The difference in clinical features and prognosis of severe adenoviral pneumonia in children of different ages.

This study aims to analyze the difference in clinical features and prognosis of severe adenovirus pneumonia (SAP) in children of different ages and analyze the risk factors for poor prognosis in children with SAP. A retrospective observational study was performed to describe the clinical features and analyze the risk factors for death and postinfectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) in 303 children hospitalized with SAP from January 2015 through to January 2020. The participants were divided into four age groups: <6 months (n = 25, 8.3%); 6-12 months (n = 98, 32.3%); 12-36 months (n = 118, 38.9%); and >36 months (n = 62, 20.5%). Fever rate, peak, and duration were the lowest in the <6 months group, while no significant difference was found among other age groups. Serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase and a load of adenovirus were the lowest in the <6 months group, and the highest in the 6-12 and 12-36 months groups, respectively. A total of 80.9% of patients recovered, 3.3% of patients died, and 15.8% of patients were diagnosed with PIBO. The mortality rate showed no significance between age groups. The >36 months group had the highest recovery rate and the lowest incidence of PIBO, while the 6-12 months group had the lowest recovery rate and the highest incidence of PIBO. Independent risk factors for PIBO among all participants from the four groups were invasive mechanical ventilation, administration of intravenous steroids, duration of fever, and male gender. Independent risk factors for death among all participants from the four groups were hypercapnia, low albumin levels, and invasive mechanical ventilation. Risk factor analysis of different ages was not possible due to the limited sample size. The morbidity, clinical features, and prognosis of SAP are affected by children's ages. Pediatric patients with a longer duration of fever, hypercapnia, low serum albumin levels, invasive mechanical ventilation, and intravenous steroids use are more likely to develop a poor prognosis in SAP, especially if the patient is male.

Performance optimization of a reservoir computing system based on a solitary semiconductor laser under electrical-message injection.

A simple reservoir computing (RC) system based on a solitary semiconductor laser under an electrical message injection is proposed, and the performances of the RC are numerically investigated. Considering the lack of memory capacity (MC) in such a system, some auxiliary methods are introduced to enhance the MC and optimize the performances for processing complex tasks. In the pre-existing method, the input information is the current input data combined with some past input data in a weighted sum in the input layer (named as M-input). Another auxiliary method (named as M-output) is proposed to introduce the output layer for optimizing the performances of the RC system. The simulated results demonstrate that the MC of the system can be improved after adopting the auxiliary methods, and the effectiveness under adopting the M-input integrated with the M-output (named as M-both) is the most significant. Furthermore, we analyze the system performances for processing the Santa Fe time series prediction task and the nonlinear channel equalization (NCE) task after adopting the above three auxiliary methods. Results show that the M-input is the most suitable for the prediction task while the M-both is the most appropriate for the NCE task.

Parallel information processing by a reservoir computing system based on a VCSEL subject to double optical feedback and optical injection.

In this work, we propose a scheme of reservoir computing (RC) for processing a Santa-Fe time series prediction task and a signal classification task in parallel, and the performances of the RC have been numerically investigated. For this scheme, a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) simultaneously subject to double optical feedback and optical injection is utilized as a nonlinear node, and the parallel information processing of the RC system is implemented based on the dynamical responses of X polarization component (X-PC) and Y polarization component (Y-PC) in the VCSEL. Considering that two different feedback frames (polarization-preserved optical feedback (PP-OF) or polarization-rotated optical feedback (PR-OF)) may be adopted in two feedback loops, four feedback combination cases are numerically analyzed. The simulated results show that the parallel processing ability of the proposed RC system depends on the feedback frames adopted in two loops. After comprehensively evaluating the parallel processing performances of the two tasks under different feedback combinations, the best parallel processing performance can be achieved by adopting PP-OFs in both two feedback loops. Under some optimized operation parameters, this proposed RC system can realize the lowest prediction error of 0.0289 and the lowest signal classification error of 2.78 × 10-5.

Effectiveness and safety of probiotic therapy for pediatric allergic rhinitis management: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of probiotics for allergic rhinitis (AR) management in children. METHODS: In total, 6 databases were searched, and 26 randomized controlled trials that compared the effects of probiotics with those not using probiotics in pediatric AR were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Data for relevant endpoints were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis of the effectiveness of probiotics for pediatric AR showed that probiotics improved the remission rate of nasal symptoms (risk ratio (RR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04 to 1.40; P = 0.01), reduced the Total Nasal Symptoms Scores (TNSS) (weighted mean difference (WMD) -2.58, 95% CI -2.77 to -2.39; P < 0.00001) and the total scores of Pediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ) (for frequency of symptoms: WMD -9.51, 95% CI -10.34 to -8.69; P < 0.00001; and for level of bother: WMD -9.27, 95% CI -10.13 to -8.41; P < 0.00001). Furthermore, they reduced the serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) (WMD -13.86 ng/L, 95% CI -15.92 to -11.81; P < 0.00001), IL-6 (WMD -13.70 pg/mL, 95% CI -16.34 to -11.07; P < 0.00001), and IL-17(WMD -5.41 pg/mL, 95% CI -7.29 to -3.52; P < 0.00001), and significantly elevated the serum levels of interferon-γ (WMD 9.08 ng/L, 95% CI 8.10 to 10.06; P < 0.00001) and IL-10 (WMD 7.82 pg/mL, 95% CI 5.01 to 10.63; P < 0.00001). Probiotics also reduced the duration of cetirizine use in pediatric AR (WMD -2.88 days, 95% CI -4.50 to -1.26; P < 0.0005). No obvious adverse reactions were found to be related to probiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis indicated that probiotic therapy can partially improve pediatric AR outcomes, assisted by modulating immune balance and reducing anti-allergic medication use, without obvious adverse reactions.

Effectiveness of fractional exhaled nitric oxide for asthma management in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) is a noninvasive strategy for diagnosing and managing asthma, but limited evidence is available for the effects of FENO-guided asthma management in children. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of FENO for asthma management in children. METHODS: In total, six databases were searched, and 23 randomized controlled trials that compared the effects of FENO-guided asthma management with those not using FENO in pediatric asthma were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Data for relevant endpoints were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis of the effectiveness of FENO for asthma management in children showed that FENO-guided asthma management helped reduce the numbers of children with asthma exacerbations (risk ratio: 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI:] 0.63-0.84; P < .0001) and the exacerbation frequency (standardized mean difference: -1.57; 95% CI: -2.25 to -0.88; P < .00001). Furthermore, it improved the predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 minute (weighted mean difference [WMD]: 3.67; 95% CI: 0.91-6.43; P = .009) and was also found to be associated with an increase of daily inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dose (WMD: 64.17 µg; 95% CI: 53.59-74.75; P < .00001). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis indicated that the FENO-guided asthma management strategy could partially improve the outcomes of pediatric asthma at the expense of increased ICS use.

Effects of Music Intervention on the Physical and Mental Status of Patients with Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this review was to evaluate the effects of music intervention on the physical and mental status of patients with breast cancer. METHODS: 9 databases were searched; 30 randomized controlled trials that compared the effects of music plus standard care and standard care alone in patients with breast cancer were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad scale. RESULTS: The results of the meta-analysis suggested that music intervention was significantly effective in lowering systolic blood pressure (standardized mean difference (SMD) -0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.85 to -0.42; p < 0.00001), diastolic blood pressure (SMD -0.64, 95% CI -1.06 to -0.22; p = 0.003), and heart rate (SMD -0.45, 95% CI -0.66 to -0.24; p < 0.0001), and in relieving anxiety (Hamilton Scale: mean difference (MD) -7.04, 95% CI -9.31 to -4.78; p < 0.00001; Self-Rating Anxiety Scale: MD -7.40, 95% CI -10.28 to -4.52; p < 0.00001; State Anxiety Inventory: MD -12.40, 95% CI -21.86 to -2.94; p = 0.01), and depression (MD -7.39, 95% CI -8.35 to -6.43; p < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: This review provides clues that music intervention might partially improve the physiological and psychological health of patients with breast cancer.