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Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a primary cause of dementia. The complement system is closely related to AD pathology and may be a potential target for the prevention and treatment of AD. In our study, we conducted a bioinformatics analysis to analyze the role of the complement system and its related factors in AD using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data. We also conducted a functional analysis. Our study verified that 23 genes were closely related to differentially expressed complement system genes in diseases after intersecting the disease-related complement system module genes and differentially expressed genes. The STRING database was used to predict the interactions between the modular gene proteins of the differential complement system. A total of 21 gene proteins and 44 interaction pairs showed close interactions. We screened key genes and created a diagnostic model. The predictive effect of the model was constructed using GSE5281 and our study indicated that the predictive effect of the model was good. Our study also showed enriched negative regulation of Notch signaling, cytokine secretion involved in the immune response pathway, and cytokine secretion involved in immune response hormone-mediated apoptotic signaling pathway. We hope that our study provides a promising target to prevent and delay the onset, diagnosis, and treatment of AD.

Purpose: Based on the principal–agent and stakeholder theories, this study aims to put forward an intermediary model to verify the intermediary role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in executive equity incentives and corporate innovation performance to improve corporate innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach: The 2012–2018 A-share listed companies' disclosure of executive equity incentives data was used as the research sample. This study used CSR as an intermediary to explore the relationship between executive equity incentives and corporate innovation performance. A verification analysis was carried out. Findings: The research results show that: a positive correlation exists between executive equity incentives and corporate innovation performance, and executives' reasonable equity incentives can promote the growth of corporate innovation performance. A positive correlation exists between executive equity incentives and CSR. Implementing equity incentives for executives can stimulate their motivation to assume CSR. A positive correlation exists between CSR and corporate innovation performance. The more a company fulfills its social responsibility, the more it can promote the improvement of corporate innovation performance. CSR plays a mediating role between executive equity incentives and corporate innovation performance. CSR promotes executive equity incentives' impact on corporate innovation performance and exerts a "complete mediating effect" between the two. Research limitations/implications: The number of samples and the time span of samples can be expanded in the future. This research has tested the mediating effect of CSR, but other mediating variables may play a role in the process of executive equity incentives in promoting corporate innovation performance. Further research should be conducted to explore the mediating effect of financing constraints and media attention on corporate innovation performance. This study only verifies the influence of equity incentives on CSR and innovation performance of senior executives. In the future, other incentive methods should be explored, such as salary incentives. Practical implications: Foreign research on equity incentives has matured, but the experience of foreign countries cannot necessarily produce the expected effect in China. More than ten years have passed since the China A-share market began implementing equity incentives on December 31, 2005. As of December 31, 2017, about one-third of enterprises in the high-tech industry that had introduced equity incentives had stopped implementing the policy. Data from 2012 to 2018 were selected to analyze the relationship between executive equity incentives, CSR and corporate innovation performance to explore the influence mechanism of equity incentives. This study provides a comprehensive theoretical framework to examine the interaction among executive equity incentives, CSR and corporate innovation performance. Because most previous studies have focused on the relationship between executive equity incentives, CSR and corporate innovation performance, they are rarely been used as an intermediary variable to explore the impact of executive equity incentives on corporate innovation performance. This study explores the impact of executive equity incentives on corporate innovation performance under the influence of CSR. Moreover, this study explores the mediating role of CSR in corporate governance, which provides a new perspective for CSR research and verifies relevant literature on the mediating effect model. Social implications: Research countermeasures and suggestions: the research results are significant for enterprises implementing executive equity incentives, fulfilling CSR, enhancing corporate reputation, improving corporate innovation performance and ultimately obtaining market competitiveness. Therefore, the following suggestions are proposed: establish and improve the executive equity incentive mechanism and strengthen the promotion effect of executive equity incentives in CSR and corporate innovation performance. Strengthen the awareness of enterprises to actively fulfill CSR and give full play to the role of CSR in promoting corporate innovation performance. Improve the profitability of enterprises and focus on the promotion effect of enterprise profitability on corporate innovation performance. Originality/value: This study focuses on executive equity incentives and introduces CSR as an intermediary variable to explore the influence path of executive equity incentives on corporate innovation performance. Based on the research results, this study takes targeted measures to improve corporate innovation performance and maintain its healthy growth of corporate innovation performance. This is significant in enhancing enterprises' core competitiveness and promoting the enterprise economy's sustainable development. Meanwhile, the enterprise has significant reference value in actively fulfilling its CSR and realizing its stable and healthy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundGinseng Radix et Rhizoma (GS) is frequently used as an adjuvant therapy for patients with heart failure (HF). Metoprolol is widely used in patients with HF. However, there is no report on the combined effects of GS and metoprolol in patients with HF.ObjectiveThis study investigated the combined effects of GS and metoprolol in male C57BL/6J mice with HF and the underlying mechanisms.Materials and methodsWe utilized a mouse myocardial HF model to measure the serum levels of creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase-MB form (CK-MB) using an automated biochemical analyzer. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cardiac troponin (cTnT) levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Autophagy of myocardial cells was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy, and changes in signal pathway proteins related to autophagy were analyzed by Western blotting.ResultsGS combined with metoprolol improved heart function, reduced heart damage, and decreased serum levels of CK, CK-MB, LDH, and cTnT. The combination of GS and metoprolol decreased autophagy in myocardial cells by reducing the levels of autophagy-related proteins (LC3, p62, Beclin1, and Atg5) and increasing the ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, and p-mTOR/mTOR.ConclusionGS enhanced the anti-heart failure effect of metoprolol. Its mechanism of action might be related to the inhibition of autophagy mediated by the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Modal Energy Analysis (MODENA) is a new method which is proposed to solve the structural-acoustic coupling analyses. An algorithm that integrates finite element method (FEM) and MODENA is proposed to carry out the structural-acoustic coupling analyses of complex dynamic systems. Firstly, the accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm is proved by a regular rectangular plate coupled with a parallelepiped cavity. Then the proposed algorithm is applied to a stiffened plane-cavity coupling system. Results show that the FEM-MODENA can carry out the structural-acoustic analyses with sufficient accuracy compared with the FEM-FEM results. Meanwhile, the algorithm can still provide a good approximation about the energy response of structure and acoustic domain when the modes in specific frequency range are taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate whether polymorphisms of − 938C/A and Thr43Ala in the BCL-2 gene and G − 248A in the BAX gene are associated with the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We genotyped polymorphisms of − 938C/A and Thr43Ala in the BCL-2 gene and G-248A in the BAX gene among 424 patients with NHL and 446 controls. We found that the − 938AA genotype of the BCL2 gene was significantly associated with the risk of developing NHL ( p < 0.001) and this genotype was associated with advanced stage ( p = 0.01). Meanwhile, individuals having − 248AG + AA genotypes were significantly associated with an increased risk of NHL ( p = 0.01), and these genotypes were associated with larger tumor size ( p = 0.02). The present study demonstrated that the − 938AA genotype of the BCL-2 gene and − 248AG + AA genotype of the BAX gene may be susceptible genotypes for NHL. There appeared to be an impact of the BCL2 − 938AA genotype on advanced stage and − 248AG + AA genotypes on tumor size in NHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in the treatment of relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma(PTCL)., Methods: The clinical data of 6 patients with relapsed or refractory PTCL undergoing allo-HSCT from Sep. 2014 to Sep. 2018 in the department of hematology, aerospace center hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Complications and disease-free survival after HSCT were observed., Results: All the patients could well tolerate the conditioning regimen and acquired hematopoietic recon-struction. Following up till December 2018, with a median time of 11.5 months (1-51); acute GVHD developed in 2 cases and chronic GVHD developed in 5 cases, Among 6 cases one case died of viral pheumonia and the other 5 patients remained disease-free survival. The longest disease-free survival time has reached 51 months., Conclusion: allo-HSCT is a safe and effective method for relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma, which can be chosen as salvage treatment method for patients with primary resistance. Optimization of the conditioning regimen may result in better efficacy of allo-HSCT.

Objective: To analyze the change of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients before and after CHOP or R-CHOP chemotherapy and its effect on survival of patients., Methods: Clinical data of 60 patients with DLBCL were collected and were retrospectively analyzed. According to median NLR, 60 patients were divided into the group L in 33 cases (NLR< 2.27) and group H in 27 cases (NLR≥ 2.27). The curative effect and survival rate by using CHOP or R-CHOP after chemotherapy were compared between the two groups., Results: In the group H, the total effective rate after chemotherapy (55.56%) was significantly lower than that of group L (87.88%), which showed that the difference were statistically significant (P<0.05); the cumulative survival rate of 1,2,3 years in the group H (70.37%, 59.26%, 37.04%) were significantly lower than that in the group L (93.94%, 87.88%, 60.61%) (P<0.05). The NLR≥ 2.27 before chemotherapy was the factor influencing the prognosis of patients with DLBCL (P<0.05)., Conclusion: The NLR≥ 2.27 before chemotherapy may be used as a factor influencing the prognosis of patients with DLBCL, and the high NLR may indicate poor clinical efficacy and worse prognosis.

Objective: To explore the expression and clinical significance of B cell lymphocyte stimulating factor (BLyS) in B cell-derived malignant hematological diseases., Methods: Fifty-seven cases of newly diagnosed B cell-derived hematologic malignancies were admitted and treated in our hospital from March 2015 to 2016 July. including 17 cases of multiple myeloma(MM) (A group) and 40 cases of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(B-NHL) (B group), 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled in control group(C group). The BLyS level in peripheral blood of A,B and C groups was detected by ELISA kit; for patient with hematologic malignancies, the BLyS level was detected again after chemotherapy and was compared with level before chemotherapy., Results: The BLyS level in patients with B cell-derived hematologic malignancies significantly increased, as compared with healthy volanteers(P<0.05). After chemotherapy, the BLyS level in patients all significantly dicreased (P<0.05); the BLyS level in peripheral blood of DLBCL and FL patients was significantly higher than that in patients with B-NHL of other types(P<0.05); the BLyS level in peripheral blood of patients at III-IV stage was significantly higher than that in patients at I-II stage., Conclusion: The BLyS expression in B cell derived hematologic malignancies significantly increases, moreover the its expression level in B-NHL patients at different stages and histologic types is different, suggesting that detection of BLyS expression level in patients in vivo possesses a certain guiding role for diagnosis, staging and treatment of B cell-derived hematologic malignancies.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents in the seeds of Datura metel from Xinjiang Province., Methods: The constituents were isolated and purified by silica gel, ODS and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographic methods. Their chemical structures were analyzed and identified on the basis of physical and chemical properties and spectral data., Results: Ten compounds were isolated and identified as Isofraxidin (1), Scopatone (2), Daturadiol (3),1,4-Benzenediol (4), Arenarine D (5), Vanillin (6), N-trans-Feruloyl-tyramine (7), Scopoletin (8), G-Sitosterol (9) and Hyoscyamilactol (10)., Conclusion: Compounds 1 and 2 are firstly isolated from the plants in Solanaceae, compounds 3-8 are firstly isolated from this plant.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effect of valproic acid (VPA) in combination with low dose chemotherapy on intermediate and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome., Methods: A total of 41 patients with intermediate (34) and high-risk (7) myelodysplastic syndrome were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 19 patients received low dose chemotherapy regimen and 22 received low dose chemotherapy plus VPA. Low dose chemotherapy regimen included: homoharringtonine, 1 - 2 mg×m(-2)×d(-1) intravenously, 14 - 28 d; aclarubicin, 5 - 7 mg×m(-2)×d(-1) intravenously, 1 - 8 d, 15 - 23 d; cytarabine 15 mg/m(2) subcutaneously once every 12 h, 14 - 21 d; and subcutaneously use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor 200 µg·m(-2)×d(-1) when neutrophil deficiency. The outcome and adverse effect were recorded after the treatment., Results: The overall response rate in the low dose chemotherapy regimen group was 47.4% (9/19), 6 patients (31.6%) achieved complete response (CR). The overall response rate in the VPA group was 77.2% (17/22), 9 patients (40.9%) achieved CR. The overall response rate of the low dose chemotherapy in combination with VPA group was significantly higher than that in the low dose chemotherapy group (P < 0.05) while no difference was found in CR rate. The adverse effect of the low dose chemotherapy in combination with VPA regimen was tolerated., Conclusion: With acceptable adverse effect, the low dose chemotherapy in combination with VPA regimen is effective for the treatment of intermediate and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. Long-term outcome needs further investigation.

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of recombinant human interleukin 11 (rhIL-11) on platelet recovery after peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and its side-effects. 20 patients with hematologic malignancies treated by allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) were randomly divided into test and control groups. The patients in test group were treated with rhIL-11 since the day 6 after PBSCT, while the patients in control group were given supporting treatment. The results showed that the average time of the platelet to recover to 20 x 10(9)/L was 22.8 days in test group and 27.3 days in control group (p < 0.01). The average time for platelet to recover to 50 x 10(9)/L was 25.7 days in test group, and 32.3 days in control group (p < 0.01). The average number of megakaryocytes was 15.6 in test group, and 7.8 in control group on day 30 after PBSCT (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the rhIL-11 is able to accelerate platelet recovery after peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.