Treatment of wastewater containing linear alkylbenzene sulfonate by bacterial-microalgal biological turntable

Renjie Tu,Wenbiao Jin,Song-fang Han,Binbin Ding,Shu-hong Gao,Xu Zhou,Shao-feng Li,Xiaochi Feng,Qing Wang,Qinhui Yang,Yu Yuwen 한국화학공학회 2020 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.37 No.5

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), which is widely used as detergent, is a common toxic pollutant in wastewater. Generally, biodegradation process is applied to remove LAS. However, the efficiency of traditional wastewater treatment cannot meet the growing demand. In this study, an improved biological turntable with a symbiotic system of bacteria and microalgae was primarily used to enhance the biodegradation efficiency of LAS from wastewater. The symbiotic system of bacteria and microalgae was mainly composed of Scenedesmus dimorphus and three LAS-degrading bacteria Plesiomonas sp. (L3, L7) and Pseudomonas sp. (H6). The average removal rate of LAS was up to 94.6%. The LAS concentration of the effluent of the system decreased by 81.7% after the bacterial-microalgae inoculation (the inoculation temperature was 25 oC; microalgae were inoculated at a concentration of 10% only at the start of the system; bacteria were continuously inoculated at 1‰ concentration). After bacterial-microalgae inoculation, the average effluent concentration of CODCr in the tertiary reaction tank was 24.3mg/L, the average membrane effluent concentration was 15.8mg/L, and the average removal rate was 90.5%. Compared with the control group without inoculation, the concentration of CODCr in the tertiary reaction tank and membrane effluent decreased by 55.7% and 46.4%. The denaturing gradient electrophoresis (DGGE) pattern analysis of the systemic flora showed that there were two dominant species of high LAS degrading bacteria. They were identified to belong to Plesiomonas sp. and Pseudomonas sp., respectively.

IL-33 promotes IL-10 production in macrophages: a role for IL-33 in macrophage foam cell formation

Hai-Feng Zhang,Mao-Xiong Wu,Yong-Qing Lin,Shuang-Lun Xie,Tu-Cheng Huang,Pin-Ming Liu,Ru-Qiong Nie,Qin-Qi Meng,Nian-Sang Luo,Yang-Xin Chen,Jing-Feng Wang 생화학분자생물학회 2017 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.49 No.-

We evaluated the role of IL-10- in IL-33-mediated cholesterol reduction in macrophage-derived foam cells (MFCs) and the mechanism by which IL-33 upregulates IL-10. Serum IL-33 and IL-10 levels in coronary artery disease patients were measured. The effects of IL-33 on intra-MFC cholesterol level, IL-10, ABCA1 and CD36 expression, ERK 1/2, Sp1, STAT3 and STAT4 activation, and IL-10 promoter activity were determined. Core sequences were identified using bioinformatic analysis and sitespecific mutagenesis. The serum IL-33 levels positively correlated with those of IL-10. IL-33 decreased cellular cholesterol level and upregulated IL-10 and ABCA1 but had no effect on CD36 expression. siRNA-IL-10 partially abolished cellular cholesterol reduction and ABCA1 elevation by IL-33 but did not reverse the decreased CD36 levels. IL-33 increased IL-10 mRNA production but had little effect on its stability. IL-33 induced ERK 1/2 phosphorylation and increased the luciferase expression driven by the IL-10 promoter, with the highest extent within the − 2000 to − 1752 bp segment of the 5′-flank of the transcription start site; these effects were counteracted by U0126. IL-33 activated Sp1, STAT3 and STAT4, but only the STAT3 binding site was predicted in the above segment. Site-directed mutagenesis of the predicted STAT3-binding sites (CTGCTTCCTGGCAGCAGAA→CTGCCTGGCAGCAGAA) reduced luciferase activity, and a STAT3 inhibitor blocked the regulatory effects of IL-33 on IL-10 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) confirmed the STAT3-binding sequences within the − 1997 to − 1700 and − 1091 to − 811 bp locus regions. IL-33 increased IL-10 expression in MFCs via activating ERK 1/2 and STAT3, which subsequently promoted IL-10 transcription and thus contributed to the beneficial effects of IL-33 on MFCs.

Relationship between Chemical Structures and Functions of Tea Polysaccharides

Feng Jin,Ling-Yan Jia,You-Ying Tu 한국차학회 2015 한국차학회지 Vol.- No.S

The worldwide consumption of tea is second only to water. Thus any health effects of drinking tea could have a significant impact on public health. Although tea has historically been thought to promote good health, research into the possible health benefits of tea is more recent. Tea polysaccharides sources show various important biological activities together with proteins and polynucleotides, such as anti-blood coagulation, anti-radiation, antioxidant, reducing blood sugar levels, hypoglycemic activities, anti-HIV, anti-cancer, cell-cell communication, cell adhesion and molecular recognition in the immune system, which are strongly affected by their chemical structures and chain conformations. In recent years, some tea polysaccharides sources have attracted much attention in the field of biochemistry and pharmacology. Observational studies have repeatedly shown that tea polysaccharides were mostly glycoconjugates in which a protein carries one or more carbohydrate chains covalently associated with a polypeptide backbone, usually some forms of via N- or O-linkages. It is interesting and important to elucidate the relation among chemical structures, chain conformations of tea polysaccharides and their biological activities. However, tea polysaccharides are usually composed of various monosaccharides linked with different glucosidic bonds. Some tea polysaccharides have hyperbranched structures. Moreover, tea polysaccharides often have high molecular weights, and tend to form aggregates in solution that can mask the behavior of individual macromolecules. In consequence, to characterize the chemical structures and chain conformations of polysaccharides is not an easy task. To make clear the chemical structures and chain conformations of tea polysaccharides is important to understand their biological activities. This article attempts to review the current development on structural and conformational characterization of some tea polysaccharides. In this paper, the various aspects of the investigation results of tea polysaccharides chemical structures in the recent decades were summarized. The chemical structures were analyzed by FTIR, NMR (one and two dimensions), CD and AFM, and so on.

Structural Analysis of an Acidic Polysaccharide Isolated from White Tea

Feng Jin,Ling-Yan Jia,You-Ying Tu 한국식품과학회 2015 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.24 No.5

A novel white tea polysaccharide (WTPS) was isolated from white tea. The structure and ingredients of WTPS were characterized using UV-vis, an amino acid analyzer, GC, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). WTPS was an acidic polysaccharide mainly composed of mannose (D-Man) and arabinose (L-Ara) with lesser amounts of glucose (D-Glc), rhamnose (L-Rha), and galactose (D-Gal) with molar ratios of 4.5:4.2: 2.2:1.1:1. Seventeen amino acids were confirmed as components of WTPS. The polysaccharide appeared to be homogenous with a weight average Mw of 2.9×104 Da based on gel permeation chromatography analysis. WTPS was identified as a hydrophilic polysaccharide consisting of monosaccharide and acidic heteropolysaccharid chains based on FTIR, NMR, and AFM analysis.

An Updated Meta-analysis and System Review:is Gemcitabine+Fluoropyrimidine in Combination a Better Therapy Versus Gemcitabine Alone for Advanced and Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer?

Tu, Chao,Zheng, Feng,Wang, Jin-Yu,Li, Yuan-Yuan,Qian, Ke-Qing Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.14

Background: Pancreatic cancer ranks fourth in deaths caused by cancers throughout the world. Gemcitabine chemotherapy is the primary method of treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, and in asco2014, it is still firstline chemotherapy. Howeve,r gemcitabine+fluorouracil regimens are also licensed and widely used worldwide. Clinical trials are the best way to evaluate drug efficacy. In this study, we performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess whether gemcitabine+fluoropyrimidine combination therapy improves the prognosis of unresectable pancreatic cancer compared with gemcitabine treatment alone. Materials and Methods: A quantitative up-to-date meta-analysis was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of gemcitabine-based combination treatment compared with gemcitabine monotherapy for locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Inclusion was limited to high-quality randomized clinical trials. Results: A total of 12 studies were included in the present analysis, with a total of 3,038 patients recruited. The studies were divided into three subgroups including 5-FU / CAP / S-1 combined with gemcitabine. For the primary endpoint of overall survival (OS), gemcitabine-based combination therapy demonstrated significantly better outcome (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.81-0.95) than gemcitabine monotherapy. The analysis of progression free survival (PFS) also provided a significant result for the combined therapy in a total of 8 trials (2,130 patients) (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.63-0.86). With subgroup analysis according to the method of dosing delivery, we found that in the injection group with 3 trials (889 patients), a negative result was found (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.77-1.12); while a positive result was observed in the oral group with 9 trials (2,149 patients) (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.80-0.95). Conclusions: Gemcitabine combination therapy provides a modest improvement of survival, but is associated with more toxicity compared with gemcitabine monotherapy.

Molecular Epidemiology of Integron-Associated Antimicrobial Gene Cassettes in the Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii from Northern Taiwan

Ming-Feng Lin,Ming- Li Liou,Chi-Chao Tu,Hui-Wen Yeh,Chung-YuLan 대한진단검사의학회 2013 Annals of Laboratory Medicine Vol.33 No.4

Background: The aims of this study were to understand the molecular epidemiology of integron-associated gene cassettes in Acinetobacter baumannii across four hospitals in northern Taiwan and to clarify the relationship between the presence of integrons and antibiotic-resistant phenotypes. Methods: Sixty-five A. baumannii isolates, collected from the patients of four regional hospitals in northern Taiwan in 2009, were tested for the presence of integrons and their associated gene cassettes. The susceptibility difference between integron-positive and integron-negative A. baumannii strains was analyzed. Antibiotic-resistant phenotypes among A. baumannii with different types of gene cassette array combinations were also compared. Results: Around 72% of the A. baumannii isolates carried class 1 integrase genes. Despite this, only three gene cassette arrays were found in the integrons. Integron-positive strains were significantly more resistant to all the tested antibiotics than the integrase-negative strains. All the four types of A. baumannii with different gene cassette array combinations were multidrug-resistant in nature. Gene cassette array aacA4-catB8-aadA1 existed in all the integron-positive A. baumannii isolates. Repetitive-sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR)results revealed the prevalence of one major cluster of imipenem-resistant A. baumannii strains (84%) in the four regional hospitals. Conclusions: The presence of integrons with associated antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes can be used as a representative marker of multidrug resistance in A. baumannii. Some prevalent gene cassette arrays may exist among epidemiologically unrelated A. baumannii strains.

A Novel Approach in Spinal Cord Stimulation for Enhancing Gastric Motility: A Preliminary Study on Canines

( Lei Tu ),( Payam Gharibani ),( Yi Yang ),( Bo Zhang ),( Feng Ji ),( Jieyun Yin ),( Jiande D Z Chen ) 대한소화기 기능성질환·운동학회 2020 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.26 No.1

Background/Aims Gastroparesis is commonly seen in patients with diabetes and functional dyspepsia with no satisfactory therapies. Dysautonomia is one of the main reasons for the imbalanced motility. We hypothesized that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a viable therapy for gastroparesis via the autonomic modulation to improve gastric motility. The aim is to find an optimal method of SCS for treating gastroparesis. Methods Eight healthy-female dogs were implanted with a gastric cannula, a duodenal cannula, 2 multi-electrode spinal leads, and an implantable pulse generator. Gastric motility index (MI) was used to determine the best stimulation location/parameters of SCS. Optimized SCS was used to improve glucagon-induced gastroparesis. Results With fixed parameters, SCS at Thoracic 10 (T10) was found most effective for increasing gastric MI (37.8%, P = 0.013). SCS was optimized with different parameters (pulse width: 0.05-0.6 msec, frequency: 5-500 Hz, motor threshold: 30-90%) on T10. Our findings revealed that 0.5 msec, 20 Hz with 90% motor threshold at T10 were the best parameters in increasing MI. Glucagon significantly delayed gastric emptying, and this inhibitory effect was partially blocked by SCS. Gastric emptying at 120 minutes was 25.6% in the control session and 15.7% in glucagon session (P = 0.007 vs control), while it was 22.9% with SCS session (P = 0.041 vs glucagon). SCS with the optimal parameters was found to maximally enhance vagal activity and inhibit sympathetic activity assessed by the spectral analysis of heart rate variability. Conclusions SCS with optimized stimulation location and parameters improves gastric motility in healthy-dogs and accelerates gastric emptying impaired by glucagon via enhancing vagal activity.

Relationship between 18F-FDG PET/CT Semi-Quantitative Parameters and International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society Classification in Lung Adenocarcinomas

Bu Lihong,Tu Ning,Wang Ke,Zhou Ying,Xie Xinli,Han Xingmin,Lin Huiqin,Feng Hongyan 대한영상의학회 2022 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.23 No.1

Objective: To investigate the relationship between 18F-FDG PET/CT semi-quantitative parameters and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (IASLC/ATS/ERS) histopathologic classification, including histological subtypes, proliferation activity, and somatic mutations. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 419 patients (150 males, 269 females; median age, 59.0 years; age range, 23.0–84.0 years) who had undergone surgical removal of stage IA–IIIA lung adenocarcinoma and had preoperative PET/CT data of lung tumors. The maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax), background-subtracted volume (BSV), and background-subtracted lesion activity (BSL) derived from PET/CT were measured. The IASLC/ATS/ERS subtypes, Ki67 score, and epidermal growth factor/anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EGFR/ALK) mutation status were evaluated. The PET/CT semiquantitative parameters were compared between the tumor subtypes using the Mann–Whitney U test or the Kruskal–Wallis test. The optimum cutoff values of the PET/CT semi-quantitative parameters for distinguishing the IASLC/ATS/ERS subtypes were calculated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The correlation between the PET/CT semi-quantitative parameters and pathological parameters was analyzed using Spearman’s correlation. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: SUVmax, BSV, and BSL values were significantly higher in invasive adenocarcinoma (IA) than in minimally IA (MIA), and the values were higher in MIA than in adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) (all p < 0.05). Remarkably, an SUVmax of 0.90 and a BSL of 3.62 were shown to be the optimal cutoff values for differentiating MIA from AIS, manifesting as pure ground-glass nodules with 100% sensitivity and specificity. Metabolic-volumetric parameters (BSV and BSL) were better potential independent factors than metabolic parameters (SUVmax) in differentiating growth patterns. SUVmax and BSL, rather than BSV, were strongly or moderately correlated with Ki67 in most subtypes, except for the micropapillary and solid predominant groups. PET/CT parameters were not correlated with EGFR/ALK mutation status. Conclusion: As noninvasive surrogates, preoperative PET/CT semi-quantitative parameters could imply IASLC/ATS/ERS subtypes and Ki67 index and thus may contribute to improved management of precise surgery and postoperative adjuvant therapy.

Distinctive Roles of Wnt Signaling in Chondrogenic Differentiation of BMSCs under Coupling of Pressure and Platelet-Rich Fibrin

Cheng Baixiang,Feng Fan,Shi Fan,Huang Jinmei,Zhang Songbai,Quan Yue,Tu Teng,Liu Yanli,Wang Junjun,Zhao Ying,Zhang Min 한국조직공학과 재생의학회 2022 조직공학과 재생의학 Vol.19 No.4

BACKGROUND: Although newly formed constructs of feasible pressure-preadjusted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) showed biomechanical flexibility and superior capacity for cartilage regeneration, it is still not very clear how BMSCs and seed cells feel mechanical stimuli and convert them into biological signals, and the difference in signal transduction underlying mechanical and chemical cues is also unclear. METHODS: To determine whether mechanical stimulation (hydrostatic pressure) and chemical cues (platelet-rich fibrin, PRF) activate canonical or noncanonical Wnt signaling in BMSCs, BMSCs cocultured with PRF were subjected to hydrostatic pressure loading, and the activation of the Wnt signaling molecules and expression of cartilage-associated proteins and genes were determined by western blotting and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Inhibitors of canonical or noncanonical Wnt signaling, XVX-939 or L690,330, were adopted to investigate the role of Wnt signaling molecules in mechanically promoted chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs. RESULTS: Hydrostatic pressure of 120 kPa activated both Wnt/b-catenin signaling and Wnt/Ca2? signaling, with the the maximum promotion effect at 60 min. PRF exerted no synergistic effect on Wnt/b-catenin signaling activation. However, the growth factors released by PRF might reverse the promotion effects of pressure on Wnt/Ca2? signaling. Real-time PCR and Western blotting results showed that pressure could activate the expression of Col-II, Sox9, and aggrecan in BMSCs cocultured with PRF. Blocking experiment found a positive role of Wnt/b-catenin signaling, and a negative role of Wnt/ Ca2? signaling in chondrogenic differentiation of the BMSCs. Mutual inhibition exists between canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling in BMSCs under pressure. CONCLUSION: Wnt signaling participates in the pressure-promoted chondrogenesis of the BMSCs co-cultured with PRF, with canonical and noncanonical pathways playing distinct roles during the process.

The Development of Clinical Document Standards for Semantic Interoperability in China

Peng Yang,Feng Pan,Danhong Liu,Yongyong Xu,Yi Wan,Haibo Tu,Xuejun Tang,Jianping Hu 대한의료정보학회 2011 Healthcare Informatics Research Vol.17 No.4

Objectives: This study is aimed at developing a set of data groups (DGs) to be employed as reusable building blocks for the construction of the eight most common clinical documents used in China’s general hospitals in order to achieve their structural and semantic standardization. Methods: The Diagnostics knowledge framework, the related approaches taken from the Health Level Seven (HL7), the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE), and the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) and 1,487 original clinical records were considered together to form the DG architecture and data sets. The internal structure, content, and semantics of each DG were then defined by mapping each DG data set to a corresponding Clinical Document Architecture data element and matching each DG data set to the metadata in the Chinese National Health Data Dictionary. By using the DGs as reusable building blocks, standardized structures and semantics regarding the clinical documents for semantic interoperability were able to be constructed. Results: Altogether, 5 header DGs, 48 section DGs, and 17 entry DGs were developed. Several issues regarding the DGs, including their internal structure, identifiers,data set names, definitions, length and format, data types, and value sets, were further defined. Standardized structures and semantics regarding the eight clinical documents were structured by the DGs. Conclusions: This approach of constructing clinical document standards using DGs is a feasible standard-driven solution useful in preparing documents possessing semantic interoperability among the disparate information systems in China. These standards need to be validated and refined through further study.