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Optoelectronic synapses are currently drawing significant attention as fundamental building blocks of neuromorphic computing to mimic brain functions. In this study, a two-terminal synaptic device based on a doped PdSe 2 flake is proposed to imitate the key neural functions in an optical pathway. Due to the wavelength-dependent desorption of oxygen clusters near the intrinsic selenide vacancy defects, the doped PdSe 2 photodetector achieves a high negative photoresponsivity of -7.8 × 10 3 A W -1 at 473 nm and a positive photoresponsivity of 181 A W -1 at 1064 nm. This wavelength-selective bi-direction photoresponse endows an all-optical pathway to imitate the fundamental functions of artificial synapses on a device level, such as psychological learning and forgetting capability, as well as dynamic logic functions. The underpinning photoresponse is further demonstrated on a flexible platform, providing a viable technology for neuromorphic computing in wearable electronics. Furthermore, the p-type doping results in an effective increase of the channel's electrical conductivity and a significant reduction in power consumption. Such low-power-consuming optical synapses with simple device architecture and low-dimensional features demonstrate tremendous promise for building multifunctional artificial neuromorphic systems in the future., (© 2023 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

A series of organic-inorganic composite geopolymer paste samples were prepared with slag-based geopolymer and three types of hydrophilic organic polymers, i.e., PVA, PAA, and CPAM, by ordinary molding and pressure-mixing processes. The reaction mechanism between slag-based geopolymer and organic polymers was studied by FT-IR, NMR, and SEM techniques. The experimental results showed that the slag-based geopolymer with the addition of 3% PVA presented the highest 28-day flexural strength of 19.0 MPa by means of a pressure-mixing process and drying curing conditions (80 °C, 24 h) compared with the geopolymers incorporating PAA and CPAM. A more homogeneous dispersion morphology was also observed by BSE and SEM for the 3% PVA-incorporated slag-based geopolymer. The FT-IR testing results confirmed the formation of a C-O-Si (Al) bond between PVA and the slag-based geopolymer. The deconvolution of the Q 3 and Q 2 (1Al) species obtained by 29 Si NMR testing manifested the addition of PVA and increased the length of the silicon backbone chain in the geopolymer. These findings confirmed that a composite geopolymer with high toughness can be produced based on the interpenetrating network structure formed between organic polymers and inorganic geopolymer.

The objective of this study is to formulate vegetated light porous concrete (VLPC) through the utilization of various cementing materials, the design of porosity, and the incorporation of mineral additives. Subsequently, the study aims to assess and analyze key properties, including the bulk density, permeability coefficient, mechanical characteristics, and alkalinity. The findings indicate a linear decrease in the volume weight of VLPC as the designed porosity increases. While higher design porosity elevates the permeability coefficient, the measured effective porosity closely aligns with the design values. The examined VLPC exhibits a peak compressive strength of 17.7 MPa and a maximum bending strength of 2.1 MPa after 28 days. Notably, an escalation in porosity corresponds to a decrease in both the compressive and the bending strength of VLPC. Introducing mineral additives, particularly silicon powder, is shown to be effective in enhancing the strength of VLPC. Furthermore, substituting slag sulfonate cement for ordinary cement significantly diminishes the alkalinity of VLPC, resulting in a pH below 8.5 at 28 days. Mineral additives also contribute to a reduction in the pH of concrete. Among them, silica fume, fly ash, fly ash + slag powder, and slag powder exhibit a progressively enhanced alkaline reduction effect.

Constructing high-quality homojunctions plays a pivotal role for the advancement of two-dimensional transition metal sulfide (TMDC) based optoelectronic devices. Here, a lateral PdSe 2 p-i-n homojunction is constructed by electrostatic doping. Electrical measurements reveal that the homojunction diode exhibits a strong rectifying characteristic with a rectification ratio exceeding 10 4 and an ideality factor approaching 1. When functioning in photovoltaic mode, the device achieves a high responsivity of 1.1 A/W under 1064 nm illumination, with a specific detectivity of 1.3 × 10 11 Jones and a high linearity of 45 dB. Benefiting from the lateral p-i-n structure, the junction capacitance is significantly reduced, and an ultrafast response (3/6 μs) is obtained. Additionally, the photodiode has the capability of polarization distinction due to the unique in-plane anisotropic structure of PdSe 2 , exhibiting a dichroic ratio of 1.6 at a 1064 nm wavelength. This high-performance polarization-sensitive near-infrared photodetector exhibits great potential in the next-generation optoelectronic applications.

2D materials with mixed crystal phase will lead to the nonuniformity of performance and go against the practical application. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a valid method to synthesize 2D materials with typical stoichiometry. Here, 2D palladium sulfides with centimeter scale and uniform stoichiometric ratio are synthesized via controlling the sulfurization temperature of palladium thin films. The relationship between sulfurization temperature and products is investigated in depth. Besides, the high-quality 2D PdS 2 films are synthesized via sulfurization at the temperature of 450-550 °C, which would be compatible with back-end-of-line processes in semiconductor industry with considering of process temperature. The PdS 2 films show an n-type semiconducting behavior with high mobility of 10.4 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . The PdS 2 photodetector presents a broadband photoresponse from 450 to 1550 nm. These findings provide a reliable way to synthesizing high-quality and large-area 2D materials with uniform crystal phase. The result suggests that 2D PdS 2 has significant potential in future nanoelectronics and optoelectronic applications., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The influence of organic solvents on the structural integrity and properties of activated kaolinite were compared and analyzed via characterization techniques and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results revealed that the organic intercalators can be easily inserted into the interlayer spaces of activated kaolinite within a short time of the wet ball milling. The DMSO intercalated kaolinites maintained structural integrity due to the high intercalation rate and the excellent buffering effect against the crushing force of milling during the delamination/exfoliation process. The delaminated layers of the DMSO-kaolinite complex exhibited a high specific surface area of 99.12 m 2 /g and a low average thickness of 35.21 nm. The calculated elastic properties of the organo-kaolinite complex manifested the intercalation of DMSO into a kaolinite interlayer, which could improve the compressibility and structural integrity of kaolinite nanosheets. The DMSO-kaolinite complex was easier to peel off when compared to the other organic intercalators due to its more intercalated molecules.

In this work, two series of chemically reactive polymers, silane coupling agents (SCAs) and water-soluble polymers, were specifically designed as an additive to improve the ductility of slag geopolymer paste by vibration pressure technique. The influences of organic polymers on the fluidity, rheological behavior, mechanical property, porosity, and toughening mechanism of slag geopolymer were investigated. The polycondensation and bonding characteristics of organic-inorganic products were calculated by 1 H liquid nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). The polymerization degree of composite geopolymer was evaluated by 29 Si NMR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The microscopic morphology of the geopolymer matrix was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the dosage of the KH570 and PAA-Na with 5 wt% behaved best in improving the flexural strength and the compressive strength of geopolymer in their corresponding organic series, respectively. The addition of polymers decreased the fluidity and the fluidity loss ratio of geopolymer slurry but reduced the harmful pores of hardened geopolymer. The organic polymers acting as bridge-fixed water molecules weakened the repulsion force, and formed a three-dimensional network through molecular interweaving in a geopolymer matrix. Methacryloxy in silane coupling agents and carboxyl group in water-soluble polymers may contribute to the improvement of hydration product structure through strong bonding with C-A-S-H. Microscopic measurements indicated that the addition of KH570 and PAA-Na in geopolymer could form 73.55% and 72.48% Si-O-Si with C-A-S-H gel, higher than the reference, and increase the polycondensation degree of C-A-S-H phase, reflected by the increased generation of Q 2 and Q 2 (1Al) and the longer chain length, leading to a higher densified geopolymer matrix with high ductility.

Lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) is the native existing form of major components in lignocellulose. In this study, the structural cross-link between lignin and polysaccharides in lignocellulose was quantitatively estimated with carboxymethylation-separation (CM-Sep) method, and its influence on lignocellulose pyrolysis was systematically investigated. The cross-linked lignin was found to positively correlate with the production of small molecules and furan derivatives while negatively affecting the generation of anhydrous sugars. Content of small molecules was increased by 97% while that of anhydrous sugars was decreased by 47% in pyrolytic products with levoglucosan yield lowered by 54 wt% in the existence of cross-linked lignin. Furthermore, the impact of cross-linked lignin was revealed to be significantly distinguished from free lignin. Impeded glycosidic end formation and boosted glycosyl ring scission as well as lignin fragmentation were responsible for the distinction. Excellent correlations between structural cross-link and lignocellulose pyrolytome could facilitate product prediction and process design., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Phase controllable synthesis of 2D materials is of significance for tuning related electrical, optical, and magnetic properties. Herein, the phase-controllable synthesis of tetragonal and hexagonal FeTe nanoplates has been realized by a rational control of the Fe/Te ratio in a chemical vapor deposition system. Using density functional theory calculations, it has been revealed that with the change of the Fe/Te ratio, the formation energy of active clusters changes, causing the phase-controllable synthesis of FeTe nanoplates. The thickness of the obtained FeTe nanoplates can be tuned down to the 2D limit (2.8 nm for tetragonal and 1.4 nm for hexagonal FeTe). X-ray diffraction pattern, transmission electron microscopy, and high resolution scanning transmission electron microscope analyses exhibit the high crystallinity of the as-grown FeTe nanoplates. The two kinds of FeTe nanoflakes show metallic behavior and good electrical conductivity, featuring 8.44 × 10 4 S m -1 for 9.8 nm-thick tetragonal FeTe and 5.45 × 10 4 S m -1 for 7.6 nm-thick hexagonal FeTe. The study provides an efficient and convenient route for tailoring the phases of FeTe nanoplates, which benefits to study phase-sensitive properties, and may pave the way for the synthesis of other multiphase 2D nanosheets with controllable phases., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites are currently drawing significant attention as highly-stable photoactive materials for optoelectronic applications. However, the insulating nature of organic ammonium layers in 2D perovskites results in poor charge transport and limited performance. Here, we demonstrate that Al 2 O 3 /2D perovskite heterostructure can be utilized as photoactive dielectric for high-performance MoS 2 phototransistors. The type-II band alignment in 2D perovskites facilitates effective spatial separation of photo-generated carriers, thus achieving ultrahigh photoresponsivity of >10 8  A/W at 457 nm and >10 6 A/W at 1064 nm. Meanwhile, the hysteresis loops induced by ionic migration in perovskite and charge trapping in Al 2 O 3 can neutralize with each other, leading to low-voltage phototransistors with negligible hysteresis and improved bias stress stability. More importantly, the recombination of photo-generated carriers in 2D perovskites depends on the external biasing field. With an appropriate gate bias, the devices exhibit wavelength-dependent constant photoresponsivity of 10 3 -10 8  A/W regardless of incident light intensity.

Background: Iron deficiency is prevalent in patients with heart failure. This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of iron in patients with systolic heart failure and iron deficiency., Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases through March 2018 and included 10 randomized controlled trials involving 1404 heart failure patients who underwent iron or placebo treatment. Odds ratio (OR) and weighted mean differences (WMD) were calculated using fixed- or random-effects models., Results: Our results showed that iron supplementation significantly reduced hospitalization for worsening heart failure (OR 0.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19-0.80) and the combined endpoint of death and heart failure hospitalization (OR 0.47; 95% CI, 0.32-0.69). In addition, iron treatment was found to improve New York Heart Association class, 6-minute walk distance, left ventricular ejection fraction, and peak oxygen consumption. Iron therapy was also associated with improvements in Patient Global Assessment, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score, European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions score, and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire score. Moreover, serum levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were markedly decreased in patients with iron repletion compared with placebo treatment (WMD: -332.48 pg/mL; 95% CI, -497.48 to -167.47; WMD: -4.64 mg/L; 95% CI, -6.12 to -3.17, respectively)., Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggests that iron therapy can reduce heart failure hospitalization, increase cardiac function, improve quality of life, and decrease serum levels of NT-proBNP and CRP in patients with heart failure., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Beraprost is used to treat peripheral chronic arterial occlusive disease. However, the efficacy and safety of beraprost in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (PH-HFrEF) remains unknown. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of beraprost on PH-HFrEF.We prospectively recruited patients with PH-HFrEF as determined by echocardiography and right cardiac catheterization. Beraprost sodium was given orally (1 μg/kg/d) added to the usual treatment, and patients were evaluated at 1-year follow-up.Twenty-five patients were recruited with baseline systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) of 49.5 ± 10.8 mm Hg. Systolic PAP results at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were 39.1 ± 8.1, 30.4 ± 5.2, 27.7 ± 3.0, and 27.0 ± 4.7 mm Hg, respectively, which were all significantly lower than systolic PAP at baseline (P < .05). Left ventricular ejection fraction results at 6 months (43.5 ± 7.0%), 9 months (47.0 ± 5.5%), and 12 months (48.2 ± 4.8%) were significantly higher than at baseline (34.7 ± 9.2%) (P < .05). Six-minute walking distance at 3 months (282.8 ± 80.6 m), 6 months (367.1 ± 81.2 m), 9 months (389.8 ± 87.1 m), and 12 months (395.7 ± 83.4 m) increased with time, and all were significantly higher than baseline (190.1 ± 75.5 m) (P < .05). One patient developed atrial fibrillation and recovered to sinus rhythm after intravenous administration of amiodarone. There were no instances of cardiac-related death, severe bleeding, or severe impairment of liver function.Routine oral administration of beraprost sodium added to the usual treatment may improve cardiopulmonary hemodynamics and exercise capacityin patients with PH-HFrEF.

The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Brett L. Ecker, which was incorrectly given as Brett Ecker. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Prolyl hydroxylase domain protein 2 (PHD2) is a well-known master oxygen sensor. However, the role of PHD2 in tumor initiation remains controversial. We find that during the transition of human nevi to melanoma, the expression of PHD2 protein is significantly decreased and lower expression PHD2 in melanoma is associated with worse clinical outcome. Knockdown of PHD2 leads to elevated Akt phosphorylation in human melanocytes. Mice with conditional melanocyte-specific expression of Phd2 lox/lox (Tyr::CreER;Phd2 lox/lox ) fail to develop pigmented lesions. However, deletion of Phd2 in combination with expression of BRaf V600E in melanocytes (Tyr::CreER;Phd2 lox/lox ;BRaf CA ) leads to the development of melanoma with 100% penetrance and frequent lymph node metastasis. Analysis of tumor tissues using reverse phase protein arrays demonstrates that Phd2 deletion activates the AKT-mTOR-S6 signaling axis in the recovered tumors. These data indicate that PHD2 is capable of suppressing tumor initiation largely mediated through inhibiting of the Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in the melanocyte lineage.

Background: In the current meta-analysis, we aim to assess the effect of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) on in-stent restenosis (ISR) outcome in patients receiving stent implantation., Methods: Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane databases were searched through October 2016 using the keywords "high-sensitive C-reactive protein," "in-stent restenosis." An odds ratio (OR) of on ISR endpoints among patients receiving stent implantation was calculated using random-effects models., Results: In the meta-analysis of 6 prospective observational studies, there are 1156 coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, a total of 885 stents were implanted and 194 ISR events had been followed up for 6 to 12 months; high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels are associated with the prediction of in-stent restenosis among patients receiving stent implantation. The OR of hs-CRP for ISR was 1.16 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.30, P < .05]., Conclusions: This meta-analysis shows that higher levels of hs-CRP are associated with an increased risk of ISR and indicate a poorer prognosis in CHD patients after stent implantation.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a late onset disease caused by polyalanine expansion in the poly(A) binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1). Several mouse models have been generated to study OPMD; however, most of these models have employed transgenic overexpression of alanine-expanded PABPN1. These models do not recapitulate the OPMD patient genotype and PABPN1 overexpression could confound molecular phenotypes. We have developed a knock-in mouse model of OPMD (Pabpn1+/A17) that contains one alanine-expanded Pabpn1 allele under the control of the native promoter and one wild-type Pabpn1 allele. This mouse is the closest available genocopy of OPMD patients. We show that Pabpn1+/A17 mice have a mild myopathic phenotype in adult and aged animals. We examined early molecular and biochemical phenotypes associated with expressing native levels of A17-PABPN1 and detected shorter poly(A) tails, modest changes in poly(A) signal (PAS) usage, and evidence of mitochondrial damage in these mice. Recent studies have suggested that a loss of PABPN1 function could contribute to muscle pathology in OPMD. To investigate a loss of function model of pathology, we generated a heterozygous Pabpn1 knock-out mouse model (Pabpn1+/Δ). Like the Pabpn1+/A17 mice, Pabpn1+/Δ mice have mild histologic defects, shorter poly(A) tails, and evidence of mitochondrial damage. However, the phenotypes detected in Pabpn1+/Δ mice only partially overlap with those detected in Pabpn1+/A17 mice. These results suggest that loss of PABPN1 function could contribute to but may not completely explain the pathology detected in Pabpn1+/A17 mice., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic values of ventricular wall motion score (WMS) and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a 12-month single-center prospective cohort., Materials and Methods: Consecutive inpatients diagnosed with AMI in the Department of Cardiology of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from September 2012 through March 2015 were enrolled in this study. Echocardiography was issued to all subjects to calculate WMS within 24 hours after admission, and GRACE score of each patient was obtained simultaneously. During a 12-month follow-up period, all major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were recorded., Results: After 12 months of observation, 124 of 635 patients with AMI developed MACE. The WMS (23.70 ± 3.80 versus 20.47 ± 3.25) and GRACE score (185.59 ± 45.16 versus 152.19 ± 36.51) were significantly higher in patients with MACE than those without MACE (P < 0.05). Survival analysis using Cox regression revealed that both WMS (95% CI: 1.082-1.184, P < 0.05) and GRACE score (95% CI: 1.010-1.021, P < 0.05) independently predicted MACE. The receiver operating curve curve analysis showed that the area under curve of WMS, GRACE score and the combination of WMS and GRACE score were 0.768 (P < 0.05), 0.718 (P < 0.05) and 0.812 (P < 0.05), respectively., Conclusions: WMS and GRACE score were independent predictors of MACE in patients with AMI in 12-month follow-up, and the combined application of WMS and GRACE score can significantly improve the predictive value., (Copyright © 2017 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Viral myocarditis (VMC) has become an increasingly common heart disease that endangers human health. In the present study, the plasma interleukin-35 (IL-35) level and the percentage of CD4 + EBI3 + T cells in VMC patients were detected to investigate the significance of changes in these parameters in the plasma of VMC patients and their association with the disease., Material and Methods: ELISA was performed to detect the plasma IL-35 level and the percentage of peripheral blood CD4 + EBI3 + T cells in 40 VMC patients and in 20 healthy individuals. Moreover, the plasma IL-17 levels in the VMC patients and in the healthy individuals were detected using an ELISA, and the cardiac Troponin-I (cTnI) levels were detected using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay to compare the differences in the groups., Results: Plasma IL-35 level and the percentage of CD4 + EBI3 + T cells in acute phase VMC patients was lower than that in the healthy control group and the convalescent phase VMC patients. Additionally, the plasma IL-35 level in the VMC patients exhibited a negative correlation with the levels of cTnI and IL-17. The percentage of CD4 + EBI3 + T cells also showed a negative correlation with the levels of cTnI and IL-17., Conclusions: The plasma IL-35 level and the percentage of CD4 + EBI3 + T cells in VMC patients was reduced, and the amount of the decrease was associated with the severity of the disease. These results suggest that IL-35 and CD4 + EBI3 + T might play important roles in the progression of VMC and could be used as indictors of the disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Targeting multiple components of the MAPK pathway can prolong the survival of patients with BRAFV600E melanoma. This approach is not curative, as some BRAF-mutated melanoma cells are intrinsically resistant to MAPK inhibitors (MAPKi). At the systemic level, our knowledge of how signaling pathways underlie drug resistance needs to be further expanded. Here, we have shown that intrinsically resistant BRAF-mutated melanoma cells with a low basal level of mitochondrial biogenesis depend on this process to survive MAPKi. Intrinsically resistant cells exploited an integrated stress response, exhibited an increase in mitochondrial DNA content, and required oxidative phosphorylation to meet their bioenergetic needs. We determined that intrinsically resistant cells rely on the genes encoding TFAM, which controls mitochondrial genome replication and transcription, and TRAP1, which regulates mitochondrial protein folding. Therefore, we targeted mitochondrial biogenesis with a mitochondrium-targeted, small-molecule HSP90 inhibitor (Gamitrinib), which eradicated intrinsically resistant cells and augmented the efficacy of MAPKi by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibiting tumor bioenergetics. A subset of tumor biopsies from patients with disease progression despite MAPKi treatment showed increased mitochondrial biogenesis and tumor bioenergetics. A subset of acquired drug-resistant melanoma cell lines was sensitive to Gamitrinib. Our study establishes mitochondrial biogenesis, coupled with aberrant tumor bioenergetics, as a potential therapy escape mechanism and paves the way for a rationale-based combinatorial strategy to improve the efficacy of MAPKi.

Resistance to BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) is one of the major challenges for targeted therapies for BRAF-mutant melanomas. However, little is known about the role of microRNAs in conferring BRAFi resistance. Herein, we demonstrate that miR-200c expression is significantly reduced whereas miR-200c target genes including Bmi1, Zeb2, Tubb3, ABCG5, and MDR1 are significantly increased in melanomas that acquired BRAFi resistance compared to pretreatment tumor biopsies. Similar changes were observed in BRAFi-resistant melanoma cell lines. Overexpression of miR-200c or knock-down of Bmi1 in resistant melanoma cells restores their sensitivities to BRAFi, leading to deactivation of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling cascades, and acquisition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like phenotypes, including upregulation of E-cadherin, downregulation of N-cadherin, and ABCG5 and MDR1 expression. Conversely, knock-down of miR-200c or overexpression of Bmi1 in BRAFi-sensitive melanoma cells activates the PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways, upregulates N-cadherin, ABCG5, and MDR1 expression, and downregulates E-cadherin expression, leading to BRAFi resistance. Together, our data identify miR-200c as a critical signaling node in BRAFi-resistant melanomas impacting the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways, suggesting miR-200c as a potential therapeutic target for overcoming acquired BRAFi resistance., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To explore the correlation of serum adropin level with coronary artery disease (CAD)., Methods: According to coronary angiography, 356 consecutive patients with chest complaints from January 2011 to July 2012 were divided into 2 groups of CAD (n = 264, with CAD) and control (n = 92, without CAD). The serum adropin level and other CAD related metabolic parameters were measured and SYNTAX score was calculated., Results: Serum adropin level was significantly lower in group CAD than that in control group ((56 ± 15) vs (83 ± 10) ng/L, P < 0.01).Serum adropin levels in high, mild, low SYNTAX score group were (60 ± 22),(56 ± 12),(54 ± 10) ng/L respectively, and there was no significant difference among 3 groups(P = 0.116). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that adropin was an independent risk factor for CAD (OR = 0.849, 95%CI:0.817-0.882, P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Lower serum adropin level is significantly associated with CAD. Thus it indicates a possible role of adropin in the prevention of CAD.

Purpose: To investigate the protective effects of hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) against chronic alcohol intake-induced left ventricular remodeling and explore the potential mechanisms involved., Methods: Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: alcohol group, NaHS group, alcohol + NaHS group, and control group. The echocardiographic and morphometric studies were performed to assess left ventricular remodeling. Oxidative stress was evaluated by detecting MDA, GSH-Px, Tot-SOD, CuZn-SOD and Mn-SOD in the supernatant. Cardiomyocyte apoptotic rate was determined by flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining. Western blotting was conducted to detect the expression of Bcl-2 family of apoptosis regulator proteins., Results: The echocardiographic and morphometric data indicated that H(2)S has protective effects against chronic alcohol intake-induced left ventricular remodeling. Our findings showed a significant increase in MDA level and decreases in GSH-Px, Tot-SOD, CuZn-SOD and Mn-SOD activities in the alcohol group compared to the control group, while in the alcohol + NaHS group, a significant decrease in MDA level and increases in GSH-Px, Tot-SOD, CuZn-SOD and Mn-SOD activities were found compared to the alcohol group. The apoptotic rate in the alcohol group was significantly higher than in the control group, whereas apoptotic rate in the alcohol + NaHS group was significantly lower than in the alcohol group. In addition, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression was upregulated and Bax expression was downregulated in the alcohol + NaHS group compared to the alcohol group., Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that H(2)S protects against chronic alcohol intake-induced left ventricular remodeling via attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis.

We have previously demonstrated that androgen-induced proliferation inhibitor (APRIN) expression was upregulated in ventricular septum tissues from patients with ventricular septal defect (VSD). The present study was designed to investigate the effects of APRIN on P19 cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. In this study, we established a stable APRIN-overexpressing P19 embryonal carcinoma cell line that can differentiate into myocardial cells when treated with 1 % dimethyl sulfoxide. Our data showed that mRNA expressions of myocardial cell differentiation-related genes (such as cTnT, α-MHC, GATA4, and MEF2C) in the APRIN-overexpressing P19 cells were downregulated compared to the empty-vector controls. Our findings also indicated that P19 cells overexpressing APRIN had a reduced growth rate and a decreased S phase of the cell cycle. Moreover, the apoptotic rate in P19 cells overexpressing APRIN was significantly higher than that in the controls. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that overexpression of APRIN inhibits differentiation and proliferation and promotes apoptosis in P19 cells, suggesting that APRIN may be involved in the pathogenesis of VSD.

The C1431T polymorphism in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) has been shown to be associated with diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. However, it is unclear whether this polymorphism is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Therefore, we conducted a hospital-based case-control study with 864 CAD patients and 1008 controls to explore the association between the PPARγ C1431T polymorphism and risk of CAD in Chinese Han population. Subjects with the variant genotypes (CT + TT) had a 39% decreased risk of CAD relative to CC carriers (adjusted odds ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.49-0.76). Our results suggested that the C1431T polymorphism was associated with a higher body mass index in both CAD patients and controls. Moreover, this polymorphism was also found to be associated with a higher HDL cholesterol level and a lower blood glucose level in CAD patients. In stratified analyses, the T allele was significantly associated with reduced risk of CAD in males, subjects with age <62 years, and non-smokers. In conclusion, the PPARγ C1431T polymorphism is associated with decreased risk of CAD in Chinese Han population.

Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is believed to be protective against coronary artery disease (CAD) in many studies. However, the cardioprotective effects of alcohol intake lack epidemiologic evidence in a Chinese population. The present case-control study was designed to explore the relation between alcohol consumption and angiographically proved CAD in Chinese men. The study population consisted of 1,476 consecutive men 36 to 84 years of age who underwent coronary arteriography. Participants were categorized as nondrinkers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers. Adjusted odds ratios for light, moderate, and heavy drinking were 1.16 (95% confidence interval 0.68 to 1.94), 1.78 (1.35 to 2.27), and 2.18 (1.46 to 3.25). Adjusted odds ratios were 1.36 (1.08 to 1.83) for drinking alcohol 2 to 3 days/week, 1.58 (1.17 to 2.26) for 4 to 5 days/week, and 2.03 (1.36 to 3.27) for 6 to 7 days/week. Compared to nondrinking, adjusted odds ratios were 1.03 (0.54 to 1.87) for drinking 0 to 15 years, 1.61 (1.28 to 2.14) for 16 to 30 years, and 1.98 (1.23 to 3.05) for > 30 years. In conclusion, moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption increased the risk of CAD in Chinese men. CAD risk tended to increase with an increase in frequency and duration of drinking., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)