Role of Functionalized Acceptors in Heteroleptic Bipyridyl Cu(I) Complexes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Xiaoqing Lu,Yang Shao,Ke Li,Zigang Zhao,Shuxian Wei,Wenyue Guo 대한금속·재료학회 2016 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.12 No.5

The intrinsic optoelectronic properties of heteroleptic bipyridyl Cu(I)complexes bearing functionalized acceptor subunits have beeninvestigated by density functional theory and time-dependent DFT. TheCu(I) complexes exhibit distorted trigonal-pyramidal geometries andtypical metal-to-ligand electron transfer characteristics at the longwavelength region. Replacing carboxylic acid with cyanoacrylic acid inacceptor subunits stabilizes the LUMO levels, thus lowering the HOMOLUMOenergy gaps and facilitating favorable donor-to-acceptorintramolecular electron transfer and charge separation. Introduction ofheteroaromatic groups and cyanoacrylic acid significantly improves thelight-harvesting capability of the complexes. Our results highlight theeffect of functionalized acceptors on the optoelectronic properties ofbipyridyl Cu(I) complexes and provide a fresh perspective on screeningof efficient sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Germinal center‐specific protein human germinal center associated lymphoma directly interacts with both myosin and actin and increases the binding of myosin to actin

Lu, Xiaoqing,Kazmierczak, Katarzyna,Jiang, Xiaoyu,Jones, Michelle,Watt, James,Helfman, David M.,Moore, Jeffrey R.,Szczesna‐,Cordary, Danuta,Lossos, Izidore S. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 The FEBS journal Vol.278 No.11

<P>Human germinal center associated lymphoma (HGAL) is a germinal center‐specific gene whose expression correlates with a favorable prognosis in patients with diffuse large B‐cell and classic Hodgkin lymphomas. HGAL is involved in negative regulation of lymphocyte motility. The movement of lymphocytes is directly driven by actin polymerization and actin–myosin interactions. We demonstrate that HGAL interacts directly and independently with both actin and myosin and delineate the HGAL and myosin domains responsible for the interaction. Furthermore, we show that HGAL increases the binding of myosin to F‐actin and inhibits the ability of myosin to translocate actin by reducing the maximal velocity of myosin head/actin movement. No effects of HGAL on actomyosin ATPase activity and the rate of actin polymerization from G‐actin to F‐actin were observed. These findings reveal a new mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of germinal center‐specific HGAL protein on lymphocyte and lymphoma cell motility.</P>

Imbalance of Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Esophageal Achalasia

Lu Yao,Zuqiang Liu,Weifeng Chen,Jiaqi Xu,Xiaoyue Xu,Jiaxin Xu,Liyun Ma,Xiaoqing Li,Quanlin Li,Pinghong Zhou 대한소화기 기능성질환∙운동학회 2023 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.29 No.4

Background/AimsPrevious studies reveal that immune-mediated neuroinflammation plays a key role in the etiology of esophageal achalasia. However, the understanding of leucocyte phenotype and proportion is limited. This study aim to evaluate the phenotypes of leukocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells transcriptomes in esophageal achalasia. MethodsWe performed high-dimensional flow cytometry to identified subsets of peripheral leukocytes, and further validated in lower esophageal sphincter histologically. RNA sequencing was applied to investigate the transcriptional changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with achalasia. Cell-type Identification by Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) was used for estimating the immune cell types. A differential gene expression analysis was performed and the differential expressed genes were subjected to gene ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes network, protein-protein interaction network construction. ResultsAn imbalance between innate and adaptive immune cells occurred in achalasia. Specifically, neutrophils and CD8+ T cells increased both in peripheral blood and lower esophageal sphincter in achalasia. Eosinophils decreased in peripheral blood but massively infiltrated in lower esophageal sphincter. CIBERSORT analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells RNA sequencing displayed an increased prevalence of CD8+ T cells. 170 dysregulated genes were identified in achalasia, which were enriched in immune cells migration, immune response, etc. Proton pump inhibitor analysis revealed the intersections and gained 7 hub genes in achalasia, which were IL-6, Toll-like receptor 2, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor, complement C3, and complement C1q A chain. ConclusionPatients with achalasia exhibited an imbalance of systematic innate and adaptive immunity, which may play an important role in the development of achalasia.

Bio-based Epoxy Thermoset Containing Stilbene Structure with Ultrahigh T<SUB>g</SUB> and Excellent Flame Retardancy

Guangming Lu,Xuezhen Wang,Na Teng,Jingyuan Hu,Liyue Zhang,Jinyue Dai,Yongjia Xu,Sakil Mahmud,Xiaoqing Liu 한국고분자학회 2021 폴리머 Vol.45 No.4

Bio-based epoxy resins with an ultrahigh glass transition temperature (Tg) and excellent flame retardancy are critical for developing sustainable polymers. Herein, a novel trifunctional epoxy monomer triglycidyl ether of resveratrol (TGER) was synthesized from renewable resveratrol. The chemical structure of TGER was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹H, and <SUP>13</SUP>C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy which was then reacted with 4,4’-diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) to form resin. The obtained resin was evaluated in terms of flame retardance and thermal properties. The resultant TGER-DDM 240 resin shows excellent flame-retardant properties, presenting a residual char of 42.5% at 800 ℃, limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 31.2%, and flammability rating of V-0 in UL94 test. Moreover, the resin possesses an ultrahigh Tg at 294 ℃. This work provides a facile method for preparing high-performance flame-retardant epoxy resin from a renewable resource.

Depression and Structural Factors Are Associated With Symptoms in Patients of Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Diarrhea

( Jia Lu ),( Lili Shi ),( Dan Huang ),( Wenjuan Fan ),( Xiaoqing Li ),( Liming Zhu ),( Jing Wei ),( Xiucai Fang ) 대한소화기기능성질환·운동학회(구 대한소화관운동학회) 2020 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.26 No.4

Background/Aims A strong correlation between depression and irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) has been identified. The aim of this study is to identify the correlations among depression, structural factors, gastrointestinal (GI) and extra-GI symptoms, and efficacy of neuromodulators in patients with IBS-D. Methods Patients meeting the Rome III Diagnostic Criteria for IBS-D were enrolled. The intestinal symptoms and psychological states were evaluated using IBS-specific symptom questionnaires and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Results In total, 410 patients with IBS-D were enrolled, 28.8% (118/410) had comorbid depression. Patients with depression did not readily experience improvement in abdominal pain/discomfort after defecation, and had a higher prevalence of passing mucus, overlapping functional dyspepsia, and extra-GI symptoms. The structural factor “mental disorders” significantly correlated with main bowel symptom score and degree of pre-defecation abdominal pain/discomfort. No structural factor significantly correlated with bowel movements or stool form. Patients who had passing mucus, overlapping functional dyspepsia and extra-GI painful symptoms have higher score of “anxiety/somatization.” Patients with sexual dysfunction have higher score of “retardation symptoms.” In total, 28.3% of patients with IBS-D were prescribed neuromodulators. Baseline scores of “anxiety/somatization” and “retardation symptoms” positively correlated with improvement of diarrhea after paroxetine, and “sleep disturbances” positively correlated with improvement of abdominal pain/discomfort and diarrhea after mirtazapine. Conclusions Comorbid depression and higher scores of structural factors might aggravate GI and extra-GI symptoms other than bowel movements and stool form. Structural factors of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale correlated with efficacy of paroxetine and mirtazapine in patients with IBS-D. (J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2020;26:505-513)

New Results on Stability Analysis of Markovian Switching Singular Systems

Xiao, Xiaoqing,Park, Ju H.,Zhou, Lei,Lu, Guoping IEEE 2019 IEEE transactions on automatic control Vol.64 No.5

<P>This paper addresses the stability problem for linear continuous-time Markovian switching singular systems. Considering the inherent state jump behavior at the switching instants, a necessary and sufficient condition of exponential stability in the mean square sense for the Markovian switching singular system is established in terms of linear matrix inequalities by means of a stochastic Lyapunov approach. Based on the obtained stability result, sufficient conditions of exponential stability in the mean square sense for the Markovian switching singular system with uncertain and partly unknown transition probability are presented. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.</P>

Mammary Cell Turnover under High Temperature during the Dry Period in Dairy Cows

Peng, Xiaoqing,Lu, Lin,Li, Yan,Yan, Peishi Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2011 Animal Bioscience Vol.24 No.4

The influence of high temperature on mammary cell turnover during the dry period is still unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate mammary cell turnover and p53 protein expression in the mammary tissue under high temperature conditions. Mammary gland biopsy samples from 8 dairy cows were obtained at 7, 25, 40, and 53 d during the dry period in summer or spring (n = 4, each season). Cell cycle, cell turnover, and p53 protein expression were analyzed by flow cytometry. During the dry period in summer, the percentage of mammary epithelial cells in the G0/G1 phase was the highest, but those in the S and G2/M phases were lower. However, the proportion of cells in the different stages of the cell cycle was not significantly different among the different biopsy time points, except in the G2/M phase. Under different temperature conditions, the cells were significantly different in their apoptotic rate and proliferation index; moreover, the tendencies of these indicators to change significantly differed. In general, the samples under high temperature conditions showed significantly lower apoptotic rates and proliferation indices. Under high temperature conditions, the apoptotic rate and proliferation index were the lowest (2.17% and 3.26%, respectively) at day 40, and the highest at day 53 (3.67% and 4.61%, respectively). However, under normal temperature conditions, the values of these indicators were the lowest (7.60% and 5.54%, respectively) at day 7, and almost the highest at day 25 (12.85% and 6.47%, respectively). Moreover, p53 protein expression was significantly higher under high temperature conditions than under normal temperature conditions, except at day 25. The level of p53 protein was the lowest (13.10%) under high temperature conditions at day 25, but was the highest (26.07%) under normal temperature conditions. Our findings suggest that high temperature delayed the G2/M phase of the cell cycle and the cell turnover rate, but remarkably increased p53 protein expression. Thus, the results indicate that high temperature extends the recovery period of mammary epithelial cells.

HGAL, a germinal center specific protein, decreases lymphoma cell motility by modulation of the RhoA signaling pathway

Jiang, Xiaoyu,Lu, Xiaoqing,McNamara, George,Liu, Xiaofei,Cubedo, Elena,Sarosiek, Kristopher A.,Sá,nchez-Garcí,a, Isidro,Helfman, David M.,Lossos, Izidore S. American Society of Hematology 2010 Blood Vol.116 No.24

<B>Abstract</B><P>HGAL is a germinal center (GC)-specific gene that negatively regulates lymphocyte motility and whose expression predicts improved survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). We demonstrate that HGAL serves as a regulator of the RhoA signaling pathway. HGAL enhances activation of RhoA and its down-stream effectors by a novel mechanism - direct binding to the catalytic DH-domain of the RhoA-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs) PDZ-RhoGEF and LARG that stimulate the GDP-GTP exchange rate of RhoA. We delineate the structural domain of HGAL that mediates its interaction with the PDZ-RhoGEF protein. These observations reveal a novel molecular mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of GC-specific HGAL protein on the motility of GC-derived lymphoma cells. This mechanism may underlie the limited dissemination and better outcome of patients with HGAL-expressing DLBCL and cHL.</P>

Electrostatic Discharge Characteristics of Cable Discharge Event

Yu Zhang,Yafei Yuan,Xiaoqing Li,Ming Yang,Na Feng,Ziwei Lu,Jihao He,Qizheng Ji 대한전기학회 2019 Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology Vol.14 No.1

The characteristics of cable electrostatic discharge event are investigated, which has been proved to be a hazard leading to ESD damage. The electrostatic voltage under operations on cable is measured and the effects of the discharge parameters including electrostatic voltage, cable length, cable type and the distance to the ground on cable discharge event (CDE) are studied experimentally. The CDE current waveform appears as a sequence of oscillating rectangular pulses with fast rising time, short pulse width but high amplitude. The current amplitude linearly increases with the electrostatic voltage, while the pulse width is mainly determined by the cable length. The distance to the ground and the cable type has little influence once the distance is relatively large. The discharge by cable with multiple cores is also investigated. Theoretical discussion is made to explain the phenomenon and its mechanism.

A Theoretical Study of Estimating the Elastic Responses of Framed Self-Centering Wall Structures under Lateral Loading

Xiaobin Hu,Chen Lu,Xiaoqing Zhu,Xiangdong Xie 대한토목학회 2020 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.24 No.12

The framed self-centering wall (FSCW) structure is a newly-emerged special type of seismic-resistant system. However, the related studies rarely concern the theoretical investigation of the FSCW structures subjected to lateral loading, which is of great importance for seismic design of the FSCW structures. In view of this, the analytical model of the FSCW structures is firstly developed, then the fundamental equations that govern the elastic responses of FSCW structures under lateral loads are formulated and the corresponding analytical solutions are derived. Meanwhile, the developed analytical model is validated by the finite element method, which shows that the developed model has a good reliability in predicting the elastic responses of FSCW structures sustaining lateral loading. Utilizing the proposed method, the effects of the post-tensioned (PT) tendon and dampers on the behaviors of the FSCW structure under lateral loading are investigated. Moreover, a comparative study of mechanical performance between the FSCW structure and conventional structures under lateral loading is conducted. The results show that, in terms of the lateral displacement and shear force responses of the frame, the mechanical performance of the FSCW structure subjected to lateral loading generally falls in between those of the conventional frame-shear wall structure and the moment-resisting frame structure.