Measurable residual disease testing by next generation sequencing is more accurate compared with multiparameter flow cytometry in adults with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Results of measurable residual disease (MRD)-testing by next-generation sequencing (NGS) correlate with relapse risk in adults with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) receiving chemotherapy or an allotransplant from a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical relative or HLA-matched unrelated donor. We studied cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and survival prediction accuracy using a NGS-based MRD-assay targeting immunoglobulin genes after 2 courses of consolidation chemotherapy cycles in 93 adults with B-cell ALL most receiving HLA-haplotype-matched related transplants. Prediction accuracy was compared with MRD-testing using multi-parameter flow cytometry (MPFC). NGS-based MRD-testing detected residual leukemia in 28 of 65 subjects with a negative MPFC-based MRD-test. In Cox regression multi-variable analyses subjects with a positive NGS-based MRD-test had a higher 3-year CIR (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 3.37; 95 % Confidence Interval [CI], 1.34-8.5; P = 0.01) and worse survival (HR = 4.87 [1.53-15.53]; P = 0.007). Some data suggest a lower CIR and better survival in NGS-MRD-test-positive transplant recipients but allocation to transplant was not random. Our data indicate MRD-testing by NGS is more accurate compared with testing by MPFC in adults with B-cell ALL in predicting CIR and survival. (Registered in the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau Registration N 2007-1007 and in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry [ChiCTR-OCH-10000940 and ChiCTROPC-14005546]).

Insights into the enhanced mechanism of selenium-doped iron nitride carbon catalysts for elemental mercury removal in flue gas.

This study developed a novel selenium-doped metal nitride carbon, Fe-NC-Se, via pyrolysis and impregnated hydrothermal methods for elemental mercury removal from coal-fired flue gas. The Fe-NC-Se demonstrated a remarkable mercury removal performance, achieving an average efficiency of 96.98% within 60 min at an optimal Se/Fe ratio of 2:1 and temperature of 110 °C, which was 2.5 times higher than that of the pristine Fe-NC (iron nitride carbon). Notably, Fe-NC-Se maintained an 84% efficiency in a high SO2 environment (1600 ppm), indicating strong resistance to SO2 poisoning. Long-term testing over 24 h showed a consistent removal efficiency of 84.75%, suggesting potential for recyclability. Advanced characterization techniques, including TEM (transmission electron microscopy) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectrometer), along with Density Functional Theory calculations, were employed to explore the removal mechanism. Results indicated that selenium doping enhanced surface charge transfer and the reactivity of surface atoms, facilitating mercury oxidation and sequestration. The oxidized Hg2+ was anchored by Se and partially stabilized by C, N, and Fe atoms, enhancing the catalyst's effectiveness. This work not only advances the design of mercury abatement catalysts but also supports the industrial applicability of Fe-NC-Se in flue gas treatment.

Cystathionine γ-lyase-derived H2S negatively regulates thymic egress via allosteric inhibition of sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase.

Thymic egress is a crucial process for thymocyte maturation, strictly regulated by sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase (S1PL). Recently, cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), one of the enzymes producing hydrogen sulfide (H2S), has emerged as a vital immune process regulator. However, the molecular connection between CSE, H2S and thymic egress remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the regulatory function of CSE in the thymic egress of immune cells. We showed that genetic knockout of CSE or pharmacological inhibition by CSE enzyme inhibitor NSC4056 or D,L-propargylglycine (PAG) significantly enhanced the migration of mature lymphocytes and monocytes from the thymus to the peripheral blood, and this redistribution effect could be reversed by treatment with NaHS, an exogenous donor of H2S. In addition, the CSE-generated H2S significantly increased the levels of S1P in the peripheral blood, thymus and spleen of mice, suppressed the production of proinflammatory cytokines and rescued pathogen-induced sepsis in cells and in vivo. Notably, H2S or polysulfide inhibited S1PL activity in cells and an in vitro purified enzyme assay. We found that this inhibition relied on a newly identified C203XC205 redox motif adjacent to the enzyme's active site, shedding light on the biochemical mechanism of S1PL regulation. In conclusion, this study uncovers a new function and mechanism for CSE-derived H2S in thymic egress and provides a potential drug target for treating S1P-related immune diseases.

In Situ Engineering Multifunctional Active Sites of Ruthenium-Nickel Alloys for pH-Universal Ampere-Level Current-Density Hydrogen Evolution.

Developing robust non-platinum electrocatalysts with multifunctional active sites for pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for scalable hydrogen production through electrochemical water splitting. Here ultra-small ruthenium-nickel alloy nanoparticles steadily anchored on reduced graphene oxide papers (Ru-Ni/rGOPs) as versatile electrocatalytic materials for acidic and alkaline HER are reported. These Ru-Ni alloy nanoparticles serve as pH self-adaptive electroactive species by making use of in situ surface reconstruction, where surface Ni atoms are hydroxylated to produce bifunctional active sites of Ru-Ni(OH)2 for alkaline HER, and selectively etched to form monometallic Ru active sites for acidic HER, respectively. Owing to the presence of Ru-Ni(OH)2 multi-site surface, which not only accelerates water dissociation to generate reactive hydrogen intermediates but also facilitates their recombination into hydrogen molecules, the self-supported Ru90Ni10/rGOP hybrid electrode only takes overpotential of as low as ≈106 mV to deliver current density of 1000 mA cm-2, and maintains exceptional stability for over 1000 h in 1 m KOH. While in 0.5 m H2SO4, the Ru90Ni10/rGOP hybrid electrode exhibits acidic HER catalytic behavior comparable to commercially available Pt/C catalyst due to the formation of monometallic Ru shell. These electrochemical behaviors outperform some of the best Ru-based catalysts and make it attractive alternative to Pt-based catalysts toward highly efficient HER.

Lamellar Nanoporous Metal/Intermetallic Compound Heterostructure Regulating Dendrite-Free Zinc Electrodeposition for Wide-Temperature Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are attractive post-lithium battery technologies for grid-scale energy storage because of their inherent safety, low cost and high theoretical capacity. However, their practical implementation in wide-temperature surroundings persistently confronts irregular zinc electrodeposits and parasitic side reactions on metal anode, which leads to poor rechargeability, low Coulombic efficiency and short lifespan. Here, this work reports lamellar nanoporous Cu/Al2Cu heterostructure electrode as a promising anode host material to regulate high-efficiency and dendrite-free zinc electrodeposition and stripping for wide-temperatures aqueous zinc-ion batteries. In this unique electrode, the interconnective Cu/Al2Cu heterostructure ligaments not only facilitate fast electron transfer but work as highly zincophilic sites for zinc nucleation and deposition by virtue of local galvanic couples while the interpenetrative lamellar channels serving as mass transport pathways. As a result, it exhibits exceptional zinc plating/stripping behaviors in aqueous hybrid electrolyte of diethylene glycol dimethyl ether and zinc trifluoromethanesulfonate at wide temperatures ranging from 25 to -30 °C, with ultralow voltage polarizations at various current densities and ultralong lifespan of >4000 h. The outstanding electrochemical properties enlist full cell of zinc-ion batteries constructed with nanoporous Cu/Al2Cu and ZnxV2O5/C to maintain high capacity and excellent stability for >5000 cycles at 25 and -30 °C.

Dynamic Molecular Interphases Regulated by Trace Dual Electrolyte Additives for Ultralong-Lifespan and Dendrite-Free Zinc Metal Anode.

Metallic zinc is a promising anode material for rechargeable aqueous multivalent metal-ion batteries due to its high capacity and low cost. However, the practical use is always beset by severe dendrite growth and parasitic side reactions occurring at anode/electrolyte interface. Here we demonstrate dynamic molecular interphases caused by trace dual electrolyte additives of D-mannose and sodium lignosulfonate for ultralong-lifespan and dendrite-free zinc anode. Triggered by plating and stripping electric fields, the D-mannose and lignosulfonate species are alternately and reversibly (de-)adsorbed on Zn metal, respectively, to accelerate Zn2+ transportation for uniform Zn nucleation and deposition and inhibit side reactions for high Coulombic efficiency. As a result, Zn anode in such dual-additive electrolyte exhibits highly reversible and dendrite-free Zn stripping/plating behaviors for >6400 hours at 1 mA cm-2, which enables long-term cycling stability of Zn||ZnxMnO2 full cell for more than 2000 cycles.

[Thinking from Horqin Grassland to Horqin Sandy Land]. / 从科尔沁草原到科尔沁沙地的思考.

We systematically elaborated and compared the spatial scope and landscape changes of Horqin Grassland and Horqin Sand Land from their definitions and ranges. Horqin Grassland is an area with geographical units named after Mongolian tribes, but the boundary is unclear. Horqin Sand Land is also an area that borrows tribal names, but has independent topographic and geomorphic units, and clear boundaries. Horqin Grassland and Horqin Sand Land belong to two spatial regions that are both cross and different. The area and range of Horqin Grassland are larger than that of Horqin Sand Land which has obvious regional characteristics, and is a typical and research object area to study the development and restoration of aeolian desertification. Based on those cognition, we summarized the technologies and example models of comprehensive land management and desertification controlling over the years, and finally sorted out what should be focused on in the future to serve the annihilation war against desertification for Horqin Sand Land.

Heavy Metal-Induced Assembly of DNA Network Biosensor from Double-Loop Hairpin Probes for Ultrasensitive Detection of UO22+ in Water and Soil Samples.

The uranyl ion (UO22+) is the most stable form of uranium, which exhibits high toxicity and bioavailability posing a severe risk to human health. The construction of ultrasensitive, reliable, and robust sensing techniques for UO22+ detection in water and soil samples remains a challenge. Herein, a DNA network biosensor was fabricated for UO22+ detection using DNAzyme as the heavy metal recognition element and double-loop hairpin probes as DNA assembly materials. UO22+-activated specific cleavage of the DNAzyme will liberate the triggered DNA fragment, which can be utilized to launch a double-loop hairpin probe assembly among Hab, Hbc, and Hca. Through multiple cyclic cross-hybridization reactions, hexagonal DNA duplex nanostructures (n[Hab•Hbc•Hca]) were formed. This DNA network sensing system generates a high fluorescence response for UO22+ monitoring. The biosensor is ultrasensitive, with a detection limit of 2 pM. This sensing system also displays an excellent selectivity and robustness, enabling the DNA network biosensor to work even in complex water and soil samples with excellent accuracy and reliability. With the advantages of enzyme-free operation, outstanding specificity, and high sensitivity, our proposed DNA network biosensor provides a reliable, simple, and robust method for trace levels of UO22+ detection in environmental samples.

Structural Fe(II)-induced generation of reactive oxygen species on magnetite surface for aqueous As(III) oxidation during oxygen activation.

Magnetite is a reductive Fe(II)-bearing mineral, and its reduction property is considered important for degradation of contaminants in groundwater and anaerobic subsurface environments. However, the redox condition of subsurface environments frequently changes from anaerobic to aerobic owing to natural and anthropogenic disturbances, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the interaction between Fe(II)-bearing minerals and O2. Despite this, the mechanism of ROS generation induced by magnetite under aerobic conditions is poorly understood, which may play a crucial role in As(III) oxidation. Herein, we found that magnetite could activate O2 and induce the oxidative transformation of As(III) under aerobic conditions. As(III) oxidation was attributed to the ROS generated via structural Fe(II) within the magnetite octahedra oxygenation. The electron paramagnetic resonance and quenching tests confirmed that O2•-, H2O2, and •OH were produced by magnetite. Moreover, density function theory calculations combined with experiments demonstrated that O2•- was initially formed via single electron transfer from the structural Fe(II) to the adsorbed O2; O2•- was then converted to •OH and H2O2 via a series of free radical reactions. Among them, O2•-and H2O2 were the primary ROS responsible for As(III) oxidation, accounting for approximately 52 % and 19 % of As(III) oxidation. Notably, As(III) oxidation mainly occurred on the magnetite surface, and As was immobilized further within the magnetite structure. This study provides solid evidence regarding the role of magnetite in determining the fate and transformation of As in redox-fluctuating subsurface environments.

Soil Humic Acid Stimulates Potentially Active Dissimilatory Arsenate-Reducing Bacteria in Flooded Paddy Soil as Revealed by Metagenomic Stable Isotope Probing.

Dissimilatory arsenate reduction contributes a large proportion of arsenic flux from flooded paddy soil, which is closely linked to soil organic carbon input and efflux. Humic acid (HA) represents a natural ingredient in soil and is shown to enhance microbial arsenate respiration to promote arsenic mobility. However, the community and function profiles of metabolically active arsenate-respiring bacteria and their interactions with HA in paddy soil remain unclear. To probe this linkage, we performed a genome-centric comparison of potentially active arsenate-respiring bacteria in anaerobic microcosms amended with 13C-lactate and HA by combining stable-isotope probing with genome-resolved metagenomics. Indeed, HA greatly accelerated the microbial reduction of arsenate to arsenite. Enrichment of bacteria that harbor arsenate-respiring reductase genes (arrA) in HA-enriched 13C-DNA was confirmed by metagenomic binning, which are affiliated with Firmicutes (mainly Desulfitobacterium, Bacillus, Brevibacillus, and Clostridia) and Acidobacteria. Characterization of reference extracellular electron transfer (EET)-related genes in these arrA-harboring bacteria supports the presence of EET-like genes, with partial electron-transport chain genes identified. This suggests that Gram-positive Firmicutes- and Acidobacteria-related members may harbor unspecified EET-associated genes involved in metal reduction. Our findings highlight the link between soil HA and potentially active arsenate-respiring bacteria, which can be considered when using HA for arsenic removal.

Benzoquinone-Lubricated Intercalation in Manganese Oxide for High-Capacity and High-Rate Aqueous Aluminum-Ion Battery.

Aqueous aluminum-ion batteries are attractive post-lithium battery technologies for large-scale energy storage in virtue of abundant and low-cost Al metal anode offering ultrahigh capacity via a three-electron redox reaction. However, state-of-the-art cathode materials are of low practical capacity, poor rate capability, and inadequate cycle life, substantially impeding their practical use. Here layered manganese oxide that is pre-intercalated with benzoquinone-coordinated aluminum ions (BQ-AlxMnO2) as a high-performance cathode material of rechargeable aqueous aluminum-ion batteries is reported. The coordination of benzoquinone with aluminum ions not only extends interlayer spacing of layered MnO2 framework but reduces the effective charge of trivalent aluminum ions to diminish their electrostatic interactions, substantially boosting intercalation/deintercalation kinetics of guest aluminum ions and improving structural reversibility and stability. When coupled with Zn50Al50 alloy anode in 2 m Al(OTf)3 aqueous electrolyte, the BQ-AlxMnO2 exhibits superior rate capability and cycling stability. At 1 A g-1, the specific capacity of BQ-AlxMnO2 reaches ≈300 mAh g-1 and retains ≈90% of the initial value for more than 800 cycles, along with the Coulombic efficiency of as high as ≈99%, outperforming the AlxMnO2 without BQ co-incorporation.

[Review of Comprehensive Evaluation System of Vehicle Pollution and Carbon Synergistic Reduction].

Vehicle emissions have become one of the most important air pollution sources in China. Promoting vehicle synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon is the key to improving regional environmental quality and achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. Building a collaborative evaluation system and comprehensive quantitative method is an important prerequisite for scientific and effective implementation of vehicle pollution and carbon synergistic reduction. Therefore, it is significant to extensively review existing synergistic evaluation methods and comprehensive environmental benefit accounting methods of atmospheric pollution and carbon reduction. On this basis, we focused on vehicle emission characteristics, systematically organized the key indicators of vehicle collaborative reduction evaluation, and summarized quantitative methods of policy effects from three aspects (health exposure cost, climate change cost, and pollutant control cost), to provide theoretical support for policy formulation, schemes selection, and their effect evaluation. For the future, the assessment of vehicle coordinated emission reduction is proposed to accelerate unified index system establishment, deeply analyze the spatial distribution of environmental benefits, focus on the pollution transfer caused by vehicle electrification, and explore the quantitative methods of climate change cost due to extreme weather.

Intelligent monitoring of the available lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in soil samples based on half adder and half subtractor molecular logic gates.

The available heavy metals in soil samples can cause the direct toxicity on ecosystems, plants, and human health. Traditional chemical extraction and recombinant bacterial methods for the available heavy metals assay often suffer from inaccuracy and poor specificity. In this work, we construct half adder and half subtractor molecular logic gates with molecular-level biocomputation capabilities for the intelligent sensing of the available lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). The available Pb and Cd can cleave DNAzyme sequences to release the trigger DNA, which can activate the hairpin probe assembly in the logic system. This multifunctional logic system can not only achieve the intelligent recognition of the available Pb and Cd according to the truth tables, but also can realize the simultaneous quantification with high sensitivity, with the detection limits of 2.8 pM and 25.6 pM, respectively. The logic biosensor is robust and has been applied to determination of the available Pb and Cd in soil samples with good accuracy and reliability. The relative error (Re) between the logic biosensor and the DTPA + ICP-MS method was from -8.1 % to 7.9 %. With the advantages of programmability, scalability, and multicomputing capacity, the molecular logic system can provide a simple, rapid, and smart method for intelligent monitoring of the available Pb and Cd in environmental samples.

Distribution and correlation of iron oxidizers and carbon-fixing microbial communities in natural wetlands.

Most microaerophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria (mFeOB) belonging to the family Gallionellaceae are autotrophic microorganisms that can use inorganic carbon to drive carbon sequestration in wetlands. However, the relationship between microorganisms involved in Fe and C cycling is not well understood. Here, soil samples were collected from different wetlands to explore the distribution and correlation of Gallionella-related mFeOB and carbon-fixing microorganisms containing cbbL and cbbM genes. A significant positive correlation was found between the abundances of mFeOB and the cbbL gene, as well as a highly significant positive correlation between the abundances of mFeOB and the cbbM gene, indicating the distribution of mFeOB in co-occurrence with carbon-fixing microorganisms in wetlands. The mFeOB were mainly dominated by Sideroxydans lithotrophicus ES-1 and Gallionella capsiferriformans ES-2 in all wetland soils. The structures of the carbon-fixing microbial communities were similar in these wetlands, mainly consisting of Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. The extractable Fe(II) concentrations affected the community composition of mFeOB, resulting in a significant difference in the relative abundances of the dominant FeOB. The main factors affecting cbbL-related microbial communities were dissolved inorganic carbon and oxygen, soil redox potential, and sodium acetate-extracted Fe(II). The composition of cbbM-related microbial communities was mainly affected by acetate-extracted Fe(II) and soil redox potential. In addition, the positive correlation between these functional microorganisms suggests that they play a synergistic role in Fe(II) oxidation and carbon fixation in wetland soil ecosystems. Our results suggest a cryptic relationship between mFeOB and carbon-fixing microorganisms in wetlands and that the microbial community structure can be effectively altered by regulating their physicochemical properties, thus affecting the capacity of carbon sequestration.

Chinese Neonatal Nurses' Lived Experiences of Providing End-of-Life Care in the NICU: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study.

BACKGROUND: Although end-of-life care (EOLC) has been well-studied, the experience of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses in China, where little EOLC training is provided, requires further investigation. PURPOSE: To explore the lived experience of EOLC delivery among NICU nurses, to provide evidence to enhance nurses' EOLC skills and improve their overall quality. METHODS: This qualitative study adopted a phenomenological approach. A total of 11 NICU nurses participated in semistructured in-depth interviews between June and July 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). Colaizzi's 7-step method was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Five main themes were identified: (a) multiple emotions are experienced during EOLC delivery; (b) EOLC delivery is stressful from various sources for nurses; (c) expressing empathy and compassion is important; (d) ethical and clinical decision-making are key components of EOLC delivery; and (e) there are challenges in improving neonatal EOLC understanding and delivery. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH: The experience of EOLC among Chinese NICU nurses is multidimensional and intensive. Institutions or units must establish and implement related protocols and guidelines to address differences between clinical practice and ideal protocols for neonatal EOLC. Educational programs that consider nurses' personal and interpersonal factors, including local culture, must be developed. Neonatal nurses in Western countries encountering Chinese-born parents who have lost their infants can gain an understanding of parents' perceptions from this study. Future research should focus on developing and testing interventions to train and support NICU nurses working with end-of-life neonates.

Correlation between pre-treatment serum total blood bilirubin and unconjugated bilirubin and prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have found that unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) levels are positively correlated with the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, bilirubin may also play an important role in the prognosis of CRC. AIM: To investigate the predictive value of total bilirubin (TBIL) and UCB in the prognosis of patients with CRC. METHODS: A total of 142 CRC patients were selected as the research subjects in Jingxian Hospital, from October 2014 to May 2021. General and tumour-related clinical data at admission and the overall survival at 3 years after surgery were collected. The optimal cut-off values of TBIL and UCB were determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were used to analyse the effect of bilirubin level on the survival of CRC patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess the survival time. RESULTS: The 3-year overall survival rate of CRC patients was significantly higher in the high TBIL (> 13.45 µmol/L) group than in the low TBIL (≤ 13.45 µmol/L) group (76.4% vs 37.1%; P < 0.05). The 3-year overall survival rate of CRC patients in the high UCB (> 10.75 µmol/L) group was significantly higher than that in the low UCB (≤ 10.75 µmol/L) group (83.3% vs 34.2%; P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that higher TBIL levels were an independent predictor of better prognosis in CRC patients (hazard ratio = 0.360, 95% confidence interval: 0.159-0.812, P = 0.014). CONCLUSION: TBIL levels can be used as a prognostic indicator for CRC patients.

[Blinatumomab as bridging therapy in two children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia complicated by invasive fungal disease]. / 2例急性Bæ·‹å·´ç»†èƒžç™½è¡€ç— åˆå¹¶ä¾µè¢­æ€§çœŸèŒç— å„¿ç«¥åº”ç”¨è´æž—å¦¥æ¬§å•æŠ—æ¡¥æŽ¥æ²»ç–—åˆ†æž.

This article reports two cases of children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) complicated by invasive fungal disease (IFD) who received bridging treatment using blinatumomab. Case 1 was a 4-month-old female infant who experienced recurrent high fever and limb weakness during chemotherapy. Blood culture was negative, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of peripheral blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid were all negative. Chest CT and cranial MRI revealed obvious infection foci. Case 2 was a 2-year-old male patient who experienced recurrent high fever with multiple inflammatory masses during chemotherapy. Candida tropicalis was detected in peripheral blood and abscess fluid using NGS, while blood culture and imaging examinations showed no obvious abnormalities. After antifungal and blinatumomab therapy, both cases showed significant improvement in symptoms, signs, and imaging, and B-ALL remained in continuous remission. The report indicates that bridging treatment with blinatumomab in children with B-ALL complicated by IFD can rebuild the immune system and control the underlying disease in the presence of immunosuppression and severe fungal infection.

[Rapid determination of 13 ß-blockers in health foods by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry].

A method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry was developed for the rapid determination of 13 ß-blockers in health foods. The MS fragmentation pathways of the analytes were subsequently investigated. The optimal MS conditions, extraction solvents, mobile phases, and matrix effects were evaluated in detail. The samples were extracted with methanol, filtered by high-speed centrifugation and ultrasonic treatment, and then separated on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 µm) with gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid aqueous solution as mobile phases. MS analysis was conducted in positive-ion mode, and the data were collected using full mass and data-dependent MS2 scans (Full MS/dd-MS2). The efficient separation and high-precision primary and secondary scanning of the 13 ß-blockers in health foods were realized within 10 min, and accurate mass numbers and fragment-ion information were obtained. The methodological validation showed good linear relationships in the range of 0.5-100 µg/L, with correlation coefficients (r)≥0.9912. The limits of detection ranged from 1 to 10 µg/kg. When the standard substances were added to the blank sample in the amount of 10-200 µg/kg, the recoveries were in the range of 75.3%-108.4%, and the relative standard deviations ranged from 0.9% to 10.0% (n=6). The method was used to screen 30 batches of commercially available health foods, and none of the 13 ß-blockers was detected. The proposed method is fast, accurate, and sensitive, and can be used for the rapid determination of ß-blockers in health foods.

Effect of Anti-D titers in RhD-negative pregnant women on fetuses and newborns: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Transplacental-derived anti-D IgG in RhD-negative pregnant women can trigger an immune response to Rh D-positive red cells in fetuses and newborns. We assessed the effect of anti-D titers in RhD-negative pregnant women on fetuses and newborns. METHODS: The clinical data of 142 singleton RhD-sensitized pregnancies were retrospectively collected. The pregnant women received routine prenatal care and the newborns had standard care. Based on the tertile categories of the pregnancies, the maximum titers of anti-D IgG in the pregnant women were divided into three groups ranging from low to high as follows: low-titer group (anti-D titer: 1:4-1:128, n = 57); medium-titer group (anti-D titer: 1:256-1:512, n = 50); and high-titer group (anti-D titer: 1:1024-1:4096, n = 35). RESULTS: The frequencies of major neonatal complications did not significantly differ among the three groups. The high-titer group had the highest frequency of pregnancies requiring intrauterine transfusion (IUT) and number of IUTs among the three groups. The high-titer group had a significantly higher frequency of newborns treated with top-up transfusion, number of top-up transfusions, frequency of newborns treated with exchange transfusion (ET), and number of ETs when compared to the low-titer group. CONCLUSION: Higher anti-D titers in RhD-negative pregnant women predict more severe fetal and neonatal hemolytic anemia. Increasing maternal anti-D titers results in an increased need for IUTs, and neonatal top-up transfusions and ETs. Methods for reducing titers of anti-D IgG in RhD-sensitized pregnant women warrants further investigation.