Background: The prevalence of food allergies (FA) in children increased rapidly at the turn of the century. The EuroPrevall study identified Germany as a country with very high prevalence of FA at that time. Using two large German birth cohorts we provide an update of the status quo ten years later. Methods: KUNO Kids and Ulm SPATZ Health studies are two ongoing prospective birth cohorts. Information on FA was obtained by questionnaires at birth and after 6, 12 and 24 months. Univariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate risk factors during pregnancy, birth and early childhood. Results: In 1139 and 1006 children from KUNO Kids and SPATZ the point prevalence of parent-reported FA symptoms at the ages of 1 and 2 years was 13.2% and 13.9 % in KUNO Kids. Doctor’s diagnosed FA at 1 and 2 years was 2.4% and 2.7% in KUNO Kids and 2.3% and 3% in SPATZ. Cow’s milk and citrus fruits were most frequently suspected by parents to cause FA symptoms. Atopy in the child was associated with a higher frequency of FA at any time, whereas atopy in first degree relatives was only associated with FA at year 1. Smoke exposure during pregnancy was a risk for FA at age 2. Conclusion: The prevalence of food allergy seems to have plateaued in the last 10 years in Germany. FA is often suspected by parents but only rarely diagnosed by oral food challenge. Risk factor analysis may help to establish personalized health approaches.

Bovine leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects cattle herds, causing economic losses due to reproductive problems, which require expensive treatments. The main source of transmission for cattle is still uncertain, but it has been described that rodents and bats can play an important role in the transmission cycle by being maintenance hosts for the pathogenic species of the bacterium and spreading it through urine. In this study, we characterize possible risk areas for bovine leptospirosis exposure in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, based on the geographical distribution of flying (bats) and terrestrial (rodents and opossums) wild hosts of Leptospira sp. reported in Mexico in addition with climatic, geographic, soil characteristics, land use and human activities variables (environmental variables). We used a generalized linear regression model (GLM) to understand the association between the frequency of anti- Leptospira sp. antibodies (a proxy of exposure to) in cattle herds exposed to Leptospira, the favorability of wild hosts of Leptospira as well as the environmental variables. The parameterized model explains 12.3% of the variance. The frequency of anti- Leptospira sp. antibodies exposoure in cattle herds was associated with elevation, geographic longitude, pH of the soil surface and environmental favorability for the presence of rodents, opossums, and bats. The variation in exposure is mainly explained by a longitudinal gradient (6.4% of the variance) and the favorability-based indices for wild hosts (9.6 % of the variance). Describing the possible risks for exposure to Leptospira in an important and neglected livestock geographical region, we provide valuable information to the selection of areas for diagnosis and prevention of this relevant disease.

In a study on the prevention of injury in patients with H63D syndrome and cataplexy, statistical analysis revealed an unexpected but clinically highly significant finding. Apparently, in this patient population, an inverse correlation exists between the severity of tic symptomatology on the one hand and narcolepsy with cataplexy on the other hand, as well as a parallel increase in the typical signs of degeneration observed in transcranial sonography of the substantia nigra. This finding has clinically far-reaching implications.

To understand the effect of temperature to the adsorption, 104 ppbv and 1044 ppbv methyl iodide (CH3I) adsorptions on reduced silver-functionalized silica aerogel (Ag0-Aerogel) at 100, 150 and 200 ℃ were performed. In the experiments, a significantly high uptake rate (3 – 4 times higher than that at 100 and 150 ℃) was observed for the 104 ppbv adsorption at 200 ℃. To explain such behavior, a potential reaction pathway was proposed and multiple physical analyses including nitrogen titration, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed. Based on the results, the contributing factors appear to be the formation of different Ag-I components induced by temperature, higher silver site availability, decreasing diffusion limitation, and increasing reaction rate described by the Arrhenius relationship.

Cu-ZSM-5 was prepared on the paper-like sintered stainless steel fibers (PSSF) by ion-exchange method for catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of phenol in a fixed bed reactor. The prepared Cu-ZSM-5/PSSF catalyst was characterized by SEM, BET, XRD, FT-IR and UV-vis, respectively. And the effects of different catalyst bed height, reaction temperature and feed flow rate on catalytic performance were investigated to obtain optimum reaction condition. Finally, the catalytic reaction kinetics analysis over Cu-ZSM-5/PSSF catalyst were carried out with the Power-rate Law Kinetic model. The experimental results showed that the reaction order was the first-order reaction, and the activation energy of the oxidation reaction was Ea=72.9 kJ/mol. The initial oxidation rate equation (−rA0=5.36×108 e−72994/RT CA) was obtained for phenol degradation using Cu-ZSM-5/PSSF catalyst.

In this study, the absorption process of the aqueous DEEA solution for CO2 capture in polytetrafluoroethylene hollow-fiber membrane contactor was investigated by both experiment and simulation. Based on the finite element analysis method, a two-dimensional steady-state mathematical model was established using COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software to calculate the CO2 mass transfer flux (JCO2) of DEEA in the hollow fiber membrane contactor under non-wetting and partial wetting conditions and the distribution of CO2 concentration under corresponding conditions. The results show that the predicted JCO2 under 15% membrane wetting conditions is in good agreement with the experimental value, and the mass transfer performance is severely reduced under wetting conditions. In addition, a dimensionless equation was developed to predict the liquid phase, gas phase and membrane phase mass transfer coefficient and JCO2. The calculated JCO2 values are in good agreement with the experimental values with the average relative deviation (AARD) of 9.4%.

Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) emerge as candidates to extract organic substrates from aqueous solutions. The DES-aqueous liquid-liquid interface plays a vital role in the extraction ability of hydrophobic DES because the non-bulk structure of molecules at the interface could cause thermodynamic and kinetic barriers. One question is how the DES compositions affect the structural features of the DES-aqueous liquid-liquid interface. We investigate the density profile, dipole moment and hydrogen bonds of eight hydrophobic DES-aqueous liquid-liquid interfaces using molecular dynamics simulations. The eight DESs are composed of four organic compounds: decanoic acid, menthol, thymol, and lidocaine. The simulation results show the variations of dipole moment and hydrogen bond structure and dynamics at the liquid-liquid interfaces. Such variations could influence the extraction ability of DES through adjusting the partition and kinetics of organic substrates in the DES-aqueous biphasic systems.

This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of widely applied approach of modeling noncircular channels and washcoats of monolithic catalysts with equivalent circular geometrical shapes. For this purpose, catalytic performance of equivalent circular and square channel cross-sectional shapes with single-layer Pt/Al2O3 and dual-layer Fe-ZSM-5+Pt/Al2O3 washcoats are investigated. For the noncircular cross-sections, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics models that consider species gases convection inside the channel bulk flow region, and reaction and diffusion of species inside the washcoat layer(s) are utilized to simulate the performance of one channel of the monolithic catalytic converters. In addition, in order to investigate the amount of inaccuracy of 2D modeling approach for noncircular channels, 2D models are applied to simulate the equivalent monolithic catalysts with circular cross-sections, and the results of the 2D and 3D models are compared together, and also, with the experimental and 1D+1D modeling technique results available in the literature.

Zeolites with encapsulated transition metal species are extensively applied in the chemical industry as heterogenous catalysts for favorable kinetic pathways. To elucidate the energetic insights into formation of subnano-sized molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) encapsulated/confined in zeolite Y (FAU) from constituent oxides, we performed a systematic experimental thermodynamic study using high temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry as the major tool. Specifically, the formation enthalpy of each MoO3/FAU is less endothermic than corresponding zeolite Y, suggesting enhanced thermodynamic stability. As Si/Al ratio increases, the enthalpies of formation of MoO3/FAU with identical loading (5 Mo-wt%) tend to be less endothermic, ranging from 61.1 ± 1.8 (Si/Al = 2.9) to 32.8 ± 1.4 kJ/mol TO2 (Si/Al = 45.6). Coupled with spectroscopic, structural and morphological characterizations, we revealed intricate energetics of MoO3 – zeolite Y guest – host interactions likely determined by the subtle redox and/or phase evolutions of encapsulated MoO3.

Solution crystallization is an important separation unit operation in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production. Solvent is one of the important factors affecting crystal morphology. How to select/design suitable crystallization solvents is still one of the most urgent problems in the crystallization field. In this paper, a framework for crystallization solvent design based on the developed quantitative control model of crystal morphology is proposed. First, molecular dynamics is used to predict the crystal morphology in solvents. Next, nine solvent descriptors are selected. Then, the quantitative relationship between crystal aspect ratio and solvent descriptors is developed. Subsequently, Computer-Aided Molecular Design (CAMD) method is integrated with the developed quantitative control model. The crystallization solvent design problem is expressed as a Mixed-Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP) model, which is solved by the decomposition algorithm. Finally, the crystallization solvent design framework is applied to two cases: benzoic acid and ibuprofen, and experimental verification is implemented.

Quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) studies based on deep neural networks (DNN) are receiving increasing attention due to their excellent performances. A systematic methodology coupling multiple machine learning technologies is proposed to solve vital problems including applicability domain and prediction uncertainty in DNN-based QSPRs. Key features are rapidly extracted from plentiful but chaotic descriptors by principal component analysis (PCA) and kernel PCA. Then, a detailed applicability domain (AD) is defined by K-means algorithm to avoid unreliable predictions and discover its potential impact on uncertainty. Moreover, prediction uncertainty is analyzed with dropout-embedded DNN by thousands of independent tests to assess the reliability of predictions. The prediction of flashpoint temperature is employed as a case study demonstrating that the model accuracy is remarkably improved comparing with the referenced model. More importantly, the proposed methodology breaks through difficulties in analyzing the uncertainty of DNN-based QSPRs and presents an AD correlated with the uncertainty.

The clustering is critical to understanding the multiscale behavior of fluidization. However, its time-resolved evolution on the particle level is seldom touched. Here, we explore both the time-averaged and time-resolved dynamics of clusters in a quasi-2D fluidized bed. Particle tracking velocimetry is adopted and then clusters are identified by using the Voronoi analysis. The time-averaged results show that the cluster hydrodynamic parameters depend highly on the cluster size and the distance from the wall. The number distribution of the cluster size follows a power law (~nc-2.2)) of the percolation theory except for large clusters (nc>100). The time-resolved analysis shows that the cluster coalescence can be simplified as a collision between two inelastic clusters, during which the net external force is roughly zero, and a snowplow model is proposed to predict its energy loss, ΔE ~ t3/2. The cluster rupture is suggested to be caused by increasing torque.

This study considers the development of suitable models for the estimation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) indices of organic chemicals based on their molecular structure. The models developed here follow the well-established Group-Contribution (GC) approach and a variety of regression and non-regression methodologies are recruited to achieve the optimum correlation. These models can then be used, alongside other GC models, to screen for molecules with optimal and/or desirable properties, using appropriate molecular design synthesis algorithms. The LCA indices considered here are the Global Warming Potential (GWP), Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) and EcoIndicator 99 (EI99). The model development uses data from existing LCA databases, where each material is associated with its cradle-to-gate LCA metrics, GWP, CED and EI99. The paper presents the model development results, and applies the proposed LCA models on a typical case study for the design of LL-extraction solvents to separate an n-butanol – water mixture.

Climate change and disease are threats to biodiversity that may compound and interact with one another in ways that are difficult to predict. White-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by a cold-loving fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans), has had devastating impacts on North American hibernating bats, and impact severity has been linked to hibernaculum microclimate conditions. As WNS spreads across the continent and climate conditions change, anticipating these stressors’ combined impacts may improve conservation outcomes for bats. We build on the recent development of winter species distribution models for five North American bat species, which used a hybrid correlative-mechanistic approach to integrate spatially explicit winter survivorship estimates from a bioenergetic model of hibernation physiology. We apply this bioenergetic model given the presence of P. destructans , including parameters capturing its climate-dependent growth as well as its climate-dependent effects on host physiology, under both current climate conditions and scenarios of future climate change. We then update species distribution models with the resulting survivorship estimates to predict changes in winter hibernacula suitability under future conditions. Exposure to P. destructans is generally projected to decrease bats’ winter occurrence probability, but in many areas, changes in climate are projected to lessen the detrimental impacts of WNS. This rescue effect is not predicted for all species or geographies and may arrive too late to benefit many hibernacula. However, our findings offer hope that proactive conservation strategies to minimize other sources of mortality could allow bat populations exposed to P. destructans to persist long enough for conditions to improve.

FOOD PROTEIN–INDUCED ENTEROCOLITIS SYNDROME IN PRETERM NEWBORNS

Background: Wilms Tumour (WT) is one of the most curable childhood cancers. High cure rates seen in the high-income countries are not duplicated in low and middle-income countries due to several constraints. We reviewed our data over the last 20 years in order to highlight some of these challenges. Methods: This is a retrospective review of medical notes of children with WT under the age of 18 years presenting to our institution between 1 November 1997 and 30 November 2017. Demographic, presentation and treatment details were recorded and factors associated with poor outcome were analysed. Results: Of the 211 children presenting with WT 117(55.5%) were males. Median age at presentation was 3 (Range 0-18) years. One hundred and twelve (53.7%) of these presented without any prior treatment, while 72 (34.1%) presented after tumour excision. Metastatic status was available for 178 patients; 117 (68%) had localised tumours, 36(21.8%) had metastatic disease and 25(11.9%) presented with recurrent mass. Thirty-nine (18.4%) patients refused treatment and 6(2.8%) died before starting treatment. During treatment, 23(13.4%) children died and 21(12.2%) abandoned. Only 99 patients finished treatment, 83 (83.8%) of whom are well off therapy and 15 (15.2%) have relapsed. Six (40%) of the 15 children who relapsed are alive after salvage therapy, while the remaining 9 (60%) have died. Conclusions: Our data highlights the challenges of managing WT in resource poor environments. Prior surgery, incomplete staging work-up and abandonment are some of the most frequently encountered barriers. A multipronged approach is required to overcome these challenges.

Patients suffering from H63D syndrome have a significant incidence of narcolepsy with cataplexy as a symptom. Previous studies have shown that the presence of narcolepsy with cataplexy in the context of H63D syndrome is a surrogate marker for structural brain damage. Now, the aim was to clarify which measures best protect affected patients with cataplexy from injury.

Seed dispersal, by entailing multiple benefits to plants and frugivores, potential drives trait evolution and species diversification. Frugivory and seed dispersal shaped the coevolution of interacting clades, with consequences to speciation and diversification evidenced for e.g., primates. Evidences for macro-coevolutionary patterns in multi-specific, plant-animal mutualisms are scarce, and the mechanisms driven them remain unexplored. We tested for phylogenetic congruences in primate-plant interactions in Neotropics and show that both primates and plants share evolutionary history. Phylogenetic congruence between Platyrrhini and Angiosperms was asymmetrically driven by the most generalist primates interacting with a wide-range of specialist Angiosperms. Consistently similar eco-evolutionary dynamics seem to be operating irrespective of local assemblages, since the signal emerged independently across three Neotropical regions. Our analysis supports the idea that macroevolutionary, coevolved patterns among interacting mutualistic partners are driven by super-generalist taxa. Trait convergence among multiple partners within multi-specific assemblages appears as a mechanism favouring these coevolved outcomes.

The preparation of hydrogen by photocatalytic principle is an important subject in the future energy direction. This article intends to design the catalytic structure of a crystalline (amorphous) TiO2/two-dimensional MoS2 sandwich structure supporting a single-atom, and explore the effect of this special structure on the photocatalytic reaction.Calculating the effective mass, electrostatic potential, light absorption spectrum and other related properties by DFT method, the analysis shows that the sandwich structure catalyst has good carrier transfer ability and electron-hole separation ability. Except for the Pt@Amorphousr-TiO2/MoS2 sandwich structure single-atom catalyst, which only has an excellent effect on the oxygen evolution of water, the rest of the interlayer catalysts have the two characteristics of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution.The new catalyst designed in this paper has innovative design ideas and high-efficiency research and development value.

Objective To explore whether thin endometrial thickness (EMT) is associated with singleton low birth weight (LBW) from single fresh blastocyst transfer. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Reproductive center. Population All women were ≤40 years old and underwent single fresh blastocyst transfer and singleton live birth. Interventions None. Methods Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between thin EMT and singleton LBW. Main outcome measures LBW was the primary concern of this study. Results In total, 2847 women met the study inclusion criteria. The neonatal birthweight in the EMT ≤7.5 mm group was significantly lower than that in the EMT 7.6~12.0 mm and EMT >12.0 mm group (P<0.001). The rate of LBW in the EMT ≤7.5 mm group was 24.9%, which was significantly higher than the 4.0% in the EMT 7.6~12.0 mm group and the 5.3% in the EMT >12.0 mm group (P<0.001). The total neonatal malformation rate was similar between the groups (1.1%, 0.8% and 1.5%, P=0.21). After multiple logistic regression analysis, EMT≤7.5 mm was an independent risk factor for LBW (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 4.39, 95% CI: 1.85～10.46, P<0.001). Conclusions Thin EMT (≤7.5 mm) on the hCG trigger day is an independent risk factor for singleton LBW from single fresh blastocyst transfer. The neonatal birthweight in the EMT ≤7.5 mm group was significantly lower than that in the EMT 7.6~12.0 mm and EMT >12.0 mm groups. The total neonatal malformation rate was comparable between the groups.

Developmental studies of sharks and rays (elasmobranchs) have provided much insight into the process of morphological evolution of vertebrates. Although those studies are supposedly fueled by large-scale molecular sequencing information, whole-genome sequences of sharks and rays were made available only recently. One compelling difficulty of elasmobranch developmental biology is the low accessibility to embryonic study materials and their slow development. Another limiting factor is the relatively large size of their genomes. Moreover, their large body sizes restrict sustainable captive breeding, while their high body fluid osmolarity prevents reproducible cell culturing for in vitro experimentation, which has also limited our knowledge of their chromosomal organization for validation of genome sequencing products. This article focuses on egg-laying elasmobranch species used in developmental biology and provides an overview of the characteristics of the shark and ray genomes revealed to date. Developmental studies performed on a gene-by-gene basis are also reviewed from a whole-genome perspective. Among the popular regulatory genes studied in developmental biology, I scrutinize shark homologs of Wnt genes that highlight vanishing repertoires in many other vertebrate lineages, as well as Hox genes that underwent an unexpected modification unique to the elasmobranch lineage. These topics are discussed together with insights into the reconstruction of developmental programs in the common ancestor of vertebrates and its subsequent evolutionary trajectories that mark the features that are unique to, and those characterizing the diversity among, cartilaginous fishes.

A 44‑year‑old male patient was referred to our department with unremarkable physical examination and laboratory data due to a mass which was incidentally found in the right atrial during a routine examination.Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a 46×30 mm, well-delimited, non-mobile mass in the superior portion of the right atrium. Besides the intracardiac mass, another low density was detected in adjacent pericardial cavity at cardiac computed tomography ;he extracardiac mass appeared to be caused by invasive growth from the intracardiac mass.An operation was performed through right anterolateral minithoracotomy with the patient under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. During operation, it was found that the surface of the right atrium was covered by an adipose mass (30×40 mm; Fig. 2A). Intracardiac mass also showed yellow adipose tissue (40×50 mm; Fig. 2B). Both parts of the mass infiltrated the myocardium. The mass was resected completely; and right atrium was reconstructed by using bovine pericardium pad. After the operation, the pathology confirmed the both intracardiac and extracardiac tissues as lipoma; transthoracic echocardiogram showed the atrial mass was removed completely and the left ventricular ejection fraction was normal . The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged home after 7 days.

Objectives Oral tongue cancer is the most prevalent type of oral cavity cancer and presents the worst prognosis. With the use of tumor, lymph node, distant metastasis (TNM) staging system, only the tumor and lymph node size are taken into account. However, several studies have considered the tumor volume as a possible significant prognostic factor of oral tongue cancer with cervical lymph node metastasis. Our study, therefore, aimed to explore the prognostic implications of the relevant nodal volume. Design, Setting and Participants Medical records and imaging (either from computed tomography scan, CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging scan, MRI scan) of 70 patients diagnosed with oral tongue cancer with cervical lymph node metastasis between January 2011 and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Main outcome measures The nodal volume was measured from the imaging using the Eclipse application (Version 15.6.05, Varian company) and was further analyzed for its prognostic implications, particularly on overall survival, disease-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival. Results From a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the optimal cut-off value of the nodal volume was 3.95 cm3, to predict the disease prognosis, in terms of overall survival and metastatic-free survival (p= <0.001 and p=0.005, respectively), but not the disease-free survival (p=0.241). For the multivariable analysis, the nodal volume, but not TNM staging, was a significant prognostic factor for distant metastasis (HR=4.5, 95%CI 1.1-17.94, p=0.036 vs p=0.459, respectively). Conclusions In patients with oral tongue cancer and cervical lymph node metastasis, the presence of a nodal volume of 3.95 cm3 was a poor prognostic factor for distant metastasis. Therefore, the lymph node volume from the current imaging protocol may be useful in adjunct with the current staging system to predict the disease prognosis

Influenza viruses have been posing a great threat to public health and animal industry. The developed vaccines have been widely used to reduce the risk of potential pandemic; however, the ongoing antigenic drift makes influenza virus escape from host immune response and hampers vaccine efficacy. Until now, the genetic basis of antigenic variation remains largely unknown. In this study, we used A/swine/Guangxi/18/2011 (GX/18) and A/swine/Guangdong/104/2013 (GD/104) as models to explore the molecular determinant for antigenic variation of Eurasian avian-like H1N1 (EA H1N1) swine influenza viruses (SIVs), and found that the GD/104 virus exhibited 32~64-fold lower antigenic cross-reactivity with antibodies against GX/18 virus. Therefore, we generated polyclonal antibodies against GX/18 or GD/104 virus and a monoclonal antibody (mAb), named mAb102-95, targeted to the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of GX/18 virus, and found that a single amino acid substitution at position 158 in HA protein substantially altered the antigenicity of virus. The reactivity of GX/18 virus containing G158E mutation with the mAb102-95 decreased 8-fold than that of the parental strain. Contrarily, the reactivity of GD/104 virus bearing E158G mutation with the mAb102-95 increased by 32 times as compared with that of the parental virus. Structural analysis showed that the amino acid mutation from G to E was accompanied with the R group changing from -H to -(CH 2) 2-COOH. The induced steric effect and increased hydrophilicity of HA protein surface jointly contributed to the antigenic drift of EA H1N1 SIVs. Our study provides experimental evidence that G158E mutation in HA protein affects the antigenic property of EA H1N1 SIVs, and widens our horizon on the antigenic drift of influenza virus.