No role of the third-trimester inflammatory factors in the association of gestational diabetes mellitus with postpartum cardiometabolic indicators.

BACKGROUND: The influence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on postpartum cardiometabolic indicators is primarily restricted to glucose and lipid metabolism, however the indicators for liver and kidney function have been rarely explored, and the role of the third-trimester inflammatory factors in these associations has never been investigated. METHODS: Based on the Ma'anshan birth cohort (MABC), women with or without GDM history were selected and invited to participate in a 6-year postpartum follow-up. The fasting blood samples were collected to measure 16 comprehensive metabolic indicators during a 6-year postpartum follow-up: fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), uric acid (UA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCR), etc. Seven inflammatory factors, including TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, and IL-17 A, were measured with serum samples collected during the third trimester of pregnancy. Linear regression models were used to analyze the associations between GDM and 6-year postpartum metabolic indicators, GDM and third-trimester inflammatory factors, and the third-trimester inflammatory factors and 6-year postpartum metabolic indicators. Mediating and moderating effect analyses were further performed to explore if the third-trimester inflammatory factors mediate or modify the association between GDM and postpartum cardiometabolic indicators. RESULTS: From July 2021 to August 2022, 307 participants have been followed up, with 99 women with a prior GDM history. Compared with those without GDM, individuals with a prior history of GDM had significantly elevated levels of FPG (ß = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.62, PFDR < 0.001), HbA1c (ß = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.34, PFDR = 0.009), TyG (ß = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.37, PFDR = 0.024) at 6 years postpartum, and the association between GDM and SCR (ß = 2.43, 95% CI: 0.02 to 4.85, PFDR = 0.144) reached nominal significance level. GDM history was associated with a decreased level of third-trimester IL-17 A (ß = -0.58, 95% CI: -0.99 to -0.18, PFDR = 0.035). No significant association between third-trimester inflammatory factors and 6-year postpartum metabolic indicators was observed. And no mediating or moderating effect of third-trimester inflammatory factors was observed in those associations. CONCLUSION: A prior history of GDM was significantly associated with elevated FPG, HbA1c, and TyG in women at 6 years postpartum, whereas third-trimester inflammatory factors had no role in mediating or moderating these associations.

Characterization of Flavor Profiles of Cigar Tobacco Leaves Grown in China via Headspace-Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry Coupled with Multivariate Analysis and Sensory Evaluation.

Although cigar tobacco leaves (CTLs) have a high economic value, research regarding the flavor characteristics of CTLs is currently limited. A comprehensive study of the flavor characteristics of CTLs from different regions of China was conducted by identifying their volatile-flavor-containing compounds (VFCs) and flavors. The samples were analyzed via gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and sensory evaluation. Results revealed considerable differences in the VFC contents of CTLs from different regions of China, suggesting that the VFLs of CTLs could be influenced by geographical origin. Mainly, phenols, pyrazines, and aldehydes were present in the CTLs from Sichuan. High contents of esters and pyrazines were present in the CTLs from Hubei, while esters were the major components of the CTLs from Hainan. Multivariate analysis results showed the effective differentiation of samples from different geographical origins based on the GC-IMS results. Sensory evaluation revealed that the flavors of CTLs from different geographical origins were different. 1,8-Pinene, 3-methyl-3-butene-1-ol, 2,3-dimethyl-5-ethylpyrazine, 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one, and (E)-2-pentenal might serve as geographical marker compounds, indicating the geographical origin of CTLs based on the results of GC-IMS and sensory evaluation. This study may be beneficial for the trade of CTLs and the development of cigar products.

Enantiomeric analysis of γ(δ)-lactones by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography using amylose tris(5-chloro-2-methylphenylcarbamate) as stationary phase.

A Chiralpak AY-3R column was investigated for analytical enantiomeric separation of twelve racemic γ(δ)-lactones using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. Main influence factors, including organic modifier, flow rate and column temperature, were optimized. Five kinds of γ(δ)-lactones were successfully enantioseparated using the established method: γ-nonanolactone, δ-decalactone, δ-undecalactone, δ-dodecalactone and δ-tetradecalactone. Under optimized conditions, enantiomeric peak resolution (Rs) for the five γ(δ)-lactones reached more than 1.09, 1.08, 1.54, 1.43, and 1.11, respectively. Their chromatographic elution behavior was investigated using Van't Hoff equation and Van Deemter equation. It was found that an exothermic process occurred during enantiomeric separation of γ(δ)-lactones using this chromatographic column, and it showed a typical Van Deemter curve. Finally, this method was applied in enantiomeric ratio analysis of γ(δ)-lactones contents for purchased butter samples, and results confirmed the predominant content of the (R)-configuration of δ-dodecalactone in natural animal butter, while in margarine, an equal proportion of (R/S)-configuration of δ-dodecalactone was detected.

Thermoelectric Performance Improvement in the ZrNiSn-Based Composite via Modulating Si Addition.

To ensure optimal performance, ZrNiSn is required to possess a low thermal conductivity and exhibit minimal bipolar effects under high-temperature conditions. This study demonstrates the integration of silicon (Si) at different doping levels into ZrNiSn. The composites consist of secondary phases of in situ ZrNiSi and Si. At a temperature of 873 K, the Seebeck coefficient experiences a 16% increase, despite the charge carrier concentration increasing three times as a result of the electron injection from ZrNiSi. The phenomenon can be elucidated by the introduction of Si, which causes energy filtering and inhibits the flow of minority charge carriers. When the doping levels in n- or p-type Si reach high levels (1019 to 1020 cm-3), the mixed interfaces ZrNiSn/ZrNiSi and ZrNiSn/Si reduce the thermal conductivity by 15%, resulting in a 50% increase in zT. These findings indicate that electron transfer in ZrNiSn can be regulated by precise doping in Si. They also demonstrate that incorporating an optimal p-type semiconductor can enhance the thermoelectric performance of n-type ZrNiSn. Additionally, a novel approach is proposed to separate electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient by designing unique secondary phase interfaces.

A hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of application-based tiered care (Mom's Good Mood) in treating perinatal anxiety within a primary health care system in China.

INTRODUCTION: Perinatal anxiety (PNA) is a major public health concern. METHODS: A hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial was conducted in two antenatal clinics in Hefei, China, to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of application-based tiered care (Mom's Good Mood, MGM) in treating PNA and to understand how well it fits into routine practices. Pregnant women who scored at least 5 points on the 7-Item Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) scale were successively assigned to the control group or the intervention group, which were given the usual care and MGM on usual care, respectively. At 6 months post partum, anxiety, depression and life satisfaction were assessed. Intention-to-treat analysis and the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework were adopted. RESULTS: A total of 214 women were assigned to the control group and 341 to the intervention group. The mean changes in GAD-7 scores (Least-squares means, LSM, -1.42, 95% CI -2.18 to -0.66) and the risk of anxiety (adjusted odds ratio, aOR 0.30, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.51) were decreased, and the anxiety remission rate (aOR 2.72, 95% CI 1.69 to 4.40) were improved in the intervention group. Similar findings were observed regarding the change in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores (LS -1.92, 95% CI -2.85 to -0.99), depression remission rate (aOR 2.24, 95% CI 1.39 to 3.63) and the risk of depression (aOR 0.57, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.98). MGM only costs ¥1.88 (US$0.27) per pregnant woman to boost the postpartum anxiety remission rate by 1% and was revealed to have a high reach rate of 78.3%, an adoption rate of 51.3%-80.8%. CONCLUSION: MGM is a cost-effective and accessible tool in coping with PNA. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2100053419.

Assessing early tubular protective effects of SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin against type 2 diabetes mellitus using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

AIMS: To observe the alterations in functional magnetic resonance imaging parameters in normoalbuminuric type 2 diabetic patients undergoing SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin treatment and investigate the early tubular protective effects of the inhibitor. METHODS: This study was performed in normoalbuminuric type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (UACR < 30 mg/g, eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m2). The patients were divided into the intervention group (empagliflozin) and the control group (27 cases each). The intervention group was treated with 10 mg/day empagliflozin tablets orally, while the control group had adjustments to their basic treatment stage. The patients were treated for 6 weeks. RESULTS: The baseline clinical data of the two groups were comparable (P˃0.05). The intervention group exhibited better improvements in blood lipid profiles and more significant reductions in blood uric acid levels compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The two groups had No significant difference in blood pressure changes (P˃0.05). Notably, the intervention group demonstrated a greater reduction in UACR and a more substantial decline in eGFR than the control group (P < 0.05). Regarding functional magnetic resonance imaging parameters, the MD value of the renal medulla region in the intervention group increased after treatment, while the MR2* value of the renal medulla region decreased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin can reduce UACR and eGFR levels in early type 2 diabetic patients with normal proteinuria. Moreover, empagliflozin therapy led to an increase in the MD value and a decrease in the MR2* value of the renal medulla, evidencing the early tubular protective effects of this therapy.

Comprehensive multicomponent characterization and quality assessment of Xiaoyao Wan by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS, HS-SPME-GC-MS and HS-GC-IMS.

Xiaoyao Wan (XYW) is a prescription medicine of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the effects of "soothing the liver and relieving depression," and "strengthening spleen and nourishing blood". XYW has been widely concerned in the treatment of depression and has become one of the commonly used classic formulas in clinical practice. However, the pharmacodynamic substance basis and the quality control studies of XYW are hitherto quite limited. Here, we aim to fully utilize an advanced ultra - performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole - Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS), headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) technique to deep characterization of the pharmacological substance basis and quantitatively evaluate the quality of XYW. Firstly, 299 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized, including 198 non-volatile organic compounds (n-VOCs) and 101 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Secondly, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to analyze quality differences in XYW at different manufacturers. Thirdly, a parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) method was established and validated to quantify the fourteen major effective substances in different manufacturers of XYW, which were chosen as the benchmarked substances to evaluate the quality of XYW. In conclusion, this study shows that the strategy provides a useful method for quality control of TCM and offers a practical workflow for exploring the quality consistency of TCM.

Sensory attributes, chemical and microbiological properties of cigars aged with different media.

Introduction: Aging is an important process to improve the quality of cigar, but the effect of aging with media on cigar has not been reported.Therefore, this study aimed to prepare different aging media and clarify the influence of media on cigar quality. Methods: Effective media were first screened by sensory evaluation, then the effects of aging media on the chemical composition and microbial community of cigar were investigated. Results: The results showed that: 1) As aging media, coffee formula and cocoa formula could optimize the smoke and aroma characteristics of cigar, and 30 days was the appropriate period for cigar aging. 2) Aging with coffee or cocoa media could increase the content of amino acids, non-volatile organic acids, malic acid and aroma components. Particularly, the content of aroma components increased from 2.48 mg g-1 (W-30) to 3.21 mg g-1 (C-30) and 3.70 mg g-1 (K-30), respectively. 3) Aging with coffee can improve the diversity of bacteria and fungi on the cigar surface and change the succession rule of bacterial community. In contrast, aging with cocoa had no significant effect on microbial diversity of cigar. Discussion: In this study, the influence of aging media on cigar quality was analyzed multidimensionally for the first time, which provided a reference for the development of new aging media and technologies to improve cigar quality.

Correlation Between Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Renal Tubular Injury Markers in Early Assessment Of Renal Tubular Injury in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: Both functional magnetic resonance imaging and renal tubular injury markers have been proved to be able to detect early renal damage in normoalbuminuric diabetic patients. This study mainly explored the functional magnetic resonance imaging parameters and renal tubular injury markers in the early evaluation of type 2 diabetes. Methods: A case observation study was established, and 62 patients with early-stage low-risk type 2 diabetes mellitus with normoalbuminuric (UACR<30 mg/g, eGFR≥60 ml/min/1.73 m2) were included for analysis. Urine kidney damage was determined by ELISA. Kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) assessment of renal tubular injury, and use of intravoxel incoherent motion magnetic resonance Imaging (intravoxel incoherent motion, IVIM) and blood oxygen level dependent magnetic resonance imaging (blood oxygen level dependent, BOLD) to evaluate renal cortex, medulla blood perfusion, water molecule diffusion, oxygenation level and other functional information, using linear correlation to analyze the correlation between functional magnetic resonance imaging parameters and markers of renal tubular injury. Results: The correlation analysis between IVIM parameters and renal tubular injury markers showed that KIM-1 was inversely correlated with the MD value of the renal medulla region parameter (r = -0.24, P = .03), and was closely related to the other IVIM cortex and medulla. There was no correlation between qualitative parameters (P > .05), and no correlation between NGAL and all parameters of IVIM (P > .05). The correlation analysis between BOLD parameters and renal tubular injury markers showed that KIM-1 was positively correlated with renal medulla region parameter MR2* value (r = 0.26, P = .04) and MCR value (r = 0.28, P = .03), respectively. There was also a positive correlation between NGAL and renal medulla region parameter MR2* value (r = 0.24, P = .04). Conclusion: In the early low-risk type 2 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria, the more obvious the renal medullary water molecule diffusion disorder, the higher the renal tubular injury marker KIM-1, and the more severe renal medullary hypoxia, the renal tubular injury. The higher the markers KIM-1 and NGAL are, it is proved that the hypoxia and water diffusion disorder in the early renal medulla are related to renal tubular damage.

[Combined effect of active smoking history and passive smoking during pregnancy on postpartum depression and anxiety].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the independent and combined effects of smoking and passive smoking during pregnancy on maternal depression, anxiety and depressive anxiety comorbidities. METHODS: From August 2020 to February 2022, women who underwent 42-day postpartum examination in Changfeng Women's Center and Shuangfeng Hospital of Hefei were recruited. Their depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed using EPDS Scale and GAD Scale, respectively, and smoking and passive smoking status during pregnancy were collected. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent and combined effects of smoking and passive smoking during pregnancy on postpartum depression, anxiety and depression and anxiety comorbidities. RESULTS: A total of 2 447 parturients were included, whose mean age was(29.23±4.20) years old.58.6% of parturients lived in urban areas.97.2% parturients had unassisted reproduction and 73.5% pregnancy intention was spontaneous. Among them, 362(14.8%) had depression, 523(21.4%) had anxiety, and 270(11.0%) had depression and anxiety comorbidities. In an independent analysis of effects, maternal smoking during pregnancy was statistically associated with postpartum depression(OR=3.86, 95%CI 2.37-6.28), anxiety(OR =2.58, 95%CI 1.60-4.17) and depressive anxiety comorbidity(OR = 3.34, 95%CI 2.00-5.71). Maternal passive smoking during pregnancy was also positively associated with the risk of postpartum depression(OR = 1.56, 95%CI 2.00-5.71), anxiety(OR=1.71, 95%CI 1.24-2.37) and depression and anxiety comorbidities(OR = 1.52, 95%CI 1.02-2.28), and the higher the frequency of exposure to passive smoking, the higher risk of depression, anxiety, and depressive and anxiety comorbidities. No interaction between smoking during pregnancy and passive smoking exposure on postpartum depression(RERI = 0.69, 95%CI-4.62-6.00; AP = 10.84, 95%CI-73.37-95.04; S= 0.58, 95%CI 0.02-15.18), anxiety(RERI=0.27, 95%CI 0.05-0.49; AP=4.02, 95%CI-0.52-8.57; S=0.78, 95%CI 0.64-0.94) and depression and anxiety comorbidities(RERI = 0.07, 95%CI-0.25-0.39; AP=1.74, 95%CI-6.03-9.52; S=0.93, 95%CI 0.68-1.27)was observed. CONCLUSION: Both smoking and passive smoking during pregnancy were positively associated with the risk of postpartum depression, anxiety and depressive anxiety comorbidity.

[Weight gain rate in the first and second trimesters and risk of gestational diabetes:a prospective cohort study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the rate of weight gain in the first and second trimesters and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM). METHODS: A total of 1189 maternal cases were included at baseline from May to September 2019 when they first came to the Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Ma'anshan for delivery and establishment of maternal health handbook(≤14 weeks+6). A total of 968 maternal cases were included in the final analysis, including 289 cases of GDM. Information on maternal socio-demographic characteristics, past history and lifestyle was collected through questionnaires. Oral glucose tolerance test was performed to screen for GDM at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy. Multi-factor logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the rate of weight gain in the first and second trimesters and GDM. RESULTS: After adjusting for pre-pregnancy BMI, age, occupation, number of births, number of pregnancies, type of residence, family history of diabetes, season of conception and mode of conception, an increased risk of GDM was found for rapid weight gain in early pregnancy compared with appropriate rate of gain(rapid group: aOR=1.92, 95%CI 1.20-3.07). No risk of GDM was found for rapid or slow weight gain in mid-pregnancy(rapid group : aOR=0.89, 95%CI 0.47-1.70)(slow group: aOR=1.57, 95%CI 0.85-2.90). Further stratified by pre-pregnancy BMI, pre-pregnancy BMI <24-overly rapid growth rate in early pregnancy was a risk factor for GDM(rapid group; aOR=1.98, 95%CI 1.16-3.38) and no significant association was observed in pregnant women with pre-pregnancy BMI ≥24(slow group: aOR=0.79, 95%CI 0.29-2.12; rapid group: aOR=1.61, 95%CI 0.60-4.30). A multiplicative model showing no interaction between pre-pregnancy BMI and early pregnancy weight gain rate for GDM. CONCLUSION: Excessive growth rate in the first pregnancy can affect the risk of GDM.

Joint Association of Dietary Protein Intake and Eating Habits with the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Case-Control Study.

Because the associations between different dietary protein sources and the risks of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are inconsistent, and those of eating habits with GDM have rarely been explored, we aimed to investigate the independent and joint association of major dietary protein sources and eating habits with GDM in a case-control study including 353 GDM cases and 718 controls in China. Dietary protein intake and eating habits prior to GDM diagnosis were collected through questionnaires at 24~28 gestational weeks. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the independent and joint associations of dietary protein intake and eating habits with GDM. The Anderson model was used assess if there is an additive interaction between them. Animal protein, red meat protein and dairy products protein intake were significantly and positively associated with GDM. Among the eating habits, preferences for hot food, firm food and soft food were significantly associated with higher odds of GDM. Individuals with unhealthy eating habits and high dietary protein simultaneously had the highest odds of GDM, and the ORs were 2.06 (1.25, 3.41) for the total protein, 2.97 (1.78, 4.96) for animal meat, 3.98 (2.41, 6.57) for the red meat protein and 2.82 (1.81, 4.41) for the dairy protein; the p values for the trend were all significant (p < 0.001). However, no additive interaction was detected. In conclusion, our study found that dietary protein intake and eating habits prior to GDM diagnosis were both independently and jointly associated with the odds of GDM.

An Exploration of Dynamic Changes in the Mulberry Growth Process Based on UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS, HS-SPME-GC-MS, and HS-GC-IMS.

This work was designed to investigate the dynamic changes process of non-volatile organic compounds (n-VOCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in mulberries during different growth periods using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS, HS-SPME-GC-MS, and HS-GC-IMS. A total of 166 compounds were identified, including 68 n-VOCs and 98 VOCs. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA), random forest analysis (RFA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to analyze differences in mulberries at different ripening stages. A total of 74 compounds appeared or disappeared at different ripening periods and 24 compounds were presented throughout the growth process. Quantitative analysis and antioxidant experiments revealed that as the mulberries continued to mature, flavonoids and phenolic acids continued to increase, and the best antioxidant activity occurred from stage IV. Conclusively, an effective strategy was established for analyzing the composition change process during different growth periods, which could assist in achieving dynamic change process analysis and quality control.

Recent progress on chiral extractants for enantioselective liquid-liquid extraction.

As the demand for enantiopure compounds increases, chiral separation has become increasingly important in many fields. Enantioselective liquid-liquid extraction is an up-and-coming technology for enantiomeric separation because it is highly efficient and easy to be scaled up. The key factor for enantioselective liquid-liquid extraction is the development of novel chiral extractants with high enantiorecognition performance. With successful studies on catalytically active metal complexes as chiral extractants, novel chiral extractants can be screened and designed from the field of asymmetric catalysis. Chiral ionic liquids, sulfobutylether-ß-cyclodextrins bonded magnetic nanoparticles and 2,2',3,3'-tetrahydro-1,1'-spirobi[indene]-7,7'-diol (SPINOL) based phosphoric acid host show unique potential ability in enantioselective liquid-liquid extraction and they deserve further study. Brief principles, extraction equipment and solvent systems in enantioselective liquid-liquid extraction are presented in the present paper, and recent progress in development of new chiral extractants in the past decade is mainly reviewed, including metal complexes, cyclodextrins, ionic liquids, tartrate acids and crown ethers.

Effect of polysaccharides on conformational changes and functional properties of protein-polyphenol binary complexes: A comparative study.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different polysaccharides on the binding behavior and functional properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI)-quercetin (Que) complex. The binding behavior was assessed using multi-spectral technique with the Stern-Volmer equation, which confirmed the presence of static fluorescence quenching in Que and SPI. The addition of sodium alginate (SA) resulted in a reduction of the binding affinity between SPI and Que, while dextran (DX) exhibited some promoting effect. A slight blue shift was observed in amide I and amide II bands, indicating the presence of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Circular dichroism spectra revealed the ordered structures transformed into a more disordered state when polysaccharides were added, leading to an increase in random coils (SA: 18.5 %, DX: 15.4 %). Docking and dynamic simulations demonstrated that SA displayed greater stability within the hydrophobic compartments of SPI than DX, increased rigidity and stability of the SPI structure in SPI-Que-SA complexes. Electrostatic forces played a significant role between SPI and SA, while van der Waals forces were the main driving forces in SPI-DX complexes. Overall, the introduction of SA led to a looser and stable structure of SPI-Que complexes, resulting in an improvement of their emulsifying, foaming, and antioxidant properties.

Retention correlation and orthogonality between reversed phase countercurrent chromatography and liquid chromatography based on solvent strength.

Correlation of elution performance between reversed phase countercurrent chromatography and liquid chromatography was investigated using five selected natural components. Theoretical guidance for orthogonality of two-dimensional countercurrent chromatography and liquid chromatography was proposed. The difference in retention behavior between countercurrent chromatography and liquid chromatography was studied when the mobile phase was composed of methanol and water by measuring the partition behavior of five selected compounds in two typical biphasic solvent systems composed of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water and chloroform-methanol-water. An orthogonal diagram between countercurrent chromatography and liquid chromatography was obtained by normalized treatment of the measured partition coefficients and capacity factors. The experimental results showed that each biphasic solvent system used for countercurrent chromatography had a high orthogonality with liquid chromatography when a specific volume ratio was used.

Rapid and nondestructive identification of adulterate capsules by NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics.

This study aims to develop a rapid and non-destructive method to identify counterfeit and substandard drugs, addressing the critical need for better quality control in drug production. According to the reasons for counterfeit products in actual production, the commonly used solid preparation excipients such as HPMC, MCC, Mg-St and Pregelatinized Starch, as well as three chemical drugs with similar efficacy to Guizhi-Fuling (GZFL) Capsule as adulterants, including Aspirin, Ibuprofen and Sinomenine Hydrochloride were selected and designed as adulteration samples with different levels of adulteration. NIR spectra were collected in a non-invasive mode and analyzed by one-class classification methods. The feasibility of using Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as a detection method to qualitatively identify adulterated samples was explored at three packaging levels of powder, intact capsules and capsules in PVC. The differences between the samples were analyzed by NIR spectra comparison, cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The performance of SVM, OCPLS and DD-SIMCA models in dealing with the authentication of genuine and counterfeit products was established and compared. The results show that the spectra contain sample information and the adulterated samples could be discriminated correctly by established models. Moreover, applying appropriate spectral preprocessing methods can further improve the model's performance. In addition, a PLS regression model was developed to predict the adulteration levels of the three packing level samples, which yielded satisfactory results. This study highlights the potential of NIR spectroscopy combined with Chemometrics as a rapid and non-destructive testing analysis method to accurately identify counterfeit and substandard drugs, thereby ensuring drug quality.

2D PtSe2 Enabled Wireless Wearable Gas Monitoring Circuits with Distinctive Strain-Enhanced Performance.

The application of 2D materials-based flexible electronics in wearable scenarios is limited due to performance degradation under strain fields. In contrast to its negative role in existing transistors or sensors, herein, we discover a positive effect of strain to the ammonia detection in 2D PtSe2. Linear modulation of sensitivity is achieved in flexible 2D PtSe2 sensors via a customized probe station with an in situ strain loading apparatus. For trace ammonia absorption, a 300% enhancement in room-temperature sensitivity (31.67% ppm-1) and an ultralow limit of detection (50 ppb) are observed under 1/4 mm-1 curvature strain. We identify three types of strain-sensitive adsorption sites in layered PtSe2 and pinpoint that basal-plane lattice distortion contributes to better sensing performance resulting from reduced absorption energy and larger charge transfer density. Furthermore, we demonstrate state-of-the-art 2D PtSe2-based wireless wearable integrated circuits, which allow real-time gas sensing data acquisition, processing, and transmission through a Bluetooth module to user terminals. The circuits exhibit a wide detection range with a maximum sensitivity value of 0.026 V·ppm-1 and a low energy consumption below 2 mW.

Body composition and risk of liver cancer: a population-based prospective cohort study on gender difference.

Background: Obesity is a common and highly convincing risk factor for many cancers, including liver cancer. Sex disparities in the body composition and regulatory mechanisms involved in energy homeostasis may contribute to the difference in the incidence of cancer. However, evidence on the gender-specific association between body composition and liver cancer incidence is limited. We performed this study to investigate the linear and non-linear associations of body composition with liver cancer risk by gender. Materials and methods: This prospective analysis included 4,75,659 participants free of cancer, based on the UK Biobank. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjusting for potential confounders. Restricted cubic spline was performed to investigate the potential non-linear associations. Results: During a median follow-up, 275 cases (174 male patients and 101 female patients) of liver cancer were identified. Male patients in the highest body fat percentage group are more likely to develop liver cancer (HR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.17-3.03) compared with those in the lowest group. The one-unit increase of whole-body fat mass, arm fat mass, and trunk fat mass was associated with 1.03-, 1.14-, and 1.05-fold increased risk of liver cancer in male subjects, respectively. U-shaped associations of body composition with liver cancer risk were observed in the female subjects. Both high and low levels of whole-body fat-free mass, particularly in the arm and trunk, were associated with an increased risk of liver cancer. Conclusion: This study found a gender-specific association between body composition and liver cancer risk and provided evidence for individualized weight management for the prevention of liver cancer.

Associating phthalate exposure during pregnancy with preschooler's FMI, ABSI and BRI trajectories via putative mechanism pathways.

Phthalates are well-known obesogens, but a few studies have explored their impacts on the childhood fat mass index (FMI), body shape index (ABSI) and body roundness index (BRI). Information from 2950 participants recruited in the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort was analyzed. The relationships between six maternal phthalate metabolites and their mixture and childhood FMI, ABSI and BRI were investigated. FMI, ABSI and BRI in children aged 3.5 y, 4.0 y, 4.5 y, 5.0 y, 5.5 y and 6.0 y were calculated. The latent class trajectory modeling categorized the FMI trajectories into "rapidly increasing FMI" (4.71%) and "stable FMI" (95.29%) groups; ABSI trajectories were categorized as "decreasing ABSI" (32.74%), "stable ABSI" (46.55%), "slowly increasing ABSI" (13.26%), "moderately increasing ABSI" (5.27%) and "rapidly increasing ABSI" (2.18%) groups; BRI trajectories were categorized as "increasing BRI" (2.82%), "stable BRI" (19.85%), and "decreasing BRI" (77.34%) groups. Prenatal MEP exposure was associated with repeated measurements of FMI (ß = 0.111, 95% CI = 0.002-0.221), ABSI (ß = 0.145, 95% CI = 0.023-0.268) and BRI (ß = 0.046, 95% CI = -0.005-0.097). Compared with each stable trajectory group, prenatal MEP (OR = 0.650, 95% CI = 0.502-0.844) and MBP (OR = 0.717, 95% CI = 0.984-1.015) were linked to a decreased risk of "decreasing BRI" in children; there was a negative relationship between MBP and the "decreasing ABSI" group (OR = 0.667, 95% CI = 0.487-0.914), and MEP increased the risks of "slowly increasing ABSI" (OR = 1.668, 95% CI = 1.210-2.299) and "rapidly increasing ABSI" (OR = 2.522, 95% CI = 1.266-5.024) in children. Phthalate mixture during pregnancy showed significant relationships with all anthropometric indicator trajectories, with MEP and MBP always being of the largest importance. In conclusion, this study suggested that prenatal phthalate coexposure increased the childhood probability of being in higher ABSI and BRI trajectory groups. That is, children were more likely to be obese when they were exposed to higher levels of some phthalate metabolites and their mixture. The low-molecular weight phthalates, including MEP and MBP, contributed the greatest weights.