Can deep learning reduce the time and effort required for manual segmentation in 3D reconstruction of MRI in rotator cuff tears?

Background/purpose: The use of MRI as a diagnostic tool has gained popularity in the field of orthopedics. Although 3-dimensional (3D) MRI offers more intuitive visualization and can better facilitate treatment planning than 2-dimensional (2D) MRI, manual segmentation for 3D visualization is time-consuming and lacks reproducibility. Recent advancements in deep learning may provide a solution to this problem through the process of automatic segmentation.

Decellularized Bovine Pericardial Patch Loaded With Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Enhance the Mechanical Strength and Biological Healing of Large-to-Massive Rotator Cuff Tear in a Rat Model.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the addition of decellularized bovine pericardial patch loaded with mesenchymal stromal cells enhanced bone-to-tendon healing and improved the biomechanical strength of large-to-massive rotator cuff tears in a small animal model.

Methods: Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from rat inguinal fat were isolated, cultured, and loaded onto decellularized bovine pericardium patches. To simulate large-to-massive tears, rats were managed with free cage activity for 6 weeks after tear creation.

Extracellular Vesicles Delivered by Injectable Collagen Promote Bone-Tendon Interface Healing and Prevent Fatty Degeneration of Rotator Cuff Muscle.

Purpose: This study aimed (1) to confirm the maintenance of the extracellular vesicles (EVs) delivered via injectable collagen at the application site, and (2) to evaluate the effect of EVs derived from the human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells and loaded in an injectable collagen gel after rotator cuff repair (RCR).

Methods: Rabbits (n = 20) were assigned to normal (N), repair-only (R), and those administered with injectable collagen after repair (RC), and EV-laden injectable collagen after repair (RCE) groups. The EVs isolated by ultra-centrifugation from the human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells spent medium were mixed with collagen and administered accordingly.

Retear bigger than preoperative tear size would lead to treatment failure after rotator cuff repair.

Background: This study aimed to (1) define treatment failure using the referred patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) values for pain visual analog scale (PVAS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES), and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) clinical scores and (2) identify the factors that lead to patient dissatisfaction after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR).

Methods: We analyzed the arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery registry data from January 2015 to December 2016. Patients were followed for ≥2 years and categorized as dissatisfied or satisfied based on our own definition of treatment failure at 2 years postoperatively.

Do Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory or COX-2 Inhibitor Drugs Increase the Nonunion or Delayed Union Rates After Fracture Surgery?: A Propensity-Score-Matched Study.

Background: The effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)/cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors on postoperative fracture-healing are controversial. Thus, we investigated the association between NSAID/COX-2 inhibitor administration and postoperative nonunion or delayed union of fractures. We aimed to determine the effects of NSAID/COX-2 inhibitor administration on postoperative fracture-healing with use of a common data model.

Postoperative Pain Control After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: Arthroscopy-Guided Continuous Suprascapular Nerve Block Versus Ultrasound-Guided Continuous Interscalene Block.

Purpose: To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of arthroscopy-guided continuous suprascapular nerve block and ultrasound-guided continuous interscalene block in postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Methods: A prospective study was performed between March and November 2020. In total, 76 patients were enrolled and divided into 2 groups: in the 38 patients of group 1 (arthroscopy-guided continuous suprascapular nerve block), an indwelling catheter was introduced via the Neviaser portal under arthroscopic view before closing the portal at the end of the surgery; and in the 38 patients of group 2 (ultrasound-guided continuous interscalene block), an indwelling catheter was inserted and directed toward the interscalene brachial plexus prior to the surgery under ultrasound guidance.

Risk Factors for Severe Proximal Humerus Fracture and Correlation Between Deltoid Tuberosity Index and Bone Mineral Density.

Introduction: The aims of this study were to investigate (1) whether demographic factors would be risk factors for severe proximal humerus fracture (PHF), (2) relationship of radiological parameters with bone mineral density (BMD), deltoid tuberosity index (DTI), or severe PHF, and (3) correlation between DTI and BMD.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study based on radiographs and medical records taken during admission or the visit to the orthopedic clinic. We reviewed consecutive 100 adult patients who were diagnosed with PHF in our hospital from March 2014 to December 2016.

Bimodal Control of Heat Transport at Graphene-Metal Interfaces Using Disorder in Graphene.

Thermal energy transport across the interfaces of physically and chemically modified graphene with two metals, Al and Cu, was investigated by measuring thermal conductance using the time-domain thermoreflectance method. Graphene was processed using a He ion-beam with a Gaussian distribution or by exposure to ultraviolet/O, which generates structural or chemical disorder, respectively. Hereby, we could monitor changes in the thermal conductance in response to varying degrees of disorder.

Divalent Fe Atom Coordination in Two-Dimensional Microporous Graphitic Carbon Nitride.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a rising two-dimensional material possessing intrinsic semiconducting property with unique geometric configuration featuring superimposed heterocyclic sp(2) carbon and nitrogen network, nonplanar layer chain structure, and alternating buckling. The inherent porous structure of heptazine-based g-C3N4 features electron-rich sp(2) nitrogen, which can be exploited as a stable transition metal coordination site. Multiple metal-functionalized g-C3N4 systems have been reported for versatile applications, but local coordination as well as its electronic structure variation upon incoming metal species is not well understood.

Intrinsic Photoluminescence Emission from Subdomained Graphene Quantum Dots.

The photoluminescence (PL) origin of bright blue emission arising from intrinsic states in graphene quantum dots (GQDs) is investigated. The bright PL of intercalatively acquired GQDs is attributed to favorably formed subdomains composed of four to seven carbon hexagons. Random and harsh oxidation which hinders the energetically favorable formation of subdomains causes weak and redshifted PL.

Enhancement of the anisotropic photocurrent in ferroelectric oxides by strain gradients.

The phase separation of multiple competing structural/ferroelectric phases has attracted particular attention owing to its excellent electromechanical properties. Little is known, however, about the strain-gradient-induced electronic phenomena at the interface of competing structural phases. Here, we investigate the polymorphic phase interface of bismuth ferrites using spatially resolved photocurrent measurements, present the observation of a large enhancement of the anisotropic interfacial photocurrent by two orders of magnitude, and discuss the possible mechanism on the basis of the flexoelectric effect.

Probing Single-Molecule Dissociations from a Bimolecular Complex NO-Co-Porphyrin.

Axial coordinations of diatomic NO molecules to metalloporphyrins play key roles in dynamic processes of biological functions such as blood pressure control and immune response. Probing such reactions at the single molecule level is essential to understand their physical mechanisms but has been rarely performed. Here we report on our single molecule dissociation experiments of diatomic NO from NO-Co-porphyrin complexes describing its dissociation mechanisms.

Transcriptional regulation of Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 gene by liver receptor homolog-1.

Factors that modulate cholesterol levels have major impacts on cardiovascular disease. Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) functions as a sterol transporter mediating intestinal cholesterol absorption and counter-balancing hepatobiliary cholesterol excretion. The liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH-1) had been shown to regulate genes involved in hepatic lipid metabolism and reverse cholesterol transport.

Seebeck effect at the atomic scale.

The atomic variations of electronic wave functions at the surface and electron scattering near a defect have been detected unprecedentedly by tracing thermoelectric voltages given a temperature bias [Cho et al., Nat. Mater.

Complementary p- and n-type polymer doping for ambient stable graphene inverter.

Graphene offers great promise to complement the inherent limitations of silicon electronics. To date, considerable research efforts have been devoted to complementary p- and n-type doping of graphene as a fundamental requirement for graphene-based electronics. Unfortunately, previous efforts suffer from undesired defect formation, poor controllability of doping level, and subtle environmental sensitivity.

Finite-temperature hydrogen adsorption and desorption thermodynamics driven by soft vibration modes.

It has been widely accepted that enhanced dihydrogen adsorption is required for room-temperature hydrogen storage on nanostructured porous materials. Here we report, based on results of first-principles total energy and vibrational spectrum calculations, finite-temperature adsorption and desorption thermodynamics of hydrogen molecules that are adsorbed on the metal center of metal-porphyrin-incorporated graphene. We have revealed that the room-temperature hydrogen storage is achievable not only with the enhanced adsorption enthalpy, but also with soft-mode driven vibrational entropy of the adsorbed dihydrogen molecule.

Thermoelectric imaging of structural disorder in epitaxial graphene.

Heat is a familiar form of energy transported from a hot side to a colder side of an object, but not a notion associated with microscopic measurements of electronic properties. A temperature difference within a material causes charge carriers, electrons or holes to diffuse along the temperature gradient inducing a thermoelectric voltage. Here we show that local thermoelectric measurements can yield high-sensitivity imaging of structural disorder on the atomic and nanometre scales.

Cooperative transcriptional activation of ATP-binding cassette sterol transporters ABCG5 and ABCG8 genes by nuclear receptors including Liver-X-Receptor.

The ATP-binding cassette transporters ABCG5 and ABCG8 form heterodimers that limit absorption of dietary sterols in the intestine and promote cholesterol elimination from the body through hepatobiliary secretion. To identify cis-regulatory elements of the two genes, we have cloned and analyzed twenty-three evolutionary conserved region (ECR) fragments using the CMV-luciferase reporter system in HepG2 cells. Two ECRs were found to be responsive to the Liver-X-Receptor (LXR).

Interfacial thermal conductance observed to be higher in semiconducting than metallic carbon nanotubes.

Thermal transport at carbon nanotube (CNT) interfaces was investigated by characterizing the interfacial thermal conductance between metallic or semiconducting CNTs and three different surfactants. We thereby resolved a difference between metallic and semiconducting CNTs. CNT portions separated by their electronic type were prepared in aqueous suspensions.

Chemical structures of hydrazine-treated graphene oxide and generation of aromatic nitrogen doping.

Chemically modified graphene platelets, produced via graphene oxide, show great promise in a variety of applications due to their electrical, thermal, barrier and mechanical properties. Understanding the chemical structures of chemically modified graphene platelets will aid in the understanding of their physical properties and facilitate development of chemically modified graphene platelet chemistry. Here we use (13)C and (15)N solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to study the chemical structure of (15)N-labelled hydrazine-treated (13)C-labelled graphite oxide and unlabelled hydrazine-treated graphene oxide, respectively.