Plant cover associated with aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) mediates insect community composition in steppes of Northwest China

Zi-Hua Zhao,Gadi V.P. Reddy,Shuhua Wei,Mengmeng Zhu,Kaiyang Zhang,Hongqian Yu,Zhanjun Wang,Qi Jiang,Rong Zhang 한국응용곤충학회 2018 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.21 No.1

Temperate steppe is one of the most important natural habitats for the conservation of arthropod and birdbiodiversity across the Eurasian Tectonic Plate. Since 1950, fragmentation of the steppe habitat has caused a lossof biodiversity and degradation of the species communities found in natural steppe. Therefore, in this study, bothplants and insects were sampled at 56 sites in the steppe biome of northwestern China to explore the effects ofplant community on insect community composition and diversity. The insect community structure varied in thefour different steppe types (meadow steppe, typical steppe, desert steppe, and steppe desert). Plant cover (diversity)was an important driving force, which could enhance number of families and abundance of an insectcommunity. Aboveground net primary productivity and water content of plants had no significant effects oninsect community, although the plant community as a whole did mediate insect composition and communitystructure. Future research should explore the ecological role of particular functional groups in plant and insectcommunities. Supplemental sowing to improve plant diversity in steppe habitat may be another strategy toenhance biodiversity and achieve sustainable management.

DFT and TD-DFT study on structure and properties of organic dye sensitizer TA-St-CA

Cai-Rong Zhang,Zi-Jiang Liu,Yu-Hong Chen,Hong-Shan Chen,You-Zhi Wu,WangJun Feng,Dao-Bin Wang 한국물리학회 2010 Current Applied Physics Vol.10 No.1

The geometry, electronic structure, polarizability and hyperpolarizability of organic dye sensitizer TA-St-CA, which contains a π-conjugated oligo-phenylenevinylene unit with an electron donor.acceptor moiety, was studied using density functional theory (DFT), and the electronic absorption spectrum was investigated via time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) with several hybrid functionals. The calculated geometry indicates that the strong conjugated effects are formed in the dye. The TD-DFT results show that the hybrid functional PBE1PBE and MPW1PW91 are more suitable than B3LYP for calculating electronic absorption spectra. The features of electronic absorption spectra were assigned on account of the qualitative agreement between the experiment and the calculations. The absorption bands in visible and near-UV region are related to photoinduced electron transfer processes, and the diphenylaniline group is major chromophore that contributed to the sensitization, and the interfacial electron transfer are electron injection processes from the excited dyes to the semiconductor conduction band. Compared with the similar dye D5, the good performance of TA-St-CA in dye-sensitized solar cells may be resulted from the higher energy level of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and the larger oscillator strengths for the most excited states with intramolecular electron transfer character.

Structural Characterization and Optical Properties of Sol-gel-derived Polycrystalline Pb(Zr0.35Ti0.65)O3 Thin Films

Fan Zhang,Rong-Jun Zhang,Zi YiWang,Yu-Xiang Zheng,Song-You Wang,Hai-Bin Zhao,Liang-Yao Chen,Xiao Bin Liu,An Quan Jiang 한국물리학회 2013 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.63 No.1

Polycrystalline Pb(Zr0.35Ti0.65)O3 thin films prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate by using solgel technique were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optical properties of the films were investigated by using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) with a four-phase optical model, air/roughness layer/PZT layer/Pt layer in the spectral range of 300 - 800 nm. The optical band gap of the films calculated following the Tauc’s Law was smaller than that of an amorphous PZT thin film with some microcrystals existing on the surface. The result indicates that the quantum-size effect leads to an increase in band gap when the crystalline dimensions become very small.

Synthesis of a Novel Anthraquinone Diamino-Bridged Bis(β-cyclodextrin) and Its Cooperative Binding toward Guest Molecules

Yan Zhao*,Zi Ming Yang,Shao Ming Chi,Juan Gu,Yong Cun Yang,Rong Huang,Bang Jin Wang,Hong You Zhu 대한화학회 2008 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.29 No.5

A novel anthraquinone diamino-bridged bis(β-cyclodextrin) 2 was synthesized. The inclusion complexation behaviors of the native β-cyclodextrin 1 and the novel bis(β-cyclodextrin) 2 with guests, such as acridine red (AR), neutral red (NR), ammonium 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS), sodium 2-(p-toluidinyl) naphthalenesulfonate (TNS) and rhodamine B (RhB) were investigation by fluorescence, circular dichroism and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The spectral titrations were performed in phosphate buffer (pH 7.20) at 25 oC to give the complex stability constants (Ks) and Gibbs free energy changes (-DG0) for the stoichiometric 1:1 inclusion complexation of host 1 and 2 with guests. The results indicated that the novel bis(β-cyclodextrin) 2 greatly enhanced the original binding affinity of the native β-cyclodextrin 1. Typically, bis(b -cyclodextrin) 2 showed the highest binding constant towards ANS up to 34.8 times higher than that of 1. The 2D NMR spectra of bis(β-cyclodextrin) 2 with RhB and TNS were performed to confirm the binding mode. The increased binding affinity and molecular selectivity of guests by bis(β-cyclodextrin) 2 were discussed from the viewpoint of the size/shape-fit concept and multipoint recognition mechanism.

Varistor and dielectric properties of Cr2O3 doped SnO2eZn2SnO4 composite ceramics

Guo-Zhong Zang,Feng-Zi Zhou,Jing-Xiao Cao,Xiao-Fei Wang,Zhao-Wu Wang,Li-Ben Li,Guo-Rong Li 한국물리학회 2014 Current Applied Physics Vol.14 No.12

Cr2O3 doped SnO2eZn2SnO4 composite ceramics were prepared by traditional ceramic processing and the varistor, dielectric properties were investigated. With increasing Cr2O3 content, the breakdown electrical field EB increases from 11 to 92 V/mm and the relative dielectric constant εr measured at 1 kHz, 50 C decreases from 11,028 to 3412, respectively. The barrier height fB about 0.8e0.84 eV and the decreasing of SnO2 grain size suggest that the varistor behavior with high εr is originated from SnO2 eSnO2 or SnO2eZn2SnO4 grain boundary. In the dielectric spectra lower than 1 kHz, a dielectric peak is presented and depressed with increasing bias voltage. Similarly, at high temperature, the dielectric constant also presents a dielectric peak in the temperature spectra and the peak becomes faint with increasing frequency. The exhibition of the dielectric peak is thought to be attributed to the conduction of grain boundary since it is accompanied by the sharp increase of dielectric loss. In addition, a dielectric relaxation with the activation energy about 0.4e0.5 eV was observed in the temperature range of 20 e100 C. Based on the results, the formation mechanism of Schottky barriers at grain boundaries and the varistor behavior with high dielectric constant are well understood.

Angelica Sinensis Polysaccharide Induces Erythroid Differentiation of Human Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia K562 Cells

Wang, Lu,Jiang, Rong,Song, Shu-Dan,Hua, Zi-Sen,Wang, Jian-Wei,Wang, Ya-Ping Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.9

Leukemia is a clonal disorder with blocked normal differentiation and cell death of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Traditional modalities with most used radiation and chemotherapy are nonspecific and toxic which cause adverse effects on normal cells. Differentiation inducing therapy forcing malignant cells to undergo terminal differentiation has been proven to be a promising strategy. However, there is still scarce of potent differentiation inducing agents. We show here that Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP), a major active component in Dong quai (Chinese Angelica sinensis), has potential differentiation inducing activity in human chronic erythro-megakaryoblastic leukemia K562 cells. MTT assays and flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that ASP inhibited K562 cell proliferation and arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. ASP also triggered K562 cells to undergo erythroid differentiaton as revealed by morphological changes, intensive benzidine staining and hemoglobin colorimetric reaction, as well as increased expression of glycophorin A (GPA) protein. ASP induced redistribution of STAT5 protein from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Western blotting analysis further identified that ASP markedly sensitized K562 cells to exogenous erythropoietin (EPO) by activating EPO-induced JAK2/STAT5 tyrosine phosphorylation, thus augmenting the EPO-mediated JAK2/STAT5 signaling pathway. On the basis of these findings, we propose that ASP might be developed as a potential candidate for chronic myelogenous leukemia inducing differentiation treatment.

Sexing Goat Embryos by PCR Amplification of X- and Y- chromosome Specific Sequence of the Amelogenin Gene

Chen, A-qin,Xu, Zi-rong,Yu, Song-dong Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2007 Animal Bioscience Vol.20 No.11

The objective of this study was to develop a simplified, efficient, and accurate protocol for sexing goat embryos. Based on the amelogenin gene located on the conservation region of X- and Y- chromosomes, a pair of primers was utilized and the system of PCR was established to amplify a 262 bp fragment from the X- chromosome in female goats, and a 262 bp fragment from X- chromosome and 202 bp fragment from the Y- chromosome in male goats, respectively. The accuracy and specificity of the primers were assessed using DNA template extracted from goat whole blood sample of known sex. 100% (10/10) concordance was obtained by using the PCR assay. Fifty-one biopsied embryos were transferred into 25 recipient goats on the same day that the embryos were collected and sex of the kid was confirmed after parturition. Eighteen kids of predicted sex were born. The biopsied samples from 51 goat embryos were amplified with 100% efficiency and 94.7% accuracy. In conclusion, our results indicated that PCR sexing protocols based on the amelogenin gene is highly reliable and suitable for sex determination of goats.

Synthesis of a Novel Anthraquinone Diamino-Bridged Bis(β-cyclodextrin) and Its Cooperative Binding toward Guest Molecules

Zhao, Yan,Yang, Zi Ming,Chi, Shao Ming,Gu, Juan,Yang, Yong Cun,Huang, Rong,Wang, Bang Jin,Zhu, Hong You Korean Chemical Society 2008 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.29 No.5

A novel anthraquinone diamino-bridged bis($\beta$ -cyclodextrin) 2 was synthesized. The inclusion complexation behaviors of the native $\beta$ -cyclodextrin 1 and the novel bis($\beta$ -cyclodextrin) 2 with guests, such as acridine red (AR), neutral red (NR), ammonium 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS), sodium 2-(p-toluidinyl) naphthalenesulfonate (TNS) and rhodamine B (RhB) were investigation by fluorescence, circular dichroism and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The spectral titrations were performed in phosphate buffer (pH 7.20) at 25 ${^{\circ}C}$ to give the complex stability constants (Ks) and Gibbs free energy changes (−${\Delta}G^0$) for the stoichiometric 1:1 inclusion complexation of host 1 and 2 with guests. The results indicated that the novel bis($\beta$ -cyclodextrin) 2 greatly enhanced the original binding affinity of the native $\beta$ -cyclodextrin 1. Typically, bis($\beta$ -cyclodextrin) 2 showed the highest binding constant towards ANS up to 34.8 times higher than that of 1. The 2D NMR spectra of bis($\beta$ -cyclodextrin) 2 with RhB and TNS were performed to confirm the binding mode. The increased binding affinity and molecular selectivity of guests by bis($\beta$ -cyclodextrin) 2 were discussed from the viewpoint of the size/shape-fit concept and multipoint recognition mechanism.

A kinetic model for glycerol chlorination in the presence of acetic acid catalyst

Zheng-Hong Luo,Xiao-Zi You,Hua-Rong Li 한국화학공학회 2010 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.27 No.1

A kinetic model for the chlorination of glycerol with hydrochloric acid in the use of acetic acid as catalyst is presented in this study. The model is based on a comprehensive chlorination mechanism, taking the formation of 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol into account while ignoring the formation of any intermediate in the chlorination system. Simulations were carried out under different chlorination conditions to calculate the concentrations of the main chemical species in the reaction system. The validity of the model was examined via a comparison of the calculated data with the experimental data on the chlorination of glycerol with hydrochloric acid at 363-393 K. The results show the model is capable of describing the chlorination performance with good agreement with experimental data.

Suppressive Effect of Sinomenine Combined with 5-Fluorouracil on Colon Carcinoma Cell Growth

Zhang, Ji-Xiang,Yang, Zi-Rong,Wu, Dan-Dan,Song, Jia,Guo, Xu-Feng,Wang, Jing,Dong, Wei-Guo Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.16

It is reported that sinomenine (SIN) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) both are effective for colon cancer, but their cooperative suppressive effects and toxicity remain to be clarified in detail. This study aimed to determine suppressive effects and toxicity of sinomenine (SIN) plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on LoVo colon carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. CCK-8, Hoechst 33258 staining and an annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis kit were used to detect suppressive effects. Western blotting was applied to investigate the essential mechanism underlying SIN and 5-FU-induced apoptosis. SIN or 5-FU or both were injected into nude mice, and then suppressive effects and side effects were observed. SIN plus 5-FU apparently inhibited the proliferation of LoVo cells and induced apoptosis. Moreover the united effects were stronger than individually (p<0.05). The results of annexin V-FITC/PI staining and Hoechst 33258 staining showed that the percentage of apoptotic cells induced by SIN and 5-FU combined or alone was significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05). Expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was up-regulated and down-regulated respectively. SIN or 5-FU significantly inhibited effects on the volume of tumour xenografts and their combined suppressive effects were stronger (p<0.05). No obvious side effects were observed. It was apparent that the united effects of SIN and 5-FU on the growth of colorectal carcinoma LoVo cells in vitro and in vivo were superior to those using them individually, and it did not markedly increase the side effects of chemotherapy.