Cyclic Loading Tests on Composite Joints with Flush End Plate Connections

SHI Wen-long,LI Guo-qiang,YE Zhi-ming,R. Y. Xiao 한국강구조학회 2007 International Journal of Steel Structures Vol.7 No.2

The tests on composite joint specimens with flush end plate connections subjected to cyclic loads have been conducted inTongji University. One bare steel joint specimen has also been tested for comparison. Various instrumentations have been usedto measure: beam strains, column strains, rebar strains, connection deformations and deflections of specimens. The testobservations are reported in detail in this paper. The main results are as folows: (1) the moment-rotation relationships of thenability; (2) the composite joint specimens show large strength resistance and god ductility, and all the rotations of conectionare greater than 0.03rad as required by the FEMA-97; (3) similar failure modes have been identified from the observation ofthe composite specimens, which are found to be concentrated around the joint zone; and (4) the slipage between the concreteslab and steel beam is very small, which shows that betwen the concrete slab and steel beam the ful composition can be

Molecular and Cellular Microbiology / Biomedical Sciences : Surface-Displayed IL-10 by Recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum Reduces Th1 Responses of RAW264.7 Cells Stimulated with Poly(I:C) or LPS

( Ruo Peng Cai ),( Yan Long Jiang ),( Wei Yang ),( Wen Tao Yang ),( Shao Hua Shi ),( Chun Wei Shi ),( Jing Tao Hu ),( Wei Gu ),( Li Ping Ye ),( Fang Yu Zhou ),( Qing Long Gong ),( Wen Yu Han ),( Guil 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2016 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.26 No.2

Recently, poly-γ-glutamic acid synthetase A (pgsA) has been applied to display exogenous proteins on the surface of Lactobacillus casei or Lactococcus lactis, which results in a surfacedisplayed component of bacteria. However, the ability of carrying genes encoded by plasmids and the expression efficiency of recombinant bacteria can be somewhat affected by the longer gene length of pgsA (1,143 bp); therefore, a truncated gene, pgsA, was generated based on the characteristics of pgsA by computational analysis. Using murine IL-10 as an exogenous gene, recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum was constructed and the capacity of the surface-displayed protein and functional differences between exogenous proteins expressed by these strains were evaluated. Surface expression of IL-10 on both recombinant bacteria with anchorins and the higher expression levels in L. plantarum-pgsA’-IL-10 were confirmed by western blot assay. Most importantly, up-regulation of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and the nuclear transcription factor NF-κB p65 in RAW264.7 cells after stimulation with Poly(I:C) or LPS was exacerbated after co-culture with L. plantarum-pgsA. By contrast, IL-10 expressed by these recombinant strains could reduce these factors, and the expression of these factors was associated with recombinant strains that expressed anchorin (especially in L. plantarum-pgsA’-IL-10) and was significantly lower compared with the anchorin-free strains. These findings indicated that exogenous proteins could be successfully displayed on the surface of L. plantarum by pgsA or pgsA’, and the expression of recombinant bacteria with pgsA’ was superior compared with bacteria with pgsA.

Hollow-structured Pd/TiO2 as a dual functional photocatalyst for methyl orange oxidation and selective reduction of nitrate into nitrogen

Wen-Min Wang,Shi-Jer Tseng,Yu-Shuan Huang,Qian-Yuan Wu,Wen-Long Wang,Jerry J. Wu 한국공업화학회 2023 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.119 No.-

Nitrate pollution in wastewater has posed a threat to human health and the environment. Photocatalyticreduction is a promising technology to remove nitrate due to its high adaptability, low cost, and high efficiency. However, there is a great challenge to design photocatalyst with high nitrate reduction and highselectivity of nitrogen (N2) yield. In this study, a novel hollow-structured Pd/TiO2 (PHT1) photocatalyst issynthesized with large specific surface area (SBET) and pore volume, strong UV adsorption, high reductionpotential than nitrate to nitrite, high charge transfer rate, and low electron-hole recombination rate. PHT1 exhibits a superior photocatalytic activity on the removal of methyl orange and nitrate. In addition,PHT1 exhibits high N2 selectivity (>95 %). A lower pH can promote the reduction of nitrate and the selectivityof N2 by PHT1. Electrons (e-) and CO2– are the main active species for nitrate reduction with OH asauxiliary radicals. Three main pathways for nitrate reduction are proposed: i) the reaction with formicacid under acidic conditions; ii) the reduction by electrons and the loaded Pd of photocatalyst to captureelectrons to inhibit electron-hole recombination; iii) the reduction by CO2 – generated from formic acidoxidation by OH.

Genome-Wide Association Study in East Asians Identifies Novel Susceptibility Loci for Breast Cancer

Long, Jirong,Cai, Qiuyin,Sung, Hyuna,Shi, Jiajun,Zhang, Ben,Choi, Ji-Yeob,Wen, Wanqing,Delahanty, Ryan J.,Lu, Wei,Gao, Yu-Tang,Shen, Hongbing,Park, Sue K.,Chen, Kexin,Shen, Chen-Yang,Ren, Zefang,Haima Public Library of Science 2012 PLoS genetics Vol.8 No.2

<P>Genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of both sporadic and familial breast cancer. We aimed to discover novel genetic susceptibility loci for breast cancer. We conducted a four-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 19,091 cases and 20,606 controls of East-Asian descent including Chinese, Korean, and Japanese women. After analyzing 690,947 SNPs in 2,918 cases and 2,324 controls, we evaluated 5,365 SNPs for replication in 3,972 cases and 3,852 controls. Ninety-four SNPs were further evaluated in 5,203 cases and 5,138 controls, and finally the top 22 SNPs were investigated in up to 17,423 additional subjects (7,489 cases and 9,934 controls). SNP rs9485372, near the TGF-β activated kinase (<I>TAB2</I>) gene in chromosome 6q25.1, showed a consistent association with breast cancer risk across all four stages, with a <I>P</I>-value of 3.8×10<SUP>−12</SUP> in the combined analysis of all samples. Adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.89 (0.85–0.94) and 0.80 (0.75–0.86) for the A/G and A/A genotypes, respectively, compared with the genotype G/G. SNP rs9383951 (<I>P</I> = 1.9×10<SUP>−6</SUP> from the combined analysis of all samples), located in intron 5 of the <I>ESR1</I> gene, and SNP rs7107217 (<I>P</I> = 4.6×10<SUP>−7</SUP>), located at 11q24.3, also showed a consistent association in each of the four stages. This study provides strong evidence for a novel breast cancer susceptibility locus represented by rs9485372, near the <I>TAB2</I> gene (6q25.1), and identifies two possible susceptibility loci located in the <I>ESR1</I> gene and 11q24.3, respectively.</P><P><B>Author Summary</B></P> <P>Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women worldwide. Genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of breast cancer. To identify common genetic susceptibility alleles for breast cancer, we performed a four-stage genome-wide association study in 19,091 cases and 20,606 controls among East-Asian women. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs9485372, near the TGF-beta activated kinase 1 (<I>TAB2</I>) gene at chromosome 6q25.1, was associated with breast cancer risk (<I>P</I> = 3.8×10<SUP>−12</SUP>). SNPs rs9383951, located in intron 5 of the estrogen receptor 1 (<I>ESR1</I>) gene, and rs7107217, located at 11q24.3, were also consistently associated with breast cancer risk in all four stages with a combined <I>P</I> of 1.9×10<SUP>−6</SUP> and 4.6×10<SUP>−7</SUP>, respectively. This study provides strong evidence for a novel breast cancer susceptibility locus represented by rs9485372, near the <I>TAB2</I> gene (6q25.1), and identifies two possible susceptibility loci located in the <I>ESR1</I> gene and 11q24.3, respectively.</P>

Neutropenia during the First Cycle of Induction Chemotherapy Is Prognostic for Poor Survival in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Real-World Study in an Endemic Area

Cheng Xu,Shi-Ping Yang,Yuan Zhang,Ling-Long Tang,Guan-Qun Zhou,Xu Liu,Yan-Ping Mao,Rui Guo,Wen-Fei Li,Lei Chen,Ai-Hua Lin,Ying Sun,Jun Ma 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.3

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of neutropenia during the first cycle of induction chemotherapy (IC-1) on survival in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC). Materials and Methods Eligible patients (n=545) with LANPC receiving IC+concurrent chemoradiotherapy were included. Based on nadir neutrophil after IC-1, all patients were categorized into three groups: no/grade 1-2/grade 3-4 neutropenia. Five-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between groups and subgroups stratified by IC regimen. We also explored the occurrence of IC-1–induced myelosuppression events and the minimal value of post-treatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (post-NLRmin). Univariate/multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the effect of IC-1–induced neutropenia, timing of neutropenia, number of myelosuppression events, and high post-NLRmin on OS/DFS. Results Grade 1-2/grade 3-4 neutropenia were associated with poorer OS/DFS than no neutropenia (all p < 0.05); OS/DFS were not significantly different between patients experiencing grade 1-2 vs. 3-4 neutropenia. Neutropenia had no significant effect on OS/DFS in patients receiving docetaxel–cisplatin–5-fluorouracil (TPF). Grade 1-2 (grade 3-4) neutropenia negatively influenced OS/DFS in patients receiving cisplatin–5-fluorouracil (PF) (PF and docetaxel– cisplatin [TP]; all p < 0.05). Neutropenia, two/three myelosuppression events, and high post-NLRmin ( 1.33) was most frequent on days 5-10, second and third week of IC-1, respectively. After adjustment for covariates, IC-1–induced neutropenia, two/three myelosuppression events, and post-NLRmin  1.33 were validated as negative predictors of OS/DFS (all p < 0.05); timing of neutropenia had no significant effect. Conclusion Occurrence of neutropenia, number of myelosuppression events, and high post-NLRmin during PF/TP IC-1 have prognostic value for poor survival in LANPC.

β-elemene Induces Caspase-dependent Apoptosis in Human Glioma Cells in vitro through the Upregulation of Bax and Fas/FasL and Downregulation of Bcl-2

Li, Chen-Long,Chang, Liang,Guo, Lin,Zhao, Dan,Liu, Hui-Bin,Wang, Qiu-Shi,Zhang, Ping,Du, Wen-Zhong,Liu, Xing,Zhang, Hai-Tao,Liu, Yang,Zhang, Yao,Xie, Jing-Hong,Ming, Jian-Guang,Cui, Yu-Qiong,Sun, Ying Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

Background: ${\beta}$-elemene, extracted from herb medicine Curcuma wenyujin has potent anti-tumor effects in various cancer cell lines. However, the activity of ${\beta}$-elemene against glioma cells remains unclear. In the present study, we assessed effects of ${\beta}$-elemene on human glioma cells and explored the underlying mechanism. Materials and Methods: Human glioma U87 cells were used. Cell proliferation was determined with MTT assay and colony formation assay to detect the effect of ${\beta}$-elemene at different doses and times. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe cell apoptosis with Hoechst 33258 staining and change of glioma apoptosis and cell cycling were analyzed by flow cytometry. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western-blotting assay were performed to investigated the influence of ${\beta}$-elemene on expression levels of Fas/FasL, caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax. The experiment was divided into two groups: the blank control group and ${\beta}$-elemne treatment group. Results: With increase in the concentration of ${\beta}$-elemene, cytotoxic effects were enhanced in the glioma cell line and the concentration of inhibited cell viability ($IC_{50}$) was $48.5{\mu}g/mL$ for 24h. ${\beta}$-elemene could induce cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. With Hoechst 33258 staining, apoptotic nuclear morphological changes were observed. Activation of caspase-3,-8 and -9 was increased and the pro-apoptotic factors Fas/FasL and Bax were upregulated, while the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was downregulated after treatment with ${\beta}$-elemene at both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, proliferation and colony formation by U87 cells were inhibited by ${\beta}$-elemene in a time and does-dependent manner. Conclusions: Our results indicate that ${\beta}$-elemene inhibits growth and induces apoptosis of human glioma cells in vitro. The induction of apoptosis appears to be related with the upregulation of Fas/FasL and Bax, activation of caspase-3,-8 and -9 and downregulation of Bcl-2, which then trigger major apoptotic cascades.

Correction: A sandwich-like CMC-based/graphene/CMC-based conductive agent prepared from needle coke for high-performance LiFePO4 batteries

Zou Jin,Long Xi-Xi,He Jia-Le,Yu Shi-Peng,Zhong Sheng-Wen 한국탄소학회 2024 Carbon Letters Vol.34 No.3

Liquid phase exfoliation of natural graphite is an industrially effective solution for graphene preparation. However, many countries have identified natural graphite as a strategic resource and restricted its mining. In this report, we used abundant and readily available needle coke (NC) as a graphene exfoliation precursor and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a dispersant to prepare a sandwich structured conductive graphitized NC nanosheets (GNCNs) by liquid phase exfoliation, freeze-drying and high-temperature graphitization, in which a graphene layer is sandwiched between two thin CMC layers. CMC could increase the liquid absorption and retention ability of the conductive agent and improve the migration rate of lithium ions. The highly ordered graphene layer could accelerate the transmission of electrons. The GNCNs with 0.4 wt% CMC addition showed good rate performance (144.6 mAh g−1 at 5 C) and high cycle stability (96.2% after 200 cycles at 1 C) for LiFePO4 (LFP) battery. The traditional Super-P (SP) conductive agent exhibited low-rate performance (113.9 mAh g−1 at 5 C) and cycle performance (89.9% after 200 cycles at 1 C). This study offers a novel approach to selecting graphene precursors and has

Effects of Nutritional and Environmental Conditions on Planktonic Growth and Biofilm Formation of Citrobacter werkmanii BF-6

( Gang Zhou ),( Long Jie Li ),( Qing Shan Shi ),( You Sheng Ouyang ),( Yi Ben Chen ),( Wen Feng Hu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2013 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.23 No.12

Citrobacter sp. is a cause of significant opportunistic nosocomial infection and is frequently found in human and animal feces, soil, and sewage water, and even in industrial waste or putrefaction. Biofilm formation is an important virulence trait of Citrobacter sp. pathogens but the process and characteristics of this formation are unclear. Therefore, we employed in vitro assays to study the nutritional and environmental parameters that might influence biofilm formation of C. werkmanii BF-6 using 96-well microtiter plates. In addition, we detected the relative transcript levels of biofilm formation genes by RT-PCR. Our results indicated that the capacity of C. werkmanii BF-6 to form biofilms was affected by culture temperature, media, time, pH, and the osmotic agents glucose, sucrose, NaCl, and KCl. Confocal laser scanning microscopy results illustrated that the structure of biofilms and extracellular polysaccharide was influenced by 100 mM NaCl or 100 mM KCl. In addition, nine biofilm formation genes (bsmA, bssR, bssS, csgD, csgE, csgF, mrkA, mrkB, and mrkE) were found to contribute to planktonic and biofilm growth. Our data suggest that biofilm formation by C. werkmanii BF-6 is affected by nutritional and environmental factors, which could pave the way to the prevention and elimination of biofilm formation using proper strategies.

Identification of putative carboxylesterase and aldehyde oxidase genes from the antennae of the rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Yu-Xing Zhang,Wen-Long Wang,Mao-Ye Li,Shi-Guang Li,Su Liu 한국응용곤충학회 2017 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.20 No.3

In insects, odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs) play essential roles in the degradation of volatile odorants and maintenance of olfactory sensitivity. ODEs include several enzyme families with detoxification functions, such as carboxylesterases (CXEs) and aldehyde oxidases (AOXs). The rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a serious rice insect pest in Asia. In this study, 18 putative CXE genes and four AOX genes were identified from the antennae of C. medinalis by retrieving a previously released transcriptome dataset. BLASTX searching and phylogenetic analyses showed that these genes are closely related to their respective orthologs in other lepidopteran species. Expression patterns of these genes were determined by reverse transcription- quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Four candidate genes, including three CmedCXEs (CmedCXE17, CmedCXE20 and CmedCXE24) and one CmedAOX (CmedAOX2) were antenna-enriched and considered potentially involved in odorant degradation. Our findings provide a comprehensive sequence resource and expression profiles of CXE and AOX genes in C. medinalis antennae, which may facilitate further studies of the odorant degradation mechanisms in this insect species.

A sandwich‑like CMC‑based/graphene/CMC‑based conductive agent prepared from needle coke for high‑performance LiFePO4 batteries

Jin Zou,Xi‑Xi Long,Jia‑Le He,Shi‑Peng Yu,Sheng‑Wen Zhong 한국탄소학회 2023 Carbon Letters Vol.33 No.7

Liquid phase exfoliation of natural graphite is an industrially effective solution for graphene preparation. However, many countries have identified natural graphite as a strategic resource and restricted its mining. In this report, we used abundant and readily available needle coke (NC) as a graphene exfoliation precursor and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a dispersant to prepare a sandwich structured conductive graphitized NC nanosheets (GNCNs) by liquid phase exfoliation, freeze-drying and high-temperature graphitization, in which a graphene layer is sandwiched between two thin CMC layers. CMC could increase the liquid absorption and retention ability of the conductive agent and improve the migration rate of lithium ions. The highly ordered graphene layer could accelerate the transmission of electrons. The GNCNs with 0.4 wt% CMC addition showed good rate performance (144.6 mAh g? 1 at 5 C) and high cycle stability (96.2% after 200 cycles at 1 C) for LiFePO4 (LFP) battery. The traditional Super-P (SP) conductive agent exhibited low-rate performance (113.9 mAh g? 1 at 5 C) and cycle performance (89.9% after 200 cycles at 1 C). This study offers a novel approach to selecting graphene precursors and has promising applications for conductive additives in high-performance LFP batteries.