Effects of endplate coverage and intervertebral height change on heterotopic ossification following cervical disc replacement

Background Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a common complication after cervical disc replacement (CDR). Biomechanical factors including endplate coverage and intervertebral disc height change may be related to HO formation. However, there is a dearth of quantitative analysis for endplate coverage, intervertebral height change and their combined effects on HO. Methods Patients who underwent single-level or two-level CDR with Prestige-LP were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical outcomes were evaluated through Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Neck Disability Index (NDI) score, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score. Radiological data, including the prosthesis-endplate depth ratio, intervertebral height change, posterior heterotopic ossification (PHO) and angular parameters, were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the potential risk factors. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted and the cut-off values of each potential factors were calculated. Results A total of 138 patients with 174 surgical segments were evaluated. Both the prosthesis-endplate depth ratio (P < 0.001) and post-operative disc height change (P < 0.001) were predictive factors for PHO formation. The area under the curve (AUC) of the prosthesis-endplate depth ratio, disc height change and their combined effects represented by the combined parameter (CP) were 0.728, 0.712 and 0.793, respectively. The risk of PHO significantly increased when the prosthesis-endplate depth ratio < 93.77% (P < 0.001, OR = 6.909, 95% CI 3.521–13.557), the intervertebral height change ≥ 1.8 mm (P < 0.001, OR = 5.303, 95% CI 2.592–10.849), or the CP representing the combined effect < 84.88 (P < 0.001, OR = 10.879, 95% CI 5.142–23.019). Conclusions Inadequate endplate coverage and excessive change of intervertebral height are both potential risk factors for the PHO after CDR. Endplate coverage less than 93.8% or intervertebral height change more than 1.8 mm would increase the risk of PHO. The combination of these two factors may exacerbate the non-uniform distribution of stress in the bone-implant interface and promote HO development.

Comparison of the Spreading Characters of Fire Products in the Typical Metro Stations of Washington, D.C., and Guangzhou

Fire is one of the most common disasters that threaten the safety of the crowd in metro stations. Due to the variations in the design of metro stations, the hazard posed by the spreading products of the fire can pose different risks. The typical structures of metro stations in Guangzhou and Washington, D.C., are very different from each other. In Washington, D.C., the “high-dome” structure is predominant in the construction of metro stations, while in Guangzhou, most metro stations have the “flat ceiling” structure. In this article, a numerical modeling for fire dynamic simulation is used to predict and compare the spreading characters of fire products (the smoke height change, the temperature distribution and the visibility change) when fires with 2.5 MW heat release rate occur in the platform center and at the platform end in the two kinds of metro stations. The results show that, in the same fire scenario, the lowest smoke heights monitored in the Guangzhou model is 0.6 m (fire at the platform end) and 0.8 m (fire in the platform center) above the safe smoke height in 360 s after a fire breaks out, while it is 6.15 m (fire in the platform center) and 6.2 m (fire at the platform end) above the smoke height in the Washington model. The temperature increment in the Guangzhou model is 23 °C (fire in the platform center) to 29 °C (fire at the platform end) in 360 s after the fire breaks out, while the temperature increment in the same period in the Washington model is 8.5 °C (fire at the platform end) to 9 °C (fire in the platform center). The visibility of most areas on the platform of the Guangzhou model is about 1 m no matter the fire is in the platform center or at the platform end at 360 s after the fire begins, while in the Washington model, the visibility of most areas is 1.5–13.5 mm (fire at the platform end) to 4–14 m (fire in the platform center) at the same moment. Based on the results, the environment is worse when the fire happens at the end of the platform than that when the fire happens in the platform center of the Guangzhou model. While the fire location has fewer impacts on the smoke height, temperature, and visibility in the Washington model, metro stations with a high-dome structure can be beneficial to fire evacuation safety; however, the construction cost can be high. Metro stations with flat ceiling are widely used in more cities for it has lower construction cost; to compensate for its weaker abilities under fire conditions, it is suggested that smoke exhaust systems should be carefully and fully considered.

Appropriate Age for Height Control Treatment in Patients With Marfan Syndrome

ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the most appropriate age for height control treatment in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS).Materials and MethodsThis retrospective study included patients with MFS who underwent height control treatment with estradiol valerate. The estrogen dose was increased according to the height change. The cut-off age for the maximum difference between the expected height and actual final height was evaluated.ResultsSeventeen patients were included in this study. The difference between the height predicted by the growth curve and the final height (gcHtD) and that predicted by the bone age and the final height (baHtD) was the largest in the 10.5 years age group (p=0.0045 and p=0.0237, respectively). The gcHtD was 10.6 (10.2, 13.5) cm for patients aged ≤10.5 years, whereas it was 0.6 (−3.65, 5.85) cm for patients aged &gt;10.5 years. The baHtD was 10.1 (7.31, 11.42) cm for patients aged ≤10.5 years, while it was 3.83 (0.84, 6.4) cm for patients aged &gt;10.5 years. When height change was observed for a minimum of 6 months after completion of estrogen treatment, the average growth was 0.6 (0.2, 2.1) cm.ConclusionInitiating height control treatment before the age of 10.5 years is effective in female patients with MFS.

THE EFFECT OF CONCENTRATION AND FREQUENCY OF APPLICATION OF BANAN WEEVIL SOLUTION KEPOK ON RED CHILI

The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of concentration and frequency of application of banana weevil solution kepok against red chili plants is roofed with translucent ultraviolet plastic 70% which acts as a natural growth regulator. Research on the provision of banana weevil solution covered in 70% translucent ultraviolet plastic in open land has not been found before. The growing regulators from the gibberellin and cytokinin groups were able to boost the growth and yield of chili peppers. The method of using a random design of factorial groups, as the first factor is age consists of 9 levels, namely T1: age (14) HSPT, T2: age (14.21) HSPT, T3: age (14,21,28) HSPT, T4: age (14,21,28, 35) HSPT, T5 : age (14,21,28,35, 42) HSPT, T6: age (14,21,28,35,42,49) HSPT, T7: age (14,21,28,35,42,49,56) HSPT, T8: age (14,21,28,35,42,49,56,63) HSPT, and control (T0). The second factor is concentration consists of 3 levels, namely K1 (30%), K2 (45%), and K0 (0%). The results of the study obtained concentration of K1 (30%) with the amount of T6 administration is the best result in vegetative growth of the plant height change, the number of branches, and the width of the header, while the concentration of K1 (30%) give the best results on the length of the fruit, the dry weight of the fruit, and the diameter of the fruit from other treatments. Conclusion of the application of concentration and frequency of the sea of banana weevil kepok containing regulatory substances growing on red chili plants in the field covered with ultraviolet plastic roof significantly increases the growth and yield of red chili peppers.

Clinical, Radiographic, and Histomorphometric Evaluation of a Vertical Ridge Augmentation Procedure Using a Titanium-Reinforced Microporous Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Emrane: A Prospective Case Series with 1-Year Follow-Up

Vertical ridge augmentation for long-term implant stability is difficult in severely resorbed areas. We examined the clinical, radiological, and histological outcomes of guided-bone regeneration using novel titanium-reinforced microporous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (MP-ePTFE) membranes. Eighteen patients who underwent implant placement using a staged approach were enrolled (period: 2018–2019). Vertical ridge augmentation was performed in areas with vertical bone defects ≥ 4 mm. Twenty-six implant fixtures were placed in 14 patients. At implant placement six fixtures had relatively low stability. On cone-beam computed tomography, the average vertical changes were 4.2 ± 1.9 (buccal), 5.9 ± 2.7 (central), and 4.4 ± 2.8 mm (lingual) at six months after vertical ridge augmentation. Histomorphometric analyses revealed that the average proportions of new bone, residual bone substitute material, and soft tissue were 34.91 ± 11.61%, 7.16 ± 2.74%, and 57.93 ± 11.09%, respectively. Stable marginal bone levels were observed at 1-year post-loading. The residual bone graft material area was significantly lower in the exposed group (p = 0.003). There was no significant difference in the vertical height change in the buccal side between immediately after the augmentation procedure and the implant placement reentry time (p = 0.371). However, all implants functioned well regardless of the exposure during the observation period. Thus, vertical ridge augmentation around implants using titanium-reinforced MP-ePTFE membranes can be successful.

Comparative Investigation of the Experimental Determination of AA5086 FLCs under Different Necking Criteria

The construction of a forming limit diagram (FLD) is a conventional approach to obtain limit strains and to evaluate the formability of sheet metal. Appropriate necking criteria should be applied to determine the forming limit curve (FLC) accurately. In recent years, deep research on the determination of the FLC has been carried out; meanwhile, several necking criteria have been proposed. However, the application of inappropriate necking criteria would cause deviations when determining FLCs. In this study, both Marciniak and Nakajima tests were carried out on the AA5086 aluminum sheet to make a comparative investigation of different necking criteria in the determination of FLCs. In the Marciniak test, four existing necking criteria were chosen to construct FLCs, and analyzed in detail. The well-performed time dependent and position dependent methods were selected for the Nakajima test. Meanwhile, the modified Wang method based on the height change of the adjacent points was proposed. The comparative results showed that the time and position dependent methods were relatively conservative in both experiments, while the modified Wang method could identify the onset of localized necking more accurately.

Inter-Annual Variability in the Antarctic Ice Sheets Using Geodetic Observations and a Climate Model

Quantifying the mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS), and the resulting sea level rise, requires an understanding of inter-annual variability and associated causal mechanisms. Very few studies have been exploring the influence of climate anomalies on the AIS and only a vague estimate of its impact is available. Changes to the ice sheet are quantified using observations from space-borne altimetry and gravimetry missions. We use data from Envisat (2002 to 2010) and Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) (2002 to 2016) missions to estimate monthly elevation changes and mass changes, respectively. Similar estimates of the changes are made using weather variables (surface mass balance (SMB) and temperature) from a regional climate model (RACMO2.3p2) as inputs to a firn compaction (FC) model. Elevation changes estimated from different techniques are in good agreement with each other across the AIS especially in West Antarctica, Antarctic Peninsula, and along the coasts of East Antarctica. Inter-annual height change patterns are then extracted using for the first time an empirical mode decomposition followed by a principal component analysis to investigate for influences of climate anomalies on the AIS. Investigating the inter-annual signals in these regions revealed a sub-4-year periodic signal in the height change patterns. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate anomaly that alters, among other parameters, moisture transport, sea surface temperature, precipitation, in and around the AIS at similar frequency by alternating between warm and cold conditions. This periodic behavior in the height change patterns is altered in the Antarctic Pacific (AP) sector, possibly by the influence of multiple climate drivers, like the Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Height change anomaly also appears to traverse eastwards from Coats Land to Pine Island Glacier (PIG) regions passing through Dronning Maud Land (DML) and Wilkes Land (WL) in 6 to 8 years. This is indicative of climate anomaly traversal due to the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave (ACW). Altogether, inter-annual variability in the SMB of the AIS is found to be modulated by multiple competing climate anomalies.

Near-Field Vortex Beams Diffraction on Surface Micro-Defects and Diffractive Axicons for Polarization State Recognition

The diffraction of vortex Gaussian laser beams by elementary objects of micro-optics (surface micro-defects) to recognize the type of polarization (linear, circular, radial, azimuthal) of the input radiation was investigated in this paper. We considered two main types of defects (protrusion and depression in the form of a circle and a square) with different sizes (the radius and height were varied). Light propagation (3D) through the proposed micro-defects was modeled using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The possibility of recognizing (including size change) of surface micro-defects (protrusions and depressions) and all the above types of polarization are shown. Thus, micro-defects act as sensors for the polarization state of the illuminating beam. The focusing properties of micro-defects are compared with diffractive axicons with different numerical apertures (NAs). The possibility of sub-wavelength focusing with element height change is demonstrated. In particular, it is numerically shown that a silicon cylinder (protrusion) forms a light spot with a minimum size of the all intensity FWHM of 0.28λ.