iFLAS: positive-unlabeled learning facilitates full-length transcriptome-based identification and functional exploration of alternatively spliced isoforms in maize.

The advent of full-length transcriptome sequencing technologies has accelerated the discovery of novel splicing isoforms. However, existing alternative splicing (AS) tools are either tailored for short-read RNA-Seq data or designed for human and animal studies. The disparities in AS patterns between plants and animals still pose a challenge to the reliable identification and functional exploration of novel isoforms in plants. Here, we developed integrated full-length alternative splicing analysis (iFLAS), a plant-optimized AS toolkit that introduced a semi-supervised machine learning method known as positive-unlabeled (PU) learning to accurately identify novel isoforms. iFLAS also enables the investigation of AS functions from various perspectives, such as differential AS, poly(A) tail length, and allele-specific AS (ASAS) analyses. By applying iFLAS to three full-length transcriptome sequencing datasets, we systematically identified and functionally characterized maize (Zea mays) AS patterns. We found intron retention not only introduces premature termination codons, resulting in lower expression levels of isoforms, but may also regulate the length of 3'UTR and poly(A) tail, thereby affecting the functional differentiation of isoforms. Moreover, we observed distinct ASAS patterns in two genes within heterosis offspring, highlighting their potential value in breeding. These results underscore the broad applicability of iFLAS in plant full-length transcriptome-based AS research.

Oral-microbiome-derived signatures enable non-invasive diagnosis of laryngeal cancers.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have uncovered that the microbiota in patients with head and neck cancers is significantly altered and may drive cancer development. However, there is limited data to explore the unique microbiota of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), and little is known regarding whether the oral microbiota can be utilized as an early diagnostic biomarker. METHODS: Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we characterized the microbiome of oral rinse and tissue samples from 77 patients with LSCC and 76 control patients with vocal polyps, and then performed bioinformatic analyses to identify taxonomic groups associated with clinicopathologic features. RESULTS: Multiple bacterial genera exhibited significant differences in relative abundance when stratifying by histologic and tissue type. By exploiting the distinct microbial abundance and identifying the tumor-associated microbiota taxa between patients of LSCC and vocal polyps, we developed a predictive classifier by using rinse microbiota as key features for the diagnosis of LSCC with 85.7% accuracy. CONCLUSION: This is the first evidence of taxonomical features based on the oral rinse microbiome that could diagnose LSCC. Our results revealed the oral rinse microbiome is an understudied source of clinical variation and represents a potential non-evasive biomarker of LSCC.

Prevalence and risk factors of oral human papillomavirus infection among 4212 healthy adults in Hebei, China.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is an essential cause of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma that is increasing in incidence worldwide. However, little is known about the epidemiology of oral HPV infection among healthy adults in China. METHODS: A study in northern China was conducted in 2021 as baseline data of Diverse Life-Course Cohort (DLCC). Residents who aged above 20 were eligible to participate. Oral swab specimens and questionnaires were collected from 4226 participants. HPV DNA in oral exfoliated cells was tested by Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction approach and sequencing. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the associations between exposure factors and oral HPV infection. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of oral HPV infection was 4.08% (95%CI, 3.69%-4.68%). The most prevalent HPV type detected was HPV-81 (1.35%; 95% CI, 1.00%-1.70%), followed by HPV-16 (0.64%; 95% CI, 0.40%-0.88%). Oral HPV infection presented a bimodal pattern with respect to age in male and female participants. Oral HPV prevalence of male participants was significantly higher than prevalence of female participants (5.0% versus 3.6%, P = 0.041). Prevalence of oral HPV was higher among current smokers (OR = 1.59; 95% CI, 1.11-2.29; P = 0.039) and current drinkers (OR = 1.60; 95% CI, 1.14-2.25; P = 0.023). Current alcohol consumption was independently associated with oral HPV infection (OR = 1.74; 95% CI, 1.22-2.50; P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Among healthy adults aged above 20 in Hebei, China, the prevalence of high-risk HPV infection was 1.92% (95%CI, 1.51%-2.34%). Oral HPV prevalence was independently associated with alcohol consumption. More tailored prevention strategies are needed to prevent oral HPV infection through smoking cessation, reduction of alcohol consumption, and HPV vaccination.

Correlation of immune makers with HPV 16 infections and the prognosis in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the association of immune markers with high risk human papillomavirus 16 (HPV 16) infection status and to evaluate the prognostic value of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study collected 50 cases of HPV positive and HPV negative OPSCC from January 2011 to December 2015. The correlation of CD8 + tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), programmed death-1 (PD-1), and PD-L1 expression with HPV 16 infection status was analyzed via immunofluorescent staining and quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the baseline data between the two groups. Patients with HPV + OPSCC had better prognosis compared to HPV - patients (5-year overall survival [OS], 66% vs. 40%, P = 0.003; 5-year disease specific survival [DSS], 73% vs. 44%, P = 0.001). The expressions of immunity related makers were significantly higher in the HPV + group than the HPV - group (CD8 + TIL: P = 0.039; PD-L1: P = 0.005; PD-1: P = 0.044). Positive CD8 + TIL and PD-L1 were independent factors for better prognosis of OPSCC (DSS, P < 0.001; OS, P < 0.001, respectively). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that patients with TILs of high HPV + /CD8 + expression were more likely to have better prognosis than those with TILs of low HPV + /CD8 + expression (DSS, P < 0.001; OS, P < 0.001), TILs of high expression of HPV - /CD8 + (DSS, P = 0.010; OS, P = 0.032), and TILs of low expression of HPV - /CD8 + (DSS, P < 0.001; OS, P < 0.001). Furthermore, HPV + /PD-L1 + OPSCC patients had significant better prognosis compared to patients with HPV + /PD-L1 - (DSS, P < 0.001; OS, P = 0.004), HPV - /PD-L1 + (DSS, P = 0.010; OS, P = 0.048) and HPV - /PD-L1 - (DSS, P < 0.001; OS, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: HPV + OPSCC had a significantly better prognosis, and PD-L1 expression was elevated in HPV + OPSCC. PD-L1 positivity might be related to the better prognosis of HPV + OPSCC. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study provides a theoretical basis and baseline data for the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors in head and neck tumors.

Yolo-Pest: An Insect Pest Object Detection Algorithm via CAC3 Module.

Insect pests have always been one of the main hazards affecting crop yield and quality in traditional agriculture. An accurate and timely pest detection algorithm is essential for effective pest control; however, the existing approach suffers from a sharp performance drop when it comes to the pest detection task due to the lack of learning samples and models for small pest detection. In this paper, we explore and study the improvement methods of convolutional neural network (CNN) models on the Teddy Cup pest dataset and further propose a lightweight and effective agricultural pest detection method for small target pests, named Yolo-Pest, for the pest detection task in agriculture. Specifically, we tackle the problem of feature extraction in small sample learning with the proposed CAC3 module, which is built in a stacking residual structure based on the standard BottleNeck module. By applying a ConvNext module based on the vision transformer (ViT), the proposed method achieves effective feature extraction while keeping a lightweight network. Comparative experiments prove the effectiveness of our approach. Our proposal achieves 91.9% mAP0.5 on the Teddy Cup pest dataset, which outperforms the Yolov5s model by nearly 8% in mAP0.5. It also achieves great performance on public datasets, such as IP102, with a great reduction in the number of parameters.

Competitive and cooperative sorption between triclosan and methyl triclosan on microplastics and soil.

The sorption behavior of single contaminant on microplastics (MPs) has been extensively studied; however, little is known about that in the more actual scenario containing multiple contaminants. In this study, the interaction between triclosan (TCS) and its primary metabolite, methyl triclosan (MTCS) on polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and soil was investigated. Results indicate that the more hydrophobic MTCS had much higher sorption capacity and affinity than TCS. Competitive sorption between them occurred in most cases and appeared to be concentration-dependent (in the range of 0.1-5 mg TCS/L and 0.01-≤0.05 mg MTCS/L of primary solutes, respectively): more pronounced at low concentrations of primary solute, while progressively weaker with the increase of concentrations. Among the sorbents, MTCS exhibited strong antagonistic effect on TCS sorption for MPs, especially PS, while significant suppression of MTCS sorption by TCS took place for soil and PS rather than PE. Additionally, it is interesting to observe that the presence of TCS substantially facilitated the sorption of MTCS exclusively at high concentrations on both PS and soil, presumably attributed to the solute-multilayer formation. Furthermore, the magnitude of the two effects varied with solution pH: TCS sorption at alkaline pH was the most suppressed by MTCS because the less hydrophobic dissociated TCS tended to be displaced, and the highest cooperative sorption of MTCS with TCS occurred at acidic pH because neutral TCS preferentially adsorbed on sorbent surface could provide additional sorption sites for MTCS. Both competitive and cooperative effects between multiple contaminants may affect their fate and transport, thereby these findings are helpful for assessing the environmental risk of MPs and TCS in soil.

Association between pathological differentiation and survival outcomes of patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the prognostic value of histopathological differentiation for the survival of patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective clinical and histopathological differentiation data on consecutive cases of LSCC from a single institution over a 10-years period were collected and analyzed in this study. Oncological outcomes were assessed based on disease-specific survival (DSS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce or eliminate the bias due to confounding variables. RESULTS: A total of 998 LSCC cases were identified in this study. As compared to well to moderately differentiated LSCC, poorly differentiated tumors had adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of 1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31-2.43), 2.00 (95% CI 1.51-2.65), and 1.72 (95% CI 1.28-2.31) for DSS, DFS, and OS, respectively. The new patient cohort consisted of 138 patients with well to moderately differentiated LSCC and 138 patients with poorly differentiated LSCC after PSM. The survival outcomes of patients with well to moderately differentiated LSCCs were significantly better than those of patients with poorly differentiated tumors in DSS (aHR 1.91; 95% CI 1.24-2.95), DFS (aHR 2.07; 95% CI 1.37-3.12), and OS (aHR 2.14; 95% CI 1.39-3.28). CONCLUSION: This study showed that survival outcomes of patients with poorly differentiated LSCC were significantly worse than those of patients with well to moderately differentiated LSCC. In addition, histopathological differentiation is an important prognostic factor for LSCC survival. Therefore, further treatment plans should focus on poorly differentiated LSCC to improve the survival outcomes.

Perineural Invasion as a Prognostic Factor in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Cancer: A Matched-Pair Survival Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare survival outcomes in patients with perineural invasion (PNI)-positive laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and patients with PNI-negative LSCC. METHODS: A total of 1,272 patients with LSCC, diagnosed between 2008 and 2017, were included in this study. LSCC Patients with and without PNI were matched based on possible confounding factors. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Of the 1,272 LSCC patients, 118 (9.28%) were positive for PNI. Compared to PNI-negative patients, PNI-positive LSCC patients had significantly worse overall survival (OS) (p = 0.017), disease-specific survival (DSS) (p = 0.034) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.002). After pair matching, cohorts consisted of 118 patients in the PNI-positive group and 118 in the PNI-negative group. Significantly increased risk of OS (HR, 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-3.61, p = 0.003), DSS (HR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.32-3.24, p = 0.004) and RFS (HR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.59-4.40, p < 0.001) was observed after adjustment for prognostic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PNI-positive LSCC have significantly worse survival outcomes compared to patients with PNI-negative LSCC.

Circular RNA Expression Profile in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Revealed by Microarray.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A growing body of evidence has suggested that circular RNAs (circRNAs) have crucial functions in the regulation of gene expression, and their dysregulation has been implicated in various types of cancers. However, the roles of circRNAs in laryngeal cancer remain largely unknown. This study investigated the global changes in the expression pattern of circRNAs in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) to identify potential differentially expressed circRNAs. METHODS: Microarray-based circRNA expression was determined in LSCC and paired normal laryngeal tissues. Pathway analyses of the genes producing differentially expressed circRNAs were performed to predict the function of circRNAs using standard enrichment computational methods. Expression levels of candidate circRNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs) were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The circRNA/ miRNA interactions were constructed using bioinformatics methods to predict the binding of miRNA with circRNA. RESULTS: We identified 506 differentially expressed circRNAs from human LSCC and normal laryngeal mucosa tissues. We confirmed that hsa_circ_0044520 and hsa_circ_0044529 were significantly upregulated in LSCC tissues. The most likely potential target miRNAs for hsa_ circ_0044520 and hsa_circ_0044529 were hsa-miR-4726-5p and hsa-miR-4640-5p, respectively. Functional analysis showed that hsa_circ_0044520 and hsa_circ_0044529 were involved in the process of collagen synthesis. CONCLUSION: Competitive endogenous RNA network prediction and bioinformatics functional analysis revealed that hsa_circ_0044520 and hsa_circ_0044529 play important regulatory roles by sponging hsa-miR-4726-5p and hsa-miR-4640-5p, thereby providing novel insights into the tumorigenesis of LSCC.

Chemical pyrolysis of E-waste plastics: Char characterization.

This work studied the disposal of the non-metallic fraction from waste printed circuit board (NMF-WPCB) via the chemical pretreatments followed by pyrolysis. As a main heavy metal, the metallic Cu could be significantly removed by 92.4% using the HCl leaching process. Subsequently, the organic-Br in the brominated flame retardants (BFRs) plastics could be converted into HBr by pyrolysis. The alkali pretreatment was benefit for the Br fixation in the solid char. The Br fixation efficiency could reach up to 53.6% by the NaOH pretreatment followed by the pyrolysis process. The formed HBr could react with NaOH/KOH to generate the stabilized NaBr/KBr. Therefore, the integrated chemical pretreatment could be used for the eco-friendly disposal of the NMF-WPCB via pyrolysis.

miR-431 is involved in regulating cochlear function by targeting Eya4.

To understand the relationship between microRNAs and hearing loss and help clarify the causes of hereditary deafness, we studied the functions of miR-431 in cochleae. We first investigated the spatial-temporal expression profiles of miR-431 in spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in cochleae using real-time PCR and miRNA in situ hybridization. These studies showed that expression of miR-431 was high in SGNs in the cochleae of newborn mice, and decreased as development progressed. To test the functional effects of miR-431, we established miR-431 overexpressing transgenic (Tg) mice. Surface preparations of the cochlear basilar membrane and cochlear sections revealed no major structural differences between Tg and wild-type (Wt) mice. However, a comparison of auditory brain stem responses (ABRs) in Tg and Wt mice showed that ABR thresholds were significantly higher in Tg mice than in Wt mice. Notably, the density of SGNs was significantly lower in Tg mice than in Wt mice. We also found that the proportion of mature SGNs in cultures of primary SGNs from Tg cochleae was lower and their axons were shorter. A bioinformatics analysis predicted that the mRNA target of miR-431 was Eya4, a finding confirmed by luciferase reporter assays and western blotting. Importantly, overexpression of miR-431 in cochleae of Tg mice inhibited the translation of Eya4 mRNA, leading to a deficiency of EYA4. Thus, excessive amounts of miR-431 in cochleae of Tg mice may be the cause of sparse SGNs, which in turn could be responsible for hearing loss.

[Three-dimensional Pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Label Non-contrast Enhanced Perfusion Imaging of Head and Neck Tumors with High-field MR System].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin label (3D pCASL) non-contrast enhanced perfusion imaging applied to head and neck tumors in high-field MR and detect the effects of different postlabeling delay (PLD) time on image quality and the reliability of repeated measurements of tumor blood flow (BF) in different 3D pCASL groups. METHODS: In this prospective study,all the 25 patients received neck 3D pCASL non-contrast enhanced perfusion examinations in a 3.0 T MR system by using an 8-channel head and neck joint coil. Conventional T1-weighted (TIWI) and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) were performed firstly. Finally,three 3D pCASL with different PLD time [ASL1(PLD1=1525 ms),ASL2 (PLD2=2025 ms), ASL3(PLD3=2525 ms)] were acquired. Patients' perfusion-weighted images acquired from different 3D pCASL sequences underwent the analysis of signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast noise ratio (CNR) for tumors. Two observers performed the qualitative assessments on spiral artifacts and vascular artifacts of perfusion-weighted images from different 3D pCASL sequences. Blood flow (BF) of tumors from different 3D pCASL sequences were measured by the two observers respectively for the first time and by observer 2 for the second time. RESULTS: Seventeen enrolled patients (age:50.1 ± 12.7 years,M/F=10:7) with histopathologic. RESULTS: underwent the evaluation of image quality and measurements of BF values. The SNRs and CNRs of ASL1,ASL2, and ASL3 showed a descending trendency. SNRs (P=0.011) and CNRs (P=0.009) of ASL1 were significant higher than those of ASL3. There was no significant difference of scores of spiral artifacts among the three ASL groups (P=0.932). The scores of vascular artifacts of ASL1,ASL2,and ASL3 showed a descending trendency,also. And scores of ASL1 was significant higher than that of ASL3(P=0.000). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of intre-and intraobserver were high (ICC>0.9). Although the BF values of ASL1,ASL2, and ASL3 showed an ascending trendency,there was no significant difference among the three groups (P=0.977). CONCLUSIONS: The 3D pCASL no-contrast enhanced perfusion MR imaging can be used for head and neck tumor. The image quality of perfusion weighted images and reliability of BF measurements were satisfied. The 3D pCASL series with PLD of 1525 ms and 2025 ms have better image quality than PLD of 2525 ms. And BF values do not show significant statistic difference among the three groups. Therefore, 3D pCASL series with PLD of 1525 ms and 2025 ms are more suitable for the perfusion imaging of head and neck tumors

Effect of COVID-19 on the characteristics and outcome of patients who have otitis media with effusion: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the otologic symptoms of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The objective of this study was to identify the effect of COVID-19 on the characteristics and outcomes of patients who have otitis media with effusion (OME). METHODS: This case-control study compared the characteristics and outcomes of OME patients who did or did not have COVID-19. A total of 65 patients with previous COVID-19 and 40 patients who did not have COVID-19 (controls) were enrolled from October 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023 at a single institution in China. Demographics, medical histories, morbidities, hearing test results, treatments, and outcomes of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The COVID-19 group had significantly better outcomes from OME than the control group, with higher rates of complete resolution (64.6% vs. 30%) and improvement (30.8% vs. 17.5%), and a lower rate of persistent OME (4.6% vs. 52.5%). Previous COVID-19 was independently associated with a more favorable OME outcome in three multivariate logistic regression models. The COVID-19 group also had a greater improvement in hearing threshold based on air-bone gap measurements. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of OME patients who had previous COVID-19 were generally good, in that most patients responded well to treatment and achieved complete resolution or improvement within one month.

[Retracted] The therapeutic effect of artesunate on rosacea through the inhibition of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that the GAPDH control western blotting data shown in Fig. 4A were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in another article written by different authors at different research institutes. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Molecular Medicine Reports 17: 8385­8390, 2018; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2018.8887].

Natural aging and adsorption/desorption behaviors of polyethylene mulch films: Roles of film types and exposure patterns.

Polyethylene (PE) mulch films are an important source of microplastics (MPs) in agricultural soils, which may further affect the bioavailability of coexisting pollutants. In this study, white (WM), black (BM), and silver-black (SM) PE mulch films were aged on the soil surface and under soil burial to simulate the two exposure patterns of abandoned mulch films in the field. Results indicated that the soil-surface exposure induced more pronounced aging characteristics, and WM seemed the most susceptible. Serious surface deterioration by aging led to a drastic decrease in the tensile properties of the films, suggesting the tendency to fragment. Oxygen-containing functional groups were generated on the film surfaces, with oxygen/carbon ratios increasing by up to 29 times, which contributed to the prominent increase in Pb adsorption on the film-derived MPs. Additionally, the film surface became more hydrophobic when exposed to the soil surface but more hydrophilic in the soil-burial exposure, which was in agreement with the change in triclosan adsorption, i.e., promotion and suppression, respectively. Aging generally decreased the desorption potential of the adsorbed pollutants in simulated gastrointestinal solutions due to increased interactions. By comparison, exposure patterns were revealed to be the critical factor for these changes, regardless of film types.

Prognostic role of epidermal growth factor receptor in head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the predicting value of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) for survival in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). METHODS: Data were collected from studies comparing overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with higher or lower EGFR levels. Studies were pooled and combined hazard ratios (HRs) of EGFR for survival were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 68 studies involving 6,781 patients were included for meta-analysis. Either EGFR protein expression or gene copy number had prognostic value in HNC patients. EGFR overexpression could predict worse outcome, with HRs of 1.65 (95% CI: 1.45, 1.86) for OS and 1.27 (95% CI: 1.17, 1.37) for PFS. Increased EGFR copy number was also associated with reduced survival, with HRs of 1.5 (95% CI: 1.15, 1.96) for OS and 1.35 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.61) for PFS. Furthermore, EGFR overexpression could predict poorer OS in both eastern and western countries. Particularly, EGFR was considered a strong predictor in laryngeal squamous cell cancer (HR > 2). CONCLUSION: Elevated EGFR expression and gene copy number could predict poor survival in HNC patients.

Vitamin D status in Chinese pregnant women and their newborns in Beijing and their relationships to birth size.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and their newborns in Beijing, China and the influence of vitamin D deficiency on birth size. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Data were collected from pregnant women who delivered during April to May 2010 at 306 Hospital of PLA in Beijing, China. SUBJECTS: Participants in the study were seventy healthy nulliparous pregnant women with singleton pregnancies who delivered healthy babies at full term and their newborns. RESULTS: Severe vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) < 25 nmol/l) was detected in 54·5 % of mothers and 46·6 % of newborns. Neither mothers nor newborns had serum 25(OH)D concentrations that reached the normal level (>75 nmol/l). The concentration of 25(OH)D in mothers was positively correlated with that in cord blood (r = 0·89, P < 0·001). Newborns of mothers with severe vitamin D deficiency had lower birth length and birth weight. The head circumference and birth weight were lower in vitamin D-deficient newborns. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that pregnant women and neonates residing in Beijing are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. Neonatal 25(OH)D concentrations are dependently related to maternal 25(OH)D levels. Maternal and neonatal vitamin D status influences newborn size.

[Analysis of clinical diagnosis and treatment of Behet's disease with sore throat as the first symptom].

Objective:To summarize the clinical and diagnostic characteristics of Behet's disease with sore throat as the first symptom, so as to improve clinicians' understanding of the disease. Methods:The clinical data of 28 patients with Behet's disease who were first treated in Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2015 to January 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were examined by electronic laryngoscopy at the first visit and treated with local symptomatic therapy. Twenty-one patients were examined for C-reactive protein and blood sedimentation, and some patients were examined for immunological parameters. After the diagnosis of leukoaraiosis was confirmed, treatment was based on immunosuppression and could be supplemented with oral hormone therapy depending on the extent of the lesion and other organ involvement. Results:Sore throat was the first symptom of all patients, which could be accompanied by dysphagia or dyspnea. Endoscopy revealed oropharyngeal ulcer in 25 cases（89.3%）, laryngeal ulcer in 15 cases（53.6%）, hypopharyngeal ulcer in 14 cases（50.0%）, and adhesion of nasopharynx or throat in 8 cases（28.6%）. All patients had oral ulcer at the same time, including 21 cases（75.0%） with genital ulcer, 18 cases（64.3%） with skin damage, and 11 cases（39.3%） with eye disease. In the course of disease, there were 4 cases（14.3%） with joints involvement, 3 cases（10.7%） with nervous system disease, and 1 case（3.6%） with digestive system disease. The treatment is mainly immunosuppressive, and oral hormone therapy can be supplemented according to the extent of the disease and the involvement of other organs. Conclusion:The clinical manifestations of Behet's disease, with sore throat as the first symptom, are diverse. The ulcer may involve multiple parts of the throat, and a few patients may involve multiple systems of the whole body. Clinical attention should be paid to the early diagnosis and timely treatment to prevent or delay the involvement of the lesion in important organs or systems.

A preliminary biomechanical study on trachea reconstruction surgery using the clavicular periosteum.

Introduction: The clavicular periosteum is a suitable material for trachea reconstruction. However, because the periosteum is softer and has different mechanical properties than tracheal cartilage, the mechanical loads under physiological conditions after trachea reconstruction may cause collapse or stenosis of the repaired trachea. Methods: In this study, the mechanical properties of the clavicular periosteum were tested, and the 3D trachea geometry was constructed based on CT-scanning images acquired before the surgery. Differing degrees of stenosis (0%, 33%, and 55%) for the repaired trachea sections were predetermined, presenting the different degrees of the tracheal cross-sectional area immediately after clavicular periosteum reconstruction. Then the biomechanical environments of the trachea and the airflow were simulated and analyzed. Results: In the fluid mechanics simulation, the air pressure on the patch area decreased with increasing degrees of stenosis, while the fluid velocity increased as stenosis increased. In solid mechanics simulations, patch area deformation increased as the cross-sectional area of the trachea decreased, and the stress in the patch increased as stenosis increased. Discussion: The solid stress changes may cause tissue remodeling, thickening, and scarring of the patch area. The fluid mechanical changes in the repaired trachea would further aggravate the stenosis. The numerical simulation study would provide references for biomechanical evaluation of trachea reconstruction surgery. The surgical indications may be expanded in the future based on the model prediction results.

Presence of SARS-CoV-2 in middle ear fluid and characterization of otitis media with effusion in patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 is present in the middle ear fluid (MEF) of patients with COVID-19 who have otitis media with effusion (OME). METHODS: A case-control study was designed to detect SARS-CoV-2 and six other common respiratory viruses (influenza A virus, influenza B virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, human rhinovirus [HRV], and mycoplasma pneumonia) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the MEF of patients with OME. Follow-up tests, including pure-tone audiometry and tympanometry, were conducted. RESULTS: In the COVID-19 group, 18 of 27 MEF specimens were PCR-positive for SARS-CoV-2, with cycle thresholds ranging from 24.9-42.2. And one patient tested positive for the HRV. In the control group, all 15 MEF specimens were PCR-negative for SARS-CoV-2, but two patients tested positive for the HRV. After treatment for OME, 11 patients (40.7%) reported complete resolution, 14 (51.9%) reported improvement, and two (7.4%) reported no change. The average improvement in hearing was 14.5 ± 8.1 dB, and the average air-bone gap decrease was 13.5 ± 9.0 dB. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the MEF of patients who were previously COVID-19-positive suggesting a possible association between COVID-19 and OME. OME should be considered a possible symptom of COVID-19.