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Rice growth is sensitive to low temperature. Chilling injury is one of the main natural disasters in rice cultivation, and is damaging to rice growth at all developmental stages. Low-temperature germinability (LTG) is an important trait for seedling establishment, especially in rice direct-sowing practice. However, the genetic mechanism of LTG remains elusive. Here, we report the mapping of QTLs controlling LTG in rice using 586 single segment substitution lines (SSSL) derived from 4 AA-genome wild rice species. 21 SSSLs with the highest germination rate at low temperature in both of the two tested seasons were selected, from them 10 QTLs controlling LTG were identified by substitution mapping to locate on 6 chromosomes: chromosome 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 11, with an interval length of 3.45 to 20.15 cM. Five QTLs were detected from Niv-SSSls: qLTGn3-1, qLTGn5-1, qLTGn5-3, qLTGn7-1 and qLTGn7-2, their additive effects ranged from 3.72% to 19.74% in late season 2018. qLTGb1-1 and qLTGb8-2 were detected in the SSSLs with O. barthii as the donor and they accounted for at least 9.51% of the total phenotypic variation. Two QTLs, qLTGg5-2 and qLTGg8-1, were derived from O. glumaepatula, and their average additive effects were 4.28% and 20.39% in late seasons 2018, respectively. qLTGm11-1 on chromosome 11 was the only QTL identified from O. meridionalis. All QTLs derived from wild rice species improved low-temperature germination significantly. The SSSL library with wild rice species as donor is therefore a valuable resource for rice germplasm innovation and the breeding of chilling-resistant varieties.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar X-rays are usually preferred in patients with lower back pain, but lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) cannot be directly observed on lumbar X-ray films. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between the degree of single-segment central LSS and lumbar X-ray measurements. METHODS: The data of 60 male patients aged 39–78 years with single-segment central LSS were analyzed. Linear correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the single-segment central LSS and the various measurement parameters. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the factors affecting single-segment central LSS. RESULTS: There were significant differences in S1/S0, E, B, L1-5Cobb, and M among the three groups (p< 0.05). S1/S0 was positively correlated with E, B, L1-5Cobb, and M (p< 0.05), but was not correlated with D (p= 0.66). After multiple linear regression analysis, B, L1-5Cobb, and M were independently associated with S1/S0. CONCLUSIONS: The B, L1-5Cobb, and M parameters were independently associated with single-stage central LSS, and would likely be of particular value in evaluating the degree of single-segment central LSS; B, L1-5Cobb, and M served as independent predictors of the degree of LSS. These findings will guide clinicians’ decision-making in the future.

Objective This study was performed to evaluate the surgical indications, clinical efficacy, and preliminary experiences of nonstructural bone grafts for lumbar tuberculosis (TB). Methods Thirty-four patients with lumbar TB who were treated with nonstructural bone grafts were retrospectively assessed. The operative time, operative blood loss, hospital stay, bone graft fusion time, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration, visual analog scale (VAS) score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment grade, and Cobb angle were recorded and analyzed. Results The mean operative time, operative blood loss, hospital stay, Cobb angle correction, and Cobb angle loss were 192.59 ± 42.16 minutes, 385.29 ± 251.82 mL, 14.91 ± 5.06 days, 9.02° ± 3.16°, and 5.54° ± 1.09°, respectively. During the mean follow-up of 27.53 ± 8.90 months, significant improvements were observed in the ESR, CRP concentration, VAS score, ODI, and ASIA grade. The mean bone graft fusion time was 5.15 ± 1.13 months. Three complications occurred, and all were cured after active treatment. Conclusions Nonstructural bone grafts may achieve satisfactory clinical efficacy for appropriately selected patients with lumbar TB.

As the importance of surveillance in the world increases, the importance of surveillance cameras has increased. It has also increased the number of surveillance cameras installed. On the other hand, as the number of surveillance cameras increases, detecting abnormal events through monitoring requires higher labor intensity. The need for machine resources to detect abnormal events in stored videos has been expanded. Simultaneously, due to the rapid development of the computer vision field, a method has been developed in which the machine can detect abnormal events. To detect abnormal events, the importance of visual features that the machine can recognize has also increased. Previous methods used deep-learned visual features to detect anomalies, while feature extraction of visual features uses only a single stride and a single segment for the time scale. That is, abnormal events are detected by considering only a single scale. These features are spatiotemporal, but there is a possibility that the accuracy can be increased through various strides and segments. Therefore, we propose to consider various strides and various segments, i.e., multi-time scales. We evaluate performance with small datasets reconstructed from existing datasets.

The main principles of constructing a bypass for infrainguinal occlusive disease include: 1. Identifying a soft arterial segment proximal to the occlusive disease to serve as an inflow source 2. Identifying a soft arterial segment distal to the occlusive disease to serve as a suitable outflow vessel 3. Connecting these two arterial segments with a conduit, preferably a single segment of autogenous great saphenous vein

Analysing infection and mortality data for COVID-19 as a function of days for 54 countries across all continents, we show that there is a simple scaling behaviour connecting these two quantities for any given nation when the data is segmented over few ranges of dates covering the most rapid spread of the pandemic and the recovery, wherever achieved. This scaling is described by two parameters, one representing a shift along the time axis and the other is a normalisation factor, providing a reliable definition of the mortality rate for each country in a given period. The number of segments for any country required in our analyses turns out to be surprisingly few with as many as 16 out of 54 countries being described by a single segment and no country requiring more than three segments. Estimates of the shift and mortality for these 54 countries in different periods show large spreads ranging over 0-16 days and 0.45-19.96%, respectively. Shift and mortality are found to be inversely correlated. Analyses of number of tests carried out for detecting COVID-19 and the number of infections detected due to such tests suggest that an effective way to increase the shift, and therefore, decrease mortality, is to increase number of tests per infection detected. This points to the need of a dynamic management of testing that should accelerate with the rise of the pandemic; it also suggests a basis for adjusting variations in the testing patterns in different geographical locations within a given country.

Objectives:To study the clinical effect of OLIF channel combined with posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of single-segment lumbar tuberculosis.Methods:Using a retrospective controlled study, patients who were diagnosed with single-segment lumbar tuberculosis were divided into the minimal invasive group(the anterior debridement and fusion by OLIF technique combined percutaneous pedicle screw group) and the open group(the anterior-posterior combined surgery group) according to different surgical methods from July 2016 to October 2018,then the surgical-related parameters and surgical effects of the two groups of patients were compared.Results:The minimal invasive group was superior to the open group in operation time, abdominal incision length,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative drainage, and CPK,the differences were statistically significant (PConclusion:The clinical effect of OLIF channel combined with posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of single-segment lumbar tuberculosis is not different from the anterior-posterior combined surgery, but the trauma is smaller and the recovery is faster in the former, which has certain advantages in clinic.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of an allogeneic bone cage (Biocage; Beijing Datsing Bio-Tech Co., Ltd., Beijing, China) for treatment of single-segment lumbar degenerative disease in patients with a high risk of non-fusion.MethodsFrom January 2013 to December 2016, 67 patients who underwent lumbar fusion were divided into the Biocage group (n = 33) and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) group (n = 34). The patients were followed up for 24 to 48 months. The mean intervertebral height of the fusion level, fusion rate, height of the intervertebral foramen, visual analog scale score, and Oswestry disability index were compared.ResultsThe PEEK group had a lower fusion rate than the Biocage group (88.24% vs. 90.91%), although the difference was not statistically significant. During follow-up, the height of the intervertebral space was similar between the Biocage and PEEK groups (12.88 ± 0.45 and 12.84 ± 1.01 mm, respectively). The height of the intervertebral foramen was larger in the Biocage than PEEK group (20.67 ± 1.34 vs. 20.00 ± 2.05 mm). Good clinical efficacy was achieved in both groups.ConclusionThe Biocage is efficient and safe for treatment of single-segment lumbar degenerative disease in patients with a high risk of non-fusion.

Leech hearts are hybrids; they are myogenic but need entrainment by a heartbeat central pattern generator (CPG) to execute functional constriction patterns. Leech hearts are modular: two lateral segmented heart tubes running the length of the animal. Moving blood through the segmented heart tubes of leeches requires sequential constrictions, timed by a heartbeat CPG and relayed to each heart segment by likewise segmental motor neurons. The heartbeat CPG produces bilaterally asymmetric coordinations: rear-to-front peristaltic on one side and nearly synchronous on the other, periodically switching sides. We examined the neuromuscular transform of isolated heart segments in response to electrical nerve stimulation to identify the range of parameters (burst duration, intraburst pulse frequency, period) allowing the heart to constrict continuously and reliably. Constriction amplitudes increased with increasing intraburst frequencies and decreased with decreasing burst durations. Similar amplitudes were achieved with longer burst durations combined with lower frequencies or with shorter burst durations combined with higher frequencies. Long burst durations delayed relaxation, leading to summation and tetanus. The time, and its variability, between stimulus onset and time to constriction onset or to peak decreased with increasing frequency. Data previously obtained in vivo showed that the heart excitatory motor neurons fired longer bursts at lower frequencies at long periods moving to shorter bursts with higher intraburst frequencies as the period shortened. In this scenario, active constriction started earlier and the time to reach full systole shortened, allowing more time for relaxation. Relaxation time before the next motor neuron burst appears critical for maintaining constriction amplitude. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Moving blood through the segmented heart tubes of leeches requires sequential constrictions driven by motor neurons controlled by a central pattern generator. In a single heart segment, we varied stimuli to explore the neuromuscular transform. Decreasing the cycle period, e.g., to increase volume pumped over time, without altering motor burst duration and intraburst spike frequency shortens relaxation time and decreases amplitude. The likely strategy to preserve constriction amplitude is to shorten burst duration while increasing spike frequency.

Seed yield is one of the main limitations in hybrid rice production. The improvement of stigma exsertion rate (SER) of male sterility lines is essential for the higher seed yield in hybrid rice. Wild rice species are valuable germplasms with exserted stigma. It is worthy of mining-related genes for SER in wild rice species, as well as probing the way to use the beneficial genes in rice breeding. In the present study, we identified a total number of 36 stable QTLs for the SER distributing on 11 chromosomes by using a set of single-segment substitution lines (SSSLs) of 3 AA-genome wild rice species, O. barthii, O. meridionalis, and O. rufipogon. The mean genetic effects of these QTLs were ranged from 14.50 to 41.25% during 2016–2017. Twelve QTLs among them were novel by comparing the chromosome intervals with the reported QTLs. Besides, 7 homozygous 2-QTL pyramiding lines (PLs) were developed in BAR-SSSLs and MER-SSSLs to detect QTL interactions on the same background of HJX74. The epistatic effects in 3 out of 7 QTL pairs were positive, including qSERb3-1/qSERb6-1, qSERb3-1/qSERb8-1, and qSERb3-1/qSERb12-1, which mean epistatic effect was 13.56%, 4.76%, and 7.29% in 2018–2019, respectively. The PL of B6/B19 (qSERb3-1/qSERb12-1) had the highest mean SER of 80.59% and the largest pyramiding effect of 55.51%. The results in the present study demonstrated that SSSLs were the elite materials for SER QTL detection from wild rice species, and elite PLs could be developed among SSSLs for SER improvement in hybrid rice breeding.

Study Design: Single-center retrospective study.Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the surgical invasiveness of single-segment posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) by comparing perioperative blood loss in PLIF with traditional pedicle screws (PS), cortical bone trajectory screws (CBT), and percutaneous pedicle screws (PPS).Overview of Literature: Intraoperative blood loss has often been used to evaluate surgical invasiveness. However, in patients undergoing spinal surgery, more blood loss is observed postoperatively than intraoperatively. Therefore, evaluating surgical invasiveness using only the intraoperative bleeding volume may result in considerable underestimation of the actual surgical invasiveness.Methods: This study included patients who underwent single-segment PLIF between January 2012 and December 2017. In total, seven patients underwent PLIF with PS (PS-PLIF), nine underwent PLIF with CBT (CBT-PLIF), and 15 underwent PLIF with PPS (PPS-PLIF).Results: No significant differences were noted in terms of operation time or intraoperative bleeding between the PS-PLIF, CBT-PLIF, and PPS-PLIF groups. However, the postoperative drainage volume in the PPS-PLIF group (210.1 mL; range, 50–367 mL) was determined to be significantly lower than that in the PS-PLIF (416.7 mL; range, 260–760 mL; p=0.002) and CBT-PLIF (421.1 mL; range, 180–890 mL; p=0.006) groups. In addition, the total amount of intraoperative bleeding and postoperative drainage was found to be significantly lower in the PPS-PLIF group (362.8 mL; range, 145–637 mL) than in the PS-PLIF (639.6 mL; range, 285–1,000 mL; p=0.01) and CBT-PLIF (606.7 mL; range, 270–950 mL; p=0.005) groups.Conclusions: Based on our findings, evaluating surgical invasiveness using only intraoperative bleeding can result in the underestimation of actual surgical invasiveness. Even with single-segment PLIF, the amount of perioperative bleeding can vary depending on the way the posterior instrument is installed.

Background: Adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) is a major issue after posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). Several studies have reported the potential causes of ASD based on radiography. However, the postoperative dynamic changes in the adjacent segments are not clear. This study aimed to determine the effect of PLIF on ASD using a formetric 4D system and to compare the effectiveness of this system with that of traditional radiography for the prediction of ASD. Methods: Eighty-five consecutive patients who underwent PLIF of a single-segmen t were included. The formetric 4Dsystem was used to calculate the relative rotation angle between the fusion segment and the upper and lower adjacent vertebrae preoperatively and at 6, 12 and 24 months postoperatively. The range of motion (ROM) and disc height (DH) of the adjacent segments were measured using radiography preoperatively and at 24 months postoperatively. At the final follow-up, the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were used to evaluate the surgical outcome. The patients were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of radiographic ASD: the ASD group with progression of degeneration and the N-ASD group without progression of degeneration. The clinical outcomes and measurement data between the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results: The index fusion segments included L2-3 to L5-S1. Preoperatively, the relative rotation angles between the fused segment and the upper and lower adjacent vertebrae were 5.1°±2.2°and 3.3°±2.0°,respectively, and both angles increased significantly at all time-points after surgery ( p 0.05), while the relative rotation angle with the upper adjacent vertebra was greater in the ASD group than in the N-ASD group ( p

Background Several factors affect the outcomes of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of regional anesthesia in secondary procedures or revisions of AVF. Methods Medical records of patients who underwent treatment for AVF secondary procedures or revisions under brachial plexus block (BPB) between March 2016 and June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were evaluated. Results In total, 375 patients (mean age 65.6 ± 12.74; males 210, 56.0%) were enrolled in the study and 770 procedures were performed under BPB for AVF secondary procedures or revisions. The procedures included endovascular treatment (385, 50.0%), surgical treatment (105, 13.6%), and hybrid treatment (280, 36.4%). In 180 procedures (23.4%) for AVF lesions, the operative field included a single segment of the arm, whereas in 590 procedures (76.6%), the operative field included multiple segments. In total, 37 (4.8%) cases of 30-day postoperative complications were observed, of which 33 (4.3%) were surgery-related complications, 2 (0.3%) were BPB-related complications (neurapraxia), and 2 (0.3%) were contrast agent allergic reactions; 34 (4.4%) reinterventions of the total 201 (26.1%) reinterventions were performed within 30 days postoperatively. The mean operation time was 87.5 ± 55.35 min. The pain score for all patients was 0 (no pain), and no patient demanded opioids postoperatively. Conclusions Ultrasound-guided BPB is safe and effective for AVF secondary procedures or revisions in ESRD patients.

The shape prediction of tendon-driven continuum manipulators is a challenging problem due to the effect of inner friction and external force. Many researchers use actuation displacement or actuation force as model input to predict the shapes of manipulators, but very few consider their relations and models able to predict the status of friction. This paper proposes a model-based method that combines the mechanics model with the kinematic model to predict the shapes of planar single-segment manipulators with consideration of external force and friction. Finally, the shape prediction of manipulators is converted to an optimization problem with actuation displacement and actuation force as the inputs of our algorithm. The distribution of tendon force and the situation of friction can be calculated by using the feedback data of the actuation unit even when actuation direction changes and hysteresis occurs. Experimental results indicate that the method has good performance in predicting the manipulator’s shapes.

A retrospective study.The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of adjacent segment disease (ASD) at 2, 5, and 10 years after primary posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF), and clinical features of ASD.Few reports have examined ASD after PLIF with more than 10 years of follow-up. Furthermore, no reports have examined limited conditions of preoperative pathology, fusion segment, and fusion method with long follow-up.Data were reviewed for 128 patients who underwent single-segment PLIF for L4 degenerative spondylolisthesis and could be followed for at least 10 years. Mean age at the time of surgery was 63 years, and mean follow-up was 12.4 years. Follow-up rate was 62.4%. ASD was defined as radiological ASD (R-ASD), radiological degeneration adjacent to the fusion segment by plain X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); symptomatic ASD (S-ASD), a symptomatic condition due to neurological deterioration at the adjacent segment degeneration; and operative ASD (O-ASD), S-ASD requiring revision surgery.Incidences of each ASD at 2, 5, and 10 years after primary PLIF were 19%, 49%, and 75% for R-ASD, 6%, 14%, and 31% for S-ASD, and 5%, 9%, and 15% for O-ASD, respectively. O-ASD incidence was 24% at final follow-up. O-ASD peak was bimodal, at 2 and 10 years after primary PLIF. O-ASD was mainly observed at the cranial segment (77%), followed by the caudal segment (13%) and both cranial and caudal segments (10%). With respect to O-ASD pathology, degenerative spondylolisthesis was observed in 52%, spinal stenosis in 39%, and disc herniation in 10%.Incidences of R-ASD, S-ASD, and O-ASD at 10 years after primary PLIF were 75%, 31%, and 15%, respectively. With respect to O-ASD pathology, degenerative spondylolisthesis at the cranial segment was the most frequent.4.

An increasing number of observations have called the general scheme of five renal segments into question: anatomists, radiologists, and surgeons have reported discrepancies between Graves's scheme and morphological observations. The aims of the present study are: (1) to assess the correspondence between a virtual and a real vascular cast of the kidney; (2) to analyze the arterial anatomy with reference to the renal segments. Fifteen kidneys were injected with acrylic resins to obtain vascular casts, which were also analyzed by computed tomography. A mean of 6.3 (range 4-8) avascular fissures was found, indicating a mean of 7.3 segments (range 5-9). In the superior and middle territories there was a single segment in 4 (26.7%) and 8 (53.3%) cases, respectively, and there were two segments in 11 (73.3%) and in 7 (46.7%) cases, respectively. In the inferior territory there was a single segment in two cases (13.3%), two segments in nine (60%), and three segments in four (26.7%). A mean segmental volume of 550.5 mm3 was calculated; the posterior (1,030.1 mm3 , 28.9%) and inferior (450.3 mm3 , 24.2%) segments were the largest. More third order branches were identified in the inferior segments than in the other segments (three branches of the inferior segmental artery in 26.6%). According to these data the inferior segment occupies the inferior pole, extending both anteriorly and posteriorly. In conclusion, the high correspondence between a virtual and a real vascular cast permits more segments to be identified than those described by Graves, and the volume of each segment can be calculated. Clin. Anat., 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The ability to reproducibly target expression of transgenes to small, defined subsets of cells is a key experimental tool for understanding many biological processes. The Drosophila nervous system contains thousands of distinct cell types and it has generally not been possible to limit expression to one or a few cell types when using a single segment of genomic DNA as an enhancer to drive expression. Intersectional methods, in which expression of the transgene only occurs where two different enhancers overlap in their expression patterns, can be used to achieve the desired specificity. This report describes a set of over 2800 transgenic lines for use with the split-GAL4 intersectional method.

Heat Exchanger adalah suatu alat yang memungkinkan heat transfer dan dapat berfungsi baik sebagai pemanas maupun pendingin. Baffle merupakan sekat-sekat pada Shell and Tube Heat Eexchanger (STHE) yang berfungsi untuk menciptakan aliran yang turbulen sehingga heat transfer yang terjadi optimal. Masalah yang terjadi STHE ini adalah getaran yang dapat merusak STHE maupun menyebabkan kegagalan pada heat exchanger. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisa pengaruh jarak baffle serta jenis baffle single segment dan double segment terhadap getaran yang terjadi guna menghindari kerusakan maupun kegagalan pada heat exchanger. Pelaksanaan penelitian ini dengan cara menyiapkan model STHE pada software heat transfer research inc (HTRI) dan memasukkan variasi nilai jarak baffle beserta jenis baffle single segment dan double segment, selanjutnya dilakukan analisa terhadap report data hasil dari software HTRI. Hasil analisa yang didapatkan jumlah baffle terbanyak pada jarak baffle 650 mm baik jenis single segment maupun double segment dengan jumlah baffle 17, getaran maksimum pada jarak baffle 650 mm baik single segment dan double segment dengan tube natural frequency 35,2 Hz dan heat transfer co-efficient analisa ini dengan jenis baffle single segment pada jarak 800 mm didapat heat transfer co-efficient 1221,8 Kcal/m2.hr.°C, sedangkan pada jenis baffle double segment pada jarak 1000 mm dengan heat transfer co-efficient 1188,6 Kcal/m2.hr.°C.

Retinoblastoma é um tumor originado de células neuropiteliais da retina, que pode ocorrer de forma esporádica ou familial e está relacionado com o gene RB-l, do braço longo do cromossomo 13 {região 13q/14). Este gene é um supressor tumoral e quando sofre delação promove crescimento celular. O retinoblastoma relaciona-se com a mutação dos dois alelos RB-1: quando o indivíduo sofre duas mutações durante o desenvolvimento somático da retina, ele tem a forma esporádica ou não hereditária da doença; quando uma das mutações é herdada das células germinativas, ele tem a familial ou hereditária. Apresentamos um caso de retinoblastoma bilateral, familial, associado com carcinoma primário do plexo coróide. Após revisão, não encontramos associação semelhante na literatura.

Purpose: To assess the changes in visual acuity and topographic indices after implantation of single-segment Intacs. Methods: Forty-two keratoconic eyes received Femtosecond-assisted single-segment Intacs. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), refractive error, keratometry (K1, K2, Km, and KMax.), and seven Pentacam measured topographical indices; index of surface variance (ISV), index of vertical asymmetry (IVA), keratoconus index (KI), central keratoconus index (CKI), index of height asymmetry (IHA), index of height decentration (IHD), and minimum radius of curvature (R Min) were assessed 4 months after surgery. Correlations between changes of visual acuity and topographical indices changes were evaluated. Results: UDVA increased from 0.92 ± 0.35 to 0.49 ± 0.31 logMAR (P

The study is designed to contrast the clinical efficacy of one stage posterior debridement with iliac bone graft, titanium mesh bone graft or granular bone graft in the surgical treatment of single segment lumbar tuberculosis [1].

Objective: To analysis the risk factors of nonsurgical vertebral refracture by making retrospectively study about patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) had accepted vertebroplasty.Methods: From June 2016 to December 2017, there were 161 cases of OVCF patients were treated with single-segment vertebroplasty in our department, and follow-up data including age, gender, bone density, bone cement volume, bone cement puncture route, bone cement leakage and vertebral refracture were collected.T-test and chi-square test were used to analyze the possible risk factors for postoperative vertebral refracture.Results: Among 161 patients treated with vertebroplasty, 19 of them had refracture. Among the refracture group, including 2 males and 17 females,bone density (-3.49 + 0.20) in the refracture group, and bone density (-2.95 + 0.57) in the nonrefracture group.The difference was statistically significant (t=-4.162,PRead Complete Article at ijSciences: V72018121896 AND DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18483/ijSci.1896

Objective This retrospective study was performed to investigate the risk factors for axial symptoms (AS) after single-segment anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Methods One hundred thirteen patients with cervical spondylosis who had undergone single-segment ACDF from January 2012 to December 2015 were divided into those with and without AS (n = 34 and n = 79, respectively). Clinical data and radiological evaluation results were recorded. Results The occurrence rate of AS was 30.1% (34/113), and the average visual analog scale score was 4.5 points. Bony fusion was achieved in all cases during follow-up. There were no differences in age, sex, disease duration, diagnostic categories, operative segment, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, or adjacent segment degeneration. However, cervical range of motion (CROM), cervical curvature, and disc space enlargement significantly differed between the groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that CROM, cervical curvature, and disc space enlargement were independently associated with AS. Conclusions AS after single-segment ACDF is not rare. Disc space enlargement is a risk factor for AS, while higher CROM and lordotic cervical curvature are protective factors. Excessive or insufficient disc space enlargement could increase the incidence of AS. Maintaining CROM within the normal range and restoring cervical lordosis might help to prevent AS.

Purpose: To observe the clinical curative effect of continuous epidural irrigation combined with posterior debridement and posterior lumbar inter-body fusion with instrumentation for the therapy of single-segment lumbar pyogenic spongdylodiscitis. Methods: From June 2010 to November 2013, surgical treatment was performed in 18 patients with pyogenic spondylodiscitis. The surgical indications were progressive biomechanical instability, epidural abscesses, deterioration of neurologic status, and intractable back pain. All these patients received posterior decompression with posterior instrumentation, debridement of infected tissue, and inter-body fusion. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores were used to assess clinical outcomes. The neural function was evaluated by the Frankel grading system. Laboratory and radiologic results were recorded during clinical follow-up for at least one year. Results: The average follow-up period was 18 months after the operation. The VAS scores decreased from an average of 7.1 points before the procedure to 2.6 points after operation. The neurologic deficits of all the patients were recovered to Frankel grade E. All of the examined laboratory parameters were normalized gradually. Imaging-documented fusion was achieved in each patient, and no implants failure was noted. No patients showed any evidence of recurrence or persistence of infection. Conclusion: In carefully selected patients, single-segment lumbar pyogenic spondylodiscitis can be cured successfully with continuous epidural irrigation and drainage combined with posterior debridement and posterior lumbar inter-body fusion. Instrumentation could provide immediate stability and reconstruction of the spine column, and the presence of instrumentation did not result in any persistence or recurrence of infection. Continuous epidural irrigation and drainage is an effective method facilitating the elimination of residual infection.

Greatly increased yield by utilizing of heterosis has been a great success in rice over the past 40 years. The cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) line is a key line of hybrid rice. However, the CMS line was very difficult to develop following the traditional breeding methods. Here, we report an example to develop and improve CMS lines sustainably by using the strategy of breeding by design under the platform of single segment substitution line (SSSL) library in the Huajingxian74 (HJX74) genetic background. The CMS lines HZA and HBA with the wild abortive (WA) cytoplasm from Zhenshan97A and BobaiA, respectively, were firstly developed in the HJX74 background through marker-assisted selection. Then, four isonuclear alloplasmic CMS lines with the WA, dwarf wild abortive (DA), and Yegong abortive (YA) types of CMS cytoplasm, respectively, were developed by using the HZB maintainer line. According to the goal of design, E5-HXA and E5-HBA were developed by pyramiding five target genes, Wxg1, ALK, fgr, gs3, and OsMADS50, located on the chromosomal substituted segments in four SSSLs. The two CMS lines show the phenotypes of earlier in heading date, longer and narrower in grain shape, lower in amylose content, and fragrant smell. Thus, the goal of design was achieved on the platform of SSSL library. Compared with that in the E5-HXA line carrying the rf3 and rf4 genes of XieqingzaoA, the CMS in the E5-HBA line with the rf3 and rf4 genes from BobaiA was susceptible to environmental impact and easy to be restored. Therefore, the balance between sterility and its restored ability in CMS lines should be concerned in breeding by design.

Symbolic execution is an effective technique for exploring paths in a program and reasoning about all possible values on those paths. However, the technique still struggles with code that uses complex heap data structures, in which a pointer is allowed to refer to more than one memory object. In such cases, symbolic execution typically forks execution into multiple states, one for each object to which the pointer could refer. In this paper, we propose a technique that avoids this expensive forking by using a segmented memory model. In this model, memory is split into segments, so that each symbolic pointer refers to objects in a single segment. The size of the segments are bound by a threshold, in order to avoid expensive constraints. This results in a memory model where forking due to symbolic pointer dereferences is significantly reduced, often completely. We evaluate our segmented memory model on a mix of whole program benchmarks (such as m4 and make) and library benchmarks (such as SQLite), and observe significant decreases in execution time and memory usage.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of the transforaminal endoscopic focal cleaning and drainage for suppurative spondylitis. Design: Retrospective study. Participants: Twenty-one patients with single-segment suppurative spondylitis. Interventions: All patients were treated with the transforaminal endoscopic focal cleaning and drainage. Outcome Measures: The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured before and after the operation. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the relief of pain symptoms. Neurological function American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade was used to evaluate the recovery of neurological function. The postoperative clinical efficacy of the patients was evaluated using the Kirkaldy-Willis functional scoring criteria. The stability of the spine and the recurrence of infection were evaluated by imaging data. Results: Postoperative bacteriological culture results showed positive in 15 cases and no bacteria growth in 6 cases. Besides, 16 cases were pathologically diagnosed. The ESR, CRP, and VAS scores at 2 weeks postoperatively and at the last follow-up were significantly improved compared with those at pre-operation. At the last follow-up, the clinical outcome was excellent in 17 cases, good in 3 cases, and fair in 1 case, according to the Kirkaldy-Willis functional scoring criteria; and the ASIA grade returned to normal. There was no significant difference in the Cobb angle between the last follow-up and the pre-operation. There was no recurrence of infection during the follow-up period. Conclusion: The transforaminal endoscopic focal cleaning and drainage is a minimally invasive, effective and safe surgical procedure for suppurative spondylitis.

Heat shock proteins of 70 kDa (Hsp70s) are ubiquitous and highly conserved molecular chaperones. They play multiple essential roles in assisting with protein folding and maintaining protein homeostasis. Their chaperone activity has been proposed to require several rounds of binding to and release of polypeptide substrates at the substrate-binding domain (SBD) of Hsp70s. All available structures have revealed a single substrate-binding site in the SBD that binds a single segment of an extended polypeptide of 3–4 residues. However, this well-established single peptide-binding site alone has made it difficult to explain the efficient chaperone activity of Hsp70s. In this study, using purified proteins and site-directed mutagenesis, along with fluorescence polarization and luciferase-refolding assays, we report the unexpected discovery of a second peptide-binding site in Hsp70s. More importantly, the biochemical analyses suggested that this novel binding site, named here P2, is essential for Hsp70 chaperone activity. Furthermore, cross-linking and mutagenesis studies indicated that this second binding site is in the SBD adjacent to the first binding site. Taken together, our results suggest that these two essential binding sites of Hsp70s cooperate in protein folding.

Transmission characteristics of a double staggered grating waveguide (DSGW) slow wave structure (SWS) with transition waveguides and input & output windows are presented. The DSGW-SWS was designed to operate at the band of 90–100 GHz. The output power of over 1000 W at the bandwidth of 4 GHz was obtained by PIC simulation. The current of sheet beam is 0.5 A. The single segment DSGW-SWS is used in the TWT for ensuring stable transmission of high beam-current. The DSGW-SWS circuit was fabricated and experimentally tested for its cold behavior. The measured S-parameters $\pmb{(S_{11})}$ is less than −10 dB in the band of 94-100GHz. The Voltage Stand Wave Ratio (VSWR) shows a good agreement with the simulation results. The research results provide a perfect DSGW-SWS circuit for the successful development of W-band sheet beam TWT.

This study focuses on the determination of the near-surface tectonic features in the eastern part of the Gulf of Saros, a highly active seismic region within the North Anatolian Fault Zone. Approximately 350-km-line high-resolution seismic data were acquired to understand the active tectonic setting of the inner side of the gulf. The Ganos Fault, which generated the 9 August 1912 earthquake (Mw = 7.3) in western Turkey, enters into the Gulf of Saros from the east, cuts the southern margin of the gulf forming a trough which becomes broader and deeper westward. The seismic data reveal that the fault is not made up of a single segment or a pair of border faults bounding the trough. According to the seismic images of the fault segments, however, the emanating earthquake energy will possibly be carried by two different faults; namely the Ganos and Saros segments. These fault segments will be presented first in this paper in detail from new collected seismic data at the inner part of the gulf, and will be used to help a new tectonic model that explains how the Ganos segment controls the northern margin of the trough while the Saros segment controls the central part of the main trough. The latter is responsible from the development of an active basin and it forms the sudden deepening observed on the trough.

Diamond impregnated tools are considered which are used to machine concrete. During their application, the bonding as well as the diamonds need to wear down in a certain way to gain a sharp tool. This required wear is called self-sharpening and means a continuous exposure of new diamonds. Within the development phase of diamond tools, time and cost intensive testing is necessary for the assessment of the tool performance. Hence, an extrapolation based on a minimal amount of testing is desirable to forecast the tool lifetime. A further reduction of the development and testing cost can be achieved by reducing the data needed to forecast the tool performance. Within this paper, the development of a statistical model is shown which was used to forecast the lifetime of the single diamonds on the tool. The statistical analysis is based on single segment tests which were carried out with different segment specification. During the tests, the exposed and broken out diamonds were counted to serve as the necessary input data for the statistical analysis. The counting of the diamonds on the segment was done in two different ways: based on the 2-dimensional microscopic pictures made after every minute of drilling and based on the 3-dimensional surface measurements made after every 5 min of drilling. It turns out that these two approaches of the wear analysis provide similar results.

The concept of the crowding-out effect has been employed in the tourism literature to analyse complex phenomena. However, there is limited insight into the crowding-out effect on tourists by tourists, and even less into the impact of distance on the crowding-out of tourists. This paper examines the relationship between crowding perceptions, tourists' attitudes toward crowding and the consequences of being crowded out. Results from a sample of 729 international tourists in Hong Kong suggest that there is a crowding-out effect on tourists by tourists, but this has only a marginal influence on the majority. The limited crowding-out effect is induced by tourists in general rather than by a single segment. The study also investigates the effect of distance on tourist crowding. The findings reveal a decaying effect of distance on tourists’ crowding perceptions, as neighbour tourists are more susceptible to tourist crowding than tourists from long-haul markets.

Additive effects (A) and additive-by-environment interactions (A×E) for five rice yield components were analysed using 20 SSSLs under mixed linear model methodology. Thirty-one QTLs were detected. Different yield components have different QTL-by-environment (Q×E) interaction patterns. No A×E interaction effects were detected for the four QTLs for panicle number (PN). Four QTLs detected for spikelets per panicle (SPP) had A×E interactions. Five of seven QTLs detected for grains per panicle (GPP), two of 10 QTLs detected for 1000-grains weight (GWT) and three of six QTLs detected for seed set ratio (SSR) showed significant A×E interaction. Most of these QTLs were distributed in clusters across the genome. The complexity of linkage and pleiotropy of these QTLs plus environmental effect may result in the diversity of the yield phenotype in the SSSLs. Only S19 exhibited a significant increase in yield with a predicted gain by 281.58 kg ha−1. The results may be useful to design a better breeding strategy that takes advantage of QTL-by-environment interaction effects in each of the SSSLs.

BACKGROUND In rice, five common Wx alleles, wx, Wxt , Wxg1 , Wxg2 and Wxg3 , have been identified according to their apparent amylose content (AAC) phenotypes. Previous studies revealed that this Wx allelic variation may also affect other starch properties. However, so far, to what extent the five Wx alleles influence the crystalline structure, thermal and swelling properties of rice starch is still unclear. For this purpose, a set of single-segment substitution lines (SSSLs) harboring five different Wx alleles, varying widely in AAC, was used for comparative studies. RESULTS The crystalline structure, thermal properties and swelling behavior of starches from the SSSLs varied widely depending on Wx genotype. Effects of different Wx alleles on relative crystallinity followed the order wx > Wxt > Wxg1 = Wxg2 > Wxg3 . The glutinous and Wxt genotype starches showed higher gelatinization temperatures and enthalpy compared with other Wx genotypes. The order for swelling power was wx > Wxt > Wxg1 > Wxg2 > Wxg3 , while the order for degree of solubility was Wxg3 > Wxg1 > Wxg2 > Wxt = wx. Correlation analysis indicated that AAC was significantly and negatively correlated with relative crystallinity (r = -0.996, P < 0.01) and swelling power (r = -0.982, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION The present results provide new knowledge about the influence of different Wx alleles on the structural and physicochemical properties of rice starch. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

The present study aimed to dissect the genetic basis of heterosis for grain yield and its components in maize (Zea mays L.). Quantitative trait loci (QTL) and heterotic loci (HL) were analyzed using a set of 203 single segment substitution lines (SSSLs) and its testcross population in three environments. Forty-one QTL were identified as responsible for grain yield, ear length, ear diameter, row number, kernel number per row, and 100-kernel weight in the SSSLs population, and 17 QTL were conserved across the three environments. In the heterosis analysis, 36 HL were identified for grain yield and five yield-related traits in the test population in the three environments. Among the HL, only six (16.7 %) for ear length, kernel number per row, 100-kernel weight, and grain yield were consistent with the results of QTL mapping. In addition, 16.7 % of the heterotic loci showed a dominant effect and 83.3 % showed an over-dominant effect. The results implied that dominance and over-dominance were two important components of heterosis in maize grain yield and yield-related traits in the present testcross population.

Since 2007, Ulva macroalgal blooms have occurred along the coastal areas of the Yellow Sea, China. These blooms are dominated by fragments of Ulva prolifera in the early stages of development. The objectives of this study were to identify the primary mode of asexual reproduction for U. prolifera and to evaluate the contribution of these thalli fragments to the formation of blooms. Four different growth and reproductive strategies of U. prolifera segments were found including: 1) tubular diameter becoming larger; 2) formation of new branches; 3) release of zoids; and 4) polarized growth. This is the first report showing the development of numerous blade-lets from a single segment, which is remarkably different from previous studies on other Ulva species. The results in the present study provide critical information to understand how this species is able to support its explosive growth during a bloom.

Background Degeneration of intervertebral disks in the lower lumbar spine is associated with significant structural alterations. Finite element model has been widely used in the study of spinal mechanical behaviors. Our study used this technique to characterize the motional influence to the double-level (L4-5 and L5-S) degeneration. Methods and Results Three grades of disk degeneration were modeled with the changes in geometry and material properties. In the extension and flexion of range of motion (ROM), single segment degeneration in L4-5 or L5-S resulted in a decreased angle in itself and increased angle in the other segment. Double-level degeneration resulted in a decreased rotation in both segments. Bending resulted in a decreased ROM in all 3 grades of degeneration in the double-level degeneration. In torsion loading, mild and moderate single degeneration in L4-5 and L5-S increased the rotation angle. In double-level degeneration, mild and moderate L4-5 degeneration increased the L4-5 rotation angle by 14%−19%. In contrast, severe L4-5 decreased L4-5 rotation angle. Concurrently, mild and moderate L5-S degeneration increased the rotation angle, respectively, by 15% and 6%, and severe degeneration decreased the rotation angle by 29%. Conclusions Different loading motions in double-level degeneration had differing effects on the ROM. These changes are important to understand the biomechanics of the progression of disk degeneration in the lower lumbar spine. Our results provide insights for the clinical intervention of double-level intervertebral disks.

Fibre strength (FS) is an important quality attribute in the modern textile industry, which is genetically controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Fine-mapping stable QTLs for FS to identify candidate genes would be valuable for uncovering the genetic basis of fibre quality traits in cotton. Here, a single segment introgression line, IL-D2−2, from the cross of (TM-1×TX-1046) reported in our previous studies, was found to have significantly improved FS compared with the recurrent parent TM-1. To fine-map the QTLs of the FS, we further crossed IL-D2−2 with its recurrent parent TM-1 to produce F2 and F2:3 populations. QTL analysis and substitution mapping showed qFS-Chr. D02 was anchored into a 550.66 kb-interval between two markers, INTR1027 and JESPR-231. This interval contained 67 genes, among which 27 genes related to cell-wall synthesis were selected to conduct qRT-PCR. The results revealed seven genes were expressed significantly differently during the fibre secondary-wall-thickening stage (10–25 days post-anthesis), three being upregulated and four downregulated in IL-D2−2. Both GH_D02G2269 (UDP-glucosyl transferase 84B1) and GH_D02G2289 (unknown function (DUF869)) with nonsynonymous SNPs in IL-D2−2 had significantly downregulated expression, suggesting they were candidates for qFS-Chr. D02. This research provides information about marker-assisted selection for cotton fibre strength improvement.

This review aims to highlight the important contribution of the cerebellum in the Anticipatory Postural Adjustments (APAs). These are unconscious muscular activities, accompanying every voluntary movement, which are crucial for optimizing motor performance by contrasting any destabilization of the whole body and of each single segment. Moreover, APAs are deeply involved in initiating the displacement of the center of mass in whole-body reaching movements or when starting gait. Here we present literature that illustrates how the peculiar abilities of the cerebellum i) to predict, and contrast in advance, the upcoming mechanical events; ii) to adapt motor outputs to the mechanical context, and iii) to control the temporal relationship between task-relevant events, are all exploited in the APA control. Moreover, recent papers are discussed which underline the key role of cerebellum ontogenesis in the correct maturation of APAs. Finally, on the basis of a survey of animal and human studies about cortical and subcortical compensatory processes that follow brain lesions, we propose a candidate neural network that could compensate for cerebellar deficits and suggest how to verify such a hypothesis.

An innovative concept was proposed to treat the lumbar degenerative diseases with full-endoscopic translaminar lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-TLIF) and the efficacy was evaluated. A total of 44 patients from January 2017 to October 2018 were enrolled, including 20 patients undergoing full-endoscopic TLIF and 24 patients undergoing standard open TLIF. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, Oswestry Dability Index (ODI) and intervertebral fusion were observed in both groups at the last follow-up. The height and width of intervertebral foramen and height of intervertebral space were evaluated via imaging. Mean follow-up time for all patients 13.2 ± 3.2 months. The average operation time was 184.3 ± 70.6 min in experimental group and 191.1 ± 32.4 min in control group. The amount of bleeding was 38.5 ± 19.5 mL and 214.6 ± 61.6 mL. The VAS score was 4.9 ± 1.0 points in experimental group and 4.8 ± 1.0 points in control group before operation, and 0.8 ± 0.6 points and 0.8 ± 0.7 points at the last follow-up. The ODI was 83.5 ± 7.8% and 87.8 ± 5.9% before operation, and 9.9 ± 3.6% and 9.3 ± 3.7% at the last follow-up. The height and width of intervertebral foramen and height of intervertebral space in both groups were significantly improved (p 0.05). The fusion rate at the last follow-up were 95% (19 cases) in experimental group and 92% (22 cases) in control group. Full-endoscopic TLIF is feasible in the treatment of single-segment lumbar degenerative diseases, which is characterized by small trauma, quick recovery and low cost. However, the large-sample long-term follow-up is needed to further evaluate its clinical efficacy and safety.

In the paper is presented an example of the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) system to control of air humidity inside chamber of the furnace used for heating of blanks made from 22MnB5 steel in process of hot-stamping. Such systems are installed in the furnaces to eliminate a hazard of so called hydrogen embrittlement occurring in produced workpieces. The simulation was performed for a single segment of chamber of vertical furnace. Parameters of the simulation have been defined and results of the simulation have been presented and discussed. Conclusions and recommendations have been formulated.

Taking a 10,000TEU container ship as the study object, a series of simplified global hull girder models with large deck openings are modeled and analyzed to investigate their torsional failure behaviors, including collapse modes and ultimate torsional strength. The objective of this research is to answer which mechanism the hull girder with large deck openings under torsion will collapse in and to figure out the decisive factor that is dominating the transformation between the warping failure and the shear failure mechanism. In addition, the ultimate torsional strength reduction curves of the hull girder with large deck openings are obtained to reveal the relationship of the ultimate torsional strength between the global hull girder and the single segment hull girder. Also, it is experimentally validated that the numerical models performed with nonlinear large deflection elastoplastic finite element analysis can well predict the torsional collapse behaviors and ultimate torsional strength of the test model.

To evaluate the surgical outcome of using a trepan to treat single-segment ossification of ligamentum flavum under endoscopy and the clinical value of the new surgical treatment.Patients who underwent surgery for single-segment ossification of ligamentum flavum from January 2015 to June 2018 were included in a retrospective analysis. Endoscopic visual trepan decompression was performed in 26 patients and posterior spinal canal resection and decompression was performed in 11 patients. Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores, Japanese Orthopaedic Association improvement rate, and visual analog scale scores of both groups were recorded during follow-up. Computed tomography was used to evaluate patients' residual area ratio of the vertebral canal. Operative time, length of stay, amount of bleeding, and hospital cost in both groups were recorded.Average follow-up time was 8.9 ± 2.7 months. Average operative time was 100.6 ± 35.0 minutes in the experimental group and 140.5 ± 28.3 minutes in the control group. At the final follow-up, the average improvement rate of Japanese Orthopaedic Association score was 78.3% in the experimental group and 84.2% in the control group. The average residual area ratio of the vertebral canal, which was50% before the operation in both groups, recovered to 100% in both groups after the operation. Visual analog scale score of all patients was significantly (P0.05) reduced at the final follow-up.The visual trepan technique using a spinal endoscope can be used to treat single-segment ossification of ligamentum flavum. Advantages include less trauma, faster recovery, and lower cost. However, more cases and long-term follow-up are required to further evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of this surgical method.