Perturbations in gut and respiratory microbiota in COVID-19 and influenza patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19)/influenza poses unprecedented challenges to the global economy and healthcare services. Numerous studies have described alterations in the microbiome of COVID-19/influenza patients, but further investigation is needed to understand the relationship between the microbiome and these diseases. Herein, through systematic comparison between COVID-19 patients, long COVID-19 patients, influenza patients, no COVID-19/influenza controls and no COVID-19/influenza patients, we conducted a comprehensive review to describe the microbial change of respiratory tract/digestive tract in COVID-19/influenza patients. Methods: We systematically reviewed relevant literature by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to August 12, 2023. We conducted a comprehensive review to explore microbial alterations in patients with COVID-19/influenza. In addition, the data on α-diversity were summarized and analyzed by meta-analysis. Results: A total of 134 studies comparing COVID-19 patients with controls and 18 studies comparing influenza patients with controls were included. The Shannon indices of the gut and respiratory tract microbiome were slightly decreased in COVID-19/influenza patients compared to no COVID-19/influenza controls. Meanwhile, COVID-19 patients with more severe symptoms also exhibited a lower Shannon index versus COVID-19 patients with milder symptoms. The intestinal microbiome of COVID-19 patients was characterized by elevated opportunistic pathogens along with reduced short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs)-producing microbiota. Moreover, Enterobacteriaceae (including Escherichia and Enterococcus) and Lactococcus, were enriched in the gut and respiratory tract of COVID-19 patients. Conversely, Haemophilus and Neisseria showed reduced abundance in the respiratory tract of both COVID-19 and influenza patients. Conclusion: In this systematic review, we identified the microbiome in COVID-19/influenza patients in comparison with controls. The microbial changes in influenza and COVID-19 are partly similar.

Effects of AH3 and AFt on the Hydration-Hardening Properties of the C4A3S¯-CS¯-H2O System.

This study aimed to reveal the effects of the hydration products AH3 and AFt phases on the hydration and hardening properties of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement. In addition, the effects of anhydrite (CS¯) and gypsum (CS¯H2) on the properties of CSA cement were compared. Calcium sulfoaluminate (C4A3S¯) was synthesized with analytical reagents, and the C4A3S¯-CS¯-H2O system with different molar ratios of CS¯ and C4A3S¯ was established. The phase compositions and contents of AFt and AH3 were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rietveld quantitative phase analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The effects of pore structure and hydration product morphology on mechanical properties were analyzed by mercury intrusion porosity (MIP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the compressive strength exhibited a correlation with the AH3 content. In the case of relatively sufficient anhydrite or gypsum, C4A3S¯ has a high degree of hydration, and the AH3 content can be considered to contribute more to the strength of the hardened cement paste. When anhydrite was selected, the combined and interlocked AFt crystals were covered or wrapped by a large amount of AH3. The mechanical properties of the hardened cement paste mixed with anhydrite were better than those of that mixed with gypsum.

Parental Pressure on Child Body Image, BMI, Body Image Dissatisfaction Associated with Eating Disorders in School-Age Children in China: A Path Analysis.

Background: Children's eating behaviors, body shape and body image cognition may be more susceptible to the influence of their parents, but these influences may be weakened with age. There may be different association pathways between parental pressure on children's body image (PPCBI), body mass index (BMI), body image dissatisfaction (BID) and eating disorders (EDs) among children and adolescents at different developmental stages. Methods: The stratified cluster sampling method (Stratified by grade, and took the classes as clusters) was used to select 486 students aged 8-15 years in two 9-year schools. Children's body height, weight, testicular volume and breast development were measured. PPCBI, BID, and EDs were investigated using the Appearance-related Social Stress Questionnaire, Body Size Questionnaire (BID-14), and EDI-1 scale, respectively. Results: The boys before puberty initiation had significantly higher EDs score (182.3±50.8) than girls before puberty initiation (164.1±58.1) (P<0.05). There were significant association pathways of PPCBI→BMI→BID→EDs and PPCBI→BID→EDs in boys before puberty initiation (ß=0.035, P<0.01; ß=0.059, P<0.01), in boys after puberty initiation (ß=0.032, P<0.01; ß=0.175, P<0.001), and in girls after puberty initiation (ß=0.026, P<0.01; ß=0.172, P<0.001). There was a positive association pathway of PPCBI→EDs in boys before puberty initiation (ß=0.30, P<0.001) and PPCBI→BID→EDs in girls before puberty initiation (ß=0.176, P<0.01). Conclusion: Parental pressure on children's body image may positively associate with children's eating disorders through BMI and body image dissatisfaction in boys and girls after puberty initiation and directly associate with eating disorders in boys before puberty initiation; however, it may indirectly associate with eating disorders only through BID in girls before puberty initiation.

Parental Stress on Children's Appearance, Body Dissatisfaction, and Eating Behaviours in Chinese Children: A Pathway Analysis.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the association pathways of parental stress on children's appearance, body dissatisfaction, and eating behaviours in Chinese children and adolescents. Patients and Methods: The children aged 8-15 years were selected from 2 nine-year schools using stratified cluster random sampling. The appearance-related social stress questionnaire and the body dissatisfaction subscale of EDI-1 were used to investigate parental stress on children's appearance and body dissatisfaction, respectively. The self-administered eating frequency questionnaire was used to investigate children's eating behaviours. Results: Body dissatisfaction in girls mediated associations between BMI, parental teasing, parental injustice and ignorance, parental encouragement and healthy eating behaviour: BMI → body dissatisfaction → healthy eating behaviour, parental teasing → body dissatisfaction → healthy eating behaviour, parental injustice and ignorance → body dissatisfaction → healthy eating behaviour, parental encouragement → body dissatisfaction → healthy eating behaviour. Parental injustice and ignorance directly and negatively predicted healthy eating behaviour in girls. In boys and girls, parental teasing was a direct predictor factor of unhealthy eating behaviour. Conclusion: Parental teasing, parental injustice and ignorance, parental encouragement, and BMI through body dissatisfaction positively predicted healthy eating behaviour in girls, parental injustice and ignorance directly negatively predicted healthy eating behaviour in girls, and parental teasing directly positively predicted unhealthy eating behaviour in girls and boys. Therefore, parental pressure on children's appearance may pay important role in children's eating behaviours.

Improving the Mechanical Properties of Sulfoaluminate Cement-Based Grouting Material by Incorporating Limestone Powder for a Double Fluid System.

To improve the hardening performance of sulfoaluminate cement-based grouting material (SCGM) and reduce its cost, limestone powder was adopted to replace anhydrite in the control SCGM. The influence of the replacement rate of limestone powder on the hydration, hardening strength, expansion, and microstructure evolution of the SCGM was systematically researched. The results indicated that replacing anhydrite with limestone powder in SCGM can improve the flowability, shorten the setting time, and enhance the compressive strength at early and late stages. When the replacement rate of limestone powder was 20%, the compressive strength of SCGM for 6 h and 28 days increased by 146.41% and 22.33%, respectively. These enhancements were attributed to the fact that fine limestone powder can accelerate the early hydration reaction rate and promote the formation of ettringite due to its nucleation effect. Moreover, due to the presence of limestone powder, mono-carbonate (Mc) can be formed, which would densify the microstructure and refine the pore structure of the hardened SCGM.

Revealing the Microstructure Evolution and Carbonation Hardening Mechanism of ß-C2S Pastes by Backscattered Electron Images.

ß-dicalcium silicate (ß-C2S) minerals were prepared. The compositions, microstructures, and distributions of the carbonation products of hardened ß-C2S paste were revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and backscattered electron (BSE) image analysis. The results show that a dense hardened paste of ß-C2S can be obtained after 24 h of carbonation curing. The hardened pastes are composed of pores, silica gel, calcium carbonate, and unreacted dicalcium silicate, with relative volume fractions of 1.3%, 42.1%, 44.9%, and 11.7%, respectively. The unreacted dicalcium silicate is encapsulated with a silica gel rim, and the pores between the original dicalcium silicate particles are filled with calcium carbonate. The sufficient carbonation products that rapidly formed during the carbonation curing process, forming a dense microstructure, are responsible for the carbonation hardening of the ß-C2S mineral.

(E)-Methyl 3-(3,5-dibromo-2-hy-droxy-benzyl-idene)carbazate.

The title compound, C(9)H(8)Br(2)N(2)O(3), crystallizes with two very similar independent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit, each of which adopts a trans configuration with respect to the C=N bond. Intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bonds are observed in each independent mol-ecule. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked into chains propagating along [010] by N-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. In addition, C-H⋯π inter-actions stabilize the structure.