Acute spinal subdural haematoma complicating a posterior spinal instrumented fusion for congenital scoliosis:A case report

BACKGROUND Acute spinal subdural haematoma(ASSH)is a rare and potentially devastating condition with a variable prognosis.Previously described subdural haematomas were thought to have occurred spontaneously or be related to major or minor iatrogenic or traumatic injuries caused by surgery,spinal puncture or epidural anaesthesia.Other contributing pathologies have been described,such as intradural tumours or spinal arteriovenous malformations.ASSH has also been associated with anticoagulation therapy,haemostatic abnormalities and risk factors such as pregnancy.To the best of our knowledge,this case study described the first reported occurrence of an ASSH during spinal surgery in a paediatric patient.The patient was not known to have any coagulopathies,and no obvious vascular lesions were documented.The surgical procedure did not directly involve the dura mater,and no evident intraoperative dural tears were found.CASE SUMMARY We reported and discussed a case of ASSH complicating a posterior spinal instrumented fusion during surgery for paediatric congenital scoliosis.This condition has not been previously described.We made recommendations for facing such an occurrence,explored its aetiology in the context of malformation and discussed the benefits of neuromonitoring during scoliosis correction and the management protocol.We conducted a PubMed literature review for cases of paediatric ASSH and other closely related disorders.We reviewed recommendations regarding neuromonitoring and treatment management in such cases.CONCLUSION ASSH is a rare complication of posterior spinal instrumented fusion.Published cases are more often associated with anticoagulation therapy or coagulopathy.Neuromonitoring is strongly recommended to detect and assess neurological status,thus enabling rapid diagnosis and treatment and facilitating early spinal decompression and a return to a normal neurological status.

A Nondestructive Instrumented Wheelset System for Contact Forces Measurements

A nondestructive continuous instrumented wheelset design is proposed based on strain gauges placing inside of the wheel web and wireless telemetry system. The signal feature analysis including frequency contents and high order harmonic ripples is also carried out. The strain gradient decoupling method for vertical and lateral force identification is proposed based on the strain distributions under respective loads. The method implements minimum crosstalk effects and insensitive to the varying contact points. The KMT telemetry system is adopted for wireless inductive powering and signal transferring. The drilling holes on the wheel and axles are avoidable to ensure the integrity and long-term using of the wheelset. Bridging and demodulating schemes for lateral and vertical force are designed respectively as they have dramatic differences at the dynamic signal features. High order harmonic ripple analysis and error estimation are gotten by independent waveforms. Based on the data form calibration test rig, it is indicated that the high order ripple amplitudes are below 10% of the demodulation amplitudes and fulfill designed requirements.

Genetic Algorithm Optimization Model for Determining the Probability of Failure on Demand of the Safety Instrumented System

A more accurate determination for the Probability of Failure on Demand(PFD)of the Safety Instrumented System(SIS)contributes to more SIS realiability,thereby ensuring more safety and lower cost.IEC 61508 and ISA TR.84.02 provide the PFD detemination formulas.However,these formulas suffer from an uncertaity issue due to the inclusion of uncertainty sources,which,including high redundant systems architectures,cannot be assessed,have perfect proof test assumption,and are neglegted in partial stroke testing(PST)of impact on the system PFD.On the other hand,determining the values of PFD variables to achieve the target risk reduction involves daunting efforts and consumes time.This paper proposes a new approach for system PFD determination and PFD variables optimization that contributes to reduce the uncertainty problem.A higher redundant system can be assessed by generalizing the PFD formula into KooN architecture without neglecting the diagnostic coverage factor(DC)and common cause failures(CCF).In order to simulate the proof test effectiveness,the Proof Test Coverage(PTC)factor has been incorporated into the formula.Additionally,the system PFD value has been improved by incorporating PST for the final control element into the formula.The new developed formula is modelled using the Genetic Algorithm(GA)artificial technique.The GA model saves time and effort to examine system PFD and estimate near optimal values for PFD variables.The proposed model has been applicated on SIS design for crude oil test separator using MATLAB.The comparison between the proposed model and PFD formulas provided by IEC 61508 and ISA TR.84.02 showed that the proposed GA model can assess any system structure and simulate industrial reality.Furthermore,the cost and associated implementation testing activities are reduced.

Means of Choice for Interactive Management of Dynamic Geometry Problems Based on Instrumented Behaviour

Our paper presents a project that involves two research questions: does the choice of a related problem by the tutorial system allow the problem solving process which is blocked for the student to be restarted? What information about learning do related problems returned by the system provide us? We answer the first question according to the didactic engineering, whose mode of validation is internal and based on the confrontation between an a priori analysis and an a posteriori analysis that relies on data from experiments in schools. We consider the student as a subject whose adaptation processes are conditioned by the problem and the possible interactions with the computer environment, and also by his knowledge, usually implicit, of the institutional norms that condition his relationship with geometry. Choosing a set of good problems within the system is therefore an essential element of the learning model. Since the source of a problem depends on the student’s actions with the computer tool, it is necessary to wait and see what are the related to problems that are returned to him before being able to identify patterns and assess the learning. With the simultaneity of collecting and analysing interactions in each class, we answer the second question according to a grounded theory analysis. By approaching the problems posed by the system and the designs in play at learning blockages, our analysis links the characteristics of problems to the design components in order to theorize on the decisional, epistemological, representational, didactic and instrumental aspects of the subject-milieu system in interaction.

The CCD instrument background of the SMILE SXI

The ESA and CAS SMILE mission orbit is highly elliptical and will pass through multiple radiation environments.The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)instrument aboard has a radiation shutter door designed to close when the surrounding radiation flux is high.The shutter door will close when passing below an altitude threshold to protect against trapped particles in the Earth’s Van Allen Belts.Therefore,two radiation environments can be approximated based on the shutter door position:open and closed.The instrument background for the CCDs(Charge-Coupled Devices)that form the focal plane array of the SXI were evaluated for the two environments.Due to the correlation of the space environment with the solar cycle,the solar minima and maxima,the background was also evaluated at these two extremes.The results demonstrated that the highest instrument background will occur during solar minima due to the main contributing source being Galactic Cosmic Rays(GCRs).It was also found that the open background was highest for solar minima and that the closed background was highest during solar maxima.This is due to the radiation shutter door acting as a scattering centre and the changes in the energy flux distribution of the GCRs between the two solar extremes.

Comparison of simple discectomy and instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion for treatment of lumbar disc herniation combined with Modic endplate changes

Background The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the surgical outcomes of simple discectomy and instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion （iPLIF） in patients with lumbar disc herniation and Modic endplate changes.Our hypothesis was that iPLIF could provide better outcome for patients with refractory lumbar disc herniation and Modic changes （LDH-MC）.Methods Ninety-one patients with single-segment LDH-MC were recruited.All patients experienced low back pain as well as radicular leg pain,and low back pain was more severe than leg pain.Forty-seven patients were treated with discectomy and 44 were treated with iPLIE The outcomes of both low back pain and radicular leg pain using visual analogue scale （VAS） as well as the clinical outcome related to low back pain using Japanese Orthopaedic Association （JOA） score were assessed before and 18 months after surgery,respectively.Results Both low back and leg pain were significantly improved 18 months after simple discectomy and iPLIE Compared to patients undergoing simple discectomy,low back pain was significantly reduced in patients undergoing iPLIE but there was no significant difference in leg pain between two groups.Solid fusion was achieved in all patients who underwent iPLIF.Conclusions In patients with LDH-MC,iPLIF can yield significantly superior outcome on the relief of low back pain compared to simple discectomy.Simple discectomy can relieve radicular leg pain as efficient as iPLIE Accordingly,iPLIF seems to be a reliable treatment for patients with LDH-MC and predominant low back pain.

The Application of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor with Small Electrical Time Constant in Fiber Positioner

With the development of cutting-edge multi-object spectrographs,fiber positioners located in the focal plane are being scaled down in size,and miniature hollow-cup Permanent Magnet motors are now being considered as a suitable replacement for Faulhaber Precistep stepper motors.However,the small electrical time constant of such coreless motors poses a challenge,as the problem of severe commutation torque ripple in a fiber positioner running a position loop has been tricky.To overcome this challenge,it is advised to increase the Pulse Width Modulation(PWM)frequency as much as possible to mitigate the effects of the current fluctuation.This must be done while ensuring adequate resolution of the PWM generator.By employing a voltage open-loop field-oriented control based on a modulation frequency of 1 MHz,the drive current only costs 25 m A under a 3.3 V power supply.The sine degree of phase current is immaculate,and the repeat positioning accuracy can reach 2μm.Moreover,it is possible to further shrink the bill of devices and the layout area of the Printed Circuit Board,especially in sizesensitive applications.This device has been developed under the new generation of The Large Sky Area MultiObject Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope.

The Impact of Bias Row Noise to Photometric Accuracy:Case Study Based on a Scientific CMOS Detector

We tested a new model of CMOS detector manufactured by the Gpixel Inc,for potential space astronomical application.In laboratory,we obtain some bias images under the typical application environment.In these bias images,clear random row noise pattern is observed.The row noise also contains some characteristic spatial frequencies.We quantitatively estimated the impact of this feature to photometric measurements,by making simulated images.We compared different bias noise types under strict parameter control.The result shows the row noise will significantly deteriorate the photometric accuracy.It effectively increases the readout noise by a factor of2-10.However,if it is properly removed,the image quality and photometric accuracy will be significantly improved.

Ground-layer Adaptive Optics for the 2.5 m Wide-field and High-resolution Solar Telescope

The 2.5 m wide-field and high-resolution solar telescope(WeHoST)is currently under developing for solar observations.WeHoST aims to achieve high-resolution observations over a super-wide field of view(FOV)of5′×5′,and a desired resolution of 0.3″.To meet the scientific requirements of WeHoST,the ground-layer adaptive optics(GLAO)with a specially designed wave front sensing system is as the primary consideration.We introduce the GLAO configuration,particularly the wave front sensing scheme.Utilizing analytic method,we simulate the performance of both classical AO and GLAO systems,optimize the wave front sensing system,and evaluate GLAO performance in terms of PSF uniformity and correction improvement across whole FOV.The results indicate that,the classical AO will achieve diffraction-limited resolution;the suggested GLAO configuration will uniformly improve the seeing across the full 5′×5′FOV,reducing the FWHM across the axis FOV to less than0.3″(λ≥705 nm,r0≥11 cm),which is more than two times improvement.The specially designed wave front sensor schedule offers new potential for WeHoST’s GLAO,particularly the multi-FOV GLAO and the flexibility to select the detected area.These capabilities will significantly enhance the scientific output of the telescope.

A Quick Calculation Method for Radiation Pattern of Submillimeter Telescope with Deformation and Displacement

Radiation pattern captures the electromagnetic performance of reflector antennas,which is significantly affected by the deformation of the primary reflector due to gravity and the displacement of the secondary reflector.During the design process of large reflector antennas,a substantial amount of time is often dedicated to iteratively adjusting structural parameters and validating electromagnetic performance.To improve the efficiency of the design process,we first propose an approximate calculation method of optical path difference(OPD)for the deformation of the primary reflector under gravity and the displacement of the secondary reflector.Then an OPD fitting function based on the modified Zernike polynomials is proposed to capture the phase difference of radiation over the aperture plane,based on which the radiation pattern will be obtained quickly by the aperture field integration method.Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed quick calculation method for analyzing the radiation pattern of a 10.4 m submillimeter telescope antenna at its highest operating frequency of 856 GHz.In comparison with the numerical simulation method based on GRASP(which is an antenna electromagnetic analysis tool combining physical optics(PO)and physical theory of diffraction(PTD)),the quick calculation method reduces the time for radiation pattern analysis from more than one hour to less than two minutes.Furthermore,the quick calculation method exhibits excellent accuracy for the figure of merit(FOM)of the radiation pattern.Therefore,the proposed quick calculation method can obtain the radiation pattern with high speed and accuracy.Compared to the time-consuming numerical simulation method(PO and PTD),it can be employed for quick analysis of the radiation pattern for the lateral displacement of the secondary reflector and the deformation of the primary reflector under gravity in the design process of a reflector antenna.

Development of a scintillating-fiber-based beam monitor for the coherent muon-to-electron transition experiment

The coherent muon-to-electron transition(COMET)experiment is a leading experiment for the coherent conversion of μ^(-)N→e^(-)N using a high-intensity pulsed muon beamline,produced using innovative slow-extraction techniques.Therefore,it is critical to measure the muon beam characteristics.We set up a muon beam monitor(MBM),where scintillating fibers woven in a cross shape were coupled to silicon photomultipliers to measure the spatial profile and timing structure of the extracted muon beam for the COMET.The MBM detector was tested successfully with a proton beamline at the China Spallation Neutron Source and took data with good performance in the commissioning run.The development of the MBM,including its mechanical structure,electronic readout,and beam measurement results,are discussed.

Design and Cryogenic Performance of a Hexapod Platform for a Large Ground-based Wide Field Survey Telescope

The thermal gradient is an important factor that causes degradation to the image quality of telescopes. In order to ensure the accurate alignment of the primary focus unit and the primary mirror, the hexapod platform(as a corrector) is investigated in this paper. First, a ground-based telescope with 2.5 m aperture and 3.5 deg field of view is described. The telescope is under construction, and it is expected to be finished in 2023. Second, the hexapod platform with flexure hinges utilized to adjust the primary focus unit is proposed, which is applied as a corrector.Then, the inverse kinematics of the platform is established and an open-loop control system is built based on it.Finally, the cryogenic performance test for the hexapod platform is performed. The experimental results show that the resolution and repeatability of the translation for the hexapod platform can be achieved at the micrometer level.The resolution and repeatability of the rotation can be achieved at the arc-second level. Therefore, the cryogenic performance of the hexapod platform can meet the optical imaging requirements of the wide-field ground-based telescope. The kinematic analysis and cryogenic performance tests in the paper provide a technical reference for the precise alignment of the primary focus unit and the primary mirror, which can improve the imaging quality of the telescope.

Disturbance Observer-based Pointing Control of Leighton Chajnantor Telescope

Leighton Chajnantor Telescope(LCT), i.e., the former Caltech Submillimeter Observatory telescope, will be refurbished at the new site in Chajnantor Plateau, Chile in 2023. The environment of LCT will change significantly after its relocation, and the telescope will be exposed to large wind disturbances directly because its enclosure will be completely open during observation. The wind disturbance is expected to be a challenge for LCT's pointing control since the existing control method cannot reject this disturbance very well. Therefore, it is very necessary to develop a new pointing control method with good capability of disturbance rejection. In this research, a disturbance observer—based composite position controller(DOB-CPC) is designed, in which an H∞feedback controller is employed to compress the disturbance, and a feedforward linear quadratic regulator is employed to compensate the disturbance precisely based on the estimated disturbance signal. Moreover, a controller switching policy is adopted, which applies the proportional controller to the transient process to achieve a quick response and applies the DOB-CPC to the steady state to achieve a small position error. Numerical experiments are conducted to verify the good performance of the proposed pointing controller(i.e., DOB-CPC) for rejecting the disturbance acting on LCT.

Magnetic field regression using artificial neural networks for cold atom experiments

Accurately measuring magnetic fields is essential for magnetic-field sensitive experiments in areas like atomic,molecular,and optical physics,condensed matter experiments,and other areas.However,since many experiments are often conducted in an isolated environment that is inaccessible to experimentalists,it can be challenging to accurately determine the magnetic field at the target location.Here,we propose an efficient method for detecting magnetic fields with the assistance of an artificial neural network(NN).Instead of measuring the magnetic field directly at the desired location,we detect fields at several surrounding positions,and a trained NN can accurately predict the magnetic field at the target location.After training,we achieve a below 0.3%relative prediction error of magnetic field magnitude at the center of the vacuum chamber,and successfully apply this method to our erbium quantum gas apparatus for accurate calibration of magnetic field and long-term monitoring of environmental stray magnetic field.The demonstrated approach significantly simplifies the process of determining magnetic fields in isolated environments and can be applied to various research fields across a wide range of magnetic field magnitudes.

Chinese version of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire:psychometric properties and clinical applications

Background The alexithymia trait is of high clinical interest.The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire(PAQ)was recently developed to enable detailed facet-level and valence-specific assessments of alexithymia.Aims In this paper,we introduce the first Chinese version of the PAQ and examine its psychometric properties and clinical applications.Methods In Study 1,the PAQ was administered to 990 Chinese participants.We examined its factor structure,internal consistency,test-retest reliability,as well as convergent,concurrent and discriminant validity.In Study 2,four groups,including a major depressive disorder(MDD)group(n=50),a matched healthy control group for MDD(n=50),a subclinical depression group(n=50)and a matched healthy control group for subclinical depression(n=50),were recruited.Group comparisons were conducted to assess the clinical relevance of the PAQ.Results In Study 1,the intended five-factor structure of the PAQ was found to fit the data well.The PAQ showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability,as well as good convergent,concurrent and discriminant validity.In Study 2,the PAQ was able to successfully distinguish the MDD group and the subclinical depression group from their matched healthy controls.Conclusions The Chinese version of the PAQ is a valid and reliable instrument for comprehensively assessing alexithymia in the general population and adults with clinical/subclinical depression.

Study on the Performance of the GRANDProto300 Particle Detector Array by Simulation

The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection(GRAND)is a proposed large-scale observatory designed to detect cosmic rays,gamma-rays,and neutrinos with energies exceeding 100 Pe V.The GRANDProto300 experiment is proposed as the early stage of the GRAND project,consisting of a hybrid array of radio antennas and scintillator detectors.The latter,as a mature and traditional detector,is used to cross-check the nature of the candidate events selected from radio observations.In this study,we developed a simulation software called G4GRANDProto300,based on the Geant4 software package,to optimize the spacing of the scintillator detector array and to investigate its effective area.The analysis was conducted at various zenith angles under different detector spacings,including 300,500,600,700,and 900 m.Our results indicate that,for large zenith angles used to search for cosmic-ray in the GRAND project,the optimized effective area is with a detector spacing of 500 m.The G4GRANDProto300 software that we developed could be used to further optimize the layout of the particle detector array in future work.

Causal roles of gut microbiota in cholangiocarcinoma etiology suggested by genetic study

BACKGROUND Cholangiocarcinoma(CCA)is a highly malignant biliary tract cancer with poor prognosis.Previous studies have implicated the gut microbiota in CCA,but evidence for causal mechanisms is lacking.AIM To investigate the causal relationship between gut microbiota and CCA risk.METHODS We performed a two-sample mendelian randomization study to evaluate potential causal associations between gut microbiota and CCA risk using genome-wide association study summary statistics for 196 gut microbial taxa and CCA.Genetic variants were used as instrumental variables.Multiple sensitivity analyses assessed result robustness.RESULTS Fifteen gut microbial taxa showed significant causal associations with CCA risk.Higher genetically predicted abundance of genus Eubacteriumnodatum group,genus Ruminococcustorques group,genus Coprococcus,genus Dorea,and phylum Actinobacteria were associated with reduced risk of gallbladder cancer and extrahepatic CCA.Increased intrahepatic CCA risk was associated with higher abundance of family Veillonellaceae,genus Alistipes,order Enterobacteriales,and phylum Firmicutes.Protective effects against CCA were suggested for genus Collinsella,genus Eisenbergiella,genus Anaerostipes,genus Paraprevotella,genus Parasutterella,and phylum Verrucomicrobia.Sensitivity analyses indicated these findings were reliable without pleiotropy.CONCLUSION This pioneering study provides novel evidence that specific gut microbiota may play causal roles in CCA risk.Further experimental validation of these candidate microbes is warranted to consolidate causality and mechanisms.

Integration of Multiple Spectral Data via a Logistic Regression Algorithm for Detection of Crop Residue Burned Areas:A Case Study of Songnen Plain,Northeast China

The burning of crop residues in fields is a significant global biomass burning activity which is a key element of the terrestrial carbon cycle,and an important source of atmospheric trace gasses and aerosols.Accurate estimation of cropland burned area is both crucial and challenging,especially for the small and fragmented burned scars in China.Here we developed an automated burned area mapping algorithm that was implemented using Sentinel-2 Multi Spectral Instrument(MSI)data and its effectiveness was tested taking Songnen Plain,Northeast China as a case using satellite image of 2020.We employed a logistic regression method for integrating multiple spectral data into a synthetic indicator,and compared the results with manually interpreted burned area reference maps and the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)MCD64A1 burned area product.The overall accuracy of the single variable logistic regression was 77.38%to 86.90%and 73.47%to 97.14%for the 52TCQ and 51TYM cases,respectively.In comparison,the accuracy of the burned area map was improved to 87.14%and 98.33%for the 52TCQ and 51TYM cases,respectively by multiple variable logistic regression of Sentind-2 images.The balance of omission error and commission error was also improved.The integration of multiple spectral data combined with a logistic regression method proves to be effective for burned area detection,offering a highly automated process with an automatic threshold determination mechanism.This method exhibits excellent extensibility and flexibility taking the image tile as the operating unit.It is suitable for burned area detection at a regional scale and can also be implemented with other satellite data.

Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe, and Innovation Leading the Future——Astronomical Techniques and Instruments

Dear Readers:Astronomical Techniques and Instruments is a professional English journal of open access devoted to recent develop-ments,discoveries,and theories in astronomical techniques,methods,and instruments.It will serve as a platform for dis-course,learning,and information sharing for astronomic and astrophysics professionals worldwide.

Application of prostate resectoscope in the treatment of massive rectal bleeding after transrectal prostate puncture

BACKGROUND Ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy is a reliable diagnostic procedure for prostate cancer diagnosis with minimal procedure-related trauma.However,complications,such as massive rectal bleeding may occur after the puncture.We hypothesized that using a transrectal resectoscope could help treat massive rectal bleeding after transrectal prostate punctures.AIM To identify a simple and effective treatment for massive rectal bleeding after transrectal prostate punctures.METHODS Patients requiring treatment for massive rectal bleeding after transrectal prostate punctures were included.A SIMAI resectoscope was inserted through the anus.Direct electrocoagulation was performed for superficial bleeding points.Part of the rectal mucosa or surface muscle layer was removed to expose deep bleeding points,followed by electrocoagulation.An electric cutting ring was used to compress and stop the bleeding for jet-like points before electrocoagulation.The fluid color in the drainage tube was monitored postoperatively for continuous bleeding.RESULTS Eight patients were included from 2012 to 2022.None of the patients with massive rectal bleeding after the transrectal prostate punctures improved with conventional conservative and blood transfusion treatments.Two patients had an inferior artery embolism,and digital subtraction angiography was ineffective.All patients received emergency transanal prostate resection,which immediately stopped the bleeding.Four days after the procedure,the patients had recovered and were discharged.CONCLUSION Using a transanal prostate resection instrument is a simple,safe,and effective method for treating massive rectal bleeding after transrectal prostate punctures.