Construction and Characterization of Vitreoscilla Hemoglobin (VHb) with Enhanced Peroxidase Activity for Efficient Degradation of Textile Dye

( Zi Dong Zhang ),( Wei Li ),( Hai Chao Li ),( Jing Zhangi ),( Yue Bin Zhang ),( Yu Feng Cao ),( Jian Zhang Ma ),( Zheng Qiang Li ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.9

Pollution resulting from the discharge of textile dyes into water systems has become a major global concern. Because peroxidases are known for their ability to decolorize and detoxify textile dyes, the peroxidase activity of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) has recently been studied. It is found that VHb and variants of this enzyme show great promise for enzymatic decolorization of dyes and may play a role in achieving their successful removal from industrial wastewater. The level of VHb peroxidase activity correlates with two amino acid residues present within the conserved distal pocket, at positions 53 and 54. In this work, sitedirected mutagenesis of these residues was performed and resulted in improved VHb peroxidase activity. The double mutant, Q53H/P54C, shows the highest dye decolorization and removal efficiency, with 70% removal efficiency within 5 min. UV spectral studies of Q53H/P54C reveals a more compact structure and an altered porphyrin environment (λSoret = 413 nm) relative to that of wild-type VHb (λSoret = 406), and differential scanning calorimetry data indicate that the VHb variant protein structure is more stable. In addition, circular dichroism spectroscopic studies indicate that this variant’s increased protein structural stability is due to an increase in helical structure, as deduced from the melting temperature, which is higher than 90°C. Therefore, the VHb variant Q53H/P54C shows promise as an excellent peroxidase, with excellent dye decolorization activity and a more stable structure than wild-type VHb under high-temperature conditions.

Risk Factors for Nodal Metastasis in cN0 Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma

Zhang, Li-Yang,Liu, Zi-Wen,Liu, Yue-Wu,Gao, Wei-Sheng,Zheng, Chao-Ji Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.8

Background: Despite the majority of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) patients having an excellent prognosis, cervical lymph node metastases are common. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence and the predictive risk factors for occult central compartment lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in PTMC patients. Materials and Methods: 178 patients with clinically node-negative (cN0) PTMC undergoing prophylactic central compartment neck dissection in our hospital from January 2008 to Jun 2010 were enrolled. The relationship between CLNM and the clinical and pathological factors such as gender, age, tumor size, tumor number, tumor location, extracapsular spread (ECS), and coexistance of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis was analyzed. Results: Occult CLNM was observed in 41% (73/178) of PTMC patients. Multivariate analysis showed that male gender, tumor size (${\geq}6mm$) and ECS were independent variables predictive of CLNM in PTMC patients. Conclusions: Male gender, tumor size (${\geq}6mm$) and ECS were risk factors of CLNM. We recommend a prophylactic central lymph node dissection (CLND) should be considered in PTMC patients with such risk factors.

Patient and Care Delays of Breast Cancer in China

Yue-Lin Li,Ya-Chao Qin,Lu-Ying Tang,Yu-Huang Liao,Wei Zhang,Xiao-Ming Xie,Qiang Liu,Ying Lin,Ze-Fang Ren 대한암학회 2019 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.51 No.3

Purpose This study differentiates patient and care delays of breast cancer and explores the related factors as well as the associations with the prognosis in Guangzhou, a southern city of China. Materials and Methods A cohort of female incident breast cancer patients (n=1,551) was recruited from October 2008 to March 2012 and followed up until January 1, 2016 (n=1,374) in the affiliated hospitals of Sun Yat-sen University. The factors associated with patient and care delays were analyzed with multivariable logistic models. Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed to estimate the impacts of the delays on the prognosis. Results There were 40.4% patient delay (! 3 months) and 15.5% care delay (! 1 month). The patient delay, but not the care delay, was significantly related to the clinical stage and consequently worsened the prognosis of breast cancer (hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 1.91 for progression-free survival). The factors related to an increased patient delay included premenopausal status, history of benign breast disease, and less physical examination. Conclusion Patient delay was the main type of delay in Guangzhou and resulted in higher clinical stage and poor prognosis of breast cancer. Screening for breast cancer among premenopausal women may be an effective way to reduce this delay.

Posterior Endoscopic Cervical Decompression: Review and Technical Note

Chao Zhang,Junlong Wu,Wenjie Zheng,Changing Li,Yue Zhou 대한척추신경외과학회 2020 Neurospine Vol.17 No.sup.

Endoscopic spine surgery for the treatment of degenerative spinal diseases from lumbar to cervical spine has accelerated over the past 2 decades. Posterior endoscopic cervical discectomy (PECD) has been described as a safe, effective, and minimally invasive procedure for cervical radiculopathy or even part of the myelopathy. This procedure also has been validated with comparable outcomes to open and microscopic surgery. Radiculopathy due to foraminal disc herniation or foraminal stenosis should be the optimum indications of this procedure. Intraoperative 3-dimensional navigation can help surgeons to get quick and great quality guidance for endoscopic surgeons. In this review, we will focus on the technical details and evidence-based results of PECD which is a promising procedure for cervical radiculopathy with the advantages of a minimally invasive method.

Saucerneol F inhibits tumor necrosis factor- α and IL-6 production by suppressing Fyn-mediated pathways in FcεRI-mediated mast cells

( Yue Lu ),( Donggen Piao ),( Haiyan Zhang ),( Xian Li ),( Guang Hsuan Chao ),( Soon Jin Park ),( Young Chae Chang ),( Cheorl Ho Kim ),( Makoto Murakami ),( Seung Hyun Jung ),( Jung Hye Choi ),( Yong 영남대학교 약품개발연구소 2014 영남대학교 약품개발연구소 연구업적집 Vol.24 No.0

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of saucerneol F (SF) on the productions of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6, in IgE/Ag-induced mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). SF dose-dependently suppressed the transcriptions of these pro-inflammatory cytokines. To identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for these suppressions, we examined the effect of SF on three important transcription factors; activator protein-1 (AP-1), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and STAT5. It was found that SF inhibited the nuclear translocation of the p65 subunit of NF-κB to the nucleus and its DNA-binding ability. SF also attenuated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated AP-1 activation and STAT5 activation. Biochemical analysis of FcεRI-mediated signaling pathways demonstrated that SF inhibited the phosphorylation of Fyn and multiple downstream signaling processes, including Syk, Gab2, and the Akt/IKK/IκB and MAPK pathways. Taken together, our results suggest that SF inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by suppressing Fyn kinase-dependent signaling events.Crown Copyright ⓒ2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Apoptotic Effects of psiRNA-STAT3 on 4T1 Breast Cancer Cells in Vitro

Zhou, Yue,Tian, Lin,Zhang, Ying-Chao,Guo, Bao-Feng,Zhou, Qing-Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.16

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a Lipofectamine2000 (Life2000) Transfection Reagent transfected psiRNA-STAT3 plasmid on 4T1 breast cancer cells. Materials and Methods: MTT was used to detect the cell proliferation of breast cancer 4T1 cells at different periods (0h, 6h, 8h, 10h); the cell cycle was assessed by flow cytometry; variation of apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential was observed under a fluorescence microscope; immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the expression of caspase-3 and cyclin-D1 protein. Results: An obvious effect of inhibition to 4T1 cancer cells could be observed at 8h after the psiRNA-STAT3 was transfected. Typical alterations of apoptotic morphological features were visible in the psiRNA-STAT3 treatment group. Mitochondrial membrane potential decreased significantly, the number of cells was increased in G0/G1 phase, and the number of cells was decreased in S phase, and the data were statistically significant (p<0.05), compared with the Scramble and Mock groups. Expression of caspase-3 protein was increased significantly, while that of cyclin D1 was significantly decreased. Conclusions: Life2000 transfected psiRNA-STAT3 plasmid can inhibit 4T1 tumor cell proliferation and promote apoptosis of 4T1 tumor cells, which process depends on the regulation of expression of cyclin D1 and caspase-3 protein.

Evaluating the Safety and Control Scheme of Coastal Railway Using Land Subsidence Coupling Model

Xiao Yang,Chao Jia,Tian Yang,Yue Yao,Xiaowei Zhang 대한토목학회 2024 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Vol.28 No.2

Uneven settlement caused by excessive exploitation of groundwater will seriously affect the smooth operation of high-speed railways. This study takes the Jinwei high-speed railway as an example to explore the development characteristics and distribution of groundwater and land subsidence along the railway under the influence of groundwater exploitation. Based on the comprehensive analysis of hydrogeological conditions and soil characteristics, a three-dimensional coupling model of groundwater seepage and land subsidence was established. The groundwater flow field and land subsidence along the railway under different mining schemes were quantified, and the prevention and control scheme to ensure the smooth operation of the high-speed railway was determined. The results show that the coupling model verified by groundwater and subsidence monitoring data can better simulate the development process of land subsidence. The subsidence center along the railway line is located between DK315 ~ DK327, with a predicted maximum subsidence rate of 16.36 mm/a. The second most serious area is located between DK295 ~ DK309, with a maximum subsidence rate of 12.21 mm/a. The maximum ban on mining along the railway is extended to 350 m at the section DK295 ~ DK309, and to 450 m at the section DK315 ~ DK325, which can minimize the impact of land subsidence on the high-speed railway.

Real-time condition assessment of railway tunnel deformation using an FBG-based monitoring system

Zhou, Lu,Zhang, Chao,Ni, Yi-Qing,Wang, Chung-Yue Techno-Press 2018 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.21 No.5

A tunnel deformation monitoring system is developed with the use of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing technique, aiming at providing continuous monitoring of railway tunnel deformation in the long term, and early warning for the rail service maintainers and authorities to avoid catastrophic consequences when significant deformation occurs. Specifically, a set of FBG bending gauges with the ability of angle measurement and temperature compensation is designed and manufactured for the purpose of online monitoring of tunnel deformation. An overall profile of lateral tunnel displacement along the longitudinal direction can be obtained by implementing an array of the FBG bending gauges interconnected by rigid rods, in conjunction with a proper algorithm. The devised system is verified in laboratory experiments with a test setup enabling to imitate various patterns of tunnel deformation before the implementation of this system in an in-service high-speed railway (HSR) tunnel.

Serial Frozen Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in the Treatment of Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction: A Preliminary Study

( Lili Gu ),( Chao Ding ),( Hongliang Tian ),( Bo Yang ),( Xuelei Zhang ),( Yue Hua ),( Yifan Zhu ),( Jianfeng Gong ),( Weiming Zhu ),( Jieshou Li ),( Ning Li ) 대한소화기기능성질환·운동학회(구 대한소화관운동학회) 2017 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.23 No.2

Background/Aims Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is a serious, life-threatening motility disorder that is often related to bacterial overgrowth. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) results in restoration of the normal intestinal microbial community structure. We investigated the efficacy of FMT in the treatment of CIPO patients. Methods Nine patients (age 18-53 years) with CIPO were enrolled in this prospective, open-label study. Patients received FMT for 6 consecutive days through nasojejunal (NJ) tubes and were followed up for 8 weeks after treatment. We evaluated the rate of clinical improvement and remission, feeding tolerance of enteral nutrition, and CT imaging scores of intestinal obstructions. Lactulose hydrogen breath tests were performed before FMT and 8 weeks after FMT to evaluate for the presence small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Results FMT significantly alleviated bloating symptoms, and symptoms of pain were relieved 2 weeks after FMT. Enteral nutrition administered through a NJ tube after FMT was well-tolerated by 66.7% (6/9) of patients. CT scores of intestinal obstructions were significantly reduced after FMT (P = 0.014). SIBO was eliminated in 71.0% (5/7) of patients. Conclusions This pilot study demonstrated the safety of using FMT. FMT may relieve symptoms in selected patients with CIPO. FMT may also improve patient tolerance of enteral nutrition delivered via a NJ tube. (J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2017;23:289-297)

Metabolic Regulation of Gene Expression by Histone Lysine β-Hydroxybutyrylation

Xie, Zhongyu,Zhang, Di,Chung, Dongjun,Tang, Zhanyun,Huang, He,Dai, Lunzhi,Qi, Shankang,Li, Jingya,Colak, Gozde,Chen, Yue,Xia, Chunmei,Peng, Chao,Ruan, Haibin,Kirkey, Matt,Wang, Danli,Jensen, Lindy M. Elsevier 2016 Molecular cell Vol.62 No.2

<P><B>Summary</B></P> <P>Here we report the identification and verification of a β-hydroxybutyrate-derived protein modification, lysine β-hydroxybutyrylation (Kbhb), as a new type of histone mark. Histone Kbhb marks are dramatically induced in response to elevated β-hydroxybutyrate levels in cultured cells and in livers from mice subjected to prolonged fasting or streptozotocin-induced diabetic ketoacidosis. In total, we identified 44 histone Kbhb sites, a figure comparable to the known number of histone acetylation sites. By ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analysis, we demonstrate that histone Kbhb is a mark enriched in active gene promoters and that the increased H3K9bhb levels that occur during starvation are associated with genes upregulated in starvation-responsive metabolic pathways. Histone β-hydroxybutyrylation thus represents a new epigenetic regulatory mark that couples metabolism to gene expression, offering a new avenue to study chromatin regulation and diverse functions of β-hydroxybutyrate in the context of important human pathophysiological states, including diabetes, epilepsy, and neoplasia.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Lysine β-hydroxybutyrylation (Kbhb) is a new type of histone mark </LI> <LI> 44 non-redundant histone Kbhb sites are identified in human and mouse cells </LI> <LI> Histone Kbhb increases under starvation and STZ-induced ketoacidosis </LI> <LI> Starvation-induced H3K9bhb is associated with active gene expression </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical Abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>