Measurements of Atmospheric HO2 Radicals Using Br-CIMS with Elimination of Potential Interferences from Ambient Peroxynitric Acid.

As a promising direct measurement method of atmospheric hydroperoxyl radicals (HO2), bromide chemical ionization mass spectrometry (Br-CIMS) has been first demonstrated by Sanchez et al. (Atmos. Meas. Tech. 2016, 9, 3851-3861). However, field application of this method is currently still sparse, and there is still a gap between measured HO2 concentrations and calculated ones derived from the atmospheric equilibrium between HO2 and peroxynitric acid (HO2NO2). In this work, we constructed an improved Br-CIMS with optimizations of custom-built front-end devices, chamber pressures, and instrumental voltages to achieve a 3σ detection limit of 0.5 ppt at an integration time of 60 s and a sensitivity of 1-3 cps ppt-1 under a total reagent ion signal of 0.2 MHz for HO2 detection. HO2NO2, a product from atmospheric reactions between HO2 and NO2, can also be detected by Br-CIMS, whose interference on the HO2 measurement was found but nearly eliminated by regulating key CIMS voltages to minimize the decomposition of (BrHO2NO2)- ions in the MS. In addition, a 2 week field campaign was carried out in urban Shanghai, demonstrating that the interference of HO2 from ambient HO2NO2 was less than 10% of the true HO2 signal under our optimized CIMS voltage setting. Our study suggests that Br-CIMS is a reliable technique for atmospheric HO2 measurements.

Bismuth-doped fiber amplifier based on a linear cavity double pass structure operating in the O + E band.

Finding suitable fiber amplifiers is one of the key strategies to increase the transmission capacity of fiber links. Recently, bismuth-doped fiber amplifiers (BDFAs) have attracted much attention due to their distinctive ultra-wideband luminescence properties. In this paper, we propose a linear cavity double pass structure for BDFA operating in the O and E bands. The design creates a linear cavity within the amplifier by combining a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and a fiber mirror to achieve dual-wavelength pump at 1240 nm and 1310 nm. Meanwhile, the configuration of a circulator and mirror facilitates bidirectional signal propagation through the BDFA, resulting in a double-pass amplification structure. We have tested and analyzed the performance of the linear cavity double pass structure BDFA under different pump schemes and compared it with the conventional structure BDFA. The results show that the gain spectrum of the new structure is shifted toward longer wavelengths, and the gain band is extended from the O band to the O and E bands compared with the conventional structure. In particular, the linear cavity double pass structure BDFA has more relaxed requirements on the stability of the pump and signal power. This work provides a positive reference for the design, application, and development of BDFAs.

Elevated first-trimester neutrophil elastase and proteinase 3 increase the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus and adverse fetal outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammation plays a vital role in the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Studies in mouse models show that neutrophil serine proteases (NSPs), neutrophil elastase (NE) and proteinase-3 (PR3) are important drivers of chronic inflammation with consequent metabolic disturbances. This study evaluated the association of NE and PR3 with GDM development and adverse fetal outcomes. METHOD(S): This was a prospective cohort study. Serum PR3 and NE concentration was measured in all enrolled pregnant women in the first and the second trimester to determine the connection between NSPs and GDM and adverse fetal outcomes. Logistic regression, spline regression and linear regression analyses were applied to investigate the association of NE or PR3 with GDM development and adverse fetal outcomes. The concentration of NE and PR3 in placental biopsies was evaluated by semi-quantitative analysis of immunohistochemistry staining. RESULT(S): NE or PR3 concentration in the first trimester, rather than the second, increased more significantly in women with GDM than in those without, regardless of pre-pregnancy body mass index and age. There was a stepwise increase in GDM occurrence as well as comprehensive adverse fetal outcomes across tertiles of NE and PR3. NE and PR3 were positively associated with neutrophil count, pre-pregnancy BMI, plasma glucose level and newborn weight. Logistic regression revealed NE or PR3 to be independent risk factors for the development of GDM and comprehensive adverse fetal outcomes. Spline regression showed a significant increased risk of GDM occurrence and comprehensive adverse fetal outcomes when serum NE concentration exceeded 417.60 ng/mL and a similar result for PR3 and GDM occurrence when the latter exceeded 88.52 ng/mL. Immunohistochemistry data confirmed that enriched NE and PR3 content in placental tissue may have contributed to the development of GDM. CONCLUSION(S): This work demonstrates that excessive first-trimester NE and PR3 increase the risk of GDM development and comprehensive adverse fetal outcomes.

Development of a novel dynamic nosocomial infection risk management method for COVID-19 in outpatient settings.

BACKGROUND: Application of accumulated experience and management measures in the prevention and control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has generally depended on the subjective judgment of epidemic intensity, with the quality of prevention and control management being uneven. The present study was designed to develop a novel risk management system for COVID-19 infection in outpatients, with the ability to provide accurate and hierarchical control based on estimated risk of infection. METHODS: Infection risk was estimated using an auto regressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA). Weekly surveillance data on influenza-like-illness (ILI) among outpatients at Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University and Baidu search data downloaded from the Baidu Index in 2021 and 22 were used to fit the ARIMA model. The ability of this model to estimate infection risk was evaluated by determining the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), with a Delphi process used to build consensus on hierarchical infection control measures. COVID-19 control measures were selected by reviewing published regulations, papers and guidelines. Recommendations for surface sterilization and personal protection were determined for low and high risk periods, with these recommendations implemented based on predicted results. RESULTS: The ARIMA model produced exact estimates for both the ILI and search engine data. The MAPEs of 20-week rolling forecasts for these datasets were 13.65% and 8.04%, respectively. Based on these two risk levels, the hierarchical infection prevention methods provided guidelines for personal protection and disinfection. Criteria were also established for upgrading or downgrading infection prevention strategies based on ARIMA results. CONCLUSION: These innovative methods, along with the ARIMA model, showed efficient infection protection for healthcare workers in close contact with COVID-19 infected patients, saving nearly 41% of the cost of maintaining high-level infection prevention measures and enhancing control of respiratory infections.

One-step sintering construction of electromagnetic synergistic Co7Fe3/Co@CBC nanocomposites for enhanced microwave absorption properties.

Based on the synergistic modulation of electromagnetic parameters and microstructure design, multidimensional porous magnetic carbon-based nanocomposites have become ideal materials with efficient absorption properties. What's more, a carbon-magnetic alloy composite is a commonly used and efficient microwave absorber. In this paper, Co7Fe3/Co@CBC (CFCC) nanocomposites with strong magnetism, a three-phase composition, and a three-dimensional porous structure were synthesized by reducing Fe2+ and Co2+ using chestnut-shell biomass carbon (CBC). Biomass carbon with a higher specific surface area provides numerous active sites for Co7Fe3 nanosheets and Co nanospheres to form three-dimensional ping-pong chrysanthemum-like nanocomposites, which generate rich heterogeneous interfaces and conductive network structures. By adjusting the amount of added biomass, the electromagnetic parameters can be effectively regulated to achieve efficient microwave absorption properties. When the amount of biomass added varies within the range of 1.0 to 2.5 g, all samples exhibit a favorable effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of over 5.88 GHz. In particular, the CFCC-2.0 composite exhibits optimal microwave absorption properties, with a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of -59.25 dB and an EAB of 6.34 GHz at a thickness of 2.8 mm. The simulation and modeling analysis results of radar cross section (RCS) further confirm the exceptional attenuation capability of composite materials at multiple incident angles. The exceptional microwave absorption properties and stability of EAB for the Co7Fe3/Co@CBC nanocomposite make it a promising candidate in the field of absorbing materials. This work also provides some feasible ideas for designing stable broadband wave-absorbing materials.

A taste alteration-related scale assesses megestrol to improve chemotherapy-induced anorexia.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the efficacy of megestrol in improving chemotherapy-related anorexia by analyzing the related scales of taste alteration. METHODS: We conducted the current study on a group of advanced patients with cancer with two or more chemotherapy cycles. The chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale (CiTAs) scale helped assess the megestrol effects on basic taste perception, aversive taste changes, unpleasant symptoms, and associated concerns. Furthermore, the Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire scale (SNAQ) helped measure the impact of megestrol on malnutrition likelihood in patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced anorexia. The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF Scale was used to evaluate the quality of life of participants, producing scores related to physical health, psychological well-being, environmental factors, and social relationships. RESULTS: The CiTAs scale assessment indicated that administering megestrol significantly enhanced taste perception among advanced patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Notably, the megestrol group patients showed significantly higher Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ) scores than the control group. The megestrol group patients also exhibited higher physiological (PHYS) scores than their control group counterparts. However, this distinction was not statistically significant. The study findings indicate that patients who received megestrol demonstrated significantly higher scores in psychological (PSYCH) and environmental(ENVIR) domains than the control group. Furthermore, megestrol administration was associated with significantly elevated SOCIL and ENVIR levels in patients. CONCLUSION: The proficient efficacy evaluation of megestrol in enhancing appetite, mitigating malnutrition likelihood, and improving the quality of life of chemotherapy-induced anorexic patients can be achieved through taste-related scales.

Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and vitamin D dietary supplementation and risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among adults with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between vitamin D status and mortality among adults with hypertension remains unclear. METHODS: This prospective cohort study involved a sample of 19,500 adults with hypertension who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2001 to 2018. We utilized a weighted COX proportional hazard model to assess the association between vitamin D status and mortality. This statistical model calculates hazard ratios (HR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: The study indicated that lower serum 25(OH)D concentration was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality among individuals with hypertension. Specially. Those with concentrations between 25.0 and 49.9 nmol/L (HR = 1.71, 95%CI = 1.22-2.40) and less than 25.0 nmol/L (HR = 1.97, 95%CI = 1.15-3.39) had higher hazard ratios for all-cause mortality. Individuals with hypertension who took vitamin D supplements had a lower risk of all-cause mortality, but not the risk of CVD mortality (HR 0.75, 95%CI 0.54-1.03), compared to those who did not supplement (HR = 0.76, 95%CI = 0.61-0.94). Subgroup analysis further revealed that vitamin D supplementation was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality among individuals without diabetes (HR = 0.65, 95%CI = 0.52-0.81) and individuals without CVD (HR = 0.75, 95%CI = 0.58-0.97), and a decreased risk of CVD mortality among individuals without diabetes (HR = 0.63, 95%CI = 0.45-0.88) and without CVD (HR = 0.61, 95%CI = 0.40-0.92). Furthermore, higher-dose vitamin D supplementation was also associated with a greater reduction in all-cause mortality among hypertensive individuals, and there was the potential synergistic effect of combining normal-dose calcium and vitamin D supplementation, showing a superior effect on mortality compared to low-dose supplementation in adults with hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective cohort study demonstrated a significant association between lower serum 25 (OH)D concentration and increased all-cause mortality among adults with hypertension. Furthermore, the study found that vitamin D supplementation had a strong and significantly positive correlation with reduced all-cause and CVD mortality among hypertensive individuals without diabetes or CVD. This positive correlation suggests that vitamin D supplementation could potentially be an effective strategy to reduce the risk of mortality in this specific group of people.

Doxorubicin-loaded PEG-CdTe QDs conjugated with anti-CXCR4 mAbs: a novel delivery system for extramedullary multiple myeloma treatment.

Extramedullary multiple myeloma (EMM) is defined as the presence of plasma cells outside the bone marrow of multiple myeloma patients, and its prognosis is poor. High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation, as a good option on early lines of therapy, has retained the survival benefit of youny EMM patients, but is intolerant for the majority of old patients because of drug cytotoxicity. To essentially address the intolerance above, we designed a CXCR4-PEG-CdTe-DOX (where CXCR4: chemokine receptor 4; PEG-CdTe: polyethylene glycol-modified cadmium telluride; DOX:doxorubicin) nanoplatform. First, CXCR4 is highly expressed in extramedullary plasma cells. Second, PEG-CdTe a drug carrier that controls drug release, can reduce adverse reactions, prolong drug (e.g, DOX) circulation time in the body, and form a targeting carrier after connecting antibodies. In vitro experiments showed CXCR4-PEG-CdTe-DOX facilitated intracellular drug accumulation through active CXCR4 targeting and released DOX into the microenvironment in a pH-controlled manner, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy and apoptosis rate of myeloma cells (U266). Therefore, targeted chemotherapy mediated by CXCR4-PEG-CdTe-DOX is a promising option for EMM treatment.

Lanthanum interferes with the fundamental rhythms of stomatal opening, expression of related genes, and evapotranspiration in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The accumulation of rare earth elements (REEs) in the global environment poses a threat to plant health and ecosystem stability. Stomata located on leaves serve as the primary site for plant responses to REE-related threats. This study focused on lanthanum [La(III)], a prevalent REE in the atmospheric environment. Using interdisciplinary techniques, it was found that La(III) (≤80 µM) interfered with the fundamental rhythms of stomatal opening, related gene expression, and evapotranspiration in plants. Specifically, when exposed to low concentrations of La(III) (15 and 30 µM), the expression levels of six genes were increased, stomatal opening was enhanced, and the evapotranspiration rate was accelerated. The interference on stomatal rhythms was enhanced with higher concentrations of La(III) (60 and 80 µM), increasing the expression levels of six genes, stomatal opening, and evapotranspiration rate. To counter the interference of low concentrations of La(III) (15 and 30 µM), plants accelerated nutrient replenishment through La(III)-induced endocytosis, which the redundant nutrients enhanced photosynthesis. However, replenished nutrients failed to counter the disruption of plant biological rhythms at higher concentrations of La(III) (60 and 80 µM), thus inhibiting photosynthesis due to nutrient deficit. The interference of La(III) on these biological rhythms negatively affected plant health and ecosystem stability.

Quercetin nanocrystals prepared using a microfluidic chip with improved in vitro dissolution.

OBJECTIVE: In order to improve the dissolution property of quercetin (QCT), the quercetin nanocrystals (QNCs) were prepared in this study. METHODS: QNCs were prepared by a 100 µm diameter Y-shape microfluidic channel. Some impact factors affecting the generation of QNCs such as concentration and flow rate were investigated. Furthermore, the fluid mixing in the microfluidic channel was simulated by fluid software. RESULTS: XRPD and DSC analyses indicated that the prepared QNCs were amorphous. Stable QNCs with a particle size of 77.9 ± 3.63 nm and polydispersity index of 0.26 ± 0.02 were obtained. TEM showed that the as-prepared QNCs had a uniform spherical shape with an average particle size of about 100-300 nm. In the dissolution medium without cosolvent Tween -80, the dissolution of QCT was poor, its final accumulated dissolution was only 3.95%, while that of QNCs was 66%. CONCLUSION: When QCT was changed to QNCs by microfluidic technology, its dissolution property could be obviously improved. Therefore, microfluidic technology as a new method to prepare nanocrystals has a good applying prospect in improving dissolution property for poorly water-soluble drugs.

Bioaccessibility of lead and cadmium in soils around typical lead-acid power plants and their effect on gut microorganisms.

Potentially toxic elements (Pb and Cd) contamination of soil can adversely affect human health. Moreover, these metal ions interact with the gut microbiota after entering the human digestive system. Based on the physiologically based extraction test and the simulator of human intestinal microbial ecosystem, the bioaccessibility of Pb and Cd in soils contaminated with lead-acid power plants was assessed. The gastric stage exhibited the greatest average bioaccessibility of lead and cadmium (63.39% and 57.22%), followed by the small intestinal stage (6.86% and 36.29%); due to gut microorganisms, the bioaccessibility of lead and cadmium was further reduced in the colon stage (1.86% and 4.22%). Furthermore, to investigate soil contamination's effects on gut microbes, 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was used to identify the gut microbial species after the colon period. Due to Pb and Cd exposure, the relative abundance of Firmicutes and unidentified_Bacteria decreased, while the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Synergistota, and Bacteroidota increased. The relationship between environmental factors and the number of microbial species in the gut was also examined using Spearman correlation analysis. Pb and Cd exposure has been found to affect the composition and structure of the gut microbiota.

[Clinical and genetic characteristics of four children with Kabuki syndrome due to de novo variants of KMT2D gene].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of four children with Kabuki syndrome (KS) due to variants of KMT2D gene. METHODS: Four children with KS diagnosed at the Children's Hospital of Shanxi Province between January 2020 and December 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Whole exome sequencing was carried out for the children and their family members. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and pathogenicity analysis. RESULTS: The KS phenotype scores for the four children were 7, 8, 6, and 6, respectively. Child 2 also presented with a rare solitary kidney malformation. Genetic testing revealed that all children had harbored novel de novo variants of the KMT2D gene, including c.16472_16473del, c.858dup, c.11899C>T, and c.12844C>T, respectively. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), all of the variants were classified as pathogenic. CONCLUSION: For children showing phenotypes such as distinctive facial features, intellectual disability, developmental delay, cardiac abnormalities, and urinary system anomalies, KS should be considered. Early diagnosis and intervention can be achieved through genetic testing, especially in the presence of KMT2D gene mutations.

Exploring the spatial effects and influencing mechanism of ozone concentration in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomerations of China.

Ground-level ozone (O3) pollution has emerged as a significant concern impacting air quality in urban agglomerations, primarily driven by meteorological conditions and social-economic factors. However, previous studies have neglected to comprehensively reveal the spatial distribution and driving mechanism of O3 pollution. Based on the O3 monitoring data of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2014 to 2021, a comprehensive analysis framework of spatial analysis-spatial econometric regression was constructed to reveal the driving mechanism of O3 pollution. The results revealed the following: (1) O3 concentrations in the YRD exhibited a general increasing and then decreasing trend, indicating an improvement in pollution levels. The areas with higher O3 concentration are mainly the cities concentrated in central and southern Jiangsu, Shanghai, and northern Zhejiang. (2) The change of O3 concentration and distribution is the result of various factors. The effect of urbanization on O3 concentrations followed an inverted U-shaped curve, which implies that achieving higher quality urbanization is essential for effectively controlling urban O3 pollution. Traffic conditions and energy consumption have significant direct positive influences on O3 concentrations and spatial spillover effects. The indirect pollution contribution, considering economic weight, accounted for about 35%. Thus, addressing overall regional energy consumption and implementing traffic source regulations are crucial paths for O3 pollution control in the YRD. (3) Meteorological conditions play a certain role in regulating the O3 concentration. Higher wind speed will promote the diffusion of O3 and increase the O3 concentration in the surrounding city. These findings provide valuable insights for designing effective policies to improve air quality and mitigate ozone pollution in urban agglomeration area.

LDL-C: An Important Independent Risk Factor for New-Onset Heart Block in Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis and Heart Failure after TAVR.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an effective alternative treatment for patients with aortic stenosis (AS) who have intermediate to high surgical risk or who are inoperable. However, the incidence of conduction abnormalities is high after TAVR, which can reduce the effectiveness of the surgery. Our research objective is to explore the risk factors of new-onset conduction abnormalities after TAVR, providing reference value for clinical doctors to better prevent and treat conduction abnormalities. Methods: Patients who underwent TAVR were divided into those who developed heart block and those who did not. Baseline clinical characteristics, cardiac structural parameters, procedural characteristics, electrocardiogram (ECG) changes before and after TAVR ( △ = postoperative minus preoperative), and surgical complications were compared. Logistic regression was applied to identify significant risk factors for new-onset heart block. Results: We studied 93 patients, of whom 34.4% developed heart blocks. Univariate logistic regression showed that prior history of malignancy, atrial fibrillation, preoperative high-level total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), △ HR, △ QRS interval, △ QT interval, and △ QTc interval were risk factors of new-onset heart block after TAVR. Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative high-level LDL-C and △ QRS interval remained significant independent risk factors after adjusting for potential confounds. Conclusions: Heart block is the most common complication of TAVR, and its significant independent risk factors include high-level LDL-C and △ QRS interval.

Poor prognosis and risk factors of nonoperative treatment hip fracture patients with end-stage renal disease.

This study aims to summarize the prognosis and risk factors of nonoperative treatment patients of hip fracture with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). A total of 113 individuals of hip fracture with nonoperative treatment were retrospectively enrolled, 38 patients with ESRD were defined as the observation group, and the other 75 patients without ESRD were served as the control group. The difference in 30-day and 1-year mortality rate between the 2 groups was compared. The effects of risk factors on survival were estimated by the Cox proportional-hazards model. The survival difference was estimated by the method of Kaplan-Meier. In the subsequent subgroup analysis of the observation group, as before, the Cox proportional-hazards model and the Kaplan-Meier method were used. The 1-year mortality rate of the observation group was considerably higher than that of the control group, which was 86.84% and 32.0%, respectively (P < .005). For nonoperative treatment hip fracture subjects, ESRD, age ≥ 82, BMI (BMI) < 20, high Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and low Barthel Index (BI) were associated with a low survival curve (P < .05). In the subsequent multivariable subgroup analyses, for nonoperative treatment hip fracture subjects with ESRD, high CCI and low BI were also the independent risk factors of mortality. For nonoperative treatment hip fracture subjects, ESRD, old age, low BMI, high CCI and low BI were the independent risk factors of mortality. For hip fracture subjects with ESRD, nonoperative treatment was associated with excess high 1-year mortality rate, especially for patients with high CCI and low BI.

Data-driven system matrix manipulation enabling fast functional imaging and intra-image nonrigid motion correction in tomography.

Tomographic imaging modalities are described by large system matrices. Sparse sampling and tissue motion degrade system matrix and image quality. Various existing techniques improve the image quality without correcting the system matrices. Here, we compress the system matrices to improve computational efficiency (e.g., 42 times) using singular value decomposition and fast Fourier transform. Enabled by the efficiency, we propose (1) fast sparsely sampling functional imaging by incorporating a densely sampled prior image into the system matrix, which maintains the critical linearity while mitigating artifacts and (2) intra-image nonrigid motion correction by incorporating the motion as subdomain translations into the system matrix and reconstructing the translations together with the image iteratively. We demonstrate the methods in 3D photoacoustic computed tomography with significantly improved image qualities and clarify their applicability to X-ray CT and MRI or other types of imperfections due to the similarities in system matrices.

Assessing interconnectedness and systemic importance of Chinese financial institutions.

This study proposes a directed acyclic graph (DAG)-based framework for generalized variance decomposition for investigating the heterogeneous return spillovers in financial system and measuring the systemic importance of financial institutions among 34 listed Chinese financial institutions from 2011 to 2023. Findings indicate pronounced information spillovers among institutions within the same sector due to contemporaneous causal relationships. Both static and dynamic financial network analyses highlight the significance of the securities sector. Dynamic structural characteristics align with macroeconomic development and are sensitive to internal and external shocks. Systemic importance assessment reveals that market size alone doesn't determine importance, with notable disparities between banking and non-banking sectors. State-owned and joint-stock commercial banks play a vital role in banking, while local government and private capital-controlled institutions are crucial in the securities sector. This research aids regulatory efforts in maintaining a balanced regulatory environment, ensuring market efficiency, and reducing operational costs.

Metabolomics analysis reveals the effect of fermentation on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Paeonia lactiflora Root.

Fermentation is an effective means of enhancing the nutritional value of natural medicines, however, it is unclear how the metabolites changed during the fermentation of Paeonia lactiflora root (PLR). This study intends to elucidate how the active constituents and antioxidant activity of PLR change during fermentation. The study examined the levels of total glucosides of paeony (TGP), total flavonoids content (TFC), total phenols content (TPC), and antioxidant capability by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometry. The chemical compositions before and after PLR fermentation were compared utilizing ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC - MS). The findings from this study indicate that TGP, TFC and TPC peaked at Day 2 of fermentation, and the antioxidant capacity increased after fermentation. Of the 109 detected compounds, 18 were discrepant compounds. In summary, fermentation is an essential strategy for enhancing the functional activity of PLR. The current study could establish a scientific basis for future research on the fermentation of PLR, and provides new insights into the influence of fermentation on chemical composition as well as the antioxidant activity of drugs.

Research progress on the mechanism of TCM regulating intestinal microbiota in the treatment of DM mellitus.

In recent years, with the improvement of people's living standards, the incidence of DM has increased year by year in China. DM is a common metabolic syndrome characterized by hyperglycemia caused by genetic, environmental and other factors. At the same time, long-term suffering from DM will also have an impact on the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves, and associated serious diseases. The human body has a large and complex gut microbiota, which has a significant impact on the body's metabolism. Research shows that the occurrence and development of DM and its complications are closely related to intestinal microbiota. At present, western medicine generally treats DM with drugs. The hypoglycemic effect is fast and strong, but it can have a series of side effects on the human body. Compared with western medicine, Chinese medicine has its unique views and methods in treating DM. TCM can improve symptoms and treat complications by improving the imbalance of microbiota in patients with DM. Its characteristics of health, safety, and reliability are widely accepted by the general public. This article reviews the relationship between intestinal microbiota and DM, as well as the mechanism of TCM intervention in DM by regulating intestinal microbiota.