Peripheral nervous system involvement in multiple sclerosis

Fragestellung: Gibt es eine subklinische Beteiligung des peripheren Nervensystems bei Patienten mit Multipler Sklerose (MS) i) im Bereich der schnell leitenden Aα- und β-Fasern und/oder ii) im Bereich der langsam leitenden Aδ-Fasern? Hintergrund: Während die Standardneurographie bei Patienten mit MS in der Vergangenheit widersprüchliche Ergebnisse zeigte, konnten in elektrophysiologischen Repolarisationsstudien und histopathologischen Studien Hinweise auf eine subklinische Beteiligung des peripheren Nervensystems bei MS gefunden werden. Small Fiber Polyneuropathien sind in Kombination mit zahlreichen Autoimmunerkrankungen beschrieben, bei MS Patienten bisher jedoch nicht untersucht worden. Patienten und Methoden: Zur Diagnose von Neuropathien der Aα- und β-Fasern erfolgte bei 54 Patienten (43 mit schubförmigem, 11 mit sekundär progredientem Verlauf) eine Standardneurographie der Nn. tibiales, peronei und surales. Die Aδ-Fasern wurden bei 21 Patienten und 21 alters- und geschlechtsgematchten Kontrollprobanden mittels schmerzevozierter Potentiale (PREP) untersucht. Ergebnisse: Bei 29,6% (n=16) der untersuchten Patienten und 14,2% (n=23) aller untersuchten Nerven wurden ein oder mehrere pathologische Ergebnisse in der Standardneurographie gefunden. Die Messergebnisse der PREP unterschieden sich nicht zwischen Patienten- und Kontrollgruppe. Diskussion: Die gefundenen geringen Normwertabweichungen in der Standard-neurographie sprechen in Kombination mit den elektrophysiologischen und histopathologischen Vorstudien für eine subklinische Beteiligung des peripheren Nervensystems bei MS. Anzeichen für eine Small Fiber Polyneuropathie lagen nicht vor.Objective: To investigate possible peripheral nervous system (PNS) affection in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) by standard nerve conduction velocity (SNC) and pain related evoked potentials (PREP), a novel electrophysiological method for diagnosing small fibre neuropathy. Background: Former neuropathological and electrophysiological studies demonstrated subtle PNS affection in MS, but routine measurements are mostly normal. Small fibre polyneuropathy is associated with several autoimmune diseases, but has not been investigated in MS yet. Design/Methods: Fifty-four MS patients (43 relapsing remitting, 11 secondary progressive MS; mean EDSS 2.58 ± 1.22, mean age 40.2 ± 8.2) underwent SNC of the tibial, sural and peroneal nerve. Twenty-one patients without evidence for spinal cord affection also underwent PREP. Results: 29.6% (n=16) of all patients and 14.2% (n=23) of all nerves examined showed at least one abnormal finding on SNC. No abnormalities on PREP were found. Conclusions/Relevance: We demonstrated subtle alterations on routine electrophysiological measurements in MS patients without clinical signs or symptoms for polyneuropathy

Editorial Catalysts: Special Issue on Catalytic Pyrolysis

This work was carried out with financial support from the Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RTI2018-098283-J-I00 (MINECO/FEDER, UE)) and the Basque Government (IT1218-19)

El euskera en el alto Aragón

El propósito del presente trabajo es poner de relieve una serie de afinidades existentes entre los espacios culturales contiguos constituidos por el Alto Aragón y el País Vasco. Objeto central de estudio es el posible reflejo que un grupo de étimos vascos, escogidos al azar, han podido ejercer en la toponimia altoaragonesa. El análisis no es exhaustivo, podría aducirse multitud de otros topónimos cuyo carácter vascoide parece bastante transparente. Otra serie de fenómenos de diversa índole dejan entrever que las concordancias toponomásticas no son un hecho aislado. Se comienza recogiendo la opinión de prestigios filólogos sobre la importancia de los estudios de toponimia altoaragonesa para el conocimiento del protovasco o de esas hablas previas a la romanización que debieron hablarse en los valles pirenaicos.Lan honetan helburua hauxe izango litzateke: Goi Aragoneko eta Euskalerriko kultural hauzoaldeetan agertzen diren antzekotasun xamarrak eraizte eta azpimarratzea. Ikerketa honen lan gunea asmo gaberik hartutariko euskal "etimo" batzuk Goi Aragoneko toponimian jo egin duen islarak aratzea da. Azterketa hau ez da ahin zehatzaeuskal izaera agirian daukaten hainbat eta hainbat adibide eta toponimo ere erakar erazi lirateke. Bai beste era ezberdinetako fenomenoak ere erakusten digute ez direla adostasun toponamastikoak gauza bat eta bakarra. Hasieran Goi Aragoneko toponimia ikasketen garrantzia azaltzen dituen filolo handien eritsiak batzen dira, batez ere aintzinako euskeren edota erromanizazioaren aurretiz Pirinoetako aranetan egiten ziren hizkuntzetan ere.The object of this work is to point out a number of affinities existing between the neighbouring cultural areas of Hig Aragon and the Basque Country. The core of the study is the possible reflex that one particular group of Basque etyma, taken at random, might have produced onto the toponymia of the higlands of Áragon. This is by no means a thorough testone could always bring forward a further number of toponyms whose Basque lending character seems quite evident. Another series of fenomena o different kinds let us undersee that the toponomastic concurrencies are not at all an isolated case. We begin by gathering the oppinions of well known philologists on the importantce of the toponymia of the higlands of Aragon as to leading to the knowledge of a Protobasque languages, or to that of those languages previous to romanization that must have been spoken in the Pyrinean valleys

Development of the Conical Spouted Bed Technology for Biomass and Waste Plastic Gasification

Gasification is one of the most effective methods for upgrading different wastes, such as plastics and biomass, because the gas produced can be used directly as a fuel or as a renewable raw material for the production of chemicals and fuels. The conical spouted bed reactor (CSBR) has demonstrated to perform well in gasification process due to its specific features, such as (i) the cyclic and vigorous particle movement that avoids bed defluidization (a limitation in fluidized beds), (ii) capability for handling irregular or sticky solids, (iii) high heat transfer rates between phases, and (iv) bed stability in a wide range of gas flow rates. However, the conventional CSBR is characterized by its short residence time, which involves serious problems for minimizing tar formation. The incorporation of a fountain confiner in the CSBR is key to increasing the gas residence time and improving the contact between the gas and heat carrier particles, thereby promoting tar cracking reactions and so enhancing carbon conversion efficiency from 81.5% (without confiner) to 86.1% under fountain enhanced regime. The quality of the syngas is clearly improved as the H2 concentration increases from 36 to 42% with and without the fountain confiner, whereas that of CO decreases from 34 to 29%, respectively

A New Approach to Harness Probiotics Against Common Bacterial Skin Pathogens: Towards Living Antimicrobials

In this study, the potential of certain lactic acid bacteria—classified as probiotics and known to be antimicrobially active against pathogens or food-poisoning microorganisms—was evaluated with respect to their activity against bacterial skin pathogens. The aim of the study was to develop a plaster/bandage for the application of inhibitory substances produced by these probiotics when applied to diseased skin. For this purpose, two Streptococcus salivarius strains and one Lactobacillus plantarum were tested for production of antimicrobials (bacteriocin-like substances) active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens using established methods. A newly designed membrane test ensured that the probiotics produce antimicrobials diffusible through membranes. Target organisms used were Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, the L. plantarum 8P-A3 strain was tested against additional bacteria involved in skin disorders. The Lactobacillales used were active against all potential skin pathogens tested. These probiotics could be enclosed between polymer membranes—one tight, the other permeable for their products, preserved by vacuum drying, and reactivated after at least three months storage. Importantly, the reactivated pads containing the probiotics demonstrated antibacterial activity on agar plates against all pathogens tested. This suggests that the probiotic containing pads may be topically applied for the treatment of skin disorders without the need for a regular antibiotic treatment or as an adjunctive therapy

Correlation of the Minimum Spouting Velocity for the Design of Open-Sided Draft Tube Conical Spouted Beds for the Treatment of Fine Materials

The hydrodynamics of conical spouted beds provided with open-sided draft tubes have been studied for the treatment of fine particles. A correlation has been proposed for the calculation of the minimum spouting velocity as a function of dimensionless moduli that take into account the geometric factors of the contactor and the draft tube, particle characteristics and operating conditions

A CONICAL SPOUTED BED REACTOR FOR THE VALORISATION OF WASTE TIRES

A pilot plant provided with a conical spouted bed reactor has been used for the valorisation of waste tires by thermal pyrolysis in continuous mode. The effect of pyrolysis temperature on product distribution and properties has been studied in the temperature range from 425 to 600 ºC. This variable has proven to have an important effect on product distribution. Thus, pyrolysis oil yield was reduced from 64.3 wt% at 425 ºC to 55.9 wt% at 600 ºC. However, the quality of carbon black was improved operating at high temperatures (increasing BET surface area values). High yields of certain interesting chemicals have been obtained in the liquid fraction, such as limonene (19.3 wt%), isoprene (5.7 wt%) and styrene (6.1 wt%)

Zebrafish hhex, nk2.1a, and pax2.1 regulate thyroid growth and differentiation downstream of Nodal-dependent transcription factors

AbstractDuring zebrafish development, the thyroid primordium initiates expression of molecular markers such as hhex and nk2.1a in the endoderm prior to pharynx formation. As expected for an endodermally derived organ, initiation of thyroid development depends on Nodal signalling. We find that it also depends on three downstream effectors of Nodal activity, casanova (cas), bonnie and clyde (bon), and faust (fau)/gata5. Despite their early Nodal-dependent expression in the endoderm, both hhex and nk2.1a are only required relatively late during thyroid development. In hhex and nk2.1a loss-of-function phenotypes, thyroid development is initiated and arrests only after the primordium has evaginated from the pharyngeal epithelium. Thus, like pax2.1, both hhex and nk2.1a have similarly late roles in differentiation or growth of thyroid follicular cells, and here, we show that all three genes act in parallel rather than in a single pathway. Our functional analysis suggests that these genes have similar roles as in mammalian thyroid development, albeit in a different temporal mode of organogenesis

Tire pyrolysis char: Processes, properties, upgrading and applications

Waste tires are solid wastes with large annual output and with the potential for great harm to the environment. The pyrolysis of waste tires can recycle energy and produce reusable products. Although there are many reviews in the literature in regard to the pyrolysis characteristics of waste tires, no one paper focuses on reviewing and summarizing the tire char. This paper critically appraises the achievements of earlier reports and literature and assesses the current state-of-the-art for the production and application of tire char from waste tires. Initially, the thermal decomposition behavior of different tire rubbers is discussed and compared where it is shown that the different components of waste tire rubber have different thermal degradation characteristics. The influencing factors on the yield and quality of tire char are discussed and assessed in terms of different pyrolysis reactors and technologies, tire type and composition, and a range of pyrolysis process conditions. The composition of the waste tire and pyrolysis conditions are the main factors affecting the distribution of pyrolysis products. Pyrolysis technology and reactor equipment also have an effect on the distribution of pyrolysis products. The physical and chemical structural characteristics of tire char are critically reviewed in detail, including a comparison of the fundamental differences with commercial carbon black and modified tire char (physical activation and chemical activation). Finally, high-value application fields and developmental prospects of tire char are summarized. Through extensive literature review, a novel development was that tire char could be used as a source of gra-phene. The economic analysis of the various tire char applications should be one of the main research directions in the future. The keynote of this review is to promote intensification of waste tire recycling and treatment so that more tire char can be obtained from waste tire pyrolysis and thereby be reused in different applications to obtain more value.This project has received funding from the Science and Technology Exchange Project of China Ministry of Science and Technology (2021- 12-2) and Education Cooperation Project between China and Central Eastern European Countries (2021086) and Shaanxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation Research Program Shaanxi Coal Joint Funding (2019JLZ-12)