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OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on evaluating the clinical effects of sublingual dust mite drops for the treatment of allergic asthma in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 156 pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma were randomly divided into control and observation groups (78 cases each). For the control group the standard global initiative for asthma (GINA) asthma control scheme was adopted; meanwhile, the observation group patients received the standard GINA combined with sublingual administration of dust mite drops, once per day, gradually increasing the dose to reach a high maintenance level. After six months the sublingual drops were stopped and then the effects of the treatments on both groups of patients were compared. RESULTS: The symptoms of asthma and rhinitis in the daytime and nighttime for both groups decreased gradually with time. However, the observation group's outcome at the 6th, 12th and 24th month were significantly better than those of the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the FVC, FEV1 and PEF values of the two groups increased gradually, but those of the observation group improved more obviously (p < 0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group at the 6th and 24th months was significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). The contrast of complete and good control at 6 months had no statistical significance (p > 0.05). But at the 24th month, the observation group had significantly higher rates of complete and good control (p < 0.05). During the median time of sublingual administration of 20.3 months (ranging from 6 to 36 months), there were no evident adverse reactions. Finally, after the intervention, there were no significant differences between the IgE levels of the two groups (p > 0.05); however, the levels of IL-2 increased gradually and improved more in the observation group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study support the notion that sublingual administration of dust mite drops to treat allergic rhinitis and asth- ma can improve clinical symptoms, increase the efficiency rate and increase the serum IL-2 level, and does not cause an increase in adverse reactions or IgE levels in treated children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrolytes with a high ionic conductivity are the prerequisite for the success of solid state rechargeable ion batteries. In this paper, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are applied in combination with a climbing-image nudged elastic band (CI-NEB) method to obtain the diffusion barriers of the lithium (Li) and sodium (Na) in stoichiometric AM2(PO4)3 (A = Li, Na, M = Ti, Sn and Zr) compounds. In the AM2(PO4)3, Li and Na ions occupy the interstitial sites, M1, which is coordinated by a trigonal antiprism of oxygen, and M2, which has a distorted eight-fold coordination. Results show that the diffusion barriers are closely related with the average bond length of A–O bond when the atom A occupies the M2 site in the AM2(PO4)3 compounds, and the diffusion barriers decrease with increasing the average bond length. Among the various types of the AM2(PO4)3 compounds, the AM2(PO4)3 has a good potential for solid electrolytes due to its low diffusion barriers for the Li and Na. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, sodium and nickel ion dynamics in layered cathode materials of NaNi1/2Mn1/2O2 and NaNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 for Na-ion battery applications were investigated using first principles based on density functional theory. The diffusion pathways for sodium and nickel migration inside the layered cathode materials were optimized and their energy barriers were calculated based on the nudged elastic band method. The energy barrier of Na diffusion in NaNi1/2Mn1/2O2 and NaNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 is about 1.0 eV. However, when the Ni is located at the Na layer, i.e. occupying the Na position, the energy barrier for Ni diffusion inside the layered cathode materials is about 0.36 eV, which indicates that Ni will diffuse to the surface of electrode materials, thus will block or slow down the sodium diffusion, limiting the battery performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tensile behavior of single crystalline nanotube bundles was studied using classical molecular dynamics. Stillinger-Weber potential was used to describe the atom-atom interactions. The bundles consisted of several individual nanotubes with {100} side planes. The simulation results show that the nanotube bundles show a brittle to ductile transition (BDT) by changing the temperatures. The fracture of nanotube bundles is ruled by a thermal activated process, higher temperature will lead to the decrease of the critical stress. At high temperatures the individual nanotube in the bundles interact with each other, which induces the increase of the critical stress of bundles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave enhanced advanced oxidation processes (MWAOP), with combinations of oxidants, were studied for sewage sludge treatment. Various operating conditions, using a computer statistical software design, were selected to determine the importance of factors affecting solids destruction and nutrients release from sewage sludge. For phosphate solubilization, the most significant factors, in the order from most to least, are heating temperature, ozone dosage, and a combined effect of temperature and hydrogen peroxide. For ammonia release, these are hydrogen peroxide dosage, a combined effect of hydrogen peroxide and temperature, and then temperature and ozone. For the destruction of sludge particles, the most significant factors are hydrogen peroxide and temperature. The best solubilization result was obtained with additions of 2% hydrogen peroxide by weight, 5.09 mg/mL of ozone, and microwave heating at 120 °C. About 95%, 32%, and 78% of TP, TKN, and COD were released into the solution, respectively. Results showed that addition of ozone improved the MWAOP process. A higher amount of oxidants used in the MWAOP facilitated the release of nutrients and sludge solids disintegration. Les procédés d’oxydation avancée améliorée par micro-ondes (MWAOP), associés à diverses combinaisons d’oxydants, ont été étudiés pour le traitement des boues d’usines d’épuration. Diverses conditions de fonctionnement, conçues par un logiciel statistique, ont été sélectionnées afin de déterminer l’importance des facteurs touchant la destruction des solides et la libération de nutriments des boues d’usine d’épuration. Les facteurs les plus importants pour la solubilization du phosphate étaient, en ordre décroissant, la température de chauffage, la dose d’ozone et l’effet combiné de la température et du peroxyde d’hydrogène. Pour la libération de l’ammoniac, ces facteurs sont la dose en peroxyde d’hydrogène, l’effet combiné de la température et du peroxyde d’hydrogène, puis la température et l’ozone. Les facteurs les plus importants pour la destruction des particules de boues sont le peroxyde d’hydrogène et la température. Le meilleur résultat de solubilization a été obtenu par l’ajout de 2 % de peroxyde d’hydrogène en poids, de 5,09 mg/mL d’ozone et du chauffage par micro-ondes à 120 °C. Environ 95 %, 32 % et 78 % du phosphate total, de l’azote total Kjeldahl et la demande chimique en oxygène respectivement ont été libérés en solution. Les résultats ont montré que l’ajout d’ozone améliorait le procédé MWAOP. Une plus grande quantité d’oxydants utilisée dans le MWAOP a facilité la libération de nutriments de même que la désintégration des solides de boues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discharge chemistry of CHF3 in 27/2, 60/2, and 60/13.56 MHz dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas (DF-CCPs) is studied with actinometric optical emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The frequency effect on the generation of reactive species was investigated. The reactive radicals and the density ratio of F/CF2 could be controlled by the 2 MHz rf power in 27/2 and 60/2 MHz DF-CCPs. The density ratios of F/CF2 in 27/2 and 60/2 MHz DF-CCPs are observed to increase with an increase in low-frequency power. However, this control could not be obtained in 60/13.56 MHz DF-CCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform first-principles calculations of the dynamical and thermodynamic properties of lead chalcogenides PbX (X = S, Se, Te ). Using density functional perturbation theory, we obtain the phonon frequencies and the phonon dispersion curves, as well as corresponding density of states. The calculated phonon frequencies at the Γ, X, and L points of the Brillouin zone show good agreement with the experimental values for most vibration modes. The thermodynamics properties including the phonon contribution to the Helmholtz free energy ΔF, the phonon contribution to the internal energy ΔE, the entropy S, and the constant-volume specific heat Cv are determined within the harmonic approximation based on the calculated phonon dispersion relations. The difference values of H-H298 have been also calculated and compared with the available experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered transition metal dichalcogenides with unique mechanical, electronic, optical, and chemical properties can be used for novel nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices. Large-area monolayers synthesized using chemical vapor deposition are often polycrystals with many dislocations and grain boundaries (GBs). In the present paper, atomic structure and electronic properties of MX2 (M = Mo, W, Nb; X = S, Se) with the GBs were investigated using first principles based on density functional theory. Simulation results revealed that the zigzag-oriented GBs (which consist of pentagon/heptagons (5-7) pairs) were more stable than the armchair-oriented GBs (which consist of pentagon/heptagons (5-7-5-7) pairs). The GBs induced defect levels are located within the band gap for the semiconductor materials of MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se) monolayers, and the NbS2 and NbSe2 remained as metallic materials with GBs. Results provided a possible pathway to build these nano-layered materials into nanoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the effects of the China Children's Asthma Action Plan (CCAAP)-based remote joint management model with traditional management model on the control of childhood asthma. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the general data and asthma control assessment data of 219 children with asthma who attended the respiratory department of Guangzhou Women's and Children's Medical Center from April 2021 to October 2021 and were followed up for 1 year or more. According to the follow-up management model, the CCAAP-based remote joint management model was used in the observation group and the traditional management model was used in the control group, and the propensity score matching method was applied to match the data of children in the two management models for comparison. Paired-samples t -test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, McNemar χ 2 -test or χ 2 -test or nonparametric tests were used to compare the general data and asthma control assessment data between the two matched groups of children. Results: Among 219 children with asthma, 145 were male and 74 were female, aged at consultation (7.2±2.4) years. There were 147 cases in the observation group and 72 cases in the control group, and 27 cases in each of the observation and control groups were successfully matched. The number of asthma exacerbation aura, acute exacerbations, and emergency room visits or hospitalizations for asthma exacerbations were lower in the observation group than in the control group after pairing (1 (0, 2) vs. 3 (1, 5) times, 0 (0,0) vs. 0 (0, 1) times, 0 (0,0) vs. 1 (0, 1) times, Z =-3.42, -2.58, -3.17, all P <0.05). The use of peak flowmeters was higher in children aged 5 years and older in the observation group than in the control group after pairing (100% (22/22) vs. 13% (3/23), χ 2 =54.00, P <0.001). The ratio of actual to predicted 1st second expiratory volume of force after follow-up in the observation group after pairing was higher than that before follow-up in the observation group and after follow-up in the control group ((95±11)% vs. (85±10)%, (95±11)% vs. (88±11)%, t =-3.40, 2.25, all P <0.05). The rate of complete asthma control after follow-up was higher in both the observation and control groups after pairing than before follow-up for 12 months in both groups (93% (25/27) vs. 41% (11/27), 52% (14/27) vs. 41% (11/27), H =56.19, 45.37, both P <0.001), and the rate of complete control of asthma in children in the observation group was higher than that in the control group at 3 and 12 months of follow-up management (56% (15/27) vs. 25% (5/20), 93% (25/27) vs. 52% (14/27), χ 2 =47.00, 54.00, both P <0.001). The number of offline follow-up visits, inhaled hormone medication adherence scores, and caregiver's asthma perception questionnaire scores were higher in the observation group than in the control group after pairing (6 (4, 8) vs. 4 (2,5), (4.8±0.3) vs. (4.0±0.6) score, (19.3±2.6) vs. (15.2±2.7) score, Z =6.58, t =6.57, 5.61, all P <0.05), and the children in the observation group had lower school absences, caregiver absences, asthma attack visit costs, and caregiver PTSD scores than the control group (0 (0,0) vs. 3 (0, 15) d, 0 (0,0) vs. 3 (0, 10) d, 1 100 (0, 3 700) vs. 5 000 (1 000, 10 000) yuan, 1.3 (1.1, 1.9) vs. 2.0 (1.2, 2.7) score, Z =-2.89, -2.30, 2.74, 2.73, all P <0.05). Conclusion: The CCAAP-based joint management model of asthma control is superior to the traditional management model in the following aspects: it can effectively improve asthma control, self-monitoring, and lung function in children; it can improve treatment adherence and caregivers' asthma awareness; and it can reduce the duration of absenteeism from school, the cost of asthma exacerbation visits, and caregiver's negative psychology.

Supernumerary nostril is one of the rarest congenital nasal deformities, and only a limited number of articles have been published so far on this topic. We present a typical case of a supernumerary nostril located above the left nostril in a male infant. We describe the appearance, physical examination, surgical procedure and histopathological examination of this case., (Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.)