Six Amino Acids among Natural Moisturizing Factors Responsible for Skin Hydration: Improvement and Anti-Aging of Skin by Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate-PiteraTM Containing Skin Moisturizer

Background: Natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) are filaggrin-derived components in the cornified layer that are critical for maintaining healthy skin moisturization and barrier function. However, studies have reported conflicting findings on the relationship between NMF levels and aging, while few studies have investigated this relationship clinically. To fill this research gap, we determined the levels of major NMF components such as free amino acids, pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, and urocanic acids, and individually verified their relationships with skin hydration, barrier function, age, and skin aging. Purpose: The objective of this study was to clinically investigate the relationship between NMF components levels and skin aging in facial skin. The main NMF components were obtained from facial skin and quantified. We then selected NMF components showing strong relationships to skin hydration, and analyzed the relationships of the levels of these selected NMF components with signs of skin aging, namely, texture, pores, wrinkles, and dullness (L-value). We also examined the efficacy of treatment with a skin care formula (SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, called SK-II FTE hereafter) including Galactomyces ferment filtrate (GFF, PiteraTM) on the selected NMF component levels associated with skin hydration and barrier function, and the signs of skin aging of texture, pores, wrinkles, and dullness (L-value). Method: We conducted two clinical trials in this research. In Study 1, we measured 23 NMF components using tape-stripped cornified layer to quantify them via an HPLC method in 196 Asian females aged 20 to 59 (mean S.D., 38.6 9.4). Facial visual aging parameters [texture, pores, wrinkles, and dullness (L-value)], as well as elasticity (R7), skin hydration, and TEWL, were quantified using facial skin imaging and skin physical property measurement devices. Study 2 was performed to evaluate whether the facial application of SK-II FTE affects the NMF levels and skin aging parameters in 63 Asian female volunteers aged 20 to 55 (38.4 9.03). During the course of Study 2, 0.6 mL of SK-II FTE was applied to the face twice daily in the morning and afternoon. Skin measurements were performed at the start of the day (baseline) and at week 8. Results: In Study 1, we examined the stratum corneum levels of 23 NMF components comparing to the skin hydration status in 196 female subjects. The subjects were divided into two groups using the median of each measured NMF component. Skin hydration values were compared between the two groups defined for each NMF component. The results showed that subjects with higher levels of six amino acids, alanine, arginine, asparagine, glutamine, glycine, and histidine, exhibited significantly higher skin hydration than those with lower amino acid levels. No significant differences in skin hydration values were found for the other 17 NMF components. We then analyzed whether the sum of these six amino acid NMF components (called 6-AA-NMFs, hereafter) is affected by aging. The 6-AA-NMF level peaked in the subjects aged 25-29, and then gradually and significantly decreased with age. Interestingly, the 6-AA-NMF level was significantly correlated with the skin hydration value, but not with TEWL. In addition, the 6-AA-NMF level demonstrated significant correlations with the signs of skin aging of texture, pores, wrinkles, and dullness (L-value). Then, in Study 2, we examined whether the daily application of SK-II FTE affects the 6-AA-NMF level and visual aging parameters in 63 females. SK-II FTE demonstrated significant increases of the levels of 6-AA-NMFs and each of its components associated with hydration and barrier function, and improvements of skin texture, pores, wrinkles, and dullness (L-value) during the 8 weeks of treatment of facial skin. Conclusion: These clinical studies with large numbers of subjects across a wide age range revealed that six amino acids as NMF components were highly correlated with facial skin hydration in the stratum corneum. The levels of these six NMF components were also found to decrease at ages after the 30 s and were significantly correlated with major signs of skin aging. Notably, these six NMF components (6-AA-NMFs) were increased by SK-II FTE treatment associated with improvements of skin hydration and signs of skin aging, namely, texture, pores, wrinkles, and dullness (L-value). These studies were limited by the lack of investigation of why some NMF components were not associated with skin hydration. More clinical trials examining various NMF components and their relationship with aging are anticipated.

Quantification of In Vivo Epidermal Keratinocyte Architecture Associated with the Signs of Skin Aging and the Skin Benefit Evaluation by Application of Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate (Pitera)-Containing Skin Care Product

Background: Aged skin exhibits visual alterations such as wrinkles, rough texture, pore dilation, and dull skin tone, as well as physiological aging, namely, decreased hydration and increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Recent advances in coherence tomography have also revealed that skin aging affects in vivo epidermal keratinocyte architecture. However, the interconnectivity between spatial architectural aging and visual/physiological aging parameters remains largely unknown. Purpose: To elucidate whether the tomographic keratinocyte architectural aging is correlated with visual and physiological skin aging parameters and to quantitatively evaluate the improvements of the architectural, visual, and physiological aging parameters by the daily treatment of the skin care formula containing Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate (GFF, 8X PiteraTM). Method: We measured the in vivo keratinocyte cellular architecture with two-photon stereoscopic tomography obtaining by-layer epidermal section images in 78 Asian females of various ages. Visual aging parameters were analyzed using a portable image capture system. Hydration and TEWL were also assessed. The anti-aging effects of GFF-containing skin moisturizer (SK-II LXP CreamTM) were also examined in two studies after twice-daily application for 2 (N = 35) and 4 (N = 32) weeks. Results: As for the keratinocyte cellular architecture, skin aging was significantly associated with decreased cell density and increased cell uniformity. These architectural aging parameters were significantly correlated with visual and physiological aging parameters, namely, rough texture, wrinkles, pore dilation, dull skin tone, dehydration, and increased TEWL. The strong interconnectivity allowed us to develop formulae to estimate the keratinocyte architecture from visual aging parameters. Moreover, twice-daily application of SK-II significantly improved the keratinocyte architecture associated with multiple skin aging visual and physiological parameters. Conclusion: Skin aging is a process involving mutual interconnections among epidermal keratinocyte cellular architecture, visual, and physiological parameters. The GFF-containing moisturizer SK-II effectively improves spatial architecture of keratinocytes in epidermis and these evaluated skin aging parameters in a new trajectory over the course of treatment. .

Study on the Effect and Mechanism of Green Plum Citron Double Strain Fermentation Filtrate on Skin Barrier

To study the effect of Green plum citron double strain fermentation filtrate(DSF)on the proliferation rate of HaCaT keratinocytes by CCK8 assay.The effect of DSF on the mRNA transcription levels of filagolin(FLG),loricrin(LOR),and occludin 1(CLD1)in HaCaT cells in sodium dodecyl sulfate(SLS)model was investigated by qPCR.The effect of DSF on the content of TNF-αin the supernatant of HaCaT cells in the model was investigated by Elisa.The results showed that DSF had no toxicity to HaCaT cells,but it could increase the mRNA transcription levels of FLG,LOR and CLD1 in HaCaT cells in the model,and reduce the content of TNF-αin the supernatant of HaCaT cells in the model.DSF had a certain effect on skin care of strengthening skin barrier.

Expanded Follicle-Sulcus-Crack Complex Is an Early Warning Sign of Facial Skin Aging: Improvement by Application of Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate-Containing Skin Product

Background: Wrinkles, pigmented spots, and roughness are representative parameters reflecting facial skin aging. Sulci cutis connecting to follicular orifices frequently form perifollicular cracks, which join together adjacent sulci. This follicle-sulcus-crack complex (FSCC) is exacerbated by dehydration. Purpose: Although dehydration is associated with facial skin aging, FSCC’s implications in facial skin aging remain unresolved. Method: We measured facial skin parameters in 1999 and 2010 in 108 Japanese women, and in 2006 and 2016 in 182 Chinese women. We addressed whether expansion of FSCC is associated with other skin aging parameters. We also examined whether skin moisturizer can reverse the expanded FSCC. Results: In both clinical studies, FSCC severity as well as wrinkles, spots, and roughness significantly deteriorated with age. Notably, FSCC significantly increased as early as in subjects in their 20s, whereas wrinkles, spots, and roughness became conspicuous in those in their 40s or older. Moreover, subjects with more severe FSCC in the initial measurement exhibited significantly worse wrinkles, spots, and roughness in the second measurement a decade later. Dehydration was significantly correlated with expanded FSCC. Furthermore, FSCC expansion was reversed after appropriate moisturization by daily application of Galactomyces ferment filtrate (GFF)-containing skincare product (SK-II Skin Power Cream) for 4 weeks in 37 women. Conclusion: The expanded FSCC is likely to be an early indicator of facial skin aging. Appropriate moisturization may reduce FSCC formation and decelerate facial skin aging.

The sensitivity of the array resistivity log to mud filtrate invasion and its primary five-parameter inversion for improved oil water recognition

In order to improve reservoir fluid recognition, the sensitivity of array resistivity response to the difference of the invasion properties in both oil-bearing layers and water layers is analyzed. Then the primary inversion is carried out based on the array resistivity log. The mud invasion process is numerically simulated based on the oil-water flow equation and water convection diffusion equation. The results show that the radial resistivity of a fresh mud-invaded oil-bearing layer presents complex distribution characteristics, such as nonlinear increase, increasing to decreasing and low resistivity annulus, and the resistive invasion profile of a water layer is monotonic. Under specific conditions, array resistivity log can reflect these changes and the array induction log is more sensitive. Nevertheless, due to the effect of factors like large invasion depth, reservoir physical and oil-bearing properties, the measured apparent resistivity may differ greatly from the actual mud filtrate invasion profile in an oil-bearing layer. We proposed a five-parameter formation model to simulate the complex resistivity distribution of fresh mud-invaded formation. Then, based on the principle of non-linear least squares, the measured array resistivity log is used for inversion with the Marquardt method. It is demonstrated that the inverted resistivity is typically non-monotonic in oil-bearing layers and is monotonic in water layers. Processing of some field data shows that this is helpful in achieving efficient reservoir fluid recognition.

Screening of Potato Lines Including Department Genetic &National Plant Gene Bank of Iran for Resistance to Early Blight (<i>Alternaria. solani</i>) Using Culture Filtrate Produced by the Fungus

Potato is a plant that can be influenced by early blight disease. Early blight is one of the most destructive plant diseases, especially in the members of solanaceae family. This disease can reduce yield. Experiment design was a factorial randomized complete design to evaluate the isolate pathogenic Alternaria solani in National Plant Gene Bank of Iran, during 2008-2009. This experiment was conducted with three replications, and the factors include test methods and three lines 9506, 10908-05 and 10908-18 with genotypes of Agria, Casmos and Desiree (susceptible) and Delta (resistant control). Analysis of variance table was based on the area under the disease progress curve, indicating the effects of the experimental methods;genotype and their interactions are significant at the 1% level. In greenhouse evaluation, the symptoms appeared on, the first day. In this method the area under the curve progression was noted in 10 times, but in vitro method, the symptoms of this evaluation appeared on the first or second day. The Evaluation was carried out after inoculation, and was noted 6 times. The results indicate that genotypes and lines are located in four different groups. In this case, line 9506 and Cosmos were quite sensitive to the surface, and Desiree, is located in a sensitive area. Line 10908-18 and Agria, located approximately at the level of resistance, and line 10908-05 and Delta, have been resistant surface.

Inhibition of <i>Magnaporthe oryzae</i>by Culture Filtrates of Fungi Isolated from Wild Mushrooms

Fungal strains isolated from the fruiting bodies of wild mushrooms were evaluated for fungicidal activity against Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal agent of the rice blast disease. Fungal isolates (n = 105) were obtained from 46 samples of wild mushrooms. Infection behaviors of M. oryzae were assessed in the presence of culture filtrates from 90 fungal isolates, of which 20 inhibited spore germination. Heat-treated culture filtrates of these isolates were classified into 3 groups according to biological activity. Blast lesion formation by M. oryzae was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with culture filtrates from 4 fungal isolates. ITS region sequence analysis indicated that these?isolates shared similarities with species of the genera Annulohypoxylon, Nigrospora, and Penicillium. Studies of symbiotic and parasitic fungi from wild mushrooms may yield potential control agents for plant diseases such as the rice blast disease.

Up-regulation of tight junction-related proteins and increase of human epidermal keratinocytes barrier function by Saccharomycosis ferment filtrate

Saccharomycopsis ferment filtrate (SFF), mainly used in skin care products, has been reported to inhibit inflammatory nitric oxide production and prevent epidermal damage. However, the effects of SFF on epidermal keratinocytes have not yet been explored. We investigated the effects of SFF on skin barrier function using human primary epidermal keratinocytes. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. The mRNA and protein expression levels of tight junction proteins (claudin-1, -3, -4, occludin, ZO-1) were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The effect of SFF on the barrier formation of epidermal keratinocytes was measured by transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). Rescue of cell death from H2O2 treatment was evaluated by annexin V staining. SFF, at concentrations that did not cause significant change of cell viability, induced dose-dependent cell-cell adhesion and formation of an organized monolayer structure. Pretreatment of keratinocytes with EGTA, a Ca2+ chelator, did not inhibit the cell-cell adhesion of keratinocytes by SFF, indicating a Ca2+-independent mechanism. The mRNA and protein levels of claudin-1 in keratinocytes were up-regulated by SFF treatment in a dose-dependent manner. The expressions of other tight junctions (TJs) including claudin-3 & 4, occludin and ZO-1 were also similarly increased in SFF-treated epidermal keratinocytes. The promoting effect of SFF on the barrier function of epidermal keratinocytes was further confirmed by the increased TER value in SFF-treated epidermal keratinocytes. Annexin V staining confirmed that SFF markedly decreased the number of dead cells resulted from H2O2 injury. Taken together, our results provided the first evidence that SFF enhanced keratinocytes barrier function by increasing the expression of TJs and TER.

Culture Filtrates of Trichoderma Isolate H921 Inhibit Magnaporthe oryzae Spore Germination and Blast Lesion Formation in Rice

Spore germination and appressorium formation of Magnaporthe oryzae spores was completely suppressed by an ethyl acetate extract of the culture filtrate from the H921 isolate (H921-EAE-CF). Production of antifungal substance(s) in the H921-EAE-CF began to increase up to 3 days after isolate H921 incubation. Furthermore, heat treatment (105°C or 121°C) of H921-EAE-CF did not alter its inhibitory effect on M. oryzae spore germination compared to non-heat-treated H921-EAE-CF. Blast lesion formation inhibition by H921-EAE-CF was dose-dependent. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequence analysis indicated that this isolate shared similarities with species of the genera Trichoderma. This study suggests that H921-EAE-CF contains some antifungal substances that could be promising candidates for control of rice blast disease.

Synthesis and Performance Evaluation of Anti Temperature and Salt Resistant Polymer Filtrate Reducer

In the experiment,the filtrate loss of synthetic fluid loss control fluid was recorded in room temperature and high temperature in the composite brine base and sodium chloride brine base slurry,and compared with the filtrate loss before base polymer addition.In this way,the effect of filtration loss and salt resistance and temperature resistance of synthetic polymers were evaluated.The influence of the synthesized polymer on the rheological properties of the composite brine was also evaluated by determining the viscosity of the drilling fluid added to the base slurry and polymer.In the end,the structure of the synthetic polymers was characterized through the infrared spectrum,which initially analyzed through the mechanism of its function in reducing the filter loss.Finally,the products produced according to the recipe are given to the site and added to the two wells to record the drilling fluid performance data.

Induced Resistance by the Toxin Filtrate of Bipolaris maydis Race T Cultivation

Resistance to maize southern leaf spot disease was induced by the low-concentration filtrate of Bipolaris maydis race T cultivation in an experiment. The nuclear neterogeny corn C103 was used as the test material. The lesion area on the leaves was significant difference by connalysis. The lesion areas on pretreated leaves were （0.3±0.05）- （0.9±0.5） mm^2, but those on the control were （23.1±8.7） mm^2. At the same time, the changes in peroxidase, phenylalanine, ammonialyase, and malondialdehvde activities were determined. During 0-96 h of inspection, phenylalanine and ammonialyase （PAL） activities increased by 64.2%, peroxidase （POD） activities increased by 41.2%, but the malondialdenvde （MDA） content decreased by 29.7% compared with the control. It seems that the low-concentration filtrate of Bipolaris maydis race T cultivation itself can be used as an elicitor to enhance the induced resistance.

Effects of early postnatal gastric and colonic microbiota transplantation on piglet gut health

Background Diarrhea is a major cause of reduced growth and mortality in piglets during the suckling and weaning periods and poses a major threat to the global pig industry.Diarrhea and gut dysbiosis may in part be prevented via improved early postnatal microbial colonization of the gut.To secure better postnatal gut colonization,we hypothesized that transplantation of colonic or gastric content from healthy donors to newborn recipients would prevent diarrhea in the recipients in the post-weaning period.Our objective was to examine the impact of transplanting colonic or gastric content on health and growth parameters and paraclinical parameters in recipient single-housed piglets exposed to a weaning transition and challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC).Methods Seventy-two 1-day-old piglets were randomized to four groups:colonic microbiota transplantation(CMT,n=18),colonic content filtrate transplantation(CcFT,n=18),gastric microbiota transplantation(GMT,n=18),or saline(CON,n=18).Inoculations were given on d 2 and 3 of life,and all piglets were milk-fed until weaning(d 20)and shortly after challenged with ETEC(d 24).We assessed growth,diarrhea prevalence,ETEC concentration,organ weight,blood parameters,small intestinal morphology and histology,gut mucosal function,and microbiota composition and diversity.Results Episodes of diarrhea were seen in all groups during both the milk-and the solid-feeding phase,possibly due to stress associated with single housing.However,CcFT showed lower diarrhea prevalence on d 27,28,and 29 compared to CON(all P<0.05).CcFT also showed a lower ETEC prevalence on d 27(P<0.05).CMT showed a higher alpha diversity and a difference in beta diversity compared to CON(P<0.05).Growth and other paraclinical endpoints were similar across groups.Conclusion In conclusion,only CcFT reduced ETEC-related post-weaning diarrhea.However,the protective effect was marginal,suggesting that higher doses,more effective modalities of administration,longer treatment periods,and better donor quality should be explored by future research to optimize the protective effects of transplantation.

Filtration performance and modeling of granular bed for dust removal from coal pyrolytic vapors

Dust removal from pyrolytic vapors at high temperatures is an obstacle to the industrialization of the coal pyrolysis process.In this work,a granular bed with expanded perlites as filtration media was designed and integrated into a 10 t·d^(–1)coal pyrolysis facility.The testing results showed that around 97.56%dust collection efficiency was achieved.As a result,dust content in tar was significantly lowered.The pressure drop of the granular bed maintained in the range of 356 Pa to 489 Pa.The dust size in the effluent after filtration exhibited a bimodal distribution,which was attributed to the heterogeneity of the dust components.The effects of filtration bed on pyrolytic product yields were also discussed.A modified filtration model based on the macroscopic phenomenological theory was proposed to describe the performance of the granular bed.The computation results were well agreed with the experimental data.

Deep bed filtration model for cake filtration and erosion

Many phenomena in nature and technology are associated with the filtration of suspensions and colloids in porous media. Two main types of particle deposition,namely, cake filtration at the inlet and deep bed filtration throughout the entire porous medium, are studied by different models. A unified approach for the transport and deposition of particles based on the deep bed filtration model is proposed. A variable suspension flow rate, proportional to the number of free pores at the inlet of the porous medium, is considered. To model cake filtration, this flow rate is introduced into the mass balance equation of deep bed filtration. For the cake filtration without deposit erosion,the suspension flow rate decreases to zero, and the suspension does not penetrate deep into the porous medium. In the case of the cake filtration with erosion, the suspension flow rate is nonzero, and the deposit is distributed throughout the entire porous medium. An exact solution is obtained for a constant filtration function. The method of characteristics is used to construct the asymptotics of the concentration front of suspended and retained particles for a filtration function in a general form. Explicit formulae are obtained for a linear filtration function. The properties of these solutions are studied in detail.

Chemical modification of barite for improving the performance of weighting materials for water-based drilling fluids

With increasing drilling depth and large dosage of weighting materials,drilling fluids with high solid content are characterized by poor stability,high viscosity,large water loss,and thick mud cake,easier leading to reservoir damage and wellbore instability.In this paper,micronized barite(MB)was modified(mMB)by grafting with hydrophilic polymer onto the surface through the free radical polymerization to displace conventional API barite partly.The suspension stability of water-based drilling fluids(WBDFs)weighted with API barite:mMB=2:1 in 600 g was significantly enhanced compared with that with API barite/WBDFs,exhibiting the static sag factor within 0.54 and the whole stability index of 2.The viscosity and yield point reached the minimum,with a reduction of more than 40%compared with API barite only at the same density.Through multi-stage filling and dense accumulation of weighting materials and clays,filtration loss was decreased,mud cake quality was improved,and simultaneously it had great reservoir protection performance,and the permeability recovery rate reached 87%.In addition,it also effectively improved the lubricity of WBDFs.The sticking coefficient of mud cake was reduced by 53.4%,and the friction coefficient was 0.2603.Therefore,mMB can serve as a versatile additive to control the density,rheology,filtration,and stability of WBDFs weighted with API barite,thus regulating comprehensive performance and achieving reservoir protection capacity.This work opened up a new path for the productive drilling of extremely deep and intricate wells by providing an efficient method for managing the performance of high-density WBDFs.

A high Li-ion diffusion kinetics in multidimensional and compact-structured electrodes via vacuum filtration casting

Manufacturing process,diffusion co-efficient and areal capacity are the three main criteria for regulating thick electrodes for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).However,simultaneously regulating these criteria for LIBs is desirable but remains a significant challenge.In this work,niobium pentoxide(Nb_(2)O_(5))anode and lithium iron phosphate(LiFePO_(4))cathode materials were chosen as the model materials and demonstrate that these three parameters can be simultaneously modulated by incorporation of micro-carbon fibers(MCF)and carbon nanotubes(CNT)with both Nb_(2)O_(5) and LFP via vacuum filtration approach.Both as-prepared MNC-20 anode and MLC-20 cathode achieves high reversible areal capacity of≈5.4 m A h cm^(-2)@0.1 C and outstanding Li-ion diffusion coefficients of≈10~(-8)cm~2 s~(-1)in the half-cell configuration.The assembled MNC-20‖MLC-20 full cell LIB delivers maximum energy and power densities of244.04 W h kg^(-1)and 108.86 W kg^(-1),respectively.The excellent electrochemical properties of the asprepared thick electrodes can be attributed to the highly conductive,mechanical compactness and multidimensional mutual effects of the MCF,CNT and active materials that facilitates rapid Li-ion diffusion kinetics.Furthermore,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),symmetric cells analysis,and insitu Raman techniques clearly validates the enhanced Li-ion diffusion kinetics in the present architecture.

Machine learning-based comparison of factors influencing estimated glomerular filtration rate in Chinese women with or without nonalcoholic fatty liver

BACKGROUND The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver(NAFLD)has increased recently.Subjects with NAFLD are known to have higher chance for renal function impairment.Many past studies used traditional multiple linear regression(MLR)to identify risk factors for decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR).However,medical research is increasingly relying on emerging machine learning(Mach-L)methods.The present study enrolled healthy women to identify factors affecting eGFR in subjects with and without NAFLD(NAFLD+,NAFLD-)and to rank their importance.AIM To uses three different Mach-L methods to identify key impact factors for eGFR in healthy women with and without NAFLD.METHODS A total of 65535 healthy female study participants were enrolled from the Taiwan MJ cohort,accounting for 32 independent variables including demographic,biochemistry and lifestyle parameters(independent variables),while eGFR was used as the dependent variable.Aside from MLR,three Mach-L methods were applied,including stochastic gradient boosting,eXtreme gradient boosting and elastic net.Errors of estimation were used to define method accuracy,where smaller degree of error indicated better model performance.RESULTS Income,albumin,eGFR,High density lipoprotein-Cholesterol,phosphorus,forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1),and sleep time were all lower in the NAFLD+group,while other factors were all significantly higher except for smoking area.Mach-L had lower estimation errors,thus outperforming MLR.In Model 1,age,uric acid(UA),FEV1,plasma calcium level(Ca),plasma albumin level(Alb)and T-bilirubin were the most important factors in the NAFLD+group,as opposed to age,UA,FEV1,Alb,lactic dehydrogenase(LDH)and Ca for the NAFLD-group.Given the importance percentage was much higher than the 2nd important factor,we built Model 2 by removing age.CONCLUSION The eGFR were lower in the NAFLD+group compared to the NAFLD-group,with age being was the most important impact factor in both groups of healthy Chinese women,followed by LDH,UA,FEV1 and Alb.However,for the NAFLD-group,TSH and SBP were the 5th and 6th most important factors,as opposed to Ca and BF in the NAFLD+group.

Purification of Produced Water from a Sour Oilfield in South Kuwait. 1. Oil-Water Separation and Industrial Salt Production

Produced water from an oil extraction site in South Kuwait was sampled after primary oil – water separation had been carried out. The produced water was filtered through a mixture of activated charcoal and esterified cellulosic material gained from spent coffee grounds as a tertiary adsorption treatment. The earth-alkaline metal ions and heavy metals were separated from the de-oiled produced water by addition of either sodium or potassium hydroxide in the presence of carbon dioxide or by direct addition of solid sodium carbonate. The resulting filtrate gave salt of industrial purity upon selective crystallization on evaporation.

Advances in particulate matter filtration:Materials,performance,and application

Air-borne pollutants in particulate matter(PM)form,produced either physically during industrial processes or certain biological routes,have posed a great threat to human health.Particularly during the current COVID-19 pandemic,effective filtration of the virus is an urgent matter worldwide.In this review,we first introduce some fundamentals about PM,including its source and classification,filtration mechanisms,and evaluation parameters.Advanced filtration materials and their functions are then summarized,among which polymers and MOFs are discussed in detail together with their antibacterial performance.The discussion on the application is divided into end-of-pipe treatment and source control.Finally,we conclude this review with our prospective view on future research in this area.

Trend of glaucoma internal filtration surgeries in a tertiary hospital in China

AIM:To evaluate the trend of glaucoma internal filtration surgeries for inpatients between 2015 and 2021 at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.METHODS:A review of the medical records of inpatients who had been diagnosed with glaucoma and received antiglaucoma surgery between January 1,2015 and December 31,2021 was conducted.The glaucoma diagnosis in this study included primary open angle glaucoma,primary angleclosure glaucoma,secondary glaucoma,and paediatric glaucoma.The types of surgeries were categorised as internal filtration,external filtration,and cyclodestruction surgery based on the pathway of aqueous humor outflow.The trend of these glaucoma surgeries in the sample of patients with different types of glaucoma was then analysed.RESULTS:The number of patients hospitalised for glaucoma surgery increased yearly,from 752 in 2015 to 1373 in 2021,at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.Regarding the patients diagnosed with primary open angle glaucoma,internal filtration surgery increased from 27.40%of the sample to 54.40%of the sample,while external filtration surgery decreased from 71.50%to 44.20%between 2015 and 2021.For paediatric glaucoma,internal filtration surgery increased from 37.50%in 2015 to 88.20%in 2021.Whilst different types of surgeries were performed on the sample of patients with secondary glaucoma,the proportion of internal filtration surgery also showed an increase from 18.20%in 2015 to 40.90%in 2021.Meanwhile,internal filtration surgery in the patient sample with primary angle-closure glaucoma already accounted for over 70.00%in 2015,and showed a small increase by 2021.CONCLUSION:As surgical technology and surgical experience continue to elevate and improve,the range of glaucoma surgeries are correspondingly evolving.This study find that internal filtration surgeries accounted for an increasing proportion of treatments in the surgical management of glaucoma between 2015 and 2021.