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The development of ground settlement during the construction of a shield tunnel in soft soil was analyzed taking the Shaoxing Rail Transit Line 1 tunnel interval as an example. The transverse and longitudinal ground settlements were fitted and analyzed using different prediction methods. The results show that the Peck and Yoshikoshi formulas provide high prediction accuracies for transverse ground settlements, whereas the Loganathan method produces certain errors in the center of the shield axis. Under soft soil conditions, the prediction accuracy of each method is also affected by the burial depth of the shield tunnel in different monitoring sections. The predicted longitudinal surface settlement values obtained using the modified Yoshikoshi method and Sagaseta method are more consistent with the measured data. The results provide an important reference for the prediction and analysis of shield tunnel settlement in analogous soft soil areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The role of protein intake in bone has been controversial. Our case-control study among Chinese elderly concluded that a higher consumption of protein, even substituted for fat, is associated with lowered hip fracture risk. Differences in protein sources, amino acids composition, gender, and calcium sufficiency may explain the inconsistency. Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the association of dietary protein intakes with hip fracture risk among Chinese elderly. Methods: This was a 1:1 age and sex matched cross-sectional study of case-control design among 1070 pairs of elderly Chinese people aged 55 to 80 years. Patients who were newly diagnosed (within 2-week) hip fracture by X-ray were recruited from four hospitals in Guangdong Province of China. Dietary intakes were evaluated by a validated food frequency questionnaire for total protein, protein from different sources, amino acids profiles, and estimated renal acid load in diet. Results: Daily average intakes of total protein were 58.1±27.0 (women) and 65.7±31.8 (men) g/d for cases, and 66.8±21.5 (women) and 72.1±24.4 (men) for controls (p<0.001). Multivariable regression indicated that, compared with the lowest quartile, the highest quartile of consumption of energy adjusted total protein [OR: 0.360 (0.206~0.630) for women and 0.381 (0.153~0.949) for men] and animal protein [0.326 (0.183, 0.560) for women and 0.335 (0.136~0.828) for men] was significantly associated with the lowered risk of hip fracture in a dose-response manner (all p for trend <0.05). A significant hip fracture risk reduction was observed in women with higher intakes of sulfur amino acids [OR: 0.464 (0.286~0.753)] and aromatic amino acids [0.537 (0.326~0.884)] but not in men. Subgroup analysis suggested that these associations were more evident in elderly with lower body mass index and dietary calcium intake less than 400 mg/d. Conclusions: A higher level of protein intake, even substituted for fat, is associated with lowered hip fracture risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Although observational studies suggest that soy foods or isoflavones are cardio-protective, clinical trials on whole soy or isoflavone daidzein (one major isoflavone and the precursor of equol) on blood pressure (BP) and endothelial function (EF) are few and have not been specifically conducted among equol producers, a population most likely to benefit from soy treatment.Subjects/methods: We performed a 6-month double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to examine the effect of whole soy (soy flour) or purified daidzein on BP and EF in prehypertensive or untreated hypertensive postmenopausal women verified to be equol producers. A total of 270 eligible women were recruited and randomized to either one of the three treatment groups, 40 g soy flour (whole soy group), 40 g low-fat milk powder+63 mg daidzein (daidzein group) or 40 g low-fat milk powder (active control group) daily, each given as a solid beverage powder for 6 months. The primary outcome measures were 24 h ambulatory BP (ABP) and EF assessed by flow-mediated dilation using brachial artery ultrasound.Results: A total of 253 subjects completed the study according to protocol. Urinary isoflavones indicated good compliance with the interventions. Intention to treat and per-protocol analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in the 6-month changes or % changes in parameters of ABP and brachial flow-mediated dilation among the three treatment groups. A further subgroup analysis among hypertensive women (n=138) did not alter the conclusions.Conclusions: Whole soy and purified daidzein had no significant effect on BP and vascular function among equol-producing postmenopausal women with prehypertension or untreated hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reports support a protective role for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) against glomerular diseases, especially by decreasing of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. However, the mechanism regulating this effect appears to be complex and poorly understood. Our aim was to investigate whether or not ACE2 amelioratesthe profibrotic effects of Ang II-mediated, Akt-dependent pathways in the mouse mesangial cell line, MES-13.Gene transfer of ACE2 suppressed Ang II-activated Akt-phosphorylation, accompanied by a decreased level of collagen type I in cells. In addition, Ang II-induced collagen type I synthesis in MES-13s by activating the Ang II/AT-1R-PI3K pathway. This transactivation was dependent on cAMP/Epac but not on PKA. TGF-βRI played a pivotal role in this signaling pathway inducing collagen deposition effects which could be reversed by ACE2 gene transfer in MES-13 cells. The results revealed that gene transfer of ACE2 regulated Ang II-mediated AT1R-TGFβRI-PI3K-Akt signaling and involved the synthesis of collagen. The beneficial effect of ACE2 overexpression appeared to result mainly from blocking phosphorylation of Akt in mesangial cells, suggesting that the ACE2 gene might be a novel therapeutic target for glomerular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:In vitro and animal studies suggested that soy protein and isoflavones promote weight and body fat loss. However, clinical trials in humans were few and the effects remained uncertain.Objectives:To examine whether soy protein with isoflavones and isoflavone extracts exert beneficial effects on body composition among postmenopausal women.Design:A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 180 postmenopausal Chinese women with mild hyperglycemia. After a 2-week adaptation, participants were randomly assigned to one of the three arms to receive 15 g soy protein and 100 mg isoflavones (Soy group), or 15 g milk protein and 100 mg isoflavones (Iso group), or 15 g milk protein (placebo group) on a daily basis for 6 months.Results:We observed a mild but significant favorable effect of soy protein with isoflavones on the changes of body weight (BW), body mass index, and body fat percentage relative to isoflavone extracts and milk protein after 6-month supplementation. The mean differences of BW between the Soy and the Iso groups were −0.75 kg (95% CI: −1.363 to −0.136, P=0.017), and between the Soy and the placebo groups were −0.60 kg (95% CI: −1.209 to −0.019, P=0.047). The mean difference of change percentage in body fat percentage between the Soy and the Iso groups was −3.74% (95% CI: −6.88 to −0.60%, P=0.02), and between the Soy and the placebo groups was −2.54% (95% CI: −5.69 to 0.12%. P=0.08).Conclusions:Six-month supplementation of soy protein with isoflavones had a mild favorable effect on body composition in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the potential contribution of soil seed banks to seedling recruitment, and to the vegetative processes of dune systems in semi-arid areas, a comparison of temporal variation in soil seed bank was made between active and stabilized dune systems in northeastern Inner Mongolia, China. The results showed that between-year difference in seed density for the stabilized system was smaller than that for the active one, but there were similar variations with season in seed bank for both dune systems. Furthermore, seed densities of the dominant species on the respective dune type (i.e., annuals on the stabilized dune and psammophytes on the active dune) varied more sharply with season, but more gently in annual variation than those of other phytogroups. These findings suggest that (1) seeds of annuals in the soil of the stabilized dune, or seeds of psammophytes in the soil of the active dune contributed much to seedling recruitment or plant species colonization, (2) the relationship between soil seed bank and seedling recruitment was complex in both dune systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular mechanism responsible for cadmium-induced cell death in thyroid cancer cells (FRO) is unknown. We demonstrated that apoptosis of FRO cells induced by cadmium was concentration and time dependent. Cadmium caused the rapid elevation of intracellular calcium and induced phosphorylation of Akt, p53, JNK, ERK and p38. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt attenuated the cadmium-induced apoptosis, but the inhibition of JNK inhibitor, ERK or p38 aggravated it, indicating that activation of PI3K/Akt was a pro-apoptosis signal in response to cadmium treatment, whereas the activation of stress-activated protein kinase JNK, ERK and p38 functioned as survival signals to counteract the cadmium-induced apoptosis. Buffering of the calcium response attenuated mitochondrial impairment, recovered the cadmium-activated Akt, p53, JNK, ERK and p38, and subsequently blocked the apoptosis. These results suggested that apoptosis induced by cadmium in FRO cells was initiated by the rapid elevation of intracellular calcium, followed by calcium-mediated activation of PI3K/Akt and mitochondrial impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two kinds of cadmium sulfate (CdS) thin films have been grown at 600 °C onto Si(111) and quartz substrates using femtosecond pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The influence of substrates on the structural and optical properties of the CdS thin films grown by femtosecond pulsed laser deposition have been studied. The CdS thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopy. Although CdS thin films deposited both on Si(111) and quartz substrates were polycrystalline and hexagonal as shown by the XRD , SEM and AFM results, the crystalline quality and optical properties were found to be different. The size of the grains for the CdS thin film grown on Si(111) substrate were observed to be larger than that of the CdS thin film grown on quartz substrate, and there is more microcrystalline perpendicularity of c-axis for the film deposited on the quartz substrate than that for the films deposited on the Si substrate. In addition, in the PL spectra, the excitonic peak is more intense and resolved for CdS film deposited on quartz than that for the CdS film deposited on Si(111) substrate. The LO and TO Raman peaks in the CdS films grown on Si(111) substrate and quartz substrate are different, which is due to higher stress and bigger grain size in the CdS film grown on Si(111) substrate, than that of the CdS film grown on the amorphous quartz substrate. All this suggests that the substrates have a significant effect on the structural and optical properties of thin CdS films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical compound ent-11α-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid (5F), isolated from the Chinese herbal medicine plant Pteris semipinnata L, has been known to exert antitumor activity. However, the molecular mechanism of the action is not understood. In this study we demonstrated that apoptotic cell death induced by 5F in FRO cells was concentration- and time-dependent. The rapid increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels was involved in the mechanism of cell death. c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation and G2 block were related to cell death induced by 5F. Extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) and p38 were also activated, but as survival signals in response to 5F treatment to counteract the induction of cell death. In the process of the induction of apoptotic cell death, Bax translocated into mitochondria, a reduction in Δψ m was observed and a release of cytochrome c and apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria into the cytosol occurred, indicating that cell death induced by 5F was through a mitochondrial-mediated pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate possible urban-rural differences in food intakes in Jilin province and in continental China as a whole, and to examine possible implications for nutritional status of urban and rural populations.Design: Cross-sectional study.Setting: Communities.Subjects: In total, 499 adult women in six urban sites and four rural sites, 10 sites in total, including two sites in Jilin province.Methods: A pair of surveys were conducted in September, 1999, in the provincial capital of Changchun and a farming village in Dehui county, both in Jilin province, in northeast China. Each of 50 adult women per survey site provided a 24 h duplicate food sample and a blood sample, and had an interview on health history including anthropometry and blood pressure measurement. Nutrient intakes were estimated from the food duplicates, using national food composition tables. Results from the two sites were supplemented with data from eight sites where surveys had been conducted following the same protocol, and the pooled material were subjected to analyses for possible urban-rural differences.Results: The Jilin participants consumed daily, on average, about 1600 kcal energy, 44 g protein, and 60 g lipid with a lipid energy ratio (i.e. the ratio of lipid over total nutrients in terms of energy) of 33%. When nutrient intakes were compared between the urban (i.e. Changchun) and rural (Dehui) groups, urban women consumed more energy, protein (especially animal protein) and lipid than rural women. Similar examination of data from six urban and four rural sites, including the present two, showed that adult women in urban areas eat more animal protein and animal fat than their counterparts in villages, and suggested that the observation on urban rural difference in Jilin province can be extrapolated to a nationwide scale.Conclusions: Urban rural differences in nutrient intakes still persist in 1999 not only in Jilin but in other provinces, typically in the terms of intakes of animal-based foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]