A Randomized Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of an 8% (w/w) Strontium Acetate Dentifrice in Providing Relief from Dentinal Hypersensitivity.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a dentifrice containing 8% strontium acetate in the relief of dentinal hypersensitivity (DH), compared with that of a standard fluoride dentifrice, in a Chinese population. METHODS: This was an eight-week, single-center, randomized, controlled, examiner-blind, parallel-group study in healthy adult volunteers with DH. After an initial acclimatization period, subjects were randomized to receive either a test dentifrice containing 8% strontium acetate with 1040 ppm fluoride as sodium fluoride, or a commercially available regular fluoride dentifrice containing 1400 ppm fluoride as sodium monofluorophosphate with no known anti-sensitivity activity (negative control). The subjects were instructed to brush twice daily with their allocated dentifrice for the next eight weeks. DH was assessed at baseline and following four and eight weeks of dentifrice use by response to a tactile stimulus (tactile threshold) and evaporative (air) stimulus (Schiff Sensitivity Scale). RESULTS: A total of 135 subjects were randomized to study treatment and 133 completed the study. Both the test and negative control dentifrices were associated with statistically significant reductions in sensitivity from baseline after four and eight weeks' treatment, as assessed by the Schiff sensitivity score (all p ≤ 0.0002) and tactile threshold (all p < 0.0001). The reductions in Schiff sensitivity scores were statistically significantly greater in the test dentifrice group compared with the negative control group, with mean between-treatment differences of 40.1% and 55.8% after four and eight weeks, respectively (both p < 0.0001). Although increases in the tactile threshold were greater in the test dentifrice group after four and eight weeks' treatment compared with the negative control group (mean difference of 13.7% and 14.2%, respectively), the two groups were not statistically significantly different. Both study dentifrices were generally well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: In this study in a Chinese population, both the 8% strontium acetate dentifrice and the negative control dentifrice were associated with statistically significant reductions in DH from baseline after four and eight weeks of twice-daily brushing. A statistically significant difference was observed between the test dentifrice and the negative control in evaporative (air) sensitivity (Schiff sensitivity score) after four and eight weeks, favoring the test dentifrice.

A Randomized Clinical Trial Investigating the Effect of Particle Size of Calcium Sodium Phosphosilicate (CSPS) on the Efficacy of CSPS-containing Dentifrices for the Relief of Dentin Hypersensitivity.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of reducing the particle size of calcium sodium phosphosilicate (CSPS) bioactive glass from ~14 µm (NovaMin®) to ~4 µm (Vitryxx®), and of changing the fluoride source in a 5% CSPS dentifrice from sodium monofluorophosphate (SMFP) to sodium fluoride (NaF) on the efficacy of CSPS-containing dentifrices in dentin hypersensitivity (DH) relief. METHODS: A randomized, controlled, examiner-blind, five-treatment arm, parallel group, stratified, exploratory study of NaF dentifrices containing 2.5% or 5% small particle size CSPS (~4 µm), NaF or SMFP dentifrices containing 5% CSPS (~14 µm), and a regular fluoride dentifrice in healthy subjects with DH. Sensitivity to tactile stimulus (Yeaple probe) and evaporative (air) stimulus (Schiff Sensitivity Scale, visual analogue scale) was assessed at baseline and after one, two, four, and eight weeks' twice-daily treatment. The study was not statistically powered to detect significant between-treatment differences. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-three of 134 randomized subjects completed the study. All treatments showed similar, statistically significant (p < 0.007) improvements in DH compared to baseline at Weeks 2, 4, and 8. No trends favoring any specific treatment were observed. Treatments were generally well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: The apparent absence of a positive treatment effect for the CSPS-containing dentifrices compared to the regular fluoride dentifrice is inconsistent with other previously reported efficacy studies for CSPS dentifrices.

Effect of built environment on BMI of older adults in regions of different socio-economic statuses.

Background: Numerous studies have ignored the influence of underdeveloped urban surroundings on the physical health of China's ageing population. Lanzhou is a typical representative of a less developed city in China. Methods: This study investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and built environment amongst older adults in regions of different socio-economic statuses (SES) using data from medical examinations of older adults in Lanzhou, as well as calculating community built environment indicators for regions of different SES based on multiple linear regression models. Results: Results showed that age and underlying disease were negatively associated with overall older adult BMI in the study buffer zone. Land use mix, number of parks and streetscape greenery were positively associated with older adult BMI. Street design and distance to bus stops were negatively connected in low SES regions, but population density and street design were negatively correlated in high SES areas. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the built environment of SES regions has varying impacts on the BMI of older persons and that planners may establish strategies to lower the incidence of obesity amongst older adults in different SES locations.

[Primary study of joint estrogenic activity of Cd2+, Pb2+, parathion and dimethoate].

OBJECTIVE: To study joint estrogenic activity of Cd2+, Pb2+, parathion and dimethoate in immature female mice. METHODS: 192 17 day-age immature female mice of ablactation were divided randomly by body weight (25g +/- 2g) into 16 groups by intraperitoneal injection at the dose of 0, 1/20LD50, 1/50LD50, 1/100LD50 Cd2+, 1/ 20LD50, 1/50LD50, 1/100LD50 Pb2+, 1/20LD50, 1/50LD50, 1/100LD50 Parathion, 1/ 20LD50, 1/50LD50, 1/100LD52 Dimethoate and 1/20LD50, 1/50LD50, 1/100LD50 Cd2+ + Pb2+ + Parathion + Dimethoat per day for 3 consecutive days. Uteruses wet weight, endometrial cells and ER were measured. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, 1/ 50LD50 Cd2+, 1/50LD50 Pb2+ and 1/100LD50 Cd2+ + Pb2+ + Parathion + Dimethoate significantly changed uteruses wet weight, 1/20LD50, 1/50LD50, 1/100LD50 Cd2+, 1/ 20LD50 Pb2+, and 1/20LD50, 1/50LD50 Cd2+ + Pb2+ + Parathion + Dimethoate significantly increased endometrial cells, all treated groups' ER were significantly increased except for 1/20LD50 and 1/50LD50 Cd2+ and 1/20LD50 Parathion. CONCLUSION: There are significant difference between singal factor and joint activity, IN joint activity, Addition effect, synergism and antagonism occurred in different treated groups and different index.

Recent Advances in the Study of Wheat Protein and Other Food Components Affecting the Gluten Network and the Properties of Noodles.

Upon hydrating and mixing wheat flour, wheat protein forms a network that strongly affects the structure and physicochemical properties of dough, thus affecting the properties of noodles. Different approaches have been taken to alter the gluten network structure in order to control the dough properties. In the current review, we summarize the structure and function of wheat protein, including glutenin and gliadin, and describe food components that may affect noodle quality by interacting with wheat protein. In fact, the ratio of glutenin to gliadin is closely related to the viscosity of dough, and disulfide bonds also contribute to the gluten network formation. Meanwhile, wheat protein coexists with starch and sugar in wheat dough, and thus the nature of starch may highly influence gluten formation as well. Salts, alkali, enzymes and powdered plant food can be added during dough processing to regulate the extensional properties of wheat noodles, obtaining noodles of high quality, with improved sensory and storage properties. This review describes specific methods to reinforce the wheat protein network and provides a reference for improving noodle quality.

[Plasma metabolomics in a deep vein thrombosis rat model based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry].

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a venous thromboembolic disease characterized by high incidence, mortality, and sequelae. Therefore, the effective prevention of DVT has become a critical public health concern. However, due to its complexity, the pathophysiological mechanism of DVT remains unclear. Metabolomics can be employed to analyze disease characteristics and provide scientific evidence on the underlying mechanisms. In this study, an established left femoral vein ligation rat model of DVT (n=10) was used and compared with sham surgery controls (n=10). In the DVT group, rats were anesthetized using an intraperitoneal injection of 10% chloral hydrate (300 mg/kg), after which the hair was shaved and the groin disinfected. A 2-cm longitudinal incision was made along the midpoint of the left groin area, and then the left femoral vein was separated. The vein was partially ligated at its proximal end to shrink the blood vessel lumen to approximately half. Then, 0.4 mL of 10% hypertonic saline was slowly injected from the distal end of the left femoral vein. At the same time, the femoral vein turned dark red, which indicated the formation of thrombosis. Finally, the incision was sutured after verifying bleeding in the surrounding tissue. Keeping all other procedures the same as the DVT group, the vein in the control group was not ligated or stimulated using hyper-tonic saline. The abdominal aorta plasma from rats in each group was collected seven days later. Untargeted metabolomics analysis based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Orbitrap HRMS) was conducted to investigate the plasma metabolic profiles of the sham surgery control and DVT groups. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal to partial least squares discrimi-nant analysis (OPLS-DA) on metabolome data for multivariate statistical analysis were employed to assess differences in the metabolic profile between the two groups. The results revealed distinct profiles for the DVT and control groups. The selection criteria for the differential metabolites were the variable importance in the projection (VIP) values of OPLS-DA (VIP>1) and fold changes (FC) in the DVT group (FC≤0.5 or FC≥2, P<0.05). The resulting 27 differential metabolites reflecting a metabolic disorder in the DVT group were selected and analyzed. Of these, the levels of 17 metabolites significantly increased in the DVT group, including trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), 4-amino-2-methyl-1-naphthol, chenodeoxycholic acid, and 7-ketocholesterol, whereas the levels of 10 metabolites decreased, including 3-dehydroxycarnitine, phosphatidylcholine 22∶6/20∶2 (PC 22∶6/20∶2), diglyceride 18∶3/20∶4 (DG 18∶3/20∶4) and anserine. To identify the changes in the metabolic pathway reflected by these differential metabolites, a differential abundance (DA) analysis based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes metabolic pathway was conducted. The results showed that the differences in the metabolic pathways between the DVT and control groups were mainly manifested in the primary bile acid biosynthesis, bile secretion, histidine metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and ß-alanine metabolism pathways. Among them, the primary bile acid biosynthesis and bile secretion pathways were upregulated in the DVT group, whereas the glycerophospholipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, and ß-alanine metabolism pathways were downregulated. The histidine metabolism pathway contained upregulated as well as downregulated metabolites, resulting in a DA score of 0. In conclusion, these results indicate that the plasma metabolic profiling of the DVT group was significantly altered, while the disordered metabolites and metabolic pathways could provide a reference to further understand the pathological mechanism of DVT and identify new drug targets.

Nonlinear Effects of the Built Environment on Light Physical Activity among Older Adults: The Case of Lanzhou, China.

The aging of the population is increasing the load on the healthcare system, and enhancing light physical activity among older adults can alleviate this problem. This study used medical examination data from 1773 older adults in Lanzhou city (China) and adopted the random forest model to investigate the effect of the built environment on the duration of light physical activity of older adults. The results showed that streetscape greenery has the most significant impact on older adults' light physical activity; greenery can be assessed in a hierarchy of areas; population density and land-use mix only have a positive effect on older adults' light physical activity up to a certain point but a negative effect beyond that point; and a greater distance to the park within 1 km is associated with a longer time spent on light physical activity. Therefore, we conclude that the built environment's impact is only positive within a specific range. Changes in the intervention of environmental variables can be observed visually by calculating the relative importance of the nonlinearity of built environment elements with partial dependency plots. These results provide a reasonable reference indicator for age-friendly community planning.

Differences in the Correlation between the Built Environment and Walking, Moderate, and Vigorous Physical Activity among the Elderly in Low- and High-Income Areas.

Studies have proved that activity and fitness behaviors are closely related to the quality of life and health status of the elderly. However, different intensities of physical activity (PA)-walking, moderate PA, and vigorous PA-have different correlations with the built environment (BE). This study combines the high and low socioeconomic status (SES) of Guangzhou to establish two types of BE models. The physical activity time of 600 elderly people was collected from questionnaires. Through ArcGIS software, 300 m, 500 m, 800 m, and 1000 m buffer zones were identified, and the land use diversity, street design, population density, distance to destination, distance to public transportation-the five Ds of the BE-were measured. SPSS software was adopted to analyze the correlation between the BE and PA. Results: The PA of people living in low-SES areas was more dependent on the BE, whereas the correlation may be limited in high SES areas. Moreover, in low SES areas, walking was negatively correlated with street connectivity; moderate PA was positively correlated with street connectivity and the shortest distance to the subway station, but negatively correlated with the density of entertainment points of interest (POIs). Studying the relevant factors of the environment can propose better strategies to improve the initiative of the elderly to engage in PA.

Spatiotemporal patterns of global carbon intensities and their driving forces.

Carbon intensity (CI) is a valuable indicator of the balances struck by the world's governments between economic growth and environmental issues. This study investigates spatiotemporal variations in the CI levels related to energy consumption, as well as the spatial heterogeneity of its driving forces, in 208 countries globally during 2000-2018. To do this, we obtained data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the World Bank, employing methods of exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) and standard deviation ellipse (SDE) in order to analyze CI's spatiotemporal variations. We also performed a geographically weighted regression (GWR) analysis to determine the spatial heterogeneity of CI and the strength of its influencing factors. Our results reveal that: (1) Carbon emissions from energy consumption increased, while CI decreased globally, with the CI of most countries and regions declining significantly. (2) Global CI evidenced a heterogeneous spatial distribution, with higher-value areas concentrated in Asia and lower-value areas in Africa and Western Europe; obvious spatial agglomeration was also presented, especially with respect to High-High and Low-Low agglomerations, and the gravity center point moved from the northeast to the southwest. (3) The 8 influencing factors investigated in this study all had effective explanatory power in relation to CI globally. These factors showed significant spatial heterogeneity, and energy structure was the only factor to have a fully positive influence on CI, while foreign direct investment, foreign trade openness, industrial structure, total population, and energy intensity, mainly exerted a positive influence, and the urbanization rate and GDP per capita exerted a negative influence. By clarifying the spatiotemporal variations characteristics of global CI and the spatial heterogeneity of its influencing factors, this study provides a targeted reference for reducing CI and promoting sustainable development, globally.

Research on the Difference Between Recreational Walking and Transport Walking Among the Elderly in Mega Cities With Different Density Zones: The Case of Guangzhou City.

Walking is the easiest method of physical activity for older people, and current research has demonstrated that the built environment is differently associated with recreational and transport walking. This study modelled the environmental characteristics of three different building density zones in Guangzhou city at low, medium, and high densities, and examined the differences in walking among older people in the three zones. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to investigate the recreational and transport walking time of older people aged 65 years and above for the past week, for a total of three density zones (N = 597) and was analysed as a dependent variable. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to identify 300, 500, 800, and 1,000 m buffers and to assess differences between recreational and transport walking in terms of the built environment [e.g., land-use mix, street connectivity, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data]. The data were processed and validated using the SPSS software to calculate Pearson's correlation models and stepwise regression models between recreation and transit walking and the built environment. The results found that land use mix and NDVI were positively correlated with transport walking in low-density areas and that transport walking was negatively correlated with roadway mediated centrality (BtE) and Point-of-Interest (PoI) density. Moreover, recreational walking in medium density areas was negatively correlated with self-rated health, road intersection density, and PoI density while positively correlated with educational attainment, population density, land use mix, street connectivity, PoIs density, and NDVI. Transport walking was negatively correlated with land-use mix, number of road crossings while positively correlated with commercial PoI density. Street connectivity, road intersection density, DNVI, and recreational walking in high-density areas showed negative correlations. Moreover, the built environment of older people in Guangzhou differed between recreational and transport walking at different densities. The richness of PoIs has different effects on different types of walking.

[Analysis method of the fingerprint of LiuWei DiHuang pills by near infrared spectroscopy].

The purpose of the present paper is to establish a method of the fingerprint of LiuWei DiHuang pills by the near infrared spectroscopy. First, the authors established the fingerprint of LiuWei DiHuang pills by high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE), and calculated its similarity. At the same time, the authors scanned its near infrared spectrogram. Then the authors established the mathematical model between the similarity of fingerprint and the near infrared spectrogram. Through the optimization of the model, the correlation(r), calibration standard deviation and the average relative error of the modeling set were 0.9046, 0.058 and 6.12%, respectively. It proved that the linearity between calculated and forecast of fingerprint was clear. The results showed that the method of the fingerprint of LiuWei DiHuang pills by the near infrared spectroscopy was feasible.

Eye-Level Street Greenery and Walking Behaviors of Older Adults.

Evidence suggests that built environment characteristics affect older adults' travel activity behaviors, e.g., walking and cycling, which have well-established health benefits. However, the relationship between urban greenery and walking behaviors remains unclear, partly due to methodological limitation. Previous studies often measured urban greenery from a bird's eye perspective, which may mismatch with the pedestrian's perception from the street. In this study, we measured greenery view index from eye-level streetscape photos retrieved from Baidu Street View, an online mapping service provider. Walking behaviors of 180 older adults in six neighborhoods were collected from questionnaires. We also measured land use diversity, pedestrian-oriented design (street connectivity), and population density-the three Ds of the built environment. Results show that street greenery view index contributes to walking time of older adults, suggesting street greenery should be taken into design consideration to promote walking behaviors of older adults.

Disentangling residential self-selection from impacts of built environment characteristics on travel behaviors for older adults.

In the context of population ageing in many developed and developing countries, encouraging active transport behaviors of older adults, is a key public health priority. However, many cross-sectional studies assessing the impact of built environment characteristics on travel behavior fail to address residential self-selection bias, and hence the causal relationship is uncertain. A large-scale public housing scheme provided this study with a unique research opportunity to distinguish residential self-selection from the effects of built environment characteristics on the travel behaviors of older adults (N = 13,468 and 3,961 in two analyses respectively) in Hong Kong, because public housing residents have little freedom to choose their residential locations. The results showed that the elderly living in public housing estates generally have fewer trips, shorter overall travel times and distances, and fewer motorized trips including those by rail or private car than those living in private housing estates. In addition, the results for walking, walking times, numbers of trips, and travel distance for elderly people in public and private housing all exhibited markedly different associations with built environment characteristics. Strength of built environment-travel behavior associations dropped by approximately 30-50% after controlling for the effect of residential self-selection. The results indicate that both built environment characteristics and residential self-selection affect travel behaviors.

Simulated manned Mars exploration: effects of dietary and diurnal cycle variations on the gut microbiome of crew members in a controlled ecological life support system.

BACKGROUND: Changes in gut microbiome are closely related to dietary and environment variations, and diurnal circle interventions impact on human metabolism and the microbiome. Changes in human gut microbiome and serum biochemical parameters during long-term isolation in a controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) are of great significance for maintaining the health of crewmembers. The Green Star 180 project performed an integrated study involving a four-person, 180-day duration assessment in a CELSS, during which variations in gut microbiome and the concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, α-tocopherol, retinol and folic acid from the crewmembers were determined. RESULTS: Energy intake and body mass index decreased during the experiment. A trade-off between Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes during the study period was observed. Dynamic variations in the two dominant genus Bacteroides and Prevotella indicated a variation of enterotypes. Both the evenness and richness of the fecal microbiome decreased during the isolation in the CELSS. Transition of diurnal circle from Earth to Mars increased the abundance of Fusobacteria phylum and decreased alpha diversity of the fecal microbiome. The levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the CELSS were significantly lower than those outside the CELSS. CONCLUSIONS: The unique isolation process in the CELSS led to a loss of alpha diversity and a transition of enterotypes between Bacteroides and Prevotella. Attention should therefore be paid to the transition of the diurnal circle and its effects on the gut microbiome during manned Mars explorations. In particular, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels require monitoring under artificial light environments and during long-term space flight. Large-scale studies are required to further consolidate our findings.

[The rapid analysis of fatty acids in vegetable oils by near infrared spectrum].

In this research, The functional components of vegetable oils were analyzed by near infrared (NIR) spectral technology. The optimum conditions of mathematics model of four components (C16 : 0, C18 : 0, C18 : 1, C18 : 2) were studied, including the sample set selection, chemical value analysis, the detection methods and condition. Chemical value was analyzed by HPLC. 52 samples were selected, 41 for modeling set and 11 for testing set. All samples were placed in 5mm thick sample pools and swept by near infrared (NIR) with discrimination factor 8 cm(-1) without any other disposal. Using PLS methods sated model. Data were processed by first derivative method and centering method. 5 000-9 000 cm(-1) spectral region was analyzed. Correlating index (r), RMSECV and RMSEP were chose as evaluation index. The result demonstrated that the correlation between the reference value of the modeling sample set and the near infrared predictive value were r(C16 : 0) = 0.891, r(C18 : 0) = 0.837, r(C18 : 1) = 0.982, r(C18 : 2) = 0.971, respectively. And the correlation between the reference value of the testing sample set and the near infrared predictive value were 0.921, 0.891, 0.946 and 0.949, respectively. It proved that the near infrared predictive value was linear with chemical value and the mathematical model established for components of vegetable oils was feasible. For validation, 8 unknown samples were selected to be analysis by infrared (NIR). The result demonstrated that error between predict value and chemical value was less than 10%. That was to say infrared (NIR) had a good veracity in analysis components of vegetable oil. Because infrared (NIR) spectral technology is convenient, rapid than HPLC in oil components analysis, moreover, infrared (NIR) can analyze many components at the same time. It must have great application prospect in vegetable oil components analysis.

[Acidic fibroblast growth factor promotes the growth of skeletal muscle satellite cells: experiment with rabbits].

OBJECTIVE: To explore if human recombinant acidic fibroblast growth factor (rhaFGF) can promote the proliferation of skeletal muscle satellite cells (MSCs). METHODS: MSCs were obtained from rabbits and cultured, and divided into 2 groups: rhaFGF group, treated with rhaFGF of the concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 microg/L, and rhaFGF + low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) group, treated with rhaFGF of different concentrations and LMWH of the terminal concentration of 10 mg/L. MTT method was used to observe the proliferation of the MSCs so as to determine the appropriate concentration to be used in the next experiment. Other MSCs were cultured and treated with the rhaFGF of the appropriate concentration and then LMWH of the terminal concentration of 10 mg/L was added to be co-cultured for 3 days. Flow cytometry was used to observe the cell cycle of the MSCs. RESULTS: rhaFGF of the concentrations 20 approximately 60 ng/ml promoted the proliferation of MSCs, and 40 ng/ml was selected as the best concentration to be used in the next experiment. Treated with the rhaFGF of the concentration of 40 ng/ml and LMWH for 3 days, the proportion of MSCs at the stage G(0)/G(1) was significantly lower and those at the stage S significantly higher in comparison with the control group (both P < 0.01), however, not significantly different from those of the rhaFGF group. CONCLUSION: rhaFGF promotes the proliferation of MSCs.