Nonylcyclohexanol polyethoxylate, a greener alternative of nonylphenol polyethoxylate endows sodium oleate solution high salt tolerance

Jian-yi Liu,Xue-yi Hu,Lei Zhang,Yong-Mei Xia 한국공업화학회 2023 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.120 No.-

Nonylphenol polyethoxylate (NPEOn) has been expected to enhance salt tolerance of system containingcarboxylates, but banned in countries recently. Herein, a group of new surfactants, nonylcyclohexanolpolyethoxylate (NCEOn) was formulated with sodium oleate (NaOA) into binary surfactant systems, toinvestigate their interaction towards salt tolerance, phase behavior, interface tension and lime soap dispersingrequirement in brine with comparison of NPEO10. The results indicate that the salt tolerance ofNaOA-NCEOn system increased with increasing NCEOn concentration and EO number, following the ordertowards the salts: SO42- > Cl- for anions and Na+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ for cations, respectively. Moreover, cloudpoint (CP) of NaOA-NCEOn system was increased by adding NaOA but decreased by introducing inorganicsalts, respectively. The influence strength of cationic ions on CP decline was in the order: Na+ < Mg2+ <Ca2+. The thermodynamic parameters at CP explains the difference in salt tolerance of NaOA towardsmonovalent and divalent cations. Notably, the NCEO11(0.02 %)-NaOA (0.05 %) system exhibited similaror superior salt-tolerance in NaCl (20 %) or CaCl2 (2 %) brine, as NPEO10 did. The solubility of NaOA in saline(0.1 %-5%) was up to thousand folds of that in water, suggesting NCEOn a green substitute for NPEO10in the field.

A Highly Active Alpha Amylase from Bacillus Licheniformis: Directed Evolution, Enzyme Characterization and Structural Analysis

( Yi Han Liu ),( Shu Ai Fan ),( Xiao Guang Liu ),( Zhi Meng Zhang ),( Jian Ling Wang ),( Zheng Xiang Wang ),( Fu Ping Lu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.7

The stability of Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase (BLA) under acid condition was enhanced through direct evolution using the error-prone polymerase chain reaction. One beneficial mutation site, H281I, was obtained in BLA. The specific activity of H281I was 161/352 U/mg, which was 62.6/27.5% higher than that of the wild-type (WT) (99/276 U/mg) at pH 4.5/6.5 and 95°C. The pH optimum for H281I was decreased about 1 unit, whereas no significant changes of optimum temperature and thermostability were observed compared with the wild type (WT). The kcat/Km value of H281I was 1.7-/1.4-fold higher at pH 4.5/6.5, respectively, than that of WT. The structure model analysis indicated that the H281I mutation altered the predicted interaction between the amino acid residues at 281 and 273, thus creating a conducive local environment for substrate binding, as reflected by its decreased Km, and consequently increased the specific activity.

RhoGDI2 induced malignant phenotypes of pancreatic cancer cells via regulating Snail expression

Yi Bin,Hu You,Zhu Dongming,Yao Jun,Zhou Jian,Zhang Yi,He Zhilong,Zhang Lifeng,Zhang Zixiang,Yang Jian,Tang Yuchen,Huang Yujie,Li Dechun,Liu Qiuhua 한국유전학회 2022 Genes & Genomics Vol.44 No.5

Background: Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor 2 (RhoGDI2) has been shown to contribute to the aggressive phenotypes of human cancers, such as tumor metastasis and chemoresistance. Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of RhoGDI2 on tumor progression and chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer cells. Methods: The expression of RhoGDI2 in pancreatic cancer cells was detected by Western blot analysis. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches were done to examine the malignant phenotypes of the RhoGDI2-expressing or RhoGDI2-depleting cells. The correlation between RhoGDI2 and Snail was also analyzed. Results: Differential expression of RhoGDI2 protein in pancreatic cancer cell lines was identified. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments showed that RhoGDI2 induced the malignant phenotypes of pancreatic cancer cells, including proliferation, migration, invasion, and gemcitabine (GEM) chemoresistance. The upregulation of RhoGDI2 stimulated the expression of Snail, resulting in the altered expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin and mesenchymal marker Vimentin, which were characteristics of the tumorigenic activity of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The expression of RhoGDI2 and Snail was upregulated in clinical tumor samples, and higher expression of RhoGDI2 or Snail was significantly associated with poor patient survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Conclusion: The findings indicated that RhoGDI2 promoted GEM resistance and tumor progression in pancreatic cancer and that RhoGDI2 might be a potential therapeutic target in patients with PDAC.

Expression and Prognostic Implications of FOXO3a and Ki67 in Lung Adenocarcinomas

Liu, Hong-Bin,Gao, Xiang-Xiang,Zhang, Qing,Liu, Jian,Cui, Yuan,Zhu, Yan,Liu, Yi-Fei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.4

To investigate the significance of FOXO3a and Ki67 in human lung adenocarcinomas. Envision immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting were used to examine the protein expression of FOXO3a in 127 cases of human lung adenocarcinoma specimens. The positive rate in lung adenocarcinoma (55.9%) was lower than that in normal tissues (80%). We found that the expression of FOXO3a was closely related with the degree of differentiation, TNM staging, lymph node metastasis and survival. In addition, significant differences in the different pathological types of lung adenocarcinoma cases (P<0.01). The FOXO3a positive rate of the acini as the main type (APA) (86.7%) and the lepidic as the main type (LPA) (82.4%) was higher than the solid as the main type (SPA) (50.0%), the papilla as the main type (PPA) (42.9%) and the micropapilla as the main type (MPA) (9.4%). Moreover, the expression of FOXO3a was negatively related with Ki67 expression. Our results suggested that the expression of FOXO3a is closely correlated with the aggressiveness of lung adenocarcinoma. It was indicated that disregulation of FOXO3a might play key roles in the occurrence and development of lung a denocarcinoma and joint detection of the two markers might play an important role in diagnosing tumors.

Cadmium induces apoptosis in primary rat osteoblasts through caspase and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways

Hong-Yan Zhao,Wei Liu,Yi Wang,Nannan Dai,Jian-Hong Gu,Yan Yuan,Xue-Zhong Liu,Jian-Chun Bian,Zong-Ping Liu 대한수의학회 2015 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.16 No.3

Exposure to cadmium (Cd) induces apoptosis in osteoblasts (OBs); however, little information is available regarding the specific mechanismsof Cd-induced primary rat OB apoptosis. In this study, Cd reduced cell viability, damaged cell membranes and induced apoptosis in OBs. We observed decreased mitochondrial transmembrane potentials, ultrastructure collapse, enhanced caspase-3 activity, and increasedconcentrations of cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 following Cd treatment. Cd also increased the phosphorylationof p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK)1/2 and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in OBs. Pretreatment with the caspase inhibitor, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone, ERK1/2 inhibitor (U0126), p38 inhibitor(SB203580) and JNK inhibitor (SP600125) abrogated Cd-induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, Cd-treated OBs exhibited signs of oxidativestress protection, including increased antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase levels and decreased formationof reactive oxygen species. Taken together, the results of our study clarified that Cd has direct cytotoxic effects on OBs, which are mediatedby caspase- and MAPK pathways in Cd-induced apoptosis of OBs.

Low Expression of the FoxO4 Gene may Contribute to the Phenomenon of EMT in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Xu, Ming-Ming,Mao, Guo-Xin,Liu, Jian,Li, Jian-Chao,Huang, Hua,Liu, Yi-Fei,Liu, Jun-Hua Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.9

Because of its importance in tumor invasion and metastasis, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has become a research focus in the field of cancer. Recently, evidence has been presented that FoxO4 might be involved in EMT. Our study aimed to detect the expression of FoxO4, E-cadherin and vimentin in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). We also investigated clinical features and their correlations with the markers. In our study, FoxO4, E-cadherin and vimentin were assessed by immunohistochemistry in a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 150 cases of NSCLC. In addition, the expression level of FoxO4 protein was determined by Western blotting. The percentages of FoxO4, E-cadherin and vimentin positive expression in NSCLCs were 42.7%, 38.7% and 55.3%, respectively. Immunoreactivity of FoxO4 was low in NSCLC when compared with paired normal lung tissues. There were significant correlations between FoxO4 and TNM stage (P<0.001), histological differentiation (P=0.004) and lymph node metastasis (P<0.001), but no significant links with age (P=0.323), gender (P=0.410), tumor size (P=0.084), smoking status (P=0.721) and histological type (P=0.281). Our study showed that low expression of FoxO4 correlated with decreased expression of E-cadherin and elevated expression of vimentin. Cox regression analysis indicated FoxO4 to be an independent prognostic factor in NSCLC (P=0.046). These data suggested that FoxO4 might inhibit the process of EMT in NSCLC, and might therefore be a target for therapy.

Matrine Reduces Proliferation of Human Lung Cancer Cells by Inducing Apoptosis and Changing miRNA Expression Profiles

Liu, Yong-Qi,Li, Yi,Qin, Jie,Wang, Qian,She, Ya-Li,Luo, Ya-Li,He, Jian-Xin,Li, Jing-Ya,Xie, Xiao-Dong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.5

Matrine, a main active component extracted from dry roots of Sophora flavecens, has been reported to exert antitumor effects on A549 human non-small lung cancer cells, but its mechanisms of action remain unclear. To determine effects of matrine on proliferation of A549 cells and assess possible mechanisms, MTT assays were employed to detect cytotoxicity, along with o flow cytometric analysis of DNA content of nuclei of cells following staining with propidium iodide to analyze cell cycle distribution. Western blotting was performed to determined expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, VEGF and HDAC1, while a microarray was used to assessed changes of miRNA profiles. In the MTT assay, matrine suppressed growth of human lung cancer cell A549 in a dose- and timedependent manner at doses of 0.25-2.5 mg/ml for 24h, 48h or 72h. Matrine induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and decreased the G2/M phase, while down-regulating the expression of Bcl2 protein, leading to a reduction in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. In addition, matrine down regulated the expression level of VEGF and HDAC1 of A549 cells. Microarray analysis demonstrated that matrine altered the expression level of miRNAs compared with untreated control A549 cells. In conclusion, matrine could inhibit proliferation of A549 cells, providing useful information for understanding anticancer mechanisms.

Study on Property of Diamond Mobile Telephone Windows

Liu Tie-Lin,Yang Guang-Sheng,Zhou Jian-Wu,Sun Yi-Ning 한국진공학회(ASCT) 2002 Journal of Korean Vacuum Science & Technology Vol.6 No.2

a-C:H films were coated on windows of mobile telephone by RF plasma chemical vapor deposition equipment made in our company. Thickness of the coatings is about 0.7 micrometers and they have high hardness, low friction coefficient, good adhesion, high optical transparency and chemical inertness. Knoop hardness of the diamond-like carbon films on glass substrate is 2328 ㎏/㎣. The adherence between films and substrate is good and shows to be 69 N by scratching test. The optical performance is improved obviously owing to coat the film on it. The index of the coated windows is 2.5, transmission of visible light is larger than 90%, and transmission of ultraviolet light decreases by 30% and the ultraviolet light can be obstructed obviously. The coated glass also has self-clean effect and decontamination ability. The films have hydrophobic character and the soakage angle of water drop is larger than 90 degrees. The windows have fog-proof ability owing to eliminate the capillary phenomena in the inner surface. The physics and chemical properties of the coated windows are steady. Study indicates that the performance of a-C:H coated mobile phone windows are improved notably on wear-resistance, corrosion-proof and optical properties and it is excellent mobile windows protective coatings.

Application of galactinol to tomato enhances tolerance to cold and heat stresses

Liu Yudong,Zhang Li,Ma Jian,Meng Sida,Pang Chunpeng,Zhao Xiaomeng,Zhang Huidong,Wang Shou,Xu Tao,He Yi,Liu Yufeng,Qi Mingfang 한국원예학회 2022 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.63 No.3

Galactinol, a galactosyl donor, is the key substrate in raffinose family oligosaccharide (RFO) biosynthesis pathways. Many studies proved that galactinol also regulates some defense-related genes to be transcribed as a sugar signal under biotic and abiotic stresses. There are four galactinol synthase (SlGolS) genes in tomato. In this study, SlGolS1, SlGolS2, and SlGolS4 responded to cold stress, especially SlGolS1 stems treated for 12 h and SlGolS4 stems treated for 24 h. Under heat stress, the expression levels of SlGolS1, SlGolS2, and SlGolS3, especially SlGolS1 and SlGolS2, increased in leaves, roots, and stems. When expressed in E. coli cells, SlGolS2 and SlGolS4 enhanced cold tolerance, whereas SlGolS1 and SlGolS3 improved heat tolerance. These results suggested that SlGolS family members played different roles in tolerance to cold and heat stresses. In addition, the application of galactinol or galactinol + α-galactosidase inhibitor (DGJ) improved the cold and heat tolerances of tomato plants, whereas the single application of DGJ had no effect. Interestingly, the applications of DGJ, galactinol, and galactinol + DGJ also affected the expression levels of SlRS, SlSTS, and SlAGAL under cold and heat stresses. These findings indicated that galactinol was involved in the biosynthesis pathways of RFOs as a galactosyl donor and regulated the expression levels of RFO biosynthesis and breakdown-related genes as a sugar signal under cold and heat stresses.

What drives the global summer monsoon over the past millennium?

Liu, Jian,Wang, Bin,Yim, So-Young,Lee, June-Yi,Jhun, Jong-Ghap,Ha, Kyung-Ja Springer-Verlag 2012 Climate dynamics Vol.39 No.5