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Through the thermodynamic calculation and analysis of nitrogen solubility in 1Mn18Cr18N protective ring steel， it is found that increasing the content of Cr and Mn elements in the steel can significantly improve the solubility of nitrogen. At the same time， the solubility of nitrogen increases as the molten steel temperature decreases . This paper describes the production process of 1Mn18Cr18N protective ring steel by non-vacuum induction furnace， electric furnace，AOD and LF refining， and alloying treatment with bottom blowing nitrogen， which is shorten the production time， and the composition control is quite stable. When AOD refining bottom blowing nitrogen is used for alloying， the nitrogen content in the molten steel can reach 0. 547% and the nitrogen solubility tends to be saturated. In the LF refining process， when using bottom blowing nitrogen and nitrogen-containing alloys， the nitrogen content in the steel can reach 0.68%.

Glow discharge ionization source can be used to analyze solid sample, liquid sample and gas sample. At present, glow discharge optical emission spectrometer (GD-OES) and glow discharge mass spectrometer (GD-MS) are mainly used to the elemental analysis of inorganic solid samples and quantitative depth profile analysis, including direct current (DC) power supply and radio frequency (RF) power supply. In this paper, the ionization of liquid sample and gas sample by low frequency radio frequency glow discharge (Lf-RFGD) was researched, and the glow discharge structure constructed was connected to timeof flight mass spectrometer(TOF MS). The influences of the vacuum degree of ionization chamber, the size of sample inlet capillary, the auxiliary gas pressure, the discharge radio frequency and the voltage difference between electrode plates on the ionization efficiency were studied. The optimal analysis conditions are the vacuum degree of ionization chamber is about 30 Pa, the length of sample inlet capillary is 150 mm and the inner diameter is 0.25 mm, the auxiliary gas pressure is about1.0 MPa, the low discharge frequency is 2 MHz, the voltage difference between electrode plates is about 100 V. Under these conditions, the discharge power is about 20 W,the detection limit of liquid sample is 0.1 pg and volatile sample is 20 mg/m3, and the detection resolution (full width at half maximum, FWHM) is about 3 000. Combined with samples testing, the Lf-RFGD TOF MS was preliminarily applied to the drug solution and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, the sensitivity of this instrument for detecting non volatile liquid sample was not good compared with the conventional detection instrument. The reason is that high proton affinity and low ionization potential are needed to obtain good detection sensitivity in the positive ion mode of mass spectrometer, and non volatile liquid sample without pretreatment is not easy to meet the condition of high proton affinity under low power glow discharge condition. Successfully, a lowcost, portable approach based on the application of atmospheric sampling Lf-RFGD TOF MS has been developed for near real time measurement of trace VOCs. In this context, the glow discharge excitation source offers attractive alternative for development of low cost VOCs and elemental analysis instrument. Lf-RFGD as an excitation source has unique advantages with respect to development of hand held instrument such as low cost, low power consumption, and analytical versatility.

Objective: To investigate the mechanism by which miR-301a accelerates the progression of angiotensin II (An-gII)-induced abdominal arterial aneurysm (AAA) by regulating macrophage M1 polarization through the PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Methods: In in vivo experiments, 8-10-week-old ApoE-/- male mice were divided into control, model, and miR-301a overexpression groups, and saline (saline) infusion was used as the control group (n=15), and the AAA model was built up by angiotensin II (Ang II) induction (77=45) ; THP-1 cells were randomly divided into the control group, Ang II + agomir NC group, Ang E +miR-301a agomir group and AngII+miR-301a agomir+LY (LY294002) group; the mechanism of miR-301a regulating macrophage polarization for aneurysm progression was elucidated by using bioinformatics, ELISA, Western blot, qRT-PCR, and dual lucifera.se reporter assay. Results: miR-301a expression was upregulated in the AAA group compared with the control, and all Ang II -injected mice exhibited larger aortic diameters. targetScan7.2 database predicted the existence of a binding site between miR-301a and PTEN, and dual-luciferase reporter gene analysis confirmed that miR-301a directly targeted the PTEN gene. GO and KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the pathway of PI3K/AKT/ and NF-κB signaling may be a key pathway for macrophage polarization toward Ml. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that miR-301a regulated macrophage polarization toward the Ml phenotype through inhibition of PTEN and activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway upregulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and inflammatory factors, and promoted aneurysm progression. In addition, plasma miR-301a in combination with MMP-9's could be a candidate biomarker for predicting aneurysm rupture. Conclusions: miR-301a plays a key role in disease progression in AAA by promoting M1 polarization of macrophages via the PTEN/ PI3K/AKT pathway, thereby accelerating aneurysm progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: miR-10b promotes the progression of aneurysms, but its mechanism is not clear. This experiment attempted to elucidate the mechanism by detecting the effect of miR-10b on KLF4/Notch-1/STAT3 pathway. Methods: Dual-luciferase assay was performed to verify the target gene of miR-10b. Twenty apoE-/- mice were taken to construct the abdominal aortic aneurysm models, 10 of them were injected with mir-10b overexpressed lentivirus in the tail vein, and they were respectively designated as the model group and miR-10b group. Another 10 apoE-/- mice were used as the sham operation group, and 28 days later, the abdominal aortas of the mice were dissected for pathological staining, western-blot analysis. THP-1 macrophages stimulated by Ang II were divided into groups, according to whether they were transfected with miR-10b mimic and its negative control, and whether inhibitors were added: (1)Nc group; (2)miR-10b mimic group; (3)Nc+KLF4 inhibition group; (4) miR-10b mimic+KLF4 inhibition group; (5)Nc+Notch-1 inhibition group; (6)miR-10b mimic+Notch-1 inhibition group; (7) Nc+STAT3 inhibition group; (8)miR-10b mimic+STAT3 inhibition group, and lastly, the protein levels in the cells were then examined. Results: Detection of dual-luciferase activity showed that miR-10b could target the gene KLF4. The vascular pathology test of mice revealed that compared to normal mice, the blood vessels of aneurysm model mice were significantly thickened and the tissue structure was abnormal, and miR-10b could exacerbate vascular lesions. CD68+ macrophages, proteins Notch-1, p-STAT3, MMP-2, MMP-9 increased gradually in the sham operation group, model group and miR-10b group, while α-SMA and protein KLF4 decreased gradually. In the comparison between groups (1) and (2), the latter showed less expression of KLF4 and significantly higher expression of Notch-1, p-STAT3, MMP-2, and MMP-9; Inhibition of KLF4 led to a decrease in its expression, while Notch-1 showed a significant increase. Suppression of Notch-1 resulted in reduced expression, followed by a decrease in p-STAT3. Inhibition of p-STAT3 expression led to a significant reduction in the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Conclusion: miR-10b acts on the KLF4/Notch-1/STAT3 signaling pathway to increase the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in aneurysm tissue, thereby accelerating the process of aneurysm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the value of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation test in the diagnosis of disorder of sexual development (DSD) in children. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 132 children with DSD. According to the karyotype, they were divided into three groups: 46,XX group (n=10), 46,XY group (n=87), and sex chromosome abnormality group (n=35). The above groups were compared in terms of sex hormone levels before and after hCG stimulation test, and the morphological manifestation of the impact of testicular tissue on the results of the hCG stimulation test was analyzed. Results There was no significant difference in the multiple increase of testosterone after stimulation among the three groups (P>0.05). In the 46,XY group, the children with 5α-reductase type 2 deficiency had a testosterone-to-dihydrotestosterone ratio higher than that of the 46,XY DSD children with other causes. Morphological analysis showed that DSD children with testicular tissue demonstrated a significantly higher multiple increase in testosterone after stimulation compared to children without testicular tissue (P<0.05). Conclusions The hCG stimulation test has an important value in assessing the presence and function of testicular interstitial cells in children with different types of DSD, and it is recommended to perform the hCG stimulation test for DSD children with unclear gonadal type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topographical and geological conditions in China are complicated, with frequent geological disasters, which have been aggravated by various human engineering geological activities. The prevention and management of geological disasters are the premise and foundation of ensuring the safety of people's lives and property. Geological disaster susceptibility evaluation is the premise of hazard evaluation and risk assessment, and the basis of geohazard zoning and prevention as well. Based on related researches on geological disaster susceptibility at home and abroad, the paper discusses the concept of geohazard susceptibility, evaluation index system, weight calculation method and evaluation model, and points out the main problems to be solved in geohazard susceptibility evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To comprehensively assess the pollution characteristics and ecological risks of antibiotics in the rivers in Beijing, the concentrations of 35 common antibiotics belonging to four categories were quantified by using solid phase extraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The ecological risks of antibiotics were evaluated using the methods of risk quotient (RQ) and joint probability curves (JPCs). The results showed that a total of 33 antibiotics were detected in the surface water of ten rivers in Beijing, and the total concentrations of antibiotics ranged from N.D. to 1 573.57 ng·L -1 . Sulfamethoxazole showed the highest concentration (N.D.-160.04 ng·L -1 ), followed by sulfadiazine (0.09-147.90 ng·L -1 ) and ofloxacin (0.28-94.72 ng·L -1 ). There were 16 antibiotics with a detection frequency greater than 50.0 %. The RQ method showed that there were 12 antibiotics with potential ecological risks. Tetracycline, clarithromycin, and trimethoprim showed the highest risks, with RQs of 3.99, 1.86, and 1.01, respectively. The risks of antibiotics at the outlets of wastewater treatment plants were higher than those in mainstream rivers. The PNEC exceedance rates of tetracycline, clarithromycin, and trimethoprim were above 2.3 %. Based on JPCs, the maximum risk product of clarithromycin was 1.66 %, and it showed low risks to 0.3 %-7.0 % of species. The risks of other antibiotics could be ignored. The detection frequency, distribution of concentrations, most sensitive species, and species sensitivity distribution of antibiotics had important impacts on the ecological risk assessment. Using the multilevel ecological risk assessment strategy can effectively avoid inadequate protection and overprotection and is also conducive to the hierarchical and zoning management of antibiotics throughout the region.

Organophosphate esters(OPEs), as a substitute for brominated flame retardants, are widely used in production and life, and their environmental pollution and toxic effects have attracted widespread attention. In this study, the concentrations and distribution characteristics of OPEs in seven major drainage basins of China were sorted out. The average daily dose of OPEs in Chinese adults, adolescents, and children was calculated to assess the health risks, and the reliability of the results was evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation. The toxic effect concentrations of 12 OPEs on aquatic organisms were investigated, and the species sensitivity distribution(SSD) curve was constructed to assess the ecological risk. The results showed that the 5th percentile concentration of ΣOPEs in the seven drainage basins was 52.61 ng·L -1 under the low exposure scenario. The median concentration of ΣOPEs in the seven basins was 499.74 ng·L -1 , with trichloroethyl phosphate(TCEP), triethyl phosphate(TEP), and triethyl phosphate(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) esters(TDCP) as the main contaminants. Under the high exposure scenario, the 95th percentile concentration of ΣOPEs in the seven basins was 1904.4 ng·L -1 , 3.8 times that of the intermediate exposure scenario, and the Yangtze River Basin had the highest ΣOPEs concentration under the high exposure scenario. The health risk assessment showed that the non-carcinogenic risk of OPEs exposure through drinking water was within acceptable limits for different populations. Trimethyl phosphate(TMP), triisobutyl phosphate(TiBP), and TCEP were the main contributors to cancer risk. The results of ecological risk assessment showed that TCEP had medium ecological risk at the high exposure level, tributyl phosphate(TnBP) had medium ecological risk under the intermediate exposure scenario, and there was higher ecological risk under the high exposure scenario. Triphenyl phosphate(TPhP) had a risk quotient greater than 1 under the low, intermediate, and high exposure scenarios, and there was a high ecological risk, which requires special attention.

Objective: To observe the effect of acupotomy on the expressions of p16 Ink4a and p21 Waf1/Cip1 in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) rabbits，so as to analyze whether acupotomy can treat KOA by inhibiting the cellular senescence of chondrocytes., Methods: Twenty-four New Zealand male rabbits were randomly divided into normal, model, acupotomy and electroacupuncture (EA) groups, with 6 rabbits in each group. The KOA model was established by left hindlimb straightening fixation. After modeling, rabbits in the acupotomy group were treated with acupotomy loosening therapy on high stress points around the affected knee joints such as tendons attachment points of vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, biceps femoris and pes anserine bursa, once a week for 3 weeks. In the EA group, "Xuehai"(SP10), "Liangqiu" (ST34),"Neixiyan" (EX-LE4) and "Waixiyan" (ST35) on the affected hindlimb were selected for EA treatment (3 mA, 2 Hz/100 Hz), 20 min each time, once every other day for 3 weeks. Before and after treatments, the knee Lequesne MG score and passive range of motion (PROM) of the affected knee joint were evaluated. After the treatments, the expressions of p16 Ink4a and p21 Waf1/Cip1 in the cartilage tissue of the affected knee joint were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot respectively., Results: Before and after treatment, compared with the normal group, the Lequesne MG score was significantly increased ( P <0.01), the PROM was significantly decreased ( P <0.01) in the model group. After treatment, compared with the normal group, the positive expression and protein expression levels of p16 Ink4a and p21 Waf1/Cip1 were significantly increased ( P <0.01) in the model group; compared with the model group, the Lequesne MG score was significantly decreased ( P <0.01), the PROM was significantly increased ( P <0.01), the positive expression and protein expression levels of p16 Ink4a and p21 Waf1/Cip1 were significantly decreased ( P <0.01， P <0.05) in the acupo-tomy and EA groups; compared with the EA group, the Lequesne MG score was decreased ( P <0.05), the PROM was increased ( P <0.05), the positive expression and protein expression levels of p16 Ink4a and p21 Waf1/Cip1 were decreased ( P <0.05， P <0.01) in the acupotomy group., Conclusion: Acupotomy intervention can down-regulate the expressions of cellular senescence markers p16 Ink4a and p21 Waf1/Cip1 in chondrocytes, indicating that acupotomy therapy may alleviate cartilage degeneration by inhibiting chondrocyte premature cellular senescence to treat KOA.

Ligustrum lucidum is a woody perennial plant of genus Ligustrum in family Oleaceae. Its dried fruit has high medicinal value. In this study, the authors evaluated the variability and species identification efficiency of three specific DAN barcodes(rbcL-accD, ycf1a, ycf1b) and four general DAN barcodes(matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, ITS2) for a rapid and accurate molecular identification of Ligustrum species. The results revealed that matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, ITS2 and ycf1a were inefficient for identifying the Ligustrum species, and a large number of insertions and deletions were observed in rbcL-accD sequence, which was thus unsuitable for development as specific barcode. The ycf1b-2 barcode had DNA barcoding gap and high success rate of PCR amplification and DNA sequencing, which was the most suitable DNA barcode for L. lucidum identification and achieved an accurate result. In addition, to optimize the DNA extraction experiment, the authors extracted and analyzed the DNA of the exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp and seed of L. lucidum fruit. It was found that seed was the most effective part for DNA extraction, where DNAs of high concentration and quality were obtained, meeting the needs of species identification. In this study, the experimental method for DNA extraction of L. lucidum was optimized, and the seed was determined as the optimal part for DNA extraction and ycf1b-2 was the specific DNA barcode for L. lucidum identification. This study laid a foundation for the market regulation of L. lucidum.

As a type of emerging pollutant, organophosphate esters (OPEs) have the characteristics of toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation. Due to their wide use in production and life, OPEs pose potential risks to ecosystems when they enter the environment. In this study, the concentrations of 14 species of OPEs in surface water were determined using UPLC-MS/MS, and the spatial distribution of the OPEs in the surface water of the estuary of the Yellow River basin was further analyzed. The pollution sources were analyzed using correlation analysis and principal component analysis, and the ecological risk was evaluated. The results indicated that the concentration of Σ 14 OPEs in surface water ranged from 183.81 to 1674.52 ng·L -1 , with an average concentration of 638.25 ng·L -1 . Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and tris(1-chloro-2-propanyl) phosphate (TCPP) were the main OPEs. The Xiaoqing River flowing through the urban area differed from the main stream of the Yellow River and other branches in terms of OPEs composition characteristics, which showed a greater impact from human activities. The distribution of Σ 14 OPEs showed an obvious regional pattern, with a trend of increasing and then decreasing along the direction of the Yellow River inlet. The results of source analysis revealed that human activities such as industrial wastewater discharge from different industries, transportation, and atmospheric deposition were the sources of OPEs in surface water. The ecological risk assessment results indicated that TCEP posed a high risk to aquatic organisms in the main stream of the Yellow River, Xiaoqing River, and Zhimai River, and tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) posed a low risk at some sites.

Pollution characteristics and spatial distributions of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in surface water samples were investigated in Taihu Lake in 2010 and 2019, respectively. A hybrid model based on the positive matrix factorization (PMF) and the health risk assessment model were employed for quantifying the contributions of sources to PFASs concentrations and the source risks. The method contained two stages:1 the sources of PFASs were apportioned using the PMF model, and 2 the contribution of health risks from each source was quantitively estimated. Three factors (source categories) were extracted using PMF, including:coating industry sources, textile and electroplating sources, and fluoride-processing industry sources. Their contributions to PFASs concentration were 29.59%, 25.68%, and 44.72% for 2010 and 67.69%, 10.26%, 22.05%, for 2019, respectively. The health risk of PFASs in the water assessed by the health risk assessment (HRA) model was 4.56E-07 for 2010 and 2.69E-07 for 2019, which was lower than 1E-06. The source contributions to health risks estimated by the PMF-HRA hybrid model were:64.86% (2010) and 92.48% (2019) for textile and electroplating sources, 31.30% (2010) and 5.04% (2019) for coating industry sources, and 3.84% (2010) and 2.48% (2019) for fluoride-processing industry sources. For the two years, the concentrations of PFOA and PFOS were reduced significantly, indicating the effective control of their emissions during the past ten years in Taihu Lake. However, it was also shown that the concentrations of PFBS and PFHxS were increased. These findings suggest that the above short chain-PFCs species should be the focus for further control and management, and their health risks should be studied in future research.

Objective: To investigate the protective effects of three Polyphenolic compounds on intestinal microbial communities in mice exposed intermittent plateau hypoxia., Methods: In this study, 60 healthy male Balb/c mice were randomly divided into plain control group, plateau control group, primary anthocyanin intervention group, quercetin intervention group and resveratrol intervention group, 12 mice in each group. Primary anthocyanin, quercetin and resveratrol were administrated by gavage at the doses of 50, 100 and 20 mg/kg in pharmacological intervention group, respectively. After exposure of the mice to simulation plateau-condition for 30 days, the serum samples were collected for DAO testing, sterile feces were collected in mice, and the diversity and genus level of the mouse gut bacteria were detected by using 16S rRNA technology. Ileum tissue was fixed and stained with HE., Results: HE staining showed that the plateau control group had significant damage to the intestinal tissue structure compared to the plain control group, and the serum DAO concentration was increased ( P ＜0.05), but there was no statistical difference in the abundance and diversity of intestinal flora species. Contrast to simulated intermittent plateau hypoxia group, the structure of the intestine tissue and the level of DAO in the quercetin intervention group and resveratrol intervention group were improved( P ＜0.05), the abundance and α diversity of the intestinal flora were decreased, the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was reduced( P ＜0.05), and the Firmicutes was increased. Concomitantly, significant decreases in relative abundance were observed for Corynebacterium glutamicum and Lactobacillus reuteri( P ＜ 0.05)., Conclusion: Quercetin and resveratrol showed some degree of protection to mice intestinal microbial communities, and increased the diversity and the abundance of the dominant flora and inhibited the growth of conditional pathogenic bacteria.

Objective: To investigate the effects of a self-designed nutritional preparation on hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis function and energy metabolism in female SD rats exposed to intermittent cold. Methods: Female SD rats were divided into control group, cold exposure group and nutritional preparation group. The control group and cold exposure group were given distilled water by daily gavage, and the nutritional preparation group was given nutritional preparation intragastrically. After the treatment, the cold exposure group and nutritional preparation group were exposed to -10℃ in a cabin for 4 h every day. After being treated for 14 days, the serum, uterus and ovary of rats were collected. The serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and other hormone indicators were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and colorimetry was used to detect ATPase and other energy metabolism related indicators. Results: Compared with the control group, cold exposure significantly up-regulated the protein expressions of FSHR and LHR, and notably enhanced the activity of Na + -K + -ATPase and Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ -ATPase in ovary and uterus (P<0.05). Nutritional preparation down-regulated the protein expressions of FSHR and LHR, and inhibited the activity of ATPase in ovary and uterus (P<0.05) compared with the cold exposure group. Conclusion: Nutritional preparations can effectively improve the expressions of HPO axis related receptors and abnormal energy metabolism in uterus and ovary caused by intermittent cold exposure.

Objective: To investigate the anti-fatigue effects of composition of Moringa oleifera leaves and Polygonatum polysaccharide, and to explore the mechanisms. Methods: Thirty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into control (C) and composition of Moringa oleifera leaves and Polygonatum polysaccharide group (MP). There were 15 mice in each group. Group C was given distilled water and the group MP was given composition intragastriclly every day. The volume was 0.5 ml. After 14 days of treatment, weight-bearing swimming experiment was conducted, and exhaustive swimming time was recorded. The bearing weight was 3% of the body weight. In another experiment, 48 male Kunming mice were randomly divided into quiet control group (QC), swimming control group (SC) and composition group (MP). There were 16 mice in each group. The QC and SC groups were given distilled water intragastrically, and the group MP was treated with composition every day for 14 days. The volume was 0.5 ml. On the day 15, 30 minutes after intragastriclly administration of distilled water, blood, liver and hind leg muscle of the QC group were collected immediately. The SC and MP groups were subjected non-weight-bearing swimming experiment, and blood, liver and hind leg muscle were collected after swimming. The fatigue related indexes, oxidant/antioxidant parameters and energy metabolism indicators in serum and tissues were determined by commercial kits. Results: The exhaustive swimming time of mice in MP group was significantly longer than that in the C group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, non-weight-bearing swimming decreased the contents of serum glucose and GSH, the contents of hepatic glycogen and ATP, the hepatic activities of SOD, LDH and ATPase, and muscle activity of GSH-Px (P< 0.05). However, serum levels of BUN and MDA were increased (P<0.05). Compared with the SC group, the composition remarkably increased the contents of serum glucose and hepatic glycogen, increased serum content of GSH, enhanced hepatic activities of SOD, LDH and ATPase and muscle activity of GSH-Px, and increased the hepatic content of ATP (P<0.05). However, the serum level of BUN was decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion: The Moringa oleifera leaves and Polygonatum polysaccharide composition possesses anti-fatigue effects. Anti-oxidant and improving energy metabolism could be the important mechanisms.

Objective: To investigate the effect of the application of scrotal midline raphe flaps in surgical repair of hypospadias with penile skin defects., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 20 cases of hypospadias with penile skin defects from January 2017 to July 2019. The patients ranged in age from 3 to 12 (mean 6.5) years, with a history of 0－4 (mean 2.4) times of penile surgery. The urethral orifice was located in the midshaft of the penis or perineum, without urethral fistula or narrowing of the outer urethral orifice. We performed ubularized incised plate (TIP) repair of the penile skin defects with scrotal midline raphe flaps and followed up the patients for 7－30 (mean 18.4) months postoperatively., Results: The flaps survived well without necrosis in all the cases, and 18 (90%) of the cases were cured in the first stage. Two of the patients developed urethral fistula after removal of the catheter, which was successfully repaired at 6 months after the first operation. All the patients achieved smooth urination with no urethral stricture. The urinary flow rate was 5－9 (mean 6.5) ml/s at 6 months postoperatively. All were satisfied with the appearance of the penis and scrotum., Conclusions: The scrotal midline raphe flap, with rich blood supply and good ductility, is suitable for repair of penile skin defects. And TIP repair with the scrotal midline raphe flap, with the advantages of simple operation, few complications and good appearance of the penis and scrotum, is worthy of clinical application.

Objective: To investigate the mean preputial microvessel density (mMVD) and features of hypospadias and their relationship with the severity and early postoperative complications of the disease., Methods: Sixty children with hypospadias and another 14 age-matching ones with phimosis (the control group) underwent penile curvature correction, Snodgrass procedure or staged surgery, the excessive dorsal foreskin trimmed and retained. We determined the mMVD in the prepuce tissue of the patients by immunohistochemistry, and followed up those treated by Snodgrass procedure., Results: The mMVD was significantly lower in the patients with severe hypospadias than in those with mild hypospadias and the controls (15.51 ± 3.53 vs 19.27 ± 4.42 and 22.09 ± 6.15, P < 0.05), with a median of 21.8 in the control group. The incidence of postoperative complications was obviously lower in the high mMVD (≥ 21.8) than in the low mMVD (< 21.8) group., Conclusions: The preputial mMVD is significantly lower in patients with severe hypospadias than in normal children, decreasing in a severity-dependent manner. The lower the preputial mMVD, the higher the incidence rate of postoperative complications. The preputial mMVD of 21.8 can be used as a reference index for evaluating the prognosis of surgery clinically. ?