This research collection presents a critical review of the materials used for learning English around the world. The first section includes a discussion of materials for specific learners and ...purposes, such as young learners, self-study, academic writing and general proficiency. The second section presents a detailed study of the materials used in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa and Australia, and critically evaluates their effectiveness in the teaching of English to speakers of other languages. Taking both the teacher's and the learner's needs into consideration, the book makes a positive contribution to the future of research in materials development, and has practical applications. This comprehensive, critical analysis of materials in use around the world will be useful for academics researching materials development and applied linguistics and for students on post-graduate applied linguistics and ELT courses.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of interrelated conditions that is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Oxidative stress may impair ...normal physiological functions, leading to various illnesses. T2DM is considered to be associated with increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and dyslipidemia, which may play a significant role in the development of cardiovascular complications, cancer and vision loss through cataracts and retinopathy. While conventional therapies are a cornerstone for the management of the major risk factors of metabolic syndrome, increasing antioxidant defense by increasing intake of antioxidant-rich foods may improve long term prospects in CVD, obesity and T2DM. Bilberry (
) is one of the richest natural sources of anthocyanins which give berries their red/purple/blue coloration. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants and are reported to play an important role in the prevention of metabolic disease and CVD as well as cancer and other conditions. This review focuses on the potential effects of bilberry supplementation on metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors. Although there is evidence to support the use of bilberry supplementation as part of a healthy diet, the potential benefits from the use of bilberry supplementation in patients with T2DM or CVD needs to be clarified in large clinical trials.
Focuses for the first time on materials development and applications of current research and theory for the main areas of applied linguistics (e.g. second language acquisition, pragmatics, vocabulary ...studies). There are many books on applied linguistic theory and research and there are now a number of books on the principled development of materials for language learning, but this book takes a new approach by connecting the two concerns. Each of its chapters first of all presents relevant theories and research conclusions for its area and then considers practical applications for materials development. The chapters achieve these applications by reporting and commenting on current theory and research, by analysing the match between current published materials and current theory and by suggesting and exemplifying applications of current theory to materials development. This will be an essential resource both for those studying or teaching materials development and for those studying or teaching applied linguistics.
Aims/Introduction
To compare the association of hypertension plus hyperuricemia with four insulin resistance surrogates, including glucose and triglycerides (TyG index), TyG index with body mass ...index (TyG‐BMI), the ratio of triglycerides divided by high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL‐C) and metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS‐IR).
Materials and Methods
Data from a cross‐sectional epidemiological study enrolling a representative population sample aged ≥65 years were used to calculate the four indexes. The association with hypertension plus hyperuricemia and insulin resistance surrogates was examined with multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic.
Results
A total of 4,352 participants were included, including 93 (2.1%) patients with hyperuricemia alone, 2,875 (66.1%) with hypertension alone and 587 (13.5%) with hypertension plus hyperuricemia. Mutivariate logistic regression showed that TyG index, TyG‐BMI, TG/HDL‐C and METS‐IR were all significantly correlated with hyperuricemia, hypertension and hypertension plus hyperuricemia. Compared with the lowest quartile, the odds ratios (OR) of the highest quartile of the four indicators for hypertension plus hyperuricemia were TyG index: OR 6.39 (95% confidence interval CI 4.17–9.78); TyG‐BMI: OR 8.54 (95% CI 5.58–13.09); TG/HDL‐C: OR 7.21 (95% CI 4.72–11.01); METS‐IR: OR 9.30 (95% CI 6.00–14.43), respectively. TyG‐BMI and METS‐IR had moderate discriminative abilities for hypertension plus hyperuricemia and the AUC values were 0.72 (95% CI 0.70–0.74) and 0.73 (95% CI 0.70–0.75).
Conclusions
The present study suggested that TyG index, TyG‐BMI, TG/HDL‐C and METS‐IR had a significant correlation with hypertension plus hyperuricemia, and TyG‐BMI and METS‐IR had discriminative abilities for hypertension plus hyperuricemia.
Our study suggested that glucose and triglycerides (TyG index), TyG index with body mass index, the ratio of triglycerides divided by high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and metabolic score for insulin resistance had a significant correlation with hypertension plus hyperuricemia, and TyG index with body mass index and metabolic score for insulin resistance had discriminative abilities for hypertension plus hyperuricemia.
RATIONALE:Endothelial dysfunction results in sustained and chronic vascular inflammation, which is central to atherosclerotic diseases. However, transcriptional regulation of vascular endothelial ...inflammation has not been well clarified.
OBJECTIVE:This study aims to explore Foxp (forkhead box P) transcription factor 1 in regulation of endothelial homeostasis, atherogenesis, and its mechanisms.
METHODS AND RESULTS:To assess the importance of Foxp1 in atherosclerosis, Foxp1 expression was analyzed in human coronary artery and mouse artery, and we observed significant downregulation of Foxp1 in atherosclerotic and atherosusceptible endothelium. Endothelial-specific Foxp1 knockout mice (Foxp1) were bred onto Apoe mice to generate endothelial Foxp1-deletion hyperlipidemic model Foxp1;Apoe, which displayed significant increases in atherosclerotic lesion formation in aortas and aortic roots with enhanced monocyte adhesion, migration, and infiltration into the vascular wall and formation of inflammatory lipid-laden macrophages. In contrast, endothelial-specific Foxp1 overexpression mice Foxp1;Apoe exhibited reduced atherosclerotic lesion formation with less monocyte infiltration. Foxp1 was further identified as a gatekeeper of vessel inflammation by direct regulation of endothelial inflammasome components, including Nlrp3 (NLR nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat immune receptors family pyrin domain containing 3), caspase-1, and IL (interleukin)-1β. Moreover, endothelial Foxp1 was found to be regulated by Klf2 (Kruppel-like factor 2). Oscillatory shear stress downregulated Foxp1 expression via repressing Klf2 expression in endothelium, and, therefore, promoted endothelial inflammasome activation, leading to atherosclerotic lesion formation. Simvastatin upregulated the reduced expression of Klf2 and Foxp1 in atherosusceptible vascular endothelium and alleviated vascular inflammation contributing to its inhibitory effect in atherosclerosis.
CONCLUSIONS:These data are the first in vivo experimental validation of an atheroprotective role of endothelial Klf2 and Foxp1, which reveals a Klf2-Foxp1 transcriptional network in endothelial cells as a novel regulator of endothelial inflammasome activation for atherogenesis, therefore, provides opportunities for therapeutic intervention of atherosclerotic diseases and uncovers a novel atheroprotective mechanism for simvastatin.
VISUAL OVERVIEW:An online visual overview is available for this article.
Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia often went unrecognized in China when population cholesterol levels were low, but rapid economic development has changed the situation. This review will ...discuss the current position of awareness, diagnosis, and management of familial hypercholesterolemia in Chinese populations.
The phenotype of familial hypercholesterolemia in China and other Chinese populations has become similar to that in Western countries, although it may still be somewhat less severe. The prevalence in Chinese populations is also similar to that in other countries and it has been found in up to 7% of Chinese patients with premature coronary heart disease. Most of the mutations are in the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene but the pattern of mutations differs from that in Whites. Chinese patients may be more responsive to statins than Whites but patients with familial hypercholesterolemia are often undertreated.
Increasing population cholesterol levels have changed the phenotype of familial hypercholesterolemia in China and Chinese patients now resemble those in Western countries. International initiatives are facilitating increased awareness and identification of cases and more effective management of the condition.
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common genetic disease that is estimated to affect at least 15 million people in the Asia Pacific region. Affected individuals are at significantly increased ...risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. A literature review was undertaken to provide an overview of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of FH across the region.Currently, epidemiological data relating to FH are lacking across the Asia Pacific. Of the 15 countries and regions considered, locally conducted studies to determine FH prevalence were only identified for Australia, China, India, and Japan. Although practically all national clinical guidelines for dyslipidemia include some commentary on FH, specific guidelines on the management of FH are available for only one third of the countries and regions evaluated. Estimates of current FH diagnosis rates suggest that most affected individuals remain undiagnosed and untreated. Although innovative medications such as proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors have been approved and are available in most countries and regions considered, they are currently reimbursed in only one quarter.Despite these shortcomings, there is cause for optimism. Early experience with cascade screening in Hong Kong, India, and Vietnam has proven an effective means of identifying family members of probands, as has a reverse screening of family members of children with FH in China. FH registries are gaining momentum across the region, with registries now established in almost half of the countries and regions evaluated. This review concludes with a Call to Action on FH for Asia Pacific to engage healthcare professionals, improve public awareness, and form national FH alliances, comprising all relevant healthcare professional organizations, as a platform to expedite national quality improvement programs in the management of FH.
BACKGROUND:Pathological cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy, the common features of left ventricular remodeling, often progress to heart failure. Forkhead box transcription factor P1 (Foxp1) in ...endothelial cells (ECs) has been shown to play an important role in heart development. However, the effect of EC-Foxp1 on pathological cardiac remodeling has not been well clarified. This study aims to determine the role of EC-Foxp1 in pathological cardiac remodeling and the underlying mechanisms.
METHODS:Foxp1 EC-specific loss-of-function and gain-of-function mice were generated, and an angiotensin II infusion or a transverse aortic constriction operation mouse model was used to study the cardiac remodeling mechanisms. Foxp1 downstream target gene transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays. Finally, the effects of TGF-β1 blockade on EC-Foxp1 deletion–mediated profibrotic and prohypertrophic phenotypic changes were further confirmed by pharmacological inhibition, more specifically by RGD-peptide magnetic nanoparticle target delivery of TGF-β1–siRNA to ECs.
RESULTS:Foxp1 expression is significantly downregulated in cardiac ECs during angiotensin II–induced cardiac remodeling. EC-Foxp1 deletion results in severe cardiac remodeling, including more cardiac fibrosis with myofibroblast formation and extracellular matrix protein production, as well as decompensated cardiac hypertrophy and further exacerbation of cardiac dysfunction on angiotensin II infusion or transverse aortic constriction operation. In contrast, EC-Foxp1 gain of function protects against pathological cardiac remodeling and improves cardiac dysfunction. TGF-β1 signals are identified as Foxp1 direct target genes, and EC-Foxp1 deletion upregulates TGF-β1 signals to promote myofibroblast formation through fibroblast proliferation and transformation, resulting in severe cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, EC-Foxp1 deletion enhances TGF-β1–promoted endothelin-1 expression, which significantly increases cardiomyocyte size and reactivates cardiac fetal genes, leading to pathological cardiac hypertrophy. Correspondingly, these EC-Foxp1 deletion–mediated profibrotic and prohypertrophic phenotypic changes and cardiac dysfunction are normalized by the blockade of TGF-β1 signals through pharmacological inhibition and RGD-peptide magnetic nanoparticle target delivery of TGF-β1–siRNA to ECs.
CONCLUSIONS:EC-Foxp1 regulates the TGF-β1–endothelin-1 pathway to control pathological cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy, resulting in cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, targeting the EC–Foxp1–TGF-β1–endothelin-1 pathway might provide a future novel therapy for heart failure.
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