Comparison of Th17 cells mediated immunological response among asthmatic children with or without allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there were differences in Th17 cells mediated immunological responses among asthmatics with or without allergic rhinitis. METHODS: A case-control comparison was conducted in a cohort of 67 children with asthma (AS), 50 children with allergic rhinitis (AR), 52 children with both AS and AR (ASR), 25 infectious rhinitis (IR), and 55 healthy controls (HC). The percentages of circulating Th17 cells were determined by flow cytometry. The Th2- and Th17-related cytokines in plasma and culture supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of proinflammation cytokine IL-17E on Th2 cytokines production from human T helper (Th) lymphocytes was analyzed. RESULTS: (1) A inter-group comparison revealed that Th17 cells levels were highest in ASR group [(0.89% ± 0.27) %], following by AS group [(0.82 ± 0.29) %] and AR group[(0.78 ± 0.17) %] (P < 0.05). (2) After in-vitro stimulation with house dust mite (HDM) antigen, the levels of IL-4 and IL-17E in culture supernatants of PBMCs from allergic children (AS group, AR group and ASR group) were significantly enhanced. (3) The release of Th2 cytokines from IL-17E treated Th cells of allergic children (AS group, AR group and ASR group) were significantly induced, no similar result was observed in IR group and HC group. CONCLUSIONonclusion: Our findings preliminarily revealed that Th17 cell and its related cytokines might be involved in pathogenesis of airway inflammation diseases, and also presenting varying immunological characteristics among asthmatic children with or without allergic rhinitis.

Drop transport and positioning on lubricant-impregnated surfaces.

We demonstrate the transport and positioning of water droplets on macro-patterned lubricant-impregnated surfaces. The macro-patterning produces menisci features in the impregnating liquid layer which interact with a droplet via a capillary mechanism similar to the Cheerios effect. These interactions control the droplet motion and positioning on an otherwise completely slippery surface. We present experimental results using a V-shape channel geometry as a model system. The interaction between deformations on the lubricant layer induced by the droplet and the underlying V-shape geometry leads to both local and global equilibrium positions for the droplet within the channel. We present a mathematical model to quantify the transition from local equilibrium states to the global equilibrium state and show that the latter can be described on the basis of a force balance along the apparent contact line of the droplet. We highlight possible applications where lubricated macro-patterned surfaces can be used to control the motion and localisation of droplets.

The relationship between mass customization and sustainable performance: The role of firm size and global E-commerce.

The formation of mass customization competencies is crucial for the increasing number of manufacturing companies in modern times. This study assessed the relationship between mass customization capability and its determinants on sustainable performance. Additionally, it explores the mediating role of mass customization capability and sustainable performance, while also examining the moderating effects of firm size and cross-border eCommerce in these associations. The study used online survey data from 339 manufacturing small-to-medium-sized enterprises in China to test the hypothesized relationships. The collected data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling and necessary condition analysis. The results indicated that flexible manufacturing competencies, modular product architecture, and customer relationship management are significantly and positively connected to mass customization capability. Moreover, the study observed that mass customization capability and competitive pressure have a significant positive influence on the sustainable performance of Chinese manufacturing SMEs. The findings also revealed that firm size and cross-border e-commerce engagement have a negative and positive moderating effect, respectively, between mass customization capability on sustainable performance, which confirms a relatively higher effect of customization capability on sustainable performance among smaller firms and firms engaged in cross-border eCommerce. Fundamentally, these findings can lead to the development of a comprehensive framework to promote mass customization capability, cross-border e-commerce, and sustainable development of manufacturing small-to-medium-sized enterprises China.

Clinical efficacy and safety of adjunctive treatment of chronic ischemic heart failure with Qishen Yiqi dropping pills: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Our study was to evaluate the effect of Qishen Yiqi Dropping Pills(QSYQ) on the prognosis of chronic ischemic heart failure(CIHF) and its safety. Methods: Databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library and EMbase were searched from their inception to April 2023 to screen relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Primary indicators included readmission rates, rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and all-cause mortality rates. The quality of the literature was assessed according to the Cochrane Reviewers' Handbook 5.0 and the Modified Jadad Scale (with a score of 4-7 rated as high quality). Meta-analysis was performed using the meta-package created by R software version 4.2.3, continuous data were compared using SMDs, and dichotomous and ordered data were compared using ORs; and the I2 test was used to assess the heterogeneity. Results: Fifty-nine studies out of 1,745 publications were finally included, totalling 6,248 patients. Most studies were poorly designed and had some publication bias, with only 26 high-quality papers (Jadad score ≥4). Meta-analysis showed that the combined application of QSYQ was able to reduce the readmission rate [OR = 0.42, 95% CI (0.33, 0.53), P < 0.001], all-cause mortality rate [OR = 0.43, 95% CI (0.27, 0.68), P < 0.001], and the incidence of MACE [OR = 0.42, 95% CI (0.31, 0.56), P < 0.001]. Also, the treatment method can improve clinical effectiveness [OR = 2.25, 95% CI (1.97, 2.58), P < 0.001], increase 6-min walking distance (6MWD) [SMD = 1.87, 95% CI (1.33, 2.41), P < 0.0001] and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) [SMD = 1.08, 95% CI (0.83, 1.33), P < 0.0001], and decrease the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) scores [SMD = -2.03, 95% CI (-3.0, -1.07), P < 0.0001], BNP levels [SMD = -2.07, 95% CI (-2.81, -1.33), P < 0.0001] and NT-ProBNP levels [SMD = -2.77, 95% CI (-4.90, -0.63), P < 0.05]. A total of 21 studies (n = 2,742) evaluated their adverse effects, of which 13 studies reported no adverse effects and 8 studies reported minor adverse effects. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the combined application of QSYQ can further improve patients' cardiac function and exercise tolerance, improve their quality of life, and ultimately improve patients' prognosis with a favorable safety profile. Nonetheless, limited by the quality and high heterogeneity of the literature, we must be conservative and cautious about the present results. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42023449251).

Staging of laryngeal carcinoma: comparison of high-frequency sonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography.

AIM: To evaluate the accuracy of high-frequency sonography on pretherapeutic T-staging in patients with laryngeal carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six consecutive patients with laryngeal carcinoma undergoing surgical resection were included in this study. All patients underwent ultrasonographic examination and contrast-enhanced computed tomography before surgery. These imaging interpretations were evaluated independently and then compared with the reference of postoperative pathological examination. McNemar's test was used for comparing the data obtained separately from ultrasonography and computed tomography. RESULTS: There was one T2 stage tumour of an aryepiglottic fold undetected by sonography. Sonography failed to stage five tumours correctly; the T-staging accuracy was 83.3%. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography failed to stage four patients correctly; the T-staging accuracy was 88.8%. There was no difference between the pretherapeutic staging accuracy of ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (p=0.735). CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography has a reliable pretherapeutic staging accuracy of laryngeal carcinoma. It can be a non-invasive complementary technique for pretherapeutic staging of laryngeal carcinoma.

The Relationship of Urbanization and Performance of Activity and Participation Functioning among Adults with Developmental Disabilities in Taiwan.

Developmental disability is likely to be lifelong in nature and to result in substantial activity and societal participation limitations. The performance of individuals is related to the environment, supports, and urbanization of living cities. Most of the surveys for people with disabilities have not discussed the relationship between the cognitive impairment properties and performance of participation and activities functioning, and most cognitive impairments are regarded as having similar performance. The location of residence in childhood is mainly influenced by parents and main caregivers, but the factors related to the preferences of adults with cognitive impairment in the location of residence are more complicated. OBJECTIVE(S): The aim was to explore and compare the relationships of the urbanization degree of their living cities and the functioning performance of daily living in various domains among adults with intellectual disability (ID), autism, and concomitant communicative impairment (CCI). METHOD: The cross-sectional study was applied, and the data was collected face-to-face by professionals in all authorized hospitals in Taiwan. The participants were 5374 adults with ID (n = 4455), autism (n = 670), CCI (n = 110) and combination disabilities (n = 139) which were according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases 9th Revision (ICD-9) from a total of 167,069 adults with disabilities from the Disability Eligibility System (DES) in Taiwan between July 2012 and October 2013. The authors used the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0-36 item version of WHO (WHODAS 2.0-36 items) to measure performance and capability of daily living. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences in age, gender, disabled severity, and the urbanization between all subgroups (p < 0.05). After adjusting the age of all participators, the degree of urbanization just significantly affected the functioning score distribution in domain 1: cognition for an adult with ID, autism, and CCI; in domain 2, mobility for an adult with CCI and combination disability; in domain 3, self-care; domain 4, independent domains for ID (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between urbanization degree and functioning scores in all domains for adults with autism. All in all, only in groups with combination disability did we find that the worse the degree of impairment was, the lower the degree of urbanization of their place of residence was, and there was no such phenomenon in adults with autism and ID in our study.

Guided droplet transport on synthetic slippery surfaces inspired by a pitcher plant.

We show how anisotropic, grooved features facilitate the trapping and directed transport of droplets on lubricated, liquid-shedding surfaces. Capillary action pins droplets to topographic surface features, enabling transport along the feature while inhibiting motion across (or detachment from) the feature. We demonstrate the robustness of this capillary-based mechanism for directed droplet transport on slippery surfaces by combining experiments on synthetic, lubricant-infused surfaces with observations on the natural trapping surface of a carnivorous pitcher plant. Controlling liquid navigation on synthetic surfaces promises to unlock significant potential in droplet-based technologies. Our observations also offer novel insight into the evolution of the Nepenthes pitcher plant, indicating that the 'pitfall' trapping mechanism is enhanced by the lubricant-infused, macroscopic grooves on the slippery peristome surface, which guide prey into the trap in a way that is more tightly controlled than previously considered.

Influence of Sensitization Patterns on Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Asthmatic Children.

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has been suggested as a non-invasive biomarker of airway inflammation, which is increased in atopic subjects. Whether sensitization to particular allergens is a predictive factor for increased FeNO levels is not yet fully understood. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study. From October to December in 2015, the medical documents of 127 mild, steroid-naive asthmatic children and 34 healthy age-matched children were enrolled in this study. The results of the FeNO measurements, skin prick test, and the spirometry were collected for analysis. Sensitization patterns to the 18 aeroallergens (5 categories: mites, molds, animal dander, pollen, and other) were determined in study population. A significant increase in FeNO level was observed in poly-sensitized asthmatic children (34.7 part per billion, (ppb) [28.3-41.1 p.p.b]), compared with mono-sensitized asthmatics (30.7 p.p.b [18.3-43.2 p.p.b]) and with non-sensitized asthmatics (17.3 p.p.b [10.8-24.5 p.p.b]). With sensitization to perennial allergens (mites, mold, and animal dander), blood eosinophil counts were significantly associated with increased FeNO (p<0.05 for all). The highest FeNO level was identified in children sensitized to a combination of the perennial, seasonal, and other allergens, when compared with those sensitized to one category of allergen alone (p=0.004). Our study showed that variations in FeNO level were associated with individuals' sensitization patterns. Being sensitized to some particular allergens might contribute to prompt the airway inflammation.

Scavenging hagfish as a transport host of Anisakid nematodes.

Hagfish are the most primitive craniates and scavengers, feeding on dead organisms as well as fish and invertebrates. Hagfish play an important ecological role in recycling nutrients, helping to recycle biomass from the upper water column. We investigated 265 specimens of four hagfish species, including Eptatretus burgeri, Eptatretus yangi, Eptatretus sheni and Eptatretus taiwanae from northeastern Taiwanese waters of the northwestern Pacific from November 2013 to June 2014. Eight species of Anisakid nematodes were identified: Anisakis pegreffii, Anisakis simplex s.s., a recombinant genotype of A. pegreffii and A. simplex s.s., Anisakis typica, Anisakis sp., Anisakis brevispiculata, Anisakis physeteris and Hysterothylacium amoyense. Anisakis sp. and H. amoyense represented new locality records. The prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance of anisakid nematodes for all specimens were 21.51%, 5.39 larvae per fish and 1.16 larvae per fish, respectively. A. pegreffii was the most frequent species in E. burgeri, E. yangi and E. taiwanae, whereas in E. sheni, the dominant species was Anisakis sp. The number of nematodes was significantly related to the host length for E. burgeri and E. sheni, but was not related to the sex of the four hagfish species. This report of scavenging hagfish infected with Anisakid larvae suggests hagfish as a transport/paratenic host between cetaceans and piscivores. Anisakiasis may be caused by the consumption of infectious third-stage larvae in raw or undercooked hagfish.

Parasitism between Anisakis simplex (Nematoda: Anisakidae) third-stage larvae and the spotted mackerel Scomber australasicus with regard to the application of stock identification.

The nematode fauna of 369 spotted mackerel of the species Scomber australasicus, collected off the northeastern Taiwanese coast of the northwestern Pacific, was investigated monthly from April 2004 to March 2005. The following nematode species were recorded: Anisakis simplex complex, Hysterothylacium aduncum, Porrocaecum decipiens and Raphidascaris trichiuri. The seasonal variation in the infection with A. simplex third stage larva (L3) was studied throughout the 12 months. The prevalence of A. simplex L3 recorded for total fish samples was 93.6%, varying between 86.7 and 100%. There was an increase in the abundance of this nematode in spring, with the peak occurring in April. To reveal whether intrinsic factors of the spotted mackerel host contributed to infection with this nematode, fish were grouped according to their body weight, age and gonad development (reported as gonadoosomatic index, GSI), respectively, and infection parameters (i.e., prevalence, abundance and intensity) were analyzed. Results showed that abundance was significantly higher in both larger (>450 g) and older (>3 years old) fish. The gonad development of the host fish was not correlated with the intensity of the larval infection in both female and male fish. Two distinct Anisakis species were identified by PCR-RFLP, namely A. pegreffii and a recombinant genotype of A. pegreffii and A. simplex sensu stricto. These species occurred with frequencies of 97% and 3%, respectively. The usefulness of using parasites as biomarkers for spotted mackerel stock identification around Taiwanese waters was confirmed herein. A second group of 58 spotted mackerel were obtained from the coastal waters off southwestern Taiwan. In addition to the two species, A. pegreffii and the recombinant one, which were found with frequencies of 63% and 9%, respectively, an additional Anisakis species A. typica was identified with a frequency of 28% from these fish. Two spotted mackerel stocks could thus be identified based on their infrastructure of Anisakis species community and their frequency. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of stock identification of spotted mackerel using endoparasite biomarkers.

Effects of various treatments on egg hatching of Dendromonocotyle pipinna (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) infecting the blotched fantail ray, Taeniurops meyeni, in Taiwan.

The monocotylid monogenean Dendromonocotyle pipinna infects the dorsal skin of the blotched fantail ray, Taeniurops meyeni, and is problematic for Hualien Farglory Ocean Park, an aquarium in Taiwan. Over the last 2 years, eight rays have died due to heavy infections with this parasite. In this study, we found that the epidermis of T. meyeni with attached D. pipinna was not markedly thinner but contained decreased numbers of mucous cells and numerous vacuoles. We examined the effects of temperature (from 16 to 30 degrees C in 2 degrees C increments), salinity (from 10 to 50 per thousand in 5 per thousand increments), desiccation (from 1 to 10 min) and sodium hypochlorite (from 5 to 20 ppm in 5 ppm increments) treatment on the embryonation period and hatching success of D. pipinna eggs, with the goal of disinfecting equipment used in aquaria. Temperature strongly influenced embryonation period: eggs first hatched 4 days after being laid at 30 degrees C and 16 days after being laid at 16 degrees C. However, hatching rate was not significantly influenced by incubation temperature, since the final hatching rates under the incubation temperatures tested herein were not significantly different from one another. Hyposalinity had a lethal effect on D. pipinna eggs, completely preventing the hatching of eggs cultured at 10 and 15 per thousand salinity. Hypersalinity was only partially effective, with a hatching rate close to 7% at 50 per thousand salinity. Desiccation was effective at preventing hatching, and the effectiveness increased with increasing treatment duration. The hatching rate of D. pipinna eggs was significantly decreased when incubated under desiccating conditions for even 1 min. Furthermore, a complete inhibition of hatching was achieved by desiccating eggs for 10 min. Sodium hypochlorite treatment completely prevented hatching at concentrations higher than 10 ppm after 18 h of exposure, but a concentration of 5 ppm was ineffective at preventing hatching even after 24 h of treatment. We therefore propose effective combinations of sodium hypochlorite and exposure time as a means to sterilize tanks and equipment containing D. pipinna eggs.