One-pot galvanic formation of ultrathin-shell Sn/CoO_<i>x</i> nanohollows as high performance anode materials in lithium ion batteries

Xu, Juan,Jin, Jaewon,Kim, Kyeongyeol,Shin, Young Jun,Kim, Hae Jin,Son, Seung Uk The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013 Chemical communications Vol.49 No.53

<P>The thermolysis of a heterobimetallic Sn–Co organometallic precursor resulted in the formation of hollow Sn/CoO<SUB><I>x</I></SUB> nanomaterials through galvanic reaction between metal species. The Sn/CoO<SUB><I>x</I></SUB> nanohollows with 6.1 nm diameter and ∼1.5 nm shell thickness showed excellent lithium storage capacity of up to 857 mA h g<SUP>−1</SUP> after 30 cycles.</P> <P>Graphic Abstract</P><P>Ultrathin-shell hollow Sn/CoO<SUB><I>x</I></SUB> nanomaterials with ∼1.5 nm shell thickness showed excellent lithium storage capacity of up to 857 mA h g<SUP>−1</SUP> after 30 cycles. <IMG SRC='http://pubs.rsc.org/services/images/RSCpubs.ePlatform.Service.FreeContent.ImageService.svc/ImageService/image/GA?id=c3cc42109k'> </P>

Low-Temperature Synthesis of Highly Efficient, Deep-Red Zn-Cu-In-Se/ZnSe Fluorescence Quantum Dots

Juan Yang,Jingling Li,Yanqing Zhu,Xueqing Xu,Xiudi Xiao,Bing Deng,Kaili Qin,Zhuoneng Bi,Shuaijun Chen,Gang Xu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2019 NANO Vol.14 No.6

We report a facile synthesis method on CuInSe2 (CISe)-based quantum dots (QDs) by using tri-n-octylphosphine selenium (TOPSe) as selenide precursor, with assistance of oleylamine (OAm) and n-dodecanethiol (DDT). We demonstrate that the OAm and DDT jointly contribute to the formation of the low-temperature-decomposable metal-sulfide clusters, and promote the QD nucleation at relatively low temperature range of 180–200 ℃. Furthermore, to improve fluorescence property, Zn-doping and ZnSe coating are simultaneously carried out. The obtained deep-red ZnCISe/ZnSe QDs possess higher quantum yield of 65% at wavelength of 670 nm, which is in the best performance range ever reported. Then, we investigate the improvement mechanism, where the sufficient Zn replacement of In sites is the crucial factor. This modified core–shell structure provides two benefits, on the one hand, the enhancement on intrinsic defect-related recombination, and the other hand, the improved core–shell interface that reduces the nonradiative recombination.

An organometallic approach for ultrathin SnO_<i>x</i>Fe_<i>y</i>S_<i>z</i> plates and their graphene composites as stable anode materials for high performance lithium ion batteries

Xu, Juan,Jang, Kwonho,Choi, Jaewon,Jin, Jaewon,Park, Ji Hoon,Kim, Hae Jin,Oh, Dong-Hwa,Ahn, Joung Real,Son, Seung Uk The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012 Chemical communications Vol.48 No.50

<P>Through an organometallic approach, ultrathin SnO<SUB><I>x</I></SUB>Fe<SUB><I>y</I></SUB>S<SUB><I>z</I></SUB> plates with ∼2 nm single layer-thicknesses were obtained and their graphene composites showed very promising discharge capacities of up to 736 mA h g<SUP>−1</SUP> and excellent stabilities as anode materials in lithium ion batteries.</P> <P>Graphic Abstract</P><P>Through an organometallic approach, the ultrathin SnO<SUB><I>x</I></SUB>Fe<SUB><I>y</I></SUB>S<SUB><I>z</I></SUB> plates with 1.1–1.9 nm thicknesses were obtained and their graphene composites showed very promising discharge capacities of up to 727–736 mA h g<SUP>−1</SUP> and excellent stabilities. <IMG SRC='http://pubs.rsc.org/services/images/RSCpubs.ePlatform.Service.FreeContent.ImageService.svc/ImageService/image/GA?id=c2cc31376f'> </P>

Effect of Fermentation Conditions on L-Lactic Acid Production from Soybean Straw Hydrolysate

( Juan Wang ),( Qunhui Wang ),( Zhong Xu ),( Wenyu Zhang ),( Juan Xiang ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.1

Four types of straw, namely, soybean, wheat, corn, and rice, were investigated for use in lactic acid production. These straws were mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. After pretreatment with ammonia, the cellulose content increased, whereas the hemicellulose and lignin contents decreased. Analytical results also showed that the liquid enzymatic hydrolysates were primarily composed of glucose, xylose, and cellobiose. Preliminary experiments showed that a higher lactic acid concentration could be obtained from the wheat and soybean straw. However, soybean straw was chosen as the substrate for lactic acid production owing to its high protein content. The maximum lactic acid yield (0.8 g/g) and lactic acid productivity (0.61 g/(l/h)) were obtained with an initial reducing sugar concentration of 35 g/l at 30°C when using Lactobacillus casei (10% inoculum) for a 42 h fermentation period. Thus, the experimental results demonstrated the feasibility of using a soybean straw enzymatic hydrolysate as a substrate for lactic acid production.

Ginsenoside Rh2 reduces depression in offspring of mice with maternal toxoplasma infection during pregnancy by inhibiting microglial activation via the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathway

Xiang Xu,Yu-Nan Lu,Jia-Hui Cheng,Hui-Wen Lan,Jing-Mei Lu,Guang-Nan Jin,Guang-Hua Xu,Cheng-Hua Jin,Juan Ma,Hu-Nan Piao,Xuejun Jin,Lian-Xun Piao 고려인삼학회 2022 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.46 No.1

Background: Maternal Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection during pregnancy has been associated with various mental illnesses in the offspring. Ginsenoside Rh2 (GRh2) is a major bioactive compound obtained from ginseng that has an anti-T. gondii effect and attenuates microglial activation through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) signaling pathway. GRh2 also alleviated tumor-associated or lipopolysaccharide-induced depression. However, the effects and potential mechanisms of GRh2 on depression-like behavior in mouse offspring caused by maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy have not been investigated. Methods: We examined GRh2 effects on the depression-like behavior in mouse offspring, caused by maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy, by measuring depression-like behaviors and assaying parameters at the neuronal and molecular level. Results: We showed that GRh2 significantly improved behavioral measures: sucrose consumption, forced swim time and tail suspended immobility time of their offspring. These corresponded with increased tissue concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine, and attenuated indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase or enhanced tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the prefrontal cortex. GRh2 ameliorated neuronal damage in the prefrontal cortex. Molecular docking results revealed that GRh2 binds strongly to both TLR4 and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that GRh2 ameliorated the depression-like behavior in mouse offspring of maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy by attenuating the excessive activation of microglia and neuroinflammation through the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathway. It suggests that GRh2 could be considered a potential therapy in preventing and treating psychiatric disorders in the offspring mice of mothers with prenatal exposure to T. gondii infection.

Molecular Mechanism and Regulation of Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Citrus sinensis

Qiang Xu,Xiuxin Deng,Qing Liu,Jiancheng Zhang,Nengguo Tao,Wenjing Zhou,Zhiyong Pan,Juan Xu 한국원예학회 2008 한국원예학회 기타간행물 Vol.- No.-

Comparative Lipidomic Analysis of Cephalosporium acremonium Insights into Industrial and Pilot Fermentations

Rui-Juan Xu,Bin Qiao,Bing-Zhi Li,Hua Lu,Yao Chen,Ying-Jin Yuan 한국생물공학회 2012 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.17 No.2

Cephalosporium acremonium has been widely applied in industrial cephalosporin C fermentation. However,little is known about the molecular basis of fermentation behavior of this strain. In this study, comparative lipidomic analysis using LC/ESI/MSn technology was employed to investigate responses of Cephalosporium acremonium to multiple environment variations in realistic industrial cephalosporin C fermentation process and provide molecular basis for the discrepancies between industrial and pilot fermentations. Totally 77 phospholipids species were detected and 65 species were further quantified. Score plot revealed that phospholipids metabolism differed in industrial and pilot process. Loading pilot indicated that the main variables responsible for the discrimination of industrial and pilot process were phosphatidylinositols (PIs), phosphatidylserines (PSs) and phosphatic acids (PAs). Higher PIs content in industrial process indicated that cells were more vigorous in industrial process than those in pilot process. Larger increases of PSs, PAs and ratio of oleic acid to linoleic acid coincided well with the earlier and more thorough cellular morphological differentiation in industrial process. The synergetic reaction between cellular behavior and cells living environment led to titer discrepancies between industrial and pilot process. These findings provided lipidomic insights into industrial cephalosporin C production. Cephalosporium acremonium has been widely applied in industrial cephalosporin C fermentation. However,little is known about the molecular basis of fermentation behavior of this strain. In this study, comparative lipidomic analysis using LC/ESI/MSn technology was employed to investigate responses of Cephalosporium acremonium to multiple environment variations in realistic industrial cephalosporin C fermentation process and provide molecular basis for the discrepancies between industrial and pilot fermentations. Totally 77 phospholipids species were detected and 65 species were further quantified. Score plot revealed that phospholipids metabolism differed in industrial and pilot process. Loading pilot indicated that the main variables responsible for the discrimination of industrial and pilot process were phosphatidylinositols (PIs), phosphatidylserines (PSs) and phosphatic acids (PAs). Higher PIs content in industrial process indicated that cells were more vigorous in industrial process than those in pilot process. Larger increases of PSs, PAs and ratio of oleic acid to linoleic acid coincided well with the earlier and more thorough cellular morphological differentiation in industrial process. The synergetic reaction between cellular behavior and cells living environment led to titer discrepancies between industrial and pilot process. These findings provided lipidomic insights into industrial cephalosporin C production.

Ginsenoside Rh2 attenuates microglial activation against toxoplasmic encephalitis via TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathway

Xiang Xu,Lan Jin,Tong Jiang,Ying Lu,Fumie Aosai,Hu-Nan Piao,Guang-Hua Xu,Cheng-Hua Jin,Xue-Jun Jin,Juan Ma,Lian-Xun Piao 고려인삼학회 2020 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.44 No.5

Background: Ginsenoside Rh2 (GRh2) is a characterized component in red ginseng widely used in Korea and China. GRh2 exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. However, its effects on Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection have not been clarified yet. Methods: The effect of GRh2 against T. gondii was assessed under in vitro and in vivo experiments. The BV2 cells were infected with tachyzoites of T. gondii RH strain, and the effects of GRh2 were evaluated by MTT assay, morphological observations, immunofluorescence staining, a trypan blue exclusion assay, reverse transcription PCR, and Western blot analyses. The in vivo experiment was conducted with BALB/c mice inoculated with lethal amounts of tachyzoites with or without GRh2 treatment. Results and conclusion: The GRh2 treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of T. gondii under in vitro and in vivo studies. Furthermore, GRh2 blocked the activation of microglia and specifically decreased the release of inflammatory mediators in response to T. gondii infection through TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathway. In mice, GRh2 conferred modest protection from a lethal dose of T. gondii. After the treatment, the proliferation of tachyzoites in the peritoneal cavity of infected mice markedly decreased. Moreover, GRh2 also significantly decreased the T. gondii burden in mouse brain tissues. These findings indicate that GRh2 exhibits an antieT. gondii effect and inhibits the microglial activation through TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathway, providing the basic pharmacological basis for the development of new drugs to treat toxoplasmic encephalitis.

SIMULATION OF MIXED GAS FORMATION FOR A SPRAY-WALL COMPLEX GUIDED LPG DIRECT INJECTION ENGINE

Bo-yan Xu,Xiang-long Liu,Long-long Jiang,Juan Xu 한국자동차공학회 2017 International journal of automotive technology Vol.18 No.3

To obtain an ultralean air-fuel ratio and to reduce engine-out NOX and HC emissions induced by the richer mixture near the spark plug, a spray and wall complex guided combustion system has been developed by utilizing the fuel characteristics of LPG. The new combustion system configuration is optimized by using a commercial CFD code, FIRE V2013, and the reliability of the system has been experimentally demonstrated by Plane Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF). The mixture formation in the new combustion system under part load (2,000 rpm) is numerically simulated. With an injection timing of 40°CA BTDC, the LPG spray which is injected from two upper holes, reaches the ignition point, and the other part of the LPG spray which is injected from the bottom hole, is directed to the ignition point through the vertical vortices at the same time. At the ignition timing of about 20°CA BTDC, the two-part mixtures have been shown to form a stable and richer stratified mixture around the ignition point, and the maximum global air-fuel ratio reaches to 60 : 1.

Glia maturation factor beta deficiency protects against diabetic osteoporosis by suppressing osteoclast hyperactivity

Shi Si,Gu Huijie,Xu Jinyuan,Sun Wan,Liu Caiyin,Zhu Tong,Wang Juan,Gao Furong,Zhang Jieping,Ou Qingjian,Jin Caixia,Xu Jingying,Chen Hao,Li Jiao,Xu Guotong,Tian Haibin,Lu Lixia 생화학분자생물학회 2023 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.55 No.-

Excessive osteoclast activation, which depends on dramatic changes in actin dynamics, causes osteoporosis (OP). The molecular mechanism of osteoclast activation in OP related to type 1 diabetes (T1D) remains unclear. Glia maturation factor beta (GMFB) is considered a growth and differentiation factor for both glia and neurons. Here, we demonstrated that Gmfb deficiency effectively ameliorated the phenotype of T1D-OP in rats by inhibiting osteoclast hyperactivity. In vitro assays showed that GMFB participated in osteoclast activation rather than proliferation. Gmfb deficiency did not affect osteoclast sealing zone (SZ) formation but effectively decreased the SZ area by decreasing actin depolymerization. When GMFB was overexpressed in Gmfb-deficient osteoclasts, the size of the SZ area was enlarged in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, decreased actin depolymerization led to a decrease in nuclear G-actin, which activated MKL1/SRF-dependent gene transcription. We found that pro-osteoclastogenic factors (Mmp9 and Mmp14) were downregulated, while anti-osteoclastogenic factors (Cftr and Fhl2) were upregulated in Gmfb KO osteoclasts. A GMFB inhibitor, DS-30, targeting the binding site of GMFB and Arp2/3, was obtained. Biocore analysis revealed a high affinity between DS-30 and GMFB in a dose-dependent manner. As expected, DS-30 strongly suppressed osteoclast hyperactivity in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, our work identified a new therapeutic strategy for T1D-OP treatment. The discovery of GMFB inhibitors will contribute to translational research on T1D-OP.