Three-dimensional electrochemical-magnetic-thermal coupling model for lithium-ion batteries and its application in battery health monitoring and fault diagnosis.

Storage batteries with elevated energy density, superior safety and economic costs continues to escalate. Batteries can pose safety hazards due to internal short circuits, open circuits and other malfunctions during usage, hence real-time surveillance and error diagnosis of the battery's operational state is imperative. In this paper, a three-dimensional model of electrochemical-magnetic field-thermal coupling is formulated with lithium-ion pouch cells as the research focus, and the spatial distribution pattern of the physical field such as magnetic field and temperature when the battery is operational is acquired. Furthermore, this manuscript also investigates the diagnostic methodology for defective batteries with internal short circuits and fissures, that is, the operational state of the battery is evaluated and diagnosed by the distribution of the magnetic field surrounding the battery. To substantiate the method's practical viability, the present study extends its examination to the 18650-battery pack. We obtained the magnetic field images of the normal operation of the battery pack and the failure state of some batteries and analyzed the relationship between the magnetic field distribution characteristics and the performance of the battery pack, providing a new method for the health monitoring and fault diagnosis of the battery pack. This non-contact method incurs no damage to the battery, concurrently exhibiting elevated sensitivity and extremely rapid response time. Meanwhile, it provides an effective means for non-destructive research on the batteries and can be applied to areas such as battery safety screening and non-destructive testing. This research not only helps to facilitate our understanding of the battery's operating mechanism, but also provides robust support for safe operation and optimal battery design.

Risk factors of sleep-disordered breathing and poor asthma control in children with asthma.

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may lead to poor asthma control in children. OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors of SDB in children with asthma and assess its impact on asthma control. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we collected data of outpatients with asthma at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from June 2020 to August 2021. The Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire-Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder and the age-appropriate asthma control tests Childhood Asthma Control Test and Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids were completed. RESULTS: We enrolled 397 children with a male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1 and a mean age of 5.70 ± 2.53 years. The prevalence of SDB was 21.6%. Allergic rhinitis (odds ratio OR = 3.316), chronic tonsillitis (OR = 2.246), gastroesophageal reflux (OR = 7.518), adenoid hypertrophy (OR = 3.479), recurrent respiratory infections (OR = 2.195), and a family history of snoring (OR = 2.048) were risk factors for the development of combined SDB in children with asthma (p < 0.05). Asthma was poorly controlled in 19.6% of the children. SDB (OR = 2.391) and irregular medication use (OR = 2.571) were risk factors for poor asthma control (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Allergic rhinitis, chronic tonsillitis, gastroesophageal reflux, adenoid hypertrophy, recurrent respiratory infections, and a family history of snoring were independent risk factors for the development of SDB in children with asthma. SDB and irregular medication use were independent risk factors for poor asthma control.

Latent Profile Analysis of Fear of Hypoglycemia in Middle-Aged and Elderly Hospitalized Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Its Relationship with Sleep Quality.

Introduction: Hypoglycemia is an acute complication that can appear in people with type 2 diabetes treated with drugs which are associated with a risk of hypoglycemia, and it may lead to individual's fear of hypoglycemia (FoH). FoH adversely affects diabetic self-management, psychological well-being, and quality of life, and it is associated with sleep quality. Nevertheless, this problem is often underestimated. The purpose of this study was to explore the heterogeneous characteristics of FoH in middle-aged and elderly hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes and assess its relationship with the sleeping quality. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 263 middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes hospitalized at the Zhejiang Veteran Hospital in Jiaxing, China, from May to August 2022, selected by a convenient sampling method. A questionnaire containing general information, fear of hypoglycemia scale-15 (FH-15) and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was provided to the participants. Latent profile analysis was performed to examine the potential latent groups in the distribution of answers on the individual FoH items. Results: The results identified three latent classes: Class 1 - Low FoH group (33%); Class 2 - No FoH group (61%); Class 3 - High FoH group (6%). The latent FoH class was the influencing factor of sleep quality, which was better in the No FoH group than in the Low FoH group, while the sleep quality of the Low FoH group was better than that in the High FoH group. Conclusion: A heterogeneity was found in the FoH of middle-aged and elderly hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes. Health-care providers should pay more attention to these patients with high FoH and develop intervention strategies to mitigate it and improve their sleep quality.

Optimal level of positive end-expiratory pressure during nasal continuous airway pressure for severe bronchiolitis: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) has been increasingly applied in the pediatric setting. However, there is no uniform standard for setting and titrating positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) level, which is paramount to the effectiveness of the treatment. This study aimed to investigate the optimal parameters for nCPAP in the treatment of severe bronchiolitis based on clinical efficacy and pulmonary function parameters. METHODS: A before-after prospective study was conducted with a total of 152 study subjects. These 152 hospitalized patients with severe bronchiolitis were treated and observed from December 2018 to February 2019. Comparisons were made between subjects for clinical symptoms, oxygenation improvement, correction of CO2 retention, degree of airway obstruction and respiratory mechanics improvement between three different positive end-expiratory pressure levels (PEEP). RESULTS: nCPAP could effectively improve the clinical manifestations, blood gas analysis, pulmonary function and respiratory muscle energy consumption. The m-WCAS score, PaCO2, TPTEF/TE, VPEF/VE, respiratory system compliance (Crs) and resistance (Rrs) were significantly different at different PEEP levels (P<0.05). Although there were no hemodynamic changes at peep parameter levels in the three groups. Group 2 (PEEP: 6 cmH2O) had optimal clinical effects, and improvement in airway obstruction and respiratory mechanics compared with the group 1 (PEEP: 4 cmH2O) and the group 3 (PEEP: 7 cmH2O). CONCLUSIONS: PEEP of 6 cmH2O via nCPAP is considered as the optimal level in the treatment of infants with severe bronchiolitis.

Effectiveness and safety of glucocorticoids to treat COVID-19: a rapid review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoids are widely used in the treatment of various pulmonary inflammatory diseases, but they are also often accompanied by significant adverse reactions. Published guidelines point out that low dose and short duration systemic glucocorticoid therapy may be considered for patients with rapidly progressing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while the evidence is still limited. METHODS: We comprehensively searched electronic databases and supplemented the screening by conducting a manual search. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies evaluating the effectiveness and safety of glucocorticoids in children and adults with COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and conducted meta-analyses of the main indicators that were identified in the studies. RESULTS: Our search retrieved 23 studies, including one RCT and 22 cohort studies, with a total of 13,815 patients. In adults with COVID-19, the use of systemic glucocorticoid did not reduce mortality [risk ratio (RR) =2.00, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69 to 5.75, I2=90.9%] or the duration of lung inflammation [weighted mean difference (WMD) =-1 days, 95% CI: -2.91 to 0.91], while a significant reduction was found in the duration of fever (WMD =-3.23 days, 95% CI: -3.56 to -2.90). In patients with SARS, glucocorticoids also did not reduce the mortality (RR =1.52, 95% CI: 0.89 to 2.60, I2=84.6%), duration of fever (WMD =0.82 days, 95% CI: -2.88 to 4.52, I2=97.9%) or duration of lung inflammation absorption (WMD =0.95 days, 95% CI: -7.57 to 9.48, I2=94.6%). The use of systemic glucocorticoid therapy prolonged the duration of hospital stay in all patients (COVID-19, SARS and MERS). CONCLUSIONS: Glucocorticoid therapy was found to reduce the duration of fever, but not mortality, duration of hospitalization or lung inflammation absorption. Long-term use of high-dose glucocorticoids increased the risk of adverse reactions such as coinfections, so routine use of systemic glucocorticoids for patients with COVID-19 cannot be recommend.

Seasonality and Trend Forecasting of Tuberculosis Incidence in Chongqing, China.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global infectious disease and one of the ten leading causes of death worldwide. As TB incidence is seasonal, a reliable forecasting model that incorporates both seasonal and trend effects would be useful to improve the prevention and control of TB. In this study, the X12 autoregressive integrated moving average (X12-ARIMA) model was constructed by dividing the sequence into season term and trend term to forecast the two terms, respectively. Data regarding the TB report rate from January 2004 to December 2015 were included in the model, and the TB report data from January 2016 to December 2016 were used to validate the results. The X12-ARIMA model was compared with the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model. A total of 383,797 cases were reported from January 2004 to December 2016 in Chongqing, China. The report rate of TB was highest in 2005 (151.06 per 100,000 population) and lowest in 2016 (72.58 per 100,000 population). The final X12-ARIMA model included the ARIMA (3,1,3) model for the trend term and the ARIMA (2,1,3) model for the season term. The SARIMA (1,0,2) * (1,1,1)12 model was selected for the SARIMA model. The mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of fitting and predicting performance based on the X12-ARIMA model were less than the SARIMA model. In conclusion, the occurrence of TB in Chongqing is controlled, which may be attributed to socioeconomic developments and improved TB prevention and control services. Applying the X12-ARIMA model is an effective method to forecast and analyze the trend and seasonality of TB.

Skewed balance of regulatory T cell and inflammatory T cell in IL-17 defect with human metapneumovirus infection.

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a common cause of respiratory infections in children. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the development of hMPV-induced pulmonary pathology remain unknown. Studies show that IL-17 plays an important role in some inflammatory diseases of the airways, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Here, we generated an IL-17 KO murine model of hMPV infection and used it to characterize the role of IL-17 hMPV-induced pulmonary inflammation. The results demonstrated that the defect in IL-17 resulted in less neutrophil influx into the lungs, along with reduced ventilatory function. Meanwhile, viral infection in IL-17 KO mice increased regulatory T cells (Tregs) and reduced Th1 and Th2 cells in the lung, suggesting that lack of IL-17 skews the immune response in the lung toward an anti-inflammatory profile, as exhibited by a greater number of Treg cells and fewer Th1 and Th2 cells.

Air pollution and asthma attacks in children: A case-crossover analysis in the city of Chongqing, China.

Data on particulate matter of diameter <2.5 µm (PM2.5) in the city of Chongqing were first announced in 2013. We wished to assess the effects of pollutants on asthmatic children in Chongqing, China. Daily numbers of hospital visits because of asthma attacks in children aged 0-18 years in 2013 were collected from the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Data on pollutants were accessed from the nine air quality-monitoring stations in Chongqing. A time-stratified case-crossover design was applied and conditional logistic regression was undertaken to analyze the data. We found that short-term exposure to PM10, PM2.5, sodium dioxide, nitrogen and carbon monoxide could trigger hospital visits for asthma in children. Nitrogen dioxide had an important role, whereas ozone had no effect.

[Serum level of vitamin A in children with pneumonia aged less than 3 years].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of the serum level of vitamin A (VA) with the severity of pneumonia and recurrent respiratory infection (RRI) within one year after treatment in children with pneumonia, and to provide a basis for serum VA level used as an index for judgment of the condition of pneumonia and prediction of the risk of recurrent respiratory infection. METHODS: A total of 88 children with pneumonia aged less than 3 years were enrolled as study subjects. Serum VA level was measured on admission, and the development of RRI was followed up by telephone within 1 year after discharge. RESULTS: The children with pneumonia showed a reduction in the serum level of VA (0.8±0.3 µmol/L). The severe pneumonia group had a significantly lower serum level of VA than the mild pneumonia group (0.7±0.3 µmol/L vs 0.9±0.3 µmol/L; P<0.05), as well as a significantly higher detection rate of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) than the mild pneumonia group (63% vs 28%; P<0.05). The children were followed up for 1 year. The VAD-pneumonia group showed a significantly higher incidence of RRI than the normal VA-pneumonia group (49% vs 18%; P<0.05), while there were no significant differences in the incidence of RRI between the suspected subclinical vitamin A deficiency (SSVAD)-pneumonia group and the normal VA-pneumonia group, as well as between the VAD-pneumonia group and the SSVAD-pneumonia group (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children with pneumonia often have a low level of VA, and the level of VA is associated with the severity of pneumonia and the development of RRI afterwards.

[Meta-analysis of the relationship between particulate matter (PM(10) and PM(2.5)) and asthma hospital admissions in children].

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and assess the relationship between particulate matter (PM(10) and PM(2.5)) and children's hospital admissions for asthma, using both time-series and case-crossover analyses. METHOD: The PubMed, Ebsco, Ovid and four Chinese periodical databases were screened for studies related to short-term effects of particulate matter on pediatric asthma hospital admissions published from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2013.Sixteen studies on PM(10) and 10 studies on PM(2.5) were selected finally for meta-analysis. Relative risk (RR) or odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of asthma hospital admissions per 10 µg/m³ increase of daily particulate matter were obtained from each study. RevMan 5.2.11 was used to test the heterogeneity of the results among the different studies and amalgamat the effect size by fixed or random effect model. RESULT: As the concentration of PM(10) increased per 10 µg/m³, the children's hospital admissions for asthma increased by 1.75%; for PM(2.5), a 3.45% increase for asthma hospital admissions as the concentration increased per 10 µg/m³. By subgroup analysis based on study design, the effect size on both PM(10) and PM(2.5) of case-crossover study's results were higher than time-series analysis. CONCLUSION: The short-term increase of the concentration of PM(10) and PM(2.5) may led to the increase of Children's hospital admissions for asthma, and PM(2.5) will present a higher risk contribution.

[Efficacy of regular or intermittent inhalation of corticosteroids in treatment of asthma and its effects on growth and development in children].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy of regular or intermittent inhalation of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate (SM/FP) in the treatment of bronchial asthma and its effects on growth and development in children. METHODS: A total of 112 children diagnosed with bronchial asthma between September 2012 and October 2013 were assigned to standardized treatment (standard group, n=56) and non-standardized treatment (intermittent group, n=56). Comparisons of clinical symptom scores and main pulmonary function indicators between the two groups were carried out before treatment and at 6 and 12 months after treatment. The growth velocity and changes in body mass index (BMI) were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: At 6 and 12 months after the treatment, the standard group had significantly reduced clinical symptom scores and significantly increased pulmonary function indicators (percentage of predicted peak expiratory flow, PEF%; percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 second, FEV1%) (P<0.05); the intermittent group had significantly reduced clinical symptom scores and significantly increased FEV1% (P<0.05), but PEF% was significantly increased only at 6 months after treatment (P<0.05). At 12 months after treatment, the standard group had significantly lower clinical symptom scores and significantly higher PEF% and FEV1% when compared with the intermittent group (P<0.05). The growth velocity and BMI showed no significant differences between the two groups at 6 and 12 months after treatment (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with intermittent inhalation, long-term regular inhalation of SM/FP performs better in controlling clinical symptoms and enhancing pulmonary function in children with asthma. Inhalation of SM/FP for one year reveals no apparent effect on the growth and development of these children.

Clinical features of airway malacia in children: a retrospective analysis of 459 patients.

AIM: To investigate the clinical features of airway malacia in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comprehensive analysis was done on information of 459 young patients with airway malacia. RESULTS: Number of children with tracheomalacia, tracheobronchomalacia, and bronchomalacia was 7 (1.5%), 17 (3.7%), and 435 (94.8%), respectively. Incidence of bronchomalacia in left lung was 11.0% (n=48), while that of right lung was 53.3% (n=232). Meanwhile, bronchomalacia of both lungs were noticed in 155 children (35.6%). With regards to the extent of malacia, number of children with slight, moderate and severe malacia was 226, 195, and 38, respectively. All the children enrolled in this study were diagnosed with pulmonary infection, among which 376 were diagnosed with ordinary pneumonia, 83 were diagnosed with severe pneumonia. 227 children showed a disease course of less than 1 month, while 201 children reported a disease course of 1~3 months, and 31 children reported a disease course of more than 3 months. Statistical difference was noticed in the disease condition of respiratory tract infection of patients with various malacia extent (P < 0.05). Re-check of fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed in 19 patients, among which 14 patients (73.7%) showed improvement compared with the previous conditions. CONCLUSION: Airway malacia has been frequently noticed in male children aged ≤ 2 years old. Patients with severe airway malacia were apt to develop severe pneumonia compared with those with slight or moderate malacia. Improvements or even elimination of malacia were noticed with the aging of the children and the anti-infection therapy.

Pulmonary sequestration in children: a clinical analysis of 48 cases.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of children's pulmonary sequestration (PS) to reduce misdiagnosis. METHODS: Clinical records of 48 children with PS in Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between April 1994 and April 2013 were retrieved, and the literature was reviewed. RESULTS: 48 cases were collected, 30 cases confirmed (Group A) and 18 suspicious cases (Group B). In Group A, 16 cases were confirmed before operation by 64-row enhanced CT (4 cases), enhanced CT combined with three-dimensional reconstruction (9 cases), and digital subtraction angiography (3 cases). Misdiagnosis rate was 36.7%, while missed diagnosis rate 10%. 26 cases received surgery and were confirmed finally. Aberrant arterial supply mainly originated from thoracic aorta (22 cases) and abdominal aorta (5 cases). Hypoplasia and chronic inflammation were shown by postoperative histopathological examinations in all children with surgery. There was no operative mortality. Encapsulated pleural effusion occurred in one patient as only post-operation complication. All were discharged after successful treatment. CONCLUSION: Chest X-ray and color Doppler ultrasound can be used for routine screening for PS. Technique of choice for confirmation is three-dimensional chest CT. Identifying anomalous systemic artery is key for confirmed diagnosis. Surgery is recommended as early as possible. X-ray plus ultrasound as routine screening combined with three-dimensional CT for definitive diagnosis and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery might be best choice for PS in future.

[Effect of clinical pathway management on pediatric pneumonia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effect of clinical pathway management on pediatric pneumonia. METHOD: Data were colleted from children hospitalizated with bronchial pneumonia, bronchiolitis, mycoplasma pneumonia in Center of Respiratory Disorders in Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2011 to December 2012. According to implement of clinical pathway management, all patients were divided into pathway management group (n = 405) and non-pathway management group (n = 503). Length of stay, costs of hospitalization, clinical effect and use of antibiotics were compared in these two groups. RESULT: In pathway management group, average length of stay of children with bronchial pneumonia and bronchiolitis was (6.1 ± 1.6) d and (6.2 ± 1.5) d respectively. While in non-pathway management group, length of stay was (7.2 ± 1.9) d and (7.3 ± 1.5) d (P = 0.000). There was no significant difference in length of stay between these two groups of children with mycoplasma pneumonia [ (6.9 ± 1.8) d vs.(7.7 ± 2.5) d] (P = 0.198). Costs of auxiliary tests in pathway management group was slightly higher than that in non-pathway management group. While other costs in pathway management group were significantly lower than those in non-pathway management group. Total costs of hospitalization of patients with these three diseases in pathway management group and non-pathway management group were ¥(4609 ± 1225) vs ¥ (5629 ± 1813) , ¥ (5006 ± 1250) vs. ¥ (5686 ± 1337), ¥ (4946 ± 1259) vs. ¥ (6488 ± 3032) respectively. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05). Percentages of antibiotics use in two groups were 70.9% vs.99.4%, 45.7% vs.93.4% and 96.2% vs.100.0%. Antibiotics related indicators such as mean number of day of use, ratio of combination and grade of antibiotics were significantly higher in pathway management group compared to non-pathway management group (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in other indicators like clinical effect and unscheduled readmission in 30 days between two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Clinical pathway management can regulate medical behaviors through reduction of medical costs, avoidance of excessive laboratory tests and therapy, and regulation of antibiotic use.

In-dopants effect on the photoluminescence properties of YVO4 nanophosphors.

The powders of Yttrium vanadate (YVO4) with In-dopants were synthesized by solid-state reactions, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectra, photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and the luminescence intensity change were used to characterize the samples. The results of XRD indicated that the YVO4:In3+ samples remained in pure cubic phase. TEM illustrated that the powders mainly consisted of grains with an average size of 100 nm. Under the excitation of 320 nm, the YVO4:In3+ single-crystalline samples exhibited emission ranging from 350 to 700 nm. The emission intensity of YVO4:In3+ increased with increasing indium concentration in the lower indium concentration region until the saturated PL intensity was reached, and the strongest white fluorescence was observed when the In3+ doping concentration was 2% at 900 degrees C. The luminescent intensity of YVO4:In3+ (2%) was 9.6 times as strong as that of non-doped YVO4. The nanophosphors emit white luminescence owing to broad charge transfer in crystal lattice is due to the addition of In3+ to capture the UV radiation.

Analysis of viral load in children infected with human metapneumovirus.

OBJECTIVE: Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a respiratory pathogen responsible for disease and subsequent hospitalizations in young children around the world. The disease pathology, including how viral load correlates with respiratory disease severity, remains unclear. This study investigated the correlation between viral load and clinical characteristics of hMPV infections. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA) samples collected from 18 infants hospitalized for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in winter were tested for hMPV by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time RT-PCR. Their NPA samples were collected every-other-day to monitor changes in hMPV viral load during hospitalization. Also all these 18 patients were monitored to characterize clinically their illness. FINDINGS: hMPV load was not correlated with infection severity (P=0.5, 0.9, 0.5). In contrast, the log(10) of hMPV viral load was significantly different between those lasted for 6-11 days and those for less than 5 days (P=0.01), also the significant difference was shown between those of 6-11 days duration and those of more than 11 days (P=0.006), but there was no significant difference between those lasted for less than 5 days and those for more than 11 days (P=0.4). Additionally, high hMPV viral shedding occured between 6 and 11days. CONCLUSION: hMPV load was significantly correlated with the course of illness. The association between hMPV viral load and the course of disease suggested that hMPV is an important pathogen in lower respiratory tract infection in children. But hMPV did not always lead to more severe respiratory illness.