Let Gg,b be the set of all uni/trivalent graphs representing the combinatorial structures of pant decompositions of the oriented surface ⌃g,b of genus g with b boundary components. We describe the set Ag,b of all automorphisms of graphs in Gg,b showing that, up to suitable moves changing the graph within Gg,b, any such automorphism can be reduced to elementary switches of adjacent edges.

Background The aging process leads to a potential decline in immune function and adversely affects the gut microbiota. To date, many in vitro and in vivo studies focused on the application of synbiotics (prebiotics combined with probiotics) as a promising dietary approach to affect gut microbiota composition and improved functioning of the immune system. However, studies using synbiotic prepara...

Glycosylglycerols are powerful osmolytes, produced by various plants, algae and bacteria in adaptation to salt stress and drought. Among them, glucosylglycerol (2-O-a-D-glucopyranosyl-sn-glycerol; GG) has attracted special attention for its promising application as a moisturizing agent in cosmetics. A biocatalytic process for the synthesis of GG as industrial fine chemical is described in which...

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and its receptor CCR2 stimulate inflammation response by activating and recruiting monocytes/macrophages. MCP-1 and CCR2 polymorphisms were reported to be associated with various diseases. To explore the relationship between MCP-1 and CCR2 polymorphisms and IgA nephropathy (IgAN), we conducted this case-control study by enrolling 351 IgAN patients and ...

A high-fat diet disturbs the composition and function of the gut microbiota and generates local gut-associated and also systemic responses. Intestinal mast cells, for their part, secrete mediators which play a role in the orchestration of physiological and immunological functions of the intestine. Probiotic bacteria, again, help to maintain the homeostasis of the gut microbiota by protecting th...

Granuloma gravidarum (GG) is an inflammatory lesion, which develops in the oral mucosa of pregnant women in response to chronic low-grade irritants, under the influence of hormonal factors. Objective To characterize GG clinically by means of a retrospective study of the cases of the Oral Medicine Division, São Lucas Hospital, Brazil. Material and Methods Cases of GG diagnosed between 1980 and 2...

We estimate that a cumulative total of 1540 (1060-2800) Gg (gigagrams, 109 grams or thousand tonnes) of mercury (Hg) have been released by human activities up to 2010, 73% of which was released after 1850. Of this liberated Hg, 470 Gg were emitted directly into the atmosphere, and 74% of the air emissions were elemental Hg. Cumulatively, about 1070 Gg were released to land and water bodies. Tho...

Recent DFT optimization studies on a-maltose improved our understanding of the preferred conformations of a-maltose. The present study extends these studies to a-maltotriose with three a-D-glucopyranose residues linked by two a-[1?4] bridges, denoted herein as DP-3’s. Combinations of gg, gt, and tg hydroxymethyl groups are included for both ‘‘c’’ and ‘‘r’’ hydroxyl rotamers. When the hydroxymet...