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The lack of a bandgap in stanene severely limits its outstanding characteristics in optoelectronic devices. Using first-principles calculations, we systematically investigate the effects of full hydrogenation and shear deformation on the electronic structure and optical properties of stanene. Hydrogenation exerts a remarkable impact on electronic structure of stanene, enabling surface state transition from quasi-metallic to semiconducting. Shear degrades the structural stability of full-hydrogenated stanene (FHstanene). FHstanene exhibits a tunable bandgap of 1.327 eV, which can be further reduced to 0.719 eV through shear deformation. The presence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) induces band splitting in FHstanene. The maximum optical absorption of FHstanene occurs at 291 nm, while the reflectance peak is observed at 449 nm. The variation in bandgap due to deformation results in a redshift in the absorption coefficient and reflectance, and shear deformation increases the reflectance of FHstanene. These findings broaden the application prospects of stanene in novel nano-optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For the spinal internal fixation procedures, connecting rods to the pedicle screws are commonly used in all spinal segments from the cervical to sacral spine. So far, we have only seen single vertebral screw trajectory planning methods in literatures. Joint screw placements in multi‐level vertebrae with the constraint of an ipsilateral connecting rod are not considered. Purpose: In this paper, a screw trajectory planning method that considers screw‐rod joint system with both multi‐level vertebral constraints and individual vertebral safety tolerance are proposed. Methods: The proposed method addresses three challenging constraints jointly for multi‐level vertebral fixation with pedicle screws. First, a cylindrical screw safe passage model is suggested instead of a unique mathematical optimal trajectory for a single pedicle. Second, the flexible screw cap accessibility model is also included. Third, the connecting rod is modeled to accommodate the spine contour and support the needed gripping capacity. The retrospective clinical data of relative normal shape spines from Beijing Jishuitan hospital were used in the testing. The screw trajectories from the existing methods based on single vertebra and the proposed method based on multi‐level vertebrae optimization are calculated and compared. Results: The results showed that the calculated screw placements by the proposed method can achieve 88% success rate without breaking the pedicle cortex and 100% in clinical class A quality (allow less than 2 mm out of the pedicle cortex) compared to 86.1% and 99.1%, respectively, with the existing methods. Expert evaluation showed that the screw path trajectories and the connecting rod calculated by the new method satisfied the clinical implantation requirements. Conclusions: The new screw planning approach that seeks an overall optimization for multi‐level vertebral fixation is feasible and more advantageous for clinical use than the single vertebral approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the pursuit of greater energy density for the portable battery has stimulated exhaustive research in high‐voltage lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), developing electrolyte additives is considered a cost‐efficient way to improve the performance of the battery. Here, the three interactional issues of LiCoO2 (LCO) batteries in commercial electrolytes at high voltage are summarized, this review first identifies an unavoidable vicious cycle of the commercial electrolyte at high voltage. LCO/electrolyte interphase break, dissolution of transition metal (TM) ions, and formation of harmful HF accelerate the failing progress of the commercial electrolyte at high voltage, besides the malfunction of anode happens at the same time because of electrode crosstalk. Then, the modification of the commercial electrolyte is summarized according to the solutions of this vicious cycle. Last, a framework for future research on high‐voltage LCO batteries is outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The quasi-metallic properties of stanene limit its prospects in optoelectronic devices. Based on first-principles calculations, a systematic study is conducted on the tuning effects of surface hydrogenation and Al atom doping on the electronic and optical properties of stanene. Surface hydrogenation serves as an ideal way to open the forbidden band of stanene, and Al atom doping further increases hydrogenated stanene (stanane) band gap to 0.460 eV. Deformation has a minor impact on the stability of the stanane-Al structure, while shear strain can effectively modulate the band gap engineering of the doped system, reducing the band gap value from 0.460 to 0.170 eV. Deformation induces a redshift in the absorption peak and reflectance, also slowing down the rate of decrease in the absorption coefficient, and enhancing the peak value of light reflectance, which is positively correlated with the degree of shear strain. These findings hold promise for expanding the potential application of monolayer stanane in semiconductor devices. Methods: All calculations are performed using CASTEP module in Materials Studio based on the density functional theory (DFT). The Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized gradient approximation (GGA) is employed to describe the exchange–correlation energy (Perdew et al., Phys Rev Lett 77(18), 1996). We construct models for both stanene and stanane. The original unit cell of stanene has two Sn atoms, while stanane consists of two Sn atoms and two H atoms, and expand them to a 3 × 3 × 1 supercell with a vacuum layer of 20 Å in height to prevent interlayer coupling. After convergence testing, the plane-wave cutoff energy is set to 450 eV, and the energy convergence threshold is set to 1 × 10−5 eV. The maximum residual stress for each atom is set to 0.01 eV/Å. Brillouin zone sampling is performed using a 6 × 6 × 1 k-point mesh based on the Monkhorst–Pack method (Monkhorst and Pack, Phys Rev B 13(12), 1976). The k-point accuracy of the density of states and optical properties is 9 × 9 × 1. All calculations are performed using the more advanced OTFG ultrasoft pseudopotential, and structural relaxations are performed using supercells to ensure that the model is fully relaxed. We use the HSE06 functional to calculate the energy band structures of stanane-Al deformed to 0%, 4%, and 8%, resulting in band gap values of 1.465 eV, 1.368 eV, and 1.016 eV, respectively. These values are significantly higher than those obtained using the PBE functional (0.460 eV, 0.397 eV, and 0.170 eV). However, the shapes and trends of the band structures obtained from both PBE and HSE06 calculations are similar. Additionally, the calculation time needed by HSE06 is greatly longer than PBE, which exceeds the capabilities of our computer hardware, and cannot support all subsequent calculations. To investigate the influence of deformations on the variation of band gap values and to conserve computational resources, the subsequent calculations in this study use the PBE functional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional stanene is limited in its application in nanoscale optoelectronic devices due to its zero-bandgap. Based on first-principles calculations of density functional theory, the effects of adsorption of Be atoms with different coverages and torsional deformation on the structure, electricity, and optics of stanene are systematically investigated. The adsorption of Be atoms makes stanene have an adjustable bandgap, the surface state is successfully transformed from a zero-bandgap quasi-metal to a semiconductor with a maximum bandgap of 0.260 eV, the change in Be atom coverage causes a blueshift of the absorption and reflection peaks. Torsional deformation can effectively adjust the bandgap of stanene, which varies from 0.278 eV to 0.110 eV. Torsion enhances the maximum absorption peak of light. Stanene is expected to be a candidate material for designing new nanoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop and validate a deep learning (DL) model for detecting lumbar degenerative disease in both sagittal and axial views of T2-weighted MRI and evaluate its generalized performance in detecting cervical degenerative disease. Methods: T2-weighted MRI scans of 804 patients with symptoms of lumbar degenerative disease were retrospectively collected from three hospitals. The training dataset (n = 456) and internal validation dataset (n = 134) were randomly selected from the center I. Two external validation datasets comprising 100 and 114 patients were from center II and center III, respectively. A DL model based on 3D ResNet18 and transformer architecture was proposed to detect lumbar degenerative disease. In addition, a cervical MR image dataset comprising 200 patients from an independent hospital was used to evaluate the generalized performance of the DL model. The diagnostic performance was assessed by the free-response receiver operating characteristic (fROC) curve and precision–recall (PR) curve. Precision, recall, and F1-score were used to measure the DL model. Results: A total of 2497 three-dimension retrogression annotations were labeled for training (n = 1157) and multicenter validation (n = 1340). The DL model showed excellent detection efficiency in the internal validation dataset, with F1-score achieving 0.971 and 0.903 on the sagittal and axial MR images, respectively. Good performance was also observed in the external validation dataset I (F1-score, 0.768 on sagittal MR images and 0.837 on axial MR images) and external validation dataset II (F1-score, 0.787 on sagittal MR images and 0.770 on axial MR images). Furthermore, the robustness of the DL model was demonstrated via transfer learning and generalized performance evaluation on the external cervical dataset, with the F1-score yielding 0.931 and 0.919 on the sagittal and axial MR images, respectively. Conclusion: The proposed DL model can automatically detect lumbar and cervical degenerative disease on T2-weighted MR images with good performance, robustness, and feasibility in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the development of a simple, handheld cross‐polarised microscope (CPM) and demonstration of imaging individual pigmented cells in human skin in vivo. In the CPM device, the cross‐polarised detection approach is used to reduce the specular reflection from the skin surface and preferentially detect multiply‐scattered light. The multiply‐scattered light works as back illumination from within the tissue towards the skin surface, and superficial pigment such as intraepidermal melanin absorbs some spectral bands of the multiply‐scattered light and cast coloured shadows. Since the light that interacted with the superficial pigment only needs to travel a short distance before it exits the skin surface, microscopic details of the pigment can be preserved. The CPM device uses a water‐immersion objective lens with a high numerical aperture to image the microscopic details with minimal spherical aberrations and a small depth of focus. Preliminary results from a pilot study of imaging skin lesions in vivo showed that the CPM device could reveal three‐dimensional distribution of pigmented cells and intracellular distribution of pigment. Co‐registered CPM and reflectance confocal microscopy images showed good correspondence between dark, brown cells in CPM images and bright, melanin‐containing cells in reflectance confocal microscopy images. LAY DESCRIPTION: We present the development of a simple, handheld cross‐polarised microscope (CPM) and demonstration of imaging individual pigmented cells in human skin in vivo. In the CPM device, the cross‐polarised detection approach is used to reduce the specular reflection from the skin surface and preferentially detect multiply‐scattered light. The multiply‐scattered light works as back illumination from within the tissue towards the skin surface, and superficial pigment such as intraepidermal melanin absorbs some spectral bands of the multiply‐scattered light and cast coloured shadows. Since the light that interacted with the superficial pigment only needs to travel a short distance before it exits the skin surface, microscopic details of the pigment can be preserved. Preliminary results from a pilot study of imaging skin lesions in vivo showed that the CPM device could reveal three‐dimensional distribution of pigmented cells and intracellular distribution of pigment. Co‐registered CPM and reflectance confocal microscopy images showed good correspondence between dark, brown cells in CPM images and bright, melanin‐containing cells in reflectance confocal microscopy images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of robot-assisted percutaneous pars–pedicle screw fixation surgery for treating Hangman's fracture. Methods: The study involved 33 patients with Hangman's fracture who underwent robot-assisted fixation surgery using cannulated pars–pedicle screws through a percutaneous approach. The primary parameter evaluated was the accuracy of the screws according to the Gertzbein–Robbins scale, using postoperative CT images. Secondary parameters included the duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, and neurovascular injury. Results: A total of 60 pars–pedicle screws were placed in 33 patients. Based on the Levine and Edwards classification, the patients included 12 cases of type I, 15 cases of type II, five cases of type IIa, and one atypical case. The average operative time was 92.4 ± 37.4 min, and the average blood loss was 22.4 ± 17.9 ml. Fifty-five of 60 screws were successfully placed within the bone. No screw-related neurovascular injury was observed, and satisfactory reduction was achieved in all cases. Conclusion: Robot-assisted percutaneous pars–pedicle screw fixation is a safe and feasible method for treating Hangman's fracture. Trial registration: The study was retrospectively registered and approved by our center's institutional review board. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • α-Syn level and UPDRS-III scores were positively correlated with the increase in Th17 cells and decrease in Tregs. • α-Syn led to the loss of FOXP3 in Tregs, accompanied by the acquisition of IL-17A. • α-Syn stimulation induced Th17 differentiation when naïve CD4+ T cells were under Th17-polarizing conditions. • α-Syn promotes the transcription of RORC , leading to increased Th17 differentiation and loss of Treg function. • Inhibition of RORγt alleviated the Th17/Tregs imbalance and apoptosis of DA in PD mice. Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons (DA) and the accumulation of Lewy body deposits composed of alpha-Synuclein (α-Syn), which act as antigenic epitopes to drive cytotoxic T -cell responses in PD. Increased T helper 17 (Th17) cells and dysfunctional regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been reported to be associated with the loss of DA in PD. However, the mechanism underlying the Th17/Treg imbalance remains unknown. Here, we examined the percentage of Th17 cells, the percentage of Tregs and the α-Syn level and analysed their correlations in the peripheral blood of PD patients and in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and spleen of MPTP-treated mice and A53 transgenic mice. We assessed the effect of α-Syn on the stability and function of Tregs and the differentiation of Th17 cells and evaluated the role of retinoid-related orphan nuclear receptor (RORγt) upregulation in α-Syn stimulation in vivo and in vitro. We found that the α-Syn level and severity of motor symptoms were positively correlated with the increase in Th17 cells and decrease in Tregs in PD patients. Moreover, α-Syn stimulation led to the loss of Forkhead box protein P 3 (FOXP3) expression in Tregs, accompanied by the acquisition of IL-17A expression. Increased Th17 differentiation was detected upon α-Syn stimulation when naïve CD4+ T cells were cultured under Th17-polarizing conditions. Mechanistically, α-Syn promotes the transcription of RORC , encoding RORγt, in Tregs and Th17 cells, leading to increased Th17 differentiation and loss of Treg function. Intriguingly, the increase in Th17 cells, decrease in Tregs and apoptosis of DA were suppressed by a RORγt inhibitor (GSK805) in MPTP-treated mice. Together, our data suggest that α-Syn promotes the transcription of RORC in circulating CD4+ T cells, including Tregs and Th17 cells, to impair the stability of Tregs and promote the differentiation of Th17 cells in PD. Inhibition of RORγt attenuated the apoptosis of DA and alleviated the increase in Th17 cells and decrease in Tregs in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study checked the effects of landscape types and complexity along path in urban green spaces on perceived restorativeness, so as to provide guidance for path landscape design. Background: Paths in urban green spaces are not only the connections between places but also places for visitors reducing mental stress and seeking psychological well-being. However, there is a lack of evidence-based research on the effects of landscape composition along the path on restorative quality, failing to provide a cohesive guideline for practice. Methods: Fourteen videos representing the popular path landscapes in urban green spaces were produced using computer software by adding or/and deleting elements and controlling environmental components. The restorative quality of these videos was measured by Short-version Revised Restoration Scale (SRRS). Statistical analysis was employed to treat the data and checked the effects of different landscape types and complexity on restorative quality. Results: (1) A significant difference in restorative quality between 14 path landscapes was found, comparatively, the path containing lawn or(and) forest was much better than that containing bamboo and waterscape, and bamboo was a negative predictor of restorative quality; (2) waterscape generally reduced the restorative quality of vegetated path landscape, especially when the landscape possessed higher restorative quality; (3) path landscape complexity had a weak influence on restorative quality. Conclusions: This study explains how path landscapes affect mental restoration of users, and these findings contribute to enhancing the restorative quality of urban green spaces and have applications for path landscape design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early prediction of in-hospital mortality in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is essential for the optimal management of these patients. Recently, a retrospective cohort observation has reported that the rate-pressure product (RPP, the product of systolic blood pressure and heart rate), an objective and easily calculated bedside index of cardiac hemodynamics, was predictively associated with in-hospital mortality following traumatic brain injury. We thus wondered whether this finding could also be generalized to aSAH patients. The current study aimed to examine the association of RPP at the time of emergency room (ER) admission with in-hospital mortality and its predictive performance among aSAH patients. We retrospectively included 515 aSAH patients who had been admitted to our ER between 2016 and 2020. Their baseline heart rate and systolic blood pressure at ER presentation were extracted for the calculation of the admission RPP. Meanwhile, we collected relevant clinical, laboratory, and neuroimaging data. Then, these data including the admission RPP were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses to identify independent predictors of hospital mortality. Eventually, continuous and ordinal variables were selected from those independent predictors, and the performance of these selected predictors was further evaluated and compared based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyzes. We identified both low (< 10,000; adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.49, 95% CI 1.93–6.29, p < 0.001) and high (> 15,000; adjusted OR 8.42, 95% CI 4.16–17.06, p < 0.001) RPP on ER admission to be independently associated with in-hospital mortality after aSAH. Furthermore, after centering the admission RPP by its median, the area under its ROC curve (0.761, 95% CI 0.722–0.798, p < 0.001) was found to be statistically superior to any of the other independent predictors included in the ROC analyzes (all p < 0.01). In light of the predictive superiority of the admission RPP, as well as its objectivity and easy accessibility, it is indeed a potentially more applicable predictor for in-hospital death in aSAH patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-based lubricants with different fractions of TiO2 nanoparticles ranging from 1.0 to 9.0 wt.% were utilized to study the lubrication mechanisms during micro rolling tests and the tribological behaviour of nanolubricants during the micro rolling of copper foils. The results indicate that the application of TiO2 nanolubricants remarkably improves the surface quality of rolled copper foils during rolling processes. For lubricants with inadequate TiO2 nanoparticles, it is found that few TiO2 nanoparticles enter the contact regions between the rolls and foils, causing insufficient lubrication during rolling processes. Instead, for lubricants with excessive TiO2 nanoparticles, obvious agglomeration occurs at the contact regions and promotes the generation of voids on the surface of the rolled foils, thereby deteriorating the surface quality of the rolled copper foils. In addition, it is found that the surface quality of rolled foils is improved by utilizing a large reduction ratio. Overall, the fraction of 3.0 wt.% TiO2 nanolubricants is optimal to improve the lubrication conditions at the contact regions, thereby improving the surface quality of the rolled copper foils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety is an indispensable condition of livable cities. Increasing fine-scaled understanding of the relationship between physical characteristics and perceived safety can provide reliable evidence to guide safety design, which in turn contributes to the livability of cities. To reach this goal, 30 sample sites were selected to represent the diversity of urban green spaces in Xuzhou, eastern China. The environment-related and crime-related perceived safety of these sites during the daytime and evening were evaluated by 717 participants who were invited through a snowballing method. The value of overall perceived safety was decided by the mean score of the two types of perceived safety. The main results include: (1) good maintenance of vegetation, open view, low locomotive accessibility of water, and more aquatic plants can predict a higher overall perceived safety during the daytime; (2) higher illumination and lighting sources in the distance of vision indicate a higher overall perceived safety during the evening; (3) females are more worried about the crime-related perceived safety than males during the daytime or evening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving energy storage density and efficiency is the ultimate goal of dielectric materials used in ceramic capacitors. Among different dielectric materials, dielectrics in thin film state own superior energy performances due to less defects compared with ceramic. Herein, we report an optimized lead-free Zr-modified BiMg 0.5 Zr 0.04 Ti x-0.04 O 3 composition with enhanced energy storage behavior via microstructural engineering. Rapid annealing can result in poorly crystallization in the film matrix confirmed by grazing incident X-ray diffraction GIXRD. The excess Ti source can effectively increase polarization and dielectric breakdown till to 97.0 μ C/cm2 and 3403 kV/cm at x = 0.775, respectively. The optimized energy properties can be achieved at x = 0.775 with a high recoverable energy storage density W reco of 87.8 J/cm3 and an efficiency η of 50%, indicative of excellent stability of storing electricity for the applications of pulse power electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we examined the effects of compaction pressure for bonding nanocrystalline cemented tungsten carbide (WC-10Co) and high-strength steel (AISI4340) and successfully fabricated a bilayered composite of ceramic and steel. The obtained results were compared with our previous studies, and then the optimised sintering conditions were suggested. The compaction pressure examined varied from 120–200 MPa at 1150°C for 20 min. The study shows that the change in experimental parameters has significant effects on both the sintering properties of nanocrystalline WC-10Co powders and their bonding with AISI4340 steel. The microstructure reveals a successful metallurgical bonding between ceramic and steel. Bonding temperature determines, to a great extent, the diffusion processes across the bonding interface and has found to be the most influential variable compared to sintering time and compaction pressure. The obtained average maximum bonding strength of the bimetal composite is 226 MPa, which is higher than that of previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green space is an important place to satisfy people's aesthetic appreciation, recreation, safety, and cleanliness. In addition, it plays a crucial role in improving the ecological quality of urban environments. How to enhance people's satisfaction and ecological quality simultaneously when planning urban green space is a new topic for urban planners. To address this issue 26 sample sites of urban green space in Xuzhou, eastern China were selected to evaluate their abilities to satisfy people by measuring four items: aesthetic preference, recreation, perceived safety and cleanliness, and ecological quality was quantified by the urban green space habitat quality index. Then, the coexistence of satisfaction and ecological quality was calculated. Further, 15 landscape characteristics that were abstracted to describe the objective features of the sample sites were evaluated. The main results showed that there is no significantly statistical relationship between people's satisfaction and ecological quality; increasing the diversity of plants and keeping natural waterscape are efficient ways to achieve people's satisfaction and ecological quality simultaneously. These results provide reliable guidance for the design and management of urban green space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of varying hot rolling finishing temperature and the application of intermediate annealing on the microstructure, texture evolution, and mechanical properties—including forming, hemming, and roping properties—of Al-Mg-Si alloy sheets was systematically investigated. The hot-rolled plate with a higher rolling finishing temperature exhibits a significantly higher volume fraction of Cube texture which is readily retained and inherited to the final state microstructure. A substantial quantity of Mg 2 Si particles can also be observed in this plate, while the amount notably decreases at lower rolling finishing temperatures. These large quantities of Mg 2 Si hinder the PSN effect, subsequently encouraging Cube texture and hindering Cube ND texture formation during solute solution. Following intermediate annealing, Ostwald ripening mechanism leads to finer Mg 2 Si particles dissolve while the coarser Mg 2 Si continue to grow, reducing the obstruction to the PSN effect. The T4P sheets without intermediate annealing exhibit a significant volume fraction of Goss texture. Goss texture can be effectively minimized by applying intermediate annealing process and thus almost disappears in T4P sheets that undergo intermediate annealing. Cube texture proved advantageous for hemming processes but detrimental to both formability and roping performance; thus, it should be modulated within an optimal range. On the other hand, Goss texture negatively impacted all mechanical properties and should be minimized or eliminated. Optimal comprehensive properties can be achieved by lowering the hot rolling finishing temperature and implementing a suitable intermediate annealing treatment. • Mg 2 Si inhibits the PSN effect. • The Goss texture diminishes by inter-annealing. • Roping is caused by texture bands aligning the RD. • Decreasing the hot-rolled finishing temperature and adopting inter-annealing achieve best comprehensive properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diosmin is a flavone glycoside with a confirmed therapeutic effectiveness on the chronic venous disorders. In this paper, the classical mouse depression model induced by LPS was established to explore the effect of Diosmin on depression. Firstly, we found that Diosmin could inhibit the inflammation and neuronal damage in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mice, and thus alleviating the LPS-induced depressive-like behaviors. Specifically, Diosmin treatment significantly suppressed the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β), reduced the activation of microglia, and inhibited the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream effector caspase-1 in both PFC of mice and BV2 microglial cells exposed to LPS. Then, we demonstrated that pretreatment with Diosmin dramatically suppressed the LPS-induced oxidative stress in the PFC of mice, manifested in the decrease of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde while increase of catalase activity. Consistently, Diosmin also alleviated the oxidative stress in BV2 cells exposed to LPS. Finally, we confirmed that Diosmin effectively suppressed the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in the PFC of LPS-treated mice. Further in vitro experiments also verified that Diosmin could prevent the p65 transposition to nucleus in LPS-treated BV2 cells, suggesting that the antidepressant effects of Diosmin are partially mediated by blocking of NF-κB signaling. Taken together, this study proposes the potential antidepressant effect of Diosmin, which provides useful support to the development of new therapies for depression. • Diosmin inhibits the inflammation and neuronal damage in the prefrontal cortex. • Diosmin restores the oxidative homeostasis in the prefrontal cortex. • Diosmin inhibits the microglia-mediated inflammation both in vivo and in vitro. • Diosmin ameliorates the depression progression via blocking of NF-κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy metabolic processes play important roles for tumor malignancy, indicating that related protein-coding genes and regulatory upstream genes (such as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs)) may represent potential biomarkers for prognostic prediction. This study will develop a new energy metabolism-related lncRNA-mRNA prognostic signature for lower-grade glioma (LGG) patients. A GSE4290 dataset obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus was used for screening the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and lncRNAs (DELs). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset was used as the prognosis training set, while the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) was for the validation set. Energy metabolism-related genes were collected from the Molecular Signatures Database (MsigDB), and a coexpression network was established between energy metabolism-related DEGs and DELs to identify energy metabolism-related DELs. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis was performed to filter the prognostic signature which underwent survival analysis and nomogram construction. A total of 1613 DEGs and 37 DELs were identified between LGG and normal brain tissues. One hundred and ten DEGs were overlapped with energy metabolism-related genes. Twenty-seven DELs could coexpress with 67 metabolism-related DEGs. LASSO regression analysis showed that 9 genes in the coexpression network were the optimal signature and used to construct the risk score. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that patients with a high risk score had significantly worse OS than those with a low risk score (TCGA: HR = 3.192 , 95 % CI = 2.182 ‐ 4.670 ; CGGA: HR = 1.922 , 95 % CI = 1.431 ‐ 2.583). The predictive accuracy of the risk score was also high according to the AUC of the ROC curve (TCGA: 0.827; CGGA: 0.806). Multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed age, IDH1 mutation, and risk score as independent prognostic factors, and thus, a prognostic nomogram was established based on these three variables. The excellent prognostic performance of the nomogram was confirmed by calibration and discrimination analyses. In conclusion, our findings provided a new biomarker for the stratification of LGG patients with poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe disable symptom and has posed a great health threat to many people. Circ-HIPK3 has been reported to modulate the biological behavior of neuronal cells. Thence, in this study, we explored the mechanism of circ-HIPK3 in affecting functions of neuronal cell in SCI. SCI rat model was constructed to evaluate the apoptosis condition of spinal cord tissue. Meanwhile, 100 μM of CoCl 2 was used to treat AGE1.HN and PC12 cells to induce in vitro SCI model. Functional assays were implemented to investigate the apoptosis of AGE1.HN and PC12 cells. RNase R and Act D treatment were both conducted to verify the circular character of circ-HIPK3. In this study, circ-HIPK3 was found lowly expressed in SCI rat models and AGE1.HN and PC12 cells induced by 100uM of CoCl 2. Meanwhile, inhibited circ-HIPK3 or overexpressed circ-HIPK3 could separately elevate or reduce the apoptosis of AGE1.HN and PC12 cells. Moreover, circ-HIPK3 was identified as the ceRNA against miR-558 to up-regulate DPYSL5. Circ-HIPK3/miR-558/DPYSL5 axis modulated the apoptosis of AGE1.HN and PC12 cells in SCI. In conclusion, circ-HIPK3 relieves the neuronal cell apoptosis through regulating miR-588/DPYSL5 axis in SCI. • Circ-HIPK3 was downregulated in SCI rat model and CoCl 2 induced neuronal cells. • Circ-HIPK3 could suppress the apoptosis of neuronal cells. • Circ-HIPK3 regulates DPYSL5 by acting as a ceRNA. • Circ-HIPK3 regulates neuronal cell apoptosis in SCI via axon guidance pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a most aggressive primary cancer in brain with poor prognosis. This study aimed to identify novel tumor biomarkers with independent prognostic values in GBMs. The DNA methylation profiles were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differential methylated genes (DMGs) were screened from recurrent GBM samples using limma package in R software. Functional enrichment analysis was performed to identify major biological processes and signaling pathways. Furthermore, critical DMGs associated with the prognosis of GBM were screened according to univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis. A risk score-based prognostic model was constructed for these DMGs and prediction ability of this model was validated in training and validation data set. In total, 495 DMGs were identified between recurrent samples and disease-free samples, including 356 significantly hypermethylated and 139 hypomethylated genes. Functional and pathway items for these DMGs were mainly related to sensory organ development, neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction, pathways in cancer, etc. Five genes with abnormal methylation level were significantly correlated with prognosis according to survival analysis, such as ALX1, KANK1, NUDT12, SNED1, and SVOP. Finally, the risk model provided an effective ability for prognosis prediction both in training and validation data set. We constructed a novel prognostic model for survival prediction of GBMs. In addition, we identified five DMGs as critical prognostic biomarkers in GBM progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic study was carried out to evaluate the effects of cold rolling and annealing processes on the ridging severity of ferritic stainless steel (FSS). Both microstructural refinement and texture optimisation were achieved with an optimised processing schedule to improve the ridging resistance of FSS. Coarse grain bands comprising of primarily {112} <110> oriented grains were found to form inside cold-rolled and annealed FSS sheets. The effects of annealing schedules and the resultant microstructure and texture on the ridging behaviour of FSS are discussed. The results indicate that the reduction in the fraction of {001} <110> orientation by optimisation of the rolling processes contributes to reduce the ridging height of the FSS during the subsequent forming process. Through extending soaking time and under 880 °C during final annealing step, a maximum of 30% reduction in ridging height can be achieved with a refined microstructure and texture of FSS, improving the surface quality of FSS during subsequent forming processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This study aims to develop novel signatures for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Methods. GBM expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were downloaded and DEGs between tumor and normal samples were identified by differential expression analysis (DEA). A risk signature was developed by applying weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and Cox regression analysis. Patients were divided into high and low risk group, followed by evaluating the performance of the signature via Kaplan-Meier curve analysis. In addition, the prognostic significance of the signature was further validated using an independent validation dataset from Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). DEGs between high and low risk group were subjected to functional annotation. Results. A total of 748 DEGs were identified between primary tumor and normal samples. Following WGCNA and Cox regression analysis, 6 DEGs were identified and used to construct a risk signature. The signature showed high performance in both training and validation dataset. Subsequently, 397 DEGs were identified between high and low risk group. These DEGs were mainly enriched in terms related to calcium signaling, cAMP-mediated signaling, and synaptic transmission. Conclusions. The risk signature may contribute to GBM diagnosis in future clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cermet and steel material bonding is a challenging task, due to their large difference of physical properties, e.g. coefficient of thermal expansion. In this study, a hot compaction diffusion bonding method was employed to fabricate a small-dimensional bimetallic composite of WC-10Co and high strength AISI 4340 steel, where the cermet was used in powder form and the steel as solid. The bimetal composite was characterised by microstructural analysis and mechanical properties evaluation. The interface microstructure reveals a successful metallurgical bonding between the cermet and steel materials. The influence of sintering temperature (1050–1250 °C) was examined at intervals of 50 °C. This study shows that the properties of sintered powder and the bonding quality with the steel improve with an increase in sintering temperature. A bonding beneficiary reaction layer was observed to grow at the joining interface by mutual diffusion of the alloying elements, which increases with the increasing temperature. The maximum width of the reaction layer observed was 4.13 μm and consists mainly of intermetallic ternary carbides. The bonding shear strength of the interface is found to be slightly higher than claimed in previous studies. The developed bimetal composite could be used in applications where a combination of high strength and hardness is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin strip with varying thickness, a novel structural and functional material, is fabricated by micro flexible rolling, and has three thickness features including the thicker zone, the thinner zone and the transition zone. Rolling and roll lifting speeds determine the thickness distributions, and have a great influence on the surface roughness, then the final product quality which is of significant importance for thin materials in subsequent processing. In this study, surface roughness alteration of aluminium alloy strips during micro flexible rolling was investigated with considering the influences of rolling speeds, roll lifting speeds, thickness ratios (the ratio of the thicker zone to the thinner zone) and lubrication conditions, and the mechanisms were discussed. The results show that rolling parameters have a significant effect on the alteration of surface roughness from the thicker zone to the thinner zone along the rolling direction. The experimental observations indicate that the surface roughness of thin strips with varying thicknesses presents a decreasing tendency with the increase of contact area results from downward rolling phase along the transition zone, however, it is constantly higher than that in the upward rolling phase. • Surface roughness alters in different thickness zones and rolling phases. • Directional skewness of asperities varies on the smoother and rougher roll cases. • The alteration of surface roughness with diverse rolling and roll lifting speeds. • Oil pool results in surface roughness alteration between different rolling phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetal composites have wide applications due to their excellent overall performance and relatively low cost. In this study, the formability of stainless/carbon steel bimetal medium-thick composite in the stamping process without blank holder was investigated by finite element (FE) simulations and experiments. Uniaxial tensile tests on substrate metal (carbon steel) and clad metal (stainless steel) were first conducted, respectively, in order to obtain the material properties of each metal layer required in the FE simulation. Processing variables, including the layer stacking sequence, relative thickness ratios of two layers and friction conditions, were considered, and their effects on the magnitude of press load and distributions of thickness strain for predicting the high-risk region of necking during stamping were discussed. Experimental tests were carried out to verify the simulation results. It is indicated that simulation results can be used as an evaluation indicator to ensure the bimetal medium-thick composite can be safely formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Copper (Cu) foils are extensively used in the electronics industry owing to their excellent electrical conductivity and high flexibility. In the present study, Cu foils with a thickness of 100 µm were annealed at 700 °C for 3, 6, 30 and 60 min to obtain different grain sizes. The edge cracking of Cu foils in micro rolling was systematically investigated, and the mechanism involved was discussed combining the effects of grain size and tensile properties. The results of tensile tests show that the tensile curves become increasingly discrete with the increase of grain size. Both the fracture stress and the fracture strain decrease, and the scatter of stress increases with the coarsening of grains. The tensile fracture surfaces of the specimens with grain sizes of 19 and 23 µm contain very few micro-dimples, while no micro-dimples are formed on the fracture surfaces of the tensile tested specimens with grain sizes of 33 and 43 µm. The results of micro rolling tests show that edge cracking does not generate in the specimens with grain sizes of 19 and 23 µm after micro rolling. However, the edge becomes increasingly wavy with the increase of grain size and rolling reduction. When the grain size is increased to 33 µm or greater, significant edge cracking occurs under all the rolling reductions of 30%, 51% and 70%. Grain size has a significant effect on the edge cracking of Cu foils in micro rolling, which evolves based on the ductile fracture mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The microstructure and texture after plastic deformation are strongly dependent on the corresponding manufacturing process and subsequent annealing which significantly affect the properties of the final products. In this study, 1060 aluminium alloy with a thickness of 464 μm was micro flexibly rolled to a constant thickness ratio of 3.6 by a combined control of the roll gap, the rolling speed and the roll lifting speed. Afterwards, the rolled specimens were subjected to isochronal annealing at a temperature range of 200 to 400 °C for 30 min and isothermal annealing at 400 °C for 10–60 min. Results indicate that the microstructure, microhardness and texture of each thickness zone are distinctly influenced by the rolling parameters and annealing conditions. Specimens annealed at 400 °C for 30 min result in a relatively steady hardness distribution along the transition zones. Typical β fibre texture is observed in the specimens suffered from annealing while S is predominant in both micro flexibly rolled and annealed specimens. Highlights • Inhomogeneous behaviour of aluminium alloy after micro flexible rolling and annealing • Microstructure and texture evolution along the varying thickness zones of micro flexibly rolled strips • The mechanics based on the special deformation features was proposed. • Isothermal and isochronal annealing on the recrystallised characteristics of thin varying thickness strips [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, oil-in-water (O/W) based nanolubricants containing TiO 2 nanoparticles were developed to reduce the rolling force and improve the surface quality of rolled 304 stainless steel product. Practical hot rolling tests with and without application of lubricant were conducted to systematically investigate the effects of the developed O/W based nanolubricants on the rolling force, surface roughness, oxide scale thickness and tribological behaviour. The obtained results indicate that the nanoparticles can enter the deform zone with oil droplets to take a lubrication effect. The optimal lubrication effect can be achieved when the O/W (1% oil mass fraction) based nanolubricant with a TiO 2 mass fraction of 1.5% was applied. The microstructure of oxide scales formed on the hot rolled sample was not significantly affected by TiO 2 nanoparticles in the O/W based lubricant, but the oxide scale growth could be induced by TiO 2 nanoparticles. A discontinuous thin SiO 2 layer at the substrate-scale interface was observed. It can effectively reduce the formation of iron-rich oxides. The novel nanolubricant has a great potential to be applied in the hot steel rolling, to realise the cost-effective and environmental-friendly manufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The research on the restorative capacity of soundscape has grown rapidly in recent decades. Most literature explores this topic using the single medium of soundscape. Their findings perhaps do not provide a cohesive guideline for practical design because a visitor perceives the landscape using the pattern of multi-sensory input, such as visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory. To fill this gap this study conducted an experiment, in which 20 photographs were combined with five sounds, and Short-version Revised Restoration Scale was used to measure the restorative quality of auditory-visual combinations evaluated by 382 college students. The results indicated that: (1) easy accessibility to waterscape and flat topography normally are the promoters for the restorative quality of silent landscape; (2) a landscape containing natural water and a high coverage of plants matches the visual association of a bird singing, adding the birdsong to this landscape will produce higher restorative potential; (3) introducing flowing water sound to the landscape with less still water is a better choice to improve the restorative capacity; (4) adding wind sound to the landscape possessing high coverage of vegetation increases the restorative quality; (5) adding traditional Chinese music to the landscape with less paved areas will promote the mental stress relief of users, and no results were found for the western music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: A model experiment.Objective: To measure and compare the clinical accuracy of point-to-point registration (PR) and auto-registration (AR) in an operative set using an active infrared navigation system.Summary Of Background Data: PR and AR are two major registration methods of navigation assisted spinal surgery. No previous study compared the difference between the two methods with respect to clinical accuracy.Methods: A novel method was used to measure the clinical accuracy of the navigation system under an operative set using a Sawbone model with titanium beads on the surface, which was essential to measure the accuracy numerically, instead of a real patient. Both the operative set and the procedure mimicked a regular surgery. The clinical accuracy was defined as the average distance between the "navigation coordinate" and the "image coordinate." The clinical accuracy of the PR using preoperative computed tomography (CT) images and the AR using intraoperative CT images was measured and compared.Results: The average clinical accuracy of PR was different among different segments. The accuracy of the most accurate segment, which provided the reference points during the PR, was 1.10 mm. In the two segments adjacent to the reference segment, the clinical accuracy deteriorated to 1.37 and 1.50 mm. The accuracy of the farther segments was worse. In comparison, the clinical accuracy of different segments of AR was of no significant difference. The average accuracy of AR was 0.74 mm, which was significantly better than the best accuracy of PR.Conclusion: AR is better than PR with respect to clinical accuracy in navigation assisted spinal surgery.Level Of Evidence: N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A developed analytical model of bending characteristics for bimetal composite was presented. • The movement behaviour of bonding interface relative to neutral and unelongated planes was studied. • Analytical, FE and experimental investigations were conducted on the bending behaviours of bimetal composite. Abstract Analytical, numerical and experimental investigations were conducted on the bending characteristics of duplex stainless steel (2205) and low carbon steel (AH36) bimetal composite in this study, with the aim of providing a reference for the bending and forming processing optimisation of laminated metal composite. An analytical model was developed to predict the deformation behaviour of each segment and particular planes, such as neutral plane, unelongated plane and bonding interface, across thickness section under the plane strain condition during the bending process. The movement track of segments presents that it is better for the bonding interface to avoid experiencing the reverse loaded zone (RLZ) in forming fabrications for less potential defects, and the neutral plane is discontinuous while coinciding with the bonding interface. The thickness change and bending moment of bimetal plate were calculated as a function of the increasing bending curvature by the proposed theoretical model under four conditions classified by different thickness ratios and relative positions of component steel layers. The predicted results show that the relative position affects the thickness change of bent composite plate, but the thickness ratio has a more significant effect on the magnitude of bending moment, as confirmed by finite element (FE) simulation and bending experiments. Graphical abstract Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is the cultural landscape a restorative environment for mental stress? What is the restorative potential of cultural landscape, compared to the natural landscape? And what factors determine the restorative potential of cultural or natural landscape? These questions have not been studied previously. To fill the gap the present study conducts an experiment to compare the restorative capacity of cultural and natural landscapes in China, and explores the driving forces of 15 landscape characteristics on the restorative quality of the two landscape types. The results show that there are no significant differences of restoration between cultural and natural landscape. The 10 photographs representing cultural landscape have a bigger standard deviation (lower consensus) of restorative capacity than the 10 photographs representing natural landscape. More water features and the flat terrain are the significant promoters for the restoration of cultural landscape. Abundant colours, which usually imply a higher diversity of plant species, are vital to enhance the restorative capacity of natural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bonding between tungsten carbide and steel is a challenging task due to their large difference of physical properties. Previous reports were based on solid state bonding. In this study, a powder-solid mechanism was employed for analysing the sintering and bonding process of ultrafine WC (with 8% Co added as binder) powder and solid stainless steel (SS 304). A novel manufacturing mechanism of hot compaction diffusion bonding (HCDB) was implemented to facilitate the bonding process. The influence of temperature varying from 1160 to 1220 °C was investigated with an interval of 20 °C. The experiment is conducted in a vacuum environment at constant pressure of 160 MPa. Under simultaneous effects of temperature and pressure, WC powder was solidified and a diffusion bonding was realised with SS 304. The bonding interface is characterised by three distinctive features, namely properly bonded area, crack appearance and formation of diffusion layer. Generation of micro cracks are examined in the form of single long micro crack, cluster of micro cracks and crack in WC region. An average hardness of 1971 HV was found at 1220 °C, and the maximum mechanical bonding shear strength achieved was 172 MPa. The microstructure morphology, composition distribution, bonding characteristics and crack formation, diffusion mechanism and mechanical properties of the composite bimetal were examined. The fabricated composite bimetal has the potentials in the applications where high hardness and high strength are required simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper microchannels have been attracting more and more attention due to the increasing demands for multifunctional microcomponents in the field of micromanufacturing. In the present work, the forming of microchannels on copper foils was studied by micro rolling. Copper foils with the thickness of 0.1 mm were selected and annealed at 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800 °C for 10 min prior to micro rolling, and the formability and quality of microchannels were systematically investigated. The results show that an optimal annealing temperature of 500 °C is beneficial to the forming of microchannels with high surface quality. A series of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) tests were performed in order to explore the effect of annealing temperatures on the formability of copper foils during micro rolling, and the results indicate that the high forming accuracy of microchannels with copper foils annealed at 500 °C is mainly attributed to the high geometric dislocation density. Additionally, the weakening of major texture components (the Brass, S and Goss components) through optimization of heat treatment also contributes to the improvement of forming accuracy of microchannels, promoting the forming of high-quality microchannels by micro rolling process. • Optimal heat treatment optimizes the forming accuracy of microchannels of copper foils. • The microstructure evolution of copper foils is significantly affected by heat treatment. • The forming accuracy of microchannels is significantly affected by the coarse grain bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced high strength steels (AHSSs) are regarded as the most promising materials for vehicles in the 21st century. AHSSs are complex and sophisticated materials, with microstructures being controlled by precise thermomechanical processing (TMP) technologies. TMP is an established and strategic method for improving the mechanical properties of AHSSs through control of microstructures and is among the most important industrial technologies for producing high quality AHSSs with the necessary mechanical properties. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of recent progress in TMP of AHSSs, with focus on the processing-microstructure-property relationships of the processed AHSSs. We first present an introduction to the background of the TMP of AHSSs. Then, the recent progress and the latest achievements in TMP of the first, second and third generations of AHSSs and Nano Hiten steels are reviewed in detail, and the mechanisms of the TMP-induced microstructural evolution and mechanical properties variation are addressed and discussed. The present review concludes with a summary on the TMP of AHSSs currently under development, and also offers an outlook of the future opportunities which will inspire more in-depth research and eventually advance practical applications of this innovative field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the ridging generation of ferritic stainless steel (FSS) during forming process, the crystallographic texture of the FSS was modified by optimisation of both rolling and annealing processes. A systematic study was carried out to improve the ridging resistance of the FSS by investigating the sequential changes in microstructure and texture during different rolling and annealing processes. The results show that the surface roughness of the final sheet strained by 20% along the rolling direction is decreased by 20% to 30% using Steckel-mill rolling compared to traditional tandem rolling. A direct correlation is found between the ridging resistance of the FSS and the rolling routines. It has been observed that an optimal reduction value during cold rolling process is critical to the microstructural refinement and surface quality improvement of the FSS. Reduction of the fraction of {001} 〈110〉 component by optimisation of the rolling processes is found to be effective in reducing the ridging height of the FSS during the formation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tribological behaviour of innovative TiO 2 nano-additive water-based lubricant on ferritic stainless steel (FSS) 445 was characterised on a ball-on-disk tribometer. Non-oxidised (clean) and pre-oxidised FSS 445 disks with original rough surfaces were both applied in the tribological tests at room temperature. The results show that the water-based nanolubricants with concentrations of 0.4–8.0 wt% TiO 2 can significantly reduce the coefficient of friction (COF) on the two types of disks. The 4.0 wt% TiO 2 lubricant exhibits optimal tribological properties, including the lowest COF and the strongest anti-wear ability on the applied balls under all lubrication conditions. The lubrication mechanisms are primarily ascribed to the formation of tribofilm and the ball-bearing effect of the TiO 2 nanoparticles, respectively, on the two different disks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Robot-assisted pedicle screw placement in spinal surgery can reduce the complications associated with the screw placement and reduce the hospital return counts due to malfunctions. However, it requires accurate planning for a high-quality procedure. The state-of-the-art technologies reported in the literature either ignore the anatomical variations across vertebrae or require substantial human interactions. We present an improved approach that achieves pedicle screw path planning through multiple projections of a numerically re-oriented vertebra with the estimated posture. Approach. We proposed an improved YOLO-type neural network model (YOLOPOSE3D) to estimate the posture of a vertebra before pedicle path planning. In YOLOPOSE3D, the vertebral posture is given as a rotation quaternion and 3D location coordinates by optimizing the intersection over union of the vertebra with the predicted posture and the actual posture. Then, a new local coordinate system is established for the vertebra based on the estimated posture. Finally, the optimal pedicle screw path trajectory is determined from the multiple projections of the vertebra in the local coordinates. Main results. The experimental results in difficult cases of scoliosis showed that the new YOLOPOSE3D network could accurately detect the location and posture of the vertebra with average translation and orientation errors as small as 1.55 mm and 2.55°. The screw path planning achieved 83.1% success rate without breaking the pedicle cortex for the lumbar vertebral L1–L5, which is better than that of a doctor's manual planning, 82.4%. With the clinical class A requirement to allow less than 2 mm out of the pedicle cortex, the success rate achieved nearly 100%. Significance. The proposed YOLOPOSED3D method can accurately determine the vertebral postures. With the improved posture prior, better clinical outcomes can be achieved for pedicle screw placement in spine internal fixation procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effects of the developed oil-in-water (O/W) based nanolubricants containing TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) on the tribological behaviour of oxidised high-speed steel (HSS) were studied, using pin-on-disc tests. The pin was made of HSS and, prior to the wear test, was oxidised to form a scale layer on the surface. The results show that the TiO 2 NPs in the O/W lubricant can achieve an excellent reduction of the coefficient of friction (COF) and improve the anti-wear properties of pins with oxidised surfaces. The TiO 2 NPs in the nanolubricant were found to have the filling and tribo-sintering effects. The NP aggregation around the contact area was observed with higher TiO 2 NP concentrations in the nanolubricant, revealing a larger NP aggregation area. Based on the results and analysis, the mechanism about the effects of the TiO 2 NPs in the O/W based nanolubricant on the wear and COF were well explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A ball-on-disk tribometer was employed to evaluate the lubrication performance and mechanisms of innovative TiO 2 nano-additive water-based lubricants. Two experimental methods were applied to determine the optimal mass fraction of TiO 2 . In the method I, lubricants were added onto the worn disk tracks at a predetermined time interval. In the method II, the disks were immersed in the lubricants continuously during the whole process of tribological tests. The results both indicate that the water-based lubricants can significantly reduce the coefficient of friction (COF). The 0.8 wt% TiO 2 lubricant demonstrates excellent tribological properties including the lowest COF and the strongest wear resistance under all lubrication conditions. The lubrication mechanisms are attributed to the rolling and mending effects of the TiO 2 nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion is widely applied as a lubricant during hot rolling process. For reducing environmental impact caused by O/W emulsion, a novel nano-TiO 2 additive O/W lubricant with improved stability and reduced coefficient of friction (COF) is developed. Little research, however, has been focused on the growth behaviour of oxide scale formed on the workpiece surface and its effects on the tribological property of nano-TiO 2 additive O/W lubricant. In the current work, oxidation tests of high strength steel were conducted to investigate the growth behaviour of oxide scale and obtain different surface morphologies of the oxide scale. Ball-on-disk tribological tests under a temperature of 80 °C were carried out to investigate the effects of surface morphology of oxide scale on the tribological behaviour under nano-TiO 2 additive O/W lubrication. The performance of the new developed lubricant was evaluated by hot rolling process. The growth mechanism of oxide scale and the modified oxide scale growth model were proposed. Tribological results indicate that oxide scale plays an important role in the tribological behaviour of nano-TiO 2 additive O/W lubricant. A reduction in surface roughness can result in a decrease of COF, while the COF will increase if the surface roughness reduces too much because some of the nano-TiO 2 particles cannot go through the contact area to play a positive role in lubrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, it is widely acknowledged that ridging is caused by different plastic deformations from grains with different textures. In this study, a simplified model was used to predict the ridging height with different elongation values based on crystal plasticity (CP) and EBSD information with the purpose of understanding well the effect of texture and average grain size on the ridging generation and reduction of undesirable surface defects of ferritic stainless steel (FSS) 430 during the formation process. The results indicate that the reduction of average grain is effective to improve ridging generation in FSS along tensile directions. The numerical simulation results obtained using the crystal plasticity finite element model (CPFEM) match well with experimental values, which demonstrates that the CPFEM could be employed to analyse the ridging phenomenon under different elongation conditions of FSS. Based on the established models, the ridging modes of colonies with different crystal orientations ({001} <110>, {112} <110> and {114} <110>) are discussed to evaluate the effect of texture structure on ridging generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional villages in China show a pattern of ‘self-organization’. There is unplanned overall layout of space elements within the village landscape. Since the ‘Building a New Countryside’ policy, professionals have been active in design of the village landscape. The first step is to identify the distinguishing features of the traditional village landscape. This paper aims to identify the distinguishing features of village landscape compared with an urban residential area. The results indicate that abundant plants, shabby houses, monotonous colour, badly-maintained environment and closed space are the distinguishing features. A clean environment and high vegetation coverage are important. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Isothermal and thermomechanical fatigue tests with strain dwell were conducted. • The creep damage is evaluated by the concept of inelastic relaxation strain rate. • The oxidation damage is severer in thermomechanical than isothermal fatigue test. • The lowest fatigue life occurs under creep-thermomechanical fatigue loading. Isothermal fatigue (IF) and thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) tests with and without tensile dwell time at various strain amplitudes were conducted on 316LN stainless steel. The results showed that the inelastic relaxation strain rate is more appropriate to characterize creep damage than the amount of stress relaxation. The introduction of tensile strain hold imparted a more deleterious effect on the TMF than the IF performance based on a statistical analysis of the number of secondary cracks and their size distribution, which was primarily attributed to the more severe oxidation-assisted cracking at the interface between the oxide scale and substrate. Most importantly, the lowest fatigue life occurred in the TMF test with tensile dwell time at the low strain amplitude of 0.4% rather than in the creep-fatigue test at the isothermal maximum temperature, indicating that it was not always conservative to predict the life of engineering components based on the IF data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the increasing demand of multifunctional applications of microcomponents, metal composites have been gradually noted in micromanufacturing. In this paper, the formability of aluminium (Al)-copper (Cu) composite foils in micro deep drawing (MDD) was studied, and the mechanism involved was discussed. A two-layered Al-Cu composite with the thickness of 235 µm was selected and first rolled to 50 µm, and then annealed at 200, 300, 400 and 500 °C for 5 min prior to the MDD experiments. The results show that Al-Cu composite foil possesses the best combination of strength and ductility after annealing at 400 °C. With the increase in annealing temperature, the grains of both Al and Cu layers are refined, and in the meantime, the thickness of intermetallic layer also increases. The results from MDD tests indicate that the existence of intermetallic layer has a greater influence on the formability of the composite foil compared to the finer distribution of grains. On the basis of the obtained results, the optimised heat treatment method with the annealing temperature of 300 °C for 1 h was proposed, which was then proved to significantly improve the performance of the Al-Cu composite foil in MDD. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas sensing catalyst is the key to proton exchange membrane fuel cell type gas sensor. However, due to the limitations of Pt/C catalyst in an electronic structure and electrochemical stability, the sensing performance of the sensor inconformity the strict performance objectives, and new sensing materials are required. Here we demonstrate that a novel sensing catalyst, Pt/Ti 0.8 Mo 0.2 N, is a highly efficient CO sensing that outperforms the benchmark material Pt/TiN and Pt/C. Pt/Ti 0.8 Mo 0.2 N effectively reduces the cross-sensitivity of interfering gas and greatly improves the CO selectivity, sensitivity and long-term stability of the sensor. Simultaneously, profit by the design of a high humidity cathode sealing chamber, the relative humidity of the environment exhibits a slight impact on the sensor. Furthermore, we confirm that Pt/Ti 0.8 Mo 0.2 N exhibit the best gas sensing performance at low Pt loading of 15 wt%. This discovery points to the strategy of combining low-cost and high-performance electrode catalytic materials for new generation gas sensors. [Display omitted] • Ternary nitrides with high specific surface area are successfully synthesized by a simple method. • The Pt/Ti 0.8 Mo 0.2 N sensor exhibits excellent CO selectivity and long-term tolerance. • The Ti 0.8 Mo 0.2 N support reduces the platinum content and is conducive to reducing the cost of the sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for the formation of 1,1-difluoroethyl copper species ('CuCF2CH3') with 1,1-difluoroethylsilane (TMSCF2CH3) has been developed. The 'CuCF2CH3' species can be applied to the efficient 1,1-difluoroethylation of diaryliodonium salts under mild conditions, affording (1,1-difluoroethyl)arenes in good to excellent yields. This convenient procedure tolerates a wide range of functional groups and thus serves as a practical synthetic tool for the introduction of CF2CH3 group(s) into complex molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for the generation of the “PhSO2CF2Cu” species from readily available difluoromethyl phenyl sulfone (PhSO2CF2H) has been developed. The “PhSO2CF2Cu” reagent can be applied in (phenylsulfonyl)difluoromethylation of arylboronic acids, which affords a convenient approach to introducing the PhSO2CF2 group into aromatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patients with chronic subdural haematoma and contralateral subdural effusion are rare after head injury. Surgery might reduce clinical progression of subdural effusion, but is not used routinely. This study aimed to investigate the effect of surgery on subdural effusion and clinical outcome. Methods: A retrospective study was performed, comparing operation and non-operation in the patients with chronic subdural haematoma and contralateral subdural effusion, in a series of 47 patients divided into two groups. The operation group of 21 patients underwent bilateral surgery. The non-operation group of 26 patients underwent surgery on the side with chronic subdural haematoma. Neurological status was assessed by the Glasgow Coma score and Modified Rankin Scale score on admission and at follow-up. All cases underwent pre- and post-operative computed tomography scans. Results: Pre-operative clinical and radiological data were similar in the two groups. The rate of subdural effusion progression was significantly lower in the operation group than in the non-operation group ( p < 0.05). Thirteen cases (50%) in the non-operation group and three cases (14.3%) in the operation group had progression of subdural effusion to chronic subdural haematoma ( p < 0.05). Chronic subdural haematoma recurrence rate, mortality and neurological recovery were similar, with no significant difference between groups. Conclusions: The patients benefitted from surgery for subdural effusion when they had chronic subdural haematoma and contralateral subdural effusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]