Search Results (233)

Background: Diagnosing food allergy (FA) typically involves a detailed clinical history and confirmation of allergen-specific IgE. Oral food challenges (OFCs) remain the gold standard in FA diagnosis. This study aimed to present our experience in performing OFCs in pediatric patients with particular focus on challenges performed with cow’s milk and hen’s egg. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 205 OFCs. Clinical data were evaluated and multiple logistic regression was used to identify associations between challenge outcomes, reaction severity, and comorbidities. Results: The mean age of patients was 5.7 ± 3.1 years, with 135 (65.9%) being male. The tested foods included cow’s milk protein (CMP, 103 challenges; 50.2%), hen’s egg white protein (HEWP, 84; 41.0%), peanuts (3; 1.5%), tree nuts (4; 2.0%), gluten (3; 1.5%), hen’s egg yolk (4; 2.0%), and other foods (4; 2.0%). The overall OFC failure rate was 32.2%, and five challenges (2.4%) yielded inconclusive results. The median cumulative reactive dose was 0.27 g for baked CMP and 0.58 g for baked HEWP. Most failed OFCs involved mucocutaneous symptoms (44 cases; 66.7%). Severe multisystemic reactions occurred in four patients (2.0%), all of whom required epinephrine (6.1% of positive challenges). An increased risk of OFC failure was associated with asthma (p = 0.028; 95% CI: 0.07–1.27) and multi-food allergy (p = 0.021; 95% CI: 0.14–1.67). Additionally, the coexistence of asthma and a prior history of anaphylaxis to any food was related to OFC failure (p = 0.049; 95% CI: 0.01–2.19), as was the combination of multi-food allergy and previous anaphylaxis (p = 0.043; 95% CI: 0.03–1.70). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to predict outcomes of OFCs to baked milk and baked egg and determined a specific IgE (sIgE) cutoff level of 58.1 kU/L for baked milk challenges (AUC: 0.77; sensitivity: 0.588; specificity: 0.882), and 11.3 kU/L for baked egg challenges (AUC: 0.66; sensitivity: 0.692; specificity: 0.607). Conclusions: Our findings confirm that OFCs are a safe and effective tool for diagnosing FA in children. With appropriate patient selection, the risk of severe reactions remains low. Nonetheless, comorbidities such as asthma and multi-food allergy are associated with an increased likelihood of OFC failure. Full article

Extracellular electron transfer is crucial in the microbial reduction of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], and N-acylated-_L-homoserine lactones (AHLs) could accelerate this process. In this study, fulvic acid (FA) was used as an electron shuttle to enhance the microbial reduction process via stimulating extracellular electron transfer efficiency. Compared with 9,10-anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (AQS), FA had a stronger positive effect on Cr(VI) reduction by S. putrefaciens, showing the ability of stimulating S. putrefaciens to release AHLs. The concentrations of C6-HSL, C8-HSL and 3OC10-HSL increased by 11.79 ng/L, 19.82 ng/L and 3.01 ng/L after the addition of 2% FA. The bioinformation analysis indicated that AHLs could regulate the synthesis of electron shuttles by S. putrefaciens, such as riboflavin. And the addition of exogenous C6-HSL, C8-HSL, C10-HSL, C12-HSL and 3OC10-HSL increased the Cr(VI) reduction rates by 1.73%, 2.39%, 4.18%, 1.45% and 2.70%, because they could promote the release of riboflavin. It revealed a new pathway by which FA promoted microbial Cr(VI) reduction. This study also provides a novel approach for enhancing the microbial Cr(VI) reduction and a deeper understanding of the communication mechanism among microorganisms. Full article

Natural phosphate ores frequently contain calcium–magnesium carbonate minerals as gangue components. Their separation from target phosphate minerals poses significant challenges due to analogous surface characteristics. The flotation differentiation between fluorapatite and dolomite remains a key research focus in mineral processing. In conventional collector systems, selective depressants critically govern separation efficiency, as their interfacial specificity directly determines beneficiation outcomes. The selective depression behavior of fulvic acid (FA) in modulating fluorapatite–dolomite separation efficiency within oleate-dominated flotation systems was elucidated through micro-flotation experiments, complemented by zeta potential measurements, contact angle analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The findings revealed that fluorapatite and dolomite both exhibit high floatability under NaOl-mediated collector systems in the absence of depressant additives, leading to negligible selectivity in the differential separation of the mineral pair. However, the float of fluorapatite particles in weakly acidic conditions was strongly depressed when a small amount of FA was added as a depressant, while exerting minimal impact on dolomite’s floatability. In binary artificial mixed-mineral flotation systems, under optimized flotation conditions (pH 5.0, 60 mg/L NaOl, and 15 mg/L FA), the concentrate achieved a P₂O₅ grade of 33.86% with a fluorapatite recovery rate of 92.36%, demonstrating significant selective separation of fluorapatite from dolomite. Subsequent analysis revealed that FA competitively chemisorbs with NaOl on fluorapatite surfaces, selectively reducing the hydrophobicity of the fluorapatite surface and suppressing fluorapatite floatability, thereby enabling effective differential liberation of the mineral pair. Full article

Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by persistent inflammation. Reliable biomarkers for predicting disease reactivation are lacking. This study aimed to investigate serum cytokines and cytotoxic molecules in both the inactive (iSLE) and active (aSLE) phases to identify potential predictors of disease activity. Methods: Fifty-five SLE patients were classified as having iSLE (n = 36) or aSLE (n = 19) on the basis of clinical parameters and the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K). Serum levels of cytokines, cytotoxic molecules, and CD8⁺ cells were analyzed through flow cytometry and principal component analysis (PCA). Additionally, seventeen healthy donors (HDs) served as a control group. Results: Serum perforin (median: 2219 pg/mL; p = 0.0020) and granulysin (median: 1347 pg/mL; p = 0.010) levels were significantly higher in patients with aSLE than in patients with iSLE. In contrast, sFas levels were elevated in both SLE groups compared with those in the HD group. Moreover, increased perforin and granulysin levels were correlated with increased SLEDAI-2K scores, and the proportion of cytotoxic cells (CD8⁺granzyme-B⁺perforin⁺ cells) was correlated with disease activity. Conclusions: The increased levels of cytotoxic molecules and the high CD8⁺ cell proportions suggest that integrating these parameters with traditional biomarkers could enhance disease monitoring and management. Full article

Serratia marcescens is a common Gram-negative and facultative anaerobic bacillus that produces serratiochelins with several bioactivities. In this study, four catechol siderphores (1–4), including two new ones named serratiochelins E (1) and F (2), were obtained from the fermentation of a mangrove-derived bacterium, S. marcescens F2-2. The structures were elucidated with various spectroscopic methods such as NMR and HR-ESI-MS. Absolute and geometric configurations of the new compounds were established by employing quantum NMR calculations in conjunction with DP4+ probability analysis, ECD calculations, and the advanced Marfey’s method. The bioactivity test showed that serratiochelin B (3) displayed weak but selective cytotoxicity against HepG2 cancer cells with an IC₅₀ of 50.6 μmol/L and could trigger apoptosis through both Bcl-2/Bax/caspase-3 and Fas/FasL/caspase-8 signaling pathways. These findings deepen the understanding of siderophores of S. marcescens and provide a lead for research on anti-liver cancer drugs. Full article

Background: Tennessee has one of the worst rankings for older adults’ oral health in the United States. This study aims to evaluate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among older individuals (aged 60 and above) in Tennessee using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire. Methods: The data were collected from the 233 Tennessee Smile-on program participants in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, between December 2019 and August 2021. The frequency and percentage for each subgroup were calculated. Cronbach’s alpha was used to measure the internal consistency or reliability of OHIP in this study. Factor Analysis (FA) with oblique rotation was conducted to explore the underlying factor structure of the OHIP questionnaire set. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The majority of participants were retired (59.66%), and there was a significant difference in OHIP_sum scores among different employment statuses (p = 0.018). Cronbach’s alpha showed the domains of psychological discomfort, physical disability, and psychological disability were highly correlated with the total score (alpha = 0.8). Factor analysis identified three main dimensions: physical discomfort, psychological distress, and functional disability, and they can explain over 90% of the total variance. Individuals measure of sampling adequacy (MSA) and overall MSA are greater than 0.9, indicating excellent sampling adequacy. Conclusions: The study suggested that oral health can be assessed not only through examinations by dental professionals but also by considering emotional and social well-being. However, a limitation of the study is that it was conducted during the COVID-19 outbreak, which restricted participant involvement. Full article

Fly ash is produced in thermoelectric power plants and is commonly used in the construction industry due to its pozzolanic properties. This study investigates the relationship between the chemical composition and the radioactive content of fly ash (FA) from 10 different samples and bottom ash (BA) from one of these samples. The results indicate a significant correlation between the chemical composition of FA and its content of natural radionuclides from the uranium and thorium series, along with ${}^{40}\mathrm{K}$. The oxides ${\mathrm{P}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_5$, ${\mathrm{K}}_2\mathrm{O}$, and $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{a}}_2\mathrm{O}$ exhibited a greater influence compared to $\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ and $\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{l}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ in relation to the radioactive content of FA. Furthermore, the presence of $\mathrm{C}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{O}$ and $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{O}}_3$ showed an inverse relationship with the content of natural radionuclides from the uranium series. On the other hand, the radionuclides of the thorium series were associated with the presence of the oxides $\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{l}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ and $\mathrm{T}\mathrm{i}{\mathrm{O}}_2$. FA and BA exhibited significant differences in their composition, with higher activity concentrations in BA than in FA, except for ${}^{210}\mathrm{Pb}$ and ${}^{40}\mathrm{K}$. The most critical estimated annual effective dose for workers was $43.7\hspace{0.25em}\mathsf{\mu }\mathrm{S}\mathrm{v}\hspace{0.25em}{\mathrm{y}}^{-1}$, indicating no significant radiological risk for workers. Full article

Auricularia auricula (L.) is a widely cultivated edible mushroom, and the resource utilization of its residues offers significant opportunities for sustainable waste management and nutrient recovery. This study investigated the effects of substrate composition on nutrient dynamics and microbial diversity during the aerobic composting of Auricularia auricula (L.) residues. Two treatments were established: composting of Auricularia auricula (L.) residues alone (CR) and composting supplemented with green grass (CRG) over a 49-day period. The results showed that both treatments achieved compost maturity, characterized by a slightly alkaline pH, a germination index (GI) above 80%, and an electrical conductivity below 4 mS/cm. Both composts were odorless, insect-free, and dark brown. Compared to CR, the CRG treatment exhibited higher total organic carbon (TOC) degradation, cumulative total phosphorus (TP) and potassium (TK) levels, as well as enhanced urease, cellulase, and β-glucosidase activities. In contrast, CR retained higher total nitrogen (TN), humic carbon (HEC), fulvic acid carbon (FAC), humic acid carbon (HAC), and a greater humic-to-fulvic acid (HA/FA) ratio. Microbial community analysis revealed diverse bacterial and fungal taxa, with certain species positively correlated with nutrient cycling. Notably, specific substrate compositions promoted beneficial microbial proliferation, essential for efficient composting and nutrient mineralization. These findings not only provide a scientific basis for optimizing composting strategies of mushroom residues but also offer a practical pathway to convert agricultural waste into high-quality organic fertilizers. By enhancing soil fertility, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers, and promoting circular bioeconomy practices, this study contributes directly to sustainable agricultural development. CR and CRG treatments, respectively, support either nutrient retention or release, allowing tailored application based on crop demand and soil condition. This study underscores the potential of Auricularia auricula (L.) residues in composting systems, contributing to waste reduction and soil fertility enhancement through tailored substrate management, and offers practical insights into optimizing composting strategies for Auricularia farming by-products. Full article

Background/Objectives: Hepcidin is a negative regulator of iron absorption that is released by hepatocytes. It is one of the main contributors to hypoferremia and anemia in inflammatory and oncological disorders that are mediated by the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6/STAT3 pathway. Ferulic acid (FA) is a phenolic compound with pleiotropic biological activities, including anti-inflammatory activity. However, its effect on hepcidin secretion is still unknown. Thus, this study aimed to explore the impact of FA on hepcidin levels and the underlying mechanism. Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with different log percentages of FA, and their viability was determined via the MTT assay. The relative expression of IL-6 and HAMP in treated and untreated cells was measured via qRT-PCR, and the protein levels of hepcidin, IL-6 and STAT3 were measured using ELISA. Results: The MTT test showed an inverse relationship between FA concentrations and HepG2 cell proliferation; FA’s IC₅₀ value was 0.07669%. The expression levels of IL-6 and HAMP were significantly increased in HepG2 cells following 24 h of culture with 4 μg/mL LPS. Meanwhile, the addition of FA significantly decreased the relative expression levels of these two genes and the secretion levels of IL-6, STAT3 and hepcidin compared to the cells treated with LPS alone. Conclusions: Overall, these findings show that FA modifies inflammatory pathways, affecting hepcidin levels via the IL-6/STAT3 pathway. Thus, this suggests FA as a potential therapeutic agent against the hypoferremia and anemia developed due to dysregulated hepcidin levels in diseases such as inflammatory and oncological disorders. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems improve pharmacokinetic aspects, including controlled release and drug targeting, increasing therapeutic efficacy, and reducing toxicity in conventional colon cancer treatment. The superparamagnetism of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) appears to be a potential alternative for magnetothermal therapy, inducing tumor cell death by an external magnetic field. Therefore, this study aimed to develop chitosan (CS) and folate-chitosan (FA-CS)-coated MNP to improve the stability and targeting of the system for quercetin (Q) delivery. Methods: After FA-CS synthesis and 3² factorial design, polymer-functionalized MNPs were produced for quercetin loading, characterized, and evaluated by drug dissolution and cytotoxicity assay. Results: The factorial design indicated the positive influence of CS on MNPs’ Zeta potential, followed by the CS–temperature interaction. Optimized formulations had hydrodynamic diameters of 122.32 ± 8.56 nm, Zeta potentials of +30.78 ± 0.8 mV, and loading efficiencies of 80.45% (MNP-CS-Q) and 54.4% (MNP-FA-CS-Q). The 24 h drug release was controlled in MNP-CS-Q (up to 6.4%) and MNP-FA-CS-Q (up to 7.7%) in a simulated tumor medium, with Fickian diffusion release mechanism correlated to the Korsmeyer–Peppas model (R > 0.99). The cytotoxicity assay in HCT-116 showed a higher (p < 0.001) dose-dependent antitumor effect of quercetin-loaded MNP compared to free drug, with IC50s of 1.46 (MNP-CS) and 1.30 µg·mL⁻¹ (MNP-FA-CS). Conclusions: Therefore, this study contributes to the development of biomedical nanotechnology and the magnetic debate by highlighting the antitumor potential of quercetin magnetic nanoparticles. The experimental design allows the discussion of critical manufacturing variables and the determination of optimal parameters for the formulations. Full article

Metabolic disorders and brain insulin resistance (IR) are major risk factors for the development of neurodegenerative conditions. Kumquat fruit (KF) administration has demonstrated significant anti-dysmetabolic effects, improving peripheral IR in murine models of metabolic syndrome. Along these lines, this study evaluated the neuroprotective effects of KF supplementation in a model of dysmetabolism-induced neuronal damage and its ability to counteract the disruption of brain insulin signalling. To this end, biochemical and histological analysis assessed neuroapoptosis, disruption of brain insulin signalling and neuroinflammation in a model of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced neuronal damage. Our findings demonstrate, for the first time, that KF supplementation significantly counteracts HFD-induced neuroapoptosis downregulating pro-apoptotic genes (FAS-L, BIM and P27) and upregulating the anti-apoptotic ones (BDNF and BCL-2). Coherently, KF positively influenced the expression of selected genes related to Alzheimer’s Disease. Relevantly, these effects were associated to KF ability to restore brain insulin signalling by increasing insulin receptor expression, reducing IRS-1 serine phosphorylation, enhancing both AKT activation and GSK-3β inactivation. Accordingly, KF suppressed HFD-neuroinflammation, counteracting the overexpression of NF-κB and its downstream enzymatic products, iNOS and COX-2. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the neuroprotective benefits of KF administration, supporting its potential as a dietary intervention for dysmetabolic-related neurodegenerative disorders. Full article

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the solidification microstructure of CJ5L Recycled Stainless Steel in the cast state on its thermoplasticity. Therefore, the residual ferrite, solidification structure, and high-temperature thermoplasticity in both Recycled and Non-Recycled steel ingots are examined. The principal experimental techniques employed include SEM, OM, EPMA, and EDS. It was observed that the solidification microstructure underwent a gradual transformation from a dendritic structure with a skeletal shape to a worm-like dendrite as the thickness increased. This resulted in the formation of large equiaxed grains at the center of the steel ingots. The cooling rate decreased from 3~16 °C/s at the surface to below 0.8 °C/s at the center. The residual ferrite gradually transformed from a skeletal to granular and rod-like form with increasing depth, eventually forming a ferrite network at the center of the casting. In the Recycled steel, the composition segregation resulted in the formation of a network ferrite aggregation at the center of the steel ingots. The analysis of microstructure changes in conjunction with thermodynamic calculations revealed that the solidification mode of CJ5L stainless steel underwent a transition from the ferritic–austenitic (FA) mode to the austenitic–ferritic (AF) mode with increasing casting thickness. This resulted in an increase in the amount of residual ferrite from the surface to the center. The high-temperature thermoplasticity analysis of CJ5L stainless steel showed that at temperatures between 800 °C and 900 °C, the casting displayed optimal properties, minimizing crack formation during subsequent processing. Full article

Emerging xenobiotics, such as tetracycline (TC), pose significant risks to both the environment and human health. Adsorption is a recognized method for removing these contaminants, and in this study, fly ash (FA), a by-product of coal combustion, was modified to develop adsorbents. Acid-modified FA (AM-FA) and base-modified FA (BM-FA) were prepared, and zeolite Na-P1 (ZNa-P1) was synthesized via hydrothermal treatment. Adsorption tests revealed that BM-FA and ZNa-P1 removed 76% and 90% of TC, respectively, compared to 35% with unmodified FA. AM-FA had the lowest performance, removing just 11% of TC. ZNa-P1’s superior performance was linked to its high zeolite purity, with a cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 6.37 meq/g and a surface area of 35.7 m²/g. Though BM-FA had a larger surface area of 110.8 m²/g, it exhibited a lower CEC of 3.42 meq/g. Adsorption efficiency was more closely related to CEC than surface area. Optimal TC removal with ZNa-P1 was achieved at a 7.5 g/L dosage and pH 5. The process followed pseudo second order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm, with a maximum capacity of 46.34 mg/g at 30 °C. The adsorption thermodynamics indicated that the adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous. The adsorption mechanism of tetracycline on ZNa-P1 involved electrostatic attraction, hydrogen, and ion exchange. This study aligns with SDGs 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Full article

Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) are recognized as promising sustainable hydrogen (H₂) carriers due to their high volumetric capacity and ability to store H₂ at ambient conditions, eliminating the need for energy-intensive liquefaction or compression processes associated with H₂ or ammonia gas. One of the main current drawbacks, however, is LOHCs’ high energy demand for H₂ release. This work presents the photo-induced liberation of H₂ from formic acid (FA) as a liquid H₂ carrier, using visible light and well-established 5 wt% palladium nanoparticles supported over carbon (Pd/C). We show that low-power light-emitting diodes (LEDs) produced higher gas flow than their thermal baseline (35 $°$C), with 27.2 mL/min and 7.72 mL/min, respectively. Further, the rate of gas evolved with light intensity, catalyst loading, and the concentration of FA. Light-induced dehydrogenation shows similar deactivation as the known thermal mechanisms, such as the decreased Pd²⁺/Pd⁰ ratio and Pd nanoparticle agglomeration. Hence, these observations suggest a photothermal mechanism, whereby the LED provides heat efficiently absorbed by the Pd/C catalyst and enhanced by Pd’s ability to absorb light, thereby driving the FA dehydrogenation reaction at ambient conditions. Full article

To safeguard historic centers with masonry buildings in medium-high seismic areas, the local seismic response (LSR) should be used. These portions of the urban areas are commonly characterized by complex subsurface features (i.e., underground cavities, buried anthropic structures, and archeological remains) that could be responsible for unexpected amplifications at period intervals similar to the building’s ones. In this study, San Giustino’s Square (Chieti, Italy) was considered due to the differentiated damage caused by the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake mainshock (6 April 2009 at 3:32 CEST, 6.3 M_w). Out of the eight buildings overlooking the square, the structure that suffered the heaviest damage was the Justice Palace. Two-dimensional finite element analyses have been carried out in San Giustino’s square to predict the LSR induced by the seismic shear wave propagation. The influence of the Chieti hill, the anthropogenic shallow soil deposit, and the manmade cavity were investigated. The results outlined that the amplifications of the seismic shaking peaked between 0.2 and 0.4 s. The crest showed amplifications over a wide period range of 0.1–0.8 s with an amplification factor (FA) equal to 2. Throughout the square, FA = 2.0–2.4 was predicted due to the cavities and the filled soil thickness. The large amplified period range is considered responsible for the Justice Court damage. Full article