A newly developed image fusion algorithm between CECT image and CT image: A feasibility study.

Cancer cases have been on the rise over the world. Cancer treatment can benefit from an early accurate diagnosis. Percutaneous needle biopsy under the guidance of CT images is the most common method to obtain tumor samples for accurate diagnosis. However, due to the lack of vascular information in the CT images, the biopsy procedure is at great risk, especially for the tumor surrounded by vessels. In this study, a biomechanical model and surface elastic registration-based fusion algorithm were developed to map the vessels from contrast-enhanced CT images of the liver and lung to the corresponded CT image. Radiologists could observe vessels in the CT images during the biopsy procedure so that the risk can be decreased. The developed algorithm was tested through 20 groups of lung data and 16 groups of liver data. The results show that the fusion errors (mean ± standard deviation) were 2.35 ± 0.85, 2.08 ± 0.41, 2.31 ± 0.49, and 2.37 ± 0.62 mm for portal vein, hepatic vein, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary vein, respectively. The accuracy of this method was satisfied in clinical application.

Chromosome-scale assembly and whole-genome sequencing of 266 giant panda roundworms provide insights into their evolution, adaptation and potential drug targets.

Helminth diseases have long been a threat to the health of humans and animals. Roundworms are important organisms for studying parasitic mechanisms, disease transmission and prevention. The study of parasites in the giant panda is of importance for understanding how roundworms adapt to the host. Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-scale genome of Baylisascaris schroederi with a genome size of 253.60 Mb and 19,262 predicted protein-coding genes. We found that gene families related to epidermal chitin synthesis and environmental information processes in the roundworm genome have expanded significantly. Furthermore, we demonstrated unique genes involved in essential amino acid metabolism in the B. schroederi genome, inferred to be essential for the adaptation to the giant panda-specific diet. In addition, under different deworming pressures, we found that four resistance-related genes (glc-1, nrf-6, bre-4 and ced-7) were under strong positive selection in a captive population. Finally, 23 known drug targets and 47 potential drug target proteins were identified. The genome provides a unique reference for inferring the early evolution of roundworms and their adaptation to the host. Population genetic analysis and drug sensitivity prediction provide insights revealing the impact of deworming history on population genetic structure of importance for disease prevention.

Baylisascaris schroederi Infection in Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in Foping National Nature Reserve, China.

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is the most iconic endangered species in the world, but there is little information about the spatial and temporal distribution of parasites in the wild giant panda population. In total, 193 fecal samples from giant pandas in the Foping National Nature Reserve, People's Republic of China, were analyzed for parasite eggs using a modification of the McMaster technique. The morphology and size of Baylisascaris schroederi eggs were observed under an optical microscope. The prevalence and intensity of B. schroederi infection during the sampling year 2012 were 52.3% (101/193) and 89 eggs/g of feces, respectively, among giant pandas in this population. The prevalence of B. schroederi in the pandas varied during different months of the year, from 7% to 100%, and the prevalences in spring, summer, autumn, and winter were 71, 77, 23, and 18%, respectively. The prevalence was not significantly different between giant pandas that ate two different types of bamboo, but the intensity of infection was higher in the group eating Arundinaria fargesii (P=0.043). Altitude, temperature, and dew point were correlated with the infection intensity (r=-0.224, P<0.001; r=0.328, P<0.001; r=0.328, P=0.028, respectively). There was no correlation between infection intensity and distance to rivers. This study provides a better understanding of B. schroederi prevalence among the wild giant pandas in Foping National Nature, China.