High Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio is Associated with Increased Arterial Stiffness in Diabetes: A Chinese Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: Elevated urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) is an established risk factor for microvascular disease in the general population. However, it is unclear whether UACR is associated with arterial stiffness in diabetes. We aimed to assess the relationship between UACR levels and the risk of arterial stiffness in patients with diabetes.

A comparative study of the ameliorative effects of hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides and hyaluronic acid on DSS-induced colitis in mice and research on relevant mechanisms.

As a dietary supplement, hyaluronic acid (HA) has exhibited appreciable immunomodulatory activity and an ameliorative effect on rodent colitis. However, its high viscosity is not only refractory to absorb through the gut, but also causes flatulence. In contrast to HA, hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides (o-HAs) can overcome the above-mentioned constraints, but their treatment effect still remains ill-defined contemporarily.

Influence of high altitude on the strength of aerated concrete.

Aerated concrete specimens were prepared at Fuzhou and Lhasa with the same processing conditions. The compressive strengths of the specimens in Lhasa were lower than that in Fuzhou. We used SEM-EDS, XRD, FT-IR and MIP to study their microstructure in order to find the reasons made for differences in strength.

Chemical Characterization and Atherosclerosis Alleviation Effects of Gypenosides from through Ameliorating Endothelial Dysfunction via the PCSK9/LOX-1 Pathway.

Dietary saponins have the potential to ameliorate atherosclerosis (AS). Gypenosides of (GPs) have been used as functional foods to exhibit antiatherosclerotic activity. The present study aimed to explore the protective effect, underlying mechanism and active substances of GPs on AS and .

Dammarane-type saponins with proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitory activity from Gynostemma pentaphyllum.

Seven undescribed dammarane-type saponins, gypenosides LXXXI-LXXXVII, together with four known compounds, were isolated from the whole herb of Gynostemma pentaphyllum. The chemical structures of these undescribed compounds were elucidated on the basis of physical and spectroscopic analysis and comparison with literature data. All the isolates were evaluated for their proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitory activities in HepG2 cells.

TiO@Pt@CeO nanocomposite as a bifunctional catalyst for enhancing photo-reduction of Cr (VI) and photo-oxidation of benzyl alcohol.

An solar-light-driven and bifunctional photocatalyst was designed for photo-reduction of Cr(VI) and selective photo-oxidation of benzyl alcohol into benzaldehyde in the presence of water under ambient conditions. Double-shelled and sandwiched TiO@Pt@CeO hollow spheres were prepared by using functionalized polystyrene spheres, sol-gel, hydrothermal reaction, and calcination. The Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were controllably loaded between the TiO shell and CeO shell.

Influence of TiO hollow sphere size on its photo-reduction activity for toxic Cr(VI) removal.

After polystyrene@titanium dioxide (PS@TiO) composite with different size was calcined at designated temperature, TiO hollow sphere with controllable size was obtained for high efficient photo-reduction of Cr(VI). The feature of the TiO hollow sphere was investigated by SEM, TEM, XRD, UV-Vis, and photoluminescence. The photo-reduction of Cr(VI) were measured for the performance assessment of the TiO hollow sphere, Cr(VI) was used as an electron acceptor.