Polymorphisms in the Perilipin Gene May Affect Carcass Traits of Chinese Meat-type Chickens

Lu Zhang,Qing Zhu,Yiping Liu,Elizabeth R. Gilbert,Diyan Li,Huadong Yin,Yan Wang,Zhiqin Yang,Zhen Wang,Yuncong Yuan,Xiao-Ling Zhao 아세아·태평양축산학회 2015 Animal Bioscience Vol.28 No.6

Improved meat quality and greater muscle yield are highly sought after in high-quality chicken breeding programs. Past studies indicated that polymorphisms of the Perilipin gene (PLIN1) are highly associated with adiposity in mammals and are potential molecular markers for improving meat quality and carcass traits in chickens. In the present study, we screened single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in all exons of the PLIN1 gene with a direct sequencing method in six populations with different genetic backgrounds (total 240 individuals). We evaluated the association between the polymorphisms and carcass and meat quality traits. We identified three SNPs, located on the 5′ flanking region and exon 1 of PLIN1 on chromosome 10 (rs315831750, rs313726543, and rs80724063, respectively). Eight main haplotypes were constructed based on these SNPs. We calculated the allelic and genotypic frequencies, and genetic diversity parameters of the three SNPs. The polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.2768 to 0.3750, which reflected an intermediate genetic diversity for all chickens. The CC, CT, and TT genotypes influenced the percentage of breast muscle (PBM), percentage of leg muscle (PLM) and percentage of abdominal fat at rs315831750 (p<0.05). Diplotypes (haplotype pairs) affected the percentage of eviscerated weight (PEW) and PBM (p<0.05). Compared with chickens carrying other diplotypes, H3H7 had the greatest PEW and H2H2 had the greatest PBM, and those with diplotype H7H7 had the smallest PEW and PBM. We conclude that PLIN1 gene polymorphisms may affect broiler carcass and breast muscle yields, and diplotypes H3H7 and H2H2 could be positive molecular markers to enhance PEW and PBM in chickens.

Comparison of leaf transcriptomes of cassava “Xinxuan 048” diploid and autotetraploid plants

Ling Yin,Junjie Qu,Huiwen Zhou,Xiaohong Shang,Hui Fang,Jiang Lu,Huabing Yan 한국유전학회 2018 Genes & Genomics Vol.40 No.9

Polyploidy breeding of cassava has been used to improve cassava traits over the past years. We previously reported in vitro induction of tetraploids in the cassava variety “Xinxuan 048” using colchicine. Significant differences in morphology and anatomy were found between the diploid and tetraploid plants. However, very little is known about the transcriptome difference between them. In this study, morphological and physiological characteristics including leaf thickness, plant height, internode length, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic capacity were measured. Further, we investigated and validated the difference in gene expression patterns between cassava “Xinxuan 048” tetraploid genotype and its diploid plants using RNA sequencing (RNAseq) and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Significant differences in morphology and physiology were observed during tetraploidization. A comparison revealed that tetraploidy induced very limited changes in the leaf transcriptomes of cassava “Xinxuan 048” diploid and autotetraploid plants. However, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between 2× and 4× plants, especially those upregulated in 4× plants, were strongly associated with hormonal and stress responses. Large changes in morphology and physiology between the diploid cassava “Xinxuan 048” and its autotetraploid were not associated with large changes in their leaf transcriptomes. Moreover, the differently expressed genes related to the regulation of gibberellin and brassinosteroids potentially explained why the plant height and internode length of 4× plants became shorter. Collectively, our results suggest that 4× cassava is potentially valuable for breeding strains with improved stress resistance.

Relation between Ki-67, ER, PR, Her2/neu, p21, EGFR, and TOP II-α Expression in Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer Patients and Correlations with Prognosis

Yan, Jian,Liu, Xiao-Long,Han, Lu-Zhe,Xiao, Gang,Li, Ning-Lei,Deng, Yi-Nan,Yin, Liang-Chun,Ling, Li-Juan,Yu, Xiao-Yuan,Tan, Can-Liang,Huang, Xiao-Ping,Liu, Li-Xin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.2

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of the transcription factor Ki-67, ER, PR, Her2/neu, p21, EGFR, and TOP II-${\alpha}$ in the tumor tissue of patients with invasive ductal carcinoma(IDC); in addition, we examined correlations between these markers. Two hundred and sixteen IDC patients, who were not previously been treated with chemo- or radiotherapy, were included in the study. All tumors were grade I-III. Expression of molecular markers was determined by immunohistochemical analysis on paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Follow-up data were collected for 3 months to 10 years and analyzed for tumor recurrence, survival time, and prognostic risk factors. We determined Ki-67 expression correlates with the expression of ER, PR, HER-2, EGFR, and TOP-${\alpha}$, as well as lymph node involvement, high tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, high tumor stage, and high TNM stage in IDC. Positive Ki-67 expression was a risk factor for rapid tumor recurrence and may help tumor progression, leading to poor prognosis in IDC. Ki-67 was directly correlated with EGFR, TOP II-${\alpha}$, lymph node involvement, high tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, high tumor stage, and high TNM stage in the hormone receptor subtypes of breast cancer. In triple negative breast cancer, Ki-67 correlated with TOP II-${\alpha}$. Expression of Ki-67 correlated with that of ER, PR, HER-2, EGFR, TOP II-${\alpha}$, and p21. In addition, the biomarker Ki-67 has a role as a prognostic factor and indicates a poor prognosis in IDC.

Combination of Tumor Volume and Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Improved Prognostic Stratification of Stage II Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in the Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy Era: A Large-Scale Cohort Study

Qiu-Yan Chen,Shao-Yan Guo,Lin-Quan Tang,Tong-Yu Lu,Bo-Lin Chen,Qi-Yu Zhong,Meng-Sha Zou,Qing-Nan Tang,Wen-Hui Chen,Shan-Shan Guo,Li-Ting Liu,Yang Li,Ling Guo,Hao-Yuan Mo,Rui Sun,Dong-Hua Luo,Chong Zha 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.3

Purpose Little is known about combination of the circulating Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) DNA and tumor volume in prognosis of stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in the intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era. We conducted this cohort study to evaluate the prognostic values of combining these two factors. Materials and Methods By Kaplan-Meier, we compare the differences of survival curves between 385 patients with different EBV DNA or tumor volume levels, or with the combination of two biomarkers mentioned above. Results Gross tumor volume of cervical lymph nodes (GTVnd, p < 0.001) and total tumor volume (GTVtotal, p < 0.001) were both closely related to pretreatment EBV DNA, while gross tumor volume of nasopharynx (GTVnx, p=0.047) was weakly related to EBV DNA. EBV DNA was significantly correlated with progress-free survival (PFS, p=0.005), locoregional-free survival (LRFS, p=0.039), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, p=0.017), while GTVtotal, regardless of GTVnx and GTVnd, had a significant correlation with PFS and LRFS. The p-values of GTVtotal for PFS and LRFS were 0.008 and 0.001, respectively. According to GTVtotal and pretreatment EBV DNA level, patients were divided into a low-risk group (EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm3; EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal  30 cm3; or EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm3) and a high-risk group (EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal  30 cm3). When patients in the low-risk group were compared with those in the high-risk group, 3-year PFS (p=0.003), LRFS (p=0.010), and DMFS (p=0.031) rates were statistically significant. Conclusion Pretreatment plasma EBV DNA and tumor volume were both closely correlated with prognosis of stage II NPC patients in the IMRT era. Combination of EBV DNA and tumor volume can refine prognosis and indicate for clinical therapy.

Traditional Chinese medicine for COVID-19 pandemic and emerging challenges: An online cross-sectional survey in China

Chun-Li Lu,Ruo-Xiang Zheng,Xue Xue,Xiao-Wen Zhang,Xue-Han Liu,Xin-Yan Jin,Feng-Lan Pu,Hui-Di Lan,Min Fang,Ling-Yao Kong,Merlin Willcox,Bertrand Graz,Joelle Houriet,Xiao-Yang Hu,Jian-ping Liu 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.-

Background We aimed to investigate use of infection control behaviours, preventative and therapeutic interventions, and outcomes among respondents to an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods The survey was designed by an international team, translated and adapted to simplified Chinese, including 132 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation recommended by guidelines. It was distributed and collected from February to May 2021, with data analysed by WPS spreadsheet and wjx.cn. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographics and clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatments, preventative behaviours and interventions, and their associated outcomes. Results The survey was accessed 503 times with 341 (67.8%) completions covering 23 provinces and four municipalities in China. Most (282/341, 82.7%) respondents reported no symptoms during the pandemic and the majority (290/341, 85.0%) reported having a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test at some point. Forty-five (13.2%) reported having a respiratory infection, among which 19 (42.2%) took one or more categories of modern medicine, e.g. painkillers, antibiotics; 16 (35.6%) used TCM interventions(s); while seven respondents combined TCM with modern medicine. All respondents reported using at least one behavioural or medical approach to prevention, with 22.3% taking TCM and 5.3% taking modern medicines. No respondents reported having a critical condition related to COVID-19. Conclusion We found evidence of widespread use of infection control behaviours, modern medicines and TCM for treatment and prevention of COVID-19 and other respiratory symptoms. Larger scale studies are warranted, including a more representative sample exploring TCM preparations recommended in clinical guidelines. Background We aimed to investigate use of infection control behaviours, preventative and therapeutic interventions, and outcomes among respondents to an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods The survey was designed by an international team, translated and adapted to simplified Chinese, including 132 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation recommended by guidelines. It was distributed and collected from February to May 2021, with data analysed by WPS spreadsheet and wjx.cn. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographics and clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatments, preventative behaviours and interventions, and their associated outcomes. Results The survey was accessed 503 times with 341 (67.8%) completions covering 23 provinces and four municipalities in China. Most (282/341, 82.7%) respondents reported no symptoms during the pandemic and the majority (290/341, 85.0%) reported having a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test at some point. Forty-five (13.2%) reported having a respiratory infection, among which 19 (42.2%) took one or more categories of modern medicine, e.g. painkillers, antibiotics; 16 (35.6%) used TCM interventions(s); while seven respondents combined TCM with modern medicine. All respondents reported using at least one behavioural or medical approach to prevention, with 22.3% taking TCM and 5.3% taking modern medicines. No respondents reported having a critical condition related to COVID-19. Conclusion We found evidence of widespread use of infection control behaviours, modern medicines and TCM for treatment and prevention of COVID-19 and other respiratory symptoms. Larger scale studies are warranted, including a more representative sample exploring TCM preparations recommended in clinical guidelines.

Ceriporia lacerata DMC1106, a New Endophytic Fungus: Isolation, Identification, and Optimal Medium for 2',4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxy- 3',5'-dimethylchalcone Production

Jie Wang,Ling-yun Yao,Yan-Hua Lu 한국생물공학회 2013 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.18 No.4

2',4'-Dihydroxy-6'-methoxy-3',5'-dimethylchalcone (DMC), a bioactive flavonoid isolated from Cleistocalyx operculatus (Roxb.) Merr and Perry (Myrtaceae) exhibits significant anti-cancer effects and has received great attention recently. In this work, a new endophytic DMCproducing fungus, Ceriporia lacerata DMC1106, was isolated from the bud of C. operculatus. Its identity was confirmed based on rDNA ITS sequences (ITS1 and ITS2regions and the intervening 5.8S rDNA region) and phylogenetic analysis. Furthermore, statistical screening designs were applied to identify significant medium variables for DMC production and to find their optimal levels. The difference between the optimized medium and the original medium suggested that L-phenylalanine, magnesium ion and oxalic acid might be attributed to the enhancement of DMC production. Compared with the initial medium, the production of DMC was increased 6-fold in optimum medium. These results demonstrated that the endophytic fungus Ceriporia lacerata DMC1106 has potential applications for DMC production.

Impact of a Glyphosate-Tolerant Soybean Line on the Rhizobacteria, Revealed by Illumina MiSeq

( Gui-hua Lu ),( Yin-ling Zhu ),( Ling-ru Kong ),( Jing Cheng ),( Cheng-yi Tang ),( Xiao-mei Hua ),( Fan-fan Meng ),( Yan-jun Pang ),( Rong-wu Yang ),( Jin-liang Qi ),( Yong-hua Yang ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2017 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.27 No.3

The global commercial cultivation of transgenic crops, including glyphosate-tolerant soybean, has increased widely in recent decades with potential impact on the environment. The bulk of previous studies showed different results on the effects of the release of transgenic plants on the soil microbial community, especially rhizosphere bacteria. In this study, comparative analyses of the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soils and surrounding soils were performed between the glyphosate-tolerant soybean line NZL06-698 (or simply N698), containing a glyphosate-insensitive EPSPS gene, and its control cultivar Mengdou12 (or simply MD12), by a 16S ribosomal RNA gene (16S rDNA) amplicon sequencing-based Illumina MiSeq platform. No statistically significant difference was found in the overall alpha diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial communities, although the species richness and evenness of the bacteria increased in the rhizosphere of N698 compared with that of MD12. Some influence on phylogenetic diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial communities was found between N698 and MD12 by beta diversity analysis based on weighted UniFrac distance. Furthermore, the relative abundances of part rhizosphere bacterial phyla and genera, which included some nitrogen-fixing bacteria, were significantly different between N698 and MD12. Our present results indicate some impact of the glyphosate-tolerant soybean line N698 on the phylogenetic diversity of rhizosphere bacterial communities together with a significant difference in the relative abundances of part rhizosphere bacteria at different classification levels as compared with its control cultivar MD12, when a comparative analysis of surrounding soils between N698 and MD12 was used as a systematic contrast study.

Enhanced Swelling and Mechanical Properties of P(AM-co-SMA) Semi-IPN Composite Hydrogels by Impregnation with PANI and MWNTs-COOH

Zhanqing Liu,Aigang Lu,Zupei Yang,Yan-Ling Luo 한국고분자학회 2013 Macromolecular Research Vol.21 No.4

A novel poly(acrylamide-co-sodium methacrylate)/polyaniline/carboxylfunctionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (P(AM-co-SMA)/PANI/MWCNTs-COOH) composite hydrogels with semi-interpenetrating networks (semi-IPN) was synthesized. Structural and morphological characterizations of the composite hydrogels revealed that a strong compatibility exists between P(AM-co-SMA) and lower PANI/MWNTs-COOH loadings. Measurements of swelling capability for the composite hydrogels indicated that with lower PANI and MWNTs-COOH loading incorporated into the P(AM-co-SMA) network, the composite hydrogels possessed better swelling capability, higher sensitivity to pH environments, good swelling reversibility, higher ultimate compressive strength and good strain recoverable ability. These excellent characteristics may primarily be attributed to effective dispersing of a suitable PANI/MWNTs-COOH loading into the matrix of the polymers, and the formation and weakening or disappearance of a repulsive force based on hydrogen bonds as well as the appearance of attractive forces regarding pole-pole interactions between PANI chains. The composite hydrogels are anticipated to be applied in drug controlled release and issue engineering fields.

Significance and Application of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis for the BI-RADS Classification of Breast Cancer

Cai, Si-Qing,Yan, Jian-Xiang,Chen, Qing-Shi,Huang, Mei-Ling,Cai, Dong-Lu Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.9

Background: Full-field digital mammography (FFDM) with dense breasts has a high rate of missed diagnosis, and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) could reduce organization overlapping and provide more reliable images for BI-RADS classification. This study aims to explore application of COMBO (FFDM+DBT) for effect and significance of BI-RADS classification of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: In this study, we selected 832 patients who had been treated from May 2013 to November 2013. Classify FFDM and COMBO examination according to BI-RADS separately and compare the differences for glands in the image of the same patient in judgment, mass characteristics display and indirect signs. Employ Paired Wilcoxon rank sum test was used in 79 breast cancer patients to find differences between two examine methods. Results: The results indicated that COMBO pattern is able to observe more details in distribution of glands when estimating content. Paired Wilcoxon rank sum test showed that overall classification level of COMBO is higher significantly compared to FFDM to BI-RADS diagnosis and classification of breast (P<0.05). The area under FFDM ROC curve is 0.805, while that is 0.941 in COMBO pattern. COMBO shows relation of mass with the surrounding tissues, the calcification in the mass, and multiple foci clearly in breast cancer tissues. The optimal sensitivity of cut-off value in COMBO pattern is 82.9%, which is higher than that in FFDM (60%). They share the same specificity which is both 93.2%. Conclusions: Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) could be used for the BI-RADS classification in breast cancer in clinical.

Experimental and Numerical Study on Fatigue Behavior of RC Beams Strengthened with U-Shaped Steel Casing

Qingli Lin,Yi-Yan Lu,Ling Hu,Xiaobo Zhao 한국강구조학회 2022 International Journal of Steel Structures Vol.22 No.2

To achieve a rapid and great enhancement in the fl exural performance of reinforced concrete beams, this study proposes a new strengthening method using U-shaped steel casing and focuses on studying the fatigue performance of strengthened beams. In this paper, ten specimens were tested under fatigue loads. Testing results demonstrated that no obvious damage was observed from the strengthened beam after 2 million fatigue cycles compared with the reference beam which failed at 58.97 × 10 4 fatigue cycles, indicating the good joint performance of the U-shaped steel casing and the RC beam. The strengthened beams generally failed by the sudden rupture of the bottom steel plate accompanied by concrete crushing. The mid-span defl ection and material strains all increased rapidly at the beginning, then steadily developed during nearly 80% of the fatigue life, and grew rapidly again after the weld toe cracking until the strengthened beam failed. The fatigue life was signifi cantly extended with the increase of either the height of the steel box or the thickness of the bottom plate, while it was dramatically shortened with the increase in the fatigue load amplitude. To facilitate the use of the outcomes, a simplifi ed formula for predicting the concrete residual strain of strengthened beams was derived. The predicted results matched the experimental ones well. The derived formula is theoretically only applicable to strengthened beams with dimensions same as the specimens in the experimental tests under similar loading conditions. Reasonably good agreements were found between the fi nite element analyses and experimental results. The developed fi nite element model can well simulate the failure mode under static load and the damage evolution under fatigue load. Based on the stress analysis results, the fatigue lives of the strengthened beams were predicted relatively accurately using the Fe-safe software, with the deviations mostly less than 15%.