Comparing the effectiveness of pulsed radiofrequency treatment to lumbar dorsal root ganglion according to application times in patients with lumbar radicular pain: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Lumbar radicular pain (LRP) is a common symptom characterised by a sharp, shooting or lancinating sensation localised to one or more dermatomes of the lumbar spine. Despite its high prevalence and significant impact on quality of life, the most effective conservative treatment for patients with LRP remains uncertain. When conventional treatment methods do not provide satisfactory results, the option of using epidural steroids and/or pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment may be considered as a secondary approach for managing the condition. Ongoing advances in the field have led to a wide range of PRF parameters being investigated and extensively documented. Therefore, this study will aim to evaluate the treatment efficacy, sustainability and adverse effects of PRF application for different durations in patients with LRP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study will be a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. Eligible patients with LRP who visit the International St. Mary's Hospital pain clinic in Korea will be assigned to three groups (1:1:1 ratio) based on the duration of PRF application: 240, 360 and 480 s. Outcome measures will include an assessment of radicular pain intensity, physical function, global improvement, treatment satisfaction and adverse events. The primary outcome will be a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score 3 months after the procedure. The secondary outcomes will be the number of subjects in each group reporting successful treatment defined as a significant decrease of NRS or improved physical function score or high satisfaction at the 3 and 6 months follow-up. X2 or Fisher's exact test and one-way analysis of variance will be used to compare the outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of Catholic Kwandong University International St. Mary's Hospital (IS23EISE0018). The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: KCT0008612.

Pulsed radiofrequency of lumbar dorsal root ganglion for lumbar radicular pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) of the lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) has been widely used as a method to relieve lumbar radicular pain (LRP). However, the value of PRF application in LRP patients remains uncertain. This systematic review aimed to compare the effects of PRF of lumbar DRG and LEI in patients with LRP. METHODS: A literature search was performed using well-known databases for articles published up to May 2023. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effects of PRF compared to LEI with or without steroids. We screened articles, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias in duplicate. The pain scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores at 1, 3, and 6 months after procedures were obtained. A random-effects meta-analysis model was applied for outcomes. We evaluated evidence certainty for each outcome using the GRADE scoring system. This review was registered in the PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021253628). RESULTS: A total of 10 RCTs were included and data of 613 patients were retrieved. We assessed the overall quality of the evidence as very low to moderate. PRF showed no difference in pain scores at 1 (mean difference [MD] -0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.59 to 0.00, low certainty) and 6 months (MD -2.37, 95% CI -4.79 to 0.05, very low certainty), and significantly improved pain scores at 3 months (MD -1.31, 95% CI -2.29 to -0.33, low certainty). There was no significant difference in ODI score at any interval (very low to low certainty). In the subgroup who underwent a diagnostic block, did not use steroids, and PRF duration greater than 360 s, PRF significantly reduced pain scores at 3 months after procedures. CONCLUSIONS: We found low quality of the evidence supporting adjuvant PRF to the lumbar DRG has a greater analgesic effect at 3 months after procedures in patients with LRP than LEI. We identified no convincing evidence to show that this treatment improves function. High-quality evidence is lacking, and data were largely derived from short-term effects. Given these limitations, high-quality trials with data on long-term effects are needed.

Output Current and Efficacy of Pulsed Radiofrequency of the Lumbar Dorsal Root Ganglion in Patients With Lumbar Radiculopathy: A Prospective, Double-blind, Randomized Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar radicular pain (LRP) is a common but challenging clinical symptom. Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF), a neuromodulation technique that uses short pulses of radiofrequency current, is effective in treating various pain disorders. However, few studies have been conducted on the effects of PRF and its modifying parameters. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to determine the intraoperative parameters of PRF of the lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) that are related to clinical effects in patients with LRP unresponsive to transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESI). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial, pilot study. SETTING: Single medical center in the Republic of Korea. METHODS: Patients were allocated to one of 2 groups, high-voltage (60 V) or standard-voltage (45 V), according to the preset maximum voltage at which the active tip temperature does not exceed 42°C. Intraoperative parameters, such as output current, sensory threshold, and impedance, were measured. The primary outcomes were radicular pain intensity, physical functioning, global improvement and satisfaction with treatment, and adverse events. The assessments were performed up to 3 months postprocedure. RESULTS: The patients in the standard-voltage group showed significant improvements in the Numeric Rating Scale pain score (P = 0.007) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) (P = 0.008) scores at 3 months post-PRF; however, no difference was observed in the high-voltage group. Among the intraoperative parameters, the output current showed a significant negative linear relationship with analgesic efficacy. The output current also showed a significant association with pain intensity (P = 0.005, R2 = 0.422) and ODI score (P = 0.004, R2 = 0.427) at 3 months postprocedure in a multiple regression analysis. The optimal cut-off value of the output current to lower pain intensity after 3 months was 163.5 mA with a sensitivity of 87.5%, specificity of 100%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of 0.92 (95% CI. 0.76 - 1.00). LIMITATIONS: Limitations of our study include an imbalance of baseline characteristics, small sample sizes, and short follow-up periods. CONCLUSIONS: Lower output currents during PRF application to the lumbar DRG were associated with greater analgesic effects in patients who did not respond to therapeutic TFESI.

The cervical ligamentum flavum area: A new sensitive morphological parameter for identifying the cervical spinal stenosis.

Thickening of the cervical ligamentum flavum (CLF) has been considered as a main cause of cervical spinal stenosis (CSS). A previous study reported that cervical ligamentum flavum thickness (CLFT) is correlated with CSS. However, the whole hypertrophy is different from focal thickness. Therefore, to analyze hypertrophy of the CLF, we created a new morphological parameter, called the cervical ligamentum flavum area (CLFA). We hypothesized that the CLFA is an important morphological parameter in the diagnosis of CSS. CLF samples were acquired from 83 patients with CSS, and from 84 controls who underwent cervical magnetic resonance imaging (C-MRI). T2-weighted axial C-MRI images were acquired. We measured the CLFA and CLFT at the C6-C7 intervertebral level on C-MRI using appropriate image analysis software. The CLFA was measured as the cross-sectional area of the entire CLF at the level of C6-C7 stenosis. The CLFT was measured by drawing a straight line along the ligament side towards the spinal canal at the C6-C7 level. Mean CLFA was 25.24 ±â€…6.43 mm2 in the control group and 45.34 ±â€…9.09 mm2 in the CSS group. The average CLFT was 1.48 ±â€…0.28 mm in the control group and 2.09 ±â€…0.35 mm in the CSS group. CSS patients had significantly higher CLFA (P < .01) and CLFT (P < .01). For the validity of both CLFA and CLFT as predictors of CSS, a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an optimal cutoff point for the CLFA was 31.66 mm2, a sensitivity of 92.8%, specificity of 88.4%, and an area under the curve of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.94-0.99). The optimal cut off-point of the CLFT was 1.79 mm, with a sensitivity of 83.5%, specificity of 84.5%, and an area under the curve of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.87-0.96). Both CLFT and CLFA were significantly related to CSS, but CLFA was the more sensitive measurement parameter. Therefore, to evaluate patients with CSS, treating physicians should test for CLFA.

Optimal cutoff point of vertebral body cross-sectional area as a morphological parameter for predicting lumbar spondylolysis.

The relationship between vertebral body cross-sectional area (VBCSA) and spinal conditions associated with increased lumbar lordosis, such as lumbar spondylolysis (LSL), is not known. We investigated the morphological parameter, VBCSA, to predict LSL. The VBCSA on MRI has not been studied for its association with LSL. We hypothesized that VBCSA is an important morphological parameter for LSL prediction. We collected VBCSA data from 90 patients (43 males and 47 females) with LSL and 91 control subjects (44 males and 47 females) who underwent lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (LS-MRI). Axial T2-weighted LS-MRI images were obtained from all participants. Using our picture archiving and communications system, we analyzed the VBCSA at the level of the L5 vertebral body by utilizing MRI. The average VBCSA was 2263.51 ±â€…306.02 mm2 in the male control group and 1820.92 ±â€…224.89 mm2 in the male LSL group. LSL patients had significantly lower VBCSAs (P < .001) than did the male controls. The average VBCSA was 1985.21 ±â€…258.05 mm2 in the female control group and 1553.73 ±â€…250.02 mm2 in the female LSL group, and the LSL patients also had significantly lower VBCSAs (P < .001) than did the female controls. The optimal VBCSA cutoff value in the male group was 2014.69 mm2 with 76.7% sensitivity, 75.0% specificity, and an area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.82-0.95). In the female group, the optimal cutoff score was 1814.11 mm2 with 76.6% sensitivity, 76.6% specificity, and an AUC of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.82-0.95). VBCSA is a sensitive objective morphological parameter for assessing LSL, and a lower VBCSA is associated with a higher possibility of LSL. We believe that these results will be useful in diagnostic radiology for evaluating patients with LSL.

Magnetic resonance imaging for assessment of the quadriceps tendon cross-sectional area as an adjunctive diagnostic parameter in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to provide a more valuable diagnostic parameter and more equivocal assessment of the diagnostic potential of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) by comparing the quadriceps tendon cross-sectional area (QTCSA) with the quadriceps tendon thickness (QTT), a traditional measure of quadriceps tendon hypertrophy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between March 2014 and August 2020, a total of 30 patients with PFPS (16 males, 14 females; mean age, 30.4±11.2 years; range, 16 to 49 years) and 30 healthy individuals (19 males, 11 females; mean age: 30.8±13.8 years; range, 17 to 62 years) who underwent knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were retrospectively analyzed. T1-weighted turbo spin-echo transverse MRI scans were obtained. The QTCSA was measured on the axial angled phases of the images by drawing outlines, and the QTT was measured at the most hypertrophied quadriceps tendon. RESULTS: The mean QTT and QTCSA in the patients with PFPS (6.33±0.80 mm and 155.77±36.60 mm2, respectively) were significantly higher than those in the control group (5.77±0.36 mm and 111.90±24.10 mm2, respectively; p<0.001, for both). The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to confirm the sensitivities and specificities for both the QTT and QTCSA as predictors of PFPS. The optimal diagnostic cut-off value for QTT was 5.98 mm, with a sensitivity of 66.7%, a specificity of 70.0%, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.75 (range, 0.62 to 0.88). The optimal diagnostic cut-off value for QTCSA was 121.04 mm2, with a sensitivity of 73.3%, a specificity of 70.0%, and an AUC of 0.83 (range, 0.74 to 0.93). CONCLUSION: Based on our study results, the QTCSA seems to be a more reliable diagnostic indicator for PFPS than QTT.

Comparison of ligamentum flavum thickness between central and lateral lesions in a patient with central lumbar spinal canal stenosis.

Thickened ligamentum flavum has been considered as a major cause of central lumbar spinal canal stenosis (CLSCS). Previous studies have demonstrated that ligamentum flavum thickness (LFT) is correlated with aging, degenerative spinal stenosis, and disc degeneration. Thus, hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum is a major cause of CLSCS, and measurement of LFT has been considered a morphologic parameter in the diagnosis of CLSCS. To our knowledge, comparison of LFT between central and lateral lesions has not been reported. In addition, no research has analyzed best clinical cutoff values of central ligament flavum thickness (CLFT) and lateral ligament flavum thickness (LLFT). This study aimed to compare CLFT with LLFT in patients with CLSCS and further compare the CLFT and LLFT findings between the 2 groups to analyze LFT variation. Both CLFT and LLFT samples were collected from 101 participants with CLSCS and from 103 participants in the control group who underwent lumbar magnetic resonance imaging without evidence of CLSCS. Axial T2-weighted lumbar magnetic resonance scans were acquired at the L4 to 5 facet joint level from each participant. Average CLFT value was 2.25 ± 0.51 mm in the control group and 4.02 ± 0.74 mm in the CLSCS group. Average LLFT value was 2.50 ± 0.51 mm in the control group and 3.38 ± 0.66 mm in the CLSCS group. CLSCS patients had significantly higher CLFT and LLFT (both P < .001). Regarding the validity of both CLFT and LLFT as predictors of CLSCS, a receiver operating characteristic estimation revealed that the most suitable cutoff value for CLFT was 3.10 mm, with sensitivity of 95.0%, specificity of 94.2%, and an area under the curve of 0.97. The best cut-off value of LLFT was 2.92 mm, with sensitivity of 78.2%, specificity of 77.7%, and area under the curve of 0.87. We have 4 important new findings: The mean CLFT is significantly lower than that of the mean LLFT in the normal control group; CLFT and LLFT are both significantly associated with CLSCS; Increase rate of CLFT is faster than that of LLFT in the CLSCS group; and CLFT is a more sensitive measurement parameter to predict CLSCS than LLFT.

Assessment of patellar cartilage cross-sectional area in patients with lower grade chondromalacia patella.

Chondromalacia patella (CMP) is abnormal softening of the cartilage of the underside the patella. It is a cause of anterior knee pain. Previous study has demonstrated that the patellar cartilage hypertrophy is correlated with early signs of CMP (Grade 1 or 2). However, no studies have investigated the clinical cutoff value of patella cartilage hypertrophy. Thus, we devised the patellar cartilage cross-sectional area (PCCSA) as a new predictive parameter for diagnosing the CMP. The purpose of this research was to compare MR measured PCCSA between CMP patients and gender matched healthy controls. The PCCSA samples were collected from 50 patients with CMP, and from 50 healthy controls who underwent knee MRI with no evidence of CMP. The T2-weighted turbo spin echo transverse MRI images were acquired. We measured the PCCSA on MRI using a PACS system. The PCCSA was measured on the axial angled sections through the whole images by drawing outlines. The average PCCSA was 104.28 ±â€…23.28 mm2 in the healthy controls and 134.09 ±â€…26.55 mm2 in the CMP group. CMP patients had significantly higher PCCSA (P < .001). Regarding the validity of PCCSA as predictors of CMP, Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis showed that the best cutoff point for the PCCSA was 116.24 mm2, with 72.0% sensitivity, 72.0% specificity, and the area under curve (AUC) of 0.79 (0.71-0.88). The PCCSA is a sensitive measurement parameter to predict low grade CMP. Thus, to evaluate CMP patients, the treating physician carefully inspect the PCCSA.

High performance sulfur/carbon cathode for Na-S battery enabled by electrocatalytic effect of Sn-doped In2S3.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries have been attracting enormous interests due to their low-cost, high capacity and environmental benignity. However, the shuttle effect and the sluggish electrochemical reaction activity of sodium polysulfides (NaPSs) seriously restrict their practical application. To solve these issues, we rationally designed an advanced Sn-doped In2S3/S/C cathode for RT Na-S batteries by magnetron sputtering in this work, which exhibited a high reversible capacity (1663.5 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1) and excellent cycling performance (902.9 mAh g-1 after 50 cycles). The in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicated that the Sn-doped In2S3 coating can accelerate charge-transfer kinetics and facilitate the diffusion of Na+. Furthermore, theoretical calculation revealed that doping of Sn into In2S3 can reduce the energy band gap, thus accelerating the electron transfer and promoting the electrochemical conversion of active species. It is demonstrated that adjusting the electronic structure is a reliable method to improve the electrocatalytic effect of catalyst and significantly improve the performance of S cathode in RT Na-S batteries.

Comparison of efficacy according to voltage of pulsed radiofrequency treatment to lumbar dorsal root ganglion in patient with lumbar radiculopathy: Pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar radicular pain (LRP) is a common symptom, but a challenging clinical problem. Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) is a more recently developed technique that uses short pulses of radiofrequency current with intervals of longer pauses to prevent temperature from rising to the level of permanent tissue damage and has been advocated in treatment of such patients. But there were no comparative studies on the analgesic effects according to output voltage during PRF in patients with LRP. The goal of this study is to determine the clinical effect of high-voltage (60V) versus standard-voltage (45V) PRF of lumbar dorsal root ganglion. METHODS/DESIGN: This study will be a prospective, double-blind randomized controlled pilot study. In this study, total 20 patients will be recruited and distributed equally into 2 groups: high-voltage (60V) PRF, low-voltage (45V) PRF. Outcomes will be radicular pain intensity; physical functioning; global improvement and satisfaction with treatment; and adverse events. The assessments will be performed at the 3-month follow-up period after the end of the treatments. The findings will be analyzed statistically considering a 5% significance level (P ≤ .05). DISCUSSION: The results of this trial will help determine which voltage could be applied for PRF to dorsal root ganglion in LRP and be a basis for subsequent trials.

Traffic Sign Recognition Based on the YOLOv3 Algorithm.

Traffic sign detection is an essential component of an intelligent transportation system, since it provides critical road traffic data for vehicle decision-making and control. To solve the challenges of small traffic signs, inconspicuous characteristics, and low detection accuracy, a traffic sign recognition method based on improved (You Only Look Once v3) YOLOv3 is proposed. The spatial pyramid pooling structure is fused into the YOLOv3 network structure to achieve the fusion of local features and global features, and the fourth feature prediction scale of 152 × 152 size is introduced to make full use of the shallow features in the network to predict small targets. Furthermore, the bounding box regression is more stable when the distance-IoU (DIoU) loss is used, which takes into account the distance between the target and anchor, the overlap rate, and the scale. The Tsinghua-Tencent 100K (TT100K) traffic sign dataset's 12 anchors are recalculated using the K-means clustering algorithm, while the dataset is balanced and expanded to address the problem of an uneven number of target classes in the TT100K dataset. The algorithm is compared to YOLOv3 and other commonly used target detection algorithms, and the results show that the improved YOLOv3 algorithm achieves a mean average precision (mAP) of 77.3%, which is 8.4% higher than YOLOv3, especially in small target detection, where the mAP is improved by 10.5%, greatly improving the accuracy of the detection network while keeping the real-time performance as high as possible. The detection network's accuracy is substantially enhanced while keeping the network's real-time performance as high as possible.

Adsorption Behaviors of Chlorosilanes, HCl, and H2 on the Si(100) Surface: A First-Principles Study.

The hydrochlorination process is a necessary technological step for the production of polycrystalline silicon using the Siemens method. In this work, the adsorption behaviors of silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), silicon dichloride (SiCl2), dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2), trichlorosilane (SiHCl3), HCl, and H2 on the Si(100) surface were investigated by first-principles calculations. The different adsorption sites and adsorption orientations were taken into account. The adsorption energy, charge transfer, and electronic properties of different adsorption systems were systematically analyzed. The results show that all of the molecules undergo dissociative chemisorption at appropriate adsorption sites, and SiHCl3 has the largest adsorption strength. The analysis of charge transfer indicates that all of the adsorbed molecules behave as electron acceptors. Furthermore, strong interactions can be found between gas molecules and the Si(100) surface as proved by the analysis of electronic properties. In addition, SiCl2 can be formed by the dissociation of SiCl4, SiH2Cl2, and SiHCl3. The transformation process from SiCl4 to SiCl2 is exothermic without any energy barrier. While SiH2Cl2 and SiHCl3 can be spontaneously dissociated into SiHCl2, SiHCl2 should overcome about 110 kJ/mol energy barrier to form SiCl2. Our works can provide theoretical guidance for hydrochlorination of SiCl4 in the experimental method.

Research on Forward Problem of Rail Detection Based on Magnetoacoustic Coupling.

According to the characteristics of rail defects, a rail microcrack detection method based on magnetoacoustic coupling effect is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the basic principle of a rail microcrack detection method based on magnetoacoustic coupling effect is described, and then the model is analyzed theoretically. Through simulation calculation, the current density distribution and Lorentz force distribution generated by electromagnetic excitation, the motion characteristics of particles under Lorentz force and the sound field distribution characteristics of magnetoacoustic signals generated by Lorentz force are obtained. Finally, an experimental platform was set up and the steel ring model was preliminarily tested. The magnetic and acoustic signals of the two steel ring boundaries excited by an electromagnetic field were collected. These signals correspond to the position distribution of the steel ring. The state change of rail microstructure will cause a change in the conductivity characteristics of rail materials, and will affect the characteristics and distribution of sound pressure in the detection. Therefore, the detection method based on the magnetoacoustic coupling effect can detect the surface microcracks of high-speed rail. This method has great feasibility and development potential in the field of rail flaw detection.

Zero power infrared sensing in 2D/3D-assembled heterogeneous graphene/In/InSe/Au.

Low- or self-powered infrared sensors can be used in a broad range of applications, including networking mobile edge devices and image recognition for autonomous driving technology. Here, we show state-of-the-art self-powered near-infrared (NIR) sensors using graphene/In/InSe/Au as a photoactive region. The self-powered NIR sensors show outstanding performance, achieving a photoresponsivity of ∼8.5 A W-1 and a detectivity of ∼1012 Jones at 850 nm light. Multiple self-powered InSe photodetectors with different device structures and contacts were systematically investigated. In particular, the asymmetrically assembled graphene/In/InSe/Au vertical heterostructure offers a high built-in field, which gives rise to efficient electron-hole pair separation and transit time that is shorter than the photocarrier lifetime. The built-in potential across the InSe was estimated using the Schottky barrier height at each metal contact with InSe, obtained using density functional theory calculations. We also demonstrate InSe vertical field-effect transistors and provide an out-of-plane carrier mobility of InSe. Using the out-of-plane mobility and structural parameters of each device, the built-in field, drift velocity, and corresponding transit time are estimated.

Gut Microbial Alterations in Diarrheal Baer's Pochards (Aythya baeri).

The structure and composition of gut microbiota correlate with the occurrence and development of host health and disease. Diarrhea can cause alterations in gut microbiota in animals, and the changes in the gut microbial structure and composition may affect the development of diarrhea. However, there is a scarcity of information on the effects of diarrhea on gut fungal composition and structure, particularly in Baer's pochard (Aythya baeri). The current study was performed for high-throughput sequencing of the fungal-specific internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) to detect the differences of gut mycobiota in healthy and diarrheal Baer's pochard. Results showed that the gut mycobiota not only decreased significantly in diversity but also in structure and composition. Statistical analysis between two groups revealed a significant decrease in the abundance of phylum Rozellomycota, Zoopagomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Kickxellomycota in diarrheal Baer's pochard. At the genus levels, fungal relative abundance changed significantly in 95 genera, with 56 fungal genera, such as Wickerhamomyces, Alternaria, Penicillium, Cystofilobasidium, and Filobasidium, increasing significantly in the gut of the diarrheal Baer's pochard. In conclusion, the current study revealed the discrepancy in the gut fungal diversity and community composition between the healthy and diarrheal Baer's pochard, laying the basis for elucidating the relationship between diarrhea and the gut mycobiota in Baer's pochard.

Effects of Vegetation Restoration on Soil Enzyme Activity in Copper and Coal Mining Areas.

Mining areas are suffering from serious environmental hazards, such as soil erosion, water pollution as well as land degradation. In this study, two types of mining areas in Anhui Province, China-one a copper mining area and the other a coal mining area-were selected to compare the soil properties under different vegetation restoration conditions, which can be generally classified into reclaimed and non-reclaimed areas. Soil catalase and urease activities and soil chemical properties were chosen to be the main indicators of soil quality. Principal component analysis was used to evaluate the overall soil fertility in the copper and coal mining areas. Results showed that in the copper mining area soil catalase activity was between 12.36 and 19.17 µg g-1 h-1 and urease activity was between 0.03 and 12.05 µg g-1 h-1. And in coal mining area, soil catalase activity was between 3.52 and 9.72 µg g-1 h-1 and urease activity was between 2.71 and 10.81 µg g-1 h-1. Moreover, soil catalase and urease activities in degraded areas were lower than those in reclaimed areas. Soil catalase activity and soil urease activity were significantly correlated with total potassium and total nitrogen, respectively. Soil quality in land types with vegetation restoration was higher than in non-reclaimed areas and old subsidence areas, while soil quality in the copper mining area was generally higher than in the coal mining area. Thus, the optimum measure in this region to ameliorate these degraded soils is vegetation restoration, which helps not only to improve the environment, but also to enhance soil quality in these degraded lands.

Microbiome Analysis Reveals the Dynamic Alternations in Gut Microbiota of Diarrheal Giraffa camelopardalis.

The ruminant gut microbial community's importance has been widely acknowledged due to its positive roles in physiology, metabolism, and health maintenance. Diarrhea has been demonstrated to cause adverse effects on gastrointestinal health and intestinal microecosystem, but studies regarding diarrheal influence on gut microbiota in Giraffa camelopardalis have been insufficient to date. Here, this study was performed to investigate and compare gut microbial composition and variability between healthy and diarrheic G. camelopardalis. The results showed that the gut microbial community of diarrheal G. camelopardalis displayed a significant decrease in alpha diversity, accompanied by distinct alterations in taxonomic compositions. Bacterial taxonomic analysis indicated that the dominant bacterial phyla (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes) and genera (Escherichia Shigella and Acinetobacter) of both groups were the same but different in relative abundance. Specifically, the proportion of Proteobacteria in the diarrheal G. camelopardalis was increased as compared with healthy populations, whereas Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Tenericutes, and Spirochaetes were significantly decreased. Moreover, the relative abundance of one bacterial genus (Comamonas) dramatically increased in diarrheic G. camelopardalis, whereas the relative richness of 18 bacterial genera decreased compared with healthy populations. Among them, two bacterial genera (Ruminiclostridium_5 and Blautia) cannot be detected in the gut bacterial community of diarrheal G. camelopardalis. In summary, this study demonstrated that diarrhea could significantly change the gut microbial composition and diversity in G. camelopardalis by increasing the proportion of pathogenic to beneficial bacteria. Moreover, this study first characterized the distribution of gut microbial communities in G. camelopardalis with different health states. It contributed to providing a theoretical basis for establishing a prevention and treatment system for G. camelopardalis diarrhea.

Microbiome analysis reveals the significant changes in gut microbiota of diarrheic Baer's Pochards (Aythya baeri).

Gut microbiota has been demonstrated to play multiple crucial roles in immunity, physiology, metabolism, and health maintenance. Diarrhea was closely related to the gut microbiota, but information regarding the alterations in gut microbial composition and structure in Baer's Pochard (Aythya baeri) with diarrhea remains scarce. Here, 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing was performed to investigate the gut microbial variability between diarrheic and healthy Baer's Pochard. Results indicated that the gut bacterial community of diarrheic Baer's Pochard showed a distinct decrease in alpha diversity, accompanied by evident changes in taxonomic compositions. Microbial taxonomic analysis revealed that Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the most dominant phyla in all the fecal samples regardless of health status. At the genus level, the differences in gut bacterial abundance between healthy and diarrheic populations were gradually observed. Specifically, the proportion of Elusimicrobia in the diarrheic Baer's Pochard was increased in comparison with healthy populations, while Acidobacteria, Rokubacteria, Cyanobacteria and Patescibacteria were dramatically decreased. Additionally, the relative proportion of 23 bacterial genera significantly decreased in diarrheic Baer's Pochard, whereas the relative percentage of 4 bacterial genera (Alkanindiges, Elusimicrobium, Spirosoma and Exiguobacterium) observably increased as compared to healthy populations. Taken together, the present study revealed that there were distinct differences in the gut microbial composition and diversity between the healthy and diarrheic Baer's Pochard. Remarkably, this is the first report on the differences in the gut microbiota of Baer's Pochard under different health states and may contribute to provide better insight into gut microbial composition and diversity of Baer's Pochard.

Effect of different vegetation on copper accumulation of copper-mine abandoned land in tongling, China.

Mining activity and abandoned mine land are one of the major sources of heavy metal pollution. Thus, ecological rehabilitation of abandoned mine lands is crucial to control heavy metal pollution. This research aims to explore the influencing factors and effects of different vegetation on copper (Cu) accumulation and soil amelioration. In this study, the abandoned land of Tongguanshan Cu mine in Tongling city, Anhui province, China, was chosen as the test area, and nine sampling points were established. Samples of soil and plants were collected from each plot, and the impacts of Cu pollution on soil enzymes and other features were analyzed, as well as the correlation between Cu accumulation of different plants and soil properties. The results showed that Cu content of soil in the Tongguanshan area varied greatly with the depth of the soil profile. Moreover, Cu in the soil can inhibit soil enzyme activities; and the correlation coefficients of total soil Cu with urease and catalase were -0.83 and -0.73, respectively. Clearly, the accumulation of Cu in plants was positively correlated with Cu content in soil. It was found that Pueraria lobata had the best remediation effect on soil Cu pollution in a short period of time. Hence the preliminary tests clearly indicate that phytoremediation in abandoned mine lands can not only reduce heavy metal pollution, but also enhance soil nutrition and enzyme activity, helping to ameliorate degraded land and promote regional socioeconomic sustainable development.

Novel Strategy for Organic Cocrystals of n-Type and p-Type Organic Semiconductors with Advanced Optoelectronic Properties.

Cocrystallization has been applied widely for material synthesis. Recently cocrystal of organic molecules has been developing rapidly, taking the advantages of the flexibility and self-assembly of organic molecules. Here we report an experimental study of a cocrystal of copper-phthalocyanines and fluorinated ones. We have grown the samples via the vapor-phase deposition of the mixture with different mass ratios from 1:13.5 to 6:1. As suggested by our scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy, new crystal structures and morphologies through our novel strategy for the cocrystallization of these molecules have been found. Our work will provide a solid foundation to systematically synthesize the cocrystal of phthalocyanine molecules with new crystal structures, thus providing the opportunity to advance material properties.