Serum sex hormone binding globulin profile and its association with insulin resistance in Chinese peri-menopausal women

Wstęp: Celem badania było oznaczenie profilu stężeń globuliny wiążącej hormony płciowe (SHBG) w surowicy u Chinek będących w okresie okołomenopauzalnym oraz ocena korelacji tego profilu z parametrem insulinooporności HOMA-IR w tej szczególnej populacji. Materiał i metody: Przeprowadzono badanie przekrojowe metodą doboru grupowego z udziałem 1827 kobiet przebywających w szpitalu na rutynowych badaniach kontrolnych. Oznaczono profil stężeń SHBG i parametry statusu hormonalnego, parametry otyłości i parametry metaboliczne. Uczestniczki badania podzielono ze względu na wiek i status menstruacyjny na trzy grupy: grupę w okresie przedmenopauzalnym, grupę w okresie okołomenopauzalnym i grupę w okresie pomenopauzalnym. Wyniki: Stwierdzono, że stężenie SHBG w surowicy wykazuje ujemną korelację z BMI we wszystkich grupach i wzrasta z wiekiem kobiet w wieku reprodukcyjnym. Stężenie SHBG ulegało też, niezależnie od wieku, znamiennemu wzrostowi od początku zmian menopauzalnych, a następnie, po menopauzie, ulegało nieznacznemu zmniejszeniu. Po wzięciu poprawek na wiek i BMI, stwierdzono, że HOMA-IR u kobiet w okresie okołomenopauzalnym wykazuje ścisły związek wyłącznie z SHBG. Stwierdzono, że stężenie SHBG jest jedynym niezależnym istotnym determinantem HOMA-IR. Na podstawie analizy krzywej ROC dla predykcji insulinooporności na podstawie wartości HOMA-IR stwierdzono, że AUC dla SHBG osiąga wartość 0,816 (95% przedział ufności: 0,636–0,996). W przypadku kobiet w okresie okołomenopauzalnym najlepszą wartość odcięcia odróżniającą kobiety z insulinoopornością od kobiet bez insulinooporności jest 41,73 nmol/l przy czułości wynoszącej 81,4% i swoistości wynoszącej 87,5%. Wnioski: U Chinek w okresie okołomenopauzalnym niskie stężenie SHBG może stanowić niezależny czynnik ryzyka insulinooporności. (Endokrynol Pol 2013; 64 (3): 197–202)Introduction: The aim of this study was to measure serum sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) profile in Chinese peri-menopausal women, and assess its correlation with insulin resistance (IR)-related parameter, namely HOMA-IR, in this special population. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study by the method of cluster sampling was performed in 1,827 women, who were in hospital for routine check-up. Serum SHBG profile and anthropometric indices of hormonal, adiposity, and metabolic variables were measured. According to their age and menstruation status, the subjects were divided into three groups: pre-menopause group, peri-menopause group, and post-menopause group. Results: Serum SHBG level was found to be negatively correlated with BMI in all groups and to increase in parallel with age in women of reproductive age. However, independently of age, it significantly increased from the onset of menopause transition, and slightly declined after menopause. After adjustment for age and BMI, HOMA-IR in peri-menopausal women was closely related only to SHBG. SHBG level was found to be the only independent significant determinant of HOMA-IR. On the basis of ROC curve analysis for the prediction of insulin resistance using HOMA-IR value, AUC for SHBG reached a value of 0.816 (0.636–0.996, 95% confidence interval). The best cutoff value that discriminates peri-menopausal women with or without insulin resistance is 41.73 nmol/L, with a sensitivity of 81.4% and a specificity of 87.5%. Conclusions: Low SHBG level may be an independent risk factor of insulin resistance in Chinese peri-menopausal women. (Endokrynol Pol 2013; 64 (3): 197–202

Current development and future challenges in microplastic detection techniques: a bibliometrics-based analysis and review.

Microplastics have been considered a new type of pollutant in the marine environment and have attracted widespread attention worldwide in recent years. Plastic particles with particle size less than 5 mm are usually defined as microplastics. Because of their similar size to plankton, marine organisms easily ingest microplastics and can threaten higher organisms and even human health through the food chain. Most of the current studies have focused on the investigation of the abundance of microplastics in the environment. However, due to the limitations of analytical methods and instruments, the number of microplastics in the environment can easily lead to overestimation or underestimation. Microplastics in each environment have different detection techniques. To investigate the current status, hot spots, and research trends of microplastics detection techniques, this review analyzed the papers related to microplastics detection using bibliometric software CiteSpace and COOC. A total of 696 articles were analyzed, spanning 2012 to 2021. The contributions and cooperation of different countries and institutions in this field have been analyzed in detail. This topic has formed two main important networks of cooperation. International cooperation has been a common pattern in this topic. The various analytical methods of this topic were discussed through keyword and clustering analysis. Among them, fluorescent, FTIR and micro-Raman spectroscopy are commonly used optical techniques for the detection of microplastics. The identification of microplastics can also be achieved by the combination of other techniques such as mass spectrometry/thermal cracking gas chromatography. However, these techniques still have limitations and cannot be applied to all environmental samples. We provide a detailed analysis of the detection of microplastics in different environmental samples and list the challenges that need to be addressed in the future

Flavor Wheel Development and Sensory Quantitative Descriptive Analysis of Chinese Brewed Soy Sauce

Based on sensory descriptors developed by a sensory evaluation panel for 48 commercial Chinese brewed soy sauce samples, a flavor wheel of Chinese brewed soy sauce with 55 descriptors in the dimensions of aroma and flavor was developed for the first time. Meanwhile, a lexicon of sensory descriptors for brewed soy sauce containing reference samples with different intensities was established, and 20 brewed soy sauce samples of different grades and from different geographical origins were subjected to sensory evaluation by quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) using this lexicon. The results showed that the characteristic flavor attributes of soy sauce were soy paste-like, salty, umami, Chinese herbal, and cooked soybean-like aromas. Through analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis (DA), it was found that there were significant differences in sensory properties among soy sauce of different grades and from different regions. This study can provide a methodological reference for sensory quality analysis of Chinese brewed soy sauce

Influence of Incubation Temperature on 9,10-Anthraquinone-2-Sulfonate (AQS)-Mediated Extracellular Electron Transfer

The electron shuttling process has been recognized as an important microbial respiration process. Because the incubation temperature can influence both the reactivity of electron mediators and cell growth, it may also affect the electron-shuttle-mediated extracellular electron transfer (EET) process. Here, the effect of incubation temperature (22–38°C) was investigated in a bioelectrochemical system (BES) using Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and 50 μM of 9,10-anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQS). We found that current generation increased as the temperature was increased from 22 to 34°C and then decreased sharply at 38°C. The biofilm biomass, as indicated by the total protein extracted from the electrode, increased as the temperature increased from 22 to 34°C and then decreased at 38°C, mirroring the current generation results. These results were further confirmed by increasing the temperature slowly, step-by-step, in a single BES with a constant biofilm biomass, suggesting that the EET rates could be substantially influenced by temperature, even with the same biofilm. The effects of temperature on the AQS bioreduction rate, c-type cytochrome (c-Cyts)-bound-cofactor-mediated EET, the AQS mid-point potential, and the AQS diffusion coefficient were studied. From these results, we were able to conclude that temperature influenced the EET rates by changing the c-Cyts-bound-cofactor-mediated EET process and the AQS bioreduction rate, and that the change in biofilm formation was a dominant factor influencing the overall EET rates. These findings should contribute to the fundamental understanding of EET processes. Moreover, optimization of the operating parameters for current generation will be helpful for the practical application of bioelectrochemical techniques

Nonenzymatic Glucose Biosensors Based on Silver Nanoparticles Deposited on TiO 2

In the present research, a nonenzymatic glucose biosensor was fabricated by depositing Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) using in situ chemical reduction method on TiO2 nanotubes which were synthesized by anodic oxidation process. The structure, morphology, and mechanical behaviors of electrode were examined by scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation. It was found that Ag-NPs remained both inside and outside of TiO2 nanotubes whose length and diameter were about 1.2 μm and 120 nm. The composition was constructed as an electrode of nonenzymatic biosensor for glucose oxidation. The electrocatalytic properties of the prepared electrodes for glucose oxidation were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CVs) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Compared with bare TiO2 and Ag-fresh TiO2 nanotube, Ag-TiO2/(500°C) nanotube exhibited the best electrochemical properties from cyclic voltammetry (CVs) results. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) results showed that, at +0.03 V, the sensitivity of the electrode to glucose oxidation was 3.69 mA⁎cm-2⁎mM-1 with a linear range from 20 mM to 190 mM and detection limit of 24 μM (signal-to-voice ratio of 3). In addition the nonenzymatic glucose sensors exhibited excellent selectivity, stability, and repeatability

Preparation and Application of Antioxidative Chitosan/Soybean Protein Isolate Composite Edible Membrane

Taking chitosan (CS) and soybean protein isolate (SPI) as composite membrane substrates and natural antioxidants as active substances, an edible active preservative film with inhibitory effect on lipid oxidation was developed. After optimizing the type and concentration of antioxidants through the mechanical properties, microstructure, physical properties, and antioxidant properties of the composite membrane, the preservation effect of the composite membrane on walnut oil was investigated. Results showed that, eight antioxidants significantly improved the oxygen-barrier ability of the composite membranes (P<0.05). Especially，the peroxide value of walnut oil was reduced by about 80% and maintained excellent mechanical properties with the addition of astaxanthin, grape seed extracts and vitamin C. When the addition of astaxanthin was 0.3%, the composite membrane exhibits the best performance, then the tensile strength, elongation at break, DPPH free radical scavenging capacity and water vapor permeability of the composite membrane were 6.546 MPa, 69.962%, 80.1%, 1.21 g∙mm/m2∙h∙kPa, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the surface of the membrane was smooth, regular and uniform. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that membrane-forming materials were extremely compatible. The differential scanning calorimeter analysis showed that the composite membrane had the highest thermal enthalpy, reaching 233.940 J/g, with the best thermal stability. When the walnut oil was coated with a composite membrane containing astaxanthin, the oil’s peroxide value was reduced by 81.8%, conjugated diene by 44.4% and conjugated triene values by 66.4% compared to the control. Chitosan/soybean protein isolate composite membrane with astaxanthin significantly delayed the process of walnut oil oxidation

Study of the short-term quality of life of patients with esophageal cancer after inflatable videoassisted mediastinoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy

ObjectiveTo compare the short-term outcomes and postoperative quality of life in patients with esophageal cancer between inflatable videoasisted mediastinoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy (IVMTE) and minimally invasive Mckeown esophagectomy (MIME), and to evaluate the value of IVMTE in the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer.MethodsA prospective, nonrandomized study was adopted. A total of 60 esophageal cancer patients after IVMTE and MIME December 2019 to January 2022 were included. Among them, 30 patients underwent IVMTE and 30 patients underwent MIME. Shortterm outcomes (including the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage 3 days, total postoperative tube time, postoperative hospital stay, number and number of thoracic lymph node dissection stations, postoperative complications and so on), postoperative quality of life, [including Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and the esophageal site-specific module (QLQ-OES18)] were compared between the 2 groups.ResultsThe operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume and total postoperative intubation time in IVMTE group were significantly lower than those in MIME group (P &lt; 0.05). A total of 22 patients had postoperative complications, including 7 patients in IVMTE group (23.3%) and 15 patients in MIME group (50.0%). There was significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.032). The physical function, role function, cognitive function, emotional function and social function and the overall health status in the IVMTE group were higher than those in the MIME group at all time points after operation, while the areas of fatigue, nausea, vomiting and pain symptoms in the MIME group were lower than those in the MIME group at all time points after operation.ConclusionIVMTE is a feasible and safe alternative to MIME. Therefore, when the case is appropriate, IVMTE should be given priority, which is conducive to postoperative recovery and improve the quality of life of patients after operation

Tracking the State and Behavior of People in Response to COVID-1 19 Through the Fusion of Multiple Longitudinal Data Streams

The changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of comprehensively considering its impacts and considering changes over time. Most COVID-19 related research addresses narrowly focused research questions and is therefore limited in addressing the complexities created by the interrelated impacts of the pandemic. Such research generally makes use of only one of either 1) actively collected data such as surveys, or 2) passively collected data. While a few studies make use of both actively and passively collected data, only one other study collects it longitudinally. Here we describe a rich panel dataset of active and passive data from U.S. residents collected between August 2020 and July 2021. Active data includes a repeated survey measuring travel behavior, compliance with COVID-19 mandates, physical health, economic well-being, vaccination status, and other factors. Passively collected data consists of all locations visited by study participants, taken from smartphone GPS data. We also closely tracked COVID-19 policies across counties of residence throughout the study period. Such a dataset allows important research questions to be answered; for example, to determine the factors underlying the heterogeneous behavioral responses to COVID-19 restrictions imposed by local governments. Better information about such responses is critical to our ability to understand the societal and economic impacts of this and future pandemics. The development of this data infrastructure can also help researchers explore new frontiers in behavioral science. The article explains how this approach fills gaps in COVID-19 related data collection; describes the study design and data collection procedures; presents key demographic characteristics of study participants; and shows how fusing different data streams helps uncover behavioral insights

The SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rate and hesitation in Shanghai older adults with dementia

BackgroundOlder adults, particularly those with dementia, are at the greatest risk for being affected by SARS-CoV-2. Despite the Chinese government’s efforts to encourage older adults to receive SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the vaccination rate, especially among older adults with dementia, remains low.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the willingness and attitudes towards vaccination among guardians of older adults with dementia and to uncover the factors that may have influenced attitudes towards vaccination during the 2022 Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Shanghai, China.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using self-administered anonymous questionnaires to guardians of dementia patients in three settings: psychogeriatric inpatient wards, long-term care facilities, and home settings from April to May 2022. The primary outcome was participants’ willingness to allow dementia patients to receive SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with vaccination willingness.ResultsA total of 327 valid questionnaires were collected. The vaccination rate among participants from long-term care facilities (12.9%) was lower than those in the psychiatric ward (19.3%) or community-dwelling settings (27.1%) (p &lt; 0.05). The guardians’ primary concern was that vaccination would aggravate the health conditions of dementia patients [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 5.11; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.86–14.05]. Additionally, negative reports about the vaccination [OR = 3.94; 95% CI: 1.68–9.24], and adverse reactions [OR = 2.50; 95% CI: 1.13–5.52] were related to higher odds of vaccine hesitancy.ConclusionOur results showed that low vaccination rates in older adults with dementia were mainly due to their guardians’ concerns about vaccine safety. Our findings first uncovered the actual SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rates among older adults with dementia and may provide potential interventions to reduce unjustified worries towards vaccination