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Impaired glucose regulation (IGR), containing prediabetes and diabetes, is an inflammatory disease. The interleukin-33 (IL-33)/IL-1 receptor-like 1 and IL-1/IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) pathways are involved and play opposite roles. While the IL-1R-associated protein (IL-1Rap) is indispensible for the two pathways, the association between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IL-1Rap gene and IGR has not been determined. TaqMan probe quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to genotype 11 SNPs in the regions of the IL-1Rap gene selected on the basis of linkage disequilibrium using the HapMap database in a study of 889 individuals (156 IGR patients in the case group and 733 non-diabetic patients in the control group). Logistic regression was applied to control the potential confounders in the multivariate analysis. Among 11 SNPs, IL-1Rap rs3773958 was associated with IGR. Further analysis showed that the odds ratios for GT and GT + GG carriers vs. TT carriers were 1.686 and 1.669, respectively, adjusted for gender, age, weight, waist, drinking, smoking, hypertension, alanine aminotransferase, total cholesterol and triglycerides. For rs3773958 in the non-smoking subgroup, GT and GT + GG carriers had a significantly higher risk of IGR compared to the TT carriers. The same conclusions were drawn using data from non-drinking and non-overweight subgroups. However, interactions between rs3773958 and smoking, drinking or being overweight were not significant. In conclusion, rs3773958 in the IL-1Rap gene region was associated with IGR.

An efficient heterogeneous Au/mesoporous alumina nanocatalyst has been successfully developed for the synthesis of amides and esters from simple building blocks of readily available alcohols and amines. The processes were simple and were performed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure of O2 to form the desired products with up to 97 % isolated yield. The ability of Au/mesoporous alumina to catalyze these reactions under ambient conditions further enhances the sustainability of these chemical processes. Furthermore, the nanocatalyst was stable to air and water and could be recovered and reused easily. The enhanced catalytic activity of Au/mesoporous alumina might be attributed to the presence of negatively charged Au nanoparticles that could promote oxidation processes as well as the stability of the mesoporous alumina support calcined at a high temperature of 800 °C., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: This study aimed to analyze the T-cell subset distribution in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and determine whether vincristine-cyclophosphamide combination therapy can positively affect their T-cell subset distribution to keep the disease in remission., Material and Methods: Thirteen SLE patients with 'low activity' (SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI)≤9), 17 SLE patients with 'high activity' (SLEDAI>9), and 15 healthy controls were recruited. SLE patients were treated with vincristine-cyclophosphamide combination therapy. CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cell percentages were analyzed by flow cytometry at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 12-24 months, and >24 months., Results: Significantly negative correlations were observed between the CD3+ and CD4+ T-cell percentages and SLEDAI scores at baseline (r=-0.471, P=0.015; r=-0.473, P=0.015, respectively). A significantly positive correlation was observed between CD4+ T-cell percentage and the complement component C3 at baseline (r=0.612, P=0.002). After 3 months of combination therapy, the CD3+ and CD4+ T-cell percentages were significantly higher than the high activity baseline (P<0.01, P<0.05, respectively). After 6 months, the CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cell percentages were all significantly higher than the high activity baseline (P<0.01, P<0.05, P<0.05, respectively)., Conclusions: T-cell subset distributions vary across different levels of SLE disease activity with higher CD3+ T-cell and CD4+ Th cell percentages favoring lower SLE activity. As CD3+ T-cell and CD4+ Th cell percentages negatively correlate with SLEDAI, vincristine-cyclophosphamide combination therapy appears to positively affect the T-cell subset distribution in SLE patients to keep the disease in remission by increasing their CD3+ T-cell and CD4+ Th cell percentages.

The IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway plays an important role in coronary artery disease (CHD); however, few studies have explored how variants in IL-33/ST2 genes influence CHD risk. Here, we examined the association between genetic variants in IL-33, ST2, and IL-1RAcP of the IL-33/ST2 axis and the risk of CHD. We conducted a case-controlled study with 1146 CHD cases and 1146 age- and sex-frequency-matched controls. Twenty-eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-33, ST2, and IL-1RAcP were genotyped by Sequenom MassArray and TaqMan assay. Logistic regression was used to analyze these associations. The SNP rs4624606 in IL-1RAcP was nominally associated with CHD risk. The AA genotype was associated with a 1.85-fold increased risk of CHD (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-3.36; p = 0.045) compared to the TT genotype. Further analysis showed that AA carriers also had a higher risk of CHD than TT + TA carriers (odds ratio (OR) = 1.85; 95% CI = 1.85-3.35; p = 0.043). However, no significant association was observed between variants in IL-33/ST2 genes and CHD risk. Further studies are needed to replicate our results in other ethnic groups with larger sample size.

Objective: To evaluate the association of human papilloma virus (HPV) L1 capsid protein expression levels with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and its clinical significance., Methods: Immunohistochemistry were performed to detect the expression of HPV L1 capsid protein in the cervical exfoliative cytological examination of 153 cases. The intensity (positive unit, PU) was assessed semi-quantitatively using ImagePro Plus image analysis software. The results were evaluated based on histopathologic diagnosis of cervical biopsy., Results: PU of HPV L1 capsid protein in different cytopathological groups, including normal/inflammation, atypical squamous cells of unknown significance (ASCUS), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), was 46.87±24.46, 27.23±24.30, 24.10±22.45, 9.36±19.82, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). PU of HPV L1 capsid protein in different histopathological groups, including normal cervixes or chronic cervicitis, LSIL and HSIL, was 41.30±26.66, 24.84±22.18, 8.69±19.20, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). Patients with high-risk HPV16 and HPV18 had significantly lower PU of HPV L1 capsid protein than those with other high-risk HPV (P<0.01). PU of HPV L1 capsid protein were correlated negatively with both cytopathological groups and histopathological groups of cervical diseases (r=-0.458, P<0.01 and r=-0.441, P<0.01, respectively). PU of HPV L1 capsid protein was not associated with patients' age (P>0.05)., Conclusion: Semi-quantitative analysis of HPV L1 capsid protein expression can directly reflect the precancerous progression of cervical cancer.

Purposes: The purposes of this study were (1) to examine the level of structural empowerment, organizational commitment and job satisfaction in Chinese nurses; and (2) to investigate the relationships among the three variables., Background: A high turnover rate was identified in Chinese staff nurses, and it was highly correlated with lower job satisfaction. Structural empowerment and organizational commitment have been positively related to job satisfaction in western countries., Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and multiple step-wise regression to test the hypothesized model., Results: Moderate levels of the three variables were found in this study. Both empowerment and commitment were found to be significantly associated with job satisfaction (r=0.722, r=0.693, p<0.01, respectively). The variables of work objectives, resources, support and informal power, normative and ideal commitment were significant predictors of job satisfaction., Conclusions: Support for an expanded model of Kanter's structural empowerment was achieved in this study., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the expression of Versican in gastric carcinoma and its relationship with tumor angiogenesis., Methods: Protein expression of Versican, vascular endothelial growth factor and CD34 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (EliVision method) in 80 cases of gastric carcinoma and 30 samples of normal gastric tissue., Results: There were statistically significant differences in the expression of Versican, vascular endothelial growth factor and CD34 between gastric carcinoma and normal gastric tissue (P < 0.05). The expression of Versican was seen mainly in fibroblasts of the tumor and was correlated with tumor differentiation, clinical stage and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), whereas vascular endothelial growth factor was primarily seen in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells and correlated with tumor differentiation, clinical stage, Lauren classification and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). MVD was correlated with tumor differentiation, clinical stage, Lauren classification, depth of tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). In addition, positive correlation of Versican and VEGF protein expression was found in tumor cells (r = 0.467, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: The expression of both Versican and vascular endothelial growth factor is closely associated with tumor angiogenesis in gastric carcinoma.

Monodispersed intermetallic AuCu pentagonal nanorods with controlled size and composition have been developed by a seed-mediated growth route. The AuCu/C nanomaterial catalyzed the coupling reaction of sulfonamide with benzyl alcohol in good to excellent yields.

Many diseases involve either the formation of new blood vessels (e.g., tumor angiogenesis) or the damage of existing ones (e.g., diabetic retinopathy) at the microcirculation level. Optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM), capable of imaging microvessels in 3D in vivo down to individual capillaries using endogenous contrast, has the potential to reveal microvascular information critical to the diagnosis and staging of microcirculation-related diseases. In this study, we have developed a dedicated microvascular quantification (MQ) algorithm for OR-PAM to automatically quantify multiple microvascular morphological parameters in parallel, including the vessel diameter distribution, the microvessel density, the vascular tortuosity, and the fractal dimension. The algorithm has been tested on in vivo OR-PAM images of a healthy mouse, demonstrating high accuracy for microvascular segmentation and quantification. The developed MQ algorithm for OR-PAM may greatly facilitate quantitative imaging of tumor angiogenesis and many other microcirculation related diseases in vivo.

Mastery over the structure of nanomaterials enables control of their properties to enhance their performance for a given application. Herein we demonstrate the design and fabrication of Pt-based nanomaterials with enhanced catalytic activity and superior selectivity toward the reactions in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) upon the deep understanding of the mechanisms of these electrochemical reactions. In particular, the ternary Au@Ag2S-Pt nanocomposites display superior methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) selectivity due to the electronic coupling effect among different domains of the nanocomposites, while the cage-bell structured Pt-Ru nanoparticles exhibit excellent methanol tolerance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode because of the differential diffusion of methanol and oxygen in the porous Ru shell of the cage-bell nanoparticles. The good catalytic selectivity of these Pt-based nanomaterials via structural construction enables a DMFC to be built without a proton exchange membrane between the fuel electrode and the oxygen electrode.

A higher turnover rate was identified in Chinese staff nurses and it was highly correlated with lower commitment. Empowering work environments that support professional practice have been positively related to nurse outcomes. This study was to integrate structural empowerment theory with magnet hospital characteristics and provide empirical evidence on the relationships between structural empowerment, professional practice environments and organizational commitment. A cross-sectional design was used to examine the relationships in a sample of 750 full-time nurses employed in five Chinese hospitals in 2011. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. The results support the hypothesized model. Professional practice environments partially mediated the relationship between empowerment and organizational commitment. Our findings suggest that higher empowerment facilitates the professional practice environments and commitment of these nurses., (© 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)

Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) produces a series of subgenomic RNAs for viral protein expression. As a prototype coronavirus, MHV has been explored extensively and is often used to express foreign proteins. Previously, a 13-residue deletion in the MHV spike (S) protein endodomain was found to reduce syncytium formation dramatically while inhibiting virus replication slightly. In this study, the effects of the S mutation on MHV infectivity and foreign protein expression were further examined in rat or mouse L2, NIH/3T3 and Neuro-2a cells. The replacement of the MHV 2a/haemagglutinin-esterase gene with a membrane-anchored protein hook (HK) and replacement of gene 4 with EGFP did not change the adaptability and cytopathology of recombinant viruses in these cells. However, the cytopathic effect of the recombinants with the partial S deletion was reduced significantly in these cells. The replication and foreign protein expression of the S-mutated recombinants were found to be more efficient in L2 cells than in Neuro-2a and NIH/3T3 cells. Meanwhile, the distribution patterns of HK and EGFP expressed by the recombinant viruses were similar to those in cells transfected with a eukaryotic expression vector. These results suggest that the partial deletion in the S endodomain may increase the usefulness of MHV as a viral vector by attenuation and maintaining foreign protein expression., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the clinical effects of indirect decompression versus open decompression to vertebral canal in treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures without neurologic deficit., Methods: From April 2004 to June 2008, 52 cases of thoracolumbar burst fracture without neurologic deficit underwent posterior exposition, reduction and fixation with Atlas Fixator (AF) instrumentation. There were 34 males and 18 females with an average age of 43.1 years (range, 31-63 years). The affected locations were T11 in 5 cases, T12 in 24 cases, L1 in 16 cases, and L2 in 7 cases. The time from injury to operation was 3-8 days (4.4 days on average). All cases were divided into indirect decompression group (group A) and open decompression group (group B). There were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in sex, age, affect site, and disease course between two groups. The operative time, blood loss were recorded. Preoperatively, immediately postoperatively and at last follow-up, the height of the fracture vertebra and the Cobb angle were obtained from X-ray pictures and were statistically analysed. Radiographic parameters on computed tomography (CT) pictures were used to get the encroachment rate of vertebral canal., Results: The operative time was (87.3 +/-7.9) minutes and (125.3 +/- 13.6) minutes, and the blood loss was (273.7 +/- 23.4) mL and (512.6 +/- 37.7) mL in groups A and B, respectively; showing statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). The average follow-up time was 17.4 months (range, 11-31 months) in group A and 19.9 months (range, 12-33 months) in group B. All wounds achieved primary healing postoperatively without deaths and spinal cord injuries. Postoperative complications in group B included 3 cases of screws loosening, 1 case of screw breakage, and 3 cases of low back pain, and were given symptomatic management. There were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in the height of the fracture vertebra, the Cobb angle and the encroachment rate of vertebral canal preoperatively or postoperatively between two groups. There were statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in the above three parameters between preoperation and postoperation in two groups, but there were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in the spinal correction between two groups. The losing-rate of spinal correction of the height of the fracture vertebra and the Cobb angle of group A was lower than group B, showing statistically significant differences (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The short-term results of two decompression styles in treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures without neurologic deficit were satisfactory, but indirect decompression has more merits than open decompression: shorter operative time, less blood loss, lower losing-rate of spinal correction, and better stabilization of vertebral column.

We report the redox properties of four star systems incorporating the 4-benzoyl-N-alkylpyridinium cation; the redox potential varies along the branches but remains constant at fixed radii. Bulk electrolysis shows that at a semi-infinite time scale all redox centers are electrochemically accessible. However, voltammetric analysis (cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry) shows that only two of the three redox-active centers in the perimeter are electrochemically accessible during potential sweeps as slow as 20 mV s-1 and as fast as 10 V s-1. On the contrary, both redox centers along branches are accessible electrochemically within the same time frame. These results are explained in terms of slow through-space charge transfer and the globular 3-D folding of the molecules and are discussed in terms of their implications on the design of efficient redox functional dendrimers.