Association of early childhood constipation with the risk of autism spectrum disorder in Taiwan: Real-world evidence from a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental problem that presents with limited interests, repetitive behaviors, and deficits in reciprocal communication and social interactions. Mounting evidence indicates that an imbalanced gut microbiota contributes to autism the gut-brain axis. Constipation may result in alteration of the gut microbiota.

Evaluation of differences between dual salt-pH gradient elution and mono gradient elution using a thermodynamic model: Simultaneous separation of six monoclonal antibody charge and size variants on preparative-scale ion exchange chromatographic resin.

The efficiencies of mono gradient elution and dual salt-pH gradient elution for separation of six mAb charge and size variants on a preparative-scale ion exchange chromatographic resin are compared in this study. Results showed that opposite dual salt-pH gradient elution with increasing pH gradient and simultaneously decreasing salt gradient is best suited for the separation of these mAb charge and size variants on Eshmuno CPX. Besides giving high binding capacity, this type of opposite dual salt-pH gradient also provides better resolved mAb variant peaks and lower conductivity in the elution pools compared to single pH or salt gradients.

Modeling of bispecific antibody elution in mixed-mode cation-exchange chromatography.

The increasing demand for cost-efficient manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals has been the main driving force for the development of novel chromatography resins, which resulted in the development of multimodal or mixed-mode chromatographic resins. Most of them combine electrostatic and hydrophobic functionalities and are designed to deliver unique selectivity and increased binding capacities also at increased ionic strength. However, the mechanism of the protein-resin interaction in mixed-mode chromatography is still not fully understood.

Thermodynamic modeling of protein retention in mixed-mode chromatography: An extended model for isocratic and dual gradient elution chromatography.

An extended model is developed to describe protein retention in mixed-mode chromatography based on thermodynamic principles. Special features are the incorporation of pH dependence of the ionic interaction on a mixed-mode resin and the addition of a water term into the model which enables one to describe the total number of water molecules released at the hydrophobic interfaces upon protein-ligand binding. Examples are presented on how to determine the model parameters using isocratic elution chromatography.

Modeling of dual gradient elution in ion exchange and mixed-mode chromatography.

Protein retention using dual gradient elution in ion exchange- and mixed-mode chromatography can be modeled using the combination of a modified Yamamoto's LGE model and a conversion term to correlate the elution salt concentration and pH at any given gradient slope. Incorporation of the pH dependence of the binding charges into the model also provides some insights on the dual effects of salt and pH in protein-ligand interaction. The fitted thermodynamic parameters (ΔGP(0)/RT, ΔGS(0)/RT, number of charged amino acids involved in binding) of the dual gradient elution data using lysozyme and mAbs on SP Sepharose(®) FF, Eshmuno(®) HCX, and Capto(®) MMC ImpRes were consistent to the results of mono gradient data.

Apoptosis of Ascogregarina taiwanensis (Apicomplexa: Lecudinidae), which failed to migrate within its natural host.

Sexual reproduction of Ascogregarina taiwanensis (Apicomplexa: Lecudinidae), a parasite specific to the mosquito Aedes albopictus, in Malpighian tubules is initiated by the entry of the trophotozoites developed in the midgut shortly after pupation (usually <5 h). However, only a low proportion of trophozoites are able to migrate; others end up dying. In this study, we demonstrated that those trophozoites that failed to migrate eventually died of apoptosis.