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Purpose: The clinical outcomes of patients who received a cervical collar after anterior cervical decompression and fusion were evaluated by comparison with those of patients who did not receive a cervical collar. Methods: All of the comparative studies published in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases as of 1 October 2023 were included. All outcomes were analysed using Review Manager 5.4. Results: Four studies with a total of 406 patients were included, and three of the studies were randomized controlled trials. Meta-analysis of the short-form 36 results revealed that wearing a cervical collar after anterior cervical decompression and fusion was more beneficial (P < 0.05). However, it is important to note that when considering the Neck Disability Index at the final follow-up visit, not wearing a cervical collar was found to be more advantageous. There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative cervical range of motion, fusion rate, or neck disability index at 6 weeks postoperatively (all P > 0.05) between the cervical collar group and the no cervical collar group. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed no significant differences in the 6-week postoperative cervical range of motion, fusion rate, or neck disability index between the cervical collar group and the no cervical collar group. However, compared to patients who did not wear a cervical collar, patients who did wear a cervical collar had better scores on the short form 36. Interestingly, at the final follow-up visit, the neck disability index scores were better in the no cervical collar group than in the cervical collar group. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023466583. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 2023, a critically endangered plant species called Plantago fengdouensis was rediscovered on an island in the Yangtze River in Sichuan, China. This species is endemic to the Yangtze River Basin and was previously thought to be extinct in the wild due to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. However, two previously unknown populations of the plant were found in January 2024 on two islands in the Yangtze River. Efforts are being made to protect these populations and conduct further surveys to locate any other wild populations. Seeds have been collected for ex situ conservation and genetic investigation, with the aim of potentially reintroducing the species. [Extracted from the article]

CuI is a wide bandgap p-type transparent conductor with promising optoelectronic properties. However, conventional CuI films prepared through the iodination of Cu films exhibit rough surface, poor stability and excessively high hole concentration, hindering its application. Herein, we introduce CuI−Ga 2 O 3 composite films as a substitution to overcome the shortcomings of pure CuI. During the iodination process, Ga 2 O 3 hindered the mobility of CuI grain boundaries, resulting in small grain size and low surface roughness. After the charge re-equilibrium and low-energy carrier filtering at the interface between Ga 2 O 3 and CuI, the hole concentration in the films decreased by an order of magnitude. Due to the interface effect of Ga 2 O 3 at the grain boundaries of CuI, the hole mobility increased by 5 times, and the conductivity improved by 53%. The ultra-wide band gap of Ga 2 O 3 enhanced the transmittance of CuI films in short wavelength region. Ga 2 O 3 served to passivate the grain boundaries of CuI, preventing the oxidation of CuI and the loss of iodine, consequently improving the stability of the films. This work will deepen the understanding of the failure and hole transport mechanisms of CuI films. • The second phase Ga 2 O 3 inhibits the movement of CuI grain boundaries. • Ga 2 O 3 reduces the surface roughness of CuI films. • CuI−Ga 2 O 3 films have lower hole concentration, higher conductivity and hole mobility. • CuI−Ga 2 O 3 films exhibit better stability in ambient than pure CuI films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The new TiO 2 /Au/PMMA structure achieves high hardness and excellent transparency. • Robust electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency within the range of 19–29 dB. • The function lead to applications for aerospace equipment and visualization windows. This research addresses the critical need for a highly stable and transparent electromagnetic shielding coating for aircraft PMMA windows and canopies, crucial for safeguarding against electromagnetic interference and enhancing aircraft stealth capabilities. The study presents the novel design, deposition and investigation of transparent coatings, specifically TiO 2 /Au, on PMMA organic glass cockpit canopies. Optimization of TiO 2 and Au film thicknesses is achieved through simulation using TFcalc software, incorporating polarization and optical constants data obtained in this study. The experiments reveal that the deposition of TiO 2 /Au/TiO 2 on PMMA results in fogging, reducing transparency, while novel TiO 2 /Au coating does not exhibit this issue. The TiO 2 /Au configuration, featuring a TiO 2 layer approximately 30 nm thick and an Au film ranging from 11 to 15 nm in thickness, demonstrates outstanding attributes, including a remarkable transparency level of approximately 70–80% and robust electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency within the range of 19–29 dB across S, C, X, and Ku bands of electromagnetic waves. These exceptional performance characteristics position it as an ideal choice for aviation applications. The synergy of the stable Au and durable TiO 2 components, with their high hardness and self-cleaning properties, extends its potential utility to a diverse array of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Pediastrum has been observed in the Anjihaihe Formation (E2+3a) shale through organic petrology studies. Additionally, analyses of total organic carbon and rock pyrolysis (Rock–Eval) revealed that the E2+3a shale predominantly comprises oil-bearing type I and II kerogen at a low-maturity stage. The organic matter (OM) in the shale is primarily contributed by Pediastrum, indicating excellent original hydrocarbon generation potential. Hydrous pyrolysis was conducted on a Pediastrum-rich sample, and the liquid product was analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) of the saturated fraction. It was discovered that n-C27 might serve as a characteristic biomarker indicating Pediastrum development. During warm and humid climatic conditions, rivers transport significant amounts of freshwater and terrigenous organic matter (OM) into the lake, leading to an increase in felsic minerals and a relative decrease in carbonate minerals. This, in turn, reduces water salinity, resulting in a relative increase in the abundance of Pediastrum. Conversely, during earlier hot and arid climatic conditions, the input of terrigenous OM decreases, and evaporation leads to increased salinity. When the water’s salinity exceeds the “salinity critical point”, the Pediastrum content decreases. Finally, this study presents a formation and evolution model for the E2+3a shale in the Junggar Basin.Graphical Abstract: In this study, Pediastrum has been observed in the Anjihaihe Formation (E2+3a) shale through organic petrology studies. Additionally, analyses of total organic carbon and rock pyrolysis (Rock–Eval) revealed that the E2+3a shale predominantly comprises oil-bearing type I and II kerogen at a low-maturity stage. The organic matter (OM) in the shale is primarily contributed by Pediastrum, indicating excellent original hydrocarbon generation potential. Hydrous pyrolysis was conducted on a Pediastrum-rich sample, and the liquid product was analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) of the saturated fraction. It was discovered that n-C27 might serve as a characteristic biomarker indicating Pediastrum development. During warm and humid climatic conditions, rivers transport significant amounts of freshwater and terrigenous organic matter (OM) into the lake, leading to an increase in felsic minerals and a relative decrease in carbonate minerals. This, in turn, reduces water salinity, resulting in a relative increase in the abundance of Pediastrum. Conversely, during earlier hot and arid climatic conditions, the input of terrigenous OM decreases, and evaporation leads to increased salinity. When the water’s salinity exceeds the “salinity critical point”, the Pediastrum content decreases. Finally, this study presents a formation and evolution model for the E2+3a shale in the Junggar Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing demand for scratch-resistant flexible electronics, the development of transparent coatings with good scratch resistance and self-healing properties has emerged as a key research topic. In this study, a high-strength self-healing poly(urethane – urea) (PUU)-based nanocomposite coating was prepared by introducing functionalized nanodiamond (ND) into a PUU matrix via solution blending. The PUU matrix had hard-segment repeating units and was constructed using isophorone diamine and isophorone isocyanate. The ND particles were modified using a silane coupling agent, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, to obtain well-dispersed KH-ND nanoparticles. KH-ND promoted microphase separation in the PU matrix, inducing the formation of dense and homogeneous hard domains that dissipated stress, prevented further crack development, and improved the mechanical properties and scratch resistance of the coating. In addition, the coating exhibited excellent self-healing properties. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the self-healing and hardening mechanisms of the coating. The environmentally friendly PUU/KH-ND coating is easy to prepare and has broad application prospects in transparent and anti-scratch coatings for flexible electronics, automobiles, and home appliances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel CRB vibration model considering contact stiffness and natural frequency characteristics. • The outer raceway spalling fault with varying sizes is simulated in this paper, considering spalling defect extents and load distribution. • This paper showed that the effects of contact stiffness variation on natural frequency characteristics by the statistical distribution of fault feature signals. The modeling of early spalling defects in cylindrical roller bearings (CRB) is a challenging problem in fault diagnosis. Due to the absence of prominent "drop-in" excitation, accurately describing the signal characteristics of the early failure mechanism model for CRBs becomes difficult. In this paper, the failure of cylindrical roller bearings due to spalling caused by fatigue is a frequent occurrence. The previous defect models have been centered on sharp-edge impact between the roller and spalling defects. However, they have not provided an adequate depiction of the variation in contact stiffness caused by roller-fault interaction. In this paper, a novel CRB vibration model that takes into account contact stiffness and natural frequency characteristics is proposed. The model considers both the load redistribution and contact stiffness variation caused by spalling defects. This new model provides a spring-damper system based on contact stiffness between the roller and raceway, enabling an estimation of the CRB system's natural frequency characteristics. The outer raceway spalling fault with varying sizes is simulated in this paper, taking into account spalling defect extents and load distribution. The vibration response of the fault signal model is investigated. The simulation results show that the load and contact stiffness will change as the roller passes through the defect zone. Furthermore, the statistical distribution of fault feature signals demonstrates the effects of contact stiffness variation on natural frequency characteristics. The experiments given in this paper have verified the simulation results of the proposed signal model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ramie is a valuable crop that produces high-quality fibers and holds promise in ecological management and potential therapeutic properties. The damage of submergence during the fertile period seriously affects the growth of ramie. This study used transcriptomics and UPLC-QTOF/MS-based lipidomics analysis to reveal the lipids remodeling and stress adaptation mechanism in ramie response to submergence. The results of subcellular distribution showed that lipids in ramie leaf cells mostly aggregate in the inter-chloroplast cytoplasm to form lipid droplets under submergence stress. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and lipidomics analysis showed that the composition and content of lipids in ramie leaves significantly changed under submergence stress, and the content of fatty acids (FAs) gradually accumulated with the extension of the submergence treatment time. Further analysis revealed that the content of 18:3 (n3) Coenzyme A (C18:3-CoA) increased significantly with the prolongation of submergence stress, and the exogenous addition of C18:3-CoA activated the expression of hypoxia-responsive marker genes such as BnADH1 , BnPCO2 , BnADH1 , and BnPDC1. These results suggest that the ramie lipid metabolism pathways were significantly affected under submergence, and the C18:3-CoA may act directly or indirectly on the hypoxia-responsive genes to activate their transcriptional activities, thereby enhancing the tolerance of ramie to submergence stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.) is an ideal crop for cadmium (Cd) pollution remediation due to its advantages of both remediating and utilizing, however, it is mainly carried out in dry land, whose restoration effect is relatively slow. Previously, we found that the ramie plants cultivated by hydroponics has several tens of times higher Cd absorption capacity than that planted in soil. However, the issue of how to use hydroponic ramie to remediate Cd contaminated paddy fields needs to be addressed. In this study, we innovatively developed the ramie floating island technology and studied its remediation model on simulated Cd contaminated paddy fields. Different ramie varieties were used to compare the remediation effects, and the results showed that there were differences in adaptability among different varieties on floating islands and the remediation ability of the tested ramie varieties was Z2 > Z1 > Z3. Different harvested times were set to analyze the effects of harvested model on remediation, and it was suggested that multiple harvests can be carried out according to the plant growth status of ramie floating island after 30 days of remediation to achieve better remediation effects. Low water level height (5 cm) of paddy field was beneficial for the accumulation of Cd in the roots, but considering the adaptability of various ramie varieties and the effect of long-term restoration, it was recommended that the water level height of 20 cm for the cultivation of ramie floating island was more suitable. Moreover, we found that low concentration of citric acid (≤2 g L−1) or polyaspartic acid (≤3 g L−1) can improve the remediation effects for ramie floating island. Our study opens up a novel approach for ramie to remediate heavy metal pollution and provides a technical reference for water body Cd remediation by plants. [Display omitted] • Ramie varieties showed different adaptability on Cd contaminated paddy field. • A novel repair model of ramie floating island has been successfully established. • Multiple harvests can be carried out to achieve better remediation effects. • 20 cm of water height for the cultivation of floating island ramie was suitable. • Heavy metal activators can improve the repair effects for ramie floating island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]