Invasive pneumococcal diseases in Chinese children: a multicentre hospital-based active surveillance from 2019 to 2021.

This study aimed to provide data for the clinical features of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and the molecular characteristics of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from paediatric patients in China. We conducted a multi-centre prospective study for IPD in 19 hospitals across China from January 2019 to December 2021. Data of demographic characteristics, risk factors for IPD, death, and disability was collected and analysed. Serotypes, antibiotic susceptibility, and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) of pneumococcal isolates were also detected. A total of 478 IPD cases and 355 pneumococcal isolates were enrolled. Among the patients, 260 were male, and the median age was 35 months (interquartile range, 12-46 months). Septicaemia (37.7%), meningitis (32.4%), and pneumonia (27.8%) were common disease types, and 46 (9.6%) patients died from IPD. Thirty-four serotypes were detected, 19F (24.2%), 14 (17.7%), 23F (14.9%), 6B (10.4%) and 19A (9.6%) were common serotypes. Pneumococcal isolates were highly resistant to macrolides (98.3%), tetracycline (94.1%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (70.7%). Non-sensitive rates of penicillin were 6.2% and 83.3% in non-meningitis and meningitis isolates. 19F-ST271, 19A-ST320 and 14-ST876 showed high resistance to antibiotics. This multi-centre study reports the clinical features of IPD and demonstrates serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance of pneumococcal isolates in Chinese children. There exists the potential to reduce IPD by improved uptake of pneumococcal vaccination, and continued surveillance is warranted.

Bacterial response to the combined pollution of benzo[a]pyrene and decabromodiphenyl ether in soil under flooding anaerobic condition.

This study investigated the interaction between the co-pollutants of Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) and the bacterial community in soil under flooding anaerobic condition. Three levels of combined pollution (at nominal concentrations of 1, 5, and 25 mg/kg, respectively, for each pollutant), their corresponding sterilized controls, and a blank control (CK) were set up. During the incubation time of 270 days, BaP attenuated more easily than BDE-209. The second-order rate constant of BaP attenuation was negatively correlated with the Ln value of initial BaP concentration. Maximal difference in bacterial community occurred between the CK soil and the highly polluted soil. Desulfomonilaceae, Parcubacteria and Rhodanobacter were probably involved in BaP and BDE-209 degradation, while Nitrosomonadaceae, Phenylobacterium and Mitochondria were significantly suppressed by BaP and BDE-209 or their degrading products. Genes narI, bcrC, fadJ, had, dmpC, narG and CfrA were involved in the degradation of BaP and BDE-209. Impacts of BaP and BDE-209 on metabolisms of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur were not significant. The results provide guidance for the management and remediation of the contaminated soil.

X-ray Detectors Based on Ga2O3 Microwires.

X-ray detectors have numerous applications in medical imaging, industrial inspection, and crystal structure analysis. Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) shows potential as a material for high-performance X-ray detectors due to its wide bandgap, relatively high mass attenuation coefficient, and resistance to radiation damage. In this study, we present Sn-doped Ga2O3 microwire detectors for solar-blind and X-ray detection. The developed detectors exhibit a switching ratio of 1.66 × 102 under X-ray irradiation and can operate stably from room temperature to 623 K, which is one of the highest reported operating temperatures for Ga2O3 X-ray detectors to date. These findings offer a promising new direction for the design of Ga2O3-based X-ray detectors.

Evaluation of the risk of human exposure to thiamethoxam by extrapolation from a toxicokinetic experiment in rats and literature data.

Previous studies suggest that exposure to thiamethoxam (TMX) may cause adverse effects to human. However, the distribution of TMX in various organs of human body and the associated risk are little-known. This study aimed to explore the distribution of TMX in human organs by extrapolation from a toxicokinetic experiment in rats and to assess the associated risk based on literature data. The rat exposure experiment was performed using 6-week female SD rats. Five groups of rats were oral-exposed to 1 mg/kg TMX (water as solvent) and executed at 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h and 24 h after treatment, respectively. The concentrations of TMX and its metabolites in rat liver, kidney, blood, brain, muscle, uterus and urine were measured in different time points using LC-MS. Data on concentrations of TMX in food, human urine and blood as well as human cell-based in vitro toxicity of TMX were collected from the literature. After oral exposure, TMX and its metabolite clothianidin (CLO) were detected in all organs of the rats. The steady-state tissue-plasma partition coefficients of TMX for liver, kidney, brain, uterus and muscle were 0.96, 1.53, 0.47, 0.60 and 1.10, respectively. Based on literature analysis, the concentration of TMX in human urine and blood for general population were 0.06-0.5 ng/mL and 0.04-0.6 ng/mL, respectively. For some people, the concentration of TMX in human urine reached 222 ng/mL. By extraplation from rat experiment, the estimated concentrations of TMX in human liver, kidney, brain, uterus and muscle for general population were 0.038-0.58, 0.061-0.92, 0.019-0.28, 0.024-0.36 and 0.044-0.66 ng/g, respectively, well below the relevant concentrations for cytotoxic endpoints (HQs ≤ 0.012); however, for some people they could be up to 253.44, 403.92, 124.08, 158.40 and 290.40 ng/g, respectively, with very high developmental toxicity (HQ = 5.4). Therefore, the risk for highly exposed people should not be neglected.

Probiotic Supplement for the Prevention of Gestational Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Probiotic supplements may have some potential in preventing gestational diabetes, and this meta-analysis aims to explore the efficacy of probiotic supplements to prevent gestational diabetes. METHODS: PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched, and we included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of probiotic supplements on the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus. Meta-analysis was performed using the fixed-effect or random-effect model as appropriate. RESULTS: Six RCTs were finally included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control intervention in pregnant women, probiotic supplementation intervention showed no obvious impact on the incidence of gestational diabetes (OR=0.68; 95% CI=0.39 to 1.20; P=0.18), fasting plasma glucose (SMD=-0.05; 95% CI=-0.29 to 0.19; P=0.69), 2 h-OGTT (SMD=-0.07; 95% CI=-0.27 to 0.13; P=0.47), gestational age (SMD=0.04; 95% CI=-0.14 to 0.21; P=0.69) or preeclampsia (OR=1.22; 95% CI=0.83 to 1.78; P=0.31). CONCLUSIONS: Probiotic supplementation was confirmed to have no benefits for the prevention of gestational diabetes.

Cytotoxic shornephines and asterresins from the hydrothermal vent associated fungus Aspergillus terreus CXX-158-20.

A previously unreported alkaloid, bearing an undescribed 5/7/8 tricyclic heterocyclic skeleton, shornephine D, an undescribed diketomorpholine (DKM) shornephine B, two undescribed diketomorpholine derivatives shornephine C and seco-shornephine B methyl ester, an undescribed indole-isoquinoline alkaloid asterresin C, three undescribed indole alkaloids asterresins A-B and D, together with five known compounds, were isolated from the culture of hydrothermal vent associated fungus Aspergillus terreus CXX-158-20. Their structures were unambiguously determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry, Mosher's method, 13C NMR calculation in combination with DP4+, and ECD calculations. Shornephine D and asterresin C represent two undescribed heterocyclic skeletons. Asterresin D and giluterrin exhibited cytotoxicity activities with IC50 values of 3.96 µM and 7.97 µM against A549 cell line. Asterresin D exhibited cytotoxicity activities with IC50 values of 12.36 µM and 12.48 µM against Namalwa and U266 cell lines. Asterresin A and giluterrin exhibited synergistic effect with adriamycin against MCF-7 cell line.

Yin-Yang tongue sign: An imaging clue of lesions involving the skull base segment in the hypoglossal pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic value of the Yin-Yang tongue sign in patients with tongue deviation. METHODS: According to the presence of the Yin-Yang tongue sign on CT/MR, 107 patients with tongue deviation were divided into a positive group and a negative group. The involvement categories of the hypoglossal canal (HC) in the positive group were evaluated and classified as HC dilation and HC erosion. The correlations between HC involvement categories and the presence of the sign were analysed. RESULTS: There were 55 cases (55/107, 51.4%) in the positive group and 52 cases (52/107, 48.6%) in the negative group. Hypoglossal nerve (HN) involvement mainly occurred in the skull base (61.8%), skull base and carotid space (10.9%), and carotid space segment (12.7%). Neurogenic (50.9%), squamous cell carcinoma (14.5%), and metastases (12.7%) were the predominant aetiologies. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of this sign for suggesting skull base lesions around HC were 72.4%, 80.8%, and 76.6%, respectively. In the positive group, HC dilation was seen in 21 patients (21/55, 38.2%) and 21 cases were all benign. HC erosion were noted in 19 patients (19/55, 34.5%), of whom 12 cases were malignant. CONCLUSION: The Yin-Yang tongue sign is formed by unilateral tongue atrophy and fat infiltration caused by lesions in the HN pathway, especially compressive or invasive lesions involving the skull base segment.

Evaluation of Biodegradation of BTEX in the Subsurface of a Petrochemical Site near the Yangtze River, China.

The contamination of soil and groundwater with BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylenes) is a common issue at petrochemical sites, posing a threat to the ecosystems and human health. The goal of this study was to evaluate the biodegradation of BTEX in the subsurface of a petrochemical site near the Yangtze River, thus providing scientific basis for bioremediation of the contaminated site. Both molecular analysis of field samples and microcosm study in the laboratory were performed for the evaluation. Soil and groundwater samples were collected from the site. Microcosms were constructed with inoculum from the soil and incubated anaerobically in the presence of nitrate, ferric oxide, manganese oxide, sulfate, and sodium bicarbonate, respectively. The initial concentration of each component of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, o-xylene) was 4-5 mg/L. Actinobacteria was dominant in the highly contaminated soil, while Proteobacteria was dominant in the slightly contaminated soil and the groundwater. The relative abundances of Firmicutes, Spirochaetes, and Caldiserica were higher in the highly contaminated soil and groundwater samples compared to those in the corresponding slightly contaminated samples. The relative abundances of predicted functions, such as carbohydrate transport and metabolism, nucleotide transport and metabolism, coenzyme transport and metabolism, amino acid transport and metabolism, etc., in the highly contaminated soil and groundwater samples were higher than those in the corresponding slightly contaminated samples. In microcosms, biodegradations of BTEX occurred, and the first-order rate constants in the presence of various electron acceptors had the following order: sulfate (0.08-0.10/d) > sodium bicarbonate (0.07-0.09/d) > ferric oxide (0.04-0.06/d) > nitrate (0.03-0.05/d) > manganese oxide (0.01-0.04/d).

Citrinin Monomer, Trimer, and Tetracyclic Alkaloid Derivatives from the Hydrothermal Vent-Associated Fungus Penicillium citrinum TW132-59.

Five new unusual citrinin-derived alkaloids with a tetracyclic core, citrinidines A-E (1-5), two new amide alkaloids, methyl (2S,8E)-1'-(2-methyl-3-oxodec-8-enamido) butanoate (6) and (2S,8E)-2-methyl-3-oxodec-8-enamide (7), a new unusual citrinin trimer, tricitrinol C (8), a new citrinin acetal-ketal derivative, citrininol (9), together with four known citrinin monomers (10-13), and three known citrinin dimers (14-16), were isolated from the fermentation of hydrothermal vent-associated fungus Penicillium citrinum TW132-59. Their structures were unambiguously determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry, Mosher's method, 13C NMR calculation in combination with DP4+, and ECD calculations. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of all new compounds (1-9) was proposed. Citrinin trimer (8) exhibited potent cytotoxicity activity with an IC50 value of 1.34 ± 0.11 µM, and compounds 1 and 15 showed moderate cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 17.50 ± 1.43 and 9.45 ± 0.55 µM, respectively, against A549 cell line.

miR-15b-5p REGULATES THE NLRP3 INFLAMMASOME SIGNAL THROUGH TARGETING SIRT3 TO REGULATE HYPOXIA/REOXYGENATION-INDUCED CARDIOMYOCYTE PYROPTOSIS PROCESS.

ABSTRACT: Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) induces pyroptosis in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Previous studies have shown that the expression of the miR-15 family is stimulated in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury or H/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury, and miR-15 is a promoter of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion or H/R injury. However, whether miR-15b-5p regulates H/R injury and cardiomyocyte pyroptosis and its mechanism still need to be further clarified. Bioinformatics analysis elicited that SIRT3 was the downstream regulatory target gene of miR-15b-5p. SIRT3 has been shown to participate in the regulation of pyroptosis by negatively regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Therefore, we hypothesized that miR-15b-5p targets SIRT3 and activated the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway to promote H/R-induced cardiomyocyte pyroptosis. We first show that H/R increases miR-15b-5p in rat cardiomyocytes H9C2. Next, we tested the effects of inhibition of miR-15b-5p or overexpression of SIRT3. We found that miR-15b-5p downregulation or SIRT3 overexpression could reverse the H/R-induced pyroptosis. Furthermore, silencing SIRT3 antagonized the protective effect of miR-15b-5p downregulation on H9C2 cells. NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 annulled the previously mentioned antagonistic effect of silencing SIRT3 on the protection of miR-15b-5p downregulation against pyroptosis. We then used a rat AMI model to analyze myocardial infarction area by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining and assess serum cardiac troponin T level by ELISA and found that miR-15b-5p silencing reduced AMI injury in rats. Collectively, these results suggest that miR-15b-5p increase H/R-induced pyroptosis in cardiomyocytes by targeting SIRT3 and activating the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Ga2O3-Based Solar-Blind Position-Sensitive Detector for Noncontact Measurement and Optoelectronic Demodulation.

As a kind of photodetector, position-sensitive-detectors (PSDs) have been widely used in noncontact photoelectric positioning and measurement. However, fabrications and applications of solar-blind PSDs remain yet to be harnessed. Herein, we demonstrate a solar-blind PSD developed from a graphene/Ga2O3 Schottky junction with a 25-nanometer-thick Ga2O3 film, in which the absorption of the nanometer-thick Ga2O3 is enhanced by multibeam interference. The graphene/Ga2O3 junction exhibits a responsivity of 48.5 mA/W and a rise/decay time of 0.8/99.8 µs at zero bias. Moreover, the position of the solar-blind spot can be determined by the output signals of the PSD. Using the device as a sensor of noncontact test systems, we demonstrate its application in measurement of angular, displacement, and light trajectory. In addition, the position-sensitive outputs have been used to demodulate optical signals into electrical signals. The results may prospect the application of solar-blind PSDs in measurement, tracking, communication, and so on.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of masticatory muscle dysfunction in unilateral exodontia rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: Occlusal alteration due to tooth loss may cause overload of masticatory muscle and promote muscle dysfunction. This study explored the feasibility of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate muscle dysfunction in an established unilateral exodontia animal model. METHODS: 6 rabbits were extracted right maxillary molars. T2 mapping, T2* mapping and Iterative Decomposition of water and fat with Echo Asymmetry and Least Square Estimation (IDEAL-IQ) were performed one day before extraction and every 2 weeks (2th~12th week) after extraction. The T2 and T2* values and fat fraction (FF) of bilateral temporal muscle (TM), masseter muscle (MM) and medial pterygoid muscle (MPM) were measured and compared between the extraction side and the contralateral side. Parameters of three monitoring time points (0th, 6th, 12th week) were also analyzed. RESULTS: T2 values of MM on extraction side were significantly higher than those of contralateral side-from fourth week to 12th week after extraction (p < 0.05). T2 values of MM and MPM on extraction side and TM on contralateral side were significantly higher in 12th week than those in 0th week (p < 0.05). And FF of bilateral MM was significantly higher in 12th week than those in 0th week (p < 0.05). T2* value showed no significant difference between extraction side and contralateral side and also at above three time points. CONCLUSION: T2 and T2* value and FF can be used as indicators of masticatory muscle dysfunction. fMRI is expected to be a non-invasive method for in vivo and real-time evaluation of masticatory muscle functional abnormality.

Design and synthesis of a novel blue-emitting CaNaSb2O6F:Bi3+ phosphor for optical temperature sensing.

Bi3+ has gained increasing attention due to its abundant reserves, adjustable luminous colour and high chemical stability, therefore, Bi3+-activated luminescent materials have already been extensively applied in various fields. Herein, a novel blue-emitting CaNaSb2O6F:Bi3+ (CNSOF:Bi3+) phosphor with a pyrochlore-type structure with the space group Fd3̄m (277) was successfully synthesized. It exhibits a broad absorption band in the n-UV region (290-390 nm) and an ideal blue emission band centered at 441 nm. Interestingly, the wide emission peak of CNSOF:Bi3+ shows strongly temperature-dependent fluorescence properties and good thermal degradation resistance in the cycle temperature range from 298 K to 473 K, and the relative sensitivity is calculated to reach the maximum value of 2.34% K-1 at 423 K. Besides, the phosphor is different from a traditional optical temperature sensing material which shows the emission peak of trivalent rare earth ions. The wide emission peak makes the instrument insensitive to the peak shift, which dramatically reduces the requirement of the instrument, and the emission peak does not shift with the temperature to enhance the measurement stability, thus saving the cost. These results indicate that the CNSOF:Bi3+ blue emitting phosphor has potential applications in temperature sensing.

Revealing the Anisotropic Structural and Electrical Stabilities of 2D SnSe under Harsh Environments: Alkaline Environment and Mechanical Strain.

As a promising thermoelectric and semiconducting material, the stability of two-dimensional tin selenide (SnSe) under harsh environments is significant for its practical applications. Here, focusing on the key procedures in the device fabrication process, we report the anisotropic structural and electrical stabilities of SnSe under an alkaline environment and mechanical strain. Due to the anisotropic mechanical properties, the SnSe flakes can naturally form long-straight {011} edge planes during the mechanical exfoliation process. Such a cleavage tendency provides an effective crystal orientation identification method to uncover the orientation-dependent properties. We find that the single-crystalline SnSe flakes experience an anisotropic degradation process with the preferable {011} dissolution planes in the alkaline environment and can be gradually transformed to be polycrystalline consisting of SnSe2, Sn, and Se nanocrystals. SnSe flakes present an anisotropic electromechanical response with a gauge factor value that reaches ∼-460 under the uniaxial strain along the ⟨011⟩ directions. Our revealed structural and electrical stability of SnSe under harsh environments can provide guidance for the device design, fabrication, and performance evaluation.

Two New Prenylated Glycine Derivatives from the Marine-Derived Fungus Fusarium sp. TW56-10.

Two new prenylated glycine derivatives N-({4-[(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)oxy]phenyl}acetyl)glycine (1) and methyl N-({4-[(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)oxy]phenyl}acetyl)glycinate (2), along with nine known compounds (3-11) were purified from the marine-derived fungus Fusarium sp. TW56-10. Their chemical structures were determined by spectroscopic evidence, including extensive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HR-ESI-MS) data, infrared radiation (IR) and Ultraviolet spectra (UV). Compound 4 (8-O-methylfusarubin) exhibited cytotoxic activity with IC50 value of 11.45 µM for A549 cells.

Antibiotics prescription for targeted therapy of pediatric invasive pneumococcal diseases in China: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is a major cause of bacterial meningitis, septicemia and pneumonia in children. Inappropriate choice of antibiotic can have important adverse consequences for both the individual and the community. Here, we focused on penicillin/cefotaxime non-susceptibility of S. pneumoniae and evaluated appropriateness of targeted antibiotic therapy for children with IPD (invasive pneumococcal diseases) in China. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted in 14 hospitals from 13 provinces in China. Antibiotics prescription, clinical features and resistance patterns of IPD cases from January 2012 to December 2017 were collected. Appropriateness of targeted antibiotics therapy was assessed. RESULTS: 806 IPD cases were collected. The non-susceptibility rates of S. pneumoniae to penicillin and cefotaxime were 40.9% and 20.7% respectively in 492 non-meningitis cases, whereas those were 73.2% and 43.0% respectively in 314 meningitis cases. Carbapenems were used in 21.3% of non-meningitis cases and 42.0% of meningitis cases for targeted therapy. For 390 non-meningitis cases with isolates susceptible to cefotaxime, vancomycin and linezolid were used in 17.9% and 8.7% of cases respectively for targeted therapy. For 179 meningitis cases with isolates susceptible to cefotaxime, vancomycin and linezolid were prescribed in 55.3% and 15.6% of cases respectively. Overall, inappropriate targeted therapies were identified in 361 (44.8%) of 806 IPD cases, including 232 (28.8%) cases with inappropriate use of carbapenems, 169 (21.0%) cases with inappropriate use of vancomycin and 62 (7.7%) cases with inappropriate use of linezolid. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic regimens for IPD definite therapy were often excessive with extensive prescription of carbapenems, vancomycin or linezolid in China. Antimicrobial stewardship programs should be implemented to improve antimicrobial use.

Ga2O3 based multilevel solar-blind photomemory array with logic, arithmetic, and image storage functions.

Photomemories offer great opportunities for multifunctional integration of optical sensing, data storage, and processing into one single device. However, little attention has been paid to photomemories working in the solar-blind region so far, which may have unique advantages of insusceptibility to ambient light and higher capacity. Herein, we propose and demonstrate a Ga2O3 based solar-blind photomemory array with logic, arithmetic, and optoelectronic memory functions. The device shows n-type field effect-transistor performance with an on/off ratio as high as 106, a responsivity of 8 × 103 A W-1, and a detectivity of 1.42 × 1014 Jones, all of which are amongst the best values ever reported for Ga2O3 based photodetectors. Based on the trapping and de-trapping process of holes in Ga2O3, multilevel data storage can be realized from the device. Simultaneously, the optical and electrical mixed basic logic of reconfigurable "AND" and "OR" operations have been realized in a single cell through the co-regulation of solar-blind light and the grid voltage. In addition, the photomemory can perform counting and addition operations, and the photomemory array can be utilized to realize solar-blind image storage. The results suggest that Ga2O3 may have potential applications in high-performance information storage, computing, and communications.

Humidity Sensors Realized via Negative Photoconductivity Effect in Nanodiamonds.

Herein, the negative photoconductivity (NPC) effect has been observed in nanodiamonds (NDs) for the first time, and with illumination under a 660 nm laser lamp, the conductivity of the NDs decreases significantly. The NPC effect has been attributed to the trapping of carriers by the absorbed water molecules on the ND surfaces. A humidity sensor has been constructed based on the NPC effect of the NDs, and the sensitivity of the sensor can reach 106%, which is the highest value ever reported for carbon-based humidity sensors.

Customized Mobile LiDAR System for Manhole Cover Detection and Identification.

Manhole covers, which are a key element of urban infrastructure management, have a direct impact on travel safety. At present, there is no automatic, safe, and efficient system specially used for the intelligent detection, identification, and assessment of manhole covers. In this work, we developed an automatic detection, identification, and assessment system for manhole covers. First, we developed a sequential exposure system via the addition of multiple cameras in a symmetrical arrangement to realize the joint acquisition of high-precision laser data and ultra-high-resolution ground images. Second, we proposed an improved histogram of an oriented gradient with symmetry features and a support vector machine method to detect manhole covers effectively and accurately, by using the intensity images and ground orthophotos that are derived from the laser points and images, respectively, and apply the graph segmentation and statistical analysis to achieve the detection, identification, and assessment of manhole covers. Qualitative and quantitative analyses are performed using large experimental datasets that were acquired with the modified manhole-cover detection system. The detected results yield an average accuracy of 96.18%, completeness of 94.27%, and F-measure value of 95.22% in manhole cover detection. Defective manhole-cover monitoring and manhole-cover ownership information are achieved from these detection results. The results not only provide strong support for road administration works, such as data acquisition, manhole cover inquiry and inspection, and statistical analysis of resources, but also demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method, which reduces the risk involved in performing manual inspections, improves the manhole-cover detection accuracy, and serves as a powerful tool in intelligent road administration.

Preoperative Halo-Gravity Traction for Severe Thoracic Kyphoscoliosis Patients from Tibet: Radiographic Correction, Pulmonary Function Improvement, Nursing, and Complications.

BACKGROUND This study investigated the outcomes of preoperative HGT as an adjunct treatment for severe thoracic kyphoscoliosis, its role in radiographic correction, and pulmonary function improvement, together with nursing strategy and incidence of complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eleven patients with a mean age of 18.8 years were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria were: patients with severe kyphoscoliosis (coronal Cobb angle and kyphosis angle ≥80°); duration of HGT ≥8 weeks; patients undergoing HGT for at least 12 h per day; traction weight no less than 40% of body weight; and patients not receiving physical therapies. All patients underwent respiratory training. RESULTS The major coronal curve scoliosis averaged 114.00±24.43° and was reduced to 80.55±17.98° after HGT. The major kyphosis was 103.91±18.95° and was reduced to 80.55±17.98°. Significantly improved percent-predicted values for FVC was found after HGT (p=0.014), and significantly increased forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1%) was also observed (p<0.001), with significantly improved percent-predicted values for PEF (p=0.003) after HGT. CONCLUSIONS Our data reveal that preoperative HGT can be performed safely, and can help achieve excellent curve correction in both the coronal and sagittal planes, together with improved respiratory function and no severe complications in patients with severe thoracic kyphoscoliosis.