Distinct Pro-Apoptotic Properties of Zhejiang Saffron against Human Lung Cancer Via a Caspase-8-9-3 Cascade

Liu, Dan-Dan,Ye, Yi-Lu,Zhang, Jing,Xu, Jia-Ni,Qian, Xiao-Dong,Zhang, Qi Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.15

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Here we investigated the antitumor effect and mechanism of Zhejiang (Huzhou and Jiande) saffron against lung cancer cell lines, A549 and H446. Using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the contents of crocin I and II were determined. In vitro, MTT assay and annexin-V FITC/PI staining showed cell proliferation activity and apoptosis to be changed in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The inhibition effect of Jiande saffron was the strongest. In vivo, when mice were orally administered saffron extracts at dose of 100mg/kg/d for 28 days, xenograft tumor size was reduced, and ELISA and Western blotting analysis of caspase-3, -8 and -9 exhibited stronger expression and activity than in the control. In summary, saffron from Zhejiang has significant antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo through caspase-8-caspase-9-caspase-3 mediated cell apoptosis. It thus appears to have more potential as a therapeutic agent.

Effect of Temperature on Resistivity of CFRP Materials with Added Carbon Powder or Nano-silica

Dan Liu,Jie Yin,Rong-gui Liu,Shu Ping,Hui-guang Yin,Gui-hua Xie 대한토목학회 2019 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.23 No.4

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the effect of temperature on resistivity of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) materials. A series of tests were conducted on three types of CFRP materials, namely pure CFRP material, CFRP with carbon powder (4% in weight) and CFRP with nano-silica (4% in weight). Test results showed that adding carbon powder into the epoxy resin decreases the initial electric resistance R0 and initial volume resistivity ρ0 while adding nano-silica increases R0 and ρ0 compared to pure CFRP material. Preheating cycle test results showed that the volume resistivity of all three types of specimens linearly increases with increasing temperature. CFRP with added nano-silica exhibits higher temperature sensitivity than CFRP with added carbon powder compared to the lowest temperature sensitivity for pure CFRP material. In addition, temperature cycle test results showed that CFRP specimens have approximately stable values of volume resistivity. Both CFRP specimens with added carbon powder or nano-silica exhibit a recognizable trend of first decrease and then increase in volume resistivity with increasing temperature both during heating and cooling cycles. CFRP with added carbon powder mainly shows Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) effect in the temperature range of −40 to 40oC and Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) effect from 40 to 80oC. CFRP with added nano-silica mainly exhibits PTC effect in the temperature domain of −15 to 80oC and NTC effect from −40 to −15oC. A mathematical-physical model with respect to the thermal effect was presented based on the Eshelby-Mori-Tanaka (EMT) approach and mesomechanics method. The results obtained with the model agree well with the test results considering the temperature domain of PTC effect, which indicates that the proposed model is effective in characterizing the variation of fractional change in resistance (ΔR/R0) at varying temperature.

The CREG1-FBXO27-LAMP2 axis alleviates diabetic cardiomyopathy by promoting autophagy in cardiomyocytes

Liu Dan,Xing Ruinan,Zhang Quanyu,Tian Xiaoxiang,Qi Yanping,Song Haixu,Liu Yanxia,Yu Haibo,Zhang Xiaolin,Jing Quanmin,Yan Chenghui,Han Yaling 생화학분자생물학회 2023 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.55 No.-

Autophagy plays an important role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes 1 (CREG1) is an important myocardial protective factor. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of CREG1 in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Male C57BL/6 J mice, Creg1 transgenic mice and cardiac-specific knockout mice were used to establish a type 2 diabetes model. Small animal ultrasound, Masson’s staining and western blotting were used to evaluate cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis and autophagy. Neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes (NMCMs) were stimulated with palmitate, and the effects of CREG1 on NMCMs autophagy were examined. CREG1 deficiency exacerbated cardiac dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy, which was accompanied by exacerbated autophagy dysfunction. CREG1 overexpression improved cardiac function and ameliorated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy by improving autophagy. CREG1 protein expression was decreased in palmitate-induced NMCMs. CREG1 knockdown exacerbated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and inhibited autophagy. CREG1 overexpression inhibited cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and improved autophagy. LAMP2 overexpression reversed the effect of CREG1 knockdown on palmitate-induced inhibition of cardiomyocyte autophagy. CREG1 inhibited LAMP2 protein degradation by inhibiting the protein expression of F-box protein 27 (FBXO27). Our findings indicate new roles of CREG1 in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Microstructure and photoluminescence properties of Nd-doped Bi4Ti3O12 nanocrystalline

Dan Liu 한양대학교 세라믹연구소 2012 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.13 No.S1

Bi4-xNdxTi3O12 (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.00) nanocrystalline was prepared by modified sol-gel method. The powders crystallized well after annealing at 830 ο C for 30 min in air. Phase composition and optical properties of Bi4-xNdxTi3O12 nanocrystalline were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) spectra and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra. In PL spectra, the major up-converted band observed at 534 nm (green) originated from the 4 G7/24 I9/2 excited state absorption (ESA) when exciting at 800 nm. It was also found that with increasing of x value the luminous intensity decreased because of different location of Nd3+ substitution. The optical energy band gap of the Bi3.5Nd0.5Ti3O12 nanocrystalline was found to be 3.17 eV by Tauc equation. The up-conversion mechanisms in the doped system will be discussed by analyzing the energy level structures of Nd3+.

Piceatannol Inhibits Phorbol Ester-Induced NF-kappa B Activation and COX-2 Expression in Cultured Human Mammary Epithelial Cells.

Liu, Dan,Kim, Do-Hee,Park, Jong-Min,Na, Hye-Kyung,Surh, Young-Joon Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers [etc.] 2009 Nutrition and cancer Vol.61 No.6

<P>There are multiple lines of evidence supporting that inflammation is causally linked to carcinogenesis. Abnormal upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a rate-limiting enzyme in the prostaglandin biosynthesis, has been implicated in carcinogenesis. Trans-3,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxystilbene (piceatannol), a naturally occurring hydroxylated stilbene with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities, has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of several cancer cells by inducing apoptosis or blocking cell cycle progression. In this study, we examined the effect of piceatannol on activation of the nuclear transcription factor NF-kappa B, one of the major transcription factors that regulate proinflammatory COX-2 gene transcription, in human mammary epithelial (MCF-10A) cells treated with the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). When pretreated to MCF-10A cells, piceatannol markedly inhibited TPA-induced NF-kappa B DNA binding to a greater extent than resveratrol and oxyresveratrol, stilbene analogs structurally related to piceatannol. Piceatannol also inhibited TPA-induced phosphorylation and degradation of Ikappa Balpha as well as nuclear translocation of the phosphorylated form of p65, the functionally active subunit of NF-kappa B. Likewise, TPA-induced expression of COX-2 was abrogated by piceatannol pretreatment. The thiol reducing agent dithiothreitol abolished the inhibitory effects of piceatannol on NF-kappa B DNA binding activity, suggesting that piceatannol may directly modify NF-kappa B or its regulator through reaction with the cysteine thiol(s).</P>

Comment on “preparation and electrorheology of new mesoporous polypyrrole/MCM-41 suspensions”

Liu, Ying Dan,Choi, Hyoung Jin Springer-Verlag 2009 JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE - Vol.44 No.11

Deep removal of sulfur from real diesel by catalytic oxidation with halogen-free ionic liquid

Dan Liu,Jianzhou Gui,Yong-Ki Park,Shuang Yang,Yuhuan Gao,Xilai Peng,Zhaolin Sun 한국화학공학회 2012 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.29 No.1

A halogen-free task-specific ionic liquid (TSIL) of 1-(2-carboxylic acid) ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bisulfate ([(CH2)2COOHmim] [HSO4]) is applied for deep oxidative desulfurization of real diesel as a catalyst and reaction media. The sulfur level of real diesel can be reduced from 200 to 20.5 μg/g at room temperature with small amount of ionic liquid using H2O2 as an oxidant. The used ionic liquid can be easily recycled and no obvious decrease in catalytic activity can be found after recycling five times.

Verification of the Correlation between Progression-free Survival and Overall Survival Considering Magnitudes of Survival Post-progression in the Treatment of Four Types of Cancer

Liu, Li-Ya,Yu, Hao,Bai, Jian-Ling,Zeng, Ping,Miao, Dan-Dan,Chen, Feng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.3

Background: With development and application of new and effective anti-cancer drugs, the median survival post-progression (SPP) is often prolonged, and the role of the median SPP on surrogacy performance should be considered. To evaluate the impact of the median SPP on the correlation between progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), we performed simulations for treatment of four types of cancer, advanced gastric cancer (AGC), metastatic colorectal cancer (MCC), glioblastoma (GBM), and advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (ANSCLC). Materials and Methods: The effects of the median SPP on the statistical properties of OS and the correlation between PFS and OS were assessed. Further, comparisons were made between the surrogacy performance based on real data from meta-analyses and simulation results with similar scenarios. Results: The probability of a significant gain in OS and HR for OS was decreased by an increase of the SPP/OS ratio or by a decrease of observed treatment benefit for PFS. Similarly, for each of the four types of cancer, the correlation between PFS and OS was reduced as the median SPP increased from 2 to 12 months. Except for ANSCLC, for which the median SPP was equal to the true value, the simulated correlation between PFS and OS was consistent with the values derived from meta-analyses for the other three kinds of cancer. Further, for these three types of cancer, when the median SPP was controlled at a designated level (i.e., < 4 months for AGC, < 12 months for MCC, and <6 months for GBM), the correlation between PFS and OS was strong; and the power of OS reached 34.9% at the minimum. Conclusions: PFS is an acceptable surrogate endpoint for OS under the condition of controlling SPPs for AGC, MCC, and GBM at their limit levels; a similar conclusion cannot be made for ANSCLC.

Molecular engineering of indoline based organic sensitizers for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Liu, Bo,Liu, Qingbin,You, Dan,Li, Xiaoyan,Naruta, Yoshinori,Zhu, Weihong The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012 Journal of materials chemistry Vol.22 No.26

<P>The increasing electron-donating ability of the donor part is focused to further optimize the light-harvesting capability. Our strategy is to introduce an additional donor group into the indoline unit in the donor part to form a donor–donor structure (D–D moiety). Three different units (carbazole, fluorene and 4-methylphenyl groups) with different degrees of electron-donating capability are incorporated, thus constructing the specific donor–donor–π–acceptor (D–D–π–A) system (C-CA, F-CA and I-3) and giving a systematic view of the absorption evolution. Through molecular engineering, their light-harvesting capabilities, energy levels and photovoltaic performances were studied. As expected, utilizing strong electron-donating carbazole unit as additional donor, the IPCE spectrum of DSSC based on C-CA is successfully broadened to NIR region on the premise of suitable LUMO level, with an extraordinarily high plateau in visible region till around 700 nm. In the system of C-CA and F-CA, the introduction of <I>n</I>-pentyl group in donor part of carbazole and fluorene unit has little effect on preventing the molecular π-aggregation due to the good co-planarity of π-linker (vinyl thiophene), suggesting that the most effective way to prevent π-aggregation is still the incorporation of long alkyl groups into planar π-linker segment. However, the introducing long alkyl group can effectively prevent the electron recombination between electrons in conduction band (CB) of TiO<SUB>2</SUB> and I<SUB>3</SUB><SUP>−</SUP> ions. Along with the preferable light-harvesting capability, C-CA presents excellent IPCE performance with a short-circuit photocurrent (<I>J</I><SUB>sc</SUB>) of 18.53 mA cm<SUP>−2</SUP>, an open-circuit photovoltage (<I>V</I><SUB>oc</SUB>) of 649 mV, a fill factor of 0.71, corresponding to a power conversion efficiency (<I>η</I>) of 8.49%. The internal relations between chemical structure and conversion efficiency provide a strategy for developing highly efficient organic sensitizers working in whole visible region with high photovoltaic performance.</P> <P>Graphic Abstract</P><P>Utilizing a carbazole unit as additional donor, the photoresponse of C-CA is broadened to the NIR region with a <I>η</I> of 8.49%. <IMG SRC='http://pubs.rsc.org/services/images/RSCpubs.ePlatform.Service.FreeContent.ImageService.svc/ImageService/image/GA?id=c2jm31704d'> </P>

Nonlinear Filtering Under Stochastic Communication Protocol with Unknown Scheduling Probability

Dan Liu,Derui Ding,Ying Sun,Guoliang Wei 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2021 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.19 No.10

In this paper, the UKF-type nonlinear filtering problem is investigated for general nonlinear systems under stochastic communication protocols (SCPs) with unknown scheduling probabilities. In order to avoid the data collision and alleviate the network communication burden, SCPs, allowed only one sensor node to send data via the shared network, are exploited to orchestrate the scheduling order of sensor nodes. Different from traditionalassumptions with accurate statistics, the scheduling probability of the selected node is unknown, but lies in a reliable interval with known upper and lower bounds. Due to the unknown probabilities, the exact estimation error covariance is not available and hence its upper bound is derived with the help of adding zero terms and eigenvalues of positive definite matrices. Such an upper bound is dependent on known upper and lower bounds of the scheduling probabilities and further utilized to reasonably design the filter gain at each time instant. In light of the obtained covariance and the filter gain, an improved unscented transformation is developed to carry out the designed UKFtype nonlinear filter by improving traditional approximate mean and covariance. Furthermore, the impact of the uncertain size of unknown scheduling probabilities is thoroughly discussed. Finally, a numerical example is given to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed nonlinear filter.