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Ammonia emission from animal production is a major environmental problem and has impacts on the animal health and working environment inside production houses. Ammonia is formed in manure by the enzymatic degradation of urinary urea and catalyzed by urease that is present in feces. We have determined and compared the urease activity in feces and manure (a urine and feces mixture) from pigs and cattle at 25°C by using Michaelis-Menten kinetics. To obtain accurate estimates of kinetic parameters Vmax and K'm, we used a 5 min reaction time to determine the initial reaction velocities based on total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) concentrations. The resulting Vmax value (mmol urea hydrolyzed per kg wet feces per min) was 2.06±0.08 mmol urea/kg/min and 0.80±0.04 mmol urea/kg/min for pig feces and cattle feces, respectively. The K'm values were 32.59±5.65 mmol urea/l and 15.43±2.94 mmol urea/l for pig feces and cattle feces, respectively. Thus, our results reveal that both the Vmax and K'm values of the urease activity for pig feces are more than 2-fold higher than those for cattle feces. The difference in urea hydrolysis rates between animal species is even more significant in fresh manure. The initial velocities of TAN formation are 1.53 mM/min and 0.33 mM/min for pig and cattle manure, respectively. Furthermore, our investigation shows that the maximum urease activity for pig feces occurs at approximately pH 7, and in cattle feces it is closer to pH 8, indicating that the predominant fecal ureolytic bacteria species differ between animal species. We believe that our study contributes to a better understanding of the urea hydrolysis process in manure and provides a basis for more accurate and animal-specific prediction models for urea hydrolysis rates and ammonia concentration in manures and thus can be used to predict ammonia volatilization rates from animal production.

In recent years, the incidence of hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis (HLAP) has been increasing. Identifying the risk factors associated with severe HLAP and developing a predictive model are crucial for early detection and intervention, thereby alleviating the disease burden. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with severe HLAP and develop a predictive model. Data on HLAP treated in Taixing People's Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University from January 1, 2020, to June 30, 2023, were retrospectively collected and divided into a mild group (  = 296) and a moderate severe/severe group (  = 60). Univariate analysis and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression were used to select variables, and the selected variables were incorporated into logistic regression to analyze the risk factors of severe disease. A logistic regression model was constructed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate model differentiation, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test and calibration curve were used to evaluate model consistency. The univariate analysis showed statistically significant differences in 50 variables between the mild and moderately severe/severe groups. LASSO regression identified the following variables: D-dimer, blood calcium, cholesterol, standard bicarbonate (SB), total carbon dioxide, and C-reactive protein-albumin ratio (CAR). The constructed logistic regression model included D-dimer, blood calcium, and cholesterol, with an AUC of 0.8341 (95% CI [0.7724-0.8958]). The model's calibration was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test (  = 6.8383,  = 0.5542), and the calibration curve demonstrated that the model's predictions closely aligned with observed outcomes. The risk factors of severe HLAP include D-dimer elevation, calcium depletion and cholesterol elevation. The predictive model established by logistic regression has good performance, which is helpful for early identification and intervention by clinicians.

Bioaerosols in commercial livestock barns threaten the health of animals and humans. To better understand microbial dynamics in the layer house, we characterized and compared the size-segregated bacterial community of the manure cleaning process in a typical commercial laying hen house equipped with an H-type manure removal belt and negative pressure tunnel ventilation system in Ningbo, China by using full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences. The third-generation single-molecule real-time sequencing (SMRT Cell) based on the Pacific BioSciences (PacBio) RS II platform was performed for capturing sequence information of the microbial aerosol samples. The results showed that the concentrations of total airborne bacteria in the layer house were in the range of 0.35 × 103 CFU/m3 to 0.70 × 103 CFU/m3, 2.76 × 103 CFU/m3 to 2.88 × 103 CFU/m3, and 2.10 × 103 CFU/m3 to 2.54 × 103 CFU/m3 before, during, and after manure removal, respectively. The airborne bacteria concentrations were significantly increased by the manure removal process. According to LEfSe analysis results, g_Escherichia_Shigella, s_Escherichia_coli, o_Enterobacteriales, f_Enterobacteriaceae could be suggested as biomarkers during manure removal. The dominant bacterial phyla in the layer house monitored were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and genera were Pseudomonas, Escherichia-Shigella, Comamonas. The predominant potential pathogenic bacteria in the layer house were Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Enterobacter, and Acinetobacter.

New co-processed excipients comprising lactose (filler and sweetener), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC, filler), and low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose (L-HPC, disintegrant and binder) were developed via solvent evaporation for the preparation of metoclopramide orally disintegrating tablets (MCP ODTs). Single-factor and Box–Behnken experimental designs were employed to optimize the formulation. The optimized formulation ratios were water: MCC: lactose (g/g) = 17.26:2.79:4.54:1. The results demonstrated that particles formed by solvent evaporation had superior flowability and compressibility compared to the physical mixture. Tablets compressed with these co-processed excipients exhibited a significantly reduced disintegration time of less than 25 s and achieved complete dissolution within 5 min. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that MCP ODTs significantly improved Cmax, which was 1.60-fold higher compared to conventional tablets. In summary, the lactose/L-HPC/MCC triple-based co-processed excipients developed in this study are promising and could be successfully utilized in orally disintegrating and fast-release tablets.

Functional heartburn (FH) and non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) are two prevalent diseases, with mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI) and the post-reflux swallow-induced peristaltic wave (PSPW) index being used in their differentiation. We explored the clinical diagnostic value of MNBI and PSPW index on identifying FH and NERD. In total, 106 NERD and 82 FH patients were selected, and clinical data were collected. The mean low esophageal sphincter (LES) tone, distal contractile integral (DCI), contractile front velocity (CFV), and integrated relaxation pressure (IRP) were acquired. Acid exposure time (AET), total monitoring time, baseline impedance level, number of swallow-induced peristaltic wave reflux episodes within 30 s, total number of reflux episodes, and number of acid reflux episodes of NERD and FH patients were monitored, with AET, MNBI and the PSPW index being calculated. Correlations between MNBI and the PSPW index and pathological indicators of subjects, and the influence and diagnostic value of MNBI and the PSPW index for NERD and FH identification were analyzed. The two groups differed significantly in AET, LES tone, total reflux episodes, acid reflux episodes and episodes of non-acid reflux. The NERD group displayed reduced MNBI and PSPW index levels. MNBI and the PSPW index were negatively associated with subject pathological indicators. MNBI, PSPW, LES tone, total reflux episodes and acid reflux episodes contributed to distinguishing NERD from FH. MNBI > 1975 and PSPW > 47.12 had high clinical application value for identifying NERD and FH. MNBI and PSPW, LES tone, total reflux episodes and acid reflux episodes aided in distinguishing NERD and FH. MNBI and PSPW combinative detection had high clinical application value for distinguishing NERD from FH.

Concentrated pig production is a major source of environmental pollution. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show potential for reducing heavy metal pollution. Two zirconium-based octahedral MOFs, UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH2, were prepared by solvothermal method and were characterized by XRD, SEM, FT-IR, and BET. The adsorption capacity, treatability, and reusability of the adsorbents were tested in batch experiments. The optimum adsorbent dosage was 4 g/L, and the maximum removal rates at room temperature of chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), and Arsenic (As) on UiO-66 were 76.93%, 93.73%, 88.81%, 83.30%, and 86.11%, respectively. In the kinetic experiments, the adsorption process achieved equilibrium within 90 min and generally conformed to the quasi-second kinetics model. The results demonstrated that UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH2 can be used over a wide range of pH for removal of most HMs on a large scale. Meanwhile, the adsorbents maintained excellent adsorption capacity after at least 3 cycles. Overall, UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH2 have a high potential for practical application on the recovery of heavy metals in the complex wastewater from animal farms.

Respiratory health is closely related to immune system function, and diet can also influence immune homeostasis. Diet, an important part of a healthy lifestyle, is also linked to respiratory health. We aimed to explore the relationship between different dietary patterns and the risk of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), including chronic bronchitis (CB), emphysema, and asthma. A total of 23,042 adults from the United States were selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset between 2007 and 2018. Diet quality was assessed using 2-day, 24-hour dietary recall data and quantified as the Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI-2020), the Dietary Inflammation Index (DII), the Mediterranean Dietary Index (MEDI), and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Index (DASHI). Binary logistic regression models, restricted cubic splines (RCS), and the weighted quartile sum (WQS) models were used to assess the relationship between diet quality and the risk of CB, emphysema, and asthma. In logistic regression analyses of the four dietary indices with the three chronic respiratory diseases, it was consistently observed that higher dietary quality scores were linked to a reduced risk of respiratory disease. These consistent trends were also evident in the assessments of the dose-response relationship between dietary quality score and the risk of respiratory disease. Furthermore, evaluations of the combined effects of dietary components across different dietary indices in the risk of chronic respiratory disease yielded results consistent with the logistic regression models. Notably, high-quality protein, minerals, and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables emerged as the food groups making the most significant contributions to health across different dietary indices. Low-quality diets, lacking in high-quality protein, minerals, and fruits and vegetables rich in dietary fiber, are associated with a higher risk of chronic respiratory disease, regardless of the dietary index used to measure diet quality.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has been galvanized to unravel the enigmatic role of bioaerosols in the transmission of infectious agents. This literature review, anchored in the extensive Web of Science Core Collection database covering the period from 1990 to 2023, utilizes a bibliometric approach to chart the dynamic landscape of bioaerosol research. It meticulously documents the paradigm shifts and burgeoning areas of inquiry that have emerged in the aftermath of the pandemic. This review meticulously maps out the sources and detection strategies of pathogens in a variety of ecosystems. It clearly shows that impaction and filtration sampling methods, followed by colony counting and PCR-based detection techniques, were predominantly used in the scientific works within the previous three decades. It synthesizes the progress and limitations inherent in a range of models for predicting aerosol-mediated pathogen spread and provides a comparative analysis of eDNA technology and traditional analytical techniques for bioaerosols. The accuracy of these detection methods and forecasting models is paramount for the early recognition of transmission risks, which, in turn, paves the way for prompt and effective disease mitigation strategies. By providing a thorough analysis of the historical progression and current state of bioaerosol research, this review illuminates the path ahead, identifying the critical research needs that will drive the field’s advancement in the years to come.

To evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of 10-day vonoprazan-amoxicillin (VA) dual therapy compared to 14-day VA therapy. A non-inferiority trial was carried out at 10 clinical centers to recruit patients with H. pylori infection. Subjects were assigned at random to either the group for 10-day or 14-day, and where given vonoprazan 20 mg bid and amoxicillin 1 g tid. Comparisons were made in terms of eradication rates, adverse events, cost-effectiveness, and compliance. 914 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the 10-day or 14-day VA groups. Using the intention-to-treat principle and multiple imputation for missing outcomes, the analysis showed an eradication rate of 88.79% in the 10-day group and 92.37% in the 14-day group (P = 0.064). The eradication rates were 89.14% and 93.35% by per-protocol analysis (P = 0.037). There were no significant differences in adverse events or compliance between the groups (P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that smoking and prior failure of eradication were risk factors influencing the eradication rate (P < 0.05). For the economic evaluation, the cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) of the 10-day group was 426.30 yuan, the CER of the 14-day group was 485.27 yuan, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 1680.23 yuan. In probability sensitivity analysis, the cost-effectiveness acceptability curve showed that when the willingness-to-pay(WTP) threshold was below 1742 yuan, the 10-day group was more cost-effective. When the WTP threshold was above 1742 yuan, the 14-day group was more cost-effective. In this study, the 10-day VA was not found to be inferior to the 14-day VA. Compared with the 14-day group, the 10-day group is more cost-effective, but as the WTP threshold increases to 1742 yuan, the probability of the 14-day group being more cost-effective was greater than that of the 10-day group. Smoking and previous eradication attempts were associated with the eradication failure of VA therapy. https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT05469685.

The emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has resulted in increasingly severe harm to the environment and human health. In recent years, biological methods have become the preferred technology for VOC removal due to their environmental friendliness and economic advantages. Based on the theory of bibliometrics, this study analyzed research articles and reviews on biological methods for VOC removal published in the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database from 1966 to 2021. The knowledge map visualization software CiteSpace was utilized to analyze research progress in different countries, co-citation clustering, co-citation bursts, and keyword clustering in the literature data. The results indicated that early research on VOC biological treatment focused on the removal of odorous gases and single components of volatile organic waste gases. Subsequently, benzene contents (BTEX), hydrophobic VOCs, and multi-component VOCs have gradually become the focus of research. In recent years, improving VOC removal efficiency by studying packing materials and microbial communities has become an important research topic both domestically and internationally. Future research should focus on continuously improving the performance of reactors, developing novel reactors, and investigating technologies for treating complex and recalcitrant VOCs.