Discrepancies in ASPECTS obtained by artificial intelligence and experts: Associated factors and prognostic implications.

Purpose: The differences between the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) obtained by experts and artificial intelligence (AI) software require elucidation. We aimed to characterize the discrepancies between the ASPECTS obtained by AI and experts and determine the associated factors and prognostic implications.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, observational cohort study included patients showing acute ischemic stroke caused by large-vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation.

Incremental value of enhanced plaque length for identifying intracranial atherosclerotic culprit plaques: a high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging study.

Objectives: Besides plaque enhancement grade, the incremental value of enhancement-related high-resolution MRI features in defining culprit plaques needs further evaluation. This study was focused on assessing whether plaque enhancement features contribute to culprit plaque identification and further risk stratification.

Methods: We retrospectively studied patients who experienced an acute ischaemic stroke and transient ischaemic attack due to intracranial atherosclerosis from 2016 to 2022.

Meteorological factors and tick density affect the dynamics of SFTS in jiangsu province, China.

Background: This study aimed to explore whether the transmission routes of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) will be affected by tick density and meteorological factors, and to explore the factors that affect the transmission of SFTS. We used the transmission dynamics model to calculate the transmission rate coefficients of different transmission routes of SFTS, and used the generalized additive model to uncover how meteorological factors and tick density affect the spread of SFTS.

Methods: In this study, the time-varying infection rate coefficients of different transmission routes of SFTS in Jiangsu Province from 2017 to 2020 were calculated based on the previous multi-population multi-route dynamic model (MMDM) of SFTS.

Review of net water uptake in the management of acute ischemic stroke.

CT densitometry-based methods to directly quantify net water uptake in ischemic brain tissue have been increasingly applied recently. There is potential for net water uptake to be used as an imaging biomarker for the pathophysiology of infarcted lesions. This review is aimed at summarizing the potential and current status of the application of net water uptake as a biomarker in the management of ischemic stroke and future directions in this context.

Radiomics versus Conventional Assessment to Identify Symptomatic Participants at Carotid Computed Tomography Angiography.

Introduction: Carotid computed tomography angiography (CTA) is routinely used for evaluating the atherosclerotic process. Radiomics allows the extraction of imaging markers of lesion heterogeneity and spatial complexity. These quantitative features can be used as the input for machine learning (ML).

Automated quantitative lesion water uptake in acute stroke is a predictor of malignant cerebral edema.

Objectives: Net water uptake (NWU) has been shown to have a linear relationship with brain edema. Based on an automated-Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) technique, we automatically derived NWU from baseline multimodal computed tomography (CT), namely ASPECTS-NWU. We aimed to determine if ASPECTS-NWU can predict the development of malignant cerebral edema (MCE).

ASPECTS-Based Attenuation Changes on CT Angiography as an Imaging Biomarker to Predict Hemorrhagic Transformation in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Introduction: Imaging-based early warning indicators and feasible stratification of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with hemorrhagic transformation (HT), especially high-risk patients with parenchymal hematoma (PH), are crucial in determining subsequent treatment strategies. This study combined automated ASPECTS software with noncontrast CT (NCCT) and CTA source image (CTASI) attenuation changes using Hounsfield unit (HU) values to predict HT and PH in patients with AIS.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 172 consecutive patients with anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion between 2016 and 2020.

Cerebrovascular Disease in the Setting of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome.

Overlap between the pathogenesis of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and that of cerebrovascular disease can confound their clinical and radiological presentations, posing a diagnostic challenge. This article presents a literature review and discussion of the clinical manifestations, pathological mechanisms, and imaging manifestations of subarachnoid hemorrhage and vasculitis leading to posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, coexistence of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, and hemorrhage and infarction secondary to posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. The findings show that posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome shares some overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms with cerebrovascular disease.

Automated ASPECTS for multi-modality CT predict infarct extent and outcome in large-vessel occlusion stroke.

Purpose: This study aimed to use the automated Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) software to assess the value of different CT modalities (non-contrast CT, CT angiography [CTA]-arterial, CTA-venous, and arterial- and venous-phase mismatch-ASPECTS) in predicting the final infarct extent and clinical outcome in large-vessel occlusion stroke.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with large-vessel occlusion stroke who underwent reperfusion therapy during 2015 to 2019. Correlations between different CT-ASPECTS modalities and follow-up CT-ASPECTS and outcome were determined using Spearman rank correlation coefficient.

Feasibility of controlling hepatitis E in Jiangsu Province, China: a modelling study.

Background: Hepatitis E, an acute zoonotic disease caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV), has a relatively high burden in developing countries. The current research model on hepatitis E mainly uses experimental animal models (such as pigs, chickens, and rabbits) to explain the transmission of HEV. Few studies have developed a multi-host and multi-route transmission dynamic model (MHMRTDM) to explore the transmission feature of HEV.

Modelling the transmission dynamics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Jiangsu Province, China.

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease that is regionally distributed in Asia, with high fatality. Constructing the transmission model of SFTS could help provide clues for disease control and fill the gap in research on SFTS models.

Methods: We built an SFTS transmission dynamics model based on the susceptible-exposed-infectious-asymptomatic-recovered (SEIAR) model and the epidemiological characteristics of SFTS in Jiangsu Province.

Bioinformatic analysis of cytokine expression in the proximal and distal nerve stumps after peripheral nerve injury.

In our previous study, we investigated the dynamic expression of cytokines in the distal nerve stumps after peripheral nerve injury using microarray analysis, which can characterize the dynamic expression of proteins. In the present study, we used a rat model of right sciatic nerve transection to examine changes in the expression of cytokines at 1, 7, 14 and 28 days after injury using protein microarray analysis. Interleukins were increased in the distal nerve stumps at 1-14 days post nerve transection.

Reliability and Reproducibility of the Diameters Method in Rapid Determination of Acute Infarct Volume in Magnetic Resonance Diffusion-Weighted Imaging.

Background: In acute ischemic stroke, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) volume is an independent predictive factor of poor outcome and an exclusion criterion for thrombolytic treatment. A simplified diameters method (ABC/2, orthogonal diameter [OD], and the maximum diameter [MD]) was proposed to replace the conventional measuring method and overcome the tedious and time-consuming defects, but its accuracy remains to be determined.

Objective: The objective of this study is to clarify the reliability and reproducibility of the diameter-based estimations in the infarct volume in DWI (Vol-DWI) measured by automated software.

A novel tissue engineered nerve graft constructed with autologous vein and nerve microtissue repairs a long-segment sciatic nerve defect.

Veins are easy to obtain, have low immunogenicity, and induce a relatively weak inflammatory response. Therefore, veins have the potential to be used as conduits for nerve regeneration. However, because of the presence of venous valves and the great elasticity of the venous wall, the vein is not conducive to nerve regeneration.

Protein microarray analysis of cytokine expression changes in distal stumps after sciatic nerve transection.

A large number of chemokines, cytokines, other trophic factors and the extracellular matrix molecules form a favorable microenvironment for peripheral nerve regeneration. This microenvironment is one of the major factors for regenerative success. Therefore, it is important to investigate the key molecules and regulators affecting nerve regeneration after peripheral nerve injury.

Different protein expression patterns in rat spinal nerves during Wallerian degeneration assessed using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation proteomics profiling.

Sensory and motor nerve fibers of peripheral nerves have different anatomies and regeneration functions after injury. To gain a clear understanding of the biological processes behind these differences, we used a labeling technique termed isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation to investigate the protein profiles of spinal nerve tissues from Sprague-Dawley rats. In response to Wallerian degeneration, a total of 626 proteins were screened in sensory nerves, of which 368 were upregulated and 258 were downregulated.

Novel 3-D helix-flexible nerve guide conduits repair nerve defects.

Flexible nerve guide conduits (NGCs) are desired in peripheral nerve reconstruction near the joints. Inspired by the engineered structure of the helical tube, we addressed the problems of conventional NGCs often mentioned in clinical feedback. We developed a type of helix-flexible NGC (HF-NGC) and evaluated its mechanical properties as well as its flexibility, and it performed excellently during in vitro tests.

Aligned fibers enhance nerve guide conduits when bridging peripheral nerve defects focused on early repair stage.

Nerve conduits enhance nerve regeneration in the repair of long-distance peripheral nerve defects. To help optimize the effectiveness of nerve conduits for nerve repair, we developed a multi-step electrospinning process for constructing nerve guide conduits with aligned nanofibers. The alignment of the nerve guide conduits was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and fast Fourier transform.

Optimal projection method determination by Logdet Divergence and perturbed von-Neumann Divergence.

Background: Positive semi-definiteness is a critical property in kernel methods for Support Vector Machine (SVM) by which efficient solutions can be guaranteed through convex quadratic programming. However, a lot of similarity functions in applications do not produce positive semi-definite kernels.

Methods: We propose projection method by constructing projection matrix on indefinite kernels.

Physical and functional interaction of Snapin with Cav1.3 calcium channel impacts channel protein trafficking in atrial myocytes.

The L-type Ca channel (LTCC) Cav1.3 plays a critical role in generating electrical activity in atrial myocytes and cardiac pacemaker cells. However, the molecular and functional basis of Cav1.

Pathological concentration of zinc dramatically accelerates abnormal aggregation of full-length human Tau and thereby significantly increases Tau toxicity in neuronal cells.

A pathological hallmark of Alzheimer disease and other tauopathies is the formation of neurofibrillary tangles mainly composed of bundles of fibrils formed by microtubule-associated protein Tau. Here we study the effects of Zn on abnormal aggregation and cytotoxicity of a pathological mutant ΔK280 of full-length human Tau. As revealed by Congo red binding assays, transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, Western blot, and immunogold electron microscopy, pathological concentration of Zn dramatically accelerates the fibrillization of ΔK280 both in vitro and in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.