Distribution and Properties of Shear Stress in Elastic Beams with Variable Cross Section: Theoretical Analysis and Finite Element Modelling

Man Zhou,Huiyang Fu,Lin An 대한토목학회 2020 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.24 No.4

It was found that additional shear stress arising from the bending moment should be involved in the formulation due to the effect of variable cross section, which is quite different from the conventional method of analysis for the prismatic members. This paper focuses on the analytical formulation, properties and distribution regularity of the shear stress for the elastic tapered beams with rectangular cross-section. Currently, an analytical expression for the shear stress in elastic tapered beams is derived theoretically based on the theory of elasticity. Most notably, it is strictly proved in mathematics that the additional shear stresses arising from bending moment are self-balanced which only change the distribution of shear stress in the section but will not affect the shear stress resultant. This new finding will be beneficial to promoting the development and consummation of non-prismatic beam theory. The correctness of the theoretical formula have been verified through comparisons with finite element (FE) results of two groups with a total of 12 three-dimensional FE models. The validity of self-balanced properties of additional shear stress in tapered beams under pure bending is additionally verified by using Free Body Cuts in ABAQUS program.

Efficient Regulation of Dyeing Behavior and Physical Properties of Bombyx mori Silks via Graft Polymerization of α-Lipoic Acid

Leilei Wu,Yiwen Ren,Xueming Bao,Ping Wang,Man Zhou,Man Zhou,Qiang Wang 한국섬유공학회 2022 Fibers and polymers Vol.23 No.8

Generally, Bombyx mori silk dyeing is performed using acid dyes. However, the color fastness is alwaysunsatisfactory due to the weak binding forces under neutral conditions. In the present work, graft polymerization of α-lipoicacid (ALA) onto silk fibers was carried out using a two-step method. Briefly, ALA was grafted onto the silk fibers, followedby a reduction-oxidation process to form poly(α-lipoic acid) (PALA) on the fiber surfaces, aiming at improving theelectronegativity of fiber surface and realizing cationic dyeing. The results implied that the combined treatments promotedthe intermolecular crosslinking between fibroin chains, endowing the silk fiber with low zeta potential simultaneously. A thinsedimentary layer on the fiber surfaces was observed for the PALA-deposited silk fibers, companying with a significantincrease in the content of sulfur and O/N ratio, which verified the successful graft polymerization. The modified silk fabricexhibited improved dyeability, and the dyeing depth and color fastness was noticeably higher compared to that of theuntreated after cationic dyeing. Meanwhile, the newly-built intermolecular disulfide crosslinks imparted a detectable antiwrinkleeffect to the silk fabric. This study provides a facile strategy for modification of silk fabric with improved dyeingbehaviors and physical properties.

siRNA Silencing EZH2 Reverses Cisplatin-resistance of Human Non-small Cell Lung and Gastric Cancer Cells

Zhou, Wen,Wang, Jian,Man, Wang-Ying,Zhang, Qing-Wei,Xu, Wen-Gui Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.6

Clinical resistance to chemotherapeutic agents is one of the major hindrances in the treatment of human cancers. EHZ2 is involved in drug resistance and is overexpressed in drug-resistant cancer cell lines. In this study, we investigated the effects of EHZ2 on cisplatin -resistance in A549/DDP and AGS/DDP cells. EHZ2 mRNA and protein were found to be significantly overexpressed in A549/DDP and AGS/DDP cells, compared to parental cells. EHZ2 siRNA successfully silenced EHZ2 mRNA and protein expression. Proliferation was inhibited and drug resistance to cisplatin was improved. Flow cytometry showed that silencing of EHZ2 arrested A549/DDP and AGS/DDP cells in the G0/G1 phase, increasing apoptosis, rh-123 fluorescence intensity and caspase-3/8 activities. Silencing of EHZ2 also significantly reduced the mRNA and protein expression levels of cyclin D1 and MDR1,while up-regulating p15, p21, p27 and miR-218 in A549/DPP cells. Furthermore, silencing of EHZ2 also significantly increased the expression level of tumor suppressor factor miR-218. We also found down-regulating EHZ2 expression increased methylation in A549/DDP and AGS/DDP cells. This study demonstrates that drug resistance can be effectively reversed in human cisplatin-resistant lung and gastric cancer cells through delivery of siRNAs targeting EHZ2.

The Gut Microbial Lipid Metabolite 14(15)- EpETE Inhibits Substance P Release by Targeting GCG/PKA Signaling to Relieve Cisplatin-Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Rats

( Man Lu ),( Liwei Xie ),( Sijie Yin ),( Jing Zhou ),( Lingmei Yi ),( Ling Ye ) 한국미생물생명공학회 2024 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.34 No.9

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a debilitating side effect related to activation of substance P (SP). SP activation can result from dysregulation of the gut-brain axis, and also from activation of protein kinase A signaling (PKA) signaling. In this study, we connected these factors in an attempt to unveil the mechanisms underlying CINV and develop new therapeutic strategies. Female rats were injected with cisplatin (Cis) to induce pica. Fecal samples were collected before/after injection, and subjected to lipid metabolomics analysis. In another portion of pica rats, the PKA inhibitor KT5720 was applied to investigate the involvement of PKA signaling in CINV, while fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was implemented to verify the therapeutic effect of the lipid metabolite 14(15)-EpETE. Pica symptoms were recorded, followed by ileal histological examination. The targeting relationship between 14(15)-EpETE and glucagon was determined by bioinformatics. SP and glucagon/PKA signaling in rat ileum, serum, and/or brain substantia nigra were detected by immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and/or western blot. The results showed a significantly lower level of 14(15)-EpETE in rat feces after Cis injection. KT5720 treatment alleviated Cis-induced pica symptoms, ileal injury, SP content increase in the ileum, serum, and brain substantia nigra, and ileal PKA activation in rats. The ileal level of glucagon was elevated by Cis in rats. FMT exerted an effect similar to that of KT5720 treatment, relieving the Cis-induced changes, including ileal glucagon/PKA activation in rats. Our findings demonstrate that FMT restores 14(15)-EpETE production, which inhibits SP release by targeting GCG/PKA signaling, ultimately mitigating CINV.

Lack of Association Between LIG4 Gene Polymorphisms and the Risk of Breast Cancer: A HuGE Review and Meta-analysis

Zhou, Li-Ping,Luan, Hong,Dong, Xi-Hua,Jin, Guo-Jiang,Man, Dong-Liang,Shang, Hong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.7

Objective: Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is one of the pathways of repair of DNA double-strand breaks. A number of genes involved in NHEJ have been implicated as breast cancer susceptibility genes such as LIG4. However, some studies have generated conflicting results. The aim of this Human Genome Epidemiology (HuGE) review and meta-analysis was to investigate association between LIG4 gene polymorphisms in the NHEJ pathway and breast cancer risk. Methods: Studies focusing on the relationship between LIG4 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to breast cancer were selected from the Pubmed, Cochrane library, Embase, Web of Science, Springerlink, CNKI and CBM databases. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers and the meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager Version 5.1.6 and STATA Version 12.0 software, calculating odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). Results: According to the inclusion criteria, we final included seven studies with a total of 10,321 breast cancer cases and 10,160 healthy controls in the meta-analysis. The results showed no association between LIG4 gene polymorphisms (rs1805386 T>C, rs1805389 C>T, rs1805388 C>T and rs2232641 A>G) and breast cancer risk, suggesting that the mutant situation of these SNPs neither increased nor decreased the risk for breast cancer. In the subgroup analysis by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and ethnicity, we also found no associations between the variants of LIG4 gene and breast cancer risk among HWE, non-HWE, Caucasians, Asians and Africans. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that there is a lack of any association between LIG4 gene polymorphisms and the risk of breast cancer.

Strength and Mechanism of Carbonated Solidified Clay with Steel Slag Curing Agent

Man Li,Qiang Wang,Jingdong Yang,Xiaoliang Guo,Wenjun Zhou 대한토목학회 2021 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.25 No.3

Industrial wastes, such as steel slag and desulfurized gypsum, are piled up in large quantities and only a very small portion is recycled, adversely impacting natural ecosystems. Meanwhile, environmental problems caused by CO2 have increasingly received attention. Hence, this study introduces a novel environmentally friendly composite, formed by sodium hydroxide (used as an activator), desulfurized gypsum and steel slag (S-GS). The main objective of this study is to evaluate the potential use of S-GS for solidifying clay under the condition of carbonation curing. Besides, the samples’ characteristics are investigated according to the tests of unconfined compressive strength (UCS), pH, carbonation depth, quality loss and scanning electron microscope (SEM). It is found that the UCS of solidified clay decreases with the increasing water content while it increases first and then decreases with the increasing desulfurized gypsum content, reaching the maximum when the water content is 0.5 times the liquid limit and the content of desulfurized gypsum is 8%. Moreover, compared with the standard curing, carbonation curing can stimulate the activity of S-GS to improve the UCS of samples more effectively. With the increasing carbonation curing time, the mass loss rate and carbonation depth of samples increase while the pH value decreases. Additionally, based on the normalized analysis, the carbonation time has the most significant effect on the UCS. Furthermore, the SEM results indicate that formation of Calcium carbonate and Magnesium carbonate are primary reasons for improving the UCS of the stabilised clay during carbonization. This research promotes steel slag and desulfurized gypsum as green stabilisers for soil stabilization, and the method of carbonation curing contributes to the higher UCS, which also greatly shortens the curing time.

Association Between XRCC5, 6 and 7 Gene Polymorphisms and the Risk of Breast Cancer: A HuGE Review and Meta-analysis

Zhou, Li-Ping,Luan, Hong,Dong, Xi-Hua,Jin, Guo-Jiang,Man, Dong-Liang,Shang, Hong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.8

Objective: Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is a pathway for repairing DNA double-strand breaks. Recent publications indicated that XRCC5, XRCC6 and XRCC7 genes may participate in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. The aim of this Human Genome Epidemiology (HuGE) review and meta-analysis was to investigate associations between XRCC5, XRCC6 and XRCC7 genetic polymorphisms in the NHEJ pathway and breast cancer risk. Methods: Studies focusing on the relationship between genetic polymorphisms in XRCC5, XRCC6 and XRCC7 genes and susceptibility to breast cancer were selected from the Pubmed, Cochrane library, Embase, Web of Science, Springerlink, CNKI and CBM databases. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers. The meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager Version 5.1.6 and STATA Version 12.0 software. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was calculated based on the extracted data. Results: According to the inclusion criteria, we final included seven studies with a total of 2,864 breast cancer cases and 3,060 healthy controls. Meta-analysis results showed that rs3835 (G>A) and rs828907 (G>T) in XRCC5 gene, and rs132793 (G>A) in XRCC6 gene might increase the risk of breast cancer, while rs132788 G>T and rs6002421 (A>G) might be protective factors. However, there was no relationship between XRCC7 genetic polymorphisms and the risk of breast cancer. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that the rs3835 G>A and rs828907 G>T in XRCC5 gene, rs6002421 (A>G), rs132788 (G>T) and rs132793 (G>A) in XRCC6 gene might be risk factors for breast cancer, while the rs132788 (G>T) and rs6002421 (A>G) in XRCC6 gene might be protective.

Genetic Variants of CYP2D6 Gene and Cancer Risk: A HuGE Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Zhou, Li-Ping,Luan, Hong,Dong, Xi-Hua,Jin, Guo-Jiang,Man, Dong-Liang,Shang, Hong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.7

Objective: Genetic polymorphisms in metabolic enzymes are associated with numerous cancers. A large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CYP2D6 gene have been reported to associate with cancer susceptibility. However, the results are controversial. The aim of this Human Genome Epidemiology (HuGE) review and meta-analysis was to summarize the evidence for associations. Methods: Studies focusing on the relationship between CYP2D6 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to cancer were selected from the Pubmed, Cochrane library, Embase, Web of Science, Springerlink, CNKI and CBM databases. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers and the meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager Version 5.1.6 and STATA Version 12.0 software. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated. Results: According to the inclusion criteria, forty-three studies with a total of 7,009 cancer cases and 9,646 healthy controls, were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that there was a positive association between heterozygote (GC) of rs1135840 and cancer risk (OR=1.92, 95%CI: 1.14-3.21, P=0.01). In addition, we found that homozygote (CC) of rs1135840 might be a protective factor for cancer (OR=0.58, 95%CI: 0.34-0.97, P=0.04). Similarly, the G allele and G carrier (AG + GG) of rs16947 and heterozygote (A/del) of rs35742686 had negative associations with cancer risk (OR=0.69, 95%CI: 0.48-0.99, P=0.04; OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.38-0.94, P=0.03; OR=0.50, 95%CI: 0.26-0.95, P=0.03; respectively). Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that CYP2D6 gene polymorphisms are involved in the pathogenesis of various cancers. The heterozygote (GC) of rs1135840 in CYP2D6 gene might increase the risk while the homozygote (CC) of rs1135840, G allele and G carrier (AG + GG) of rs16947 and heterozygote (A/del) of rs35742686 might be protective factors.

Memantine Improves Cognitive Function and Alters Hippocampal and Cortical Proteome in Triple Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Xinhua Zhou,Liang Wang,Wei Xiao,Zhiyang Su,Chengyou Zheng,Zaijun Zhang,Yu Qiang Wang,Benhong Xu,Xifei Yang,Maggie Pui Man Hoi 한국뇌신경과학회 2019 Experimental Neurobiology Vol.28 No.3

Memantine is a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist clinically approved for moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to improve cognitive functions. There is no report about the proteomic alterations induced by memantine in AD mouse model yet. In this study, we investigated the protein profiles in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex of AD-related transgenic mouse model (3×Tg-AD) treated with memantine. Mice (8-month) were treated with memantine (5 mg/kg/bid) for 4 months followed by behavioral and molecular evaluation. Using step-down passive avoidance (SDA) test, novel object recognition (NOR) test and Morris water maze (MWM) test, it was observed that memantine significantly improved learning and memory retention in 3xTg-AD mice. By using quantitative proteomic analysis, 3301 and 3140 proteins in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex respectively were identified to be associated with AD abnormalities. In the hippocampus, memantine significantly altered the expression levels of 233 proteins, among which PCNT, ATAXIN2, TNIK, and NOL3 were up-regulated, and FLNA, MARK 2 and BRAF were down-regulated. In the cerebral cortex, memantine significantly altered the expression levels of 342 proteins, among which PCNT, PMPCB, CRK, and MBP were up-regulated, and DNM2, BRAF, TAGLN 2 and FRY1 were down-regulated. Further analysis with bioinformatics showed that memantine modulated biological pathways associated with cytoskeleton and ErbB signaling in the hippocampus, and modulated biological pathways associated with axon guidance, ribosome, cytoskeleton, calcium and MAPK signaling in the cerebral cortex. Our data indicate that memantine induces higher levels of proteomic alterations in the cerebral cortex than in the hippocampus, suggesting memantine affects various brain regions in different manners. Our study provides a novel view on the complexity of protein responses induced by memantine in the brain of AD.

Long-Term Evolution of Joint Leakage and Joint Opening for Shield Tunnel in Soft Soils Deep under Seabed

Wenfeng Zhou,Shaoming Liao,Yanqing Men 대한토목학회 2022 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Vol.26 No.3

Long-term leakage at the tunnel joint induces significant tunnel deformations, which in turn aggravates the joint leakage. A finite element model (FEM) model with a defined leakage element incorporated in a segmental joint is developed to investigate the evolution of joint leakage and deformation. Subsequently, a series of parametric analyses are conducted to reveal the time-dependent law of joint opening and leakage variation with leakage location, water head, and waterproof capacity based on Qiongzhou Strait tunnel. The results show that the interaction between joint opening and leakage undergoes a dynamic evolution process during the long-term operation of the tunnel. It is found that the joint opening on the extrados is much more critical and hazardous than that on the intrados, and the synthetic action of water head and waterproof capacity can remarkably delay the development of joint opening and leakage. For Qiongzhou Strait tunnel, the joint opening on the extrados occurs after at least 30 years of initial leakage at the springline and increases to 1.28 mm, and the leakage rate increases from 0.909 × 10−4 m3/d to 1.508 × 10−4 m3/d after 120 years. It is suggested that the waterproof capacity and initial leakages near the springline should be strictly controlled to ensure the long-term safety of the tunnel.