow dung by the immobilized strains were: inoculation volume 600 g.kg-1, moisture content 70% and pile turning time 12 h. The immobilized bacteria could completely remove E2 and remove 97. 41% of DES from cow dung.

Comparison of percutaneous vertebroplasty and percutaneous kyphoplasty for the management of Kümmell's disease: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Post traumatic osteonecrosis of a vertebral body occurring in a delayed fashion was first described by the German doctor Kümmell in 1895. Several studies have reported percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP), or percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for Kümmell's disease achieves good outcomes. However, it is unknown whether a technique is superior for the treatment of this disease. The objective of the study is to compare the efficacy of PVP and PKP for the treatment of Kümmell's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted for 73 patients with Kümmell's disease. PVP was performed in 38 patients and PKP in 35 patients. Visual analogue score (VAS) was used to evaluate pain. The anterior vertebral height was measured. The operative time, the incidence of cement leakage and the costs were recorded. RESULTS: In both PVP group and PKP group, the VAS and anterior vertebral height significantly improved at 1-day postoperatively (P < 0.05), and the improvement sustained at the final followup (P > 0.05). Between the PVP and PKP groups, there were no significant differences in VAS and the anterior vertebral height at 1-day postoperatively and at the final followup (P > 0.05). The operating time and expense in the PKP group were higher than the PVP group (P < 0.001). Cement leakages in the PKP group were fewer than PVP group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PVP is a faster, less expensive option that still provides a comparable pain relief and restoration of vertebral height to PKP for the treatment of Kümmell's disease. PKP has a significant advantage over PVP in term of the fewer cement leakages.

Significantly reduced radiation dose to operators during percutaneous vertebroplasty using a new cement delivery device.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous vertebroplasy (PVP) might lead to significant radiation exposure to patients, operators, and operating room personnel. Therefore, radiaton exposure is a concern. The aim of this study was to present a remote control cement delivery device and study whether it can reduce dose exposue to operators. METHODS: After meticulous preoperative preparation, a series of 40 osteoporosis patients were treated with unilateral approach PVP using the new cement delivery divice. We compared levels of fluoroscopic exposure to operator standing on different places during operation. group A: operator stood about 4 meters away from X-ray tube behind the lead sheet. group B: operator stood adjacent to patient as using conventional manual cement delivery device. RESULTS: During whole operation process, radiation dose to the operator (group A) was 0.10 ± 0.03 (0.07-0.15) µSv, group B was 12.09 ± 4.67 (10-20) µSv. a difference that was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001) between group A and group B. CONCLUSION: New cement delivery device plus meticulous preoperative preparation can significantly decrease radiation dose to operators.

[Isolation of two endophytic phenanthrene-degrading strains and their degradation capacity].

Two endophytic bacterial strains, which could degrade high concentration (up to 200 mg.L-1) of phenanthrene in liquid, were isolated from plants grown in PAHs-contaminated soils by the selective. enrichment culture. According to the results of morphology, physiology and the phylogenetic analyses of 16S rDNA sequence, stain P1 was identified as Stenotrophomonas sp. , and strain P3 was identified as Pseudomonas sp.. Two strains were aerobic bacteria, the degradation rates of phenanthrene (100 mg.L-1) by strain P1 and strain P3 were all greater than 90% at 28 degrees C on the rotation shaker at 150 r.min-1 for 7 days. The degradation rates of phenanthrene by two strains were greater than 70% when cultivated under the conditions as: 20-30 degrees C , pH 6-8, 0%-4% NaCl, 10-30 mL/100 mL inventory. It suggested that the optimum culture condition was: 30 degrees C, pH 7.0, NaCl< or =4% , inventory < or = 30 mL/100 mL flask. Through comprehensive comparison analyses on the degradation capacity of two strains, it showed that the tolerance of strain P1 to high temperature was higher than that of str ain P3, while the tolerance of strain P3 to pH change and anoxic condition was higher than that of strain P1.

Posterior decompression and short segmental pedicle screw fixation combined with vertebroplasty for Kümmell's disease with neurological deficits.

The aim of this study was to investigate the treatment of Kümmell's disease with neurological deficits and to determine whether intravertebral clefts are a pathognomonic sign of Kümmell's disease. A total of 17 patients who had initially been diagnosed with Kümmell's disease were admitted, one patient was excluded from this study. Posterior decompression and vertebroplasty for the affected vertebrae were conducted. Pedicle screw fixation and posterolateral bone grafts were performed one level above and one level below the affected vertebrae. Vertebral tissue was extracted for histopathological examination. The mean time of follow-up was 22 months (range, 18 to 42 months). The anterior and middle vertebral heights were measured on standing lateral radiographs prior to surgery, one day postoperatively and at final follow-up. The Cobb angle, the visual analog scale (VAS) and the Frankel classification were used to evaluate the effects of the surgery. The VAS, anterior and middle vertebral heights and the Cobb angle were improved significantly one day postoperatively and at the final follow-up compared with the preoperative examinations (P<0.05). No significant differences were observed between the one-day postoperative results and those at final follow-up (P>0.05). The neurological function of all patients was improved by at least one Frankel grade. All patients in this study exhibited intravertebral clefts, and postoperative pathology revealed bone necrosis. One patient (not included in this study) showed an intravertebral cleft, but the pathology report indicated a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The intravertebral cleft sign is not pathognomonic of Kümmell's disease. Posterior decompression with short-segment fixation and fusion combined with vertebroplasty is an effective treatment for Kümmell's disease with neurological deficits.

[Estrogens determination of livestock dung based on UE-SPE-HPLC/FLD].

A method for detecting the estrogens estriol, 17beta-estradiol, ethinyl estradiol, and bisphenol A in livestock dung was established by the combination of ultrasonic extraction (UE), solid phase extraction (SPE) purification, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detector (FLD). The dung samples were extracted with ethyl acetate ultrasonication for 30 min, and purified with C18 solid phase extraction column and related solvents. The test four estrogens in the dung samples were isolated with Inertsil ODS-SP-C18 reversed-phase columns (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm), and the isolated estrogens were detected with HPLC/FLD. The mobile phase of HPLC for the detection was methanol/acetonitrile/water (volume ratio of 20:30:50), with a flow rate of 0.8 mL x min(-1). The excitation and emission wavelengths of FLD were 280 and 310 nm, respectively, the HPLC column temperature was 40 degrees C, and the injection volume was 20 microL. Good linearity (correlation coefficient greater than 0.9995) was observed by the HPLC/FLD detection when the test four estrogens concentrations were in the range of 1.00-1000.00 microg x L(-1). The detection limit of estriol, bisphenol A, 17beta-estradiol, and ethinyl estradiol was 3.35, 5.01, 2.13, and 1.12 microg x kg(-1), respectively. When the added estrogens concentrations of pig, cow, and chicken dung samples were 0.05, 0.40, and, 1.00 microg x kg(-1), the average recovery of the four estrogens was 75.1%-91.1%, 78.4%-117.0%, and 78.6%-97.8%, respectively, with the relatively standard deviations (RSD, n = 6) all less than 6%. By adopting the established SPE-HPLC/FLD method to detect the estrogens in real pig, cow, and chicken dung samples from parts of the large-scale livestock raising farms in Nanjing of East China, the detection reproducibility was high, and the detection limit was low, being available and effective for the detection of the estrogens in livestock dung.

[Roles of computed tomography in the diagnosis and treatment of complex atlas pillow deformity].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the roles of computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis and treatment of complex atlas pillow deformity. METHODS: From January 2010 to February 2012, the preoperative and postoperative CT imaging findings were collected from 32 cases of complicated atlas pillow deformity undergoing surgical treatment at Henan Provincial People's Hospital. There were 18 males and 14 females with a mean age of 36.8 years (range: 23 - 65). The average duration of disease was 4.5 years (range: 0.25 - 10). RESULTS: In 32 cases, a definite diagnosis was established preoperatively by coronary sagittal CT scans and 3-dimensional reconstruction. And CT re-examinations were performed to review the postoperative curative efficacies. CONCLUSION: CT imaging examination is of vital importance in the diagnosis, personalized surgical procedures and prognostic evaluation of complex craniocervical junction deformity.

[Adsorption of aflatoxin on montmorillonite modified by low-molecular-weight humic acids].

The adsorption of a typical biogenic toxin aflatoxin B1 on montmorillonite modified by low-molecular-weight humic acids (M(r) < 3 500) was investigated. The montmorillonite rapidly adsorbed the aflatoxin B1 until amounting to the maximal capacity, and then the adsorbed aflatoxin B1 slowly released into solution and reached the sorption equilibrium state after 12 h. The sorption isotherm of aflatoxin B1 by montmorillonite could be well described by Langmiur model, while the sorption isotherm by humic acid-modified montmorillonite was well fitted by using the Freundlich model. The modification of the montmorillonite with humic acids obviously enhanced its adsorption capacity for aflatoxin B1, and the amounts of aflatoxin adsorbed by modified montmorillonite were obviously higher than those by montmorillonite. The sorption enhancement by humic acid modification was attributed to (1) the enlarged adsorption sites which owed to the surface collapse of crystal layers induced by organic acids, and (2) the binding of aflatoxin with the humic acid sorbed on mineral surface. In addition, the adsorption amounts of aflatoxin by montmorillonite and modified montmorillonite increased with the increase of pH values in solution, and more significant enhancement was observed for the latter than the former, which attributed to the release of humic acids from the modified montmorillonite with the high pH values in solution. This indicates that increasing the pH values resulted in the enhanced hydrophilic property and the release of the organic acids presented in modified montmorillonite, and more sorption sites were available for aflatoxin on the modified montmorillonite. Results of this work would strengthen our understanding of the behavior and fate of biological contaminants in the environment.

[Preparation method of stalk environmental biomaterial and its sorption ability for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water].

The soybean, sesame and corn stalks were pyrolyzed and charred for 8 h at 300-700 degrees C to obtain stalk environmental biomaterials. The BET specific surface areas, methylene blue, and iodine adsorption capacity of the stalk environmental biomaterials were determined. The sorption efficiency of these materials on single polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and mixing PAHs were investigated. The BET specific surface areas of stalk biomaterials enlarged, and the sorption ability on methylene blue and iodine enhanced with increasing the treatment temperature. The obtained stalk biomaterials could effectively remove the PAHs from water. For instance, 91.28%, 89.01% and 99.66% of naphthalene, acenaphthene, and phenanthrene in 32 mL water were removed by 0.01 g biomaterials obtained by soybean stalk at 700 degrees C. The removal efficiencies of biomaterials for mixed PAHs in water were in the order of phenanthrene > naphthalene > acenaphthene. However, the sorption ability of produced stalk biomaterials differed significantly, and followed the order of corn > soybeans > sesame for the removal of naphthalene and acenaphthene, and soybean > corn > sesame for phenanthrene removal in water. Results of this work would provide some insight into the reuse of crop stalks, and also open a new view on the treatment of organic polluted water utilizing biomaterials.