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AbstractRecently, the safety of anthraquinone (AQ) in Chinese tea has received much attention. This study determined the concentration of AQ in 1573 Chinese tea samples by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). It was observed that the total detection rate of AQ was 60.97%, and the mean concentration was 0.0170 mg/kg. The concentration levels of AQ in tea varied by different types of tea, different packaging types, different sale spots and different tea-producing areas. The results of the deterministic assessment show that the health risks associated with daily exposure to AQ via tea consumption are low in different populations in China. For the general population, the mean daily exposure of AQ via tea consumption was (2.50 × 10−4) µg/kg body weight (BW), 0.0037% of the acceptable daily intake of AQ (6.8 µg/kg BW). In the different sex-age groups, the highest mean daily exposure of AQ via tea consumption was found in the male group aged ≥ 60 years, which was (2.84 × 10−4) µg/kg BW. The high consumer exposure (95th percentile, P95) was found in the female group aged ≥ 60 years, which was (9.36 × 10−4) µg/kg BW. Green tea is the main type of tea with AQ exposure by Chinese tea consumers.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a prevalent food additive, yet comprehensive data on particle size and dietary exposure are lacking in China. Transmission electron microscopy results revealed that the quantitative proportion of nanoparticles (NPs) in food-additive TiO2 was 37.7%, with a mass fraction of 9.89%. Laboratory test results showed that among the domestic products surveyed, candies excluding gum-based candies contained the highest content of TiO2. Using consumption data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2018, the average dietary exposure for TiO2 and TiO2 NPs in the Chinese population were calculated at 34.84 and 3.44 μg/kg bw/day, respectively. The primary dietary sources were puffed food and powdered drinks. Exposure varied significantly across age and region, with children and Inner Mongolia residents having the highest intake. TiO2 NP exposure showed a negative correlation with age. Despite this, the dietary exposure risk of TiO2 NPs for the Chinese population remains deemed acceptable.

Abstract Retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) is a rare malignancy which can be difficult to manage due to the variety of clinical behaviors. In this study, we aimed to develop a parametric modeling framework to quantify the relationship between postoperative dynamics of several biomarkers and overall/progression‐free survival of RPS. One hundred seventy‐four patients with RPS who received surgical resection with curative intent at the Peking University Cancer Hospital Sarcoma Center were retrospectively included. Potential prognostic factors were preliminarily identified. Longitudinal analyses of body mass index (BMI), serum total protein (TP), and white blood cells (WBCs) were performed using nonlinear mixed effects models. The impacts of time‐varying and time‐invariant predictors on survival were investigated by parametric time‐to‐event (TTE) models. The majority of patients experienced decline in BMI, recovery of TP, as well as transient elevation in WBC counts after surgery, which significantly correlated with survival. An indirect‐response model incorporating surgery effect described the fluctuation in percentage BMI. The recovery of TP was captured by a modified Gompertz model, and a semimechanistic model was selected for WBCs. TTE models estimated that the daily cumulative average of predicted BMI and WBC, the seventh‐day TP, as well as certain baseline variables, were significant predictors of survival. Model‐based simulations were performed to examine the clinical significance of prognostic factors. The current work quantified the individual trajectories of prognostic biomarkers in response to surgery and predicted clinical outcomes, which would constitute an additional strategy for disease monitoring and intervention in postoperative RPS.

Background: Recent studies have raised concerns about genotoxic effects associated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), which are commonly used. This meta-analysis aims to investigate the potential genotoxicity of TiO2 NPs and explore influencing factors. Methods: This study systematically searched Chinese and English literature. The literature underwent quality evaluation, including reliability evaluation using the toxicological data reliability assessment method and relevance evaluation using routine evaluation forms. Meta-analysis and subgroup analyses were performed using R software, with the standardized mean difference (SMD) as the combined effect value. Results: A total of 26 studies met the inclusion criteria and passed the quality assessment. Meta-analysis results indicated that the SMD for each genotoxic endpoint was greater than 0. This finding implies a significant association between TiO2 NP treatment and DNA damage and chromosome damage both in vivo and in vitro and gene mutation in vitro. Subgroup analysis revealed that short-term exposure to TiO2 NPs increased DNA damage. Rats and cancer cells exhibited heightened susceptibility to DNA damage triggered by TiO2 NPs (p < 0.05). Conclusions: TiO2 NPs could induce genotoxicity, including DNA damage, chromosomal damage, and in vitro gene mutations. The mechanism of DNA damage response plays a key role in the genotoxicity induced by TiO2 NPs.

Objective To explore the condiment consumption for restaurant customers in Chinese, and provide basic data for risk assessment of hazards and nutrients in condiment. Methods Weighing method and three-day record method were used to investigate the condiment usage of 126 restaurants in 7 provinces/cities of Beijing, Chongqing, Liaoning, Shandong, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shaanxi. Meanwhile, the number of people eating in each restaurant every day was recorded to estimate the average consumption. Results The median consumption of condiments per person-time in Chinese restaurants was 3.52 g of salt and substitutes, 1.33 g of flavor enhancer and freshener, 3.63 g of vinegar, 5.18 g of soy sauce, 1.78 g of sauce and its products, 0.25 g of cooking wine and its products,1.54 g of spices, 3.64 g of compound condiments and 0.00 g of other condiments. The difference of condiments consumption among restaurant customers in each province and city was statistically significant(P

Objective To analyze the combined use of food additives in China, and to assess exposure levels of the common combination of food additives and its cumulative health risks. Methods According to the combined use of food additives in China in the global New Product Database, the maximum allowable amount of food additives of National Food Safety Standards the Use of Food Additives GB 2760-2014, food safety risk monitoring result in China from 2015 to 2019 and the data of the Chinese total dietary study in 2012, a simple distribution method was used to calculate the theoretical and the actual exposure of the common food additives combination in Chinese population and hazard index (HI) method was used to evaluate the cumulative risk. Results Two or more food additives was used in 79.90% of the foods in China, and the highest utilization rate is binary combination, followed by ternary combination and quaternary combination, with a maximum of 29 combination. Through the use of the quaternion combination, the average theoretical daily exposure of sodium benzoate, cyclamate and potassium sorbate in the diet of the general population in China was 1.30, 1.07 and 1.51 mg/kg BW, respectively. The theoretical exposures in the diets of the high food consumption group (P95) were 4.44, 4.69, and 5.19 mg/kg BW, respectively. The proportion of individuals whose average daily theoretical exposure of sodium benzoate, sodium cyclamate and potassium sorbate exceed their corresponding acceptable daily intake (ADI) in the general population was 5.50%. Through cumulative evaluation, it was found that 4 376 individuals had HI≥1, accounting for 13.69% of the surveyed population. According to the actual monitoring data, the average actual daily exposure of sodium benzoate, cyclamate and potassium sorbate in the diet of the general population in China was 0.17, 0.08 and 0.05 mg/kg BW, respectively. The actual exposures in the diets of the high food consumption group (P95) were 0.58, 0.33, and 0.44 mg/kg BW, respectively. The proportion of individuals whose average daily actual exposure of sodium benzoate, sodium cyclamate and potassium sorbate exceed their corresponding ADI in the general population is 0.02%. Through cumulative evaluation, it was found that 12 individuals had HI ≥ 1, accounting for 0.04% of the surveyed population. Conclusion Food additives in China are usually used in multiple forms, the most commonly used additives in binary, ternary and quaternary combinations have low cumulative exposure risks. However, individuals with HI≥1 should adjust their diet.

A duplicate diet collection method was used to estimate dietary exposure to glutamates in children aged 2–5 years in selected provinces of China. Daily duplicate diet samples were collected from 86 healthy toddlers over three consecutive days. Glutamates were analyzed using ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–MS/MS (UHPLC–MS/MS). Results showed that the highest glutamates content was found in mixed meals, at 5.12 mg/kg, followed by powdered formula (3.89 mg/kg), and milk and dairy products (2.29 mg/kg). The total mean daily dietary exposure for subjects was 0.20 mg/kg BW, and P95 daily dietary exposure was 0.44 mg/kg BW, both below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) (120 mg/kg BW) recommended by the Joint (FAO/WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the ADI (30 mg/kg BW) set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Hence it can be considered that glutamates exposure would cause low risk in this group.

Objective To study caffeine concentration level in the main beverages, and evaluate the caffeine intake through beverages in Shandong population and its potential health risks. Methods Caffeine concentration levels of 319 beverages samples were determined. Consumption data of beverages were obtained from a survey of 2 523 Shandong residents conducted in 2013. The deterministic assessment model was used to calculate dietary intake of caffeine in Shandong population. Results The average caffeine concentration level in 8 kinds of beverages was 9 210.06 mg/kg, and the maximum value was 49 059.60 mg/kg. The average intake of caffeine from beverages by Shandong population was 61.62 μg/kg BW per day, well below the safe level of 6.7 mg/kg BW. The dietary intake of caffeine in men aged 60 years old and older was the highest, with an average of 166.55 μg/kg BW per day, 2.49% of the comparator of 6.7 mg/kg BW. The 97.5th percentile (P97.5) of daily caffeine intake was 476.82 μg/kg BW per day, well below the comparator of 6.7 mg/kg BW. The range of the 97.5th percentile (P97.5) of daily caffeine intake in each gender and age group was from 0.00 to 3 104.70 μg/kg BW per day. The maximum exposure of the 97.5th percentile was that of the 13-17 women group. Main food source of caffeine was tea, with a contribution rate of 74.19% in Shandong. The cola was the main source of caffeine intake in 3-12 years old. Conclusion The caffeine intakes through beverages by Shandong population do not rise to safety concerns. Tea and cola were the main food contributor of caffeine dietary intake for adults and children, respectively.

Objective To analyze the concentration and source of benzoic acid in rice wine and evaluate the health risk of dietary benzoic acid intake from rice wine among adult consumers in China. Methods 231 samples of rice wine and 15 samples of raw materials were collected from five main rice wine production areas in China, including Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian and Shanghai; the content of benzoic acid and its precursors were determined by high performance liquid chromatography; the sources of benzoic acid in rice wine were analyzed by the benzaldehyde and phenylalanine simulation test and the real sample acceleration test; the benzoic acid intake among adult consumers was evaluated by simple distribution assessment method. Results In all rice wine samples, the detection rate of benzoic acid was 99.13% (229/231), the concentration range of benzoic acid was ND (not detectable) -37.00 mg/L, and the average was 2.28 mg/L. In 98 end products, the detection rate of benzoic acid was 100.00% (98/98), the concentration range of benzoic acid was ND-1.60 mg/L, and the average was 0.52 mg/L; in 133 base wine samples, the detection rate of benzoic acid was 98.50% (131/133), the content range of benzoic acid was ND-37.00 mg/L, and the average was 3.58 mg/L. The result of source analysis showed that the benzoic acid in rice wine mainly came from raw materials, degradation of phenylalanine and oxidation of benzaldehyde. Exposure assessment result showed that the average exposure of benzoic acid for rice wine consumers in China was 0.001 mg/kg BW, accounting for 0.02% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI); and the 95th percentile was 0.005 mg/kg BW, accounting for 0.1% of the ADI. Conclusion The detection rate of benzoic acid in rice wine was high but the concentration was low. Source analysis result indicated that benzoic acid in rice wine mainly came from raw materials, degradation of phenylalanine and oxidation of benzaldehyde; the health risk of benzoic acid exposure to adult rice wine consumers in China was low.

A code recovery method of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) authorized service (AS) signal component is described under the condition of a high signal-to-noise ratio. The correctness of the spreading code verification can be used to monitor the health status of satellite payloads. Pseudo code recovery is a precondition to verify the validity of pseudo code. For a specified GNSS signal multiplexing approach, the distribution of baseband signal phase points on a constellation diagram is established. The open service signal component and the AS signal component correlate with each other on the unit circle. By wiping off the signal carrier, each signal component can be recovered according to the phase table of the transmitted signal. Different states of the global positioning system L1 signal is introduced, and the AS signal component recovery performance under different constant enveloping modulations is analyzed. This paper provides a reference for the analysis, evaluation, and system optimization design of a GNSS signal. Relevant research results can be applied to satellite signal quality monitoring and electronic reconnaissance.

In this work, SiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by the sol-gel method after sodium silicate was extracted from rice husk ash (RHA) under various experimental conditions such as types of acids, NaOH concentration, dissolved time, and temperature and used for removal of Fe2+ ions from aqueous solutions. The extracted SiO2 was morphologically and chemically characterized and showed a surface area of 78 m2/g and uniform pores of 2.71 nm, offering high adsorption capacity for Fe2+ ions. The influence of pH, contact time, and amount of adsorbent was studied in order to establish the best conditions for the Fe2+ adsorption and removal. Furthermore, the adsorption data were fitted with an exponential shape curve for all the three variable parameters that affect the adsorption process. The best results were obtained for pH 5, 20 min contact time, and 0.5 g adsorbent dose. The loading adsorption capacity was 9 mg of Fe2+ ions/g SiO2 in the concentration range 0.1–1.0 mgL−1. In addition, the synthesized SiO2 with the size of around 50 nm can be used for specific heavy metal removal and drug delivery, after modification of the SiO2 surface with various functional groups.

Cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, is widely present in food. It has been reported that chronic cadmium exposure is associated with kidney disease, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the dietary cadmium exposure and potential health risk in different age-sex groups of the Chinese population (children aged 4-11 years, young people aged 12-17 years and adults aged over 18 years), and in the southern and northern population using a semi-probabilistic method. Cadmium was detected in 228,687 food samples from 32 food categrories by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The dietary cadmium exposures were estimated by combining the cadmium concentration data with food consumption data derived from the China National Nutrient and Health Survey 2002, and evaluated against the Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake (PTMI) of 25 μg/kg BW/month established by the Joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives (JECFA). The mean dietary cadmium exposure of the general Chinese population (15.3 μg/kg BW/month) was below the PTMI. The high consumer exposures (95th percentile, P95) for the general population and different sub-groups were higher than the PTMI. The dietary cadmium exposure of the southern population was apparently higher than that of the northern population. Rice was the most important contributor to cadmium exposure for Chinese people, especially those living in the southern areas of China. These findings indicated that the health risk from dietary cadmium exposure of the general Chinese people was low, but the health risk of cadmium exposure of certain sub-groups should be of concern.

Recently, a novel conception of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) based on Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) technology draws much attention for its potential advantages. MIMO-SAR could obtain much more equivalent channels than the number of the physical array elements by simultaneously utilizing multiple antennas at transmission and reception. These additional channels are demonstrated to be useful for the application of High-Resolution Wide-Swath (HRWS) imaging and slowly moving target indication. In this paper, a detailed discussion on the conception and connotation of MIMO-SAR is made firstly, and then the investigation states of MIMO-SAR, such as high range resolution SAR imaging, three-dimensional down-looking SAR imaging, HRWS imaging and Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI), are discussed. Base on the discussion mentioned above, the advantages and disadvantages of MIMO-SAR system are analyzed, and the key technical issues in MIMO-SAR are summarized. At last, the prospects of MIMO-SAR application are pointed out.

In the title compound, C12H14N2O2, the benzene ring and imidazole ring are almost coplanar, making a dihedral angle of 2.47 (14)°. Intermolecular O—H...N, N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds stabilize the crystal structure.

Abstract Background Since 2008, a progressive pneumonia has become prevalent in broilers and laying hens. This disease occurrs the first day after hatching and lasts more than 30 days, resulting in approximately 70% morbidity and 30% mortality in broilers. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify the pathogens that are responsible for the progressive pneumonia and establish an animal model for drug screening. Results 193 serum samples were collected from 8 intensive farms from 5 provinces in China and analysed in the current research. Our clinical survey showed that 65.2% to 100% of breeding broilers, breeding layers, broilers and laying hens were seropositive for ORT antibodies. From 8 intensive farms, six ORT isolates were identified by PCR and biochemical assays, and two H9N2 viruses were isolated. Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) and Infectious BronchitisVirus (IBV) were excluded. Typical pneumonia and airsacculitis were observed both in broilers inoculated intraperitoneally with an ORT isolate alone and in those co-infected with ORT and H9N2 virus isolates. Specifically, the survival rate was 30%, 20%, 70%, 50% and 90% in birds inoculated with ORT+H9N2 virus, ORT followed by H9N2 virus, H9N2 virus followed by ORT, and ORT or H9N2 virus alone, respectively. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that ORT infections of domestic poultry have been occurring frequently in China. ORT infection can induce higher economic losses and mortality if H9N2 AIV is also present. Although the isolation of ORT and H9N2 virus has been reported previously, there have been no reported co-infections of poultry with these two pathogens. This is the first report of co-infection of broilers with ORT and H9N2 virus, and this co-infection is probably associated with the outbreak of broiler airsacculitis in China, which has caused extensive economic losses.

Background: There are no reliable biomarkers to identify Graves' disease patients who will develop severe Graves' orbitopathy (GO). We hypothesize that integrating various omics platforms can enhance our understanding of disease mechanisms and uncover potential biomarkers. This study aimed to (1) elucidate the differential gene expression profile of orbital fibroblasts in GO during early adipogenesis to better understand disease mechanisms and (2) compare tear protein profiles from our earlier study and the transcriptome profiles of orbital fibroblasts (OFs) to identify possible biomarkers of the disease. Methods: OFs were grown from orbital adipose tissue obtained from nine GO patients (three for discovery and six for validation experiments). Total RNA was extracted from OFs on day 0 as the baseline for each sample and from differentiated OFs on days 4 and 8. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis and functional enrichment analysis were also carried out. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the RNA sequencing experiments were then compared to the full tear proteome profile from the author's previous study, which examined the tear protein changes of GO patients based on fold change > 1.6 or < -1.6. FDR < 0.05 was applied within all datasets. Further validation of S100 calcium-binding protein A4 (S100A4) downregulation in GO was performed via quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Results: The whole transcriptomic analysis revealed 9 upregulated genes and 15 downregulated genes in common between the discovery and validation experiments. From the PPI network analysis, an interaction network containing six identified DEGs (ALDH2, MAP2K6, MT2A, SOCS3, S100A4, and THBD) was observed. The functional enrichment network analysis identified a set of genes related to oxysterol production. S100A4 was found to be consistently downregulated in both our transcriptome studies and the full-tear proteome profile from the author's previous study. Conclusion: Our study identified several DEGs and potential gene pathways in GO patients, which concurred with the results of other studies. Tear S100A4 may serve as a biomarker for the propensity to develop thyroid eye disease (TED) in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) before clinical manifestation and should be confirmed in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oligonucleotide drugs are shining in clinical therapeutics, but efficient and safe delivery systems severely limit their widespread use. A disulfide unit technology platform based on dynamic thiol exchange chemistry at the cell membrane has the potential for drug delivery. However, the alteration of the disulfide unit CSSC dihedral angle induced by different substituents directly affects the effectiveness of this technology and its stability. Previously, we constructed a trivalent low dihedral angle disulfide unit that can effectively promote the cellular uptake of small molecules. Here, we constructed a novel disulfide unit-masked oligonucleotide hybrid based on a low dihedral angle disulfide unit, motivated by prodrug design. Cellular imaging results showed that such a system exhibited superior cellular delivery efficiency than the commercial Lipo2000 without cytotoxicity. The thiol reagents significantly reduced its cellular uptake (57–74%), which proved to be endocytosis-independent. In addition, in vivo distribution experiments in mice showed that such systems can be rapidly distributed in liver tissues with a duration of action of more than 24 h, representing a potential means of silencing genes involved in the pathogenesis of liver-like diseases. In conclusion, this trivalent disulfide unit-masked system we constructed can effectively deliver large oligonucleotide drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]