Accumulation characteristics of metals in human breast milk and association with dietary intake in northeastern China.

The trace elements present in breast milk play a vital role in the growth and development of infants. Nevertheless, numerous studies have reported the presence of toxic metal contamination in breast milk from various countries and regions, which poses potential risks to breastfed infants. This article aimed to investigate the characteristics of trace elements in breast milk and explore the relationship between breast milk and diet in Dalian, a coastal city in northeastern China. Breast milk samples and representative local food samples were collected from Dalian for research. The results revealed that 57 % of breast milk samples significantly exceeded the WHO safety limit (0.6 µg/L) for arsenic, with a measured mean value of 0.96 µg/L. Moreover, the levels of chromium (mean value: 2.63 µg/L) in 34 % of breast milk samples exceed the WHO recommended safety level (chromium: 1.5 µg/L). Aquatic foods accounted for 60 % to 90 % of the total intake of arsenic, cadmium, vanadium, mercury, and lead. The Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated strong positive correlations among breast milk metal elements, including copper-zinc (r = 0.68) and nickel­chromium (r = 0.89). Furthermore, the food-to-milk accumulation factors (FMAF) of strontium, nickel, arsenic, vanadium, cadmium, and mercury were relatively low (median values <0.005). While the FMAF values for chromium and lead were higher, with median values of 0.038 and 0.07, respectively. The results indicated potential risks of the toxic metal arsenic in breast milk from Dalian, China for breastfed infants. Therefore, continuous monitoring of breast milk for toxic metals and foodborne contamination is necessary.

Porous nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide-supported CuO@Cu2O hybrid electrodes for highly sensitive enzyme-free glucose biosensor.

Constructing high-performance enzyme-free biosensors for detecting glucose is essential to preliminary diabetes diagnosis. Here, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO@Cu2O NPs) were anchored in porous nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (PNrGO) to construct CuO@Cu2O/PNrGO/GCE hybrid electrode for sensitive detection of glucose. Benefiting from the remarkable synergistic effects between the multiple high activation sites of CuO@Cu2O NPs and the dramatic properties of PNrGO with excellent conductivity and large surface area with many accessible pores, the hybrid electrode possesses outstanding glucose sensing performance that is far superior to those of pristine CuO@Cu2O electrode. The as-fabricated enzyme-free glucose biosensor displays prominent glucose sensitivity of 2,906.07 µA mM-1 cm-2, extremely low limit of detection of 0.13 µM, and wide linear detection of 3 µM-6.772 mM. In addition, excellent reproducibility, favorable long-term stability, and distinguished selectivity are obtained in the glucose detection. Importantly, this study provides promising results for continuous improvement of non-enzyme sensing applications.

Effect of Wearable Sensor-Based Exercise on Musculoskeletal Disorders in Individuals With Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The application of wearable sensor technology in an exercise intervention provides a new method for the standardization and accuracy of intervention. Considering that the deterioration of musculoskeletal conditions is of serious concern in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, it is worthwhile to clarify the effect of wearable sensor-based exercise on musculoskeletal disorders in such patients compared with traditional exercise. Methods: Five health science-related databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and Ebsco Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, were systematically searched. The protocol number of the study is PROSPERO CRD42022319763. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were published up to March 2022 and written in English were included. Balance was the primary outcome measure, comprising questionnaires on postural stability and computerized dynamic posturography. The secondary outcome measures are motor symptoms, mobility ability, functional gait abilities, fall-associated self-efficacy, and adverse events. Stata version 16.0 was used for statistical analysis, and the weighted mean difference (WMD) was selected as the effect size with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Fifteen RCTs involving 488 participants with mean ages ranging from 58.6 to 81.6 years were included in this review, with 14 of them being pooled in a quantitative meta-analysis. Only five included studies showed a low risk of bias. The Berg balance scale (BBS) was used in nine studies, and the pooled data showed a significant improvement in the wearable sensor-based exercise group compared with the traditional exercise group after 3-12-week intervention (WMD = 1.43; 95% CI, 0.50 to 2.36, P = 0.003). A significant change in visual score was found both post-assessment and at 1-month follow-up assessment (WMD = 4.38; 95% CI, 1.69 to 7.07, P = 0.001; I2 = 0.0%). However, no significant differences were found between the two groups in the secondary outcome measures (all p > 0.05). No major adverse events were reported. Conclusion: The wearable sensor-based exercise had advantages in improving balance in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, while there was a lack of evidence in motor symptoms, mobility, and functional gait ability enhancement. Future studies are recommended to construct a comprehensive rehabilitation treatment system for the improvement in both postural control and quality of life. Systematic Review Registration: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022319763.

Multiresidue analysis of 30 organochlorine pesticides in milk and milk powder by gel permeation chromatography-solid phase extraction-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A method for simultaneous determination of the 30 organochlorine pesticides (OCP) in milk and milk powder samples has been developed. Prior to the gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric analysis, the residual OCP in samples were extracted with n-hexane and acetone mixture (1/1, vol/vol) and cleaned up by gel permeation chromatography and solid phase extraction. Selected reaction monitoring mode was used for gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric data acquisition to identify and quantify the OCP. To avoid the matrix effects, matrix-matched calibration solutions ranging from 2 to 50 ng/mL were used to record the calibration curve. Limits of quantification of all OCP were 0.8 µg/kg. With the exception of endrin, limits of quantification are significantly lower than maximum residue limits set by the European Union and China. The average recoveries were in the range of 70.1 to 114.7% at 3 spiked concentration levels (0.8, 2.0, and 10.0 µg/kg) with residual standard deviation lower than 12.9%. The developed method was successfully applied to analyze the OCP in commercial milk products.