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This study utilizes data from the World Values Survey (WVS) and the country-level Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) index to explore the relationship between the EPU and subjective health status. Unlike studies that use suicide as the investigated variable, we find that the adverse association between subjective health and the EPU for women is no less than that for men. The adverse impact is robust for men of prime working age (25-54). It is also robust for women younger than 25, the age range (15-25) among women that suffer from depression at the highest rate. In addition, an asymmetric effect occurs for males of prime working age (25-54) and women older than 55. Specifically, the asymmetric effect indicates that the association between subjective health status and the EPU differs when the EPU is declining and increasing for both sexes, with the effect of the former greater than the latter. This might reflect that the EPU affects both sexes through different mechanisms, with men of prime working age being breadwinners and older women's long life expectancy and poverty caused by shorter careers., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the thoracolumbar interfascial block (TLIPB) in percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP), and to confirm that the TLIPB further minimizes perioperative pain and residual back pain on the basis of local anesthesia., Method: From April 2021 to May 2022, 60 patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were included in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomly assigned to a local anesthesia group (A group) or a TLIPB on the basis of local anesthesia group (A + TLIPB group) before PKP. Pain level (visual analog scale, VAS), amount of analgesic rescue drugs (parecoxib), operative time, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and complications were assessed and compared between the two groups., Results: Compared with the A group, VAS scores were lower in the A + TLIPB group, respectively, when the trocar punctured the vertebral body (7.4 ± 0.7 vs. 4.5 ± 0.9; P  < 0.01), during balloon dilatation (6.6 ± 0.9 vs. 4.6 ± 0.9; P  < 0.01), during bone cement injection (6.3 ± 0.6 vs. 4.3 ± 0.8; P  < 0.01), 1 h after surgery (3.5 ± 0.7 vs. 2.9 ± 0.7; P  < 0.01), and 24 h after surgery (2.5 ± 0.8 vs. 1.9 ± 0.4; P  < 0.01). Residual back pain (VAS: 1.9 ± 0.9 vs. 0.9 ± 0.8; P  < 0.01) and the incidence of rescue analgesic use ( P  = 0.02) in the A + TLIPB group were lower compared with the A group. Compared with the A group, mean arterial pressure and heart rate were lower in the A + TLIPB group when the trocar punctured the vertebral body, and with balloon dilatation and bone cement injection; however, there were no statistical differences between the groups 1 and 24 h after surgery. The incidences of bone cement leakage, constipation, and nausea were similar between the two groups. No patient developed infection, neurological injuries, constipation in either group., Conclusion: The addition of the TLIPB to local anesthesia can further minimize perioperative pain and residual back pain, and reduce perioperative rescue analgesic use. When added to local anesthesia, the TLIPB is an effective and safe anesthetic method for PKP., Clinical Trial Registration: This study has been registered in the Clinical Trial registration: ChiCTR-2100044236., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Tao, Zhang, Jiang, Fan, Wang and Zheng.)

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the main treatment option for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) often related to the progression and rupture of vulnerable plaques. While drug-eluting stents (DES) are now routinely used in PCI, drug-coated balloons (DCB) are a new strategy to PCI and their practice in the treatment of ACS with vulnerable plaques has not been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of DCB in ACS complicated with vulnerable plaque lesions., Methods: 123 patients were retrospectively analyzed and diagnosed with ACS and given PCI in our Cardiology Department from December 2020 to July 2022. Vulnerable plaques were confirmed by intravenous ultrasound (IVUS) in all patients. According to individual treatment plan, patients were entered into either DCB (n = 55) or DES (n = 68) groups. The results of coronary angiography and IVUS before and immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention were analyzed. The occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and the results of coronary angiography were also evaluated during follow-up., Results: There were no significant differences in baseline clinical characteristics, preoperative minimal luminal diameter (MLD), and preoperative diameter stenosis (DS) between the two groups. Also, there were no differences in IVUS plaque burden (PB), vessel area, and lumen area in the two groups before and immediately after PCI. The efficacy analysis showed that immediately after PCI, the DCB group had smaller MLD and higher degrees of lumen stenosis than the DES group ( P < 0.05). However, during follow-up, no significant differences in MLD and DS were seen in two groups; relatively, late loss in luminal diameter（LLL）in the DCB group was smaller ( P ＜0.05). Safety analysis showed that during follow-up, 9 patients developed restenosis after DCB implantation while restenosis occurred in 10 patients with DES treatment, no statistical difference in the incidence of restenosis in the two groups. Besides, there was no statistical difference in the incidence of major adverse cardiac events（MACE）during hospitalization and follow-up in the DCB group (7.3% (4/55)) and the DES group (8.8% (6/68))., Conclusion: DCB is safe and effective for ACS complicated with vulnerable plaque and has an advantage over DES in LLL.

Background: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and monocytes are associated with coronary artery disease, and the ratio of monocytes to high-density lipoprotein (MHR) is associated with long-term adverse outcomes and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation. Currently, the trend of coronary heart disease proned to young people is becoming prominent. However, the relationship between MHR and in-stent restenosis (ISR) in patients with premature coronary heart disease (PCHD) has not been investigated. Therefore, we aimed to assess the relationship between MHR and ISR in patients with PCHD., Methods: We retrospectively included 257 patients (men ≤ 55 years old, women ≤ 65 years old) with PCHD who underwent drug-eluting stent implantation and follow-up coronary angiography at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from September 2016 to September 2019. Patients were divided into ISR and non-ISR groups depending on their follow-up coronary angiography results. Relative clinical information was recorded and analyzed. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the optimum pre-procedural MHR cutoff value to predict ISR., Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that MHR, smoking history, and fibrinogen were independent risk factors for ISR in patients with PCHD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of MHR was 0.750 (95% confidence interval, 0.695-0.820; P  < .001), the cutoff value was 546.88, and the specificity and sensitivity were 65.2% and 78%, while the AUC of monocytes was 0.631 (95% confidence interval, 0.638-0.794; P  < .001), the cutoff value was 590, and the specificity and sensitivity were 77.1% and 60.0%., Conclusion: MHR is an independent risk factor for ISR in patients with PCHD and showed a certain predictive value.

It is urgent to understand the regulatory mechanism of drug resistance in widespread bacterial pathogens. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, several transcriptional regulators have been found to play essential roles in regulating its drug resistance. In this study, we found that an ArsR family transcription regulator encoded by Rv2642 (CdiR) responds to isoniazid (INH), a widely used anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug. CdiR negatively regulates self and adjacent genes, including arsC (arsenic-transport integral membrane protein ArsC). CdiR directly interacts with INH and Cd(II). The binding of INH and Cd(II) both reduce its DNA-binding activity. Disrupting cdiR increased the drug susceptibility to INH, whereas overexpressing cdiR decreased the susceptibility. Strikingly, overexpressing arsC increased the drug susceptibility as well as cdiR. Additionally, both changes in cdiR and arsC expression caused sensitivity to other drugs such as rifamycin and ethambutol, where the minimal inhibitory concentrations in the cdiR deletion strain were equal to those of the arsC-overexpressing strain, suggesting that the function of CdiR in regulating drug resistance primarily depends on arsC. Furthermore, we found that Cd(II) enhances bacterial resistance to INH in a CdiR-dependent manner. As a conclusion, CdiR has a critical role in directing the interplay between Cd(II) metal ions and drug susceptibility in mycobacteria., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Japanese Biochemical Society. All rights reserved.)

This study used Taiwan's Panel Study of Family Dynamics (PSFD) 2016 data to investigate the relationship between gender-role ideology and height preference in mate selection, finding that women prefer a tall partner much more than men prefer a short partner. However, when traditional gender norms prevail, men with a high levels of adherence to gender-role ideology cannot accept a female partner who is either too tall or too short. Men's height preferences are more responsive to social norms than women's, while women's height preferences are more sensitive to their own demographic characteristics than men's. The tallest and shortest female partners accepted by men with strong traditional gender-role ideology are 2.37 cm shorter and 2.21 cm taller, respectively, than men who disagree with gender norms. In marriage, gender-role ideology is not relevant to partner height, regardless of sex., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze the electrophysiological characteristics and the therapeutic efficacy of irrigated-tip catheter radiofrequency ablation(RFA) without radiation for pregnant women with focal atrial tachycardia(AT) originating from the right atrial appendage (RAA). Methods: Data from 55 women with focal AT, who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from October 2016 to March 2019, were screened. 2 non-pregnant women with right atrial appendage tachycardia (RAAT) and 4 pregnant women with non-RAAT were excluded. The remaining 49 cases were divided into RAAT during pregnancy group ( n =6, including 4 cases of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy) and non-pregnant and non-RAAT group (control, n =43). Under the guidance of three-dimensional mapping system, the earliest activation site was identified, RFA with the irrigated catheter without x-ray fluoroscopy was performed in RAAT patients during pregnancy, all patients in control group underwent non-zero-ray ablation. Patients were followed up at 3, 6, 12 months post procedure, and yearly follow up thereafter in outpatient clinic. Electrocardiogram or Holter monitoring was performed during follow up. AT recurrence and surgical complications were recorded during follow up. At 6 months after RFA, echocardiography examination and laboratory examination including N-terminal B-type brain natriuretic peptide measurement were performed in the pregnant patients, delivery results were also recorded in the pregnant patients. The electrophysiological characteristics of RAAT during pregnancy were analyzed, the therapeutic efficacy of RFA was compared between the two groups. Results: This study is a retrospective study. Age ((30.7±6.2)years vs. (57.2±11.7)years), left ventricular ejection fraction ((46.0±12.8)% vs. (60.1±5.9)%), proportions of organic heart disease (0% vs. 58%) were significantly lower in the RAAT patients during pregnancy group than in control group ( P <0.05), while proportions of patients with persistent tachycardia (100% vs. 7%), symptoms of chest distress and palpitation (6/6 vs. 49%) and left ventricular ejection farction≤50% (4/6 vs. 9%) were significantly higher in RAAT group than in control group ( P <0.05), heart rate was similar between the two groups ((163.7±11.1)beats/minutes vs. (153.7±15.2)beats/minutes, P >0.05). The characteristic P-wave morphology was observed in RAAT patients during pregnancy, i.e, P wave was mostly upright (5/6) in inferior-leads (Ⅱ, Ⅲ, aVF) and in lead I and aVL, deep and wide negative P wave was found in V 1 lead (5/6), and gradually became positive from V 2 -V 6 . The mean tachycardia cycle length was (361.7±38.5) ms. Three-dimensional mapping showed that the origin points of the 6 RAAT pregnant patients were all scattered in the local region, the local region was ablated accordingly, 2 patients (2/6) received extensive ablation of local areas. Immediate successful rate was similar between the two groups (6/6 vs. 93%). During follow up ((15.3±4.0) months), no complications were observed after RFA, postoperative recurrence rate was similar (1/6 vs. 12%). Uncomplicated delivery was reported in all 6 pregnant RAAT post ablation. Normal cardiac structure and function was observed in the 4 pregnant patients with tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy post ablation. Compared to pre-ablation phase, reduced left atrial dimension ((30.3±1.3) mm vs. (36.8±6.7) mm, P >0.05), increased left ventricular ejection fraction ((64.0±2.9)% vs. (39.8±10.7)%), reduced left ventricular end-diastolic dimension ((44.8±4.0) mm vs. (60.0±2.9) mm) and reduced N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide value ((136.2±47.5) ng/L vs. (3 408.4±901.3) ng/L) were observed at 6 months post ablation ( P <0.05). Conclusion: The electrophysiological characteristics are suggestive for focal AT originating from RAA during pregnancy. Under the guidance of 3-dimension activation mapping, no fluoroscopic RFA with irrigated-tip catheter is a safe and effective strategy for the treatment of focal RAAT during pregnancy.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis is a severe immune-mediated adverse drug effect caused by the IgG antibodies to platelet factor4/heparin complexes. Activated platelets, vascular endothelium, and monocytes generate the life-threatening thrombocytopenia and thrombosis. In this review, we will update the reader on recent findings on the pathogenesis and clinical management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis. Firstly, PF4/heparin complexes make IgM mediate complement activation by classical pathway. Secondly, Marginal zoneB cells play a crucial role in producing anti-PF4/heparin complex IgG antibody. Thirdly, two activation signals of platelets (protease-activated receptor 1/Fc gamma IIA receptor) were confirmed. Based on these findings, we present a potential laboratory test of HITT (receptor glycoprotein Ⅳ) and two possible treatments by using receptor inhibitors (vorapaxar/atopaxar) and IgG-degrading enzyme (streptococcus pyogenes/glutamyl endopeptidase V8/matrix metalloproteinases)., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) causes severe cardiac dysrhythmia among patients with cardiovascular diseases. AF increases the risk of stroke and heart failure and is a growing public health concern. AF is also associated with various disease conditions such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, aging, and diabetes mellitus. The mechanism underlying AF is not completely understood due to its complexity. However, experimental and clinical data have revealed that the prevalence of this disease is associated with atrial arrhythmogenic remodeling. Currently, there are no biomarkers that are available for the early diagnosis of AF. Several studies have proposed microRNAs (miRNAs) as useful biomarkers for the diagnosis of AF due to their stability and easy availability both in atrial tissue and circulating blood. miRNAs play an important role in the development of the heart. The dysregulation of miRNA expression is associated with cardiac remodeling. Genetic factors strongly contribute to the pathogenesis of AF. Recently, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in various genes and miRNAs have been reported to be associated with AF. The aim of this review was to discuss the correlation between SNPs in miRNAs and AF, including those miRNAs that are commonly reported as potential biomarkers for AF., (Copyright © 2019 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The ferric uptake regulator A (FurA) plays an essential role in responding to oxidative stress in mycobacteria. The genome of Mycobacterium smegmatis harbours three FurA orthologs; however, the potential cross-talk and contribution to drug resistance of different furA operon remain underdetermined. In this study, we characterized the cross-regulation and effect in drug resistance of these orthologs from M. smegmatis. Cross-binding of FurA protein to furA promoter was observed. The binding of FurA1 to furA3p and FurA2 to furA1p or furA3p is even more pronounced than their self-binding. The three FurA proteins are all functional at repressing the expression of the peroxidase enzyme katG1/katG2 in vivo. When overexpressing any of the furA orthologs in M. smegmatis, the bacteria become more resistant to isoniazid (INH). This pattern is consistent with that in Mycobacterium bovis. However, the knockdown of furA does not affect the INH sensitivity. This is the first report of cross-talk and contribution to drug resistance of all three furA orthologs in M. smegmatis., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Japanese Biochemical Society. All rights reserved.)

Diol-type ginsenosides, such as protopanaxadiol (PPD), exhibit antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and antitumor effects. However, the antitumor effect of these ginsenosides and the mechanism of PPD remain unclear. In this work, the antitumor effects of several derivatives, including PPD, Rg5, Rg3, Rh2, and Rh3, were evaluated in five different cancer cell lines. PPD demonstrated the best inhibitory effects on the proliferation and migration of the five cancer cell lines, especially the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. Therefore, the mechanism of action of PPD in HCC cells was elucidated. PPD inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot and immunofluorescence assay showed that PPD can alter the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers, increase E-cadherin expression, and decrease vimentin expression. Docking and biacore experiments revealed that STAT3 is the target protein of PPD, which formed hydrogen bonds with Gly583/Leu608/Tyr674 at the SH2 domain of STAT3. PPD inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 and its translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus, thereby inhibiting the expression of Twist1. PPD also inhibited tumor volume and tumor lung metastasis in PLC/PRF/5 xenograft model. In conclusion, PPD can inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells through the STAT3/Twist1 pathway.

Elevated serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Many guidelines recommend LDL-C as a primary treatment target, and statins represent the cornerstone of treatment for lipid management. Recently revised guidelines recommend even more intense management of LDL-C, especially in patients at moderate and high risk. However, LDL-C levels in the Chinese population differ from those in Western populations, and the benefits and safety of the maximum allowable dose of statins have yet to be determined. Furthermore, in practice, many patients do not achieve the increasingly stringent LDL-C goals. Consequently, alternative approaches to lipid management are required. Combination therapy with ezetimibe and a statin, which have complementary mechanisms of action, is more effective than statin monotherapies, even at high doses. Several clinical studies have consistently shown that combination therapy with ezetimibe and simvastatin lowers LDL-C more potently than statin monotherapies. Moreover, the safety and tolerability profile of the combination therapy appears to be similar to that of low-dose statin monotherapies. This review discusses the role of simvastatin in combination with ezetimibe in controlling dyslipidemia in Chinese patients, particularly the efficacy and safety of combination therapy in light of recently published clinical data.

The electronic structure of BiFeO 3 has been investigated by using electron energy loss spectrum and first-principle calculations. Assignments of the individual interband transitions have been accomplished by comparing the interband transition energy with the calculated PDOS. The DOS is mainly divided into two regions, the hybridized region of O 2p with Fe 3p in the valence band and that of O 2p hybridized with Bi 6p in the conduction band. From the simulation of high energy-loss near-edge structure, the core-hole effect is believed to be more significant. The feature groups for the experimental spectra of O K-edge and Fe L 2,3 -edge are consistent with simulation results., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The bacteria drug resistance is not only associated with the gain of drug resistance gene but also relied on the adaptation of bacterial cells to antibiotics by transcriptional regulation. However, only a few transcription factors that regulate drug resistance have been characterized in mycobacteria. In this study, a TetR family transcriptional factor (OxiR), encoded by Rv0067c in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, was found to be an isoniazid (INH) resistance regulator. Comparing with the wild-type strain, the oxiR overexpressing strain is four times resistant to INH, whereas the oxiR knockout strain is eight times sensitive to INH. However, the rifamycin and ethambutol resistance were not influenced by oxiR. OxiR can bind to self-promoter at a 66 bp imperfect palindromic motifs. Interestingly, OxiR directly binds to INH, and thereby alleviate the self-repression. Furthermore, OxiR negatively regulated an oxidoreductase encoded by Rv0068. And the susceptibility of the Rv0068-overexpressing and oxiR knockout strains to all the three above-mentioned anti-tuberculosis drugs was equivalent, suggesting that the effect of oxiR to INH susceptibility is attributed to the derepression of Rv0068. In conclusion, we showed that OxiR can specifically modulate INH susceptibility by regulating an oxidoreductase encoding gene, both of which have not been associated with drug-resistance previously., (© FEMS 2019.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of Ginkgo biloba extract-761 (EGb 761) in the rat with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI)., Materials and Methods: Forty Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into following four groups: sham group, I/R group and EGb 761 groups (20 and 40 mg/kg). MIRI model was established after 14 days of administration. The myocardial infarct size and myocardial histology were measured and compared. Meanwhile, the levels of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), troponin T (TnT), TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were evaluated. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, HO-1, Nrf2, Akt, p-Akt and nuclear protein Nrf2., Results: The levels of infarct size, CK-MB, LDH, TnT, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in the EGb 761 groups were significantly lower than those in the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) group. The content of MDA was lower in the myocardium, whereas the activities of SOD and GSH-Px were higher than those in the I/R group. The expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax in the EGb 761 groups were significantly lower than those in the I/R group, whereas the expressions of Bcl-2, p-Akt and HO-1 and nuclear protein Nrf2 in the EGb 761 groups were higher than those in the I/R group., Conclusion: EGb 761 might inhibit the apoptosis of myocardial cells and protect the myocardium by activating the Akt/Nrf2 pathway, increasing the expression of HO-1, decreasing oxidative stress and repressing inflammatory reaction., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping system for catheter ablation of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardiain (PSVT) children. Methods: Clinical data from 187 children with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation in our department between January 2012 and April 2016 were analyzed. Among the patients, 91 cases were treated with traditional two-dimensional X-ray radiofrequency ablation, 96 cases were treated with radiofrequency ablation guided by three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping system. Postoperative electrocardiogram and echocardiography follow-up was performed at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. The success rate, recurrence rate, complication rate, operation time and amount of X-ray exposure were compared between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the PSVT-free survival rate of the patients between the 2 groups. Results: The mean follow-up time was (739±92) days. The success rate (95.8%(92/96) vs. 94.5%(86/91), P= 0.912), recurrence rate (5.4%(5/92) vs. 4.7%(4/86), P= 0.807), complication rate (4.2%(4/96) vs. 5.5%(5/91), P= 0.379), operation time ((73±31)min vs. (79±36)min, P= 0.124) were similar between the two groups. However, X-ray exposure time ((8.1±2.9)min vs. (21.3±8.4)min, P= 0.026), amount of X-ray ((23±11)mGy vs. (58±23)mGy, P= 0.013) were significantly lower in the three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping system group than in the traditional two-dimensional X-ray radio frequency ablation group. PSVT-free survival rate was similar between the two groups (χ(2)=0.060, P= 0.807) . Conclusion: Three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping system is safe and effective for radiofrequency ablation of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in children, and can significantly reduce the amount of radiation as compared to the traditional two-dimensional X-ray radiofrequency ablation.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of patchouli alcohol in enhancing Helicobater pylori's action in eradicating macrophages and its mechanism. H. pylori was co-cultured with macrophages at a ratio of MOI=100 in different concentrations of patchouli alcohol. The effect of patchouli alcohol in eradicating macrophages was detected by agar dilution method. The effect of patchouli alcohol on NO and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in macrophages were measured by H. pylori by biochemical methods. Patchouli alcohol effect on H. pylori-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression and protein secretion in macrophages were detected by RT-qPCR and ELISA method. The eradication of H. pylori has significantly enhanced, and the destabilization of lysosomes has been reversed. Meanwhile, patchouli alcohol has an effect in inhibiting pro-inflammation and oxidation. The mechanism of patchouli alcohol in eradicating H. pylori and resisting oxidative stress may be associated to the blocking of bacteria escape lysosome combination procedures., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

With the development of molecular biological technology, the association between genes and diseases has drawn increasing attention of researchers; the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene has been reported to be a candidate gene for cardiovascular disease (CHD). The present study aimed to investigate the association between a polymorphism of eNOS and the risk of CHD in young people (≤40 years old), in addition to the underlying mechanism. A total of 234 cases of CHD in young individuals were collected as the CHD group and 228 cases of healthy individuals as the control group. Peripheral blood was collected and the genotype of the eNOS G894T polymorphism was identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, the gene frequency was calculated and the distributions of genotype and allele frequency between the two groups were compared. Bioinformatics tools were employed to analyze the differences in the local protein structures of the eNOS G894T polymorphism and the biological mechanism was preliminary discussed. The results demonstrated that there were significant differences in the distribution of genotype frequency and allele frequency of the eNOS G894T gene polymorphism between the CHD group and control group (P<0.05). The risk of CHD in GT and TT genotypes were higher compared with the GG genotype (P<0.05). The G894T polymorphism led to Glu298Asp mutation of encoded protein, which is within the active site of eNOS, and partial structures of the protein were converted from random coil to α‑helix. In conclusion, the eNOS G894T gene polymorphism was associated with the occurrence and development of CHD in young people. The potential mechanism is that the G894T polymorphism leads to altered protein structure, which affects the function of eNOS in generating nitric oxide and cardiovascular diastole. The results of the present study suggested a potential target gene for the prevention and treatment of CHD in young people (≤40 years old).

A gender gap has been found in mathematics (boys outperform girls) that has prevailed across countries for many decades. Whether this gap results from nature or nurture has been hotly debated. Using the evidence of PISA 2003 and the gender equality index of 2003, some researchers have argued that an improvement in gender equality reduces the gender gap in mathematics. This study used five waves of country-level PISA data and, controlling for country fixed effects, found no evidence to support this argument. Furthermore, individual data for PISA 2012 and the multilevel data model were used. The conclusion drawn also does not support the argument. In fact, the relationship between gender equality and the gender gap in mathematics vanished after PISA 2003.

Midazolam is a sedative used by patients with mechanical ventilation. However, the potential clinical value is not fully explored. In this report, we made use of a neuroblastoma-spinal cord hybrid motor neuron-like cell line NSC34, and elucidated the potential role of Midazolam on these cells under the insult of oxidative stress. We found the protective effect of Midazolam on motor neurons against cytotoxicity induced by the combination of oligomycin A and rotenone (O/R) or phenylarsine oxide. The characteristics of apoptosis, such as the ratio of TUNEL+ cells or the expression level of cleaved Caspase-3, was decreased by 22 or 45% in the presence of Midazolam. Furthermore, this effect was correlated with the JNK-ERK signaling pathway. Either phosphorylation of ERK or JNK was positively or negatively modulated with the treatment of Midazolam in NSC34 cells attacked by reactive oxygen species. Meanwhile, inhibition or activation of the JNK-ERK pathway regulated the protective effect of Midazolam on NSC34 cells with oxidative stress insult. Collectively, this study elucidated a previously unidentified clinical effect of Midazolam, and put forward the great promise that Midazolam may be considered as a potential candidate to the treatment of motor neuron disease.

Using Taiwanese data, this study finds that tall males are more successful in mate selection and reproduction, but the results are weakly significant. Height is not helpful for females' reproductive success. Specifically, tall males are more likely to have a partner at present or in the past, have at least one child, have more children, have a shorter period of celibacy and have a longer time duration of living with a partner in their lifetime. Using mediation analysis, the study shows that tall males' reproductive success is not due to their achievements in the labour market (earnings), but is simply due to their height per se. Finally, a college student data set is used to explore the relation between height and dating hours. Tall male students have more dating hours, but no relation is found between females' height and dating hours.

An new type of switch “On-Off” fluorescence probe was constructed based on fluorescence carbon dots as a novel strategy to analyze trace histidine(His) which was proposed for the first time. In water solution with pH 7.6, the fluorescence of CDs was quenched with Ru3+ due to the formation of ground state compound through electrostatic attraction, and the system was thus “turned-off”. The fluorescence intensity of CDs was “turned-on” due to the competition between His and Ru towards the surface of CDs. The effect of critical parameters including pH, buffer solutions, reaction temperature and time needed to grow the fluorescence intensity of CDs was studied. Results show thatin water solution with pH 7.6, and when the temperature was between 20~25 ℃, the fluorescence intensity of the released CDs displayed a linear relationship in the range of (6.5~219.3)×10-6 mol·L-1 of captopril. Lower limit of detection for His, at the signal-to-noise ratio of 3/(3δ), was 2.15×10-6 mol·L-1. The methodology was successfully applied for the determination of His in Compound Amino Acid Injections, with the RSD≤2.07%, and the recovery rate was between 95.7%～102.4%. The result of the experiment was satisfactory. On the one hand, the excellent optical character CDs was acted as “On-Off” fluorescence probe, which could be extent the application of CDs, on the other hand, the excellent performance of the proposed fluorescence probe shows that this method possesses the potential for practical application.

The recovery of cardiac arrest patients with pulmonary embolism who are given an ultra-long duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) with manual chest compressions is very rare. We reported a 52-year-old woman who came to the hospital because of paroxysmal dyspnea. She experienced in hospital cardiac arrest and underwent prolonged CPR with manual chest compressions for 160 minutes. The patient presented with several episodes of cardiac electrical activity that lasted 10 to 20 seconds without consciousness. Blood gas analysis revealed pH 7.27, PaO2 51 mm Hg, and D-dimer 3723 ìg/mL. In addition,acute pulmonary embolism was considered due to the patient's symptoms. Thrombolytic therapy was given 100 minutes after the CPR was implemented. Sixty minutes later, her sinus rhythm was restored.After the continuous renal replacement therapy for renal failure was administered and other conservative treatments were given for the complications after the CPR with thrombolytic therapy, she finally recovered and was discharged. This case report supports the use of persistent ongoing CPR efforts and the use of thrombolytic therapy.

In the present study, the near infrared spectrum of freshwater fish was used to detect the freshness on line, and the near infrared spectra on-line acquisition device was built to get the fish spectrum. In the process of spectrum acquisition, experiment samples move at a speed of 0.5 m · s(-1), the near-infrared diffuse reflection spectrum (900-2,500 nm) could be got for the next analyzing, and SVM was used to build on-line detection model. Sample set partitioning based on joint X-Y distances algo- rithm (SPXY) was used to divide sample set, there were 111 samples in calibration set (57 fresh samples and 54 bad samples), and 37 samples in test set (19 fresh samples and 18 bad samples). Seven spectral preprocessing methods were utilized to prepro- cess the spectrum, and the influences of different methods were compared. Model results indicated that first derivative (FD) with autoscale was the best preprocessing method, the model recognition rate of calibration set was 97.96%, and the recognition rate of test set was 95.92%. In order to improve the modeling speed, it is necessary to optimize the spectra variables. Therefore genetic algorithm (GA), successive projection algorithm (SPA) and competitive adaptive reweighed sampling (CARS) were adopted to select characteristic variables respectively. Finally CARS was proved to be the optimal variable selection method, 10 characteristic wavelengths were selected to develop SVM model, recognition rate of calibration set reached 100%, and recognition rate of test set was 93.88%. The research provided technical reference for freshwater fish freshness online detection.

Using a data set of Taiwanese female graduates in 2006, this study finds that height and earnings are positively correlated for full-time workers. However, it is not because tall individuals went to better colleges or received better grades (cognitive ability), not because they are gifted with superior physical strength or because they have participated in more extracurricular activities (non-cognitive ability), and not because they work in a highly paid occupation. We find that statistical discrimination (or perceptual bias) is most likely to play a role in determining the entry earnings of female graduates. In addition, we find that an estimator of the height premium for females is downward-biased if weight is omitted from the model., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The randomly placed damage parts of potato will affect the detection accuracy, this paper used transmission and reflection hyperspectral imaging technology to acquire potato images of three directions(the damage part facing to the camera, back to the camera, side to the camera), and then processed the comparative study for damage detection. Independent component (IC) analysis was used to analyze the transmission and reflection hyperspectral images and to extract the features, the resulting char acteristics were used for the secondary IC analysis of the reflected images and the variable selection of the transmittance and re flectance spectroscopy. Finally, the potato injury qualitative recognition model was established based on the reflection images, the reflectance spectral and the transmittance spectral; Further optimization was done for high recognition accuracy of model, and secondary variable selection was carried out for the transmission spectrum by the Sub-window Permutation Analysis(SPA) and the optimal model for damage identification of potato randomly placed was established. The results of experiments show that the accuracy of the identification model based on the reflection image and the reflection spectrum is low, wherein the potato bruise based on the reflection images falls into the lowest recognition accuracy of 43. 10% when it is side to the camera; The accuracy of the model for identification based on the transmittance spectroscopy information is the highest, the recognition accuracy with the damage part facing and back to the camera is 100%t, and 99. 53% when it is side to the camera. The accuracy of the optimal model for identification based on the 3 kinds of transmittance spectroscopy information of randomly placed potato is 97. 39%. Then the application of transmission hyperspectral imaging technology could detect potato injury in any orientation, and the research can provide technical support for the online detection of potato quality.

The proliferation of Schwann cells around injured peripheral nerves supports the process of Wallerian degeneration and is critical for axonal regeneration. In this publication, carboxymethylated chitosan (CMCS) was studied to determine its capacity (i) to induce proliferation and secretion of nerve growth factor (NGF) and (ii) to activate Wingless-type(Wnt) protein/β-catenin signaling pathways in rat Schwann cells. CMCS was found to induce Schwann cell proliferation and NGF synthesis in Schwann cell in a dose and time dependent manner. CMCS was shown to activate factors in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, including Dvl-1, β-catenin, Tcf4, Lef1, C-myc, and Cyclin D1 which are active in the proliferation of Schwann cells and biosynthesis of NGF of Schwann cell. Overall, this study suggests that CMCS can promote the proliferation of cultured Schwann cells and synthesis of NGF by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

1. Metformin is one of the most commonly used drugs for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Accumulating evidence suggests that metformin also has cardioprotective effects. In the present study, we investigated the cardioprotective effects of metformin and the mechanisms involved. 2. A rat model of chronic heart failure was established by permanent left coronary artery occlusion. Heart failure rats were randomly divided into four groups: (i) a saline-treated group given 4 mL/kg day via intragastric gavage; (ii) a metformin-treated group, given 100 mg/kg metformin once daily via intragastric gavage; (iii) a group treated with 5 mg/kg 5'-aminoimidazole-4-carboxyamide-ribonucleoside (AICAR), an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) agonist, every second day; and (iv) a group treated with 100 mg/kg per day metformin + 20 mg/kg, i.p., compound C (an AMPK antagonist). After 4 weeks treatment, echocardiography was used to assess left ventricular (LV) dimensions and function. Expression of AMPK, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. 3. Metformin administration significantly improved cardiac function and LV remodelling, as evidenced by increases in LV systolic pressure and LV ejection fraction and decreases in LV end-diastolic diameter and LV end-systolic diameter. These beneficial effects of metformin were associated with increased AMPK and eNOS phosphorylation, as well as reductions in insulin, TGF-β1, basic fibroblast growth factor and tumour necrosis factor-α levels in the circulation and/or myocardium. 4. The results indicate that chronic low-dose metformin confers significant cardioprotective effects against chronic heart failure by activating the AMPK-eNOS pathway., (© 2011 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)

Objective: To explore the effects of manganese poisoning on the proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in mice's hippocampus., Methods: The mice (weight 8 approximately 10 g) were divided into control group(CG) low-dose group(LDG) middle-dose group(MDG) and high-dose group(HDG)by intraperitoneal injection of 0, 5, 20, 50 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) of manganese chloride dissolved in physiological saline. The ability of learning and memory was detected by Morris Water Maze, and the proliferation of NSCs in subgranular zone (SGZ) in these mice's hippocampus was also detected by immunohistochemistry., Results: 1) Compared with the CG, the ability of learning and memory in all manganism group decreased significantly (P < 0.01) and this phenomenon in HDG was most notable (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the ability of memory was negatively correlated with the dose of manganese chloride (r(s) = -0.598, P < 0.01), but the difference of swimming speed in every group was of no statistic significance. (2) The numbers of NSCs in proliferation period in SGZ of all manganism groups was much lower than that of CG (P < 0.01) negatively correlated with the dose of manganese chloride (r(s) = -0.666, P < 0.01). (3) The reduction of NSCs had a positive correlation to the depression of learning and memory (r(s) = 0.734, P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Manganismus can affect the ability of learning and memory, which is probably caused by the inhalation of manganese on NSCs in hippocampus.

Under the conditions of pH 5. 0 HAc-NaAc, 1. 6 X 10(-3) mol x L(-1) KI-8. 0 X 10(-5) mol x L(-1) Fe2+-4. 0X 10(-6) mol x L(-1) H2O2-40 microg x mL(-1) acridine red (AR), when there is H2O2, reacts with I- to form I3- . The acridine red reacts with I3- to form AR-I3 ion association molecule. Under the action of the intermolecular and hydrophobic forces, these association molecules automatically aggregate to form (AR-I3 ), association particles that exhibit three resonance scattering peaks at 320, 400 and 595 nm respectively. The H2O2 concentration in the range of 0. 50-16. OX 10(-6) mol x L(-1) is proportional to the resonance scattering at 400 nm. And a new resonance scattering spectral method was described for the determination of H2O2 in water samples with satisfactory results.

A series of novel alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluoro-m-tolyl pyridazinone derivatives was synthesised. Herbicidal activities of the two intermediate compounds and 15 pyridazinone derivatives were evaluated through barnyardgrass and rape cup tests and Spirodela polyrrhiza (L.) Schleiden tests. Selected compounds were also evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Bleaching activities were observed at 10 microg ml(-1) and some compounds exhibited herbicidal activities at a rate of 300 g ha(-1). The relationship between crystal structures and herbicidal activities is discussed through a comparison of two compounds (5a and 5f)., (Copyright (c) 2006 Society of Chemical Industry)

A long-term follow-up study of 21 patients with 24 attacks of acute non-Q-wave myocardial infarction admitted to Beijing Hospital was carried out and clinicopathological correlation was made in 9 by autopsy. The results revealed that in patients with non-Q-wave myocardial infarction the mortality rate in acute stage was 14.3%, the 2-year aggregate mortality rate 33.3% and the rate of reinfarction 38%, while in patients with Q-wave myocardial infarction admitted in the same period the rate was 18.9%, 26.2% and 17.3%, respectively. It was thus shown that non-Q-wave myocardial infarction was an unstable condition. Although its prognosis in the acute stage was slightly better than that of Q-wave myocardial infarction, yet its outcome in the long run was poorer. Clinicopathological correlation showed that the diagnostic criteria for acute non-Q-wave myocardial infarction used at present are practical and a negative serum enzyme does not preclude the possibility of this disease.

A long-term follow-up study of 21 cases with 24 attacks of acute non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI) was reported. These cases had been followed up for an average of 21.1 months, the longest being 7 years and the shortest only 8 days in a fatal case. It was shown that in the acute stage the mortality rate of non-Q-wave MI (14.3%) was slightly lower than that of Q-wave MI (18.9%). However, at the end of 2 years the cumulative mortality rate of non-Q-wave MI (33.3%) was higher than that of Q-wave MI (26.2%) and the rate of reinfarction during the follow-up in the former (38%) was much higher than that in the latter (17.3%). Among the 21 patients, 11 died of cardiac or noncardiac causes during the follow-up. Autopsy was obtained in 9 of the 11 cases. Clinicopathological correlation showed that the present diagnostic criteria for non-Q-wave MI with positive findings in clinical manifestation, electrocardiography and serum enzyme is practical and reliable. 3 of the 9 autopsied cases with negative serum enzyme were also proved to have subendocardial infarction pathologically, but in 2 of them the thickness of the lesion was less than one third of that of ventricular wall. It is, thus, concluded that although non-Q-wave MI has better prognosis in the acute stage, yet its outlook in the long run is by no means good. Moreover, negative serum enzyme does not preclude the possibility of non-Q-wave MI.