Effects of habitat fragmentation on the functional diversity of insects in Thousand Island Lake, China

Tian‐Hao Tu,Ji-Rui WANG,Jian-Qiang GU,Tian-Qi LI,Kun LV,Guo-Xin ZHOU,Zhi-Hong XU 한국곤충학회 2019 Entomological Research Vol.49 No.2

Due to habitat fragmentation, the loss of species diversity has been extensively studied. On the contrary, the effects of habitat fragmentation on functional diversity is still poorly understood. In the Thousand Island Lake, we conducted studies of insect functional diversity on a set of 29 isolated islands. We used 10 functional diversity indices from three aspects (functional richness, functional evenness and functional divergence) to respectively describe functional diversity of insects on sample islands. We found the following results: (i) The functional indices selected could reflect the functional diversity of sample islands and it is further proved that in general, three components of functional diversity were independent of each other; (ii) Sample islands could be divided into two categories, island JSD and the remaining islands; (iii) Functional richness increased with island area and shape index, but had no significant correlation with isolation. Likewise, both functional evenness and functional divergence had no significant correlation with island attributes. The conclusion to emphasize from our research is that: (i) habitat fragmentation reduced the biological functional diversity to some extent, further demonstrating the importance of habitat continuity in biodiversity protection; and (ii) for functional diversity protection of insects in a fragmented landscape, an island which has high approximate shape index values of at least hundred hectare magnitude order has a critical promoting effect.

Relationship Between the Prohibitin 3' Untranslated Region C > T Gene Polymorphism and Cancer Susceptibility - Results of a Meta-analysis

Zhou, Tian-Biao,Yin, Sheng-Sheng,Huang, Jian-Jian,Ou, Chao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.7

Objective: The results from the published studies on the association between prohibitin 3' untranslated region C > T gene polymorphism and cancer risk are conflicting. This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship with cancer susceptibility overall, and to explore whether the T allele or TT genotype could become a predictive marker for cancer risk. Methods: Association studies were identified from the databases of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library as of March 1, 2012, and eligible investigations were synthesized using the meta-analysis method. Results were expressed with odds ratios (OR) for dichotomous data, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were also calculated. Results: Six investigations were identified for the analysis of association between the prohibitin 3' untranslated region C > T gene polymorphism and cancer risk, covering of 1,461 patients with cancer and 1,197 controls. There was a positive association between the T allele and cancer susceptibility (OR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.03-1.39, P=0.02), and CC homozygous might play a protective role (OR=0.80, 95% CI: 0.68-6.11, P=0.95). In the sub-group analysis, prohibitin 3' untranslated region C > T gene polymorphism and cancer risk appeared associated with the risk of breast cancer, but not ovarian cancer. Conclusions: Our results indicate that T allele is a significant genetic molecular marker to predict cancer susceptibility and CC genotype is protective, especially for breast cancer. However, more investigations are required to further clarify the association of the prohibitin 3' untranslated region C > T gene polymorphism with cancer susceptibility.

Experimental study on vertically upward steam-water two-phase flow patterns in narrow rectangular channel

Zhou, Jiancheng,Ye, Tianzhou,Zhang, Dalin,Song, Gongle,Sun, Rulei,Deng, Jian,Tian, Wenxi,Su, G.H.,Qiu, Suizheng Korean Nuclear Society 2021 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.53 No.1

Experiments of vertically upward steam-water two-phase flow have been carried out in single-side heated narrow rectangular channel with a gap of 3 mm. Flow patterns were identified and classified through visualization directly. Slug flow was only observed at 0.2 MPa but replaced by block-bubble flow at 1.0 MPa. Flow pattern maps at the pressure of 0.2 MPa and 1.0 MPa were plotted and the difference was analyzed. The experimental data has been compared with other flow pattern maps and transition criteria. The results show reasonable agreement with Hosler's, while a wide discrepancy is observed when compared with air-water two-phase experimental data. Current criteria developed based on air-water experiments poorly predict bubble-slug flow transition due to the different formation and growth of bubbles. This work is significant for researches on heat transfer, bubble dynamics and flow instability.

Interoperative Radiotherapy of Seventy-two Cases of Early Breast Cancer Patients During Breast-conserving Surgery

Zhou, Shi-Fu,Shi, Wei-Feng,Meng, Dong,Sun, Chun-Lei,Jin, Jian-Rong,Zhao, Yu-Tian Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.4

Objective: To evaluate interoperative radiotherapy after breast conservative surgery in early breast cancer patients in terms of postoperative complications, cosmetic outcome and recurrence events. Methods: From June 2007 to Dec 2011, 143 early breast cancer patients received breast conservative surgery. Seventy-two (study group) received interoperative radiotherapy, compared with 71 patients (control group) given routine radiotherapy. Postoperative complications were evaluated 1 month after surgery; cosmetic outcome was evaluated 1 year postoperatively; recurrence and death events were followed up. Results: The average wound healing time was 13~22 d in the study group and 9~14 d in the control group. In the study group, 2 patients developed lyponecrosis, 16 patients showed wound edema while no such side effects were found in the control group. No infection or hematomas were found in either group. In the study group (59 cases), overall cosmetic outcome in 53 patients was graded as excellent or good, and in 6 as fair or poor. Meanwhile in the control group (56 cases), 42 patients were graded as excellent or good, and 14 as fair or poor (P=0.032). After a follow-up from 3 to 54 months (median: 32 months), two patients (2.78%) in study group developed local relapses, one of them (1.39%) died, 2 patients (2.78%) developed bone metastases. In control group, one patient (1.41%) developed local relapse, 2 patients (2.82%) developed bone metastases, and no one died. Conclusion: Intraoperative radiotherapy is safe and reliable with good cosmetic outcome.

Isovitexin Protects Mice from Methicillin- Resistant Staphylococcus aureus-Induced Pneumonia by Targeting Sortase A

( Lili Tian ),( Xinliang Wu ),( Hangqian Yu ),( Fengying Yang ),( Jian Sun ),( Tiezhong Zhou ),( Hong Jiang ) 한국미생물생명공학회 2022 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.32 No.10

The rise of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality, and clinical treatment of MRSA infections has become extremely difficult. Sortase A (SrtA), a virulence determinant that anchors numerous virulence-related proteins to the cell wall, is a prime druggable target against S. aureus infection due to its crucial role in the pathogenicity of S. aureus. Here, we demonstrate that isovitexin, an active ingredient derived from a variety of traditional Chinese medicines, can reversibly inhibit SrtA activity in vitro with a low dose (IC₅₀=24.72 μg/ml). Fluorescence quenching and molecular simulations proved the interaction between isovitexin and SrtA. Subsequent point mutation experiments further confirmed that the critical amino acid positions for SrtA binding to isovitexin were Ala-92, Ile-182, and Trp-197. In addition, isovitexin treatment dramatically reduced S. aureus invasion of A549 cells. This study shows that treatment with isovitexin could alleviate pathological injury and prolong the life span of mice in an S. aureus pneumonia model. According to our research, isovitexin represents a promising lead molecule for the creation of anti-S. aureus medicines or adjuncts.

Differential metabolism of juvenile hormone III between diapause and non-diapause of Aspongopus chinensis Dallas (Hemiptera: Dinidoridae) revealed by transcriptome sequencing

Wu Youfang,Tian Ying,Tan Jun,Zhao Shuai,Zhou Wenzhen,Luo Rui,Guo Jian-Jun 한국응용곤충학회 2021 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.24 No.2

Aspongopus chinensis Dallas, 1851 is an important insect resource with a long utilization history as traditional Chinese medicine and food owing to its various health benefits, including anti-cancer, anti-bacteria, and anticlotting properties. However, the long period of reproductive diapause during the overwintering stage has limited the broad utilization and artificial cultivation of A. chinensis. Diapause is largely regulated by juvenile hormones. Therefore, understanding the relationship between juvenile hormone metabolism and A. chinensis diapause may provide useful insight for developing genetic engineering strategies to regulate diapause. We identified differentially expressed genes in diapause and non-diapause adults of A. chinensis by transcriptome sequencing. A total of 336,230,260 clean reads were assembled into 80,769 unigenes. Overall, 3,524 differen tially expressed genes were identified, including 2,174 down-regulated and 1,350 up-regulated genes in diapause adults. Among these differentially expressed genes, 22 were significantly enriched in the JH III metabolismrelated pathway based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis. These results provide insight into the molecular-level mechanism of diapause regulation and highlight new targets for preventing diapause to improve A. chinensis cultivation and productivity.

Research Paper : Pattern afPatterns of defoliation and their effect on the plant growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Ipomoea cairicaz

( Wei Hua Li ),( Jian Ning Luo ),( Xing Shan Tian ),( Chan Glian Peng ),( Xianye Zhou ) 한국잡초학회 2012 Weed Biology and Management Vol.12 No.1

In order to determine the susceptibility of Ipomoea cairica to herbivory, the compensatory growth and photosynthetic characteristics of I. cairica plants were measured after simulated herbivory by leaf trimming in three patterns: leaf-apex removal, leaf-edge removal, and perforation. The leaf-edge removal resulted in a significantly reduced total biomass and root biomass of the plants, but the leaf-apex removal and perforation had no significant influence on the plant growth. The defoliation patterns had significant effects on the photosynthesis of I. cairica. The net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of the plants whose leaf edges had been removed were the highest among the three defoliation patterns and the fraction of absorbed light that is used in Photosystem II photochemistry increased greatly, while the fraction of light energy that is dissipated thermally decreased. The increased photosynthetic rate as a result of the leaf-edge removal treatment could be attributed to a decrease in stomatal limitation and an increase in the Rubisco content, as well as higher photosynthetic efficiency and less light energy being dissipated as heat. Increased photosynthesis in the plants whose leaf edges had been removed changed the carbon allocation and resulted in less root development. As the expansion of I. cairica primarily depends on clonal growth, smaller roots could limit its uptake of nutrients from the soil. These direct and indirect effects indicate that leaf-edgefeeding herbivores could have potential in the biological control of I. cairica.

Meta-analysis of Gene Expression Data Identifies Causal Genes for Prostate Cancer

Wang, Xiang-Yang,Hao, Jian-Wei,Zhou, Rui-Jin,Zhang, Xiang-Sheng,Yan, Tian-Zhong,Ding, De-Gang,Shan, Lei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.1

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of death in male populations across the globe. With the advent of gene expression arrays, many microarray studies have been conducted in prostate cancer, but the results have varied across different studies. To better understand the genetic and biologic mechanisms of prostate cancer, we conducted a meta-analysis of two studies on prostate cancer. Eight key genes were identified to be differentially expressed with progression. After gene co-expression analysis based on data from the GEO database, we obtained a co-expressed gene list which included 725 genes. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that these genes are involved in actin filament-based processes, locomotion and cell morphogenesis. Further analysis of the gene list should provide important clues for developing new prognostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Konjac Glucomannan Derived Carbon Aerogels for Multifunctional Applications

Jie Lian,Jiwei Li,Liang Wang,Ru Cheng,Xiuquan Tian,Xue Li,Jian Zhou,Tao Duan,Wenkun Zhu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2018 NANO Vol.13 No.10

Environmental and energy issues have always been a hot topic of global research. Oil leakage has caused great damage to the environment, affecting a wide area and it is difficult to clean up. In most cases, carbon-based adsorbents are typically utilized to remove oil spills because of their economic benefits and high adsorbent efficiency. At the same time, its excellent material properties can also be used for the preparation of supercapacitors. In this paper, the carbon aerogels were prepared by the one-step method. The prepared materials endowed a 3D network structure with a huge number of micropores and mesoporous, and the material is light-weight, stable, hydrophobic and has affinity for oil (17.02 g/g) to the KGM carbon aerogel. Through the physicchemical characterization, the KGM carbon aerogel shows specific surface area is 689m2/g, high water contact angle (136.64°) and excellent reusability (more than 15 cycle times). In addition, we also discussed the electrochemical properties of the material and obtained the specific electrical capacity of 139 F/g under the condition of 1 A/g.

454 Pyrosequencing Analysis of Bacterial Diversity Revealed by a Comparative Study of Soils from Mining Subsidence and Reclamation Areas

( Yuan Yuan Li ),( Long Qian Chen ),( Hong Yu Wen ),( Tian Jian Zhou ),( Ting Zhang ),( Xia Li Gao ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.3

Significant alteration in the microbial community can occur across reclamation areas suffering subsidence from mining. A reclamation site undergoing fertilization practices and an adjacent coal-excavated subsidence site (sites A and B, respectively) were examined to characterize the bacterial diversity using 454 high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing. The dominant taxonomic groups in both the sites were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Betaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Firmicutes. However, the bacterial communities` abundance, diversity, and composition differed significantly between the sites. Site A presented higher bacterial diversity and more complex community structures than site B. The majority of sequences related to Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Chloroflexi, Nitrospirae, Firmicutes, Betaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, and Anaerolineae were from site A; whereas those related to Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Gammaproteobacteria, Nitriliruptoria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Phycisphaerae originated from site B. The distribution of some bacterial groups and subgroups in the two sites correlated with soil properties and vegetation due to reclamation practice. Site A exhibited enriched bacterial community, soil organic matter (SOM), and total nitrogen (TN), suggesting the presence of relatively diverse microorganisms. SOM and TN were important factors shaping the underlying microbial communities. Furthermore, the specific plant functional group (legumes) was also an important factor influencing soil microbial community composition. Thus, the effectiveness of 454 pyrosequencing in analyzing soil bacterial diversity was validated and an association between land ecological system restoration, mostly mediated by microbial communities, and an improvement in soil properties in coalmining reclamation areas was suggested.