Pigment Research Articles

금탑사 괘불탱과 만연사 괘불탱의 직물 및 채색 안료 특성 비교

본 연구는 고흥 금탑사 괘불탱과 화순 만연사 괘불탱의 과학적 조사 및 분석을 통해 채색 안료와 바탕 재질 등의 특징을 고찰하고, 재료학적 상관관계를 확인하였다. 이 괘불탱은 18세기 후반에 전라도에서 활동한 비현(丕賢)과 쾌윤(快允) 등이 제작하였으며, 과거 물리․생물학적 손상이 있었으나 이미 보수되어 지금은 비교적 상태가 양호하다. 바탕화면에 사용된 직물을 분석한 결과, 두 괘불탱의 평균 밀도와 섬유 굵기의 측정값이 큰 차이를 보이지 않아 비슷한 종류의 평견직물인 주(紬)일 것으로 생각된다. 괘불탱에 사용한 안료 원료를 과학적으로 분석한 결과, 백색 안료의 원료는 연백과 활석을 혼합하여 사용하였고, 입자의 크기나 형태에서 차이를 보여 시간적인 차이를 두고 동일한 재료를 재 가공해서 사용하거나 새로운 교역으로 인해 다른 원료를 사용 했을 가능성이 있다. 흑색 안료는 두 괘불탱 모두 입자와 칼슘(Ca)의 유무, UV-Vis 분석 등을 통해 먹과 니람을 사용하였음을 확인하였다. 적색 안료는 연단을 단독으로 사용한 것과 연단과 진사의 혼합 비율을 달리하여 혼색한 재료로 채색하였으며, 자주색은 유기염료를 사용했다. 황색 안료는 백색 안료 (연분+활석) 이외의 성분이 확인되지 않아 유기염료를 혼합하여 사용하였으며, 금과 납이 검출되어 연백 위에 금박을 사용했음을 알 수 있었다. 녹색 안료는 금탑사괘불탱에서 아타카마이트가 동정되어 녹염동광(염화동)을 사용하였고, 백록 색에서는 공작석을 사용하였다. 반면, 만연사 괘불탱에서는 녹염동광(염화동)을 주로 사용하였으며, 백록색에서는 공작석이 아닌 파라타카마이트가 확인되어 사용 안료에서 서로 차이점을 보인다. 청색 안료에서는 남동석이 동정되어 석청을 사용하였음을 확인하였으며, 그 외 청색에서 코발트를 발색제로 한 합성 세라믹 안료인 회청을 사용되었음을 알 수 있었다.

Repair of lateral calcaneal wound with the lateral supramalleolar flap pedicled with the end perforator of peroneal artery

Objective To explore the method and effect of repairing the soft tissue defect of the lateral heel with the retrograde lateral supramalleolar flap pedicled with the end perforator of peroneal artery. Methods From May, 2015 to February, 2018, 16 cases of lateral calcaneal soft tissue defect were repaired with the retrograde lateral supramalleolar flap pedicled with the end perforator of peroneal artery. All wounds were treated with one-stage dilatation and VSD to control infection. In cases of chronic calcaneal bone infection, the bone defect formed after extensive resection of infected bone was temporarily filled with antibiotic bone cement. The area of soft tissue defect on the lateral heel was 3.0 cm×2.0 cm-8.0 cm×5.0 cm, and the area of flaps was 3.5 cm×2.5 cm-8.5 cm×5.5 cm. The small donor area of the flap was sutured directly, and the larger area was repaired by skin grafting. Patients with chronic calcaneal bone infection underwent bone cement removal and autogenous bone transplantation after inducing membrane formation 6 to 8 weeks after flap transplantation. All cases were followed-up, including 7 cases outpatient follow-up and 9 telephone follow-up. Results All the 16 flaps survived smoothly. The donor and recipient areas of the flaps healed primarily. All cases were followed-up for 3 to 13 months. The flaps had good shape, no swelling, similar color to heel skin and no pigmentation. Ankle flexion and extension were not restricted. Four cases with chronic osteomyelitis of calcaneus healed well after second-stage bone grafting, with an average healing time of 8.5 months. Conclusion The retrograde lateral supramalleolar flap with the end perforator of peroneal artery is an ideal method for repairing the soft tissue defect on the lateral heel with simple operation and reliable blood supply. Key words: Lateral supramalleolar flap; Perforator of peroneal artery; Repair; Heel wound; Microsurgical technique

Diagnostic value of JNET classification under narrow-band imaging for colorectal laterally spreading tumors

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of Japan Narrow Band Imaging Expert Team(JNET) classification under narrow-band imaging (NBI) for colorectal laterally spreading tumors. Methods Data of 170 laterally spreading tumors (LST) detected by NBI and pigment dyeing were reviewed in the retrospective study. JNET classification under NBI was used for rediagnosis based on surface pattern and vessel pattern. Pit pattern(PP) was observed under pigment dyeing using PP classification. The results were compared with histologic results after endoscopic resection or surgery. Results The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of JNET classification and PP classification were 92.2% VS 70.3%, 82.3% VS 85.0%, 74.7% VS 72.6%, 94.9% VS 83.5%, 85.9% VS 79.7%, respectively (P=0.159). The consistency rates of JNET classification and PP classification in predicting shallow invasion depth of LST were 6.1% and 8.3% respectively and the consistency rates in predicting deep invasion were 30.8% and 4.8%, respectively. Conclusion JNET classification under NBI is effective in predicting malignant laterally spreading tumors, however, its efficacy in predicting tumor invasion depth is unsatisfied. PP classification can be used to improve the diagnostic accuracy for those with diagnostic difficulty. Key words: Colorectal neoplasms; Diagnosis; Laterally spreading tumor; Narrow-band imaging; JNET classification

Effects of ubiqutin-proteasome system in retinopathy and their mechanism

Ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the important protein degradation system in eukaryotic cells, participates in cell cycle, gene transcription, antigen-presenting, cell proliferation and differentiation, signal transduction and many other physiological processes.UPS dysfunction relates to pathogenic mechanisms in a variety of diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular disease.In recent years, more and more researches confirmed that UPS exists in the retina, some retinal damage appeared in patients with neurodegenerative conditions.UPS is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, macular pigment degeneration and other retinal diseases by regulating retinal oxidative stress, inflammation, angiogenesis, nerve damage, signal transduction and so on.Some signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role.Their proteins degradation and synthesis of imbalances have a significant impact on the pathophysiological process of retinal diseases.Proteasome inhibitors can reduce inflammation pathological changes in retinal lesions.This review focused on the research progress of UPS in the development of retinopathy. Key words: Ubiquitin-proteasome system; Diabetic retinopathy; Age-related macular degeneration; Macular pigment degeneration; Physiopathologic mechanism

Calcium availability regulates antioxidant system, physio-biochemical activities and alleviates salinity stress mediated oxidative damage in soybean seedlings

Salinity is considered as one of the devastating abiotic stress factors and global climate change has further worsened the situation. Present experiments were aimed to evaluate the role of calcium (Ca) availability on growth and salinity tolerance mechanisms in soybean. Seedlings were grown with (2 mM Ca) and without Ca supplementation and modulation in key physiological and biochemical parameters were studied. Salinity (100 mM NaCl) stress resulted in growth reduction in terms of height and biomass accumulation, which was more pronounced in Ca-deficient plants. Relative to control (Ca deficient) and NaCl stressed plants, Ca supplemented seedlings exhibited higher relative water content, pigment synthesis and the photosynthetic efficiency. Ca availability affected the synthesis of proline, glycine betaine and soluble sugars under normal and saline growth conditions. Optimal Ca supplementation up-regulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes assayed and the contents of non-enzymatic antioxidants (ascorbate, glutathione, and tocopherol) thereby reflecting in amelioration of NaCl induced oxidative damage. Moreover, increased accumulation of phenols due to Ca supplementation and the amelioration of NaCl mediated decline if nitrate reductase activity was observed. More importantly, Ca availability reduced the accumulation of Na under control and NaCl stressed conditions restricting the damging effects on metabolism. Availability of optimal Ca potentially regulates the salinity tolerance mechanisms in soybean by maintaining osmoregulation and antioxidant metabolism.

Progressive symmetric eritrocarotodermia Gottron: A rare case

The article deals with ethiopathogenetic factors of origin of progredient symmetric erythrokeratodermia of Gottron which is mainly characterized by autosomal dominant mode of inheritance and is classified as a disorder of cornification with extra epidermal cellular proliferation.Clinicopathologic criteria on the basis of which this pathology can be verified are described here, such as: onset of a disease at an early age, strictly divided polycyclic, fixed, hyperkeratotic plaques with a narrow erythematic crown and a clean-cut, sometimes hyper pigmented edge, which are symmetrically located on skin on head, buttocks, limbs and are not prone to quick peripheral growth; large frequency of palmoplantar keratoderma and also histological changes typical of erythrokeratodermia.The article describes a rare clinical case of autosomal-recessive progredient symmetric erythrokeratodermia of Gottron which is distinguished by seasonal changes of skin pathological process — emergence of rash in winter and complete remissions in summer.

Broken painting in the prehistoric cave and chemical content of paint used in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi

An examination have been done of the cause of damage to the prehistoric paintings in Maros South Sulawesi. The cause of the damage is besides human factors, natural factors are the main cause. A total of 4 prehistoric caves as samples where four painting colors (red, black, brown and white) were taken. After being observed, it can be seen that the form of damage consists of peeling painting paint, weathering the rock where the painting is, and erosion. The method used is by gouging out damaged paintings as samples and analyzing these samples using X-Ray Fluoroscence (XRF) and X-Ray Difraction (XRD) instruments. Based on XRF and XRD data analysis, these colors contain compounds CaO, SO3, Cl, P2O5, V2O5, Nb2O5, MoO3, SiO3, Fe2O3, TiO2, Nb2O5, dan Sb2O3.The results of the analysis show that in general the main content of all paint paintings from different locations is CaO and SO3 . This indicates that the measured paint contains a lot of lime. Other chemical components contained are reddish brown Fe2O3. This compound contributes to the color of red, brown and one black painting.Based on the results of elution absorption and color reactions, paints of red and black are not derived from human or animal blood. The results of this study provide useful information about the composition of the compounds used to produce prehistoric painting paints, which can later be reproduced and utilized in the context of conservation and restoration of damaged paintings.

Konservasi Koleksi Lukisan Museum Le Mayeur

As a result of human work, painting is a cultural heritage that has important values. The state of the structure of the paintings which is composed by organic materials makes the painting very vulnerable to the environmental influences and other causes of damage. This research aims to find out about the characteristics of the painting, the types of damage, the factors that cause damage, and its conservation techniques both preventive and and curative to painting collection of Le Mayeur Museum.The results of this research are expected to provide benefits and development of science in the field of archeology about the study of cultural heritage conservation. This study uses qualitative analysis, technology analysis, and comparative analysis. Data collection technique used are direct observation technique, interviews, and library reserach studies. The theories applied are Aesthetic Theory and Conservation Theory.The results obtained namely the characteristic of Le Mayeur’s paintings are representative with women’s theme and surroundings life, the coloring technique using plaque technique with oil paint, watercolor, traditional paint, and pastels color. Generally, there are several types of damage to the painting collection of Le Mayeur Museum, such as physical or mechanic damage, biotic damage, and chemical damage. Those types of damage are caused by physical factors,chemistry factors, biotic factors, and human factors. The conservation techniques carried out at the Le Mayeur Museum include preventive conservation and curative conservation. The preventive actions are carried out with control of temperature, air humidity, intensity of ultraviolet light, and control of air containing salt due to sea water vapor. The curative actions taken are semi-chemist medicine and painting restoration.

Effects of butylphthalide on hydrogen peroxide induced retinal pigment epithelial cells injury

Objective To investigate the protective effect of butylphenyphthalein (NBP) on RPE apoptosis induced by H2O2. Methods The human RPE cell line (human ARPE-19 cell line) were used as the experimental cells and were divided as control group, model group, NBP group. Complete medium was used in control group. The model group was stimulated with 200 μmol/L H2O2 for 2 h, and the cells were cultured in complete medium. The NBP group was cultured with 200 μmol/L H2O2 and 1 μmol/L NBP for 2 h. After changing the medium, complete medium was combined with 1 μmol/L NBP to continue the culture of the cells. Cell viability were detected by MTT assay while the morphology of RPE were observed by HE staining. Moreover, Hoechst 33258 was used to detect RPE cell apoptosis. Mitochondrial membrane potential (JC-1) staining were performed to monitor changes in cell membrane potential and the characteristic change of apoptosis in RPE cells. Furthermore, 2′,7′-Dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining were used to analyze the effect of NBP treatment on the expression of ROS. The effect of NBP on the expression of Heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) was analyzed by cellular immunofluorescence and western blotting. Results The results of MTT assay showed that the cells were cultured for 24 and 48 hours, cell viability of control group (t=17.710, 13.760; P<0.000 1, <0.000 1) and treatment group (t=4.857, 9.225; P=0.000 7, <0.000 1) were stronger than that of model group, and the difference was statistically significant. HE staining and Hoechst33258 staining showed that compared with the control group, the number of cells in the model group was significantly less, and the cell morphology was incomplete. Compared with the model group, the number of cells in the treatment group was significantly increased, and the cell morphology was better. The results of JC-1 assay showed that the number of apoptotic cells in the model group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the number of apoptotic cells in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the model group. DCFH-DA staining showed that the ROS accumulation in the model group was more than that in the control group, and the ROS accumulation in the treatment group was less than that in the model group. Immunostaining observation showed that the HO-1 fluorescence intensity of the cells in the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (t=10.270, P=0.000 5). Western blot analysis showed that NBP up-regulated the expression level of HO-1 in a time-dependent manner. The relative expression of HO-1 at 4, 8, and 12 h of NBP showed a clear increase trend compared with 0 h, and the difference was statistically significant (F=164.91, P<0.05). Conclusions Oxidative stress injury can down-regulate the viability of RPE cells and induce apoptosis. NBP can increase the antioxidant capacity of RPE cells, reduce cell damage and inhibit cell apoptosis by up-regulating HO-1 expression. Key words: Retinal pigment epithelium; Apoptosis; Butylphthalide; Oxidative stress

A Study of Recruitment and Selection in Ultramarine &amp; Pigments LTD., Ranipet

A Study of Recruitment and Selection in Ultramarine &amp; Pigments LTD., Ranipet

The Significance of In-Service Factors for the Visual Detectability of Impact Damage in Composite Airframe

The inspection conditions may significantly affect the visual detectability of impact damage in aircraft composite skins. The goal of the present study was to identify the most affecting factors related to standard field control procedures and thus establish reasonable barely visible impact damage threshold in the frameworks of Irkut MC-21 aircraft certification. The probability of surface damage detection as a function of damage size was evaluated in relation to qualification of experts, paint color, viewing distance and surface contamination. The experiments with representative panels were carried out, the empirical detectability data was analyzed by methods of mathematical statistics. Using non-parametric tests the statistical significance of mentioned in-service factors was estimated. The bootstrap method was applied to make empirical data sufficiently representative. The minimum reliably detectable sizes of dents caused by 25 mm indenter for considered inspection conditions were identified. For detailed inspection in case of the clean surface the size of 0.3 mm can be accepted as a relevant criterion, in case of contamination this value can grow up to three times. For general inspection the values of 1 mm for clean and 1.7 mm for contaminated surface can be accepted conservatively. The obtained results were shown to be consistent with the literature and were recommended for use on the stages of design and maintenance.

Two Species of Fireworms (Annelida: Amphinomidae: Chloeia) from Hong Kong.

A new fireworm species and a poorly described species of the genus Chloeia are described on the basis of specimens collected from Hong Kong. The new species, C. bimaculata sp. nov., is characterized by having two distinct mid-dorsal dark spots one behind the other on each segment. It can be distinguished from its sympatric species C. parva, which is characterized by having a mid-dorsal "Y"-shaped dark pigment on each segment. Chloeia bimaculata sp. nov. diverges from C. parva by 16.8% for the COI gene, 4.6% for the 16S rRNA gene and 0.6% for the 28S rRNA gene. Other Chloeia species with the corresponding gene sequences available in the GenBank show greater divergences.

Focus on the treatment of inherited retinal diseases

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are rare and incurable eye diseases.Gene therapy has become a new method for the treatment of IRDs.At present, at least 26 clinical trials of gene therapy involving at least 16 different IRDs genes are in progress or imminent.Such as autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (RP, MERTK mutation), choroideremia (CHM mutation), Stargardt’s disease (ABCA4 mutation), Usher syndrome 1B subtype (Myo7a mutation), X-linked retinoschisis (RS1 mutation), mitochondrial-related Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (ND4 mutation), panchromatic blindness (CNGA3 mutation and CNNGB3 mutation), sex-linked RP (RPGR mutation). Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-mediated gene expression is a conventional method for gene transduction, which has showed efficacies in autosomal recessive IRDs caused by small gene mutations, especially for those IRDs, which have the original lesions in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and photoreceptor cells.Novel progress has been made in animal experiments by gene editing technologies for autosomal dominant IRDs or autosomal recessive IRDs with large gene mutations, which is going to clinical trial.Oligonucleotide therapy based on RNA has also shown good efficacy for the IRDs caused by large genes, which beyond the AAV capacity.These research achievements are attacking more and more attentions in these fields.Although there are still some efficacy and safety issues on the way to treat IRDs, it is reasonable to expect that more and more patients with IRDs will be treated in the near future. Key words: Inherited retinal diseases; Gene therapy; Clinical trials; Optogenetic gene therapy; Antisense Oliogonucleotide therapy

Analysis on Renoirʼs Rainbow Palette and the Natural Light: Focusing on the Principle of Michel Eugene Chevreul

회화에서 색채는 양식에 대한 시대적 요구에 따라 새로운 방향성을 제시하면서 오늘날의 감각에 도달했다. 이 가운데 외광파 인상주의자들은 당대의 과학적 성과인 색채에 대한 이론적 발전의 영향을 받아 그들이 추구하는 빛에 대한 새로운 표현을 모색하게 되었다. 이 연구에서 다루고 있는 르누아르는 자연주의 철학적 관점에서 빛과 색채, 그리고 인물을 중심으로 하는 대표적인 근대 화가로, 초기 로코코 회화의 주제적 측면과 외광파 인상주의자의 작업 태도를 생애 전반에 걸쳐 탐구하였다. 르누아르 작품의 특수성은 당대의 대부분의 외광파 화가들이 풍경을 중점적으로 작업한 것과 비교 할 때, 고전적 소재라고 할 수 있는 인체를 통해 자연광의 색채를 그리고자 한 것에 있다. 이에 따라 본문에서는 슈브뢸의 색채조화론을 적용하여 르누아르의 레인보우 팔레트의 색채분석을 시도한다. 이것은 르누아르가 자연광에서 찾아낸 색채의 종류 및 명도와 채도 등 대비효과를 통해 방법론적 특수성을 밝히는데 유용한 도구로서 중요성을 가진다.The colour in paintings reached today’s zeitgeist to representing new directions with newer demands with style. Among the art history, pleinairisme Impressionists was constantly in search of the techniques for drawing natural light under the influence of modern science. They mainly deal with Renoir is one of the representative pleinairisme and he had explored light, colour and portrait on the naturalism philosophy all over his life. The distinctiveness of Renoir’s paintings is expression of portrait with natural light and it seems like close to traditional way compare to other pleinairisme. For this reason, this paper attempts to the analysis of Renoir’s rainbow palette applying to Chevreul’s the principles of harmony and contrast of colours, it is important theory to deriving the characteristic of luminosity and hue contrast in Renoir’s paintings.

Kandinsky or Me? How Free Is the Eye of the Beholder in Abstract Art?

We investigated in “art-naïve” German and Chinese participants the perception of color and spatial balance in abstract art. For color perception, we asked participants (a) to adjust the color of a single element in 24 paintings according to their liking and (b) to indicate whether they preferred their version of the painting or the original. For spatial perception, we asked participants (a) to determine the “balance point” of an artwork and (b) to indicate their preferences for the original or left-right reversed orientation of previously seen and unfamiliar paintings. Results of the color experiments suggest that, even though the interactive task was of a rather open-ended nature, observers’ color adjustments were not random but systematically influenced by each painting’s color palette. Overall, participants liked their own color choices about as much as the original composition. Results of the spatial experiments reveal a remarkable consistency between participants in their balance point settings. The perceived lateral position of the balance point systematically affected the left-right orientation preference for a given painting. We conclude that “art-naïve” observers are sensitive to the composition of colors and spatial structures in abstract art and are influenced by their cultural backgrounds when experiencing abstract paintings.

Cementitious plasters for façade finishing with phase change materials and thermochromic pigments

Exterior building surfaces are exposed to considerable thermal stresses and UV radiations that significantly reduce their durability. Additionally, solar and thermal energy affect energy transfer through the building envelope that impacts indoor comfort and energy demands. Thus, improving the performance of exterior finish materials in regulating exterior surface temperatures would impact the overall performance of buildings. The aim of this research is to develop a responsive cementitious finish plaster for building façade applications to act as a filter for variable solar and thermal loads. The proposed cement plaster is combined with phase change materials (PCMs) and thermochromic (TC) pigments to control solar radiation and surface temperatures dynamically on the exterior façade. This paper presents the prototype development and optical characterization of the prototypes. The objective is to investigate the interaction between different PCM and TC pigments in regulating surface temperatures. Three different melting temperatures for the PCMs were tested in consideration of two different colours of the TC paint. Twelve samples were produced with 2.5% mass fraction of PCM and TC pigment each. The emissivity of the samples was measured using infrared thermography. The results showed that a high emissivity in high temperatures and a low emissivity in colder temperatures could be achieved.

Colour variation in drying paint films

Color variations due to changes in paint film thickness and pigment content were studied experimentally. Three paints with differing concentration (0.5%, 2% and 4% by weight) of spherical blue pigments were applied with varying film thickness (310, 490, 730 μm) on stainless-steel substrates and dried in an oven while the paint surfaces were photographed. Weight loss due to solvent evaporation from the paint was recorded. The color of the dried paint films was measured. Surface tension driven convection was observed in drying paint films, which caused movement of pigment particles. An analytical model was used to predict solvent concentration gradients in the paint films and calculate Marangoni numbers, which determined the velocity of fluid motion. All motion stopped when the Marangoni number became small. Pigment particles tended to cluster around the edges of convection cells and produce changes in color, especially when the paint films were thin and the pigment fraction low. Increasing either the amount of pigment or the paint thickness made the paint color lighter, as a larger number of pigment particles increases reflection of light. Paints with high pigment concentration are less likely to see changes in color.

Automatic detection and visualization of garment color in Western portrait paintings

Abstract Paintings give us important clues about how males and females were perceived over centuries in the Western culture. In this article, we describe a system that allows scholars to automatically visualize how the clothing colors of male and female subjects changed over time. Our system analyzes a large database of paintings, locates portraits, automatically classifies each portrait’s subject as either male or female, segments the clothing areas and finds their dominant color. An interactive, web-based visualization is proposed to allow further exploration of the results. To test the accuracy of our system, we manually annotate a portion of the Rijksmuseum collection, and use state-of-the-art image processing and computer vision algorithms to process the paintings. We use a deep neural network-based style transfer approach to improve gender recognition (or more correctly, sex recognition) of the sitters of portraits. The annotations and the code of the approach are made available.

Experience of one-stage repair of the wounds after excision of soft tissue malignant tumor in lower limb by deep inferior epigastric perforator flap in 11 cases

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of one-stage repairing the wounds after excision of soft tissue malignant tumor in lower limb with deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps. Methods From August, 2016 to July, 2018, 11 patients(8 males and 3 females; aged 35-76 years) with the soft tissue defects in the lower limb underwent immediate reconstructive operations with DIEP flap after their tumor resection. The defects ranged in area from 11 cm×7 cm to 25 cm×10 cm after extended resection, including 5 cases of bone exposure. The DIEP flap area ranged from 11 cm×8 cm to 26 cm×18 cm. Among them, 9 cases were treated with free transplantation and 2 cases with pedicle transplantation. The donor sites were closed directly. The patients’ limb function, tumor recurrence and the healing of surgical incision had been followed-up. Results Eleven flaps survived and the donor sites healed directly. One flap had skin pigmentation due to postoperative vascular crisis, and the other flaps had satisfied texture and appearance. All patients were followed-up from 6 to 30 months. The lower limb movement was normal. All the donor sites had a good healing with no pain and abdominal complications. No tumor recurrence was observed during the followed-up period. Conclusion DIEP flap have many advantages, such as large cutting area, which is suitable for large-area wound repair after extended excision of soft tissue malignant tumor in lower limb. At the same time, the perforator vessel is constant and the caliber are thick, also the donor area is concealed and can be sutured directly. This kind of the technique for reconstruction of lower limb soft tissue defects after malignant tumor resection is well acceptable. Key words: Deep inferior epigastric perforator flap; Lower limb; Soft tissue malignant tumor; Wounds after excision; Repair

Clinical effects of artificial dermis combined with vacuum sealing drainage and autologous split-thickness skin graft in repair of scar contracture deformity after extensive burn

Objective: To explore the clinical effects of artificial dermis combined with vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) and autologous split-thickness skin graft in repair of scar contracture deformity after extensive burn. Methods: A total of 8 patients with scar hyperplasia and contracture deformity on joint after healing of extensive burn were admitted to our hospital from August 2015 to August 2017. There were 5 females and 3 males aged 8 to 45 years with an average of 23 years. In the first stage operation, scar tissue on contracture site was removed, and the wound was covered by artificial dermis followed by continued VSD treatment. On 10-14 d after the first stage operation, the artificial dermis tissue formed, and the second stage autologous split-thickness skin grafting and continued VSD treatment were performed. Routine anti-scar therapy was carried out after healing of wounds. Time of wound healing after the second stage operation was recorded. Colour and texture of the split-thickness skin graft, scar formation condition of the donor site, and action condition of the operation site during follow-up were observed. Results: The wounds of 8 patients were healed in 10-14 d after the second stage operation. During follow-up of 6-24 months, the split-thickness skin graft was with smooth surface and good elasticity, and the function of joint recovered well. The donor site in head healed well with no scar. Only pigmentation was left in the donor site of thigh, and scar was not obvious. The patients and their family members were satisfied. Conclusions: After application of artificial dermis combined with VSD and autologous split-thickness skin graft in repair of scar contracture deformity after extensive burn, the skin grafting area and donor site were with unobvious scar hyperplasia, and the joint function in the operation area was good.