ZNF552, a novel human KRAB/C2H2 zinc finger protein, inhibits AP-1- and SRE-mediated transcriptional activity

( Yun Deng ),( Bi Sheng Liu ),( Xiong Wei Fan ),( Yue Qun Wang ),( Ming Tang ),( Xiao Yang Mo ),( Yong Qing Li ),( Zao Chu Ying ),( Yong Qi Wan ),( Na Luo ),( Jun Mei Zhou ),( Xiu Shan Wu ),( Wu Zhou 한국생화학분자생물학회 (구 한국생화학회) 2010 BMB Reports Vol.43 No.3

In this study, we report the identification and characterization of a novel C2H2 zinc finger protein, ZNF552, from a human embryonic heart cDNA library. ZNF552 is composed of three exons and two introns and maps to chromosome 19q13.43. The cDNA of ZNF552 is 2.3 kb, encoding 407 amino acids with an amino-terminal KRAB domain and seven carboxyl-terminal C2H2 zinc finger motifs in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Northern blotting analysis indicated that a 2.3 kb transcript specific for ZNF552 was expressed in liver, lung, spleen, testis and kidney, especially with a higher level in the lung and testis in human adult tissues. Reporter gene assays showed that ZNF552 was a transcriptional repressor, and overexpression of ZNF552 in the COS-7 cells inhibited the transcriptional activities of AP-1 and SRE, which could be relieved through RNAi analysis. Deletion studies showed that the KRAB domain of ZNF552 may be involved in this inhibition. [BMB reports 2010; 43(3): 193-198]

Growth of InGaN Films on c-plane Sapphire Substrates with an AlN Nucleation Layer by Using Metal-organic Chemical-Vapor Deposition

Dang-Hui Wang,Sheng-Rui Xu,Jin-Cheng Zhang,Ke Chen,Zhi-Wei Bi,Lin-Xia Zhang,Fan-Na Meng,Shan Ai,Yue Hao 한국물리학회 2012 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.61 No.4

In this study, we report on the crystal quality of InGaN epifilms with different indium fractions grown at different growth temperatures on c-plane sapphire substrates with an AlN nucleation layer by using low-pressure metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD). High-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), atom force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence (PL) and Raman scattering measurements were employed to study the crystal quality, optical properties and strain condition of InGaN epifilms with increasing indium fraction (from 4.36% to 15.36%). Results show that InGaN epitaxial layers can be realized with a higher indium fraction at a lower temperature by inserting an AlN nucleation layer between the sapphire substrate and the GaN buffer layer and that the obtained InGaN epifilms have an improved crystal quality and a lower threading dislocation density.

Exogenous hydrogen sulfide improves chilling tolerance by regulating hydrogen peroxide production in cucumber seedlings

Wu Guoxiu,Li Shengli,Dong Yaoxin,Bi Huangai,Ai Xizhen 한국원예학회 2022 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.63 No.5

Hydrogen sulfi de (H 2 S) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) play signifi cant roles as signaling molecules in multiple physiological activities. However, the mechanism and relationship between H 2 S and H 2 O 2 in regulating chilling tolerance remain unclear. This study found that chilling stress induced both endogenous H 2 S and H 2 O 2 systems in cucumber seedlings. Exogenous NaHS (an H 2 S donor) treatment notably strengthened the mRNA abundance of respiratory burst oxidase homolog ( RBOH ), contributing to endogenous H 2 O 2 accumulation. However, H 2 O 2 had little eff ect on mRNA abundances and activities of L-/D-cysteine desulfhydrase (L/DCD), and endogenous H 2 S levels. NaHS and H 2 O 2 increased chilling tolerance in cucumber seedlings, as shown by decreased electrolyte leakage (EL), chilling injury indexes, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malonaldehyde (MDA) content, and improved activities and expression levels of antioxidant enzymes as well as glutathion (GSH) and ascorbic acid (AsA) contents. Additionally, the photosynthetic rates (Pn), actual photochemical effi ciency (φPSII), maximum photochemical effi ciency (Fv/Fm), and mRNA abundances and activities of Calvin cycle enzymes (Rubisco, SBPase, FBA, and TK) were induced by NaHS and H 2 O 2 . Interestingly, the H 2 S-induced chilling tolerance was suppressed by dimethylthiourea (DMTU, an H 2 O 2 scavenger). The results illustrated that H 2 S repressed the negative eff ects of chilling stress by improving photosynthesis and alleviating oxidative damage, and H 2 O 2 may be a downstream signaling molecule in this process.

Effect of Polymer Molecular Weight on Morphology and Charge Transport of Small‑Molecular Organic Semiconductors

Zhengran He,Ziyang Zhang,Sheng Bi,Jihua Chen 대한금속·재료학회 2020 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.16 No.5

The utilization of polymer additives provides an intriguing pathway to tune the electrical performance of solution-grown,small-molecular organic semiconductors. In this study, we report the effect of different polymer molecular weight on thecrystal growth, phase segregation and charge transport of the organic semiconductors. A semicrystalline polymer additivepolyethylene oxide (PEO) with 8000 and 100 K molecular weight was blended with a well-known organic semiconductor6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS pentacene). Distinctively different thin film morphology of the resultantTIPS pentacene/PEO blend film was identified and quantitatively characterized. In particular, PEO with a higher molecularweight of 100 K exerted a stronger effect on enhancing film formation, crystal coverage and likely mechanical properties,whereas PEO with an 8000 molecular weight yielded more superior crystal alignment and larger crystal sizes. Bottom-gate,top-contact TIPS pentacene/PEO OTFTs were fabricated to test the charge transport, which indicated loading the PEOpolymer with molecular weight of 8000 demonstrated a five-fold enhancement in the extracted hole mobilities as comparedto the 100 K counterpart. This work of using polymer additives with different molecular weight can be used to tune thecrystallization of other solution-processed high-mobility small-molecular organic semiconductors.

Large-Dimensional Organic Semiconductor Crystals with Poly(butyl acrylate) Polymer for Solution-Processed Organic Thin Film Transistors

Yeqing Sun,Ziyang Zhang,Kyeiwaa Asare‑Yeboah,Sheng Bi,Zhengran He 대한금속·재료학회 2021 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.17 No.1

Despite solution processed organic semiconductors have attracted much research attention, the randomized crystallizationand large prevalence of grain boundary remain as a challenge to realize high performance organic electronic applications. In this work, we report the incorporation of poly(butyl acrylate) polymer additive with organic semiconductors with themediation of a solvent vapor annealing method in order to modify the nucleation and crystal growth process. As 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS pentacene) was experimented as a benchmark semiconductor, we demonstratedthat the TIPS pentacene/poly(butyl acrylate) mixture exhibits rigidly aligned crystals, large grain width and improved arealcoverage. In particular, thin film morphological characterization indicated a substantial reduction in misorientation angle byapproximately two orders of magnitude as well as a 5-fold enlargement of grain width. A grain boundary model is proposedas a theoretic basis to understand the connection between grain width and hole mobility. Bottom-gate, top-contact thin filmtransistors based on TIPS pentacene/poly(butyl acrylate) blends demonstrated enhanced hole mobility of up to 0.11 cm2/Vs.

miR-148b-3p, miR-190b, and miR-429 Regulate Cell Progression and Act as Potential Biomarkers for Breast Cancer

Wenzhu Dai,Jixiang He,Ling Zheng,Mingyu Bi,Fei Hu,Minju Chen,Heng Niu,Jingyu Yang,Ying Luo,Wenru Tang,Miaomiao Sheng 한국유방암학회 2019 Journal of breast cancer Vol.22 No.2

Purpose: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in women worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are thought to serve as potential biomarkers in various cancers, including breast cancer. Methods: We evaluated the miRNA expression profiles in 1,083 breast cancer samples and 104 normal breast tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. We used the edgeR package of R software to analyze the differentially expressed miRNAs in normal and cancer tissues, and screened survival-related miRNAs by Kaplan-Meier analysis. A receiver operating characteristic curve was generated to evaluate the accuracy of these miRNAs as molecular markers for breast cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, the functional role of these miRNAs was verified using cell experiments. Targets of candidate miRNAs were predicted using 9 online databases, and Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and pathway analyses were conducted using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery online tool. Results: A total of 68 miRNAs showed significantly different expression patterns between the groups (p < 0.001), and 13 of these miRNAs were significantly associated with poor survival (p < 0.05). Three miRNAs with high specificity and sensitivity, namely, miR-148b-3p, miR-190b, and miR-429, were selected. In vitro experiments showed that the overexpression of these 3 miRNAs significantly promoted the proliferation and migration of MDA-MB-468 and T47D cells and reduced the apoptosis of T47D cells. GO and pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the targets of these dysregulated miRNAs were involved in many critical cancer-related biological processes and pathways. Conclusion: The miR-148b-3p, miR-190b, and miR-429 may serve as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers for breast cancer. This study demonstrated the roles of these 3 miRNAs in the initiation and progression of breast cancer.

Crystal growth of small-molecule organic semiconductors with nucleation additive

He Zhengran,Zhang Ziyang,Asare-Yeboah Kyeiwaa,Bi Sheng,Chen Jihua,Li Dawen 한국물리학회 2021 Current Applied Physics Vol.21 No.-

In this study, we employ a nucleation additive 4-octylbenzoic acid (OBA) with an optimized solvent evaporation method to regulate crystal orientation and grain width of small-molecule organic semiconductors. When 6,13-bis (triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS pentacene) was utilized as a benchmark material to mix with the additive, a self-assembled OBA interfacial layer was formed and promoted uniform deposition of nucleation seeds. As a result, the TIPS pentacene/OBA blend crystalline film exhibited crystal alignment in long range order, attributing to a 11-fold reduction of the crystal misorientation angle and a 4-fold increase of the grain width. We further discussed the important correlation between the effective hole mobility, grain boundaries, grain width and length, and nucleation sites. Organic thin film transistors were fabricated to test charge transport, yielding a hole mobility of up to 0.17 cm2/V. This work provides a new pathway to modulate the nucleation and crystallization events of organic semiconductors, and can potentially be applied to optimize the thin film morphology and electrical performance of organic semiconducting materials in general.

Solvent Exchange in Controlling Semiconductor Morphology

Zhengran He,Ziyang Zhang,Kyeiwaa Asare-Yeboah,Sheng Bi 대한금속·재료학회 2022 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.18 No.6

Recent studies in solution processed, small molecular organic semiconductors have reported unparalleled advances in charge carrier mobilities, warranting promising application in organic electronic devices such as organic gas sensors and complimentary circuits. However, the in-solution crystallization of small molecular organic semiconductors has presented specific challenges including crystal misorientation, grain boundary and mobility variation. In this article, we first discuss the effects of these issues on charge transport and highlight the virtues of solvent choices to optimize the semiconductor morphology. Then, we conduct an in-depth review of the miscellaneous solvent exchange methods to effectively palliate these challenges. By discussing various benchmark semiconductor materials such as 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS pentacene) and perylenetetracarboxyldiimide derivatives (PTCDI-Cn), we demonstrate the solvent exchange-based crystallization methods can modulate supramolecular aggregation, promote nucleation formation, improve semiconductor alignment, change crystal dimensionality, and enhance charge transport. We believe this work provides useful comprehension of employing the solvent exchange methods to powerfully regulate the crystallization, morphology and mobility of organic semiconductors, and thereby casts light on high performance organic electronic applications.

Stigma and Efficacy of Zhizhu Kuanzhong Capsules Versus Doxepin in the Treatment of Refractory Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Qian-Qian Wang,Li Cheng,Bi-Yu Wu,Hong-Yi Qiu,Ping Xu,Bo Wang,Xiu-Juan Yan,Sheng-Liang Chen 대한소화기 기능성질환∙운동학회 2023 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.29 No.3

Background/AimsStigma related with antidepressants is prevalent in patients with functional dyspepsia. It affects medication compliance and efficacy. Herbal medicine acquired a deep-rooted cultural identity in relieving dyspeptic symptoms in Asians. The research was designed to compare the effectiveness of Zhizhu Kuanzhong capsules (ZZKZ) versus doxepin hydrochloride (doxepin) on alleviating stigma and medication nonadherence among patients with refractory FD (rFD). MethodsPatients with rFD from February 2021 to February 2022 were randomly allocated to receive either doxepin (n = 56) or ZZKZ (n = 57) combined with omeprazole for 4 weeks. Medication possession ratio (MPR), the disease- and medication-associated stigma were analyzed. The scales were utilized to assess dyspeptic symptoms (Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire) and psychological conditions (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire and Patient Health Questionnaire). ResultsThe MPR values for ZZKZ were significantly higher than those for doxepin (P < 0.001). The stigma scores decreased in ZZKZ group while increased in doxepin group compared to baseline after treatment. The proportion of patients showing ZZKZ-associated stigma was significantly lower than doxepin-associated stigma (P < 0.001). The MPR values were negatively correlated with post-treatment stigma scores in both groups (P < 0.001). Dyspeptic symptoms and psychological condition were improved in both groups after treatment, with no significant difference on post-treatment Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, or Patient Health Questionnaire scores between 2 groups. ConclusionZZKZ is superior to doxepin in alleviating stigma and medication non-adherence, with comparable efficacy in improving dyspeptic symptoms and psychological condition of patients with rFD.

Performance of Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen Versus Hepatitis B Surface Antigen and Hepatitis B Virus DNA in Predicting HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative Chronic Hepatitis

Zhan-qing Zhang,Yan-bing Wang,,Wei Lu,,Dan-ping Liu,,Bi-sheng Shi,,Xiao-nan Zhang,,Dan Huang,,Xiu-fen Li,,Xin-lan Zhou,,Rong-rong Ding, 대한진단검사의학회 2019 Annals of Laboratory Medicine Vol.39 No.1

Background: We examined changes in hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) during the four sequential phases of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection: hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic infection (EPCI) and hepatitis (EPCH), followed by HBeAg-negative chronic infection (ENCI) and hepatitis (ENCH). We compared the performance of serum HBcrAg, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and HBV DNA in predicting EPCH and ENCH.