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Abstract Silicate has been proven to be highly-effective at immobilizing soil heavy metals, but the effects of silicate stabilizers on rice grain cadmium (Cd) reduction and rice quality under field conditions are not clear. In this study, a field experiment was conducted over three consecutive years was conducted to examine the Cd reduction in rice grains and to reveal the potential effects of silicate stabilizers on rice grain nutrients, by setting different amounts of bentonite (B), silica‒calcium fertilizer (SC) and zeolite powder (ZP). The results revealed that the application of the B, SC and ZP significantly decreased the soil CaCl2‒Cd concentration (> 39%) and significantly reduced the grain Cd concentration in both early rice (> 70%) and late rice (> 18%) under field conditions; the silicate stabilizers reduced the soil available iron (Fe) but did not limit rice grain Fe nutrition. Additionally, the three silicates promoted rice yield and improved the rice grain Ca and Mg contents; and the application of B increased the amylose concentration of the late rice grains. In conclusion, high amounts of silicate stabilizers did not adversely influence the soil conventional nutrient indices, rice minerals or rice taste, but changes in rice selenium content need attention. Overall, in comparison with lime, silicate stabilizers can improve not only the safety of rice but also the nutritional and taste qualities of rice and are more eco-friendly for long-term use in soil.

Abstract Lattice oxygen in metal oxides plays an important role in the reaction of diesel oxidation catalysts, but the atomic-level understanding of structural evolution during the catalytic process remains elusive. Here, we develop a Mn2O3/SmMn2O5 catalyst using a non-stoichiometric exsolution method to explore the roles of lattice oxygen in NO oxidation. The enhanced covalency of Mn–O bond and increased electron density at Mn3+ sites, induced by the interface between exsolved Mn2O3 and mullite, lead to the formation of highly active lattice oxygen adjacent to Mn3+ sites. Near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopies show that the activated lattice oxygen enables reversible changes in Mn valence states and Mn-O bond covalency during redox cycles, reducing energy barriers for NO oxidation and promoting NO2 desorption via the cooperative Mars-van Krevelen mechanism. Therefore, the Mn2O3/SmMn2O5 exhibits higher NO oxidation activity and better resistance to hydrothermal aging compared to a commercial Pt/Al2O3 catalyst.

Abstract Achieving large-scale electrochemical CO2 reduction to multicarbon products with high selectivity using membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzers in neutral electrolyte is promising for carbon neutrality. However, the unsatisfactory multicarbon products selectivity and unclear reaction mechanisms in an MEA have hindered its further development. Here, we report a strategy that manipulates the interfacial microenvironment of Cu nanoparticles in an MEA to suppress hydrogen evolution reaction and enhance C2H4 conversion. In situ multimodal characterizations consistently reveal well-stabilized Cuδ+-OH species as active sites during MEA testing. The OH radicals generated in situ from water create a locally oxidative microenvironment on the copper surface, stabilizing the Cuδ+ species and leading to an irreversible and asynchronous change in morphology and valence, yielding high-curvature nanowhiskers. Consequently, we deliver a selective C2H4 production with a Faradaic efficiency of 55.6% ± 2.8 at 316 mA cm−2 in neutral media.

Abstract This retrospective study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of the posterior procedure with the combined anterior and posterior procedure in the surgical management of lumbar Brucella spondylitis. From January 2015 to June 2020, a total of 62 patients presenting with lumbar Brucella spondylitis underwent either one-stage posterior pedicle fixation, debridement, and interbody fusion (Group A, n = 33) or anterior debridement, bone grafting, and posterior instrumentation (Group B, n = 29). All patients were followed up for an average of 25.4 ± 1.5 months and achieved complete resolution of lumbar Brucella spondylitis. No significant differences between the groups were observed in terms of age or pre-operative, three-month postoperative and final follow-up indices of the VAS, ESR, CRP, lordosis angle, ODI scores, fusion time, and time of serum agglutination test conversion to negative (P > 0.05). Each patient exhibited notable improvements in neurological function, as assessed by the JOA score rating system. Group A demonstrated significantly shorter operative duration, intraoperative blood loss, and hospital stay compared to Group B (P

Abstract Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction into value-added multicarbon products offers a means to close the anthropogenic carbon cycle using renewable electricity. However, the unsatisfactory catalytic selectivity for multicarbon products severely hinders the practical application of this technology. In this paper, we report a cascade AgCu single-atom and nanoparticle electrocatalyst, in which Ag nanoparticles produce CO and AgCu single-atom alloys promote C-C coupling kinetics. As a result, a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 94 ± 4% toward multicarbon products is achieved with the as-prepared AgCu single-atom and nanoparticle catalyst under ~720 mA cm−2 working current density at −0.65 V in a flow cell with alkaline electrolyte. Density functional theory calculations further demonstrate that the high multicarbon product selectivity results from cooperation between AgCu single-atom alloys and Ag nanoparticles, wherein the Ag single-atom doping of Cu nanoparticles increases the adsorption energy of *CO on Cu sites due to the asymmetric bonding of the Cu atom to the adjacent Ag atom with a compressive strain.

Summary: Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are widely used in catalytic field, especially in photocatalysis, benefiting from the ultrathin 2D structure and luxuriant surface functional groups. However, the wide band gap and low utilization rate of solar spectrum affect their photocatalytic performance. Herein, we integrated n-type CoAl-LDH with p-type Cu2O nanoparticles to construct a p-n heterojunction with a strong built-in electric field, which can prevent photoinduced electron-hole pairs from recombination as well as facilitate charge transfer. With the X-ray photoelectron spectroscope and in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, we confirmed the charge transfer under light illumination complying with the type II-scheme mechanism and analyzed the intermediates during photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The highest yields reached 320.9 μmol h−1 g−1 for CoAl-LDH@Cu2O-60 (LC-60) under 1 h light irradiation, which was about 1.6 times than the pristine CoAl-LDH. The sample also exhibited excellent stability which maintained 84.1% of initial performance after 4 circulations.

ABSTRACTIrritable bowel syndrome is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder, and it has been shown that the etiology of irritable bowel syndrome is a multifactorial complex of neurological, inflammatory, and immunological changes. There is growing evidence of low-grade chronic inflammation in irritable bowel patients. The peripheral action response of their intestinal immune factors is integrated into the central nervous system, while the microbiota interacts with the brain-gut axis contributing to the development of low-grade chronic inflammation. The objective of this review is to present a discussion about the impact of immune-brain-gut axis-inflammation interactions on irritable bowel syndrome, its clinical relevance in the course of irritable bowel syndrome disease, and possible therapeutic modalities.

BackgroundMacrophages play an important role in regulating the course of spinal tuberculosis within the bone microenvironment. This study aimed to investigate the differential expression of miRNA in macrophage-derived exosomes within the tuberculosis-infected bone microenvironment, to identify miRNAs that hold potential as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.MethodsWe established study cohorts for spinal tuberculosis, collected bone marrow blood samples, isolated macrophage exosomes, and performed exosome miRNA sequencing. A miRNA-mRNA co-expression network was constructed using WGCNA analysis. Gene GO analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed using KOBAS software. Target miRNAs were selected based on fold change, P-value, and false discovery rate, and their validation was carried out using qRT-PCR and ROC curve studies. Subsequently, we constructed a target gene network for these miRNAs and performed KEGG pathway enrichment analysis to explore the potential signaling mechanisms involved in regulating the disease course of spinal tuberculosis.ResultsOur findings revealed that macrophages from the tuberculosis-infected bone microenvironment exhibited an M1 phenotype. The successful extraction of exosomes from macrophage supernatants was confirmed through electron microscopy, particle size analysis, and protein blot analysis. Exosome miRNA-seq demonstrated that 28 miRNAs were up-regulated, while 34 miRNAs were down-regulated in individuals with spinal tuberculosis. GO analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the differentially expressed miRNAs were involved in various biological processes, cell components, molecular functions, and signaling pathways, which collectively contribute to the regulation of the disease course of spinal tuberculosis. Notably, miRNA-125b-5p was successfully selected based on fold change, p-value, and false discovery rate. qRT-PCR validation further confirmed the significant up-regulation of miRNA-125b-5p in spinal tuberculosis. The ROC curve revealed that miR-125b-5p is a potential diagnostic biomarker for spinal tuberculosis. Moreover, construction of the miRNA-125b-5p target gene network and subsequent KEGG enrichment analysis highlighted the importance of MAPK, TNF, Ras, Rap1, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathways in the regulation of the disease course of spinal tuberculosis.ConclusionOur study demonstrates differential expression of miRNAs in macrophage-derived exosomes in the tuberculosis-infected bone microenvironment. Specifically, MiRNA-125b-5p is significantly up-regulated in spinal tuberculosis and shows potential as a diagnostic biomarker for spinal tuberculosis.

Objective Mid‐thoracic spinal tuberculosis is prone to kyphotic deformities and neurologic impairment. Posterior approach can effectively restore the spinal stability by reconstructing the anterior and middle spinal columns. Titanium mesh cages (TMC), allogeneic bone (ALB), and autogenous bone (AUB) are three main bone graft struts. We aimed to compare the therapeutic efficacy of three bone graft struts, for anterior and middle column reconstruction through a posterior approach in cases of mid‐thoracic spinal tuberculosis. Methods Hundred and thirty seven patients with thoracic spinal tuberculosis who had undergone a posterior approach from June 2010 to December 2018 were enrolled. Of them, 46 patients were treated using a titanium mesh cage (TMC group), 44 with allogenic bone grafts (ALB group), and 47 using autogenous bone grafts (AUB group). The following were analyzed to evaluate clinical efficacy: visual analogue scale (VAS) values, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels, kyphotic Cobb's angle, operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, improvement in American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade and in the mental component summary (MCS) and physical component summary (PCS) of Short Form‐36 (SF‐36), duration of bone graft fusion. The data of the three groups were compared by way of variance analysis, followed by the LSD⁃t test to compare each group. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the dates of pre‐, postoperative and final follow‐up. Results The follow‐up duration was at least 3 years. All patients achieved a complete cure for spinal TB. Neurological performance and quality of life were remarkably improved at the final follow‐up. The intraoperative blood loss, operation time and VAS values 1 day postoperatively for TMC group and ALB group were significantly lower than those in AUB group (P 0.05). At the final follow‐up, the correction loss was mild (2.1 ± 0.9, 2.2 ± 1.0, 2.1 ± 0.8) and Cobb's angles of the three groups were 20.1 ± 2.9, 20.5 ± 3.2, 20.9 ± 3.4, respectively, which were remarkably rectified in comparison with the preoperative measurements (P

Abstract This retrospective study aimed to evaluate midterm outcomes of surgical management of multi-segment thoracic spinal tuberculosis by single-stage posterior transforaminal debridement and interbody fusion with instrumentation. From January 2007 to October 2015, 42 adult patients with thoracic spinal tuberculosis involving three or more levels underwent single-stage posterior transforaminal debridement, interbody fusion and instrumentation At a mean follow-up of 73.5 ± 9.6 months, all patients were eligible for final evaluation. All displayed improved biochemical markers and pain scores at 3 months and improved physiologic levels at the end of treatment. Visual analogue and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey scores were significantly improved compared with preoperative values. All 30 patients with preoperative neurological deficits experienced neurologic improvement. Thoracic kyphosis angle decreased significantly from 34.4° ± 4.5° to 22.0° ± 2.6°. A mean kyphotic angle loss of 1.7° ± 1.1° was recorded at the final follow-up, and bone fusion was observed at a mean of 10.6 ± 2.1 months, with no instrumentation failures. One patient experienced delayed incisional healing and five patients suffered postoperative intercostal neuralgia that were cured by conservative treatment. There were no graft failures or implant breakages. This study showed the utility of a single-staged procedure combining posterior transforaminal debridement and interbody fusion with instrumentation, and demonstrated promising results.

BackgroundSurgical intervention is necessary for resolving the symptoms of the spinal cord and nerve compression caused by symptomatic metastatic epidural spinal cord compression. However, surgeons are constantly seeking ways to improve surgical efficiency and safety. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of 3D simulation/printing-assisted surgery for symptomatic metastatic epidural spinal cord compression of the posterior column.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients who underwent surgical treatment for symptomatic metastatic epidural spinal cord compression of the posterior column in our hospital from January 2015 to January 2020. The simulated group underwent a 3D digital simulation of the lesion area using imaging data before surgery. Twelve patients in the simulated group also received 3D printing, while the direct surgery group did not receive any 3D simulation or printing. All patients were followed up for at least 2 years. We collected clinical data, including operation time, intraoperative blood loss, pedicle screw adjustment rate, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, the incidence of dural injury and cerebrospinal fluid leakage, VAS score, postoperative neurological function improvement, and tumor recurrence. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS23.0, and P

Abstract Background This retrospective observational study was conducted to compare midterm outcomes of three bone graft struts for interbody fusion using a posterior approach in adults with lower lumbar spinal tuberculosis. Methods A total of 126 lower lumbar spinal tuberculosis patients were treated by one-stage posterior debridement, interbody fusion, and instrumentation. Forty-one patients (group A) were treated with autogenous bone graft for interbody fusion, 45 patients (group B) were treated with allogeneic bone grafting, and the remaining 40 (group C) patients were treated with titanium mesh cage. In addition, clinical and radiographic data were gathered and analyzed. Results At the final follow-up, all patients were completely cured. The operation period and intraoperative blood loss for groups B and C were significantly less than in group A (P = 0.000). Post-operation, neurological performance and quality of life were remarkably improved at the final follow-up. The preoperative lordosis angles of three groups were significantly improved, as evidenced by the values immediately after the operation or those at the final follow-up. The correction loss of the group C was lower than those of groups A and B (P = 0.000). All the patients obtained bone graft fusion, the fusion period of group B was longer than that of the other two groups (P = 0.000). No significant differences among the three groups in adjacent segment degeneration rates were found at the last visit (P = 0.922). Conclusions This midterm follow-up study established that one-stage posterior debridement, interbody fusion, and instrumentation, combined with medical therapy, can effectively treat lower lumbar spinal tuberculosis. In addition, the intervertebral titanium mesh cage bone graft can provide better outcomes with regard to maintaining lordosis and preventing collapse.

The intelligent gear recognition method based on convolutional neural network can effectively identify the gear fault， but the convolutional neural network needs a lot of labeled training data， which limits the application of convolutional neural network in gear fault diagnosis. To solve this problem， a gear fault diagnosis method based on distribution adaptation layer and soft label learning is proposed. The convolutional neural network is used to extract features and soft labels. The distribution discrepancy is extracted by the distribution adaptation layer， and the soft label loss is generated by the soft label learning. The joint loss of distribution discrepancy， soft label loss and classification loss are used as the objective function， and the model is trained to diagnose the faults of target domain. The proposed method is verified by gear vibration signals. The results show that the proposed method can classify gear fault data accurately and effectively.

Abstract Background This retrospective study aimed to determine the feasibility and efficacy of endoscopy-assisted anterior cervical debridement combined with posterior fixation and fusion in patients with upper cervical spine tuberculosis. Methods Between June 2008 and January 2016, 17 patients (10 men and 7 women) with upper cervical spine tuberculosis underwent endoscopy-assisted anterior cervical debridement combined with posterior fixation and fusion. Anti-tuberculosis treatment was administered for 2–4 weeks preoperatively and 12–18 months postoperatively. The clinical and radiographic data of the patients were analyzed. Results The operation was successfully completed in all patients. Neck pain and stiffness were relieved after the surgery in all patients. The mean operation time was 210.0 ± 21.2 min, and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 364.7 ± 49.6 mL. The mean follow-up duration was 68.1 ± 6.7 months. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate returned to normal by 3 months postoperatively. Visual analog scale scores for neck pain were significantly lower postoperatively than preoperatively. All patients had significant postoperative neurological improvement. Patient-reported outcomes, as measured using the Kirkaldy-Willis criteria, were as follows: excellent, 12 patients; good, 4 patients; fair, 1 patient; and poor, 0 patients. Bone fusion was achieved at 10.9 ± 1.9 months after the surgery; no cases of instrument loosening or fracture occurred. Conclusion Endoscopy-assisted anterior cervical debridement combined with posterior fixation and fusion is a feasible and effective surgical method for the treatment of upper cervical spine tuberculosis. It can be used to restore upper cervical spine stability and facilitate spinal healing.

Objective To evaluate the medium‐term outcomes of one‐stage posterior lumbosacral or lumbopelvic fixation treatment of lumbosacral junction tuberculosis in adults. Methods This retrospective study enrolled a total of 38 adult patients (24 males and 14 females) with an average age of 48.0 ± 13.0 years (range, 25–75 years) during the period from February 2008 to July 2015. All patients were treated by one‐stage posterior debridement, interbody fusion, lumbosacral or lumbopelvic fixation, and postural drainage. After pedicle screw or iliac screw fixation, a hemi‐laminectomy or laminectomy was performed on the severely damaged side of the lesion segment. Intervertebral bone grafting and intertransverse bone grafting were performed after clearing the focus of tuberculosis. All cases were followed up for at least 5 years. Intraoperative blood loss, operative time, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), pain intensity was assessed by visual analog scale (VAS) score; neurological function was assessed by Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score; quality of life was assessed by Oswestry Disability Index (ODI); functional outcome, lumbosacral angle, and fusion time were gathered and analyzed. All data expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Results During the 66.2 ± 4.4 months (range, 60–78 months) follow‐up, all patients achieved clinical cure without severe complications. The intraoperative blood loss was 726.3 ± 151.9 mL (range, 400–1100 mL) and the operative time was 137.6 ± 22.5 min (range, 110–200 min). The ESR decreased to normal levels within (11.8 ± 2.6 mm/h) 3 months postoperatively. The VAS score significantly decreased from 6.8 ± 1.1 preoperatively to 0.8 ± 0.7 at the final follow‐up (P

Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a salient traumatic disease that often leads to permanent disability, and motor and sensory impairments. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HucMSCs) have a wide application prospect in the treatment of SCI. This study explored the repair effect of HucMSCs-derived extracellular vesicles (HucMSCs-EVs) on SCI. HucMSCs and HucMSCs-EVs were cultured and identified. The rat model of SCI was established, and SCI rats were treated with HucMSCs-EVs. The motor function of SCI rats and morphology of spinal cord tissues were evaluated. Levels of NeuN, GFAP, and NF200 in spinal cord tissues were detected and cell apoptosis was measured. SCI rats were treated with EVs extracted from miR-29b-3p inhibitor-transfected HucMSCs. The downstream gene and pathway of miR-29b-3p were examined. HucMSCs-EVs-treated rats showed obvious motor function recovery and reduced necrosis, nuclear pyknosis, and cavity. HucMSCs-EVs alleviated spinal cord neuronal injury. miR-29b-3p was poorly expressed in SCI tissues, but highly expressed in EVs and SCI rats treated with EVs. miR-29b-3p targeted PTEN. Inhibition of miR-29b-3p or overexpression of PTEN reversed the repair effect of EVs on SCI. EVs activated the AKT/mTOR pathway via the miR-29b-3p/PTEN. In conclusion, HucMSCs-EVs reduced pathological changes, improved motor function, and promoted nerve function repair in SCI rats via the miR-29b-3p/PTEN/Akt/mTOR axis.

The repair and reconstruction of bone defects remain a challenge in orthopedics. The present study offers a solution to this problem by developing a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) shell-core microspheres loaded on 3D-printed porous titanium alloy via gelatin coating to prepare a titanium-alloy microsphere scaffold release system. The composite scaffold was characterized via scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS), and the effect of the composite scaffold on the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of osteoblasts were determined in vitro. Furthermore, a rabbit femoral defect model was established to verify the effect of the composite scaffold on osteogenesis and bone formation in vivo. The results demonstrated that the composite scaffold could release VEGF and BMP-2 sequentially. Meanwhile, the composite scaffold significantly promoted osteoblast adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation (p < 0.05) compared to pure titanium alloy scaffolds in vitro. Furthermore, the composite scaffold can exhibit significant osteogenic differentiation (p < 0.05) than gelatin-coated titanium alloy scaffolds. The in vivo X-rays demonstrated that the implanted scaffolds were in a good position, without inflammation and infection. Micro-CT and quantitative results of new bone growth illustrated that the amount of new bone in the composite scaffold is significantly higher than that of the gelatin-coated and pure titanium alloy scaffolds (p < 0.05). Similarly, the fluorescence labeling and V-G staining of hard tissue sections indicated that the bone integration capacity of the composite scaffold was significantly higher than the other two groups (p < 0.05). This research suggests that VEGF/BMP-2 shell-core microspheres loaded on 3D-printed titanium alloy porous scaffold through gelatin hydrogel coating achieved the sequential release of VEGF and BMP-2. Most importantly, the in vitro and in vivo study findings have proven that the system could effectively promote osteogenic differentiation and osseointegration.

In the face of large-scale environmental mapping requirements, through the use of lightweight and inexpensive robot groups to perceive the environment, the multi-robot cooperative (V)SLAM scheme can resolve the individual cost, global error accumulation, computational load, and risk concentration problems faced by single-robot SLAM schemes. Such schemes are robust and stable, form a current research hotspot, and relevant algorithms are being updated rapidly. In order to enable the reader to understand the development of this field rapidly and fully, this paper provides a comprehensive review. First, the development history of multi-robot collaborative SLAM is reviewed. Second, the fusion algorithms and architectures are detailed. Third, from the perspective of machine learning classification, the existing algorithms in this field are discussed, including the latest updates. All of this will make it easier for readers to discover problems that need to be studied further. Finally, future research prospects are listed.

Abstract Background To explore the therapeutic effect of early surgical intervention for active thoracic spinal tuberculosis (TB) patients with paraparesis and paraplegia. Methods Data on 118 active thoracic spinal TB patients with paraparesis and paraplegia who had undergone surgery at an early stage (within three weeks of paraparesis and paraplegia) from January 2008 to December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. The operation duration, blood loss, perioperative complication rate, VAS score, ASIA grade and NASCIS score of neurological status rating, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), kyphotic Cobb’s angle, and duration of bone graft fusion were analyzed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of surgery. Results The mean operating time was 194.2 minutes, and the mean blood loss was 871.2 ml. The perioperative complication rate was 5.9 %. The mean preoperative VAS score was 5.3, which significantly decreased to 3.2 after the operation and continued decreasing to 1.1 at follow up (P0.05), then gradually decreased to 11.5 ± 1.8 mm/h and 2.6 ± 0.82 mg/L, respectively, at final follow up (P0.05). The mean duration of bone graft fusion was 8.6 ± 1.3 months. Conclusions Early surgical intervention may be beneficial for active thoracic spinal TB patients with paraparesis and paraplegia, with surgical intervention being more beneficial for recovery from paraparesis than paraplegia.

Abstract Background To evaluate the mid-long-term outcomes of surgical management of mono-segmental lumbar and lumbosacral spinal tuberculosis (TB) in adults by one-stage posterior debridement, single-segment fixation, and titanium mesh cage interbody fusion. Methods A total of 62 patients with mono-segmental lumbar or lumbosacral spinal tuberculosis were enrolled. One-stage posterior debridement, single-segment fixation, and titanium mesh cage interbody fusion was performed. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were compared and analyzed. Results All patients were followed-up for an average of 75.0 ± 11.5 months and completely cured at the final follow-up. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) returned to normal within three months postoperatively. Postoperative Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability index (ODI) were significantly improved compared with preoperative values. Bony fusion occurred after an average of 9.8 ± 2.6 months. The lordosis angle and lumbosacral angle were increased from preoperative 20.4 ± 2.9° and 14.7 ± 3.4° to postoperative 32.8 ± 3.6° and 22.4 ± 5.5°, with angle loss of 1.0 ± 0.7° and 0.8 ± 0.7° at the final follow-up, respectively. No significant differences between preoperative and postoperative adjacent segment disc height (DH) were found. Conclusions One-stage posterior debridement, single-segment fixation, and titanium mesh cage interbody fusion represent effective and feasible treatment option for mono-segmental lumbar and lumbosacral spinal tuberculosis in adults. This approach may preserve lumbar normal motor units and decrease adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) with the advantages of minimal invasiveness and rapid postoperative rehabilitation.

Abstract Background There is no comparative study with long-term follow-up between posterior-only and combined posterior-anterior approaches in treating lumbar spinal tuberculosis (LSTB) and lumbosacral spinal tuberculosis (LSSTB). This retrospective study aimed to compare and evaluate the long-term outcomes of these two surgical approaches in LSTB and LSSTB. Methods Thirty patients with LSTB and 12 patients with LSSTB underwent posterior-only approach (group A); 26 patients with LSTB and 14 patients with LSSTB were managed with combined posterior-anterior approaches (group B). Analysis and comparison in clinical and radiographic outcomes between the two groups were performed. Results The intra-operative bleeding amount, surgery time, and hospitalization days in group A were less than that in group B (P < 0.05). These patients were followed for a minimum of 7 years. All patients achieved completely healing within 2-year follow-up. Bony fusion was obtained in all patients. The visual analog scale, Japanese Orthopedic Association score, Oswestry Disability index, and Kirkaldy-Willis functional evaluation at the final visit demonstrated that all patients in both groups achieved satisfactory results. There was no significant difference in angle correction or maintaining correction between combined posterior-anterior approaches and posterior-only approach (P > 0.05). Complications occurred in both groups. Conclusions Both combined posterior-anterior approaches and posterior-only approach can achieve satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes of long-term in treating LSTB and LSSTB, while posterior-only approach can safely and effectively achieve lesion debridement, decompression, and stability reconstruction and maintenance with the advantages of less invasive surgery, less bleeding, shorter surgery time, and hospital stay, and fewer complications. So, posterior-only approach seemed to be superior to the combined posterior-anterior one.

Abstract Background To compare the clinical and radiological outcomes between posterior mono-segment and short-segment fixation combined with one-stage posterior debridement and bone grafting fusion in treating single-segment lumbar spinal tuberculosis (LSTB). Methods Sixty-two patients with single-segment LSTB treated by a posterior-only approach were divided into two groups: short-segment fixation (Group A, n = 32) and mono-segment fixation (Group B, n = 30). The clinical and radiographic outcomes were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results The intraoperative bleeding volume, operation time, and hospitalization duration were lower in Group B than in Group A. All patients achieved the bony fusion criteria. The visual analog scale score, Japanese Orthopedic Association score, and Oswestry Disability Index were substantially improved 3 months postoperatively and at the last visit in both groups, with no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Kirkaldy–Willis functional evaluation at the final follow-up demonstrated that all patients in both groups achieved excellent or good results. The difference in the angle correction rate and correction loss between Groups A and B was not significant (P > 0.05). Conclusions One-stage posterior debridement, bone grafting fusion, and mono-segment or short-segment fixation can provide satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes. Mono-segment fixation is more suitable for the treatment of single-segment LSTB because the lumbar segments with normal motion can be preserved with less trauma, a shorter operation time, shorter hospitalization, and lower costs.

Clinic therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unsatisfactory that urges for development of novel strategies. Recent studies identified ANP32A as a novel biomarker of unfavorable outcome of leukemia, which promoted leukemogenesis by increasing H3 acetylation and the expression of lipid metabolism genes. It is of great significance to investigate whether targeting ANP32A is a novel strategy for leukemia therapy. To target ANP32A, we identified a peptide that competed with ANP32A to bind to histone 3 (termed as H3-binding peptide, H3BP). Disrupting ANP32A and H3 interaction by the overexpression of H3BP-GFP fusion protein mimicked the effect of ANP32A knockdown, impaired H3 acetylation on multiple locus of target genes, reduced proliferation, and caused apoptosis in leukemia cells. Furthermore, a synthesized membrane-penetrating peptide TAT-H3BP effectively entered into leukemia cells and phenocopied such effect. In vivo, TAT-H3BP showed potent efficacy against leukemia: Intra-tumor injection of TAT-H3BP significantly reduced the volume of subcutaneous tumors in nude mice and recipient mice engrafted with TAT-H3BP-pretreated 6133/MPL W515L cells exhibited ameliorated leukemia burden and prolonged survival. Noticeably, TAT-H3BP efficiently suppressed proliferation and colony-forming unit of human primary AML cells without affecting normal cord blood cells. Our findings demonstrate that intervening the physical interaction of ANP32A with H3 impairs the oncogenicity of ANP32A and may be a promising therapeutic strategy against AML.

Abstract Background The surgical procedures for mid-thoracic spinal tuberculosis mainly include anterior transthoracic debridement and fusion and posterior transpedicular debridement and fusion. Until now, the surgical choice is still controversial. This study aims to compare the clinical efficacy of anterior transthoracic debridement and fusion with posterior transpedicular debridement and fusion in the treatment of mid-thoracic (T5–9) spinal tuberculosis in adult patients. Methods Eighty-seven cases with mid-thoracic spinal tuberculosis were treated with anterior transthoracic debridement and fusion (Group A, n = 39) and posterior transpedicular debridement and fusion (Group B, n = 48) from January 2007 to June 2014. Parameters including the operation time, blood loss, time of ESR and CRP decreasing to the normal level, time of abscess disappearance, time of bone graft fusion, rate of surgical complications, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score, kyphosis angle and SF-36 scale were compared between two groups to evaluate their therapeutic effects. Results All patients were followed up for 5–10 years with the mean of 6.2 ± 1.1 years. No significant differences were observed regarding the gender composition ratio, age, course of disease, number of lesion segments, and preoperative indexes of ESR, CRP, VAS score, kyphosis angle and SF-36 scale between the two groups. Besides, no significant differences were observed regarding VAS score, kyphosis angle and SF-36 scale between the two groups in the 5th postoperative year (P > 0.05). However, the operation time (158.2 ± 10.7 min vs. 183.7 ± 14.1 min), blood loss (517.9 ± 76.5 ml vs.714.6 ± 57.4 ml), time of ESR (2.3 ± 1.1 months vs.3.1 ± 1.4 months) and CRP (1.1 ± 0.3 months vs.1.2 ± 0.6 months) decreasing to the normal level, time of abscess disappearance (2.7 ± 1.6 months vs.4.9 ± 1.9 months), and time of bone graft fusion (6.6 ± 0.8 months vs.8.0 ± 9.6 months) in Group A were less than those in Group B (P

After decades of development, LIDAR and visual SLAM technology has relatively matured and been widely used in the military and civil fields. SLAM technology enables the mobile robot to have the abilities of autonomous positioning and mapping, which allows the robot to move in indoor and outdoor scenes where GPS signals are scarce. However, SLAM technology relying only on a single sensor has its limitations. For example, LIDAR SLAM is not suitable for scenes with highly dynamic or sparse features, and visual SLAM has poor robustness in low-texture or dark scenes. However, through the fusion of the two technologies, they have great potential to learn from each other. Therefore, this paper predicts that SLAM technology combining LIDAR and visual sensors, as well as various other sensors, will be the mainstream direction in the future. This paper reviews the development history of SLAM technology, deeply analyzes the hardware information of LIDAR and cameras, and presents some classical open source algorithms and datasets. According to the algorithm adopted by the fusion sensor, the traditional multi-sensor fusion methods based on uncertainty, features, and novel deep learning are introduced in detail. The excellent performance of the multi-sensor fusion method in complex scenes is summarized, and the future development of multi-sensor fusion method is prospected.

A static environment is a prerequisite for the stable operation of most visual SLAM systems, which limits the practical use of most existing systems. The robustness and accuracy of visual SLAM systems in dynamic environments still face many complex challenges. Only relying on semantic information or geometric methods cannot filter out dynamic feature points well. Considering the problem of dynamic objects easily interfering with the localization accuracy of SLAM systems, this paper proposes a new monocular SLAM algorithm for use in dynamic environments. This improved algorithm combines semantic information and geometric methods to filter out dynamic feature points. Firstly, an adjusted Mask R-CNN removes prior highly dynamic objects. The remaining feature-point pairs are matched via the optical-flow method and a fundamental matrix is calculated using those matched feature-point pairs. Then, the environment’s actual dynamic feature points are filtered out using the polar geometric constraint. The improved system can effectively filter out the feature points of dynamic targets. Finally, our experimental results on the TUM RGB-D and Bonn RGB-D Dynamic datasets showed that the proposed method could improve the pose estimation accuracy of a SLAM system in a dynamic environment, especially in the case of high indoor dynamics. The performance effect was better than that of the existing ORB-SLAM2. It also had a higher running speed than DynaSLAM, which is a similar dynamic visual SLAM algorithm.

The SIRT family of proteins constitutes highly conserved deacetylases with diverse and extensive functions. These proteins have specific biological functions, including regulation of transcription, cell cycle, cell differentiation, apoptosis, stress, metabolism, and genomic stability. Polydatin is a monocrystalline compound isolated from a Chinese herb, Polygonum cuspidatum. The pharmacological mechanisms of polydatin are mostly unclear but involve members of the SIRT protein family, among which SIRT1 plays a vital role. Polydatin is usually considered a potential SIRT1 activator. This review summarizes the signaling mechanism of polydatin involving SIRT1 and discusses the roles of related signal molecules such as PGC-1α, Nrf2, p38-MAPK, NLPR3 inflammasome, and p53. Further, we describe the metabolic regulation of related biological macromolecules and demonstrate that SIRT1, as a metabolic sensor, may act as a new pharmacological target for polydatin.

Visual SLAM (VSLAM) has been developing rapidly due to its advantages of low-cost sensors, the easy fusion of other sensors, and richer environmental information. Traditional visionbased SLAM research has made many achievements, but it may fail to achieve wished results in challenging environments. Deep learning has promoted the development of computer vision, and the combination of deep learning and SLAM has attracted more and more attention. Semantic information, as high-level environmental information, can enable robots to better understand the surrounding environment. This paper introduces the development of VSLAM technology from two aspects: traditional VSLAM and semantic VSLAM combined with deep learning. For traditional VSLAM, we summarize the advantages and disadvantages of indirect and direct methods in detail and give some classical VSLAM open-source algorithms. In addition, we focus on the development of semantic VSLAM based on deep learning. Starting with typical neural networks CNN and RNN, we summarize the improvement of neural networks for the VSLAM system in detail. Later, we focus on the help of target detection and semantic segmentation for VSLAM semantic information introduction. We believe that the development of the future intelligent era cannot be without the help of semantic technology. Introducing deep learning into the VSLAM system to provide semantic information can help robots better perceive the surrounding environment and provide people with higher-level help.

Pediatric solid tumors are heterogeneous and comprise various histological subtypes. TP53 , a tumor suppressor, orchestrates the transcriptional activation of anti-cancer genes. The gene coding for this protein is highly polymorphic, and its mutations are associated with cancer development. The Arg72Pro polymorphism in TP53 has been associated with susceptibility to various types of cancer. Here, in this hospital-based study, we evaluated the association of this polymorphism with susceptibility toward malignant abdominal solid tumors in children in the Hunan province of China. We enrolled 162 patients with neuroblastoma, 60 patients with Wilms’ tumor, and 28 patients with hepatoblastoma as well as 270 controls. Genotypes were determined using a TaqMan assay, and the strength of the association was assessed using an odds ratio, within a 95% confidence interval identified using logistic regression models. Our results showed that the Arg72Pro polymorphism did not exhibit significant association with susceptibility toward pediatric malignant abdominal solid tumors. Stratification analysis revealed that this polymorphism exerts weak sex- and age-specific effects on Wilms’ tumor and hepatoblastoma susceptibility, respectively. Overall, our results indicate that the Arg72Pro polymorphism may have a marginal effect on susceptibility toward pediatric malignant abdominal solid tumors in Hunan, and this finding warrants further confirmation.

The properties of teak wood, such as natural durability and beautiful color, are closely associated with wood extractives. In order to further understand the performance differences between teak heartwood and sapwood, we analyzed the chemical components of extractives from 12 wood samples using an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS)-based metabolomics approach. In total, 691 metabolites were identified, and these were classified into 17 different categories. Clustering analysis and principal component analysis of metabolites showed that heartwood samples could be clearly separated from sapwood samples. Differential metabolite analysis revealed that the levels of primary metabolites, including carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, and nucleotides, were significantly lower in the heartwood than in the sapwood. Conversely, many secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, and quinones, had higher levels in the heartwood than in the sapwood. In addition, we detected 16 specifically expressed secondary metabolites in the heartwood, the presence of which may correlate with the durability and color of teak heartwood. Our study improves the understanding of differential metabolites between sapwood and heartwood of teak, and provides a reference for the study of heartwood formation.

Sandblasting and acid-etching (SLA) and anodization are the two most commonly used methods for surface modification of biomedical titanium. However, there are unavoidable problems such as residual sand particles and lack of hydrophilicity on the surface of titanium sheets treated with SLA technology. In addition, titanium implants showed only the micro/submicroscopic structure. In order to avoid the residue of sand particles in the surface of titanium, the two surface treatments etching treatment (E) and etched-anodizing (EA) on titanium were used, and their surface topography, surface chemistry, and surface roughness were compared with those of the SLA control group. Their wettability and the biocompatibility were also compared and evaluated. The results show that both E and EA samples have the micro/nano hierarchical structure and better wettability compared with the SLA samples. Their performances, especially the E surfaces, were enhanced in terms of cell adhesion, spreading, proliferation, and differentiation abilities.

In this paper, two kinds of titanium surfaces with novel micro/nano hierarchical structures, namely Etched (E) surface and Sandblast and etched (SE) surface, were successfully fabricated by NH4OH and H2O2 mixture. And their cellular responses of MG63 were investigated compared with Sandblast and acid-etching (SLA) surface. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Surface profiler, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Contact angle instrument were employed to assess the surface morphologies, roughness, chemistry and wettability respectively. Hierarchical structures with micro holes of 10-30 μm in diameter and nano pits of tens of nanometers in diameter formed on both E and SE surfaces. The size of micro holes is very close to osteoblast cell, which makes them wonderful beds for osteoblast. Moreover, these two kinds of surfaces possess similar roughness and superior hydrophilicity to SLA. Reactive oxygen species were detected on E and SE surface, and thus considerable antimicrobial performance and well fixation can be speculated on them. The cell experiments also demonstrated a boost in cell attachment, and that proliferation and osteogenic differentiation were achieved on them, especially on SE surface. The results indicate that the treatment of pure titanium with H2O2/NH4OH is an effective technique to improve the initial stability of implants and enhance the osseointegration, which may be a promising surface treatment to titanium implant.

Wireless signals–based activity detection and recognition technology may be complementary to the existing vision-based methods, especially under the circumstance of occlusions, viewpoint change, complex background, lighting condition change, and so on. This paper explores the properties of the channel state information (CSI) of Wi-Fi signals, and presents a robust indoor daily human activity recognition framework with only one pair of transmission points (TP) and access points (AP). First of all, some indoor human actions are selected as primitive actions forming a training set. Then, an online filtering method is designed to make actions’ CSI curves smooth and allow them to contain enough pattern information. Each primitive action pattern can be segmented from the outliers of its multi-input multi-output (MIMO) signals by a proposed segmentation method. Lastly, in online activities recognition, by selecting proper features and Support Vector Machine (SVM) based multi-classification, activities constituted by primitive actions can be recognized insensitive to the locations, orientations, and speeds.