Background Mercury, as a global heavy metal pollutant, poses a serious threat to human health. The toxicity of mercury depends on its chemical form. Distinguishing the forms of mercury in the environment is of great significance for mercury management and reducing human mercury exposure risks. Objective To establish a non-targeted metallomics method based on synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) spectroscopy combined with machine learning to screen inorganic mercury (IHg) or methylmercury (MeHg) exposed rice plants. Methods Rice seeds were exposed to ultra-pure water (control group), 0.1 mg·L⁻¹ IHg (IHg group) or MeHg (MeHg group) solutions, respectively. After germination, the seedlings were cultured for 21 d, and rice leaves were collected, dried, weighed, and pressed. The content of metallome in rice leaves was determined by SRXRF. Machine learning models including soft independent modeling cluster analysis (SIMCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and logistic regression (LR) were used to classify the SRXRF full spectra of different groups and find the best model to distinguish rice exposed to IHg or MeHg. Besides, characteristic elements were selected as input parameters to optimize the model by improving computing speed and reducing model calculation. Results The SRXRF spectral intensities of the control group, IHg group, and MeHg group were different, indicating that exposure to IHg and MeHg can interfere the homeostasis of metallome in rice leaves. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) of SRXRF spectra showed that the control group could be well distinguished from the mercury exposed groups, but the IHg group and the MeHg group were mostly overlapped. The accuracy rates of the three models (PLS-DA, SIMCA, and LR) were higher than 98% for the training set, higher than 95% for the validation set, and higher than 94% for the cross-validation set. Besides, the accuracy of the LR model was higher than that of the PLS-DA model and the SIMCA model. Furthermore, the accuracy was 92.05% when using characteristic elements K, Ca, Mn, Fe, and Zn selected by LR to distinguish the IHg group and the MeHg group. Compared with the full spectra model, although the prediction accuracy of the characteristic spectral model decreased, the input parameters of the model decreased by 99.51%, and precision, recall, and F1 score were above 84.48%, indicating that the model could distinguish rice exposed to different mercury forms. Conclusion Non-targeted metallomics method based on SRXRF and machine learning can be applied for high-throughput screening of rice exposed to different forms of mercury and thus decrease the risks of people being exposed to mercury.

Objective:To investigate the genotype and epidemiological characteristics of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) among hospitalized cases with acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children in Changchun City, Jilin Province, China.Methods:From June 2019 to June 2023, throat swabs of ARI inpatients in Changchun Children′s Hospital were collected, and their epidemiological and clinical information were also collected. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR was used to identify HMPV-positive cases, followed by the amplification of the G gene and genetic analysis in the HMPV-positive cases.Results:A total of 3 311 children hospitalized with ARI were included in this study. Their age ranged from 0 to 17 years old, and the M ( Q1, Q3) of age was 2 (1, 3) years. About 1 811 (54.70%) cases were males. A total of 167 HMPV-positive cases were detected with a positive rate of 5.04%, of which 92.81% (155/167) were children under 5 years old. The positive rate of HMPV in 2019 was 6.37% (30/471), which dropped to the lowest in 2020 (2.31%, 10/432). The HMPV-positive rate was then rebounded in 2021 (4.70%, 60/1 277) and 2022 (4.56%, 21/461), which increased to 6.87% (46/670) in 2023. The difference in HMPV-positive rate among each year was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The prevalence peak of HMPV varied in different years, showing either a unimodal or bimodal distribution in one year. A total of 79 HMPV G gene sequences were obtained, of which subtype A and subtype B accounted for 48.10% and 51.90%, respectively. All of the subtype A sequences were clarified as A2c duplicated variants, and subtype B was mainly B2 genotype. Besides, subtypes A and B were prevalent alone or co-circulated in different years, and there was a subtype replacement pattern in HMPV. Conclusion:The positive rate of HMPV in hospitalized ARI cases in children is significantly different from 2019 to 2023 in Changchun City. Notably, there are certain switch patterns of HMPV subtypes A and B in different years.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) among acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023.Methods:The data of this study were collected from the ARI surveillance data from 16 provinces in China from 2009 to 2023, with a total of 28 278 ARI cases included in the study. The clinical specimens from ARI cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid from 2009 to 2023, and differences in virus detection rates among cases of different age groups, regions, and months were analyzed.Results:A total of 28 278 ARI cases were enrolled from January 2009 to September 2023. The age of the cases ranged from<1 month to 112 years, and the age M ( Q1, Q3) was 3 years (1 year, 9 years). Among them, 3 062 cases were positive for HRSV nucleic acid, with a total detection rate of 10.83%. From 2009 to 2019, the detection rate of HRSV was 9.33%, and the virus was mainly prevalent in winter and spring. During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the detection rate of HRSV fluctuated between 6.32% and 18.67%. There was no traditional winter epidemic peak of HRSV from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, and an anti-seasonal epidemic of HRSV occurred from April to May 2023. About 87.95% (2 693/3 062) of positive cases were children under 5 years old, and the difference in the detection rate of HRSV among different age groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001), showing a decreasing trend of HRSV detection rate with the increase of age ( P<0.001). Among them, the HRSV detection rate (25.69%) was highest in children under 6 months. Compared with 2009-2019, the ranking of HRSV detection rates in different age groups changed from high to low between 2020 and 2023, with the age M (Q1, Q3) of HRSV positive cases increasing from 1 year (6 months, 3 years) to 2 years (11 months, 3 years). Conclusion:Through 15 years of continuous HRSV surveillance analysis, children under 5 years old, especially infants under 6 months old, are the main high-risk population for HRSV infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence and patterns of HRSV in China have changed.

Objective:To investigate the genotype and epidemiological characteristics of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) among hospitalized cases with acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children in Changchun City, Jilin Province, China.Methods:From June 2019 to June 2023, throat swabs of ARI inpatients in Changchun Children′s Hospital were collected, and their epidemiological and clinical information were also collected. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR was used to identify HMPV-positive cases, followed by the amplification of the G gene and genetic analysis in the HMPV-positive cases.Results:A total of 3 311 children hospitalized with ARI were included in this study. Their age ranged from 0 to 17 years old, and the M ( Q1, Q3) of age was 2 (1, 3) years. About 1 811 (54.70%) cases were males. A total of 167 HMPV-positive cases were detected with a positive rate of 5.04%, of which 92.81% (155/167) were children under 5 years old. The positive rate of HMPV in 2019 was 6.37% (30/471), which dropped to the lowest in 2020 (2.31%, 10/432). The HMPV-positive rate was then rebounded in 2021 (4.70%, 60/1 277) and 2022 (4.56%, 21/461), which increased to 6.87% (46/670) in 2023. The difference in HMPV-positive rate among each year was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The prevalence peak of HMPV varied in different years, showing either a unimodal or bimodal distribution in one year. A total of 79 HMPV G gene sequences were obtained, of which subtype A and subtype B accounted for 48.10% and 51.90%, respectively. All of the subtype A sequences were clarified as A2c duplicated variants, and subtype B was mainly B2 genotype. Besides, subtypes A and B were prevalent alone or co-circulated in different years, and there was a subtype replacement pattern in HMPV. Conclusion:The positive rate of HMPV in hospitalized ARI cases in children is significantly different from 2019 to 2023 in Changchun City. Notably, there are certain switch patterns of HMPV subtypes A and B in different years.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) among acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023.Methods:The data of this study were collected from the ARI surveillance data from 16 provinces in China from 2009 to 2023, with a total of 28 278 ARI cases included in the study. The clinical specimens from ARI cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid from 2009 to 2023, and differences in virus detection rates among cases of different age groups, regions, and months were analyzed.Results:A total of 28 278 ARI cases were enrolled from January 2009 to September 2023. The age of the cases ranged from<1 month to 112 years, and the age M ( Q1, Q3) was 3 years (1 year, 9 years). Among them, 3 062 cases were positive for HRSV nucleic acid, with a total detection rate of 10.83%. From 2009 to 2019, the detection rate of HRSV was 9.33%, and the virus was mainly prevalent in winter and spring. During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the detection rate of HRSV fluctuated between 6.32% and 18.67%. There was no traditional winter epidemic peak of HRSV from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, and an anti-seasonal epidemic of HRSV occurred from April to May 2023. About 87.95% (2 693/3 062) of positive cases were children under 5 years old, and the difference in the detection rate of HRSV among different age groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001), showing a decreasing trend of HRSV detection rate with the increase of age ( P<0.001). Among them, the HRSV detection rate (25.69%) was highest in children under 6 months. Compared with 2009-2019, the ranking of HRSV detection rates in different age groups changed from high to low between 2020 and 2023, with the age M (Q1, Q3) of HRSV positive cases increasing from 1 year (6 months, 3 years) to 2 years (11 months, 3 years). Conclusion:Through 15 years of continuous HRSV surveillance analysis, children under 5 years old, especially infants under 6 months old, are the main high-risk population for HRSV infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence and patterns of HRSV in China have changed.

Radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) is a common complication of radiotherapy and one of the main causes of non-cancer death in patients with thoracic malignant tumors, which seriously affects the clinical outcome and quality of life of patients. PET imaging is able to assess myocardial perfusion, abnormal myocardial metabolic, cardiac sympathetic disorders, myocardial fibrosis and inflammation, and is of great value in the early diagnosis and detection of RIHD. This article reviews the progress of PET imaging in the early detection of RIHD.

China has classified the Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19) as a statutory category B infectious disease and managed it according to Category B since January 8, 2023.In view that Omicron variant is currently the main epidemic strain in China, in order to guide the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) infection in children with the times, refer to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Infection (Trial 10 th Edition), Expert Consensus on Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Novel Coronavirus Infection in Children (Fourth Edition) and the Diagnosis and Treatment Strategy for Pediatric Related Viral Infections.The Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Novel Coronavirus Infection in Children (Fifth Edition) has been formulated and updated accordingly on related etiology, epidemiology, pathogenic mechanism, clinical manifestations, auxiliary examination, diagnosis and treatment, and added key points for the treatment of COVID-19 related encephalopathy, fulminating myocarditis and other serious complications for clinical reference.

Humans ; Consensus ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/therapy* ; Neuroendocrine Tumors/therapy*

Objective:This study comprehensively analyzed the genomic characterizations of human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3) strains circulating in six provinces and cities of China (Beijing, Henan, Jilin, Anhui, Gansu, and Shandong) during the period of 2019-2020. The aim was to elucidate the intricate genetic variations and molecular evolutionary trends within the HPIV3 genome.Methods:Based on genotypic differentiation, genetic divergence, and spatial and temporal distribution, 12 representative HPIV3 strains (including 7 of C3a subtype, 2 of C3b subtype and 3 of C3f subtype) were selected from the aforementioned provinces, and the complete genome sequence was successfully obtained by overlapping amplification of fragments using nested RT-PCR. Subsequently, a complete genome database of global representative HPIV3 strains was constructed and analyzed using bioinformatics tools.Results:The length of complete genome of the 12 HPIV3 strains in the present study varied between 15 227 bp and 15 370 bp, the G+ C content ranged from 35.1% to 35.3% and the nucleotide identity intermediated from 97.6% to 99.6%. Compared with the prototype strain (GenBank accession number: NC_001796.2), the nucleotide identity of 12 HPIV3 strains ranged from 94.2% to 94.5%. Analysis of the complete genome of HPIV3 available in China and globally showed that the genomic variation of HPIV3 was mainly shaped by substitution mutations, and no base deletions or gene recombination were observed.Only a six-base insertion (ATTAAA) was found in the F gene’s 3′UTR region of a representative strain originating from Jilin province (CHN/Jilin036/2019/C3b) in this study, and its potential pathogenic significance needs to be further investigated. Amino acid analysis of the encoded proteins revealed that the C3a lineage of HPIV3, widely prevalent both in China and worldwide, exhibits lineage-specific mutation sites in the N, P and L proteins. Furthermore, within the Chinese prevalent C3a strains, a distinctive mutation site (N216S) in L protein was also identified. Notably, specific variant sites have not been found in Chinese C3b and C3f branch strains. Based on the complete genome, the comprehensive evolutionary analysis showed that the time to the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) of global HPIV3 strains was estimated to 1927 (95% HPD: 1901-1945), with an average molecular evolutionary rate of 5.29 × 10 -4 substitutions/site/year, while the average molecular evolutionary rate of HPIV3 strains in China is 5.24 × 10 -4 substitutions/site/year. In addition, each gene of HPIV3 was subjected to negative selection pressure, with the P, HN and F genes showing the most significant nucleotide variation and higher rates of molecular evolution than the other genes. Conclusions:This study reveals that the complete genome of HPIV3 strains circulating in six provinces and cities of China tend to evolve conservatively. Moreover, substitution emerge as the main driving force for molecular evolution of HPIV3.

Cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) are the most common craniofacial malformations in humans. Speech problems often persist even after cleft repair, such that follow-up articulation training is usually required. However, the neural mechanism behind effective articulation training remains largely unknown. We used fMRI to investigate the differences in brain activation, functional connectivity, and effective connectivity across CLP patients with and without articulation training and matched normal participants. We found that training promoted task-related brain activation among the articulation-related brain networks, as well as the global attributes and nodal efficiency in the functional-connectivity-based graph of the network. Our results reveal the neural correlates of effective articulation training in CLP patients, and this could contribute to the future improvement of the post-repair articulation training program.
Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Cleft Lip/surgery* ; Cleft Palate/surgery* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Reading