Correlation of DNA load, genotyping, and clinical phenotype of infection in children.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between (MP)DNA load in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of children with MP pneumonia (MPP) and its subtypes, relevant laboratory data, imaging, extrapulmonary complications in infected children, and its clinical significance in evaluating the disease.

Methods: Children hospitalized with MPP at Tianjin Children's Hospital between December 2017 and December 2020 were selected for the study, excluding those with mixed viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. Children were divided into low- and high-load groups according to the MP DNA load in BALF using real-time quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Chiral Recognition of D/L-Ribose by Visual and SERS Assessments.

Ribose is the central molecular unit in ribose nucleic acid (RNA). Ribose is a key molecule in the study of many persistent scientific mysteries, such as the origin of life and the chiral homogeneity of biological molecules. Therefore, the chiral recognition of ribose is of great significance.

Interleukin-6 serum levels are independently associated with severe adenovirus pneumonia in children: a cross-sectional study.

Background: This study aimed to explore the potential association between interleukin-6 (IL-6) serum levels and severe adenovirus pneumonia (SAP) in children.

Methods: A retrospective hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on children with SAP who presented to the Tianjin Children's Hospital between January 2019 and December 2020. Serum IL-6 levels were categorized into quintiles (Q1-5).

Palladium catalyzed radical relay for the oxidative cross-coupling of quinolines.

Traditional approaches for transition-metal catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling reactions rely on sp-hybridized starting materials, such as aryl halides, and more specifically, homogeneous catalysts. We report a heterogeneous Pd-catalyzed radical relay method for the conversion of a heteroarene C(sp)-H bond into ethers. Pd nanoparticles are supported on an ordered mesoporous composite which, when compared with microporous activated carbons, greatly increases the Pd d charge because of their strong interaction with N-doped anatase nanocrystals.

DFT-based Raman spectral study of astaxanthin geometrical isomers.

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid widely used in food additives, nutritional product and medicines, which shows many physiological functions such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic activities. It has been recognized that astaxanthin has all- and nine isomers, and these geometrical isomers have very different biological activities. The process of selective enrichment, metabolism and isomerization of astaxanthin in animals remains to be studied.

Theoretical and experimental study of the infrared and Raman spectra of L-lysine acetylation.

Acetylation is a common and extremely important protein modification in biology, referring to the covalent attachment of an acetyl group to the amino group. There are two forms of protein acetylation, which are lysine Nε-acetylation and N-terminal Nα-acetylation, respectively. Protein lysine Nε-acetylation is a globally important post-translational modification which plays a critical regulatory role in almost all aspects of cell metabolism.

Breaking scaling relationships in alkynol semi-hydrogenation by manipulating interstitial atoms in Pd with d-electron gain.

Pd catalysts are widely used in alkynol semi-hydrogenation. However, due to the existence of scaling relationships of adsorption energies between the key adsorbed species, the increase in conversion is frequently accompanied by side reactions, thereby reducing the selectivity to alkenols. We report that the simultaneous increase in alkenol selectivity and alkynol conversion is achieved by manipulating interstitial atoms including B, P, C, S and N in Pd catalysts.

DFT and Raman study of all-trans astaxanthin optical isomers.

Astaxanthin (AST) is a xanthophyll carotenoid widely distributed in aquatic animals, which has many physiological functions such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic activities. AST has three optical isomers, including a pair of enantiomers (3S,3'S and 3R,3'R) and a meso form (3R,3'S). Different optical isomers have differences in a variety of physiological functions.

Remodeling Chromatin Induces Z-DNA Conformation Detected through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.

The SWI/SNF complex is a highly conserved chromatin remodeling complex and can hydrolyze ATP by its catalytic subunit BRG1 or BRM to reconstruct the chromatin. To investigate whether this ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling could affect the DNA conformation, we therefore regulated (knocked down or overexpressed) in the cells and applied Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to probe DNA conformational changes. As a result, we found that BRG1/BRM was indeed associated with the DNA conformational changes, in which knockdown of reduced Z-DNA conformation, while overexpression of enhanced Z-DNA conformation.

[Efficacy and safety of vitamin D as adjuvant therapy for childhood pneumonia: a Meta analysis].

Objective: To study the efficacy and safety of vitamin D as an adjuvant therapy for childhood pneumonia through a systematic review.

Methods: Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and Weipu Data were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin D as the adjuvant therapy for childhood pneumonia published up to August 2019. Literature screening, quality assessment, and data extraction were performed based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.

A facile and label-free SERS approach for inspection of fipronil in chicken eggs using SiO@Au core/shell nanoparticles.

Fipronil is a phenylpyrazole insecticide commonly used in agriculture and residential applications. In this paper, we reported a novel label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method for detection of fipronil residues in chicken eggs (mostly accumulated on the egg membrane). We fabricated the SERS substrates composed of the SiO@Au core/shell nanoparticles and probed the contamination of fipronil residue on the egg membrane.

Assessment of norfloxacin degradation induced by plasma-produced ozone using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

In this work, we employed surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculation to investigate the pathways/mechanisms of the norfloxacin degradation by oxygen plasma produced ozone. The main degradation products were analyzed by the spectroscopic method, which revealed the breakage of the C-F bond and fracture of piperazinyl and quinolone moieties. In particular, we showed that the main degradation pathway was defluorination of norfloxacin, and this process could be quantitatively assessed by our proposed SERS approach.

Understanding the infrared and Raman spectra of ganoderic acid A: An experimental and DFT study.

Ganoderic Acids (GAs) are the major medicinal compounds in Ganoderma lucidum used as traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. Ganoderic acid A (GAA) is the first discovered ganoderic acids reported in the literature, which is also one of most abundant triterpenoids of Ganoderma lucidum. Especially, GAA has been extensively investigated in recent decades for its positive medicinal activities.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis: A report of two cases.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is defined as hematopoiesis occurring in organs outside of the bone marrow. The present report describes two cases of thalassemic patients with paraspinal medullary hematopoiesis and analyzes the clinical manifestations, imaging, pathology, diagnosis and treatment of EMH. In addition, a supplementary review of previously published cases is provided along with a review of the related literature.

Conformational and vibrational analyses of meta-tyrosine: An experimental and theoretical study.

M-tyrosine is one kind of positional isomer of tyrosine which is widely applied in agrichemical, medicinal chemistry, and food science. However, the structural and vibrational features of m-tyrosine have not been reported or systematically investigated. In this work, potential energy surface (PES) calculations were used for searching and determining the stable zwitterionic conformers of m-tyrosine, and the Raman spectra of m-tyrosine and deuterated m-tyrosine were measured and interpreted based on theoretical computation.

Nuclear-Spin-Induced Circular Dichroism in the Infrared Region for Liquids.

Recently, the nuclear-spin-induced optical rotation (NSOR) and circular dichroism (NSCD) for liquids were discovered and extensively studied and developed. However, so far, nuclear-spin-induced magnetic circular dichroism in the IR region (IR-NSCD) has not been explored, even though all polyatomic molecules exhibit extensive IR spectra. Herein, IR-NSCD is proposed and discussed theoretically.

β-Cyclodextrin coated SiO₂@Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles for SERS detection of PCBs.

A new type of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate consisting of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) coated SiO2@Au@Ag nanoparticles (SiO2@Au@Ag@CD NPs) has been achieved. Our protocol was a simplified approach as the fabrication and modification of the silver shell were realized in a single-step reaction by taking advantage of β-CD as both the reducing and stabilizing agents. The as-synthesized SiO2@Au@Ag@CD NPs were uniform in size and demonstrated high SERS activity and reproducibility.

New nuclear-spin-induced Cotton-Mouton effect in fluids at high DC magnetic field.

Based on Buckingham and Pople's theory of magnetic double refraction, a theoretical expression is derived for a new Cotton-Mouton effect φ(C-M)((IB)) in liquid induced by the crossed effect between the high dc magnetic field B(0) and the nuclear magnetic moment m(z)((l)). It contains temperature-independent and -dependent parts. The latter is proportional to the product between anisotropy of polarizability and the nuclear magnetic shielding tensor.

[The possible mechanism of lung injury induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus spike glycoprotein].

Objective: To investigate the role of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in the induction of acute lung injury by promoting the synthesis of chemokine/cytokines in human endothelial cells.

Methods: Twenty-three SARS patients were enrolled in this study, comprising 15 male and 8 female, aged 27 - 55 years, mean (36 +/- 6) years. They were treated at Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease from February to May in 2003.