[Vibronic coupling parameters and luminescent properties of bivalent europium ion doped alkaline earth thioaluminates].

To obtain blue and green electroluminescent phosphor of high efficiency, vibronic coupling parameters and luminescent properties of M(II) Al2 S4 : Eu materials were researched. Configuration coordinate model, which is the base of assessment, was introduced and assessing parameters were listed firstly. Photoluminescent (PL) and electroluminescent (EL) properties of M(II) Al2S4 : Eu were compared and analyzed by the PL and EL spectra. Additionally, performances of M(II) Al2S4 : Eu phosphor materials were evaluated with the calculation of characteristic energy and unitless factors by PL spectra. According to the result of assessment and the comparison of CIE1931 color coordinates, it can be concluded that BaAl2 S4 : Eu and CaAl2 S4 : Eu are suitable for blue and green emitting phosphor. Mg and Sr thioaluminates can be used as parts of complex thioaluminate phosphors because they can shift the emission peaks.

Clinical effects of combined treatment by optimal dose of furosemide and spironolactone on diastolic heart failure in elderly patients.

Diastolic heart failure (DHF) is characterized by symptoms including reduced ventricular relaxation and compliance, resulting in congestion of pulmonary and systemic circulation. The curative effects of regular cardiac agents are ineffective. Thus, new agents are required to treat chronic cardiac failure. The aim of the present study was to examine the clinical effects of the combined treatment by optimal dose of furosemide (20 mg/day) and spironolactone (40 mg/day) on elderly patients with diastolic heart failure (DHF) [New York Heart Association (NYHA) 1-2 grade]. A total of 93 patients diagnosed with DHF between February, 2013 and February, 2014 were enrolled in the present study. The patients were randomly divided into the furosemide group (20 mg/day, n=27), optimal dose group (20 mg/day furosemide+40 mg/day spirolactone, n=36), and large dose group (40 mg/day furosemide+100 mg/day spirolactone, n=30). Following treatment for one month, a comparison and analysis of the NYHA class, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular wall segmental motion among the three groups were performed. The re-hospitalization rate of heart failure and incidence of electrolyte disorder among the three groups was compared and their differences analysed. Compared with pretreatment, the NYHA classifications of the three groups after treatment were reduced and differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). By contrast, for the NYHA classification after treatment there was no statistical significance (P>0.05). Compared with pretreatment, LVEF of the optimal dose group increased, LVEDD decreased, and the average systolic myocardial peak velocity and early diastolic myocardial peak velocity of ventricular wall motion were reduced, with differences being statistically significant (P<0.05). By contrast, in the furosemide and large dose groups no statistical significance was identified before and after the treatment (P>0.05). Improvement of the optimal dose group following treatment was more significant than the remaining two groups, and differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The re-hospitalization rate of heart failure and incidence of electrolyte disorder in the optimal dose group following treatment were significantly less than the other two groups, and differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, the optimal dose (20 mg/day furosemide+40 mg/day spirolactone) significantly improved the clinical symptoms of elderly DHF patients (NYHA 1-2 grade) and ameliorated their long-term prognosis.

The Role of Long Intergenic Noncoding RNA p21 in Vascular Endothelial Cells.

Large intergenic long noncoding RNA p21 (lincRNA-p21) has recently shown to play an important role in biological functions. However, the biological role of lincRNA-p21 in vascular endothelial cells remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of lincRNA-p21 in vascular endothelial cells through gain- and loss-of-function studies and found that lincRNA-p21 promoted cell apoptosis and induced cell cycle progression. Furthermore, lincRNA-p21 acted as an endogenous sponge by directly binding to miR-130b and decreased miR-130b expression. In addition, miR-130b reversed the inhibitory effect of lincRNA-p21 on the growth of vascular endothelial cells. Taken together, our data highlight the pivotal role of lincRNA-p21 in the growth of vascular endothelial cells.

High mobility group [corrected] box 1 mediates neutrophil recruitment in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury through toll like receptor 4-related pathway.

This study aimed to explore the role of high mobility group [corrected] box 1 (HMGB1) and its receptor toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) on neutrophils in myocardial ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury. We constructed TLR4-mutant (C3H/HeJ) and control (C3H/HeN) mouse models of myocardial I/R injury and subjected the mice to 30 min of ischemia and 6h of reperfusion. Light microscope was used to observe structural changes in the myocardium. HMGB1 levels were measured using quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Neutrophil accumulation, TNF-a expression and IL-8 levels were analyzed via myeloperoxidase (MPO) biochemical studies, quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. The results demonstrated that fewer neutrophils infiltrated in the myocardium of TLR4-mutant mice after myocardial I/R and that TLR4 deficiency markedly decreased the ischemic injury caused by ischemia/reperfusion, and inhibited the expression of HMGB1, TNF-a, and IL-8, all of which were up-regulated by ischemia/reperfusion. These findings suggest that HMGB1 plays a central role in recruiting neutrophils during myocardial I/R leading to worsened myocardial I/R injury. This recruitment mechanism is possibly due to its inflammatory and chemokine functions based on the TLR4-dependent pathway.