Spatiotemporal Variations and Possible Sources of Ambient PM10 from 2003 to 2012 in Luzhou, China

Dong Ren,Youping Li,Hong Zhou,Xiaoxia Yang,Xiaoman Li,Xuejun Pan,Bin Huang 대한환경공학회 2014 Environmental Engineering Research Vol.19 No.4

Descriptive statistics methods were used to study the spatiotemporal variations and sources of ambient particulate matter (PM10) in Luzhou, China. The analyzed datasets were collected from four national air quality monitoring stations: Jiushi (S1), Xiaoshi (S2), Zhongshan (S3), Lantian (S4) over the period of 2003-2012. This city was subjected serious PM10 pollution, and the long-term annual average PM10 concentrations varied from 76 to 136 μg/m3. The maximum concentration was more than 3-fold of the annual average (40 μg/m3) issued by EPA-China for the ambient air quality. General temporal pattern was characterized by high concentrations in winter and low concentrations in summer, and general spatial gradient was in the reduction order of S2 > S4 > S3 > S1, which were both due to different particulate contributors and special meteorological conditions. The source apportionment indicated that vehicular emissions, road dusts, coal burning and chemical dusts were the major contributors of the identified PM10 pollution, and the vehicular emissions and the road wear re-suspended particles dominated the heavy PM10 pollution in recent years. Two other potential sources, agricultural and celebration activities could decrease the air quality in a short term. Finally, some corresponding suggestions and measures were provided to improve the air quality.

Photodegradation of 17α-ethynylestradiol in nitrate aqueous solutions

Dong Ren,Tingting Bi,Shumei Gao,Xukun Li,Bin Huang,Xuejun Pan 대한환경공학회 2016 Environmental Engineering Research Vol.21 No.2

17α-Ethynylestradiol (Ee₂) has gotten growing concerns due to its widely detected in the environment and high estrogenic potency. However, the knowledge on the photochemical behaviors of Ee₂ in natural waters is still limited. Herein, the photodegradation and estrogenic potency variation of Ee₂ induced by nitrate were studied using a sunlight simulator consisted by a 300 W medium pressure mercury lamp and 290 nm cut-off filters. It was found that Ee₂ could be photodegraded at a rate of 0.0193 h-1 in pure aqueous solutions, and the photodegradation of Ee₂ could be significantly promoted by nitrate. The photodegradation removal rate of Ee₂ was increased from 9% in Milli-Q water to 85% in 2.0 mM nitrate solutions. Reactive species scavenging experiments demonstrated that the photogenerated HO? contributed about 55% to Ee₂ degradation. Fe(III), Cl- and dissolved humic acid (DHA) could inhibit the photodegradation of Ee₂ by competing the incident light and photogenerated HO?, while HCO₃ - had no influence on Ee₂ photodegradation. Ee₂ was determined to be phototransformed into organic chemicals without estrogenic potency by GC-MS and MCF-7 cell proliferation toxicity tests. These findings could extend our knowledge on the photochemical behaviors of steroid estrogens and provide information for ecological risk assessment.

An Age- and Condition-Dependent Variable Weight Model for Performance Evaluation of Bridge Systems

Yuan Ren,Xiang Xu,Bin Liu,Qiao Huang 대한토목학회 2021 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.25 No.5

To address the balance problem between indexes within the performance evaluation of bridge systems, this paper develops an age- and condition-based variable weight model (ACVWM). First, the limitations of existing models used for the multi-layer weighted sum method, i.e., constant weight model (CWM) and condition-based variable weight model (CVWM), are presented through case studies, indicating that the weight variation is insufficient to characterize the deterioration law of components. Then, the definition of age-based variable weight is established following the existing concept of condition-based variable weight, which makes weights vary with service ages. Considering the characteristics of bridge assessment, an age-based variable weight model is built up to depict the time-variant trends of index weights with the service age. The variation law of age-based variable weight is discussed by using indexes in the superstructure of suspension bridges. As a result, the weights of replaceable and permanent components behave differently within the bridge service life. Finally, the ACVWM is built up and its effectiveness is verified through the same case studies applied to the CWM and CVWM. Compared with the evaluation results from the CWM and CVWM, the evaluation result of the ACVWM is more in line with the real maintenance strategy. Considering the CVWM in which low initial weights may lead to unsatisfactory weight assignment, the advantage of the proposed ACVWM lies in its capability to adjust initial weights over the service age.

Condition Assessment of Suspension Bridges Using Local Variable Weight and Normal Cloud Model

Xiang Xu,Qiao Huang,Yuan Ren,Hong-Bin Sun 대한토목학회 2018 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.22 No.10

A systematic work has been presented for condition assessment of suspension bridges in this study. Initially, a four-layer index system is built up. Subsequently, 45 experts are invited to determine the index weights by processing the experts’ opinions using the Group Decision-Making (GDM). The assigned weights seem more reasonable (especially weights of the tower and auxiliary facility) when compared with those in the existing China’s code. Next, assessment algorithms, the Local Variable Weight Model (LVWM) and Normal Cloud Model (NCM), are established based on the characteristics of the bridge condition assessment. The LVWM adjusts weight properly to make assessment results in line with the actual situation under extreme cases. The NCM describes not only the fuzziness but also the randomness in the assessment process. Finally, a case study is illustrated to verify the effectiveness of the methodology. For sake of highlighting the advantages of the LVWM, two more models are subjected to the case study, which are the Constant Weight Model (CWM) and Traditional Variable Weight Model (TVWM). Consequently, the assessment result of the LVWM is more in keeping with the actual situation than those of the CWM or TVWM.

Development of a Serum-Free Culture Method for Endothelial Cells of the Stria Vascularis and Their Pro-inflammatory Secretome Changes Induced by Oxidative Stress

Ying Yi,Shu-Bin Fang,Guan-Xia Xiong,Xian-Ren Wang,Hui-Ting Chen,Wan-Yi Huang,Li-Xuan Feng 대한이비인후과학회 2023 Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Vol.16 No.1

Objectives. Reactive oxygen species in the stria vascularis (SV) of the cochlea may be involved in the pathogenesis of sen-sorineural hearing loss. However, the effects of oxidative stress on SV endothelial cells (SV-ECs) remain largely un-known, and no feasible in vitro cell culture model exists for the functional study of SV-ECs. Methods. We isolated primary SV-ECs from the SV of neonatal mice. The apoptosis-reducing effects of fibronectin in SV-ECs cultured with serum-free medium were determined using β-galactosidase staining and flow cytometry. SV-ECsincubated in serum-free medium were treated with various H2O2 concentrations to evaluate the effects of H2O2 ontheir viability. The secretome of SV-ECs treated with or without H2O2 (100 μM or 500 μM) was analyzed using high-resolution mass spectrometry. The function of the SV-EC secretome was evaluated by a macrophage assay. Results. We successfully isolated and characterized the SV-ECs. Treatment with H2O2 at concentrations up to 500 μM for2 hours and further incubation with serum-free medium in plates precoated with fibronectin showed no significanteffect on apoptosis. Compared to the control SV-ECs, the amount of differential proteins in the secretome of SV-ECsstimulated with 500 μM H2O2 was much higher than in those treated with 100 μM H2O2. Kyoto Encyclopedia ofGenes and Genomes and Gene Ontology analyses suggested that the proteins differentially expressed in SV-ECstreated with 500 μM H2O2 were involved in the regulation of multiple signaling pathways and cellular processes. Thesecretome of H2O2-stimulated SV-ECs exhibited significant pro-inflammatory effects on macrophages. Conclusion. We successfully established an in vitro serum-free culture method, identified the differential proteins releasedby oxidative stress-induced ECs and their functions, and revealed the pro-inflammatory effects of the secretome ofH2O2-stimulated SV-ECs. Therefore, SV-ECs might elicit immunoregulatory effects on bystander cells in the microen-vironment of oxidative stress-induced cochlea, especially cochlear macrophages.

Identification of loci affecting teat number by genome-wide association studies on three pig populations

Tang, Jianhong,Zhang, Zhiyan,Yang, Bin,Guo, Yuanmei,Ai, Huashui,Long, Yi,Su, Ying,Cui, Leilei,Zhou, Liyu,Wang, Xiaopeng,Zhang, Hui,Wang, Chengbin,Ren, Jun,Huang, Lusheng,Ding, Nengshui Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2017 Animal Bioscience Vol.30 No.1

Objective: Three genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and a meta-analysis of GWAS were conducted to explore the genetic mechanisms underlying variation in pig teat number. Methods: We performed three GWAS and a meta-analysis for teat number on three pig populations, including a White Duroc${\times}$Erhualian $F_2$ resource population (n = 1,743), a Chinese Erhualian pig population (n = 320) and a Chinese Sutai pig population (n = 383). Results: We detected 24 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that surpassed the genome-wide significant level on Sus Scrofa chromosomes (SSC) 1, 7, and 12 in the $F_2$ resource population, corresponding to four loci for pig teat number. We highlighted vertnin (VRTN) and lysine demethylase 6B (KDM6B) as two interesting candidate genes at the loci on SSC7 and SSC12. No significant associated SNPs were identified in the meta-analysis of GWAS. Conclusion: The results verified the complex genetic architecture of pig teat number. The causative variants for teat number may be different in the three populations

Effects of zearalenone on the localization and expression of the growth hormone receptor gene in the uteri of post-weaning piglets

Min Zhou,Li Jie Yang,Wei Ren Yang,Li Bo Huang,Xue Mei Zhou,Shu Zhen Jiang,Zai Bin Yang 아세아·태평양축산학회 2018 Animal Bioscience Vol.31 No.1

Objective: In this study, we investigated the adverse effects of dietary zearalenone (ZEA) (0.5 to 1.5 mg/kg diet) on the localization and expression of the growth hormone receptor (GHR) in the uteri of post-weaning gilts and explored alternative mechanism of the reproductive toxicity of ZEA on piglets. Methods: A total of forty healthy piglets (Duroc×Landrace×Large White) aged 28 d were selected for study. Piglets were transferred to single cages after 10 days’ adaptation on an obstetric table. The animals were allocated to one of four treatments: a normal basal diet supplemented with 0 (Control), 0.5 (ZEA0.5), 1.0 (ZEA1.0), or 1.5 (ZEA1.5) mg/kg purified ZEA, and fed for 35 d after the 10-d adaptation. Analyzed ZEA concentrations in the diets were 0, 0.52±0.07, 1.04±0.03, and 1.51±0.13 mg/kg, respectively. At the end of the feeding trial, piglets were euthanized after being fasted for 12 h. Two samples of uterine tissue from each pig were rapidly collected, one of which was stored at –80°C for analysis of the relative mRNA and protein expression of GHR, and the second was promptly fixed in Bouin’s solution for immunohistochemical analysis. Results: The relative weight of the uteri and thickness of the myometrium and endometrium increased linearly (p<0.001) and quadratically (p<0.001) with an increasing level of ZEA. The results of immunohistochemical analysis indicated that GHR immunoreactive substance was mainly localizated in the cytoplasm of uterine smooth muscle, glandular epithelial, luminal epithelial, stromal, and vascular endothelial cells. In contrast, nuclear staining was rarely observed. The immunoreactive integrated optic density of GHR in the myometrium, luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium, and whole uteri of weaning gilts increased linearly (p<0.001) and quadratically (p<0.05) with an increasing level of ZEA. The mRNA and protein expression of GHR in the uteri of weaning gilts increased linearly (p<0.001) and quadratically (p<0.05) with an increasing level of ZEA. Conclusion: In conclusion, ZEA at a concentration of 0.5 mg/kg was sufficient to significantly thicken the myometrium and endometrium, and at a concentration of 1.0 mg/kg induced a high level of GHR expression to promote growth and development of the uteri. This revealed an alternative molecular mechanism whereby ZEA induces growth and development of the uteri and provides a theoretical basis for the revision of Chinese feed hygiene standards.

Khz (Fusion Product of Ganoderma lucidum and Polyporus umbellatus Mycelia) Induces Apoptosis in Human Colon Carcinoma HCT116 Cells, Accompanied by an Increase in Reactive Oxygen Species, Activation of Caspase 3, and Increased Intracellular Ca2 +

김태환,김주성,Zoo Haye Kim,Ren Bin Huang,Young Lye Chae,Ren Sheng Wang 한국식품영양과학회 2015 Journal of medicinal food Vol.18 No.3

Khz (a fusion mycelium of Ganoderma lucidum and Polyporus umbellatus mycelia) is isolated from ganoderic acid and P. umbellatus and it exerts antiproliferative effects against malignant cells. However, no previous study has reported the inhibitory effects of Khz on the growth of human colon cancer cells. In the present study, we found that Khz suppressed cell division and induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells. Khz cytotoxicity was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Khz reduced cell viability and mitochondrial membrane potential levels and it also induced disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential and increased calcium concentration and reactive oxygen species generation. Khz increased caspase 3, PARP, caspase 7, and caspase 9 levels, but reduced Bcl-2 protein levels. Flow cytometry showed that the percentage of HCT116 cells in the sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle increased in response to Khz treatment.

Zearalenone regulates key factors of the Kelch-like erythroid cell-derived protein with CNC homology-associated protein 1-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling pathway in duodenum of post-weaning gilts

Cheng, Qun,Jiang, Shu zhen,Huang, Li bo,Yang, Wei ren,Yang, Zai bin Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2021 Animal Bioscience Vol.34 No.8

Objective: This study explored the mechanism of the Kelch-like erythroid cell-derived protein with CNC homology-associated protein 1 (Keap1)-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway under conditions of zearalenone (ZEA)-induced oxidative stress in the duodenum of post-weaning gilts. Methods: Forty post-weaning gilts were randomly allocated to four groups and fed diets supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 mg/kg ZEA. Results: The results showed significant reductions in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase and increases the malondialdehyde content with increasing concentrations of dietary ZEA. Immunohistochemical analysis supported these findings by showing a significantly increased expression of Nrf2 and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) with increasing concentrations of ZEA. The relative mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2, GPX1 increased linearly (p<0.05) and quadratically (p<0.05), which was consistent with the immunohistochemical results. The relative mRNA expression of Keap1 decreased linearly (p<0.05) and quadratically (p<0.05) in the duodenum as the ZEA concentration increased in the diet. The relative mRNA expression of modifier subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCLM) increased quadratically (p<0.05) in all ZEA treatment groups and the relative mRNA expression of quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) catalytic subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase decreased linearly (p<0.05) and quadratically (p<0.05) in the ZEA1.0 group and ZEA1.5 group. The relative protein expression of Keap1 and GCLM decreased quadratically (p<0.05) in the duodenum as the ZEA concentration increased in the diet, respectively. The relative protein expression of NQO1 increased linearly (p<0.05) and quadratically (p<0.05) in all ZEA treatment groups in the duodenum. Conclusion: These findings suggest that ZEA regulates the expression of key factors of the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway in the duodenum, which enables resistance to ZEA-induced oxidative stress. Further studies are needed to examine the effects of ZEA induced oxidative stress on other tissues and organs in post-weaning gilts.

A Report of Chigger Mites on the Striped Field Mouse, Apodemus agrarius, in Southwest China

Yan-Ling Chen,Xian-Guo Guo,Tian-Guang Ren,Lei Zhang,Rong Fan,Cheng-Fu Zhao,Zhi-Wei Zhang,Ke-Yu Mao,Xiao-Bin Huang,Ti-Jun Qian 대한기생충학열대의학회 2021 The Korean Journal of Parasitology Vol.59 No.6