Sciatic nerve leachate of cattle causes neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells via ERK1/2 signaling pathway

Ziqiang Zhang,Yumei Liu,Xuemin Zhu,Lan Wei,Jiamin Zhu,Ke Shi,Guotao Wang,Li Pan 대한수의학회 2018 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.19 No.4

Previous studies have shown that the sciatic nerve has neurotrophic activity, and nerve regeneration, differentiation, and axon outgrowth can be modulated by different sciatic nerve preparations. However, numerous animals may have to be sacrificed to obtain enough sciatic nerves to make a sciatic nerve preparation. Some studies have demonstrated that the role of sciatic nerve preparations in neural differentiation depends on the neurotrophins that Schwann cells secrete, and these factors are highly conserved among different species. To reduce the use of experimental animals, in this study, we made a leachate by using the sciatic nerve of cattle and explored its effect on neuronal differentiation of rat PC12 cells (a useful model for studying neuronal differentiation). Results showed the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells treated with the cattle sciatic nerve leachate for 3, 6, and 9 days was significantly improved, and the expressions of β3-tubulin and microtubule-associated protein 2 (two neuron-specific proteins) were increased. Moreover, the ERK1/2 signaling pathway was activated after PC12 cells were incubated with cattle sciatic nerve leachate for 9 days. Thus, a sciatic nerve leachate obtained from cattle can effectively induce neuronal differentiation of rat PC12 cells via ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Rigid-flexible coupling dynamic modeling and performance analysis of a bioinspired jumping robot with a six-bar leg mechanism

Ziqiang Zhang,Lun Wang,Jinnong Liao,Jing Zhao,Qi Yang 대한기계학회 2021 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.35 No.8

The rigid-flexible coupling structure of creatures with jumping ability has the advantages of high stiffness and good flexibility, which are of great significance to its research. However, existing research on jumping robots has not demonstrated the effect of multiflexibility links on the jumping performance. In this paper, a Watt-type one degree-of-freedom six-bar mechanism is regarded as research object. For a jumping leg including multiple flexible links and a flexible joint with a floating frame, a rigid-flexible coupling dynamic model is established with a pseudo-rigid-body model being used. On this basis, the effect of structural and installation parameters on the jumping performance is analyzed. Results show that different flexible links have distinct effects on the jumping performance, and properly reducing the stiffness of flexible links can improve the jumping performance. The results of this study provide a design basis for jumping robots with a rigid-flexible coupling structure.

Patterned growth of ZnO nanorods and their field emission properties

Ning Zhang,Ke Yu,Yongsheng Zhang,Wei Bai,Ziqiang Zhu 한국물리학회 2009 Current Applied Physics Vol.9 No.1

Patterned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were fabricated on the different patterned silicon nanocrystallite (SiNC) substrates via a simple thermal evaporation method without any catalyst. The as-synthesized products were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The efficient field emission with low turn-on and threshold field, 3.5 V/㎛ and 8.1 V/㎛, was obtained. The experimental results demonstrate that these products could be one of the promising candidates for field emission displays. Patterned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were fabricated on the different patterned silicon nanocrystallite (SiNC) substrates via a simple thermal evaporation method without any catalyst. The as-synthesized products were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The efficient field emission with low turn-on and threshold field, 3.5 V/㎛ and 8.1 V/㎛, was obtained. The experimental results demonstrate that these products could be one of the promising candidates for field emission displays.

A Robust Video Fingerprinting Algorithm Based on Centroid of Spatio-temporal Gradient Orientations

( Ziqiang Sun ),( Yuesheng Zhu ),( Xiyao Liu ),( Liming Zhang ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2013 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.7 No.11

Video fingerprints generated from global features are usually vulnerable against general geometric transformations. In this paper, a novel video fingerprinting algorithm is proposed, in which a new spatio-temporal gradient is designed to represent the spatial and temporal information for each frame, and a new partition scheme, based on concentric circle and rings, is developed to resist the attacks efficiently. The centroids of spatio-temporal gradient orientations (CSTGO) within the circle and rings are then calculated to generate a robust fingerprint. Our experiments with different attacks have demonstrated that the proposed approach outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in terms of robustness and discrimination.

A STUDY ON THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF PCT CURVE OF $Mm_{0.6} Ml_{0.4} Ni_{5-X}Co_X$ HYDROGEN STORAGE ALLOYS

Ziqiang, Zhou,Feng, Feng,Jinglong, Zhang,Yihui, Xiong,Xinyi, Ping,Qun, Huang 한국재료학회 1995 Fabrication and Characterization of Advanced Mater Vol.1 No.1

The pressure-composition-temperature(PCT) curves of $Mm_{0.6}Ml_{0.4}Ni_{5_x}Co_{x}(x{\leqslant}2.5)$hydrogne stroage alloys(HSA) are determined and the mathermatical model of PCT curve the author proposed is applied to analyse the data of PCT curve of the alloy system. It been shown from the results that the PCT curve of $Mm_{0.6}Ml_{0.4}Ni_{5-x}Co_{x}$can also be modeled by the mathematical model and the calculated PCT curves are in good agreement with the experimental curves. A lot of physical parameters of these alloys which are very useful are estimated from the modeling.

Tunnel Bottom Cavity Laws of Heavy-Haul Railway Tunnel under Train Load and Groundwater in Weak Surrounding Rock Condition

Ziqiang Li,Zheng Li,Weiwei Huang,Zhifan Xu,Wengang Zhang,Kunping Chen 대한토목학회 2022 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.26 No.3

This work aimed to study the cavity mechanism of surrounding rock at the bottom of a tunnel under the combined action of heavy-haul train load and groundwater. The study location was the Taihangshan Mountain Tunnel in Wari Railway, which is the first tunnel in China, constructed according to the 30 tons heavy-haul railway standards. Based on the water and soil pressure data measured in previous, the surrounding rock deterioration range and depth at the bottom of the heavy-haul railway tunnel under different axle loads and surrounding rock conditions were analysed by using a combination of laboratory test and discrete element method. The results showed objective defects in the bottom surrounding rock that appeared after the construction was completed, which provided a channel for groundwater. The groundwater flushed the surrounding rock at the bottom of the heavy-haul tunnels as time passed, and the dynamic action of heavy-haul trains caused the surrounding rock particles to gradually become loose, which was especially noticeable for the defect location in the weak surrounding rock. An increase in the axle load and a deterioration in the surrounding rock condition could aggravate the tunnel bottom cavity. The findings can be used to generate ideas for defects prediction and treatment methods for heavy-haul railway tunnels.

Successful New Inhibitive Water-Based Fluid Application, Sulige Gas Field, China

Ming Zhang,Tiantai Li,Ziqiang Xu,Da Li 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of u- and e- Service, Scienc Vol.9 No.9

This study developed a new type of shale drilling anti-collapse inhibitor and compounded a set of stable shale water-based drilling fluid for horizontal wells to effectively solve hole shrinkage, collapse, tool sticking, and other complex downhole problems involved in the shale drilling at the horizontal section of the Sulige gas field. Laboratory experimental evaluations indicated that this system had a strong inhibitory effect on shale formation and sound compatibility. After its weight reached 1.20g/cm3, the system exhibited a stable rheology, lubricity, filter loss, high recovery rate of rock debris, and low formation damage. The mud cake was smooth, thin, tough, and compact. The drilling fluid also maintained suitable anti-collapse capability, lubricity, rheology, and highly efficient debris-carrying and well-flushing ability in its field application in the drilling of the shale section of the Sulige gas field. The tripping operation exhibited no clear resistance and sticking. This system achieved significant effects and satisfied the requirements of the drilling construction of a horizontal well in the Sulige gas field.

Synergic adsorption of acid blue 80 and heavy metal ions (Cu2+/Ni2+) onto activated carbon and its mechanisms

Xinsheng Luo,Ziqiang Lei,Pengxin Zhou,Yani Liu,Guofu Maa,Zhe Zhang 한국공업화학회 2015 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.27 No.-

A novel synergic adsorption process of acid blue 80 dye (AB80) and heavy metal ions (Cu2+ or Ni2+) on alow-cost activated carbon (PRAC) which was prepared from potato residue was reported. The resultsindicated that the maximum adsorption capacity of PRAC for AB80 and Cu2+ were 294.7 mg/g and45.0 mg/g in the AB80-Cu2+ system, respectively. In the mono-component system, the values were173.0 mg/g and 26.8 mg/g, respectively. Compared with mono-component system, the AB80 and Cu2+showed good synergistic effect on PRAC. The similarly result was revealed in the AB80-Ni2+ system. For abinary system, the adsorption isotherm of AB80 and heavy metal ions followed the non-modified Sipsmodel, and the adsorption kinetic models followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The effect ofpH also was discussed, and showed significant role in the binary-component system adsorption. Theselectivity in synergic adsorption was discussed. BET, FE-SEM/EDX and XPS were used to characterizePRAC with and without adsorbed dye and heavy metal ions, possible mechanisms of AB80 and heavymetal ions synergic adsorption process were proposed.

Antifungal bio-coating of endotracheal tube built by overexpressing MCP1 gene of Saccharomyces boulardii and employing hydrogel as a “house” antagonize Candida albicans

Yunyun Wei,Jianfeng Qiu,Ziqiang Han,Xuanyi Wang,Hui Zhang,Xinya Hou,Xiangwei Lv,Xiaolong Mao 한국생체재료학회 2023 생체재료학회지 Vol.27 No.00

Background For some ICU patients, an artificial airway must be established with an endotracheal tube, but Candida albicans can easily adhere to the tube surface and form a biofilm, leading to potentially life threatening fungal infections. Therefore, it is urgent to prevent and reduce C. albicans infections introduced by the endotracheal tube. However, there are few antifungal drugs effective against C. albicans, and each of these drugs may have adverse effects on human cells. Saccharomyces boulardii is regarded as an alternative strategy to inhibit the adhesion of C. albicans, but it is affected by environmental stress. We hypothesized that it is feasible to strengthen the antagonistic ability of S. boulardii via encapsulating and genetically modification. Methods In this study, a bioactive material carrying the overexpressed MCP1 gene of Saccharomyces boulardii was constructed based on one-step photo-crosslinking. This material achieved spatial growth control of S. boulardii by encapsulating each S. boulardii cell within a hydrogel pore. The bioactive material was coated on an endotracheal tube and tested for its ability to inhibit the adhesion of C. albicans. Additionally, the material’s antagonistic activity towards C. albicans was evaluated by detecting intracellular Adenosine-triphosphate content, reactive oxygen species level and the activity of antioxidative enzymes. Tissue invasion experiment was executed to further evaluate the antiadhesion ability of S. boulardii bio-coating. Results Encapsulating the overexpression of MCP1 by S. boulardii in hydrogel pores enhanced the viability of probiotics in the presence of high salt and oxidation stress. When used as the coating of an endotracheal tube, the S. boulardii bioactive material efficiently inhibited the adhesion of C. albicans by impairing the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase and disturbing mitochondrial functions. In vivo, the S. boulardii bioactive material coating displayed good biocompatibility and reduced the host tissue invasion and virulence of C. albicans. Conclusions The integration of genetic modification and immobilization model breaks the bottleneck of previous application of microorganisms, and provides a new way to prevent fungal infections introduced by endotracheal tubes.

Modeling, analysis, and experiments of a pause-and-leap jumping robot during takeoff, flight, and landing buffering

Qi Yang,Jing Zhao,Ziqiang Zhang,Bin Chang,Xingkun Liu 대한기계학회 2019 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.33 No.10

Jumping robots can overcome obstacles strongly and are suitable for complex terrain environments. However, the takeoff parameters of most jumping robots, especially pause-and-leap jumping robots, cannot be changed accurately. Moreover, the stability of the flight and landing of these robots needs to be improved. On the basis of observations of the jumping process of a locust, leg mechanisms, including one-degree-of-freedom jumping leg and series buffering leg, are designed. Then, dynamic models for takeoff, flight, and landing buffering are established and combined with Lagrange/Newton-Euler dynamic modeling methods and conservation of momentum moment. For the former, the effects of structural parameters, including position of the driving spring, absolute position of the center of mass, and stiffness coefficient of the driving spring, on takeoff velocity and acceleration can be obtained. The takeoff parameters can also be changed accurately. For the flight phase, the relationship between the relative position of the center of mass and the stability of flight is revealed. For the latter, the effects of two buffering modes on the supporting forces and energy storage capacity are analyzed. On the basis of the parameters determined by the abovementioned modeling method, a prototype is developed, and an experiment is conducted to verify the rationality of the modeling method. Experimental results show that the prototype can acquire accurate takeoff parameters and achieve stable flight and landing buffering. This study provides a useful reference for the design and control of jumping robots.