Scalping of aroma compounds from food simulants into polyethylene terephthalate laminated steel.

BACKGROUND: Aroma scalping is a very common problem and can affect the sensory quality of packaged food. To study the aroma scalping characteristics of polyethylene terephthalate laminated steel (PET-LS), the sorption kinetics of six common aroma compounds (2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, hexanal, citral, butyl acetate, isopentyl acetate) in foods were assessed for drawn-redrawn cans made with PET-LS. RESULTS: Storage temperature and initial concentration were proved as important factors to affect compound sorption and diffusion for flavors. The correlation between logarithm of equilibrium absorption ln M∞ and reciprocal of absolute temperature 1/T showed good linear relationship (R2 = 0.9380-0.9998) at 4 °C, 20 °C and 50 °C, and the M∞ obtained by the experiment was very close to the predicted value at 37 °C. At low initial concentration (below 500 µL L-1 ), the absorption capacity and initial concentration showed a slow linear growth trend, whereas there was a rapid change at high initial concentration. The values of diffusion coefficient D were on the order of 10-11 -10-12  m2  day-1 , which were lower than reported for other polymer materials (linear low-density polyethylene, polybutylene succinate, polylactic acid). CONCLUSION: The equilibrium absorption amount of each flavor component was dependent on the temperature under the same concentration (500 µL L-1 ). The Fickian diffusion model was used for fitting the experimental kinetics values satisfactorily (R2 = 0.9158-0.9885). © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Genetic mutation and clinical features of osteogenesis imperfecta type V].

OBJECTIVE: To explore genetic mutations and clinical features of osteogenesis imperfecta type V. METHODS: Clinical record of five patients (including one familial case) with osteogenesis imperfecta type V were retrospectively analyzed. Peripheral blood samples of the patients, one family member, as well as healthy controls were collected. Mutation of IFITM5 gene was identified by PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: A heterozygous mutation (c.-14C>T) in the 5-UTR of the IFITM5 gene was identified in all of the patients and one mother. The clinical findings included frequent fractures and spine and/or extremities deformities, absence of dentinogenesis imperfecta, absence of hearing impairment, and blue sclera in 1 case. Radiographic findings revealed calcification of the interosseous membrane between the radius-ulna in all cases. Hyperplastic callus formation was found in 3 cases. Four had radial-head dislocation. CONCLUSION: A single heterozygous mutation c.-14C>T was found in the 5-UTR of the IFITM5 gene in 5 patients with osteogensis imperfecta type V. The patients showed specific radiological features including calcification of interosseous membrane, hyperplastic callus formation, and radial-head dislocation.

Optimization of paeonol-loaded microparticle formulation by response surface methodology.

In this study, a central composite rotatable design based on response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to design and formulate an appropriate paeonol microparticle formulation. Five levels of a three-factor, rotatable, central composite design were used to evaluate the critical formulation variables. The optimum conditions for preparing paeonol-loaded microparticles were predicted to be: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) content (2.84%), the ratio of drug to polymer (6.88) and the stirring rate (1007.59 rpm). The optimized responses for production yield and loading efficiency were found to be 68.86% and 55.90%, respectively, and the particle size were 23.27 ± 0.76 µm and the sorting coefficient (σ) was 0.732. Furthermore, in vitro release study suggested that microparticle could be a suitable delivery system in treating skin disease for its sustained release of drug. In conclusion, RSM can be successfully used to optimize the effect of formulation variables.

In-situ preparation of lignin/Fe3O4 magnetic spheres as bifunctional material for the efficient removal of metal ions and methylene blue.

In this paper, magnetic composite of lignin/Fe3O4 spheres were synthesized via a straightforward one-step in-situ solvothermal method showing good capacity for adsorbing heavy metal ions and dyes. The physicochemical properties of lignin/Fe3O4 spheres are analyzed using a range of techniques such as SEM, XRD, FTIR, VSM, TG, and BET. Lignin/Fe3O4 spheres exhibited high adsorption capacities of 100.00, 353.36 and 223.71 and 180.18 mg/g for Cu (II), Ni (II) and Cr (VI) metal ions and methylene blue (MB) with equilibrium attained within 60 min. After the recycling experiments, lignin/Fe3O4 spheres still possesses excellent superparamagnetic properties and displays high adsorption capacity. The lignin/Fe3O4 spheres are an efficient and continuous adsorbent to remove heavy metal ions of Cu (II), Ni (II), Cr (VI) and cationic dyes of methylene blue in wastewater, which proves the great potential in practical pollutants treatment applications for water systems.

High transparency, degradable and UV-protective poly(lactic acid) composites based on elongational rheology and chain extender assisted melt blending.

Conventional polylactic acid (PLA) melt plasticization and toughening processes are typically achieved at the expense of PLA strength and transparency, which is clearly detrimental to its application in areas such as smart home and food packaging. Herein, an ultraviolet (UV)-protective PLA-based composite (PP6) that simultaneously achieves high strength (63.3 MPa), high plasticity (125.3 %), and enhanced toughness (4.3 kJ/m2) by adding only 6 wt% poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P34HB) under the assist of 1 wt% chain extender was prepared using melt blending technique. Benefiting from the cross-linking effect of the chain extender and the elongational flow during processing, the compatibility between P34HB and PLA, as well as the thermomechanical properties, heat resistance, and biodegradable properties of the composite, have been enhanced significantly. The extremely low melt enthalpy (1.9 J/g) and the low crystallinity PLA phase contribute to an appropriate transparency (78.3 % of glass in 400-1100 nm). The prepared composites display mid- and long-wave UV-protective performance, which is superior to conventional industrial glasses. Through the superior elongational rheology technology, PP6 maintains favorable overall properties even after six thermomechanical cycles. Collectively, the composite fabricated in this work is an attractive candidate for future applications such as smart windows, food packaging, agricultural films, and biomedical applications.

Preparation of capsaicin-loaded ultrafine fiber film and its application in the treatment of oral ulcers in rats.

A drug-loaded diaphragm is an easy-to-use and effective drug delivery system that is often used to treat mouth ulcers. In this study, an ultrafine fiber film loaded with capsaicin was successfully prepared using the electrospinning technology. poly-L-lactic acid and gelatin were selected as the matrix materials to form the composite fiber, and trifluoroethanol was used as a co-solvent for poly-L-lactic acid, gelatin and capsaicin to prepare the spinning solution, which was simple to fabricate. The prepared fiber films were characterized based on their microscopic morphology and tested to derive their mechanical properties. Thereafter, the capsaicin release behavior of the film was investigated. In vitro experiments revealed certain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial abilities while animal experiments revealed that the capsaicin-loaded ultrafine fiber film could promote the healing of oral ulcers in rats. Healing of the tongue tissue in rats administered 10% capsaicin-loaded fiber film was found to be better than that in rats administered the commercial dexamethasone patch. Overall, this development strategy may prove to be promising for the development of oral ulcer patch formulations.

A modified method for minimizing damage to the marginal mandibular branch (MMB) during partial superficial parotidectomy(PSP): A retrospective study.

The aim of this study was to compare modified partial superficial parotidectomy (MPSP) with conventional partial superficial parotidectomy (CPSP) in a retrograde approach, and to determine whether MPSP can reduce the risk of injury to the MMB of the facial nerve and the rate of postoperative facial palsy. Patients with benign parotid gland tumors of the superficial lobe were included retrospectively in two groups: one group was treated with CPSP; the other group was treated with MPSP, in which the MMB was dissected in an anterograde direction or not dissected. The patients' sex and age, location of tumor, size of tumor (maximum tumor diameter), histopathological distribution, operative time, and incidence of postoperative facial nerve weakness were compared. There was no significant difference in operative time between the two groups (p = 0.913). There was a significant difference (p = 0.008) in postoperative facial nerve weakness, with temporary facial nerve weakness observed in 19 and five patients in the CPSP and MPSP groups, respectively. Furthermore, there was a significant difference (p = 0.009) in MMB weakness, with temporary MMB weakness observed in 15 and three patients in the CPSP and MPSP groups, respectively. There was no significant difference (p = 0.564) in the weakness of other branches between the two groups. All cases of paresis scored ≤3 on the House-Brackmann scale, and all cases of temporary facial nerve weakness resolved within 6 months of surgery. No patient developed permanent paralysis. Within the limitations of the study, it seems that modified partial superficial parotidectomy (MPSP) should be preferred over conventional partial superficial parotidectomy (CPSP) whenever appropriate.

Targeted clean extraction of phosphorus from waste activated sludge: From a new perspective of phosphorus occurrence states to an innovative approach through acidic cation exchange resin.

Waste activated sludge (WAS) is an important source of non-renewable phosphorus (P) recovery. Given the factor that the occurrence states of phosphorus in WAS determines its recovery efficiency, the spatial distribution and chemical speciation of phosphorus were comprehensively and simultaneously analyzed by in-situ and step-by-step extraction methods for the first time. It was confirmed that the phosphorus in solid phase of WAS could be mainly divided into three parts: polyphosphate in cells, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)-bound P, and phosphate precipitated with metals (P-precipitates) in extracellular inorganic minerals. Among these forms, EPS-bound P (mainly orthophosphate, Ortho-P) and P-precipitates (mainly Ca-P, Fe-P, Al-P, and Mg-P) were the major forms of phosphorus in WAS, accounting for 65%-82% of total phosphorus (TP). Owing to the acid solubility of P-precipitates, acid extraction could be a potentially effective means for phosphorus recovery. However, the co-solution of metals may hinder the phosphorus recovery and the EPS-bound P cannot be recovered by acid extraction. To enhance phosphorus release from EPS and reduce metal interference, a targeted clean extraction technology using acidic cation exchange resin (ACER) was also developed. The results showed that a low dosage ACER could effectively extract EPS-bound P and P-precipitates, and the content of phosphorus in the extract exceeded 50% of TP. Compared with acid extraction, the release efficiency of TP increased by 13%-23%, and the dissolved metal content decreased by more than 90% in the extract by ACER. This was attributed to the acidification and metal capture by ACER. Finally, more than 90% of Ortho-P in the extract was recovered as calcium phosphate, which alleviated the depletion of phosphorus resources.

Intergenerational and biological effects of roxithromycin and polystyrene microplastics to Daphnia magna.

The influence of microplastics (MPs) on transgenerational effects of pharmaceuticals are drawing growing attention, however, whether aged process will alter the carrier effects of MPs were unknown. In this study, the intergenerational toxicity of single and combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) and roxithromycin (ROX) were investigated at the environmentally related concentrations, using Daphina magna as test organism. In the presence of UV-aged PS-MPs, the survival of D. magna for maternal generation (F0) at ROX concentration of 0.1 and 10 µg/L were increased by 20% and 40%, respectively. Meanwhile, the inhibition effects of ROX on the number of offspring and intrinsic rate of natural increase were obviously moderated. All these reproductive toxicity of ROX and PS-MPs in the first offspring (F1) were further aggravated both for the single and combined exposure. And the adverse effects disappeared much easier for the single exposure compared to the co-exposure through subsequent recovery. The combined exposure resulted in the change of inhibition of ROX on the swimming velocity and acceleration of D. magna into induction, while the feeding behavior kept inhibited. The AChE activity was distinctly increased by 1.61-3.25 times for the single and combined treatments, and the induction level of UV-aged MPs was higher than that of original MPs. Oxidative stress of the single exposure of ROX and original PS-MPs was observed with obvious induction of T-AOC and SOD activity, while the significant increase of MDA content was observed for the co-exposure. Among all indicators, the biochemical biomarkers and time of first brood were attributed to a class among all indicators, indicating that the time of first brood might be the most sensitive reproductive toxicity index. These results illustrated that both maternal impacts and offspring quality need to be considered for assessment of interaction of emerging contaminants.

[Study on optimizing prescription of baicalein long circulating liposomes].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the prescription of baicalein long circulating liposomes (Baicalein LCLs). METHODS: The liposomes were prepared by the reverse evaporating method. The entrapment efficiency and the carrying amount were determined by HPLC-Sephadex method. The main influencing factors were identified by single factor analysis, then the techniques of the prescription and preparation of liposomes were optimized by orthogonal experiment. RESULTS: The best prescription was as follows: The proportionality of cholesterin to lecithin was 1 : 2; The dosage of PEG 4 000 was 2 mg; The proportionality of water phase to oil phase was 1 : 2; The dosage of baicalein was 30 mg. CONCLUSION: After optimized, the average entrapment efficiency of liposomes is 81.42% and the average carrying amount is 32.25%.

Sesamol incorporated cellulose acetate-zein composite nanofiber membrane: An efficient strategy to accelerate diabetic wound healing.

Recently, the function of nanofiber membranes prepared from electrospinning in accelerating wound healing has attracted wide attention. In this study, novel nanofiber membranes consisted of cellulose acetate (CA) and zein were fabricated to provide efficient delivery vehicles for sesamol, and then the effect of sesamol-loaded composite nanofiber membranes on the wound healing of diabetic mice was studied. It was found the critical concentration of CA was between 15% and 25% (w/v), and the most suitable concentration of stabilizing fibers was 22.5%. When the CA/zein ratio was 12:8, the fiber obtained small diameter and uniform distribution, stable intermolecular structure, low infiltration speed and high stability in water. The composite nanofiber membrane with high-dose sesamol (5% of total polymer concentration, w/w) promoted formation of myofibroblasts by enhancing TGF-ß signaling pathway transduction, and promoted keratinocyte growth by inhibiting chronic inflammation in wounds, thus enhancing wound healing in diabetic mice. This study can further broaden the application range of sesamol, CA and zein, and provide reference for the design and development of new wound dressings in the future.

Coupled effects of urbanization level and dam on microplastics in surface waters in a coastal watershed of Southeast China.

Investigating the heterogeneous distribution pattern of plastic pollution in river systems is useful for better understanding the transport pathways of plastics from land to sea. Therefore, we analyzed samples from 17 sites to evaluate the distribution pattern of microplastics (MPs) in Minjiang River Watershed. The MP concentrations ranged between 0.12 and 2.72 n/L, with higher microplastic concentrations located in urban areas with greater population and gross domestic product (GDP) densities. MP concentrations were positively correlated with population density, GDP density, and built-up land use percentage, suggesting that increasing urbanization level will lead to greater plastic pollution. MP concentrations spanning the upstream and downstream sides of the SK Hydropower Dam showed decreasing trends, suggesting that MP settling would occur behind the dam and Shuikou Reservoir might serve as a sink for MPs. This study provides useful insight for revealing the effects of urbanization and dams on spatial distribution of riverine MPs.

Local nasal immunotherapy: efficacy of Dermatophagoides farinae-chitosan vaccine in murine asthma.

BACKGROUND: Local nasal immunotherapy has been reported to be effective for airway allergic diseases. A biodegradable material, chitosan (CS), has been reported to be safe and effective in allergen delivery. In this study, we tested immunotherapeutic efficiency by intranasal administration of Der f entrapped in CS microparticles to sensitized mice. METHODS: BALB/c mice were sensitized intraperitoneally with Der f extract absorbed to alum, followed by intranasal treatment with PBS, CS, Der f or Der f-CS nano-vaccine for 6 weeks. The mice were subsequently challenged intranasally with Der f extract for 1 week, and we analyzed their clinical symptoms, antibody expression levels, cytokine levels, T cell proliferation and regulatory T cell numbers. RESULTS: Mice treated with intranasal Der f-CS nano-vaccine prior to challenge displayed an alleviated spectrum of symptoms including airway hyper-reactivity, lung inflammation and mucus production and had fewer eosinophilic cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Interestingly, the cytokine levels in Der f-specific IgE were reduced, but IgA in serum and BALF was increased. We also observed that IL-4 was reduced and IFN-gamma and IL-10 were increased among splenocytes and in BALF, which inhibits Der f-specific T-cell proliferation in splenocytes and increases regulatory T cells in the spleen. However, the mice challenged without intranasal Der f or Der f-CS vaccine treatment developed allergic asthma. CONCLUSION: Our results illustrate that intranasal administration of Der f-CS nano-vaccine plays roles in immunologic protection in murine allergic asthma by inducing regulatory T cells and Th1-type reaction.

[Separation and purification of total flavonoids in Smilax glabra by polyamide resins].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the process of separating and purifying total flavonoids from Smilax glabra. METHODS: With the contents of total flavonoids, astilbin and engelitin as indices, the optimum process of separating and purifying flavonoids from Smilax glabra was screened by static and dynamic adsorption tests. RESULTS: The static saturated adsorption capacity of polyamide resin to flavonoids of Smilax glabra was 144 mg/g (saturated in 2 h). The dynamic adsorption capacity was 128.125 mg/g, the optimum conditions of elution were as follows: the adsorbed resin was washed by 20BV water firstly, then by 20BV 95% ethanol. The content of obtained total flavonoids reached 71.84%, as the content of astilbin was 14.32%, and the content of engelitin was 1. 08%. CONCLUSIONS: The total flavonoids of Smilax glabra is able to be easily separated and purified by polyamide resin under the optimum conditions above.

Interpretation of adhesion behaviors between bacteria and modified basalt fiber by surface thermodynamics and extended DLVO theory.

Surface properties of carrier are critical for microorganism initial adhesion and biofilm formation in wastewater treatment. Until now, there are few reports on adhesion behaviors between bacteria and inorganic fiber surface. In this study, inorganic basalt fiber (BF) was modified with cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) to make surface more hydrophilic and positively charged. The initial adhesion behaviors of BF modified with CPAM (CMBF) were interpreted by thermodynamics and extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. According to the total interaction energy calculated by the extended DLVO theory, insurmountable energy barrier between BF and Escherichia coli (E. coli) made irreversible adhesion unachievable due to hydrophobicity and electronegativity of BF, but allowed reversible adhesion at second minimum. By contrast, the energy barrier between CMBF and E. coli could be overcome allowing irreversible bacterial adhesion and thus a huge amount of biomass because of hydrophilicity and electropositivity of CMBF. The results showed the total interaction energies were dominated by Lewis acid-base and electrostatic interactions and coating BF with CPAM could promote initial bacterial adhesion on carrier surface. Overall, the extended DLVO theory provides a comprehensive tool to interpret initial adhesion behaviors between bacteria and inorganic fibers.

Effects of pipe material on nitrogen transformation, microbial communities and functional genes in raw water transportation.

Raw water transportation pipelines are vital in an urban water supply system for transporting raw water to drinking water treatment plants. This study investigated the effects of pipe material on nitrogen transformation, microbial communities and characteristics of related function genes in paint-lined steel pipe (PLSP) and cement-lined steel pipe (CLSP) raw water model systems. We established quantitative relationships between specific functional genes and change rates of nitrogen pollutants, which were verified by field investigation on nitrogen pollutant transformations in real raw water transportation systems. The results showed that the CLSP produced higher ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) transformation rates and higher effluent concentrations of nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) than the PLSP. Both pipes achieved high and stable nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N) and low total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency. Nitrification was found to be the dominant process in both model systems, especially in the CLSP. Characteristics of microbial communities and nitrogen functional genes, which were analysed by high-throughput pyrosequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively, varied between the two pipe systems. Nitrogen transformation pathways, identified by path analysis, were also different between the PLSP and CLSP due to different microbial community characteristics and synergistic effects of nitrogen functional genes. In the CLSP, (NH4+-N→NO2--N) with part denitrification, was the primary transformation pathway of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), while only ammonia oxidization contributed to NH4+-N transformation in the PLSP. (NO2--N→NO3--N) was the main pathway involved in NO2--N transformation and NO3--N accumulation. The TN removal showed complex relationships with nitrification, denitrification and nitrogen fixation processes. These findings provided molecular-level insights into nitrogen pollutant transformations during the transportation of raw water through different types of pipes and technical support for the selection of raw water pipe materials. In our study area, the Taihu basin, China, PLSP was better than CLSP for distributing raw water in a short transportation distance, due to the lower effluent concentrations of DON and NO3--N and less abundance of microorganisms.

Impedance sensing of allergen-antibody interaction on glassy carbon electrode modified by gold electrodeposition.

The interactions between the recombinant dust mite allergen Der f2 and murine monoclonal antibody were monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Allergen Der f2 were immobilized through the nanogold formed by electrodeposition of gold on planar glassy carbon electrode. A 30-s gold electrodeposition provided a desirable substrate for the immobilization of allergen. Electrochemical deposition of gold on a glassy carbon electrode showed significant improvement in allergen immobilization. The impedance measurements were based on the charge-transfer kinetics of the [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-) redox pair. The interactions between allergen and antibody occurred on electrode surface altered the interfacial electron transfer resistance, R(CT), by preventing the redox species approaching the electrode. The results showed that R(CT) increased with increasing concentration of monoclonal antibodies.

Multivalent antimicrobial peptides from a reactive polymer scaffold.

We report an application of the principle of multivalency to create new antimicrobial agents using the reactive polymaleic anhydride (PMA) chain to link antimicrobial tetrapeptides to afford multivalent variants containing approximately 40 monomer units. Relative to the free peptides, the product shows a 10-fold improvement in IC(50) without provoking more severe hemolysis of red blood cells. Thus, multivalency or polyvalency may offer a route to enhance the activity of antimicrobial peptides.

[Immunotherapy with recombinant house dust mite group 2 allergen vaccine inhibits allergic airway inflammation in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and mechanism of subcutaneously given recombinant Der p 2 entrapped PLGA nanoparticles (DEPN) on mouse model with allergic airway inflammation. METHODS: 40 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, group A (normal control) were treated with saline (100 microl) all the time, groups B, C, D and E were sensitized intraperitoneally with crude dust mite extracts (10 microg) and then subcutaneously treated respectively with PBS (100 microl), 2 mg empty PLGA (EP), 100 microg rDerp2, and 2 mg DEPN (loaded with 100 microg rDerp 2) for 3 times, once per day, followed by intranasal challenge of 50 microg rDer p 2. One day post challenge, mice were sacrificed and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected. Number of the total cells and eosinophils was determined, and airway inflammation and mucus secretion were analyzed by haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Level of cytokines in the supernatant of splenocyte culture was assayed by ELISA. Level of rDer p 2 specific IgG2a and IgE in the sera was determined by ELISA. RESULTS: The lung histology showed development of eosinophil infiltration in the airway of mice in groups B and C. The lung inflammation and mucus secretion in groups D and E were significantly alleviated than that of groups B and C. Number of total cells (63.50+/-5.12) and eosinophils (15.32+/-3.04) in BALF decreased in group B. Compared with group B, the number of total cells in groups D (55.3+/-5.20) x 10(4) /ml and E (41.00+/-4.91) x 10(4)/ml greatly decreased (P<0.05), and same with that of eosinophils in groups D (9.56+/-1.09) x 10(4) /ml and E (3.22+/-0.31) x 10(4)/ml. The rDerp 2 specific IgE and IgG2a antibodies in group B were 1.14+/-0.105 and 0.14+/-0.07 respectively. The level of specific IgE was significantly lower (P<0.01) in groups D (0.93+/-0.04) and E (0.77+/-0.09), and that of IgG2a in groups D (1.02+/-0.01) and E (1.17+/-0.46) were significantly higher (P<0.01) than that in group B. The level of IL-4 and IFN-gamma in BALF in group B were (78.90+/-6.07) pg/ml and (27.30+/-3.51) pg/ml respectively. IL-4 in groups D and E was (55.6+/-3.79) pg/ml and (48.6+/-4.50)pg/ml respectively, significantly lower (P<0.01) than that of group B; while IFN-gamma (68.50+/-2.87) pg/ml in group E was significantly higher than that of group B (P<0.01). IL-4 released from cultured splenocytes in groups D and E was (56.30+/-4.85) pg/ml and (40.20+/-4.36) pg/ml respectively, significantly lower than that in group B (81.2+/-6.84 pg/ml) (P<0.01). The released IFN-gamma in group E was (70.20+/-3.85) pg/ml, significantly higher than in group B (34.60+/-2.25) pg/ml (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: DEPN can inhibit airway allergic inflammation, its mechanism may be relevant to a balance of Th1 and Th2.

Anterograde excision of a sublingual gland: new surgical technique for the treatment of ranulas.

Wharton's duct is dissected in a retrograde direction from the orifice of the duct to the hilum of the submandibular gland when the gland is being excised conventionally. Here we describe an anterograde technique, in which Wharton's duct is dissected in an anterograde direction from the hilum of the submandibular gland to the orifice of the duct. This prospective clinical study included 50 consecutive patients with ranulas who had anterograde excision of the sublingual gland between May 2012 and January 2015. The intraoral incision was similar to that for conventional excision. Wharton's duct and other important anatomical structures located in the space behind the sublingual gland were all identified at the beginning of the procedure, followed by anterograde dissection of Wharton's duct. After the glandular tissue lateral to the duct had been incised completely, the duct was exposed and the gland cut into two parts. Finally, the two parts were removed, and the ranula ruptured. The patients were followed up from 6 months-2 years. There were no complications. Anterograde excision of the sublingual gland is based on the anatomy, and this reduces the risk of complications after removal of a ranula.