Intraspecific and interspecific resource partitioning between bumblebee workers and males related to nectar quantity and quality.

Bumblebees are important pollinators for many natural and agricultural systems in temperate regions. Interspecific and intraspecific variation in floral resource preferences have been proposed to influence bumblebee community structure. In particular, sexual dimorphism is a major source of intraspecific niche variation. Although interspecific resource partitioning is well studied, few studies have explored the intraspecific dynamics between workers and males. Here, we report a study on a total of 11 528 workers and 2220 males of 14 bumblebee species recorded over 5 years in the Hengduan Mountains of Southwest China. We first compared the potential for interspecific and intraspecific competition between workers and males using visitation records and resource partitioning indices (overlap index). We then evaluated the influence of nectar traits on flower preference, including nectar volume and the levels of hexose, sucrose and 10 essential amino acids (EAAs). We found that the niche overlap between intraspecific workers and males was higher than that between different species, and temporal overlap alone did not strongly determine diet overlap. Males of most species preferred flowers with high levels of EAAs and hexose, whereas workers of some species preferred flowers with high nectar volume and sucrose levels. This study suggests that there is floral resource partitioning among bumblebee species, and between workers and males, which may play a key role in alleviating interspecific and intraspecific competition. These findings also provide a useful guide for which kinds of plants might be most valuable for bumblebees, especially the understudied males, in this biodiversity hotspot.

Biliary atresia: the role of gut microbiome, and microbial metabolites.

Biliary atresia (BA) is a progressive fibroinflammatory disease affecting both the extrahepatic and intrahepatic bile ducts, potentially leading to chronic cholestasis and biliary cirrhosis. Despite its prevalence, the exact mechanisms behind BA development remain incompletely understood. Recent research suggests that the gut microbiota and its metabolites may play significant roles in BA development. This paper offers a comprehensive review of the changing characteristics of gut microbiota and their metabolites at different stages of BA in children. It discusses their influence on the host's inflammatory response, immune system, and bile acid metabolism. The review also explores the potential of gut microbiota and metabolites as a therapeutic target for BA, with interventions like butyrate and gut microbiota preparations showing promise in alleviating BA symptoms. While progress has been made, further research is necessary to untangle the complex interactions between gut microbiota and BA, paving the way for more effective prevention and treatment strategies for this challenging condition.

Exploration of interictal to ictal transition in epileptic seizures using a neural mass model.

An epileptic seizure can usually be divided into three stages: interictal, preictal, and ictal. However, the seizure underlying the transition from interictal to ictal activities in the brain involves complex interactions between inhibition and excitation in groups of neurons. To explore this mechanism at the level of a single population, this paper employed a neural mass model, named the complete physiology-based model (cPBM), to reconstruct electroencephalographic (EEG) signals and to infer the changes in excitatory/inhibitory connections related to excitation-inhibition (E-I) balance based on an open dataset recorded for ten epileptic patients. Since epileptic signals display spectral characteristics, spectral dynamic causal modelling (DCM) was applied to quantify these frequency characteristics by maximizing the free energy in the framework of power spectral density (PSD) and estimating the cPBM parameters. In addition, to address the local maximum problem that DCM may suffer from, a hybrid deterministic DCM (H-DCM) approach was proposed, with a deterministic annealing-based scheme applied in two directions. The H-DCM approach adjusts the temperature introduced in the objective function by gradually decreasing the temperature to obtain relatively good initialization and then gradually increasing the temperature to search for a better estimation after each maximization. The results showed that (i) reconstructed EEG signals belonging to the three stages together with their PSDs can be reproduced from the estimated parameters of the cPBM; (ii) compared to DCM, traditional D-DCM and anti D-DCM, the proposed H-DCM shows higher free energies and lower root mean square error (RMSE), and it provides the best performance for all stages (e.g., the RMSEs between the reconstructed PSD computed from the reconstructed EEG signal and the sample PSD obtained from the real EEG signal are 0.33 ± 0.08, 0.67 ± 0.37 and 0.78 ± 0.57 in the interictal, preictal and ictal stages, respectively); and (iii) the transition from interictal to ictal activity can be explained by an increase in the connections between pyramidal cells and excitatory interneurons and between pyramidal cells and fast inhibitory interneurons, as well as a decrease in the self-loop connection of the fast inhibitory interneurons in the cPBM. Moreover, the E-I balance, defined as the ratio between the excitatory connection from pyramidal cells to fast inhibitory interneurons and the inhibitory connection with the self-loop of fast inhibitory interneurons, is also significantly increased during the epileptic seizure transition. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-023-09976-6.

Mother-reliant or Self-reliant: The germination strategy of seeds in a species-rich alpine meadow is associated with the existence of pericarps.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Some plants germinate their seeds enclosed by a pericarp, while others lack the outer packaging. As a maternal tissue, may impart seeds with different germination strategies. Plants in a community with different flowering times may separately disperse and germinate their seeds; therefore, flowering time can be considered as one manifestation of maternal effects on offspring. The mass of the seed is another important factor influencing germination and represents the intrinsic resource of seed that supports the germination. Using seeds from a species-rich alpine meadow located in the Hengduan Mountains of China, a global biodiversity hotspot, we aim to illustrate whether and how the type of seed (with and without a pericarp) modulates the interaction of flowering time and seed mass with germination. METHODS: Seeds were germinated under a generally favorable condition and germination speed (estimated by mean germination time, MGT) was calculated. We quantified the maternal conditions by separation of flowering time for 67 species in the meadow, in which 31 produced seeds with pericarps and 36 yielded seeds without pericarps, respectively. We also weighed one hundred seeds to assess their mass. KEY RESULTS: The MGT varied between the two types of seed. For seeds with pericarps, MGT was associated with flowering time but not with seed mass. Plants with earlier flowering times in the meadow exhibited more rapid seed germination. For seeds without pericarp, the MGT depended on seed mass, with smaller seeds germinating more rapidly than larger seeds. CONCLUSIONS: The distinct responses of germination to flowering time and seed mass observed in seeds with and without pericarp suggest that germination strategies might be mother-reliant for seeds protected by pericarps but self-reliant for those without such protection. This novel finding improves our understanding of seed germination by integrating ecologically mediated maternal conditions and inherent genetic properties.

Causal relationship between lipid-lowering drugs and ovarian cancer, cervical cancer: a drug target mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: The causal impact of lipid-lowering drugs on ovarian cancer (OC) and cervical cancer (CC) has received considerable attention, but its causal relationship is still a subject of debate. Hence, the objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of lipid-lowering medications on the occurrence risk of OC and CC through Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis of drug targets. METHODS: This investigation concentrated on the primary targets of lipid-lowering medications, specifically, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) and proprotein convertase kexin 9 (PCSK9). Genetic variations associated with HMGCR and PCSK9 were derived from published genome-wide association study (GWAS) findings to serve as substitutes for HMGCR and PCSK9 inhibitors. Employing a MR approach, an analysis was conducted to scrutinize the impact of inhibitors targeting HMGCR and PCSK9 on the occurrence of OC and CC. Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk was utilized as a positive control, and the primary outcomes encompassed OC and CC. RESULTS: The findings of the study suggest a notable elevation in the risk of OC among patients treated with HMGCR inhibitors (OR [95%CI] = 1.815 [1.316, 2.315], p = 0.019). In contrast, no significant correlation was observed between PCSK9 inhibitors and the occurrence of OC. Additionally, the analysis did not reveal any noteworthy connection between HMGCR inhibitors, PCSK9 inhibitors, and CC. CONCLUSION: HMGCR inhibitors significantly elevate the risk of OC in patients, but their mechanism needs further investigation, and no influence of PCSK9 inhibitors on OC has been observed. There is no significant relationship between HMGCR inhibitors, PCSK9 inhibitors, and CC.

Prediction of Subsurface Microcrack Damage Depth Based on Surface Roughness in Diamond Wire Sawing of Monocrystalline Silicon.

In diamond wire saw cutting monocrystalline silicon (mono-Si), the material brittleness removal can cause microcrack damage in the subsurface of the as-sawn silicon wafer, which has a significant impact on the mechanical properties and subsequent processing steps of the wafers. In order to quickly and non-destructively obtain the subsurface microcrack damage depth (SSD) of as-sawn silicon wafers, this paper conducted research on the SSD prediction model for diamond wire saw cutting of mono-Si, and established the relationship between the SSD and the as-sawn surface roughness value (SR) by comprehensively considering the effect of tangential force and the influence of the elastic stress field and residual stress field below the abrasive on the propagation of median cracks. Furthermore, the theoretical relationship model between SR and SSD has been improved by adding a coefficient considering the influence of material ductile regime removal on SR values based on experiments sawing mono-Si along the (111) crystal plane, making the theoretical prediction value of SSD more accurate. The research results indicate that a decrease in wire speed and an increase in feed speed result in an increase in SR and SSD in silicon wafers. There is a non-linear increasing relationship between silicon wafer SSD and SR, with SSD = 21.179 Ra4/3. The larger the SR, the deeper the SSD, and the smaller the relative error of SSD between the theoretical predicted and experimental measurements. The research results provide a theoretical and experimental basis for predicting silicon wafer SSD in diamond wire sawing and optimizing the process.

Floral resource partitioning of coexisting bumble bees: Distinguishing species-, colony-, and individual-level effects.

Resource partitioning is considered a key factor in alleviating competitive interactions, enabling coexistence among consumer species. However, most studies have focused on resource partitioning between species, ignoring the potentially critical role of intraspecific variation in resource use. We investigated floral resource partitioning across species, colonies, and individuals in a species-rich bumblebee community in the diversification center of bumblebees. We used a total of 10,598 bumblebees belonging to 13 species across 5 years in the Hengduan Mountains of southwest China. First, we evaluated the influence of a comprehensive set of floral traits, including both those related to attractiveness (flower color and shape) and rewards (pollen, sugar ratio, nectar volume, sugar concentration, and amino acid content) on resource partitioning at the species level in bumblebee-plant networks. Then, we explored intraspecific resource partitioning on the colony and individual levels. Our results suggest that bumblebee species differ substantially in their use of the available floral resources, and that this mainly depends on flower attractiveness (floral color and shape). Interestingly, we also detected floral resource partitioning at the colony level within all commonest bumblebee species evaluated. In general, floral resource partitioning between bumblebee individuals decreased with species- and individual-level variation in body size (intertegular span). These results suggest that bumblebee species may coexist via the flexibility in their preferences for specific floral traits, which filters up to support the co-occurrence of high numbers of species and individuals in this global hotspot of species richness.

Nobiletin from citrus peel: a promising therapeutic agent for liver disease-pharmacological characteristics, mechanisms, and potential applications.

Nobiletin (NOB) is a flavonoid derived from citrus peel that has potential as an alternative treatment for liver disease. Liver disease is a primary health concern globally, and there is an urgent need for effective drugs. This review summarizes the pharmacological characteristics of NOB and current in vitro and in vivo studies investigating the preventive and therapeutic effects of NOB on liver diseases and its potential mechanisms. The findings suggest that NOB has promising therapeutic potential in liver diseases. It improves liver function, reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, remodels gut microflora, ameliorates hepatocellular necrosis, steatosis, and insulin resistance, and modulates biorhythms. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), nuclear transcription factor kappa (NF-κB), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α(PPAR-α), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), protein kinase B (AKT), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and transcription factor EB (TFEB) signaling pathways are important molecular targets for NOB to ameliorate liver diseases. In conclusion, NOB may be a promising drug candidate for treating liver disease and can accelerate its application from the laboratory to the clinic. However, more high-quality clinical trials are required to validate its efficacy and identify its molecular mechanisms and targets.

COPD and T2DM: a Mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) stands as a global chronic illness, exerting a profound impact on health due to its complications and generating a significant economic burden. Recently, observational studies have pointed toward a potential link between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and T2DM. To elucidate this causal connection, we employed the Mendelian randomization analysis. Method: Our study involved a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis on COPD and T2DM. Additionally, tests for heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy were performed. Results: For the MR analysis, 26 independent single nucleotides polymorphisms (SNPs) with strong associations to COPD were chosen as instrumental variables. Our findings suggest a pronounced causal relationship between COPD and T2DM. Specifically, COPD emerges as a risk factor for T2DM, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.06 and a 95% confidence interval ranging from 1.01 to 1.11 (P = 0.006). Notably, all results were devoid of any heterogeneity or pleiotropy. Conclusion: The MR analysis underscores a significant causal relationship between COPD and T2DM, highlighting COPD as a prominent risk factor for T2DM.

IL-10+CD19+ regulatory B cells induce CD4+Foxp3+regulatory T cells in serum of cervical cancer patients.

Increase of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumour microenvironment predicts worse survival of patients with various types of cancer. Recently, B cells play a significant role in the maintenance of Treg cells. However, the relevance of regulatory B cells (Bregs) to tumour immunity in humans remains elusive. Flow cytometry analysis was used to detect the Bregs and Tregs. Double staining results illustrated that the proportion of Bregs and Tregs were prominently higher in cervical cancer than normal tissues. Increase of Bregs and Tregs in cervical cancer microenvironment was associated with poor survival. Furthermore, Bregs cocultured with cervical cancer cell lines increased and induced Tregs. To sum up, the increased expression of Bregs contributes to the differentiation of CD4+ T cells into Tregs in the cervical cancer.

Multi-channel EEG-based sleep staging using brain functional connectivity and domain adaptation.

Objective.Sleep stage recognition has essential clinical value for evaluating human physical/mental condition and diagnosing sleep-related diseases. To conduct a five-class (wake, N1, N2, N3 and rapid eye movement) sleep staging task, twenty subjects with recorded six-channel electroencephalography (EEG) signals from the ISRUC-SLEEP dataset is used.Approach.Unlike the exist methods ignoring the channel coupling relationship and non-stationarity characteristics, we developed a brain functional connectivity method to provide a new insight for multi-channel analysis. Furthermore, we investigated three frequency-domain features: two functional connectivity estimations, i.e. synchronization likelihood (SL) and wavelet-based correlation (WC) among four frequency bands, and energy ratio (ER) related to six frequency bands, respectively. Then, the Gaussian support vector machine (SVM) method was used to predict the five sleep stages. The performance of the applied features is evaluated in both subject dependence experiment by ten-fold cross validation and subject independence experiment by leave-one-subject-out cross-validation, respectively.Main results.In subject dependence experiment, the results showed that the fused feature (fusion of SL, WC and ER features) contributes significant gain the performance of SVM classifier, where the mean of classification accuracy can achieve 83.97% ± 1.04%. However, in subject-independence experiment, the individual differences EEG patterns across subjects leads to inferior accuracy. Five typical domain adaptation (DA) methods were applied to reduce the discrepancy of feature distributions by selecting the optimal subspace dimension. Results showed that four DA methods can significantly improve the mean accuracy by 1.89%-5.22% compared to the baseline accuracy 57.44% in leave-one-subject-out cross-validation.Significance.Compared with traditional time-frequency and nonlinear features, brain functional connectivity features can capture the correlation between different brain regions. For the individual EEG response differences, domain adaptation methods can transform features to improve the performance of sleep staging algorithms.

The interplay between scale, pollination niche and floral attractiveness on density-dependent plant-pollinator interactions.

Pollinators mediate interspecific and intraspecific plant-plant indirect interactions (competition vs. facilitation) via density-dependent processes, potentially shaping the dynamics of plant communities. However, it is still unclear which ecological drivers regulate density-dependent patterns, including scale, pollination niches (i.e., the main pollinator functional group) and floral attractiveness to pollinators. In this study, we conducted three-year field observations in Hengduan Mountains of southwest China. By gathering data for more than 100 animal-pollinated plant species, we quantified the effect (positive vs. negative) of conspecific and heterospecific flower density on pollination at two scales: plot-level (4 m2) and site-level (100-5000 m2). Then, we investigated how pollination niches and floral attractiveness to pollinators (estimated here as average per-flower visitation rates) modulated density-dependent pollination interactions. Pollinator visitation depended on conspecific and heterospecific flower density, with rare plants subjected to interspecific competition at the plot-level and interspecific facilitation at the site-level. Such interspecific competition at the plot-level was stronger for plants pollinated by diverse insects, while interspecific facilitation at the site-level was stronger for bee-pollinated plants. Moreover, we also found stronger positive conspecific density-dependence for plants with lower floral attractiveness at the site-level, meaning that they become more frequently visited when abundant. Our study indicates that the role of pollination in maintaining rare plants and plant diversity depends on the balance of density-dependent processes in species-rich communities. We show here that such balance is modulated by scale, pollination niches and floral attractiveness to pollinators, indicating the context-dependency of diversity maintenance mechanisms.

Clinical application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in purulent meningitis: a case seri.

BACKGROUND: Purulent meningitis remains an important cause of mortality and morbidity among children worldwide. An immediate diagnosis of the causative microorganism is critical to significantly improving the outcome of this condition. CASE: In this study, we collected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from four patients clinically diagnosed with purulent meningitis. Patients with purulent meningitis may present with a variety of clinical symptoms or laboratory results. Infectious microorganisms including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Haemophilus influenzae were identified in the CSF samples via metagenomic nextgeneration sequencing (mNGS). CONCLUSIONS: mNGS is effective for the immediate detection of pathogens, which can in turn facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment among individuals with purulent meningitis, especially if conventional CSF results (such as CSF culture and polymerase chain reaction) are negative.

Floral trait variation across individual plants within a population enhances defense capability to nectar robbing.

Floral trait variation may help pollinators and nectar robbers identify their target plants and, thus, lead to differential selection pressure for defense capability against floral antagonists. However, the effect of floral trait variation among individuals within a population on multi-dimensional plant-animal interactions has been little explored. We investigated floral trait variation, pollination, and nectar robbing among individual plants in a population of the bumble bee-pollinated plant, Caryopteris divaricata, from which flowers are also robbed by bumble bees with varying intensity across individuals. We measured the variation in corolla tube length, nectar volume and sugar concentration among individual plants, and evaluated whether the variation were recognized by pollinators and robbers. We investigated the influence of nectar robbing on legitimate visitation and seed production per fruit. We found that the primary nectar robber (Bombus nobilis) preferred to forage on plants with long-tubed flowers, which produced less nectar and had lower sugar concentration compared to those with shorter corolla tubes. Individuals with shorter corolla tubes had comparatively lower nectar robbing intensity but higher visitation by legitimate visitors (mainly B. picipes) and higher seed production. Nectar robbing significantly reduced seed production because it decreased pollinator visits. However, neither pollination nor seed production differed between plants with long and short corolla tubes when nectar robbers were excluded. This finding suggests that floral trait variation might not be driven by pollinators. Such variation among individual plants thus allows legitimate visitors and nectar robbers to segregate niches and enhances population defense against nectar robbing in unpredictable conditions.

The effects of urbanization on pollinators and pollination: A meta-analysis.

Urbanization is increasing worldwide, with major impacts on biodiversity, species interactions and ecosystem functioning. Pollination is an ecosystem function vital for terrestrial ecosystems and food security; however, the processes underlying the patterns of pollinator diversity and the ecosystem services they provide in cities have seldom been quantified. Here, we perform a comprehensive meta-analysis of 133 studies examining the effects of urbanization on pollinators and pollination. Our results confirm the widespread negative impacts of urbanization on pollinator richness and abundance, with Lepidoptera being the most affected group. Furthermore, pollinator responses were found to be trait-specific, with below-ground nesting and solitary Hymenoptera, and spring flyers more severely affected by urbanization. Meanwhile, cities promote non-native pollinators, which may exacerbate conservation risks to native species. Surprisingly, despite the negative effects of urbanization on pollinator diversity, pollination service measured as seed set is enhanced in non-tropical cities likely due to abundant generalists and managed pollinators therein. We emphasize that the richness of local flowering plants could mitigate the negative impacts of urbanization on pollinator diversity. Overall, the results demonstrate the varying magnitudes of multiple moderators on urban pollinators and pollination services and could help guide conservation actions for biodiversity and ecosystem function for a sustainable future.

The circRNA-0001361/miR-491/FGFR4 axis is associated with axillary response evaluated by ultrasound following NAC in subjects with breast cancer.

Background: miR-491-5p has been reported to regulate the expression of FGFR4 and promote gastric cancer metastasis. Hsa_circ_0001361 was demonstrated to play an oncogenic role in bladder cancer invasion and metastasis by sponging the expression of miR-491-5p. This work aimed to study the molecular mechanism of the effect of hsa_circ_0001361 on axillary response in the treatment of breast cancer. Methods: Ultrasound examinations was performed to evaluate the response of breast cancer patients receiving NAC treatment. Quantitative real-time PCR, IHC assay, luciferase assay and Western blot were performed to analyze the molecular interaction between miR-491, circRNA_0001631 and FGFR4. Results: Patients with low circRNA_0001631 expression had a better outcome after NAC treatment. The expression of miR-491 was remarkably higher in the tissue sample and serum collected from patients with lower circRNA_0001631 expression. On the contrary, the FGFR4 expression was notably suppressed in the tissue sample and serum collected from patients with lower circRNA_0001631 expression when compared with patients with high circRNA_0001631 expression. The luciferase activities of circRNA_0001631 and FGFR4 were effectively suppressed by miR-491 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, inhibition of circRNA_0001631 expression using circRNA_0001361 shRNA effectively suppressed the expression of FGFR4 protein in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Up-regulation of circRNA_0001631 expression remarkably enhanced the expression of FGFR4 protein in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Conclusion: Our study suggested that the up-regulation of hsa_circRNA-0001361 could up-regulate the expression of FGFR4 via sponging the expression of miR-491-5p, resulting in the alleviated axillary response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer.

Pollinator Proboscis Length Plays a Key Role in Floral Integration of Honeysuckle Flowers (Lonicera spp.).

Pollinator-mediated selection is supposed to influence floral integration. However, the potential pathway through which pollinators drive floral integration needs further investigations. We propose that pollinator proboscis length may play a key role in the evolution of floral integration. We first assessed the divergence of floral traits in 11 Lonicera species. Further, we detected the influence of pollinator proboscis length and eight floral traits on floral integration. We then used phylogenetic structural equation models (PSEMs) to illustrate the pathway through which pollinators drive the divergence of floral integration. Results of PCA indicated that species significantly differed in floral traits. Floral integration increased along with corolla tube length, stigma height, lip length, and the main pollinators' proboscis length. PSEMs revealed a potential pathway by which pollinator proboscis length directly selected on corolla tube length and stigma height, while lip length co-varied with stigma height. Compared to species with short corolla tubes, long-tube flowers may experience more intense pollinator-mediated selection due to more specialized pollination systems and thus reduce variation in the floral traits. Along elongation of corolla tube and stigma height, the covariation of other relevant traits might help to maintain pollination success. The direct and indirect pollinator-mediation selection collectively enhances floral integration.

A large pericardial cyst mimicking a unilateral pleural effusion: A case report.

RATIONALE: Pericardial cysts are a rare benign disorder with a variable clinical presentation depending on their size and location. The diagnosis of pericardial cysts is usually based on imaging examinations. The definitive treatment is surgical resection. PATIENT CONCERN: A 36-year-old woman presented with progressive left-sided chest pain and exertional dyspnea, with symptoms resembling pleural effusion. DIAGNOSES: The patient was diagnosed with a pericardial cyst based on imaging and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). INTERVENTION: VATS was performed. OUTCOMES: The patient's symptoms improved after successful removal of the pericardial cyst. Follow-up chest computed tomography exhibited no evidence of recurrence. LESSONS: Clinicians should include pericardial cysts in the differential diagnosis of pseudopleural effusion. VATS is a feasible and safe method to treat symptomatic and large pericardial cysts.

Bronchiolitis obliterans associated with toxic epidermal necrolysis induced by infection: A case report and literature review.

Background: Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis has a severe impact on patients' eyes, genital mucosa, and many other organs. Bronchiolitis obliterans is a rare complication of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis. Data sources: We report a case of bronchiolitis obliterans associated with toxic epidermal necrolysis in our department. Furthermore, we examined the patients with bronchiolitis obliterans induced by Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis and summarized the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis. Databases available online in English including PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science were consulted. Results: We report one case and review 23 published case reports. Of the 24 patients, 13 were female, the oldest patient was 59 years old and the youngest was 5 years old. The time of bronchiolitis obliterans onset after Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis varied from 5 days to 5 months. Bronchoscopy examination showed ulceration, exudative lesions, occlusion, and inflammation. The CT of lung manifestation included mosaic perfusion, bronchiectasis, consolidation, air trapping, pneumatocele, pleural thickening, lung collapse, larger central airway dilatation, lung overinflation, oligemia, and pneumomediastinum. Most cases indicated pulmonary function tests with obstructive ventilation dysfunction. The prognosis was poor; six of the patients died. Conclusions: Patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis may develop bronchitis obliterans at different stages, so all patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis should be followed up for possible respiratory complications.

Improved deep convolutional dictionary learning with no noise parameter for low-dose CT image processing.

BACKGROUND: Low-Dose computed tomography (LDCT) reduces radiation damage to patients, however, the reconstructed images contain severe noise, which affects doctors' diagnosis of the disease. The convolutional dictionary learning has the advantage of the shift-invariant property. The deep convolutional dictionary learning algorithm (DCDicL) combines deep learning and convolutional dictionary learning, which has great suppression effects on Gaussian noise. However, applying DCDicL to LDCT images cannot get satisfactory results. OBJECTIVE: To address this challenge, this study proposes and tests an improved deep convolutional dictionary learning algorithm for LDCT image processing and denoising. METHODS: First, we use a modified DCDicL algorithm to improve the input network and make it do not need to input noise intensity parameter. Second, we use DenseNet121 to replace the shallow convolutional network to learn the prior on the convolutional dictionary, which can obtain more accurate convolutional dictionary. Last, in the loss function, we add MSSIM to enhance the detail retention ability of the model. RESULTS: The experimental results on the Mayo dataset show that the proposed model obtained an average value of 35.2975 dB in PSNR, which is 0.2954 -1.0573 dB higher than the mainstream LDCT algorithm, indicating the excellent denoising performance. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that the proposed new algorithm can effectively improve the quality of LDCT images acquired in the clinical practice.