Molecular characterization of chemosensory protein genes in Bactrocera minax (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Wang Zhao‐Xiang,Qi Zhen‐hua,Chen Jian,Wang Fu‐Lian,Gui Lian‐You,Zhang Guo‐Hui 한국곤충학회 2021 Entomological Research Vol.51 No.7

Chemoreception is of great importance for survival of insects. Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are believed to be involved in the perireceptor events of chemosensory system in many insect species, but this has not been clarified in the citrus fruit fly, Bactrocera minax, a serious dipteran pest of citrus crops. Previous studies indicated that four CSP genes were identified in many fly speices in Diptera. In the present study, we also identified four CSP genes in B. minax,namely BminCSP1–4, from a transcriptome database. All CSP proteins encoded by these genes bear the typical hallmarks of the CSP family: an N-terminal signal peptide and the four highly conserved cysteine residues. Phylogenetic analysis comparing with other dipteran CSPs indicated that dipteran CSPs may evolved from three ancestral CSP genes, and revealed the sequence diversities of BminCSPs and showed that BminCSP1–4 are clustered in separate groups, indicating the possibility of their contrasting function in B. minax. Furthermore, the tissue distribution of the four CSP genes in adult B. minax was analyzed by real-time quantitiative PCR. The results demonstrated that BminCSP3 are significantly transcriptionally enriched in antennae; BminCSP4 expressed primarily in heads; BminCSP1 and BminCSP2 showed high expressions in different tissues, such as antennae, abdomens and wings. Based on these findings, the different implications for the functions of BminCSPs are discussed. This study will offer a significant indication for further functional studies of the CSPs in B. minax

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for angina pectoris: An overview of systematic reviews

Qi Wen-Chuan,Fu Hong-Juan,Sun Rui-Rui,Li Xiang,Cai Ding-Jun,Wang Chao,Liang Fan-Rong 한국한의학연구원 2022 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.11 No.3

Background: The number of systematic reviews or meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) on the effectiveness of acupuncture for angina pectoris (AP) is increasing. Due to the inconsistent conclusions and unknown quality of these SRs/MAs, this overview aimed to systematically evaluate and synthesize the existing SRs/MAs, attempting to provide more reliable evidence for the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of AP. Methods: SRs/MAs were searched via eight databases from inception to March 14, 2022. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Risk of Bias in Systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool. The quality of the methodology, reporting, and evidence were assessed by the Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis for Acupuncture (PRISMA-A), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system, respectively. Results: Sixteen SRs/MAs were included and fifteen SRs/MAs were considered being of critically low quality according to AMSTAR-2. Only three SRs/MAs were rated at low risk of bias. No study reported all the items listed in the PRISMA-A checklist. No high-quality evidence with GRADE assessment was found. With the low-quality evidence, acupuncture combined with other interventions was superior to monotherapy (medications or Chinese medicine) in the angina symptom and electrocardiogram recovery. No adverse effects owing to acupuncture were reported. Conclusions: Owing to the lack of high-quality evidence provided by the current SRs/MAs, the effective-ness of acupuncture for AP still warrants further proof. Further researches with more critical design and methodology are needed for providing more convincing evidence. Background: The number of systematic reviews or meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) on the effectiveness of acupuncture for angina pectoris (AP) is increasing. Due to the inconsistent conclusions and unknown quality of these SRs/MAs, this overview aimed to systematically evaluate and synthesize the existing SRs/MAs, attempting to provide more reliable evidence for the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of AP. Methods: SRs/MAs were searched via eight databases from inception to March 14, 2022. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Risk of Bias in Systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool. The quality of the methodology, reporting, and evidence were assessed by the Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis for Acupuncture (PRISMA-A), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system, respectively. Results: Sixteen SRs/MAs were included and fifteen SRs/MAs were considered being of critically low quality according to AMSTAR-2. Only three SRs/MAs were rated at low risk of bias. No study reported all the items listed in the PRISMA-A checklist. No high-quality evidence with GRADE assessment was found. With the low-quality evidence, acupuncture combined with other interventions was superior to monotherapy (medications or Chinese medicine) in the angina symptom and electrocardiogram recovery. No adverse effects owing to acupuncture were reported. Conclusions: Owing to the lack of high-quality evidence provided by the current SRs/MAs, the effective-ness of acupuncture for AP still warrants further proof. Further researches with more critical design and methodology are needed for providing more convincing evidence.

Multigene Phylogeny and Morphology of Ophiocordyceps alboperitheciata sp. nov., A New Entomopathogenic Fungus Attacking Lepidopteran Larva from Yunnan, China

( Qi Fan ),( Yuan-bing Wang ),( Guo-dong Zhang ),( De-xiang Tang ),( Hong Yu ) 한국균학회 2021 Mycobiology Vol.49 No.2

A new fungus, Ophiocordyceps alboperitheciata, parasitic on the larva of Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) was identified from a survey of entomopathogenic fungi in Kunming Wild Duck Forest Park, Yunnan Province, China. It can be primarily distinguished from relatives by its longer fertile parts, sterile tips, superficial perithecia, narrower asci, and smaller septa of ascospores. As revealed from phylogenetic analyses inferred from nrSSU, nrLSU, tef-1α, rpb1, and rpb2 sequence data, O. alboperitheciata belongs to the Hirsutella citriformis clade in the genus Ophiocordyceps of Ophiocordycipitaceae, and forms a separated clade from other related species. The uniqueness of the taxon is significantly evidenced by both molecular phylogeny and morphology. Furthermore, the interspecific relationships in the H. citriformis clade are discussed.

Down-regulated MYH11 Expression Correlates with Poor Prognosis in Stage II and III Colorectal Cancer

Wang, Ren-Jie,Wu, Peng,Cai, Guo-Xiang,Wang, Zhi-Min,Xu, Ye,Peng, Jun-Jie,Sheng, Wei-Qi,Lu, Hong-Fen,Cai, San-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.17

The MYH11 gene may be related to cell migration and adhesion, intracellular transport, and signal transduction. However, its relationship with prognosis is still uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate correlations between MYH11 gene expression and prognosis in 58 patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed in fresh CRC tissues to examine mRNA expression, and immunohistochemistry was performed with paraffin-embedded specimens for protein expression. On univariate analysis, MYH11 expression at both mRNA and protein levels, perineural invasion and lymphovascular invasion were related to disease-free survival (p<0.05; log-rank test). Cancers with lower MYH11 expression were more likely to have a poor prognosis. Otherwise, MYH11 expression was unrelated to patient clinicopathological features. On multivariate analysis, low MYH11 expression proved to be an independent adverse prognosticator (p<0.05). These findings show that MYH11 can contribute to predicting prognosis in stage II and III colorectal cancers.

Photo-induced charge separation properties of NiO/Bi2O3 heterojuctions with efficient simulated solar-driven photocatalytic performance

Qi Yang,Junbo Zhong,Jian zhang Li,Jiufu Chen,Zhen Xiang,Tao Wang,Minjiao Li 한국물리학회 2017 Current Applied Physics Vol.17 No.4

The inherent drawbacks of Bi2O3 greatly limit the practical application of Bi2O3, thus it is crucial to boost the photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3, and therefore NiO was employed to couple with Bi2O3. In this paper, NiO/Bi2O3 heterostructures with improved sunlight driven -photocatalytic activity were constructed by a pore impregnating method. The samples were studied by Brunauer -Emmett- Teller (BET) method, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UVeVis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), surface photovoltage (SPV) spectroscopy and electron spin-resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of NiO/Bi2O3 heterostructures toward discoloration of methyl orange (MO) aqueous solutions were evaluated. The results display that the presence of NiO in the heterojuctions increases the specific surface area, the absorbance in the visible light region, the separation rate of the photo-induced charge pairs and the formation of $O2 in the photocatalytic system.

A Facile Approach for the Synthesis of Aromatic Polyazomethine Hollow Structures Employing In situ Formed Dynamic Imine Crystals as Reactive Templates

Xiang Li,Xikui Liu,Jianying Wang,Qi Wu,Lili Pan,Chaoliang Zhang 한국고분자학회 2015 Macromolecular Research Vol.23 No.12

Concurrent Hypermethylation of SFRP2 and DKK2 Activates the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway and Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Patients with Gastric Cancer

Wang, Hao,Duan, Xiang-Long,Qi, Xiao-Li,Meng, Lei,Xu, Yi-Song,Wu, Tong,Dai, Peng-Gao Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology 2017 Molecules and cells Vol.40 No.1

Aberrant hypermethylation of Wnt antagonists has been observed in gastric cancer. A number of studies have focused on the hypermethylation of a single Wnt antagonist and its role in regulating the activation of signaling. However, how the Wnt antagonists interacted to regulate the signaling pathway has not been reported. In the present study, we systematically investigated the methylation of some Wnt antagonist genes (SFRP2, SFRP4, SFRP5, DKK1, DKK2, and APC) and their regulatory role in carcinogenesis. We found that aberrant promoter methylation of SFRP2, SFRP4, DKK1, and DKK2 was significantly increased in gastric cancer. Moreover, concurrent hypermethylation of SFRP2 and DKK2 was observed in gastric cancer and this was significantly associated with increased expression of ${\beta}-catenin$, indicating that the joint inactivation of these two genes promoted the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. Further analysis using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model showed that DKK2 methylation was an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival, and the predictive value was markedly enhanced when the combined methylation status of SFRP2 and DKK2 was considered. In addition, the methylation level of SFRP4 and DKK2 was correlated with the patient's age and tumor differentiation, respectively. In conclusion, epigenetic silencing of Wnt antagonists was associated with gastric carcinogenesis, and concurrent hypermethylation of SFRP2 and DKK2 could be a potential marker for a prognosis of poor overall survival.

Concurrent Hypermethylation of SFRP2 and DKK2 Activates the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway and Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Patients with Gastric Cancer

Hao Wang,Xiang-Long Duan,Xiao-Li Qi,Lei Meng,Yi-Song Xu,Tong Wu,Peng-Gao Dai 한국분자세포생물학회 2017 Molecules and cells Vol.40 No.1

Aberrant hypermethylation of Wnt antagonists has been observed in gastric cancer. A number of studies have focused on the hypermethylation of a single Wnt antagonist and its role in regulating the activation of signaling. However, how the Wnt antagonists interacted to regulate the signaling pathway has not been reported. In the present study, we systematically investigated the methylation of some Wnt antagonist genes (SFRP2, SFRP4, SFRP5, DKK1, DKK2, and APC) and their regulatory role in carcinogenesis. We found that aberrant promoter methylation of SFRP2, SFRP4, DKK1, and DKK2 was significantly increased in gastric cancer. Moreover, concurrent hypermethylation of SFRP2 and DKK2 was observed in gastric cancer and this was significantly associated with increased expression of -catenin, indicating that the joint inactivation of these two genes promoted the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. Further analysis using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model showed that DKK2 methylation was an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival, and the predictive value was markedly enhanced when the combined methylation status of SFRP2 and DKK2 was con-sidered. In addition, the methylation level of SFRP4 and DKK2 was correlated with the patient’s age and tumor differentiation, respectively. In conclusion, epigenetic silencing of Wnt antagonists was associated with gastric carcinogenesis, and concurrent hypermethylation of SFRP2 and DKK2 could be a potential marker for a prognosis of poor overall survival.

Diblock copolymer worms stabilized pH-responsive Pickering emulsions: An efficient and recyclable platform for Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction

Zhe Xiang,Xi Zhao,Guoxiang Wang,Chenze Qi,Sujing Zhou,Jinjing Li,Yong Gao 한국공업화학회 2023 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.117 No.-

Pickering emulsions were promising platforms for the heterogeneous reactions due to both their largeinterfacial areas and high stability, whereas both the product separation and the emulsifier recoveryvia simple and efficient strategies for remain a concern. In this study, we constructed an efficient andrecyclable platform for interfacial catalytic reaction adopting pH-responsive n-decane-in-waterPickering emulsions. Pickering emulsions were prepared employing core cross-linked PEO45-PGMA74(CCE45G74) diblock copolymer worms as Pickering emulsifiers. CCE45G74 diblock copolymer worms wereprepared via the combination of photo-initiated polymerization induced self-assembly strategy and thecore covalent cross-linking with ethylenediamine. The prepared n-decane-in-water Pickering emulsionsshowed a high stability during the storage at the room temperature, whereas a rapid demulsification tookplace at a lower pH, such as 2.5. Alkali-catalyzed Claisen-Schmidt condensation reactions between benzaldehydeand acetone were conducted in n-decane-in-water Pickering emulsions at 30 C. The yield ofdibenzylidene acetone could reach 99% after 12 h of reaction. The reaction efficiency was far higher thanthat at the plain n-decane-water (30%). This catalytic platform could be repeatedly used for three cycles

MODEL PREDICTIVE COORDINATED CONTROL FOR DUAL-MODE POWER-SPLIT HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE

Yunlong Qi,Changle Xiang,Weida Wang,Boxuan Wen,Feng Ding 한국자동차공학회 2018 International journal of automotive technology Vol.19 No.2

Power-split hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have great potential fuel efficiency and have attracted extensive research attention with regard to their control system. The coordinated controller in HEV plays an important role in tracking the optimal state reference generated by the energy management strategy (EMS), so as to reach the desired fuel efficiency. Meanwhile, the coordinated controller also has a significant impact on driving performance. To improve its performance, the design of a model predictive control (MPC) based coordinated controller in power-split HEV is presented. First, a non-linear, time-varying constrained control oriented transmission model of a dual-mode power-split HEV is formulated to describe this control problem. Then, to solve this problem, the non-linear part in the transmission model is linearised, and a linear MPC is used to obtain the control signals for the motors and engine at each time step. To meet the requirements of real-time computation, a fast MPC method is also applied to reduce the online computation effort. Simulations and experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MPC-based coordinated controller.