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STUDY OBJECTIVES This study aimed to establish a population pharmacokinetic (PPK) model of intravenous voriconazole (VRC) in critically ill patients with liver dysfunction and to explore the optimal dosing strategies in specific clinical scenarios for invasive fungal infections (IFIs) caused by common Aspergillus and Candida species. DESIGN Prospective pharmacokinetics study. SETTING The intensive care unit in a tertiary-care medical center. PATIENTS A total of 297 plasma VRC concentrations from 26 critically ill patients with liver dysfunction were included in the PPK analysis. METHODS Model-based simulations with therapeutic range of 2-6 mg/L as the plasma trough concentration (Cmin ) target and the free area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h (ƒAUC24 ) divided by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (ie, ƒAUC24 /MIC) ≥25 as the effective target were performed to optimize VRC dosing regimens for Child-Pugh class A and B (CP-A/B) and Child-Pugh class C (CP-C) patients. RESULTS A two-compartment model with first-order elimination adequately described the data. Significant covariates in the final model were body weight on both central and peripheral distribution volume and Child-Pugh class on clearance. Intravenous VRC loading dose of 5 mg/kg every 12 h (q12h) for the first day was adequate for CP-A/B and CP-C patients to attain the Cmin target at 24 h. The maintenance dose regimens of 100 mg q12h or 200 mg q24h for CP-A/B patients and 50 mg q12h or 100 mg q24h for CP-C patients could obtain the probability of effective target attainment of >90% at an MIC ≤0.5 mg/L and achieve the cumulative fraction of response of >90% against C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. krusei, A. fumigatus, and A. flavus. Additionally, the daily VRC doses could be increased by 50 mg for CP-A/B and CP-C patients at an MIC of 1 mg/L, with plasma Cmin monitored closely to avoid serious adverse events. It is recommended that an appropriate alternative antifungal agent or a combination therapy could be adopted when an MIC ≥2 mg/L is reported, or when the infection is caused by C. tropicalis but the MIC value is not available. CONCLUSIONS For critically ill patients with liver dysfunction, the loading dose of intravenous VRC should be reduced to 5 mg/kg q12h. Additionally, based on the types of fungal pathogens and their susceptibility to VRC, the adjusted maintenance dose regimens with lower doses or longer dosing intervals should be considered for CP-A/B and CP-C patients.

This paper studied the radiation hardness of InAs Quantum Dot(QD) embedded in high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) for force-sensitive structure, and further verified its high irradiation properties and high sensitivity. The transfer characteristics, output characteristics, structural changes and force-sensitivity of InAs QD-HEMT and HEMT structure are analyzed after irradiated with 1900-Mev 181Ta ions at different fluences. The experiment results of electrical characterization indicated that the radiation hardness of InAs QD-HEMT was 3.5 times higher than that of HEMT. The mechanical sensitivity of pristine InAs QD-HEMT structure was 0.153 mA/KPa, which was higher than that of pristine HEMT structure by 0.088mA/KPa, and the force-sensitivity of InAs QD-HEMT structure was less affected by irradiation. The results indicate that InAs QD-HEMT force-sensitive structure has a strong tolerance to heavy ion irradiation. The irradiation hardens, and force-sensitive characteristics of the device can be improved by using InAs QD-HEMT structure, which can provide radiation protection for MEMS sensors applied in a harsh radiation environment.

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers have potential applications in medical imaging and distributed sensing, for which the integrated NV magnetometer array is needed. However, the microwave (MW) drive module limits the development of the compact NV magnetometer system and array. In this paper, wireless MW is applied to two NV magnetometer systems (Sensor I and Sensor II) innovatively. We verified that the magnetic-field sensitivity was approximately equal to 77.1 nT•Hz−1/2 and 44.6 nT•Hz−1/2 for Sensor I and Sensor II, respectively, when the distance between the transmitting and receiving antennas was 1 m. This method can be extended to the NV magnetometer array. The receiving antenna and power amplifier are integrated into the NV magnetometer array system for miniaturization. This expands the utility of NV magnetometers in sensing and medical imaging. Furthermore, we achieved remote heart sound records with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 5.93 dB and 4.68 dB for Sensor I and Sensor II, respectively, by applying the principle of NV-based demodulator to the system. This would further extend the advantages of the wireless MW in the NV magnetometer. The NV magnetometer could receive the frequency point carrying heart sound signal to reach up to 16, which can avoid the interference of the 2.4 GHz frequency band of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in complex environments.

Highlights •Mechanical stimuli-triggered optical responses of cholesteric liquid crystal devices are realized.•Self-powered bistable smart window and E-paper are demonstrated.•Self-powered optical switch is developed for remote control.Intelligent responsive devices are crucial for a variety of applications ranging from smart electronics to robotics. Electro-responsive cholesteric liquid crystals (CLC) have been widely applied in display panels, smart windows, and so on. In this work, we realize the mechanical stimuli-triggered optical responses of the CLC by integrating it with a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which converts the mechanical motion into alternating current electricity and then tunes the different optical responses of the CLC. When the voltage applied on the CLC is relatively low (15–40 V), the TENG drives the switching between the bistable planar state and focal conic state of the CLC, which shows potential applications in self-powered smart windows or E-paper displays. When the voltage supplied by the TENG is larger than 60 V, a self-powered optical switch is demonstrated by utilizing the transformation between focal conic state and instantons homeotropic state of the CLC. This triboelectric-optical responsive device consumes no extra electric power and suggests a great potential for future smart electronics.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is an aggressive human cancer. Appropriate methods for the diagnosis and treatment of PC have not been found at the genetic level, thus making epigenetics a promising research path in studies of PC. Histone methylation is one of the most complicated types of epigenetic modifications and has proved crucial in the development of PC. Histone methylation is a reversible process regulated by readers, writers, and erasers. Some writers and erasers can be recognized as potential biomarkers and candidate therapeutic targets in PC because of their unusual expression in PC cells compared with normal pancreatic cells. Based on the impact that writers have on the development of PC, some inhibitors of writers have been developed. However, few inhibitors of erasers have been developed and put to clinical use. Meanwhile, there is not enough research on the reader domains. Therefore, the study of erasers and readers is still a promising area. This review focuses on the regulatory mechanism of histone methylation, and the diagnosis and chemotherapy of PC based on it. The future of epigenetic modification in PC research is also discussed.

Dysbiosis of the gastric microbiome is involved in the development of gastric cancer (GC). A number of studies have demonstrated an increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus in GC. In this review, we present data that support the overgrowth of Lactobacillus in GC from studies on molecular and bacterial culture of the gastric microbiome, discuss the heterogenic effects of Lactobacillus on the health of human stomach, and explore the potential roles of the overgrowth of Lactobacillus in gastric carcinogenesis. Further studies are required to examine the association between Lactobacillus and GC at strain and species levels, which would facilitate to elucidate its role in the carcinogenic process.

BACKGROUND Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) pathogenic variants have been identified to be associated with maternally inherited essential hypertension (MIEH). However, the distinctive clinical features and molecular pathogenesis of MIEH are not fully understood. METHODS In this study, we collected a Chinese MIEH family with extraordinary higher penetrance of essential hypertension (88.89%) and early ages of onset (31–40 years old), and performed clinical and genetic characterization for this family. The complete mitochondrial genome of the proband was sequenced and analyzed. RESULTS The maternally related members in this family were presented with severe increased blood pressure, left ventricular remodeling, and metabolic abnormalities. Through sequencing the entire mtDNA of the proband and performing systematic analysis of the mtDNA variants with a phylogenic approach, we identified a potentially pathogenic tRNA variant (m.15992A>G in the MT-TP gene) that may account for the MIEH in this family. One nonsynonymous variant (m.15077G>A in the MT-CYB gene) was identified to play a synergistic role with m.15992A>G to cause a high penetrance of MIEH. CONCLUSIONS Our results, together with previous findings, have indicated that tRNA pathogenic variants in the mtDNA could act important roles in the pathogenesis of MIEH through reducing mitochondrial translation and disturbing mitochondrial function.

The photomultiplier tube (PMT) and silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) of small areas have the characteristics of fast time response, suitable for the detection of fast and extremely weak light signals, and the transit time spread (TTS) can be on the picosecond scale. The test system is generally divided into two types: one is the direct acquisition of the waveform (DAW), (DAW such as the high-sampling oscilloscope), and the other is an indirect acquisition of the waveform (IDAW). In this article, both DAW and IDAW will be used to carry out the comparative test of ultra-fast photodetectors to complete the calibration of the performance of ultra-fast detectors and the study on time test systems. This will be helpful for beam experiments to be carried out in the laboratory and provide effective support for the development of domestic fast PMT.

In the first week of May, 2021, researchers from four different institutions: Google, Tsinghua University, Oxford University and Facebook, shared their latest work [16, 7, 12, 17] on arXiv.org almost at the same time, each proposing new learning architectures, consisting mainly of linear layers, claiming them to be comparable, or even superior to convolutional-based models. This sparked immediate discussion and debate in both academic and industrial communities as to whether MLPs are sufficient, many thinking that learning architectures are returning to MLPs. Is this true? In this perspective, we give a brief history of learning architectures, including multilayer perceptrons (MLPs), convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and transformers. We then examine what the four newly proposed architectures have in common. Finally, we give our views on challenges and directions for new learning architectures, hoping to inspire future research., Comment: Computational Visual Media, 2021, accepted. 4 pages, 1 figure

Background Syphilis in children is uncommon with the mode of infection for this rare condition likely being congenital or acquired. While most acquired cases of syphilis in children result from sexual abuse, children can also be infected with syphilis through kissing, breastfeeding, sharing of daily necessities or pre-chewed food. Here, we report a case of acquired secondary syphilis in a child due to consumption of pre-chewed-food and provide a review of the literature on the characteristics of acquired syphilis in preschool children. Case presentation A 3-year-old girl presented with erythematous plaques and scales on her head, neck, and thighs as well as flat red papules with a moist, well circumscribed surface covered with a grayish-white film. The grandmother who cared for the girl was in the habit of pre-chewing food before giving it to the girl. The child and grandmother tested positive for RPR. The girl, who was not sexually abused, was diagnosed with acquired secondary syphilis, resulting from the transmission of pre-chewed food from her grandmother. Conclusions Our case report and literature review reveal that close contact among family members can result in the transmission of syphilis. We recommend that pre-chewing food should be discouraged by caregivers when caring for their children to avoid disease transmission.

Background Persistent infection by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading cause of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical carcinoma. Local hyperthermia at 44ºC has been proven efficacious to clear cutaneous or anogenital warts caused by HPV infection. This study aims to assess the effect of hyperthermia at 44ºC on the clearance of high-risk HPV. Methods A randomized, patient-blind, sham treatment–controlled trial was conducted in 4 medical centers. We enrolled patients with positive high-risk HPVs and normal or insignificant cytological findings (negative/atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance/low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion). Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either hyperthermia at 44ºC or 37ºC, for 30 minutes in each session. Patients in both groups received treatment once a day for 3 consecutive days, plus 2 more sessions 10 ± 3 days later. The primary outcome was clearance rate of HPV 3 months after treatment. Results After a 3-month follow-up, hyperthermia treatment at 44ºC and 37ºC achieved HPV clearance rates of 85.19% (23/27) and 50% (13/26), respectively (P = .014). There was no significant difference of treatment response between patients with single and multiple type of HPV by 44ºC hyperthermia treatment. There were no significant adverse events recorded during the treatment period in both groups. Conclusions Local hyperthermia at 44ºC safely and significantly aids in clearing cervical high-risk HPVs, the effect of which helps halt the progression of cervical transformation and transmission of the virus. Clinical Trials Registration NCT03436251.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of cell surface CD47 downregulation on ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) during pig liver transplantation. Blood samples were collected from healthy miniature Bama pigs randomly and equally divided into CD47 antagonism (group A), without CD47 antagonism (group B) and a sham group (group C). Blood samples were collected from groups A and B at 0, 8 and 48 hours after establishment of the new liver through an indwelling tube in the right internal jugular vein. Blood samples were collected at the same time points after liver dissociation from group C. The expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); CD47 expression was detected by Western blot; and liver function indices, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartic transaminase (AST), were directly read by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The concentrations of both receptors in group A were significantly lower than groups B and C, at 8 and 48 hours after establishment of blood flow. At 8 and 48 hours in the new liver stage, the values of CD47 levels, ALT and AST in group A were significantly reduced compared to groups B and C (P < 0.05). The levels of CD47 in the three groups were consistent with the trends of the aforementioned observation indicators. The liver functions of the recipients were significantly improved by reducing the release of the inflammatory mediators. This study provides new ideas and intervention approaches for the treatment of IRI in liver transplantation.

Distributed renewable kinetic energies are ubiquitous but with irregular amplitudes and frequencies, which, as one category of "high-entropy" energies, are crucial for next-generation self-powered electronics. Herein, we present a flexible waterproof dual-mode textile triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which can simultaneously scavenge multiple "high-entropy" kinetic energies, including human motions, raindrops, and winds. A freestanding-mode textile TENG (F-TENG) and a contact-separation-mode textile TENG (CS-TENG) are integrated together. The structure parameters of the textile TENG are optimized to improve the output performances. The raindrop can generate a voltage of up to ∼4.3 V and a current of about ∼6 μA, while human motion can generate a voltage of over 120 V and a peak power density of ∼500 mW m-2. The scavenged electrical energies can be stored in capacitors for powering small electronics. Therefore, we demonstrated a facile preparation of a TENG-based energy textile that is highly promising for kinetic energy harvesting and self-powered electronics.

The effective long-term cryopreservation of human mesenchymal stem cells is an essential prerequisite step and represents a critical approach for their sustained supply in basic research, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering applications. Off-the-shelf availability of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs) for regenerative medicine application requires the development of nontoxic, safe, and efficient protocols for cryopreservation. In the long-term low-temperature storage process of cells, traditional manual storage has a great impact on cell activity, recovery, and function due to repeated exposure of cells to room temperature. To minimize the effect of fluctuation in ambient temperature on stored cells, we designed an automatic cryopreservation system that handles cells under controlled temperatures. In this work, UC-MSCs were utilized to investigate and compare the influence of manual and automatic cryopreservation approaches. To simulate the manual process, the UC-MSCs were transferred back and forth repeatedly (up to 400 times) between the liquid nitrogen (LN2) tank (−150 °C) and room temperature by a robotic arm. Similarly, the UC-MSCs from the same batch were collected and transferred repeatedly between two storage units by the automatic cryopreservation system, where the cells were maintained below-150 °C throughout the cold chain process. Viability, percent recovery, adherence capability, cell proliferation, and multilineage differentiation ability were assessed for UC-MSCs. Compared to the manual approach, UC-MSCs handled by the automatic system demonstrated higher viability, percent recovery, and cell proliferation, as well as improved adherence to culture plate with greater potential in multilineage differentiation after 400 temperature cycles. The described entire cold chain system may provide a powerful tool to develop safe, reliable and efficient protocols for manufacturing and banking of UC-MSCs, improving their off-the-shelf availability for regenerative medicine applications.

The unsteady lift characteristics of a double-delta wing were studied using both experimental and numerical approaches, which were also compared with a single-delta wing with the same main wing sweep angle. It was found that by increasing the reduced frequency of pitching, the hysteresis effect of lift was magnified. Moreover, in the high reduced frequency case k = 0.48, the difference between the lift coefficients of single- and double-delta wings became rather subtle. The wing surface pressure distribution results indicated the flow phenomenon of dramatic lift losses was due to the effect of lower surface suction during the wing being pitched downstroke. It was observed that, as the reduced frequency became sufficiently high, the virtual camber effect induced by pitching could dominate the flow field, which would mitigate the impact of wing geometry on the lift characteristics.

Purpose: In contrast to recurrence after initial diagnosis of stage I–III breast cancer [recurrent metastatic breast cancer (rMBC)], de novo metastatic breast cancer (dnMBC) represents a unique setting to elucidate metastatic drivers in the absence of treatment selection. We present the genomic landscape of dnMBC and association with overall survival (OS). Experimental Design: Targeted DNA sequencing (OncoPanel) was prospectively performed on either primary or metastatic tumors from 926 patients (212 dnMBC and 714 rMBC). Single-nucleotide variants, copy-number variations, and tumor mutational burden (TMB) in treatment-naïve dnMBC primary tumors were compared with primary tumors in patients who ultimately developed rMBC, and correlated with OS across all dnMBC. Results: When comparing primary tumors by subtype, MYB amplification was enriched in triple-negative dnMBC versus rMBC (21.1% vs. 0%, P = 0.0005, q = 0.111). Mutations in KMTD2, SETD2, and PIK3CA were more prevalent, and TP53 and BRCA1 less prevalent, in primary HR+/HER2− tumors of dnMBC versus rMBC, though not significant after multiple comparison adjustment. Alterations associated with shorter OS in dnMBC included TP53 (wild-type: 79.7 months; altered: 44.2 months; P = 0.008, q = 0.107), MYC (79.7 vs. 23.3 months; P = 0.0003, q = 0.011), and cell-cycle (122.7 vs. 54.9 months; P = 0.034, q = 0.245) pathway genes. High TMB correlated with better OS in triple-negative dnMBC (P = 0.041). Conclusions: Genomic differences between treatment-naïve dnMBC and primary tumors of patients who developed rMBC may provide insight into mechanisms underlying metastatic potential and differential therapeutic sensitivity in dnMBC. Alterations associated with poor OS in dnMBC highlight the need for novel approaches to overcome potential intrinsic resistance to current treatments.

Purpose Continuum manipulators are often used in complex and narrow space in recent years because of their flexibility and safety. Vision is considered to be one of the most direct methods to obtain its spatial shape. However, with the improvement of the cooperation requirements of multiple continuum manipulators and the increase of space limitation, it is impossible to obtain the complete spatial shape information of multiple continuum manipulators only by several cameras. Design/methodology/approach This paper proposes a fusion method using inertial navigation sensors and cameras to reconstruct the shape of continuum manipulators in the whole workspace. The camera is used to obtain the position information, and the inertial navigation sensor is used to obtain the attitude information. Based on the above two information, the shape of the continuum manipulator is reconstructed by fitting Bézier curve. Findings The experiment result of single continuum manipulator shows that the cubic Bézier curves is applicable to curve fitting of variable curvature, the maximum fitting error is about 2 mm. Meanwhile, the experiment result shows that this method is not affected by obstacles and can still reconstruct the shape of the continuum manipulators in 3-D space by detecting the position and attitude information of the end. Originality/value According to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on spatial shape reconstruction of multiple continuum manipulators and the first study to introduce inertial navigation sensors and cameras into the field of shape reconstruction of multiple continuum manipulators in narrow space. This method is suitable for shape reconstruction of manipulator with variable curvature continuum manipulator. When the vision of multiple continuum manipulators is blocked by obstacles, the spatial shape can still be reconstructed only by exposing the end point. The structure is simple, but it has certain accuracy within a certain range.

Background. Hypoxia closely relates to malignant progression and appears to be prognostic for outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our research is aimed at mining the hypoxic-related genes (HRGs) and constructing a prognostic predictor (PP) model on clinical prognosis in HCC patients. Methods. RNA-sequencing data about HRGs and clinical data of patients with HCC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database portal. Differentially expressed HRGs between HCC and para-carcinoma tissue samples were obtained by applying the Wilcox analysis in R statistical software. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were used for gene functional enrichment analyses. Then, the patients who were asked to follow up for at least one month were enrolled in the following study. Cox proportional risk regression model was applied to obtain key HRGs which related to overall survival (OS) in HCC. PP was constructed and defined, and the accuracy of PP was validated by constructing the signature in a training set and validation set. Connectivity map (CMap) was used to find potential drugs, and gene set cancer analysis (GSCA) was also performed to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results. Thirty-seven differentially expressed HRGs were obtained. It contained 28 upregulated and 9 downregulated genes. After the univariate Cox regression model analysis, we obtained 27 prognosis-related HRGs. Of these, 25 genes were risk factors for cancer, and 2 genes were protective factors. The PP was composed by 12 key genes (HDLBP, SAP30, PFKP, DPYSL4, SLC2A1, HMOX1, PGK1, ERO1A, LDHA, ENO2, SLC6A6, and TPI1). GSCA results showed the overall activity of these 12 key genes in 10 cancer-related pathways. Besides, CMap identified deferoxamine, crotamiton, talampicillin, and lycorine might have effects with HCC. Conclusions. This study firstly reported 12 prognostic HRGs and constructed the model of the PP. This comprehensive research of multiple databases helps us gain insight into the biological properties of HCC and provides deferoxamine, crotamiton, talampicillin, and lycorine as potential drugs to fight against HCC.

Lead (Pb) is a typical contaminant in water with adverse effects on human health. Hong Kong’s incident of drinking water contamination by Pb in 2015 caused severe public concerns regarding drinking water safety. Conventional treatment methods for Pb removal generally require electricity, chemical dosage, and considerable time and space, which significantly restrict their use for rapid water purification under emergency situations. In this study, a polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylic acid (PVA/PAA) composite nanofibrous membrane was developed for the rapid and effective removal of Pb from water. The PVA/PAA membrane had a high water permeability of 550 L/m2/h/kPa - 710 L/m2/h/kPa, which allowed the filtration to be driven by gravity (e.g. with a water height of 10.0 cm). The membrane showed consistently high removal efficiency of Pb (> 95%) with a volumetric loading up to 3000 L/m2. This high removal efficiency was attributed to the combined effects of complexing and electrostatic attraction between Pb and PAA. An esculent citric acid was used to regenerate the exhausted PVA/PAA membrane. The regenerated membrane maintained its removal efficiency of Pb over a five-cycle filtration. These results imply that the PVA/PAA composite membrane can be repeatedly used in electricity-free filtration devices for rapid elimination of Pb under emergency situations.

Using network pharmacology to explore the mechanism of the ‘invigorating qi and promoting blood circulation’ drug pair Ginseng-Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) on treatment of ischemic heart disease (IHD). The chemical constituents of ginseng and Danshen drug pair were identified by searching the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and the potential targets of the pair were identified. The pharmacodynamics of the pair was analyzed using network pharmacology. The targets of IHD were identified by database screening. Using protein-protein interaction network, the interaction targets of Ginseng-Danshen on IHD were constructed. A “constituent-target-disease” interaction network was constructed using Cytoscape software, Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis and biological pathway enrichment analysis were carried out, and the mechanism of improving myocardial ischemia by the Ginseng-Danshen drug pair was investigated. Seventeen active constituents and 53 targets were identified from ginseng, 53 active constituents and 61 targets were identified from Danshen, and 32 protein targets were shared by ginseng and Danshen. Twenty GO terms were analyzed, including cytokine receptor binding, cytokine activity, heme binding, and antioxidant activity. Sixty Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathways were analyzed, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-serine-threonine kinase (PI3K-AKT) signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, interleukin 17 signaling pathway, tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, and the advanced glycation end product (AGE)-the receptor for AGE (RAGE) signaling pathway in diabetic complications. The specific mechanism of Ginseng-Danshen drug pair in treating IHD may be associated with improving the changes of metabolites inbody, inhibiting the production of peroxides, removing the endogenous oxygen free radicals, regulating the expression of inflammatory factors, reducing myocardial cell apoptosis and promoting vascular regeneration.

Although much is known about how adipose tissue affects the development of clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC), little information is available for the utility of sex-specific abdominal visceral fat composition as a predictor of clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) T stage. We conducted CT-based sex-specific abdominal fat measurements in ccRCC patients to assess whether VFA distribution could predict the ccRCC T stage. In total, 253 patients (182 males and 71 females) from our hospital with pathologically confirmed ccRCC (178 low T-stage and 75 high T-stage) were retrospectively reviewed for the present study. Computed tomography (CT) scans were assessed using ImageJ to differentiate between the visceral and subcutaneous fat areas (VFA and SFA), after which the relative VFA (rVFA) and total fat area (TFA) were computed. The relationships between these fat area-related variables, patient age, sex, and BMI, and ccRCC T stage were then evaluated through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to clarify the association between general or sex-specific abdominal visceral fat and T stage. Following adjustment for age, males with high T stage ccRCC exhibited an increased rVFA as compared to males with low T stage ccRCC, with the same relationship being observed among females. This association between rVFA and high T stage was confirmed through both univariate and multivariate models. As thus, sex-specific visceral fat composition is a reliable independent predictor that can identify both male and female patients with high T stage ccRCC.

The study discusses the importance of interdisciplinary approach of pediatricians, surgeons, orthodontists, anesthesiologists and otorhinolaryngologists in the complex rehabilitation of newborns with bilateral cleft lip and palate. The aim of the study was to increase the effectiveness of treatment of newborns with bilateral cleft lip and palate through preliminary orthodontic preparation. This study clearly emphasizes that the conduction of early pre-surgical orthodontic treatment with the use of individual obturators contributes to the high-quality implementation of further surgical intervention and allows to normalize the act of breastfeeding in newborns. It has been proven that the interdisciplinary approach of doctors of related specialties helps to carry out a comprehensive diagnosis, counseling and subsequent treatment of newborns with bilateral cleft lip and palate. Thus, the integrated approach developed by related specialists in the neonatal period makes it possible to implement a highly qualified and step-by-step treatment from birth up to 18 years of age. Key words: bilateral cleft lip and palate, newborns, individual obturator, pediatrics, feeding, cheiloplasty, orthodontics

Crowd counting on aerial images using the embedded system is a challenging task, due to high-definition images, low computing power, and limited memory. To tackle this task, we propose an efficient deep learning model named Flounder-Net structured like a flounder. In the Flounder-Net, a novel interleaved group convolution is proposed to eliminate the redundancy of network, and a rapid shrink of feature maps is employed to tackle the high-resolution problem. Since we would like to investigate the case of online aerial surveillance, we use the embedded system of a drone to run our algorithm. We also use the vision system of this drone to collect a set of high-definition aerial photographs as a benchmark. Extensive experiments on existing datasets and our aerial dataset show that Flounder-Net achieves FCN-level accuracy with three types of photograph devices: handheld cameras, surveillance cameras, and drone-based cameras. Additionally, Flounder-Net has 17 × fewer parameters and 20 × faster speed than FCN and allows an input image with arbitrary sizes.

Objectives: Allogeneic myoblast transplantation (AMT), cyclosporine immunosuppression and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were used to treat end-stage heart failure (HF) subjects without hope of obtaining a heart transplant. Background: Severe myocardial infarction conveys serious complications such as ventricular aneurysm, wall thinning and rupture with fatal consequences. Methods: After meeting Inclusion/Exclusion criteria and signing Patient Informed Consents, 10 HF subjects having mean thinnest wall thickness of 2.21 ± 0.55 mm and ventricular aneurysms were admitted under intensive care. Each subject took daily cyclosporine for three weeks. On the third day of cyclosporine administration, approximately 1 billion myoblasts were implanted through 20 injections into the infarcted myocardium following CABG. Results: Safety No subject suffered death, viral infection, malignant arrhythmia, reduction in cardiac output, immune rejection, or aneurysm growth. No significant difference was found before versus after treatment in the mean levels of blood routine, liver and kidney enzymes, electrolytes and fibrinogen. Efficacy Emission computed tomography (ECT) and magnetic resonance (MR) demonstrated significant increases in viability and perfusion. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) significantly increased (P Conclusions: For the first time, AMT in adjunct use with CABG and cyclosporine demonstrated that cell survived and engrafted in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy; in this small study the cell transplant was safe. The improvement in heart function and quality of life could be secondary to combined effect of bypass and cell transplant. A larger randomized clinical trial is required to confirm the efficacy.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the pharmacological effects of sesamin (Ses) and its mechanism of action towards PM2.5-induced cardiovascular injuries. Method: Forty Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into five groups: a saline control group; a PM2.5 exposure group; and low-, middle-, and high-dose Ses pretreatment groups. The SD rats were pretreated with different concentrations of Ses for 21 days. Afterward, the rats were exposed to ambient PM2.5 by intratracheal instillation every other day for a total of three times. The levels of inflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and indicators related to oxidative responses, such as total superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA), were measured in the blood and heart. The expression of ferroptosis-related proteins in heart tissues was determined via western blot and immunohistochemistry. Results: Ses pretreatment substantially ameliorated cardiovascular injuries in rats as evidenced by the decrease in the pathological score and collagen area. The decreased levels of SOD, GSH, and GSH-Px in the heart and serum were inhibited by Ses. In addition, Ses not only notably increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes but also reduced the levels of MDA, CK, LDH, CK-MB, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Furthermore, Ses pretreatment upregulated the expression levels of GPX4, SLC7A11, TFRC, and FPN1 and inhibited the expression levels of FTH1 and FTL. Conclusion: Ses pretreatment could ameliorate PM2.5-induced cardiovascular injuries perhaps by inhibiting ferroptosis. Therefore, Ses pretreatment may be a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of PM2.5-induced cardiovascular injury.

Background This study aimed to explore the distribution of the erector spinal muscle plane block of the thoracic 12 vertebral body (T12) in the dorsal region guided by ultrasound. Methods A total of 28 patients, who underwent elective lumbar surgery, were enrolled in the present study. These patients were aged between 18 and 65 years, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade was 1 or 2. The block of the T12 transverse process erector spinal muscle was performed under the guidance of ultrasound, and each side was injected with 25 ml of 0.4% ropivacaine hydrochloride + 2 mg of dexamethasone. The back areas were measured using the cold-warm method (the back area was divided into 11 areas [T7–S1] with the body surface marker). At 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min after the drug injection, the effectiveness of the regional block was recorded. The presence of puncture hematoma, local anesthesia drug poisoning, nausea, vomiting, headache, and dizziness after the block was recorded. Results The range of the T12 transverse process block was basically fixed at 30 min after the single injection. No pneumothorax, hematoma, or local anesthetic poisoning occurred in any of the patients. Conclusion The effective longitudinal plane of the T12 transverse process erector spinal muscle block was mainly distributed in the T9–L5 dorsal cutaneous branches, and the distribution of the block area was safe and stable.

Yangquan Hao, Chao Lu, Baogang Zhang, Zhaochen Xu, Hao Guo, Gaokui Zhang Department of Osteonecrosis and Joint Reconstruction, Honghui Hospital Xian Jiao Tong University Health Science Center, Xian, Shaanxi 710068, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yangquan HaoDepartment of Osteonecrosis and Joint Reconstruction, Honghui Hospital Xian Jiao Tong University Health Science Center, No. 555 Youyi East Road, Xian, Shaanxi 710068, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 13991038599Fax +86 29-87894724Email yangquan_haodoctor@163.comPurpose: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a common disease of the hip that leads to severe pain or joint disability. We aimed to identify potential differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs in osteonecrosis of the femoral head.Methods: The data of miRNA and mRNA were firstly downloaded from the database. Secondly, the regulatory network of miRNAs–mRNAs was constructed, followed by function annotation of mRNAs. Thirdly, an in vitro experiment was applied to validate the expression of miRNAs and targeted mRNAs. Finally, GSE123568 dataset was used for electronic validation and diagnostic analysis of targeted mRNAs.Results: Several regulatory interaction pairs between miRNA and mRNAs were identified, such as hsa-miR-378c-WNT3A/DACT1/CSF1, hsa-let-7a-5p-RCAN2/IL9R, hsa-miR-28-5p-RELA, hsa-miR-3200-5p-RELN, and hsa-miR-532-5p-CLDN18/CLDN10. Interestingly, CLDN10, CLDN18, CSF1, DACT1, IL9R, RCAN2, RELN, and WNT3A had the diagnostic value for osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Wnt signaling pathway (involved WNT3A), chemokine signaling pathway (involved RELA), focal adhesion and ECM-receptor interaction (involved RELN), cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) (involved CLDN18 and CLDN10), cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, and hematopoietic cell lineage (involved CSF1 and IL9R) were identified.Conclusion: The identified differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs may be involved in the pathology of osteonecrosis of the femoral head.Keywords: osteonecrosis of the femoral head, miRNAs, mRNAs, signaling pathway

Surgical repair of cleft palate is quite difficult because it aims not only to eliminate the anatomical defect of the palate, but also to ensure normal functioning, including speech. Moreover, successful surgery implies no or minimal deformation of the middle face that can be corrected in the late postoperative period. No doubt that primary surgery (both in terms of technique and time) is crucial for further growth and development of the maxilla. However, surgical techniques and the age of primary cleft palate repair vary between different clinics, which makes this literature review highly relevant. Key words: cleft palate repair, cleft palate, congenital cleft lip and palate

Recently, saliency detection in a single image and co-saliency detection in multiple images have drawn extensive research interest in the vision and multimedia communities. In this paper, we investigate a new problem of co-saliency detection within a single image, i.e., detecting within-image co-saliency . By identifying common saliency within an image, e.g., highlighting multiple occurrences of an object class with similar appearance, this work can benefit many important applications, such as the detection of objects of interest, more robust object recognition, reduction of information redundancy, and animation synthesis. We propose a new bottom-up method to address this problem. Specifically, a large number of object proposals are first detected from the image. Then we develop an optimization algorithm to derive a set of proposal groups , each of which contains multiple proposals showing good common saliency in the image. For each proposal group, we calculate a co-saliency map and then use a low-rank based algorithm to fuse the maps calculated from all the proposal groups for the final co-saliency map in the image. In the experiment, we collect a new benchmark dataset of 664 color images (two subsets) for within-image co-saliency detection. Experiment results show that the proposed method can better detect the within-image co-saliency than existing algorithms. The experimental results also show that the proposed method can be applied to detect the repetitive patterns in a single image and detect the co-saliency in multiple images.

Acute lung injury (ALI) caused by gas explosion is common, and warrants research on the underlying mechanisms. Specifically, the role of abnormalities of coagulation and fibrinolysis in this process has not been defined. It was hypothesized that the abnormal coagulation and fibrinolysis promoted ALI caused by gas explosion. Based on the presence of ALI, 74 cases of gas explosion injury were divided into the ALI and non‐ALI groups. The results of prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FIB), and platelet count (PLT) were collected within 24 hours and compared between the groups. ALI models caused by gas explosion were established in Sprague Dawley rats, and injuries were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and histopathological scoring. Moreover, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected to examine thrombin‐antithrombin complex (TAT), tissue factor (TF), tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), and plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) levels by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The patients in ALI group had shorter PT and longer APTT, raised concentration of FIB and decreased number of PLT, as compared to the non‐ALI group. In ALI rats, the HE staining revealed red blood cells in alveoli and interstitial thickening within 2 hours which peaked at 72 hours. The levels of TAT/TF in the BALF increased continually until the seventh day, while the PAI‐1 was raised after 24 hours and 7 days. The TFPI was elevated after 2 hours and 24 hours, and then decreased after 72 hours. Abnormalities in coagulation and fibrinolysis in lung tissues play a role in ALI caused by gas explosion.

A millimeter-wave current-reuse voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) features a single-turn multi-tap inductor and two separate differential-only switched-capacitor arrays to improve the power efficiency and phase noise (PN). Specifically, a single-branch complementary VCO topology, in conjunction with a multi-resonant Resistor-Inductor-Capacitor-Mutual inductance (RLCM) tank, allows sharing the bias current and reshaping the impulse-sensitivity-function. The latter is based on an area- efficient RLCM tank to concurrently generate two high quality- factor differential-mode resonances at the fundamental and 2nd- harmonic oscillation frequencies. Fabricated in 65-nm CMOS technology, our VCO at 27.7 GHz shows a PN of −109.91-dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset (after on-chip divider-by-2), while consuming just 3.3 mW at a 1.1-V supply. It corresponds to a Figure-of-Merit (FOM) of 187.6 dBc/Hz. The frequency tuning range is 15.3% (25.2 to 29.4 GHz) and the core area is 0.116 mm2.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) triggers the activation of the endogenous coagulation mechanism, and a large amount of thrombin is released to curb uncontrollable bleeding through thrombin receptors, also known as protease-activated receptors (PARs). However, thrombin is one of the most critical factors in secondary brain injury. Thus, the PARs may be effective targets against hemorrhagic brain injury. Since the PAR1 antagonist has an increased bleeding risk in clinical practice, PAR4 blockade has been suggested as a more promising treatment. Here, we explored the expression pattern of PAR4 in the brain of mice after TBI, and explored the effect and possible mechanism of BMS-986120 (BMS), a novel selective and reversible PAR4 antagonist on secondary brain injury. Treatment with BMS protected against TBI in mice. mRNA-seq analysis, Western blot, and qRT-PCR verification in vitro showed that BMS significantly inhibited thrombin-induced inflammation in astrocytes, and suggested that the Tab2/ERK/NF-κB signaling pathway plays a key role in this process. Our findings provide reliable evidence that blocking PAR4 is a safe and effective intervention for TBI, and suggest that BMS has a potential clinical application in the management of TBI. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s12264-020-00601-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

With increasing consumption of natural gas (NG), small NG reservoirs, such as coalbed methane and oil field associated gas, have recently drawn significant attention. Owing to their special characteristics (e.g., scattered distribution and small output), small-scale NG liquefiers are highly required. Similarly, the mixed refrigerant cycle (MRC) is suitable for small-scale liquefaction systems due to its moderate complexity and power consumption. In consideration of the above, this paper reviews the development of mobile miniature NG liquefiers in Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (TIPC), China. To effectively liquefy the scattered NG and overcome the drawbacks of existing technologies, three main improvements, i.e., low-pressure MRC process driven by oil-lubricated screw compressor, compact cold box with the new designed heat exchangers, and standardized equipment manufacturing and integrated process technology have been made. The development pattern of “rapid cluster application and flexible liquefaction center” has been eventually proposed. The small-scale NG liquefier developed by TIPC has reached a minimum liquefaction power consumption of about 0.35 kW·h/Nm3. It is suitable to exploit small remote gas reserves which can also be used in boil-off gas reliquefaction and distributed peak-shaving of pipe networks.

An inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare invasive soft tissue mass with intramuscular penetration that is primarily treated via a surgical procedure. However, with unclear boundaries and a high rate of relapse, there is no standard treatment for recurrence or unresectable tumors. It is noteworthy that approximately half of IMTs harbor genetic rearrangements of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). ALK inhibitors have been used successfully in the treatment of IMTs with a variety of ALK fusions. Here, we present a case of a 15-year-old patient with IMT around the hip. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed an LRRFIP1-ALK fusion, which has not yet been reported in the literature. Crizotinib, an ALK inhibitor, was effective in the treatment of this patient, indicating that ALK inhibitors may be effective for IMT with LRRFIP1-ALK fusions. This report expands the list of gene fusions in IMTs and highlights a new target for treatment.

As a part of R&D work for the high intensity proton linac of China Accelerator Driven Sub-critical System project, a superconducting half-wave cavity with a frequency of 162.5 MHz and an optimal beta of 0.15 (HWR015) has been developed at Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences. In this paper, the design and test results will be described in detail. We introduced a new stiffening strategy for the HWR cavity, the simulation results show that the cavity has much lower frequency sensitivity coefficient (df/dp), Lorentz force detuning coefficient (KL), and can achieve more stable mechanical properties. The performance of the HWR cavity operated in cryostat will be also reported.

Background and aim The opioid epidemic has become a major public health crisis in recent years. Discharge opioid prescription following cardiac surgery has been associated with opioid use disorder; however, ideal practices remain unclear. Our aim was to examine current practices in discharge opioid prescription among cardiac surgeons and trainees. Methods A survey instrument with open- and closed-ended questions, developed through a 3-round Delphi method, was circulated to cardiac surgeons and trainees via the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons. Survey questions focused on routine prescription practices including type, dosage and duration. Respondents were also asked about their perceptions of current education and guidelines surrounding opioid medication. Results Eighty-one percent of respondents reported prescribing opioids at discharge following routine sternotomy-based procedures, however, there remained significant variability in the type and dose of medication prescribed. The median (interquartile range) number of pills prescribed was 30 (20-30) with a median total dose of 135 (113-200) Morphine Milligram Equivalents. Informal teaching was the most commonly reported primary influence on prescribing habits and a lack of formal education regarding opioid prescription was associated with a higher number of pills prescribed. A majority of respondents (91%) felt that there would be value in establishing practice guidelines for opioid prescription following cardiac surgery. Conclusions Significant variability exists with respect to routine opioid prescription at discharge following cardiac surgery. Education has come predominantly from informal sources and there is a desire for guidelines. Standardization in this area may have a role in combatting the opioid epidemic.

Objective. This meta-analysis aimed at exploring the predictive value of CHA2DS2-VASc score for the left atrial thrombus (LAT) or left atrial spontaneous echo contrast (LASEC) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Methods. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and Chinese core journals of the CNKI and Wanfang databases were searched to identify all the relevant papers that were published up to January 2020. The data were extracted for pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), heterogeneity, subgroup, publication bias, and sensitivity analysis. Results. Overall, 15 studies containing 6223 patients with NVAF were enrolled. All studies were evaluated for LAT, and 12 studies were evaluated for LASEC. The pooled analysis using a random-effects model showed that a high CHA2DS2-VASc score was related with LAT/LASEC (pooled OR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.35–1.88, P<0.001) with high heterogeneity (I2=76.9%, P<0.001) and LAT (pooled OR=1.83, 95% CI: 1.44–2.33, P<0.001) with high heterogeneity (I2=79.4%, P<0.001). The subgroup analysis demonstrated that the sample size may be the main source of heterogeneity. Although the Begg’s funnel plot based on 15 studies for LAT/LASEC (P=0.029) and 12 studies for LAT (P=0.046) indicated the presence of publication bias among the included studies, the trim-and-fill method verified the stability of the pooled outcomes. In addition, sensitivity analysis indicated that all effects were stable. Conclusion. The results of this meta-analysis showed that the CHA2DS2-VASc score is related with LAT and LASEC in patients with NVAF. However, more studies are warranted to address this issue.

Analysis of miRNA-target mRNA interaction (MTI) is of crucial significance in discovering new target candidates for miRNAs. However, the biological experiments for identifying MTIs have a high false positive rate and are high-priced, time-consuming, and arduous. It is an urgent task to develop effective computational approaches to enhance the investigation of miRNA-target mRNA relationships. In this study, a novel method called MIPDH is developed for miRNA–mRNA interaction prediction by using DeepWalk on a heterogeneous network. More specifically, MIPDH extracts two kinds of features, in which a biological behavior feature is learned using a network embedding algorithm on a constructed heterogeneous network derived from 17 kinds of associations among drug, disease, and 6 kinds of biomolecules, and the attribute feature is learned using the k-mer method on sequences of miRNAs and target mRNAs. Then, a random forest classifier is trained on the features combined with the biological behavior feature and attribute feature. When implementing a 5-fold cross-validation experiment, MIPDH achieved an average accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and AUC of 75.85, 74.37, 77.33%, and 0.8044, respectively. To further evaluate the performance of MIPDH, other classifiers and feature descriptors are conducted for comparisons. MIPDH can achieve a better performance. Additionally, case studies on hsa-miR-106b-5p, hsa-let-7d-5p, and hsa-let-7e-5p are also implemented. As a result, 14, 9, and 9 out of the top 15 targets that interacted with these miRNAs were verified using the experimental literature or other databases. All these prediction results indicate that MIPDH is an effective method for predicting miRNA-target mRNA interactions.

Recently, minimally invasive techniques, including endoscopic evacuation and minimally invasive catheter (MIC) evacuation, have been used for the treatment of patients with spontaneous cerebellar hemorrhage (SCH). However, credible evidence is still needed to validate the effects of these techniques. To explore the long-term outcomes of both surgical techniques in the treatment of SCH. Fifty-two patients with SCH who received endoscopic evacuation or MIC evacuation were retrospectively reviewed. Six-month mortality and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score were the primary and secondary outcomes, respectively. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the effects of the different surgical techniques on patient outcomes. In the present study, the mortality rate for the entire cohort was 34.6%. Univariate analysis showed that the surgical technique and preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score affected 6-month mortality. However, no variables were found to be correlated with 6-month mRS scores. Further multivariate analysis demonstrated that 6-month mortality in the endoscopic evacuation group was significantly lower than that in the MIC evacuation group (OR = 4.346, 95% CI 1.056 to 17.886). The 6-month mortality rate in the preoperative GCS 9–14 group was significantly lower than that in the GCS 3–8 group (OR = 7.328, 95% CI 1.723 to 31.170). Compared with MIC evacuation, endoscopic evacuation significantly decreased 6-month mortality in SCH patients. These preliminary results warrant further large, prospective, randomized studies.

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Patients and methods The plasma cfDNA and tissue DNA mutation profiles were investigated in 77 patients (9 colon polyps, 18 colon adenoma, 26 colon cancer, and 24 rectal cancer) by a cancer gene-targeted NGS panel. Results During the progression from adenoma to carcinoma, mutations occur in genes such as RAS, Wnt, Hippo, Nrf2, TGFβ, PI3K, Notch, and P53, as well as in those encoding cell cycle pathway components. The somatic mutation burden and plasma cfDNA concentration were significantly higher in the colon carcinoma group than in the adenoma and colon polyp groups. The combination of plasma cfDNA concentration, CEA, and cfDNA had a significantly greater area under the curve than cfDNA or CEA alone. Right-sided colon cancer tissues showed a greater distribution of somatic mutations among more genes than left-sided colon cancer tissues. In addition, tissue tumor mutational burden (TMB) was higher in the right-sided colon cancer group than in the rectal cancer or left-sided colon cancer group (P Conclusion These results may indicate that somatic mutations in plasma cfDNA are potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of CRC. In addition, somatic mutations may be distributed in more genes and pathways in right-sided colon cancer than in left-side colon cancer.

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of the postoperative long‐term effect of the treatment of single‐level cervical spondylosis through anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and artificial cervical disc replacement (ACDR). Methods This is a retrospective contrastive study, which was conducted for the period of January 2007 and January 2009 at the Department of Spine Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. A total of 113 patients were divided into two groups depending on the operation method: ACDF group (fusion group, n = 66) and ACDR group (replacement group, n = 47). The ACDR group comprised of 23 males and 24 females. The age of these patients ranged from 31–60 years, with an average age of 42.89 ± 6.30 years. The ACDF group comprised of 38 males and 28 females. The age of these patients ranged from 28–73 years old, with an average age of 49.38 ± 9.89 years old. The evaluation index included the visual analogue scale (VAS), neck disability index (NDI), range of motion, dysphagia, adjacent vertebral disease, and related complications (prosthesis displacement, heterotopic ossification, etc.). Results A total of 113 patients met the inclusion criteria, and these patients receive more than 96 months of follow‐up. The VAS and NDI of these two groups of patients significantly improved, when compared with those before the operation. In the last follow‐up visit, the range of motion in the ACDR group and ACDF group was 43.22 ± 3.58 and 32.54 ± 2.82, respectively, and both are significantly different comparing to the values measured before the operation (P 0.05). Conclusion Overall, the clinical efficacy and related complication rate of single‐level cervical spondylosis after an anterior cervical approach operation was superior in the ACDR group when compared to the ACDF group.

Objective To comprehensively assess the differences in outcome between open reduction and closed reduction for children and adolescents with femoral neck fractures. Methods Based on the predetermined strategies, eligible studies were obtained by searching Embase, the Cochrane Library, and PubMed databases (retrieval time: June 2018) and through manual retrieval for paper documents. The 95% confidence intervals (CI) and risk ratios (RR) were used as evaluation indexes. Moreover, the results of avascular necrosis, coxa vara, or non-union were compared between open reduction and closed reduction under random or fixed effects models. After sensitivity analysis was carried out, publication bias was evaluated for the eligible studies using Egger's test. Results Six studies were included in our meta-analysis. No significant heterogeneity was found among the included studies (P ≥ 0.05) and, thus, the fixed effects model was used for merging the effect sizes of avascular necrosis (RR [95% CI] = 0.50 [0.26, 0.98], P = 0.04), coxa vara (RR [95% CI] = 0.16 [0.04, 0.70], P = 0.01), and non-union (RR [95% CI] = 0.22 [0.05, 0.93], P = 0.04). Sensitivity analysis suggested that the results of avascular necrosis were not stable (RR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.25 1.17, P = 0.12), while those of coxa vara and non-union were stable. There was no significant publication bias among the eligible studies (t = -0.70, P = 0.522). Conclusion Femoral neck fractures treated by open reduction had less adverse outcomes compared with those treated by closed reduction.

ZnS/Carbon quantum dots (QDs) vertical heterojunction field-effect phototransistors were fabricated by a solution-based process. The light-absorbing QD layer is deposited by using ZnS QDs with a size of 2.2 nm and a bandgap at 4.5 eV, resulting in a cutoff at wavelengths at ~ 290 nm. The demonstrated phototransistor shows a photoresponsivity of 137 mA/W, EQE of 66.6 %, and response times of 0.2 s, which is attributed to the effective carrier separation at the vertical heterojunction in depletion mode. The results show that the chosen architecture is a promising design for solution-processed UV photodetectors.

The facet-dependent electrical conductivity properties of silicon wafers result from significant band structure differences and variations in bond length, bond geometry, and frontier orbital electron distribution between the metal-like and semiconducting planes of silicon. To further understand the emergence of conductivity facet effects, electrochemical impedance measurements were conducted on intrinsic Si {100}, {110}, and {111} wafers. The attempt-to-escape frequency, obtained from temperature-dependent capacitance versus applied frequency curves, and other parameters derived from typical semiconductor property measurements were used to construct a diagram of the trap energy level (Et) and the amount of trap states Nt(Et). The trap states are located 0.61-0.72 eV above the silicon conduction band. Compared to {100} and {110} wafers, Si {111} wafer shows far less densities of trap states over the range of -0.2 to 2 V. Since these trap states inhibit direct electron excitation to the conduction band, the {111} wafer having much fewer trap states presents the best electrical conductivity property. Impedance data also provide facet-specific carrier lifetimes. The {111} surface gives consistently the lowest carrier lifetime, which reflects its high electrical conductivity. Lastly, ultraviolet photoelectron spectra and diffuse reflectance spectra were taken to obtain Schottky barriers between Ag and contacting Si wafers. The most conductive {111} surface presenting the largest Schottky barrier means the degrees of surface band bending used to explain facet-dependent electrical behaviors cannot be reliably attained this way.

The spare aeroengine demand prediction is a crucial issue in aeroengine fleet management. For more accurate predictions, a spare aeroengine demand prediction model is proposed based on the deep Cro...

A force-sensitive structure of an InAs Quantum Dot (QD) embedded in a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) is presented in this paper. The size of an InAs QD is about 30 nm prepared by the S-K growth mode, and the force-sensitive structure is fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The force-sensitivity characteristic of the QD HEMT is studied by the electrical and mechanical properties. The electrical characteristics show that the InAs QD-HEMT has linear, cut-off, and saturation operating states, and produces different output currents under different gate voltages, which shows that the structure is reasonable. Furthermore, the results of the output characteristics under different pressure show that the output voltage of the QD-HEMT decreases with the increase in pressure, which indicates that the InAs QD-HEMT has a vital mechanical–electrical coupling characteristic. The output voltage of the InAs QD-HEMT in the range of 0–100 kPa shows that the sensitivity was 1.09 mV/kPa.