Purpose: Recent studies had shown that gut microbiota played a significant role in the development of the immune system and may affect the course of airway allergic disease. We conducted this study ...to determine unique gut microbial associated with allergic disease in children by shotgun gene sequencing. Methods: We collected fecal samples from children with allergic asthma (n = 23) and allergic rhinitis (n = 18), and healthy control (n = 19). The gut microbiota of specimens was analyzed by high-throughput metagenomic shotgun gene sequencing. Results: The intestinal microbiota of children with allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis was characterized by increased microbial richness and diversity. Simpson and Shannon were significantly elevated in children with allergic asthma. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) showed that the gut microbial communities cluster patterns of children with asthma or rhinitis were significantly different from those of healthy controls. However, no significant difference was found between asthma group and rhinitis group At the phylum level, higher relative abundance of Firmicutes was found in the allergic rhinitis group and allergic asthma group, while the level of Bacteroidetes was significantly lower. At the genus level, Corynebacterium, Streptococcus, Dorea, Actinomyces, Bifidobacterium, Blautia, and Rothia were significantly enriched in the allergic asthma group. Finally, a random forest classifier model selected 16 general signatures to discriminate the allergic asthma group from the healthy control group. Conclusion: In conclusion, children in the allergic rhinitis group and allergic asthma group had altered gut microbiomes in comparison with the healthy control group. Compared to healthy children, the gut microbiome in children with allergic diseases has higher pro-inflammatory potential and increased production of pro-inflammatory molecules. Keywords: childhood, allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, gut microbiome, metagenomic sequencing
Senile osteoporosis (SOP) is one of the most prevalent diseases that afflict the elderly population, which characterized by decreased osteogenic ability. Glucosamine (GlcN) is an over-the-counter ...dietary supplement. Our previous study reported that GlcN promotes osteoblast proliferation by activating autophagy in vitro. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects and mechanisms of GlcN on senile osteoporosis and osteogenic differentiation in vivo. Aging was induced by subcutaneous injection of d-Galactose (d-Gal), and treated with GlcN or vehicle. The anti-senile-osteoporosis effect of GlcN was explored by examining changes in micro-CT, serum indicators, body weight, protein and gene expression of aging and apoptosis. Additionally, the effects of GlcN on protein and gene expression of osteogenesis and autophagy were observed by inhibiting autophagy with 3-methyladenine (3-MA). GlcN significantly improved bone mineral density (BMD) and bone micro-architecture, decreased skeletal senescence and apoptosis and increased osteogenesis in d-Gal induced osteoporotic mice. While all effect was reversed with 3-MA. GlcN effectively delayed the progression of osteoporosis in senile osteoporotic mice by promoting osteoblast autophagy. This study suggested that GlcN may be a prospective candidate drug for the treatment of SOP.
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Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Due to tendency of agglomeration in the nano-size scale, dispersion of silica nanosphere is of great importance for its application in aqueous phase system. In this paper, silica nanosphere was ...prepared by sol–gel method, followed by an immediate in-situ surface modification with siloxane-coupled polycarboxylate dispersants through a one-pot method. The particle size, surface topography, and chemical composition were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer, thermal gravimetry, and sedimentation test. For samples modified by siloxane-coupled polycarboxylate with concentration up to 3 wt%, the particle size decreased and monodispersity of the size increased, suggesting siloxane-coupled polycarboxylate have a size regulation effect on particle growth of silica nanosphere. Thermal gravimetry and energy dispersive spectrometer results confirmed that the dispersant strongly absorbed on the growing surface of silica nanosphere even after ultrasound cleaning and the absorbed amount increase with dispersant concentration for these samples. Compared with unmodified samples that completely precipitated after standing for 10 days, dispersion stability of modified samples in aqueous solution increased with dispersant solution content of up to 3 wt%. Interestingly, when siloxane-coupled polycarboxylate content increased to 5 wt%, particle size reverts back to larger size and the size dispersity increased which is due to decrease of dispersant absorption amount. The reverse behavior of higher dispersant concentration could be well explained by formation of dispersant micelles or oligomers, which indicates that there is an optimum modification concentration.
Graphical Abstract
To assess the clinical value of (18)F-FDGPET/CT in the diagnosis of larynx carcinoma. Methods Forty-seven patients with larynx carcinoma or suspected larynx carcinoma underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT ...examination within a week before therapy. The value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and staging of the malignancy was compared with that of unenhanced contrast CT.
Forty-seven patients with larynx carcinoma or suspected larynx carcinoma underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT examination within a week before therapy. The value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and staging of the malignancy was compared with that of unenhanced contrast CT.
Among the 47 patients, a definite diagnosis of larynx carcinomas was established pathologically in 43 patients. For detection of primary tumors, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of (18)F-FDG PET/CT were 95.3%, 75% and 93.6%, as compared with 74.4%, 50%, and 72.3% with unenhanced contrast CT scan, respectively, showing significant differences in the diagnostic sensitivity and accur
Periodontitis is a common oral disease accompanied by inflammatory bone loss. The pathological characteristics of periodontitis usually accompany an imbalance in the periodontal immune ...microenvironment, leading to difficulty in bone regeneration. Therefore, effective treatment strategies are needed to modulate the immune environment in order to treat periodontitis. Here, highly‐oriented periodic lamellae poly(ε‐caprolactone) electrospun nanofibers (PLN) are developed by surface‐directed epitaxial crystallization. The in vitro result shows that the PLN can precisely modulate macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype. Macrophages polarized by PLN significantly enhance the migration and osteogenic differentiation of Bone marrow stromal cells. Notably, results suggest that the topographical cues presented by PLN can modulate macrophage polarization by activating YAP, which reciprocally inhibits the NF‐κB signaling pathway. The in vivo results indicate that PLN can inhibit inflammatory bone loss and facilitate bone regeneration in periodontitis. The authors’ findings suggest that topographical nanofibers with periodic lamellae is a promising strategy for modulating immune environment to treat inflammatory bone loss in periodontitis.
Electrospinning combined with epitaxial crystallization is utilized to fabricate nanofibers with a highly‐oriented periodic lamellae topology that can activate physical signal transduction in macrophages. Then, topographical cues activate macrophages toward M2 polarization, and subsequently, to inhibit inflammatory bone loss in periodontitis. Notably, topographical cues exert their modulatory effect on macrophage polarization by activating YAP to reciprocally inhibit NF‐κB signaling.
Background Hyperhomocysteine is an independent risk factor of coronary heart disease （CHD）. However, whether hyperhomocys teine affects the progression of atherosclerosis is unclear. In the present ...study, we examined the effect of hyperhomocysteine on the forma tion of atherosclerosis in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient （LDLr ） mice. Methods Forty-eight 7-week-old LDLr/ mice were assigned to the following groups： mice fed a standard rodent diet （control group）, mice fed a high-methionine diet （high-methionine group）, mice fed a high-fat diet （high-fat group）, and mice fed a diet high in both methionine and fat （high-methionine and high-fat group）. At the age of 19, 23, and 27 weeks, four mice at each interval in every group were sacrificed. Results At the end of the study, mice did not show atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinus and aortic surface until 27 weeks old in the control group. However, atherosclerotic lesions developed in the other three groups at 19 weeks. The amount of atherosclerotic lesions on the aortic surface was lower in the high-methionine group than in the high-fat group （P 〈 0.001）. Atherosclerotic lesions on the aortic surface in the high-methionine and high-fat group were the most severe. The mean area of atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinus compared with atherosclerotic lesions on the aortic surface was lower in the high-methionine group than in the high-fat group （P 〈 0.001）. Atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinus in the high-methionine and high-fat group were the most severe. Conclusions Homocysteinemia accelerates atherosclerotic lesions and induces early atherosclerosis independently in LDLrmice. Reducing the level of homocysteinemia may be beneficial for prevention and treatment of CHD.
Toluene is one of the pollutants that are dangerous to the environment and human health and has been sorted into priority pollutants; hence, the control of its emission is necessary. Due to severe ...problems caused by toluene, different techniques for the abatement of toluene have been developed. Catalytic oxidation is one of the promising methods and effective technologies for toluene degradation as it oxidizes it to CO
2
and does not deliver other pollutants to the environment. This paper highlights the recent progressive advancement of the catalysts for toluene oxidation. Five categories of catalysts, including noble metal catalysts, transition metal catalysts, perovskite catalysts, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-based catalysts, and spinel catalysts reported in the past half a decade (2015–2020), are reviewed. Various factors that influence their catalytic activities, such as morphology and structure, preparation methods, specific surface area, relative humidity, and coke formation, are discussed. Furthermore, the reaction mechanisms and kinetics for catalytic oxidation of toluene are also discussed.
Poor adhesive performance is considered to be a major disadvantage of aramid fibers in the fabrication of aramid fiber reinforced polymer composites, and it's a main drawback to restrict its wide ...application. In this paper, fluorine-related free radicals induced by direct fluorination were detected by Electron Paramagnetic Spectrum (EPR), which were considered as active spots to initiate copolymerization between acrylic acid (AA) and divinylbenzene (DVB), and the copolymer was chemically grafted onto AF surface, thus aramid fiber was covalently decorated by plenty of –COOH groups. Furthermore, amine-functionalized carbon nanotubes were devised to undergo the condensation reaction with the –COOH groups on fiber surface so that high density of carbon nanotubes could be chemically grafted on aramid fiber surface. Testing of mechanical properties showed that there was almost no damage to the mechanical property of aramid fibers, and interfacial shear strength of modified fiber increased by 53.1% and 69.1% after grafting polyacrylic acid-divinylbenzene copolymer and carbon nanotubes in sequence, respectively. Mathematical analysis for the changes and relationships between surface energy, surface roughness of fibers and their IFSS revealed that specific surface energy made a greater contribution to the enhancement of IFSS than surface roughness, which proved that surface energy was more helpful to the interfacial properties of the composites. Additionally, electric conductivity of organic aramid fiber improved obviously with a conductivity of 0.48 S/m.
•A ferrimagnetic decorated kagome-like lattice was proposed under an external magnetic field.•Magnetization, susceptibility, internal energy specific heat and entropy were discussed by Monte Carlo ...simulation.•The change of critical temperature and compensation temperature with various parameters was gained.•Two compensation points behavior may appear in certain parameter range.•Multiple-loop hysteresis behaviors were found because of the competition among different Hamiltonian parameters.
The Monte Carlo study has been directed to the magnetic behaviors of a ferrimagnetic decorated kagome-like lattice by establishing the mixed spin-2 and spin-5/2 Ising system. Magnetization, susceptibility, internal energy, specific heat and entropy as a function of temperature have been discussed under the influence of diverse Hamiltonian parameters. The change of the critical temperature and compensation temperature with various parameters is also gained. Interestingly, two compensation points behavior may appear in certain parameter range. In particular, we have found that the present system can display various multiple-loop hysteresis behaviors because of the competition among different Hamiltonian parameters.
Two chemical looping technologies were included in the MSW to SNG-electricity process, namely chemical looping air separation (CLAS) and Calcium looping for CO2 absorption (CaL). The oxygen of MSW ...gasifier was provided by CLAS, which can reach a high-purity O2 flow with a relatively lower consumption compared with the traditional technologies. The CaL process was integrated with water-gas shift reactor (WGS) to transform CO to H2 while absorb the CO2, forming the WGS-CaL unit. The oxygen carrier of CLAS was Mn2O3/Mn3O4. The Mn3O4 absorbed oxygen from fresh air becoming Mn2O3, then went to reduction reactor to release oxygen returning to Mn3O4. The recycle of the oxygen carrier made the oxygen separated from air. The WGS-CaL unit used CaO/ CaCO3 as the recycle solid CO2 absorber accelerating the reaction of CO and H2O in water-gas shift reactor. And then, the CaCO3 was sent to calciner to release CO2 returning to CaO. The using of the two chemical looping technologies could achieve flowing three benefits: 1. Lower the consumption of air separation; 2. Adjust the CO/H2 ratio in the syngas entering SNG synthesis reactor; 3. Realize high-purity CO2 capture.
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•The detailed process and power system of SNG-electricity co-production treating MSW as material was proposed.•The technologies of chemical looping air separation and calcium looping for CO2 capturing were involved.•Parameters were analyzed while the exergy of the whole process was investigated.
This paper assesses, from a technical perspective, the conversion of municipal solid waste (MSW) to SNG and electricity through gasification simultaneously with a dual chemical looping process, namely chemical looping air separation and calcium looping CO2 absorption. This novel technology includes five main parts: chemical looping air separation (CLAS), MSW gasification, water-gas shift process with calcium looping for enhancement of CO2 absorption (WGS-CaL), heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and power island. The performance of CLAS, which presents an advantage over the other mature technologies in capital cost, is examined. WGS-CaL is an efficient method for SNG production and CO2 capturing. The three major factors, Mn/M to MSW (Mn/M), steam to MSW (S/M) and the ratio of syngas introduced to WGS were analyzed. Meanwhile, the exergy destruction analysis of whole process has also been calculated.
