Correlation between DNA methylation and Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin expression in asthmatic airway epithelial cells

Yan‑Li Li,Xi‑Qian Xing,Yi Xiao,Yan‑Hong Liu,Yu‑Shan Zhou,Min Zhuang,Chao‑Qian Li 한국유전학회 2020 Genes & Genomics Vol.42 No.12

Background: The overexpression of TSLP and DNA methylation in asthma were both risk factors the relationship was not clear. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between methylation status of TSLP promoter and mRNA/protein expression in asthmatic airway epithelial cells. Methods: Human bronchial epithelial cells were cultured in vitro and divided into: Control group, treated with PBS, model group, sensitized with LPS (10 μg/mL) for 12 h (37 °C, 5% CO2). Other groups were cultured with the pCMV3 plasmid (M + NC/pCMV), pGPH1 plasmid (M + NC/pGPH), DNMT1/pCMV3 plasmid (M + DNMT1/pCMV), and DNMT1/pGPH1 plasmid (M + DNMT1/pGPH) for 48 h. The expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 and TSLP were measured using real-time PCR and western blotting. Results: Compared with the control group, TSLP mRNA (1.00 ± 0.00 vs. 2.82 ± 0.81 vs. 1, P < 0.001) and protein (1.07 ± 0.04 vs. 1.46 ± 0.11, P < 0.01) were significantly greater, and the methylation of promoter was lower (92.75 ± 1.26 vs. 58.57 ± 3.34, P < 0.05) in the model group. Compared with the model group, TSLP mRNA (2.82 ± 0.81 vs. 1.17 ± 0.10, P < 0.001) decreased, but TSLP promoter methylation increased (58.57 ± 3.34 vs. 92.58 ± 7.30, P < 0.05) in M + DNMT1/pCMV. TSLP mRNA and protein were higher (2.82 ± 0.81 vs. 5.32 ± 0.21, P < 0.001; 1.46 ± 0.11 vs. 1.94 ± 0.11, respectively, P < 0.01), TSLP promoter methylation was lower (58.57 ± 3.34 vs. 33.57 ± 4.29, P < 0.05) in M + DNMT1/pGPH. Conclusions: Overexpression of TSLP in asthmatic airway epithelial cells may be regulated by DNA demethylation.

Electric Control of Friction on Silicon Studied by Atomic Force Microscope

Yan Jiang,Lili Yue,Boshen Yan,Xi Liu,Xiaofei Yang,Guoan Tai,Juan Song 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2015 NANO Vol.10 No.3

We investigated friction on an n-type silicon surface using an atomic force microscope when a bias voltage was applied to the sample. Friction forces on the same track line were measured before and after the bias voltages were applied and it was found that the friction forces in n-type silicon can be tuned reversibly with the bias voltage. The dependence of adhesion forces between the silicon nitride tip and Si sample on the bias voltages approximately follows a parabolic law due to electrostatic force, which results in a significant increase in the friction force at an applied electric field.

Evaluation of the Luminex ARIES HSV 1&2 Assay and Comparison with the FTD Neuro 9 and In-house Real-Time PCR Assays for Detecting Herpes Simplex Viruses

Chun Kiat Lee,Chean Nee Chai,Sharah Mae Capinpin,Alynn Ang,Sau Yoke Ng,Peak Ling Lee,Christopher Wai Siong Ng,Gabriel Yan,Hong Kai Lee,Lily-Lily Chiu,Roland Jureen,Benedict Yan,Tze Ping Loh 대한진단검사의학회 2018 Annals of Laboratory Medicine Vol.38 No.5

Background: Human herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) are responsible for a plethora of human diseases, of which cutaneous and mucocutaneous infections are the most prevalent. In its most severe form, HSV infection can cause meningitis/encephalitis. We compared the Luminex ARIES HSV 1&2 assay (Luminex Corp., Austin, TX, USA), an automated sample-to-result molecular solution, to two non-automated HSV DNA assays. Methods: A total of 116 artificial controls were used to determine the analytical performance of the ARIES assay. Controls were prepared by spiking universal transport medium (UTM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients who tested negative for HSV by an in-house HSV-1 and -2 DNA assay with reference materials (SeraCare Life Sciences, MA, USA; ZeptoMetrix Corp., MA, USA). Another 117 clinical samples were then used to compare the clinical performance of the ARIES assay with those of an in-house assay and the FTD Neuro 9 assay (Fast Track Diagnostics, Junglinster, Luxembourg). Results: The analytical sensitivity (95% limit of detection) of the ARIES assay was 318 copies/mL (UTM samples) and 935 copies/mL (CSF samples) for HSV-1 strain 96 and 253 copies/mL (UTM samples) and 821 copies/mL (CSF samples) for HSV-2 strain 09. No cross-reactivity was observed in samples spiked with 14 non-HSV microorganisms. Compared with the reference result (agreement between the in-house and FTD Neuro 9 results), the ARIES assay had overall concordance rates of 98.2% (111/113) and 100% (113/113) for HSV-1 and HSV-2, respectively. Conclusions: The ARIES assay appears to be an excellent alternative for rapid detection and differentiation of HSV in skin and genital infections, meningitis, and encephalitis.

Chlorogenic Acid Decreased Intestinal Permeability and Ameliorated Intestinal Injury in Rats via Amelioration of Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Dysfunction

Yan Zhou,Zheng Ruan,Lili Zhou,Yuhui Yang,Shumei Mi,Ze-Yuan Deng,Yulong Yin 한국식품과학회 2016 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.25 No.1

Chlorogenic acid (CGA), an abundant polyphenol compound in plants, exhibits anti-oxidant effects. The protective effect of CGA in the rat intestine with endotoxin infusion was evaluated. CGA administration ameliorated endotoxin-induced intestinal injury, and decreased the ratio of lactulose/ mannitol, the ileum pathological grade, the myeloperoxidase activity in the ileum, and the malondialdehyde content in the ileum and in ileum mitochondria. The small intestine weight, activities of alkaline phosphatase and superoxide dismutase in the ileum, and β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduce form (NADH) dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase activities in ileum mitochondria were increased. Intestinal permeability was positively correlated with intestinal mitochondrial injury indicated as the level of malondialdehyde in ileum mitochondria, and negatively correlated with NADH dehydrogenase activity. Dietary administration of CGA protected against increased intestinal permeability caused by endotoxin infusion. The protective effect of CGA was probably associated with a decrease in mitochondrial lipid peroxidation levels and an increase in NADH dehydrogenase activity.

Fixed-time Group Consensus of Nonlinear Multi-agent Systems via Pinning Control

Lili Hao,Xi-Sheng Zhan,Jie Wu,Tao Han,Huaicheng Yan 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2021 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.19 No.1

This paper deals with the fixed-time group consensus problem for multi-agent systems (MASs) subjectedto exogenous disturbances. Firstly, two pinning control algorithms are constructed for MASs, which not only reducethe number of controllers but also achieve expected tracking consensus. Secondly, fixed-time group consensusis ensured by utilizing the algebraic graph theory, Lyapunov stability and fixed-time control technique. Finally,simulations are finally given for demonstrate the availability of the derived results.

Sulforaphane Ameliorates Diabetes-Induced Renal Fibrosis through Epigenetic Up-Regulation of BMP-7

Lili Kong,Hongyue Wang,Chenhao Li,Huiyan Cheng,Yan Cui,Li Liu,Ying Zhao 대한당뇨병학회 2021 Diabetes and Metabolism Journal Vol.45 No.6

Background: The dietary agent sulforaphane (SFN) has been reported to reduce diabetes-induced renal fibrosis, as well as inhibit histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. Bone morphologic protein 7 (BMP-7) has been shown to reduce renal fibrosis induced by transforming growth factor-beta1. The aim of this study was to investigate the epigenetic effect of SFN on BMP-7 expression in diabetes-induced renal fibrosis.Methods: Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice and age-matched controls were subcutaneously injected with SFN or vehicle for 4 months to measure the in vivo effects of SFN on the kidneys. The human renal proximal tubular (HK11) cell line was used to mimic diabetic conditions in vitro. HK11 cells were transfected to over-express HDAC2 and treated with high glucose/palmitate (HG/Pal) to explore the epigenetic modulation of BMP-7 in SFN-mediated protection against HG/Pal-induced renal fibrosis.Results: SFN significantly attenuated diabetes-induced renal fibrosis in vivo. Among all of the HDACs we detected, HDAC2 activity was markedly elevated in the STZ-induced diabetic kidneys and HG/Pal-treated HK11 cells. SFN inhibited the diabetes-induced increase in HDAC2 activity which was associated with histone acetylation and transcriptional activation of the BMP-7 promoter. HDAC2 over-expression reduced BMP-7 expression and abolished the SFN-mediated protection against HG/Pal-induced fibrosis in vitro.Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that the HDAC inhibitor SFN protects against diabetes-induced renal fibrosis through epigenetic up-regulation of BMP-7.

Cutting Parameter Optimization for Reducing Carbon Emissions Using Digital Twin

Lili Zhao,Yilin Fang,Ping Lou,Junwei Yan,Angran Xiao 한국정밀공학회 2021 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.22 No.5

With the exacerbation of global environmental concerns, manufacturing industries need to consider the impact of carbon emissions from manufacturing processes. The selection of the parameters in the machining process greatly influences on carbon emissions and machining efficiency. Hence dynamically optimizing the machining process parameters is a significant means to reduce carbon emissions according to the real-time perception of the machining conditions. In the paper, a method of cutting parameter optimization is presented on basis of the construction the digital twin of a CNC machine tool. In this method, an ontology on CNC machining process is established to be used as a communication bridge for understanding the semantic of the real-time interaction between the physical machine and the virtual twin. And a dynamic optimization method on cutting parameters is presented according to the simulation and optimization of the virtual twin with the dynamic perception of the machining conditions of the physical machine. At last, a case study is presented to validate this method for effectively optimizing the cutting parameters and decreasing carbon emissions.

Preparation and Properties of Functional Fabric Coating Based on SiO2-aerogel/Polyurethane

Lili Xu,Yan Liu,Binjie Xin,Yuanyuan Zhou 한국섬유공학회 2022 Fibers and polymers Vol.23 No.7

The silane coupling agent modified SiO2 particles, multi aperture silica aerogel and waterborne polyurethaneacrylate (WPUA) were blended to produce resin coated fabrics with good thermal stability, to achieve excellent waterrepellency and a certain protective property. The thermal stability and water repellency of ordinary cotton could be improvedby the hydrophobic SiO2 particles, WPUA and silica aerogel (SA) powders on the fabric surface. Our experimental resultsillustrated that the thermal stability of the coated fabric was greatly improved by adding aerogels and silane modified SiO2,and the amount of residual carbon increased significantly at 600 °C as the corresponding residues of SA/WPUA coated fabricfinally could be 13.19 %. The water contact angle of the fabric was obviously increased after the silane modified SiO2particles mixed with SA/WPUA. It was found that the more aerogel added, the larger the contact angle was, and the contactangel reached about 120 ° when the aerogel was 4 wt%. It could be proved that the coated fabric had a certain surface selfcleaningeffect. The tensile tests characterized that the stress of the coated fabric reached the maximum value of 64 MPawhen the aerogel dosage was 2 wt%. Chemical resistance analysis suggested that the fabric had similar chemical resistanceafter the integration of porous aerogel particles. However, unlike most polyurethane coatings, the majority of chemicals wereadsorbed in aerogel coatings. The infrared spectrum of the coating samples showed that the coating surface was stable, whichwas attributed to the interfacial adhesion between cotton fiber and polyurethane adhesive. The appearance of aerogel andSiO2 particles dispersed on the fabric surface was analyzed by SEM. All outcomes indicated a significant improvement ingeneral properties of WPUA coatings by adding a handful of silica aerogel (0.5-4 wt %).

HHT method for system identification and damage detection: an experimental study

Lily L. Zhou,Gang Yan 국제구조공학회 2006 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.2 No.2

Recently, the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) has gained considerable attention as a novel technique of signal processing, which shows promise for the system identification and damage detection of structures. This study investigates the effectiveness and accuracy of the HHT method for the system identification and damage detection of structures through a series of experiments. A multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) structural model has been constructed with modular members, and the columns of the model can be replaced or removed to simulate damages at different locations with different severities. The measured response data of the structure due to an impulse loading is first decomposed into modal responses using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) approach with a band-pass filter technique. Then, the Hilbert transform is subsequently applied to each modal response to obtain the instantaneous amplitude and phase angle time histories. A linear least-square fit procedure is used to identify the natural frequencies and damping ratios from the instantaneous amplitude and phase angle for each modal response. When the responses at all degrees of freedom are measured, the mode shape and the physical mass, damping and stiffness matrices of the structure can be determined. Based on a comparison of the stiffness of each story unit prior to and after the damage, the damage locations and severities can be identified. Experimental results demonstrate that the HHT method yields quite accurate results for engineering applications, providing a promising tool for structural health monitoring.

Comparative Study on the Effects of D-Psicose and D-Fructose in the Maillard Reaction with β-Lactoglobulin

Yan Zeng,Huan Zhang,Yuping Guan,Lili Zhang,Yuanxia Sun 한국식품과학회 2013 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.22 No.2

D-Psicose, recognized as a noncaloric sweetener,has shown a great potential in food industry. In the present study, D-psicose and D-fructose were used to modify bovine β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) through Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction process and the physicochemical and structural properties of the modified proteins were also investigated. The result showed that compared to Dfructose,D-psicose played a more effective role in the Maillard reaction, especially after the initial stage of the reaction. Moreover, the modified β-Lg with D-psicose had more polymeric compounds, higher antioxidant activity,but lower thermal stability than that with D-fructose. These findings, especially the structural changes of the modified proteins, supplied detail information on the Maillard reaction of D-psicose, and could provide some guidance to the practical applications of this rare sugar on food industry.