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Mengzhu Hou,1,* Nan Chen,2,* Lili Dong,3,* Yulian Fang,1 Rui Pan,2 Wei Wang,1 Lu Wang,1 Jing Ning,3 Hanquan Dong3 1Tianjin Pediatric Research Institute, Tianjin Children’s Hospital (Children’s Hospital of Tianjin University), Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Clinical Lab, Tianjin Children’s Hospital (Children’s Hospital of Tianjin University), Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Respiratory, Tianjin Children’s Hospital (Children’s Hospital of Tianjin University), Tianjin, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jing Ning; Hanquan Dong, Department of Respiratory, Tianjin Children’s Hospital (Children’s Hospital of Tianjin University), No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin, 300134, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13752230008 ; +86 13820476506, Email jingning2022@126.com; mifits@sina.comPurpose: The data on pediatrics with Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae infections are scarce. This study aims to investigate the molecular epidemiology of MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae, detect the mechanism of drug resistance, and determine the clinical risk factors for carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia (CRKP) bloodstream infections (BSIs) in a children’s hospital.Methods: A total of 62 strains were collected from Tianjin Children’s Hospital. Carba NP and polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were performed to detect MDR mechanisms. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used for analyzing strain homology. Clinical data were collected and logistic regression was used for BSI risk factors.Results: ST11 was the principal ST among the CRKP isolates clinically, accounting for 56.45% (35/62); there were also 57.14% (20/35) ST11 CRKP strains co-carrying blaNDM-5 and blaKPC-2, which were resistant to most of the tested antibiotics, being susceptible only to cotrimoxazole and tigecycline. The clinical data showed that 72.73% (40/55) of children with CRKP infection had serious underlying diseases; 20.00% (11/55) patients developed BSIs with the potential to cause multiple organ failure, shock and death. The logistic regression showed that the risk of BSIs caused by CRKP strain infections in children with hematological malignancies after chemotherapy was 7 times that of other children (95%Cl: 1.298– 45.415, P=0.025).Conclusion: ST11 was the prevalent clone in our hospital. The emergence of ST11 CRKP co-carrying blaNDM-5 and blaKPC-2 should be a cause for alarm as they were resistant to most of the tested antibiotics. CRKP strain infections are mainly occurring in young immunocompromised patients and the chemotherapy for hematological malignancies is an independent risk factor for BSIs.Keywords: carbapenem-resistantKlebsiella pneumonia, blaKPC-2, blaNDM-5, ST11, children, bloodstream infection

Aphids are significant pests of cash crops and food farm crops. Botanical insecticides are safe for aphid control, especially for organic farming. In this study, Eleocharis dulcis (Burm. f.) Trin. peel extract (EDPE), a new botanical insecticide, was investigated for its active compositions against several agricultural aphids.The results showed that the EDPE had high insecticidal activity against Sitobion avenae Fabricius, Aphis gossypii Glover, Megoura crassicauda Mordvilko, and Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris, with half-lethal concentration (LCThese data contribute to a better understanding of the aphicidal activity of EDPE and its main component, 4-hydroxylonchocarpin. This will help to develop new botanical insecticides to contro aphids. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hemoptysis is a frequently encountered symptom of the respiratory system in adult but is rare in children. Bronchial artery-pulmonary artery fistula (BPF) is one of the most important and life-threatening cause in pediatric hemoptysis patients. Although the severity of BPF has been proved in previous studies, details about clinical diagnosis and treatment of BPF in children have been rarely reported.A 12-year-old boy presented to the hospital with hematemesis after coughing, without any other symptoms. After admission, he had repeated hemoptysis, 20-30 ml each time, and on the 11th night of admission a massive hemoptysis (about 100 ml bright red blood) occurred suddenly. Chest computed tomography demonstrated patchy ground glass opacities in the right lung, suggestive of pulmonary hemorrhage. Bronchial arteriography showed an apparent BPF in the right lobe bronchial artery. Therefore, bronchial artery embolization was performed, following which a thrombus in the bronchial lumen was removed by bronchoscopy. After these interventions, the patient recovered quickly and no recurrence was noted in the following year.We believe that this case should raise awareness of cryptogenic massive hemoptysis caused by BPF. In the event of hemoptysis in a child, it is important to clarify the source of the bleeding. If common etiologies have been excluded, the presence of pulmonary and bronchial vascular malformations should be considered. Moreover, multidisciplinary collaboration is crucial in the diagnosis and management of cryptogenic hemoptysis.

Background: Despite the growing awareness of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) in China, few cases have been reported in Henan, which is the most populous province in the country. This study aimed to describe the clinical phenotype and genotype of children with CF in Henan. Methods: We recruited 14 Chinese children with CF who presented to Children’s Hospital affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2019 to January 2023. The demographic data, imaging examinations, and laboratory tests of the patients were reviewed to clarify the clinical phenotype. Whole exome sequencing was conducted to identify the genotype. Results: Respiratory diseases were the main clinical manifestation, including recurrent/persistent pneumonia (85.7%), sinusitis (71.4%), bronchiectasis (71.4%). CF-related liver disease (CFLD) and pancreatic insufficiency (PI) were less common (21.4% each). Infant cases had high frequency of pseudo-Bartter Syndrome (80.0%). Chest computed tomography showed bronchiectasis in older children and air trapping in infant cases. The most common pathogens in the airway were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus (71.4% respectively). Twenty-four different CFTR gene variants were detected, including four novel observations (c.869+3A>T, c.1064C>G[p.Pro355Arg], c.1209+1G>C and c.1925C>G [p.Ser642X]). The most common variant was c.2909G>A (p.Gly970Asp), with a detected rate of 16.7%. Conclusion: Children with CF in Henan had varied clinical phenotypes by age, with respiratory disease being predominant. The most frequent CFTR gene variant was c.2909G>A(p.Gly970Asp). This study is the first and most comprehensive one on the clinical phenotype and genotype of children with CF in Henan, China. We also reported the first CF case of M. abscessus infection in China.

Cardiovascular diseases, the worldwide leading cause of death, are preventable and treatable. Early diagnosis and monitoring using ultrasound, x-ray or MRI are crucial clinical tools. Routine imaging is, however, currently cost prohibitive. Here we show that computational imaging enables a 3 order of magnitude reduction in the cost of tomographic echocardiography while also radically improving image quality and diagnostic utility. This advance relies on decompressive inference using artificial neural networks. Our system, CardiacField, generates 3D images of the heart from 2D echocardiograms using commodity clinical instruments. CardiacField automatically segments and quantifies the volume of the left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) without manual calibration. CardiacField estimates the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) with 33% higher accuracy than state-of-the-art video-based methods, and the right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) with a similar accuracy, which is not available in existing 2DE methods. This technology will enable routine world-wide tomographic heart screening, such that patients will get instant feedback on lifestyle changes that improve heart health. CardiacField also illustrates the value of a conceptual shift in diagnostic imaging from direct physical model inversion to Bayesian inference. While clinicians tend to prefer linear inference algorithms for their conceptual simplicity, as discussed in this paper, neural inference will save lives.

Aims: Increases in nitrogen (N) deposition may significantly affect the organic carbon (OC) cycle in soil. The inconsistent findings of the influence of added N on soil OC pools highlight the need of quantifying responses of the OC pool distribution to N addition. Moreover, the influence of N addition with a mixture of organic and inorganic N on OC pool distribution and stabilization in grassland soil remains unclear. Methods: We carried out a five-year field experiment with adding N to examine the effects of different types of N addition on soil OC pool distribution and transformation in a meadow steppe in Inner Mongolia. We applied N in the ratios of inorganic N (IN) and organic N (ON) at 10:0 (N1), 7:3 (N2), 5:5 (N3), 3:7 (N4), 0:10 (N5), and 0:0 (CK), respectively. We measured OC content in bulk soil, particulate organic matter (POM), and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) fractions. Additionally, a short-term soil incubation was conducted to assess potential OC mineralization. Results: Our study showed no significant effect on soil organic carbon content of different ratios of IN/ON addition. N addition reduced microbial biomass C/N ratio, the fraction of mineral-associated organic matter, cumulative CO2 emission, and microbial metabolic quotient. Compared with ON addition alone, IN addition alone showed a stronger effect on the C in different soil fractions and soil OC mineralization. The particulate organic matter (POM) fraction was more sensitive to N addition than the mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) fraction. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the contribution of N in organic and inorganic forms affecting OC pool distribution with different turnover rates should be considered when assessing the effects of N addition types on soil OC processes in grassland.

Efficient small infrared (IR) maritime target detection in heavy waves is a key and challenging task in maritime distress target search and rescue systems. The current methods are struggling to enhance targets and suppress heavy waves because of the similar local contrast. In this letter, a weighted multidirectional gradient (WMDG) measure is presented. First, the candidate targets are extracted via facet model. Then multidirectional gradient and difference information are constructed to calculate average cumulative multidirectional gradient (ACMG) and achieve directional difference measure (DDM). Consequently, the final saliency is reconstructed via ACMG weighted by DDM. Finally, the actual targets are segmented through an adaptive threshold. Experimental results demonstrate that our method is superior to the state-of-the-art methods with regard to detection validity and robustness for small IR maritime target detection in heavy waves.

Exploring new herbicide targets based on natural product derivatives is an important research aspect for the generation of innovative pesticides. Ferulic acid ethyl ester (FAEE), a natural product derivative from ferulic acid, has significant herbicidal activity mainly by inhibiting the normal growth of weed seedling roots. However, the FAEE target protein underlying its herbicidal activity has not been identified. In this study, we synthesized an FAEE probe to locate its site of action. We discovered that FAEE entry point was via the root tips. Fourteen major binding proteins were identified using Drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) combined with LC-MS/MS, which included 3-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase I (KAS I) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase I (PAL I). The KAS I and PAL I proteins/genes expression was changed significantly after exposure to FAEE, as evidenced by combined transcriptomic and proteomic analysis. A molecular docking assay indicated that KAS I and FAEE had a strong binding ability. Combined with previous studies on FAEE mechanism of action, and based on our results, we conclude that FAEE targeting KAS I lead to the blockage of the fatty acid synthesis pathway and result in plant death.

Coal is an important energy and chemical raw material. Carbonization is an effective way for comprehensive utilization of coal, especially for coal with coking capability. The complex pore structur...

Adhesion formation during tendon healing remains a severe problem in clinical practice. Multiple factors contribute to postoperative adhesion formation, and macrophage-driven inflammation is thought to be greatly involved in this process. We hypothesize that reducing macrophage-mediated inflammation in the injured tendon by regulating M1 to M2 macrophage polarization may effectively inhibit adhesion formation. Here, we developed an acellular immunomodulatory biomaterial consisting of an electrospun polycaprolactone/silk fibroin (PCL/SF) composite fibrous scaffold functionalized with mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular matrix (ECM). To enhance the immunoregulatory potential of MSCs, we performed inflammatory licensing with IFN-γ to obtain immunomodulatory ECM (iECM). Proteomic analyses of MSCs and their secreted ECM components from different culture conditions revealed the MSC-ECM molecular signatures and the potential mechanism of ECM immunoregulation. Then, the immunoregulatory potential of the iECM-modified scaffold was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Relative to the PCL/SF fibrous scaffold, the iECM-functionalized scaffold facilitated M2 macrophage polarization and inhibited the expression of multiple cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, CXCL11, IL-10, IL-1R2, and TGF-β1) in vitro, strongly suggesting the immunosuppressive ability of iECM derived from inflammatory licensed MSCs. Consistent with the in vitro findings, the results of rat subcutaneous implantation indicated that a markedly lower foreign-body reaction (FBR) was obtained in the PCL/SF-iECM group than in the other groups, as evidenced by thinner fibrotic capsule formation, less type I collagen production and more M2-type macrophage polarization. In the rat Achilles tendon injury model, the PCL/SF-iECM scaffold greatly mitigated tendon adhesion with clear sheath space formation between the tendon and the scaffold. These data highlight the immunomodulatory potential of iECM-functionalized fibrous scaffolds to attenuate FBR by modulating M2 macrophage polarization, thereby preventing tendon adhesion. Statement of significance Electrospun PCL/SF fibrous scaffolds functionalized with ECM secreted by MSCs stimulated by inflammatory factor IFN-γ was developed that combined physical barrier and immunomodulatory functions to prevent tendon adhesion formation. PCL/SF micro-nanoscale bimodal fibrous scaffolds prepared by emulsion electrospinning possess high porosity and a large pore size beneficial for nutrient transport to promote intrinsic healing; moreover, surface modification with immunomodulatory ECM (iECM) mitigates the FBR of fibrous scaffolds to prevent tendon adhesion. The iECM-functionalized electrospun scaffolds exhibit powerful immunomodulatory potency in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the iECM-modified scaffolds, as an anti-adhesion physical barrier with immunomodulatory ability, have an excellent performance in a rat Achilles tendon adhesion model. MSC secretome-based therapeutics, as an acellular regenerative medicine strategy, are expected to be applied to other inflammatory diseases due to its strong immunoregulatory potential.

Objectives: The COVID-19 epidemic crisis has attracted the attention of people who are experiencing climate change and resources shortage to the human environment and ecology. In the meantime, COVID-19 and cigarette overlay have become one of the greatest global public menace, which aggravates people’s concern of well-being and urgency about the risk of spreading smoke and poses new challenge to public sanitation, urban management in every nation. City is the key of the revival from COVID-19 crisis and worldwide economy. Community is the basic unit in city. Material circumstance is the vital carrier of healthy ecology in community. Faced with issues concerning healthy ecological chain circle in communities involving frequent abnormal climate, constant urban waterlogging, scarcity of infrastructure in old communities and so on, it is imperative to incorporate relevant mechanism and ways of sponge reconstruction design on old communities based on smoke-free city reconstruction and ecological reparation from visual exploration in all domains. For the sake of that, the study probe for the accordance of smoke-free city reconstruction and ecological restoration via originating from researches and practices concerning smoke-free city, domestic and foreign reconstruction of old communities, rain and flood management/sponge city, green infrastructure and so on, so as to prompt big strategy of health and ecology and construct resilient community and city with resistant ability.

Remote sensing scene classification (RSSC) is an active topic in the field of remote sensing and has attracted a lot of attention due to its wide range of applications. Deep learning methods, espec...

The long reaction time of human eyes will increase the probability of traffic accidents in tunnels which can be reduced by improving lighting conditions. In recent years, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have replaced the traditional lighting source in a tunnel. Colour rendering index 2012 (CRI2012, a colour rendering evaluation index) is the most suitable evaluation method for colour rendering of LEDs. In order to study the impact of colour rendering of LEDs on the reaction time of human eyes, a driving simulation environment was designed. First, three CCTs (correlated colour temperatures), four CRI2012s, and eight colours of targets were assessed using mesopic photometry model MES-2. The calculation results indicated that the contrast of targets had a positive correlation with CRI2012 and had a negative correlation with CCT. Then, reaction time experiment was conducted in simulated tunnel environments. There are 30 observers who participated. The results show that the LEDs with higher CRI2012 and lower CCT in tunnel is conducive to reducing the reaction time of human eyes. High CRI2012 enables drivers to accurately and quickly identify colours. This paper provides a reference for the design of light source parameters, roads, walls, and warning signs in the tunnel.

The inhibition of shoot branching by the growing shoot tip of plants, termed apical dominance, was originally thought to be mediated by auxin. Recently the importance of the shoot tip sink strength during apical dominance has re-emerged with recent studies highlighting roles for sugars in promoting branching. This raises many unanswered questions on the relative roles of auxin and sugars in apical dominance. Here we show that auxin regulation of cytokinins, which promote branching, is significant only after an initial stage of branching we call bud release. During this early bud release stage, rapid cytokinin increases are associated with enhanced sugars. Auxin may also act through strigolactones which have been shown to suppress branching after decapitation, but here we show that strigolactones do not have a significant effect on initial bud outgrowth after decapitation. We report here that when sucrose or cytokinin is abundant, strigolactones are less inhibitory during the bud release stage compared to later stages and that strigolactone treatment rapidly inhibits cytokinin accumulation in pea axillary buds of intact plants. After initial bud release, we find an important role of gibberellin in promoting sustained bud growth downstream of auxin. We are therefore able to suggest a model of apical dominance that integrates auxin, sucrose, strigolactones, cytokinins and gibberellins and describes differences in signalling across stages of bud release to sustained growth.

Petunia is one of the world’s most important flowers, and its branch development has long been a source of discussion. MYB transcription factors have been identified as important plant branching regulators. In this study, 113 R2R3-MYB genes were identified from the petunia genome. PhMYB genes, closely related to RAXs, were expressed at greater levels in axillary buds and roots. Decapitation and 6-BA did not regulate the expression of PhMYB37. PhMYB37 was localized in the nucleus. Heterologous overexpression of PhMYB37 promoted shoot branching in transgenic Arabidopsis while silencing of PhMYB37 inhibited shoot branching. These results suggest that PhMYB37 plays a critical and positive role in petunia shoot branching.