Development and evaluation of multiplex real-time PCR for rapid identifying major pathogenic mycobacteria from pulmonary and extrapulmonary clinical samples in eastern China.

Background: Diseases caused by (MTB) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) have similar clinical symptoms but require different treatments. Rapid and accurate identification of MTB and NTM is essential for proper patient management and treatment.

Methods: To develop and assess a multiplex real-time fluorescence PCR (Multiplex PCR) method for rapid identification of MTB, complex (MAC), M.

Tripartite motif-containing 32 regulated by miR-6236-p5 inhibited silica-induced apoptosis of alveolar macrophages.

Apoptosis of alveolar macrophages (AMs) induced by silica is one of the crucial driving factors of silicosis inflammation and fibrosis. However, the mechanism of silica-induced AMs apoptosis remains unclear. In this study, transcriptome sequencing identified 11 differentially expressed (DE)-mRNAs enriched in the regulation of apoptotic signaling pathways in AMs treated with 250 μg/mL silica for 24 h, of which tripartite motif-containing 32 (Trim32) was the most significant and down-regulated.

Diagnostic Value of Cross-priming Amplification Combined With CRISPR-Cas12b in Detecting Cell-free DNA in Tuberculous Pleural Effusion.

Background: Diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) remains challenging. Studies have shown that detecting cell-free (cf-TB) DNA in pleural effusion can improve TPE diagnosis. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of our recently developed TB One-Pot assay, which combines cross-priming amplification with CRISPR-Cas12b, in detecting cf-TB for TPE.

Genomic analysis of global Mycobacterium abscessus isolates reveals ongoing evolution of drug-resistance-associated genes.

Mycobacterium abscessus (MAB) is intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics, but the evolution of acquired drug resistance is poorly understood. We analyzed published genomes of 5,617 clinical MAB isolates from 20 countries and searched for signals of ongoing evolution in 35 drug-resistance-associated genes. Of these, we found 14 genes were subject to positive selection and identified novel mutational sites under selection.

Microstructure and Properties of Aluminum Alloy/Diamond Composite Materials Prepared by Laser Cladding.

In this article, AlSi10Mg aluminum alloy was used as the substrate to prepare aluminum alloy/diamond composite materials with laser cladding technology. The effects of the composition and laser power on the microstructure and thermal properties of the composite materials were studied. The results show that the prefabrication of tungsten carbide layer on the diamond surface enhances the wettability of diamond with aluminum alloy and reduces the laser reflection, which ensures the implementability of laser cladding technology for the preparation of aluminum alloy/diamond composites.

The role of Gαq in regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Background: G proteins are a class of important signal transducers in mammalians. G proteins can corpoarated with G proteincoupled receptors (GPCRs) and transmit signals from extracellular stimuli into intracellular response, which will regulate a series of biological functions. G-proteins are heterotrimeric proteins composed of Gα, Gβ, and Gγ subunits.

An Intelligent Intestine-on-a-Chip for Rapid Screening of Probiotics with Relief-Enteritis Function.

Screening probiotics with specific functions is essential for advancing probiotic research. Current screening methods primarily use animal studies or clinical trials, which are inefficient and costly in terms of time, money, and labor. An intelligent intestine-on-a-chip integrating machine learning (ML) is developed to screen relief-enteritis functional probiotics.

Analysis of the Mechanism of Wood Vinegar and Butyrolactone Promoting Rapeseed Growth and Improving Low-Temperature Stress Resistance Based on Transcriptome and Metabolomics.

Rapeseed is an important oil crop in the world. Wood vinegar could increase the yield and abiotic resistance of rapeseed. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of wood vinegar or its valid chemical components on rapeseed.

Association of complete blood count parameters with the risk of incident pulmonary heart disease in pneumoconiosis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Pneumoconiosis mostly combines pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases, among which pulmonary heart disease (PHD) is of major concern due to its significant impact on the survival of pneumoconiosis patients. White cell count (WCC), red cell distribution width (RDW) and platelet parameters are thought to affect inflammatory responses and may be predictors of various cardiovascular diseases. However, very few studies have focused on PHD.

W-Shaped π-Extended Double Undecabenzo[7]helicene.

A chiral W-shaped fully π-extended double [7]helicene () has been synthesized and fully characterized. It displays fluorescence emission (λ = 636 nm) with a quantum yield (Φ) of 0.10.

Diagnostic performance analysis of Xpert MTB/RIF in lymph node tuberculosis: A retrospective study.

Aims: To retrospectively analyze the diagnostic efficacy of Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) in lymph node tuberculosis (LNTB).

Methods: Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and area under the curve (AUC) of Xpert, pathological examination and culture for LNTB were calculated.

Results: 421 suspected LNTB cases were categorized into the LNTB group (377 cases) and non-LNTB group (44 cases).

Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation for consciousness recovery in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (TAVREC): study protocol for a multicenter, triple-blind, randomized controlled trial in China.

Introduction: Prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDoC) are a catastrophic condition following brain injury with few therapeutic options. Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS), a safe, non-invasive intervention modulating thalamo-cortical connectivity and brain function, is a possible treatment option of pDoC. We developed a protocol for a randomised controlled study to evaluate the effectiveness of taVNS on consciousness recovery in patients with pDoC (TAVREC).

One-Pot Preparation of Mixed-Mode Reversed-Phase Anion-Exchange Silica Sorbent and its Application in the Detection of Cyclopiazonic Acid in Feeds and Agricultural Products.

A novel co-bonded octyl and pyridine silica (OPS) sorbent was prepared and applied for the solid phase extraction (SPE) of cyclopiazonic acid (CPA, a type of mycotoxin) in feed and agricultural products for the first time. A simple mixed-ligand one-pot reaction strategy was employed for OPS sorbent preparation. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements, elemental analysis (EI), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis demonstrated the successful immobilization of octyl and quaternary ammonium groups onto the surface of silica gel.

imaging reveals a synchronized correlation among neurotransmitter dynamics during propofol and sevoflurane anesthesia.

General anesthesia is widely applied in clinical practice. However, the precise mechanism of loss of consciousness induced by general anesthetics remains unknown. Here, we measured the dynamics of five neurotransmitters, including γ-aminobutyric acid, glutamate, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, and dopamine, in the medial prefrontal cortex and primary visual cortex of C57BL/6 mice through fiber photometry and genetically encoded neurotransmitter sensors under anesthesia to reveal the mechanism of general anesthesia from a neurotransmitter perspective.

Microstructure Evolution and Recrystallization Mechanisms of a Cu-Cr-Sn Alloy during Thermal Deformation Process.

Thermal deformation behavior of Cu-Cr-Sn alloy ingots under deformation temperatures ranging from 600 °C to 950 °C and strain rates from 0.01 s to 10 s was investigated in detail. The thermal deformation constitutive equation and thermal processing map of the alloy were established, respectively.

Neurotoxicity of Combined Exposure to the Heavy Metals (Pb and As) in Zebrafish ().

Lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) are commonly occurring heavy metals in the environment and produce detrimental impacts on the central nervous system. Although they have both been indicated to exhibit neurotoxic properties, it is not known if they have joint effects, and their mechanisms of action are likewise unknown. In this study, zebrafish were exposed to different concentrations of Pb (40 μg/L, 4 mg/L), As (32 μg/L, 3.

The First Case Report of Inactive Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease (NTM-PD) in a Pneumoconiosis Patient Caused by in China.

We reported a 51-year-old male electric welder with stage I pneumoconiosis, who had no significant cough, sputum, fever, chest pain, or other discomfort. However, regular physical examination at our hospital revealed bilateral pulmonary nodules with cavity formation. Blood routine, liver or kidney function, and infection-related biomarkers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT), were normal.

Effects of on insulin, gut microbiota and bile acids.

Obesity is becoming a major global health problem in children that can cause diseases such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders, which are closely related to the gut microbiota. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, a significant positive correlation was observed between and obesity in children ( = 0.

Effect of Al/Ni Ratio on the Microstructure and Properties of Nickel-Aluminum Bronze Alloys.

To study the effect of aluminum and nickel elements on the microstructures and properties of the nickel-aluminum bronze (NAB) alloy, four kinds of alloys with different compositions, ZCuAl7-7-4-2, ZCuAl8-6-4-2, ZCuAl9-5-4-2, and ZCuAl10-4-4-2, are prepared by vacuum-melting technology. The effects of different Al/Ni ratios on the microstructures of NAB are investigated using a metalloscope, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and XPS analysis. The mechanical property is evaluated with microhardness testing and tensile mechanical testing.