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Eight cadavers were included in this anatomical study.This study aimed to confirm the anatomical feasibility of extradural transfer of the contralateral T11 ventral root (VR) to the ipsilateral L2 level and the contralateral L1 VR to the ipsilateral L3 level to restore lower limb function in cases of paraplegia.Motor dysfunction due to hemiplegia significantly affects the daily life of patients. To date, unlike in cases of upper limb dysfunction, there are few studies on the surgical management of lower limb movement dysfunction.Eight cadavers were included in this study to confirm the feasibility of the nerve transfer. After separating the VR and dorsal root at each level, the VRs at the T11 and L1 levels were anastomosed with the VRs of L2 and L3, respectively. The length of the VRs of donor roots and the distance between the donor and recipient nerves were measured. HE staining was performed to verify the number of axons and the cross-sectional area of the VRs. Lumbar x-rays of 60 healthy adults were used to measure the distance between the donor and recipient nerves.After exposing the bilateral extradural each root, the VRs could be easily isolated from the whole root. The distance between the VRs of T11 and L2, L1, and L3 was significantly longer than the length of the donor nerve. Therefore, the sural nerve was used for grafting. The measurements performed on the lumbar x-rays of the 60 healthy adults confirmed the results. The number of axons and cross-sectional area of the VRs were measured.Our study confirmed the anatomical feasibility of transferring the VRs of T11 to L2 and that of L1 to L3 to restore lower limb function in cases of hemiplegia.5.

Improved accessibility by transit service constitutes a critical component in removing spatial barriers in daily mobility for disadvantaged groups. However, the effects of transit accessibility on the daily mobility and activity participation of different social strata remain inconclusive. This study investigates the role of transit accessibility on the activity space of three income groups in Hong Kong. The results show that the availability of transit stations and network accessibility by mass transit rail (MTR) are significantly linked to the spatial extensiveness of activity space of the higher- and medium-income commuters, while bus plays a more important role for the daily mobility of the low-income group. Concerning non-work activity participation, the low-income non-commuters appear less affected by the availability of MTR stations than the other two groups, suggesting a potentially lower ability of using MTR to carry out different daily activities. Our findings offer some in-depth insights into the possible social inequality of using transit service, thereby contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between transit accessibility and mobility in relation to economic status. Policy recommendations to alleviate transport disadvantage and improve social equity are proposed.

Opencast coal mining has a large impact on the land surface, both at the mining pits themselves and at waste sites. After artificial management is stopped, a reclaimed opencast coal mine dump is affected by wind and water erosion from natural processes, resulting in land degradation and even safety incidents. In this paper, the soil erosion and land degradation after 5 years of such natural processes, at the Xilinhot opencast coal mine dump in Inner Mongolia, were investigated. A multi-source data acquisition method was applied: the vegetation fraction coverage (VFC) was extracted from GF-1 satellite imagery, high-precision terrain characteristics and the location and degree of soil erosion were obtained using a drone, and the physical properties of the topsoil were obtained by field sampling. On this basis, the degree and spatial distribution of erosion cracks were identified, and the causes of soil erosion and land degradation were analyzed using the geographical detector. The results show that (1) multi-source data acquisition method can provide effective basic data for the quantitative evaluation of the ecological environment at dumps, and (2) slope aspect and VFC are the main factors affecting the degree of degradation and soil erosion. Based on above analysis, several countermeasures are proposed to mitigate land degradation: (1) The windward slope be designed to imitate the natural landform. (2) Reasonable engineering measures should be applied at the slope to restrain soil erosion. (3) The Pioneer plants should be widely planted on the platform at the early stage of reclamation.

Accurate discriminating nerve fibers is a prerequisite for right suturing nerves in nerve transfer operation. Various methods have been developed for identification of motor and sensory fibers, but no simple method meets the requirements in clinic. In this study, a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) lever strategy is designed and developed to detect Acetylcholinesterase (AchE) ultrasensitively, in which using produced thiocholine with weak intrinsic Raman activity (four ounces) to adjust absorbance of Rhodamine B with strong intrinsic Raman activity (thousand catties) on SERS-active substrates is to increase the sensitivity. Employing a miniaturized SERS substrate, SERS-active microneedles, is to decrease the volume of enzymolysis systems. Adopting an internal reference is to increase the repeatability of collected signal. The ultrasensitive AchE detection method discriminate samples with four times of difference in enzyme activity between 1-1 × 10

Given an increasingly volatile climate, the relationship between weather and transit ridership has drawn increasing interest. However, challenges stemming from spatio-temporal dependency and non- stationarity have not been fully addressed in modelling and predicting transit ridership under the influence of weather conditions. Drawing on three-month smart card data in Brisbane, Australia, this research implements a suite of tree-based machine-learning algorithms, to model and predict near real-time bus ridership in relation to sudden change of weather conditions. The study confirms that there indeed exists a significant level of spatio-temporal variability of weather-ridership relationship, which produces equally dynamic patterns of prediction errors.

A new multi−carrier orthogonal double bit rate differential chaotic shift keying (MC−ODBR−DCSK) communication system is presented in this paper. With two composite signals generated by an orthogonal chaotic signal generator as reference signals, 2M bits of information data are transmitted on M−channel subcarriers, improving transmission speed and energy efficiency. In addition, the receiver does not require a radio frequency (RF) delay circuit to demodulate the received data, which makes the system easier to implement. This paper analyzes Data−energy−to−Bit−energy Ratio (DBR) of the system. The bit error rate performance of the system is simulated to verify the impact of parameters such as chaotic maps, semi-spread spectrum factor, and sub-carrier number. At the same time, the bit error rate performance of the MC−ODBR−DCSK system is compared with traditional DCSK systems in Rician fading and additive Gaussian white noise (AWGN) channels.

The recovery of lower-urinary-tract activity is a top priority for patients with spinal-cord injury. Historically, locomotor training improved micturition function in both patients with spinal cord injury and animal models. We explore whether training augments such as the supraspinal control of the external urethral sphincter results in enhanced coordination in detrusor-sphincter activity. We implemented a clinically relevant contusive spinal-cord injury at the 12th thoracic level in rats and administered forced wheel running exercise for 11 weeks. Awake rats then underwent bladder cystometrogram and sphincter electromyography recordings to examine the micturition reflex. Subsequently, pseudorabies-virus-encoding red fluorescent protein was injected into the sphincter to trans-synaptically trace the supraspinal innervation of Onuf’s motoneurons. Training in the injury group reduced the occurrence of bladder nonvoiding contractions, decreased the voiding threshold and peak intravesical pressure, and shortened the latency of sphincter bursting during voiding, leading to enhanced voiding efficiency. Histological analysis demonstrated that the training increased the extent of spared spinal-cord tissue around the epicenter of lesions. Compared to the group of injury without exercise, training elicited denser 5-hydroxytryptamine-positive axon terminals in the vicinity of Onuf’s motoneurons in the cord; more pseudorabies virus-labeled or c-fos expressing neurons were detected in the brainstem, suggesting the enhanced supraspinal control of sphincter activity. Thus, locomotor training promotes tissue sparing and axon innervation of spinal motoneurons to improve voiding function following contusive spinal-cord injury.

In extra dimensional theories, the four-dimensional field theory is reduced from a fundamental field theory in the bulk spacetime by integrating the extra dimensional part. In this paper we investigate the effective action of a self-interacting scalar field on a brane in the five-dimensional thick braneworld scenario. We consider two typical thick brane solutions and obtain the P\"{o}schl-Teller and harmonic potentials of the Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes, respectively. The analytical mass spectra and wave functions along extra dimension of the KK modes are obtained. Further, the effective coupling constant between different KK particles, cross section, and decay rate for some processes of the KK particles are related to the fundamental coupling in five dimensions and the new physics energy scale. Some interesting properties of these interactions are found with these calculations. The KK particles with higher mode have longer lifetime, and they almost do not interact with ordinary matter on the brane if their mode numbers are large enough. Thus, these KK particles with higher modes might be a candidate of dark matter., Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures

A total of 6 formalin-fixed cadavers were included in the cadaver feasibility study.The aim was to ascertain the anatomical feasibility of extradural contralateral C7 ventral root transfer technique by cervical posterior.Upper limb spastic hemiplegia is a common sequela after stroke. In our previous study, the authors established a method by transferring contralateral C7 dorsal and ventral roots to the corresponding C7 dorsal and ventral roots on the affected side in the cervical posterior.In the present study, six formalin-fixed cadavers were dissected to confirm the anatomical feasibility. Experimental anastomosis in cadavers was conducted. The pertinent lengths of the extradural nerve roots were measured. The tissue structures surrounding regions between the extradural CC7 nerve roots and the vertebral artery were observed. The cervical magnetic resonance imaging scans of 60 adults were used to measure the distance between the donor and recipient nerves.Experimental anastomosis showed that the distance between the donor and recipient nerves was approximately 1 cm; the short segment of the sural nerve needed bridging. The distance between both exit sites of the exit of the extradural dura mater was 33.57±1.55 mm. The length of the extradural CC7 ventral root was 22.00±0.98 mm. The ventral distance (vd) and the dorsal distance (dd) in males were 23.98±1.72 mm and 30.85±2.22 mm ( P0.05), while those in females were 23.28±1.51 mm and 30.03±2.16 mm, respectively. C7 vertebral transverse process, ligaments, and other soft tissues were observed between the vertebral artery and the extradural C7 nerve root.Under the premise of less trauma, our study shows that the extradural contralateral C7 ventral root transfer technique, in theory, yields better surgical results, including better recovery of motor function and complete preservation of sensory function.5.

Robot-assisted orthopedic surgery has great application prospects, and the accuracy of the robot is the key to its overall performance. The aim of this study was to develop a new orthopedic surgical robot to assist in spinal surgeries and to compare its feasibility and accuracy with the existing orthopedic robot. A new type of high-precision orthopedic surgical robot (Tuoshou) was developed. A multicenter, randomized controlled trial was carried out to compare the Tuoshou with the TiRobot (TINAVI Medical Technologies Co., Ltd., Beijing) to evaluate the accuracy and safety of their navigation and positioning. A total of 112 patients were randomized, and 108 patients completed the study. The position deviation of the Kirschner wire placement in the Tuoshou group was smaller than that in the TiRobot group (p = 0.014). The Tuoshou group was better than the TiRobot group in terms of the pedicle screw insertion accuracy (p = 0.016) and entry point deviation (p < 0.001). No differences were observed in endpoint deviation (p = 0.170), axial deviation (p = 0.170), sagittal deviation (p = 0.324), and spatial deviation (p = 0.299). There was no difference in security indicators. The new orthopedic surgical robot was highly accurate and optimized for clinical practice, making it suitable for clinical application.

Study design Two fresh-frozen and six formalin-fixed cadavers were included in the study. Objective To ascertain whether transferring T9 or T11 ventral root (VR) to L2 VR and T10 or T12 VR to L3 VR in restoring lower limb function after spinal cord injury is anatomically feasible. Summary of background data Lower limb paralysis impairs the quality of the life and places burden on the whole society. However, no significant improvement in this area was achieved during recent years. Methods In the present study, two fresh-frozen and six formalin-fixed cadavers were dissected to confirm the anatomical feasibility. A limited laminectomy was performed to expose the T9-L3 extradural nerve roots. T9 and T10 VR were anastomosed to L2 and L3 VR respectively, or T11 and T12 VR were anastomosed to L2 and L3 VR respectively. The pertinent distances between the donor and recipient nerves were measured and H&E staining was used to detect the axon number and cross-section area of each VR. Results The limited incision was performed to expose the T9-L3 nerve root. According to the anatomic landmark of dorsal root ganglion, each VR could be isolated from each extradural nerve root. The T9 or T11 VR needs sural nerve graft to be transferred to L2 VR, and T10 or T12 VR also needs a nerve bridge to connect to L3 VR. The nerve numbers of T9, T10, T11, T12, L2, and L3 VRs and the sural nerves were measured respectively. The cross-section areas of T9, T10, T11, T12, L2, and L3 VRs and sural nerves were measured respectively. Conclusion Our study suggested that application of transferring T9 or T11 VR to L2 VR and T10 or T12 VR to L3 VR in restoring lower limb function is anatomically feasible.Level of Evidence: 5.

Harmonic signal will be mixed with some noise and singular signals in the detection process. Aiming at the disadvantage that Kalman filter is only applicable to Gaussian noise, this paper proposes an algorithm combining wavelet packet transform and improved Kalman filter algorithm. Firstly, the outliers in the original signal are detected and removed by wavelet transform to prevent the offset or even divergence of the Kalman filter. Kalman filter optimally estimates the processed noisy signal. In this process, according to the residual outliers in the signal, a threshold is designed to adaptively correct the Kalman gain to ensure that the noise is filtered out while retaining high-order harmonics. In the process of detection, the noise is prevented from submerging the high-order harmonic. Finally, the high resolution of wavelet packet transform is used to realize the accurate detection of harmonics. Compared with traditional threshold filtering, it has obvious advantages. The results show that the method proposed in this paper can realize accurate harmonic detection. This is of great significance for determining harmonic source, harmonic control and maintaining power grid security.

Open-pit coal mining has a large impact on land surface, both at the mining pits themselves and at waste sites. After artificial management is stopped, a reclaimed opencast coal mine dump is affected by wind and water erosion from natural processes, resulting in land degradation and even safety incidents. In this paper, the soil erosion and land degradation after 5 years of such natural processes, at the Xilinhot open pit coal mine dump in Inner Mongolia, were investigated. A multi-source data acquisition method was applied: the vegetation coverage index was extracted from GF-1 satellite imagery, high-precision terrain characteristics and the location and degree of soil erosion were obtained using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and the physical properties of the topsoil were obtained by field sampling. On this basis, the degree and spatial distribution of erosion cracks were identified, and the causes of soil erosion and land degradation were analyzed using a geographical detector. The results show that: 1) The multi-source data acquisition method can provide effective basic data for the quantitative evaluation of the ecological environment at dumps; 2) slope aspect and vegetation fractional coverage are the main factors affecting the degree of degradation and soil erosion. Based on this analysis, several countermeasures are proposed to mitigate land degradation: 1) The windward slope be designed to imitate the natural landform; 2) engineering measures should be applied at the slope to restrain soil erosion; 3) pioneer plants should be widely planted on the platform at the early stage of reclamation.

This paper proposes a fractional-order PD controller to suppress the vibration of the typical pipeline system of a nuclear power plant. In view of the characteristics of typical pipeline systems of nuclear power plants, mathematical models are established and dynamic equations are derived to make complex systems digitized for analysis and research. A piping system vibration damping controller based on fractional-order PD control is designed. The fractional-order PD controller introduces a differential order on the basis of the traditional integer-order PD controller to improve the matching degree of the model. Under this system structure, the quadratic performance index is designed, and the particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to optimize the controller parameters to optimize the effect of suppressing vibration. The simulation results show that in the typical pipeline system of nuclear power plant, the fractional-order PD controller designed by this method can suppress the vibration of the system better than the traditional integer-order PD controller.

Modulated electronic state due to the layered crystal structures brings about moderate anisotropy of superconductivity in the iron-based superconductors and thus Abrikosov vortices are expected in the mixed state. However, based on the angular and temperature dependent transport measurements in iron-based superconductor Ca10(Pt3As8)((Fe0.9Pt0.1)2As2)5 with T c ≃ 12 K, we find clear evidences of a crossover from Abrikosov vortices to Josephson vortices at a crossover temperature T* ≃ 7 K, when the applied magnetic field is parallel to the superconducting FeAs layers, i.e., the angle between the magnetic field and the FeAs layers θ = 0°. This crossover to Josephson vortices is demonstrated by an abnormal decrease (increase) of the critical current (flux-flow resistance) below T*, in contrast to the increase (decrease) of the critical current (flux-flow resistance) above T* expected for Abrikosov vortices. Furthermore, when θ is larger than 0.5°, the flux-flow resistance and critical current have no anomalous behaviors across T*. These anomalous behaviors can be understood in terms of the distinct transition from the well-pinned Abrikosov vortices to the weakly-pinned Josephson vortices upon cooling, when the coherent length perpendicular to the FeAs layers ξ ⊥ becomes shorter than half of the interlayer distance d/2. These experimental findings indicate the existence of intrinsic Josephson junctions below T* and thus quasi-two-dimensional superconductivity in Ca10(Pt3As8)((Fe0.9Pt0.1)2As2)5, similar to those in the cuprate superconductors.

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a new evolutionary algorithm developed in recent years. It is easy to implement with few parameters, but it is often easy to fall into local optimization in the later period. This paper introduces the interbreeding algorithm in genetic algorithms (GA) to increase population size diversity, and uses the inertia weight adjustment method of the chaos algorithm mechanism to adjust the inertia factor, and proposes an adaptive interbreeding hybrid particle swarm optimization (AIHPSO). In this paper, six representative nonlinear experimental functions are used to simulate and compare the algorithms. The results prove that AIHPSO plays a better role in a complex optimization process. It can improve local development capabilities, enhance convergence speed and the accuracy is significantly improved, while avoiding the problems of premature maturity and local optimization.

Aiming at the problem of UAV space target positioning, this paper proposes a monocular visual multipoint locating method based on photogrammetry technology and UAV inertial navigation information. The paper establishes the three-dimensional coordinate error equation of obstacles based on the principle of three points collinear. In the process of rigorously solving the error equation, the paper uses a method based on Tikhonov regularization and L-curve to reduce the noise interference in the positioning process and meet the positioning accuracy requirements. Finally, this paper builds a hardware platform for UAV positioning to verify this method, and compares it with the least squares method. It is verified that this method is simple and easy to implement, accurate positioning, and strong anti-interference ability.

Mangrove wetlands are under increasing pollution pressure from human activities due to rapid industrialization and urbanization of coastal regions. Many pollutants such as heavy metals may be accumulated via food chains to hazardous levels which will thus bring potential health issues to humans. In the present study, three species of crabs (Sesarma dehaani, Sesarma plicata, Macrophthalmus japonicus) and associated sediments from three mangrove habitats with different vegetation were collected from the mangrove wetlands in Qi'ao Island, South China to investigate the levels, bioaccumulation and dietary exposure of heavy metals including copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr). Metal concentrations in sediment samples were 65–91, 212–247, 506–1256, 0.6–1.3, and 8.8–14 mg/kg dry weight for Cu, Zn, Mn, Cd and Cr, respectively. The spatial heterogeneity of these metals in mangrove sediments was observed with a descendant order of metal concentrations as Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Cd at each site. Species-specific and tissue-specific accumulation of metals was also found in mangrove crabs, both in the degree of accumulation of particulate metals and the tissues in which they were most abundant. All biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAF) values >1 for Cd in each crab species suggested that the native mangrove crabs tended to be good tools for the monitoring of Cd pollution in mangrove forests. Results of the estimated daily intake (EDI) and target hazard quotient (THQ) suggested that consumption of the mangrove crabs in Qi'ao Island might subject local residents to potential health risks as far as the metals are concerned. Keywords: Heavy metal, Sediment, Crab, Mangrove wetland, Qi'ao Island

With the broadband, noise-like, and non-periodic characteristics of chaotic signals, chaotic digital modulation schemes have received extensive attention. A new short reference orthogonal double bit rate differential chaotic shift keying (SR-ODBR-DCSK) communication scheme is proposed in the paper. The modulation technology generates two orthogonal chaotic signals by using the orthogonality of the chaotic signals acting on the Walsh function and modulates the continuous two-bit data information respectively to achieve the simultaneous transmission of two signals at the same time slot. Odd information bits and even information bits are modulated to two orthogonal signals so as to reach a double transmission rate on the basis of the original channel. In this paper, the performance of SR-ODBR-DCSK in the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel is analyzed, and a Monte Carlo simulation test is carried out. The bit error rate of this modulation method is compared with that of SR-DCSK. The results show that the SR-ODBR-DCSK system is excellent and promising.

Using the case derived from the life or production in teaching is a very practical teaching method for training the students’ comprehensive ability of the professional course, by which the students can get a lot of targeted expertise, instead of the empty preaching. With the progress of Chinese over the past years, the professional knowledge the students learned is more and more abstruse, more and more refined, how effective organization of teaching cases, the distinguished in student learning, in order to achieve the purpose of their major, this is an important task the college teachers focus on. In conjunction with the teaching task of the computer simulation technology for professional type of postgraduate student, this paper puts forward and establish three levels of the teaching case library, which include the fundament- type, the profession-type, the extended-type and so on. Using of the cases, in the course of study, the postgraduate student can not only master the main content of the course, but also be exerted their autonomy and professional development interest.

Study design Anatomic study in six formalin-fixed cadavers. Objective To determine the anatomical feasibility of transferring the S2 and S3 ventral roots (VRs) to S1 VR as a method for restoring bladder dysfunction in spinal cord injury. Summary of background data A large quantity of researches of neuroanastomosis methods have been used for treating the bladder dysfunction in spinal cord injury. However, some limitations retard the development of those studies. Methods In this study, six formalin-fixed cadavers (four males, two females) were dissected. The feasibility of exposing the S1, S2, and S3 extradural nerve roots by the limited laminectomy, isolating the VR and dorsal roots from each extradural nerve root and transferring the S2,S3 VRs to the S1 VR were assessed. The pertinent distances and the nerve cross-sectional areas in each specimen were measured. The morphology of each nerve root was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Results The limited laminectomy was performed to expose the S1 to S3 extradural nerve roots. The VRs could be isolated from each extradural nerve root at the location of the dorsal root ganglion and the hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that there were some connective tissues separating the VRs from the corresponding dorsal root ganglion. The S2 and S3 VRs have sufficient lengths to be transferred to S1 VR without grafting. The mean cross-sectional area of the S1 VR was 2.60 ± 0.17 mm, and that was 1.02 ± 0.32 mm and 0.51 ± 0.21 mm of the S2 and S3 VRs, respectively. Conclusion This study demonstrated that use of the S2 and S3 VRs for extradural transfer to S1 VR for restoring bladder dysfunction is surgically feasible. Level of evidence 5.

Objective: To explore the method of eliminating donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA) in haploidentical stem cell transplantation (haplo-SCT). Methods: We present a refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patient who had strongly positive DSA, but had no human leukocyte antigen–matched donor. Although CD38 expression on leukemia cells was negative, daratumumab combined with etoposide and venetoclax therapy was chosen for her. Results: She achieved a significant decrease in DSA levels and complete remission on the combination therapy with daratumumab. She then received a haplo-SCT from a daughter as a donor and had a successful engraftment of donor stem cell. In haplo-SCT, strongly positive DSA levels, directed against donor HLA antigens, could be significantly reduced by daratumumab therapy before transplantation and successfully bridge subsequent haplo-SCT. Conclusion: Although CD38 expression is negative in leukemia cells, refractory B-ALL patients may still benefit from combination therapy with daratumumab. We need further clinical observation.

In order to effectively solve a series of problems caused by harmonics in power system, an active power filter based on ANFIS-PI and repetitive control is designed. The traditional single control method cannot balance control accuracy and response speed, so a compound control strategy is adopted. Repetitive control can produce the same output as the harmonic current, so it can achieve zero steady-state error tracking compensation for each harmonic, but its dynamic performance is not good. As a traditional control method, the PI control method has a fast response speed, but in the actual application process, when the load changes suddenly, that is, when the system parameters change, its tracking effect is not ideal. Therefore, a composite control strategy of ANFIS-PI and repeated control is proposed. It has been proved that its compensation accuracy and dynamic response speed have been significantly improved.

In this paper, thick branes generated by the mimetic scalar field with Lagrange multiplier formulation are investigated. We give three typical thick brane background solutions with different asymptotic behaviors and show that all the solutions are stable under tensor perturbations. The effective potentials of the tensor perturbations exhibit as volcano potential, Po\"{o}schl-Teller potential, and harmonic oscillator potential for the three background solutions, respectively. All the tensor zero modes (massless gravitons) of the three cases can be localized on the brane. We also calculate the corrections to the Newtonian potential. On a large scale, the corrections to the Newtonian potential can be ignored. While on a small scale, the correction from the volcano-like potential is more pronounced than the other two cases. Combining the specific corrections to the Newtonian potential of these three cases and the latest results of short-range gravity experiments, we get the constraint on the scale parameter as $k\gtrsim 10^{-4}$eV, and constraint on the corresponding five-dimensional fundamental scale as $M_\ast \gtrsim10^5$TeV., Comment: 12 pages, 5 fugures

WiFi fingerprinting positioning systems have been used in tunnels. But, the limitation and complexity of the tunnel environment, the solution to achieve a high accurate positioning system remains open. In order to solve this problem, we have done the following three tasks: 1) Different access point (AP) layout schemes are proposed for several different tunnel environments; 2) A dynamic fingerprint database based on test point signal is established; 3) An improved algorithm is designed by combining k-nearest neighbors(KNN) algorithm and fuzzy C-means clustering (FCM) algorithm. The experimental results show that the accuracy of WiFi positioning in tunnel is improved.

Segmentation of defect from complex car-bodies images is very challenging due to the fact that the defect area occupies fewer pixels than the background area and the image taken from the industrial camera includes three parts: the defect area, the car-bodies area and the background area outside the car-bodies area. In this paper, we proposed a novel defect inspection method for car body that addresses these issues by using modified Rotation invariant variance measures to construct contrast image avoiding quantification. The adaptive image contrast is then binarized and combined with improved Sobel edge pixel map to identify the defect edge and car-bodies edge. The edge image is further segmented by a global threshold that is estimated based on OTSU. At last, a post-processing step is applied to obtain an image that only contains defect edge. The proposed approach is robust, simple and involves minimum parameter tuning, avoiding the issue of threshold selection. As for the parameters presented in this paper, the process of parameter selection is explained in detail. In addition, Intersection-over-Union which can evaluate the performance of defect detection algorithm more objectively is first introduced as a performance evaluation criteria. It has been tested and achieves accuracies of 99.99% and Intersection-over-Union of 62.17%. The experimental results demonstrated the superior performance of the proposed approach, compared with other approach.

Intradural nerve anastomosis for bladder innervation has been demonstrated to be useful. However, its clinical application remains limited because of the complex surgery, its complications and extensive bony destruction. The purpose of the current study was to demonstrate the feasibility of extradural spinal root anastomosis for bladder innervation in canines.Ten beagle dogs were used. The length of the extradural segment of the nerve root, upper nerve root outlet (the point at which it emerges from the spinal dura mater) to S2 (dS2), the S3 (dS3) nerve root outlet distance, and the diameters of the extradural spinal roots were measured. The numbers of nerve fibers from L6 to S3 ventral roots were calculated using immunohistochemical staining.The extradural spinal roots could be divided into a ventral root (VR) and a dorsal root (DR) before the ganglionic enlargement of the dorsal root, and the extradural motor nerve roots situate ventrally to their corresponding sensory nerve roots. The extradural nerve root lengths of S1 and parts of L7 were longer than the corresponding dS2. The numbers of nerve and motor nerve fibers, and the diameters of extradural nerve roots, were gradually descending from L6 to S3.The S1 VRs and parts of the L7 VRs can be extradurally anastomosed to the S2 nerves without tension. A nerve graft was needed for extradural anastomosis of L6 VRs and parts of L7 VRs to S2 VRs. This study demonstrated the feasibility of extradural spinal nerve anastomosis for treating neurogenic bladder in canines.

Background: The persistence or recurrence of minimal residual disease (MRD) after chemotherapy predicts relapse of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CD19 CAR-T) cells have shown excitable response in B-ALL. Recently, some studies have shown that ALL patients with lower burden had higher CR rate and lower risk of CRS after CAR-T therapy (Park, et al, NEJM. 2018; 378(5):439-448. Lee, et al, Blood.128 (22):Abstract 218.). However, its role in chemotherapy-refractory MRD-positive B-ALL remains unclear. Here we aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of CD19 CAR-T in MRD-positive B-ALL patients. Methods: Since January 2018, a total of 14 B-ALL patients with persistent (n=8) or recurrent (n=6) MRD were enrolled in the CAR-T clinical trials (ChiCTR-ONN- 16009862 and ChiCTR1800015164). The patients were from two different clinical trials about CAR-T. If patients were treated in an MRD positive state, they would be included in this analysis. All the patients received one or more infusions of autogenous CD19 CAR-T. Results: Median age was 37.5 (13-62) years and 7 patients were female. The median dose of infused CAR-T cells was 6.78´106cells/kg, and 5 patients received more than one infusion. After one cycle of CAR-T infusion, 12 patients achieved MRD-negative remission, leading a response rate of 85.7%. Of the subgroup of 5 Ph-positive patients who subsequently underwent transplantation, 2 patients died due to transplant-related toxic effects, whereas the other 3 patients all currently alive without leukemia. Of the subgroup of 9 Ph-negative patients, 8 patients did not undergo subsequent transplantation (Figure 1). Three patients finally suffered CD19-positive relapse and 1 patient suffered CD19-negative relapse. Importantly, 4 patients (50%) are in ongoing molecular remission without transplantation, with a duration of response averaging 22.9 months (range: 12.1-28.6 months). The most frequent adverse events were fever and hematopoietic toxicities. Ten patients (71.4%) had grade 1 or 2 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and no patients died of CRS. At a median follow-up time of 599.5 days (range: 172-915 days), the probability of 2-year relapse-free survival and 2-year overall survival was 61.2%±14.0% and 78.6%±11.0%, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, pre-emptive CD19 CAR-T treatment is an effective and safe approach and may confer a sustained remission in B-ALL patients with chemotherapy-refractory MRD. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The characteristics of multi-standard rail transit systems coexistence of regional rail transit increase the risk probability of rail transit network. At the same time, the interaction between multi-standard systems and the integrity of the rail transit network increase the risk impact area and the risk consequences. Therefore, the risk bottleneck identification for regional rail transit is of great significance to realize targeted protection and optimization of key risk points and effectively reduce the global risk of the transportation system. In view of the fact that the existing risk assessment methods of rail transit network mostly use index fusion, which cannot reflect the global structural risk and cannot effectively evaluate the global risk bottlenecks of the rail transit network, this paper proposes a method for identifying global structural risk bottlenecks of regional rail transit based on sensitivity analysis. First, an assessment index for the global structural risk of the rail transit network is established, and then sensitivity analysis is used to assess the impact of the failure and optimization of station or section on the global structural risk of the rail transit network, so as to provide decision support for the protection and optimization of the rail transit network risk bottlenecks. Finally, the regional rail transit in Chengdu-Chongqing area is taken as an example to verify the effectiveness of the method.

STAT5 is an important transcription factor that is constitutively activated in various types of malignancies, including chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Whether the antitumor effects of resveratrol (RES) are linked to its capability to inhibit STAT5 activation in CML cells was investigated. We found that RES inhibited STAT5 activation in K562 and KU812 cell lines; RES also reduced the STAT5 concentration in the nucleus of K562 and KU812 cells. Protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitor, sodium pervanadate, reversed the RES-induced downregulation of STAT5, suggesting the involvement of a PTP. Indeed, we observed that RES decreased the expression of tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 and SHP-2; moreover, the deletion of SHP-1 and SHP-2 genes by siRNA abolished the ability of RES to inhibit STAT5 activation, which suggested the critical role of both SHP-1 and SHP-2 in its possible mechanism of action. RES downregulated the expression of STAT5-regulated gene products such as Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, Cyclin D1, and Mcl-1, and increased the expression of Bax. This correlated with the suppression of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Overall, our results suggest that RES is a blocker of STAT5 activation and thus may be potentially useful for the treatment of CML.

This paper presents a compact dual-beam monopole antenna loaded with artificial electromagnetic material for 26 GHz MIMO application. A monopole antenna and arrays of metamaterial are integrated on a $\pmb{26.5 \mathrm{mm} \times 21\mathrm{mm} \times 0.508\mathrm{mm}}$ Rogers 5880 substrate. A novel ground plane is designed as reflector to improve the gain of the antenna. The stub-loaded H-shaped unit provides a high refractive index to alter the direction of the radiation for dual beam. The simulation results show that dual-beam radiation has maxima at $\pmb{\pm 30^{\circ}}$ with respect to broadside direction (0°), zero depth of antenna radiation can reach -3.64 dBi and a maximum peak gain is 9.1 dBi at 26 GHz.

In this paper we investigate the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) for a classical spinning test particle in the background of Kerr-Newman black hole. It is shown that the orbit of the spinning particle is related to the spin of the test particle. The motion of the spinning test particle will be superluminal if its spin is too large. We give an additional condition by considering the superluminal constraint for the ISCO in the black hole backgrounds. We obtain numerically the relations between the ISCO and the properties of the black holes and the test particle. It is found that the radius of the ISCO for a spinning test particle is smaller than that of a non-spinning test particle in the black hole backgrounds., 9 pages, 9 figures

Background/Aims: Hypertrophic scars (HS) formation results from reduced apoptosis and increased proliferation of fibroblasts. Therefore, apoptosis of fibroblasts is a key target for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for HS. Previous reports demonstrated that FK506 could attenuate scar formation in vivo and FK506 could also induce endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress). However, the effects of FK506 on ER stress-mediated apoptosis in fibroblasts remain unclear. Methods: Rat skin fibroblasts were used in the study. Cell viability was examined using cell counting Kit-8. Apoptosis was detected by Annexin V/Propidium Iodide Double Staining. Gene silencing was performed using Small Interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or via lentiviral infection. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was determined via Western blot. Interaction between proteins was explored by co-immunoprecipitation. Results: FK506 significantly reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis in fibroblasts. Interestingly, ER stress was also activated after FK506 treatment. We further demonstrated that FK506-induced apoptosis was mediated by ER stress via activating CHOP, evidenced by decreased apoptosis after inhibition of ER stress using TUDCA or silencing expression of CHOP. Furthermore, Co-immunoprecipitation results indicated that treatment of FK506 induced disassociation of FKBP12.6 from RyR2 and its translocation from ER membrane to cytosol, consequently promoting ER stress-mediated apoptosis. Conclusion: FK506-induced fibroblasts apoptosis was mediated by ER stress via CHOP signaling pathway.

We apply the mimetic $f(T)$ theory into the thick brane model. We take the Lagrange multiplier formulation of the action and get the corresponding field equations of motion. We find solutions for different kinds of $f(T)$. Besides, we investigate the stability of the mimetic $f(T)$ brane by considering the tensor perturbations of the vielbein. Localization problem is also studied and it is shown that the four-dimensional gravity can be recovered for all the solutions. The effects of the torsion show that for the polynomial form of $f(T)$, the zero mode has a split compared with that of $f(T)=T$, but the situations for the exponential form of $f(T)$ are similar to that of $f(T)=T$., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures

Numerous studies have shown that topical application of mitomycin C after surgical decompression effectively reduces scar adhesion. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of mitomycin C on the proliferation and apoptosis of human epidural scar fibroblasts. Human epidural scar fibroblasts were treated with various concentrations of mitomycin C (1, 5, 10, 20, 40 μg/mL) for 12, 24 and 48 hours. Mitomycin C suppressed the growth of these cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Mitomycin C upregulated the expression levels of Fas, DR4, DR5, cleaved caspase-8/9, Bax, Bim and cleaved caspase-3 proteins, and it downregulated Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression. In addition, inhibitors of caspase-8 and caspase-9 (Z-IETD-FMK and Z-LEHD-FMK, respectively) did not fully inhibit mitomycin C-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, mitomycin C induced endoplasmic reticulum stress by increasing the expression of glucose-regulated protein 78, CAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) and caspase-4 in a dose-dependent manner. Salubrinal significantly inhibited the mitomycin C-induced cell viability loss and apoptosis, and these effects were accompanied by a reduction in CHOP expression. Our results support the hypothesis that mitomycin C induces human epidural scar fibroblast apoptosis, at least in part, via the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

Thoracolumbar fractures are usually treated by open posterior pedicle screw fixation. However, this procedure involves massive paraspinal muscle stripping, inflicting surgical trauma, and prolonged X-ray exposure. In this study, we observed 127 patients with single-segment injury thoracolumbar fractures. Thirty-six patients were treated by the modified Wiltse's paraspinal approach with minimally invasive channel system, while 91 patients were treated via traditional posterior approach. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, screw placement accuracy, visual analogue scale score, and Cobb's angle of two groups were compared. The X-ray exposure times were notably reduced (4.2±1.6) in the new approach group (P

Objective Lifestyle changes have led to an increasing incidence of acute pancreatitis (AP) in China. The aims of this study were to evaluate the association between lifestyle as well as medical history and AP in the elderly population and to provide evidence towards the prevention against AP. Methods A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, China. A total of 23 294 residents aged ≥55 years were enrolled in the study. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data on participants' characteristics, lifestyle and medical history via a face-to-face interview, and compared these data with the medical chart. Results In total, 45 participants had been diagnosed with AP, that is, a prevalence of 0.19%. No significant differences were observed with respect to their age, gender, marital status or body mass index (BMI) in participants with and without AP. However, those were better educated were more likely to develop AP (P = 0.005). The univariate analysis showed that a high meat intake, smoking, alcohol consumption and a medical history of gallstones were associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing AP (P

A water lens was used to concentrate sunlight on the surface of a thermoelectric (TE) module in order to heat it. The shape of this water lens could be flexibly adjusted to compensate for solar altitude changes. The light condensed by the water lens produced a large energy distribution on the top of the module. In this study, we simulated the power generation properties when the top of the module was heated by light with a certain condensing distribution. The simulation results revealed that the energy distribution had little effect on the TE generation if the solar light was effectively condensed on a plate with a condensing width of a few millimeters.

In this paper, the chaotic orbit in Mandelbrot set is introduced. On the basis of other scholars research, the character and distribution rules of pre-periodic orbits and pre-periodic points-Misiurewiz points about Mandelbrot set chaos-fractal images were studied. The software of constructing the general M-J set with Java Applet is improved. Using the method of computer mathematic experiments, the paper analyses the fixed orbit and period orbit in the M-set, gains the topology relationship of M set in super stable points, a recurrence formula between the period orbit and M-set periodic-buds is created.

In order to increase the performance of the current high voltage grid for pulse shocking, which is imperfection in controlling the intensity of pulse shock in the high voltages, a set of perimeter prevention high-voltage grid system is design with using the programmable logic controller (PLC). In this design, the average filtering algorithm is applied for promoting the accuracy of the intensity. The feasibility of the algorithm is verified through simulation. In this paper, the algorithm and the experimental procedure are mainly discusses, and so get some result about the changeable resistor, which could adjust the intensity of high voltage pulse shock.

First principles calculations have been used to investigate the occurrence of site-exchange of Li and M ions and the effect of the site-exchange on Li extraction of silicate cathode materials Li2MSiO4 (M = Mn, Fe, Co and Ni). Total energy calculations suggest that Li (in the 4b site) and M (in the 2a site) ions become site-exchanged upon delithiation. This structural arrangement leads to significant cell expansion as two Li ions are extracted. Elastic property calculations indicate that the ductility of the fully delithiated MSiO4 is impaired, which is likely to induce structural collapse and rapid capacity attenuation during the charge–discharge cycles. Restraining the site-exchange or improving the ductility may be an effective way of developing high performance Li2MSiO4 for Li-ion batteries.

This paper determines the bearing capacity of pile and shaft resistance by the curve match method of high strain dynamic testing. By the comparison of bearing capacity of pile between the testing results of static loading and dynamic high strain, the reliability and surveying precision of the curve match method is analyzed, and the error sources and reasons are explored, to reasonably determine the design parameters of pile foundation engineering.

SPT (standard penetration test) is a geo-situ test method widely used in engineering. However, the awareness on modification issues about rod length of SPT-N has considerable differences. Based on the comprehensive analysis of existing research results, some valuable suggestions are put forward contraposed modification issues of rod length, which can be referenced for engineering practices and further research.

There are a lot of factors that influence the bearing capacity of composite foundation, and the relationship between them is complex and nonlinear. Based on study of main factors that have great influence on bearing capacity of cement-flyash-gravel (CFG) pile composite foundation, the least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) model of bearing capacity of composite foundation was established. The results show that the model has excellent learning ability and generalization and can provide accurate data prediction only with fewer observed sample. It is proved that the new method is a promising method for the determination of bearing capacity of CFG pile and other rigid piles composite foundation.

A novel miniature device for rapid ultra-sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection was developed in the present study. The device was made of a syringe, a piece of filter, and a Teflon tube. Therefore, it was with advantages of simplicity, miniaturization, and easy operability. The tube was filled in advance with the glycidyl methacrylate-ethylene dimethacrylate powder porous material which has been proved to increase the sensitivity of normal SERS dramatically, then the mixture solution containing the analyte, silver colloid, and NaCl solution passed through the porous material by the action of the syringe. SERS signals were collected from the surface of the material. Rhodamine 6G (R6G), p-aminothiophenol (PATP), and thiabendazole (TBZ) were employed as the probe molecules in the present work. R6G at microlitre-scale can be detected at an extremely low concentration of 10–18 mol/l, and the relative standard deviation of spot to spot is 14.16% at the intensity of the band at 609 cm−1. The concentrations of PATP and TBZ that can be detected with the method are 10−11 mol/l and 1.3 × 10−6 mol/l, respectively. This method not only has achieved the ultra-sensitive detection of dye and pesticide but also realized the simple, rapid, and small sample quantity requirement detection, and it is of great potential use for lots of analytes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Object The authors conducted a study to evaluate the effects and the safety of locally applied mitomycin C (MMC) on epidural fibrosis after microendoscopic discectomy (MED). Methods Seventy-five patients undergoing single-level unilateral MED for lumbar disc herniation were randomly assigned to receive cotton wool impregnated with either 0.5 mg/ml MMC or saline applied at the site of discectomy for 5 minutes. Outcome measures included degrees of pain severity, functional disability, physical symptoms, and quantitative evaluation of postoperative epidural fibrosis shown on follow-up lumbar contrast-enhanced MRI. Results Sixty-two patients completed the follow-up. Neither serious drug adverse effects nor clinically significant laboratory adverse effects were observed. Patients in both groups showed similar clinical recoveries postoperatively. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2 treatments was shown in a quantitative evaluation of postoperative MRI-documented epidural fibrosis in the MMC group and the saline group using a modified grading system. The mean cross-sectional areas of epidural fibrosis were 7.32–70.06 mm2 in the MMC group and 22.94–90.48 mm2 in the saline group. The epidural fibrosis index ranged from 0.0296 to 0.3267 in the MMC group and from 0.1191 to 0.3483 in the saline group. A significant difference was also observed using the Ross grading system to evaluate postoperative MR images. Conclusions Although no benefit was observed clinically, the authors observed a notable reduction of epidural fibrosis after MED radiologically, with 0.5 mg/ml MMC locally applied and no clinical side effects. Clinical trial registration no.: ChiCTR-TRC-10001079 (http://www.chictr.org/cn/proj/show.aspx?proj=326).

In this paper, we investigate the localization of a five-dimensional vector field on a pure geometrical thick brane. In previous work, it was shown that a free massless vector field cannot be localized on such thick brane. Hence we introduce the interaction between the vector field and the background scalar field. Two types of couplings are constructed as examples. We get a typical volcano potential for the first type of coupling and a finite square-well-like potential for the second one. Both of the two types of couplings ensure that the vector zero mode can be localized on the pure geometrical thick brane under some conditions., Comment: 5 pages,6 figures

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disorder characterized by autoantibody-mediated platelet destruction. Multiple factors have been implicated in ITP pathogenesis, including T-lymphocyte dysfunctions. The protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene encodes lymphoid-specific phosphatase (LYP), a critical negative regulator of T cell activation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of PTPN22 have been broadly associated with susceptibilities to various autoimmune disorders. Here we conducted a case-control study investigating whether the PTPN22 -1123G C SNP contributes to the risk of ITP in Chinese population. The study included 191 ITP cases and 216 ethnically matched normal controls. Genotyping of -1123G C SNP was performed using a single-base extension (SBE) and mass spectrometry method. Allelic and genotypic frequencies were compared between the case-control groups by the chi-square test. We observed significant overrepresentation of -1123G allele (p = 0.034, odds ratio (OR) = 1.374, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.024-1.843]) and GG genotype (P = 0.038, OR = 1.951, 95% CI [1.031-3.694]) in the patients compared with the controls. Stratified analysis by gender and age of disease onset revealed comparable observations in both male and adult ITP cohorts. These data suggest a moderate association of PTPN22 -1123G C SNP with susceptibility to ITP. Together with previous reports, our finding provides further evidence for PTPN22 being a general autoimmunity gene.

This paper proceeds from the cost problems in low-rent housing projects and proposes that the cost control of such programs consist of subjective control and objective control. With analysis on subjective and objective controls, it gives the government detailed suggestions for cost control in low-rent housing program, specifically developing policies and regulations for cost control and introducing non-governmental funds into the program.