Association Between Lipid Profiles and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: New Evidence from a Retrospective Study.

Objective To explore the association between lipid profiles and left ventricular hypertrophy in a Chinese general population. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study to investigate the relationship between lipid markers [including triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein[a], and composite lipid profiles] and left ventricular hypertrophy. A total of 309,400 participants of two populations (one from Beijing and another from nationwide) who underwent physical examinations at different health management centers between 2009 and 2018 in China were included in the cross-sectional study. 7,475 participants who had multiple physical examinations and initially did not have left ventricular hypertrophy constituted a longitudinal cohort to analyze the association between lipid markers and the new-onset of left ventricular hypertrophy. Left ventricular hypertrophy was measured by echocardiography and defined as an end-diastolic thickness of the interventricular septum or left ventricle posterior wall > 11 mm. The Logistic regression model was used in the cross-sectional study. Coxmodel and Coxmodel with restricted cubic splines were used in the longitudinal cohort. Results In the cross-sectional study, for participants in the highest tertile of each lipid marker compared to the respective lowest, triglycerides [odds ratio (OR): 1.250, 95%CI: 1.060 to 1.474], HDL-cholesterol (OR: 0.780, 95%CI: 0.662 to 0.918), and lipoprotein(a) (OR: 1.311, 95%CI: 1.115 to 1.541) had an association with left ventricular hypertrophy. In the longitudinal cohort, for participants in the highest tertile of each lipid marker at the baseline compared to the respective lowest, triglycerides [hazard ratio (HR): 3.277, 95%CI: 1.720 to 6.244], HDL-cholesterol (HR: 0.516, 95%CI: 0.283 to 0.940), non-HDL-cholesterol (HR: 2.309, 95%CI: 1.296 to 4.112), apolipoprotein B (HR: 2.244, 95%CI: 1.251 to 4.032) showed an association with new-onset left ventricular hypertrophy. In the Coxmodel with forward stepwise selection, triglycerides were the only lipid markers entered into the final model. Conclusion Lipids levels, especially triglycerides, are associated with left ventricular hypertrophy. Controlling triglycerides level potentiate to be a strategy in harnessing cardiac remodeling but deserve to be further investigated.

Endoscopic cardial constriction with band ligation in the treatment of refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease: a preliminary feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common digestive disease, could cause extra-esophageal symptoms. Peroral endoscopic cardial constriction with band ligation (PECC-b) is a minimally invasive method for the treatment of GERD in recent years. The goals of this study were to evaluate the clinical efficacy of PECC-b to treat gastroesophageal reflux-related symptoms. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients undergoing PECC-b between January 2017 and December 2018 at a single institution was conducted. All patients confirmed GERD by endoscopy, esophageal PH-impedance monitoring, esophageal manometry and symptom questionnaires. The outcome measures included reflux-related scores, patients' satisfaction and drug independence after 12 months following surgery. RESULTS: A total of 68 patients, with follow-up of 12 months post surgery, were included in the final analysis. The symptom scores were all significantly decreased as compared with preoperation (P < 0.05). The esophageal symptom scores showed a better improvement than extra-esophageal symptoms (P < 0.001). Fifty-three (77.9%) patients achieved complete drug therapy independence and 52 (76.5%) patients were completely or partially satisfied with the symptom relief following surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The PECC-b is a safe, effective and recommended approach for the control of GERD-related symptoms. Further multicenter prospective studies are required to confirm these outcomes.

Smart Nano-switch with Flexible Modulation of Ion Transport Using Multiple Environmental Stimuli.

In this work, we demonstrate a unique nano-switch with triple environmental stimuli based on the action of functional copolymer brushes in a single conical nanochannel. This nanodevice flexibly and efficiently modulates ion transport properties under the influence of three environmental stimuli: light, pH and temperature. The triple factors can not only play a regulatory role independently, but their synergistic cooperation could fully activate the ionic gate and reversibly control the gating direction. In addition, the nano-switch can switch transport properties on demand in the face of complex combinations of different factors. This work promotes the development of intelligent bionic ion channels, which holds promise for biosensing, energy conversion and biomedical research.

Smart pH-Modulated Two-Way Photoswitch Based on a Polymer-Modified Single Nanochannel.

In this article, we have demonstrated a smart pH-modulated two-way photoswitch that can reversibly switch ion transport under alternating light exposure over a wide pH range. This photoswitch was prepared by functionalizing the interior of a single conical glass nanochannel with a poly-spiropyran-linked methacrylate (P-SPMA) polymer through surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. The P-SPMA polymer brushes comprise functional groups that are responsive to light and pH, which can cause configuration and charge changes to affect the properties of the nanochannel wall. The SPMA polymer-modified nanochannel not only reversibly controlled ion transport under alternating light irradiation but also efficiently and flexibly regulated the direction and extent of the ion transport based on the pH. This two-way photoswitch exhibits the considerable potential of photoresponsive polymers for the advancement of "intelligent" bionic nanochannel devices for ion screening and optical sensing in various applications.

Long Noncoding RNA UCA1 Overexpression Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Digestive System Malignancies: A Meta-analysis.

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1) has been reported to be highly expressed in many kinds of cancers. This meta-analysis summarized its potential prognostic value in digestive system malignancies. A meta-analysis was performed through a comprehensive search in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for suitable articles on the prognostic impact of UCA1 in digestive system malignancies from inception to June 27, 2019. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated to summarize the effect. Sixteen studies were included in the study, with a total of 1504 patients. A significant association was observed between UCA1 abundance and poor overall survival (OS), and shorter disease-free survival (DFS) for patients with digestive system malignancies, with pooled HR of 2.07 (95%CI: 1.74-2.47), and of 2.50 (95%CI: 1.62-3.86). Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis suggested the reliability of our findings. It is suggested that UCA1 abundance may serve as a reliable predictive factor for poor prognosis in patients with digestive system malignancies.

Two highly selective and sensitive fluorescent imidazole derivatives design and application for 2,4,6-trinitrophenol detection.

In this paper, two nanoparticle fluorescence sensors L1 and L2 were designed and synthesized for the detection of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) in water. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to assist in designing sensors and explaining the detection mechanism. A further illustration of the fluorescence quenching mechanism was also studied by 1H NMR titration and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The Job's plot demonstrates the combined stoichiometry of the sensor and TNP. Both sensors show low detection limit apparently (0.17 and 0.49 µM), fast and highly selective fluorescence response to TNP compared to other nitro-compounds. Moreover, L1 and L2 were successfully applied for the determination of TNP in real water samples.

[Screening and cloning gene of a hepatocyte protein interacting with HCV NS5ATP4A protein].

OBJECTIVE: To screen and clone hepatocyte protein interacting with hepatitis C virus NS5ATP4A protein for studying its biological functions. METHODS: Bait plasmids of hepatitis C virus NS5ATP4A were constructed. After verifying that hepatitis C virus NS5ATP4A protein could be steadily expressed in AH109 yeast strain, yeast-two hybrid assay was performed by mating AH109 with Y187 which pre-transformed with liver cDNA library plasmids pACT2, and the diploidy yeast cells were plated on quadruple dropout (QDO) medium and assayed for X-a-gal activity. Nineteen yeast colonies which grew on QDO and had a-gal activity were obtained, and then the library plasmids were extracted and sequenced. RESULTS: Seven genes were screened out and one of them was a formerly unknown gene. They were associated with RNA synthesis, protein translation, cell cycling and tumor immunity. CONCLUSION: NS5ATP4A binding proteins were successfully screened, which offers new clues for further studying the signal transduction pathway of NS5ATP4A and the pathogenic mechanism of HCV.

Pressure-induced superconductivity in palladium sulfide.

An extended study on PdS is carried out with the measurements of the resistivity, Hall coefficient, Raman scattering, and x-ray diffraction at high pressures up to 42.3 GPa. With increasing pressure, superconductivity is observed accompanying with a structural phase transition at around 19.5 GPa. The coexistence of semiconducting and metallic phases observed at normal state is examined by the Raman scattering and x-ray diffraction between 19.5 and 29.5 GPa. After that, only the metallic normal state maintains with an almost constant superconducting transition temperature. The similar evolution between the superconducting transition temperature and carrier concentration with pressure supports the phonon-mediated superconductivity in this material. These results highlight the important role of pressure played in inducing superconductivity from these narrow band-gap semiconductors.

Thermoelectric properties of polycrystalline palladium sulfide.

Measurement of the electrical, thermal, and structural properties of palladium sulfide (PdS) has been conducted in order to investigate its thermoelectric performance. A tetragonal structure with the space group P42/m for PdS was determined from X-ray diffraction measurement. The obtained power factor of 27 µW cm-1 K-2 at 800 K is the largest value obtained for the transition metal sulfides studied so far. The maximum value of the dimensionless figure of merit is 0.33 at 800 K. These results indicate that binary bulk PdS has promising potential for good thermoelectric performance.

Sanggenon C induces apoptosis of colon cancer cells via inhibition of NO production, iNOS expression and ROS activation of the mitochondrial pathway.

Sanggenon C is a well-known, major active agent of the flavonoid derivative of benzopyrone with valuable biological properties, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antithrombotic, and immune-modulatory activities. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which sanggenon C mediated the induction of cell death in colorectal cancer cells (CRC). Treatment of colorectal cancer cells (LoVo, HT-29 and SW480) with sanggenon C (0, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 µM) resulted in inhibited proliferation of colon cancer cells. In addition, Sanggenon C (10, 20, 40 µM) induces apoptosis of HT-29 colon cancer cells as well as the increased ROS generation. Furthermore, treatment with sanggenon C increased the level of intracellular Ca2+ and ATP, while inhibited the nitric oxide production via inhibiting inducible nitric oxide synthase expression. This resulted in the activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway as evidenced by the decrease in Bcl-2 protein expression. Consistently, the anti-growth and pro-apoptosis effects of sanggenon C on xenograft colon tumor were further confirmed in vivo. Collectively, our results demonstrated sanggenon C induced apoptosis of colon cancer cells by increased reactive oxygen species generation and decreased nitric oxide production, which is associated with inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

Bismuth sulfide thin films with low resistivity on self-assembled monolayers.

Using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), highly crystalline bismuth sulfide thin films with low electrical resistivity have been prepared from aqueous solution at low temperature (40-70 degrees C). The nucleation and growth process of Bi2S3 thin films was investigated in detail by XPS, AES, SEM, XRD, SAED, and HRTEM. Solution conditions have marked effects on the microstructure, growth rate, and mechanism of Bi2S3 films. Increased solution temperature resulted in a higher growth rate and a shorter induction time due to a higher supersaturation degree. In the solution of pH 1.12, homogeneous nucleation and the attachment process dominated the formation of Bi2S3 films. In contrast, at pH 0.47 Bi2S3 thin films were formed via heterogeneous nucleation and growth. The c-axial orientation of bismuthinite films was enhanced with the increase of reaction time. By controlling the solution supersaturation and reaction duration, highly crystalline Bi2S3 films composed of closely packed and coalescent crystallites could be realized, whose dark electrical resistivity could reach as low as 0.014 Omega cm without any post-treatment.

[The expression of toll-like receptor4 and NF-kappaB in ulcerative colitis].

AIM: To investigate the expression of TLR4 and NF-kappaB in ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: Colonic biopsy specimens were collected from active UC and controls. The expression of TLR4 and NF-kappaBp 65 were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and RT-PCR. RESULTS: RT-PCR revealed a significant increase of TLR4 and NF-kappaBp 65 antigen expression in colonic mucosa of UC compared with colonic mucosa of controls (TLR4: 143.658+/-33.870, 30.531+/-8.442, t=24.253, P<0.01; NF-kappaBp65: 185.773+/-37.625, 23.810+/-7.038, t=31.664, P<0.01). IHC show that the expression of TLR4 and NF-kappaB was significantly higher in colonic mucosa of UC compared with colonic mucosa of controls. CONCLUSION: The expression of the TLR4 and NF-kappaB was increased in the colonic mucosa of UC compared with colonic mucosa of controls. It may be closely associated with the course of ulcerative colitis.

Syntheses, crystal structures, and physical properties of La5Cu6O4S7 and La5Cu6.33O4S7.

Single crystal and bulk powder samples of the quaternary lanthanum copper oxysulfides La5Cu6.33O4S7 and La5Cu6O4S7 have been prepared by means of high-temperature sealed-tube reactions and spark plasma sintering, respectively. In the structure of La 5Cu6.33O4S7, Cu atoms tie together the fluorite-like (2)infinity[La5O4S(5+)] and antifluorite-like (2) infinity[Cu6S6(5-)] layers of La5Cu6O4S7. The optical band gap, E g, of 2.0 eV was deduced from both diffuse reflectance spectra on a bulk sample of La5Cu6O4S7 and for the (010) crystal face of a La 5Cu6.33O4S7 single crystal. Transport measurements at 298 K on a bulk sample of La 5Cu 6O 4S 7 indicated p-type metallic electrical conduction with sigma electrical =2.18 S cm(-1), whereas measurements on a La 5Cu6.33O4S7 single crystal led to sigma electrical =4.5 10(-3) S cm(-1) along [100] and to semiconducting behavior. In going from La 5Cu6O4S7 to La5Cu6.33O4S7, the disruption of the (2)infinity[Cu6S6(5-)] layer and the decrease in the overall Cu(2+)(3d(9)) concentration lead to a significant decrease in the electrical conductivity.

[Prokaryotic expression of fusion protein TAT-EDAG and study on its transduction activity].

HIV-TAT protein transduction domain (PTD) is a new kind of peptide that is responsible for transduction of proteins through the plasma membrane with high efficiency. Linked covalently to proteins, peptides, nucleic acid, it could transduce into nearly all kinds of cells and tissues with high efficiency and without any damages. In this study, we constructed the TAT-EDAG and TAT-GFP prokaryotic expression vectors and expressed soluble TAT-EDAG and TAT-GFP fusions in E. coli BL21 (DE3) successfully. By using the Ni-NTA-agrose purification system under the native condition we got the purified fusion proteins whose purification were higher than 90%. After desalting we found the TAT-GFP could transduced successfully into the mouse fibroblast cells and the TAT-EDAG could transduced into HL-60 cells in vitro. It will be useful to amplify the HSCs in vitro in the next step.

[Molecular cloning, expression mutation of myostatin and study on biochemical activity of its C-terminal peptide].

Myostatin, a member of the TGF-beta family, negatively regulates skeletal muscle development. Mutation of myostatin activity leads to increases muscle growth and carcass lean yield. The bovine myostatin mutation cDNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and then sub-cloned into the expression vector pET-30a( + ) to form the expression plasmid pET30a (+)-action/ Myostatin. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into E. coli BL21. The overexpression product of pET30a (+)-action/ Myostatin was been showed in vitro. Sheep skeletal muscle cell were cultured with the purified myostatin mutation C-terminal peptide. The results of this study suggest that had a powerful activity to stimulate the hyperplasia and proliferation of sheep muscle cells and shows high biochemical activity.