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Grain filling is the physiological process for determining the obtainment of yield in cereal crops. The grain-filling characteristics of 50 maize brand hybrids released from 1964 to 2014 in China were assayed across multiple environments. We found that the grain-filling duration (54.46%) and rate (43.40%) at the effective grain-filling phase greatly contributed to the final performance parameter of 100-kernel weight (HKW). Meanwhile, along with the significant increase in HKW, the accumulated growing degree days (GDDs) for the actual grain-filling period duration (AFPD) among the selected brand hybrids released from the 1960s to the 2010s in China had a decadal increase of 23.41°C d. However, there was a decadal increase of only 19.76°C d for GDDs of the days from sowing to physiological maturity (DPM), which was also demonstrated by a continuous decrease in the ratio between the days from sowing to silking (DS) and DPM (i.e., from 53.24% in the 1960s to 49.78% in the 2010s). In contrast, there were no significant changes in grain-filling rate along with the release years of the selected hybrids. Moreover, the stability of grain-filling characteristics across environments also significantly increased along with the hybrid release years. We also found that the exotic hybrids showed a longer grain-filling duration at the effective grain-filling phase and more stability of the grain-filling characteristics than those of the Chinese local hybrids. According to the results of this study, it is expected that the relatively longer grain-filling duration, shorter DS, higher grain-filling rate, and steady grain-filling characteristics would contribute to the yield improvement of maize hybrids in the future.

Neurocritical monitoring is important in caring for patients in the neurological intensive care unit. Although clinical neurologic examination is standard for neurocritical monitoring, changes found during the examination are often late signs and insufficient to detect and prevent secondary brain injury. Therefore, various neuromonitoring tools have been developed to monitor different physiologic parameters, such as cerebral oxygenation, cerebral blood flow, cerebral pressure, cerebral autoregulation, cerebral electric activity, and cerebral metabolism. In this review, we have discussed current commonly used neurocritical monitoring tools. No single monitor is sufficient and perfect for neurocritical monitoring. Multimodal neurocritical monitoring is the current trend. However, the lack of common formatting standards and uncertainty of improvement in patients’ outcomes warrant further studies of multimodal neurocritical monitoring. Nevertheless, multimodal neurocritical monitoring considers individual pathophysiological variations in patients or their injuries and allows clinicians to tailor individualized management decisions.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most common chronic allergic disease in school-age children. An increased prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in AR patients has been reported; however, inattention and hyperactivity in AR children have not been investigated using objective and scientific measurements. Methods: We used AR symptom score, ADHD symptom scale, and computerized continuous performance test (CPT) to study the attention and impulsivity in AR children, age-matched controls, and ADHD children (aged 6–15 years). Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were applied to identify risk factors for impulsivity and inattention in AR children. Results: Twenty-nine controls, 10 ADHD, and 105 AR children were enrolled. There were no differences in age and sex among the three groups. The scores of Hyperactivity/Impulsivity subscales of ADHD symptoms from both parents and teachers were significantly higher in the AR children. The CPT in AR children revealed higher commission errors, shorter reaction times, and more perseveration. Risk factors for inattention and impulsivity in AR children included younger age, male sex, higher AR symptom scores, persistent AR, moderate/severe AR, multiple atopic diseases, family history of atopy, and possible comorbidity with ADHD. Conclusion: Care for AR children should not only involve treating their allergy, but also monitoring the possible comorbidities of impulsivity and inattention. In children with impulsivity, AR should be considered in addition to ADHD.