Genetic variations in the bitter taste receptor gene TAS2R38 are related to cigarette smoking behavior in Han Chinese smokers

Qi Fei-Yan,Zhu Zhou-Hai,Li Meng,Guan Ying,Peng Qi-Yuan,Lu She-Ming,Liu Zhi-Hua,Wang Ming-Feng,Miao Ming-Ming,Chen Zhang-Yu,Li Xue-Mei,Bai Jie,Yao Jian-Hua 한국유전학회 2022 Genes & Genomics Vol.44 No.11

Background: Smoking behavior is influenced by multiple genes, including the bitter taste gene TAS2R38. It has been reported that the correlation between TAS2R38 and smoking behavior has ethnicity-based differences. However, the TAS2R38 status in Chinese smokers is still unclear. Objective: This study aims to investigate the possible relationship between genetic variations in TAS2R38 (A49P, V262A and I296V) and smoking behaviors in the Han Chinese population. Methods: The haplotype analyses were performed and smoking behavior questionnaire was completed by 1271 individuals. Genetic association analyses for smoking behavior were analyzed using chi-square test. Further, for investigating the molecular mechanism of TAS2R38 variants effect on smoking behavior, we conducted TAS2R38-PAV and TAS2R38-AVI expression plasmids and tested the cellular calcium assay by cigarette smoke compounds stimulus in HEK293. Results: Significant associations of genetic variants within TAS2R38 were identified with smoking behavior. We found a higher PAV/PAV frequency than AVI/AVI in moderate and high nicotine dependence (FTND ≥ 4; X2 = 4.611, 1 df, p = 0.032) and strong cigarette smoke flavor intensity preference (X2 = 4.5383, 1 df, p = 0.033) in participants. Furthermore, in the in vitro cellular calcium assay, total particle matter (TPM), N-formylnornicotine and cotinine, existing in cigarette smoke, activated TAS2R38-PAV but not TAS2R38-AVI-transfected cells. Conclusion: Our data highlights that genetic variations in TAS2R38 are related to smoking behavior, especially nicotine dependence and cigarette smoke flavor intensity preference. Our findings may encourage further consideration of the taste process to identify individuals susceptible to nicotine dependence, particularly Han Chinese smokers.

FORMATION OF II–VI SEMICONDUCTOR NANOCRYSTALS WITH TUNABLE VISIBLE EMISSION IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION PROMOTED BY HYDRAZINE

QI-HUI SHEN,YAN LIU,XI YU,XIAO-YANG LIU,MING-QIANG ZOU,JIN-FENG LI,JIAN-GUANG ZHOU 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2012 NANO Vol.7 No.6

II?VI Semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) with tunable visible emission, such as CdS, CdSe and CdTe, were synthesized in aqueous solution using thiols as capping molecules. Hydrazine was found to promote the growth of NCs through a special mechanism. In only a few hours, the synthesis process was completed at room temperature. Under moderate conditions, the capping molecules not only changed the growth rate of NCs simply by varying the concentration, but also altered the spectral properties of NCs. The capping molecules with amino groups were propitious to the growth of CdS NCs, whereas the kinetic growth of CdS NCs was more a®ected by the surface passivation e±ciency of NCs than by steric hindrance in the system. The fastest growth of the CdS NCs was achieved when glutathione was used as a capping molecule, while the emission of CdS and CdSe NCs were shown to remain steady and tunable using the same capping molecule. The growth rate of 3-mercaptopropionic acid-capped CdS and CdSe NCs slowed down signi¯-cantly, while CdTe NCs were obtained with excellent emission properties when capped with the same molecule. Furthermore, our approach will also be useful for the study of the kinetic growth of NCs in aqueous solution.

Evaluations of the Improper Integrals $\boldsymbol\int_0^\infty[\sin^{2m}(\alpha x)]/(x^{2n})dx$ and $\boldsymbol\int_0^\infty[\sin^{2m+1}(\alpha x)]/(x^{2n+1})dx$

Feng Qi,Qiu-Ming Luo,Bai-Ni Guo 한국수학교육학회 2004 純粹 및 應用數學 Vol.11 No.3

In this article, using the L'Hospital rule, mathematical induction, the trigonometric power formulae and integration by parts, some integral formulae for the improper integrals R1 0 [sin2m(��x)]=(x2n)dx and R1 0 [sin2m+1(��x)]=(x2n+1)dx are established, where m ¸ n are all positive integers and �� 6= 0.

Effect of Vanadium on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 2100 MPa Ultra-High Strength High Plasticity Spring Steel Processed by a Novel Online Rapid-Induction Heat Treatment

Qi‑Lei Dai,Kun Li,Kai‑Ren Meng,Zhou Fang,Wen Chen,Tian‑Bao Yang,Chi Feng,Jin‑Ming Wu,R. D. K. Misra 대한금속·재료학회 2023 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.29 No.4

Advanced automotive industries generate large demand for the next generation of high strength and high toughness springsteels. Vanadium-containing 55SiCrV spring steels subjected to rapid-induction heating treatment can fulfil such requirements. However, the effect of vanadium microalloying under online rapid-induction heat treatments is rarely reported. Acomparative study of the microstructure and tensile properties of 55SiCr and 55SiCrV spring steel wires subjected to a novelonline rapid induction heat treatment has been demonstrated herein. It is found that the tensile strength of the 55SiCr springwire decreases with the decrease in the wire speed in online rapid-induction heating, and the plasticity increases. Whereas,the tensile strength of the 55SiCrV steel wire increases with the decrease in the wire speed with the retained high plasticity,which is attributed to the strengthening effect of the dislocations. Through the optimized rapid-induction heating/coolingthermal cycles and intermediate-temperature tempering treatment, the tensile strength of the 55SiCrV steel wire approaches2106 MPa with total elongation of 9.7%. Compared with the 55SiCr spring steel, the addition of V in 55SiCrV spring steelchanges the strengthening and toughening mechanisms via the grain refinement and enhancement in the hardenability andtempering resistance. The finely dispersed V-containing secondary phases are rarely found in the matrix, which indicates thatthe precipitation effect stemming from the addition of V is not the dominant strengthening factor in the online rapid-inductionheat process. The proposed novel online rapid-induction heat treatment provides a promising pathway for the mechanicalproperty improvement of the spring steel.

Characterization of a Novel cry1-Type Gene from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. alesti Strain LY-99

Qi, Xu Feng,Li, Ming Shun,Choi, Jae-Young,Roh, Jong-Yul,Song, Ji Zhen,Wang, Yong,Jin, Byung-Rae,Je, Yeon-Ho,Li, Jian Hong Korean Society of Sericultural Science 2009 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.18 No.1

B. thuringiensis strain LY-99 belonging to subsp. alesti (H3a3c), was isolated from Chinese tobacco warehouse and showed significantly high toxicity to Plutella xylostella. For the identification of the cry1-type genes from B. thuringiensis LY-99, an extended multiplex PCRrestriction fragment length polymorphism (PCRRFLP) method was established by using two pairs of universal primers based on the conserved regions of the cry1-type genes to amplify around 2.4 kb cry1-type gene fragments. Then the DNA fragment was cloned into pGEM-T Easy vector and digested with EcoRI and EcoRV enzymes. Through this method, a known cry1-type gene was successfully identified from the reference strain, B. thuringiensis subsp. alesti. In addition, the RFLP patterns revealed that B. thuringiensis LY-99 included a novel cry1A-type gene in addition to cry1Aa, cry1Ac, cry1Be and cry1Ea genes. The novel cry1A-type gene was designated cry1Ah2 (Genbank accession No DQ269474). An inverse PCR method was used to amplify the flank regions of cry1Ah2 gene. Finally, 3143 bp HindIII fragment from B. thuringiensis LY-99 plasmid DNA including 5' region and partial ORF was amplified, and sequence analysis revealed that cry1Ah2 gene from LY-99 showed 89.31% of maximum sequence similarity with cry1Ac1 crystal protein gene. In addition, the deduced amino acid sequence of Cry1Ah2 protein shared 87.80% of maximum identity with that of Cry1Ac2. This protein therefore belongs to a new class of B. thuringiensis crystal proteins.

Molecular Characterization of A Novel Bacillus thuringiensis Strain from China

Qi Xu Feng,Li Ming Shun,Choi Jae Young,Kim Yang-Su,Wang Yong,Kang Joong Nam,Choi Heekyu,Je Yeon Ho,Song Ji Zhen,Li Jian Hong Korean Society of Sericultural Science 2005 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.11 No.1

A strain of Bacillus thuringiensis that showed signifi­cantly high toxicity to Plutella xylostella was isolated from a dust sample collected from Chinese tobacco warehouse and characterized. The isolate named B. thuringiensis LY-99 was determined to belong to subsp. alesti (H3a3c) by an H antisera agglutination test and produced bipyramidal inclusions. Plasmid and crystal protein patterns of the LY-99 were different from those of the reference strain, subsp. alesti. PCR analysis with specific primers revealed that this isolate contained abundant cry genes including crylAa, crylAc, crylB, crylD, crylE, crylF and cry2 genes, which was absolutely different from cry gene profile of the subsp. alesti. In addition, insecticidal activity of the LY-99 against P. xylostella larvae was about 44 times higher than that of the subsp. alesti.

Reduced Telomere Length in Colorectal Carcinomas

Feng, Tong-Bao,Cai, Lei-Ming,Qian, Ke-Qing,Qi, Chun-Jian Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.2

Purpose: Telomeres play a key role in the maintenance of chromosome integrity and stability, and telomere shortening is involved in initiation and progression of malignancies. The aim of this study was to determine whether telomere length is associated with the colorectal carcinoma. Patients and methods: A total of 148 colorectal cancer (CRC) samples and corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues were evaluated for telomere length, P53 mutation, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mutation detected by fluorescent immunohistochemistry. Telomere length was estimated by real-time PCR. Samples with a T/S>1.0 have an average telomere length greater than that of the standard DNA; samples with a T/S<1.0 have an average telomere length shorter than that of the standard DNA. Results: Telomeres were shorter in CRCs than in adjacent tissues, regardless of tumor stage and grade, site, or genetic alterations (P=0.004). Telomere length in CRCs also had differences with COX-2 status (P=0.004), but did not differ with P53 status (P=0.101), tumor progression (P=0.244), gender (P=0.542), and metastasis (P=0.488). There was no clear trend between T/S optimal cut-off values (<1 or > 1) and colorectal tumor progression, metastasis, gender, P53 and COX-2 status. Conclusion: These findings suggesting that telomere shortening is associated with colorectal carcinogenesis but does not differ with tumor progression, gender, and metastasis.

Identification and Characterization of the Antifungal Substances of a Novel Streptomyces cavourensis NA4s

( Hua Qi Pan ),( Su Ya Yu ),( Chun Feng Song ),( Nan Wang ),( Hui Ming Hua ),( Jiang Chun Hu ),( Shu Jin Wang ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.3

A new actinomycete strain NA4 was isolated from a deep-sea sediment collected from the South China Sea and showed promising antifungal activities against soilborne fungal pathogens. It was identified as Streptomyces cavourensis by morphological, physiological, and phylogenetic analyses based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence. The main antifungal components were isolated and identified from the fermentation culture as bafilomycins B1 and C1. These compounds exhibited significant antifungal activities and a broad antifungal spectrum. The results suggest that the Streptomyces cavourensis NA4 and bafilomycins B1 and C1 could be used as potential biocontrol agents for soilborne fungal diseases of plants.

Characterization of a Novel cry1-Type Gene from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. alesti Strain LY-99

Xu Feng Qi,Ming Shun Li,Jae Young Choi,Jong Yul Roh,Ji Zhen Song,Yong Wang,Byung Rae Jin,Yeon Ho Je,Jian Hong Li 한국잠사학회 2009 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.18 No.1

B. thuringiensis strain LY-99 belonging to subsp. Alesti (H3a3c), was isolated from Chinese tobacco warehouse and showed significantly high toxicity to Plutella xylostella. For the identification of the cry1-type genes from B. thuringiensis LY-99, an extended multiplex PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was established by using two pairs of universal primers based on the conserved regions of the cry1-type genes to amplify around 2.4 kb cry1-type gene fragments. Then the DNA fragment was cloned into pGEM-T Easy vector and digested with EcoRI and EcoRV enzymes. Through this method, a known cry1-type gene was successfully identified from the reference strain, B. thuringiensis subsp. alesti. In addition, the RFLP patterns revealed that B. thuringiensis LY-99 included a novel cry1A-type gene in addition to cry1Aa, cry1Ac, cry1Be and cry1Ea genes. The novel cry1A-type gene was designated cry1Ah2 (Genbank accession No DQ269474). An inverse PCR method was used to amplify the flank regions of cry1Ah2 gene. Finally, 3143 bp HindIII fragment from B. thuringiensis LY-99 plasmid DNA including 5` region and partial ORF was amplified, and sequence analysis revealed that cry1Ah2 gene from LY-99 showed 89.31% of maximum sequence similarity with cry1Ac1 crystal protein gene. In addition, the deduced amino acid sequence of Cry1Ah2 protein shared 87.80% of maximum identity with that of Cry1Ac2. This protein therefore belongs to a new class of B. thuringiensis crystal proteins.

Experimental study on cold-formed lipped channel stub columns reinforced by steel bars or steel strips

Jian-Feng Chen,Ming-Qi Chen,Yong-Kang Shen,Jian-Hua Shao,Xin-Xin Yang 국제구조공학회 2021 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.40 No.3

In this paper, the axial compressive properties of cold-formed steel lipped channel stub columns strengthened by rebars or steel strips are experimentally studied. The experiment included two sections. A kind of columns with local buckling is reinforced longitudinally by steel strips at the web. The other is the columns with distorted buckling, which is reinforced longitudinally by steel bars at the curling edge. The failure mode, deformation characteristics, ultimate bearing capacity and load displacement curve of the specimen are obtained through the experiment. On the basis of the experiment, the calculation results of theoretical axial bearing capacity of cold-formed steel lipped channel stub columns in Chinese, North American and Australian code are compared and analyzed. Research indicates: First, the cold-formed steel lipped channel stub columns strengthened by steel bars or steel strips can effectively improve the compressive bearing capacity of the specimen. Secondly, when the initial stress ratio of specimen is less than 0.3, the reinforcement effect is ideal. Thirdly, the three standards don’t stipulate the calculation of theoretical bearing capacity of the specimen strengthened after loading, so there is a large deviation between the theoretical calculation value and the test value.