Clinical Evaluation of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Combined with Peritoneal Lavage for Severe Acute Pancreatitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND We aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in combination with peritoneal lavage for the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed data from 52 patients with severe acute pancreatitis between January 2014 and December 2021 at Jiangyin People's Hospital. The patients were divided into 2 groups: CRRT (n=26) and CRRT in combination with peritoneal lavage (n=26). The following results and outcomes were retrospectively compared: procalcitonin, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein levels, duration of systemic inflammatory response, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores, abdominal distention relief time, abdominal pain relief time, length of intensive care unit stay, length of hospital stay, inpatient hospital costs, incidence of complications, and mortality. RESULTS There were significant differences in interleukin-6 and procalcitonin levels and APACHE-II scores after 3 and 7 days of treatment. The duration of systemic inflammatory response, abdominal distention relief time, abdominal pain relief time, length of intensive care unit stay, and length of hospital stay were considerably shorter in the combination group than in the CRRT group (P<0.01). Inpatient hospital costs were significantly lower in the combination group than in the CRRT group (P<0.01). However, incidence of complications and mortality showed no significant differences between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS CRRT combined with peritoneal lavage is an important adjuvant therapy in the early stages of acute severe acute pancreatitis and has better clinical efficacy than CRRT alone.

[Comparative analysis of clinical efficacy between posterior percutaneous endoscopic discectomy and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of posterior percutaneous endoscopic discectomy(PPECD) in the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy. METHODS: A total of 56 patiens with single segment cervical spondylotic radiculopathy from December 2017 to October 2020, were randomly divided into observation group and control group. In observation group, there were 16 males and 11 females, including 8 cases of C4,5, 13 cases of C5,6 and 6 cases of C6,7 performed posterior percutaneous endoscopic discectomy, aged from 34 to 61 years old with an average of (51.15±6.29) years old. In control group, there were 19 males and 10 females with single segment cervical spondylotic radiculopathy including 10 cases of C4,5, 14 cases of C5,6 and 5 cases of C6,7 performed anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, aged from 40 to 65 years old with an average of (53.24±5.31) years old. The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative time of lying in bed and length of postoperative hospital stay were recorded. Visual analogue scale(VAS) and neck disability index(NDI) were used to evaluate the clinical efficacy. Cervical plain films or MRIs, CTs were taken for re-visiting patients. RESULTS: All patients were followed up more than 2 years. The observation group patients were followed up, the duration ranged from 24 to 42 months with an average of (30.48±4.91) months. The control group patients were followed up, the duration ranged from 25 to 47 months, with an average of (32.76±4.53) months. Compared with control group, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative time of lying in bed and length of postoperative hospital stay were decreased(P<0.05). Compared with pre-operation, VAS of neck and upper limb and NDI at the latest follow-up between two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05). Compared with control group, VAS of neck and upper limb at 1 day after operation in observation group were significantly reduced(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in VAS of neck and upper limb and NID at 1, 3 months and the latest follow-up after operation between two groups(P>0.05). In the observation group, one patient's deltoid muscle strength was weakened to grade 4 after operation, and returned to normal after 12 weeks of conservative treatment. In control group, there was 1 case of postoperative adjacent spondylosis with symptoms of spinal compression after 2 years operation, then underwent cervical artificial intervertebral disc replacement. And there was 1 case of dysphagia after operation in control group and improved after 1 year. There was no significant difference in incidence of complications between two groups. CONCLUSION: PPECD has advantages of shortening operative time, decreasing intraoperative blood loss, reducing postoperative time of lying in bed and length of postoperative hospital stay. However, applicable age range of patients and long-term clinical efficacy needs further study.

Surgical Treatment and Proposed Modified Classification for Harrington Class III Periacetabular Metastases.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to: (i) evaluate the outcome of patients with Harrington class III lesions who were treated according to Harrington classification; (ii) propose a modified surgical classification for Harrington class III lesions; and (iii) assess the efficiency of the proposed modified classification. METHODS: This study composes two phases. During phase 1 (2006 to 2011), the clinical data of 16 patients with Harrington class III lesions who were treated by intralesional excision followed by reconstruction of antegrade/retrograde Steinmann pins/screws with cemented total hip arthroplasty (Harrington/modified Harrington procedure) were retrospectively reviewed and further analyzed synthetically to design a modified surgical classification system. In phase 2 (2013 to 2019), 62 patients with Harrington class III lesions were classified and surgically treated according to our modified classification. Functional outcome was assessed using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) 93 scoring system. The outcome of local control was described using 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS). Owing to the limited sample size, we considered P < 0.1 as significant. RESULTS: In phase 1, the mean surgical time was 273.1 (180 to 390) min and the mean intraoperative hemorrhage was 2425.0 (400.0 to 8000.0) mL, respectively. The mean follow-up time was 18.5 (2 to 54) months. Recurrence was found in 4 patients and the 2-year RFS rate was 62.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 31.6% to 93.2%). The mean postoperative MSTS93 score was 56.5% (20% to 90%). Based on the periacetabular bone destruction, we categorized the lesions into two subgroups: with the bone destruction distal to or around the inferior border of the sacroiliac joint (IIIa) and the bone destruction extended proximal to inferior border of the sacroiliac joint (IIIb). Six patients with IIIb lesions had significant prolonged surgical time (313.3 vs 249.0 min, P = 0.022), massive intraoperative hemorrhage (3533.3 vs 1760.0 mL, P = 0.093), poor functional outcome (46.7% vs 62.3%, P = 0.093), and unfavorable local control (31.3% vs 80.0%, P = 0.037) compared to the 10 patients with IIIa lesions. We then modified the surgical strategy for two subgroup of class III lesions: Harrington/modified Harrington procedure for IIIa lesions and en bloc resection followed by modular hemipelvic endoprosthesis replacement for IIIb lesions. Using the proposed modified surgical classification, 62 patients in the phase 2 study demonstrated improved surgical time (245.3 min, P = 0.086), intraoperative hemorrhage (1466.0 mL, P = 0.092), postoperative MSTS 93 scores (65.3%, P = 0.067), and 2-year RFS rate (91.3%, P = 0.002) during a mean follow-up time of 19.9 (1 to 60) months compared to those in the phase 1 study. CONCLUSION: The Harrington surgical classification is insufficient for class III lesions. We proposed modification of the classification for Harrington class III lesions by adding two subgroups and corresponding surgical strategies according to the involvement of bone destruction. Our proposed modified classification showed significant improvement in functional outcome and local control, along with acceptable surgical complexity in surgical management for Harrington class III lesions.

Laparoscopic VS. Open splenectomy and oesophagogastric devascularisation for liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We compared laparoscopic splenectomy combined with oesophagogastric devascularisation vs. open splenectomy combined with oesophagogastric devascularisation in patients with portal hypertension secondary to liver cirrhosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 192 patients diagnosed with portal hypertension and severe gastroesophageal varices at our hospital between January 2002 and December 2018; 62 patients underwent laparoscopic splenectomy combined with oesophagogastric devascularisation (laparoscopic group), and 130 patients underwent the open procedure (open group). The results and outcomes were compared retrospectively. RESULTS: The median blood loss was significantly less in the laparoscopic group than in the open group (180 vs. 380 mL, P < 0.001). The length of hospitalisation was shorter (6 vs. 11 days, P < 0.001) and the complication rate was lower in the laparoscopic group (P < 0.001). The general complication rates were 23.8% and 4.8% (P < 0.001), and the surgical complication rates were 56.1% and 24.2% (P < 0.001) in the open and laparoscopic groups, respectively. During a postoperative follow-up period of 10-60 months, the incidence of oesophagogastric variceal rebleeding showed no significant difference between groups. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic splenectomy combined with oesophagogastric devascularisation is technically feasible and safe in selected patients. Compared with the open group, the laparoscopic group showed a less volume of blood loss, shorter length of hospitalisation, and fewer postoperative complications but similar long-term outcomes.

[1,2,4]Triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivative (Mol-5) is a new NS5-RdRp inhibitor of DENV2 proliferation and DENV2-induced inflammation.

Dengue fever is an acute infectious disease caused by dengue virus (DENV) and transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. There is no effective vaccine or antiviral drug available to date to prevent or treat dengue disease. Recently, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), a class of polymerases involved in the synthesis of complementary RNA strands using single-stranded RNA, has been proposed as a promising drug target. Hence, we screened new molecules against DENV RdRp using our previously constructed virtual screening method. Mol-5, [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivative, was screened out from an antiviral compound library (~8000 molecules). Using biophysical methods, we confirmed the direct interactions between mol-5 and purified DENV RdRp protein. In luciferase assay, mol-5 inhibited NS5-RdRp activity with an IC50 value of 1.28 ± 0.2 µM. In the cell-based cytopathic effect (CPE) assay, mol-5 inhibited DENV2 infectivity with an EC50 value of 4.5 ± 0.08 µM. Mol-5 also potently inhibited DENV2 RNA replication as observed in immunofluorescence assay and qRT-PCR. Both the viral structural (E) and non-structural (NS1) proteins of DENV2 were dose-dependently decreased by treatment with mol-5 (2.5-10 µM). Mol-5 treatment suppressed DENV2-induced inflammation in host cells, but had no direct effect on host defense (JAK/STAT-signaling pathway). These results demonstrate that mol-5 could be a novel RdRp inhibitor amenable for further research and development.

Limb Salvage Using Non-hinged Endoprosthesis and Staged Correction of Leg-length Discrepancy for Children with Distal Femoral Malignant Tumors.

OBJECTIVE: Limb salvage in pediatric patients remains a challenge. We describe a staged strategy. The procedure includes: (i) tumor removal and non-hinged static endoprosthesis reconstruction; (ii) leg length discrepancy (LLD) correction by shoe lift or distraction osteogenesis; and (iii) maturity reconstruction by regular endoprosthesis. The aim of the study was to investigate the results of non-hinged static megaprosthesis reconstruction and staged LLD correction in the treatment of malignant tumors in the distal femur in children. METHODS: Non-hinged megaprostheses were implanted in 12 pediatric patients with osteosarcoma in the distal femur. The prosthesis consists of a femoral component with constrained condylar knee (CCK) design, and a tibial component with a small-diameter press-fit stem and derotation fins. A posterior stabilizing polyethylene component is fixed on the tibial component. The cases were prospectively followed up with focus on the growth rate of adjacent uninvolved bone in the salvaged limb, joint stability, knee stability, function outcome, length discrepancy, and surgery-related complications. RESULTS: There were five girls and seven boys included in the study, with an average age at the time of primary surgery of 10.0 years (range, 8-12 years). All the tumors were located in the distal femur. The average follow up was 76.3 months (range, 24-139 months). The Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction System (LARS) ligament was used in two patients to enhance the soft tissue reattachment and reconstruct medial collateral ligament (MCL). Ten patients were alive at the final follow-up and two had died of lung metastases. Expected LLD was 6.7 cm (range, 3.0-13.2 cm) at initial surgery. At the final follow-up, nine patients reached skeletal maturity and the actual LLD at the femur was 5.3 cm (range, 3.0-10.1 cm), excluding 1 cm correction at initial surgery by endoprosthesis. The proximal tibia physis showed an average of 86.7% (range, 56.5%-100%) growth of the contralateral side. The mean reduction in tibial length was 1.2 cm (range, 0.5-4.7 cm). Six patients received distraction osteogenesis at a mean length of 5.4 cm (range, 3.0-9.1 cm). Range of knee movement was between 85° and 125°, with an average of 102.5°. The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 93 score of patients alive was 80.6 (range, 60-90). CONCLUSION: Non-hinged static megaprosthesis followed by LLD correction with shoe lift or staged distraction osteogenesis appears to be an alternative option to treat children with malignant bone tumors around the knee.

Mediation in the second-order synaptic emulator with conductive atomic force microscopy.

Memristors have been extensively studied for synaptic simulation and neuromorphic computation. Instead of focusing on implementing specific synaptic learning rules by carefully engineering external programming parameters, researchers recently have paid more attention to taking advantage of the second-order memristor that is more analogous to biologic synapses and modulated not only by external inputs but also by internal mechanisms. However, experimental evidence is still scarce. Here, we explore a BiMnO3 memristor by applying simple spike forms. The filament evolution dynamics, including processes of forming and spontaneous decay, were directly observed by the conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM) technique. We propose that the unique conductance state of the BMO memristor is regulated by the oxygen vacancy (VO) dynamic process. We believe this primary result is helpful to improve understanding of the internal mechanisms of the second-order oxide memristor, which exhibits promising application in building selectors, memories and neuromorphic-computing systems.

Laparoscopic hepatectomy versus open hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma in 157 patients: A case controlled study with propensity score matching at two Chinese centres.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term outcomes and perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) versus open hepatectomy (OH) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between well-matched patient groups. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from 1535 hepatocellular carcinoma patients who underwent liver resection between January 2002 and December 2016 at two Chinese centres. Propensity score matching of patients in a ratio of 1:1 was conducted and 157 patients were matched. RESULTS: The median blood loss (150 vs 380 ml, P < 0.001) was significantly less with LH. The laparoscopic group had shorter hospital stay (6 vs 10 days, P < 0.001) and less complication rate (6.4% vs 24.2%,P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in overall survival and disease-free survival between LH and OH. There were no significant differences in perioperative and long-term outcomes. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic hepatectomy is technically feasible and safe in selected patients. LH showed similar long-term outcomes, associated with less blood loss, shorter hospital stay, and fewer postoperative complications in selected patients with HCC compared with OH.

Malignant Pelvic Tumors Involving the Sacrum: Surgical Approaches and Procedures Based on a New Classification.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce a new classification of Enneking type IV pelvic tumors involving the sacrum and a corresponding system of standardized surgical approaches and procedures for resection of such tumors, and to investigate the feasibility and therapeutic effect of the new system. METHODS: Data on 59 patients treated between February 2003 and February 2013 by standardized surgical approaches and procedures were retrospectively reviewed. The study subjects comprised 28 male and 31 female patients with a mean age at diagnosis of 36 years (range, 2-72 years). There are four subtypes in the new classification: (i) subtype IVa, neoplasms invading the ipsilateral sacral wing; (ii) subtype IVb, neoplasms invading the ipsilateral sacral foramina; (iii) subtype IVc, neoplasms invading the contralateral sacral foramina; and (iv) subtype IVd, neoplasms invading the whole of the sacrum. Standardized surgical approaches and procedures were devised for en-bloc resection for each subtype with adequate margins. RESULTS: Adequate margins were achieved in 43/59 patients (72.9%). The mean operation time was 5.0 h and the mean intraoperative blood loss 2157 mL. At the final follow-up, 27/53 patients (50.9%) who had been followed up were alive and in complete remission. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 93 score was 17.4 (58%) of a possible 30 points. The mean functional score for patients who had undergone a pelvic zone II resection was 15.2, compared with 19.0 for those with an intact pelvic zone II. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed standardized protocols should help orthopaedic surgeons to achieve adequate margins, manage risk, achieve better oncologic and functional outcomes, and minimize perioperative complications when treating massive pelvic tumors involving the sacrum.

BMPR2-pSMAD1/5 signaling pathway regulates RUNX2 expression and impacts the progression of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma.

Bone morphogenetic protein receptors (BMPRs) are multifunctional proteins; they have indispensible roles in the process of BMP signaling. However, their function in dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma is uncertain. It has been reported that BMPR2 is associated with chondrosarcoma. Moreover, the detection of BMPR2 is more frequent in dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas (DDCS) than in conventional chondrosarcomas (CCS). BMPR2, phospho-SMAD1/5 (pSMAD1/5), and runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) expressions were found to be associated with the pathological grades of chondrosarcoma and could be a promising target of treatment outcome. Moreover, BMPR2 was found to induce the RUNX2 expression via pSmad1/5. Knockdown of BMPR2 and pSmad1/5 results in the downregulation of RUNX2 expression in DDCS cells, while the upregulation of BMPR2 and Smad1/5 in CCS cells leads to increased RUNX2 expression. The luciferase reporter gene assay suggested that BMPR2 can induce the RUNX2 expression at the transcriptional level. By chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA), it was found that pSmad1/5 combined directly to RUNX2. The in vivo tumorigenicity assay in mice showed that the inhibition of BMPR2 or Smad1/5 in DDCS cell line reduced tumor growth, while the upregulation of BMPR2 or Smad1/5 in CCS cell line increased tumor growth. Furthermore, a BMPR signaling inhibitor, LDN-193189, was introduced to investigate its role as a potential drug to treat DDCS. Taken together, the present-study results suggest that BMPR2-pSmad1/5 signaling pathway has an important role in regulating not only the RUNX2 expression but also the tumorigenesis of DDCS.

Postoperative recurrence of desmoid tumors: clinical and pathological perspectives.

BACKGROUND: The clinical features and the pathological changes of desmoid tumors were studied to point out the key factors affecting the recurrence. METHODS: The clinical data and specimens of 56 patients who underwent desmoid tumor resection from 2003 to 2008 were reviewed. Possible clinical factors related to the postoperative recurrence were analyzed statistically. The specimens round the lesions were studied histopathologically. RESULTS: The overall recurrence rate was 39.3%. The postoperative recurrence rate of the patients with negative surgical margins and no tumor invasion of the major vessels and nerves was low (P < 0.05). However, the desmoid tumors could destroy the cortical bone and invade the medullary cavity. CONCLUSIONS: Desmoid tumors were pathologically benign, which could extensively invade tissues around the lesions. The invasion of major vessels and nerves and quality of surgical margins are the key factors for the high postoperative recurrence rate.

Chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed enantioselective decarboxylative alkylation of ß-keto acids with 3-hydroxy-3-indolyloxindoles.

A chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed enantioselective decarboxylative alkylation of ß-keto acids with 3-hydroxy-3-indolyloxindoles is described in this context. This method tolerates a series of aromatic and aliphatic ß-keto acids as well as substituted 3-hydroxy-3-indolyloxindoles, affording the corresponding chiral 3-functionalized 3-indolyloxindoles in high yields (up to 98%) and enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee).

[Surgical treatment and prognostic analysis of osteosarcoma in adults older than 40 years].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic factors of primary osteosarcoma in adults. METHODS: This is a review of 54 patients older than 40 years (24 men and 30 women) who were treated between 1998 and 2011 at the authors' institution. Demographic information and follow-up data were obtained and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Tumors involved the limbs in 30 patients (55.5%) and axial skeleton in 17 patients (31.5%), and arose from soft tissue in 7 patients (13%). And 6 patients (11.1%) had synchronous metastasis. According to our review, tumors were treated surgically in 52 patients (96.3%). Local recurrence was documented in 14 patients (26.9%). Metastasis after diagnosis appeared in 21 patients (38.9%). In the 52 patients who received the surgical treatment, the 5 year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 43.7% and 50.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Adult patients with primary osteosarcoma had a poor clinical outcome. Inadequate surgical margins, more tumors in the axial location due to high recurrence rates, metastatic disease at presentation, and large tumor volumes were associated with significantly lower survival rates. Aggressive multi-agent treatment regimens might improve survival.

[Prevalence and causes of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment among adults aged 50 years or above in Changji City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region: the China Nine-Province survey].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and causes of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment among adults aged ≥ 50 years in Changji City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. METHODS: It was a population-based cross-section study.Geographically defined cluster sampling was used in randomly selecting 5714 individuals aged ≥ 50 years in Changji City. The survey was preceded by a pilot study where operational methods were refined and quality assurance evaluation was carried out. All participants were enumerated through village registers followed door-to-door visits.Eligible individuals were invited to received visual acuity measurement and eye examination. Prevalence of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment was calculated according to different age, gender or education. And the reasons of blindness were analyzed.Statistical analyses were performed using Stata/SE Statistical Software, release 9.0. Chi-square test was used to investigate the association of age, gender and education with presenting and best corrected visual acuity. RESULTS: Five thousands seven hundreds and fourteen individuals were enumerated and 5250 persons were examined, the response rate was 91.88%. Based on the criteria of World Health Organization visual impairment classification in 1973, the prevalence of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment defined as best corrected visual acuity was 0.74% (39/5250) and 3.83% (201/5250) respectively. The prevalence of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment defined as presenting visual acuity was 1.33% (70/5250) and 8.02% (421/5250) respectively. The prevalence of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment was higher in aged (trend χ(2) = 617.06, P = 0.000) , illiterate (trend χ(2) = 222.35, P = 0.000) persons. Cataract and was the first leading cause of blindness and visual impairment, the retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, high myopic retinopathy, and diabetic retinopathy, were the second cause of blindness and visual impairment.Un-corrected refractive error was also the important cause of the visual blindness. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment is not high among older adults aged ≥ 50 years in Changji City. The first main causes of blindness and visual impairment includes cataract, retinal diseases and un-corrected refractive error.

[Surgical classification and therapeutic strategy for metastases of proximal femur].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a surgical classification system for metastases of proximal femur and discuss the therapeutic strategy with retrospective analysis and literature review. METHODS: The data of 99 patients who underwent a total of 102 operations for femoral metastatic lesions from January 2003 to December 2011 was analyzed. There were 50 males and 49 females, and the median age was 56 years (range 15-87 years). The most common diagnosis was lung cancer (30 cases), followed by breast cancer (17 cases). All femoral lesions were divided into 4 types (I-IV) with different anatomic site and biomechanic characteristic. The patients with various surgical reconstruction mode and postoperative follow-up data were recorded. RESULT: There were 65 side who received widely or marginal resection and 37 side who received intralesional resection. The patients were operated with bipolar hip prosthesis (n = 3), ordinary total hip replacement (THR) (n = 10), bipolar tumor prosthesis (n = 48), THR with tumor prosthesis (n = 8), intramedullary nailing (n = 21), and plate/screw (n = 12). The estimated survival for the 99 patients was 10.3 months. Type I, II, III and IV patients with postoperative American Society of bone and soft tissue tumors-93 rating were 86.5%, 77.3%, 81.3% and 69.1%. Patients with type IV were worse compared with the other 3 groups (t = 4.763, P = 0.031). The 10 operations were followed by complications of any kind. Complication rate of patients with type IV were 3/12, and it was significantly higher than the other 3 groups of patients (χ(2) = 4.018, P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: The classifications and corresponsive surgical methods for upper femur metastases had some superiority in hinting prognosis and guiding treatment.

[Study on quantification assessment and odor fingerprint of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons from sewage treatment plant].

The malodorous volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) from a typical municipal sewage treatment plant in Guangzhou were detected and analyzed using thermal-desorption/GC-MS and electronic nose, respectively. The results showed that: (1) Aromatic hydrocarbons were the main malodorous volatile organic compounds of the sewage treatment plant, with concentrations ranging from 96.61 microg x m(-3) to 818.03 microg x m(-3), accounting for more than 50% of the total MVOCs, much higher than other MVOCs species. (2) Volatile aromatic hydrocarbons (VAH) in municipal sewage treatment plant were mainly from domestic wastewater, and the sludge treatment process played an important part in release of these pollutants. The total concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons emitted from each processing unit in a descending order was: the sludge dehydration room > sludge thickener > aeration tank > grille > biochemical pool> grit chamber. (3) rincipal component analysis (PCA) was able to distinguish the characteristic of odor emission from each processing unit, with the recognition index reaching 71% , and the PCA recognition index of simulated gases which simulated the VAH levels of different processes reached 94% , indicating that there was big difference among the srmll of the VAH emitted from different processes. (4) The comparison of the original odor fingerprint and simulated odor fingerprint measured by the sensor T70/2 showed that the original odor fingerprint was greater than the simulated odor fingerprint, and the correlation analysis indicated that the VAH had a great contribution to the odor fingerprint of each unit, and the contribution of VAH odor of the aeration tank tq the original odor fingerprint reached 0. 98.

Weight reduction effects of acupuncture for obese women with or without perimenopausal syndrome: a pilot observational study.

This study was designed to compare the weight reduction effects of acupuncture for obese women with or without perimenopausal syndrome. We observed 60 women with either simple obesity or perimenopausal obesity (obesity complicated with perimenopausal syndrome) treated by five acupuncture treatments given in the first week of three successive four-week treatment courses, and obesity indexes including body weight, body mass index, obesity degree and waist/hip ratio were evaluated. Versus baseline, the obesity indexes decreased at the end of each treatment course in women with simple obesity (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01), while women with perimenopausal obesity showed no decrease at the end of the first course of treatment, and these indexes decreased at the end of the second and the third courses of treatment (p < 0.05). There was no difference when comparing obesity indexes recorded at the end of three courses of treatment and at the end of three-month follow-up between women with simple obesity and those with perimenopausal obesity. The results suggest that acupuncture reduced body weight in the obese women, and the weight loss occurred earlier in the treatment process for simple obesity than perimenopausal obesity.

[Evaluation of efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban in the prevention of postoperative venous thromboembolism in adult patients with primary bone tumor undergoing knee operation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the incidence of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adult patients with primary bone tumor undergoing knee operation and evaluate its efficacy and safety in the prevention of VTE. METHODS: For this prospective, randomized and negative-control single-center trial, a total of 100 eligible patients were selected and randomly divided into observation and control groups. Observation group (rivaroxaban): the first rivaroxaban tablet was taken in the first 24 hours after operation. Rivaroxaban was administered daily every 24 hours up to Day 14. CONTROL GROUP: no anticoagulant was taken postoperatively. RESULTS: Efficacy indictors: 6 cases of DVT (an incidence of 12%) occurred in the observation group versus 15 (30%) in the control group. Significant statistical difference existed between two groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, neither pulmonary embolism nor death was found in either group. Safety indicators:a total of 3 bleeding (1 major and 2 non-major) cases occurred in observation group versus a total of 2 bleeding (no major and 2 non-major) cases in control group. No significant statistical difference existed in bleeding events (P > 0.05). The total incidence of adverse effect was 6% (3/50) in the observation group. The drainage volume of the observation group was a little more than that of the control group. But no significant statistical difference existed in drainage duration (P > 0.05). And there was almost no change in the coagulation system by laboratory examination after oral administration. CONCLUSION: With an excellent safety profile and a low incidence of adverse effects, Rivaroxaban is effective and safe in the prevention of VTE in adult patients with primary bone tumor undergoing knee operation.

[Source emission characteristics and impact factors of volatile halogenated organic compounds from wastewater treatment plant].

A low enrichment method of using Tenax as absorbent and liquid nitrogen as refrigerant has been established to sample the volatile halogenated organic compounds in Guangzhou Liede municipal wastewater treatment plant as well as its ambient air. The composition and concentration of target halogenated hydrocarbons were analyzed by combined thermal desorption/GC-MS to explore its sources profile and impact factors. The result showed that 19 halogenated organic compounds were detected, including 11 halogenated alkanets, 3 halogenated alkenes, 3 halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons and 2 haloesters, with their total concentrations ranged from 34.91 microg x m(-3) to 127.74 microg x m(-3) and mean concentrations ranged from n.d. to 33.39 microg x m(-3). Main pollutants of the studied plant were CH2Cl2, CHCl3, CFC-12, C2H4Cl2, CFC-11, C2HCl3 and C2Cl4, they came from the wastewater by volatilization. Among the six processing units, the dehydration room showed the highest level of halogenated organic compounds, followed by pumping station, while the sludge thickener was the lowest. The emissions from pumping station, aeration tank and biochemical pool were significantly affected by temperature and humidity of environment.