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Collagen is a functional biomaterial with many applications, including wound healing. 3D collagen hydrogels mimic an in vivo cell culture experience in cell survival and growth studies. In experimentally examining human cells under contact with 3D collagen, it is possible to understand the role of collagen in human epithelial tissue repair. This study explored the growth and attachment response of human MCF-7 cells when exposed to 3D collagen by investigating if the presence of NIH/3T3 fibroblasts embedded within the collagen should produce an increased wound-healing response. 3D collagen and fibroblast presence were able to be analyzed in tandem with a "sandwich-like" configuration of the gels to determine how these variables impact or improve the tissue repair response in MCF-7 cells. Examinations in growth, attachment, viability, and migration patterns demonstrated that MCF-7 repair response may be increased when in contact with NIH/3T3 embedded 3D collagen without impairing viability. Most notably, results from the migration assay revealed that MCF-7 cells migrate the most when covered by and adhered to cellular 3D collagen. Fibroblast-embedded collagen on top of and below MCF-7 cells exceeded quantitative assessment to near confluency, whereas less than 50 counted cells per image migrated without any top collagen layering. The continuation of these methods could involve in vivo experiments that incorporate live animal models to determine if these results will continue to extend to live tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) has increased rapidly with rapid urbanization; however, the treatment options for AD are lacking because the commonly used therapies can only alleviate symptoms. Limosilactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri), FN041 is a specific strain isolated from human breast milk, and its protective potential against AD has been confirmed. This study aims to assess the efficacy of maternal consumption of L. reuteri FN041 during late pregnancy and lactation in preventing infantile AD. Methods: First, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study will be conducted on 340 pregnant females with babies at high risk for AD. These subjects will be randomly divided into four groups of different doses of L. reuteri FN041 (1 × 109, 5 × 109, and 1 × 1010 CFU/d) along with a placebo. The safety and efficacy of maternal use of L. reuteri FN041 for preventing infantile AD will be analyzed, and the most efficient dosage of L. reuteri FN041 will be determined. Subsequently, a multicenter cohort study of 500 pregnant females with babies at high risk for AD will be conducted to promote the maternal application of L. reuteri FN041. These subjects will be administered L. reuteri FN041 at the optimal dose determined during the first stage of late pregnancy and lactation, and their babies will be analyzed for AD development. Recruitment was initiated in October 2022. Discussion: The primary outcome is the cumulative incidence of AD at 24 months after maternal consumption of L. reuteri FN041 during late pregnancy and lactation, whereas the secondary outcome is the efficiency of L. reuteri FN041 transfer from the mother’s gut to breast milk and then the infant’s gut after oral supplementation. This study will demonstrate the efficacy of edible probiotics isolated from breast milk in preventing or treating AD in infants. Accordingly, we provide population-based advice for administering specific probiotics for the primary prevention of AD in pregnant females. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of probiotic strains derived from breast milk can promote their application in preventing infant diseases associated with intestinal microbiota imbalance and immune disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship emissions are an important factor affecting air quality in coastal areas. The adverse effects of ship emissions on coastal air pollutants are more pronounced in the presence of onshore wind. However, existing studies are based on the summer half of the year and specific stations, so the frequency of onshore winds and their effect on the transport of ship emissions are not fully understood for the whole year or for different seasons. Therefore, in this study, the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region was selected as the target study area, and the WRF/Chem (The Weather Research and Forecast model coupled with Chemistry) model was used to investigate the impact of ship emissions on PM2.5 in coastal areas under the influence of onshore wind in 2018. There are three main findings. (1) The contribution of ship emissions to PM2.5 under the influence of onshore wind was more significant than either the annual average contribution or the contribution under the influence of non-onshore wind, especially in coastal areas. The contributions of ship emissions to PM2.5 during onshore wind hours reached 9.3 µg m–3 and 7.4 µg m–3 in Shanghai and Ningbo, respectively, which were 1.8 and 1.3 times the annual average, respectively. (2) During onshore wind periods, the contribution of ship emissions to PM2.5 increases significantly not only in coastal areas, but also inland. In the central region 200 km from the coast, ship emissions contributed 4.5 µg m–3 to PM2.5 during onshore wind hours, while the annual average was only 2.5 µg m–3. (3) Under the influence of onshore wind, the effect of ship emissions on PM2.5 showed obvious seasonal differences. Under the influence of onshore wind, the contribution of ship emissions to PM2.5 was larger in winter than in other seasons. In summer, the contribution of ship emissions to PM2.5 differed the most between onshore and non-onshore wind periods. In spring, the contribution of ship emissions to PM2.5 was greater even though the frequency of onshore wind was the lowest. The contribution of ship emissions to PM2.5 can often be underestimated when only annual or monthly averages are considered. This is detrimental to the accurate prevention and control of ship emissions by relevant authorities during periods of high pollution. The results of this study will help those authorities to understand the transport characteristics of ship emissions in the presence of onshore airflow and provide insights for coastal air pollution control and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Digestive system diseases have evolved into a growing global burden without sufficient therapeutic measures. Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) is considered as a new potential economical therapy for its probiotic effects in the gastrointestinal system. We have provided an overview of the researches supporting various L. reuteri strains' application in treating common digestive system diseases, including infantile colic, diarrhea, constipation, functional abdominal pain, Helicobacter pylori infection, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, colorectal cancer and liver diseases. Methods: The summarized literature in this review was derived from databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Results: The therapeutic effects of L. reuteri in digestive system diseases may depend on various direct and indirect mechanisms, including metabolite production as well as modulation of the intestinal microbiome, preservation of the gut barrier function, and regulation of the host immune system. These actions are largely strain-specific and depend on the activation or inhibition of various certain signal pathways. It is well evidenced that L. reuteri can be effective both as a prophylactic measure and as a preferred therapy for infantile colic, and it can also be recommended as an adjuvant strategy to diarrhea, constipation, Helicobacter pylori infection in therapeutic settings. While preclinical studies have shown the probiotic potential of L. reuteri in the management of functional abdominal pain, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, colorectal cancer and liver diseases, its application in these disease settings still needs further study. Conclusion: This review focuses on the probiotic effects of L. reuteri on gut homeostasis via certain signaling pathways, and emphasizes the importance of these probiotics as a prospective treatment against several digestive system diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]