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Introduction: Whether the coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic is associated with a long‐term negative impact on acute stroke care remains uncertain. This study aims to compare the timing of key aspects of stroke codes between patients before and after the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at an academic hospital in Shanghai, China and included all adult patients with acute ischemic stroke hospitalized via the emergency department (ED) stroke pathway during the 24 months since the COVID‐19 outbreak (COVID‐19: January 1, 2020–December 31, 2021). The comparison cohort included patients with ED stroke pathway visits and hospitalizations during the same period (pre‐COVID‐19: January 1, 2018–December 31, 2019). We compared critical time points of prehospital and intrahospital acute stroke care between patients during the COVID‐19 era and patients during the pre‐COVID‐19 era using t test, χ2, and Mann–Whitney U test where appropriate. Results: A total of 1194 acute ischemic stroke cases were enrolled, including 606 patients in COVID‐19 and 588 patients in pre‐COVID‐19. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the median onset‐to‐hospital time was about 108 min longer compared with the same period of pre‐COVID‐19 (300 vs 192 min, p = 0.01). Accordingly, the median onset‐to‐needle time was 169 min in COVID‐19 and 113 min in pre‐COVID‐19 (p = 0.0001), and the proportion of patients with onset‐to‐hospital time within 4.5 h was lower (292/606 [48.2%] vs 328/558 [58.8%], p = 0.0003) during the pandemic period. Furthermore, the median door‐to‐inpatient admission and door‐to‐inpatient rehabilitation times increased from 28 to 37 h and from 3 to 4 days (p = 0.014 and 0.0001). Conclusions: During the 24 months of COVID‐19, a prolongation of stroke onset to hospital arrival and to intravenous rt‐PA administration times were noted. Meanwhile, acute stroke patients needed to stay in the ED for a longer time before hospitalization. Educational system support and process optimization should be pursued in order to acquire timely delivery of stroke care during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve high-quality and low-cost ZnTe epitaxial films, a low-temperature (LT, 200 °C) ZnSe buffer layer with a thickness of 5 nm was grown on Si (111) wafers prior to the epitaxy of ZnTe layers by molecular beam epitaxy. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction patterns reveal that ZnTe epilayers grown at 335 °C with a thickness of 100 nm on the LT-ZnSe buffer layer present a completely two-dimensional growth mode. Film surfaces present smooth and flat morphology with the lowest surface roughness of ∼2.2 nm at a Te/Zn beam equivalent pressure ratio of 1.6. X-ray diffraction θ-2θ scanning indicates that the out-of-plane structure of ZnTe films is highly preferred with the (111) growth orientation of ZnSe/Si. X-ray diffraction φ scanning further confirms that the in-plane structure of ZnTe epilayer is also a single-crystal orientation growth. Thus, high-quality ZnTe (111) single-crystal epilayer with the lowest full-width at half-maximum of ∼200 arc sec and the smallest dislocation density of ∼1.12 × 108 cm−2 was grown on Si (111) wafers. In addition, the ZnSe buffer layer could alleviate the residual stress effectively for the heteroepitaxy of Si wafers. The most balanced residual stress for ZnTe/ZnSe/Si with σ x of ∼96.5 MPa and σ y of ∼94.2 MPa was obtained, which is essential for achieving high-performance and good mechanical properties of ZnTe-based devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: It is crucial to detect the composition of the thrombus in isolated brainstem infarction with large artery occlusion. The aim of this study was to explore the susceptibility vessel sign (SVS) whose composition is mainly deoxidized red cells in patients with isolated brainstem infarction and posterior circulation large artery occlusion. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study. All patients with posterior circulation large artery occlusion from January 2003 to September 2013 were included. We identified 213 patients who had posterior circulation large artery occlusion, and 81 patients met the imaging eligibility criteria. Among the 81 patients, 21 had isolated brainstem infarction. Results: Among the 21 patients, 7 (33%) had SVS and 2 (10%) had pseudo-SVS (calcified vessels without thrombosis). In the 7 patients with SVS, we found atrial fibrillation in 2 patients, dissection in 3 patients and large artery atherosclerotic disease (LAAD) in 2 patients. There were SVS in 100% (2/2) of patients with atrial fibrillation, 50% (3/6) of patients with dissection, and 20% (2/10) of patients with LAAD. Conclusions: SVS reflects pathology of deoxidized red cells composition in patients with isolated brainstem infarction. This finding may be useful to explore the different stroke mechanisms and therapy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc telluride layers were directly grown on highly-lattice-mismatched Si (111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to study the growth mechanism and crystal quality of ZnTe on Si (111). The results show that the growth mode related with the Ⅵ/Ⅱ beam pressure ratio is one of important factors affecting the initial growing process, crystal quality and morphology of ZnTe epitaxial thin films. From in situ RHEED observations, two-dimensional (2D) growth mode was found upon increasing Ⅵ/Ⅱ beam pressure ratio to 3.3 while three-dimensional (3D) growth mode remained in Zn-rich atmosphere or at Ⅵ/Ⅱ beam pressure ratio larger than 6. Small full-width at half-maximum (~540 arcsec) showed that the growth of ZnTe on Si (111) in Te-rich atmosphere, especially in a layer-by-layer mode, was more suitable for nucleation growth. • Zinc telluride layers were directly grown on highly-lattice-mismatched Si (111) by MBE. • The growth mode is responsible for the initial growing process and crystal quality of ZnTe epilayers. • In a 2D growth mode, we obtained ZnTe (111) epilayers with the FWHM as low as ~540 arcsec. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoxetine is one of the most promising drugs for improving clinical outcome in patients with ischemic stroke. This in vivo study investigated the hypothesis that fluoxetine may affect HIF-1α-Netrin/VEGF cascade, angiogenesis and neuroprotection using a rat model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). The rats were given fluoxetine or saline after tMCAO for 4 weeks. Then, protein expression of HIF-1α-Netrin/VEGF cascade was examined at 1, 2, 4 weeks after tMCAO. In vivo synchrotron radiation were performed to observe microangiography of ischemic brain after 4 weeks of tMCAO. The infarct size and neurobehavioral test were carried out 1 to 4 weeks after tMCAO. Results revealed that HIF-1α expression was upregulated in fluoxetine-treated group. Similarly, fluoxetine increased protein expression of Netrin and its receptor DCC, VEGF and its receptor VEGFR. Synchrotron radiation angiography revealed more branches in fluoxetine-treated rats. We found no difference of infarct volume between fluoxetine and saline treated rats after 1 week of tMCAO, and ischemia-induced brain atrophy volume in fluoxetine-treated group was attenuated after 4 weeks of tMCAO. Neurological deficits were improved in fluoxetine-treated rats at 3 and 4 weeks after tMCAO. Our results indicated that fluoxetine could upregulate protein expression of HIF-1α-Netrin/VEGF cascade, promote angiogenesis, and improve long-term functional recovery after ischemic stroke. • Fluoxetine upregulates HIF-1α-Netrin/VEGF cascade. • Fluoxetine promotes neovascularization in cerebral ischemic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baiku Yao is a branch of the Yao ethnic group mainly living in Guangxi and Guizhou provinces of China. They are recognized by UNESCO as an ethnic group with an intact ethnic culture. The Baiku Yao people have extensive ethnoveterinary knowledge, which they used to prevent and control various animal diseases. During the African swine fever outbreak, the livestock of the Baiku Yao community remained unaffected. We investigated ethnoveterinary knowledge among local Baiku Yao villagers. A total of 39 ethnoveterinary plant species are utilized for the treatment of various diseases. Five species, namely, Stephania kwangsiensis, Aristolochia kwangsiensis, Clerodendrum bungei, Paederia foetida , and Tetradium ruticarpum , had the highest relative frequency values. Strobilanthes cusia, Tetradium ruticarpum , and Stephania kwangsiensis are highly valued locally for treating animal plagues. The existing traditional ethnoveterinary knowledge needs to be conserved and validated scientifically., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Luo, Hu, Lai, Bhatt and Hu.)