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Ya-li Lv, Fei-fei Han, Yang-jie Jia, Zi-rui Wan, Li-li Gong, He Liu, Li-hong Liu Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Background: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Numerous studies have been conducted to analyze the association between HCMV infection and risk of IBD and steroid-resistant IBD, but no clear consensus had been reached. Objectives: The aim of this study was to confirm this relationship precisely by doing a systematic review and meta-analysis. Study design: We identified relevant studies through a search of PubMed and Embase. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they 1) evaluated the association between HCMV infection and IBD disease; 2) evaluated the association between HCMV infection and steroid-resistant IBD disease; 3) were case–control studies or nested case–control studies; 4) provided the numbers (or percentage) of positivity for HCMV infection in cases and controls, respectively. Data were extracted and analyzed independently by two investigators. Results and conclusion: A total of 18 studies including 1,168 patients and 951 health groups was identified, and HCMV infection was distinctly confirmed as a risk factor for the occurrence and development of IBD. When involving 17 studies including 1,306 IBD patients, a total of 52.9% of patients in the cytomegalovirus (CMV)-positive groups were observed to have steroid resistance, compared with 30.2% of patients in the CMV-negative groups. There was a significant difference in the risk of steroid resistance between people exposed to HCMV infection and those not exposed HCMV infection in IBD patients. This meta-analysis suggested that HCMV infection is associated with an increased risk for IBD and steroid-resistant IBD. Keywords: cytomegalovirus, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, meta-analysis

Stitch wire is the key component in high-speed railway catenary. During the construction and operation of the catenary, tension changes can lead to fracture of the stitch wire. This study proposed a simulation method considering the structure and stress distribution of stitch wire to reveal the effect of tension changes on the fatigue life. Dynamic simulation model at a speed of 300 km/h was constructed to obtain the vibration load. A refined model of stitch wire was used to simulate the contact between the structures. Finally, the fatigue life of stitch wire was calculated when the tension changes by analysing the stress distribution under vibration. Results demonstrate that the lifting effect of the pantograph during operation causes vertical vibrations of stitch wire, and the stress concentration position is located at the connection with its clamp. As the tension increases form 2.0 kN to 5.0 kN, the range of vibration angle at the clamp decreases from 2.73° to 1.33°, and fatigue life increases from 1.36 x 106 to 8.76 x 106. The proposed method provides an accurate approach to simulate the load and fatigue life of stitch wire under real working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies a simple attribute graph grammar as a generative image representation for image parsing in a Bayesian framework. This grammar has one class of primitives as its terminal nodes - 3D planar rectangles projected on images, and six production rules for the spatial layout of the rectangular objects. All the terminal and non-terminal nodes in the grammar are described by attributes for their geometric properties and image appearance. Each production rule either instantiates an non-terminal node as a rectangular primitive or expands a node into its components. A production rule is associated with a number of equations that constrain the attributes of a parent node and those of its children. This grammar, albeit simple, can produce a combinatorial number of configurations and objects in made-made scenes, such as building, hallways, kitchens, and living rooms etc. A configuration refers to a planar graphic representation produced by a series of grammar rules in a parsing graph (augmented from a parsing tree by including horizontal constraints). A given image ins then generated from a configuration by a primal sketch model [5] which is formulated as the likelihood in the Bayesian framework. The paper will be focused on designing an effective inference algorithm which computes (or construct) a hierarchical parsing graph from an input image in the process of maximizing a Bayesian posterior probability or equivalently minimizing a description length (MDL). It is worth clarifying that the parsing graph here is only a generic interpretation for the object layout and it is beyond the scope of this paper to deal with explicit scene and object recognition. The inference algorithm integrates bottom-up rectangle detection as weighted candidates (particles) which activate the grammar rules for top-down predictions of occluded or missing components. Intuitively each grammar rule maintains a list of particles as in an "assembly line". The top-down process chooses the most promising particle (with heaviest weight) at each step. The acceptance of a grammar rule means a recognition of a certain sub-configuration so that the description length is decreased in a greedy way , and it also activates a number of actions: (i) creating new "top-down" particles and insert them into the lists; (ii) reweighing some particles in the lists; (iii) passing attributes between a node and its parent through the constraint equations associated with this production rule. When an attribute is passed from a child to a node to a parent node, it is called bottom-up; and the opposite is called top-down. The whole procedure is, in spirit, similar to the data-drive Markov chain Monte Carlo paradigm [20], [16], except that a greedy algorithm is adopted for simplicity.

Qingfa Chen,1 Takahiro Sawada,2 Kazushige Sakaguchi,2 Fabin Han1,3 1Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, The Institute for Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine,The Liaocheng People’s Hospital/Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Advanced Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan; 3Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Translational Medicine, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Receptor tyrosine kinases mediate the extracellular signals and transmit them into the cytoplasm by activating intracellular proteins through tyrosine phosphorylation. Both Ephs and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors (PDGFRs) have been implicated in neurogenesis, but the functional interaction between these two pathways is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that EphA4 directly interacts with PDGFRβ and mutually activates each other when expressed in HEK293T cells. H9-derived neural stem cells express Ephs and PDGFRs, and their proliferation is stimulated by ephrin-A1 and PDGF-BB with further augmentation by their combined application. As both EphA4 and PDGFRβ play important roles in preventing neurodegeneration and promoting neuroprotection, their interaction and transactivation might transduce the signal through the EphA4/PDGFRβ complex and augment the proliferation of neural stem cells. Keywords: EphA4, PDGFRβ, neural stem cell, transactivation, proliferation

Hongyun Huang,1 Lin Chen,2 Qingyan Zou,3 Fabin Han,4 Tiansheng Sun,5 Gengsheng Mao,1 Xijing He6 1Institute of Neurorestoratology, General Hospital of Armed Police Forces, 2Department of Neurosurgery, Yuquan Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 3Guangdong 999 Brain Hospital, Guangzhou, 4Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong, 5Department of Orthopedics, Beijing Army General Hospital, Beijing, 6Second Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China On behalf of the Chinese Association of Neurorestoratology and Chinese Branch of the International Association of Neurorestoratology Abstract: Cell therapy has been shown to be a key clinical therapeutic option for central ­nervous system disease or damage, and >30 types of cells have been identified through preclinical studies as having the capacity for neurorestoration. To standardize the clinical procedures of cell therapy as one of the strategies for treating neurological disorders, the first set of guidelines governing the clinical application of neurorestoration was completed in 2011 by the Chinese Branch of the International Association of Neurorestoratology. Given the rapidly advancing state of the field, the Neurorestoratology Professional Committee of Chinese Medical Doctor Association (Chinese Association of Neurorestoratology) and the Chinese Branch of the International Association of Neurorestoratology have approved the current version known as the “Clinical Cell Therapy Guidelines for Neurorestoration (China Version 2016)”. We hope this guideline will reflect the most recent results demonstrated in preclinical research, transnational studies, and evidence-based clinical studies, as well as guide clinical practice in applying cell therapy for neurorestoration. Keywords: cell therapy, neurorestoration, China, clinical application

Abstract We evaluated effects of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen on the composition of forest understorey vegetation both in space and time, using repeated data from the European wide monitoring program ICP‐Forests, which focuses on normally managed forest. Our aim was to assess whether both spatial and temporal effects of deposition can be detected by a multiple regression approach using data from managed forests over a relatively short time interval, in which changes in the tree layer are limited. To characterize the vegetation, we used indicators derived from cover percentages per species using multivariate statistics and indicators derived from the presence/absence, that is, species numbers and Ellenberg's indicator values. As explanatory variables, we used climate, altitude, tree species, stand age, and soil chemistry, besides deposition of nitrate, ammonia and sulfate. We analyzed the effects of abiotic conditions at a single point in time by canonical correspondence analysis and multiple regression. The relation between the change in vegetation and abiotic conditions was analyzed using redundancy analysis and multiple regression, for a subset of the plots that had both abiotic data and enough species to compute a mean Ellenberg N value per plot using a minimum of three species. Results showed that the spatial variation in the vegetation is mainly due to “traditional” factors such as soil type and climate, but a statistically significant part of the variation could be ascribed to atmospheric deposition of nitrate. The change in the vegetation over the past c. 10 years was also significantly correlated to nitrate deposition. Although the effect of deposition on the individual species could not be clearly defined, the effect on the vegetation as a whole was a shift toward nitrophytic species as witnessed by an increase in mean Ellenberg's indicator value.

The devastating fire in the 200-year-old Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro on September 2, 2018, demonstrates the vital importance of the historiography of sciences and the arts. As most collections have vanished, it is left to the history of science to pick up the pieces and present past developments in their complexity and global entanglements. In this special issue we aim to do this for the work of German and German-speaking anthropologists in Latin America, with a special focus on Brazil, carried out between the 1880s and 1945.

Chao Chen,1,* Jing Duan,1,* Aifang Shen,2,* Wei Wang,1 Hao Song,1 Yanming Liu,1 Xianjie Lu,1 Xiaobing Wang,2 Zhiqing You,1 Zhongchao Han,3,4 Fabin Han1 1Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, The Liaocheng People's Hospital, Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, People's Republic of China; 2Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Liaocheng People's Hospital, Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, People's Republic of China; 3The State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Hospital of Blood Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union of Medical College, Tianjin, People's Republic of China; 4National Engineering Research Center of Cell Products, AmCellGene Co. Ltd., TEDA, Tianjin, People's Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Human umbilical cord blood-derived mononuclear cells (hUCB-MNCs) were reported to have neurorestorative capacity for neurological disorders such as stroke and traumatic brain injury. This study was performed to explore if hUCB-MNC transplantation plays any therapeutic effects for Parkinson's disease (PD) in a 6-OHDA-lesioned rat model of PD. hUCB-MNCs were isolated from umbilical cord blood and administered to the striatum of the 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. The apomorphine-induced locomotive turning-overs were measured to evaluate the improvement of motor dysfunctions of the rats after administration of hUCB-MNCs. We observed that transplanted hUCB-MNCs significantly improve the motor deficits of the PD rats and that grafted hUCB-MNCs integrated to the host brains and differentiated to neurons and dopamine neurons in vivo after 16 weeks of transplantation. Our study provided evidence that transplanted hUCB-MNCs play therapeutic effects in a rat PD model by differentiating to neurons and dopamine neurons. Keywords: hUCB-MNCs, Parkinson's disease, transplantation, differentiation, dopamine neurons

Peng Zhang,1,* Fei Han,2,* Yunxia Li,1 Jiwu Chen,1 Tianwu Chen,1 Yunlong Zhi,1 Jia Jiang,1 Chao Lin,2 Shiyi Chen,1 Peng Zhao2 1Department of Sports Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 2Shanghai East Hospital, The Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Nanoscience, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: The Ligament Advanced Reinforcement System has recently been widely used as the primary graft of choice in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. But the biological graft–bone healing still remains a problem. Previous studies have shown that simvastatin (SIM) stimulates bone formation. The objective of this study was to investigate whether surface coating with collagen containing low-dose SIM microsphere could enhance the surface biocompatibility of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) artificial ligaments to accelerate graft-to-bone healing. The in vitro studies demonstrated that bone marrow stromal cells on the collagen-coated PET scaffolds (COL/PET) and simvastatin/collagen-coated PET scaffolds (SIM/COL/PET) proliferated vigorously. Compared with the PET group and the COL/PET group, SIM could induce bone marrow stromal cells’ osteoblastic differentiation, high alkaline phosphatase activity, more mineralization deposition, and more expression of osteoblast-related genes, such as osteocalcin, runt-related transcription factor 2, bone morphogenetic protein-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor, in the SIM/COL/PET group. In vivo, rabbits received ACL reconstruction with different scaffolds. Histological analysis demonstrated that graft–bone healing was significantly greater with angiogenesis and osteogenesis in the SIM/COL/PET group than the other groups. In addition, biomechanical testing at the eighth week demonstrated a significant increase in the ultimate failure load and stiffness in the SIM/COL/PET group. The low dose of SIM-sustained release from SIM/COL/PET promoted the graft–bone healing via its effect on both angiogenesis and osteogenesis. This study suggested that collagen containing low-dose SIM microsphere coating on the surface of PET artificial ligaments could be potentially applied for ACL reconstruction. Keywords: simvastatin, controlled release, graft–bone healing, biocompatibility, ligament reconstruction

Fei Han,1,* Peng Zhang,2,* Yaying Sun,2 Chao Lin,1 Peng Zhao,1 Jiwu Chen2 1Shanghai East Hospital, The Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Nanoscience, Tongji University School of Medicine, Tongji University, 2Department of Sports Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Hamstring tendon autograft is a routine graft for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. However, ways of improving the healing between the tendon and bone is often overlooked in clinical practice. This issue can be addressed by using a biomimetic scaffold. Herein, a biomimetic nanofiber membrane of polycaprolactone/nanohydroxyapatite/collagen (PCL/nHAp/Col) is fabricated that mimics the composition of native bone tissue for promoting tendon–bone healing. This membrane has good cytocompatibility, allowing for osteoblast cell adhesion and growth and bone formation. As a result, MC3T3 cells reveal a higher mineralization level in PCL/nHAp/Col membrane compared with PCL membrane alone. Further in vivo studies in ACL reconstruction in a rabbit model shows that PCL/nHAp/Col-wrapped tendon may afford superior tissue integration to nonwrapped tendon in the interface between the tendon and host bone as well as improved mechanical strength. This study shows that PCL/nHAp/Col nanofiber membrane wrapping of autologous tendon is effective for improving tendon healing with host bone in ACL reconstruction. Keywords: nanohydroxyapatite, polycaprolactone, nanofiber, tissue engineering, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Fengshan Han, Guangnan Wang, Gaoshan Li, Juan Ping, Zhi Mao Department of Microsurgery, PLA 205 Hospital, Jinzhou, People’s Republic of China Background: Our aim was to summarize the treatment of degloving injury involving multiple fingers using combined abdominal superficial fascial flap, dorsalis pedis flap, dorsal toe flap, and toe-web flap.Patients and methods: Each degloved finger was debrided under microscopic guidance and embedded in the superficial layer of the abdominal fascia. The abdominal skin was sutured to the skin on the back and side of the hand to promote circumferential healing. After removal, the only remaining injured region was on the flexor surface, and this was repaired by multiple dorsal toe flaps, toe-web flaps, and dorsalis pedis flaps to provide blood vessels and sensory nerves. All fingers had proper flap thickness 3–6 months after surgery, and required only lateral Z-plasty modification with web deepening and widening to narrow the fingers and extend their relative length.Results: We completed flap-graft and finger narrowing for 25 fingers in eight patients. Abdominal skin flaps and dorsal toe flaps were grafted, and resulted in both firmness and softness, providing finger flexibility. The dorsal toe flap provided good blood circulation and sensory nerves, and was used to cover the finger-flexor surface to regain sensation and stability when holding objects. During the 1–8 years of follow-up, sensation on the finger-flexor side recovered to the S3–4 level, and patient satisfaction based on the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire was 4–5. Flap ulcers or bone/tendon necrosis were not observed.Conclusion: Treatment of degloving injury involving multiple fingers with combined ­abdominal superficial fascial flap, dorsalis pedis flap, dorsal toe flap, and toe-web flap was effective and reliable. Keywords: abdominal thin flap, combined dorsalis pedis flap, dorsal toe flap, toe-web flap, degloving fingers, graft

Fabin Han,1,2 Wei Wang1, Chao Chen1 1Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, 2Department of Neurology, Liaocheng People’s Hospital/The Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes degeneration of brain neurons and leads to memory loss and cognitive impairment. Since current therapeutic strategies cannot cure the disease, stem cell therapy represents a powerful tool for the treatment of AD. We first review the advances in molecular pathogenesis and animal models of AD and then discuss recent clinical studies using small molecules and immunoglobulins to target amyloid-beta plaques for AD therapy. Finally, we discuss stem cell therapy for AD using neural stem cells, olfactory ensheathing cells, embryonic stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cell from bone marrow, umbilical cord, and umbilical cord blood. In particular, patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells are proposed as a future treatment for AD. Keywords: amyloid-beta plaque, neurofibrillary tangle, neural stem cell, olfactory ensheathing cell, mesenchymal stem cell, induced pluripotent stem cell