Diversity of Thermophilic Fungi in Tengchong Rehai National Park Revealed by ITS Nucleotide Sequence Analyses

Wen-Zheng Pan,Xiao-Wei Huang,Kang-Bi Wei,Chun-Mei Zhang,Dong-Mei Yang,Jun-Mei Ding,Ke-Qin Zhang 한국미생물학회 2010 The journal of microbiology Vol.48 No.2

The geothermal sites near neutral and alkalescent thermal springs in Tengchong Rehai National Park were examined through cultivation-dependent approach to determine the diversity of thermophilic fungi in these environments. Here, we collected soils samples in this area, plated on agar media conducive for fungal growth, obtained pure cultures, and then employed the method of internal transcribed spacer (ITS)sequencing combined with morphological analysis for identification of thermophilic fungi to the species level. In total, 102 strains were isolated and identified as Rhizomucor miehei, Chaetomium sp., Talaromyces thermophilus, Talaromyces byssochlamydoides, Thermoascus aurantiacus Miehe var. levisporus, Thermomyces lanuginosus, Scytalidium thermophilum, Malbranchea flava, Myceliophthora sp. 1, Myceliophthora sp. 2,Myceliophthora sp. 3, and Coprinopsis sp. Two species, T. lanuginosus and S. thermophilum were the dominant species, representing 34.78% and 28.26% of the sample, respectively. Our results indicated a greater diversity of thermophilic fungi in neutral and alkaline geothermal sites than acidic sites around hot springs reported in previous studies. Most of our strains thrived at alkaline growth conditions.

Protective association of Klotho rs495392 gene polymorphism against hepatic steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients

Wen-Yue Liu,Xiaofang Zhang,Gang Li,Liang-Jie Tang,Pei-Wu Zhu,Rafael S. Rios,Kenneth I. Zheng,Hong-Lei Ma,Xiao-Dong Wang,Qiuwei Pan,Robert J. de Knegt,Luca Valenti,Mohsen Ghanbari,Ming-Hua Zheng 대한간학회 2022 Clinical and Molecular Hepatology(대한간학회지) Vol.28 No.2

Background/Aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with metabolic dysfunction. Among the multiple factors, genetic variation acts as important modifiers. Klotho, an enzyme encoded by the klotho (KL) gene in human, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunctions. However, the impact of variants in KL on NAFLD risk remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of KL rs495392 C>A polymorphism on the histological severity of NAFLD. Methods: We evaluated the impact of the KL rs495392 polymorphism on liver histology in 531 Chinese with NAFLD and replicated that in the population-based Rotterdam Study cohort. The interactions between the rs495392, vitamin D, and patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 polymorphism were also analyzed. Results: Carriage of the rs495392 A allele had a protective effect on steatosis severity (odds ratio [OR], 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42–0.89; P=0.010) in Chinese patients. After adjustment for potential confounders, the A allele remained significant with a protective effect (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45–0.98; P=0.040). The effect on hepatic steatosis was confirmed in the Rotterdam Study cohort. Additional analysis showed the association between serum vitamin D levels and NAFLD specifically in rs495392 A allele carriers, but not in non-carriers. Moreover, we found that the rs495392 A allele attenuated the detrimental impact of PNPLA3 rs738409 G allele on the risk of severe hepatic steatosis. Conclusions: The KL rs495392 polymorphism has a protective effect against hepatic steatosis in patients with NAFLD.

Construction of Processing Maps based on Expanded Data by BP-ANN and Identification of Optimal Deforming Parameters for Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Guo-zheng Quan,Hai-rong Wen,Jia-Pan,Zhen-yu Zou 한국정밀공학회 2016 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.17 No.2

The intrinsic relationships between deforming parameters and microstructural mechanisms for Ti-6Al-4V alloy were analyzed by processing maps. A series of thermal compression tests were carried out in the temperatures range of 1023~1323 K (across β-transus) and strain rates range of 0.01~10 s-1 on a Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical simulator. Based on the stress-strain data collected from compression tests, a back-propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) model was developed, which presents reliable performance in tracking and predicting strain-stress data. By utilizing this model, the volume of stress-strain data was expanded. According to the intensive stress-strain data, the apparent activation energy was calculated to be 564.05 kJ mol-1 and 300.20 kJ mol-1 for α+β-phase field and single β-phase field, respectively. Moreover, the processing maps were constructed at finer intervals of temperature, from which, the stable regions with higher power dissipation efficiency (η > 0.3) and unstable regions with negative instability parameter (ξ < 0) were clarified clearly. By combining processing map with microstructure observations, two main stable softening mechanisms, i.e., globularization and dynamic recovery (DRV) were identified, and globularization-predominant (0.3 < η < 0.55) parameter domain ( < 0.1 s-1) in α+β-phase field and DRV-predominant (0.25 < η < 0.41) parameter domain (0.032 s-1< <1 s-1) in β- phase field were recommended. Manuscript

Laparoscopic hepatectomy for the treatment of Caroli’s disease: a case report

Chao-bo Chen,Wei-dong Hu,Wan-wen Zhao,Yan-yan Gu,Hong-wei Hou,Zheng Pan 대한외과학회 2018 Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research(ASRT) Vol.94 No.3

Caroli disease is a rare congenital disorder characterized by nonobstructive dilatation of intrahepatic ducts. In cases with symptomatic intrahepatic manifestations, treatment should correspond to the type with hepatic resection for localized disease and transplantation for diffuse forms. If possible, complete resection of the cysts can cure the symptoms and avoid the risk of malignancy. A 66-year-old woman presented to Wuxi Xishan People's Hospital with recurrent intermittent upper quadrant abdominal pain. Further examinations suggested the diagnosis of Caroli disease limited to the left hepatic lobe. She underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of Caroli disease, and no malignancy was found. There were no immediate complications and no long-term complications after one and one-half years of follow-up. Laparoscopic hepatectomy could be a feasible, safe treatment option for localized Caroli disease

In Vitro and In Vivo Study on the Effect of Lysosome-associated Protein Transmembrane 4 Beta on the Progression of Breast Cancer

Deyou Tao,Junqing Liang,Yihong Pan,Yanting Zhou,Ying Feng,Lin Zhang,Jingjing Xu,Hui Wang,Ping He,Jie Yao,Yang Zhao,Qinjie Ning,Wen Wang,Wei Jiang,Jing Zheng,Xia Wu 한국유방암학회 2019 Journal of breast cancer Vol.22 No.3

Purpose: Although the effect of lysosome-associated protein transmembrane 4 beta (LAPTM4B) on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer (BC) cells has already been studied, its specific role in BC progression is still elusive. Here, we evaluated the effect of different levels of LAPTM4B expression on the proliferation, invasion, adhesion, and tumor formation abilities of BC cells in vitro, as well as on breast tumor progression in vivo. Methods: We investigated the influence of LAPTM4B expression on MCF-7 cell proliferation, invasion, adhesion, and tube formation abilities in vitro through its overexpression or knockdown and on breast tumor progression in vivo. Results: Cell growth curves and colony formation assays showed that LAPTM4B promoted the proliferation of breast tumor cells. Cell cycle analysis results revealed that LAPTM4B promoted the entry of cells from the G1 into the S phase. Transwell invasion and cell extracellular matrix adhesion assays showed that LAPTM4B overexpression increased the invasion and adhesion capabilities of MCF-7 cells. More branches were observed in MCF-7 cells overexpressing LAPTM4B under an electron microscope. In comparison with LAPTM4B overexpression, LAPTM4B knockdown decreased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A and significantly inhibited the vasculogenic tube formation ability of tumors. These results were also verified with western blot analysis. Conclusion: LAPTM4B promoted the proliferation of MCF-7 cells through the downregulation of p21 (WAF1/CIP1) and caspase-3, and induced cell invasion, adhesion, and angiogenesis through the upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), and MMP9 expression. This specific role deems LAPTM4B as a potential therapeutic target for BC treatment.