Epithelial barrier hypothesis: Effect of the external exposome on the microbiome and epithelial barriers in allergic disease

Environmental exposure plays a major role in the development of allergic diseases. The exposome can be classified into internal (e.g., aging, hormones, and metabolic processes), specific external (e.g., chemical pollutants or lifestyle factors), and general external (e.g., broader socioeconomic and psychological contexts) domains, all of which are interrelated. All the factors we are exposed to, from the moment of conception to death, are part of the external exposome. Several hundreds of thousands of new chemicals have been introduced in modern life without our having a full understanding of their toxic health effects and ways to mitigate these effects. Climate change, air pollution, microplastics, tobacco smoke, changes and loss of biodiversity, alterations in dietary habits, and the microbiome due to modernization, urbanization, and globalization constitute our surrounding environment and external exposome. Some of these factors disrupt the epithelial barriers of the skin and mucosal surfaces, and these disruptions have been linked in the last few decades to the increasing prevalence and severity of allergic and inflammatory diseases such as atopic dermatitis, food allergy, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, and asthma. The epithelial barrier hypothesis provides a mechanistic explanation of how these factors can explain the rapid increase in allergic and autoimmune diseases. In this review, we discuss factors affecting the planet’s health in the context of the ‘epithelial barrier hypothesis,’ including climate change, pollution, changes and loss of biodiversity, and emphasize the changes in the external exposome in the last few decades and their effects on allergic diseases. In addition, the roles of increased dietary fatty acid consumption and environmental substances (detergents, airborne pollen, ozone, microplastics, nanoparticles, and tobacco) affecting epithelial barriers are discussed. Considering the emerging data from recent studies, we suggest stringent governmental regulations, global policy adjustments, patient education, and the establishment of individualized control measures to mitigate environmental threats and decrease allergic disease

Proposed minimum restoring force requirements for seismic isolated structures

In this research study, a new set of restoring force equations are proposed for seismic isolated structures subjected to far fault ground motions (FFGM) and near fault ground motions (NFGM). For this purpose, 110 FFGM and 49 NFGM are selected. Then, nonlinear time history analyses (NLTHA) of SDOF seismic isolated structures are performed using the selected ground motions to obtain their residual and maximum displacements. The analyses are repeated for an extensive range of parameters including peak ground acceleration, A(p), characteristic strength, Q(d) and post elastic period, T-d, of the isolation system. Next, the variations of the residual and maximum displacements are plotted as functions of the various combinations of the parameters considered in the analyses. Then, nonlinear regression analyses are performed to formulate the residual and maximum displacements as functions of the parameters considered in the analyses. The developed equations are then used to formulate the upper limits of T-d (restoring force equations) to ensure reasonable levels of residual and maximum isolator displacements. The developed restoring force equations are then compared with those of AASHTO and Eurocode-8 (EC-8) using the pool of residual and maximum displacement data obtained from NLTHA. It is observed that using the restoring force equations of AASHTO and EC-8 to check the design of seismic-isolated structures may, in some cases, produce unreasonably large levels of residual and maximum displacements. However, when the restoring force requirements proposed in this research study are applied, the residual and maximum displacements are observed to be within reasonable ranges

Performance and eating behaviour of crossbred goats in Mediterranean climate of Turkey

ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to investigate milk yield and eating behaviour of crossbred goats, German Improved Fawn × Hair crossbred (GIF) and Saanen × Hair goats (S), in subtropical eastern Mediterranean climate of Turkey during early summer season. Eight GIF and eight S goats were individually housed in 1.5 × 1.5 m pens. Diurnal eating patterns were monitored by a system that recorded meal size and meal length. Milk yield (kg/day) was 1.77 in GIF and 2.0 in S goats, whereas milk production efficiency (kg feed/kg milk) was 1.15 in GIF and 1.07 in S goats. The differences between GIF and S goats in eating behaviour parameters were significant: the S goats had higher meal size and meal length and longer inter-meal interval, meal time, and eating rate within in each meal, but lower number of meals in comparison with GIF goats. German Improved Fawn × Hair crossbred and Saanen × Hair goats have similar lactation performance under good nutritional condition, but their eating behaviours are quite different

Performance and eating behaviour of crossbred goats in Mediterranean climate of Turkey

ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to investigate milk yield and eating behaviour of crossbred goats, German Improved Fawn × Hair crossbred (GIF) and Saanen × Hair goats (S), in subtropical eastern Mediterranean climate of Turkey during early summer season. Eight GIF and eight S goats were individually housed in 1.5 × 1.5 m pens. Diurnal eating patterns were monitored by a system that recorded meal size and meal length. Milk yield (kg/day) was 1.77 in GIF and 2.0 in S goats, whereas milk production efficiency (kg feed/kg milk) was 1.15 in GIF and 1.07 in S goats. The differences between GIF and S goats in eating behaviour parameters were significant: the S goats had higher meal size and meal length and longer inter-meal interval, meal time, and eating rate within in each meal, but lower number of meals in comparison with GIF goats. German Improved Fawn × Hair crossbred and Saanen × Hair goats have similar lactation performance under good nutritional condition, but their eating behaviours are quite different

Effects of Feeding Regime Without Roughage on Performances and Rumen Development of Calves During Preweaning Period

WOS: 000281562600007The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of only concentrate diet on growth and rumen development of Holstein calves during preweaning period. Thirty female and nine male calves were allocated to three treatments. Nine male calves were also divided into three treatments to operate for rumen wall samples. First group was fed with a calf starter and alfalfa hay as free choice, second group was received calf starter only and third group were fed with a total mixed ration (TMR) during the pre-weaning period. The average daily gain of the free choice, calf starter only and total mixed ration groups were 528.39 +/- 29.82, 509.00 +/- 34.08 and 479.21 +/- 25.86 g respectively. The average daily feed intake of the groups were 672.75 +/- 69.86, 619.73 +/- 77.75 and 499.60 +/- 81.69 g respectively. Calf starter group showed similar performances to free choice and TMR group of calves (P > 0.05). Protozoa number were not significantly different among the treatments while total bacteria numbers were higher for calf starter group than the other two groups (P < 0.05). The calves received calf starter only had flatter and more branched papillae than did the other calves. These results revealed that it is possible to rear calf successfully without roughage during preweaning period.Scientific Research Fund of Cukurova University [ZF2007BAP34]The authors thank the staffs of the Research and Application Farm of Cukurova University, Agricultural Faculty for their technical contribution and also the Scientific Research Fund of Cukurova University for financial support under project number ZF2007BAP34

Assessment of Subclinical Cardiac Dysfunction in Diffuse Scleroderma Patients

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate left and right ventricular functions with different echocardiographic methods in asymptomatic patients with diffuse scleroderma (SSc)

A rare cause of noninvasive ventilation failure: tracheal stenosis

Noninvasive ventilation is the first line treatment of choice in acute respiratory failure in many diseases including post-extubation respiratory failure. Herein we report a case unresponsive to noninvasive ventilation due to tracheal stenosis. A 49 year old female was admitted to intensive care unit after successful resuscitation of cardiac arrest. During the follow-up, she was extubated on 16th day and then transferred to the coronary ward. Four days later, she started to have progressive dyspnea and difficulty in breathing. Arterial blood gas evaluation showed respiratory acidosis with moderate hypercapnia. Noninvasive ventilation was initiated with the diagnosis of cardiogenic pulmonary edema however she did not respond to noninvasive ventilation therapy. Pulmonary consultation revealed that she had a new onset stridor. She had an urgent fiberoptic bronchoscopy which revealed severe tracheal stenosis. Tracheal stenosis should be considered in patients who do not respond to noninvasive ventilation after extubation like in our case

The effects of indwelling voice prosthesis on the quality of life, depressive symptoms, and self-esteem in patients with total laryngectomy.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of voice rehabilitation with indwelling voice prosthesis on quality of life, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and sexual functions in laryngectomy patients. Provox-1 (TM) was applied to 30 patients who underwent total laryngectomy by opening a tracheoesophageal fistula. WHO Quality of Life-BREF, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Arizona Sexual Experience Scale forms were asked to be filled out by the patients before voice prosthesis application. These tests were asked to be filled out again 3 months later after the voice prosthesis application. Paired samples and Wilcoxon tests were used to compare before and after operation values. Indwelling voice prosthesis was found to improve quality of life, self-esteem, and sexual function (p < 0.05). Additionally, symptoms of depression and anxiety were regressed (p < 0.05). Indwelling voice prosthesis was found to especially increase the quality of life and decrease depression (p < 0.05). This study is an uncontrolled single-arm study comparing patients' psychosocial statuses pre- and post-voice prosthesis