[Research progress on the mechanism of pain related neural pathways above the spinal cord].

Pain is a multi-dimensional emotional experience, and pain sensation and pain emotion are the two main components. As for pain, previous studies only focused on a certain link of the pain transmission pathway or a certain key brain region, and there is a lack of evidence that connectivity of brain regions is involved in pain or pain regulation in the overall state. The establishment of new experimental tools and techniques has brought light to the study of neural pathways of pain sensation and pain emotion. In this paper, the structure and functional basis of the neural pathways involved in the formation of pain sensation and the regulation of pain emotion in the nervous system above the spinal cord level, including thalamus, amygdala, midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG), parabrachial nucleus (PB) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), are reviewed in recent years, providing clues for the in-depth study of pain.

Fe3O4@PDA/MIL-101(Cr) as magnetic solid-phase extraction sorbent for mycotoxins in licorice prior to ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis.

Magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) strategy based on the Fe3O4@PDA/MIL-101(Cr) has been proposed to separate and purify five common mycotoxins in licorice, including aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin G1, sterigmatocystin, zearalenone, and ochratoxin A. Integrating the MSPE and solid-liquid extraction/partitioning, a modified QuEChERS was established to adapt to the complex licorice samples. The Fe3O4@PDA/MIL-101(Cr) was successfully synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. Sorbents with superior advantages for exclusion of matrix interference and extraction of target analytes in a short time were obtained, according to their ability of magnetic separation, high surface area (287.75 m2/g), large pore volume (0.61 cm3/g), and nanosized structure with mesopores. Prior to analysis with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), several key parameters that would affect the sorbents' extraction efficiency were extensively investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the practicality of the developed method for analysis of mycotoxins in licorice samples was confirmed by adequate linearity (R 2 ≥ 0.9967), high sensitivity (LODs and LOQs, respectively, in the ranges 0.01-0.09 and 0.02-0.30 µg/kg), acceptable recovery (78.53%-116.28%), satisfactory reusability, and good interbatch precision of the sorbents (RSDs in the ranges 6.70%-11.20% and 6.02%-10.35%, respectively). The results indicated that the established method was feasible and reliable for the environment-friendly and rapid screening of mycotoxins in complex licorice samples.

Occurrence and exposure risk assessment of phthalate esters in edible plant oils with a high-frequency import rate in west China.

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are ubiquitous pollutants in the environment with toxicological and epidemiological effects for humans. As one of the daily necessities, edible plant oil is an important exposure source of PAEs, due to the inevitable contact with PAE-containing materials and the intrinsic lipid solubility of PAEs. However, limited information is currently available on the exposure risk of PAEs in commercial plant oil. This study was aimed at investigating the occurrence and risk assessment of PAEs in plant oils with a high-frequency import rate in west China. The analysis method was referenced to the Chinese national standard for the determination of PAEs in food. Results indicated that PAEs (mainly including DBP and DEHP) were ubiquitous contaminants in imported plant oils with the detectable rate being up to 56.83% in 366 samples. The detected concentrations were in the range of 0.10-3.20 mg kg-1 (median 0.28 mg kg-1) for dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and 0.25-1.95 mg kg-1 (median 0.44 mg kg-1) for bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP). Based on an integrated probabilistic analysis method, the values of non-carcinogenic risk were lower than 1 in all cases, indicating that there would be an unlikely incremental non-carcinogenic risk to humans. Generally, the carcinogenic risk of DEHP was lower than the upper acceptable carcinogenic risk level (<10-4), while 50.40% of the carcinogenic risk exceeded the lower acceptable carcinogenic risk level (>10-6). Besides, diverse health risks were obviously shown and discussed for different categories of plant oils. The obtained results in this study could provide valuable information to understand the contamination status and health risk of PAEs in plant oil and improve the relative supervision and regulation. And the proposed strategy suggests a potential application for health risk assessment of other contaminants in food or even environments.

Solid-phase extraction techniques based on nanomaterials for mycotoxin analysis: An overview for food and agricultural products.

Mycotoxin contamination is a globally concerned problem for food and agricultural products since it may directly or indirectly induce severe threats to human health. Sensitive and selective screening is an efficient strategy to prevent or reduce human and animal exposure to mycotoxins. However, enormous challenges exist in the determination of mycotoxins, arising from complex sample matrices, trace-level analytes, and the co-occurrence of diverse mycotoxins. Appropriate sample preparation is essential to isolate, purify, and enrich mycotoxins from complicated matrices, thus decreasing sample matrix effects and lowering detection limits. With the cross-disciplinary development, new solid-phase extraction strategies have been exploited and integrated with nanotechnology to meet the challenges of mycotoxin analysis. This review summarizes the advance and progress of solid-phase extraction techniques as the methodological solutions for mycotoxin analysis. Emphases are paid on nanomaterials fabricated as trapping media of solid-phase extraction techniques, including carbonaceous nanoparticles, metal/metal oxide-based nanoparticles, and nanoporous materials. Advantages and limitations are discussed, along with the potential prospects.

Social Determinants of Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Related Lifestyle and Behaviors among Urban Men in China: A Case-Control Study.

Purpose. In order to find key risk factors of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) among urban men in China, an age-matched case-control study was performed from September 2012 to May 2013 in Yichang, Hubei Province, China. Methodology. A total of 279 patients and 558 controls were recruited in this study. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire, including demographics, diet and lifestyle, psychological status, and a physical exam. Conditional logistic regression model was used to analyze collected data. Results. Chemical factors exposure, night shift, severity of mood, and poor self-health cognition were entered into the regression model, and result displayed that these four factors had odds ratios of 1.929 (95% CI, 1.321-2.819), 1.456 (95% CI, 1.087-1.949), 1.619 (95% CI, 1.280-2.046), and 1.304 (95% CI, 1.094-1.555), respectively, which suggested that these four factors could significantly affect CP/CPPS. Conclusion. These results suggest that many factors affect CP/CPPS, including biological, social, and psychological factors.

Survey of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding reproductive health among urban men in China: a descriptive study.

There has been little focus on men's reproductive health (RH) in China. This descriptive study conducted in Yiling District, Yichang, China, surveyed male knowledge of sexual physiology and RH to assess levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) regarding prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). A total of 3933 men, aged 18-59 years (mean, 40.3 years), were recruited by cluster random sampling. They completed a questionnaire in the presence of an interviewer, with items related to subject characteristics, RH knowledge, and subjective symptoms of the reproductive system. Physical examination and reproductive system disease diagnosis were performed. Participants' occupations were predominantly skilled labor (80.5%). Nearly four-fifths (78.5%) respondents had at least one reproductive disease. Over half of respondents were aware of and declared a positive attitude about sexual physiology and safe sex, and 70% of them selected to visit a doctor when they had a reproductive disorder. However, only 41.9% believed human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome could be transmitted through breastfeeding, and 64.6% incorrectly thought they could avoid contracting STDs by cleaning their genitals after intercourse. In addition, 45% discriminated against and were unwilling to be friends with infected persons. Nearly 45% of those with a reproductive system disorder refused to discuss it with friends or family members. These results indicate that this cohort of Chinese men had a certain degree of KAP about RH, whereas some aspects require further public health education in the general population. It is necessary to disseminate accurate knowledge of STD risk in China based on sociodemographic characteristics.