Early debridement and stabilization for pyogenic spondylodiscitis allow early mobilization of the patient and prevent subsequent spinal deformity. Tantalum (Ta) trabecular metal (TM) components have several potential advantages over conventional implant materials, such as its uniformity and structural continuity, strength, low stiffness, high porosity, high coefficient of friction and tantalum trabecular metal enhances the host defense mechanism by increasing leukocyte chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and the bacterial killing rate. A single-stage surgery with a tantalum trabecular metal cage combining two different approaches is sufficient to maintain vertebral stability. This retrospective cohort study included 57 patients, 31 (54%) patients were treated with single-stage debridement and reconstruction with trabecular metal cages, and 26 (45.6%) patients received spine surgery without trabecular metal cages received surgery between January 2018 and March 2021 in our tertiary academic teaching hospital. The CRP values dropped borderline significantly in the TM cage group compared with the non-TM cage group postoperatively. In patients with spondylodiscitis, it is advisable to perform single-stage debridement and reconstruction with a trabecular metal cage, which allows abscess drainage and rapid mobilization, prevents deformity.

Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) possesses numerous advantages such as high mechanical strength, low friction coefficient, excellent optical properties, and extended lifespan. Consequently, ZrO2 has a broad research foundation and practical significance in functional films and wear-resistant coatings. However, it suffers from brittleness and low ductility when used as a bio-coating material. In this study, a Ta/ZrO2 film was fabricated on Si (100) and titanium alloy substrates using a magnetron sputtering system, with tantalum (Ta) serving solely as a transition layer. Subsequently, Zr and Nb ions were implanted into the film at varying doses but with consistent energy levels. The analysis focused on the film's microstructure, mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, and corrosion resistance. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the hydrophilicity and corrosion resistance of the ZrO2 film following the implantation of Zr and Nb ions. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) principles indicated that, with increasing doping concentrations of Zr and Nb in the ZrO2 model, the stability of the model increased gradually, thereby enhancing its corrosion resistance.

The aim of this work is to synthesis and characterize the Ta/TaN multilayer thin film coatings on 52100 tool steel under three different levels of N2 gas flow rate. The High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) technique was used for the deposition of Ta/TaN thin film multilayers on the substrate. Microstructure, coating thickness, composition, hardness and tribological properties of Ta/TaN multilayer coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), microhardness tester and pin-on-disc tester, respectively. Adhesion property was evaluated via scratch testing of the thin film thin film layer. The lowest coefficient of friction was observed with the thin film layer of higher N2 gas flow rate due to the highest adhesion value of the coating on the surface. The obtained results on hardness, adhesion and coefficient of friction properties demonstrated that this Ta/TaN multilayer thin film coating can be used for tribological applications.

The intensive variables, geochemical, mineralogical and petrogenetic constraints of the Iberian rare metal granites, many of them unknown, are presented. It allows to distinguish two main granitic types with contrasting characteristics: Nb-Ta-rich granites and Nb-Ta-poor granites. The former have lower emplacement temperatures, higher water contents and probably lower emplacement pressures than Nb-Ta-poor granites. Nb-Ta-rich granites also have higher fluoride contents, strong fractionation into twin pairs such as Zr-Hf, Y-Ho and Nb-Ta, and an abundant, probably exsolved, fluid phase, which is not or not as evident in Nb-Ta-poor granites, probably in part because the Nb-Ta-rich granites reach their solidus later (about 550 ºC). The geochemical signature of the Iberian rare metal granites follows the trends of mainly two-mica granites and P-rich cordierite granites, but also of granodiorites and even type I granites, suggesting that the rare metal granites may have different parental magmas. Thermodynamic modeling shows that many of the geochemical characteristics of the RMGs can be explained by a process of extreme differentiation, while others cannot, e.g. Na evolution. In terms of ore deposition, white mica plays a very important role in explaining the variation of the Ta/Nb ratio, although the latter could also be controlled by late Nb-Ta oxides crystallization and even by acidic fluids that remove Nb relative to Ta from earlier Nb-Ta oxides.

Mangrove creeks adjoining typical riverine mangrove forests is known to be a net source of CO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) to the ocean due to the decomposition of rich organic carbon in the soil; such information is limited in fringe mangroves. This study aims to clarify the difference in carbonate processes between the two types of mangrove forests. We conducted continuous monitoring of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and measured carbonate chemistry parameters (total alkalinity (TA) and DIC) in two types of mangrove areas located in Okinawa, Japan. The result showed that the maximum pCO2 reached 5242 µatm in the Fukido River estuary (a riverine mangrove), whereas it was only 765 µatm on the Yubu coast (a fringe mangrove). The measured maximum TA and DIC values were 3285 µM and 3283 µM in the Fukido River estuary and 3162 µM and 2977 µM on the Yubu coast. These indicate that pCO2 on the Yubu coast was maintained at low values by the carbonate buffering capacity even when TA and DIC increased rapidly. The mangroves on the Yubu coast grow on dead corals and coral soils. It was suggested that the DIC/TA ratio was constantly kept at approximately 0.9 due to TA production by the dissolution of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which resulted in lower pCO2.

This article introduces a novel approach, termed the Asymmetric Probabilistic Tsetlin (APT) Machine, which incorporates the Stochastic Point Location (SPL) algorithm with the Asymmetric Steps technique into the Tsetlin Machine (TM). APT introduces stochasticity into the state transitions of Tsetlin Automata (TA) by leveraging the SPL algorithm, thereby enhancing pattern recognition capabilities. To enhance random search processes, we introduced a decaying normal distribution into the procedure. Meanwhile, the Asymmetric Steps approach biases state transition probabilities towards specific input patterns, further elevating operational efficiency. The efficacy of the proposed approach is assessed across diverse benchmark datasets for classification tasks. The performance of APT is compared with traditional machine learning algorithms and other Tsetlin Machine models, including the Asymmetric Tsetlin (AT) Machine, characterized by deterministic rules for Asymmetric transitions, and the Classical Tsetlin (CT) Machine, employing deterministic rules for symmetric transitions. Strikingly, the introduced APT methodology demonstrates highly competitive outcomes compared to established machine learning methods. Notably, both APT and AT exhibit state-of-the-art performance, surpassing the Classical Tsetlin Machine, emphasizing the efficacy of asymmetric models for achieving superior outcomes. Remarkably, APT exhibits even better performance than AT, particularly in handling complex datasets.