Objective To develop the volume adjustable vegetable facilities and meet the demands of research on the growing technique of vegetables.Methods Three series of adjustable volume vegetable facilities were developed with light and ventilation module,growth module,cultivation tray module and measurement module.Telescopic structure was adopted in the facilities and the performance testing and characteristics analyses were carried out.Results The facilities could be adjusted at the height range of 250-700 mm.Three kinds of LED lights and replaceable cultivation tray and matrix were installed in the facilities.The parameters including water content,electric conductivity and temperature in the matrix,CO2 concentration in the atmosphere of facilities were monitored.The test results showed that the performances and the indexes of facilities met the subsequent experimental demands.Conclusion Light weight,small volume,and adjustable volume vegetable facilities were developed.The production efficiency of lettuce(12 plants/0.12 m2)grown in the facilities was 49.7 g(FW)plant-1.The development of facilities laid the foundation of construction of on-orbit vegetable facility.

Objective To develop space vegetable cultivation facility(SVCF)and apply to the cultivation of several fruit and vegetable plants on China Space Station.Methods Through conducting experiments and development of regenerative plant cultivation substrate,active water supply,nutrient supply based on controlled-release fertilizer,LED light environment regulation,modular design and development of various functional units of the SVCF,as well as system integration and testing,plant full cycle cultivation verification,the development of the SVCF(also known as Space Vegetable Garden)has been completed.Through the cultivation on-orbit of three vegetables and one fruit plants,the feasibility of cultivation methods with regenerative substrate was tested and the growth characteristics of several plants were studied.Results The facility worked normally,which can supply water actively,detect substrate parameters including water content and conductivity,and adjust the height according to the plant lighting requirement.All performance indicators of the SVCF meet the cultivation requirements of different fruit and vegetable.Three types of lettuce plants("shengcaiwang","hongye","meiluo")and one tomato plants("honglei")were cultivated from seeding to harvest on-orbit.The lettuce and tomato plants grew well.Astronauts participated in the cultivation and management of lettuce and tomato plants,picking and consuming lettuce leaves(about 900 g,fresh weight)and tomato fruit.The tomato seeds were preserved after harvest and returned to earth.The seeds(second generation)was sowed and cultivated on earth.The growth characteristics will be studied and compared with the tomato plants on-orbit.Conclusion The facility performance meets the requirements of several fruit and vegetable plants cultivation on-orbit.The cultivated lettuce and tomato plants grew well.Astronauts picked and consumed lettuce leaves and tomato fruits.The results laid an important technique foundation for the continuous production of multiple types of fruit and vegetable plants on-orbit.

Objective To investigate the clinical features , diagnosis and key technique points of laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy for small adrenal pheochromocytoma . Methods From Oct.2006 to Jun. 2011, clinical data of 32 cases with small adrenal pheochromocytoma (≤3.0 cm) were collected and retro-spectively analyzed .Hypertension was observed in 12 patients, whereas 20 patients presented with adrenal incidentaloma .Thirteen patients had a left adrenal neoplasm , eighteen patients had a right adrenal tumor , while one patients had bilateral tumors .The positive rate of plasma-free metanephrines ( MNs) and 24-hours urinary catecholamine (CA) in diagnosing small renal pheochromocytomas was 92.6%(25/27) and 81.3%(26/32) respectively.The main localization diagnosis included ultrasonography , 131I-MIBG, and CT or MRI, with positive rates of 71.9%(23/32), 93.8%(15/16) and 96.9%(31/32) respectively.All the laparoscopic adrenalectomies were performed retroperitoneally .During the surgery , the internal part of the adrenal gland closing to the retroperitoneum was dissected first , and the whole adrenal gland was resected completely. Results Partial adrenalectomy was performed for 30 cases and radical adrenalectomy for 2 ca-ses.All operations were successful without perioperative or postoperative complications .The maximum diame-ter of tumor was 1.7±0.2 (1.0-3.0) cm.Histopathological results showed that all the cases were benign pheochromocytoma.The operative time was 82 (40-210) min.The estimated blood loss was 57 (20-180) ml.No patient required blood transfusion . Conclusions Plasma-free MNs, 24-hours urinary CA and VMA are important qualitative examinations in detection of adrenal pheochromocytoma .Ultrasonography , CT,MRI, and 131 I-MIBG are important in the localization of adrenal tumors .Retroperitoneal laparascopic partial adrenalectomy is the preferred choice in the management of small adrenal pheochromocytoma .Dissecting the internal part of the adrenal gland closing to the retroperitoneum first and exploring the whole adrenal tissue are the key technique points during the operations .