Unilateral Versus Bilateral Balloon Kyphoplasty for Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures: A Systematic Review of Overlapping Meta-analyses.

Background: There have been many meta-analyses and systematic reviews that have discussed the differences between unilateral and bilateral balloon kyphoplasty. However, their conclusions regarding the efficacy and safety of bilateral balloon kyphoplasty in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) are discordant.

Objective: We attempted to select the best evidence review to determine the differences between unilateral and bilateral balloon kyphoplasty, and we wanted to determine the best treatment approach for OVCFs.

A Comparison of the RETeval Sensor Strip and DTL Electrode for Recording the Photopic Negative Response.

Purpose: To compare the RETeval sensor strip and Dawson-Trick-Litzkow (DTL) electrodes for recording the photopic negative response (PhNR) using a portable electroretinogram (ERG) device in eyes with and without glaucoma.

Methods: Twenty-six control and 31 glaucoma or glaucoma-suspect participants were recruited. Photopic ERGs were recorded with sensor strip and DTL electrodes in random order using the LKC RETeval device.

Optimizing a Portable ERG Device for Glaucoma Clinic: The Effect of Interstimulus Frequency on the Photopic Negative Response.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of interstimulus frequency on the photopic negative response (PhNR) in the clinical electroretinogram (ERG) in glaucoma and healthy eyes.

Methods: Participants with open angle glaucoma ( = 15) and age-matched controls ( = 20) were recruited. Photopic ERGs were recorded in one eye using five frequencies (1-5 Hz) delivered in random order.

Deep sequencing and transcriptome analysis to identify genes related to biosynthesis of aristolochic acid in Asarum heterotropoides.

Asarum spp. are important medicinal plants that have the potential for use in treating various types of fevers. Aristolochic acid is one of the main toxic compounds present in these plants.

Alpinia oxyphylla oil induces apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via PI3K/Akt pathway in vitro and in vivo.

Background: The anti-tumor properties of Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel (A. oxyphylla) extracts and their petroleum ether (PE) fractions have long attracted scientific attention. These extracts' anti-tumor activity and mechanisms in vivo are still unclear.

Mucor chuxiongensis sp. nov., a novel fungal species isolated from rotten wood.

Three strains of a novel mucoralean fungus were isolated from samples of decayed wood, which were collected from three locations near the city of Chuxiong, Yunnan province, China. These isolates were identified as a novel species through comparison of sequences in the ITS sequence, the D1/D2 domains of the LSU rRNA gene, and other taxonomic characteristics. The results demonstrated that these isolates represent a novel mucoralean fungus species belonging to the genus Mucor.

Role of metformin in overweight and obese people without diabetes: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Purpose: Our aim was to assess the efficacy of metformin for weight loss in overweight and obese people through a systematic review and network meta-analysis and to identify the most suitable dosage and intervention period for using metformin in adolescents and adults.

Methods: We searched databases for studies published by April 2018. A total of 34 trials (44 analyses) involving 8461 participants and 16 intervention arms were eligible.

Feasibility of vessel wall imaging in assessing unruptured paraclinoid aneurysms: Clinical observations and preliminary experience.

Introduction: The determination of the precise location of unruptured paraclinoid aneurysms with respect to the dura is essential in order to establish the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In equivocal cases, current imaging modalities are often limited when trying to distinguish the precise relationship of these aneurysms with respect to the dura. We assessed the utility of vessel wall magnetic resonance (VW-MR) imaging in identifying the definitive location of unruptured paraclinoid aneurysms.

Vanrija jinghongensis sp. nov., an asexual basidiomycetous yeast from rotting wood.

Three strains of a novel basidiomycetous yeast were isolated from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest, Yunnan Province, PR China. Sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions indicated that the novel species represents a member of the genus Vanrija. It differed from the most closely related known species, Vanrija albida CBS 2839, by 1.

Linagliptin protects rat carotid artery from balloon injury and activates the NRF2 antioxidant pathway.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is main treatment for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, restenosis caused by PCI-induced injury influences the outcome of patients. Linagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, has been reported to ameliorate intimal hyperplasia post vascular injury.

The Efficacy and Safety of Once-daily Fluticasone Furoate/Umeclidinium/Vilanterol Versus Twice-daily Budesonide/Formoterol in a Subgroup of Patients from China with Symptomatic COPD at Risk of Exacerbations (FULFIL Trial).

The FULFIL study evaluated once-daily fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) 100 µg/62.5 µg/25 µg versus twice-daily budesonide/formoterol (BUD/FOR) 400 µg/12 µg in patients with symptomatic COPD at risk of exacerbations. FULFIL demonstrated clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements at Week 24 in trough forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) Total scores and reduced exacerbation frequency.

Baseline Detrending for the Photopic Negative Response.

Purpose: The photopic negative response (PhNR) of the light-adapted electroretinogram (ERG) holds promise as an objective marker of retinal ganglion cell function. We compared baseline detrending methods to improve PhNR repeatability without compromising its diagnostic ability in glaucoma.

Methods: Photopic ERGs were recorded in 20 glaucoma and 18 age-matched control participants.

Sugiyamaella xiaguanensis f.a., sp. nov., a yeast species isolated from rotting wood.

Three strains representing a novel yeast species, Sugiyamaella xiaguanensis f.a., sp.

Pichia nanzhaoensis sp. nov. and Pichia paraexigua f.a., sp. nov., two yeast species isolated from rotting wood.

Four yeast strains were isolated from rotting wood samples collected in the Baotianman Nature Reserve in Henan Province, Central China. On the basis of sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer regions, they were suggested to be two novel species of the genus Pichia. Pichia nanzhaoensis sp.

Interdisciplinarity research based on NSFC-sponsored projects: A case study of mathematics in Chinese universities.

We investigate the interdisciplinarity of mathematics based on an analysis of projects sponsored by the NSFC (National Natural Science Foundation of China). The motivation of this study lies in obtaining an efficient method to quantify the research interdisciplinarities, revealing the research interdisciplinarity patterns of mathematics discipline, giving insights for mathematics scholars to improve their research, and providing empirical supports for policy making. Our data set includes 6147 NSFC-sponsored projects implemented by 3225 mathematics professors in 177 Chinese universities with established mathematics departments.

Reliably discriminating stock structure with genetic markers: Mixture models with robust and fast computation.

Delineating naturally occurring and self-sustaining subpopulations (stocks) of a species is an important task, especially for species harvested from the wild. Despite its central importance to natural resource management, analytical methods used to delineate stocks are often, and increasingly, borrowed from superficially similar analytical tasks in human genetics even though models specifically for stock identification have been previously developed. Unfortunately, the analytical tasks in resource management and human genetics are not identical-questions about humans are typically aimed at inferring ancestry (often referred to as "admixture") rather than breeding stocks.

Virtual Reality in Neurointervention.

Objectives: Virtual reality (VR) allows users to experience realistic, immersive 3D virtual environments with the depth perception and binocular field of view of real 3D settings. Newer VR technology has now allowed for interaction with 3D objects within these virtual environments through the use of VR controllers. This technical note describes our preliminary experience with VR as an adjunct tool to traditional angiographic imaging in the preprocedural workup of a patient with a complex pseudoaneurysm.

Image guided percutaneous spine procedures using an optical see-through head mounted display: proof of concept and rationale.

Background And Purpose: Optical see-through head mounted displays (OST-HMDs) offer a mixed reality (MixR) experience with unhindered procedural site visualization during procedures using high resolution radiographic imaging. This technical note describes our preliminary experience with percutaneous spine procedures utilizing OST-HMD as an alternative to traditional angiography suite monitors.

Methods: MixR visualization was achieved using the Microsoft HoloLens system.

Uncovering the drivers of host-associated microbiota with joint species distribution modelling.

In addition to the processes structuring free-living communities, host-associated microbiota are directly or indirectly shaped by the host. Therefore, microbiota data have a hierarchical structure where samples are nested under one or several variables representing host-specific factors, often spanning multiple levels of biological organization. Current statistical methods do not accommodate this hierarchical data structure and therefore cannot explicitly account for the effect of the host in structuring the microbiota.

Curative Transvenous Embolization for Ruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations: A Single-Center Experience from China.

Objective: To evaluate feasibility and safety of transvenous embolization for brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).

Methods: Between November 2016 and August 2017, a transvenous endovascular embolization protocol was implemented at the Henan Provincial People's Hospital for consecutive patients with ruptured brain AVMs. Therapeutic decision making was based on Spetzler-Martin grade, brain AVM location, pattern of venous drainage, and angioarchitecture.

Order selection and sparsity in latent variable models via the ordered factor LASSO.

Generalized linear latent variable models (GLLVMs) offer a general framework for flexibly analyzing data involving multiple responses. When fitting such models, two of the major challenges are selecting the order, that is, the number of factors, and an appropriate structure for the loading matrix, typically a sparse structure. Motivated by the application of GLLVMs to study marine species assemblages in the Southern Ocean, we propose the Ordered Factor LASSO or OFAL penalty for order selection and achieving sparsity in GLLVMs.

Yarrowia brassicae f.a., sp. nov., a new yeast species from traditional Chinese sauerkraut.

Two strains of a novel yeast species were isolated from traditional Chinese sauerkraut samples collected in Nanyang, Henan Province, central China. Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions showed that these strains belong to the Yarrowia clade, with seven clones of uncultured Yarrowia as their closest phylogenetic neighbours. They differed from their closest known species, Yarrowia divulgata CBS 11013, by 3.

The coma in glaucoma: Retinal ganglion cell dysfunction and recovery.

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration causes vision loss in patients with glaucoma, and this has been generally considered to be irreversible due to RGC death. We question this assertion and summarise accumulating evidence that points to visual function improving in glaucoma patients with treatment, particularly in the early stages of disease. We propose that prior to death, RGCs enter periods of dysfunction but can recover with relief of RGC stress.

Repeated roll-to-roll transfer of two-dimensional materials by electrochemical delamination.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene (Gr), molybdenum disulfide and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) hold great promise for low-cost and ubiquitous electronics for flexible displays, solar cells or smart sensors. To implement this vision, scalable production, transfer and patterning technologies of 2D materials are needed. Recently, roll-to-roll (R2R) processing, a technique that is widely used in industry and known to be cost-effective and scalable, was applied to continuously grow and transfer graphene.

Image-based dynamic quantification and high-accuracy 3D evaluation of canopy structure of plant populations.

Background And Aims: Global agriculture is facing the challenge of a phenotyping bottleneck due to large-scale screening/breeding experiments with improved breeds. Phenotypic analysis with high-throughput, high-accuracy and low-cost technologies has therefore become urgent. Recent advances in image-based 3D reconstruction offer the opportunity of high-throughput phenotyping.