Serological analysis of allergic components of house dust mite provides more insight in epidemiological characteristics and clinical symptom development in North China

BackgroundHouse dust mite (HDM) is the most common airborne source causing complex allergy symptoms. There are geographic differences in the allergen molecule sensitization profiles. Serological testing with allergen components may provide more clues for diagnosis and clinical management.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the sensitization profile of eight HDM allergen components in a large number of patients enrolled in the clinic and to analyze the relation of gender, age, and clinical symptoms in North China.MethodsThe 548 serum samples of HDM-allergic patients (ImmunoCAP® d1 or d2 IgE ≥0.35) were collected in Beijing City and divided in four different age groups and three allergic symptoms. The specific IgE of HDM allergenic components, Der p 1/Der f 1, Der p 2/Der f 2, Der p 7, Der p 10, Der p 21, and Der p 23, was measured using the micro-arrayed allergen test kit developed by Hangzhou Zheda Dixun Biological Gene Engineering Co., Ltd. The new system was validated by comparing to single-component Der p 1, Der p 2, and Der p 23 tests by ImmunoCAP in 39 sera. The epidemiological study of these IgE profiles and the relation to age and clinical phenotypes were analyzed.ResultsA greater proportion of male patients was in the younger age groups, while more female patients were in the adult groups. Both the sIgE levels and the positive rates (approximately 60%) against Der p 1/Der f 1 and Der p 2/Der f 2 were higher than for the Der p 7, Der p 10, and Der p 21 components (below 25%). The Der f 1 and Der p 2 positive rates were higher in 2–12-year-old children. The Der p 2 and Der f 2 IgE levels and positive rates were higher in the allergic rhinitis group. The positive rates of Der p 10 increased significantly with age. Der p 21 is relevant in allergic dermatitis symptom, while Der p 23 contributes to asthma development.ConclusionHDM groups 1 and 2 were the major sensitizing allergens, with group 2 being the most important component relevant to respiratory symptoms in North China. The Der p 10 sensitization tends to increase with age. Der p 21 and Der p 23 might be associated with the development of allergic skin disease and asthma, respectively. Multiple allergen sensitizations increased the risk of allergic asthma

Surface chemistry considerations of gangue dissolved species in the bastnaesite flotation system

ABSTRACT: Inefficient flotation of bastnaesite remains a challenge in the production of rare earth elements. This study aimed to investigate the dissolution and adsorption behaviour of species that are commonly released into bastnaesite flotation pulp from Ca/Ba-bearing gangue minerals. The influence and corresponding mechanisms on the bastnaesite mineral surface and collectors, namely sodium oleate (NaOL), were evaluated experimentally based on micro-flotation, zeta potentials, in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The flotation recovery of bastnaesite significantly decreased from ∼95% to ∼25%, ∼15%, ∼80%, ∼25% when exposed to calcite, fluorite, barite, and mixed dissolved species, respectively. The zeta potential of bastnaesite was pH sensitive, indicating that H+ and OH− determine the surface potential of bastnaesite. Solution chemistry analyses revealed that the presence of the dissolved species differed at various pH values. In situ ATR-FTIR demonstrated the different effects of the dissolved species from calcite, fluorite, and barite on collector adsorption. The former two dissolved species mainly depressed the chemisorption of the NaOL monomers (RCOO‒), whereas calcite also affected the physical adsorption of the oleic acid molecular dimer (RCOOH·RCOO‒). Moreover, the barite dissolved species only affected the physical adsorption of the NaOL species. The results of XPS analysis revealed that dissolved species from these three gangues could pre-adsorbed onto bastnaesite and affected the interaction with the collector. Density functional theory calculations were employed to provide further theoretical insights into the interactions between the dissolved species from calcite, fluorite, and barite and NaOL

Research on Morphology Detection of Metal Additive Manufacturing Process Based on Fringe Projection and Binocular Vision

This paper considers the three-dimensional (3D) shape measurement of metal parts during an additive manufacturing process in a direct energy deposition (DED) printing system with high temperature and strong light; a binocular measurement system based on ultraviolet light source projection is built using fringe projection and Fourier analysis. Firstly, ultraviolet light projection and an optical filter are used to obtain high-quality fringe patterns in an environment with thermal radiation. Then, Fourier analysis is carried out by using a single deformed fringe, and a spatial phase unwrapping algorithm is applied to obtain an unambiguous unwrapping phase, which is used as the guiding basis for the binocular matching process and 3D shape reconstruction. Finally, the accuracy of the measuring system is evaluated using a standard ball-bar gauge and the measurement error of this system is within 0.05 mm @ 100 × 100 mm. The results show that the system can measure 3D shape changes of metal parts in the additive manufacturing process. The proposed method and system have the potential to be used for online inspection and quality control of additive manufacturing

CRISPR/Cas12a-based assay for the rapid and high-sensitivity detection of Streptococcus agalactiae colonization in pregnant women with premature rupture of membrane

Abstract Background Streptococcus agalactiae or group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading infectious cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. It is essential to establish a robust method for the rapid and ultra-sensitive detection of GBS in pregnant women with premature rupture of membrane (PROM). Methods This study developed a CRISPR-GBS assay that combined the advantages of the recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and CRISPR/Cas12a system for GBS detection. The clinical performance of the CRISPR-GBS assay was assessed using vaginal or cervical swabs that were collected from 179 pregnant women with PROM, compared in parallel to culture-based matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (culture-MS) method and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay. Results The CRISPR-GBS assay can be completed within 35 min and the limit of detection was as low as 5 copies μL−1. Compared with the culture-MS, the CRISPR-GBS assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 96.64% (144/149, 95% confidence interval [CI] 92.39–98.56%) and a specificity of 100% (30/30, 95% CI  88.65–100%). It also had a high concordance rate of 98.88% with the qPCR assay. Conclusions The established CRISPR-GBS platform can detect GBS in a rapid, accurate, easy-to-operate, and cost-efficient manner. It offered a promising tool for the intrapartum screening of GBS colonization

RNA-Seq Revealed the Molecular Mechanism of Nutritional Quality Improvement in <i>o16-wx</i> Double-Mutation Maize

The enhancement of the nutritional composition of maize grains could be achieved by the introduction of a mutation with a heightened lysine content. To obtain double-recessive mutant lines for the o16 and wx genes, a molecular-marker-assisted selection technique was used to backcross them into conventional maize lines. The resultant maize was subsequently utilized to explore the molecular mechanism responsible for the maize’s nutritional quality. Based on this, an RNA-seq investigation was conducted using the employing kernels during the development period of maize kernel (18, 28, and 38 DAP) to examine the gene expression involved in amino metabolism. The results revealed that a total of 27 and 34 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in tryptophan metabolism and lysine metabolism, respectively, across three time periods. In the lysine synthesis pathway, the genes encoding AK, ASD, and DapF were found to be up-regulated at various stages, encouraging lysine synthesis. Conversely, in the lysine degradation pathway, the genes encoding ALDH7A1 and LKR/SDH were down-regulated, suggesting an increase in lysine content. In the process of tryptophan metabolism, the down-regulation of genes encoding TAA and ALDH led to an increase in tryptophan content. In addition, the down-regulation of genes encoding α-zein resulted in a decrease in zein content, thereby enhancing the nutritional quality of maize. These findings hold substantial significance for elucidating the transcriptional-level molecular mechanism, underlying the accumulation of o16 and wx genes to improve maize grain quality, as well as offering valuable insight for the development of biomarkers and gene editing