Automatic Lenke classification of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with deep learning.

Purpose: The Lenke classification system is widely utilized as the preoperative evaluation protocol for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, manual measurement is susceptible to observer-induced variability, which consequently impacts the evaluation of progression. The goal of this investigation was to develop an automated Lenke classification system utilizing innovative deep learning algorithms. Methods: Using the database from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, the whole spinal x-rays images were retrospectively collected. Specifically, images collection was divided into AIS and control group. The control group consisted of individuals who underwent routine health checks and did not have scoliosis. Afterwards, relative features of all images were annotated. Deep learning was implemented through the utilization of the key-point based detection method to realize the vertebral detection, and Cobb angle measurement and scoliosis classification were performed based on relevant standards. Besides, the segmentation method was employed to achieve the recognition of lumbar vertebral pedicle to determine the type of lumbar spine modifier. Finally, the model performance was further quantitatively analyzed. Results: In the study, a total of 2082 spinal x-ray images were collected from 407 AIS patients and 227 individuals in the control group. The model for vertebral detection achieved an F1-score of 0.809 for curve type evaluation and an F1-score of 0.901 for thoracic sagittal profile. The intraclass correlation efficient (ICC) of the Cobb angle measurement was 0.925. In the analysis of performance for vertebra pedicle segmentation model, the F1-score of lumbar modification profile was 0.942, the intersection over union (IOU) of the target pixels was 0.827, and the Hausdorff distance (HD) was 6.565 ± 2.583 mm. Specifically, the F1-score for ultimate Lenke type classifier was 0.885. Conclusions: This study has constructed an automated Lenke classification system by employing the deep learning networks to achieve the recognition pattern and feature extraction. Our models require further validation in additional cases in the future.

Privacy protection for 3D point cloud classification based on an optical chaotic encryption scheme.

In allusion to the privacy and security problems in 3D point cloud classification, a novel privacy protection method for 3D point cloud classification based on optical chaotic encryption scheme is proposed and implemented in this paper for the first time. The mutually coupled spin-polarized vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (MC-SPVCSELs) subject to double optical feedback (DOF) are studied to generate optical chaos for permutation and diffusion encryption process of 3D point cloud. The nonlinear dynamics and complexity results demonstrate that the MC-SPVCSELs with DOF have high chaotic complexity and can provide tremendously large key space. All the test-sets of ModelNet40 dataset containing 40 object categories are encrypted and decrypted by the proposed scheme, and then the classification results of 40 object categories for original, encrypted, and decrypted 3D point cloud are entirely enumerated through the PointNet++. Intriguingly, the class accuracies of the encrypted point cloud are nearly all equal to 0.0000% except for the plant class with 100.0000%, indicating the encrypted point cloud cannot be classified and identified. The decryption class accuracies are very close to the original class accuracies. Therefore, the classification results verify that the proposed privacy protection scheme is practically feasible and remarkably effective. Additionally, the encryption and decryption results show that the encrypted point cloud images are ambiguous and unrecognizable, while the decrypted point cloud images are identical to original images. Moreover, this paper improves the security analysis via analyzing 3D point cloud geometric features. Eventually, various security analysis results validate that the proposed privacy protection scheme has high security level and good privacy protection effect for 3D point cloud classification.

Nanophotonic reservoir computing for COVID-19 pandemic forecasting.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide in unprecedented speed, and diverse negative impacts have seriously endangered human society. Accurately forecasting the number of COVID-19 cases can help governments and public health organizations develop the right prevention strategies in advance to contain outbreaks. In this work, a long-term 6-month COVID-19 pandemic forecast in second half of 2021 and a short-term 30-day daily ahead COVID-19 forecast in December 2021 are successfully implemented via a novel nanophotonic reservoir computing based on silicon optomechanical oscillators with photonic crystal cavities, benefitting from its simpler learning algorithm, abundant nonlinear characteristics, and some unique advantages such as CMOS compatibility, fabrication cost, and monolithic integration. In essence, the nonlinear time series related to COVID-19 are mapped to the high-dimensional nonlinear space by the optical nonlinear properties of nanophotonic reservoir computing. The testing-dataset forecast results of new cases, new deaths, cumulative cases, and cumulative deaths for six countries demonstrate that the forecasted blue curves are awfully close to the real red curves with exceedingly small forecast errors. Moreover, the forecast results commendably reflect the variations of the actual case data, revealing the different epidemic transmission laws in developed and developing countries. More importantly, the daily ahead forecast results during December 2021 of four kinds of cases for six countries illustrate that the daily forecasted values are highly coincident with the real values, while the relevant forecast errors are tiny enough to verify the good forecasting competence of COVID-19 pandemic dominated by Omicron strain. Therefore, the implemented nanophotonic reservoir computing can provide some foreknowledge on prevention strategy and healthcare management for COVID-19 pandemic.

Security mesh-based optical network exploiting the double masking scheme.

In order to tackle the security and privacy problems in optical networks, a novel mesh-based optical security network exploiting double masking (DM) scheme for multipoint confidential communication is proposed and studied theoretically. For each node in the network, a pair of mutually asynchronous vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are required as transceivers, and the delay fiber (DF) is used to set different time delays as network node markers. In this security network, the encryption of the message is implemented on the transmitter of the source node by using the DM scheme, and the encrypted message is transmitted to the receiver of the destination node through the optical network for decryption. Each network node can output its individual chaotic signals separately with different time delay markers. By regulating different internal parameter mismatches, the synchronization characteristics of transceivers in a security network are numerically analyzed by using the cross correlation coefficient. Simulation results show that the chaos synchronization between transceivers enjoys fantastic robustness to mismatched parameters. Meanwhile, the tolerance of the DM scheme to the inherent parameter mismatch is excellent, so it is suitable for constructing secure networks in optical networks. Besides, based on the high quality synchronization with a correlation coefficient of 0.983, the communication performances of the longest path channel are investigated for a given metropolitan area network scale. Two pieces of 10 Gb/s messages can be effectively concealed in the chaos and decoded gratifyingly behind 100 km transmission, and the system has reliable security to resist illegal attacks. Finally, the network performance simulation is conducted for diverse configurations of the mesh-based optical networks. All the results confirmed the chaotic encryption scheme provides a novel way for any two legitimate nodes to establish security keys in optical networks.

Metformin Attenuates Bone Cancer Pain by Reducing TRPV1 and ASIC3 Expression.

Bone cancer pain (BCP) is a common pathologic pain associated with destruction of bone and pathological reconstruction of nervous system. Current treatment strategies in clinical is inadequate and have unacceptable side effects due to the unclear pathology mechanism. In the present study, we showed that transplantation of Walker 256 cells aggravated mechanical allodynia of BCP rats (**p < 0.01 vs. Sham), and the expression of ASIC3 (Acid-sensitive ion channel 3) and TRPV1 was obviously enhanced in L4-6 dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) of BCP rats (**p < 0.01 vs. Sham). ASIC3 and TRPV1 was mainly expressed in CGRP and IB4 positive neurons of L4-6 DRGs. While, TRPV1 but not ASIC3 was markedly upregulated in L4-6 spinal dorsal horn (SDH) of BCP rats (**p < 0.01 vs. Sham). Importantly, intrathecal injection of CPZ (a TRPV1 inhibitor) or Amiloride (an ASICs antagonist) markedly increased the paw withdraw threshold (PWT) of BCP rats response to Von Frey filaments (**p < 0.01 vs. BCP + NS). What's more, intraperitoneally injection of Metformin or Vinorelbine markedly elevated the PWT of BCP rats, but reduced the expression of TRPV1 and ASIC3 in L4-6 DRGs and decreased the TRPV1 expression in SDH (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. BCP + NS). Collectively, these results suggest an effective analgesic effect of Metformin on mechanical allodynia of BCP rats, which may be mediated by the downregulation of ASIC3 and TRPV1.

MET promotes the proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts.

The receptor tyrosine kinase MET plays a vital role in skeletal muscle development and in postnatal muscle regeneration. However, the effect of MET on myogenesis of myoblasts has not yet been fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of MET on myogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Decreased myonuclei and down-regulated expression of myogenesis-related markers were observed in Met p.Y1232C mutant heterozygous mice. To explore the effects of MET on myoblast proliferation and differentiation, Met was overexpressed or interfered in C2C12 myoblast cells through the lentiviral transfection. The Met overexpression cells exhibited promotion in myoblast proliferation, while the Met deficiency cells showed impediment in proliferation. Moreover, myoblast differentiation was enhanced by the stable Met overexpression, but was impaired by Met deficiency. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that SU11274, an inhibitor of MET kinase activity, suppressed myoblast differentiation, suggesting that MET regulated the expression of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) and of desmin through the classical tyrosine kinase pathway. On the basis of the above findings, our work confirmed that MET promoted the proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts, deepening our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying muscle development.

Temporal trends in dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in serum from the general population of Shandong Province, China: A longitudinal study from 2011 to 2017.

Temporal changes in the concentrations of dioxin-like (DL) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in environmental and biological matrices in China are not well understood. We determined the DL-PCB concentrations in pooled serum samples from the general population of Weifang City, Shandong Province, China in 2011 (n = 305) and 2017 (n = 495). The total DL-PCB concentration was 3.48 ±â€¯1.31 ng/g lipid (mean ±â€¯standard deviation) in 2011 and 2.82 ±â€¯1.73 ng/g lipid (19% lower) in 2017, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.347). The DL-PCB concentrations and toxic equivalent concentrations were much lower in the serum from Weifang residents than have been found in serum from the inhabitants of other parts of the world. The concentrations of most of the DL-PCB congeners followed different downward temporal trends, but the PCB-118 concentration was higher in 2017 than in 2011. The temporal changes in the PCB concentrations and compositions in the samples from the general population of Weifang indicated that there may a new source of unintentionally produced PCBs in Weifang.

[Concentration and Distribution of Novel Brominated Flame Retardants in Human Serum from Three Chinese Cities].

Four novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), hexabromobenzene (HBB), pentabromotoluen (PBT), pentabromophenyl (PBBz), and tetrabromo-p-xylene (PTBX), were found in human serum samples pooled by donor age (≥ 60, 50-59, 40-49, 30-39, and 20-29 years old) and supplied by Yitong (YT, Jilin Province), Ganzi (GZ, Sichuan Province), and Huaihua (HH, Hunan Province). PBBz, PBT, and HBB were found in each of the pooled samples. The total NBFRs concentration in YT and HH were higher than the concentration found in GZ. The concentrations of total NBFRs, HBB, PBT, and PBBz (except GZ) were elevated in young people. In both YT and HH, the main pollutants were found in the five age groups; however, the main pollutants in GZ were not obvious, and the concentration ratios of four of the NBFRs were basically stable in the five age groups. The distribution of NBFRs in human serum in the three cities showed different trends in the five age groups, which indicated different sources of pollution in different areas. The total concentrations of NBFRs in the industrially developed areas (YT and HH) were higher than that in the less developed areas (GZ).

Polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in pooled serum from people in different age groups from five Chinese cities.

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in human serum samples pooled by donor age and sex (≥60, 50-59, 40-49, 30-39, and 20-29 years old) were determined. The pooled samples were supplied by hospitals in five Chinese cities, which were Yitong (Jilin Province), Weifang (Shandong Province), Ganzi (Sichuan Province), Huaihua (Hunan Province), and Lingshui (Hainan Province). The total PCB concentrations were relatively low compared with concentrations that have been found in other parts of the world. Pentachlorobiphenyls were the dominant PCBs. The total PCB concentrations and the concentrations of most of the pentachlorobiphenyl congeners were slightly higher in the samples from younger donors than in the samples from older donors. The results indicated there is a new source of PCBs in China. Heptachlorobiphenyls in Lingshui may have been transported from Vietnam. Statistical analysis showed that young and old people had been exposed to different sources of PCBs. PCB 126 contributed more than the other dioxin-like PCBs to the total toxic equivalents when the samples were examined as a whole or by city, and the total toxic equivalents were higher in younger people than in older people for the whole sample set and for the Yitong samples.

Organochlorine pesticide concentrations in pooled serum of people in different age groups from five Chinese cities.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were determined in human serum samples pooled by donor age (≥60, 50-59, 40-49, 30-39, and 20-29y). The pooled samples were supplied by hospitals in five Chinese cities, Yitong (Jilin Province), Weifang (Shandong Province), Ganzi (Sichuan Province), Huaihua (Hunan Province), and Lingshui (Hainan Province). p,p'-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), ß-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), and endosulfan I were the dominant OCPs in the serum samples. The total OCP concentrations and individual concentrations of p,p'-DDE, HCB, and ß-HCH were relatively high compared with concentrations that have been found in other parts of the world. The total OCP, p,p'-DDE, and ß-HCH concentrations decreased as age decreased but the HCB and endosulfan I concentrations were slightly higher in the samples from younger donors than in samples from older donors. HCB must be currently used and have new sources to people to cause this. Chinese government policies and the characteristics of the OCPs have led to OCP concentrations in serum decreasing with decreasing age. Different OCP usage patterns in different Chinese cities have led to the inhabitants of different cities having different OCP distributions in their serum.

[Occurrence and Human Exposure Risk Assessment of Organophosphate Esters in Drinking Water in the Weifang Binhai Economic-Technological Development Area].

Concentrations and composition of six organophosphate esters (OPEs) in drinking water in the Weifang Binhai Economic-Technological Development Area were detected by solid phase extraction-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (SPE-GC-MS/MS). The correlations of OPEs in drinking water and pooled serum samples from the Weifang Binhai Economic-Technological Development Area were analyzed. The health risk posed by OPEs in drinking water was evaluated using the health risk assessment model recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The results showed that ∑6OPEs concentrations in the tap water samples ranged from 162-253 ng·L-1, while ∑6OPEs concentrations in groundwater ranged from 3.52-13.9 ng·L-1, two orders of magnitude lower than that in the tap water. Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP) was the dominant OPE in the tap water samples, with the median level accounting for 94.81% of the ∑6OPEs. Triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) was the dominant OPE in groundwater, with the median level accounting for 47.55% of the ∑6OPEs. The composition of OPEs in the human mixed serum collected in 2011 and 2015 was strongly correlated with that in the tap water (r=0.990, P<0.01 and r=0.997, P<0.01, respectively). This indicates the significant contribution of OPEs in drinking water to OPEs in human serum. The daily intake (DI) of OPEs via drinking water was 0.26-7.48 ng·(kg·d)-1 and the non-cancer risk hazard quotient (HQ) of OPEs in drinking water ranged from 10-5.81-10-2.43, indicating a negligible non-cancer risk to the local residents exposed to OPEs through drinking water. The carcinogenic risks posed by TCEP in drinking water ranged from 10-8.82-10-6.79, which was lower than the theoretical threshold (Risk=10-6.00), while the carcinogenic risk of TCEP in tap water was higher than that in groundwater.

[Exposure Route of Dioxin-like Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Hair Based on Passive Sampling].

The main exposure pathways of DL-PCBs in local population were studied by analyzing the levels, distributions and relationships of DL-PCBs in pooled tree bark samples and hair samples collected in Kaiyuan, Yunnan Province, China. The results indicated that the concentrations of DL-PCBs in bark and hair samples were 4.0 pg·g-1 to 88.9 pg·g-1 and 4.1 pg·g-1 to 19.3 pg·g-1, respectively, suggesting the pollution levels of DL-PCBs were relatively low in local environment and human body. The predominant PCB congeners in bark and hair was PCB-118, contributing 48% of the total DL-PCB concentrations in the bark samples and 61% of the total DL-PCB concentrations in the hair samples. The DL-PCB congeners in tree bark might had the same sources and these compounds might be derived from atmospheric long-range transport. External and internal exposures were responsible for the DL-PCBs concentrations in hair, and external exposure contributed more to low chlorinated PCBs than to high chlorinated PCBs.

Organophosphate ester flame retardant concentrations and distributions in serum from inhabitants of Shandong, China, and changes between 2011 and 2015.

The production and use of brominated flame retardants have been increasingly restricted. Organophosphate esters (OPEs) have been widely used as substitutes for brominated flame retardants. However, little is yet known about human exposure to OPEs. The potential health risks posed by OPEs were assessed by determining the concentrations of 6 OPEs in pooled serum samples from residents of Shandong, China. The mean ∑6 OPE concentrations in 2011 and 2015 were 680 ng/g lipid and 709 ng/g lipid, respectively. The most abundant OPE was tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, contributing a mean of 82% of the ∑6 OPE concentration. A significant correlation was found between the tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate and tri-n-butylphosphate concentrations, possibly indicating that these OPEs are used in similar applications and have similar human exposure pathways in the study area. The mean tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate concentration increased from 536 ng/g lipid in 2011 to 605 ng/g lipid in 2015, but the concentrations of tri-n-butylphosphate, triphenyl phosphate, and tris(methylphenyl) esters decreased between 2011 and 2015. This could indicate that chlorinated OPEs bioaccumulate in humans more strongly than nonchlorinated OPEs do. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:414-421. © 2016 SETAC.

Organochlorine pesticides in tree bark and human hair in Yunnan Province, China: Concentrations, distributions and exposure pathway.

The concentrations and distributions of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in West China were investigated and internal and external exposure of humans to OCPs were assessed by analyzing samples of human hair and tree bark collected in Kaiyuan, in Yunnan Province, China. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (collectively called DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were the dominant OCPs in the human hair and tree bark samples. The mean total DDT, total HCH, and HCB concentrations in the tree bark samples were 298pg/g dry weight (dw), 100pg/g dw, and 183pg/g dw, respectively, and the mean total DDT, total HCH, and HCB concentrations in the hair samples were 2850pg/g dw, 348pg/g dw, and 1026pg/g dw, respectively. The results indicated that relatively new DDT and lindane inputs have occurred in the study area. DDT and lindane may have been released in products that are used locally. The HCB in the environment in the study area is mainly supplied by long-range atmospheric transport. External exposure was found to be the main factor controlling the p,p'-DDT, γ-HCH, and HCB concentrations in human hair, whereas p,p'-DDE and ß-HCH were found to be mainly controlled by internal exposure.

Hair chemical element contents and influence factors of reproductive-age women in the West Ujimqin Banner, Inner Mongolia, China.

Women have an increased risk for chemical element deficiencies during reproductive age, particularly due to higher chemical element requirements and poor diets. Twenty-one chemical elements (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, V and Zn) in hair samples, which were collected from 71 non-pregnant and 236 pregnant women living in the West Ujimqin Banner, central Inner Mongolia, China, were measured, and the environment, dietary habits and ethnic group influence factors associated with the biomarker were analyzed. The results indicated that the average values of the chemical element contents from hair were greatly different compared to those from other areas, especially the Al, Cd, Pb, Ca and Sr contents. There was no significant difference among the three ethnicities for any element except Mn and Ti in non-pregnant women. Compared to non-pregnant women, in the first trimester group, the levels of nine chemical elements (Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb, Se, Si, Sn and Ti) decreased, while the others increased, and the contents of all of the chemical elements decreased in the second trimester group, while in the third trimester, there was a slight increase. Three chemical elements (Cu, Mn and Zn) displayed a synergistic correlation between each other in the third trimester group, which may protect the placenta from some oxidant damage. The high levels of Cd and Pb in hair likely originate from house renovations and traffic pollution. This study provided basic and useful information on the levels of chemical elements in reproductive-age women, and the results of this study are helpful to control the contents and improve the health of pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Concentrations and distributions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and novel brominated flame retardants in tree bark and human hair from Yunnan Province, China.

The concentrations and distributions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) in tree bark and hair samples from the same area in Yunnan Province, China, were determined. The total PBDE and NBFR concentrations in the tree bark samples were 3.8 ng/g lipid weight to 91 ng/g lipid weight and 0.23 ng/g lipid weight to 5.0 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. The total PBDE and NBFR concentrations in the hair samples were 2.1 ng/g dry weight to 14 ng/g dry weight and 0.083 ng/g dry weight to 0.29 ng/g dry weight, respectively. Decabromodiphenyl ether had similar distributions in the tree bark and hair samples, but other PBDE congeners and NBFRs had different distributions in the tree bark and hair samples. External exposure was found to be mainly responsible for the total PBDE and pentabromotoluene concentrations in hair, but both external and internal exposure were responsible for the pentabromophenyl and hexabromobenzene concentrations in hair.