Objective:To establish a method for the determination of 2, 3-Butanedione (BUT) in the air of workplace, which including the process of collection by absorption in phosphoric acid aqueous solution and the process of analysis and detection by high performance liquid chromatography with derivatization.Methods:In October 2022, a porous glass plate absorption tube containing 10 ml of 0.01% phosphoric acid solution was used to collect BUT in the air of the workplace at a flow rate of 0.2 L/min. The absorption solution was derived by 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine for 75 min and separated on a SB-C18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) . At the column temperature of 30 ℃, the mixture of acetonitrile-water ( V∶ V, 1∶1) was eluted at the flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. It was detected by UV detector (λ=365 nm) , qualitatived by retention time and quantitatived by external standard. Results:It showed that BUT in phosphoric acid aqueous solution could be stored for at least 7 d at 4 ℃. There was a linear relationship within the determination range of 0.05-6.00 μg/ml, the linear regression equation was y=89.610 x+0.133, r=0.9999. The sampling absorption efficiencies were 98.33%-100.00%, the detection limit of the method was 0.005 μg/ml, the minimum detection concentration was 0.016 mg/m 3 (based on V0=3.0 L) . The recovery rates were 95.96%-102.44%, the intra batch precision were 4.36%-7.78%, and the inter batch precision were 4.96%-6.06%. Conclusion:The method has the advantages of simple operation, high sensitivity and good accuracy. It can prevent the loss and degradation of BUT. It can be used for the determination of BUT in the air of workplace.

Objective:To establish a method for the determination of 2, 3-Butanedione (BUT) in the air of workplace, which including the process of collection by absorption in phosphoric acid aqueous solution and the process of analysis and detection by high performance liquid chromatography with derivatization.Methods:In October 2022, a porous glass plate absorption tube containing 10 ml of 0.01% phosphoric acid solution was used to collect BUT in the air of the workplace at a flow rate of 0.2 L/min. The absorption solution was derived by 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine for 75 min and separated on a SB-C18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) . At the column temperature of 30 ℃, the mixture of acetonitrile-water ( V∶ V, 1∶1) was eluted at the flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. It was detected by UV detector (λ=365 nm) , qualitatived by retention time and quantitatived by external standard. Results:It showed that BUT in phosphoric acid aqueous solution could be stored for at least 7 d at 4 ℃. There was a linear relationship within the determination range of 0.05-6.00 μg/ml, the linear regression equation was y=89.610 x+0.133, r=0.9999. The sampling absorption efficiencies were 98.33%-100.00%, the detection limit of the method was 0.005 μg/ml, the minimum detection concentration was 0.016 mg/m 3 (based on V0=3.0 L) . The recovery rates were 95.96%-102.44%, the intra batch precision were 4.36%-7.78%, and the inter batch precision were 4.96%-6.06%. Conclusion:The method has the advantages of simple operation, high sensitivity and good accuracy. It can prevent the loss and degradation of BUT. It can be used for the determination of BUT in the air of workplace.

AIM To establish the quality standard of the zhujieshen Formula Granules based on standard decoction.METHODS The contents and transfer rates of ginsenoside Ro and chikusetsu saponin Ⅳa in standard decoction and formula granules were determined by HPLC,after which the transfer rates were calculated.The HPLC characteristic chromatograms of standard decoctions were established,after which cluster analysis and principal component analysis were adopted.Then the HPLC characteristic chromatograms of formula granules were established.RESULTS Nine common peaks were found in the HPLC characteristic chromatograms of seventeen batches of standard decoctions with the similarities of more than 0.9(except for S6,S12),which were clustered into two categories,and the accumulative variance contribution rate of three principal components reached 86.7％.The contents of ginsenoside Ro in three batches of formula granules were 83.1-88.6 mg/g,and the transfer rates were 53.1％-55.5％.The contents of chikusetsusaponin Ⅳa were 14.8-15.0 mg/g,and the transfer rates were 47.4％-48.1％.Nine common peaks were found in the HPLC characteristic chromatograms of three batches of formula granules with the similarities of 0.998,0.998 and 0.999,respectively.CONCLUSION This reasonable and reliable method can comprehensively evaluate the quality of Zhujieshen Formula Granules,and provide a reference for the quality control.

Background Diacetyl (DC) is widely used in the food flavoring industry and excessive occupational exposure to DC can cause serious respiratory diseases. However, there is no corresponding national standard method for the determination of DC in the air of workplace. Objective To establish a method for the determination of DC in workplace air by high performance liquid chromatography using 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NPDA) as precolumn derivatization. Methods DC in the air of workplace was collected by solution absorption method. This experiment used NPDA as the derivatization reagent. By adjusting acidity of solution and optimizing concentration ration of DC/NPDA, derivatization temperature, and time, a method for the determination of DC in workplace air was proposed, and its performance indexes such as linearity, detection limit, and lower limit of quantification were obtained. Sampling efficiency was evaluated by relative comparison method, and sample stability was evaluated by sample preservation test. Accuracy and precision of the method were evaluated by standard addition recovery test with blank samples, and an interference test was carried out by adding standard samples. The established method was applied to actual samples to evaluate its adaptability. Results A combination of 60 °C for 2 h was selected for derivatization because a higher derivatization reaction temperature and a longer reaction time associated with a higher derivatization efficiency. The solution was separated by SB-C18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) at 30 ℃, using a mixture of methanol and water (v/v, 65%/35%) as mobile phase with an elution flow rate of 1.0 mL·min⁻¹, and was detected with a variable wavelength detector (λ_max=257 nm) by qualitative analysis based on retention time and quantitative analysis based on external standard method. In terms of the proposed method, the linear range of detection was from 5 μg·L⁻¹ to 2000 μg·L⁻¹, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999, and a detection limit of 1.3 μg·L⁻¹, the quantitative detection of the lower limit was 4.3 μg·L⁻¹, with a sampling volume V₀ of 3.0 L, the minimum detection concentration was 4.3 μg·m⁻³, and the minimum quantitative concentration was 14.3 μg·m⁻³. The recovery rate was 99.1%-100.8%, the intra-batch precision was 0.5%-3.0%, and the inter-batch precision was 1.2%-2.0%. The average sampling efficiency of this method was 94.5%, and the sample could be stored at 4 °C for at least 14 d. The coexisting components in the air of the workplace did not interfere with the determination of DC. The DC content in the air of a flavor workplace was 5.86-8.85 mg·m⁻³. Conclusion A determination method for DC in workplace air by high performance liquid chromatography using NPDA as precolumn derivatization after being collected by 1.0% phosphoric acid absorbent is proposed and has the advantages of simple operation, high sensitivity, and good accuracy. With no DC loss and degradation, the method may satisfy the request for DC determination in the air of workplace.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between short-term exposure to indoor total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and nocturnal heart rate variability (HRV) among young female adults. METHODS: This panel study recruited 50 young females from one university in Beijing, China from December 2021 to April 2022. All the participants underwent two sequential visits. During each visit, real time indoor TVOC concentration was monitored using an indoor air quality detector. The real time levels of indoor temperature, relative humidity, noise, carbon dioxide and fine particulate matter were monitored using a temperature and humidity meter, a noise meter, a carbon dioxide meter and a particulate counter, respectively. HRV parameters were measured using a 12-lead Holter. Mixed-effects models were used to evaluate the association between the TVOC and HRV parameters and establish the exposure-response relationships, and two-pollutant models were applied to examine the robustness of the results. RESULTS: The mean age of the 50 female subjects was (22.5±2.3) years, and the mean body mass index was (20.4±1.9) kg/m². During this study, the median (interquartile range) of indoor TVOC concentrations was 0.069 (0.046) mg/m³, the median (interquartile range) of indoor temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, noise level and fine particulate matter concentration were 24.3 (2.7) ℃, 38.5% (15.0%), 0.1% (0.1%), 52.7 (5.8) dB(A) and 10.3 (21.5) μg/m³, respectively. Short-term exposure to indoor TVOC was associated with significant changes in time-domain and frequency-domain HRV parameters, and the exposure metric for most HRV parameters with the most significant changes was 1 h-moving average. Along with a 0.01 mg/m³ increment in 1 h-moving average concentration of indoor TVOC, this study observed decreases of 1.89% (95%CI: -2.28%, -1.50%) in standard deviation of all normal to normal intervals (SDNN), 1.92% (95%CI: -2.32%, -1.51%) in standard deviation of average normal to normal intervals (SDANN), 0.64% (95%CI: -1.13%, -0.14%) in percentage of adjacent NN intervals differing by more than 50 ms (pNN50), 3.52% (95%CI: -4.30%, -2.74%) in total power (TP), 5.01% (95%CI: -6.21%, -3.79%) in very low frequency (VLF) power, and 4.36% (95%CI: -5.16%, -3.55%) in low frequency (LF) power. The exposure-response curves showed that indoor TVOC was negatively correlated with SDNN, SDANN, TP, and VLF when the concentration exceeded 0.1 mg/m³. The two-pollutant models indicated that the results were generally robust after controlling indoor noise and fine particulate matter. CONCLUSION Short-term exposure to indoor TVOC was associated with significant negative changes in nocturnal HRV of young women. This study provides an important scientific basis for relevant prevention and control measures.
Humans ; Female ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Heart Rate/physiology* ; Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis* ; Carbon Dioxide ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Environmental Pollutants

Objective To investigate the effects of Rehmanniae Radix before and after processing on the intestinal flora of rats with kidney yin deficiency syndrome.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,probiotic group(0.35 g·kg-1),high-/medium-/low-dose groups of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata(3.5,1.75,0.875 g·kg-1),and high-/medium-/low-dose groups of Rehmanniae Radix(3.5,1.75,0.875 g·kg-1),with 9 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,rats in each group were injected intramuscularly with Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Injection(0.35 mg·kg-1)once a day for 21 days.The drug was administered by gavage once a day on the seventh day of modelling for 14 days.The adrenal histopathological changes were observed by using HE staining;the levels of serum cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP),cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP),corticotropin-releasing hormone(CRH),adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH),and corticosterone(CORT)were detected by ELISA;and the levels of short-chain fatty acids in the feces and changes in the diversity of intestinal flora were detected by a targeted metabolomic approach in conjunction with 16SrRNA sequencing in the rats in each group.Results(1)Compared with the blank group,the body mass of rats in the model group was significantly decreased on days 7,14 and 21(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);serum levels of cAMP,CRH,ACTH,CORT and the cAMP/cGMP ratio were all significantly increased(P＜0.01),and the cGMP content was significantly decreased(P＜0.01);and the adrenal cortex was thinned,with the boundaries of various layers of the cortex unclear.Compared with the model group,the body mass of rats in the Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata administration group on day 21 were all significantly increased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and the serum content of cAMP,CRH,ACTH,CORT and the cAMP/cGMP ratio were all significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and the content of cGMP was significantly increased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)in the rats;body mass of rats in the Rehmanniae Radix administration group did not change significantly(P＞0.05),CRH and CORT contents in serum of rats in the high-dose group of Rehmanniae Radix were significantly reduced(P＜0.01),and ACTH contents in serum of rats in the medium-dose group of Rehmanniae Radix were significantly reduced(P＜0.05);the adrenal cortex of rats in all the administration groups were improved,in particular,the thickening of the adrenal cortex layers was obvious in the Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata group,and the improvement effect was superior to that in the Rehmanniae Radix group.(2)Compared with the blank group,the difference of Coverage index was not statistically significant(P＞0.05),and the coverage of each group was good;the abundance index(Sobs,Ace,Chao)and diversity index(Shannon)of the model group were significantly increased(P＜0.01),and the Simpson index was significantly decreased(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,Sobs index was significantly decreased in the medium-and high-dose groups of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata(P＜0.05),Chao index was significantly decreased in the administered groups of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata and high-dose group of Rehmanniae Radix(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and Simpson index was significantly increased in the high-dose group of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata(P＜0.05).The changes of Rehmanniae Radix on the richness and diversity of intestinal microbial community in kidney yin-deficient rats were small,while Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata could better maintain the stability of the richness and diversity of intestinal microbial community in kidney yin-deficient rats.(3)Compared with the blank group,the abundance of phylum firmicutes in the feces of the model group was significantly decreased,while the abundance of bacteroides and actinomycetes was significantly increased.The abundance of Lactobacillus was significantly decreased(P＜0.01),while the abundance of norank_f__Muribaculaceae and Bifidobacterium was significantly increased(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the trend of recovery of bacterial abundance in the probiotic group and the high-dose group of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata was more similar to that of the blank group,which showed that it had the best regulating effect on the ratio of bacterial flora;the abundance of lactobacillus in all administered groups was increased,with that of the probiotic group was significantly increased(P＜0.01);the abundance of norank__f__Muribaculaceae and Bifidobacterium were all decreased,among which the probiotic group and the medium-and high-dose groups of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata were significantly decreased(P＜0.01),and the effect was significantly superior to that of Rehmanniae Radix.The COG functions of the samples in each group were mainly focused on amino acid transport and metabolism,carbohydrate transport and metabolism,translation,ribosomal structure and biogenesis,replication,recombination and repair,but the abundance information of each function was different between groups,which may be due to the differences caused by dysbiosis of intestinal flora.(4)Compared with the blank group,the levels of acetic acid,butyric acid and propionic acid in the faeces of rats in the model group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and the level of isobutyric acid was significantly increased(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the levels of acetic acid,butyric acid and propionic acid in the faeces of rats in the probiotic group and the low-,medium-and high-dose groups of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata were significantly increased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)and the levels of isobutyric acid were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);although the above indexes in the Rehmanniae Radix group were improved,the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion The enhanced therapeutic effect of Rehmanniae Radix after processing on rats with kidney yin deficiency syndrome may be related to its adjusting effect on intestinal flora.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcomes, failure patterns and prognostic factors of definitive radiotherapy in patients with cervical esophageal carcinoma (CEC). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 148 CEC patients who treated with definitive radiotherapy in Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2001 to December 2017. The median radiation dose was 66 Gy (59.4-70 Gy) and 33.1% of patients received concurrent chemotherapy. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates. The log rank test was used for survival comparison and univariate prognostic analysis. The Cox model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis. Results: The median follow-up time was 102.6 months. The median survival time, 2- and 5-year overall survival (OS) were 22.7 months, 49.9% and 28.3%. The median, 2- and 5-year progression-free survival were 12.6 months, 35.8% and 25.8%. The 2- and 5-year locoregional recurrence-free survival were 59.1% and 50.8%. The 2- and 5-year distant metastases-free survival were 74.6% and 65.9%. Multivariate analysis showed that EQD(2)>66 Gy was the only independent prognostic indicator for OS (P=0.040). The median survival time and 5-year OS rate significantly improved in patients who received EQD(2)>66 Gy than those who received≤66 Gy (31.2 months vs. 19.2 months, 40.1% vs. 19.1%, P=0.027). A total of 87 patients (58.8%) developed tumor progression. There were 50 (33.8%), 23 (15.5%) and 39 (26.4%) patients developed local, regional recurrence and distant metastases, respectively. Eleven patients (7.4%) underwent salvage surgery, and the laryngeal preservation rate for entire group was 93.9%. Conclusions: Definitive radiotherapy is an effective treatment for cervical esophageal carcinoma with the advantage of larynx preservation. Local recurrence is the major failure pattern. EQD(2)>66 Gy is associated with the improved overall survival.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Esophageal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Carcinoma/drug therapy* ; Prognosis ; Treatment Outcome ; Chemoradiotherapy/methods* ; Radiotherapy Dosage

To solve the problem of real-time detection and removal of EEG signal noise in anesthesia depth monitoring, we proposed an adaptive EEG signal noise detection and removal method. This method uses discrete wavelet transform to extract the low-frequency energy and high-frequency energy of a segment of EEG signals, and sets two sets of thresholds for the low-frequency band and high-frequency band of the EEG signal. These two sets of thresholds can be updated adaptively according to the energy situation of the most recent EEG signal. Finally, we judge the level of signal interference according to the range of low-frequency energy and high-frequency energy, and perform corresponding denoising processing. The results show that the method can more accurately detect and remove the noise interference in the EEG signal, and improve the stability of the calculated characteristic parameters.
Algorithms ; Electroencephalography ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio ; Wavelet Analysis

Mercury sphygmomanometer based on traditional auscultation method is widely used in primary medical institutions in China, but a large amount of blood pressure data can not be directly recorded and applied in scientific research analysis, meanwhile auscultation data is the clinical standard to verify the accuracy of non-invasive electronic sphygmomanometer. Focusing on this, we designed a miniature non-invasive blood pressure measurement and verification system, which can assist doctors to record blood pressure data automatically during the process of auscultation. Through the data playback function,the software of this system can evaluate and verify the blood pressure algorithm of oscillographic method, and then continuously modify the algorithm to improve the measurement accuracy. This study introduces the hardware selection and software design process in detail. The test results show that the system meets the requirements of relevant standards and has a good application prospect.
Auscultation ; Blood Pressure/physiology* ; Blood Pressure Determination ; Oscillometry ; Sphygmomanometers

Objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and tuberculosis (TB) are major public health and social issues worldwide. The long-term follow-up of COVID-19 with pulmonary TB (PTB) survivors after discharge is unclear. This study aimed to comprehensively describe clinical outcomes, including sequela and recurrence at 3, 12, and 24 months after discharge, among COVID-19 with PTB survivors. Methods From January 22, 2020 to May 6, 2022, with a follow-up by August 26, 2022, a prospective, multicenter follow-up study was conducted on COVID-19 with PTB survivors after discharge in 13hospitals from four provinces in China. Clinical outcomes, including sequela, recurrence of COVID-19, and PTB survivors, were collected via telephone and face-to-face interviews at 3, 12, and 24 months after discharge. Results Thirty-two COVID-19 with PTB survivors were included. The median age was 52 (45, 59) years, and 23 (71.9％) were men. Among them, nearly two-thirds (62.5％) of the survivors were moderate, three (9.4％) were severe, and more than half (59.4％) had at least one comorbidity (PTB excluded). The proportion of COVID-19 survivors with at least one sequela symptom decreased from 40.6％ at 3 months to 15.8％ at 24 months, with anxiety having a higher proportion over a follow-up. Cough and amnesia recovered at the 12-month follow-up, while anxiety, fatigue, and trouble sleeping remained after 24 months. Additionally, one (3.1％) case presented two recurrences of PTB and no re-positive COVID-19 during the follow-up period. Conclusion The proportion of long symptoms in COVID-19 with PTB survivors decreased over time, while nearly one in six still experience persistent symptoms with a higher proportion of anxiety. The recurrence of PTB and the psychological support of COVID-19 with PTB after discharge require more attention.