Optimizing linear alkyl benzene sulfonate removal using fenton oxidation process in taguchi method

Linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS), which is the most common used anionic surfactant in detergents manufacturing, can discharge onto water resources through wastewater and causes change in taste and odor, disruption in water treatment processes, aquatics death, and oxygen transfer limitation. Accordingly, this article investigates to optimize LAS removal using Fenton oxidation process in Taguchi Method for the first time. LAS removal using Fenton oxidation was perused experimentally in a lab-scale reactor

Fatty liver index vs waist circumference for predicting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

AIM: To determine the discriminatory performance of fatty liver index (FLI) for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: The data of 5052 subjects aged over 18 years were analyzed. FLI was calculated from body mass index, waist circumference (WC), triglyceride, and gamma glutamyl transferase data. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between FLI and NAFLD. The discriminatory performance of FLI in the diagnosis of NAFLD was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Area under the curves (AUCs) and related confidence intervals were estimated. Optimal cutoff points of FLI in the diagnosis of NAFLD were determined based on the maximum values of Youden's index. RESULTS: The mean age of men and women in the study population were 44.8 ± 16.8 and 43.78 ± 15.43, respectively (P = 0.0216). The prevalence of NAFLD was 40.1 in men and 44.2 in women (P < 0.0017). FLI was strongly associated with NAFLD, so that even a one unit increase in FLI increased the chance of developing NAFLD by 5.8 (OR = 1.058, 95CI: 1.054-1.063, P < 0.0001). Although FLI showed good performance in the diagnosis of NAFLD (AUC = 0.8656 (95CI: 0.8548-0.8764), there was no significant difference with regards to WC (AUC = 0.8533, 95CI: 0.8419-0.8646). The performance of FLI was not significantly different between men (AUC = 0.8648, 95CI: 0.8505-0.8791) and women (AUC = 0.8682, 95CI: 0.8513-0.8851). The highest performance with regards to age was related to the 18-39 age group (AUC = 0.8930, 95CI: 0.8766-0.9093). The optimal cutoff points of FLI were 46.9 in men (sensitivity = 0.8242, specificity = 0.7687, Youden's index = 0.5929) and 53.8 in women (sensitivity = 0.8233, specificity = 0.7655, Youden's index = 0.5888). CONCLUSION: Although FLI had acceptable discriminatory power in the diagnosis of NAFLD, WC was a simpler and more accessible index with a similar performance. © 2016 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved

Role of air pollutants in airway epithelial barrier dysfunction in asthma and COPD

Chronic exposure to environmental pollutants is a major contributor to the development and progression of obstructive airway diseases, including asthma and COPD. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of obstructive lung diseases upon exposure to inhaled pollutants will lead to novel insights into the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of these diseases. The respiratory epithelial lining forms a robust physicochemical barrier protecting the body from inhaled toxic particles and pathogens. Inhalation of airborne particles and gases may impair airway epithelial barrier function and subsequently lead to exaggerated inflammatory responses and airway remodelling, which are key features of asthma and COPD. In addition, air pollutant-induced airway epithelial barrier dysfunction may increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, thereby increasing the risk of exacerbations and thus triggering further inflammation. In this review, we discuss the molecular and immunological mechanisms involved in physical barrier disruption induced by major airborne pollutants and outline their implications in the pathogenesis of asthma and COPD. We further discuss the link between these pollutants and changes in the lung micmbiome as a potential factor for aggravating airway diseases. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to identification of novel targets for therapeutic intervention to restore airway epithelial integrity in asthma and COPD.Pathogenesis and treatment of chronic pulmonary disease

Role of air pollutants in airway epithelial barrier dysfunction in asthma and COPD

Chronic exposure to environmental pollutants is a major contributor to the development and progression of obstructive airway diseases, including asthma and COPD. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of obstructive lung diseases upon exposure to inhaled pollutants will lead to novel insights into the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of these diseases. The respiratory epithelial lining forms a robust physicochemical barrier protecting the body from inhaled toxic particles and pathogens. Inhalation of airborne particles and gases may impair airway epithelial barrier function and subsequently lead to exaggerated inflammatory responses and airway remodelling, which are key features of asthma and COPD. In addition, air pollutant-induced airway epithelial barrier dysfunction may increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, thereby increasing the risk of exacerbations and thus triggering further inflammation. In this review, we discuss the molecular and immunological mechanisms involved in physical barrier disruption induced by major airborne pollutants and outline their implications in the pathogenesis of asthma and COPD. We further discuss the link between these pollutants and changes in the lung micmbiome as a potential factor for aggravating airway diseases. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to identification of novel targets for therapeutic intervention to restore airway epithelial integrity in asthma and COPD

Role of air pollutants in airway epithelial barrier dysfunction in asthma and COPD.

Chronic exposure to environmental pollutants is a major contributor to the development and progression of obstructive airway diseases, including asthma and COPD. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of obstructive lung diseases upon exposure to inhaled pollutants will lead to novel insights into the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of these diseases. The respiratory epithelial lining forms a robust physicochemical barrier protecting the body from inhaled toxic particles and pathogens. Inhalation of airborne particles and gases may impair airway epithelial barrier function and subsequently lead to exaggerated inflammatory responses and airway remodelling, which are key features of asthma and COPD. In addition, air pollutant-induced airway epithelial barrier dysfunction may increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, thereby increasing the risk of exacerbations and thus triggering further inflammation. In this review, we discuss the molecular and immunological mechanisms involved in physical barrier disruption induced by major airborne pollutants and outline their implications in the pathogenesis of asthma and COPD. We further discuss the link between these pollutants and changes in the lung microbiome as a potential factor for aggravating airway diseases. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to identification of novel targets for therapeutic intervention to restore airway epithelial integrity in asthma and COPD

Comparison of two common quadruple therapy protocols for eradication of helicobacter pylori in Iran: An open label, randomized, non-inferiority, clinical trial

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is located in the digestive tract. This bacterium has a tendency to attack the stomach surface layer, mucosal changing, and eventually may involve in developing gastric cancer. In this regard, the main remaining issue is antibiotic resistance, which influences the efficacy of eradication regimens. To assess the efficacy of two frequent anti-H. Pylori quadruple treatments consisting of omeprazole, bismuth, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin (OBAC) or tetracycline (OBMT). Materials and Methods: Patients infected with H. pylori were assigned to receive omeprazole 20 mg, bismuth subcitrate 240 mg, metronidazole 500 mg, and tetracycline 500 mg twice a day versus omeprazole 20 mg, clarithromycin 500 mg, amoxicillin 1000 mg, and bismuth subcitrate 240 mg twice a day. Non-inferiority analyses were conducted according to both intention-to-treat and per-protocol principles. Results: 100 patients in each group were enrolled. The intention-to-treat eradication rate was 82 (82/100) in the group receiving OBMT and 85 (85/100) in the OBAC group. Per protocol, eradication rates were 88.1 (82/93) for the group receiving OBMT and 89.4 (85/95) for patients in the OBAC group. When considering non-inferiority analysis, there were no differences between the two groups in both methods of analysis. Conclusion: The eradication rate of OBMT is not inferior to OABC, and both are effective in eradicating H. pylori in areas with high metronidazole resistance. OBMT is a good alternative against the increasing resistance to clarithromycin. © 2021 Iranian Association of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. All rights reserved

Loose nanofiltration membranes functionalized with in situ-synthesized metal organic framework for water treatment

In this study, modified loose nanofiltration membranes were prepared by in-situ decoration with Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-7 (ZIF-7) on the surface of porous polyethersulfone substrates functionalized with co-deposited sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) zwitterion (ZW) and polydopamine (PDA). With the aid of ZW/PDA active layer co-deposition under mild conditions, ZIF-7 metal organic framework (MOF) nanocrystals were successfully formed and anchored onto the membrane surface via both non-covalent and covalent bonds to simultaneously achieve the desired selectivity and productivity of the loose nanofiltration membranes. The characterization results confirmed the successful deposition of the ZW/PDA active layer and the consequent decoration with ZIF-7 nanocrystals. The average water contact angle decreased notably from 81.4 to 51.43 degrees upon the formation of ZIF-7. This membrane showed high rejection (~99.9%) of methyl blue and Congo red dyes and high water flux with dye solutions (around 40 L m-2h-1) at a very low applied pressure of 1.5 bar. Moreover, the filtration experiments revealed that functionalized membranes exhibited a significant reduction in fouling and biofouling propensity. Notably, the MOF-SBMA/PDA membrane displayed favorable antifouling behavior associated with a significant ability to recover flux upon simple physical cleaning. The combination of these two properties is possibly the most promising feature of the membrane proposed in this study