Reference value of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity for the eastern Chinese population and potential influencing factors

The present study was conducted to obtain reference values for brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and to evaluate influencing factors of baPWV according to gender. Using automatic devices, baPWV was measured simultaneously in 2095 subjects. A total of 647 healthy subjects, none of whom presented atherosclerotic risk factors, were analyzed in the present study. Two different statistical methods were used to obtain reference values for baPWV according to subject gender and age. The association between baPWV value and gender, as well as other features, were analyzed. For male subjects, multiple stepwise analysis showed that age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), and plasma levels of triglycerides (TG) were independent predictors of baPWV. For female subjects, age, SBP, HR, and plasma levels of uric acid (UA) were independent predictors of baPWV. In male subjects, the upper limits of baPWV values were 1497.43/1425.00, 1518.67/1513.25, 1715.97/1726.50, 1925.20/1971.90, and 2310.18/2115.00 cm/s, obtained using two different statistical methods for the age ranges of 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 and older, respectively. For females, the upper limits of baPWV values were 1426.70/1411.13, 1559.15/1498.95, 1733.50/1739.00, 1958.63/1973.78, and 2720.80/2577.00 cm/s for the age ranges of 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 and older, respectively. Aging is the most important influencing factor for baPWV value and its effect is more prominent in females. The reference values of baPWV according to age and gender may be useful for the clinical diagnosis and preventive therapy of cardiovascular diseases.

Association between the c.910A>G genetic variant of the XRCC1 gene and susceptibility to esophageal cancer in the Chinese Han population

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a common malignancy worldwide. The X-ray repair cross-complementing 1 gene (XRCC1) is one of the most important candidate genes for influencing susceptibility to EC. This study aimed to investigate the effect of XRCC1 genetic variants on susceptibility to EC. A total of 383 EC patients (males: 239, females: 144, mean age: 56.62) and 387 cancer-free controls (males: 251, females: 136, mean age: 58.23) were enrolled in this study. The c.910A>G genetic variant of theXRCC1 gene was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing methods. The allele and genotype frequencies indicated statistical differences between EC patients and cancer-free controls. The c.910A>G genetic variant was statistically associated with increased susceptibility to EC [GGvs AA: odds ratio (OR)=1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.12-2.86, P=0.014; GG vs AG/AA: OR=1.76, 95%CI=1.13-2.75, P=0.013; G vs A: OR=1.25, 95%CI=1.01-1.55, P=0.041]. The allele G and genotype GG could contribute to the increased susceptibility to EC. Our findings suggest that the c.910A>G genetic variant is associated with susceptibility to EC in the Chinese Han population, and might be used as a molecular marker for detecting susceptibility to EC.

Chinese multinational corporations in Brazil: strategies and implications in energy and telecom sectors

This study aims to understand how Chinese enterprises acted in Brazilian energy and telecommunication sectors in the past ten years and whether they would be leading to an increase in the asymmetries between Brazil and China. It argues that the asymmetries presented in the relations are due in large part to successful Chinese enterprises' strategies.

The international implications of the Chinese model of development in the Global South: Asian Consensus as a network power

This paper analyzes People's Republic of China (PRC) economic and political ascendance in the 21st century focusing on the evolution of the sui generis economic development model and its significances of the evolution of relationship between China and the developing countries in the peripheral "Global South." The objective of this article is to analyze the relationship between China and the Global South (Africa and South America) in the 21st century, characterized as a new Center-periphery global network power based on trade and investment that we call as "Asian Consensus."

South-South relations and the English School of International Relations: Chinese and Brazilian ideas and involvement in Sub-Saharan Africa

The rise of large developing countries has led to considerable discussions of re-balancing global relations and giving greater priority to understanding South-South relations. This paper, in exploring the central ideas of Chinese and Brazilian foreign policy and the behavior of these two rising Southern countries toward Sub-Saharan Africa, argues that the English School of International Relations is well suited to understanding the intentions and actions that characterize South-South relations.

Chinese energy policy progress and challenges in the transition to low carbon development, 2006-2013

If the world is not to jeopardize the chances for human life on Earth, climate change must be mitigated; therefore, achieving low carbon development is crucial. China is the world's greatest GHG emitter, energy producer and energy consumer; investigating its energy-climate policy developments and international positions are of utmost importance to understand and tackle current stumbling blocks of the global energy and climate governance.

Peaceful rise and the limits of Chinese exceptionalism

Throughout the last thirty years of opening to the world Beijing has stressed that its rise will be peaceful and that, from a strategic point of view, China is exceptional. There are many challenges facing Beijing's response to the US rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific, but we consider that the ones with greater impact are, in point of fact, of a domestic nature and constitute limits to Chinese exceptionalism.

Chinese engagement for Global Governance: aiming for a better room at the table?

The text defends the thesis that China is aware that its process of modernization is still recent and needs more growth, maturation and consolidation to assume the role and responsibilities of a regional or even a global leader. This text pursues an understanding about the Chinese stance in relation to the negotiations for the redefinitions of the International Order and the International System (and, hence, Global Governance) and, secondly, seeks to perceive the reactions of non-developed and developed countries in relation to Chinese strategies.

Traditional Chinese materia medica: a retrospect and prospect

For thousands of years, traditional medicine and remedies have been practed and used in the fight against disease in China. They have proved to be valuable and the distillate of vast historical experience based on field-tested human experiments, long-term observations and clinical trials. The Chinese people belive that traditional medicine is consistent with theirown culture. Endowed with a unique theoretical system and provided outstanding clinical results, traditional Chinese medicine continues to play an important role in helping the Chinese nation flourish. The recent study of traditional medicinal plants in Chine has given us confidence that what was recorded in ancient medical literature through empirical observations is indeed still coindicent with the concepts of modern chemistry, pharmacology and medicine. The task of revealing what is valid and efficacious should be retained, and what is mythic and invalid should be discarded in traditional Chinese medicine may require scientific research lasting for several generations. Therfore, multidisciplinary cooperation and international collaboration in this field would be essential. Systematic coordination of work in traditional medicine by word organizations, national governments, private foundations and individual scientists is a requisite as well.

Studies on bioactive components from Chinese medicinal plants

Several novel bioactive components isolated from Chinese medicinal plants will be presented. These include novel maytansinoid tumor, inhibitors, some new ent-kaurane and rosane diterpenoids from Mallotus anomalus Meer et Chun (Euphorbiaceae), as well asnovel insecticide, stemona alkaloids from Stemona parviflora C. H. Wright (Stemonaceae). Both are native plants of Hainan island, Chine. 2D NMR techniques such as mono and hetero-COSY, NOESY, COLOC as well as H-NMR line broadening effect were utilized for structure elucidation. The separation techniques, struture elucidations and bioassay results will be reported.

Immunomodulating Chinese herbal medicines

Traditional Chinese medicine always pays close attention to the strengthening of the patient"s general resitence against illness, ther are many Chinese herbs used for thousands of years are considered as tonics. Animal experiments and modern clinica; trails have shown that quite a number herbs are immunologically active, and most of the tonics are excellent immunomodulating agents, such as polysaccharides or saponins isolated from Astragalus mongholicus, Acanthopanax senticosus and Panax notoginseng, which stimulated mactophages, promoted antibody formation, actived complement and increased T lymphocyte proliferation. Moreover, some of them were proved to be anti-irradiative and protected animals from liver intoxications. On the other hand, some anti-inflammative or anti-pyretic hervs such as Tripterygium wilfordii, Aconitum and Artemiasiae species were proved to have immunosuppressive principles, some of them were now used clinically for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, chronic nephritis, systemic lupus erythematosis and various skin disorders. Pharmacological studies revealed that they have depressant effect on most of the humoral-immunity but not on the cell-mediated immunity. Some of them stimulated adrenal cortex functions and prolonged the survival time of transplanted allograft tissues.

The research on radioprotective agents in Chinese materia medica

A series of studies has been carried out in the field of traditional medicine for searching radio-protective agents. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, may prescriptions were tested with experimental animals. Some of them could raise the survival rate of dogs irradiated with lethal dose of Pi-rays by 30-40%. Some symptoms of radiation sickness could be improved. More than one thousand kinds of Chinese herbs were screened. Some of them have pronounced radioprotectice activities. A series of bioactive components wee isolated from these herbs. The mechanism of radiation protection were studied. Having the capability of hemopoietic system and immune system may be the characteristics of these Chinese herbs.

Some progress on the chemistry of natural bioactive terpenoids form Chinese medicinal plants

(1) Pseudolaric acids - Novel diterpenes, Pseudolaric acid A, B, C and D were isolated from Pseudolarix kaempferi Gorden (pinaceae). Their structures were assigned by spectroscopic data and chemical correlations. In the contineous studies, the absolute configurations, the conformations in the solutions, the framentation mechanisms of MS and assigments of all NMR spectral signals were also reported. They showed the antifungal and cytotoxic activities. (2) Daphnane diterpenes - In the further studies on the plants of Thymelaeaceae, besides 10 known diterpenes, 16 new daphnane diterpenes were isolated from Daphne genkwa, D. tangutica, D. giraldii, Wikstroemie chamaedaphne. They showed the antifertilities activities. (3) Tripterygium diterpenes 14 new diterpenes were isolated from Triperygium wilfordii, T. regeli and T. hypoglaucum. Some of them showed the antitumor activities. The CD spectra showed that A/B ring of all compoundshave trans configuration as same as tripdiolide and triptolide determined by X-ray diffraction (4) Pregnane glycosides from Marsdenia koi - Two new pregnane glycosides marsdenikoiside A and marsdenikoiside B which can terminate the early pregnancy were isolated from Marsdeia koi. Their structures were elucidated by hydrolysis and spectroscopic methods.

Bioactive glycosides from Chinese medicines

Glycosides are the bioactive components of many famous Chinese medicines. Here reported are some bioactive glycosides we discovered from Chinese medicines in recent years. (1) Pheolic glycosides from Chinese medicines: Gastrodia elata, acontium austroynanense and Helicia erratica, three bioactive phenolic glycosides were discovered and two of them have been developed into new drugs. (2) Terpenoidal glycosides: a) Monoterpenoid: the sweroside from Swertia mollensis has been developed intro an anti-hepatitis drug; b) Diterpenoid: Phlomis betonicoides contains sweet glycoides; c) Triterpenoid: many biologically active triterpenoid glycosides were isolated from Panax plants and Siraitia grosvenorii. (3) Steroidal glycosides: a) C21-steroid: Cynanchum otophyllum and C. atratrum contain anti-epilepsy and-tumor glycosides; b) C27-steroid Hemostatic saponins were found in Paris polyphylla.