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Objective To investigate the relationship between low remodelling osteoporosis and the spinal degenerative diseases, and to explore the damage of osteoporosis on the spine degeneration in the elderly patients. Methods The bone mineral density (BMD) was detected using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The clinical observation and the collection of the imaging data were performed. The large-sample random sampling was also performed. A SPSS 13.0 statistical software was used to analyze all the data of 505 patients over 50 years old in a year. The data of the spinal diseases with low remodelling osteoporosis were collected. Results The comparison of BMD of different lumbar vertebrae in each group was performed using single factor analysis of variance. The enumeration data were analyzed using Spearman rank correlation analysis. The correlation between osteoporosis and diseases such as the lumbar instability was analyzed using non-conditional logistic regression analysis. The results revealed that the partial regression coefficient of the thoracolumbar fracture was 1. 026 (P = 0. 021, OR 2. 7S9). The partial regression coefficient of the spinal degeneration was 0. 225 (P=0. 035, OR 2. 253). The partial regression coefficient of the lumbar instability was 0. 82S (P =0.004, OR 2. 289). The partial regression coefficient of the spondylolisthesis was 0. 782 (P = 0. 024, OR 2. 185). The partial regression coefficient of the cervical spondylosis was 0. 691 (P =0.045, OR 1.211). The partial regression coefficient of the spinal stenosis was 0. 972 (P = 0. 031. OR 2. 57). The partial regression coefficient of the spinal deformity was 0. 972 (P = 0. 025. OR 1. 002). The partial regression coefficient of age was 0. 048 (P = 0. 000, OR 1. 049). The partial regression coefficient of gender was -1.035 (P= 0.000, OR 0.355). Osteoporosis and the spinal degenerative diseases, including the spinal degeneration, the spinal instability, the thoraco-lumbar fractures, the spinal stenosis, the spinal deformity, the cervical spondylosis, and the spondylolisthesis, were correlated with the increase of age. Conclusion Along with the increase of age, the incindence of low remodeling osteoporosis increases. Bone loss and osteoporosis can both accelerate the spinal degeneration. Osteoporosis can also accelerate the spinal degenerative diseases, such as the spinal degeneration, the spinal instability, the thoraco-lumbar fractures, the spinal stenosis, the spinal deformity, the cervical spondylosis, and the spondylolisthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yuyao River Valley is located in the northwest of Ningbo basin, China. The confined aquifers in the study area show obvious spatial distribution characteristics, which are essentially controlled by the evolution and distribution of the paleochannel. Therefore, it is of great significance to determine the spatial geometric characteristics of the paleochannel for finding out the hydrogeological characteristics and establishing a sustainable groundwater management system. In order to confirm the geo-electric parameters (resistivity and thickness) of each geotechnical layer and the spatial geometric characteristics of the paleochannel in the Yuyao River Valley, 77 vertical electric soundings were performed on five profiles perpendicular to the valley. In addition, 13 geological boreholes distributed over the study area were collected, and the borehole-side electrical sounding measurements were carried out near the boreholes. In fact, the interpretations of borehole-side electrical sounding measurements indicate that the resistivity of each geotechnical layer in the survey area varies greatly in the vertical direction. After calibrated by the lithology of the boreholes, the results of the explication of VES and the electrical resistivity profiles demonstrated the existence of the paleochannel. The paleochannel corresponds to the sand gravel or round gravel aquifers whose particle diameter gradually increases from top to bottom. Thus, the buried depth of the paleochannel is about − 70 to − 35 m, and its width is more than 1000 m. This study corroborated the reliability of the VES method through combining electrical resistivity profiles and hydrogeological data to determine the spatial geometric characteristics of the paleochannel in terms of electrical differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Constant pressure injection condition prolongs hydraulic fracture extension period. • Undulated and complex fractures are favored with the increase of output pressure. • Fracture behaviors are closely correlated with pumping parameter variation. • The fracturing process is characterized by cyclical variation in pumping parameters. • A model is presented to correlate the fracturing process with parameter variations. Field monitoring of hydraulic fractures is currently expensive, and the recorded data is often limited to reflect fracture networks, implying the necessity of utilizing additional evidence to document the fracture propagation state. This paper investigated the relationship between fracture behavior and pumping parameters (pressure and injection rate) by performing laboratory fracturing experiments under constant pressure injection mode (P con = 17, 19, and 21 MPa). In addition, microscope observation and CT scanning imaging were employed to visually investigate the morphological characteristics of fractures on the surfaces and the internal structures of the tested specimens. The results demonstrate that compared to constant flow injection, the constant pressure injection condition prolongs the fracture extension period after crack initiation and results in more significant changes in the pumping parameters and more tortuous morphology in hydraulic fractures. As the constantly injected pressure increases, more complex pumping pressure curves and undulated fractures with dendritic branches were observed. Combining the pumping pressure curves with the fracture behavior during the fracturing process, we found that fracture initiation, arrest, stable propagation, and unstable propagation are closely correlated to the variations of pumping pressure, injection rate, and pressure decay rate, which indicates the reliability of using pumping parameters to reflect the hydraulic fracturing process. Finally, a conceptual model based on wave-like theory was proposed to characterize the constant pressure injection fracturing process and correlate it with the cyclic variation of pumping parameters. The findings are instructive to control the formation of complex fracture networks and provide an essential reference for field treatment design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3C–SiC whisker was catalytically synthesized with extended graphite and Si powder firing at 1573K using 1 wt% Fe, 3 wt% Co or 3 wt% Ni as catalysts, respectively. First-principles calculation results show the activities of the reactants of the synthesis of SiC could be increased via dwindling the bonding strength of C C, Si–O and C–O bonds. Furthermore, the performance of self-bonded SiC refractories prepared by the present catalytic method was enhanced including the mechanical properties (Fracture toughness of 1.35 MP a ﹒m1/2 for the containing Fe catalysts samples, Fracture surface energy of 114 J﹒m−2 and MOR of 32.2 MPa (1473 K) for the sample with Ni catalysts), as well as the TSR (Residual MOR and Residual MOR percentage of 13.17 MPa and 62% at ΔT = 1075 K, respectively). The results indicate that the incorporation of catalysts decreased the reaction temperature by about 100 K as well as facilitated the in-situ formation of 3C–SiC whiskers, which interlinked and connected each other in the matrix of as-prepared self-bonded refractories and improved the high temperature properties. Among them, the Fe NPs presented the best catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the rise in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture has worsened climate change. Efficiently utilizing agricultural waste can significantly mitigate these effects. This study investigated the ecological benefits of returning peach branch waste to fields (RPBF) through three innovative strategies: (1) application of peach branch organic fertilizer (OF), (2) mushroom cultivation using peach branches as a substrate (MC), and (3) surface mulching with peach branches (SM). Conducted within a peach orchard ecosystem, our research aimed to assess these resource utilization strategies' effects on soil properties, microbial community, and carbon cycle, thereby contributing to sustainable agricultural practices. Our findings indicated that all RPBF treatments enhance soil nutrient content, enriching beneficial microorganisms, such as Humicola , Rhizobiales, and Bacillus . Moreover, soil AP and AK were observed to regulate the soil carbon cycle by altering the compositions and functions of microbial communities. Notably, OF and MC treatments were found to boost autotrophic microorganism abundance, thereby augmenting the potential for soil carbon sequestration and emission reduction. Interestingly, in peach orchard soil, fungal communities were found to contribute more greatly to SOC content than bacterial communities. However, SM treatment resulted in an increase in the presence of bacterial communities, thereby enhancing carbon emissions. Overall, this study illustrated the fundamental pathways by which RPBF treatment affects the soil carbon cycle, providing novel insights into the rational resource utilization of peach branch waste and the advancement of ecological agriculture., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Liu, Liu, Cui, Yang, Gao, Chang and Liu.)

Background: Whether fetal cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) is constant or increasing with gestational age (GA) is controversial. The majority of the fetal CTR data has been obtained through ultrasound., Purpose: To retrospectively analyze CTR of diameter, area, and circumference on prenatal MR images in a low-risk population of singleton pregnancies, and to clarify its diagnostic value., Study Type: Retrospective., Subjects: 1024 low-risk singleton pregnancies undergoing MRI., Field Strength: Balanced steady state free precession sequence and single shot-fast spin echo sequence at 1.5 Tesla., Assessment: Pregnancy clinical data were recorded and diameter, area, and circumference of the fetal heart and thorax were measured by two researchers with 6 and 7 years of radiology experience, respectively, and their variation with GA was investigated. The relationship between CTRs with GA was also investigated. Finally, the value of CTR in the diagnosis of fetuses with abnormal development was explored by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves., Statistical Tests: Linear regression and ROC curves. A P value <0.05 was considered significant., Results: There were significant positive linear correlations (R 2  > 0.7, P < 0.0001) between the diameter, area, and circumference of the heart and thorax with GA. The CTRs remain constant values and do not change with GA. The 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles of the CTR in 21-38 weeks GA were 0.32, 0.39, and 0.48 respectively. The corresponding percentiles for the area ratio were 0.15, 0.21 and 0.27, respectively, and for the circumference ratio were 0.40, 0.46, and 0.52, respectively. Based on ROC curves of CTR with three methods, the area under curves (AUCs) were up to 0.95, the sensitivity and the specificity were more than 88%., Data Conclusion: Reference ranges of fetal CTR were established using MRI, which remain constant. These may be helpful in making a definitive diagnosis in fetuses with abnormal development., Technical Efficacy: Stage 2., (© 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Salt-induced weathering is a common phenomenon in stone relics, and its traditional artificial evaluation of severity is greatly affected by subjective consciousness and lacks systematic standards. Here, we propose a hyperspectral evaluation method for quantifying salt-induced weathering on sandstone surfaces in laboratory tests. Our novel approach consists of two parts: data acquisition of microscopic observations of sandstone in salt-induced weathering environments, and machine learning technology for a predictive model. We first obtain the microscopic morphology of sandstone surfaces by near-infrared hyperspectral imaging technique. Then, a salt-induced weathering reflectivity index is proposed according to analyses of spectral reflectance variation. Next, a principal components analysis-Kmeans (PCA-Kmeans) algorithm is applied to bridge the gaps between the salt-induced weathering degree and the associated hyperspectral images. Furthermore, machine learning technologies, such as Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), are trained for better evaluating the salt-induced weathering degree of sandstone. Tests demonstrate that the RF algorithm is feasible and active in weathering classification based on spectral data. The proposed evaluation approach is finally applied to the analysis of salt-induced weathering degree on Dazu Rock Carvings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known completing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Peach brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola is one of the most economically destructive diseases of peach ( Prunus persica L.) in some orchards of China. Biocontrol is a significant strategy that exhibits strong levels of control and ecologically sound concepts in disease management. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined suppressive effects of three endophytic bacterial strains (xj-14, xj-15, and xj-16) and two soil rhizosphere bacterial strains (xj-A and xj-C) that were shown to have strong inhibitory activity toward M. fructicola in our previous study. The optimal strains and the optimized combination of strains were determined. The combination of strains xj-15 and xj-C inhibited M. fructicola more intensively for a longer period of time. Following the application of 1 × 10 9  CFU/mL bacterial complex to the fruits, leaves, and shoots of peach trees infected with M. fructicola , the rate of inhibition reached 73.80%, 83.33%, and 90.43%, respectively. A pot experiment using lettuce ( Lactuca sativa ) showed that inoculation with the bacterial complex significantly increased the growth of seedlings. In this study, some compound bacteria were more effective than those in previous study in suppressing disease and promoting growth, which have the potential to be further applied in the field., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest., (© 2020 Haotian Chang et al., published by De Gruyter.)

Objective: To design a new type of transarticular cuboid bone plate by measuring and collecting the anatomic data of the articular surface around cuboid, and to carry out comparative biomechanical study., Methods: The angle α (between the fifth metatarsocuboid joint and the fifth metatarsal bone) and the angle β (between the fifth metatarsocuboid joint and the calcaneocuboid joint) were measured in 100 adults on medial oblique X-ray film and 30 adult foot specimens. Based on literature data, the transarticular cuboid bone plate was designed with an angle α of 70° and an angle β of 30°. Six adult cadaver feet were chosen and were transected approximately 15 cm proximal to the ankle. Five strain gauges were placed at the calcaneus, cuboid, and the fourth and fifth metatarsal bones. The vertical pressure was loaded on the foot at 0-600 N, the strain value was measured. Then the cuboid fracture model was established and 600 N load was given on foot to measure the strain value and compare with the strain value before fracture. The specimens were randomly divided into groups A and B ( n =3). Fracture was fixed with transarticular cuboid bone plate and 9 screws in group A and with double plate and 8 screws in group B, then the 600 N load was given to measure the strain value and vertical displacement of the fracture fragments., Results: After loads of 0-600 N on the foot, the strain value of the 5 points showed an increased trend. No significant difference was found in the strain value between pre- and post-fracture at a, d, and e points P >0.05), but it was significantly larger at post-fracture than pre-fracture at b and c points ( P <0.05). After fracture fixation, no significant difference was shown in the strain value at 5 points between groups A and B when loads of 0-600 N was given P >0.05). The experimental data showed that the strain value change mainly focused on the fracture site under the same load, so the strain value after fracture fixation was similar to that before fracture at b and c points P >0.05). The vertical displacement values of medial and lateral fracture fragments in group A[(0.804±0.011) mm and (0.672±0.036) mm] were significantly less than those in group B[(1.126±0.083) mm and (1.007±1.103) mm] ( t =-6.711, P =0.003; t =-5.307, P =0.006)., Conclusions: Through biomechanical study, a new type of transarticular cuboid bone plate has better fixation effect.

Objective: To observe the effectiveness of 360 degrees internal fixation by anteromedial and posterior-lateral approaches for high-energy closed Pilon fractures., Methods: Between February 2013 and February 2015, 18 cases of high-energy closed Pilon fractures were treated. There were 11 males and 7 females with an average age of 40.5 years (range, 20-65 years). The causes were falling injury in 10 cases and traffic accident injury in 8 cases. All fractures were Rüedi-Allgower type III Pilon fracture combined with ipsilateral fibula fracture. The average interval from injury to operation was 8 days (range, 5-13 days). Reduction of fracture was performed by anteromedial and posterior-lateral approaches and the fracture fragments were fixed by 360 degrees internal fixation. The effectiveness was assessed by ankle X-ray film and Mazur score at last follow-up., Results: Two cases had skin necrosis and received flap surgery, the other cases obtained primary healing of incision. All the cases were followed up 11.2 months on average (range, 3-27 months). X-ray film showed that all fractures healed at 3-4 months after operation (mean, 3.6 months). No deep infection or plate exposure occurred. According to Mazur score, the results were excellent in 8 cases, good in 7 cases, fair in 2 cases, and poor in 1 case, and the excellent and good rate was 83.3%., Conclusion: The effectiveness of the 360 degrees internal fixation for treatment of high-energy closed Pilon fractures has the advantages of reliable fixation, early functional exercise, and good functional recovery of the ankle joint.