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

Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer in Rural Areas of Wuhan China: a Matched Case-control Study

Zhang, Bin,Zhou, Ai-Fen,Zhu, Chang-Cai,Zhang, Ling,Xiang, Bing,Chen, Zhong,Hu, Rong-Hua,Zhang, Ya-Qi,Qiu, Lin,Zhang, Yi-Ming,Xiong, Chao-Du,Du, Yu-Kai,Shi, Yu-Qin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.12

Cervical cancer is a serious public health problem in developing countries. We investigated possible risk factors for cervical cancer in rural areas of Wuhan China using a matched case-control study with 33 women diagnosed with cervical cancer and 132 healthy women selected from the same area as matched controls. A questionnaire, which included questions about general demography conditions, environmental and genetic factors, the first sexual intercourse, first marriage age, age at first pregnancy, pregnancy first child's age, female personal health history, social psychological factors, dietary habits, smoking and alcohol status and other living habits was presented to all participants. At the same time, HPV infection of every participant was examined in laboratory testing. Results showed HPV infection (P<0.000, OR=23.4) and pregnancy first child's age (P<0.000, OR=13.1) to be risk factors for cervical cancer. Menopause (P=0.003, OR=0.073) was a protective factor against cervical cancer. However, there was no indication of associations of environmental (drinking water, insecticide, disinfectant) genetic (cancer family history), or life-style factors (smoking status, alcohol status, physical training, sleep quality), including dietary habits (intake of fruit and vegetable, meat, fried food, bean products and pickled food) or social psychological factors with cervical cancer. The results suggest that the risk of cervical cancer in Chinese rural women may be associated with HPV infection, menopause and the pregnancy first child's age.

Attenuation of Peripheral Regulatory T-Cell Suppression of Skin-Homing CD8+T Cells in Atopic Dermatitis

Bao-Xiang Zhang,Gang Ding,Jun-Cheng Lyu,Hai-Bo Liu,Dian-Cai Zhang,Dian-Cai Zhang,Xing-Jie Bi,Zhi-Wu Duan 연세대학교의과대학 2015 Yonsei medical journal Vol.56 No.1

Purpose: Cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA)-expressing CD8+T cells have been known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis(AD). However, the mechanisms underlying the loss of self-tolerance remainunclear. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a key role in the development of homeostasisin the immune system. We, therefore, hypothesized that a reduced ability of Tregs to inhibit autologous CD8+CLA+T cells might be underlying mechanism in AD. Materials and Methods: CD8+CLA+T cells and Tregs were obtained from the peripheral blood of AD patients and control volunteers. The frequenciesof CD8+CLA+T cells were evaluated. The proliferative responses of CD8+CLA+T cells were assessed by flow cytometry, and the levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in culture supernatants were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Our results revealed higher frequency and increased expression of perforin and granzyme-B in peripheralCD8+CLA+T cells in AD, and lower inhibitory ability of Tregs on proliferation of CD8+CLA+T cells in AD. Meanwhile, the levels of TGF-β1 produced by Tregs were significantly lower in AD, and anti-TGF-β1 abolished such suppression. Conclusion: The attenuated inhibitory ability of Tregs on hyper-activated autologousCD8+CLA+T cells, mediated by TGF-β1, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD.

Cognitive Functions and Subjective Hearing in Cochlear Implant Users

Zhang Fawen,McGuire Kelli,Skeeters Madeline,Barbara Matthew,Chang Pamara F.,Zhang Nanhua,Xiang Jing,Huang Bin 대한청각학회 2024 Journal of Audiology & Otology Vol.28 No.3

Background and Objectives: A cochlear implant (CI) is an effective prosthetic device used to treat severe-to-profound hearing loss. The present study examined cognitive function in CI users by employing a web-based cognitive testing platform, i.e., BrainCheck, and explored the correlation between cognitive function and subjective evaluation of hearing. Subjects and Methods: Forty-two CI users (mean age: 58.90 years) were surveyed in the subjective evaluation of hearing, and 20/42 participated in the BrainCheck cognitive tests (immediate recognition, Trail Making A, Trail Making B, Stroop, digit symbol substitution, and delayed recognition). As controls for cognitive function, young normal-hearing (YNH, mean age=23.83 years) and older normal-hearing (ONH, mean age=52.67 years) listener groups were subjected to Brain-Check testing. Results: CI users exhibited poorer cognitive function than the normal hearing groups in all tasks except for immediate and delayed recognition. The highest percentage of CI users who had “possible” and “likely” cognitive impairment, based on BrainCheck scores (ranging from 0-200), was observed in tests assessing executive function. The composite cognitive score across domains tended to be related to subjective hearing (<i>p</i>=0.07). Conclusions: The findings of the current study suggest that CI users had a higher likelihood of cognitive impairment in the executive function domain than in lower-level domains. BrianCheck online cognitive testing affords a convenient and effective tool to self-evaluate cognitive function in CI users. ackground and Objectives: A cochlear implant (CI) is an effective prosthetic device used to treat severe-to-profound hearing loss. The present study examined cognitive function in CI users by employing a web-based cognitive testing platform, i.e., BrainCheck, and explored the correlation between cognitive function and subjective evaluation of hearing. Subjects and Methods: Forty-two CI users (mean age: 58.90 years) were surveyed in the subjective evaluation of hearing, and 20/42 participated in the BrainCheck cognitive tests (immediate recognition, Trail Making A, Trail Making B, Stroop, digit symbol substitution, and delayed recognition). As controls for cognitive function, young normal-hearing (YNH, mean age=23.83 years) and older normal-hearing (ONH, mean age=52.67 years) listener groups were subjected to Brain-Check testing. Results: CI users exhibited poorer cognitive function than the normal hearing groups in all tasks except for immediate and delayed recognition. The highest percentage of CI users who had “possible” and “likely” cognitive impairment, based on BrainCheck scores (ranging from 0-200), was observed in tests assessing executive function. The composite cognitive score across domains tended to be related to subjective hearing (<i>p</i>=0.07). Conclusions: The findings of the current study suggest that CI users had a higher likelihood of cognitive impairment in the executive function domain than in lower-level domains. BrianCheck online cognitive testing affords a convenient and effective tool to self-evaluate cognitive function in CI users.

Computational Study on the Rotordynamic of the Hole Diaphragm Labyrinth Seal

Xiang Zhang,Yinghou Jiao,Xiuquan Qu,Guanghe Huo 제어로봇시스템학회 2022 제어로봇시스템학회 국제학술대회 논문집 Vol.2022 No.11

The seal structure is an efficient way to reduce leakage and improve rotor stability in gas turbine machines. Various seals have been proposed to achieve this goal in the last century. Labyrinth seals (LS), one of those seals, are widely used in industry due to their relatively simple structure. This paper studied whirl radius dependence of hole diaphragm labyrinth seal (HDLS), which designed by adding hole-diaphragms in LS. A series of working conditions of whirl frequencies, rotation speeds and whirl radius rates were considered in simulations. The characteristic parameters in the rotordynamic model of the seal rotor system were calculated. The results show that a better stiffness performance of HDLS was obtained than those of LS and diaphragm labyrinth seal (DLS) on the small whirl radius. The effective damping of HDLS is slightly better than that of LS but moderately worse than that of DLS at higher rotation speeds. The adaptability under multiple working conditions of HDLS represents its feasibility, which can be used in seal-rotor systems. The analysis of the new type of labyrinth seal proposed in this paper confirmed some advantages in gas turbine and steam turbine applications and is worthy of further study.

The New Generation of Information Technology Supports Legislative Modernization : The Goals, Strategies and Paths

Zhang Guang Jun,Zhang Xiang 원광대학교 한중관계연구원 2020 韓中關係硏究 Vol.6 No.2

현대사회에서 법치는 국가를 다스리는 기본이고, 입법은 법치의 핵심적 사항이다. 입법의 현대화는 국가통치체계와 통치능력을 극대화하는 중요한 기반이다. 그러나 전 통적 방식을 통한 입법과정은 입법정보의 수집 시간이 길고 비용이 많이 들어 입법정 보의 분석과 처리능력이 떨어져 효율성이 낮다. 또 입법의 전 과정에 민원의 의견을 반영하기 어려워 제정된 법률이 사회전반에 효과적으로 적용되지 못한다는 지적이 있 다. 특히, 이러한 방식은 입법의 과학화와 민주화가 부족하여 입법이 수동적이어서 과 학기술과 관련한 법률제정에 걸림돌로 작용한다. 오늘날은 인터넷, 빅데이터, 인공지능, 블록체인 등을 앞세운 차세대정보기술(ICT) 이 활발하게 발달함으로 인하여 분야의 경계를 허문 다양한 협력, 지식의 개방, 인간과 기계의 협력으로 발전하고 있는 추세이다. 이로 인해 입법과정에서 인민의 의견정보나 행위정보를 적시에 입법과정에서 활용할 수 있게 되어 사적자유와 공공민주를 실현할 수 있다. 하지만, 현재의 전통적 입법시스템은 그 응용범위가 매우 좁을 뿐만 아니라, 입법과정에 있어 입법정보의 수집, 분석, 처리의 전과정에 필요한 입법 인터넷 생태계 와 입법 빅데이터 플랫폼이 아직 효과적으로 구축되어 있지 않은 상태이다. 그리고 입법지식과 입법 블록체인기술 등의 충분한 인프라가 구성되지 않다. 본 연구에서는 과학적 이성과 법치적 이성의 융합에 기초하여, 입법현대화라는 개념 확립을 통해 차세대 정보기술을 통한 현대화 입법시스템 마련 방안을 제시하고자 한 다. 이에 전통적 입법방식이 가지고 있는 문제점을 분석하고, 차세대정보기술을 응용 한 현대입법원칙의 최적화 가능성을 검토하였다. 이를 통해 입법기관이 입법방법과 입법절차의 두 가지 측면에서 차세대정보기술을 적극적이고 적절하게 활용하여 입법 의 질과 효율성을 제고하고, 입법의 과학화 및 민주화 수준을 높이는데 도움이 될 것이 라 기대한다. The rule of law is the basic way of governing the country, legislation is the core of the rule of law, and the modernization of legislation is the important foundation of the modernization of the national governance system and governance ability. However, under the traditional legislative model, the time and cost to collect legislative information are long, the ability to analyze and deal with legislative information is poor, and the efficiency is low. The effect to reflect the social situation and public opinion and to lead the social development in the whole process of legislation is not good enough, and the level of scientific and democratic legislation is not high enough, which leads to passive, inverted and cursory legislation. The ability to collect, analyze and process legislative information has become a key factor to block the process of legislative modernization. In today’s world, the Internet, big data, artificial intelligence, blockchain and other new generation of information technology have been booming, showing the trend of cross-border integration, group intelligence opening, and human-computer cooperation. They have great potential in the field of legislation. They can truly, timely, systematically and effectively gather and feed back the opinions and behavior information of the people, so that the people can realize the intelligent preservation of private freedom and public democracy in every legislation. However, at present, their application scope in the field of legislation is narrow, their application stage is few and their application level is low. The legislation Internet Ecosystem and legislation big data platform needed in the whole process of collecting, analyzing and processing legislation information have not been effectively constructed. The role of legislation knowledge map and legislation blockchain technology has not been fully appllied. Their strategies and paths to support the modernization of legislation need urgent consideration on giving response. Based on the concept of the integration of scientific rationality and legal rationality, this paper firstly defines the intelligent preservation of private domain freedom and public domain democracy as the goal of the new generation of information technology integration and support of modern legislation from the semantic analysis of “legislative modernization”; secondly, it analyzes the performance form, chronic causes, and application of the traditional legislative models which are passive, inverted and cursory. The new generation of information technology promotes the optimization of modern legislative principles and the transformation of traditional legislative model to preventive, step-by-step and precise legislative model. Finally, this paper expounds the optimization plan of the new generation of information technology to support legislative modernization from two aspects of legislative methods and legislative procedures, with a view to improve the quality and establish legislation by applying the new generation of information technology actively and steadily to the legislature. The efficiency of law, the scientific level of legislation and the degree of democratization are helpful.

Design, Synthesis and Antifungal Activities of Novel Strobilurin Derivatives Containing Pyrimidine Moieties

Xiang Zhang,Yong-Xin Gao,Hui-Jun Liu,Bao-Yuan Guo,Hui-Li Wang 대한화학회 2012 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.33 No.8

Strobilurins are one of the most important classes of agricultural fungicides. To discover new strobilurin derivatives with high activity against resistant pathogens, a series of novel β-methoxyacrylate analogues were designed and synthesized by integrating substituted pyrimidine with a strobilurin pharmacophore. The compounds were confirmed and characterized by infrared, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, elemental analysis and mass spectroscopy. The bioassays indicated that most of the compounds (1a-1h) exhibited potent antifungal activities against Colletotrichum orbiculare, Botrytis cinerea Pers and Phytophthora capsici Leonian at the concentration of 50 μg/mL. Exhilaratingly, compound 1d (R=3-trifluoromethylphenyl) showed better antifungal activity against all the tested fungi than the commercial strobilurin fungicide azoxystrobin.

Microwave-assisted Solvent-free Synthesis of Some Dimethine Cyanine Dyes, Spectral Properties and TD-DFT/PCM Calculations

Xiang-Han Zhang,Lan-Ying Wang*,Gao-Hong Zhai,Zhen-Yi Wen,Zu-Xun Zhang 대한화학회 2007 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.28 No.12

A series of dimethine cyanine dyes were synthesized in a fast, efficient and high yield by the condensation of quaternary salts with 1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde in the presence of piperidine under solvent-free microwave irradiation. The products were identified by 1H NMR, IR, UV-Vis spectra and elemental analysis. The absorption and fluorescence properties of these dyes were investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Calculations performed at a combination of time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) and the polarizable continuum model (PCM) reproduced the p-p* type absorption bands of the dyes. Regression analysis was used for studying theoretical results of the absorption maxima in different solvents. Compared with experimental counterparts, estimated overall uncertainties in the absorption maxima were about ?2%.

Novel AgCl/Ag2SO3 Hybrids as a Visible-Light-driven Photocatalyst: Preparation, Characterization, and Degradation of Rhodamine-B and Methyl Orange

Xiang-Feng Wu,Yi-Jin Wang,Zuo-Lin Cao,Yan-Mei Feng,Hui Li,Chen-Xu Zhang,Jun-Zhang Su,Jia-Rui Zhang,Yi-Wei Wang,Kai-Yuan Wang,Guo-Wen Sun 대한화학회 2018 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.39 No.7

The novel AgCl/Ag2SO3 hybrids as an efficient photocatalyst had been fabricated by an in situ synthetic method. The correlations between the structure and the photocatalytic properties of the as-fabricated hybrids were analyzed. Experimental results exhibited that with increasing the amount of Ag2SO3, the degradation rate of the as-obtained samples was firstly increased and then decreased under the visible light irradiation. When the mass ratio of AgCl to Ag2SO3 was 1:2, in 30?min, it displayed the highest degradation rate of 99.2% for rhodamine-B, which was obviously higher than 46.1, 60.5, and 14.6% of pure AgCl, Ag2SO3, and TiO2 (P25), respectively. Similar results could be found in degradation of methyl orange. It had the maximum of 97.4% in 90?min, which was higher than 55.2, 48.7, and 12.7% of pure AgCl, Ag2SO3, and P25, respectively. Moreover, the as-prepared hybrids possessed the enhanced separation and transfer of photo-generated electron?hole pairs compared to the pure samples. In addition, the holes and superoxide radicals played the dominant role and the hydroxyl radicals played the secondary role during the process of photocatalytic degradation.

Linear regression analysis for factors influencing displacement of high-filled embankment slopes

Zhang, Guangcheng,Tan, Jiansong,Zhang, Lu,Xiang, Yong Techno-Press 2015 Geomechanics & engineering Vol.8 No.4

It is a common failure type that high-filled embankment slope sideslips. The deformation mechanism and factors influencing the sideslip of embankment slope is the key to reduce the probability of this kind of engineering disaster. Taking Liujiawan high-filled embankment slope as an example, the deformation and failure characteristics of embankment slope and sheet-pile wall are studied, and the factors influencing instability are analyzed, then the correlation of deformation rate of the anti-slide plies and each factor is calculated with multivariate linear regression analysis. The result shows that: (1) The length of anchoring segment is not long enough, and displacement direction of embankment and retaining structure are perpendicular to the trend of the highway; (2) The length of the cantilever segment is so large that the active earth pressures behind the piles are very large. Additionally, the surface drainage is not smooth, which leads to form a potential sliding zone between bottom of the backfill and the primary surface; (3) The thickness of the backfill and the length of the anti-slide pile cantilever segment have positive correlation with the deformation whereas the thickness of anti-slide pile through mudstone has a negative correlation with the deformation. On the other hand the surface water is a little disadvantage on the embankment stability.