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Recent progress is reviewed. Recent developments include: (i) accumulation of evidence that electrochemical measurements of the Mg corrosion rate often do not agree with the steady state Mg corrosion rate as measured by weight loss; (ii) low Fe tolerance limits are caused by heat treatment of nominally high-purity Mg and the presence of Si, (iii) the intrinsic Mg corrosion rate is 0.3 mm/y in a chloride solution as measured by weight loss, (iv) there are many Mg alloys with corrosion rates between 0.3 and 1.0 mm/y, (v) there are few Mg alloys with corrosion rates less than 0.3 mm/y, (vi) experimental evidence contradicts the enhanced catalytic activity mechanism of Mg corrosion, (vii) experiments support the uni-positive Mg+ mechanism, (viii) new compelling experimental evidence supporting the uni-positive Mg+ corrosion mechanism has been provided by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and (ix) the uni-positive Mg+ corrosion mechanism provides new insights for understanding the performance of Mg-air batteries and for the development of better Mg anodes.

Background In medial mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (MB-UKA), the position of the bearing does not correspond to the planned position which will increasing the risk of bearing dislocation. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the malposition of the femoral and tibial components and the phenomenon of bearing deviation using postoperative radiological measurements. Methods One hundred twenty patients who underwent mobile-bearing uni-compartmental knee arthroplasty (MB-UKA) at our hospital between January and August 2023 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Standard anteroposterior radiographs were obtained postoperatively using C-arm fluoroscopy. A 3D-2D image matching method was used to measure the femoral component varus/valgus angle and internal/external rotation (IR/ER) relative to the tibial component. The bearing position parameters were measured. Patients were divided into varus/valgus and IR/ER groups according to the femoral component varus/valgus and IR/ER angles. The bearing position parameters of each group were compared separately. Results There were 57 patients in the varus group, 63 in the valgus group, 59 in the IR group, and 61 in the ER group. The distance between the bearing lateral edge and the lateral wall of the tibial component (W-BED) was significantly lower in the varus group than the valgus group (1.9 [0–6.4] vs. 2.8 [0.3–7.7] mm; P  < 0.001). No differences were detected in any bearing position parameters. The varus/valgus angle of the femoral component showed a significant negative correlation with the W-BED. The IR/ER angle of the femoral component showed no significant correlation with any of the positional parameters. Conclusions Implantation of femoral component with varus/valgus angle relative to tibial component can cause the bearing to deviate from the planned position. If the varus/valgus angle exceeds 8° it can cause the bearing to hit or away from the lateral wall of the tibial component, resulting in an increased risk of dislocation of the bearing.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms that meet criteria for repair are often managed with endovascular aneurysm repair using a bifurcated two-piece or bifurcated single-body stent. Patients with difficult anatomy, extensive calcifications, complete occlusion of common or external iliac artery, tortuous vessels, or small vessels may require placement of an Aorto-Uni-Iliac (AUI) stent graft. Placement of an AUI stent graft is typically combined with a femorofemoral crossover bypass to ensure adequate perfusion to the contralateral limb. In the elective setting, some literature now supports that select patients with unilateral occlusive common or external iliac disease may be treated with an AUI stent graft alone without femorofemoral crossover bypass. Here, we present a case of a 79-year-old female with an abdominal aortic aneurysms with unilateral occlusive iliac disease managed with an AUI stent graft who subsequently developed rest pain requiring a femorofemoral crossover bypass.

We demonstrate a new method of achieving topologically protected states in an elastic hexagonal system of trusses by attaching gyroscopic spinners, which bring chirality to the system. Dispersive features of this medium are investigated in detail, and it is shown that one can manipulate the locations of stop-bands and Dirac points by tuning the parameters of the spinners. We show that, in the proximity of such points, uni-directional interfacial waveforms can be created in an inhomogeneous lattice and the direction of such waveforms can be controlled. The effect of inserting additional soft internal links into the system, which is thus transformed into a heterogeneous triangular lattice, is also investigated, as the hexagonal lattice represents the limit case of the heterogeneous triangular lattice with soft links. This work introduces a new perspective in the design of periodic media possessing non-trivial topological features.

The ability to rapidly perform change of direction (COD) is crucial for performance in Soccer. COD speed is thought to share similarities with countermovement jumps in kinematics and muscle activation. Thus, the objective of the current study was to investigate the relationship between muscle activities in performance measures of a modified 505-agility test and different countermovement jumps. Twenty-one experienced soccer players performed a COD test including the 505-agility test and uni- and bi-lateral horizontal and vertical countermovement jumps. The main findings were that the vertical bilateral and horizontal unilateral countermovement jump were able to predict total time to complete the COD, but not 505-agility time. Muscle activity in the COD and countermovement jumps was only distinguished by a higher peak muscle activity for the adductor longus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris in the COD to stabilize the hip and decelerate knee joint movements when turning compared with the jumps. Conclusively, the relationship between performance in countermovement jumps and total time to complete the COD test was due to longer sprint distances, which makes the distinction between performances bigger. Peak muscle activity of most muscles is similar between the jumps and the COD step, indicating similar muscular demands between these activities.

Giant smutgrass [Sporobolus indicus (L.) R. Br. var. pyramidalis (P. Beauv.) Veldkamp] is an invasive species in grasslands, and herbicide application has been the most efficient management method to suppress this weed. Experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 to determine the effects of wiping glyphosate and hexazinone on S. indicus var. pyramidalis. A dose–response experiment using a handheld weed wiper was established with 20 treatments comprising two herbicides (glyphosate and hexazinone), uni- and bidirectional wiping methods, and 5 herbicide concentrations (6.25% v/v, 12.5% v/v, 25.0% v/v, 50.0% v/v, and 100% v/v basis). Data were collected 30 and 60 d after treatment (DAT). An ATV-mounted roto-type weed-wiper experiment was established in a strip-plot arrangement, with mowing as the horizontal strip, the wiping method (unidirectional vs. bidirectional) randomized as the vertical strip with three dosages of each herbicide for a total of 12 wiping treatments. Data were collected at 35 and 90 DAT. The percent plant mortality was calculated using differences in pre- and posttreatment plant counts. ANOVA and log-logistic linear regression were used to analyze the data. The dose–response experiment showed that S. indicus var. pyramidalis mortality increased with herbicide concentration, and mortality was greater with the bidirectional wiping method compared with the unidirectional method. Treatments wiped bidirectionally with glyphosate at 70% v/v, hexazinone at 30% v/v, and hexazinone at 60% v/v resulted in S. indicus var. pyramidalis mortality ranging from 75% to 98% by 90 DAT across all locations. The ATV-mounted weed-wiper experiment showed that mowing before herbicide application with weed wipers decreased the efficacy of both herbicides. Overall, both experiments indicate that S. indicus var. pyramidalis should be wiped bidirectionally using either glyphosate (70% v/v) or hexazinone (at least 30% v/v) to obtain satisfactory control. Further work should be conducted to determine whether seasonality impacts the response of S. indicus var. pyramidalis to mowing and the application of these herbicides.

Purpose Posterior endoscopic surgery has become a mainstream minimally invasive approach for the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR). Arthroscopic‐assisted uni‐portal spine surgery (AUSS), an emerging technique, has demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes in lumbar spine surgery; however, its feasibility and effectiveness in cervical spine surgery have not yet been reported. Accordingly, this technical note aimed to describe the surgical technique of AUSS combined with Kirschner wire anchoring for the treatment of CSR and to evaluate its preliminary clinical outcomes. Methods Fifteen consecutive CSR patients (9 males, 6 females) underwent AUSS combined with Kirschner wire anchoring between February and October 2024. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for neck and arm pain, the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and the modified MacNab criteria. Pre‐ and postoperative pain and functional scores were compared using a paired t‐test, with effect sizes (Cohen's d) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mean differences calculated. Radiological parameters included osteotomy area and facet joint resection rate. Results All procedures were successfully completed with a mean operative time of 97.7 ± 18.2 min and a mean incision length of 1.7 ± 0.2 cm. Postoperatively, VAS score for arm improved from 6.5 ± 0.9 to 2.8 ± 0.7 (p < 0.05), VAS score for neck from 4.3 ± 1.9 to 2.7 ± 1.0 (p < 0.05), and NDI from 54.3 ± 6.7 to 9.7 ± 2.4 (p < 0.05). The mean osteotomy area measured 98.6 ± 12.1 mm2, with a facet joint removal rate of 27.6% ± 8.6%. At the 6‐month follow‐up, 86.7% (13/15) of patients achieved excellent/good outcomes. No serious surgery‐related complications were observed. Conclusion The AUSS with Kirschner wire anchoring achieved significant pain relief and functional improvement in CSR, demonstrating feasibility and safety in the short term. However, larger cohorts and long‐term studies are required to validate its efficacy. This study is the first to describe the use of arthroscopic‐assisted uniportal spinal surgery (AUSS) with Kirschner‐wire anchoring in a cohort of 15 patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR). Postoperatively, patients experienced significant pain relief and marked improvement in cervical function. Accordingly, this technique may represent an alternative minimally invasive treatment option for CSR.

This book is a history of the Soviet tours of European and American intellectuals, writers, bohemians, professionals, and political tourists who saw the “Soviet experiment” in the 1920s and 1930s. It provides a new framework for understanding the relationship between intellectuals and communism and the Soviet reception of foreign visitors, including the leading fellow-travelers who praised Stalin and Stalinism in the interwar period. The work is based on a far-reaching analysis of the declassified archives of agencies charged with crafting the international image of the first socialist society, including VOKS (the All-Union Society for Cultural Ties Abroad). The book brings this story into new focus as one of the great transnational encounters of the twentieth century. As many visitors were profoundly influenced by their Soviet tours, so too was the Soviet system itself: the experiences of building showcases and tutoring outsiders to perceive the future-in-the-making comprise a neglected international dimension to the emergence of Stalinism. Probing entanglements between far-left and far-right ideological extremes, the work pays special attention to the covert interaction between communism and fascism, including Soviet attempts to recruit German “National Bolsheviks” and fascist intellectuals. The unprecedented scope of Soviet efforts to mold foreign, particularly Western public opinion created a new chapter in the history of modern cultural diplomacy. Setting the revolutionary regime's innovations in the context of the entire history of foreign visitors in Russia, the book argues that Soviet mobilization for the international ideological contest directly paved the way for the cultural Cold War.

Over the last one hundred years, the Russian pharmaceutical industry has undergone multiple dramatic transformations, which have taken place alongside tectonic political shifts in society associated with the rise and fall of the Soviet Union and the emergence of a post-Soviet order. Pharmapolitics in Russia argues that different versions of the Russian pharmaceutical industry took shape in a co-productive process, equally involving political ideologies and agendas, and technoscientific developments and constraints. Drawing on interviews, documents, literature, and media sources, Olga Zvonareva examines critical points in the history of the pharmaceutical industry in Russia. This includes the emergence of Soviet drug research and development, the short-lived neoliberal turn of the 1990s, and the ongoing efforts of the Russian government to boost local pharmaceutical innovation, which in turn produced a now widely shared vision of an independent and self-sufficient nation. The resulting industrial organizations and practices, she argues, came to embed and transmit particular imaginaries of the nation and its future.

IntroductionOn rare occasions, fractures of the tibial plateau may occur after uni-compartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and account for 2% of total UKA failures. The purpose of this narrative review is to identify and discuss potential risk factors that might lead to prevention of this invalidating complication.Materials and methodsElectronic database of Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane and Google Scholar were searched. A total of 457 articles related to the topic were found. Of those, 86 references were included in this narrative review.ResultsUKA implantation acts as a stress riser in the medial compartment. To avoid fractures, surgeons need to balance load and bone stock. Post-operative lower limb alignment, implant positioning, level of resection and sizing of the tibial tray have a strong influence on load distribution of the tibial bone. Pain on weight-bearing signals bone-load imbalance and acts as an indicator of bone remodeling and should be a trigger for unloading. The first three months after surgery are critical because of transient post-operative osteoporosis and local biomechanical changes. Acquired osteoporosis is a growing concern in the arthroplasty population. Split fractures require internal fixation, while subsidence fractures differ in their management depending of the amount of bone impaction. Loose implants require revision knee arthroplasty.ConclusionPeri-prosthetic fracture is a rare, but troublesome event, which can lead to implant failure and revision surgery. Better knowledge of the multifactorial risk factors in association with a thorough surgical technique is key for prevention.