Sixty years of electrochemical optical spectroscopy: a retrospective.

Sixty years ago, Reddy, Devanatan, and Bockris performed the first in situ electrochemical ellipsometry experiment, which ushered in a new era in the study of electrochemistry, using optical spectroscopy. After six decades of development, electrochemical optical spectroscopy, particularly electrochemical vibrational spectroscopy, has advanced from a phase of immaturity with few methods and limited applications to a phase of maturity with excellent substrate generality and significantly improved resolutions. Here, we divide the development of electrochemical optical spectroscopy into four phases, focusing on the proof-of-concept of different electrochemical optical spectroscopy studies, the emergence of plasmonic enhancement-based electrochemical optical spectroscopic (in particular vibrational spectroscopic) methods, the realization of electrochemical vibrational spectroscopy on well-defined surfaces, and the efforts to achieve operando spectroelectrochemical applications. Finally, we discuss the future development trend of electrochemical optical spectroscopy, as well as examples of new methodology and research paradigms for operando spectroelectrochemistry.

Clinical trials of antiphlogistic agent series in treating chronic nonbacterial prostatitis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the curative effect of antiphlogistic agent series on treating chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and sixty patients were randomized into 4 groups for an 8-week clinical observation: group A (oral antiphlogistic medicinal granules only), group B (oral antiphlogistic medicinal granules + retention enema), group C (oral antiphlogistic medicinal granules + rectal), and group D (antiphlogistic medicinal granules + rectally + hip bath). Single blind trials were employed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The curative rates of the 4 groups were 37.5%, 57.5%, 52.5% and 82.5% respectively, while the total efficacy rates were 42.5%, 82.5%, 77.5% and 92.5% respectively. Compared with groups A, B and C, the curative rate of group D was significantly higher (P < 0.05). The difference in efficacy rates was slight between groups B and D (P < 0.05), but significant between groups A and C (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Combined treatment therapy can improve the effect of CNP treatment and clear away heat and toxic material. The antiphlogistic agent series, with the effect of motivating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, turned out to be an effective traditional Chinese medicine in treating CNP.</p>

Prognostic factors and long term results of neo adjuvant therapy followed by surgery in stage IIIA N2 non-small cell lung cancer patients

Prognosis of stage IIIA N2 non-small cell lung cancer [NSCLC] remains poor despite the changes in therapeutic strategies. To assess long term results of neo adjuvant therapy followed by surgery for patients with stage IIIA N2 NSCLC and to analyze factors influencing survival. The methods adopted include: Retrospective review of medical records of 91 patients with stage IIIA N2 NSCLC, who received neo adjuvant therapy followed by surgery; collection of information on demographic information, staging procedure, preoperative therapy, clinical response, type of resection, pathologic response of tumor, status of lymph nodes and adjuvant chemotherapy; survival analysis by Kaplan-Meier and calculation of prognostic factors using log-rank and Cox regression model. All patients received a platinum-based chemotherapy and 23 [29.1%] had an associated radiotherapy. Eighty four patients underwent thoracotomy. Median survival was 26 months [95%CI, 22.6-30.8 months] with three and five year survival rates of 31.6 and 20.9%, respectively. Prognostic factors for survival on univariate analysis was clinical response [P= 0.032], complete resection [P= 0.002], pathologic tumor response [P< 0.001], and lymph nodal down staging [P= 0.001]. Multivariate analyses identified complete resection, pathologic tumor response and lymph nodal down staging as independent prognostic factors. Survival of patients with stage IIIA N2 NSCLC who received neo adjuvant therapy is significantly influenced by clinical response, complete resection, pathologic tumor response, and lymph nodal down staging. These results can be helpful in guiding standard clinical practice and evaluating the outcome of neo adjuvant therapy followed by surgery in patients with stage IIIA N2 NSCLC