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Objective: In view of the improvement of the national standard method of distillation pretreatment, combined with the advantages of ion chromatography, a rapid determination of sulfite by microextract-ion chromatography in red wine was established. Methods: Sulfur dioxide was released by microextraction device, which was absorbed by sodium hydroxide solution to form sulfite, and then oxidized to sulfate. The samples were then filtered by 0.45 μm filter and determined by ion chromatograph. Results: The concentration of sulfite ion in range of 1.0~50 mg/L showed a linear relationship with the peak area, with correlation coefficient of 0.999 9, and the detection limit was 0.24 mg/L. The average recoveries of different levels of sulfate were 95.2%~99.1%, and the relative standard deviations (RSD) were 6.84%~8.65%. Conclusion: The method has the advantages of simple and fast pretreatment operation, reduced impurity interference significantly, and is suitable for the detection of batch samples.

Objective: To enhance the accuracy in predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) preoperatively in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), refining the "low‐risk" classification for tailored treatment strategies. Methods: This study involves the development and validation of a predictive model using a cohort of 1004 patients with PTMC undergoing thyroidectomy along with central neck dissection. The data was divided into a training cohort (n = 702) and a validation cohort (n = 302). Multivariate logistic regression identified independent LNM predictors in PTMC, leading to the construction of a predictive nomogram model. The model's performance was assessed through ROC analysis, calibration curve analysis, and decision curve analysis. Results: Identified LNM predictors in PTMC included age, tumor maximum diameter, nodule‐capsule distance, capsular contact length, bilateral suspicious lesions, absence of the lymphatic hilum, microcalcification, and sex. Especially, tumors larger than 7 mm, nodules closer to the capsule (less than 3 mm), and longer capsular contact lengths (more than 1 mm) showed higher LNM rates. The model exhibited AUCs of 0.733 and 0.771 in the training and validation cohorts respectively, alongside superior calibration and clinical utility. Conclusion: This study proposes and substantiates a preoperative predictive model for LNM in patients with PTMC, honing the precision of "low‐risk" categorization. This model furnishes clinicians with an invaluable tool for individualized treatment approach, ensuring better management of patients who might be proposed observation or ablative options in the absence of such predictive information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound/microwave assisted extraction (UMAE) of flavonoid compounds from Eucommia ulmoides leaves was studied and the extraction conditions were optimized by the Plackett-Burman design (PBD) method combined with the Box-Behnken design (BBD). The antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the flavonoid extract were investigated. The results show that the optimal conditions were an ethanol concentration of 41%, microwave power of 178 W and an ultrasound extraction time of 26 min. Under these conditions, the yield of the flavonoid compounds was 2.454%±0.230%, which was higher than that after direct solvent extraction, ultrasound extraction and microwave extraction. The results of in vitro antioxidant assays showed that the flavonoid extract had scavenging capacity for DPPH, ABTS and hydroxyl radicals, with corresponding IC50 values of 30.76 mg/L, 21.09 mg/L, 248.4 mg/L, respectively. In addition, this extract exhibited strong antibacterial activity on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium.

Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are a class of disinfection by-products (DBPs), widely occurring in drinking water, wastewater and swimming pool water with concentrations at sub-μg/L to mid-μg/L levels. HAAs arose public attention due to their cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Monitoring HAA concentration levels in aqueous environments is required. This review presents an overview of all techniques or methods for sample pretreatment, analysis and removal of HAAs in aqueous environments since 2000. For the pretreatment methods, the commonly used methods are compared and discussed in terms of advantages and drawbacks. Microextraction techniques are preferred as they are efficient, rapid and environment-friendly. Emerging pretreatment methods, such as techniques based on novel materials or liquids, have also been introduced. For the analytical methods, LC and GC coupled with various detectors are frequently used allowing detection at the required low μg/L levels in aquatic environments. The advances in mass spectrometers (MS) and a comparison between their pros and cons are summarized herein. Recent high resolution MS gave give mass accuracy of 0.0001 Da with a resolving power up to 140,000 full width at half maximum height improving feature identifications in nontargeted analyses. For HAA removal methods, advanced oxidation techniques, adsorption and biodegradation were updated, improved and upscaled. Combining two or more removal techniques, the efficiency can reach 99%. Lastly, this review points out critical gaps and proposes future trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor sleep quality is a common problem among hemodialysis (HD) patients. Dietary fiber is a key component of a healthy diet and is beneficial for a variety of health outcomes; however, evidence of an association between dietary fiber consumption and subjective sleep quality has not been established among HD patients. Therefore, we determined the association between dietary fiber consumption and the subjective sleep quality in Chinese maintenance HD patients, taking into account fiber type and source. Dietary intake was assessed with a validated food frequency questionnaire in a cross-sectional study including 741 maintenance HD patients between December 2021 and January 2022. The daily intake of dietary fiber was categorized into three groups. The lowest tertile was used as the reference category. Sleep quality of patients was accurately calculated using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index standard questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression model and restricted cubic spline analysis were performed to assess the relationship between dietary fiber consumption and poor sleep quality. Compared with the lowest tertile group of dietary fiber intake, the highest tertile group had a lower prevalence of poor sleep quality. After adjustment for potential confounders, a higher intake of total dietary fiber (ORtertile 3 (T3) to tertile 1 (T1)= 0.51, 95% CI: 0.31–0.85), total insoluble dietary fiber (ORT3 to T1 =0.54, 95% CI: 0.33–0.89), and soluble dietary fiber in vegetables (ORT3 to T1 =0.61, 95% CI: 0.40–0.93) were associated with a lower prevalence of poor sleep quality. Furthermore, significant linear trends were also observed (p < 0.05). No significant interactions were observed in subgroup analyses. A higher intake of dietary fiber was inversely associated with the poor sleep quality. These findings support the current recommendations that dietary fiber is essential for health and well-being. This study was conducted because there was not prior evidence connecting sleep quality and dietary fiber consumption in hemodialysis patients. In the present study a cross-sectional design was used to assess the association between dietary fiber consumption and poor sleep quality. Intake of total dietary fiber, total insoluble dietary fiber, and soluble dietary fiber in vegetables were negatively associated with poor sleep quality among maintenance hemodialysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between serum β2-microglobulin (β2M) levels and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and the incidence of cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) is inconclusive. Furthermore, no study has been performed in China on the significance of serum β2M levels in MHD patients. Therefore, this study investigated the aforementioned association in MHD patients. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 521 MHD patients were followed at Dalian Municipal Central Hospital affiliated with Dalian University of Technology from December 2019 to December 2021. The serum β2M levels were categorized into three tertiles, and the lowest tertile served as the reference group. Survival curves were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models. Sensitivity analysis was performed by excluding patients with CVD at baseline. Results: During the follow-up period of 21.4 ± 6.3 months, there were 106 all-cause deaths, of which 68 were caused by CVD. When excluding CVD patients at baseline, there were 66 incident CVEs. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality in the highest tertile of serum β2M levels was significantly higher than that in the lowest tertile (P < 0.05), but not for the CVEs (P > 0.05). After adjusting for potential confounders, serum β2M levels were positively associated with the risk of all-cause (HR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.21–4.17) and CVD (HR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.19–5.43) mortality, and a linear trend was evident (P < 0.05). Besides, the results of sensitivity analysis were consistent with the main findings. However, we didn't observed the significant association between serum β2M levels and CVEs (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The serum β2M level may be a significant predictor of the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality in MHD patients. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Protective effects of Gynura bicolor aqueous extract (GAE) at three concentrations upon nerve growth factor (NGF) differentiated-PC12 cells against H2O2 induced injury were examined. Methods: NGF differentiated-PC12 cells were treated with GAE at 0.25%, 0.5% or 1%. 100 μM H2O2 was used to treat cells with GAE pre-treatments. After incubating at 37 °C for 12 hr, experimental analyses were processed. Results: H2O2 exposure decreased cell viability, increased plasma membrane damage, suppressed Bcl-2 mRNA expression and enhanced Bax mRNA expression. GAE pre-treatments reversed these changes. H2O2 exposure reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, lowered Na+-K+-ATPase activity, and increased DNA fragmentation and Ca2+ release. GAE pre-treatments attenuated these alterations. H2O2 stimulated the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, lowered glutathione content, and reduced glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase activities. GAE pretreatments maintained GPX and catalase activities; and concentration-dependently diminished the generation of ROS and inflammatory cytokines. H2O2 enhanced mRNA expression of nuclear factor kappa (NF-κ) B and p38. GAE pre-treatments decreased mRNA expression of NF-κB and p38. Conclusion: These findings suggested that GAE might be a potent neuronal protective agent.