Pyrite/H2O2/hydroxylamine system for efficient decolorization of rhodamine B.

To improve the efficiency of the Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle and continuous reactivity of pyrite, a pyrite/H2O2/hydroxylamine (HA) system was proposed to treat rhodamine B (RhB). The results showed that near-complete decolorization and 52.8% mineralization 50 mg L-1 RhB were achieved under its optimum conditions: HA 0.8 mM, H2O2 1.6 mM, pyrite 0.4 g L-1, and initial pH 4.0. The degradation reaction was dominated by an •OH radical produced by the reaction of Fe2+ with H2O2 in solution. HA primarily had two roles: in solution, HA could accelerate the Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle through its strong reducibility to enhance RhB decolorization; on the pyrite surface, HA could improve the continuous reactivity of pyrite by inhibiting the oxidation of pyrite. In addition, the dosing manner of HA had a significant effect on RhB decolorization. In addition, the high decolorization and mineralization efficiency of other dye pollutants suggested that the pyrite/H2O2/HA system might be widely used in textile wastewater treatment.

Flexible intramedullary nailing had better outcomes than kirschner wire fixation in children with distal humeral metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction fracture: a retrospective observational analysis.

The effectiveness evaluation of flexible intramedullary nailing (FIN) and kirschner wire fixation (K-wire) used for MDJ fractures fixation have been described in multiple reports. But there have been few reports about comparison between FIN and K-wire in children with distal humeral MDJ fracture. In our retrospective study, Nineteen children received K-wire and twenty children received FIN, during the follow-up, six children in the K-wire group and one children in the FIN group was found to have postoperative cubitus varus; fixation method was an independent risk factor for postoperative cubitus varus (P = 0.001), fixation methods contributed significantly to operation time (t = 6.519, P < 0.001), surgical blood loss (t = 5.349, P < 0.001) and postoperative fracture healing time (t = 4.940, P < 0.001). We can conclude that FIN was related with lower incidence of postoperative cubitus varus, shorter operation time, less surgical blood loss and shorter fracture healing time compared to K-wire in children with MDJ fractures of the distal humerus.

Flexor pollicis longus rebalancing: a modified technique for Wassel IV-D thumb duplication.

PURPOSE: To report a modified reconstructive technique for Wassel type IV-D thumb duplication that preserves and transfers the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) from the removed radial portion. METHODS: We analyzed the hands of 16 patients (average age, 2 y) with Wassel IV-D thumb duplication. Patients were treated with ablation of the radial thumb and reconstruction of the ulnar thumb by a series of soft tissue procedures, including FPL rebalancing. The postoperative range of motion and the alignment at the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints of the affected thumbs were compared with the preoperative measurements. RESULTS: Of 16 cases, 14 were observed for an average of 29 months. Motion at the interphalangeal joint and alignment at metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints showed improvement after surgery. According to the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand scoring system, the results were excellent in 2 cases, good in 11, and fair in 1. A disadvantage of this technique proved to be restricted interphalangeal joint motion with an extension lag that averaged 14°. CONCLUSIONS: The FPL rebalancing technique with soft tissue stabilization of the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints can establish dynamic rebalance of the bifurcated FPL tendon in Wassel IV-D duplicated thumb. It shows excellent results in alignment and joint stability. The long-term results are under evaluation. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

Effect of variation of ABCB1 and ABCC3 genotypes on the survival of bone tumor cases after chemotherapy.

We conducted a comprehensive study to investigate the role of genes involved in transport pathways in response to chemotherapy and clinical outcome of osteosarcoma cases. Genotyping of six SNPs was performed in a 384-well plate format on the Sequenom MassARRAY platform for 208 osteosarcoma patients to reveal any correlations of the six SNPs with response to chemotherapy and clinical outcome. Individuals with the ABCB1 rs1128503 TT and ABCC3 rs4148416 TT genotypes had a higher probability of responding poorly to chemotherapy, indicated by odds ratios (ORs) of 2.46 (95%CI, 1.21-5.74) and 3.78 (95% CI, 1.20-13.85), respectively. Moreover, the ABCB1 rs1128503 TT and ABCC3 rs4148416 TT genotypes were significantly associated with shorter disease- free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Our study found the two SNPs in two transporter genes and one phase II metabolism enzyme to be associated with response to chemotherapy and overall survival in osteosarcoma patients, suggesting potential prognostic biomarker applications of the two SNPs.

Pre-bent elastic stable intramedullary nail fixation for distal radial shaft fractures in children.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the functional and radiographic outcomes of pre-bent elastic stable intramedullary nail in treatment of distal radial shaft fractures in children. METHODS: From January 2006 to December 2008, 18 children with distal radial shaft fracture were treated by close reduction and internal fixation with a pre-bent elastic stable intramedullary nail. The age range was from 5 years to 15 years, with an average of 9 years and 8 months. The minimum follow-up was 12 months. RESULTS: All fractures maintained good alignment postoperatively, and 94.4% (17/18) of the patients regained a full range of rotation of the forearm. One patient has limitation of rotation to less than 10°, this had improved by final follow-up. Complications included soft tissue irritation at the site of nail insertion in one patient and transient scar hypersensitivity in another. CONCLUSION: Fixation with a pre-bent elastic stable intramedullary nail is an effective, safe and convenient method for treating distal radial shaft fractures in children.

[Effects of cyclin dependent protein kinase inhibitor olomoucine on the microenvironment of axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury: an experiment with rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of olomoucine, a cyclin dependent protein kinase (CDK) inhibitor, on the microenvironment of axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: Forty-five SD rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: SCI group undergoing SCI by hemisection technique and peritoneal injection of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution 30 min after the SCI, SCI + olomoucine (SCI + Olo) group undergoing SCI by hemisection technique and peritoneal injection of olomoucine solution 30 min after the SCI, and sham operation group undergoing sham operation and peritoneal injection of DMSO solution 30 min after the operation. Three days after the operation the injured spinal cord segments of 5 rats from each group were taken out. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of the cell cycle related proteins, cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin E, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Immunofluorescence (IF) staining was used to detect the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan (CSPG). Four weeks after the operation specimens of the injured spinal cord segment 15 mm in length were taken out from 5 rats in each group to undergo histological examination. The locomotion function of the hindlimbs was determined by modified Gale combined behavioral scoring (SBS) 1 day and 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after the operation. RESULTS: Western blotting 3 days after the operation showed that the expressions of cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin E, and PCNA were very weak in the sham operation group, were significantly increased in the SCI group, and were significantly down-regulated in the SCI + Olo group compared with those of the SCI group. IF staining showed that the number of astrocytes was small and the expressions of GFAP, CSPG, and GAP-43 were weak in the sham operation group; in the SCI group the astrocytic proliferation and glial scar was obvious, and the expressions of GFAP, CSPG, and GAP-43 were significantly increased compared with those of the sham operation group (all P < 0.05); and the astrocytic proliferation was significantly weaker and no obvious glial scar could be seen, and the expressions of GFAP and CSPG were weaker in the SCI + Olo group in comparison with the SCI group, however, the GAP-43 expression of the sham operation group was significantly increased compared with that of the sham operation group (P < 0.05). The hindlimbs of the SCI + Olo group and sham operation group were paralyzed without significant difference in the CBS values between these 2 groups, however, two weeks after the operation, the locomotion function scores at different time points of the SCI + Olo group were all significantly improved in comparison with that of the SCI group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Olomoucine promotes the recovery of the locomotion function of the paralyzed hindlimbs, probably through microenvironmental improvement of axonal regeneration by inhibiting the glial scar formation and CSPG secretion as well as upregulating the GAP-43 expression.