Hemorrhagic Transformation Assessment Based on Dual Energy CT of Immediately and Twenty-Four Hours after Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Dual-energy CT (DECT) shows good performance in differentiating hemorrhage from contrast staining (CS). However, no guidelines have standardized the post-endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) examination time. We evaluated the value of performing DECT immediately and 24 h post-EVT in the diagnosis and prediction of hemorrhagic transformation (HT). METHODS: Two readers evaluated simulated conventional CT (sCCT) images compared with a second reading with DECT, establishing the diagnosis of HT immediately and 24 h post-EVT. Another reader's diagnosis 2-7 days post-EVT using non-contrast CT was identified as the final diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: DECT performed immediately and 24 h post-EVT changed 22.4% (52/232) and 12.5% (29/232) of sCCT-based HT diagnoses, respectively (χ2 = 10.7, p < 0.05). The sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of DECT performed immediately post-EVT for predicting the final diagnosis of HT were 33.6%, 58.9%, and 65.9%, respectively, whereas those for DECT performed 24 h post-EVT were 82.4%, 84.3%, and 90.9%, respectively (χ2 = 58.0, χ2 = 42.9, χ2 = 13.6; p < 0.05). The specificity and positive predictive value were both 100.0%. Delayed HT occurred in 50.0% (78/156) and 42.2% (19/45) of patients with CS diagnosed immediately and 24 h post-EVT, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: DECT performed immediately post-EVT changed a greater proportion of real-time HT diagnoses, whereas that performed 24 h post-EVT had higher sensitivity, NPV, and accuracy in predicting the final diagnosis of HT. A substantial proportion of patients with CS diagnosed at these two post-EVT timepoints subsequently developed delayed HT.

The mitochondrial genomes of the Geometroidea (Lepidoptera) and their phylogenetic implications.

The Geometroidea is a large superfamily of Lepidoptera in species composition and contains numerous economically important pest species that cause great loss in crop and forest production. However, understanding of mitogenomes remains limited due to relatively fewer mitogenomes previously reported for this megadiverse group. Here, we sequenced and annotated nine mitogenomes for Geometridae and further analyzed the mitogenomic evolution and phylogeny of the whole superfamily. All nine mitogenomes contained 37 mitochondrial genes typical in insects, and gene organization was conserved except for Somatina indicataria. In S. indicataria, the positions of two tRNAs were rearranged. The trnR was located before trnA instead of after trnA typical in Lepidoptera, whereas the trnE was detected rarely on the minority strand (N-strand). This trnR-trnA-trnN-trnS1-trnE-trnF newly recognized in S. indicataria represents the first gene rearrangement reported for Geometroidea and is also unique in Lepidoptera. Besides, nucleotide composition analyses showed little heterogeneity among the four geometrid subfamilies involved herein, and overall, nad6 and atp8 have higher nucleotide diversity and Ka/Ks rate in Geometridae. In addition, the taxonomic assignments of the nine species, historically defined by morphological studies, were confirmed by various phylogenetic analyses based on the hitherto most extensive mitogenomic sampling in Geometroidea.

Modelling the current and future potential distribution of the bean bug Riptortus pedestris with increasingly serious damage to soybean.

BACKGROUND: The bean bug, Riptortus pedestris, has received intense attention in recent years because of its involvement in increasing outbreaks of staygreen syndrome in soybean (Glycine max (L.)), often causing almost 100% loss of soybean yield in China. However, for this pest of great economic importance, potential current and future distribution patterns and their underlying driving factors remain unclear. RESULTS: Maxent modelling under climate, elevation and land-use (including the distribution information of G. max) variables showed that the current potential distribution covered a vast geographic range, primarily including most parts of south, South East and east Asia. Under future environmental scenarios, suitable habitat expanded markedly. Areas that would become highly suitable for R. pedestris were primarily located in north-east China and west India. Five bioclimatic (BIO13, BIO08, BIO18, BIO02 and BIO07) and one land-use (C3 annual crops) predictors contributed approximately 95% to the modelling, and analyses of curve responses showed that to a certain extent, R. pedestris preferred relatively high temperature and precipitation. Our results indicate that a high risk of R. pedestris outbreaks is present in parts of Asia, especially in the soybean-growing regions of China, and this risk will continue in the future. CONCLUSION: The predicted distribution pattern and key regulating factors identified herein could provide a vital reference for developing pest management policies and further alleviate the incidence of staygreen syndrome in soybean. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

The mitochondrial genomes of Tortricidae: nucleotide composition, gene variation and phylogenetic performance.

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) have greatly improved our understanding of the backbone phylogeny of Lepidoptera, but few studies on comparative mitogenomics below the family level have been conducted. Here, we generated 13 mitogenomes of eight tortricid species, reannotated 27 previously reported mitogenomes, and systematically performed a comparative analysis of nucleotide composition, gene variation and phylogenetic performance. RESULTS: The lengths of completely sequenced mitogenomes ranged from 15,440 bp to 15,778 bp, and the gene content and organization were conserved in Tortricidae and typical for Lepidoptera. Analyses of AT-skew and GC-skew, the effective number of codons and the codon bias index all show a base bias in Tortricidae, with little heterogeneity among the major tortricid groups. Variations in the divergence rates among 13 protein-coding genes of the same tortricid subgroup and of the same PCG among tortricid subgroups were detected. The secondary structures of 22 transfer RNA genes and two ribosomal RNA genes were predicted and comparatively illustrated, showing evolutionary heterogeneity among different RNAs or different regions of the same RNA. The phylogenetic uncertainty of Enarmoniini in Tortricidae was confirmed. The synonymy of Bactrini and Olethreutini was confirmed for the first time, with the representative Bactrini consistently nesting in the Olethreutini clade. Nad6 exhibits the highest phylogenetic informativeness from the root to the tip of the resulting tree, and the combination of the third coding positions of 13 protein-coding genes shows extremely high phylogenetic informativeness. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents 13 mitogenomes of eight tortricid species and represents the first detailed comparative mitogenomics study of Tortricidae. The results further our understanding of the evolutionary architectures of tortricid mitogenomes and provide a basis for future studies of population genetics and phylogenetic investigations in this group.

Automatic 3D reconstruction of SEM images based on Nano-robotic manipulation and epipolar plane images.

This paper reports a new and general 3D reconstruction algorithm by using the light field reconstruction theory to effectively construct 3D SEM images in a large range. Firstly, a nano-robotic system was employed to automatically capture a group of SEM images along a linear path with a fixed step size, which allowed the 3D SEM images to be reconstructed beyond the field of view (FOV) of SEM. Then, the epipolar-plane images (EPI) were generated, and the depth image was reconstructed based on the specific linear structures emerging in EPI and the automatic depth estimation algorithm. After that, the depth image was stitched and the dense 3D point cloud was obtained by using the delaunay technology. Depth reconstruction with the proposed algorithm does not depend on the matching corresponding points technology. This means nearly all kinds of SEM samples, even those with a simple texture structure or an almost flat surface, can be reconstructed. In addition, the proposed method allows constructing the 3D images out of the FOV of SEM with the assistance of nanorobot. The performance of the proposed algorithm was tested using our self-built database with several microscopic samples. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is general and effective and it is particularly suitable for reconstructing highly complex micro surfaces with a flat surface in a large range.

Effects of plastic mulching and plastic residue on agricultural production: A meta-analysis.

China is a large agricultural country, and food security is significantly limited by the shortage of water resources. Plastic mulching technology can effectively modify the crop growth environment and crop production due to differences in climatic conditions, spatial distribution characteristics, and cropping systems and methods. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively analyze the effects of plastic film mulching and residual plastic on yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of maize, wheat, potato, and cotton in China based on 266 peer-reviewed publications. The results showed that plastic mulching significantly increased crop yield (24.32%) and WUE (27.63%). Plastic mulching had the greatest effect of potato on yield (30.62%) and WUE (30.34%) in China. At a regional scale, plastic mulching performed best in Northwest China, and crop yield and WUE were influenced by film color, mulching method, and crop type. Black film and ridge row mulching were more favorable to crop growth and increased crop yield and WUE in arid areas of China. There was no significant effect on crop yield of residual plastic between 0 and 240 kg/ha, but the yield decreased significantly with increased time and residual plastic film >240 kg/ha. In conclusion, although plastic mulching can significantly increase crop yield and WUE, especially in dryland agriculture, we should also improve the technology for recovering residual plastic film to protect the environment.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Pasiphila chloerata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and its phylogenetic implications.

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Pasiphila chloerata (Mabille) was sequenced and its phylogenetic implications were investigated. The P. chloerata mitogenome is a circular, double-stranded molecule, with 15,602 bp in length. The typical 37 mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs) and an A + T-rich region are included. Gene content and arrangement are highly conserved and typical of Lepidoptera. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined 37 mitochondrial genes consistently recovered the Larentiinae and Ennominae involved are reciprocally monophyletic with the highest supports. The P. chloerata was clustered with other two members of the Larentiinae, reinforcing that of previous morphological studies.

The first mitochondrial genome from the Sterrhinae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and its phylogenetic implications.

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of a geometrid species, Idaea simplicior (Prout), was sequenced. The I. simplicior mitogenome is a circular, double-stranded molecule, with 15,950 bp in size. The typical 37 mitochondrial genes (13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs) and an A + T-rich region are included. Gene content and arrangement are highly conserved and typical of Lepidoptera. Interestingly, the I. simplicior mitogenome is rich in microsatellite sequences of (TA)12-18 with a scattered distribution in six intergenic regions. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined 37 mitochondrial genes show that the Larentiinae and Ennominae are monophyletic. The Sterrhinae, which is represented by the only I. simplicior sequenced in this study, shows a closer relationship with the Larentiinae than Ennominae, which confirms previous morphological studies.

Effect of decellularized spinal scaffolds on spinal axon regeneration in rats.

A series of complex influencing factors lead to failure of neural regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI). Up to now, there is no robust treatment that can restore the loss of function caused by injury. Because damaged spinal axons do not spontaneously regenerate in their naturally inhibitory microenvironments, biomaterials that induce neural regeneration to appear as attractive treatments to improve the microenvironmental conditions after SCI. In this study, we report the novel use of decellularized (DC) scaffolds to provide contact guidance for axonal regrowth in vivo. The idea is that the scaffolds comprise some cytokines and a physical compartment that may facilitate regeneration. To evaluate the efficacy of scaffolds in supporting neural regeneration after SCI, the scaffold was implanted into an injured spinal cord of the rat. The injured spinal scaffolds showed a significant increase of the expression of GAP43, NF200, and Nestin in the scaffold implant groups compared with controls without the scaffold. In addition, the motor function has a better recovery. Together, these results demonstrate that spinal acellular scaffold is capable of promoting axonal regeneration after SCI and may serve as a potential tool in the treatment of SCI. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 698-705, 2018.

Multidirectional Image Sensing for Microscopy Based on a Rotatable Robot.

Image sensing at a small scale is essentially important in many fields, including microsample observation, defect inspection, material characterization and so on. However, nowadays, multi-directional micro object imaging is still very challenging due to the limited field of view (FOV) of microscopes. This paper reports a novel approach for multi-directional image sensing in microscopes by developing a rotatable robot. First, a robot with endless rotation ability is designed and integrated with the microscope. Then, the micro object is aligned to the rotation axis of the robot automatically based on the proposed forward-backward alignment strategy. After that, multi-directional images of the sample can be obtained by rotating the robot within one revolution under the microscope. To demonstrate the versatility of this approach, we view various types of micro samples from multiple directions in both optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and panoramic images of the samples are processed as well. The proposed method paves a new way for the microscopy image sensing, and we believe it could have significant impact in many fields, especially for sample detection, manipulation and characterization at a small scale.

[Research and Development of A Kinect Based Virtual System for Upper Limb Rehabilitation].

We developed a rehabilitation system by using the virtual reality technique and the Kinect in this paper. The system combines rehabilitation training with HMI and serious game organically, and provides a game and motion database to meet different patients' demands. Extended interface of game database is provided in two ways: personalized games can be developed by Virtools and Flash games which are suitable for patients' rehabilitation can be download from the Internet directly. In addition, the system provides patients with flexible interaction and easy control mode, and also presents real time data recording. An objective and subjective evaluation method is proposed to review the effectiveness of the rehabilitation training. According to the results of short questionnaires and the evaluation results of patients' rehabilitation training, the system compared with traditional rehabilitation can record and analyze the training data, which is useful to make rehabilitation plans. More entertainment and lower cost will increase patients' motivation, which helps to increase the rehabilitation effectiveness.

Combination of Ad-sTRAIL with the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin synergistically enhances their pro-apoptotic ability in human breast cancer cells.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand/Apo2 ligand (TRAIL or Apo2L) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily that induces apoptosis in various cancer cell types but not in most normal cells. However, it is clear that not all cancer cells are sensitive to the killing effects of TRAIL, including breast cancer. Previous studies have demonstrated that chemotherapeutic drugs sensitize tumor cells to apoptosis induced by TRAIL in several types of malignancies. In the present study, we studied the effects of TRAIL combined with cisplatin on two breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-468 and HCC-1937 in vitro. MTT assay, crystal violet staining assay, DAPI staining assay and flow cytometric analysis were undertaken to evaluate the enhancement of breast cancer cell death using Ad-sTRAIL and/or cisplatin. The levels of apoptotic molecules in signal transduction pathways were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR and western blotting. We found that co-treatment with Ad-sTRAIL and cisplatin exhibited stronger cytotoxicity and induced more significant apoptosis in breast cancer cells compared with Ad-sTRAIL or cisplatin alone. Pretreatment with cisplatin significantly enhanced the expression of DR5. Moreover, the induction of apoptosis by TRAIL plus cisplatin was accompanied by the downregulation of cFLIP and BCL2L1, and simultaneously robust enzymatic activation of caspase-8, culminating in decreased cancer cell survival. The present study revealed that TRAIL conjugated with cisplatin exhibited a markedly increased cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing effect on breast cancer cells.

The impact of poor health on academic performance: New evidence using genetic markers.

This paper examines the influence of health conditions on academic performance during adolescence. To account for the endogeneity of health outcomes and their interactions with risky behaviors we exploit natural variation within a set of genetic markers across individuals. We present evidence that specific genetic markers have good statistical properties to identify the impacts of ADHD, depression and obesity. These markers help reveal a new dynamism from poor health to lower academic achievement with substantial heterogeneity in their impacts across genders. Our investigation further exposes the considerable challenges in identifying health impacts due to the prevalence of comorbid health conditions, with clear implications for the health economics literature.