Immunization of BALB/c mice with Brucella abortus 2308DwbkA confers protection against wild-type infection

Zhi-qiang Li,Dan Gui,Zhi-hua Sun,Jun-bo Zhang,Wen-zhi Zhang,Hui Zhang,Fei Guo,Chuangfu Chen 대한수의학회 2015 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.16 No.4

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that causes animal and human diseases. Vaccination is a major measure for prevention of brucellosis, but it is currently not possible to distinguish vaccinated animals from those that have been naturally infected. Therefore, in this study, we constructed the Brucella (B.) abortus 2380 wbkA mutant (2308DwbkA) and evaluated its virulence. The survival of 2308DwbkA was attenuated in murine macrophage (RAW 264.7) and BALB/c mice, and it induced high protective immunity in mice. The wbkA mutant elicited an anti-Brucella-specific immunoglobulin G response and induced the secretion of gamma interferon. Antibodies to 2308DwbkA could be detected in sera from mice, implying the potential for use of this protein as a diagnostic antigen. The WbkA antigen would allow serological differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. These results suggest that 2308DwbkA is a potential attenuated vaccine against 16M. This vaccine will be further evaluated in sheep.

Dynamic behavior analysis of push-the-bit rotary steerable bottom hole assembly

Zhi-chuan Guan,Heng Wang,Yu-cai Shi,Wei-qing Chen,Guo-shan Zhao,Jian-yun Wang,Guang-qiang Cao 대한기계학회 2019 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.33 No.4

Rotary steerable drilling technology is currently an advanced technology in the field of drilling engineering. A good understanding of dynamic behavior of rotary steerable system will benefit the drilling progress. Aimed at push-the-bit type of rotary steerable tool, finite element method was employed to model the rotary steerable bottom hole assembly (RSBHA) and establish the motion equation. Contact interaction between drill string and wellbore wall was analyzed and taken as the constraint condition in solving RSBHA motion equation. Force applied by steering pads was as the external force acting at the pads node. Then RSBHA motion state and bit lateral force were obtained by using Newmark method to solve the motion equation. A case was given and effects of influencing factors were analyzed. The results show that stick-slip phenomenon occurs under 60 r/min rotary speed condition and disappears when rotary speed rises to 90 r/min. Fully developed backward whirl comes into being at the near-bit stabilizer when rotary speed increases to 120 r/min. High weight on bit intensifies bit torsional vibration while larger pads’ steering force decreases the bit torsional vibration. Upper stabilizer plays a part in weakening RSBHA backward whirl under high rotary speed condition but reduces the inclination force. Time average of bit lateral force is mainly determined by pads’ steering force. Based on the results, corresponding suggestions were proposed to make the RSBHA be better used in the field applications.

On-line Specific Growth Rate Control for Improving Reduced Glutathione Production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Zhi-Qiang Xiong,Mei-jin Guo,Ju Chu,Ying-ping Zhuang,Siliang Zhang 한국생물공학회 2015 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.20 No.5

Reduced glutathione (GSH), the abundant bioactive tripeptide in most living cells, is widely used in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Specific growth rate (μ) is a key physiological parameter for GSH high-cell-density cultivation using microbial cell factories. Here, based on a biomass probe, an on-line μ feedback control was developed to regulate glucose feeding rate during the fed-batch phase for overproducing GSH in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Compared with real-time μ controlled at 0.15/h, μ controlled at 0.2/h achieved yeast dry weight (120 g/L), GSH concentration (1.5 g/L), and intracellular GSH content (1.25%), which improved by 9, 150, and 129.1%, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report about on-line μ feedback control for GSH production. On-line μ control led to 59.38 mg/L/h of GSH productivity and 3.52 mg/g of GSH yield on glucose, which improved by 107.6 and 7.2%, respectively, in comparison with those of traditional ethanol feedback control (maintaining ethanol concentration at 1%). Taken together, the on-line μ feedback control is a promising method as an efficient alternative to conventional feed control techniques presently practiced in the GSH industry, and has the potential for the production of other valuable chemicals.

Anti-proliferative Effects of Atractylis lancea (Thunb.) DC. via Down-regulation of the c-myc/hTERT/Telomerase Pathway in Hep-G2 Cells

Guo, Wei-Qiang,Li, Liang-Zhi,He, Zhuo-Yang,Zhang, Qi,Liu, Jia,Hu, Cui-Ying,Qin, Fen-Ju,Wang, Tao-Yun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.11

Atractylis lancea (Thunb.) DC. (AL), an important medicinal herb in Asia, has been shown to have anti-tumor effects on cancer cells, but the involved mechanisms are poorly understood. This study focused on potential effects and molecular mechanisms of AL on the proliferation of the Hep-G2 liver cancer cell line in vitro. Cell viability was assessed by MTT test in Hep-G2 cells incubated with an ethanol extract of AL. Then, the effects of AL on apoptosis and cell cycle progression were determined by flow cytometry. Telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assays was performed to investigate telomerase activity. The mRNA and protein expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and c-myc were determined by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting. Our results show that AL effectively inhibits proliferation in Hep-G2 cells in a concentrationand time-dependent manner. When Hep-G2 cells were treated with AL after 48h,the $IC_{50}$ was about 72.1 ${\mu}g/mL$. Apoptosis was induced by AL via arresting the cells in the G1 phase. Furthermore, AL effectively reduced telomerase activity through inhibition of mRNA and protein expression of hTERT and c-myc. Hence, these data demonstrate that AL exerts anti-proliferative effects in Hep-G2 cells via down-regulation of the c-myc/hTERT/telomerase pathway.

Differential expression of sex-related fat body proteins during the larval–pupal developmental stages of the silkworm (Bombyx mori)

Zhi-PingWu,Yan-Yan Liu,Guo-Qiang Chen,Ting-LiangWang,Jian-Zhong Tan 한국응용곤충학회 2014 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.17 No.1

The silkworm fat body is the site of many intermediary metabolic processes, and a source of sustenance forgrowth throughout the life cycle. Fat body proteins are responsible for storing nutrients, providing energy, andregulating hormones, and they have been identified using proteomic approaches. However, detailed differentialexpression of sex-related fat body proteins has not previously been evaluated. In the present study, we characterizedthe differential expression of sex-related fat body proteins, by using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis(2-DE) followed bymass spectrometry identification and bioinformaticsmethods.We extracted the fat body proteinsfrom 5-day-old fifth instar larvae (L5), 10-day-old fifth instar larvae (corresponding to the end of spinning[LE]), and 0-day-old pupae (P0) of the multivoltine silkworm variety “Da Zao”. We confirmed the presence of 11important sex-specific expression proteins and 14 stage-specific expression proteins.We accurately identified 13of these specific expression proteins, including actin, calponin-like protein, 75 kDa subunit NADH, receptor foractivated protein kinase C from Bombyx mori (BmRACK), IMP (inosine monophosphate) cyclohydrolase, tropomyosin1, β-tubulin, hypothetical protein, antichymotrypsin precursor, and 30 K protein precursor.We showedthat BmRACK was differentially expressed betweenmale and female silkworms.Wediscuss the biological roles ofthe specific expression proteins during the larval–pupal developmental stages.

Toward Full Spectrum Speciation of Silver Nanoparticles and Ionic Silver by On-Line Coupling of Hollow Fiber Flow Field-Flow Fractionation and Minicolumn Concentration with Multiple Detectors

Tan, Zhi-Qiang,Liu, Jing-Fu,Guo, Xiao-Ru,Yin, Yong-Guang,Byeon, Seul Kee,Moon, Myeong Hee,Jiang, Gui-Bin American Chemical Society 2015 ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY - Vol.87 No.16

<P>The intertransformation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and ionic silver (Ag(I)) in the environment determines their transport, uptake, and toxicity, demanding methods to simultaneously separate and quantify AgNPs and Ag(I). For the first time, hollow fiber flow field-flow fractionation (HF5) and minicolumn concentration were on-line coupled together with multiple detectors (including UV–vis spectrometry, dynamic light scattering, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) for full spectrum separation, characterization, and quantification of various Ag(I) species (<I>i.e</I>., free Ag(I), weak and strong Ag(I) complexes) and differently sized AgNPs. While HF5 was employed for filtration and fractionation of AgNPs (>2 nm), the minicolumn packed with Amberlite IR120 resin functioned to trap free Ag(I) or weak Ag(I) complexes coming from the radial flow of HF5 together with the strong Ag(I) complexes and tiny AgNPs (<2 nm), which were further discriminated in a second run of focusing by oxidizing >90% of tiny AgNPs to free Ag(I) and trapped in the minicolumn. The excellent performance was verified by the good agreement of the characterization results of AgNPs determined by this method with that by transmission electron microscopy, and the satisfactory recoveries (70.7–108%) for seven Ag species, including Ag(I), the adduct of Ag(I) and cysteine, and five AgNPs with nominal diameters of 1.4 nm, 10 nm, 20 nm, 40 nm, and 60 nm in surface water samples.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/ancham/2015/ancham.2015.87.issue-16/acs.analchem.5b01827/production/images/medium/ac-2015-01827q_0006.gif'></P><P><A href='http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/ac5b01827'>ACS Electronic Supporting Info</A></P>

Effects of enclosures on vegetation recovery and succession in Hulunbeier steppe, China

박기형,Zhi Qiang Qu,Qin Qin Wan,Guo Dong Ding,Bin Wu 한국산림과학회 2013 Forest Science And Technology Vol.9 No.1

Hulunbeier steppe is one of the four largest grasslands in China and is renowned for its excellent natural grassland conditions. However, its natural ecosystem has been continuously disrupted due to heavy land use, excessive stock-farming, and deforestation as human activities have expanded. Exclusion of human disturbance is one of the common measures used for ecological environment restoration in Chinese desert areas. This study aims to investigate whether the duration of enclosure affects vegetation recovery and succession processes. Plant distribution, coverage and biomass were measured and described in non-enclosure, 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year enclosure plots. Vegetation succession proceeded via three stages. In the first stage, annual plant communities, such as Agriophyllum squarrosum and Corispermum stauntonii, were dominant, while in the second stage renascent arboreal herbs, mainly Cleistogenes squarrosa and Artemisia frigid, predominantly occupied the vegetation community. In the third stage, transition vegetation such as Agropyron cristatum and C. squarrosa werepredominant. Relevant government authorities in the Hulunbeier region should educate the herders regarding the apposite management of enclosure and provide incentives for compliance. Future study design should focus on effective enclosure management including grazing rate control and plantation development in enclosure.

The Flow Behavior and Forming Limit Modeling of an Al- Cu-Mg Aluminum Alloy Sheet Considering the Effects of Pre-Strain and Solution Heat Treatment

Xiao-Qiang Li,Gui-Qiang Guo,Hong-Zhi Gao,Nan Song,Dong-Sheng Li 한국정밀공학회 2015 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol. No.

Al-Cu-Mg aluminum alloy sheet is widely used for aircraft skin. Multi-stage forming combined with Solution Heat Treatment (SHT) is necessary for some geometrically complex productions in aircraft skin components. However, the effects of pre-strain and natural ageing time on the formability of Al-Cu-Mg aluminum alloy sheet are not fully understood. In this study, the deformation responses of an Al-Cu-Mg aluminum alloy sheet, over a range of pre-strain levels (0% to 6%) and natural ageing time levels (0 h to 2 h) were investigated. A modified Hollomon constitutive model coupling with pre-strain and natural ageing time was proposed to characterize the deformation responses of the Al-Cu-Mg aluminum alloy sheet. The hemispherical dome tests were performed at natural ageing time levels ranging from 0.25 h to 1.5 h. Marciniak and Kuczynski (M-K) theory was used to obtain the forming limit prediction model which takes pre-strain and natural ageing time into account. The theoretical Forming Limit Curves (FLCs) were compared with the experimental results.

Activating Transcription Factor 1 is a Prognostic Marker of Colorectal Cancer

Huang, Guo-Liang,Guo, Hong-Qiang,Yang, Feng,Liu, Ou-Fei,Li, Bin-Bin,Liu, Xing-Yan,Lu, Yan,He, Zhi-Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.3

Objective: Identifying cancer-related genes or proteins is critical in preventing and controlling colorectal cancer (CRC). This study was to investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic value of activating transcription factor 1 (ATF1) in CRC. Methods: Protein expression of ATF1 was detected using immunohistochemistry in 66 CRC tissues. Clinicopathological association of ATF1 in CRC was analyzed with chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. The prognostic value of ATF1 in CRC is estimated using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression models. Results: The ATF1 protein expression was significantly lower in tumor tissues than corresponding normal tissues (51.5% and 71.1%, respectively, P = 0.038). No correlation was found between ATF1 expression and the investigated clinicopathological parameters, including gender, age, depth of invasion, lymph node status, metastasis, pathological stage, vascular tumoral emboli, peritumoral deposits, chemotherapy and original tumor site (all with P > 0.05). Patients with higher ATF1 expression levels have a significantly higher survival rate than that with lower expression (P = 0.026 for overall survival, P = 0.008 for progress free survival). Multivariate Cox regression model revealed that ATF1 expression and depth of invasion were the predictors of the overall survival (P = 0.008 and P = 0.028) and progress free survival (P = 0.002 and P = 0.005) in CRC. Conclusions: Higher ATF1 expression is a predictor of a favorable outcome for the overall survival and progress free survival in CRC.

Experimental studies on the material properties of high-strength bolt connection at elevated temperatures

Ying-Zhi Yin,Guo-Qiang Li,Ming-Fei Li 국제구조공학회 2002 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.2 No.4

The high-temperature material properties of steel are very important to the fire resistance analysis of high-strength bolt connections. This paper reports on the results of the experimental studies on the high-temperature properties of 20 MnTiB steel which is widely used in high-strength bolts, and the friction coefficient of 16Mn steel plates at elevated temperature which is a necessary parameter for bolted frictional connection analysis. The test data includes yield strength, limit strength, modulus of elasticity, elongation and expansion coefficient of 20MnTiB steel at elevated temperature, and the friction coefficients between two 16Mn steel plates under elevated temperatures and after cooling. Based on the data from the tests, the mathematical models for predicting the mechanical properties of 20MnTiB steel and friction coefficients of 16Mn steel plates have been established.