Several laboratory parameters have been investigated for assessing disease activity in children with atopic dermatitis (AD). Analyses of the correlation between these parameters and clinical severity can help to choose a convincing tool. This study compared the significance of serum interleukin-16 (IL-16), serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE), serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and total eosinophil count (TEC) in reflecting AD severity to order to identify the most relevant objective tool for assessing AD activity and to assess the correlation between these laboratory parameters. The Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD index) was used for the assessment of disease activity in 48 pediatric patients in the acute exacerbation phase and in the maintenance phase after improvement of clinical findings with conventional treatment for 8 weeks. Serum levels of total IgE, ECP, and IL-16 as well as TEC were measured on the same time points and compared with healthy non-atopic controls. The correlation between SCORAD and each laboratory parameter was tested for significance and compared. Serum levels of ECP and IL-16 of AD patients were significantly higher than those of controls. These serum parameters, except TEC, declined significantly after conventional treatment with clinical improvement. There was positive correlation with SCORAD for serum IgE (r=0.317, p=0.028), TEC(r=0.434, p=0.002), IL-16 (r = 0.321, p=0.026) in the acute exacerbation phase and with SCORAD for serum IgE (r=0.510, p<0.001), TEC(r=0.489, p<0.001), serum ECP (r=0.468, p=0.001) in the maintenance phase. Serum levels of total IgE, IL-16, ECP, and TEC correlated with the SCORAD index in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis. Thus, they can serve as serum markers for monitoring disease activity in childhood atopic dermatitis.

Size segregation is commonly observed in flows of particles with different physical and mechanical properties. It can be favorable or undesirable, depending on different industrial processes. In our case, the size segregation of ore particles in a chute flow is utilized to prepare a well-bedded feedstock for high sintering quality, and magnets are installed below the chute to enhance size segregation. Discrete element method (DEM) simulations are carried out to explore the optimal arrangement of the magnets. The system is reduced to two dimensions, and the irregular ore particles of continuous size distribution are represented by rough disks of four diameters, with their properties reasonably sampled from the sintering materials. The magnetic fields are calculated using Ansoft in advance, which excludes the influence of the ore layer itself because it is weakly magnetic only. The simulations show that the proper magnetic field can significantly enhance the segregation, and it seems that the component normal to the chute has the dominant effect on segregation but the tangential component is also critical. The simulation results are in good agreement with our experiences in the industrial systems designed with consultation to these results. We suggest that despite major simplifications, the DEM is still an effective tool for dynamic studies and the design of complex granular flows in mineral processing.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disorder for which few safe and effective systemic treatments are available. To test the clinical and immunomodulatory effects of a crude polysaccharide fraction isolated from Dendrobium huoshanense for the treatment of AD, we conducted a pilot, uncontrolled case series study. Twenty-seven patients aged 4-18 years (mean±SD, 10.82±4.4) with AD that had not responded to topical therapy were treated with polysaccharide derived from D. huoshanense for 4 weeks and followed-up for another 4 weeks. Progression of AD was determined with the Lund-Browder chart for children, the Investigator's Global Atopic Dermatitis Assessment (IGADA), and the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 8. Serum levels of cytokines were evaluated. Safety was determined with laboratory and clinical tests. The lesion area, IGADA score, total SCORAD result, and score for sleeplessness decreased significantly from weeks 0 to 4, but did not change significantly between weeks 4 and 8. The scores for subjective symptoms and pruritus decreased significantly from week 0 to week 4 and increased significantly from week 4 to week 8. Serum levels of IL-S, IL-13, IFN-y, and TGF-p1 decreased significantly between weeks 0 and 4 and between weeks 0 and 8. No significant difference in the levels of IL-10 was found. The polysaccharide from D. huoshanense reduced the levels of some cytokines associated with AD and had beneficial effects on symptoms. No serious adverse effects occurred when it was administered orally for 4 weeks.Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disorder that afflicts from 10%