Background Automotive repair workers are exposed to a wide variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during painting operations, which poses significant health risks. Biomonitoring can directly reflect the internal body burden of these compounds. Therefore, it is essential to develop an analytical method for simultaneous determination of VOCs in the urine of automotive spray painting workers. Objective To establish a static headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for simultaneously determining 22 VOCs in the urine of spray painting workers in automotive repair enterprises. Methods An automatic headspace sampler was used for the pretreatment of urine samples. The headspace conditions as well as the chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions of static headspace GC-MS were optimized. The separation of 22 VOCs was achieved by optimizing the temperature program. Sensitivity was enhanced by optimizing the quantitative ions. The signal response of VOCs was improved by optimizing the headspace equilibrium temperature, equilibrium time, and the amount of inorganic salt added. The method's detection limit, lower limit of quantification, accuracy, precision, and stability were tested using blank urine samples spiked with standards. Additionally, the method was applied to examine 40 urine samples collected from painting workers in automotive repair enterprises in Tianjin. Results In this study, the headspace equilibrium temperature was set at 80 ℃, the equilibrium time was 30 min, and the salt addition amount was 2.0 g. A DB-624ms chromatographic column was selected for the separation of 22 VOCs. The initial temperature of heating program was 50 ℃, maintained for 15 min, and then increased to 85 ℃ at a heating rate of 10 ℃·min⁻¹ for 10 min, followed by increasing to 90 ℃ at a heating rate of 5 ℃·min⁻¹ for 20 min. The single ion monitoring (SIM) mode was chosen for the quantitative analysis of the 22 VOCs. The method demonstrated good linearity for determining 22 target analytes in the urine of spray painting workers, with correlation coefficients all above 0.990. The lower limits of quantification (LOQ) for the components ranged from 0.4 to 3.8 μg·L⁻¹. The spiked recovery rates of the samples were between 80.1% and 112.1%, and the relative standard deviations (RSD) ranged from 1.5% to 9.7%. All target analytes could be stored at 4 ℃ for 5 d and at −20 ℃ for 7 d. This method was applied to evaluate urine samples from 40 spray painting workers in automotive repair enterprises in Tianjin. The positive rate of butyl acetate was 37.5%. The positive rate of xylene was 32.5%. The positive rate of toluene was 30.0%. The positive rate of isopropanol was 25.0%. The concentration range of the detected substances was from −1. Conclusion The established simultaneous determination protocol of 22 VOCs by static headspace- GC-MS is characterized by its simplicity, high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, and high accuracy. It is suitable for urine samples of spray painting workers in automotive repair industry.

Background Currently, incidents of organic solvent poisoning are occurring frequently. Rapidly and accurately qualitative and quantitative analysis of toxic substances is crucial for the treatment of affected individuals. In recent years, many biomarker assays with good specificity and high sensitivity have been developed for the detection of exposure to organic solvents, but they cannot meet the demand for real-time and fast detection. Objective To establish a paper spray mass spectrometry method for direct and rapid detection of four organic compound metabolites (toluene diamine, 2,5-hexanedione, hippuric acid, and methylhippuric acid) in the urine of occupational populations. Methods Toluene diamine and 2,5-hexanedione were analyzed using positive ion mode, while hippuric acid and methylhippuric acid were analyzed using negative ion mode. The ion transfer tube temperature was 275 °C. The ion transfer tube voltage was 35 V. For positive ion mode, the scan range was 50-150 m/z. For negative ion mode, the scan range was 150-250 m/z. The distance from the paper substrate tip to the mass spectrometry inlet was 8 mm. The applied voltage was 3.5 kV. The spray solvent was methanol/water (90:10). The spray solvent volume was 15 μL. Under the optimized experimental conditions, both external standard and internal standard methods were used for quantitative analysis. Limit of detection, limit of quantification, accuracy, and precision of the proposed method were determined by spiking blank urine samples. To evaluate the feasibility of the method, the established approach was compared with current national standard detection methods or methods described in the literature. All methods were used to analyze 40 urine samples collected from occupationally exposed individuals (20 exposed to n-hexane and 20 exposed to toluene and xylene). Results The four biomarkers showed good linearity within their respective measurement ranges and the correlation coefficients were higher than 0.9990. The limits of detection of the method were in the range of 0.00027 to 0.020 μg·mL⁻¹, and the limits of quantification were in the range of 0.0009 to 0.067 μg·mL⁻¹. The spiked recoveries at low, medium, and high concentrations ranged from 96.5% to 106.9%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) between 5.6% and 9.7%. When applying the method to 40 urine samples from occupationally exposed individuals, the detection rates for toluene diamine, 2,5-hexanedione, hippuric acid, and methylhippuric acid were 0%, 45%, 20%, and 37.5%, respectively. For biomarkers detected by both this method and the reference methods, the detection values were generally consistent. The analysis time per sample was approximately 1-2 min using paper spray mass spectrometry, compared to 1-2 h for reference methods. Conclusion The paper spray mass spectrometry method established in this study for detecting four organic compound metabolites in urine is characterized by its simplicity, rapidity, efficiency, and high accuracy. It can obtain results within 1-2 min, which significantly improves the timeliness of detection. It is suitable for direct and rapid screening of four organic compound metabolites in urine, and can provide technical support for the diagnosis and treatment of organic solution poisoning.

The objective of this study is to map the global scientific competitive landscape in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) medical devices using scientific data. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection to examine global research trends in AI-based medical devices. As of the end of 2023, a total of 55 147 relevant publications were identified worldwide, with 76.6% published between 2018 and 2024. Research in this field has primarily focused on AI-assisted medical image and physiological signal analysis. At the national level, China (17 991 publications) and the United States (14 032 publications) lead in output. China has shown a rapid increase in publication volume, with its 2023 output exceeding twice that of the U.S.; however, the U.S. maintains a higher average citation per paper (China: 16.29; U.S.: 35.99). At the institutional level, seven Chinese institutions and three U.S. institutions rank among the global top ten in terms of publication volume. At the researcher level, prominent contributors include Acharya U Rajendra, Rueckert Daniel and Tian Jie, who have extensively explored AI-assisted medical imaging. Some researchers have specialized in specific imaging applications, such as Yang Xiaofeng (AI-assisted precision radiotherapy for tumors) and Shen Dinggang (brain imaging analysis). Others, including Gao Xiaorong and Ming Dong, focus on AI-assisted physiological signal analysis. The results confirm the rapid global development of AI in the medical device field, with "AI + imaging" emerging as the most mature direction. China and the U.S. maintain absolute leadership in this area-China slightly leads in publication volume, while the U.S., having started earlier, demonstrates higher research quality. Both countries host a large number of active research teams in this domain.
Artificial Intelligence ; Bibliometrics ; Humans ; China ; Equipment and Supplies ; United States ; Biomedical Research

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Shuangshu Decoction (SSD) for inhibiting growth of gastric cancer xenografts in nude mice. METHODS: Network pharmacology analysis was conducted to identify the common targets of SSD and gastric cancer cell ferroptosis, and bioinformatics analysis and molecular docking were used to validate the core targets. In the cell experiment, AGS cells were treated with SSD-medicated serum, Fer-1 (a ferroptosis inhibitor), or both, and the changes in cell viability, ferroptosis markers (ROS, Fe²⁺ and GSH), expressions of P53, SLC7A11 and GPX4, and mitochondrial morphology were examined. In a nude mouse model bearing gastric cancer xenografts, the effects of gavage with SSD, intraperitoneal injection of Fer-1, or their combination on tumor volume/weight, histopathology, and expressions of P53, SLC7A11 and GPX4 levels were evaluated. RESULTS: The active components in SSD (quercetin and wogonin) showed strong binding affinities to P53. In AGS cells, SSD treatment dose-dependently inhibited cell proliferation, increased ROS and Fe²⁺ levels, upregulated P53 expression, and downregulated the expressions of SLC7A11 and GPX4, but these effects were effectively attenuated by Fer-1 treatment. SSD also induced mitochondrial shrinkage and increased the membrane density, which were alleviated by Fer-1. In the tumor-bearing mouse models, gavage with SSD significantly reduced tumor size and weight, caused tumor cell necrosis, upregulated P53 and downregulated SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression in the tumor tissue, and these effects were obviously mitigated by Fer-1 treatment. CONCLUSIONS SSD inhibits gastric cancer growth in nude mice by inducing cell ferroptosis via the P53/SLC7A11/GPX4 axis.
Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Animals ; Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism* ; Mice, Nude ; Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Amino Acid Transport System y+/metabolism* ; Mice ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Anxiety disorder is a major symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with a comorbidity rate of ~40%. However, the neural mechanisms of the emergence of anxiety in ASD remain unclear. In our study, we found that hyperactivity of basolateral amygdala (BLA) pyramidal neurons (PNs) in Shank3 InsG3680 knock-in (InsG3680^+/+) mice is involved in the development of anxiety. Electrophysiological results also showed increased excitatory input and decreased inhibitory input in BLA PNs. Chemogenetic inhibition of the excitability of PNs in the BLA rescued the anxiety phenotype of InsG3680^+/+ mice. Further study found that the diminished control of the BLA by medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and optogenetic activation of the mPFC-BLA pathway also had a rescue effect, which increased the feedforward inhibition of the BLA. Taken together, our results suggest that hyperactivity of the BLA and alteration of the mPFC-BLA circuitry are involved in anxiety in InsG3680^+/+ mice.
Animals ; Prefrontal Cortex/metabolism* ; Basolateral Nuclear Complex/metabolism* ; Mice ; Anxiety/metabolism* ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics* ; Male ; Gene Knock-In Techniques ; Pyramidal Cells/physiology* ; Mice, Transgenic ; Neural Pathways/physiopathology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microfilament Proteins

Objective:To compare the image quality and the diagnostic efficiency for breast malignant lesions using simultaneous multi-slice single shot echo planar imaging (SMS+SS-EPI) and readout segment of long variable echo trains (RESOLVE) for breast diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Clinical and imaging data of 102 patients with breast lesion from March 2021 to February 2023 in the First Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University were prospectively analyzed. All patients underwent routine breast MRI scans and cross-sectional RESOLVE and SMS+SS EPI sequence DWI, and the image quality of 2 types sequences of DWI was evaluated. The subjective evaluation was based on a 5-point scale, including geometric distortion, artifact blurring, fat suppression, overall image quality, and lesion conspicuity of the breast. The objective evaluation included signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the lesion. Wilcoxon signed rank sum test was used to compare the subjective and objective parameters between the two sequences. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of ADC values for diagnosing breast malignant lesions based on two sequence images.Results:All 102 female patients had single lesions, aged from 25 to 68 years and 60 lesions were malignant and 42 were benign. The acquisition time for SMS+SS-EPI sequence imaging was 1 min 50 s, and the acquisition time for RESOLVE sequence imaging was 3 min 43 s.The subjective scores from both SMS+SS-EPI and RESOLVE sequence were over than 3 points. The geometric distortion, artifact blurring, and overall image quality scores of RESOLVE sequence images were higher than those of SMS+SS-EPI (all P<0.001). The overall lesion conspicuity score, malignant lesion conspicuity score, and benign lesion conspicuity score of DWI and ADC images combined with SMS+SS-EPI sequence were higher than those of the RESOLVE sequence (all P<0.05). There were no statistically difference in SNR, CNR, overall ADC value, malignant ADC value, and benign ADC value between SMS+SS-EPI and RESOLVE sequence DWI images of breast lesions (all P>0.05). The AUC of RESOLVE sequence ADC value in diagnosis of breast cancer was 0.973, the sensitivity was 0.929, and the specificity was 0.915; The AUC of SMS+SSC-EPI sequence ADC value in diagnosis of breast cancer was 0.956, the sensitivity was 0.977, and the specificity was 0.850. Conclusions:In breast DWI, the subjective score of SMS+SS EPI image quality can basically meet the diagnostic requirements and the conspicuity of lesions is better than that of the RESOLVE sequence. Both have good diagnostic efficacy for malignant breast lesions.

Background Propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME) is a widely used organic solvent. It exists in the form of two isomers in the workplace, which will cause adverse effects such as eye and upper respiratory tract irritation in workers. However, there is still a lack of standard detection methods for simultaneous detection of two isomers of PGME in China. Objective To establish a solvent desorption-gas chromatographic method for two isomers of PGME [1-methoxy-2-propanol (α-PGME), 2-methoxy-1-propanol (β-PGME)] in workplace air. Methods A method of solvent desorption-gas chromatography for α-PGME and β-PGME in workplace air were proposed. Air samples were collected with solvent desorption activated carbon tubes, desorbed using a desorption solution of dichloromethane/methanol (85:15), and then separated on a free fatty acid phase (FFAP) fused silica capillary chromatography column , detected with a flame ionization detector (FID), and quantified by peak area. Standard evaluation protocol was followed to obtain key indicators: standard curve, limit of detection, lower limit of quantification, relative standard deviation (RSD) that measures precision, and spiked recovery of sample solutions that measures accuracy. Desorption efficiency, sampling efficiency, and adsorption capacity tests were conducted, sample stability was evaluated using spiked activated carbon tube preservation test, and interference test was also assessed. The developed method was then applied to field air sample testing. Results In this method, using dichloromethane/methanol (85:15) as the sample desorption solution, the quantitative detection ranges of α-PGME and β-PGME were 0.95-923.0 μg·mL⁻¹ and 0.97-912.0 μg·mL⁻¹ with both correlation coefficients of 0.999 9, the method limits of detection were 0.28 µg·mL⁻¹ and 0.29 µg·mL⁻¹, and the lower limits of quantification were 0.95 µg·mL⁻¹ and 0.97 µg·mL¹, respectively. The lowest concentrations detected were both 0.19 mg·m⁻³, and the lowest concentrations quantified were 0.63 mg·m⁻³ and 0.65 mg·m⁻³, respectively, under the conditions of sampling volume of 1.5 L and the volume of desorption solution of 1.0 mL. The intra-batch precisions for α-PGME and β-PGME were 2.8%-4.9% and 2.8%-5.1%, the inter-batch precisions were 4.2%-5.7% and 4.5%-5.9%, the spiked recoveries were 98.8%-100.3% and 96.4%-102.9%, and the desorption efficiencies were 92.7%-97.3% and 92.2%-98.1%, respectively. The average sampling efficiency was 100%, and the samples could be stored at room temperature (25-30 ℃) for at least 7 d and at 4 ℃ for at least 15 d. The adsorption capacities of the activated carbon sampling tube for α-PGME and β-PGME were greater than 13.9 mg and 2.7 mg (100 mg of activated carbon adsorbent), respectively. Possible co-existing components in workplace did not interfere with the determination of α-PGME and β-PGME. The short-time exposure concentrations of α-PGME and β-PGME in the spray painting unit of an automobile manufacturing company were determined to be 18.69 mg·m⁻³ and 2.19 mg·m⁻³, and the time-weighted average concentrations were 6.03 mg·m⁻³ and 1.08 mg·m⁻³ respectively. Conclusion This method is accurate, precise and suitable for on-site monitoring of the two isomers of PGME in workplace air.

As a rapid, accurate and efficient analytical technique, gas chromatography is widely used in the detection of volatile organic compounds and inorganic small molecule toxins, and it is the main analytical method in the national testing standards for occupational health. The existing effective national standards of gas chromatography for the detection of some substances have low column efficiency, high toxicity of reagents, poor correlation of the standard curve and low desorption efficiency and other problems, some of which can be solved through method improvement. At the same time, with the use of new materials and new processes, new types of toxic substances are emerging, and there are still many occupational disease hazards of limited value without supporting detection methods, gas chromatography can be applied to the detection of some toxic substances to better complement the vacancy of China's occupational health detection methods. This paper analyzes the current situation of the application of gas chromatography in occupational health testing standards, discusses the improvement of some of these methods, and helps to promote the application and development of gas chromatography in occupational health testing.

Objective:To use CiteSpace and VOSviewer software to perform visualization analysis on research literature on sudden poisoning incidents in China from 2013 to 2022, in order to grasp the research hotspots and priorities, current research development status and trend of sudden poisoning incidents, and provide reference and ideas for subsequent research.Methods:In October 2023, literature related to sudden poisoning incidents was searched using the China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang databases. The bibliometric analysis software CiteSpace 6.1.R2 and VOSviewer 1.6.19 were used to visually analyze factors such as authors, institutions, journals, regions, and keywords in the relevant literature.Results:A total of 2578 valid literatures were included, and the overall number of published literatures showed a discontinuous downward trend in recent 10 years. The relevant literature was distributed in 310 journals. Among the top 10 institutions with the highest number of publications, 8 were centers for disease control and prevention at all levels, and the institution with the highest number of publications was the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (208 articles), but the cooperation between institutions was not obvious. The 2578 articles involved a total of 6549 authors (a total of 8572 appearances, with an average of 1.31 times per person), with a collaboration rate of 2.54 (6549/2578) and 2153 co-authored articles (with 2 or more authors in the literature), with a co-authorship rate of 83.51%. 643 articles (24.94%) received funding support. The region with the highest number of publications was Guangdong Province, with a total of 380 articles (14.74%). Keyword highlighting analysis showed that the research heat of pesticide poisoning, toxic mushrooms, disease characteristics, outbreak events, traceability analysis, outbreaks, and occupational diseases continued to 2022.Conclusion:There are many literatures on sudden poisoning incidents in China, so it is necessary to strengthen the cooperation and communication between institutions and authors. In practical work, the ability of prevention, control, and detection of poisons should be continuously improved to reduce the incidence and degree of harm caused by sudden poisoning incidents.

As a rapid, accurate and efficient analytical technique, gas chromatography is widely used in the detection of volatile organic compounds and inorganic small molecule toxins, and it is the main analytical method in the national testing standards for occupational health. The existing effective national standards of gas chromatography for the detection of some substances have low column efficiency, high toxicity of reagents, poor correlation of the standard curve and low desorption efficiency and other problems, some of which can be solved through method improvement. At the same time, with the use of new materials and new processes, new types of toxic substances are emerging, and there are still many occupational disease hazards of limited value without supporting detection methods, gas chromatography can be applied to the detection of some toxic substances to better complement the vacancy of China's occupational health detection methods. This paper analyzes the current situation of the application of gas chromatography in occupational health testing standards, discusses the improvement of some of these methods, and helps to promote the application and development of gas chromatography in occupational health testing.