Alongshan Virus Infection in Rangifer tarandus Reindeer, Northeastern China.

We investigated Alongshan virus infection in reindeer in northeastern China. We found that 4.8% of the animals were viral RNA-positive, 33.3% tested positive for IgG, and 19.1% displayed neutralizing antibodies. These findings suggest reindeer could serve as sentinel animal species for the epidemiologic surveillance of Alongshan virus infection.

Discovery of Natural Products Alleviating Renal Fibrosis with a Viscosity-Responsive Molecular Probe.

Renal fibrosis poses a significant threat to individuals suffering from chronic progressive kidney disease. Given the absence of effective medications for treating renal fibrosis, it becomes crucial to assess the extent of fibrosis in real time and explore the development of novel drugs with substantial therapeutic benefits. Due to the accumulation of renal tissue damage and the uncontrolled deposition of fibrotic matrix during the course of the disease, there is an increase in viscosity both intracellularly and extracellularly. Therefore, a viscosity-sensitive near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging probe, BDP-KY, was developed to detect aberrant changes in viscosity during fibrosis. Furthermore, BDP-KY has been applied to screen the effective components of herbal medicine, rhubarb, resulting in the identification of potential antirenal fibrotic compounds such as emodin-8-glucoside and chrysophanol 8-O-glucoside. Ultrasound, PA, and NIRF imaging of a unilateral uretera obstruction mice model show that different concentrations of emodin-8-glucoside and chrysophanol 8-O-glucoside effectively reduce viscosity levels during the renal fibrosis process. The histological results showed a significant decrease in fibrosis factors α-smooth muscle actin and collagen deposition. Combining these findings with their pharmacokinetic characteristics, these compounds have the potential to fill the current market gap for effective antirenal fibrosis drugs. This study demonstrates the potential of BDP-KY in the evaluation of renal fibrosis, and the two identified active components from rhubarb hold great promise for the treatment of renal fibrosis.

EGR1 functions as a new host restriction factor for SARS-CoV-2 to inhibit virus replication through the E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCH8.

IMPORTANCE: Emerging vaccine-breakthrough severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants highlight an urgent need for novel antiviral therapies. Understanding the pathogenesis of coronaviruses is critical for developing antiviral drugs. Here, we demonstrate that the SARS-CoV-2 N protein suppresses interferon (IFN) responses by reducing early growth response gene-1 (EGR1) expression. The overexpression of EGR1 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication by promoting IFN-regulated antiviral protein expression, which interacts with and degrades SARS-CoV-2 N protein via the E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCH8 and the cargo receptor NDP52. The MARCH8 mutants without ubiquitin ligase activity are no longer able to degrade SARS-CoV-2 N proteins, indicating that MARCH8 degrades SARS-CoV-2 N proteins dependent on its ubiquitin ligase activity. This study found a novel immune evasion mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 utilized by the N protein, which is helpful for understanding the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and guiding the design of new prevention strategies against the emerging coronaviruses.

Disseminated Talaromyces marneffei infection initially presenting as cutaneous and subcutaneous lesion in an HIV-Negative renal transplant recipient: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei) infection has increased in recent years with the development of organ transplantation and the widespread use of immunosuppressive agents. However, the lack of clinical suspicion leading to delay or misdiagnosis is an important reason for the high mortality rate in non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and non-endemic population. Herein, we report a case of disseminated T. marneffei infection in a non-HIV and non-endemic recipient after renal transplant, who initially presented with skin rashes and subcutaneous nodules and developed gastrointestinal bleeding. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a 54-year-old renal transplantation recipient presented with scattered rashes, subcutaneous nodules and ulcerations on the head, face, abdomen, and right upper limb. The HIV antibody test was negative. The patient had no obvious symptoms such as fever, cough, etc. Histopathological result of the skin lesion sites showed chronic suppurative inflammation with a large number of fungal spores. Subsequent fungal culture suggested T. marneffei infection. Amphotericin B deoxycholate was given for antifungal treatment, and there was no deterioration in the parameters of liver and kidney function. Unfortunately, the patient was soon diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding, gastrointestinal perforation and acute peritonitis. Then he rapidly developed multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and abandoned treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of fatal gastrointestinal bleeding can be significantly increased in kidney transplant patients with T. marneffei infection because of the long-term side effects of post-transplant medications. Strengthening clinical awareness and using mNGS or mass spectrometry technologies to improve the detection rate and early diagnosis of T. marneffei are crucial for clinical treatment in non-HIV and non-endemic population.

Apigenin alleviates doxorubicin-induced myocardial pyroptosis by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3ß in vitro and in vivo.

Apigenin, a natural flavonoid compound found in chamomile (Matricaia chamomilla L.) from the Asteraceae family, has been shown in our previous study to possess antimyocardial hypertrophy and anti-cardiac fibrosis effects. However, its effects and mechanisms on the pyroptosis of cardiomyocytes induced by doxorubicin (DOX) are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of GSK-3ß and the effects of apigenin in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. H9c2 cells stimulated with DOX were treated with SB216763 and apigenin. Additionally, a mouse model of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity was prepared and further treated with apigenin and SB216763 for 30 days. The findings revealed that treatment with SB216763 or apigenin resulted in a significant reduction in the levels of pyroptosis-related factors. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of GSK-3ß was enhanced while the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kB (NF-κB) p65 was reduced following treatment with either SB216763 or apigenin. Conversely, the effects of apigenin treatment were nullified in siRNA-GSK-3ß-transfected cells. Results from computer simulation and molecular docking analysis supported that apigenin could directly target the regulation of GSK-3ß. Therefore, our study confirmed that the inhibition of GSK-3ß and treatment with apigenin effectively suppressed the pyroptosis of cardiomyocytes in both DOX-stimulated H9c2 cells and mice. These benefits may be attributed in part to the decrease in GSK-3ß expression and subsequent reduction in NF-κB p65 activation. Overall, our findings revealed that the pharmacological targeting of GSK-3ß may offer a promising therapeutic approach for alleviating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

Enhancing long-term frequency stability of a single-mode optoelectronic oscillator based on phase conjugation.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate what we believe to be a novel single-mode optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) with low frequency drift based on phase conjugation. The long-term frequency stabilization of the OEO is achieved by using photonic microwave phase-conjugate passive compensation. Besides, since there happens to be a nonlinear coupled double loop structure in the OEO, single-mode oscillation can be achieved. The experimental results show that the side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of the radio frequency (RF) signal from the OEO at 9.93 GHz is enhanced from 5 dB to 68 dB after side mode suppression, and the maximum frequency drift within 600 s reduced from 1.51 ppm to 0.04 ppm, optimized by a factor of about 40. The OEO has a simple structure, no external injection, and the phase noise is not limited by the injected signal.

Plaque Evolution and Vessel Wall Remodeling of Intracranial Arteries: A Prospective, Longitudinal Vessel Wall MRI Study.

BACKGROUND: Progression of intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is associated with ischemic stroke events and can be quantified with three-dimensional (3D) intracranial vessel wall (IVW) MRI. However, longitudinal 3D IVW studies are limited and ICAD evolution remains relatively unknown. PURPOSE: To evaluate ICAD changes longitudinally and to characterize the imaging patterns of atherosclerotic plaque evolution. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. POPULATION: 37 patients (69 ± 12 years old, 12 females) with angiography confirmed ICAD. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0T/3D time-of-flight gradient echo sequence and T1- and proton density-weighted fast spin echo sequences. ASSESSMENT: Each patient underwent baseline and 1-year follow-up IVW. Then, IVW data from both time points were jointly preprocessed using a multitime point, multicontrast, and multiplanar viewing workflow (known as MOCHA). Lumen and outer wall of plaques were traced and measured, and plaques were then categorized into progression, stable, and regression groups based on changes in plaque wall thickness. Patient demographic and clinical data were collected. Culprit plaques were identified based on cerebral ischemic infarcts. STATISTICAL TESTS: Generalized estimating equations-based linear and logistic regressions were used to assess associations between vascular risk factors, medications, luminal stenosis, IVW plaque imaging features, and longitudinal changes. A two-sided P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Diabetes was significantly associated with ICAD progression, resulting in 6.6% decrease in lumen area and 6.7% increase in wall thickness at 1-year follow-up. After accounting for arterial segments, baseline contrast enhancement predicted plaque progression (odds ratio = 3.61). Culprit plaques experienced an average luminal expansion of 10.9% after 1 year. 74% of the plaques remained stable during follow-up. The regression group (18 plaques) showed significant increase in minimum lumen area (from 7.4 to 8.3 mm2 ), while the progression group (13 plaques) showed significant decrease in minimum lumen area (from 5.4 to 4.3 mm2 ). DATA CONCLUSION: Longitudinal 3D IVW showed ICAD remodeling on the lumen side. Culprit plaques demonstrated longitudinal luminal expansion compared with their non-culprit counterparts. Baseline plaque contrast enhancement and diabetes mellitus were found to be significantly associated with ICAD changes. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.

Host-Guest Recognition Boosts Biomimetic Mono/Multivalent Cation Separation.

Biomimetic ion permselective membranes with ultrahigh ion permeability and selectivity represent a research frontier in ion separation, yet the successful fabrication of such membranes remains a formidable challenge. Here, we demonstrate a 4-sulfocalix[4]arene (4-SCA)-modified graphene oxide (GO) membrane that shows extraordinary performance in separating mono-from multivalent cations, as well as having reversible pH-responsiveness. The resulting 4-SCA-modified GO (SCA-GO) membrane preferentially transports potassium ions (K+) over radionuclide cations (Co2+, UO22+, La3+, Eu3+, and Th4+). The ion selectivities are an order of magnitude higher than that of the unmodified GO membrane. Theoretical calculations and experimental investigations demonstrate that the much-improved ion selectivity arises from the specific recognition between 4-SCA and radionuclide cations. The transport of multivalent radionuclides is impeded by a binding-obstructing mechanism from the host-guest interactions. Interestingly, the host-guest interactions are responsive to the protonation/deprotonation transformation of the 4-SCA. Therefore, the SCA-GO membrane mimics pH-regulated ion selective behavior found in biological ion channels. Our strategy of designing a biomimetic permselective GO membrane may allow efficient nuclear wastewater treatment and, more importantly, deepen our understanding of biomimetic ion transport mechanisms.

A Preliminary Study of a Novel Reference Plane of the Head: Comparing With the True Horizontal Plane.

A new reference plane of the head, based on soft tissue landmarks and suitable for clinical analysis and soft tissue measurements, is needed. We recently discovered a novel reference plane, that is, the COs plane, which was formed by bilateral Lateral Canthus and bilateral Otobasion Superius and might be horizontal at the natural head position (NHP). In this study, we investigated the angles between the COs plane and the true horizontal (TrH) plane while sitting and standing, aiming to explore whether the new plane could be used as a substitution for the reference plane in clinical practice. Briefly, 26 volunteers were enrolled. Their sitting and standing NHP were recorded using the 3dMDface system. In the pitch axis, the mean angle of COs/TrH was 0.29 degrees and 0.41 degrees for sitting and standing positions, respectively, showing no statistical difference ( P >0.05). However, in the roll axis, the mean angle of COs/TrH for sitting position and standing positions was 1.08 and 1.33 degrees ( P <0.05), which was considered to be the result of habitual canting of the head. Moreover, there were no significant differences between the sitting and standing NHP, considering the COs/TrH angles ( P >0.05). To sum up, we concluded that the COs plane could be used as a reliable reference plane in certain soft tissue analysis and clinical applications.

Development and Evaluation of a Full-Waveform Resistance Training Monitoring System Based on a Linear Position Transducer.

Recent advances in training monitoring are centered on the statistical indicators of the concentric phase of the movement. However, those studies lack consideration of the integrity of the movement. Moreover, training performance evaluation needs valid data on the movement. Thus, this study presents a full-waveform resistance training monitoring system (FRTMS) as a whole-movement-process monitoring solution to acquire and analyze the full-waveform data of resistance training. The FRTMS includes a portable data acquisition device and a data processing and visualization software platform. The data acquisition device monitors the barbell's movement data. The software platform guides users through the acquisition of training parameters and provides feedback on the training result variables. To validate the FRTMS, we compared the simultaneous measurements of 30-90% 1RM of Smith squat lifts performed by 21 subjects with the FRTMS to similar measurements obtained with a previously validated three-dimensional motion capture system. Results showed that the FRTMS produced practically identical velocity outcomes, with a high Pearson's correlation coefficient, intraclass correlation coefficient, and coefficient of multiple correlations and a low root mean square error. We also studied the applications of the FRTMS in practical training by comparing the training results of a six-week experimental intervention with velocity-based training (VBT) and percentage-based training (PBT). The current findings suggest that the proposed monitoring system can provide reliable data for refining future training monitoring and analysis.

Evaluation of two different occlusal patterns on single posterior implant-supported crowns: A 12-month prospective study of occlusal analysis.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: According to the concept of implant-protected occlusion, light occlusion and late contact could prevent implants from occlusal overload. However, clinical data demonstrating how light occlusion differs from normal occlusion are lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to characterize the occlusal variation of single posterior implant-supported crowns with or without light occlusion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Participants with a single missing posterior maxillary or mandibular molar who were to receive implant-supported zirconia ceramic crowns were enrolled. The participants were divided into a light occlusion group, in which a 12-µm articulating film could be removed from the implant-supported crown and opposing natural teeth under the intercuspal position, and a normal occlusion group, in which the articulating film could not be removed. All participants underwent occlusal examinations using the T-scan III system, answered a satisfaction questionnaire using a visual analog scale (VAS), and received regular follow-ups. The participants were evaluated at 0.5, 3, 6, and 12 months after implant-supported crown delivery. The relative occlusal force of the implant-supported crowns, mesial teeth, control teeth (corresponding natural tooth on the dentition contralateral to each implant), and the occlusal contact time of implant-supported crowns were recorded. Moreover, the asymmetry index of the occlusal force and the VAS score were calculated. Two independent-sample tests were used to compare the 2 groups. The Wilcoxon rank sum and Mann‒Whitney tests were used to compare nonnormally distributed data (α=.001). RESULTS: Fifty study participants with a mean ±standard deviation age of 36.97 ±7.34 years (23 men and 27 women aged 20 to 50 years) were followed for 0.5 to 12 months. No obvious complications of overloading were observed in either group. The mean ±standard deviation of the relative occlusal force of implant-supported crowns in the light occlusion group (from 4.91 ±3.52% to 10.34 ±4.35%) was always lower than that in the normal occlusion group (from 10.45 ±4.32% to 18.15 ±4.80%), while the mean ±standard deviation of the occlusal contact time in the light occlusion group (from 0.38 ±0.26 seconds to 0.10 ±0.07 seconds) was significantly later than that in the normal occlusion group (from 0.12 ±0.08 seconds to 0.04 ±0.02 seconds) (P<.001). The value of the asymmetry index of occlusal force remained within the normal range (10%). The VAS score in the normal occlusion group was significantly higher than that in the light occlusion group (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Providing light occlusion to reduce occlusal force and delay the contact time was not stable over time. The relative occlusal force and occlusal contact time showed a similar development trend in both groups, and no obvious signs of occlusal overloading were observed in this study. Long-term follow-up is necessary for implant-supported prostheses because of the continuous increase in occlusal force.

A Quantitative Assessment Grading Study of Balance Performance Based on Lower Limb Dataset.

Balance ability is one of the important factors in measuring human physical fitness and a common index for evaluating sports performance. Its quality directly affects the coordination ability of human movements and plays an important role in human productive activities. In the field of sports, balance ability is an important indicator of athletes' selection and training. How to objectively analyze balance performance becomes a problem for every non-professional sports enthusiast. Therefore, in this paper, we used a dataset of lower limb collected by inertial sensors to extract the feature parameters, then designed a RUS Boost classifier for unbalanced data whose basic classifier was SVM model to predict three classifications of balance degree, and, finally, evaluated the performance of the new classifier by comparing it with two basic classifiers (KNN, SVM). The result showed that the new classifier could be used to evaluate the balanced ability of lower limb, and performed higher than basic ones (RUS Boost: 72%; KNN: 60%; SVM: 44%). The results meant the established classification model could be used for and quantitative assessment of balance ability in initial screening and targeted training.

Antimicrobial Mechanisms and Clinical Application Prospects of Antimicrobial Peptides.

Antimicrobial peptides are a type of small-molecule peptide that widely exist in nature and are components of the innate immunity of almost all living things. They play an important role in resisting foreign invading microorganisms. Antimicrobial peptides have a wide range of antibacterial activities against bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms. They are active against traditional antibiotic-resistant strains and do not easily induce the development of drug resistance. Therefore, they have become a hot spot of medical research and are expected to become a new substitute for fighting microbial infection and represent a new method for treating drug-resistant bacteria. This review briefly introduces the source and structural characteristics of antimicrobial peptides and describes those that have been used against common clinical microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, and especially coronaviruses), focusing on their antimicrobial mechanism of action and clinical application prospects.

Rates and trends in stage-specific prostate cancer incidence by age and race/ethnicity, 2000-2017.

BACKGROUND: The 2008 and 2012 United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening have led to changes in the incidence pattern of prostate cancer. We sought to examine rates and trends in stage-specific prostate cancer incidence by age and race/ethnicity using the most recent data obtained from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. METHODS: SEER*Stat version 8.3.6 was used to analyze annual prostate cancer incidence rates between 2000 and 2017 according to the SEER summary stage, age group, and race/ethnicity group. Incidence rates per 100,000 men were calculated and age-adjusted to 2000 US standard population. Annual percentage change (APC) was performed to identify the trend in prostate cancer incidence. RESULTS: Between 2008 and 2012, trends in incidence of overall and localized prostate cancer significantly declined in comparison with between 2000 and 2007 (APC, -5.4 and -6.0, respectively). However, there was an increase in the incidence rate of both overall and localized prostate cancer from 2014 to 2017 (43.3-46 and 34-34.9 per 100,000 men, respectively). The incidence of regional prostate cancer significantly increased between 2013 and 2017 (5.9-6.8 per 100,000 men; APC, 4.3). Distant disease incidence increased continually between 2008 and 2012 (2.9-3.3 per 100,000 men; APC, 2.3) and between 2013 and 2017 (3.4-4.3 per 100,000 men; APC, 6.0). In addition, these increases in incidence occurred in men of all stratified age and race/ethnicity groups, except for men aged <50 years and American Indian/Alaska Native men. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the longer-term effects of USPSTF recommendations against PSA screening may have resulted in a reversal of downtrend in prostate cancer incidence, as incidence rates of overall and localized prostate cancer gradually increased from 2014 to 2017. Meanwhile, the trend in stage migration toward advanced disease increased incrementally.

Optimization of retina-like illumination patterns in ghost imaging.

Ghost imaging (GI) reconstructs images using a single-pixel or bucket detector, which has the advantages of scattering robustness, wide spectrum, and beyond-visual-field imaging. However, this technique needs large amounts of measurements to obtain a sharp image. Numerous methods are proposed to overcome this disadvantage. Retina-like patterns, as one of the compressive sensing approaches, enhance the imaging quality of the region of interest (ROI) while maintaining measurements. The design of the retina-like patterns determines the performance of the ROI in the reconstructed image. Unlike the conventional method to fill in ROI with random patterns, optimizing retina-like patterns by filling in the ROI with the patterns containing the sparsity prior of objects is proposed. The proposed method is then verified by simulations and experiments compared with conventional GI, retina-like GI, and GI using patterns optimized by principal component analysis. The method using optimized retina-like patterns obtains the best imaging quality in ROI among other methods. Meanwhile, the good generalization capability of the optimized retina-like pattern is also verified. The feature information of the target can be obtained while designing the size and position of the ROI of retina-like patterns to optimize the ROI pattern. The proposed method facilitates the realization of high-quality GI.

Omnidirectional ghost imaging system and unwrapping-free panoramic ghost imaging.

Ghost imaging (GI) is an unconventional imaging method that reconstructs the object information via light-intensity correlation measurements. However, at present, the field of view (FOV) of this method is limited to the illumination range of light patterns. To enlarge the FOV of GI efficiently, we propose an omnidirectional GI system (OGIS) that can achieve a 360° omnidirectional FOV only via the addition of a curved mirror. The OGIS features retina-like annular patterns designed as a log-polar structure and can obtain the undistorted unwrapping-free panoramic images with uniform resolution. This research presents a new, to the best of our knowledge, perspective for the applications of GI, such as pipeline detection, a panoramic situation awareness for autonomous vehicles.

Accuracy of virtual surgical planning in segmental osteotomy in combination with bimaxillary orthognathic surgery with surgery first approach.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the accuracy of virtual surgical planning (VSP) in segmental osteotomy in combination with bimaxillary orthognathic surgery with surgery first approach (SFA) by means of three-dimensional (3D) measuring and superimposition, so as to promote the application of digital technology in combined orthodontic-orthognathic treatment. METHODS: 20 patients treated with segmental osteotomy in combination with bimaxillary orthognathic surgery with SFA from 2018 to 2020 were included. All of them acquired VSP performed by ProPlan CMF 3.0 software (Materialise Corporation, Belgium). The preoperative (T0) 3D model of VSP and the postoperative (T1) 3D model, reconstructed by the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) data acquired one week after surgery, were compared by measuring the 3D coordinates of the landmarks as well as 3D model superimposition for deviation analysis. The deviation analysis was achieved by Geomagic Studio 2013 (3D Systems Corporation, USA). The differences which represented the accuracy of VSP were evaluated by the root mean square deviation (RMSD) and the Bland-Altman method. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the 3D coordinates of T1 and T0 (P > 0.05), and the mean overall RMSD was 1.37 mm, within the clinical relevance of 2 mm. The RMSD of sagittal direction (1.76 mm) was greater than that of coronal and vertical directions (1.09 mm and 1.24 mm), and the RMSD of maxillary and mandibular aspects were basically equal (1.30 mm and 1.45 mm). The Bland-Altman method showed the T0 and T1 measurements were in good agreement. The mean RMSD obtained from the deviation analysis was 1.85 mm, within the clinical relevance. CONCLUSIONS: VSP in segmental osteotomy in combination with bimaxillary orthognathic surgery with SFA proved to acquire accurate outcome in this study.

Deringing and denoising in extremely under-sampled Fourier single pixel imaging.

Undersampling in Fourier single pixel imaging (FSI) is often employed to reduce imaging time for real-time applications. However, the undersampled reconstruction contains ringing artifacts (Gibbs phenomenon) that occur because the high-frequency target information is not recorded. Furthermore, by employing 3-step FSI strategy (reduced measurements with low noise suppression) with a low-grade sensor (i.e., photodiode), this ringing is coupled with noise to produce unwanted artifacts, lowering image quality. To improve the imaging quality of real-time FSI, a fast image reconstruction framework based on deep convolutional autoencoder network (DCAN) is proposed. The network through context learning over FSI artifacts is capable of deringing, denoising, and recovering details in 256 × 256 images. The promising experimental results show that the proposed deep-learning-based FSI outperforms conventional FSI in terms of image quality even at very low sampling rates (1-4%).

Next-generation sequencing technology for detecting pulmonary fungal infection in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of a patient with dermatomyositis: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Invasive fungal pneumonia is a severe infectious disease with high mortality in immunocompromised patients. However, the clinical diagnosis of the pathogen(s) remains difficult since microbiological evidence is difficult to acquire. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we report a case of pulmonary fungal infection detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in a 61-year-old male with corticosteroid-treated dermatomyositis. Cytomegalovirus and influenza A virus infections were confirmed by nucleic acid detection and treated with antiviral medicine. The patient had been diagnosed with severe pneumonia and treated with empiric broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal drugs before bronchoscopy was performed. The patient responded poorly to those empiric treatments. Three fungi were found by NGS in the BALF, namely, Pneumocystis jirovecii, Aspergillus fumigatus and Rhizopus oryzae. After adjusting the patient's treatment plan according to the NGS results, he improved significantly. CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights the combined application of NGS and traditional tests in the clinical diagnosis of pulmonary invasive fungal disease. NGS is proposed as an important adjunctive diagnostic approach for identifying uncommon pathogens.

Foveal scanning based on an optical-phases array.

We utilize the space-variant structure of the human fovea as a basis for a novel, to the best of our knowledge, foveal approach based on optical-phases array (OPA). This approach can be used to solve issues in 3D imaging and achieve a large field of view and high resolution with real-time application. A foveal scanning model based on the OPA is established. Simulations and experiments are performed to verify the models and illustrate the advantages of foveal scanning compared with traditional raster scanning. Simulations agree well with the theory, and the foveal approach has higher efficiency than traditional raster scanning. These results can serve as a reference for developing biomimetic sensors that mimic the human eye.