Asn124 of Cel5A from Hypocrea jecorina not only provides the N-glycosylation site but is also essential in maintaining enzymatic activity

( Yu Qi Qin ),( Yin Bo Qu ) 생화학분자생물학회 2014 BMB Reports Vol.47 No.5

To investigate the function of N-glycosylation of Cel5A(endoglucanase II) from Hypocrea jecorina, two N-glycosylationsite deletion Cel5A mutants (rN124D and rN124H) wereexpressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The weights of theserecombinant mutants were 54 kDa, which were lower than thatof rCel5A. This result was expected to be attributed todeglycosylation. The enzyme activity of rN124H was greatlyreduced to 60.6% compared with rCel5A, whereas rN124Dshowed slightly lower activity (10%) than that of rCel5A. rN124Dand rN124H showed different thermal stabilities compared withthe glycosylated rCel5A, especially at lower pH value. Thermalstabilities were reduced and improved for rN124D and rN124H,respectively. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that themodification of secondary structure by mutation may be thereason for the change in enzymatic activity and thermal stability.[BMB Reports 2014; 47(5): 256-261]

Polyaniline-modified graphitic carbon nitride as electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors

Qin Xin,Wan Jianbo,Zhang Qi,Zhang Yongjie,Yu Huangzhong,Shi Shengwei 한국탄소학회 2023 Carbon Letters Vol.33 No.3

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has attracted extensive attention in energy storage due to its suitable and tunable bandgap, high chemical/thermal stability, earth abundance and environmental friendliness. However, its conductivity should be improved to work as the electrode materials in supercapacitors. In this report, we have prepared a two-dimensional composite (CN-PANI) based on g-C3N4 and polyaniline (PANI) by in-situ polymerization, which can be efficiently applied as electrode material for supercapacitors. The introduction of PANI can increase the conductivity of the electrode, and the porous structure of g-C3N4 can provide enough channels for the transport of electrolyte ions and improve the electrode stability. As a result, the obtained CN-PANI demonstrates excellent specific capacitance (234.0 F g−1 at 5 mV/s), good rate performance and high cycling stability (86.2% after 10,000 cycles at 50 mV/s), showing great potential for high-rate supercapacitors.

Effects of the Charge Ions Strength on the Swelling of Organic–Inorganic Nanogels

Qin Yu,Xiangguo Lu,Jing Wang,Qi Guo,Liwei Niu 대한화학회 2016 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.37 No.7

The swelling behavior and swelling mechanism of hydrogels can be greatly affected by the charge strength of ions in them. To investigate such effects, we prepared two gels: a carboxylic acid gel (CAG) and a poly(2-acrylamide–methyl propane sulfonic acid) gel (SAG) based on starchy polyacrylamide (PAM) nanocomposite gels, both with montmorillonite, which underwent in situ intercalation, and used them as probes in swelling experiments. The equilibrium swelling rates (ESRs) of the hydrogels in both salt water and acidic water strongly depended on the charge strength of the ions in the chains. SAG had a higher ESR than CAG at the same mole ratio of polymer/water, which is attributed to the greater electrostatic repulsion between the strong electrolyte ions of SAG. Both water salinity and hydrogen ion contact of the hydrogels weakened ESR with the enhancement of charge ionic strength. The downward trend of ESR with increasing concentration of salt or hydrogen ions became weaker in SAG compared to CAG, which is attributed to the shielding and deprotonation effects of the strong electrolyte ions. Regarding the swelling mechanism, the chain relaxation occurred in neutral and acidic solutions for SAG and in neutral and weak acidic solutions for CAG, but water diffusion dominated in strong acidic solutions for CAG, leading to different swelling behaviors.

Factors for Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in Early Colorectal Neoplasms: A Single Center Clinical Experience in China

Yu-Qi He,Xin Wang,Lang Yang,Jian Zhang,Qian Kang,Shan Tang,Peng Jin,Jian-Qiu Sheng,Ai-Qin Li 대한소화기내시경학회 2015 Clinical Endoscopy Vol.48 No.5

Background/Aims: Early colorectal (CR) neoplasm can be cured by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), but clinical experience and factors associated with complications from ESD for CR neoplasms in China have not been reported . Methods: Seventy-eight cases of early CR neoplasm treated with endoscopic resection performed between December 2012 and December 2013 at Beijing Military General Hospital were included. Factors associated with ESD complications and procedure times were evaluated. Results: The en bloc resection rate was 88.5% (69/78), tumor size was 32.1±10.7 mm, and procedure time was 71.8±49.5 minutes. The major complication was perforation, which occurred in 8.97% of the ESD procedures. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that only tumor size (p=0.022) was associated with ESD perforation. Tumor size (p<0.001) and the non-lifting sign (p=0.017) were independent factors for procedure time, and procedure time (p=0.016) was a key factor for en bloc resection. After a median 10 months (range, 4 to 16) of follow-up, no patients had local recurrence. Conclusions: This study indicated that ESD is an applicable method for large early CR neoplasm in the colon and rectum. Tumor size and the non-lifting sign might be considerable factors for increased complication rate and procedural time of ESD.

Pretreatment Thrombocytosis as a Prognostic Factor in Women with Gynecologic Malignancies: a Meta-analysis

Yu, Min,Liu, Lei,Zhang, Bing-Lan,Chen, Qi,Ma, Xue-Lei,Wu, Yu-Ke,Liang, Chun-Shui,Niu, Zhi-Min,Qin, Xin,Niu, Ting Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.12

Background: This study was performed to analyze the prognostic implications of pretreatment or preoperative thrombocytosis in women with gynecologic malignancies. Material and Methods: We surveyed 2 medical databases, PubMed and EMBASE, to identified all relevant studies. A total of 14 (n=3,490) that evaluated the link between thrombocytosis and 5-year survival were included. REVMAN version 5.1 was used for our analysis and publication bias was evaluated using the Begg's funnel plot and tested by STATA 11.0. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) generated by the random effect model were used to assess the strength of any association. Results: 709(20.3%) of the 3,490 patients exhibited thrombocytosis (platelet counts > $400{\times}10^9/L$) at primary diagnosis, and their mortality was 1.62-fold higher compared with the others (RR=1.62, 95%CI=[1.28-2.05], p<0.0001). Thrombocytosis failed to have a stronger effect on the survival of advanced patients of stages III to IV in our study (n=478, RR=1.29, 95% CI=[1.13-1.48], p=0.0003), nor in women with cervical cancer in stage IB (n=1371, RR=1.73, 95% CI=[1.71-2.58], p=0.007). In addition, when adjusted for different carcinoma, it was associated with worse prognosis for all except the ones with vulvar cancer (n=201, RR=0.43, 95% CI=[0.14-1.29], p=0.13). Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicated that thrombocytosis might be associated with a worse prognosis for patients with gynecologic malignancies but without specificity or sensitivity for the ones in advanced stage. When adjusted for different gynecologic malignancies, it showed a significant effect on survival of all except vulvar cancers.

Roles of E-Cadherin (CDH1) Genetic Variations in Cancer Risk: a Meta-analysis

Deng, Qi-Wen,He, Bang-Shun,Pan, Yu-Qin,Sun, Hui-Ling,Xu, Ye-Qiong,Gao, Tian-Yi,Li, Rui,Song, Guo-Qi,Wang, Shu-Kui Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.8

E-Cadherin (CDH1) genetic variations may be involved in invasion and metastasis of various cancers by altering gene transcriptional activity of epithelial cells. However, published studies on the association of CDH1 gene polymorphisms and cancer risk remain contradictory, owing to differences in living habits and genetic backgrounds. To derive a more better and comprehensive conclusion, the present meta-analysis was performed including 57 eligible studies of the association between polymorphisms of CDH1 gene promoter -160 C>A, -347 G>GA and 3'-UTR +54 C>T and cancer risk. Results showed that these three polymorphisms of CDH1 were significantly associated with cancer risk. For -160 C>A polymorphism, -160A allele carriers (CA and CA+AA) had an increased risk of cancer compared with the homozygotes (CC), and the similar result was discovered for the -160A allele in the overall analyses. In the subgroup analyses, obvious elevated risk was found with -160A allele carriers (AA, CA, CA+AA and A allele) for prostate cancer, while a decreased colorectal cancer risk was shown with the AA genotype. For the -347 G>GA polymorphism, the GAGA genotype was associated with increased cancer risk in the overall analysis with homozygous and recessive models. In addition, results of subgroup analysis indicated that the elevated risks were observed in colorectal cancer and Asian descendants. For +54 C>T polymorphism, a decreased risk of cancer was found in heterozygous, dominant and allele models. Moreover, +54T allele carriers (CT, CT+TT genotype and T allele) showed a potential protective factor in gastric cancer and Asian descendants.

Lack of Association Between CYP1A1 Polymorphisms and Risk of Bladder Cancer: a Meta-analysis

Lu, Yu,Zhang, Xiao-Lian,Xie, Li,Li, Tai-Jie,He, Yu,Peng, Qi-Liu,Deng, Yan,Wang, Jian,Qin, Xue,Li, Shan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.9

Background: The effects of CYP1A1 gene polymorphisms on the risk of bladder cancer (BC) remain controversial. We carried out a meta-analysis to clarify the role of CYP1A1 gene polymorphisms in BC. Material and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted up to November 20, 2013. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the strength of the association. Meta-regression, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis and publication bias were also performed. Results: Eight studies involving 1,059 BC cases and 1,061 controls were included. The meta-analysis showed that there was no significant association between the two common mutations of CYP1A1 and BC risk. For the I1e462Val A/G polymorphism with GG vs. AA the OR was 1.47 (95 % CI= 0.70-3.07, P =0.308). For the MspI T/C polymorphism, though a slight trend was found this was not statistically nonsignificant (CC vs.TT, OR = 1.24, 95 % CI= 0.98-1.58, P =0.078). Subgroup analyses by ethnicity also found no obvious association between CYP1A1 and BC risk. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis suggests that CYP1A1 polymorphism is not associated with bladder cancer risk.

Experimentally Validated Geometry Modification Simulation for Improving Noise Performance of CVT Gearbox for Vehicles

Zhen Qin,Qi Zhang,Yu-Ting Wu,Amre Eizad,류성기 한국정밀공학회 2019 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.20 No.11

Noise pollution has become one the most important environmental issues in modern life. The automobile, a product of the second industrial revolution, has a very large sales volume of approximately 100 million per year. With the popularity of automobiles, the noise generated by them has become a major cause of noise pollution. This paper presents an experimentally validated geometry optimization method for reducing the noise by a CVT gearbox used in motor vehicles. We used the CAE software RomaxDESIGNER to simulate the transmission error and the load distribution on meshing gear tooth surfaces before and after gearbox optimization. After determining the best modification values, we carried out a series of noise bench comparison tests to verify the simulation results. The test results confirmed that the optimization reduced the fluctuation in noise that occurred during certain speed stages of the gearbox. Due to the optimization, the overall noise level decreased and the noise curve became smoother.

miR-1246 inhibits NFATc1 phosphorylation and regulates Th17 cell activation in the pathogenesis of severe alopecia areata

Si-si Qi,Ying Miao,You-yu Sheng,Rui-ming Hu,Jun Zhao,Qin-ping Yang 대한피부과학회 2023 Annals of Dermatology Vol.35 No.1

Background: We found microRNA (miR)-1246 to be significantly differentially expressedbetween severe active alopecia areata (AA) patients and healthy individuals. Objective: To explore the role and mechanism of miR-1246 in severe AA. Methods: Expression of miR-1246, dual-specific tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase1A (DYRK1A), and nuclear factor of activated T cells 1c (NFATc1) in peripheral CD4+ Tcells and in scalp tissues of patients were detected using RT-qPCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistryassays. Peripheral CD4+ T cells from the AA patients were transfectedwith lentiviral vectors overexpressing miR-1246. RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis wereused to measure mRNA or protein expression of retinoic-acid-receptor-related orphan nuclearreceptor gamma (ROR-γt), interleukin (IL)-17, DYRK1A, NFATc1, and phosphorylatedNFATc1. Flow cytometry was used to assay the CD4+IL-17+ cells proportion. ELISA wasused to measure cytokine levels. Results: miR-1246 levels decreased and DYRK1A and NFATc1 mRNA levels significantlyincreased in the peripheral CD4+ T cells and scalp tissues of severe active AA samples. NFATc1 protein expression was also significantly increased in the peripheral CD4+ T cellsbut not in the scalp tissues. NFATc1 positive cells were mainly distributed among infiltratinginflammatory cells around hair follicles. In peripheral CD4+ T cells of severe active AA,overexpression of miR-1246 resulted in significant downregulation of DYRK1A, NFATc1,ROR-γt, and IL-17 mRNA and phosphorylated NFATc1 protein, as well as a decrease in theCD4+IL-17+ cells proportion and the IL-17F level. Conclusion: miR-1246 can inhibit NFAT signaling and Th17 cell activation, which may bebeneficial in the severe AA treatment.

Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous Urapidil for Older Hypertensive Patients with Acute Heart Failure: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Wei Yang,Qi Hua,Yu-Jie Zhou,Yan Fu,Jian Qin,Shu Qin,Xiao-Min Chen,Jin-Cheng Guo,De-Zhao Wang,Hong Zhan,Jing Li,Jing-Yu He 연세대학교의과대학 2017 Yonsei medical journal Vol.58 No.1

Purpose: Urapidil is putatively effective for patients with hypertension and acute heart failure, although randomized controlled trials thereon are lacking. We investigated the efficacy and safety of intravenous urapidil relative to that of nitroglycerin in older patients with hypertension and heart failure in a randomized controlled trial. Materials and Methods: Patients (>60 y) with hypertension and heart failure were randomly assigned to receive intravenous urapidil (n=89) or nitroglycerin (n=91) for 7 days. Hemodynamic parameters, cardiac function, and safety outcomes were compared. Results: Patients in the urapidil group had significantly lower mean systolic blood pressure (110.1±6.5 mm Hg) than those given nitroglycerin (126.4±8.1 mm Hg, p=0.022), without changes in heart rate. Urapidil was associated with improved cardiac function as reflected by lower N terminal-pro B type natriuretic peptide after 7 days (3311.4±546.1 ng/mL vs. 4879.1±325.7 ng/mL, p=0.027) and improved left ventricular ejection fraction (62.2±3.4% vs. 51.0±2.4%, p=0.032). Patients given urapidil had fewer associatedadverse events, specifically headache (p=0.025) and tachycardia (p=0.004). The one-month rehospitalization and all-cause mortality rates were similar. Conclusion: Intravenous administration of urapidil, compared with nitroglycerin, was associated with better control of blood pressure and preserved cardiac function, as well as fewer adverse events, for elderly patients with hypertension and acute heart failure.