The Oxidative Activity of Ellagitannins Dictates Their Tendency To Form Highly Stabilized Complexes with Bovine Serum Albumin at Increased pH.

Many food and forage plants contain tannins, high molecular weight polyphenols that characteristically interact strongly with protein, forming complexes that affect taste, nutritional quality, and the health of the consumer. In the present study, the interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and each of seven hydrolyzable tannins or epigallocatechin gallate was examined. The objective was to define the effect of tannin oxidation, measured as oxidative activity (browning) or as oxidizability (degradation monitored by HPLC), on the formation on highly stabilized tannin-protein complexes and to determine how the reaction depended on the pH conditions.

Molecular Cloning, mRNA Expression, and Localization of the G-protein Subunit Galphaq in Sheep Testis and Epididymis.

The reproductive function of G-protein subunit Galphaq (GNAQ), a member of the G protein alpha subunit family, has been extensively studied in humans and rats. However, no data is available on its status in ruminants. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the expression pattern of the GNAQ in the testis and epididymis of sheep by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Preoperative Nutritional Deficiency Is a Useful Predictor of Postoperative Outcome in Patients Undergoing Curative Resection for Gastric Cancer.

Background: Preoperative nutritional deficiency (ND) has been shown to be a valuable prognostic factor in urologic malignancies. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of ND in patients with gastric cancer (GC).

Methods: A single-center cohort of 1026 GC patients undergoing curative resection between 2003 and 2012 was categorized to ND and nutritionally replete (NR) groups.

[Study on effect of voltage-gated calcium channel protein in meridian tissue cells exciting conduction].

Objective: To explore the material basis of conduction along meridian.

Methods: Sixty SD rats(30 males,30 females) were randomly assigned into a normal group,an acupuncture group,a verapamil blocking group and a 0.9%NaCl blocking group(control group),15 rats in each one.

Improving health related quality of life among rural hypertensive patients through the integrative strategy of health services delivery: a quasi-experimental trial from Chongqing, China.

Background: Integrative strategy of health services delivery has been proven to be effective in economically developed countries, where the healthcare systems have enough qualified primary care providers. However rural China lacks such providers to act as gatekeeper, besides, Chinese rural hypertensive patients are usually of old age, more likely to be exposed to health risk factors and they experience a greater socio-economic burden. All these Chinese rural setting specific features make the effectiveness of integrative strategy of health services in improving health related quality of life among Chinese rural hypertensive patients uncertain.

Albumin concentrations plus neutrophil lymphocyte ratios for predicting overall survival after curative resection for gastric cancer.

Background: In patients with gastric cancer (GC), survival is poor, given the late diagnosis. Risk-stratifying these patients earlier could help improve care. We determined whether combining preoperative albumin concentration and the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (COA-NLR) could predict overall survival (OS) better than other prognostic indexes.

An optimization model for regional air pollutants mitigation based on the economic structure adjustment and multiple measures: A case study in Urumqi city, China.

A model based on economic structure adjustment and pollutants mitigation was proposed and applied in Urumqi. Best-worst case analysis and scenarios analysis were performed in the model to guarantee the parameters accuracy, and to analyze the effect of changes of emission reduction styles. Results indicated that pollutant-mitigations of electric power industry, iron and steel industry, and traffic relied mainly on technological transformation measures, engineering transformation measures and structure emission reduction measures, respectively; Pollutant-mitigations of cement industry relied mainly on structure emission reduction measures and technological transformation measures; Pollutant-mitigations of thermal industry relied mainly on the four mitigation measures.

The Role of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 in Nephrotic Syndrome-Associated Hypercholesterolemia.

Background: In nephrotic syndrome, damage to the podocytes of the kidney produces severe hypercholesterolemia for which novel treatments are urgently needed. PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) has emerged as an important regulator of plasma cholesterol levels and therapeutic target. Here, we tested the role of PCSK9 in mediating the hypercholesterolemia of nephrotic syndrome.

Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio plus platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in predicting survival for patients with stage I-II gastric cancer.

Background: The preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are associated with poor prognosis of gastric cancer. We aimed to determine whether the combination of NLR and PLR (NLR-PLR) could better predict survival of patients after curative resection for stage I-II gastric cancer.

Methods: We collected data from the medical records of patients with stage I-II gastric cancer undergoing curative resection between December 2000 and November 2012 at the Sun Yat-sen Cancer Center.

High-Efficiency Light-Emitting Diodes of Organometal Halide Perovskite Amorphous Nanoparticles.

Organometal halide perovskite has recently emerged as a very promising family of materials with augmented performance in electronic and optoelectronic applications including photovoltaic devices, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. Herein, we propose and demonstrate facile solution synthesis of a series of colloidal organometal halide perovskite CH3NH3PbX3 (X = halides) nanoparticles with amorphous structure, which exhibit high quantum yield and tunable emission from ultraviolet to near-infrared. The growth mechanism and photoluminescence properties of the perovskite amorphous nanoparticles were studied in detail.

Polarized emission from CsPbX3 perovskite quantum dots.

Compared to organic/inorganic hybrid perovskites, full inorganic perovskite quantum dots (QDs) exhibit higher stability. In this study, full inorganic CsPbX3 (X = Br, I and mixed halide systems Br/I) perovskite QDs have been synthesized and interestingly, these QDs showed highly polarized photoluminescence which is systematically studied for the first time. Furthermore, the polarization of CsPbI3 was as high as 0.

Combined preoperative concentrations of CEA, CA 19-9, and 72-4 for predicting outcomes in patients with gastric cancer after curative resection.

In many cancers, prognostic factors are useful for identifying high-risk patients and in individualizing treatment. We sought to determine whether a combination of tumor markers (CTM) would improve prognostic accuracy in patients with gastric cancer (GC). The CTM score, which is derived from serum concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), and carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA 72-4), was tested retrospectively in 1134 patients with GC undergoing curative resection between October 2000 and December 2012.

Development and external validation of a prognostic nomogram for gastric cancer using the national cancer registry.

A nomogram based on both western and eastern populations to estimate the Disease Specific Survival (DSS) of resectable gastric cancer (RGC) has not been established. In current study, we retrospectively analyzed 4,379 RGC patients who underwent curative resection from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2009 were assigned as training set (n= 2,770), and the rest were selected as SEER validation set (n= 1,609).

Clinical utility of HER2 assessed by immunohistochemistry in patients undergoing curative resection for gastric cancer.

Purpose: We sought to determine whether human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression were independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer (GC).

Patients And Methods: A total of 678 consecutive patients with GC undergoing curative surgery between October 2010 and December 2012 had resected tissue examined for HER2 and VEGF expression using immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical expression of HER2 was analyzed using the DAKO-HercepTest™ and scored according to published reports.

[Operation and essence of Toutianliang manipulation by professor ZHANG Jin].

Toutianliang manipulation is the most representative compound needling technique of traditional reinforcing and reducing and has the remarkable efficacy on heat syndrome with muscle and bone involved for example. Professor ZHANG Jin is one of the famous acupuncture master in China and has contributed his lifelong to the research of acupuncture manipulation techniques. He has summarized 24 single-type manipulations and has given the comprehensive explanation of the manipulations for meridian conduction, reinforcing or reducing techniques for the excess or deficiency.

Inverted Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes Fabricated by All-Solution Processing.

Unlabelled: All-solution processed, multilayer, and inverted quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) are developed in this work. To protect the QDs from dissolving by the solvents of upper layers, the solvents of poly(9-vinlycarbazole) (PVK) hole transporting layer are first investigated. The QD layer has been less affected by o-dichlorobenzene solvent than other typical solvents like chloroform and chlorobenzene.

Re-exposure to morphine-associated context facilitated long-term potentiation in the vSUB-NAc glutamatergic pathway via GluN2B-containing receptor activation.

The glutamatergic projection from the ventral subiculum of the hippocampus (vSUB) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell has been reported to play a key role in drug-related behavior. The GluN2B subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in the NAc can be selectively elevated after the retrieval of drug-conditioned memory. However, whether the increased GluN2B-containing NMDARs (GluN2B-NMDARs) are able to alter the synaptic plasticity of the vSUB-NAc glutamatergic pathway remains unclear.

Prevalence of depressive symptoms and its correlates among medical students in China: a national survey in 33 universities.

We conducted a national survey among medical students in China to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and explore associated risk factors based on an established questionnaire composed of demographic information, life events in the past four weeks before survey, and the validated Chinese version of the 21-item Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). The mean age of enrolled 9010 students was 20.7 (standard deviation: 1.

Prognostic Significance of Carcinoembryonic Antigen Staining in Cancer Tissues of Gastric Cancer Patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the significance of the correlation among tissue carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) expression with serum CEA (sCEA) levels and long-term survival to highlight the clinical prognostic significance of tissue CEA expression in gastric cancer patients.

Methods: Immunohistological method and radioimmunoassay were used to assess tissue and sCEA expression, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine correlations, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to investigate the prognostic significance.

Insulin Dissociates the Effects of Liver X Receptor on Lipogenesis, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, and Inflammation.

Diabetes is characterized by increased lipogenesis as well as increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and inflammation. The nuclear hormone receptor liver X receptor (LXR) is induced by insulin and is a key regulator of lipid metabolism. It promotes lipogenesis and cholesterol efflux, but suppresses endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation.

Prognostic significance of Epstein-Barr virus infection in gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

Background: The prognostic significance of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. Recently, a number of studies have investigated the association between EBV infection and the prognosis of GC with controversial results. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to assess its prognostic significance.

Enhance photoelectrochemical hydrogen-generation activity and stability of TiO2 nanorod arrays sensitized by PbS and CdS quantum dots under UV-visible light.

We develop a composite photoanode by sensitizing TiO2 nanorod arrays with PbS quantum dots (QDs) and CdS QDs. Benefitted from additional introduced PbS QDs and CdS QDs onto TiO2, the absorption of the composite photoanodes are broaden from UV to visible region. The experimental results showed that the PbS sandwiched between TiO2 and CdS cannot only broad the absorption properties but also improve the stability.

Discovery of highly potent renin inhibitors potentially interacting with the S3' subsite of renin.

To exploit the S3' subsite of renin active site for renin inhibitor design, 42 aliskiren derivatives with modified P2' portion were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated. Some highly potent renin inhibitors (IC₅₀ < 3 nM) were identified, among which compounds 38 (IC₅₀ = 0.9 nM) and 39 (IC₅₀ = 0.