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Ventilation is essential to the health and comfort of occupants in enclosed spaces. However, it is difficult to accurately measure the ventilation rates in large, long, and narrow spaces such as aircraft cabins and train compartments. This study has proposed a modified tracer-gas-concentration decay method that combines the multi-zone technique with the genetic algorithm to determine ventilation rate in such spaces. To validate the proposed method, the investigation utilized both the modified decay method and the traditional decay method to numerically measure the ventilation rate in an MD-82 aircraft cabin by computational fluid dynamics technique. The results showed that the modified tracer-gas-concentration decay method can significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of the ventilation rate measurements in such a large, long, and narrow space. The modified tracer-gas-concentration decay method was also used to experimentally measure the ventilation rate in an actual MD-82 aircraft cabin. Although no exact ventilation rate could be measured, but compared with the traditional tracer-gas-concentration decay method, the ventilation rate determined by the modified method was much closer to that obtained by the constant tracer-gas-concentration method, which is considered to be the most accurate measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• University education and future income are significantly connected with creativity and critical thinking. • Students who developed and used creativity and critical thinking skills in the process of education had bigger success in future work, which influenced their income. • The quality of university training is reflected in the personal income of graduates and can be objectively assessed by this criterion. • The size of a graduate's income may also depend on his/her age. The problem of students' income is characterized by relevance taking into account the fact that its level depends on the level of the development of professional competencies that are necessary in modern world according to the quick improvement of technological process. The role of modern skills of creativity and critical thinking in the process of obtaining education and future income is determined. The study included 3 500 graduates of 28 selected universities, united into 280 homogeneous groups, which were examined through big data analysis. According to a survey conducted in the first stage before studying under the developed program, only 35% of students rated their level of creativity as high, with 40% having an average level of creativity and 25% of respondents having a low level of creativity, indicating a lack of tasks for development of this professional skill in the curriculum. The received answers show that the most developed critical thinking skills are problem-solving (82%) and analysis (73%). The results of the survey showed that teachers still use traditional teaching methods, as evidenced by the indicators of tasks to improve skills of creativity and critical thinking, as dominated by «reading and learning new things» (37%), «comprehension and analysis of information» (33%). The second stage of the experiment presupposed studying under the developed program consisting of two thematic modules. The purpose of this program was to develop the level of students' creativity and critical thinking skills and determine the influence of them on the students' income. The results of the re-survey show the increasing of the level of students' income as well as in 6 universities, at least one group of respondents had earnings of more than 20 thousand yuan/month, while only one university had 5 groups where incomes of all participants exceeded 20 thousand yuan/month. Compared with the results of the first survey after the studying of the developed program, the indicators of the development of critical thinking skills according to the results of the re-survey increased, the percentage of which is represented by the following indicators: problem-solving (92%), analysis (85%), interpretation (75%), inference (80%), explanation (74%), open-mindedness (63%), self-regulation (66%). The results of the repeated survey on student income proved the effectiveness of training according to the developed curriculum, as evidenced by the obtained indicators of student income levels: the high level (21%), average (25%), below average (25%), above average (10%)), low (5%) and those who do not work (4%). The results of the research can be applied for a more in-depth study of temporal correlations in income fluctuations among graduates of an educational institution. Moreover, the gained outcomes can contribute to the identification of patterns to create a model for determining the quality of education in universities and colleges, in particular, the development of curricula and programs to take into account the work on improving the practical skills of creativity and critical thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption and desorption of Am(III) on a calcareous soil (sierozem) and its parent material (loess) were studied by batch technique. The molarities of the Am(III) aqueous solutions were less than 5 . 10-9 mol/l. High adsorbability was found of Am(III) on the calcareous soil and its parent material. In order to decrease the adsorption and, hence, to investigate the adsorption characteristics properly, stable Eu3+ as hold back carrier and analogue was added to the aqueous solution. The relative contributions of CaCO3, organic matter (OM) to the Am(III) adsorption on calcareous soil and its parent material were investigated. The adsorption and desorption isotherms of Am(III) on untreated soil and loess and the three kinds of treated soils and three kinds of treated loesses to remove CaCO3, OM and both CaCO3 and OM were determined, respectively. It was found that all isotherms were linear, the average distribution coefficients (K-d) for the untreated soil and for the untreated loess were almost equal, while there was an obvious difference between the values of the average distribution coefficients (K-d) for the treated soil and the treated loess to remove CaCO3 or OM. The adsorption-desorption hysteresis on the untreated and treated soils and loesses actually occurred and there was an obvious difference between the hysteresis coefficients on both the corresponding treated soil and loess. It can be concluded that the adsorbability of Am(III) on calcareous soil is similar to that on its parent material, and that the contributions of CaCO3 and OM to the Am(III) adsorption by the untreated soil are different from those by the untreated parent material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sorption and desorption isotherms of untreated calcareous soil and three treated soils to remove CaCO3, organic matter (OM) and both CaCO3 and OM were determined and analyzed with the Freundlich equation at pH 7.8, moderate concentrations of NpO2+ (~10-5 mol/l), in the presence of 0.01 mol/l CaCl2 and under ambient aerobic conditions. The relative contribution of CaCO3 and OM to the neptunium(V) sorption on calcareous soil and the sorption/desorption hysteresis is discussed. The effects of adding fulvic acid (FA) and carbonate in to the solution on the sorption of neptunium(V) on the soils were also studied. The sorption and desorption characteristics of NpO2+, Zn2+, Sr2+ and Cs+ on the soils are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The electropolymerization of thionine with the guidance of DNA molecular template was described in this paper. The prepared polythionine (PTH) dispersed uniformly on the electrode surface and presented a novel flexual nanostrip morphology with the average diameter of 90nm and length of 500nm. However, PTH fabricated without DNA-guided electropolymerization presented a clustered granular morphology. The electrochemical redox behavior of PTH via DNA-guided electropolymerization was considerably enhanced compared to that of PTH without DNA molecular template. The significant improvement of the redox property might be attributed to the in situ PTH chains growth along DNA strands. In neutral environment, the PTH/DNA on the carbon paste electrode showed a pair of well-defined redox peaks and excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of H2O2. Under optimal conditions, H2O2 was amperometrically determined by using the as-prepared PTH/DNA nanostrips in the concentration range of 0.99–8.26mM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The detection of DNA damage is one of the most important topics in the DNA research fields. In the present work, oppositely charged natural dsDNA and poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDDA) were assembled into (PDDA/dsDNA)3 layer-by-layer films on electrode surface, and Ru(bpy)3 2+ and Co(phen)3 3+ in solution were used as electroactive probes to detect oxidative damage of natural dsDNA in the films after incubation of the films in V2O5 nanobelts/HCl/H2O2 solution. The mechanism of DNA oxidative damage caused by the V2O5 nanobelts/HCl/H2O2 system was similar to that of Fenton-type reaction. The reaction of V2O5 nanobelts with HCl would produce V(IV), and the produced V(IV) would further react with H2O2, generating hydroxyl radicals (OHhe Fenton-type reaction, which could severely damage DNA in the films. The present work provided an in vitro model system to mimic the pathway of DNA damage in real bioprocess through a simple electrochemical approach combined with layer-by-layer assembly. This approach also showed promising applications in rapid and sensitive screening of new nanomaterials and chemicals in vitro for their potential genotoxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: Lung cancer remains the primary cause of cancer-related deaths on a global scale. Surgery is the main therapeutic option for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the optimal surgical approach for lymph node assessment in NSCLC resection remains controversial, and it is still uncertain whether lymph node dissection (LND) is more effective in reducing recurrence and metastasis rates in NSCLC compared with lymph node sampling (LNS). Therefore, we will conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the recurrence and metastasis of LND versus LNS in patients with NSCLC., Methods and Analysis: This systematic review and meta-analysis will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis: The PRISMA Statement. According to the predefined inclusion criteria, we will conduct a comprehensive search for randomised controlled trials and non-randomised studies examining the recurrence and metastasis of LND compared with LNS in patients with NSCLC. A literature search from inception in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, SINOMED, VIP and Web of Science will be done. There will be no limitations on language, and the search will be undertaken on 30 August 2024, with regular search for new studies. Additionally, relevant literature references will be retrieved and hand-searching of pertinent journals will be conducted. The main outcomes include overall recurrence rate, local recurrence rate and distant metastasis rate. The supplementary outcomes encompass the rates of regional recurrence and lymph node metastasis. Two independent reviewers will perform screening, data extraction and quality assessment. Our reviewers will perform subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis and publication bias analysis to evaluate the heterogeneity and robustness. Review Manager 5.4 will be applied in analysing and synthesising. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation will be used to assess the quality of evidence for the whole study., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval is dispensable for this study since no private information of the participants will be involved. The findings of the present study will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentation., Study Registration: The protocol of the systematic review has been registered on Open Science Framework, with a registration doi: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/S2FT5., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Lactoferrin ( LF ) is believed to be an important active protein in goat milk, which plays an anti-inflammatory role. Although LF has been reported to be associated with body health, its exact underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism of this anti-inflammatory effect of LF in vitro. We first identified that miR-214-5p inhibited the expression of LF mRNA and protein in cells through the 3'UTR of LF mRNA. We next identified the alterations in miRNA following LF overexpression in goat mammary epithelial cells (GEMCs). Overexpression of LF significantly increased ( p < 0.05) miR-224-5p expression. We further revealed that transcriptional activation of ADAM17 , TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 was efficiently decreased ( p < 0.05) in GMECs treated by miR-224-5p mimic. Conversely, knockdown of miR-224-5p increased ( p < 0.05) ADAM17 , TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 expression. Additionally, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 expression levels were dramatically decreased in GMECs after administration of si ADAM17 . Herein, we indicate that the miR-214-5p / LF / miR-224-5p / ADAM17 axis is involved in the immune regulation of GEMCs.

Zinc finger protein 703 (ZNF703), a member of the NET family of transcription factors, has recently emerged as an important player in the development of several types of cancers, though its role in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has not been characterized. We investigated the expression of ZNF703, its association with the most common genetic mutation in PTC, BRAF V600E, and its potential use as a therapeutic target. Real-time PCR, immunohistochemical staining, and western blot analysis of ZNF703 expression were performed for 36 cases of PTC and corresponding normal thyroid tissues. ZNF703 mRNA and protein expression was found to be significantly higher in PTC compared to normal thyroid tissues (P < 0.05). Furthermore, expression was associated with the tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and advanced disease stage. Immunohistochemical results showed that there was no correlation between ZNF703 protein levels and BRAF V600E mutation. The human PTC cell line K1, which has a BRAF V600E mutation, was selected for further investigation. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA), ZNF703 was shown to contribute to the proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion of K1 cells. ZNF703-siRNA downregulated E2F1 and MMP9 protein expression and enhanced the expression of p27 protein (P < 0.05), but had no effects on BRAF V600E protein levels. These results suggest that ZNF703 may be of potential use as a new marker for PTC prognosis and therapy that functions independent of BRAF V600E expression.

Immunization with peptides derived from apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB-100) has been shown to ameliorate atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE -/- ) mice. However, the exact mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects remains elusive. To shed light on this mechanism, we immunized ApoE -/- mice that were fed a Western diet with either malondialdehyde-modified ApoB-100 peptide 210 (P210) emulsified in Freund's adjuvant or anti-malondialdehyde-modified P210 antibody (P210-Ab). Mice immunized with Freund's adjuvant or bovine serum albumin served as controls. Macrophages were incubated in vitro with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) or ox-LDL plus P210-Ab. Our results show that P210-Ab promoted cholesterol efflux, inhibited lipid accumulation in vitro , and reduced plasma levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Furthermore, dramatically increased the expression of Fc receptors (FcR) on peripheral blood mononuclear macrophages, suggesting that the mechanism of phagocytosis of ox-LDL by mononuclear macrophages may rely more on FcR than the cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) scavenger receptor with P210-Ab. Both in vitro and in vivo , P210-Ab triggered the promoter of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) to increase peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (α) activity and inhibit the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) pathway. In addition, P210-Ab significantly attenuated macrophage infiltration and markedly improved the stability of atheromatous plaque. In conclusion, the anti-atherosclerotic effect of P210-Ab is related to its preferential inhibition of inflammation and reversion of cholesterol transportation by altering the pathway by which macrophages phagocytize ox-LDL., Competing Interests: None.

The association between long-term blood pressure (BP) patterns in community-dwelling adults and risk of intracerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction is not well characterized. This prospective study included 79 385 participants, free of stroke, myocardial infarction, and cancer in or before 2010 (baseline). Systolic BP trajectories were identified using latent mixture modeling with data from 2006, 2008, and 2010. Incident cases of intracerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction occurred during 2010 to 2014, confirmed by review of medical records, by 3 physicians. We identified 5 distinct systolic BP trajectories during 2006 to 2010. Each of the trajectories was labeled according to their BP range and pattern over time: normotensive-stable (n=26 740), prehypertension-stable (n=35 674), stage 1 hypertension-increasing (n=8215), stage 1 hypertension-decreasing (n=6422), and stage 2 hypertension-stable (n=2334). We documented 1034 incident cases of cerebral infarction and 187 cases of intracerebral hemorrhage. Although the prehypertension-stable trajectory exhibited systolic BP range within the normal range (120-140 mm Hg) during 2006 to 2010, this group had higher stroke risk relative to the normotensive-stable group (<120 mm Hg) (adjusted hazard ratio was 3.11 for intracerebral hemorrhage and 1.99 for cerebral infarction; P <0.001 for both), after adjusting for possible confounders. Individuals in the stage 2 hypertension-stable systolic BP trajectory (175-179 mm Hg) had the highest risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (adjusted hazard ratio was 12.4) and cerebral infarction (adjusted hazard ratio was 5.07), relative to the normotensive-stable group ( P <0.001 for both). BP trajectories were associated with the risk of stroke and increasing BP trajectories within the currently designated normal range may still increase the risk for stroke., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the mechanism of carcinogenesis. Several studies have evaluated the association of rs4919510 SNP in miR-608 with cancer susceptibility in different types of cancer, with inconclusive outcomes. To obtain a more precise estimation, we carried out this meta-analysis through systematic retrieval from the PubMed and Embase database. A total of 10 case-control studies were analyzed with 6,000 cases and 7,664 controls. The results showed that 4919510 SNP in miR-608 was significantly associated with decreased cancer risk only in recessive model (CC vs. GG+GC: OR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.82-0.97, P=0.009). By further stratified analysis, we found that rs4919510 SNP had some relationship with decreased cancer risk in both homozygote model (CC vs. GG: OR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.36-0.96, P=0.034) and dominant model (CG+ CC vs. GG: OR=0.60, 95% CI: 0.37-0.98, P=0.042) in Caucasians but no relationship in any genetic model in Asians. These results indicated that miR-608 rs4919510 polymorphism may contribute to the decreased cancer susceptibility and could be a promising target to forecast cancer risk for clinical practice. However, to further confirm these results, well-designed large scale case-control studies are needed in the future.

Objective: To examine whether the long-term resting heart rate (RHR) pattern can predict the risk of having arterial stiffness in a large ongoing cohort., Approach and Results: This community-based cohort included 12 554 participants in the Kailun study, who were free of myocardial infarction, stroke, arrhythmia, and cancer. We used latent mixture modeling to identify RHR trajectories in 2006, 2008, and 2010. We used multivariate linear regression model to examine the association between RHR trajectory patterns and the risk of having arterial stiffness, which was assessed by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in 2010 to 2016. We adjusted for possible confounding factors, including socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, use of medications, comorbidities, and serum concentrations of lipids, glucose, and high-sensitivity C-reactive proteins. We identified 5 distinct RHR trajectory patterns based on their 2006 status and on the pattern of change during 2006 to 2010 (low-stable, moderate-stable, moderate-increasing, elevated-decreasing, and elevated-stable). We found that individuals with elevated-stable RHR trajectory pattern had the highest brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity value and individuals with the low-stable RHR trajectory pattern had the lowest value (adjusted mean difference=157 cm/s; P<0.001). Adjusted odds ratio for risk of having arterial stiffness (brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity ≥1400 cm/s) was 4.14 (95% confidence interval, 2.61-6.57) relative to these 2 extreme categories. Consistently, a higher average RHR, a higher annual RHR increase rate, and a higher RHR variability were all associated with a higher risk of having arterial stiffness., Conclusions: Long-term RHR pattern is a strong predictor of having arterial stiffness., Competing Interests: All authors read and approved the final manuscript. The authors do not have conflicts of interest to disclose., (© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are associated with disease-initiating stem cells that are not eliminated by conventional therapies. Novel therapeutic targets against preleukemic stem cells need to be identified for potentially curative strategies. We conducted parallel transcriptional analysis of highly fractionated stem and progenitor populations in MDS, AML, and control samples and found interleukin 8 (IL8) to be consistently overexpressed in patient samples. The receptor for IL8, CXCR2, was also significantly increased in MDS CD34(+) cells from a large clinical cohort and was predictive of increased transfusion dependence. High CXCR2 expression was also an adverse prognostic factor in The Cancer Genome Atlas AML cohort, further pointing to the critical role of the IL8-CXCR2 axis in AML/MDS. Functionally, CXCR2 inhibition by knockdown and pharmacologic approaches led to a significant reduction in proliferation in several leukemic cell lines and primary MDS/AML samples via induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Importantly, inhibition of CXCR2 selectively inhibited immature hematopoietic stem cells from MDS/AML samples without an effect on healthy controls. CXCR2 knockdown also impaired leukemic growth in vivo. Together, these studies demonstrate that the IL8 receptor CXCR2 is an adverse prognostic factor in MDS/AML and is a potential therapeutic target against immature leukemic stem cell-enriched cell fractions in MDS and AML., (© 2015 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and its influential factors about personal life habits of sub-health of grade one students in high school in Nanchang City., Methods: A self-designed sub-health questionnaire was used to measure the sub-health of 653 grade one students in high school in Nanchang sampled with stratified randomly cluster sampling., Results: The prevalence of sub-health among the students was 85. 2% , and the prevalence. of physiological sub-health, psychological sub-health and social sub-health was 64. 3%, 55. 9% and 74. 7% respectively. In their personal life habits, the degree of activity, vegetables and fruits consumed, staying up late were the main influencing factors of sub-health (P < 0. 05). Girls, students in non-key class, cadres students, dieting students, those spending less time on physical exercises or eating less vegetables and fruits or staying up late more often were reported a higher rate of physiological sub-health (P <0. 05). Boarders or students in non-key class had a higher rate of psychological sub-health (P < 0. 05). Non-cadres students, those having less activity or having more time for entertainment or eating less vegetables and fruits had a higher risk of suffering social sub-health (P < 0. 05)., Conclusion: The grade one students of high school in Nanchang had a high prevalence of sub-health. The prevalence of their sub-health could be effectively reduced by changing their bad habits of personal life. More attention should be given to girls, boarders, non-cadres students and students in non-key class.

Objective: To investigate the change pattern of primary and secondary school teachers' work ability with the changes in their mental workload., Methods: A total of 901 primary and secondary school teachers were selected by random cluster sampling, and then their mental workload and work ability were assessed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaires, whose reliability and validity had been tested. The effects of their mental workload on the work ability were analyzed., Results: Primary and secondary school teachers' work ability reached the highest level at a certain level of mental workload (55.73< mental workload ≤ 64.10). When their mental workload was lower than the level, their work ability had a positive correlation with the mental workload. Their work ability increased or maintained stable with the increasing mental workload. Moreover, the percentage of teachers with good work ability increased, while that of teachers with moderate work ability decreased. But when their mental workload was higher than the level, their work ability had a negative correlation with the mental workload. Their work ability significantly decreased with the increasing mental workload (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the percentage of teachers with good work ability decreased, while that of teachers with moderate work ability increased (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Too high or low mental workload will result in the decline of primary and secondary school teachers' work ability. Moderate mental workload (55.73∼64.10) will benefit the maintaining and stabilization of their work ability.

Objective: To investigate the distribution and main influential factors of mental workload of middle school teachers in Nanchang City., Methods: A total of 504 middle school teachers were sampled by random cluster sampling from middle schools in Nanchang City, and the mental workload level was assessed with National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) which was verified in reliability and validity., Results: The mental workload scores of middle school teachers in Nanchang was approximately normal distribution. The mental workload level of middle school teachers aged 31 -35 years old was the highest. For those no more than 35 years old, there was positive correlation between mental workload and age (r = 0.146, P < 0.05). For those more than 35 years old, the levels of their mental workload had no statistically significant difference. There was a negative correlation between mental workload and educational level(r = -0.172, P < 0.05). The middle school teachers with lower educational level seemed to have a higher mental workload (P < 0.01). The longer a middle school teacher worked per day, the higher the mental workload was. Working hours per day was the most influential factor on mental workload in all influential factors (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Mental workload of middle school teachers was closely related to age, educational level and work hours per day. Working hours per day was the important risk factor of mental workload. Reducing working hours per day, especially reducing it to be no more than 8 hours per day, may be a significant and useful approach alleviating mental workload of middle school teachers in Nanchang City.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of agonistic antibody to angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1-AA) on atherosclerosis in male ApoE-/- mice which were employed to establish the animal models of AT1-AA in two ways. In the first group, mice were injected subcutaneously with conjugated AT1 peptide at multiple sites; in the second group, mice were infused with AT1-AA prepared from rabbits that were treated with AT1 peptide intraperitoneally. Mice in each group were further randomly divided into five subgroups and treated with AT1 peptide/AT1-AA, AT1 peptide/AT1-AA plus valsartan, AT1 peptide/AT1-AA plus fenofibrate, AT1 peptide/ AT1-AA plus pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) and control vehicle, respectively. Antibodies were detected in mice (except for mice in control group). Aortic atherosclerotic lesions were assessed by oil red O staining, while plasma CRP, TNF-α, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and H2O2 were determined by ELISA. CCR2 (the receptor of MCP-1), macrophages, and smooth muscle cells were detected by immunohistochemistry. P47phox, MCP-1 and eNOS were detected by RT-PCR, while P47phox, NF-κB and MCP-1 were detected by Western blot assay. The aortic atherosclerotic lesions were significantly increased in AT1 peptide/AT1-AA treated mice, along with simultaneous increases in inflammatory parameters. However, mice treated with valsartan, fenofibrate or PDTC showed alleviated progression of atherosclerosis and reductions in inflammatory parameters. Thus, AT1-AA may accelerate aortic atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice, which is mediated, at least in part, by the inflammatory reaction involving nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, reactive oxygen species, and NF-κB. In addition, valsartan, fenofibrate and PDTC may inhibit the AT1-AA induced atherosclerosis.

Background: Initial studies by positional cloning have identified the genes encoding the plant homeodomain zinc finger protein 11 (PHF11) and dipeptidyl-peptidase 10 (DPP10) as asthma susceptibility genes. The variants in the two genes have been associated with asthma in several populations of European or Latin American origin., Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the common PHF11 and DPP10 polymorphisms for associations to asthma and asthma-related traits in a Han Chinese population., Methods: We genotyped six polymorphic markers in PHF11 and five polymorphic markers in DPP10 in a Han Chinese case-control cohort consisting of 408 asthma patients and 288 unrelated disease-free controls recruited from the Northern region of China. We analyzed the association between these markers and asthma as well as a number of intermediate, asthma-related traits. Linkage disequilibrium and haplotype patterns were also evaluated., Results: Significant associations were identified between two makers in PHF11 (rs1046295 and rs16659) and asthma susceptibility (odds ratio, OR = 1.32, 95% con fidence interval, CI = 1.06-1.65, p = 0.0096, for rs1046295, and OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.12-1.75, p = 0.0026, for rs16659). A strong association was observed between an SNP in DPP10 (rs10208402) and log(e)-transformed total IgE (p = 0.0003) and the percentage of peripheral blood eosinophils (p = 0.0023). A weak association between rs1430090 in DPP10 and forced expiratory volume in 1 s was also observed (p = 0.048). Haplotype analysis revealed two protective haplotypes in PHF11 against asthma., Conclusion: The results provide supporting evidence for genetic variants in PHF11 and DPP10 genes underlying asthma susceptibility and asthma-related quantitative traits in a Han Chinese population., (2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.)