Greenly Synthesized Gold-Alginate Nanocomposites Catalyst for Reducing Decoloration of Azo-Dyes

Yun Li,Gang Li,Wei Li,Feng Yang,Huihong Liu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2015 NANO Vol.10 No.8

A green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using aqueous solution of sodium alginate (SA) has been demonstrated in this work. The SA plays the roles of both reducing and stabilizing agent. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of UV-Vis spectrum around 532 nm confirmed the formation of AuNPs. The characterization through high resolution-transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) infer the as-synthesized AuNPs which were spherical in shape with a face cubic crystal (FCC) structure. The results obtained from zeta potential and dynamic light scattering (DLS) suggest the good stability and narrow size distribution of the AuNPs. The size-controlled AuNPs were obtained through adjusting the reaction parameters such as the concentration of SA, pH of the reaction mixture, temperature and the time of incubation. The as-synthesized AuNPs–SA conjugates were employed to prepare AuNPs–SA beads easily based on SA high affinity toward divalent metal ions. The resulting AuNPs–SA beads function as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst in reducing decoloration of azo-dye model compounds, acidic orange 7 (AO7) and reactive orange 5 (RO5), in the presence of sodium borohydride. The reaction rate constants, estimated based on the reduction reactions followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, suggest the high catalytic activity and stability of the AuNPs–SA beads.

Identification of high-affinity VEGFR3-binding peptides through a phage-displayed random peptide library

Li-Feng Shi,Yan Wu,Cai-Yun Li 대한부인종양학회 2015 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.26 No.4

Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) interaction with its receptor, VEGFR-3/Flt-4, regulates lymphangiogenesis. VEGFR-3/Flt-4 expression in cancer cells has been correlated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and lymphatic invasion. The objective of this study is to identify a VEGFR-3/Flt-4-interacting peptide that could be used to inhibit VEGFR-3 for ovarian cancer therapy. Methods: The extracellular fragment of recombinant human VEGFR-3/Flt-4 (rhVEGFR-3/Flt-4) fused with coat protein pIII was screened against a phage-displayed random peptide library. Using affinity enrichment and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) screening, positive clones of phages were amplified. Three phage clones were selected after four rounds of biopanning, and the specific binding of the peptides to rhVEGFR-3 was detected by ELISA and compared with that of VEGF-D. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analyses of ovarian cancer tissue sections was undertaken to demonstrate the specificity of the peptides. Results: After four rounds of biopanning, ELISA confirmed the specificity of the enriched bound phage clones for rhVEGFR-3. Sequencing and translation identified three different peptides. Non-competitive ELISA revealed that peptides I, II, and III had binding affinities for VEGFR-3 with Kaff (affinity constant) of 16.4±8.6 μg/mL (n=3), 9.2±2.1 μg/mL (n=3), and 174.8±31.1 μg/ mL (n=3), respectively. In ovarian carcinoma tissue sections, peptide III (WHWLPNLRHYAS), which had the greatest binding affinity, also co-localized with VEGFR-3 in endothelial cells lining lymphatic vessels; its labeling of ovarian tumors in vivo was also confirmed. Conclusion: These finding showed that peptide III has high specificity and activity and, therefore, may represent a potential therapeutic approach to target VEGF-VEGFR-3 signaling for the treatment or diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Circular RNAs Regulate Cancer Onset and Progression via Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

Yun-Feng Li,Jian Zhang,Lei Yu 연세대학교의과대학 2019 Yonsei medical journal Vol.60 No.12

Cancer remains to be a major challenge for public health providers, and is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Therefore,it is imperative to explore the mechanisms underlying cancer initiation and development, and design novel diagnostics andtherapeutics. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), which exhibit a covalently closed loop structure, are involved in a variety of diseases, includingcancer. The aberrant expression of circRNAs contributes to the initiation and development of various cancers by disruptingthe interplay of specific signaling pathways, including the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which controls a plethora of cellular processesthat drive cancer development. The interactions between circRNAs (specifically expressed in different cancer tissues) andWnt/β-catenin signaling pathway presents potential diagnostic biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets. In this review, we havesummarized research discoveries on the functions of Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related circRNAs in the modulation of oncogenesisand progression of different types of cancer. We anticipate that our findings will contribute to the improvement or developmentof circRNAs-based strategies for cancer treatment.

Causes, Features, and Outcomes of Drug-Induced Liver Injury in 69 Children from China

( Yun Zhu ),( Yong Gang Li ),( Jia Bo Wang ),( Shu Hong Liu ),( Li Fu Wang ),( Yan Ling Zhao ),( Yun Feng Bai ),( Zhong Xia Wang ),( Jian Yu Li ),( Xiao He Xiao ) 대한소화기학회 2015 Gut and Liver Vol.9 No.4

Background/Aims: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a frequent cause of pediatric liver disease; however, the data on DILI are remarkably limited. Methods: All 69 children hospitalized with DILI between January 2009 and December 2011 were retrospectively studied. Results: A total of 37.7% of the children had medical histories of respiratory infection. The clinical injury patterns were as follows: hepatocellular 89.9%, cholestatic 2.9%, and mixed 7.2%. Liver biopsies from 55 children most frequently demonstrated chronic (47.3%) and acute (27.3%) hepatitis. Hypersensitivity features, namely, fever (31.9%), rash (21.7%), and eosinophilia (1.4%), were found. Twenty-four children (34.8%) developed chronic DILI. Antibiotics (26.1%) were the most common Western medicines (WMs) causing DILI, and the major implicated herbs were Ephedra sinica and Polygonum multiflorum. Compared with WM, the children whose injuries were caused by Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) showed a higher level of total bilirubin (1.4 mg/dL vs 16.6 mg/dL, p=0.004) and a longer prothrombin time (11.8 seconds vs 17.3 seconds, p=0.012), but they exhibited less chronic DILI (2/15 vs 18/39, p=0.031). Conclusions: Most cases of DILI in children are caused by antibiotics or CHM used to treat respiratory infection and present with hepatocellular injury. Compared with WM, CHM is more likely to cause severe liver injury, but liver injury caused by CHM is curable. (Gut Liver 2015;9:525-533)

A method for analysis of head cover deformation and vibration amplitude in Francis hydro-turbine system by combination of CFD and FEA

Yun Jia,Feng-Chen Li,Xianzhu Wei,Xiao-Bin Li,Zhi-He Li 대한기계학회 2017 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.31 No.9

It is of great importance to predict the deformation and vibration characteristics of the hydro-turbine structure accurately for the stable operation when the turbine is running under the alternating load of the flow field. In this paper, we proposed a methodology for analysis of the head cover deformation and vibration amplitude in the high-head Francis hydro-turbine system, in which Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is employed to simulate the complex flow field in the head cover flow passage and the CFD-captured pressure distribution is provided for Finite element analysis (FEA) as a new load input to obtain more accurate head cover deformation and vibration calculation results. The results obtained by this method are compared with the results of the conventional algorithm and laboratory experimental results, demonstrated a better consistency. The great advantage of this method is that it allows vibration amplitude analysis and predictions under varied working conditions by adjusting the flow field parameters according to the specific working conditions. Therefore, it has supportive significance in optimization of the hydro-turbine structural turbine design as well as stabilizing operations at hydropower stations.

BMB Reports : siRNA-mediated gene silencing of MexB from the MexA-MexB-OprM efflux pump in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

( Feng Yun Gong ),( Ding Yu Zhang ),( Jiang Guo Zhang ),( Li Li Wang ),( Wei Li Zhan ),( Jun Ying Qi ),( Jian Xin Song ) 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2014 BMB Reports Vol.47 No.4

To gain insights into the effect of MexB gene under the short interfering RNA (siRNA), we synthesized 21 bp siRNA duplexes against the MexB gene. RT-PCR was performed to determine whether the siRNA inhibited the expression of MexB mRNA. Changes in antibiotic susceptibility in response to siRNA were measured by the E-test method. The efficacy of siRNAs was determined in a murine model of chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection. MexB-siRNAs inhibited both mRNA expression and the activity of P. aeruginosa in vitro. In vivo, siRNA was effective in reducing the bacterial load in the model of chronic lung infection and the P. aeruginosa-induced pathological changes. MexB-siRNA treatment enhanced the production of inflammatory cytokines in the early infection stage (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that targeting of MexB with siRNA appears to be a novel strategy for treating P. aeruginosa infections. [BMB Reports 2014; 47(4): 203-208]

Comparison of drought resistance of rootstocks 'M9-T337' and 'M26' grafted with 'Huashuo' apple

Shi Cai-Yun,Liu Li,Li Qiu-Li,Wei Zhi-Feng,Gao Deng-Tao 한국원예학회 2022 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.63 No.3

Drought stress is one of the main limiting factors in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) cultivation. Rootstock plays an important role in the drought tolerance of apple plants. ‘M.9-T337’ is a novel apple rootstock that was recently introduced and widely cultivated in China. In this study, we selected the new, widely promoted Chinese apple variety ‘Huashuo’ as the scion and grafted it onto ‘M.9-T337’ (HM9). Another combination, ‘Huashuo’/‘M.26’/Malus robusta Rehd. (HM26), served as the experimental control to analyse drought resistance in the two hybrids. We believe that this empirical approach is more representative than merely studying rootstock seedlings. After sustained drought stress for over 1 month, the leaf relative water content had decreased in both types of plants, but to a lesser extent in HM26 than in HM9. The SPAD values increased in both plants, but without significant difference. Drought stress reduced photosynthetic activity in both plants, and the net photosynthetic rate was higher in HM26 than in HM9. The observed changes in the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters indicated that drought had damaged the PSII activity centres of both plants, photosynthetic electron transfer was inhibited, and excessive excitation energy accumulated. However, compared to HM26, HM9 displayed lower maximal PSII quantum photochemical efficiency and potential PSII activity. Moreover, HM9 showed lower antioxidant enzyme activity than HM26 under drought stress. A membership function analysis confirmed that ‘M.9-T337’ was less drought resistant than ‘M.26’. Nevertheless, ‘M.9-T337’ could still recover after prolonged drought stress, indicating it also had good drought resistance.

Prognostic Value of PLCE1 Expression in Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Cui, Xiao-Bin,Peng, Hao,Li, Su,Li, Ting-Ting,Liu, Chun-Xia,Zhang, Shu-Mao,Jin, Ting-Ting,Hu, Jian-Ming,Jiang, Jin-Fang,Liang, Wei-Hua,Li, Na,Li, Li,Chen, Yun-Zhao,Li, Feng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.22

Background: A number of studies have identified a shared susceptibility locus in phospholipase C epsilon 1 (PLCE1) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and gastric cardia adenocarcinomas (GCA). However, the results of PLCE1 expression in esophageal and gastric cancer remain inconsistent and controversial. Moreover, the effects on clinicopathological features remain undetermined. This study aimed to provide a precise quantification of the association between PLCE1 expression and the risk of ESCC and GCA through meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: Eligible studies were identified from PubMed, Wanfang Data, ISI Web of Science, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. Using RevMan5.2 software, pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were employed to assess the association of PLCE1 expression with clinicopathological features relative to ESCC or GCA. Results: Seven articles were identified, including 761 esophageal and gastric cancer cases and 457 controls. Overall, we determined that PLCE1 expression was associated with tumor progression in both esophageal cancers (pooled OR=5.93; 95%CI=3.86 to 9.11) and gastric cancers (pooled OR=9.73; 95%CI=6.46 to 14.7). Moreover, invasion depth (pooled OR=3.62; 95%CI=2.30 to 5.70) and lymph node metastasis (pooled OR=4.21; 95%CI=2.69 to 6.59) were linked with PLCE1 expression in gastric cancer. However, no significant associations were determined between PLCE1 overexpression and the histologic grade, invasion depth, and lymph node metastasis in esophageal cancer. Conclusions: Our metaanalysis results indicated that upregulated PLCE1 is significantly associated with an increased risk of tumor progression in ESCC and GCA. Therefore, PLCE1 expression can be appropriately regarded as a promising biomarker for ESCC and GCA patients.

The Effect of Electron-withdrawing Group Functionalization on Antibacterial and Catalytic Activity of Palladium(II) Complexes

Feng, Zhi-Qiang,Yang, Xiao-Li,Ye, Yuan-Feng,Hao, Lin-Yun Korean Chemical Society 2014 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.35 No.4

The design, synthesis, and structural characterization of two new palladium complexes based on Schiff base ligands is reported; $[Pd(L1)_2]$ (1) and $[Pd(L2)_2]$ (2), [HL1 = 2-((E)-(2,6-diethylphenylimino)methyl)-4,6-dibromophenol, L2 = (E)-N-benzylidene-2,6-diethylbenzenamine], which are obtained by functionalizing Schiff base ligands with or without electron-withdrawing groups. Both compounds are mononuclear structures. Comparisons are made to the compounds 1 and 2 to analyze and understand the effect of electron-withdrawing groups. Antibacterial activity studies indicate the electron-withdrawing groups on Schiff base ligands enhance antibacterial activity. Catalytic activity, however, is reduced due to the enhanced steric-hindrance of the electron-withdrawing groups. Electronic absorption and emission properties of HL1, L2, 1 and 2 are also reported.

Separation and Determination of the Volatile Oil of the Parts of the Ginseng Growing on the Ground

(Yun Xiu Sun),(Kun Yuan Mao),(Wen Pu Jang),(Feng Wen Li),(Man Xia Wang),(Wen Min Zhou),(Zong Guang Sun) 고려인삼학회 1990 Proceedings of International Symposium on Korean G Vol.- No.-