Objective To study the adsorption capability of corncob for Ni2+ in water. Methods The tests were conducted on the factors including pH value, the initial concentration of Ni2+, adsorption time, temperature and absorbent dosage influencing the adsorption effect, and the adsorption capability of the desorbing corncob for Ni2+ in water compared with the fresh corncob. Results In the condition of 35 ℃, 0.1 g of corncobs, 20 ml of 10 mg/L Ni2+ solution, pH=6 and contact time of 2.5 h, the adsorption capacity of Ni2+ could be up to 1.6 mg/g. The adsorption data fit the Freundlich adsorption isotherm and the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. HCl could be used to desorb corncobs ladening Ni2+, the desorbed corncob had the same adsorption capacity and rate of the desorbing as the fresh corncob. Conclusion The corncob can effectively remove Ni2+ in water, and the desorbed corncob can be reused.

Objective To observe the morphological changes of carotid artery wall by ultrasonography in patients with Takayasu arteritis,and to evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for active Takayasu arteritis.Methods High-frequency ultrasound technique was used to analyze the morphological changes of the carotid artery in 40 patients.NIH score was used as the gold standard and the complete clinical data and acute phase reactors were recorded.T test,Chi-square test,sensitivity and specificity were calculated for statistical analysis.Results The thickness of carotid artery wall in active group was much more thickened than the non-active group [(2.2±0.6) mm vs (1.8±0.5) mm,t=-2.142,P＜0.05].The CDD [(0.89±0.06) in active group vs (0.95±0.03) in non-active group,t=3.683,P＜0.01] and RDD [(0.17±0.06 in active group vs (0.09±0.05) in non-active group,t=-4.020,P＜0.01] were significantly different between the two groups.The distribution of neovascularization in the carotid artery wall of the active group was more diffuse in the central part of the wall.The sensitivity and specificity of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography to diagnose the active of Takayasu arteritis were 72.7％ and 87.5％ respectively,and the positive predictive value and the negative predictive value were 80.0％ and 82.4％ respectively.Conclusion Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography can be used as an effective way to assess the disease activity of TA patients.

Objective To evaluate the performance of Positron emision tomography (PET) in the assessment of disease activity of Takayasu arteritis (TA). Methods Information retrieval was based on database such as PubMed/Medline and CNKI, etc. The research before Dec 2016 involving Takayasu arteritis and PET were included.The quality of the research was evaluated by diagnostic accuracy studies-2Q(UADAS-2) and the data was analyzed by Meta-disc. Results Among the 70 research, nine studies were included in this study with a total of 126 patients and 254 controls. All patients were diagnosed according to the classification criteria of American College of Rheumatology. The disease activity was mostly assessed by the scoring system of National Institutes of Health and by clinical assessment in one study. The result of PET was evaluated by visual grade and semi-quantitative analysis. The pooled DOR of the 9 studies was 17.54, the pooled sensitivity and specificity was 84% and 73%,respectively.However,the heterogeneity of specificity was 81.4%. Two studies had included one patients repeatedly and suspected active patients were included in the in-active group in one study,which might impact the statistical result of the meta-analysis.After excluded these studies, the pooled DOR was 30.32. The pooled sensitivity and specificity was 86% and 85%, respectively, with better consistency. Conclusion PET shows stable sensitivity and variant specificity in the diagnosis and assess of disease activity of TA, which is a useful method in the clinically evaluation of disease activity of TA.

The acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults have a higher rate of neurological injury and early death compared with atlas or axial fractures alone. Currently, the diagnosis and treatment choices of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults are controversial because of the lack of standards for implementation. Non-operative treatments have a high incidence of bone nonunion and complications, while surgeries may easily lead to the injury of the vertebral artery, spinal cord and nerve root. At present, there are no evidence-based Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults. To provide orthopedic surgeons with the most up-to-date and effective information in treating acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the field of spinal trauma to develop the Evidence-based guideline for clinical diagnosis and treatment of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults ( version 2023) by referring to the "Management of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults" published by American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) in 2013 and the relevant Chinese and English literatures. Ten recommendations were made concerning the radiological diagnosis, stability judgment, treatment rules, treatment options and complications based on medical evidence, aiming to provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults.