Prevalence of allergen sensitization among children with allergic rhinitis in Changzhou, China: a retrospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of sensitivity to common inhaled and food allergens among children with allergic rhinitis (AR) in Changzhou in eastern China and provide a basis for epidemiological research of pediatric allergic rhinitis and allergen avoidance in this region. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study, a total of 1248 children with AR were enrolled at the Third People's Hospital of Changzhou between January 2018 and December 2019. The serum-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) to 19 kinds of inhaled and food allergens and serum total IgE were detected with the AllergyScreen test (Mediwiss Analytic GmbH, Moers, Germany). All participants had a positive reaction to at least one allergen in the test (the sIgE concentration ≥ 0.35 IU/ml). RESULTS: Among the patients, 818 (65.54%) were male and 430 (34.46%) were female, with 81 (6.50%) aged 1-3 year, 501 (40.14%) aged 4-7 year, and 666 (53.36%) aged 8-14 year. The positivity rate of inhaled allergens was 80.05% (n = 999), while the positivity rate of food allergens was 66.19% (n = 826). 828 patients (66.35%) were sensitized to multiple allergens. The most common inhaled allergens were Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (65.38%), mold mix (25.56%), house dust (20.67%), and dog hair dander (13.94%), and the most common food allergens were cow's milk (30.31%), cashew nut (27.9%), egg (22.68%), and beef (12.98%). With an increase in age, the inhaled allergen positivity rate showed a significant increase (P < 0.01), while the food allergen positivity rate decreased significantly (P < 0.01). There were significant age differences in total IgE levels (P < 0.01) and the total IgE level was highest in the group aged 8-14 year. CONCLUSIONS: Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was the most common sensitizing allergen in pediatric patients with AR in Changzhou. Several other inhaled and food allergens were also common. We observed that multiple allergenic factors play an important role in the occurrence and development of AR.

Removal of sodium oleate from synthetic manganese leaching solution by coagulation-dissolved air flotation.

The coagulation-dissolved air flotation for removal of sodium oleate (NaOL) from synthetic manganese leaching solution was focused in this study. It indicates that partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM), NaOL dosage and pH have a multiple effect on the removal efficiency of NaOL. The results represents a significant removal efficiency of 97.6% NaOL was achieved under the optimal conditions of coagulation-dissolved air flotation by dosage of 20 mg/L HPAM and 30 mg/L NaOL, pH 8.0. Solution pH has a significant effect on the distribution of oleate species and Mn2+ species. The addition of HPAM facilitates the formation of OL- micelle and the decrease of critical micelle concentration (CMC). Oleate species primarily exist, containing Mn(OL)2(s), OL- and HOL(aq). HPAM could cause the Zeta potential of NaOL to shift negatively. HPAM could decrease CMC of NaOL and lead to a transition from three dimensional network structure to lamellar structure. NaOL can be removed by coagulation-dissolved air flotation through the adsorption and bridge effect of HPAM chains on the floating bubble surface.

Preparation and evaluation of bis(diallyl alkyl tertiary ammonium salt) polymer as a promising adsorbent for phosphorus removal.

Problems associated with water eutrophication due to high phosphorus concentrations and related environmentally safe solutions have attracted wide attention. A novel bis(diallyl alkyl tertiary ammonium salt) polymer, particularly poly(N1,N1,N6,N6-tetraallylhexane-1,6-diammonium dichloride) (PTAHDADC), was synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy, mercury intrusion method, and thermogravimetric analysis. The adsorption characteristics in phosphorus were evaluated in dilute solution, and the recycling properties of PTAHDADC were investigated. Results showed that PTAHDADC possessed macropores with a size distribution ranging from 30 to 130 µm concentrating at 63 µm in diameter and had 46.52% of porosity, excellent thermal stability below 530K, and insolubility. PTAHDADC could effectively remove phosphorus at pH = 7-11 and had a removal efficiency exceeding 98.4% at pH = 10-11. The adsorption equilibrium data of PTAHDADC for phosphorus accorded well with the Langmuir and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Maximum adsorption capacity was 52.82 mg/g at 293 K. PTAHDADC adsorbed phosphorus rapidly and reached equilibrium within 90 min. Calculated activation energy Ea was 15.18 kJ/mol. PTAHDADC presented an excellent recyclability with only 8.23% loss of removal efficiency after five adsorption-desorption cycles. The morphology and structure of PTAHDADC slightly changed as evidenced by the pre- and post-adsorption of phosphorus, but the process was accompanied by the partial deprotonation of the (-CH2)3NH+ group of PTAHDADC. The adsorption was a spontaneous exothermic process driven by entropy through physisorption, electrostatic attraction, and ion exchange. Survey results showed that PTAHDADC was a highly efficient and fast-adsorbing phosphorus-removal material prospective in treating wastewater.

A novel dose-adjustment protocol for interrupted subcutaneous immunotherapy in children with allergic rhinitis.

Aim: To assess the effectiveness and safety of a new protocol for adjusting doses during interrupted subcutaneous immunotherapy maintenance, exceeding an 8-week interval, with mite allergen injections in children with allergic rhinitis. Patients & methods: 194 children with allergic rhinitis who underwent subcutaneous immunotherapy and experienced interruptions lasting more than 8 weeks during maintenance were enrolled. Following the adoption of a novel dose-adjustment protocol, a real-world study was conducted. Results: After 3 years of subcutaneous immunotherapy, the novel group exhibited a significant reduction in allergy symptoms compared with baseline. Systemic reactions related to the novel protocol did not significantly increase. Conclusion: The novel protocol was deemed safe and effective, offering advantages of time savings and reduced burdens.

There is a main treatment for allergic rhinitis. it is with regular shots of a special medicine made from dust mite allergen. Patients need to take these shots in their arm for 3 years. The shot is given once a week for 14 weeks at first; then the frequency can be reduced to every 5 weeks. However, if a patient misses their scheduled shot, they may have to start getting weekly shots again. This can lead to a lot of medical waste and can be expensive for patients. Therefore, we developed a new way to give these shots. In our study, patients who needed to start weekly shots again were administered this new treatment plan. The new plan significantly reduced the number of doctor's visits and shots. This new treatment method is safe, cost-effective and patient-friendly.

Highly efficient Mn2+, Mg2+, and NH4+ recovery from electrolytic manganese residue via leaching, solvent extraction, coprecipitation, and atmospheric oxidation.

Electrolytic manganese residue (EMR), a solid waste generated during electrolytic manganese production, exhibits substantial leaching toxicity owing to its elevated levels of soluble Mn2+ and NH4+. The leaching and recovery of valuable metal ions and NH4+ from EMR are key to the hazard-free treatment and resource utilization of EMR. In this study, two-stage countercurrent leaching with water was used to leach Mn2+, Mg2+, and NH4+ from EMR. Subsequently, two-stage countercurrent extraction was conducted using α-hydroxy-2-ethylhexyl phosphinic acid (α-H-2-EHA) as an extractant to enrich Mn2+, and Mg2+, and NH4+ were recovered via coprecipitation. Based on the calculations for a single leaching-extraction process, the recoveries of Mn2+, Mg2+, and NH4+ ions exceeded 80%, 99%, and 90%, respectively. In addition, high-purity Mn3O4 with an Mn content of 71.61% and struvite were produced. This process represents a win-win strategy that facilitates the hazard-free treatment of EMR while simultaneously recovering valuable Mn2+, Mg2+, and NH4+ resources from waste. Thus, this study provides a novel approach to the hazard-free and resourceful management of solid waste. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Electrolytic manganese residue (EMR), a solid waste generated during electrolytic manganese production, poses significant environmental risks due to its soluble heavy metals and ammonia nitrogen content. Efforts have been made to address this issue, but there has been no mature industrial application due to cost or processing capacity constraints. In this work, solvent extraction was first used to enrich Mn2+ from EMR leachate, and a novel α­hydroxy­2­ethylhexyl phosphinic acid was used as extractant. High purity Mn3O4 and struvite was synthesized through this process. The win­win strategy offers a novel approach for the hazard­free and resourceful utilization of solid waste.

Polarization filter characters of the gold-coated and the liquid filled photonic crystal fiber based on surface plasmon resonance.

The polarization filter characters of a gold-coated and liquid-filled photonic crystal fiber are studied using the finite element method. Results show that the resonance strength and wavelengths are different in two polarized directions. Filling liquid of refractive index n=1.33 (purified water) in holes in longitudinal direction can increase the loss of core mode polarized in the y-direction around the resonance peak. The resonance strength is much stronger in y-polarized direction than in x-polarized direction. The resonance strength can achieve 508dB/cm in y-polarized direction at the communication wavelength of 1311nm in one of our structures. Moreover, the full width half maximum is only 20nm. Such a small number makes such photonic crystal fibers promising candidate to filter devices. A liquid filled PCF of the small hole in the fiber core is designed and we find that filling liquid increases the resonance strength peak by thirty eight percent for the y-polarized resonance point.

Comprehensive recovery of arsenic and antimony from arsenic-rich copper smelter dust.

In view of reducing contaminant and recovery arsenic and antimony, a novel technology was proposed to recover arsenic and antimony from arsenic-rich copper smelter dust comprehensively. The technique route includes three stages: arsenic and antimony trioxides were leached from the copper smelter dust with hydrochloric acid; trivalent arsenic ions (As3+) were then reduced to less toxic simple arsenic (As) by sodium hypophosphate (NaH2PO2) and recovered; and stepwise recovery of antimony by SbCl3 was achieved by the continuous distillation technique. The results indicates that the leaching efficiency of As and Sb was over 97.5% and 96.8% under conditions of initial 4.0 mol/L HCl, liquid-solid ratio (L/S) of 6:1, leaching temperature of 363 K and time of 2 h. Over 92.5% arsenic was recovered by NaH2PO2 reduction under the suitable conditions: 363 K, 1.5 h and 2.0 times addition of NaH2PO2. The recovery rate of Sb is more than 97.53% at 393 K. The distillation temperature of SbCl3 was optimized between 463 K and 473 K. The corresponding mechanisms of the leaching and recovering of arsenic and antimony were systematically investigated and confirmed by E-pH diagram, thermodynamic calculation, arsenic speciation, composition analysis and XRD characterization.

Fabrication of magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2O2CO3/rGO composite for enhancing its photocatalytic performance for organic dyes and recyclability.

A novel magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2O2CO3/rGO composite comprising of uniform core-shell-structured Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2O2CO3 microspheres mounted on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets was successfully fabricated by using a facile hydrothermal method. The adsorption-desorption isotherm of Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2O2CO3/rGO belonged to type IV with an H4-type hysteresis loop. The specific surface areas and magnetization saturation value (Ms) of Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2O2CO3/rGO (x = 0.15 g) were 102.12 m2/g and 25.4 emu/g, respectively. Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2O2CO3/rGO (x = 0.15 g) exhibited remarkable photocatalytic degradation activity and mineralization effect for MO and decolorization performance for the mixed solution of MO, Rh B, and MB. MO degradation by Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2O2CO3/rGO conformed to a first-order kinetic reaction, and the corresponding kapp value was 0.05553 min-1. A suitable amount of rGO in Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2O2CO3/rGO could decrease the energy band gap, inhibit the recombination of photo-induced electron/hole (e-/h+) pair, and broaden and enhance the response of the catalyst to visible light, thereby enhancing the visible-light catalytic degradation of organic dyes. The active species produced in the photocatalysis included •O2-, •OH, and h+, with •O2- being the dominant active species. The as-prepared photocatalyst also showed excellent magnetic separation performance and stability. Results show that the as-prepared Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2O2CO3/rGO composite is a promising photocatalyst with considerable application potential in organic dyes removal.

Removal performance and mechanism of poly(N1,N1,N3,N3-tetraallylpropane-1,3-diaminium chloride) toward Cr(VI).

The adsorption characteristic and mechanism of poly(N1,N1,N3,N3-tetraallylpropane-1,3-diaminium chloride) (PTAPDAC) toward Cr(VI) ions were systematically investigated. Results showed that the removal efficiency of PTAPDAC toward Cr(VI) could reach above 98% at pH = 3-6. The equilibrium data of Cr(VI) adsorbed by PTAPDAC fitted the Langmuir model well, and the maximum sorption capacity deduced from the Langmuir model at 293 K was 273.17 mg g-1. The adsorption of PTAPDAC toward Cr(VI) was rapid and reached equilibrium within 60 min, and the adsorption kinetic process was relevant to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Moreover, the activation energy E a was calculated as -22.505 kJ mol-1. The adsorption processes were spontaneous and exothermic driven by an increase in entropy, which involved electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, and redox reactions. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that approximately 64.5% of Cr(VI) reduced to be Cr(III), and 24.29% of -C-NH+ deprotonated. The combination of reduced Cr(III) with tertiary amine groups resulted in a positively charged tertiary amine group, which further promoted Cr(VI) adsorption, thereby increasing the adsorption capacity of PTAPDAC toward Cr(VI). Therefore, PTAPDAC has a broad application prospect in removing Cr(VI) ions in wastewater.

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic Fe3O4@CaSiO3 composites and evaluation of their adsorption characteristics for heavy metal ions.

A two-component material (Fe3O4@CaSiO3) with an Fe3O4 magnetite core and layered porous CaSiO3 shell from calcium nitrate and sodium silicate was synthesized by precipitation. The structure, morphology, magnetic properties, and composition of the Fe3O4@CaSiO3 composite were characterized in detail, and its adsorption performance, adsorption kinetics, and recyclability for Cu2+, Ni2+, and Cr3+ adsorption were studied. The Fe3O4@CaSiO3 composite has a 2D core-layer architecture with a cotton-like morphology, specific surface area of 41.56 m2/g, pore size of 16 nm, and pore volume of 0.25 cm3/g. The measured magnetization saturation values of the magnetic composite were 57.1 emu/g. Data of the adsorption of Cu2+, Ni2+, and Cr3+ by Fe3O4@CaSiO3 fitted the Redlich-Peterson and pseudo-second-order models well, and all adsorption processes reached equilibrium within 150 min. The maximum adsorption capacities of Fe3O4@CaSiO3 toward Cu2+, Ni2+, and Cr3+ were 427.10, 391.59, and 371.39 mg/g at an initial concentration of 225 mg/L and a temperature of 293 K according to the fitted curve with the Redlich-Peterson model, respectively. All adsorption were spontaneous endothermic processes featuring an entropy increase, including physisorption, chemisorption, and ion exchange; among these process, chemisorption was the primary mechanism. Fe3O4@CaSiO3 exhibited excellent adsorption, regeneration, and magnetic separation performance, thereby demonstrating its potential applicability to removing heavy metal ions.

[Analysis on the allergens in allergic rhinitis patients in Changzhou district of Jiangsu].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of positive allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis in Changzhou. METHOD: A total of 4242 cases with allergic symptoms and signs underwent skin prick test with 16 kinds of standardized allergens. The common allergens were found out. The samples were stratified on seven age groups to analysis the distributive characteristics of allergens responsible for each group. The samples were also stratified on children group and adults group to analysis their response degree to dust mite. RESULT: 2638 cases (62.19%) had the positive reaction, including male 1380 (52.3%) cases, female 1258 (47.7%) cases. Dermatophagoides farinae and dermatophagoides pteronyssinus had the highest positive ratio (85.86%, 83.55%) in inhalation group, followed cockroach (11.49%) and Humulus L. (9.82%), fungus (2.92%) in the lower positive ratio. Shrimp (5.76%) was the most common allergen in food group. The distribution of common allergens in different age groups was variable. There was significantly higher sensitivity to dust mite between children group compared to adults group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The study shows that Dust mite was the mostly responsible common allergen in Changzhou district. The distribution of common allergens in children group and adults group was variable.