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Abstract N 6-methyladenosine (m6A) represents the most prevalent internal and reversible modification on RNAs. Different cell types display their unique m6A profiles, which are determined by the functions of m6A writers and erasers. M6A modifications lead to different outcomes such as decay, stabilization, or transport of the RNAs. The m6A-encoded epigenetic information is interpreted by m6A readers and their interacting proteins. M6A readers are essential for different biological processes, and the defects in m6A readers have been discovered in diverse diseases. Here, we review the latest advances in the roles of m6A readers in development and diseases. These recent studies not only highlight the importance of m6A readers in regulating cell fate transitions, but also point to the potential application of drugs targeting m6A readers in diseases.

Abstract Background During the transtibial posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction, drilling depth excessively longer than the tibial tunnel length (TTL) is an important reason to cause popliteal neurovascular bundle injury when preparing the tibial tunnel. This study aims to develop an in-vitro three-dimensional surgical simulation technique to determine the TTL in anteromedial (AM) and anterolateral (AL) approaches. Methods A total of 63 knees’ 3-dimensional (3D) computed tomography models were included in this study. The SuperImage system was used to reconstruct the 3D knee model and locate the tibial PCL site. The established 3D knee model and the coordinates of the tibial PCL site were imported into Rhinoceros 3D modeling software to simulate AM and AL tibial tunnel approaches with different tibial tunnel angles (TTA). The TTL and the tibial tunnel height (TTH) were measured in this study. Results In AM and AL tibial tunnel approaches, the TTL showed a strong correlation with the TTA (for AM: r = 0.758, p

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play a crucial role in the aggregation of partial denitrification (PD) consortia, as EPS is closely linked to bioreactor performance. However, the structural and compositional properties of EPS from PD consortia have not yet been investigated. In this study, photometric measurements indicated that PD consortia contained significantly more EPS (168.81 ± 2.10 mg/g VSS) compared to conventional activated sludge (79.79 mg/g VSS). The EPS of PD consortia exhibited a significant predominance of proteins over polysaccharides, with a protein/polysaccharide ratio of 1.43 ± 0.10. FTIR analysis revealed that the EPS of PD consortia contained fewer hydrophilic functional groups, particularly carboxyl and carbonyl groups, indicating a high aggregation potential. The content comparison of EPS and functional groups across three stratified EPS subfractions from PD consortia consistently followed the sequence: TB-EPS > LB-EPS > S-EPS. XPS results corroborated the FTIR findings and the protein/polysaccharide ratio determined by photometric measurements, all of which suggested that the EPS of PD consortia exhibited a higher abundance of hydrophobic functional groups. However, the higher α-helix/(β-sheet + random coil) ratio (0.99) suggested that the proteins in PD consortia had a compact structure, making inner hydrophobic groups difficult to expose. This compact protein structure could limit aggregation among bacterial cells, indicating the need for process optimization to enhance sludge aggregation in PD-related processes. Overall, understanding the aggregation characteristics of PD consortia could improve the application of PD-based processes.

Arable land is the fundamental guarantee of agricultural production, and accessing accurate arable land information is particularly crucial. A novel deep learning model named CNX-eMLP with ConvNeXt as the backbone and an enhanced Multilayer Perceptron (eMLP) as the decoder was proposed for arable land extraction. The model was employed to extract arable land using high-resolution satellite imagery in a case study at Pengxi County of Southwest China and compared its performance with six deep learning models, a machine learning-based algorithm, and SinoLC-1. The study results show the CNX-eMLP significantly achieved the highest accuracy, with MIoU and OA of 75.21 and 87.9, highlighting a trade-off between computational complexity and accuracy. The CNX-eMLP model reveals arable land is predominantly found in low-altitude areas (below 400 m), with most plots being 0-5 hectares. The study presents an efficient and feasible method for accurate high-resolution remote sensing monitoring of arable land parcels in hilly regions.

As the most prevalent and reversible internal epigenetic modification in eukaryotic mRNAs, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) post-transcriptionally regulates the processing and metabolism of mRNAs involved in diverse biological processes. m6A modification is regulated by m6A writers, erasers, and readers. Emerging evidence suggests that m6A modification plays essential roles in modulating the cell-fate transition of embryonic stem cells. Mechanistic investigation of embryonic stem cell maintenance and differentiation is critical for understanding early embryonic development, which is also the premise for the application of embryonic stem cells in regenerative medicine. This review highlights the current knowledge of m6A modification and its essential regulatory contribution to the cell fate transition of mouse and human embryonic stem cells.

Background: Postoperative burst of the lateral femoral wall is thought to be the main predictor of reoperation for intertrochanteric fractures, which is routinely evaluated using plain radiographs. We retrospectively compared computed tomography (CT) scans and radiographs regarding the ability to detect burst of the lateral wall. We also investigated whether intramedullary nails may cause iatrogenic burst of the lateral wall. Methods: From January 2010 to December 2021, patients aged 65 years and older who undergone intertrochanteric fractures treated with the proximal femoral nail antirotation 2 (PFNA-Ⅱ) were included. The incidence of burst of the lateral wall was evaluated with two different imaging modalities by two observers. Two rounds of evaluation were performed: (1) with plain radiographs alone; and (2) with CT scans combined with radiographs. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement (κ value) for evaluation of the lateral wall burst was assessed. Results: A total of 1507 patients were included (362 males and 1145 females). Compared with radiographs alone (12.0 %, 181/1507 patients), a higher rate of lateral wall burst was found by CT scans combined with radiographs (72.9 %, 1098/1507 patients) for observer 1 at first reading (P

Introduction: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is characterized by the loss of cardiomyocytes, which impairs cardiac function and eventually leads to heart failure. The induction of cardiomyocyte cell cycle activity provides a new treatment strategy for the repair of heart damage. Our previous study demonstrated that morroniside exerts cardioprotective effects. This study investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of action of morroniside on cardiomyocyte cell cycle activity and cardiac repair following AMI.Methods: Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) were isolated and exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) in vitro. A rat model of AMI was established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in vivo. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect newly generated cardiomyocytes. Western blotting was performed to assess the expression of cell cycle-related proteins. Electrocardiography (ECG) was used to examine pathological Q waves. Masson’s trichrome and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining assessed myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy.Results: The results showed that morroniside induced cardiomyocyte cell cycle activity and increased the levels of cell cycle proteins, including cyclin D1, CDK4, cyclin A2, and cyclin B1, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, morroniside reduced myocardial fibrosis and remodeling.Discussion: In conclusion, our study demonstrated that morroniside stimulates cardiomyocyte cell cycle activity and cardiac repair in adult rats, and that these effects may be related to the upregulation of cell cycle proteins.

Abstract Background Condyle-fossa relationships in adolescents with skeletal Class III malocclusion remain unclear. Therefore, this study used cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to evaluate the position and morphology of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in adolescents with skeletal Class III malocclusion. Methods In this cross-sectional retrospective study, CBCT images from 90 adolescents with skeletal Class III malocclusion and 30 controls were analysed. Adolescents with skeletal Class III malocclusion were divided into different groups based on (1) sex (male and female), (2) sides (right and left), (3) age (early, middle, and late adolescence), and (4) vertical skeletal patterns (hyperdivergent, normodivergent, and hypodivergent). Morphology of the condyle and fossa as well as condylar position, was compared among groups. Data were collected and submitted for statistical analysis. This study adheres to STROBE guidelines. Results Regarding the intergroup comparisons, there were significant differences in TMJ position and morphology between the skeletal Class III malocclusion with different vertical skeletal patterns and control groups (P

Homocysteine-inducible endoplasmic reticulum protein (HERP) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident protein and important for the adaptation of cellular protein homeostasis by ER-associated degradation (ERAD) system. HERP interactors are critical for cellular viability and the reaction to ER stress. To explore the exact mechanisms by which HERP performed the biological functions, we conducted an interaction analysis of HERP protein in HeLa cells by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LC-MS)/MS coupled with label-free quantification (LFQ). Among the interactome results, 123 proteins significantly interacted with HERP, which leads to numerous biological processes including protein import into nucleus, ubiquitin-dependent ERAD pathway, negative regulation of apoptotic process, and protein transport from ER, along with multiple pathways including several diseases, protein processing in ER, fatty acid metabolism, and steroid biosynthesis. Furthermore, we selected several prey proteins from the interactome data and confirmed that HERP interacted with ancient ubiquitous protein 1 (AUP1), Fas-associated factor family member 2 (FAF2), tripartite motif containing 47 (TRIM47), acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 3 (ACSL3), sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), and poly(rC) binding protein 2 (PCBP2) by Co-IP and confocal microscopy experiments, respectively. Moreover, the expression and location of several interacted proteins were obviously altered in response to ER stress induced by Thapsigargin stimulation and Enterovirus 71 infection. In conclusion, our findings revealed that the vital proteins interacted with HERP to mediate signaling transduction, thus providing novel clues for the mechanisms of HERP associated with ERAD and metabolism in response to ER stress under physiological and pathological conditions.

The adoption of more efficient technologies has reduced the environmental impacts associated with cement manufacturing in China during the period 1996–2021, according to a life-cycle assessment based on provincial-level data.

IntroductionSenecavirus A (SVA) belongs to the genus Senecavirus in the family Picornaviridae. PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a class of small Ribonucleic Acids (RNAs) that have been found in mammalian cells in recent years. However, the expression profile of piRNAs in the host during SVA infection and their roles are poorly understood.MethodsHere, we found the significant differential expression of 173 piRNAs in SVA-infected porcine kidney (PK-15) cells using RNA-seq and 10 significant differentially expressed (DE) piRNAs were further verified by qRT-PCR.ResultsGO annotation analysis showed that metabolism, proliferation, and differentiation were significantly activated after SVA infection. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that significant DE piRNAs were mainly enriched in AMPK pathway, Rap1 pathway, circadian rhythm and VEGF pathway. It was suggested that piRNAs may regulated antiviral immunity, intracellular homeostasis, and tumor activities during SVA infection. In addition, we found that the expression levels of the major piRNA-generating genes BMAL1 and CRY1 were significantly downregulated after SVA infection.DiscussionThis suggests that SVA may affect circadian rhythm and promote apoptosis by inhibiting the major piRNA-generating genes BMAL1 and CRY1. The piRNA transcriptome in PK-15 cells has never been reported before, and this study will further the understanding of the piRNA regulatory mechanisms underlying SVA infections.

Abstract Background This study aimed to compare the age-related positional and morphological characteristics of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) between individuals with anterior openbite or crossbite and controls. Methods This multi-cross-sectional comparative study analysed cone-beam computed tomography images of 750 participants, equally divided into the openbite, crossbite, and control groups (OBG, CBG, and CG, respectively). Each group was further divided into five subgroups (8–11 years, 12–15 years, 16–19 years, 20–24 years, and 25–30 years). Measurements of the TMJ included the position of the condyles in their respective fossae and morphology of the condyles and fossae. Data were submitted to statistical analysis. The study adhered to the STROBE Statement checklist for reporting of cross-sectional studies. Results Condyles were positioned more posteriorly with increasing age in all groups, and the condylar position was more posterior in the OBG than in the CBG. The articular eminence inclination increased with age in all the groups. There were significant differences in the articular eminence inclination among the three major groups at the age of > 15 years, and the condylar path was flatter in the CBG than in the OBG. Conclusions Age-related morphological and positional characteristics of the TMJ differed considerably among OBG, CBG and CG. Contrary to CBG, OBG was found to have relatively posterior condylar position and steeper condylar path.

The research aims to effectively monitor the state of complex industrial equipment in real time, diagnose the internal Partial Discharge (PD) pattern of Gas Insulated Metal Enclosed Switchgear (GIS), implement effective health management, and change the traditional model optimization route of increasing training time in exchange for performance improvement. This paper studies the complex equipment-oriented Health Management System (HMS) based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology and Transfer Learning. Firstly, the principles of Transfer Learning and Deep Learning (DL) technology are introduced. Secondly, the requirements of GIS internal status recognition and management are studied. Furthermore, a GIS-oriented HMS based on Transfer Learning-optimized Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) is proposed, and the training dataset is constructed. Finally, the proposed model is tested. The results show that the complex equipment-oriented HMS based on IoT technology, CNN, and Transfer Learning can detect the internal status of GIS in real time. Compared with the traditional DL algorithm and expert system, the proposed model has a shorter training time of only 16min, faster convergence speed, high testing recognition rate, and over 96% recognition rate. Compared with other mainstream algorithms, it has higher identification, the storage parameter volume is 408, and the storage space is 12.8MB. Moreover, the proposed Transfer Learning-optimized CNN model can accurately detect the status of GIS, identify abnormal statuses, and help prolong the service life of GIS. The proposed complex equipment-oriented HMS contributes to the intelligent manufacturing industry and provides a new direction for applying emerging Computer Technology in the intelligent industry.

Osteoporotic fractures, also known as fragility fractures, are prevalent in the elderly and bring tremendous social burdens. Poor bone quality, weak repair capacity, instability, and high failure rate of internal fixation are main characteristics of osteoporotic fractures. Osteoporotic bone defects are common and need to be repaired by appropriate materials. Proximal humerus, distal radius, tibia plateau, calcaneus, and spine are common osteoporotic fractures with bone defect. Here, the consensus from the Osteoporosis Group of Chinese Orthopaedic Association concentrates on the epidemiology, characters, and management strategies of common osteoporotic fractures with bone defect to standardize clinical practice in bone repair of osteoporotic fractures.

The CO2 fertilization effect (CFE) plays a crucial role in the amelioration of climate change. Many physiological and environmental factors, such as stand age, stand type, and site conditions, may affect the extent of the CFE. However, the relationship between the CFE and these factors remains elusive. In this study, we used the emerging gross primary production (GPP) remote sensing products, with GPP predicted using eddy covariance–light use efficiency models (EC-LUE GPP) based on satellite near-infrared reflectance of vegetation (NIRv GPP) and assessed with a random forest model to explore the CFE trends with stand age in a coniferous forest and a broad-leaved forest in Heilongjiang Province, China. We additionally compared the differences among the CFEs under different site conditions. The CFEs in coniferous forests and broad-leaved forests both showed a rapid increase in stands of 10 to 20 years of age, followed by a decline after reaching a maximum, with the rate of decline reducing with age. Eventually, CFE remained stable in stands near 100 years of age. However, the CFE in coniferous forests exhibited more extended periods of rapid increase and a higher maximum than in broad-leaved forests. Moreover, in this study, we used the site class index (SCI) to grade site conditions. The results demonstrate that the CFE differed significantly under different levels of site conditions, and these differences gradually decreased with age. The site with the highest SCI had fewer environmental restrictions on the CFE, and consequently, the CFE rate of decline was faster. Our results are of significance in understanding the CFE and adapting to future changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration.

IntroductionThree-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of fracture fragments on hip Computed tomography (CT) may benefit the injury detail evaluation and preoperative planning of the intertrochanteric femoral fracture (IFF). Manually segmentation of bony structures was tedious and time-consuming. The purpose of this study was to propose an artificial intelligence (AI) segmentation tool to achieve semantic segmentation and precise reconstruction of fracture fragments of IFF on hip CTs.Materials and MethodsA total of 50 labeled CT cases were manually segmented with Slicer 4.11.0. The ratio of training, validation and testing of the 50 labeled dataset was 33:10:7. A simplified V-Net architecture was adopted to build the AI tool named as IFFCT for automatic segmentation of fracture fragments. The Dice score, precision and sensitivity were computed to assess the segmentation performance of IFFCT. The 2D masks of 80 unlabeled CTs segmented by AI tool and human was further assessed to validate the segmentation accuracy. The femoral head diameter (FHD) was measured on 3D models to validate the reliability of 3D reconstruction.ResultsThe average Dice score of IFFCT in the local test dataset for “proximal femur”, “fragment” and “distal femur” were 91.62%, 80.42% and 87.05%, respectively. IFFCT showed similar segmentation performance in cross-dataset, and was comparable to that of human expert in human-computer competition with significantly reduced segmentation time (p 0.05). All ICCs were greater than 0.8.ConclusionThe proposed AI segmentation tool could effectively segment the bony structures from IFF CTs with comparable performance of human experts. The 2D masks and 3D models generated from automatic segmentation were effective and reliable, which could benefit the injury detail evaluation and preoperative planning of IFFs.

Abstract Background Intertrochanteric femoral fractures are prevalent among the elderly, and usually demands surgical treatments. Proximal femoral nail antirotation Asian version (PFNA-II) is widely used for intertrochanteric fracture treatment. The computer-assisted preoperative planning (CAPP) system has the potential to reduce the difficulty of PFNA-II in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures. The aim of the study was to investigate and compare the learning curves of PFNA-II treatment with CAPP and conventional preoperational planning methods for intertrochanteric femoral fractures. Methods A total of 125 patients with intertrochanteric fracture who were treated with PFNA-II between March 2012 and June 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who underwent surgery with CAPP procedure by a junior surgeon were regarded as group A (n = 53); patients who underwent the conventional surgery by another junior surgeon were regarded as group B (n = 72). Each group was divided into three subgroups (case 1–20, case 21–40, case 41–53 or case 41–72). Results The average operation time of group A was 45.00(42.00, 50.00) minutes, and in group B was 55.00 (50.00, 60.00) minutes (P

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine whether immediate weight-bearing as tolerated increased the risk of implant failure and decreased functional outcomes compared with restricted weight-bearing.Methods: From January 2010 to December 2018, 1,125 consecutive patients (≥65 years) with intertrochanteric fractures were identified. Of them, 130 patients were excluded, resulting in 995 patients in final cohort (563 receiving immediate weight-bearing and 432 receiving restricted weight-bearing). Propensity score (PS) matching yielded 403 patient pairs. Primary outcome was implant failure at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were implant failure at 3 months, functional outcomes at 12 months, and time to full weight-bearing.Results: Among 806 patients who were matched by PS, the mean age was 77.8 years (SD, 7.6), and 603 patients (74.8%) were women. After matching, there was no significant difference between immediate (10.0% [39/389]) and restricted (9.1%, [35/385]) weight-bearing for implant failure at 12 months (absolute risk difference, 0.93% [95% CI, −3.26 to 5.13%]; RR, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.69 to 1.80]; p = 0.66). Additionally, no significant difference was seen for implant failure at 3 months and functional outcomes at 12 months. Patients with immediate weight-bearing had shorter time to full weight-bearing (mean [SD], 87.6 days [7.5] vs. 121.3 days [11.0]; mean difference, −33.7 [95% CI, −35.0 to −32.3]; p < 0.001).Conclusions: Among older patients with intertrochanteric fractures, receipt of immediate weight-bearing as tolerated did not increase risks of implant failure or worsen functional outcomes compared with receipt of restricted weight-bearing. However, patients receiving immediate weight-bearing had a shorter time to full weight-bearing.

There are many factors affecting the assembly quality of rotate vector reducer, and the assembly quality is unstable. Matching is an assembly method that can obtain high-precision products or avoid a large number of secondary rejects. Selecting suitable parts to assemble together can improve the transmission accuracy of the reducer. In the actual assembly of the reducer, the success rate of one-time selection of parts is low, and “trial and error assembly” will lead to a waste of labor, time cost, and errors accumulation. In view of this situation, a dendritic neural network prediction model based on mass production and practical engineering applications has been established. The size parameters of the parts that affected transmission error of the reducer were selected as influencing factors for input. The key performance index of reducer was transmission error as output index. After data standardization preprocessing, a quality prediction model was established to predict the transmission error. The experimental results show that the dendritic neural network model can realize the regression prediction of reducer mass and has good prediction accuracy and generalization capability. The proposed method can provide help for the selection of parts in the assembly process of the RV reducer.

Electric vehicle (EV) has been popularized and promoted on a large scale because of its clean and efficient features. Charging this increasing number of EVs is expected to have an impact on the electricity grid and traffic network. Therefore, it is necessary to model and forecast the EV charging demand. Most of the existing researches have not utilized real-world traffic data to analyze the EV charging demand. Few researches have considered and analyzed the characteristics of space-time transfer of charging load in urban functional areas. As an emerging mode of transportation, however, online ride-hailing trip data provide an ideal source for analyzing traffic planning and operation. On the basis of this, a charging demand forecasting model of EVs based on a data-driven approach was presented in this paper. In this methodology, it is firstly assumed that residents' transportation trip demand is not restricted by vehicle categories(electric or fuel vehicles). The original trip trajectory data of Didi online ride-hailing were conducted to model via data mining and fusion. And the process of data analysis included region-scope selection, spatial grid modeling, trajectory data mapping, retrieval data identification and urban functional area clustering as well as traffic network modeling. Through modeling and processing, the following regenerative feature data were obtained: functional regional division (i.e., residential areas, industrial areas, commercial areas, and public service areas), trip rule distribution (i.e., temporal distribution and spatial distribution on weekdays, weekends and holidays) and actual driving path (i.e., driving path with the shortest distance or with the minimum time-consuming). And then, considering the movable load feature of EVs, vehicles were subdivided into three kinds such as private vehicles, taxis and other public vehicles, and the single EV model with driving and charging characteristic parameters was established. Furthermore, the regeneration data obtained from modeling and analysis along with the determined single EV model were supported as data sources and model for the charging demand forecast architecture. At last, the actual urban traffic network in Nanjing, China was selected as an example to design the path planning experiments and charging demand load experiments in different scenarios. The results demonstrate that this proposed model is able to realistically simulate the actual dynamic driving process of EVs, and effectively predict the spatial-temporal distribution characteristics and load transfer trends of charging demands in different date type as well as different functional areas. The model also lays a theoretical foundation for the subsequent research on investment and construction of charging facilities, as well as charging control and charging guidance of EVs.

This paper addresses a linearized interactive dispatching model developed between active distribution network (ADN) and virtual micro-grid (VMG). To make such concept, a bi-level framework is adopted based on the analytical target cascading (ATC) method. In this model, the lower level dispatches each element in VMG from the standpoint of VMG's own interests, and an objective function of maximizing the VMG's benefits is constructed. The upper level dispatches each element in ADN from the perspective of ADN's economy and reliability, on this basis, a synthetic objective function is built. In addition, the ACT method is used to solve the coupling problem caused by the existence of interaction variables between the upper and lower levels, and ultimately to achieve win-win cooperation between ADN and VMG levels. Moreover, to reduce the computational complexity of the model and speed up the solving process, the second-order cone programming is employed in the proposed model to linearize the power flow calculation of the distribution network. Finally, simulation studies are conducted on the IEEE 18-bus distribution test systems to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed model. The stability and effectiveness of the model are verified by various comparisons.

Hainan Island is endowed with unique climatic and geographical conditions in China. Green orange is a characteristic fruit and plays an important role in local agricultural production of the island. However, few studies have been available regarding the climatic suitability index of green orange planting suitable regions in the island. Based on 30 years (1980 to 2019) of climatic data from 19 meteorological stations in the island, this study established spatial analysis models with topographical data, land use and GIS spatial analysis. Based on climate suitability function, this study established the climate suitability models of temperature, sunshine, precipitation, accumulated temperature and comprehensive suitability model for green orange planting. The Climate suitability index model for green orange planting suitable zoning areas was developed using a natural point segmentation method, and future climate change scenarios were adopted for evaluating the trends of climate suitable areas. The results revealed that the most suitable areas for planting green orange are mainly located at the eastern central region in the island. The climate suitability index ranged from 0.9 to 1.0 in the most suitable regions. The suitable area is mainly distributed in the eastern part, most of the central and western parts of the island, with the climate suitability index ranging from 0.7–0.9. However, the population density in the area is large, and the planting land is limited. The sub-suitable area is mainly located in the coastal areas of the western island, and the high-altitude areas in the central and western regions of the island, with the climate suitability index varying from 0.4 to 0.7. The unsuitable area is mainly distributed in the central mountainous area, with the climate suitability index being 0.0–0.4. The suitability of temperature showed decreasing trend, and the suitability of precipitation gradually moved from the east to the central region under future climate change scenarios. This study is helpful in promoting the development and utilization of agricultural resources and the fine zoning of green orange planting climate suitability in the island.

Abstract Background The objective of this study is to evaluate the value of computed tomography (CT) post-processing images in postoperative assessment of Lisfranc injuries compared with plain radiographs. Methods A total of 79 cases with closed Lisfranc injuries that were treated with conventional open reduction and internal fixation from January 2010 to June 2016 were analyzed. Postoperative assessment was performed by two independent orthopedic surgeons with both plain radiographs and CT post-processing images. Inter- and intra-observer agreement were analyzed by kappa statistics while the differences between the two postoperative imaging assessments were assessed using the χ 2 test (McNemar’s test). Significance was assumed when p

Multi-polarisation synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging simulation of ship under heavy sea condition is presented here. Full-wave method is used to compute the fully polarimetric backscattered waves of the complex scene of ship and sea surface. The influence by heavy sea on SAR imaging results is investigated; furthermore, the suppression effects to sea waves by different polarisations are evaluated in detail.

Kraft pulping of hydrolyzed green bamboo (Dendrocalamopsis oldhami) chips was performed under various conditions to determine the effects of process variables (alkali charge, sulfidity, cooking temperature, and cooking time) on the dissolution of the lignocellulosic components, i.e. lignin, pentosans, and cellulose. Meanwhile, the kinetics of kraft delignification of hydrolyzed bamboo was investigated. The results showed that both an increase of alkali charge and sulfidity could result in a clear reduction in kappa number and yield, but the effect of alkali charge was more significant than that of sulfidity. Even though severe conditions were able to purify fiber, the cellulose degradation occurred intensively. Active alkali charge 23%, sulfidity 26%, cooking temperature 170°C, and cooking time 60 min were selected as the optimum conditions for the consideration of selective delignification. As a consequence, the properties of the pulp produced at optimum cooking conditions were determined to be: kappa number 6.3, pentosans 5.0%, -cellulose 90.2%, and viscosity 30.3 mPa•s. The data analysis confirmed that the reaction order of delignification was approximate to 1.1, and the activity energy of the hydrolyzed bamboo was 53 kJ/mol.

Prehydrolysis was used as the first treatment of bamboo materials for producing high dissolving pulp for textile applications. In this paper, green bamboo (Dendrocalamopsis oldhami) was hydrolyzed in water, and the hydrolysis process was optimized. The morphology and super-molecular structures of the raw material and prehydrolyzed material were studied by SEM and XRD, respectively. Based on the optimum conditions, a study of the kinetics and mechanism showed that pentosan dissolution during the hydrolysis process was a first order reaction. When cooking temperature was 150 oC, 160 oC, 170 oC, and 180 oC, the corresponding reaction rate constants were 0.00411h-1, 0.00495h-1, 0.00730h-1, and 0.00925h-1, respectively. The activation energy was 44.94 kJ/mol based on the Arrhenius empirical equation. SEM results revealed that after the pre-hydrolysis process, the bamboo structure became loose because of hemicellulose dissolution, which created a favorable environment for chemical penetration in the subsequent treatment. Furthermore, the degree of crystallinity was increased from 45.43% to 57.06% during the prehydrolysis. Both the treated and the untreated fibers were assumed to be cellulose I.

Abstract Background Syndesmotic injury may be difficult to diagnose, and radiological evaluation is very important. The purpose of this study was to offer a series of reliable and repeatable normal tibiofibular syndesmosis parameters in diagnosing injuries of the syndesmosis. Methods Multi‐detector computed tomography (MDCT) and radiographs of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis in 484 cases were retrospectively reviewed. Relevant parameters included the tibiofibular clear space (TCS), the tibiofibular overlap (TFO), the depth of the incisura fibularis (IFD), and the height of the incisura fibularis (IFH), which were measured by novel three‐dimensional (3‐D) and two‐dimensional (2‐D) techniques. The distance between the measuring plane of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis and the tibial plafond was measured. Intra‐ and inter‐rater reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the root mean square standard deviation (RMS‐SD), to determine measurement precision. Sex differences of parameters were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with body height as the covariate. Paired sample t‐testing was used to compare parameters in different image modalities, including radiography, and 2‐D and 3‐D CT. Results The reliability of the 3‐D images measurement (ICC range, 0.907 to 0.972) was greater than that for the 2‐D axial images (ICC range, 0.895 to 0.927), and the AP view radiographs (ICC range, 0.742 to 0.838). The intra‐rater RMS‐SD of the 3‐D CT, 2‐D CT and radiographic measurements were less than 0.94 mm, 0.26 mm, and 2.87 mm, respectively. The measuring plane of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis showed the sex difference, which was 12.1 mm proximal to the tibial plafond in the male group and 7.8 mm in the female group. In this plane, the parameters for tibiofibular syndesmosis were measured in different image modalities. All variables were significantly different between females and males (p

Abstract Background Although computed tomography (CT) with three‐dimensional (3D) rendering of the calcaneus is used for diagnostic evaluation of disorders, morphological measurements for the calcaneus are mostly based on a two‐dimensional plane. The purposes of this study were to design a method for 3D morphological measurements of the normal calcaneus based on CT post‐processing techniques, to measure morphological parameters in the male and female groups and describe gender differences of the parameters, and to investigate the reliability of such measurements. Methods One hundred and seventy‐nine patients (83 men and 96 women) with a mean age of 40.6 (range, 21 to 59) years who underwent CT scans for their feet were reviewed retrospectively. The 3D structure of a normal calcaneus after shaded surface display reconstruction was extracted by interactive and automatic segmentation. Morphological measurements were achieved by means of a 3D measurement method based on CT image post‐processing. Lengths and heights of the main parts of the calcaneus, Gissane's angle, Böhler's angle and the area of articular facet were worked out in 3D space. Gender‐related size differences of parameters were compared using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), adjusting for body height. Intra‐observer and inter‐observer reliabilities were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and the root mean square standard deviation (RMS‐SD) for precision study. Results A large range of measurement values was found. Only the length of the anterior process was without gender difference (p > 0.05). The other parameters in the male group were greater than those in the female group (p 0.8). Precision was acceptable for intra‐observer RMS‐SD (linear, angular and areal measurements no more than 0.6 mm, 1.2° and 0.25 mm2, respectively). Inter‐observer RMS‐SD ranged from 0.4 to 1.6 mm for linear measurements, 1.2 to 2.5° for angles and 0.24 to 0.40 mm2 for areas. Conclusions Three‐dimensional morphological measurement based on a CT post‐processing technique was highly reliable and repeatable for calcaneal anatomic morphological measurement. The current data will be helpful for anatomic reduction of calcaneal fractures and calcaneal malunion.