Search

Abstract Cervical spinal cord injury is often catastrophic, frequently leading to irreversible impairment. MRI has become the gold standard for evaluating spinal cord injuries (SCI). Our study aimed to assess the accuracy of a radiomics approach, based on machine learning and utilizing conventional MRI, in predicting the prognosis of patients with SCI. In a retrospective analysis of 82 SCI patients from three hospitals, we categorized them into good (n = 49) and poor (n = 33) prognosis groups. Preoperative T2-weighted MRI images were segmented using 3D-Region of Interest (ROI) techniques, and both radiomic and deep transfer learning features were extracted. These features were normalized using Z-score and harmonized via ComBat. Feature selection was performed using a greedy algorithm and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and others, followed by the calculation of radiomics scores through linear regression. Machine learning was then used to identify the most predictive radiomic features. Model performance was evaluated by analyzing the area under the curve (AUC) and other indicators.Univariate analysis indicated that the demographic characteristics of cervical spinal cord injury were not statistically significant. In the test dataset, the random forest (RF) combined with radiomics and ResNet34 demonstrated better performance, with an accuracy of 0.800 and an AUC of 0.893.Using MRI, deep learning-based radiomics signals show promise in evaluating and predicting the postoperative prognosis of these patients.

Abstract Most classification efforts for primary subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have not yet been integrated into clinical practice. This study explores the feasibility of combining deep learning and pathomics to identify tumor invasiveness in LUAD patients, highlighting its potential clinical value in assisting junior and intermediate pathologists. We retrospectively analyzed whole slide image (WSI) data from 289 patients with surgically resected ground-glass nodules (GGNs). First, three ResNet deep learning models were used to identify tumor regions. Second, features from the best-performing model were extracted to build pathomics using machine learning classifiers. Third, the accuracy of pathomics in predicting tumor invasiveness was compared with junior and intermediate pathologists’ diagnoses. Performance was evaluated using the area under receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC). On the test cohort, ResNet18 achieved the highest AUC (0.956) and sensitivity (0.832) in identifying tumor areas, with an accuracy of 0.904; Random Forest provided high accuracy and AUC values of 0.814 and 0.807 in assessing tumor invasiveness. Pathology assistance improved diagnostic accuracy for junior and intermediate pathologists, with AUC values increasing from 0.547 to 0.759 and 0.656 to 0.769. This study suggests that deep learning and pathomics can enhance diagnostic accuracy, offering valuable support to pathologists.

Abstract This study explores the association between serum chloride concentrations and all-cause mortality among patients in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). Employing a retrospective cohort design, the study utilized data extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database, specifically focusing on individuals admitted to the surgical/trauma ICUs. This dataset encompassed demographic profiles, laboratory findings, historical medical data, vital statistics, and variables pertinent to prognosis. Participants were divided into four groups based on their serum chloride concentrations. The primary outcomes assessed were mortality rates at 30, 90, and 180 days post-admission to the ICU. Analytical methods included Kaplan–Meier survival curves, Cox proportional hazards regression models, and Restricted Cubic Spline (RCS) analyses to delineate the relationship between serum chloride concentrations and patient outcomes. The study cohort comprised 10,996 patients, with observed mortality rates of 12.78% at 30 days, 17.14% at 90 days, and 20.32% at 180 days. Kaplan–Meier analyses revealed significant disparities in survival rates across the quartiles of serum chloride during the follow-up intervals (p

Ceramides, formed by the dehydration of long-chain fatty acids with phytosphingosine and its derivatives, are widely used in skincare, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Due to the exceedingly low concentration of phytosphingosine in plant seeds, relying on the extraction method is highly challenging. Currently, the primary method for obtaining phytosphingosine is the deacetylation of tetraacetyl phytosphingosine (TAPS) derived from fermentation. Wickerhamomyces ciferrii, an unconventional yeast from the pods of Dipteryx odorata, is the only known microorganism capable of naturally secreting TAPS, which is of great industrial value. In recent years, research and applications focused on modifying W. ciferrii for TAPS overproduction have increased rapidly. This review first describes the discovery history, applications, microbial synthesis pathway of TAPS. Research progress in using haploid breeding, mutagenesis breeding, and metabolic engineering to improve TAPS production is then summarized. In addition, the future prospects of TAPS production using the W. ciferrii platform are discussed in light of the current progress, challenges, and trends in this field. Finally, guidelines for future researches are also emphasized.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone with diverse applications. It currently relies on the fermentation of Botrytis cinerea, which suffers from limited availability of genetic engineering tools. Here, Yarrowia lipolytica was engineered to enable de novo biosynthesis of ABA. To overcome the rate-limiting P450 enzymes, systematic engineering strategies were implemented. Firstly, the dissolved oxygen was increased to boost the activity of P450 enzymes. Secondly, the expansion of endoplasmic reticulum was implemented to improve the functional expression of P450 enzymes. Lastly, rate-limiting enzymes were assembled to facilitate substrate trafficking. Moreover, ABA production was further improved by strengthening the mevalonate pathway. Finally, the engineered strain produced 1221.45 mg/L of ABA in a 5-L bioreactor. The study provides effective approaches for alleviating rate-limiting P450 enzymes to enhance ABA production and achieve competitive industrial-level ABA production in Y. lipolytica.

Xuefu zhuyu Tang (XFZYT) is a classic formula used for promoting blood circulation and resolving blood stasis in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Clinical data have indicated that XFZYT plays a significant therapeutic role in diabetes-induced erectile dysfunction (DIED) disease, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were randomly categorized into normal, model, and treatment groups. The diabetic rat model was established via intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. DIED rats were screened using apomorphine, and the number of erections was measured after 8 weeks of XFZYT treatment. Serum nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 levels as well as penile tissue structure alterations were assessed by hematoxylin–eosin staining and electron microscopy. CaSR/PLC/PKC and MEK/ERK/RSK pathway-related proteins in the penile tissue were detected by western blotting (WB) analysis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Compared with the blank group, the model group rats showed a significant decrease in weight and erectile function. The pathological damage in the penile tissues of the model rats was indicated by a significantly decreased serum NO level and an increased endothelin-1 content. After treatment with XFZYT, the protein expression of CaSR, PLCβ1, PKCβ, MEK1, ERK1, and RSK1 in the penile tissue was significantly increased. Overall, the treatment group showed significant improvements in the evaluated indexes. In conclusion, this study revealed that XFZYT improves erectile function in diabetic rats, and the underlying mechanism might be linked with the regulation of CaSR/PLC/PKC and related molecules of the MEK/ERK/RSK pathway, which promotes the vascular endothelial diastolic effect.

Abstract The improvement of the safety, specific energy, cycle life and the cost reduction of Li‐ion batteries are hot research topics. Now, in the pursuit of high energy density, the employed high‐energy‐density cathode/anode materials and the increased operation voltage challenge the prevalent electrolyte formula, like the existing ester and ether electrolytes cannot withstand the high‐voltage operation and high‐capacity anode such as lithium (Li), silicon (Si) and silicon‐graphite (Si−C) composite anode. It is recognized that stable electrolyte‐electrode interfaces can avoid the electrolytes side reactions and protect the electrode materials. Up to now, various additives have been developed to modify the electrode‐electrolyte interfaces, such as famous 4‐fluoroethylene carbonate, vinylene carbonate and lithium nitrate, and the LIBs and lithium metal batteries (LMBs) performances have been improved greatly. However, the lifespan of the higher‐energy‐density batteries with Li/Si/Si−C anode and high‐nickel layer oxides cathode materials cannot meet the request due to the lack of ideal electrolyte formula. In this review, we present a comprehensive and in‐depth overview on the electrolyte additives, especially focused on multifunctional additives, the reaction mechanisms of various additives and fundamental design. Finally, novel insights, promising directions and potential solutions for the multifunctional electrolyte additives are proposed to motivate high‐energy‐density Li battery chemistries.

Abstract The emergent secondary phases and surface altered layer (SAL) during the aqueous corrosion of borosilicate glass have a great impact on its chemical durability. However, the formation and evolution of these structures are still unclear. Here, by studying the borosilicate glass altered at 90 °C in pore water, the water in pore space between glass powders, the formation of secondary phases could follow two ways: 1. the consumption of aqueous ions forms analcime, zeolite, calcium silicate and barite at the surface of glass; 2. the reorganization of silica aggregates leads to smectite within the SAL. Small-angle X-ray scattering and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy results show that the release of soluble elements and the formation of smectite within the SAL significantly increase the porosity of SAL. Furthermore, the layer containing smectite reorganizes inwardly and the crystallinity of smectite is gradually increased over time. The observations of transmission electron microscopy reveal that the dissolution of glass potentially goes through an interface-coupled dissolution-reprecipitation process.

Abstract The interactions between microbes and plants are governed by complex chemical signals, which can forcefully affect plant growth and development. Here, to understand how microbes influence Houttuynia cordata Thunb. plant growth and its secondary metabolite through chemical signals, we established the interaction between single bacteria and a plant. We inoculated H. cordata seedlings with bacteria isolated from their roots. The results showed that the total fresh weight, the total dry weight, and the number of lateral roots per seedling in the P. fluorescens-inoculated seedlings were 174%, 172% and 227% higher than in the control seedlings. Pseudomonas fluorescens had a significant promotional effect of the volatile contents compared to control, with β-myrcene increasing by 192%, 2-undecanone by 203%, decanol by 304%, β-caryophyllene by 197%, α-pinene by 281%, bornyl acetate by 157%, γ-terpinene by 239% and 3-tetradecane by 328% in P. fluorescens-inoculated H. cordata seedlings. the contents of chlorogenic acid, rutin, quercitin, and afzelin were 284%, 154%, 137%, and 213% higher than in control seedlings, respectively. Our study provided basic data to assess the linkages between endophytic bacteria, plant phenotype and metabolites of H. cordata to provide an insight into P. fluorescens use as biological fertilizer, promoting the synthesis of medicinal plant compounds.

Ultrasonic plastic welding (UPW) is a highly efficient and environmental friendly method that has gained gradually increased attention in joining carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP). A crucial aspect in UPW of CFRTP is the design of the energy director (ED). This paper employs ultrasonic embossing, a cost-effective way to manufacture ED on the surface of CFRTP sheets. The effect of ultrasonic embossing time and welding time on the joint performance is investigated in terms of microstructure, tensile-shear property, and fracture surface morphology. The results show that the structured surface made by ultrasonic embossing can be used as ED to concentrate welding energy. This process reduces the randomness and dispersion of weld distribution, improves the failure load of welded joints by 30 % compared with the joints made without using ED. The ultrasonic embossing time has a limited influence on the joint failure load. Sound welded joints can be obtained when welding with one structured surface and welding time of 1.5 s.

Abstract To investigate the metabolic adaptation and lipid utilization to overwintering in Onychostoma macrolepis (27.05 ± 1.79 g), fish were sampled at 0, 75, and 150 days, respectively. Fish were randomly reared into three outdoor tanks (water temperature range:0–10°C). After overwintering, body weight, viscera index, hepatopancreas index, and intraperitoneal fat index were significantly lower than before (p

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to develop a predictive model utilizing deep learning and machine learning techniques that will inform clinical decision-making by predicting the 1-year postoperative recovery of patients with lumbar disk herniation.MethodsThe clinical data of 470 inpatients who underwent tubular microdiscectomy (TMD) between January 2018 and January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed as variables. The dataset was randomly divided into a training set (n = 329) and a test set (n = 141) using a 10-fold cross-validation technique. Various deep learning and machine learning algorithms including Random Forests, Extreme Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Machines, Extra Trees, K-Nearest Neighbors, Logistic Regression, Light Gradient Boosting Machine, and MLP (Artificial Neural Networks) were employed to develop predictive models for the recovery of patients with lumbar disk herniation 1 year after surgery. The cure rate score of lumbar JOA score 1 year after TMD was used as an outcome indicator. The primary evaluation metric was the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), with additional measures including decision curve analysis (DCA), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and others.ResultsThe heat map of the correlation matrix revealed low inter-feature correlation. The predictive model employing both machine learning and deep learning algorithms was constructed using 15 variables after feature engineering. Among the eight algorithms utilized, the MLP algorithm demonstrated the best performance.ConclusionOur study findings demonstrate that the MLP algorithm provides superior predictive performance for the recovery of patients with lumbar disk herniation 1 year after surgery.

Abstract Short‐chain fatty acids are regarded as promising feed additives, acetate is one of them. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of sodium acetate (SA) on Onychostoma macrolepis fed a high‐fat diet. O. macrolepis (2.1 ± 0.1 g) were reared in 12 aquariums (three aquarium/group, 15 fish/aquarium), fed a high‐fat diet (control), and a high‐fat diet supplemented with 0.5%, 1.0%, or 2.0% SA for 56 days. Diet supplemented with 1.0% SA significantly increased the weight gain of O. macrolepis fed the high‐fat diet. Dietary SA reduced serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and triglyceride (TG) concentrations. The addition of 1.0% and 2.0% SA significantly decreased non‐esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and TG concentrations in liver. Dietary SA (1.0% and 2.0%) significantly improved total antioxidant capacity and total superoxide dismutase activities in the liver. In comparison to the control group, the addition of 1.0% and 2.0% SA significantly up‐regulated lipolysis gene expression levels in the liver. These findings suggest that high fat diets supplemented with 1%–2.0% SA can improve growth, liver health, and antioxidant capacity in O. macrolepis.

Abstract Purpose The clinical outcomes of using a tubular microdiscectomy for lumbar disc herniation were evaluated by comparison with conventional microdiscectomy. Methods All of the comparative studies published in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases as of 1 May 2023 were included. All outcomes were analysed using Review Manager 5.4. Results This meta-analysis included four randomized controlled studies with a total of 523 patients. The results showed that using tubular microdiscectomy for lumbar disc herniation was more effective than conventional microdiscectomy in improving the Oswestry Disability Index (P 0.05) between the tubular microdiscectomy and conventional microdiscectomy groups. Conclusions Based on our meta-analysis, it was found that the tubular microdiscectomy group had better outcomes than the conventional microdiscectomy group in terms of Oswestry Disability Index. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of operating time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, Visual Analogue Scale, reoperation rate, postoperative recurrence rate, dural tear incidence, and complications rate. Current research suggests that tubular microdiscectomy can achieve clinical results similar to those of conventional microdiscectomy. PROSPERO registration number is: CRD42023407995.

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of external flow field circulation of hydraulic torque converter assembly in analysis. Compared with simply considering the internal flow field characteristics, it has influence on the internal flow field analysis, external characteristics and structural stress of hydraulic torque converter assembly. This paper models the flow path of the torque converter with different Schemes, the flow field pressures distribution on the impeller are analysed using computational fluid dynamics method (CFD). Scheme A adopts the traditional idea, which simply considering the influence of internal flow field on the performance. Scheme B contacts the external flow field especially including the auxiliary cavity, and comprehensively studies the influence of it on the performance. The results show that with the addition of an auxiliary chamber, the overall flow field pressure of the torque converter is lower than that without the auxiliary chamber. The external characteristics of the torque converter assembly were tested on experiment equipment, which has been verified that the CFD simulation results with the addition of the auxiliary chamber are closer to the experiment data, proving the accuracy of the method for the pressure simulation of flow field. On this basis, the stresses and deformations of the torque converter considering the auxiliary fluid chamber are compared and analysed in relation to the displacement limitations of the impellers. The results show that the maximum stress in the turbine is reduced by 57%–12% compared to the scheme A without considering the auxiliary fluid. In the case of special operating condition, the maximum stress was 137.06 MPa before considering the auxiliary fluid, while the maximum stress was 60.625 MPa after considering the auxiliary fluid, and the reduction is 57%. The effects of input speed, speed ratio and impeller structure on the stress and deformation were also analysed, and the results show that the impeller structure and input speed have a great influence on the stress and deformation.

Extended reality (XR) technology refers to any situation where real-world objects are enhanced with computer technology, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Augmented reality and mixed reality technologies have been widely applied in orthopedic clinical practice, including in teaching, preoperative planning, intraoperative navigation, and surgical outcome evaluation. The primary goal of this narrative review is to summarize the effectiveness and superiority of XR-technology-assisted intraoperative navigation in the fields of trauma, joint, spine, and bone tumor surgery, as well as to discuss the current shortcomings in intraoperative navigation applications. We reviewed titles of more than 200 studies obtained from PubMed with the following search terms: extended reality, mixed reality, augmented reality, virtual reality, intraoperative navigation, and orthopedic surgery; of those 200 studies, 69 related papers were selected for abstract review. Finally, the full text of 55 studies was analyzed and reviewed. They were classified into four groups—trauma, joint, spine, and bone tumor surgery—according to their content. Most of studies that we reviewed showed that XR-technology-assisted intraoperative navigation can effectively improve the accuracy of implant placement, such as that of screws and prostheses, reduce postoperative complications caused by inaccurate implantation, facilitate the achievement of tumor-free surgical margins, shorten the surgical duration, reduce radiation exposure for patients and surgeons, minimize further damage caused by the need for visual exposure during surgery, and provide richer and more efficient intraoperative communication, thereby facilitating academic exchange, medical assistance, and the implementation of remote healthcare.

Abstract In this paper, the adoption of SO2 emission tax rates higher than the legal minimum standard is regarded as a noteworthy policy reform in China (quasi-natural experiment), and a spatial Difference-in-Differences (Spatial-DID) model is constructed to test the direct effects (local effects) and indirect effects (spatial spillover effects) of SO2 emission tax policy reform on PM2.5 concentrations in the atmosphere of 285 China’s cities. The estimation and calculation results of the Spatial-DID model show that the SO2 emission tax policy reform can significantly reduce local PM2.5 concentration and significantly promote PM2.5 concentration in surrounding areas. The results of heterogeneity analysis show that the SO2 emission tax policy reform can produce a relatively more beneficial spatial spillover effect in eastern cities and higher administrative level cities, while the pollutants emission rights trading and the reform of NOx emission tax rates can produce beneficial spatial spillover effects when cooperating with the reform of SO2 emission tax rates. The results of the mediation effect analysis show that the higher SO2 emission tax rate can aggravate the surrounding PM2.5 pollution by promoting the aggregation level of industrial production factors and the industrial SO2 emission intensity in the surrounding areas, which can support the existence of the pollution heaven effect.

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid with growth and immune regulatory effects. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of sodium butyrate (SB) on Onychostoma macrolepis fed high-fat diet. O.macrolepis (2.5 ± 0.1 g) were kept in twelve aquariums (three aquarium /treatment, fifteen fish / aquarium), fed a high-fat diet (control), and high-fat diet supplemented with 0.1%, 0.2% or 0.4% SB for fifty-six days. The results showed that the supplementation of 0.2% SB in high-fat diet significantly promoted the growth of O.macrolepis. Simultaneously, dietary SB supplementation improved lipase and trypsin activities and intestinal histological morphology of O.macrolepis consuming with high-fat diets. Furthermore, the supplementation of 0.2% or 0.4% SB in the diet enhanced serum immunity and intestinal antioxidant capacity. Additionally, the addition of 0.2–0.4% SB up-regulated the transcriptional level of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor alpha (pparα) gene, thereby activating pparα-mediated β-oxidation and mitigating liver lipid accumulation of O.macrolepis. In summary, the addition of 0.2–0.4% SB in high-fat diet was beneficial to growth, digestion, immunity and health of O.macrolepis. This study provides a reference for SB as a functional additive of aquatic feed.

The ignition of the building insulation materials by a hot particle is a typical spot fire phenomenon, but the scientific understanding is still limited. In this work, a hot steel spherical particle (6-16 mm and 800-1200 °C) was dropped onto the low-density expandable polystyrene (EPS) foam with an external airflow velocity of 0-4 m/s to obtain the ignition limit at the flash point and fire point. Airflow provides an alternative shortcut transition of unstable flash flame to a strong fire point and fuel burnout, because airflow increases the oxygen supply and flame heating rather than cooling the particle. As the airflow velocity increases, both flash and fire points first become easier to reach because airflow facilitates the mixing of pyrolysates and oxygen in the Smothering Regime. When the airflow velocity increases to the Thermal Regime, the delay time remains stable. Further increasing the airflow velocity to the Chemical Regime, the ignition delay time slightly increases until the airflow blows off the flash flame by cooling the particle or blowing away the flammable mixture from the hot surface. Such a competitive effect of airflow on hot particle ignition is also qualitatively verified by theoretical analysis. Flame retardants inside EPS foam do not change the flash ignition but inhibit the transition to fire point and burnout, even under the assistance of airflow. This work enhances the comprehension of the complex interactions between flash points and fire points in the spotting or hot-particle ignition of the building facades.

Carbon emission intensity is an important index reflecting an entity’s low-carbon competitiveness. This paper presents an extended logarithmic mean divisia index (LMDI) model to dissect carbon intensity within China’s civil aviation from 1998 to 2019, revealing a significant reduction in CO2 emissions per air transport revenue. It attributes this decrease to technological advancements, optimized fleet structures, and improved operational efficiencies, highlighting the impact of larger, more efficient aircraft and enhanced load factors. The study also explores economic factors influencing carbon efficiency, suggesting a comprehensive approach encompassing technological innovation and strategic operational improvements for sustainable aviation development.

Aiming at the phenomenon that a high-power torque converter is susceptible to cavitation, which leads to performance degradation, first, a transient flow field model of the torque converter is established, and CFD simulation and experimental research on the torque converter are carried out to find out the speed ratio region where cavitation occurs in the torque converter as well as the rule of occurrence of cavitation, and then the cavitation identification method based on the difference between the inlet and outlet flow of the torque converter is proposed. Then, the transient flow process inside the torque converter is analyzed, and it is pointed out that the angle between the inlet angle of the stator and the outlet angle of the turbine of the torque converter, i.e., the fluid inflow injection deviation angle is an important factor affecting the cavitation phenomenon. By adjusting the key parameters of the stator blade bone line, the fluid inflow deviation angle of the torque converter stator is optimized, so that the speed ratio range of cavitation under large load conditions is greatly reduced from the original 0–0.5 (50%) to 0–0.15 (15%). Meanwhile, in terms of test performance, the nominal torque of the torque converter is greatly improved under the premise of ensuring that the performance is basically unchanged, in which the nominal torque of the test zero speed is increased by 28.7%, and the cavitation of the torque converter has been greatly improved.

Due to the fluctuation and intermittency of wind power resources, large-scale wind power integration brings serious challenges to power systems. Among the existing short-term forecasting methods, the accuracy and forecast period length can hardly meet the demand of power system economic dispatching and day-ahead power purchase markets. To further enhance the accuracy and increase the time scale, a short-term wind power forecasting (WPF) combined model based on numerical weather prediction (NWP) analysis is presented in this paper. First, according to the criterion of the minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) algorithm, several factors are sifted from the NWP multivariate data. Second, different characteristics of the factors are extracted, and weather patterns are divided into different types on the basis of these characteristics. Third, two deep learning models, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), are applied for short-term WPF respectively under different weather types. Furthermore, the forecast results of the two models are combined using the Induced Ordered Weighted Average (IOWA) operator. The actual data collected from a wind farm in Northwest China are used to verify the conclusions. Results show that the proposed method can forecast wind power under different weather circumstances and outperform existing Radial Basis Function (RBF), Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) and Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based methods with respect to forecasting accuracy.

Minimal invasion is an important trend in surgery. However, the endoscope, as one of the key devices for monitoring the process of minimally invasive surgery, is limited by its size and working space it operates in, which result in a considerably narrow field of view. In particular, when a surgical instrument enters through the tool channel, the instrument occupies most of the area in an endoscopic image. This hampers the surgeon’s field of view and has a negative impact on the surgery. This study proposes a novel method for removing the occlusion caused by surgical instruments in endoscopic images by making foreground occlusions on endoscopic images transparent using image restoration and interframe information filling. Compared with unprocessed images, this method can provide a clearer field of view that is necessary for minimally invasive endoscopic surgeries and improve the quality of surgeries. Clinical endoscopic images are used to verify the feasibility of the proposed method, and the results show that the proposed method improves the visual effect of endoscopic images by removing surgical-instrument occlusions. This demonstrates the considerable potential of the proposed method for use in clinical applications.

Surface electromyogram (sEMG)-based gesture recognition has emerged as a promising avenue for developing intelligent prostheses for upper limb amputees. However, the temporal variations in sEMG have rendered recognition models less efficient than anticipated. By using cross-session calibration and increasing the amount of training data, it is possible to reduce these variations. The impact of varying the amount of calibration and training data on gesture recognition performance for amputees is still unknown. To assess these effects, we present four datasets for the evaluation of calibration data and examine the impact of the amount of training data on benchmark performance. Two amputees who had undergone amputations years prior were recruited, and seven sessions of data were collected for analysis from each of them. Ninapro DB6, a publicly available database containing data from ten healthy subjects across ten sessions, was also included in this study. The experimental results show that the calibration data improved the average accuracy by 3.03%, 6.16%, and 9.73% for the two subjects and Ninapro DB6, respectively, compared to the baseline results. Moreover, it was discovered that increasing the number of training sessions was more effective in improving accuracy than increasing the number of trials. Three potential strategies are proposed in light of these findings to enhance cross-session models further. We consider these findings to be of the utmost importance for the commercialization of intelligent prostheses, as they demonstrate the criticality of gathering calibration and cross-session training data, while also offering effective strategies to maximize the utilization of the entire dataset.

BackgroundObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and chronic mental illness with a high rate of disability. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) makes online treatment available to patients and has been shown to be effective. However, 3-arm trials on ICBT, face-to-face cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT), and only medication are still lacking. ObjectiveThis study is a randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded trial of 3 groups for OCD: ICBT combined with medication, CBGT combined with medication, and conventional medical treatment (ie, treatment as usual [TAU]). The study aims to investigate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of ICBT related to CBGT and TAU for adults with OCD in China. MethodsIn total, 99 patients with OCD were selected and randomly assigned to the ICBT, CBGT, and TAU groups for treatment for 6 weeks. The primary outcomes were the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) and the self-rating Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (FOCI), compared at baseline, during treatment (3 weeks), and after treatment (6 weeks), to analyze efficacy. The secondary outcome was the EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) scores of the EuroQol 5D Questionnaire (EQ-5D). The cost questionnaires were recorded to analyze cost-effectiveness. ResultsRepeated-measures ANOVA was used for data analysis, and the final effective sample size was 93 (ICBT: n=32, 34.4%; CBGT: n=28, 30.1%; TAU: n=33, 35.5%). After 6-week treatment, the YBOCS scores of the 3 groups significantly decreased (P

Abstract Maternal caretaking and transport of dead infants are widespread among nonhuman primates, having been reported in numerous species of monkeys and apes. By contrast, accounts of such behaviors toward dead juveniles are scarce. Here, we describe responses by the mother and other group members to the death of a juvenile in a wild, multi-level group of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana). Following the juvenile’s fatal accident, his mother transported and cared for the corpse for four days. Immature monkeys belonging to the same one-male unit, and some individuals from other social units also showed interest in and tended the corpse. Comparisons of this case with those involving the deaths of infants and an adult female in the same population highlight possible effects of physiological, psychological and emotional factors in primate thanatological responses, and provide an additional perspective on the origin and evolution of compassionate acts.

Abstract Feelings of inferiority are complex emotions that usually indicate perceived weakness and helplessness. A lack of timely and effective interventions may bring serious consequences to individuals with inferiority feelings. Due to privacy concerns, those people often hesitate to seek face-to-face help, but they usually spontaneously share their feelings on social media, which makes social media a good resource for ample inferiority-related data. We randomly selected a sample of posts indicating inferiority feelings to explore the causes of inferiority. Through language analysis and natural language processing, we constructed a Word2Vec model of inferiority based on social media data and applied it to the cause analysis of inferiority feelings. The main causes of inferiority feelings are personal experience, social interaction, love relationship, etc. People feeling inferior about their personal experiences usually are largely influenced by their ways of thinking and life attitudes. Social and emotional factors overlap somewhat in the development of inferiority. In love relationships, males are more prone to inferiority feeling than females. These findings will help relevant institutions and organizations better understand people with inferiority feelings and facilitate the development of targeted treatment for those with potential self-esteem problems.

We demonstrated a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG)-based modulated amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) source, followed by the broadband, continuous-wave (CW) mid-infrared laser generated by intracavity difference-frequency generation (DFG). By flattening the spectrum of the ASE source during its power amplification and injecting another 1018 nm fiber laser in the optical parametric oscillation(OPO) cavity, nonlinear frequency conversion was achieved in the nonlinear crystal. By tuning the polarization period of the crystal, a three-peaked mid-infrared laser with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 130 nm and a four-peaked mid-infrared laser with an FWHM of 180 nm was generated.

Forest fire risk prediction is essential for building a forest fire defense system. Ensemble learning methods can avoid the problem of difficult model selection for disaster susceptibility prediction and can significantly improve modeling accuracy. This study introduces a stacking ensemble learning model for predicting forest fire risks in Yunnan Province by integrating various data types, such as meteorological, topographic, vegetation, and human activity factors. A total of 70,274 fire points and an equal number of randomly selected nonfire points were used to develop the model, with 70% of the data allocated for training and the remaining 30% for testing. The stacking model combined four diverse machine learning methods: random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and multilayer perceptron (MLP). We evaluated the model’s predictive performance using metrics like accuracy, area under the characteristic curve (AUC), and fire density (FD). The results demonstrated that the stacking fusion model exhibited remarkable accuracy with an AUC of 0.970 on the test set, significantly surpassing the performance of individual machine learning models, which had AUC values ranging from 0.935 to 0.953. Furthermore, the stacking fusion model effectively captured the maximum fire density in extremely high susceptibility areas, demonstrating enhanced generalization capabilities.

Tetracycline is frequently found in various environments and poses significant ecological risks. Calcium hydroxide-modified biochar has shown potential as a material for removing multiple classes of pollutants from wastewater streams. The tetracycline-adsorption performance and mechanism of alkali-modified biochars derived from nine wastes (corn straw, rice straw, swine manure, cypress powder, wheat straw, peanut shell, walnut shell powder, soybean straw, and corncobs) were investigated in the study. Among the four alkalis tested, calcium hydroxide exhibited the most effective modification effects at a pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C. Straw biomass was most suitable to be modified by calcium hydroxide, and calcium hydroxide-modified biochar showed the highest adsorption performance for tetracycline. The maximum adsorption capacities were 8.22 mg g−1 for pristine corn straw biochar and 93.46 mg g−1 for calcium hydroxide-modified corn straw biochar. The tetracycline adsorption mechanism by calcium hydroxide-modified corn straw biochar involved hydrogen bonding, oxygen-containing functional groups, Ca2+ metal complexation, and electrostatic attraction. Consequently, calcium hydroxide-modified corn straw biochar emerges as an environment-friendly, cost-effective, and efficient tetracycline adsorbent.

In view of the effects of non-stationary and nonlinear vibration signals on the accuracy of rolling bearing fault diagnosis, a rolling bearing fault diagnosis method was proposed based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and multi scale fuzzy entropy (MFE) and least squares support vector machine (LSSVM). Firstly, the original signal was decomposed by discrete wavelet transform to obtain some approximate coefficients, and after reconstructing the approximate components the optimal approximate components were selected by using the principle of correlation coefficient and correlation distance. Then the feature vector was obtained by multi scale fuzzy entropy and input into least squares support vector machine for fault recognition. Finally, the algorithm was simulated by using the bearing signal of Case Western Reserve University. The results show that the recognition accuracy of the method is 97%, which further proves the feasibility of the method.

Abstract Background The position of the head relative to the spine can be used to evaluate the true global balance in patients with degenerative spinal kyphosis (DSK). However, it is still not clear how the position of the head is related to the spinal-pelvic parameters and lumbar muscles, which are most commonly considered. Methods Sixty-seven patients with DSK admitted in the hospital from January 2017 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had whole spine X-ray and lumbar MRI. The head position parameters include: the angles of both lines joining the center of acoustic meati (CAM) to the center of the bi-coxofemoral axis (BA) (CAM-BA) and the most superior point of dentiform apophyse of C2 odontoid (OD) to BA (OD-BA) with the vertical line; the distance between the vertical line passing CAM and the posterior upper edge of the S1 (CAM-SVA). The spinal parameters include: C7 sagittal vertical axis (C7-SVA), thoracic kyphosis (TK), thoracolumbar kyphosis (TLK), and lumbar lordosis (LL). The pelvic parameters include: pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT) and sacral slope (SS). The relative cross-sectional area (RCSA) of bilateral multifidus, erector spinae and psoas muscle at L3/4 and L4/5 segments were measured. The correlations between head position parameters and the spinal-pelvic parameters and RCSA of lumbar muscles were analyzed, respectively. Results Significant positive correlations were found between each two of CAM-SVA, C7-SVA, CAM-BA and OD-BA (p

The development of remote sensing technology largely reflects the scientific research level of a country or region. Given that the quantity and quality of research works are important indicators for scientific prowess evaluation, exploratory spatial data analysis and scientometric analysis of remote sensing work published from 2012 to 2021 were performed in this study, utilizing the Web of Sciences database. This study probed the spatial distribution and spatiotemporal evolution at the country/regional level to reveal the spatiotemporal characteristics of knowledge spillover in remote sensing. According to the results, the global spatial distribution of research output in remote sensing presented a significant dispersion; the United States and China were the most active countries. During the study period, Transferring Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for the Scene Classification of High-Resolution Remote Sensing Imagery was one of the most influential studies, both in the field of remote sensing and in the whole scientific community. With respect to the spatial evolution of research output in remote sensing, the gap between continents and the regional imbalance showed a downward trend, while Asia ranked first in the intracontinental disparity and Europe ranked last. For relevant countries/regions and institutions trying to optimize the spatial allocation of scientific and technological resources to narrow regional disparities, this study provides fundamental data and decision-making references.

With the advantages of wide coverage, no geographical restrictions and convenient establishment, the spaceintegrated-ground information network can integrate with the existing railway communication network and expand the railway communication service capacity and service scope.Based on the analysis of the application status of railway communication system in China, the application requirements of the space-integrated-ground information network from the aspects of railway business, technical development and intelligent railway construction were discussed.The overall application framework of the space-integrated-ground information network was put forward, the access mode and application mode of the network and satellite terminals were designed, and the typical application requirements in railway survey and construction, emergency rescue, railway operation and security were analyzed.

We demonstrated highly-efficient pulsed mid-infrared generation based on intracavity difference frequency mixing inside a continuous-wave (CW) PPLN optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The near-infrared pulsed fiber source was located at 1120 nm with variable pulse width and repetition rate. The pump source of OPO was a CW linearly-polarized high-power 1060 nm fiber laser. The 1120 nm and 1060 nm pump beams were simultaneously incident into the OPO cavity. The 1060 nm pump beam built parametric oscillation firstly and generated high-power resonant signal beam inside the cavity. By controlling the PPLN temperature properly, the phase-matched difference frequency generation (DFG) occurred between the signal beam and 1120 nm pulsed pump beam in the PPLN crystal. Finally, the pulsed 1120 nm pump beam was successfully transformed to 3593 nm mid-infrared radiation at every power level and temporal characteristic. Both the slope efficiency and pump-to-idler conversion efficiency of the intracavity DFG process reached over 20%. In addition, the pulse shape of newly generated 3593 nm idler beam was basically the same as 1120 nm pump beam. The experimental results exhibited huge potential in frequency down conversion of low-power laser sources with special temporal characteristics.

Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) can provide instantaneous support for frequency regulation (FR) because of their fast response characteristics. However, purely pursuing a better FR effect calls for continually rapid cycles of BESSs, which shortens their lifetime and deteriorates the operational economy. To coordinate the lifespan savings and the FR effect, this paper presents a control strategy for the FR of BESSs based on fuzzy logic and hierarchical controllers. The fuzzy logic controller improves the effect of FR by adjusting the charging/discharging power of the BESS with a higher response speed and precision based on the area control error (ACE) signal and the change rate of ACE in a non-linear way. Hierarchical controllers effectively reduce the life loss by optimizing the depth of discharge, which ensures that the state of charge (SOC) of BESS is always in the optimal operating range, and the total FR cost is the lowest at this time. The proposed method can achieve the optimal balance between ACE reduction and operational economy of BESS. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is verified in a two-area power system.

With the increasing penetration of the renewables, power system requires more resources with high ramping rate in the secondary frequency control (SFC). Battery energy storage system (BESS) is regarded as an effective one to follow the regulation signals. Meanwhile, the optimal operation of BESS cluster brings challenges to independent system operator (ISO), as more BESSs are involved in a control area. Specifically, the control center tries to take full advantages of the characteristics of BESS meeting frequency regulation requirement, and to follow the state of charge (SoC) limitation in BESS distribution. Therefore, a degree of participation (DP) based SFC for BESS cluster is proposed in this paper. In detail, a fuzzy-logic inference system (FLIS) is applied to determine a proper DP by considering the system frequency regulation requirements and BESS SoC. Also, the coefficients of the BESS operation cost function vary with DP, and the distribution of BESS in SFC is achieved to minimize the operation cost of BESS cluster by quadratic programming algorithm (QPA). At last, the promising results shows the BESS is well arranged by the proposed DP-based SFC, balancing the system frequency regulation requirement and BESS SoC limitation.

Cycle slip detection and repair is a prerequisite to obtain high-precision positioning based on a carrier phase. Traditional triple-frequency pseudorange and phase combination algorithm are highly sensitive to the pseudorange observation accuracy. To solve the problem, a cycle slip detection and repair algorithm based on inertial aiding for a BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS) triple-frequency signal is proposed. To enhance the robustness, the INS-aided cycle slip detection model with double-differenced observations is derived. Then, the geometry-free phase combination is united to detect the insensitive cycle slip, and the optimal coefficient combination is selected. Furthermore, the L2-norm minimum principle is used to search and confirm the cycle slip repair value. To correct the INS error accumulated over time, the extended Kalman filter based on the BDS/INS tightly coupled system is established. The vehicular experiment is conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm from a few aspects. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm can reliably detect and repair all cycle slips that occur in one cycle, including the small and insensitive cycle slips as well as the intensive and continuous cycle slips. Additionally, in signal-challenged environments, the cycle slips occurring 14 s after a satellite signal outage can be correctly detected and repaired.

As a reservoir reconstruction technology, hydraulic fracturing is a key method to improve the production of coalbed methane (CBM) wells. The CBM reservoir in eastern Yunnan, an important CBM exploration and development zone in China, is characterized by multiple thin coal seams. Compared to the fracturing of the single-layer coal seam, the combined seam fracturing technology is more difficult and complex. To study the fracture propagation characteristics and influencing factors of hydraulic fracturing in multiple coal seams, taking No. 9 and No. 13 coal seams as the research objects, the fracturing process was numerically simulated by using the finite element method and ANSYS software in this work. Based on the mathematical model of low permeable coal-rock mass, a two-dimensional hydraulic fracture model was established. In addition, the fracture geometries of combined seam fracturing were studied quantitatively. The results indicate that although No. 9 coal and No. 13 coal seams have similar rock mechanical properties, the propagation process and final geometry of a fracture are different. The reliability of the simulation results is verified by the comparison of experimental parameters and field investigation. The results prove the feasibility of combined seam fracturing in eastern Yunnan. The high Young’s modulus and thickness of the coal seam make the fracture geometry longer, but the fracture height is smaller. The low Young’s modulus, high Poisson’s ratio, and thickness of the No. 13 coal seam result in an increase in the length and height of the No. 9 coal seam. The increase in Young’s modulus of interlayer inhibits the propagation of fractures, while the high thickness and low Poisson’s ratio of interlayers facilitate the extension of the length and inhibit the extension of the height. This work provides a case reference for combined seam fracturing of coal reservoirs and has practical significance for the development of CBM characterized by multiple coal seams in eastern Yunnan.

Abstract Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can cause substantial damage to quality of life. Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) is a promising treatment for OCD patients with the advantages of safety and noninvasiveness. Objective The present study aimed to evaluate the treatment efficacy of cTBS over the bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) for OCD patients with a single-blind, sham-controlled design. Methods Fifty-four OCD patients were randomized to receive active or sham cTBS treatment over the bilateral SMA for 4 weeks (five sessions per week, 20 sessions in total). Patients were assessed at baseline (week 0), the end of treatment (week 4), and follow-up (week 8). Clinical scales included the YBOCS, HAMD24, HAMA14, and OBQ44. Three behavioral tests were also conducted to explore the effect of cTBS on response inhibition and decision-making in OCD patients. Results The treatment response rates were not significantly different between the two groups at week 4 (active: 23.1% vs. sham: 16.7%, p = 0.571) and week 8 (active: 26.9% vs. sham: 16.7%, p = 0.382). Depression and anxiety improvements were significantly different between the two groups at week 4 (HAMD24: F = 4.644, p = 0.037; HAMA14: F = 5.219, p = 0.028). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the performance of three behavioral tests. The treatment satisfaction and dropout rates were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions The treatment of cTBS over the bilateral SMA was safe and tolerable, and it could significantly improve the depression and anxiety of OCD patients but was not enough to improve OCD symptoms in this study.

Black ice is an ice layer formed by freezing rain or accumulated water on the asphalt pavement surface in cold weather. This ice layer completely shields the texture structure of the pavement and destroys the original microstructure. The direct contact between the automobile tire and the ice surface leads to a sharp decrease in the adhesion coefficient, so the automobile is prone to lateral instability on the icy pavement. In this paper, the simulation model of the icy pavement is established in Matlab/Simulink to verify the control effect of the lateral stability controller based on the Electronic Stability Program under two steering limit conditions. The results show that the vehicle without a lateral stability controller will lose stability and sideslip even when it is steering at low speed on the icy pavement, and the lateral stability controller can effectively control the yaw rate of the vehicle when it is steering, which greatly reduces the offset of the sideslip angle of the centroid and inhibits the lateral acceleration exceeding the ice surface limit, which improves the maneuverability and stability of the vehicle under the freezing limit condition. The application of the controller is of great significance to improve the driving safety of the regional asphalt pavement. Due to the low adhesion coefficient of the icy pavement and the limited braking force and additional yaw moment of the tire provided by the adhesion force, the vehicle with a lateral stability controller is still likely to lose stability under the critical condition of medium or high-speed single shift line.

The present research was conducted to assess the influences of starvation and refeeding on growth, nonspecific immunity and lipid metabolic adaptation in Onychostoma macrolepis. To date, there have been no similar reports in O. macrolepis. The fish were randomly assigned into two groups: control group (continuous feeding for six weeks) and starved–refed group (starvation for three weeks and then refeeding for three weeks). After three weeks of starvation, the results showed that the body weight (BW, 1.44 g), condition factor (CF, 1.17%), visceral index (VSI, 3.96%), hepatopancreas index (HSI, 0.93%) and intraperitoneal fat index (IPFI, 0.70%) of fish were significantly lower compared to the control group (BW, 5.72 g; CF, 1.85%; VSI, 6.35%; HSI, 2.04%; IPFI, 1.92%) (p < 0.05). After starvation, the serum triglyceride (TG, 0.83 mmol/L), total cholesterol (T-GHOL, 1.15 mmol/L), high-density lipoprotein (HDL, 1.13 mmol/L) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, 0.46 mmol/L) concentrations were significantly lower than those in the control group (TG, 1.69 mmol/L; T-GHOL, 1.86 mmol/L; HDL, 1.62 mmol/L; LDL, 0.63 mmol/L) (p < 0.05). The activities of intestinal digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase and protease) in the starved-refed group were significantly lower than those in the control group after three weeks of starvation (p < 0.05). The highest activities of immune enzymes such as lysozyme (LZM), acid phosphate (ACP), alkaline phosphate (ALP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and catalase (CAT) in the hepatopancreas were presented in the starved–refed group at second week, and significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, starvation significantly improved intestinal immune enzymes activities (p < 0.05). the lowest TG contents and the highest expression levels of lipolysis genes including hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 isoform A (CPT-1A) appeared in the hepatopancreas, muscle and intraperitoneal fat after starvation, indicating the mobilization of fat reserves in these tissues (p < 0.05). After refeeding, the recovery of TG content might be mediated by the upregulation of the expression levels of lipogenesis genes such as sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1) and fatty acid synthase (FAS). Understanding the duration of physiological and metabolic changes in O. macrolepis and their reversibility or irreversibility to supplementary feeding response could provide valuable reference for the adaptability of O. macrolepis in large-scale culturing, proliferation and release.

The use of insect products in aquatic feed is the focus of the aquaculture industry. Black soldier fly larvae oil (BSFLO) has been examined as a potential lipid source for diets for some fish species, but its utilization on Onychostoma macrolepis has not been explored. The influences of substituting fish oil (FO) with BSFLO in the diet on growth, biological indicators, approximate composition, serum biochemistry, antioxidant capacity and expression of lipid metabolism genes in juvenile O. macrolepis were investigated in an eight-week feeding experiment. Four experimental diets were prepared by replacing 0 (control), 25% (BSFLO-25), 50% (BSFLO-50) and 100% (BSFLO-100) FO with BSFLO, and then randomly assigned to twelve aquariums with ten fish (1.75 ± 0.05 g) in each aquarium. The findings showed that the growth indicators, body composition and serum biochemistry in the BSFLO-25 and BSFLO-50 groups had no statistical differences from those of the control group. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) (91.22–94.96 U/mgprot) and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) (1.12–1.16 nmol/mgprot) in the liver appeared to be significantly the highest and the lowest in the BSFLO-25, BSFLO-50 and BSFLO-100 groups (p < 0.05). The adipocyte size and intraperitoneal fat index value of fish fed on the BSFLO-100 diet were significantly decreased compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The expression levels of lipid catabolism genes pparα, (peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor alpha) and cpt1a (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 isoform a) in the BSFLO-100 group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05). The above results indicated that it was feasible to replace 25–50% dietary FO with BSFLO in juvenile O. macrolepis. Dietary BSFLO supplementation could enhance the antioxidant capacity of the liver and suppress intraperitoneal fat accumulation in O. macrolepis. The use of other insect oils in the diets of this species will be evaluated in future research.

Temozolomide (TMZ) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent for malignant glioma. β-Elemene has been reported to have the ability of passing through the blood-brain barrier and reverse multidrug resistance. In the present study, transport of drugs through the in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model also suggested that β-elemene can assist in TMZ transport to the brain. Plasma and brain pharmacokinetics demonstrated that when β-elemene is used in combination with TMZ, the metabolic rate of TMZ in plasma is slowed, and mean residence time (MRT) in brain is prolonged. The brain tissue distribution at 1 h indicated that the combination of TMZ and β-elemene promotes the distribution of β-elemene in the brain but slightly reduces the distribution of TMZ in the brain. Furthermore the antitumor effect and toxicity in vivo were also investigated. The combination of β-elemene and TMZ was well tolerated and significantly inhibited tumor growth in glioma xenografts. In summary, the present study indicates a synergistic antitumor effect of β-elemene and TMZ in glioma.

Abstract Purpose To compare sagittal alignment and clinical outcomes between three-level hybrid surgery (HS) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) on cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) over a 5-year follow-up. Method The study included 32 patients with ACDF, 36 patients with 1 prosthesis and 2 cages (HS1 group), and 25 cases with 2 prostheses and 1 cage (HS2 group). Alignment parameters included C2–C7 cervical lordosis (CL), C2–C7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), T1 slope (T1S), and T1S minus CL (T1SCL). Radiographic parameters were range of motion (ROM), upper and lower adjacent ROM (UROM and LROM), and operated-segment lordosis (OPCL), as well as adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). Clinical outcomes included the neck disability index (NDI) and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score. Results Three groups were well-matched in demographics. All groups gained comparable improvement on NDI and JOA (P 0.05) while T1S improved at 1 week later and final follow-up with HS2. The final change of all alignment parameters among the three groups was of no differences. ROM decreased and OPCL increased in all groups at the final follow-up (P 0.05). Conclusion Cervical alignment was comparably improved. HS and ACDF provided identified mid-term efficacy, and it was not necessary to have to use prosthesis on three-level CSM.

Abstract Background The paraspinal and psoas muscles have been considered to be essentially important for stabilizing the spinal column, and the muscle degeneration was found to exist in degenerative spinal kyphosis (DSK) patients. However, it is still not clear the relationship between muscle degeneration and spinal-pelvic alignment. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlations between the individual muscle degeneration at each lumbar spinal level and spinal-pelvic parameters in DSK patients. Methods The imaging data of 32 patients with DSK were retrospectively analyzed. The fat infiltration (FI) and relative cross-sectional area of muscle (RCSA) were quantitatively measured for multifidus (MF), erector spinae (ES) and psoas (PS) at each spinal level from L1/2 to L5/S1. The correlations were analyzed between RCSA and the sagittal vertical axis (SVA), thoracic kyphosis (TK), thoracolumbar kyphosis (TLK), lumbar lordosis (LL), sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT) and pelvic incidence (PI). Results The FI of MF and ES at L3/4, L4/5 and L5/S1 were higher than that at L1/2 and L2/3. The FI of PS at L4/5 and L5/S1 were lower than that of L1/2, L2/3 and L3/4. The RCSA of ES and PS from L1/2 to L5/S1 gradually increased, whereas the RCSA of ES from L1/2 to S5/S1 gradually decreased. The RCSA of MF at the L1/2 level was negatively correlated SVA (r = − 0.397,p = 0.024); the RCSA at L3/4, L4/5 and L5/S1 levels were negatively correlated with TK (r = − 0.364, p = 0.04; r = − 0.38, p = 0.032; r = − 0.432, p = 0.014); the RCSA at L4/5 level was positively correlated with LL (r = 0.528, p = 0.002). The RCSA of ES at L3/4 and L4/5 levels were positively correlated with PI (r = 0.377, p = 0.037) and SS (r = 0.420, p = 0.019). Conclusions FI of MF and ES at lower lumbar level is higher than that at upper level, but FI of PS at upper lumbar level is higher than that at lower level. MF and ES have different roles for maintaining the sagittal spinal-pelvic balance.

In the original publication of this article [1], the Table 1-5 were missing due to a mistake in the copy-editing stage

Abstract Purpose The relationship between upper or lower adjacent segments (UAS/LAS) and the cervical spine parameters was not clear yet. So, the purpose was to analyze range of motion (ROM), lordosis (LOR), and intervertebral disc height (IDH) of UAS and LAS before and after total cervical disc replacement (TDR) and to explore the influencing factors of cervical spine radiological parameters on adjacent segments. Methods A single-center retrospective study was performed on patients completing 10-year follow-up undergone TDR. As the primary outcomes, radiological parameters included UAS-ROM/LAS-ROM, UAS-LOR/LAS-LOR, and UAS-IDH/LAS-IDH. The secondary outcomes were ROM and LOR of C2–C7 and surgical levels, IDH of surgical segments, prosthesis migration, subsidence, heterotopic ossification (HO), and adjacent segment degeneration (ASD), which were measured on X-ray. Results UAS-ROM and LAS-ROM remained stable in follow-up periods. There was no significance on UAS-LOR or LAS-LOR between pre- and post- operation, so was UAS-IDH or LAS-IDH. UAS-ROM was larger in the segments with ASD (P < 0.001), the same to LAS-ROM (P < 0.001), and UAS-LOR was larger in segments with ASD (P = 0.02). UAS-ROM was positively correlated with C2–C7 ROM and LOR (both P < 0.001). UAS-LOR was correlated with operated-segmental LOR while LAS-LOR were in correlation with surgical segment ROM. The influencing factors of UAS-ROM were the surgical segment ROM and C2–C7 LOR. The influencing factors of UAS-LOR and LAS-LOR were LAS-ROM and UAS-ROM, respectively. The influencing factors of UAS-IDH were LAS-IDH, surgical segment IDH, and HO while that of LAS-IDH were UAS-IDH and surgical segment IDH. Conclusions TDR has only a little effect on the adjacent segments. There is an interaction between UAS and LAS. The maintenance on surgical segments ROM and reconstruction of IDH will benefit to adjacent segments.

It was reported that a double-peaked mid-infrared laser was generated based on an intracavity difference frequency generation (DFG). The double-peaked pump source was achieved by suppressing the intensity at the central wavelength of the pump source. The double-peaked mid-infrared generation had a double-peaked spacing of 23–37 nm, and the full width at half-peak (FWHM) of the peaks was up to 30 nm. It was demonstrated that a tilted Bragg fiber grating (TFBG) with a specific transmission spectral depth and bandwidth can generate a double-peaked mid-infrared laser with controllable double-peaked spacing. It was the first generation of a double-peaked mid-infrared laser based on a near-infrared pumping spectral modulation. Furthermore, the double-peaked mid-infrared generation was tunable, and the FWHMs of the peaks were controllable by an intracavity DFG. It had a high potential for the monitoring and absorption of gas molecules by differential absorption lidar (DIAL).

The research reports broadband, continuous-wave (CW), mid-infrared generation based on an optical parametric oscillator (OPO), pumped by an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) fiber source. The ASE fiber source has a ytterbium (Yb)-doped fiber master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) structure. By injecting another fiber laser with high power and a narrow linewidth into the nonlinear crystal, the phase-matching difference frequency generation (DFG) can be realized at a low pumping threshold. It is shown that during the down-conversion of the ASE fiber source, the intracavity DFG can steadily and effectively generate a broadband mid-infrared laser, with a central wavelength of 3713 nm. The bandwidth of the mid-infrared laser is 122 nm. The pump power of 2 W generates a 0.238 W mid-infrared laser with a pump-idler conversion efficiency of 11.6%. It has tremendous application potential in the research of broadband CW mid-infrared lasers.