High temperature optical absorption investigation into the electronic transitions in sol–gel derived C12A7 thin films

Optical absorption into 6 mm thick sol–gel derived films, annealed at 1300 °C of 12CaO·7Al2O3 calcium aluminate binary compound on MgO〈100〉 single crystal substrates was studied at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 300 °C. Experimental data were analysed in both Tauc and Urbach regions. The optical band gap decreased from 4.088 eV at 25 °C to 4.051 eV at 300 °C, while Urbach energy increased from 0.191 eV at 25 °C to 0.257 eV at 300 °C. The relationship between the optical band gap and the Urbach energy at different temperatures showed an almost linear relationship from which the theoretical values of 4.156 and 0.065 eV were evaluated for the band gap energy and Urbach energy of a 12CaO·7Al2O3 crystal with zero structural disorder at 0 K

Improving corporate governance in state-owned corporations in China: which way forward?

This article discusses corporate governance in China. It outlines the basic agency problem in Chinese listed companies and questions the effectiveness of the current mechanisms employed to improve their standards of governance. Importantly, it considers alternative means through which corporate practice in China can be brought into line with international expectations and stresses the urgency with which this task must be tackled. It concludes that regulators in China must construct a corporate governance model which is compatible with its domestic setting and not rush to adopt governance initiatives modelled on those in cultures which are fundamentally different in the hope of also reproducing their success

Need for continual education about disaster medicine for health professionals in China-a pilot study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Disaster Medicine training is not included in medical education curriculum in China, even though the country has suffered various disasters annually. We intended to assess the need for continual education regarding disaster management for health professionals in China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A survey was conducted among 324 health professionals who participated in the response to the Wenchuan earthquake medical relief and public health assessment in October, 2008.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The most of participants (67.3%) received informal disaster medicine training, and only a few (12.7%) participated in disaster drills. Most of the participants wanted to get continual education about disaster medicine training (89.8%), but prefer on-line training course for the flexibility of time scheduling and travel through China.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The need for continual disaster medicine training is high; health professionals should be equipped with knowledge and skills for disaster management.</p

Affective Influences without Approach-Avoidance Actions: On the Congruence Between Valence and Stimulus-Response Mappings

The valence of stimuli can influence performance in the spatial stimulus–response compatibility task, but this observation could arise from the process of selecting responses or selecting stimulus–response mappings. The response-selection account proposes that spatial compatible and incompatible keypress responses serve as approaching and avoiding actions to a valenced target. The mapping-selection account suggests that there is congruence between stimulus valence and stimulus–response mappings; positive-compatible/negative-incompatible is more congruent than negative-compatible/positive-incompatible. Whereas affective valence was part of the target stimuli to which participants responded in previous studies, the present study isolated affective valence from the target by presenting an additional mapping cue separately from the target, so that spatially compatible and incompatible keypress responses could no longer serve as approaching and avoiding actions to valenced target stimuli. The present results revealed that responses were still faster when positive and negative mapping cues were assigned to the spatially compatible and incompatible mappings than when the assignment was reversed. The finding supports the mapping-selection account, indicating that positive and negative cues influence performance without approach–avoidance actions to valenced stimuli. The experiment provides important implications as to how tasks are represented and are dependent on affective processing

Surgical treatment of tricuspid regurgitation after mitral valve surgery: a retrospective study in China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) occurs in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease even after mitral valve surgery. The aim of this study was to analyze surgical results of TR after previous successful mitral valve surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From September 1996 to September 2008, 45 patients with TR after previous mitral valve replacement underwent second operation for TR. In those, 43 patients (95.6%) had right heart failure symptoms (edema of lower extremities, ascites, hepatic congestion, etc.) and 40 patients (88.9%) had atrial fibrillation. Twenty-six patients (57.8%) were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III, and 19 (42.2%) in class IV. Previous operations included: 41 for mechanical mitral valve replacement (91.1%), 4 for bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement (8.9%), and 7 for tricuspid annuloplasty (15.6%).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The tricuspid valves were repaired with Kay's (7 cases, 15.6%) or De Vega technique (4 cases, 8.9%). Tricuspid valve replacement was performed in 34 cases (75.6%). One patient (2.2%) died. Postoperative low cardiac output (LCO) occurred in 5 patients and treated successfully. Postoperative echocardiography showed obvious reduction of right atrium and ventricle. The anterioposterior diameter of the right ventricle decreased to 25.5 ± 7.1 mm from 33.7 ± 6.2 mm preoperatively (P < 0. 05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>TR after mitral valve replacement in rheumatic heart disease is a serious clinical problem. If it occurs or progresses late after mitral valve surgery, tricuspid valve annuloplasty or replacement may be performed with satisfactory results. Due to the serious consequence of untreated TR, aggressive treatment of existing TR during mitral valve surgery is recommended.</p

VEGF attenuates development from cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure after aortic stenosis through mitochondrial mediated apoptosis and cardiomyocyte proliferation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Aortic stenosis (AS) affects 3 percent of persons older than 65 years and leads to greater morbidity and mortality than other cardiac valve diseases. Surgery with aortic valve replacement (AVR) for severe symptomatic AS is currently the only treatment option. Unfortunately, in patients with poor ventricular function, the mortality and long-term outcome is unsatisfied, and only a minority of these patients could bear surgery. Our previous studies demonstrated that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protects cardiac function in myocardial infarction model through classic VEGF-PI3k-Akt and unclear mitochondrial anti-apoptosis pathways; promoting cardiomyocyte (CM) proliferation as well. The present study was designed to test whether pre-operative treatment with VEGF improves AS-induced cardiac dysfunction, to be better suitable for AVR, and its potential mechanism.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Adult male mice were subjected to AS or sham operation. Two weeks later, adenoviral VEGF (Ad-VEGF), enhanced green fluorescence protein (Ad-EGFP, as a parallel control) or saline was injected into left ventricle free wall. Two weeks after delivery, all mice were measured by echocardiography and harvested for further detection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>AS for four weeks caused cardiac hypertrophy and left ventricular dysfunction. VEGF treatment increased capillary density, protected mitochondrial function, reduced CMs apoptosis, promoted CMs proliferation and eventually preserved cardiac function.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings indicate that VEGF could repair AS-induced transition from compensatory cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure.</p

HBsAg Inhibits the Translocation of JTB into Mitochondria in HepG2 Cells and Potentially Plays a Role in HCC Progression

Background and Aims: The expression of the jumping translocation breakpoint (JTB) gene is upregulated in malignant liver tissues; however, JTB is associated with unbalanced translocations in many other types of cancer that suppress JTB expression. No comprehensive analysis on its function in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been performed to date. We aimed to define the biological consequences for interaction between JTB and HBsAg in HCC cell lines. Methods: We employed the stable transfection to establish small HBsAg expressing HepG2 cell line, and stably silenced the JTB expression using short hairpin RNA in HepG2 cell line. The effects of JTB and small HBsAg in vitro were determined by assessing cell apoptosis and motility. Results: Silencing of JTB expression promoted cancer cell motility and reduced cell apoptosis, which was significantly enhanced by HBs expression. Expression of HBsAg inhibited the translocation of JTB to the mitochondria. Furthermore, silencing of the JTB resulted in an increase in the phosphorylation of p65 in HepG2 cells and HepG2-HBs cells, whereas HBsAg expression decreased the phosphorylation of p65. The silencing of JTB in HepG2-HBs cells conferred increased advantages in cell motility and anti-apoptosis. Conclusion: HBsAg inhibited the translocation of JTB to the mitochondria and decreased the phosphorylation of p65 through the interaction with JTB, After JTB knockdown, HBsAg exhibited a stronger potential to promote tumor progression. Our data suggested that JTB act as a tumor suppressor gene in regards to HBV infection and its activation might be applied as a therapeutic strategy for in control of HBV related HCC development.National Natural Science Foundation of China [30971362, 81072013]; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in China [2010111082]; Key Projects for Technology Plan of Fujian Province in China [2009D020]; Foundation of Health Bureau of Fujian in China [2007CXB8, 3502z20077046]; Foundation of Health Bureau of Xiamen in China [2007CXB8, 3502z20077046

Tripeptide tyroserleutide plus doxorubicin: therapeutic synergy and side effect attenuation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tripeptide tyroserleutide (YSL) is a novel small molecule anti-tumor polypeptide that has been shown to inhibit the growth of human liver cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of YSL plus doxorubicin on the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 cells that had been transplanted into nude mice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nude mice bearing human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 tumors were treated with successive intraperitoneal injections of saline; low-, mid-, or high-dose doxorubicin; or low-, mid-, or high-dose doxorubicin plus YSL. Effects on the weight and volume of the tumors were evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Co-administration of YSL and high-dose doxorubicin (6 mg/kg every other day) prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice as compared to high-dose doxorubicin alone. As well, the anti-tumor effects of mid- and low-dose doxorubicin (2 and 0.7 mg/kg every other day, respectively) were enhanced when supplemented with YSL; the tumor growth inhibition rates for YSL plus doxorubicin were greater than the inhibition rates for the same dosages of doxorubicin alone. The combination of YSL and doxorubicin decreased chemotherapy-associated weight loss, leukocyte depression, and heart, liver, and kidney damage as compared to doxorubicin alone.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The combination of YSL plus doxorubicin enhances the anti-tumor effect and reduces the side effects associated with doxorubicin chemotherapy.</p