Exogenous GDNF promotes peripheral facial nerve regeneration in rats through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Facial nerve regeneration still lacks a well-defined and practical clinical intervention. The survival of central facial motoneuron is a critical component in the successful peripheral facial nerve regeneration. Endogenous GDNF is vital for facial nerve regeneration according to earlier investigations. Nevertheless, the low endogenous GDNF level makes it challenging to achieve therapeutic benefits. Thus, we crushed the main trunk of facial nerve in SD rats to provide a model of peripheral facial paralysis, and we administered exogenous GDNF and Rapa treatments. We observed changes in the animal behavior scores, the morphology of facial nerve and buccinator muscle, the electrophysiological of facial nerve, and the expression of GDNF, GAP-43, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway-related molecules in the facial motoneurons. We discovered that GDNF could boost axon regeneration, hasten the recovery of facial paralysis symptoms and nerve conduction function, and increase the expression of GDNF, GAP-43, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway-related molecules in the central facial motoneurons. Therefore, exogenous GDNF injection into the buccinator muscle can enhance facial nerve regeneration following crushing injury and protect facial neurons via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. This will offer a fresh perspective and theoretical foundation for the management of clinical facial nerve regeneration.

Proteome signatures of joint toxicity to arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) in human brain organoids with optic vesicles.

Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) are toxins found in the natural surroundings, and the harmful health outcomes caused by the co-exposure of such toxins have become a considerable problem. However, the joint neurotoxicity of As and Pb to neurodevelopment and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Pluripotent stem cell-derived human brain organoids are emerging animal model alternatives for understanding neurological-related diseases. Therefore, we utilized brain organoids with optic vesicles (OVB-organoids) to systematically analyze the neurotoxicity of As and Pb. After 24 h of As and/or Pb exposure, hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed that As and Pb exposure could cause disorders in the structure of the ventricular zone and general cell disarrangement in OVB-organoids. Immunostaining displayed that OVB-organoids are more susceptible to As and Pb co-exposure than independent exposure in apoptosis, proliferation, and cell differentiation. Meanwhile, even though As and Pb could both hinder cell proliferation, contrary to Pb, As could induce an increasing proportion of mitotic (G2/M) cells. The proteome landscape of OVB-organoids illustrated that Pb synergized with As in G2/M arrest and the common role of As and Pb in carcinogenesis. Besides, proteomics analyses suggested the consequential role of autophagy and Wnt pathway in the neurotoxicity of As and Pb co-exposure. Overall, our findings provide penetrating insights into the cell cycle, carcinogenesis, autophagy, and Wnt pathway underlying the As and Pb binary exposure scenarios, which could enhance our understanding of the mixture neurotoxicity mechanisms.

Combined transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation of uterine myomas: an effective monitoring technique.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the feasibility and efficacy of transabdominal ultrasound (TAU) and combined transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound (TA/TV US)-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (PMWA) for uterine myoma (UM). METHOD: This study enrolled 73 patients with UM who underwent PMWA via the transabdominal ultrasound-guided (TA group) or the combined transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound-guided (TA/TV group) approaches. The intraoperative supplementary ablation rates, postoperative immediate ablation rates, lesion reduction rates and other indicators three months postoperatively were compared between the groups. The display of the needle tip, endometrium, uterine serosa, rectum and myoma feeding vessels under the guidance of TAU, transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) and TA/TV US were evaluated in the TA/TV group. RESULTS: In the TA/TV group, the real-time position of the needle tip and the endometrium complete display rate of the same lesions with TVU guidance were significantly higher than those using TAU. TA/TV US guidance significantly improved the complete display rate of each indicator. The intraoperative supplementary ablation rate in the TA/TV group was lower than that in the TA group. Similarly, the postoperative immediate ablation and volume reduction rates of the lesions three months postoperatively were higher than those in the TA group, especially for lesions with a maximum diameter ≥6 cm. CONCLUSION: TA/TV US is an effective monitoring method that can be used to improve imaging display. Its use is recommended in patients with obesity, poor transabdominal ultrasound image quality and large myoma volumes.

Development of Procathepsin L (pCTS-L)-Inhibiting Lanosterol-Carrying Liposome Nanoparticles to Treat Lethal Sepsis.

The pathogenesis of microbial infections and sepsis is partly attributable to dysregulated innate immune responses propagated by late-acting proinflammatory mediators such as procathepsin L (pCTS-L). It was previously not known whether any natural product could inhibit pCTS-L-mediated inflammation or could be strategically developed into a potential sepsis therapy. Here, we report that systemic screening of a NatProduct Collection of 800 natural products led to the identification of a lipophilic sterol, lanosterol (LAN), as a selective inhibitor of pCTS-L-induced production of cytokines [e.g., Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6)] and chemokines [e.g., Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) and Epithelial Neutrophil-Activating Peptide (ENA-78)] in innate immune cells. To improve its bioavailability, we generated LAN-carrying liposome nanoparticles and found that these LAN-containing liposomes (LAN-L) similarly inhibited pCTS-L-induced production of several chemokines [e.g., MCP-1, Regulated upon Activation, Normal T Cell Expressed and Presumably Secreted (RANTES) and Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-2 (MIP-2)] in human blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In vivo, these LAN-carrying liposomes effectively rescued mice from lethal sepsis even when the first dose was given at 24 h post the onset of this disease. This protection was associated with a significant attenuation of sepsis-induced tissue injury and systemic accumulation of serval surrogate biomarkers [e.g., IL-6, Keratinocyte-derived Chemokine (KC), and Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor I (sTNFRI)]. These findings support an exciting possibility to develop liposome nanoparticles carrying anti-inflammatory sterols as potential therapies for human sepsis and other inflammatory diseases.

[Physical growth and dietary characteristics of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a cross-sectional study]. / æ³¨æ„ç¼ºé™·å¤šåŠ¨éšœç¢å„¿ç«¥çš„ä½“æ ¼ç”Ÿé•¿å’Œè†³é£Ÿç‰¹å¾ï¼šä¸€é¡¹æ¨ªæ–­é¢ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the physical growth and dietary characteristics of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and to analyze their relationship with core symptoms of ADHD. METHODS: A total of 268 children who were newly diagnosed with ADHD in Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June to December 2020 were included in the ADHD group, and 102 healthy children who underwent physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group. Physical evaluations and dietary surveys were conducted for both groups. ADHD diagnosis and scoring were performed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition). Factor analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, and mediation analysis were used to study the relationship between core symptoms of ADHD, dietary patterns, and physical growth. RESULTS: The rate of overweight/obesity in the ADHD group was significantly higher than that in the control group (35.8% vs 21.6%, P<0.05). Three dietary patterns were extracted from the food frequency questionnaire: vegetarian dietary pattern, traditional dietary pattern, and snack/fast food pattern. The factor score for the snack/fast food pattern in the ADHD group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between ADHD symptom scores, snack/fast food pattern factor scores, and body fat percentage (P<0.05). The mediation analysis showed that the snack/fast food pattern played a partial mediating role in the relationship between ADHD symptom scores and body fat percentage, with a mediation proportion of 26.66%. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of overweight/obesity in children with ADHD is higher than that in non-ADHD children. Core symptoms of ADHD are related to dietary patterns and physical growth, with the snack/fast food pattern playing a partial mediating role in the relationship between core symptoms of ADHD and physical growth.

Evaluating the impact of platelet-rich plasma injection in spinal endoscopic nucleotomy on MRI pfirrmann grading and clinical outcomes in lumbar disc herniation.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the clinical efficacy and safety of percutaneous endoscopic nucleotomy combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH) in young and middle-aged adults. METHODS: From April 2022 to September 2023, 60 patients diagnosed with LDH were randomly divided into two groups (n = 30/group). The observation group underwent percutaneous endoscopic nucleotomy combined with autologous PRP gel injection into the disc, while the control group underwent percutaneous endoscopic nucleotomy alone. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were recorded preoperatively and at three time points postoperatively: three days, three months, and six months. The modified Macnab criteria were employed to evaluate efficacy at the final follow-up. Additionally, MRI Pfirrmann grading of the operated disc segment and potential complications were assessed both preoperatively and at the final follow-up. RESULTS: All patients were followed for a minimum of six months. VAS and ODI scores at all postoperative time points (three days, three months, and six months) exhibited significant differences compared to preoperative scores in both groups (P < 0.05). Notably, a significant difference was observed in VAS and ODI scores between the two groups at three days postoperatively (P < 0.05). Preoperative MRI Pfirrmann grading indicated no significant difference between groups (P = 0.669). However, at the final follow-up, the observation group demonstrated superior recovery compared to the control group (P = 0.013). The modified Macnab criteria revealed no significant difference in the rates of excellent and good outcomes between the observation group (96.67%) and the control group (93.33%) (P > 0.05). Furthermore, no patients experienced complications such as dural tears, nerve root injury, infection, or hematoma. CONCLUSION: The combination of percutaneous endoscopic nucleotomy and PRP injection could be a safe and effective treatment for LDH in young and middle-aged adults to promote disc repair following endoscopic procedures.

Study on the Effect of "3D-rGO" Buffer Layer on the Microstructure and Properties of SiO2f/SiO2 and TC4 Brazed Joint.

Brazing a SiO2f/SiO2 composite with metals is often faced with two problems: poor wettability with the brazing alloy and high residual stress in the joint. To overcome these problems, we report a combined method of selective etching and depositing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the surface of a SiO2f/SiO2 composite (3D-rGO-SiO2f/SiO2) to assist brazing with TC4. After the combined treatment, a "3D-rGO" buffer layer formed on the surface layer of the SiO2f/SiO2, and the contact angle was reduced from 130° to 38°, which meant the wettability of active brazing alloy on the surface of SiO2f/SiO2 was obviously improved. In addition, the "3D-rGO" buffer layer contributed to fully integrating the brazing alloy and SiO2f/SiO2; then, the infiltration of the brazing alloy into the surface layer of the SiO2f/SiO2 was enhanced and formed the reduced graphene oxide with a pinning structure in the three dimensional ("3D-pinning-rGO") structure. Moreover, the joining area of the brazing alloy and SiO2f/SiO2 was expanded and the mismatch degree between the SiO2f/SiO2 and TC4 was reduced, which was achieved by the "3D-pinning-rGO" structure. Furthermore, the concentration of the residual stress in the SiO2f/SiO2-TC4 joints transferred from the SiO2f/SiO2 to the braided quartz fibers, and the residual stress reduced from 142 MPa to 85 MPa. Furthermore, the 3D-pinning-rGO layer facilitated the transfer of heat between the substrates during the brazing process. Finally, the shear strength of the SiO2f/SiO2-TC4 joints increased from 12.5 MPa to 43.7 MPa by the selective etching and depositing rGO method.

Sestrin2 plays a protective role in age-related hearing loss by inhibiting NLRP3-inflammasome activity.

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is an auditory disease characterized by gradual loss of high-frequency hearing sensitivity. Excessive reactive oxygen species trigger NLRP3-inflammasome activation that may be crucial for ARHL pathogenesis. The antioxidant factor Sestrin2 (SESN2) has been reported to be involved in the remission of oxidative stress and ARHL. However, the mechanism by which SESN2 protects auditory cells in the aging mouse cochlea remains unknown. Here, we observed that ectopic overexpression of SESN2 delayed ARHL, whereas SESN2 knockdown accelerated it. Importantly, we elucidated that SESN2 exerts a hearing-protective effect by inhibiting the production of NLRP3 by acting as a mitophagy agonist. Our study proposes a new theoretical basis for SESN2 prevention of ARHL and provides a novel therapeutic strategy for maintaining SESN2 activity in the aging cochlea.

A multichannel microfluidic device for revealing the neurotoxic effects of Bisphenol S on cerebral organoids under low-dose constant exposure.

Bisphenol S is a widely used plasticizer in manufacturing daily supplies, while little was known about its adverse effect on human health, especially on fetal brain development. Due to the complexity and subtlety of the brain, it remains challenging to reveal the hazardous effects of environmental pollution on human fetal brain development. Taking advantage of stem cell application, cerebral organoids generated from stem cells are becoming powerful tools for understanding brain development and drug toxicity testing models. Here, we developed a microfluidic chip for cerebral organoid culturing to reveal the neurotoxicity of low-dose constant BPS exposure on cerebral organoids. The organoids in our microfluidic system could be continuously cultured for 34 days and expressed all the essential properties of the cerebral organoids. Exposure to BPS was initiated from day 20 for concessive two weeks. The neurotoxic effects were evaluated by immunofluorescence staining and proteomics, and verified by quantitative real-time PCR. Our results indicated BPS exposure would inhibit neuron differentiation, hinder the Wnt signaling pathway, and cause alteration of signaling molecule expressions in brain regionalization. Even exposure to a low dose of BPS constantly might cause neurotoxicity during fetal brain development. Altogether, the multichannel microfluidic chip offers a general platform technique to reveal the effects of different hazardous chemicals on cerebral organoids.

Microwave Reactor with Combined Rigid and Flexible Stirring Paddles for Improving Fluid Heating Uniformity in Soft Manganese Ore Leaching Processes.

In order to overcome the apparent limitations of the inhomogeneous nature of large-scale microwave heating of fluids, a microwave reactor with a rigid-flexible combined stirring paddle is used to heat fluids, destabilizing the hot spots present in the microwave heating of fluids process. An integrated multiphysics field simulation model for calculating the microwave heating process with fluid was created for the purpose of clarifying the temperature field dispersion and fluid flow patterns in the reactor. By using the proposed model, the rigid-flexible combined stirring paddle is compared with the conventional single- and double-layer stirring paddle to highlight the benefits of the rigid-flexible combined stirring paddle in improving fluid heating uniformity. It was found experimentally that the leaching rate of soft manganese ore was increased by 7.08 and 5.22% compared to conventional single and double stirred paddles, respectively. In addition, the optimal stirrer parameters were investigated by the response surface method.

Eating behavior-mediated association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and body fat mass.

Background: Adverse eating behaviors and a high rate of obesity have been identified among children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we investigate the relationships between eating behaviors and body fat mass among children with ADHD. Methods: All participants were recruited from the Children's Health Care Department of the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June 2019 to June 2020. ADHD was diagnosed according to the diagnostic criteria of the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) by psychiatrists. Core ADHD symptoms defined by the DSM-5 were inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. The anthropomorphic indices defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) were utilized in this study (body mass index [BMI], underweight, normal body mass, overweight, obesity, short stature). Body fat mass, fat mass percentage (FM%), skeletal muscle mass, skeletal muscle mass percentage (SMM%) were tested via body composition meter, and eating behaviors were assessed by parents using the Chinese version of the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). The CEBQ was comprised of subscales related to food avoidant behaviors (satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, fussiness, and emotional undereating) and food approach behaviors (food responsiveness, enjoyment of Food, desire to drink, and emotional overeating). The associations among ADHD, obesity and adverse eating behavior were tested through correlation analysis, and a mediating effect model was established to explore the effect of eating behaviors. Results: A total of 548 participants aged 4-12 years were recruited. Among them, 396 were diagnosed with ADHD, with the remaining 152 enrolled in a control group. Compared with the control group, the ADHD group had higher incidences of overweight (22.5% vs. 14.5%) and obesity (13.4% vs. 8.6%) (p < 0.05). The ADHD group was more likely to display "slowness in eating" (11.01 ± 3.32 vs. 9.74 ± 2.95), "fussiness" (15.61 ± 3.54 vs. 15.03 ± 2.84), "food responsiveness" (11.96 ± 4.81 vs. 9.88 ± 3.71) and "desire to drink" (8.34 ± 3.46 vs. 6.58 ± 2.72) (p < 0.05). Moreover, The FM% of children with ADHD was positively correlated with inattention (ß = 0.336, 95% CI: 0.001 to 0.673) and "food responsiveness" (ß = 0.509, 95% CI: 0.352 to 0.665) in the multiple linear regression model. The mediation effect model showed that "food responsiveness" accounted for a significant portion (64.2%) of the mediating effect. Conclusion: Children with ADHD had higher prevalence of overweight and obesity. As an important risk factor, food responsiveness may connect core symptoms of ADHD with obesity.

Effects of Friction Stir Welding on the Mechanical Behaviors of Extrusion-Based Additive Manufactured Polymer Parts.

The friction stir welding (FSW) of thermoplastic polymers is gradually receiving attention because of its advantages including high efficiency and pollution-free manufacturing. The extrusion-based additive manufacturing (EAM) of polymers has also become one of the main processing methods for thermoplastic parts. In this paper, a hybrid manufacturing method for the FSW process and EAM technology is proposed and explored. The effects of the FSW process using two different welding tools on the mechanical behaviors of 3D printing polymer parts were compared and investigated and the corresponding mechanism was analyzed. The results show that the appropriate welding tool is beneficial for eliminating the anisotropy and decreasing the porosity of 3D-printed parts. Therefore, the improving effects of the FSW process on the mechanical behaviors of the EAM parts are verified. The mechanism was attributed to the high-speed rotation of the welding tool with the appropriate shape, which can promote the flow of polymer melt in the welding region, leading to the formation of dense structures caused by the entanglement of the molecular chains. This study may provide some assistance in modern industrial manufacturing for the processing of large custom components.

Three-dimensional microfluidics with dynamic fluidic perturbation promotes viability and uniformity of human cerebral organoids.

Human cerebral organoids (COs), generated from stem cells, are emerging animal alternatives for understanding brain development and neurodegeneration diseases. Long-term growth of COs is currently hindered by the limitation of efficient oxygen infiltration and continuous nutrient supply, leading to general inner hypoxia and cell death at the core region of the organoids. Here, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic platform with dynamic fluidic perturbation and oxygen supply. We demonstrated COs cultured in the 3D microfluidic system grew continuously for over 50 days without cell death at the core region. Increased cell proliferation and enhanced cell differentiation were also observed and verified with immunofluorescence staining, proteomics and metabolomics. Time-lapse proteomics from 7 consecutive acquisitions between day 4 and day 30 identified 546 proteins differently expressed accompanying COs growth, which were mainly relevant to nervous system development, in utero embryonic development, brain development and neuron migration. Our 3D microfluidic platform provides potential utility for culturing high-homogeneous human organoids.

Effect of High Rotational-Speed Friction-Stir Welding on Microstructure and Properties of Welded Joints of 6061-T6 Al Alloy Ultrathin Plate.

The butt joint of an Al alloy ultrathin plate with a thickness of 0.5 mm is realized by a high rotational-speed friction-stir welding process. It overcomes the welding difficulty that the ultrathin plate is often torn, and it cannot be formed by conventional friction-stir welding. The results show that the weld surface is well-formed at a high-rotational speed (more than 8000 rpm), and there are no obvious defects in each area of the joint section. The nugget zone (NZ) is a recovery recrystallization structure dominated by large-angle grain boundaries, with a grain size of about 4.9 µm. During grain growth, the texture is randomly and uniformly distributed, and the strength is balanced. The microhardness of the NZ increases significantly with the increase in rotational speed, and the fluctuation range of hardness value is small. The NZ ß-Mg2Si is finer and significantly less than the base metal (BM). The heat dissipation of the thin plate is fast, so a Cu plate is used as the backing plate to slow down the steep temperature-drop process in the weld area. Compared with a low rotational speed, the precipitation amount of brittle phase Al-Cu-Mg-Cr and Al-Fe-Si-Mn is significantly reduced, which is conducive to improving the mechanical properties of the joint. At a high rotational speed, 12,000 rpm, the best tensile strength of the joint is 220 MPa, which is about 76% of the BM (290 MPa), and the highest elongation is 9.3%, which is about 77.5% of the BM (12%). The fracture mode of the joint is a typical plastic fracture.

Serum Legumain Is Associated with Peripheral Artery Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Legumain is related to carotid atherosclerotic plaques and may be a new biomarker of carotid atherosclerosis. However, the association between legumain and peripheral artery disease (PAD) of lower extremity has been less studied. This study is aimed at exploring the potential link between legumain and PAD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 483 hospitalized T2DM patients. The serum legumain level was measured by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PAD was evaluated by color Doppler sonography. The association between legumain and PAD was tested by logistic regression. The predictive power of legumain for PAD was evaluated with the receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Overall, 201 (41.6%) patients suffered from PAD. Patients with PAD had significantly higher serum legumain level than those without PAD [11.9 (6.3, 17.9) µg/L vs. 7.6 (3.2, 14.2) µg/L, p < 0.001]. Logistic regression showed that a higher serum legumain level was independently associated with a greater risk of PAD in T2DM patients [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.06]. The area under the ROC curve was 0.634 (95% CI, 0.585 to 0.684). CONCLUSION: High serum legumain level was significantly correlated with an increased risk of PAD in T2DM patients.

Microstructure and Wear Behavior of Laser Cladded Ni45 + High-Carbon Ferrochrome Composite Coatings.

A composite coating with enhanced mechanical properties including high hardness and excellent wear resistance was produced by laser cladding of mixed Ni45 and high-carbon ferrochrome powders on an ASTM 1045 steel substrate. Different quantities, ranging from 10 to 50 wt.% of high-carbon ferrochrome powder were added to the Ni45 powder to investigate the effect of mixture content on the cladding performance. The microstructure of the coatings were examined using scanning electron microscope, and the wear resistance was compared using a wear tester apparatus among the different cases. The results showed that the microstructure of the coating with 30 wt.% high-carbon ferrochrome content was mainly fine solid solution phase. With the increase of high-carbon ferrochrome content to 40 wt.% and above, cracks appeared on the cladding surface due to a large amount of chromium carbides formed during the process. The microhardness was enhanced remarkably by laser cladding the composite coating on the 1045 substrate, with 2.4 times higher than the hardness of the substrate when 30 wt.% high-carbon ferrochrome content was added. The best wear performance was achieved when the high-carbon ferrochrome content was 30 wt.%, demonstrating the smallest surface roughness and depth of wear marks. With further increased high-carbon ferrochrome content, microcracking and delamination were observed on the worn surfaces.

Burial Depth Effect of Crack on the Lcr Wave Acoustoelastic Coefficient for Stress Measurement of Laser Cladding Coating.

In this paper, the influence of burial depth of crack on stress measurement of laser cladding coating with the critical refracted longitudinal wave (Lcr wave) was discussed based on the Lcr wave acoustoelastic effect. The regular rectangular slots with different depths that were used to simulate the burial crack in coating was based on the equivalent theory. The experimental system including an ultrasonic wave generator, digital oscilloscope (2.5 GHz sampling rate), and two Lcr wave transducers (2.5 MHz center frequency) was used to collect the Lcr wave under different tensile loads, and the Lcr wave was denoised by using wavelet analysis technology, then the fracture morphology was observed using SEM. The results show that after the denoising by wavelet analysis technology, the signal-to-noise ratio of Lcr wave becomes bigger and the mean square deviation of Lcr wave becomes smaller. When the tensile load is within the turning point load, the difference in time of flight between Lcr wave increases linearly as the tensile load increases, and the deviation of the experimental results becomes obvious as the tensile load increases. When the tensile load is the same, as the burial depth of the slot increases, the nominal Lcr wave acoustoelastic coefficient decreases and tends to be stable gradually. At last, the experimental results are discussed based on the Lcr wave acoustoelastic effect and deformation theory, and it is analyzed that the uneven deformation caused by the interface in coating, anisotropic microstructure, and the burial crack is considered as the main reason.

[Extreme lateral channel debridement and fusion combined with posterior fixation for lumbar spinal tuberculosis].

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of extreme lateral channel debridement and fusion combined with posterior fixation for lumbar spinal tuberculosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 17 patients with lumbar spinal tuberculosis undergoing extreme lateral channel debridement and fusion combined with posterior fixation between December 2008 and December 2014. There were 10 males and 7 females, aged 20-69 years (mean, 42.6 years). The disease duration was 1-6 months (mean, 3.4 months). The involved segments included L 1, 2 in 5 patients, L 2, 3 in 6 patients, L 3, 4 in 3 patients, and L 4, 5 in 3 patients. Based on American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification, there were 2 cases of grade C, 13 cases of grade D, and 2 cases of grade E. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, and Barthel index were used to evaluate the effectiveness, and the improvement rate of JOA score and Barthel index was calculated at the same time. Lumbar X-ray film and CT were taken regularly to evaluate lumbar kyphotic Cobb angle correction and bony fusion. Results: The operation was successfully performed in 17 patients, and pathological examination showed tuberculosis. All cases were followed up 24-48 months (mean, 35.3 months). Lumbar X-ray film and CT showed that necrotic bone and abscess were cleared completely, and lumbar kyphosis correction was satisfactorily in all cases. Bony fusion was achieved within 6 months, and clinical cure was obtained within 18 months in all cases; no recurrence was found during follow-up period. No loosening or breakage of internal fixation was observed. At last follow-up, ASIA classification was recovered to grade D and grade E from grade C in 2 cases, to grade E from grade D in 11 cases and had no change in 2 cases (grade D). Two cases of ASIA grade E showed no neurological deficit. The VAS score, JOA score, Barthel index, and lumbar kyphotic Cobb angle were significantly improved at 2 weeks after operation and at last follow-up when compared with preoperative ones ( P<0.05). At last follow-up, the improvement rate of JOA score was 75.2%±6.2% and the improvement rate of Barthel index was 75.7%±10.8%. Conclusion: To use extreme lateral channel debridement and fusion combined with posterior fixation is an effective treatment for lumbar spinal tuberculosis.

Eating behaviors and growth status in children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To discuss the correlation between growth status and eating behaviors in children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), providing reference data for management and dietary behavior guidance among ADHD children.@*Methods@#A total of 703 children aged 4-13 years old were collected from the ADHD patients from Children s Health Department of Children s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June to September, 2019. The demographic characteristics and information regarding children’s eating behaviors were collected by self-designed questionnaire and Chinese version of the parent-completed Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire(CEBQ). The correlation physical growth with dietary behaviors among the ADHD children were analyzed.@*Results@#Food avoidant behaviors, including satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating and emotional undereating in ADHD children with thinness scored significantly higher than that of children with short stature, overweight and obesity(F=17.57, 29.32, 4.07, P<0.01), while food approach behaviors, including food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, desire to drink and emotional overeating scored higher in obese children, compared to other three groups(F=24.54, 47.44, 2.96,5.85, P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for the confounders, satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating were still negatively associated with BMI-Z score of the ADHD children(B=-0.05, -0.07, P<0.01). Food responsiveness, enjoyment of food and emotional overeating had a positive association with the BMI-Z score(B=0.04, 0.09, 0.05, P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#Emotional eating and high food responsiveness in ADHD children are associated with the overweight and obesity, while long eating time and high satiety responsiveness is associated with underweight among ADHD children. For clinical doctors and parents, problematic eating behaviors among ADHD children should be concerned regarding its negative effects on growth and development, besides core symptoms of ADHD.