Lifestyle improvement and the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease: the China-PAR project.

Background: The benefits of healthy lifestyles are well recognized. However, the extent to which improving unhealthy lifestyles reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk needs to be discussed. We evaluated the impact of lifestyle improvement on CVD incidence using data from the China-PAR project (Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China).

Association of Estimated Pulse Wave Velocity and the Dynamic Changes in Estimated Pulse Wave Velocity with All-Cause Mortality among Middle-Aged and Elderly Chinese.

Objective: We aimed to clarify the association between estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) and the changes in ePWV with all-cause mortality among middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

Methods: Data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) from 2011-2018. The ePWV was calculated using an equation that included age and mean blood pressure (MBP).

Associations of tea consumption with blood pressure progression and hypertension incidence.

Background: Association between tea consumption and incident hypertension remains uncertain. This study conducted to examine the health effects of tea consumption on blood pressure progression and hypertension incidence.

Methods: A population-based cohort of 38,913 Chinese participants without hypertension at baseline were included in the current study.

HO-Bridged Proton-Transfer Channel in Emitter Species Formation in Obelin Bioluminescence.

Bioluminescence of a number of marine organisms is conditioned by Ca-regulated photoprotein (CaRP) with coelenterazine as the reaction substrate. The reaction product, coelenteramide, at the first singlet excited state (S) is the emitter of CaRP. The S-state coelenteramide is produced via the decomposition of coelenterazine dioxetanone.

Effects of the total physical activity and its changes on incidence, progression, and remission of hypertension.

Objectives: Moderate to vigorous physical activity is recommended to prevent hypertension according to the current guidelines. However, the degree to which the total physical activity (TPA) and its changes benefit normotensives and hypertensives is uncertain. We aimed to examine the effects of TPA and its changes on the incidence, progression, and remission of hypertension in the large-scale prospective cohorts.

Emotion state identification based on heart rate variability and genetic algorithm.

The objective of this study is to develop an effective emotion recognition system based on ECG. The proposed emotion recognition system is capable of differentiating four kinds of emotions, namely neutral, happiness, stress, and sadness, based on the heart rate variability (HRV). Ten male subjects were involved in the study.

Erythropoietin improves long-term neurological outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients: a randomized, prospective, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: Mortality and disability following ischemic stroke (IS) remains unacceptably high with respect to the conventional therapies. This study tested the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on long-term neurological outcome in patients after acute IS. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of two consecutive doses of EPO (5,000 IU/dose, subcutaneously administered at 48 hours and 72 hours after acute IS) on improving the 90-day combined endpoint of recurrent stroke or death that has been previously reported.

Levels of circulating neopterin in patients with severe carotid artery stenosis undergoing carotid stenting.

Aims: The association between an elevated serum neopterin level and the development of coronary artery complex lesions has been extensively assessed; however, the correlation between the serum neopterin level and the development of carotid artery stenosis has seldom been reported. This study tested whether this biomarker is increased in patients with severe carotid artery stenosis(≥70%) undergoing carotid artery(CA) stenting and investigated independent predictors of an increased circulating neopterin level.

Methods: Fifty patients with severe CA stenosis(CAS) undergoing CA stenting were consecutively enrolled in this study from January 2009 through December 2011.

QM/MM study on the light emitters of aequorin chemiluminescence, bioluminescence, and fluorescence: a general understanding of the bioluminescence of several marine organisms.

Aequorea victoria is a type of jellyfish that is known by its famous protein, green fluorescent protein (GFP), which has been widely used as a probe in many fields. Aequorea has another important protein, aequorin, which is one of the members of the EF-hand calcium-binding protein family. Aequorin has been used for intracellular calcium measurements for three decades, but its bioluminescence mechanism remains largely unknown.

Clinical characteristics of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia meningitis in adults: a high incidence in patients with a postneurosurgical state, long hospital staying and antibiotic use.

Objective: Stenotrophomonas (S.) maltophilia is an uncommon pathogen of adult bacterial meningitis (ABM).

Methods: The clinical characteristics of six S.

Serum level and prognostic value of neopterin in patients after ischemic stroke.

Background: We hypothesized that serum level of neopterin is significantly predictive of prognostic outcome in patients after acute ischemic stroke (IS).

Methods: Between November 2008 and May 2010, serum levels of neopterin were prospectively collected at 48 h after acute IS in 157 patients.

Results: Serum neopterin levels were substantially higher in patients with severe neurological impairment [National institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥12] than in those with NIHSS <12 (p<0.

Chemiluminescence of Coelenterazine and Fluorescence of Coelenteramide: A Systematic Theoretical Study.

A systematic investigation of the structural and spectroscopic properties of coelenteramide has been performed at the TD-CAM-B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory, including various fluorescence and chemiluminescence states. The influence of geometric conformations, solvent polarity, protonation state, and the covalent character of the O-H bond of the hydroxyphenyl moiety were carefully studied. Striking differences in geometries and electronic structures among the states responsible for light emission were characterized.

Link between lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 gene expression of peripheral-blood mononuclear cells and prognostic outcome after acute ischemic stroke.

Aim: To evaluate the potential of the lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2) level as a biomarker in the prediction of prognostic outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (IS).

Methods: From October 2008 to March 2010, 130 patients with acute IS were prospectively enrolled in the study and their medical records were reviewed. A blood sample was collected from each patient 48 hours after acute IS, as well as from 20 healthy volunteers as controls.

Effect of elevated total cholesterol level and hypertension on the risk of fatal cardiovascular disease: a cohort study of Chinese steelworkers.

Background: Increased blood pressure and elevated total cholesterol (TC) level are the two most important modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the world. Hypertension and hypercholesterolemia co-exist more often than would be expected and whether there is a synergistic impact on fatal CVD between elevated TC and hypertension need to be further examined in Chinese population.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study which recruited 5092 Chinese male steelworkers aged 18 - 74 years in 1974 - 1980 and followed up for an average of 20.

Spinal epidural abscess in adults caused by Staphylococcus aureus: clinical characteristics and prognostic factors.

Objective: Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a devastating infectious disease, which may result in neurologic sequelae. Staphylococcus (S.) aureus is a common pathogen of SEA.

Relativistic multireference calculation of photodissociation of o-, m-, and p-bromofluorobenzene.

Quantum chemical calculations with relativistic effects were performed on the photodissociation of o-, m-, and p-bromofluorobenzene (o-, m-, and p-BrFPh) at 266 nm. The method of multistate second-order multiconfigurational perturbation theory in conjunction with spin-orbit interaction through complete active space state interaction was employed to calculate the potential energy curves for the ground and low-lying excited states of o-, m-, and p-BrFPh along their photodissociation reaction coordinates. The dissociation mechanisms with products of Br((2)P(3∕2)) and Br(∗)((2)P(1∕2)) states were clarified with the computed potential energy curves and the surface crossings.

Systematic Theoretical Investigation on the Light Emitter of Firefly.

This is a systematic theoretical investigation on all the possible light emitters of firefly using a multireference method. Six chemical forms of oxyluciferin (OxyLH2) molecules/anions were studied by a multistate complete active space second-order perturbation (MS-CASPT2) method in vacuum and dimethyl sulfoxide. The calculated results and subsequent analysis excluded enol-OxyLH2, keto-OxyLH2, and enolate-OxyLH(-) as possible light emitters.

Central nervous system involvement in hepatocellular carcinoma: clinical characteristics and comparison of intracranial and spinal metastatic groups.

From January 1993 to December 2006 we analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with central nervous system (CNS) metastasis at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. Forty-six patients with HCC and CNS metastasis were identified, of whom 36 had intracranial metastasis and 10 had spinal metastasis. The clinical presentations, laboratory data and imaging studies were collected and analyzed.

Clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcome of Gram-negative bacterial spinal epidural abscess in adults.

Gram-negative (G(-)) bacterial spinal epidural abscess (SEA) in adults is uncommon. Of the 42 adult patients with bacterial SEA admitted to the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital - Kaohsiung, between 2003 and 2007, 12 with G(-) SEA were included in this study. Of these 12 patients, seven were men and five were women; their ages ranged between 17 years and 81 years (median=72.

Theoretical studies on photoisomerizations of (6-4) and Dewar photolesions in DNA.

The (6-4) photoproduct ((6-4) PP) is one of the main lesions in UV-induced DNA damage. The (6-4) PP and its valence isomer Dewar photoproduct (Dewar PP) can have a great threat of mutation and cancer but gained much less attention to date. In this study, with density functional theory (DFT) and the complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) methods, the photoisomerization processes between the (6-4) PP and the Dewar PP in the gas phase, the aqueous solution, and the photolyase have been carefully examined.

The effect of total cholesterol on myocardial infarction in Chinese male hypertension population.

Objective: Total cholesterol (TC) is an important risk factor for myocardial infarction (MI), but the effect of TC on MI in Chinese male hypertension population has not been well documented. We conducted a prospective cohort study to determine the incidence and relative risk for MI across a wide range of TC levels in Chinese male hypertension population.

Methods: A cohort of 5298 male employees aged 18-74 years recruited from Capital Steel and Iron Company in Beijing of China in 1974-1980 was followed up for an average of 20.