Dietary Patterns, Gut Microbiota and Sports Performance in Athletes: A Narrative Review.

The intestinal tract of humans harbors a dynamic and complex bacterial community known as the gut microbiota, which plays a crucial role in regulating functions such as metabolism and immunity in the human body. Numerous studies conducted in recent decades have also highlighted the significant potential of the gut microbiota in promoting human health. It is widely recognized that training and nutrition strategies are pivotal factors that allow athletes to achieve optimal performance. Consequently, there has been an increasing focus on whether training and dietary patterns influence sports performance through their impact on the gut microbiota. In this review, we aim to present the concept and primary functions of the gut microbiota, explore the relationship between exercise and the gut microbiota, and specifically examine the popular dietary patterns associated with athletes' sports performance while considering their interaction with the gut microbiota. Finally, we discuss the potential mechanisms by which dietary patterns affect sports performance from a nutritional perspective, aiming to elucidate the intricate interplay among dietary patterns, the gut microbiota, and sports performance. We have found that the precise application of specific dietary patterns (ketogenic diet, plant-based diet, high-protein diet, Mediterranean diet, and high intake of carbohydrate) can improve vascular function and reduce the risk of illness in health promotion, etc., as well as promoting recovery and controlling weight with regard to improving sports performance, etc. In conclusion, although it can be inferred that certain aspects of an athlete's ability may benefit from specific dietary patterns mediated by the gut microbiota to some extent, further high-quality clinical studies are warranted to substantiate these claims and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Low flow-resistance solid phase extraction of fluoroquinolones in water and food samples by high-pressure wet spinning porous polyimide microfibers.

In this work, porous polyimide microfibers (PI-µF) were prepared by high-pressure wet spinning method, and successfully applied as adsorbents for solid phase extraction (SPE) of fluoroquinolones (FQs) in water and food samples. The PI-µFs of ∼10, 25, 50, 100 µm in diameter could be controlled by the inner diameter of quartz capillary nozzles. The flow resistance of SPE cartridges packed with 10 µm PI microfiber (10-PI-µF) and 25-PI-µF was comparable to or even lower than that of commercial SPE cartridges, while the flow resistance of 50-PI-µF and 100-PI-µF SPE cartridges was increased obviously due to tiny broken pieces. The 10-PI-µF and 25-PI-µF have a specific surface area of 102 m2 g-1 and 76 m2 g-1, mesopores of 22-32 nm, and large breakthrough volume of 110 mL/5 mg and 85 mL/5 mg for FQs, while the 50-PI-µF and 100-PI-µF had much lower specific surface area and hardly had retention for FQs. FQs from tap water, egg and milk samples were then extracted by PI-µF SPE, and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD). SPE parameters as type of elution solvent, elution solvent volume, pH value of sample solution, flow rate of sample solution, and breakthrough volume were first optimized in detail. Under the optimal conditions, the PI-µF SPE/HPLC-FLD method showed high recoveries (96.8%-107%), wide linearity (0.05-50 µg L-1, or 0.01-10 µg L-1), high determination coefficients (R2 ≥0.9992), and low limits of detection (LODs, 0.005-0.014 µg L-1). For the real tap water, egg and milk samples, the recoveries and RSDs were 81-119% and 0.8-9.8%, respectively. The results show that porous microfiber up to 25 µm in diameter is a promising solid-phase extraction adsorbent with the lowest flow resistance that can be used for trace organic pollutants in water and food samples.

A Zeolitic Octahedral Metal Oxide with Ultrahigh Porosity for High-temperature and High-humidity Alkyne/Alkene Separation.

Zeolitic octahedral metal oxide is a newly synthesized all-inorganic zeolitic material and has been used for adsorption, separation, and catalysis. Herein, a new zeolitic octahedral metal oxide was synthesized and characterized. The porous framework was established through the assembly of [P2Mo13O50] clusters with PO4 linkers. Guest molecules occupied the framework, which could be removed through heat treatment, thereby opening the micropores. The pore characteristics were controlled by the cations within the micropore, enabling the adjustment of the interactions with alkynes and alkenes. This resulted in good separation performance of ethylene/acetylene and propylene/propyne even under high temperature and humidity conditions. The high stability of the material enabled the efficient recovery and reuse without discernible loss in the separation performance. Due to the relatively weak interaction between the adsorbed alkyne and the framework, the adsorbent facilitated the recovery of a highly pure alkyne. This feature enhances the practical applicability of the material in various industrial processes.

Magnetic polyimide nanocomposite for analysis of parabens in cooking wine by magnetic solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography - Mass spectrometry.

A magnetic polyimide (PI) nanocomposite has been synthesized by phase inversion of PI and simultaneous encapsulation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The Fe3O4/PI nanocomposite was characterized by a variety of characterization techniques, including infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The results showed that the prepared nanocomposite had a homogeneous structure, adequate specific surface area (76.1 m2/g) and high saturation magnetization (42.9 emu/g). Using parabens as model analytes, the performance of the Fe3O4/PI nanocomposite as an adsorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) was evaluated. The extracted parabens were desorbed and determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The parameters affecting the extraction and desorption efficiency of parabens were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the developed MSPE/GC-MS method was successfully applied to the determination of parabens in cooking wine. The MSPE/GC-MS method exhibited broad linearity (0.2-100 µg/L), low detection limits (0.04-0.05 µg/L), and satisfactory extraction recoveries (79.2 %-113.3 %) with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 0.7 % to 10.4 %. For real cooking wine samples, the spiked recoveries ranged from 91.7 % to 118.7 % with RSDs of 1.0 %-11.2 %. The results demonstrated that the Fe3O4/PI nanocomposite was an effective adsorbent, and this work provides a novel reference for the easy preparation of magnetic adsorbent materials.

Metal-Support Interaction in Gold Zeolitic Octahedral Metal Oxide and the Catalytic Activity for Low-Temperature Alcohol Oxidation.

Au nanoparticles are efficient catalysts for selective oxidations. The interaction between Au nanoparticles and supports is critical for achieving high catalytic activity. Herein, Au nanoparticles are supported on a zeolitic octahedral metal oxide based on Mo and V. The charge of Au is controlled by the surface oxygen vacancies of the supports, and the redox property of the zeolitic vanadomolybdate is highly dependent on Au loading. The Au-supported zeolitic vanadomolybdate is used as a heterogeneous catalyst for alcohol oxidation under mild conditions with molecular oxygen as an oxidant. The supported Au catalyst can be recovered and reused without the loss of activity.

Fabrication of Highly Oriented Ultrathin Zirconium Metal-Organic Framework Membrane from Nanosheets towards Unprecedented Gas Separation.

Concurrent regulation of crystallographic orientation and thickness of zirconium metal-organic framework (Zr-MOF) membranes is challenging but promising for their performance enhancement. In this study, we pioneered the fabrication of uniform triangular-shaped, 40 nm thick UiO-66 nanosheet (NS) seeds by employing an anisotropic etching strategy. Through innovating confined counter-diffusion-assisted epitaxial growth, highly (111)-oriented 165 nm-thick UiO-66 membrane was prepared. The significant reduction in thickness and diffusion barrier in the framework endowed the membrane with unprecedented CO2 permeance (2070 GPU) as well as high CO2 /N2 selectivity (35.4), which surpassed the performance limits of state-of-the-art polycrystalline MOF membranes. In addition, highly (111)-oriented 180 nm-thick NH2 -UiO-66 membrane showing superb H2 /CO2 separation performance with H2 permeance of 1230 GPU and H2 /CO2 selectivity of 41.3, was prepared with the above synthetic procedure.

Vacuum-assisted thermal bonding of ß-cyclodextrin and its derivatives as chiral stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography.

In this work, the vacuum-assisted thermal bonding method was proposed for the covalent coupling of ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) (CD-CSP), hexamethylene diisocyanate cross-linked ß-CD (HDI-CSP) and 3, 5-dimethylphenyl isocyanate modified ß-CD (DMPI-CSP) onto the isocyanate silane modified silica gel. Under vacuum conditions, the side reaction due to the water residue from the organic solvent, air, reaction vessels and silica gel could be avoided, and the optimal temperature and time of vacuum-assisted thermal bonding method were determined as 160°C and 3 h. These three CSPs were characterized by FT-IR, TGA, elemental analysis and the nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The surface coverage of CD-CSP and HDI-CSP on silica gel was determined as ∼0.2 µmol m-2, respectively. The chromatographic performances of these three CSPs were systematically evaluated by separating 7 flavanones, 9 triazoles and 6 chiral alcohols enantiomers under the reversed-phase condition. It was found that the chiral resolution ability of CD-CSP, HDI-CSP and DMPI-CSP was complementary to each other. Among them, CD-CSP could separate all 7 flavanones enantiomers with the resolution of 1.09-2.48. HDI-CSP had a good separation performance for triazoles enantiomers with one chiral center. DMPI-CSP showed excellent separation performance for chiral alcohol enantiomers, among which the resolution of trans-1, 3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-ol reached 12.01. Generally, the vacuum-assisted thermal bonding had been demonstrated as a direct and efficient method for the preparation of chiral stationary phases of ß-CD and its derivatives.

Enhanced Separation Performance of Polyamide Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes with Interlayer by Constructed Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials: A Critical Review.

Thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide (PA) membrane has been widely applied in nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and forward osmosis, including a PA rejection layer by interfacial polymerization on a porous support layer. However, the separation performance of TFC membrane is constrained by the trade-off relationship between permeability and selectivity. Although thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane can enhance the permeability, due to the existence of functionalized nanoparticles in the PA rejection layer, the introduction of nanoparticles leads to the problems of the poor interface compatibility and the nanoparticles agglomeration. These issues often lead to the defect of PA rejection layers and reduction in selectivity. In this review, we summarize a new class of structures of TFN membranes with functionalized interlayers (TFNi), which promises to overcome the problems associated with TFN membranes. Recently, functionalized two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have received more attention in the assembly materials of membranes. The reported TFNi membranes with 2D interlayers exhibit the remarkable enhancement on the permeability, due to the shorter transport path by the "gutter mechanism" of 2D interlayers. Meanwhile, the functionalized 2D interlayers can affect the diffusion of two-phase monomers during the interfacial polymerization, resulting in the defect-free and highly crosslinked PA rejection layer. Thus, the 2D interlayers enabled TFNi membranes to potentially overcome the longstanding trade-off between membrane permeability and selectivity. This paper provides a critical review on the emerging 2D nanomaterials as the functionalized interlayers of TFNi membranes. The characteristics, function, modification, and advantages of these 2D interlayers are summarized. Several perspectives are provided in terms of the critical challenges for 2D interlayers, managing the trade-off between permeability, selectivity, and cost. The future research directions of TFNi membranes with 2D interlayers are proposed.

A hybrid ZIF-8/ZIF-62 glass membrane for gas separation.

Metal-organic framework (MOF) glasses have demonstrated great potential for high-performance separation. Herein a uniform hybrid MOF glass membrane was fabricated by using the liquid state of ZIF-62 to facilitate the melting of ZIF-8. The doping of ZIF-8 enhanced both the adsorption capacity as well as the ideal C3H6/C3H8 selectivity of ZIF-62 glass. As expected, the hybrid glass membrane exhibited good C3H6/C3H8 separation performance while preserving the CO2 performance of the sole ZIF-62 membrane.

Synergy of heterojunction and interfacial strain for boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution of black phosphorus nanosheets.

As an emerging post-graphene two-dimensional material, black phosphorus (BP) has attracted enormous interest as a promising cocatalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) evolution, however, the activity of either pristine bulk or BP nanosheets is far from satisfactory. Herein, we present an effective strategy to greatly boost the H2 evolution performance of BP via applying the synergistic effect of heterojunction and interfacial lattice strain. A multilayered heterostructure coupling BP nanosheets and nickel oxide (NiO) nanosheets with abundant interface P-Ni and PO bonds is synthesized and utilized as a proof-of-concept material for our design. Both the experimental and theoretical results have revealed that the strain is formed in BP-NiO multilayered heterostructure. The generated lattice strain induces the charge redistribution at the interface between BP and NiO, which leads to the improved electron transfer efficiency and favorable H* adsorption kinetics for photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction. As a result, the BP-NiO heterostructure with strain effect exhibits much enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution activity in the presence of Eosin Y (EY) as photosensitizer, exceeding that of zero-strained BP/NiO heterostructure and many other reported noble-metal-free cocatalyst.

A Zeolitic Octahedral Metal Oxide with Ultra-Microporosity for Inverse CO2 /C2 H2 Separation at High Temperature and Humidity.

Separation of CO2 /C2 H2 to obtain pure C2 H2 presents a challenge for the chemical industry. CO2 -selective adsorbents are favored because of the convenient separation process. However, there are only a few CO2 -selective adsorbents that can effectively isolate CO2 from CO2 /C2 H2 , and there is almost no research on CO2 /C2 H2 separation under harsh conditions, such as with high temperatures and humidities. Herein, a zeolitic octahedral metal oxide based on ϵ-Keggin polyoxometalates is utilized for separations of CO2 /C2 H2 at high temperatures and humidities. Single gas adsorption measurements show that the material only adsorbs CO2 with almost no C2 H2 taken up. Dynamic competitive adsorption experiments show that the material efficiently separates CO2 /C2 H2 , and highly pure C2 H2 is obtained directly. The robust material maintains a high separation performance at 333 K with 18.12 % water. The high stability of the material enables reuse without loss of separation performance.

Magnetic polyimide nanosheet microspheres for trace analysis of estrogens in aqueous samples by magnetic solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Magnetic polyimide nanosheet microspheres (PI-NMs) were used for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) for the first time. The PI-NMs were modified with magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles by chemical coprecipitation to produce the PI-NM/Fe3O4 composite. The prepared composite possessed a nanosheet structure, large specific surface area (71.5 m2/g), high saturation magnetization (19.1 emu/g), large adsorption capacity (≥ 676 ng/mg for selected estrogens), and good extraction stability (> 10 times). Trace estrogens in environmental water and urine samples were extracted by the PI-NM/Fe3O4 composite, desorbed, derivatized, and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The derivatization, extraction, and desorption conditions were optimized. Extraction equilibrium was achieved within 1 min due to the good dispersibility and large specific surface area of the PI-NM/Fe3O4 composite. Under the optimized conditions, the MSPE/GC-MS method validation results showed wide linearity (0.02-50 µg/L or 0.05-50 µg/L), high determination coefficients (R2 ≥ 0.9983), good intraday and interday precisions (expressed as relative standard deviation, RSDs ≤ 8.2%), and low limits of detection (LODs, 0.001-0.015 µg/L). For the real environmental water and urine samples, the recoveries and RSDs were 77.0-112.5% and 0.1-10.7%, respectively. The performance of the MSPE/GC-MS method proved that the PI-NM/Fe3O4 composite was a good alternative material for the extraction of organic pollutants in aqueous samples.

Investigation of the Synthesis of Zeolitic Vanadotungstate and its Use in the Separation of Propylene/Propane at High Temperature and Humidity.

Synthetic conditions for the zeolitic octahedral metal oxide based on vanadotungstate are studied. The temperature, time, acidity, W/V ratio, cation species, and concentration affect the resulting materials. The study shows that mixing tungstate and VO2+ in an aqueous solution generates cubane units ([W4O16]8-) at room temperature. The cubane units assemble with VO2+ immediately to form a solid with an amorphous phase and nonporosity, which further crystallizes under a hydrothermal condition to form the crystalline microporous vanadotungstate. The zeolitic vanadotungstates act as effective adsorbents for the separation of propylene/propane. The active materials effectively separate propylene/propane even at high temperatures and high humidities.

Assembly of ϵ-Keggin Polyoxometalate from Molecular Crystal to Zeolitic Octahedral Metal Oxide.

Zeolitic octahedral metal oxides are inorganic crystalline microporous materials with adsorption and redox properties. New ϵ-Keggin nickel molybdate-based zeolitic octahedral metal oxides have been synthesized. 31 P NMR spectroscopy shows that reduction of MoVI -based molybdates forms an ϵ-Keggin polyoxometalate that immediately transfers to the solid phase. Investigation of the formation process indicates that a low Ni concentration, insoluble reducing agent, and long synthesis time are the critical factors for obtaining the zeolite octahedral metal oxides rather than the ϵ-Keggin polyoxometalate molecule. The synthesized zeolitic nickel molybdate with Na+ is used as the adsorbent, which effectively separates C2 hydrocarbon mixtures.

Porous electrospun microfibers for low flow-resistant solid phase extraction of fluoroquinolones in tap water, egg and milk samples.

In this work, porous electrospun microfibers (PEMFs) were prepared using a polyimide/polyvinylpyrrolidone/polyethylene glycol (PI/PVP/PEG) solution mixture with coaxial ultrasonic water vapor spraying. After removing PVP and PEG by ultrasonic water washing, the PEMFs were successfully demonstrated as adsorbents for solid phase extraction (SPE). Most non-porous electrospun nanofibers are hundreds of nanometers in diameter, with a specific surface area of dozens of square meters per gram. In contrast, the diameter of the as-prepared PEMFs was tuned between 3 and 8 µm, the specific surface area was 76 m2g-1 and the pore size was ca 25 nm. Therefore, the flow resistance of the PEMF-SPE cartridges was similar to those of conventional commercial SPE cartridges, and much lower than those of SPE cartridges packed with electrospun nanofibers. Using the PEMF-SPE cartridges with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detector (UPLC-FLD), five fluoroquinolones (FQs) in tap water, egg and milk samples were extracted and quantified successfully. After optimizing the extraction conditions, FQs in water samples were extracted and eluted with high recoveries of 84.8-114.8%. The inter-batch and intra-batch relative standard deviation (RSD) values for the FQs were in the range of 1.9-9.5% (n=3), and the limits of detection were between 0.0024-0.014 µg L-1. The method was linear in the concentration range of 0.005-10 µg L-1. The reliability of the developed method was validated by analyzing tap water, egg and milk samples, and the recovery values were found to be in the range of 74.8-116.6% under the optimized conditions.

Effects of mannan oligosaccharides and Lactobacillus mucosae on growth performance, immune response, and gut health of weanling pigs challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides.

Addition of pre- and probiotics may confer growth and health benefits when added to the diet of pigs. To determine the effects of feeding mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) and Lactobacillus mucosae (LM) as prebiotic and probiotic sources in weanling pigs under immune challenge, 96 weaned pigs were randomly allotted to 16 experimental pens within a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Control diets with or without 0.1% yeast-derived MOS were randomly assigned to pens and 109 cfu/pig LM broth or a control broth were top-dressed daily. Pigs were fed one of four dietary treatments (control, MOS, LM, and MOS+LM) in Phases I and II (days 0 to 7 and days 7 to 21 postweaning, respectively) and a common diet during Phase III (days 21 to 35 postweaning). On day 14, all pigs were challenged with 100 µg/kg body weight (BW) Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) via intraperitonial injection. Feed disappearance and pig BW were measured weekly. Blood and fecal samples were collected weekly, and additional blood samples were collected on days 1 and 3 post-LPS challenge. On days 15 and 21, one pig per pen was euthanized for collection of ileal mucosa and duodenal and ileal tissue samples. From days 0 to 14, feeding LM decreased gain-to-feed ratio (G:F; P < 0.05). An interaction between LM and MOS was observed for G:F on days 14 to 21 (P < 0.05); G:F in LM (715 g/kg) was greater compared with MOS+LM (P < 0.05; 600 g/kg) and control (P < 0.10; 615 g/kg), but was not different (P > 0.10) from MOS (674 g/kg). After pigs were fed a common diet (days 21 to 35), G:F was decreased (P < 0.05) in the LM treatment groups. Pigs fed diets that included MOS had increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G on days 1 and 3 post-LPS challenge and 2 wk after removal of treatments (P < 0.05) and on days 14 and 21 postweaning (P < 0.10) compared with pigs fed diets without MOS. On day 15, mucosal immunoglobulin G was increased (P < 0.05) in control vs. MOS and LM groups. Circulating IL-1ß in control and MOS+LM pigs increased (P < 0.05) on day 1 post-LPS challenge but did not change (P > 0.10) in MOS and LM groups. On day 15, pigs fed LM had decreased (P < 0.05) ileal crypt depth compared with pigs fed the control diet. On day 21, fecal propionate and butyrate tended to be lower (P < 0.10) in pigs fed MOS vs. control and MOS+LM diet. These preliminary findings suggest that feeding LM alone improved feed efficiency and ileal morphological structure during the first week of LPS challenge; additionally, feeding LM and MOS may have beneficial effects relative to immune biomarkers.

Oxidative degradation of 2,4,6-tribromophenol by SBA-15 supported metal tetrakis(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrins in the presence of humic substances.

Metal tetrakis(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrins were immobilized on sulfonated SBA-15 (MTMPyP-SO3-pr-SBA-15, M = Fe, Mn, Zn) for oxidative degradation of 2,4,6-tribromophenol in the presence of humic substances. The influence of the central metal of metalloporphyrins, pH, and catalyst dosage on the 2,4,6-tribromophenol degradation was investigated. FeTMPyP-SO3-pr-SBA-15 and MnTMPyP-SO3-pr-SBA-15 showed the catalytic activities. The activity of MnTMPyP-SO3-pr-SBA-15 was more strongly inhibited by humic substances than that of FeTMPyP-SO3-pr-SBA-15. Kinetic study indicated that humic substances suppressed the generation of high valent metal-oxo species in MnTMPyP-SO3-pr-SBA-15 at slightly acid condition. There was a clear linear relationship between the content of phenolic-OH and aromatic-C in humic substances and the corresponding inhibition ability. The inhibition by humic substances is probably ascribed to the coordination of humic substances with the monopersulfate species of MnTMPyP-SO3-pr-SBA-15, which prevented the formation of the reactive Mn-oxo species.

Zeolitic Vanadotungstates with Ultrahigh Porosities for Separation of Butane and Isobutane.

Zeolitic vanadotungstates with tunable microporosity have potential interests in gas separation. The pore openings of the materials are in between the diameters of normal butane and isobutane, which causes the materials only adsorb normal butane. The breakthrough experiments show that the materials effectively separate normal butane from the normal butane and isobutane mixture even at high temperatures. The robust materials can be reused without loss of the separation performance.

Zeolitic Octahedral Metal Oxides with Ultra-Small Micropores for C2 Hydrocarbon Separation.

Separation of C2 hydrocarbons, C2 H6 , C2 H4 , and C2 H2 , remains significant challenges in chemical industry. However, there are only few adsorbents that can effectively isolate C2 hydrocarbons from their mixtures particularly at a high temperature. Herein, we design a zeolitic octahedral metal oxide based on ϵ-Keggin polyoxometalates with metal ion linkers. Single gas adsorption of the material shows the different adsorption performances for the C2 hydrocarbons and the strong interaction of the material with the C2 hydrocarbons. Dynamic competitive adsorption experiments show that the material efficiently separates each of the binary C2 hydrocarbon mixtures and even the ternary C2 hydrocarbon mixtures with high selectivity. The material keeps high separation performance even the temperature was increased to 85 °C. The material is stable and is able to be reused without loss of the separation performance.

Zeolitic octahedral metal oxide-based membranes for pervaporative desalination of concentrated brines.

An all-inorganic zeolitic octahedral metal oxide based on cobalt tungstoselenate with porosity and hydrophilicity is successfully used to fabricate a membrane. The as-synthesized membrane and its ion-exchanged membranes exhibit extraordinary permeation flux with high salt rejection by pervaporative desalination for high-salinity brines up to 25 wt%.