p‐Type InP Nanopillar Photocathodes for Efficient Solar‐Driven Hydrogen Production

Lee, Min Hyung,Takei, Kuniharu,Zhang, Junjun,Kapadia, Rehan,Zheng, Maxwell,Chen, Yu‐,Ze,Nah, Junghyo,Matthews, Tyler S.,Chueh, Yu‐,Lun,Ager, Joel W.,Javey, Ali WILEY‐VCH Verlag 2012 Angewandte Chemie Vol.124 No.43

<P><B>Perfekte Textur</B>: Der Einfluss der Oberflächen‐Nanotexturierung, der TiO<SUB>2</SUB>‐Passivierung und des Ru‐Cokatalysators auf die photoelektrochemische Wasserstoffentwicklung durch p‐InP‐Photokathoden wurde untersucht. Höhere Stromdichten und günstigere Onset‐Potentiale werden nach Oberflächen‐Nanotexturierung beobachtet. NHE=Normalwasserstoffelektrode.</P>

miR-340 Reverses Cisplatin Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines by Targeting Nrf2-dependent Antioxidant Pathway

Shi, Liang,Chen, Zhan-Guo,Wu, Li-li,Zheng, Jian-Jian,Yang, Jian-Rong,Chen, Xiao-Fei,Chen, Zeng-Qiang,Liu, Cun-Li,Chi, Sheng-Ying,Zheng, Jia-Ying,Huang, Hai-Xia,Lin, Xiang-Yang,Zheng, Fang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

Many chemotherapeutic agents have been successfully used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the development of chemoresistance in liver cancer cells usually results in a relapse and worsening of prognosis. It has been demonstrated that DNA methylation and histone modification play crucial roles in chemotherapy resistance. Currently, extensive research has shown that there is another potential mechanism of gene expression control, which is mediated through the function of short noncoding RNAs, especially for microRNAs (miRNAs), but little is known about their roles in cancer cell drug resistance. In present study, by taking advantage of miRNA effects on the resistance of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells line to cisplatin, it has been demonstrated that miR-340 were significantly downregulated whereas Nrf2 was upregulated in HepG2/CDDP (cisplatin) cells, compared with parental HepG2 cells. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase assays of Nrf2-3'-untranslated region-based reporter constructor indicated that Nrf2 was the direct target gene of miR-340, miR-340 mimics suppressing Nrf2-dependent antioxidant pathway and enhancing the sensitivity of HepG2/CDDP cells to cisplatin. Interestingly, transfection with miR-340 mimics combined with miR-340 inhibitors reactivated the Nrf2 related pathway and restored the resistance of HepG2/CDDP cells to CDDP. Collectively, the results first suggested that lower expression of miR-340 is involved in the development of CDDP resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, at least partly due to regulating Nrf2-dependent antioxidant pathway.

Empirical mode decomposition based on Fourier transform and band-pass filter

Chen, Zheng-Shou,Rhee, Shin Hyung,Liu, Gui-Lin The Society of Naval Architects of Korea 2019 International Journal of Naval Architecture and Oc Vol.11 No.2

A novel empirical mode decomposition strategy based on Fourier transform and band-pass filter techniques, contributing to efficient instantaneous vibration analyses, is developed in this study. Two key improvements are proposed. The first is associated with the adoption of a band-pass filter technique for intrinsic mode function sifting. The primary characteristic of decomposed components is that their bandwidths do not overlap in the frequency domain. The second improvement concerns an attempt to design narrowband constraints as the essential requirements for intrinsic mode function to make it physically meaningful. Because all decomposed components are generated with respect to their intrinsic narrow bandwidth and strict sifting from high to low frequencies successively, they are orthogonal to each other and are thus suitable for an instantaneous frequency analysis. The direct Hilbert spectrum is employed to illustrate the instantaneous time-frequency-energy distribution. Commendable agreement between the illustrations of the proposed direct Hilbert spectrum and the traditional Fourier spectrum was observed. This method provides robust identifications of vibration modes embedded in vibration processes, deemed to be an efficient means to obtain valuable instantaneous information.

Empirical decomposition method for modeless component and its application to VIV analysis

Chen, Zheng-Shou,Park, Yeon-Seok,Wang, Li-ping,Kim, Wu-Joan,Sun, Meng,Li, Qiang The Society of Naval Architects of Korea 2015 International Journal of Naval Architecture and Oc Vol.7 No.2

Aiming at accurately distinguishing modeless component and natural vibration mode terms from data series of nonlinear and non-stationary processes, such as Vortex-Induced Vibration (VIV), a new empirical mode decomposition method has been developed in this paper. The key innovation related to this technique concerns the method to decompose modeless component from non-stationary process, characterized by a predetermined 'maximum intrinsic time window' and cubic spline. The introduction of conceptual modeless component eliminates the requirement of using spurious harmonics to represent nonlinear and non-stationary signals and then makes subsequent modal identification more accurate and meaningful. It neither slacks the vibration power of natural modes nor aggrandizes spurious energy of modeless component. The scale of the maximum intrinsic time window has been well designed, avoiding energy aliasing in data processing. Finally, it has been applied to analyze data series of vortex-induced vibration processes. Taking advantage of this newly introduced empirical decomposition method and mode identification technique, the vibration analysis about vortex-induced vibration becomes more meaningful.

Endophytic fungi harbored in Panax notoginseng: diversity and potential as biological control agents against host plant pathogens of root-rot disease

Zheng, You-Kun,Miao, Cui-Ping,Chen, Hua-Hong,Huang, Fang-Fang,Xia, Yu-Mei,Chen, You-Wei,Zhao, Li-Xing The Korean Society of Ginseng 2017 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.41 No.3

Background: Endophytic fungi play an important role in balancing the ecosystem and boosting host growth. In the present study, we investigated the endophytic fungal diversity of healthy Panax notoginseng and evaluated its potential antimicrobial activity against five major phytopathogens causing root-rot of P. notoginseng. Methods: A culture-dependent technique, combining morphological and molecular methods, was used to analyze endophytic fungal diversity. A double-layer agar technique was used to challenge the phytopathogens of P. notoginseng. Results: A total of 89 fungi were obtained from the roots, stems, leaves, and seeds of P. notoginseng, and 41 isolates representing different morphotypes were selected for taxonomic characterization. The fungal isolates belonged to Ascomycota (96.6%) and Zygomycota (3.4%). All isolates were classified to 23 genera and an unknown taxon belonging to Sordariomycetes. The number of isolates obtained from different tissues ranged from 12 to 42 for leaves and roots, respectively. The selected endophytic fungal isolates were challenged by the root-rot pathogens Alternaria panax, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Phoma herbarum, and Mycocentrospora acerina. Twenty-six of the 41 isolates (63.4%) exhibited activity against at least one of the pathogens tested. Conclusion: Our results suggested that P. notoginseng harbors diversified endophytic fungi that would provide a basis for the identification of new bioactive compounds, and for effective biocontrol of notoginseng root rot.

Dose-Dependent Associations between Wine Drinking and Breast Cancer Risk - Meta-Analysis Findings

Chen, Jia-Yan,Zhu, Hong-Cheng,Guo, Qing,Shu, Zheng,Bao, Xu-Hui,Sun, Feng,Qin, Qin,Yang, Xi,Zhang, Chi,Cheng, Hong-Yan,Sun, Xin-Chen Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.3

Purpose: To investigate any potential association between wine and breast cancer risk. Materials and Methods: We quantitatively assessed associations by conducting a meta-analysis based on evidence from observational studies. In May 2014, we performed electronic searches in PubMed, EmBase and the Cochrane Library to identify studies examining the effect of wine drinking on breast cancer incidence. The relative risk (RR) or odds ratio (OR) were used to measure any such association. Results: The analysis was further stratified by confounding factors that could influence the results. A total of twenty-six studies (eight case-control and eighteen cohort studies) involving 21,149 cases were included in our meta-analysis. Our study demonstrated that wine drinking was associated with breast cancer risk. A 36% increase in breast cancer risk was observed across overall studies based on the highest versus lowest model, with a combined RR of 1.0059 (95%CI 0.97-1.05) in dose-response analysis. However, 5 g/d ethanol from wine seemed to have protective value from our non-linear model. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that wine drinking is associated with breast cancer risk in a dose-dependent manner. High consumption of wine contributes to breast cancer risk with protection exerted by low doses. Further investigations are needed for clarification.

RASAL1 Attenuates Gastric Carcinogenesis in Nude Mice by Blocking RAS/ERK Signaling

Chen, Hong,Zhao, Ji-Yi,Qian, Xu-Chen,Cheng, Zheng-Yuan,Liu, Yang,Wang, Zhi Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.3

Recent studies have suggested that the RAS protein activator like-1 (RASAL1) functions as a tumor suppressor in vitro and may play an important role in the development of gastric cancer. However, whether or not RASAL1 suppresses tumor growth in vivo remains to be determined. In the present study, we investigated the role of RASAL1 in gastric carcinogenesis using an in vivo xenograft model. A lentiviral RASAL1 expression vector was constructed and utilized to transfect the human poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma cell line, BGC-823. RASAL1 expression levels were verified by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. Then, we established the nude mice xenograft model using BGC-823 cells either over-expressing RASAL1 or normal. After three weeks, the results showed that the over-expression of RASAL1 led to a significant reduction in both tumor volume and weight compared with the other two control groups. Furthermore, in xenograft tissues the increased expression of RASAL1 in BGC-823 cells caused decreased expression of p-ERK1/2, a downstream moleculein the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signal pathway. These findings demonstrated that the over-expression of RASAL1 could inhibit the growth of gastric cancer by inactivation of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in vivo. This study indicates that RASAL1 may attenuate gastric carcinogenesis.

Grem1 accelerates nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis and intervertebral disc degeneration by inhibiting TGF-β-mediated Smad2/3 phosphorylation

Chen Shunlun,Lei Linchuan,Li Zemin,Chen Fan,Huang Yuming,Jiang Guowei,Guo Xingyu,Zhao Zhuoyang,Liu Hui,Wang Hua,Liu Caijun,Zheng Zhaomin,Wang Jianru 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a main cause of low back pain, and inflammatory factors play key roles in its pathogenesis. Gremlin-1 (Grem1) was reported to induce an inflammatory response in other fields. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of Grem1 in the degenerative process of intervertebral discs. Dysregulated genes were determined by analyzing microarray profiles. The expression of Grem1 in 17 human disc samples (male:female = 9:8) and rat models (n = 5 each group) was measured by western blotting (WB), real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The regulatory effects of Grem1 on apoptosis were examined using siRNAs, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence (IF), and WB. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by locally injecting specific Grem1 siRNA into IVDD rats. The expression of Grem1 was significantly increased in human degenerative intervertebral discs; furthermore, the expression of Grem1 positively correlated with the level of intervertebral disc degeneration. Grem1 was significantly overexpressed in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced degenerative NP cells. Apoptosis in degenerative NP cells transfected with siRNA targeting Grem1 was significantly lower than that in the control group. Specific Grem1 siRNA markedly repressed the development of IVDD in surgery-induced IVDD rats. These results indicated that the expression of Grem1 was positively correlated with the severity of intervertebral disc degeneration, and Grem1 siRNA could inhibit Grem1-induced apoptosis and extracellular matrix alterations by mediating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. This study may provide a therapeutic strategy for alleviating inflammation-induced apoptosis associated with intervertebral disc degeneration.

Study on the transient flow induced by the windbreak transition regions in a railway subject to crosswinds

Zheng-Wei Chen,Syeda Anam Hashmi,Tanghong Liu,Wenhui Li,Zhuang Sun,Dongrun Liu,Hassan Hemida,Hong-Kang Liu 한국풍공학회 2022 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.35 No.5

Due to the complex terrain around high-speed railways, the windbreaks were established along different landforms, resulting in irregular windbreak transition regions between different subgrade infrastructures (flat ground, cutting, embankment, etc). In this paper, the effect of a windbreak transition on the wind flow around railways subjected to crosswinds was studied. Wind tunnel testing was conducted to study the wind speed change around a windbreak transition on flat ground with a uniform wind speed inflow, and the collected data were used to validate a numerical simulation based on a detached eddy simulation method. The validated numerical method was then used to investigate the effect of the windbreak transition from the flat ground to cutting (the “cutting” is a railway subgrade type formed by digging down from the original ground) for three different wind incidence angles of 90º, 75º, and 105º. The deterioration mechanism of the flow fields and the reasons behind the occurrence of the peak wind velocities were explained in detail. The results showed that for the windbreak transition on flat ground, the impact was small. For the transition from the flat ground to the cutting, the influence was relatively large. The significant increase in the wind speeds was due to the right-angle structure of the windbreak transition, which resulted in sudden changes of the wind velocity as well as the direction. In addition, the height mismatch in the transition region worsened the protective effect of a typical windbreak.

Rate-based model for predicting and evaluating H2S absorption in the haloalkaliphilic biological desulfurization process

Zheng Chen,Gama Yang,Tingzhen Mu,Maohua Yang,Nadia A. Samak,Sumit Peh,Yunpu Jia,Xuemi Hao,Xuhao Zhao,Jianmin Xing 한국공업화학회 2022 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.110 No.-

The highly efficient performance of H2S absorption is the crucial indicator for haloalkaliphilic biologicaldesulfurization (HBDS) because it immediately concerns the H2S removal efficiency and pH change ofalkaline solutions. Therefore, we investigated the effect of operating parameters on the H2S absorption’sperformance under haloalkaline conditions. The gas–liquid ratio and packing height significantly improveH2S removal efficiency, from 80% to 90% and 66% to 99%, respectively. The absorption temperature had atrivial impact on the H2S removal efficiency, and the maximum value appeared at 45 C. Additionally, alloperating parameters caused pH changes that varied in the acceptable range (0.1 to 0.5) during theabsorption process. A rate-based model was successfully developed to predict the haloalkaliphilic H2Sabsorption process accurately. Moreover, this model could be implemented to effectively evaluate theHBDS system’s stability and provide reliable theoretical guidance for the industrial HBDS process toensure good process stability.