Activated Interferon-γ-Positive T Lymphocytes and Cytokine Signatures in Patients With Postinfectious Cough.

Postinfectious subacute cough (PISC) and postinfectious chronic cough (PICC) are triggered by respiratory infections, which induce adaptive immunity. The expression of T-lymphocyte subsets and cytokine signatures remains elusive in these patients. Here, we recruited 40 healthy controls, 64 PICC patients, 65 PISC patients, and 20 recovered individuals with postinfectious subacute cough (R-PISC).

C-BIOPRED severe asthma clinical phenotypes: link to complement and coagulation pathways and galectin 10.

Background: Severe asthma is a heterogeneous airway inflammatory disease presenting with varying clinicophysiological characteristics and response to treatments. The objectives of the present study were to determine the clinical phenotypes of the Chinese C-BIOPRED cohort and their link to the sputum proteome.

Methods: Partition-around-medoids clustering was applied to a training set of 362 nonsmoking, smoking or ex-smoking severe asthma patients, and nonsmoking mild-moderate asthma patients using eight clinicophysiological variables, with validation performed in the remaining 181.

Research on Malodor Component Identification Based on Sensor Array.

With the rising demand for improved living standards and environmental protection, malodor pollution has emerged as a critical concern for both the public and regulatory authorities. Accurate prediction of malodor gas composition is essential for effective environmental monitoring and safety management. However, existing online malodor detection systems often suffer from short-term sensor drift, compromising their accuracy and long-term stability.

Neural control of the pathophysiology of allergic airway disease and its clinical implications: A focus on allergic rhinitis and asthma.

Dysregulation of neuronal control of the upper and lower airways plays an important role in the pathogenesis of common allergic airway diseases, such as allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. Peripheral nervous system has been shown to regulate innate and adaptive immune responses by releasing neuropeptides and neurotransmitters in both the upper and lower airways. In addition, various airway nociceptors have been shown to mediate immune-inflammatory responses and influence type 2 immunity in patients with AR and asthma.

The management of type 2 inflammatory respiratory diseases: a Chinese expert consensus [2024].

Background: Type 2 (T2) inflammatory respiratory diseases encompass a range of conditions characterized by inflammation affecting the airways and lung parenchyma, with their pathogenesis rooted in T2 inflammation. Biological treatments that mitigate T2 inflammation revolutionize the therapeutic landscape for these respiratory diseases. However, there are decision-making difficulties in terms of the target population, timing of initiation, and type selection for biological targeted therapy.

Combining Dual Biologics Therapy for Severe Asthma: A Series of Ten Cases.

Background: Biologic therapy has revolutionized the management of severe asthma, but a subset of patients with severe asthma exhibits symptoms inadequately controlled by monotherapy, potentially due to the involvement of multi-type 2 pathways. Dual biologic therapy has emerged as a promising strategy, but its efficacy and safety are not yet fully understood.

Objective: To describe the characteristics, endotyping features, decision-making process and therapeutic response of patients with severe asthma on dual biologic therapy in a real-world setting.

Real-Time 0.89 THz Terahertz Imaging with High-Electron-Mobility Transistor Detector and Hydrogen Cyanide Laser for Non-Destructive Nut Detection.

We present a method for real-time terahertz imaging that employs a hydrogen cyanide (HCN) laser as a terahertz source at 0.89 THz and an AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) terahertz detector as a camera. We developed an HCN laser and constructed a transmission imaging system based on it.

New insights into changes in ocular structural parameters in simulated hypobaric hypoxia.

Purpose: High altitude is the main area for human exploration, and human eye is an important organ for obtaining visual signals. The changes of ocular structural parameters in a simulated hypobaric hypoxia environment need to be clarified.

Methods: Measurements were taken at five altitudes ((1) ground, (2) 3500 m, (3) 4000 m, (4) 4500 m and (5) ground).

Novel insights into Cntnap4 in Alzheimer's disease: Intestinal flora interaction.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with unclear etiology. This study employs single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), high-throughput transcriptome sequencing, 16s rRNA sequencing, and animal experiments to investigate the role of the contactin-associated protein like-4 (Cntnap4) gene in AD and its interaction with intestinal flora. We found that Cntnap4 deficiency in AD mice led to increased Tau protein phosphorylation, amyloid-beta plaque accumulation, and neuronal loss.

Investigating the effects of simulated high altitude on colour discrimination.

Purpose: To quantify changes in colour vision immediately after exposure to different altitudes of low-pressure hypoxia.

Methods: The study involved 35 healthy participants (ages 20-26). Colour vision was assessed using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test at eight different altitudes (condition 1: ground, condition 2: 3500 m, condition 3: 3500 m after 40 min, condition 4: 4000 m, condition 5: 4000 m after 40 min, condition 6: 4500 m, condition 7: 4500 m after 40 min, condition 8: back to the ground).

An automatic cough counting method and system construction for portable devices.

Introduction: Cough is a common symptom of respiratory diseases, and prolonged monitoring of cough can help assist doctors in making judgments about patients' conditions, among which cough frequency is an indicator that characterizes the state of the patient's lungs. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to design an automatic cough counting system to monitor the number of coughs per minute for a long period of time.

Methods: In this paper, a complete cough counting process is proposed, including denoising, segment extraction, eigenvalue calculation, recognition, and counting process; and a wearable automatic cough counting device containing acquisition and reception software.

Elucidating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) soil-water partitioning behavior through explainable machine learning models.

In this study, an optimized random forest (RF) model was employed to better understand the soil-water partitioning behavior of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). The model demonstrated strong predictive performance, achieving an R of 0.93 and an RMSE of 0.

Comment on Dheyab AM. et al.'s "Long-Term Efficacy of Oral Valganciclovir in Presumed Cytomegalovirus Unilateral Hypertensive Anterior Uveitis".

The inclusion criteria of patients in this study were inconsistent especially in distinguishing Fuchs' uveitis and herpetic uveitis from Posner-Schlossman syndrome, indicating well-defined inclusion criteria were needed. CMV anterior uveitis and Posner-Schlossman syndrome may not be the same disease, CMV may only act as a triggering factor for Posner-Schlossman syndrome, and the clinical manifestations of mild anterior segment inflammation were mainly caused by inflammatory reactions mediated by autoimmune factors. Although the antiviral medication was important in the treatment of Posner-Schlossman syndrome, the role of other treatment methods especially topical steroids should not be ignored.

Efficacy and safety of caspofungin for the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: We assessed the efficacy of a 3-week primary or salvage caspofungin regimen in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and concomitant proven or suspected invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA).

Methods: Forty-four patients were treated with an initial loading caspofungin dose of 70 mg, followed by a daily dose of 50 mg for 20 days. The main efficacy endpoint was clinical effectiveness.

Efficacy of dupilumab and risk factors for dupilumab-induced hypereosinophilia in severe asthma: a preliminary study from China.

Objective: Dupilumab has been approved for the treatment of severe asthma with type 2 inflammation by inhibiting interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 signaling. However, dupilumab-induced hypereosinophilia (HE) has been reported and should not be ignored. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of dupilumab in Chinese patients with severe asthma, whether HE affects its efficacy, and the possible risk factors for HE.

Profiles of Cough and Associated Risk Factors in Nonhospitalized Individuals With SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Infection: Cross-Sectional Online Survey in China.

Background: Cough is a common symptom during and after COVID-19 infection; however, few studies have described the cough profiles of COVID-19.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, severity, and associated risk factors of severe and persistent cough in individuals with COVID-19 during the latest wave of the Omicron variant in China.

Methods: In this nationwide cross-sectional study, we collected information of the characteristics of cough from individuals with infection of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant using an online questionnaire sent between December 31, 2022, and January 11, 2023.

Fine particulate matter contributes to COPD-like pathophysiology: experimental evidence from rats exposed to diesel exhaust particles.

Background: Ambient fine particulate matter (PM) is considered a plausible contributor to the onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Mechanistic studies are needed to augment the causality of epidemiologic findings. In this study, we aimed to test the hypothesis that repeated exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP), a model PM, causes COPD-like pathophysiologic alterations, consequently leading to the development of specific disease phenotypes.

Citrus peel extract protects against diesel exhaust particle-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-like lung lesions and oxidative stress.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide and characterized by emphysema, small airway remodeling and mucus hypersecretion. Citrus peels have been widely used as food spices and in traditional Chinese medicine for chronic lung disease. Given that citrus peels are known for containing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, we hypothesize that citrus peel intake can suppress oxidative stress and inflammatory response to air pollution exposure, thereby alleviating COPD-like pathologies.

Identification of cough-variant asthma phenotypes based on clinical and pathophysiologic data.

Background: Cough-variant asthma (CVA) may respond differently to antiasthmatic treatment. There are limited data on the heterogeneity of CVA.

Objective: We aimed to classify patients with CVA using cluster analysis based on clinicophysiologic parameters and to unveil the underlying molecular pathways of these phenotypes with transcriptomic data of sputum cells.

Characteristics of patients with incidental eosinophilia admitted to a tertiary hospital in southern China.

Background: The characteristics of patients with eosinophilia are heterogeneous and the outcomes can vary from asymptomatic to severe.

Objective: To describe the feature of patients with eosinophilia in a single center.

Design: Based on the electronic medical records from Yangjiang People's Hospital in China, the inpatients admitted between June 2018 and February 2021 with measured blood eosinophil counts were evaluated.

Effects of tea saponin on the foaming properties of pea protein.

Plant proteins are becoming increasingly important for foam formation as an alternative to animal proteins. Consumers, however, are unsatisfied with the foaming properties of pea protein isolates. Recent research on proteins and surfactants has primarily concentrated on chemically synthesized surfactants.