A retrospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of 3-dimensional rapid prototyping (3DRP) technology in corrective surgery for Lenke 1 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients.3DRP technology has been widely used in medical field; however, no study has been performed on the effectiveness of 3DRP technology in corrective surgery for Lenke 1 AIS patients.Lenke 1 AIS patients who were preparing to undergo posterior corrective surgery from a single center between January 2010 and January 2012 were included in this analysis. Patients were divided into 2 groups. In group A, 3-dimensional (3D) printing technology was used to create subject-specific spine models in the preoperative planning process. Group B underwent posterior corrective surgery as usual (by free hand without image guidance). Perioperative and postoperative clinical outcomes were compared between 2 groups, including operation time, perioperative blood loss, transfusion volume, postoperative hemoglobin (Hb), postoperative complications, and length of hospital stay. Radiological outcomes were also compared, including the assessment of screw placement, postoperative Cobb angle, coronal balance, sagittal vertical axis, thoracic kyphosis, and lumbar lordosis. Subgroup was also performed according to the preoperative Cobb angle: mean Cobb angle <50° and mean Cobb angle >50°. Besides, economic evaluation was also compared between 2 groups.A total of 126 patients were included in this study (group A, 50 and group B, 76). Group A had significantly shorter operation time, significantly less blood loss and transfusion volume, and higher postoperative Hb (all, P < 0.001). However, no significant differences were observed in complication rate, length of hospital stay, and postoperative radiological outcomes between 2 groups (all, P>0.05). There was also no significant difference in misplacement of screws in total populations (16.90% vs 18.82%, P = 0.305), whereas a low misplacement rate of pedicle screws was observed in patients whose mean Cobb angle was >50° (9.15% vs 13.03%, P = 0.02). Besides, using 3DRP increased the economic burden of patients (157,000 ± 9948.85 Ren Min Bi (RMB) vs 152,500 ± 11,445.52 RMB, P = 0.03).Using the 3D printing technology before posterior corrective surgery might reduce the operation time, perioperative blood loss, and transfusion volume. There did not appear to be a benefit to using this technology with respect to complication rate and postoperative radiological outcomes; however, 3D technology could reduce the misplacement rate in patients whose preoperative mean Cobb angle was >50°. Besides, it also increased the patients’ hospital cost. Therefore, future prospective studies are needed to elucidate the efficacy of this emerging technology.

A room-temperature, visible-light-driven N-centered iminyl radical-mediated and redox-neutral C-C single bond cleavage/radical addition cascade reaction of oxime esters and unsaturated systems has been accomplished. The strategy tolerates a wide range of O-acyl oximes and unsaturated systems, such as alkenes, silyl enol ethers, alkynes, and isonitrile, enabling highly selective formation of various chemical bonds. This method thus provides an efficient approach to various diversely substituted cyano-containing alkenes, ketones, carbocycles, and heterocycles.

Abstract:The primary objective of this study was to explore the factors that influence metro-bikeshare ridership from a spatial perspective. First, a reproducible method of identifying metro-bikeshare transfer trips was derived using two types of smart-card data (metro and bikeshare). Next, a geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR) model was established to explore the relationships between metro-bikeshare transfer volume and several types of independent variables, including sociodemographic, travel-related, and built-environment variables. Moran's I statistic was applied to examine the spatial autocorrelation of each explanatory variable. The modeling and spatial visualization results show that riding distance is negatively correlated with metro-bikeshare transfer demand, and the coefficient values are generally lower at the edge of the city, especially in underdeveloped areas. Moreover, the density of bus, bikeshare, and other metro stations within 2 km of a metro station has different impacts on metro-bikeshare transfer volume. Travelers whose origin or destination is entertainment related tend to choose bikeshare as a feeder mode to metro if this trip mode is available to them. These results improve our understanding of metro-bikeshare transfer spatial patterns, and several suggestions are provided for improving the integration between metro and bikeshare.

Bacillus subtilis spore preparations are promising probiotics and biocontrol agents, which can be used in plants, animals, and humans. The aim of this work was to optimize the nutritional conditions using a statistical approach for the production of B. subtilis (WHK-Z12) spores. Our preliminary experiments show that corn starch, corn flour, and wheat bran were the best carbon sources. Using Plackett-Burman design, corn steep liquor, soybean flour, and yeast extract were found to be the best nitrogen source ingredients for enhancing spore production and were studied for further optimization using central composite design. The key medium components in our optimization medium were 16.18 g/l of corn steep liquor, 17.53 g/l of soybean flour, and 8.14 g/l of yeast extract. The improved medium produced spores as high as 1.52 +/- 0.06 x 10(10) spores/ml under flask cultivation conditions, and 1.56 +/- 0.07 x 10(10) spores/ml could be achieved in a 30-l fermenter after 40 h of cultivation. To the best of our knowledge, these results compared favorably to the documented spore yields produced by B. subtilis strains.

Scope The effects and mechanism of tuna bone powder (TBP) on glucocorticoid‐induced osteoporosis (GIOP) alleviation in terms of signaling pathway coregulation and gut microbiota modulation are investigated. Methods and results The powder size distribution and composition of TBP are measured. The GIOP female mice induced by dexamethasone intramuscular injection are used to examine the anti‐osteoporosis effects of TBP in a 10 week experiment, and improved bone mineral density and bone microarchitecture are observed via micro‐CT. In addition, qRT‐PCR results show that the NF‐κB pathway is inhibited to reduce bone resorption, whereas the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway is activated to enhance bone formation after treatment. Moreover, TBP treatments suppress the release of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, repair dysfunction of the intestinal epithelial barrier, and prevent aggravated systemic inflammation in mRNA levels. Additionally, 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicate that TBP treatments enhance the abundance of anti‐inflammatory bacteria and short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA) producers, which is consistent with increased SCFA contents in feces measured via GC–MS. Conclusion These data show that TBP ameliorates GIOP in mice through four aspects, including coregulating signaling pathways, blocking proinflammatory cytokines, repairing the intestinal epithelial barrier, and modulating gut microbiota. Therefore, TBP may be a potential prebiotic agent to alleviate osteoporosis in humans.

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An efficient visible light photocatalytic and external oxidant-free N-radical 5-exo cyclization/addition/aromatization cascade of β,γ-unsaturated hydrazones is described, which provides a practical route to various biologically interesting dihydropyrazole-fused benzosultams in satisfactory yields.

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