Bismuth-Doped Phosphate Glasses and H+-Implanted Waveguides

Jie Zhang,Jing-Yi Chen,Chun-Xiao Liu,Liao-Lin Zhang,She-Bao Lin 한국물리학회 2020 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.76 No.6

The work reports on the preparation and optical characterization of 75P2O5-15B2O3-9Al2O3-Bi2O3 glass by using the melt-quenching method and absorption spectroscopy, respectively. Further, 0.4-MeV proton implantation of a fluence of 8.0 × 10^{16} ions/cm^2 was carried out on this glassy sample and it was tested as a waveguide at a wavelength of 632.8 nm for the first time to our knowledge. The m-line curves of the waveguide were measured before and after successive annealing treatments. The formation theory of the planar waveguides is discussed through simulations of the energy loss distribution and analysis of the reconstructed refractive index profile. The results should be useful in the design and fabrication of bismuth-doped phosphate glass and its use in integrated photonics devices.

Genomic Screening for Targets Regulated by Berberine in Breast Cancer Cells

Wen, Chun-Jie,Wu, Lan-Xiang,Fu, Li-Juan,Yu, Jing,Zhang, Yi-Wen,Zhang, Xue,Zhou, Hong-Hao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.10

Berberine, a common isoquinoline alkaloid, has been shown to possess anti-cancer activities. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not completely understood. In the current study, we investigated the effects of berberine on cell growth, colony formation, cell cycle distribution, and whether it improved the anticancer efficiency of cisplatin and doxorubicin in human breast cancer estrogen receptor positive (ER+) MCF-7 cells and estrogen receptor negative (ER-) MDA-MB-231 cells. Notably, berberine treatment significantly inhibited cell growth and colony formation in the two cell lines, berberine in combination with cisplatin exerting synergistic growth inhibitory effects. Accompanied by decreased growth, berberine induced G1 phase arrest in MCF-7 but not MDA-MB-231 cells. To provide a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms of action of berberine, we performed genome-wide expression profiling of berberine-treated cells using cDNA microarrays. This revealed that there were 3,397 and 2,706 genes regulated by berberine in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. Fene oncology (GO) analysis identified that many of the target genes were involved in regulation of the cell cycle, cell migration, apoptosis, and drug responses. To confirm the microarray data, qPCR analysis was conducted for 10 selected genes based on previously reported associations with breast cancer and GO analysis. In conclusion, berberine exhibits inhibitory effects on breast cancer cells proliferation, which is likely mediated by alteration of gene expression profiles.

Preferential Induction of CYP1A1 over CYP1B1 in Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells after Exposure to Berberine

Wen, Chun-Jie,Wu, Lan-Xiang,Fu, Li-Juan,Shen, Dong-Ya,Zhang, Xue,Zhang, Yi-Wen,Yu, Jing,Zhou, Hong-Hao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.1

Estrogens are considered the major breast cancer risk factor, and the carcinogenic potential of estrogens might be attributed to DNA modification caused by derivatives formed during metabolism. $17{\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$), the main steroidal estrogen present in women, is metabolized via two major pathways: formation of 2-hydroxyestradiol (2-OH $E_2$) and 4-hydroxyestradiol ($4-OH\;E_2$) through the action of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 1B1, respectively. Previous reports suggested that $2-OH\;E_2$ has putative protective effects, while $4-OH\;E_2$ is genotoxic and has potent carcinogenic activity. Thus, the ratio of $2-OH\;E_2/4-OH\;E_2$ is a critical determinant of the toxicity of $E_2$ in mammary cells. In the present study, we investigated the effects of berberine on the expression profile of the estrogen metabolizing enzymes CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 in breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Berberine treatment produced significant induction of both forms at the level of mRNA expression, but with increased doses produced 16~ to 52~fold greater induction of CYP1A1 mRNA over CYP1B1 mRNA. Furthermore, berberine dramatically increased CYP1A1 protein levels but did not influence CYP1B1 protein levels in MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, we present the first report to show that berberine may provide protection against breast cancer by altering the ratio of CYP1A1/CYP1B1, could redirect $E_2$ metabolism in a more protective pathway in breast cancer MCF-7 cells.

Mini-Array of Multiple Tumor-associated Antigens (TAAs) in the Immunodiagnosis of Esophageal Cancer

Qin, Jie-Jie,Wang, Xiao-Rui,Wang, Peng,Ren, Peng-Fei,Shi, Jian-Xiang,Zhang, Hong-Fei,Xia, Jun-Fen,Wang, Kai-Juan,Song, Chun-Hua,Dai, Li-Ping,Zhang, Jian-Ying Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.6

Sera of cancer patients may contain antibodies that react with a unique group of autologous cellular antigens called tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). The present study aimed to determine whether a mini-array of multiple TAAs would enhance antibody detection and be a useful approach in esophageal cancer detection and diagnosis. Our mini-array of multiple TAAs consisted of eleven antigens, p53, pl6, Impl, CyclinB1, C-myc, RalA, p62, Survivin, Koc, CyclinD1 and CyclinE full-length recombinant proteins. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to detect autoantibodies against eleven selected TAAs in 174 sera from patients with esophageal cancer, as well as 242 sera from normal individuals. In addition, positive results of ELISA were confirmed by Western blotting. In a parallel screening trial, with the successive addition of antigen to a final total of eleven TAAs, there was a stepwise increase in positive antibody reactions. The eleven TAAs were the best parallel combination, and the sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing esophageal cancer was 75.3% and 81.0%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 74.0% and 82.0%, respectively, indicating that the parallel assay of eleven TAAs raised the diagnostic precision significantly. In addition, the levels of antibodies to seven antigens, comprising p53, Impl, C-myc, RalA, p62, Survivin, and CyclinD1, were significantly different in various stages of esophageal cancer, which showed that autoantibodies may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of esophageal cancer. All in all, this study further supports our previous hypothesis that a combination of antibodies might acquire higher sensitivity for the diagnosis of certain types of cancer. A customized mini-array of multiple carefully-selected TAAs is able to enhance autoantibody detection in the immunodiagnosis of esophageal cancer and autoantibodies to TAAs might be reference indicators of clinical stage.

Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography-Derived Fractional Flow Reserve in Patients with Anomalous Origin of the Right Coronary Artery from the Left Coronary Sinus

Chun Xiang Tang,Meng Jie Lu,Joseph Uwe Schoepf,Christian Tesche,Maximilian Bauer,John Nance,Parkwood Griffith,Guang Ming Lu,Long Jiang Zhang 대한영상의학회 2020 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.21 No.2

Objective: To examine the fractional flow reserve derived from computed tomographic angiography (CT-FFR) in patients with anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left coronary sinus (R-ACAOS) with an interarterial course, assess the relationship of CT-FFR with the anatomical features of interarterial R-ACAOS on coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA), and determine its clinical relevance. Materials and Methods: Ninety-four patients with interarterial R-ACAOS undergoing CCTA were retrospectively included. Anatomic features (proximal vessel morphology [oval or slit-like], take-off angle, take-off level [below or above the pulmonary valve], take-off type, intramural course, % proximal narrowing area, length of narrowing, minimum luminal area [MLA] at systole and diastole, and vessel compression index) on CCTA associated with CT-FFR ≤ 0.80 were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to describe the diagnostic performance of CT-FFR ≤ 0.80 in detecting interarterial R-ACAOS. Results: Significant differences were found in proximal vessel morphology, take-off level, intramural course, % proximal narrowing area, and MLA at diastole (all p < 0.05) between the normal and abnormal CT-FFR groups. Take-off level, intramural course, and slit-like ostium (all p < 0.05) predicted hemodynamic abnormality (CT-FFR ≤ 0.80) with accuracies of 0.69, 0.71, and 0.81, respectively. Patients with CT-FFR ≤ 0.80 had a higher prevalence of typical angina (29.4% vs. 7.8%, p = 0.025) and atypical angina (29.4% vs. 6.5%, p = 0.016). Conclusion: Take-off level, intramural course, and slit-like ostium were the main predictors of abnormal CT-FFR values. Importantly, patients with abnormal CT-FFR values showed a higher prevalence of typical angina and atypical angina, indicating that CT-FFR is a potential tool to gauge the clinical relevance in patients with interarterial R-ACAOS.

The Compact Pulsed Hadron Source: A Design Perspective

Jie Wei,Huaibi Chen,Cheng Cheng,Qiang Du,Zhe Feng,Xialin Guan,Xiaoxue Han,Tuchen Huang,Renkai Li,Chun K. Loong,Beibei Shao,Chuanxiang Tang,Qingzi Xing,Yigang Yang,Hao Zha,Huayi Zhang,Shuxin Zheng,Bin 한국물리학회 2010 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.56 No.61

During the past decades, large-scale national neutron sources have been developed in Asia, Europe,and North America. Complementing such efforts, compact hadron beam complexes and neutron sources intended to serve primarily universities and industrial institutes have been proposed,and some have recently been established. Responding to the demand in China for pulsed neutron/proton-beam platforms that are dedicated to fundamental and applied research for users in multiple disciplines from materials characterization to hadron therapy and radiography to accelerator-driven sub-critical reactor systems (ADS) for nuclear waste transmutation, we have initiated the construction of a compact, yet expandable, accelerator complex-the Compact Pulsed Hadron Source (CPHS). It consists of an accelerator front-end (a high-intensity ion source, a 3-MeV radio-frequency quadrupole linac (RFQ), and a 13-MeV drift-tube linac (DTL)), a neutron target station (a beryllium target with solid methane and room-temperature water moderators/reflector),and experimental stations for neutron imaging/radiography, small-angle scattering, and proton irradiation. In the future, the CPHS may also serve as an injector to a ring for proton therapy and radiography or as the front end to an ADS test facility. In this paper, we describe the design of the CPHS technical systems and its intended operation.

Synthesis and Characterization of MoS₂/Graphene-TiO₂ Ternary Photocatalysts for High-Efficiency Hydrogen Production under Visible Light

Zhang, Feng-Jun,Kong, Cui,Li, Xuan,Sun, Xian-Yang,Xie, Wen-Jie,Oh, Won-Chun The Korean Ceramic Society 2019 한국세라믹학회지 Vol.56 No.3

Ternary MoS₂/graphene (G)-TiO₂ photocatalysts were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology, phase structure, band gap, and catalytic properties of the prepared samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis spectrophotometry, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurement. The H₂ production efficiency of the prepared catalysts was tested in methanol-water mixture under visible light. MoS₂/G-TiO₂ exhibited the highest activity for photocatalytic H₂ production. For 5 wt.% and 1 wt.% MoS₂ and graphene (5MT-1G), the production rate of H₂ was as high as 1989 µmol^-1h^-1. The catalyst 5MT-1G showed H₂ production activity that was ~ 11.3, 5.6, and 4.1 times higher than those of pure TiO₂, 1GT, and 5MT, respectively. The unique structure and morphology of the MoS₂/G-TiO₂ photocatalyst contributed to its improved hydrogen production efficiency under visible light.

Detection of structural damage via free vibration responses by extended Kalman filter with Tikhonov regularization scheme

Zhang, Chun,Huang, Jie-Zhong,Song, Gu-Quan,Dai, Lin,Li, Huo-Kun Techno-Press 2016 Structural monitoring and maintenance Vol.3 No.2

It is a challenging problem of assessing the location and extent of structural damages with vibration measurements. In this paper, an improved Extended Kalman filter (EKF) with Tikhonov regularization is proposed to identify structural damages. The state vector of EKF consists of the initial values of modal coordinates and damage parameters of structural elements, therefore the recursive formulas of EKF are simplified and modal truncation technique can be used to reduce the dimension of the state vector. Then Tikhonov regularization is introduced into EKF to restrain the effect of the measurement noise for improving the solution of ill-posed inverse problems. Numerical simulations of a seven-story shear-beam structure and a simply-supported beam show that the proposed method has good robustness and can identify the single or multiple damages accurately with the unknown initial structural state.

Crack‑free TiO2 films prepared by adjusting processing parameters via liquid phase deposition technique

Jie Li,Hai‑Yan Xu,Ai‑Guo Wang,Feng‑Jun Zhang,Dao‑Sheng Sun,Won‑Chun Oh 한국세라믹학회 2020 한국세라믹학회지 Vol.57 No.2

TiO2 thin films with controllable morphology and grain size were prepared via a liquid phase deposition (LPD) technique. The effects of the processing parameters including the ( NH4)2TiF6 concentration, solution pH, and ( NH4)2TiF6:H3BO3 molar ratio on the grain size and morphology of the films were investigated. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The results showed that the deposition parameters significantly affected the growth and nucleation velocities of the crystalline grains, which resulted in the formation of TiO2 films with different morphologies and grain sizes. The capillary stress among the grains of the film, which resulted in the cracking of the film, depended on the size of the grains. Thus, the cracking of the LPD-derived TiO2 films could be mitigated by adjusting the deposition parameters.

Association Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in miRNA196a-2 and miRNA146a and Susceptibility to Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Chinese Population

Zhang, Jun,Wang, Rui,Ma, Yan-Yun,Chen, Lin-Qi,Jin, Bo-Han,Yu, Hua,Wang, Jiu-Cun,Gao, Chun-Fang,Liu, Jie Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.11

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world and deeply threatens people's health, especially in China. Techniques of early diagnosis, prevention and prediction are still being discovered, among which the approaches based on single nucleotide polymorphisms in microRNA genes (miRNA SNPs) are newly proposed and show prospective potential. In particular, the association between SNPs in miRNA196a-2 (rs11614913) and miRNA146a (rs2910164) and HCC has been investigated. However, the conclusions made were conflicting, possibly due to insufficient sample size or population stratification. Further confirmations in well-designed large samples are still required. In this study, we verified the association between these two SNPs and the susceptibility to HCC by MassARRAY assay in a 2,000 large Chinese case-control sample. Significant association between rs11614913 and HCC was confirmed. Subjects with the genotype of CT+TT or T allele in rs11614913 were more resistant to HCC (CT+TT: OR (95% CI)=0.73 (0.57-0.92), P=0.01; T allele: OR (95% CI)=0.85 (0.75-0.97), P=0.02) and HBV-related HCC (CT+TT: OR (95% CI)=0.69 (0.53-0.90), P=0.01; T allele: OR (95% CI)=0.82 (0.71-0.95), P=0.01). The affected carriers of CT or TT also tended to have lower levels of serum AFP (P=0.01). This study demonstrated a role of rs11614913 in the etiology of HCC. Further research should focus on the clinical use of this miRNA SNP, so as to facilitate conquering HCC.