Bloodstream infection and pneumonia caused by Chlamydia abortus infection in China: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia abortus is generally considered to cause abortion, stillbirth, and gestational sepsis in pregnant women, but it's rare in bloodstream infection and pneumonia. CASE PRESENTATION: We present details of a patient with bloodstream infection and pneumonia caused by Chlamydia abortus. Both blood next-generation sequencing (NGS) and sputum NGS indicate Chlamydia abortus infection. The patient received intravenous infusion of piperacillin sodium and tazobactam sodium (4.5 g/8 h) and moxifloxacin (0.4 g/d) and oral oseltamivir (75 mg/day). Within one month of follow-up, the patient's clinical symptoms were significantly improved, and all laboratory parameters showed no marked abnormality. However, chest computer tomography (CT) showed the inflammation wasn't completely absorbed. And we are still following up. CONCLUSIONS: Chlamydia abortus can cause pneumonia in humans. NGS has the particular advantage of quickly and accurately identifying the infection of such rare pathogens. Pneumonia is generally not life-threatening, and has a good prognosis with appropriate treatment. However, Chlamydia infection can lead to serious visceral complications which clinicians should pay attention to.

Ribosomal Protein L15 is involved in Colon Carcinogenesis.

Ribosomal biogenesis is responsible for protein synthesis in all eukaryotic cells. Perturbation of ribosomal biogenesis processes can cause dysfunctions of protein synthesis and varieties of human diseases. In this study, we examine the role of RPL15, a large ribosomal subunit protein, in human colon carcinogenesis. Our results reveal that RPL15 is remarkably upregulated in human primary colon cancer tissues and cultured cell lines when compared with paired non-cancerous tissues and non-transformed epithelium cells. Elevated expression of RPL15 in colon cancer tissues is closely correlated with clinicopathological characteristics in patients. We determine the effects of RPL15 on nucleolar maintenance, ribosomal biogenesis and cell proliferation in human cells. We show that RPL15 is required for maintenance of nucleolar structure and formation of pre-60S subunits in the nucleoli. Depletion of RPL15 causes ribosomal stress, resulting in a G1-G1/S cell cycle arrest in non-transformed human epithelium cells, but apoptosis in colon cancer cells. Together, these results indicate that RPL15 is involved in human colon carcinogenesis and might be a potential clinical biomarker and/or target for colon cancer therapy.

53BP1 depletion causes PARP inhibitor resistance in ATM-deficient breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in DNA damage response factors BRCA1 and BRCA2 confer sensitivity to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in breast and ovarian cancers. BRCA1/BRCA2-defective tumors can exhibit resistance to PARP inhibitors via multiple mechanisms, one of which involves loss of 53BP1. Deficiency in the DNA damage response factor ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) can also sensitize tumors to PARP inhibitors, raising the question of whether the presence or absence of 53BP1 can predict sensitivity of ATM-deficient breast cancer to these inhibitors. METHODS: Cytotoxicity of PARP inhibitor and ATM inhibitor in breast cancer cell lines was assessed by MTS, colony formation and apoptosis assays. ShRNA lentiviral vectors were used to knockdown 53BP1 expression in breast cancer cell lines. Phospho-ATM and 53BP1 protein expressions were determined in human breast cancer tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: We show that inhibiting ATM increased cytotoxicity of PARP inhibitor in triple-negative and non-triple-negative breast cancer cell lines, and depleting the cells of 53BP1 reduced this cytotoxicity. Inhibiting ATM abrogated homologous recombination induced by PARP inhibitor, and down-regulating 53BP1 partially reversed this effect. Further, overall survival was significantly better in triple-negative breast cancer patients with lower levels of phospho-ATM and tended to be better in patients with negative 53BP1. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that 53BP1 may be a predictor of PARP inhibitor resistance in patients with ATM-deficient tumors.

[Characteristics of Raman Spectra of Polyethylene Terephthalate].

Raman spectrometry was employed to study the characteristics of Raman spectra of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which were treated with sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid and copper sulfate, respectively. Raman spectra under different conditions were obtained and the characteristics of the Raman spectra were analyzed. The morphology structures were observed under different conditions using Atomic Force Microscope. The results show that the spectral intensity of PET treated with sodium hydroxide is higher than that untreated between 200-1 750 cm(-1), while the intensity of PET treated with sodium hydroxide is lower than that untreated beyond 1 750 cm(-1) and the fluorescence background of Raman spectra is decreased. The spectral intensity of PET treated with sulfuric acid is remarkably reduced than that untreated, and the intensity of PET treated with copper sulphate is much higher than that untreated. The research results obtained by Atomic Force Microscopy show that the variations of the Raman spectra of PET fibers are closely related to. the chemical bonds and molecular structures of PET fibers. The surface of the PET treated with sodium hydroxide is rougher than that untreated, the surface roughness of the PET treated with sulfuric acid is reduced as compared to that untreated, while the surface roughness of the PET treated with copper sulphate is increased. The results obtained by Raman spectroscopy are consistent with those by Atomic Force Microscopy, indicating that the combination of Raman spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy is expected to be a promising characterization technology for polymer characteristics.

Optimizing ultrasound-assisted extraction of prodigiosin by response surface methodology.

Prodigiosin extraction from dried Serratia marcescens jx1 cells using ultrasound-assisted extraction was optimized. The experiment was carried out in accordance with a central composite design (CCD) three-level and single-variable approach. The extraction time, extraction temperature, and solute to solvent ratio with the application of ultrasonication were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) to maximize the extraction of prodigiosin from dried S. marcescens jx1 cells. The response of prodigiosin was determined using spectrophotometry. A quadratic model was established to predict the prodigiosin extraction yield. The analysis of variance showed that the quadratic model significantly contributed to the response of prodigiosin. The optimal extraction parameters were an extraction time of 17.5 min, an extraction temperature of 23.4°C, and a solvent-to-solute ratio of 1:27.2. Under these optimum conditions, the average prodigiosin yield was 4.3 g±0.02 g from 100 g of dried cells, which matches the predicted values. The obtained optimum conditions for prodigiosin extraction provide a scientific basis for the economical large-scale production of prodigiosin.

Plasmonic Ag deposited TiO2 nano-sheet film for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production by water splitting.

TiO2 nano-sheet film (TiO2 NSF) was prepared by a hydrothermal method. Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were then deposited on the surface of TiO2 NSF (Ag/TiO2 NSF) under microwave-assisted chemical reduction. The prepared samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and Raman scattering spectroscopy. The results revealed that the Ag NPs were well dispersed on the anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO2 nano-sheet surface with a metallic state. The visible light absorption and Raman scattering of TiO2 were enhanced by Ag NPs based on its surface plasmon resonance effect. Besides, Ag NPs could also effectively restrain the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Photocatalytic water splitting was conducted on the films to obtain hydrogen, and the experimental results indicated that plasmonic Ag NPs could greatly enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 due to the synergistic effect between electron transfer and surface plasmon resonance enhanced absorption. The hydrogen yield obtained from the optimal sample reached 8.1 µmol cm(-2) and the corresponding energy efficiency was about 0.47%, which was 8.5 times higher than that of pure TiO2 film. Additionally, the formation mechanism of TiO2 nano-sheet film is preliminarily discussed.

Two synchronized modes of ultrashort optical pulses in a two-beam pumped Ti:sapphire laser.

A two-beam-pumped dual-cavity Ti:sapphire laser in which femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses can be produced has been constructed. Two synchronized modes, femtosecond-femtosecond pulse synchronization and femtosecond-picosecond pulse synchronization, have been achieved. In the mode of femtosecond-femtosecond pulse synchronization, laser pulses of 26 and 23 fs were generated in the two laser cavities, with a timing jitter of 7 fs. In the mode of femtosecond-picosecond pulse synchronization, laser pulses of 29 fs and 1.49 ps were generated in the femtosecond and picosecond cavities, respectively, with a timing jitter of 30 fs. Several factors affecting the tunability and stability of the laser were analyzed. The results show that the operating stability and pulse synchronization are primarily governed by cross-phase modulation, which is closely related to the power ratio of the two pump beams in the two laser cavities.

Vertical velocity distribution in open-channel flow with rigid vegetation.

In order to experimentally investigate the effects of rigid vegetation on the characteristics of flow, the vegetations were modeled by rigid cylindrical rod. Flow field is measured under the conditions of submerged rigid rod in flume with single layer and double layer vegetations. Experiments were performed for various spacings of the rigid rods. The vegetation models were aligned with the approaching flow in a rectangular channel. Vertical distributions of time-averaged velocity at various streamwise distances were evaluated using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV). The results indicate that, in submerged conditions, it is difficult to described velocity distribution along the entire depth using unified function. The characteristic of vertical distribution of longitudinal velocity is the presence of inflection. Under the inflection, the line is convex and groove above inflection. The interaction of high and low momentum fluids causes the flow to fold and creates strong vortices within each mixing layer. Understanding the flow phenomena in the area surrounding the tall vegetation, especially in the downstream region, is very important when modeling or studying the riparian environment. ADV measures of rigid vegetation distribution of the flow velocity field can give people a new understanding.

A risk model based on 10 ferroptosis regulators and markers established by LASSO-regularized linear Cox regression has a good prognostic value for ovarian cancer patients.

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer due to its high rate of recurrence and limited early diagnosis. For certain patients, particularly those with recurring disorders, standard treatment alone is insufficient in the majority of cases. Ferroptosis, an iron- and ROS (reactive oxygen species)-reliant cell death, plays a vital role in the occurrence of ovarian cancer. Herein, subjects from TCGA-OV were calculated for immune scores using the ESTIMATE algorithm and assigned into high- (N = 185) or low-immune (N = 193) score groups; 259 ferroptosis regulators and markers were analyzed for expression, and 64 were significantly differentially expressed between two groups. These 64 differentially expressed genes were applied for LASSO-regularized linear Cox regression for establishing ferroptosis regulators and a markers-based risk model, and a 10-gene signature was established. The ROC curve indicated that the risk score-based curve showed satisfactory predictive efficiency. Univariate and multivariate Cox risk regression analyses showed that age and risk score were risk factors for ovarian cancer patients' overall survival; patients in the high-risk score group obtained lower immune scores. The Nomogram analysis indicated that the model has a good prognostic performance. GO functional enrichment annotation confirmed again the involvement of these 10 genes in ferroptosis and immune activities. TIMER online analysis showed that risk factors and immune cells were significantly correlated. In conclusion, the risk model based on 10 ferroptosis regulators and markers has a good prognostic value for ovarian cancer patients.

The predictive value of delta-like3 and serum NSE in evaluating chemotherapy response and prognosis in patients with advanced small cell lung carcinoma: An observational study.

Lung cancer is one of the most malignant tumors with fastest morbidity and mortality. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most malignant pathological type of lung cancer with early metastasis and poor prognosis. At present, there is a lack of effective indicators to predict prognosis of SCLC patients. Delta-like 3 protein (DLL3) is selectively expressed on the surface of SCLC and is involved in proliferation and invasion. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is an enolase isoenzyme that is generally regarded as a biomarker for SCLC and may correlate with stage of SCLC, prognosis and chemotherapy response. NSE can be influenced by different types of factors. To explore the associations between expression levels of DLL3 in tumor tissues with platinum/etoposide chemotherapy response, and assess the prognostic values of DLL3, NSE and other potential prognostic factors in advanced SCLC patients were herein studied. Ninety-seven patients diagnosed with SCLC in Zhongda Hospital from 2014 to 2020 were enrolled in the study. Serum NSE levels were tested using ELISA methods before any treatment. The expression of DLL3 in tumor tissue was detected by Immunohistochemistry (IHC). We investigated the relationship of DLL3 expression with chemotherapy and survival. Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate Cox-proportional hazard regression was used to identify predictors of PFS and OS. DLL3 was detected in 84.5% (82/97) of all patients' tumor samples by IHC, mainly located on the surface of SCLC cells. Lower DLL3 expression was associated with longer PFS and better chemotherapy response. OS had no significant differences. Multivariate analysis by Cox Hazard model showed that, high DLL3 expression and maximum tumor size >5 cm were independent risk factors for PFS, where NSE < 35 ng/mL and age < 70 were independent prognostic factors for OS. Early stage was independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS (P < .05 log-rank). DLL3 was expressed in the most of SCLCs. DLL3 expression level in the tumor and NSE level in the serum may be useful biomarkers to predict the prognosis of SCLC. DLL3 may be a potential therapeutic target for SCLC in the future.

Loss of the VHR dual-specific phosphatase causes cell-cycle arrest and senescence.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases regulate important processes in eukaryotic cells and have critical functions in many human diseases including diabetes to cancer. Here, we report that the human Vaccinia H1-related (VHR) dual-specific protein tyrosine phosphatase regulates cell-cycle progression and is itself modulated during the cell cycle. Using RNA interference (RNAi), we demonstrate that cells lacking VHR arrest at the G1-S and G2-M transitions of the cell cycle and show the initial signs of senescence, such as flattening, spreading, appearance of autophagosomes, beta-galactosidase staining and decreased telomerase activity. In agreement with this notion, cells lacking VHR were found to upregulate p21(Cip-Waf1), whereas they downregulated the expression of genes for cell-cycle regulators, DNA replication, transcription and mRNA processing. Loss of VHR also caused a several-fold increase in serum-induced activation of its substrates, the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases Jnk and Erk. VHR-induced cell-cycle arrest was dependent on this hyperactivation of Jnk and Erk, and was reversed by Jnk and Erk inhibition or knock-down. We conclude that VHR is required for cell-cycle progression as it modulates MAP kinase activation in a cell-cycle phase-dependent manner.

Reduction of waste water in Erhai Lake based on MIKE21 hydrodynamic and water quality model.

In order to study the ecological water environment in Erhai Lake, different monitoring sections were set to research the change of hydrodynamics and water quality. According to the measured data, MIKE21 Ecolab, the water quality simulation software developed by DHI, is applied to simulate the water quality in Erhai Lake. The hydrodynamics model coupled with water quality is established by MIKE21FM software to simulate the current situation of Erhai Lake. Then through the comparison with the monitoring data, the model parameters are calibrated and the simulation results are verified. Based on this, water quality is simulated by the two-dimensional hydrodynamics and water quality coupled model. The results indicate that the level of water quality in the north and south of lake is level III, while in the center of lake, the water quality is level II. Finally, the water environment capacity and total emmision reduction of pollutants are filtered to give some guidance for the water resources management and effective utilization in the Erhai Lake.

Characteristics and scenarios projection of climate change on the Tibetan Plateau.

The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR4) presents twenty-two global climate models (GCMs). In this paper, we evaluate the ability of 22 GCMs to reproduce temperature and precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau by comparing with ground observations for 1961~1900. The results suggest that all the GCMs underestimate surface air temperature and most models overestimate precipitation in most regions on the Tibetan Plateau. Only a few models (each 5 models for precipitation and temperature) appear roughly consistent with the observations in annual temperature and precipitation variations. Comparatively, GFCM21 and CGMR are able to better reproduce the observed annual temperature and precipitation variability over the Tibetan Plateau. Although the scenarios predicted by the GCMs vary greatly, all the models predict consistently increasing trends in temperature and precipitation in most regions in the Tibetan Plateau in the next 90 years. The results suggest that the temperature and precipitation will both increase in all three periods under different scenarios, with scenario A1 increasing the most and scenario A1B increasing the least.

Mutant breeding of Serratia marcescens strain for enhancing prodigiosin production and application to textiles.

Microwaves have been used as a mutant agent to select mutant strains with high-yield and high-purity pigment. Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques were used to elucidate the structures of the pigment. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure pigment purity. The analysis of the mutant strain showed that pigment yield increased by 109% and was 98% pure. Prodigiosin in ethanol solution had good stability under ambient temperature and natural indoor light. However, prodigiosin rapidly decomposed under intense sunlight. Prodigiosin is an ecological colorant to dye fabrics, including synthetic and natural fibers. Synthetic fabrics dyed with prodigiosin, such as polyamide and acrylic, have high colorfastness to washing (≥4th grade) and antimicrobial properties (>90%) against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrobial properties were significantly different between synthetic and natural fabrics. The mutant strain Serratia marcescens jx1-1, with high prodigiosin yield and purity, has promising prospects in food, cosmetic, and textile industries.

lncRNA AC005224.4/miR-140-3p/SNAI2 regulating axis facilitates the invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer through epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is one of the most widespread malignant diseases of the female reproductive system worldwide. The plurality of ovarian cancer is diagnosed with metastasis in the abdominal cavity. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) exerts a vital role in tumor cell metastasis. However, it remains unclear whether long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) are implicated in EMT and influence ovarian cancer cell invasion and metastasis. This study was designed to investigate the impacts of lncRNA AC005224.4 on ovarian cancer. METHODS: LncRNA AC005224.4, miR-140-3p, and snail family transcriptional repressor 2 ( SNAI2 ) expression levels in ovarian cancer and normal ovarian tissues were determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell (migration and invasion) assays were conducted to measure SKOV3 and CAOV-3 cell proliferation and metastasis. E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Snail, and Vimentin contents were detected using Western blot. Nude mouse xenograft assay was utilized to validate AC005224.4 effects in vivo . Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed the targeted relationship between miR-140-3p and AC005224.4 or SNAI2 . RESULTS: AC005224.4 and SNAI2 upregulation and miR-140-3p downregulation were observed in ovarian cancer tissues and cells. Silencing of AC005224.4 observably moderated SKOV3 and CAOV-3 cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT process in vitro and impaired the tumorigenesis in vivo . miR-140-3p was a target of AC005224.4 and its reduced expression level was mediated by AC005224.4. miR-140-3p mimics decreased the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. SNAI2 was identified as a novel target of miR-140-3p and its expression level was promoted by either AC005224.4 overexpression or miR-140-3p knockdown. Overexpression of SNAI2 also facilitated ovarian cancer cell viability and metastasis. CONCLUSION: AC005224.4 was confirmed as an oncogene via sponging miR-140-3p and promoted SNAI2 expression, contributing to better understanding of ovarian cancer pathogenesis and shedding light on exploiting the novel lncRNA-directed therapy against ovarian cancer.

Associations between diet and incidence risk of lung cancer: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Observational studies have revealed associations between diet and lung cancer. However, it is unclear whether the association is disturbed by confounding factors. We used a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method to characterize the associations between diet and the lung cancer risk (including 3 subtypes: lung adenocarcinoma (LA), squamous cell lung carcinoma (SqCLC), and small cell lung cancer (SCLC)). Materials and methods: Data on 20 diets were screened from the UK Biobank. Lung cancer data came from a large meta-analysis of 85,716 individuals. The inverse-variance weighted method was used as the main analysis. Sensitivity analysis was also used to explain the different multiplicity patterns of the final model. Results: Our results showed significant evidence that 3 diets were associated with lung cancer [odds ratio (OR): 0.271, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.150-0.488, p = 1.46 × 10-4, dried fruit; OR: 3.010, 95% CI: 1.608-5.632, p = 5.70 × 10-4, beer] and SqCLC (OR: 0.135, 95% CI: 0.062-0.293, p = 2.33 × 10-5, dried fruit; OR: 0.485, 95% CI: 0.328-0.717, p = 2.9 × 10-4, cheese). There were also suggestive correlations between 5 dietary intakes and lung cancer (OR: 0.441, 95% CI: 0.250-0.778, p = 0.008, cereal; OR: 2.267, 95% CI: 1.126-4.564, p = 0.022, beef), LA (OR: 0.494, 95% CI: 0.285-0.858, p = 0.012, dried fruit; OR: 3.536, 95% CI: 1.546-8.085, p = 0.003, beer) and SCLC (OR: 0.006, 95% CI: 0.000-0.222, p = 0.039, non-oily fish; OR: 0.239, 95% CI: 0.086-0.664, p = 0.006, dried fruit). No other association between diet and lung cancer was observed. Conclusion: Our study preliminary found that cheese, dried fruit, and beer intake were significantly associated with the risk of lung cancer or its subtypes, while cereal, beef, and non-oily fish intake were suggestively associated with the risk of lung cancer or its subtypes. Well-designed prospective studies are still needed to confirm our findings in the future.

Nucleus-Targeting Manganese Dioxide Nanoparticles Coated with the Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Membrane for Cancer Cell Therapy.

Recently, development of drug delivery systems for accurate delivery of antitumor drugs to tumor sites to improve their antitumor efficacy has attracted great interest in the area of cancer immunotherapy. In this report, an intelligent biodegradable hollow manganese dioxide (HMnO2) nanoparticle (NP) with a human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUC-MSC) membrane coating was designed to exert efficient chemo-immunotherapy for cancer treatment. A TAT peptide-modified membrane structure was constructed for nuclear targeting. Our findings showed that this new nanoreactor inherited the active targeting capability of MSCs and exhibited tumoritropic accumulation significantly at the cancerous parts. Compared with other formulations, intravenous injection of the NPs markedly inhibited tumor growth, relapse, and metastasis. Moreover, we found that the NPs effectively boosted dendritic cell maturation and recruited effector T cells into tumors. Overall, this work demonstrates the great potential of applying MSC membrane-coated manganese dioxide NPs as nucleus-targeting nanocarriers in cancer chemo-immunotherapy.

Clinical values of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in patients with severe pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Clinical values of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in patients with severe pneumonia remain controversial. Therefore, we conduct this meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of mNGS for pathogen detection and its role in the prognosis of severe pneumonia. Methods: We systematically searched the literature published in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Clinical Trials.gov, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and CBM from the inception to the 28th September 2022. Relevant trials comparing mNGS with conventional methods applied to patients with severe pneumonia were included. The primary outcomes of this study were the pathogen-positive rate, the 28-day mortality, and the 90-day mortality; secondary outcomes included the duration of mechanical ventilation, the length of hospital stay, and the length of stay in the ICU. Results: Totally, 24 publications with 3220 patients met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in this study. Compared with conventional methods (45.78%, 705/1540), mNGS (80.48%, 1233/1532) significantly increased the positive rate of pathogen detection [OR = 6.81, 95% CI (4.59, 10.11, P < 0.001]. The pooled 28-day and 90-day mortality in mNGS group were 15.08% (38/252) and 22.36% (36/161), respectively, which were significantly lower than those in conventional methods group 33.05% (117/354) [OR = 0.35, 95% CI (0.23, 0.55), P < 0.001, I2 = 0%] and 43.43%(109/251) [OR = 0.34, 95% CI (0.21, 0.54), P < 0.001]. Meanwhile, adjusted treatment based on the results of mNGS shortened the length of hospital stay [MD = -2.76, 95% CI (- 3.56, - 1.96), P < 0.001] and the length of stay in ICU [MD = -4.11, 95% CI (- 5.35, - 2.87), P < 0.001]. Conclusion: The pathogen detection positive rate of mNGS was much higher than that of conventional methods. Adjusted treatment based on mNGS results can reduce the 28-day and 90-day mortality of patients with severe pneumonia, and shorten the length of hospital and ICU stay. Therefore, mNGS advised to be applied to severe pneumonia patients as early as possible in addition to conventional methods to improve the prognosis and reduce the length of hospital stay.

Deep learning enables stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy-like superresolution image reconstruction from conventional microscopy.

Despite its remarkable potential for transforming low-resolution images, deep learning faces significant challenges in achieving high-quality superresolution microscopy imaging from wide-field (conventional) microscopy. Here, we present X-Microscopy, a computational tool comprising two deep learning subnets, UR-Net-8 and X-Net, which enables STORM-like superresolution microscopy image reconstruction from wide-field images with input-size flexibility. X-Microscopy was trained using samples of various subcellular structures, including cytoskeletal filaments, dot-like, beehive-like, and nanocluster-like structures, to generate prediction models capable of producing images of comparable quality to STORM-like images. In addition to enabling multicolour superresolution image reconstructions, X-Microscopy also facilitates superresolution image reconstruction from different conventional microscopic systems. The capabilities of X-Microscopy offer promising prospects for making superresolution microscopy accessible to a broader range of users, going beyond the confines of well-equipped laboratories.

Investigating Causal Associations of Circulating Micronutrients Concentrations with the Risk of Lung Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Previous observational studies have suggested that the effect of diet-derived circulating micronutrient concentrations on lung cancer (LC) risk is controversial. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal relationship between circulating micronutrient concentrations and the overall risk of LC and three LC subtypes (namely lung adenocarcinoma (LA), squamous cell lung cancer (SqCLC), and small cell lung cancer (SCLC)). The instrumental variables (IVs) of 11 micronutrients (beta-carotene, calcium, copper, folate, lycopene, magnesium, phosphorus, retinol, selenium, zinc, and vitamin B6) were screened from the published genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Summary statistics related to LC and its subtypes came from the largest meta-analysis, including 29,266 cases and 56,450 controls. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method is used as the main MR analysis, and the sensitivity analysis is carried out to ensure the MR assumptions. This MR study found suggestive evidence that genetically predicted 6 circulating micronutrient concentrations was correlated with the risk of overall LC (odds ratio (OR): 1.394, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.041-1.868, p = 0.026, phosphorus), LA (OR: 0.794, 95% CI: 0.634-0.995, p = 0.045, beta-carotene; OR: 0.687, 95%CI: 0.494-0.957, p = 0.026, calcium), SqCLC (OR: 0.354, 95% CI: 0.145-0.865, p = 0.023, retinol), and SCLC (OR: 1.267, 95% CI: 1.040-1.543, p = 0.019, copper; OR: 0.801, 95% CI: 0.679-0.944, p = 0.008, zinc). We found no evidence that other micronutrients are associated with the risk of overall LC or its subtypes. Our study suggested that the increase in circulating beta-carotene, calcium, retinol, and zinc concentration may reduce the risk of LC; the increase in circulating copper and phosphorus concentration may be related to the increased risk of LC. In the future, larger replication samples of LC genetic data and larger micronutrient-related GWAS will be needed to verify our findings.