Efficacy of the posterior nasal nerve resection combined with hormone transnasal nebulization on difficult-to-treat rhinosinusitis: a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A retrospective analysis was performed to explore the clinical effect of the Posterior Nasal Nerve (PNN) resection combined with hormone transnasal nebulization on Difficult-to-Treat Rhinosinusitis (DTRS). METHODS: A total of 120 DTRS patients were selected and divided into a control group (n = 60) and a study group (n = 60) according to different treatments. The control group patients were treated via PNN resection, followed by normal saline transnasal nebulization; the study group patients were given PNN resection and then treated with budesonide suspension transnasal nebulization. Subsequently, the comparison was performed between the two groups in terms of (1) Clinical baseline characteristics; (2) Sino-nasal Outcome Test (SNOT)-22 scores before treatment and after 3-months, 6-months and 12-months of treatment; (3) Lund-MacKay scores before treatment and after 10, 30, 90, and 180 days of treatment; (4) Incidence of adverse reactions during treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in SNOT-22 or Lund-Kennedy scores between the two groups before treatment (p > 0.05). After treatment, the SNOT-22 and Lund-Kennedy scores of the control and the study groups were decreased, and compared with the control group, the SNOT-22 and Lund-Kennedy scores in the study group improved more significantly (p < 0.05). In addition, the study group and the control group presented with 1 and 4 cases of nasal adhesion, 2 and 3 cases of epistaxis, 1 and 4 cases of sinus orifice obstruction, 1 and 3 cases of lacrimal duct injuries, respectively. The incidence of adverse reactions in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group (8.3% vs. 23.3%) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: PNN resection combined with hormone transnasal nebulization treatment can improve the symptoms and quality of life of DTRS patients, with good clinical efficacy but few adverse reactions. Therefore, such combination treatment deserves a promotion and application clinically. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.

The application of Foley catheter traction technique in extraperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a technique to improve exposure of prostate during extraperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (EP-RARP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: From March 2020 to June 2022, a total of 41 patients with prior intra-abdominal surgery underwent EP-RARP. Twenty-three patients improved exposure by traction of prostate through urinary catheter. The catheter traction prostatectomy (CTP) group was compared with the standard prostatectomy (SP) group using three robotic arms (18 patients) in terms of estimated blood loss (EBL), operative time, positive surgical margin rate, the recovery rate of urinary continence, Gleason score and postoperative hospital stays. Differences were considered significant when P < 0.05. RESULTS: The operative time was lower in the CTP group (109.63 min vs. 143.20 min; P < 0.001). EBL in the CTP group was 178.26 ± 30.70 mL, and in the standard prostatectomy group, it was 347.78 ± 53.53 mL (P < 0.001). No significant differences with regard to postoperative hospital stay, recovery rate of urinary continence, catheterization time and positive surgical margin were observed between both groups. No intraoperative complications occurred in all the patients. After 6 months of follow-up, the Post-op Detectable prostate specific antigen was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: CTP is a feasible, safe, and valid procedure in EP-RARP. Application of CTP improved the exposure of prostate, reduced operative time and blood loss in comparison with the conventional procedure.

Fluorinated magnetic porous carbons for dispersive solid-phase extraction of perfluorinated compounds.

Novel magnetic and fluorinated porous carbons (M-FPCs) with high fluorine content, large pore volume and specific surface area were first prepared by carbonizing and further fluorinating Fe-Zr bimetal-organic frameworks. The M-FPCs exhibit excellent adsorption performance toward perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), and the maximal adsorption capacity ranges from 518.1 to 919.3 mg g-1 for various PFCs. Based on this property, an environmental analytical method of dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) using M-FPCs as adsorbents coupled with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was developed for the detection of trace PFCs. The linear range was as wide as 10-200 ng L-1, and low limit of detection (0.02-0.16 ng L-1) and good precision (relative standard deviation less than 6.11% for intra-day and inter-day) were achieved. This method was applied to the detection of trace PFCs in environmental water and soil samples with satisfactory results.

Preparation of fluorinated covalent organic polymers at room temperature for removal and detection of perfluorinated compounds.

Covalent organic polymers (COPs) are promising adsorbents for the removal and detection of various types of pollutants. However, the preparation of COPs that exhibit uniform dispersion and good appearance at room temperature is challenging. Herein, fluorinated covalent organic polymers (F-COPs) with different morphologies were synthesized through the Schiff base reaction of 4,4-diamino-p-terphenyl (DT) and 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoroterephthalaldehyde (TFA). The as-prepared F-COPs could selectively adsorb perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) owing to their fluoro-affinity, hydrophobicity, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic attraction. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm simulation results showed that the adsorption process conformed to the second-order kinetics and the Langmuir model. The saturated adsorption capacity calculated by the Langmuir model was found to be 323-667 mg/g. The F-COPs were applied to the treatment of simulated fluorine industrial wastewater, and the PFC removal efficiencies of 92.3-100.0% were achieved. Moreover, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was conducted for the detection of trace-level PFCs using F-COPs as dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) adsorbents. The limits of detection were 0.05-0.13 ng/L and the limits of quantification were 0.17-0.43 ng/L. This study facilitates the synthesis of COPs at room temperature and extends the application of COPs as pretreated materials for environmental remediation and detection.

[Accurate Identification of Ambient VOCs Emission Sources in an Industrial Park Using On-Line Monitoring Data].

To accurately identify and locate ambient volatile organic compounds(VOCs)emission sources in industrial parks, a continuous online GC-FID method was used to monitor 43 kinds of VOCs on an hourly basis during January 2017 at five sites in an industrial park. A statistical analysis and a PMF model were used to analyze the sources of VOCs, and by combining with CPF and enterprise emission information, the location of each pollution source was accurately identified. The average VOCs concentration was 56.40×10-9 and the highest concentration of alkanes was observed at four sites, with the exception of one site. Ethane, propane, ethylene, toluene, isobutane, n-butane, and acetylene were the main contributors. Ambient VOCs in the park mainly derives from five sources:urban transmission, butane leakage, process emissions, storage tank emissions, and ethylene synthesis. The enterprises in the zone B1, A1-A3, C1-C2, F4, E4-E6, F4-F6, and the canal loading and unloading area are the main emission areas of the pollution sources. Using online monitoring data, the research combined a PMF model, meteorological conditions, and corporate emissions information to achieve precise positioning of the pollution sources of VOCs in the industrial park, thus providing a basis for the supervision and management of corporate emissions in industrial parks.

Mesoporous silicates prepared using preorganized templates in supercritical fluids.

Well-ordered mesoporous silicate films were prepared by infusion and selective condensation of silicon alkoxides within microphase-separated block copolymer templates dilated with supercritical carbon dioxide. Confinement of metal oxide deposition to specific subdomains of the preorganized template yields high-fidelity, three-dimensional replication of the copolymer morphology, enabling the preparation of structures with multiscale order in a process that closely resembles biomineralization. Ordered mesoporous silicate films were synthesized with dielectric constants as low as 1.8 and excellent mechanical properties. The films survive the chemical-mechanical polishing step required for device manufacturing.