Petrogenesis of the late Mesozoic highly fractionated I-type granites in the Luanchuan district: implications for the tectono-magmatic evolution of eastern Qinling

Yunhui Zhang,Huawen Cao,Mo Xu,Shouting Zhang,Li Tang,Shiyan Wang,Qiuming Pei,Guojun Cai,Tong Shen 한국지질과학협의회 2018 Geosciences Journal Vol.22 No.2

Late Mesozoic granites are extensively distributed in the Luanchuan district of eastern Qinling and can be divided into two types: Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous granites (ore-related plutons) and Late Cretaceous granites (Laojunshan batholith). This study presents new geochemical and zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopic data from the Shibaogou and Yuku plutons to provide robust constraints on the petrogenesis and tectonic significance of the late Mesozoic granites in the Luanchuan district. Zircon U-Pb dating results yielded weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages of 149.1 ± 0.8 Ma and 150.5 ± 0.8 Ma, which were interpreted as the crystallization ages of the Shibaogou and Yuku plutons, respectively. We propose that the late Mesozoic granites contain high concentrations of SiO2 and alkali elements (Na2O + K2O) and feature metaluminous to weakly peraluminous characteristics. Enrichment in light rare earth elements and large ion lithophile elements and depletion in high field strength elements are observed. Mineralogical and geochemical evidence reveal that the late Mesozoic granites are highly fractionated I-type granites with fractional crystallization of feldspar, plagioclase and accessory minerals (e.g., apatite and titanite or magnetite). Based on the Hf composition, we suggest that the parental magmas of the ore-related plutons were derived from remelting of the Taihua and Xiong’er groups with minor contributions of mantle-derived materials and that the Laojunshan batholith was generated by the hybridization of ancient crust- (Kuanping group) and mantle-derived components. Collectively, the above arguments indicates a tectonic transition from compression to post-collisional extension during the late Mesozoic, that was likely triggered by the continental collision of the North China Block and the Yangtze Block, which generated numerous contemporaneous granites and Mo-W-Pb-Zn-Ag-Au poly-metallic deposits.

Inhibition of α-glucosidase by 2-thiobarbituric acid: Molecular dynamics simulation integrating parabolic noncompetitive inhibition kinetics

Qin, Xiu-Yuan,Lee, Jinhyuk,Zheng, Li,Yang, Jun-Mo,Gong, Yan,Park, Yong-Doo Elsevier 2018 Process biochemistry Vol.65 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>The phenomenon of α-glucosidase inhibition has attracted the attention of researchers due to its association with type 2 diabetes treatment in humans. In this study, we found that 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) induces complex inhibition of α-glucosidase using kinetics tests and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Computational MD and docking simulations demonstrate that TBA interacts with three residues on active sites of α-glucosidase such as Met69, Arg212, and His348. These biochemical tests indicate that TBA reversibly inhibits α-glucosidase in a parabolic noncompetitive manner (<I>IC</I> <SUB>50</SUB> =17.13±1.14mM; <I>K</I> <SUB>i</SUB> =13.25±0.56mM) and that this inhibition is accompanied by a biphasic kinetic process. The tertiary conformational changes were not synchronized with TBA inhibition but we observed hydrophobic disruption after inactivation at higher concentrations of TBA. Our results provide insight into the functional roles of residues located at the active sites of α-glucosidase, and we suggest that compounds similar to TBA (heterocyclic compounds) targeting the key residues of active sites are potential α-glucosidase inhibitors.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> 2-Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) induces complex inhibition of α-glucosidase. </LI> <LI> Computational MD simulations demonstrate that TBA interacts with Met69, Arg212, and His348. </LI> <LI> TBA reversibly inhibits α-glucosidase in a parabolic noncompetitive manner (<I>IC</I> <SUB>50</SUB> =17.13±1.14mM; <I>K</I> <SUB>i</SUB> =13.25±0.56mM). </LI> <LI> The high dose of TBA induces hydrophobic disruption after inactivation. </LI> <LI> Heterocyclic compounds targeting the key residues of active sites are potential α-glucosidase inhibitors. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Systematic Functional Annotation of Somatic Mutations in Cancer

Ng, Patrick Kwok-Shing,Li, Jun,Jeong, Kang Jin,Shao, Shan,Chen, Hu,Tsang, Yiu Huen,Sengupta, Sohini,Wang, Zixing,Bhavana, Venkata Hemanjani,Tran, Richard,Soewito, Stephanie,Minussi, Darlan Conterno,Mo Cell Press 2018 CANCER CELL Vol. No.

<P><B>Summary</B></P> <P>The functional impact of the vast majority of cancer somatic mutations remains unknown, representing a critical knowledge gap for implementing precision oncology. Here, we report the development of a moderate-throughput functional genomic platform consisting of efficient mutant generation, sensitive viability assays using two growth factor-dependent cell models, and functional proteomic profiling of signaling effects for select aberrations. We apply the platform to annotate >1,000 genomic aberrations, including gene amplifications, point mutations, indels, and gene fusions, potentially doubling the number of driver mutations characterized in clinically actionable genes. Further, the platform is sufficiently sensitive to identify weak drivers. Our data are accessible through a user-friendly, public data portal. Our study will facilitate biomarker discovery, prediction algorithm improvement, and drug development.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Developed a versatile functional genomic platform for somatic mutation annotation </LI> <LI> Annotated >1,000 genomic aberrations, doubling the number of known driver mutations </LI> <LI> Assessed performance of existing algorithms for mutation functional predictions </LI> <LI> Built a user-friendly, open-access data portal for community-based investigation </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical Abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Evaluation of effective thermal conductivity of unsaturated granular materials using random network model

Lee, Chulho,Zhuang, Li,Lee, Dongseop,Lee, Seokjae,Lee, In-Mo,Choi, Hangseok Elsevier 2017 Geothermics Vol.67 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>The effective thermal conductivity of granular materials is widely used in numerous geothermal engineering applications, such as the ground source heat pump (GSHP) system. However, for unsaturated granular materials, it is difficult to predict the thermal conductivity because of the interaction between solid and fluid in media. In this study, the effective thermal conductivity of unsaturated granular materials was measured, reviewed and analysed using a macroscopic pore structure network model with a randomly packed particles. The network model was verified by measured data (soil water characteristics curve, thermal conductivity and etc.) of three different glass beads and also Jumunjin sand (standard sand of South Korea). Upon the series of laboratory experiments, some modification to the existing network model were introduced, such as the use of soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) applied to modelling the thermal conductivity of granular materials. In addition, an empirical correlation between the fraction of the mean radius (χ) and the thermal conductivity at a given saturated condition was developed through comparison with the test results. In the range of lower degree of saturation (5%–20%), the modified network model shows relatively higher thermal conductivity than the laboratory measurements. However, for the higher degree of saturation (>40%), it shows a similar tendency to the laboratory measurements.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Effective thermal conductivity of granular material at the unsaturated condition is evaluated using the network model. </LI> <LI> A modified fraction of the mean radius is introduced in the modified network model. </LI> <LI> The modified network model estimates the effective thermal conductivity of porous media in all range of the degree of saturation. </LI> </UL> </P>

Positive Association Between IL-16 rs11556218 T/G Polymorphism and Cancer Risk: a Meta-analysis

Mo, Cui-Ju,Peng, Qi-Liu,He, Yu,Wang, Jian,Xie, Li,Li, Tai-Jie,Li, Shan,Qin, Xue Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.11

Background: Interleukin-16 (IL-16) is a multifunctional cytokine which plays a key role in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases as well as in cancer. Genetic polymorphisms of IL-16 have been implicated in susceptibility to cancer. However, associations remain inconclusive. The present meta-analysis was therefore carried out to establish a more conclusive association of IL-16 polymorphisms with cancer risk. Materials and Methods: Relevant studies were searched through the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Wan fang electronic databases updated in October 2013. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were used to assess the association between IL-16 polymorphisms and cancer risk. Results: Eight eligible studies (rs4778889 T/C: 8, rs11556218 T/G: 7, rs4072111 C/T: 6) that met our selection criteria were included. The meta-analysis indicated that rs11556218 T/G was associated with a significant increased risk of cancer (G vs. T, OR=1.321, 95% CI=1.142-1.528, P<0.001; TG vs. TT, OR=1.665, 95% CI=1.448-1.915, P<0.001; GG+TG vs. TT, OR=1.622, 95% CI=1.416-1.858, P<0.001),as well as nasopharyngeal carcinoma and colorectal cancer. Furthermore, in the subgroup of Chinese, significant associations were found between rs11556218 polymorphism and cancer risk. There was no statistically significant association between the other two variants (rs4778889, rs4072111) and risk of cancer. Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that the IL-16 rs11556218 polymorphism is associated with increased cancer risk. Large well-designed studies involving various cancer types and different populations are now needed.

Berberine Prevents Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Damage During Early Phase of Sepsis in Rat through the Toll-Like Receptors Signaling Pathway

Li, Guo-Xun,Wang, Xi-Mo,Jiang, Tao,Gong, Jian-Feng,Niu, Ling-Ying,Li, Ning The Korean Society of Pharmacology 2015 The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology Vol.19 No.1

Our previous study has shown berberine prevents damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier during early phase of sepsis in rat through mechanisms independent of the NOD-like receptors signaling pathway. In this study, we explored the regulatory effects of berberine on Toll-like receptors during the intestinal mucosal damaging process in rats. Male Sprague-Dawlay (SD) rats were treated with berberine for 5 d before undergoing cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce polymicrobial sepsis. The expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR 2), TLR 4, TLR 9, the activity of nuclear factor-kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$), the levels of selected cytokines and chemokines, percentage of cell death in intestinal epithelial cells, and mucosal permeability were investigated at 0, 2, 6, 12 and 24 h after CLP. Results showed that the tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) level were significantly lower in berberine-treated rats compared to the control animals. Conversely, the expression level of tight junction proteins, percentage of cell death in intestinal epithelial cells and the mucosal permeability were significantly higher in berberine-treated rats. The mRNA expression of TLR 2, TLR 4, and TLR 9 were significantly affected by berberine treatment. Our results indicate that pretreatment with berberine attenuates tissue injury and protects the intestinal mucosal barrier in early phase of sepsis and this may possibly have been mediated through the TLRs pathway.

The Effects of County-of-Origin, BrandImage, and Corporate Image Dimensions on Brand Evaluations and Purchase Intentions of Smart Phones of Five Brands: A Comparative Study of China and Korea

Li Mo,Shuai Zhai 한국유통과학회 2013 유통과학연구 Vol.11 No.7

Purpose - In the academic literature, the researches on a comparative study on purchase behaviors of the consumers from emerging and mature markets remain limited. Therefore, this empirical study is attempted to examine the effects of country of origin (COO), brand image and corporate image on the purchase behavior of Chinese consumers (as from emerging market) and Korean consumers (as from mature market). Research Design, data, methodology - In total, 615 valid questionnaires were collected from the main cities of China and Korea respectively,and a multiple group analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses with SPSS 16.0 and AMOS18.0. Results - Chinese consumers are not influenced by country-of-origin effect, whereas Korean consumers are sensitive to it. Both Chinese and Korean consumers are sensitive to brand image, whereas corporate image does appear to influence Chinese consumers but not Korean consumers. The effects of country-of-origin are not more influential in less developed market (China) than more developed market (Korea). Conclusions - According to the results of this empirical study, the country-of-origin effect does impact Korean consumers but not Chinese consumers’ purchase behavior. Therefore, multinational companies are relatively free to make the decision, if Chinese consumers are the marketing targets, when choosing manufacturing sites.

Fiber Ring Laser Intra-cavity Absorption Spectroscopy for Gas Sensing: Analysis and Experiment

Mo Li,Kun Liu,Wencai Jing,Gang-Ding Peng 한국광학회 2010 Current Optics and Photonics Vol.14 No.1

Fiber ring laser based intra-cavity absorption spectroscopic sensor has great potential for high sensitivity gas detection. Using the rate equations and propagation equations, we investigated theoretically factors that affect the sensitivity of such fiber ring laser sensors and determined the optimal design parameters and conditions for significant enhancement of the system sensitivity. Experiments have been conducted to determine the sensitivity enhancement performance. The results showed a factor of 25 ~ 30 in sensitivity enhancement in the experimental system, agreeing well with the theoretical expectations. Experiments on acetylene detection have also been carried out and the results showed that the ring cavity significantly increases the signal absorption and that high sensitivity can be obtained for gas detection.

Fitness landscape for simple genetic algorithms supplied with adequate superior order-1 building blocks /

Mo, Hong Qiang,Li, Zhong,Park, Jin Bae,Joo, Young Hoon,Li, Xiang Yang The Korean Institute of electrical engineers 2010 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.8 No.1

Ginsenosides: potential therapeutic source for fibrosis-associated human diseases

Li, Xiaobing,Mo, Nan,Li, Zhenzhen The Korean Society of Ginseng 2020 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.44 No.3

Tissue fibrosis is an eventual pathologic change of numerous chronic illnesses, which is characterized by resident fibroblasts differentiation into myofibroblasts during inflammation, coupled with excessive extracellular matrix deposition in tissues, ultimately leading to failure of normal organ function. Now, there are many mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis, which facilitate the discovery of effective antifibrotic drugs. Moreover, many chronic diseases remain a significant clinical unmet need. For the past five years, many research works have undoubtedly addressed the functional dependency of ginsenosides in different types of fibrosis and the successful remission in various animal models treated with ginsenosides. Caveolin-1, interleukin, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), liver X receptors (LXRs), Nrf2, microRNA-27b, PPARδ-STAT3, liver kinase B1 (LKB1)-AMPK, and TGF-β1/Smads are potential therapy targeting using ginsenosides. Ginsenosides can play a targeting role and suppress chronic inflammatory response, collagen deposition, and epitheliale-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as myofibroblast activation to attenuate fibrosis. In this report, our aim was to focus on the therapeutic prospects of ginsenosides in fibrosis-related human diseases making use of results acquired from various animal models. These findings should provide important therapeutic clues and strategies for the exploration of new drugs for fibrosis treatment.