Search results for "Chen"
showing 10 items of 702 documents
The application protocol impacts the effectiveness of biocides against lichens
2020
Abstract This work analyzed the influence of different application protocols on the efficacy of two biocides against the foliose lichen Xanthoparmelia tinctina on the sandstones of the Roman Archaeological site of Luni (Italy). The hypotheses that (a) biocide application tools (brush vs. poultice), (b) pre-treatment hydration, and (c) post-treatment washing may affect devitalization success were verified by monitoring chlorophyll a fluorescence of thalli, both in situ and in laboratory conditions. The hypothesis that (d) stone substrate may act as reservoir for later biocide release under repeated cycles of wetting and drying was also assayed. Analyses confirmed the importance of the applic…
Species- and site-specific efficacy of commercial biocides and application solvents against lichens
2017
Abstract Control of lichens on stone cultural heritage is mostly achieved by a combination of mechanical removal with biocide applications. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence on the efficacy of different biocides on different species, and on the consistency of biocide effects on heritage sites in different environmental conditions. This results in some uncertainty when conservation interventions to control lichens are routinely defined on the basis of restoration tradition or empirical evaluation, without experimental measures of how lichens respond. In this work, we quantitatively evaluated (a) the efficacy of five commercially-available biocides, applied using a brush or with…
Human fascioliasis infection sources, their diversity, incidence factors, analytical methods and prevention measures
2018
AbstractHuman fascioliasis infection sources are analysed for the first time in front of the new worldwide scenario of this disease. These infection sources include foods, water and combinations of both. Ingestion of freshwater wild plants is the main source, with watercress and secondarily other vegetables involved. The problem of vegetables sold in uncontrolled urban markets is discussed. Distinction between infection sources by freshwater cultivated plants, terrestrial wild plants, and terrestrial cultivated plants is made. The risks by traditional local dishes made from sylvatic plants and raw liver ingestion are considered. Drinking of contaminated water, beverages and juices, ingestio…
Autism spectrum disorders in children affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy
2018
Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most frequent and severe form of the dystrophinopathies. The literature shows that about 30-40% of DMD subjects have intellectual disability. In males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, neuropsychiatric disorders have also been observed: attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, autism spectrum disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is not just a muscle disorder, but also a disease that affects the brain. The aim of the present study was to describe a case series of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy that have also the presence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). They have been assessed by mean…
Beneficial Role of Exercise in the Modulation of
2021
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive progressive lethal disorder caused by the lack of dystrophin, which determines myofibers mechanical instability, oxidative stress, inflammation, and susceptibility to contraction-induced injuries. Unfortunately, at present, there is no efficient therapy for DMD. Beyond several promising gene- and stem cells-based strategies under investigation, physical activity may represent a valid noninvasive therapeutic approach to slow down the progression of the pathology. However, ethical issues, the limited number of studies in humans and the lack of consistency of the investigated training interventions generate loss of consensus regarding …
A Physiology-Based Model of Human Bile Acid Metabolism for Predicting Bile Acid Tissue Levels After Drug Administration in Healthy Subjects and BRIC …
2019
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a matter of concern in the course of drug development and patient safety, often leading to discontinuation of drug-development programs or early withdrawal of drugs from market. Hepatocellular toxicity or impairment of bile acid (BA) metabolism, known as cholestasis, are the two clinical forms of DILI. Whole-body physiology-based modelling allows a mechanistic investigation of the physiological processes leading to cholestasis in man. Objectives of the present study were: (1) the development of a physiology-based model of the human BA metabolism, (2) population-based model validation and characterisation, and (3) the prediction and quantification of alter…
Parasitic wasp-associated symbiont affects plant-mediated species interactions between herbivores
2018
Abstract Microbial mutualistic symbiosis is increasingly recognised as a hidden driving force in the ecology of plant–insect interactions. Although plant-associated and herbivore-associated symbionts clearly affect interactions between plants and herbivores, the effects of symbionts associated with higher trophic levels has been largely overlooked. At the third-trophic level, parasitic wasps are a common group of insects that can inject symbiotic viruses (polydnaviruses) and venom into their herbivorous hosts to support parasitoid offspring development. Here, we show that such third-trophic level symbionts act in combination with venom to affect plant-mediated interactions by reducing colon…
The role of microRNAs in oral lichenoid disorders. Systematic review
2017
Background: Certain changes in the microRNA expression are considered to be associated with chronic inflammatory processes and with the malignant transformation of oral potentially malignant disorders. The purpose of this systematic review is to update the existing data on the aberrant microRNA expression profiles identified in oral lichenoid disease (OLD).
Broad Prebiotic Potential of Non-starch Polysaccharides from Oats (Avena sativa L.): an in vitro Study
2018
Abstract Prebiotics inducing the growth or activity of beneficial intestinal bacteria – probiotics producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) have lately received wide recognition for their beneficial influence on host intestinal microbiota and metabolic health. Some non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) are defined as prebiotics and oats being one of richest sources of NSP in grains are considered as potentially having prebiotic effect. However, information on fermentation of specific NSP of oats is limited. Moreover, bacterial cross-feeding interactions in which fermentation of prebiotics is involved is poorly characterized. Here, we report the exploration of new candidates for the syntrophic ba…
Dynamic evolution of mitochondrial genomes in Trebouxiophyceae, including the first completely assembled mtDNA from a lichen-symbiont microalga (Treb…
2019
AbstractTrebouxiophyceae (Chlorophyta) is a species-rich class of green algae with a remarkable morphological and ecological diversity. Currently, there are a few completely sequenced mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) from diverse Trebouxiophyceae but none from lichen symbionts. Here, we report the mitochondrial genome sequence of Trebouxia sp. TR9 as the first complete mtDNA sequence available for a lichen-symbiont microalga. A comparative study of the mitochondrial genome of Trebouxia sp. TR9 with other chlorophytes showed important organizational changes, even between closely related taxa. The most remarkable change is the enlargement of the genome in certain Trebouxiophyceae, which is princ…