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BackgroundLactate is used to evaluate the prognosis of adult patients with trauma. However, the prognostic significance of admission serum lactate in the setting of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is still unclear. We aim to investigate the impact of admission lactate on the outcome in children with moderate to severe TBI.MethodsThis retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary pediatric hospital between May 2012 and Jun 2018 included children with an admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of ≤13. Two hundred and thirteen patients were included in the analysis and 45 patients died in hospital.ResultsAdmission lactate and glucose were significantly higher in non-survivors than those in survivors (P < 0.05). Admission lactate was positively correlated with admission glucose and negatively correlated with GCS in all patients (n = 213), subgroup of isolated TBI (n = 112) and subgroup of GCS ≤ 8 (n = 133), respectively. AUCs of lactate could significantly predict the mortality and were higher than those of glucose in all patients, subgroup of isolated TBI and subgroup of GCS ≤ 8, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression showed that admission lactate (Adjusted OR = 1.189; 95% CI: 1.002-1.410; P = 0.047) was independently associated with mortality, while admission glucose (Adjusted OR = 1.077; 95% CI: 0.978-1.186; P = 0.133) wasn't an independent risk factor of death. Elevated admission lactate (> 2 mmol/L) was associated with death, reduced 14-day ventilation-free days, 14-day ICU-free days and 28-day hospital-free days.ConclusionsAdmission serum lactate can effectively predict the mortality of children with moderate to severe TBI. Elevated admission lactate is associated with death, reduced ventilator-free, ICU-free, and hospital-free days. Admission serum lactate could be used as a prognostic biomarker of mortality in children with moderate to severe TBI.

The peach fruit moth, Carposina sasakii, is part of the Carposinidae, and is harmful to the families Rosaceae and Rhamnaceae. C. sasakii lays eggs on the hairy surface of the fruit's stalk cavity and calyx end. After hatching, the moth can bore into the fruits and feed on the flesh inside. Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are a class of low-molecular-weight soluble carrier proteins that are highly evolutionarily conserved. To enhance our understanding of the recognition of host plant volatiles by CSPs of C. sasakii, the expression patterns and binding characteristics of CsasCSP7, CsasCSP9 and CsasCSP11 in C. sasakii were investigated. In our study, the results of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays demonstrate that CsasCSP7 and CsasCSP9 transcripts were abundantly expressed in the antennae of males, and CsasCSP11 was highly expressed in the wings of females. Fluorescence competitive binding assays with 38 candidate ligands showed that CsasCSP7 could bind to benzaldehyde and dodecanal, whereas CsasCSP9 bound to butyl octanoate, decanal and (-)-beta-pinene. CsasCSP11 could also bind to1-hexanol, beta-ocimene and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one. Our results suggest that CsasCSP7, CsasCSP9 and CsasCSP11 may play a crucial role in locating the host plant of C. sasakii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Determination of H3 K27M mutation in diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is key for prognostic assessment and stratifying patient subgroups for clinical trials. MRI can noninvasively depict morphological and metabolic characteristics of H3 K27M mutant DMG. Purpose: This study aimed to develop a deep learning (DL) approach to noninvasively predict H3 K27M mutation in DMG using T2‐weighted images. Study Type: Retrospective and prospective. Population: For diffuse midline brain gliomas, 341 patients from Center‐1 (27 ± 19 years, 184 males), 42 patients from Center‐2 (33 ± 19 years, 27 males) and 35 patients (37 ± 18 years, 24 males). For diffuse spinal cord gliomas, 133 patients from Center‐1 (30 ± 15 years, 80 males). Field Strength/Sequence: 5T and 3T, T2‐weighted turbo spin echo imaging. Assessment: Conventional radiological features were independently reviewed by two neuroradiologists. H3 K27M status was determined by histopathological examination. The Dice coefficient was used to evaluate segmentation performance. Classification performance was evaluated using accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve. Statistical Tests: Pearson's Chi‐squared test, Fisher's exact test, two‐sample Student's t‐test and Mann–Whitney U test. A two‐sided P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In the testing cohort, Dice coefficients of tumor segmentation using DL were 0.87 for diffuse midline brain and 0.81 for spinal cord gliomas. In the internal prospective testing dataset, the predictive accuracies, sensitivities, and specificities of H3 K27M mutation status were 92.1%, 98.2%, 82.9% in diffuse midline brain gliomas and 85.4%, 88.9%, 82.6% in spinal cord gliomas. Furthermore, this study showed that the performance generalizes to external institutions, with predictive accuracies of 85.7%–90.5%, sensitivities of 90.9%–96.0%, and specificities of 82.4%–83.3%. Data Conclusion: In this study, an automatic DL framework was developed and validated for accurately predicting H3 K27M mutation using T2‐weighted images, which could contribute to the noninvasive determination of H3 K27M status for clinical decision‐making. Evidence Level: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The human brain has ability to reorganize itself in response to glioma. However, the mechanism of cortical reorganization remains unclear. Purpose: To investigate alterations in cortical thickness and local gyration index (LGI) in patients with unilateral frontal lobe diffuse low‐grade glioma (DLGG). Study Type: Retrospective. Subjects: Ninety‐nine patients with histopathologically proven DLGG invading the left frontal lobe (LF; N = 56) or the right frontal lobe (RF; N = 43), and healthy controls (HC; N = 53). Field Strength/Sequence: 3.0 T, 3D T1‐weighted images and gadolinium enhanced T1‐weighted images using magnetization‐prepared rapid gradient echo sequence, T2‐weighted images, and fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery using turbo spin echo sequence. Assessment: In patients with DLGG, virtual brain grafting combined with Freesurfer was utilized to enable automated cortical thickness and LGI calculation. In HC, standard FreeSurfer pipeline was applied to calculate these measures. Radiomic features were extracted from glioma using Pyradiomic software. Statistical Tests: General linear model and Pearson's correlation analysis. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: For LF patients, there was significantly increased cortical thickness in the rostral middle frontal gyrus, significantly reduced cortical thickness in the precentral gyrus and hypogyrification in the lingual and medial orbitofrontal (MOF) gyrus in contralateral hemisphere. For RF patients, there was significantly increased cortical thickness in the middle temporal, lateral occipital extending to isthmus cingulate gyrus, significantly reduced cortical thickness in the precentral gyrus and hypogyrification in the lingual gyrus in the contralateral hemisphere. A negative association between four textural features of DLGG and LGI in the right MOF gyrus of LF group was found (r = −0.609, −0.442, −0.545, and −0.417, respectively). Data Conclusion: Cortical thickness compensation was shown in contralateral homotopic location and some distant contralateral regions. Additionally, there was decreased cortical thickness in the contralateral precentral gyrus and hypogyrification in contralateral lingual gyrus. Evidence Level: 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the identification and characterization of a previously unknown astrovirus, referred to as DAstV-1, which was found in donkey foals with severe diarrhea in China. Topics discussed include the genomic characterization of DAstV-1, its phylogenetic relationship with other astroviruses, and the need for further research to understand its epidemiology and pathogenicity in donkeys.

Information on the center of genetic diversity of soybean (Glycine max) will be helpful not only for designing efficient strategies for breeding programs, but also for understanding the domestication and origin of this species. Here, we describe an analysis of genetic diversity based on simple-sequence repeat (SSR) variations within a core collection of 2111 accessions of Chinese soybean landraces. Prior to the diversity assessment, the geographic origin of each accession was mapped. The map was then divided into grids each 2.5° in latitude and 5° in longitude. We found two regions that had higher number of alleles (NA) and greater polymorphic information content (PIC) values than the others. These regions are adjacently located within grid position of 30°–35°N×105°–110°E, which includes the valley of the middle and lower reaches of the Wei River, and the valley of the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River. It was also observed that in many regions, genetic diversity decreased with the increase in distance from the center. Another region, in northern Hebei Province (115°–120°E×40°–42.5°N), was observed having higher diversity than any surrounding regions, indicating that this is a sub-center of soybean diversity. Based on the presented results, the domestication and origin of soybean are also discussed.

21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) caused congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive genetic disorders resulting from mutations in genes involved with cortisol (CO) synthesis in the adrenal glands. Testicular adrenal rest tumors (TARTs) are rarely the presenting symptoms of CAH. Here, we describe a case of simple virilizing CAH with TARTs, in a 15-year-old boy. The patient showed physical signs of precocious puberty. The levels of blood adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), urinary 17-ketone steroids (17-KS), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and serum progesterone (PRGE) were elevated, whereas those of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and CO were reduced. Computed tomography (CT) of the adrenal glands and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the testes showed a soft tissue density (more pronounced on the right side) and an irregularly swollen mass (more pronounced on the left side), respectively. Pathological examination of a specimen of the mass indicated polygonal/circular eosinophilic cytoplasm, cord-like arrangement of interstitial cells, and lipid pigment in the cytoplasm. Immunohistochemistry results precluded a diagnosis of Leydig cell tumors. DNA sequencing revealed a hackneyed homozygous mutation, I2g, on intron 2 of the CYP21A2 gene. The patient’s symptoms improved after a three-month of dexamethasone therapy. Recent radiographic data showed reduced hyperplastic adrenal nodules and testicular tumors. A diagnosis of TART should be considered and prioritized in CAH patients with testicular tumors. Replacement therapy using a sufficient amount of dexamethasone in this case helps combat TART.

The three-dimensional wave-field characteristics of dangerous earth-rock dams are the premise and foundation to identify the hidden hazards of the earth-rock dams via wave test method. Based on the equivalent elastic wave theory in isotropic mediums, the three-dimensional wave field of earth-rock dams with different defects was calculated using the finite element numerical simulation method. The characteristic and regularity of the three-dimensional wave field was explored. The result of the analysis shows that the size and position of the defects are closely related with the wave-field information received on the dam surface. The elasticity modulus and density of the defects have great effect on the wave field, and alternately, Poisson’s ratio of the defects has little effect on the wave field. The greater the difference between the wave velocity of the hazardous materials and the dam body is, the stronger the energy of the scattered wave will be, which in turn will produce clearer lineups of the scattered wave on the time-history profile. For a single wave movement signal, the dominant frequency amplitude is exponentially correlated with the longitudinal wave velocity of the hazardous materials. Therefore, in the process of wave detection for earth-rock dam hazards, the effect of the elasticity modulus, density, and wave velocity on the test signal should be taken into account. The dominant frequency amplitude can serve as one of the control parameters for interpretation of dam hazards by the analysis of the wave test signal.

Slope deformation prediction has important significance for slope prevention and control. Based on historical time series, the trend of displacement variation can be predicted in advance, and according to the development trend, risk warnings and treatment measures are proposed. The use of the mathematical model to predict slope deformation has been proved to be feasible by many studies; therefore, the choice of the predictive model and the practicability of the model are crucial issues in the prediction of slope deformation, and the mathematical prediction model used should be less complicated considering the practicality of the model. In view of slope deformation prediction, a fractional-order calculus gray model based on the coupling of gray theory and the fractional derivative method is proposed, which takes a deep foundation pit slope in Chongqing, Southwest China, as the study object. The fractional-order gray model is compared with the traditional gray models; therefore, the results show that the accuracy of slope deformation prediction based on the gray coupling model of cumulative displacement and fractional calculus is significantly higher than that of the conventional gray model, and its error is in the acceptable range compared with the actual monitoring data, which can meet the needs of engineering application. Compared with the traditional gray theory method, the gray coupling model of fractional-order calculus only increases the fractional derivative order, which is verified to be feasible, and can be used as a reference method for slope deformation prediction. It has a certain theoretical basis and a good application prospect in slope deformation prediction.