Study of the Micromechanism of the Effect of Fatty Alcohol Poly(oxyethylene) Ether-9 on the Wettability of Jincheng Anthracite

The influence mechanism of the adsorption of fatty alcohol poly(oxyethylene) ether (AEO₉) on the wettability of anthracite coal was studied by means of experiments and simulations. First, the contact angle and surface tension were measured. When the AEO₉ concentration was 0.5 wt %, the contact angle and surface tension were the smallest, which were 10.28° and 25.39 mN m^-1, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that the content of C-O functional groups on the anthracite surface increased by 20.76% after adsorption of AEO₉. The molecular orbital energy and electrostatic potential of AEO₉ and anthracite were calculated by density functional theory (DFT). There are two modes of electron transfer between the two orbitals: highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) transfer of AEO₉ to lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) transfer of anthracite and HOMO transfer of anthracite to LUMO transfer of AEO₉. The dynamics simulation results show that the addition of AEO₉ increases the migration rate of water molecules, promotes the movement of a large number of water molecules toward the surface of anthracite, and enhances the thickness of the water molecular layer on the surface of anthracite. The analysis of the relative concentration shows that AEO₉ is distributed at the anthracite/water interface. AEO₉ molecules are intertwined and connected by hydrophobic chains to form a network structure, which covers the anthracite surface horizontally, thus promoting the strength of the anthracite/water interaction.

Comprehensive Temporal Protein Dynamics during Postirradiation Recovery in Deinococcus radiodurans

Deinococcus radiodurans (D. radiodurans) is an extremophile that can tolerate ionizing radiation, ultraviolet radiation, and oxidation. How D. radiodurans responds to and survives high levels of ionizing radiation is still not clear. In this study, we performed label-free proteomics to explore the proteome dynamics during postirradiation recovery (PIR). Surprisingly, proteins involved in translation were repressed during the initial hours of PIR. D. radiodurans also showed enhanced DNA repair and antioxidative response after 6 kGy of gamma irradiation. Moreover, proteins involved in sulfur metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism were enriched at 1 h and 12 h, respectively, indicating different energy and material needs during PIR. Furthermore, based on these findings, we proposed a novel model to elucidate the possible molecular mechanisms of robust radioresistance in D. radiodurans, which may serve as a reference for future radiation repair.

Semiconductor Multimaterial Optical Fibers for Biomedical Applications

Integrated sensors and transmitters of a wide variety of human physiological indicators have recently emerged in the form of multimaterial optical fibers. The methods utilized in the manufacture of optical fibers facilitate the use of a wide range of functional elements in microscale optical fibers with an extensive variety of structures. This article presents an overview and review of semiconductor multimaterial optical fibers, their fabrication and postprocessing techniques, different geometries, and integration in devices that can be further utilized in biomedical applications. Semiconductor optical fiber sensors and fiber lasers for body temperature regulation, in vivo detection, volatile organic compound detection, and medical surgery will be discussed.

Fall risks and the related factors for the homebound older people with dementia: Evidence from East China

Purpose

Falls are a major public health problem, especially for older people. This research aimed to provide a direct illustration of fall risks among the homebound older people with dementia in China, and to identify the risk factors associated with it.

Methods

In 2020, a questionnaire-based field survey was used to assess 1,042 people aged over 60 years in Ningbo, Eastern China. The Morse Fall Risk Scale's result was employed as the dependent variable, while the basic health problems, living environment difficulties, social support problems, and behavioral awareness issues were utilized as the independent variables; subsequently, chi-squared tests and four multivariate ordinarily ordered logistic regression models were performed.

Results

Overall, nine hundred and thirty-one older people with dementia were included in this study (the effective rate was 89.34%), with the majority of them having severe dementia (27.9%). Furthermore, 16.2% had fallen in the past 3 months, and 16.8% were at a high risk of falling. The risk factors for the older people's cognitive function included 80-90 years old, vascular dementia, marital status, and history of falls (P < 0.05); the kinds of chronic diseases, the activities of daily living, living environment, caregiver burden, caregiver knowledge, the Cohen Mansfield Agitation Inventory results, and the Clinical Dementia Rating were the protective factors for the risk of falls in them (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The risk of falling of the Chinese homebound older people with dementia was high. Their caregivers, such as relatives, need to pay attention to these risk factors and perform appropriate measures to prevent falls.

Side-Polish Plastic Optical Fiber Based SPR Sensor for Refractive Index and Liquid-Level Sensing

In this work, a simple side-polish plastic optical fiber (POF)-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is proposed and demonstrated for simultaneous measurement of refractive index (RI) and liquid level. The effects of side-polish depths on the sensing performance were studied. The experimental results show that the SPR peak wavelength will be changed as the RI changes, and the SPR peak intensity will be changed with the liquid level variation. By monitoring the changes in peak wavelength and intensity, the RI and liquid level can be detected simultaneously. Experimental results show that an RI sensitivity of 2008.58 nm/RIU can be reached at an RI of 1.39. This sensor has the advantages of simple structure and low cost, which has a good prospect in the field of biochemical sensing.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Workplace Violence Against Emergency Department Nurses in China

Objectives: We aim to find out the prevalence, characteristics, and predictors of workplace violence (WPV) against current Chinese emergency department (ED) nurses.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 20,136 ED nurses was conducted in 31 provinces in China between July and September 2019. Descriptive analyses were used to examine the prevalence and characteristics of WPV. Chi-square analysis and Binary logistic regression analysis were used to identify the predictors of WPV.

Results: During the past 12 months, there are 79.39% of ED nurses exposed to any type of WPV, including 78.38% and 39.65% exposed to nonphysical and physical violence, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis shows that ED nurses who were male, had bachelor’s degrees, had average monthly salary between 5,001 and 12,000, worked in central China, had higher professional titles, were more experienced, arranging shift work, and had higher work stress were more likely to experience WPV.

Conclusion: A relatively high prevalence of WPV against Chinese ED nurses has been revealed in this study. The characteristics and predictors of WPV remind us to take positive measures to reduce WPV.

Smart Insole Based on Flexi Force and Flex Sensor for Monitoring Different Body Postures

This study aims to fabricate smart insoles using wireless Flexi force and bend sensing technology. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film was chosen as the substrate to hold all the sensors. The developed smart insole has a three-layer structure (insole-PVC layer-fabric layer) and is calibrated in an isolation laboratory to evaluate its measurement performance. One male volunteer subject exhibited four different body postures, namely tree pose, forward-leaning, squatting, and forward folding pose. Changes in pressure distribution were considered to be similar for the forward, squat, and forward-folded positions. When subjects performed a full squat, the flex sensor exhibited maximum flexion during the squat position, and the flex sensor response against the squat pose was found to be higher by about 18.18% than in the forward lean, respectively. The tree pose has the highest error rate at the first metatarsal, about 18.6%, of which the maximum absolute relative error of the sensor is less than 5%. Plantar pressure distribution and body posture measurements were successfully validated using Flexi force and flex sensors embedded in the smart insole. The smart insole proposed in this research work has broader prospects for clinical application.

Cardiac Troponin I Detection using Gold/Cerium-Oxide Nanoparticles assisted Hetro-Core Fiber Structure

The article describes the development of a hetro-core optical fiber sensor structure based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) for the detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) solution. This was accomplished by fabricating a single-mode fiber - multimode fiber - single-mode fiber (SMS) structure. Then, fiber structure is immobilized with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂-NPs) to improve its sensing capabilities. An UV-Vis spectrophotometer and a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) are used to determine the morphology of synthesized nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to examine the state of immobilized NPs on the surface of sensing region. The developed sensor probe has a linear range of 0 to 1000 ng/mL cTnI, a sensitivity of 3 pm/(ng/mL), and a limit of detection (LoD) of 108.15 ng/mL. In real time, the proposed sensor will be used in a practice to detect acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Femtosecond laser point-by-point Bragg grating inscription in BDK-doped step-index PMMA optical fibers: erratum

An erratum is presented to correct the laser pulse energy applied on the fiber during grating fabrication in Opt. Lett.47(2), 249 (2022)10.1364/OL.450047.

Transmission performance of multimode W-type microstructured polymer optical fibers

By solving the time-independent power flow equation (TI PFE), we study mode coupling in a multimode W-type microstructured polymer optical fiber (mPOF) with a solid-core. The multimode W-type mPOF is created by modifying the cladding layer and reducing the core of a multimode singly clad (SC) mPOF. For such optical fiber, the angular power distributions, the length L_c at which an equilibrium mode distribution (EMD) is achieved, and the length z_s for establishing a steady state distribution (SSD) are determined for various arrangements of the inner cladding's air-holes and different launch excitations. This information is useful for the implement of multimode W-type mPOFs in telecommunications and optical fiber sensors.

Correction: Hu et al. Direct Bragg Grating Inscription in Single Mode Step-Index TOPAS/ZEONEX Polymer Optical Fiber Using 520 nm Femtosecond Pulses. Polymers 2022, 14, 1350

The authors wish to make a change to the published paper [...].

Do Migrant Residents Really Achieve Health Equity by Obtaining Urban Hukou? A Comparative Study on Health Service Utilization and Urbanization in Central China

Introduction

With more than 120 million rural-to-urban migrants, urbanization of the rural population requires deeply exploration in China.

Objective

This study focused on settled citizens who obtained urban Hukou (household registration) during urbanization and investigated their perceptions of health services in China.

Method

A cross-sectional comparison study with an original, closed questionnaire was conducted in two major cities of Hubei, central China, covering health status and both the satisfaction with and utilization of health services. In total, 863 residents with urban Hukou participated in this study; migrants formed the study group and original city residents formed the control group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce choice bias in the analysis steps. Besides basic description of the data, ordinary least squares regression (OLS regression) was used to discover the relationship between basic demographic indicators and health expenditure.

Results

PSM yielded 290 effective pairs for analysis. The results indicated an improvement in health status for migrant residents (study group) with a higher average score of self-reported health status and lower prevalence of chronic diseases than the control group. These scores were also better than the standard urban level in central China. The study group showed a higher clinic visit utility (69.63%), lower hospitalization utility (8.28%), less convenience of health service utility, and lower health expenditure than the control group. For the study group, the biggest difference was observed in satisfaction with health service costs, which was the least improved aspect after they obtained urban Hukou. The regression results demonstrated that age, family size, living expenditures, and marital status impacted health costs in the overall model and the influences of these factors differed between the study and control groups.

Conclusions

Obtaining urban Hukou helps migrant residents to meet their health service needs and receive equal access to health services. However, after obtaining urban Hukou, migrants also face great pressure in terms of health consumption. This study therefore offers guidance on the next steps for progressing China's urbanization.

Healthcare for Patients with Hepatitis B Virus: Analysis of 367 381 Inpatient Cases in China

OBJECTIVE

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which has been recognized as an international public health challenge, has caused significant morbidity for the entire world. This research focused on patients with HBV in China to examine health utilization and expenses.

METHODS

Patients hospitalized with HBV from 2017 to 2019 in tertiary hospitals in Hubei, a province located in central China, were selected as the study population. Healthcare information was collected from the provincial inpatient electronic system database. Univariate and regression analyses were performed to describe the basic situation of healthcare services and determine the influencing indicators of inpatient service expenditure.

RESULTS

A total of 367 381 cases of HBV infection were identified in the study area. Most of these cases were patients who were married (90.2%) and males (63%). With the great efforts by the universal coverage of the basic medical insurance (BMI) in China, the increasing rate of inpatient hospitalization for HBV was 3.5 times higher than that of the total inpatient health service cases in the study area. The average age of this group was 52.84±14.10 years and 11.1% of patients paid for their own medical expenditures without insurance. The average length of stay (LOS) was 11.10 days, and the average cost per patient was 15 712.05 RMB. Both values were higher than the average level in study area. Gender, marital status, career, payment type, and kind of hospitals significantly influenced healthcare utilization. Males and the elderly might incur higher healthcare costs than their counterparts.

CONCLUSION

The BMI operated by government has played a role in the utilization release of health services for HBV carriers. However, researchers must pay more attention to the continuing increase in the medical expenses of this group.

Computed Tomography Images under the Nomogram Mathematical Prediction Model in the Treatment of Cerebral Infarction Complicated with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation and the Impacts of Virus Infection

The aim of this work was to explore the effect of the nomogram mathematical model on the treatment of cerebral infarction complicated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and viral infection. The data were scanned by a circular trajectory fan beam isometric scanning mode system (scanning system), and the speckle noise of computed tomography (CT) images was smoothed by Lee filtering. 52 patients with postoperative recurrent viral infection (RVI group) and 248 patients without postoperative recurrent viral infection (NRVI group) were selected for retrospective analysis. The mathematical model curve was then analyzed through calibration plots and decision curves to predict the accuracy of the mathematical model. The results showed that the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy based on the training set were 0.7868, 0.7634, 0.6982, and 0.7146, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy based on the validation set were 0.7623, 0.7734, 0.6882, and 0.6948, respectively. There was no significant difference in the AUC between the two groups (P > 0.05), indicating that the nomogram mathematical prediction model had high repeatability. In conclusion, CT images based on the nomogram mathematical prediction model had good predictive ability in the treatment of cerebral infarction complicated with NVAF.

Performance analysis of an SMF-/MMF-based single/double/quadruple tapered optical fiber structure

This paper primarily discusses the structural performance analysis of a single/double/quadruple tapered optical fiber (TOF) structure based on single-mode fiber (SMF) and multi-mode fiber (MMF). Furthermore, the TOF's performance, including its diameter distribution, transmitted intensity, and reproducibility, is also evaluated. According to the experimental results, it can be concluded that the quadruple TOF structure based on SMF has a higher density of evanescent waves (EWs) on the surface of the tapered area, which is essential for the fabrication of high-sensitivity optical fiber sensors. The structure proposed in this article is feasible, and it can be used for optical fiber sensing while offering significant practical and promising applications as well.

Treatment of Mode Coupling in Step-Index Multimode Microstructured Polymer Optical Fibers by the Langevin Equation

By solving the Langevin equation, mode coupling in a multimode step-index microstructured polymer optical fibers (SI mPOF) with a solid core was investigated. The numerical integration of the Langevin equation was based on the computer-simulated Langevin force. The numerical solution of the Langevin equation corresponded to the previously reported theoretical data. We demonstrated that by solving the Langevin equation (stochastic differential equation), one can successfully treat a mode coupling in multimode SI mPOF as a stochastic process, since it is caused by its intrinsic random perturbations. Thus, the Langevin equation allowed for a stochastic mathematical description of mode coupling in SI mPOF. Regarding the efficiency and execution speed, the Langevin equation was more favorable than the power flow equation. Such knowledge is useful for the use of multimode SI mPOFs for potential sensing and communication applications.

A new species of Homatula (Teleostei, Cobitoidea, Nemacheilidae) from the Pearl River drainage, Yunnan, China

Based on morphological and molecular analysis of Homatula species distributed in the Nanpanjiang River in Yunnan, China, we described a new species, Homatula robustasp. nov. It differs from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: naked and robust body with well-developed crests (caudal peduncle depth as a percentage of its length: 70.5–78.5%); lateral line complete; median notch on lower jaw; median gap on lower lip; three pairs of short barbels, with maxillary barbels extending posteriorly to anterior edge of eyes; branched dorsal-fin rays 8½; and vertebrae 37–39. It can further be distinguished from H. nanpanjiangensis by several differences of the caudal skeleton such as the number of hypural elements, the presence of epurale and the shape of neural and haemal spines. Phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene indicated that the new species represents an independent lineage. It is separated from other Homatula species by a minimum of 5.3% Kimura-2-parameter distance in the COI gene. Furthermore, we confirmed that Homatula wenshanensis should be a member of Homatula based on both skeleton and molecular evidence.

Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B cleaves GSDMA and triggers pyroptosis

Gasdermins, a family of five pore-forming proteins (GSDMA-GSDME) in humans expressed predominantly in the skin, mucosa and immune sentinel cells, are key executioners of inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis), which recruits immune cells to infection sites and promotes protective immunity1,2. Pore formation is triggered by gasdermin cleavage1,2. Although the proteases that activate GSDMB, C, D and E have been identified, how GSDMA-the dominant gasdermin in the skin-is activated, remains unknown. Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A Streptococcus (GAS), is a major skin pathogen that causes substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide3. Here we show that the GAS cysteine protease SpeB virulence factor triggers keratinocyte pyroptosis by cleaving GSDMA after Gln246, unleashing an active N-terminal fragment that triggers pyroptosis. Gsdma1 genetic deficiency blunts mouse immune responses to GAS, resulting in uncontrolled bacterial dissemination and death. GSDMA acts as both a sensor and substrate of GAS SpeB and as an effector to trigger pyroptosis, adding a simple one-molecule mechanism for host recognition and control of virulence of a dangerous microbial pathogen.

Femtosecond laser point-by-point Bragg grating inscription in BDK-doped step-index PMMA optical fibers

In this paper, the inscription of 2-mm-long fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) on benzyl dimethyl ketal (BDK)-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) optical fibers by means of a femtosecond laser and a point-by-point FBG inscription technique is reported. The highest reflectivity of approximately 99% is obtained with a pulse energy of 68.5 nJ, showing a large refractive index modulation amplitude of 7.2 × 10^-4. Afterwards, grating stabilities at room and higher temperatures of up to 80°C are investigated.

Prognostic Significance of CCNB2 Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Purpose

The aim of this study was to explore potential gene therapy targets for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Patients and Methods

Three gene expression profiles (GSE64790, GSE62931, and GSE38959) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were analyzed. The GEO2R analysis tool was used to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between TNBC and normal tissues, followed by Gene Ontology functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis of the DEGs. The protein–protein interaction network of DEGs was visualized using Metascape to identify the core genes. Subsequently, transcriptional data for the core genes in patients with breast cancer were investigated in the ONCOMINE database. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic value of core gene expression levels in patients with TNBC. Finally, the clinicopathological and long-term follow-up data of 39 patients with TNBC were retrospectively analyzed at the First Affiliated Hospital of the Bengbu Medical College between January 2014 and July 2020. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression and subcellular localization of CCNB2 in TNBC tissues.

Results

A total of 66 DEGs were identified between TNBC and normal tissues, including 33 upregulated and 33 downregulated genes in TNBC. Furthermore, a potential protein complex was identified for five core genes. The high expression of these core genes, especially the overexpression of CCNB2, was correlated with a poor prognosis of patients with TNBC. The CCNB2 protein was expressed in the cytoplasm, and its expression was significantly higher in TNBC tissues than that in the adjacent nontumor tissues. Overall survival of patients was significantly correlated with the expression of CCNB2 (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

CCNB2 may play a crucial role in the development of TNBC and has the potential to be used as a prognostic biomarker for TNBC.

Intensity-Modulated Polymer Optical Fiber-Based Refractive Index Sensor: A Review

The simple and highly sensitive measurement of the refractive index (RI) of liquids is critical for designing the optical instruments and important in biochemical sensing applications. Intensity modulation-based polymer optical fiber (POF) RI sensors have a lot of advantages including low cost, easy fabrication and operation, good flexibility, and working in the visible wavelength. In this review, recent developments of the intensity modulation POF-based RI sensors are summarized. The materials of the POF and the working principle of intensity modulation are introduced briefly. Moreover, the RI sensing performance of POF sensors with different structures including tapered, bent, and side-polished structures, among others, are presented in detail. Finally, the sensing performance for different structures of POF-based RI sensors are compared and discussed.

Calculation of Bandwidth of Multimode Step-Index Polymer Photonic Crystal Fibers

By solving the time-dependent power flow equation, we present a novel approach for evaluating the bandwidth in a multimode step-index polymer photonic crystal fiber (SI PPCF) with a solid core. The bandwidth of such fiber is determined for various layouts of air holes and widths of Gaussian launch beam distribution. We found that the lower the NA of SI PPCF, the larger the bandwidth. The smaller launch beam leads to a higher bandwidth for short fibers. The influence of the width of the launch beam distribution on bandwidth lessens as the fiber length increases. The bandwidth tends to its launch independent value at a particular fiber length. This length denotes the onset of the steady state distribution (SSD). This information is useful for multimode SI PPCF applications in telecommunications and optical fiber sensing applications.

Biocompatible and Biodegradable Polymer Optical Fiber for Biomedical Application: A Review

This article discusses recent advances in biocompatible and biodegradable polymer optical fiber (POF) for medical applications. First, the POF material and its optical properties are summarized. Then, several common optical fiber fabrication methods are thoroughly discussed. Following that, clinical applications of biocompatible and biodegradable POFs are discussed, including optogenetics, biosensing, drug delivery, and neural recording. Following that, biomedical applications expanded the specific functionalization of the material or fiber design. Different research or clinical applications necessitate the use of different equipment to achieve the desired results. Finally, the difficulty of implanting flexible fiber varies with its flexibility. We present our article in a clear and logical manner that will be useful to researchers seeking a broad perspective on the proposed topic. Overall, the content provides a comprehensive overview of biocompatible and biodegradable POFs, including previous breakthroughs, as well as recent advancements. Biodegradable optical fibers have numerous applications, opening up new avenues in biomedicine.

Theoretical Investigation of the Influence of Wavelength on the Bandwidth in Multimode W-Type Plastic Optical Fibers with Graded-Index Core Distribution

The bandwidth of multimode W-type plastic optical fibers (POFs) with graded-index (GI) core distribution is investigated by solving the time-dependent power flow equation. The multimode W-type GI POF is designed from a multimode single-clad (SC) GI POF fiber upon modification of the cladding layer of the latter. Results show how the bandwidth in W-type GI POFs can be enhanced by increasing the wavelength for different widths of the intermediate layer and refractive indices of the outer cladding. These fibers are characterized according to their apparent efficiency to reduce modal dispersion and increase bandwidth.

Clinical features of cryptococcosis in patients with different immune statuses: a multicenter study in Jiangsu Province-China

Background

Current guidelines support different management of cryptococcosis between severely immunodeficient and immunocompetent populations. However, few studies have focused on cryptococcosis patients with mild-to-moderate immunodeficiency. We performed this study to determine the clinical features of pulmonary (PC) and extrapulmonary cryptococcosis (EPC) and compared them among populations with different immune statuses to support appropriate clinical management of this public health threat.

Methods

All cases were reported by 14 tertiary teaching hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China from January 2013 to December 2018. The trends in incidence, demographic data, medical history, clinical symptoms, laboratory test indicators, imaging characteristics and diagnostic method of these patients were then stratified by immune status, namely immunocompetent (IC, patients with no recognized underlying disease or those with an underlying disease that does not influence immunity, such as hypertension), mild-to-moderate immunodeficiency (MID, patients with diabetes mellitus, end-stage liver or kidney disease, autoimmune diseases treated with low-dose glucocorticoid therapy, and cancer treated with chemotherapy) and severe immunodeficiency (SID, patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, haematologic malignancies, solid organ transplantation or haematologic stem cell transplantation, idiopathic CD4 lymphocytosis, agranulocytosis, aggressive glucocorticoid or immunosuppressive therapy and other conditions or treatments that result in severe immunosuppression).

Results

The clinical data of 255 cryptococcosis patients were collected. In total, 66.3% of patients (169) were IC, 16.9% (43) had MID, and 16.9% (43) had SID. 10.1% of the patients (17) with IC were EPC, 18.6% of the patients (8) with MID were EPC, and 74.4% of patients (32) were EPC (IC/MID vs. SID, p < 0.001). Fever was more common in the SID group than in the IC and MID groups (69.8% vs. 14.8% vs. 37.2%, p < 0.001). Of chest CT scan, most lesions were distributed under the pleura (72.7%), presenting as nodules/lumps (90.3%) or consolidations (10.7%). Pleural effusion was more common in SID group compared to IC group (33.3% vs. 2.4%, p < 0.001). Positivity rate on the serum capsular polysaccharide antigen detection (CrAg) test was higher in the SID group than in the other two groups [100.0% vs. 84.4% (MID) vs. 78.2% (IC), p = 0.013]. Positivity rate on the serum CrAg test was also higher in cryptococcal meningitis patients than in PC patients (100.0% vs. 79.5%, p = 0.015).

Conclusions

The clinical presentation of MID patients is intermediate between SID and IC patients and is similar to that of IC patients. The serum CrAg test is more sensitive for the identification of SID or EPC patients.