De novo assembled transcriptome of horned gall aphid, Schlechtendalia chinensis Bell, suggest changes in functional gene expression during host alternation

Si‐Liang Wang,Zi-Xiang YANG,Pu YANG,Chuan Xi Zhang 한국곤충학회 2016 Entomological Research Vol.46 No.5

The horned gall aphid, Schlechtendalia chinensis Bell, is the most economically valuable galling aphid. It accounts for approximately 75% of Chinese gallnut production, which is important for medical and chemical purposes. The horned gall aphid feeds on the Chinese sumac tree, Rhus chinensis, during the summer, induces galls, and overwinters on the moss Plagiomnium spp. However, the sequence information of S. chinensis is limited, and the functional gene expression changes during host alternation remain obscure. In this study, the transcriptome of the horned gall aphid was sequenced using high‐throughput sequencing technology. Approximately 49 million reads were obtained and were assembled into 99 366 transcripts and 47 400 unigenes. Annotation was performed using a BLAST search against primary databases such as NCBI nr and Swiss‐Prot, as well as enrichment analysis by GO, KOG and KEGG. Differentially expressed genes between spring and autumn migrant aphids were compared, and the expression levels of many genes related to detoxification, digestion and other functional genes were found to have changed, reflecting the adaptation ability of horned gall aphids in different seasons and hosts. Functional genes in wax biosynthesis were upregulated in spring migrant aphids. This study analyzed the expression profile difference between spring and autumn migrant aphids to approach the real functional genes change during host alternation. The transcriptome provides a basis to understanding the functional genes during gall aphid host alternation and the related physiological and molecular characteristics.

Event-trigger-based Fault-tolerant Control of Uncertain Non-affine Systems with Predefined Performance

Yang Yang,Yuwei Zhang,Zijin Wang,Xuefeng Si,Jinran Wu 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2023 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.21 No.2

Fault-tolerant control (FTC) of a non-affine system with uncertainties is one of critical issues in nonlinear control. In this paper, in the presence of unknown actuator failures, an event-trigger-based FTC scheme is proposed for such a nonlinear system with predefined performance. For actuator failures, a compensation mechanism is designed to alleviate their impacts. By utilizing a predefined performance function, higher tracking accuracy can be obtained. Meanwhile, an event-triggered mechanism with a time-varying threshold, depending on tracking error, reduces the number of communications for a controller-to-actuator channel. An adaptive event-triggered function is then proposed with the compensation mechanism to improve the self-adjusting ability of the triggered function. Also, extended state observers and tracking differentiators are utilized to reconstruct unknown dynamics of the system and to simplify high-order derivation of virtual control laws, respectively. The stability of the closed-loop system is analyzed by input-to-state practically stability. Finally, two simulation results are supplied to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control method.

Association of Six Susceptibility Loci with Prostate Cancer in Northern Chinese Men

Zhang, Yu-Rong,Xu, Yong,Yang, Kuo,Liu, Ming,Wei, Dong,Zhang, Yao-Guang,Shi, Xiao-Hong,Wang, Jian-Ye,Yang, Fan,Wang, Xin,Liang, Si-Ying,Zhao, Cheng-Xiao,Wang, Fei,Chen, Xin,Sun, Liang,Zhu, Xiao-Quan,Zh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.12

Background/Aim: Six prostate cancer (PCa) susceptibility loci were identified in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in populations of European decent. However, the associations of these 6 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with PCa has remained tobe clarified in men in Northern China. This study aimed to explore the loci associated with PCa risk in a Northern Chinese population. Methods: Blood samples and clinical information of 289 PCa patients and 288 controls from Beijing and Tianjin were collected. All risk SNPs were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-high resolution melting curve technology and gene sequencing. Associations between PCa and clinical covariates (age at diagnosis, prostate-specific antigen [PSA], Gleason score, tumor stage, and level of aggressiveness) and frequencies of alleles and genotypes of these SNPs were analyzed using genetic statistics. Results: Among the candidate SNPs, 11p15 (rs7127900, A) was associated with PCa risk (P = 0.02, odds ratio [OR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-2.46). Genotypes showed differences between cases and controls on 11p15 (rs7127900, A), 11q13 (rs7931342, T), and HNF1B (rs4430796, A) (P = 0.03, P = 0.01, and P = 0.04, respectively). The genotype TG on 11q13 (rs7931342, T) was positively associated with an increased Gleason score (P = 0.04, OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.02-4.55). Patients carrying TG on 17q24 (rs1859962, G) were negatively associated with an increased body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.03, OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.21-0.92) while those with AG on HNF1B (rs4430796, A) were more likely to have PSA increase (P = 0.002). Conclusion: Our study suggests that 11p15 (rs7127900, A) could be a susceptibility locus associated with PCa in Northern Chinese. Genotype TG on 11q13 (rs7931342, T) could be related to an increased Gleason score, AG on HNF1B (rs4430796, A) could be associated with PSA increase, and TG on 17q24 (rs1859962, G) could be negatively associated with an increased BMI in Chinese men with PCa.

Effect of kaolin additive on PM_2.5 reduction during pulverized coal combustion: Importance of sodium and its occurrence in coal

Si, Junping,Liu, Xiaowei,Xu, Minghou,Sheng, Lei,Zhou, Zijian,Wang, Chao,Zhang, Yang,Seo, Yong-Chil Elsevier 2014 APPLIED ENERGY Vol.114 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Little work has been performed on the importance of sodium and its occurrence in coal to PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> (particles less than 2.5μm in aerodynamic diameter) reduction by kaolin during O<SUB>2</SUB>/N<SUB>2</SUB> combustion and O<SUB>2</SUB>/CO<SUB>2</SUB> combustion at high temperatures. In this study, the combustion experiment of a treated low-sodium coal with sodium aluminosilicate additive was conducted in a lab-scale drop tube furnace (DTF) at 1500°C to reveal the contribution of mineral melting and coalescence to PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> reduction. Meanwhile, two typical Na-loaded coals (in which the sodium was loaded in the form of NaCl and sodium carboxylate, respectively) with kaolin added were also burnt under O<SUB>2</SUB>/N<SUB>2</SUB> and O<SUB>2</SUB>/CO<SUB>2</SUB> atmospheres to investigate the effect of interaction between kaolin and different chemical form sodium on PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> reduction. The results show that sodium aluminosilicate is able to promote the migration of PM<SUB>0.5–2.5</SUB> (particles in aerodynamic diameter of 0.5–2.5μm) to form coarse particles. Due to the stronger reactivity of sodium carboxylate reacting with kaolin than that of NaCl, PM<SUB>0.2–0.5</SUB> (particles in aerodynamic diameter of 0.2–0.5μm) decreases more significantly in the combustion when adding kaolin into the NaAc-loaded coal than into NaCl-loaded coal. In addition, the PM<SUB>0.2–0.5</SUB> reduction in O<SUB>2</SUB>/CO<SUB>2</SUB> combustion is lower than that in O<SUB>2</SUB>/N<SUB>2</SUB> combustion owing to the less vaporization of metals and the slower diffusion rate of vapors in the O<SUB>2</SUB>/CO<SUB>2</SUB> atmosphere in comparison to those in the O<SUB>2</SUB>/N<SUB>2</SUB> atmosphere. The mineral coalescence varied in interactions of kaolin with NaAc and NaCl. Besides, the PM<SUB>0.5–2.5</SUB> emission differed as a result of differences in coal characteristic and the atmosphere, and this would cause the difference of collision frequency between particles and additive. With the joint actions of mineral coalescence and particle collision, the NaAc-loaded coal has a higher PM<SUB>0.5–2.5</SUB> reduction by kaolin than NaCl-loaded coal, especially under the O<SUB>2</SUB>/N<SUB>2</SUB> combustion. An expression describing the relationship of PM<SUB>0.5–2.5</SUB> reduction, mineral coalescence and particle collision was fitted and it is found that the mineral coalescence has a stronger influence than particle collision on PM<SUB>0.5–2.5</SUB> reduction by kaolin.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> The sodium aluminosilicate plays an important role in PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> reduction by kaolin. </LI> <LI> The capability of kaolin to reduce PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> depends on the sodium occurrence in coals. </LI> <LI> The effect of kaolin on PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> reduction becomes weaker during O<SUB>2</SUB>/CO<SUB>2</SUB> combustion. </LI> <LI> Particle collision may be taken into consideration for PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> reduction. </LI> </UL> </P>

Experimental behavior of circular flyash-concrete-filled steel tubular stub columns

Si-Ping Li,Yang Zhang,Guang-Yuan Fu,Chen-Jiang Yu,Bing Chen,She-Xu Zhao 국제구조공학회 2016 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.22 No.4

The paper presents an experimental study of the structural behavior of circular flyash-concrete-filled steel tubular stub columns under axial compressive loads. In this study, 90% and 100% by weight of the cement in the concrete core was replaced with flyash. Twenty-seven specimens were tested to study the influence of flyash content, wall thickness of the steel tube, and curing age on the ultimate capacity and confinement effect. The experimental results were compared with the design values calculated using AISC-LRFD (1999), ACI (1999), AIJ (1997) and Eurocode 4 (1994). From the experimental study, it was determined that the confinement effect of circular steel tubes filled with high content flyash concrete was better than that of specimens filled with ordinary Portland cement concrete. The 5.88-mm-thick steel tube filled with 100% flyash concrete was equivalent in strength to a steel tube filled with C30 concrete at 28 days.

Study on rectangular concrete-filled steel tubes with unequal wall thickness

Yang Zhang,Chen-Jiang Yu,Guang-Yuan Fu,Bing Chen,She-Xu Zhao,Si-Ping Li 국제구조공학회 2016 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.22 No.5

Rectangular concrete-filled steel tubular columns with unequal wall thickness were investigated in the paper. The physical centroid, the centroidal principal axes of inertia, and the section core were given. The generalized bending formula and the generalized eccentric compression formula were deduced, and the equation of the neutral axis was also provided. The two rectangular concrete-filled steel tubular stub specimens subjected to the compression load on the physical centroid and the geometric centroid respectively were tested to verify the theoretical formulas.

Dynamics of Microbial Community Structure, Function and Assembly Mechanism with Increasing Stand Age of Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii) Plantations in Houtian Sandy Area, South China

Zhang Xiaoyang,Xiong Si-Yi,Wu Xiukun,Zeng Bei-Bei,Mo Yang-Mei,Deng Zhi-Cheng,Wei Qi,Gao Yang,Cui Licao,Liu Jianping,Long Haozhi 한국미생물학회 2023 The journal of microbiology Vol.61 No.11

Establishing slash pine plantations is the primary method for restoring sandification land in the Houtian area of South China. However, the microbial variation pattern with increasing stand age remains unclear. In this study, we investigated microbial community structure and function in bare sandy land and four stand age gradients, exploring ecological processes that determine their assembly. We did not observe a significant increase in the absolute abundance of bacteria or fungi with stand age. Bacterial communities were dominated by Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Acidobacteria; the relative abundance of Chloroflexi significantly declined while Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria significantly increased with stand age. Fungal communities showed succession at the genus level, with Pisolithus most abundant in soils of younger stands (1- and 6-year-old). Turnover of fungal communities was primarily driven by stochastic processes; both deterministic and stochastic processes influenced the assembly of bacterial communities, with the relative importance of stochastic processes gradually increasing with stand age. Bacterial and fungal communities showed the strongest correlation with the diameter at breast height, followed by soil available phosphorus and water content. Notably, there was a significant increase in the relative abundance of functional groups involved in nitrogen fixation and uptake as stand age increased. Overall, this study highlights the important effects of slash pine stand age on microbial communities in sandy lands and suggests attention to the nitrogen and phosphorus requirements of slash pine plantations in the later stages of sandy management.

Polymorphisms in TYMS for Prediction of Capecitabine-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome in Chinese Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Si-Qi Dong,Tong-Min Wang,Jiang-Bo Zhang,Yong-Qiao He,Wen-Qiong Xue,Zi-Yi Wu,Da-Wei Yang,Lian-Jing Cao,Jing-Wen Huang,Xi-Zhao Li,Pei-Fen Zhang,Xiao-Hui Zheng,Wei-Hua Jia 대한암학회 2021 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.53 No.3

Purpose Capecitabine is an extensively used oral prodrug of 5-fluorouracil in treatment of colon cancer and is known to cause hand-foot syndrome (HFS). As the target enzyme for capecitabine, thymidylate synthase (TYMS) plays a key role for 5-fluorouracil metabolism and has been associated with some side effects caused by capecitabine. The aim of our study is to identify the possible genetic predictors of capecitabine-induced HFS (CAP-HFS) in Chinese colorectal cancer patients.Materials and Methods Whole exons of TYMS were sequenced for 288 extreme phenotype HFS patients, including 144 severe or early-onset (first 2 cycles) moderate HFS extreme cases and 144 extreme controls with no reported HFS. The associations between polymorphisms and CAP-HFS were analyzed using logistic regression under an additive model.Results We identified a novel risk mutation (c.1A>G, chr18:657743), was associated with severe HFS in an extreme case who was affected during the first cycle of treatment. Moreover, we identified three new variants, rs3786362, rs699517, rs2790, and two previously reported variants, 5’VNTR 2R/3R and 3′-untranslated region 6-bp ins-del, which were significantly associated with CAP-HFS (p < 0.05). In silico analysis revealed that the effect of these polymorphisms in the TYMS region on the development of HFS might not be restricted solely to the regulation of TYMS expression, but also the TYMS catalytic activity through the indirect effect on ENOSF1 expression.Conclusion This study identified new polymorphisms in TYMS gene significantly associated with CAP-HFS, which may serve as useful genetic predictors for CAP-HFS and help to elucidate the underlying mechanism of HFS.

Characterization of a Thermophilic Hemoglobin-degrading Protease from Streptomyces rutgersensis SCSIO 11720 and Its Application in Antibacterial Peptides Production

Jian Yang,Jie Li,Yunfeng Hu,Lizhen Li,Lijuan Long,Fazuo Wang,Si Zhang 한국생물공학회 2015 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.20 No.1

High value utilization of byproduct of slaughterhousesis regarded as beneficial to both economy andenvironment. A hemoglobin degrading protease PA720was purified from fermentation broth of a Porites luteaassociated strain Streptomyces rutgersensis SCSIO 11720(SCSIO 11720) and exhibited maximal activity at 70°C,pH 10.5. The isolated strain was identified by genotypicmethod and 16 s RNA gene sequence was deposited inGenBank under accession No. KC414842. The enzymeexhibited excellent thermostability since it was stable at 70°Cwith t1/2 value of 1,386.3 min. Kinetic and thermodynamicstudy showed the activation energy (Ea), ΔG* (free energy),ΔH* (enthalpy) and ΔS* (entropy) for protease deactivationwere 62.71 kJ/mol, 74.26 kJ/mol, 59.86 kJ/mol, and-41.97 J/mol/K, respectively. Highest specific activity ofprotease PA720 was observed when using casein (9,953 U/mg)and hemoglobin (9,854 U/mg) as substrates. Hemoglobinhydrolysate prepared by protease PA720 showed significantantibacterial activity towards Escherichia coli, Staphylococcusaureus and Bacillus subtilis, indicating this protease couldbe used as an instrumental enzyme for production ofhemoglobin-based antibacterial peptides. Based on partialamino acid sequences of the enzyme PA720, the full geneencoding this protease was obtained by degenerate primerPCR and has been deposited in GenBank under accessionNo. KC414842. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibitshomology with other microbial thermophilic proteases insubtilisin family.

Design and Positioning Control of a Flexure-Based Nano-positioning Stage Driven by Halbach Array Voice Coil Actuator

Chi Zhang,Xiaolu Huang,Miao Yang,Si-Lu Chen,Jinhua Chen,Guilin Yang 한국정밀공학회 2022 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.23 No.3

A long-stroke nano-positioning stage driven by voice coil actuator (VCA) and supported by flexure guide is designed in this paper. The Halbach permanent magnet array is implemented in the VCA to improve the air-gap flux density with the magnetic concentration effect. The air-gap magnetic fi eld is modeled with an equivalent magnetic structure and verified by finite element analysis. The proposed equivalent magnetic structure reduces the number of boundary condition equations and hence simplifies the analysis procedure. Besides, a novel spring-damping tuning method is proposed based on the equivalent dynamic model of the closed-loop system. This tuning method regards P control and D control as a virtual spring and a virtual damper. The controller parameters are tuned in an intuitive way. Experimental results show that the positioning stage is capable of achieving a resolution of 40 nm within a stroke of 0.8 mm with high repeatability. The spring-damping tuning method ensures better control performance compared to Ziegler Nichols (Z–N) tuning method where overshoot and settling time are decreased.