Choice of open side affects clinical outcomes of unilateral open-door laminoplasty for inconsistent cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.

Background: The best open side for unilateral open-door laminoplasty (UODL) to treat inconsistent cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) needs to be identified.

Methods: Thirty-one individuals with inconsistent OPLL who underwent UODL between January 2016 and December 2018 were retrospectively divided into two groups: when the side of the open door was consistent with the side of the larger ossification occupancy area, patients were placed in the Consistent group; when the side of the open door was contralateral to the side of the larger ossification occupancy area, patients were placed in the Contralateral group. The following parameters were evaluated: neck disability index (NDI) score, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, visual analog scale (VAS) score, postoperative laminoplasty opening width and angle, and spinal cord diameter ratio.

Characteristics of Oil-in-Oil Emulsions under AC Electric Fields.

Emulsions have been applied in a number of industries such as pharmaceutics, cosmetics, and food, which are also of great scientific interest. Although aqueous emulsions are commonly used in our daily life, oil-in-oil (o/o) emulsions also play an irreplaceable role in view of their unique physics and complementary applications. In this paper, we investigate typical behaviors of organic droplets surrounded by organic medium (o/o emulsions) with different functional groups controlled by the AC electric field.

Optimal strategy of in-game items with conspicuous consumption: whether to provide the grinding version?

In the virtual world, whether or not to spend money on in-game items distinguishes paying players from non-paying players. Due to the existence of conspicuous psychology, paying players will greatly increase their conspicuous utility after purchasing an item in addition to the utility of the item itself. In this case, whether providing different versions of items can bring greater revenue to the game company is a question worth investigating.

Identification of a potential signature to predict the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Background: Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is related to the elevated risk of fracture in postmenopausal women. Thus, to effectively predict the occurrence of PMOP, we explored a novel gene signature for the prediction of PMOP risk.

Methods: The WGCNA analysis was conducted to identify the PMOP-related gene modules based on the data from GEO database (GSE56116 and GSE100609).

Effect of C7-T1 Extensional Posterior Transpedicle Osteotomy on Mobility and Quality of Life in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis Complicated with Lumbar Kyphosis and Related Factors.

Objective: To analyze the effect of C7-T1 extensional posterior transpedicular vertebral osteotomy (PSO) on mobility and quality of life in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and lumbar kyphosis.

Methods: This study was conducted from February 2019 to February 2021 and a total of 38 patients with AS combined with kyphosis from Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China, were selected for the study. After performing all preoperative examinations, all patients were treated with C7-T1 extensional posterior PSO osteotomy.

AC-electric-field-controlled multi-component droplet coalescence at microscale.

Droplet coalescence with fast response, high controllability and monodispersity has been widely investigated in industrial production and bioengineering. Especially for droplets with multiple components, programmable manipulation of such droplets is crucial for practical applications. However, precise control of the dynamics can be challenging, owing to the complex boundaries and the interfacial and fluidic properties.

Design and Manufacture of Millimeter-Scale 3D Transformers for RF-IC.

The development of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RF-IC) necessitates higher requirements for the size of microtransformers. This paper describes millimeter-scale 3D transformers in millimeter-scale, solenoidal, and toroidal transformers manufactured using Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS). Two through-silicon via (TSV) copper coils with a high aspect ratio are precisely interleaved on a reserved air core (magnet core cavity) with a vertical height of over 1 mm because of the thickness of the substrate, which increases the performance while reducing the footprint.

Visualization and Analysis of Air Pollution and Human Health Based on Cluster Analysis: A Bibliometric Review from 2001 to 2021.

Bibliometric techniques and social network analysis are employed in this study to evaluate 14,955 papers on air pollution and health that were published from 2001 to 2021. To track the research hotspots, the principle of machine learning is applied in this study to divide 10,212 records of keywords into 96 clusters through OmniViz software. Our findings highlight strong research interests and the practical need to control air pollution to improve human health, as evidenced by an annual growth rate of over 15.

Research on equilibrium strategy and emergency management of three oligarch battery manufacturers under cooperative promotion and low-carbon policy.

People are increasingly paying much attention to battery technology, especially the zinc-nickel battery and the lithium battery, for solving energy shortages and environmental contamination. Meanwhile, the drastic change in the external outside environment has brought a huge challenge to manage the battery industry chain. Therefore, in the uncertain external environment, the study of supply chain competition between lithium battery and new nickel battery manufacturers is the focus of this paper.

DNA methyltransferase 3 beta mediates the methylation of the microRNA-34a promoter and enhances chondrocyte viability in osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by destruction of articular cartilage with an imbalance between synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM). In the current study, we explored the role of microRNA-34a (miR-34a) and the behind epigenetic mechanism in the degradation of ECM in OA. Using miRNA-based microarray analysis, we found that miR-34a was overexpressed in cartilage tissues of OA patients relative to patients with acute traumatic amputations.

Clinical Outcomes of Atlantoaxial Dislocation Combined with Osteoporosis Using Posterior Atlantoaxial Rod, Screw Fixation, and Posterior Interfacet Fusion: A Retrospective Study of 21 Cases.

BACKGROUND Surgical procedures on atlantoaxial dislocation combined with osteoporosis remain controversial. This study was established to assess the mid-term clinical outcomes of atlantoaxial dislocation combined with osteoporosis using posterior atlantoaxial rod, screw fixation and posterior interfacet fusion. MATERIAL AND METHODS From January 2017 to January 2020, 21 patients (4 males and 17 females) with coexisting atlantoaxial dislocation and osteoporosis who underwent posterior atlantoaxial rod and screw fixation were included in our study with an average age of 64±8.

Broadband Lumped-Element Parameter Extraction Method of Two-Port 3D MEMS In-Chip Solenoid Inductors Based on a Physics-Based Equivalent Circuit Model.

Integrated 2D spiral inductors possess low inductance per unit area, which limits their application range. However, the state of investigation into the lumped-element parameter extraction method for integrated 3D in-chip multi-turn solenoid inductors, which possess higher inductance per unit area, is inadequate. This type of inductor can thus not be incorporated into fast computer-aided design (CAD)-assisted circuit design.

Numerical Investigation on the Optimum Thermal Design of the Shape and Geometric Parameters of Microchannel Heat Exchangers with Cavities.

Due to the large surface-area-to-volume ratio, microchannel heat exchangers have a higher heat transfer rate compared with traditional scale heat exchangers. In this study, the optimum microchannel cavity with high heat transfer and low flow resistance is designed to further improve microchannel exchangers' thermal performance. A three-dimensional laminar flow model, consisting of Navier-Stokes equations and an energy conservation equation is solved and the conjugate heat transfer between the silicon basement and deionized water is taken into consideration.

Powder Filling and Sintering of 3D In-chip Solenoid Coils with High Aspect Ratio Structure.

In this study, a 3D coil embedded in a silicon substrate including densely distributed through-silicon vias (TSVs) was fabricated via a rapid metal powder sintering process. The filling and sintering methods for microdevices were evaluated, and the effects of powder types were compared. The parameters influencing the properties and processing speed were analyzed.

Foraminoplasty affects the clinical outcomes of discectomy during percutaneous transforaminal endoscopy: a two-year follow-up retrospective study on 64 patients.

The aim of this study was to assess the significance of how the degree of injury of the facet joint affects clinical outcomes in foraminoplasty. We retrospectively enrolled 64 patients treated with percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy with foraminoplasty (PETDF) from January of 2015 to December of 2016. The patients were divided into two groups depending on whether the articular surface of the facet joint was damaged.

Flow Characteristics of the Entrance Region with Roughness Effect within Rectangular Microchannels.

We conducted systematic numerical investigations of the flow characteristics within the entrance region of rectangular microchannels. The effects of the geometrical aspect ratio and roughness on entrance lengths were analyzed. The incompressible laminar Navier-Stokes equations were solved using finite volume method (FVM).

Pure Lumbar Epidural Cavernous Hemangioma with Contralateral Symptoms Complicated by Spondylolisthesis.

Pure spinal epidural cavernous hemangioma with contralateral symptoms is rarely reported. It will be very difficult to diagnose when it is complicated by contralateral symptoms. A 56-year female presented with pure lumbar epidural cavernous hemangioma with contralateral symptoms.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 and p53 involved in chronic fluorosis induced blood-brain barrier damage and neurocyte changes.

Introduction: A large number of basic and clinical studies have confirmed that fluoride produces toxic effects on multiple organ systems in the body including the nervous system.

Material And Methods: One hundred twenty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups with 30 in each group: a high fluoride group (drinking 200 mg/l fluoridated water, 24 weeks); a high fluoride control group (drinking distilled water, 24 weeks); a fluoride removal group (drinking fluoridated water, 12 W; then distilled water, 12 W) and a defluorination control group (drinking distilled water, 24 weeks).

Results: The high fluoride and fluoride removal groups had spinal cord astrocyte edema.

Application of continuous epidural anesthesia in transforaminal lumbar endoscopic surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study aimed to compare intraoperative lower back pain and leg pain, surgical time, and intraoperative X-ray dose in patients offered local infiltration anesthesia or continuous epidural anesthesia for transforaminal endoscopic spine system (TESSYS) surgery.

Methods: A total of 98 patients who received TESSYS treatment for single-segmental lumbar disc herniation were included, and were randomly divided into two groups: group A (49 cases; local infiltration anesthesia) and group B (49 cases; continuous epidural anesthesia). Surgical duration, intraoperative X-ray dose, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores of lower back pain and leg pain before surgery, during surgery, and 48 h after surgery were recorded and compared.

Fabrication and Optimization of High Aspect Ratio Through-Silicon-Vias Electroplating for 3D Inductor.

In this study, the filling process of high aspect ratio through-silicon-vias (TSVs) under dense conditions using the electroplating method was efficiently achieved and optimized. Pulsed power was used as the experimental power source and the electroplating solution was prepared with various additive concentrations. Designed control variable experiments were conducted to determine the optimized method.

Manufacturing of a Compact Micro Air Bearing Device for Power Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) Applications Using Silica Film Assisted Processing.

The focus of this study is on the manufacturing of micro air bearings (MABs) using silica film assisted processing. Structure of the three-layer micro air bearing is described in detail and the salient process flow of etching and bonding is illustrated. The main manufacturing challenges and the methods adopted to overcome them are also presented.

Modic changes in the cervical endplate of patients suffering from cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Background: The distribution and related factors of Modic changes (MC) in the lumbar spine has been evaluated. In the present study, the MC in the cervical endplate of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) was investigated.

Methods: A total of 6422 cervical endplates of 539 patients suffered from CSM (259 males and 280 females) with mean age of 46 ± 5.