Untreated Conditions Research Articles

Investigations on Mechanical and Morphological Characteristics of Mudar Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

ABSTRACT Performance of composites can be improved by adding a suitable fiber to the polymer matrix. Many natural fibers available are cost-effective and can be used as reinforcement. Mudar fiber is one among the natural fiber obtained from bark of Crown flower (Calotropis Gigantea) plant. The natural fiber, Mudar, is available in the southern parts of India. The Mudar fiber is primed in a sodium hydroxide solution and diced into 4 mm length. The fiber-reinforced composite is obtained by mixing the epoxy resin with Mudar fiber, and the roller is repeatedly used to reduce the inherent porosities. The mechanical behaviors like flexural, compression, tensile, and impact behaviors of untreated and NaOH-treated Mudar fiber composites are analyzed. The maximum tensile strength was accounted for 20% treated fiber composite,s which was 90% more than the untreated composites. The compressive strength and flexural strength of 30% treated composites was 31% and 83% more than that of the untreated composites, respectively. Similarly, the maximum flexural strength of 40% treated composites was 2.6 times higher than the untreated composites. The morphological characteristics of specimens after tensile and compressive tests for treated and untreated conditions are also investigated. Consequently, it is found that the structural characteristics of polymer composites reinforced with alkali-treated fiber are more superior than those of the untreated fiber.

Consumer acceptance and in-use study evaluating a vulvar moisturizer

ABSTRACT Introduction There is a limited number of peer-reviewed medical publications concerning non-invasive topically genital cosmetic products that could act as a frontline treatment for aesthetic concerns. The vulvar area has received limited research and attention in the cosmetic and skincare industry. Many topical creams exist primarily for medical conditions; however, topical cosmetic products are an unmet consumer need in that they have less risk than surgical intervention when seeking enhancement or improvement of the female genital appearance. The unmet consumer need can be realized with a non-invasive vulvar moisturizer developed to improve vulvar aesthetics. Objective This prospective study was conducted to assess consumer acceptance and tolerability of a vulvar moisturizer product (VMP) when used by healthy women twice-daily over the course of four weeks. Methods This was an institutional review board (IRB)-approved single-center consumer in-use study that was performed at a sexual medicine center by a trained sexual medicine physician. Twenty-five female subjects, 18-85 years old, and in good medical and gynecological health with no active untreated medical conditions were recruited in the study. Subjects applied the VMP on both the left and right sides of the external vulvar tissue twice daily for four weeks. At the end of the study, subjective tolerability measurements and self-assessment were completed. A binomial exact test was performed on responses to each question. The null hypothesis was that the responses (positive, negative, neutral) were evenly distributed (33%, 33%, 33%) among the 25 subjects. The goal was to disprove the null hypothesis at a statistical significance of *p <0.05. Results Twenty-five, female subjects, with an average age of 39 +/- 10 years completed the consumer in-use study. Female subjects were primarily Caucasian (48%) and 44% Hispanic or Latino completed the study. Self-assessment results indicated highly statistically (***p < 0.001) favorable responses for each category: vulva perception, product characteristics, product package, and overall satisfaction. Specifically, after 4 weeks: • 100% of subjects responded favorably to “After product use, my vulva feels soft.” • 100% of subjects responded favorably to “This product nourishes vulvar skin.” • 96% of subjects responded favorably to “After product use, my vulva feels overall healthy and beautiful.” • 96% of subjects responded favorably to “This product maintained and improved my natural healthy vulvar skin.” Overall, subjects felt confident and valued that the VMP was formulated with high-quality ingredients and appreciated that it did not contain hormones. Results from subjective tolerability evaluation showed the VMP yielded no vulvar burning, itching, or stinging, or other adverse events for any subject by the end of the study. Conclusion This single-center consumer in-use study supports the hypothesis that the VMP when used twice daily for four weeks achieved consumer acceptance and was tolerable. Consumer acceptance was demonstrated in all self-assessment categories, vulva perception, product characteristics, packaging, and overall satisfaction. Further research is currently being conducted with the VMP for a post shave utilization use. Disclosure Work supported by industry: yes, by Revision SkinCare . A consultant, employee (part time or full time) or shareholder is among the authors (Consultant of Revision Skincare ).

Trivalent iron shaped the microbial community structure to enhance the electrochemical performance of microbial fuel cells inoculated with soil and sediment

Bioelectrochemical performance of bacterial communities of cropland soil and lake sediment was evaluated in double chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) under the effect of trivalent iron [Fe(III)]. The MFCs were operated in a fed batch mode and their voltage output was measured for a period of 40 days. The highest outputs recorded under untreated conditions using cropland soil and lake sediment were 154 mV (current density= 0.06 mAcm−2, power density = 9.5 mWcm−2) and 137 mV (current density; 0.06 mAcm−2, power density; 7.5 mWcm−2), respectively. An about 87.7% (voltage; 289 mV, power density; 33.4 mWcm−2) and 45% (voltage: 160 mV, current density; 0.06 mAcm−2, power density; 10.24 mWcm−2) increase in voltage output was measured in the respective soil and sediment inoculated MFCs under iron treatment. The COD removal rate increased from 40% and 35–69% and 65% under treated conditions. Alpha rarefaction curves and Shannon index revealed soil derived biofilms contained the most diverse bacterial communities and diversity significantly reduced in sediment biofilm treated with Fe3+. Illumina MiSeq sequencing and scanning electron microscopy indicated the presence of a diverse microbial diversity where Proteobacteria, Bacteriodetes and Firmicutes were the most abundant phyla. Predominant genera included Pseudomonas, Sedimentibacter, Aminobacterium, Clostridium and Flavobacterium sp. MFCs with sediment supported the delta-proteobacteria; the class that includes Shewanella sp. and Geobacter sp., higher in the presence of Fe3+ than soil-MFCs. Based on 16SrRNA sequencing, isolated bacteria were identified as Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Streptomyces sp. and Gordonia sp., already reported for their electricity generation potential.

Integrative Transcriptomics and Proteomics Elucidate the Regulatory Mechanism of Hydrangea macrophylla Flower-Color Changes Induced by Exogenous Aluminum

The mechanism through which Hydrangea macrophylla are able to change color has been the focus of investigation for many studies. However, the molecular mechanism involved in the complexation of aluminum ions and anthocyanins to regulate the color change remains unclear. Here, the color-changing mechanism was investigated in Hydrangea macrophylla plants under aluminum stress using proteome and transcriptome sequencing methods. Catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, 3-O-delphinidin and Al3+ contents in sepal were significantly upregulated upon Al3+ treatment. Moreover, 1628 differentially expressed genes and 448 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the treated and untreated conditions. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes and differentially expressed proteins were enriched in categories related to the cell wall, peroxidase activity, and peroxisome pathways. Importantly, eight genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis were significantly downregulated at the transcript and protein levels under aluminum stress. These results suggest that aluminum ions induce expression changes of related key genes, which regulate the hydrangea’s flower color. Overall, this study provides a valuable reference for the molecular mechanism relating to the color change and adaptation of Hydrangea macrophylla in response to aluminum stress.

Enzymatic Glucose and Xylose Production from Paper Mill Rejects

Recycled paper fiber rejects have shown potential as a source of waste-to-resource carbohydrates for renewable chemicals production. This study examined three classes of recycled paper fines (old corrugated containers, old newspaper, and mixed office waste) and two industrial papermaking rejects streams from different recycling mills (one mill processes linerboard and the other old corrugated cardboard). The effect of chemical pretreatment using dilute sodium hydroxide, hot water and dilute sulfuric acid on enzymatic glucose and xylose yields was evaluated. Enzymatic hydrolysis results indicated that recycled fiber streams with more old corrugated cardboard have higher potential to produce carbohydrates. The recycled cardboard rejects produced more glucose and xylose per kilogram of rejects than the linerboard rejects under all untreated and pretreated conditions. The highest producing rejects sample was sodium hydroxide pretreated cardboard rejects with 373 g glucose and 61 g xylose produced per kilogram of rejects. However, a simple hot water pretreatment showed similar results, with 335 g glucose and 58 g xylose produced per kilogram of rejects. The hot water pretreatment is recommended due to its comparable yield and lower chemical addition.

Ultrasonic Irradiation Enables Facile Production of Lovastatin from Sugar Cane Bagasse.

This study investigated the effect of ultrasound-assisted hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) pretreatment on sugar cane bagasse (SCB) followed by Monascus purpureus TISTR 3003 cultivation for lovastatin production under solid-state fermentation (SSF). Optimization of the pretreatment conditions was investigated using a response surface methodology (RSM). Within the range of the selected operating conditions, the optimized values of H2O2 concentration, amplitude, SCB dosage, and sonication time were found to be 2.74%, 83.22 μm, 2.84% and 52.29 min, respectively. The R2 value of 0.9749 indicated that the fitted model is in good agreement with the predicted and actual lovastatin production. On the basis of the optimum conditions, the lovastatin production was 2347.10 ± 17.19 μg/g, which is 2.4 times higher than that under untreated conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis explored the surface structure of the untreated SCB, which showed a compact rigid structure. In contrast, treated SCB had a rough surface structure and cracks as a result of the pretreatment.

Soil moisture spatio-temporal variability under treated and untreated catchment conditions in a fragile tropical highland environment: implication for water security

Soil moisture spatio-temporal variability under treated and untreated catchment conditions in a fragile tropical highland environment: implication for water security

Trade-offs in Root and Shoot Growth in Forage Pea [Pisum sativum (L.) arvense] with Foliar Applications of Synthetic Elicitor DPMP (2,4-Dichloro-6-{(E)-[(3-Methoxyphenyl) Imino] Methyl} Phenol) and SA (Salicylic Acid)

Background: Climate change, abiotic and biotic stress pressure are forcing breeders and farmers to find alternative ways to improve and extend food production. Even though there are multiple ways to cope with stress conditions, alleviation of the stress by enhancing plant responses is one of the cheapest, environmentally safest and most direct ways. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two common plant defense elicitors, 2,4-dichloro-6-{(E)-[(3-methoxyphenyl) imino] methyl} phenol (DPMP) and salicylic acid (SA) on plant growth and seedling vigor with forage pea [Pisum sativum (L.) arvense] as a model plant. Methods: Two different chemicals, 100 µM SA and 10 µM DPMP were evaluated in response to Polyethylene glycol 8000 (PEG) treatment in a semi-hydroponic growth system. Root architecture and shoot growth parameters were evaluated. The experiment was designed according to completely randomized design with three replications and ten plants per replication. Result: The effects of SA and DPMP foliar applications were significant on tap, lateral and total root lengths, number of lateral roots and root fresh weight. For most of the traits, SA and DPMP did not inhibit plant growth compared to control under treated and untreated conditions. Average lateral root length (aLatRL) was the noteworthy trait with significantly higher values in DPMP + unstressed conditions. Plants sprayed with DPMP had significantly higher (5.57 cm plant-1) aLatRL values compared to SA (4.53 cm plant-1) and control (3.01 cm plant-1). The results of the current study suggest that SA and DPMP foliar spraying can be beneficial to reduce the effects of abiotic stresses at optimal doses defined for each species. DPMP can be a candidate as a sustainable pesticide alternative and growth-enhancing agent, similar to SA.

A single-cell transcriptomic landscape of innate and adaptive intratumoral immunity in triple negative breast cancer during chemo- and immunotherapies

Breast cancer (BC) constitutes a major health problem worldwide, making it the most common malignancy in women. Current treatment options for BC depend primarily on histological type, molecular markers, clinical aggressiveness and stage of disease. Immunotherapy, such as αPD-1, have shown combinatorial clinical activity with chemotherapy in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) delineating some therapeutic combinations as more effective than others. However, a clear overview of the main immune cell populations involved in these treatments has never been provided.Here, an assessment of the immune landscape in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of two TNBC mouse models has been performed using single-cell RNA sequencing technology. Specifically, immune cells were evaluated in untreated conditions and after treatments with chemotherapy or immunotherapy used as single agents or in combination. A decrease of Treg was found in treatments with in vivo efficacy as well as γδ T cells, which have a pro-tumoral activity in mice. Focusing on Cd8 T cells, across all the conditions, a general increase of exhausted-like Cd8 T cells was confirmed in pre-clinical treatments with low efficacy and an opposite trend was found for the proliferative Cd8 T cells. Regarding macrophages, M2-like cells were enriched in treatments with low efficacy while M1-like macrophages followed an opposite trend. For both models, similar proportions of B cells were detected with an increase of proliferative B cells in treatments involving cisplatin in combination with αPD-1. The fine-scale characterization of the immune TME in this work can lead to new insights on the diagnosis and treatment of TNBC.

Quality Assurance Standards for Outreach Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Repair Programs in Low-Resource Settings.

Comprehensive cleft care is a multidisciplinary team endeavor. While untreated craniofacial conditions have multiple undue repercussions, cleft care in outreach settings can be fraught with significant perioperative morbidity risks. Propose updated quality assurance standards addressing logistic and operational considerations essential for the delivery of safe and effective cleft lip and /or palate (CL/P) care in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) settings. Based on American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) quality standards, published literature, published protocols by Global Smile Foundation (GSF), and the senior author's three-decade experience, updated standards for outreach cleft care were synthesized. Ten axes for safe, effective, and sustainable cleft lip and palate care delivery in underserved settings were generated: 1) site assessment, 2) establishment of community partnerships, 3) team composition and credentialing, 4) team training and mission preparation, 5) implementation of quality assurance guidelines, operative safety checklists, and emergency response protocols, 6) immediate and long-term postoperative care, 7) medical record keeping, 8) outcomes evaluation, 9) education, and 10) capacity building and sustainability. Subsequent analysis further characterized essential components of each of those ten axes to delineate experience derived and evidence-based recommendations. Quality assurance guidelines are essential for the safe delivery of comprehensive cleft care to patients with CL/P in any setting. Properly designed surgical outreach programs relying on honest community partnerships can be effectively used as vehicles for local capacity building and the establishment of sustainable cleft care ecosystems.

The association between engagement in a perinatal collaborative care program and breastfeeding among people with identified mental health conditions

Untreated antenatal mental health conditions are associated with noninitiation and early discontinuation of breastfeeding. Whether interventions designed to optimize perinatal mental health can mitigate this association is unknown. This study aimed to examine whether engagement of pregnant people with mental health conditions in a perinatal mental health collaborative care program was associated with differences in breastfeeding initiation and continuation and whether any observed association was mediated by changes in depressive symptoms. This retrospective cohort study included all pregnant people who were referred antenatally by their obstetrical clinician to a perinatal collaborative care program and who delivered viable neonates between January 2017 and June 2018. Pregnant people were dichotomized by whether they engaged in collaborative care services. Breastfeeding initiation (endorsed at delivery) and continuation at the postpartum visit were compared between individuals who did and did not engage in collaborative care using bivariable and multivariable analyses. Mediation analyses were performed to determine if any observed associations were mediated by improvements or remission in depressive symptoms. During the study period, 350 eligible pregnant people were referred to the perinatal collaborative care program because of an identified mental health condition. Of these people, 264 (75.4%) engaged in collaborative care. Compared with those who did not engage in collaborative care, people who engaged in collaborative care were more likely to initiate breastfeeding (168 [95%] vs 47 [87%]; P=.046) and continue breastfeeding at the postpartum visit (92 [74%] vs 20 [53%]; P=.012). These associations persisted after controlling for potential confounders (adjusted odds ratio for initiation, 3.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-9.98; adjusted odds ratio for continuation, 3.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-7.36). Neither association was mediated by improvements or remission in depressive symptoms. Although antenatal mental health conditions are a risk factor for lack of initiation or early cessation of breastfeeding, engagement in a collaborative care program was associated with improvements in both breastfeeding initiation and continuation. This association was independent of improvement in depressive symptoms, suggesting that the benefits of perinatal collaborative care may extend beyond its psychological impact.

Barriers to healthcare and self-reported adverse outcomes for autistic adults: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesAutistic people experience poor physical and mental health along with reduced life expectancy compared with non-autistic people. Our aim was to identify self-reported barriers to primary care access by autistic...

Plant Based Biosynthesis of Copper Nanoparticles and its Efficacy on Seed Viability and Seedling Growth in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.)

Nano-fertilizers can easily adsorb into the plant and can increase the reactive points in the plant and hence are treated as an efficient alternative to the conventional fertilizers. Based on this, the present study was intended to synthesize copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) using aqueous root extract of Schrebera swietenioides Roxb. as green reducing agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were studied for its effectiveness on enhancement of seed germination and plant growth promotion on peanut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.). The formation of nanoparticles was confirmed by observing colour change in the reaction mixture, which shows characteristic absorption maxima at 340 nm. The SEM and TEM analysis confirmed that the nanoparticles were in monodispersed with spherical to irregular shape with an average particle size of 35 nm. The EDX analysis confirmed that the nanoparticles contain 82.5% copper metal. The synthesized nanoparticles were applied for its seed germination enhancement activity on peanut seeds and results confirms that the nanoparticles were significantly enhances the germination of peanut seeds with decrease in mean germination time. The peanut plant growth also enhances when compared with metal solution treatment and untreated plants. The root length of CuNPs treated plants was observed to be 9.27 ± 0.15 cm, which is significantly more than the untreated (6.40 ± 0.10 cm) as well as treated copper metal (7.13 ± 0.25 cm) plants. The shoot length of 19.13 ± 0.20 cm was observed for nano-treated plants and is greatly enhanced than the untreated (10.30 ± 0.20 cm) and treated copper metal (11.27 ± 0.25 cm) plants. The protease activity on day 5 of the germination study was found to be 0.904 ± 0.004, 0.133 ± 0.002 and 0.095 ± 0.002 units/mL, respectively for the peanut seeds treated with CuNPs, copper metal solution and untreated conditions. The catalase activity at 5th day of seed germination studies the activity was observed to be 45.177 ± 0.192, 23.691 ± 0.074 and 18.331 ± 0.209 units/min/g, respectively for CuNPs treated, copper sulphate treated and untreated pea nut seeds. The water update of the nano treated seeds was observed to be very high along with high quantity of photosynthetic pigments when compared with the other treatments in the study. Based on the results achieved, it can be confirmed that the nano-treatment enhances the seed germination and plant growth promotion on peanut seeds.

Quantitative Analysis of Redox Pool (NAD + , NADH Content) in Plant Samples Under Aluminum Stress.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is an essential cofactor of numerous enzymatic reactions found in all living cells. Pyridine nucleotides (NAD + and NADH) are also key players in signaling through reactive oxygen species (ROS), being crucial in the regulation of both ROS-producing and ROS-consuming systems in plants. NAD content is a powerful modulator of metabolic integration, protein de-acetylation, and DNA repair. The balance between NAD oxidized and reduced forms, i.e ., the NADH/NAD + ratio, indicates the redox state of a cell, and it is a measurement that reflects the metabolic health of cells. Here we present an easy method to estimate the NAD + and NADH content enzymatically, using alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), an oxido-reductase enzyme, and with MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) as the substrate and 1-methoxy PMS (1-Methoxy-5-methylphenazinium methyl sulfate) as the electron carrier. MTT is reduced to a purple formazan, which is then detected. We used Arabidopsis leaf samples exposed to aluminum toxicity and under untreated control conditions. NADH/NAD + connects many aspects of metabolism and plays vital roles in plant developmental processes and stress responses. Therefore, it is fundamental to determine the status of NADH/NAD + under stress.

Antimicrobial Effect of a Proteolytic Enzyme From the Fruits of Solanum granuloso-leprosum (Dunal) Against Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative, helix-shaped, and microaerophilic bacteria that colonizes the human gastric mucosa, causing chronic infections, gastritis, peptic ulcer, lymphomas associated with lymphoid mucosa tissue, and gastric cancer. H. pylori is considered a Type 1 human carcinogen by WHO. The prevalence of the infection is estimated in more than half of the world population. Treatment of H. pylori infection includes antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors, but the increasing antibiotic resistance promotes the research of novel, more effective, and natural antibacterial compounds. The aim of this work was to study the effect of the partially purified proteolytic extract (RAP) of the fruits from Solanum granuloso-leprosum (Dunal), a South American native plant, and a purified fraction named granulosain I, against H. pylori, to obtain natural food additives for the production of anti-H. pylori functional foods. Furthermore, granulosain I and RAP could be used as natural adjuncts to conventional therapies. Granulosain I and RAP antibacterial activity was evaluated as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against H. pylori NCTC 11638 (reference strain) and twelve H. pylori wild strains, using a microdilution plating technique (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute). All the strains tested were susceptible to granulosain I with MIC from 156.25 to 312.5 μg/mL and MBC from 312.5 to 625 μg/mL, respectively. Besides, all the strains tested were susceptible to the RAP with MIC from 312.5 to 625 μg/mL and MBC from 625 to 1,250 μg/mL, respectively. The effect of granulosain I and RAP on the transcription of H. pylori genes encoding pathogenic factors, omp18, ureA, and flaA, with respect to a housekeeping gene (16S rRNA), was evaluated by RT-PCR technique. The band intensity between pathogenic factors and control gene was correlated under treated or untreated conditions, using the ImageJ program. Granulosain I and RAP significantly decreased the expression of pathogenic factors: omp18, ureA, and flaA. The combined inhibitory effect of granulosain I or RAP and an antibiotic such as, amoxicillin (AML, 10 μg), clarithromycin (CLA, 15 μg), levofloxacin (LEV, 5 μg), and metronidazole (MTZ, 5 μg) was evaluated, using the agar diffusion technique. Granulosain I and RAP showed significant synergistic effect on AML, CLA, and LEV, but no significant effect on MTZ was observed. Besides, granulosain I and RAP did not show toxicological effects at the concentrations studied. Finally, granulosain I and RAP could be used as safe natural food additives and as adjuvants for conventional therapies against H. pylori.

Intraoperative discrimination of native meningioma and dura mater by Raman spectroscopy

Meningiomas are among the most frequent tumors of the central nervous system. For a total resection, shown to decrease recurrences, it is paramount to reliably discriminate tumor tissue from normal dura mater intraoperatively. Raman spectroscopy (RS) is a non-destructive, label-free method for vibrational analysis of biochemical molecules. On the microscopic level, RS was already used to differentiate meningioma from dura mater. In this study we test its suitability for intraoperative macroscopic meningioma diagnostics. RS is applied to surgical specimen of intracranial meningiomas. The main purpose is the differentiation of tumor from normal dura mater, in order to potentially accelerate the diagnostic workflow. The collected meningioma and dura mater samples (n = 223 tissue samples from a total of 59 patients) are analyzed under untreated conditions using a new partially robotized RS acquisition system. Spectra (n = 1273) are combined with the according histopathological analysis for each sample. Based on this, a classifier is trained via machine learning. Our trained classifier separates meningioma and dura mater with a sensitivity of 96.06 pm 0.03% and a specificity of 95.44 pm 0.02% for internal fivefold cross validation and 100% and 93.97% if validated with an external test set. RS is an efficient method to discriminate meningioma from healthy dura mater in fresh tissue samples without additional processing or histopathological imaging. It is a quick and reliable complementary diagnostic tool to the neuropathological workflow and has potential for guided surgery. RS offers a safe way to examine unfixed surgical specimens in a perioperative setting.

Periodontal Abscess and Pyorrhea: Proposal for a Novel Treatment with Ozone Nanobubble Saline Wash

The evolution of the treatment technologies in dentistry is remarkable. However, despite the advancement of science and therapeutic agents, they have not been able to overcome dental caries, periodontal disease [1], nor alveolar pyorrhea [2]. We are attempting to eliminate hundreds of oral bacteria, partly because we are fighting indigenous oral bacteria [3]. Currently, although many patients are trained in proper oral hygiene, including teeth brushing, flossing, and use of mouthwash daily, many still suffer from periodontal diseases, such as gingivitis [1]. Despite training and the abundance of oral healthcare products [4] widely available, including fluorides, chlorhexidine, and triclosan, oral health diseases remain a prominent issue. Beyond periodontal disease and gingival inflammation, extremely problematic conditions [1], such as periodontal abscesses [1] and alveolar pyorrhea [2], are some of the potential problems for patients and dentists. The most problematic condition is alveolar pyorrhea [2], advanced conditions of gingival inflammation [1], with symptoms including painful chewing, swollen or puffy gums, gum bleeding, and pus in the gums. These symptoms gradually appear, and in untreated conditions, lead to tooth loss. The advent and development of antibiotics have greatly impacted the treatment of bacterial infections. However, local bacterial infection lesions in various parts, such as dental fistulae [5], have not yet been overcome. The emergence of resistant strains is also a problem; the peculiarity of the conditions, such as fistula-like sites and infected wounds, is still a major obstacle to bacterial infections. These periodontal and gingival diseases [1] are treated with systemic antibiotics during the acute phase [4], but they are not always completely cured. It should be noted that bacterial infections in the oral cavity remain unresolved issues.

Characterization of untreated and alkali treated Areca catechu fibre through eco-friendly composite plates

Natural fibre assumes an imperative part in the creation of composite materials. Since Normal Filaments display eco-accommodating properties, it has commanded the notice of the world’s academic local area towards regular fibre re-inforced eco-composites. One such natural fibre is Arecacatechu (ACF); the Areca Fibres are inspected both in treated and untreated conditions, the fibres are initially pre-treated with KOH solution. Epoxy Resin with Hardener is used as the matrix in the composite material. Among the pre-treated chemicals, KOH concentration up to 6 % of‘ the solution is used for 1 h, which fits the requirement for making a composite material. The composite plates are prepared in the following ratios 40:60, 50:50, 60:40. Upon which Tensile Test, Impact Test, Hardness Test, Flexural test were conducted. As a result, the composition of 40:60 seems to be one of the best results.

Road cutslope erosion and control treatments in an actively-cultivated tropical montane setting

Although road erosion represents a threat to downstream water resources in many geographical and land use settings, limited evidence exists on the importance of road cutslopes in actively cultivated tropical areas. This study monitored erosion rates from untreated cutslopes and those treated by slope reduction and coir erosion control blankets within the coffee-growing area of western Puerto Rico. Cutslope erosion was inversely related to vegetation cover and averaged 175 Mg ha−1 yr−1, which is up to almost three times greater than unpaved roadbed erosion previously documented for the area. Road density within the study farm is high (44 km km−2) and cutslopes represent almost as much erodible surface area as roadbeds (each ∼14% of the entire actively cultivated farm area). Cutslopes account for 22 – 39% of the 15 – 27 Mg ha−1 yr−1 sediment production rate at the farm scale and induce a net loss of 0.35 ha of potentially cultivable surface area every 25 years. The implemented erosion control practices proved to be very effective and reduced erosion to only ∼3% of untreated conditions. Application of mitigation methods to 13% of the existing cutslopes reduced farm-scale erosion rates to ∼70% of pre-mitigation levels. These findings highlight the need to attend road cutslope erosion in any attempts to reduce the impacts of marginal agricultural lands on soil erosion and water resources in Puerto Rico and elsewhere.

Reprogramming NK cells and macrophages via combined antibody and cytokine therapy primes tumors for elimination by checkpoint blockade.

SUMMARYTreatments aiming to augment immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in cancer often focus on T cell immunity, but innate immune cells may have important roles to play. Here, we demonstrate a single-dose combination treatment (termed AIP) using a pan-tumor-targeting antibody surrogate, half-life-extended interleukin-2 (IL-2), and anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), which primes tumors to respond to subsequent ICB and promotes rejection of large established tumors in mice. Natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages activated by AIP treatment underwent transcriptional reprogramming; rapidly killed cancer cells; governed the recruitment of cross-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) and other leukocytes; and induced normalization of the tumor vasculature, facilitating further immune infiltration. Thus, innate cell-activating therapies can initiate critical steps leading to a self-sustaining cycle of T cell priming driven by ICB.