Experimental study on infilled frames strengthened by profiled steel sheet bracing

Pingzhou Cao,Ningning Feng,Kai Wu 국제구조공학회 2014 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.17 No.6

The purpose of this study is to investigate the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames strengthened by profiled steel sheet bracing which takes the influence of infill walls into consideration. One-bay, two-story, 1/3 scale two specimens shared same feature of dimensions, one specimen consists only beams and columns; the other one is reinforced by profiled steel sheet bracing with infill walls. Hysteretic curves, envelope curves, stiffness degradation curves and energy dissipation capacities are presented based on test data. Test results indicate that the ultimate load of strengthened specimen has been improved by 225%. The stiffness of reinforced by profiled steel sheet bracing has been increased by 108%. This demonstrates that infill walls and profiled steel sheet bracing enhanced the strength and stiffness distinctly. Energy dissipation has an obvious increase after 12 cycles. This shows that the reinforced specimen is able to bear the lateral load effectively and absorb lots of seismic energy.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of bitopic arylpiperazine-phthalimides as selective dopamine D₃ receptor agonists

Cao, Yongkai,Sun, Ningning,Zhang, Jiumei,Liu, Zhiguo,Tang, Yi-zhe,Wu, Zhengzhi,Kim, Kyeong-Man,Cheon, Seung Hoon The Royal Society of Chemistry 2018 MedChemComm Vol.9 No.9

<P>The dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) is a proven therapeutic target for the treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. In particular, D3R-selective ligands that can eliminate side effects associated with dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) therapeutics have been validated. However, the high homology in signaling pathways and the sequence similarity between D2R and D3R have rendered the development of D3R-selective ligands challenging. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of piperazine-phthalimide bitopic ligands based on a fragment-based and molecular docking inspired design. Compound 9i was identified as the most selective D3R ligand among these bitopic ligands. Its selectivity was improved compared to reference compounds 1 and 2 by 9- and 2-fold, respectively, and it was 21-fold more potent than compound 2. Molecular docking demonstrated that the orientation of Leu<SUP>2.64</SUP> and Phe<SUP>7.39</SUP> and the packing at the junction of helices may affect the specificity for D3R over D2R. Functional evaluation revealed that D3R-selective ligand 9i displayed a subpicomolar agonist activity at D3R with a 199-fold increase in potency compared to quinpirole. These results may be useful for the fragment-based design of bitopic compounds as selective D3R ligands.</P>

Transplanting neurofibromatosis-1 gene knockout neural stem cells improve functional recovery in rats with spinal cord injury by enhancing the mTORC2 pathway

Chen Guoliang,Li Xianlong,Zhu Hongzhang,Wu Huachuan,He Dacheng,Shi Liangyu,Wei Fuxin,Liu Xizhe,Chen Ningning,Liu Shaoyu 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

The poor survival and low efficiency of neuronal differentiation limits the therapeutic effects of transplanted neural stem cells in the treatment of spinal cord injury. Neurofibromatosis-1 (NF-1) is a tumor suppressor gene that restricts the rapid and abnormal growth and differentiation of neural cells. In the present study, lentiviral vectors were used to knock out NF-1, Ricotr (the core member of mTORC2) or NF-1+Ricotr in neural stem cells in vitro, and the NF-1, Ricotr or NF-1+Ricotr knockout neural stem cells were transplanted at the lesion site in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). We first demonstrated that targeted knockout of NF-1 had an antiapoptotic effect and improved neuronal differentiation by enhancing the mTORC2/Rictor pathway of neural stem cells in vitro. Subsequently, transplanting NF-1 knockout neural stem cells into the injured site sufficiently promoted the tissue repair and functional recovery of rats with spinal cord injury by enhancing the survival and neuronal differentiation of grafted neural stem cells. Collectively, these findings reveal a prominent role of NF-1 in neural stem cell biology, which is an invaluable step forward in enhancing the benefit of neural stem cell-mediated regenerative cell therapy for spinal cord injury and identifies the transplantation of NF-1 knockout neural stem cells as a promising strategy for spinal cord injury.

Green preparation of lipase@Ca3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers using bone waste from food production for efficient synthesis of clindamycin palmitate

Anming Wang,Xinxin Chen,Jianyun Yu,Ningning Li,Huimin Li,Youcheng Yin,Tian Xie,Stephen Gang Wu 한국공업화학회 2020 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.89 No.-

To prepare enzyme@Ca3(PO4)2 for environmentally friendly biocatalysis, Ca2+ and (PO4)3 were extractedfrom bone waste by acidification. In the nearly neutralizedfiltrate, the Ca2+ and (PO4)3 formed aCa3(PO4)2 sediment that crystallized on a template of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) at 4 ℃ for24 h, producing enzyme@Ca3(PO4)2-Bone hybrid nanoflowers (hNFs). Clindamycin palmitate wasefficiently synthesized by transfer of a palmityl moiety from vinyl palmitate to clindamycin free baseusing these hNFs as a biocatalyst. At 30 ℃ in petroleum ether (PE) as the solvent, the yield of the TLL hNFcatalyzedreaction was as high as 70.0%. Even at a high temperature (80 ℃), the yield in the hNF-catalyzedreaction was still 52.6%, but no product was detected when using free lipase as the catalyst. Moreover, thehNFs retained 90% of their initial activity after 10 cycles (120 h, 12 h per cycle). This green and sustainablemethod that utilizes bone waste from food production as the raw source of the inorganic component wasfacile and efficient, and the system may also be applicable for preparing other enzyme@Ca3(PO4)2 hNFsfor industrial applications.

Probabilistic and spectral modelling of dynamic wind effects of quayside container cranes

Suning Chen,Peng Shitao,Hong Ningning,Wu Xiaotong,Chen Yunyue 한국풍공학회 2020 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.30 No.4

Quayside container cranes are important delivery machineries located in the most frontiers of container terminals, where strong wind attacks happen occasionally. Since the previous researches on quayside container cranes mainly focused on the mean wind load and static response characteristics, the fluctuating wind load and dynamic response characteristics require further investigations. In the present study, the aerodynamic wind loads on quayside container cranes were obtained from wind tunnel tests. The probabilistic and spectral models of the fluctuating aerodynamic loads were established. Then the joint probabilistic distributions of dynamic wind-induced responses were derived theoretically based on a series of Gaussian and independent assumption of resonant components. Finally, the results were validated by time domain analysis using wind tunnel data. It is concluded that the assumptions are acceptable. And the presented approach can estimate peak dynamic sliding force, overturning moments and leg uplifts of quayside container cranes effectively and efficiently.

American ginseng significantly reduced the progression of high-fat-diet-enhanced colon carcinogenesis in Apc^Min/+ mice

Yu, Chunhao,Wen, Xiao-Dong,Zhang, Zhiyu,Zhang, Chun-Feng,Wu, Xiaohui,He, Xin,Liao, Yang,Wu, Ningning,Wang, Chong-Zhi,Du, Wei,He, Tong-Chuan,Yuan, Chun-Su The Korean Society of Ginseng 2015 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.39 No.3

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic gut inflammation is recognized as a risk factor for tumor development, including CRC. American ginseng is a very commonly used ginseng species in the West. Methods: A genetically engineered $Apc^{Min/+}$ mouse model was used in this study. We analyzed the saponin composition of American ginseng used in this project, and evaluated its effects on the progression of high-fat-diet-enhanced CRC carcinogenesis. Results: After oral ginseng administration (10-20 mg/kg/d for up to 32 wk), experimental data showed that, compared with the untreated mice, ginseng very significantly reduced tumor initiation and progression in both the small intestine (including the proximal end, middle end, and distal end) and the colon (all p < 0.01). This tumor number reduction was more obvious in those mice treated with a low dose of ginseng. The tumor multiplicity data were supported by body weight changes and gut tissue histology examinations. In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that compared with the untreated group, ginseng very significantly reduced the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-$1{\alpha}$ (IL-$1{\alpha}$), IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in both the small intestine and the colon (all p < 0.01). Conclusion: Further studies are needed to link our observed effects to the actions of the gut microbiome in converting the parent ginsenosides to bioactive ginseng metabolites. Our data suggest that American ginseng may have potential value in CRC chemoprevention.

American ginseng significantly reduced the progression of high-fatdiet-enhanced colon carcinogenesis in ApcMin/þmice

Chunhao Yu,Xiao-Dong Wen,Zhiyu Zhang,Chun-Feng Zhang,Xiaohui Wu,Xin He,Yang Liao,Ningning Wu,Chong-Zhi Wang,Wei Du,Tong-Chuan He,Chun-Su Yuan 고려인삼학회 2015 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.39 No.3

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic gut inflammation is recognized as a risk factor for tumor development, including CRC. American ginseng is a very commonly used ginseng species in the West. Methods: A genetically engineered ApcMin/þ mouse model was used in this study. We analyzed the saponin composition of American ginseng used in this project, and evaluated its effects on the progression of high-fat-diet-enhanced CRC carcinogenesis. Results: After oral ginseng administration (10e20 mg/kg/d for up to 32 wk), experimental data showed that, compared with the untreated mice, ginseng very significantly reduced tumor initiation and progression in both the small intestine (including the proximal end, middle end, and distal end) and the colon (all p < 0.01). This tumor number reduction was more obvious in those mice treated with a low dose of ginseng. The tumor multiplicity data were supported by body weight changes and gut tissue histology examinations. In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that compared with the untreated group, ginseng very significantly reduced the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1a (IL-1a), IL-1b, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-a, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in both the small intestine and the colon (all p < 0.01). Conclusion: Further studies are needed to link our observed effects to the actions of the gut microbiome in converting the parent ginsenosides to bioactive ginseng metabolites. Our data suggest that American ginseng may have potential value in CRC chemoprevention.