Assessment of lower respiratory tract microbiota associated with pulmonary tuberculosis in children.

Background: The respiratory microbiota plays a crucial role in the development of tuberculosis (TB). While existing research has underscored imbalances in the respiratory microbiota of adult patients with TB, information regarding the lower respiratory tract (LRT) microbiota in pediatric patients with TB remains scarce.

Methods: We employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology to investigate the LRT microbial communities of 85 children of different ages with active TB of different severities, 33 children with infectious diseases other than TB, and 48 sex- and age-matched healthy children.

Clinical value of monitoring cytokine levels for assessing the severity of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children.

Background: To investigate the clinical relevance of cytokine levels in assessment of the severity of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) in children.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 150 pediatric cases of MPP admitted to a local hospital in China from November 1, 2022 to October 31, 2023. These MPP cases were divided into mild (n=100) and severe (n=50) groups according to the severity of the disease.

CalibNet: Dual-Branch Cross-Modal Calibration for RGB-D Salient Instance Segmentation.

In this study, we propose a novel approach for RGB-D salient instance segmentation using a dual-branch cross-modal feature calibration architecture called CalibNet. Our method simultaneously calibrates depth and RGB features in the kernel and mask branches to generate instance-aware kernels and mask features. CalibNet consists of three simple modules, a dynamic interactive kernel (DIK) and a weight-sharing fusion (WSF), which work together to generate effective instance-aware kernels and integrate cross-modal features.

On-Line Analysis of Cigarette Smoke Based on Microwave Plasma Torch Mass Spectrometry.

Cigarette smoke contains a large number of chemicals, including both flavor components and harmful substances. The mainstream smoke (MSS) generated by smoking is directly inhaled by individuals, making it crucial to establish an effective method for smoke detection and analysis. One promising technique for analyzing smoke is MPT-MS (Microwave plasma torch mass spectrometry).

Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Prescription Determination for Orthokeratology Lens Fitting: From Algorithm to Clinical Practice.

Objectives: To explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist prescription determination for orthokeratology (OK) lenses.

Methods: Artificial intelligence algorithm development followed by a real-world trial. A total of 11,502 OK lenses fitting records collected from seven clinical environments covering major brands.

Parallel photonic acceleration processor for matrix-matrix multiplication.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a highly parallel photonic acceleration processor based on a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system and a non-coherent Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) array for matrix-matrix multiplication. The dimensional expansion is achieved by WDM devices, which play a crucial role in realizing matrix-matrix multiplication together with the broadband characteristics of an MZI. We implemented a 2 × 2 arbitrary nonnegative valued matrix using a reconfigurable 8 × 8 MZI array structure.

Discovery of quinazolin-4-one-based non-covalent inhibitors targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 main protease (SARS-CoV-2 M).

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 continues to pose a great threat to public health while various vaccines are available worldwide. Main protease (M) has been validated as an effective anti-COVID-19 drug target. Using medicinal chemistry and rational drug design strategies, we identified a quinazolin-4-one series of nonpeptidic, noncovalent SARS-CoV-2 M inhibitors based on baicalein, 5,6,7-trihydroxy-2-phenyl-4H-chromen-4-one.

The clinical significance of macrolide resistance in pediatric infection during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: (MP) is a commonly occurring pathogen causing community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. The global prevalence of macrolide-resistant MP (MRMP) infection, especially in Asian regions, is increasing rapidly. However, the prevalence of MRMP and its clinical significance during the COVID-19 pandemic is not clear.

Development and Therapeutic Implications of Tyrosine Kinase 2 Inhibitors.

Janus kinases (JAKs) are central components in cytokine signaling pathways. A number of small molecule JAK inhibitors have been approved to treat a wide range of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Due to safety concerns of pan-JAK inhibition, the thrust of current research is toward the discovery of isoform-selective JAK inhibitors.

Design, synthesis, biological evaluation of urea substituted 1,2,5-oxadiazole-3-carboximidamides as novel indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) inhibitors.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) has been considered as an attractive target for oncology immunotherapy due to its immunosuppressive effects on the tumor microenvironment. The most advanced IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody failed to show desirable objective response. Epacadostat is now reevaluated in phase III clinical trials, but its pharmacokinetic (PK) properties are unsatisfactory.

Detection of target DNA with a visual CRISPR-associated hyperbranched rolling circle amplification technique.

This paper presents a novel clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated HRCA technique (CART). During the entire detection process of CART, the target DNA is first specifically recognized and cleaved by a pair of Cas9/sgRNA complexes; then, the cleaved product is ligated into circular DNA as the template of HRCA, and the circular DNA is efficiently amplified by HRCA. Therefore, CART has the advantages of Cas9/sgRNA (single-base mismatch specificity) and HRCA (isothermal reaction temperature and high sensitivity).

Proanthocyanidins Activate Nrf2/ARE Signaling Pathway in Intestinal Epithelial Cells by Inhibiting the Ubiquitinated Degradation of Nrf2.

Nrf2 plays a key role in the antioxidant system, and many antioxidants can activate the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway and alleviate oxidative stress. However, the underlying mechanisms of antioxidants, such as proanthocyanidin- (PC-) induced Nrf2 activation, remain poorly understood. In this study, PC was used on MODE-K cells at different concentrations (0, 1, 2.

A Deep Learning-Based Framework for Accurate Evaluation of Corneal Treatment Zone After Orthokeratology.

Purpose: Given the robust effectiveness of inhibiting myopia progression, orthokeratology has gained increasing popularity worldwide. However, identifying the boundary and the center of reshaped corneal area (i.e.

Clinical characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral agents in hospitalized children with infectious mononucleosis in China: A multicenter retrospective study.

Importance: The clinical characteristics of infectious mononucleosis (IM) in Chinese children have not been evaluated in multicenter studies, and the effectiveness of antiviral treatment are controversial.

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of Chinese children with IM and current status of antiviral therapy for affected patients.

Methods: Hospitalized patients with IM were enrolled between 2018 and 2020 in five children's hospitals in China.

Hybrid material mimics a hypoxic environment to promote regeneration of peripheral nerves.

Between nerve defects, a bridge formed by multiple cells is the fundamental structure for guiding axons across this damaged region. Here, we developed a functional material that mimics hypoxia during the early stages of nerve regeneration by deferoxamine. We used this material and single-cell sequencing to analyze the "bridge" structure between peripheral nerve defects.

Selenium Attenuates S. aureus-Induced Inflammation by Regulation TLR2 Signaling Pathway and NLRP3 Inflammasome in RAW 264.7 Macrophages.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of selenium (Se) on the expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and pyrin domain-containing protein (NLRP)3 inflammasome in macrophages infected by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). RAW 264.

Evaluation of CRISPR/Cas9 site-specific function and validation of sgRNA sequence by a Cas9/sgRNA-assisted reverse PCR technique.

The effective application of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 system in biology, medicine and other fields is hindered by the off-target effects and loci-affinity of Cas9-sgRNA, especially at a genome-wide scale. In order to eliminate the occurrence of off-target effects and evaluate loci-affinity by CRISPR/Cas9 site-specific detection and screening of high-affinity sgRNA sequences, respectively, we develop a CRISPR/Cas9-assisted reverse PCR method for site-specific detection and sgRNA sequence validation. The detection method based on PCR can be used directly in the laboratory with PCR reaction conditions, without the need for an additional detection system, and the whole process of detection can be completed within 2 h.

Orographic evolution of northern Tibet shaped vegetation and plant diversity in eastern Asia.

The growth of the Tibetan Plateau throughout the past 66 million years has profoundly affected the Asian climate, but how this unparalleled orogenesis might have driven vegetation and plant diversity changes in eastern Asia is poorly understood. We approach this question by integrating modeling results and fossil data. We show that growth of north and northeastern Tibet affects vegetation and, crucially, plant diversity in eastern Asia by altering the monsoon system.

A Middle Eocene lowland humid subtropical "Shangri-La" ecosystem in central Tibet.

Tibet's ancient topography and its role in climatic and biotic evolution remain speculative due to a paucity of quantitative surface-height measurements through time and space, and sparse fossil records. However, newly discovered fossils from a present elevation of ∼4,850 m in central Tibet improve substantially our knowledge of the ancient Tibetan environment. The 70 plant fossil taxa so far recovered include the first occurrences of several modern Asian lineages and represent a Middle Eocene (∼47 Mya) humid subtropical ecosystem.

Short Communication: Effects of Dietary Selenium Supplementation on Selenium Deposition and Antioxidant Status in Postpartum Mice.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary selenium during pregnancy on the selenium deposition and antioxidant enzymes in postpartum mouse serum, liver, and mammary gland. Eighty BALB/c pregnant mice were randomly divided into four groups: CG (Se-deficient basal diet, n = 20), LG (0.05 mg/kg Se-supplemented diet, n = 20), MG (0.

Selenium Plays an Anti-Inflammatory Role by Regulation NLRP3 Inflammasome in Staphylococcus aureus-Infected Mouse Mammary Gland.

Selenium is an essential micronutrient that plays an important role in immunity. However, the mechanism that Selenium modulates mastitis is not fully clear. In this experiment, we investigated whether selenium can inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in a mouse model of Staphylococcus aureus-induced mastitis.

A 100-Mhz Bandwidth 80-dB Dynamic Range Continuous-Time Delta-Sigma Modulator with a 2.4-Ghz Clock Rate.

The bandwidth of a ΔΣ modulator is limited by the clock rate due to the oversampling ratio requirement. As the nanoscale CMOS processes are developing rapidly, it is possible to design wide bandwidth and high dynamic range continuous-time ΔΣ modulators for high-frequency applications. This paper proposes a 3rd-order 4-bit continuous-time ΔΣ modulator with a single-loop feedforward topology.

The Increase in IL-1β in the Early Stage of Heatstroke Might Be Caused by Splenic Lymphocyte Pyroptosis Induced by mtROS-Mediated Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome.

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is important for the pathological process of heatstroke (HS), although little is known regarding the main source of the IL-1β produced during the early stage of HS. In this study, heat stress led splenic lymphocytes to death with generation of inflammatory cytokines. The same phenomenon also occurs in animal models of heatshock.