Ubiquitin-proteasome pathway-mediated regulation of the Bcl-2 family: effects and therapeutic approaches.

Proteasomal degradation of proteins represents an important regulatory mechanism in maintaining healthy homeostasis in cells. Deregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system is associated with various diseases as it controls protein abundance and turnover in cells. Furthermore, proteasomal regulation of protein turnover rate can determine a cell's response to external stimuli. The Bcl-2 family of proteins is an important group of proteins involved in mediating cell survival or cell death in response to external stimuli. Aberrant overexpression of anti-apoptotic proteins or deletion of pro-apoptotic proteins can lead to the development of cancer. Unsurprisingly, proteasomal degradation of Bcl-2 proteins also serves as an important factor regulating the level of Bcl-2 proteins and thereby affecting the functional outcome of cell death. This review aims to highlight the regulation of the Bcl-2 family of proteins with particular emphasis on proteasomal-mediated degradation pathways and the current literature on the therapeutic approaches targeting the proteasome system.

Metachronous primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and duodenal adenocarcinoma: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of multiple primary malignant neoplasms (MPMNs) is increasing in parallel with the incidence of malignancies, the continual improvement of diagnostic models, and the extended life of patients with tumors, especially those of the digestive system. However, the co-existence of MPMNs and duodenal adenocarcinoma (DA) is rarely reported. In addition, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of MPMNs regarding multi-omics and the tumor microenvironment (TME). CASE SUMMARY: In this article, we report the case of a 56-year-old man who presented with a complaint of chest discomfort and abdominal distension. The patient was diagnosed with metachronous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and DA in the Department of Oncology. He underwent radical resection and chemotherapy for the esophageal tumor, as well as chemotherapy combined with a programmed death-1 inhibitor for the duodenal tumor. The overall survival was 16.6 mo. Extensive evaluation of the multi-omics and microenvironment features of primary and metastatic tumors was conducted to: (1) Identify the reasons responsible for the poor prognosis and treatment resistance in this case; and (2) Offer novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for MPMNs. This case demonstrated that the development of a second malignancy may be independent of the location of the first tumor. Thus, tumor recurrence (including metastases) should be distinguished from the second primary for an accurate diagnosis of MPMNs. CONCLUSION: Multi-omics characteristics and the TME may facilitate treatment selection, improve efficacy, and assist in the prediction of prognosis.

Nursing Management of Abdominal Wound Dehiscence of an Infant With Severe Undernutrition and Peristomal Moisture-Associated Dermatitis After Ileostomy Closure: A Case Study.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal wound dehiscence (AWD) is a costly postoperative complication; its management is particularly challenging for WOC nurses when it occurs secondary to an ostomy closure. CASE: We present a case of AWD secondary to ileostomy closure in Baby Q, a 9-month 19-day-old female infant. A silver wound contact dressing was used on her dehisced wound followed by negative pressure wound therapy and adhesive tape to pull the wound edge together and promote granulation. We used a combination of enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, total parenteral nutrition, and total enteral nutrition adjusting the feeding plan stepwise according to her nutritional status. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition and severe peristomal skin complications may contribute to the risk of AWD in infants undergoing reversal of a temporary ostomy. Assessing and treating nutritional status and peristomal skin is imperative before performing ostomy closure.

Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in management of peripheral venipuncture-related pain: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Venipuncture is a routine nursing procedure in the pediatric ward for blood collection and transfusion. However, this procedure can cause severe pain and distress if not adequately managed. METHODS: Children aged 3-16 years old were randomized into three groups: EMLA group, distraction group, and combined group. The primary outcome was children's self-reported pain scored using the Wong-Baker FACES® Pain Rating Scale. The parents-reported and observer-reported pain were scored using the Revised Face, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability Scale, and children's salivary cortisol levels, heart rate, percutaneous oxygen saturation, venipuncture duration and retaining time of IV cannulas were the secondary outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 299 children (167 male, 55.8%, median age 8.5) were enrolled: EMLA group (n = 103), distraction group(n = 96) and combined group(n = 100). There was no statistical difference in self-reported pain (P = 0.051), parent-reported pain (P = 0.072), and observer-reported pain (P = 0.906) among the three groups. All three interventions can decrease children's pain during IV cannulations. Additionally, the distraction group's salivary cortisol levels were lower than the combined group(P = 0.013). Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in the heart rate(P = 0.844), percutaneous oxygen saturation (P = 0.438), venipuncture duration (p = 0.440) and retaining time of IV cannulas (p = 0.843) among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: All three groups responded with slight pain during the peripheral venipuncture procedure. Therefore, medical workers in pediatric settings can use the interventions appropriate for their medical resources and availability while involving parents and children's preferences whenever possible. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered on https://register. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ (Gov.ID NCT04275336).

Characteristics of amino acid metabolism in preterm infants in Guangxi, China / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the characteristics of amino acid metabolism in preterm infants in Guangxi, China.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 30 757 neonates who underwent the screening for inherited metabolic diseases and had negative results in Guangxi Neonatal Disease Screening Center from 2018 to 2020. Among these neonates, there were 28 611 normal full-term infants (control group) and 2 146 preterm infants (preterm birth group). According to gestational age, the preterm infants were further divided into four groups: very preterm (n=209), moderately preterm (n=307), and late preterm group (n=1 630). According to birth weight, they were divided into three groups: very low birth weight group (n=161), low birth weight group (n=1 085), and normal birth weight group (n=900). According to blood collection time, they were divided into three groups: 3-7 days group (n=1 664), 8-14 days group (n=314) and 15-28 days group (n=168). Tandem mass spectrometry was performed to measure the levels of 11 amino acids in dried blood spots, which were then compared between groups.@*RESULTS@#After adjustment for confounding factors, there were significant differences in the levels of 11 amino acids among different gestational age groups (P<0.05), and significant differences were observed in the levels of the 11 amino acids between the control group and the various preterm groups (except for citrulline and methionine in the late preterm group). There were significant differences in the levels of 11 amino acids among different birth weight groups (P<0.05). Except for ornithine, there were significant differences in the levels of other amino acids among the different blood collection time groups (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Gestational age, birth weight and blood collection time all affect amino acid metabolism in preterm infants in Guangxi, China. This provides a basis for the laboratory to establish the reference standard and clinical interpretation of blood amino acid levels in preterm infants, and to improve the nutritional metabolism of preterm infants.

Ovarian sex cord stromal tumours: analysis of the clinical and sonographic characteristics of different histopathologic subtypes.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian sex cord stromal tumours (OSCSTs) are rare ovarian tumours and include different histopathologic subtypes. This study aimed to analyse the clinical and sonographic characteristics of different histopathologic OSCST subtypes. METHODS: A total of 63 patients with surgically proven OSCSTs were enrolled in this retrospective study to analyse their clinical and sonographic features. Ultrasound examinations and predictive models were performed before surgery. The clinical and sonographic findings were compared according to the type of OSCST based on the histopathological diagnosis. RESULTS: The mean age of 63 patients was 52.17 years (range: 17-78 years). Eighteen patients experienced irregular vaginal bleeding (28.57% 18/63), 7 patients exhibited abnormal body hair (11.11%). 2 patients (3.17%) showed an increased level of CA125, and 25 patients (39.68%, 25/63) showed an increased level of testosterone. Forty-two patients had ovarian thecoma-fibroma groups (OTFGs). Six patients had Sertoli-Leydig cell tumours (S-LCTs), 4 patients had Leydig cell tumours (LCTs), 8 patients had ovarian granulosa cell tumours (OGCTs), 2 patients had ovarian steroid cell tumours, not otherwise specified (OSCTs-NOS), and one patient had sclerosing stromal tumours (SSTs). The mean diameter of the tumour was 47.9 mm (range: 10-258 mm). Forty-seven masses were hypoechoic (74.60%). Twenty-eight masses had posterior echo attenuation, 22 masses exhibited abundant Doppler flow signals (34.92%), and one patient had ascites (1.59%). The diagnostic accuracy of the Simple Rules (SR) and the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa (ADNEX) model in distinguishing benign and malignant OSCSTs was 44% (30/63) and 84% (53/63), respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the SR for OTFGs, S-LCTs & LCTs & OSCTs-NOS, OGCTs, and SSTs was 47.6% (20/42), 16.67% (2/12), 100% (8/8), and 0% (0/1), respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the ADNEX model for OTFGs, S-LCTs & LCTs & OSCTs-NOS, OGCTs, and SSTs was 93% (31/42), 58.33% (7/12), 75% (6/8), and 100% (1/1), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: OSCSTs generally appear as a solid mass on ultrasound. Posterior echo attenuation indicates an OTFG. A solid mass with abundant Doppler flow signals indicates an S-LCT, LCT, OSCT-NOS or OGCT. Current predictive models are not very effective, but symptoms, sonographic features and serum hormones are helpful for diagnosis.

Trimethylamine N-Oxide increases soluble fms-like tyrosine Kinase-1 in human placenta via NADPH oxidase dependent ROS accumulation.

BACKGROUNDS: Preeclampsia (PE) is characterized as placental vascular disturbance and excessive secretion of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) into the maternal circulation. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO, a gut microbe-derived metabolite) is strongly associated with various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Recently, we observe that higher maternal circulating TMAO and sFlt-1 in patients with PE. The aims of the present study are to explore the effects of TMAO on placental sFlt-1 production and the underlying mechanism in human placenta. METHODS: Human placental explants, human placental primary trophoblasts and the extravillous trophoblasts (EVT) cell line (HRT-8/SVneo) were exposured to various concentrations of TMAO (100, 150, 300, and 600 µM). The mRNA expression and protein secretion of sFlt-1 in placental explants, primary trophoblasts and HRT-8/SVneo cells were determined with qPCR and ELISA, respectively. The levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in primary trophoblasts and HRT-8/SVneo cells were measured by peroxide-sensitive fluorescent probe dichlorofluorescein diacetate. RESULTS: Exposure of placental explants, primary trophoblasts and HRT-8/SVneo cells to TMAO significantly enhanced sFlt-1 at both mRNA and protein levels in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, inhibition of NADPH oxidase with apocynin significantly attenuated TMAO-induced ROS production in primary trophoblasts and HRT-8/SVneo, and suppressed sFlt-1 secretion in placental explants, primary trophoblasts and HRT-8/SVneo. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated the NADPH oxidase dependent ROS pathway played a critical role in mediating TMAO-induced sFlt-1 generation in human placenta. TMAO may become a potential novel target for pharmacological or dietary interventions to reduce the risk of developing PE.

Wuzhi Tablet protects against APAP-induced liver injury at different pretreated intervals in mice / 药学学报

Acetaminophen (APAP, also known as paracetamol)-induced liver injury is the leading cause of drug-induced liver injury in the world. Wuzhi Tablet (WZ, an ethanol extract of Schisandra sphenanthera) is widely used in clinical practice to protect liver function. Our previous studies have shown that pretreatment with WZ for 3 days can significantly protect against APAP-induced liver injury; however, the effect of different intervals between APAP and WZ treatment on APAP-induced liver injury remains unclear. In this study, the change in liver injury indexes, APAP metabolites, and the activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes after treatment with WZ and APAP at different intervals were determined. The animal experiment was reviewed and approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Sun Yat-sen University. The results show that 0 h, 0.5 h, and 2 h pretreatment with WZ significantly protected against APAP-induced liver injury in mice, as evidenced by a significant decrease in biochemical parameters such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and malonaldehyde (MDA). WZ inhibited the metabolic activation of APAP mediated by CYP450 enzymes and reduced the formation of APAP metabolites. This study further demonstrates that pretreatment with WZ at different intervals (0 h, 0.5 h, and 2 h before APAP dosing) exerts a significant hepatoprotective effect against APAP-induced liver injury, and a single-dose of WZ inhibits the activity of CYP450 enzymes related to APAP metabolic activation, thereby protecting against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity.

[Research progress on potential targets-mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins in treatment of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury].

Acute myocardial infarction(AMI) is still the leading cause of death worldwide. At present, the treatment of AMI is mainly to restore the cardiac blood supply through myocardial reperfusion. With the widespread use of coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI), myocardial reperfusion injury is a major clinical problem. Mitochondrial dysfunction is an important pathological basis for myocardial ischemic injury. Therefore, mitochondria can be used as an important target against myocardial damage. In this article, we would briefly review the physiological functions of mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins as well as their pathological mechanisms and pharmacological interventions in treatment of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Retraction Note to: Ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Retraction Note to: J Zhejiang Univ-Sci B (Biomed & Biotechnol) 2019 20(3):238-252. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1800122. The authors have retracted this article (Guo et al., 2019) because some data from the original literature had not been converted to appropriate units in the paper, which resulted in deviation of the meta-analysis results. For example, for the forest plot used to examine associations between PM10 exposure and the risk of adverse birth outcomes, the estimates from Brauer et al. (2008), Pedersen et al. (2013), Zhao et al. (2015), and Hansen et al. (2006) were on the originally reported scales of 1 µg/m3, 10 µg/m3, 10 µg/m3, and Inter Quartile Range, respectively. None of these estimates had been converted to 20 µg/m3 increase scale that was stated in the article. Similar problem exists in the analysis on associations between NO2 exposure and risk of adverse birth outcomes. Therefore, the results of the meta-analysis are misleading. All authors have agreed to this retraction and express their deepest apologies to the original authors, publishers, and readers.

Retraction Note to: Ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B, (2019), 20, 3, (238-252), 10.1631/jzus.B1800122) / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

This article has been retracted. Please see the retraction notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1800122.

Retraction Note to: Ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Retraction Note to: J Zhejiang Univ-Sci B (Biomed & Biotechnol) 2019 20(3):238-252. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1800122. The authors have retracted this article (Guo et al., 2019) because some data from the original literature had not been converted to appropriate units in the paper, which resulted in deviation of the meta-analysis results. For example, for the forest plot used to examine associations between PM exposure and the risk of adverse birth outcomes, the estimates from Brauer et al. (2008), Pedersen et al. (2013), Zhao et al. (2015), and Hansen et al. (2006) were on the originally reported scales of 1 µg/m, 10 µg/m, 10 µg/m, and Inter Quartile Range, respectively. None of these estimates had been converted to 20 µg/m increase scale that was stated in the article. Similar problem exists in the analysis on associations between NO exposure and risk of adverse birth outcomes. Therefore, the results of the meta-analysis are misleading. All authors have agreed to this retraction and express their deepest apologies to the original authors, publishers, and readers.

Selection of second-line drugs for adult autoimmune hepatitis: A Meta-analysis / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effect and safety of second-line drugs in the treatment of adult patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) through a Meta-analysis of related articles. MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang Data, and VIP were searched for the articles on second-line drugs for AIH published up to December 31, 2019. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of articles, related data were extracted, and Meta-Analyst software was used to perform the Meta-analysis. ResultsA total of 22 articles were included, with 636 patients in total. The Meta-analysis showed that mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), tacrolimus (TAC), cyclosporine, and budesonide had a pooled response rate of 56.1%, 76.0%, 62.7%, and 57.3%, respectively, and their pooled incidence rates of adverse events were 22.5%, 47.4%, 48.4%, and 33.0%, respectively. The patients treated with MMF were divided into groups based on intolerance or no response to the first-line treatment, and a comparative analysis of these groups showed a relative risk of 1.965 (95% confidence interval: 1.181-3.269, I2=0.665, P=0.014). ConclusionSelection of second-line drugs for adult AIH patients should consider response rate and incidence rate of adverse reactions. Both MMF and tacrolimus are good second-line drugs, and TAC may be a better choice for patients with no response to first-line treatment.

A CdII -Based Metal-Organic Framework with pcu Topology as Turn-On Fluorescent Sensor for Al3.

A new metal-organic framework (MOF) {[Cd2 (bbib)2 (ndc)2 ]⋅2DMF}n (JXUST-1) (bbib=1,3-bis(benzimidazolyl)benzene, H2 ndc=1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, DMF=N,N-dimethylformamide) has been solvothermally synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, PXRD, TGA, IR and elemental analysis. JXUST-1 exhibits a three-dimensional 6-connected pcu topology with a Schläfli symbol {412 .63 } constructed by [Cd2 (CO2 )3 ] secondary building units. Fluorescence studies show that this MOF can sensitively and selectively recognize Al3+ via a fluorescence enhancement effect, and the detection limit is 0.048 ppm. Furthermore, JXUST-1 displays relatively good thermal and chemical stabilities as well as reusability. All these results suggest JXUST-1 to be a highly selective and recyclable luminescent sensing material for the detection of Al3+ .

Ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Several reviews have assessed the relationship between exposure to ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes during pregnancy, but the results remain controversial. The objective of this study was to assess this correlation quantitatively and to explore sources of heterogeneity. We included all published case-control or cohort studies that evaluated the correlation between ambient air pollution and low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA). Analytical methods and inclusion criteria were provided on the PROSPERO website (CRD42018085816). We evaluated pooled effects and heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses (grouped by exposure period, study settings, study design, exposure types, data source, Newcastle-Ottawa quality score (NOS), and adjustment for smoking or meteorological factors) were also conducted and publication bias was examined. The risk of bias in systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool was used to evaluate the overall risk of bias in this review. Forty studies met the inclusion criteria. We observed pooled odds ratios (ORs) of 1.03-1.21 for LBW and 0.97-1.06 for PTB when mothers were exposed to CO, NO2, NOx, O3, PM2.5, PM10, or SO2 throughout their pregnancy. For SGA, the pooled estimate was 1.02 in relation to NO2 concentrations. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis decreased the heterogeneity to some extent, such as the subgroups of continuous measures (OR=0.98 (0.97-0.99), I2=0.0%) and NOS>7 (OR=0.98 (0.97-0.99), I2=0.0%) in evaluating the association between PTB and NO2. This review was completed with a low risk of bias. High concentrations of air pollution were significantly related to the higher risk of adverse birth outcomes. However, the sources of heterogeneity among studies should be further explored.

Ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Several reviews have assessed the relationship between exposure to ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes during pregnancy, but the results remain controversial. The objective of this study was to assess this correlation quantitatively and to explore sources of heterogeneity. We included all published case-control or cohort studies that evaluated the correlation between ambient air pollution and low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA). Analytical methods and inclusion criteria were provided on the PROSPERO website (CRD42018085816). We evaluated pooled effects and heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses (grouped by exposure period, study settings, study design, exposure types, data source, Newcastle-Ottawa quality score (NOS), and adjustment for smoking or meteorological factors) were also conducted and publication bias was examined. The risk of bias in systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool was used to evaluate the overall risk of bias in this review. Forty studies met the inclusion criteria. We observed pooled odds ratios (ORs) of 1.03-1.21 for LBW and 0.97-1.06 for PTB when mothers were exposed to CO, NO2, NOx, O3, PM2.5, PM10, or SO2 throughout their pregnancy. For SGA, the pooled estimate was 1.02 in relation to NO2 concentrations. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis decreased the heterogeneity to some extent, such as the subgroups of continuous measures (OR=0.98 (0.97-0.99), I2=0.0%) and NOS>7 (OR=0.98 (0.97-0.99), I2=0.0%) in evaluating the association between PTB and NO2. This review was completed with a low risk of bias. High concentrations of air pollution were significantly related to the higher risk of adverse birth outcomes. However, the sources of heterogeneity among studies should be further explored.

Ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Several reviews have assessed the relationship between exposure to ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes during pregnancy, but the results remain controversial. The objective of this study was to assess this correlation quantitatively and to explore sources of heterogeneity. We included all published case-control or cohort studies that evaluated the correlation between ambient air pollution and low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA). Analytical methods and inclusion criteria were provided on the PROSPERO website (CRD42018085816). We evaluated pooled effects and heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses (grouped by exposure period, study settings, study design, exposure types, data source, Newcastle-Ottawa quality score (NOS), and adjustment for smoking or meteorological factors) were also conducted and publication bias was examined. The risk of bias in systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool was used to evaluate the overall risk of bias in this review. Forty studies met the inclusion criteria. We observed pooled odds ratios (ORs) of 1.03–1.21 for LBW and 0.97–1.06 for PTB when mothers were exposed to CO, NO2, NOx, O3, PM2.5, PM10, or SO2 throughout their pregnancy. For SGA, the pooled estimate was 1.02 in relation to NO2 concentrations. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis decreased the heterogeneity to some extent, such as the subgroups of continuous measures (OR=0.98 (0.97–0.99), I2=0.0%) and NOS>7 (OR=0.98 (0.97–0.99), I2=0.0%) in evaluating the association between PTB and NO2. This review was completed with a low risk of bias. High concentrations of air pollution were significantly related to the higher risk of adverse birth outcomes. However, the sources of heterogeneity among studies should be further explored.

[Discrimination of Honey Varieties Based on Amino Acid Derivative Fluorescence Method Combining with Multilinear Pattern Recognition].

Assessing the authenticity about the botanical and geographical origins of food is an important content for food safety research. Amino acids are the most important nutrients of honey. The types and contents of amino acids are different in various honey samples. Thus they can be used as one of the important parameters to discriminate the honey variety and quality. In this article, amino acids in honey were first derived with formaldehyde and acetyl acetone solution. In the following step, three-dimensional fluorescence spectrums combing with multidimensional pattern recognition methods were used to distinguish the kinds of honey. Five kinds of honey (total 150 honey samples) from different botanicals were studied in this research. Before fluorescence detection, the effect of the amount of derivation reagent, the time of reaction, temperature and pH to the derivation progress of honey samples were first studied. Research showed that the fluorescence intensity of derivatives of honey was the strongest when the amount of derivation reagent was 4.0 mL, the time of reaction being 2 h, pH being 4 and the temperature being 100 ℃. The derivatives of honey were then scanned with three-dimensional fluorescence spectrometry. The collection of fluorescence intensity values occurred within excitation-emission ranges of 300~500 and 380~580 nm. A 150×41×101 cube matrix data sets can be acquired. The three-dimensional fluorescence data sets were decomposed with multilinear pattern recognition methods, such as multilinear principal components analysis (M-PCA), self-weight alternative trilinear decomposition (SWATLD) and multilinear partial least squares discriminant analysis (N-PLS-DA) methods. All of these multilinear pattern recognition methods showed the clustering tendency for five different kinds of honey. Compared with the other two methods, N-PLS-DA got more accurate and reliable classification results because it made full use of all the fluorescence information of the derivative honey samples. Its total recognition rate reached 88%. The result is acceptable for the complexity of the honey samples. It showed this method could be applied to identify the varieties of honey. Compared with the chromatographic analysis method, this method is relatively simpler and more sensitivity. It avoided the chromatographic separation and reduced the consumption of organic solvent. Thus it can be regarded as a kind of relatively green honey classification method. This research will provide a new idea to directly fluorescence analyze for no or weak fluorescence natural substances.

Detection of adulteration in acetonitrile using near infrared spectroscopy coupled with pattern recognition techniques.

In this paper, near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) in cooperation with the pattern recognition techniques were used to determine the type of neat acetonitrile and the adulteration in acetonitrile. NIR spectra were collected between 400 nm and 2498 nm. The experimental data were first subjected to analysis of principal component analysis (PCA) to reveal significant differences and potential patterns between samples. Then support vector machine (SVM) were applied to develop classification models and the best parameter combination was selected by grid search. Under the best parameter combination, the classification accuracy rates of three types of neat acetonitrile reached 87.5%, and 100% for the adulteration with different concentration levels. The results showed that NIR spectroscopy combined with SVM could be utilized for determining the potential adulterants including water, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, acrylonitrile, methanol, and by-products associated with the production of acetonitrile.

Simultaneous and Direct Determination of Vancomycin and Cephalexin in Human Plasma by Using HPLC-DAD Coupled with Second-Order Calibration Algorithms.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of vancomycin and cephalexin in human plasma was developed by using HPLC-DAD with second-order calibration algorithms. Instead of a completely chromatographic separation, mathematical separation was performed by using two trilinear decomposition algorithms, that is, PARAFAC-alternative least squares (PARAFAC-ALSs) and self-weight-alternative-trilinear-decomposition- (SWATLD-) coupled high-performance liquid chromatography with DAD detection. The average recoveries attained from PARAFAC-ALS and SWATLD with the factor number of 4 (N = 4) were 101 ± 5% and 102 ± 4% for vancomycin, and 96 ± 3% and 97 ± 3% for cephalexininde in real human samples, respectively. The statistical comparison between PARAFAC-ALS and SWATLD is demonstrated to be similar. The results indicated that the combination of HPLC-DAD detection with second-order calibration algorithms is a powerful tool to quantify the analytes of interest from overlapped chromatographic profiles for complex analysis of drugs in plasma.