Could emergency admission plasma D-dimer level predict first pass effect of stent retriever thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke?

BACKGROUND: Evidence on plasma biomarkers to identify first pass effect (FPE) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with large vessel occlusion (LVO) treated with thrombectomy is limited. PURPOSE: To evaluate whether plasma D-dimer could predict FPE. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with LVO who underwent first-line stent retriever thrombectomy at our center between January 2018 and August 2021 were enrolled. Patients were classified into the FPE (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction [mTICI] ≥2c) group or non-FPE (mTICI 0-2b) group based on angiographic outcomes. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the predictors of FPE. The overall ability of D-dimer levels in predicting FPE was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: In total, 313 patients were included; 88 (28.1%) patients achieved FPE. Compared to those with non-FPE, patients with FPE had more diabetes mellitus history, lower D-dimer levels, higher clot burden score, a higher proportion of M1 middle cerebral artery, and a higher proportion of main stem occlusion pattern (P <0.05). After adjusting for potential variables, D-dimer levels (OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.52-0.96), clot burden score (OR=1.76, 95% CI=1.38-2.87), and main stem occlusion pattern (OR=1.85, 95% CI=1.19-2.62) remained independently associated with FPE. Based on the ROC analysis, the D-dimer as a predictor for predicting FPE presented with a specificity of 79%, a negative predictive value of 87%, and an area under the curve of 0.761. CONCLUSION: Low emergency admission plasma D-dimer level is an independent predictor of FPE in patients with AIS treated with stent retriever thrombectomy.

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging-derived radiomics for the prediction of disease-free survival in early-stage squamous cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived radiomics based on multi-scale tumor region for predicting disease-free survival (DFS) in early-stage squamous cervical cancer (ESSCC). METHODS: A total of 191 ESSCC patients (training cohort, n = 135; validation cohort, n = 56) from March 2016 to September 2019 were retrospectively recruited. Radiomics features were derived from the T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CET1WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map for each patient. DFS-related radiomics features were selected in 3 target tumor volumes (VOIentire, VOI+5 mm, and VOI-5 mm) to build 3 rad-scores using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis. Logistic regression was applied to build combined model incorporating rad-scores with clinical risk factors and compared with clinical model alone. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to further validate prognostic value of selected clinical and radiomics characteristics. RESULTS: Three radiomics scores all showed favorable performances in DFS prediction. Rad-score (VOI+5 mm) performed best with a C-index of 0.750 in the training set and 0.839 in the validation set. Combined model was constructed by incorporating age categorized by 55, Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (Figo) stage, and lymphovascular space invasion with rad-score (VOI+5 mm). Combined model performed better than clinical model in DFS prediction in both the training set (C-index 0.815 vs 0.709; p = 0.024) and the validation set (C-index 0.866 vs 0.719; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Multiparametric MRI-derived radiomics based on multi-scale tumor region can aid in the prediction of DFS for ESSCC patients, thereby facilitating clinical decision-making. KEY POINTS: • Three radiomics scores based on multi-scale tumor region all showed favorable performances in DFS prediction. Rad-score (VOI+5 mm) performed best with favorable C-index values. • Combined model incorporating multiparametric MRI-based radiomics with clinical risk factors performed significantly better in DFS prediction than the clinical model. • Combined model presented as a nomogram can be easily used to predict survival, thereby facilitating clinical decision-making.

Bruceine D may affect the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis by acting on ADTs thus inhibiting Bidens pilosa L. seed germination.

Bruceine D is a natural quassinoid, which was successfully isolated in our research group from the residue of Brucea javanica (L.) seeds. Our previous research showed that Bruceine D prevented Bidens pilosa L. seed germination by suppressing the activity of key enzymes and the expression levels of key genes involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway. In this study, integrated analyses of non-targeted metabolomic and transcriptomic were performed. A total of 356 different accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified, and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that most of these DAMs were involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. The decreased expression of ADTs and content of L-phenylalanine implicates that Bruceine D may suppress the downstream phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway by disrupting primary metabolism, that is, the phenylalanine biosynthesis pathway, thus inhibiting the final products, resulting in the interruption of B. pilosa seed germination. These results suggest that Bruceine D may inhibit the B. pilosa seed germination by suppressing phenylpropanoid biosynthesis through acting on ADTs.

Toxicity and biochemical effects of itol A on the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

Itol A, a novel isoryanodane diterpene derived from Itoa orientalis Hemsl., has potent activities against insect pests. This study was conducted to determine the contact toxicity and biochemical effects of itol A on the Nilaparvata lugens. After macropterous females of N. lugens were exposed to itol A from 0.5 to 24 h, the mortality and poisoning symptoms were measured. Effects of itol A on the major enzymes activity and oxidative stress level were assessed in dose-response (with LD10-LD70 at 24 h) and time-course (with LD50 at 0.5-24 h) experiments for the potential toxicity mechanisms. Based on the results, the mortality of N. lugens showed significant dose- and time-dependent effects, with the 24-h LD50 value was 0.58 µg/insect. The symptoms of excitation, convulsion and paralysis were also observed. However, acetylcholinesterases (AChE) activity was not altered after itol A treatment compared to control. Na+/K+-ATPases, Ca2+-ATPases, Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPases, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s), superoxide dismutases (SOD) and catalases (CAT) activities were significantly reduced in dose-response and time-course experiments. While acid phosphatases (ACP) and glutathione peroxidases (GPX) activities were significantly increased. We further revealed that itol A exposure resulted in the decrease of GSH/GSSG (reduced to oxidized glutathione) ratio and the increase of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in both experiments. The results indicated that the inhibition of Na+/K+-ATPases, Ca2+-ATPases, Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPases, GSTs, P450s, SOD and CAT activities and the induction of oxidative stress was one of the potential biochemical mechanisms of itol A against N. lugens.

High aquaporin expression correlates with increased translocation of quinclorac from shoots to roots in resistant Echinochloa crus-galli var. zelayensis.

BACKGROUND: Echinochloa crus-galli var. zelayensis is a troublesome weed in rice fields and can be controlled by using quinclorac. However, over-reliance on quinclorac has resulted in resistant (R) barnyardgrass, which differs significantly in its ability to transport quinclorac compared to susceptible (S) barnyardgrass. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms for this different translocation between R and S barnyardgrass. RESULTS: Larger amount of quinclorac was transferred from shoots to roots in R compared to S barnyardgrass. After 1 day of quinclorac [300 g active ingredient (a.i.) ha-1 ] foliar treatment, its content in shoots of R was 81.92% of that in S barnyardgrass; correspondingly, in roots of R was 1.17 fold of that in S barnyardgrass. RNA-sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) confirmed the expression levels of PIPs belonging to aquaporins (AQPs) in R were higher than in S barnyardgrass, with or without quinclorac treatment. With co-application of quinclorac and AQPs inhibitors [mercury(II) chloride (HgCl2 )] treatment, even though the expression levels of PIPs and the transport rates of quinclorac were both suppressed in R and S barnyardgrass, this process was less pronounced in R than in S barnyardgrass. CONCLUSION: This report provides clear evidence that higher PIPs expression results in rapid quinclorac translocation from shoots to roots and reduces the quinclorac accumulation in the shoot meristems in R barnyardgrass, thus reducing the control efficacy of quinclorac. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of itol A on the larval growth and development of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

BACKGROUND: Itol A, extracted from Itoa orientalis Hemsl. (Flacourtiaceae), possesses bioactivity on Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). Our previous study showed that the effects on Spodoptera frugiperda, a destructive pest found worldwide, were similar to those of fenoxycarb (FC), a juvenile hormone analog. Thus, we speculate that itol A could have growth-regulating effects. The current work explored juvenile hormone (JH) levels and mRNA levels of crucial JH signaling pathway enzyme genes in S. frugiperda larvae treated with itol A and FC. RESULTS: Itol A caused severe growth obstacles in S. frugiperda, extended the larval duration and reduced the mean worm weight and body length rates. Three and 7 days after exposure to a sublethal concentration of itol A (500 mg L-1 ), the JH level of the larvae significantly decreased by 36.59% and 22.70%, respectively. qPCR inferred that the mRNA expression levels of crucial JH metabolism enzymes (SfJHE and SfJHEH) significantly increased by 6.58-fold and 2.12-fold, respectively, relative to the control group 3 days after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Itol A adversely affects the development of S. frugiperda. We propose that this effect was caused by decreasing JH levels and disrupting the JH signaling pathway via mediating its synthetic and metabolic crucial enzymes. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Decreased brain functional connectivity associated with cognitive dysfunction in women with second pregnancy.

Purpose: Previous research has found that women with second pregnancy may have an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction. This study aims to investigate the intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) pattern of the DMN anchored on posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in postpartum women, especially the parous women using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods: Twenty parous women, 26 primiparous women, and 30 nulliparous women were included for rs-fMRI scan. They were age and education well matched. A seed based FC method was conducted to reveal FC patterns with other brain regions using a region of interest in the PCC. The relationships between FC patterns and cognitive performance were further detected. Results: Relative to primiparous women, parous women had significantly decreased FC primarily between the PCC and the right middle frontal gyrus and right parahippocampal gyrus. The decreased FC to the right parahippocampal gyrus in parous women was positively associated with the reduced DST scores (rho = 0.524, p = 0.031). Moreover, parous women compared with nulliparous women showed significantly decreased FC between the PCC and the left superior frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus. The reduced FC to the left superior frontal gyrus in parous women was also positively associated with the lower DST scores (rho = 0.550, p = 0.022). Conclusion: Our result highlights that women with second pregnancy revealed decreased FC between the DMN regions with the parahippocampal gyrus and prefrontal cortex, which was correlated with specific impaired cognitive function. This study may provide new insights into the neuropathological mechanisms of postpartum cognitive impairment and enhance our understanding of the neurobiological aspects during postpartum period.

Cyperus rotundus L. drives arable soil infertile by changing the structure of soil bacteria in the rhizosphere, using a maize field as an example.

Rhizosphere microorganisms can greatly affect plant growth, especially the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), which can improve plant root development and growth because they contain various biological functions including nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and phytosiderophore production. This study demonstrates that Cyperus rotundus L. is capable of developing and forming complex underground reproductive systems at arbitrary burial depths and cutting modes due to its extremely strong multiplication and regeneration ability. With the densities of C. rotundus increasing, the abundance of PGPR, soil enzymes invertase and urease, the nutrient contents of the field soil, and maize quality were impacted. Notably, more abundance of PGPR-most notably, the nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (NFMs) such as Azospirillum, Burkholderia, Mycobacterium, and Rhizobium-enriches in the rhizosphere of C. rotundus than in that of maize. In addition, the activities of soil enzymes invertase (S_SC) and urease (S_SU) were significantly higher in its rhizosphere than in maize, further proving that more NFMs enrich the C. rotundus rhizosphere. The nutrient contents of the field soil of TN, SOM, and SOC were reduced, indicating that the presence of C. rotundus made the soil infertile. Hence, these pieces of evidence indicate that C. rotundus may drive the field soil infertile as reflected by reduced soil nutrients via altering rhizosphere bacteria community structure.

Itol A May Affect the Growth and Development of Spodoptera frugiperda through Hijacking JHBP and Impeding JH Transport.

Isoryanodane and ryanodane diterpenes have a carbon skeleton correlation in structures, and their natural product-oxidized diterpenes show antifeedant and insecticidal activities against Hemiptera and Lepidoptera. While ryanodine mainly acts on the ryanodine receptor (RyR), isoryanodane does not. In this study, we demonstrated that itol A, an isoryanodane diterpenoid, could significantly downregulate the expression level of juvenile hormone-binding protein (JHBP), which plays a vital role in JH transport. RNAi bioassay indicated that silencing the Spodoptera frugipreda JHBP (SfJHBP) gene decreased itol A activity, which confirmed the developmental phenotypic observation. Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) further confirmed that itol A affected JHBP's expression abundance. Although JHBP is not proven as the direct or only target of itol A, we confirmed that itol A's action effect depends largely on JHBP and that JHBP is a potential target of itol A. We present foundational evidence that itol A inhibits the growth and development of Spodoptera frugiperda mainly through hijacking JHBP.

The complete chloroplast genome of pioneering plant Cyperus iria L. (Cyperaceae) in ecological restoration.

Cyperus iria L. is an annual weed of the family Cyperaceae, which plays an important role in the environmental remediation of uranium contaminate. Here, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Cyperus iria has been reconstructed from the complete genome Illumina sequencing data. The complete cp genome was 185,697 bp in length, containing a large single copy region (LSC) of 99,360 bp and a small single copy region (SSC) of 10,267 bp, which were separated by a pair of 38,035 bp inverted repeat regions (IRs). The cp genome contained 135 genes, including 89 protein-coding genes (PCGs), eight rRNA genes, and 38 tRNA genes. The cp genome has a GC content of 33.16%. Further, the phylogenetic analysis showed a strong sister relationship with Cyperus rotundus.

[Diagnostic value of 64 multislice CT in typing of congenital aortic anomaly in neonates and infants].

OBJECTIVE: To study diagnostic value of 64 multislice CT in typing of congenital aortic anomaly in neonates and infants. METHODS: 120 pediatric patients (under one year of age) with congenital heart disease (CHD) underwent 64 contrast-enhanced MSCT before a corrective operations. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 64 MSCT were evaluated and also compared with those of echocardiography with Doppler. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups (72 and 48 persons) respectively according to tube tension of 80 and 100 kV. The differences of the image qualities were compared between them. RESULTS: 36 congenital aortic anomalies were found (36/120, 30%) by 64 MSCT, which were furtherly distinguished into 2 cases in double aortic arch, 2 cases in left-sided aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian artery, 22 cases in right aortic arch (6 cases in right-sided aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery, 12 cases in right aortic arch with mirror image branching), 10 cases in coarctation of aorta. Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 64 MSCT were all 100%. By contrast, those of echocardiography with Doppler were 27.8%, 97.6%, 76.7%, respectively. The quality scores were 4.69 ± 0.52, 4.58 ± 0.58 at 80 kV and 100 kV, respectively. No significant statistical difference was found between them (t = 1.08, P = 0.28). CONCLUSION: MSCT allows a detailed assessment of the anatomy of congenital aortic anomaly, which can be used as an important supplementary method in diagnosing CHD and offer important information for operation. 80 kV should be selected in CHD patients less than one year old for CT examination to reduce radiation exposure.

Effects of botanical pesticide itol A against the tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fab.).

Itol A, an isoryanodane diterpene derived from Itoa orientalis Hemsl. (Flacourtiaceae), is a potential plant-based insecticide. However, the effect of itol A on the tobacco cutworm [Spodoptera litura (Fab.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)], an important and widely distributed insect pest, remains unclear. In this study, the toxicity and inhibitory potency of itol A on S. litura were evaluated. The results indicated that itol A exhibited larvicidal activity against the third instar larvae in a concentration-dependent manner (LC50 875.48 mg/L at 96 h). Antifeedant activity also was observed, and the 24-h AFC50 values were 562.05 and 81.47 mg/L in the no-choice and choice experiments, respectively. The insect growth was inhibited after treatment of itol A, as reflected by long developmental periods, low-quality pupae, and various abnormalities. Itol A exerted ovicidal effect on S. litura, with an estimated LC50 of 759.30 mg/L. Itol A deterred oviposition in the choice experiment (ODI50 909.60 mg/L). Besides, the activities of α-amylase, general protease, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) were inhibited after itol A treatment over time compared to controls, which may be a relevant mechanism underlying the toxicity of itol A toward S. litura. However, the activities of lipase, carboxylesterase (CarE), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) were increased. Taken together, these results suggest that itol A could be a good botanical pesticide to reduce the population of S. litura in integrated pest management programs.

Disruption within brain default mode network in postpartum women without depression.

Previous studies have demonstrated that cognitive dysfunction is associated with neurophysiological changes in postpartum period. This study aimed to investigate the intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) pattern within the default mode network (DMN) and its associations with cognitive dysfunction in postpartum women without depression revealed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).Resting-state fMRI scans were acquired from 21 postpartum women and 21 age- and education-matched nulliparous women. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) was selected as the seed region to detect the FC patterns and then determine whether these changes were related to specific cognitive performance.Compared with the nulliparous women, postpartum women had a significantly decreased FC between the PCC and the left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). After correcting for age and education, the reduced FC between the PCC and the left mPFC was positively correlated with the poorer Clock-Drawing Test (CDT) scores in postpartum women (r = 0.742, P < .001).The present study mainly demonstrated decreased resting-state FC pattern within the DMN regions that was linked with impaired cognitive function in postpartum women. These findings illustrated the potential role of the DMN in postpartum women that will provide novel insight into the underlying neuropathological mechanisms in postpartum period.

Disrupted Spontaneous Neural Activity Related to Cognitive Impairment in Postpartum Women.

Purpose: Prior research has demonstrated that the postpartum period is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment. This study aims to investigate whether disrupted spontaneous neural activity exists in postpartum women without depression using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and to detect the relationship between these abnormalities and cognitive impairment. Materials and Methods: Postpartum women (n = 22) were compared with age- and education-matched nulliparous women (n = 23) using rs-fMRI. We calculated the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) values to evaluate spontaneous neural activity and detect the relationship between rs-fMRI data and cognitive performance. Results: Relative to nulliparous women, postpartum women had significantly decreased ALFF and ReHo values primarily in the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and prefrontal cortex and increased ALFF values in left cerebellar posterior lobe. We found a positive correlation between the ALFF and ReHo values in the PCC and the complex figure test (CFT)-delayed scores in postpartum women (r = 0.693, p = 0.001; r = 0.569, p = 0.011, respectively). Moreover, the clock-drawing test (CDT) scores showed positive correlations with the ALFF and ReHo values in the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG; r = 0.492, p = 0.033; r = 0.517, p = 0.023, respectively). Conclusion: Our combined ALFF and ReHo analyses revealed decreased spontaneous neural activity, mainly in the PCC and prefrontal cortex, which was correlated with specific impaired cognitive functioning in postpartum women. This study may elucidate the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying postpartum cognitive impairment and enhance our understanding of the neurobiological aspects of the postpartum period.

Catalytic wet air oxidation for the treatment of emulsifying wastewater.

The wet air oxidation (WAO) and catalytic WAO (CWAO) of the high strength emulsifying wastewater containing nonionic surfactants have been investigated in terms of COD and TOC removal. The WAO and homogeneous CWAO processes were carried out at the temperature from 433 K to 513 K, with initial oxygen pressure 1.2 MPa. It was found that homogeneous catalyst copper(Cu(NO3)2) had an fairly good catalytic activity for the WAO process, and the oxidation was catalyzed when the temperature was higher than 473 K. Moreover, several heterogeneous catalysts were proved to be effective for the WAO process. At the temperature 473 K, after 2 h reaction, WAO process could achieve about 75% COD removal and 66% TOC removal, while catalysts Cu/Al2O3 and Mn-Ce/Al2O3 elevated the COD removal up to 86%--89% and that of TOC up to 82%. However, complete elimination of COD and TOC was proved to be difficult even the best non-noble catalyst was used. Therefore, the effluent from WAO or CWAO process need to be further disposed. The bioassay proved that the effluent from WAO process was amenable to the biochemical method.

[Report of a case with Johanson-Blizzard syndrome and literatures review].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical characteristics and diagnosis of the Johanson-Blizzard syndrome. METHOD: The clinical characteristics and diagnosing procedure of 1 case with Johanson-Blizzard syndrome were analyzed, and genetic analysis was made in diagnosing procedure, and 28 cases of Johanson-Blizzard syndrome with detailed clinical data were reviewed and analyzed. RESULT: A one year and nine months old girl, who was initially admitted to the hospital because of fatty diarrhea and increased frequency of defecation. Imperforate anus, and aplastic alae nasi was noticed after birth. On physical examination, short stature, mental retardation, tooth abnormalities and scalp defects were observed. Fat globule was found by routine stool test. Serum biochemistry showed an exocrine and endocrine pancreatic insufficiency, CT scan of the abdomen demonstrated fatty replacement of the pancreas, UBR1 gene analysis showed heterozygous for two missense changes. In all 29 cases, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (72.4%) and hypoplasia of the alae nasi (93%) were the most common clinical manifestations, and sensorineural hearing loss (59%), scalp defects (69%) and hair thinning or upsweep of the hair (44.8%), hypothyroidism (44.8%), absence of permanent teeth (44.8%) and imperforate anus (21%) were also very common, but did not include consanguineous marriage of parents (10.3%). CONCLUSION: Johanson-Blizzard syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive multisystem disorder, it is characterized by the association of congenital exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and hypoplasia or aplasia of the nasal wings, and can be diagnosed by clinical characteristics and UBR1 gene analysis.

[Treatment of SBR after wet air oxidation of emulsification wastewater].

This article studied the change of possible biochemistry and toxicity of emulsification wastewater before and after wet air oxidation and also studied the treating effect of wet air oxidation on emulsification wastewater after SBR process. The experimental results indicate that the toxicity of emulsification wastewater is equivalent to that of 0.12 mg/L HgCl2, while initial COD 48,000 mg x L(-1) and BOD5/COD (B/C) 0.072 3 in the inlet wastewater, and that the wastewater is highly concentrated organic wastewater. After WAO treatment, the value of BOD5/COD increases clearly. While the temperature is higher, the rise scope of B/C is bigger, and the biological toxicity reduces more. At 220 degrees C and 240 degrees C, the biological toxicity of wastewater decreases by 18.3% and 50.8% after WAO treatment, respectively. It can be seen that SBR treatment process has a perfect effect on WAO output water at 220 degrees C and has the strong anti-impact load ability. With respect to the initial COD 1500-3000 mg/L in the inlet wastewater, it exhibits the efficiency of 94.6%-96.1% COD removal. While initial COD 2000 mg/L in the inlet wastewater, the average COD in the outlet wastewater is 96.0 mg/L. The WAO-SBR process developed with respect to the emulsification wastewater treatment has a potential application prospect.