An LC-MS/MS method for creatine and creatinine analysis in paraquat-intoxicated patients

Abstract

A sudden increase in serum creatinine after paraquat intoxication has been reported in several clinical studies. However, this dramatic change of creatinine may be possibly due to an interconversion of creatine-creatinine in relation to paraquat toxicity. In order to investigate the creatine-creatinine relationship, a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in combination with electrospray ionization was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of creatine and creatinine in the serum. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Gemini® C₆-Phenyl column with a gradient elution consisting of 0.1% formic acid in ultrapure water and methanol as the mobile phase. The method yielded suitable levels of specificity and selectivity, and calibration curves of creatine and creatinine in serum were linear over the concentration range of 0.5–200?µg mL^?1. The limit of quantification of both compounds was 0.5?µg mL^?1, and the method was accurate within the recovery range of 96.23–102.75%, indicating the robustness of the method. The method was successfully applied to toxicological samples from paraquat-intoxicated patients, and the concentrations of creatine and creatinine were quantified. High creatine concentrations in serum samples were observed which may lead to high serum creatinine despite normal kidney function as creatine is converted to creatinine in proportion to its concentration.     

区域主体功能实现与自然资源利用的定量关系研究

主体功能区划通过主体功能划分的方式将开发和保护结合,自然资源开发利用复杂化过程中资源利用与目标实现之间亟需实现基本的定量核算关系。本文从自然资源可持续利用角度,试图探讨建立初步的主体功能核算关系,通过核算框架进行生产、生活、生态主体功能概算与比较。以京津冀主体功能区与水资源为例,对所设立的核算关系进行了验证与应用,并构造绝对与相对量指标量化京津冀主体功能量、功能水资源投入量与效率,进行了异空间尺度与异质性功能的比较,为以主体功能实现最大化为目标的资源优化配置提供量化工具。结果显示:①利用生态服务价值测算的当量因子法与水足迹测算的投入产出法,刻画了水资源对于地区主体功能的支撑作用。②利用功能总量与单位功能水资源投入量指标完成了异质性功能在异质性空间上规模、结构、相应水资源效率的比较。基于算例结果得到以下结论:①本文构建的自然资源-主体功能核算关系框架能够有效衔接主体功能规划,定量核算能有效反映与评价资源对区域功能目标、经济开发活动的支撑作用。②区域资源配置存在相对功能实现的效率差异,可根据资源投入与功能产出之间的关系引导实现功能最大化目标的资源配置。合理、有效的量化手段能够推进主体功能制度的落实,也有助于当前中国空间规划体系编制与落实的实际指导效果。     

海洋碳汇渔业绿色发展空间外溢效应评价研究

海洋碳汇渔业绿色发展空间关联性及其外溢效应对于海水养殖业的有效协调和区域海洋环境的有效保护具有重要意义,科学估算沿海各省(自治区)海水养殖渔业碳汇量并探讨其空间相关性特征是制定差异化渔业碳汇发展政策的重要基础。根据2006—2016年中国大陆沿海9个省(自治区)的碳汇渔业资源清查数据,在检验和比较省域空间渔业碳汇总量相关性特征的基础上,运用空间计量模型分析了渔业碳汇的外溢效应及其影响因素。结果表明:①中国海水养殖渔业碳汇量整体上呈现上升趋势,但各省渔业碳汇量也存在明显差异。②研究期内的Moran's I指数整体呈现为"V"型的波动变化特征,渔业碳汇在省域空间分布上的差异性并不是随机的,而是具备显著的空间相关性。③海水养殖渔业碳汇存在明显的空间外溢效应,通过随机效应的杜宾模型分解后得出渔业产值、劳动力投入的直接效应为正,而渔业受灾面积和科研项目经费投入的直接效应为负;从间接效应来看,渔业产值在各省域间存在竞争与依存关系,海水养殖业劳动力投入和渔业技术推广的项目经费投入在各省域间存在互补关系。因此,中国沿海各省份在发挥海洋水产养殖业生态功能时,应当考虑省域区位因素,合理制定兼具差异化和协调性的海洋碳汇渔业发展政策。     

基于多孔环形喷嘴的可燃爆粉尘分散特征的密度效应研究*

为了研究不同密度的可燃爆粉尘在内置多孔环形喷嘴的20 L爆炸特性测试装置中的分散特征，基于负载粒子流方法、耦合DPM动量平衡方程和时间平均 Navier Stokes控制方程组，实现3种不同密度的煤粉、铝粉和锆粉在20 L爆炸测试装置中粉尘分散全过程的数值模拟。研究结果表明:多孔环形喷嘴的分散较为均匀，但是约束管道末端存在局部粉尘残留区，致使爆炸仓内真实粉尘浓度远低于形式浓度；爆炸仓中心位置的最大湍动能随着粉尘密度的增加而减小，只有显著地变化粉尘密度才能展示区分度较高的浓度峰值和抵达浓度峰值的时间。     

Research based on double coverage rate and reliability of gas detector layout optimization

The gas detector layout should be highly attuned to combustible gas leakage and attain a good reliability in avoiding detector malfunction, which is an important guarantee for the normal production of the chemical industry and other related enterprises. Herein, a gas detector layout optimization method based on double coverage and reliability is proposed. The key gas leakage monitoring area is determined through layout scene field investigation. To improve the detection probability and detection system reliability, the dual coverage target and voting mechanism are set, and the gas detector layout is determined with the ray-casting algorithm according to the coverage target. Combined with FLACS software to simulate a variety of typical leakage conditions under different layout scenarios, the relationship between the leaked gas concentration detected by gas detectors in each layout scheme and time is obtained, and the gas leakage detection probability in each layout scheme, number of detectors that can trigger the alarm, shortest time to trigger the alarm and reliability are comprehensively evaluated. The decision-maker selects the final gas detector layout plan according to the evaluation results and actual site needs. The study shows that the detection probability of each layout scheme set according to the double coverage is high, and multiple detectors can trigger the alarm (up to 100%), which ensures that the alarm can be triggered within 10 s under all applicable conditions. According to the evaluation results, the decision-maker can obtain a layout scheme that not only agrees with the actual site conditions but also attains a high detection probability, short detection time and strong reliability.     

基于ALOHA软件的某化工厂选址合理性评估

为了研究化工厂选址的合理性,以山东省某化工厂为例,采用ALOHA(有害大气空中定位软件)模拟软件定量确定厂区内环氧乙烷毒气扩散事故的影响区域和敏感点毒气浓度,结合GoogleEarth地图对影响范围进行实地拟合。结果表明化工厂的环氧乙烷储罐泄漏后,毒气扩散到厂区范围之外,毒气浓度在50~500ppm之间的重伤区(ERPG-2)扩散距离可达1.7km,对周围居民的人身安全构成严重威胁;厂区应根据拟合结果重新规划工厂中环氧乙烷储罐的位置;ALOHA软件对化工厂选址评价提供了新的手段。     

走向工作面贯通上山与支架快速回撤技术

针对走向工作面停采线与上山之间的护巷煤柱造成煤炭损失，支架回撤工艺复杂、巷道掘进量大等问题，提出走向工作面贯通上山与支架快速回撤技术。工作面贯通采区上山，利用上山回撤支架。在贯通前，利用压力拱模型分析剩余煤柱应力变化规律，并结合极限平衡区公式，确定让压煤柱为8 m；对贯通前基本顶合理断裂位置、让压调节机制、末采阶段采高进行了分析确定，并采取上山巷内补强支护及挂绳铺网措施。贯通上山后，首先利用支架对上山留巷，完成留巷后，利用上山回撤支架，先将上部端头3架逆时针旋转90°作为掩护架，在对剩余支架逐架回撤时，3个掩护架呈现台阶型。提出的技术取消了护巷煤柱及回撤通道，提高了煤炭采出率，减少了巷道掘进量，简化了回撤工艺。     

Diversity of antibiotic resistance genes and encoding ribosomal protection proteins gene in livestock waste polluted environment

The rapid development and increase of antibiotic resistance are global phenomena resulting from the extensive use of antibiotics in human clinics and animal feeding operations. Antibiotics can promote the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can be transferred horizontally to humans and animals through water and the food chain. In this study, the presence and abundance of ARGs in livestock waste was monitored by quantitative PCR. A diverse set of bacteria and tetracycline resistance genes encoding ribosomal protection proteins (RPPs) from three livestock farms and a river were analyzed through denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The abundance of sul(I) was 10³ to 10⁵ orders of magnitude higher than that of sul(II). Among 11 tet-ARGs, the most abundant was tet(O). The results regarding bacterial diversity indicated that the presence of antibiotics might have an evident impact on bacterial diversity at every site, particularly at the investigated swine producer. The effect of livestock waste on the bacterial diversity of soil was stronger than that of water. Furthermore, a sequencing analysis showed that tet(M) exhibited two genotypes, while the other RPPs-encoding genes exhibited at least three genotypes. This study showed that various ARGs and RPPs-encoding genes are particularly widespread among livestock.     

Improving pedestrian safety using combined HOG and Haar partial detection in mobile systems

Objective: The objective of this study is to develop a novel algorithm on a mobile system that can warn drivers about the possibility of a collision with a pedestrian. The constraints of the algorithm are near-real-time detection speed and a good detection rate.

Method: Histogram of gradients (HOG)-based detection is widely used in pedestrian safety applications; however, it has low detection speed for real-time systems. Hence, it has no direct usage for mobile systems. In order to achieve near-real-time detection speed, partial Haar transform predetections are applied to an image before HOG detection. The partial and HOG detections are merged and a score-based confidence level is defined for the final detection phase. In this way, the outcome is prioritized and different warning levels can be issued to warn the driver before a possible pedestrian collision.

Results: The proposed algorithm provides an increase in detection speed (from 46 to 76 fps) and detection rate (from 80 to 91%) with respect to HOG-based pedestrian detection. It also improves confidence of the results by multidetection merging and score assignment to detections.

Conclusions: Performance improvement of the algorithm is compared with respect to state-of-the-art detectors/algorithms. Based on the detection rate and detection speed performance, it can be concluded that the proposed algorithm is suitable to be used for mobile systems to warn drivers about the possibility of collision with a pedestrian.     

Evaluation of the spontaneous combustion characteristics of coal of different metamorphic degrees based on a temperature-programmed oil bath experimental system

Research on the micro- and macrocharacteristics of different metamorphic degrees of coal helps improve the control and protection techniques used during spontaneous combustion. Nine coals with different properties were thoroughly investigated in this study. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and a self-designed temperature-programmed oil bath experimental system were adopted to analyze the molecular structure and macrocharacteristic parameters of the spontaneous combustion of coal. Additionally, the influence of particle size on spontaneous combustion was considered. Various functional groups were employed as microcharacteristic parameters to capture the principal active groups in oxidation. The gas production rate, oxygen consumption rate, gas concentration, heat energy release rate, and characteristic temperatures were evaluated as macrocharacteristic parameters to investigate the changes in coal during oxidation. The results establish that the microcharacteristics of coal molecules determine the degree of spontaneous combustion based on intrinsic properties and that changes in the macrocharacteristics of the spontaneous combustion of coal reflect the microstructural changes. The contents of the hydroxyl groups, carbonyl groups, alkyl ether and aryl ether in the coal molecules gradually decrease with the metamorphic increase. Oxygen-containing functional groups have higher reactivities and easily react with oxygen, causing the macroparameters, such as the oxygen consumption rate, the gas generation rate and the heat energy release rate, to consistently decrease with the increase of the metamorphic degree. Small-particle-size coal molecules have more active aliphatic hydrocarbons, oxygen-containing functional groups and a larger specific surface area, increasing the chances of adsorbing the oxygen of active groups and promoting the reaction between coal and oxygen. The experimental results indicate that coal samples with higher metamorphic degrees or larger sizes exhibit lower tendencies toward spontaneous combustion. Evaluation of the spontaneous combustion of coal based on a temperature-programmed oil bath experimental system is of great practical importance for preventing the spontaneous combustion of coal during storage, processing and utilization and can serve as a convenient reference for production safety in mining applications.