Multi-Index Comprehensive Assessment Optimized Critical Flavonoids Extraction from Semen Hoveniae and Their In Vitro Digestive Behavior Evaluation.

Critical flavonoids from Semen Hoveniae have huge potential bioactivities on hypoglycemic. A multi-index comprehensive assessment based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was performed to optimize the extraction process of flavonoids from Semen Hoveniae, which taking dihydromyricetin, taxifolin, myricetin and quercetin as indexes, and, then, an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion model was established to investigate the changes of flavonoids contents and their antioxidant capacity before and after digestion. The results showed that three influence factors acted significantly with the order of ethanol concentration > solid-liquid ratio > ultrasound time. The optimized extraction parameters were as follows: 1:37 w/v of solid-liquid ratio, 68% of ethanol concentration and 45 min for ultrasonic time. During in vitro digestion, the order of remaining ratio of four flavonoids in the extract was dihydromyricetin > taxifolin > myricetin > quercetin in gastric digestion, and remaining ratio of taxifolin was 34.87% while others were restructured in intestinal digestion. Furthermore, the 1,1-dipheny-2-picryhydrazyl free radical (DPPH ·) scavenging ability and oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) of extract were more stable in gastric digestion. After an hour's intestinal digestion, the extract had no DPPH antioxidant capacity, but amazingly, its ORAC antioxidant capacity was retained or increased, which implied that substances were transformed and more hydrogen donors were produced. This study has carried out a preliminary discussion from the perspective of extraction and put forward a new research idea, to improve the in vivo bioavailability of the critical flavonoids from Semen Hoveniae.

Assessment and Discussion of Correlation Among Psychological Symptoms, Occupational Strain, and Neurotic Personality for Metro Drive.

Metro driver is the prime person who is responsible for metro operation safety. The mental health of a metro driver is very important for the operation of the subway and requires the driver to keep high mental alertness to monitor the surrounding environment and also handle emergencies under uncertain or dangerous conditions. After a long-term occupational strain, a metro driver is likely to suffer from some mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, that ultimately threaten the lives of passengers. Therefore, in this study, we focus on the psychological symptoms of metro drivers from the angle of occupational strain and neuroticism. A total of 396 metro drivers from Kunming Rail Transit Operation Co., Ltd. in China were investigated through a questionnaire survey. Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), Personal Strain Questionnaire (PSQ), and NEO-Five-Factor Inventory-Neuroticism Subscale (NEO-FFI-N) were applied to evaluate the psychological symptoms, occupational strain, and neuroticism in metro drivers, respectively. The surveyed data were analyzed by SPSS software. Based on the data, a path structural equation model was established to explore the correlation among occupational strain, psychological symptoms, and neuroticism. The results show that the scores for psychological symptoms and occupational strain are higher than the Chinese adult norm among metro drivers. The occupational strain, neuroticism, and psychological symptoms are all positively correlated in the metro drivers. Occupational stress has a direct influence on the psychological symptom, while neuroticism plays a partial mediation role between occupational strain and psychological symptoms. The results of this study can be applied to optimize the employee selection system and training system for metro operation companies.

Utilization and associated factors of reproductive health services among 20-39-year-old women in rural China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The use of reproductive health (RH) services is important to promote RH. However, little is known about RH services in rural areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries. China is the most populous country in the world, and 40.4% of its population is rural. Our study determined the utilization of and factors associated with RH services in rural China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 978 20- to 39-year-old women was performed in four villages of four cities in Hunan Province. A researcher-created structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were entered into EpiData v3.0 and analysed using SPSS v18.0. Statistical significance was defined as a two-sided P-value of less than 0.05. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the socio-demographic factors and the use of RH services by the sample population. Chi-square tests were used to assess associations between categorical variables. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors that correlated with the use of RH services. RESULTS: The top three services used were antenatal examinations (90.2%), postpartum visits (73.0%) and free folic acid supplements (71.6%). Age, monthly household income, employment, spousal education level, and artificial abortion history were associated with RH service utilization (P < 0.05). The most desired RH service was cervical/breast cancer prevention services (58.9%). The most preferred method participants used to obtain information on RH services was the internet. CONCLUSIONS: The utilization rate for RH services in rural China needs improvement. Future efforts should target high-risk populations of women by providing them with RH-related information and cultivating positive attitudes towards RH services.

Reproductive health (RH) services are recognized worldwide as a cost-effective strategy to promote RH. However, little is known about RH services in rural areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries. China is the most populous country in the world, and 40.4% of its population is rural. Due to the implementation of China's universal two-child policy, women between 20 and 39 years old are likely to experience more RH problems related to childbirth. Our study investigated the utilization of and factors associated with RH services in rural China. The top three services used among the 978 participants were antenatal examinations (90.2%), postpartum visits (73.0%) and free folic acid supplements (71.6%). Age, monthly household income, employment, spousal education level, and artificial abortion history were associated with RH service utilization. The participants most desired services pertained to the prevention of cervical/breast cancer, and the most preferred methods used to obtain information related to RH services was the internet.In conclusion, the utilization of RH services requires improvement, and future efforts should target high-risk populations of women by providing them with RH-related information and cultivating positive attitudes towards RH services.

[Profile Characteristics of VOCs from Wood and Economic Crop Burning].

Wood and economic crops are still widely used in rural areas of China. Although their combustion is an important source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), study on their emission characteristics is relatively weak. In this study, three kinds of wood (poplar, cedarwood, and citrus branches) and six economic crop straws (soybean stalk, sesame stalk, corn cob, cotton stalk, peanut stalk, and corn stalk) were selected and their burning was simulated in the laboratory. A dilution tunnel system was used to dilute the smoke, and then Tedlar bags were used to collect the smoke. The compositions of 102 VOCs were analyzed by Agilent 7820A/5977E gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The ozone formation potential (OFP) of VOCs for different types of biomass burning was analyzed. The results indicated that there are differences in the VOC compositions of different types of biomass burning emissions. Ethane (11.1%), trans-2-pentene (15.4%), ethylene (8.3%), and dichloromethane (11.9%) are the main VOCs emitted from poplar and cedarwood burning. Toluene (49.8%) is the most abundant species of VOC emitted from burning of citrus branches. Ethylene (11.8%-17.5%) and acetone (9.2%-14.7%) are the main VOCs components of straw burning. Corn stalks, peanut stalks, and citrus branches have similar VOC source profiles, with the coefficient of divergence less than 0.1. The benzene/toluene ratio for biomass burning emissions obtained in this study and in the literature is in the range of 0.030-6.48. It is arguable that a value higher than 1 indicated the impact of biomass burning. The contributions of alkenens, oxygenated VOCs, and aromatic hydrocarbons to the OFP of biomass burning were 30.6%-80.3%, 6.5%-21.0%, and 3.8%-56.5%, respectively. The components contributing more than 10.0% to the OFP are ethylene, propylene, trans-2-pentene, cis-2-pentene, toluene, and propionaldehyde.

An assessment of the interaction for three Chrysanthemum indicum flavonoids and α-amylase by surface plasmon resonance.

This study evaluated the interaction of Chrysanthemum indicum (CI) flavonoids (luteolin, acacetin, and buddleoside) with α-amylase. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay showed their equilibrium dissociation constants (KD ) are 1.9695 ± 0.12, 2.9240 ± 0.20, and 3.2966 ± 0.08 mM at pH 6.0, respectively. Furthermore, their binding affinities were influenced by KCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2. Enzymatic kinetic studies revealed that three flavonoids exhibited noncompetitive α-amylase inhibitory activity. The inhibitory sequence is luteolin > acacetin > buddleoside, which was in accordance with the results of binding affinity from SPR. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical assay demonstrated that antioxidant activities of three flavonoids were inhibited significantly with α-amylase. Meanwhile, the study reveals that hydroxyl on C'-4, C'-5, and C-7 of flavonoids play an important role on the interaction of three flavonoids with α-amylase. Also, SPR could be used as sensor for rapid screening inhibitors of α-amylase and provide useful information for the application of C. indicum flavonoids in food and pharmaceutical area.

Cumulative risk assessment of phthalates in edible vegetable oil consumed by Chinese residents.

BACKGROUND: Phthalates have been widely used as plasticizers in various industries and are widely focused on in the international community as a result of their reproductive toxicity. Exposure of Chinese residents to phthalates via edible vegetable oil occurs often. In the present study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to detect the two main phthalates bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in four major edible vegetable oil sources: an edible oil blend, soybean oil, peanut oil and rapeseed oil (a total of 1016 samples), as collected throughout China. Furthermore, cumulative risk assessment was used to estimate the reproductive health risk to Chinese residents caused by the phthalates that come from edible vegetable oils. RESULTS: Both phthalates were detected in four major edible vegetable oil sources. The phthalate with the highest detection rate was DBP (13.48%), followed by DEHP (7.78%). The results of the cumulative risk assessment showed that the hazard indices of these two phthalates in edible vegetable oils were less than 1, except in soybean oil. Nevertheless, the two phthalates had the lowest detection rates in soybean oil, which were 1.94% (DEHP) and 5.16% (DBP). In China, contamination levels of phthalates in the soils where oil crops are cultivated have a great influence on the phthalate concentrations in edible vegetable oils. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that Chinese residents who are consuming soybean oil choose well-known brands and regularly change their brand of consumption. The phthalates in edible vegetable oils pose a relatively small reproductive health risk to Chinese residents. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Cost-effectiveness of CYP2C19 LOF-guided antiplatelet therapy in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of CYP2C19 loss-of-function(LOF) allele-guided antiplatelet therapy compared with the universal use of clopidogrel or ticagrelor among Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: A two-part cost-effectiveness model comprising of a 1-year decision tree and a long-term Markov model was utilized to simulate outcomes of three treatment strategies: universal use of clopidogrel (75 mg daily) or universal use of ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily for all patients and CYP2C19 LOF-guided therapy (LOF allele carriers receiving ticagrelor, LOF allele noncarriers receiving clopidogrel). Model outcomes included quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained, direct medical costs and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). ICERs less than one-time gross domestic product per capita in China 59,660 yuan/QALY were considered cost-effective. Results: Base-case analysis showed 'universal ticagrelor use' was cost-effective for an ICER of 33,875 yuan per QALY gained compared with 'universal clopidogrel use' of which gained a 1.6932 QALYs at lowest life-long cost of 2450 yuan. CYP2C19 LOF-guided therapy had an effectiveness of 1.6975 QALYs at a cost of 2812 yuan, for an ICER of 84,118 yuan per QALY gained relative to 'universal clopidogrel use'. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that base-case results were significantly affected by five factors: the risk ratio of 'non-fatal myocardial infarction', 'non-fatal stroke' and 'cardiovascular death' in ticagrelor versus clopidogrel and the annual costs of clopidogrel and ticagrelor. According to the results of Monte Carlo simulation, when willing to pay is about 32,000 yuan, patients willing to receive clopidogrel or ticagrelor are approximately equal. Conclusion: Optimal antiplatelet treatment is affected by lots of factors. The results of our study demonstrated that 'universal ticagrelor use' was cost-effective compared with 'universal clopidogrel use' for Chinese acute coronary syndrome patients with percutaneous coronary intervention.