Renal Denervation Ameliorates Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis in Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Through Regulating Mitochondria-Endoplasmic Reticulum Contact.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) has been improved with drugs and effective reperfusion, but it still cannot be prevented. METHODS: To investigate whether renal denervation (RDN) reduces cardiomyocyte apoptosis by ameliorating endoplasmic reticulum stress, 60 male specific pathogen-free (SPF) Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n = 6). We established the I/R rat model by ligating the left anterior descending artery. The I/R+ angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI) group received ARNIs for 2 weeks until euthanasia. RESULTS: The I/R+RDN and I/R+ARNI groups have significantly ameliorated left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) and reversed expansion of the left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVSD) and left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVDD) compared to the I/R group. The levels of norepinephrine (NE), angiotensin II, and aldosterone (ALD) increased significantly in the I/R group, but decreased significantly after RDN and ARNI intervention. In the I/R+RDN and I/R+ARNI groups, the myocardial tissue edema was alleviated. The infarct size was smaller in the I/R+RDN and I/R+ARNI groups compared to the I/R group. Apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts in myocardial tissue increased significantly in the I/R group, which was greatly diminished by RDN and ARNI. The expression of Bax, caspase-3, CHOP, PERK, and ATF4 protein was significantly increased in the I/R group, which compared to other groups, and the level of CHOP, PERK, and ATF4 gene expression increased. After RDN intervention, these expression levels recovered to varying degrees. CONCLUSION: The effect of RDN may be associated with regulating the endoplasmic reticulum stress PERK/ATF4 signaling pathway.

Online Testing Method for the Fine Spectral Characteristics of Narrow-Band Interference Filters Based on a Narrow-Linewidth Tunable Laser.

The transmission spectrum of a narrow-band interference filter is crucial and highly influenced by factors such as the temperature and angle, thus requiring precise and online measurements. The traditional method of measuring the transmission spectrum of an interference filter involves the use of a spectrometer, but the accuracy of this method is limited. Moreover, placing a narrow-band interference filter inside a spectrometer hinders real-time online measurements. To address this issue, there is demand for high-precision online spectral testing methods. In response to this demand, we propose and experimentally validate a fine spectral characterization method for narrow-band interference filters. This method uses a narrow-linewidth tunable laser, achieving a spectral resolution in the MHz range for online testing. Two types of narrow-band interference filters were tested using the constructed laser spectroscopy experimental system, obtaining a transmission spectrum with a spectral resolution of 318 MHz. In comparison to spectrometer-based methods, our proposed method demonstrates higher spectral accuracy, enables online measurements, and provides more accurate measurements for special spectral interference filters. This approach has significant application value and promising development prospects.

A new Einstein coefficient method for mesopause-lower thermosphere atmosphere temperature retrieval under a non-local thermal equilibrium situation.

The mesopause-lower thermosphere (MLT) region is an important spatial region in the Earth's atmosphere, making it a valuable area to investigate the temperature variations. Kirchhoff's law fails with the altitude increase due to the non-local thermal equilibrium effect, resulting in an increase in the error of the method to retrieve the atmospheric temperature in the MLT region using the A-band spectral line intensity. In the non-LTE state, the temperature retrieval method based on the Einstein coefficients is proposed to retrieve atmospheric temperature in the 92-140 km height range using the airglow radiation intensity images obtained from the Michelson Interferometer for global high-resolution thermospheric imaging (MIGHTI) measurements. Results show that the temperature deviation of the two-channel combinations does not exceed 15 K in the altitude range of 92-120 km. This deviation increases up to 45 K when the altitude is in the range of 120-140 km due to the influence of the N2 airglow spectrum. The two-channel combinations self-consistency is increased by 85 K compared with the temperature obtained using the spectral line intensity retrieval. Additionally, the comparison of the retrieval results with the spectral line intensity method and the comparison with the atmospheric chemistry experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) temperature measurement data shows that the Einstein coefficient method is significantly more rational and accurate than the spectral line intensity method.

Multispectral LiDAR point cloud highlight removal based on color information.

With the rapid development of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, multispectral LiDAR (MSL) can realize three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the ground object by acquiring rich spectral information. Although color restoration has been achieved on the basis of the full-waveform data of MSL, further improvement of the visual effect of color point clouds still faces many challenges. In this paper, a highlight removal method for MSL color point clouds is proposed to explore the potential of 3D visualization. First, the MSL reflection model are introduced according to radar equation and Phong model, and the restored color of the MSL point clouds is determined to comprise diffuse and specular components. Second, a data conversion method is proposed to improve the massive point cloud processing efficiency by spatial dimension reduction and data compression. Then, the visual saliency map after color denoising is used to obtain the highlight region, the unknown information of which is recovered based on the global or local color information. Finally, three representative targets are selected and evaluated by qualitative and quantitative validation, which verifies that the method can effectively recover the high-quality highlight-free point clouds of MSL.

Real-Time Monitoring of SO2 Emissions Using a UV Camera with Built-in NO2 and Aerosol Corrections.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) absorption correction of the sulfur dioxide (SO2) camera was demonstrated for the first time. The key to improving the measurement accuracy is to combine a differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) instrument with the SO2 camera for the real-time NO2 absorption correction and aerosol scattering correction. This method performs NO2 absorption correction by the correlation between the NO2 column density measurement of the DOAS and the NO2 optical depth of the corresponding channel from the SO2 camera at a narrow wavelength window around 310 and 310 nm. The error of correction method is estimated through comparison with only using the second channel of the traditional SO2 camera to correct for aerosol scattering and it can be reduced by 11.3% after NO2 absorption corrections. We validate the correction method through experiments and demonstrate it to be of greatly improved accuracy. The result shows that the ultraviolet (UV) SO2 camera system with NO2 absorption corrections appears to have great application prospects as a technology for visualized real-time monitoring of SO2 emissions.

A bibliometric analysis of studies on the gut microbiota in cardiovascular disease from 2004 to 2022.

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that the gut microbiota (GM) is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Many studies on the GM in CVD have been published in the last decade. However, bibliometric analysis in this field is still lacking. Methods: On 30 September 2022, a search of the Web of Science™ (WoS; Clarivate™, Philadelphia, PA, USA) yielded 1,500 articles and reviews on the GM and CVD. Microsoft Excel and CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to analyze publication trends and research hotspots in this field. Results: Our search generated 1,708 publications on the GM in CVD published between 2004 and 2022, and 1,500 articles and review papers were included in the final analysis. The number of publications relating to the GM in CVD increased from 1 in 2004 to 350 in 2021. China (485 publications, 9,728 non-self-citations, and an H-index of 47) and the USA (418 publications, 24,918 non-self-citations, and an H-index of 82) contributed 32.31%, and 27.85%, respectively, of the total number of publications. Examination of the number of publications (Np) and number of citations, excluding self-citations (Nc), of individual authors showed that Y. L. Tian (Np: 18, Nc: 262, and H-index: 12), from China, is the most productive author, followed by R. Knight (Np: 16, Nc: 3,036, and H-index: 15) and M. Nieuwdorp (Np: 16, Nc: 503, and H-index: 9). The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College accounted for the largest number of publications (Np: 62, Nc: 3,727, and H-index: 13, average citation number (ACN): 60.11). The journal Nutrients had the most publications (Np: 73, Nc: 2,036, and ACN: 27.89). The emerging keywords in this field were "monooxygenase 3" (strength 3.24, 2020-2022), "short-chain fatty acid" (strength 4.63, 2021-2022), "fatty liver disease" (strength 3.18, 2021-2022), "metabolic disease" (strength 3.04, 2021-2022), "Mediterranean diet" (strength 2.95, 2021-2022), "prevention" (strength 2.77, 2021-2022), and "intestinal barrier" (strength 2.8, 2021-2022). Conclusion: Publications on the GM in CVD rapidly increased in the last decade. The USA was the most influential country in publications in this field, followed by China. The journal with the most publications was Nutrients. Monooxygenase-3, short-chain fatty acids, fatty liver disease, metabolic disease, the Mediterranean diet, intestinal barrier, and prevention are the current hotspots or potential hotspots for future study.

Development of a self-calibration method for real-time monitoring of SO2 ship emissions with UV cameras.

Self-calibration of UV cameras was demonstrated for the first time. This novel method has the capability of real-time continuous calibration by using the raw images at 310 nm and 330 nm without changing the viewing direction or adding any additional equipment. The methodology was verified through simulations and experiments and demonstrated to be of greatly improved effectiveness and accuracy. The errors of self-calibration mothed are estimated by comparison with the differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) approach, and it can be reduced to 1.8% after filter transmittance corrections. The results show that the self-calibration method appears to have great potential as a future technique for quantitative and visual real-time monitoring of SO2 emissions from ships and other point sources (such as oil refineries, power plants, or more broadly, any industrial stack) when the field of view (FOV) of the system is not completely covered by the SO2 plumes.

Changes in cartilage and subchondral bone in a growing rabbit experimental model of developmental trochlear dysplasia of the knee.

Purpose: Trochlear dysplasia is one of the most frequent lower extremities deformities. Aim of this research was to investigate the changes in cartilage and subchondral bone of trochlea after patellar dislocation in growing rabbits. Materials and Methods: Ninety-six knees from 48 one-month-old rabbits were divided into two groups (experimental, control). Lateral patellar dislocation was established in the experimental group and distal femurs were collected at 4, 8, 12 and 24-week time points, respectively. General examination and histological observations were conducted to research the anatomical structure of the trochlear cartilage and subchondral bone. Structural parameters of trochlear subchondral bone were measured by MicroCT. Subsequently, the expression of TRPV4, collagen II and MMP-13 in cartilage were detected by western blot and RT-PCR analysis, respectively.Results: Subchondral bone loss was found in experimental group from 4 weeks after patellar dislocation, accompanied by increased TRAP-positive osteoclasts in subchondral bone. The trochlear dysplasia model was well established from 8 weeks after patellar dislocation. In addition, degeneration of cartilage was found from 8 weeks, accompanied by decreased expression of mechanically sensitive TRPV4 and collagen II, and increased expression of MMP-13.Conclusions: This study proved that trochlear dysplasia can be caused by patellar dislocation in growing rabbits, accompanied by significant subchondral bone loss. What is more, this study also shows that degenerative cartilage changes occur in the patellar dislocation model and become aggravated with time, accompanied by decreased TRPV4 and collagen II, but increased MMP-13.

Real-time continuous calibration method for an ultraviolet camera.

The accuracy of SO2 cameras is significantly determined by the ability to obtain an accurate calibration. This work presents a real-time continuous calibration method for SO2 cameras with a moderate resolution spectrometer by taking realistic radiative transfer into account. The effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method have been verified through simulations and experiments. The calibration error can be reduced by about 20-80% compared with the commonly used cell calibration, especially for situations of long distance, poor visibility, or optically thick plumes.

Femoral derotation osteotomy for recurrent patellar dislocation.

PURPOSE: Excessive femoral internal torsion is an important risk factor for patellar dislocation. The aim of the present study was to estimate the effect of derotational osteotomy of the femur on the tibial tubercle trochlear groove (TTTG) distance or patellar tilt angle (PTA) and to report our clinical outcomes of recurrent patellar dislocation after femoral derotation osteotomy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 16 patients (17 knees) with recurrent patellar dislocation treated by femoral derotation osteotomy in our department from January 2016 to February 2019 was carried out. The procedure was performed with supracondylar femoral derotation. A few procedures were combined with soft tissue procedures. Knee function was evaluated by using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Kujala score, Lysholm score, visual analog scale (VAS) score and patient satisfaction. Additionally, CT was used to assess the influence of femoral derotational osteotomy on TTTG distance and PTA. RESULTS: The average femoral antetorsion angle before surgery was 33° (SD ± 5°), and the intraoperative correction angle was 23° (SD ± 4°). A total of 17 femoral derotation osteotomies in 16 patients with patellar instability [11 females, 5 males, aged 20.8 (range 15-41) years] were included in the study. No dislocation occurred within 26.5 months after follow-up (range 12-49 months). The IKDC score, Kujala score, Lysholm score and VAS score significantly improved. The preoperative TTTG distance was 15.63 mm (SD ± 2.07 mm), and it was 14.69 mm (SD ± 1.78 mm) at the follow-up. The PTA decreased from 26.35° (SD ± 6.86°) to 11.65° (SD ± 2.85°). The powers of TTTG and PTA measurements are 0.78 and 1.00, respectively and all of these differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Derotational osteotomy of the femur for the treatment of recurrent patellar dislocation can achieve good clinical results, including improved TTTG distance and PTA and improved knee function.

Conservative versus repair of medial patellofemoral ligament for the treatment of patients with acute primary patellar dislocations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to compare the effects of repair of medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) and conservative treatment in patients with acute primary patellar dislocation (PPD). METHOD: The databases we used to search the studies included MEDILINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane registry of controlled clinical trials. Five randomized controlled studies comparing the effects of MPFL repair versus conservative treatment with 300 acute PPD patients were included in the present meta-analysis. Primary outcome was redislocation rate and secondary outcomes included Kujala score, percentage of excellent or good subjective opinion, Tegner activity score, and knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS; pain, symptoms, and activities of daily living). RESULTS: The outcome of the Kujala score was statistically significant between the two treatments and indicated that MPFL repair had a higher Kujala score than conservative treatment in patients with acute PPD. There was no significant difference between the two treatments regarding the redislocation rate (p = 0.32), percentage of excellent or good subjective opinion (p = 0.15), Tegner activity score (p = 0.24), and KOOS (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the available data, MPFL repair did not reduce the risk of redislocation nor did it produce any significantly better outcome based on the clinical manifestations, including anterior knee pain and knee activities. Only the Kujala score was improved by MPFL repair compared with conservative treatment.

Simultaneous detection of the Ca and Ca+ layers by a dual-wavelength tunable lidar system.

A dual-wavelength tunable lidar system that simultaneously detects the Ca and Ca+ layers has been established in Yanqing Station (40.41°N, 116.01°E). The lidar system implements a pulsed Nd:YAG laser that simultaneously pumps two dye lasers, which reduces the hardware configuration of the lidar system. The two dye lasers use infrared laser dyes with high conversion efficiency suitable for long-term observation. The resonance wavelengths of Ca and Ca+ are generated by frequency doubling of the two infrared laser beams. We compared the dual-wavelength tunable lidar system to previous dye-based systems and performed experiments to determine resonance frequencies to within 0.4 pm and to test the dual optical fiber receiving system and found it does not cause cross talk. Three nights of preliminary simultaneous observations of Ca and Ca+ layers are reported; the diversity of these observations begs for more systematic observations and challenging interpretations in terms of Ca processes in the ionosphere and illustrates the effectiveness of this system for aeronomy and space physics studies.

Sodium lidar observation over full diurnal cycles in Beijing, China.

Due to the severe interference from strong solar background light on the received signal, daytime ground-based lidar observation of the sodium (Na) layer is challenging. In this paper, a Na lidar permitting full-diurnal-cycle observation of the metal Na layer over Beijing, China (40.5°N, 116°E) was reported. In order to suppress the skylight background during daytime effectively with less signal losses, a dual-channel Faraday filtering unit was implemented in the lidar receiver. Based on the diurnal Na lidar system, a good number of continuous observational results that lasted more than 120 h with good signal-to-noise ratio were obtained, demonstrating its reliability. Considerable variations within the Na layer during the day were revealed, especially on the layer top and bottom side. In particular, strong sporadic Na layer (Nas) events that occurred during the daytime of 3 consecutive days were also captured with complete evolution process. These observational results showed the advantages of the diurnal Na lidar for investigating the metal layer photochemistry and dynamics in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region. Na layer observations over the whole diurnal cycle not only benefit the improvements of current theoretical models, but also can allow for a specialized analysis of Nas that occur in the daytime and provide valuable observational support for investigating the rapid production and disappearance mechanisms of Na atoms.

The effect of increased femoral anteversion on the morphological and trabecular microarchitectural changes in the trochlea in an immature rabbit.

Increased femoral anteversion (FA) has been recently demonstrated as one risk factor for recurrent patellar dislocation (RPD). However, it has been still unclear whether the increase of FA can result in patellar dislocation, and subsequent morphological and trabecular microarchitectural changes in the trochlea has not been investigated. Forty knees from 20 rabbits at 3 months of age were included. The right knees underwent surgery with internal rotation of distal femur to increase FA, with the left knees acting as internal controls. The surgical knees were called operated group, and non-operated knees were control group. Micro-CT scans for distal femur were acquired after 4 months of surgery. In the operated group, a boss located proximal to the entrance of the groove was formed. The central trochlear height was significantly greater, sulcus angle was significantly greater, both lateral and medial trochlear slope were significantly lower, and boss height was significantly greater in comparison to the control group. Regarding the microarchitectural changes, the trabecular thickness were increased by 67.5% at the groove, 33.0% and 29.5%, at the medial and lateral femoral condyle, and trabecular number were decreased by 37.8% and 26.5% at the groove and medial femoral condyle. This study provided a novel animal model of trochlea dysplasia by femoral rotational osteotomy and increased FA. These changes were associated with the load redistribution in the patellofemoral joint after the increase of FA.

Changes in Cartilage and Subchondral Bone of Femoral Trochlear Groove After Patellectomy in Growing Rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of patellectomy on the bony and cartilaginous morphology of the trochlear groove in growing rabbits. METHODS: Forty-eight 4-week-old New Zealand white rabbits were randomly assigned to two groups. The control group underwent a sham surgical procedure, whereas the patellectomy group underwent patella excision surgery. Half of the rabbits in each group were sacrificed 3 months postoperatively; the rest were sacrificed 6 months postoperatively. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed on collected samples. Measurements included the bony and cartilaginous sulcus angles of the trochlear groove. In addition, the thickness of the articular cartilage at the deepest sulcus position (central thickness) and at the mid-position of the medial and lateral facets was measured and compared between groups. RESULTS: Three months after surgery, histological images revealed significant differences between the control group and the patellectomy group in cartilaginous sulcus angle (144.2° ± 1.5° vs 151.9° ± 2.4°, respectively; P < 0.001). No obvious difference in bony sulcus angle was found between the groups. Six months after surgery, significant between-group differences were observed in cartilaginous sulcus angle (136.3° ± 2.5° in control group vs 160.7° ± 3.0° in patellectomy group, P < 0.001) and bony sulcus angle (136.2° ± 2.2° in control group vs 160.4° ± 2.6° in patellectomy group, P < 0.001). However, there were no significant intra-group differences between cartilaginous and bony sulcus angles in either group. Three months after surgery, significant between-group differences were detected in articular cartilage thickness at the three different positions (medial facet: 324.3 ± 14.0 µm in control group vs 391.7 ± 98.8 µm in patellectomy group, P = 0.029; central position: 362.1 ± 13.6 µm in control group vs 730.3 ± 76.8 µm in patellectomy group, P < 0.001; lateral facet: 324.6 ± 12.7 µm in control group vs 358.5 ± 38.7 µm in patellectomy group, P = 0.009). No between-group differences in cartilage thickness were found at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal mechanical stress (patellectomy) during a rabbit's development can cause flattening of the femoral trochlear cartilage, followed by changes in the subchondral osseous layer. Abnormal mechanical stress is a crucial factor in the development of trochlear groove dysplasia.

The dysplastic trochlear sulcus due to the insufficient patellar stress in growing rats.

BACKGROUND: Developmental factors were assumed to be the key factors that influenced the morphology of femoral trochlea. This study investigated the effects of insufficient patellar stress after birth on the morphological development of the femoral trochlea. Effects of insufficient patellar stress on femoral trochlea were investigated using surgical induced patellectomy and patellar dislocation in growing rat model. METHODS: In this study, two experimental groups and one sham group (SG) were established. Thirty-six Wistar rats (female, 28 days of age) were randomly assigned to three groups. The patellectomy group (PG), rats underwent the patellectomy in this group. The dislocation group (DG), rats underwent the surgery-induced patellar dislocation. Histological staining (Safranin-O and fast green), Micro-computed tomographic (Micro-CT) analysis in two experimental endpoints (3, 12 weeks postoperatively) were selected to evaluate morphological changes of the femoral trochlea. RESULTS: Articular cartilage on the trochlear sulcus was remodeled at 3 weeks after the surgery, and degenerated at 12 weeks through the histological staining. The femoral trochlear angle (FTA) did not show a significant difference at 3 week between the experimental groups and the sham group (PG vs SG P = 0.38, DG vs SG p = 0.05), but the FTA was significantly increased in experimental groups at 12 weeks(PG vs SG P = 0.001, DG vs SG p = 0.005). The Bone volume density (BV/TV), Trabecular number (Tb.N) under the trochlea groove were significantly reduced at 3 weeks postoperatively in the experimental groups (PG vs SG p = 0.001, DG vs SG p = 0.002). No significant difference was found in BV/TV and Tb. N among the three groups at 12 weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Surgical induced patellectomy and patellar dislocation leads to the dysplastic trochlear sulcus in growing rats. Besides the bone morphology of trochlear sulcus, the articular cartilage and subchondral trabecula under the trochlear sulcus were remodeled early stage after the surgery.

Good Outcomes of Combined Femoral Derotation Osteotomy and Medial Retinaculum Plasty in Patients with Recurrent Patellar Dislocation.

OBJECTIVES: To report the clinical outcomes of combined femoral derotation osteotomy and medial retinaculum plasty for recurrent patellar dislocation in patients with excessive femoral anteversion. METHODS: From January 2015 to March 2018, 20 knees in 20 patients (18 female, 2 male) with a mean age of 21 ± 4.2 years (range, 16 to 28 years) were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had undergone femoral derotation osteotomy and medial retinaculum plasty for recurrent patellar dislocation and excessive femoral anteversion angle (FAA > 25°). CT and X-rays were used to assess the correction of the femoral anteversion angle, the tibia tuberosity-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance, patellar tilt, and the congruence angle following the combinatory operations. Subjective scores, such as Kujala, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Tegner, and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, were used to evaluate knee function preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: No recurrence of patellar dislocation occurred in these patients during an average of 18 months (range, 12 to 23 months) of follow-up. The mean of the FAA was corrected to 15.80° ± 3.58° postoperatively compared with 31.42° ± 4.95° preoperatively (P < 0.001). The TT-TG distance was decreased from 22.17 ± 5.28 mm before surgery to 19.42 ± 4.57 mm after surgery (P = 0.03). The patellar tilt and congruence angle were improved from 30.43° ± 5.30°, 43.30° ± 11.04° to 15.80° ± 3.94°, 16.64° ± 9.98°, respectively (P < 0.001). The Kujala score was improved from 72.4 ± 19.90 before the surgery to 88.2 ± 12.25 after the surgery (P < 0.001). The IKDC score was improved from 70.56 ± 21.44 to 90.78 ± 14.32, and the VAS score was decreased from 4.23 ± 2.11 preoperatively to 1.27 ± 1.08 postoperatively (P < 0.001). No significant difference in Tegner score (5.46 ± 2.49 vs 5.79 ± 1.44) was found before and after the surgery (P = 0.2). Patients younger than 20 years old had lower Kujala (83.46 ± 14.56 vs. 90.84 ± 7.74, P = 0.02) and IKDC (83.49 ± 17.35 vs 92.46 ± 9.28, P = 0.04) scores than those older than 20 years. CONCLUSION: Good knee function, pain relief, and improved patellofemoral congruence were achieved with the combined femoral derotation osteotomy and medial retinaculum plasty. The combined operations serve as an ideal treatment for recurrent patellar dislocation and address the primary risk factors.

Association of Femoral Trochlear Dysplasia and Tibiofemoral Joint Morphology in Adolescent.

BACKGROUND Trochlear dysplasia (TD) often leads to anatomic variations of the knee. Little is known about the association of TD and tibiofemoral joint morphology in adolescent. MATERIAL AND METHODS Computed tomography scans of 35 knees with TD and 55 knees with well-developed patella-femoral joint were analyzed randomly and retrospectively. Two researchers evaluated the posterior tibial slope (PTS), distal femoral rotation, proximal tibia varus angle, and femoral anteversion between the 2 groups. The independent Student's t-test was used to evaluate the statistical significance of variables. RESULTS The study group had a smaller lateral PTS (4.7±2.97) than the control group (6.96±3.05) (P<0.01), while the medial PTS showed consistent values between the control and the study group (non-significant). Patients with TD had smaller external rotation of the distal femur (2.69±0.93) compared to the control group (3.77±1.46) (P<0.01). In addition, the study group showed a bigger proximal tibia varus angle (4.46±1.09) compared to the control group (3.35±0.76) (P<0.01). The femoral anteversion in the study group (17.46±9.95) was increased compared to the control group (12.22±5.39) (P<0.01). The femoral anteversion and distal femoral rotation in patients with TD showed a positive correlation (r²=0.326; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Patients with TD had flatter lateral PTS compared to those without TD, but there were no differences in the medial PTS between the two groups. Patients with TD had smaller distal femoral rotation and bigger proximal tibia varus angle. The femoral anteversion in patients with TD was bigger than those without TD,and there was a positive correlation between the femoral anteversion and the external rotation of the distal femoral in the study group.

2D visualization of hot gas based on a mid-infrared molecular Faraday imaging filter.

This Letter presents recent results on, to the best of our knowledge, the first experimental demonstration of a mid-infrared molecular Faraday imaging filter (MOFIF)-based camera for hot gas visualization. Gas-phase nitric oxide (NO) is used as the working material of the MOFIF due to the fact that NO is the typical representative of the paramagnetic species and plays an important role in the chemical and physical process of combustion reaction. The MOFIF transmission with comb-like transmittance spectrum is elaborately designed and matches well with the radiation spectrum of NO gas. Pure NO infrared images have been well captured in a combustion environment, and shown as a video that demonstrates the imaging capability and gas selectivity of MOFIF.

Solid-state 589 nm seed laser based on Raman fiber amplifier for sodium wind/temperature lidar in Tibet, China.

A narrowband sodium lidar for measuring mesospheric temperature and wind has been established at YangBaJing, Tibet (90°E, 30°N, 4300 m a.s.l), China. The system is designed and optimized based on important upgrades using new technology. In the lidar system, single-mode 589 nm seed laser is produced by frequency doubling of 1178 nm diode laser with a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide. The output power of 589 nm continuous-wave laser is up to 1.5 W with the help of a seed-injected Raman fiber amplifier. Furthermore, fast three-frequency switcher is designed with a couple of fiber magneto optical switches (FMOS) for measuring wind and temperature, simultaneously, which greatly reduces the system maintenance. These improvements greatly simplify the lidar system, thus, achieve robust operation with minimum maintenance requirements.