[Preliminary observation on the clinical application of rehabilitation support for lumbar disc herniation based on 3D printing technology].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the important effect of 3D printing personalized lumbar support on lumbar pain and lumbar function in patients with lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: From October 2018 to May 2021, 60 patients initially diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation were selected and divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 patients in each group. Among them, there were 18 males and 12 females in the observation group;the age ranged from 24 to 56 years old, with an average of (45.23±6.07) years old. The course of disease ranged from 1 to 24 months, with an average of(6.25±0.82) months, and rehabilitation treatment was carried out by wearing 3D printed personalized lumbar support. There were 19 males and 11 females in the control group;the age ranged from 25 to 57 years old, with an average of (42.78±7.58) years old. The course of disease ranged from 1 to 24 months, with an average of (6.72±1.36) months, and rehabilitation treatment is carried out by wearing traditional lumbar protective equipment. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, lumbar Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were evaluated and compared between the two groups before and 1 course after treatment (3 weeks). RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in JOA, ODI, and VAS between two groups before treatment (P>0.05). After one course of treatment (3 weeks), JOA scores of both groups was increased compared to before treatment (P<0.05), while ODI and VAS decreased compared to before treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, JOA score of observation group was higher than that of control group (P<0.05), while ODI and VAS scores were lower than those of control group. No adverse events occurred in both groups. CONCLUSION: The application of 3D printing personalized lumbar support can effectively alleviate the pain of patients with lumbar disc herniation and improve their lumbar function of patients.

First report of internal black rot on Carica papaya fruit caused by Fusarium sulawesiense in China.

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a tropical fruit consumed worldwide due to its nutritional, medicinal and pharmacological properties. In China, papaya was widely planted in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan, Fujian and Taiwan provinces. From September to December in 2015-2020, fruit with internal black rot disease was observed in papaya plantation in Xuwen, Guangdong province (N20°20'9"; E110°14'45"), approximately 5% fruits on about 85% trees were infected every year. The infected fruits showed the symptom of 'false-ripening' and the pericarp color changed from green to yellow earlier than that of normal fruits. In the cavity of diseased fruits, the sarcocarp black rotted and conspicuous mycelia were observed. Mycelia and infected tissues from symptomatic fruits were picked up, placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) with 50mg/L ampicillin and incubated at 25± 2 ℃ in the dark. The fungus was purified by spore dilution plate method. Fast-growing colonies with dense, floccose, cottony mycelium were initially white gradually becoming buff brown. Macroconidia were falcate, 3-5 septa with foot-shaped cell and 10.35-41.50 (av. 25.41±6.82) ×1.90-5.95 (av. 3.67±0.85) µm (n>140) in size after 7 days of incubation on carnation leaf agar (CLA). There were scarce microconidia. Chlamydospores were intercalary, solitary or in chains, globose or irregular, hyaline to light brown. The morphological characteristics of the fungus were similar to that of Fusarium sulawesiense (Maryani et al. 2019). The internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) (KU881904 and KY436233), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) (KU894408 and KY436232), and RNA polymerase second largest subunit (rpb2) (KU894409 and KY436231) were sequenced from two isolates to cofirm species identification. Blast analysis in the FUSARIUM-ID and the NCBI databases revealed above 99 to 100% identity match with the F. sulawesiense strains NRRL34056, NRRL34059, NRRL34004 and NRRL43730 (Xia et al 2019). Maximum likelihood (ML) analysis and Bayesian inference (BI) based on the concatenated sequences using RAxML v.1.0.0 and MrBayes v. 3.2.1 software revealed that the isolates were resolved in the same clade with the F. sulawesiense strains. Thus, the fungus was identified as F. sulawesiense based on morphological characteristics and molecular criteria. To confirm pathogenicity, five healthy fruits were injected with 200 µl of spore suspension (approximately 104 spores/ml) in the field and laboratory, and isovolumetric sterile water served as control. Each fruit was sealed with a plastic bag and kept at natural temperature (about 25-30 ℃). All the inoculated fruits developed typical symptoms after 30 days in the field and 15 days in the laboratory, whereas no symptoms were observed on the control fruits. F. sulawesiense was reisolated from inoculated fruits, but not from non-inoculated fruits. F. sulawesiense displayed a broad host which included Oryza sativa, Musa nana, Citrus reticulata, and Colocasia esculenta etc. in China (Wang et al. 2019). To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. sulawesiense causing internal black rot on papaya fruit. This work is important for papaya growers to prevent this disease in time.

[Progress in the physiological and pathophysiological functions of sodium calcium exchangers].

Sodium calcium exchanger (NCX), which is widely expressed in the plasma membrane, mitochondrial membrane and secretory vesicles in diverse kinds of cells, belongs to a type of cation translocators. NCX works in two modes, the forward mode and reverse mode, to regulate the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration bi-directionally. In the forward mode, NCX carries Ca(2+) out of the cell against its electrochemical gradients coupled to the influx of Na(+) down its electrochemical gradients; alternatively, Ca(2+) enters through the reverse mode of NCX, and Na(+) is carried out of the cell. Exactly through the two-way modes, NCX can regulate intracellular Ca(2+) concentration fleetly and accurately, and plays a critical role in a series of physiological processes including intracellular signal transduction, growth and development of cells, excitation and its coupled functions of excitable cells. NCX are acknowledged to be involved in myofiber contraction, neurotransmission, migration and differentiation of neurogliocyte, activation of immune cells, secretion of cytokines and hormones etc. Moreover, abnormal activation of the reverse mode of NCX plays a vital role in many pathological processes including cell apoptosis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, insulin secretion, tumor etc. Here we reviewed the research status about the NCX's participation in some physiological and pathophysiological processes, so as to provide comprehensive understanding about its functions.

[Manufacture of high frequency direct current dental X-ray machine].

This paper introduces five dental X-ray machines which are manufactured with IGBT to realize high frequency, real-time sampling and PWM to ensure the closed-loop control for tube current and Anodes's high voltage. These five machines also use microcomputer and combined X-ray tube for precise control. The sets don't have high voltage outside. The error of tube voltage is less than 1% and exposure time is less than 3%. The photos of pulp cavity and surrounding tissue can be seen clearly. These sets surely meet the requirements of perspective use in clinical.