A sensitive electrochemical biosensor based on Aflatoxin-Oxidase (AFO) was developed for detection of sterigmatocystin (ST). The enzyme was immobilized on chitosan-single-walled carbon nanotubes (CS-SWCNTs) hybrid film, which attached to the poly-o-phenylenediamine (POPD)-modified Au electrode. The fabricated procedures of the biosensor were characterized with atomic force microscopy (AFM), fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The cyclic voltammetric results of the biosensor indicated that AFO exhibited a surface-controlled and quasi-reversible electrochemical redox behavior with a formal potential of -0.436 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in 0.1 mol/L PBS (pH 7.0), which resulted from the direct electron transfer between entrapped AFO and the underlying electrode. The enzymatic electrode exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic response to ST. The linear range of ST determination was from 10 ng/mL to 310 ng/mL with correlation coefficient of 0.997, the detection limit was 3 ng/mL (S/N=3), and the response time was less than 10 seconds. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K(M)app) was estimated to be 7.13 micromol/L. The biosensor had the advantages of good repeatability and stability, remaining 85.6% of its original current value after storage at 4 degrees C for a month, and the RSD for 11 replicate determination of 20 ng/mL ST was 3.9%. This AFO/CS-SWCNTs/POPD/Au modified electrode showed high selectivity and sensitivity in real sample analysis, giving values of recovery in the range of 87.6%-105.5%. The proposed method can be applied to the determination of ST in real samples with satisfactory results.
Aflatoxins ; Biosensing Techniques ; methods ; Chitosan ; chemistry ; Electrons ; Nanotubes, Carbon ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Oxidoreductases ; Phenylenediamines ; chemistry ; Sterigmatocystin ; analysis

This study was purposed to establish the method of quantifying RhD antigen on red blood cells (RBC) by flow cytometry (FCM) and to explore the expression of D antigen on RBC of different RhD serotype. RhD(+) RBCs and RhD(-) RBCs were mixed in 1:1 ratio. Cells were stained by the indirect method (IgG anti-D as the first antibody, FITC-anti-IgG F(ab')2 as the second antibody), and the ratio of RhD(+) on RBCs was quantified by FCM. The optimal dosage of IgG anti-D was defined. Expression of RhD antigen on RBC of RhD(+), weak D, RhDel and RhD(-) type were detected by FCM. The results showed that optimal dilution of IgG anti-D monoclonal antibody was 1:4, 1x10(6) cells/50 microl. The percentage of D(+) RBC of RhD(+), weak D, RhDel and RhD(-) type were 96.8+/-2.97%, 79.5+/-9.88%, 47.8+/-11.43%, 3.7+/-2.96%, respectively. The mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of RhD antigen expression of RhD(+), weak D, RhDel and RhD(-) type were 33.3+/-6.21 Dal, 18.6+/-5.39 Dal, 7.10+/-1.17 Dal, 0.79+/-0.55 Dal, respectively. In conclusion, there are significant differences of RhD antigen expressions among RBC of different RhD serotypes. The level of antigen on RhD(+) RBC is the highest and then weak D the next, while the level of antigen on RhDel RBC is the lowest level.
Blood Donors ; Erythrocytes ; immunology ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; methods ; Humans ; Rh-Hr Blood-Group System ; immunology ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo develop a method for determination of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D) in the air of workplace by high-performance liquid chromatography.

METHODS2, 4-D was collected by ultrafine glass filters, desorbed by methanol, separated by a C18 column, and detected by a UV detector. Identification and quantification of 2, 4-D were performed by retention time and peak areas, respectively.

RESULTSThe linear range of the test was 2∼200 µg/ml; the elution efficiency was 94.6%- 95.9%; the limit of detection (S/N = 3) was 0.034 µg/ml (injection volume of 20 µl eluant); the lower limit of quantification (S/N = 10) was 0.11 µg/ml; the minimum detectable concentration was 0.011 mg/m(3); the minimum quantifiable concentration was 0.037 mg/m(3) (with sampled air volume of 45 L).

CONCLUSIONThis method is convenient and simple in sample collection and preparation, and satisfies all methodological requirements. Therefore, this method is useful for the determination of 2, 4-D in the air of workplace.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid ; analysis ; Air ; analysis ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Workplace

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of gefitinib combined with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy in the treatment of local - advanced non - small cell lung cancer with sensitive EGFR mutations. Methods From June 2015 to December 2016,fifty-six eligible patients in Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital were randomly assigned into two groups by one to one ratio,with 28 cases in each group.A group received treatment of gefitinib combined with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy, and B group adopted concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The toxic effects were recorded and all patients were followed up as defined by the study protocol.Primary study endpoints included:severe toxic effects,objective response rate and disease control rate,progression free survival and overall survival.Results Twenty-six patients in A group completed the study,and the severe toxic effects were as followed:interstitial pneumonia(3/26),radiation esophagitis(4/26),myelosuppression,skin rashes and gastrointestinal disruption. Twenty- eight patients in B group completed the study, and the severe toxicity included: interstitial pneumonia (4/26),radiation esophagitis(3/26),myelosuppression,skin rashes and gastrointestinal disruption.No toxicity higher than gradeⅢdeveloped in both two groups,and there were no statistically significant differences in incidence rates of interstitial pneumonia and radiation esophagitis between the two groups ( all P >0. 05 ). Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences in ORR and DCR between the two groups( ORR:61.5% vs.39.3% ,P=0.102;DCR:84. 6% vs. 71. 4% , P =0. 505 ). A group showed the benefit over B group in PFS ( 12. 45 months vs. 10.35 months,P=0.036).However,OS didn＇t reach and needed further follow-up.Conclusion The modality of gefitinib combined with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy in the treatment of local -advanced non -small cell lung cancer with sensitive EGFR mutations is safe and effective,and it yet needs further follow-up.

With the aging of population, the elderly (≥65 years old) cancer patients have become one of the main populations for cancer care. For inoperable locally advanced head and neck squamous carcinomas, cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the first-line choice. Several large clinical studies have shown that patients under 70 years of age can still benefit from concurrent chemoradiotherapy, while it should be cautious to apply chemotherapy to patients aged 70-80 years. For elderly patients who are intolerant to cisplatin, carboplatin or other regimens with less gastrointestinal and renal toxicity should be considered. Although anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies combined with radiotherapy has been proved to be more effective than radiotherapy alone in total patient population, age-subgroup analysis showed limited benefit in elderly patients. The safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in elderly patients has been validated and those with high programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression may benefit from concurrent or neoadjuvant immunotherapy, however, high-level evidence is still lacking. For patients older than 80 years, radiotherapy alone may be superior to concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and hypofractionated radiotherapy for palliative purposes can be safely used in this population.

Radiotherapy is an essential part of comprehensive treatment, as well as a radical treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC). The COVID-19 has continued so far, imposing a great impact on cancer care. Since conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT, 2 Gy/F) requires as long as more than six weeks of treatment time, a huge challenge for epidemic control is created for both hospitals and patients. Hypofractionated radiotherapy (Hypo-RT) may be more suitable than CFRT for patients during pandemic by increasing the fraction size, thus reducing fraction number and treatment duration. Early studies have explored the application of Hypo-RT in HNC in palliative setting, which partially proved its safety and effectiveness. Recently, the efforts have been made in definitive treatment using hypofractionated regimen, as well as its combination with systemic treatment and immunotherapy. Indeed, regarding the pandemic of COVID-19, Hypo-RT has been recommended by several expert consensus in the HNC. In this review, relevant research progress was summarized and clinical implication of Hypo-RT in COVID-19 pandemic era was discussed.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) on the onset time of lactation (OL).

METHODSIn this longitudinal study, 751 healthy single pregnant women were selected from three hospitals in Chengdu as subjects of baseline survey during March and September 2013 and were followed before and after delivery, respectively. Finally, data from a total of 473 pregnant women were analyzed. Data on pre-pregnancy weight, delivery mode, birth weight of neonate, information of lactation and maternal demographic characteristics were collected through questionnaire and medical records. Height and weight at the last week before delivery were measured and GWG were calculated. After controlling the potential confounders, a serial of multi-factor ordinal logistic regression models were performed to test the associations between pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG and OL.

RESULTSThe proportions of OL at the < 1, 1-, 24-, 48- and ≥ 72 h groups were 16.3%, 37.0%, 17.5%, 18.6% and 10.6%, respectively. When compared to women with normal weight, the ORs for prolonged OL were 2.85 (1.91-4.27) and 3.42 (1.69-6.90) among pre-pregnant underweight and overweight/obese women, respectively. When compared to women with normal weight and adequate GWG, pre-pregnant underweight women with adequate and excessive GWG showed greater odds of prolonged OL (OR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.31-4.18; OR = 3.42, 95% CI: 1.67-7.00), respectively. Pre-pregnant overweight/obese women with excessive GWG had increased the odds of prolonged OL (OR = 3.10, 95% CI: 1.15-8.37).

CONCLUSIONPre-pregnant BMI appeared an independently factor, associated with OL while GWG might have an effect on OL, when pre-pregnant BMI was considered.

Birth Weight ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Breast Feeding ; Female ; Humans ; Lactation ; Logistic Models ; Longitudinal Studies ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Pregnancy ; Thinness ; Weight Gain

Background As a new type of vegetable production method, solar greenhouse has been widely promoted nationwide. The influence of solar greenhouse working on blood lipid cannot be ignored. Objective The aim of the study is to explore the relationship between solar greenhouse working and blood lipid and family clustering. Methods A total of 744 solar greenhouse workers in northwestern China were selected as the greenhouse group, and 231 general open field farmers in the same area were selected as the non-greenhouse group. The levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) in the two groups were detected. Dyslipidemia was determined by a two-classification criteria in the national guideline of 2007. Multiple logistic regression model and multilevel multiple linear regression model were used to explore the relationship of blood lipid with solar greenhouse working, and its family clustering. Results The number of dyslipidemia cases in the greenhouse group and non-greenhouse group was 142 (19.1%) and 43 (18.6%), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that increasing age (OR=1.019, 95% CI: 1.001-1.038) and increased BMI (OR=1.162, 95% CI: 1.106-1.220) were related to elevated risk of dyslipidemia (all Ps<0.05). The results of multilevel multiple linear regression model showed that the changes of TC, HDLC, and TG/HDLC had family clustering (b=0.238, 95%CI: 0.132-0.430; b=0.044, 95%CI: 0.033-0.065; b=1.003, 95%CI: 0.947-1.059) (all Ps<0.05). Conclusion Solar greenhouse working does not significantly increase the incidence of dyslipidemia, but the levels of TC, HDLC, and TG/HDLC levels in the solar greenhouse workers have family clusters.

Background The aging of the labor force has become a global trend, and various occupational activities can affect blood biochemical indexes and increase the risk of metabolic diseases. Elderly workers are the main laborers in the solar greenhouse industry, and their blood biochemical indexes need more attention. Objective The purpose of this study is to explore the alternation of selected blood biochemical indexes and provide clues for conducting management programs of metabolic diseases in the elderly solar greenhouse workers. Methods The research subjects of the greenhouse group and the non-greenhouse group were selected from a vegetable production base in Northwest China. The elderly workers were selected from a recruited subjects pool for an earlier project by means of matching and non-matching respectively. The matching conditions were gender (consistent), age (±2 years old), body mass index (BMI) (±1 kg·m⁻²), education level (±1 level), smoking (consistent), and drinking (consistent). Routine clinical tests were used to detect serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), fasting blood glucose (GLU), and albumin (ALB), and single-factor and multi-factor analyse were used to identify different indexes in matching and non-matching samples, respectively. The matching and the non-matching samples included 80 pairs of subjects and 327 subjects, respectively. Results In the matching sample set, the greenhouse group's HDLC [(1.61±0.34) mmol·L⁻¹] was lower than the non-greenhouse group's [(2.09±0.37) mmol·L⁻¹] (P<0.05), the level of TG/HDLC in the greenhouse group was (1.17±0.74), higher than that in the non-greenhouse group (0.78±0.47) (P<0.05), and the level of LDLC/HDLC in the greenhouse group was (1.87±0.36), also higher than that in the non-greenhouse group(P<0.05), while there was no statistical difference of the other indexes between the two groups (all Ps>0.05). In the non-matching sample set, the results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that solar greenhouse working correlated with decreased HDLC, and increased TG/HDLC and LDLC/HDLC among the elderly workers (all Ps<0.05). Conclusion Solar greenhouse working may correlate with variations of selected blood biochemical indexes in elderly workers, and the occupational health surveillance of elderly workers should be strengthened.

Background In the process of greenhouse working, labor intensity is high and repetitive work involves multiple body parts such as limbs, neck, upper back, and lower back. The prevalence and comorbidity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in greenhouse workers are worthy of attention. Objective This study is conducted to investigate the prevalence and comorbidity, as well as potential influencing factors of WMSDs in greenhouse workers. Methods A total of 722 greenhouse workers were selected as the subjects for a cross-sectional epidemiological survey. Through questionnaire survey and physical examination, basic information of the subjects and the prevalence of WMSDs were collected. The participants were divided into low, medium, and high cumulative exposure groups by cumulative exposure index matrix. Chi-square test was used to analyze the difference of prevalence among different cumulative exposure levels, the correlation between the prevalence of WMSDs in paired sites was calculated as prevalence ratio (PR) by using the log-binomial model, the prevalence of multi-site WMSDs in each group was compared by Wilcoxon rank sum test, and the influencing factors of multi-site WMSDs were evaluated by multi-classification logistic regression model. Results The prevalence rate of WMSDs in the greenhouse workers was 78.7% (568/722). The main affected sites of body were lower back, legs, neck, and shoulders, and associated prevalence rates were 47.6%, 46.0%, 27.1%, and 23.8%, respectively. By constructing a cumulative exposure index matrix, the low, medium, and high cumulative exposure groups contained 121, 196, and 405 workers respectively. The prevalence rates of WMSDs in lower back, legs, or shoulders were significantly different among groups with different exposure levels (P<0.05), and the prevalence rates increased with higher cumulative exposure levels (lower back, \begin{document}${χ} _{{{\rm{trend}}}} ^2$\end{document}=11.144, P<0.05; legs, \begin{document}${χ} _{{{\rm{trend}}}} ^2$\end{document}=6.767, P<0.05; shoulders, \begin{document}${χ} _{{{\rm{trend}}}} ^2$\end{document}=15.666, P<0.05). The results of log-binomial model found that lower back and legs (PR values were 1.57 and 1.43, respectively) as well as neck and shoulders (PR values were 2.00 and 2.07, respectively) among the main affected parts have a strong association with comorbidities. The prevalence of multi-site WMSDs showed that 50.4% of the workers had comorbidity of two or more sites of WMSDs. The results of multi-classification logistic regression analysis indicated that the influencing factors of WMSDs in two sites involved high-level cumulative exposure (OR=2.41, 95%CI: 1.34-4.33) and female (OR=3.27, 95%CI: 2.07-5.16); the influencing factors of WMSDs in three or more sites also included medium-level cumulative exposure (OR=3.78, 95%CI: 1.70-8.39), high-level cumulative exposure (OR=7.34, 95%CI: 3.41-15.80), and female (OR=5.66, 95%CI: 3.48-9.22). Conclusion In this study, the prevalence rates of WMSDs in lower back, legs, neck, and shoulders are high among selected solar greenhouse workers, and WMSDs comorbidity of lower back-legs and neck-shoulders are identified. Greenhouse workers with high cumulative exposure level and female workers report more WMSDs comorbidities in two or more sites.