Spatial-temporal evolution of soil gas Rn before two Ms ≥ 5.0 earthquakes in the mid-eastern of the Qilian fault zone (QLF).

The mid-eastern segment of the Qilianshan fault zone (QLF) on the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is considered one of the key seismic hazard areas. The Zhangye Ms5.0 earthquake and Menyuan Ms6.9 earthquake are the two Ms ≥ 5.0 earthquakes in recent years. The spatio-temporal evolution of Rn across the fault before the two Ms ≥ 5.0 earthquakes were explored by combining a solid seismogenic model and numerical simulation results in this study. The results demonstrates the spatial distribution of Rn concentration intensity varies over time, indicating the evolving characteristics of fracture zone activity. The time-series variation characteristics are closely related the Zhangye Ms5.0 earthquake and Menyuan Ms6.9 earthquake. Overall, in the seismic source area and surrounding medium area of Zhangye Ms5.0 earthquake, the soil gas Rn anomaly across faults characterized by a turning upward trend after continuous decline. The closer to the source area, the more obvious the upward trend. For Menyuan Ms6.9 earthquake, the survey line (HT1) located in the main fracture zone of the earthquake and the survey line (HT7,30km from the epicenter) closer to the epicenter also showed a similar trend, while the other measurement lines in far-field exhibit declining trend before the Menyuan Ms6.9 earthquake. Therefore, the continuous decline trend of soil gas may be crucial information for medium-term earthquake preparation in the seismogenic zone, and the trend of turning upward after continuous decline is a significant signal of short-term seismogenic event in far-field. This research could improve the understanding of the anomalous features of soil gas precursors and tracking the active sections of the fault. According to the model, the earthquake area canseismic source area, the surrounding medium area be divided into three sections: the seismic source area, the surrounding medium area, and the fracture fragmentation area.

Efficacy and safety of short-term high dosage dual antiplatelet therapy after 0.6 mg/kg rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of short-term high-dose of dual antiplatelet therapy after 0.6 mg/kg rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). METHODS: All 208 patients with AIS were randomized into group 1 (103 cases, after 0.6 mg/kg rt-PA, 300 mg of oral aspirin(ASP) q.d. and 225 mg of oral clopidogrel (CLO) q.d. for for 5 days, then 100 mg of oral ASP q.d. for the next 85 days and 75 mg of oral CLO q.d. for the next 16 days) and group 2 (105 cases, after 0.9 mg/kg rt-PA, 100 mg of oral ASP q.d. for 90 days and 75 mg of oral CLO q.d. for 21 days).The efficacy index was the mRS score, NIHSS score and recurrence risk of stroke, while the safety index was the incidence of bleeding events and mortality. All parameters were evaluated at 30 and 90 days after thrombolysis. Patients whose characteristics may provide the best treatment benefit were further analyzed using the logistic regression model in group 1. RESULTS: The proportion of mRS scores between 0 and 1 in group 1 was higher than that in group 2 at both 30 days (44.7% vs 32.4%, P < .05) and 90 days (50.5% vs 35.2%, P < .05). Compared to group 2, the proportion of NIHSS scores less than 4 was significantly higher in group 1 at both 30 days (37.9% vs 25.7%, P < .05) and 90 days (46.6% vs 30.5%, P < .05). At 90 days, Group 1 had a lower stroke recurrence risk than Group 2 (3.9% vs 10.5%, P < .05). The incidence of SICH was significantly different between the 2 groups at both 30 days (2.9% vs 9.5%, P < .05) and 90 days (2.9% vs 10.5%, P < .05). However, other bleeding events and mortality rates were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The lower the baseline NIHSS score and the shorter the OTT, the more favorable the outcomes obtained at 90 days. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to standard doses, short term high-dose dual antiplatelet therapy after 0.6 mg/kg rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis may be a good choice for AIS patients.

Geochemical precursory characteristics of soil gas Rn, Hg, H2, and CO2 related to the 2019 Xiahe Ms5.7 earthquake across the northern margin of West Qinling fault zone, Central China.

The Xiahe Ms5.7 earthquake occurred in Xiahe county, Gannan prefecture, China (35.10°N, 102.69°E) on October 28, 2019, with a source depth of 10 km. This study investigates the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of cross-fault soil gas concentrations prior to the Xiahe Ms5.7 earthquake by analyzing Rn, Hg, H2, and CO2 data collected from 11 profiles across the northern margin of the West Qinling fault zone from 2016 to 2019. The spatial distribution of these gases showed varying trends, with Rn concentration intensity decreasing from the Wushan segment to the east and west sections, while Hg, H2, and CO2 all broke the trend in the West Qinling fault zone's northern margin. The soil gas concentration intensity demonstrated a significant response to the Xiahe Ms5.7 earthquake, particularly in the west Ganjia sections. By integrating the seismogenic model and numerical simulation results, we explored the physical mechanism underlying these abnormal trends. Our findings suggest that the continuous decline characteristic of fault gas could be a valuable indicator of fracture tectonic activity, while an upward trend after continuous decline may signal a medium and short-term seismogenic event in the source area. These results provide a foundation for improved tracking of earthquake location and timing in a fault zone through cross-fault soil gas methods, highlighting the importance of enhancing deep fluid flow monitoring and seismogenic model research in fault zones.

Soil microbial community shifts explain habitat heterogeneity in two Haloxylon species from a nutrient perspective.

Haloxylon ammodendron and Haloxylon persicum (as sister taxa) are dominant shrubs in the Gurbantunggut Desert. The former grows in inter-dune lowlands while the latter in sand dunes. However, little information is available regarding the possible role of soil microorganisms in the habitat heterogeneity in the two Haloxylon species from a nutrient perspective. Rhizosphere is the interface of plant-microbe-soil interactions and fertile islands usually occur around the roots of desert shrubs. Given this, we applied quantitative real-time PCR combined with MiSeq amplicon sequencing to compare their rhizosphere effects on microbial abundance and community structures at three soil depths (0-20, 20-40, and 40-60 cm). The rhizosphere effects on microbial activity (respiration) and soil properties had also been estimated. The rhizospheres of both shrubs exerted significant positive effects on microbial activity and abundance (e.g., eukarya, bacteria, and nitrogen-fixing microbes). The rhizosphere effect of H. ammodendron on microbial activity and abundance of bacteria and nitrogen-fixing microbes was greater than that of H. persicum. However, the fertile island effect of H. ammodendron was weaker than that of H. persicum. Moreover, there existed distinct differences in microbial community structure between the two rhizosphere soils. Soil available nitrogen, especially nitrate nitrogen, was shown to be a driver of microbial community differentiation among rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils in the desert. In general, the rhizosphere of H. ammodendron recruited more copiotrophs (e.g., Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria), nitrogen-fixing microbes and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, and with stronger microbial activities. This helps it maintain a competitive advantage in relatively nutrient-rich lowlands. Haloxylon persicum relied more on fungi, actinomycetes, archaea (including ammonia-oxidizing archaea), and eukarya, with higher nutrient use efficiency, which help it adapt to the harsher dune crests. This study provides insights into the microbial mechanisms of habitat heterogeneity in two Haloxylon species in the poor desert soil.

Density-Dependent Prophylaxis in Freshwater Snails Driven by Oxylipin Chemical Cues.

While animal aggregations can benefit the fitness of group members, the behaviour may also lead to higher risks of parasite infection as group density increases. Some animals are known to moderate their investment in immunity relative to the risk of infection. These animals exhibit density-dependent prophylaxis (DDP) by increasing their immune investment as group density increases. Despite being documented in many taxa, the mechanisms of DDP remain largely unexplored. Snails are known to aggregate and experience large fluctuations in density and serve as required hosts for many parasites. Further, they are known to use chemical cues to aggregate. To test whether freshwater snails exhibit DDP and investigate the role that chemical signaling compounds may play in triggering this phenomenon, we performed four experiments on the freshwater snail Stagnicola elodes, which is a common host for many trematode parasite species. First, we tested if DDP occurred in snails in laboratory-controlled conditions (control vs snail-conditioned water) and whether differences in exposure to chemical cues affected immune function. Second, we used gas chromatography to characterize fatty acids expressed in snail-conditioned water to determine if precursors for particular signaling molecules, such as oxylipins, were being produced by snails. Third, we characterized the oxylipins released by infected and uninfected field-collected snails, to better understand how differences in oxylipin cocktails may play a role in inducing DDP. Finally, we tested the immune response of snails exposed to four oxylipins to test the ability of specific oxylipins to affect DDP. We found that snails exposed to water with higher densities of snails and raised in snail-conditioned water had higher counts of haemocytes. Additionally, lipid analysis demonstrated that fatty acid molecules that are also precursors for oxylipins were present in snail-conditioned water. Trematode-infected snails emitted 50 oxylipins in higher amounts, with 24 of these oxylipins only detected in this group. Finally, oxylipins that were higher in infected snails induced naïve snails to increase their immune responses compared to sham-exposed snails. Our results provide evidence that snails exhibit DDP, and the changes in oxylipins emitted by infected hosts may be one of the molecular mechanisms driving this phenomenon.

Isotopic turnover rates and diet-tissue discrimination depend on feeding habits of freshwater snails.

Estimates of animal diets and trophic structure using stable isotope analysis are strongly affected by diet-tissue discrimination and tissue turnover rates, yet these factors are often unknown for consumers because they must be measured using controlled-feeding studies. Furthermore, these parameters may be influenced by diet quality, growth, and other factors. We measured the effect of dietary protein content on diet-tissue discrimination and tissue turnover in three freshwater snail species. We fed lettuce to individually housed snails (n = 450 per species) for ten weeks, then half were switched to a high-protein diet. Isotopic values of muscle and gonad tissue were assessed at 48 and 80 days post-diet change. Snail discrimination factors varied by diet (low-protein > high-protein) and usually differed among species for both N and C, although species had similar carbon discrimination when fed the low-protein diet. Carbon turnover rates were similar among species for a given tissue type, but nitrogen turnover varied more among species. In addition, diet affected growth of species differently; some species grew larger on high-protein (H. trivolvis) while others grew larger on low-protein diet (Lymnaea spp.). These differences among species in growth influenced turnover rates, which were faster in the species with the highest growth rate following the diet switch from low to high-protein. Thus, growth is one of the main processes that affects tissue turnover, but growth and feeding preference did not affect diet-tissue discrimination, which was greater on low-protein than high-protein diets for all species regardless of growth performance. These results suggest that diet might influence two key parameters of stable isotope analysis differently.

Phenological responses to nitrogen and water addition are linked to plant growth patterns in a desert herbaceous community.

Increases in nitrogen (N) deposition and variation in precipitation have been occurring in temperate deserts; however, little information is available regarding plant phenological responses to environmental cues and their relationships with plant growth pattern in desert ecosystems. In this study, plant phenology and growth of six annuals in response to N and water addition were monitored throughout two consecutive growing seasons in 2011 and 2012 in a temperate desert in northwestern China. The effects of N and water addition on reproductive phenology differed among plant species. N and water addition consistently advanced the flowering onset time and fruiting time of four spring ephemerals; however, their effects on two spring-summer annuals were inconsistent, with advances being noted in one species and delays in another. N and water addition alone increased plant height, relative growth rate, leaf number, flower number, and individual biomass, while their combinative effects on plant growth and reproductive phenology were dependent on species. Multiple regression analysis showed that flowering onset time was negatively correlated with relative growth rate of two species, and negatively correlated with maximum plant height of the other four species. Our study demonstrates that phenological responses to increasing precipitation and N deposition varied in annuals with different life histories, whereby the effects of climate change on plant growth rate were related to reproductive phenology. Desert annuals that were able to accelerate growth rate under increasing soil resource availability tended to advance their flowering onset time to escape drought later in the growing season. This study promotes our understanding of the responses of temperate desert annuals to increasing precipitation and N deposition in this desert.

Two I84 family protease inhibitors from Chinese razor clams Sinonovacula constricta expressed in response to environmental challenges.

Protease inhibitors play critical roles in numerous biological processes including host defense in all multicellular organisms. Eighty three evolutionary families of protease inhibitors are currently accommodated in the MEROPS database and the I84 family currently consists of 3 novel serine protease inhibitors from the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. In this study, we identified 2 new I84 family members from the Chinese razor clam Sinonovacula constricta, scSI-1 and scSI-2, using cDNA cloning and sequencing. The scSI-1 cDNA consisted of 494 bp with a 282 bp ORF encoding a 93-amino acid polypeptide that was predicted to have a 19-amino acid signal peptide and a 74-residue mature protein with a calculated molecular mass of 8248.5 Da. The scSI-2 cDNA was 490 bp long with a 273 bp ORF encoding a 90-amino acid polypeptide that was predicted to have an 18-amino acid signal peptide and a 72-residue nature protein with a calculated molecular mass of 7528.4 Da. ScSI-1 and scSI-2 shared high sequence similarity with the 3 known members of I84 family and both expressed primarily in the clam digestive glands. Protease inhibitory activity in the clam plasma also exhibited the signature kinetic characteristics of the I84 members from the oyster. In addition, levels of scSI-1 and scSI-2 gene expression in digestive glands and the protease inhibitory activity in plasma elevated significantly in clams challenged by bacterial injections and Vibrio harveyi was more effective than Staphylococcus epidermidis in inducing the gene expression and plasma protease inhibitory activity. Moreover, drastic changes of salinity and temperature also caused significant changes in the gene expression and plasma activity. These results indicated that scSI-1 and scSI-2 represented 2 new members of the I84 family and they likely play a role in clam host defense against infections and in reactions against physiochemical stressors.

The efficacy of homemade tolcapone in the treatment of patients with Parkinsons disease.

The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of homemade tolcapone in treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Eighty patients with PD were subjected to randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and parallel-group study. PD patients were randomly divided into the tolcapone treatment group (41 cases) and placebo group (39 cases). Each patient received 1 pill of tolcapone or placebo, 3 times per day for 26 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated using the internationally used unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) scoring system for PD symptoms. After the treatment for 26 weeks, the cognitive function, tremor, muscle stiffness, voluntary movement and autonomic nerve symptoms were compared between the two groups using UPDRS scores. Compared with the placebo group, cognitive function, muscle stiffness and voluntary movement reduction were significantly improved in patients of the tolcapone group (P<0.05). However, no significant differences in UPDRS scores of autonomic nerve symptoms and tremor were found between two groups after treatment (P>0.05). Tolcapone, a catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitor, can improve the motor function of patients with PD, especially exercise and muscle stiffness. Tolcapone can also improve the cognitive function of patients.

Spatial distribution correlation of soil-gas radon (222Rn) and mercury with leveling deformation in northern margin fault zone of West Qinling, China.

This study concerns measurement of 222Rn and mercury concentrations in soil-gas in the northern margin fault zone of West Qinling, Tibet (China). Based on profiles crossing perpendicularly the different segments of the fault at six different locations, the relations between the gas measurements, fault deformation, and seismic activity in each segment of the studied fault were analyzed, determining seismic risks in the fault zone. Soil-gas data are heterogeneous, but appear relatively organized along the three segments of the fault. The detailed multidisciplinary analysis reveals complex interactions between the structural setting, uprising fluids, leveling and seismic activity in different fault segments. The results for both fault soil gas and deformation indicated relatively stronger fault activity in the Wushan segment in the middle-eastern segment of the northern margin fault zone of West Qinling and lower activity in the Zhangxian segment, whereas the fault in the Tianshui segment was relatively locked. Additionally, in the Wushan strike-slip pull-apart area, the active influence of fluid activities facilitated the occurrence of small to medium-sized seismic events, which prevented the occurrence of larger events; in contrast, in the Tianshui segment, the west Zhangxian segment, the weak fluid activities and the corresponding strain rate will probably lead to strong earthquake buildup.

Low cholesterol level associated with severity and outcome of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: Results from Taiwan Stroke Registry.

The relationship between cholesterol level and hemorrhagic stroke is inconclusive. We hypothesized that low cholesterol levels may have association with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) severity at admission and 3-month outcomes. This study used data obtained from a multi-center stroke registry program in Taiwan. We categorized acute spontaneous ICH patients, based on their baseline levels of total cholesterol (TC) measured at admission, into 3 groups with <160, 160-200 and >200 mg/dL of TC. We evaluated risk of having initial stroke severity, with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) >15 and unfavorable outcomes (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score >2, 3-month mortality) after ICH by the TC group. A total of 2444 ICH patients (mean age 62.5±14.2 years; 64.2% men) were included in this study and 854 (34.9%) of them had baseline TC <160 mg/dL. Patients with TC <160 mg/dL presented more often severe neurological deficit (NIHSS >15), with an adjusted odds ratio [aOR] of 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-2.30), and 3-month mRS >2 (aOR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.11-1.78) using patients with TC >200 mg/dL as reference. Those with TC >160 mg/dL and body mass index (BMI) <22 kg/m2 had higher risk of 3-month mortality (aOR 3.94, 95% CI 1.76-8.80). Prior use of lipid-lowering drugs (2.8% of the ICH population) was not associated with initial severity and 3-month outcomes. A total cholesterol level lower than 160 mg/dL was common in patients with acute ICH and was associated with greater neurological severity on presentation and poor 3-month outcomes, especially with lower BMI.

Profile Changes in the Soil Microbial Community When Desert Becomes Oasis.

The conversion of virgin desert into oasis farmland creates two contrasting types of land-cover. During oasis formation with irrigation and fertilizer application, however, the changes in the soil microbial population, which play critical roles in the ecosystem, remain poorly understood. We applied high-throughput pyrosequencing to investigate bacterial and archaeal communities throughout the profile (0-3 m) in an experimental field, where irrigation and fertilization began in 1990 and cropped with winter wheat since then. To assess the effects of cultivation, the following treatments were compared with the virgin desert: CK (no fertilizer), PK, NK, NP, NPK, NPKR, and NPKM (R: straw residue; M: manure fertilizer). Irrigation had a greater impact on the overall microbial community than fertilizer application. The greatest impact occurred in topsoil (0-0.2 m), e.g., Cyanobacteria (25% total abundance) were most abundant in desert soil, while Actinobacteria (26%) were most abundant in oasis soil. The proportions of extremophilic and photosynthetic groups (e.g., Deinococcus-Thermus and Cyanobacteria) decreased, while the proportions of R-strategy (e.g., Gammaproteobacteria including Xanthomonadales), nitrifying (e.g., Nitrospirae), and anaerobic bacteria (e.g., Anaerolineae) increased throughout the oasis profile. Archaea occurred only in oasis soil. The impact of fertilizer application was mainly reflected in the non-dominant communities or finer taxonomic divisions. Oasis formation led to a dramatic shift in microbial community and enhanced soil enzyme activities. The rapidly increased soil moisture and decreased salt caused by irrigation were responsible for this shift. Furthermore, difference in fertilization and crop growth altered the organic carbon contents in the soil, which resulted in differences of microbial communities within oasis.

Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous Thrombolysis for the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients with Saccular Intracranial Aneurysms of ≤3 mm.

To explore the effectiveness and safety of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in treating acute ischemic stroke patients with concomitant intracranial aneurysms (IA) of ≤3 mm. Clinical data of patients who were treated in Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from June 2012 to September 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the following groups: (a) IVT group, in which there were 30 acute ischemic stroke patients with IA of ≤3 mm and 30 patients without aneurysms; and (b) IA group, in which there were 30 patients who did not receive IVT and 30 patients who received IVT. The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage, case-fatality, and good outcome rate was compared within these two groups. Inside the IVT group, the incidence of systematic intracranial hemorrhage and case-fatality showed no significant differences between patients with concomitant IA and those without IA. The 3-month good outcome rate was also not significantly different (24 [80.0 %] vs. 27 [90 %]; P = 0.278). In IA group, patients who had received IVT showed significantly superior good outcome rate than those who had not received IVT (24 [80.0 %] vs. 16 [53.3 %]; P = 0.028).The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage and case-fatality rate were not significantly different between these two subgroups as well. IVT is effective and safe method for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke patients with saccular IA of ≤3 mm.

Use of Intravenous Thrombolytic Therapy in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients: Evaluation of Clinical Outcomes.

The use of intravenous thrombolytic therapy (ITT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients is still debated in China. We present the analysis of clinico-demographic retrospective data of 646 AIS patients that were treated by alteplase ITT at our hospital. The data collected included age, gender, education, income, drug use before disease onset, and awareness of stroke/ITT. The risk factors studied were hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, transient ischemic attack, valvular heart disease, thyroid disease, migraine, asymptomatic carotid stenosis, family history of stroke, hyperhomocysteinemia, smoking, drinking, and gingivitis. Pre-ITT patient data included blood pressure and time from onset to hospital. Post-ITT patient data included National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, clinical outcome, revascularization, hemorrhage, healing rate, and 90-day mortality. Hospital management information included monthly ITT cases, discharges, bed turnaround times, length of hospital stay, bed utilization, drug ratio, massive cerebral infarction decompressive craniectomy, and social impact. Prognosis evaluation was based on post-ITT NIHSS and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores. We found that ITT success rate was 75.85 %, with a bleeding rate of 1.55 % and a 90-day mortality rate of 2.01 %. Overall, the data suggest that the ITT therapy was highly successful in AIS patients treated at our hospital.

Safety and Effectiveness of Intravenous Thrombolysis with Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator in 80 Years and Older Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients.

This study aims to explore the safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in elderly (≥80 years old) acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. The clinical data of patients who were treated in Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from June 2012 to November 2013 were retrospectively analyzed; among them, 404 patients had received IVT with rt-PA and 200 patients had not received IVT. Among ≥80-year-old patients, 204 had received IVT and 200 had not. And the 404 patients who had received IVT were divided into two subgroups: elderly (≥80 years of age; n = 204) and controls (<80 years old; n = 200). The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, case fatality rate, and other prognostic indicators were compared. Among all ≥80-year-old patients, the IVT subgroup had significantly superior good outcome rates than the non-IVT subgroup at 24-h and 3-month along with significantly lower case fatality rate. But for the patients those who had received IVT, the incidence of ICH and the 7-day case fatality rate were not significantly increased in both the elderly and control subgroups. The 24-h and 3-month good outcome rates were not significantly different between these two subgroups as well. IVT with rt-PA is a safe and effective treatment for ≥80-year-old AIS patients.

Automated segmentation and quantification of white matter hyperintensities in acute ischemic stroke patients with cerebral infarction.

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) of presumed vascular origin are common in ageing population, especially in patients with acute cerebral infarction and the volume has been reported to be associated with mental impairment and the risk of hemorrhage from antithrombotic agents. WMHs delineation can be computerized to minimize human bias. However, the presence of cerebral infarcts greatly degrades the accuracy of WMHs detection and thus limits the application of computerized delineation to patients with acute cerebral infarction. We propose a computer-assisted segmentation method to depict WMHs in the presence of cerebral infarcts in combined T1-weighted, fluid attenuation inversion recovery, and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The proposed method detects WMHs by empirical threshold and atlas information, with subtraction of white matter voxels affected by acute infarction. The method was derived using MRI from 25 hemispheres with WMHs only and 13 hemispheres with both WMHs and cerebral infarcts. Similarity index (SI) and correlation were utilized to assess the agreement between the new automated method and a gold standard visually guided semi-automated method done by an expert rater. The proposed WMHs segmentation approach produced average SI, sensitivity and specificity of 83.142±11.742, 84.154±16.086 and 99.988±0.029% with WMHs only and of 68.826±14.036, 74.381±18.473 and 99.956±0.054% with both WMHs and cerebral infarcts in the derivation cohort. The performance of the proposed method with an external validation cohort was also highly consistent with that of the experienced rater.

[Effect of long-term fertilizing regime on soil microbial diversity and soil property].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of long-term fertilization on soil microbial community and soil chemical and physical properties. METHODS: Using a high-throughput pyrosequencing technique, we studied microbial community in the 0-300 cm soil samples covering a 20-year field-experiment with different fertilization applications including inorganic fertilizer alone (N 300 kg/hm2, P2O5 150 kg/hm2 and K2O 60 kg/hm2) and inorganic fertilizer combined with straw (same application rate of N and P fertilizer combined with 5.4 t straw). RESULTS: Actinobacteria and alpha-proteobacteria were the predominant groups in the topsoil (0-20 cm). As the soil depth increased, the relative abundance of actinobacteria decreased whereas that of proteobacteria, especially gamma-proteobacteria and beta-proteobacteria increased and gradually became the dominant groups in the subsoil (20-300 cm). Long-term fertilizing applications significantly affected soil microbial communities throughout the soil profile, and increased the relative abundance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea at 0-40 cm depth. In addition, agriculture management, e. g. irrigation may be an important driving factor for the distribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in soil profile. Total nitrogen and organic carbon contents were the most influential factors on microbial community in the topsoil and in the subsoil, respectively. CONCLUSION: Long-term fertilizer applications altered soil nutrient availability within the soil profile, which was likely to result in the different microbial community structure between the fertilizer treatments, especially for the subsoil.

Proteinuria independently predicts unfavorable outcome of ischemic stroke patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and proteinuria may be at increased risk for stroke. This study investigated whether low eGFR and proteinuria are outcome predictors in stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis. METHODS: We studied 432 consecutive stroke patients who received thrombolysis from January 2006 to December 2012, in Taiwan. Unfavorable outcome was defined as modified Rankin scale ≥2 at 3 months after stroke. Proteinuria was classified as negative or trace, mild, and moderate to severe. Using logistic regression analysis, we identified independent factors for unfavorable outcome after thrombolysis. RESULTS: Of all patients, 32.7% had proteinuria. Patients with proteinuria were older, had higher frequencies of diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, lower eGFR, and greater severity of stroke upon admission than those without proteinuria. Proteinuria, not low eGFR, was an independent predictor for unfavorable outcome for stroke (OR = 2.00 for mild proteinuria, p = 0.035; OR = 2.54 for moderate to severe proteinuria, p = 0.035). However, no clear relationship was found between proteinuria and symptomatic hemorrhage after thrombolysis. CONCLUSIONS: Proteinuria is an independent predictor of unfavorable outcome for acute ischemic stroke in patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis, indicating the crucial role of chronic kidney disease on the effectiveness of thrombolysis.

Eosinophilic meningitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in an adolescent with mental retardation and pica disorder.

Eosinophilic meningitis or encephalitis is a rare disorder and is most commonly caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Humans are accidentally infected when they ingest raw snails or vegetables contaminated with the parasite larvae. Because of the improvement in sanitary food handling practices, the occurrence of A. cantonensis eosinophilic meningitis has been decreasing in Taiwan in recent decades. The common symptoms and signs of eosinophilic meningitis are severe headache, neck stiffness, paresthesia, vomiting, nausea, and fever. Acute urinary retention is a rare presentation. We report a case of A. cantonensis eosinophilic meningitis in an intellectually disabled patient who presented with acute urinary retention without any other meningeal signs. The patient received supportive treatment with corticosteroid therapy and was discharged and received urinary rehabilitation at home.