Updated reference intervals for serum cystatin C and creatinine based on age and sex variations.

Unlabelled: We investigated inconsistencies between results for cystatin C (Cys C) and creatinine (Crea) in patients undergoing health check-ups. Data from 36,836 individuals who underwent health checkups at Huashan Hospital over the previous 3 years were analyzed. We extracted laboratory results of 10 biomarkers and information on sex and age.

Quantitation of plasma and urine 3-methoxytyramine using ID‑LC-MS/MS: A candidate reference measurement procedure and its application to evaluate the results from more than 100 routine LC-MS/MS labs in China.

Background: Accurate measurement of 3-methoxytyramine (3MT) is essential for diagnosing metastatic pheochromocytomas, paragangliomas, and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease. Despite the growing use of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for 3MT quantification, poor comparability persists among laboratories. This study developed an isotope dilution LC-MS/MS-based candidate reference measurement procedure (cRMP) for plasma and urine 3MT measurement and evaluated LC-MS/MS results from over 100 laboratories in China.

Lower water-soluble vitamins and higher homocysteine are associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

Evidence of the effects of water-soluble vitamins (e.g., B vitamins, vitamin C, and total folate) on cognitive function in patients with neurodegenerative diseases is mixed.

A hybrid functional method for screening the p-type defects in wide gap semiconductor α-LiAlTe.

Transparent conducting materials (TCMs) are vital in transparent electronics. Previous investigations show that ternary telluride α-LiAlTe possesses a wide band gap of 3.13 eV, a smaller hole-effective mass (0.

Flavor characteristics and metabolomics of sweet rice wine fermented with different non-Saccharomyces yeasts.

Non-Saccharomyces yeasts (Clavispora lusitaniae, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Kodamaea ohmeri, Meyerozyma caribbica, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa) showed potential use in taste and flavor enhancement of fermented products, including sweet rice wine. Herein, various parameters, including physicochemical indices, antioxidant activities, amino acids, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and metabolites, were examined to investigate the effects of five non-Saccharomyces yeasts on the organoleptic and nutritional properties for sweet rice wine. The results indicated that inoculating non-Saccharomyces yeasts exerted substantial effects on the physicochemical indices and antioxidant activities of sweet rice wine.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for simultaneous quantification of catecholamines and metabolites in human plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.

Catecholamines (CAs) and their metabolites in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma are potential biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and facilitate early diagnosis. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is the gold standard method for analyzing CAs. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay capable of simultaneously quantifying dopamine (DA), epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), metanephrine (MN), normetanephrine (NMN), and 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT) in both human CSF and plasma.

Standardization challenges in antipsychotic drug monitoring: insights from a national survey in Chinese TDM practices.

Objectives: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is critical for optimizing antipsychotic therapy, yet inter-laboratory comparability in China remains poor. Unstandardized practices risk suboptimal dosing and adverse effects, highlighting the need for standardization. This study evaluated TDM practices for six antipsychotics (olanzapine, clozapine, risperidone, quetiapine, aripiprazole, and paliperidone), focusing on inter-laboratory variability, quality control material suitability, and measurement system differences.

Metabolic changes and potential biomarkers in different cultivars of black poplar: aiding in the identification of poplar cultivars.

The black poplar, the predominant poplar cultivars in China, has substantial economic and ecological importance. However, there were differences in phenotypic traits, such as growth, wood properties, resistance, tolerance and so on, between different black poplar cultivars. So, this study examined the effects of genetic background on the metabolite and volatile compound compositions of black poplar via metabolomics and gas chromatography‒mass spectrometry (GC‒MS).

Analytical performance evaluation and optimization of serum 25(OH)D LC-MS/MS measurement.

Objectives: Measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is key in clinical labs, but inter-laboratory variations risk diagnostic errors. This study evaluates the performance of current in-house liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods used in top Chinese clinical laboratories and proposes an optimized method for improving serum 25(OH)D measurement accuracy and reliability.

Methods: Seven serum pools with different concentrations of 25(OH)D were prepared and sent to 12 participating laboratories for multiple repeat analysis with their current in-house LC-MS/MS methods and then an optimized LC-MS/MS method.

Rational design of a donor-acceptor structure in covalent heptazine frameworks to boost photocatalytic nitrogen fixation.

Herein, the construction of potential donor-acceptor (D-A) structures was guided using density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. The photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance of TAPT-CHF was then experimentally determined to be 327.58 μmol g h, which was attributed to its efficient photo-induced charge separation and migration ability.

Transoral endoscopic thyroid lobectomy and ipsilateral central neck lymph node dissection vestibular approach: analysis of the learning curve and clinical outcomes evaluation.

Purpose: The transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) is distinguished by its ability to leave no visible scars on the body's surface. Currently, there is still a lack of single-center large sample size analysis on the learning curve of TOETVA, especially for the treatment of thyroid cancer. This study aims to fill this void by presenting a comprehensive analysis of the learning curve and assessing the procedure's feasibility in managing thyroid cancer.

Molecular epidemiological analysis of Influenza viruses in Influenza-like illness cases: a retrospective study in Chongqing Hi-Tech Zone, China (2021-2024).

Objectives: To analyze the molecular epidemiological characteristics of influenza viruses in influenza-like cases in Chongqing Hi-Tech Zone, China, to provide data support and a scientific basis for optimizing influenza prevention and control strategies in the region.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the molecular epidemiological characteristics of influenza viruses in influenza-like cases at a hospital in Chongqing Hi-Tech Zone from 2021 to 2024. Colloidal gold detection of viral antibodies, fluorescent PCR detection of nucleic acids, and gene sequencing were used to identify the different subtypes.

Impact of Alkali Metals on CeO-WO/TiO Catalysts for NH-Selective Catalytic Reduction and Lifetime Prediction of Catalysts.

Ce-based catalysts have been widely used in the removal of nitrogen oxides from industrial flue gas because of their good catalytic performance and environmental friendliness. However, the mechanism of alkali metal poisoning in Ce-based catalysts remains to be further studied. This work involves the preparation of the K/Na-poisoned CeWTi catalyst via the impregnation method for assessing its performance in NO removal.

Free thyroid hormone: Methods and standardization.

Free thyroid hormone (FTH) serves as the preferred indicator for the clinical assessment of thyroid function, mainly encompassing free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine. The immunoassay commonly employed in the clinical setting exhibits certain unresolvable deficiencies. The results of over 5,500 clinical laboratories for FTH from China in 2024 demonstrated that the outcomes of immunoassay were not comparable, with robust CVs calculated in accordance with ISO 13528 ranging from 13.

Insight into the status of plasma renin and aldosterone measurement: findings from 526 clinical laboratories in China.

Objectives: Accurate measurements of renin and aldosterone levels play an important role in primary aldosteronism screening, which is of great importance in the management and categorization of hypertension. The objective of this study is to investigate the current status of plasma renin and aldosterone measurements in China, which is achieved by analyzing the results of 526 clinical laboratories nationwide for three pooled fresh plasma samples derived from more than 2,000 patients.

Methods: Renin and aldosterone in three pooled plasma samples were measured four times in 526 laboratories employing various measurement systems.

Effects of Supplementation with Oregano Essential Oil during Late Gestation and Lactation on Serum Metabolites, Antioxidant Capacity and Fecal Microbiota of Sows.

A total of 20 healthy white × landrace sows were evenly and randomly divided into two groups, and fed basal diets unsupplemented or supplemented with 500 g/t Meriden-Stim from day 100 of gestation until day 21 of lactation. Serum and fecal samples were collected from the sows on the final day for subsequent analysis. Compared to the control group, there were no significant differences in the sows' performances; however, an increase was observed in the piglets' weight at weaning ( = 0.

Analysis of Volatile Components in Tratt. and Using Headspace-Solid-Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and flavor characteristics of Tratt. (RR) and (RS) were analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The flavor network was constructed by combining relative odor activity values (ROAVs), and the signature differential flavor components were screened using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and random forest (RF).

Exosomes from umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells combined with gelatin methacryloyl inhibit vein graft restenosis by enhancing endothelial functions.

Background: The prevalence of coronary artery disease is increasing. As a common treatment method, coronary artery bypass transplantation surgery can improve heart problems while also causing corresponding complications. Venous graft restenosis is one of the most critical and intractable complications.

Identification and validation of the reference genes in the echiuran worm Urechis unicinctus based on transcriptome data.

Background: Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is a crucial and widely used method for gene expression analysis. Selecting suitable reference genes is extremely important for the accuracy of RT-qPCR results. Commonly used reference genes are not always stable in various organisms or under different environmental conditions.

Exploration of suitable external quality assessment materials for serum C-peptide measurement.

Objectives: To find suitable external quality assessment (EQA) materials for serum C-peptide, we evaluated the commutability of five types of processed materials.

Methods: Seventy-four individual serum samples and 12 processed samples including three EQA samples currently in use, frozen human serum pools (FHSP), and three other kinds of processed samples were prepared by dissolving WHO International Standard Reagent for C-peptide (WHO ISR 13/146) in three different matrixes: 0.05 % bovine serum albumin, fetal bovine serum and human serum pools.

An Accurate Isotope Dilution Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Serum C-Peptide and Its Use in Harmonization in China.

Background: Serum C-peptide results from various routine methods used in China are highly variable, warranting well-performing methods to serve as an accuracy base to improve the harmonization of C-peptide measurements in China. We developed an accurate isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC-MS/MS) method for serum C-peptide measurement and explored its use in harmonization.

Methods: After protein precipitation with ZSO solution, C-peptide was extracted from serum samples by anion-exchange solid-phase extraction and quantified by ID-LC-MS/MS in positive ion mode.

Probing FeSi, a -electron topological Kondo insulator candidate, with magnetic field, pressure, and microwaves.

Recently, evidence for a conducting surface state (CSS) below 19 K was reported for the correlated -electron small gap semiconductor FeSi. In the work reported herein, the CSS and the bulk phase of FeSi were probed via electrical resistivity ρ measurements as a function of temperature , magnetic field to 60 T, and pressure to 7.6 GPa, and by means of a magnetic field-modulated microwave spectroscopy (MFMMS) technique.

Application of serum pools in insulin harmonization: Commutability and stability.

Background: Recalibration using serum pools assigned by higher-order reference methods had been demonstrated to be effective in improving the agreement among insulin immunoassays. To promote the application of serum pools in insulin harmonization, this study analyzed serum pools' commutability between insulin immunoassays, and their short- and long-term stability at different temperatures. The agreement between commonly used immunoassays was also evaluated.

Tissue-specific metabolomic profiling after cardiopulmonary bypass in fetal sheep.

Objective: Fetal cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is essential to fetal heart surgery, while its development is limited by vital organ dysfunction after CPB. Studying organ metabolism may help to solve this problem. The objective of this study was to describe the tissue-specific metabolic fingerprints of fetal sheep under CPB and to associate them with organ functions.