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Background: Urbanization and biodiversity loss are linked to chronic disorders, in particular allergic diseases. The aim of this scoping review was to provide a synopsis of intervention studies specifically examining the influence of exposure to natural environments on human microbiota as well as immunological markers as suggested interlink between natural environment and the development of allergic diseases., Methods: We searched PubMed (MEDLINE®) and all references cited in the included studies following the PRISMA statement guidelines. No restrictions regarding age and sex of study participants, language or publication date were made. The protocol was registered at OSF REGISTRIES (https://osf.io/musgr)., Results: After screening, eight intervention studies were included. The interventions reported were mainly of pilot character and various, ranging from nature-related educational programs, biodiversity interventions in day-cares to short-term contact with soil- and sand-preparations. Most of the studied interventions appeared to increase human microbiota richness and diversity in specific taxa groups in the short-time. Immunological markers were assessed in only two studies. In these, their associations with human microbiota richness were pre-dominantly reported., Conclusion: There is some evidence that the so-called biodiversity interventions have the potential to diversify human microbiota, at least over a short period. Adequately powered randomized controlled trials with long term follow-up are required to examine sustainable effects on microbiota and immune system., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this rapid scoping review, for which only studies from the general population were considered, was to describe the extent of existing research on HL in the context of previous coronavirus outbreaks (SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2)., Methods: We searched major databases and included publications of quantitative and qualitative studies in English and German on any type of research on the functional, critical and communicative domains of HL conducted in the context of the three outbreaks in the general population. We extracted and tabulated relevant data and narratively reported where and when the study was conducted, the design and method used, and how HL was measured., Results: 72 studies were included. Three investigated HL or explicitly referred to the concept of HL, 14 were guided by health behaviour theory. We did not find any study designed to develop or psychometrically evaluate pandemic/epidemic HL instruments, or relate pandemic/epidemic or general HL to a pandemic/epidemic outcome, or any controlled intervention study. Type of assessment of the domains of HL varied widely., Conclusion: Theory-driven observational studies and interventions, examining whether pandemic-related HL can be improved are needed., Practice Implications: The development and validation of instruments that measure pandemic-related HL is desirable., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report no declarations of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We integratively assessed the effect of different indoor and outdoor environmental exposures early in life on respiratory and allergic health conditions among children from (sub-) urban areas., Methods: This study included children participating in four ongoing European birth cohorts located in three different geographical regions: INMA (Spain), LISAplus (Germany), GINIplus (Germany) and BAMSE (Sweden). Wheezing, bronchitis, asthma and allergic rhinitis throughout childhood were assessed using parental-completed questionnaires. We designed "environmental scores" corresponding to different indoor, green- and grey-related exposures (main analysis, a-priori-approach). Cohort-specific associations between these environmental scores and the respiratory health outcomes were assessed using random-effects meta-analyses. In addition, a factor analysis was performed based on the same exposure information used to develop the environmental scores (confirmatory analysis, data-driven-approach)., Results: A higher early exposure to the indoor environmental score increased the risk for wheezing and bronchitis within the first year of life (combined adjusted odds ratio: 1.20 [95% confidence interval: 1.13-1.27] and 1.28 [1.18-1.39], respectively). In contrast, there was an inverse association with allergic rhinitis between 6 and 8 years (0.85 [0.79-0.92]). There were no statistically significant associations for the outdoor related environmental scores in relation to any of the health outcomes tested. The factor analysis conducted confirmed these trends., Conclusion: Although a higher exposure to indoor related exposure through occupants was associated with an increased risk for wheezing and bronchitis within the 1st year, it might serve as a preventive mechanism against later childhood allergic respiratory outcomes in urbanized environments through enhanced shared contact with microbial agents., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Exposure to mould or dampness at home has been associated with adverse respiratory effects in all age groups. This exposure has also been related to insomnia in adults. We aimed to investigate the association between exposure to visible mould or dampness at home and sleep problems in children., Methods: The study population consisted of 1719 10-year-old children from the German population-based birth cohort LISAplus with available data on current mould or dampness at home and sleep problems. The presence of visible mould or dampness at home was assessed by questionnaire. Parent-reported sleep problems of their child were analysed by four binary variables: presence of any sleep problems, problems to fall asleep, problems sleeping through the night and a 24h sleep time of less than 9h. Logistic regression models adjusted for study centre, sex, age and level of parental education were applied to examine the association between visible mould or dampness at home and sleep problems. Sensitivity analyses included a further adjustment for bedroom sharing and subgroup analyses in children without current allergic diseases., Results: Thirteen percent of parents reported visible mould or dampness at home. We observed increased risks for all four sleep problem variables for children exposed to visible mould or dampness at home. Results were significant for any sleep problems (odds ratio (OR)=1.77 (95%-confidence interval (CI): 1.21-2.60), problems sleeping through the night (OR=2.52(1.27-5.00) and a short sleep time (OR=1.68(1.09-2.61)). While a further adjustment for bedroom sharing and the exclusion of children with asthma or eczema led to similar results, only the association with a short sleep time was still present in children without allergic rhinoconjunctivitis., Conclusion: Our data suggests that visible mould or dampness at home might negatively influence sleep in children. The influence of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis on this association needs to be investigated in future studies., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We have studied caspase-3 activation by combined DNA damage induction and EGFR kinase inhibition in order to identify potential EGFR-mediated survival signals conferring resistance to apoptosis in human colorectal tumor cells. The onset of apoptosis was microscopically imaged with a newly developed caspase-3 substrate sensor based on EGFP and tHcred1, enabling us to monitor caspase-3 activation in cells by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy or fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Both optical approaches provide parameters quantitatively reporting the ratio between cleaved and uncleaved sensor, thereby facilitating the comparison of caspase-3 activation between different cells. Using these methods, we show that EGFR kinase inhibitors sensitize colorectal SW-480 tumor cells for 5-fluorouracil-induced apoptosis, indicating that EGFR-mediated survival signaling contributes to apoptosis resistance via its intrinsic kinase activity.

A homogeneous fucogalactoxyloglucan, isolated from the leaves of Hymenaea courbaril, was analysed by methylation-GC-MS. These procedures involved derived partially O-methylated alditol acetates and acetylated aldononitriles, which demonstrated the presence of both 2-O- and 4-O-substituted Xylp units in the side-chains. The presence of the unusual, latter structure was confirmed by 2D NMR spectroscopy with a correlated HMQC C-4/H-4 signal at delta 77.8/3.73. A similar 4-O-substituted xylosyl structure was present in a decasaccharide Glc4Xyl3Gal2Fuc obtained via endo-glucanase treatment of the polysaccharide, which gave rise to a molecular ion with m/z 1555 (ESI-MS, Na+ form).

A novel method is described for the determination of sequential side-chain structures in the complex, high-arabinose polysaccharide of the gum exudate of angico branco (Anadenanthera colubrina), using as basis the structurally similar reducing oligosaccharides present in small quantities. Of the ten detected, eight were characterized as disaccharides (2, 3, and 9), linear trisaccharides (1 and 4), branched pentasaccharides (5 and 6), and a doubly branched heptasaccharide (8). The oligosaccharides are substituents of the polysaccharide, which has a (1-->3)-linked beta-D-galactopyranosyl main chain, and with two exceptions they had 6-O-substituted galactopyranosyl reducing ends, probably corresponding to its main-chain units. Characterization was effected through their 1D and 2D NMR correlation spectra, which were better resolved and more readily interpretable than those of the polysaccharide. These spectral data were supported by monosaccharide composition and rotation values. Controlled Smith degradations and methylation analyses were carried out when it was necessary. These data were confirmed by field-desorption MS.