[Terahertz Spectroscopic Investigation of Substrate Materials for Biological Application in the Frequency Range of 1～15 THz].

As emerging modalities, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and imaging have been widely applied to investigate the optical properties of different biological tissues. The substrate materials are usually needed for biological spectroscopic measurements. The ultra-broadband and facility in remote sensing of the terahertz air-biased-coherent-detection (ABCD) system mean it is a good potential tool for the spectroscopic study of biological tissues. In this paper, the optical parameters of four typical substrate materials (quartz, high-density polyethylene, teflon and paraffin) are measured using terahertz ABCD spectrometer. The absorption coefficients and refractive indices are presented in the frequency range of 1～15 THz. It is demonstrated that high-density polyethylene and paraffin are good candidates as sample substrate for broadband terahertz biological spectroscopic measurement. However, quartz and teflon which are common substrate materials in narrowband (0.1～3 THz) terahertz system can not be utilized in high terahertz frequency range because they have strong absorption above 5 THz.

Effects of breakfast with different calorigenic amounts on blood glucose, insulin and glucagon levels.

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between breakfast and serum glucose, insulin and glucagon concentrations in order to establish a model breakfast appropriate for Chinese. Twenty-four volunteers were randomly assigned to four study groups: high carbohydrate breakfast, high fat and protein breakfast, the typical breakfast and fasting. Each subject had serum and urine samples collected while fasting and at 1,2 and 3.5 hours following the meal. The concentration of serum glucose, insulin and glucagon was measured. The levels of serum glucose in group A, B and C differed significantly at 1 and 2 hour after meal compared to those at fasting (P<0.05). The serum glucose in group A increased insignificantly after meal. The serum insulin levels were in group A, B and C significant different compared with control group(P<0.05). Those peaked at 1 hour after meal, with group C rising the furthest. Compared with the fasting group, the serum glucagons rose and maintained the increase after breakfast in group A, B and C (P<0.05). The data suggested that various diets with different calorigenic amounts increased hormone concentration to various extents. We found that a breakfast rich in carbohydrates could maintain proper blood glucose level.