Forming a thick CdZnTe epitaxial film by sublimating closely spaced

Xiang-Xiang Luoa,Cheng-Fang Qiao,Simon R Hall,Chun-Sheng Zhou 한양대학교 청정에너지연구소 2023 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.24 No.6

Thick Cadmium zinc telluride epitaxial films were grown on (100)GaAs substrate by Close-Spaced Sublimation. The growthrate was around 1 μm/min. SEM observations and XRD θ-2θ scan and ф scan revealed well-defined epitaxial features ofthe films. The films were found to be polycrystalline at the early stage of growth. As growth progressed, the films graduallybecame oriented until an epitaxial layer was formed. The polycrystalline to monocrystalline transition was achieved bypreferential lateral growth of the grains and with the aid of migration of atoms in the film. This growth mode differs fromthe well-established epitaxy where a suitable lattice fit is expected from the early stages of film growth. This mode can betterguide the growth mode of CZT thick films, and can grow large volume and high-quality thick films. High quality thick filmscan be better applied in fields such as solar cells, infrared and ultraviolet detection, and X-ray detection.

Silencing of long noncoding RNA HOXA11-AS inhibits the Wnt signaling pathway via the upregulation of HOXA11 and thereby inhibits the proliferation, invasion, and self-renewal of hepatocellular carcinoma stem cells

Jun-Cheng Guo,Yi-Jun Yang,Jin-Fang Zheng,Jian-Quan Zhang,Min Guo,Xiang Yang,Xiang-Ling Jiang,Li Xiang,You Li,Huang Ping,Liu Zhuo 생화학분자생물학회 2019 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.51 No.-

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths, but its molecular mechanisms are not yet well characterized. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in tumorigenesis, including that of HCC. However, the role of homeobox A11 antisense (HOXA11-AS) in determining HCC stem cell characteristics remains to be explained; hence, this study aimed to investigate the effects of HOXA11-AS on HCC stem cell characteristics. Initially, the expression patterns of HOXA11-AS and HOXA11 in HCC tissues, cells, and stem cells were determined. HCC stem cells, successfully sorted from Hep3B and Huh7 cells, were transfected with short hairpin or overexpression plasmids for HOXA11-AS or HOXA11 overexpression and depletion, with an aim to study the influences of these mediators on the self-renewal, proliferation, migration, and tumorigenicity of HCC stem cells in vivo. Additionally, the potential relationship and the regulatory mechanisms that link HOXA11-AS, HOXA11, and the Wnt signaling pathway were explored through treatment with Dickkopf-1 (a Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor). HCC stem cells showed high expression of HOXA11-AS and low expression of HOXA11. Both HOXA11-AS silencing and HOXA11 overexpression suppressed the self-renewal, proliferation, migration, and tumorigenicity of HCC stem cells in vivo, as evidenced by the decreased expression of cancer stem cell surface markers (CD133 and CD44) and stemness-related transcription factors (Nanog, Sox2, and Oct4). Moreover, silencing HOXA11-AS inactivated the Wnt signaling pathway by decreasing the methylation level of the HOXA11 promoter, thereby inhibiting HCC stem cell characteristics. Collectively, this study suggested that HOXA11-AS silencing exerts an antitumor effect, suppressing HCC development via Wnt signaling pathway inactivation by decreasing the methylation level of the HOXA11 promoter.

Optimization of the microemulsion formulation of curcuma oil and evaluation of its acaricidal efficacy against Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Cheng Zuo-Hui,Fan Fang-Fang,Zhao Jin-Zhong,Li Rui,Li Sheng-Cai,Zhang En-Jia,Liu Yu-Kun,Wang Jue-Ying,Zhu Xiang-Run,Tian Yong-Ming 한국응용곤충학회 2020 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.23 No.4

The microemulsion formulation (hereafter formulation) of curcuma oil and its acaricidal efficacy against Tetranychus cinnabarinus Boisduval (Acari: Tetranychidae) were optimized in the laboratory to evaluate their spray effectiveness of oviposition inhibition and repellence. Ethovision XT6 was used to analyse the effects of the sublethal concentrations (LC 20 ) of curcuma oil and the formulation on the behaviors of T. cinnabarinus. The results showed that Tween-80 was the best surfactant, Isopropanol was the best co-surfactant and K m = 2:1 was the best condition for the formulation. The prepared microemulsions are stable under conditions of centrifugation and incubation for extended periods. The results showed that the effect of the spray bioassays of the formulation against T. cinnabarinus continuously increased during the experiment, but for curcuma oil almost no longer increase observed when the exposure time went beyond 24 h. Moreover, compared with curcuma oil (LC 50 = 0.716%), the spray bioassay of the formulation (LC 50 = 0.035%) was stronger against T. cinnabarinus. The repellency of the formulation to T. cinnabarinus was stronger with increasing exposure time, but that of curcuma oil declined after 12 h of exposure. The mobile distance of T. cinnabarinus treated with the formulation continuously declined during the experiment but that due to the curcuma oil almost no longer declined when the treatment time reached 12 h. The maximum mobile frequency of T. cinnabarinus treated by curcuma oil and the formulation was recorded at 6 h and 12 h, respectively. Thus, the formulation is a promising candidate as a botanical acaricide of green vegetables.

Comparative Genomic Analysis Reveals That the 20K and 38K Prophages in Listeria monocytogenes Serovar 4a Strains Lm850658 and M7 Contribute to Genetic Diversity but Not to Virulence

( Chun Fang ),( Tong Cao ),( Ying Shan ),( Ye Xia ),( Yong Ping Xin ),( Chang Yong Cheng ),( Houhui Song ),( John Bowman ),( Xiao Liang Li ),( Xiang Yang Zhou ),( Wei Huan Fang ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2016 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.26 No.1

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen of considerable genetic diversity with varying pathogenicity. Initially, we found that the strain M7 was far less pathogenic than the strain Lm850658 though both are serovar 4a strains belonging to the lineage III. Comparative genomic approaches were then attempted to decipher the genetic basis that might govern the strain-dependent pathotypes. There are 2,761 coding sequences of 100% nucleotide identity between the two strains, accounting for 95.7% of the total genes in Lm850658 and 92.7% in M7. Lm850658 contains 33 specific genes, including a novel 20K prophage whereas strain M7 has 130 specific genes, including two large prophages (38K and 44K). To examine the roles of these specific prophages in pathogenicity, the 20K and 38K prophages were deleted from their respective strains. There were virtually no differences of pathogenicity between the deletion mutants and their parent strains, although some putative virulent factors like VirB4 are present in the 20K region or holin-lysin in the 38K region. In silico PCR analysis of 29 listeria genomes show that only strain SLCC2540 has the same 18 bp integration hotspot as Lm850658, whereas the sequence identity of their 20K prophages is very low (21.3%). The 38K and 44K prophages are located in two other different hotspots and are conserved in low virulent strains M7, HCC23, and L99. In conclusion, the 20K and 38K prophages of L. monocytogenes serovar 4a strains Lm850658 and M7 are not related to virulence but contribute to genetic diversity.

Simultaneous removal of Congo red and Cr(VI) using amino-modified GO/MS composite materials

Liang Cheng,Li Zhang,Hongxia Wang,Fang Xiang Song 한국화학공학회 2022 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.39 No.5

Mesoporous silica (MS) and graphene oxide (GO) are good absorbents. Combining them not only preventsGO agglomeration but increases the number of MS active sites. In addition, their composites can preferentiallyadsorb specific pollutants after modification. In this work, amino-modified GO/MS materials were prepared by postgraftingto remove Congo red (CR) and Cr(VI) in solution. Characterization methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD),transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Zeta potential, and N2adsorption/desorption, were adopted. The prepared GO/MS@HBP has a porous structure with a specific surface areaof 49.32m2·g1. The effect of initial concentration, pH, adsorption time, temperature and other ions was determined onthe adsorption amount. Relying on this, the GO/MS@HBP maximum capacity for Cr(VI) and CR adsorption are93.73±2.3% and 257.69+1.5% mg·g1, respectively. Pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherms are moresuitable to describe the adsorption process, indicating that chemical adsorption plays a major role in the entire adsorptionprocess. Thermodynamics showed that the enthalpy (H) of materials adsorbing two pollutants was positive andthat the Gibbs free energy (G) was negative, suggesting that Cr(VI) and CR adsorption on GO/MS@HBP was spontaneouslyendothermic. GO/MS@HBP could simultaneously remove CR and Cr(VI) in solution, and be an effectiveadsorbent for removing harmful substances.

Identification of mountain-cultivated ginseng and cultivated ginseng using UPLC/oa-TOF MSE with a multivariate statistical sample-profiling strategy

Xu, Xin-fang,Cheng, Xian-long,Lin, Qing-hua,Li, Sha-sha,Jia, Zhe,Han, Ting,Lin, Rui-chao,Wang, Dan,Wei, Feng,Li, Xiang-ri The Korean Society of Ginseng 2016 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.40 No.4

Background: Mountain-cultivated ginseng (MCG) and cultivated ginseng (CG) both belong to Panax ginseng and have similar ingredients. However, their pharmacological activities are different due to their significantly different growth environments. Methods: An ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)-based approach was developed to distinguish MCG and CG. Multivariate statistical methods, such as principal component analysis and supervised orthogonal partial-least-squares discrimination analysis were used to select the influential components. Results: Under optimized UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS conditions, 40 ginsenosides in both MCG and CG were unambiguously identified and tentatively assigned. The results showed that the characteristic components of CG and MCG included ginsenoside Ra3/isomer, gypenoside XVII, quinquenoside R1, ginsenoside Ra7, notoginsenoside Fe, ginsenoside Ra2, ginsenoside Rs6/Rs7, malonyl ginsenoside Rc, malonyl ginsenoside Rb1, malonyl ginsenoside Rb2, palmitoleic acid, and ethyl linoleate. The malony ginsenosides are abundant in CG, but higher levels of the minor ginsenosides were detected in MCG. Conclusion: This is the first time that the differences between CG and MCG have been observed systematically at the chemical level. Our results suggested that using the identified characteristic components as chemical markers to identify different ginseng products is effective and viable.

Effects of IFN-γ on IL-18 Expression in Pregnant Rats and Pregnancy Outcomes

Si, Li-Fang,Zhang, Shou-Yan,Gao, Chun-Sheng,Chen, Shu-Lin,Zhao, Jin,Cheng, Xiang-Chao Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2013 Animal Bioscience Vol.26 No.10

The present study focused on establishing the effects of interferon-gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$) on interleukin-18 (IL-18) expression patterns and pregnancy outcomes in pregnant rats. Pregnant rats at the post-implantation stage were randomized into control, low IFN-${\gamma}$ (L-IFN-${\gamma}$) and high IFN-${\gamma}$ groups (H-IFN-${\gamma}$) that received normal saline, 100 IU/g of IFN-${\gamma}$ and 500 IU/g of IFN-${\gamma}$ vaginal muscular injection, respectively. The effects of IFN-${\gamma}$ on IL-18 expression and pregnancy outcomes were assessed systematically using several methods, including immunohistochemistry streptavidin-perosidase (SP), image pattern analysis, enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA), whole blood count (WBC) count, microscopy and visual observation. IL-18 was detected in the uteri of all pregnant rats, and mainly distributed in the endometrium, decidual cells, vascular endothelium and myometrium. Immunohistochemistry and image pattern analyses revealed significantly lower IL-18 expression in the H-IFN-${\gamma}$ group compared to the L-IFN-${\gamma}$ and control groups (p<0.01), indicating that high doses of IFN-${\gamma}$ induce downregulation of IL-18 in the uterus of pregnant rats. ELISA results disclosed that IL-18 expression in peripheral blood of the H-IFN-${\gamma}$ group was lower than that of the L-IFN-${\gamma}$ group (p<0.05), and significantly reduced compared to the control group (p<0.01). Moreover, the number of peripheral leukocytes in the H-IFN-${\gamma}$ group was significantly higher than those in the control and L-IFN-${\gamma}$ groups (p<0.01). Morphology analysis showed no evident differences between the L-IFN-${\gamma}$ and control groups. However, for the H-IFN-${\gamma}$ group, uterine mucosa bleeding, necrosis and excoriation were observed using microscopy. Visual observation revealed marroon, swelling, crassitude and no embryo in the uterus, which are obvious indicators of abortion. These results indicate that IFN-${\gamma}$ plays a regulatory role in IL-18 expression in the uterus and peripheral blood of pregnant rats at the post-implantation stage. Moreover, high levels (500 IU/g) of IFN-${\gamma}$ influence normal pregnancy at the early stages in rats by downregulating IL-18 expression in the uterus and peripheral blood and increasing the number of peripheral leukocytes, consequently triggering termination of pregnancy.

Fangchinoline Inhibits Cell Proliferation Via Akt/GSK-3beta/cyclin D1 Signaling and Induces Apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells

Wang, Chang-Dong,Yuan, Cheng-Fu,Bu, You-Quan,Wu, Xiang-Mei,Wan, Jin-Yuan,Zhang, Li,Hu, Ning,Liu, Xian-Jun,Zu, Yong,Liu, Ge-Li,Song, Fang-Zhou Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.2

Fangchinoline (Fan) inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in several cancer cell lines. The effects of Fan on cell growth and proliferation in breast cancer cells remain to be elucidated. Here, we show that Fan inhibited cell proliferation in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line through suppression of the AKT/Gsk-3beta/cyclin D1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, Fan induced apoptosis by increasing the expression of Bax (relative to Bcl-2), active caspase 3 and cytochrome-c. Fan significantly inhibited cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells in a concentration and time dependent manner as determined by MTT assay. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that Fan treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells resulted in cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase, which correlated with apparent downregulation of both mRNA and protein levels of both PCNA and cyclin D1. Further analysis demonstrated that Fan decreased the phosphorylation of AKT and GSK-3beta. In addition, Fan up-regulated active caspase3, cytochrome-c protein levels and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, accompanied by apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggest that Fan is a potential natural product for the treatment of breast cancer.

Identification of candidate odorant‐degrading enzyme genes in the antennal transcriptome of Aphidius gifuensis

Kang Zhi‐Wei,Liu Fang‐Hua,Xu Yong‐Yu,Cheng Jia‐Hui,Lin Xiao‐Li,Jing Xiang‐Feng,Tian Hong‐Gang,Liu Tong‐Xian 한국곤충학회 2021 Entomological Research Vol.51 No.1

Odorant‐degrading enzymes (ODEs) have been found in insect antennae and play a critical role in signal chemical degradation once the message is conveyed. Significant progress has been made in characterizing ODEs in a variety of pests but very little is known in their natural enemies. We have carried out an antennae‐ and sex‐specific transcriptome of Aphidius gifuensis, a natural enemy of aphid, to identify the candidate ODEs. Based on the antennae‐ and sex‐specific transcriptome, a total of 100 putative ODEs were identified including one aldehyde oxidase (AOX), four alcohol dehydrogenases (ADs), eight UDP‐glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), 45 cytochrome P450 (P450s), nine glutathione S‐transferases (GSTs) and 40 carboxylesterases (CCEs or CXEs). Additionally, we used RT‐qPCR to determine the expression profiles of these genes in tissues of both sexes. Based on the phylogenic analysis and tissue‐expression patterns, AgifEstE4, AgifCXE3, AgifCCE4, AgifCCE7, and AgifCCE18 were suggested as key ODEs in A. gifuensis. In addition, the female or male specifically enriched genes, such as AgifCCE17, AgifEstB1, AgifCYP18a1, AgifUGT2C2, were also considered to involve in the chemosensory processing in A. gifuensis. This study not only identified the candidate ODEs in A. gifuensis but also provided source for further exploration of the molecular mechanisms of chemical signal transductions in A. gifuensis, as well as other hymenopteran species.

Human Intersectin 2 (ITSN2) binds to Eps8 protein and enhances its degradation

( Xiao Feng Ding ),( Zijian Yang ),( Fang Liang Zhou ),( Xiang Huchang ),( Zhou Chang Luo ),( Zhi Cheng He ),( Qian Liu ),( Hong Li ),( Feng Yan ),( Fang Mei Wang ),( Shuang Lin Xiang ),( Jian Zhang ) 생화학분자생물학회 (구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2012 BMB Reports Vol.45 No.3

Participates in actin remodeling through Rac and receptor endocytosis via Rab5. Here, we used yeast two-hybrid system with Eps8 as bait to screen a human brain cDNA library. ITSN2 was identified as the novel binding factor of Eps8. The interaction between ITSN2 and Eps8 was demonstrated by the in vivo co-immunoprecipitation and colocalization assays and the in vitro GST pull-down assays. Furthermore, we mapped the interaction domains to the region between amino acids 260-306 of Eps8 and the coiled-coil domain of ITSN2. In addition, protein stability assays and immunofluorescence analysis showed ITSN2 overexpression induced the degradation of Eps8 proteins, which was markedly alleviated with the lysosome inhibitor NH4Cl treatment. Taken together, our results suggested ITSN2 interacts with Eps8 and stimulates the degradation of Eps8 proteins. [BMB reports 2012; 45(3): 183-188]