A novel salt-barrier method of preparation flexible temperature resistant full-component nanocellulose membranes.

With the simplification and diversification of separation technologies, nanocellulose membranes have become widely used as insulating materials. Recently, study of nanocellulose membrane modification has become a hot topic. However, the application of nanocellulose membrane has been limited due to their inadequate heat resistance and flexibility. Herein, based on the pyrolytic and thermoplastic properties of cellulose, we innovatively introduced a salt barrier scheme to regulate the degree of hydrogen bonding and thermoplastic bonding between fibers. This was achieved by adding a salt barrier agent, NaCl, in the middle of the nanocellulose to prepare and obtain flexible, high-temperature-resistant nanocellulose film materials. The full-component cellulose films thus prepared exhibited high tensile strength (8 MPa), excellent flexibility (105 mN), high electrical breakdown strength (67 KV/mm), and volume resistivity meeting the standard of insulation materials (3.23 × 1013 Ω·m). This scheme adheres to the principles of low cost, green, non-toxic and non-hazardous, providing a brand new approach for the research and development of high temperature resistant cellulose membrane materials, which is of significant commercial value and industrialization prospect.

Clinical feasibility of the augmented reality computer-assisted spine surgery system for percutaneous vertebroplasty.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to demonstrate that the augmented reality computer-assisted spine surgery (ARCASS) system is clinically feasible for percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). METHODS: This prospective case-control study included the patients undergoing PVP under the assistance of the ARCASS system between July 1, 2013, and October 31, 2014. The control group was the age- and gender-matched patients who underwent standard PVP and met the same eligible criteria as the case group. Primary outcome was the frequency of fluoroscopy. Secondary outcomes were the accuracy of bony entry point and operative time. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were included in this study: 9 patients with 11 levels of lesions in the ARCASS group and 9 patients with 10 levels of lesions in the control group. Compared with the control group, the ARCASS group had significantly less frequency of fluoroscopy (6 vs. 18, P < 0.001) and shorter operative time (78 vs. 205 s, P < 0.001) during the process of entry point identification and local anesthesia, which started from the registration of skin entry point at lesion site to the end of bony entry point identification. Regarding accuracy, the ARCASS group had significant greater proportion of 'good' entry point than the control group on lateral views (81.8% vs. 30.0%, P = 0.028) and anteroposterior views (72.7% vs. 20.0%, P = 0.020). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the ARCASS system was clinically feasible for PVP. The guidance of ARCASS system provided more accurate bony entry point with reduced operative time and unnecessary radiation exposure.

Improving Discrimination in Color Vision Deficiency by Image Re-Coloring.

People with color vision deficiency (CVD) cannot observe the colorful world due to the damage of color reception nerves. In this work, we present an image enhancement approach to assist colorblind people to identify the colors they are not able to distinguish naturally. An image re-coloring algorithm based on eigenvector processing is proposed for robust color separation under color deficiency transformation. It is shown that the eigenvector of color vision deficiency is distorted by an angle in the λ , Y-B, R-G color space. The experimental results show that our approach is useful for the recognition and separation of the CVD confusing colors in natural scene images. Compared to the existing techniques, our results of natural images with CVD simulation work very well in terms of RMS, HDR-VDP-2 and an IRB-approved human test. Both the objective comparison with previous works and the subjective evaluation on human tests validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Construction of anti-BCMA chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-BCMA) modified T cells and its cytotoxicity against tumor cells / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective： ：To explore a novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell treatment to treat Multiple Myeloma (MM) via target B cell maturation antigen (BCMA). Methods： ：A CAR-BCMA molecular was constructed based on mouse originated BCMA scFv, and was packaged into lentiviral vector and transfected into T cells from healthy donors to construct CAR-BCMA-T cells. The BCMApositive cell lines A549-BCMA, A549-BCMAOFP and K562-BCMA were constructed as target cells. Then, the CAR-BCMA-T cells were co-incubated with the constructed target cells and human myeloma U266 cells, and the cytotoxic effects of CAR-BCMA-T cells were evaluated via CCK-8 and FACS. Finally, the CAR-BCMA-T cells originated from MM patients were constructed, and its cytotoxicity against A549-BCMA were examined; in addition, the IFN-γ release level in CAR-BCMA-T cells was evaluated by ELISA and FACS. Results: After 11 days’incubation, the CAR-BCMA-T cells originated from healthy donors amplified 300 times with a positive rate of 43%. The BCMApositive target cell lines were constructed successfully. Under an effector : target ratio of 5:1, the killing rates of CARBCMA-T cells against A549-BCMA, K562-BCMA and U266 were about 80%, 60%, and 80%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those against BCMA negative cells; and the cytotoxicity was related to the BCMA expression level in target cells. What’ s more, at the effector : target ratio of 20:1, the CAR-BCMA-T cells originated from MM patients were demonstrated to exhibit a killing rate of more than 95% againstA549-BCMApositive cells, and produced large amount of IFN-γ. Conclusion: CAR-BCMA-T cells originated from both healthy and MM donors were successfully constructed, and they can effectively and specifically kill BCMA positive tumor cells.

HOPIS: hybrid omnidirectional and perspective imaging system for mobile robots.

In this paper, we present a framework for the hybrid omnidirectional and perspective robot vision system. Based on the hybrid imaging geometry, a generalized stereo approach is developed via the construction of virtual cameras. It is then used to rectify the hybrid image pair using the perspective projection model. The proposed method not only simplifies the computation of epipolar geometry for the hybrid imaging system, but also facilitates the stereo matching between the heterogeneous image formation. Experimental results for both the synthetic data and real scene images have demonstrated the feasibility of our approach.

Real-time advanced spinal surgery via visible patient model and augmented reality system.

This paper presents an advanced augmented reality system for spinal surgery assistance, and develops entry-point guidance prior to vertebroplasty spinal surgery. Based on image-based marker detection and tracking, the proposed camera-projector system superimposes pre-operative 3-D images onto patients. The patients' preoperative 3-D image model is registered by projecting it onto the patient such that the synthetic 3-D model merges with the real patient image, enabling the surgeon to see through the patients' anatomy. The proposed method is much simpler than heavy and computationally challenging navigation systems, and also reduces radiation exposure. The system is experimentally tested on a preoperative 3D model, dummy patient model and animal cadaver model. The feasibility and accuracy of the proposed system is verified on three patients undergoing spinal surgery in the operating theater. The results of these clinical trials are extremely promising, with surgeons reporting favorably on the reduced time of finding a suitable entry point and reduced radiation dose to patients.

A chirality indicator for the surfaces of the silica nanotubes.

The chirality of the silicas attracted much attention, due to their potential applications in asymmetric catalysis and enantioseparation. However, their chirality has not been well understood. Herein, a chirality indicator for the surfaces of the silica nanotubes was developed. The helical silica nanotubes were prepared through a sol-gel transcription approach. The handedness was controlled by that of the self-assemblies of the low-molecular-weight amphiphiles. 4-Triethoxysilyl-1,1'-biphenyl (TSB) was modified on the surfaces of silica nanotubes through covalent bonds. The circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the TSB-modified silica nanotubes indicated that the chirality of silica surfaces could be transferred to the twist of the biphenyl rings. The origin of these CD signals was characterized using time-dependent density functional theory.

Simultaneous laparoscopy-assisted low anterior resection and distal gastrectomy for synchronous carcinoma of rectum and stomach.

Laparoscopic resection of rectal cancer or gastric cancer has been advocated for the benefits of a reduced morbidity, a shorter treatment time, and similar outcomes. However, simultaneous laparoscopy-assisted low anterior resection and distal gastrectomy for synchronous carcinoma of rectum and stomach are rarely documented in literature. Endoscopic examination revealed a synchronous carcinoma of rectum and stomach in a 55-year-old male patient with rectal bleeding and epigastric discomfort. He underwent a simultaneous laparoscopy-assisted low anterior resection and distal gastrectomy with regional lymph nodes dissected. The operation time was 270 min and the estimated blood loss was 120 mL. The patient required parenteral analgesia for less than 24 h. Flatus was passed on postoperative day 3, and a solid diet was resumed on postoperative day 7. He was discharged on postoperative day 13. With the advances in laparoscopic technology and experience, simultaneous resection is an attractive alternative to a synchronous gastrointestinal cancer.

Hyperthermic CO2 pneumoperitoneum induces apoptosis in human colon cancer cells through Bax-associated mitochondrial pathway.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal cancer is common and associated with poor prognosis, which poses a serious challenge and satisfactory treatments are urgently needed. Hyperthermic CO2 pneumoperitoneum (HT-CO2) is a new strategy. This study was designed to determine the potential of HT-CO2 against colorectal cancer cells. Based on an in vitro HT-CO2 study model, the anti-tumor efficacy of HT-CO2 (42-44 degrees C for 2-4 h) on human colon cancer COLO 205 cells was evaluated and the mechanisms of actions were analyzed. We found that HT-CO2 (43-44 degrees C for 2-4 h) significantly decreased cell viability as determined by WST-8 assay, and the cytotoxicity was attributable to HT-CO2-induced hyperthermia and extracellular acidification. Apoptosis was the major form of cell killing as demonstrated by Annexin-V/PI flow cytometry and morphological analysis (Hoechst/PI fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy). Further Western blot analysis and flow cytometric analysis of mitochondrial membrane potential showed that Bax-associated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway played critical role in the induction of apoptosis. We conclude that HT-CO2 has significant cytotoxic effect on colon cancer cells through induction of Bax-associated mitochondrial apoptosis, and the cytocidal effect is attributable to HT-CO2-induced hyperthermia and extracellular acidifications. Our data suggest that HT-CO2 may serve as a potential candidate for treating and/or preventing peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal cancer and further investigations both in vitro as well as in vivo in animal models are needed.