Display omitted
•Ball milling improved the physicochemical characteristics of biochar.•Ball-milled biochars showed enhanced adsorption of VOCs.•VOC adsorption onto ball-milled biochars was controlled ...by surface adsorption and partition mechanisms.•Adsorbed VOCs were completely desorbed from ball-milled biochars.
Hickory wood was pyrolyzed at 300 °C, 450 °C, and 600 °C to produce biochars, which were then modified by ball milling. The pristine and ball-milled biochars were used to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including acetone, ethanol, chloroform, cyclohexane, and toluene. Compared with the corresponding pristine one, each ball-milled biochar showed significantly improved structural characteristics. Their specific surface area (SSA) increased by 1.4–29.1 times, average pore size (APS) decreased slightly, and the hydrophilicity and polarity were also enhanced according to the elemental analysis. The adsorption of VOCs by ball-milled biochar increased by 1.3–13.0 folds, and the maximum adsorption capacity of acetone was up to 103.4 mg/g. The adsorption of polar VOCs (acetone, ethanol, and chloroform) onto ball-milled biochars was mainly controlled by surface adsorption process, which was affected by the SSA, APS, and volatile organic matter of the biochars, as well as the properties of the VOCs. The adsorbed VOCs were completely desorbed from the ball-milled biochars at relatively low temperature (≤115.2 °C). Reusability experiments with five adsorption-desorption cycles showed that ball-milled biochar had an excellent reusability for all VOCs. Ball-milled biochars can therefore be used as an effective and regenerable adsorbent for the removal of VOCs.
Buffalo is an important livestock species. Here, we present a comprehensive metagenomic survey of the microbial communities along the buffalo digestive tract. We analysed 695 samples covering eight ...different sites in three compartments (four-chambered stomach, intestine, and rectum). We mapped ~85% of the raw sequence reads to 4,960 strain-level metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and 3,255 species-level MAGs, 90% of which appear to correspond to new species. In addition, we annotated over 5.8 million nonredundant proteins from the MAGs. In comparison with the rumen microbiome of cattle, the buffalo microbiota seems to present greater potential for fibre degradation and less potential for methane production. Our catalogue of microbial genomes and the encoded proteins provides insights into microbial functions and interactions at distinct sites along the buffalo digestive tract.
Introduction The buffalo is an important domestic animal globally, providing milk, meat, and labor to more than 2 billion people in 67 countries. The rumen microorganisms of buffaloes play an ...indispensable role in enabling the healthy functionality and digestive function of buffalo organisms. Currently, there is a lack of clarity regarding the differences in the composition and function of rumen microorganisms among buffaloes at different growth stages. Methods In this study, metagenomics sequencing technology was applied to examine the compositional and functional differences of rumen microorganisms in adult and breastfed buffaloes. Results The results revealed that the rumen of adult buffaloes had significantly higher levels of the following dominant genera: Prevotella, UBA1711, RF16, Saccharofermentans, F23-D06, UBA1777, RUG472, and Methanobrevibacter_A. Interestingly, the dominant genera specific to the rumen of adult buffaloes showed a significant positive correlation (correlation>0.5, p-value<0.05) with both lignocellulose degradation-related carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and immune signaling pathways activated by antigenic stimulation. The rumen of breastfed buffaloes had significantly higher levels of the following dominant genera: UBA629, CAG- 791, Selenomonas_C, Treponema_D, Succinivibrio, and RC9. Simultaneously, the rumen-dominant genera specific to breastfed buffaloes were significantly positively correlated (correlation>0.5, p-value<0.05) with CAZymes associated with lactose degradation, amino acid synthesis pathways, and antibiotic-producing pathways. Discussion This indicates that rumen microorganisms in adult buffaloes are more engaged in lignocellulose degradation, whereas rumen microorganisms in breastfed buffaloes are more involved in lactose and amino acid degradation, as well as antibiotic production. In conclusion, these findings suggest a close relationship between differences in rumen microbes and the survival needs of buffaloes at different growth stages.
Abstract
Background
Goat is an important livestock worldwide, which plays an indispensable role in human life by providing meat, milk, fiber, and pelts. Despite recent significant advances in ...microbiome studies, a comprehensive survey on the goat microbiomes covering gastrointestinal tract (GIT) sites, developmental stages, feeding styles, and geographical factors is still unavailable. Here, we surveyed its multi-kingdom microbial communities using 497 samples from ten sites along the goat GIT.
Results
We reconstructed a goat multi-kingdom microbiome catalog (GMMC) including 4004 bacterial, 71 archaeal, and 7204 viral genomes and annotated over 4,817,256 non-redundant protein-coding genes. We revealed patterns of feeding-driven microbial community dynamics along the goat GIT sites which were likely associated with gastrointestinal food digestion and absorption capabilities and disease risks, and identified an abundance of large intestine-enriched genera involved in plant fiber digestion. We quantified the effects of various factors affecting the distribution and abundance of methane-producing microbes including the GIT site, age, feeding style, and geography, and identified 68 virulent viruses targeting the methane producers via a comprehensive virus-bacterium/archaea interaction network.
Conclusions
Together, our GMMC catalog provides functional insights of the goat GIT microbiota through microbiome-host interactions and paves the way to microbial interventions for better goat and eco-environmental qualities.
Clinical trials examining the therapeutic benefit of modafinil in MS fatigue provide conflicting data. The goal of this study was to systematically evaluate the efficacy of modafinil using a ...meta-analytic method.
A systematic literature search was performed on published peer reviewed articles from 2000 to 2017 using the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and EMBASE. This review included double blind, randomized controlled trials, which evaluated modafinil in MS fatigue. The primary outcome measure was the estimated treatment difference in the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale score (MFIS) and Fatigue Severity Scale score (FSS). A secondary outcome measure was the estimated treatment difference in the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT).
A total of 303 patients from five randomized controlled trials were included in the analyses. Modafinil was superior to placebo with an estimated treatment difference according to the MFIS (MD = −5.27, 95% CI: −8.51 to −2.03, P = 0.001). For the FSS, there was no significant difference between the two groups (MD = 2.50, 95%CI: −0.70 to 5.70, P = 0.13). For the secondary outcome, there was no significant difference between groups studied using the SDMT (MD = 0.23, 95% CI: −0.25 to 0.71, P = 0.35).
Our meta-analysis showed that modafinil was an effective pharmacologic therapy for MS fatigue. Additional research is required to determine optimal dosing and treatment schedules.
•The benefit of modafinil in multiple sclerosis fatigue is controversial.•We included a comprehensive collection of RCTs in this analysis.•Modafinil is an effective pharmacologic therapy for multiple sclerosis fatigue.
Chemotherapy is a strategy for patients with advanced prostate cancer, especially those with castration-resistant prostate cancer. Prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs) are believed to be the origin of ...cancer recurrence following therapy intervention, including chemotherapy. The mechanisms underlying the chemoresistance of PCSCs are still poorly understood. In the present study, fluorescence-activated cell sorting was used to isolate PCSCs from LNCaP and PC3 cell lines. 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2
H
-tetrazolium bromide was used to measure the cell viability. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were utilized to evaluate the mRNA and protein levels. ShRNA was employed to knock down target gene expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was performed to explore the detailed mechanism underlying ABCC1 expression. Our results revealed that the sorted PCSCs showed enhanced chemoresistance ability than matched non-PCSCs. Protein level of activated form of NOTCH1(ICN1) was significantly higher in PCSCs. Inhibition of NOTCH1 with shRNA could decrease ABCC1 expression, and improve chemosensitivity in PCSCs. Finally, ChIP–PCR showed ICN1 could directly bind to the promoter region of ABCC1. In conclusion, NOTCH1 signaling could transactivate ABCC1, resulting in higher chemoresistance ability of PCSCs, which might be one of the important mechanisms underlying the chemoresistance of PCSCs.
At present, robust quality criteria and methods for the assessment of Peak inspiratory flow meter performance are lacking.
A standard flow-volume simulator for quality control analyses of an ...inhalation assessment device was utilized with different simulated resistance levels in order to propose a quality testing method and associated standard for this device type.
A standard flow-volume simulator was utilized to assess the performance of an In-Check DIAL® (Device I) and an intelligent inhalation assessment device (Device P) at a fixed volume and flow rate. Indices used to evaluate these two instruments included repeatability, accuracy, linearity, and impedance.
Both devices exhibited good repeatability (<± 3 L/min). The difference between test results and standard simulator values for Device P was less than ± 5 L/min at resistance level R1 but higher than ± 5 L/min at resistance levels R2-5, while Device I were greater than 5 L/min at all resistance levels. The relative error for Device P was <± 10% at resistance levels R1, R2, and R4, but > 10% at resistance levels R3 and R5. The relative error values for Device I at all five resistance levels were > 10%. Device P passed the linearity test at the R2 resistance level, while Device I partially passed the linearity test at all five resistance levels.
Standard monitoring methods and standards provide a valuable approach to the more reliable clinical assessment and application of these instruments.
PDF
