Seroprevalence of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Toxoplasma gondii in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in China

Qing-Feng Meng,Wei-Lin Wang,Xiao-Ting Ni,Hai-Bin Li,Gui-Zhe Yao,Xiao-Lin Sun,Wei-Li Wang,Wei Cong 대한기생충학열대의학회 2015 The Korean Journal of Parasitology Vol.53 No.6

The breeding of domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) for human consumption has a long tradition in China. Infections that can affect the production of meat or even be transmitted from animals to humans are important to monitor, especially for public health reasons as well as for their impact on animal health. Thus, a total of 1,132 domestic rabbit sera from 4 regions in China were collected for serological screening for Encephalitozoon cuniculi and for Toxoplasma gondii by ELISA and modified agglutination test (MAT), respectively. Antibodies to E. cuniculi were detected in 248/1,132 (21.9%) sera tested while antibodies against T. gondii revealed a seroprevalence of 51/1,132 (4.5%). We believe that the present results are of epidemiological implications and public health importance due to the acknowledged susceptibility of humans to E. cuniculi and T. gondii infections. Therefore, routine screening tests of domestic rabbits are proposed considering the zoonotic potential of these parasites.

Model Tests of Jacked-Pile Penetration into Sand Using Transparent Soil and Incremental Particle Image Velocimetry

Cong Liu,Xiao-Wei Tang,Huanwei Wei,Pengpeng Wang,Honghua Zhao 대한토목학회 2020 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.24 No.4

This paper presents a series of physical modelling tests of jacked-pile penetration into sand, combining the transparent soil and incremental reliability-guided particle image velocimetry, which provides a non-intrusively internal deformation measurement approach to monitor the internal movement of soil caused by jacked-pile penetration. The difference between the full-model test and the half-model test was analyzed quantitatively for the first time. This paper aims to provide some new insight into the penetration mechanisms of different shapes of pile tip. In addition, the phenomenon of meta-stable sand plug in the process of jacked-pile penetration was studied by means of the method of partial replacement with dyed particles. Experimental evidence has shown that the boundary and interaction effect causes the experimental phenomenon of the half-model test to be different from the true condition. The shape effect of pile tip on the governing penetration mechanisms was discussed, and the disturbance effect of different shapes of pile tip was evaluated and compared based on a large number of model tests and published literatures. The paper intuitively demonstrates that the different penetration mechanism of flat-ended pile and cone-ended pile is mainly due to the formation of the meta-stable sand plug beneath the pile tip.

Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) in Lanzhou, China

Wei Cong,Si-Yang Huang,Dong-Hui Zhou,Xiao-Xuan Zhang,Nian-Zhang Zhang,Quan Zhao,Xing-Quan Zhu 대한기생충학열대의학회 2013 The Korean Journal of Parasitology Vol.51 No.3

Clinicopathologic and Prognostic Significance of the Zinc Finger of the Cerebellum Family in Invasive Breast Cancer

Wei Han,Cong Zhang,Xiao-jiao Gao,Hua-bing Wang,Fang Chen,Fang Cao,Yong-wei Hu,Jun Ma,Xing Gu,Hou-zhong Ding 한국유방암학회 2018 Journal of breast cancer Vol.21 No.1

Purpose: Five members of the zinc finger of the cerebellum (ZIC) family—ZIC1, ZIC2, ZIC3, ZIC4, and ZIC5—have been shown to be involved in various carcinomas. Here, we aimed to explore the clinicopathologic and prognostic roles of ZIC family members in invasive breast cancer patients using immunohistochemical analysis, western blotting analysis, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Methods: A total of 241 female invasive breast cancer patients who underwent radical mastectomy between 2009 and 2011 were enrolled. ZIC proteins in 241 pairs of breast tumors and corresponding normal tissues were investigated using immunohistochemistry and the clinicopathologic roles of proteins were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis were also used to analyze the prognostic value of the ZIC proteins. In addition, 12 pairs of fresh-frozen breast tumors and matched normal tissues were used in the western blotting analysis and RT-qPCR. Results: Only ZIC1 expression in normal tissues was obviously higher than that in tumors (p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, ZIC1 expression (in overall survival analysis: hazard ratio [HR], 0.405, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.233–0.702, p=0.001; in disease-free survival analysis: HR, 0.395, 95% CI, 0.234–0.669, p=0.001) was identified as a prognostic indicator of invasive breast cancer. Conclusion: ZIC1, but not the other proteins, was obviously decreased in breast tumors and associated with clinicopathologic factors. Thus, ZIC1 might be a novel indicator to predict the overall and disease-free survival of invasive breast cancer patients.

Loss of MicroRNA-137 Impairs the Homeostasis of Potassium in Neurons via KCC2

Ting-Wei Mi,Xiao-Wen Sun,Zhi-Meng Wang,Ying-Ying Wang,Xuan-Cheng He,Cong Liu,Shuang-Feng Zhang,Hong-Zhen Du,Chang-Mei Liu,Zhao-Qian Teng 한국뇌신경과학회 2020 Experimental Neurobiology Vol.29 No.2

Neuropsychiatric disorders are the leading cause of mental and intellectual disabilities worldwide. Current therapies against neuropsychiatric disorders are very limited, and very little is known about the onset and development of these diseases, and their most effective treatments. MIR137 has been previously identified as a risk gene for the etiology of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. Here we generated a forebrain-specific MIR137 knockout mouse model, and provided evidence that loss of miR-137 resulted in impaired homeostasis of potassium in mouse hippocampal neurons. KCC2, a potassium-chloride co-transporter, was a direct downstream target of miR-137. The KCC2 specific antagonist VU0240551 could balance the current of potassium in miR-137 knockout neurons, and knockdown of KCC2 could ameliorate anxiety-like behavior in MIR137 cKO mice. These data suggest that KCC2 antagonists or knockdown might be beneficial to neuropsychiatric disorders due to the deficiency of miR-137.

Asiatic Acid Protects Dopaminergic Neurons from Neuroinflammation by Suppressing Mitochondrial ROS Production

( Dong Chen ),( Xiao-ya Zhang ),( Jing Sun ),( Qi-jie Cong ),( Wei-xiong Chen ),( Hafiz Muhammad Ahsan ),( Jing Gao ),( Jin-jun Qian ) 한국응용약물학회 2019 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.27 No.5

This study sought to evaluate the effects of Asiatic acid in LPS-induced BV2 microglia cells and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridine (MPP+)-induced SH-SY5Y cells, to investigate the potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms of Asiatic acid in Parkinson’s disease (PD). SH-SY5Y cells were induced using MPP+ to establish as an in vitro model of PD, so that the effects of Asiatic acid on dopaminergic neurons could be examined. The NLRP3 inflammasome was activated in BV2 microglia cells to explore potential mechanisms for the neuroprotective effects of Asiatic acid. We showed that Asiatic acid reduced intracellular production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and altered the mitochondrial membrane potential to regulate mitochondrial dysfunction, and suppressed the NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia cells. We additionally found that treatment with Asiatic acid directly improved SH-SY5Y cell viability and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by MPP+. These data demonstrate that Asiatic acid both inhibits the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome by downregulating mitochondrial reactive oxygen species directly to protect dopaminergic neurons from, and improves mitochondrial dysfunction in SH-SY5Y cells, which were established as a model of Parkinson’s disease. Our finding reveals that Asiatic acid protects dopaminergic neurons from neuroinflammation by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation in microglia cells as well as protecting dopaminergic neurons directly. This suggests a promising clinical use of Asiatic acid for PD therapy.

Self-adapting speech transmission in microcomputer telephone speech system

Dong-liang Wang,Xiao-cong Wei,Ying LU 한국멀티미디어학회 2006 한국멀티미디어학회 국제학술대회 Vol.2006 No.-

The speech system with recorded speech segment of fixed and biggish length is characterized in intimately natural timbre and easy to access. The automatic speech building technology for dynamic data of speech transmission surmounts the obstacle of long-period for individual character in speech and the system time-disposing limit at online assembly. Integrating these two kinds of techniques, a self-adapting speech system is established. The respective superiorities of them are fully utilized by administrating the speech segments with the self-adapting speech management database in accordance with different requirements for each segment. Thus, the overall performance of the microcomputer telephone speech system is elevated. The validity of the system is verified in applications.

A20 ameliorates disc degeneration by suppressing mTOR/BNIP3 axis-mediated mitophagy

Peng Xin,Zhang Cong,Gao Jia-Wei,Wang Feng,Bao Jun-Ping,Zhou Zhi-Min,Sun Rui,Ji Hang-Yu,VLF Cabral,Wu Xiao-Tao 한국유전학회 2023 Genes & Genomics Vol.45 No.5

Background The pathological mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is an unanswered question that we are committed to exploring. A20 is an anti-inflammatory protein of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and plays a protective role in intervertebral disc degeneration. Objective This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism by which A20 attenuates disc degeneration. Methods The proteins of interest were measured by immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, ELISA assay, and immunohistochemical technique to conduct related experiments. Immunofluorescence assays and mitochondrial membrane potential (JC-1) were used to assess mitophagy and mitochondrial fitness, respectively. Results Here, we demonstrated that A20 promoted mitophagy, attenuated pyroptosis, and inhibited the degradation of the extracellular matrix, consequently significantly ameliorating disc degeneration. Mechanistically, A20 reduces pyroptosis and further suppresses cellular mTOR activity. On the one hand, A20-induced mTOR inhibition triggers BNIP3-mediated mitophagy to ensure mitochondrial fitness under LPS stimulation, as a result of mitigating mitochondrial dysfunction induced by LPS. On the other hand, A20-induced mTOR inhibition reduces the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the generation of Mitochondrial ROS. Conclusion The study revealed that A20 promotes BNIP3-mediated mitophagy by suppressing mTOR pathway activation against LPS-induced pyroptosis.

Evolution of ALPPS: The Simpler, Safer and Effective One---TELPP

( Shu You Peng ),( Xu An Wang ),( Cong Yun Huang ),( You Yong Zhang ),( Jiang Tao Li ),( De Fei Hong ),( Xiu Jun Cai ),( Yi Fang Wang ),( Xiao Liang ),( Jian Wei Wang ) 대한간학회 2017 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2017 No.1

Aims: The characteristic of associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy(ALPPS) carries high mortality and morbidity. There is room for improvement. We suggest Terminal Branches Portal Vein Embolization (TBPVE) as a way to compart the liver. As a result, only a single surgical operation is required.This method is termed Terminal branches portal vein Embolization Liver Partition Planned hepatectomy (TELPP). Methods: Patients with unresectable primary or metastatic liver tumor were performed with TELPP. The procedure of TELPP was that in addition to PVE, embolization agent was infused to the terminal branches of portal vein of S5,S8 or S4. CT scan was taken one or two weeks later, and standard liver volume(SLV), FLR and FLR/SLV are calculated. Two weeks later when the FLR and liver function is appropriate, open or laparoscopic hepatectomy is performed. Results: The study included 11patients including hepatocellular carcinoma: n =8, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: n = 1, hilarcholangiocarcinoma: n =1, colorectal liver metastasis: n =1. After a waiting period of 14 days, the volume of theFLR had increased from 382mlto 578ml, representing a median volume increase of 51% (range =32.5%-86.7%). Of the 11patients with hepatectomy, right hemihepatectomy (n=2), extended right hemihepatectomy (n=5), right trisecmentectomy(2), extended left hemihepatectomy (n=1) and left trisecmentectomy(1). No patient died, and no serve perioperative morbidity occurred. Conclusions: ALPPS and all modifications need two-stage operations with a high morbidity and mortality rate. It seems that TELPP is very promising. It has the merit of ALPPS as extraordinarily rapid increasement of FLRvolume, yet the morbidity and mortality is much lower, owing to the fact that unlike ALPPS, there is no two liver raw surfaces left behind in the abdominal cavity to produce bile leak, as only single surgical operation is required