[A case of acute inhalation dinitrogen tetroxide poisoning].

Dinitrogen tetroxide is often used as an oxidant in rocket propellant and has strong irritant and corrosive properties. This paper analyzes the clinical data of a patient with dinitrogen tetroxide poisoning admitted in the 63710 Army Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, so as to further explore the poisoning mechanism, clinical characteristics and key points of acute inhaled dinitrogen tetroxide poisoning.

Retraction: Bio-inspired terpolymers containing dopamine, cations and MPC: a versatile platform to construct a recycle antibacterial and antifouling surface.

Retraction of 'Bio-inspired terpolymers containing dopamine, cations and MPC: a versatile platform to construct a recycle antibacterial and antifouling surface' by B. L. Wang et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2015, 3, 5501-5510, https://doi.org/10.1039/C5TB00597C.

Air quality improvement assessment and exposure risk of Shandong Province in China during 2014 to 2020.

As one of the most polluted provinces in China, air pollution events occur frequently in Shandong. Based on the hourly (or daily) concentrations of six air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, SO2 and CO), the situations of air quality improvement in three kinds of cities (key cities, coastal cities and general cities) are assessed comprehensively during 2014-2020. Contrary to the daily maximum 8-h average ozone (MDA8 O3), the annual average concentrations of other pollutants show the downward trends during 2014-2020. Therein, the improvement rates of annual average concentrations of air pollutants in key cities are highest. By 2020, the day proportions of O3 as the primary pollutant are up to 38% in three kinds of cities. Besides, due to the impact of COVID-19, the monthly average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2 and CO in February 2020 decrease by 32.1-49.5% year-on-year. There are still about 50% of population exposed to high-risk regions (R i > 2), which are mainly concentrated in main urban areas and industrial areas. Thus, the adjustment of industrial structure and energy composition in the context of carbon peak and carbon neutrality should be implemented in the future. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13762-022-04651-5.

[Analysis of risk factors for hemorrhage in patients with acute poisoning treated with hemoperfusion].

Objective: To explore the clinical characterist ics and risk factors of hemorrhage complicated by hemoperfusion therapy in patients with acute poisoning. Methods: In January 2021, the clinical data of 196 patients with acute poisoning who received hemoperfusion therapy in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from January 2018 to December 2020 were analyzed, and the patients were divided into bleeding group and non-bleeding group according to whether the patients were complicated with bleeding. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors for hemorrhage in patients treated with hemoperfusion. Results: A total of 21 patients in the bleeding group and 175 patients in the non-bleeding group were included. There was no significant difference in general data such as gender, age, and body mass index between the two groups (P>0.05) . Organophosphorus pesticides (χ(2)= 4.56, P=0.030) , HA230 perfusion device (χ(2)=4.12, P=0.042) , platelet count (t=-2.33, P=0.009) and activated partial thromboplastin time (t=14.53, P<0.001) at 2 h of perfusion were the influencing factors of hemorrhage in patients with acute poisoning treated with hemoperfusion. Among them, organophosphorus pesticides, 2 h perfusion activated partial thromboplastin time ≥35 s and other factors were independent risk factors forcomplicated bleeding (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Patients with acute poisoning, especially organophosphorus pesticide poisoning, are at greater risk of bleeding during hemoperfusion therapy. Monitoring of changes in activated partial thromboplastin time should be strengthened and the dose of anticoagulants should be adjusted in time to reduce the risk of bleeding.

[Significance of early lymphocyte-platelets ratio on the prognosis of patients with extensive burns].

Objective: To analyze the changing trend and characteristics of lymphocyte-platelets ratio (LPR) of early stage in patients with extensive burns, and to explore the prognostic significance of LPR. Methods: A retrospective case series study was conducted. From January 2008 to December 2018, 244 patients with extensive burns were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, including 181 males and 63 females, aged (44±16) years. The total burned area of patients was 60.0% (42.0%, 85.0%) total body surface area. Platelet and lymphocyte test results of patients were collected on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd day after admission, and LPR of patients was calculated to analyze the changing trend of the three days after admission. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were conducted to investigate the risk factors or independent risk factors for death of patients, including age, sex, total burn area, area of full-thickness burns and above, inhalation injury, and LPR. According to the 1st day's LPR after admission of patients, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve predicting death of patients was drawn to find the optimal value of LPR. Patients were divided into high LPR group (n=136) and low LPR group (n=108) based on the optimal value of LPR, and the clinical data of total burn area, area of full-thickness burns and above, inhalation injury, tracheotomy, offline time of patients within 28 days, and mortality in the 2 groups were compared. The surviving curve of patients was drawn by Kaplan-Meier method to predict the difference of the 90-day survival rate between the two groups of patients. Data were statistically analyzed with Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and chi-square test. Results: Within 3 days of admission, the LPR of patients showed a time-dependent upward trend. LPR of patients on the 2nd and 3rd day after admission was 8.6 (5.3, 14.4) and 8.6 (4.9, 13.7), respectively, which were significantly higher than the 1st day's 6.3 (4.2, 9.8), with Z values of -4.25 and -3.43, respectively, P<0.01. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, total burn area, area of full-thickness burns and above, inhalation injury, and LPR were all risk factors for death of patients (with odds ratios of 1.03, 1.73, 1.31, 4.74, and 3.11, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 1.01-1.06, 1.40-2.13, 1.21-1.42, 1.62-13.86, and 1.41-6.88, respectively, P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, area of full-thickness burns and above, and LPR were independent risk factors for death of patients (with odds ratios of 1.06, 1.36, and 2.85, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 1.03-1.09, 1.19-1.55, 1.02-7.97, P<0.05 or P<0.01). The area under ROC curve of the 1st day's LPR, predicting death of patients, was 0.61 (with 95% confidence interval of 0.51-0.71, P<0.05), and the optimal predicted value was 5.8 with corresponding sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 52% respectively. The total burn area, area of full-thickness burns and above, rates of incidence of inhalation injury, tracheotomy, and mortality of patients in high LPR group were significantly higher than those in low LPR group (with Z values of -3.06 and -3.19, χ2 values of 5.42, 11.64, and 8.45, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01). The offline time of patients within 28 days in high LPR group was significantly shorter than that in low LPR group (Z=-2.98, P<0.01). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the 90-day survival rate of admission of patients in low LPR group was significantly higher than that of patients in high LPR group (χ2=8.24, P<0.01). Conclusions: The early LPR of patients with extensive burns showed a time-dependent upward trend. The LPR on the first day after admission that is closely correlated with total burn area, area of full-thickness and deeper burns, inhalation injury, tracheotomy, and mortality of patients, is an independent risk factor for the prognosis of patients with extensive burns. The first day's LPR after admission is significantly correlated with the 90-day survival rate of patients, which can be used as an evaluation index for the severity of extensive burns.

Is there only one equilibrium configuration for spontaneous bending of liquid crystal elastomer circular plates with free edges?

In this paper, the spontaneous bending of a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) circular plate under light illumination is investigated. The large bending deformation configurations for the LCE circular plate with free edges are obtained by minimizing the potential energy. It is found that for an LCE circular plate with random distribution of liquid crystal molecules, if the light intensity is small, there is only one equilibrium configuration for bending of the LCE circular plate. However, when the light intensity reaches a critical value, the circular plate will buckle and there will be three possible equilibrium configurations. On the other hand, for an LCE circular plate with uniform orientation of liquid crystal molecules, the strain induced by light is anisotropic, and there is only one equilibrium configuration. In addition, bending shapes of the LCE circular plate depend on its thickness. These results may be useful for designing light-driven LCE devices.

[Epidemiological characteristics and outcome analysis of 266 patients with inhalation injuries combined with total burn area less than 30% total body surface area].

Objective: To explore the epidemiological characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with inhalation injuries combined with total burn area less than 30% total body surface area (TBSA). Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed on medical records of 266 patients with inhalation injuries combined with total burn area less than 30%TBSA who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from January 2008 to December 2016 and met the inclusion criteria. The following statistical data of the patients were collected, including gender, age, injury site, injurious factors of inhalation injury, degree of inhalation injury, combined total burn area, tracheotomy, time of tracheotomy, mechanical ventilation, whether stayed in intensive care unit (ICU) or not, microbial culture results of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, length of hospital stay, length of ICU stay, mechanical ventilation days, and respiratory tract infections. Single factor and multivariate linear regression analysis were used to screen out the risk factors impacting the length of hospital stay, length of ICU stay, and mechanical ventilation days of patients. Single factor and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen out the risk factors impacting respiratory tract infections of patients. Results: The 266 patients included 190 males and 76 females, with the majority age of above or equal to 21 years and below 65 years (217 patients). The major injury site was confined space. The major factor causing inhalation injury was hot air. Mild and moderate inhalation injuries were more common in patients. The combined total burn area was 9.00% (3.25%, 18.00%) TBSA. In 111 patients who had tracheotomy, most of them received the procedures before being admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University. The length of hospital stay of patients was 27 (10, 55) days. The length of ICU stay of 160 patients who were hospitalized in ICU was 15.5 (6.0, 40.0) days. The mechanical ventilation days of 109 patients who were conducted with mechanical ventilation were 6.0 (1.3, 11.5) days. A total of 119 patients were diagnosed with respiratory tract infections, with 548 strains including 35 types of pathogens isolated, mainly Gram-negative bacteria. Single factor linear regression analysis showed that age, injurious factors of inhalation injury, combined total burn area, degree of inhalation injury (moderate and severe), tracheotomy, mechanical ventilation, and respiratory tract infections were the factors impacting the length of hospital stay of patients (ß=-0.198, -0.224, 0.021, 0.127, 0.164, -0.298, 0.357, 0.447, 95% confidence interval (CI)=-0.397--0.001, -0.395--0.053, 0.015-0.028, 0.009-0.263, 0.008-0.319, -0.419--0.176, 0.242-0.471, 0.340-0.555, P<0.1). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that with mechanical ventilation and respiratory tract infections were the independent risk factors impacting the length of hospital stay of patients (ß=0.146, 0.383, 95% CI=0.022-0.271, 0.261-0.506, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Single factor linear regression analysis showed that injurious factors of inhalation injury, combined total burn area, degree of inhalation injury (moderate and severe), tracheotomy (no tracheotomy and prophylactic tracheotomy), mechanical ventilation, and respiratory tract infections were the factors impacting the length of ICU stay of patients (ß=0.225, 0.008, 0.237, 0.203, -0.408, -0.334, 0.309, 0.523, 95% CI=0.053-0.502, 0.006-0.010, -0.018-0.457, -0.022-0.428, -0.575--0.241, -0.687--0.018, 0.132-0.486, 0.369-0.678, P<0.1). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that with respiratory tract infections was the independent risk factor impacting the length of ICU stay of patients (ß=0.440, 95% CI=0.278-0.601, P<0.01). Single factor linear regression analysis showed that injury site, injurious factors of inhalation injury (smoke and chemical gas), combined total burn area, degree of inhalation injury (moderate and severe), tracheotomy (no tracheotomy and prophylactic tracheotomy), and respiratory tract infections were the factors impacting mechanical ventilation days of patients (ß=-0.300, 0.545, 0.163, 0.005, 0.487, 0.799, -0.791, -0.736, 0.300, 95% CI=-0.565--0.034, 0.145-0.946, 0.051-1.188, 0.001-0.009, 0.127-0.847, 0.436-1.162, -1.075--0.508, -1.243--0.229, 0.005-0.605, P<0.1). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that smoke inhalation, severe inhalation injury, and respiratory tract infections were the independent risk factors impacting mechanical ventilation days of patients (ß=0.210, 0.495, 0.263, 95% CI=0.138-0.560, 0.143-0.848, 0.007-0.519, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Single factor logistic regression analysis showed that age, injury site, combined total burn area (10%-19%TBSA and 20%-29%TBSA), degree of inhalation injury (moderate and severe), tracheotomy (prophylactic tracheotomy and no tracheotomy), and mechanical ventilation were the factors impacting respiratory tract infections of patients (odds ratio=1.079, 0.815, 1.400, 1.331, 1.803, 1.958, 0.990, 0.320, 3.094, 95% CI=0.840-1.362, 0.641-1.044, 1.122-1.526, 1.028-1.661, 1.344-2.405, 1.460-2.612, 0.744-1.320, 0.241-0.424, 2.331-4.090, P<0.1). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that with mechanical ventilation was the independent risk factor impacting respiratory tract infections of patients (odds ratio=4.300, 95% CI=2.152-8.624, P<0.01). Conclusions: The patients with inhalation injuries combined with total burn area less than 30%TBSA are mainly young and middle-aged males. Smoke inhalation, degree of inhalation injury, with mechanical ventilation and respiratory tract infections are the factors that affect the outcomes of patients with inhalation injuries combined with total burn area less than 30%TBSA. Additionally, prophylactic tracheotomy shows its potential value in reducing respiratory tract infections in patients with moderate or severe inhalation injuries.

[Factors affecting the recovery of cholinesterase activity in patients with acute chlorpyrifos poisoning].

Objective: To investigate the related factors affecting the recovery of cholinesterase (ChE) activity in patients with acute chlorpyrifos poisoning. Methods: In February 2020, the clinical data of acute chlorpyrifos poisoning patients admitted in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The outcome variable was the time of ChE activity recovered to 50% lower limit of normal value, and multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to explore its influencing factors. Results: A total of 78 patients, 43 males and 35 females, with an average age (39.58±14.77) years were enrolled in this study. The average time of serum ChE activity recovered to 50% lower limit of normal value was (24.45±2.64) days. There was a correlation between hemoperfusion (r=-0.644) , atropine dosage (r=0.498) , chlorophosphorus dosage (r=0.432) and the time of serum ChE activity recovered to 50% lower limit of normal value, in which hemoperfusion was significantly negatively correlated with the time of serum ChE activity recovered to 50% lower limit of normal value (ß=-4.222, P<0.05) . Conclusion: The recovery of serum ChE activity in patients with acute chlorpyrifos poisoning is very slow. Hemoperfusion can quickly remove chlorpyrifos, its metabolites and inflammatory mediators in the blood, thus effectively promoting the recovery of ChE activity.

[Analysis of influencing factors of KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA gene mutation consistency in patients with advanced colorectal cancer].

Objective: To analyze the consistency of plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and tumor tissue DNA in detecting KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA gene mutations in patients with advanced colorectal cancer, and to explore the factors affecting the consistency. Methods: Patients with advanced colorectal cancer who were treated in Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University from December 2018 to May 2020 were enrolled. The results of plasma and tissue gene detection, clinicopathological information and treatment were collected. The consistency and influencing factors of plasma and tissue KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA status were analyzed. Results: The patients enrolled in this study all received plasma gene detection. The mutation rates of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA in plasma were 27.30%, 2.42%, 6.06% and 9.70%, respectively. Among them, 128 patients underwent tissue gene testing, and the mutation rates of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA were 30.47%, 2.34%, 7.03% and 3.13%, respectively. The overall coincidence rate of KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA status by plasma and tissue was 62.50% (Kappa=0.200, P=0.023). Univariate analysis showed that the consistency of gene detection was higher in newly diagnosed untreated group and liver metastasis group, but lower in lung metastasis group. Conclusion: Our real-world study found that there are some differences in KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA status between plasma and tissue. Anti-tumor therapy and metastatic sites may be important factors affecting the inconsistency.

[Differentiate between the reference interval and the clinical diagnosis and treatment decision threshold for alanine aminotransferase].

The debate about whether the upper limit of normal for ALT should be lowered has been going on for nearly 20 years. However, the concept, the establishment method, and the application scope of reference interval are different from those of the clinical diagnosis and treatment decision threshold. We will differentiate the two concepts and review the related publications to help clinicians better apply the reference interval and the decision threshold for disease diagnosis and treatment.

LncRNA PSMA3-AS1 promotes colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion via regulating miR-4429.

OBJECTIVE: Many studies have revealed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are related to various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aims to explore the biological function of lncRNA PSMA3-AS1 in CRC progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression levels of PSMA3-AS1 and miR-4429 were assessed by RT-qPCR. CRC progression was explored by cell viability, migration, and invasion using CCK-8 and transwell assays. The interaction between PSMA3-AS1 and miR-4429 was verified by bioinformatics analysis, Dual-Luciferase assay, and RIP assay. RESULTS: It was found that PSMA3-AS1 expression was increased and miR-4429 expression was decreased in CRC tissues and cells. In addition, PSMA3-AS1 interference markedly hindered the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells. MiR-4429 was a direct target of PSMA3-AS1, and the knockdown of PSMA3-AS1 significantly suppressed miR-4429 expression. The depletion of PSMA3-AS1 inhibited CRC progression, which was neutralized by miR-4429 inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: PSMA3-AS1 accelerated CRC progression by regulating miR-4429 expression, which could be used as a potential therapeutic target for CRC patients.

[Clinical analysis of 5 cases of occupational acute methanol poisoning].

Objective: To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of occupational acute methanol poisoning. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 5 cases of occupational acute me thanol poisoning admitted from October 11 to 12, 2018. Results: The first patient was diagnosed with severe acute methanol poisoning and died after treatment with mechanical ventilation, hemodialysis, and detoxification by ethanol and folic acid for 38 hours. The remaining four cases were all diagnosed with mild acute methanol poisoning and were discharged from hospital after active symptomatic support treatment for 63 to 69 hours. Fuhermore, all the four patients were followed up for one year and without sequelaes. Conclusion: Early evaluation of the disease, early combination with hemodialysis, and use of detoxification drugs are the key to rescue occupational acute methanol poisoning.

Evaluation of the diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral CT in acute mesenteric ischemic diseases: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) in acute mesenteric ischemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review was performed from the databases of PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE by two researchers updated to July 1, 2018. The search terms included in the databases were mesenteric ischemia and multi-slice spiral computed tomography. A self-made data extraction form was used for data extraction, followed by quality assessment and heterogeneity testing of literature that met the requirements. Combined specificity and sensitivity were calculated and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted. Meta-analysis was performed by STATA 12.0. RESULTS: In this meta-analysis, 231 patients with acute mesenteric ischemic disease and 651 patients in the control group in 8 independent randomized case-control studies were enrolled. Our meta-analysis showed that MSCT had significantly improved the diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia. Because of statistical heterogeneity in the study, we used the random effects model for analysis. The combined sensibility was 94% (95% CI: 83%-98%), and the combined specificity was 97% (95% CI: 93%-99%). The combined positive predictive value was 32.48 (95% CI: 13.53-77.98), the combined negative predictive value was 0.07 (95% CI: 0.02-0.18), and the combined diagnostic odds ratio was 6.21 (95% CI: 4.58-7.84). In terms of comprehensive diagnostic performance, the AUC was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.98-1.00) after plotting the SROC curve. CONCLUSIONS: MSCT had a high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia. In addition, these studies with large samples and high quality in a multi-center hospital were needed to further confirm the reliability.

Approximate and explicit expression of optical forces and pull-in instability of a silicon nano-optomechanical device.

Nano-optomechanical systems actuated by optical forces enable many interesting scientific and technological applications. They are vulnerable to the effects of surface stress and Casimir forces. Therefore, calculation of optical forces is essential for the reliability applications of these advanced devices. In this paper, an approximate and explicit expression is developed for the evaluation of the optical force existing between a waveguide and a substrate through the effective refractive index. The influences of surface stress and Casimir forces on the pull-in instability of a silicon nano-optomechanical device actuated by optical forces are investigated. It is found that if neglecting the effect of surface stress, the maximum size, which indicates the device can be safely fabricated, will be over-predicted. The surface stress reduces the critical optical power and its effect is more significant for a slender waveguide.

MiR-613 promotes cell proliferation and invasion in cervical cancer via targeting PTPN9.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential effects of miR-613 on the development of cervical cancer (CC) and the relevant mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression level of miR-613 was detected in CC tissues and cells (siHa) by comparing with corresponding adjacent normal tissues and normal human embryonic kidney cells (293T). Luciferase assay was performed to evaluate the interaction between miR-613 and PTPN9. The effects of the miR-613 on siHa cells were determined by subsequent experiments including cell proliferation, invasion and migration. RESULTS: In our study, miR-613 was found up-regulated in CC tissues and the same result was found at cellular level. The potential target of miR-613 was analyzed by three public databases. We found that tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 9 (PTPN9) was a direct target of miR-613, and Luciferase assays confirmed our hypothesis. The subsequent experiments showed that decreased expression of PTPN9 resulting from up-regulation of miR-613 could promote the cell proliferation, invasion and migration of CC cells. CONCLUSIONS: We showed the promotion function of miR-613 on CC by targeting PTPN9 and revealed that miR-613/PTPN9 axis might be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of CC.

Electrostatic potential in a bent piezoelectric nanowire with consideration of size-dependent piezoelectricity and semiconducting characterization.

Determining the electric potential in a bent piezoelectric nanowire (NW) is a fundamental issue of nanogenerators and nanopiezotronics. The combined influence of the flexoelectric effect, the semiconducting performance and the angle of atomic force microscope (AFM) tip has never been studied previously and will be investigated in this paper. The exact solution for the electric potential of a bent piezoelectric semiconductor NW is derived. The electric potential of the present model with consideration of flexoelectric effect varies along the length of the NW and is different from that of the classical piezoelectric model. Flexoelectric effect enhances but the semiconducting performance reduces the electric potential of the NW. In addition, it is found that if the angle of the AFM tip reaches 30°, the error of the electric potential obtained from the model ignored the effect of the angle of the AFM tip is almost 16%, which is unacceptable.

Online measurement of conductivity/permittivity of fluid by a new contactless impedance sensor.

By expanding the contactless conductivity detection (CCD) technique to contactless impedance detection technique, a new contactless impedance sensor is designed to implement the online measurement for both the conductivity of a conductive fluid and the permittivity of a non-conductive fluid. In the new contactless impedance sensor, a new simulated inductor is developed to overcome the unfavorable influences of the coupling capacitances by impedance elimination principle, and the digital phase-sensitive demodulation (DPSD) technique is adopted to realize the impedance measurement. To verify the effectiveness of the new contactless impedance sensor, simulation experiments (using different resistors, capacitors, and their combinations) and practical fluid experiments (using KCl solutions with different concentrations, eight organic solvents, and pure water) are carried out. The experimental results show that the development of the new contactless impedance sensor is successful and the conductivity/permittivity measurement performance of the new sensor is satisfactory. The maximum relative error of conductivity measurement is 3.1% and the maximum relative error of permittivity measurement is 5.5%. Compared with the conventional conductivity/permittivity sensors, the new sensor can implement the contactless online measurement of both the two electrical parameters of fluid. Meanwhile, the new contactless impedance sensor is suitable for industrial applications and has the advantages of simple construction and low cost.

[Clinical effect analysis of endovascular repair for aortic pseudoaneurysms in 13 cases].

Objective: To discuss the clinical safety and efficacyof endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for aortic pseudoaneurysms. Methods: From October 2008 to October 2015, 13 patients (11 male, 2 female, with a mean age of 55.6) with aortic pseudoaneurysms treated by EVAR wereenrolled. All the 13 casesunderwentcomputed tomographic arteriography (CTA). The etiology diagnosis withdescendingaortic pseudoaneurysms, infected abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysms, abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysmsin Behcet's syndrome, and uncertain reasons were 4, 4, 4, and 1 case, respectively. Results: In this group, 14 stentswere planted.All the patients hadno accidents and complications in perioperative period.Twelve patients were successfully followed up, 1 patient died of recurrent abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysmsin Behcet's syndrome, and 1 patient with recurrent infected abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysm wascured by pseudoaneurysm resection and extra-anatomic bypass grafting. Concluson: EVAR is a safe and effective option for aortic pseudoaneurysms.

[Protective effect of hydrogen on the lung of sanitation workers exposed to haze].

Objective: To study the protective effect of hydrogen inhalation on the lungs of sanitation workers exposed to haze. Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial, 96 sanitation workers living in Shijiazhuang urban area were recruited during January to February, 2016. All enrolled participants were randomized to 2 groups; the treatment group inhaled H2∶O2 mixture (66.67%∶33.33%) 1 hour per day for 30 days, while the control group inhaled N2∶O2 mixture (66.67%∶33.33%) 1 hour per day for 30 days. Respiratory symptoms were evaluated and fractional exhaled nitric oxide(FeNO), biochemical indexes, lung function were measured at baseline(the 0th day) and during treatment (the 8th day, 15th day, and 30th day). Results: (1)The FeNO levels of the treatment group (16±5)×109 were lower than those of the control group(21±14)×109 on 8th day of treatment, with significant difference(F=6.94, P<0.05). (2)The levels of FEV1 were significantly higher in participants from the treatment group as compared to the control group on both 8th [(96±13)% vs(94±14)%(F=3.96, P<0.05)] and 30th day [(97±14)% vs (95±12)%(F=8.5, P<0.05)] of treatment, while PEF was also increased on 15th day [(73±15)% vs(67±18)%(F=8.68, P<0.05)]. (3)The sputum levels of MMP-12 and SOD3 were consistently lower in the treatment group as compared to the control group at each time point, and the levels of IL-10 were higher in the treatment group as compared to the control group on the 15th and 30th day. MDA and IL-2 levels were lower in the treatment group than in the control group on the 30th day(P<0.05). The sputum levels of CRP and TGF-ß1 at each time point were not different between the 2 groups (P>0.05). (4)The serum levels of IL-2 and SOD3 were lower in the treatment group as compared to the control group while IL-10 was higher than in the control group at each time point, and MMP-12 was lower in the treatment group than that in the control group on the 30th day(P<0.05). The relative ratios of CRP, TGF-ß1 and MDA in serum at each time point between the 2 groups were not significantly different (P>0.05). (5)Hydrogen inhalation improved respiratory symptoms such as cough. Conclusions: Inhalation of hydrogen gas could alleviate airway inflammation and oxidative stress of sanitation workers exposed to air pollution. There was even a significant inhibitory effect on the level of systemic inflammatory response. Importantly, inhalation of hydrogen could improve respiratory symptoms such as cough.