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Efficiency reduction in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) during the magnification procedure significantly hampers commercialization. Vacuum‐flash (VF) has emerged as a promising method to fabricate PSCs with consistent efficiency across scales. However, the slower solvent removal rate of VF compared to the anti‐solvent method leads to perovskite films with buried defects. Thus, this work employs low‐toxic Lewis base ligand solvent N‐ethyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NEP) to improve the nucleation process of perovskite films. NEP, with a mechanism similar to that of N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone in FA‐based perovskite formation, enhances the solvent removal speed owing to its lower coordination ability. Based on this strategy, p–i–n PSCs with an optimized interface attain a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.19% on an area of 0.08 cm2. The same nucleation process enables perovskite solar modules (PSMs) to achieve a certified PCE of 23.28% on an aperture area of 22.96 cm2, with a high geometric fill factor of 97%, ensuring nearly identical active area PCE (24%) in PSMs as in PSCs. This strategy highlights the potential of NEP as a ligand solvent choice for the commercialization of PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posterolateral (PL)-depression fractures of the tibial plateau are difficult to manage. The aim of this study was: (1) to present our experience with a novel technique of robot-assisted percutaneous reduction and fixation and (2) to compare it with the traditional percutaneous screw osteosynthesis (PSO) technique for the treatment of PL-depression tibial plateau fractures. The clinical data of patients with PL-depression tibial plateau fractures treated by robot-assisted percutaneous reduction and fixation technique and traditional PSO technique from January 2017 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, there were 18 cases in the robot-assisted group (RA group) and 23 cases in the PSO group. All fractures were unilateral, closed and fresh PL-depression fractures of the tibial plateau. Patients in the RA group were treated by robot assisted reduction and minimally invasive absorbable screw fixation. The PSO group was treated by closed reduction and percutaneous absorbable screw osteosynthesis. The incision length, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopic times, inpatient time, weight training time and postoperative complications of the two groups were statistically analyzed. The Rasmussen radiological score was used to assess the reduction quality after operation while the Rasmussen functional score was used to evaluate knee joint functions at one year postoperatively. All patients were followed for at least one year. There was no significant difference in demographic information between the two groups (p > 0.05). Compared with the PSO group, the RA group showed less fluoroscopic times and better Rasmussen radiological and functional scores (p < 0.05). Besides, there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (p > 0.05). The novel robot-assisted percutaneous reduction and fixation technique had the characteristics of less radiation, accurate reduction and fixation. It could accelerate the rehabilitation of patients with PL-depression fractures of the tibial plateau and enable patients to obtain good joint functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) have great potential for high power switching applications due to the high breakdown field and high electron mobility. In this work, we present a vertical GaN-on-GaN PN power diode using high dielectric constant material, BaTiO3, for electrical field management and high breakdown voltages, in together with an optimized guard-ring and field plate design. Numerical simulation shows that with high-k dielectrics implemented, the peak electrical field at the PN interface is mitigated from 3.5 to 3.1 MV/cm under a reverse bias of −9.05 kV. The device design with BaTiO3 shows a breakdown voltage of 9.65 kV or about 600 V improvement. The fabricated diodes with a 57 μm thick drift layer demonstrate a breakdown voltage of 7.86 kV on a bulk GaN substrate. The device has an on-resistance of 2.8 mΩ cm 2 and a Baliga figure of merit of 22 GW/ cm 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ilizarov technique usually requires long-term placement of external ring fixators for consolidation in the treatment of tibial large bone defects which results in a variety of complications. • Modified Ilizarov techniques have been tried to shorten the duration of external fixation to avoid the related complications and improve the quality of life for the patients. • Bone transport under the guidance of intramedullary nail could reduce the period of external fixation, guarantee the length and alignment of the regenerated bone, improve the comfort of patients and allow early removal of the external fixator, weight bearing and rehabilitation. To compare the bone transport over an intramedullary nail in combination with antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulphate versus bone transport alone with antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulphate for the treatment of tibial large bone defects. A retrospective analysis was conducted by enroling 33 surgically treated patients with tibial large bone defects after the debridement for tibial infection or osteomyelitis who were admitted in Lower Limb Surgery Ward of Traumatic orthopaedic Department, Xi'an Honghui Hospital from January 2018 to January 2021. All the patients were categorized in Group A (transport over intramedullary nail, 12 cases) and Group B (transport alone, 21 cases) based on the surgery strategy. The collected clinical materials and data included gender, age, injury mechanism, smoking habits, comorbidity diseases, initial fracture type (open or close), bone defect size, surgical duration, intraoperative bleeding loss, resorption time of calcium sulphate, bone transport time, external fixation time, external fixation index, weight bearing time, complications and Paley bone and functional criteria. Thirty-three patients were enroled and successfully followed up with an average time of 15.25±4.31 months ranged from 8 to 21 months in Group A and an average time of 17.09±5.64 months ranged from 9 to 31 months in Group B. No significantly statistical differences of the demographic data were discovered between the two groups. There were no significantly statistical differences of the average bone defect size, intraoperative bleeding loss, resorption time of calcium sulphate and bone transport time between the two groups. However, the average surgical duration (P = 0.002) was significantly longer in Group A than Group B and the average external fixation time (P<0.001), external fixation index(P = 0.002) and weight bearing time (P = 0.030) were significantly shorter in Group A than Group B. No significantly statistical difference of excellent and good rate of bone outcomes and complication rate was observed, however, the excellent and good rate of functional outcomes (P = 0.041) was significantly higher in Group A than Group B. Compared with the conventional Ilizarov technique combining with antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulphate for large tibial bone defects, bone transport over an intramedullary nail in combination with antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulphate had favourable external fixation time, external fixation index, weight bearing time and clinical functional outcomes which effectively suppressed the infection and allowed patients earlier removal of the external fixator and weight bearing for rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effectively encapsulating perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to enhance the external reliability is the key towards commercialization. We herein propose a facile encapsulation method by introducing conductive ribbons and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) backsheet on both sides of PSC. Via applying thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) encapsulant, we implemented PSCs with fine encapsulation, enabling considerable durability in the ambient atmosphere and even with water immersion, demonstrating almost no degradation in the device output, which is ascribed to the low water vapor transmission rate as well as the high chemical stability of TPO. The operation reliability of the encapsulated cell is also significantly increased, maintaining 80% of the initial efficiency after 770 hours' light illumination in an ambient atmosphere. This novel encapsulation route provides a feasible idea for the commercial application of PSCs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stochastic gradient methods (SGMs) have been extensively used for solving stochastic problems or large-scale machine learning problems. Recent works employ various techniques to improve the convergence rate of SGMs for both convex and nonconvex cases. Most of them require a large number of samples in some or all iterations of the improved SGMs. In this paper, we propose a new SGM, named PStorm, for solving nonconvex nonsmooth stochastic problems. With a momentum-based variance reduction technique, PStorm can achieve the optimal complexity result O (ε - 3) to produce a stochastic ε -stationary solution, if a mean-squared smoothness condition holds. Different from existing optimal methods, PStorm can achieve the O (ε - 3) result by using only one or O(1) samples in every update. With this property, PStorm can be applied to online learning problems that favor real-time decisions based on one or O(1) new observations. In addition, for large-scale machine learning problems, PStorm can generalize better by small-batch training than other optimal methods that require large-batch training and the vanilla SGM, as we demonstrate on training a sparse fully-connected neural network and a sparse convolutional neural network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The reduction in irreducible extracapsular hip fractures has always been controversial. Here, we present a new minimally invasive reduction technique and compare it with limited open reduction (LOR) to treat irreducible extracapsular hip fractures.Methods: From January 2016 to January 2018, our institution treated 653 patients with extracapsular hip fractures by intramedullary fixation. Among them, 525 cases got a successful closed reduction. The other 128 were irreducible and reduced by percutaneous reduction with double screwdrivers (PRDS) or LOR. There were 66 cases in the PRDS group while 62 in the LOR group. All fractures were classified using the Evans-Jensen classification. In addition, the differences in incision length, blood loss, fluoroscopic number, operation time, inpatient time, weight training time, Harris score, and complications were analyzed.Results: The incision length was 8.4 ± 1.4 cm in the PRDS group and 15.3 ± 3.0 cm in the LOR group, respectively (p < 0.05); blood loss was equal to 151 ± 26 and 319 ± 33 ml, respectively (p < 0.05); fluoroscopic number was 14 ± 3 and 8 ± 2, respectively (p < 0.05); operation time was 44 ± 9 and 73 ± 11 min, respectively (p < 0.05); inpatient time was 6.2 ± 1.7 and 8.4 ± 2.2 days, respectively (p < 0.05); weight training time after the operation was 4.5 ± 1.5 and 10.7 ± 1.8 days, respectively (p < 0.05); and the excellent rate of Harris score was 92.4% and 88.7%, respectively (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in complication incidence between the two groups (p > 0.05).Conclusions: The PRDS group presented better clinical effects for managing irreducible extracapsular hip fractures than the LOR. Therefore, the PRDS technique could be the first reduction choice for patients with irreducible fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this paper was to compare the clinical effects of acute shortening and re-lengthening (ASR) technique with antibiotic calcium sulfate-loaded bone transport (ACSBT) technique for the management of large segmental tibial defects after trauma. Methods: In this retrospective study, 68 patients with large segmental tibial defects were included and completely followed. The bone loss was 3–10 cm. ASR group included 32 patients, while ACSBT group contained 36. There was no significant difference in demographic information between the two groups. The external fixation time (EFT) and external fixation index (EFI) were compared. Bone defect healing and limb functions were evaluated according to the Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov (ASAMI) criteria. Complications were compared by Paley classification. Results: The mean EFT was 9.2 ± 1.8 months in ASR group and 10.1 ± 2.0 months in ACSBT group, respectively. The mean EFI was 1.5 ± 0.2 month/cm and 1.4 ± 0.3 month/cm. According to the ASAMI criteria, in ASR group bone defect healing was excellent in 22 cases, good in 7 cases and fair in 3 cases. In ACSBT group, it was excellent in 23 cases, good in 11 cases and fair in 2 cases. In ASR group, the limb function was excellent in 15 cases, good in 7 cases and fair in 10 cases, while it was excellent in 14 cases, good in 9 cases and fair in 13 cases with ACSBT group. There was no significant difference in EFI, bone defect healing and limb functions between the two groups (p > 0.05). The mean number of complications per patient in ACSBT group was significantly lower than that in ASR group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Both techniques can be successfully used for the management of large segmental tibial defects after trauma. There was no significant difference in EFI, limb functions and bone defect healing between the two groups. Compared with ASR group, the complication incidence in ACSBT group was lower, especially the infection-related complications. Therefore, for patients with large segmental bone defects caused by infection or osteomyelitis, ACSBT technique could be the first choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) have emerged as promising materials for organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) applications due to their potential to synergize polymer and porous nanomaterials. Theoretically understanding the role of nanofillers within MMMs in determining the OSN performance is crucial for the development of new MMMs. In this work, the molecular simulations are performed to investigate the swelling process and OSN performance of the spirobifluorene aryl diamine (SBAD-1)/porous organic cage (POC) MMMs. Three POCs (i.e., CC3, CC5, and CC17) and three organic solvents (i.e., methanol, acetonitrile, and acetone) are studied. The pure SBAD-1 and pure POC membranes are also constructed for comparison. Results show that the attractive interactions between SBAD-1 and POC can restrict the flexibility of polymer chains, and thereby decrease the dilation of polymer matrix and also the porosity of swollen MMM. Based on this, the solvent resistant property and dye rejection would be well enhanced. Moreover, compared with pure SBAD-1 and pure POC membranes, the solvent permeabilities through swollen MMMs are found to drop due to the blockage of POC pores by SBAD-1 chains and the smaller porosity in membrane. This work reveals the pivotal role of interaction between SBAD-1 and POC in the swelling and OSN performance of SBAD-1/POC MMMs, and would provide theoretical support for the development of MMMs for OSN applications. Organic solvent nanofiltration performances through SBAD-1/POC MMMs are governed by the attractive interactions between SBAD-1 and POC. [Display omitted] • The swelling process and OSN performance of the SBAD-1/POC MMMs are predicted. • The attractive interactions between SBAD-1 and POC can restrict the flexibility of polymer chains. • The solvent permeabilities through SBAD-1/POC MMMs are found to drop owing to the insertion of SBAD-1 in POC. • The solvent resistant property and dye rejection of SBAD-1 membrane could be enhanced by the addition of POCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complanatuside A (ComA) is a flavonoid-rich compound in Astragalus membranaceus that has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. In this study, we focused on the effect of ComA on spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice and explored its possible mechanisms. The SCI model was constructed using C57BL/6J mice, and the effect of ComA on motor function recovery in SCI mice was evaluated through the BMS (Basso Mouse Scale) and footprint test. The histological effects of ComA on SCI mice were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, Luxol-fast blue (LFB) staining, and Nissl staining. In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, we detected the activation of microglia and the release of inflammatory factors through molecular experiments. Immunofluorescence and Western blotting confirmed that ComA can prevent neuronal apoptosis caused by activated microglia through the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. Our research results confirm that ComA can improve motor function in mice after SCI. Our in vitro results indicate that ComA can inhibit the activation of BV2 cells and the release of proinflammatory mediators. In addition, ComA can prevent neuronal cell apoptosis caused by activated BV2 cells. Finally, we found that ComA works through the JNK signaling pathway. ComA can accelerate the restoration of motor function in mice after SCI, possibly by reducing neuronal apoptosis via inhibition of JNK-related signaling pathways, a reduction in microglial activation, and inhibition of inflammatory factor release. Our data indicate that ComA is a promising drug candidate for improving functional recovery in patients with SCI. ComA inhibits the activation of microglia and the inflammatory response in SCI mice, thereby protecting against neuronal apoptosis and promoting recovery of motor function. [Display omitted] • Complanatuside A promotes motor function recovery in SCI mice. • Complanatuside A weakens inflammatory response by inhibiting the activation of microglia, thereby protecting neurons in vitro and in vivo. • Complanatuside A can inhibit the activation of microglia through the JNK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nucleation and crystallization processes within solution‐processed deposition is key for obtaining perovskite films with high quality. Herein, the synergistic effect of Cs+, ligand solvent (tetramethylene sulfoxide, TMSO), and methylammonium ions (MA+) on nucleation and crystallization procedures of preparing perovskites films is studied. The results reveal that producing α‐phase nuclei in the intermediate‐phase film (a perovskite film formed by removing the solvent before annealing) is the key factor for obtaining α‐phase‐pure perovskites, wherein Cs+ is necessary for reducing the formation energy of the α‐phase. In addition, the nonvolatile ligand (TMSO) is used to inhibit rapid nucleation, because it can form a stable intermediate phase. Furthermore, the introduction of the volatile MA+ cations compound (MACl) combined with Cs+ contributed to the direct formation of α‐phase nuclei in the intermediate‐phase film, and ion exchange (between FA+ and MA+) occurs during the subsequent annealing process, which leads to the formation of large‐grain perovskite film with good crystallinity. Maximum power conversion efficiencies of 22.08% and 16.88% are obtained via this strategy for a perovskite solar cell on a small area (active area: 0.09 cm2) and a perovskite solar module (aperture area: 12.92 cm2), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloroplasts are the organelles responsible for photosynthesis and regulate normal plant growth. Although translation elongation factors play important roles in chloroplast development, functional studies of chloroplast translation elongation factors in higher plants remain very sparse. Here, we obtained a rice mutant exhibiting seedling-lethal albino phenotype and named it albino and lethal seedling 1 (als1). Consistently, low content of photosynthetic pigments, malformed chloroplasts and defective photosynthesis were observed in als1 mutant leaves. Map-based cloning experiment showed that als1 mutant had a T base insertion in Os02g0595700 , causing a frame shift and premature stop codon. ALS1 encoded a GTP-binding protein EF-Tu, which acts as a translation elongation factor in chloroplast protein translation. ALS1 was found to be expressed throughout plant with highest expression level in young leaves. Moreover, ALS1 was located in chloroplast, whereas the truncated als1 could not normally be located in chloroplast. Additionally, the ALS1 mutation significantly influenced the expression of downstream genes, such as genes relevant to chlorophyll biosynthesis, photosynthesis as well as chloroplast development. These results show that ALS1 acts as a key regulator of chloroplast development and plant growth. • We identified and characterized a novel rice mutant with seedling-lethal albino phenotype and named the mutant als1. • ALS1 plays a crucial role in chlorophyll biosynthesis, photosynthesis and chloroplast development. • als1 protein cannot be localized in chloroplasts, which may lead to seedling lethal albino phenotype in als1 mutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Found and molded the relationship between the high-frequency signal of image carrier and steganalysis accuracy. • Posterior accuracy is proposed to evaluate the real accuracy of steganalysis and it can be used to improve steganalysis performance in the actual environment, because we can find a subset with a high accuracy(such as 100%) from the prediction images which have a relatively low accuracy (such as 80%). • Actually, the relationship between image carrier and steganalysis accuracy can even be used to improve steganography performance significantly. Abstract Steganalysis research is committed to distinguishing the steganography media from the normal one correctly. However, individual differences of carriers disturb the detection inevitably and greatly. Existing methods treat all detection results with the same confidence level, or prior accuracy, which may make the prior accuracy overestimate or underestimate the real result. This paper presents a novel performance evaluation method of steganalysis based on posterior accuracy. Adaptive Convolution Feature (ACF) is calculated by the adaptive convolution, then a quantitative value S based on the ACF is modeled to posterior testify and estimate the detection confidence of the image under test. By clustering of carrier noise, we classify the images which we believe they have a similar confidence of the same cluster. The distribution of ACF from each cluster indicates that the S value works well for confidence evaluation. The experimental results show that the S value can distinguish and identify high-confidence samples from the low-confidence, which will greatly improve the real performance of steganalysis. Besides, it improves the steganalysis accuracy of the whole image set by matching S values between training and prediction samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siamese-architecture-based self-supervised learning usually suffers from relatively high computational consumption and unsatisfactory performance because of its slow convergence and poor feature extraction capability. To alleviate these issues, we propose a self-supervised method, called SSL 2 , that is both efficient and effective. Specifically, a global and local sampling method is proposed to increase the number of samples while maintaining connections between semantic features. More significantly, SSL 2 maintains low computational complexity and facilitates the establishment of mapping relationships between global comprehensive and local detailed features compared with other methods. In addition, an i nformation r etainer p rojection h ead (IRPH) is proposed to further balance the information between detailed inconsistency and semantic consistency. Finally, hybrid tasks are embedded into SSL 2 to optimize the model so that it can effectively leverage the data provided by global and local sampling. Extensive qualitative and quantitative evaluations of various types of benchmarks illustrate that SSL 2 outperforms existing self-supervised frameworks in commonly used computer vision tasks. Specifically, SSL 2 achieved satisfactory performance with linear classification on ImageNet, outperforming MoCo-v2 by 2.2% with fewer calculations, and it also achieved competitive results compared with other state-of-the-art methods. • A new single-branch self-supervised learning framework is designed. • A novel sampling strategy is designed to make full use of the information. • A head is designed to balance detailed inconsistency and semantic consistency. • Well-balanced hybrid loss functions are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the development of a simplified protocol for the large-scale preparation of 4CzIPN and 3DPA2FBN, two photocatalysts used in organic synthesis. The traditional methods for synthesizing these photocatalysts have been expensive and impractical for large-scale production. The authors of this study optimized the original protocol, using a base and a solvent switch to improve efficiency and simplify the process. The resulting protocol allows for the production of 4CzIPN and 3DPA2FBN on a large scale, making them more accessible for use in the pharmaceutical industry. The article also includes information on the crystal structure of 4CzIPN and the synthesis of 3DPA2FBN. Overall, this research provides a valuable contribution to the field of photocatalysis and offers potential applications for these photocatalysts in academia and industry. [Extracted from the article]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant harm globally, prompting us to prioritize prevention measures. Effective hand-washing is one of the most critical and straightforward measures that can help prevent the spread of this virus. Medical staff's hands are considered a major source of hospital infection. Effective hand-washing can prevent up to 30% of diarrhea-related illnesses, which is crucial in preventing nosocomial infections (Tartari et al. in Clin Microbiol Infect 23(9):596–598, 2017). This paper proposes an electronic-based real-time hand-washing identification framework called Alpha Hand Washing (ALPHA HW). The system uses camera-based identification, edge computing, and deep learning to automatically identify correct hand-washing behaviors, thereby facilitating effective hand-washing (Bertasius et al. in: Computer vision and pattern recognition, 2015). We achieved an accuracy of 78.0% mAP and a speed of 52 FPS in detecting scenes using specific monitoring datasets in hospitals by constructing the complex recognition system into a grid computing problem. Leveraging edge computing, our system achieves real-time identification with low memory consumption and high-efficiency computation. Alpha HW presents scientific and financial values in epidemic prevention and control that can facilitate popularization to reduce virus spread (Bewley et al. in 2016 IEEE international conference on image processing, 2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient enantioselective synthesisof the chiral polycycliccholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor 1has been developed. The synthesis was rendered practical for largescale via the development of a modified Hantzsch-type reaction toprepare the sterically hindered pyridine ring, enantioselective hydrogenationof hindered ketone 6utilizing novel BIBOP-amino-pyridinederived Ru complex, efficient ICl promoted lactone formation, anda BF3mediated hydrogenation process for diastereoselectivelactol reduction. This efficient route was successfully scaled toproduce multikilogram quantities of challenging CETP drug candidate 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We develop a new modified technique of acute shortening and double-level lengthening for the management of large tibial bone defects after trauma and infection. • Compared with bone transport, our modified technique of acute shortening and double-level lengthening could reduce time in frame and postoperative complications. The aim of this study was to present our experience with a new modified Ilizarov technique of acute shortening and double-level lengthening (ASDL) for the management of large tibial bone defects after trauma and infection and compare it with bone transport (BT). A retrospective comparative study was performed on 47 patients with large tibial defects after trauma and infection from June 2014 to June 2018. Depending on different Ilizarov methods, these patients were divided into ASDL group (n = 21) and BT group (n = 26). The difference in bone lengthening time, time in frame, external fixation index, docking site healing time were recorded and compared between the two groups. Bone and functional results were evaluated according to the Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov (ASAMI) criteria. Complications encountered in both groups were categorized according to the classification of Paley, including problems (treated nonoperatively), obstacles (treated operatively), and sequelae (unresolved at last). All patients were followed for at least two years since the lengthening frame was removed. All cases achieved complete union at the docking site and consolidation of the regenerate callus. The mean bone loss was 8.9 cm (range 6.5–16.0 cm) in ASDL group vs. 10.3 cm (range 5.2–18.5 cm) in BT group. The mean bone lengthening time was 2.4 ± 0.7 months in ASDL group vs. 4.1 ± 1.4 months in BT group (p <0.001); time in frame was 9.1 months (range 7.0–14.5 months) in ASDL group vs. 17.7 months (range 13.5–23.0 months) in BT group (p <0.001); and external fixation index was 1.04 months/cm (range 0.83–1.38 months/cm) in ASDL group vs. 1.91 months/cm (range 1.28–2.70 months/cm) in BT group (p <0.001). The incidence of obstacles occurred in ASDL group was significantly lower than that in BT group (p <0.001). There was no significant difference in the bone (p = 0.635) and functional results (p = 0.293) between the two groups. Compared with bone transport, our modified technique of acute shortening and double-level lengthening could reduce bone lengthening time, time in frame, external fixation index and postoperative complications. It showed better clinical effects in patients with large tibial bone defects after trauma and infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastics pollution in global soil systems is becoming a severely global issue and potential threat to terrestrial ecosystem serves and human health. Herein, in order to determine the degradability and ecological effects of polyethylene (PE) films, we measured the weight loss and characterization of PE films and analyzed variation in microbial community. The results of weight loss, SEM and FTIR spectra exhibited that PE films had unique degradation performance under different conditions. Simultaneously, we investigated the effects of PE films on the microbial community, and the microbiota colonizing on plastics. PE films may change the soil microbial community composition in soil, and hold the post of unique matrix for microbial colonization. These results indicate that the degradation of PE films and microbial community composition in soil can be affected by different conditions (soil layer, time and plants). By assessing the alteration of microbial community composition and PE films in soil, this work will contribute to enhance our understanding on the potential risks of plastics on soil ecosystems and provide a scientific basis for understanding the ecological effect of plastics on soil functions. [Display omitted] • Degradation characteristics of PE films in soil were assessed. • PE films have different effects on microbial community under different conditions. • Compared with soil, PE films surfaces have unique microbial community composition. • The interactions between PE films and soil microbial community were explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The synthesis of several pyrrolidine inhibitor analogs is described that possess nanomolar in vitro potencies against the neuraminidase enzymes expressed by the B/Memphis/3/89 and A/N1/PR/8/34 influenza strains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents the synthesis of the Wittig reagent [(diethoxyphosphinyl)methylidene]triphenylphosphorane using its phosphonium triflate salt. Treatment of the reagent with various aldehydes and an activated ketone; Formation of cis and trans isomers; Hydrogenation of alpha, beta-unsaturated esters.

Introduction: Intertrochanteric fractures are associated with high mortality rates; however, long-term data on survival and predictors remain scarce. Therefore, this study investigated risk factors associated with 3-year mortality in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures.Methods: In a retrospective study, 156 elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures who underwent surgery between January 2017 to January 2018 at our center were included. Association-affecting variables, such as gender, age, time from injury to surgery, hemoglobin (Hb), total lymphocyte count (TLC), albumin, malnutrition, and co-morbidities, were recorded and analyzed. Afterward, logistic regression was used to analyze the significant variables and find independent predictors for 3-year mortality.Results: A total of 156 patients were followed up for 3 years. The 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year postoperative cumulative mortality rates were 9.6% (15/156), 16.7% (26/156), and 24.4% (38/156), respectively. Simple analyses found that age, Hb, albumin, and malnutrition were associated with 3-year mortality (p < 0.05). Multivariable analysis confirmed that advanced age (p < 0.001) and low albumin (p = 0.014) were independent risk factors for 3-year mortality.Conclusion: Low serum albumin and advanced age were independent risk factors for long-term mortality in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sorption of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) on soil and soil components makes an important contribution to the fate, migration and bioavailability of PPCPs. Previous reviews have mostly focused on the sorption of PPCPs on single soil components (e.g., minerals and soil organic matter). However, the sorption of PPCPs within the whole soil system has not been systematically analyzed. This paper reviews the recent progress on PPCP sorption on soil and soil components. We have evaluated the sorption of a wide range of PPCPs in research fields that are usually considered in isolation (e.g., humic acids (HAs), montmorillonite, kaolinite, and goethite), and established a bridge between PPCPs and sorbent. The sorption mechanisms of PPCPs, e.g., cation exchange, surface complexation, electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding, are discussed and critically evaluated. We also assessed the influence of environmental factors (pH, ionic strength, organic matter and temperature) on sorption. This review summarizes the knowledge of PPCPs sorption on soil gained in recent years, which can provide new strategies for solving the problem of antibiotic pollution. Unlabelled Image • Influencing factors of PPCP sorption to soil and its components were summarized. • Contrasting trends of PPCP sorption with changes of factors were organized. • Sorption mechanisms of PPCPs on soil and its components were classified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a new approach to intraoperatively identify the presence of coronal plane deformities (both valgus and varus) when treating tibial fractures with closed reduction and intramedullary nail fixation. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted by enrolling 33 consecutive patients with tibial fractures who received closed reduction and intramedullary nail fixation from January 2018 to January 2019 at our trauma center. Out of the 33 patients, 23 were males and 10 were females and the average age was 41 years (ranging 22 to 69 years of age). Standard anteroposterior and lateral preoperative radiographs were routinely performed. After intraoperatively inserting the tibial intramedullary nail through the standard entry point, the parallel relationship between the distal horizontal interlocking screw and the tibiotalar joint surface on the anteroposterior fluoroscopy was used to determine the occurrence of valgus or varus deformities of the distal tibial fragment. Radiographic and clinical outcomes were analyzed using the average interval from injury to surgery, the lateral distal tibial angle (LDTA) of the unaffected and affected sides, complications and the Olerud–Molander ankle score. Results: All 33 patients were postoperatively followed for 13 to 25 months (mean 18.7 months). The fractures achieved bone union at an average of 4.3 months (ranging from 3 to 6 months). The total complication rate was 60.6% (20 cases), including four cases that showed deep vein thrombosis, one case showing an infection and delayed union and 15 cases showing slight to moderate anterior knee pain. The postoperative LDTA of the unaffected side measured 87.3° to 89.6 ° (average 88.7° ± 0.8°), and the LDTA of the affected side was 87.5° to 90.4° (average 88.9° ± 1.1°). There was no significant difference between the unaffected and affected sides (t = −1.865, P = 0.068). The intraoperative measurement indicated six cases of valgus angulation and three cases of varus angulation deformities, and all deformities were corrected during surgery. According to the Olerud–Molander ankle score, clinical outcomes demonstrated 22 excellent cases, eight good cases, two fair cases, and one poor case 12 months after surgery. Conclusion: The parallel relationship between the distal horizontal interlocking screw and tibiotalar joint surface on intraoperative anteroposterior films were able to determine the onset of valgus or varus angulations of the distal tibial fragment in the fracture zone after the tibial intramedullary nail was inserted through the standard entry point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First synthesis of the diastereomeric mixture of Salbutamol dimer (2) is described. The synthesis provides access to multi-gram quantities of 2 for reference supplies and further analytical and toxicology investigations. It also confirmed the proposed structure by comparison to authentic sample. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reaction of N-alkylated glycine esters with excess acrolein in the presence of acid, followed by treatment with triethylamine, provided N-substituted 4-formyl-5-vinyl proline carboxylates in good yields with high regio- and stereoselectivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Increasing thermal hydrolysis time facilitated acidogenesis, especially acetic acid. • Solubilization/hydrolysis were enriched with thermal hydrolysis time increased. • Acidogenesis was promoted by giving rise to fermentative bacteria enriched. • Key functional genes expression related with acidogenesis are upregulated. While thermal hydrolysis pretreatment (THP) represents a promising technology for enhancing the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), the specific impact mechanisms of the THP duration on the acidogenic fermentation process have yet to be fully understood. This study addresses this gap by investigating the influence of various THP times on biochemical processes, microbial components, and genetic mechanisms during the fermentation process. The results indicate that extending the THP duration from 10 to 30 min is advantageous for achieving higher VFAs production and an increased proportion of acetic acid (2876.5 and 28.9% versus 4523.8 mg COD L−1 and 44.6%). Mechanism investigations revealed that longer THP durations are particularly effective in enhancing hydrolysis and solubilization. Notably, The PN and PS concentrations at THP time of 30 min was 68.6% and 83.6% higher than that at THP time of 10 min at 2nd d. Additionally, extended THP durations led to the enrichment of VFAs-producing and hydrolysis functional microorganisms (e.g., Comamonas , Fonticella , Bacillus and Romboutsia), along with the specialized functional genes (e.g., accA , accC , accD and bccA), which are crucial for elevated VFAs production. Collectively, this study provides comprehensive insights into the impact mechanisms of varying THP durations on VFAs production and offers valuable contributions to the field of sludge management and resource recovery research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous polarization plays a crucial role in manifesting unprecedented properties in polar materials, yet its mechanism remains relatively unexplored. We lack certainty regarding how asymmetric groups distort to generate spontaneous polarization, and the understanding of how spontaneous polarization changes with temperature is incomplete. In this study, we have grown a high-quality crystal of metal borate halides, specifically Mn3B7O13Cl, as a proof of principle for spontaneous polarization in polar materials. Our results for Mn3B7O13Cl indicate that approximately 80% of spontaneous polarization originates from [MnCl2O4], and the magnitude of spontaneous polarization associated with [MnCl2O4] remains nearly constant with temperature. Meanwhile, the temperature-dependent variation in spontaneous polarization is entirely governed by the [BO4–BO3] groups. These findings provide insight into the mechanism of spontaneous polarization in polar materials, particularly metal borate halides, and offer a new pathway for inducing properties related to spontaneous polarization in this class of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) have exhibited excellent feature extraction and detail reconstruction capabilities for single image super-resolution (SISR). Nevertheless, most previous DCNN-based methods do not fully utilize the complementary strengths between feature maps, channels, and pixels. Therefore, it hinders the ability of DCNNs to represent abundant features. To tackle the aforementioned issues, we present a Cascaded Visual Attention Network for SISR called CVANet, which simulates the visual attention mechanism of the human eyes to focus on the reconstruction process of details. Specifically, we first designed a trainable feature attention module (FAM) for feature-level attention learning. Afterward, we introduce a channel attention module (CAM) to reinforce feature maps under channel-level attention learning. Meanwhile, we propose a pixel attention module (PAM) that adaptively selects representative features from the previous layers, which are utilized to generate a high-resolution image. Satisfactory, our CVANet can effectively improve the resolution of images by exploring the feature representation capabilities of different modules and the visual perception properties of the human eyes. Extensive experiments with different methods on four benchmarks demonstrate that our CVANet outperforms the state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods in subjective visual perception, PSNR, and SSIM.The code will be made available https://github.com/WilyZhao8/CVANet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Awn of rice is an important domestication trait closely associated with yield traits. Therefore, the identification of genes for awn development is of great significance for the elucidation of molecular mechanism of awn development and the genetic improvement of yield traits in rice. Results: In this study, using chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) derived from a long-awned Guangxi common wild rice (GXCWR, Oryza rufipogon Griff.) and a short-awned indica cultivar 9311, we identified An-4, a potential quantitative trait locus (QTL) for awn development. Then, An-4 was fine mapped into a 56-kb region of chromosome 2, which contained four annotated genes. Among these four annotated genes, Os02g0594800 was concluded to be the potential candidate gene for An-4. An-4 exhibited pleiotropic effects on awn development and several yield traits. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that An-4 significantly promoted awn development at Sp7 and Sp8 stage of spikelet development. Transcriptome analysis suggested that An-4 might influence the development of awn by regulating the expression of genes related to growth, developmental process, channel regulation and extracellular region. By contrast to those of 9311, the expression level of OsRR5 in CSSL128 was significantly down-regulated, whereas the expression levels of OsCKX2 and OsGA2ox5 in CSSL128 were significantly up-regulated. In addition, our study showed that An-4 had additive effects with other genes for awn development, such as An-1, An-2/LABA1 and An-3/GAD1/RAE2. Conclusions: The identification of An-4 lays a foundation for cloning of An-4 and further elucidation of the molecular mechanism of awn development. Moreover, the identification of favorable allelic variation of An-4 from 9311 will be useful to improve rice yield traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the clinical efficacy of locking compression plate fixation for the treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fractures in patients with preexisting proximal femoral deformity. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 37 patients with femoral intertrochanteric fractures combined with preexisting proximal femoral deformity between January 2013 and July 2019. The patients included 24 males and 13 females aged from 23 to 69 years old, with an average age of 47.5 years. The preexisting proximal femoral deformities resulted from poliomyelitis sequela, proximal femoral fibrous dysplasia, malunion and implant failure combined with coxa vara after intramedullary nailing fixation. There were 6 cases of 31-A2.1, 6 cases of 31-A2.2, 20 cases of 31-A3.1, and 5 cases of 31-A3.2, determined based on the AO classification of intertrochanteric fractures. All fractures were managed through open reduction and locking plate fixation. The hip disability and osteoarthritis outcome score (HOOS) was used to assess hip function before injury and at the last postoperative follow-up. The short form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey Questionnaire was used to assess quality of life. Results: Thirty-seven patients were followed up for 12 to 27 months (average, 20.7 months). All patients achieved bone healing within 5.1 months on average (range, 3 to 6 months). Postoperative complications included deep vein thrombosis in three patients, bedsores in one and delayed union in one patient. No other complications, such as surgical site infection, fat embolism, nonunion and re-fracture, were presented. There was no significant difference in the HOOS scores and the SF-36 Health Questionnaire outcomes at pre-injury and at the last postoperative follow-up (p > 0.05). Conclusions: It is difficult to perform intramedullary fixation of femoral intertrochanteric fractures in patients with preexisting proximal femoral deformity, while locking compression plate fixation is a simple and effective method of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the interfacial defects between the perovskite/electron transport layer (ETL) is the key point to improving the efficient and stable performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, two self-assembled molecules ((aminomethyl)phosphonic acid and glycine) with different functional groups (phosphonic acid (-H2PO3) and carboxylic acid (-COOH)) were mixed to form the buried bottom interface of PSCs. The synergistic effect of -H2PO3 with its higher anchoring ability and -COOH with its fast carrier transport improved the performance of PSCs. Additionally, the SnO2 modified by mixed self-assembly molecules (M-SAM) showed a more appropriate energy level alignment, favoring charge transport and minimizing energy loss. In addition, the amine group (-NH2) on the two small molecules effectively interacted with uncoordinated Pb2+ in perovskite and improved the quality of the perovskite films. Consequently, the (FAPbI3)0.992(MAPbBr3)0.008 PSCs with M-SAM reached a PCE of 24.69% (0.08 cm2) and the perovskite modules achieved a champion efficiency of 18.57% (12.25 cm2 aperture area). Meanwhile, it still maintained more than 91% of its initial PCE after being placed in nitrogen atmosphere at 25 °C for 1500 h, which is better than that of the single-SAM and control devices. Further reference is provided for the future commercialization of perovskite with efficient and stable characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chasing All Transients Constellation Hunters (CATCH) space mission plans to launch three types of micro-satellites (A, B, and C). The type-B CATCH satellites are dedicated to locating transients and detecting their time-dependent energy spectra. A type-B satellite is equipped with lightweight Wolter-I X-ray optics and an array of position-sensitive multi-pixel Silicon Drift Detectors. To optimize the scientific payloads for operating properly in orbit and performing the observations with high sensitivities, this work performs an in-orbit background simulation of a type-B CATCH satellite using the Geant4 toolkit. It shows that the persistent background is dominated by the cosmic X-ray diffuse background and the cosmic-ray protons. The dynamic background is also estimated considering trapped charged particles in the radiation belts and low-energy charged particles near the geomagnetic equator, which is dominated by the incident electrons outside the aperture. The simulated persistent background within the focal spot is used to estimate the observation sensitivity, i.e. 4.22 × 10 - 13 erg cm - 2 s - 1 with an exposure of 10 4 s and a Crab-like source spectrum, which can be utilized further to optimize the shielding design. The simulated in-orbit background also suggests that the magnetic diverter just underneath the optics may be unnecessary in this kind of micro-satellites, because the dynamic background induced by charged particles outside the aperture is around 3 orders of magnitude larger than that inside the aperture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hip fractures are the most common fractures among older adults, with most patients undergoing surgery. The debate regarding the type of anesthetic technique for hip fracture surgery is still ongoing. This meta‐analysis aimed to compare the intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of spinal and general anesthesia in older patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. Methods: Eligible studies that compared the effects of spinal and general anesthesia were systematically searched from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library until May 27, 2022. The intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of the two anesthesia techniques were compared. Quality assessment, heterogeneity analysis, and publication bias of the studies were also assessed. Results: Nine articles of methodological quality were included in the meta‐analysis. The pooled results revealed that there were significant differences in hypotension (risk ratio [RR] (95% confidence interval [CI]) = 0.81 (0.68, 0.97), p = 0.02) and ephedrine dose (weighted mean difference [WMD] [95%CI] = −20.94 [−37.50, −4.37] mg, p = 0.01) between the spinal and general anesthesia groups. However, no significant differences were observed in the use of ephedrine (RR [95% CI] = 0.77 [0.19, 3.05]), blood loss (WMD [95%CI] = −34.38 [−89.56, 20.80) mL], myocardial infarction (RR [95% CI] = 0.78 [0.31, 1.94] mL), heart failure (RR [95% CI] = 0.87 [0.17, 4.36] mL), stroke (RR [95%CI) = 0.65 [0.22, 1.95] mL), postoperative nausea and vomiting (RR [95% CI] = 0.88 [0.17, 4.35] mL), delirium (RR [95% CI] = 1.08 [0.89, 1.31] mL), and mortality (RR [95% CI] = 1.10 [0.72, 1.68] mL) (all p < 0.05). No publication bias was observed in any of the included studies. Conclusion: Compared to general anesthesia, spinal anesthesia was associated with a lower risk of intraoperative hypotension and lower doses of ephedrine in older patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated two waveform design problems for a dual-functional radar communication (DFRC) system, taking into consideration different constrained communication quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. Our objective was to minimize the mean-square error (MSE) of radar beampattern matching as the cost function. To this end, the multi-user interference (MUI) energy constraint and constructive interference (CI) constraint were, respectively, formulated to ensure the communication QoS. It is important to note that we designed a strict per-user MUI energy constraint at each sampling moment to achieve more accurate control over communication performance. Additionally, we introduced a constant-modulus constraint to optimize the efficiency of the radio frequency (RF) amplifier. To tackle the nonconvex waveform design problems encountered, we employed the alternative direction methods of multipliers (ADMM) technique. This allowed us to decompose the original problem into two solvable subproblems, which were then solved using the majorization–minimization (MM) method and geometrical structure. Finally, we obtained extensive simulation results which demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium oxide (TiO 2) and tin oxide (SnO 2) are the most commonly used electron transport materials for high-efficiency n-i-p perovskite solar cells (PSCs); however, several limiting properties of TiO 2 and SnO 2 adversely affect device performance. This study describes a facile method to synthesize SnO 2 :TiO 2 hybrid nanocrystals (NCs) to construct electron transport layers (ETLs) with the advantageous properties of both SnO 2 and TiO 2 for n-i-p PSCs. The optimized SnO 2 :TiO 2 ETL exhibited better surface morphology, well-matched band alignment, higher direct current conductivity, and enhanced electron extraction and transport compared to pristine TiO 2 and SnO 2 ETLs. Moreover, perovskite films deposited on SnO 2 :TiO 2 ETLs exhibited a higher crystallinity and lower trap-state density than those on TiO 2 or SnO 2 ETLs. Therefore, SnO 2 :TiO 2 -based devices showed high performance (with a power conversion efficiency of 23.19%) and stability (with more than 83% retention of the initial efficiency after 800 h of continuous illumination). This study provides a new method for developing low-cost and efficient ETLs for n-i-p PSCs and confirms that constructing SnO 2 :TiO 2 hybrid ETL is an effective method to fabricate high-efficiency and stable planar perovskite solar cells. [Display omitted] • A facile method was developed to synthesize SnO 2 :TiO 2 hybrid nanocrystals. • The SnO 2 :TiO 2 hybrid ETL exhibited the advantageous properties of both TiO 2 and SnO 2. • Perovskite films deposited on SnO 2 :TiO 2 ETLs exhibited a high crystallinity and low trap-state density. • SnO 2 :TiO 2 -based devices had a PCE of 23.19% with >83% retention after 800 h of continuous illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convex hulls of monomials have been widely studied in the literature, and monomial convexifications are implemented in global optimization software for relaxing polynomials. However, there has been no study of the error in the global optimum from such approaches. We give bounds on the worst-case error for convexifying a monomial over subsets of. This implies additive error bounds for relaxing a polynomial optimization problem by convexifying each monomial separately. Our main error bounds depend primarily on the degree of the monomial, making them easy to compute. Since monomial convexification studies depend on the bounds on the associated variables, in the second part, we conduct an error analysis for a multilinear monomial over two different types of box constraints. As part of this analysis, we also derive the convex hull of a multilinear monomial over. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (TMSCF 3 ) as the trifluoromethylating agent, MgCl 2 -catalyzed trifluoromethylation of carbonyl compounds proceeded readily at room temperature. In the presence of 10 mol% of MgCl 2 , a variety of carbonyl substrates such as aliphatic/aromatic aldehydes, acyclic/cyclic ketones and esters could be trifluoromethylated in DMF, giving the corresponding trimethylsilyl ethers (ketals) in up to 93% isolated yields. Trifluoromethylketones could be readily obtained after hydrolysis of the trimethylsilyl ketals. The reactions could tolerate air and moisture, and the use of oxygen and moisture-free conditions was not required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Spiral fracture of tibia combined with posterior malleolar fracture (PMF) is a special and regular injury. There is no uniform fixation method for PMF in this kind of injury. Intramedullary nail is the first choice for the treatment of tibial spiral fracture. We proposed a minimally invasive percutaneous screw combined with intramedullary nail technology to fix the PMF in the tibial spiral fracture. This study aims to explore the effectiveness and advantages of this technology. Materials and methods: From January 2017 to February 2020, 116 cases of spiral fracture of tibia combined with PMF who were operated in our hospital were divided into Fixation Group (FG) and No Fixation Group (NG) according to whether PMF was fixed. After minimally invasive percutaneous screw fixation of ankle fracture in FG patients, the tibial intramedullary nail was inserted to fix the fracture. Collected the operation and postoperative recovery of the two groups of patients, including the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, AOFAS score, VAS score and dorsiflexion restriction of ankle joint at the last follow-up, and compared whether there is any difference between the two groups of patients. Results: The fracture of both groups healed.2 patients in NG had secondary displacement of PMF during operation, and the fracture finally healed after fixation. There were statistical differences between the two groups in terms of operation time, AOFAS score and weight bearing time. The operation time of FG was 67.9±11.2 min, and that of NG was 60.8±9.4 min; The weight bearing time of FG was 57.35±34.72 days, and that of NG was 69.17±21.43 days; The AOFAS score of FG was 92.50±3.46, and that of NG was 91.00±4.16. There were no significant difference in blood loss, VAS and dorsiflexion restriction of ankle joint between the two groups. The blood loss of FG was 66.8±12.3 ml, the blood loss of NG was 65.6±11.7 ml, the VAS score of FG was 1.37±0.47, the VAS score of NG was 1.43±0.51, the dorsiflexion restriction of FG was 5.8±4.1; the NG was 6.1±5.7. Conclusion: For the injury of tibial spiral fracture combined with PMF, our fixation technology can achieve minimally invasive fixation of PMF with percutaneous screws on the basis of intramedullary nail fixation of tibial fracture, promoting early functional exercise of ankle joint and early weight bearing of patients. This fixation technology is also characterized by simple and fast operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: No consensus has been reached regarding optimal implantation for a syndesmotic screw. Thus, we aimed to explore the feasibility of a reliable and static fibular incisura plane reference for ideal syndesmotic screw placement. Methods: A retrospective review of computed tomography (CT) scans of 42 uninjured adult ankles with foot fractures were analyzed to measure the tibiofibular vertical distance (TFVD) at 2.5 cm proximal to the plafond from August 2016 to June 2017 in our hospital. The patients (20 females, 22 males) were divided into four groups according to their TFVD: 0–1, 1–2, 2–3, and 3–4 mm, and patients in each group were counted. We retrospectively assessed 41 patients (15 females, 26 males) who underwent syndesmotic screw fixation for ankle fractures from December 2015 to June 2020. We performed t‐testing of two independent samples to determine the differences in the angle between the anatomic axis of the syndesmosis and screw axis (AAS) and ankle function using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score at 3 and 6 months postoperatively between the conventional (20 patients) and K‐wire marker (21 patients) groups. The correlation between the AAS and AOFAS score was analyzed. Results: The TFVD measured 2.23 ± 1.01 mm at 2.5 cm proximal to the plafond, and occurred at 25% of the distance from 2 to 3 mm in 47.6% of the patients. This new technique decreased AAS deformation by 62%, from 13.01° ± 2.84° to 4.89° ± 2.43°, in the conventional group (p < 0.001). At 3 months postoperatively, the AOFAS scores of ankle function were similar in both groups, but it was significantly better in the new group than that of conventional group at the 6‐month follow‐up (p = 0.024). There was a moderate negative correlation between AAS and AOFAS score at 6 months postoperatively (R = −0.684). No obvious complications affecting ankle function were observed in either group postoperatively. Conclusions: Surgeons can accurately place a screw trajectory using the fibular incisura plane as a reliable intraoperative reference. A 1.6‐mm K‐wire placed in the syndesmosis at 2.5 cm proximal to the tibial plafond could act as a static marker of the syndesmotic plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of autogenous "structured" bone grafting (ASBG), it was combined with superior plate (SP) revision operations for recalcitrant clavicular midshaft aseptic nonunion (CMAN).Methods: This retrospective study included 12 patients who suffered from failure of autologous cancellous bone grafting (ACBG) and SP fixation because of CMAN. Visual analogue scale (VAS) data for pain and disabilities of arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) scores of patients who underwent these procedures from January 2019 to December 2020, obtained before surgery and at the final follow-up time, were analysed.Results: The average time between primitive fracture and this operative treatment was 29 months (15-38 months). The average duration of surgery was 153 minutes (range, 115-230 min), and the average blood loss was 560 ml (range, 350-860 ml). Complications occurred in two cases (16.67%): one was persistent pain at the donor site, and the other was a calf muscle vein thrombosis. No tissue infection was observed during follow-up. The mean follow-up time was 18 months (range, 12-30 months). All fractures progressed to osseous healing at a mean time of 14 weeks (range, 12-16 weeks). The mean pain VAS score significantly improved, from 4.8 ± 1.7 pre-operatively to 1.9 ± 1.1 at the final follow-up (P = 0.01). The mean DASH score improved significantly from 30.1 ± 11.2 pre-operatively to 7.8 ± 4. 2 at the final follow-up (P < 0.01).Conclusions: ASBG combined with SP revision surgery achieved excellent clinical outcomes in patients with recalcitrant CMAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional neural network (CNN)-based self-supervised visual representation learning (SSL) is a long-standing problem achieving significant successes with traditional handcrafted pretext tasks and contrastive learning. However, existing SSL methods typically suffer from high computational overhead and poor performance due to sluggish convergence speeds and poor detail extraction capabilities. In this work, to address these issues and improve the robustness, we provide a new self-supervised architecture for incorporating a single-branch backbone with hybrid tasks into the representation learning process. Specifically, our method takes advantage of features from both intra- and inter-images by using discrete montage images. Then a single backbone with a novel A daptive D ecouple C onfusion (ADC) module is proposed to improve the feature extraction capabilities and alleviate the confusion regions in montage images. Besides, both concatenated discrete vectors and patch-based global average pooled vectors in latent space are utilized to learn local detailed features and maintain semantic consistency simultaneously. Moreover, our method is optimized by hybrid tasks and enjoys faster convergence speed due to these improvements. Extensive experiments on several datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our method. The proposed method has 2.0% improved in linear classification to the conventional single-branch methods. [Display omitted] • A new framework SSH that leverages concatenated discrete and PGAP vectors is proposed. • An A daptive D ecouple C onfusion (ADC) module is proposed to avoid degenerate performance in existing jigsaw-based methods. • We demonstrate the advantages of the above contributions through extensive experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we presented our experience with a new modified technique of shortening and re-lengthening using a monolateral external frame combined with a calcaneal intramedullary nail and compared it with the bone transport technique for the treatment of distal tibial periarticular post-traumatic defects. Forty-one patients were retrospectively analyzed. Among them 19 were treated using our modified shortening and re-lengthening technique (MSR group) and 22 by bone transport (BT group). The difference in external fixation time (EFT), external fixation index (EFI), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and complications were compared between the two groups. The mean EFT was 3.4 ± 0.6 months in the MSR group and 7.5 ± 1.4 months in the BT group; the EFI was 0.57 ± 0.06 month/cm and 1.32 ± 0.23 month/cm, respectively. The EFT, EFI, and SAS scores were significantly lower in the MSR group than in the BT Group (p < 0.05). The mean number of complications per patient in the BT group was nearly 2.4 times that of the MSR group (p < 0.05). Our modified shortening and re-lengthening technique reduced the EFI and complication incidence compared to the bone transport technique. Therefore, patients with distal tibial periarticular post-traumatic defects can achieve great satisfaction with this new technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury (SCI), a fatal condition, is characterized by progressive tissue degradation and extreme functional deficits with limited treatment options. Hesperetin, a natural flavonoid with potent antioxidant, antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties, has yet to be systematically investigated for its therapeutic effects on neurological damage in rat models of SCI. In this study, rats were given oral hesperetin once daily for 28 days, and their locomotion and histopathological changes were assessed. The findings demonstrated that hesperetin alleviates neurological damage caused by SCI. The observed behavioral improvement could be due to an increase in the survival rate of neurons and oligodendrocytes. This improvement further boosted the ability to repair tissue and form myelin after SCI, ultimately resulting in better neurological outcomes. Furthermore, the present study revealed that hesperetin possesses potent antioxidant capabilities in the context of SCI, reducing the levels of harmful oxygen free radicals and increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, hesperetin markedly inhibited injury-induced apoptosis, as assessed by caspase-3 immunofluorescence staining and the expression level of caspase-3, indicating the ability of hesperetin to prevent cell death after SCI. Finally, after SCI, hesperetin treatment effectively reduced the expression of inflammatory factors, including IL-1β, TNFα, and NF-kB, demonstrating the anti-inflammatory effect of hesperetin. Together, our results suggest that hesperetin should be considered a valuable therapeutic aid following SCI, as its positive effects on the nervous system, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects, may be crucial mechanisms through which hesperetin exerts neuroprotective effects against SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of chiral phosphinamides is relatively unexplored because of the lack of a general method for the synthesis. Reported herein is the development of a general, efficient, and highly enantioselective method for the synthesis of structurally diverse P-stereogenic phosphinamides. The method relies on nucleophilic substitution of a chiral phosphinate derived from the versatile chiral phosphinyl transfer agent 1,3,2-benzoxazaphosphinine-2-oxide. These chiral phosphinamides were utilized for the first synthesis of readily tunable P-stereogenic Lewis base organocatalysts, which were used successfully for highly enantioselective catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To compare the clinical efficacy of a femoral neck system (FNS) and cannulated screws (CS) in the treatment of femoral neck fracture in young adults.Methods: Data from 69 young adults, who were admitted for femoral neck fracture between March 2018 and June 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to surgical method: FNS and CS. The number of intraoperative fluoroscopies, operative duration, length of hospital stay, fracture healing time, Harris score of hip function, excellent and good rate of hip function, and postoperative complications (infection, cut out the internal fixation, nail withdrawal, and femoral neck shortening) were compared between the two groups. Hip joint function was evaluated using the Harris Hip Scoring system.Results: All 69 patients had satisfactory reduction and were followed up for 12-24 months, with a mean follow-up of 16.91 ± 3.01 months. Mean time to fracture healing was13.82 ± 1.59 and 14.03 ± 1.78 weeks in the FNS and CS groups, respectively. There was a statistical difference in the number of intraoperative fluoroscopies between the 2 groups (P = 0.000). There were no significant differences, in operation duration, hospital length of stay, fracture healing time, complications, Harris Hip Score for hip function and excellent and good rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). The incidence of complications was 6.1%(2/33) in the FNS group lower than 25%(9/36) in the CS group, a difference that was statistically significant (P = 0.032). At the last follow-up, the Harris Hip Score of the hip joint in the FNS group was 90.42 ± 4.82and 88.44 ± 5.91 in the CS group.Conclusions: Both treatment methods resulted in higher rates of fracture healing and excellent hip function. Compared with CS, the FNS reduced the number of intraoperative fluoroscopies, radiation exposure to medical staff and patients, and short-term complications including femoral neck shortening and bone nonunion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]