Factors Related to Metabolic Syndrome Development and Recovery in Chinese Adults: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Objective: This study was a prospective assessment of the epidemiological characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in cities in Northeast China. We explored the factors that affect the occurrence and outcome of MetS according to sex. Design and Methods: This was a longitudinal survey assessing MetS status among 750 urban community residents in China. At baseline, the intra-abdominal fat area was measured by MRI, simple anthropometric parameters (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), etc.) were used to evaluate fat distribution; blood pressure and blood lipid profile were measured; an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was used to detect blood glucose; questionnaires were used to investigate lifestyles. Follow-up was conducted after 1.5 years (follow-up rate was 66.93%) to analyze the incidence of MetS and the influencing factors of MetS outcomes according to sex. Results: The 1.5-year cumulative incidence of MetS in the survey area was 25.40%. Men with visceral obesity were more likely to develop MetS than those with subcutaneous obesity (OR=9.778, p<0.05). Increased BMI (OR=1.379) and blood uric acid (BUA)>416 mmol/L (OR=2.318) were associated with the occurrence of MetS in men (all p<0.05). At the initial visit, BUA>356.9 mmol/L (OR=3.538), increased BMI (OR=1.212), and increased HbA1c (OR=2.577) were associated with the occurrence of MetS in women (all p<0.05). After 1.5 years, 25.37% of MetS patients no longer had MetS. Elevated diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (OR=1.097) and increased visceral fat (OR=1.023) at the initial visit made men with MetS less likely to recover from MetS (all p<0.05). Higher High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) at the initial visit made women with MetS more likely to recover from MetS (ß: -3.509, OR=0.003, p<0.05). Conclusion: There are different risk factors for MetS in different genders. Hyperuricemia is a risk factor for the onset of MetS in both men and women.

Stability Mechanism of Nitrogen Foam in Porous Media with Silica Nanoparticles Modified by Cationic Surfactants.

This work aims at studying the effect of electrostatic interactions between cationic surfactants and silica nanoparticles (NPs) on foam stability in porous media. The physio-chemical property of NPs, the gas-liquid interface properties, the foam flow characteristics, together with the stability under different concentrations of surfactant and NPs were investigated and compared. It was found that the affinity of silica NPs to the surface is tunable by variation of surfactant concentrations. NPs and surfactants as a whole assembling at the surface substantially improve the foam stability in static and dynamic tests. These surfactant-modified NPs accumulate at the bubble surface and remain stable under dilution of brine, providing a barrier effectively preventing coalescence. In addition, foam stability is enhanced since the layer of NPs significantly reduces the mass transfer rate, consequently mitigating the Ostwald ripening.

The effect of hydroxyl on the solution behavior of a quaternary ammonium gemini surfactant.

The adsorption and viscoelastic properties of a micellar solution of 2-hydroxyl-propanediyl-1,3-bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium bromide), abbreviated as 16-3OH-16, have been investigated by surface tension and rheological measurements. Meanwhile, an aqueous solution of propanediyl-1,3-bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium bromide), abbreviated as 16-3-16, was also examined. From the steady state and oscillatory rheological results, a notable difference in shear viscosities between the two systems was observed. Zeta potentials and size distributions confirm the change in the potentials and hydrodynamic diameters, and these results are in good agreement with the rheological results. The differences of the two solutions were attributed to the effect of the hydroxyl group on the spacer of 16-3OH-16. Molecular dynamic simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to investigate the non-covalent interactions in the solution and the difference between the molecular orbitals and the electrostatic potentials. Our research shows that a more uniform distribution of positive charges around the spacer could result in a more effective electrostatic screening effect between the charged headgroups, and promote the formation of a worm-like micelle. Also, hyperconjugation becomes stronger when the hydroxyl group is introduced on the spacer of the gemini molecule.

Investigation of Novel Triple-Responsive Wormlike Micelles.

Smart wormlike micelles with stimuli-tunable rheological properties may be useful in a variety of applications, such as in molecular devices and sensors. The formation of triplestimuli-responsive systems so far has been a challenging and important issue. In this work, a novel triplestimuli (photo-, pH-, and thermoresponsive) wormlike micelle is constructed with N-cetyl-N-methylmorpholinium bromide and trans-cinnamic acid (CA). The corresponding multiresponsive behaviors of wormlike micellar system were revealed using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, a rheometer, and 1H NMR. The rheological properties of wormlike micellar system under different temperatures, pH conditions, and UV irradiation times are measured. As confirmed by 1H NMR, chemical structure of a CA molecule can be altered by the multiple stimulation from an exotic environment. We expect it to be a good model for triple-responsive wormlike micelles, which is helpful to understand the mechanism of triple-responsiveness and widen their applications.