Excitation functions for fast neutron induced reactions on iron and lead

Cross sections of the 54Fe(n,p)54Mn, 54Fe(n,α)51Cr, 56Fe(n,p)56Mn and 204Pb (n,2n)203Pb reactions induced by D-T neutrons were obtained with activation method and γ-ray spectrometry technique. Experimental values measured in this work are consistent with most of the previous literature data. These reactions cross sections were theoretically calculated by using the TALYS-1.96 and EMPIRE-3.2.3 codes from threshold up to 20 MeV, and significant discrepancies were found between calculated results and experiment data. In addition, experimental values are compared with evaluated nuclear data of the CENDL-3.2, ENDF/B-VIII.0, JENDL-5, BROND-3.1 and JEFF-3.3 libraries, and significant difference was found for the 54Fe(n,α)51Cr reaction in ENDF/B-VIII.0 library but not for other reactions.

Regulation of morphogenesis and pathogenicity by OsMep2, OsCph1, and OsPes1 in dimorphic entomopathogenic fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Hypocreales: Ophiocordycipitaceae)

Polarized growth plays a key role in all domains of their biology, including morphogenesis and pathogenicity of filamentous fungi. However, little information is available about the determinants of polarized growth. The fungal Mep2, Pes1, and Cph1 proteins were identified to be involved in the dimorphic transition between yeast and hyphal forms in Candida albicans. In this study, evidence that the dimorphic fungal entomopathogen Ophiocordyceps sinensis Mep2, Pes1, and Cph1 proteins are involved in polarized growth is presented. OsMep2 was significantly upregulated at aerial hyphae and conidia germination stages. OsCph1 was significantly upregulated at aerial hyphae, conidia initiation, and conidia germination stages, and OsPes1 was significantly upregulated at the conidia germination stage. Deletions of OsMep2, OsCph1, and OsPes1 provoked defects in the polarized growth. The abilities of hyphal formation and the yields of blastospores and conidia for the ∆ OsMep2, ∆OsCph1, and ∆ OsPes1 mutants were significantly reduced. The conidia yields of the ΔOsMep2, ΔOsCph1, and ΔOsPes1 mutants were decreased by 69.17%, 60.90%, and 75.82%, respectively. Moreover, the pathogenicity of the ∆ OsMep2, ∆OsCph1, and ∆ OsPes1 mutants against Thitarodes xiaojinensis was significantly reduced. The mummification rate caused by wide type and ΔOsMep2, ΔOsCph1, and ΔOsPes1 mutants were 36.98% ± 8.52%, 0.31% ± 0.63%, 1.15% ± 1.57%, and 19.69% ± 5.6%, respectively. These results indicated that OsMep2, OsCph1, and OsPes1 are involved in the regulation of hyphal formation, sporulation, and pathogenicity of O. sinensis. This study provided a basis for the understanding of the fungal dimorphic development and improving the efficiency of artificial cultivation of O. sinensis.

The Effect of Comb Cell Size on the Development of Apis mellifera Drones

The growth and development of honeybees are influenced by many factors, one of which is the cell size of the brood comb. Larger worker bees can be obtained by being raised in bigger cells. However, whether cell size has the same effect on drone development is still unknown. Here, using 3D-printed foundations, we observed the development of drones kept in comb cells of different sizes from the late larval stage through eclosion. The results showed that drones in larger cell-size combs had heavier body weights, longer body lengths, and larger head widths, thorax widths, and abdomen widths compared to those in smaller cell-size combs. Furthermore, regardless of developmental stages, the drones' body weights increased linearly with the comb's cell size. However, the other morphological changes of drones in different developmental stages were out of proportion to the cell-size changes, resulting in smaller cells with a higher fill factor (thorax width/cell width). Our findings confirm that comb cell size affects the development of honeybees; drones become bigger when raised in large cells.

Fast neutron induced reaction cross sections on natural manganese and tantalum

The cross sections for the 55Mn(n,2n)54Mn, 181Ta(n,2n)180gTa, and 181Ta(n,p)181Hf reactions were measured to be 705.1 ± 26.1 mb at 14.0 MeV, 1362.7 ± 87.2 mb at 13.6 MeV, and 2.31 ± 0.09 mb at 13.6 MeV, respectively, by using an off-line γ-ray spectroscopic technique. The neutrons were produced via the 3H(d,n)4He reaction. The monitor reactions 27Al(n,α)24Na and 93Nb(n,2n)92mNb were used for neutron flux determination. The results from the present work were compared with those of the literature and the evaluated data from ENDF/B-VIII.0, JEFF-3.3, JENDL-5, CENDL-3.2, and BROND-3.1 libraries. Besides, the cross sections were also estimated with the TALYS-1.96 nuclear model code using different level density models for a better description of the present work and literature data. The present experimental results were found to be in good agreement with most of the available literature data and with the evaluated data.

Measurement and analysis of leakage neutron spectra from Lead slab samples with D-T neutrons

The leakage neutron spectra from three different sizes of Lead samples were measured by a TOF technique at 60° and 120°. The essential characteristic properties of the experimental measurement spectra can be reproduced well by MCNP code simulations with the ENDF/B-VIII.0, CENDL-3.2, JENDL-5.0, JEFF-3.3 and TENDL-2021 evaluated nuclear data libraries. The calculated results of JENDL-5.0 and JEFF-3.3 libraries agree better with the experimental data in the whole energy range. The results from ENDF/B-VIII.0 and CENDL-3.2 are overestimated in the 4-9 MeV range at 60° and in the 4-12.5 MeV range at 120°. The differences of the leakage neutron spectra by MCNP simulations using five evaluated nuclear data libraries mainly originate from the differences of the spectrum distributions of neutron reaction channels in these libraries. And the secondary neutron energy distribution and angular distribution from the five libraries have been present to explain it.

Microbial landscapes of the rhizosphere soils and roots of Luffa cylindrica plant associated with Meloidogyne incognita

Introduction

The root-knot nematodes (RKN), especially Meloidogyne spp., are globally emerging harmful animals for many agricultural crops.

Methods

To explore microbial agents for biological control of these nematodes, the microbial communities of the rhizosphere soils and roots of sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica) infected and non-infected by M. incognita nematodes, were investigated using culture-dependent and -independent methods.

Results

Thirty-two culturable bacterial and eight fungal species, along with 10,561 bacterial and 2,427 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs), were identified. Nine culturable bacterial species, 955 bacterial and 701 fungal OTUs were shared in both four groups. More culturable bacterial and fungal isolates were detected from the uninfected soils and roots than from the infected soils and roots (except no fungi detected from the uninfected roots), and among all samples, nine bacterial species (Arthrobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Burkholderia ambifaria, Enterobacteriaceae sp., Fictibacillus barbaricus, Microbacterium sp., Micrococcaceae sp., Rhizobiaceae sp., and Serratia sp.) were shared, with Arthrobacter sp. and Bacillus sp. being dominant. Pseudomonas nitroreducens was exclusively present in the infested soils, while Mammaliicoccus sciuri, Microbacterium azadirachtae, and Priestia sp., together with Mucor irregularis, Penicillium sp., P. commune, and Sordariomycetes sp. were found only in the uninfected soils. Cupriavidus metallidurans, Gordonia sp., Streptomyces viridobrunneus, and Terribacillus sp. were only in the uninfected roots while Aspergillus sp. only in infected roots. After M. incognita infestation, 319 bacterial OTUs (such as Chryseobacterium) and 171 fungal OTUs (such as Spizellomyces) were increased in rhizosphere soils, while 181 bacterial OTUs (such as Pasteuria) and 166 fungal OTUs (such as Exophiala) rose their abundance in plant roots. Meanwhile, much more decreased bacterial or fungal OTUs were identified from rhizosphere soils rather than from plant roots, exhibiting the protective effects of host plant on endophytes. Among the detected bacterial isolates, Streptomyces sp. TR27 was discovered to exhibit nematocidal activity, and B. amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus sp. P35, and M. azadirachtae to show repellent potentials for the second stage M. incognita juveniles, which can be used to develop RKN bio-control agents.

Discussion

These findings provided insights into the interactions among root-knot nematodes, host plants, and microorganisms, which will inspire explorations of novel nematicides.

Activation cross sections for reactions induced by 14 MeV neutrons on natural titanium

Cross sections for the neutrons around 14 MeV interaction with natural titanium were precisely measured by neutron activation and off-line measurement technique. The fast neutrons were produced by ³H(d,n)⁴He reaction and the neutron energy was obtained by using the cross section ratio method of ⁹⁰Zr(n,2n)⁸⁹Zr to ⁹³Nb(n,2n)^92mNb reactions. Experimental cross sections have been acquired for ^natTi(n,x)⁴⁶Sc, ^natTi(n,x)⁴⁷Sc, ⁵⁰Ti(n,x)⁴⁷Ca and ⁴⁸Ti(n,x)⁴⁸Sc reactions. The measured cross section data are compared with the experimental data available in the previous literature and evaluated nuclear data from the ENDF/B-VIII.0, JEFF-3.3, JENDL-5, BROND-3.1, CENDL-3.2 and FENDL-3.2b libraries. Furthermore, excitation functions for these reactions were calculated by using the theoretical model based on Talys-1.96 code with default and adjusted parameters. Within experimental error, evaluated nuclear data are mostly consistent with experimental data. The excitation function with adjusted parameters can roughly reproduce the experimental data.

Valgus-varus deformity induced abnormal tissue metabolism, inflammatory damage and apoptosis in broilers

1. This study explored the tissue metabolic status and the relationship with inflammation in valgus-valgus deformity (VVD) broilers with increasing age.2. Tissue and blood from VVD and healthy broilers were collected at two, four and five weeks old. A fully automated biochemical analyser, real-time PCR, HE staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect tissue metabolic indexes, mRNA levels of inflammation and apoptosis cytokines in immune organs, histological changes and serum inflammation and immune-related protein contents in VVD broilers.3. The results showed that VVD increased the levels of total protein, albumin, alanine aminotransferase at five weeks of age, aspartate aminotransferase, urea and creatine kinase in blood at two weeks of age. It upregulated the gene expression of inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, NF-κB and TGF-β and apoptotic factors FAS, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and 9 in immune organs; increased levels of serum proteins TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 and decreased levels of serum immunoglobulins IgY and CD3⁺.4. In addition, with increasing age, IL-10 gene expression gradually increased in the BF and decreased in the spleen.5. In conclusion, VVD broilers have disorders of liver and kidney metabolism, inflammation and apoptosis of immune organs and increased levels of serum inflammatory factor proteins.

The Role of Honey Bee Derived Aliphatic Esters in the Host-Finding Behavior of Varroa destructor

Varroa destructor is an obligate ectoparasite of honey bees and shifted from its original host Apis cerana to the new host Apis mellifera in the first half of the twentieth century. The host shift has resulted in a great threat to the health and survival of A. mellifera colonies worldwide. Chemical signals play a crucial role in all aspects of the Varroa life cycle, including host finding. However, the chemical cues that affect the host finding behavior of Varroa mites are still not fully understood. In this study, we systematically profiled the headspace volatiles of both worker and drone larvae of the two honey bee species by using solid phase micro-extraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS), and then used electrophysiological recording and Y-tube olfactometer bioassay to study the potential roles of the selected compounds. The chemical profiling showed that there were four aliphatic esters, ethyl myristate (EM), methyl palmitate (MP), ethyl palmitate (EP), and ethyl oleate (EO) commonly detected from all four types of larval hosts. Among them, EM was a new substance identified from honey bee headspace volatiles. Results from electrophysiological recordings indicated that all the aliphatic esters could elicit significant responses of Varroa pit organs on its forelegs. Moreover, behavioral analyses revealed that EM could significantly attract V. destructor at a medium dosage (10 µg), while MP had no observable effect on the mites and both EP and EO were able to repel the parasites. Our findings suggest an important role of host-derived aliphatic esters in Varroa host finding, and provide new chemicals for Varroa monitoring and control.

Plant quercetin degradation by gut bacterium Raoultella terrigena of ghost moth Thitarodes xiaojinensis

Associated microbes of several herbivorous insects can improve insect fitness. However, the contribution of specific insect gut bacterium to plant toxin toxification for its host fitness remains scarce. Here, a gut bacterium Raoultella terrigena from the ghost moth Thitarodes xiaojinensis larvae was identified. This bacterium grew unhindered in the presence of Polygonum viviparum, which is a natural food for ghost moth larvae but showed significant growth inhibition and toxicity against Spodoptera litura. S. litura reared on artificial diets containing 5, 15 and 25% P. viviparum powder after 7 days coculture with R. terrigena were found to have shorter larval and pupal durations than on the diets containing P. viviparum powder but without R. terrigena coculture. HPLC analysis revealed that the content of quercetin in mineral medium containing 15% P. viviparum powder after 7 days coculture with R. terrigena was significantly decreased (79.48%) as compared with that in P. viviparum powder without R. terrigena coculture. In vitro fermentation further verified that R. terrigena could degrade 85.56% quercetin in Lucia-Bertani medium. S. litura reared on artificial diets containing 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/g quercetin after 48 h coculture with R. terrigena were also found to have shorter larval, prepupal and pupal durations, as well as higher average pupal weight and adult emergence rate than on the diets containing quercetin, but without R. terrigena coculture. In addition, R. terrigena was detected in the bud and root tissues of the sterilized P. viviparum, indicating that T. xiaojinensis larvae might acquire this bacterium through feeding. These results demonstrate that the gut bacteria contribute to the degradation of plant toxic molecules to improve the development of herbivorous insects and provide fundamental knowledge for developing effective methods for beneficial insect rearing and pest control.

Comparison of As(III) Adsorption by Nanomagnetic Fe3O4, Activated Carbon and Modified Activated Carbon

As a kind of new material, nanomagnetic Fe3O4 (NMF) has many advantages in water and wastewater treatment. In this paper, the adsorption characteristic for arsenic(III) (As) by NMF was studied, and the adsorption was compared with the traditional adsorbent of activated carbon (AC) and modified activated carbon (MAC). The results showed that the NMF had high adsorption performance for As, and the adsorption performance of modified activated carbon and activated carbon were far lower than that of magnetic nanomagnetic Fe3O4. The adsorption capacity for As with NMF, MAC, and AC was 0.189 mg.g-1, 0.023 mg.g-1 and 0.013 mg.g-1 in 0.25 mg.L-1 As solution, respectively. The adsorption rate for As was different from the three adsorbents. For NMF, it needs only 10 minutes to reach an adsorption balance, while the time to balance was 20 minutes for MAC and more than 120 minutes for AC. The adsorption for As by the three adsorbents all conform to Langmuir adsorption isotherm, and the adsorption kinetics for As by the three adsorbents were in accordance with the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The adsorption efficiency of MAC and AC was lower than nanomagnetic Fe3O4. The nanomagnetic Fe3O4 was an effective adsorbent for arsenic.

Influence of entomopathogenic nematodes, symbiotic bacteria and ascarosides on the dispersal behaviour of Meloidogyne incognita

Dispersal is an important behaviour for nematodes. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) are able to regulate plant-parasitic nematodes in the field. However, the mechanism for the interactions between two types of nematodes is not clearly known. The effects of 12 synthesised ascarosides, three EPN species (Steinernema carpocapsae All, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora H06 and H. indica LN2), and 15 symbiotic bacterial isolates from EPN on the dispersal of Meloidogyne incognita were investigated. The results revealed that M. incognita juveniles were repelled, to various degrees, by most of the tested ascarosides (especially ascr#9), three species of EPN, and by bacterial isolates (especially TT01 from H. bacteriophora TT01 and H06 from H. bacteriophora H06), compared with the controls. Ascr#9 was abundant in M. incognita juvenile-conditioned supernatant. This provides useful cues for elucidating the interaction mechanism between two nematode groups and establishing alternative techniques for the safe and effective control of root-knot nematodes.

Dimethyl sulfoxide and ascarosides improve the growth and yields of entomopathogenic nematodes in liquid cultures

Increasing the infective juvenile (IJ) yields of entomopathogenic nematodes in monoxenic culture systems would reduce their production cost for the market. Ascarosides act as universal nematode pheromones with developmental and behavioral effects of nematodes. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is unexpectedly found to enhance the IJ yields of entomopathogenic nematodes on fortified nutrient broth plates. In this study, the influence of selected ascarosides (ascr#7, ascr#9 and ascr#11) and DMSO in three concentrations on the IJ yields of S. carpocapsae All and H. bacteriophora H06 in liquid culture flasks was determined, and the critical development parameters (IJ recovery rate, number of hermaphrodites, number of visible eggs in a hermaphrodite) were examined for H. bacteriophora H06. The results demonstrated that IJ yields were significantly improved in the liquid medium containing 0.01 % DMSO, and 0.02 nM ascr#11 for S. carpocapsae All, and 0.1 % and 0.01 % DMSO and 0.02 pM ascr#11 for H. bacteriophora H06 in proper concentrations. Furthermore, it was discovered that increased recovery rate, hermaphrodite numbers and eggs in the hermaphrodites may contribute to the improved IJ yields of H. bacteriophora H06 in DMSO-supplemented liquid medium. Compared with the control flasks, the IJ yields from the flasks containing 0.01 % DMSO were 15 % and 35 % higher for S. carpocapsae All and H. bacteriophora H06 respectively in 15 days. The cost for ascarosides and DMSO is almost negligible. The results would provide practical technology for low-cost commercial production of these nematodes for pest management program.

[Establishment of a culture system for human nasal mucosa organoids with controllable differentiation]

OBJECTIVE

To establish a culture system for human nasal mucosal organoids with controllable differentiation to reproduce the structure and function of the source tissue through staged expansion-differentiation culture.

METHODS

Fresh samples of surgically resected middle turbinate and nasal polyp tissues were collected, from which the nasal mucosa epithelial cells were isolated by enzymatic digestion and filtration for continuous culture at the air-liquid interface for expansion (EO group) or staged culture for expansion and differentiation (DO group). Immunohistochemical staining was used to characterize the structure, cellular composition and ciliary function of nasal mucosal organoids in the two groups. The secretion function of the differentiated nasal mucosal organoids in DO group was evaluated using PAS staining.

RESULTS

Both of the two organoid culture systems yielded vacuolar or solid spherical 3D organoids, and their diameters increased progressively with time. On day 16 of culture, more vacuolar organoids occurred in DO group, while more solid spherical organoids were seen in EO group, and the proportion of vacuoles was significantly greater in DO group than in EO group [(54.67±13.26)% vs (21.67±8.57)%, P < 0.05]. Short tandem repeat (STR) test of the nasal mucosal organoids and the source tissue showed a 100% match between them. On day 21 of culture, scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the nasal mucosal organoids identified ultrastructure of cilia in DO group and short villi structure in most of the organoids in EO group. Immunohistochemical staining showed positivity for P63 (basal cells), β-tubulin (ciliated columnar cells), and MUC5AC (goblet cells) in the organoids. Compared with those in EO group, the organoids in DO group showed significantly greater percentages of ciliated cells [(7.95±1.81)% vs (27.04±5.91)%, P < 0.05] and goblet cells [(14.46±0.93)% vs (39.85±5.43)%, P < 0.05) with a similar percentage of basal cells [(56.91±14.12)% vs (53.42±15.77)%, P > 0.05]. The differentiated nasal mucosal organoids in DO group were positively stained for glycogen.

CONCLUSION

The staged expansion-differentiation culture method allows more stable and prolonged growth of the cultured cells in vitro to produce organoids with controllable differentiation closely resembling the morphological structure and functions (ciliary function and secretory function) of the source tissue.

Joint synthesis and registration network for deformable MR-CBCT image registration for neurosurgical guidance

Objective.The accuracy of navigation in minimally invasive neurosurgery is often challenged by deep brain deformations (up to 10 mm due to egress of cerebrospinal fluid during neuroendoscopic approach). We propose a deep learning-based deformable registration method to address such deformations between preoperative MR and intraoperative CBCT.Approach.The registration method uses a joint image synthesis and registration network (denoted JSR) to simultaneously synthesize MR and CBCT images to the CT domain and perform CT domain registration using a multi-resolution pyramid. JSR was first trained using a simulated dataset (simulated CBCT and simulated deformations) and then refined on real clinical images via transfer learning. The performance of the multi-resolution JSR was compared to a single-resolution architecture as well as a series of alternative registration methods (symmetric normalization (SyN), VoxelMorph, and image synthesis-based registration methods).Main results.JSR achieved median Dice coefficient (DSC) of 0.69 in deep brain structures and median target registration error (TRE) of 1.94 mm in the simulation dataset, with improvement from single-resolution architecture (median DSC = 0.68 and median TRE = 2.14 mm). Additionally, JSR achieved superior registration compared to alternative methods-e.g. SyN (median DSC = 0.54, median TRE = 2.77 mm), VoxelMorph (median DSC = 0.52, median TRE = 2.66 mm) and provided registration runtime of less than 3 s. Similarly in the clinical dataset, JSR achieved median DSC = 0.72 and median TRE = 2.05 mm.Significance.The multi-resolution JSR network resolved deep brain deformations between MR and CBCT images with performance superior to other state-of-the-art methods. The accuracy and runtime support translation of the method to further clinical studies in high-precision neurosurgery.

Deformable MR-CT image registration using an unsupervised, dual-channel network for neurosurgical guidance

PURPOSE

The accuracy of minimally invasive, intracranial neurosurgery can be challenged by deformation of brain tissue - e.g., up to 10 mm due to egress of cerebrospinal fluid during neuroendoscopic approach. We report an unsupervised, deep learning-based registration framework to resolve such deformations between preoperative MR and intraoperative CT with fast runtime for neurosurgical guidance.

METHOD

The framework incorporates subnetworks for MR and CT image synthesis with a dual-channel registration subnetwork (with synthesis uncertainty providing spatially varying weights on the dual-channel loss) to estimate a diffeomorphic deformation field from both the MR and CT channels. An end-to-end training is proposed that jointly optimizes both the synthesis and registration subnetworks. The proposed framework was investigated using three datasets: (1) paired MR/CT with simulated deformations; (2) paired MR/CT with real deformations; and (3) a neurosurgery dataset with real deformation. Two state-of-the-art methods (Symmetric Normalization and VoxelMorph) were implemented as a basis of comparison, and variations in the proposed dual-channel network were investigated, including single-channel registration, fusion without uncertainty weighting, and conventional sequential training of the synthesis and registration subnetworks.

RESULTS

The proposed method achieved: (1) Dice coefficient = 0.82±0.07 and TRE = 1.2 ± 0.6 mm on paired MR/CT with simulated deformations; (2) Dice coefficient = 0.83 ± 0.07 and TRE = 1.4 ± 0.7 mm on paired MR/CT with real deformations; and (3) Dice = 0.79 ± 0.13 and TRE = 1.6 ± 1.0 mm on the neurosurgery dataset with real deformations. The dual-channel registration with uncertainty weighting demonstrated superior performance (e.g., TRE = 1.2 ± 0.6 mm) compared to single-channel registration (TRE = 1.6 ± 1.0 mm, p < 0.05 for CT channel and TRE = 1.3 ± 0.7 mm for MR channel) and dual-channel registration without uncertainty weighting (TRE = 1.4 ± 0.8 mm, p < 0.05). End-to-end training of the synthesis and registration subnetworks also improved performance compared to the conventional sequential training strategy (TRE = 1.3 ± 0.6 mm). Registration runtime with the proposed network was ∼3 s.

CONCLUSION

The deformable registration framework based on dual-channel MR/CT registration with spatially varying weights and end-to-end training achieved geometric accuracy and runtime that was superior to state-of-the-art baseline methods and various ablations of the proposed network. The accuracy and runtime of the method may be compatible with the requirements of high-precision neurosurgery.

Interspecific Hybridization and Complete Mitochondrial Genome Analysis of Two Ghost Moth Species

Simple Summary

The Chinese cordyceps is a valuable parasitic Ophiocordyceps sinensis fungus–Thitarodes/Hepialus larva complex. In view of culturing this complex, a method for the artificial rearing of the Thitarodes/Hepialus ghost moth hosts was established. Deterioration of the host insect population and low mummification rates in infected larvae constrain effective cultivation. Hybridization of Thitarodes/Hepialus populations may overcome this problem. Thitarodes shambalaensis and Thitarodes sp. were inbred or hybridized, and the biological parameters, larval sensitivity to the fungal infection and mitochondrial genomes of the resulting populations were investigated. Hybridization of T. shambalaensis and Thitarodes sp. allowed producing a new generation. One hybrid population (T. shambalaensis females mated with Thitarodes sp. males) showed increased population growth as compared with the parental Thitarodes sp. population. The sensitivity of the inbred larval populations to four fungal isolates of O. sinensis differed. The complete mitochondrial genomes of T. shambalaensis, Thitarodes sp. and the hybrid population were 15,612 bp, 15,389 bp and 15,496 bp in length, respectively. A + T-rich regions were variable in sizes and repetitive sequences. The hybrid population was located in the same clade with T. shambalaensis, implying the maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA.

Abstract

The Chinese cordyceps, a parasitic Ophiocordyceps sinensis fungus–Thitarodes/Hepialus larva complex, is a valuable biological resource endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. Protection of the Plateau environment and huge market demand make it necessary to culture this complex in an artificial system. A method for the large-scale artificial rearing of the Thitarodes/Hepialus insect host has been established. However, the deterioration of the insect rearing population and low mummification of the infected larvae by the fungus constrain effective commercial cultivation. Hybridization of Thitarodes/Hepialus populations may be needed to overcome this problem. The species T. shambalaensis (GG♂ × GG♀) and an undescribed Thitarodes species (SD♂ × SD♀) were inbred or hybridized to evaluate the biological parameters, larval sensitivity to the fungal infection and mitochondrial genomes of the resulting populations. The two parental Thitarodes species exhibited significant differences in adult fresh weights and body lengths but not in pupal emergence rates. Hybridization of T. shambalaensis and Thitarodes sp. allowed producing a new generation. The SD♂ × GG♀ population showed a higher population trend index than the SD♂ × SD♀ population, implying increased population growth compared with the male parent. The sensitivity of the inbred larval populations to four fungal isolates of O. sinensis also differed. This provides possibilities to create Thitarodes/Hepialus populations with increased growth potential for the improved artificial production of the insect hosts. The mitochondrial genomes of GG♂ × GG♀, SD♂ × SD♀ and SD♂ × GG♀ were 15,612 bp, 15,389 bp and 15,496 bp in length, with an A + T content of 80.92%, 82.35% and 80.87%, respectively. The A + T-rich region contains 787 bp with two 114 bp repetitive sequences, 554 bp without repetitive sequences and 673 bp without repetitive sequences in GG♂ × GG♀, SD♂ × SD♀ and SD♂ × GG♀, respectively. The hybrid population (SD♂ × GG♀) was located in the same clade with GG♂ × GG♀, based on the phylogenetic tree constructed by 13 PCGs, implying the maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA.

Deformable 3D-2D registration for high-precision guidance and verification of neuroelectrode placement

Purpose.Accurate neuroelectrode placement is essential to effective monitoring or stimulation of neurosurgery targets. This work presents and evaluates a method that combines deep learning and model-based deformable 3D-2D registration to guide and verify neuroelectrode placement using intraoperative imaging.Methods.The registration method consists of three stages: (1) detection of neuroelectrodes in a pair of fluoroscopy images using a deep learning approach; (2) determination of correspondence and initial 3D localization among neuroelectrode detections in the two projection images; and (3) deformable 3D-2D registration of neuroelectrodes according to a physical device model. The method was evaluated in phantom, cadaver, and clinical studies in terms of (a) the accuracy of neuroelectrode registration and (b) the quality of metal artifact reduction (MAR) in cone-beam CT (CBCT) in which the deformably registered neuroelectrode models are taken as input to the MAR.Results.The combined deep learning and model-based deformable 3D-2D registration approach achieved 0.2 ± 0.1 mm accuracy in cadaver studies and 0.6 ± 0.3 mm accuracy in clinical studies. The detection network and 3D correspondence provided initialization of 3D-2D registration within 2 mm, which facilitated end-to-end registration runtime within 10 s. Metal artifacts, quantified as the standard deviation in voxel values in tissue adjacent to neuroelectrodes, were reduced by 72% in phantom studies and by 60% in first clinical studies.Conclusions.The method combines the speed and generalizability of deep learning (for initialization) with the precision and reliability of physical model-based registration to achieve accurate deformable 3D-2D registration and MAR in functional neurosurgery. Accurate 3D-2D guidance from fluoroscopy could overcome limitations associated with deformation in conventional navigation, and improved MAR could improve CBCT verification of neuroelectrode placement.

The cell invasion preference of Varroa destructor between the original and new honey bee hosts

Honey bees (Apis) are important pollinators for food crops and wild plants, but are facing great threats from pathogens and parasites, especially an obligate ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor. Cell invasion is a key step for V. destructor to reproduce, and the parasite displays remarkable host preference in this process. Varroa destructor made its host-shift from its original host, the Asian honey bee Apis cerana, to the new host, the European honey bee Apis mellifera several decades ago. However, it remains largely unstudied whether V. destructor shows a cell invasion preference between the two host species. Using cell invasion bioassays on a modified four-well arena, we showed that V. destructor significantly preferred to invade the worker and drone larvae of A. mellifera rather than A. cerana, suggesting that the new host is much more attractive to the parasite than the original one. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we revealed significant differences between the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of worker and drone larvae of the two bee hosts. The amounts of methyl-branched alkanes and alkenes (unsaturated CHCs), but not n-alkanes, were significantly different, and A. mellifera worker and drone larvae were found to express significantly higher amounts of methyl-alkanes, while A. cerana larvae produced higher amounts of alkenes. Cell invasion bioassays with glass dummies showed that the mites preferred the glass dummies coated with the CHCs of A. mellifera worker or drone larvae, which indicates a role of larval CHCs in mediating the preferential cell invasion of Varroa. The findings from this study extend our understanding of the host preference of V. destructor, and can potentially contribute to the development of effective strategies for mite control.

Discovery of the signal pathways and major bioactive compounds responsible for the anti-hypoxia effect of Chinese cordyceps

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Hypoxia will cause an increase in the rate of fatigue and aging. Chinese cordyceps, a parasitic Thitarodes insect-Ophiocordyceps sinensis fungus complex in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, has long been used to ameliorate human conditions associated with aging and senescence, it is principally applied to treat fatigue, night sweating and other symptoms related to aging, and it may play the anti-aging and anti-fatigue effect by improving the body's hypoxia tolerance.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

The present study investigated the anti-hypoxia activity of Chinese cordyceps and explore the main corresponding signal pathways and bioactive compounds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, network pharmacology analysis, molecular docking, cell and whole pharmacodynamic experiments were hired to study the major signal pathways and the bioactive compounds of Chinese cordyceps for anti-hypoxia activity.

RESULTS

17 pathways which Chinese cordyceps acted on seemed to be related to the anti-hypoxia effect, and "VEGF signal pathway" was one of the most important pathway. Chinese cordyceps improved the survival rate and regulated the targets related VEGF signal pathway of H9C2 cells under hypoxia, and also had significant anti-hypoxia effects to mice. Chorioallantoic membrane model experiment showed that Chinese cordyceps and the main constituents of (9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid and cerevisterol had significant angiogenic activity in hypoxia condition.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results of network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis, cell and whole pharmacodynamic experiments, promoting angiogenesis by regulating VEGF signal pathway might be one of the mechanisms of anti-hypoxia effect of Chinese cordyceps, (9Z, 12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid and cerevisterol were considered as the major anti-hypoxia bioactive compounds in Chinese cordyceps.

[Prevalence and influencing factors of deciduous dental caries among preschool children in Qingdao city in 2019]

In 2019, the rate of primary tooth caries rate among 1 598 preschool children in Shinan District and Shibei District of Qingdao was 59.4%. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that compared with children ≤ 2 years old with history of iron deficiency anemia (IDA), suffering IDA, breastfeeding to 2 years old and no tooth melanin, children ≤ 2 years old without history of IDA, not suffering IDA, breastfeeding to less than 2 years old and heavy tooth melanin had a lower risk of primary tooth caries, with OR (95%CI) values about 0.328 (0.197-0.549), 0.354 (0.208-0.603), 0.636 (0.437-0.926) and 0.301 (0.143-0.635), respectively.

Immune Response and Hemolymph Microbiota of Apis mellifera and Apis cerana After the Challenge With Recombinant Varroa Toxic Protein

The honey bee is a significant crop pollinator and key model insect for understanding social behavior, disease transmission, and development. The ectoparasitic Varroa destructor mite put threats on the honey bee industry. A Varroa toxic protein (VTP) from the saliva of Varroa mites contributes to the toxicity toward Apis cerana and the deformed wing virus elevation in Apis mellifera. However, the immune response and hemolymph microbiota of honey bee species after the injection of recombinant VTP has not yet been reported. In this study, both A. cerana and A. mellifera worker larvae were injected with the recombinant VTP. Then the expressions of the honey bee immune genes abaecin, defensin, and domeless at three time points were determined by qRT-PCR, and hemolymph microbial community were analyzed by culture-dependent method, after recombinant VTP injection. The mortality rates of A. cerana larvae were much higher than those of A. mellifera larvae after VTP challenge. VTP injection induced the upregulation of defensin gene expression in A. mellifera larvae, and higher levels of abaecin and domeless mRNAs response in A. cerana larvae, compared with the control (without any injection). Phosphate buffer saline (PBS) injection also upregulated the expression levels of abaecin, defensin, and domeless in A. mellifera and A. cerana larvae. Three bacterial species (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus cohnii, and Bacillus cereus) were isolated from the hemolymph of A. cerana larvae after VTP injection and at 48 h after PBS injections. Two bacterial species (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Staphylococcus aureus) were isolated from A. mellifera larvae after VTP challenge. No bacterial colonies were detected from the larval hemolymph of both honey bee species treated by injection only and the control. The result indicates that abaecin, defensin, and domeless genes and hemolymph microbiota respond to the VTP challenge. VTP injection might induce the dramatic growth of different bacterial species in the hemolymph of the injected larvae of A. mellifera and A. cerana, which provide cues for further studying the interactions among the honey bee, VTP, and hemolymph bacteria.

Fast Estimation of Møller-Plesset Correlation Energies Based on Atomic Contributions

Dynamic correlation plays an important role in the accurate calculation of chemical compounds such as the description of equilibrium structures in chemical systems. A model for the fast estimation of dynamic correlation energy is introduced in this work. This model is based on the idea of decomposition of the contribution of dynamic correlation energy calculated by nth order Møller-Plesset perturbation (MPn) theory with respect to atomic regions. Multiple levels of theory, including MP2, MP2.5, and MP4, are used as the reference, and the corresponding correlation energy densities are calculated. The proposed model is concise, fast, and promising for practical use, such as the prediction of reaction energies. It can also work as a baseline model or pretrained model for follow-up studies of machine learning.

Excitation functions of proton induced reactions on titanium and copper

Excitation functions of the Tnati(p,x)S43,47c, V48 and Cnatu(p,x)⁶⁴Cu, Z62,65n reactions were measured in the energy range of 8.8-18.4 MeV by using the stacked-foil activation technique and off-line gamma spectroscopy. The irradiation was carried out at the superconducting linac of the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Besides, the reliability and effectiveness of theoretical data from the TALYS code, recommended data of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and evaluated nuclear data of the ENDF/B-VIII.0, JENDL-4.0/HE and PADF-2007 libraries were evaluated and verified by comparing with experimental data. Our experimental results agree with most of the available literature data. TALYS-1.95 code could not reproduce, in most cases, the experimental data. Evaluated nuclear data from the ENDF/B-VIII.0, JENDL-4.0/HE and PADF-2007 libraries are able to reproduce, in most cases, the experimental data trend. Recommended data of the IAEA are in good consistent with our work and most of the available literature data.

Toxicological safety evaluation of the cultivated Chinese cordyceps

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The Chinese cordyceps, a parasitic Thitarodes insect-Ophiocordyceps sinensis fungus complex in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is one of the most valuable traditional Chinese medicines and health food for ameliorating conditions associated with aging and for treating fatigue, night sweats, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, respiratory, renal and liver diseases, and hyposexuality. The natural Chinese cordyceps resource is rare due to its harsh growing environment, limited geographical distribution and global climate warming. Artificial cultivation of Chinese cordyceps has been successfully established to meet its high demand in market.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

The present study aims to evaluate the toxicological safety of the cultivated Chinese cordyceps and provide scientific data for subsequent development and utilization of this valuable biological resource.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Chinese cordyceps was cultivated by mimicking the habitat environment in low-altitude areas and identified by morphological and microscopic characteristics. Its phytochemical profile was determined by the HPLC. Toxicological studies based on the cultivated Chinese cordyceps were conducted, including chromosomal aberration test of Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells, Ames test, acute toxicity test and micronucleus (MN) test of bone marrow cells.

RESULTS

The Chinese cordyceps successfully cultivated in low-altitude areas exhibited the same morphological and microscopic characteristics as natural Chinese cordyceps. The adenosine content was in accordance with the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 Edition). The HPLC fingerprint was determined and five main chromatographic peaks representing uracil, uridine, inosine, guanosine and adenosine were identified. No dose-dependent increase in the rates of chromosomal aberration was detected in the presence or absence of metabolic activation system. Ames test also demonstrated no dose-dependent increase in the number of reversion mutation for five bacterial strains, with or without rat liver microsomal enzyme mixture (S9) metabolic activation, at a quantity range of 128-5000 μg cultivated Chinese cordyceps per plate. The acute toxicity test with mice showed that after 20 g/kg oral administration of cultivated Chinese cordyceps, neither animal death nor any abnormal change in general dissection of various tissues and organs of the animals were found within 14 days. The median lethal dose (LD₅₀) was greater than 5 g/kg, which is regarded as a non-toxic level, and maximum tolerable dose (MTD) of cultivated Chinese cordyceps in ICR mice was more than 20 g/kg. MN test of mouse bone marrow cells indicated no significant differences among each sample dose and the negative control.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results from four toxicological tests, it was concluded that the cultivated Chinese cordyceps was classified as non-toxic in one single administration at high doses by intragastric route in mice. This study provides scientific experimental basis for its safety.

[Application of superficial inferior epigastric artery flaps to repair oral and maxillofacial defects with the aid of digital three-dimensional reconstruction technique]

Objective: To explore the application value of digital three-dimensional(3D) reconstruction technology in the repair of oral and maxillofacial defects with superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) flap. Methods: Twelve cases of oral cancer patients, including 8 males and 4 females; aged (57.4±12.6) years, were selected from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from January 2018 to October 2019 and were proposed to repair with SIEA flap. There were 10 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, one case of adenoid cystic carcinoma and 1 case of mucinous epidermal carcinoma. The data were imported into AW4.7 software for post-processing. The left or right dominant donor area was selected to clarify the origin, diameter, alignment, and location of penetration point of the flap blood supply, and digital 3D reconstruction technology was used to guide the flap preoperative design. Results: Eleven cases were repaired by SIEA flap in 12 patients, one case was repaired by superficial iliac artery flap because the source artery was undiscovered, one case had venous vascular crisis after surgery, and the rest of the flap survived. In 11 patients repaired with SIEA flap, there was no significant difference between the preoperative SIEA diameter measured by CTA [(1.0±0.3) mm] and the actual measured value [(1.1±0.3) mm] (P>0.05). The follow-up was 6 to 12 months, with an average of 10 months, and the donor-receiver areas were all healed in phase Ⅰ. No obvious complications occurred, and the abdominal scar was hidden. Conclusions: In the SIEA flap repair oral and maxillofacial defect reconstruction surgery, the use of digital 3D reconstruction technology can objectively reflect the diameter and the location of the superficial artery of the abdominal wall before surgery, effectively reduce the difficulty and risk of flap surgery.

Data-Driven Deformable 3D-2D Registration for Guiding Neuroelectrode Placement in Deep Brain Stimulation

PURPOSE

Deep brain stimulation is a neurosurgical procedure used in treatment of a growing spectrum of movement disorders. Inaccuracies in electrode placement, however, can result in poor symptom control or adverse effects and confound variability in clinical outcomes. A deformable 3D-2D registration method is presented for high-precision 3D guidance of neuroelectrodes.

METHODS

The approach employs a model-based, deformable algorithm for 3D-2D image registration. Variations in lead design are captured in a parametric 3D model based on a B-spline curve. The registration is solved through iterative optimization of 16 degrees-of-freedom that maximize image similarity between the 2 acquired radiographs and simulated forward projections of the neuroelectrode model. The approach was evaluated in phantom models with respect to pertinent imaging parameters, including view selection and imaging dose.

RESULTS

The results demonstrate an accuracy of (0.2 ± 0.2) mm in 3D localization of individual electrodes. The solution was observed to be robust to changes in pertinent imaging parameters, which demonstrate accurate localization with ≥20° view separation and at 1/10^th the dose of a standard fluoroscopy frame.

CONCLUSIONS

The presented approach provides the means for guiding neuroelectrode placement from 2 low-dose radiographic images in a manner that accommodates potential deformations at the target anatomical site. Future work will focus on improving runtime though learning-based initialization, application in reducing reconstruction metal artifacts for 3D verification of placement, and extensive evaluation in clinical data from an IRB study underway.

Fluoroscopic Guidance of a Surgical Robot: Pre-clinical Evaluation in Pelvic Guidewire Placement

PURPOSE

A method and prototype for a fluoroscopically-guided surgical robot is reported for assisting pelvic fracture fixation. The approach extends the compatibility of existing guidance methods with C-arms that are in mainstream use (without prior geometric calibration) using an online calibration of the C-arm geometry automated via registration to patient anatomy. We report the first preclinical studies of this method in cadaver for evaluation of geometric accuracy.

METHODS

The robot is placed over the patient within the imaging field-of-view and radiographs are acquired as the robot rotates an attached instrument. The radiographs are then used to perform an online geometric calibration via 3D-2D image registration, which solves for the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of the C-arm imaging system with respect to the patient. The solved projective geometry is then be used to register the robot to the patient and drive the robot to planned trajectories. This method is applied to a robotic system consisting of a drill guide instrument for guidewire placement and evaluated in experiments using a cadaver specimen.

RESULTS

Robotic drill guide alignment to trajectories defined in the cadaver pelvis were accurate within 2 mm and 1° (on average) using the calibration-free approach. Conformance of trajectories within bone corridors was confirmed in cadaver by extrapolating the aligned drill guide trajectory into the cadaver pelvis.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the accuracy of image-guided robotic positioning without prior calibration of the C-arm gantry, facilitating the use of surgical robots with simpler imaging devices that cannot establish or maintain an offline calibration. Future work includes testing of the system in a clinical setting with trained orthopaedic surgeons and residents.

Filament extrusion of bioresorbable PDLGA for additive manufacturing utilising diatom biosilica to inhibit process-induced thermal degradation

Bone scaffolds are often fabricated by initially producing custom-made filaments by twin-screw extruder and subsequently fabricating into 3D scaffolds using fused deposition modelling. This study aims to directly compare the effect of two alternative silica-rich filler materials on the thermo-mechanical properties of such scaffolds after extrusion and printing. Poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PDLGA) was blended with either 45S5 Bioglass (5 wt %) or Biosilica (1 and 5 wt%) isolated from Cyclotella meneghiniana a freshwater diatom were tested. Diatom-PDLGA was found to have similar mechanical strength and ductility to pure-PDLGA, whereas Bioglass-PDLGA was found induce a more brittle behaviour. Bioglass-PDLGA was also found to have the lowest toughness in terms of energy absorption to failure. The TGA results suggested that significant thermal degradation in both the Bioglass filaments and scaffolds had occurred as a result of processing. However, diatom biosilica was found to inhibit thermal degradation of the PDLGA. Furthermore, evidence suggested the agglomeration of Bioglass particles occurred during processing the Bioglass-PDLGA filaments. Overall, diatom biosilica was found to be a promising candidate as a bone filler additive in 3D printed PDLGA scaffolds, whereas Bioglass caused some potentially detrimental effects on performance.

Fracture reduction planning and guidance in orthopaedic trauma surgery via multi-body image registration

PURPOSES

Surgical reduction of pelvic fracture is a challenging procedure, and accurate restoration of natural morphology is essential to obtaining positive functional outcome. The procedure often requires extensive preoperative planning, long fluoroscopic exposure time, and trial-and-error to achieve accurate reduction. We report a multi-body registration framework for reduction planning using preoperative CT and intraoperative guidance using routine 2D fluoroscopy that could help address such challenges.

METHOD

The framework starts with semi-automatic segmentation of fractured bone fragments in preoperative CT using continuous max-flow. For reduction planning, a multi-to-one registration is performed to register bone fragments to an adaptive template that adjusts to patient-specific bone shapes and poses. The framework further registers bone fragments to intraoperative fluoroscopy to provide 2D fluoroscopy guidance and/or 3D navigation relative to the reduction plan. The framework was investigated in three studies: (1) a simulation study of 40 CT images simulating three fracture categories (unilateral two-body, unilateral three-body, and bilateral two-body); (2) a proof-of-concept cadaver study to mimic clinical scenario; and (3) a retrospective clinical study investigating feasibility in three cases of increasing severity and accuracy requirement.

RESULTS

Segmentation of simulated pelvic fracture demonstrated Dice coefficient of 0.92±0.06. Reduction planning using the adaptive template achieved 2-3 mm and 2-3° error for the three fracture categories, significantly better than planning based on mirroring of contralateral anatomy. 3D-2D registration yielded ~2 mm and 0.5° accuracy, providing accurate guidance with respect to the preoperative reduction plan. The cadaver study and retrospective clinical study demonstrated comparable accuracy: ~0.90 Dice coefficient in segmentation, ~3 mm accuracy in reduction planning, and ~2 mm accuracy in 3D-2D registration.

CONCLUSION

The registration framework demonstrated planning and guidance accuracy within clinical requirements in both simulation and clinical feasibility studies for a broad range of fracture-dislocation patterns. Using routinely acquired preoperative CT and intraoperative fluoroscopy, the framework could improve the accuracy of pelvic fracture reduction, reduce radiation dose, and could integrate well with common clinical workflow without the need for additional navigation systems.

Microtubule organization defects in Arabidopsis thaliana

Microtubules (MT) are critical cytoskeletal filaments that have several functions in cell morphogenesis, cell division, vesicle transport and cytoplasmic separation in the spatiotemporal regulation of eukaryotic cells. Formation of MT requires the co-interaction of MT nucleation and α-β-tubulins, as well as MT-associated proteins (MAP). Many key MAP contributing to MT nucleation and elongation are essential for MT nucleation and regulation of MT dynamics, and are conserved in the plant kingdom. Therefore, the deletion or decrease of γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC) components and related MAP, such as the augmin complex, NEDD1, MZT1, EB1, MAP65, etc., in Arabidopsis thaliana results in MT organizational defects in the spindle and phragmoplast MT, as well as in chromosome defects. In addition, similar defects in MT organization and chromosome structure have been observed in plants under abiotic stress conditions, such as under high UV-B radiation. The MT can sense the signal from UV-B radiation, resulting in abnormal MT arrangement. Further studies are required to determine whether the abnormal chromosomes induced by UV-B radiation can be attributed to the involvement of abnormal MT arrays in chromosome migration after DNA damage.

Actin filaments altered distribution in wheat (Triticum aestivum) "Bending Root" to respond to enhanced Ultraviolet-B radiation

Plants adjust their shoot growth to acclimate to changing environmental factors, such as to enhanced Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. However, people have ignored that plant roots can also respond to UV-B light. Here, we find the morphology curled wheat roots under UV-B radiation, that we call, "bending roots." The curly region is the transition zone of the root after observed at the cellular level. After exposed to enhanced UV-B radiation for 2 d (10.08 KJ/m2/d), cell size decreased and actin filaments gathered in wheat roots. We also find that H2O2 production increased and that content of the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) increased remarkably. The pharmacological experiment revealed that actin filaments gathered and polymerized into bundles in the wheat root cells after irrigated H2O2 and IAA. These results indicated that actin filaments changed their distribution and formed the "bending root," which was related to H2O2 production and increase in IAA. Overall, actin filaments in wheat root cells could be a subcellular target of UV-B radiation, and its disruption determines root morphology.

C-arm orbits for metal artifact avoidance (MAA) in cone-beam CT

Metal artifacts present a challenge to cone-beam CT (CBCT) image-guided surgery, obscuring visualization of metal instruments and adjacent anatomy-often in the very region of interest pertinent to the imaging/surgical tasks. We present a method to reduce the influence of metal artifacts by prospectively defining an image acquisition protocol-viz., the C-arm source-detector orbit-that mitigates metal-induced biases in the projection data. The metal artifact avoidance (MAA) method is compatible with simple mobile C-arms, does not require exact prior information on the patient or metal implants, and is consistent with 3D filtered backprojection (FBP), more advanced (e.g. polyenergetic) model-based image reconstruction (MBIR), and metal artifact reduction (MAR) post-processing methods. The MAA method consists of: (i) coarse localization of metal objects in the field-of-view (FOV) via two or more low-dose scout projection views and segmentation (e.g. a simple U-Net) in coarse backprojection; (ii) model-based prediction of metal-induced x-ray spectral shift for all source-detector vertices accessible by the imaging system (e.g. gantry rotation and tilt angles); and (iii) identification of a circular or non-circular orbit that reduces the variation in spectral shift. The method was developed, tested, and evaluated in a series of studies presenting increasing levels of complexity and realism, including digital simulations, phantom experiment, and cadaver experiment in the context of image-guided spine surgery (pedicle screw implants). The MAA method accurately predicted tilted circular and non-circular orbits that reduced the magnitude of metal artifacts in CBCT reconstructions. Realistic distributions of metal instrumentation were successfully localized (0.71 median Dice coefficient) from 2-6 low-dose scout views even in complex anatomical scenes. The MAA-predicted tilted circular orbits reduced root-mean-square error (RMSE) in 3D image reconstructions by 46%-70% and 'blooming' artifacts (apparent width of the screw shaft) by 20-45%. Non-circular orbits defined by MAA achieved a further ∼46% reduction in RMSE compared to the best (tilted) circular orbit. The MAA method presents a practical means to predict C-arm orbits that minimize spectral bias from metal instrumentation. Resulting orbits-either simple tilted circular orbits or more complex non-circular orbits that can be executed with a motorized multi-axis C-arm-exhibited substantial reduction of metal artifacts in raw CBCT reconstructions by virtue of higher fidelity projection data, which are in turn compatible with subsequent MAR post-processing and/or polyenergetic MBIR to further reduce artifacts.

[Characteristic and clinical significance of microRNA expression between 144 Uygur and Han women with endometrial carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To compare the expression patterns of microRNA (miRNA) between 144 Uygur and Han women with endometrial carcinoma and to investigate their clinical significance.

METHODS

Taqman miRNA low-density array was used to compare miRNA profiles between Uygur and Han women with non-endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (NEEC). Five miRNAs were further analyzed in the 144 endometrial cancers including 62 Uygur and 82 Han samples via real-time PCR to determine their expression patterns.

RESULTS

MiRNA expression profiles revealed that many miRNAs overexpressed or downregula-ted in one ethnic group, but did not express or changed slightly in the other ethnic group. Further detection in the 144 endometrial cancers showed that miR-141, miR-200a, and miR-205 overexpressed in both ethnic groups. In Uygur endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC), tumors with miR-141/200a overexpression tended to be more aggressive in behavior, whereas in the Han group, EEC with miR-200a overexpression was relative mild. However, the NEEC with miR-200a overexpression also had aggressive clinicopathologic features in the Han women. MiR-145 and miR-143 expressed differentially between Uygur and Han groups, they overexpressed in the former and decreased in the latter (P<0.05). In the Uygur women miR-145/143 increased significantly in NEEC and there was a trend that NEEC exhibiting favorable clinicopathologic factors had higher miR-145 expression, and was statistically significant in tumors with myometrial invasion less than 1/2 thickness (P=0.042). By contrary, miR-145/143 decreased in Han group and EEC with worse clinicopathologic variables had lower expression although without statistical significance. NEEC in Han group had no such tendency.

CONCLUSION

Uygur and Han women might have different miRNA expression profiles. MiR-141/200a/205 overexpressed in endometrial carcinomas and miR-141/200a might behave differently between these two ethnic groups as well as in EEC and in NEEC. Although miR-145/143 showed inverse expression patterns between Uygur and Han women with endometrial cancer, they all exerted tumor suppression effect on endometrial cancer.

Multi-body 3D-2D registration for image-guided reduction of pelvic dislocation in orthopaedic trauma surgery

Surgical reduction of pelvic dislocation is a challenging procedure with poor long-term prognosis if reduction does not accurately restore natural morphology. The procedure often requires long fluoroscopic exposure times and trial-and-error to achieve accurate reduction. We report a method to automatically compute the target pose of dislocated bones in preoperative CT and provide 3D guidance of reduction using routine 2D fluoroscopy. A pelvic statistical shape model (SSM) and a statistical pose model (SPM) were formed from an atlas of 40 pelvic CT images. Multi-body bone segmentation was achieved by mapping the SSM to a preoperative CT via an active shape model. The target reduction pose for the dislocated bone is estimated by fitting the poses of undislocated bones to the SPM. Intraoperatively, multiple bones are registered to fluoroscopy images via 3D-2D registration to obtain 3D pose estimates from 2D images. The method was examined in three studies: (1) a simulation study of 40 CT images simulating a range of dislocation patterns; (2) a pelvic phantom study with controlled dislocation of the left innominate bone; (3) a clinical case study investigating feasibility in images acquired during pelvic reduction surgery. Experiments investigated the accuracy of registration as a function of initialization error (capture range), image quality (radiation dose and image noise), and field of view (FOV) size. The simulation study achieved target pose estimation with translational error of median 2.3 mm (1.4 mm interquartile range, IQR) and rotational error of 2.1° (1.3° IQR). 3D-2D registration yielded 0.3 mm (0.2 mm IQR) in-plane and 0.3 mm (0.2 mm IQR) out-of-plane translational error, with in-plane capture range of ±50 mm and out-of-plane capture range of ±120 mm. The phantom study demonstrated 3D-2D target registration error of 2.5 mm (1.5 mm IQR), and the method was robust over a large dose range, down to 5 [Formula: see text]Gy/frame (an order of magnitude lower than the nominal fluoroscopic dose). The clinical feasibility study demonstrated accurate registration with both preoperative and intraoperative radiographs, yielding 3.1 mm (1.0 mm IQR) projection distance error with robust performance for FOV ranging from 340 × 340 mm2 to 170 × 170 mm2 (at the image plane). The method demonstrated accurate estimation of the target reduction pose in simulation, phantom, and a clinical feasibility study for a broad range of dislocation patterns, initialization error, dose levels, and FOV size. The system provides a novel means of guidance and assessment of pelvic reduction from routinely acquired preoperative CT and intraoperative fluoroscopy. The method has the potential to reduce radiation dose by minimizing trial-and-error and to improve outcomes by guiding more accurate reduction of joint dislocations.

Analysis of Volatile Components in Different Ophiocordyceps sinensis and Insect Host Products

The artificial production of Ophiocordyceps sinensis mycelia and fruiting bodies and the Chinese cordyceps has been established. However, the volatile components from these O. sinensis products are not fully identified. An efficient, convenient, and widely used approach based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-QTOFMS) was developed for the extraction and the analysis of volatile compounds from three categories of 16 products, including O. sinensis fungus, Thitarodes hosts of O. sinensis, and the Chinese cordyceps. A total of 120 volatile components including 36 alkanes, 25 terpenes, 17 aromatic hydrocarbons, 10 ketones, 5 olefines, 5 alcohols, 3 phenols, and 19 other compounds were identified. The contents of these components varied greatly among the products but alkanes, especially 2,5,6-trimethyldecane, 2,3-dimethylundecane and 2,2,4,4-tetramethyloctane, are the dominant compounds in general. Three categories of volatile compounds were confirmed by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). This study provided an ideal method for characterizing and distinguishing different O. sinensis and insect hosts-based products.