Spinel Nanostructures for the Hydrogenation of CO2 to Methanol and Hydrocarbon Chemicals.

Composite oxides have been widely applied in the hydrogenation of CO/CO2 to methanol or as the component of bifunctional oxide-zeolite for the synthesis of hydrocarbon chemicals. However, it is still challenging to disentangle the stepwise formation mechanism of CH3OH at working conditions and selectively convert CO2 to hydrocarbon chemicals with narrow distribution. Here, we investigate the reaction network of the hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol over a series of spinel oxides (AB2O4), among which the Zn-based nanostructures offer superior performance in methanol synthesis. Through a series of (quasi) in situ spectroscopic characterizations, we evidence that the dissociation of H2 tends to follow a heterolytic pathway and that hydrogenation ability can be regulated by the combination of Zn with Ga or Al. The coordinatively unsaturated metal sites over ZnAl2Ox and ZnGa2Ox originating from oxygen vacancies (OVs) are evidenced to be responsible for the dissociative adsorption and activation of CO2. The evolution of the reaction intermediates, including both carbonaceous and hydrogen species at high temperatures and pressures over the spinel oxides, has been experimentally elaborated at the atomic level. With the integration of a series of zeolites or zeotypes, high selectivities of hydrocarbon chemicals with narrow distributions can be directly produced from CO2 and H2, offering a promising route for CO2 utilization.

Quantitative anatomical analysis of lumbar interspaces based on 3D CT imaging: optimized segment selection for lumbar puncture in different age groups.

BACKGROUND: Optimal lumbar puncture segment selection remains controversial. This study aims to analyze anatomical differences among L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1 segments across age groups and provide quantitative evidence for optimized selection. METHODS: 80 cases of CT images were collected with patients aged 10-80 years old. Threedimensional models containing L3-S1 vertebrae, dural sac, and nerve roots were reconstructed. Computer simulation determined the optimal puncture angles for the L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1 segments. The effective dural sac area (ALDS), traversing nerve root area (ATNR), and area of the lumbar inter-laminar space (ALILS) were measured. Puncture efficacy ratio (ALDS/ALILS) and nerve injury risk ratio (ATNR/ALILS) were calculated. Cases were divided into four groups: A (10-20 years), B (21-40 years), C (41-60 years), and D (61-80 years). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. RESULTS: 1) ALDS was similar among segments; 2) ATNR was greatest at L5-S1; 3) ALILS was greatest at L5-S1; 4) Puncture efficacy ratio was highest at L3-4 and lowest at L5-S1; 5) Nerve injury risk was highest at L5-S1. In group D, L5-S1 ALDS was larger than L3-4 and L4-5. ALDS decreased after age 40. Age variations were minimal across parameters. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive analysis demonstrated L3-4 as the optimal first-choice segment for ages 10-60 years, conferring maximal efficacy and safety. L5-S1 can serve as an alternative option for ages 61-80 years when upper interspaces narrow. This study provides quantitative imaging evidence supporting age-specific, optimized lumbar puncture segment selection.

Clinical practice of sepsis-induced immunosuppression: Current immunotherapy and future options.

Sepsis is a potentially fatal condition characterized by the failure of one or more organs due to a disordered host response to infection. The development of sepsis is closely linked to immune dysfunction. As a result, immunotherapy has gained traction as a promising approach to sepsis treatment, as it holds the potential to reverse immunosuppression and restore immune balance, thereby improving the prognosis of septic patients. However, due to the highly heterogeneous nature of sepsis, it is crucial to carefully select the appropriate patient population for immunotherapy. This review summarizes the current and evolved treatments for sepsis-induced immunosuppression to enhance clinicians' understanding and practical application of immunotherapy in the management of sepsis.

Profile of cotton flavonoids: Their composition and important roles in development and adaptation to adverse environments.

Cotton is a commercial crop that is cultivated in more than 50 countries. The production of cotton has severely diminished in recent years owing to adverse environments. Thus, it is a high priority of the cotton industry to produce resistant cultivars to prevent diminished cotton yields and quality. Flavonoids comprise one of the most important groups of phenolic metabolites in plants. However, the advantage and biological roles of flavonoids in cotton have yet not been studied in depth. In this study, we performed a widely targeted metabolic study and identified 190 flavonoids in cotton leaves that span seven different classes with flavones and flavonols as the dominant groups. Furthermore, flavanone-3-hydroxylase was cloned and silenced to knock down flavonoid production. The results show that the inhibition of flavonoid biosynthesis affects the growth and development of cotton and causes semi-dwarfing in cotton seedlings. We also revealed that the flavonoids contribute to cotton defense against ultraviolet radiation and Verticillium dahliae. Moreover, we discuss the promising role of flavonoids in cotton development and defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. This study provides valuable information to study the variety and biological functions of flavonoids in cotton and will help to profile the advantages of flavonoids in cotton breeding.

Computer-modified paramedian approach technique reduces failures and alleviates pain in lumbar puncture: a prospective comparative study.

Background: The conventional midline approach for lumbar puncture (MAT-LP) has a relatively low success rate of 70%. The paramedian approach can increase the effective puncture area and success rate but lacks standardized guidelines. This study evaluated a computer-modified paramedian approach technique (CMPAT) to optimize lumbar puncture using computational techniques. Methods: In this prospective study, 120 patients underwent CMPAT-LP (n = 60) or MAT-LP (n = 60). Puncture failure was defined after 6 attempts. Failure rate, number of attempts, pain score, and complications were compared. Subgroup analysis was conducted for age (≥ 50 years). Results: No significant demographic differences existed between groups. Failure rates were 3.3% for CMPAT vs. 13.3% for MAT. Puncture attempts averaged 2.0 vs. 3.5 and pain scores were 2.7 vs. 4.1 for CMPAT and MAT, respectively. All outcomes were significantly improved with CMPAT, especially in elderly patients. No significant difference in complications was observed. Conclusion: Compared to MAT, CMPAT-LP demonstrated lower failure rates, fewer puncture attempts, and less pain, without compromising safety. CMPAT may be superior and should be more widely implemented in clinical practice.

Expert consensus on the monitoring and treatment of sepsis-induced immunosuppression.

Emerged evidence has indicated that immunosuppression is involved in the occurrence and development of sepsis. To provide clinical practice recommendations on the immune function in sepsis, an expert consensus focusing on the monitoring and treatment of sepsis-induced immunosuppression was developed. Literature related to the immune monitoring and treatment of sepsis were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure to design items and expert opinions were collected through an online questionnaire. Then, the Delphi method was used to form consensus opinions, and RAND appropriateness method was developed to provide consistency evaluation and recommendation levels for consensus opinions. This consensus achieved satisfactory results through two rounds of questionnaire survey, with 2 statements rated as perfect consistency, 13 as very good consistency, and 9 as good consistency. After summarizing the results, a total of 14 strong recommended opinions, 8 weak recommended opinions and 2 non-recommended opinions were produced. Finally, a face-to-face discussion of the consensus opinions was performed through an online meeting, and all judges unanimously agreed on the content of this consensus. In summary, this expert consensus provides a preliminary guidance for the monitoring and treatment of immunosuppression in patients with sepsis.

In Situ Synthetic ZIF-8/Carbon Aerogel Composites as Solid-Phase Microextraction Coating for the Detection of Phthalic Acid Esters in Water Samples.

In this study, a hybrid composite featuring zeolitic imidazolate framework-8/carbon aerogel (ZIF-8/CA) was synthesized via in situ nucleation and growth of ZIF-8 nanoparticles inside carbon aerogels. The novel material was used as the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coating for the five phthalic acid esters (PAEs) detection by coupling with a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Compared with bare carbon aerogel, the ZIF-8/CA presented the best performance, which is attributed to the unique advantages between the high surface area of CA and high hydrophobic properties, the thermal stability of ZIF-8, and their synergistic adsorption effects, such as molecular penetration, hydrogen bond, and π-π stacking interactions. Under the optimized conditions, the as-proposed ZIF-8/CA fiber provided a wide linearity range from 0.2 to 1000 µg L-1 and a low detection limit of 0.17-0.48 µg L-1 for PAEs analysis. The intra-day and inter-day of signal fiber and the fiber-fiber relative standard deviations were observed in the ranges of 3.50-8.16%, 5.02-10.57%, and 5.66-12.11%, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of five PAEs in plastic bottled and river water samples.

Vacancy engineering of two-dimensional W2N3 nanosheets for efficient CO2 hydrogenation.

Peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality have become the consensus goal of the international community to solve the environmental problems threatening mankind caused by accumulative greenhouse gases like CO2. Herein we proposed vacancy engineering of two-dimensional (2D) topological W2N3 for efficient CO2 hydrogenation into high value-added chemicals and fuels. Spherical aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (Cs-corrected STEM) confirmed a large amount of N vacancies on the catalyst surface, which significantly reduced the energy barrier for the formation of the essential intermediates of *CO and *CHO as revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Consequently, the highly stable catalyst exhibited efficient CO2 hydrogenation superior to many previous reports with a maximum CO2 conversion rate of 24% and a high selectivity of 23% for C2+ hydrocarbons. This work provided not only insight into the vacancy-controlled CO2 hydrogenation mechanism, but also fresh ammunition to bring the remaining potential of 2D topological transition metal nitrides in the field of catalysis.

Cr cation-anchored carbon nanosheets: synthesis, paramagnetism and ferromagnetism.

Since the successfully synthesis of monolayer graphene, carbon-based materials have attracted wide and extensive attentions from researches. Due to the excellent transport capacity and conductivity, they are promising to be applied in electronic devices, even substituting the silicon-based electronic devices, optoelectronics and spintronics. Nevertheless, due to the non magnetic feature, many efforts have been devoted to endow carbon materials magnetism to apply them in the spintronic devices fabrication. Herein, a strategy of Cr cation solely anchored on two-dimensional carbon nanosheets by Cr-N bonds is developed, which introduces magnetism in carbon nanosheets. By extended x-ray absorption fine structure characterization, Cr cations are demonstrated to be atomically dispersed with Cr-N3coordination. And after Cr-N3anchored, carbon nanosheets exhibit ferromagnetic features with paramagnetic background. The magnetization varies with Cr content and reaches the maximum (Cr: 2.0%, 0.86 emu g-1) under 3 T at 50 K. The x-ray magnetic circular dichroism and first-principle calculations indicate that the magnetism is caused by the Cr3+component of the anchored Cr cations. This study sets a single cation anchoring carbon as a suitable candidate for future spintronics.

Synchronous oxidation and sequestration for As(iii) from aqueous solution by modified CuFe2O4 coupled with peroxymonosulfate: a fast and stable heterogeneous process.

Bifunctional heterogeneous catalytic processes for highly efficient removal of arsenic (As(iii)) are receiving increased attention. However, the agglomerated nature and stability of nanoparticles are major concerns. Herein, we report a new process regarding the anchoring of CuFe2O4 nanoparticles on a substrate material, a kind of Fe-Ni foam, to form porous CuFe2O4 foam (CuFe2O4-foam) by in situ synthesis. The prepared material was then applied to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for fast and efficient removal of As(iii) from water. The results of removal experiments show that the complete removal of arsenic (<10 µg L-1) from 1 mg L-1 As(iii) aqueous solution can be achieved within shorter time (<10 min) using this adsorbent coupled with PMS. The maximum adsorption capability of As(iii) and As(v) on the prepared adsorbent is observed to be about 105.78 mg g-1 and 120.32 mg g-1, respectively. CuFe2O4-foam/PMS couple could work effectively in a wide pH range (3.0-9.0) and temperature range (10-60 °C), which is more beneficial to its application in actual water treatment engineering. The exhausted adsorbents can be refreshed for cyclic runs (at least 7 cycles) with insignificant capacity loss using alkaline solution as a regeneration strategy, suggesting this process has good stability. Investigation of the mechanism reveals that the route to the removal of As(iii) is synchronous oxidation and sequestration in the arsenic removal process. The large As(iii) removal capability and stability of CuFe2O4-foam/PMS show its potential as a promising candidate in real As(iii)-contaminated groundwater treatment.

Transesophageal echocardiography instead or in addition to transthoracic echocardiography in evaluating haemodynamic problems in intubated critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) performed by intensivists is increasingly used in critically ill patients. However, TEE is usually not the preferred monitoring tool, especially when transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) appears to have addressed the clinical problems. As a result, it remains largely unknown whether TEE is a clinically valuable replacement or supplement for TTE as a primary tool in evaluating haemodynamic problems in critically ill surgical patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic and therapeutic value of TEE instead or in addition to TTE in critically ill surgical patients with hemodynamic instability. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted. A total of 68 consecutive patients were enrolled from December 2016 to February 2018. TEE was routinely performed in addition to TTE, and the imaging data from TTE and TEE were successively disclosed to two different primary physicians, who reported any resulting changes in management. The two physicians were required to reach a consensus if there was any disagreement. The results of the additional TEE examination were compared with the clinical findings and TTE information. The image quality of TTE views was classified as a good (score 2), suboptimal (score 1) or poor view (score 0). According to the scores of TTE images, the patients were divided into two groups: patients with adequate TTE views (score ≥6) and inadequate TTE views (score <6). RESULTS: The results of additional TEE examination were classified into four categories. TEE failed to provide additional information about the initial diagnosis and therapy (class 1) in 26 patients (38.2%). Of the remaining 42 patients (61.8%), TEE instead or in addition to TTE revealed new findings or led to significant changes in therapy, as TTE supplied inadequate information. TEE used in addition to TTE led to a new diagnosis without therapeutic implications (class 2) in 11 patients (16.2%) and made a major clinical contribution leading to a therapeutic change (class 3) in 23 patients (33.8%). TEE used instead of TTE determined the diagnosis and therapy in 8 patients (11.8%) whose haemodynamic problems could not be addressed by TTE (class 4). In total, TEE had critical therapeutic benefits (class 3 and 4) that was not provided by TTE in 31 patients (45.6%). Of particular concern was that TEE had a higher proportion of therapeutic benefits to patients with inadequate TTE views than those with adequate TTE views (54.3% vs. 27.3%, P=0.036). CONCLUSIONS: TEE as a feasible clinical tool is useful for critically ill surgical patients with hemodynamic instability, especially for the patients with inadequate TTE views. TEE instead or in addition to TTE could provide valuable information for diagnosis, which may bring significant therapeutic benefits.

Early Immunoparalysis Was Associated with Poor Prognosis in Elderly Patients with Sepsis: Secondary Analysis of the ETASS Study.

PURPOSE: Although immune dysfunction has been investigated in adult septic patients, early immune status remains unclear. In this study, our primary aim was to assess early immune status in adult patients with sepsis stratified by age and its relevance to hospital mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A post hoc analysis of a multicenter, randomized controlled trial was conducted; 273 patients whose immune status was evaluated within 48 hours after onset of sepsis were enrolled. Early immune status was evaluated by the percentage of monocyte human leukocyte antigen-DR (mHLA-DR) in total monocytes within 48 hours after onset of sepsis and it was classified as immunoparalysis (mHLA-DR ≤30%) or non-immunoparalysis (>30%). Three logistic regression models were conducted to explore the associations between early immunoparalysis and hospital mortality. We also developed two sensitivity analyses to find out whether the definition of early immune status (24 hours vs 48 hours after onset of sepsis) and immunotherapy affect the primary outcome. RESULTS: Of the 181 elderly (≥60yrs) and 92 non-elderly (<60yrs) septic patients, 71 (39.2%) and 25 (27.2%) died in hospital, respectively. The percentage of early immunoparalysis in the elderly was twice of that in the non-elderly patients (32% vs 16%, p=0.006). For the elderly, hospital mortality was higher in the immunoparalysis ones than the non-immunoparalysis ones (53.4% vs 32.5%, p=0.009). But there was no significant difference in hospital mortality between immunoparalysis non-elderly patients and non-immunoparalysis non-elderly ones (33.5% vs 26.0%, p=0.541). By means of logistic regression models, we found that early immunoparalysis was independently associated with increased hospital mortality in elderly, but not in non-elderly patients. Sensitivity analysis further confirmed the definition of early immune status and immunotherapy did not affect the outcomes. CONCLUSION: The elderly were more susceptible to early immunoparalysis after onset of sepsis. Early immunoparalysis was independently associated with poor prognosis in elderly, but not in non-elderly patients.

Mindin serves as a tumour suppressor gene during colon cancer progression through MAPK/ERK signalling pathway in mice.

Mindin is important in broad spectrum of immune responses. On the other hand, we previously reported that mindin attenuated human colon cancer development by blocking angiogenesis through Egr-1-mediated regulation. However, the mice original mindin directly suppressed the syngenic colorectal cancer (CRC) growth in our recent study and we aimed to further define the role of mindin during CRC development in mice. We established the mouse syngeneic CRC CMT93 and CT26 WT cell lines with stable mindin knock-down or overexpression. These cells were also subcutaneously injected into C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice as well as established a colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) mouse model treated with lentiviral-based overexpression and knocked-down of mindin. Furthermore, we generated mindin knockout mice using a CRISPR-Cas9 system with CAC model. Our data showed that overexpression of mindin suppressed cell proliferation in both of CMT93 and CT26 WT colon cancer cell lines, while the silencing of mindin promoted in vitro cell proliferation via the ERK and c-Fos pathways and cell cycle control. Moreover, the overexpression of mindin significantly suppressed in vivo tumour growth in both the subcutaneous transplantation and the AOM/DSS-induced CAC models. Consistently, the silencing of mindin reversed these in vivo observations. Expectedly, the tumour growth was promoted in the CAC model on mindin-deficient mice. Thus, mindin plays a direct tumour suppressive function during colon cancer progression and suggesting that mindin might be exploited as a therapeutic target for CRC.

Data for a new spinel catalyst to activate peroxymonosulfate for highly efficient degrading organic contaminants in water based on non-radical process.

The aim of this research is to degrade organic contaminants in aqueous solution via lead ferrite (PbFe2O4) as a catalyst to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS). PbFe2O4 was synthesized by a citrate combustion method and analyzed by SEM, TEM and XRD. A simulated solution including thionine were used, with different conditions tested to optimize the degradation process, including comparing PbFe2O4 to other catalysts, PbO and Fe2O3, and tracking active oxygen species. The concentrations of thionine and PMS were tracked with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer in the treatment process. The data are presented as graphs and tables. A detailed analyses of this report can be found in the article "New insight into the mechanism of peroxymonosulfate activation by nanoscaled lead-based spinel for organic matters degradation: a singlet oxygen-dominated oxidation process" published in Journal of colloid and interface science.

New insight into the mechanism of peroxymonosulfate activation by nanoscaled lead-based spinel for organic matters degradation: A singlet oxygen-dominated oxidation process.

Crystalline iron-based nanoparticles with spinel structure have received great attention for catalyzing peroxymonosulfate (PMS). This study introduces lead ferrite (PbFe2O4) as a novel, simple, and efficient catalyst to activate PMS for the degradation of organic contaminants in aqueous solution. The results indicated that, under pH 9.0, nearly 100% of 10 µM thionine was removed in 20 min. Operation factors, including pH, oxidant concentrations, catalyst dosage, and coexisting ions, were investigated and found to be influential for the thionine removal. PbFe2O4 showed higher catalytic activity and lower ions leaching than well-crystallized lead oxide (PbO) and ferric oxide (Fe2O3). The results from the characterization of the PbFe2O4 with X-ray diffraction (XRD) before and after reaction suggested that the structure and properties of the catalyst kept stable, and the recovered catalyst exhibited good catalytic performance during the recycling batch experiments. Free radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra revealed that singlet-oxygen (1O2) is the dominant active oxygen species rather than sulfate radical for thionine degradation in PbFe2O4/PMS system. Meanwhile, the possible pathways of 1O2 generation were proposed: the redox reaction between Pb(Ⅳ)/Pb(II) and PMS may play an key role in PMS activation. This study provides an interesting insight in PMS activation by the high-efficient non-radical process, and the PbFe2O4 could be as efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for organic degradation.

Differences in ocular biometry between urban and rural children matched by refractive error: the Shandong Children Eye Study.

PURPOSE: To determine the differences in mean ocular dimensions between urban and rural children and identify possible influencing factors. METHODS: This work uses previously published data from the Shandong Children Eye Study, which was based on a random cluster sampling applied to a cross-sectional school-based study design in the rural Guanxian County and Weihai city. All children underwent auto-refractometry and biometry under cycloplegia. RESULTS: The study included 3290 children (aged 9.35 ± 2.93 years), consisting of 888 pairs of boys and 757 pairs of girls matched by sex, age and refractive error (each pair matching one child from urban cohort with one from the rural cohort). Overall urban children were significantly taller and heavier than rural children (t-test; p < 0.001), which was confirmed for all age groups for weight. Urban ocular axial lengths were significantly longer by 0.23 mm compared to the rural population (t-test; p < 0.001), mostly in younger children and boys. Meanwhile, corneal curvatures were flatter in the urban cohort by 0.08 mm (p < 0.001). This association of axial length with urban vs rural region was reduced in magnitude by 69.7% after accounting for height. CONCLUSIONS: For the same, matched refractive error, children from urban regions had significantly longer eyes and flatter corneal curvature than rural children. Since corneal curvature is defined during the first 2 years of life, early environmental factors may be the source of these differences in ocular dimensions.

Validation of the 8th edition of AJCC/UICC staging system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Results from a non-endemic cohort with 10-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to validate the 8th edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control (AJCC/UICC) TNM staging system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in non-endemic region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited 607 patients with histology-proven, previously untreated, non-metastatic NPC treated by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) at our center. Harrell's concordance index (c-index) and Akaike information criterion (AIC) were applied to compare the prognostic discrimination between the 7th and 8th edition staging system. RESULTS: For T category, the local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) Kaplan-Meier curves of T1, T2 and T3 were well separated in the 8th edition; however, LRFS did not significantly differ between T3 and T4 (P = 0.166). Moreover, the 7th edition achieved higher c-index (0.702 [95% CI, 0.618-0.787] vs. 0.685 [95% CI, 0.604-0.767]) and lower AIC (766.1 vs. 770.8) than 8th edition for LRFS. With regard to N category, the 8th edition achieved higher c-index (0.796 [95% CI, 0.749-0.843] vs. 0.751 [95% CI, 0.696-0.805]) and lower AIC (1439.4 vs. 1471.9) for distant metastasis-free survival. In terms of overall stage, the 8th edition also had higher c-index (0.798 [95% CI, 0.753-0.844] vs. 0.721 [95% CI, 0.672-0.770]) and lower AIC (1963.9 vs. 2007.2) compared with the 7th edition for overall survival. Furthermore, interval validation by bootstrapping the sample randomly for ~100-1000 times also validated above findings. CONCLUSION: The 8th edition of AJCC/UICC TNM staging system achieved significantly better prognostic discrimination than the 7th edition with regard to N category and overall stage but not T category.

Effectiveness of personalized 3D printed models for patient education in degenerative lumbar disease.

OBJECTIVE: Three-dimensional printing may play an important role in patients' education. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of personalized 3D printed models for increasing patient understanding of their medical condition and surgical plan. METHODS: Forty-five patients with degenerative lumbar diseases were randomized by block design into three groups: educational program presented by CT & MRI imaging (care-as-usual), 3D reconstructions, or personalized 3D printed models. Patients' level of understanding and satisfaction were evaluated by two questionnaires one day after education. RESULTS: Patients educated with personalized 3D printed models demonstrated an expanded level of understanding than patients educated with CT & MRI imaging (care-as-usual) (P ＜ 0.05) and 3D reconstructions (P ＜ 0.05). Personalized 3D printed models also resulted in a higher degree of patient satisfaction (P ＜ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Personalized 3D printed models and 3D reconstructions can simplify and enhance understanding of lumbar anatomy, physiology, and patients' disease and surgical plan. Personalized 3D printed models also enhance patients' subjective satisfaction. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Personalized 3D printed models for patient education are feasible and could be generalized for degenerative lumbar diseases.

The pattern-recognition molecule mindin binds integrin Mac-1 to promote macrophage phagocytosis via Syk activation and NF-κB p65 translocation.

Mindin has a broad spectrum of roles in the innate immune system, including in macrophage migration, antigen phagocytosis and cytokine production. Mindin functions as a pattern-recognition molecule for microbial pathogens. However, the underlying mechanisms of mindin-mediated phagocytosis and its exact membrane receptors are not well established. Herein, we generated mindin-deficient mice using the CRISPR-Cas9 system and show that peritoneal macrophages from mindin-deficient mice were severely defective in their ability to phagocytize E  coli. Phagocytosis was enhanced when E  coli or fluorescent particles were pre-incubated with mindin, indicating that mindin binds directly to bacteria or non-pathogen particles and promotes phagocytosis. We defined that 131 I-labelled mindin binds with integrin Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18), the F-spondin (FS)-fragment of mindin binds with the αM -I domain of Mac-1 and that mindin serves as a novel ligand of Mac-1. Blockade of the αM -I domain of Mac-1 using either a neutralizing antibody or si-Mac-1 efficiently blocked mindin-induced phagocytosis. Furthermore, mindin activated the Syk and MAPK signalling pathways and promoted NF-κB entry into the nucleus. Our data indicate that mindin binds with the integrin Mac-1 to promote macrophage phagocytosis through Syk activation and NF-κB p65 translocation, suggesting that the mindin/Mac-1 axis plays a critical role during innate immune responses.

Biallelic mutations in PMFBP1 cause acephalic spermatozoa.

The majority of men with defects in spermatogenesis remain undiagnosed. Acephalic spermatozoa is one of the diseases causing primary infertility. However, the causes underlying over half of affected cases remain unclear. Here, we report by whole-exome sequencing the identification of homozygous and compound heterozygous truncating mutations in PMFBP1 of two unrelated individuals with acephalic spermatozoa. PMFBP1 was highly and specifically expressed in human and mouse testis. Furthermore, immunofluorescence staining in sperm from a normal control showed that PMFBP1 localizes to the head-flagella junction region, and the absence of PMFBP1 was confirmed in patients harboring PMFBP1 mutations. In addition, we generated Pmfbp1 knock-out (KO) mice, which we found recapitulate the acephalic sperm phenotype. Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of testicular sperm from Pmfbp1 KO and control mice showed 124 and 35 proteins, respectively, increased or decreased in sperm from KO mice compared to that found in control mice. Gene ontology analysis indicates that the biological process of Golgi vesicle transport was the most highly enriched in differentially expressed proteins, indicating process defects related to Golgi complex function may disturb formation of the head-neck junction. Collectively, our data indicate that PMFBP1 is necessary for sperm morphology in both humans and mice, and that biallelic truncating mutations in PMFBP1 cause acephalic spermatozoa.